Blaue Gans (Blue Goose)

Last week, I was so pleasantly surprised to receive a note in response to my Cafe Sabarsky blogpost from a longtime employee of the restaurants’ corporation, KGNY. It’s nice to put a name to the number of “web cookies” showing in my site’s analytics, especially when that person is connected to a restaurant I’ve (fondly) reviewed. And the reciprocal marketing works – the email incentivized me to arrange my next date with the ladies who introduced me to Sabarsky at Blaue Gans, another KGNY restaurant in Tribeca.

After rolling home in pain just an hour ago, I think it’s safe to say I’ve eaten more Austrian food in the last two weeks than I have in my entire life. I say that with no regret of stuffing myself. Every bite was rich, heartwarming, and filling. The food at Blaue Gans is cooked with history, tradition and soul, and the waiters express contagious passion when serving it. Detailed explanations and smiles come with every dish that arrives to the table, and curiosity about the food is very much encouraged.

Lauren, Austin, Sara and I sat on one of the long benches outside the spacious restaurant to enjoy the warm evening air – one of New York’s assets that I honestly live for. The outside bench served an even better purpose than letting the breeze touch my face, though: a huge working space to properly lay out the ridiculous amount of food that we ordered and were served compliments of the house, thanks to the incredibly friendly staff. Instead of thinking through our order and how it all fit together, when the waiter came, we called out every item that seemed remotely interesting. This I look back on as the starting point of our demise.

lipataur (definitely the opposite of the heart medicine)

First came the liptauer – a quark cheese spread with butter, paprika, and onions served with thick poilane-esque sourdough bread.  I love anything with cheese, but this was brightly colored, flavorful, creamy, and light – unlike any typical cheese spread I’ve tried before. My dad would have loved this.

smoked trout tart

cabbage salad

asparagus beautifully plated

sausage sampler…or the four of us spooning

Then came the pretzel. Then the smoked salmon torte, the cabbage salad, the green asparagus, the blood sausage, the sausage sampler, the spätzl, the pork schnitzel, and the white asparagus special. Yes, there were only four of us, and yes, we ate everything save one inch of the pretzel. And we all had our favorites – mine was the intensely flavorful smoked trout palatschinken torte, which was served as a wedge of thin crepes layered with generous chunks of delicious white fish and horse-radish creme fraiche next to beets and drizzled balsamic. And though I’ll always have a spot in my heart for Blaue Gans sinfully creamy spatzl with bright spring vegetables, I think my next favorite were both the green and white asparagus, which were perfectly cooked. The green asparagus were prepared with marinated chopped tomatoes and microgreens, while the white asparagus was much more decadent with potatoes and a creamy sauce reminiscent of hollandaise.

Blood Sausage – Lauren’s fave

spätzl!!

schnitzel with spätzl – say that five times fast.

The “jäger schnitzel,” which came recommended by my blog correspondent, was pretty much my dad’s heaven: thin pan-sauteed pork finished with cream, mushrooms, veal broth and bacon. But not just any bacon – a generous heep of thick, crispy chunks of lean cured meat. Next time I’ll have to try the veal schnitzel.

apple strudel – a non-distant memory

Amazing

The madness didn’t stop with our entrees. Nope, all of us came knowing we had no choice but to order my favorite – the apple strudel. How could we leave it out after our romantic experience with the pastry at Cafe Sabarsky? And given the overwhelming variety of options, we had no choice but to try something new. After much debate we requested the “eis kaffee” - a sundae with vanilla ice cream, espresso, coffee, and whipped cream. Little did we know that the kitchen would send, along with strawberry cocktails, the other options we were contemplating – a chocolate mousse cake with hazelnut and caramelized bananas, a lemon-basil mousse filled with mixed berries, and the salzburger nockerl, a wonderful dish of warm poached huckleberries and a cloud of meringue inspired fluff. We became the perfect eating partnership as we each gravitated to different dishes. Lauren focused on the marshmellowy white souffle, Sara daintily hacked at the lemon-basil mousse, I aggressively tackled the apple strudel, and Austin gulped down the remains of the coffee sundae. We all partook in the chocolate mousse.

We all knew the coma we were getting into throughout the process, but the knowledge of the consequences of over-eating is sadly never enough to stop me. What kills us makes us stronger, right? Pain is weakness leaving the body.

