Search results for 'broadway'

Brooklyn Diner- “The Finer Diner”

7 Aug

We take clients out to all sorts of fancy restaurants, so when we had one request a trip to Brooklyn Diner, we quizzically agreed. We can go any place in Manhattan and you want to go to a diner? A diner called Brooklyn Diner? Which is in Time Square? And has the tagline “The Finer Diner?”

Well… ok…

Brooklyn Diner is the classic Times Square establishment with such a bright neon sign that it blends right in to the rest of the block. When we entered, I realize it’s part of a family of restaurants including Redeye Grill, Tratoria Dell’Arte, and Bond 45, all of which are in the general vicinity of midtown.  Turns out, I’ve been to all of their restaurants except Brooklyn Diner, and was actually quite fond of the restaurant family.  The food at each was always reliably good, if not above par for Times Square.  All are more than any normal person would ever want to spend, but hell, it’s Times Square, so good quality food seemed fair at their price.

Back to “The Finer Diner.”  

After a bit of teasing about this pick, we found out that our client’s heard from some of their coworkers that this place was very good, and happened to have a really good lobster roll.  Well ok!

I actually wound up getting grilled cheese with split pea soup. It was a very chilly day and this hit the spot.  The bread was perfectly crisp, the cheese full of flavor and melty without being a mess, and the soup had great flavor.

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I shouldn’t have been so skeptical!

They put hot dogs in it too, which was a fun (and delicious) twist on ham.

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Everyone else went right for the lobster roll, which they all said was very good.  Even their fries and onion straws were especially crisp and tasty.

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I was pleasantly surprised by Brooklyn Diner.  I guess my expectations were quite low (I can be so judgmental sometimes!), but I would recommend this place to anyone in the area looking for a casual and relaxing lunch before a Broadway show.  

Total Nom Points: 7 out of 10

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Aureole

19 Jul

I ate at Aureole once for a work function, but since I was presenting and keeping clients happy, the food was not on my mind. I had been meaning to go back every since and finally made it there with a fellow foodie friend. It is very centrally located in a place where you just don’t expect great restaurants: 42nd Street right off of Times Square.  

I’m pretty sure we went with the $89 prix fixe. They have a pre-Broadway prix fixe that seems like a steal for 3 courses at $55 (5-6pm).

We started with an amuse bouche that I cannot recall the exact details on.

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My choice to start was the chestnut papparedelle with slow roasted veal breast, wild mushrooms, and pecorino.  This tasted like the earth and I absolutely loved it.  I have a special place in my heart for chestnut, and I kind of wished there were pieces (only because I’m selfish), but it was a very good dish.

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We also tried the wagyu beef carpaccio with shiitake, scallions, taro root, ponzo, and lavash.  This was perfectly complimentary in flavors, with the nice richness of the meat cut but the sweetness of the ponzo and with added depth from the shiitake.  Very nice.

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We also tried the branzino (my favorite fish) with fennel, dandelion, red onion, cashew, and citrus.  It was all sorts of perfection.  Cooked incredibly well and balances of flavors that were just fabulous.

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And we tried the prime ribyeye steak with roasted root vegetables, brussels sprouts, horseradish, and natural beef jus. It was cooked just right and the horseradish was faint enough that I hardly noticed it.

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A palate cleanser soon arrived and it was a nice little burst of fruit to get us ready for dessert.

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The desserts came out and they were pieces of artwork. Sadly, I didn’t write them down, so I can only guess.

This was something chocolate (I’m going to guess a lava cake) with delicious strands of pulled sugar on top. I remember this being rich but balanced.

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I know I ordered something with meringue (another one of my favorite things).  I remember really enjoying the flavors of this, but missing the firm crisp of the type of meringue I enjoy so much.

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And then out came petit fours.  Each was delicious in their own right, but I remember thinking extra fondly of the macaron and the watermelon thing. 

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I was really impressed by our meal at Aureole, not only because it was just that good, but also because it’s somewhat unassuming. It’s not a place I’ve heard talked about much, yet it’s right in the heart of the theatre district (a place I live near, work near, and play near often).  If you are looking for a pre-theatre meal, I think that $55 prix fixe is a great deal!

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

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Ember Room: Dim Sum Brunch and Lunch

17 May

UrbanDaddy had a Perk for One Dim Sum Brunch with bottomless Bloody Marys and beer (two-hour max) at Ember Room, a new (at the time) restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen (9th Ave between 45th and 46th Streets) that had Todd English in its pedigree. Don’t mind if I do!

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The decor is eclectic pan asian, with some really nice touches like old fashioned light bulbs, bold artwork, and a beautiful dark wood all around.

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Our Dim Sum brunch came with some varied dim sum, all of which were good… but none of which were outstanding…

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We did enjoy our endless Chang beers.

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The one dim sum I especially like were the shrimp, as it had a whole, sweet shrimp tucked inside.

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We also added some korean bbq beef fried rice onto our order.  It was quite good, but the hot stone bowl wasn’t quite hot enough to char the rice in the way that Korean Restaurants in Koreatown do so well.  Also, it was supposed to be with kimchi, but since I can’t have kimchi, we went without.  It was okay… but I think they rely on the kimchi to give it flavor, so it was a wee bit bland.  It said it came with crispy shallots, which I was especially intrigued by, but they were too small to really notice.

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It was good enough that I was curious about the full menu, so I came back for lunch one day with my coworkers.

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They started with the chocolate ribs, which were slow cooked in a spiced chocolate sauce. Sadly, that sauce included chili, so I was out, but my coworkers scarfed these down.

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We got a side of sauteed chinese broccoli.  Frankly, I prefer the leafy part over the stems, but the oyster sauce on these made them very good.

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I believe this was the thai basil chicken, which was spicy thai basil minced chicken over a fried egg, served with jasmine rice.

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More korean beef fried rice. 

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And I went with the veggie burger, after a good amount of research by the waitress as to what I could, and could not, eat.  

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It came with some sort of soup which was surprisingly flavorful… but didn’t make enough of an impression for me to remember what it was.

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The veggie burger itself was impressive. Tons of flavor, nice texture, and the fried onions on top were quite delicious.  I’m not a veggie burger fan, but this was quite tasty!

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Overall, I enjoyed both meals at Ember Room, but I can’t say I’m running back to try more.  I think it’s a pretty good choice if you’re in the area or looking for a pre- or post- Broadway Theater meal. It is definitely different from the Italian that occupies most of that target market!

Total Nom Points: 6.5 out of 10

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