Hell’s Kitchen

Get Your Fix at Ardesia

June 13, 2013 By fritosfg Leave a Comment

I am a wine bar addict always in search of my next fix.

I will go anywhere to find it – that great bottle of vinho verde, that perfectly roasted macadamia nut and salted caramel brittle.

And, like all those who are dedicated to finding the best, I know to look on the far edges of town.

After all, that’s how I ended up at Ardesia.

This spacious wine bar is hardly a hidden gem, but it’s so far west that I have never frequented it. This is far west – as in, if you don’t watch it you might go out the side door and end up on the west side highway west. It took awhile to schlep there but once I arrived, I was glad I came.

The space is much larger than a standard wine bar, with a comfortable lounge, a long bar, and lots of outdoor seating on the patio.

It was empty when I arrived, but by 6:30pm, people were swarming the joint. This is a really great place for drinks with a few friends.

Lillet spritz

If you think white wine spritzers are all about moms at country clubs named Buffy, you are sorely mistaken. This spritzer, made with lillet, prosecco, grapefruit bitters, and lemon, is as complex and tasty as any cocktail I have had. The prosecco is crisp and a little sweet, which works perfectly with the herbal, aromatic lillet. The grapefruit provides a touch of bitterness, and the lemon adds a final, bright acidity. If you like negronis, this light cocktail is a must try.

Fava bean crostini

Favas, where have you been all my life?! This crostini is so packed full of flavor that it belies its tiny size. Grassy and garlicky, with a slight sweetness and some salty pecorino cheese. It’s not totally smooth, which really makes it more satisfying and hearty. The bread is from Amy’s, which elevates the dish even further. Crispy and creamy at the same time – this is the perfect small bite to accompany wine.

Cheese plate

I know cheese. Maybe you do, too.

Forget everything you want to order and let the server make you a plate.

We had stinky cheeses, creamy cheeses, silky cheese and hard cheeses. Cheeses that were grassy and soft, nutty and firm, smooth and rich. Cheese that came with pickled ramps, tiny potato chips, and homemade(incredible) graham crackers. Accompanied, of course, by Amy’s bread.

I have no idea what cheeses I ate because I was 2 white wine spritzers in at this point.

Okay, so I sound little bit like Buffy at the country club at this point.

Ardesia is worth the trek. They have a great weekend and weekday happy hour, a lovely menu (next time I am definitely getting the duck banh mi), and the pricing is fair for the quality of food and excellent service.

Actually, I’m kinda jonesing now.

I think I need another lillet hit.

Filed Under: Hell's Kitchen Tagged With: bar

Shorty’s – The Best Philly Cheesesteaks in NYC

December 19, 2012 By fritosfg 3 Comments

I’m a huge fan of Philadelphia food. Tastykakes, soft pretzels, and high end Italian cuisine, come to mama.

Oh yeah, and I love cheesesteaks. It’s steak…and onions…and cheese…and bread.

There is SO nothing wrong with any of those words.

Shorty’s is the ONLY place that I eat cheesesteaks outside of Philadelphia. Why? Well, because they import the bread straight from Philadelphia (and eating a cheesesteak roll that isn’t from Philly is like eating a bagel that isn’t from NYC). The fella who opened it trained at a world renowned cheesesteak empire, where he learned how to cook the meat perfectly and saute the onions just so.

The tiny place is part sports bar, part beer emporium, all delicious. The long bar serves up a bevy of American and foreign beers, or you can sit at one of the high tables to enjoy a cocktail and watch a game playing on one of the many wide screen tvs.

Don’t ask me what game. A sports game, ok?

Mozzarella triangles

Without a doubt, the best in the city. Crunchy outside and absolutely steaming inside. The mozzarella is melted and stretchy, with no gluey or hard globules of cheese. It is light, creamy, and crispy Dunk the triangles into the zesty marinara sauce, with chunks of acidic tomato and the zesty scent of oregano. Nothing groundbreaking, but standard bar food made this well is all too rare.

