The space is located on a cool West Village block hidden away from all the commotion on Bleeker street. It is not overly decorated at all, it is simple and looks fine. I can sense this definitely being a new popular neighborhood spot; a bigger version of The Little Owl.
I sat at the bar and perused the menu over a nice glass of Beaujolais ($8). The menu is American Nouveau with Asian influences. It all looked great. For my introduction though, I just went with two appetizers: the Thinly Sliced Raw Hamachi with cucumber salad, cilantro, tomato water, and yuzu ($14), and the Spicy Duck Meatballs with okinawa yam dumplings, water spinach, quail egg and natural jus ($11).
The Hamachi dish was refreshing and very nice. The cucumbers gave a nice crunch to compliment the fish. Although I did need a knife to cut smaller slices of the fish, I really enjoyed the dish. I could definitely eat something like that for lunch everyday, and feel good and healthy about myself.
The Meatballs were really good as well. There were very small, and pretty darn cute I must say. What made this dish was the flavorful natural jus that I would just about soak anything in. This was a delicious and perfect appetizer.
I actually did give in and talked myself into trying a dessert. I went with the Smoked Chocolate Cake with kaffir lime ice cream and mango chutney. I really enjoyed this dessert. The cake was not too sweet, although I didn't taste any real smokiness, but then again, I was on my fourth glass of wine (switched to a Pinot Noir ($13) ). But, what made this dish fantastic was that ice cream. It had a great kick to it, and tasted great.
I definitely look foward to returning to Perilla in the near future and try everything else on the menu. This "Top" chef seems to know what he is doing and definitely deserves that title. Perilla gives me one more reason to move to the West Village asap.
Perilla
9 Jones St. (between Bleeker and W. 4th)
New York, NY
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( 3 / 635 )Last Night my family and I went to Dennis Foy, a new restaurant in Tribeca. It's New American cuisine with French influences. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the colorful arches on the ceiling. Dennis Foy is the chef/owner and is also an artist, his artwork adorns the walls of his restaurant. The paintings were actually really nice. The lighting is somber and dim, with a red haze illuminated by the beautiful reddish glass lamps hanging from the ceiling. The lamps are works of art themselves. So, before the meal even started I was taken back, and felt as if I were in a work of art, which I guess I really was.
I started off with a cocktail with passion fruit, tequila and pink peppercorns. It was refreshing and very good. It hit the spot. My sister had a Blackberry Lemonade cocktail which was also very good.
After my older sister arrived we ordered a bottle of wine. And then they brought out a bread basket with three different types of bread: a french roll, one with olives, and one with walnuts and cranberries. I would try all three throughout the night, and all were great. I'm a sucker for good bread, because it's a great way to start a meal, and plus, it's free!
Before the appetizers came the waiters brought out a complimentary dish of pickled vegetables and oxtail boullon. I loved this dish! The pickled vegetables reminded me of kimchee, but had a touch of sweetness to it. The oxtail boullon tasted great and was very soothing. What I loved the most about this dish (besides being complimentary) was the contrast between the spiciness of the vegatables, (which also had a nice crunch to them) with the saltiness and soothing of the broth-like boullon. It was a well balanced dish.
Then the appetizers arrived. And when I say "then" I mean a while after. One thing I'd like to note about Dennis Foy is the pacing. This is not a place to go if you have a show to catch or you need to be somewhere in a hurry. This is a place where you go to eat good food and linger. They take their time here, and it's nice. It gives you time to digest and talk with your fellow dining companions over some nice wine.
Back to those appetizers. We had the Sauteed Potato Gnocchi with sage and chives, the Warm Crab Tian, Salt Cure Terrine of Fois Gras, Konpachi and Fried Veal Sweetbreads.
The Gnocchi was very good. Although the texture of each gnocchi was not as soft as I'd like, the flavors were wonderful.
The Crab was excellent. I loved this dish. Think of a crabcake without the bread. It was all crab, and it was perfectly seasoned, and had touch of rosemary on top. I loved this full crab flavor. It was probably my favorite dish of the night.
The Fois Gras was also nice, but did not blow me away. I believe there was some sort of apple cider sauce on the side that didn't really go to well with the dish. But the fois gras itself was fine.
The Konpachi, which is really a very good type of yellowtail was also very good. It was five pieces of the fish on a plate; think sashimi. It was colorful, refreshing and tasted great.
The Fried Sweetbreads were very good as well. I enjoyed the crispiness and the flavors of the dish.
Then we moved on to our entrees. Again, there was a nice space in between each course to linger and chat. For entrees we had Lamb two ways, Arctic Char, Veal and Fried Sweetbreads, and Scallops.
