My dining partner was the fabulous Director of PR/Marketing for a famous restaurant group, who knows her wine and food, so I knew she would be the perfect companion for this culinary adventure.
I don't dine at four star restaurants often, and I do love my hidden treasures, cheap eats, etc, but Jean-Georges is four stars all the way, from the room to the service and, of course, the food.
The room is absolutely perfect. It is one large rectangle with a huge window up front that during lunch gets the most amazing sunlight, making for quite the gorgeous dining experience. There is ample room between tables too, making it very comfortable. There is an amazing light fixture that comes out of the center of the ceiling, sprouting a plethora of lights. A true work of art.
And then there is the food.
I ordered the fois gras brulee and the red snapper, and my companion ordered the wild mushroom tea soup and the roasted veal. We also ordered a crab toast dish for the table.
Before the dishes arrived, we were sent out an amuse bouche of salmon sashimi with blood orange, a cheddar fritter, and a duck consomme with gruyere ravioli. This was a fabulous start to the meal. The succession of flavors and textures on this one plate was awesome. From the saltiness of the fish to the crunchiness of the fritter, to the soothing consomme, this plate of food played with my taste buds unlike anything I had ever encountered before.
Next came a course that executive chef Mark Lapico sent out to us that we didn't even order. (I had entertained Mark one night a few months ago; I'm not sure if this was why he sent us out this amazing course, or if I was recognized as the Celebrity Magician/Foodie I am, but either way, it was a spectactular course.) In front of me was the egg caviar, which was amazing, wonderful, and delicious.
My companion was served the egg toast with caviar and dill. This, my friends, will forever linger in my head. It is what I like to call "The Perfect Bite." It tasted almost like a grilled cheese sandwich, yet there was no cheese on it. After one bite of this, though, my jaw was on the ground. It was simply unbelievable. You really need to try it for yourself to taste what I am talking about. Pure perfection!
The wild mushroom dish came with parmesan, chili and thyme. The mushrooms were extremely fresh and it was as if I were eating a garden! I had never tasted anything like this in my life and it was wonderful!
My foie gras brulee came with dried sour cherries, candied pistachios and a white port gelee. This was another unique dish that was great. I loved the play on sweetness this dish had, as well as the texture given by the crunch of the pistachios.
Our sesame crab toast with miso-mustard and Asian pear and shiso was a pleasant dish. The miso-mustard gave the toast a nice kick, and the Asian pear and shiso salad was pure genius.
The roasted veal sat atop braised artichokes and had parmesan and lavender. The veal was perfectly cooked and juicy, and the hint of lavender was a beautiful accent to the meat.
My red snapper was crusted with nuts and seeds, and came in a sweet and sour jus. This was the best fish dish I had ever eaten in my entire life. The flavor was so unique, yet so perfect; I was truly blown away. The fish was perfectly cooked, and practically melted in my mouth with each spoonful I took as it mixed with the amazing jus. Yes, I was advised to eat this dish with a spoon, which worked out well. There were some great fresh vegetables (onions and tomatoes) in the dish too. I still cannot get this dish out of my head; it was orgasmic and mind-blowing!
Of course I needed to end such a fantastic meal with one of Johnny Iuzzini's signature desserts. I went with the Jean-Georges chocolate cake, vanilla bean ice ream, peppermint broth, cocoa noodles, and white chocolate sorbet. This was an amazing, satisfying, and unbelievable dessert. I loved it!
Some nice petits fours were also sent out at the end of the meal. The most unique and original being the hand-cut vanilla bean marshmallows. Wow!
This was absolutely one of the best meals of my life. For $29 for two dishes this also makes this meal one of the best bangs for your buck in NYC, and probably in the entire world! I loved everything about this meal, from the flawless service to the beautiful room, and of course the mind-blowing cuisine. This will be a lunch and experience I will never forget. So, one day, go to lunch at Jean-Georges, and get your mind blown.
Jean-Georges
1 Central Park West (at the Trump International Hotel)
New York, NY 10023
212-299-3900
www.jean-georges.com
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( 3 / 148 )This past Monday I was lucky enough to attend NY Mag's NY TASTE event at Skylight Studios. It was an amazing event with some of the top chefs and restaurants in NYC dishing out some amazing bites. Here is just a taste of what I tasted!
Rouge Tomate's Long Island Duck with Farro, Pomegranate, and Pumpkin Seed and their version of smores
Eighty One's Slow-Cooked Egg with Crispy Trotters (my favorite dish of the night!)
