Tag Archives: best restaurants in new york

Date-iversary 2013: Del Posto

7 Jan

We have been celebrating the anniversary of our first date for 6 years now. Every year we trade off our anniversary and Valentine’s Day and choose restaurants to surprise each other with.

This year, we had to rename our event to our Date-iversary, since our real anniversary is now our wedding date. (Awww)

But the tradition will not go away! Now we just have one more day to celebrate (and eat)!

This year, Mike chose Del Posto as our date-iversary meal.  Del Posto is famous for being one of the all-time best in NYC and is owned by Joe Bastianich, Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali.  I had been there once before for lunch (and thought it was good but not great), but he hadn’t been yet. I was excited to go back with my honey.

They offer a 5 Course Tasting menu, which we opted for, at $126 each as well as a Captain’s Menu with 8 courses at $179.

The restaurant itself is stunning.  Sweeping interior with very dark wood and cream accents.

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And I especially love the circular balconies on the 2nd level.

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Everything is set formally yet modern.

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And there are little statement pieces throughout, for instance, this pitcher. (So not my style, but I loved the aesthetic in here)

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The lower level has the wine cellar, private rooms, and some restrooms.  The stairs that connect the two levels are equally stunning.

 

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And I love the collection of old globes under the stairs.

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We sat our table and started with cocktails. They were strong but very well done.

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Our amuse bouche were a collection of truffled goodness, including mini lobster rolls (top right), celery root parsnip soup with a truffled rim (botttom), and dried rice pasta puff in parmesan (top left).

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The rim of dried truffle on the soup made for quite a decadent few sips.

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And just in case lobster isn’t good enough on its own, adding truffle ain’t so bad!

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The bread basket had 4 different breads, each better than the last, with lardo and butter.

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The lardo was nice in small doses, but I preferred the very creamy, flavorful butter.

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Our first course of the tasting menu was Truffled Beef Carne Cruda with Grana Padano and Watercress Buds.  The beef carpaccio was seasoned perfectly and all the flavors and textures went very well together.

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Our second course was Charred Octopus with Umbrian Garbanzo, Celery Hearts & 25 year Aceto Tradizionale (Balsamic Vinegar).

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The char on this octopus was really flavorful and I really enjoyed the warm octopus and beans with the cooler and crisp greens. The sweetness of the balsamic was really nice on the dish.

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There is no way to photograph this next dish nicely, so you’re just going to have to trust me that this Luna Piena (moon shaped pasta) with Castelmangno & White Truffle Butter was out of this world.  What it lacked in color it had in flavor (in spades).  The truffle was fantastic and the pasta really tasted like pasta. (While this seems obvious, I’m always saddened when pasta tastes like nothing)

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We then had Traditional Del Posto Garganelli Verdi al Ragu Bolognese.  The pasta was green from spinach and the bolognese was lamb and veal.  All the flavors were rich and hearty.

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Next was the Lobster with Artichoke, Almond, Basil Salad, & Gangerine Essenza.  The lobster tail was from Maine (and finally tasted like it!)  I absolutely loved loved loved the sauce on this. It perfectly complimented the dish without taking away from the delicate lobster flavor.

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Next was labeled as follows: “Veal & Beef: Cosa Viene Prima? – Rocky Mashed Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts & Barolo Fondo”

Cosa Viene Prima translates to “What came first?”  While the usual end of this question is the chicken or the egg, in this term, it referred to the fact that it was beef wrapped in veal (or was it visa versa?) and it was served tableside with jus.

Very nice, meaty dish, with some mild offal flavor and nice richness.

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They then changed out our napkins very formally.  Funny that both Mike and I recognized this.  Fancy service is still so surprising.

We then moved into the sweeter courses with an intermzzo of Sfera di Caprino with Celery, Fig Agrodolce & Celery Sorbetto.  This was a sphere of goat cheese in a bread crumb crunch.  I usually really dislike celery as a flavor, but this was light and it all went very nicely together.

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While we decided not to do wine pairings for this meal, we sipped our cocktails throughout and then went for some dessert wines.

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Both were really fantastic.