The Lamb two ways, was a loin with bow-tie noodles and mushrooms, and a shank with wilted lettuce. The lamb was cooked perfectly, very tender and perfectly seasoned. I loved the lamb. The problem with the dish was what the lamb was on top of. I thought the bowtie noodles were not only boring, but did not go well with the loin. The same could be said about the wilted lettuce. It looked like this green sludge and it too, did not go well with the shank. It was very uncomplimentary. I would have preferred a better pairing with the excellent meat.
The Arctic Char came with spinach, nutmeg and pommes soufflees. It came served in a bowl with a broth. Basically, it reminded me of an Asian soup. The Char was nicely cooked, crispy on top, tended in the middle, but bland. What you needed to do was put all the ingredients in the broth on your spoon and eat it at the same time. This made the dish very good. All the flavors and textures worked in my mouth and it was very soothing.
The Veal and Fried Sweetbreads (yes more sweetbreads) was very good. The veal was tender and came with some sort of potato puree which was nice. As the dishes were being passed around the table, I'm not exactly sure if there was a sweetbread left for me, but it was still a nice dish.
The Scallops, (there were three) were each topped with something different. I know one had asparagus, one had some fried vegetable on top, and the other might have had a mushroom, but I can't be too sure. The fact is, it was not a memorable dish at all. I didn't like the dish. The scallops were a bit tough and dry, and the seasoning on the bottom of the plate, which looked like some sort of crushed red pepper did not go well with the scallops at all. Again, it was very uncomplimentary. A disappointment.
For dessert we had the Black Plum Financier with Winter Fruit Compote, and Aged Rum Ice Cream. It was ok, but very unmemorable. We also had the Chocolate Royale which was basically a chocolate mouse with hazlenut cookie bottom. It was fine, but also very unmemorable.
So, if you are downtown in Tribeca and feel like lingering with some good wine and decent American fare with French influences Dennis Foy is a nice, relaxing spot. Sit back, relax, and sip your wine as you experience dining in a work of art.
Dennis Foy
313 Church Street (between Lispenard and Walker Sts)
New York, NY 10013
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( 3 / 731 )Friday night my sisters and I decided to have dinner at The Tasting Room in SOHO/NOLITA. The Tasting Room used to be located in the East Village on 1st Street and has moved to this bigger location. There is a bar area when you walk in with some tables to sit at, and then two more rooms to dine in. It is very open, simple, and homey, yet still modern with some unusual artwork adorning the walls.
The menu, helmed my Colin Alevras, is very market driven and all the ingredients are supplied by local farmers "who take pride in raising their animals and vegetables carefully and responsibly." That is what is quoted on the bottom of the menu. You can also choose what type of portion you want for all dishes: a smaller portion being "Taste" or a larger portion being "Share". This is nice cause it gives the diner the opportunity to try a little bit of everything.
For starters we tried the Hen-of-the Woods Mushroom Salad, Duck & Pork Terrine, and Fresh Wild Abalone.
The Mushroom Salad came with carrots, dandelion, potatoes, and rye toast. It was excellent. The mushrooms and everything else on the plate tasted so fresh and delicious. I could eat this salad all the time!
The Duck & Pork terrine came with pickles, Colby Clothbound Cheddar, and pear mustard. This was also very good, and the mustard was the perfect compliment for the terrine. It gave it a nice little tang to the flavor.
The Abalone came with X.O. sauce, bacon, burdock, and cress. I have no idea what burdock or cress is (wait-Google says they are both leafy vegetables), but again the dish was very fresh and very tasty.
For entrees we had the Red Bream, Porcini Mushrooms, and Violet Hill Farm Mutton Loin.
The Red Bream came with leeks, jerusalem artichokes, chanterelles, and bush okra. It was an excellent fish dish. It had a crispy top and tender meat. It was just so clean, and fresh. I loved it!
The Porcini Mushrooms came with Rose Finn apple potatoes, carmelized onions and a coddled egg. Now, I would never think that you can have just a mushroom dish as an entree- but let me tell you, it can be done. This was a great dish. Chef Alevras does wonders with mushrooms. The flavors were amazing. Everything was perfectly seasoned, and this is another fresh dish I'd love to have all the time!
The Violet Hill Fam Muttoin Loin came with spinach, parsnip puree, and red onions. It was perfectly cooked and delicious. I loved how the mutton flavor and the parsnip puree went so well together.
For dessert we had the Butterscotch Pot de Creme with marcona almond biscotti and Hazlenut Semifreddo with cinnamon caramel sauce and a hazlenut cookie.
The Butterscotch Pot de Creme was fine. I didn't really taste too much butterscotch flavor, but I still enjoyed the dish. The Hazelnut Semifreddo was also very nice and enjoyable. I liked both desserts because neither were heavy, and they were a nice satisfying end to a great meal.
So, if you are looking for a restaurant where you can really taste how fresh all the ingredients are in each dish, and where the chef takes pride in all the ingredients used, The Tasting Room is the perfect spot. You will never look at mushrooms the same way again!
