Tag Archives: meatpacking

April 17, 2013 · 6:00 am

Catch: global seafood in trendy meatpacking

catch

I spent my first years as a restaurant-goer in NYC dining where I could most easily imagine myself as a cast member of Sex in the City. Straight out of college, I wasn’t looking for cute hole-in-the-walls — I got the biggest thrill wearing heels and strutting into exclusive spaces pumping dance music, offering $15 specialty cocktails, and turning tables like clockwork. Buddakan and Stanton Social were my locations of choice. Fortunately I’ve now moved on to less trendy pastures as a more seasoned New Yorker, but every now and then I’m dragged into the high concept restaurant chains of my past.

Catch last week was one such occurrence, but it helped me remember why I like menus intended for broad audiences. I admittedly went into it with low expectations, but I left impressed with the service, the food, the drinks and the experience overall. As a seafood lover with menu anxiety (it’s difficult to narrow down to one item after eating a Google buffet for the last five years), Catch’s food selection is perfect for me. They offer a small delectable sushi rolls, a raw bar, a ton of hot specials, family style platters, or a variety of fish simply prepared for those not as adventurous. Think of this place as the steakhouse for fish. It keeps that well-known, roomy corporate feel, but maintains a relaxed, light-hearted vibe with light colored furniture, good lighting, dance music, and fun cocktails. Waiters aren’t as formal, but the service is spot on.

The highlights of the many dishes we tried were the MrC roll with tuna, tempura shrimp and ponzu butter, the soft shell crab roll, the crispiest crispy rock shrimp I’ve ever had, and the tuna tartare crispy rice cakes. These dishes aren’t necessarily unique to Catch (find similar variations at Koi, Bond Street, Nobu, etc), but they’re done exceptionally well. The showstopper visually was the crispy whole snapper that comes out deep fried with an asian style saute, positioned as if it’s about to swim away. The sauce was definitely needed to add flavor. Chinese food lovers would die over the salty cantonese lobster tails; I’m just not a fan for thick brown sauces. The overly buttered mushroom pasta was the only disappointment, but that came as no surprise given it was one of the only pasta dishes on the menu.

warm pretzel rolls with mustard butter

warm pretzel rolls with mustard butter

crispy shrimp

hot, buttery crispy shrimp

hamachi tartare

hamachi tartare

salmon belly carpaccio - yes we did get all of this.

salmon belly carpaccio – yes we did get all of this.

scallop dumplings

scallop dumplings

fried whole snapper

fried whole snapper

cantonese lobster - photo from Zagat.com

cantonese lobster – photo from Zagat.com

banana brulee spli

banana brulee split

Dessert at Catch and its sister restaurants are remarkable, and that goes a long way for someone like me. The strawberry shortcake with a large buttery biscuit brought me straight back to my childhood. The banana brulee split was beautifully prepared, but given the tiny scoops of ice cream and difficulty of scooping up all the ingredients off the flat dish for an ideal bite, I would have preferred a less stylized version.

Despite the hiccups in food, I left hoping to plan my next work event or dad’s visit to town at Catch. It’s a crowd-pleasing special occasion restaurant that sets you up well for a night out – there’s not surprisingly a club upstairs, and it’s situated smack dab in the center of the Meatpacking.

Grade: A-
Location: 21 9th Ave above Sephora, entrance on 13th street. Also one in Miami.
Website

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May 11, 2012 · 12:52 am

Beaumarchais – brother in law bday brunch

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: http://www.brasseriebeaumarchais.com

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December 21, 2011 · 4:17 am

Cookshop

I’ve had countless dinners at Cookshop (some good, others not so good), but after my first lunch at the restaurant this Wednesday, I instantly fell back in love. The pictures below should do it justice, but I must call out the brussel sprout pizza with walnut pesto and fresh mozzarella which was served piping hot. I never would have guessed that walnuts on pizza would be a good combination, but it was delicious!

brussel sprout pizza

mezze plate

chicken salad with kale

 Considering the amazing fresh whole wheat pita served with the mezze plate, some fresh hummus would have rounded the dish out perfectly but it was delicious nonetheless. And the fresh kale salad with fresh grilled chicken breast was beautifully prepared and the perfect well rounded lunch dish. I will no doubt be back, if not only for the homemade sourdough bread with fresh butter!

