Category: Food

Manhattan Dining: From Low to Haute

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DINING OUT IN MANHATTAN

We ran the gamut on our recent visit to Manhattan from lunches at diners to meals at moderate and splurge-worthy restaurants.

We were initially dismayed to see that the Lenox Grill on Lexington had closed.  While it wasn’t the best diner in the world, it was reliably good, convenient to where we wanted to be, and never so crowded you couldn’t get a table.

Here are some notes on where we did eat most recently.

DINER LUNCHES (Upper East Side) 

E & J Luncheonette

This old-fashioned diner on 3rd Avenue is probably the best one we tried.  We’d eaten here in the spring and it was very popular.  They serve a satisfyingly good grilled bacon and cheese, with the usual cole slaw and optional French fries.

Nectar Café

This cozy, I’d call it snug, little place operates on a cash only basis and you wonder where they’ve tucked away the kitchen!  But, if you don’t mind being cheek by jowl, then the food is very good and the service friendly.  I liked my tuna salad sandwich on multi-grain toast.

Gracie’s Corner Diner

Don’t bother.  This large diner on E. 86th Street has an extensive menu, and perhaps it was because I was tired of sandwich and so-so salad fare, but I was decidedly underwhelmed. Like so many diners, quantity was the byword here, bypassing true quality.  I ordered a green salad with grilled chicken on top, huge with a strange house dressing on the side and lots of chicken, but with little flavor.  The corn beef Reuben was open face and smothered with a thick layer of cheese and, frankly, didn’t look that appetizing.  The CP didn’t eat much of it either.

Gina Americana

This little hole-in-the-wall burger joint boasts a row of American flag posters in frames and other flags around its walls.  Bypassing all the varieties of burger meat and toppings, we opted for items from the Mexican Connection section of the menu.  The guacamole was excellent and the chicken quesadilla and the chicken taco very good—the only surprise was the lack of any salsa or hot sauce whatsoever!  Lime wedges came with the taco and the guacamole.

 

MODERATE DINNER FARE  (Upper East Side unless noted)

Island

Embracing a New England nautical flair, Island is a very popular spot for locals and the occasional hotel guest from down the block.  They cater nicely to folks of all ages, even kids.  We dined here two nights and found the chicken paillard, chopped Cobb salad, and fried calamari all to our liking!  The calamari was all rings and perfectly cooked.  The Cobb salad was not the usual mass of large pieces of lettuce and great gobs of avocado and chicken, but rather a nice melange of chopped greens with the chicken, avocado, bacon and blue cheese in appropriately sized small pieces.  The sum was definitely greater than the parts!

Little Frog

Very friendly French place and reliably good.  We like the charming and urbane maître d’ (who think is also the owner).  The cheese fritters were a wonderful starter, the salads are good, and the braised short ribs were sublime!  Perfect for a chilly evening.

 Table d’Hote

Snug little restaurant on the Upper East Side about the size of a tearoom and very popular.  We enjoyed lunch here so much we returned for the perfectly executed comfort food dinner!  Little gem romaine salad with an oregano vinaigrette and then roast organic chicken served with silky puréed potatoes and some mini carrots all in tarragon jus.

Jing Fong  (Upper West Side)

This Chinese restaurant on Amsterdam sports dim sum on its sign, but the night we were there there were no carts, just what was on the menu.  To be fair, the menu includes a wide variety of dumplings, a number of which our large group sampled.  They were good.  We also ordered a chicken and vegetable dish, beef and onions, steamed buns, and for the two kids, several orders of soup dumplings.  Very busy on a Friday night so best to make a reservation.

Via Carota  (West Village)

I consider this a very special place even though it isn’t at all fancy.  In fact, it’s almost rustic with its wooden floor and wooden tables and chairs with the menus rolled up in a back pocket.  We eat here at least once every time we come to New York and dig into several must-have dishes:  grilled artichokes, and either Meyer lemon risotto or the chicken with lemon.  All the pastas are delectable, the salad is a perfectly tangy mound of greens, and it’s hard to go amiss with any dish you order.  They don’t take reservations so we often arrive unfashionably early, whether lunch or dinner.

