Tag Archives: midtown

Surprise Birthday Dinner 2015: Gabriel Kreuther

28 Sep

Hello old friends!

I have taken quite the hiatus since Baby Nom Nom’s arrival. We have spent the last 17 weeks enjoying (almost) every moment with our son (even the tough, sleepless ones). A new baby is every bit as tough as I anticipated, and then some, but it’s every bit as wonderful as I had hoped (and then some!)

But even a new baby did not stop us from our annual tradition of surprise holiday restaurants. And Mike rertainly didn’t disappoint this year for my birthday when we walked into the new Gabriel Kreuther in the Grace Building by Bryant Park.

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For the record, previous birthdays were amazing choices, too: Sushi Nakazawa (awesome), Brooklyn Fare (incredible), Jean Georges (underwhelming), Daniel (amazing meal and the best dessert I’ve ever had… which led me to the incredible Dominique Ansel), Le Bernardin (fantastic), and (two of our top meals of all time, and sadly now closed) WD-50.

The inside is a little bit rustic (with reclaimed wood beams that I loved), a little bit sleek, and a whole lot of beautiful storks.

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With a window into the kitchen (wish we had sat facing this!)IMG_6927

The silverware pieces and dishes were all just a little bit sassy.IMG_6827

Elegant but a little whimsical.

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We ordered cocktails, and they were very good, though the one on the right was a (very expensive) truffle cocktail and sadly, as is the state with many things made with fresh truffles, just didn’t taste all that much like truffles.

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The bread came out with homemade butter and was warm and delicious.

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We went for the tasting menu, which was chef’s choice but we could mention if there was anything special we wanted and they would “try to work it in.”  The one item that really caught our eye was the “Mangalitsa Lardo Poached Maine Lobster” so we mentioned this and turned ourselves over to the chef.

Then we had 3 amuse bouche (bouches?) in a row.  They were all great and started the meal off very well.

This was a hearts of palm panna cotta with fresno chile purée and celery jus.

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(My version without the peppers).

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Then a roasted tomatillo gelée with rosemary meringue and crispy pig ear.

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Loved this.

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This was an incredible couple of bites. A coffee cracker (these should exist in real life) with roasted corn and goat cheese mousse and some other little goodies.

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Our first real course was “10 Days Cured Brandt Beef Tenderloin” with tartar, shemogue oyster vinaigrette, and horseradish.

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This was hearty without being heavy and the pour over sauce added a lovely additional texture.IMG_6850

It all came together beautifully.

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Then we had the compressed hamachi with black truffle, foie gras terrine, and celery.  The layers in this were very complimentary and while it could have been super rich, there were little tastes throughout that cut the richness nicely.

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Then we had the burnt heirloom tomato with arugula juice, crystalized orange peels, and boquerones.

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This looked like it belonged in a contemporary museum. It was simply gorgeous. And the parts were all tasty.  However… it didn’t quite come together. The sauce was a bit too acidic so it burned the back of the throat. So much potential but just not our favorite item of the night.IMG_6863

The next course came out under a cloche (I’m such a sucker for food under a cloche… though that could be because I have never had a bad dish that began under a cloche)IMG_6864

This was no exception. It was a sturgeon and sauerkraut tart with American caviar mousseline and applewood smoke. Oh man this was smoky heaven. More please!

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At this point I think something went a bit wrong with the pacing. We had two bread courses in a row. But the bread was great (and beautiful), so I can’t complain!

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And the second one came with lardo!

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The next course was definitely worth waiting for. Sweetbread dumplings with summer corn purée and red currents. These were the most perfectly cooked sweetbreads I’ve ever had, and the dumpling was a fantastic blend of flavors.

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Next up was the baked dorade royale with fennel seed-coriander broth and green tomato marmalade.  IMG_6880

Which was placed on top tableside and added a great acidic, slightly sweet compliment to this great dish.

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Then it was time for the Mangalitsa Lardo poached Maine lobster with squid ink gnocchi, cockle ragoūt, baby artichoke, and jamón émulsion that we had been waiting for. We were super excited to get this dish, and it was great, but after all the other amazing dishes that night, this one actually falls to the bottom. All the ingredients are some of my favorite things, but they didn’t seem to compliment each other well nor stand up on their own. It was a lot of really great things that just kind of got muddled and lost. Bummer. But hey… when the lobster is on the bottom of the list… you know you are having a FANTASTIC meal.

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We then had Shemogue Oyster with North Sea uni, smoked salmon sauce, and champagne gelee. It was fresh and delicious and tasted like the best parts of the sea.