The Tasting Room
264 Elizabeth Street (at Houston St.)
New York, NY 10012
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( 3 / 608 )Monday night I ended up going to dinner at new celebrity "hot spot" The Waverly Inn. I was there a week before for a glass of wine, when 5 minutes after I ordered, P. Diddy and his girlfriend and bodyguard walked in, 5 minutes after that Ivanka Trump left, and 5 minutes after that Amy Poehler from SNL and her husband Will Arnett from Arrested Development had left. I knew this was the spot I belonged at. In fact I stayed after the place had closed and entertained the chef and hosts with some amazing magic.
It is a very cozy and quaint place. There is a nice bar area when you first walk in, with the dining area in the next room. I'm sure on any given day if you take a peak inside this room you will see various celebrities and "power" players dining on some good, satisfying food.
In fact, I was seated right next to the entryway, but the only celebrity I noticed was me. Well, actually later on in my meal I had a nice conversation with actress Erika Christensen, although I was wasted, so I don't exactly remember what I said.
Instead of bread to begin the meal my waiter brought me a basket of two biscuits and some creamy butter. These biscuits were excellent; soft, warm, and perfect. In fact they were the best biscuits I have ever had!
For my appetizer I tried the Tuna Tartare with avocado and dijon emulsion. It was excellent. Fresh with perfect flavor, and I even detected a slight hint of egg, which I thought was great.
For my entree I had the Braised Short Ribs with celery root puree. Now, short ribs are getting very popular on many menus around NYC, these were very good. Nice and tender and my celery root puree was the perfect compliment to the meat.
The only downside of the Waverly Inn was the end of the meal. For dessert I had the chocolate cake. It was boring and really not that good.
So, for some great celebrity sightings and very good satisfying food the Waverly Inn is a perfect little spot. Like I always tell people, biscuits and Diddy always make for a great meal.
The Waverly Inn
16 Bank St. (at Waverly Pl)
New York, NY 10014
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( 3 / 572 )Saturday night my sister and I went to an American restaurant in Tribeca called Devin Tavern. My first experience at Devin was a week before, when I had drinks with three pretty gals, and tried the chicken meatballs with mushroom & sweet pea ragout, and garlic toast. That appetizer was very good (the model I was sitting next to might have added to the experience as well) and the menu intrigued me, thus I knew I would return to try some other dishes.
The restaurant is a modernized tavern. It is rustic, yet new. It is very big with many different rooms separated by some walls with exposed brick. The dishes are very heavy and hearty, and I would not recommend coming here if you are a vegetarian or a light eater. It is very "wintery", and in fact I would never eat here during the summer.
There are many tables in the bar area and that is where my sister and I were seated. I suppose my celebrity status did not warrant us a seat in the formal dining room, away from the wine guzzlers, or it could have been cause I had made the reservation only 15 minutes in advance. In any case, we started with two cocktails ($12 each) from the very nice cocktail menu. I had their version of an Old-Fashioned and she had their Caipirinha. Both were good and hit the spot.
For starters, she had the Mushroom and Bone Marrow soup ($12). It was very good. The mushroom and marrow flavor was well balanced and complimented each other nicely. It was a great start for a cold night.
I had the Oysters Gratin ($12) with wellfleets, hollandaise, spinach and lardons. The oysters came on a bed of salt which I never had before, and it was fine. I was not sure if the oysters were supposed to be cold, warm, or hot. They were lukewarm. I saw no spinach and had no idea what a wellfleet was until I just googled it, and believe it is a type of oyster from Wellfleet, MA.
My sister had the Lobster Wellington ($39!) with fois gras,chanterelles, sweet peas, pearl onions, and lobster cream. She seemed to have enjoyed it. I tried a little of it, and thought it could use some more flavor and seasoning, but I did enjoy the lobster flavor.
I went with the Grilled Veal Sirloin ($38!) with sautéed chanterelles, crispy fingerlings, foie gras & ruby port reduction. It was a huge chunk of meat that had a nicely seasoned crispy top, and was well cooked. The reduction was nice, but I found the entire dish boring. The sad part is I saw no fois gras, which I would have said something to the waitress about, but out of hunger, I had ate most of the dish, before realizing what I thought was fois gras, was the chanterelles. Oops!
For dessert we tried the Chocolate Covered Potato Chips ($10). I heard about this dessert from my readings and really wanted to try them. They came with salted chips, candied nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate pistoles. I enjoyed this dessert because I thought the combination of saltiness and sweetness was perfect.
If you are looking for a very hearty meal it is a fine choice. But I do think it is somewhat overpriced and you can get more bang for your buck elsewhere.
In fact, if I were to ever come back to Devin Tavern, I would probably just get those chicken meatballs and the chocolate potato chips. Oh, and I'd make sure there is a model sitting next to me.
Devin Tavern
363 Greenwich Street (between Franklin and Harrison)
New York, NY 10013
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