Grade: A

Location: corner of 10th Ave and 20th street

Website: http://www.cookshopny.com

 

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November 30, 2011 · 3:53 am

Blossom

I’m far from being a proponent of veganism, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t experienced amazing animal product-free meals. Consequently, I’ve wanted to try Blossom, New York’s most well-known vegan restaurant, since I saw pictures of its dishes on Yelp two years ago. Considering my friends Mer and Kilo just finished up their health cleanses, we decided to continue the momentum and give the healthy dairy-free restaurant a try. I was surprised by the ambience when I arrived – instead of the hippie decor I expected, the place was dark, classy, and intimate, just like any romantic restaurant in New York should be. But the disparities became apparent once I noticed the lack of complimentary bread. Last I checked, most bread is vegan, so there’s really no excuse for not serving pre-dinner snacks. And when the waiter described the “braised seitan special,” I couldn’t help but chuckle. It really takes a lot of work to try to make a braised artificial meat sound delicious.

porcini cigars

I went for the stuff that I would have found at a normal restaurant – I can’t be bothered with seitan and tofu. To start, we shared the porcini cigars, hand rolled phyllo dough filled with porcini mushrooms and served on top of a creamy cashew pesto sauce. This was my favorite dish by far. For my main, I ordered the Blossom Greens that were tossed in a delicious gingery dressing, as well as the Black Eyed Pea Cake recommended by our waiter. The cake was a disappointment – it was over-salted, and I was disgusted the second I saw the massive lump of the mayo-like substance covering the entire thing. I think without the overwhelming, jiggly sauce, and a little bit less salt, the cake would actually be quite good.

Blossom Greens

black eyed pea cake

I also tried Mer’s dish, the lemon-dusted tofu with coconut rice. The rice was fine, but the tofu was almost inedible. The aromatics were so overpowering that I felt like I was putting a bar of soap in my mouth.

Despite the various disappointments, I know Blossom has potential. And if I were a long-time vegan, this food would taste like it was coming straight from the heavens. But as a cheese and meat lover, I can confidently say that the salad was truly delicious, and the food is daring, inventive, and beautifully plated. Blossom definitely brings a food category with limited room for creativity to the next level, but the next time around, I’ll be weary of the overpowering seasoning that unfortunately masked the true essence of many dishes. And I’ll definitely try dessert, which is what they’re really known for.

Grade: C+

Location: 187 9th Avenue @ 22nd Street

Website: http://www.blossomnyc.com

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November 4, 2011 · 2:57 am

Morimoto

lounge

Yes, there may be a $10 markup on every menu item at Morimoto considering this Iron Chef’s recent rise to celebrity, but that doesn’t mean the food isn’t worth it. My friend Jillian and I had an amazing meal there last night in the lounge. Though our server was forced to divide his attention between us and ten other tables, we seemed to get our food in a timely manner and enjoyed a calm, steadily paced meal. We started with the toro tartare, which I learned is the highest grade of bluefin tuna possible. Along with a mini bamboo tray of perfectly piped wasabi, creme fraiche, avocado, little crunchies, and dark fish paste, each little spatula scraping of the fresh, melt in your mouth fish is a new experience. With a dollop of rich black caviar, this dish couldn’t be more luscious.

toro tartare with the fixings

We then shared the crispy calamari salad, which I expected to be a wilted green salad beneath a scraping of delicate calamari. Instead, I was presented with copious amounts of fresh greens that lay on top of perfectly fried garlic and the crunchiest calamari I’ve tasted. It was quite an impressive rendition of such a commonplace dish at high-end Japanese restaurants.

amazing calamari salad

We then moved onto to the king crab legs, which were served with a tobiko aioli that we had asked to be served on the side. The crab legs were massive and cracked just enough to allow us to easily remove the delicious meat with our chopsticks. And though I am horrified of mayo, the aioli was garlicky and subtly creamy – a perfect partner to the large chunks of crab.

