LAVAGNA

LAVAGNA
545 East 5th Street
New York, NY 10009
(212) 979-1005

"You have to try this place in the East Village," Speeds told me. "It's so good!" Her boyfriend, Saint Love, nodded his head in agreement. "But," she added, "you can't trash it on that blog of yours." Trash it? Me? Heavens no. I agreed to give the place a shot.

The place that she and Saint Love were insistent up on was Lavagna, a cozy Italian bistro nestled along a quiet tree lined street with all of its windows wide open and a Ducati parked in front. I arrived before they did, so I stood at the small bar, nursed a glass of wine, and looked at all of the Wine Spectator awards on the wall. Nothing inside Lavagna tells you that it's Italian. Its high tin ceilings and exposed brick are standard New York bistro, the staff is made up of young, non-FOB twenty/thirty-somethings, and there are no garish mass-produced Lady In the Tramp-esque chef statuettes. I had a good feeling about Lavagna.

When the happy couple arrived, we were shown a seat just inside the large windows, and we began our feast. I ordered the Octopus Carpaccio, paper-thin sliced cold octopus under a glaze of lemon juice and olive oil. I liked it very much. One benefit of slicing octopus so thinly is that it's automatically tender. It also makes the plate look far more full than it is. What looks like a massive volume of food is actually only about a quarter of an inch thick. It's good, but it leaves you wanting more. I noshed on bread while I waited for my entree. Saint Love skipped an appetizer, but Speeds ordered Prosciutto Di San Daniele, which is basically a prosciutto salad topped with figs and balsamic vinegar. It doesn't sound like much, but it was actually very good.

Speeds and Saint Love both got pasta dinners. Speeds ordered the one that I would have gotten, the Fresh Pappardelle with Braised Rabbit, while Saint Love went the more traditional route, choosing a Fettucini with Oxtail Ragu. The pappardelle dish, which Speeds says she ordered every time she goes here, was fantastic. The pasta was soft without being boiled to death and the rabbit, peppered in olives and thyme, had some bite to it. The oxtail was a little on the dry and gamey side, but oxtail usually is. Still, I liked it and if any of you reading this are all about red sauce pastas, this is as close as you'll get. Thankfully, it barely counts. My entree was the Roast Pork Chop. It cost a bit more than I would have liked, but it was delicious. And look at it! It's three inches thick of tender meat and sitting on a cushion of barlotti beans, Parmesan and bacon. I couldn't have asked for a better meal. Only dessert could ruin it.

But dessert certainly did not. We ordered a round of coffees and each of us tried a different dessert. My dessert was the Panna Cotta, a smooth vanilla custard coated in fresh strawberries and with a drizzling of tart balsamic reduction that I thought was just... wow! Saint Love wasn't prepared for the texture of firm pudding, but he got over it quickly. Saint Love ordered a round of Ice Cream. I'm not sure what one can say about it beyond: who doesn't love ice cream?! yay ice cream!!! Speeds tried the Crostata Del Giorno, a little pie sitting in a puddle of butterscotch with a boulder of vanilla ice cream as its crown.

Two appetizers, three entrees, three desserts, some coffee and some wine, with tax and tip cost $179.

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SALT

SALT
58 MacDougal Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 674-4968

This Mother's Day, Bro and Dudeman and I took shrink to Salt, the American restaurant with a Mediterranean twist in SoHo. "I love this neighborhood" Dudeman said, lamenting somewhat the decision that he and Shrink made forty years ago to root themselves in Gramercy. "I wish we lived here. We should have moved here." Of course, that won't happen until dad gets a tattoo and mom gets a dog she can fit into a stroller. But the thought's what counts. Like any offspring, I fear that my parent's as they age, are getting less cool. Add this to the fact that I have yet to experience a single day when I felt my parents were ever cool, and you can understand the minor sense of happiness that I'd felt. Ahhh, they aren't homebodies who refuse to eat anywhere but at the same diner every day. Yet.

When we arrived at 7, it was sunny and Salt was virtually deserted. No one was there save a family (with kids) that arrived ten seconds before we did. But by the time we left, Salt was packed with people, none fitting into any specific age or income demographic, though given the price, these specific artists probably weren't starving. Indeed, Salt is one of the pricier of the restaurants that I've been to this year. Appetizers average $13 and entrees average $25.

Salt is a loud place. You don't have to yell to have a conversation, but no one will notice if you do. We sat by the window in one of the tables for four. Most of the seating here is at communal tables where you are likely to rub elbows with your fellow diners. I don't particularly like this, but it does add a certain level of casual intimacy, like you're in a high school dining hall. Of course, I hated high school, so draw your own conclusions about that one.

