Restaurant experiment: Caracas Arepa Bar

Caracas Arepa Bar

93 1/2 East 7th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A

New York, NY 10009

212-529-2314

http://www.caracasarepabar.com/manhattan.php

What is an arepa?  From Caracas Arepa Bar’s website:

Pale gold arepas, made from scratch daily, they have been described as “dense yet spongy corn-flour rounds, pitalike pockets, corn muffins, cake-swaddled mélange, white corn cakes, Latin sloppy Joe, sandwiches of a flat cornmeal patty, soft and smooth within, golden crispiness, tasty treats, burrito-killer, panini-killer, wheat-free, gluten-free crisp on the outside, steamy-soft in the middle…”

Caracas Arepa Bar is a definite too-hot-to-trot spot.  I’ve wanted to try it since several of my friends have been, and once I was at Mike’s apartment, part of a Throwdown! with Bobby Flay was on, and Bobby was challenging the folks at Caracas Arepa Bar.  I don’t know what the outcome was since we decided to watching something else.  But the seed was planted.

Let me set the scene.  I met Stacy around 1:40 PM on a holiday Monday.  She had arrived earlier than me and had put her name down.  It didn’t help that it was very nippy outside (you have to wait outside because the restaurant is the size of a studio apartment) and that buttery bread smells were wafting over from Luke’s Lobster next door, oh so tantalizing.  I quipped to Stacy that if Caracas didn’t work out, we could always just chow at Luke’s.  I guess Luke’s and Caracas are following the same trajectory: mini East Village restaurant, skyrocketing popularity, satellite locations popping up like dandelions.  We ended up waiting nearly an hour to be seated.  Sigh.  At least we passed the time by chatting but all I’m saying is that the food better be out of this world.  Stacy had been before and was positive, so I was still looking forward to the meal.

We were finally crowbarred into a wee two-top close to the entrance.  Since it was in the 20s outside, it didn’t help that whenever people would enter or exit, that cold polar wind would just swoop in and chill us.  I kept my enormous coat on, partly also because there was nowhere to place it.  The diners on both sides of us were speaking Spanish.  I liked our waiter; he seemed very jolly, cordial, in a good mood despite the close quarters and cranky people waiting to be seated.

Since it was a weekday and it was the lunch hour (well, kinda), I ordered the lunch combo while Stacy opted to order two arepas.  One arepa is not big enough for a meal, at least not for most folks.  The combo was an arepa with salad or soup for $8.50.  Not too shabby.  I also ordered a fruity drink ($3.75)  since Stacy got one.  Mmm, mango strawberry.  Not as thick as I anticipated, but still fruity delicious.  We eyeballed some milkshakes that other folks ordered.  If it weren’t all freezer-like outside, I would have considered it.  The salad came out like so.  Nothing too wild or out there, but I dig hearts of palms, so I was content.

Being limited by spiciness and wanting meat, I settled on the Don Pabellon arepa.  This guy comes with “shredded beef, black beans, white salty cheese and sweet plantains.”  The menu states that arepas are “100% corn flour buns, grilled and baked.”  Honestly, I wasn’t that enthused about the actual arepa, the corn part.  It’s a corn product.  The fillings inside, now there’s a separate tale.  Juice was dripping out of the pocked.  There was a little spice but bearable.  Cheese!  Cheese!  Mmm.  Now, if only two were given instead of one…

I dared, and I sucked in my stomach and did the dainty dance to the bathroom.  Yeah, this place is microscopic.

The bottom line: Caracas Arepa Bar is very yummy but not one hour wait yummy.  Go early or go home.

Restaurant experiment: Neptune Diner

Neptune Diner

35-01 Astoria Boulevard between 32nd and 33rd Streets

Astoria, NY 11102

718-278-4853

Ah, the NYC diner.  I’m glad I was able to visit at least one on this jaunt.  And why did I end up here?  Mostly because it was convenient to Wayne, Tom, and myself.  That’s it basically.  But it is right next to the Astoria Boulevard subway stop, so Neptune Diner has that going on.

The service was fine: not too friendly, not too curt.  Since it was later in the morning, the joint was not that packed out.  Looked like families and friends hanging out mostly.

