By Jean-Georges, I think we've got it! (Nougatine)

Nougatine: Gently Roasted Fennel and Goat Cheese Salad
with Black Olives

Tonight we were going to see Macbeth in Lincoln Center which afforded us the rare opportunity to eat at one of the many fine dining establishments in the Lincoln Center area. It was a tough choice, but it came down to Jean-George Vongerichten vs Daniel Boulud. From there, it was just a matter of finding an open reservation. Nougatine won out and that is where we found ourselves for tonight's pre-theatre meal.

Everything's Rosy at Rosa Mexicano

Guacamole

Had a team lunch at Rosa Mexicano today as part of a team building outing. Once we walked in we were faced with a giant waterfall wall with tons of miniature cliff diving figurines- pretty neat. Our hostess led us up the stairs to the second floor, where we were treated to a pretty decent view of Lincoln Center. It's an impressively big space which is refreshing for NYC, but also gives it a decidedly chainlike feel.

Like any decent Mexican restaurant, they offer tableside guacamole, which we took them up on right away. They asked us if we wanted mild, medium, or spicy and we decided to go with one mild and one spicy to accomodate everyone in our group. Unfortunately, we could not for the life of us tell the difference. The 'spicy' one was incredibly tame.

Go to Vai

Vai Restaurant (Press Photo) 

I was invited to try out Vai, a contemporary Mediterranean restaurant in the Upper West Side that opened last October. I walked into the intimate yet casual dining room and immediately felt that tonight was going to be special. Chef Vincent Chirico has orchestrated an entire dining experience from top to bottom. He's not only the Owner and Executive Chef, but he also created the wine list, the cocktails, the desserts AND is responsible for the decor. I love that this restaurant is the entire vision of the Chef and that he shapes the entire concept around his signature food.

PJ Clarke's: A NY Classic

The Burger

Turkey Club

We initially heard of PJ Clarke's being referenced in Mad Men, but I've also head they have a pretty good burger. So when we found ourselves hungry after a play on the Upper West Side we decided to finally scope it out. The food was solid, the wait staff was attentive, and the beers were nice and cold. It was a great place to bring folks from out of town since it's one of NYC's classics.

Joining up with Blue Caravan

Chef Mei Chau made a name for herself with Franklin Station Cafe, a Malaysian/French bistro in TriBeCa which closed after 15 years of being a neighborhood favorite in June of 2008 due to soaring rent prices. But now she's back with her new global cuisine restaurant on the Upper West Side Blue Caravan. Some of the favorite dishes from Franklin's can be found on the menu, but she is also taking the opportunity to try out some brand new items. The space is fresh and modern that manages to be casual yet elegant and features photography from Mei's husband Marc. 

Mondays are World Music Nights from 7-10pm with music coordinator Arturo Martinez. On the music menu for tonight was some Brazilian fare, it set the mood and was still soft enough to be able to carry on a conversation. (Tip: Next week is Flameco with a singer and dancer!) They also have a Jazz Brunch on Sundays from 12-3pm with vocalist Kay Mori.

Truffles Mixed Mushroom Bruschetta

Looks good enough to eat...and it was! Unfortunately, my camera battery died at this point, so you'll have to make do with iPhone quality pictures from this point on. 

Small Plates Trio

Foreground right: Porcini and Sweet Pea Arancini with smoked eggplant aioli (in purple flower).
Foreground left: Spicy Chicken Skewer with tamarind peanut sauce (in green flower).
Background: Crispy Calamari with blood orange and soy reduction.

These three small plates worked really well together. The arancini were crispy and smokey, the chicken skewers were tender and moist, and the calamari was crunchy and sweet. The calamari is what really stole the show and this is the dish that I recommend most from the evening. Quite possibly the least rubbery calamari I've ever had and the blood orange and soy reduction was sweet enough to be dessert. I would swear that they were coated in chopped nuts, but according to Chef Mei it's a simple garlic and flour mixture. Amazing.

Salmon & Duck

Foreground: Turmeric Salmon with coconut milk, turmeric ginger, and acar vegetables. My second favorite dish, this one carried over from Franklin's and was immensely popular there. One taste of the sauce and I could easily see why. She could serve this amazing sauce with anything and have a hit on her hands. You definitely will find yourself wanting to sop up the leftovers with some bread...or a spoon.

