main house – 222 Beaverwood Rd, Saranac Lake, NY 12983-3029
We stayed at The Point for 3 days and so this is part 2 of the chronicle of the food we had. (If you missed part 1, click here). I didn’t photograph the passed snacks that were part of the cocktail hour proceeding dinner each night and snacks/foods were available to be sent to your room if you had a craving for something. Various guests attend the dinners in the Great Hall, all of which require coat and tie for men, while some arrange to have dinner in alternate locations. All of the staff couldn’t have been nicer and more accommodating. They wanted you to have a good time and we did. The question is, is it worth the price? I can’t answer that but I will say that a number of the people we met there had been multiple times. It’s hard to get to – we flew into Albany and it was a 2.5 hours drive from there. They are happy for you to check in in time for lunch which one of the other guests told me they always spend the night somewhere nearby and then drive in early so they can enjoy a full day of activities and eating. In the winter they have ice fishing, skating and cross country skiing. In summer they have fishing, boating, water skiing and tube rides. There are plenty of nooks where they’ll set up a picnic lunch and dining in your room is always an option. The selection of liquors was good and the wines adequate with a separate list available if you want to buy an upgraded option. It’s a beautiful property that is well maintained with amenities galore so if an all inclusive place if for you, you should check this one out. Continue reading →
Entrance – 222 Beaverwood Rd, Saranac Lake, NY 12983-3029
The Point was the first named Relais & Châteaux in North America, some 39 years ago. It was built by William A. Rockefeller II (John D’s grandnephew) in 1929 as a retreat in the Adirondacks. It is 75 acres of waterfront property on the Saranac Lake. There are 11 guest rooms, 4 in the main lodge and several log houses including one over the large boat house. All the rooms have stone wood-burning fireplaces and include 3 meals a day, cocktail hour, morning coffee and pastries, snacks and unlimited beverages including wines, spirits, beers, espresso and on and on. Wed and Sat are black tie dinners whereas other dinners in the Great Hall require coat and tie for men with similar fancy dress for women. It’s a beautiful property that is well maintained with a staff ready to make your stay the best it can be. In the large modern kitchen was Executive Chef D’Anthony who was on site every day to prepare the meals. He is from Texas so he got points for that too. The pastry chef (sorry I forgot her name) was also in the kitchen and she did a fabulous job on the morning pastries that come to your room with coffee. We enjoyed the set menus for meals but also appreciate their flexibility if you want something different. The food was all nicely done and beautifully presented. Part of the experience was getting to chat with other like minded people over dinner and cocktails which was very well done. I decided to break my write up into 2 parts as there were a number of meals to report on. Bottom line is that if it works in your budget you should go. It’s a fabulous property and a lovely experience. Continue reading →
building – The Henson, 39 Goshen Rd, Hensonville, NY 12439
Matilda is the restaurant in the newly re-opened Henson Hotel. It was much busier the second night we visited and we sat in a different part of the room which allowed us both to watch over all the evening’s activities. We had a curved corner booth in the darkened room where you mostly heard conversations of other guests and the music bleeding in from the bar. It was my understanding that the kitchen was training in some folks on stations new to them or maybe it was the bigger crowd but service was way slower than the previous evening. The server felt the delay and brought us extra items to make it up to us but I laughed when we marked two and a half hours there and the reservation system had reminded us that our time slot allocated us one and a half hours. The staff were all so nice and the food was so good, you couldn’t get mad. All that said, this is a place I can easily recommend you stay and enjoy dinner and drinks too. A lovely a la carte breakfast is also included with your room.
Day June Lunchonette is a small local restaurant serving American classics for breakfast and lunch. The present owners, Ely and Danielle Franco, have been the owners for about a year and a half, but it’s been a restaurant space for some time. The name is a take on lunch in French dejeuner. Inside are a variety of table sizes and an L-shaped counter with stools. Windows to the street, a new wood floor and art on the walls are complimented by music in the background. Breakfast is served all day and service was super friendly. The menu isn’t huge but is well chosen to highlight foods you want to try. If I get back to the area, I certainly would go again and hope you will to when you visit the Catskills. Continue reading →
The Henson – The Henson Hotel, 39 Goshen Rd, Hensonville, NY 12439
Matilda is the restaurant in The Henson hotel, a 16 room hotel recently bought and refurbished by Ely and Danielle Franko. They partnered with Chefs Fabián von Hauske Valtierra and Jeremiah Stone, from NYC to bring fine dining to this small town in the Catskill Mountains. They opened just after Memorial Day, transforming what was Hammo’s Lodge (2015-2021) into a lovely boutique hotel, bar and restaurant. The 150 year old space has been transformed with art, furniture and personal details. The dining room had small bare wood tables and some bench seating around the perimeter. Music was in the background and there was a large window looking into the kitchen on one end of the L-shaped room. Art was on the walls and the lights were lowered. Service was excellent in the dining room and at the bar in a different room. This bar had a much larger counter and very friendly staff but there were also stuffed chairs if you didn’t want to sit at the counter. There were French doors leading to the patio and the gardens but it was a bit on the chilly side to eat outside. The hotel is a lovely place to stay and the dining room has wonderful inventive cuisine so I encourage you to head to the Catskills and give it a try. Continue reading →
Peggy’s Sweet and Savory was a bakery cafe that started as Back in the Kitchen in 2010. Peggy cooked and everyone seemed to call it Peggy’s so the name was changed in 2021, especially since she wanted to further explore the sweeter side of cooking. There were about 13 seats in this small ground-floor cafe. The bathroom was on the second floor, which was otherwise unoccupied. The third floor houses a local artist. In the restaurant, the kitchen radio provided the background music and the menu was on a chalkboard. You order and pay at the counter and they bring it out to you. Most of the business seemed to be to go. Windows provided plenty of light and the walls were filled with photos of local townspeople and Peggy’s family photos. An old wood floor and other decorations gave it a wonderfully cozy feel. The servers were friendly and helpful. The food was simple and well-made. Stop in when you’re in the area, you won’t be disappointed. Continue reading →
The Troutbeck’s dining room is on the first floor and is a long room divided by stone structures and booth backs. The small bar, with about 6 stools is in the hallway where you check in. A couple fireplaces are in the dining room and some bench seating is along the walls. Lighting is way lowered and no music was in the background one night and on the next. The bare wood tables were small and in some instances quite close. Many of the guests are staying at the lodge but just as many come from surrounding towns, likely to celebrate a special occasion. They have added on to the original structure and now have a large event space at one end of the building but also have firepits outside so that one night they had a large dinner party outside. The portion sizes varied but the staff was able to help steer the ordering process. Unfortunately they didn’t know that much about the food but still were very pleasant. The menu likes to feature locally produced items and changes little night to night but rather monthly. We repeated the duck from the previous night, it was that good but had to pass on dessert because we were too full. I would encourage you to book a room and give it a try. Continue reading →