Given the service, the variety of food, the importance of dessert and the beautiful set up at Blaue Gans, I will no doubt return, hopefully with my father whom I know for sure would go crazy over this place. Definitely recommended for all occasions – heavy brews and dinner with friends, a peaceful night with the family, a business lunch, a date…any and all occasions seem to fit well with Austrian food and a solid operation. It’s not common to find a New York neighborhood restaurant like this one that truly appreciates and welcomes its customers – something you think would go hand in hand with owning a business so dependent on its consumers. So if you need to refreshed of the exclusive, swanky, overly hyped scenes that populate this city, this is the place to get your real-people fix.

Grade: A
Location: 139 Duane Street at West Broadway
Website:  www.kg-ny.com

Tonight was a bittersweet celebration of my dear friend Kiloran, who’s moving to San Francisco to pursue her dream of getting as far out of New York as humanly possible. Not everyone is as obsessed with this place as I am, I’m learning. For the occasion, our coworker Ryan decided to choose the Ukrainian restaurant Veselka – a place one would naturally choose for a diverse, picky crowd…right?

After eyeing the menu that consisted of borscht and smoked fish, I didn’t get that surge of excitement I usually get in anticipation of trying a new place. I wasn’t the only one silently freaking out about the food either – I witnessed an email battle initiated by a few people voting for a location change – some even dropped out of the party as a result. It’s not an understatement to say that all Hell broke loose over the matter. Let’s just be honest, people don’t generally rave about Ukrainian food (I know I’ll get flack for saying that when I become famous). But in the end, it actually ended up exceeding all of our expectations (the ones who stuck through the challenge).

Firstly, the Bowery location is 10 steps above Veselka’s sister diner just blocks away. The space is huge, completely framed by glass with high ceilings and plenty of space for a crowd.  The familiarity of the modern aesthetic relaxed me, and soon enough I was on my way to having a thorough love affair with Ukrainian cuisine.

cheese blintz

my usual victim: the cheese plate.

Between the array that I had ordered for the table, the cheese blintz and the cheese plate were the stand outs. I would have been perfectly happy with these dairy laden plates on their own, but I had to try the equally healthy fried cheese and potato pierogis with apple sauce and sour cream, the boiled beet and goat cheese pierogis, the smoked trout salad with radish and apple, and a little bit of the Ukrainian feta on brioche that came atop the beautifully arranged veggie board. 

pierogi

smoked trout salad

garbage in a blender…with an untouched hard boiled egg

Had I known I would become stuffed after the first round, I wouldn’t have ordered a cheese burger. A combo of an intense meat craving and a fear of ordering something totally foul (after seeing Kiloran’s garbage bowl of magenta borscht) guided my decision, but with no real regrets. Thick patty, medium rare with cheddar cheese on a sesame brioche bun. Aside from the various Ukrainian chutney-like condiments that I threw on the bun, this was as solidly Americanly delicious as it gets, despite severely missing the red onion. Ryan chose to order the more “authentic” version – a kielbasa burger with thin layers of kielbasa, and a kielbasa and ground chuck patty combo. One bite was just enough for me to confirm that I’d get thoroughly ill after finishing the whole sandwich.

Ukrainian Cheeseburger

Given the celebration, we decided to go all the way and sample a few desserts. Kiloran and I were both blown away by the baked chocolate custard, which in essence was the densest, richest chocolate pudding we’ve ever tasted. The baked kiev was an interesting combo of beet ice cream, vanilla ice cream, chocolate cake, and burnt meringue.  Sadly, I’m just now realizing the origin of its name. I can’t say that I’d dream about beet ice cream at night, but it actually tasted and looked just like strawberry.

chocolate custard

Baked Kiev

Would I choose to go back there? Probably not. Not because the quality of food or service didn’t impress me, or because I didn’t like the feel of the space. It’s simply due to realism. In a city when I can choose from a thousand other restaurants serving the type of cuisine that I seek (namely italian and Japanese), why would I opt for Ukrainian if I’m not a die hard pierogi or borscht fan? Please tell me.

Grade: A-
Location: 9 East 1st Street off Bowery
Website: www.veselka.com/bowery

I may forget a plot line or a character name 9 times out of 10, but I’ll never forget a scene from a movie that involves food. A standout instance is in the film Inglorious Basterds, when the protagonist, Shoshanna Dreyfus, is being eerily interrogated by her father’s murderer, Cristoph Waltz. To subtly indicate that he’s aware of her true identity as the only one who escaped death on her family’s dairy farm, he proceeds to order her an apple strudel with extra cream and a glass of milk, forcing her to taste as she quivers in fear. As uncomfortable as it is to watch, it has instilled in me a permanent craving for apple strudel. It looked so delicious – fresh, warm, perfectly flakey – never before did I really like it, but now, it’s one of my favorites.

