• Michael Saul warns: “Before you eat at your favorite restaurant, the city thinks there’s something you should read – and it isn’t a menu. A new Web site unveiled yesterday by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene allows diners to know what inspectors found the last time they checked out the kitchens of the city’s 21,295 eateries. “New Yorkers obviously love food and they love all information about food that they can get – this is providing more information to people,” Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said yesterday as he announced the site, www.nyc.gov/health/restaurants.” … and has a list of “Golden Apple Award winners” … “Readers, uh, digest: City restaurant inspectors dish up grades on Web site,” NY Daily News, January 19, 2006
• Not a review, but we loved the title and lede from an article by Cynthia Kilian: “Good Nitro, and Good Luck” … “LIQUID nitrogen isn’t just for welders anymore. Some top chefs use it, too.” … “‘ It’s very fascinating stuff,'” said Gilt chef Paul Liebrandt … next hot culinary trick: oxyacetylene cooking … welders use it and it’s fascinating stuff … bet WhiteTrashBBQ has some tips …
• Joe DeSalazar of foodie is moving from gothamist to decentcontent …
• Lauren Collins asks if 202 is “Restaurant, Bar, Boutique?” … “Bubble and squeak, an ample casserole of cabbage and potatoes, is like a starch pie, browned on the top and creamy underneath.” … “missing the tuna burger–which, unlike most versions, never comes overcooked and is slathered with guacamole–would be the worse crime.” … 75 Ninth Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets, 646-638-1173 [NYT | Citysearch]
• The Girl Who Ate Everything had dinner at Soba Koh … “ordered the early dinner set ($16), which included savory egg custard, soba (hot or cold), a tempura medley, and broccoli rabe” … “The soba was flat and thin with a light flavor. Of course, it was delicious” … “loved every piece of tempura” … “loved” the black sesame pudding … (previous reviews: NYC nosh (TWIR, November 18, 2005), Salli Vates (TWIR, August 19, 2005)) … 309 East 5th Street, 212-254-2244 [Citysearch] … and says “the cakes are ADORABLE!” at the Golden Dragon Boat Cafe and Bakery … lots of pics of adorable cakes … 111 Bowery, 212-274-1822
• NYC nosh had dinner at Whym … “the chopped salad, which here features asparagus, bosc pear, beet cubes, crumbled feta, and a basil vinaigrette … works and is delicious” … calamari, “served very lightly battered and dredged with a sweet chili sauce and a touch of harissa … imports elements of Chinese and Middle Eastern cuisines in equal measure. The result is a genuine winner of a dish.” … stuffed pork chop with polenta “was very well-cooked” … 889 9th Avenue, between 57th and 58th Streets, 212-315-0088 [Citysearch]
• Robert Sietsema had Greek mountain food at Metsovo … “anyone who arrives intent on ordering seafood must be crazy, or ignorant of the treasures this joint is capable of.” … “Mountain food depends on sheep and goats for its main courses, and there’s nothing better than the baby goat fricassee ($22), which the menu refers to as ‘Ali Pasha.'” … “Lamb Yannina ($19) is another mountain standard. While it looks good on paper, it turns out to be rather dull in execution.” … 65 West 70th Street, 212-873-2300 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
• A Guy In New York says the fries at Burke Bar Cafe are “incredible …crispy, not soggy” … also liked the margherita pizza and braised spareribs … (previous reviews: Slashfood and A Hamburger Today (TWIR, December 16, 2005)) … 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]
• Pascale Le Draoulec gave 1.5 stars to The Cafe at Country … “flavor and vibrancy were often left out of the equation and food tasted well, flat. This, despite the many clever and interesting flourishes from the kitchen.” … (previous review: Frank Bruni (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) … 90 Madison Avenue, at 29th Street (in the Carlton Hotel), 212-889-7100 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