Cheesesteak with whiz and onions

Yeah, this is the stuff. The soft bread is slightly tangy and strong enough to support the fillings; perfectly Philadelphia. The steak is tender and well seasoned with salty, sweet onions and spicy peppers. And the cheese whiz…creamy, oozy, slick on the beef and bread. It is a simple combination and a satisfying one. I always add a dash of Tabasco sauce before devouring the whole thing.

Salad

For those of you who want a palate cleanser after such a heavy meal.

Though, chances are, you won’t want anything else. You are going to be in a huge food coma. You are going to be in a beefy, cheesy, beery coma. Your wallet will still be full, and so will your stomach.

It’s a little slice of Philly right in Hell’s Kitchen.

Filed Under: Hell's Kitchen Tagged With: American, inexpensive, sandwiches

Uncle Jack’s is More than Just a Steakhouse

November 20, 2012 By fritosfg 1 Comment

Midtown West below 42nd street can be a little dicey. There are a lot of bodegas, a few apartment buildings, and – out of nowhere – a grandiose steakhouse out of another era.

Uncle Jack’s is a real meat emporium, It is big, it is dark, and it has fancy steak knives on the table. This is a place that you come to announce your promotion to your parents or have dinner with your boss. It’s a serious, traditional restaurant.

But it doesn’t have to be all about the meat – which some of us can’t eat at lunch if they want to avoid an afternoon nap.

Wedge Salad

Nothing new here, nothing you can’t get somewhere else…but this is done superbly. A huge portion of icy cold lettuce, crisp and fresh. Thickly crumbled bacon, smoky and salty, gives way to pungent shreds of red onion and juicy beefsteak tomatoes, spilling their acidic seeds. The dressing, creamy and clean tasting, comes with creamy clumps of Stilton cheese. It is sharp, funky, and adds a certain heft to the salad. Like I said, this isn’t new, but it is perfect.

Mahi Mahi with lemon beurre blanc and sautéed spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes

Fish in a steak restaurant?! Really? Who does that? If you are smart and dining at this restaurant, you will. This mahi mahi is delicious. It is soft but not mushy, flaky but still moist, and has charred parts where it touched the grill. The beurre blanc balances richness and acidity well, and the vegetables are especially notable. The spinach is so minerally and meaty, the tomatoes are so sweet and juicy, and the mushrooms are so umami and garlicky that they are worth ordering on their own. They work well with the salinity of the fish and bring another dimension to the dish.

Uncle Jacks’ probably has great steaks. They certainly looked and smelled delicious, arriving at tables all around us. But they also have other wonderful lunch entrees that are a little lighter but just as tasty. The restaurant isn’t cheap and the service is a little stiff and brusque, but the food is really well done. Come here when you have a bachelor party or an office affair, and everyone will be satisfied, – and carnivores alike.

Filed Under: Hell's Kitchen Tagged With: American, beef, Fine Dining

Nook – A Haven of Home Cooking in Hell’s Kitchen

August 21, 2012 By fritosfg 1 Comment

Service is paramount in any dining experience. It makes up for a multitude of sins, and often makes me return to a restaurant to see if the food has improved.

This experience was the opposite of that: the service was mediocre at best, but the food was so wonderful that I don’t think I can resist going back.

Nook is a tiny, un-air conditioned restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen. By tiny, I mean TINY – you can almost touch both walls of the restaurant by standing with arms akimbo. It is very casual, BYOB only, and the sole server the day of our lunch was also the main chef, cashier, and host. Let’s get the bad out of the way first:

Your meal will take forever. You will get a carafe of water and a menu, and then you will wait. Almost interminably. Then, when you finally order, don’t expect to get your soda right away. That won’t happen until after your food arrives, almost half an hour after you finally got to order. You might get crabby, but if you peek into the narrow kitchen, you will see why it takes so long. There are eggplants being sliced and grilled a la minute. Fries being cooked to order. Steaks being cut off the tenderloin and grilled to order. Every single thing is made fresh and with utmost care.