Col. Hans Landa

This memory came to mind when my friends Lauren and Austin and I whisked uptown to Austrian cafe Cafe Sabarsky to end our day at the Whitney. After waiting in a short line, we entered the old school, cafeteria-like space and sat a table with a view of the delicious Austrian pastry-filled counter. The place is inspired by the traditional Viennese cafes that birthed so much beautiful art and literature in the early 1900s, and it truly brings you to another era and continent as a result. The authenticity of the food is unquestionable too.

strudel with cream

Dessert array

After a rich cappuccino with fresh whipped cream and a few bites of Lauren’s crispy veal schnitzel, I couldn’t resist the apple strudel. It came right to our table on a little white dish, just as presented in Inglorious Basterds, and I felt like I was in Hollywood action. The strudel was perfect – crispy crust easy to cut, soft, warm apples and subtle flavors of cinnamon and raisin. With the thick, hardly sweetened whipped cream, it was heaven on earth.

Though I really only focused on dessert, this cafe is one of Lauren and Austin’s favorites, and now one of my own. It’s relaxed, beautiful, and a world away from my own in New York city. Next time I’ll be back for the sausage and the Viennese hot chocolate.

Grade: A+
Location: 1048 5th Ave @ 86th Street
Website: www.cafesabarsky.com

Soho is the reason I fell in love with New York so many years ago. The shops, the cobble stone streets, the feeling of continually shining sun, Dean and Deluca…the list of why I feel giddy every time I’m in this neighborhood goes on and on. Sadly, though, after getting to know the area intimately, I’ve concluded that the good brunch spots aren’t as prevalent as one would expect for such a shopping-dense area. Lord knows that I get hungriest after two hours of trying on clothing, but every weekend, I confront the same debate – where to rid of my hunger pangs and evaluate my bad purchasing decisions?

Generally, I fall back on Antique Garage, Cafeteria, or Balthazar – all awesome spots. But when you want to bask in the sun, there aren’t many options aside from Dos Caminos. Well this weekend, my sister shined light on a placed called Felix for my birthday brunch treat, and it was actually pretty solid. Somewhat of a rough-around-the edges Lucky Strike or Balthazar, it serves the purpose of offering a varied menu of food you would want whether you’re craving American or French brunch. Great outdoor tables for two in the shining sun, off the craziness of Broadway, and efficient service. They also take reservations, which helps to avoid the crazy brunch wait lines in this city.

omelette – fries were a little rubbery

After investigating other tables’ orders, we decided to share the salade chevre chaud and a mushroom and spinach omelette. The omelette comes with both fries and salad – something I appreciate greatly, and the chevre was plentiful, crispy, salty, and perfect on top of a crusty piece of baguette. Though the salad was a little over-dressed, and the fries weren’t impressive, overall the food and service was solid, and I was as happy as I could be on a warm day with half of our bodies in the sun.

salad chevre chaud

Adding Felix to my list of open-air reprieve-spots in Soho after intense shopping. Don’t come expecting stellar cuisine, but come knowing you’ll have your stomachs filled and a good dose of relaxation in the sun.

Grade: B
Location: 340 West Broadway @ Grand Street
Website: www.felixnyc.com

Since my sister’s wedding I’ve been nonstop. I’m not sure if it was the residual excitement from the Miami weekend that has motivated me to say Yes to every possible event, but I’m paying for it now by confronting my outdated blog and uselessly fighting an illness that’s slowly taking over. Yes, I deserve it, and yes, there’s  part of me that is happy to have an excuse to sprawl on my couch and stare at the TV.

But, it doesn’t mean I can’t re-live the good moments that have happened in recent past, one of which was my brother in law’s birthday bash at Beaumarchais. He and I happen to share May 7 as a birthday, but turning a big 3-0, he decided to reach for the sky and planned a Meatpacking brunch the same day as Cinco de Drinko, the Supermoon, and the Kentucky Derby. All stars were aligned to make it a day of insanity.

pre brunch festivities

After starting the day off at my sister’s apartment with my world-famous white sangria (Amy I give you permission to sue), we skipped three blocks to the infamous Beaumarchais, where day turns into night the second you enter. Sure enough, we walk in, and in close-to-pitch black dark there are strobe lights competing for stardom with a mariachi band and a techno DJ. Our group of 15 really had no choice but to put our party hats on. We were seated at a large table, and over the course of 4 hours, we were served appetizers, entrees and magnums of vodka all while dancing on our chairs. We really didn’t have a choice – there’s not much room to dance on the ground, and with everyone around you elevated, you feel like a straight loser ignoring it. Before the end of the day our entire table was standing – some even with plate and fork in hand – rocking out to Jay Z and Techno.

table getting down!

