Restaurant experiment: Jimmy’s No. 43

Jimmy’s No. 43

43 East 7th Street between Second and Third Avenues

New York, NY 10006

212-982-3006

http://www.jimmysno43.com

Stacy wanted to throw her birthday party at Jimmy’s No. 43, a restaurant/beer joint where she and Julie had been before.  The beer selection impressed her, and the food wasn’t too dowdy either.  If you are a beer boy or girl, Jimmy’s is the place for you, as there are plenty of brews on tap, mostly from breweries I’ve never heard of (easy to accomplish).  If you are into darker beers, all the better for you.

I was disappointed because it smelled exactly like burgers sizzling on a grill when we walked in, and it was crushing when I carefully scraped the menu for any sign of a burger.  No burger.  Tears.  Ummmm, burgers would totally complement the terrific selection of beers!  Hello!?!?

As for beer, I went with the Avery White Rascal for $6.  It was fine.  Everyone else seemed content with their selection of beer.  Too bad we missed local raw oyster night which is Thursdays.  The menu had a bunch of appealing choices therefore Dave and I decided to share two entrees, and this is what we got.

24 Hour Braised Pork local polenta, pear, mint, arugula, $17

Stacy recommended this guy because she’d had it before.  Unfortunately I had stuffed myself with the free bread and olive oil/balsamic so I couldn’t eat too much.  The pork was very tender and the polenta tasted just like grits.  I couldn’t taste much mint but that was fine by me.  Hmm, I’d never thought of combining pear with pork.

Shrimp and grits, hickory bacon, scallions, $17

The portion was more on the skimpy side but there was a fair amount of shrimp and bacon proportional to the grits volume.  I like my bacon crunchy but that’s just me.  Yeah, the portion needs to be doubled.

Cash only, and the waitress refused to separate our checks.  Sigh.  Regardless, the birthday lady had fun and I did as well, thanks Jimmy’s No. 43!  And you also have an abundance of hooks for coats and scarves and bags.  Thanks again!

Restaurant experiment: Craft

Craft

43 East 19th Street between Broadway and Park Avenue South

New York, NY 10003

212780-0880

http://www.craftrestaurant.com/craft_style.php

I’ll admit I’m a teensy partial to the restaurant Craft because I am a crafty individual who digs crafts. Birthday gal Stacy is partial to Craft because it’s Tom Colicchio of Top Chef’s flagship eatery. Our reservation was on the early side, but the place was packed even before 7pm (it was a Saturday night). What a beautiful space, kinda like younger sibling Craftbar. There’s a two story glassed wine cellar wrapped by a catwalk. Naked bulbs dangle from the ceiling; wood and brick pillars feature prominently.

Stacy, a tasting menu fan, decided we should go for the seven course tasting menu. Otherwise, you order family style and build your own meal. A novel concept, considering how most high end dining places have appetizers and entrees listed out for you. Monique, Esther, and Stacy also went for the wine parings, while Jared and I contented ourselves with our beers and cocktails respectively though Stacy and Esther generously shared sips of their pours with me. I selected the “Le Petite Mort” beverage which consisted of gin, maraschino, and lavender, if I recall correctly. Pretty in pink, with lovely lingering lavender notes.

The servers were all vigilant and nice. What was concerning was that they were almost too concerned about us. About three times they asked how we liked everything. Relax, guys!

Here are the courses. Since I don’t have a menu handy and the menu varies daily depending on market availability (the menu was printed with the day’s date), I’ll describe them as well as I recall.

First course

Tuna sashimi with Meyer lemon was delish! An auspicious way to begin the meal. I should add that there was complimentary seeded bread in a box too.

Second course

Hands down, my favorite. If the rest of the courses were more peekytoe crab and sea urchin fondue, I’d be in heaven. Ah sea urchin (uni), foie gras of the sea! How I love you so. Buttery buttery buttery.

Third course

With white fish, it’s notoriously difficult to charm me. The loup de mer (sea bass) was prepared well, as the meat was moist and falling apart, with the skin being crispy. I found it amusing that the base was sofrito. Cuttlefish bits were all right, me not being huge on the squid-like creatures. Fun fact: cuttlefish have W shaped pupils. Freaky.

