Revisit: Mastro's Steakhouse in NYC, New York

I went to Mastro's steakhouse a year ago and had a good time, the only negative being the noise level that was quite high. So, when we went back with my colleagues, I was curious to see if the experience evolved one way or another. As I had meat that week, I made a point to focus more on seafood, not that I thought that it would be healthier, especially when you will see what I got...

The first dish was their seafood tower that was phenomenal! I guess they put some liquid nitrogen to create that beautiful smoke, enhanced with some light that catches the attention of dinners.

We decided to have a mix of seafood: crab cocktail, shrimp (huge), oysters and lobster. This was delicious and fresh.

Then, I went for the Live Maine lobster: a 3.5 lb lobster that they removed from the shell for me.

That was a nice animal: big, served with clarified butter, it was unfortunately slightly overcooked, but still good and I truly appreciated that they did the hard work for me. With the lobster, I got some gorgonzola mac and cheese that was delightfully creamy and cheesy.

With our meal, we got a bottle of Pinot Noir Etude 2013 from California.

For dessert, we shared the chocolate layer cake. When it came, I was not sure what to expect as, often, restaurants go for the spectacular rather then the taste. This one was really good and very chocolatey.

But my favorite was the Pecan Pie A La Mode! The caramel was so buttery that I could have eaten the entire pie myself (but with what I ate before...).

We had a good time at Mastro's: good company, excellent service and delicious food. What else to ask? Except another opportunity to go back. And this time, the noise level downstairs was perfect!

Enjoy (I did)!

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House of 'Que in Hoboken, NJ

House of 'Que is a new BBQ restaurant that just opened two weeks ago in Hoboken, replacing 3 Thirty Grill that closed earlier this year. Overlooking the New York skyline, this place is fairly big and has a concept, BBQ, that is not that widespread in the mile square city, the only true competitor in that category being The Smoking' Barrel, located uptown. 

The area where it is located is full of bars, crowded whenever there is a game, and, you could see that they cater to sports fans considering the number of TVs all around the dining room. They smartly even put a large screen on one side. When entering, you cannot miss the roll of paper towels on each table: this is a good sign that it is going to get messy! 

Strangely, we were asked to order our drinks at the table (a root beer for me and a house made lemonade for Jodi), but order and pay for the food at the counter. The way it works is that they give you a card with the menu, you go at the counter, order what you want, with sides first and meat after, and then pay at the cashier.

For the meat, you can order by the pound, whichever quantity you want, so I decided to have a tasting...

It was composed of:

Pork ribs (good, but not really falling of the bone. However, I loved the rub and the delightful fat):

Pork shoulder (fantastic: moist with some charred skin):

Sausage (another favorite: tasty with a nicely thick casing):

Brisket (deliciously fatty but a bit tough):

It was served with some slices of white bread that I mainly used with the pork shoulder, smothered in BBQ sauce.

For the sides, we decided to go with the corn pudding that was amazing and the mac and cheese that was...disappointing, being creamy but bland. We also got a pickle and some deviled eggs that were pretty good.

I admit that I am a bit on the fence with House of 'Que: my ideal meal would be the pork shoulder, sausage and corn pudding. For ribs, I prefer The Smoking' Barrel mentioned before or even Hudson Tavern that has some incredible ones. As far as the brisket is concerned, lots of BBQ places in New York make a better one. Would I go back? Maybe, but this time to try the chicken and the pecan pie...

Enjoy (I did)!

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House of Que

Square Diner in TriBeCa

TriBeCa has this reputation to be the place where the rich and celebrities live, with its high end restaurants and amazing lofts. In the last two years, I have been discovering this area and I definitely found places that you would probably not expect if you never went there and just been mesmerized by the sight of this neighborhood in TV shows or movies. Square Diner is one of them. 

We went there on a Saturday, for lunch, and I was surprised to see this place become crowded after 1:30pm. Menu wise, like many diners, they have a large selection of dishes, quite varied. Jodi decided to go for pancakes. 

You could add an egg (probably to balance out the sweet and savory) and she decided to have it scrambled. The egg was well done, not overcooked and thus dry. The pancake was as good as pancakes you would expect in a diner. 

