Quick Bites: Co. (Unconventionally Awesome Pizza in Chelsea)

The Basics: Co. is a rebellious newcomer pizza station by Jim Lahey who pioneered Sullivan Street Bakery, which supplies its acclaimed dough to gourmet stores and restaurants all over the city.  He brings his bread expertise to chewy, charr-crusted pizzas that are light on sauce but loaded with crisp greens and a myriad cheeses. Prepare to wait for these pies as they don’t take reservations and the restaurant is always packed.
Food: Very Good
Best Dish: The Popeye pizza (pictured above) with spinach, pecorino, gruyere, buffalo mozzarella, black pepper and garlic.
Drinks: Well-priced wines like a $39 Monastrell from Spain and a $35 Cabernet from Barossa Valley are served in stemless water cups to add to the laid-back attitude.
Service: Very Good
Average App/Entree Price: $8/$17
Value: Very Good
Location: 230 Ninth Avenue
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Blown Away By Allegretti

I can’t remember the last time I entered a meal with so little expectation and left so inspired. On a whim, my parents secured a last-minute 8:00 Friday reservation at Allegretti, and I came along. I knew the restaurant had opened within the past year, but that’s about it. Their old-fashioned blue and yellow toned web site with a rooster symbol did not hype me up for the meal. Though probably fine cuisine, I anticipated old-fashioned, haute French.

I was so wrong. The Provencal food, hailing from Nice, is like a fusion of French/Mediterranean with some Italian influence to boot. You’ll find olives, artichokes, and seasonal vegetables like ramps, sugar snap peas and leeks sprinkled everywhere on the menu. The Mediterranean influence plays a hand with chickpeas, fava beans, and pine nuts. And then you remember you’re in France with a cassollette of garden vegetables and a fish soup with gruyere cheese. What you won’t find is a cream sauce or foie gras. The only caviar on the menu is eggplant caviar. The food at Allegretti is truly a breath of fresh air.

We had the ballotine of rabbit with young herbs, baby vegetables and a quail egg. We had nicois ravioli stuffed with braised oxtail and swiss chard. We had roasted veal sweetbreads with a pine nut crust , English peas, and veal jus. My black sea bass arrived naked, accompanied by some baby aritchokes, fava beans and mushrooms. I poured its delicate jus on top, until I had the perfect amount. Every dish was a star.

Eat the nicoise-studded olive bread and steer clear of the side dishes. An underseasoned wild mushroom trifolatti and dense chickpea fries were the only issues. Save your appetite for the complete plates, side dishes are superfluous.

As always, my Dad brought incredible wines, and the Sommelier at Allegretti was accomodating. We promised to give him a glass of the Gevry-Chambertin Serafin 1993 that my Dad brought, and he seemed delighted.

Our waitress was warm, knowledgeable, and excited to talk about the cuisine though slightly overbearing at times. There were moments when she’d linger at the table for longer than desired, though not enough to interfere with the meal.

After our experience, I did some homework on Alain Allegretti and discovered that he has quite a pedigree, after being the Executive chef at Atelier de Joel Robuchon (not to mention, very handsome!). Shame on me for not knowing anything about such a talented chef who is blazing his own trail here.

A restaurant like Allegretti should never have a free table on a Friday at 8PM. I would blame the dire economic times but I’ve had plenty of meals at packed restaurants in today’s economy. Is it expensive? Oh yes. Save it for your next special occasion. But please don’t let Alegretti be a secret. It deserves far better.

Alegretti: 46 W 22nd Street
Cuisine: French (Provencal)
Average App/Entree Price: $17/$33
Food: Excellent
Service: Very Good
Value: Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Txikito

It takes time to figure out how how to pronounce the name of this little tapas restaurant in Chelsea but I get a sense that I’ll be saying it a lot more. Txikito (actually pronounced chee-kee-toe) is a new venture by Alex Raij and Eder Montero of Tia Pol and El Quinto Pino. Once again this duet has brought tremendous new Basque flavors to Chelsea, with top notch service to boot.

The restaurant only has about 28 seats and a sliver of a bar at the front with bright red stools. The space is small so expect intimacy and bring a sense of adventure, there’s a lot to try here. The menu is divided between Ostatutik, Pintxoak, Hotzak and Beroak (from the bar, canapes, cold items and hot items) and each dish is as intriguing as the next. There is a lot of focus on seafood including a myriad cod dishes, anchovy, tuna, mussels and squid though meat lovers will find nice selections including odd parts like trotters, tripe and head cheese. Though a tough decision, we decided to start with mushroom and shrimp grilled cheese sandwiches (txiki txanpi) and atuna, a little sandwich of tuna with sweet onion and olive oil. The atuna was the surprising star, nestled into a mini baguette with slick tuna that oozed with flavor from the onions. The grilled cheese sandwiches had dots of earthiness from the mushroom but lacked the depth of flavor that the atuna had and the bread was a bit dry, they were thirsty for a dipping sauce.