And then it was time for some celebratory desserts (sorry about the photos, lighting was very tough in here).

We had a Tartufo al Caffe with Dark Chocolate, Sant’Eustachio Coffee & Candied Bread.  I really enjoy a tartufo. Something about breaking through that outside shell to the ice cream inside fills me with childhood joy. It helps that this was a deliciously executed version.

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Also included in the tasting was a Butterscotch Semifreddo with melon Agrumata & Crumbled Sbrisolona.    I loved the fruit with this and the butterscotch semifredo was fantastic.

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There were also a few extra desserts, including this apple fritter, which I absolutely loved.

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And this fun grater box with candies below and petit fours above.DSCF2892

Very whimsical, and nice bites of everything.

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And at the end they sent us home with a specially printed menu and a box of treats for the next day.

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Overall, our meal was fantastic.  Great execution, excellent flavors, very well paced, and it built from start to finish.  Each dish was unique and very tasty and felt classic yet somehow fresh.  You really can’t go wrong at this New York institution.

Total Nom Points: 9 out of 10

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Colicchio and Sons Dining Room: Chef’s Seasonal Tasting Menu Revisited

26 Feb

As is our annual tradition, we went to a surprise Valentine’s Day dinner again this year. This time, it was Mike’s turn to come up with the location. He told me a few months before that he wanted to return to one of our favorites, to see if it could remain in the top.

So we set off on the Saturday after Valentine’s Day and the cab turned uptown, then west, then downtown. And suddenly I found myself in front of one of my all-time favorite places, Colicchio and Sons. We were returning to the dining room to try the Chef’s Seasonal Tasting Menu once again.  The last time we were there, it registered just behind our awesome meal at WD-50, and only barely. With the new reigning champ of Eleven Madison Park, it brought our last C&S Tasting meal down to spot #3 on the all-time best Noms of our lives list.

Could it hold on to this coveted Top 3 spot?

This time we went with the Tasting Menu but decided that the wine pairing might be overkill, so we started with cocktails before moving onto wine (and then dessert wine…)

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We started with a trio for our amuse bouche.

A cauliflower puree on the left, a small jar of cucumber mousse in the center, and brussels sprouts with candied bacon on the right.
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The tiny nibble of brussels sprout was perfect with the crisp of the candied bacon.
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 And the little jar of cucumber with some roe was just perfect. A great way to start the meal.

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 Then the famous Parker House rolls came out. They are buttery and soft and warm and sprinkled with salt. AKA heaven in bread form.

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And then another little amuse bouche came out.   It was a hearts of palm puree with a dash of oil. While I think hearts of palm is fine in a salad, I have never thought of it as a main attraction. This was a great use of hearts of palm, however, and I really enjoyed it.

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Our first course came and it was potato bavarois (which was like a whipped potato dome) with Hackeback caviar and vodka cream.  There were also homemade potato chips on the plate. This was perfect. Light and delicious with a great combination of flavors. The vodka was ever so subtle but added great depth. 

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And the caviar inside was a great fishy taste without being too fishy.

There was nothing extra on this plate. Nothing that didn’t have to be there. And everything was perfectly balanced.

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Our next course was Barolo spaghetti with coddled egg and guanciale. The pasta had a beautiful burgundy hue from cooking in the Barolo wine. The egg made for an amazing sauce (that was great to dip the Parker House rolls in) and the flavors of the sauce with the guanciale was perfect. Incredible pasta dish.

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Our next course was a roasted scallop with hearts of palm and blood orange.  Wow. Again, hearts of palm at the center of the dish was very enjoyable. The scallop was perfectly cooked and just the slightest bit caramelized. And then the blood orange added a perfect sweet and tangy citrus to the scallop and hearts of palm.  Very, very good. 

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Our next dish was a show stopper.  Duck breast with wheat berries, farro, and huckleberry jus.  Awesome. The duck breast was cooked to perfection with tons of flavor. The edge was spiced kind of like pastrami and the mushrooms (hen of the woods maybe?) were fantastic. And that huckleberry jus added the perfect touch of sweet. Yet another example of not an extra ingredient on the plate and everything coming together perfectly.  

