• The Girl Who Ate Everything went for dim sum at 88 Palace … and liked the “Shiny Green Dumplings” and “Ginormous Meat Balls” and “Chinese sausage wrapped in steamed bread” and “the super awesome turnip cake” … what, no chicken feet? … (previous review: NYC nosh (TWIR, September 23, 2005)) … 88 East Broadway, under the Manhattan Bridge in the East Broadway Mall where you can also catch a Chinatown bus, 212-941-8886 [Citysearch]
• The Bruni Digest, finally, gets around to Frank Bruni’s review of Centrico … “Centrico: Frank Said Knock Mama Out” …
• Peter Meehan likes the pizza at Adrienne’s Pizza Bar … “Pizza purists may be happiest with the nighttime pies [dinner menu], rendered with precision in a Neapolitan style. But the big rectangular pizzas [lunch menu], with their thinnish crusts, charred around the edges and toasted if not exactly crisp in the middle, are certainly good eating.” … 54 Stone Street, between Coenties Alley and William Street, 212-248-3838 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
• slice hjghlights Peter Meehan’s review of Adrienne’s .. and eats take out from Fornino while at “a Mario Kart DS party” … the pizzas “were certainly delicious but, as expected, suffered a bit due to time spent in the pizza boxes. Still, it was a luxury being able to order up such 1st place pies while racing for the prize” … 187 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-384-6004 [NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
• foodite had baby cow pancreas at Craftbar … “I took a bite through it’s crispy fried exterior to find a pillowy and buttery texture and flavor that was good. It was really good. So good that it’s probably unhealthy for you.” … (previous review: Adam Platt (TWIR, August 19, 2005)) … web site, 900 Broadway at East 20th Street, 212-461-4300 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
• Steve Cuozzo has “some unsolicited advice for the people at new Telepan, the latest place out to prove that the Upper West Side Is Now a Serious Dining Destination: Be nice to your neighbors, because you’ll need them when scene-making foodies from afar move on.” … (previous review: 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]
• David Rosen ate at Telepan…. “Among the appetizers, the scallops with mushrooms and spinach are flawless” … “roasted sirloin steak with an oxtail glaze is by far the best main course we sample here. The steak is as fine as one served in a top-rated steakhouse, but the oxtail glaze gives it a deeper dimension that is both earthy and elegant.” … and did not like the decor: “The two narrow dining rooms, separated by a small oval bar and a charming wine room, are quite gloomy.” …
• Veal Cheeks visited Russian Samovar, which “fashions their own vodka. Perhaps they don’t rely on a bathtub in the basement, but the infusions are home-made. Among the choices are Tarragon, Garlic, Coriander, and Cranberry Vodka (the most popular). At the suggestion of a companion I ordered Horseradish Vodka, a peasant favorite. This libation was the high point of the evening, pungent while retaining the smooth fire of this fine liquor.” … web site, 256 West 52nd Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue, 212-757-0168 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … and ate at 3 Asian restaurants … Bali Nusa Indah: “a very satisfying post-theater treat.” … 651 Ninth Avenue, between 45th and 46th Streets, 212-974-1875 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … Cafe Mingala: “one of a few Burmese restaurants in town … Although the ground beef and potato mix was curried, it was a curry that any Brit could love. I fantasize that Thai gourmets whisper that their neighbors are wimps, but the dish was a pleasant surprise: a Boeuf Wellington for everyman.” … 1393B Second Avenue, between 72nd and 73rd Streets, 212-744-8008 [MenuPages | openlist | Citysearch] … Jackson Diner: “The Jackson buffet doesn’t deserve a standing ovation, but at $9.95, it does what it needs to do. I particularly enjoyed the juicy Tandoori Chicken and the sweet, creamy Kheer (Indian rice pudding with raisins). ” … 37-47 74th Street, Jackson Heights, Queens, 718-672-1232 [NYT | Citysearch]
• Owen Phillips raves about Fatty Crab … “the salad of fried pork belly and watermelon, dusted with sesame seeds and set on the pickled rind of the melon—a sweet and savory contrast that makes you long for humid weather.” … (previous reviews: David Rosen (TWIR, December 16, 2005), Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) … 643 Hudson Street, 212-352-3590 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] … we’ll say it again: if you want real Malaysian food, go to Sanur …