• Bergers & More had his first burger of 2006 at Paul’s … the burgers “were 8 ounces of delight … greasy, flavorful and cooked to our specifications. They also got it right with the bun which was slightly smaller than the burger so you weren’t stuck with a boring bun at the end. The shoestring fries were top-notch” … the milkshake “was mostly milk and little shake” … 131 2nd Avenue, between 7th Street and St. Marks Place, 212-529-3033 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] … and did not like the sliders at Burke in the Box at Bloomingdales … “the sliders which at $9.95 include 3 mini-burgers in haute-cuisine style … looked terrific and tasted terrible. A serious miss.” … earlier in the day is better … and what about the fries? …
• Moira Hodgson gave 1 star to Heirloom … “portobello ‘foie gras’ … doesn’t taste in the least bit like foie gras. It tastes like portobello mushrooms, and they are perfectly nice in and of themselves” … the tofu was “leathery ” … had “a lovely salad of local greens laced with pecans and topped with candied grapefruit on sticks. Another terrific dish was made with grits, smoked hominy, avocado and queso fresco, with a roasted tomato poblano adding just the right note of heat and acidity.” … (previous reviews: Frank Bruni (TWIR, January 6, 2006), Salli Vates (TWIR, December 16, 2005)) … web site, 191 Orchard Street, 212-228-9888 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
• Veal Cheeks writes that his dinner at Per Se “was the best meal that I have yet eaten in this culinary capital. I will go one step further, before taking a step back. This was my first meal where all complaints deserve to be in small print.” … “failures are in the disposal, not on the tasting menu. The fact that this was the Chef’s Tasting Menu, reconceived each market day, made its gaffe-free quality astonishing.” … “We selected the Chef’s Tasting Menu: Nine courses composed daily, plus a few extras.” … “At the great restaurants, it is not doing the big things right, but doing the tiniest things astonishingly” … web site, 10 Columbus Circle, at 60th Street and 8th Avenue, Time-Warner Center, 212-823-9335 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … and says that Heirloom “in its current incarnation has much to offer New York diners, but rethinking the menu could make this a destination restaurant, rather than a diverting curiosity” … “the Stir-Fried Spicy Rice Flour Noodles and Root Vegetable Kimchee, created with broccoli stems, honshimeiji (beech mushrooms), and galangal (ginger-like) teriyaki sauce [was] a happy mixture” …
• Julia Moskin has an overview of Bukharian restaurants in Rego Park, Queens … the “kebabs, stews, noodles and dumplings are savory and satisfying” …
• Mona’s Apple likes Pommes Frites, “a specialty shop serving authentic Belgian fries” … “highlight of PF is the plethora of sauces you can choose from. We tried the sampler of three: parmesan peppercorn, roasted garlic mayo, and “especial” which is onions on top of ketchup on top of mayo. You can’t go wrong with either of these.” … web site, 123 2nd Avenue, between 7th and 8th Streets, 212-674-1234 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
• Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld gave 2 stars to Blaue Gans … “blutwurstgröstl, or blood sausage, is all crumbly baked goodness, mixed with roasted fingerlings, mounded on a fastidiously molded circle of tangy sauerkraut and sprinkled with fresh grated horseradish” … “In this unpretentious, urbane context, nothing seems the slightest bit overdone.” … “Pork schnitzel is just as delicately breaded, remarkably light and greaseless.” … “As good as the goulash is, the classic Austrian dish called kavalierspitz-boiled beef shoulder, topped with apple-horseradish relish and served with the velvetiest spinach purée imaginable-is better.” … 139 Duane Street, near West Broadway, 212-571-8880 [NYT | Citysearch]
• Steve Cuozzo asks some of the same questions we had in his Gilt review, “The Ego Has Landed” … ” Chefs don’t come more charmingly full of themselves than young Paul Liebrandt, whose argument-starting, ‘modern European’ creations might easily set you back $250 a head.” … “But will customers whose checks are not picked up by a newspaper spend as much as they would at Daniel, Jean-Georges or Le Bernardin on a cult-figure, 29-year-old chef in a hotel dining room? Because, stripped of its hype, that’s Gilt” … “With magical dishes like ocean trout slow-cooked with clementines and sunchokes, it’s even potentially great. But it makes you want to call 911 — and not because its $92, three-course dinner prix fixe comes with $18-$28 supplements. No, it’s the shakedown wine list aimed at wow-the-babe high-rollers who won’t know what to make of Liebrandt’s cooking that made me scavenge like a vagrant to find anything under $200.” …
