Garden of Ideas

Connecticut
647 North Salem Road, Ridgefield
203-431-9914
gardenofideas.com

We drove by Garden of Ideas so many times before finally stopping this summer. We haven't stopped stopping since. It's a bit hard to describe, kind of like nothing else we know. It sits adjacent to a shallow bog in North Ridgefield, and has acres of floral, shrub, vegetable and indigenous water plantings interspersed with art. There are paths throughout and a slat board walk out into the bog. What they grow, they sell and the vegetables are fresh, organic and as local as local gets. At this time in the season we buy arugula, turnips, carrots, parsnips, chard, kale, kohlrabi, potatoes and whatever else strikes our fancy. It deserves other stoppers.
OVERALL RATING: A great idea

Little Owl

West Village
90 Bedford Street, between Grove and Barrow Streets
212-741-4695

Freshly reviewed on 11/13/09: Friday, after a week especially long for one of us. We just wanted the off time to begin so we walked over to Wilfie and Nell (go early, it gets very crowded) for a drink, and then to Little Owl for dinner. It's been awhile for us and Little Owl, one of the many, small hip places in the West Village. The vibe, however wore a smidge less edge, and the food was missing a smidge as well. We had tuna sashimi, brussel sprouts with roasted potatoes, a beets and Bibb salad, and crisp roasted chicken, all good but the chicken could've used a smidge of salt, unless you're hypertensive. The fig tart with ricotta was good. Nothing bad to say, but no sparklers.
OVERALL RATING: In a groove, but less groovy

Reviewed again on 02/06/07: The Little Owl has become a hot ticket. Lots of good reviews and neighborhood popularity fill its few seats night after night. The decor is simple, the kitchen tiny, and the food good. Italian Wedding soup, a mix of pork meatballs and egg, was hearty and hot on a cold night. Bibb salad with beet shavings and hazelnuts was excellent. Yellowfin tuna sat on one too many pickled cucumbers and radishes, but a grilled pork chop with large white beans and escarole was good. The glasses of red wine were as well.
OVERALL RATING: Upgraded to Hoohah!

First reviewed on 06/17/06: It's curious why they named The Little Owl as they did. Who? The owners. Most mornings in the West Village, you can hear an owl hooting. Who knew? The Little Owl has been open for only a few weeks and serves seasonal American/Mediterranean cuisine. It has only a few tables and a small bar, and it's not big enough to become a scene, but it gets pretty jammed most nights. The food ranges from good to better. We had an excellent plate of sardines to start, along with a crisp soft shell crab that was a bit undistinguished. Tile fish over fresh corn, and crisp chicken over asparagus, roasted potatoes and mushrooms were both good. A half bottle of Joseph Drouhin chablis was excellent.
OVERALL RATING: It's a hoot

Tipsy Parsons

Chelsea
156 Ninth Avenue
212-620-4545
tipsyparson.com

We so wanted to love Tipsy Parsons. It's the new Chelsea sister of Little Giant, a favorite of ours on the LES. The owners, Jules and Tasha are very sweet and accomplished and deserve anything good they receive. But Tipsy Parsons was lacking in a variety of ways. It's not because of the space, which has a long bar room in the front, a library like sitting area with not one real book, and a dining room in the back. Nor is it because of the service which was friendly and welcoming. What we didn't like was the menu, which had choice but just not choices that appealed to us, and more importantly the food, which was rich and sugary. The lamb ribs were sticky as advertised, and braised to a softness, but too sweet and a bit fatty. The parsnip soup was less parsnip and more cream, and the Brussel sprouts side was overly sweet. The celeriac salad was good but a tad sweet as well. The mac'n cheese was also good but not at all a standout. We so expected more.
OVERALL RATING: Disappointing

Giorgione

SoHo / West Village
307 Spring Street
212-352-2269
giorgionenyc.com

Freshly reviewed on 11/07/09: We went back to Giorgione with Linda and Randy, this time sitting in the quieter back room. Whaaaa? Well, quieter, speaking relatively, and loudly. The first bottle of red was a Bertani, but it was harsh and so we sent it back awkwardly. The manager was stand up about it and we went on to a different selection that was fine. So was the pizza we began with, a pomodoro with excellent cheeses. The fritto mista was expertly fried, and well seasoned, and the artichoke salad with chopped endive was fresh and crunchy. The seafood stew was unremarkable, but the lasagna was quite good, as was the spaghetti pomodoro crudo. We were in a pomodoro sort of mood. The coconut cake was more a coconut Napoleon, and excellent, as was the tiramisu. We left a noisy, crowded restaurant and found noisier, more crowded bars each time we attempted an after dinner drink. Is everybody celebrating the recession?
OVERALL RATING: Busy

Originally reviewed on 10/27/09: We went with Fredda to hear Jesse Harris do a set at City Winery and were looking for a place for dinner nearby. Giorgione found us. It's a loud space with a long bar and metal topped tables in the front, and a sleek dining room in the back. We sat in the noisier front, beginning with a shaved artichoke, parmigiana, and endive salad, an avocado dressed with good balsamic vinegar, and tuna tartare with baby arugula. Oh baby, we liked everything except the endive's bitterness. A pizza covered with greens and shaved cheese was excellent, and two pastas, rigatoni Norma and spaghetti pomodoro crudo, were good. We rushed out to make the set. Jesse was excellent -- every song.
OVERALL RATING: Foot tapping good

Belga Café

Washington, DC
514 8th Street SE
202-544-0100
belgacafe.com

We walked for 15 minutes lugging our overnight bags, then took the Metro halfway across the Mid-Atlantic states to Capitol Hill, and arrived at Belga Cafe for breakfast. It was worth the trip. It's a breakfast looking place -- the kind of place that is bright and warm and welcomes you into the day. We had waffles with pork, unusual and good, and eggs, eggs and green eggs. The green eggs were whipped with enough basil pesto to color them green, then scrambled on top of an English type muffin. It was a strange experience to have your eye say avocado and your tongue say something else.
OVERALL RATING: Enviable

Corduroy

Washington, DC
1122 9th St NW
202-589-0699
corduroydc.com

Jessie heard Corduroy was good so she made us a reservation. Then she heard there was a dress code, so she called to ask if we could wear jeans. They said "no", so she said "cancel the reservation" so they said "would you keep the reservation if we let you wear jeans?" So she said yes, wore a corduroy jacket, and that's how we wound up in the window, elevated over the sidewalk. It's a nicely done space, an industrial look from outside, and considerable polish within. There's a Japanese influence throughout the design and the food, and a lot of attention to detail. We began with burrata and arugula salads, a crab custard in a glass, and a sashimi of white fish, drizzled with oil. You'd need to love crab, but we really liked the rest. Then lamb two ways, including a Merguez sausage, braised pork belly with root vegetables, and peppered tuna, almost raw and luscious, with sushi rice. We loved all of it. And the pistachio bread pudding and chocolate tart with carmelized bananas were terrific. All in all, an excellent call.
OVERALL RATING: Wear your best pants

Tabard Inn

Washington, DC
1739 N St NW
202-331-8528
tabardinn.com

Freshly reviewed on 10/24/09: We first ate breakfast at the Tabard Inn in June but neglected taking a picture of it. To avoid having to use one thousand words to describe it, we've waited til now to post. You wait for your table at the Tabard in a dark wood paneled room with chairs and sofas, until the hostess calls your name. It pays to be who you say you are. We sat in a room up a small set of stairs overlooking the patio area. Breakfast was very good. We had a savory tart of bacon, Gruyere, sweet potato, onion, spinach, and a buttery crust, ranchos huerveos, and a mushroom omelette with scallions. The bread basket accompanying the meal could have been a meal itself. We liked everything, including the conversation with Jessie and Ben.
OVERALL RATING: come inn

originally reviewed on 6/20/09: The restaurant at the Tabard Inn sits in a small hotel of the same name. So uncreative. The dark woods lining the room provide charm, and there's a brick patio that looks lovely, but not today -- it was showery in D.C. on this morning. We sat with Wynn and Stewart having a pre-wedding brunch, doing our best to recover from the evening before's partying. A Bloody Mary and some coffee and we were back on track. The food was very good. We had blueberry pancakes with peach chutney and creme fraiche, eggs Benedict, and a couple of burgers. Everyone was pleased with their meal. Good call Jessie. Now, on to tonight's party.
OVERALL RATING: The way to start the day

Nora

Washington, DC
2132 Florida Ave NW
202-462-5143
noras.com

Freshly reviewed on 10/23/09: We were in DC for a fraternity reunion. It's funny and sweet how bonds formed years ago can be activated in a moment for a moment. After a two hour cocktail party of meeting and catching up, we headed over to Nora's with Stewart. It's amazing we weren't pulled over for walking under the influence. We sat in a room with a glass wall looking into the wine racks, and, by then, even that was too much to drink. We began with tuna tartare and Jonah lump meat crab cocktail with cilantro and guacamole, followed by a pork roast with mustard spatzele, pan-seared salmon, and grilled liver. It was all quite good, but the tiramisu to finish was overly sweet. By the time we headed back to the hotel we still couldn't walk straight.
OVERALL RATING: Who can remember?

Originally reviewed on 10/14/07: The menu at Restaurant Nora, which changes day to day, states it is the first certified organic restaurant in the states. We have no idea what the second is, but there's little need to eat elsewhere. Nora is a fairly large operation, divided into a number of separate rooms, none especially distinct by design, none at all offensive. It's the food that's the thing, and it has been for years. Most of the ingredients are organic (duh), local and fresh. We started with a salad of crab meat, avocado, parsley and a hot chile sauce. We all loved it. Then a middle eastern style veal stew with cashews, chutney, dill yogurt sauce and Indian crisped bread, and an extremely tender rib eye steak with lightly fried onion rings. The service was professional and ingratiating, and the house special cocktails were well flavored and conceived. The pear almond crostado with ginger ice cream was an excellent finisher, outshining a somewhat pedestrian molten centered chocolate cake. Jessie and Ben filled in admirably for the other half of the shrinkwrapper team.
OVERALL RATING: Mora Nora

Bubby's

Dumbo
1 Main Street, near Water Street
212-219-0666
bubbys.com

In days gone by, Bubby's was an oasis of breakfast in the unchartered waters of Tribeca. It was rough and edgey and hip. Now an offshoot is on Water Street in DUMBO and it's none of the above. You need a child, or two, to gain entrance, and once inside the cavernous, loud space, it's hard to tell if you're in a restaurant, a big box store, or a theme park. We had a mediocre veggie burger with fries that needed the oil changed, and banana walnut pancakes that could feed a quartet. At least it was expensive.
OVERALL RATING: DUMB

Building on Bond

Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
112 Bond Steet, off Atlantic Ave
347-853-8687
buildingonbond.com

We were walking along Atlantic Avenue towards the Brooklyn Bridge when a shop caught our eye and we turned left. That's how we came upon Building on Bond. It's an interesting corner space with windows on two walls and an architectural/industrial look throughout, including church pew seating against one wall, and butcher block tables with rollers underneath containing paper that runs through a slot creating a place mat. We noticed a house drink that sounded attractive -- Hendricks gin and tonic with muddled mint, lime juice, and jalapeño, so we sat. And sat. And sat. The crowd, meandering in and out, was of all ages and shapes and sizes and, despite service that was inattentive and sober, at least more so than we, we began ordering food. The macaroni and cheese with bacon was good, and so was the chopped Greek salad. The Cubano sandwich was mediocre but by that time, who cared? We really enjoyed ourselves. And the music playlist was terrific.
OVERALL RATING: We bonded

DBGB Kitchen and Bar

299 Bowery, between 1st and 2nd Street
212-933-5300
danielnyc.com

Freshly reviewed on 09/30/09: We went back to DBGB to celebrate Steve's birthday. So did half of lower Manhattan -- the placed was packed. This time we ate at a booth in the large dining room, surrounded by stainless steel shelves separating the kitchen areas from the room. We ate a bit more formally, with appetizers and entrees, and some other plates for grazing. The menu at its simpler end -- sausages, burgers and apps -- is where it shines. We drank a red from the North Fork, and another from France that was biodynamic and grapey. Party goers were still piling in as we left -- didn't they know Steve left with us?
OVERALL RATING: Fun

Originally reviewed on 09/10/09: We were in the city to see Francois's show at the new Vagabond Gallery on the LES. One of us had recently eaten at DBGB, Daniel Boulud's new uptown/downtown space at the foot of the East Village. The space is in a new complex of apartment buildings and retail space but, once inside, you feel wrapped in New York, or maybe Zurich. The space is sleek concrete and glass, and dimly lit, creating a cool, urban ambience. The crowd varies from high heels and short skirts to jeans and flannel, and mostly young. The front bar room is filled with small tables, with the larger back room comprised of booths and recessed banquettes. The food is down scale in certain ways, with many burgers and sausages, but upscale in presentation and taste. We had a pretty iceberg lettuce slice with bleu cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced celery and bits of bacon seated on top, and a green cucumber soup to begin. Then a Frenchie burger on a brioche bun with arugula, and a pulled ham croque. A beer from Switzerland was very good. The German lager was a bit bitter and heavy, but it hardly detracted from a good time.
OVERALL RATING: Syllablelessly good.

I Sodi

105 Christopher Street, just west of Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014
212-414-5774

Freshly reviewed on 09/24/09: On our walk over to the Upholstery Store, the new wine bar adjacent to Wallse, we talked about rarely thinking of i Sodi when we thought of a local meal. We enjoyed our wine at the Store and then walked over to i Sodi. It was one of those rare coincidences that makes you wonder about karma. We sat in the front, before a translucent glass window, and began with buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes, drizzled with good oil and a carpaccio of sliced zucchini and parmigana shavings. Then a lasagna with artichokes and a rigatoni with tomato sauce. Everything was fresh and terrific. We were very pleased.
OVERALL RATING: So good

Originally reviewed on 01/14/09: It had been a very long day and the temperature outside only allowed for a short walk, so we walked over to I Sodi. It's a small, railroad car space with a mysterious sliding door from the vestibule into the restaurant, and a bar running its length where we sat for dinner. The staff was friendly and engaging, and there was nary an empty seat. We began with an excellent minestrone soup with roasted chickpeas, and a fresh shaved artichoke and parmigiana salad. Then a large half portion of risotto, and charred, baked lasagna with meat sauce. We liked all of it, including the breads from a Brooklyn bakery, accompanied by an quartino of La Grola Allegrini. Except for wanting to bash each other over the head with the quartino, it was a pleasant experience with a West Village feel.
OVERALL RATING: A goody

Bobo

West Village
181 West 10th Street, corner of 7th Avenue
212-488-2626
bobonyc.com

Freshly reviewed on 09/24/09: We really like eating at Bobo, we've been back a few times recently. The ahi tuna at $4 a piece is luscious. The green salad is fresh and loaded with basil. The bricked chicken alas, is gone from the menu, but the burger with gruyere and lightly fried onions and crisp fries is a worthy replacement, although at $16 a bit expensive in the bar area. The smoked trout with purslane is terrific, and the service is attentive, but a gin and tonic at $13 is just plain over the top.
OVERALL RATING: we still like you but have you heard about the recession?

First reviewed on 04/10/09: Bobo sits on a West Village corner in an unmarked townhouse. You'd hardly know it was there. But once you've eaten there, that becomes part of the caché. We ate in the Den, the subterranean room that you enter. It's a dimly lit, old world space with a bar, candlelit tables, and high tables with stools. It has a comfortable but elegant, hip, speakeasy feel. The food feels delicious, and that's the point. We ate off both the Den and upstairs dining room menu, beginning with a winter vegetable salad with Brussel sprouts and fennel, and a spinach salad with smokey bacon and sharp red onion. A chile powdered margarita and a sweet and tart Reisling were excellent accompaniments. The potato gnocchi with mint was moan inducing and the bricked chicken with very crisp fries was right on par. The yogurt cheesecake to finish was more like a creme brulée than a cake but who cared? It tasted great. For us, this was a really fine find. We appreciate the tip that led us to try it.
OVERALL RATING: Gogo!!

Big W's Roadside Bar B Que

New York State
1475 Route 22, Wingdale
845-832-6200
bigwsbbq.com

We were in the mood to explore so we took a road trip up to Millerton, a small town in northeast Dutchess County. We'd read about Big W's and looked for it as we drove up Rt. 22 through Wingdale. Wingdale is, simply put, a dump. It hasn't been the same since the mid sixties when it was a thriving dump, bursting at the seams with institutionalized psychiatric patients at the state hospital. The massive red brick buildings are now empty and decaying, but Big W's sits across the road in small group of stores. There's no ambience at all, maybe even less than that, just a good array of meats and chicken, all smoked in the garage adjacent to the restaurant. It's plastic forks and paper plates and Warren, big W himself, a large, friendly and extending man who's willing to allow you to sample before you make your choice. We chose burnt ends of smoked brisket on a roll, one sandwich enough for the two of us. It won't get you thin, but we liked it. Warren sells meat to go by the pound as well, so you can bring some authentic barbeque home with you.
OVERALL RATING: Smokin'

DBGB Kitchen and Bar

Lower East Side
299 Bowery, between 1st and 2nd Street
212-933-5300
danielnyc.com

We were in the city to see Francois's show at the new Vagabond Gallery on the LES. One of us had recently eaten at DBGB, Daniel Boulud's new uptown/downtown space at the foot of the East Village. The space is in a new complex of apartment buildings and retail space but, once inside, you feel wrapped in New York, or maybe Zurich. The space is sleek concrete and glass, and dimly lit, creating a cool, urban ambience. The crowd varies from high heels and short skirts to jeans and flannel, and mostly young. The front bar room is filled with small tables, with the larger back room comprised of booths and recessed banquettes. The food is down scale in certain ways, with many burgers and sausages, but upscale in presentation and taste. We had a pretty iceberg lettuce slice with bleu cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced celery and bits of bacon seated on top, and a green cucumber soup to begin. Then a Frenchie burger on a brioche bun with arugula, and a pulled ham croque. A beer from Switzerland was very good. The German lager was a bit bitter and heavy, but it hardly detracted from a good time.
OVERALL RATING: Syllablelessly good.