On my side, I went for the pastrami Reuben sandwich, that was in fact an open sandwich. I might have been disappointed about that, thinking that I would enjoy a messy sandwich, the grease from the pastrami dripping on my hands. But in fact, it was a decent sandwich, the only part missing being the Russian dressing replaced by mustard. 

Of course, I had to try their milkshake and chose a vanilla one that made the cut. 

It was a decent meal and we were surprised how speedy the service was, the dishes arriving few minutes after we ordered. Would I go back to Square Diner? Probably: I love the atmosphere in this kind of place and found the food comforting and decent, as you would expect in a diner. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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Edward's in Tribeca

We passed in front of Edward's so many times , seeing that place crowded as well as the poster from Time Out saying it is one of the 50 best brunch places in New York, that we decided to go for dinner on a Friday night. Not surprisingly, we got our table in this place that had a bistro feel. Yes it was crowded and noisy, especially around the bar area. Menu wise, it looked like a mix of cuisines, that is never an issue if executed well. I am not sure what happened that night, but it did not match our expectations...First, the service, although courteous was slow and waited a long time for our food to come. We ordered four appetizers that were served in large plates and, instead of asking us if they could bring them two by two, they brought everything together, trying to setup four large plates on a small table, making the experience uncomfortable.

The appetizers were:

Guacamole and chips: I found it watery and some of the chips were old. I mentioned it to the manager who graciously removed it from the bill, that is a gesture I truly appreciated.

Crab cake with lemon butter sauce: not the best crab cake for sure, but decent (I was not expecting much in this king of place though but know that this is not made with jumbo lump crab).

Fish tacos: simply mushy and definitely not a dish I would recommend.

Mushroom quesadilla: served with pico de gallo and sour cream, it was just ok.

We passed on desserts at that point...That was definitely disappointing. Would I go back to Edward's? Maybe for brunch, but probably not for dinner.

Enjoy (...)!

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Banh Mi at Pho Nomenon in Hoboken, NJ

When I went to Pho Nomenon in January 2014, I was not that thrilled and even said:

I have mixed feelings about that place: it was cheap and decent, but the food was not to the point where I would want to go back quickly.

What convinced me to go back was their Banh Mi sandwich. I love a good banh mi that I discovered at Banh Mi Saigon in Little Italy few years back. Cheap and tasty, I love the sweet and savory taste of this sandwich, that is even better when the baguette has a slight crispiness. So, the fact that Pho Nomenon was serving one and, in fact, the only place in Hoboken serving it, made us decide to go back there. 

Jodi ordered the tofu sandwich that was made with fried tofu:

On my side, I got the traditional, made with cold cuts and some sort of mayonnaise.

Both sandwiches had cucumber, carrot, daikon and fresh cilantro, on a bread that was slightly toasted. These sandwiches were pretty good and I definitely recommend them, but know that they have limited quantity there. 

With my sandwich, I got a Thai iced tea, not surprising if you follow this blog as it is one of my favorite beverage.

This time at Pho Nomenon, I was definitely not disappointed! The Banh Mi were awesome and I would definitely go back there to try their other choices!

Enjoy (I did)!

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STK, modern steakhouse in NYC, New York

STK is definitely not your usual steakhouse, getting away from the manly atmosphere classic steak joints sometimes have. No, it is modern and combines not only a restaurant, but also a lounge, like Mastro's does. So, there, the noise level is quadruple, the music from the DJ forcing people to scream to get heard.

Their menu is also unusual, definitely elegant and unique. You find of course the classic pieces of meat, such as ribeye, filet mignon or porter house, but for instance with interesting toppings like foie gras butter or bone marrow.

They started off by bringing a sourdough bread with blue cheese butter on top and a chive butter on the side.

I admit that I would have never thought it was a sourdough bread as it tasted more like a brioche. Bringing this was a mistake, as it was so good, it was difficult to resist it...

For the appetizers, I tried the crispy lobster tails, served with green chili aioli, pickled chilies and a papaya slaw.

It was kind of refreshing, thanks to the papaya slaw and I loved the texture of the lobster that was slightly undercooked but had the crunch from the crust on top.

But my favorite appetizer was the seared scallops, accompanied by short rib marmalade, squash puree and pomegranate.

The presentation was outstanding, one of the scallops having the short rib marmalade (that was fantastic by the way) on top and the other one under. This was a spectacular dish: the scallops were perfectly seared and paired perfectly with the squash and marmalade, as well as the pomegranate that added some nice acidity.

