Tag Archives: pecan pie

Tenpenny- A surprisingly great meal near Broadway

23 Apr

We live near Broadway, so we go out in the area more than most.  The Broadway/Times Square area is not known for having great food. There are some gems, but almost the entire area is over priced, over crowded, and underwhelming.

We were looking for another hidden gem so I pulled open my Immaculate Infatuation app and found their recommendation for Tenpenny. They had a reservation at the right time (and wound up being pretty empty at the early, pre-theater hour we visited) so we went for it.  It is also within walking distance of Grand Central station, so it’s located near a lot of places where I am frequently asked to find restaurants.

Tenpenny is located in the Gotham Hotel on 46th Street. The restaurant has a great feel and you certainly wouldn’t believe you’re right in the middle of all the city action here.

DSCF1037

There is a skylight in the back that offers a lovely NY high rise view and lots of sun light on a nice day like when we went.

DSCF1038

Immaculate Infatuation also had mentioned crispy artichokes (which are one of my favorite foods ever), however, they were not on the menu this time. ::sad face::

The bread was a really nice crispy crust and fluffy inside. And I really enjoyed the garlic and rosemary sliced into the olive oil. (The other was red pepper flakes, so I had to stay away).

DSCF1043

We tried the OPP or “Other People’s Pinot.” It was a Pinot Noir and we really enjoyed it.

DSCF1045

It was from a winery called Mouton Noir and I really enjoyed the cap.

DSCF1049

We decided to start with the crostini and we tried the smoked salmon & dill creme fraiche crostini and the crispy pork belly, spiced yogurt & fuji apple crostini.  The smoked salmon and dill one was okay (though I’m not a huge fan of salmon) but I really enjoyed the crispy pork belly.

DSCF1046

The bread on both was fantastic and I really enjoyed the pork and apple combination on the second one.

DSCF1048

Mike went with the Lamb Porterhouse which was cast iron seared Colorado lamb with house butter. It had a great lamby flavor that we both really enjoyed.

DSCF1056

 

I chose the Heritage Pork Rach which was house brined, pan seared, and served with bourbon pork jus.

DSCF1061

There was a really nice sear on the chop and it was surprisingly juicy and tender all throughout. The bourbon jus was also a really great compliment.

DSCF1062

It also came with a small onion tartlet that I really enjoyed. The onions were perfectly caramelized and the pastry itself had great flavor.

DSCF1064

Tenpenny serves their entrees as mostly just the meat, so you do need to get a side on its own (which definitely puts the meal further into the pricey category). We chose the brussels sprouts. They were delicious and the way we like them (with pork) but weren’t as crispy as we like. We are quite particular about our brussels, however!

DSCF1057

We then decided to try some dessert, and we started with 2 glasses of after dinner drinks. I chose a dessert wine and Mike got a port.

DSCF1070

Mike chose the pecan pie with cinnamon gelato and caramel sauce. This was quite good.  The pecans were nicely cooked without being over sweet, and the  pastry was a nice compliment to the sweetness.

DSCF1073

I went with the chocolate caramel mousse with espresso anglaise and toasted hazelnuts.

DSCF1075

The mousse was the perfect texture with the crisp chocolate on top and cookie-like crust on the bottom.  Really nice dessert and looked beautiful.

DSCF1077

Overall, Tenpenny was a great find. A bit expensive (especially since the entrees don’t really come with any sides), but the quality is there to make it a worthwhile place to eat and worth the midtown price tag. It’s hard to get away from a costly meal in that area of town, but with the others being much lower quality, I think Tenpenny is a great place to go.  All our food had great flavor and was cooked and presented with obvious care. It’s also just a nice place to spend an evening. We sat and leisurely enjoyed our meal and drinks.

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

 

The Dutch

19 Feb

We wound up having to be in the NYU neighborhood unexpectedly one Friday night, so we decided to do a quick look-up of restaurants we had been wanting to try in the neighborhood.  We went to The Dutch and wound up being seated right away.

