• Jeff Vandam looks at Uncle Paulie’s Restaurant, “the only restaurant in a neighborhood full of hard-labor businesses” … “The fare at Uncle Paulie’s is a cut above most lunch-counter fodder, much of it cooked fresh by Mr. Pedro himself, who is, in fact, an uncle. He prepares his own veal Marsala, lemon chicken and grilled, roasted pork chops. A full plate costs $6.” … Greenpoint Avenue and Monitor Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, across the street from the Newtown Creek Water Pollution Control Plant … we hope Twenty Bucks a Day checks it out …
• Veal Cheeks compares 2 Filipino restaurants … Cendrillon … had “a goat curry, served with plantain and a tangy fruit chutney. The best feature was the light rice pancakes that permitted the belief that one was treated to Moo Shu Goat. It was the high point of the meal” … as an entree had “Salt Roasted Duck with Mango and Tomatillo Chutney and Cellophane Noodles … for which the chutney was a necessary accessory” … (previous reviews: Amateur Gourmet (TWIR, August 26, 2005), and Frank Bruni (TWIR, August 5, 2005)) … web site, 45 Mercer Street, 212-343-9012 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … and Ihawan, which “was local to the core” … “lunch for two was only a bit more than an entree at Cendrillon” … “Ordering a barbecue stick I imagined a small satay. What was served verged on being half a pig on a stick. The stick must have measured close on two feet with a large fillet of sweet and zesty thin cut pork.” … 40-06 70th Street, at Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 718-205-1480 [Bridge and Tunnel Club | openlist | Citysearch] … had lunch at Gotham Bar and Grill, “one of the essential New York restaurants” … “this could well have been the impressive lunch during my New York stay” … “Moroccan Spiced Rack of Lamb with Couscous Salad, Roasted Eggplant and Lemon-Black Pepper Jus [:the] lamb was superb, as was its jus. I was less impressed by the couscous and eggplant” … web site, 12 East 12th Street, at 5th Avenue, 212-620-7810 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
• eat drink one woman says one word describes Hope & Anchor: OVERDRAMA … and even though her “turkey burger with avocado ($8) was pretty tasty, the fries were crisp and hot, my ginger cosmo (ginger vodka, grand marnier, lime, and white cranberry juice) nice and strong, and the singing proprietor Joe was amiable and adorable… I’M NOT COMING BACK” … 347 Van Brunt Street, at Wolcott Street, Brooklyn, 718-237-0276 [NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
• Augieland gave Devi “272 Jaganmatillian stars” … had “the tasting menu with its paired wines” … not-so-great service, but “As for the food, it really was great.” … “dinner was exceptional and I will definitely be going back for the food. I strongly suggest against the wine parings, though.” … web site, 8 East 18th Street, between 5th Avenue and Broadway, 212-691-1300 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
• Plate Of The Day isn’t screaming for the ice cream at Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory … “a cup of the vanilla with chocolate chips [was not] the very best ice cream i’ve ever had but for the scenic view and the amount they give you, it’s definitely worthwhile.” … Fulton Ferry Landing Pier, 1 Water Street, Brooklyn, 718-246-3963 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
• The Girl Who Ate Everything had a Restaurant Week lunch at DB Bistro Moderne … and had “indescribable duck raviole” … but the best part of the meal was “the little, lovingly shaped frozen vanilla blop” that accompanied dessert … web site (not the right use of Cab Calloway tunes), 55 West 44th Street, 212-391-2400 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
• eating for brooklyn says the pizza at Fornino “was excellent. Not in the DiFara’s/Grimaldi’s league, Fornino is a wood-fired, artisanal league of its own. This pizza really reminds me of the kind you get in Italy. I love both New York style pizza and the Italian pies. Neither is better, just different.” … (previous review: slice (TWIR, January 13, 2006)) … 187 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-384-6004 [NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
• Bergers & More “could have had 3” of the spiked egg cream at Mo Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction … “the food is good, but it is a little gimmicky” … (previous reviews: Andrea Thompson (TWIR, November 11, 2005), Andrea Strong (TWIR, October 21, 2005), Peter Meehan (TWIR, September 30, 2005)) … web site, 34 Avenue A, between 2nd and 3rd Streets, 212-777-5660 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
• gothamist loved the Camembert Panini from Le Kiosk … 75 East 1st Street, 646-234-1742 [Village Voice]
