Gotham Gal

Little Owl

Little Owl.  I am not sure how to start.  What an absolute treat!  This small gem on Bedford Street is churning out spectacular food. 

Large glass windows with light streaming in sets the mood.  Close tables but not too close.  Seats only 24 but I believe there are a few extra seats at the bar.  Simple dark brown tables and chairs.  Banquettes on the parameter.  The furniture fades into the background because in a setting this small, the people and the food are what shine.  Behind the seating is a glass enclosed kitchen which you can peer into standing up. 

Little Owl is a partnership between Joey Campanaro (the chef) and Gabriel (didn't catch his last name) who works the room eloquently.  Their delight in owing this establishment is apparent. 

Conceptually the food is seasonable.  They plan on changing the menu 8-10 times a year.  I love that.  Gives me 8 - 10 times a year to come back.  Believe me, I will. 

We ordered a Austrian Riesling and began. As always, we like to split everything.  The kitchen was gracious enough to recognize that so each plate came out already split.  Very smart.  We began with the sardine fillets.  2 large filleted sardines, no bones, grilled lightly and served over roasted cauliflower and crisp snow peas mixed with a delicate yet flavorful lemon chili vinaigrette.  Excellent.  Our other appetizer was the crispy soft shell crab.  The crab was light and crispy served over a finely chopped (someone did some serious prepping here) asparagus incorporated into a salsa verde.  So summery and crisp.  I could have tried a variety of other appetizers.  The gravy meatball sliders looked awesome.  They are presented  3 meatballs across inside tiny hamburger buns.  Now that I have eaten there, I am sure that the taste meets the clever simplicity of the presentation. 

We were oohing and aahing at this point.  We split 2 fish dishes.  The first was a broiled cod.  Wow!  The cod was cooked perfectly.  The first bite was like butter, the fish literally melted in my mouth.  Served over a salad of corn and fresh peas mixed with a very light and not too overpowering pesto vinaigrette which enhanced the flavor of the salad and the fish.  I loved this dish.  The other was the grilled whole fish.  We had the Dorado that is served with a celery and olive salad on the side.  Crispy fish which easily fell apart when I sliced into it.  All good.  I couldn't help ordering some sides.  This is something I rarely do but I was intrigued by the menu the minute I sat down.  There isn't anything on that menu that truly didn't appeal to me. 

Side dishes were divine.  Large fresh butter beans incorporate with bite sized pieces of escarole that had been cooked with smoked ham hocks and doused with Parmesan.  Asparagus home fries was the other side dish.  It sounded interesting and was.  Crispy pieces of potato mixed in with slices of fried asparagus, scallions and mushroom caps.  Really good and very clever but not too heavy as home fries tend to be.

Dessert...how could we not?  We were so stuffed at this point but we had to take the plunge.  Gabrielle knew what it was going to be before we ordered.  Tis the season for strawberries.  Baked custard with sliced strawberries and a dollop whipped cream served on top.  The warmth of the custard and the sweetness of the strawberries just melted in our mouth.  We also did a gelato bowl.  Their gelato comes from il Laboratorio del gelato in Tribeca. We had a combo of vanilla, pistachio and ricotta.  The ricotta was awesome.

What a wonderful experience.  Sincerely one of the best meals I have had all year.  The presentation and the tastes were layered yet simple.  Joey has a light hand which allows each flavor in a dish speak for itself and at the same time compliment each other.  He is a fantastic cook.  Gabriel is the perfect groovy host of the front room.  A good combination.  It is a pleasure to eat out and see the chef and the owner over seeing each detail.  It was like being at someone's home for dinner who is an outstanding cook.  The dishes were like good modern home cooking.  Am I raving?  Nothing else to say but truly divine. 

Off to Camp

This will be the 3rd summer that all 3 of our kids are at sleep away camp for 8 weeks.  They love it.  We love it too.  The pace of our lives change.  The kids get to experience being away, independence, learning to live with other people in close quarters (besides their family), make new friends, be physically active all day.  When we all reconnect around the middle of August it is a love fest again.  Fred and I got to have our fun and they got to have theirs. 

