Gotham Gal

Comodo on Macdougal Street

Kirk Love and his wife Lili have been singing the praises of Comodo.  We finally got in there for dinner.  The restaurant has about 40 seats with big huge glass windows in front and an open kitchen in the back.  A very quaint home feeling that seeps into the food too.  The staff is warm and friendly, like a family, and the food is delicious. 

Josh ordered for the three of us and we split everything.  We smelled a lot of garlic when we walked in the door so he mentioned this when he ordered.  We did not like heavy garlic so wanted to make sure we picked the right things.  The woman waiting on us said no worries.  Not sure what she told the chef but everything was pretty much garlic free and amazing. 

We began with a few appetizers.  A roasted cauliflower gratin coated with a light aioli and crispy melted Parmesan cheese.  The cauliflower could have been roasted just a bit more but the dish was really good.

Lamb sliders served on a Brazilian cheese bread with a spicy red sauce on the side for dipping.  Perfectly cooked and full of flavor.

Braised kale served alongside with grilled octopus with just a hint of mezcal.  This was probably my least favorite dish.  The octopus was a bit overcooked and could have been softer.

Swordfish ceviche.  Thinly sliced swordfish sitting in a mixture of lime and celery juice, ginger, sweet corn and corn nuts.  I also tasted a hint of coconut.  I loved this.

Another winner.  Thinly sliced brussel sprouts mixed with a mustardy-avocado Parmesan dressing and then built up into a cylinder shape.  Their version of Caesar salad. 

Sliced duck with a mixture of roasted butternut squash cubes and a whipped root vegetable on the side.  I can't remember what it was but it was rich and the perfect combo to the rest. 

Perfectly cooked steak with sauteed greens and mushrooms on the side.  Delicious.

Dessert was an intense rich chocolate cake with pumpkin seeds and a vanilla gelato.

Of course the classic Latin dessert, churros with spicy chocolate sauce on the side for dipping.

And a nice chocolate truffle to end the meal.

When it gets warm and I am hoping that will happen before July, I am looking forward to returning with the windows wide open with a little Latin music in the background, sipping some Sangria and having another meal at Comodo. 

Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market has evolved into a pretty remarkable place.  The Nut Box just opened a huge retail space right next door to Num Pang Sandwich Shop.  This is Num Pangs second shop.  Both great additions.  But the absolute best addition is the reopening of the Lobster Place.  

The two guys behind the Lobster Place have done an incredible job.  Super smart well thought out flow.  If you want to know how to build a market where people can also sit down and enjoy the wares this is it.  Very European. I also love the black chalkboard feel with white print.

In the back right corner is the Shack to take out.

The sushi area.  You can sit at the bar, take it to go or just watch.  Around the parameter of the area are Japanese products to buy.

People love to eat lobsters here.  This is great.  All different sizes of steamed lobsters. 

Next to the lobsters is a standing area to dig in and eat your lobster.

Oysters?  You name if they have it.  Sit down and enjoy. 

There are other random areas to sit.  Products are sprinkled around each location too.  Here is one of the cases filled with herring.  They also sell really fresh beautiful raw fish to take home and cook for dinner.

Next door they have built a restaurant called Cull & PIstol, an oyster bar.  I had lunch there. Terrible picture but the vibe in there is warm and inviting.  A cool fish shack.

Really good oysters.

My friend had a lobster roll with old bay fries. 

I went for the whole fish. 

For dessert they serve a little scoop of gelato as part of your meal.  This was creamsickle. I brought Fred back to take a look en route to dinner that night.  Looking forward to returning for dinner very soon. 

 

Little Prince

Little Prince located between Sullivan and Sixth Avenue took over the Shortys .32 space.  They have transformed the space from a dark claustrophobic room into a 38 seat open airy clean room.  The large windows open up to the street on a nice night allowing diners to feel like they are sitting on the street.  No art hangs from the walls allowing the simply white concrete painted block to set the edgy yet warm feeling. 

