What: ‘A Taste of Australia’ - truly interesting and unique Australian foods
Where: The Food Emporium locations around Manhattan
When: January 15-30, 2010
Why: G'DAY USA Australia Week
Who: Australian Made, Australian Grown in conjunction with G’DAY USA
www.australia-week.com
CHEERS MATES!
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( 3 / 166 )Last night I found out there is a God. And that God's name is Chef Michael White, chef/co-owner of Marea, the new Italian seafood restaurant on Central Park South. In what used to house San Domenico, is now a beautiful space with mind-blowing food. I had an amazing meal from Chef White at Alto last year, so I knew I was in for a treat. I told him to choose all the courses, putting my culinary fate in his hands. And by the end of the meal I was basically in Heaven. Here we go...
I love oysters. I've been eating them for around 28 out of my 29 years, (surprisingly, I wasn't that good at slurping from age 0-1) and I'm telling you the oysters ($3.50each) I had at Marea were the BEST I've ever had!
Ricci ($14), sea urchin, lardo, and sea salt crostini gave me a nice orgasm, early in the meal, but much appreciated. Amazing.
A tasting of Marea's crudo was so perfect, calling it perfect would be an understatement. Each bite was whimsical. I almost-I did begin to tear.
Passera ($15), Long Island fluke, lemon thyme, ligurian olive oil, Capesante ($16), scallop, orange, wild fennel, arugula, and Tonno ($16), bigeye tuna, oyster crema, crispy artichokes.
Lancia ($18), blue marlin, sturgeon caviar, mussel vinaigrette, and Vongole ($17, geoduck clam, fresh chilies, lemon.
An amuse bouche of a puree with shrimp and a crispy parsnip tickled and teased my palate ever so simply and beautifully.
Then came the Astice ($24), nova scotia lobster, burrata, eggplant al funghetto, basil. This was my new friend, such a pleasure meeting, I wanted to hang out with him all night long. This dish I will never forget. Unbelievable! At this point of the meal I could almost see the light.
Alas, it was time for the pasta courses.
Ferratini ($28), with manila clams, calamari, and hot chilies was linguini with clams taken to another level. The most perfectly cooked pasta, with the freshest seafood, and a kick from the chilies, tugged on the strings of my heart. I was falling in love. I could have sworn that an Elton John song was about to start playing.
If I hadn't fallen in love after the Ferratini, then after this next dish, I was about to go down the block to Tiffanys and Harry Winston and get 4-carats.
Fusilli ($28), with red wine braised octopus, and bone marrow, was sweet, tasty, and like my dream girl. I wanted to take it home right then and there. This dish was phenomenal.
A Branzino ($36), wild striped bass, brocolli rabe, lentils, and carmelized onion, was pitch-perfect fantastic.
To finish this trip to culinary heaven, we were brought the Affogato ($13), zabaglione gelato, espresso and amaro. This was a truly refreshing ending to one of the best meals of my life!
I believe in true love. I agree with the Beatles when they say "All you need is Love." But until I find that one true love, Marea is all I need. I suggest you go soon too, you might not fall in love, but you'll definitely have some culinary orgasms with some heavenly food.
Marea
240 Central Park South (bet. Broadway and 7th Ave)
New York, NY 10019
212-582-5100
www.marea-nyc.com
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( 3.2 / 241 )Monday night I stopped by Perry St., Jean-Georges Vongerichten's way west West Village restaurant, now helmed by his son Cedric Vongerichten. Overlooking the Westside Highway, and on the bottom floor of one of Richard Meier's glass towers, it is definitely an interesting location. The dining room is large with ample space, and darkly lit, suitable for an intimate dining experience.
The food is very good, although not mind-blowing. After my meal, I really did not crave to come back. But the food was well executed and could make for a nice date night.
An amuse bouche of butternut squash puree, toasted pumpkin seeds, and coconut froth was exceptional and wonderful.
Rice cracker crusted tuna with siracha-citrus emulsion ($18.50) was tasty and delicious. The great crunch of the crust made me smile.