Next came a special for the evening which was chickpea and cod stew with spinach. The yellow sauce of the stew was smokey and rich, so good that we slurped up the last drops in our spoons! Next we had squid in its own ink, a bountiful, deep-black portion served with short grain white rice. Lastly huge, salty lamb chops (chuletillas) with watercress, lemon juice and a decadent layer of fat on each. We asked for bread to cut some of the richness of the food and enjoyed sopping up the squid ink with it. I washed it down with a Basque rose and a redhook ale.

Txikito was a fantastic meal with lots of unique flavors. I can’t wait to go back.

Txikito: 240 9th Ave (betw 24th and 25th)
Cuisine: Tapas
Average Appetizer/Entree Price: Tapas run from $5-$20 with the “Beroak” (hot items) being as large as a regular entrees
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.
Word to the Wise: They do not take reservations but at 9PM on a Friday there was only a 20 minute wait for 2. Give them your phone number and get a beer around the corner at Half King or West Side Tavern!

Hill Country

I will be the first to admit that my BBQ knowledge is limited. I’ve only recently learned about all of the different styles i.e. Memphis, Texas and North Carolina. What I do know, is that I’ve yet to have REALLY good BBQ prior to my trip to Hill Country. Oddly enough, BBQ has been a bit of a NY trend lately, with old timers like Blue Smoke and Dinosaur BBQ continuing their popularity and new kids like Wildwood BBQ and Q in Westchester popping up. I’d tried a few of these places and for some reason, they fell flat. The meat wasn’t moist enough, the sides were bland. Hill Country was the first place I’d heard was actually fantastic, said to be authentic Texas style BBQ in Chelsea. I’m not sure what made it authentic but it was DAMN GOOD, that’s for sure.

Hill Country is a lively duplex with large communal tables filled with hungry carnivores who rub elbows while watching the football game, projected onto the big screen or listening to regular band performances on stage. Upstairs, patrons line up with trays and butcher paper (no plates) and approach the counter to make selections from the meat masters behind. You order brisket, ribs, and chicken by the pound and the guys will pile it onto your plate while checking off your personal ticket, which serves as a bill at the end (leaving you free for seconds if you dare).

I ordered the brisket moist (fattier than the brisket lean) which was my favorite part of the meal. It was definitely moist, smokey, and perfectly tender. With a dash of hot sauce it was sublime. The gigantic beef ribs had a nice sweet, smokiness though they were a bit dry, I’ve heard the pork ribs are better. The sides I had were phenomenal: creamy, sharp mac and cheese plus string beans with salty fried onions. I tasted a yummy bite of the corn pudding too. They also run a special on a bucket of Lone Star beer, 6 beers for $30 I believe. If you love BBQ, you can’t miss Hill Country.

Hill Country: 30 W 26th Street (betw Broadway and 6th ave)
Cuisine: Texas BBQ
Average Entree Price: Anywhere from $15 to $50 depending on your appetite!
Food: Very Good
Service: Good
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Del Posto

My continuous Batali talk has no end, as I was invited to dinner at Del Posto last night and happily accepted. It was an absolute marathon of a meal- four hours and ten courses with highs and lows at various points. Some dishes were sublime while others nearly tasteless. I can understand why Del Posto often lives in the shadow of the acclaimed, Babbo.

The dining rooms at Del Posto are elegant and sophisticated with chocolate leather seats, ornate marble floors and dramatic oversized light fixtures which create a soft glow. The restaurant has two floors and features a split staircase that creeps up to the mezzanine in the center of the main dining room. I found the restaurant to be really beautiful, reminiscent of some old, charming New Orleans restaurants that I frequented at school.

We opted for the seven course tasting menu then added in some additional pasta and dessert courses (as if it wasn’t enough!). Wines were paired with each course and though I questioned a few of the choices, the sommelier was very knowledgeable and reassured me of the thought process behind each. The service was impeccable: courses were timed well, silverware and stemware replacements were perfectly orchestrated in advance of each course.