They opened theirs doors on April 10th.  The kitchen is still working out a few kinks such as flow and running out of a main dish but the execution on every dish we had was spot on.  A great new addiiton to Soho.  We had a mixture of appetizers to start.  I began with the beet salad. Red and golden beets cut into tiny cubes mixed with pieces of grapefruit.  Small pistachio nuts sprinkeld over the top with the salad sitting over a nice light chevre.  I really loved this salad.  Light simple and full of flavor.  The grapefruit gave the salad just the right shot of citrus. 

We all split the steak tartare.  Large chopped pieces of sirloin with a hint of seasoning that tasted like a little sherry.  Spread over big slabs of toasted warm bread.  Perfect for the table.

Frisee au Lardons is a classic French salad.  I always find this salad just a bit heavy to start off a meal.  They made the salad a little too salty.  The right salad for lunch.

If you love pepper this one is for you.  An aged steak coated with peppercorns served with a pepper sauce on the side served up with creamed swiss chard or maybe it was spinach.  The veggie part was not so good.  Rich and tasteless.  I'd recommend moving into fries here which we had as a side to share and they were really good. 

Crisp skinned juicy chicken with two slices of salad on top and a warm vinaigrette on the side.  The random two pieces of garlic thrown on top are not necessary.  Kind of scared me when I saw them but the dish did not have any garlic in it.  The chicken was perfect.  We wanted to order the dover sole for two but they were out when we got there.  Reason to come back.

Our friends had the lamb for two.  Looked good but I did not taste.  They could have given them two more lamb chops.  A little light for two people.  Came with a small serving of orzo as a side.

A thin sliced apple tart with a scoop of mint ice cream on the side. 

Toasted pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream on top.  I really like toasting the cake. 

Jacque Torres chocolate chip cookie with a rum infused milk for dipping.  Do not let a child drink that milk, woah.

A rich vanilla pudding almost like a panna cotta with some fresh berries.

All and all I really enjoyed my meal. The menu is simple which I like too. Jacque Torres is making their desserts.  The chef is also the owner, Paul Denamiel and there are a few other restaurant people who have been in the industry for awhile so they know what they are doing.  I hope they eventually open for lunch.  FYI, they do not have a website yet and they should get one. 

 

Alder

Wylie Defresne opened up WD-50 in 2003.  His unique approach to melding flavors and creativity in his kitchen continues to make an impact in NYC. He recently revamped the menu at WD-50 and opened up a more simple restaurant called Alder.  Think of Alder as the cafe arm of WD-50. 

Alder has a great vibe.  The bar is packed and seriously loud.  The volume goes down a notch when you take a seat.  The walls are painted white brick and the ceiling has hanging wooden slats that appear to be from an old barn.  None of this makes for great accoustics but it does look good. 

Even the bottle of water with a New York ribbon wrapped around it is just a nice touch.

We went with friends who are always game to try everything and share.  That is the perfect thing to do here.  Most of the plates are for sharing even the larger portion main courses.  We ordered everything on the menu except the clam chowder and stuffed kumquats.  The four of us left content and not stuffed.   Kind of perfect.  Each time they brought out four things at once so the kitchen is on it.  The first thing out was a small chopped bowl of spicy pickled vegetables.  It is more of a condiment that kicks off the meal.  Cleans your mouth.

I am a total sucker for pigs in a blanket.  They are my absolute fave.  This is pigs in a blanket Defresne style.  Chinese sausage wrapped tightly in a crunchy pastry that can be dipped in a Japanese spicy mustard and a sweet chili sauce.  Perfect.  If someone was passing these at a party I'd probably follow the person around. 

The grey that is pulled across the plate is pub cheese.  I do like how he is seving these appetizers on slate.  Did he get them from Brooklyn Slate?  Not sure what pub cheese is but it is delicious.  This is served with pistachio fig brittle so it is savory yet sweet and also a few Martin potato chips on the side.  I am a sucker for brittle too.

Really creative Caesar Salad.  Pieces of romaine salad with a topping of an egg yolk Parmesan mixture and a slice of buttery hamachi on top.  Delicious.

