Gamechanger?

Burgers and pizza could sustain me forever. In an effort to reign my caloric intake, I've unfortunately had to curb the consumption of my beloved foods. However, certain occasions inspire me to forget about calorie counting and when my London bruv Aly Patel rolls into town, all bets are off.

I figured that it was finally time try out Bill's Bar & Burger in the Meatpacking. After they announced that they are opening up a massive outpost in 45 Rock (I work on the 7th floor of 45 Rock), I needed to figure out if this place was legit. I now fear that all my gym time over the past year might be a waste if I am an elevator-ride away from these delicious patties.

My gold-standard for burgers in New York is the Shack Burger. Bill's is on that level...plain and simple. The meat is wonderfully delicate and really well seasoned. The American cheese that tops it melts into the bun and meat and is unpretentious. The special sauce is not that special: thousand island dressing, but it works really well. The bun looks like the picture perfect sesame seed bun from a McDonald's commercial. The whole thing melted in my mouth and made me want ten more burgers (and once upon time, I could have polished off another ten).

The fries that come with it are awesome. They are even more awesome when covered in brisket chili: which is smoky and rich and turns the fries into a formidable side to the burger itself. I left most of them on the plate, but Aly P cleared his. I'm sure if Lord B was in town, he would have eaten us both under the table.

Bill's is definitely a worthy adversary to the Shack. It's also open "very late" on weekend evenings--meaning a post-Saturday night stopover is likely. Rumor has it the dogs are pretty delicious too. Just when you think the burger movement has reached a saturation point, Bill's comes along and remakes the landscape.

Times They Are A Changin'

Late in December, Tom Colicchio announced he was closing Craftsteak, and re-opening it as Colicchio & Sons. The time for high-flying steakhouses was over Tom explained and he was excited to get back to his culinary roots from way back when he used to run things over at GramTav.

Craftsteak holds a special place for me, mostly because my brother slaved away as maitre'd there for 18 months. The service has always been impeccable and the staff makes you feel welcome in what could be considered a very intimidating restaurant.

My brother's erstwhile maitre'd status earned us a coveted invitation to the friends and family preview of the restaurant. After a near crisis situation, we showed up last night to try Tom's new place.

The menu is simple, concise, and well-balanced. The biggest departure from the Craft-empire establishments is the lack of sides. The dishes here are complete thoughts, as opposed to fragments the diner can assemble any which way he/she wants. I opted for the gnocchi with marrow, truffles, and chestnuts while my bro decided on some white bean agnolotti (which he raved about). The gnocchi were like little down pillows and the richness of the marrow and chestnut oozed its way deep inside the potato dumpling to give it a bold, warm flavor. Really great way to start.

Entreewise nothing was screaming at my name, so I let the server do the deciding. I opted for the pancetta-wrapped monkfish. The execution on this dish was flawless--the fish was perfectly cooked and pancetta armor was not too crispy nor too flabby. Sometimes the flavor of the pancetta overwhelmed the fish a little, but I was on board with this. The dish came surrounded by beets cooked in cider, creating a makeshift sauerkraut (I think I read Tom borrowed this from a Top Chef contestant). It added a nice acidity to it all.

At the behest of one of the managers, we order a cheese course and two desserts. I ordered coconut cream donuts with lime jelly and caramel ice cream. The flavors were spot on, though a little out of place for the season I'd say. The donuts were long, tubular pastries with ample filing. The ice cream at Chef Tom's establishment has always been revelatory--this was no different. My brother opted for a peanut butter parfait, which looked like it had been created straight out of a dream of mine. The cheese course was a nice way to finish the meal and nice to see a cheese trolley rolling around a restaurant floor these days.

I enjoyed Colicchio & Sons immensely. It definitely is much more low-key than its opulent predecessor which I think is a shrewd move on Mr. Colicchio's part. I'm not sure anything I ate was really revolutionary, but everything was really delicious. The front half of the restaurant will be more casual and I think that section might become part of my normal rotation.