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.

Resolutions

While most people grapple with foods and eating habits they are trying to curb in the new year, PJ Eats A Lot thinks about what else he needs to be eating. Here are my New Year's resolutions:

1. Eat at Minetta Tavern. This is long overdue and frankly embarrassing at this point that I still have not even step foot in this place
2. Spend more time in the outer boroughs...Queens especially. Sometimes I find Brooklyn like Manhattan East when it comes to food. Some great places, but nothing really that different than what I am eating here. Queens has some amazing ethnic options that need to be tested.
3. Take more pictures. Time to combine my love of food with my love of photography. The G11 needs to be a constant dining companion.
4. Preempt the press. Much like I did with Maialino, it is nice to beat the critics to the restaurants. Your experience is unbiased with the thoughts of Sam Sifton or Adam Platt and it is always interesting to compare notes when the reviewers finally weigh in.
5. Do more food events. One of my favorite food experiences of 2009 was attending Le Fooding, which brought together Parisian and New York chefs. It was a unique way to spend a night and I'm always looking for new ways to experience food.

The Best of 2009

I am obsessed with annual Top 10 lists—I love making them and reading other people’s perspective on what was great in a year. So, it should come as no surprise, I am ranking my Top 10 meals / food experiences of 2009. This is a difficult list to make. Meals are fleeting experiences—unlike a great song, you cannot eat to it over and over again (unless you are willing to shell out for it over and over again). Anyway, here were my favorite meals of the year:

January 2009: Tom’s Tuesday Dinner. It’s crazy to think back when my brother was still working for the Craft empire, but he was able to wrangle us a four-top for Tom’s Tuesday Dinner. My experience with set tasting menus is that about 75% of the plates are great and the rest are either average of failures. The meal definitely had some high notes (pig’s trotter, lobster) and some low notes (undercooked lamb, brebis panna cotta). One of the more memorable moments came when Chef Tom came over to our table and we are stared blankly at him, completely starstruck. Chef Tom later fell down during the service and our table had to bit our tongues to refrain from laughter.

April 2009: Corton. I actually was rather impressed with Corton. The space was really warm and inviting, especially considering the price point and managed to retain a downtown feel while serving high-end cuisine. My memory of the meal is somewhat hazy—but I do remember really enjoying all aspects of it. Strangely enough, the two items that made a huge impression on me were the petit fours (salted caramel, delicious) and the butter selection. I actually caught myself at one point eating butter straight from the plate. Rest assured, I had my cholesterol checked over the summer and all is well.

March 2009 / May 2009: Scarpetta. I really enjoy Scarpetta. The first time I went, I was really impressed with the pasta dishes and the wine selection. My general quip with the place is the $20+ priced spaghetti, but it is the best spaghetti I’ve eaten, Italy included. Other standouts include the black cod, which is hard to think of outside the Nobu context, but it is nicely acidic and deliciously Mediterranean. Interestingly enough, one of my favorite desserts of the year was served to me here: a coconut / passion fruit panna cotta that blew my mind away. Still dreaming about that one.

July 2009: Market Table. This West Village restaurant had always been on my radar but there was always someplace else that I wanted to try first. A friend and I went during the summer and I was thoroughly impressed with the locavore cuisine and the impeccable service. The skate wing was by far my favorite, lightly sautéed, perfectly crispy and tender. Like many New York restaurants, the price was the downfall of the meal—but all and all, a great spot, especially for the organic, locally grown food lovers.

July 2009 / October 2009: DBGB. I was ready to crown DBGB my favorite new restaurant of the year (until Maialino complicated matters for me), but it definitely is still a contender. This is one restaurant that my friends and I are mixed on. For me, the appeal of DBGB is the sausage. I do not consider myself an aficionado of sausage, but at DBGB, sausage is why you go. My two personal favorites are the Vermont and Beaujolaise, but I intend to continue trying more varieties in 2010 (New Year’s Resolution!). The feedback I’ve heard on the burgers is mixed—I thoroughly enjoyed mine though. Lastly, the ice cream sundaes are perfect for grownups who love eating like children (aka me).