I apologize in advance for the excrutiating detail which I’m about to go into, but I think my dining buddies will appreciate it ;)

The meal began with an amuse-bouche of a roasted red pepper and tomato cold soup, potato croquettes, bites of olive and butter tartlets and some chopped zucchini in an egg yolk sauce. These were forgettable. On to the tasting menu:

The first course was an insalata di scampi which consisted of a langoustine tail with an heirloom tomato salad. The presentation was beautiful with the head of the langoustine at the top of the plate and the bits of meat lined up to create the body. A nice, light start to the meal, complemented well by an unoaked Piemontese Chardonnay. The second course was a sturgeon filet with caviar. I found it to be lackluster and out of place, nothing to write home about. What the course lacked in food, it made up for in champagne, a killer Grand Cuvee Krug. The third course was an addition: agnolotti (akin to a mini gnocchi) stuffed with veal and boar with a Parmigiano-Reggiano butter. It was subdued, needed more sauce or spice to bring the flavors forward. We move on to the fourth course, a porcini lasagnette which was pretty dry and boring with tiny specks of porcini, paired with a Barbaresco. From there, things started to vastly improve. We had another addition, orechiette with lamb neck sausage and squash blossom ragu. It was a great choice- had a nice al dente texture and married well with the slightly spicy lamb sausage. Number six was a duck course consisting of sliced breast of duck with a toast point of foie gras and tender lettuces. The duck was rich and smoky, delightful with a Brunello di Montalcino. We finished the savory dishes with the king of all meats, a kobe beef deckle which was thin squares of kobe served with young arugula and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The kobe was melt-in-your-mouth tender, salty and rich- everyone’s favorite dish by far. We had requested an Amarone which they unfortunately did not carry so the sommelier swapped it for a Valpolicella made in an Amarone style. It was certainly Amarone- reminiscent and made for a great exchange.

Rounding out the meal was a cheese course: robiola wrapped in chestnut leaves and served with thin slices of raisin and walnut bread. We enjoyed it with a Marsala and all complimented how well the Marsala picked up the notes of chestnut in the cheese. For dessert we were served a zabaglione which was a custard with berries- very nice with a moscato d’asti. Somehow we pressed on and added a budino di cioccolato, consisting of chocolate pudding, chocolate streusel and whipped cream. A bit rich for my taste, but everyone else seemed to really enjoy it. At the epic conclusion of the meal, the waiter wheeled over a cart filled with a multitude of Italian petits-fours (Italian name for this?) which we, somehow, made room for alongside our espresso.

The moral of the story is, Del Posto can be a wonderful meal if you order properly. If I have the chance to return I’ll focus more on meat dishes and less on pastas. And for anyone else, order wisely and consult with me as I’ve sampled the whole menu ;)

Del Posto: 85 10^th Avenue (betw 15^th and 16^th)
Cuisine: Italian
Average App/Entree Price: $22/$26
Food: Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Poor
You Gonna Finish That? Meh, you can taste the side.

Cuba Cafe

I came to Cuba Cafe expecting decent food, stiff drinks, and a relaxed atmosphere- certainly not fine dining. My expectations were perfectly met. Cuba Cafe is so loudly tropical with brightly patterned tablecloths and a tiki-esque bar that you have to have a good time. We ordered a few appetizers: chorizo sauteed with port wine, crispy oysters with sauteed spinach, salad with avocado and hearts of palm, shrimp ceviche, and tuna ceviche. Appetizers were followed by a seafood paella for the table. Though the menu was thoughtful, the execution was poor. The tuna ceviche came in a hollowed out avocado with a thick mayonnaise sauce. The shrimp ceviche was served in an oversized martini glass- a valiant effort at elegance but with a sauce brimming over the sides it was more like a recipe for dress ruining disaster. The paella was tasty with a hearty portion of mussels, calamari, clams, and shrimp though with that much salt- how could it not be? Our newby waiter (his first night) was perpetually confused and often impossible to find. The food arrived at various times, no rhyme or reason to when plates were served.

I can’t say that I loved my meal at Cuba Cafe. However, with a table outside on a gorgeous night and a stiff mojito in hand, does it really matter all that much? Despite my gripes, I can see myself returning to Cuba Cafe as their 4-7PM happy hour is wooing me.

Cuba Cafe: 200 8^th Ave Between 20^th and 21^st
Cuisine: Cuban, Latin American, Tapas
Average App/Entree Price: $9.95/$18.95
Food: Good
Service: Poor
Value: Good
You Gonna Finish That? Not even worth a doggy bag.

Momoya

I tried out this seemingly trendy sushi spot in the new neighborhood on Saturday night with my sister. The atmosphere was definitely hipper than most but I found the menu and the food to be lackluster and overpriced. Our food arrived in a timely manner but our waiter seemed confused and rushed, despite a half empty restaurant. We ordered Kirin lights and a crisp, fruity sake to drink while we perused the menu. We decided to have three smallish plates each so we could sample a lot. For sis: crab cakes followed by toro tartare and a special roll with salmon, mozzarella, avocado, and hearts of palm. She enjoyed everything but nothing was spectacular. We were both eager to try the pairing of salmon and mozzarella and it turned out to be rather flat with flavorless salmon and barely-there mozzarella. I had the beat, goat cheese and roasted walnut salad followed by salmon carpaccio and a nakamura roll with yellowtail, jalapeno, salmon, tuna, cucumber and scallop tartare on top. A tartare should be rather flavorful but everything needed more seasoning be it salt or spice.