Breakfast is offered in the same room as dinner at the Troutbeck. In the morning the room is much brighter and music was in the background. The room has a dark wood floor, art on the walls and small tables to accompany the bench seating around the perimeter. Breakfast is not included in your stay and overall was a bit pricey for what you got. Dinner is what you want to get here but you can’t challenge the convenience of eating on the property. The food and service were both fine but it might be better to get a pastry from their pantry or head to town for coffee and whatever. It’s a short meal so I’ve included a couple photos of the other rooms in the lodge where you can relax and enjoy your $5 drip coffee. Continue reading →
Troutbeck been around since the 1700s as an inn, private estate and tavern. It was originally owned by the Benton family who frequently hosted people like Thoreau and Emerson. The Spingarn family then owned it from 1875-1939 while Colonel Spingarn was head of the Comparative Literature Dept. at Columbia University, and hosted folks like Sinclair Lewis, Thurgood Marshall and Theodore Roosevelt. The Spingarns were active in the civil right movement and hosted early meetings of the NAACP at Troutbeck. In 1917 the original house burned and the Spingarns built the stone manor in 1919, which stands today. After some years of neglect it was bought in the 1970s and extensively renovated in 2016, reopening its doors to the public in 2017. We were fortunate to be able to get a reservation to stay there for two nights during the lovely fall season. It has multiple rooms in the main lodge but also many surrounding cottages. You don’t have to stay there to eat in their restaurant but it is the most fun way to go. There is a small bar for before-dinner drinks or you can order them and enjoy them in any number of cozy rooms with lots of fireplaces and stuffed furniture. Meals are all a la carte. It’s a lovely place and some of the food is outstanding. Continue reading →
front entrance – 7801 S Main St, Pine Plains, NY 12567
Stissing House dates back to 1782 when the building was a tavern that also had beds for travelers and America’s first domed ballroom. It fell into disrepair after WW1 when the railroad tracks that brought people to town had been torn up to make ammunition. In the 1990s Christian Eisenbeiss saved it from demolition and along with Dale Mitchell it underwent a 2 year renovation. They repaired the old-growth floors and restored the domed ballroom and in 1995 opened Stissing House as a French restaurant. In 2022 Clare de Boer took over as chef/proprietor. (She rose to notoriety through her work at King, her French/Italian restaurant in SoHo, NY.) The 6,000 sq. foot building divides diners into multiple smaller rooms including the second floor. They no longer have sleeping rooms but the dome is available for rental. As you walk on the wide plank old wood floors on the way to the table you pass by a kitchen with wood fired ovens which are a part of their cooking process. Candles light the tables as well as the numerous windows to the outside and a few electric fixtures on the walls. The small tables are covered with white cloths but then topped with paper and little art is on the walls. Music was in the background and for some time was just country music which then turned into old rock and roll. It was a good meal but had a few issues. Continue reading →
front of building – 757 Columbia St, Hudson, NY 12534
Cafe Mutton was created by chef/owner Shaina Loew-Banayan and was mostly a brunch spot with hours of 10 to 3 Wed to Sun. But on Friday they change and open for dinner from 5 to 9 and they now take reservations. Opening around May 2021 it was named as one of the 10 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetit and by New York Times in the “50 places in America we’re most excited about now.” It was in a corner building with lots of windows to the street on two sides. Small bare wood tables filled the room that had the kitchen on one end and music in the background. The wine list was small but fairly well done with a special offered on one bottle. The staff is friendly and the vibe was low key and casual. The menu for dinner changes weekly, often with the menu posted on their Facebook page. Chef tries to focus on local products, especially the cuts of meat not traditionally coveted. The combinations were interesting but success was mixed. I loved the choices but a depth of flavor was not evident in some of the dishes we tried, however many did have nice temperature variations. I would however, go for brunch if I had the chance. Continue reading →
dining room – 982 Debruce Rd, Livingston Manor, NY
The current owners have run the place for 6 years and offer 6 “seasons” of menu to span the year. We were there for the ‘Stream’ season which features the many trout in the area. We were fortunate to get the same wonderful server both nights and he really made the meal enjoyable. Knowledge and friendliness are important in a great server and Giovanni Costantino has plenty of both. The tasting is offered at 6:30 and 8:00 pm so it moves at a fairly rapid pace. However, we had the later time and were there past 10, so the early seating moves more quickly. Portions are well-modulated. The beautiful landscape outside made a perfect backdrop for a meal of fish, that I didn’t have to catch or clean. I imagine the other seasonal tastings are well-crafted too. I recommend this place. Continue reading →
dining room – 982 Debruce Rd, Livingston Manor, NY
When you stay at the DeBruce breakfast is included the next morning. The sun-filled dining room opened at 9:00am and the menu changed slightly the 2 days we were there. We tried some of the same things and new items the second day. The menu says you are allowed to pick two items per person but I did hear some people customizing there order. This may have worked as the place was not full or maybe they are flexible. It never hurts to ask. Also included was coffee, tea, orange juice and apple juice. The service was not nearly as good in the morning as in the evening. For example, I asked for a coffee refill and the server complied but never offered my husband any. The service was also slower and that was probably due to fewer people working in the kitchen. The food was more mixed at breakfast and it sometimes made me wish they offered a simple omelet. But all that said, it satisfied and readied me for the day ahead. Continue reading →
The DeBruce Lodge and Restaurant, built in the 1880s, sits on a ledge overlooking the Willowemoc Vally and river in Catskill Park. There are 12 rooms whose stay includes dinner and breakfast, as well as access to many fishing spots. On Friday the menu is ‘a la carte’ and Saturday is the tasting menu (which will be in a later write-up). They sometimes offer a Carte Blanche menu for Fridays but it was not available the time we were there. Some reservations are taken for diners not staying in the lodge, but reservations are recommended. Downstairs is a club room if you desire additional drinks but upstairs, or the main floor, has the small glass-walled dining rooms that has around 8 tables. A larger table is in the Great Room for bigger groups. Music is in the background with wood walls and wooden benches lining the perimeter of the room. The seats are padded and pelts and horns provide the decorations. Skylights provide additional lighting to the votives on the tables and natural light coming in the 2 walls of windows. Once the sun goes down the room did get much darker. A large opening goes to the kitchen which is kept amazingly dark, which is nice for diners but more challenging for the chefs. Eric Leveillee is the Executive Chef but he spends most of his time in Philadelphia and Chef de Cuisine Robert West runs the kitchen here. It is a lovely spot and if you like fly fishing, pack your bags now. If you’re not a fisherman you can still enjoy this place’s wonderful hiking and food. We enjoyed both types of menus and they are quite different, so stay 2 nights if you can.
Set-Up
dining roommenuwineFrankie explored
Food
For dinner we were told we could order whatever we wanted off the menu. We wanted to try a lot and were willing to share all. The server was most helpful in crafting our meal. Our Sourdough was their bread topped with peas, fiddleheads and ricotta. The thick slice of bread was heavily spread with their housemade ricotta and then decorated with fresh fiddlehead ferns and English peas. It was delicious and a delight to have the ultra-fresh vegetables.