Smoked turkey breast with tomato, cucumbers and spicy beet relish on a baguette, served with fries

Whether this turkey is homemade or outsourced is irrelevant. The point is that it is unlike any sandwich turkey I have had before. It is extremely juicy and tender, with a smoky, candied exterior that is so sweet that it seems more like ham than turkey. It is light enough to balance with the peeled cucumbers but earthy enough to stand up to the tart homemade beet relish. The baguette has a thin, sharp crust that surrounds a slightly tangy, bouncy interior crumb. The fries merit special mention. Fried to order from what seem like fresh potatoes, they are crunchy, rosemary flecked, and flecked with fragrant rosemary.

Grilled Vegetable Salad with eggplant, red peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, and goat cheese over mixed greens with a balsamic reduction dressing

This is a dish where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The eggplant is sweet, almost fatty in its richness. The zucchini is firm and charred, with a slightly yielding interior. The yellow squash is sugary and the roasted peppers are soft and intense. The goat cheese is mild and melts into creamy warmth that blankets the vibrant vegetables. The deep, umami-laden balsamic glaze brings depth to the salad, and a few scattered scallions brighten and sharpen the flavors. This is not a technically or flavor-wise complex salad, but it is one that is made with as much care as you would take to make it for yourself. That makes it special.

The care taken with the food is what makes this whole restaurant special. Though the service is abysmally slow, it isn’t because you are being ignored, it is because the chef is doing everything by himself. That is how he keeps the prices low and the quality high. And the quality really is very high. The menu is not especially inventive or large, it is just prepared expertly. This is highly recommended for a lazy lunch or brunch. Just be sure to bring cash (the restaurant is cash only) and have plenty of time.

It is well worth the wait.

Filed Under: Hell's Kitchen Tagged With: American, review

Little Pie Company

June 4, 2012 By fritosfg 2 Comments

A little bit west of the fluorescent lights of Times Square, a little side street leads away from the dingy Thai restaurants and throbbing bars of Ninth Avenue. The street is quiet, with trees, a small floral shop, and a little courtyard where older couples often walk dogs. There, near the courtyard, is a little piece of heaven.

You can smell the Little Pie Company before you can see it. As soon as you turn down 43rd Street, the scent of warm apples mixed with butter and cinnamon fills the air. The open kitchen shows bakers rolling out sheets of dough, sprinkling sugar over fresh fruit, and putting large pies into the oven.

This bakery, started by an actor, makes pretty damn tasty pies.

Sour Cream Apple Walnut Pie

The bakery’s signature pie. A tender, flaky bottom crust is piled high with thinly sliced apples that are cooked until they are so tender that they almost melt into one another. The apples release their own sweet juices, caramelizing with spicy cinnamon and just enough tangy sour cream to cut the sugar content of the apples and make the whole filling creamy and rich. The topping here is the winner – crunchy and buttery with walnut streusel. Get it warmed and topped with smooth Bassett’s ice cream – the ultimate a la mode treat. It is the best version of apple pie you have ever had. If it isn’t, I will eat my elbow.

Or, more likely, I will just finish the pie.

Mississippi Mud Pie

via

Of course, there are some people who tink that if there isn’t chocolate in the dessert, it just doesn’t count. For them, get this deep chocolate pie. The crust is so crunchy and sweet and the filling is everything you want it to be – rich, smooth ganache, chewy and sticky sugary ribbons and large chunks of chocolate cookies. I like this pie best cool, when the whole thing tastes like a chocolate truffle gone wild. This is best with a dollop of their freshly whipped, barely sweetened cream.

Of course, you could always buy one of the seasonal pies, like peach or key lime, to take home. Or, get a small pie and share it with just one other person.

Just make sure that the other person is me.

Filed Under: Hell's Kitchen

The Linc – Upscale Diner

May 25, 2012 By fritosfg 1 Comment

One of my friends runs a really great bootcamp that occasionally works out so close to my house that I can’t think of an excuse not to go…besides the fact that I absolutely physical activity.

I’m Jewish…it’s cultural.

After a workout, my favorite thing to do, besides cursing out my trainer, is grab a meal that effectively cancels out all of the hard work I had done. Recently, I did so at Linc.

