28. Little Branch
20 7th Avenue at Leroy Street
After circling around the block, calling my sister and using Google maps, we finally spotted the barely marked door on the street corner with a doorman that marks the entrance to Little Branch, an underground cocktail lounge that you would walk right passed if you didn’t know about it. We descended the stairs and approached the semi-crowded bar area to order the hot buttered rum from the suggested cocktails list, a drink made with rum, hot water, honey, nutmeg and a pad of butter. $13 seems to be the standard price nowadays for a cocktail at a nice lounge so I wasn’t surprised with the bill, though it pains me to spend that much on one drink. As we waited for our drinks to be prepared, we asked the hostess to see a menu; after all, there were several tables and we were interested in the bar snacks that were offered. After being handed the cocktail menu and explaining that we wanted to see a food menu, we were informed that the whole place is cocktails only. A forty minute wait for tables at a place that is cocktails only? It seems a little ridiculous but I imagine they must be doing something right if people are willing to wait for a table.
After slipping the bartender his cash-only fare, we took our first sips from the tall mug shaped glasses that were used, and were very pleasantly surprised. There’s definitely rum in there as you still taste a bit of the alcoholic sting but the honey and butter make me want to cozy up under a blanket on a cold day. It has a soothing effect reminiscent of drinking tea or hot chocolate on a snowy day. While $13 is plenty for a cocktail, Little Branch certainly has its merits. For starters, the hot buttered rum is worth dropping in. Second, the place feels exclusive but we walked right in, and the doorman didn’t stop guests that were wearing jeans and sneakers (maybe because it was only 9pm on a Wednesday?) It feels like a great spot for a quiet date or to impress out of town friends with a quick drink.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Bespoke Chocolates
27. Bespoke Chocolates
6 Extra Place on 1st Street between Bowery and Second Ave
We had to circle the block for a bit before being able to find Bespoke, a small upscale chocolate store that, on the day we were there, was selling only five kinds of chocolates (see the picture below for more evidence as to how hidden this place is). Extra Place isn’t a road, but a sign-less alley that we couldn’t believe would have any commercial activity in it, let alone a chocolate shop. We walked in, ready to grab a couple samples of the pretzel-covered sea-salted caramels that are described by their website as, “a crisp chocolate shell encases silky, creamy, sea-salted caramel.” We approach the counter and order three of them. The customer in front of us was ordering somewhere around ten chocolates and as he was ordering them the chocolates were individually picked up and placed on a wooden board that looked like an artist palette. What kind of place is this? I guess when you’re charging $2.25 for a small piece of chocolate you have to look the part, and this store did just that. Pretentiousness aside, it was nice to see the open kitchen where Rachel Zoe, chocolatier and co-owner of Bespoke was preparing the small desserts, and just being in the store was worth the trip as the chocolate smell filled the room. I inhaled a few more times before leaving and tried the chocolate. I was expecting the caramel to be sticky but it was uncharacteristically smooth, as described, almost like one would expect from a chocolate-filled center. Salt and chocolate is a classic combination and the dessert delivered a very tasty two-bites. Though there’s no question that they are very good, I still have a problem paying $2.25 + tax for each of them. What might make it more successful, in my humble opinion, is if they were prepared for restaurants. If a restaurant was to offer 4 for $6.00-7.00 I would certainly order them. $2.25 each? I don’t think I’ll be running back.
6 Extra Place on 1st Street between Bowery and Second Ave
We had to circle the block for a bit before being able to find Bespoke, a small upscale chocolate store that, on the day we were there, was selling only five kinds of chocolates (see the picture below for more evidence as to how hidden this place is). Extra Place isn’t a road, but a sign-less alley that we couldn’t believe would have any commercial activity in it, let alone a chocolate shop. We walked in, ready to grab a couple samples of the pretzel-covered sea-salted caramels that are described by their website as, “a crisp chocolate shell encases silky, creamy, sea-salted caramel.” We approach the counter and order three of them. The customer in front of us was ordering somewhere around ten chocolates and as he was ordering them the chocolates were individually picked up and placed on a wooden board that looked like an artist palette. What kind of place is this? I guess when you’re charging $2.25 for a small piece of chocolate you have to look the part, and this store did just that. Pretentiousness aside, it was nice to see the open kitchen where Rachel Zoe, chocolatier and co-owner of Bespoke was preparing the small desserts, and just being in the store was worth the trip as the chocolate smell filled the room. I inhaled a few more times before leaving and tried the chocolate. I was expecting the caramel to be sticky but it was uncharacteristically smooth, as described, almost like one would expect from a chocolate-filled center. Salt and chocolate is a classic combination and the dessert delivered a very tasty two-bites. Though there’s no question that they are very good, I still have a problem paying $2.25 + tax for each of them. What might make it more successful, in my humble opinion, is if they were prepared for restaurants. If a restaurant was to offer 4 for $6.00-7.00 I would certainly order them. $2.25 each? I don’t think I’ll be running back.