Our sourdoughanother angle
Roasted carrots were mixed with coffee, maple and pistachio. These might have been my husband’s favorite plate of the evening. The beautiful fresh carrots were perfectly cooked and seasoned with the nuts adding a bit more texture to the dish. They were great.
carrots
Chilled mussels were mixed with white beans and topped with housemade potato chips. It was described as chilled but it still jolted me to have the cold mussels but they were fun and tasty. The chips gave the texture some crunch and a bit of salt which the beans needed. There was also some briny liquid mixed with the beans underneath. Some of the beans could have been cooked a tad more but better this than turned to mush. The large mussels were great.
Chilled musselsuncovered
Ricotta dumplings were mixed with wild mushrooms and parmesan. The large pasta wrappers were stuffed with the tasty ricotta and then blended with tons of mushrooms and topped with lots of grated cheese and a bit of cream. They were rich, heavy and wonderful.
Ricotta Dumplingsinside
Mangalitsa pork chop au poivre was served sliced and de-boned on a fabulous sauce. The large fat cap on the meat gave it extra richness and a wonderful depth of flavor. It was slightly chewy, but this one you didn’t mind working on, especially the delectable bone meat.
Mangalitsa Pork Chopturned
Beaverkill trout was topped with fiddleheads and smoked roe. It was a boneless fillet but the head and tail were on the plate for a faux whole-fish effect. The cooking and flavor were excellent and the roe made a nice accent seasoning.
Beaverkill Trout
Rice pudding was with almond and sea buckthorn. The thick round of rice was underneath a layer of cream and sitting in the sea buckthorn sauce. It was light and yet full of flavor. I love rice pudding and this was a interesting rendition.
rice puddingcloserinside
Chocolate mousse with raspberry sorbet was topped with lime shortbread. A final drizzle of cream finished off the dish. The cookie was buttery and short and the dish had lots of textures. Some herbs were mixed in and sprinkled on the top to add another layer of flavor. It looked goopy but it was nice.
building – 630 Old Rte 17, Livingston Manor, NY 12758
The Smoke Joint moved to the Catskills from downtown Brooklyn. The chef/owners Ben Grossman and Craig Samuel have won accolades for their culinary ventures. The tiny place is on the banks of the Willowemoc River and they are open from spring to fall. Here they offer a variety of sandwiches, barbecue by the pound, fried chicken, hot dogs, a variety of sides and beverages (full liquor license). They have a few tables inside but most of the dining was on the picnic tables right out the door. The tables were set with napkins, flatware and hot and regular sauces. You order and pay at the counter and then your food is brought out to you. There were cans to dispose of your trash when you are through. The people working there were pleasant and helpful and judging by the crowd we decided it was the place to grab a snack. I’m no expert on barbecue as is John Tanner who publishes a restaurant blog you’d enjoy, johntannersbbqblog.com but I think he’d appreciate the flavor of the brisket. Check out John’s blog for not only barbecue but also Washington DC, the eastern USA coast and lots of other places. You’ll enjoy his wit and writing style and add to your list of places to go and eat. Continue reading →
The Bocuse Restaurant is the French restaurant in the Culinary Institute of America. Named aptly for Paul Bocuse, it is staffed by students at the CIA who learn modern cooking techniques to bring diners classic French cuisine. It’s in a large room at one end of a main building that has a parking garage next to it. Tons of windows added even more light to the fairly bright white room. Modern ceiling fixtures add soft light as does the see-through wine cellar. One end of the room is the open kitchen. Students not only do the cooking but also the service, drinks and wine service. They were all very pleasant but varied in their competency. Bench seating lines the walls with free-standing tables in the middle of the room and music was in the background. The menu is set up as a prix fixe 3-course menu with several choices in each category. They offered a nice wine list as well as many cocktails and mocktails – some made tableside. We were there with family so I got more pictures than I got to eat, but pictures tell a lot. Overall the food was nice but some menu descriptions were off the mark. Continue reading →
Garvan’s was opened 6 years ago by Garvan and Leonie McCloskey to bring a bit of Ireland to New Paltz, NY. It is located in an historic home that was built in 1759. The restaurant is spread over 5 spacious rooms in the building that have carpet and lots of windows to the outside. With the addition of drapes and well spaced tables the noise level is quite nice. There were no special that evening but the place does offer a full bar. We were there with family and so my note-writing and picture-taking were limited. The service was friendly but not particularly attentive. Our main server took our orders and then disappeared for long periods of time while others brought the food and drinks. The food was mixed with some plates good while others were quite ordinary. The bar did turn out good cocktails though and as I said the noise level made it easy to talk. We didn’t get dessert but I got a photo of the menu. Continue reading →
The last of the 3 nights we were there may have been the best meal yet. The menu had slightly changed from the previous 2 nights. We were excited to have our server Ethan from the first night again. He made the meal so relaxed and enjoyable. It really is a fun place with good food and the surrounding area has lots to explore. I hope you’ll visit and let me know what you think. Continue reading →
Crooked Lake Ice Cream Company is a restaurant that pays tribute to Glenn Curtiss, a bicycle racer and aircraft developer. A number of their dishes are named for him, striving to evoke the same creativity as his inventions, and the walls are filled with mementos of his fame and success. The restaurant has been in Hammondsport over 30 years and is open every day except Tuesday. They have a long counter with stools as well as tables in two rooms, separated by a low wall and a few stools facing the windows to the street. They had a makeover about 5 years ago but at least they kept lots of their older decorations however, the place feels new and fresh. Service was very friendly and helpful and once your order is placed it came out quickly. They do get a crowd and you pay at the front where people are also getting coffee/muffins to go, so there can be some wait there. The food was fresh, with quality ingredients and good flavors. Next trip, though, I’ll have to try their ice cream. Continue reading →
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery offers several tastings of their wines but the 1886 Food and Wine Experience is the most in-depth experience. It is by reservation only and includes a seated educational wine flight paired with creative, small foods. The visit also contains tours of some of the wine-making areas as well as some vineyards. On the property, they also have a retail shop, seated tastings of 5 wines ($15), or Eugenia’s Garden (price varies with what you order) where you sample 3 wines with optional food for purchase. The 1886 Experience is $75 and in retrospect, I don’t think it’s worth that. It was a nice, small, informative tour and the paired foods for the different wines were attractive but not that good. It was fun to see the different buildings and learn a lot about how sparkling wines are made, but I’d recommend one of the cheaper tours and if you really like the wine you can come back for the in-depth experience. The Frank winery is significant because Konstantin is the one that elevated the Finger Lakes wine region of New York into a well-respected wine region. He planted the first vinifera vines from Europe in 1957 which forever changed the course of winemaking in New York. Continue reading →
We ate at The Restaurant at the Park Inn the night before and were scheduled to eat again the next two nights. We opted for a cocktail in the room first so went straight to wine. It is very approachable food with a menu that makes you want to try all of it. See the post of 9/21/22 if you want more photos of the interior.