Harvest Supper

Connecticut
15 Elm Street, New Canaan
203-966-5595

Reviewed again on 09/09/09: It was a rare weeknight out in the country, but nine years of bond is worth a rare weeknight out in the country. And then some. Harvest Supper wasn't very crowded, but that's only because of the economy, not because of the food, presentation, or service. The yellowtail tartare, the salad with bleu cheese, fresh figs, arugula, pine nuts and speck, and the salad with arugula, cherries, strawberries and blueberries were each excellent. The Amish chicken with creamy polenta was good, but exceeded by a bucatini Bolognese. The Sancerre was an excellent accompaniment, and Grace Lamb is such a gracious host. Happy anniversary us.
OVERALL RATING: 9 out of 10

Freshly reviewed on 06/27/08: We've been back to Harvest a few more times since our original review with many of our friends. Suffice it to say they are a motley crew. The food remains as it was -- small plates that are well conceived, professionally served and good tasting. Grace the owner has grace and charm and always wears killer shoes.
OVERALL RATING: Dine on Harvest soon

First reviewed on 04/11/08: Harvest Supper opened recently in New Canaan. We were excited to check it out, aware that its owners, Grace and Jack Lamb, own Jewel Bako and Degustation, both in the East Village. We've eaten at the former a few times and have enjoyed the experience immensely. The space at Harvest is a small dining room, nicely designed with red clubby wallpaper trimmed with a black ceiling and black framed windows, clubby New Canaan meets Japan. The atmosphere reflects thought and care. Every detail receives attention, beginning with a friendly, gracious welcome and well trained service throughout. This is a well oiled machine that manages to create a casual vibe, reflected in inventive dishes that are well conceived, well presented, and delicious. The plates and servings are small -- the idea is to order a few plates and share, and that's a good way to course through the menu. We had five plates and two desserts between us two, and liked everything. Arancia with peas and pea puree, and hanger steak with parsnip puree were standouts, but they received high competition for the honor. Harvest is presently BYO -- maybe that's why we were surprised at the check. We're happy to report there's now a little bit of New York downtown in staid New Canaan.
OVERALL RATING: Eat it and reap

Aloi

Connecticut
62 Main Street, New Canaan
203-966-4345
aloirestaurant.com

Freshly reviewed on 08/27/09: We've been to Aloi a few times this summer. It's nice to come off the commuter train and sit in the garden, eating pasta and chatting about work's stresses. But it used to be nicer. The food at Aloi, once fresh and inventive, now seems a bit routine and formulaic. It's still pretty good, like the tomato, buffalo mozzarella, and fried eggplant starter, with pesto and olive oil, but the pastas just don't have the zip of days gone by. Tonight, the best part of the meal, by far, was Z surprising us with a drive by. We are getting so recognizable.
OVERALL RATING: Zipless

Reviewed again on 05/11/07. This time we sat under an umbrella overlooking the street in Aloi's garden. It was a beautiful night. We started with salads of buffala mozzarella with tomatoes, arugula and pesto, and sliced artichokes with yellow tomatoes. All the ingredients were fresh and the attention paid to each dish by the kitchen was discernible. Entrees of garganelli with tomatoes and peas, and scallopini of swordfish, coated with Ligurian breadcrumbs and herbs, served with radicchio and arugula Milanese style were first rate. So was the conversation with Wala.
OVERALL RATING: Spring on the palate

First reviewed on 06/17/06: It's about time we found a restaurant outside the city we can endorse – it feels like it's been awhile. Restaurant Aloi is Northern Italian and endorsable. It sits in a cute building on Main Street in New Canaan, with many outside tables. We sat inside. It's noisy, but the menu is inventive and filled with fresh, seasonal ingredients. We had a salad of endive, nectarines, blueberries and shaved pecorino, and a sliced tomato reconstructed with layers of mozzarella to start. Entrees were osso buco with creamy polenta and tomato sauce; potato gnocchi with veal ragout and sage from the chef's garden; risotto with hot and sweet sausage and mushrooms; and red and yellow beet salad. Everyone enjoyed their meal. A tiramisu at the end wasn't a necessity, but who needs necessities?
OVERALL RATING: Very good

Jeffrey's

Connecticut
501 New Haven Avenue, Milford
203-878-1910
jeffreysofmilford.com

We drove up to Milford to Judy and Gabriel's house overlooking sea grasses and the bay. After basking in the late afternoon sun, drinking Sangria, we drove over to Jeffrey's. The architecture and build out of the space is very undistinguished, but if you look out the windows, you see a bog of sea grass with flocks of birds flying about. How bad is that? The food is good. We started with heirloom tomatoes with mozzarella, basil and balsamic drizzle, and crab cakes, then grilled salmon with asparagus and lobster risotto and sesame crusted ahi tuna. We finished with a chocolatey lava cake with coffee ice cream, and Gran Marnier short cake with mangoes. We liked all of it. Jeffrey's would make a good neighborhood place in any location.
OVERALL RATING: Great name

Tawa

Connecticut
211 Summer Street, Stamford
203-359-8978
tawaonline.com

We were in Stamford to see a movie and were recommended to Tawa by Chuck, a reader of the blog. It's Indian, and recently relocated to a street in downtown Stamford from another nearby location. There's a formal dining room on the second floor, and a Bread Bar on the street level, with seats at the bar, at small high tables, and at a second bar looking into the kitchen. We sat at the latter -- it seemed to be the warmest spot in a very air conditioned room. The decor was Indian flavored, and had that suburban, over done look we are not fond of. But the food was a different story. Each dish was inventive and distinctive in its flavor, not muddled the way Indian cooking can be. The flavors each stood on their own, and mixed well with each other. We had shrimp in a spicy red sauce, potato croquettes with curried chick peas, mint and Tamarind sauce, grilled corn on the cob, a bit less spiced than it might have been, tuna cakes with two sauces, and a mango salad. The croquettes in particular were terrific, as was a Nan bread, hot from the Tandoor oven and lightly oiled. The owner, JP, was friendly and extending. He needs less cooling and more customers.
OVERALL RATING: Cool

Valencia Luncheria

Connecticut
172 Main Avenue, Norwalk
203-846-8009
valencialuncheria.com

Freshly reviewed again on 08/16/09: We eat at Valencia Luncheria a lot. We really like it. So it's time to update this post. Valencia is so unsuburban in an unsuburban way. It's small, easy, inventive, moderately priced, and very good. It's owner, Michael Young, is into the work and is a sweet host. We're kind of addicted to the Aphrodite arepa, a combo of fresh mango and avocado on crunchy fried cornmeal bread. It goes perfectly with the green sauce offered on the table, a mix of olive oil and cilantro and who knows what else. The fruit batidos are delicious, a blend of fruit and ice, and who knows what else. Next time we drive over we'll remember our camera to post a better picture -- we forget it all the time.
OVERALL RATING: Urb in burb

Freshly reviewed on 07/03/08: We've eaten at Valencia Luncheria again for breakfast and lunch a few times recently and will gladly return for dinner. The food is terrific. We've had a regular egg sandwich and a few different arepas, an Aphrodite with mango and avocado, a crispy mushroom with ricotta, and a gorgonzola with Turkish apricots. The flavor mixes are well chosen -- we really liked each one. The space is quite East Village -- this is not a high production value restaurant, but if you want inventive, very well made food at very reasonable prices, this could become a repeat offender for you too.
OVERALL RATING: We love it

Originally reviewed on 10/20/05: We owe this one to our friend Kor. He makes frequent recommendations to this Blog, and is one of the best golfers we know. Valencia Luncheria is a neighborhood storefront with no more than six or seven tables. Its chef and owner has a resume built at two jazzier restaurants in South Norwalk. It's BYO, very inexpensive and minimal, and the arepas and other Venezuelan dishes are authentic and delicious. It's mostly open for breakfast and lunch, but early dinners are also served.
OVERALL RATING: Very good

Joseph Leonard

West Village
170 Waverly Place, and Grove Street
646-429-8383
josephleonard.com

Joseph and Leonard are the grandfathers of Gabriel Stulman who just proudly opened a restaurant in their names in the old Flor's Kitchen space. It's a small space, redone with a central bar where we comfortably waited, and surrounding tables on two levels. There are windows out to Waverly and Grove Streets, and antique mirrors throughout. It's a well conceived and well done design. The crowd is young with a downtown vibe -- the kind of crowd that makes you think Brooklyn may be influencing Manhattan, not a bad thing. The food is right on par with Little Owl and Market Table, two older sibling ventures. We began at the bar with an amuse bouche of cod with a red pepper relish, then had it again at the table, and not because we had to. Another starter, crab meat with a mustard horseradish sauce was able to take your breath away. Then an omelette with mushrooms and heirloom tomatoes, and a crisp pork hock that was salty and delicious. What the hock? The prices are moderate and there's little doubt this will be a hard place to get a seat in just a short bit of time.
OVERALL RATING: A grand opening

Victor's

Cape Cod
175 Bradford Street Extension, Provincetown
508-487-1777
victorsptown.com

On the ride to Victor's we beach hopped to check out beaches in Truro we hadn't been to. At Sand Road Beach we saw a herd of seals swimming along shore, poking their heads out of the water to check out the few people left on the beach. This encounter commenced a fun evening. The food at Victor's isn't to die for, but it's a pretty, bright space and definitely a good looking crowd interested in checking out who else was there. We ran into a work colleague for the second time that day, and friends of the people we were with. This makes Victor's a small world. The white cosmo with cranberries to start off with was a bit sweet and mediciney, but it was right medicine. A bunch of smallish plates ensued -- we could list them all but we suspect everything on the menu is pretty good, just a bit more pomp than circumstance. Hardly mattered. We had fun with Stewart and Sam. That's not unusual.
OVERALL RATING: Did you ever see a seal?

Devon's

Cape Cod
401 Commercial Street, Provincetown
508-487-4773
devons.org

Freshly reviewed on 07/31/09: It's becoming a yearly pilgrimage to Devon's with Stewart and Sam. And so close to where the Pilgrims landed. The small space has been graphically repainted by a local artist but the food remains untouched, except by happy palates. We began with smokey bluefish with potatoes and arugula, tomato and corn soup with shrimp, and a salad of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and pecorino cheese. Then striped bass with corn, bouillabaisse with hot peppers, an excellent salad of local field greens, and sole with asparagus. We liked all of it. We finished with a pot au creme and a sponge cake with lemon pudding, creme fraiche, and mixed berries. Delicious. Business was brisk, and with good reason.
OVERALL RATING: Divine

Originally reviewed on 07/12/08: When we read the menu at Devon's we joked about the number of adjectives used to describe the food. They could have merely used the word terrific over and over again. When we called the waiter on the wide use of modifiers, he admitted he was both the author and Devon. The space he's designed is a small cottage, minimal and on the main drag in Provincetown, a hamlet with many drags. We began with an excellent arugula salad with strawberries and toasted almonds, an excellent caesar salad, and yes, terrific risotto with bacon and peas, along with a soup of the day, also well received. Then a bouillabaisse, nicely browned halibut with spinach and quinoa, and a pork chop with peaches and walnuts. The Argentinian Malbec went well with all of it, and a chocolate tart and a strawberry and rhubarb cobbler finished us up. The company, the food, the conversation, and the beaches we sat on earlier in the day were all, yes, yes, yes, terrific.
OVERALL RATING: Truroly terrific.

Winslow's Tavern

Cape Cod
316 Main Street, Wellfleet
508-349-6450
winslowstavern.com

The morning had been sunny but the afternoon was rapidly becoming overcast. We decided to cast about for lunch and drove over to Wellfleet to see if we could find any shrinks. We found two salads at Winslow's as we sat on a patio overlooking the narrow street winding through the town. The salads were better than acceptable but less than memorable. How did we feel about that?
OVERALL RATING: OK

Blackfish

Cape Cod
17 Truro Center Road
508-349-3399

We drove and drove and drove and drove and drove to Truro. We arrived around 8pm, in time to watch a beautiful sunset, and then headed over to Blackfish. Blackfish is located in what appears to be a house in a former life, with a bar area, a high ceilinged room just off of it, and a glass enclosed, plant surrounded room beyond. The crowd was a mix of young and old, mostly young, and crowded. The food was terrific. We began with a tuna carpaccio and a heaping bowl of mussels in a smoked bacon, tomato, cilantro and jalapeno broth, then a tuna Bolognese over papardelle with a dab of mascarpone, and panko crusted sole with tiny asparagus shoots and pureed cauliflower. The tuna pasta was a bit salty and rich, but everything else was just fine. We had a glass of local chardonnay and a non-local New Zealand sauvignon blanc. The food was too good to miss dessert so we shared a raspberry polenta with a dab of cream, vanilla sorbet, and a tart raspberry puree. Delicious. The service and staff were friendly and professional and we loved our waitress's pompadour.
OVERALL RATING: Black is beautiful

SoNo Baking Company and Cafe

South Norwalk
101 S. Water Street
203-847-SONO
sonobaking.com

Freshly reviewed on July 4th, 2009: We wanted to buy dessert for a 4th party tomorrow, and happened to be near SoNo. The Baking Company is a resource when you're near SoNo. We've been in many times since our first review, have eaten breakfast and lunch there, and have often bought their baked goods. They produce on a consistently high level. And, they taste good doing it.
OVERAL RATING: Top shelf

Originally reviewed on October 15, 2005: Skip this review if you're on the Atkins Diet. If not, the problem is going to be what to eat. Everything we've had so far was excellent. We haven't sampled any of the sandwiches yet, but the pastries are amazing, and the bread is, well -- it's as good as it gets outside of the city… and in. The space is allocated towards production, not dining. But take some carbs and run.
OVERALL RATING: Excellent

Sarah's Wine Bar

Connecticut
20 West Lane, Ridgefield
203-438-8282
bernardsridgefield.com

Sarah's Wine Bar is up the stairs at Bernard's, a rather fancy French restaurant in Ridgefield. We expected small and cozy, but found a rather large space, dark and decorated in the traditional McMansion suburban style. Crate and Barrel s'il vous plait. We occupied a corner table and sat on a banquet next to each other, affording a full view of the clientele as the space filled. There was a heaping portion of patrons, but it wasn't exactly eye candy. The food, however, was very good. We began with a simple green salad, extremely well dressed, much better than the patrons, and a bowl of fried calamari with a piquant red dipping sauce. Two for two. Then we each had a small plate of orange and rosemary lamb stew with creamy polenta, and we both really liked it. A Cotes du Rhone and a fragrant Hendrick's gin and tonic eased us into the July 4th weekend, and a thin apple tart with vanilla ice cream and candied fennel was a stark contrast to the waistlines surrounding us. We managed to negotiate the stairs down despite the Cotes du Rhone and Hendrick's.
OVERALL RATING: Fine casual French

Coromandel Indian Bistro

Connecticut
86 Washington St, South Norwalk
203-852-1213
coromandelcuisine.com

We were meeting Sammy and Jen for dinner and, at their recommendation, tried Coromandel which defines itself as an Indian bistro. The service was gracious -- Sammy was recognized as a fellow SoNo merchant and treated with great welcome. We just tagged along for the ride. We began with an amuse bouche from the chef, a plate of dosas, Indian crepes with accompanying sauces, and then a variety of dishes including chicken tikka masala, okra with onions and tomatoes, grilled shrimp with almond paste, naan breads, mango chutney,and more. And more. We over ordered, but who knew? The conversation ranged from global problems to global hopes. We hope we see Sam and Jen again soon.
OVERALL RATING: Good Indian fare

Osetra Restaurant

Connecticut
124 South Washington Street, South Norwalk
203-354-4488
www.osetrasono.com

We were meeting Kelly and Joe for dinner and just couldn't decide on a place. We walked by Osetra and then walked in. It's a suburban styled space in the heart of Sono that can't really decide on it's look. The waitresses wear baseball jerseys with the restaurant's name on them, but the food is better than ballpark. Considerably. We had tuna tartare soft tacos, a pea risotto made with yoghurt, roasted beets with bleu cheese, curried crab salad, and a skate wing. Some were good, some drew raves. We finished with a good plum tart tatin that couldn't keep up with the four forks. The chef has a strong Boston resume, and his brother, who serves and hosts, has a logo O tattooed on his arm. They'd better not change the name.
OVERALL RATING: Worth a second look

Ye Waverly Inn

West Village
16 Bank Street, corner of Waverly Place
no phone

Reviewed again on April 11, 2009: Pascale and Michael were in from Zurich and wanted to hit a New York hot spot. Some place that requires a password to gain entry, where the scene is the draw. So we went back to the Waverly Inn. The drinks, the wine, and the mac'n cheese with truffles were all expensive as hell, but the food was, as usual, good, and the vibe was happening.
OVERALL RATING: We saw Hugh Grant

Freshly reviewed on September 30, 2008: Wynn was in town and we wanted a place that was happening, as well as a good meal, so we walked over to Ye Waverly Inn a few days before and made a reservation -- they like to eyeball you before deciding whether or not you can reserve a table. Normally, we wouldn’t endorse this behavior, but we kind of like the challenge. There's a small bar room at the entrance where we drank and chatted and absorbed the charged atmosphere -- it's a see and be seen crowd, with many tables reserved by publicists for whoever is in town. They take care of their own just like we take care of Wynn. We had salad and soup and tuna tartare with avocado to begin, then crisp roasted chicken with root vegetables, all quite good, as they had been on an earlier visit. A Waverly lemonade with gin was a sassy lubricant. Dessert included a pedestrian apple crisp and the excellent chèvre cheesecake to finish. When we left at eleven, the joint was still hopping.
OVERALL RATING: Sean Penn was there

Originally reviewed on March 18, 2007: We'd heard all the good and bad about the recently reopened Ye Waverly Inn. That it was snobby and pretentious, hard to get in, with a simple menu of well prepared food. We walked by in the late afternoon on our way home and made a reservation for a few hours later. We were offered a table in the main room. It looked clubby and dark, so we opted for the back room which is glass enclosed with a gas burning fire. The end of day light lit it brightly. The food was very good. We had tuna tartare with avocado and frisee, and roasted beets with crumbled Humboldt goat cheese to start. Then Amish chicken roasted crisp with earthy mushrooms, and smoked trout served on a cedar plank with whole, lightly roasted carrots. And a side of sauteed spinach. Hard to say which was the best -- they all competed for first place. We felt obliged to try a dessert -- the Vermont chevre cheese cake was smooth and creamy, and a good way to fulfill an obligation. The space is undoubtedly unchanged from years gone by -- in the daylight it was borderline seedy. But when the lights go down, your tongue can't see, and what it said was all good.
OVERALL RATING: A new favorite

Bobo

West Village
181 West 10th Street, corner of 7th Avenue
212-488-2626
bobonyc.com

Bobo sits on a West Village corner in an unmarked townhouse. You'd hardly know it was there. But once you've eaten there, that becomes part of the caché. We ate in the Den, the subterranean room that you enter. It's a dimly lit, old world space with a bar, candlelit tables, and high tables with stools. It has a comfortable but elegant, hip, speakeasy feel. The food feels delicious, and that's the point. We ate off both the Den and upstairs dining room menu, beginning with a winter vegetable salad with Brussel sprouts and fennel, and a spinach salad with smokey bacon and sharp red onion. A chile powdered margarita and a sweet and tart Reisling were excellent accompaniments. The potato gnocchi with mint was moan inducing and the bricked chicken with very crisp fries was right on par. The yogurt cheesecake to finish was more like a creme brulée than a cake but who cared? It tasted great. For us, this was a really fine find. We appreciate the tip that led us to try it.
OVERALL RATING: Gogo!!