To go with the meat, I ordered a glass of Pinot Noir, Sonoma Cutrer 2013 from California. I noticed preparing this post that the alignment of the glass with one of the tables gives the impression I had somebody in my glass!

For the steak, I did not go for the filet mignon

But for the ribeye that is my favorite cut. I asked for it medium rare.

The ribeye was perfectly cooked, but a bit too fatty. Know that they apparently do not dry-age their meat, that is fairly rare nowadays. It was a very good piece of meat: tender, juicy, with a great bold taste, especially close to the bone. I ordered a delicious béarnaise sauce with it, as well as a bone marrow that I inhaled...

For the sides, I tried the mac and cheese, as well as the truffles and parmesan fries.

I did not like the fries: undercooked and bland, it was very disappointing. However, the mac and cheese was sublime: the pasta were perfectly cooked, there was a lot of cheese and it was really creamy.

I had to pace myself as I really wanted to try their desserts, having couple of options in mind. The first one was the churro milkshake.

The milkshake was made with dulce de leche and I used it to dip the perfectly made churro bites that were crunchy with a delightful gooeyness in the center. But my favorite dessert was definitely the banana cream pie in a jar.

Made with banana, house made vanilla wafer, vanilla custard and butterscotch, it was topped with a meringue that was not too sweet. In fact the entire dessert was not too sweet and was comforting. I think I could have eaten the entire jar if I was not already full from all this good food I had...

STK is for sure a great place: fantastic food and good service. I wonder if it is quieter for lunch as, if like me, you do not like noisy places, this is not for you. Although I have to say that, after what I ate, I would not mind going back, bringing a pair of ear plugs with me...

Enjoy (I did)!

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Mac and Cheese burger at The Ainsworth in NYC, New York

We were looking forward to having brunch with our friends Jen and Gary and I was in charge of finding a place in the city. Knowing that Gary was, like me, a fan of burgers, I looked for a restaurant with an extensive menu. That is how we ended up at The Ainsworth. I mean, just seeing their mac and cheese burger made me drool and I could not wait to try it. Interestingly, while we waited for Jen and Gary, we saw Alma, one of Jodi's friends who lives in the neighborhood. She could not believe we were going there, even for food: it is a bar and it comes with all the disturbances you can be imagine, from the loud music to the drunk people, without forgetting the fights. Well, Alma, the brunch might be your best bet, but not on a game day: The Ainsworth being a sports bar (it has 40 TV over 6,000 sqf), I am sure it gets crazy there. 

It did not take too long to decide what to eat, but I admit that the food took forever to come; it was odd considering there were maybe three tables occupied. I guess they had the minimum staff that day, but they could at least check on the patrons. 

So I ordered the mac and cheese burger. It was one choice in many unusual combinations, such as the French onion or breakfast burgers. 

When it came, it looked big and yummy, but big, but yummy, but big...it was composed of a bun with, in the bottom, a panko crusted mac and cheese, topped with a patty (between 6 to 8 ounces) and a scoop of mac and cheese. 

It was a bit messy to eat, but the first bite was divine: first you get the soft brioche bun, then, at the same time, creaminess of the mac and cheese on top and the crunchiness of the crusted one in the bottom, before tasting the meat that was not as juicy as I would have liked. It was delicious, but I admit that it was a bit challenging to eat it, especially as the cheese got colder. I mean, you will definitely forget about the fries and I have to say that not only it was challenging to finish, but it was also a bit heavy after...

Jodi, more reasonable than me, got the traditional breakfast, two eggs (she asked for sunny side), buttermilk biscuit, potato hash, and bacon. Good, but nothing unusual.

We had a good time at The Ainsworth and I appreciated the fact that they let us hang out there for a while. Besides the company, the highlight of the meal was definitely that fantastic burger that I highly recommend. And yes, I would go back!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Bangkok City, Thai restaurant in Hoboken, NJ

Bangkok City is a Thai restaurant located on the main street, Washington, in Hoboken. It is a fairly big place, and they offer a basic Thai menu, if it was not for the frog legs that I had there from time to time...Yes, not that many French restaurants serve them, but Thai restaurants often do (I think they call it Kha Gob). But, also often, you can taste that they have been frozen as they get this fishy taste that is so recognizable. 

