Fine Dining

Keen’s Steakhouse – A True Gem in Midtown

May 7, 2013 By fritosfg 1 Comment

Here are some things that you need to know about Keen’s Steakhouse:

-It has the largest collection of churchwarden pipes in the world. Most of them are displayed on the ceiling.

-The owners of these pipes and members of this pipe club included such illustrious figures as Albert Einstein, Teddy Roosevelt, and Will Rogers.

-Actress Lillie Langtry sued the restaurant in 1905 (it was established in 1885) for being denied entry on grounds of being a girl. She won.

-I’m so glad she did. Cause this place is my new favorite steakhouse in NYC.

The restaurant defines clubby. It’s dark and fancy/casual with paneled walls, white tablecloths, and those pipes lining the ceilings. I say fancy/casual because you will be seated if you are wearing jeans and seated if you are wearing evening gowns. The atmosphere is classic and retro, similar to Grand Central Oyster Bar. Come here for a bachelor(ette) party and you will be in heaven.

Iceberg Wedge

A classic done right. A huge half head of iceberg slathered with sharp scallions and thick blue cheese dressing; tangy and creamy and earthy and meaty. Refreshing and rich all at once. It’s quite substantial and a great way to fill out your meat-centric meal.

Mutton chop

This is the thing to get here. They have world class beef steaks, too, but they are famous for their mutton (lamb) chop. Huge and juicy, with plenty of charred fat and grassy meat, it is distinctively lamb-y tasting. The meat is firmer and a little more tough than I am used to, but the flavor is wonderful. It’s really deep and full flavored, ideal with the sweet mint jelly served alongside. Don’t forget those wonderful garlicky sauteed greens either.

The meat is just so juicy and flavorful. If you like lamb chops, you will LOVE this. Oh, and order one to share with a dining companion…it’s mammoth-sized.

Carrot cake

Moist and spicier than most, with a zesty, lemon scented icing. I prefer a more classic variety, but this is still tasty and a great way to end a great meal.

This place is so cool. It’s full of history, has a less expensive pub room, and has a wonderful selection of scotch. Plus, that mutton chop isn’t something you see on every menu. The whole meal is pricey but worth it for a special occasion.

One more thing you need to know about Keen’s – it’s a must-hit dining destination in NYC.

Filed Under: Midtown, review Tagged With: American, Fine Dining

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon – Laid Back Michelin Star Dining

March 22, 2013 By fritosfg 3 Comments

Eating at Joel Robuchon at The Mansion is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I doubt that I will soon, if ever, experience that kind of luxury, attention to detail, or service, again.

But I had the famous chef’s food just last weekend, in a far more casual setting at far more reasonable prices.

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon is Robuchon’s workshop. It is where his executive chef and the team is allowed to play with flavors, textures, and ideas, offering them to the public at prices that might make the wallet whine but not scream. Here is where you see more avant garde food, fewer suit jackets, and many more dining options. It’s not just one set menu – you can order a la carte or from several set menus, none topping $160 (which includes 15 courses, by the way).

The feel of the restaurant is hip and sleek, with its pops of red against shiny black. The place to sit is at the counter, where you can see the chefs preparing your food, but if you want a table, just say so at the time of making your reservation. We chose this option, and it worked out well so we could all talk. We also made our own tasting menu instead of going with one of the prix fixes…because we wanted all the foie.

Bread

The bread, though it doesn’t arrive on a bejeweled cart in 14 different varieties, is as faultless as that found in the parent restaurant. The baguette, in particular, is crusty without and slightly sour within. It’s crumb is fine and it is served warm, ideal with the rich, unsalted butter.

Amuse Buche – Foie gras and Parmesan parait

Um, yeah. Foie and Parm. Umami to the max. This tiny shooter is liquid foie and airy Parmesan foam, served warm so that the foie melts into an unctuous with a savory Parmesan cap. Salty, a little sweet, and creamy, this is one of the hits of the night.

Iberican ham with pan con tomate

Not much to say about this except damn…the ham is (as always) soft, pleasantly fatty, and deeply p0rky, but the bread is really the star of the show. Lightly toasted bread is covered with such small, even dices of tomato that it seems like tiny elves must be working in the kitchen. The bread is rubbed with a garlic cove so it is perfumed with garlic instead of overpowered by it. The tomatoes are, even at the tail end of winter, are juicy and sweet against the melting fat of the ham.

Carpaccio – Seabass with citrus and chiles

The best crudo I have had in awhile. The seabass is sliced so thinly that it is like a sheet of velum, milky pink against the white plate. It is dressed, but not saturated, in olive oil and the smoky, late-blooming heat of espelette pepper, bright lemon, and basil. The fish comes through fatty and moist and it is so good that you might not want to share.

I certainly didn’t.

Le Teriyaki – Kobe beef over sushi rice and spicy avocado

This is where Robuchon’s playful side shines. He takes the sweet-salty Asian flavor of teriyaki and sushi rice, then fuses it with French technique. The beef is seared to a perfect rare, with the inside warm and dry but still beautifully red and tender, the avocado is sliced so that it melts into the sushi rice, and the whole plate is perfectly balanced. It isn’t totally French, but nothing here is. It’s all about French technique and global ingredients.

Les Ravioles – Foie gras ravioli in chicken broth

These ravioli are ethereal and buttery rich at the same time. Imagine this: you are eating your Bubbe’s chicken soup. It is comforting and warm, your favorite chicken broth. Then imagine that she used fresh herbs (other than dill, fresh herbs are NOT the Jewish grandma’s MO). Licorice-y tarragon, fresh mint, and fragrant basil bringing Southeast Asian and French flavors to the soup, like a Vietnamese mash up. Now imagine that you put one of her famousfkreplach into your mouth. Except, this kreplach isn’t filled with beef. It is filled with a small nugget of foie gras. Not pate, mind you – pure foie gras. Molten, liquefied foie that thrills you to the tips of your carnivorous toes. It is a shock of richness against the wholesome broth, and the dumpling skins are so light that they are almost nonessential. This is a sleeper hit on a menu filled with exotic sounding dishes.