This restaurant on the far, far west side of 42nd Street, is a restaurant with an identity crisis. Is it a casual restaurant? An elegant diner? Comfort food or new American? Who knows? It has the look of a laid back eatery that is good for a casual weekend brunch or a quick weeknight drink at the bar.

Julius (Caesar) Salad with Skirt Steak

This Caesar salad is much better than standard diner fare, but not up to snuff if this place wants to be called an elegant restaurant. The salad arrives chopped with a fair amount of dressing but not so much that it is soggy. The flavor is a little muted- not lemony or garlicky enough, but at least there is plenty of nutty parmesan cheese. The little grilled cheese sandwiches on the side are neither mentioned on the menu nor tasty, with cold bread and plasticky cheese. The steak is cooked a little past the requested medium rare, but it is well grilled, with a pleasant smoky taste. This is a good salad – not destination worthy, but fairly priced and filling.

Truffle Parmesan Fries

These fries are just what I wanted after an hour burning calories. Thin, crispy, well salted and drizzled with fragrant truffle oil. Covered in nuggets of garlic and parmesan cheese, these are over the top and kind of trashy. But, then, so am I.

Brownie Sundae

This is a surprisingly excellent desert. The ice cream is all made in house, and the velvety texture and rich, smooth taste really comes through. Placed atop a chewy brownie (that would have been better if it was heated) and covered in dark chocolate sauce, this is just what I needed to replace my electrolytes. Gatorade has nothing on a brownie sundae.

The prices are good here, and though the service is a little harried, it is sweet and competent. This is in no way a destination restaurant, but it is a lot better than your local diner, with fresh food and a relaxed atmosphere. Linc is a reliable choice for someone way on the west side of Midtown who just wants a quick meal.

Or, someone who needs to erase all the good work they have just done for their body.

Filed Under: Hell's Kitchen Tagged With: American, review

Ember Room’s Progressive Thai Comfort Food

May 23, 2012 By fritosfg 4 Comments

Though I have previously reviewed (and enjoyed!) Ember Room, I stopped by for a press showing of their new menu items. Designed by Chef Kittichai, these are all progressive Thai comfort food, which sounds hoity-toity, but is really just the Chef’s versions of the food he eats when he visits home.

The vibe is the same as it ever was – cool, busy, sleek, and seeming much more hip than should be allowed for midtown.

But onto the food!

Crispy Rock Shrimp with Roasted Melting Eggplant

Starting the evening off with a bang, this shrimp is just plain old tasty. Incredibly thin and crispy coating shatters underneath the teeth, revealing plump and juicy shrimp. The shrimp’s delicate salty profile comes out when paired with the sweet glaze and the eggplant. The eggplant is, true to name, almost melting – it lands on the tongue with its signature earthy, deep flavor, then almost disappears instantly.

“Yum Hoi” Pomelo Scallops with chili jam glaze, pomelo salad, and roasted pepper-lime dressing

My favorite dish of the night. Warm scallops, seared to a salty crunch on the outside while remaining pleasantly soft within. Served with a sweet chili glaze, bracingly tart pomelos, and a fiery roasted pepper dressing, this is everything I want in a bite – crispy, meaty, sour, spicy, and a little sweet. This is a perfect melding of sea and land, and I could easily eat 15 of these.

Had Yai Volcano Chicken - oven-roasted turmeric-coconut marinated chicken, green chili sauce

This dish arrives to the table, and just as its sweet coconut scent practically forces you to dive in and start eating, the server pours fire over the chicken, burnishing the skin to a crispy char. No, this isn’t Cirque Du Soleil, it’s just midtown. After such a display, you might think that this chicken is all form and no function. You would be so wrong. Juicy and succulent, even the breast meat is impossibly rich, infused with coconut and fragrant turmeric. Sprinkled with crispy shallots, all it needs is a swipe through the tart green chile sauce (laden with cilantro and quite similar to a salsa verde) to brighten its flavor and make it truly well-rounded.

Korean BBQ-Beef Fried Rice-wok-fried rice, kimchee, bbq beef, topped with raw egg

Though this lacks the best part of a bibimbap (the crispy layer of rice at the bottom of the dolsot), it is still a delicious dish. The rice here is very creamy, almost like a risotto, but not at all liquidy. The kimchee is zesty but not too spicy or fishy, and the egg yolk makes everything rich. The beef is served very rare and cooks slightly as it sits in the warm bowl, the sweet sauce caramelizing around the edges.