Pascalou

Disappointing. We really wanted to like this French restaurant as the menu was very appealing.  Our waiter had a twinkle, our table upstairs was quiet, and everything was going fine.  The first courses, salad for me and pate for him, were acceptable, but then the service deteriorated.  It was almost an hour between courses and one entrée had clearly been cooked the day before, and the other wasn’t quite done the way I had requested.  The place was full so I hope others had a better experience.

 

SPLURGES

Paola’s

A traditional white tablecloth Italian restaurant serving both lunch and dinner.  It’s another popular Upper East Side dining venue and reservations, at least for dinner, are essential.  Salads are fresh and tasty and the pastas and veal shine.  I’m especially fond of the veal-stuffed agnolotti dusted with black truffle.

 Boulud Sud 

This is Chef Daniel’s (as in Boulud) Mediterranean restaurant and it’s an elegantly simple dining room offering impeccable service.  We’ve had lunches here in the more distant past, and this trip went for the prix fixe dinner before going across the street to Lincoln Center.  Everything was delicious from my saffron linguini with lemon and bottarga to the grilled dorade on a red pepper emulsion to the  light chocolate gateau with an oval of sorbet.

Cosme

Superb Mexican-influenced cuisine on 21st Street.  The dining room is what I’d call chic industrial with high ceilings, exposed metal, and light wood tables and finishes.  Most of the dishes on the menu are not familiar so you, like us, might need some translations.

We tucked into the herb guacamole (chunky style with an aromatic bunch of herb leaves) to go with the slightly astringent margaritas.  We then followed with branzino that was light and delectable and the house specialty, duck carnitas, basically a whole duck deconstructed and then put back together under the skin and served with two sauces and blue corn tortillas.  For dessert, we ordered the meringue filled with corn mousse (very different, but quite tasty) and a combo of a pastry ball and a ball of orange sorbet.  This restaurant is definitely pricy so be prepared to spend a lot, but it’s definitely worth it!

 Note:  All photos by JWFarrington except for header photo of an E&J sandwich from foursquare.com

Maine Time: Pausing in Portland

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PORTLAND INTERLUDE

As is our wont, our annual trip to Maine included about 36 hours in Portland.  Portland is red brick and squawking gulls (Florida seagulls don’t seem to squawk, at least I haven’t heard them).  It’s also home to a branch of the ubiquitous Sherman’s (books lowercase, gifty items uppercase), the seriously good Longfellow Books, and a plethora of good to great restaurants.  It’s a real foodie’s town.  And in our short time there, we managed to squeeze in a tasty lunch at the Garden Café, two superb dinners, and an atmospheric, but somewhat disappointing, lobster roll lunch in the Old Port.  

We like to stay at the Portland Regency Hotel in the historic Armory building.  It’s conveniently located close to the touristy Old Port yet also easily walkable to the center of town and to the Portland Art Museum.  Like all of the hotels this season, it’s pricey—summer is when Portland makes real money.

On our way to dinner one night, we stopped in at said art museum (turned out it’s free from 4:00 to 8:00 pm on Fridays) and found the exhibit of the photography of Clarence White most interesting.  Self taught, White gained attention at the beginning of the 20thcentury for his soft focus photos of women and children and was later commissioned to do illustrations for a number of books and for advertising.  He also was one of the first individuals to teach photography in a university setting, at Columbia and also elsewhere.

WHERE WE ATE

Garden Café

This is the Regency hotel’s outdoor dining spot, and when the weather is perfect, which it was on Thursday, it was just right for lunch.  The menu includes the usual coastal fare of fish and chips, chowder, and lobster rolls, but you can also order a quesadilla with chicken or one from their appetizing selection of salads.  Service is leisurely, but who wants to hurry on a beautiful day!

