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This Week in NYC Reviews - February 17, 2006

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in NYC Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

Also see our roundup of Michelin 1, 2 and 3 star restaurants with links to reviews ...

For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in DC Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...

NYC Restaurant inspection results online

Waiter Rant says Valentine's "night was one of the most lucrative nights I’ve ever had as a waiter" ... and thanks everyone for their prayers and good wishes ...
slice's "own unscientific research here at the Slice Institute for Pizza Research suggests that if your dearest doesn't like pizza at all, you should consider relationship exit strategies" ...

Salli Vates recommends Supercore Cafe ... "the marinated ginger-and-radish-topped mackerel [of] which there were three moist slabs. My spinach was smothered in sesame sauce, and there was a nice portion of seaweed-sprinkled white rice. And the latte was terrific." ... 305 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-302-1629 [Citysearch]

NYC nosh recommends the "combination platter, served with six takoyaki and the okonomiyaki of your choice" at Otafuku ... 236 East 9th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, 212-353-8503 [MenuPages | NYT | NY Metro | Village Voice | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

CityRag says the French Fry-Encrusted Corn Dog is "Possibly the BEST street food EVER invented" ... Seoul, South Korea ...

Robert Sietsema kind of liked Indo Wok ... "The spiciest and also the strangest thing my pals and I encountered on three visits was beef Mongolian ($12.50). Mantled with crisp fried noodles, the seething crimson stew reeked of vinegar [and] like a vindaloo, it was fiery as hell." ... 106 Lexington Avenue, between 27th and 28th Streets, 212-684-1645 [MenuPages]

Opinionated About Dining "was looking for an ethereal meal that only a top three-star chef can serve and that is exactly what I got" at Arpege ... 84 Rue de Varenne, Paris, +33 1 45 51 47 33 [food tourist]

Joshua Bernstein proposes a takeover of McGinn's ... "Trust me: Look beyond looks to find McGinn’s beauty: It’s a blank slate to fill with your friends. All of them. Plus their friends. And their enemies too. Let’s dub this proposed action 'takeoveritis.'" ... 916 Manhattan Avenue, between Kent Street and Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-383-9768

Pascale Le Draoulec describes Naka Naka as a "bento-box-size gem, literally dwarfed by nearby Morimoto" ... "when my tuna sashimi arrived, artfully arranged with broad shiso leaves, it tasted as though it had ridden a wave onto my plate and landed belly up." ... "I highly recommend the crunchy lotus-root salad, as appealing to the eye as to the tongue, and the pan-fried burdock and carrot slivers (kinpira gobo), one of the tastiest coleslaws I've ever had" ... 458 West 17th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues, 212-929-8544 [NY Metro | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and was "totally charmed by the white-chocolate "margarita," a martini glass layered from bottom to top with Meyer lemon gelée, white-chocolate mousse, yogurt-tarragon sorbet and coarse apricot salt" at Room 4 Dessert ... 17 Cleveland Place, between Spring and Kenmare Streets, 212-941-5405 [eGullet | gothamist (pics) | JoonBlog | Citysearch]

Adam Platt says of Gilt: "The food ($92 for a three-course prix fixe dinner) is a comparative bargain" ... "If you order only one dish, however, make it Liebrandt’s foie gras (another $18 supplement), which is encased in a thin membrane of beets, served over a nori tuile, and eaten on segments of brioche toast, which you can spread with truffle butter served in a tiny silver pot." ... (previous reviews: Frank Bruni (TWIR, February 10, 2006), Steve Cuozzo, David Rosen, Gael Greene (TWIR, January 20, 2006)) ... web site, 455 Madison Avenue, at 50th Street, 212-891-8100 [NYT | Citysearch]

Augieland, after living at Morimoto NYC: Omakase Bar for a week, has a roundup and gave it 903 ryorillian stars ... "if you do not appreciate delicacy and grace in food this may not be the place for you" ... "A big part of the genius of the omakase bar isn't only the creativity that made every single dish completely different, but tying them all together so that they were even better as a whole. Each night had its own flow and its own logic, and at the end of each night the creativity and continuity came together to make it unique and fantastic." ... web site, 88 10th Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets, 212-989-8883 [Citysearch] ... and had Valentine's Day dinner at Cru ... "the fact that it manages to stay so special, in spite of my being there quite a bit, is a testament to how well its team executes their mission" ... "robiola tart is awesome" ... "Roasted Diver Scallops with Cauliflower-Almond Purée, Wilted Baby Spinach and Hon-shimeji Mushrooms [were wonderfully] golden and crisp on the surface, the scallops were rare enough to maintain their bite." ... web site, 24 5th Avenue, at West 9th Street, 212-529-1700 [MenuPages | NYT | NY Metro | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