Fourth course

Blue Foot chicken with winter vegetables and shaved black truffle, with broth was all right, but I got the feeling that none of us were particularly salivating over this offering. The broth was poured out of small white teapots, and at first, I thought it was tea. Too bad it wasn’t tea because that would have been swell, says this tea fiend. Of note: this was my very first time sampling black truffles. Would it be wrong to say I wasn’t enraptured? The truffles taste like a mixture of pine tree bark and potting soil. Earthy. Blue foot chicken really do have hue of blue feet.

Fifth course

Back on point, Craft grabs you with the medium rare sirloin with bone marrow. I need more marrow in my life. It’s that stamp-sized coin in the back. So fatty and phat. Mini-frizzled onions kick it up a notch.

Sixth course

Panna cotta with candied kumquats and sorbet were spot on! Sounds like every one of us preferred this dessert over the chocolate dessert. I failed by forgetting what kind of sorbet this was. The panna cotta was just sweet enough, just tart enough. Kumquats, I don’t believe I’ve ever had them at a restaurant. I always eat them fresh, but candied is cool.

Seventh course

Chocolate torte with orange, glazed cashews, and buttermilk ice cream. The chocolate cake was easy on the sugar and crumbly. Craft surely must enjoy candying citrus, as here was more candied orange. There were bonus bite-sized desserts: an almond cake and a chocolate cupcake of sorts. They were all right but not worth photographing, IMO.

Carrot muffin for “breakfast tomorrow” passed out at the front desk. Take homes rule!

Restaurant experiment: Sapporo

 Sapporo

152 West 49th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues

New York, NY 10019

212-869-8972

Dave and I popped into Sapporo one evening.  If asked to describe it, I might refer to the place as a Japanese diner, as there isn’t too much in the way of decor, food appears promptly, prices are reasonable.  And the older Japanese gentleman who loudly greets you is kinda charming, in an strange way.

The menu features a lot of ramen, but Dave warned me that their ramen is nothing like Ippudo, where we had dined the previous night.  Duly noted.  What seemed to have befallen me here was a case of the wrong ordering.  Or rather, I believe I’m getting one thing, but I’m actually getting something else.  Eh, it’s really a textbook case of I don’t know what I want.

I ordered the oyako don for $8.75.  Before that, Dave and I shared an appetizer combo of edamame and gyoza.  The edamame weren’t salted…usually the beans are salted.  No matter, I know how to use a salt shaker.  I like my gyoza fried longer, but again, not a huge matter.

This was a generous portion, and besides chicken and egg on top of the rice, there were white onions and scallions.  I took half home for lunch the next day.  I also dashed soy sauce and vinegar on the donburi.  Hmm, if a restaurant has a lot of condiments on the table, does that send off a secret message about the food’s flavor?  Man, should have gotten the yakisoba!

And how many bags are you checking today?

This post was inspired by Lily’s Facebook status update sometime in the latter part of 2009.

Bags and dark circles under your peepers automatically make you appear haggard and old.  That’s not desired, considering today’s image-conscious society.  I must confess that I am not heavily affected by this issue, but whenver I see a gal or fella with blackening underneath the ocular orbits, I think, “Someone needs sleep!” 

The causes of undereye darkness vary, but one major cause is your genes and pigment levels.  Sunlight, dermatitis, eczema, wimpy diet, partying until 5am, meds, boozing, ciggies, allergies, even getting old can cause this problem.  Thin skin is no good.  Shrink those vessels!  Looks like dilated blood vessels are to blame as well.

There’s no shortage of undereye circle concealers and creams but the evidence proving they actually do jack is not really there.  The latest trend is injecting fillers such as Restylane® and Juvederm® in the bad spots.  Yeouch!  Be cautious though, these fillers are not approved for this malady; you’re off-label.

Filling you in on fillers: cosmetic fillers are typically used to smooth away folds on the face.  They consist of hyaluronic acid (HA) which is naturally found in your body, with the biggest quantity in your eyes and joints.  HA is either whipped up in the good old lab or extracted from rooster combs (wha?!).  Other uses include eye/corneal surgery and osteoarthritis.