Basso Cafe

Connecticut
124 New Canaan Avenue, Norwalk
203-354-6566
bassobistrocafe.com

They were sweet at Basso Cafe. The hostess genuinely seemed interested in making sure our stay and our meal were satisfactory. They were. Unpretentious from the outside, Basso is nicely done inside, simple but small and pretty. The food is Mediterranean and Venezuelan and ranged from good to considerably better. Ian really liked the beef empanadas, and the rest of us had tuna sashimi with mango, striped bass, and eggplant parmigiana. The rigatoni with lamb was alright and the bricked chicken was good, but they apparently misplaced the brick, seeming more grilled or otherwise fired than crisply seared. But the desserts were good, and it's BYOB presently so if we didn't like the wine we'd only have ourselves to blame.
OVERALL RATING: Good

Dunville's

Connecticut
41 Saugatuck Avenue, Westport
203-227-0511
dunvilles.com

It was a cloudy, cool and damp day. Not ideal for gardening, but that's what was on the to do list this weekend, so off to Gilbertie's Nursery we drove. We needed some cold weather lettuces and greens, and bags of manure. We were hungry when we left with a loaded car, so we stopped at Dunville's for lunch. Dunville's is a run down bar and restaurant in the Saugatuck section of Westport. It's extremely informal and the decor ranks a zero on a one to ten scale. The food kept pace. We had shrimp cocktail that was only half way along in the process of metamorphisizing from vulcanized rubber to actual food, and a turkey sandwich with Swiss cheese and cole slaw on grilled Pumpernickel bread that had completely completed its demoisturizing cycle. The potato skins filled with bacon and two types of cheese were actually tasty, and, at $6.95 quite a bargain, considering they came with their own couch, statin prescription and cardiologist. We're sure we'll finish digesting in time for harvest.
OVERALL RATING: Done

Wilfie & Nell

West Village
228 West 4th Street, between 7th Avenue and West 10th Street
212-242-2990
wilfieandnell.com

We watched Wilfie & Nell open a couple of months ago, but have found it hard to get in -- every time we walk in, it's jammed, wall to wall. Tonight we walked over early and had an easy, relaxed meal. Wilfie & Nell is a bar more than a restaurant, with communal tables on the periphery, and in niches here and there, along with bar stools scattered about by brick pillars and, of course, a bar. The walls are exposed brick, the lighting is antiqued and dimmed, the crowd is young, and the food and drink makes for the draw. We had Berkshire pork sliders with pickles and grainy mustard, a Gruyere and corned beef grilled cheese with the same mustard, an Irish salad with hard boiled egg, arugula, and real bacon bits, the healthy kind. For liquid refreshment we had a Cotes du Rhone and a spicy Margarita that was very good. And we ended with some fries to wash down the liquid. Easy and relaxed.
OVERALL RATING: Really quite swell

Kevin's

Red Hook, Brooklyn
277A Van Brunt Street
718-596-8335
mooreparties.com

We didn't go to Kevin's with Kevin. Brooklyn's just not his thing. But we were headed over to the Brooklyn Flea and it was time for breakfast, and we'd heard about Kevin's being a good place to have it. Kevin's in Florida today but Kevin's is in Red Hook in a quite unpolished space holding about eight tables, a bar area for eating (Kevin's is BYOB), and a relatively large kitchen space, mostly open and back lit by a glass block wall. But if any of this sounds designed, it isn't. This is Red Hook au naturel. Breakfast was very good. The OJ was fresh, the large pot of coffee was pressed, the omelette was good, and the blackberry pancakes were a combination of airy and luscious. Really. Breakfast for two was under $25.
OVERALL RATING: Try dem pancakes!

Cabrito

West Village
50 Carmine Street, between Bleecker and Bedford Streets
212-929-5050
cabritonyc.com

Cabrito needs your help. They opened a few months ago with a pink plastic resin goat, a cabrito, hanging above the door. It's missing. Someone stole the goat. We're sympathetic to victims, so we ate there. Cabrito is Mexican, sort of, but spicy certainly. We had cabrito, of course -- it was roasted and tasty -- along with a ceviche with shrimp, tamarind seeds and jalapenos, a green salad with watercress and jalapenos, Brussel sprouts baked and fried in a hot sauce, and a mushroom stew. Our mouths were fiery, but our palates were cooled by a few Sandias, a house cocktail combining tequila, Campari, lime and watermelon juice. It doesn't get easier than a Sandia. We sat at the bar with a friendly bartender and an owner looking for a goat.
OVERALL RATING: Not baaaaaaad

Porchetta

East Village
110 East 7th Street, between First Ave and Avenue A
212-777-2151
porchettanyc.com

We'd follow Sara Jenkins anywhere. After stints at I Coppi, Patio Dining and 50 Carmine, she's opened her own place, although place overstates it. Porchetta is a hole in the East Village wall, with perhaps six seats but with a customer flow that results in them running out of food by mid afternoon almost daily. It's pig, roasted with salt, pepper and her favorite, fennel pollen, sliced onto a small ciabetta roll or served on a plate. There are sides of potatoes roasted with crunchy bits of the pork ends, and usually a green or other side depending on what the market has that day. The pork skin crackles when bitten, and this is not a dish for vegans -- the pork is, by nature, fatty but in that lies its flavor. These little piggies fly out of the shop. The neighborhood's stoops have become a picnic table.
OVERALL RATING: Pork Picnic

Frankie's 457 Spuntino

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
457 Court Street, Corner of 4th Place
718-403-0033
frankiesspuntino.com

Freshly reviewed on 03/01/09: We drove out to Brooklyn just before the snow began. It was kind of a spur of the moment spuntino sort of thing. Frankie's 457 was filling up with locals as we arrived, so we took two seats at the bar. The feel is comfortable and worn, like your favorite old shoe. We began with two very fresh and well flavored salads, one with Brussel sprout shavings, Feta cheese and lemon, the other with shaved fennel and celery root, parsley and red onion. It was hard to decide which we liked more. Then, homemade gnocchi with tomato sauce and a dollop of ricotta, and linguini with garlic and olive oil. We shared a carafe of a pleasant house red that was priced completely in line with the current economic picture. We decided to try dessert, so had a slice of light ricotta cheesecake, and stewed prunes in swirl of custard over a red wine sauce. It was snowing by the time we restarted the car.
OVERALL RATING: Still very good

Originally reviewed on 11/27/05: Frankie's 457 Spuntino is the kind of place that makes you want to keep eating – everything is good so you don't want to stop. We had brunch there – the bread was terrific, the sandwiches were made with fresh, well prepared ingredients, and the frittata and broccoli rabe were a hit. The space is exposed brick, high tin ceiling, and seats an eclectic Brooklyn crowd. There's a bar in front, and a garden out back. But what the hell's a spuntino?
OVERALL RATING: Very good

Savoy

SoHo
70 Prince Street, and Crosby Street
212-219-8570
savoynyc.com

Savoy is an old favorite. It's green, seasonal, and was the site of one of our early dates. Over the years it has spun off staff who've opened some other favorites of ours, including the Grocery and Rosewater in Brooklyn. We were running errands in Soho and decided to stop in for a late lunch. We sat in the downstairs bar area by a large window facing Prince Street. The walkers by provided good eye candy. The Winter Cosmos with peach vodka, Drambuie and lime provided excellent mood candy. The food was so so. We shared a burger that was flavorful, but the accompanying fries could've stood a hit of Viagra. What's worse than a limp fry? But the grilled bread with white bean, potato, and red pepper dips was good. A shot of espresso and we were back on the road.
OVERALL RATING: Stiff view

Five Leaves

Greenpoint Brooklyn
18 Bedford Avenue, corner of Lorimer Street
718-383-5345
fiveleavesny.com

Reviewed again on 02/16/09: We've been to Five Leaves twice already so we've got three leaves left. We're going to savor each one of them. We went out to Greenpoint by car with Jessie, got a little lost, but arrived in time to squeeze into a small table. We shared celery root mash, the roasted beet and blood orange salad again, Brussel sprouts, crisped, well seasoned pork ribs again, and ravioli with ricotta and blood oranges. We left nothing on the plates. We found room for two desserts and liked them. The joint was hopping on a President's Day Monday night.
OVERALL RATING: Terrific

Originally reviewed on 02/01/09: The Super Bowl just didn't capture our interest so we drove out to Red Hook to Ikea, and then to Five Leaves in Greenpoint, a scruffy suburb of Williamsburg. Five Leaves is Australian in descent, and Heath Ledger was a partner in the venture. The small triangular space was designed by the same people who did Moto in Williamsburg -- it looks old and industrial rough. The food looks surprisingly stylish -- each dish is pretty on the plate -- and better on the tongue. We had Devils on Horseback, dates wrapped in bacon and a sharp Dijon mustard for dipping, a fresh salad of arugula, roasted beets, blood orange sections, macadamia nuts and a yogurt drizzle, prosciutto with fennel and pomegranate, crisp pork ribs with apple slaw, and crisp roasted chicken with hen of the woods mushrooms, Swiss chard, and potato gratin. We loved each and every dish. They were inventive, well conceived and well prepared. Glasses of a Rhone and a Loire kept pace with the food, and we finished with a Pavlova, a crunchy meringue with whipped cream, passion fruit and kiwi. The service was friendly and attentive. Man, was this good.
OVERALL RATING: Hated to Leave

Fat Cat Pie Co.

Connecticut
9-11 Wall Street, Norwalk
203-523-0389
fatcatpie.com

It was a circuitous route to Fat Cat. We had a reservation at Goccia, the Aloi spinoff in South Norwalk. Goccia, unfortunately, was missing an essential element in the plan. Oh, they had our reservation, they just had no staff. The restaurant was close to filled but no one had food on their table. Everyone was waiting for something -- the same thing -- a waiter! Eddie and Linda had recently had a good meal at Fat Cat so off we four went. Fat Cat's located in a section of Norwalk that's somewhere's between pre-gentrification and refurbished, in a building that was perhaps a department store before being gutted down to exposed brick and high ceilings. It's a large, open space with a big circular bar and tables scattered throughout, with noise bouncing cacaphonously around the hard surfaces. Conversation is possible, however, and they actually have waiters. Who are friendly! The menu is salads and pizzas, with ingredients listed for your construction, then consumption. The pies are thin and crunchy, the salads are heaping and fresh, and the beer and wine list is excellent and very fairly priced -- this is a forte of Fat Cat. The owners own wine stores in Norwalk and Bedford Hills. The butterscotch pudding to close was delicious.
OVERALL RATING: A good backup plan

Ahimsa

Connecticut
1227 Chapel Street, New Haven
203-786-4774
ahimsainc.com

Freshly reviewed on 02/07/09: We left the chilled city to chill a little in Wilton. Then decided to drive up to New Haven on our world wide Ikea tour. We ate lunch at Ahimsa with fond memories. Sometimes you can't go home again. Everything, from the spiced peanuts to the pan fried dumplings, was sodium infused. We're talking hypertension. We remembered fresh and delicious, but the experience was oceanic.
OVERALL RATING: Salty

Originally reviewed on 09/03/07: We read a review about Ahimsa in the New York Times and just had to go check it out. It's sort of a department store redo right near the Yale campus, but their focus is not on their space -- it's upon your space, your inner space, and their organic, vegetarian orthodoxy puts a scrumptious, healthy taste right where they focus. The food here is organic, raw, vegan and kosher -- ever have that before? We had mangos mixed with mint and avocado -- luscious, light, raw unfried samosas with cauliflower, peas and nuts chopped into a chutney, a tomato tarte with mild onions, and pot stickers. Everything was fresh and superb and uniquely spiced. The mango lassi and tea we drank was on par. The service was gracious and friendly, and can you believe the cooking is done by an 18 year old? Ahimsa means non-injury in Sanskrit. Clearly, they meant us no harm.
OVERALL RATING: Yummy

Braeburn

West Village
117 Perry Street, corner of Greenwich Street
212-255-0696
braeburnrestaurant.com

We called Braeburn around 2 p.m. for an 8 o'clock reservation. Nope, they said, only 6:30 or 10 -- the typical New York response. At 6:30, Braeburn was an old age home with few residents. By eight, it was close to full, but the couple we ran into as we walked out, Kristie and Brian, walked in without a reservation and were seated. The space is nicely redone from its prior incantation as Voyage, but just a tad bit every thing in its place. The staff was friendly, the menu was interesting, and the food was good, but the whole experience was more destination than neighborhood. We had trout with frisee, braised rabbit pasta with bitter greens and mint, short rib pot au feu, loin of lamb with chickpea stew, and a side of spaetzle. No wonder we were stuffed. The banana pudding was 2/3 cream, 1/3 banana. A couple of drinks each--it was Saturday night -- and the bill ran to $85 per person. Will this price point survive a post bonus world on Tuesday nights?
OVERALL RATING: Not quite

Etats-Unis

Upper East Side
242 East 81st Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
212-517-8826
etatsunisrestaurant.com

Fredda called this shot. She's quite a call girl. Etats-Unis is a small place, with no more than 12 tables but with food that is no less than distinguished. We were in agreement that we wanted to walk out unstuffed after dinner, so the three of us shared two appetizers, two entrees and a dessert. We loved everything. Burrata mozzarella over arugula with ripe cherry tomatoes, bibb lettuce with poached pear, gorgonzola and hazelnuts, rack of lamb with pureed parsnip, and a very light meatloaf with stewed tomatoes and weightless mashed potatoes, were all delicious. And the date pudding with whipped cream was even better. A nice Malbec contributed to the good mood. Expensive, but we are feeling better about being Americans this inaugural week.
OVERALL RATING: State of the art

Marlow & Sons

Williamsburg
81 Broadway, near Berry Street
718-384-1441
marlowandsons.com

Freshly reviewed on 01/23/09: It was a warmish night in the city -- not warm, but comparatively so. We took the L to Brooklyn and walked along Bedford Street to Marlow's. It's a nice spot for bricked chicken, this time made quite well compared to our first visit. Originally salty, tonight's bird was the size of a ground hog and tasted better. Although how would we know? It was very crisp on the skin and moist on the meat. Excellent roasted squash accompanied it, both in an au jus liquid. It was a winner. So were the nutty, spicey arugula salads to start, with fresh orange sections and parmigiana shavings, and the raviolo with ricotta and pine nuts. The chocolate tart with sea salt was also better this time, and we had enough of it to inspire a walk home across the Williamsburg Bridge. Didn't see a ground hog or it's shadow. We were so stuffed we couldn't even see our feet.
OVERALL RATING: Wish it was in our neighborhood

Originally reviewed on 11/3/07: We headed out on the L train again for Williamsburg to Marlow's. It's a small, hip place, a market and restaurant combo next door to Diner, its sister operation. The ambience is neighborhood and edgy, dark, funky and old world, the kind of place that attracts locals to unhurriedly sit at the bar and chat, drink, and eat, a rarity on the other side of the river. We began with a potato tortilla, a potato pie that tasted of potato and the egg that bound it, and cardoons, a celery like root, with oil, and more oil, and cheese. We enjoyed both. Then a bricked chicken that was a bit salty -- bricked perhaps with a slice of Lot's wife? -- and a striped bass over a melange of greens and beans. Both were good, but not more than that. We finished with a slice of chocolate caramel tarte, the sweetness offset barely by a creative sprinkling of sea salt. The cardamon gin fizz to start was inventive, and the glasses of red wine were good. So was the service.
OVERALL RATING: Atmospherically unchallenged.

Egg

Williamsburg
135 N 5th Street, between Berry St and Bedford Ave
(718) 302-5151
pigandegg.com

We drove out to Williamsburg in snow showers to go to the Brooklyn Flea and have breakfast at Egg. Egg is reputed to be the best breakfast in the city and who are we to argue? The look in this small space is flung-together simple, with rows of card tables and old schoolhouse chairs. Everybody looks Brooklyn downtown, and there were many young families, seated and waiting to be. Everything here is organic and local and good. We had fresh juice, eggs with grits and bacon, oatmeal with almonds and cranberries, and a caramelized grapefruit. The hash brown potatoes were a cross between a latke, in composition, and a kemosa, in shape. A Jewish Indian, like Tonto. The coffee was French pressed despite there being not one ironed pleat in the place. Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen provided the sound effects.
OVERALL RATING: Eggcellent!

Devi

Flatiron District
8 E 18th Street, between 5th Avenue and Broadway
212-691-1300
devinyc.com

Friends told us about Devi when they visited New York a while ago. Coming from Bern, we're still not sure how they heard about it, but they liked eating there very much and made it a point to point us in that direction. It was a night when one of us clearly wasn't in the mood for Indian food, so we decided to do it. The mood changed. Devi is a draped, embellished and stylized space. The ceilings are high, in the Flatiron mode. The menu allows for personally constructed tastings, so we shared one involving two courses, a side and a dessert. We left happily stuffed after Kashmiri mushrooms, chicken kababs with chutney, excellently spiced tandoori lamb, tandoori prawns with okra, Indian slaw, and aloo paneer, potatos with spinach. Desserts were a mango cheesecake and a yogurt with orange slices and candied ginger. We liked it all. We toasted Susanna and Roland with a Mumbai margarita and a good Cote du Rhone. Thank you!
OVERALL RATING: Very good

I Sodi

105 Christopher Street, just west of Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014
212-414-5774

It had been a very long day and the temperature outside only allowed for a short walk, so we walked over to I Sodi. It's a small, railroad car space with a mysterious sliding door from the vestibule into the restaurant, and a bar running its length where we sat for dinner. The staff was friendly and engaging, and there was nary an empty seat. We began with an excellent minestrone soup with roasted chickpeas, and a fresh shaved artichoke and parmigiana salad. Then a large half portion of risotto, and charred, baked lasagna with meat sauce. We liked all of it, including the breads from a Brooklyn bakery, accompanied by an quartino of La Grola Allegrini. Except for wanting to bash each other over the head with the quartino, it was a pleasant experience with a West Village feel.
OVERALL RATING: A goody

Yerba Buena

East Village
23 Avenue A, and 2nd Street
212-529-2919
yerbabuenanyc.com

Go get surprised at Yerba Buena. We weren't, because Eric told us how good it is. It is. It's a small space in the East Village, with an attempt at polish, and a good attempt it is. The food needs no attempting. Nor do the inventive cocktails. We had a few -- picante tequila with cucumber, cilantro, lime juice and jalapeno, and enrosed gin with prickly pear puree and some lime -- accompanied by spicy guacamole. Then a pretty and excellently fresh salad of jicama, avocado, jalapeno, and tomato, and a ceviche of hamachi and roasted corn. And then a lechon, shredded roasted pig in two sauces, and soft, smooth fish tacos. We were on a roll so, being Swiss, we had the chocolate fondue for dessert, with bananas, strawberries, donut strips, and more. We stopped only because we didn't want to make fools of ourselves. The service was very friendly, welcoming and efficient.
OVERALL RATING: Viva Buena!