DSCF0378

I am unsure how to explain the decor. It looked like it had been many different restaurants prior and they kept the things they liked and added other things they liked. The orb lights definitely created a cool ambiance.

DSCF0379

We started with oysters. (I wonder how many times I’ve written that phrase here on NYCNomNom… I feel like we start every good meal with delicious oysters.  Damn I love our life!)

DSCF0381

And they brought us some awesome toasted bread with butter.

DSCF0382

Mike got the sea scallops with sunchoke, bacon jam, and meyer lemon.  Mmmmmmm! A perfect combination of awesome flavors.  Really good dish.

DSCF0383

I chose the grilled pork chop with smoked belly, brussels, butternut, and maple. Hell yes.  This was hearty and homey and everything right. I loved this dish.  I am pretty sure I did the happy belly dance (I am not kidding… I dance like a nerd when I love my food) a few dozen times throughout eating this dish.

DSCF0387

We decided to split dessert and went with the chocolate pecan pie.

More happy belly dancing.

So rich. So good.

DSCF0391

And then they gave us each a spiced shortbread cookie at the end. Which I also absolutely loved.

DSCF0394

I really loved our meal at The Dutch. I finally understood what everyone was talking about.  A mostly relaxed environment with just great comfort, tasty food.  I felt like everything was totally familiar and yet in ways I hadn’t tasted them before. I can’t wait to go back and see what else they have to offer.

Total Nom Points: 8 out of 10

nomscale- 08.0

Peter Luger Steakhouse

15 Jan

Peter Luger is probably the most famous steak house in all of NYC, which is why I find it strange that it’s in Brooklyn. I’ve long wondered if that adds to the allure… “it must be good if people will brave the L train for it!”

I had been to Luger once before and hated to say I was underwhelmed. I mean, it was a very good meal, but I didn’t think it was better than places in NYC and didn’t think it was worth crossing the East River to eat.

But when friends from out-of-town wanted to try it, I was excited to go on a food adventure with them.

I certainly love the inside. It’s beautiful without being fancy.

Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1598

Someone suggested we try the bacon. And BOY am I glad they did. This was probably my favorite part of the whole meal. It was thick cut, perfectly cooked, a little charred on the ends. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmmm.

Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1601

And they are famous for their tomato and onion salad. This… I do not understand. I mean I like tomatoes and onions just fine… but why is this special? 

Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1604

Though they did advise that we pour the Peter Luger Sauce (which is on every table) on it, and I will admit, it made the onions and tomatoes very tasty (and added great, but not overpowering flavor to the steaks, too).

Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1610

The steak ordering is incredibly easy from the menu. You tell them if you want steak for two, three, or four and out it comes. It’s a beautiful Porterhouse that they serve nicely carved and dish out to each person at the table.

 Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1605

And you don’t get more perfectly Medium Rare than this:

Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1606

We also ordered the lamb chops so we could try some different things.  These were delicious and I’m glad we had some variation (as much as I love steak!)

Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1608

We got a side of creamed spinach, which I thought was really tasty and heavier on the spinach flavor than the cream (which I prefer).

Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1609

Mmmm… meat.

Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1611

Even though we were all totally stuffed by the end, we just had to try the ice cream sundae (which came with a chocolate cow on top).  This was heavenly.

Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1613

As was the pecan pie.  It was super pecany and not overly sweet. And don’t even get me started on that homemade schlag!

Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1615

As you leave, everyone gets some chocolate gelt to take home.  A nice little way to be reminded later of the great meal you had.

Sept 30 2012 Camera Card 1617

I certainly enjoyed my meal this time more than last time, and I think the key was variation. Definitely get the bacon, try some sauce on some tomatoes and onions (why not?) and then order up some amazing steaks with some lamb chops.  Leave a wee bit of room for dessert and you’re perfect.

Do I feel the need to travel to Brooklyn for this on a regular basis? No.  I still think the novelty is good for tourists, but as a local, I’ll stick with Keen’s. (Though my arm could certainly be easily twisted to return to Peter Luger!)

Total Nom Points: 8 out of 10

nomscale- 08.0