But, this is a food blog so I must focus. For $200 a person, it had better be good, right? Fortunately, it was, and with the experience included, it was worth it. Eating in the dark is not my favorite, but with sparklers flying around we were able to get a peek every now and then. We started with foie gras that was surprisingly delicious and served with toasted brioche, and tuna tartare served with plaintain chips. Large bowls of butter lettuce salad and caesar dressing were brought to the table, but those struggled to catch the eye of the crowd. Most impressive was the truffle gnocchi – little dumplings of creamy goodness. All together this could have been a meal, but we needed course number 2 for survival reasons. Many chose the burger which I tasted – nothing too impressive, but edible. My goat cheese omelet with spinach was delicious, but I had no intention of eating the whole thing. Dancing was on my mind.

Foie Gras

gnocchi

tuna tartare with plantain chips

omelette

For a large group brunch at Beaumarchais, you get a 2 course prix fixe menu. The birthday boy was sent out a massive Sundae (by a woman dressed in a Superman costume who flew out to the Superman theme song). But despite the food being semi-reasonably priced, expect to pay a ton for the alcohol – about $800 a magnum. And when you’re in that environment, don’t think you’ll be able to make rational decisions. I remember turning to Eli and saying, $800? That’s not that bad! Well, it was…

So, do you go to Beaumarchais for the food? Absolutely not. Why would you when there are dozens of other restaurants where you can hear your conversation? You go for the spectacle. It’s like the Euro-New York version of Tony and Tina’s Wedding – you’re part of the show. You go if you feel like raging in the middle of the day and spending like you’re a man at a club for the night. You go if you want to watch women dancing in bikinis at 3pm on a Saturday.

I wouldn’t do this every weekend, even every month, but an annual visit for that slap-in-the-face reminder of why New York is so unique is almost obligatory.

Grade: A for all around experience.
Location: 409 West 13th Street between Washington and 9th
Website: www.brasseriebeaumarchais.com

I feel sorry for this man.

It took a move across the country to finally understand the true meaning of “Brunch,” which is as iconic in New York as a taxi driver on his cell phone is. Brunch here is no joke – it’s not simply a midday meal to be later followed by dinner. It’s a full-day eating and drinking extravaganza, which makes finding places with drink deals that much more essential. Fortunately, the city is full of restaurants vying for a rowdy brunch crowd, and this month I just so happened to experience two of the most quality and affordable options available.

Il Bastardo packed for brunch

Stop one was Il Bastardo in Chelsea, selected by the Birthday Girl of the moment Lauren Nemeth. Yes, the brunch + unlimited mimosas / bellinis / strawberry bellinis for an extra $20 was definitely a draw, but the main appeal to Lauren and our group of 12 was the promised Drag Queen show as free entertainment. The space is well lit, all white, and very fashionable – a perfect setting for the stylish Chelsea crowd. The brunch fare, which includes panino, eggs, and random italian dishes, however, is nothing greater than standard aside from the endless focaccia. I ordered an omelette, others ordered pasta or cheeseburgers – everything was edible and did the job of lining the stomach for more champagne.

veggie omelette

Most remarkable were the countless bottles left on our table – whereas most unlimited drink spots serve next rounds when requested, Il Bastardo ensured we were never at a loss for champagne nor juices to prepare the mimosas to our liking. What ideal preparation for the giant Drag Queen who stumbled in an hour after we ended our meal? She lip-synched, structured a dance contest for the birthday folk (a woman from Zimbabwe won), did some aggressive stand-up, slapped asses…all the many essential things that take place during a high quality show.

Lauren seconds before a forced dance-off

Overall, for the amount of time we spent in the restaurant consuming hearty food and the copious amounts of alcohol, the average $35 per person was absolutely worth it. Definitely a recommended venue for an affordable and entertaining affair.

