Restaurant experiment: El Quijote

El Quijote

226 West 23rd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues

New York, NY 10011

212-929-1855

http://www.elquijoterestaurant.com/

In ordered to celebrate Greg’s birthday, it was decided that there would be a dinner at El Quijote.  Since the dinner would be later following the end of the work day, Mike and I met up for a pre-dinner drink to whittle away the time.

Me: Do you have specials?

Bartender: Yes, we have specials [points to list of speciality cocktails].

Inner monologue: No happy hour?  What kind of a bar is this?  Bar fail.

I ordered the white sangria because it was the closest cost to a happy hour special.  Mike wasn’t too thrilled with his martini, but the white sangria I sipped was fine and doing its job well.  The drink menu is pretty extensive, and I noticed a $100 pitcher of margaritas available.  Yow.

Mike and I sipped our drinks by the coat check until our entire party arrived.  Diverse crowd.  I entered with an elderly lady using a cane and her family, and two young women were in the same dining room as us.  Popular place for birthdays, heard “Happy Birthday” three times during the meal.  The decor is notable in that you’ll certainly notice it.  It’s kind of like Chili’s, Spanish-style in that there’s lots of junk on the walls.

Our large party was regulated to a not-as-crazy back room which was basically empty.  And it had lattice on the ceiling.  The waiters were outfitted so that they sort of resembled bellhops.

The menu was diverse, and it seemed like that there was an option for everyone.  I finally settled on the Mariscada Ajillo, mixed seafood in garlic sauce for $20, after forgoing the other mixed seafoods because I didn’t know what green sauce and quijote sauce were.  So yeah, the menu could use some more descriptions.  Every entree came with a choice of soup or salad, and another choice of various sides.  That night, you could pick from rice, baked potatoes, fried potatoes, or broccoli.  The salads appeared first, and the waiters brought out three different dressings (two sets of three, if you want to be more precise) which must be convenient for them instead of repeated the dressings over and over after asking what dressing each diner wanted especially since 90% of us got salads.  The salad was fine.  The dressings were an oniony dressing, salty but yummy blue cheese, and an Italian style.

The baked potato was standard.  The mariscada ajillo was terrific though.  Usually when you order seafood at a restaurant, it’s always two tiny pieces of ocean dwellers, but here, I got numerous clams, shrimp, mussels, and scallops.  If you look at the image above, the silver pot is also full of shelled goodness.  Too much food!  It’s incredibly rare that I have food to go because I’m too stuffed.  El Quijote delivers bang for your buck, I must admit.  And they were really kind to split the checks for such a large party (NYC can be really awful about that).  And they had free matchbooks.

Restaurant experiment: Turkish Kitchen

Turkish Kitchen

386 Third Avenue between 27th and 28th Streets

New York, NY 10016

212-679-1810

http://www.turkishkitchen.com

A sign on the sidewalk proclaimed 20% off in honor on Turkish Kitchen’s 20 year anniversary.  Ooh, sale!  And any restaurant in the city that’s been around 20 years with appearances in Zagat and the Michelin Guide can’t be too terrible.  And within walking distance to our main destination, I’m sold.

When Julie, Stacy, and I entered the restaurant (it’s a sunken main floor), the maitre d’ inquired as to whether or not we had reservations.  Initially we were a party of two, and when Stacy called, they declared that no reservations were accepted for two tops.  Okay.  At the restaurant, they tell us that reservations are accepted for three and up.  How kooky.  At least didn’t have to wait too long.  I sat amongst some orchids and started at the colored glowing martini glasses at the bar.  Turkish Kitchen is all red walls, and orchids and candles in blue glass holders add interest to the stark red.  There is also an upstairs section, and I wasn’t sure if it was for parties or larger groups.

We were seated with the drink menus for entertainment.  Hours pass.  Well, not really, but it sure seemed like it.  Doesn’t it make sense to give you the food menus so you can study them as you endure days for the waitress to show up?  Our waitress was on another planet or something.  When she actually came to check on us, she had this irksome habit of asking “Can I take this away?” while in the actual physical act of taking away your finished plate.  Um, I guess I don’t have a choice in the matter?

We split a bottle of white wine from Turkey.  It was refreshing and a fine complement to the meal.  The right way to begin the long dining experience was with an appetizer sampler.  It’s not on any of the menus I found online so I don’t know exactly what it was called or what it contained, but it had baba ghanoush (Patlican Salatasi?), humus, and beans (Barbunya Plaki?).  A paper cone filled with bread chunks was used for dipping.  Naturally we ran out and wanted more but the waitress of course couldn’t be flagged down.

After much indecision, I chose to order the Iskender Kebab which was described as ”vertically grilled lamb sliced very thin, served with garlicky yogurt and tomato sauce over pita bread.”  The yogurt sauce is very much like sour cream, and no fear, it’s not too garlicky (unfortunately for me).  I mixed the two sauces together to get a pink sauce.  The lamb was very thin.  Julie and Stacy let me sample their entrees, and thumbs up to them, the ladies and the dishes.  Stacy had the Bonfile Sis which was filet mignon–tops!  Julie got the Etli Lahana Dolmasi which was like stuffed grape leaves with cabbage as the leaf and ground beef inside–choice!