They sat down a perfectly sliced and layered ball of avocado.  We sliced it in half and inside was the salmon tartare mixture.  Mix that with the horseradish cream on the side.  To go for the full flavor explosion take the Parmesan cracker and top it with everything.  The first four flavors were all clean and fresh so each different flavor stood out individually.  Each simple yet innovative in presentation. 

Next out was a squid salad.  Thinly sliced pieces of buttery squid mixed with thinly sliced red onions and watercress.  The cashew pesto that is smashed into the side lets you mix it up yourself.  A nice touch.  Really good.

Open faced foie gras sandwiches.  An english muffin topped with a poached apple, chartreuse yogurt and a chunk of foie gras.  I am a fan of foie gras so it worked for me.

Fried cauiflower over a lemon almond puree and topped with lardo and some cocoa powder.  You kind of can't go wrong with lardo.  An interesting flavor combo.  The cauliflower melted in my mouth.

Soft poached egg set in a sherry consome with mushrooms, celery and a touch of tarragon oil.  Loads of flavor yet subtle at the same time. 

I am also a sucker for chicken livers.  Chopped chicken livers smothered over a toasted cornbread with a grapefruit marmalade and some crispy chicken skin on the side.  A twist of a classic Jewish dish. 

The flavor in this dish were spectacular.  These little pieces were fried quail wrapped in a pastry over a banana curry.  The Indian flavors just came through on every bite.  You could smell them. 

Lot has been written about this dish.  Rye pasta over pieces of shaved pastrami.  Again an interesting take on a pastrami sandwich.  The creativity gets a serious nod.  I found it a little salty and just heavy but then again so is pastrami on rye.

Oxtail stew was also loaded with flavors.  Tasted as if the dish was just shipped in from the Caribbean.  Pulled oxtail sitting on top of plaintains and a carrot slaw on the side.  Nice.

The last three were probably my least favorite.  Again we tasted everything so now I know what I would order again.  Smoked artic char sitting over barbecued lentils.  The lentils were similar to baked beans you migth serve with a bbq dish.  On the side were slices of napa cabbage.  I found this dish too smoky for my taste.

This is not what I was expecting based on the description.  Saffron spaetzle mixed with chunks of pork ribs and a green apple celery root hash.  I expected ribs.  That is the genius behind Defresne. 

Simply poached black bass over a nori salsa verde and Asian pears sliced.  The best thing I liked were these dense jasmine rice balls that were a combination of puffed rice and dense rice mixed together. 

For dessert we had the root beer pudding with smoked cashews.  I wanted more root beer.

The tart is delicious.  Caramelized milk, sour cream and banana nougatine. 

That and a few bottles of wine and we had a great time.  A place absolutely worth going to if you are into food.  Some things were better than others but that is to be expected.  The menu is not too big and it really gives everyone the ability to taste the brilliance behind the dishes.  Creativity that is touchable and that is a talent. 

 

The Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station

The first time I ate at the Oyster Bar was when we closed on our home in the suburbs.  After the closing Fred, Stu (our lawyer and still good friend) and I walked over to Grand Central and sat at the bar for lunch.  I have been a handful of times to the Oyster Bar since.  The Oyster Bar along with Grand Central Station is about to celebrate its 100 year birthday on April 19th to be exact.  Pretty amazing. 

I had lunch there the other day with a friend.  The food remains the same.  The key is getting oysters, soup, seafood or fish.  Nothing else is that good.  The salad dressing is mediocre and the vegetables are steamed beyond reconigition but the place is just a classic. 

There are three areas to eat.  The main dining hall, the endless curved counter and the bar.  The bar has lots of tables with red and white checkered table clothes. Honestly that is the best area to eat.   It is far right of the main room where the bathrooms are.   Totally old school vibe. 


These oysters here all from the East Coast.  Briny and big just like I love them.

Shrimp cocktail.  Gotta love that they serve all the sauces in plastic or paper containers.

Lobster roll.

I'm ready for summer.