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Our final savory course was a 30-day dry-aged sirloin with butternut squash, salsify, and tuscan kale. The steak had a lovely char with just a touch of salty goodness.  It was aged and cooked perfectly and I even enjoyed the kale on this plate. 

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Our first “sweet” course was the most perfect transition course. It was Époisses creme brulee with huckleberry and pecan-fennel shortbread.  I didn’t know what Époisses was, but our waiter described it as a very “barn yardy” cheese. A perfect description.  

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They put just a touch of sugar on top to brulee it.

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And inside was the most divine stinky, creamy, delicious cheese with huckleberry on the bottom.  The shortbread cookies with the fennel went perfectly with this and it really was the perfect segue from savory to sweet on the menu. I absolutely LOVED this dish. This was nearly as memorable and unique as the confit gizzard dish we had during the last tasting menu.

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Our final tasting dish was a brown sugar cake with pineapple, macadamia nut, and milk chocolate ice cream.  Yup. This was fantastic. It had some strudel on the bottom and everything just went together with perfection.

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The brown sugar cake looked simple but had a deep, rich flavor that was perfectly balanced by the pineapple.

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And then out came the petit fours.

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This was an almond nougat (very good).

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And grapefruit jellies. Yum!

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And then, as if they hadn’t already secured their place in my food heart, they sent us home with a corn muffin for the morning. (I’m such a sucker for this!)

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By the end of the meal, both Mike and I were as impressed as the last time, if not more so.  From start to finish, this meal just continued to build and get better and better. I loved so many things and was constantly impressed by the perfect restraint and balance in each dish.  I have been recommending Colicchio and Sons to NYC visitors for a long time now, and I’m glad to see it lived up to all those expectations. We actually debated if this Tasting Menu beat out WD-50, but I argued that WD-50 slightly edged this out due to its cleverness and the entertainment factor. I’m pretty sure Mike was on the fence, and may have even voted for Colicchio and Sons over WD-50 if I hadn’t chimed in.

That, in and of itself, is impressive.

Total Nom Points: 9.5 out of 10

 

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Birthday Dinner 2012: Jean Georges

6 Nov

Mike and I have a tradition for our birthdays that I absolutely love. Every year we surprise each other with a reservation at one of the best restaurants in Manhattan.  He has taken me to some amazing meals, including Daniel, Le Bernardin, and (our #1) WD-50.

(Have I mentioned recently that I am an incredibly lucky gal?)

This year, Mike surprised me with a reservation at the famous Jean Georges.  They have a few different Prix Fixe menus that change often. Here was our menu on August 15th, 2012:

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Mike chose the Summer menu. I went with the Jean Georges menu because they informed me that they could not do the Summer Menu without peppers.  They could make the necessary changes, however, to make sure I didn’t get any.

Our reservation was for 8:45pm and we sat right around that time.

They had a lot of options for bread, but I really loved the pretzel rolls they served.

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And it was a very good thing that I liked that bread so much, because it was a full 45 minutes before our amuse bouche arrived.

The amuse was a carrot suit with sesame and okra and sea urchin. The original had peppers in it, but I got a pepper-less version.  The soup, sesame, and okra was very good but the sea urchin had 0 flavor.

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For our next course, we sat, and sat, and sat. It was at this moment that my heart sank. I wanted SO badly to love Jean Georges. It’s a New York staple. And shouldn’t Jean Georges have great service?  We were so spoiled by our service at Le Bernardin, but this was getting really bad.

It was 55 minutes later that our 1st course came out. It was now almost 10:30pm and we were just starting our tasting menu… le sigh.

Our first course was the toasted egg yolk.  This was the one thing off the Summer Menu that I really wanted, so I was very pleased that I got it on my menu.  This was absolutely delicious. 

 

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It had the texture of grilled cheese with that salty caviar. It was a great combination and a great texture. I loved it and hoped that the whole meal would be this unique and delicious, to make up for the slow service.

