I had an ice tea at Subtle Tea the other day. Subtle Tea is located at Madison just north of 30th. It has a large array of teas, and I got to taste for free one of their chai lattes. You can add things to their lattes, and I sampled one to which they had added peanut butter. Fantastic.
I had a chocolate chai, which was refreshing and kind of addictive.
Stars: 4/5
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
WD-50
I went to WD-50 the other night. In short, the mains were strange but interesting. Nothing I would go back for, except perhaps my eggs florentine (everyone else had the eggs benedict) which had two perfectly gelatinous yolks with a piece of crisped spinach sticking out of it. They went very well indeed with the fried hollandaise sauce sitting in neat cubes near them. The textures were interesting, and the tastes interacted really well together in my mouth.
The desserts were really stealing the show here, though. From the jasmine custard dessert with a sublime banana sorbet and pockets of caramel touched with earl gray powder to chocolate "packets" that look like ketchup packets, to be eaten with yuzu ice cream cubes, the desserts matched form with substance, and looked interesting and tasted great.
Stars: 3/5 for the main courses, 5/5 for the desserts
The desserts were really stealing the show here, though. From the jasmine custard dessert with a sublime banana sorbet and pockets of caramel touched with earl gray powder to chocolate "packets" that look like ketchup packets, to be eaten with yuzu ice cream cubes, the desserts matched form with substance, and looked interesting and tasted great.
Stars: 3/5 for the main courses, 5/5 for the desserts
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Macondo
Macondo is a spot in the lower-east side that I would describe as island-hip. Filled with finished-unfinished wood tables, concrete floors, transparent-filament bulbs enclosed in large glass globes, and open to the street, the pan-Latin upscale eatery evokes a feeling of staying at an island resort, but a design-savvy one.
Service was cheerful and reasonably prompt. The backless stools, though, are not best suited for comfort. Maybe they wanted to encourage a little intensity.
As far as the food, it's a tapas style system, and that goes for their excellent drinks (all of one of which I tried). Their cocktail list is inventive and extensive, and I had an avocado mezcal drink that tasted like a really well-balanced margarita, with a center of heavy soft slush.
For food, we had several items. Vegetarian arepas filled with spinach, goat cheese, onions, and tomatoes were served not in the sandwich version you might expect at the Caracas arepas bar, but instead as thick slices of arepa on a bed of salad. These were good but a little bready. Cheese croquettes were decent but came a little lukewarm. A mixed green "Quisqueya" salad with asparagus, almonds, and mixed greens was also good but nothing special. Perhaps the best entrees were the patatas bravas, which came nicely cooked in hearty cuts and with a tasty chili sauce (though they could have been a little more generous with the sauce) and the "Setas" vegetarian flatbread, with onions, mushrooms, membrillo, cheese, and pistachio. I enjoyed the dark nuttiness and complexity of the flatbread.
Overall, the food here was above average, and the cocktail I had was excellent, but you would really come here for the excellent atmosphere and an interesting menu that gives you access to a lot of Latin cuisine (including Spanish cuisine) in a small place.
Stars: 4/5
Service was cheerful and reasonably prompt. The backless stools, though, are not best suited for comfort. Maybe they wanted to encourage a little intensity.
As far as the food, it's a tapas style system, and that goes for their excellent drinks (all of one of which I tried). Their cocktail list is inventive and extensive, and I had an avocado mezcal drink that tasted like a really well-balanced margarita, with a center of heavy soft slush.
For food, we had several items. Vegetarian arepas filled with spinach, goat cheese, onions, and tomatoes were served not in the sandwich version you might expect at the Caracas arepas bar, but instead as thick slices of arepa on a bed of salad. These were good but a little bready. Cheese croquettes were decent but came a little lukewarm. A mixed green "Quisqueya" salad with asparagus, almonds, and mixed greens was also good but nothing special. Perhaps the best entrees were the patatas bravas, which came nicely cooked in hearty cuts and with a tasty chili sauce (though they could have been a little more generous with the sauce) and the "Setas" vegetarian flatbread, with onions, mushrooms, membrillo, cheese, and pistachio. I enjoyed the dark nuttiness and complexity of the flatbread.
Overall, the food here was above average, and the cocktail I had was excellent, but you would really come here for the excellent atmosphere and an interesting menu that gives you access to a lot of Latin cuisine (including Spanish cuisine) in a small place.
Stars: 4/5
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Sacco slices of pizza
Sacco is a slice joint in Midtown West, on 9th ave. just north of 54th. It serves delicious slices particularly notable for the high stretchiness of the dough, the tastiness of the cheese, and the delicious-lookingness of the appearance. I did like the sauce too, but I felt it might have been a little bit too dark in taste, and so it reminded me just a little bit too much of Prego spaghetti sauce.
Stars: 4/5
Stars: 4/5
Monday, July 14, 2008
Prune for Brunch
I had the famous brunch at Prune the other day. Since I went on a Saturday, it was not too crowded, and I got a seat (albeit at the bar) immediately.
Prune is a fairly-ordinary looking place, though not without charm. I ordered a glass of "almond milk," a substance derived from blending water with crushed almonds. It was mild and pleasant. I ordered stewed chickpeas with poached eggs for my main course. The chickpeas, made with tomatoes, were overall good but a little too vinegary for my taste. Also, I thought the portions overall a little small.
While I enjoyed brunch at Prune, it did not strike me as particularly special.
Stars: 3/5
Prune is a fairly-ordinary looking place, though not without charm. I ordered a glass of "almond milk," a substance derived from blending water with crushed almonds. It was mild and pleasant. I ordered stewed chickpeas with poached eggs for my main course. The chickpeas, made with tomatoes, were overall good but a little too vinegary for my taste. Also, I thought the portions overall a little small.
While I enjoyed brunch at Prune, it did not strike me as particularly special.
Stars: 3/5
La Esquina Cafe
La Esquina has been a trendy club in Soho for a while now. I ate recently at the attached cafe, which is less trendy, but also does not require reservations. I simply had their chile relleno, which is filled with little cheese and a lot of pumpkin. It's fine, but nothing special. The rice and beans served along with it could have been more exciting as well.
Stars: 3/5
Stars: 3/5
Totonno's Coney Island
The Totonno's on Coney Island is considered one of the truly great old-school Manhattan pizzerias, and for historical value is in the same league as Di Fara's, Grimaldi's, and Patsy's in East Harlam (notwithstanding that this Patsy's pizza is above-average but not great).
Totonno's is located on Neptune Ave., a few streets away from the hustle and bustle of the Coney Island boardwalk, in a very spartan old-fashioned pizza restaurant. Decor is not emphasized.
We got a large pizza, half-plain and and half with peppers and onions. The basic consistency of the dough is satisfyingly chewy. The cheese was a little non-descript in flavor for my taste, but it was still good. The tomato sauce was mild but pleasant. This is a pizza that goes down easy and can stand eating over and over again. This is not an intensely pleasurable, decadent experience. It's more like a laid-back friend whose company at lunchtime is consistently enjoyable.
Stars: 4/5
Totonno's is located on Neptune Ave., a few streets away from the hustle and bustle of the Coney Island boardwalk, in a very spartan old-fashioned pizza restaurant. Decor is not emphasized.
We got a large pizza, half-plain and and half with peppers and onions. The basic consistency of the dough is satisfyingly chewy. The cheese was a little non-descript in flavor for my taste, but it was still good. The tomato sauce was mild but pleasant. This is a pizza that goes down easy and can stand eating over and over again. This is not an intensely pleasurable, decadent experience. It's more like a laid-back friend whose company at lunchtime is consistently enjoyable.
Stars: 4/5
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