Anyway, Dudeman ordered a bottle of wine and we each started choosing appetizers. Shrink ordered the Honey Glazed Dates Wrapped in Bacon. They are exactly what they sound like, and of course, that means they were delicious. Everyone liked them with the one small complaint that the honey was a little excessive. It almost overpowered the rest of the flavor. So, if you like your sweets ultra sweet (after all, a date is little more than a fruit flavored sugar cube), order this. Otherwise I suggest that you ask for them to go light on the honey. Bro chose the Cream of Cauliflower Soup with mushroom and truffle "essence". Again, another winner. Again, it was liked all around. Again, one minor complaint. I found that it was a little too thin. This is more a complaint about its texture than its flavor, of which I have no complaints. Dudeman went with the Homemade Merguez Sausage, served on a bed of greens and pearl onions. Very good. The large sausage was heavily spiced but not spicy. Those of you who appreciate a Mediterranean flavor to your food will definitely not be disappointed. My appetizer was the Asparagus and Sweet Pea Risotto. Fantastic. It had a moving van's worth of flavor and was as smooth as asparagus/pea butter.

The appetizers were all excellent. The entrees were a little hit or miss. Shrink ordered the Grilled Donade Royale in a balsamic reduction sauce with yukon gold puree and braised leeks. She and Bro liked it, but felt it was a little bland. Dudeman and I did not like it, arguing that it was too fishy for our taste. So if you were Shrink or Dudeman, the vegetables and balsamic reduction were used not as complimentary flavors, but as the taste itself. Meanwhile, if you were Dudeman or me, the sides and sauce were there to mask the fishiness. Dudeman chose the Roasted Day Boat Fish. "Day Boat" meaning the catch of the day, which today was cod, served on a bed of vegetables. In this instance,the table was not divided by their reaction. While no one necessarily disliked it, the cod was virtually devoid of flavor. "This is like solid air" Dudeman quipped.

Well, if the grownups were disappointed, the kids did just fine. Bro's dinner was the Whole Wheat Fettuccine, made with sweet Italian sausage, sage, garlic and a Grana Padano cheese. Everyone except me thought that this was the best entree of the lot. Bro liked the soft texture of the fettuccine, I liked how cream smooth the cheese was. Whole wheat pasta can sometimes be so gritty that it's like eating noodles made of sand. That wasn't the case here. The pasta was not as silky as it would have been had it not been whole wheat, but that tiny bit of earthiness worked well with the sausage flavor in the sauce. I thought that my dinner, the Braised Pork Belly with a chicory sauce, scallions and mashed potatoes was the best. So tender you could cut it with a dull spoon, the pork literally melted in your mouth. Eat your heart out Dinosaur BBQ. The thing you need to know about pork belly is that it's probably the least lean meat you can buy. I mean, look at that fat layering! But here's the thing. The fat tastes like meat (soft, smooth like butter meat) and you're supposed to eat it. So, don't be on a diet when you order this or you'll watch your progress vanish faster than you can say Jenny Craig.

When dessert time came, The Rents had no tummy space left. We all got espresso-based coffees (they don't do drip), but it was up to Bro and I to add any further real calories to the bill. Bro's choice, the Reine De Saba, a bittersweet chocolate cake with shaved almonds and a side of creme fraiche ice cream was just that. Bitter. Sweet. Chocolate. Rich. When I was a kid, my favorite Good Humor ice cream bar was the Strawberry Shortcake flavor. Actually it still is. Therefore, ordering the Strawberry Shortcake was almost a reflex action for me. Good, but veerrrryyyy cinnamonny. Too much so for me. But hey, if you like strawberries and cinnamon, you'll love this and want to have its babies.

Four appetizers, four entrees, two desserts, two cappuccinos, two lattes, five glasses of wine and one beer, plus tax, plus tip weighed in at $311.23.

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THE MANHATTAN COCKTAIL CLASSIC

THE MANHATTAN COCKTAIL CLASSIC

PART ONE: ANTICIPATION, 5/15/10:

Like a barrage of gin-fueled fireworks, cocktails have exploded across the dining landscape. Sometimes I wonder if a restaurant can survive in this day and age if it doesn't have a real cocktail list. And by real, you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong, mudslides and appletinis have their place. It's just that that place happens to be at a TGI Fridays out on Long Island somewhere.

The Manhattan Cocktail Classic celebrates the cocktail and its evolution from something wonderful into something wonderfuler. For five days, starting yesterday (Friday), there will be something like fifty (50) events across the city (including places NOT in Manhattan). Tastings, seminars, and from what I can gather, history lessons.