If you don’t want to spend $500 to have derms pop HA into your face, here are some less ouchy ways to combat the undereye gremlins.

1. Cold compresses: cold shrinks vessels.
2. Concealers (makeup) and vitamin creams
3. Pillows: elevating you head reduces the amount of blood in the target areas.
4. Sinus flushing: to reduce congestion
5. Rest!

References:

• http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/fashion/12SKIN.html
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dark-circles-under-eyes/MY00346
• http://thedermblog.com/2009/04/26/what-causes-dark-circles-under-your-eyes/
• http://www.restylaneusa.com/about-restylane.html
• http://www.juvederm.com/what_is_juvederm/what_is.aspx
• http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1062-HYALURONIC+ACID.aspx?activeIngredientId=1062&activeIngredientName=HYALURONIC+ACID&source=2

Restaurant experiment: The Modern

The Modern

9 West 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues

New York, NY 10016

212-333-1220

http://www.themodernnyc.com/

The Modern is the Museum of Modern Art’s fanciest dining option. It’s got two faces: a flashier louder bar/small plates room and then the more formal dining room in the back, where jackets are required for gentlemen, a glass wall faces into the MoMA’s sculpture garden, and rolling chairs are the chairs that you rest yourself in (how very office-like). If you’re a fan of From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler like me, being in an art museum after hours is still a little thrill, despite the MoMA not being the Met.  I was stoked to try The Modern because it has one Michelin star, chef Gabriel Kreuther recently won a James Beard award (Best chef of NYC), and Danny Meyer of Shake Shack and others fame runs the place.

Entering the establishment, the Bar Room was hopping.  And reception didn’t make me feel like garbage for being late. Dave and I were seated at a two top by the windows, in rolly chairs.  He and I decided to get the tasting menu. You basically have only three dinner options: the $88 three course meal, the $125 chef tasting menu, or the $135 seasonal tasting menu. And the cheese cart is an add on, as well as wine parings. Every time a server wheeled the cart of cheese by, I would inhale a whiff of fromage and be in heaven.

The service was spot on, with synchronized movements, knowledge, and efficiency. 

Regarding the bathroom, if you’re using the bathroom sinks, you turn on the sensor with your hand, but don’t forget to turn it off.

Enough fluff, here’s what you came here for.

Amuse bouche

I for the life of me cannot repeat in entirety what the server described these as.  But just look at those silver spoons!  All I can recall is that the circles on the left contain creme fraiche.  Bites of happiness.  And it’s a little out-of-place seeming to eat popcorn at such an upscale place, but if you add porcini, it’s acceptable.

Amuse bouche

There was another one here, and sadly the picture is unacceptable.  I just remember fish eggs on top of something panna cotta-like?  All in a big goblet.  And I can’t neglect mentioning the bread.  I consumed a kalamata roll and a french bun.

Foie Gras Terrine Flavored with Juniper-Marinated Raisins, Pistachio Joconde

I typically love foie gras, but this offering was too salty for me. However, take that with a grain of salt since Dave adored it.  Cute touch with the flower petal atop the raisins.

Tartare of Yellowfin Tuna and Diver Scallops Seasoned with Yellowstone River Caviar

Yes yes yes, this made up for the foie gras.  The dressing was wonderful.  Even now, I still marvel at how thin the cucumbers were sliced.  Impressed I was. 

Ravioli of Escargot with Slow Poached Quail Eggs, Escargot Caviar and Mustard Greens

Normally I don’t think much of snails, but I was swayed with this here dish.  Mmm, buttery goodness.

Maine Lobster “Cappuccino”

I thought this was a funky bold unique success; Dave marked it a miss but did gobble down the lobster pieces at the bottom of the cup. It looks like you’re drinking an Italian coffee beverage, but it’s flavored like the sea.  No picture because it ended up a sea of white.

Chorizo-Crusted Codfish with White Coco Bean Purée and Harissa Oil

No picture because I forgot. I was too preoccupied by all the treats emerging from the kitchen.  I must confess I wasn’t too thrilled with the cod because I find chorizo too spicy for me, but it was prepared perfectly, and I did like the beans and bean paste.