Hugo’s

Hugo’s is a seriously good restaurant and the dinner we enjoyed here was exquisite.  The menu is divided into three sections:  appetizers, to share, and mains.  We ordered mostly from the appetizers section with the addition of one entrée and shared everything.  The cold smoked halibut with almond milk and ramps was different and delectable, the tuna tartare luscious, and the orcchiette with lamb bacon and spinach an inspired and hearty combination.

As a main, we sampled the roasted scallops with mole, probably the best scallops I’ve ever eaten!  Seating is in booths or stools at the bar and the wait staff are all very friendly and welcoming.  For those who may be hesitant about this refined food, the staff will put them at ease.

Chaval

This Spanish style casual place in the west end is celebrating its first anniversary this week. We have dined at Piccolo, its sister Italian restaurant in the Old Port, several times and found it so wonderful, we felt we needed to try Chaval.  Chaval too is marvelous.  There is pleasant indoor seating, but we opted for the walled-in patio out back and were charmed by the bold painted flowers on the building wall.

The menu has a number of tapas dishes on the To Start section of the menu along with Stuck in the Middle and Forks and Knives.  We like small plates and so tried the fried cauliflower, patatas bravas (the Chief Penguin pronounced these the best ever!), deviled eggs with shrimp and caviar, and a special of the night, duck rillettes.  

These were several bites each and thus, we then went on to lettuce and nuts (a salad with walnuts and cabrales blue cheese) and a beautifully presented plate of shrimp a la plancha.  To end, we succumbed to an order of churros.   Another wonderful meal!

READING UPDATE

#8  Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

This historical novel has so many different strands at work that it’s difficult to know what aspects to pinpoint.  It’s a story about a father-daughter relationship, albeit one that exist in bursts with 12-year old Anna recounting a memorable outing with her father, followed by his disappearance, and then her resignation at knowing his fate.  It’s also about the divers who worked at the Brooklyn Naval Yard during WWII and how Anna becomes the first female diver.  And there’s the shadowy background of the mob—the corrupt underworld of nightclubs and shady yet tantalizingly seductive men like Dexter Styles.  Egan brings all this together in a compelling, richly detailed, dark tale that kept this reader wondering how it would all come together and whether any of these characters, Anna, her hapless mother, or her rootless aunt Brianne, would find ease and stability.

For the record, more than fifteen publications included this work on their lists of the top books of 2017. (~JWFarrington)

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).  Header photo is back side of restaurant Chaval.

Manhattan Notes: Dining et al

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UNEXPECTED EXHIBIT

The exhibit was titled, “Los Alamos” and mentioned to us by a good friend.  She has visited Los Alamos a number of times and was interested, but couldn’t get to the museum before the exhibit closed.  We were also interested and so went to the Metropolitan Museum  to see it.  It’s an exhibit of photos by American photographer William Eggleston.  

Eggleston was an early pioneer in the use of dye transfer photography with saturated intense colors, and this collection of his work is a recent gift to the museum.  But, although he named the collection, “Los Alamos,” it has nothing to do with that site.  Rather it is photos taken in the south and southwest, Memphis, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Georgia, in 1965-68 and from 1971-74.  They are a mix of stark urban landscapes and portraits of careworn individuals.  These galleries evoke a different era, but not Los Alamos.  While in the museum, we took a gander at some other art, hard not to, such as this Klimt of a 9-year old girl!

 

 

 

 

 

 

DINING DELIGHTS

Bistro Vendome

We like this comfortable French restaurant so much, we’ve dined there three times.  Our most recent meal began with oven-roasted bone marrow, not a dish we’d normally order.  But the maître d’ was so persuasive (his French accent and charm didn’t hurt) about how delicious and delectable it was that the Chief Penguin surrendered.  Said marrow was presented on a bed of wilted greens with a piece of toast on the side and for tools, a tiny fork and spoon. The idea was to scrape a bit of the marrow onto a bit of toast.  It was actually quite good!  

Following that starter, I sampled the grilled large shrimp served with a spinach flan on a puddle of lobster sauce.  The shrimp were excellent and the sauce rich while the flan would have benefited from a tad more nutmeg.  The C.P. indulged in hanger steak with fries and a tangle of arugula. The steak was tender and tasty, the fried the perfect thickness and crispness.  A lovely meal!