Of course, as usual, I started by ordering a Thai Iced tea that looked great with the condensed milk not fully mixed in it. It also tasted good by the way...

We then ordered vegetables dumplings for appetizer. They were good, but I thought the shell was a bit too thick. 

For her entrée, Jodi ordered Pad Ma Kua, a vegetarian dish made of sauteed eggplant with black bean sauce and fresh basil leaves, a fairly successful dish, especially if you like eggplant.

On my side, not surprisingly, I went for the chicken massaman, my favorite curry. 

I was glad that there was a right balance of curry and veggies as sometimes there is too much of the latter. But this one was real good.

Dessert was a bit disappointing...We ordered mango with sticky rice. The mango itself was very good and perfectly ripe. But, the sticky rice would have been better with some coconut milk as it was a bit bland.

Despite that, I thought that Bangkok City was not that bad. Not the best in Hoboken, but still good (I prefer Sri Thai or T Thai). Would I go back? Maybe...

Enjoy (I did)!

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

Vegetarian Dim Sum House in ChinaTown, NYC, New York

It has been a while since we ate at The Vegetarian Dim Sum House in Chinatown, and so, after our last trip to Joe's Ginger, we decided to go back and see if the food was as good as we remember.

 This cash only place is like lots of restaurants in Chinatown: a destination for food (authentic, comforting, good and cheap), not a place you would go for the decor, the ambiance or to get an outstanding service. So, it is not the best place for a date...I personally think that their dishes are better than their dim sum, the later being a bit greasy and not as good. 

They have a large dim sum menu and you will check the one you want with the pencil that is on each table. We decided to go with:

Vegetable pork roast mock buns (doughy and tasteless):

Mini vegetarian spring rolls (not so mini, pipping hot and very greasy):

Pan fried dumplings (greasy and not that tasty):

However, their three mushrooms pan fried noodles was delicious!

The noodles were smothered in a delicious sauce, some of them not and therefore being delightfully crispy. There was also lots of mushrooms on it, perfect if you love them.

I am a bit on the fence as far as The Vegetarian Dim Sum House is concerned. It is for sure cheap and I am not expecting gourmet food, but I think that places like Joe's Ginger (across the street), The Great NY Noodle Town or The Golden Unicorn are far better. Would I go back? Maybe, but not for dim sum.

Enjoy (...)!

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Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Weehawken, NJ

I was really looking forward to going to Ruth's Chris in Weehawken for two reasons: first I love Ruth's Chris that I consider one of the best steakhouses I ever been to (and trust me: I went to many); second because somebody told me one time that the Midtown location was good, but not the others. So, it was a way to see if this place was consistent across locations.

Weehawken is a fairly small city, conveniently served by a ferry that will bring you there from NY in close to eight minutes. You wonder how such a big place like Ruth's Chris would end up there; well, it is right next to a Sheraton Hotel and also benefits from the parking of the shopping center, allowing diners from the cities around to come without any headache about parking. We went on a Saturday and it was packed for sure.

The restaurant is fairly big, with an elegant decor and a nice light as it benefits from the large windows that are all around.

As we sat, they brought us a loaf of bread with some whipped butter. I was surprised as most of the steakhouses will bring you a bread basket that has all sorts of breads, like pretzel, Italian sticks...But not there: just some warm and crispy bread that I had to stop eating, thinking about what was coming.

Jodi passed on the appetizer, but I could to resist ordering their blue crab cakes. 

Like the steaks, they came on a pipping hot plate (500 degrees - see the bubbles on the photos). They were made of jumbo lump and did not have any filler that would overshadow the delicious taste of the crab. There was for sure lots of butter and I guess it is one of the characteristics of Ruth's Chris steakhouses: they cook dishes in butter, lots of butter and if you are on a diet, you'd better go somewhere else (although I am sure you can find steamed vegetables on the menu...). In fact, when Jodi got her petite filet mignon, there was still on top of it some butter in the process of fully melting.

On my side, I ordered a petite ribeye. Yes petite size, 12 ounces, that is not something you do not see often and is a perfect portion, but still at a steep price ($45).