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Next up we were shown a rack of lamb smoking under a small stack of hay. The smell was brain melting. IMG_6895 IMG_6897

This was all the right flavors, textures, and preparations. A fantastic dish and especially fantastic lamb.

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And then they served us a hay broth in a cup to drink with it.  Heaven.

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It was then time to move into dessert, but the palate cleanser was a super fresh, super bright strawberries with limoncello sorbet and lemongrass marshmallow.

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Delightful.

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They then served a very nice birthday surprise cake. It was a lovely treat and they wrapped it up and gave the rest to take home on our way out. (Which proved a very nice way to thank Grandma, our babysitter!)

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This was entitled “Fantasy” on the menu they gave me to take home and is described as Chocolate Kirsch Amerna with Guanaja chantilly, olive oil chocolate sponge cake, and kirsch sorbet.

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They even poured a chocolate sauce over the chocolate cone at the table.IMG_6911

This was definitely delicious, but it seemed a bit more about the artistry and less about the flavor. It was good but not great.

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They then wheeled over a cart and made a café frappé with caramel cremeux and candied pecans. IMG_6916

This was really, really good, but we were so full by this time that we just couldn’t finish it.

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And just when we thought we couldn’t fit one more bite, they brought over homemade chocolates and petits fours.

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The chocolates were served in a cocoa pod. Very cool.

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The one strange moment came on the check. We were charged supplements for both the lobster and the lamb. Supplements we were happy to pay, and so worth it, but unexpected. Yes, the lobster was our request, however, the lamb was chosen by the chef so it was a bit strange that the supplemental charge wasn’t mentioned upfront. It didn’t take away from the fact that both Mike and I left this meal raving about it though!

This was one of the most memorable, simply delicious meals we have had in a while. Each dish was prepared with precision, artistry, and attention to flavors and textures. Even the dishes we didn’t overly care for were still a huge step above most of the food we are privileged to eat in this city.

They also have a bar menu and an a la carte menu, and I cannot wait to go back and try more.

This is a great addition to the Bryant Park area.

Total Nom Points: 8.5 out of 10

 

New Restaurant Opening: Marta

13 Oct

A few years ago, when I worked in the slightly no man’s land neighborhood of midtown-ish, just north of Gramercy but not quite Murray Hill, there were very few food options.  Dos Caminos was basically all we had, and sometimes Houston’s (now Hillstone, which appears to be mostly the same but under a new name).  In the last few years since I have returned, it is a whole new world. Cannibal and Resto, Ai Fiori, The Nomad and The Nomad Bar, and the Breslin (to name just a few off the top of my head) are all within a 5-7 minute walk from my office.

And now, a new Danny Meyer’s pizza restaurant, Marta, has opened in the Martha Washington Hotel on 29th Street between Madison and Park.

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(In the picture above, you can see a giant door-looking object. Do not be deceived. This is not a door.  Do not tug on it while hapless diners stare at you in fear and curiosity from the inside.  The entrance is all the way to the eastern side of the restaurant where you enter the hotel.  This recommendation is from both personal tugging experience and from the insider-looking-out POV where many a frustrated diner-to-be tugged while we ate and looked on.)

Inside is a soaring space with two giant pizza ovens and a large marble bar.  There are many tables around the room and the dining room feels big, but surprisingly never loud. I have now had two lunch meals here and both times I was surprised at how easy it was to have conversation with my fellow diners.

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The bar for drinks (rather than pizza) is cheerful.

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The tables are beautiful wood with a casual paper placemat and nice dishes. It gives the place a very laid back vibe but still polished. Perfect for a nicer pizza place.

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The wine menu is quite extensive.

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While Chef Nick Anderer certainly has a great pizza menu, there are also a number of other delicious sounding dishes on the menu, especially from the grill (which I did not yet try, but after seeing the lamb chops on a fellow diner’s table, I will need to go back soon!)

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We started our first meal with the Radicchio salad, which came with treviso, quinoa, peaches, almonds, and ricotta salata.  This was very, very tasty and I especially liked the peaches mixed in.

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For the pizzas, we tried the (stunning) Fiori di Zucca (with mozzarella, zucchini flowers, and anchovies) and the Capricciosa (mozzarella, artichokes, prosciutto, olives, and egg).

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The combination of the all the flavors on the Capricciosa won my heart (and tongue), as did the nicely crispy crust that had some sections that were perfectly charred.