• Salli Vates made it to Gilt: “I found myself commenting that we were eating snowflakes – intricate works of art which melted in our mouths.” (see reviews in last week’s TWIR, January 20, 2006) … and Mitsuwa Marketplace, “a sort of Disneyland for those who love Japanese food and culture (but especially food). The food court/grocery/shopping complex used to be known as Yaohan, but after changing names and undergoing renovation, it’s even more of a food destination than before. Although Mitsuwa is not technically in New York, it’s just a $2.00, 30-minute ride from Port Authority’s Gate 51. The shuttle operates about every 30 minutes.” … web site, 595 River Road, Edgewater, NJ, 201-941-9113
• The Impetuous Epicure had “Szechuan Chicken Dumplings with chili and white soy beans” at Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, but “the filling wasn’t really up to muster. Sure, it tasted like chicken, just really bland chicken that was slightly spicy” … however, the “Chocolate Soup Dumplings [were] actually pretty good” … web site, 61 West 23rd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, 212-924-9220 [MenuPages | Village Voice | NYT | Citysearch]
• Robert Sietsema makes us want to try Minangasli … “beef rendang ($6.95) has never tasted so good—in New York, at least.” … “the Sumatran satay turns these meat sticks (choose lamb, beef, or chicken) into a full meal. The brochettes arrive flung like pickup sticks across marvelous cubes of compressed rice starch called lontong, flooded with a sweet dark sauce and garnished with red chiles and fried shallots. A dish of more savor and delicacy can hardly be imagined.” … 86-10 Whitney Avenue, Elmhurst, Queens, 718-429-8207 [Mouthfuls | chowhound]
• Pascale Le Draoulec cautions readers to not be misled by an empty HQ … “What makes [HQ’s tuna tartare] rise above New York’s tartare tonnage is the sticky brown nectar of curried honey that rings the raw fish. Spicy, sweet and so surprising.” … “Order the halibut, and you will be served a generous fillet riding a crisped hash-brown surfboard in a creamy sea of smoked mussels. Swiss chard makes a paltry (but delicious) attempt to cut the richness of this dreamy dish.” … (previous review: Moira Hodgson (TWIR, December 2, 2005)) … web site, 90 Thompson Street, between Prince and Spring Streets, 212-966-2755 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
• Eric Asimov believes Spiga “has mastered the art of offering flavors associated with sweetness — cocoa, honey, even licorice — without the sweetness itself” … “Too many dishes contained dried fruit, honey or chocolate. Fearing the worst, we tried as many as we could. Instead, we found compositions of exquisite balance in which the chef, Salvatore Corea, brought out the underlying flavors of the ingredients without permitting sweetness to intrude.” … 200 West 84th Street, Manhattan, 212-362-5506 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
• David Rosen gave 1 star to Taboon … “The menu reads as enticingly as the decor, but the kitchen does a poor job translating words into plates. In fact, after the delicious homemade bread baked with tangy yogurt spread, there is little else that does not warrant critique.” … “whole sea bass and the chicken … are irremediably dry.” … “steak is tasteless and stringy” … “The bill for our large table already included a 20-percent gratuity, but our server informed us only after we had signed a credit-card receipt on we which we left an additional 20-percent tip.” … why did it get 1 star? … 773 Tenth Avenue, at 52nd Street, 212-713-0271 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]
• Mona’s Apple was disappointed by the fried artichoke hearts at Pair of 8’s … “But the sweet potato puree was excellent, almost like a very thick apple sauce, but with sweet potatoes. Mmm.” … (previous reviews: Frank Bruni (TWIR, January 20, 2006), 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]
• Joshua Bernstein says Palava Hut “is one of the warmest, most welcoming establishments I’ve visited in months.” … it carries “Guinness, Heineken and Beck’s in the stomach-pleasing 24-ounce size” for $4 … “on one visit I tried fried rice, served alongside goat on the bone. It swam in a blandly named ‘red sauce.’ The okra-studded fried rice was savory and delicious–and large enough for two–while the goat was tender. The red sauce, however, was a five-alarm fire.” … sounds like a great place … if you like music, read the entire article for a nice bonus … 992 Atlantic Avenue, between Grand and Classon Avenues, Brooklyn, 718-623-3174
• Steve Cuozzo is “Sick and Attired” … “a tip for the female managers at Spice Market who wander the floor in Club Med-like, back-exposing sarongs, and for certain women I saw dining at Jovia the other night: Butt cracks have their place. That place, however, is not a restaurant where the proper appetite is culinary, not carnal. Call me stodgy, but lots of what passes for casual today makes me want to puke.” …
• Peter Meehan writes that Falai Panetteria is “part patisserie, part bakery, part reasonably priced dinner spot. In fact, it’s all those things at once, but it’s hard to figure which is the most compelling reason to visit.” … “Veal meatballs ($7) are available as an appetizer and as a main course. And though ethereal is an overplayed adjective in food writing, it describes Mr. Falai’s meatballs to a ‘T.’ They are light. They are impossibly tender. They are delicate in a way that most meatballs aren’t.” … 79 Clinton Street, at Rivington Street, 212-777-8956 [Citysearch]
