I Just Want To Eat! 4/13/18 I Just Want To Eat! 4/13/18

Burger at Blue Dog Café

We found Blue Dog Café thanks to Opentable, because, based on where it is and how hidden their door is, I am not sure I would have gone to that place soon...Yes, it is hidden, but, considering the number of people there where we arrived, they did not seem to have any difficulty to get patrons. Except that it seems that people came there before a show, because after 7:30pm, this place was empty, with only Jodi, I and the staff left. Weird!

A bit dark, the decor is interesting: like stepping back in time, in the early 19s, with a black and white movie projected on one of the walls, adding a sense of nostalgia to the dining room.

They have a nice cocktail menu, with interesting names like Purple Rain, He Had It Coming or Rosie The Riveter. I tried the latter that was made with duck fat washed scotch, dry vermouth, green peppercorn syrup and rose water.

Rosie The Riveter cocktail at Blue dog cafe in NYC, NY

The creative names did not stop there, as the Cheesus burger I ate can attest...It was simply a cheese burger, made with a Pat LaFrieda beef patty, and cheddar. The burger was good, although more on the medium side than medium rare that was my request. I also thought that, given the name, there would be more cheese on it. Still, it was juicy and tasty.

Cheesus Christ burger at Blue dog cafe in NYC, NY

Jodi opted for the house made vegan burger, served with shiitake bacon, brussel sprouts, and pepper mustard. It was a good veggie burger, with a nice texture.

Vegan burger at Blue dog cafe in NYC, NY

Both burgers were served with fries and we both asked for the truffle fries that were available for a supplement of $2. The fries were quite good, prepared skin on, not too greasy and very slightly crispy.

We could not resist ordering a dessert, especially when we saw that they have churros...On top of that, they were served with dulce de leche and Nutella!

Our dinner at Blue Dog Café was good: it is not the best burger I had in New York, but still, I would go back to try some other dishes. Maybe for brunch as it seems that they are known for it.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Blue Dog - 308 W 50th Street, New York, NY 10019

I Just Want To Eat! 4/11/18 I Just Want To Eat! 4/11/18

The Clocktower, and its one Michelin Star

I was looking at restaurants with Michelin stars in New York, when I noticed The Clocktower, a restaurant located in the New York Edition Hotel, in front of Madison Square Park. I admit that you really need to know that the restaurant is on the first floor, as when you enter into the hotel, you cannot see it right away. But, when you are in the main dining room, you are amazed by the beautiful decor, with its crown molding, paintings, and of course the big fireplace in the back.

Dining room at The Clocktower in NYC, NY

Food wise, we were there for a treat, and know that, if you are vegetarian, you need to ask for the vegetarian menu, that is quite small, but with interesting dishes. I am not sure why they did not simply include these dishes on the main menu: not the best way to make vegetarians feel welcome! They started off by bringing us their homemade sourdough bread with buttermilk butter: the bread was fantastic, but so hot that I burnt my fingers trying to pull it apart.

I could not resist ordering their Cold Fashioned, their interpretation of an old fashioned, made with coffee infused Rittenhouse Rye, Foro Amaro liqueur, Fernet Branca (bitter amaro liqueur), orange bitters, demerara syrup and orange oil. It was quite good, with a nice citrusy flavor and a slight bitterness.

Cold Fashioned at The Clocktower in NYC, NY

For my appetizer, I decided to try their beef tartare instead of the foie gras, as It has been a while since I had a good beef tartare and I was thinking that, in such place, it must be fantastic. It was made with dry aged Creekstone beef, pickled wild mushrooms, soy nuts and some penny bun biscuits that had the shape of mushrooms. The presentation was nice, but I was expecting a quail egg on it, a raw egg being a sort of signature on such dish. It was quite good though, a nice interpretation on a classic dish.

Beef tartare at The Clocktower in NYC, NY

For her entree, Jodi settled for the chestnut gnocchi, served with a lentil puree, tarragon butter and hen of the woods mushrooms. It was a small dish, more an appetizer than an entree, with a beautiful presentation. The gnocchi were light and soft, and you could not really tell that it was made with chestnuts, that was perfect for Jodi who does not like chestnuts.