King Crab

Along with our delicious premium sashimi and a $6 side of rice, we had a meal made up of high-quality ingredients in the environment one would expect for the restaurant of a world-famous Japanese chef. As long as my 25% off Googler discount applies, I’ll make it back when I’m craving quality sushi, which is the most devastatingly lacking food in the area.

Grade: A

Location: 88 10th Avenue between 15th and 16th street

Website: http://www.morimotony.com
*pictures via flickr

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August 14, 2011 · 11:31 pm

5 Ninth

Exterior

After three years of passing and peaking into 5 Ninth on my walk home from work and even planning a few events there for my old managers, I finally made a reservation for myself, which was incentivized by a Google-provided 20% discount. Looking like a quaint cottage in an area with modern storefronts and rooftop bars, with three narrow stories and plenty of outdoor space on both ends of the restaurant, this place definitely stands out as breath of fresh air in terms of aesthetics. I can’t say that the restaurant shares the youthful, upbeat energy of the Meatpacking in which it resides, but some may consider this a God-send when it feels like eating elsewhere requires aggressive advanced planning or elbow poking crowds.

back patio

The menu is American and somewhat unadventurous with its variety – it has the classic roast chicken, one or two fish dishes, a couple of pastas and a small selection of salads and appetizers. Mike, Sonia and I split the greek salad, which we were convinced could not go wrong. And while it didn’t fail, the tomatoes and cucumbers were sort of…depressing. Served look warm and over-dressed, the vegetables lacked crunch and the feta had more of the texture of a creamy blue cheese than a crumbly white one.

limp greek salad

My next dish was fairly simple – a grilled striped bass served with swiss chard and white beans. I was pleasantly surprised that it arrived hot out of the oven and traditionally prepared, but the swiss chard was so tough and stringy it was nearly impossible to chew. Mike’s roast chicken had crispy skin but excessive fat, and was served surrounding an overwhelming abundance of “mojo” sauce, a sweet and sour salsa that made the spinach and lentils look like an afterthought.

black bass

roast chicken with unidentifiable sauce

Despite the stale bread that we had only received after asking, I was close to leaving 5 Ninth satisfied, though not impressed, by my experience. The manager gave us a special thanks for coming and the scene outside was quite serene. But just as we were exiting, I couldn’t help but suddenly notice vigorous rustling in the black dumpster situated to my left. And once we realized that the sound wasn’t coming from a person, but from some kind of live animal, all positive memories vanished.

Yes, I know I’m living in denial to think that most restaurants in New York aren’t plagued with infestations, but the last thing I could ask for is to discover them mid-meal. It’s too bad that I left disappointed because the restaurant definitely has potential – it just needs to clean up its act, starting with the obvious – no seating customers next to garbage cans. That said, apparently they have a great deal for Happy Hour, so for such a beautiful setting, and I think it’s safe to assume that the rats aren’t focused on the booze.

Grade: C

Location: 5 Ninth Avenue at Gansevoort Street

Website: http://www.5ninth.com

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July 14, 2011 · 1:41 am

Bill’s Bar and Burger

I have to say I wasn’t thrilled to be meeting my dad for cheeseburgers on a hot summer day at 6pm. I’m never really hungry right after work, and when it’s humid burgers aren’t usually top of mind. But, considering my dad has been dying to try Bill’s since it opened, my sister and I decided to concede and help make his life more complete.

Around 6:30pm there was no wait for a table, which is rare considering it’s the only affordable and fun spot in the area. I was really happy to see new additions to the menu – salads, fish tacos, soups, and appetizers have been added to the formerly burger and fries only menu. My sister Justyn and I decided to split a large chopped salad with feta, chickpeas, and tomatoes and a plate of Mini B’s Sliders with american cheese, caramelized onions, mustard, and pickle.

chopped salad

The salad was fresh and loaded with parmesan cheese and olives. It was nothing remarkable, but pretty solid for a burger joint. The mini sliders, however, were not the sliders I had in mind. No where on the menu did it mention a mayonaise-y special sauce, but sure enough the burgers came covered in it. Also, I’ve grown an aversion to american cheese, which now reminds me of McDonalds…in fact, now that I think about it the sliders tasted just like fast food.

slippery sliders

I've had better...