exterior – 58 East Market Street, Corning, NY, 14830
Donna’s Restaurant is a small place in the old downtown of Corning. Inside you’ll find a fabulous display of Corning Pyrex through the ages and colors mixed in with cat objects, which is owner Donna Robbins’ other passion. They are open Monday through Saturday for breakfast and lunch with daily specials posted on their Facebook page. The restaurant opened in its current location in Nov. 2018 after being evicted from their home of 34 years on a corner down the street. When the building owner decided to re-purpose the building they gave Robbins about a month to vacate and Robbins promised her loyal patrons she would find a new spot. Robbins had started working at the spot 15 years prior when it was Bacalles Soda Bar and then the Kozy Korner until 1985 when she was able to buy the place and name it after herself. We grabbed a couple of the stools at the counter but they also have tables. Everyone was super friendly and the food was good. Continue reading →
The Restaurant at the Park Inn is made up of 2 adjacent rooms on the first floor under the small inn located on the second floor. It’s an old building with the current chef arriving 4 years ago. We read about their locally sourced and seasonal menu from Chef Dan Eaton and the accompanying wine program under the care of Sommelier Jason Ferris (who received a “Best of Award Excellence” from Wine Spectator Magazine in 2022) and wanted to try the wines of the Finger Lakes area. We spent 3 nights in the region and managed to snag a reservation at the 60-seat restaurant each evening. The entry room is long with a bar counter on one side and tables in the back, heading toward the fireplace. The other room steps down to your right as you enter and has windows to the street with bench seating around the perimeter. The full menu is available at the bar counter as well as at all the tables. Lots of historical photos are on the walls, music was in the background, lights are lowered, the floor is wood while the ceiling is tin and the tables are well-spaced. Service is friendly and attentive and will offer guidance if requested. Its menu has enough choices that it was no strain to go 3 nights in a row but we learned the first night that the portions are generous so don’t over-order. I totally recommend visiting the region and staying and eating at the Park Inn. Continue reading →
The Black Sheep is a long space with a bar in the space out front and patio outback. The lighting is lowered, music is loud, art for sale is on the walls, wooden benches line the wall to match up with small wood tables, walls are brick and votives are on the table. It is a farm-to-table concept with a small menu of interesting items that is supplemented by a daily list of specials. The bar serves up modern and classic cocktails as well as beer and wine. The owners are James Beard nominated chefs Steven and Ellen Gedra, with Ellen being the baker and pastry chef. The chefs prefer a farm-to-table approach and have learned the value of selecting the proper ingredients and then handing them with care. It’s a small but inventive menu of small and large plates supplemented by interesting specials. It was a tasty meal filled with flavors with a little twist to the ordinary. Continue reading →
Charlie the Butcher is another Buffalo staple. Charlie Roesch came from a family in the meat business and is now a media personality as well as a restauranteur. The family had several generations of Charlies who were butchers and carvers in the meat industry. The original Charlie also served as Mayor of Buffalo from 1930-1934 but he was the one who started the butcher shop that was operated by the family for 80 years. The current Charlie likened his roast beef on a Kummelweck roll (The traditional sandwich is on a salt-topped roll) to be equal to Buffalo wings for spreading recognition of Buffalo. To get the word out Charlie appeared on lots of media including ABC’s Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and made personal appearances across North America. Feature stories were in Gourmet magazine and in advertising campaigns for Alto-Shaam roasting ovens. In addition to food trucks and independent storefronts you can also get their food in the grocery store. We stopped in to try one and found a number of sides, soups, pies and to-go items also available. It is a simple roast beef sandwich that is nicely done. Continue reading →
Chef’s Restaurant opened in Buffalo in 1923. One of the neighborhood busboys worked his way up to restaurant manager and became the owner in 1954. They started with a limited menu of Italian options which has expanded over the years, most notably to include ‘Chef’s Spaghetti Parm’. A second dining room was added in 1966 with another addition 3 years later making their current capacity 325 persons and a banquet room for 125. The owner’s daughter and her son now run the business. The several bright rooms are filled with photos of notables who have eaten there and red-checkered cloth covered tables. Music is in the background there are some windows to the street outside. There is even a dedicated parking lot across from the building. In addition to the regular menu there is a menu of specials for the lunch hour. An announcer calls out numbers over the sound system, probably to alert the servers to pick up trays to serve. Service was amazingly efficient and super friendly. Continue reading →
Hutch’s Restaurant has been serving fine cuisine to folks in Buffalo for over 25 years. They call it “an American take on the French Bistro”. Named for chef/owner Mark Hutchinson it closed a year ago for a renovation that was to be in stages but instead was done all at once while the restaurant was closed 144 days for Covid. They were able to double the capacity of the old Floristry building to accommodate 100 socially distanced diners (probably 175 post-Covid) and expand outdoor seating to 20 people. Today the large restaurant has several rooms with brick walls, carpeting, low lighting, loud music, art on the walls, votive candles on the tables and a large window looking into the kitchen where you could easily spot Hutchinson. Sound panels on the ceiling helped with the noise level cause it was filled to capacity and buzzing with people celebrating an occasion or closing a business deal. In addition to the menu they had a large list of daily specials. Service was slow but in their defense many restaurant workers have not returned to work, but this would be a good job to land in that line of work. Continue reading →
Gabriel’s Gate has been around for 50 years, located in one of the original Tift Row Homes built in 1864 in the Allentown District. Inside it’s a mix of antique and hunting lodge. Between the various objects, old wood booths, tin ceiling, lowered lighting, music in the background and stuffed heads it’s worth going to just to look around. The large bar in the back room is solidly covered with decorations. There is a patio when weather permits and fireplaces when it doesn’t. But they are also a local favorite for Buffalo wings. However, service is a huge issue and really slow. Continue reading →
The Swan Street Diner is an example of one of the early Sterling Company diner cars made by a Mass. company from 1936 to 1942. Swan Street is No. 397 from 1937, featuring mahogany trim, barrel vaulted ceiling and walls of porcelain enamel. This one was originally in Newark, NY as a diner and assembled onsite from pieces. Since then it has had 3 owners and in 2013 Larkin Development Group purchased it, took it to Akron, Ohio and then to Buffalo for full restoration. The interior enamel panels, bar stools and wood trim are original and the rest was fabricated onsite, trying to hold to the original design. The Larkin Soap Company made china among other things and Swan Street was able to purchase some of the last plates and mugs made in Buffalo for the Diner. They offer breakfast and lunch and have a couple specials. The food is high quality and it’s a beautifully restored diner with a few original parts. Great, friendly service. Continue reading →
The Dapper Goose opened in 2016 in Buffalo, NY. It is on the first floor of a long building with wood floors, large bar, tin ceiling, lowered lighting, music in the background, smallish tables and windows to the street. Out in back they also have a sizable patio that does not take reservations like the bar seating, but inside is by reservation. The menu is small, composed of small and large plates of fun combinations of ingredients. Our server helped us decide what choices gave us the best range of flavors without ordering too much. There were no off the menu items but halibut was replacing the cod tonight. It was a really fun and tasty meal, but they need to work on the salt content. Continue reading →
Duff’s Famous Wings starting serving wings in 1969 and by 1985 established that their wings were indeed famous in Buffalo, NY. Duff’s started in Amherst, a suburb of Buffalo in 1946 as a bar. It is a ‘classic’ in Buffalo with numerous locations. We tried one in Depew, another suburb, that was close to the airport. It was a large sterile place with a big parking lot. Inside was a large bar and many booth-like tables. The menu offered wings by the count, not pound but also had salads, wraps and sandwiches. The wings come in several degrees of hotness and with your choice of dipping sauce, but blue cheese is standard. We had an order of 10 of medium (which is called hot) that came with a couple stalks of unpeeled celery and milled carrots. The blue cheese dip was tasteless and the medium was what I’d call mildly hot. The thick sauce adhered to the chicken well and had a nice lingering spiciness in the mouth. The drummies were on the dry side but the flats had good moistness. Overall I wouldn’t call them anything special and can getter better in the bars in Texas. Continue reading →