Chestnut gnocchi at The Clocktower in NYC, NY

On my side, I ordered the Long Island Duck Breast, that was served with an orange consommé, this time I guess, the interpretation of duck a l'orange. This was succulent: the duck was very good, the skin being slightly crispy and delightfully fatty.

Duck breast at The Clocktower in NYC, NY

Last was dessert and we chose their signature: the After Eight, made of chocolate mousse, mint marshmallow and Branca Menta ice cream. This was sublime: very chocolatey, it had a marshmallow in the center and every bite had a hint of mint. The presentation was also superb, like a piece of art on a plate.

After Eight dessert at The Clocktower in NYC, NY

With the bill, they even brought us some raspberry cookies that were good, a nice touch to end a meal.

Raspberry cookies at The Clocktower in NYC, NY

This was a great dinner: no wonder why The Clocktower ended up getting a Michelin star! This is well deserved.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

The Clocktower - 5 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010

I Just Want To Eat! 4/9/18 I Just Want To Eat! 4/9/18

Chimichurri Grill West in Hell's Kitchen

I am a big fan of Chef Carlos Darquea, the co-owner of Chimichurri Grill who, with its two restaurants, one on the East side and one in the heart of Hell's Kitchen, serves fantastic Argentinian cuisine. So I was delighted to go back there, when Chef Carlos invited me to sample his Gaucho ribeye for two, ribeye being my favorite cut of meat. And what a feast! Here is what I tried:

Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

They have a great wine list, mostly Argentinian, as well as very interesting cocktails. The first one I tried was La Recoleta that is a neighborhood in Buenos Aires, made with Los Haroldos, an extra brut Argentinian sparkling wine and Saint Germain elderflower blossoms liqueur.

La Recoleta cocktail at Chimichurri Grill West in Hell's Kitchen

The second one was more creative and with an interesting saltiness: El Gibson, made with Nolet's Silver gin, Carpano dry Vermouth, served chilled with house made pickled onions.

El Gibson cocktail at Chimichurri Grill West in Hell's Kitchen

I could not resist ordering the Trio de Chorizo Caseros, composed of pork sausage, blood sausage and red spanish chorizo, the later being my favorite. This is a must have that I order each time I go there with friends, and, if you love sausages, you will not be disappointed.

Trio de Chorizo Caseros at Chimichurri Grill West in Hell's Kitchen

The second appetizer was Calamarares a la parrilla or grilled spicy calamari served with baby field greens in a citrus vinaigrette drizzled with a balsamic reduction. This was great: the calamari was perfectly cooked, not rubbery with a nice char and I loved the balsamic reduction that gave a nice acidity to the dish.

Calamarares a la parrilla at Chimichurri Grill West in Hell's Kitchen

But the plat de resistance was the long awaited ribeye and seeing Chef Carlos showing that beautiful 32 day wet aged piece of meat, I could hear angels singing next to me!

Gaucho ribeye at Chimichurri Grill West in Hell's Kitchen

This 26 to 28oz ribeye is comes from Uruguay. It is cut and then sealed air tight in its juice, for 28 days trip by boat and 4 days in customs, amounting to 32 days of wet aging, giving the meat some extra juiciness. The meat was very good: juicy, with nice grill marks, tender and quite flavorful, it was simply brushed with olive oil and a mix of oregano, paprika and parsley.

As sides, there were the sublime French fries, slightly crispy and cooked all the way though, seasoned with garlic and parsley, and the asparagus with citrus vinaigrette (alright, I admit that I ate more fries than asparagus...).

French Fries at Chimichurri Grill West in Hell's Kitchen

Asparagus with citrus vinaigrette at Chimichurri Grill West in Hell's Kitchen

With the steak, I had a glass of Malbec de Angeles 2014:

Malbec de Angeles 2014 at Chimichurri Grill West in Hell's Kitchen

Last was dessert and it was a new one that I tried there, their panqueque de manzana and torre de arroz con leche being superb. This time, it was Bunuelos de Bananas or ripe bananas deep fried in batter served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and served with honey. This is probably the best fried banana dessert I had in a long time! Not heavy, the bananas were perfectly ripe and it was dipped in honey.