• David Rosen awards 2 out of 4 stars to Gilt where “Servers descend upon tables with a clumsy attitude that indicates the first sign of troubles to come.” … “Three of the amuse bouches carry descriptions that could be used to describe toiletries. Air, bubbles and foam are respectively employed in combination with the words lemon, oyster and chestnut. Fortunately, the only one that tastes like soap is the lemon air, whereas both the oysters topped with zesty bubbles and the chestnut foam are deliciously appealing.” … “At these prices we expect perfection, and Gilt restaurant is still far from it.” .. which is why it only gets 2 stars … we hope next week is Gilt-free …
• Andrea Strong had dinner at Del Posto … “Del Posto offers three things: magnificent design, impeccable service, and yes, phenomenal food. They had me at Posto. Indeed, the Batali-Bastianich Trio has a major success on its hands.” … “The vegetable fritto misto with bagna cauda ($15), a compilation of fried vegetables, is clearly the work of a fry-station genius.” … “salumi misti ($18) is also required eating, a selection of fantastic cured and dried meats served with a surprise” … “There are 15 pastas to choose from at Del Posto, an overwhelming choice especially when you consider that they all sound amazing. … The pastas are remarkable.” … “The only issue with the pasta tasting is that the courses are served one at a time, and this can add an hour to your dining experience.” … “The lamb three ways ($30) is a flawless dish” … “the experience of dining there as a whole—the palatial design, the flawless service, the killer food, and the attention to detail—was extraordinary, unique and quite special.” … 85 Tenth Avenue, between 15th Street and 16th Streets, 212-497-8090 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
• Frank Bruni gave 1 star to Pair of 8’s … “For $25 [Monday’s only], Pair of 8’s, a modest new bistro that doesn’t feel like a comedown from where you really wanted to go, presents you not only with a two-course meal – appetizer and entree – but also with a glass of red or white wine.” … “The chef, Bill Peet, who worked at Lutèce and Café des Artistes, must believe that less is more when it comes to seasoning. It’s a religion he should lose” … “But his most successful dishes are several notches above what you usually find at a neighborhood restaurant.” … “sorbets and ice creams are made in house, and the sorbets in particular (coconut, lemon, passion fruit) are terrific” … (previous reviews: Gael Greene (TWIR, December 9, 2005), Pascale Le Draoulec (TWIR, December 2, 2005)) … 568 Amsterdam Avenue, between 87th and 88th Streets, 212-874-2742 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch] … and tried Dani … “I was impressed by some of what I ate at Dani, including a thick, juicy pork cutlet with a thin, crisp crust. I was less taken with other dishes, including cavatelli with braised veal cheeks, which was underseasoned.” … 333 Hudson Street, at Charlton Street, 212-633-9333 [Citysearch]
• The Bruni Digest looks at “Pair of 8’s: Franklene’s Basement” …
• slice finally got to DeMarco’s … and compares it favorably to Di Fara … “the DeMarco’s slices this weblog had Tuesday night for dinner and yesterday afternoon for lunch were very good approximations of the master’s [Dominick DeMarco at Di Fara] craft.” … “a similar well-proportioned balance of crust, sauce, and cheese.” … “DeMarco’s is very good. And it’s only been open a short while. We suspect it’ll only get better” … 146 West Houston Street, at MacDougal Street, 212-253-2290 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