It’s been several years since Frankie visited Le Bernardin, Chef Eric Ripert’s 3 Michelin starred restaurant. It’s an elegant interior with lots of wood, windows, flowers and a massive wave art piece at one end. In the daytime, light flows in through the windows but at night the lights are lowered and windows are shaded. Now plexiglas partitions are between the tables and servers are masked. Every table was full and turned by regulars and those celebrating something, but it was still easy to talk at the table. Heavy white linens drape the smallish tables and service is excellent. The menu offers 2 longer tastings, one seafood and one vegetarian, or a 4 course fixed price where you choose from a large selection in each section with an optional addition of a cheese course. Wine pairings are available for the tasting. In the front part of the restaurant is the Lounge with a limited menu. We decided on the Chef’s tasting menu and ordered our own wines. Continue reading →
We last visited Keens Steakhouse in May of 2018 and this trip we made a visit to the pub for a late snack and had a full lunch with friends in the main dining room the next day. It is dark wherever you sit so photos are harder but it is worth the visit. The dark woods, white table clothes, tile floor in the bar and pipes on every square inch of ceiling, give it the feel of a classic. For the pandemic they have erected individual pods outside that are still there even though NYC is now allowing indoor dining. Inside the tables and bar stools are all separated by plexiglass barriers and seating is spaced. The nice thing about that is that it made conversation very easy as did the relaxed pace our server gave us both days. The food was all very good and nicely prepared in generous portions. They are famous for their mutton chop and this time we were smart and split one. Continue reading →
We were last at The Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare in May of 2019 and not much has changed in the physical place but Covid 19 has made spacing between guests larger (50% capacity). Brooklyn Fare is the grocery that is the front of the building and the Chef’s Table is in the rear. Chef César Ramirez was in the kitchen and doing much of the plating of courses. It is a tasting menu only with seats around a large C-shaped wood counter and booth seating around the perimeter. The open kitchen is the center of the well lit room with older rock music in the background. Wine pairings are available or bottles can be individually purchased. There are a lot of staff and all are very friendly with guests but Ramirez is more about cooking than visiting with diners. The beautifully presented luxury foods are filled with flavor and texture, but many of the courses were quite similar to what we had 2 years ago. Continue reading →
We went for dim sum to Nom Wah Tea Parlor, a no frills place with plastic coated menus. It has a long history, first opening in 1920 and moving to the present location in 1968. It has had several movies and TV shows film segments there. A paper ticket is given to each table where you mark off the dishes you want to receive and they bring them out as they’re ready. The large tables are formica and set with good space between and there a few booth tables. One side of the room is a service area and the kitchen is in another room. Windows to the street form one wall of the room. It is an old looking place but clean with an old tin ceiling , an old tile floor and there are lots of coat hooks on the interior columns and booth dividers. Photos and framed reviews decorate the walls. No music is in the background but you can hear the sound of an exhaust fan. They do offer wine and beer as well as a selection of teas. Tables are set with some condiments but interestingly enough there didn’t seem to be any pepper in oil sauce. Continue reading →
Rezdôra is a small, really crowded place with bare wood closely set small tables. Music is in the background, lighting is really low and the noise level is high. Walls are brick and the wood cross-hatched ceiling is lowered. A few dried flowers make up the decorations. Even with a reservation we had to wait 45 minutes for our table and there were no seats at the bar. They did give us a glass of Lambrusco but it was a long time to wait, standing with little space to be in. They are a hot ticket right now but if they don’t manage it better, they won’t be for long. There is one dining room on the entry level that has the bar counter on one side and bench seating on the opposite wall fitted with lots of small tables. Up a few stairs there was another really small room with tables in it. The menu offers Italian food and a regional pasta tasting (5 pastas) with optional wine pairings and a couple nightly specials. While that was a tempting option we chose to order our own choices and bottles of wine. Portions are small and the pacing of the meal was really rushed (so why the long wait?). Continue reading →
It’s been 5 years since we ate at Gramercy Tavern Dining Room, a large 2 room place fronted by the Gramercy Bar. The dining room offers a tasting menu as well as a la carte and takes reservations whereas the bar is snacks and no reservations. It is far more relaxed in the one Michelin star elegant dining room with lots of seasonal flowers decorating the white cloth covered tables set with large white napkins, lowered lighting and soft jazz music in the background. Lots of art is in the room as well as nicely padded seating and wide plank wood floors. Excellent friendly service attends the customers and they were willing to make some changes to the tasting menu which was our choice for the lunch. Pacing of the tasting was spot on and portion control was great. The food is wonderful as was the total experience there. Don’t know why I waited so long to go back. I recommend it. Continue reading →
Atomix is a tasting menu only for 14 people at a lower level u-shaped counter. It has only been open one year and was recently elevated to a 2 Michelin star rating. The lighting is lowered in the room and small spots shine on the granite counter and light wood ceiling and walls. The bar is upstairs where you enter and then down the stairs is a small lounge area. Modern music plays in the background. Each course is presented with a corresponding card that talks about the dish and has an illustration associated with it. The dishes have a Korean influence and wine pairings are available. The menu changes 4 times a year. Without knowing what was to be served we opted to try the pairings for the meal. The service was pleasant (there seemed to be more staff than guests), portioning light and pacing moved along nicely but I never got a commrodery at the counter. Explanations are more from the cards than the staff and while I found the dishes artistic, precise and thoughtful they were mostly on the bland side of things but with very clean tastes. Continue reading →
Via Carota is a good sized place that takes no reservations so be prepared to wait. When you arrive check in with the front person to get on the list. They have some outdoor seating but that was surrounded by scaffolding while we were there. There are a lot of seats at the long inside bar/counter as well as a couple other rooms off the main one which can also accommodate larger groups. Inside are brick walls, steel columns, wood flooring, tin ceiling and bare wood tables set with paper runners and cloth napkins. The wood chairs at the closely set small tables have an opening on the back where the menus are stored. Some interesting light fixtures add light to the well lit room which has one wall of windows to the street. Wine bottles serve as decorations and a long center table shows off dessert options. Despite the room being packed and many hard surfaces the noise level was not a big problem. They have 2 uni-sex bathrooms. The menu was supplemented by a couple daily specials presented by the server. The name comes from the name of the street where one of the chefs was born. Don’t be deterred by the wait – the food it well worth it! Continue reading →
We visited Ko one year ago and the entrance changed positions but not much else has changed significantly. The seats at the counter seemed better spaced but the loud music still makes conversation difficult. They offer 2 seatings in a night and they are staggered slightly so waiting wasn’t a problem. They offer only the same tasting menu to all and it was surprisingly similar to what we were served a year ago. They probably offer wine pairings but we chose to order our own wines. They do have a couple tables for larger groups but everyone else is seated at the wood bar in acceptable but not super comfy seats. They have purse hooks under the counter but it was so far under you’d never be able to retrieve your purse if you need anything. Pacing was uneven and portion control was on the light side. You do receive a menu at the end but many of the things I well recognized from our last visit. I mentioned this to the chef who was a bit defensive that they’d made changes but they were minor to the diner. Unfortunately this similarity made the meal less exciting to me. Continue reading →