La Langoustine – crispy langoustine fritter with basil pesto

One of my tablemates said that this might be the best bite that he had ever put into his mouth.

That’s what she said.

Langousitnes have the texture of shrimp with the buttery taste of lobster. This langoustine is expertly cleaned and prepared and is SO rich and meaty that you might think there is more foie gras in there! Wrapped in a single sheet of crunchy, greaseless phyllo dough, it is served with both an herbal pesto and entire leaf of basil, lightening up an extremely dense, rich dish. This is butter overload, so don’t order it if you don’t like butter.

In fact, don’t read this blog if you don’t like butter.

La Caille – free range quail stuffed with foie gras, served with pommes souffles

First, the quail: Decadent. An exquisitely deboned quail, served medium so it is earthy and slightly funky, like wild boar. Stuffed with a cylinder of warm foie gras, melting into the quail, picking up it’s salty, crispy skin and tender meat. This is seasoned only with the quail and foie fats, salt, and pepper. It’s ideal.

And the pommes souffles…they are Robuchon’s calling card. He invented them by using half as much butter as potatoes That’s enough butter to get a gal into trouble. Add some fragrant troubles, and she is a goner.

I am so, so weak against butter(with a few potatoes mixed in there).

Le Burger et Frites – beef and foie burgers with caramelized bell peppers and spicy bell peppers coulis

Not your average slider. The patty is thick and very mild, probably from a cut like filet mignon or a style like Wagyu that is very fatty and moist. The slider is – here’s that word again – rich, punctuated by the sweet and spicy bell pepper jus. I still prefer the one at DB Bistro, but this slider is a decadent and delicious way to end a meal.

Oh yeah, and the fries may be the most perfect specimens I have had in America.

The word rich came up many times in this review. However, you don’t have to be rich to eat here. You have to save up for a while, but you don’t have to lust after it without any payoff. It is pricey but attainable fare in a relaxed, cool setting with excellent service. It’s all the foie you can handle. And it’s from the chef of the century.

Chef Robuchon, you have done it again.

Filed Under: Las Vegas Tagged With: Fine Dining, french

Marc Forgione – Triumph in Tribeca

February 27, 2013 By fritosfg Leave a Comment

Well, I just discovered a new favorite restaurant.

Not everything was perfect. But enough little things came together to make the evening totally ideal.

Marc Forgione is a chef who I have admired on television,and his epyonymous restaurant has long been touted as excellent. The vibe is totally Tribeca – cool, with a hip soundtrack, rustic interior, and casual-elegant decor. Our tattooed server was sassy, knew the menu backwards and forwards, and was totally helpful in assisting us with making our own mini tasting menu entirely of appetizers.

*note – the only real issue I had the whole night was when I noticed the table next to us got a few extra dishes from the chef that we did not receive. They didn’t get the tasting menu, they didn’t seem to know the chef, it just seemed that these dishes were coming out willy nilly. I have been on the receiving end of this and it’s great. But when you are sitting next to the lucky table, looking forlornly at softly scrambled eggs topped with trout roe, you feel a little…uncool. And jealous. But this still wasn’t enough to mar the evening, just a point that I would like to make – it’s just not the greatest feeling.*

Potato rolls and caramelized onion butter

The rolls are soft and warm – a little cottony inside for my tastes, but a good vehicle for the butter. Butter of the heavens, that is. Caramelized onions are sweet and savory, making this taste like the world’s best chip dip. Crunchy flakes of sea salt complete the flavor, and as it melts on the bread, it creates the most multi-layered butter experience I have had…maybe ever? This butter alone is worth a trip to the restaurant.

Everything gougeres and apple cider pate de fruit

The gougeres were light as air, sprinkled with poppy and sesame seeds, onion, and garlic, before being filled with cream cheese. Warm and melty on the inside, they were the most elegant bagels on the planet. The gelee is soft and very apple-forward, cleansing the palate and preparing you for the meal ahead.

Kampachi Tartare, Avocado, Sechuan Buttons, Toasted Pinenuts, Saratoga Chips

The server said that this has been on the menu since the restaurant’s incarnation, and it’s not hard to see why. Just eat the dish as you are instructed:

First, put the Sichuan button in your mouth. Roll it around, let it’s oils release. You will soon feel a tingling sensation, like a cross between a Sichuan peppercorn and really strong mouthwash. Swallow the button. Then eat the long, soft slice of kampachi on the spoon. Feel the way that the tingling sensations adds a bite and sharpness to the mild fish. Then dig into the main event. the cubes of kampachi, as mild as hamachi with the fattiness of salmon colliding with the rich, buttery avocado in a citrusy sauce. The chips are tasty, but the real winner here is that Sichuan button. It adds an electricity to the dish that makes it totally unique, a standout in a city rife with fish tartares. This is a must order.

BBQ Baked Olde Salt Oysters with Asian spices

I have never had a oyster quite like this. Baked under a thick layer of breadcrumbs, it is extremely mild and only a little salty – the oyster has trouble shining through all the spicy, wheaty, smoky toppings. And yet…that’s okay. Here, the oyster is part of the dish, not the entire dish itself. The smoke from the bbq, the spice of the Sichuan peppercorns, the wonderfully moist topping…they all play a part in this dish. This again highlights Forgione’s creativity and the fact hat he is unafraid to make you look at familiar foods in different ways.