Weekend in the Bahamas

Our friends bought a house down in the Bahamas a few years back and we finally got down there this past weekend.  We arrived on Friday afternoon and left Sunday morning.  Our batteries have been re-charged.  Besides the amazing company being in warm weather felt incredible.  It has been a helluva long winter and it still is not really spring in NYC.  You can walk the streets but you are not exactly warm.

Their house is in an area called Albany.  Pretty sweet view from the outdoor living room.  The water is warm and shallow.  Its amazing.

Because the Bahamas is an island everything has to be imported.  Our friends can speak more about it but shipping anything in is costly.  They do not really grow their own food so even the groceries are brought in.  The taxes on that are high. You get around on your own golf carts. 

You can rent homes on the property for the week.  It is awesome for families.  There is quite a spread down the beach from them where there are a few pools, water slides and cabanas.  Pretty sweet. 

We ate dinner out both nights.  One on the property and one outside the property.  The restaurant outside the property is called Mahogany House.  The owner is from Chicago and a serious wine aficionado.  You walked through this wine room before getting to the bar.

The bar is large and square for couples who just want to stop by and eat there.  We hung out a little to watch the end of the Wichita/Louisville game. 

The main room is inviting with the open kitchen that is set in the back.  The chef is from Philadelphia and trained at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America).  The food was really good.  Just a few pics below.

Roasted chicken

Steak.

Fish

Spaghetti

The pizza appetizers were really delicious too straight from the wood burning oven.  Most important we had a serious wine tasting both nights.  Lots of glasses poured about half way up as went from one to the other discussing them all.  It was lots of fun.  The desserts were pretty good too. 

I can hardly wait to go back next year!

Carbone...on Thompson Street

When we first came to NYC we were indoctrinated into a world that neither of us had ever experienced.  We became very good friends with someone who was living with his aunt on the UES who was part of a very chic elite world.  We were introduced to many of the old school Italian places around town.  Those restaurants became part of our culinary history with NYC.  So stepping into Carbone the other night felt familiar and fun at the same time. 

I had spent many an afternoon having a coffee and biscotti at Roccos on Thompson Street over the years so I was looking forward to seeing what the team, Rich Torrisi, Jeff Zalaznick and Mario Carbone, would do with the place.  There are three seating rooms each with a different slant.  I happen to love the rich blue walls, the white table cloths and the old school leather chairs.  The waiters dressed in burgundy tuxedos are priceless.  A nice take on an old school vibe with a new school twist. 

The menu is simple yet extensive and big in terms of physical size which is a nice touch.  Plenty to choose from.  The seafood selections are vast.  Going back to try more of that.  I did not grab this shot but the waiter came out with what appeared to be a huge basket of crumbly bread but was a huge bowlful of hunks of Parmesan for everyone.  That came with a few slices of prosciutto and long pieces of buttery bread pieces laden with tomatoes and herbs.  Quite good. 

The basket of bread is a nice touch too with flavored olive oil on the side.  I am not a garlic girl and I could smell the garlic coming down the street.  The waiter steered us clear of anything too laden with garlic.  I certainly felt a little bit of the after affects the next day but nothing ridiculous so that is a very good thing (at least for me).  The garlic bread here looked delicious but I did not touch it.  On the other hand, the bread sticks were addictive.  Salty, crispy and washed with olive oil. 

We told the waiter to bring us a mixture of the appetizers and we would all order our own main.  The picture if blurry but I love the old school cart with the guy prepping our Caesar salad.  Crispy leaves with a delicious sauce and there is nothing like a good crouton in a salad.  Well done.

Langoustines grilled with a herb sauce.  Nice presentation. 

Grilled asparagus wrapped in prosciutto with a poached egg and shaved Parm.  Classic italian dish. 

Spicy pieces of perfectly cooked buttery octopus.  Really liked this dish.  Combination of spice, tomato, herbs. 

Spicy Vodka sauce over rigatoni was fantastic.  Just the right amount of spice and the cheese melted over the top when sprinkled over the top.  The sauce just took over the pasta but did not overwhelm.  So good.