We visited Frenchette for a Saturday lunch, where they also offer brunch foods. They opened about a year ago. You enter into a good sized bar area that is comfortable and friendly and you can also snag a seat there to eat without a reservation. The large dining room held closely set tables some of which were matched to booth seating along a mid-room dividing wall. Service was friendly and efficient. The menu is not large but offers a number of tasty options. Eclectic music played in the background, the yellowish lights were lowered and the place was packed. They make their own charcuterie in house as well as pretzel rolls. Continue reading →
We were at Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare in the fall of 2015, back when it was in Brooklyn. It has since moved into the city and relaxed a few of the rules. Chef César Ramirez now allows note taking and photos but still does not permit jeans and requires coats for men in the dining room. I was not a fan of such policies back then and still am not but was willing to try the new location that was more under my terms. The new place in still in the back of a grocery store but the room is beautiful, softer than the old one with a lot less stainless steel and more woods. It is also much larger with 20 seats at the counter and 20 at tables around the perimeter. This allows larger parties to attend and the comfortable counter seats have backs and are now spaced between parties. Shining copper pots hang above the large open kitchen that has lots of people making preparations. The rock music in the background was a bit jarring for the otherwise elegant setting. It still is a surprise tasting menu only but they do give you a copy of what you had at the end of the meal. Pairings are available. Pacing was good but portions tend to the large size and are fairly rich. Continue reading →
It’s been 4 years since we ate at Marea, a 2 star Michelin restaurant that specializes in seafood with an Italian influence. The food here is all very flavorful with out dots or smears – just plain good and fresh. It is a huge place, elegantly appointed but with closely set tables and some noise issues when it is full. At lunch it was packed. There is a lot of art on the walls and windows to the street on two sides of the large dining area. They also have a long bar area with a beautiful yellow glass wall running behind the bar. The wood on the walls is polished to a high sheen and you’re likely to spot some bold name people dining with you or in passage from one of the private dining rooms. (I spotted Michael Douglas as he exited). At lunch they offer a selection of primi and secondi courses with a fixed price of $63 for the two of your choice, however some selections will have a supplemental charge and a 5 course tasting menu for $99 with optional wine pairings offered. The tasting includes dessert and although the menu is already set they were willing to make some changes for us and we did not have to get the same things, so that is the deal to get. We ordered our own bottle of wine and had a cocktail and still beat the cost of buying the pairings, but just barely. Service was excellent, friendly and efficient. Put this place on your list if you can. Continue reading →
Keens Chophouse is a large, dark place with closely set tables and the low ceiling is covered with old smoking pipes. The dark walls are covered with photos, plaques and other stuff. There is no music in the background but so many people are jammed in there talking you wouldn’t notice. Tables had white clothes and napkins. It has a clubby feel, with lots of tourists and groups of people celebrating something. Service is friendly, efficient and helpful and the pacing of the meal was great. Continue reading →
It’s been several years since we visited Eleven Madison Park, a 3 star Michelin, because their focus seemed to shift to an emphasis on theater over taste. Recent reviews indicated that there had been a new change in philosophy and I agree that that is the case. There’s a lot more taste and less gimmick to their meal. It’s not all gone but what’s left is okay because underneath is a foundation of flavor. Also they re-did the dining room about 4 months ago and it is brighter with much more comfortable seating in a rich blue velvet. They changed the bar set up also, so the staff no longer line up on the wall and watch your every move, which I found off-putting. There is some nice background music, high ceilings and lovely large flower arrangements to enhance your experience. Tables have good space between them and are set with fine linens. Service is friendly and not too formal but very attentive, now without being intrusive. It is an 8 course tasting menu only with choices on several of the courses (same at lunch and dinner). There are no supplements but they do offer wine pairings and do give you a printed version of your menu when you are through. The pacing and portion control of the menu are very good. Continue reading →
Atera is made up of 12 seats at a u-shaped bar surrounding an open kitchen. There is an additional table in the back for a group of 6. Chef Ronny Emborg was in the kitchen with several other chefs but most of the interaction is with the service staff who are a delightful bunch. The chefs presented and described the dishes but the kitchen doesn’t have much banter. Lots of good smells greet you when you enter the room as well as old rock music and lowered lighting. Wood walls and ceiling are matched with dark curtains – all of which help dampen sound – give the room a cozy yet elegant feel. There is very little noise in the room and conversations tended to be hushed and private throughout the evening. It is a surprise tasting menu only, a copy of which is given to you when you leave. Two seatings are offered every night at this 2 star Michelin restaurant which nicely scales the portion sizes of the 18 course menu. Continue reading →
The Grill is in the Seagram Building in the space previously occupied by the Four Seasons Restaurant. It is a large second floor room surrounded by windows covered with sheer curtains and beautiful wood walls. The brown of the wood is matched by the carpet and reddish tinted brown upholstery of the seating. Some of the seating is on low sofa like benches matched with comfortable chairs on the other side of the table. Waitstaff are formally dressed and nicely spaced tables are draped with heavy white clothes. It all contributes to an elegant clubby feel. A beautiful display of fruits, flowers, cakes and vegetables covered a table at the entry. The menu is not huge but does offer a couple special items at lunch, but otherwise offers many things that are available for dinner. Everything is very high quality with a price to match. Service was excellent, friendly and helpful. It is worth a trip just to see the room but the food is also wonderful. They offer an extensive selection of cocktails and do a good job with them. Continue reading →
It’s been a couple years since Frankie and I visited Ko, a 2 Star Michelin restaurant and they are still a place worth a visit if you’re in town. A few cosmetic changes include the entry now being a different door so that you enter into a segregated bar area and then walk through to the dining room. Still a large U-shaped bar around an open kitchen. The glassed in cabinets on one side seemed fuller, holding lots of aging meats and vegetables. Fairly loud rock music plays in the background and service is friendly and helpful, but there is limited interaction with the cooking staff. No menu is given for the surprise tasting that all guests have, but one is presented at the end of the meal. They nicely offer a warm wet cloth before you start your meal which is thoughtful as several first bites are finger food. Continue reading →
Raoul’s is a medium sized place that is filled with interesting things and closely packed tables. In the back room there are some booth seats and the walls are filled with photos and paintings. In the front room there is a good sized bar with stools as well as some small tables that take advantage of bench seating. The lighting is pretty dark, the ceiling is tin, jazzy music is in the background and the tables are covered in white clothes. There are windows to the street but it doesn’t add much natural light. It has the cozy look and feel of a place that’s been there a long time. Service was relaxed, helpful and friendly. They made you feel really welcome to be there. It is a fairly small menu with some specials posted on a blackboard way in the back. Continue reading →
Blue Hill at Stone Barns is located about a 20 minute train ride and 10 minute taxi ride from NYC. Blue Hill opened this location in 2004 based on the satellite operation in the Village of NYC (one star) that opened in 2000. It is a surprise tasting menu only and we were told that it does vary between tables. No written menu is provided at dinner but they promised to email me one which they actually did, however it didn’t contain a lot of detail, which you will see at the end of this article. The large dining room had a barrel vaulted ceiling, well spaced tables and a massive table of flowers in the center of the room. On one end of the room is a huge mural that about spans the width of room. It was originally a dining room for the Rockefeller family in the 1920’s. This building was where the cows were kept. Lighting is nice at the beginning when much natural light pours into the room but as the evening wears on the candle only lighting makes photography difficult. The portion control is good but the pacing is uneven. Continue reading →