Double Crown
26. Double Crown
316 Bowery at Bleecker
I was slightly turned off by the attitude I was given by the hostess when I arrived at around 5pm and was told that the kitchen wouldn’t be open until 6pm. Nevertheless, we returned to Double Crown, whose menu could be defined as British Imperial (Bangers & Mash, Singapore Laksa, Tandoori Foi Gras) and sat at the bar to order miso-glazed bone marrow ($13). The dish took what seemed like a long amount of time to arrive but was worth the wait. I appreciated that the bone marrow was topped with the miso-glaze and that the salty and savory miso taste didn’t mask the flavor of the fatty marrow. The marrow was paired with an orange-olive marmalade, salt and toasted brioche, which served as the perfect texture combination. Service aside, bone marrow fans would be advised to give it a try.
316 Bowery at Bleecker
I was slightly turned off by the attitude I was given by the hostess when I arrived at around 5pm and was told that the kitchen wouldn’t be open until 6pm. Nevertheless, we returned to Double Crown, whose menu could be defined as British Imperial (Bangers & Mash, Singapore Laksa, Tandoori Foi Gras) and sat at the bar to order miso-glazed bone marrow ($13). The dish took what seemed like a long amount of time to arrive but was worth the wait. I appreciated that the bone marrow was topped with the miso-glaze and that the salty and savory miso taste didn’t mask the flavor of the fatty marrow. The marrow was paired with an orange-olive marmalade, salt and toasted brioche, which served as the perfect texture combination. Service aside, bone marrow fans would be advised to give it a try.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Macondo
25. Macondo
157 E Houston between Allen and Eldridge
The aguacate & mezcal at Macondo would represent the first drink item from the TONY list. Three of us sat down at the bar and ordered a half-carafe ($14) of this frozen drink made with honey, avocado, agave nectar, midori, cointreau, lime juice and mezcal, which was enough for three whiskey glasses full. The bartender coated the rim of the glass with a combination of salt and spices which I didn’t like with or without the drink and after one sip had to push them aside. I didn’t think that the lime-colored cocktail was anything special. It was blended properly, without any chunks of ice and was probably prepared as described but the avocado taste with the mezcal didn’t do it for me. That being said, the bar opens up onto Houston and looks like a fun place to go when the weather improves. The restaurant looks like more of a wine bar than a full service restaurant and the Latino-inspired menu looks enticing with selections such as hamburguesa cordero (lamb, tetilla cheese, foie gras terrine, fried egg and grilled onions; $15.00) and siete potencias ceviche (oyster, shrimp, clam, octopus, mussel, scallop, calamari, tequila, carrot-aji amarillo citrus sauce; $10.00)
157 E Houston between Allen and Eldridge
The aguacate & mezcal at Macondo would represent the first drink item from the TONY list. Three of us sat down at the bar and ordered a half-carafe ($14) of this frozen drink made with honey, avocado, agave nectar, midori, cointreau, lime juice and mezcal, which was enough for three whiskey glasses full. The bartender coated the rim of the glass with a combination of salt and spices which I didn’t like with or without the drink and after one sip had to push them aside. I didn’t think that the lime-colored cocktail was anything special. It was blended properly, without any chunks of ice and was probably prepared as described but the avocado taste with the mezcal didn’t do it for me. That being said, the bar opens up onto Houston and looks like a fun place to go when the weather improves. The restaurant looks like more of a wine bar than a full service restaurant and the Latino-inspired menu looks enticing with selections such as hamburguesa cordero (lamb, tetilla cheese, foie gras terrine, fried egg and grilled onions; $15.00) and siete potencias ceviche (oyster, shrimp, clam, octopus, mussel, scallop, calamari, tequila, carrot-aji amarillo citrus sauce; $10.00)
Cafe Katja
24. Café Katja
79 Orchard Street between Broome and Grand
We didn’t know what to expect when we sat down at Café Katja, a small and inviting Austrian wine and beer bar on the lower east side, but we were quickly met with a bartender who was ready to help us navigate through a menu with a number of intriguing appetizers and sandwiches and a list of European beers on tap. We were there for the herring salad ($8.00) served with buttered brioche and wound up also ordering the bartender’s suggested appetizer, the aufschnitt teller ($14.00), a plate of cured meats and spreads.