You can get meatballs on the side and I highly recommend.  They are perfect.  A mixture of meats creating a light yet dense meatball at the same time.  Served with a spicy tomato sauce that is in need of a bread to mop up every drop.

Main courses.  I have to admit that I only tasted mine but I did take pics.  Simple bass served over a nice green sauce.

Cherry pepper ribs.  Beautiful presentation and they were falling off the bone which is a very good sign.

Veal marsala.  I heard the Veal Parm was delicious but I opted for the marsala.  All the veal dishes are cooked on the bone.  Juicy veal chop doused with mushrooms and wine.  Underneath was a roasted oyster mushroom.  I was very full at this point so I did not finish the whole thing.  Splitting some mains might be the way to go. A different twist on this dish which absolutely works.

Chinese chicken.  Who would have thought.  Looks delicious right?

A side order of thinly sliced roasted potatoes.  Love the way it is served in the big Le Cruset pan.

Crispy broccoli rabe.  Nice side vs the standard sauteed rabe with garlic.  This is the Italian take on tempura.

Check out the dessert cart.  Only four options here but there are gelatos too.  I kind of like that.  Not too over the top but each one is a new take on presentation.  Tiramasu, lemon cheesecake, chocolate mousse cake and carrot cake. 

A few fried crisps doused with confectioners sugar.  Nice side treat.

Chocolate cake.  Layers of mousse and rich moist chocolate cake with a dollop of whipped cream.  Perfect.

What was more perfect was the banana split.  Classic.  So good. Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry gelato with a split banana.  Each ice cream had a sauce over it to highlight each flavor.  Crunchy nuts too.

You can read all the fodder on line about Carbone.  It is not inexpensive so keep that in mind.  The clientelle is all over the place which is kind of great.  Lots of old school Italian NYers.  They have done a great job.  The vibe is great.  The food is vaguely familiar which I like but they have taken it into the next stage keeping with the old school feel.  Hats off to the group.  Starting with a sandwich shop they have morphed into a solid group of restauanteurs who are making their mark in NYC.  Bravo. 

 

more on 24 hours in Los Angeles

My brother and I went out for lunch at Superba.  Great name, defines the food.   There is an enclosed outdoor porch and an indoor area with a big open kitchen.  Very LA vibe.  We split three things.  Not a lot of food but trust me I will be back for a full on dinner.

Started with a hibiscus iced tea with mint.  Really refreshing. 

We began with the crispy brussels sprouts.  They had fried up the brussel sprouts and then put them in a dashi broth and laid in a poached egg with chopped scallions over the top.  Unbelievable.  I am definitely attempting to make this at home.  The intensity of the broth mixed together with crispy brussels mixed made messy with an egg and the bite of scallions was over the top good.

This was clever too but not as wow.  Crab melt.  Crab salad over a toasted slab of brioche dressed with a old bay aioli and jarlsberg melted over the top.  Homemade pickles on the side that had a serious bite of vinegar.

This pasta was so rich that I dare someone to eat the whole thing.  Wakame based spaghetti so house made.  The spaghetti itself was dense.  The spaghetti is mixed with uni, crab, miso butter & pickled jalapenos.  It is the miso butter that really gels the dish.  Killer.

Then we went back to the house before I took off to go back to Utah for vacation.  Ruby, my niece, was having her birthday party that night.  The theme was Breakfast At Tiffanys.  The table was set in the Tiffany color with blue and white m & ms.  The girls were having a dinner party, catered by my brother and sister-in-law and their friend Lucy.  After dinner the girls would watch Breakfast at Tiffanys and have a slumber party.  Dress up was part of the event.  My niece looked the part.

Looking forward to spending a lot more time out in Los Angeles. 

 

Runner & Stone

One of my favorite things as the Chair of Hot Bread Kitchen is the annual dinner with the staff and board.  This year we went to Runner & Stone which could not have been more perfect.  One of the owners is Peter Endriss who used to be the head baker at Hot Bread Kitchen.  He finally opened the establishment that he has been dreaming of.

The restaurant is warm and has a great vibe. 

The bakery takes over the back end of the restaurant.