As with diners, the menu is huge, spiral bound, and peppered with stock photos.  The paper placemats declare that Neptune Diner was awarded the title of “Best Diner” by the NY Daily News in 1999.  Um, okay.  That was a long time ago.  Not sure if that title even has merit anymore.  So I hopped onto the Daily News’s website to see what diner holds the crown presently, but nothing that recent even comes up.  Neptune Diner better watch out.  Astoria’s Bel-Aire Diner was recipient of the glorious title in 2002.  Uh-oh!

I ordered the Belgian waffle with bacon.  I forgot how much this was, but it was in the ballpark of $8.  I was looking around on the table for a syrup pitcher but didn’t see one.  Just as I was on the verge of despair, I noticed packets of Smucker’s syrup on the plate full of packages jams and jellies.  The waffle was perfectly serviceable.  Okay, that sounds mean.  It was pretty good.  Not the best waffle in the world, but fine.  I realized that I ordered poorly since I wolfed my order down and was still not sated.  They should give you two waffles instead of just one.  The fatty bacon helped somewhat but it wasn’t enough.

Since I was still hungry, I mooched off Wayne and ate his buttered toast.  Whoa, Neptune Diner needs to put the brakes on the buttering there.  Both sides of the bread were totally drenched in butter.  Just one side is fine, thanks.

So, let’s see.  Neptune Diner…best diner in NYC?  Probably not.  But it’s a respectable choice if you’re in Astoria.

Restaurant experiment: Saul

Saul

140 Smith Street between Bergen Street and Dean Street

Brooklyn, NY 11201

718-935-9844

http://saulrestaurant.com

For my birthday dinner destination, I carefully poured over the list of Michelin-starred restaurants and cross-checked with OpenTable for availabilities and researched the menus online, keeping an eye out for tasting menus.  What was kind of edging itself into the forefront was Saul which kind of flies under the radar since it’s in Brooklyn, Boerum Hill to be exact.  And it’s not flashy or gimmicky.  Matter settled.  Reservation booked, Dave and I headed to Brooklyn.

We almost went into Apartment 138 next door, oops.  Once you step into Saul, you see that it’s not a huge space by all means.  The walls are brick, and some rectangular abstract art paintings decorate one wall, while grass-like plants sprout up on the other side.  I am not an interior decorator and do not know what to call these things.  Interestingly enough, there are fans on the ceiling, which consists of gray patterned tiles.  Background music consisted of slowish songs by Wilco, Radiohead, and others.

The menus were cutely presented, with each one featuring a different photograph.  I only glanced at the appetizers and mains since I was more fixated on the tasting menu, which is its own separate menu.  For some reason, only one is given, and Dave and I had to share it.  But looking at the seven courses, we approved and decided to go for it.  It’s $85 plus an optional $60 wine pairing which we nixed.  The tasting menu courses did all seem to come from the regular menu.

There was plenty of wine to choose from, but the cocktail list didn’t really grab me.  The bartenders, while appearing to serve up a full bar, could not make an amaretto sour.  Hmm.  Dave found his dirty martini made with Tito’s Handmade vodka to be satisfactory.

A runner brought out bread and then an amuse bouche which was a mushroom puree with croutons and truffle oil.  What a warming ramekin on a winter’s day.  There was also warmth brought about by a peppery undertone.  A positive, auspicious start to the meal.

Crudo of Japanese Yellowtail
marinade of citrus extra virgin olive oil, cilantro, peppers

It was like having summer in your mouth, with the lightness, the citrus flavors, the fish.  I requested no cilantro, so the evil herb was thankfully left off my dish.  Wonderful way to start off the meal.

Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi
sugar snap peas, parmesan, prosciutto

Peas made their first appearance.  The gnocchi weren’t as cheesy as you’d expect, but they were pleasing.  The prosciutto was fried up to resemble bacon.  Mmm.

Grilled Spanish Octopus
slow cooked pork belly, grilled scallion, kohlrabi, sriracha chili, honey, lime, sesame

Hmm, what do I remember.  I did believe the octopus to be dandy, and I recall liking the vinaigrette it was in.

There was an odd long lag time between the octopus and the striped bass.  Not sure what was going on there.

Sautéed Striped Bass
spring vegetable ragout, smoky ham hock broth

The veggie soup was comforting and went down easy.  Eating bass at a restaurant named Saul makes me think of Saul Bass who designed the opening titles to Psycho.  I wonder if anyone else thought that.  Cooked fish items tend to not impress me all that much, but I liked this fine.  The white corn in the ragout was delightful.