Foie Gras with 4 different Salts, Kumquat Marmalade, and Texas Toast

Delightful, if not the most inventive dish of the night. The terrine is soft and rich, spreading easily and melting into meaty butter on the warm, soft, eggy toast. The salts, especially the vanilla salt, are interesting with the foie, highlighting its different flavors, but really…the foie is great on it’s own. Or with the sweet, bright marmalade.

Or(I’ll say it again) alone. Foie is just awesome.

Wild Boar Cavatelli with Breadcrumbs and Herbed Mascarpone Cheese

Sorry I can’t remember a better description for this dish. It isn’t my fault. Once I took the first forkful of chewy cavatelli, crispy breadcrumbs, and salty, robust wild boar…I lost my mind. I went totally gaga for this dish. This is just what truly great pasta should be – al dente, rich but not greasy, with a meat that complements the sauce not competes with it. The creamy cheese melts into the crisp breadcrumbs, making a fabulous sauce for the dish. There is a bit of kick here too, reminiscent of spicy italian sausage. This was my favorite dish of the night, and probably of the month. I loved, loved, LOVED this – it isn’t too gamey or too bland or too garlicky. It’s just perfect.

I didn’t even get to take a picture of the banana pecan pie bread pudding – crumbly and sugary and eggy and fabulous. That’s cause we snarfed it down to fast. This whole meal was very snarfable, and though not cheap, totally fairly priced. It’s great for a date night that is hip instead of romantic or a solo meal at the bar.

Marc Forgione is the ideal of what a restaurant should be – not everything needs to be uber high-end, but the entire menu should be interesting, well priced, and most importantly, delicious.

Filed Under: review, TriBeCa Tagged With: American, Fine Dining

The Snooty Eater’s Round-Up

February 20, 2013 By fritosfg 1 Comment

I do these round-up posts fairly often – they usually include a mixture of low-end and high-end places, with a few cocktails, a slice of artisanal pizza, and maybe a burger thrown in the mix.

But lately…I have been eating with family a lot.

And eating with family means that your parents want to eat at restaurants where they can sit for a while, not have their eardrums blown out with loud music, and order food that can be customized until it no longer resembles the dish actually mentioned on the menu.

Code: it means I dine way more expensively than I do when I dine on my own.

And so, when your parents visit or boss wants to take you to a nice dinner, or when you really screw up and need to apologize to your loved one, refer to this post:

The Snooty Dining Round-Up

Charcuterie Plate at Ca Va

Todd English…I generally hate you. Your food is blah, your prices are inflated, and your personality in the press is smarmy. Ew. But, when my dad wants lunch 4 minutes from my apartment and he doesn’t want to go eat the world’s best Thai food on torn vinyl booths with cans of diet soda…we go to Ca Va. The food is generally well prepared but plain, but the charcuterie plate is totally awesome. House made pickles and terrines, pots of rich rillettes and lightly whipped duck liver, smoky bresaola and salty prosciutto ..this is just a great, filling plate. Served with grainy mustard and really nice baguette, this is an A+ charcuterie plate that would be at home in any French country restaurant. It isn’t cheap but hey..nothing on this round-up is! If you find yourself in the theatre district with a couple of minutes and a few bucks to spare, come here and go for this dish.

Artichoke with mustard mayonnaise, chervil, and lemon at Nougatine

This Jean-George restaurant is the more casual offshoot of his eponymous Michelin starred eatery. It has hip music and a gorgeous waitstaff, but also very relaxed – I felt totally at home dining in jeans and a nice shirt. Though the menu is filled with complex items, and a lunchtime steal at $32 for three courses, the simplest dish is the one not to miss. What’s the last time that you ate a whole artichoke in a restaurant? In, like 1993, right? It’s time to rediscover this fabulous vegetable. Nougatine steams and cleans it perfectly, rendering soft, meaty inner leaves and a tender heart. Grassy and lemon scented, dipping the leaves in the mayonnaise sauce, tart with cornichons and slightly spicy with mustard, is one of life’s great pleasures. Plus, how great is it to get to eat with your hands at a lah-dee-dah restaurant?

Seared foie gras with huckleberries and graham cracker puree at Dovetail

I saved the best for last. This foie gras is divine – a generously portioned lobe of foie, beautifully cleaned and seared until it is crunchy outside and positively melting inside. Rich and iron-y, tasting almost wild, like game. It tastes far more savory than other foie preparations thanks to the very sweet, almost spekuloos-like graham cracker puree. It is a brilliant choice, because the sweetness of the puree mixed with the tart huckleberries makes the foie stand out as meaty and savory. A shaved fennel salad provides a bright contrast and this is yet another fabulous foie preparation in the Big Apple.

And THAT’S how you eat snooty in NYC!

Filed Under: Midtown, Miscellaneous, review, Upper West Side Tagged With: Fine Dining

The Russian Tea Room – A Breakfast Fit for a Czar

November 30, 2012 By fritosfg 1 Comment

The Russian Tea Room reminds me of my paternal grandparents. Once, when I was in high school, my family went to dinner there with them. The walls were covered in blood red, there was gold glinting off of every surface, and my grandmother ordered vodka the way that I had never seen it before – drunk straight,out of a martini glass with a pickled onion. We ordered chicken Kiev, filled with buttery, parsley flecked sauce and caviar served with a dollop of sour cream and tangy sourdough blinis.

My grandmother tried to get me to try some venison, but that was when I still thought of venison as Bambi.

The Russian Tea Room has since undergone changes. It closed, it reopened it was renovated and it has added weekday breakfast. At a recent press event, I was lucky enough to try the extravagant, expensive offerings.