For diner burger purists, Bill’s may be the place for you, but if your looking for a burger that showcases a thick slab of quality meat, I’d suggesting going around the corner to Pastis. Still, this place serves a great purpose for being the only laid back place in the Meatpacking that stays open all night. And the milkshakes are to die for.

Grade: B-

Location: 22 9th Ave at 13th Street

Website: http://www.brguestsrestaurants.com

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April 8, 2011 · 10:30 pm

Abe and Arthurs

main dining room

I’m never one to judge a book by its cover, but Abe and Arthurs just undeniably screams Meatpacking, where scene and exclusivity takes priority over quality and value of food. That said, having yet to find a negative review, I was looking forward to trying it as my sister’s restaurant choice for my dad’s visit this week. Up until that point, my only remarkable experience here involved seeing Ed Westwick vigorously smoking a cigarette outside with his groupies. Sadly nothing notable in the celeb-sighting sense occurred this time around, but the food surprisingly satisfied my expectations on its own.

Upstairs area

My dad, my sister and her boyfriend, and Sonia and I were seated in a booth in the smaller area upstairs. My guess is that the downstairs is reserved for larger, more important parties based on the grandiose decor and the fact that every layman I’ve known to eat at Abe and Arthurs has been seated upstairs. The ambience throughout however blended in with the sensual, Vegas club scene vibe, and our waiter helped lighten the mood with his charm (and Sonia didn’t mind his bodacious bod either).

Abe and Arthurs has a solid steakhouse menu with interesting cocktails and appetizers, and the typical sides. The deliciously warm miniature baguettes with cold fresh butter boded well for the rest of our night. We decided to share the appetizer of fried calamari and grilled shrimp, which came with a mango chutney that was delicious. I’ve never seen fried squid paired with grilled shrimp, but for someone as indecisive as me, I loved the variety and the sweet and salty flavors of the fruit and seafood combination.

calamari app

The three ladies all agreed on ordering on the lighter side and went for the branzino with swiss chard, recommended by our waiter as the better of the two fish on the menu. Though I prefer my branzino whole (head tail and everything), this was delicately prepared and perfectly cooked. What really stood out were the sides, and the creamed spinach, which was on the chunkier, more rustic side of the spectrum, was consumed within minutes. The fries were perfect as well.

branzino

For next time

The dessert menu, with chocolate molten lava cake and fill-your-own donuts, was almost a dream come true, but after our drinks and lengthy meal we had to resist. Regardless, my expectations of Abe and Arthurs’ food were pleasantly exceeded. I wouldn’t say it’s a great place to bring your parents if they’re the typical, innocent elderly people I would imagine, but I definitely recommend A&A for a group dinner or for a swanky New York spot to impress your out of town friends. Reservations are surprisingly readily available and easily adjustable. And, even better, you might even see someone from the cast of Gossip Girl!

Grade: A-

Website: http://www.abeandarthurs.com

Location: 409 W 14th St btwn 9th Ave and Washington St

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February 23, 2011 · 3:38 am

Colicchio & Sons: The Tap Room

Colicchio & Sons

After a weekend of excessive consumption, I was tasked with finding a spot to meet a friend for drinks after work tonight. For the first time in a long while, I had no desire to put effort into the search, so I picked the closest place possible: Colicchio & Sons on 10th Avenue in the Meatpacking. This is the type of place that I otherwise wouldn’t consider if it weren’t so conveniently located. Reviews have been mediocre, it’s on a nondescript, desolate street, and wines by the glass hover around $15. But after tonight’s snack and drinks, I’ll definitely keep it in my consideration set for future non committal meet ups.

inside Tap Room

The Tap Room, which is apparently the more affordable, casual portion of the finer Colicchio & Sons establishment, takes reservations but also welcomes walk-ins. At around 6pm, tables of two were only half full. We decided to take a seat at the bar, which is beautiful and fancy in its own right; if this is labeled as the restaurant’s more casual side-kick, I can only imagine what the expansiveness of the main dining room. The bartender was perfectly friendly and attentive, happily provided us tastes of wine, offered bread, and indulged our foodie questions with illustrative answers.