While down stairs there is a room which could be held for private events and the kitchen is down there too.

One of my favorite parts of the restaurant is the brick walls.  Peter took flour sacks from many of his friends bakeries and had them cast into bricks for the restaurant.  They are pretty cool.

Most of the items we had were made for us that night but all good.  We began with these bite sized puffed pastry treats.  Layers of buttery pastry with bite sized pieces of green olives throughout.  A delicious combination of flavors.


The sliced breads and homemade butter can not be beat.


Apple and arugula salad with tiny bread croutons.


Escarole salad with thinly sliced pieces of spicy red peppers.


Killer beet salad which I do believe is on the menu.  Looks like an ice cream sundae.  Roasted beets with a whipped orange ricotta over the top drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar.  Excellent.


Whole wheat pasta with pulled chicken. 


Big creamy gnocche with braised red cabbage.  Really different and pretty comforting on a cold wintry night.


Desserts were a given that they would be delicious.  We got a tasting of a variety of treats.


Brownies were rich with gooey chocolate inside. 

I had a glimpse at some of the pastries left over from the morning in the bakery.  I am definitely going back for dinner and perhaps a Sunday brunch. 

Congrats to Peter and his partner Chris on finally opening their dream place.

Kyoto, last day

Who knew this would have been our last day in Kyoto and our last day of vacation.  It was a culmination of things but leaving was the right thing to do.  We have had enough.  Everyone wanted to get back.  I just want to get back to my own bed and unfortunately we are going to spend more than a few more nights at a hotel in NYC but it is what it is.  

In the morning we moved our stuff to the Hyatt.  On the way there we went to Honke Owariya, a soba restaurant that has been around since the 1600's.  The noodles were just awesome.  Some of us had hot and others had cold.  Just stellar.

We then checked in and made the decision to leave.  After a few hours on the phone and some emails I was able to get us a flight out of Tokyo the next day.  We are missing Naoshima but life goes on.  

We returned to the Gion area for dinner.  We were early so jumped into the bar next door.  It was a really cool bar.  This small old building in the front and when you walk in it is like a small modern box.  Bar across one side of the room and seating across the other.  

Dinner was at Sushi Matsumoto.  It was the perfect end...and the sushi was fantastic.  Sushi is a little different in Kyoto than Tokyo.  The rice is a bit sour but it totally works.  We began with a sweet seaweed.

Then a mixture of sashimi octopus.

Marinated white fish with sesame seeds.

Our charming chef.

Mackarel

Tuna

More tuna

Clam.  Much sweeter than the other clams we had.

Tiger shrimp

Fatty hamachi

Eel

Tiny small scallops.  This was pretty awesome.

Different types of fish roe.  You can see the variations in color.  Outrageous!

Uni served over warm rice.

Grilled eel

Back to the hotel to spend the night and leave the next morning.  We got on the bullet train back to Tokyo in the morning and took it to the station before Tokyo then transferred to the Narita Express out to the airport.  We saw Mount Fuji on the way to Tokyo from the train.  Very cool.  We got on a flight back to JFK that was delayed around 545pm their time.  We landed in NYC around 3ish and got to our hotel in NYC around 530. A very long day.  Glad I am back.  

An interesting trip for a variety of reasons.  I am glad we went and I am glad we came back.  Glad we got to explore and see Japan.  The culture, the traditions, the pace, the toilets, the hot towels but no napkins, the bowing, no tipping, the food and everything else is something we can look back on.  As a family it ended up being a really positive experience which is the best part.  Certainly memorable.

Last and certainly not least is Tripbod.  Sally Broom introduced herself to me when I was visting Jessica in South Africa.  I ended up talking to her, eventually meeting her and then Jessica spent a summer in London working for Sally.  We used her service.  It was amazing.  She hooked us up with Martin who is a local tripbod in Tokyo.  He listened to who we were, what we wanted and how we wanted to take in Japan.  He got it.  The trip was seamless and that rarely happens.  I highly recommend using Tripbod for any trip at any level you want to experience a new place.