Bunuelos de bananas at Chimichurri Grill West in Hell's Kitchen

With dessert, they offered a sweet wine, a Susana Balbo Late Harvest Malbec 2016 from Argentina. This was delightfully sweet and perfect with the fried bananas.

Susana Balbo wine at Chimichurri Grill West in Hell's Kitchen

What a meal! In the past 6 months, I went several times to Chimichurri Grill and I have never been disappointed. The food is consistently delicious and it is always a pleasure to see Chef Carlos who has a true passion for his cuisine. bet it will not be the last time I will dine there and I definitely recommend this place.

Enjoy (I really did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Chimichurri Grill West - 609 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10036

I Just Want To Eat! 4/6/18 I Just Want To Eat! 4/6/18

Union Square Burger by Cozy Myers...near Times Square

Union Square Burger by Cozy Myers in NYC, NY

Yes, the name is misleading: Union Square Burger by Cozy Myers is not in Union Square, but near Times Square. I admit that you really need to know this place is there and it goes in direct competition with Shake Shack that is a couple of blocks away. Well, I do not think that the owner opened to be in direct competition with Shake Shack so to speak, but the stakes are high in that neighborhood and while Shake Shack was full when we passed in front of it, Union Square Burger was totally empty. There was a good reason for that: we arrived 10 minutes before noon and discovered that, although the door was opened and the music blasting, they were not open (only the closing time was written on the door). After several minutes trying to get the attention from somebody (remember, the music was loud), they told us that they only opened at 12pm, information that upset a customer who left saying "It is always the same thing with these guys". They were not ready for sure and it affected a bit the service, with other customer starting to be upset with on top of that the need to open the door although it was cold that day, because their exhaust did not seem to work and the restaurant started to get filled with smoke. For sure, we smelled like burgers the entire afternoon (or as we say in French, on sentait le graillon / we smelled like grease!). Fortunately the food was excellent. I could not resist ordering the Rossini burger or foie gras burger that is served in limited quantity on a daily basis (max. 30) and was surprised that it was only $13.75. The burger was small, made with a beef patty cooked medium-rare, a piece of pan seared foie gras, white truffle oil, roasted almonds, balsamic sauce and burger sauce. The first bite was divine! First, the beef patty was juicy and quite tasty; it is made with a mix of American Kobe beef and black angus beef. Then, the foie gras added a nice fattiness, while the almonds gave a bit of a crunch.

Foie gras burger at Union Square Burger by Cozy Myers in NYC, NY

Jodi ordered their mushroom veggie burger that was also very good...for a veggie burger. It was made with grilled mushrooms (portobello, shiitake and button), white cheddar, oregano, white truffle oil and burger sauce. In this one, you could taste and smell the white truffle oil, not in mine...

Mushroom veggie burger at Union Square Burger by Cozy Myers in NYC, NY

With the burgers, we ordered the cheese fries made with Belgian Bintje potatoes. The fries came as we almost were done with our burgers and they were sitting there as they were heating a large can of cheese. It was good, but next time, I will only get the fries that were a bit crunchy like I like them.

Cheese fries at Union Square Burger by Cozy Myers in NYC, NY

Despite the issue with the kitchen, I liked the burgers at Union Square Burger: they are not big, although some choices on the menu propose a double patty option that is probably recommended, but very satisfying and they propose combinations that are very unique. I will definitely go back there and this time try one of their milkshakes.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Union Square Burger by Cozy Myers - 729 8th Ave, New York, NY 10036

I Just Want To Eat! 4/4/18 I Just Want To Eat! 4/4/18

Azalea near Times Square

I passed so many times in front of Azalea that we finally decided to try that place and you know what? Although most of their patrons are theater goers and tourists (full before 7pm and start emptying at 7:30pm, so that's how I guessed that), it serves pretty good Italian cuisine, at the prices of Times Square (not cheap, but not outrageous prices). This is a big place with a nice amount of light thanks to the very large windows of the main dining room. In fact, I suggest you try to sit there, the little room in the back being quite dark, unless you want some privacy...

I started the meal with a Spritz made with aperol that was a good start.