At Fusco you enter into a large bar area where there are tables as well as bar stools. The dining room is in the back and is a good sized, with background music, elaborate chandeliers that reflect into the mirrors, and well spaced bare wood tables. There is some bench seating in the middle of the room and a couple roundish booths in the corners. We went at lunch and while there were minimal servers the room was also pretty empty. They only started serving lunch last February, however the dinner times are much fuller according to the server. They also serve dinner in the bar area which has windows that open to the street. The menu was a la carte with an option for a fixed price 2 or 3 course lunch. They offer antipasti plates of 3 or 6 (which would include all options) choices. They also have special wine-by-the-glass at lunch which is a good value. Continue reading →
Pasquale Jones is a medium sized place packed with small tables and a number of counter seats. There is background music that adds to the noise level produced by hard surfaces and lots of people. One wall of the restaurant is the open kitchen that houses 2 wood fired ovens and 2 other walls have windows out to the street. There are some outdoor tables but the rain that day made them un-usable. The lighting is low and the pace is rushed as they really want to turn the tables several times in an evening. Service is included in your meal and they also offer complimentary house filtered and or carbonated water. Servers are friendly but not particularly attentive. There is a large wine list with one section devoted to reasonable but interesting wines. Continue reading →
Union Square Cafe has been in this new location for 6 months after having been closed a year for the new building to be readied. It is a huge attractive place with multiple levels and seating configurations. There is also a large bar area with stools and tables that accommodate walk-ins. The tables are nicely spaced and there is a lot of art on the walls. No background music keeps the noise level at a good level, which is surprising with the high ceilings and many hard surfaces. Service was excellent, which is one of the things the restaurant stresses. Our nice waiter Tomas, was happy to give advice and serve or split dishes as we desired. Continue reading →
Le Coucou is a large place spread over several rooms, with one of those having the open kitchen. It has been open for just under one year. It has a pretty dressy feel with nice linens and lots of candlelight, however the small tables are fairly close together and there is a slight level of noise to contend with. There is a combination of seating arrangements with some tables and chairs and also some bench seating along partitions. There was no background music. Service was nice but not overly friendly. Reservations are a must and they do turn the tables. All the food was rich with tasty sauces, but do go hungry as it is heavy food. Continue reading →
Tim Ho Wan serves dim sum and expect a wait. Someone is at the front to take your name and they will text you when a table is about ready for you, so you don’t have to wait in the cramped waiting area. It is fairly large but judging by the crowds it could be much larger. It has no cart service, everything is made fresh after you order it and therefore there are not as many options as many dim sum places but what they have is really good. There is a check off menu on the table and after you hand that to your server the food will be brought out, usually one dish at a time. There are even options on tea. Tables are set with soy sauce and hot pepper sauce. Continue reading →
The Joy Luck Palace is a huge dim sum restaurant. It was very crowded with a waiting area full of people. Also people were coming through to pick up orders of take out food. Tables for 2 are often shared as was ours, with 2 older gentlemen. There is no soy sauce, vinegar or hot sauce on the table. Service is by cart and is fairly impersonal. The place got some hype on the internet and was certainly well patronized but overall the offerings were bland and tasteless. We left most of it on the table. Below are pictures of the things we got. The custard bun had gotten a lot of mention as it is known to squirt out the end. I did not find that the case as the interior was mostly solidified and yucky. It was a disappointing sweet entry. Continue reading →
Aska is a medium sized 2- star Michelin place with large well-spaced tables. There is a main dining room, party room in back and patio out back. An open kitchen is the focus of the main dining room and at times there were 9 chefs in it. Chef and owner Fredrik Berselius took 2 years to find and re-do this space that opened in August 2016 in an old warehouse. His Scandinavian beginnings show in his cooking and the smells are a huge component in many courses. They offer a tasting menu only of 19 courses, however that includes bread, amuse and some really small bites. Wine pairings are available however there is not a different wine for each course. Continue reading →
Mr. Donahue’s is a tiny place with a couple 2-top tables and 9 barstools for various counters. There are some outside tables if weather permits. A retro look is accomplished with the tile floor, marble top tables, round stools and the interesting decorations all over, including signs with pictures of the food. The one server was very helpful and nicely opinionated about what to get. Vegetables are all fresh and desserts made in house. Drink options are limited but adequate. They offer a small menu of a main plate with 2 sides and a sauce for $19.99 or a couple sandwiches. There is roast beef after 5:00 pm. This is the second restaurant by the owners with the first being a Michelin starred Thai restaurant. This is just good old American food. Continue reading →
The Kitchen Table at Empellón Cocina got off to a rocky start as the early seating and supposedly shorter tasting went overtime and delayed our reservation 30 minutes. Chef Alex Stupak was in the house though, as you could see him talking with the table for 4 that faces the kitchen in the back of the restaurant, so it didn’t seem so bad to have time to look over the main restaurant’s menu. (I’ve included a photo of the front end’s menu as it looks good enough to come back for, none of it is part of the tasting menu.) Then when we finally get to take our seats, Chef greets us and promptly disappears for the rest of the evening. Continue reading →
Gabriel Kreuther is a large bustling place with a design motif featuring the chef’s native Alsatian stork both in wallpaper and with a large Swarovski fixture with dozens of the crystal storks hanging in formation (heading north to the place chef is from). They opened in June 2015 and offer 2 tasting menu options, one of 4 courses and the other a Chef’s Menu which they warn you will take about 3 hours. They also have a Chef’s table, that is in the kitchen, but it needed 4 people to reserve it when we made our reservation but my understanding is that it now can be scheduled for just 2. Continue reading →
Bouley’s entry room is a signature -it’s filled with hundreds of apples releasing a divine fragrance to greet their hungry guests. Then you open the door to the main waiting area and are immersed in a ornate room filled with cushions, red velvet and flowers that transport you to somewhere beyond the bustling streets outside. The main dining room is upstairs but there is also room for diners downstairs as well as a party room, a couple wine storage areas and elegant bathrooms. Be sure to ask to sit upstairs with the vaulted ceilings rather than the lower ceilings of downstairs where the ambiance is just not the same. At lunch there’s a 5 course tasting menu, with extras or an a la carte menu. You pick your choices from a list for the tasting and it is a relatively good deal. They do also offer wine pairings. Continue reading →
It’s been 5 1/2 years since we’ve been to Del Posto and it’s as excellent as ever. There were a few similarities to our last visit but overall the food, service and atmosphere are all first rate. It is a fairly large place but a comfortable, well dampened room, with the tables spaced nicely and live piano music the afternoon we were there. The room is decorated such that you get a cozy feel even though the space is large. At lunch they offer 2 tasting menus, of 3 or 6 courses. For the 3 course you pick your antipasto, second and dessert course (some of which have a supplemental charge attached to them) and can add a pasta course for $10 (which I would heartily recommend). Continue reading →
This lovely restaurant is one big room just beyond several rooms of another portion of the Trump Hotel. It offers a good deal at lunch is what we did with another couple. The food was all very nice with some better than others, but all presented beautifully. The service was excellent.