When the steak came, besides the sound of the sizzling dishes that make you look around each time you hear it, wondering what people ordered, there was this delicious smell of meat and butter that made me want to skip taking photos and get a first bite right away. Both steaks were very tender and tasty, the ribeye having of course a stronger taste and being delightfully fattier.

Temperature wise, it was not exactly what we ordered: Jodi wanted a medium steak and got it more on the medium rare side, but as the steak continued to cook on the 500 degrees plate, it was not an issue. On my side, I wanted it medium rare, but it was slightly on the medium side, but still delicious as my empty plate attested.

To accompany my ribeye, I decided to get a glass of Pinot Noir, Au Contraire, Sonoma Coast, California, that had a bold taste perfect for the meat I was eating.

Last was dessert, that we decided to share: warm apple crumb tart.

Made with Granny Smith apples, it was cooked in an amazing buttery crust with a thick streusel crust on top that I ate with delectation. The two crusts were very addictive and I had to pace myself not to over eat. The apples were perfectly cooked, soft and sweet, perfect with the vanilla ice cream that was slowly melting.

We had a fantastic dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Weekhawken and I definitely recommend this place if you are in New Jersey or live in New York and want a change of scenery.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Breakfast and treats at Breads Bakery in NYC, New York

After trying the chocolate Babka at Breads, near Union Square, I kept dreaming about what else they could have that would be as delicious. We went few times back and tried different things that convinced me that it is one of the best bakeries in New York. I know: it is a big statement, but I stick to it.

For sure, their espresso or tea will not make the difference. But, if you try for instance the rugelach, then it is like the babka: a revelation. 

We chose the chocolate one that was flaky and very chocolatey. They come by pair, but I would not have minded a full bag!

Then, there is the cinnamon roll that is one of the best I have tried so far.

The chocolate chip cookie is good, chewy with lots of chocolate, but not at the level of the one at City Bakery.

The only deception was the almond chocolate croissant. Well, first I should say that I wanted an almond croissant, but they did not have any. So as I really wanted to try their marzipan that they ship from Germany, I decided to try the chocolate almond version. It was heavy and had lots of marzipan in it. It was flaky and buttery, but the combination of chocolate and marzipan was too sweet.

Too bad they did not have the almond croissant. Well, I guess this gives me a reason to go back to Breads Bakery. No, to be honest, I do not need a reason: it is simply delicious.

Enjoy (I did)!

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NY Lobster Club Truck in NYC, New York

Lobster roll might be the almighty sandwich for me. Seriously, who got such an idea to make a sandwich with lobster? Well, in fact I do not care that much about that and surely care about where to find a delicious roll. I believe the first time I tried a lobster roll was at The Red Hook Lobster Pound truck during a food truck festival at South Street Seaport. It was buttery (there was butter on the roll and the lobster was poached in butter, Connecticut style) and I admit that I prefer it this way rather than with mayonnaise. So I was definitely excited to try the NY Lobster Club truck. 

But my excitement was short: when I opened the box, I saw a tiny roll and, although there were claws, I found there was not that much lobster. I mean all the ingredients were good, but it was not worth the $16 I paid. The roll, toasted was deliciously buttery, but the lobster looked dry and lacked taste, being slightly over cooked. I was for sure disappointed and for me, it does not measure up with The Red Hook Lobster Pound or Luke's Lobster. Too bad...

Enjoy (...)!

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Ample Hills Creamery at The Gotham West Market in NYC, New York

You should have seen our faces when we saw Ample Hills Creamery at The Gotham West Market! We heard about this ice cream parlor from Jodi's cousin, Rebecca who recommended it. We went a couple of times and, each time, we got some amazing creamy and rich ice cream. 

Jodi went for the sugar cone, while I went for a bowl, too scared to get some ice cream on my shirt...And I have to say that a scoop is a generous amount of ice cream! What I like about Ample Hills Creamery is the originality of their flavors. I have two favorites:

Snap Mallow Pop: that is advertised as a deconstructed rice krispie treat: made with marshmallow ice cream and buttery Rice Krispie clusters.

Sweet cream and cookie that is in fact cookies and cream.

Jodi got the vegan coconut chocolate ice cream that she loved. I have to say that it was good dark chocolate, but I still prefer the first two...

Ample Hills Creamery is definitely one of my favorite ice cream joints: their ice cream flavors are original and phenomenal. I definitely recommend it if you love rich and creamy ice cream. And you know what? I will go back!