I'll be going to the Micro Spirits Odyssey at Butter Restaurant tomorrow (Sunday). They describe it as follows:

Head up the block from Astor Center on Sunday to the Micro Spirits Odyssey (MSO) - an all-day micro-distilling extravaganza at Butter Restaurant, featuring dozens of boutique brands, creative cocktails, and gourmet culinary pairings. The day offers attendees a wealth of exciting activities to explore, all for the price of a single ticket: a tasting room filled with craft brands, micro distillers, and delicious food; four fabulous seminars focusing on different aspects of the growing artisan distillery movement; and a bar and lounge area featuring the boutique brands in cocktails concocted by the talented team at Hush Cocktails especially for the Manhattan Cocktail Classic.

I'll update this post after I get home tomorrow...

PART TWO: THE MICRO-SPIRITS ODYSSEY, 5/16/10:

The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, at least this specific seven hour event, is designed to highlight the local distilleries in the NY area. Vodka makers from Long Island, whiskey makers from the Hudson Valley, folks from the Finger Lakes, they all converged on NoHo to tout their wares. The day was divided into four separate seminars: the resurgence of moonshine, feminism in the liquor industry, the localvores of liquor and how to start your own distillery.

In addition to the lectures, there were at least twenty distributors giving out shots of their product (samples) on top of two open bars that were making drinks corresponding to the ongoing lectures. So, while one would be listening to a lecture, drinks that corresponded to that lecture would circulate the room. Needless to say, between the lectures, the industry samples, the free drink coupons and the open bar cocktails, I got wizaysted. To be honest, my head is both spinning and throbbing as I write this. Spthrobbinning. At least I'm not praying at the Porcelain Alter of Forgiveness.

The MCC is designed around the spirit industry. So much so, in fact, that it was hard to go from the table of one distiller to another without being asked who I represent. "I represent getting wasted on a Sunday." I told one guy. "Uh, well, good" was his somewhat off-kilter response.

I can't remember how many cocktails I tried, but since my head and I are no longer friends, I'm guessing I got my fifty dollars worth. Ultimately, the MCC is for the industry. You and I may go there and find an interesting artisinal rye whiskey to tell our friends about, but you and I aren't why such a get together exists. It exists to bring the producers to the bartenders and restaurateurs. It exists to increase brand recognition along a route parallel to the traditional marketing path. I do hope that the brands, especially the local New York State brands that have been showcased here, get some much needed exposure. And so, in that hope, I list them below.

Castle Spirits
Delaware Phoenix Distillery
Finger Lakes Distilling
Harvest Spirits
Knapp Vineyards
Lake Placid Spirits
Long Island Spirits
Spirits by Battistella
Swedish Hill Winery
Tuthilltown Spirits
Warwick Valley Winery

Honestly, I was hoping for something more average-Joe out of this. I wanted it to be like a PBS special about liquor. The history of moonshine, the history of women in the alcohol industry, an inside look at an upstate distillery. Throw a short movie into the mix with some Q&A and: boom, a lot of educational fun. It didn't have that, but it was still interesting. I wish that it had been less within-the-industry-talking-to-within-the-industry, but they didn't use too many big words and I was able to keep up. In any case, at least I can point at some local businesses and recommend them, and at least I got some great drinks.

From the site:

In New York, a state known for its wineries, many have begun to use their product to also produce distilled spirits and/or hard liquor. Spirits have now become a small niche for these boutique farm wineries, and recently artisanal distillers have begun to stand on their own. With its abundance of grain and fruit, New York now has the highest concentration of distilleries of any state east of the Mississippi. New York also has a long tradition of spirits production, dating back to colonial times. Although Prohibition killed off the distilled spirits industry in New York, it is now slowly returning, while changes in the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control Law have made it possible for small distillers to develop and flourish.

The Manhattan Cocktail Classic runs through Tuesday. This event was $50 and the average shorter event is $25.

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ETHOS

ETHOS
905 First Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(212) 888-4060‎

Bro and I have made eating out together almost a weekly event. It's hell on the wallet and on my gut, but I'm kind of addicted. This past week we went to Ethos in Midtown East near the United Nations, a Greek restaurant that caters to the local moneyed class. Many have become regulars there, chatting with the staff about their lives and friends. Hugs and kisses fly about inside of Ethos's fancy digs. Ethos isn't cheap, with almost all appetizers over $10 and almost all entrees over $20. At the same time, while the staff is friendly, the decor upscale, and the attitude just above business casual, the food is playing catch up.

I won't lie about being somewhat inexperienced with Greek food, so maybe it's designed to be mediocre, but somehow I doubt it. I started dinner with an order of Kalamaraki Tiganita, seasoned and "lightly pan seared" calamari. It turns out that lightly seared means fried. So I wound up with fried calamari which isn't really what I wanted. It was decent, run of the mill friend calamari. But I can get decent fried calamari at some pizza places. I was expecting something with more inspiration. Bro ordered the Spanakopita, spinach, leek and scallion with feta cheese wrapped in phillo dough. This was quite good. Far better than my fried calamari.