Every year the kids get older.  Realization is sinking in that the kids are only living under our roof for a certain amount of time.  Makes me start to look at my future.

I've had an interesting career.  Decided at one point, or perhaps it was just a natural progression, to stop getting paid to work.  I still work but no one is paying me to do what I do.  I'm a busy girl.  Managing our lives is no easy task.  I wouldn't trade it for anything. 

Yet, the silence when the kids take off is deafening.  Don't get me wrong, I'll enjoy the free time.  Do a few projects that have been nagging at me, read lots of books, figure out some possible vacations etc.  But, what happens when the silence extends into 12 months a year.

At dinner a few weeks ago, 2 women at our table were empty nesters.  Both women who also checked out of the work world while their kids were growing up.  Each of them are smart and driven.  So when the kids grew up, they started their next career.  I was impressed.  The balance is different for them now.   They both talked about one day the house is full and the next day it is empty.  A feeling that they just can't describe.

I have quite a few years before that happens but every summer seeing the kids empty bedrooms makes me think about "what's next?"

Citta Nuova

Citta Nuova is going on summer number 3.  The place is consistently packed.  Location is everything but again so is the vibe.

Large open air restaurant that extends onto Main Street in the middle of East Hampton.  A large bar with TV's hanging from above can be seen from the street.  Sort of an upscale Italian bistro.  I really do like the vibe there.  When you walk in, you are still part of what is happening on the street.  The back is big an spacious and there is a garden in the back, more outdoor space. 

The problems always seem to outweigh the positives in the Hamptons.  Why?  I have no idea.  Is it the crowds?  Is it the waiting?  Is it the frustrating service?  Perhaps it is a mix.  To me, it is really the food.  As much as I like the vibe at Citta Nuova and I want them to have good food, they simply don't.  They try.  The menu seems like it will be good but it just isn't.  I wait and come back the following summer but am always disappointed.  My expectations are pretty low too.

The caponata which we started with is actually decent.  A bit on the mushy side but flavorful.  For dinner we all had something different.  The lasagna is just not as rich or tasty as it could be.  The pasta with sweet sausage, broccoli rabe and a dash of chili is bland.  The sausage isn't cooked enough, the rabe should be cut into pieces and it is too oily.  The tuna was rare, as asked, served with a eggy custard.  The linguine with clams was overloaded with garlic, no surprises there but again very oily and not that interesting.  The grill Cornish game hen was charred and really salty served with a oily Israeli couscous and grilled sweet Italian sausage.  It didn't really compliment each other and the sausage could have been charred more where the hen could have had less.  As a whole, just a big bummer. 

The best thing to do there is have a glass of wine and sit at the bar or the tables on the street.  Perhaps have some cheeses or small pizzas which looked pretty good.  It is a drag.  Great place, great vibe, mediocre food.  I'm still looking for the whole package in the Hamptons.  Although if I found it, so would hundreds of others.  Home cooked meals look better every day.

Word Play

I have been doing the New York Times Crossword puzzle for roughly 25 years.  My day is really not complete without completing the crossword.  Even when we are traveling, it is essential to find the crossword.  A few of my friends are addicts too.  My brother, sister, mother and father also do the crossword daily.  We can always count on each other for a little help if needed.  Yes, we like boggle and scrabble too.

The movie Word Play is about people who do the Crossword and the annual Crossword Tournament held at the Marriot in Stamford, CT in early March.  I loved the film.  There are interviews with Will Shortz ( NYTimes editor of the Crossword ), Bill Clinton ( an avid crossword doer ), Jon Stewart ( who knew he did the crossword), Makers of Crosswords, Editors of Crosswords, Winners and Losers of the Crossword Tournament, People at the Crossword Tournament ( a rare tribe of people). 

My best buddy, who's husband is an avid Crossword fan ( he actually is one of the best and I think could make a run in Stamford), was intrigued with the film.  It gave her some insight into the whole thing.  What was interesting is the amount of lefties in the film.  Also, musicians and mathematicians were abundant.  It is connected to how ones mind thinks. 

