David Pasternack and Mario Batali’s seafood shrine, Esca, is everything a restaurant should be from its stately dining room to its top-notch service and supreme food. This fish freak was in absolute heaven.
David Pasternack was doing crudo at Esca before crudo became cool. Some even credit him as the pioneer of this Italian raw fish trend in America. With a dash of coarse salt and a slather of olive oil, he brings sea creatures to new heights. But Pasternack is no one-trick-pony. His cooked preparations burst with flavor, honoring the fish and delighting diners. Even on a strange corner of 9th Avenue, Esca was packed at 9:45 on a Thursday evening.
As busy as Esca was, no less than three people smiled as we walked in, for no reason other than to welcome new customers. I’m fairly certain it was Pasternack himself, who I saw gazing across the room like a hawk, for any transgressions. First impressions such as this are key indicators of what lies ahead.
We shared three crudo: sea trout with crushed almonds, orata with meyer lemon and pink snapper with black salt. Each was more fresh and unique than the next. My favorite was the snapper while E loved the nuttiness of the trout. Since it was late, they were out of a lot of options. I planned on ordering the whole fish baked in salt but all they had left was the three-person portion of black sea bass. After some deliberation, we decided to go for it.
It arrived, gorgeously crusted in a thick shell of sea salt. They cracked the shell tableside and the sommelier brought the platter for us to gaze at before they filleted the fish. The whole dining room seemed to glance enviously at the presentation. I had a huge grin on my face , so much so, that the tipsy guy next to us was repeating “AWW, LOOK HOW HAPPY SHE IS!” After carefully deboning the bass and separating it into two generous portions, they drizzled a fragrant olive oil on top and served it. Don’t let the concept deceive you, the salt was subtly infused into the meat of the fish, rather than making it salty. We also shared a basic side salad and some sautéed cremini mushrooms along with the bass. We had NO problem finishing the portion for three, though it was plentiful ;) The fish was so fresh, I couldn’t bear to leave it over.
I’ve said enough about my recent trip to Gilt and I don’t want to dwell on the negative. But the treatment we received at Gilt vs. Esca was simply night and day. Every question we had, no matter how nit picky, no matter how detailed, was answered with respect by everyone at Esca from the sommelier, to the waiter and the bread boy. Our waiter went above and beyond, informing E of anything he should avoid be it a shellfish broth or bread possibly made with lard. The fact that he knew all of these details was a wonder in itself. Before visiting, I had read some reports of shaky service in recent years. I found it to be the opposite!
My respect for Batali increases with each restaurant of his that I visit. Esca is another example of why I love him. Unfortunately, he doesn’t love me. But that’s a story for another day.
The fact that Gilt has 2 Michelin stars and Esca now has 0 is an utter tragedy. Who are these loony people? Esca was a phenomenal dining experience that I’d love to repeat for my next special occasion.
Have you been to Esca? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Location: 402 W 43rd and 9th Ave Food: Excellent Service: Excellent Average App/Entrée Price: $17/$32 Value: Very Good You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.
Despite all that happened in the world, 2009 still managed to be a great year for food. While tough for new restaurateurs to enter the business, veterans like Daniel Boulud, Danny Meyer and Michael Hyunh took advantage. Great opportunities for craft beer began, as people tightened the grip on their wallets, less willing to splurge on nice wine. Nose-to-tail cooking emerged, carpaccio was cool, Vietnamese sandwiches sprouted up, yadda yada. You’ve got Time Out New York for a roundup of this year’s trends. I won’t bore you with that here.
I would simply like to talk about my absolute favorite restaurant meals this year. And then, won’t you share yours with me too?
In chronological order, these were my Top 5 Meals of 2009: 1) Scarpetta-
From the gooey burrata to the roasted goat and the perfect spaghetti, Scarpetta was an excellent meal. Our waitress was not just amiable but seemingly passionate about giving us the best experience possible.
Robyn Lee via Serious Eats
2) Allegretti
From low expectations to a mind-blowing meal, I adored the Provencal cuisine at Allegretti. Plus, Alain Allegretti is quite a looker ;)
3) Minetta Tavern
I wanted to hate it for its fierce trendiness and holier-than-though reservation system, but that cote de boeuf with bone marrow made it so worthwhile.
4) SHO Shaun Hergatt
At least one new chef in New York is rising to the top and that’s Shaun Hergatt. The exotic French-Asian food left me inspired. A red chili and coconut milk glazed quail holds a place in my hall-of-fame for best appetizers of all time.
5) Allen & Delancey
A solid Christmas dinner in a space as romantic as it is eery. Despite a revolving door of new chefs at A&D, the restaurant seems to be holding its own with Tom Block at the healm.