Shake Shack (Upper West Side)

Upper West Side
366 Columbus Avenue, at 77th Street
shakeshacknyc.com

We used to like going to the Shake Shack when it first opened as a Danny Meyer experiment in a kiosk in Madison Park a few summers ago. The brisket and beef burgers were delicious, the hot dogs and fries were tasty, the shakes were like those from a counter somewhere in your youth, and it was unique sitting at outdoor tables in the park with mice scurrying around your feet. Those were the old days. This spin off has the look and feel of a fast food restaurant and the quality of a formula gone awry. The burgers were good enough, but the fries were crinkle cut like the ones you can buy in a frozen bag, and the dogs were a combo of undercooked Sabrett's with very hot spices in one bite, rock hard pickles in the next. Oh Danny boy, where have you gone?
OVERALL RATING: McShack

Snack Taverna

West Village
63 Bedford Street, at Morton Street
212-929-3499

Newly reviewed for takeout on 01/06/09: We haven't been back to Snack Taverna since our original review. But we have them over to our place regularly. The rosemary chicken travels so well. It's one of our favorite chicken dishes in the city, and this is a big city. The roasted beet and bean and Greek salads are also terrific, and rice pudding is a helluva way to finish. But we're not done with them yet.
OVERALL RATING: Very good

Originally reviewed on 04/16/06: We walked into Snack Taverna at 8pm without a reservation and were immediately seated at a cute table by the window in the corner. By 9pm the place was packed. It's no wonder – the food is very good. We started with tzatziki – a combination of yogurt, cucumber and garlic. It spread well on pita bread. The red beet, watercress and butter bean salad was excellent, topped by a dab of skordalia – a paste of potato, garlic lemon juice and olive oil. The lamb stifado, braised with onions tomatos and yogurt was a bit sweet for a sweetaphobe, but the roasted rosemary chicken was superb – crispy salty and herbed on the outside, moist and flavorful within. The service was friendly and the place has a nice, clean, west village look. The Greek wines? We’re betting even Aristotle drank Italian or French.
OVERALL RATING: Good

Year End Summary 08

As less a tradition than a habit, we are sending our shrinkwrap-up for the past year. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions and ask you to leave us comments on theShrinkwrapper.com. You can post comments to each post, initiate a dialog with others, or click on a link to send us an email. May 2009 be a well fed and healthy one. Happy New Year from the employees, staff, independent contractors, and feed bag assistants at The Shrinkwrapper.

BEST SUBURBAN RESTAURANT THAT COULD
EASILY BE IN THE EAST VILLAGE: Valencia Luncheria
BEST PETROLEUM DERIVATIVE: Bereket
BEST FOOD AT A WINE BAR: Gottino
BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PLACE, AT LEAST FOR US: Perilla
BEST PIZZA: Apizz
BEST SWISS HERE, NOT THERE: Cafe Select
BEST CELEBRITY SIGHTING: Ye Waverly Inn
BEST BEACH EXPERIENCE: Devon's
HOSTESS WITH THE BEST SHOES: Grace Lamb at Harvest Supper
BEST SOUTH OF DELAWARE: Michael's Genuine
BEST SPECIAL OCCASIONS: Wallsé and The Schoolhouse

Gottino

West Village
52 Greenwich Avenue, near Perry Street
212-633-2590
gottinonyc.com

Freshly reviewed on 01/03/09: We had another flight to catch so we ate at Gottino. We think they're connected to the FAA. They're also connected to a good chef, Jodie Williams. Apparently she's a frequent flier. The brussel sprouts with walnuts are terrific, so was the Pugliese, shredded broccoli rabe with pork sausage on a crostini. The porchetta, sliced roasted pork, is always good, and the frittada with egg and potato was as well. Gottino is a wine bar, so the Primitivo and the Chianti Classico were both good. Come fly with us.
OVERALL RATING: Upgraded

Originally reviewed on 11/09/08: One of us had to catch a plane so we wanted a quick, light and early meal. It was early enough to qualify as yesterday. We walked over to Gottino, a small wine bar with accompanying small plates. Man, the plates taste good there. So does the food. A bar for chatting, drinking and eating runs almost its narrow length, with a few small tables in the rear. We had a glass of a dry white that really wasn't, and a very good Primitivo. Three small plates followed some nibbling on the walnuts and hazelnuts left with a nut cracker on the table -- brussel sprouts with pecorino and other walnuts, sliced porchetta with well seasoned, drizzled olive oil, and polenta baked with Bolognese sauce. We really liked all of it. We'll be back.
OVERALL RATING: Go!

Apizz

Lower East Side
217 Eldridge Street, near Stanton Street
212-253-9199
apizz.com

Freshly reviewed on 01/02/09: It was a Swiss gathering in an Italian restaurant with Spanish music. The setting is warm, the lights yellow and dim, the conversation can be heard, the service is friendly, and the food is good. Is there more? The cocktails featured blood oranges, the salads were fresh, the pizzas were excellent and so were the risottos. The honey braise of the short ribs with gnocchi made the dish a tad too sweet, but that hardly detracted from the overall experience. The Primitivo more than made up for it. We talked almost until breakfast. With tax and tip, about $80 per person.
OVERALL RATING: Glowing

Originally reviewed on 9/27/08: There's a warm glow to Apizz. The wood oven they use for cooking is supplemented by lighting which infuses the open kitchen into the room. Everything looks fire lit, a setting especially attractive as the days shorten and the temperature drops. The food is Italian, and very good. We began with an excellent bread served with ricotta and an excellent pomodoro sauce. Then a margharita pizza with fresh basil, and funghi with polenta baked with a meat broth creating a creamy, earthy flavor. A dish of shrimp with chorizo in garlicked oil was a good foil for the bread left from the start, and lasagna with braised wild boar was very good. The service was warm, friendly and attentive, and the red wines by the glass, a Super Tuscan and a Valpolicella were good accompaniments. All in all, the kind of experience we look forward to repeating. Good call Fredda.
OVERALL RATING: Awinna

Dressler

Williamsburg, Brooklyn
149 Broadway, near the Williamsburg Bridge
718-384-6343
dresslernyc.com

Freshly reviewed on 01/01/09: We wanted to take Inge for a good Brooklyn meal so we met Danielle and took the two subways to Dressler. It's across the street from Peter Luger's, and considerably more hip. And while the steak is undoubtedly a notch down, the rest of the menu stands on its own. We had artichoke hearts, veal ragout pasta with ricotta, and a fresh green salad to begin, then a lamb loin with potato galette, hanger steak, braised cod with root vegetables, and seared bay scallops. We liked them all. And the slow roasted apple tart to finish was a real gem. It went fast. The pomegranate martini was very drinkable so we did, twice, and the Cotes du Rhone was typically good. The dark, in some ways embellished room was a good backdrop for our conversation and the friendly service. About $65 per person with tax and tip.
OVERALL RATING: Very good

First reviewed on 10/21/07: Dressler is all that we love about Brooklyn eating. And more. The space is dark, but with a warm glow, and a look that, whether liked or not, is unique. The crowd covers the entire spectrum, as does this borough -- all ages, backgrounds, and looks. The staff is friendly, the house drinks are inventive, and man, the food is good. It's a sister restaurant to another Brooklyn favorite of ours, Dumont. Both have simple menus with foods prepared very well. We started with fresh house salmon, seated tastefully on a potato galette, with creme fraiche, arugula, and frisee. The galette's crispness was a great accompaniment to the salmon's silkiness. And a raviolitini with peas and fontina, each flavor distinct, blending with it's companion. Then a salty, grilled pork rib with braised red cabbage and spaetzle, and halibut with early Fall vegetables despite it being a balmy evening. We so wanted to have dessert but we had no place to put it. They forced us to have two delicious chocolate biscotti's, the bastards.
OVERALL RATING: Terrificler

Dressing Room

Connecticut
25 Powers Ct, Westport
203-226-1114
dressingroomhomegrown.com

Freshly updated on 12/27/08: We were in the country and wanted to take Inge someplace she hadn't been, someplace where we could experience a casual setting, comfortable surroundings, and good food. Someplace where we wouldn't have to get dressed to go to dinner. So we went to the Dressing Room. The setting is sort of farmhouse chic, the menu slants to local and seasonal, and you can dress up or down. The food was pretty dressed up. We had 'Millstone' salads to begin, with pear and parmigiana slices, from Millstone Farms in Wilton. Then four entrees that were very liked -- a chicken pot pie, a burger, baby back ribs, and meatloaf -- and one that just wasn't -- a striped bass in a sweet glaze. No room left for dessert, but the Malbec was a nice accompaniment to the food. With some other drinks, the tab amounted to about $60 per person. We liked the food and seeing WALA.
OVERALL RATING: Quite good

Originally reviewed on 01/26/07: The Dressing Room is co-owned by Paul Newman and is sequestered behind the Westport Playhouse. If you didn't know where it was, you wouldn't know where it is. It is a stylish place, nicely redone in a Ralph Lauren lodge kind of way, open and barn like with rustic high beams supporting a dimly lit A-frame ceiling. A stone fireplace contributes to the warm ambiance, and a flat screen TV at the bar plays loops of Paul Newman movies. The menu tilts towards organic, green market and local, all things we like. The food is good (like the pot roast), sometimes better (the raw, pickled and roasted salad), but winds up just a tad below expectations (the overly buttery trout), and a tad bit expensive. The wait staff was very friendly and their rendition of the daily specials was almost movie worthy. The restaurant is a popular place, with many people waiting to be seated while we gabbed away about the world's, and our own problems.
OVERALL RATING: Fine

Luca Ristorante Italiano

Connecticut
142 Old Ridgefield Road, Wilton
203-563-9550
lucaristoranteitaliano.com

Luca occupies the first floor of a small office building in Wilton Center, which really isn't a center but they just don't know what else to call it. It has high, but dropped ceilings, with water sprinkler heads poking through the ceiling panel material. The decor is sort of Pottery Barn Italian, and the clientele seemed a bit corporate and a bit old. Apparently the food is from the suburban section of Italy. It wasn't bad, actually crossing over to the good side of average, but the pastas we had were a bit over produced and the ingredients melded into a muddle, instead of distinctively singing a harmony. The wait staff wanted to be helpful, but appeared ready to perform a Heimlich even if you weren't choking. We split a salad, then had cavatelli with 102 different things in it, and a gnocchi that was like a tomato casserole. Everybody seemed a bit full of themselves and we couldn't help but wonder why. With tax and tip, the bill for two was $85, no dessert, no alcohol.
OVERALL RATING: More buck than bang.

Perry St

West Village
176 Perry Street and the West Side Highway
212-352-1900
jean-georges.com

It was a walk in light snow to Perry St, a sedate, modern, beautiful space just off the West Side Highway. Seating is spaced to provide quiet and privacy, rare in today's world of cramped, shared conversations. Sharing conversation is to be aspired, but it should include only those you choose, don't you think? We chose the early bird prix fixe and, while our range of choices became limited, our satisfaction was not. We began with a sashimi of Arctic Char, well marinated and well seasoned, and roasted beets with candied dates, pecans and whipped goat cheese, both excellent. Then slow roasted cod with a melange of green beans and avocado, and hanger steak with charred Brussel sprouts and an onion ring, the former good, the latter terrific. A bottle of an outstanding sauvignon blanc from the Loire and a Pitch cabernet covered every base we could conceive of. And some. Dessert was a chocolate cake with ice cream and a mango mousse. The conversation with Steve and Vanessa was on par with the meal. Let's do it again.
OVERALL RATING: Imperryessive.

Una Pizza Napoletana

East Village
349 E 12th Street, between 1st and 2nd Streets
212-477-9950
unapizza.com

There are no substitutions, alterations, condiments or extra olive oil at Una Pizza Napoletana. It says so right on the menu. There are only four choices of pizza cooked in a wood oven, with natural toppings including tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and rock sea salt baked into the dough. The space is small and sparsely finished with a tin ceiling, lime green walls and a ceramic Virgin Mary. The pizzas were good but a bit soggy despite some burn on the crust. The glass of red wine was a bit tanniny, but the Napoletana coffee, served with chunks of dark chocolate, was good. If it had needed a bit more sugar, we'd have been afraid to ask for it.
OVERALL RATING: Doughy

The Schoolhouse at Cannondale

Connecticut
34 Cannon Road, Wilton
203-834-9816
www.theschoolhouseatcannondale.com

Freshly reviewed on 12/05/08: It was a special occasion so we went to The Schoolhouse again. The setting, the food, the service, and, yes, the prices all make it special. We began with salads that were fresh and crunchy. Then braised short ribs in a bowl with accoutrements that blended seamlessly -- excellent in taste and texture, although a plate would have made for easier eating. The Tempranillo and Oregon cabernet were both very good, but we were left with little room for dessert, so we decided to keep that small space to ourselves.
OVERALL RATING: Charming

Originally reviewed on 05/27/07: The Schoolhouse occupies a special place for us. When the space came onto the market last winter, we fantasized about acquiring it and turning it into our kind of place. It opened in March in, yes, an old schoolhouse in Cannondale village along a meandering creek. The interior has been carefully redesigned, the old country charm enhanced by tastefully added elegance. The service is excellent - a young, informed staff that is eager to greet and serve. The menu strives to be seasonal and local. We began by sharing kerchiefs of pasta with grilled ramps, spring onions, fava beans and a soft boiled egg. The flavors all merged together into tastes you just wanted to savor. Entrees were leg of lamb with rosemary scented mashed potatoes, and a pork loin with braised cippolini onions, parmesan polenta and smoked bacon. There was no doubt about whether or not our plates were ready for clearing - they were all that was left. The Schoolhouse is expensive for a weeknight, but if you are romantically inclined and looking for an excellent meal, we feel it's worth every penny. And cheaper than an education. The owner and chef is young and gracious, and you can see that this is a matter of love for him. We loved it too.
OVERALL RATING: Honor Roll

Celeste

Upper West Side
502 Amsterdam Avenue, near 84th Street
212-874-4559

We've been going to Celeste for years. It's a regular stop for us when we are irregularly on the Upper West Side. We realized recently we've never written about it, so here we are. Celeste is a small, authentic Italian restaurant whose owner is the real deal, from the Venice area. The place is packed close with small tables, exposed brick walls, and a brick oven. The small tables are usually filled with customers because the food is quite good and the prices are reasonable. This night we shared a caprese salad of tomatoes with a creamy burrata of mozzarella, followed by a tagliatelle with crumbled sausage and a penne with tomatoes and mozzarella. As is usually the case, we enjoyed both. The bread and the olive oil accompanying the meal are always good, and the glasses of Dolcetta D'Alba were as well. The tiramisu was a bit heavy, but the chocolate chunks embedded within made for a good chew.
OVERALL RATING: A neighborhood favorite

Bereket Turkish Restaurant

Connecticut
4031 Main Street, Bridgeport
203-372-7006

We drove up to Wilton from the city on a lark. We were going to drive up in the morning but the rain led us to make the move sooner. More lark, and we wound up at Bereket, a very small Turkish restaurant that is in the back of a gas station convenience market. This is the anti-ambiance space of the year. No more than 10 seats, no decor, mostly kitchen, completely ethnic. It's Turkish through and through, but the patrons we saw on this night were Turks, Vietnamese, Ethiopians, and Middle Eastern. What's a poor Caucausian to do? Eat. We had Acili Enze, a strongly spiced mix of diced red and green and hot peppers, onion, garlic and tomato and, of course, olive oil. If it's Turkish, it's oil. Then Kofte, char-broiled, spiced ground lamb with rice and salad, and Manti, phyllo dough balls, almost like gnocchi, in a tomato and yogurt sauce. We finished it off with some baklava and Turkish coffee, a combo of caffeine and mud. But in an enlivening sort of way. It's BYO, but bring something that can stand up to the spices. No need to bring your wallet -- this is as close to free as food gets.
OVERALL RATING: Fill 'er up

Bar Blanc

West Village
142 West 10th Street, near Waverly Place
212-255-2330
barblanc.com

The reviews we'd read on Bar Blanc, run by ex-pats from David Bouley's kitchen, were good, but each time we walked by it looked more empty than full. They've just begun a prix fixe menu on Sunday evenings so we decided to try it. The railroad car space is well decorated, maybe with a bit of a heavy hand, but modern. It has a nicely lit bar, offering warmth on a chilly November eve. We began with a lovely to look at salad of Boston lettuce, pecorino cheese, a poached egg, and hearts of palm, and a duck confit, roasted very crisp with roasted root vegetables and spicy arugula. We liked both. Then Black Cod, seared rare, with salted spinach in a creamy saffron sauce, and pan roasted gnocchi with braised pig and olives. We liked both of these as well. Dessert was a quince crisp with huckleberries and light, creamy ice cream -- delicious. The Caiporoska was a lemony, minty house cocktail and the Cotes du Rhone was excellent. So was the service. As we ate, the tables filled with an eclectic, international crowd -- many ethnicities, various languages.
OVERALL RATING: The white stuff

Café Select

212 Lafayette Street, near Kenmare Square
SoHo
212-925-9322
cafeselectnyc.com

One of us is headed to Switzerland tomorrow so, of course, we wanted Swiss food tonight for the other. We had heard good things about Café Select and had walked by a few days before. Two of the three principals are from Zürich, and the third owns L'Esquina, just across the street, a place we like very much. Café Select has a Swiss feel, a Swiss menu, and a host that is able to recognize an authentic pronunciation of Röschti when ordered. Even if you can't pronounce it authentically, order it. The potatoes are more crisp than we can ever make it at home, even if a tad undersalted. The space is dark, with a bar running most of its length and a colorful, postered wall at its back. We began with a roasted cauliflower and apple salad, the cauliflower very well herbed and the combination unique and well conceived. A spicy Bloody Mary with lots of horseradish helped us settle in. Then an excellent plate of veal sausages with browned onion sauce, and another of roasted pork with spinach, each with that crisp Röschti. We finished with a "Magenbrot" bread pudding and a coffee flavored with Caotina, a Swiss powdered chocolate. The only negative was the music -- Swiss wannabe modern tunes don't go with an excellent dinner.
OVERALL RATING: Selectible

Il Buco

NoHo
47 Bond Street, between Lafayette and Bowery
212-533-1932
ilbuco.com

Lunch at Il Buco was a spur of the moment thing. We were walking to the East Village to meander and eat, but were famished and couldn’t resist eating on the way over. Il Buco has a rustic ambience, with wall mounted wood planks, terra cotta pots, and well spaced wooden tables -- a Tuscan feel. It's been around for years for good reason -- its food is generally good. Certainly the bread and olive oil we had to begin was, and the two panini's thereafter were that and more. The ham and pecorino was salty, although a tad oily, but the 'porchetta' of roasted pork cooked with garlic was moist and tasty. Il Buco is on a block shared by a clothing boutique we like, Oak. We’ll be back for dinner.
OVERALL RATING: Good

Caffe Falai

SoHo
265 Lafayette Street, between Prince and Spring Streets
212-274-8615

We took the subway out to Cobble Hill in Brooklyn to check out a couple of stores, so how you ask, did we end up at Caffe Falai? By hoofing it. We walked through Brooklyn Heights, across the Brooklyn Bridge and up Lafayette Street. Cafe Falai is a younger sib to Falai in the LES, a restaurant we think highly of. This space seems smaller than the small original, but the look is unmistakenly similar -- white tiles and bold cut glass chandeliers. We sat on the sidewalk in the cooling early evening air, watched the passersby pass by, and shared a salad of frisee, arugula and avocado. We liked it. Then a papardelle with mushrooms that lacked for some spice, and tortelli stuffed with pureed potato in a Bolognese sauce that lacked for nothing. It was terrific. No dessert, no alcohol, we were apparently spending the day getting healthy. Who knew?
OVERALL RATING: Hoof on over

Triangolo

Upper East Side
345 East 83rd Street, between 1st and 2nd Aves
212-472-4488
triangolorestaurant.com

We met Randy and Linda uptown to see Religulous, the Bill Maher film, and then had dinner at Triangolo, a small neighborhood Italian place nearby. The room is sort of nondescript, but the food and service were both good. We had fresh salata di mare, a good grilled carciofi and a somewhat bland tricolore salata. Then osso buco, rolled pasta with spinach and porcini mushrooms, penne with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, and veal Milanese Grissini, crusted with bread stick crumbs, all good, none quite a religious experience.
OVERALL RATING: Secular