The other documentary I saw this past week was The Heart of the Game.  In Seattle, a girls basketball team and their coach.  What a great film.  Inspiring.  The level of play was good but at the end of the day, it is all about the coach.  His positive reinforcement challenged this group of girls to levels that they never thought they could achieve.  I am not sure he knew anymore about the actual game than any other High School coach but what he had was an incredible ability to coach.  There is more to the movie that says something about how women and men are looked at differently by colleges and the divisional heads which is worth discussing too.  But, anyone who coaches, should go see this flick.

BRUCE

Bruce Springsteen probably enjoys entertaining the crowd more than any performer I have ever seen.  He his having so much fun on the stage that the audience becomes mesmerized. 

We Shall Overcome, The Pete Seeger Sessions, Bruce's latest CD, has had a lot of airplay at our house.  After all, our kids to go LREI where Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie and Bob Dylan are the lords of music.  Part of the curriculum is learning all the anti-war songs starting at age 4.  How could you not love this cd?

Bruce's band was big.  Fiddles, singers, banjos, brass players, all good.  Fred saw the show twice.  Once up in Saratoga Springs, outside.  I wish I had seen that vs. the Garden.  This particular concert would have been great in an outdoor arena, sitting on blanket, eating fried chicken and drinking wine. 

A Cd worth picking up, young or old.  My mother wants to pick it up.  I think I'll download it for her on her iPod. 

Bouley

David Bouley's first restaurant made a lasting impression on me.  Apples over took your senses the minute you walked into the door.  Dishes were innovative.  There was nothing quite like it at the time in NYC.  He was early to the game.  I believe at that time Bouley was a 5 star restaurant.  Times have changed.

Bouley talked about creating a place where he could create, teach, cook.  He has created that in Tribeca.  There is Upstairs where no reservations are taken.  Sushi and a changing menu based on visiting chefs and the season.  There is Danube that is like eating in Austria, rich and buttery.  Bouley Bakery which is a cafe and the signature restaurant, Bouley. 

We went to Bouley last night to celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary.  Walking into the restaurant down a small hallway lined with apples brought back memories.  I like that he kept that signature piece.  Low vaulted ceilings create a very intimate setting.  Rich colors, small tables and banquettes.  The floral arrangements on each table are really beautiful and accent the room.  Elegant country French.

Service is impeccable. We started off with a small compliments from the chef.  Frozen tomato slush over pesto, mozzarella and basil.  Pizza in a bowl.  The cold with the warm didn't work for me. 

Fred had an appetizer called Return from Chiang Mai.  It wasn't that I expected.  A terrine of lobster, mango, artichoke and Serrano ham also layered in there was passion fruit and coconut over a tamarind sauce.  It was interesting.  I was going to go for something simple but opted for something I couldn't get anywhere else.  In hindsight, I think I might have been better off with simple.  I had 3 panache salads.  It was a good way to taste different things.  One was seafood.  One shrimp and one scallop roasted with a sweet salty sauce.  The other was a small pastry, like a pie, filled with a medley of mushrooms and micro greens over the top.  It wasn't very flavorful, bland actually.  The third salad was a foie gras with a rich sauce.  It was a bit runny and chewy at the same time. 

We both went for meat entrees to go with our big red Spanish wine.  Fred had pork served 3 different ways.  A belly, a brisket and a loin.  Each preparation had a different flavor neither was memorable.
I had the lamb.  2 chops and 2 loins covered in black truffles.  I didn't really taste the truffles.  They were layered over a few pieces of white asparagus that were a bit tough.  The lamb was very flavorful but not interesting in preparation.

We went with cheeses for dessert.  Some good, some not but I had probably hit the wall at this point.  They gave us a small platter of different cookies too.  All good but nothing truly awesome.

Bouley was such an innovator many years ago.  Maybe he didn't change with the times.  Thomas Keller of French Laundry is doing what David Bouley wish he was doing.  Interesting, thought provoking, delicious food.  The food at Bouley was good but it wasn't great.  Great is what it should be when you are paying the prices he is charging.  I wasn't waiting for the "omigod, you must taste this" but it never happened. Both of us were truly disappointed.   