The room is as I remember it – restored to grandeur instead of totally redone. Over the top in the best way possible – all red and green and gold for the holidays. Dramatic Tchaikovsky plays while servers in imperialist-style costumes silently pour mineral water and offer glasses of tea with marinated cherries, the way that Nikolas himself would have drunk it. The feel is glamorous and theatrical and a little Disneyland. In a word – it’s perfect. It’s exactly what you want from The Russian Tea Room. I can’t even imagine how glamorous it would be to come sit in one of the secluded banquette and eat caviar from your lover’s fingers at a midnight dinner date.

Sorry, I know I’m not Carrie from Sex and the City. Just forgot it for a sec

The Czar’s Eggs

Soft boiled eggs, topped with salmon caviar and gold flecks. That’s right, gold flecks. Just in case you didn’t know that you were in the swankiest restaurant this side of the Odessa, this should remind you. The eggs themselves are lovely – soft but firm whites with thick, gooey yolks. The salmon eggs, briny but not salty, work well against the buttery yolk. They provide a bright pop of flavor that really mix up the textures and flavors. The accompanying sour cream and red onion are playful reminders of traditional caviar accompaniments. Though the blinis are well made, I did miss the crisp crunch of sourdough toast soldiers to dip into my egg yolk.

Not enough not to eat them, mind you.

Frittata with Cheddar, Bacon, Potato and Onion

An excellently made frittata. Softly scrambled eggs with lightly crisp edges and an airy, almost custardy center. Soft, sweetly caramalized onions were threaded throughout, as were woodsy time and fresh parsley. Thickly cut bacon is crisp and smoky, echoing the smoky taste of the cheddar, rich and tangy in its longs, melted strands. The best part of this frittata may be the hunks of creamy red potatoes, soft and fluffy in some parts and toothsome and hearty in others. Who knows why this is Russian; all I know is that it is delicious.

The Russian Tea Room is a total trip. Is it more expensive than your college education? Sure. Do you have to get dressed up to go? Absolutely. Is it worth it for a special occasion treat that calls to mind the glamorous days of old NYC? Worth it and then some. As Ferris Bueller would say “If you have the means, I highly recommend it.”: And as my grandma would say”

Next time, get the vodka.

Will do, Grandma.

Disclaimer: My meal was paid for by the restaurant. I was not required to write about my experience, and my opinions are my own and unbiased.

Filed Under: Midtown Tagged With: breakfast, Fine Dining

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

A Surprising Dinner at Michael Mina’s Seablue

August 23, 2012 By fritosfg Leave a Comment

When it comes to food, it is hard to surprise me. I have eaten many different types of food at many different establishments. I cook. I read about food. I live and breathe it. You may impress me, but you will very rarely totally shock me.

Dinner at Chef Michael Mina’s SeaBlue was one of those rare occasions.

The restaurant, located on the casino floor of the Borgata, is this celebrated West Coast chef’s only East Coast establishment. Known for his decadent lobster pot pie, this restaurant draws inspiration from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors, using the fresh fish and produce from the Garden State. The restaurant is large and casual, but upscale enough for a nice dinner with wine. Be prepared that the restaurant is rather loud, but the noise comes off as a fun atmosphere, not too raucous for a couple of people enjoying their food.

Poached Maine Lobster with Gelee, Avocado Mousse, and Piment d’Espelette Mascarpone with American Caviar

Delicately poached lobster, tender and buttery, sitting atop a lightly acidic gelee. The avocado mouse is creamy and slightly peppery, accentuating the lobster’s sweetness. Best of all, the Mascarpone is rich and surprisingly spicy. The piment d’espelette has a slow, bright burn that works well with the delightfully sticky caviar, bursting with brine and salt. These ingredients all seem too rich, too flavorful, and not congruent, but they work. The result is a dish that is complex but harmonious.

Octopus Tagine with Preserved Lemons, Chickpeas, and Spicy Fava Bean Falafael

When asked how difficult it was to make the octopus, Chef Mina said in an offhanded way “Oh it’s a cinch. Just boil it for 4 hours before you pop it in the tagine.” This matter of fact approach he takes to even the most arduous tasks results in intensely flavorful and well thought out food, like this octopus. Except for Periyali, I have never had such succulent, sweet octopus. The tagine renders it tender enough to cut with a fork. The chickpeas, onions, and other vegetables in the mix have the signature spicy-sweet warmth of Moroccan food from harissa, cinnamon, and a touch of smoke (perhaps cumin?). The chickpeas are hearty and al dente, and the preserved lemon are tart, adding brightness to the long cooked dish. The falafel is otherworldly wonderful. Grassy and fresh with fava beans ,they have a rather intense heat that builds as you swipe it through the harissa flecked aioli. Eventually, the burn prickles through to the front of your mouth, not too hot, but more than just a little spicy. This won over several ocotphobes at the table, and was a huge winner of the night.

Loup de Mer with Zucchini Pistou, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Zucchini Fritters

Similar to branzino, loup de mer can be dry and rather fishy if not cooked very gently and carefully. Luckily, this was cooked very gently. The flesh is extremely moist, flaking off easily with the fork. Unfortunately, the skin is not crispy, which means that one of the best textural contrasts on a piece of fish is missed here. However, the zucchini pistou is earthy and fresh, the fritters are crisp outside and moist within, and the heirloom tomatoes add sweetness and acidity. New Jersey vegetables are showcased ideally here, accented with herbs and spices but mostly left alone to shine in their natural states.