Too stuffed from the mains, we declined the dessert tray the waitress brought out.  Julie and Stacy sipped on thick Turkish coffees while I reminisced about the scrumptious meal I just ate and blotting out the blah service.  Yummy.

Restaurant experiment: db Bistro Moderne

db Bistro Moderne

55 West 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues

New York, NY 10036

212-391-2400

http://www.danielnyc.com/dbbistro.html

If you enter db Bistro Moderne from the street (it’s attached to a hotel), be sure to not be confused like me and believe that the waiters station is the reception/check in area.  That place is in the middle of the restaurant.  Huh.

I was excited to try db Bistro Moderne so that I could knock another Daniel Boulud restaurant off my list and also try their famous gourmet burger.  So when Stacy and I were going to a concert nearby, I suggested we dine here pre-theater.  Sounded good to both of us.  db is quite the place for pre-theater, being stuffed to the gills and then emptying out close to 8pm.  I arrived early and was able to be seated in our reserved tight table in the corner.  Yes, the tables were a little too close for comfort.  The dining room is definitely more theatrical, with red and splashes of life with huge flower paintings on the walls.

Our waiter was kind but I noticed he was reading the specials from a pad and writing them down on said paid.  The complimentary bread basket was too charming, including homemade pretzels and even a baby baguette!  How adorable.

A bonus treat was eggplant spread and olive tapenade.  Yes, I love extras.

I knew exactly what I wanted and only glanced at the menu along with Stacy.  The burger for me, my one and only.

THE ORIGINAL db BURGER
Sirloin Burger Filled with Braised Short Ribs & Foie Gras
Served on a Parmesan Bun
Pommes FritesorPommes Soufflées
32.

There’s also this, but it’s for another time.  $150 burger?!?!

db BURGER ROYALE
With Layered Shaved Black Truffles
75. / 150.

I requested it medium and it came out more like medium rare.  I was a little dejected that this fancypants burger did not come with cheese; the parmesan bun does not count.  It kind of failed at containing its mega contents though.  Not quite up to the task.  Double bun?  Due to the ribs and foie gras, there’s a bit of a wet texture.  The foie gras gets kind of lost in the shuffle.  Yummy burger but I’ll still take my comfort cheeseburgers burgers anyday.

The frites were crunchy and generous.  A side tray of three different dipping options was co-presented with the burger: ketchup, horseradish mayo, and mustard.  The mustard was too cutting for me, and the horseradish mayo ended up being my fave which was odd since I don’t really like horseradish too much.  The same taste was in the burger.

Stacy had the black truffle raviole which she heartily approved of.  I thought it was tops though was a smaller portion than could be.

Though I was quite full with the beastly burger, I decided to go for dessert alongside Stacy.  This is what I ordered:

CITRUS VACHERIN
Chilled Tangerine Soup, White Chocolate Chantilly
Meyer Lemon Sorbet, Blood Orange Ice Cream

A vacherin is a meringue cake crust.  I must say that the flavors in this dessert are incredible!  So strong, so citrus, so fresh.  Yummmmmm.  The Meyer lemon sorbet particularly was lip pursing sour, just the way I like it.  The tangerine soup made me think of warm breezes and flowers and sunshine.

DB is not superfancyelegant but a fine dining choice if you’re in the area, with diverse menu of excellent items for not nutty prices.  They also serve lunch and breakfast.  Next up someday: Daniel & DBGB!

Restaurant experiment: Sigiri

Sigiri

91 First Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets

New York, NY 10003

212-614-9333

http://www.sigirinyc.com/

Kora and I rendezvoused at this Sri Lankan restaurant which is right next to the madness known as Panna II and its competing restaurants. We were the first customers of the evening and were seated in the front window, and from that perch, I could witness the employees from next door trying to sweet talk walkers into his particular restaurant.  Sirigi itself is tastefully decorated with woven baskets on the ceiling and a large mask hanging in the window.

Kora let me pick out a veggie appetizer which we could share. I selected the Dhal Vade, 4 pieces described as “lentil patties with traditional Sri Lankan spices.” I asked the waiter if these were really spicy, and he assured me that they weren’t. I was appeased and glanced over Sri Lankan tourism and real estate brochures which I found.  I’d like to visit this island nation someday.

The patties were presented to us. They were dry so Kora wanted to ask for a sauce, but no one checked in so we contented ourselves with the dry coconut chutney which was the accompaniment.  I concluded that “not spicy” means “quite spicy” in Sri Lanka.

Kora let me have a few spoons of her soup, the Sri Lankan vegetable soup.  She warned me to be careful not to bite into any of the numerous black peppercorns.

For my main course, I ordered the String Hopper Kotthu.  Here’s the blurb:

A Sri Lankan street-side specialty prepared from spaghetti-like strings of rice-flour dough squeezed through a sieve onto smallwoven trays, which are steamed to perfection, chopped into shreds, stir fried with vegetables, onions, and egg. With choice of beef or chicken.