For dinner, I ordered the Kotopoulo Souvlaki, chunks of grilled, marinated chicken breast and grilled vegetables served over rice. Again, I ordered something boring. The chicken itself wasn't bad, but it was way too dry and the rice was literally identical to the stuff I've gotten at Halal carts for lunch. I found myself asking why I spent $20 on it when five blocks away I could have spent $5, white sauce and hot sauce, please. And do you have Diet Pepsi? Bro went for the Moussaka, a baked dish with layers of ground beef, eggplant and potato and allegedly topped with a Bechemel sauce. Yeah, this was more authentic, I guess. But I didn't like it at all. Bro was more sympathetic, but he also likes pastitsio, which I think is an egregious waste of food.

We skipped dessert but were given something on the house. A cheese-filled pastry drizzled with honey. They didn't tell us what it was, but I think it was a Tiropita. This wasn't too bad and certainly tasted better after not having to pay for it.

Two appetizers, two entrees and two beers, plus tax and tip was nearly $100.

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CERCLE ROUGE

CERCLE ROUGE

241 West Broadway

New York, NY 10013

(212) 226-6252

As someone who routinely lists French food as my most favorite of foods, I always get this tinge of excitement when I get to bury my face in coq au vin, soak my bread in the garlicky escargot butter, and gorge myself to the point of early onset diabetes with creme brulee. Therefore, when I met Bro in TriBeCa the other evening after work for dinner at Cercle Rouge, I was jittery with excitement... though that might have been the fact that I'd been chain-smoking cups of coffee all day long.

Cercle Rouge was pretty crowded with downtown's after work crowd by the time we arrived, so we were lucky to get a seat outside. Inside, it's big. Live music was playing that night, the bar was standing room only, and the large circular tables in the back were filled. The mass of humanity here implied either that Cercle Rouge would either be really cheap or really good, but it was neither. The prices were upper-mid-level, and the food was thoroughly mid-level. The service, though, was beyond reproach.

Bro started his meal with Soup A L'Oignon, French onion soup. This may well have been the best thing that we ordered all night. It was excellent, with a rich broth and a thick thick layer of Gruyere cheese melted on top. The Escargots, which I chose, were okay. The snails themselves were tender, but there wasn't much taste to them. The garlic butter sauce seemed to lack much of a buttery flavor and it seemed like most of the pesto was on strike. I also decided to order the Cercle Wings, Cercle Rouge's version of the Buffalo wing, chicken in a hot sauce with blue cheese to dunk them in. Some people on Yelp liked them and they were given the red-letter treatment on the menu to indicate their special-ness. They were good, but not more than that. The sauce wasn't even remotely hot, so all y'all with sensitive tummies will be fine. The chicken was breaded and they went overboard on the breading. It was way too thick, so you were sort of eating a hot sauce flavored sponge with some chicken underneath. Again, they weren't bad, but I suggest getting your wings at Atomic Wings or Hooters or that bar down the block from where I live that has them for 25 cents a pop on wing night.

The dinners, in my opinion, were also weak. The dinners, in Bro's opinion, were not. He enjoyed them more than I did. Again, they weren't "bad", but I found myself not being very interested in eating them. My entree was the Onglet A L'Echalotte, a hangar steak in a red wine shallot sauce with a side of vegetables, au gratin potatoes and bone marrow. The hangar steak was medium rare, as requested, and tender enough, but the shallot sauce it was beneath was bitter. The gratin potatoes were completely tasteless. The bone marrow was bone marrow. It needed salt. Bro ordered the Magret De Canard, a sauteed duck breast with asparagus, mushroom gratin and berries under a cassis sauce. I enjoyed his dish more than my own and he liked his quite a bit. The duck could have been crispier in my opinion, but he was impressed with the mushroom sauce. Big words coming from a guy that normally hates all things mushroom.

Dessert was a must-have of course. My sweet fix, the Crepes Suzettes were extremely sour. If you don't like your crepes coated thickly in a Grand Marnier heavy orange glaze, then these won't be to your liking. On the other hand, if you do, then these will hit the spot. Meanwhile, bro was less impressed with his Tarte Au Citron. He said it was too tangy. Apparently, the pastry chefs at Cercle Rouge like things sour. I actually preferred it to the crepes, which I thought were pretty good, but you will need to order some coffee to accompany each bite.

Three apps, two entrees, two desserts, three beers and two coffees came to $121 plus tax and tip.

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