Wagyu Beef 2 Ways – Seared Tenderloin over Oxtail Ragout and Roasted Romaine and Braised Belly over Aligot with Chaneterrelles and Bone Marrow

Wagyu beef is some of the most tender, most marbled, most delicate and luxurious beef in the world. Here, it is served 2 ways to showcase its versatility. The seared loin is cooked to medium rare, with a salty charred crust and a dark rosy interior. Soft but not mushy, with a light minerally taste that is in between beef and veal. There is nothing robust or abrasive about this taste, it is all about the depth and complexity – earthy and at the same time almost bright in its beefiness. Served over jammy oxtail ragout and a side of bok choy-like romaine, it somehow manages to avoid being a total gut bomb. The Wagyu belly makes short ribs look like chicken breast – thick cut and tender, interspersed with globes of opalescent fat. The aligot it is served with is the world’s cheeseiest mashed potato – stretchy and thick enough to eat with a fork. The marrow is the piece de resistance – buttery, beefy, soft, goodness. All it needs is a piece of bread to make it complete.

I used the term “surprising” several times in this review. That is because this meal was, more than delicious, more than excellently served, more than fairly priced, was surprising. I have never had octopus cooked in a tagine. Mascarpone flavored with Southern French chiles and topped with caviar. Wagyu beef belly. Where does Mina get these ideas? Who does he experiment with? Though I don’t know the answers to these questions, I do know the not-to-miss restaurant in Atlantic City. Without a doubt, it is SeaBlue. The restaurant is a treasure chest of culinary surprises.

*Disclaimer: The restaurants PR firm piad for my meal and stay. I was not required to write a review, and my thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Filed Under: Atlantic City, Beyond Tagged With: Fine Dining, review, seafood

DB Bistro Moderne – The OG of Luxury Burgers

August 17, 2012 By fritosfg 5 Comments

There is something to be said for the plain burger. The fast food burger. Even the occasional turkey burger. But the king of all burgers, the big mac-daddy of them all has to be the DB Bistro burger. When Daniel Boulud introduced his foie gras and truffle stuffed burger, all bets were off. This ushered in an era of burgers made with Kobe beef, topped with lobster, and served with everything except a black AMEX card.

But many of these burgers were merely an exercise in opulence with no thought towards balance of taste or texture.

Boulud’s burger is still around, the OG of luxury burgers. Is it worth they hype?

The dining room is nothing to brag about. Attractive? Sure. But, also in the middle of Times Square, it is best described as business casual and utilitarian. I would feel equally comfortable dining in nice jeans and a shirt as in heels and a cocktail dress.

Cheese Crisps with Red Pepper and Olive Dips

These little cheese crisps were light and incredibly flaky. Infused with the mellow, nutty taste of Gruyère cheese, they were comprised of at least 12 layers of crisp, buttery pastry. Dipped into the roasted red peppers, which tasted like they were warmed by the sun then sweetened with fruity olive oil. Also enjoyable was the garlicky, anchovy laden tapenade. This elevated bar snack was a welcome starter to what would be a very decadent meal.

Country Duck Pate with Pickled Vegetables and Dijon Mustard

This pate is outstanding. It is more than just a hodge podge of different offal, it is a carefully constructed mixture of tender meat, iron-y offal, and luscious duck fat. It spreads evenly at room temperature, infusing the warm toast with a deeply duck-y taste and soft texture. There is the fragrant scent of cloves, tart pickled vegetables and spicy, grainy mustard. This is like very rich liver pate with bits of tender, moist duck meat scattered throughout.

Sauternes

This sauternes, a 2004 Château Doisy-Védrines, was superior to the glass I had in Palm Beach and complimented the duck beautifully. Thick, topaz liquid slid down my throat, warming it and bringing out the sweet, delicate notes of the duck fat. It was really a beautiful combination.

House Made Fettucine with Crispy Pancetta, Brown Butter, Aged Parmesan and Shaved Summer Truffles

This dish surpassed expectations. The house made pasta proved yet again that fresh pasta is a different beast than dried pasta. So toothsome, chewy yet delicate, the noodles threatened to melt in my mouth but held their own against the garlicky shards of pancetta. The brown butter was thick and rich, coating each noodle and shred of salty Parmesan cheese. The crowning glory was a veritable windfall of truffles – they are not shy on the truffles here. We actually saw a gentleman come out and present a server with a whole truffle, then shave it on, just to ensure she felt she got her money’s worth. My plate came with plenty of truffles the first time around. Less earthy and dominant than black truffles, summer truffles are light, ethereal tasting, a shroud of umami around rich, buttery flavors. It gives it an aromatic, fragrant to a dish that could otherwise seem rather heavy and one-note. This dish is not to be missed.

Black Sea Bass with Summer Squash, Mosto Vinaigrette, Tomato Confit Hen of the Woods Mushrooms

Delicate black bass was filleted beautifully and cooked until flaky but still moist, with a crispy, delightfully salty crust. The vegetables made a light, vibrant summer ragout and the tomatoes were of special note. Peeled and cooked gently for hours, they burst with a sweet, tangy,almost jam-like taste. This fish was beyond reproach and yet…it went almost uneaten. That is because of:

Original DB Burger - Sirloin Burger Filled with Braised Short RibsFoie Gras and Black Truffle, Served on a Parmesan Bun with Pommes Soufflées

I had my doubts about this burger. How could a burger this overloaded with ingredients retain its integrity as a burger? Furthermore, how could a burger with this many tastes manage to respect all of its fine ingredients. This was going to be a disaster, I was sure of it.

I was so, so wrong.