Overall rating: good, but not great. I’ll shop around a bit more before returning to Momoya.

Momoya: 187 7^th Ave and 21^st Street
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
Average App/Entree Price: $8/$23
Food: Good
Service: Good
Value: Good
You Gonna Finish That? Meh, you can taste the side.

Cookshop

Someone thoughtful is in the kitchen at Cookshop and they speak loud and clearly through the honest, deftly prepared American fare. At Cookshop the focus is on local ingredients, weaving fresh exotic produce into every dish. Ever had lamb’s quarters? Despite their misleading name, lamb’s quarters are a green with an anise-like character. The menu is dotted with local greens in dishes such as dandelion with radicchio and parmesan or Berkshire pork chop with sweet potatoes and Tuscan kale. The menu changes often, depending on what is available in the area. The decor is simple, much like being in a country house with slotted pinewood tables and wide open spaces. There is no glamour in the atmosphere here as the food is the real star.

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Tia Pol

I finally endured the hour and a half wait and made it to Tia Pol on Thursday night. It was certainly the most authentic tapas I have had yet in the city and I believe my friends, who all traveled abroad to Spain, agreed with me. Unfortunately the restaurant is tiny and the word is out, yielding wait times of two hours, on any given night. They do not take reservations for less than six people.

The decor at Tia Pol isn’t fancy. It is a narrow space with a long bar at the front and daily specials written on a large black chalkboard in the center. The walls are mainly exposed brick with low hanging lanterns dangling from the ceiling. The restaurant is certainly a scene, with people packed like sardines between the bar and the wall behind it, anxiously awaiting a spot at one of the mere fifteen tables in the back.

By the time they were ready for us, we were starving. Luckily the service was very prompt as servers were rapidly bustling from table to table. We ordered a pitcher of sangria for the table- excellent with a perfect balance of tanginess from the wine and sweetness from the juice. We ordered two rounds of tapas, the first consisted of: ham croquetas, tuna croquetas, fava bean puree with beyos cheese on toasted bread, chocolate and chorizo, and tortilla Espanola. The second round consisted of: squid in ink with rice, head on shrimp, Serrano ham with manchego and artichoke and sweet peppers filled with potato salad and topped with white tuna.

Everything we sampled was truly unique but my personal favorites were the ham croquetas, chocolate and chorizo, Serrano ham and fava bean puree. There is still so much more on the menu that I’d love to try. I am so pumped that Tia Pol is a block away from my new place! If you have some time in your evening, I highly recommend carving it out for Tia Pol, you won’t regret it.

Tia Pol: 205 10^th Ave betw 22^nd and 23^rd
Cuisine: Spanish, Tapas
Average App/Entree Price: $6-$16 Tapas
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Klee Brasserie

Klee Brasserie is an adorable upscale Austrian brasserie located in Chelsea. The decor is relatively casual with comfy banquette seating along the wall and eggplant colored pillows that almost make you want to snuggle up with the person at the table beside you. A long bar lines the opposite side of the restaurant with wood paneling. Psychedelic oversized flowers and a beautiful glass mosaic at the rear of the restaurant liven up the mood.

The menu offers up inventive Austrian fare with dots of spaetzle and weiner shniztel making appearances along side Alsatian pizza and oddly enough, a paella special. Our waiter seemed to be fresh out of school, very new at the job. I noticed the manager shadowing him as he took our order and fulfilled other such duties. The service was far from terrible but overall needed some work: wine was brought at awkward moments, pepper offered on salad when I was halfway through, etc. I think with a little bit of time, they’ll get it together.

The chef at Klee, Daniel Angeler, has some big name institutions under his belt such as work at Fresh, Jean Georges, and Bouley. His skill certainly shows in the food. My Mom started with a delectable char tartare which came with a heaping portion, served simply in an oversized martini glass with golden-beet caviar. I had a blue cheese, radicchio and lollo rosso salad with hazelnuts. For entrees she had the roasted duckling with plums, quinoa, and klee honey and I had the pine nut crusted halibut with lemongrass broth.

A very enjoyable meal, though they have some kinks to work out in terms of service. I would love to return to Klee in a few months when they have had some more time to get comfortable in their own skin.

Klee Brasserie: 200 Ninth Avenue and 22^nd
Cuisine: Austrian, New American
Average App/Entree Price: $10/$25
Food: Very Good
Service: Good
Value: Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.