Crispy Whole Striped Bass with sweet/sour/spicy sauce, and crispy basil

Warning – for those of you who are squeamish, this comes with the head still attached. For the rest of us, it is just some delicious fried fish. Served with the chunks of fish mostly taken off the skeleton and filleted for you, it is flaky within and crunchy without. Fried at such a high temperature that it is practically greaseless, this is so delicately seasoned and cooked that it almost seems heresy to say that it is fried.

Mango and Sticky Rice with Coconut Ice Cream

Maybe it’s cliche, but who cares? There is no better ending to a Thai meal than juicy slices of mango accompanied by glutinous rice, so sticky and dense that it catches the mangos juices and becomes just another vehicle for the tropical flavor. Served alongside creamy coconut ice cream, it is a sweet and comforting way to end a delicious meal.

Ember Room has really improved over the last year. I didn’t have one dud during the whole tasting course. The prices are good for the neighborhood, and GREAT for the quality of food that you get.

The Ember Room still knows how to bring it, pyrotechnics and all.

*Disclaimer: I received this meal free of charge and was not required to write about it. My opinions are my own and unbiased.*

Filed Under: Hell's Kitchen Tagged With: Asian, review, Thai

Claw – New England Lobster Rolls in Hell’s Kitchen

May 22, 2012 By fritosfg 10 Comments

Hell’s Kitchen has a ton of Thai restaurants and diners, but New England lobster shacks? That we don’t got – well that we didn’t got.

Claw is a tiny storefront on Ninth Avenue. It specializes in fresh Maine lobster, serving it as various iterations, including its most famous one, the lobster roll. This has one more location, in Chelsea, and this site has a white and peach interior, looking for all the world like a very skinny ice cream parlor.

Lobster Bisque

Claw only uses fresh Maine lobster that is never frozen, and the taste comes through in its bisque. Creamy and smooth, but not thick or sludgy, this manages to be rich without being overpowering or too heavy. The lobster chunks are numerous, velvety, and meaty in the buttery bisque. Sweet and comforting, this is closer to clam chowder than a traditional lobster bisque Though this could benefit from a hit of sherry to elevate the taste from more than simply butter, the taste is still excellent.

Lobster Roll

They don’t skimp on the lobster here. A generously toasted hot dog bun, crisp with butter, holds sweet steamed lobster meat, bound only with a bit of creamy mayonnaise and tossed with a good amount of salt, to bring out the lobster’s natural salinity. The cool meat collides with the warm bun for a unique sensation of flavors, temperatures, and textures. A good example of a classic Maine style lobster roll.

The fries are another great point. Fried to order from fresh potatoes, they are crispy and served with tart cornichons and an eggy homemade mayonnaise – I could have eaten that mayo by the spoonful.

So would I come here again? A qualified “yes” – if someone else was paying. Lunch here is expensive – that lobster roll alone was almost $17. It was tasty, but not what I would call a great value. If they changed their prices by a few dollars, I would stop here easily every week.

Till then, I think I might continue to drive to Connecticut for my lobster fix!

Filed Under: Hell's Kitchen Tagged With: American, review, seafood

Ninth Avenue International Food Festival

May 22, 2012 By fritosfg 3 Comments

The Ninth Avenue Food International Festival is, in many ways, the same as any old NYC street fair.

The throngs of people, the dollar socks, the flabby and tasteless mozzarepas. But, there are hidden gems in this street fair, where the best of ninth Avenue’s eateries set up booths and offer some really delicious food.

Empanada Mama

This 24 hour restaurant on Ninth Avenue is always packed and now I know why! The beef empanada was one of the best things that I ate all day.

A thick and flaky dough encases shredded beef, tender and so juicy that it drips down your chin in fluorescent orange. Smoky cumin, sharp garlic, and sweet onions all mingle with that unmistakably hearty flavor of beef brisket and makes this filling but far less greasy than you might think. I can’t wait to go back here and do a full review on this place!