Market Table's Roasted-Beet Salad with Hazelnuts, Horseradish Cream, and Goat-Cheese Fritters
SHO Shaun Hergatt's Three-Day Short Rib with Creamy White Polenta (amazing!)
Marea's Mackerel Crudo with Olivada and Lemon Oil
La Fonda Del Sol's Fideos de Calamar
Shang's House-Smoked Salmon with Green-Onion Pancake and Salmon Caviar
Dovetail's Shrimp Sausage with Sweet-and-Sour Butternut Squash and Grape Gelée
L'Ecole's Apples with Cinnamon White-Chocolate Cream and Pistachio Paste
Aldea's Bacalao-Coconut Mousse, Coriander, and Black Olive
Public's Fried Fanny-Bay Oysters with Shiso, Sansho Pepper, and Wasabi-Yuzu Dipping Sauce (amazing!)
Bia's Crispy Pork Belly, Daikon Rice Cake, and Pickled Vegetable
SD26'S Parmigiano Panna Cotta with Crunchy Pancetta, and Balsamic-Vinegar Reduction
Don't be jealous!
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( 3 / 331 )Hey all you NYC FOODIES check out this upcoming cool foodie event. I will be there Sunday!
Cook. Eat. Drink. Live.
Try the Wine. Taste the Food. Watch the Talent.
November 6-8, 2009
New York, NY—The Third Annual Cook. Eat. Drink. Live. Festival returns November 6-8th to feature culinary celebrities, tastings, shopping, and more. Presented by CCK Global Events and sponsored by Zagat and the Astor Center, the Festival will take place at Chelsea’s The Tunnel/La Venue.
Cook. Eat. Drink. Live. is a lively, interactive, holiday-themed event that showcases new food products, celebrity chefs, wineries, cocktails, cookbook authors, mixologists, and popular restaurants. In addition to the tastings, guests can do holiday shopping with both purveyors and wineries, as well as have the opportunity to purchase gift certificates to over fifty of New York City’s popular eateries.
more.
What: 2009 Cook. Eat. Drink. Live.
When: November 6-8, 2009. Friday 6-9PM, Saturday 2-6PM, Sunday 2-6PM
Where: The Tunnel/La.Venue, 608 West 28th Street, NY, NY
Agenda: Interactive food festival featuring tastings, chef demos, wineries, cocktails, popular restaurants, and opportunities for early holiday shopping.
Tickets are $65.00 per day and can be purchased online (www.cookeatdrinklive.com) or by phone: 888-695-0888.
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( 3 / 176 )Last Friday my family and I celebrated my younger sister's 27th birthday at Casa Mono, which happens to be my favorite tapas spot in NYC. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share and ALL of them were great! Check them out:
Bacalao Croquetas with Orange Alioli ($9)- Yummo!
Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Croquetas ($9)- these were amazing!
Scallops with Blood Oranges and Rainbow Carrots ($15)- Hello Gorgeous!
Duck Egg with Mojama ($16) - a classic dish at Casa Mono, this pic does not do it justice, but crack that yolk and have fun!
Fideos with Chorizo and Clams ($18) - the highlight of the evening, crunchy noodles melt away in the flavorful, delicious broth; succulent and orgasmic, yea I said it.
Artichokes with Mint ($9) - tasty, lemony goodness! (just a touch of mint)
Patatas Bravas ($9)- probably the best I have ever had- a sauce just spicy enough and extremely addictive.
Gamba with Black Bomba Rice ($14) - Question: "What's black and red and tastes great?" Answer: "This dish."
Crispy Pork Belly and Apple Salad ($19)- great texture, great flavor, addictive = daddy like! (my father liked this dish too)
Sheep's Milk Cheese and Quince Jelly ($9) - I love cheese! If God serves cheese in heaven, this would be that dish.
Bread Pudding with Caramel Ice Cream ($9) - What a sweet and delicious ending to an amazing and magical meal. Happy Birthday Briana Beckerman!
Casa Mono
52 Irving Place (at 17th Street)
New York, NY 10003
212-253-2773
www.casamononyc.com
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( 3 / 202 )Hey Foodies and baseball fans- just received this press release:
"Southern Italian restaurant Bar Stuzzichini now has a TV and will be showing the World Series!
For all seven games, they are offering half priced Peronis (sm, $3 & lg, $4) in the bar area from the first pitch to the end of the game. Even better, the food is amazing too—go for the meatballs, rice balls and artichokes!"
I've been to Bar Stuzzichini a few times, and love their Italian bites. Sounds good to me!
Bar Stuzzichini
928 Broadway (bet 21st and 22nd)
New York, NY 10010
212-780-5100
www.barstuzzichini.com
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