The menu has a solid list of food ranging from salad, raw fish, and soup to pasta, pizza, and roasted chicken. Considering pizza is my weakness, we chose the Taleggio, Sopressata, ‘Shrooms & Soffritto Pizza and the cavatelli with tomatos and brocollini. Though I absolutely love pasta, I wouldn’t have put it at the top of my list to order, but this cavatelli delicious in its simplicity. It’s rare that a pasta dish impresses me because of the pasta itself as opposed to the sauce, but the cavatelli was buttery and smooth with the perfect density to contrast the soft roasted tomato sauce.

bowl of cavatelli

The best part of the pizza was the richly flavorful crust – the intensity of the olive oil really stood out in each bite – but I could have survived with less grease on the base of the plate. When I need to aggressively wipe my mouth to feel clean, it’s not a good sign. I appreciated the generous amount of wild mushrooms and crispiness of the salumi, however.

pizza with shrooms and taleggio

Overall, I left content with my experience at the Tap Room because it totally fulfilled my needs for the occasion: convenient, classy, spacious enough to converse without headache, and conducive to sharing food and a few drinks. It fits the bill for client entertaining or sophisticated conversation. Still, I wouldn’t return with an expectation of trying the most inventive food and feeling totally comfortable belting out in laughter. For that type of experience, I’ll steer clear of 10th Avenue!

Grade: B

Location: 85 10th Avenue @ 15th Street

Website: www.colicchioandsons.com

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March 24, 2009 · 11:48 pm

Buddakan NYC


Since writing in my blog has become a daunting task as I have increased my visits to notable restaurants, I have decided to revamp my review style. From now on, I will simply list the drinks and dishes I tasted, comment, and judge taste on scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the best); and write a line or two about the ambiance and service. Then, some closing remarks. So, let’s see if I know how to be succinct!

Buddakan Dishes I tasted:

1. Edamame Dumplings: Green bite size dumplings with a thick and dense skin. Inside, a buttery, savory, smooth, creamy, and incredibly tasty soy bean filling that just melts in your mouth. Served with a delicious dipping sauce. (5)
2. Chili Rock Shrimp: Generous portion of crispy fried rock shrimp lightly glazed with a tangy sweet & sour sauce. Perfectly salty and delicious with rice. (4)
3. Tuna Tartare Spring Roll: My favorite. Thin rolls of chilled fresh tuna wrapped in a crispy (yet non greasy) wafer thin lumpia wrapper. How do they do this? (5)
4. General Tso’s Dumpling: round dumplings with potsticker like skin encompassing a ground chicken mixture and a sweet and sour soy sauce that bursts in your mouth as a surprise Deliciously chewy – but need to eat these in one bite to avoid any spillage! (5)
5. Wild Mushroom Chow Fun: Gummy wide egg noodles made elegant with generous portions of wild mushrooms – great soy saucy accompaniment to the rest of the dishes, and not terribly greasy like most noodles. (4)
6. Lobster Fried Rice: Flaky fried white rice with large chunks of lobster. Surprisingly generous with the lobster, but rice wasn’t as sticky as I would have liked, and lacked a lobster flavor. (3)
7. Charred Filet of Beef: Perfectly tender sashimi-sized chunks of beef with mild buttery mustard dipping sauce. Quite clean and delicate for a beef dish. (5)
8. Glazed Alaskan Black Cod: Another favorite – light and delicate chunk of fish with miso sauce – falls apart with the touch of a fork and melts in your mouth! Great partner to rice dish. (5)
9. Chocolate Mille Feuille: Light but beautiful dessert, dark chocolate thinly layered cake w/ bruleed bananas and spice chocolate cream. Had a light wafer crunch, great amount of sweetness. (4)

Considering the trendiness and hype of Buddakan, I had very low expectations for this restaurant’s food. I was stunned by the quality and quantity of its dishes, and even more surprised to find that for four people, we were able to consume all the food plus 1-2 drinks each for only $200 total! No doubt you will have to wait for your table at the bar (regardless of reservations), but it’s definitely worth it. Dress to impress. Waiters are accessible and helpful, but not over the top friendly.

This restaurant deserves a 5!!!! So delicious and so much fun to bring a group.

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