Enjoy (I did)!

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The Chicken Factory in Hoboken, NJ

It has been a while since I wanted to try The Chicken Factory in Hoboken. It is a small place that serves Korean dishes besides their own version of wings and drumsticks, smothered either with a soy and garlic sauce or a sweet and spicy sauce. For instance, they have bibimbap, bulgogi, japchae or Haemul Pa Jeon that is a seafood scallion pancake. Then, if you are vegetarian, they do have few options for you: vegetarian bibimbap, garden salad, coleslaw, kimchi, etc. 

This is a very casual place, with only few tables inside and outside. You definitely do not go there for the decor (I was going for the chicken!). 

I ordered the wings and drumstick combination, with a mix between the two sauces, curious to see how the sweet and spicy sauce was.  When it came, it looked very appetizing and indeed it was fantastic!

The chicken was perfectly cooked and moist, smothered by a coating slightly crunchy and addicting to a point where you would try to get every pieces of it on the chicken bone. The sauces were very good, but my preference went to the sweet and spicy sauce that had a nice heat to it. And there, no blue cheese sauce to appease your mouth. 

The Chicken Factory is definitely a place to know if you love chicken wings. I would probably go back there to try some other dishes, but I admit that I may finally re-order these wings that were succulent.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Kori, Korean restaurant in TriBeCa

Far from K-Town, Kori is a Korean restaurant that is a true finding in Tribeca. I like their statement:

In Korean, KORI means “connection,” which represents our vision of connecting healthy Korean cuisine with New Yorkers in the finest way possible. 

Yes, it is an elegant Korean restaurant with an elevated menu. Not a big place for sure and you'd better have a reservation.

As a started, they brought us a salad in a spherical bowl that caught my attention more than what was inside...As well as kimchi, seaweed and what I think was pickled turnip.

Then, we ordered some veggie dumplings that were pretty good, but I cannot remember the name (damn it!).

For her entrée, Jodi chose the mushroom bibimbap that came pipping hot in a stone bowl, the rice continuing the cook and creating a delicious crust.

On my side, I went for the bulgogi stew that was simply fantastic!

The marinated ribeye came on the side, with mushrooms and scallion. They then poured them in the very hot broth that was in a very hot stone bowl too, from where emanated a delicious aroma. In couple of minutes, the beef was cooked and I literally inhaled that dish that was succulent. It came with rice that absorbed the delicious broth that now had the taste of meat. This is definitely a dish I recommend.

For dessert, we decided to go for roasted rice cake sticks with green tea ice cream.

That was a great dessert: first the rice cakes were awesome, a bit chewy, and perfect dipped in the honey that came with it. Then, the green tea ice cream, although bitter, was deliciously creamy. A hit!

I really liked our dinner at Kori and would certainly go back: the food there was very good and comforting and the service courteous and efficient. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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Casual Thai in Hoboken, NJ

I admit that we hesitated before going for lunch at Casual Thai in Hoboken, a delivery few years ago going wrong from the time it took to get our food to the food itself not being good. But I was thinking that sometimes, deliveries do not give justice to restaurants; for instance, pizza is not as good when delivered as it usually steams in the box. Same for burgers or hot sandwiches. 

So, we went on a Sunday, for lunch. The place was not that crowded and I guess they had limited staff that day, because our food took a long time to come. Decor wise, it is nice, with a Buddha at the entrance that definitely sets the atmosphere. 

I started off with my favorite drink: a Thai iced tea that was delicious and, fortunately, did not have too much ice in it. 

Then, we decided to share the vegetable spring rolls. 

They came very hot and were quite good, with a good proportion of shell versus veggies, but with unfortunately too much pepper in it. 

For her entrée, Jodi went for Pad Woon-Sen, that is glass noodles with vegetables and tofu, a pretty good dish that is sweet and savory. 

On my side, I got the chicken massaman. 

It was good, but a bit difficult to eat in the little bowl they gave (they removed my plate) and with too many vegetables compared to the succulent curry sauce. With it came some white rice. 

For dessert, we ordered my favorite: mango with sticky rice. 

The presentation was beautiful. The mango was perfect, ripe and deliciously sweet, but the rice, although good, was missing some coconut milk that would have made this dish successful. 