The waiter asked how I wanted the dish prepared, and I said mild beef.  It was hard to focus on the nice textures of the veggies and flavors when my mouth was sizzling from spices.  I was in so much agony that I even teared up once before admitting defeat and taking the leftovers home.

If you’ve got an iron or wax-coated tongue, you’d be fine here but if you’re a wimp like me, you might want to BYOM: bring your own milk. [Sigiri is BYOB.] Sigiri is not for the weak!

From Wikipedia:

“[M]any spicy Sri Lankan preparations are believed to be among the world’s hottest in terms of chilli content.”

Restaurant experiment: Ottomanelli New York Grill

Ottomanelli NY Grill

1424 Lexington Avenue at 93rd Street

New York, NY 10128

212-426-6886

http://www.nycotto.com/new_york_grill.php

Okay Ottomanelli, if you state that you open at 11am, open at 11am.  Don’t make Lily and I waste time at a nearby snobby pet store.  And they were still setting up while patrons such as us were ready to place orders.  Hmm.

All might be forgotten because this place has a sick brunch deal on the weekends.  For $10, you get two alcoholic drinks (mimosa, Prosecco, Bloody Mary), tea or coffee, and an entree.  Some of the entree choices included challah french toast, frittatas, and omelettes.  Lily and I settled on burgers.  There is a wide selection of cheeses to pick from which helped mollify me.  I decided to mix it up and nix blue in favor of creamy goat.  Service was slightly nice though inattentive and a little slow, oh well (I asked for tea and got coffee).  I asked for our seconds of booze and we were both served the same drink as our first even though that’s not what we wanted.  At least we could trade because Lily and I both wanted the same drinks in the reverse order.  And the mimosas and Proseccos were having no complaints for me.  Bloody Mary fans, you’ll have to find out how they are yourself.

Waffle fries do mix it up a little (ah, memories of Chick-fil-A) , and the huge pickle wedge is fab.  No tomato served with the burger oddly enough, maybe Ottomanelli thinks ketchup will serve both roles?  Earning points with me was the generosity of the goat cheese serving.  Meat-wise, you basically can’t go wrong with a burger from a restaurant that has its own butcher shop.

On our way out, the waiter stopped us because he thought we were talking about his hometown in Florida.  We weren’t.  ???  If you’re dying to have a killer brunch deal in this economy, you’ll find it in several locations in the Upper East of Ottomanelli NY Grills.

Restaurant experiment: La Mangeoire

La Mangeoire

1008 Second Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets

New York, NY 10022

212-759-7086

http://www.lamangeoire.com

Stacy and I elected to leave happy hour at a nearby Irish pub and grab some grub.  We settled on La Mangeoire since we were in a French mood, and it wasn’t too far away.  Thanks, Urbanspoon.

It wasn’t insanely packed, though I’m sure the nasty piles of slush out were encouraging holing up and ordering delivery.  La Mangeoire has about three dining rooms.  If you’re in middle age or older, you’ll fit right in.  The interior has kind of a rustic old French farm feeling.  Before I forget, I must say that the restroom sink’s faucet is pretty killer: a colorful tube with a stainless steel top which slides left to right to release water.  Sweet.

Stacy and I both chose the dinner prix fixe menu which wasn’t a terrible deal at $29.  Here’s what I got.

Assortment of Homemade Patés
Country Style, Duck Rillette & Liver Mousse, Garnished with Celery Remoulade

I also must note that were was complimentary bread served with olive oil, anchovy oil/paste, and wee olives.  The anchovy oil was my favorite.  The pate assortment was not bad.  A quick Google search tells me that “country style” means chunky pate.  Huh.  The duck rillette, I assume, was another chunkier item, while the liver mousse, I assume, was the silky one.  These pates were served with a ramekin of reddish mustard filled with mustard seeds.  Now, I’m not a mustard fan in general, but I really was a follower of this special sort of mustard.  Pleasing sharp taste, vinegary, but not spicy.

Niçoise Style Beef Stew
Chunks of Beef Simmered in a Red Wine, Tomato & Black Olive Sauce
Served with Mashed Potatoes

A little more sel was needed in the stew.  Stacy concluded as well that her coq au vin needed some of the good old sodium chloride as well.  Once tossed in, the stew was much more satisfying.  The meat was quite soft.  I could taste the olives in the sauce.

Chocolate Mousse
Mocha Sauce

Looked like ice cream but wasn’t!  Mmm, definitely the right way to end a meal.  Looking at those faux ice cream mousse balls, I was expecting cold treats, but they weren’t.  They were just rich and dreamy and creamy.

Though I didn’t order from the regular menu, I did approve of how each entree could be served as a small or regular plate.  Our waiter was cordial and service was pretty attentive.  Stacy and I had full stomachs when we made our way to the exit.

Regarding pictures, I’ve got some snaps but hold tight (computer issues).  Update: Yay, added shots on 4/3/10!