A Guy In New York says the xiao long bao (soup dumplings) at Shanghai Cafe "are so good we ordered more ... and don't forget to eat the cabbage leaves" ... (previous review: Robert Sietsema (TWIR, August 26, 2005)) ... 100 Mott Street, between Canal and Hester Streets, 212-966-3988 [MenuPages | Add Your Own Column | Citysearch]

Steve Cuozzo says of Del Posto and Morimoto: "So far, though, the heralded 10th Avenue showdown of 'Molto' Mario Batali and 'Iron Chef' Matsaharu Morimoto seems a clash, not of titans, but of kitchen crash-test dummies." ... "Squandering bazillions on architecture with scant regard for common sense, both new joints are overbuilt, over-hyped - and at risk of being just plain over." ... "While the great Morimoto himself fussed over Martha Stewart, the rest of us were getting indifferently cut, generic-tasting sushi and rolls." ... (Del Posto previous reviews: David Rosen (TWIR, February 3, 2006)), Andrea Strong (TWIR, January 20, 2006)) ...

The Hungry Rose enjoyed her dinner at Bistro Du Vent ... "a wild stripe bass with a side of gnocchi in a shrimp-bouillabaisse sauce ... was cooked just long enough to render it soft and flakey which allowed the sauce to shine through instead of the fish" ... 411 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues, 212-239-3060 [MenuPages | NYT | NY Metro | Village Voice | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

Joan Reminick looks at "The ethnic restaurant's dilemma: Keep it real or tone it down?" ... and reviews The Wreck Chowder House ... "enjoyed a special of pecan-crusted mahi-mahi, a felicitous union of fish and nuts that, unlike some nut-encrusted piscine dishes, wasn't the least bit oily" ... "liked the beef satay, burnished strips of well-marinated meat on wooden skewers, served with chimichurri and a ramekin of tamarind peanut sauce" ... 37 Shore Road, Port Washington, 516-767-7878 [AOL Cityguide]

WhiteTrashBBQ announces "NYC's first BBQ contest - Grillin On The Bay!" ... March 25, 2006, St. Mark Sports Association, Corner of East 18th Street and Avenue Z, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, 718-769-5374

Big Apple Dining Guide says i Trulli "is the ultimate first date place in Gramercy/Murray Hill but is well suited for your midweek night out with the wife/girl/boyfriend or even solo dining" ... "fresh pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and the stuffing was very flavorful...the veal making its presence known and not hidden in a veil of spinach" ... web site, 122 East 27th Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues, 212-481-7372 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

Gael Greene liked some things at Spiga ... "I can smell, and my mouth senses chocolate adding depth and luscious richness to the gnocchi with porcini and juicy ribbons of wild boar. It’s the hit of the night. A simple mushroom-and-Gorgonzola lasagne, an almost-classic zucchini parmigiana, and garganelli pasta with broccoletti and pig cheek also stand out." ... (previous review: Eric Asimov (TWIR, January 27, 2006)) ... 200 West 84th Street, Manhattan, 212-362-5506 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

Moira Hodgson gave 2 stars to Blaue Gans ... "The wursts, supplied by a German sausage-maker upstate, are terrific. Weisswurst, bratwurst and burenwurst (pork and beef sausage laced with cheese) come with the most delicate sauerkraut this side of Canal Street, tasting as though it had been braised in champagne." ... (previous review: Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld (TWIR, January 20, 2006)) ... 139 Duane Street, between West Broadway and Church Street, 212-571-8880 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

David Rosen gave 1.5 stars to Blaue Gans ... "Traditional Austrian dishes such as pork schnitzel and kavalierspitz (boiled beef) benefit from superb potato salad and silky spinach puree respectively" ...

Andrea Thompson also liked Blaue Gans ... "in the Kavalierspitz, the boiled beef has the perfect texture between tender and mushy, and the creamed spinach turns out to be a bowlful of addictively buttery, neon-green purée." ... but the "most pleasing discovery might be the dessert list" ...

Peter Meehan likes Stir It Up ... "there wasn't a single dish I tried on any visit that was a clunker. Not that Ms. Gordon's cooking is some unbridled expression of culinary brilliance; better, perhaps, is that it is the carefully considered product of a diligent home cook who happens to be cooking in a restaurant" ... 514 Atlantic Avenue, at Third Avenue, Brooklyn, 718- 643-3716