Poco front

Poco in the East Village today was just as much of a success, and they also take reservations – a rare trait for brunch in NYC. My SAS (Semester at Sea) friends and I got a table for 5 downstairs, which despite shielding us from the beautiful sun was the perfectly cozy setting for our typical bonding sessions. I prefer the menu here because of its Latin flair – the benedicts are served atop arepas, and the Poco special I ordered came covered with spicy chorizo. It was actually delicious, but next time I’ll have to get the lobster mac and cheese…

poco benedict

The food took over 45 minutes, but the delicious peachy-white sangria was enough of a distraction. Our servers were spastic but efficient when we had the chance to catch their eyes by vigorously waving our hands, and drinks arrived quickly upon ordering. Though Poco lacks drag queen entertainment, I prefer it for its location and laid back vibe. It’s smack in the heart of great East Village shopping and people watching, and right by the park for a good post-carb excess stroll. And, we may or may not have stopped by Puddin’ for dessert…

Sassy Brunch Tradition

Coming up this Saturday I will try the brunch of all brunches in the areas of all areas, Beaumarchais in the Meatpacking district. While I’m confident it will be wild, I’m a pretty positive we won’t be working with unlimited drinks for $30 a person. We’ll just have to see if it lives up to the hype! Until then…

Il Bastardo Grade: A-
Location: 191 7th Ave between 21st and 22nd Streets 
Website: www.ilbastardonyc.com

Poco Grade: B+
Location: 33 Avenue B @ 3rd Street
Website:  www.poconyc.com

favorite sisters in the world

This weekend I had the time of my life as my sister’s Maid of Honor in her tropical Miami wedding. After months of build up and an incredible three day dance party, it’s been a bittersweet hang over coping with leaving South Beach. The weather was perfect, I was surrounded by my hilarious family and close friends, and I was treated like a princess alongside the bride the entire weekend. And even better, I had a chance to enjoy a few Miami restaurants in the midst of the non-stop celebration.

The good meals started immediately when my long lost birthright friend Jamie picked me up from the airport to join our friend Stacy at Michael’s Genuine Food in Miami’s Design District. Though we hadn’t seen each other in over a year, we were quickly distracted by the ridiculous amounts of amazing menu options.  We relied on Jamie’s vegetarianism to narrow things down a bit, but were aggressive on the cheese – to start, we ordered the beet, heirloom tomato and blue cheese salad, the burrata and farm-grown heirloom tomatoes with fleur de sel, and a creamy cheese of the week that Jamie urged me to write down and I claimed I would remember but I expectedly do not. Whoops!

beautiful buratta

beet salad

We continued our aggressive ordering with the wood oven double yolk farm egg with gruyere, tomato and crostini, the oven roasted trigger fish with prawns, and the crispy rice cake with egg, chorizo and shrimp. Though I can’t stomach any form of mayonnaise, I actually loved the smokey tomato aoili served alongside the fried risotto cake – this dish was my favorite. We had no aim to eat lightly, but the portions were relatively small so we weren’t actually suffering until dessert, which as you all know I struggle to avoid. The brownie sundae and the orange creamsicle pot de creme served with donuts didn’t intimidate us at all, and at the end of the meal I was convinced I’d never eat again.

crispy rice cake

double yolk - a little runny for my style

mmm dessert.

But you guessed it, I did! After eating lightly by the pool the next day, I had an amazing seafood dinner hosted by Eli (the fiance)’s family in the private room at Quinn’s. Sending out 7 bread baskets for a party of 12, this place won me over immediately. My sister and I shared huge claws of stone crab, a light green salad, simply seared ahi tuna, and a rich sea bass and risotto. The sea bass was buttery, rich, fresh, flavorful – a luxurious treat. The warm molten chocolate cake with ice cream, however, stole the show. It reminded me of the “moelleux au chocolat” in Paris, oozing with velvety rich chocolate and totally consuming my thoughts. No matter how full I am, no matter how ill I may be, I would die before saying no to this dessert. It’s life changing.

bride and me outside of Quinn's

tuna

yes, we shared both

So after rolling out of dinner number 2, I mentally prepared myself for dinner number 3 at Ola, the location of the wedding’s eve cocktail party. Ola is a well known Latin American restaurant on James Street in South Beach with a very Rio-esque, pristine and modern vibe. Its menu is filled with my favorites – tacos, empanadas, seafood, rice and beans, and most importantly, pao de quejo (cheese bread), the Brazilian food that brings back memories of my excessive carbo loads in Sao Paolo. Knowing that I had a night of cocktail-ing and schmoozing ahead I tried to resist over-eating, which turned out to be incredibly easy considering my panela cured salmon with quinoa tasted like a chunk of seafood-flavored banana bread. Pretty much dessert in fish form. Fortunately, the jicama and king crab salad and the crispy rock shrimp “chicharron” was enough to satisfy me for the rest of the night, so I wasn’t too disappointed.

rock shrimp chicharron

looks better than it tastes. sadly..