August 2009: Aldea. I’ve written about my experience here, so I will keep it brief, but I adored this place. It is worth a visit alone for the arroz con pato (rice with duck) which ranks among my top 10 dishes of the year (maybe a post on that will come over the holiday break). I am definitely interested in going back to Aldea sometime in the New Year (once the crowds disappear for a few months) to see what other interesting dishes the chef is putting out…but honestly, the arroz con pato, with its classically Spanish ingredients is the star here.

August 2009: Locanda Verde. I’m loco for locanda. I was wowed by this neighborhood Italian place in the Greenwich hotel. I’m still thinking about the crostini with ricotta or the unbelievable lamb sliders or rabbit terrine. I hate the fact that this place is perpetually mobbed and I have yet to return (though I have tried on numerous occasions). It’s a great example of the restaurants that were great in 2009: straightforward, reasonable, delicious cooking…with a cheap wine list to boot.

Weekly, since Spring 2009: Num Pang. I cannot exclude this restaurant from my list. If an establishment can manage to capture my business upwards of thrice a week, they deserve a gold star. The sandwiches at this place never cease to amaze me. The old reliable, Duroc Pulled Pork, is probably the most important sandwich I’ve ever eaten. The brisket sandwich is decadently fatty, rich, and juicy. The catfish is a lighter option that benefits from a nice drizzle of sriracha. The shrimp, a slighter sweeter option perfect for a hot summer day. I order the corn, the lentil soup, and the grilled vegetables. All are winners. I cannot hype this place enough.

November 2009: Maialino. One of my more recent posts was about Maialino, so I do not really have much else to add here. I definitely need to try Maialino again before I bestow more effusive praise upon it, but I am confident in Danny Meyer’s ability to get a restaurant right (see: Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Café, Shake Shack, etc.). If you visit Maialino, be sure to get the namesake entrée…it is the best piece of pork I’ve eaten to date.

The Best Meal of 2009
July 2009: Cinc Sentits. What a cop out. My favorite meal of 2009 was a meal I had abroad! In Barcelona, my other favorite city in the world, my friends and I went to Cinc Sentits. Everything about this restaurant was flawless. The foie gras I had melted and was perfectly crisped in its sugar shell. The cochinillo (suckling pig) was near perfect (just one notch below Maialino’s). The canneloni’s were perfectly cooked, not too chewy and rich and hearty. The wine list started at 10 euros. My absolute favorite part of the meal was the amuse bouche: it was a shot of warm maple syrup, cream, finished with rock salt. I have never tasted anything it like before and am doubtful I will taste anything like in the near term. Definitely among the best meals of my lifetime.

The Folly of Buzz

Ever since the John Dory closed, everyone was clamoring for the low-key sister restaurant situated in the Ace Hotel called the Breslin. Myself included, having been enamored with The Spotted Pig (same proprietors), ever since my first visit 4 years ago, I had high expectations for this place. I would have to say that while my meal at the Breslin was delicious, and some items I thought were amazing, it fell just short of what I had envisioned.

First off, the Breslin is packed. I went with my brother around 6:45, hoping to beat the 7:00 rush. We did, just barely, and were seated in about 25 minutes. The setting is nice--not anything revelatory, but comfortable nonetheless.

The menu was a nice length--I loathe menus that are chock full of dishes. I am of the opinion that a restaurant can only do so many things perfectly and they should serve only those items. As it was my brother's birthday, we decided to cover the gamut of dishes: scotch egg to start, plate of terrines, pig's foot, and fries. For those averse to swine, options are more limited. This place is definitely a palace of pork and they are very unapologetic about that fact.

The scotch egg rolled out first and probably was my favorite of the night. It was caked then crisped in a luscious breading and sausage stuffing, the egg oozed perfectly when you cut into it, and had a delicious, almost breakfasty flavor. Both my brother and I are still talking about it.