Foie Gras Terrine
duck confit, brioche, cherry

The superstar of the meal was definitely the foie gras.  Here it was paired with sweet fruit flavors.  Quince, apricot I believe.  I forgot what the runner said.  Brioche on the bottom.  Oh, if only there were more.  I do dig the semi-juxtaposition of liver with fruit.

Roasted Breast & Confit Leg of Squab
potato puree, Brussels sprouts

After the foie gras, the squab was kind of a letdown.  Okay, that’s bit harsh, but it just was not on the same level.  Don’t get me wrong, it was great, but no foie gras.  Yummy mashed potatoes, excuse me, potato puree, and Brussels sprouts.  Peas make another appearance.

Choice of dessert or cheese

For dessert, you were given a choice of cheese or a traditional dessert.  The options hailed from places such as Oregon, Indiana, and France.  Dave initially wanted to get the cheese but decided not to when he learned that you only were served one.  The dessert options included Baked Alaska, panna cotta, bread pudding, apple cherry crumble, pine nut tart, and goat cheese cheesecake.  I was going to choose the goat cheese cheesecake since the Baked Alaska didn’t seem very exciting to me (coffee and vanilla ice cream on dark chocolate cookie), but then I thought, what the hey, the Baked Alaska is Saul’s signature dessert, and I’ve never had such a thing before.  Looking back, the dessert was the weakest dish in the tasting menu, Dave and I both agreed.  The pear sorbet portion of Dave’s goat cheese cheesecake was a revelation.  You could taste the grainy pear bits in the sorbet.  It was like if a pear froze itself and became sorbet.  The Baked Alaska resembled a gooey marshmallow-covered porcupine.  Generally I do not like meringue much so I was in trouble, but the ice cream and cookie portions redeemed it all.  Apparently Saul’s frozen ice cream treat is so famous that there was an episode of Throwdown! with Bobby Flay featuring the Baked Alaska.

The service was maybe not as refined as some restaurants I’ve been to, as silverware was sometimes kind of dropped down, and not all of the crumbs were scraped off the table paper.  The table paper reminded me of the wings sports bar where we had been earlier, Blondie’s on the Upper West Side.  Our waitress sometimes seemed nice, and other times she seemed moody.  Couldn’t figure her out.

We also received a treat with the bill: two homemade caramels.  And we were stoked when we were given a small tin of the caramels to take home.  I love restaurant take homes!  The tin was even decorated with Christmas masking tape.  Perfect way to cap off a fantastic meal.

P.S. Chef Saul Bolton also owns The Vanderbilt which I have never been to but have heard of.  Just an FYI.

Restaurant experiment: Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine

Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine®

28 East 23^rd Street at Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10010

212-260-8884

http://www.sophiescuban.com/28e23rd/index.html [be warned, background music]

I will confess that I was a little skeptical of a fast food-type Cuban restaurant for lunch, but Liz endorsed it, and the reviews on Yelp were very positive.  Pushing prejudices aside, I entered the eatery with Liz a little after 1:30 so the employees-on-lunch-breaks crowd was limited.  Sophie’s has a counter for pick-ups, but you can elect to sit in the back for table service.

After a morning of shopping, I was famished.  I ordered a $2 “homemade lemonade.”  It was very refreshing and went down easy.  I love lemonade that isn’t too sugary and is full of the lemony sourness.  There were two waitresses who did not seem to be loving their jobs.  They had dour faces and gave us a shake [milk, not head] intended for the table behind us.  I put that aside since this is Sophie’s, not Le Bernardin, but it couldn’t hurt them to smile a little more.

Liz recommended we get beef empanadas ($1.50 each).  They came out quickly, and the crust and filling were both satisfactory.  I wolfed that little semi-circle down.  Maybe it could have been a bit hotter, temperature-wise, but that was not a big deal.  There was a bottle of green sauce on the table.  Liz told me that the sauce was killer, so I squeezed out a pile and dipped my empanada into it repeatedly. So far, so good.

She was getting the roast pork with a twist sandwich ($6.95) which I decided to get as well even though I was leaning towards my old favorite ropa vieja.  Our order of [yellow] rice and beans ($4.49) came out a little before the sandwiches.  I proceeded to follow Liz’s lead and utilized the green sauce on my rice and beans.  Unfortunately the pleasantries came to an end as my mouth suddenly ignited and burned like hell.  I must’ve hit a hot spot in the sauce, or it just built up and the dam burst, but I was dying and my mouth was in agony.  Liz can eat hot like nobody’s business but being the wimp that I am, I sipped on my lemonade to recover and winced in pain.  No more green sauce for me, thanks.