Berkeley is changing

I read an article in the NYTime's National Report on Sunday about a book store, Cody's Books, closing in Berkeley.  Cody's is closing.  The once famous and fantastic store on Telegraph Avenue has been losing money for years and finally said enough.  Other stores on Telegraph Avenue have taken a nose dive too.  Why is what the article was really trying to answer or at least give the reader something to think about.

Times has changed.  Berkeley has changed.  The students have changed.  The neighborhood has changed.  The cost of homes have changed.  A once radical socially progressive area has turned into something else.  Guess what, so has the majority of the country.  Look who is running the country.  The demographics have changed.

Andy Ross, who owns Cody's blamed a lot of it on the competition such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Locals will tell you it is either because of the City of Berkeley, the homeless, U of California, the war in Iraq, Ronald Reagan, the Internet or lack of parking.  I agree with some of that but not all of that.  There happened to be a picture of Cody's in the paper.  Lots of space.  Why didn't Andy Ross changed with the times?

Changing is happening everywhere.  There is always room for new businesses and businesses that see that they need to change based on what is happening around them.  Why didn't Cody change the store.  Sell more items but books, create a coffee/food area, downscale the space, venture into other areas of retail that complimented the books, etc.  Is it sad they are closing, sure but someone else will come in with new ideas and regenerate Telegraph Street into something new and different. 

This is no different than taking sections of cities that are being revitalized.  Telegraph Street is exactly what has happened on 8th Street in NYC.  The customer that shopped their 20 years ago does not exist anymore or at least there are not enough of them to keep a whole street in business.  Read the neighborhood, read the customers who live here now, make the changes that are needed to keep your customers happy and keep new customers coming in the door.  Restaurants that are around for years continue to do that or they end up closing too. 

If you don't change with the times, you can't stay with the times.  It is that simple.

Chinatown Brasserie

I am not really sure how to begin.  Chinatown Brasserie opened with not a huge amount of hoopla. I didn't realize they were connected with Lure and Lever House until I went and saw the cards from their other restaurants where the hostess stands. 

The restaurant is quite large.  The design could be categorized as modern China.  There is a large bar to the right and some of the walls have very ornamental paintings.  Downstairs, where there are open tanks with fish, is a lounge.  There are a variety of different seatings areas which actually makes the area you are sitting in more intimate than a huge room.  Very red in color.

The staff is young and seem slightly inexperienced.  Everyone we came across seemed a bit shell shocked to be working there.  It wasn't that packed.  We got a seat just walking in but it was a Monday night.  The patrons were from families to hipsters to business people etc.  All over the place.   Everyone likes Chinese food.

There are plenty of dumplings to choose from.  There were four of us and we shared.  We started with the soup dumplings.  Not as liquidy as I thought they would be.  They were good but a bit tight for a soup dumpling.  We also had the pork bun.  The menu said pork bun vs. pork buns so I assumed we'd only get one.  Nope, just a typo.  We got four.  Small spongy steamed pork buns with a nice spicy pork mixture inside.  I would have liked to see more pork and less bun.  We also had the lotus root which was deep fried and perched on top of a concoction of pork.  It was good but wasn't sure what I was eating except for the lotus root. 

We split 2 main entrees.  The classic General Tso's Chicken.  Deep fried white meat chicken with a not too spicy sauce and some vegetables.  It was good.  We checked out the barbecue section and went with the St. Louis Ribs.  Large pork ribs roasted in a Chinese sauce but not sticky or gooey.  The ribs were served like a small rack on a plate cut into individual ribs.  Meaty and hoisin flavored. 

Dessert we passed on but they served us chocolate fortune cookies with fortunes inside that were quotes from famous people, movies etc.  A different take.

As a whole, the place is good not great.  I still had that Chinese taste in my mouth when I got up at 2am this morning.  It was $130 for dinner that included 1 glass of wine, one vodka and a pot of tea.  The food is definitely better than your local Chinese hangout but not as good as Mr. Chows.  The dumplings didn't compare to the ones we ate on our walk through Chinatown. 

I wonder if they deliver but for the price, I might stick with the local Chinese restaurant.

Tocqueville

Tocqueville has been a quiet gem on East 15th Street for 7 or so years.  Recently, they made an executive decision to take a larger space down the street while keeping their old place for something else (that is yet to be built).  It is tough changing locations.  It doesn't always work.  The vibe changes, the flow changes, the tables can't be filled as easily, many factors.  Tocqueville has executed their move without a blip - as far as the clientele can tell.