Spritz at Azalea in the Theater District, NYC, NY

For appetizer, we decided to share their Sformatino Di Pere, that is a warm pear and gorgonzola soufflé served with a parmesan cheese fondue. This was so good: it is the first time I see such a dish and it was an interesting combination, the pear adding some sweetness to an all cheese dish. If you go to Azalea, I definitely recommend this.

Warm pear and gorgonzola soufflé at Azalea in the Theater District, NYC, NY — Warm pear and gorgonzola soufflé at Azalea in the Theater District, NYC, NY

For her entree, Jodi ordered an appetizer: the Melanzana Alla Parmigiana or fried eggplant with parmesan cheese and tomato sauce, that was also quite good and well made (I hate when eggplant is undercooked). We were surprised that they did not have eggplant parmesan as an entree, and this was a good alternative, but only if you have a small appetite like my wife.

Melanzana alla parmigiana at Azalea in the Theater District, NYC, NY

On my side, I first wanted to try their linguine alle vongole, but finally got the Spaghetti All' Amatriciana (spaghetti with pancetta, onion, fresh tomato sauce and pecorino cheese), so Jodi could try. This was superb: the pasta was well cooked, smothered by a delicious sauce with a robust flavor that had a generous amount of pancetta in it.

Spaghetti all amatriciana at Azalea in the Theater District, NYC, NY

Last was dessert and of course, we went for the tiramisu that was very good, delightfully creamy.

Tiramisu at Azalea in the Theater District, NYC, NY

Azalea is a fairly good Italian place in the Theater District: a good address if you are in the area.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Azalea - 224 W 51st Street, New York, NY 10019

I Just Want To Eat! 4/2/18 I Just Want To Eat! 4/2/18

Sevan, Armenian restaurant in Bayside, Queens

We rarely go to Queens, but could not say no to my friend Malini, The Restaurant Fairy, who was organizing a meal with a bunch of bloggers at Sevan, an Armenian restaurant located in Bayside. There, we met with Arthur Matevosyan who has been running this family restaurant since 2004, keeping in mind the advice of his father, a restauranteur in Armenia, gave him. The food there was delicious, the kebab being my favorite, especially the lamb chops that came in a very spectacular way to the table. Here are the various dishes we tried:

Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

Basturma, thin slices of sirloin cured with Middle Eastern spices:

Basturma at Sevan in Bayside, Queens, NY

Sujuk, a spicy dry sausage:

Feta cheese:

Yalanchi or grape leaves:

Grape leaves at Sevan in Bayside, Queens, NY

Mediterranean salad:

Carrot Salad made with shredded carrots, garlic and walnuts:

Carrot salad at Sevan in Bayside, Queens, NY

Armenian salad, composed of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions and spices:

Armenian salad at Sevan in Bayside, Queens, NY

With the salads, we got some homemade bread:

And some Armenian wine that was quite sweet...

Armenian wine at Sevan in Bayside, Queens, NY

Armenian cheese pies:

The best part of the meal was to come: kebab. The first ones were grilled steak and chicken, served with some crispy potatoes and grilled vegetables, on a piece of thin bread called lavash that should not be ignored as it is soaked in the delicious jus of the meat. The beef was marinated for several days, juicy and tender, as was the chicken that was still moist, with both meat having a nice char.

Grilled steak and chicken kebab at Sevan in Bayside, Queens, NY

The second kebab was the lule kebab, that is ground beef cooked on a skewer with spices. This reminded me a bit of the kubideh in Persian cuisine. It was superb: flavorful and juicy with again the lavash bread full of the juice of the meat.

Lule kebab at Sevan in Bayside, Queens, NY

But in term of presentation, the most spectacular was the lamb chops as you can see in the video below.

Considering that I love lamb, I was in heaven! The lamb chops were delicious, nicely charred and I could have had that entire dish for myself!

Last was dessert: baklava. And it was succulent: buttery, not too sweet and perfectly soaked in honey.

This was a great meal and my only regret is that this restaurant is far from our place. Otherwise I would be there often...

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Sevan - 21607 Horace Harding Expy, Bayside Hills, NY 11364