The terrines rolled out next. I have been more willing to give terrines a second chance lately. When done correctly, they really are amazing...when done poorly, they are loathsome. The Breslin nailed the four terrines we ordered: Guinea hen with morels / Rustic Pork / Rabbit & prune / Head Cheese. I pretended to forget what head cheese is, but it was still tasty. My favorite was probably the rustic pork or the guinea hen with morels...mostly because I adore morels. At this point in the meal, I was full, but alas, we had a beast (literally) of an entree heading our way.

On our servers recommendation, we opted for pig's foot. This name is misleading, as our server pointed out, as the dish is really the pigs lower leg, from knee to hoof. It is stuffed with more pig and is probably the most pork-tastic dish one could conceive. This is when I was a little let down. The dish is meant for two and could be easily shared amongst a foursome. The meat was tender and flavorful. However, it was too mushy and there was too much of it. The texture was kind of like really rare hamburger meat (though it was cooked properly) and there was not enough balancing items to add a crispness or crunch to the dish. When I did add some of the sides, it improved the dish, but not by enough. It was almost like glorified baby food.

The side of thrice cooked chips, however, were a totally different animal. They were very salty (not necessarily a bad thing btw), had a crispy shell with a warm and soft interior. The dipping sauce that accompanied tasted of something from India, but I still can't pinpoint what. They were awesome. The fries were recently dubbed the best in New York--I do not agree with that (Pommes Frites still does it for me), but they are definitely in the outstanding category.

So, all in all, I would given the Breslin a good not great. In the Breslin's defense, this was the second week of dinner service, so the kitchen still may be working through recipes and ideas. I would probably go back--certainly after the initial craze wears off.

Tis the Season (New Restaurants!)

Sorry for the hibernation: a looming work deadline impaired my ability to dine around town. Now that time has come and gone and I can resume my culinary pursuits.

First stop was Maialino, the new Danny Meyer restaurant located in the Gramercy Park Hotel. The space was formerly Wakiya, a critically panned, pan-Asian restaurant. Meyer took over the space earlier in the year and made a quick turnaround to get the spot up and running by the holidays.

I managed to snag an 8:30, Friday night reservation a week after opening, which ranks highly on my reservation coup list. Expectations were high: early buzz was strong and I was eager to eat some real food as opposed the seamless web grub I had been relegated to over the past few weeks.

Our foursome was sat in a spacious booth. We decided family style was the best to experience this place, so we covered the menu, hitting antipasti, pastas, and entrees.

We started with some cured meats (can rarely go wrong here), octopus, and fried artichokes. The restaurant also graciously sent over a plate a special pate that they were offering that night. Everything was spot on--though my favorite were the artichokes. They were lightly fried, perfectly crispy, but still retaining their earthy flavor. I could have eaten them like candy.

Next up our pasta and entrees emerged from the kitchen. The house speciality is called Maialino, which is a suckling pig. I fell in love with suckling pig when I visited Segovia, north of Madrid. It is unabashedly fatty, tender, and delicious when prepared right. Maialino's blew me away. It was an epic piece of meat (meant for two, our foursome was handily defeated by it) but it was the most tender piece of pork I had ever eaten in my life. I'm still thinking about it two weeks later. To complement, we ordered the half chicken. We all agreed that ordering chicken at a restaurant is certainly a faux pas, but this was chicken re-imagined. It was perfectly cooked, with a crispy skin and tender breast meat. It was a perfect companion to the Maialino. The pasta was also a triumph, freshly made, perfectly cooked, and wonderfully flavored.

Full from our feast, we opted for apertifs in lieu of a more sugary afterthought. My experience at Maialino was one of the more positive I've ever had in New York. The atmosphere is wonderfully unpretentious, the food delicious, the prices reasonable. I read an article that mentioned Danny Meyer wanted to make this a neighborhood restaurant and that he is not trying to cultivate an elitist reservation regime that certain restaurateurs (ahem, McNally, Carter) seem infatuated with. This is a wonderful breath of fresh air for New Yorkers and I think Maialino is an exciting new place that will be around for a while.

Seafood on Sunday

It has been a while since I had the privledge of eating a great, new restaurant in New York City. Finally, on Sunday night, myself and two friends went to Marea, the new restaurant by Michael White (Alto, Convivio). Marea is Italian-inspired like Alto and Convivio, but definitely bent toward creatures of the sea.

