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Went to the Mermaid Inn last night (low 2nd avenue.) Good crowd for late Monday night. I really like the room. Service was excellent - extremely competent, but also relaxed. The much anticipated $10 mark up on all wine turns out to not be as great as I was (for no real reason) expecting. While the list is very nice, it's also very inexpensive. This is fine, but I had dreams of $50 bottles for $60. It's more like $16 bottles for $26.
Just me and MB so we didn't try everything. Had the fish cowder (hope you like bacon) and the fried oysters to start. Both good, although it's hard to eat fried oysters around the corner from Prune and not think of their most excellent version. And then a very nice fish sandwich (perfect bun) and a sardine app for mains, with a generous side of lobster mashed potatoes (big chunks, yum.)
I'll definitely go back, and won't be surprised if it finds a permanent spot in the rotation. Still, none of the things we ate were a best of kind experience. Great addition to the neighborhood though.
Skinny is fat.. Skinny has rated 39 restaurants so far in 2003, many dozen have been eaten and didnt make the cut. The year is 104 days old. Skinny needs a diet.
The Minnow is tasty!! 1*
we are off soon to California for 42 hours to give support for 2 long time pals....it will include 2 meals out, both at Slanted Door , one of my favorite restaurants in the US:>):>)
day 2 @ WD50 with a pal from bizz world, we ate 4 apps, 4 desserts, 2 mains and i had only 3 repeats from the first nite (1 app/2 desserts), now I have worked thru all 8 (current) app's and 6 of 8 mains and most desserts.....to start the f gras anchovy thing is w/o and ?? the most beautiful dish I have ever seen PERIOD, it also confirms one major love in food (it tasted amazing, Monkfish is also insane yummy), that texture, flavor, color/presentation can all be = to make the "bang zoom deluxe"..... Kai, 66, WD50 are my three best of NYC 2003, these three provide this experience as best as possible, and Hangawi right there also.....
2003
(New York unless listed otherwise)
Passadis Del Pep (Barcelona) 4*
WD50 4*
Kai 4*
66 4*
Slanted Door (SF) 3*
Carballeira (Lleida, Spain) 3*
Uglesich's (New Orleans) 3*
Hangawi 3*
Wallse 3*
Al Di La 3*
El Torreone (Torrisellas, Spain) 2*
Asados Nazareno (Roa, Spain) 2*
Piro (Gratallops, Spain) 2*
Frankie & Johnny's (New Orleans) 2*
Mother's (New Orleans) 2*
Zuni Cafe (SF) 2*
Peristyle (New Orleans) 2*
Kebab Cafe 2*
Itzocan Cafe 2*
Le Bernardin 2*
Botafumeiro (Barcelona) 2*
Milos 2*
Town 2*
Washington Park 2*
Il Gattopardo 2*
Grand Sichuan Int Midtown 2*
Otto 1*
Minnow 1*
Arnaud's 1*
Herbsaint (New Orleans) 1*
Felix's Oyster Bar (New Orleans) 1*
Camellia Grill (New Orleans) 1*
Fuleen Seafood 1*
Counter 1*
Holy Basil 1*
Bao 1*
Felidia 1*
Cambodian Cuisine 1*
WOOCHON 1*
Tommasso's 1*
Restaurant del Remey (Lleida, Spain) 1*
El Agua (Villafranca del Bierzo, Sapin) 1*
Villa Laguardia (Laguardia, Spain) 1*
Every Taverna not listed above that we ate in Athens/Thessaloniki (Greece) was 1* some we would never know the names....
WD50 is opening this week and we had a preview......we were a table of 4 and we tasted 9 dishs plus 4 desserts......all were very good and most were excellente, for me the squid pasta app (available as a main) was insane great, the lamb main course was one of the most yummy things I have eaten all year, the desserts were awesome, aromas and flavors all over the map......the much talked about Foie gras/anchovy terrine was n/a last nite but that is even more a reason for me to go back soon, there is a dangerous guy working the bar making some cocktails, we tasted 3 and they ROCK!!....love the room, love the people.....
Arnauds opened in red Hook and its the 2nd new restaurant to open there in resent time, the first Hope and Anchor is supposed to be good, Arnauds is also....we had a tasty escargot wonton's (they called them ravioli), nice bass, and amazing oysters (Fisher Island)....I love Red Hook....
made it finally over to Itzocan Cafe....place seats 12, food was excellente (dont miss the dumplings), its BYOB (till they open a new space), will go back soon....
was this that cheap east village seafood joint that was previewed in timeout last fall?
trader joes
strange flavored japanese ice creams
Spring??.....lately for many weeks I am falling in love with the Korean family at the Green Market, in the cold of winter they have had these yummy tiny tomatoes, greenhouse I assume, but they get my #1 vote....yesterday they had some bok choy rabe (they have great bok choy always), thin small cucumbers, and an expanded herb selection.....ORGANIC also:>)
MB and I finally ate at Tenament on Ludlow between Stanton and Rivington. They spent a lot of money building this place. Very slick old time LES feel. Two interesting semi-private rooms in the back. Music from the live dj was nice. Very good feel to the place.
The food is trying, but so far not making it. The dishes reminded me of Alias except not as good (although Alias had some problems at the start too, so maybe there is hope.) Service was scattered at best. Probably won't return unless I hear something different.
We tried the new Clinton St. place, Salt, last night. Nice casual room. More bar than restaurant. Maybe 10 deuces, plus a long communal style table in the middle. Couple beers on tap. Fairly short wine list that didn't seem special to my relatively untrained eye.
Menu is small and very meat oriented. What we had was not very impressive, but not a disaster either. (Alex?) But it's not really about the food in any case. Very young, hip, euro-ish crowd. I don't expect it to be popular with the locals, but that's probably a good thing in terms of them making it. I'd meet someone there for a drink over, say, Verlaine, or SX137, but that's not saying too much.
L'Impero was fun, we did tasting menus and all very happy, I have to admit by all the hype I expected more, I like the space very much, will try it again one more time....2*
Went to Union Pacific for the 3rd time in 3 years, and while a couple dishes were super-dup (taylor scallop/uni/tomatoe water and mustard seed & a fava morrel shrimp thing), they rest were just good, liked the first time the best....2*
Another Dinner at Ripe, Sat March 15th.
Somber mood due to the war, but since Ripe works by rsvp guests showed up.
Chioggia beets and mache with horseradish vinaigrette
spring risotto (peas and asparagus)
Herb encrusted pan seared halibut with yellowfoot mushrooms
and caper beurre blanc
Italian almond poundcake with lemon curd and whipped cream.
$20 plus gratuity. Dessert $2
I brought a Charles Shaw Cabernet. $3 at Trader Joes
I love this place.
el Bulli has a hotel now where you can eat dishes from the many years of the restaurant....