Thursday, May 3, 2012
Cocktails of the Future
Booker and Dax:
David Chang partnered up with Dave Arnold to bring the East Village a cocktail spot that brings a scientific edge to it. The spot is located in the old Milk Bar space and is named after Arnold's children, Booker and Dax. The menu is short, but is quite different from other cocktail bars in the area. Not only do the bartenders chill their glasses with liquid nitrogen, but they get people thinking --not just drinking. Try a gin and Juice with clarified grapefruit juice or a mustachi-ode --a shaken cocktail with nardini amaro, becherovka, bourbon, egg-white, a house made pistachio syrup. For stirred cocktails, you could get a Manhattan; but for something unique get the Laurel and Hardy--a mixture of cognac, rye, maraschino, benedictine, fernet, and mole bitters. Bols Deep, Son of a Peach, and Jenny & Scott are also solid drinks that come served with one large ice cube. Arnold and the crew over at Booker and Dax aim to make cocktails better through a scientific approach. For their Lady of the Night--they clarify siracha,tomato juice, and worcestershire and distill horseradish into an essential oil; giving them a truly unique twist on a bloody mary.
Booker and Dax is a solid cocktail spot; but I'm scared the appeal might be lost after your first or second visit. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the kitchen serves pork buns till 2am; but the cocktail list isn't too long. Maybe the menu changes frequently? I don't know. Its a comfortable atmosphere to grab a drink and chat up the bartenders about the gadgets that look like they were stolen from a laboratory. Just don't drink too fast, $15 drinks could add up.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Il Buco Alimentaria e Vineria
The hospitality of Il Buco Alimemtari e Vineria started on the phone when I called about coming in for lunch. I wasn't making a reservation, I was only a solo diner; but I wanted to see if they served lunch. The lady on the other end explained, "yes, we have everything!" Normally, I consult a restaurants website to inquire about such questions; but their website wasn't too helpful. I think they should definitely update their website with some more information--especially a menu!
I've read multiple reviews on Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria, a spinoff of Il Buco, from critics such as Pete Wells and Ryan Sutton. Wells gave the restaurant three stars in the NY Times while Sutton thought it was overpriced and understaffed. I'm happy to say that my experience was fantastic. Yes, Sutton was right on regarding the price point--a bit high! But the food was delicious and I would definitely go back.
Walking through the door of the alimentari you're eyes go gaga as they position right to the salumi and cheeses. "Most of our salumi are made in house," says the bartender. I sat at the bar in the restaurant section of the establishment. I forget her name, but the bartender was great and exuded hospitality. She wasn't pushy--she respected my decision to drink tap water (how boring!) She made some good recommendations; but they were dishes that I was already attracted to. She was a photography student just out of New Paltz and she "loved food"; but this was apparent.
I started with charred octopus with kumquats, green almonds, olives, yogurt, and farro. The octopus had a beautiful char while remaining tender and succulent. The kumquats added a nice citrus tang while the yogurt and farro were good choices for both texture and flavor. For my main course, I got the slow roasted short rib panini. The panini's base was a baguette made in house and smeared with gorgonzola to add a rich tanginess. An onion agrodolce sat on top of the short rib adding a sweet (not so sour) flavor. The short rib was packed with flavor and reminded me why low and slow is the way to go. Pickled veggies sat in a bowl besides my panini that added a fresh and feel good component.
A cappuccino was all I could have for dessert as I felt in a bit of a food coma. I was a bit disappointed with the strength of the coffee; but the food and service made up for it. Lunch was a bit expensive ($43 + tip) so it wouldn't be a regular spot; but I definitely want to go back to try the house-cured meats and pastas as well. Definitely check it out!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Costa Rica: La Dolce Vida
Not only did I have the time of my life in Costa Rica with 29 amazing people, but I got to eat some great food. Every breakfast was spent at the Beach Dog cafe where the waitresses were hot and the breakfast tacos were even hotter. Don't know if that makes sense, but the breakfast tacos kept me coming back. Breakfast tacos, powerade, and a large water was the perfect trifecta that abled me for all day drinking and fun. Sometimes I'd even have lunch at Beach Dog. The mango chicken quesadilla was delicious!
Robins was an everyday stop for ice cream and the occasional wrap. The chorizo wrap and ice cream kept us coming back despite the owners bad attitude. The pork taco stand became an everyday stop as well. I've tried their three varieties of tacos (tuna, chicken, and pork), but the pork tacos were definitely the best. The service was slow, but it was just the way of life down there and that was totally ok with us. After smoking pork spareribs, they cut the meat off the bones and put them in a flour tortilla. The pork was topped with a crunchy slaw that added a freshness and a great textural component. Overall, it was tied with Beach Dog for my favorite Costa spot.
We had a ton of other great meals during our stay. Marlin Bill's was a solid dinner spot and so was Toucans. We had a great dinner at Cafe Paris the night of our fishing trip. They prepared our fish three ways while also preparing sides to accompany the fish. La Dolce Vita was another great dinner-- an Italian feast with our friend "Scarpetta". Our family dinner also ranked among my favorite meals, but thats because food always taste better when you cook it! There was also alot of love in the air being the last night together in a tropical paradise.
Olga's and La Banana were great spots to visit. Olga's despite the ugly name had amazing views of the sunset while La Banana was our dancing haven.