El Porron

This Spanish tapas restaurant has become another favorite.  It’s an attractive space and the staff are always most welcoming.  You can order full size entrees, but we’ve stuck to the tapas and been sated and satisfied.  The Serrano ham is lovely, the white asparagus a treat, the sea scallop treatment something different, and the patatas bravas (spicy potatoes) a must for the Chief Penguin.

Imli Urban Indian Food

If you have vegetarian tendencies or vegetarian friends, this contemporary space, which never seems to be crowded, is a great find.  We went on our own and then again with visiting family.  The samosas are some of the best I’ve ever had (the right ratio of flaky dough to filling), the saag paneer (spinach and that Indian cheese) silky and tasty, the potato stuffed peppers spicy, and the chicken curry, comfort food at its most soothing.   Lots of choices on this menu from small plate tapas to entrees.

EJ’s Luncheonette

This is a 1940’s style diner on the Upper East Side.  Formica tables, booths, and classic posters on the wall.  Service is friendly and there are daily blackboard specials like the meatloaf sandwich that the C.P. dug into!  

It came with truffle fries, very au courant, while my open face tuna melt included tomato slices; smothered with melted cheddar, it brought back memories of tuna melts of yore.  I think this restaurant rivals the Lenox Hill Grill and I’d be happy to return!

Bar Room at The Modern

For elegant dining and special occasions, The Modern offers exquisite cuisine.  You can dine in the restaurant proper, but we have usually opted for the Bar Room.  Both are pricy, but the restaurant is pricier.  The Bar Room is so popular, it is always full, and I have to admit, very loud at night.  There is an actual marble bar, and then bar seating adjacent to it which generates some of the buzz, but the floor is bare, the surfaces hard, and there is no fabric to dampen voices.

However, the food is marvelous!  We came this time for a belated birthday celebration and re-appreciated the quality. The lobster en croute with spinach and the chicken with foie gras tortellini were both delectable as was a starter of fennel and smoked salmon whimsically topped with chips.

ON THE SMALL SCREEN

Striking Out (Acorn)

We binge watched this Irish legal series.  Tara Rafferty leaves the Dunbar law firm after she finds Eric Dunbar, her fiancé, in a compromising situation, and strikes out on her own.  Her first office is the back area of a coffee shop.  When that becomes untenable, she shares office space with George, a brusque, opinionated female lawyer.  Although not her specialty, Tara takes up family law and finds herself in court, often opposing one of her former colleagues.

Figuring in the series are her mother, a former legal secretary; her father a judge; Ray, a petty criminal turned office manager for Tara; Richard Dunbar, Eric’s father and head of the firm, and Meg, a private investigator who doesn’t hesitate to work one side against the other.  Set in Dublin, it’s an absorbing look at the law on the other side of the Atlantic, complete with romantic entanglements.  Amy Huberman, who plays Tara, is likable and tougher than one might first think.  There are only two seasons thus far and Season 2 ends with a cliffhanger during Tara’s good friend Vincent’s big corruption case.  We want more!

 Note:  All photos by JWFarrington.  Header photo is Medallion quilt (1960) by Loretta Pettway in the Metropolitan Museum.

 

Around Manhattan: Sculpture & Food

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HUMAN BODY SCULPTED

Like Life: Sculpture, Color and the Body. 

This exhibit at Met Breuer of people from about 1300 to the present takes up two floors of the museum. Classical sculpture of human figures was done in marble, almost always white.  This exhibit explores examples of white sculpture, but also instances of tinted figures and some contemporary works such as the black house painter by American sculptor Duane Hanson.  The second half of the exhibit on the 3rdfloor is more challenging, and I would add, “viewer discretion advised.” It includes bodies in coffins, several crucifixion works, and other works that are bizarre or macabre. It’s both fascinating and occasionally creepy.

DINING FINDS

We are staying in another neighborhood new to us near the Queensboro Bridge and are exploring dining options in the surrounding blocks.  