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Mike’s next course was on the original menu: Foie gras and market strawberry terrine, bitter chocolate and brioche. They said this had peppers in it, but I took a little nibble and I didn’t detect any.  And then I took another nibble and another and another. Frankly, I couldn’t get enough of this so even if it did have peppers, I convinced myself it didn’t (if it did, it was barely a trace).  The bitter sweet chocolate with the strawberry and rich foie gras.  Boy oh boy. This is how foie gras was meant to be.

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I got scallops which were very nicely seared with a very slight crisp. The cauliflower added flavor without taking away from the delicate flavor of the scallop. Very nice.

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I was then served the following, which while I at first thought was some sort of rose petal soup, was merely a dipping bowl for ones hands.  Good thing they told me that before I sank my spoon in!  It was a very nice touch.

 

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Mike’s next course was charred corn ravioli with tomato salad and basil fondue.  It was a great combination of fresh flavors. Sweet and very nice, though Mike said he wanted more ravioli in the dish.

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My next course was garlic soup with frog legs.

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They instructed me to dip the legs into the soup.  It was actually a great combination of flavors and I really enjoyed the mild garlic soup with the salty legs.

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Mike’s next course was trout with charred eggplant and peppers sauce. I didn’t try this one, but Mike concluded that he doesn’t love red fish and this relied too much on the sauce for flavor.  There was really a need for crunch on the top because the fish was a bit mushy.

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My next course was turbo with wine sauce.  The sauce was absolutely incredible.  I really loved it.

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Next , Mike had the lobster in yuzu, chanterelles, and squash.  This was really delightful. Great flavors.

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My next course was lobster with tomato broth. It had a mild mint flavor to it.  My tail piece was a bit overcooked but my claw was perfectly cooked. It was nothing like Maine Lobster Pound lobster though (then again… what is?)

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There was quite a wait between each course even after the initial gaps, so at some point between course 5 and course 6, our waiter brought us a free wine pairing on the house for our next course. That was a very nice touch.

Mike’s next course was the lamb with a smoked chili glaze. It was absolutely perfectly cooked from the looks of it, but Mike said the chili sauce/rub was really overpowering to the flavor and the sides (new onion compote and pole beans) were just “meh.”

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I somehow forgot to photograph my last savory course, but it was squab. It had curry, which I’m typically not a fan of, but this one was very good.  It was a bit hard to cut but the corn cake with foie was quite good.  The lemon with it was too lemony and was pretty overpowering for the dish.

At this point, we were both pretty full (and tired), but our most anticipated courses were yet to come.

On to dessert!

Mike had the cherry dessert tasting which had a few variations of cherry desserts. Mike’s favorite was the cherry almond creme brulee. It also had cherry with champagne something-in-french-with-cherries in the jar and black forest cake with cherries.  These were very pretty, but really just okay in flavor.

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I got the chocolate tasting which included chocolate lava cake (fantastic), a candy bar (just ehh), apricot with mcadamia nuts and lavender (I thought it tasted like soap, but Mike liked it), and a lemon meringue like dessert (my fave).  None of it worked together, but it was a nice assortment.

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The candy bar, while so-so on flavor, was really beautiful.

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I was beyond stuffed at this point, but a very nice happy birthday present came out (filled with chocolate mousse).

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And then a guy came by and cut us some homemade marshmallows.

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Which were fluffy and perfect.

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And then out came a candy sampler (the wrapped ones had chipotle, but the rest were just okay).

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And then macarons, which had good flavor but were a bit too small to be texturally right.

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And then I got a goody bag to take home that had some candy “for the lady.” It was a nice treat the day after on our way up to Maine (more on that later)

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By the time we finished our meal it was after 1am.  Over 4.5 hours.  Ridiculous.  

And when we sat and thought about it, we realized that our meal was really, really good… but was it great? Was it even memorable? 

I couldn’t even put it in the top 10. Maybe not even the top 20. What a bummer.  It’s not that anything was bad… in fact, most of our dishes were far above average. But it just wasn’t what we expected from such a famous place.  And the service?  Way too slow. Ridiculously slow. Bummer. Bummer Bummer.

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10