Background: Pan Seared Magret Duck served over wild rice with a cranberry raisin cherry part glaze. Without meaning to, the above photo is very symbolic. Although this dish was quite good, it was overshadowed by the Turmeric Salmon.

Profiterole & Apple Tart

Finally, for dessert, home-made profiteroles and a slice of apple tart. Amazingly, Mei also does most of her own desserts! The profiteroles are a chocoholic's dream, but surprisingly, the apple tart was my favorite.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mei and Marc and they are clearly passionate and excited about their new endeavor. Having just opened in April, they are still trying new dishes and changing the menu, so it's an exciting time to visit. Also, be sure to stop by the bar and get a drink from Steve, he was our server for this evening and was an absolute delight. They are usually all to be found on site, so be sure to introduce yourselves to them!


*My meal was provided by the restaurant as part of a Press Dinner.

New Taste of the Upper West Side

A classy event

We've become oddly obsessed with Man v Food recently (we watch with a mixture of jealousy and disgust), so were excited to see that Adam Richman would be in his home state to kick off the New Taste of the Upper West Side Comfort Classics event.

When we arrived we were given wrist bands and then a wine glass on a necklace. Any event where you where wine around your neck, seems pretty promising. Unfortunately, we arrived at 7:30pm so we missed our celebrity sighting, but the disappointment didn't last long as we soaked in the above sight. A beautiful tent with a live band filled with comfort food tastings done by famous NYC chefs with lots of booze booths to boot? I felt like a kid in a candy store, and yes, Dylan's Candy Bar was in fact present and had banana cotton candy!

After we stuffed ourselves silly with sliders, cookies, and all other goodies we were ready to head home incredibly satisfied. On our way out we received goody bags! Talk about icing on the proverbial cake! I hope this was a successful benefit for them financially and that other neighborhoods (such as our beloved Chelsea) and charities take a cue from this fantastic event.

Foodie Schwag!

Darling Dumplings & Chewy Cookies

We went to a dinner party last night for an early Chinese New Year celebration. Most of the food was prepared by our friend's Mom and was absolutely delicious. Sadly, it is unlikely that I can convince her to come to your place and cook for you. So here are some honorable mentions brought by other guests that you can enjoy here in NYC:

Vanessa's Dumplings

This name always comes up whenever the subject of dumplings is being discussed and for good reason. Tasty, tasty dumplings at a great price. We will be swinging by to pick up a batch of our own soon!



Levain Bakery

HUGE cookies. Not only are we talking diameter, but height too! The result is a lot of crisp cookie outside balanced with gooey, melty, chocolately goodness on the inside. These redefined cookies for me (not exaggerating).

A fair day for Picnic

We were doing a little apartment hunting on the UWS and decided to use our Diner's Deck. A French pistro called Picnic piqued our interest, so off we went. To my surprise and delight there was a sign outside advertising a Beatles Brunch!

We walk in to a sweet bistro filled with light, but sadly there are no Beatles to be heard. About half way into the meal (and toward the end of the advertised time frame) the musicians arrive and start setting up. Oh boy, there are a lot of them, they have to clear the back half of the restaurant. We wound up hearing 2-3 songs at the end of our meal, but this group really wasn't my style, so we didn't stick around for more.

As for the food? The Mr's Croque Madame was good, but I was disappointed in my Salade Nicoise. For $15 I really hope for fresher greens (these looked suspiciously bagged lettuce-like). The wait staff was great though and it was a very pleasant place to spend an afternoon.

Bread & Coffee

Salade Nicoise

Croque Madame

Fiorello: Still a hit!

When I was little every year my grandmother would take me in to Lincoln Center to see the Nutcracker and we would always eat at Cafe Fiorello. I was actually a little nervous to come back since I feared it wouldn't live up to the bar set by all my happy childhood memories. The menu has changed a bit and no longer could I find the gnocchi that I always got when I was little, which was for the best since I went for the vegetable antipasti plate instead. At the end of the meal we ordered cappuccinos and skipped the profiteroles, but only because we were too full- I'm sure they are still just as good as they were all those years ago. Cafe Fiorello is a perfect pre-show meal if you are in the Lincoln Center area.