I am a bit on the fence with Casual Thai, the food being just ok. I think that restaurants like T Thai or Sri Thai are any way much better options...

Enjoy (...)!

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Brunch at Sarabeth's in TriBeCa

If there is something for which Sarabeth's is known for, it is its brunch. Believe it or not, but I never went there and only tried some of their jam that you can find in some supermarkets. So, we decided to go to the one in TriBeCa on a Sunday. We had of course a reservation as the place was packed.

After sitting at our table that was located in the back, we ordered our food as well as beverages: for Jodi, a tea, and for me the Four Flowers Juice, made with orange, pineapple,
banana & pomegranate juice.

Jodi decided to try their garden omelette, composed of mushroom, green peas, zucchini, cheddar. Eggs and omelettes are coming with a choice of muffin, scone, toast or croissant. She decided to pick the croissant that was pretty good, flakey and buttery.

As far as the preserves that came with it, we only got an orange marmalade that was fantastic; but it was such a small portion...

The omelette itself was good: fluffy and not dry, there was lots of vegetables in it, but not enough cheese for my taste. On my side, I decided to go for the salmon benedict.

The benedict were really good: the yolk was perfectly runny and there was a delicious Hollandaise sauce smothering it, where I dipped the delicious muffin that was in the bottom. 

I should mention that we also shared a muffin basket that was just ok. The muffins were regular size and I thought they would have a nice selection of mini ones. There were pumpkin, corn and bran muffins.

The brunch at Sarabeth's was overall good, but I admit that I expected better. It is not cheap, but you pay for the name and location. Would I go back? Probably, but this time to try their crispy chicken and waffle or their burger. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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Dallas BBQ in Times Square, NYC, New York

How did I end up at Dallas BBQ in Times Square? I simply wanted to eat BBQ and my favorite, Southern Hospitality, was full. I think I should have gone to Brother Jimmy's, although it was not really in the area where I was...I mean, the service at Dallas BBQ was very good, being courteous and efficient, but the food did not meet my expectations and I kind of left me still craving some delicious ribs...

I went to Dallas BBQ long time ago on the Upper East Side, but I cannot remember that experience, that is probably a bad sign. This was big, with and industrial feel, packed with tourists and moviegoers in search for good food to eat. 

I got a Stella Artois beer, just 10oz, 20oz being too many back and forth trips to the restroom. Strangely, they gave us a straw...

I chose their classic combo, composed of fried chicken (with honey glaze), ribs and fried shrimp. It came with quite good corn bread and I decided to pick a baked potato over fries and onions, a sort of fake healthy choice that felt good on my conscience. 

The plate looked a bit like a mess and it was a bit tough not to have food fall on the table while cutting the chicken. So I methodically started with the fried shrimp that were fairly good: well cooked and crispy. Then the chicken that I admit was delicious too. The last part was the ribs that I was keeping for the end. They were so disappointing: dry and not at all falling off the bone. At least, the generous amount of sauce helped, because I was so looking forward to it. 

They brought a tangerine and pineapple cupcake for dessert, a special for Halloween. That was just ok, the frosting being a bit weird. But you know what? It was a nice touch anyway.

So, my dinner at Dallas BBQ was definitely not that great, New York offering many options for great ribs that were for me the main reason I picked the combo. Next time, I'll pass...

Enjoy (...)!

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Tout Va Bien, French Restaurant in NYC, New York

Meaning everything is fine in French, Tout Va Bien is a family restaurant that has been serving a classic French bistro menu since 1948. It is a small place with a decor quite cluttered iwith so many French artifacts all over, from photos to littles statues, to soccer club flags, as well as the French songs playing in the background (Charles Aznavour when I went there), creating definitely a certain atmosphere close to what you would find in some restaurants in France. Of course, you cannot miss the bust of Elvis Presley who was an icon of Rock'n Roll in France from what I remember when I was a child. 

Menu wise, they really have all the classics: escargots, foie gras, soupe à l'oignon, coq au vin, etc...as well as crab cakes that day as a special (they have few daily specials presented on a chalk board). 

For appetizer, I decided to order the escargots. I could have ordered 12, but, as you know, I am a pretty reasonable guy, so I only went for 6. 