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The Fiori di Zucca was the stunner, however, and also very tasty.  I felt a little like the anchovy flavor took away from the delicate flavor of the squash, so it wasn’t as great as the Capricciosa, but still very tasty.

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And so pretty I made it my model for the moment and even added it as the main graphic on the NYCNomNom Facebook page.

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On my second visit, I had to get the Capricciosa again and it was even better the second time around.  Those charred, super crispy bits of crust really thrilled my palette.

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And this time we also tried the Patate alla Carbonara, which was new to the menu since my first visit.  This new gem came with potatoes, guanciale, black pepper, pecorino, and egg.

It was a tough call to decide which I liked more. I LOVED the potato on pizza. It’s such a great flavor.  And the seasoning was perfect.  Great depth of flavor and texture.

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And this time we packed up half our pizza (and I shared with Mike later that night… lucky boy) and saved room for dessert.

We chose the Ice Cream Panino with salted chocolate biscotto, pistachios, and mascarpone gelato. This was like a bumped up ice cream cookie sandwich made with super gourmet ingredients. The salt and chocolate and ice cream and pistachio all came together beautifully for a great dessert.  Great way to end the meal.

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I really enjoyed Marta on both visits.  The pizzas are very, very good and the space is a great place for a work lunch (and I’m sure breakfast and dinner as well).  I still slightly prefer the truffle and egg pizza from Otto, which changed my truffle life, because the truffle is just so damn good, but the crust on these Marta pies win out a little bit (though the center was definitely a fork and knife only enterprise).

Very happy to have them in the neighborhood.

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

Delmonico’s Kitchen in Midtown

12 Dec

The original Delmonico’s is a New York institution and has been around for nearly 200 years.  I’ve been reading a very interesting, but very long book, called Appetite City and they have an entire (very fascinating) chapter dedicated to the history of the restaurant. When Delmonico’s first opened, there weren’t fine dining options in the city.  People were fed what was being served at inns, rather than being able to order their own food. So two brothers came together to offer New York City diners a menu, tablecloths, and food from a real “chef.”  The restaurant is famous for inventing some dishes we still eat (and love) today, such as Eggs Benedict, Baked Alaska, and Lobster Newburg.

We ate at the original for Restaurant Week a few years ago, and we were a bit underwhelmed.

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About a year ago, they opened up a midtown location called Delmonico’s Kitchen, just a few short blocks from where we live. We had been meaning to try it for a long time, however, we finally got there a few weeks ago to check it out. The restaurant had about a 20 minute wait on this Friday night, but there were seats available at the bar with the full menu, so we went for it.

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The bread basket they served had a very nice selection, with a few warm items and pink salted butter.

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I went with the boneless slow cooked short ribs with “baby spinach, sweet potato hash, red wine natural.”  I love short ribs, however, I was shocked at just how big this cut of short rib was.  It was more like a big piece of brisket with the taste of succulent, sweet short ribs. I absolutely loved this dish.  I did the happy belly dance while taking down half of the portion (and sharing with Mike) and took the rest home for an amazing short rib and egg breakfast the next day.

The sauce was rich but not overpowering and the meat had a great flavor.  The hash underneath somehow didn’t get the least bit soggy and maintained all the great flavors of each veggie.  Really fantastic.

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Mike went with the DK Double Burger which was described as “Our prime burger blend continues the legacy that began in 1837 when America’s first hamburger was served at Delmonico’s.”  How can a burger lover such as Mike not try America’s first hamburger?

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And it was a doozy.  At least 6 inches stacked high.

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I had no idea how Mike would manage to take a bit out of this, but he prevailed!

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And it was a really fantastic burger.  With a stack that high, one might expect it would all become a scrambled mess, but instead the thin burger bun was a great conduit for the flavorful, well charred meat and the collection of cheese and burger toppings.  Great burger. And the fries were pretty damn good too.

By taking back leftovers, we scraped up enough room to try dessert.  It all sounded great, but Delmonico’s is known for their Baked Alaska, so we decided to try their midtown version.

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This was a beautiful piece of art.

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Lovely cherry and chocolate ice cream inside on a chocolate cake/crust base, covered in marshmallowy soft meringue and browned ever so slightly on the outside.

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A beautiful, tasty, and decadent dessert.  It felt special.

The whole meal really felt special.  Those short ribs were some of the best I’ve had and I am sure we will be returning with guests as the weather grows colder and we stay closer to home.  Glad to have this in the neighborhood.

Total Nom Points: 8.5 out of 10

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