• Veal Cheeks also went to Fatty Crab … the “Watermelon Pickle and Crispy Pork” was “luxurious. The cool and sexy watermelon pickles kept the plate from pure decadence but it was as close as might be found outside Crobar. This was a dish for the Book of Days. Short Rib Rendang, braised with kaffir lime, coconut and chili matched the salad in indulgence.” … “Black Grouper Masak Lemak with a sauce of chilies and potatoes, poached in coconut broth with bok choy and jalapeno was libertine as well.” … Mr. Cheeks, get thee to Sanur …
• Moira Hodgson gave 2 stars to Barbounia, serving “modern Greek cuisine with Mediterranean influences.” … “your red mullet doesn’t arrive hot off the grill garnished only with a piece of lemon; it comes instead with a red-wine shallot reduction. And sardines, “fire-roasted,” are lightly coated with mustard oil and paired with a salad of Granny Smith apples and fennel. Charred octopus gets a kalamata tapenade and is laced with pieces of crystallized lemon. All are delicious.” … 250 Park Avenue South, at 20th Street, 212-995-0242 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
• Chris Erikson went searching for the “Real N.Y. Bagel” … “The sad truth is, for all of New York’s pride in its bagels, classic old-school bagels – the kind a generation of city Jews grew up eating, the kind that made New York bagels world-famous – are becoming as rare as 50-cent cups of coffee.” … but likes what he finds at … The Bagel Hole: “The ultimate old-guard bagel: small, crisp on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside.” … 400 Seventh Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, 718-788-4014 [Citysearch] … Bruce’s Bagels: “Slightly larger, but a top-notch bagel with a nice blistered crust.” … 1975-A Flatbush Avenue, in Marine Park, Brooklyn, 718-377-0061 … The Bagel Spot: “Defiantly old-school; small and very chewy.” … 4305 14th Avenue, at 43rd Street, Borough Park, Brooklyn, 718-853-4450 … Daniel’s:”Modest-sized and beautifully blistered.” … 569 Third Avenue, 212-972-9733 [Citysearch]
• Twenty Bucks a Day got back into town from Vermont … and rips Mama’s Food Shop: “The macaroni and cheese is, indeed, quite tasty – I’ll give them that much. But the veggies and starch really leave something to be desired. They’re served cold! I realize that the afore-mentioned menu explains that they’re served that way because ‘Mama’ said to do so, but I have a feeling that this ‘Mama’ isn’t the sort I’d want making my holiday dinners. The egregious laziness of cold vegetables is made particularly obvious by the presence of a microwave (WTF?) near the cash register (and, for what it’s worth, I don’t care that they’re crispy as hell because they’re made in a convection oven if you’ve still got to nuke them like they’re week-old leftovers). I tried the bok choy, the green beans, the turnips, the broccoli, and the sweet potatoes, and none made an impression large enough to overcome their lack of internal energy.” … “Mama’s ‘lack of affectation’ is a front for its extreme peculiarity, and not in the good sense of that word. ” … 200 East 3rd Street, 212-777-4425 [MenuPages | VillageVoice | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … and says Nectar is OK … “How does Nectar’s wrap rate on the global scale of lamb sandwiches? Well, I wouldn’t pick it over a good doner kebap, nor is it the equal of Bedouin Tent’s lamb or merguez sandwiches (both of which, I might add, are cheaper) – both bread and meat at Bedouin Tent are superior. But, for a change of pace, or for those Cobble Hillers who just need a quick bite on the way home, the Moroccan lamb wrap ($7.75) is a fine choice.” … 198 Court Street, at Wyckoff Street, Brooklyn, 718-855-6166 [Citysearch]
• Adam Platt went to Falai, which “seems to have developed a following among uptown connoisseurs who favor fashionable new places downtown, and among fashionable Italians who like to dine in places that remind them of their fashionable restaurants back home.” … “The best was the eggy house fettuccini, tossed simply with butter and piled (for $45 a plate) with shavings of white truffle from Alba. If you think the appearance of $45 plates of fettuccini with white truffles is a sign that Clinton Street’s beatnik culinary revolution is over, you might be correct.” … 68 Clinton Street, between Rivington and Stanton Streets, 212-253-1960 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