They came pipping hot, still sizzling, with a delicious buttery smell emanating from the dish. I loved it: simply made (butter, garlic and parsley), the sauce was very addictive and I kept dipping my bread in the butter. I wondered at that point if one should not just serve butter with garlic and parsley, without the escargots, as an appetizer. 

For my main entrée, I hesitated between the veal liver and the veal kidney. I went for the later that was served with mashed potatoes and haricots verts. For the sauce, I had the choice between vin blanc (white wine), Bordelaise or moutarde (mustard). I chose mustard and definitely did not regret it. I should mention that they were generous with the amount of sauce on the plate and I was close to dipping my bread in it when I remembered that I also wanted dessert...

This was a fantastic dish: the kidneys were perfectly cooked medium rare, with a pink center, and perfectly cleared, so not tough at all. And that sauce was deliciously creamy. This is definitely a dish I would recommend and I am curious how the other sauces are.

Know that if you are not really fans of the creepy meats, you can try their filet mignon that looks appetizing or their fish dishes (below a red snapper provençal that was a fail special).

I paired my meal with a glass of Bordeaux, but, of course, they have other selection, not all French (Malbec for instance).

For dessert, I went for the poire belle Helene, made with canned slices of pears, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. They have kind of similar dessert with peaches (peche melba).

Good dessert, but I admit that I would have been even more pleased if they had an ile flottante or floating island, or even a tarte tatin that is one of my favorite desserts. Otherwise, they have the classics: creme brûlée, chocolate mousse...It was perfect with a double espresso.

So I was really pleased with my meal at Tout Va Bien: the food was really good and the atmosphere enjoyable, with a nice service. I would definitely go back there an this time get that veal liver!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Del Frisco's Grille in Hoboken, NJ

I was thrilled when I heard that Del Frisco's Grille would open in Hoboken end of September 2015. We decided to go there for brunch and then dinner to check it out. It is a fairly big place, with a view to the kitchen and pass that is in the back, a view that I always find interesting, especially in that place, where you could see the staff lining up, waiting for the dishes to be ready and giving the last touch, like the brush of mix of salt, pepper and butter on the steaks.

Interestingly, it was not that crowded for brunch, but when we went for dinner, it was packed, from the dining room to the bar area. Service wise, it was good, although a bit over the top, probably because it was close to their opening and they wanted to make sure patrons would have a good time.

In terms of food, they have quite a large choice. For brunch, we skipped eggs and decided to order:

Guacamole:

The Ahi tacos:

The banana foster French toast:

It was just ok: the guacamole was missing salt and the chunks of avocado were to big, giving the impression to eat an avocado salad rather than guac. The tacos were good and I loved the idea of using ahi tuna paired with a delicious spicy citrus mayo (I recommend it). The banana foster French toast was good, but missing some rum sauce (and adding syrup kind of throw the dish off), and there was not enough banana.

For dinner, I was excited to try the steaks. Jodi went for the filet mignon (8oz that is a perfect size for her), ordered medium.

I went for the ribeye (16 oz), ordered medium-rare.

When they bring the steaks to the table, they ask you to check that they were cooked at the correct temperature: it is the first time I have seen this. The steaks were good; not the same quality as Dino & Harry's or Zylo, but still. They had a nice char, were tender and deliciously juicy. Unfortunately, they had too much salt and pepper (remember the brush at the pass mentioned above) and, after a while, it kind of overpowers the meat, even if you remove it with the knife. 

Entrees are coming with sides. Jodi got the fries that were crispy.

I got the mash potatoes that I did not like as it contained too much scallion.

With the steaks, I got a Pinot Noir Meiomi 2013 from California, a nice pairing with the bold taste of the ribeye.

Last was dessert: Jodi went for the coconut cream pie. It was one of the rare times she was disappointed about it: too much chocolate shavings overpowered the coconut.

On my side, I ordered the Nutella bread pudding, replacing the coffee ice cream with vanilla ice cream. This was disappointing too, the taste of the Nutella being minimum and the bread pudding being dry...

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So I was a bit disappointed after our meals at Del Frisco's Grille, especially the dinner, as I was looking forward for the steak. Would I go back? I do not think so...

Enjoy (...)!

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Del Frisco's Grille

Address: 221 River St, Hoboken, NJ 07030

Phone:(201) 653-0195