Mekong

West Village
18 King Street, corner of Avenue of the Americas
212-343-8169

It was complete gridlock in Manhattan last night -- the Lincoln tunnel was shut down for hours and the city came to a halt. After a bumper to bumper ride downtown, we were in no mood to cook so we walked down to Houston Street, much faster than the cars on the avenues, and had Vietnamese at Mekong. It's a small, dark place with tables on the sidewalk and a bustling bar in the front room. We were less in the mood for bustle than for a good calming so we sat in the back which was almost empty. Of necessity, we began with a mango margarita and a glass of Cotes du Rhone, then two very good appetizers -- summer rolls in a soft, thin noodle wrapper, and shrimp papaya, cold and zesty. All we needed for an entree, besides another margarita, was curried chicken with vegetables -- nondescript but filling. We walked home appreciably calmer, and saw every car we'd seen on our walk down.
OVERALL RATING: Calming

De Santos

West Village
139 West 10th Street, near Greenwich Ave
212-206-9229
desantos.com

We'd heard of De Santos long before it opened in a townhouse on West 10th Street. It's part of a small group of restaurants that have roots in Mexico and the Hamptons, a common combination. We went with a neighborhood welcome but were annoyed almost immediately by the lack of reciprocation. The hostess was busy on the phone even though almost every table was open, and when a waitress finally filled in and walked us to the quiet garden in the back, we asked for a nicely lit table by the wall. Oh, she didn't know if that table was reserved or not so she went back to the front to check. We stood for minutes waiting for her return, and were then offered the table we had our sights on.... until a manager came over and shooed us from it, claiming it was reserved for a party on their way to the restaurant. They must have been coming from Topeka, Kansas because we ate at a dark table and left while that table sat empty. And just who reserves a particular table at a restaurant that is one week old? The food was pretty good, but a bad taste was established and not extinguished despite the waitstaff's repeated efforts to placate us. Sometimes, when we encounter bullshit, we're just unplacatable. The insaladas mista were fresh but small, and the pastas were a pleasure on the tongue, but also small and one was quite overcooked -- al undente. The prices were just a bit hard. When you're starting out and building a business, why not employ graciousness? We may never find out.
OVERALL RATING: So annoying

The Grocery

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
288 Smith Street
718-596-3335
thegroceryrestaurant.com

We returned to The Grocery after a long hiatus. We were there multiple times shortly after it opened a few years back, but hadn't revisited since Zagat's created a stir, rating it as highly as Manhattan's finest. It's a small dining room, minimally but carefully designed, with a larger garden through the kitchen in the back, shaded by their own fig tree. The chef owners, friendly and welcoming, honed their craft at Savoy and emphasize a green market orientation on their menu. We began with an amuse bouche of cold potato and leek soup and a small mashed potato fritter, then an excellent 'teenage' salad that was crisp and pretty, and shrimps with creole pepper salsa and fried grit cakes that could have benefited from a bit more bite. Our entrees of pan roasted chicken, nicely accompanied by a bed of lilted escarole, and monkfish with green beans in a walnut pesto sauce were both good, but rising no higher. A side of crispy spatzele was traditionally and well prepared. A half bottle of Pouilly Fuisse was a good accompaniment and espresso ice cream with chocolate chips was a nice finish, but the meal struggled to reach the level of special we came to expect from this kitchen. The ascendant prices had no such difficulty.
OVERALL RATING: Still very good but...

Bar Q

West Village
310 Bleecker Street, near 7th Avenue
212-206-7817
barqrestaurant.com

Questions. So many Questions. Why was Bar Q so Quiet on a Tuesday night? Why are the small portions Quite so expensive? At least we didn't have to eat Quickly. The big space is mostly white, sleek and nicely spaced so there is room between the tables allowing for Quiet conversation. The background music ranged from Outkast to Latin beats -- Quirky. The food was rather good. We had a lemony salad of pungent leaves that tasted of herbs, and a trio of fish tartares in a chilled avocado soup to begin. Then pork wings (what the hell is a pork wing?) in a sticky sweet and hot barbeque sauce, and sliced short rib over a sweet and hot paste. A Margarita Lo started us off -- a margarita with a chili laced rim, named for the restaurant's owner, Anita Lo of Annisa, just down the street. Quite a Quoincidence.
OVERALL RATING: Spicy and spensive

'ino

West Village
21 Bedford Street, between Houston and Downing Street
212-989-5769

Freshly reviewed on 09/09/08: Today at work Michael mentioned 'ino so we ordered dinner for one from them tonight. Delivery brought half a panini (rucola, sun-dried tomato pesto, red onion and fontina) with half a salad along with three small bruschettes (walnut sun-dried tomato pesto, artichokes with pecorino and asparagus, truffle oil and parmesan). We are sorry to say that the order amounted to three mouthfuls of oily bread and half a salad of nothing.
OVERALL RATING: Poor delivery

Originally reviewed on 02/18/06: The first letter, left off of 'ino, must be a T because the place is tino - no room for the T. There's a small bar and perhaps six small tables. The specialties are small sandwiches - panini and trappezini, accompanied by a salad or soup. The ingredients are fresh and the combinations are well conceived. To a T.
OVERALL RATING: good

Bloodroot Feminist Restaurant

Connecticut
85 Ferris Street, Bridgeport
203-576-9168
bloodroot.com

We were aimless today and felt like using our new, vintage GPS. It found us Bloodroot on a cove near Bridgeport harbor. Bloodroot describes itself as a 'feminist' restaurant, vegetarian and vegan. The setting has potential, but Bloodroot has been there for 31 years and if they haven't realized it yet........ It's a quirky place, bohemian and a bit cob webbed in its appearance, but the lack of convention is offset by too many rules and procedures for dining. First, there's a place for you to stand to read the blackboard menu, then a place to place your order, then a place to pick up your order and cutlery, then a place to place your dishes, and another for cutlery, after you've finished. One sign says 'please scrape food from your plate before placing in trays for washing'. Another says 'breast feeders welcome', but a third indicates children really aren't. Oh, by the way, we had a cheesey omelette with herbs and doughy raspberry sourdough pancakes.
OVERALL RATING: Rootless and rulefull

Frank

East Village
88 2nd Avenue, between 5th and 6th Streets
212-420-0202
frankrestaurant.com

Frank is the parent of Lil Frankie's and Supper, two of our favorites in the East Village. The resemblance is striking. The decor, the menu, the fonts, even the wait staff are all familiar. If you didn't know where you were, you'd have a hard time figuring it out. We were a large party at a large communal table and enjoyed a variety of salads, appetizers, pastas and entrees. The wines poured freely -- we were in a celebratory mood with families formed, reformed and forming, all breaking bread (and dipping it in an excellent, spicy olive oil) together. The toast went to Z.
OVERALL RATING: Frankly fun

Back Forty

East Village
190 Ave. B, near 12th Street
212-388-1990
backfortynyc.com

We came into the city to welcome Zachary to the planet. He's been traveling inter-galactically until now. We were on the East side so we decided to try Back Forty, the lower priced Savoy spinoff in the East Village. We sat in the garden on a lovely night, and began with a Red Currant Gin cocktail and a Red and Black, a margherita with strawberries and pepper. The latter was very good. Then lemony, crisp garden salads with spicy arugula, a steamed out hearts of artichoke dish, soggy rosemary salt fries, a hard goat cheese with apricots and honeycomb, and grilled pork sausage with white bean and olive puree and chives. We couldn't resist blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream, and didn't. The pie was a winner. The walk home reminded us of how much we like the East Village.
OVERALL RATING: B on B

Olde Blue Bird Inn

Connecticut
363 Black Rock Turnpike, Easton
203-452-0697

We saw an article recently in the local paper about the Olde Blue Bird Inn. It looked cute, with a counter and stools and a small dining room, open only for breakfast and lunch, so we decided to try it. We met Eddie and Linda on a warm, sunny, Saturday morning. The Blue Bird was hopping despite its rural location. It looks a bit like any town USA inside -- not oozing with charm in appearance, but reminiscent of so many luncheonettes from years past. We had a couple of omelettes, eggs with grilled corned beef hash, both good enough, and a short stack of nutty peach pancakes that were excellent. It's not fast food, fortunately, so we were able to sit and chat. Afterwards, a meandering ride home. Man, did we get lost.
OVERALL RATING: Try those pancakes!

Morandi

West Village
211 Waverly Place, at Charles Street
212 627-7575

Revisited on July 17, 2008: It was a nice, warm evening and we were in the city. We wanted to eat al fresco so we walked over to Morandi and sat on the sidewalk. The service was excellent. The wait staff was friendly and observant of our every move. Every sip of sparkling water resulted in a fresh pour in an unintrusive way. Oh, were the food up to the same level. We began with the fried artichokes we'd liked so much on our first visit. They were tasty and tart with a lemon squeezed over them, but just a bit fried and oily. The fava bean salad was soggy and salty, and the grilled chicken, also liked in our first visit, was overly oily, almost soggy as well. The asparagus? Same. Where's the crisp?
OVERALL RATING: Lesandi

Originally reviewed on 03/20/07: Morandi is a look around kind of place. The noise and the buzz make your head turn. Who where? What there? The space looks a bit like a Hollywood set built into the lobby of a post-war building. Which is exactly what it is. The decor is sort of Pottery Barn does Tuscany. But the food is good, and the service was as well. We started with a grilled fennel salad with bitter honey, and fried artichokes with lemon, both excellent. Then grilled chicken with lemon and parsley that tasted of Italy infused in every bite, and ravioli with gorgonzola and red leaves. We finished with cannoletti that were filled with ricotta and pistachios. But not as filled as Morandi.
OVERALL RATING: Buzzin'

Devon's

Massachusetts
401 Commercial Street, Provincetown
508-487-4773
devons.org

When we read the menu at Devon's we joked about the number of adjectives used to describe the food. They could have merely used the word terrific over and over again. When we called the waiter on the wide use of modifiers, he admitted he was both the author and Devon. The space he's designed is a small cottage, minimal and on the main drag in Provincetown, a hamlet with many drags. We began with an excellent arugula salad with strawberries and toasted almonds, an excellent caesar salad, and yes, terrific risotto with bacon and peas, along with a soup of the day, also well received. Then a bouillabaisse, nicely browned halibut with spinach and quinoa, and a pork chop with peaches and walnuts. The Argentinian Malbec went well with all of it, and a chocolate tart and a strawberry and rhubarb cobbler finished us up. The company, the food, the conversation, and the beaches we sat on earlier in the day were all, yes, yes, yes, terrific.
OVERALL RATING: Truroly terrific.

Front Street

Massachusetts
230 Commercial Street, Provincetown
508-487-9715
frontstreetrestaurant.com

Front Street is in the center of Provincetown. It's located in a dark, dim space below the street, taking no advantage of the harbor view just yards away. The day was anything but dark and dim. We drove up to the Cape for the weekend to visit Stewart and Sam. It was sunny in Truro, a quiet and beautiful town populated with spectacular, sparsely used beaches. Front Street was populated too -- every table in this well reviewed restaurant was filled. We began with grilled polenta with mushroom ragout that was a real winner, a Brazilian pork crostada in a phyllo pastry shell that was nondescript in flavor, and a lobster scampi that was well liked. Entrees included undercooked shrimp spedini, and veal parmigiana, thought well of by one of us, not all that well by another. A chocolate pot de crème accompanied the Coppola Cabernet that was still on the table. The company was excellent and that's what counts.
OVERALL RATING: Under sea level.

Super Duper Weenie

Connecticut
306 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield
203-334-3647
superduperweenie.com

We were driving aimlessly towards Bridgeport for no reason whatsoever when we saw the sign for Super Duper Weenie. A trip there was long overdue. One of us knew Gary Zemola, the owner, from a former life and knew he'd opened this place to wide acclaim many years ago. But we just never seemed to be in that neck of the woods. Today we were. We can tell you Gary's memory works flawlessly, but it's his inventiveness and cooking that gets you to Super Duper Weenie. We had two Chicago dogs that were filled with fresh ingredients, with a deliciously spiced sauce, and an order of really crunchy fries. The flow of customers in and out of the small diner like space was unstoppable -- word's been out for a long time on Weenie. It's been reviewed by Gourmet Magazine, David Letterman and the like. Besides the food, we had a great time.
OVERALL RATING: Weenie, but super!

Valencia Luncheria

Connecticut
172 Main Avenue, Norwalk
203-846-8009
valencialuncheria.com

Freshly reviewed on 07/03/08: We've eaten at Valencia Luncheria again for breakfast and lunch a few times recently and will gladly return for dinner. The food is terrific. We've had a regular egg sandwich and a few different arepas, an Aphrodite with mango and avocado, a crispy mushroom with ricotta, and a gorgonzola with Turkish apricots. The flavor mixes are well chosen -- we really liked each one. The space is quite East Village -- this is not a high production value restaurant, but if you want inventive, very well made food at very reasonable prices, this could become a repeat offender for you too.
OVERALL RATING: We love it

Originally reviewed on 10/20/05: We owe this one to our friend Kor. He makes frequent recommendations to this Blog, and is one of the best golfers we know. Valencia Luncheria is a neighborhood storefront with no more than six or seven tables. Its chef and owner has a resume built at two jazzier restaurants in South Norwalk. It's BYO, very inexpensive and minimal, and the arepas and other Venezuelan dishes are authentic and delicious. It's mostly open for breakfast and lunch, but early dinners are also served.
OVERALL RATING: Very good

West Street Grill

Connecticut
17 West Street, Litchfield
860-567-3885
weststreetgrill.com

We were free for the day and, even though the sky was mixed with sun and clouds, decided to take a ride up to New Preston and Litchfield and eat at the West Street Grill. We sat in one of the two tables for two situated along the sidewalk, overlooking the pretty town green. The Grill has been in business for close to 20 years and still holds its own -- the service was friendly and the food was very good. We began with gnocchi in broth with peas, asparagus and parmesan, and ahi tuna, rare and panko crusted. For entrees we had roasted chicken with asparagus and a garlic pancake in an excellent amaretto and finely chopped nuts sauce, and ravioli with fresh corn. The banana toffee pie was a bit over the top, but we finished it anyway, leaving only a little room later for the fresh strawberries we bought at a farm stand on the ride up. The ride home pointed us straight towards the end of a rainbow.
OVERALL RATING: Fine country dining

Harvest Supper

Connecticut
15 Elm Street, New Canaan
203-966-5595

Freshly reviewed on 06/27/08: We've been back to Harvest a few more times since our original review with many of our friends. Suffice it to say they are a motley crew. The food remains as it was -- small plates that are well conceived, professionally served and good tasting. Grace the owner has grace and charm and always wears killer shoes.
OVERALL RATING: Dine on Harvest soon

First reviewed on 04/11/08: Harvest Supper opened recently in New Canaan. We were excited to check it out, aware that its owners, Grace and Jack Lamb, own Jewel Bako and Degustation, both in the East Village. We've eaten at the former a few times and have enjoyed the experience immensely. The space at Harvest is a small dining room, nicely designed with red clubby wallpaper trimmed with a black ceiling and black framed windows, clubby New Canaan meets Japan. The atmosphere reflects thought and care. Every detail receives attention, beginning with a friendly, gracious welcome and well trained service throughout. This is a well oiled machine that manages to create a casual vibe, reflected in inventive dishes that are well conceived, well presented, and delicious. The plates and servings are small -- the idea is to order a few plates and share, and that's a good way to course through the menu. We had five plates and two desserts between us two, and liked everything. Arancia with peas and pea puree, and hanger steak with parsnip puree were standouts, but they received high competition for the honor. Harvest is presently BYO -- maybe that's why we were surprised at the check. We're happy to report there's now a little bit of New York downtown in staid New Canaan.
OVERALL RATING: Eat it and reap

Marly's

Connecticut
208 Wilton Town Green, Wilton
203-834-2000
marlysofwilton.com

It surprised us when we walked into Marly's for the first time earlier this Spring. We knew the host, but from where? And he apparently knew us too, by virtue of the look on his face. Brian LaBlanc owns Marly's, after a long stint as bartender at Restaurant 121 in North Salem. Now he has his own place, and things seem to be going pretty well. Marly's is located in a cluster of retail buildings in Wilton center. It's a bit predictable and suburban in look, but has a nice area for outdoor dining, and a bar suitable for a casual meal. Everything about Marly's is casual, and the food is good. We've liked the seared tuna appetizer, the salads, the pork chop with figs and, especially, the crisp pan roasted chicken. At Marly's crisp means crisp. Congrats Brian.
OVERALL RATING: Good

Perilla

West Village
9 Jones Street, near West 4th Street
212-929-6868

Reviewed again on 05/02/08: We again sat at the bar at Perilla and had a terrific meal. We'll spare you the details. Suffice it to say, neighborhood for us, destination for you.
OVERALL RATING: Excellent

Freshly reviewed on 12/12/07: It was storming in the city, and we wanted to stay close to home. So we again sat at the bar at Perilla. It's an experience we've come to enjoy. The restaurant is filled each time we're there, but there's usually space at the substantial bar. The bottles are back lit, and there are always pretty flowers contributing to the feng shui. It's a place where you can see the attention to detail. We began with a couple of glasses of the Montepulciano, then crispy pork belly that could have been more crispy, brussel sprout leaves with nuts and seeds, and heirloom apples with shaved fennel, walnuts and blue cheese. All good. Hanger steak with spinach and au jus was delicious. It was a nice place to weather a storm.
OVERALL RATING: Stilla Thrilla

Originally reviewed on 11/8/07: We sat at the bar at Perilla twice this week. It occupies the former Inside space on Jones Street. It's a new and cozy, nicely decorated place that was busy both times we dropped by. The host (John) and bartenders were friendly and helpful, and the food was quite good. We started with a plate of brussel sprout leaves with seeds, nuts and raisins that was creative and special, and a yellow tail crudo with tofu and marinated cucumber, delicious and nicely sauced. Then marinated and grilled blackfish with Tuscan kale, Jerk grouper, rich faro risotto and even richer eggplant cannelloni. Both the Multipuliciano and Veltliner wines were good accompaniments. Not bad for a place you could roll out of bed into.... if you were sleeping on our living room sofa.
OVERALL RATING: A Thrilla

Alexandra

West Village
455 Hudson Street, near Morton Street
212-255-3838

It was a lazy, cloudy morning and we eventually took a walk to try brunch at Alexandra's. It's a small, cute place on Hudson Street, with small tables on the sidewalk, and a nice looking bar inside that takes up the back wall, making it appear to be a good place for a drink or a coffee and chat. We had an asparagus, spinach and Swiss cheese omelette, and pork taquitos over a puddle of avocado creme anglais. We liked both. The service was friendly and the vibe was relaxed West Village. We're not sure why, but it made us think of Alex.
OVERALL RATING: cute

Stonehome Wine Bar

Fort Greene
87 Lafayette Avenue, near Fulton Street
718-624-9443
stonehomewinebar.com

We have no idea why they named Stonehome Wine Bar Stonehome. We'll leave it to other blogs to find out. It's located near the BAM in the Fort Greene area, and next to a very cool boutique for both men and women, Stuart & Wright (85 Lafayette Ave.) Who knew? We really didn't like the decor very much. Oh, it's completely inoffensive and obviously someone's idea of good taste, just not ours. It's a sort of 80s modern look, and is overstyled with correspondingly unattractive art on the walls. The food's taste is good, however, and what else counts? Well, maybe the wine. It was very well selected. We began with green salads, quite well herbed and seasoned with parmigiana, but slightly oversalted. Then a cheese plate with very good bread, and very good cheese, and a fingerling potato and trout salad, and a salt dominated crisped chicken with a root vegetable puree. A tad less salt and this chicken was a winner. The red from Sicily was quite good, and the almond fig tart ended us on a full note. Prices are moderate and the service was friendly.
OVERALL RATING: Bam!