What an elegant restaurant.  Very adult.  The colors are warm.  The service is impeccable.  Seating is comfortable and relaxing.  When you walk in there is a long bar entrance before you get to the main room.  Long draped curtains that block off the entrance to the kitchen set the room.  If it wasn't for the amount of tables, you could be at someones house.  The bar is truly for the customers that are there early.  I'd go and sit at the bar but there is a feeling when you walk in that you are the lucky one to find this gem  That only the people there that evening should be using the facilities. No outsiders. Yet, Tocqueville is sophisticated without pretensions.

Read the entire menu.  Sometimes when I go to fancy restaurants I have a hard time finding anything on the menu that appeals to me until I see it sitting in front of me on a plate.  Not here.  A few ingredients and you get it.  A delicious assortment that made it hard to choose.  Also, an extensive wine list where you can still get a good bottle of wine for $85.  Remember, it isn't cheap here but I hate going to an upscale restaurant like this and finding the only think worth drinking starts at $150. 

There were 8 of us.  I truly only picked at Fred's plate because it was mostly business people although I knew them I didn't feel it was appropriate to lean over with my fork and take a bite.  The meal began with a taste from the chef.  Small bite of lobster encased in a clear ravioli.  An experiment in the new fangled cooking.  I only know this because I have been reading a lot about this lately.  It wasn't that interesting.  Sort of weird texture like jelly. But, I let it pass.

I began with the sardines.  I have loved sardines since spending 2 weeks in Portugal and Spain many many years ago.  3 chilled completely boned sardines on a plate with shaved fennel and a tangy olive oil to accompany the dish.  Excellent and light.  Fred had pasta that had been made with sea urchin and then served with a soy lime sauce.   What an incredible idea.  Really interesting flavor and rich.  That was a bit hit. My dinner partner to my left had the foie gras that he enjoyed thoroughly.

For dinner I had the scallops which were seared and served with seared foie gras on top and small mushrooms and artichokes with a light balsamic sauce.  I could taste each ingredient separately yet together created a different taste.  Really good.  Fred had the cod which was served with sweet small onions and a dressing.  As a whole, I find cod really bland.  Fred seemed to love his dish.  I tried it.  Very light and simple.  Didn't rock my world.  The scallops were much better.  The lamb and steak dishes looked beautiful and everyone finished theirs.  I'd like to go back and try the meat dishes.

For dessert we ordered a bunch to share.  A small plate of ice creams.  You can't beat ice cream but the flavors were not that interesting.  I couldn't tell if the cream colored ice creams were all vanilla.  They each tasted different but I couldn't put my finger on it.  Almost too delicate. Delicate is a good way to explain the restaurant.  I think they could crank it up just a bit.  The food is really good but subtle.  There is an opportunity to just ratch it up one notch.  Chiffon cake was a bit on the dry side.  Cheese plate smelled delicious.   The chocolate souffle was out of this world.  It was a fight to the bottom.

While we waited for dessert, I enjoyed watching the waiters come out of the kitchen to make sure that each plate was put down on each individual table all at once.   As each dish came out I could smell waifs from each dish. 

Tocqueville is a great plate to go for something special.  Dress up and enjoy.  A real gem.  I am looking forward to seeing that they do with the old place.  There is obvious care to each detail from the room to the plates to the wine list to the service to the menu to everything.  That alone is impressive.  They care about their patrons.  I'll be back.

Arctic Monkeys

We went en masse last night to see the Arctic Monkeys.  They rocked.  Their energy was quite impressive.  What was really great is the variety of our kids friends who were there although the median age was probably 19/20.  So, Em and Jess got to hook with their friends.  Josh and I wormed our way to the front of the stage, on the left. 

Roseland should consider putting in a new sound system.  The sound is always so flat there which is quite unfortunate.  But when they are consistently packed, it is hard to think about paying for a new system.  Drag. 

The best part is going to these concerts with our kids.  It is really hard to decide who is the bigger fans, the kids or Fred?