Dalton’s

This nondescript bar that I have only frequented once (and then, only for the cheap vodka tonics) had the best pork offering of the day. This roast pig sandwich was delicious.

Crispy shards of skin surrounding succulent, sweet pork meat, all served on a squishy potato bun. Topped with sweet and spicy BBQ sauce (thankfully, no overpowering liquid smoke here), this is everything that you could want in a BBQ sandwich, except coleslaw. When you see this stand at the festival, run there, dont’ walk. And get two.

Red’s Hot Dogs

Get the specialty pork and beef sausage and watch it get grilled until it is charred and snappy outside, juicy and hearty inside. Choose from one of their many choices, like the banh mi or the baked potato dog, or top it yourself. The toppings here are free, even the premium ones, like a spicy, meaty chili and sweet sauteed onions.

This is one of the best hot dogs I have had in a while, and will gladly seek them out year after year. They frequent other street fairs during th year, so be sure not to miss them!

Millie’s Pierogies

What good polish girl can resist a pierogi? These are best when stuffed with sauerkraut, which is shockingly complex.

Not just sour, the kraut is also a little sweet and floral with juniper berry. Enased in rich, chewy dough and dipped in cool sour cream, it reminds me of dinners of my youth. Next time, I would absolutely try a steamed kilbasa topped with more of that sauerkraut.

Pure Thai Cookhouse

This is why this fair is so important to restaurants. I have been to Pure Thai before, and liked but didn’t love it. Now, I am determined to go back.

The BBQ Beef Buns were juicy and complex, with star anise, coriander, and ginger in the soft meat. Served in a sticky, fluffy bun and topped with tangy carrots and fragrant cilantro, this was a totally satisfying bite. I could have eaten 6 of these. Even better were the Thai Sausages and Sticky Rice.

The sausages, grilled and served with sweetly caramelized onions, were sweet, spicy, and pleasantly sticky. The rice was the perfect antitode to the incendiary sauce, pungent with fish sauce and hot with chiles. The umami punches never stopped coming with this dish, and my sister and I fought over the last of it. This was an unbelievable duo of dishes – though they aren’t on their regular menu, they convinced me to give Pure another try.

And if none of these looked good, you can always go for one of these:

After all, a corncake stuffed with fake cheese and cheap chorizo never hurt anyone.

Filed Under: Hell's Kitchen Tagged With: bbq, hot dogs, Latin American, Miscellaneous, Thai

Amarone – Italian in Hell’s Kitchen

May 13, 2012 By fritosfg 1 Comment

Amarone is the type of restaurant on Ninth Avenue that is easily overlooked. There is no flashy awning, no promises of a free appetizer with a drink order, and no thumping house music.

Plainly put…it is a delight.

The restaurant, a classic New York Italian eatery, is small but well designed. The decor is tired but clean, and feels like somewhere that you would stop with a friend before catching a movie. The price point hovers between $15 and $25 for an entrée, and the portions are filling – you won’t leave here hungry.

Caesar Salad

This half portion is a wonderful example of an old school Caesar salad. A mild version with none of the pungent anchovy taste that makes some people cringe, this is creamy and redolent of salty Parmesan cheese. The homemade croutons are crisp and a little spicy, perfect for soaking up the rich dressing.

Rigatoni Alla Siciliana

Some of the pasta at Amarone is fresh, but the rigatoni is dried. This results in a more al dente pasta, which works well with the velvety eggplant and the stretchy mozzarella. As the dish sits while you eat it, the cheese melts and gets gooey, a welcome counterpart to that meaty eggplant. The sauce is delicious, sweet and tastes purely of tomato. This is not a complex sauce, but a very well made one, exactly what you feel like when you order a plate of pasta with tomato sauce.

That is the whole thing about this place – it isn’t complex, but it is very well done. The service is fast, the portions are great, and the food is just what you feel like eating.

And, every now and then, on Ninth Avenue, it’s nice not to be offered a body shot along with your check.

Filed Under: Hell's Kitchen Tagged With: Italian, review