Michael's Genuine

Design District
130 NE 40th Street, Miami
305-573-5550
michaelsgenuine.com

The sub text at Michael's Genuine is fresh, simple and pure. There's no pretext, nor pretense. This place is the real deal. Michael's is located in the Design District of Miami, set in a small mall type area with both indoor and outdoor seating. It has been very well received by critics and the volume of patronage we witnessed is testimony to that reception. More importantly, so is the food. We decided to graze as far through the menu as our bellies would allow. We began with an incredible yellow tail tartare, served with potato crisps and avocado, seasoned excellently, and a soft boiled egg with roasted tomato, parsley and thin toast. Then a roasted vidalia onion stuffed with minced lamb and apricots, and an al dente papardelle with beef ragu and herbed ricotta. And then, a Berkshire pork shoulder with Anson grits and pickled onions, and grilled asparagus with cracked pepper. We couldn't finish the pork and had no room for dessert but our tongues were still interested. The food was that good. So was the mojito to begin. Great call Vanessa.
OVERALL RATING: If you are south of Delaware, don't miss it

Wish

South Beach
801 Collins Avenue, at The Hotel
305-674-9474
info@wishrestaurant.com

Jeff recommended Wish so we tried it for lunch, walking there just before the rain began, again. It's a garden restaurant alongside the entrance to The Hotel hotel. We ate sitting at one of the few dry tables under a canopy. One of us had eaten here before, so we can tell you it's pretty when it's lit by lights and candles in the evening. We had a good Caprese salad and a burger with cheddar cheese and spicy fries. We liked both and then scampered back onto Collins Avenue into the wet.
OVERALL RATING: Wish it hadn't rained

Ago at The Shore Club Hotel

South Beach
1901 Collins Avenue, near 20th Street
305-695-3100
shoreclub.com

The Shore Club is run by the same operators as the Delano. We went there for lunch on a very overcast day. When the sun's out, the garden is sort of a lounge area, with many outdoor sofas and beds for hanging by the pool and drinking. The restaurant Ago is open, overlooking much of this scene. It's a bit tattered and nondescript, lacking the polish and design of it's sibling. It lacks the same level of food as well. We had a Caesar's salad that had a lot of what seemed like from the jar dressing, and a Margherita pizza that was ho hum. The mojito was watered down and lacked any lime whatsoever. Who knew there was such a thing as a lousy mojito?
OVERALL RATING: A quart short

BondSt Lounge Miami

South Beach
Townhouse Hotel
150 20th Street, and Collins Avenue
305-534-3800

BondSt in Miami is in the underbelly of the Townhouse hotel. It's a windowless space, dimly brightened by box shaped lamps covered with the hotel's distinctive floral design, and a lit open sushi bar. The menu is replicative of its older sibling in New York with inventive, usually flavorful rolls and matching dipping sauces. Some of the dishes tonight, a yellowtail tartare with edamame soy puree and a spicy yellowtail roll, were less flavorful than usual. Spicy shrimp crisped in a wok, crisp sesame shrimp roll, arugula and potato roll, and sun dried tomato and arugula roll were closer to what we've come to expect. They were fresh and good. The scene is bar lounge, with an incessant bass beat in the background interspersed only occasionally with actual music. It's a place in South Beach to drink, eat, and meet, and the beat goes on until late into the night. The Townhouse is characterized by minimally furnished white rooms, offset by that red floral design on big hanging lamps and each room is provided with a red and white beach ball. We haven't figured out why, but we're working on it.
OVERALL RATING: Sometimes splendid subterranean sushi

The Blue Door Terrace

South Beach
Delano Hotel
1685 Collins Avenue, near 17th Street
305-674-6400
delano-hotel.com

It was a cloudy morning in Miami, but the rain hadn't started yet so we ate lunch outdoors at the Delano. We sat overlooking the garden between the hotel's very designed and very cool lobby, and their pool which sits right before the beach. The scene is sort of Beverly Hills, or rather, South Beach -- slick backed hair, the latest beach fashion, very mini mini skirts, all making for good people watching. We did. We had a couple of mojitos to start, tasting strongly of mint and lime. Then a lightly dressed Caesar salad with grilled shrimp, and grilled shrimp cakes with daikon. We really liked both. We ended decadently with sweet cigars -- deep fried chocolate Spring rolls with a sweet dulce dipping sauce. When in Rome, do like Romans. This is South Beach at it's visual best.
OVERALL RATING: Miami Vice

Zampa Wine Bar

West Village
306 West 13th Street, just off Hudson Street
212-206-0601
zampanyc.com

A few nights ago we stopped in Zampa for drinks after dinner and liked it. We loved the mid-century modern feel. It's a small, nicely designed bar/restaurant with lots of blackboards and a friendly host. Noisey on a quiet block. Tonight, we stopped in for dinner with Ricky and Sam. We started with an antipasto of prosciutto, salami, cheese, olives and marinated fennel. It was quite good. Then the special of the night, a polenta with mushrooms and kale, stuffed canneloni, and poached salmon. We liked everything, including the same Prosecco we had enjoyed nights before. Bet this is a good place for Sunday brunch as well.
OVERALL RATING: A good graze

Wallsé

West Village
344 West 11th Street, at Washington Street
212-352-2300
wallse.com

Freshly updated on 03/15/08: There aren't many surprises at Wallsé. The food is excellent, each and every time we eat there. The space is simple but elegant, and the service is professional. There were seven of us for a milestone dinner, so it pays not to run through who had what. Suffice it to say we liked everything. Oh, and there was one surprise -- the anticipated quiet dinner for two turned out to be a family party. Thank you Cyn, Ricky, Carrie, Kevin, Jessie and Ben. Very much. Sam(s), we missed you.
OVERALL RATING: Memorable

Originally reviewed on 11/28/06: From soup (chestnut with creme fraiche) to nuts (cocoa coated and served as a post dinner amuse bouche), Wallsé excels. The quiet, minimalist dining room conveys a relaxed, artsy European feel, and the food demonstrates a commitment to perfection, as well as damn good taste. Lobster with peas, mission figs, tarragon, and dill was a terrific starter, as was crab meat with avocado. The ingredients were fresh and the flavors married in harmonious unison. Wiener schnitzel with lemon, striped bass with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, and roasted cod with bacon and lentils were all outstanding. We don't know which was best – no one was willing to share. Salzburger nockerl, a cloud like souffle/custard for dessert was unavoidable. The cocktails and wine were right on par with everything else. Happy birthday Cyn.
OVERALL RATING: Don't miss it.

The Kati Roll Company

West Village, NoHo
99 MacDougal Street, between Bleecker and Houston Streets
212-420-6517

You won't be driving in from Westchester to eat at Kati Roll Company. It's a hole in the wall with zero ambience, providing Indian street food at very cheap prices. Good for a walk by lunch, not a drive by shooting. We decided to share a chicken tikka roll, pieces of very well spiced chicken rolled in a thin bread, sort of a cross between a naan and a poori. It was delicious. We couldn't have just one -- it was like eating an Indian potato chip.
OVERALL RATING: Walk'n Roll

Commerce

West Village
50 Commerce Street, between Bedford and Barrow Streets
212-524-2301

Updated on 03/13/08: Wynn was in town and we wanted to get him to someplace that had a scene and a steak, so we went back to Commerce. We sat at the bar for a bit watching all the hubub, having a couple of Nor'easters, a house cocktail that was quite snappy. For dinner, we all began with 20 herb salads, but after the Nor'easters could not count enough to be sure. The halibut with pea puree that followed was good, but a porterhouse for two that was grandly presented before being cooked, then again before being sliced, should have had less fat and more flavor. Wynn liked the hostess, but where have we been where he didn't? OK -- Sammy's Roumanian.
OVERALL RATING: Where's the beef?

First reviewed on 03/01/08: Commerce is in the old Grange Hall space on Commerce Street. It opened three weeks ago on a cute corner in the West Village that's hard to find even for locals. It was hopping tonight. The entrance has changed to the middle of the restaurant, with a bar on the right with booths for eating, and the dining room on the left. The floors and walls are tiled, but the noise level is OK and there's always been a comfortable art deco feel throughout this space. The food was very good. We began with a 20 herb salad that was very fresh, earthy flavored and dressed just right. The fluke sashimi was nicely seasoned and ethereally light. Two pastas, one with broccoli rabe, tomatoes and sausage, the other carbonara style, were very good. A coconut bread pudding with mango sorbet finished us off with a nice sweetness. It was a pleasant experience.
OVERALL RATING: Good for business

Blue Ribbon Bar

West Village
34 Downing Street, between Bedford Street and 7th Avenue
212-691-0404
blueribbonrestaurants.com

The 'Downing Street Wine Bar' is one of the more recent Blue Ribbon ventures. They are building a small empire, and the quality and consistency of their offerings is empirically proven. We eat at the Bakery across the street from the Bar, and we shop regularly for breads, cheese, and sandwiches at the Market around the corner from both. The Bar is small with no tables, just an L shaped bar and a counter with stools. It's nicely and carefully designed with paneling on the walls and filament sconces for lighting. It's wines and cocktails, snacks and sandwiches, soups, salads and the like. We liked everything, including the service. We had cumin roasted almonds, arugula salad with roasted squash, mixed greens, asparagus soup with pistachios, a cheese plate, egg shooters with trout, and a pulled pork sandwich with melted Gruyere. The wines, especially from Portugal, were very good, as was the margarita. The nice waiter brought out Bruschetta with strawberry, Mexican honey and chocolate to try. It was sweet.
OVERALL RATING: Blue is good!

Falai

Lower East Side
68 Clinton Street, between Stanton and Rivington Streets
212-253-1960

Freshly reviewed on 03/07/08: We went back to Falai after a year of not going back. Wala hadn't been and wanted to try it. Nothing much has changed. The food remains quite good, characterized by nouvelle Italian interpretations, manageable portions and very pretty presentations. Tonight the service bordered on intrusive, but at least there were financial and political recommendations aplenty. We had this and that and that and this, accompanied by a nice Felsina chianti classico.
OVERALL RATING: Service where you get the tips.

Updated reviewed on 12/22/06: There were three of us again for dinner at Falai. This time the table perched in the window was taken. It was still a remarkable meal. Inge remarked "this is more than just food – it's art." She's right. The beautiful, careful presentations are only exceeded by the wonderful tasting food. This place has a flexible return policy – you'll want to often.
OVERALL RATING: Falai'n high.

Originally posted on 09/30/06: Falai impressed us every which way. We loved everything about it. The reservation was taken graciously, the space is small, white and minimal, the service was professional and informed, the food was terrific, and attention to detail was evident in abundance. The breads are baked in house, and done very well. Iacopo Falai used to be a pastry chef. He still is, but with an extended repertoire. For starters, the grilled radicchio was excellent, as were a foie gras terrine and a mixed salad. Both the lamb and the creamy cod entrees were excellent as well. Desserts were delivered as you might expect from a good pastry chef. All dishes were creative, beautifully designed and carefully executed. The fact that we sat perched at a cute table in a window on Clinton Street added to the charm.
OVERALL RATING: Bueno Sera. Excellent.

Mercadito Grove

West Village
100 7th Avenue South, near Grove Street
212-647-0830

Thomas recently told us about Mercadito in the East Village, but it was cold and we didn't want to walk far. Mercadito Grove, its offshoot, is a tiny space on 7th Avenue, a street we normally avoid gastronomically, but we figured "What the heck?" The décor doesn’t make the sale, but the service was very friendly. To start, the margaritas were terrific. The guacamole was very good, and the ceviche with striped bass was also very good although the chips were not. The shrimp ceviche with pineapple was a tad sweet, but the sweetness offset by scalp sweating jalapenos. The Dorado tacos were terrific. Did we mention the margaritas?
OVERALL RATING: Hola!

Elettaria

West Village
33 8th Street, between 5th and 6th Ave
212-677-3833
elettarianyc.com

Elettaria just opened so we walked over to check it out. It's from a chef formerly at Craft Bar and on a block dominated by shoe stores, with size sixteens displayed in window after window. Bigfoot Row. The staff is very welcoming and friendly, and there are plenty of them. This is a well oiled machine and not yet a week old. We expected a little bit less of a production. The space is dimly lit with dark wood and light brick, many odd lamps, sconces, mirrors and hanging art providing a warm, somewhat feminine feel. The kitchen is open and provides a brighter stage on which the kitchen crew creates. There's a long bar for drinking and eating and, by the time we left, it was hopping. The menu book itself is very pretty, with limited offerings, sub-Asian influences, naan bread (somewhat doughy and bland) and Indian spices. Indeed, elettaria refers, botanically, to cardamon. The mackerel we began with was fresh and inventively spiced with many flavors and a caramelized garlic crunch. The lamb sausage with naan and a yogurt raita was good, but could have been more fully grilled. Sag paneer was spinachy good, and wild boar with cumin, orange zest and oniony vermicelli had an edgy taste. An Opaka Raka cocktail at the start tasted of orange and bitters and was quite good.
OVERALL RATING: Big shoes to fill

Flor's Kitchen

West Village
170 Waverly Place, between 6th & 7th Ave
212-229-9926
florskitchen.com

This just goes to show you can't wait with a review. We ate at Flor's Kitchen a few weeks ago and held up the review until we took a picture of the space. We dawdled until this morning. Wouldn't pay to post a picture of a for rent sign, would it? It was a small, cute two rooms on a corner in the West Village, with windows looking out on the street. The food was Venezuelan, inexpensive and good. We had an avocado and chicken arepa that was a tad more crisp than doughy, an excellent, fresh salad of pink grapefruit, papaya, and avocado with a tangy red pepper aioli dipping sauce, followed by two ceviches made of onion, cilantro, lime and shrimp and striped bass respectively. We liked everything and the service was friendly. Maybe Flor will resurrect her kitchen in your neighborhood?
OVERALL RATING: Morte

Local

SoHo
144 Sullivan Street, near Prince Street
212-253-2601

We knew we were going to like Local as soon as we walked by. It's small, nicely designed, open for only nine months, and possessing an edge. This is a breakfast and lunch nook, with sandwiches and soups, a friendly vibe, and rock and roll music. We had a ham and fig sandwich with mozzarella, and a flank steak sandwich, made spicy with cilantro and lime, on a ciabatta. Both were just the right size. Local is not a destination restaurant, but if you're walking through north Soho, check it out. And remember, Local spelled backwards is Lacol.
OVERALL RATING: Cute

Chef Luis

Connecticut
129 Elm Street, New Canaan
203-972-LUIS
chefluis.net

Freshly reviewed on 02/21/08: We went back today to this small space that is hardly big enough to contain Luis's cooking -- every table was filled. The prices have drifted up a bit, but let that not deter you. The food is terrific. We shared a salad of arugula, toasted cashews, cranberries and figs. Then a special of the night, ravioli with anchovies, olives and ricotta filling, and a well peppercorned strip steak with an excellent sauce, mashed potatoes and string beans. Tommy recommended it. On top of it all is the sweetness Luis personally conveys. We're glad to see him filling those tables.
OVERALL RATING: Tasty plus

Updated on 11/24/07: We tried something new with chef Luis. He came to us. We had him cater a party we threw and he did it damn well. Grilled shrimp, spicy skirt steak cooked perfectly, mini quiches with prosciutto and arugula, jicama and avocado salad, pastry puffs with brie and raspberries, green beans and roasted potatoes, each a winner. Everyone said so. Luis says his cooking is not Mexican. We're willing to grant the point and label it just plain good.
OVERALL RATING: Luis delivers.

Originally reviewed on 7/10/07: Chef Luis is a small, Mexican influenced restaurant right in the heart of New Canaan. The few tables are scattered between a bar for eating (must be, because it's BYO if you want to drink) and shelves upon which olive oils, vinegars, and the like are displayed for retail purchase. The food is very good and a lot of locals apparently use Chef Luis for takeout over the phone or through their website. We've had fried calamari in a Diablo marinara sauce with sausages and hot peppers - spicy and delicious, and crisp fresh cesar salad, cheese quesadillas with guacamole, salsa and hot peppers, bucatini with olive oil, pancetta and onions, ravioli with smoked chicken, and a grilled chicken wrap. We've liked everything, including a warm and friendly staff. This is a much smaller and more casual place than New Canaaners are used to. Perfect for us.
OVERALL RATING: Venga!

116 Crown

Connecticut
116 Crown Street, New Haven
203-777-3116
116crown.com

The Times gave 116 Crown an excellent review so we figured what the hell -- off to New Haven for some art, shops, and grazing. Grazing is the modus operandi at 116 -- it's primarily a bar, with a long stone slab and back lit bottles that look very pretty. Scotch never looked better. The space isn't very large, and the bar occupies most of it, but many aspects are over styled. We liked the drinks a lot, especially the Rolito -- sort of a margarita with orange juice and jalapeno, but the food was less than excellent. We had a good Cubano slider -- almost a sandwich, but smaller, nondescript Tunisian olives, soggy french fries with three catsups for dipping, fried risotto balls with a brie center that we liked, and short ribs -- one piece dry, the other soft like it should be, but both over salted. The scene was young, and New Haven-hip, but the Times reviewer must've had two drinks before sitting down to eat.
OVERALL RATING: Not fit for a king

5 Ninth

Meatpacking District
5 9th Ave, between Little West 12th Street and Gansevoort Street
212-929-9460
5ninth.com

Freshly reviewed on 02/09/08: We returned to 5 Ninth with Paul and Carol. This time it was filled, but the service remained friendly and competent, and the food remained good. We had beets with greens, walnuts, and goat cheese, vegetable terrines with a basil sauce, and butternut squash soup, all good albeit the soup a bit cold. Then a loup de mer which invited a good deboning, a terrific burger with fries, coq au vin, and fall off the bone pork ribs. We liked all of it, and finished by sharing a bread pudding with cranberries, walnuts and whipped cream. The house cocktails were equally good and contributed to a mellow mood. We talked about politics, immigration and the Revolutionary War. It was sad to hear the Brits continue to lament over what might have been.
OVERALL RATING: You do the math.

Originally reviewed on 10/14/07: We'd heard good things about 5 Ninth from a reputable source so we decided to try it out. We loved it. The space is dark, candle lit, and styled in the new old world style that is so New York now. We ate early so we had the wait staff all to ourselves. They were friendly and helpful and hip. A house special gin and tonic and a Paloma, a margarita like cocktail, were also friendly and helpful in establishing an end of the week mellow mood. The food was just plain good. We had a sliced artichoke and celery salad to begin, with lightly fried leeks and oriental seasonings that was terrific. Then sea bass with bok choy and mushrooms, and a crisp-skinned piece of… chicken (of course) served with grilled wax beans and mushroom stuffing, also terrific. We were split on the dessert we split -- a blueberry short cake sort of thing that one of us liked and the other thought was ok, but even for the half that wasn't crazy about it, it was icing on a very good cake.
OVERALL RATING: 9 out of 5.