The New Year also marks the third anniversay of this little blog! Thanks for reading and sharing with me over the years. I hope all of my food adventures and recipes have been as fun for you to follow as they have been for me to recount. Have a happy and healthy New Year’s eve!
Last weekend, I experienced a restaurant dilemma. I had to find a place with a rare cross-section of features for a group dinner. I wanted sushi but a close friend (whose Birthday was the next day) wanted a restaurant with a full bar. It sounds simple but most of the decent sushi restaurants in New York only serve beer, wine and sake. We also needed somewhere downtown, for proximity to cool bars. Oh, and it had to be affordable. I rattled my brain, asked some Twitterers and Chowhounders, but nothing fit. We could have done Haru, but I’ve been there a zillion times and it felt boring. We could do Sushi Samba but… cheesy! We could do 15 East but, too expensive. We could do Bond St but I’ve been a zillion times AND too expensive. We could do Matsugen but trecking to TriBeca on a freezing cold evening was unappealing. I consulted my Wish List a few times but most places listed “beer and wine only”. Then I decided to see for myself.
Sachiko’s on Clinton has been on my Wish List for years. I don’t recall how it got there. Since it’s an under-the-radar restaurant I figured someone with good taste had recommended it. I tried my luck and left a message at Sachiko’s, assuming I was out-of-luck and we were Sushi Samba bound. Shockingly, Sachiko’s called me back, confirmed their full bar, and I notified the troops of our reservation at this LES nook that nobody had heard of. Luckily, my friends have learned to trust my taste over the years.
Sachiko’s is a humble hideaway with red walls and an expansive sushi bar in the front, plus ample tables in the back with separator curtains for privacy. They also have a beautiful little courtyard, for warmer months. Though they offer plenty in the way of cocktails, don’t expect a party scene. This is real, authentic Japanese in a mellow environment. That’s not to say the food is boring by any means. Sachiko’s goes beyond typical sushi platters and offers various types of soba noodles and kushiage (deep-fried kabobs) plus fusion dishes like sesame tofu with foie gras.
To start we shared slippery green tea soba noodles with a sesame dipping sauce and scallion and wasabe bits. We then shared a special tartare trio with two types of tuna and salmon. The best part of Sachiko’s is the attention they pay to detail. When our tartare arrived they brought us a tall, artful spray bottle with white soy sauce inside. I wish I had taken a photo of it! I assume the point of the soy spray bottle was to prevent us from soaking our sushi in soy, as a lot of people do (myself included). But frankly, it was just fun.
A friend and I shared the above “Jewel Box” for our entrée. As you can see, it’s an assortment of the freshest fish in the house including king salmon, tuna, fresh water eel and others that I can’t remember. The fish is rolled into little balls around the rice and presented in this elegant box. I’m no expert, but the way I judge a sushi place is their ability to offer pieces outside of the usual suspects and still have each taste melt-in-your mouth fresh. Fatty fish like salmon and tuna are passable at most neighborhood places but if a restaurant can serve me a box with white fish, sea bass, etc with each satisfying equally, I am impressed. That was the case with this beautiful Jewel Box.
It is amazing to me that a restaurant like Sachiko’s was half empty on a Friday evening. I would like to keep it my little secret but I also want them to do well. Based on discussions on Chowhound, Sachiko’s has been hit-or-miss over the years, which may be the cause for slow nights. Things must have changed recently though. What Menupages currently lists is different than the real menu. My experience can attest that if they had any rocky times over the years, they are back on an upward trend. Sachiko’s is a diamond in the rough, and I’m lucky to have found it!
BONUS: Check out their cute promotional video!
Location: 25 Clinton Street Food: Excellent Drinks: An expansive sake list plus beer, wine and yes, cocktails! Our waiter recommended his favorite bottle of sake to us which was round and smooth. Unfortunately I can’t remember the name. Service: Very Good Average App/Entree Price: $7/$24 (varies greatly depending on your sushi appetite) Value: Excellent You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.
The extravagant SHO Shaun Hergatt opened less than a year ago in a risky climate for restaurateurs of all types, but even tougher for those with fine dining ambitions. I still recall when I wrote up SHO Shaun as part of the June restaurant report. Opening a glitzy French-Asian fusion restaurant with a long name, deep in the Financial District in the middle of a recession is frankly, ballsy. What were they thinking?
With every card stacked against it, SHO Shaun has plowed through this year, receiving praise from critics galore and even a Michelin star. Did I mention they’ve only been open for 7 months? Nevertheless, I’m never one to accept one opinion as fact and I couldn’t wait to see for myself. Though not a household name, Shaun Hergatt had great experience at Atelier de Joel Robuchon and other hotel restaurant experience at the Ritz Carlton both here and in Australia.