The space did not seem like it had a huge makeover since the restaurant's previous tenant: San Domenico. The room is comfortable and warm with a more mature crowd (this was Columbus Circle, not Washington Square after all). We were seated promptly and perused the (too) extensive menu and decided the best way to experience it was a reasonable $89 prix fix menu that hit the main areas of the menu (antipasti / crudo, pasta, main, dessert). The menu was plentiful in lobster and octopus, which garnered no complaints from anyone.

I opted to start with the lobster and burrata. A sucker for lobster and for any cheese, this was a match made in heaven for me and was executed perfectly. The lobster was tender and delicate and not stringy in anyway. The burrata soft and creamy--an interesting contrast to the crustacean. An impressive first start to the show. My only quip with this dish was that it seemed more apropos for a summertime meal, rather than a mid-autumn's supper.

Up next was the pasta course. A slight aside, I have never been a huge pasta lover despite my Italian heritage, though I do enjoy a great pasta course when it's done right. I opted for the fusili with octopus and bone marrow. It was in a spicy, tomato sauce that sometimes had a little to much heat for my palate. The fusili was chewy--I'm on the fence about whether this inhibited or amplified the dish. It was hard for me to taste the marrow. My friend who ordered it as well had similar comments on it: good, not great. I have to admit, I was a tad envious of my other dining mate who ordered lobster ravioli (always a great call)--though it was described as being very heavy, in a good way.

Main courses rolled out soon thereafter (the restaurant had great pacing, btw). The branzino was great: tender and moist. I wish there could have been a little more flavor to the actual fish but it was surrounded by sides that more than compesnated. It came with pancetta--which you can never go wrong with (I would have preferred mine slightly crispier) and brussel sprouts. It was a pleasing course that left me satisfied but not stuffed. However, I would not consider it revelatory--especially because I had something similar at Alto a few months prior.

Oddly enough, my taste for dessert has virtually dried up over the past few months. But off we went to the final course. I asked the server for her recommendation and she immediately chimed back with the Polenta (which was not something I had even considered) but I went with it anyway. She was spot on with this choice. This dessert was inspired. The crispy polenta reminded me of a high-end doughnut / fried dough / funnel cake and it had a rich marscapone ice cream that really just made the dish even better. My friend got an affogato, which she had been talking about since dining at Convivio over the summer which was also amazing (think an amazing rich and delicious iced coffee).

So, the final verdict on Marea. Glad I went and tried it. The food was great but not some place I'd rush back to given the variety of other places in New York. It's an ideal place to take the parents (or have the parents take you) and is a nice addition to the city's fine dining scene.

Aging Gracefully

In honor of turning 24 a couple years ago, I took a group of my friends to Craftbar in the Flatiron. It was an average meal: large meals are difficult to negotiate, but the food was pretty basic and not that interesting.

However, I have returned to Craftbar a couple times since and each time have been impressed with the food, menu selection, and atmosphere. I definitely got the impression that the Craft empire decided to devote more resources to its more casual outpost and it has paid off. I recently went on a Thursday night. The restaurant was lively and warm. The menu was seasonal: lots of hearty vegetables, sturdy proteins, and heady sauces.

The starters at Craftbar are great: they have risotto balls, which are delicious morsels of rice with pecorino laced throughout. I went for a mushroom and fontina bruschetta which had a nice variety of hearty mushrooms. For the main, I went for a classic, or at least a classic in my mind: duck confit with chestnuts. When I walked into the restaurant, I had intended to order fish, but the duck and server sold me on it. The duck confit was great, the chestnuts a nice accompaniment. All and all, a perfect meal for the chilly November night.

It's rare I give restaurants second chances after an average experience...Craftbar is one of the few I have given another go and it has succeeded. Mercat is another restaurant which I think has improved a lot since its opening a few years back. It's a lot of fun when you can see tangible progress in a restaurant but in a city where there are so many dining options, first impressions still are most important.