Chow Bar

West Village
230 West 4th Street, between West 10th and 7th Avenue
212-633-2212

We had a gift certificate to Chow Bar, and we'd been there before for drinks while we waited for a table at Mary's Fish Camp. The ginger cosmopolitan was good tonight and would've made a wait for Mary's tolerable. The edamame was also pretty good. The summer roll with mercury laced tuna was bland, as was the cilantro sauce that accompanied it. The shrimp dumplings and the red pepper sauce were bland as well. The sesame chicken salad was whatever one level above bland is. The glazed pork ribs, for which Chow Bar is known, were bland. Can you guess about the steamed vegetables?
OVERALL RATING: Consistent

Moto

Williamsburg
394 Broadway, near Hewes Street station on the JMZ line
718-599-6895
circa1938.com

Freshly reviewed on January 27, 2008: We don't understand why everyone descending the J train stairs at the Hewes Street exit doesn't spill into Moto. Where else could they be going? The dim lighting probably hides some cosmetic flaws, but who knows? To us, it's just plain atmospheric. The food is just plain good. We had repeats on most of what we had eaten here earlier, and enjoyed each again, finishing with grilled donuts with sugar and cinnamon -- soft and chewy. We chose to climb the J stairs back towards Manhattan, but we coulda stayed longer.
OVERALL RATING: Worth the trip

Originally reviewed on November 17, 2007: You have to ride over the river on the JMZ line to get to Moto, but otherwise, it flies under the radar. We looked for it in Zagat's and Time Out and couldn't find it, but Fredda knew of it and liked it so we went along for the ride. Glad we did. It's a Shrinkwrapper kind of place -- dark, edgey, hip, young and good. Even if you know where it is, it's so nondescript you could walk past it in both directions. But once inside, you wonder where all the people came from -- apparently there's always a crowd. We began with Manchego with quince, fennel salad, and eggs with tuna and anchovies, all excellent. Then Swiss mac and cheese with onions and apple sauce, pork ribs, well peppered with mashed potatoes, and asparagus with parmigiana, also excellent. Midway through the meal we were accompanied by live music, a regular phenomenon there, and this guy was cooking almost as hot as the kitchen. It was a fun evening.
OVERALL RATING: Flying low, scoring high.

Della Francesca

Connecticut
35 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury
203-791-1837

The food is pretty good at Della Francesca. So's the greeting, and the service was excellent. So why don't we recommend it? Well, the atmosphere, in the old Nobi space is still suburban strip mall, the crowd was as far from downtown as Danbury is from Soho, and the menu was replete with formulaic dishes prepared with a heavy hand. We began with a bland arugula salad, accompanied by pieces of parmigiana and fried polenta, a house cured gravlax that tasted good, almost bourbony in its curing, and portobello mushrooms that were ho hum. Then a veal Valdostana, pounded, stuffed and fried with fontina cheese and prosciutto, osso buco, a bit salty, with saffron risotto, pasta with spinach and portobello mushrooms, and a saltimbocca, a winner strongly flavored with sage. A bottle of chianti was a good accompaniment and John, the owner, was gracious in hosting us to a glass of house flavored sambuca. But where was the incredible lightness of dining? Well, we were with Eddie and Linda and you can have fun with them anywhere. We did.
OVERALL RATING: Heavy

Delicia Brazil

West Village
322 West 11th Street, between Greenwich and Washington Sts
212-242-2002

You could walk by Delicia and miss it. It's a small nondescript spot, a few steps down from street level, in the very West Village. The cuisine is Brazilian, the prices are cheap, and the decor is basic favela -- although on this night it was embellished with decorations for a later starting birthday party. The host, and server, was warm, gracious and friendly, and the pitcher of caipirhanas greased our wheels. We rolled into a dinner of pork sausages, cod croquettes, and fried yucca with a spicy tomato sauce, followed by feijoada, a traditional stew made with pork and black beans, a lighter version made with shrimp, and a plate of roasted chicken. All were sturdy, though not standing out. We finished with a second pitcher of caipirhanas, some flan, and a good mango pudding. The birthday party looked good -- and we're not sure but we think they finished our second pitcher.
OVERALL RATING: Authentic

Isabella’s

Upper West Side
359 Columbus Avenue at 77th Street
212-724-2100
brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/isabellas

A meeting of the gang of eight was overdue so Linda suggested Isabella's. It's a large, multi-leveled, multi-room space with high production values brought to you by the B.R. Guest restaurant chain, so of course we were skeptical. Who knew we'd like it as much as we did? The room is pretty with potted trees, large floral bouquets and arched windows, and the service is friendly, professional and well orchestrated. The food is really good. We had a variety of fresh salads, crab cakes, pork chops with pureed celeriac, striped bass, ravioli with prosciutto and veal, pan seared salmon, an apple galette, and a dark chocolate ‘bag’, filled with raspberry mousse and berries. Marc Jacobs could not have done it prettier. A few bottles of Syrah kept the conversation flowing despite the din that seems rarely avoidable dining out these days. We covered the writers' strike, the primary elections, and New Year's resolutions, then headed downtown on the underground, stuffed and happy.
OVERALL RATING: Isagooda

The Stoned Crow

West Village
85 Washington Place, between 6th Ave and Washington Square Park
212-677-4022
thestonedcrownyc.com

It's New York, so you can eat vegan one night, and then complete lard the next. We'd heard the burgers at the Stoned Crow were pretty good, so we walked the short walk over. Stoned Crow has a college bar feel, sitting just across Washington Square Park from NYU. It looks and smells like a joint -- not pot, despite the name -- but beer, baby, beer. You walk through the old, dark bar to enter the high ceiling dining room, plastered with movie posters and kitschy Christmas decorations. There's a pool table in the center of the room, and someone's garage sale tables surrounding it. The waitress was young, friendly and competent, the menu limited. Burgers, bar food, and fries. We had the former and the latter, complete with bacon and the obligatory slice of tomato. The burger was good, the brew was too but the fries were only ok.
OVERALL RATING: OK

Blossom

Chelsea
187 9th Avenue, between 21st and 22nd Streets
212-627-1144
blossomnyc.com

We were in the mood for something fresh and healthy, so we walked over to Blossom, a self-described ‘gourmet organic vegan’ restaurant. It's a small, undistinguished place in West Chelsea. The decor is sort of motel room, but the servers are friendly and helpful. We had a black eyed pea and potato cake that was spicy and tasty, salads with pears and walnuts and who the hell knows what else that were crisp and fresh, and a cauliflower soup that was also good, but a duo of mushrooms and seitan was overly sweet, and a Thai curry tofu was tasteless. A scallopine of seitan with lemon and capers was only ok, but the banana maple tart to top it all off was excellent. We walked home to complete the wellness experience.
OVERALL RATING: Slight fade on the bloom

La Esquina

East Soho
106 Kenmare Street, near Lafayette and Center Street
646-613-7100
esquinanyc.com

We went down to East Soho to check out the new Muji and Matter stores (both cool), and after shopping a bit, looked around for some lunch. We walked up Lafayette and into La Esquina which has been a hot spot since opening about two years ago. It's a combination taqueria and restaurant with a counter space for tacos and two dining spaces, one subterranean which we did not see, and the other, small but with a high ceiling, booths, and a wall of shelves housing books and vinyl albums. It was busy for lunch with many local families and their also local bambinos. We had an arugula, jicama, and mango salad, a plate of pulled pork tacos with jalapenos and shredded cabbage, and lump crabmeat with shredded cabbage and lime. All were outstanding -- fresh and sassy. La Esquina may be hard to get into, but it's easy to get into their food. We’ll be back for dinner, soon.
OVERALL RATING: Mexcellent.

Year End Summary 07

Here’s our BEST OF list for ‘07. We welcome your comments on this list or individual restaurants. Please share your thoughts and post your suggestions by clicking on 'comments'. Happy New Year from the entire Shrinkwrapper staff and their dependents.

BEST OFF THE BEATEN PATH: Moto
BEST IN BROOKLYN: Dressler
BEST SPIN OFF: Market Table from The Little Owl
BEST NY EXPERIENCE: 5 Ninth
BEST NEW SEAT AT THE BAR: Perilla
BEST FISH: Mary’s Fish Camp
BEST SUSHI: Soto
BEST ROMANTIC: The Schoolhouse
BEST IN SUBURBIA: Aloi
MOST LIKELY TO CLOSE IN 08: Barfry

Look below for our full length reviews of each of these restaurants.

Le Chalet

Gruyère
Switzerland
+41 26 921 34 34

We drove to the town of Gruyère to see where they make the cheese and to tour the castle that has overseen that valley there for eight hundred years. In Switzerland, old is old. The town is cute and well restored but has, in contrast to most of Switzerland, succumbed to the tourist. Being in a building that has eight hundred year old remnants, walking the same stone floors walked by men in armor, however, is incredible. Le Chalet is one of many restaurants in town and it specializes in fondue. It’s a chalet with a high, dark wood shingled A frame ceiling. It was packed for a late afternoon lunch, with loud children running about untended, and smoke from cigars and cigarettes rising to the roof peak. The fondue was outstanding none the less. Made from local Gruyère and Fribourg Vacherin cheeses, it was of a creamy texture that would surely have drowned a child were we left to our own predilections. More Schnapps, and we might have been. By mid pot, they all left and we completed gorging ourselves.
OVERALL RATING: Not skinny dipping

Les Caves

Switzerland
Obergasse 24a, Biel/Bienne
+41 032 322 36 34
restolescaves.ch

Les Caves is a local restaurant in the old town of Biel/Bienne. Local if you live in Biel/Bienne, a multi-lingual city. We do, at least for now, and for one of us this is home. It looks like a vaulted wine cave, sans les vins. The white stucco walls arch up to high stone ceilings -- it’s obvious, except to the blind, that you are in a space that is many centuries old. It was a quiet, foggy evening in Biel and the few customers must’ve lived close to us. The wait staff appeared to be the owner and his wife -- although we shouldn’t presume -- and they were gracious and attentive. We began with nuessli salads served the traditional way, with chopped egg. Then, an overly creamy ravioli, a good shrimp scampi, and an also good sliced lamb tenderloin served on a risotto made crunchy by partly cooked lentils. We finished with homemade brownies with walnuts and a bit of vanilla ice cream -- tres bien.
OVERALL RATING: Gut/Bon/Good

Wein und Sein

Switzerland
Muenstergasse 20, Bern
+41 031 311 98 44
weinundsein.ch

Wein and Sein is a small, cellar restaurant in the heart of Bern. You walk down a flight of stairs below street level to enter the stone and stucco space with a small bar and lounge area, and about 32 seats in the dining room. The menu is a daily prix fixe with little margin for substitution and, thankfully, little need -- everything is made well, lovingly and with an eye for presentation. The usual mode of operation is for a glass of wine to accompany each of the four courses. We operated modally. We began with a duck liver pate served alongside an apple pate with sprouts and a tiny brioche, and a Riesling. Then a yellow pepper soup, light and frothy with a second Riesling. A filet of beef with a potato filled ravioli and red cabbage was accompanied by a Phelan Segur, and a delicious star anise cake with fruit compote and crème was unaccompanied -- we were already over the legal limit, even though we were taking the train home. It's Stefan and Alex's favorite restaurant in Bern, and they know the Bern underground.
OVERALL RATING: Well cellared

Hotel Krafft

Switzerland
Rheingasse 12, Basel
+41 61 690 91 30
hotelkrafft.ch

Breakfast at the Hotel Krafft in Basel is not only good, it's a wonderful opportunity to write about what a terrific place it is to stay the night. Located in the old section of town and directly on the Rhein river, the hotel, and it's simple but period detailed dining hall, offers outstanding views of the water and the city bisected by it. The breads, cheeses and especially the Birchermueseli are a delicious and gratifying way to begin the day. But the rooms, oh the rooms. The hotel is housed in an old stone building, dating back centuries, updated and renovated in 2005. The rooms are modernly and minimally furnished, and appointed with spaciousness and lovely taste. Our double room overlooking the river was comprised of a large sitting area with a sofa, coffee table and larger table for dining, a large bedroom area with a large walk in closet, and a bathroom room capable of servicing five adults. Seriously. We're talking spacious here. What a way for old and new to meet.
OVERALL RATING: We hated to leave

Brasserie Les Trois Rois

Switzerland
Blumenrain 8, Basel
+41 61 260 50 50
lestroisrois.com

Les Trois Rois, or the three kings, as they are affectionately known, is reputed to be the best restaurant in Basel. We opted for a table at their Brasserie, since it was the only table they had. The Brasserie faces the Rhein river with large windows comprising the riverside wall. It is brightly lit and well polished, with high but comfortable chairs surrounding elevated tables. We were seated at one, not quite by the window wall, and inquired about moving to a window side table. "Non" we were told by one of the 297 maitre de's, "zos tablez are rezerved." Oh well, our view of the river wasn't so bad anyway, so we began with salads of leaves and vegetables, including shaved celery root, that were fresh and well dressed, albeit slightly less well dressed than those maitre de's. Then, some monkfish, sea bass, and a double cut boneless chop of veal, two good, one very good, but none exuding creativity as much as formality. We finished a bottle of Peppoli Chianti with cheese plates and watched one of the tables we asked for not fill up.
OVERALL RATING: Shlightly Schtuckup

Restaurant Stadthaus

Switzerland
Restaurant Stadthaus
Hauptstrasse 18, Nidau
+41 032 331 51 52
stadthausag.ch

Stadthaus plays to mixed reviews. It's a newly renovated, good looking space, open and nicely lit, occupying the first floor of an old, stately stone building in Nidau in the Canton of Bern. The farm tables are well spaced and the kitchen is open and airy. The patrons seemed local and varied by age. Tonight, the service was slow and inattentive, distinctly lacking in Swiss precision. We began with nuessli salads, fresh and crisp like the outside temperature, and salmon slices with mini roesti and more nuessli. The roesti was more like a soggy pancake than the crisp grated and pressed potato dish it might have been. For entrees we had shaved fennel piccata pasta with hazelnut sauce, the fennel lightly fried, and an arugula and ricotta ravioli, with grated parmigiana, chopped hazelnuts and sprouts, both good. A Peppoli chianti likewise was good, although mildly overpriced. Did we note the service was slooooow?
OVERALL RATING: Neutral

Cafe Country

Flatiron Gramercy
90 Madison Avenue, between 28th and 29th Street
212-889-7100
countryinnewyork.com

The Cafe at Country has an urban, lounge feel. Located off the lobby at the Carlton Hotel, it's softly lit with leather banquette's flanking a somewhat central bar. We went to celebrate what turned out to be a variety of occasions -- all happy. Country, the more formal dining room, sits on a landing above the Cafe, with a look and a menu that is, well, more formal. The food downstairs was more polished than rural, and good. We began with a few fresh salads, and prawns sauteed in herbs and extra virgin olive oil. Then burgers with spicy pickled relish and fries, pasta arrabiata with seafood, and risotto with mushrooms and arugula. Just for the hell of it we tried profiteroles for dessert -- there was really no place to put it. The Red October cocktail, with gin, thyme, muddled blueberries and jalapenos was still good in December, as was a glass of Rioja. And the company was heart warming.
OVERALL RATING: Good

iTrulli

Gramercy Flatiron
i Trulli
122 East 27th Street, between Park Avenue and Lexington
itrulli.com

i Trulli was where we first met. Yup -- the very first time. Who can remember the food from that night? We've been back twice, this time with one of the architects of that meeting and, though it's not edgy and has sort of an uptown feel to it, the food at i Trulli is authentic Italian and good. We started with a salad verte, scamorza e caponata -- baked mozzarella with an eggplant and olive compote, and an arugula salad with marinated artichokes, all well received. Then a rabbit ragu pasta with a mild hop to it, cavatelli with broccoli rabe and chopped almonds, and a pork loin scallopini in a lemon oil sauce. These too were liked. The bottle was chosen by our table's expert. It was from off the beaten path, and was very good.
OVERALL RATING: A good start

Gusto Ristorante e Bar Americano

West Village
60 Greenwich Avenue, near 7th Avenue
212-924-8000

We went to see 'Michael Clayton' (liked it a lot) and were walking home when, once again, we didn't feel like cooking. We just happened to walk by Gusto, and had read good things about it so decided to walk in. The decor is a bit stuck in the 80ies (as was the music) and the crowd looked more suburban and uptown than neighborhood, but the garden salad was fresh and well dressed, and the asparagus with parmigiana and roasted hazelnuts was also good. The tonarelli cacio e pepe was acceptable and Sicilian meatballs with pine nuts and raisins were good. The quartinos of Primitivo were good as well, but the lemon cake with cranberry compote was a bit sweet and cloying. The service was good, but just how many times can a busboy refill a glass of Pellegrino with tap water? Answer: three.
OVERALL RATING: Okayo

Smith's

West Village
79 Mac Dougal Street, just above Houston Street
212-260-0100
smithsnyc.com

We were going to stay in (we swear!) and eat soup but, at the last minute, as always, decided to walk over to Smith's and see if there was a table. There was. It was a booth for four all the way in the back, near the bar area. We thought we'd have room to spread out, but only amputees could spread out at this table. Having legs, we'd walked by Smith's a few times since it recently opened. It looked interesting and edgy from the street and is, indeed, related to Raoul's, a long time Soho hip spot. But edgy became tight inside the booth in this railroad car space trimmed in neo wrought iron. At least the food was average to good. We had Brussel sprouts with almonds and arugula with apple slices and parmigiana to start, both good. Then corezzi pasta with mushrooms in a too-heavy cream sauce, and a pork loin with chard. The pork was a tad sweet from the maple syrup with which it was glazed. The crowd was a bit old Soho -- more original than Smith's.
OVERALL RATING: Merely keeping up with the Joneses

Annisa

West Village
13 Barrow Street between West 4th and 7th Avenue
212-741-6699
annisarestaurant.com

We'd been to Annisa a few times before, and regarded it highly as one of the best, understated restaurants in the city. It consistently presented as minimal, clean, almost pristine in its Sino-Euro simplicity. We went this time to romantically celebrate a milepost but experienced a let down relative to our expectations. The soft, warm glow of the room has transformed into a tarnished patina in want of a paint job. Everywhere you looked, dim lights tried to mask frayed edges, an ambience almost offset by competent, friendly service. Almost. The food was good enough -- tuna three ways to start, a delicious pork loin with chard and Gruyere, and good enough short ribs with cauliflower. But the eggplant appetizer with yogurt and lentils was tough and over cooked despite the beans' pleasant seasonings. The Cape Mentrelle Shiraz was very berry flavored -- we enjoyed it while we enjoyed each other.
OVERALL RATING: Less shine than us

Market Table

West Village
54 Carmine Street, at Bedford Street
212-255-2100
markettablenyc.com

Freshly updated on November 14th: Market Table has become a hot ticket. Every review has been favorable and the crowds are packing it. We went early to ensure actually being able to eat there. We had gravlax with frisee and egg, apple and fennel salad, and that roasted chicken, crisped to a crunch. The staff is friendly and welcoming and the food remains good enough to keep returning.
OVERALL RATING: A bull market

Originally reviewed on 10/11/07: We'll be spending more time in the city now so, for us, eating and reviewing season opened on a Market Table. It's an offshoot of the Little Owl which we love (see review below). It occupies the old Shopsin space and the new chef is from the Mermaid Inn. The space is redone with high beamed ceilings and lots of windows facing Bedford and Carmine. It's a combo restaurant and takeout operation, a 'market' if you will, the kind of place to frequent if you're walking home after work and just don't feel like cooking. In this city, who does? We had heirloom tomatoes in a nice balsamic vinegar and a lettuce salad with sashimi of tuna on top that tasted as good as a salad can taste. Then arctic char, a terrific bricked and pan roasted chicken with sweet potatoes and hazelnuts, swordfish, and seafood stew, all very good, all hefty. A Cotes du Rhone was a smooth accompaniment. The greeting and service were friendly. This won't be our last time at this table.
OVERALL RATING: Good. (For chicken lovers, clucking good)

Bond St

NoHo
6 Bond Street, between Broadway and Lafayette
212-777-2500

Bond Street has been around for many years. It still looks like the hip in spot it used to be, but, are we getting older or is the crowd half the age? The noise level is stratospheric, but the food remains of a high quality and that's a part of why it's so hard to get in here. We ate upstairs in a well draped room, its aural absorption ability easily outdone by the clatter. We had spicy crispy shrimp, yellowtail sashimi, toro tartar, and salmon ceviche with blood orange to start. All good, but no stars. Then glazed Chilean sea bass, a few pieces of sashimi, and a few sushi rolls, spicy tuna, arugula and potato, and sesame shrimp among them. The dipping sauces were excellent. Three desserts were likewise good, the ricotta panna cotta being the standout, light and chilled. The company was sweet. There's a sister Bond Street in South Beach in the Townhouse hotel. We like both.
OVERALL RATING: WHA???????