It has been some time since I had a meal as dazzling as dinner at SHO Shaun Hergatt. The seasonal French-Asian menu is a stark contrast to the fusion cuisine of yore which is now painfully tired. You won’t find any duck breast with shiitake mushrooms here. You almost need a dictionary to read the menu. Tetragonia? Tatsoi? Rosella gel? It was all so exotic and exciting. And the service was perfectly orchestrated in a down-to-earth yet prideful manner. You’ll get inspired amuse-bouches like lobster creme and bread with truffle butter and a finale of petits-fours. Though the menu might sound intimidating, it all makes sense when the food arrives. SHO Shaun doesn’t force you to think as you eat, which was off-putting at Corton.
The martian-looking dish above is the red chilli and coconut milk glazed quail with a shiitake duxelle and tetragonia (a leafy vegetable similar to spinach) The quail was crispy and sweet on the outside with a juicy center. As I sliced into the shiitake duxelle, liver oozed out with a richness counteracted by mustard. A quail egg was sandwiched between the duxelle and quail meat. Each component was complex and magnificent on its own but even better when combined.
For my entree I had flaky, sweet Chatham cod with a light dusting of fennel and orange kaffir lime-scented crème on the side. Its delicate flavors were a nice leveler to the quail appetizer.
My poor cod was greatly overshadowed by my Dad’s three-day short rib with a sweet crunchy crust of hazelnut and cranberry plus creamy parsnip purée on the side. The short rib’s tremendous flavors lingered on and on. I read on Always Hungry that Chef Hergatt make the luscious, tender meat by “marinading it for two days in red wine. The fat-end of the bone-in short rib is then roasted and braised in red wine marinade for six hours. The meat is de-boned and portioned into the length of a Mars Bar. It’s glazed with a reduced braising liquid that gives it the appearance of a chocolate-coated candy bar.” The plate is also adorned with slices of tomato confit, which tasted like sweet sun dried tomatoes and a few pearl onions. It’s a tough battle between the quail and the short rib for favorite dish of the evening.
For dessert we had the java cremeux with apricot croustillant and cardamom ice cream. I never go gaga for desserts (unless it’s a cheese plate) but I enjoyed the interplay of spice, coffee and sweet apricot. The flavors were spot-on with just enough sweetness. Even better than this dish though was the chocolate caramel salts which arrived with the petits-fours.
I sincerely hope that SHO Shaun’s unfortunate location won’t dissuade people from visiting. They’re doing everything right and I applaud Chef Hergatt for persevering to build such a phenomenal restaurant, against all odds. I’m sure he met many non believers along the way. Plus, $69 for a three-course meal like this is outrageous in New York! This food is truly transcendental. Absolutely check out SHO Shaun Hergatt for your next special occasion. It will wow you!
Location: 40 Broad Street Food: Excellent Service: Very Good Average App/Entrée Price: 3 Courses for $69 Value: Excellent You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.
Stuffing may be the last word you want to hear right now, but there was so much interest in my challah stuffing experiment, I thought it worthy of a follow-up.
Since E was celebrating Thanksgiving with us for the first time, I had to reconsider all of my recipes to make them kosher. My typical spinach-artichoke-brie stuffing wouldn’t work with turkey (no milk and meat mixed). I found a recipe for stuffing with fennel, apples and raisins on Williams-Sonoma (perfect!) but when my Mom shopped for baguettes she returned with challah, not wanting to trip-up with something unkosher. My feathers were ruffled at the thought of soggy stuffing since challah has a different texture but I asked for opinions on Twitter.
Since the majority of replies were favorable, I decided to give it a go. Then I encountered the next stuffing issue: milk! Milk can be substituted for soy in many recipes, so I knew what I had to do. But could challah soy milk stuffing actually be good? Oh yes it can! A bonus is that this worked perfectly for my vegetarian relatives. It really satisfies a lot of food restrictions without skimping on flavor. If you don’t need a non-dairy stuffing I would still encourage you to shake your fear of soy! It adds a lovely sweetness that works perfectly with the apples and raisins.
Here is the recipe for the “perfectly pareve” stuffing with fennel, leeks raisins and apples. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
I multiplied to yield a dish for 30 people but adjust according to your guests.
3 challah torn into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 sticks margarine
10 shallots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick
slices
3 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 leeks, thinly sliced
3 cups toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
6 Fuji or McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and cut
into 1/4-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tsp. finely ground coriander
6 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
6 tsp. chopped fresh sage
3 cups golden raisins
12 cups soy milk
Directions:
Spread the challah out on a baking sheet and let dry overnight.