Frank Bruni debuted a blog, Diner's Journal, and reviews David Burke at Bloomingdale’s ... he complained that the "Braised short ribs were a perfect example -- dry, dull" ... maybe the kitchen is trying to send Frank a message, because when we had them they were very good ... but what we liked best was this comment by Melvin Snyder: "Mr. Bruni, it’s a good thing for you that Food & Wine’s Pete Wells already published his column about food blogs because you’d effortlessly make his 'tiny empires of boredom' list." ... general web site, Burke in the Box web site, 1000 Third Avenue, 59th Street entrance, between Lexington and Third Avenues, 212-705-3800 [NY | The Strong Buzz | Daily News] ... and gives 2 stars to Telepan ... "It shuns trickery and puts its faith in fundamental virtues: its freshness; the pureness or punch of its flavors; the skill with which it's been cooked." ... (previous reviews: Adam Platt (TWIR, February 3, 2006), Steve Cuozzo (TWIR, January 13, 2006), Andrea Strong (TWIR, January 6, 2006)) ... web site, 72 West 69th Street, between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, 212-580-4300 [MenuPages | Mouthfuls | Citysearch]

Veal Cheeks says Devi "rides high in comparison with Indian restaurants throughout the five boroughs. I was fully satisfied with what might well have been the best 'ethnic cuisine' of my New York stay" ... "crispy fried strips of okra were magnificent" ... "crab cakes were suffused with pleasure" ... (previous review: Augieland (TWIR, January 27, 2006)) ... web site, 8 East 18th Street, between 5th Avenue and Broadway, 212-691-1300 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

The Girl Who Ate Everything "ate nearly everything" at Teresa's ... the pierogies "were full of doughy deliciousness, nor can I pick a favorite because I LIKED EM ALL" ... "gigantic blintzes, oozing with cheesy, fruity delight [were] awesome, soft inside with crispy edges" ... 103 1st Avenue, between 6th and 7th Streets, 212-228-0604 [MenuPages | NY Metro | Village Voice | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and also liked Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop ... the "buffalo chicken sandwich ... was delicious" ... web site, 129 Rivington Street, 212-982-1690 [MenuPages | Cheapo Travel NY | Village Voice | openlist | Citysearch]

Amateur Gourmet says the pizza at 44 & X is "Gourmet pizza. And somewhat reasonably priced at $12 for an individual pie" ... 622 Tenth Avenue, at 44th Street, 212-977-1170 [MenuPages | NY Metro | Citysearch]

Mona's Apple had dinner at Barca 18 ... "nothing remarkable about either of the appetizers," which were crispy calamari and marinated shrimp ... "The calamari didn't stand out and the shrimp, while glazed in a nice citrus coating, was forgettable." ... "the paella de langosta y camaron [was] enormous and had lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, chorizo, saffron rice, peas and peppers." ... (previous reviews: Frank Bruni (TWIR, December 23, 2005), David Rosen (TWIR, November 18, 2005)) ... web site, 225 Park Avenue South, between 18th and 19th Streets, 212-533-2500 [MenuPages | NYMetro | Gayot | Citysearch]

Plate Of The Day says Metro Diner "certainly beats Denny’s any day." ... 2641 Broadway, at 100th Street, 212-866-0800 [MenuPages | yelp | openlist]

foodie pleads for help ... "After 10 years of reading restaurant reviews with bated breath and careful attention, I have come to loathe the recycled language and random crap that fills many of the reviews and food writing that I read (and write. Ha.) Food and restaurant reviewer, please help alleviate my pain." ... "Thank you, reviewer, for totally overlooking the $20K line cook who spends their entire existence slinging hot pans in order to fade into an oblivion of underappreciation. Also, when was the last time you've heard about sous chefs in a restaurant review? In many cases, those dudes are impacting the quality of the food more than the executive chefs. Get off your lazy asses and find out who they are - you are probably looking at the next executive chef at a trendy new restaurant coming soon." ...

The Food Section writes, "As restaurants question the inherent value of the Michelin star system, some establishments are even seeking to have their stars removed" ...

Plate Of The Day had Chinese New Year's dinner at Sweet and Tart ... "favorites from the New Year’s dinner were the garlic fried chicken, the fish and lobster and the Red Bean Soup dessert. The chicken was steam cooked just under tender then rapidly broiled over high heat to produce an extremely crunchy crispy skin." ... 20 Mott Street, 212-964-0380 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

Slashfood declares that "The search is over" for the perfect Bahn Mi ... at 5 Ninth ... "What arrived in front of me was bánh mì as art. Roast pork and tendrils of carrot and daikon spilled out of the sandwich that was kept company by a pile of what are surely the best shrimp chips I've ever had. The bánh mì itself was perfect. The crisp baguette shattered, a perfect foil to the roast pork and creamy sweet mayonnaise. The only downside of 5 Ninth's sandwich was the price. At $12, it's not cheap, but it's a price I'm willing to pay to my end my search for a top-notch Vietnamese sandwich." ... (previous reviews: Veal Cheeks (TWIR, February 3, 2006), foodie nyc (TWIR, December 16, 2005)) ... web site, 5 Ninth Avenue, at West 12th Street, 212-929-9460 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

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Posted February 17, 2006 09:17 AM · Permalink · This Week in Reviews

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This Week in NYC Reviews - February 17, 2006

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