Piccolo Ristorante

Los Angeles
5 Dudley Avenue, Venice
310-314-3222

Angelo worked at Piccolo until recently and he, Carrie and Serena recommended it highly. It's a small, casual, hip, young place just off the beach in Venice. We fit in like an obtrusive fish out of water, our not so relaxed group of five including a hard of hearing 82 year old, a 13 year old who was bored to tears, and a woman dressed, barely, to be out at Studio 54 in its hey day. The food was amazing. We started with a fresh shaved artichoke and parmigiana salad drizzled with fine oil, tuna tartare with avocado over balsamic reduced to molasses consistency, beef carpaccio, and squash soup, all excellent. Then a slow roasted lamb shank osso buco, tortelli with potatoes and figs, a spicy calamari with arugula, and a charred filet mignon. A couple of bottles of Valpolicella from Speri calmed Wynn and one half of Shrinkwrapper, but it took into the second bottle. We shared a tiramisu and ricotta cheesecake for dessert. Great call Carrie.
OVERALL RATING: Una cena eccellente.

Silent h

Williamsburg
79 Berry Street, at N. 9th Street
718-218-7063
silenthbrooklyn.com

When we walked by Silent h in the afternoon last weekend, it was closed and looked small, hip and dark. It's got a little less edge when the lights are on, and they actually should make more and better use of the dimmer switch. It's Vietnamese, moderately priced, and not bad for this genre. But it doesn't really rise above the level of good neighborhood place if your neighborhood doesn't have another Vietnamese restaurant. We started with light summer rolls, tasty well-seasoned shrimp toast, and lemongrass shrimp cakes, all enjoyed. The seafood crepes were as well, but the beef stew with carrots and rice was a tad pedestrian, and the peppered red snapper was overpoweringly spiced. Vietnamese coffee, strong and sweet, is always a good way to end a Vietnamese meal. Silent h is BYOB, and the closest liquor store has a lousy selection.
OVERALL RATING: Fairh to middlingh

Lorena’s

Maplewood, New Jersey
168 Maplewood Avenue
973-763-4460
RestaurantLorena.com

Under the river and over the rails, to Maplewood we did go. Steve and Vanessa met us at the train station and liquored us up with repeated bottles of very good wine before and during an excellent meal at Lorena's, a small, busy place in the center of the town that is, surprisingly, BYOB. We started with an earthy mushroom risotto, a roasted beet salad, fois gras, and salmon tartare. Each dish was well prepared and prettily presented, holding as well for the entrees of poached salmon over chopped kale, sliced duck breast, halibut, and roasted chicken. We finished off an excellent red with a cheese plate before a race to the train back to the city. Time flew. Not bad for Shrinkwrapper’s first foray into the Garden State.
OVERALL RATING: Very Good

BLT Fish

21 West 17th Street, between 5th and 6th Ave
212-691-8888
bltrestaurants.com

BLT Fish is a good example of marketing exceeding delivery. It's one of many restaurants marked with the BLT moniker but our first experience with this brand. We sat in the casual downstairs section which looked like so many other restaurants in this destination 'hood -- all dressed up to look undressed up and lacking a distinctive flavor. Like the food. This is a place where you're best off eating it raw. The shrimp and lobster cocktails and oysters on the half shell were good enough, and nothing amongst the mussels, flounder, or salmon was bad, but everything was just a bit listless. The french fries, corn on the cob, and grilled asparagus all seemed boiled, and lacked anything in taste resembling an edge. The best part was the company, but that would have been good no matter where we ate. This is not a shrinkwrapper place.
OVERALL RATING: Boiled, listless and tasteless

Kingswood

West Village
121 W. 10th Street, betwn Greenwich Ave and 6th Ave
212-645-0018

The Kingswood occupies the old Jefferson space, whose contemporary, clean interior design we loved. It's been unartfully redone to create a more woodsy motif with butterflies decaled on the ceiling, and stuffed birds and dry flowers and branches on the back wall. The menu is inventive but tries too hard in combining everything with anything. The scene is young but a bit haughty, and the turf they are looking to stake out appears to be more about scene than food. The place began filling as we ate, but almost every table was segregated by gender, suggesting a Match.com cafetaria. The food was good, but no more. The music was loud and, more importantly, poorly chosen, possibly suitable for a speeding drive down a straight highway with the top down and wind blowing past, but hardly conducive to eating. We started with a simple green salad, and one with beets, celery and goat cheese. Then a mushroom risotto and a monkfish curry with cardamom rice -- both good, neither shining. The first glass of wine, a Pinot Noir, had to be sent back. It's replacement, a Cabernet, was good. The service was good but a bit chipper -- maybe it was all the chirping.
OVERALL RATING: Lacking royalty

Nora

Washington, D.C.
2132 Florida Avenue N.W., just north of Dupont Circle
202-462-5143
noras.com

The menu at Restaurant Nora, which changes day to day, states it is the first certified organic restaurant in the states. We have no idea what the second is, but there's little need to eat elsewhere. Nora is a fairly large operation, divided into a number of separate rooms, none especially distinct by design, none at all offensive. It's the food that's the thing, and it has been for years. Most of the ingredients are organic (duh), local and fresh. We started with a salad of crab meat, avocado, parsley and a hot chile sauce. We all loved it. Then a middle eastern style veal stew with cashews, chutney, dill yogurt sauce and Indian crisped bread, and an extremely tender rib eye steak with lightly fried onion rings. The service was professional and ingratiating, and the house special cocktails were well flavored and conceived. The pear almond crostado with ginger ice cream was an excellent finisher, outshining a somewhat pedestrian molten centered chocolate cake. Jessie and Ben filled in admirably for the other half of the shrinkwrapper team.
OVERALL RATING: Mora Nora

Barfry

West Village
50 Carmine Street, between Bedford and Bleecker Street
212-929-5050

Barfry recently opened in the old 50 Carmine space. It's new, and on this Sunday evening they didn't have their liquor license yet. The menu is mostly a piece by piece tempura offering -- sort of a sashimi goes fried concept. It barely works. We did like the simple, white space, sleek with white tiled walls and a long bar, but the pusher that served us bordered on a used car salesman -- we were advised about how many plates of each size to order. Who knew we didn't know? We kinda liked the tempura shrimp, the eggplant was ok, and the beef beignet was boring. The tuna tartar was indistinct, and the watermelon and arugula salad would have been better as separate ingredients. When the first four letters of your restaurant are BARF, you need to be more careful.
OVERALL RATING: Fried.

The Fridge

Westchester
78 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge/Scotts Corner
914-764-1224
thefridgeatpoundridge.com

It was a clear, cool, sunny day so we decided to bike to Scotts Corners, the small shopping district in Pound Ridge. We hit town around lunch (took us about an hour) and drove by The Fridge only to make a u-ie. It had been recommended to us by an aspiring golfer with a strong grip. It is a hole in the wall sandwich shop used by locals mainly for takeout or for catering. We ordered grilled asparagus, a Napolean of grilled vegetables and goat cheese, tuna salad, olives, and fruit salad, whatever we thought our elastic bike pants could stretch out to. Everything is for takeout, so we did and ate on a small table just outside. Everything we took out was terrific. Fortunately, the ride home was slightly more downhill than the ride coming. But only by a hair.
OVERALL RATING: Pretty cool.

Rayuela

Lower East Side
165 Allen Street, between Rivington and Stanton
212-253-8840
rayuelanyc.com

Rayuela means hopscotch in Spanish. At least that's what the waiter said. The dishes are a mix, or hopscotch, of Latin, Spanish, Caribbean influences, along with a dash of high production values. We didn't expect such a finished, theme park type of vibe -- it is the Lower East Side after all. It was Saturday night in the city and Rayuela was hopscotched with empty tables. We had a watermelon mojito that tasted clearly of watermelon, a few ceviches of mixed reviews, hamachi being the favorite, and warm asparagus with grated cheese and crab meat. All in all, it was an unnecessary to repeat experience.
OVERALL RATING: Why bother?

The Odeon

Tribeca
145 West Broadway, between Duane and Thomas Streets
212-233-0507
theodeonrestaurant.com

We were at the World Trade Center site, one of us finishing a TV commercial shoot, the other merely an observer. It wrapped around 8 p.m. and we walked uptown to The Odeon, a cornerstone in Tribeca. Once one of the major in-spots in Manhattan, The Odeon is now a neighborhood resource, a large, dimly lit space sporting a good sized bar, and offering a casual menu. We began with a Moroccan martini, replete with mint, along with plates of heirloom tomatoes. A burger with fries for one (the other finally overdosed on Kraft services) was done simply but effectively, and was all the rest that we needed. We rapped, wrapped, and walked further uptown.
OVERALL RATING: Like an old shoe.

Soto

West Village
357 Avenue of the Americas, just south of Waverly Place
212-414-3088

We wanted to stay local so we ate at Soto, a new sushi restaurant from Atlanta. Atlanta?! Soto is very Japanese minimal in design, but the construction of the dishes, both visually and flavorly, is mostly excellent. We began with an amuse bouche (is this how they say it in Atlanta?) of edamame, followed by a small plate of thinly sliced mackeral with scallions, ginger and herbs with flowers, and citrus salmon with scallions and mustard shoots. The flavors sang Dixie. A mushi soup was a unique, delicate broth, and a special roll of tuna tartare with ginger, avocado and who knows what else was superb. A plate of broiled lobster with panko, mango and portobellos was a notch down, and two rolls from the menu, tuna and mackeral, were merely pedestrian. It's BYOB for the moment, so bring a Braves fan.
OVERALL RATING: Strong potential

Quartino, Bottega Organica

SoHo / Nolita
11 Bleeker Street, between Elisabeth Street and the Bovery
212-529-5133

Freshly reviewed on 05/09/07: We were walking home from exploring new shops along East Grand Street and were hungry, so we stopped for a bite at Quartino. They've opened a small garden area in the rear, but try finding a plant or a flower back there. We found what we're used to -- well prepared, fresh, organic food. We had a caprese salad with fresh tomatoes and excellent buffala mozzarella, and a plate of thinly sliced artichokes and parmigiana drizzled with olive oil and lemon. We enjoyed them both.
UPDATED REVIEW: Still good

Originally reviewed on 06/17/06: It's organic, so there's no carcinogen issues. Unless, of course, the building is built on an old dump site. But we don't think so. It's on a cute block. Quartino is small and charming - European in its look. We've had brunch, lunch and dinner there, and not a loser among them. They make a mean risotto.
OVERALL RATING: Good, but a strong good

Aurora

SoHo
510 Broome Street, between Thompson and West Broadway
212-334-9020
www.auroraristorante.com

We've been going to Aurora in Williamsburg longer than the existence of this blog. We voted it 'Best of Brooklyn' at year end (2006). Now the same people opened up a sister operation in this southwest corner of Soho, a bit smaller (no outdoor space) but the same look – exposed brick, stucco, dark wood, more polish than the original originally had. But the food decidedly shows genetic connections - it's very good! On the way in we spotted bar food that look like one more reason to be back soon. We started with fried artichokes served with white beans and arugula, roasted and pickled red and yellow beets, and lobster salad with mushrooms and truffles - all winners. Entrees were bricked Cornish hen - crispy and well seasoned, orriechette with broccoli rabe, penne with eggplant and buffala mozzarella, and branzino with roasted tomatoes. Only the branzino lacked for freshness and flavor. Desserts were excellent as well, and made on site. The waiter for our table was fresh off the boat from Italy and added his own charm. Prices are moderate. We're glad to have a shorter commute, and having three sisters to dinner is always a treat.
OVERALL RATING: Sibnificant

Barbuto

West Village
775 Washington Street, corner of West 12th Street
212-924-9700
www.barbutonyc.com

We met for a walk after work, and golf, and decided to eat al fresco. Barbuto has garage doors that open in this weather, and we sat along the sidewalk watching what seemed like hundreds of dogs walk by. The food was good tasting, but a bit oily and filling. We had spaghetti with peas, pecorino and spring onions, and fried gnocchi with fava beans and ricotta. Our appetizer of crostini with asparagus and morels in melted mascarpone arrived after our entrees, and was appropriately comped by our apologetic waitress. The food was good enough, but nothing about the meal stood out as noteworthy.
OVERALL RATING: Good dog watching

Aloi

62 Main Street
New Canaan, Connecticut
203-966-4345

Freshly reviewed on 05/11/07. This time we sat under an umbrella overlooking the street in Aloi's garden. It was a beautiful night. We started with salads of buffala mozzarella with tomatoes, arugula and pesto, and sliced artichokes with yellow tomatoes. All the ingredients were fresh and the attention paid to each dish by the kitchen was discernible. Entrees of garganelli with tomatoes and peas, and scallopini of swordfish, coated with Ligurian breadcrumbs and herbs, served with radicchio and arugula Milanese style were first rate. So was the conversation with Wala.
OVERALL RATING: Spring on the palate

First reviewed on 06/17/06: It's about time we found a restaurant outside the city we can endorse – it feels like it's been awhile. Restaurant Aloi is Northern Italian and endorsable. It sits in a cute building on Main Street in New Canaan, with many outside tables. We sat inside. It's noisy, but the menu is inventive and filled with fresh, seasonal ingredients. We had a salad of endive, nectarines, blueberries and shaved pecorino, and a sliced tomato reconstructed with layers of mozzarella to start. Entrees were osso buco with creamy polenta and tomato sauce; potato gnocchi with veal ragout and sage from the chef's garden; risotto with hot and sweet sausage and mushrooms; and red and yellow beet salad. Everyone enjoyed their meal. A tiramisu at the end wasn't a necessity, but who needs necessities?
OVERALL RATING: Very good

Blue

Wilton, Connecticut
Phone number: unlisted

We grilled for the first time this season, outside on the deck at Blue. Blue, for those of you who have never visited, is our country house. Guess it's color? The sous chefs (there are only sous chefs) served up cod, grilled to moist perfection on a bed of organic, fresh Egyptian onion stalks from the vegetable garden with sliced garlic and hot red pepper flakes, grilled asparagus, grilled corn on the cob with cumin, and a whole grilled garlic bulb. It was almost too cold to eat al fresco, but we did, accompanied by a very drinkable and dry 2003 Riesling. We held our glasses and heads high, but the Riesling did us in for the night. Pleasantly.
OVERALL RATING: You should have been there.

Farm on Adderley

Brooklyn
1108 Cortelyou Road, between E 12th Street and Stratford Road
718-287-3101

The Farm on Adderley isn't a farm, nor is it on Adderley. It's a fairly nondescript neighborhood restaurant that draws locals, apparently from a range of locales. The space is somewhat utilitarian, not overly sophisticated nor designed, but we ate al fresco in the backyard on the first warm enough night of the season. The crowd is Brooklyn to a B - all ages, ethnicities, shapes and sizes. No farmers. We started with the beet salad and buffalo mozzarella with arugula and apples. Much of the produce is organic and locally grown. Then a very well favored smoked chicken breast with lentils and a pork roast with escarole, and a side of the fries the Farm is known for - we now know why. The Farm is far off the beaten path, and our Google map directions took us there sequentially through both Queens and Staten Island, but we liked it.
OVERALL RATING: Good

The Flying Pig

Mt. Kisco, Connecticut
251 Lexington Avenue, corner of Moore Avenue
914-MOO-PIG5

Now that Porchetta in Brooklyn is in the slop - the chef left - we went looking to see what's new in the world of swine. The Flying Pig in Mt. Kisco recently relocated to larger quarters, and it's pretty popular. It's in the old Cafe Antico space with a hopping bar on the first floor, and a room filled with flying pig paraphernalia and diners on the second. The menu gravitates to local, fresh and green - all laudable - but green also relates to what the meal costs. It's expensive. We had a Catalan salad with avocado and almonds, grilled artichoke with an tasty remoulade sauce, and the soup of the day. Each was good. For entrees, we had a very good grilled chicken, farm bred salmon, pasta Bolognese, and hanger steak with lightly fried onion rings. The strawberry rhubarb crisp was a sweet ending. Prepare to spend $80 per person.
OVERALL RATING: Bring a silk purse

Westville

West Village
210 West 10th Street, between Bleeker and West 4th
212-741-7971

If you were driving in from the burbs on Saturday night, you wouldn't be driving to Westville. It's not a destination unless you are a local. It's inexpensive, small, loud, serves fresh, sometimes organic food with generous portions, and always has a line out front. But not all the way back to Queens. We had a very fresh arugula salad with powdered parmesan, a burger charred the way we wanted it, lemon and herb marinated grilled chicken, and sides of well seasoned butternut squash and collard greens. The side dish menu is often why people come in the first place. The Beatles yelled the whole time in the background....Yaaa, yaaa yaaa...
OVERALL RATING: Yaaaaaaa!

Birdbath

West Village
7th Avenue, near 12th Street
646-722-6565

Birdbath just opened! It finally opened yesterday! We're breathless from running home and posting the news! Birdbath is a City Bakery offspring and the second one so far, the other one in the East Village. We've been waiting with anticipation for this western sister to open. This tiny bakery is all organic, from the cookies to the countertops to even the floors. It opens daily at 8 a.m. and stays open "until the last cookie sells". We just bought some 'Green Cookies with Jalapeno’, but haven't eaten them yet, since first things first. First post, then eat. F