Pennsylvania Duck Breast with Black Trumpet Marmalade, “Fleischschneke”, and Banyuls Jus

The Fleischschneke just looks cool; it’s the swirl in the top left and is duck confit in some noodle-y thing.  There’s a braised apple in the upper right too.  The breakout star here was the duck.  Why do places serve duck right before dessert?  I’m getting full and can’t enjoy the duck as much.  No luck with duck.  Dave gave the thumbs up to the black trumpet marmalade coating the duck pieces.

Amuse bouche

Passion fruit gelee? (yellow bottom layer), sour apple granita? (white top), dotted with pomegranate seeds.  One shot was not enough!  I would have preferred a pint glass!  These glasses were pretty rad: circular at the top and oval at the bottom.

Pineapple ‘Chartreuse’ with Fresh Herb Sorbet

Slices of pineapple hugging cream. Dessert B subplot is herb sorbet with a marshmallow ribbon draped on top. Herb ice cream: there’s a reason why Ben and Jerry’s isn’t pushing Smokin’ Herb or somesuch flavor on us–it is not palatable, though Dave would be to differ, saying it grows on you.

Happy birthday polka dotted cake for the birthday lad!

Desserts would not stop coming!  Not pictured are petit fours and a box of chocolates.  The petit fours weren’t really worth mentioning.  One had cilantro, ew.  The server warned me thoughtfully because I stated earlier that I despise that plant.  Blech.

To The Modern: thanks for making me pleased for picking you. What a nearly perfect birthday dinner!

Restaurant experiment: Beyond Thai Kitchen

Beyond Thai Kitchen

133 West 3rd Street between Sixth Avenue and MacDougal Street

New York, NY 10012

212-254-8828

http://beyondthaikitchen.com/

Bethany and Melissa picked Beyond Thai Kitchen out as our dinner spot, and the fact that it’s right next to the subway probably helped too because the wind chill was raging, below 10.  Yikes.  The place was empty; we were the sole customers for most of the time.

Since I had eaten prior, I ordered scallion pancakes ($5) to go along with the cabernet I was sharing with the gals.  Color me surprised when the pancakes came out more as fat wedges.  I’m just used to the flat round pancakes and seeing them in a different format was jarring.  The soy based dipping sauce did add the right amount of zing.  Maybe I’m biased, but I do prefer my scallion pancakes with crunch.  But these were fine.  Might I suggested a name change to scallion dough wedges?  Or I’m sure I could come up with something more creative.

I still felt like consuming consumables, and I therefore ordered the taro custard ($5).  Rest assured that the whipped cream was centered, but the heat of the custard caused the cream to slide off.  Not a pretty picture, alas.  The custard was agreeable yet not phenomenal.  Generous serving though.

Bethany and Melissa approved of their pad Thai.  The service was all right, maybe on the sluggish side despite the restaurant not being packed.  The bathroom was glowing pink and freezing.  Is it just me or are a lot of Thai joints in NYC fond of the modern bathrooms or of modern decor in general?  Hmm.

Restaurant experiment: Mas (farmhouse)

Mas (farmhouse)

39 Downing Street between Bedford Street and Varick Street

New York, NY 10014

212-255-1790

http://masfarmhouse.com/

Dave and I went to Mas (farmhouse) as a birthday dining destination for myself.  I was excited to try this place.

Like most of us, I think of the Spanish word meaning “more” when I see mas (with accent), but mas here is a French word meaning farmhouse or country house.  Mas is set up to be something like an elegant modem farmhouse with dark stone accents; we were fans of the utensil holders made of rocks.

Dave and I noticed that there were a lot of gentlemen with shaved heads dining on that particular day.  Was it a bald convention?  We do not know.  From our perch in a corner, we could observe and comment on the other patrons.

After much internal hemming and hawing, Dave and I decided to go with the four course dinner instead of the six course chef tasting menu which actually sounded interested as you are kept in the dark as to what you will be consuming, but the dishes are tailored to your dislikes and likes.

Amuse bouche

This was a fish with mint accents and topped with a potato wafer.  I wasn’t too keen on pairing fishies with mint but overall, not terrible at all.

First course–wild porcini soup with parmesan foam, crispy leeks, & sherry

To me, the soup would have been no great shakes but the foam really made it.  Or not just foam, but the cheese flavor.  I heart parm.