Costa Rica-- the sweet life.
St. Patrick's Day
Actually, there's not much to say about St. Paddy's day in NYC. It seemed like amateur night, but I guess that's what happens when you start ripping shots of jamo at 10am. Unfortunately, I had work till 4pm and everyone was already wasted. Spent some time at the Irish American in my neighborhood with some friends and called it an early night. My liver and wallet were happy.
Korean Flavor
Danji is a 36-seat Korean tapas restaurant on West 52nd Street. Hooni Kim, who we had the pleasure of meeting, is chef/owner of this small Hell's Kitchen restaurant. He seemed genuinely interested in meeting us and chatting about food. I went with some friends from culinary management school, so we're all very much into food. Chef Kim told us that he was happy doing his food and that people were liking it. People weren't liking it, they were loving it. As I waited outside for the rest of my party to arrive, Danji attracted the attention to nearly every passerby. "This is my favorite place" or "we have to go here" were only a few things said about Danji. Walk inside and the bartender immediately lets you know that the line starts at the wall. There's limited space, so hopefully its nice enough to wait outside--or at the bar next door like we did. Although standing along the wall might be awkward, it is hilarious to see people wrestle through the huge curtain in the doorway.
Finally we were seated at a bar table that came equipped with drawers that held our menus. The space itself looked like it was designed by a Korean Ikea and it also felt like it--uncomfortable if you haven't experienced the wonders of an Ikea bed or couch. The decor matched the concept though, a nice juxtaposition between old and new similar to its menu. Danji's menu explores Kim's take on both traditional and modern Korean food. Order a bunch of dishes to share and if something is delicious--order some more. Meals go quick here and there's a no reservation policy so somebody is probably eyeing you for your seat. Small plates range from $8-$20 and will come out of the kitchen in waves allowing you to enjoy dishes as ready. Taste around the menu. The spicy whelk salad with buckwheat noodles, poached sablefish with daikon, and spicy yellowtail sashimi were all delicious fish dishes, but Kim's meat dishes sure did shine. Bulgogi sliders with spicy pickled cucumber and scallion salsa were so good we had to get seconds. The pork sliders, bossam, and kimchi bacon chorizo paella were also hits at our table. Definitely explore the menu. And don't forget to grab some drinks--I would recommend a shot of soju and an OB lager (or a 16oz Sixpoint can). CHECK IT OUT!
Birthday Week #2
Corner Bistro
If you consider yourself a burger connoisseur than you MUST check out Corner Bistro in the West Village. Coined as the "last bohemian bar in West Greenwich Village", Corner Bistro should be on every New Yorker's radar. You get the old New York vibe from the scenery to the service. An old man rocking a mets cap served the whole place. Unless you were ready to order, he didn't have time to chat or answer questions. The menu is on the wall, but most guests don't need it. The Bistro Burger is their signature burger with bacon and cheese; but they also have a Chili Burger if you're feeling spicy. They also have a chicken sandwich or BLT if you're not feeling like a burger. But you should get a burger, its delicious and pretty cheap. Granted you could probably order two, but one 8oz burger proved to be a great afternoon snack. Wash it down with a McSorly's ale to keep with tradition and you will be one happy camper. An afternoon is the perfect time to go if you want to avoid the long lines that keep Corner Bistro bustling with business.
It's hard to judge Crispo, because I didn't get to enjoy their menu as I wanted. It was a Friday in lent and for some reason, I felt guilty about eating meat. I went with Colette and we both laughed at the idea of adhering to this Catholic tradition when neither of us have been inside a church in months, maybe years? We looked over the menu, a rather large collection of Northern Italian trattoria fare. Sometimes I get nervous of a large menu, because I wonder how a restaurant could keep everything fresh. But Frank Crispo, chef/owner of Crispo does a brilliant job in creating dishes that reuse ingredients. Besides the same ingredients being used throughout the menu, Crispo is always busy from what I hear.
craftbar
I always wanted to visit one of Tom Colicchio's restaurants after seeing him serve as the main food authority on Bravo's Top Chef. Although I wanted to go to Colicchio and Sons, I found myself with Kayte and Schopp in the Flatiron area; so we stopped by Craftbar to grab dinner.
My meal at Craftbar was solely memorable because of my company. The food was good, but the prices didn't align. I don't mind spending money on a good dinner, but this place might have been a bit expensive for what we experienced. Maybe Colicchio and Sons or Craft might be better value restaurants--I guess we shall see.
Wings were OK! Flavor was good, but the quality of chicken was offputting. Greg and courtney disagreed. Small place on Rivington could get stuffy, so it might be better to take these treats elsewhere. Also, wasn't crazy about the water that was served from a sketchy water jug. It tasted like they added some herbs to the water--not really sure. They had a delicious limeade to wash down your order of Andy Ricker's famous Ike's Wings. Ricker's, a Portland based chef, became famous in Oregon for these wings before bringing them to NYC. The wings are meaty and the Vietnamese fish sauce will have you licking your fingers clean. But for some reason, there was a flavor that made me think the wings were freezer burnt or something? I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was taking away from these wings that had so much potential.
Another interesting thing about Pok Pok was their drinking vinegars. We didn't try them, but they definitely stood out, especially because that's all they offered besides their weird water and tastey limeade. I think I may have to try Pok Pok again.
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