• eat drink one woman had dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns … “The appetizer course was a knock out” … Maine crab and “crisp scallop on a bed of slivered fennel and apple” … “the fish courses [white poached cod and Atlantic char] were impeccable” … “I pretty much squealed at my plate of Berkshire pork” … “one of the best meals we’d had in years” … web site, 630 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills, NY (just past Tarrytown), 914-366-9600 [New York | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … and at Zabb Queens … “Its specialty is the Isaan cuisine of the northeast, the region my Mae’s family is from. It’s kind of like the ‘soul food’ of Thailand.” … “catfish labb looked a bit like cat food, but it was even better than the white meat chicken labb — meaty, earthy and smoky, it was laced with plenty of roasted rice and chili heat, set off by the sharp sugar of sliced red onion. Crispy fish floated in a tom yam soup, its deceptive clarity only revealing the explosive lemongrass flavor on the tongue. The star dish was the last one to come to the table — whole steamed catfish came liberally topped with a halitosis-insuring salsa of lime juice, raw minced garlic and fiery sliced Thai chilies. The white flesh was so tender that the skeleton released itself easily from the satiny white fillet.” … “Zabb easily gives Sripraphai a run for its money.” … web site, 7218 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights, 718-426-7992 [NYT]
• A Guy in New York says Tony Dragonas “may have the best grilled hamburger in NYC” … southeast corner of East 62nd Street and Madison Avenue, street vendor … finalist in the 2005 Vendy Awards …
• NYC nosh says Big Nick’s Burger Joint & Pizza Joint “is a local landmark for good reason: its burgers.” … burgers were OK … “the Crabcake Burger from the Specialty Burgers section of the menu [was] better with ketchup than the over-salted ‘lobster sauce’ that came with it, the crabcakes were decent, but not great: the large, flat patties were made up primarily of lump crab meat (which is what we expected) and an awful lot of binder.” … web site, 2175 Broadway, at 77th Street, 212-362-9238 [openlist | Citysearch]
• Big Apple Dining Guide tried Trio … “The caesar salad ($8) was pretty good. The lettuce was actually the best part. Nice and crispy.” … “The heavily peppered chicken (which was cooked just right) and the salty, flavorful broth and vegetables it sat on was a powerful and tasty combination.” … “onion rings ($5) were downright awful.” … web site, 167 East 33rd Street, 212-685-1001 [MenuPages | openlist | Citysearch]
• Amateur Gourmet says the food at Lupa “was very good, not extraordinary, just ‘hit the spot’ good” … “the balance of ingredients and dressing [on the salad] was perfect” … web site, 170 Thompson Street, between Houston and Bleecker Streets, 212-982-5089 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
• Frank Bruni gave 2 stars to Al di La … “the casunziei, a dish of house-made ravioli … were impeccably cooked, firm but not hard, pliant but not mushy, with pillowy insides and a rich, vaguely grainy gloss” … “Over the past year, Al di Là has been preparing a terrific dish of pan-roasted cod, wild striped bass or hake, depending on the night, with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and plenty of butter.” … (previous review: eat drink one woman (TWIR, August 5, 2005)) … 248 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-636-8888 [openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … and has an article on the “stealth charges” at restaurants with the proliferation of “snacks” and “mid-course” dishes … … and also visited Colors … “The restaurant hasn’t been up and running long enough – and I didn’t amass enough evidence – for a verdict. Just a few days old, the Colors I visited had many kinks to iron out, in the kitchen and in the dining room. Some food arrived colder than it should have been or under- or overcooked. It was sometimes difficult to get our server’s attention.” … (previous review: Leslie Casimir (TWIR, January 6, 2006)) … 417 Lafayette Street, between Astor Place and East 4th Street, 212-777-8443 [MenuPages]

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