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Spread margarine on a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
In a fry pan over medium heat, melt the margarine. Add the shallots and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the fennel, leeks, walnuts and apples and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender, 3 to 4 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the bread and the shallot mixture. Add the coriander, thyme, sage, raisins and the soy milk and stir gently to mix. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed, about 30 minutes. If the dressing seems dry, add more milk as needed. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
Transfer the dressing to the prepared baking dish and bake until browned and crispy, about 1.5 hours.
Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is in less than a week. If you’re seeking a new recipe for the big day you’ve no doubt been parsing countless food sites and magazines for the juiciest bird and the heartiest stuffing. While I don’t want to add to the clutter I simply can’t let the holiday go by without sharing some of my favorite dishes. If you haven’t quite honed in on the perfect menu you may find some inspiration here.
Oven-Roasted Wild Mushrooms with Goat Cheese and Chili Oil- Chili might not have its place on the regular Thanksgiving table but there’s nothing wrong with spicing things up a bit. The earthy mushrooms, creamy goat cheese and heat from the chili oil is a delightful cross-section of flavor.
Turkey Saltimbocca with Fennel and Peas- If roasting a whole turkey isn’t in the cards for you this year, try these turkey breasts with sage and prosciutto. You can still have turkey for Thanksgiving while saving yourself a lot of time.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage- I recommend this dish for only a small gathering as making gnocchi can be pretty labor intensive. The warm, autumnal flavors are perfect for the holiday.
Mini Tomato Tarts with Raclette Cheese and Pesto- This recipe originally calls for 1 tart but I modify it as an hors d’eovures. Despite its fancy sounding name, it only requires a few ingredients.
Grandma Pearl’s Mushroom Rolls- It feels like I’ve been requesting these at every family holiday since I learned to talk. Finally I got the recipe from my Grandma and learned how to make them myself. These are a perfect hors d’oeuvres for a large get together as you can make them in advance and even freeze them.
Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Squares- Another impressive hors d’oeuvres that can be made in advance, frozen and heated when guests arrive. You won’t be saving any calories on this one but that’s not what Thanksgiving is about!
What am I cooking? This year I’m trying out some new things including a potato, squash, pepper, zucchini “lasagna” from Home Cooking with Charlie Trotter. I always make a savory spinach-artichoke stuffing with brie (featured above) but this year I’m testing out a New York Times recipe with lemon, barley and chive butter. If they prove successful, you’ll find them here. Stay tuned!
This vegetarian sandwich from 101 Cookbooks (with minor adjustments) is so packed with flavor that even without meat I’m still saying “holy cow, that was good!” I made it for Shabbat lunch last week and it held well overnight in the refrigerator, so it’s perfect for making in advance.
A few simple ingredients (grainy bread, tempeh, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce) plus a bit of extra care and you’ll have it. Roasting the cherry tomatoes with a touch of sugar and olive oil leaves them sweet and blistering. The cross-section of flavor between the smoky tempeh, sweet tomatoes, creamy avocado and crunch of bread is simply awesome. If you’re a big meat eater this sandwich will convince you that vegetarian food can still be packed with flavor and supremely filling. It’s no joke. Enjoy!
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers
8 ounces of tempeh, cut into 1/3-inch thick strips
1 small basket of cherry tomatoes (2 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
scant 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 small head of romaine lettuce, cored, then cut into 1/4-inch ribbons
1-2 large avocados, mashed with a pinch of salt and a dash of lemon juice just before assembling
4 or 8 extra-thin slices of hearty whole grain bread, well toasted
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Whisk together the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and adobo sauce. Pour 1/3 of the tempeh marinade into an 8×8 baking dish (or something comparable) – you want a dish that is just big enough to hold the tempeh in a single layer – this way it will be fully enveloped by the marinade. Pour the remaining marinade over the top of the tempeh, cover and keep in the refrigerator for a couple hours, overnight or until ready to use.
While the tempeh is marinating, roast the tomatoes. Cut each tomato in half and arrange them in a large oven-proof baking dish. Mix together the olive oil, sugar, and salt and pour this over the tomatoes. Gently toss them a bit, making sure they all get coated, finishing with each tomato facing cut-side up. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or so, until the tomatoes are shrunken and sweet.
When the tempeh is done marinating heat a large pan over medium-high heat and cook the tempeh slices for a few minutes on each side. Set the tempeh slices aside until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.