Second course–seared sea scallops with a shrimp & lobster bisque, fingerling potatoes, baby bok choi, & spinach

Aside from serving scallops raw, I think you could do no wrong with those bivalves.  I was actually impressed by the greens too.  This was also foamy.

Third course–roasted Long Island duck breast, wild rice, cranberry compote, & glazed salsify

In the background is house-made pork & sauerkraut sausages, apple puree, cider braised cabbage, & flageolet beans

Delish!  My regret was that I was becoming full.  The duck was quite tasty.  Looking back, I do not know what salsify is and had to look it up.  It’s some veggie which is also known as goatsbeard.  I think it was okay because I didn’t have much of an impression.  Guess cranberries were the special of the day at the market (see below).

Fourth course–olive oil cake with cranberry sorbet

This sounded light enough since my stomach was getting cranky because it was at nearly max capacity.  I inquired as to what an olive oil cake was and was informed that it was light and with a hint of olive oil.  What it was resembled a muffin, and to me, muffins aren’t dessert.  The cranberry sorbet stole the show.  Love that tartness!

Amuse bouche–date cake bite with buttercream frosting

A little postage stamp sized square of happiness.  Sweet way to end the meal.  Dave commented that the amuses were better than the real plates.  They were excellent, that’s for sure.

I asked for and was able to take home a hand-knotted menu to mark my birthday celebration as the date is printed on the menu.  What a nice meal!

P.S.  I must admit that I was charmed by the fact that a fancy restaurant was playing indie rock on the soundsystem (The Walkmen, The Magnetic Fields).  Brownie points!

Restaurant experiment: BCD Tofu House

BCD Tofu House

17 West 32nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway

New York, NY 10001

212-967-1900

http://www.bcdtofu.com/bcd_eng.php

Leslie invited me out to lunch at this Korean place in K-town.  She’d been a couple of times before and knew it to be a solid choice.  Since it was igloo weather outside (snowflakes were falling as I walked to and from the subway), tofu soup sounded like it would hit the spot.

The NYC branch of this chain was busy when I stepped in around 2pm on a Saturday.  But luckily Leslie and I didn’t have to wait that long to be seated, and at least it wasn’t 9pm on a Saturday.

The little dishes appeared promptly, as well as cups of tea.  I was surprised that one of the dishes was a fish for each one of us.  A whole little fish.  That was tasty, as well as the baby bok choy, bean sprouts, and pickles.  Oh yeah, the pasta salad too.  Pasta salad doesn’t seem very Korean to me, but I ate and liked it nevertheless.  I let the kim chee be.  Too spicy.  A new item to me was old prepared rice, scrubbed off the sides of a bowl, sitting in tea.  While I found it positive, there was too much other food to deal with, and there was already regular rice.  Another time.

Leslie recommended the tofu soup with beef and assorted seafood.  The bowl was presented bubbling like some witch’s concoction.  I cracked a raw egg into the broth and nibbled on the other treats so the soup could cool down some.  We also ordered the soups mild because Leslie gave me insider scoop that the plain level was boring and bland, and mild was just right.  I think the waitress gave us medium instead which sort of detracted from the overall effect.  The assorted seafood consisted of shrimp and mussels for the most part.  Warning: the picture below is not for those wary of raw eggs and shrimp heads.

We grumbled about the hardly vigilant service.  I mentioned that there were lots of employees but no one was paying attention to us.  Leslie commented that they were not waiters, but standers.  Indeed.  To my astonishment, Leslie stated that the little dishes, once empty, were supposed to be promptly refilled.  You could have fooled me.  And it seems like most other Korean places do not do that.  Leslie had to flag down a serviceperson to request a refill.  Later I had to wave down someone else for more tea.

At around $11 a pop at lunch with all those edible extras, you can’t go wrong here at BCD Tofu House.  Unless they give you medium when you wanted mild.  As an added laugh, the paper towel dispenser in the bathroom is helpfully labelled “paper towels.”