The first thing I said when I tasted this was “I felt like I have never eaten beef before.” This was SO beefy, with its double hit of medium rare ground sirloin, rosy and robust in taste with the tender shortribs. The short ribs were not stringy or gamy, but cooked until the flavor was mellow and deep against the vibrant ground beef. The bun was soft and squishy, but did not deteriorate from the copious meaty juices. The taste of truffle was delicate but ever-present, savory and heady next to the sweet madeira in the short ribs. The piece de resistance was, of course, the sizable disc of foie gras, melting and rich. It swam in my mouth, almost dancing, the sweet, buttery component of the dish. I still don’t know how these ingredients all worked so well together – even describing it seems like overload – but the taste is one that I will never forget. One half was perfect – more than that and I would have gone into cardiac arrest. Happy cardiac arrest.

The pommes souffles are potato chips meet french fry. The world’s crispest french fry that has been hollowed out, so only warm, potato-scented air remains. Delicious dipped in the house made mayonnaise.

Did I mention that I ate the hamburger with no condiments? It needed none. It was ideal.

This meal, starting with the excellent, attentive service (our server noticed we were on a romantic dinner outing and was sent over a celebratory glass of sparkling wine) and ending with a plate of indulgent mignardises, was spot on. Though the dining room’s temperature was a bit warm and certainly more casual than the food would suggest, the dinner was memorable in every way. It is, also, extremely reasonably priced. It offers a prix fixe menu, brunch, and the burger itself is only $32. There must be $35 of foie gras in that patty alone. This burger is the best I have ever had. It is the best I will ever have.

The search for the perfect burger is over - it is right in midtown and it lives up to its storied hype.

Filed Under: Midtown Tagged With: American, Fine Dining, french

Joel Robuchon at The Mansion – A 16 Course Dream Come True

July 27, 2012 By fritosfg 2 Comments

Foodies like all types of dining experiences. Eating potato chips on a road trip. Enjoying burgers at a drive in. Cooking at home for loved ones. And, once in a while, every foodie relishes a truly fine dining experience. This was such an experience.

Joel Robuchon, named “Chef of the Century,” did not want to open Joel Robuchon at the Mansion in Las Vegas. He had to be wooed and coaxed out of retirement. To hear the whole story, I direct you to the very funny and delicious book The Man Who Ate the World, by Jay Rayner. When he did open it, he pulled out all the stops. Since it has opened, it has been considered one of most over the top, the one of the most elegant, and certainly one of the most expensive restaurants in America. Though other restaurants, like Per Se, have the same 3 Michelin stars and difficult reservation policies, there are very few restaurants that compete on the old-school elegance and technique of this restaurant.

It is part of the famous Mansion hotel-within-a-hotel in the MGM Grand. You have to be invited to stay there, and rooms start at $5,000 a night. It is only for whales, foreign princes, and people to whom $5,000 a nigh tis chump change. You aren’t even allowed to visit the hotel – it is within a secret courtyard hidden in the MGM Grand.

But, if you book a table at Joel Robuchon, you get a gold limo that chauffers you to The Mansion, where you can relax in the glass atrium before dinner. Tropical plants thrive in the always 75F temperature, and gently classical music is piped through. You may find yourself, as I did, shocked into the realization that this will be a dining experience like none other you have ever had before.

Don’t worry, I took a coaster from a coffee table to remind myself later that this wasn’t a dream.

Soon, a concierge will arrive to take you through The Mansion to dinner.

To say that the room is elegant would be doing it a disservice. It is absolutely, straight up, old school fancy. Done in tones of eggplant and gold, there are plush banquettes, a sparkling chandelier, and even a faux garden outdoors, so people can eat outside without ever having to battle bugs. Many of the seats are couches, putting forth the idea that this is not a meal to nourish, but one to relax, to enjoy, and to indulge.

Bread Cart

This is where the magic starts. A cart filled with at least 17 types of bread is rolled to you, and your server describes each one, like some glorious, hunger-inducing monologue. Baguette, country bread, milk bread. Basil brioche, bacon bread, Gruyère bread. Hard bread, soft bread, miniature bread, gargantuan bread. Each different, each baked in house daily. You are encouraged to sample many breads throughout the course of the meal, though only your first selection will be warmed.

Bread Selection

Mustard Bacon Baguette – an exemplary baguette, with a stiff crust and an airy interior. Flecked with sizable chunks of fatty bacon and pungent grainy mustard.

Gruyère Bread – light and fluffy, with a generous portion of nutty Gruyère cheese capping the roll.

Comte Bread – delicate and buttery, like a croissant. Filled with smoky, salty comte cheese that oozed in the middle.

Saffron Brioche – fragrant and heady with saffron, reminiscent of paella. Very light and moist.

The butter, from Brittany, is hand shaved, and the olive oil is Spanish.

Butter

It deserves special mention. This Brittany butter is incredibly dense and feels like it weighs twice what American butter does. It tastes sweet and very clean, not greasy at all. Sprinkled with fleur de sel, it is delicious enough to be eaten on its own.

Don’t worry, I didn’t. I am a classy broad, ya know.

Cherry gazpacho with sheep’s ricotta and pistachios

The first taste of this is not cherries, it is sherry vinegar. Deep, nutty, complex. Then, sweet tomatoes and fresh cucumber come through. Finally, at the end, a sweet note of cherries finishes off the mouthful. The sheep’s ricotta is milky and the salty pistachios are a wise textural contrast. It is an ideal starter.

Salad of tomato with basil infused olive oil and basil gelee topped with mozzarella

Wonderful things about this dish include:

-the incredibly potent tomato. It tastes bright but also earthy, and very sweet.

-the mozzarella. Tiny, exact pearls of mozzarella, so creamy they practically melt if you look at them too hard.

-the basil gelee. Incredibly fragrant and herbal, it is spicy next to the sugary tomato.

-the black plate that makes the gelee look black, instead of clear.