Pickled herring in cream sauce is standard fare at diner salad bars in Jersey and my family dining table on holidays. I wasn’t sure what the herring salad was going to be but it looked like the herring salad I was familiar with. I am a big fan of herring. It’s fishy, salty, has a meaty texture and the onions that are served with it add a bit of crunch. The salad at Café Katja met the mark. The herring is served atop a cucumber-potato salad that counterbalanced the saltiness of the fish, and there wasn’t too much dill sprinkled on top. It’s certainly better than anything I could find at a normal supermarket and to be able to sit at a bar and order herring salad is an enjoyment in and of itself.
The bartender steered us in the right direction with the aufschnitt teller, which is a perfect appetizer to split and snack on at the bar. The platter included liverwurst, which I found to be somewhat tasteless though my friends enjoyed it, three or four slices of four different kinds of cured meats including prosciutto, bacon and pork belly, shaved horseradish, pickled vegetables and a spoonful of creamed cheese. I’m not sure what kind of cheese it is but with the added paprika and sautéed onions it tasted like the Hungarian cream cheese, a winner.
Café Katja is certainly worth checking out, if only to come in for a couple of beers and appetizers before dinner. The service was excellent, the food is a great value and they have boot-shaped beer glasses. I’m always down for some more herring.
79 Orchard Street between Broome and Grand
We didn’t know what to expect when we sat down at Café Katja, a small and inviting Austrian wine and beer bar on the lower east side, but we were quickly met with a bartender who was ready to help us navigate through a menu with a number of intriguing appetizers and sandwiches and a list of European beers on tap. We were there for the herring salad ($8.00) served with buttered brioche and wound up also ordering the bartender’s suggested appetizer, the aufschnitt teller ($14.00), a plate of cured meats and spreads.
Pickled herring in cream sauce is standard fare at diner salad bars in Jersey and my family dining table on holidays. I wasn’t sure what the herring salad was going to be but it looked like the herring salad I was familiar with. I am a big fan of herring. It’s fishy, salty, has a meaty texture and the onions that are served with it add a bit of crunch. The salad at Café Katja met the mark. The herring is served atop a cucumber-potato salad that counterbalanced the saltiness of the fish, and there wasn’t too much dill sprinkled on top. It’s certainly better than anything I could find at a normal supermarket and to be able to sit at a bar and order herring salad is an enjoyment in and of itself.
The bartender steered us in the right direction with the aufschnitt teller, which is a perfect appetizer to split and snack on at the bar. The platter included liverwurst, which I found to be somewhat tasteless though my friends enjoyed it, three or four slices of four different kinds of cured meats including prosciutto, bacon and pork belly, shaved horseradish, pickled vegetables and a spoonful of creamed cheese. I’m not sure what kind of cheese it is but with the added paprika and sautéed onions it tasted like the Hungarian cream cheese, a winner.
Café Katja is certainly worth checking out, if only to come in for a couple of beers and appetizers before dinner. The service was excellent, the food is a great value and they have boot-shaped beer glasses. I’m always down for some more herring.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Cake Shop
22-23. Cake Shop
152 Ludlow Street between Rivington and Stanton
I would have walked right passed it if it wasn’t for the chalkboard sign on the sidewalk. Cake Shop is a narrow café with a number of tables and couches in the back that serve as an antithesis to some of the more pretentious coffee shops selling $8 cappuccinos. The walls are painted using a palette of bright colors with band posters on the walls (After going on their website it looks like they have a basement with local band performances). When we approached the counter and told them that we heard about their vegan whoopie pies and peanut butter bomb cakes, the server’s eyes lit up. It was as if he was excited for us, and as I would later discover, this was for good reason.
After receiving a slice of the peanut butter bomb cake and two whoopie pies ($12), we grabbed a table and forks and dug in. The cake is circle-shaped with a hole in the middle so slices are slightly curved. A chocolate cake, topped with smooth peanut butter cream and covered in a chocolate shell drizzled with thin peanut butter stripes. It tastes as good as it sounds. The cake forms a solid base for the cream and the intense peanut taste remind you that this is a peanut butter dessert and not a chocolate cake. Light and satisfying, it’s well worth the time to stop by, grab a table and share a slice.
The whoopie pies, one chocolate and one pumpkin were pre-packaged so we saved them for later. I’m still baffled how they can be vegan. The vanilla cream filling, the same for both pies is smooth and trumps a Hostess cake any day, but what’s in it? No eggs, no cream, no milk. Crazy. I feel like a bit of a traditionalist with the pies since I preferred the chocolate one despite the fact that the pumpkin cake was much more moist and flavorful than the chocolate one but I don’t think you can go wrong with either of them. Score up another victory for Cake Shop.