Sauteed shrimp with fennel, tarragon, and chorizo sauce ($16) was a fine appetizer. I could taste the freshness of the shrimp, like they were just plucked from the ocean.
The fried chicken with mushroom spaetzle and ginger vinaigrette was a fine take on fried chicken, although I would not order it again. The skin had great flavor, although I thought a tad too much rosemary. The meat was juicy and tender.
A slowly cooked salmon with passion fruit-olive oil emulsion, spinach, jalapeno and black olive ($25) was a perfectly executed dish. The fish was exquisite, and the emulsion was quite a unique complement, but great. The spinach had a nice spicy kick to it from the jalapeno which I loved.
A poached pear with warm hazelnut frangipane and chocolate amaretto truffle ($9) was truly sublime. It was a fabulous ending to a fine meal.
Perry St.
176 Perry St. (at West St.)
New York, NY 10014
212-352-1900
www.jean-georges.com
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( 2.4 / 228 )I have written about Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles before, it even made my top 5 meals of 2009. I had an amazing experience there with Food Network stars Guy Fieri and Anne Burrell a few months ago, too. I feel compelled to write about this place once again, for I was there this past Saturday, and my mind was blown, again. These are the best noodles in NYC!
For five or six dollars a dish, it is such an amazing bang for your buck, and the food is exceptional! On my latest visit, my foodie companion and I ordered knife cut noodles with chicken and shrimp, hand cut noodles with roast duck, and pork and vegetable dumplings (I love dumplings!).
Both noodles dishes were jaw-dropping amazing! The noodles are made-to-order, so it is the freshest noodles you can possibly get. The duck was juicy, tasty, and perfectly cooked. And after each bite I took of each dish, I was in noodle heaven. The dumplings were perfect too.
If you like noodles, you need to get to Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles as soon as possible. It will be a life altering experience, trust me.
Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles
1 Doyers St. (bet. Pell and Bowery)
New York, NY 10013
212-791-1817
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( 3 / 172 )Wow! What an amazing year it has been here in the NYC restaurant industry. With the economy going nutty, it has been quite the year. The year of the burger, the pizza, and the banh mi. Restaurants have evolved with the economy. I have had some great meals this year, some were pricey, and some were cheap. I had some memorable dishes, and some forgettable ones. And so, without further ado, here are my top meals and dishes of 2009.
Top 5 Meals:
1. Tasting menu with wine pairings at Alto, cooked specifically for me and food personality Josh Ozersky, by chef Michael White. This meal consisted of the best and most amazing pasta dishes I had ever had in my life.
2. Lunch at Jean-Georges. Mind-blowing.
3. All meals at Momofuku Ssam and Noodle Bar. Still my favorite all round NYC restaurants.
4. Casa Mono. My favorite tapas spot in NYC delivers every night.
5. Tasty-Hand Pulled Noodles. This Chinatown noodle spot is so satisfying and great, and so cheap, it is one of the best bangs for your buck in NYC.
Most Memorable Dish:
Caviar Egg toast from Jean-Georges. The perfect bite.
Runner Up:
Pate de Fegato from Sorella. Might stop your heart, but truly delicioso!
Best Burger:
The Little Owl: The Little Owl only serves their burger during lunch. But, it is the BEST burger in NYC, hands down.
Worst Dish:
The Brooklyn Diner's Mac and Cheese is tagliolini pasta, Parmigiano Reggiano and ham. Next to the dish on the menu it says "Best of New York, NY Magazine". This cannot be further from the truth! It was the worst dish of the year, and totally unacceptable. It gives new meaning to the term "Tourist Trap". I want my $18.50 back.
Best Sushi Experience:
Omakase at Sushi Azabu. Sublime.
Best Newcomers:
There have been many new restaurants that have opened up this year that are great. Here are some of my favorites that are worth checking out: (in no particular order)
Locanda Verde
Sorella
Maialino
East Side Social Club
Aldea
Have an amazing and magical 2010 everyone!!
BON APPETIT!
NYC FOODIE
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