To assemble each sandwich take one slice of bread and slather a generous layer of mashed avocado. Place a small helping of the shredded lettuce on top of the avocado, a few tomatoes, then a few slices of the tempeh, and more tomatoes. Slather avocado on the other side and place face-down on top, for a complete sandwich.
I drizzled a tiny bit of olive oil on top to add a hint of moisture and richness since I made these in advance, though that’s not necessary.
The Basics: After staying afloat on East 54th street for nearly two decades, Oceana has swum South to a bigger space with the same fresh seafood and star service plus a modernized menu. Some of the new territory appears unfamiliar though. With ceviche, carpaccio and tartare on nearly every menu in Manhattan, there is no need to pay $19 for an appetizer trio of tuna, hamachi and wild salmon, unless it’s mind-blowing. Unfortunately their one-dimensional version wasn’t. Fresh? Yes. Inspiring? No. But prepared entrees remind you why an historic restaurant like Oceana can still survive, and earn a Michelin star for 2009. Meaty Branzino for two stuffed and rolled with spinach, juicy mushrooms and plump olives was simply bursting with flavors and the presentation of the coiled fish was stunning (though it looks a little scary in my phone-camera photo).
Food: Very Good Drinks: An expansive, fairly priced wine list and a hefty beer selection too. Despite the Livanos family’s background there was nary a Greek wine on the list. They plan to add some soon. Service: Very Good Average App/Entree Price: $17/$36 Value: Good Location: 1221 6th Ave and 49th You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.
Hey everybody, it’s my Birthday! I would love if all 15 of us girls/guys could meet somewhere fun and laid back in the downtown area, before we go out! Anybody have any ideas?
Oh, group dinners. Everyone usually arrives on time, the service is timely and friendly, the food is satisfying, the drinks flow freely, and splitting up the bill takes 5 minutes. No?
Despite the Birthday boy/girl’s best intentions, they know what will inevitably happen at said meal. People will arrive at different times, the food will be edible at best and one person will order a salad and force everyone to tally up their individual orders. Everyone will begrudgingly pay $80 for the meal, starting the night on a sour note. And then they sing “Happy Birthday Dear Stranger”, and you cry. Oh wait, that was just me…
Anyway, I’ve had both horrific and wonderful group dinners, but in my experience, sharing food always helps. A restaurant that offers small plates, allows everyone to try different flavors and facilitates fast bill-splitting. Plus, these restaurants are accustomed to hosting group dinners, ensuring reliable service. If not small plates, BBQ restaurants always have plenty of large tables and uniform pricing that allows for quick division of the bill.
Whether tapas, Korean, small plates or a Texas BBQ with counter-service, you can’t lose with the following:
Pipa Tapas. Union Square
Get The: Coca (flatbread) with mushrooms, caramelized onion and dried fig or the pulpo gallego (sautéed octopus with roasted potatoes and black olives)
‘Inoteca
Italian, Small Plates. Murray Hill and Lower East Side
Get The: Panini with spinach fontina and truffle oil or quail spiedini with barley
Macondo
Latin American, Small Plates. Lower East Side
Get The: Chorishrimp and Setas (flatbreads)
Alta
Spanish Tapas, Greenwich Village
Get The: Fried goat cheese with lavender honey + If in a really big group, order “The Whole Shebang” or everything on the menu, for $400
Stanton Social Eclectic Small Plates, Lower East Side
Get The: French onion soup dumplings, Kobe beef sliders
Crispo
Italian, Chelsea
Get The: Caramelized cauliflower with pine nuts and currants, Veal Saltimbocca
Do Hwa
Korean, West Village
Get The: Beef bulgogi or Hot and spicy squid
Gyu Kaku
Korean BBQ, East Village, Midtown East
Get The: Prix fixe for 2 or 4 people, a ridiculous deal that includes appetizer, a variety of meats, vegetables, ice cream and s’mores.
Kuma Inn
Asian Small Plates, Lower East Side, BYOB
Get The: Sauteed chinese sausage and garlic rice
Hill Country
BBQ, Chelsea
Get The: Brisket moist and mac n’ cheese
Now you have the proper ammunition to do the next Birthday dinner, right! No excuses!
The Basics: Michael Psilakis’ modern gem elevates Greek cuisine (and Midtown) to a whole new level. Seafood lovers will find heaven in fresh dishes accented with Mediterranean flavors. A touch of feta, a dash of spicy paste, and an elegant spread of fresh charred brussel sprouts or fennel puree, makes each dish sing. Best Dish: A beautiful raw meze of tuna, salmon, marlin, escolar and scallop, each with their own preparation. Food: Excellent Service: Very Good Value: Good Average App/Entree Price: $17/$32 Location: 36 W 52nd Street (Between 5th and 6th) You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.
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