-this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXQTdPCWG7M&feature=youtu.be

Red turnip and radish with yellowtail carpaccio, chilled cauliflower veloute, and maki of thin couscous, all topped with caviar

Yellowtail carpaccio – as mild as toro, with a less fatty taste and slightly firmer texture. It has a brightness that works well with the peppery radish and crunchy, earthy turnip. The caviar adds a pleasant salty taste that ties in the land and water theme.

Cauliflower veloute – my favorite part of the course. Thin but very rich and smooth, this is the essence of cauliflower. It is salty enough to bring out the naturally sweet and creamy flavor of cauliflower, and the caviar adds both depth and texture. It is so very savory that I would swear there was pork somewhere in the base of the soup.

Couscous Maki – The least memorable part of the dish, but the one where the caviar stands out the most. Thinly shaved cucumber holds pearls of couscous, topped with a generous portion of caviar. the caviar’s deep taste reverberates through the mouth with salt, bitterness, and a final note of iron, like liver.

Roasted foie gras with cherries and kumquat compote

My baby. My favorite food. My sweet little liver. This is as ideal a foie gras as one could hope to have. A thick, crisp crust conceals a warm, pale pink interior that is so umami it defines the word. Savory and meaty, with a dense, creamy texture. It pais well with the cherries, which taste of wine, and with the bright kumquat puree, which temper the dish’s richness. When foie is this perfect, all description fails it.

Seared scallop with young leek in green curry

Following the foie with the scallop is a calculated and very smart move. To follow it with more meat would result in palate fatigue. To follow it with a light fish or vegetable would mean that the delicate taste would be lost. Following it with buttery shellfish served in a spicy, herbal broth both gives the palate a rest and awakens it for the courses to come. Every move at this restaurant is thought out and planned. The scallop has a crunchy crust and a soft interior. It works well with the green curry, which is it is so bright with ginger, cilantro, and lemongrass that it seems almost alive. It breathes life into the meal and re-awakens the appetite. One of my favorite dishes of the night.

Truffled langoustine ravioli, grilled spiny lobster medallion in herb sabayon, sea urchin on potato puree with Blue Mountain Coffee

Ravioli – delicate sheets of pasta wrap around a chopped langoustine filling. Plump and bursting with buttery flavor, it is infused with the powerful scent and flavor of truffles. The earthy shrooms make the dish as meaty as it is oceanic. My seafood-wary sister claimed this as one of her favorite dishes of the night – it is quite rich and very tasty, but also very mild on the seafood taste.

Lobster – a bit tougher than I like, with too many herbs taking away from the butters inherent delicate flavor. It was still quite tasty, but not up to par with the other aspects of the plate.

Urchin – unbelievable. Pillows of soft, creamy, intensely briny sea urchin atop Robuchon’s famous pommes puree. These potatoes, made with as much butter as potato, are so rich and dense that they make the uni seem even lighter and more refreshing by comparison. The Blue Mountain Coffee adds a smoky, pleasantly bitter quality. For once, coffee actually tastes as delicious as it smells!

Delicate green pea cream on foie gras royale with argan oil

The only misstep of the night for me, due more to personal taste than any cooking discrepancies. The peas taste too grassy, almost like wet soil. The foie gras royale is airy and gets lost in the thick potage, and the argan oil has no discernable flavor. Let it be known that I am not a huge pea fan, and that other members in my party lapped this up.

Slightly cooked slamon with grain mustard seeds and mango tagliatelle

The best salmon I can remember eating, including at top-notch sushi restaurants. It is so mild, so soft but not mushy, with a thin, caramalized crust. It must be cooked incredibly gently, because it has a moist but still cooked interior, where the fat has melted away and self basted the fish. The mango tagliatelle is just as outstanding – thin ribbons of fruit that resemble al dente pasta in texture, but with a bright, tart flavor.

Sauteed veal chop with porcini mushrooms

Veal never tasted this good. This veal has the intensity of beef with the delicate texture of veal. I was able cut it with a fork, it has a woodsy, hearty taste that one normally only associates with beef. It stands up to the porcini mushrooms, not as heady as truffles but much meatier. The demiglace served alongside is thick and reminiscent of wine, slowly cooked onions, and spicy black pepper.

Risotto of soybean sprouts, lime zest, and chives

Sprouts cooked very gently in the style of risotto, until they form a thick, rich stew. If it weren’t for the slight crunch, I would think it WAS risotto! Bright with lime zest, there is the nutty taste of Parmesan cheese and a lingering taste of garlic that makes this dish taste traditional. Well, as traditional as spout risotto can be. Once again, a wise choice in terms of timing. This gently bridges the gap between salty main course and sweet dessert.

Honey gelee and a light lemon cream finished with a spiced red fruit coulis

Very sweet, more like caramel than honey. The lemon goes a long way to cutting through the sugar, and keeps it from being overpowering. An interesting dessert, but not a sensational one.

Caramel panna cotta topped with fresh strawberries in a balsamic reduction

Now THIS is a dessert. A showstopper. Panna cotta that is smooth, milky, and incredibly clean, with just a bit of bittersweet caramel. Fresh strawberries, juicy and tangy, cloaked in their rich balsamic dressing. Bits of crunchy brioche croutons soak up the juices, and vanilla scented foam perfumes the whole dish.

A perfect end to the meal.

Or is it?…

Mignardises

Um, no. This is the end to the meal. An entire cart full of mignardises (small sweets served at the end of a meal) comes to you, and you choose s many as you would like. Caramels, chocolates, petit fours, cakes that burst in your mouth with raspberry jam, macaroons, lollipops, bonbons…it’s as if Willy Wonka himself is in front of you.