152 Ludlow Street between Rivington and Stanton
I would have walked right passed it if it wasn’t for the chalkboard sign on the sidewalk. Cake Shop is a narrow café with a number of tables and couches in the back that serve as an antithesis to some of the more pretentious coffee shops selling $8 cappuccinos. The walls are painted using a palette of bright colors with band posters on the walls (After going on their website it looks like they have a basement with local band performances). When we approached the counter and told them that we heard about their vegan whoopie pies and peanut butter bomb cakes, the server’s eyes lit up. It was as if he was excited for us, and as I would later discover, this was for good reason.
After receiving a slice of the peanut butter bomb cake and two whoopie pies ($12), we grabbed a table and forks and dug in. The cake is circle-shaped with a hole in the middle so slices are slightly curved. A chocolate cake, topped with smooth peanut butter cream and covered in a chocolate shell drizzled with thin peanut butter stripes. It tastes as good as it sounds. The cake forms a solid base for the cream and the intense peanut taste remind you that this is a peanut butter dessert and not a chocolate cake. Light and satisfying, it’s well worth the time to stop by, grab a table and share a slice.
The whoopie pies, one chocolate and one pumpkin were pre-packaged so we saved them for later. I’m still baffled how they can be vegan. The vanilla cream filling, the same for both pies is smooth and trumps a Hostess cake any day, but what’s in it? No eggs, no cream, no milk. Crazy. I feel like a bit of a traditionalist with the pies since I preferred the chocolate one despite the fact that the pumpkin cake was much more moist and flavorful than the chocolate one but I don’t think you can go wrong with either of them. Score up another victory for Cake Shop.
Falai
21. Falai
68 Clinton Street between Rivington and Stanton
Just across the street from Falai Panetteria is Falai, a small Italian restaurant with a décor that reminded me of an indoor pool; mostly white, small tiles on the floor. If not for the open kitchen and the bar I would have thought to bring swimming trunks. For all of the issues with the décor, I was gracious that the hostess let us sit at a table after we told her we just wanted to try the pappardelle. After being seated, we were offered a selection from the bread basket which included black cabbage rolls, onion rolls, and slices of rosemary-raisin bread. I guess we didn’t have to pick up the whole loaf across the street to get a taste. The black cabbage roll was forgettable but before we received our order, we were given an amuse bouche. Barley with a parmesan crisp with cauliflower soup poured over it. If I’ve learned anything from five seasons of Top Chef, it’s that an amuse bouche is supposed to be one bite. Not only was this more than one spoonful but I had a hard time getting it into the spoon. It tasted like a tater-tot that had been cooked for a third of the time required; falling apart such that not even the crisp could help after being drowned in the cauliflower. I’ll try the pappardelle now.
The waitress had informed us that the tarragon pappardelle from the TONY list was swapped out for a different pappardelle. We went with it. Thyme pappardelle with crimini mushroom ragu, ricotta and fig puree ($16). What’s nice about pappardelle is that it carries sauces well. Just like at Le Cirque, the pappardelle served as a fine transportation vehicle for the ragu placed on top. The mushrooms didn’t overwhelm the dish and the fig puree had an intense fruity flavor that went well with the mushrooms. The amuse bouche, the bread, the décor, eh. The pappardelle was worth the experience, though I’m not convinced the price is justified.
68 Clinton Street between Rivington and Stanton
Just across the street from Falai Panetteria is Falai, a small Italian restaurant with a décor that reminded me of an indoor pool; mostly white, small tiles on the floor. If not for the open kitchen and the bar I would have thought to bring swimming trunks. For all of the issues with the décor, I was gracious that the hostess let us sit at a table after we told her we just wanted to try the pappardelle. After being seated, we were offered a selection from the bread basket which included black cabbage rolls, onion rolls, and slices of rosemary-raisin bread. I guess we didn’t have to pick up the whole loaf across the street to get a taste. The black cabbage roll was forgettable but before we received our order, we were given an amuse bouche. Barley with a parmesan crisp with cauliflower soup poured over it. If I’ve learned anything from five seasons of Top Chef, it’s that an amuse bouche is supposed to be one bite. Not only was this more than one spoonful but I had a hard time getting it into the spoon. It tasted like a tater-tot that had been cooked for a third of the time required; falling apart such that not even the crisp could help after being drowned in the cauliflower. I’ll try the pappardelle now.
The waitress had informed us that the tarragon pappardelle from the TONY list was swapped out for a different pappardelle. We went with it. Thyme pappardelle with crimini mushroom ragu, ricotta and fig puree ($16). What’s nice about pappardelle is that it carries sauces well. Just like at Le Cirque, the pappardelle served as a fine transportation vehicle for the ragu placed on top. The mushrooms didn’t overwhelm the dish and the fig puree had an intense fruity flavor that went well with the mushrooms. The amuse bouche, the bread, the décor, eh. The pappardelle was worth the experience, though I’m not convinced the price is justified.
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