The roast pork with a twist come with pernil especial roast pork, mayo, plantains, onions, and the infamous green sauce.  The sandwich was not miniscule, and there were plenty of fat pork chunks.  The pork kept falling out from between the bread.  The maduros added a touch of sweetness to the sandwich.  A bit of green sauce was added but luckily for me, it was too little to be deadly.  Still starving, I devoured the sandwich in no time flat.  It was all very delicious.  Even though I was a little unsure at first, I’m glad I tried Sophie’s out.  There are a couple of locations in Manhattan so you’re likely to come across one.  Strangely closed on weekends though.

Restaurant experiment: Swift Hibernian Lounge

Swift Hibernian Lounge

34 East 4^th Street between Lafayette Street and Bowery

New York, NY 10003

212-260-3600

http://swiftnycbar.com

“Hibernian” means “Irish.”  Look, I learned something new!

Dave and I arrived first at this bar which I picked out for meeting Afua and JoshP.  I picked it out since there were a decent number of beers on tap, and there were some positive reviews.  The downsides to Swift were that there was no happy hour (blah) and the drinks were not cheap.  The crowd skewed older (a fair number of middle-agers), but I’d rather that that having a lot of noisy NYU undergrads.  I will say that the actual place is inviting and warm, with dim lighting and wooden tables and chairs.  There is a bar area in the front, and more seating in the back.

Dave and I snagged a table in the back.  It was a touch loud from what seemed to be a large party in the middle.  Our initial waitress was not very friendly, but our second waitress (who closely and confusingly physically resembled the first waitress) was a little more upbeat.  I ordered the Bramble cocktail which contained gin, crème de mure, something else I can’t remember, and a single blackberry.  Being Manhattan, the whole shebang was served in a thimble and had a price tag of $10.  Yikes.  Luckily it was good, or otherwise I’d be even more annoyed.  Note that the cocktail list displayed on the website is not the same list I saw at Swift.  I had done my research prior and settled on the Mai Tai, oh well.

Since we were starving, I ordered the shepherd’s pie ($12).  It did not knock my socks off and was somewhat bland.  Therefore I squirted generous dollops of ketchup onto the meal.  Dave’s chicken and sausage pie was more flavorful.  JoshP and Afua seemed to like their mac and cheese.  A bowl of fries ($5) consisted of thin potato slices and salt.  Approval given.

In summary, at Swift, hang out, but don’t buy or drink anything!

Kidding.

Sorta.

Restaurant experiment: Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Que

Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Que

3278 Cahaba Heights Road at West Green Valley Road

Birmingham, AL 35243

205-967-6004

http://missmyrasbbq.com

The original plan was for Brother and I to eat at Saw’s BBQ, but since it closed at the absurd time of 7PM (really?!?!?), Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Que came to the rescue.  I had found out about it via Yelp’s glowing reviews though I was a smidge skeptical, after the not-so-awesome Bettola.

Miss Myra’s closed at 8PM, so they were cleaning up when we showed up.  This is one of those order at the counter places, but this time you go get your order when it’s called.  Brother ordered a pulled pork sandwich while I went for the chicken sandwich.  We both got a side each of the baked beans.  The side selection was a tad skimpy, with some others being deviled eggs, chips, potato salad, and green beans.  Sad, no fried okra.  That’s how I judge a BBQ place.

Our orders were presented as soon as the monetary transaction was completed.  I am not sure about the exact cost since my order had some payment issues, but it was not significant.  Brother and I sat down.  I admired the fish tank containing two large catfish or suckerfish and a multitude of guppies.  We both were not crazy about the Crimson Tide memorabilia, but what can you do.  The Christmas tree with pig ornaments was cute.

Now, I had noticed some Yelp reviews which made it a point to discuss the white sauce.  After I squirted some on my chicken pieces, I thought, “What’s the big deal?” but then I found myself squeezing the bottle more and more.  And then more and more.  And more.  It was nearly gone.  Well no, I exaggerate.  But an employee noticed our enjoyment of said sauce and commented on it.  He revealed that the sauce was vinegar, mayo, and black pepper.  And maybe something else, but that was basically it.  Hmm, good to know.  The sauce also complemented the beans quite nicely.  What a versatile condiment.  Brother was happy about his pulled pork.  I thought maybe that I should have gotten the pulled pork, but the chicken was fine.  The beans were really excellent with the white sauce.

