Quick Bites: Bar Stuzzichini

The Basics: Stuzzichini is a paradise for the peckish with little plates of Italian crostini, cheeses, grilled seafood, affordable pastas and more. Nothing revolutionary here, but it satisfies. I can’t figure out why people complain about the spacious, Brasserie-esque ambiance, it seemed fine to me!
Best Dish: Ricotta with saffron-honey crostini, Mixed wild mushrooms with ricotta and Orechiette con Cavolfiore (“little ears” with cauliflower and bread crumbs in a butter sauce)
Food: Good
Service: Good
Value: Very Good
Average App/Entree Price: $6-$10 for Stuzzichini, $20 for Entree
Wines: Order by the glass, quarto or bottle, they have selections that span Italy and Sicily from $29-$165
Location: 928 Broadway (at 22nd)
Word to the Wise: If you want to try a lot, the “Stuzzichini Misti” allows you to select a choice of three and enough to feed the # of people that you’re with. It’s a great deal.
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Quick Bites: Kasadela

The Basics: Japanese tapas (Izakaya) served in a casual, East Village nook with an extensive sake menu and friendly service. The menu spans from vegetarian options to fried dishes to grilled meats and donburi.
Best Dish: Roasted sheets of crunchy nori, crisp age dashi tofu in a smoky broth, and juicy chicken wings marinated in garlic, ginger and soy.
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Excellent
Average App/Entree Price: Under $10
Location: 647 East 11th Street (Between B and C)

You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Kuma Inn (BYOB Asian Tapas)

Hidden above a lower east side store front is Kuma Inn, an eatery serving up Asian tapas that deliver unique tastes well beyond their modest price tags. Though the relaxed decor makes it feel like a neighborhood joint, Kuma Inn commands long waits on weekend nights. I stopped in with a couple of friends on Thursday evening and was very pleased with what they have to offer.

The solo waitress greeted us at the door, asking if the third member of our party would be here shortly. We don’t typically seat parties until all of the guests have arrived. She said. I glanced around, puzzled at the host of empty tables in the restaurant. I understand this policy for a crowded restaurant, but it seemed silly for us to stand and wait knowing our third friend was in a cab on her way. Really? You can’t just seat us now? I mean…. I gestured around the empty restaurant. She acquiesced and let us sit. With cold Winter temperatures perhaps keeping people at home, Thursday night must have been an anomaly for Kuma. She was used to policing diners more aggressively. No matter, she agreed and we sat down.

Kuma Inn is BYOB, a great cost savings in itself. I brought a 2000 David Frost Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. It was showing beautifully after some age with a seductive velvety texture and a lingering length. The menu consists of a list of about thirty tapas, inspired by the chef’s Filipino mother and Thai Father. Some were real successful while others fell short but at $2-$8 a plate, you can’t lose. They also had some great specials that we tried as well. We started with steamed edamame with thai basil lime oil then moved to a host of small plates which arrived in rapid-fire, overwhelming our table. Wasabi pork shumai, sauteed Chinese sausage with thai chili lime sauce, stir fried noodles with pork, sausage, and bean sprouts as well as deeply aromatic garlic rice were the big hits in my book. Some skippable items were a crispy tilapia special, a grilled baby octopus with bamboo shoots and some Thai sticky rice. It seemed that meat dishes were more well executed than seafood, something to keep note of for future visits. Though not a perfect meal, it was a lot of fun sampling the menu items.

Kuma Inn: 113 Ludlow, 2^nd Floor, near Delancey
Cuisine: Asian, Tapas
Average App/Entree Price: $7-$11
Food: Good
Service: Good
Value: Excellent
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.
Word to the Wise: Order a few dishes at a time to pace the meal and prevent table crowding.

Stanton Social

So I must admit, I ate pretty well last week. In addition to my great experience at Thalassa, I also made it to Stanton Social on Friday night, which has been on my list for awhile. I had heard mainly great reviews though some people complain about the noise volume. These people must have come to Stanton Social with different expectations. Stanton Social is a boisterous, fun, trendy yet classy environment where you go with friends to taste a multitude of unique dishes. You don’t plan a marriage proposal at Stanton Social. As long as this isn’t in the cards for your evening, I highly recommend a visit.

The menu consists of two long columns of small plates designed for sharing. Dishes range from $7-$18. Everything on the list sounds delicious so the task of picking just a few (since I was only with one person) was a lofty one. Here is a sampling of the roster: French onion soup dumplings, duck confit empanadas, lobster/chorizo/artichoke paella cakes, wild plum and brie quesadillas, a selection of pizzettes, squid lettuce wraps, wasabi pea crusted wild salmon, braised short rib tacos etc. etc. etc. Hungry yet? Luckily my dining buddy had been to SS a few times so she knew what some of the best choices were.

I perused the wine list with trepidation. Whatever we were about to order was going to be incredibly diverse. It was likely we’d have some seafood, some beef, some veggies, some rich sauces and some not. What wine could not only satisfy all of this, but do it without breaking the bank? I went with a Mezze Valpolicella (don’t remember the vintage). I wanted a light bodied red wine and searched for a great Pinot from Oregon or Washington State but found nothing. Valpolicella is rather light bodied and I thought it would sit quietly next to our food without loudly overpowering anything. I was correct :)

The waiter was perfectly capable, friendly, and familiar with the menu. I have no complaints on the service. After agonizing over the menu we finally decided on five dishes: the red snapper tacos, French onion soup dumplings, shrimp mooshoo, pizzette with blue cheese and turkey sausage and kobe beef sliders. Quite a spread!

Red snapper tacos- these were a great way to kick off the meal. The red snapper filling was sumptuous with fresh fish, hints of cilantro, and a nice heat that I tasted with each bite.

French onion soup dumplings- quite possibly the most delicious single bite of food I have ever had. If you go to Stanton Social YOU MUST ORDER THESE. The dumplings are served in an escargot palette. Each dumpling is served on a skewer and is filled with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and a small amount of onion soup. More gruyere is melted on top of the outside of each and a crouton sits on each skewer. It really is an exact replica of onion soup and each dumpling is packed with flavor.

Shrimp mooshoo- good but not great. The shrimp filling for the mooshoo pancakes was a bit bland and I found myself dunking each in soy sauce to garner some additional flavor.

Pizzette- a perfectly thin crust and loaded with toppings. The turkey sausage was spicy and rich and the gorgonzola imparted a buttery, salty contrast to the pizza.

Kobe Beef sliders- another DO NOT MISS selection. These tiny burgers blew me away. The kobe beef was unbelievably tender and juicy. The burgers are topped off with sharp cheddar cheese, diced onions and a special sauce.
After this crazy explosion of flavors we opted for a peanut butter sundae to round out the meal. As my Father helped us secure a reservation at the last minute, the chef comped us another dessert. (as if we hadn’t eaten enough already) In addition to the sundae we had these hot sugar coated doughnut poppers which came with raspberry, chocolate, and caramel dipping sauces. Oddly enough when we were ordering dessert I exclaimed “Probably the one thing I’d say doesn’t appeal to me is that doughnut thing.” Sure enough, I was happily dipping away in no time.

When I go back to Stanton Social (and I definitely WILL be back), I’d love to go with a large group so we can really taste through the menu. I recommend the same to you. Care to join me?

Stanton Social: 99 Stanton Street (between Orchard and Ludlow)
Cuisine: Eclectic and International, small plates/tapas
Average App/Entree Price: $6-$19 per plate
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.