Tiella—This Italian eatery is small and cozy with a pleasing choice of dishes.  A standout entree was the orata served under layers of wafer thin slices of potato and sautéed spinach flavored with lemon and thyme.

Under the Bridge—A tiny Greek place that quickly becomes loud and boisterous.  We were warmly welcomed with a smile and a big hello and then proceeded to order a range of small plates instead of entrees.  The shrimps in an ouzo laced thick tomato sauce were exceptional, and the grilled halloumi satisfying, while the special zucchini fritters and lemon potatoes rounded out the plate.  Tables are close together so you can easily check out your neighbor’s fare!

Rosa Mexicano—This is part of a chain, but the food seems to be genuine Mexican fare—nothing gloppy or sloppy!  The guacamole is made tableside to your degree of heat and the margaritas are large and potent.   We sampled a quesadilla and some chicken flautas.

Bistro Vendome.  Charming French restaurant with an upper level terrace that was perfect for a spring evening.  We loved the food—duck confit and broiled branzino with fennel and red peppers, preceded by an artichoke salad and a special “cocktail’ of avocado mousse topped with crab meat and mini tomato bits.  Service could have been more attentive than it was.  

READING AND VIEWING

Howards End by E. M. Forster. 

Prompted by my friend Patricia some months ago, I finally got around to re-reading Forster’s novel. I procrastinated until I read that a new version was to be shown on the Starz network.  Despite Forster’s many authorial comments and frequent philosophizing, I enjoyed it.  It questions to what extent we are individually or collectively responsible for the wellbeing and fate of those less fortunate than we.

A novel about social class, it brings into conflict, or at least tension, the arty Schlegel sisters and brother with lower class clerk Leonard Bast.  Add in business tycoon, Henry Wilcox and his family, and you have another set of views based on profit, rationality, and indifference to others.  Margaret Schlegel is the focal point.  She is smart and educated, and has provided a home and stability for her flighty sister and much younger brother after the death of their remaining parent.  Both she and Helen interact with the Wilcoxes, but Margaret’s relations will have a lasting impact.  The novel was original published in 1910.

The BBC production on Starz is in four parts and is very faithful to the book.  Unlike the wonderful film with Emma Thompson, the pacing is more measured and there is more time for small details and character development.

RECENT BOOKS

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova.

Neuroscientist turned author, Genova writes novels that focus on how an individual or a family deals with some tragic illness.  Still Alice, her best-known novel, was about an accomplished professor who was afflicted with early onset Alzheimer’s. It was made into a popular movie of the same title.  Genova then wrote about Huntington’s disease and this latest novel takes up the cause of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease as it’s commonly called.  Stephen Hawking lived more than 30 years with ALS, but he was an exceptional case.

Richard, a world-renowned concert pianist, develops ALS when he’s 45.  He is divorced from Karina, also a talented pianist who put her career aside for him, and father to a college-age daughter named Grace.  As his ALS progresses and it becomes clear that he can no longer stay in his own apartment, Karina takes him in.  The novel reads at times like a documentary or a medical treatise on the ravages of this horrible disease, with the fictional story of Richard and Karina’s tumultuous and bitter relationship an afterthought. I wouldn’t call it a totally successful novel, but as a guide to learning about ALS, it is comprehensive.

The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy.

A staff writer for The New Yorker for the past decade, Levy gives us a memoir of her atypical upbringing and her rough ride through her 20’s and 30’s.  She seeks adventure, travels to exotic locales for work, and, after a mad party-fueled period, marries Lucy, her lover and mentor who turns out to be an alcoholic.  Levy’s account is bold, brash, and very frank.

I have to admit I didn’t particularly like the book.  At times it was too raw, too emotional, and, to me, too self-indulgent.  But it was named a best book of the year by a number of publications including Vogue, Time, The Guardian, and Library Journal, so I guess I’m in the minority.  I also learned after finishing it (I did read it to the end) that my son had worked with her and likes her.

 Notes:  Header photo is Donatello’s Nicollo da Uzzano. All photos by JWFarrington.