• Twenty Bucks a Day also went to DeMarco’s … and had a “Pizza Margherita. It’s the simplest Neapolitan pizza out there – just crust, tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella di bufala. It’s also the easiest to screw up – there’s not much margin for error with so few ingredients, and if any of them are off (or out of balance), the pie just isn’t the same. Fortunately, I was in the hands of a chef who was having an extremely good day.” … “The 12” Margherita is the most European pizza I’ve ever eaten in America” … and had dinner at La Maison du Couscous … “though it’s a little expensive, the food is worth traveling to try in any weather” … “The couscous (interestingly also served in a tajine – I have no idea if this is typical) was sweet in an earthy kind of way, with golden raisins, prunes, and dates.” … web site, 484 77th Street, Brooklyn, 718-921-2400 [NY Metro | Go Brooklyn | Village Voice | Citysearch]
• Gael Greene titled his quick review of Gilt “Is it Gilt or just plain brass?” … web site, 455 Madison Avenue, at 50th Street, 212-891-8100 [NYT | Citysearch]
• The Hungry Rose had dinner at Compass … “salad of heirloom beets and ruby red grapefruit with Greek yogurt and pistachios … blew me away … a terrific combination of ingredients” … “veal tenderloin … was a rather large, tough and rather texture-less hunk of meat … I felt I could find this in a diner” … “mango mousse … wasn’t the most impressive dessert I’ve had” … (previous review: Frank Bruni (TWIR, November 25, 2005)) … web site, 208 West 70th Street, between Amsterdam Avenue and West End Avenue, 212-875-8600 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
• Amateur Gourmet has a list of the best things he’s eaten in the last two years …
• Big Apple Dining Guide says the 3rd time was the charm for wine at i Trulli … Bucatini alla Guanciale … really needs the chili flake. But the pasta was delicious and perfectly cooked. Also, just enough parmagiano.” … “Coniglio – Rabbit roasted in a clay pot with black chickpeas and rosemary … The essence of rabbit simply wasn’t there. The pancetta that wrapped the loin was too rubbery and added little to no flavor.” … “The desserts [Crespelle and Panzerotti] made everything just right for both of us.” … “Overall it was a good dinner. But a bit expensive for what we got. $107.50 before tip.” … web site, 122 East 27th Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues South, 212-481-7372 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … had a quick dinner at Petite Abeille: “ordered the Moules Jamaicaines (2 lbs of steamed mussels in a Jamaican curry sauce with apples) which was nothing short of delicious.” … bacon cheddar cheeseburger “was very good as well but the biggest disappointment was the frites.” …web site, 401 East 20th Street, 212-727-1505 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch] … and had dinner at Cosette … “escargots came out how I like them: slightly still sizzling (unlike the popping and overbubbling from La Petite Auberge). They were good and had a pleasant but not overly powerful garlic butter which I greatly enjoyed” … “having tried the cassoulet at Park Bistro, Artisanal and now Cosette within the last few months, I found this to be my least favorite though all were quite different.” … web site, 163 East 33rd Street, between Lexington and 3rd Avenues, 212-889-5489 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
• Joan Reminick visited Ali Baba 2 several times … “would readily return for the borani badim jam, sliced eggplant cooked in tomato sauce with onion and spices, topped with a creamy dollop of yogurt. Hummus, the thick, garlicky Middle Eastern chickpea spread, was good slathered onto the ridged pita-like house bread. I especially enjoyed the sambuseh, crisp dumplings stuffed with a well-spiced hash of ground beef, vegetables and seasoning.” … 17-19 Broadway, Hicksville, NY, 516-931-7111
• Peter Gianotti gave 2 stars to Four Food Studio … “Four Food Studio lands on Route 110 with the heat of a South Beach club, the cool of an upscale- downtown restaurant and the impact of an extraterrestrial. There’s nothing like it on Long Island.” … “the crisp-tender combo of rock shrimp and calamari with citrusy aioli and the aromatic duck risotto are well done.” … “But steamed mussels turn up dry; and a shared opener of steamed Manila clams, while in savory broth, is overdone, too. The main course bouillabaisse, artfully arranged, is just bland and near soup-free.” … web site, 515 Broadhollow Road (Route 110), Melville, NY, 631-577-4444

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