Restaurant experiment: Oro Bakery and Bar

Oro Bakery and Bar

375 Broome Street between Mott Street and Mulberry Street

New York, NY 10013

212-941-6368

http://orobakerybar.com/index.php

Post-L’asso, Shing suggested we give Oro a go because it would satisfy our needs for sweets and alcohol.  Yes.  And it didn’t hurt that Oro was close by, considering how Arctic-like the weather was that night.

When we showed up, Oro was pretty quiet: there was a dude at the bar and a table of three by the door.  There is some seating in the front next to the entryway of chilling winds, and there is also seating in the back near the bathroom.  The bar dominates though.

There was just one lady working the bar.  There were menus on the bar which we grabbed before seating ourselves in the front nook.  Lucky for us, the heater was going full blast and there weren’t too many patrons coming and going.

I wanted to keep warm, so I picked out the hot mulled wine and for my sweet tooth, the peanut butter and chocolate mousse.  Pretty presentation for the latter!  Notice the gold too.  I remarked that it was like Goldschlager.  I sampled Amy’s pumpkin cheesecake and Shing’s chocolate souffle which were both worth of being devoured.  Usually I’m wary of souffles but his was light and sweet, not too non-sweet.  Great.

The mulled wine, which Frank was very curious about, was a bit of a quandary.  Yes, it was warm and wine-y.  I guess the spices had steeped too long, as the first sips were sharply bitter.  It did not help that I accidentally bit into a clove, yuck.  But as the liquid levels lowered, either I got used to it or the bitterness relaxed.

The bartender was incredibly friendly, and she was keen on telling us background info, like how all the desserts are made on premises in a big secret bakery downstairs.  Apparently they open at 7am as a regular bakery and then morph into a cafe later on, followed by wine bar (not a full bar).

I don’t know if it was undercrowded due to the weather, but if that’s the normal crowd, Oro would be a swell place to relax and catch up with your friends without shouting or getting jostled.  Worked well for us!

Restaurant experiment: L’asso

L’asso

192 Mott Street at Kenmare Street

New York, NY 10012

212-219-2353

http://lassonyc.com/

AmyC invited me out to dinner as an early birthday treat.  She suggested this joint L’asso which I was unfamiliar with, but she had been several times and felt like it was a good choice.  Props to her for reading the blog to check if I had been there or not!

On a nippy night, I ventured into L’asso and met AmyC at the bar, and Frank, Shing, and Sophie showed up soon after.  We were then seated at our table in the middle of the floor.  The restaurant is cramped meaning both busy and with a lot of squished tables, and I kept getting bumped by people moving along in the aisle.  So that was unpleasant.  But typical.  The menu features pasta and other Italian items though Frank said it was wise to go with the pizzas.  Okay then, sounds fine to me.  I also ordered a dark and stormy which was reeking of rum, very stormy indeed.  I skimmed the pastas but spent most of my efforts on the pizza page.  The five of us decided to share a few pizzas.  My contribution/selection was the puta di mare which was garlicky sautéed shrimp and broccoli rabe on pizza with an artichoke sauce.  We shared a medium of that along with mediums of the margherita and the one with portobellos and truffle oil.  The bleached blonde bobbed waitress brought out complimentary appetizers which resembled tortillas soaked in herbs and olive oil.  That and the olives were quickly gobbled by me in anticipation of the pizza.  I also spent food waiting time playing with AmyC’s brand spanking new Droid phone (pretty kickass).

The margherita emerged first and we all pounced on it.  As you can see, there was a lot of sauce on it.  The crust is very airy and crunchy.  The margharita is a very safe pizza in general, and I found it to be tasty.

Second in the parade of pizzas was my pick, the puta di mare.  Nobody at the table had sampled it before, so it was an unknown entity but after the first few bites, all five of us were happy with my pick.  Whew, because I hate it when I pick bad stuff.  There was a hint of spiciness which I could have done without, but no matter.  Thumbs up.

Last was the portobello.  You can see my punchy Dark and Stormy in the upper left corner.  Since I’m not a huge fan of portobello in general, I would have to place this last, but still, I would eat it, not like I would avoid touching it with a 10 foot pole of anything.  This pizza, like the preceeding, also did not have a tomato sauce; it too was a white pizza.

Thanks to Frank and AmyC (and Shing and Sophie too)  for lassoing me into the L’asso fold and for the lovely dinner!