Needless to say, they are all delicious, but do not miss the cannele. It is custardy, caramalized, and a gustatory transport straight to Paris.

Joel Robuchon is, for me, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not only because it is prohibitively expensive, but because how many times can Cinderella go to the ball? From the moment I stepped in the gold limo to the second that I was surprised with a birthday cake, to the very last bite of my very last petit four, this was a fairy tale. There were some dishes that were not to my taste, but that mattered less than the experience of the meal. It was a 4 hour dining journey. Servers came by to chat when we had questions, to advise on the wine list, and to show us a special feature of the dish. They also left us alone to laugh, to talk, to revel in the meal and each others’ company. Our needs were anticipated – we never had to ask for more bread or an extra napkin. The surroundings are beautiful, the service is excellent, and the food was really beyond my expectations. It combines classic techniques with unexpected ingredients. That scallop with the curry sauce is not the most technically complex dish on the menu, but it is representative of Robuchon’s attention to detail and exquisite palate. From beginning to end, this meal is worth every penny to someone who values a unique and over the top dining experience.

The next day, I went back to eating sandwiches, but for just that night, I was Cinderella at the foodie ball.

Filed Under: Las Vegas Tagged With: Fine Dining, french, review

Cafe Boulud, Palm Beach

July 18, 2012 By fritosfg Leave a Comment

While vacationing in Palm Beach, you might expect to eat club sandwiches by the pool. You might expect to eat haute sushi while shopping the incredibly expensive boutiques on Worth Avenue. You might expect to have cocktails on the beach or appetizers at the beach club.

You probably don’t expect to eat the refined cuisine of Daniel Boulud.

The Brazilian Court is home to the Palm Beach outpost of Cafe Boulud. The trick here is transferring Boulud’s flawless service and precise cuisine to the laid back elegance of Palm Beach. Residents here are wealthy and well-traveled – they know good food. But can this outpost deliver?

The dining room is beautiful – an indoor space overlooking the spacious courtyard. Trees and twinkling lights fill the room, giving the illusion of being outdoors with no bugs and where it never goes above 75 degrees. The space is not stuffy, but be sure to wear at least a polo shirt if you are a gentleman, and ladies would not feel out of place in heels. This is Palm Beach, after all.

As a note, I was here during the Boulud Sud pop-up of the restaurant, where for a month, the menu is comprised of dishes inspired by the fabulous version of the NYC restaurant.

Sundried Tomato and Olive Foccacia

The house baked foccacia is yeasty and soft, studded with juicy tomatoes or pungent olives.

Enjoy it dipped into a plate of olive oil flavored with garlic, rosemary, and red peppers.

Sicilian Sardine Escabeche with Pine Nuts and Raisins

In a word: sensational. These bear absolutely no resemblance to the oily, bony specimens that come in tin cans. These are soft enough to cut with a fork, and the bones are so tiny that they dissolve in the mouth undetected. There is no fishy, iodine-y taste that many sardines have. Instead, these are more like smoked trout – extremely mild, taking on the flavors of the tart lemon and herbal fennel. The raisins provide an unexpected note of sweetness, working with the tart, bright flavors in the marinade, and the pine nuts are a pleasant textural contrast. If you don’t like sardines, try these – you may be a convert.

Rabbit and Foie Gras Ballotine with Chestnut Mostarda and Madeira Gelee, with Sauternes

Woodsy, earthy rabbit and heady, smooth foie gras in a smooth, meaty mosaic encased in buttery pastry. The foie gras and rabbit are such a natural pairing, because while they both taste intensely meaty, one is dark and husky and the other is light in texture and almost electric in taste. Though I didn’t care for the very sweet chestnuts, the slight acid of the madeira jelly worked well with the ballotine. The crowning touch was the Sauternes. Sauternes is a desert wine that is notoriously delicious with foie gras. Sip it after taking a bite of foie gras and the liver takes on different flavors – of raisins, of walnuts, of rich rare steak. This is a classic dish done very well.

Lamb Merguez Sausage with Chickpeas and Couscous

As our waiter said “That’s a lot of sausage!” You aren’t cheated on the portions here – the point isnt’ to get the money out of you, it’s to make sure that you leave having a wonderful experience. The lamb, though a bit grainy and coarsely ground, is bursting with flavor. Smoky with cumin, hot with harrisa, with a finishing note of cool mint, it is Morocco on a plate. It sits on a bed of garlicky, peppery couscous next to lightly curried chickpeas and spinach. This plate is a flavor explosion – it isn’t for people who like plain potatoes and boiled beef. The execution is beautiful, and the flavors really pop.

Chocolate Souffle and Pistachio Ice Cream

All the molten chocolate cakes out there, take note. This is your classy grandmother who shops at Bergdorf’s and still wears heels. LIght, moist, and almost impossibly rich, it disappears the moment it touches your tongue, almost too fast. The pistachio ice cream, nutty and creamy, adds a wonderful temperature contrast. This is classic and almost the perfect dessert.

The madeleines that come with the check really make it a perfect dessert. Lemony and still warm from the oven, I ate 4 of them and would have eaten more if I hadn’t been so very stuffed.

This restaurant is excellent. It isn’t inexpensive, but you get what you pay for. Excellent, unobtrusive service that never once bothered my date and I when we were deep in discussion, yet somehow always made sure the water glasses were full. Flavors that are surprising and excellently executed. And atmosphere that is equal parts romantic, laid back, and elegant. It fits Palm Beach to a “T” and is absolutely a must-visit if you are in the area.

*Disclaimer – The restaurant paid for my meal. I was not required to write a review, and my opinions are my own and unbiased.*

Filed Under: Florida Tagged With: Fine Dining, french, review