• Big Apple Dining Guide had the Scandia Meatball Burger at Smorgas Chef: “On one half of a Balthazar bun sat 8 or 9 (maybe 10) swedish meatballs with melted jarlsberg on top” … (sounds like Ikea) … “was also served with chive mashed potatoes that tasted exactly how my Tante Kari makes them.” … … web site, 53 Stone Street, 212-422-3500 [MenuPages | openlist | Citysearch]
• Andrea Strong has a roundup of places serving melted cheese dishes … Artisanal … Home … Craftbar … Rosa Mexicano … Mercadito … Barbounia … Country … Christos … Ama … Butter …
• Andrea Strong believes the food at Nobu 57 “is as good as I remember it from many meals at Nobu downtown, and in fact it is even better” … “the Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalepeno … is perfect” … “we were not prepared for how insanely good the king crab tempura with ‘Amazu’ sweet ponzu ($26) would be. The dish is a new to the menu, and it is brilliant” … “the beef tenderloin … was simply grilled and simply divine” … (previous reviews: Frank Bruni and A Brooklyn Life (TWIR, September 30, 2005)) … web site, 40 West 57th Street, 212-757-3000 [MenuPages | NY Metro | Citysearch]
• Frank Bruni spent a week as a waiter … “I learned that for servers in a restaurant as busy as the East Coast Grill, waiting tables isn’t a job. It’s a back-straining, brain-addling, sanity-rattling siege.” … but we agree with what Bruni’s fellow-server Tina said, “Some people are interested in having the experience of being disappointed.” … Waiter Rant offers to trade places with Frank for a week … and gave 1 star to The Spotted Pig … “Two hours might in fact be an acceptable wait for the Pig’s fantastic gnudi, which are soft, rich dumplings made of sheep’s milk ricotta and topped with fried sage leaves, browned butter and Parmesan.” … “the roasted black bass [was] astonishingly moist, and the herbs atop it (cilantro, thyme, flat-leaf parsley) were so fresh that my companion wondered aloud if the Pig had its own roof garden.” … “Go for lunch on a weekday.” … “Skip weekend brunch.” … web site, 314 West 11th Street, at Greenwich Street, 212-620-0393 [MenuPages | openlist | Citysearch | Gayot]
• The Bruni Digest had a scoop: “The Count poses as a WAITER??” … and looks at Frank Bruni’s Spotted Pig review: “The Spotted Pig: Too Hot Right Now” …
• NYC nosh wants a job near Cafe Zaiya, which “makes its own impressive selection of sweet treats and replaces them with fresh items throughout the day” … “we are madly and passionately in love with the yakimochi. These little discs are made from pounded glutinous rice dough, flecked with black sesame seeds, and filled with a velvety sweet white bean paste. They are grilled or baked” … also serves lunch … (Salli Vates loves their sugar-powdered chocolate souffles) … 18 East 41st Street, between 5th and Madison Avenues, 212-779-0600 [Yelp | Citysearch]
• Amateur Gourmet ate at Cafe Asean: the green curry was “pretty good food in a charming environment” … 117 West 10th Street, between 6th and Greenwich Avenues, 212-633-0348 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … and “liked the burger” at Sparky’s All-American … 333 Lafayette Street, 212-334-3035 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
• Twenty bucks a day went to the newly opened Hanco for banh mi, “the sandwich king of the eastern hemisphere, and one of the city’s premiere cheap eats” … ordered the classic spicy (pork or chicken?) … ” the usual banh mi cold toppings were augmented by slivers of a green pepper, which presented some additional crunch” … 85 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, 718-858-6818 … and had an excellent Chinese New Year dinner at Grand Sichuan International in Chelsea … “ordered something called a ‘spicy lamb casserole’ from the special Chinese New Year menu [that was] more like a stew than anything else” … “could easily feed two adventurous people, provided they didn’t mind sucking the meat off of various bones (the meat is tender and flavorful enough to make this rewarding)” … (note that Grand Sichuan International is a small NYC chain and they are different than Grand Sichuan on Canal Street in Chinatown) … web site, 229 9th Avenue, at 24th Street, 212-620-5200 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … had dinner at Rocco’s Calamari (not the same as Rocco’s Pizzeria on 5th Avenue between 78th and 79th in Brooklyn) … “The calamari ($9), which arrived last, was by far the best dish, and the least generic. Fresh, perfectly fried, and flavorful, this was among the best presentations of that oft-abused shellfish I’ve ever tasted.” … “other than the fried calamari, none of the dishes were truly exceptional” … 6408 Ft. Hamilton Parkway, Brooklyn, 718-833-2109 [Village Voice | Citysearch]

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