Thank you, Miss Myra, for being there when Saw’s wasn’t.  I still want to try you, Saw’s.  But be warned that you’ve already gotten a strike against you.  Miss Myra’s close proximity to The Summit cannot be ignored.  Good place to pop in for an authentic BBQ experience.

Restaurant experiment: Chez Fonfon

Chez Fonfon

2007 11^th Avenue South between 20^th Street South and Richard Arrington Junior Boulevard

Birmingham, AL 35205

205-939-3221

http://fonfonbham.com

I was excited to try my first Frank Stitt restaurant after learning that he’s basically the kingpin of Birmingham fine dining.  The Highlands Bar and Grill is on my list, but that necessitates a special occasion.

Although this was certainly a special occasion in itself, as Brother was in town.  We eschewed the pay lot by the restaurant for street parking about a block down.  There was an attendant in the lot but he didn’t give us any guff.  Despite being nearly 1:30 PM (curse you, 280 lunch traffic), the dining room was practically full.  A cordial host seated us at a table towards the back.  The crowd was mixed: older, younger, but more on the professional side.

It was sweet to possess a four person table to ourselves.  Chez Fonfon is one of the most attractive restaurants I’ve been to in Birmingham, with bright windows and wood accents.  And a general historical feeling.  Our waiter was attentive enough though his attentions waned a bit during the end of our meal.  Server fatigue I suppose.

The menus were dated a few days earlier from our dining date.  There was a wide range of items to fit all price points, from sandwiches to fish.  I ordered the Hamburger Fonfon ($13.50) while Brother ordered the Croque Monsieur ($10.75).  Hamburger Fonfon is a misnomer because there is cheese atop the burger, a little something French called Comté.  It turns out that this was the common cheese of the restaurant, as it is also used for the Croque.  It’s somewhat pungent but otherwise not very sharp.  A good melted cheese as it looked right at home laying on the beef.  The patty was quite peppery, black peppery.  And it seemed to be ever pepperier as I ate towards the middle of the circle.  The burger came with lettuce and pickled onions, but no tomato.  Ketchup was served on the side, along with the house Dijon aioli.  That went well with the frites which were crunched to perfection.  Delish.

I couldn’t resist dessert.  Two words: gingerbread cheesecake.  Not having seen a cake such as described before, I was eager to try it.  There was no price on the menu, but it ended up being $7.50 for a fair-sized slice.  The cake came with a cheery gingerbread man.  The cheesecake was incredibly rich and gingerbready.  Freakin’ delicious.  The crust also deserved special note since it contained what I took to be pecans.

Brother and I left Fonfon, satistifed.  Now I really can’t wait to try Bottega and Highlands Bar and Grill.

Restaurant experiment: Cafe Bombay

Café Bombay

2615 Briarcliff Road at Woodcliff Drive

Atlanta, GA 30329

404-320-0229

http://www.cafebombayatlanta.com [warning, has background music]

Café Bombay is actually located in the same small shopping center as Queen of Sheba, where I had eaten not too recently ago.  The parentals were the ones to tell me about this place since they had been several times and were over the moon about the lunch buffet.  We all went one Saturday, and I was pleased that the buffet was offered on Saturdays too, not just weekdays.

The main dining room is a cozy space, if a bit dim from gauzy curtains.  The buffet is divided so that there are two stations as follows (or at least what I can recall):

• Station 1: vegetarian entrees
  • Fritters
  • Spinach
  • Etc
  • Basmati rice
  • Naan
  • Gulab jamun

• Station 2: meat entrees
  • Goat curry
  • Chicken tikka masala
  • Tandoori chicken
  • “Chicken 65”
  • Etc
  • Chutneys
  • Raita
  • Kheer
  • Biryani

The service may not have been fawning-over-you-friendly, but it was certainly efficient and polite.  The food bins at the buffet stations remained constantly full, and everything seemed fresh.  I tried a little of everything and was generally happy except for a few very spicy veggie entrees.  The chicken tikka masala with its rich tomato taste and the tandoori chicken were standouts.

The rice pudding [kheer] was a pleasant surprise.  Usually I am not hugely into rice pudding, but it had a pleasing almond taste, and I found myself having a second serving.  The gulab jamun was too syrupy for me, but it’s tops in the books of two others in my party.

For Indian buffets, definitely try out Cafe Bombay.