And as my dad had been drooling about weeks leading up to the event, we ended our weekend at Miami’s classic Joe’s Stone Crab, where I arrived full from lunch but continued to dine as if I hadn’t eaten all day. We shared a ton of sides – the lobster mac & cheese and the fried asparagus were the most memorable, and my cousin Natalie and I shared stoned crab and king crab legs. The crab is so meaty and fresh; there’s really nothing like it. At a huge round table with my cousins there was really no better way to end the weekend. And I managed to have a few bites of the best hot fudge brownie sundae I’ve ever had just before hopping on my flight back to NY.

fried asparagus

lobster mac

stone crab!

The meals between the momentous ones involved a lot of late night room service, poolside french fries, cheese plates, and hotel chocolates. Coupled with excessive skinny-strawberry lemonade cocktails and a few taste tests of my sister’s vodka ice luge, you can imagine why I felt like a ton of bricks limping off the plane at JFK at 1am Sunday night. Whatever queasy feelings ensued, it was all worth it, and with great food, sunshine, and family, I felt like one of the most fortunate people in the world.

Congrats sissy and Eli! May the odds be ever in your favor. 

brioche

Why does everything at Levain taste amazing?

Grade: A
Location: 167 West 74th St. at Amsterdam
Website:  www.levainbakery.com

peruvian chicken

It’s so refreshing to come across a deal for good quality food in New York. My fellow Semester at Sea-ers have been raving about Pio Pio for years now, but it took my friend breaking up with her boyfriend to get me to the uptown location near her house to console her over peruvian chicken and avocado. Our conversation ended up migrating from the philosophical topic of young relationships to the ridiculous amounts of chicken, rice, beans, fresh salad, tostones, and sausage that lay before us – the Matador combo for under $30. The only thing we needed double portions of was the addictive green avocado sauce – magic with the fries.

spicy green sauce

the spread

The chicken here is incredibly flavorful, and the amount and variety of food for the dollar is unbeatable. And for such a value, the space has atmosphere. It’s surprisingly clean, perfectly civil, and a great backdrop for a dinner date with a glass of wine. The only downfall is the lack of cocktails, but that’s an afterthought when you’re eating marinated chicken and fried plantains. Fortunately, there are multiple locations to get your fix!

Grade: A-
Location: multiple in Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx
Website:  www.piopio.com

I’ve neglected the blog these past two weeks and I really have no better excuse than to say that I’ve been busy with work and a social life, like any normal person. That’s not to say I haven’t visited a ton of great restaurants worth reporting. Quite the opposite. The standout of the bunch, however, is Blue Ribbon Sushi, which was so breathtakingly delicious that it triggered me to see the movie chronicling a man in Tokyo who’s been improving his sushi making skills for 75 years, Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

hamachi collar

Blue Ribbon is tucked away on Sullivan Street in Soho. It’s intimate. It’s special. You really feel like you’re embarking on a spiritual sushi experience when entering the low-ceiling, cozy space, which hosts just a few tables and a tiny sushi bar as the work space for multiple sushi chefs. The menu is filled with an overwhelming number of both hot and cold food, so to make the ordering process easier, strategize on what you want before our actual investigation. The green salad is colder, fresher, crunchier, and more flavorful than any other ginger-dressed Japanese starter salad I’ve had. The Hamachi Kama, broiled yellowtail collar, was rich, perfectly seasoned and meaty. The fried oyster roll was living proof that fried seafood can be nourishing and refreshing. And as for the sashimi…you never really realize how much bad sushi you’re tasting until you eat stuff like this – how can a piece of fish have so much intense flavor with absolutely nothing on it? It was perfect.

fried oyster roll (upon request)

I love this place. And, the wines by the glass are great and hefty. Expect to wait for a table but it’s 100% worth it.

Grade: A
Location: 119 Sullivan btwn Prince and Spring
Website: www.blueribbonrestaurants.com/rests_sushi_man_main