Chef Cesar Ramirez runs a tight ship, to say the least. The reputation of this three starred Michelin restaurant made us really want to go but the hoops you have to jump through make it so that I would not go again. The place holds just 18 people around a spotless stainless steel square counter with one chef inside the square filling water glasses and cleaning plates but he does no cooking. There are also a couple of ladies outside the counter that help push in your closely quartered bar stool and fill your wine as well as
Located in the Nomad Hotel is their named restaurant and a couple very popular bar areas. It has 3 dining areas with the middle atrium room being the most noisy but all have a significant buzz going. A couple of years ago we had lunch in the atrium and had their famous delicious roast chicken. The hot bread at the table was much better that visit, but the flavor does change regularly. Service is very relaxed but then so is the atmosphere and that was nice as we stuck up a fun conversation with the couple at the next table. We started with the chicken liver mousse which didn’t taste much like liver but was tasty nevertheless but some of the rye bread was over-toasted for my taste.
A NYC institution that is now contemplating a second location. We got there just after 11:00 am and got in easily but it didn’t take long before the place was packed. You have 2 options, either table service where you are waited on or order at the counter and find your own place to sit. The adverting of the latter is that you can see your meat cut and the cutter will give you samples of other meats if you want to try them.
Per se is one of the finest restaurants in this country – the name meaning ‘unique’ or ‘in and of itself’- and it fully lived up to its reputation and name on this visit. We enjoyed the Chef’s Tasting Menu as opposed to the vegetarian menu that is also offered at lunch, and we took it as is and didn’t order either of the offered supplements. (That would be one objection I’d have: if you order the supplement you miss the
The place for seafood in NYC! Eric Ripert has led his team to a 3 star Michelin rating for several years now, and the accolades are well deserved. The dining room is one large room with a bar/waiting area located on one side of a wall. The opposite end of the room is filled with a huge painting of a wave which perfectly sets the tone for the place. Totally professional service is part of the what you’re paying for
WOW! I could write forever about this place – a wonderful experience on so many levels! The restaurant offers 2 tasting menus, one seasonal and the other vegetarian. They do not offer wine pairings but the staff were very helpful in advising on wine selection. In fact the staff was awesome and there was no pressure to eat and move on so the table could be turned.
Entrance to the NoMad restaurant in the NoMad Hotel
NoMad Restaurant is located in, where else, the NoMad Hotel. It definitely was not just for hotel guests though as the room for lunch was filled with business dealings, lady shoppers, and couples looking for a quiet and tasty retreat. It offers a small menu at lunch but everything we tried was delicious and beautifully presented.
It’s been a couple years since we were last here and the ratings of EMP continue to rise. Its chef also manages the NoMad Restaurant so you will see some similarities of preparation. Stellar credentials but somehow it misses the mark with me. The food is beautifully presented, the room is gorgeous and the staff totally spoil you, but the flavor impact is just not there. It is one of those restaurants that is lost in the presentation and show of the food.
This place offered a lunch based on the TV series “Mad Men” and it intrigued us. It was not a great choice. The restaurant is beautiful but past its prime in service and food. The bread was filling but forgettable. The Caesar was the standout of the meal. Nicely seasoned and fresh crispness of the lettuce was complimented by the tasty deviled egg. Continue reading →
Quite a change since a couple years ago when we visited. A new larger location and you can now take pictures! At least twice as many people can partake and the timing is thus more staggered. I missed the intimacy of the former location but still the staff are all extremely friendly and it is a long meal of a variety of tastes with an Asian overtone. Everyone gets the tasting but you have the options of wine pairings which we opted not to do. One other change is the addition of music, which I thought to be a tad loud with all the commotion already there. David Chang, founder and owner of Momofuku was in the house, which is unusual probably because Anthony Bourdain and friend were there (or did he just know we were coming?) Continue reading →
This is a hidden restaurant for 12 people hidden in the back of Roberta’s, a very popular pizza restaurant in Brooklyn. We’ve heard lots of good things about it but being small and only open Wed – Sat. it’s a hard reservation to come by. The kitchen is an open format with the guests sitting in a “U” shape on one side of the square room. You actually enter thru the pizza spot and after you get to the front of their line the staff will come and take you back to a spartan room whose main decoration is a fish head. Continue reading →
This is a large and elegant dining space. They have had a couple Michelin stars for years and it shows in the seamless service. At lunch they offer a 2 or 5 course fixed price menu, with the latter including some of the upcharge items and dessert. With the 5 course tasting they do scale down the portion sizes. They were willing to substitute the pasta course offered for another on the menu but do not offer any items on their dinner menu that are not on the lunch one. Continue reading →
A real hole in the wall place that serves a tasting menu to all, which changes daily. The kitchen is at the far end of the long room and it is a constant source of movement as the tables are turned over as soon as vacated. We started with a jicama sandwich that was light, sweet and tart. The salad was next with lots of really fresh tastes in a variety of greens not usually seen. Continue reading →
What a little gem is this place! Fairly small with a limited menu at Sat. brunch it is worth the trip. Most plates are easy to share and the service people are most helpful in making selections. They seem to love hiding ingredients underneath the top items that enhance the already intense tastes of the dishes. We started with the endive salad and the walnuts were so nicely toasted they were almost sweet and added to the already wonderful crunch of the endive. I wasn’t sure about the dish but when you taste it the ‘wow’ factor is there. Continue reading →
