Lara is also founder and editor of Grits in the City
A Southern friend of mine was in town this week for a meeting, so I figured it was a perfect time to try Mason Jar. Armed with my 30% off code from Blackboard Eats, I made us reservations. For Monday. Monday night. As in Monday Night Football. No, I don’t watch professional football. I don’t care about NFL. I care about three other letters – SEC, as in Southeastern Conference (not Securities and Exchange Commission). If you are like me, MNF is not the right time to go to a restaurant like this, which is basically more of a sports bar.
They did have an excellent selection of Southern cocktails. There was their Arnold Palmer, which was sweet tea vodka, sour mix, and a splash of soda. There was the Mint Julep, made up of Evan Williams Single Barrel bourbon, simple syrup, and mint leaves. I was also intrigued by the Mason Jar Manhattan, which was Old Overholt Rye Whiskey, raspberry liquor, sweet vermouth, and bitters. The specialty drinks were $10-$11. Their Mint Julep was good, but a tad on the watery side. I liked the crushed ice, but the mint was a tad to subtle for my liking. Hard to knock them though since they at least offer it at all – and in a mason jar to boot.
Fried Pickles – The Mason Jar
We started off with some appetizers. I’d been gazing longingly at the fried pickles, so those were a must have, as were the pulled pork egg rolls. They were the more unique offerings they had available. The fried pickles were my favorite. I’ve only ever seen them at Southern Comfort on the Upper East Side. Mason Jar’s version was very lightly breaded, cooked to a point where they were slightly crispy. They were also very thin and were of varying degrees of thickness – confirming what I suspected. Homemade. Served with Ranch dressing, how could they not be amazing? (Note: the menu noted horseradish mayo. Perhaps we lucked out, because we definitely weren’t served mayo). The pulled pork eggrolls were pulled pork in a homemade BBQ sauce with scallion & a hint of jalapeño. There were four pieces, just perfect for sharing. The pork was nicely seasoned and the BBQ sauce had a smoky flavor contrasted nicely to the jalapeño.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken – Mason Jar
For our main dishes, we ordered the Buttermilk Fried Chicken and the mac ‘n cheese. I’d read good things about the fried chicken, which was served with buttermilk gravy, mashed potatoes, and jalapeño cornbread. Sadly aside from the cornbread, I wasn’t impressed with any of it. The chicken had no flavor. Instead of being juicy, it was watery and plain runny. The breading had no flavor, which was the same for mashed potatoes. I prefer mine to be slightly less salty, but I question if their kitchen had salt. Not usually a fan of gravy, I was left questioning what the white drizzle was – because that wasn’t gravy. I understand it was made from buttermilk, but so is my mama’s… this version? No flavor. Just a mechanism to further water down the chicken. Very disappointing.
The mac ‘n cheese was made using elbow macaroni which was tossed in a beer cheese sauce, then baked with panko bread crumbs. The portion size was very generous and overall, I’d say the dish was very cheesy. As opposed to most of the versions I’ve had lately, the cheese was not light and milky. It was definitely of a thicker, heavier variey – something which I’ve yet to encounter. It was actually a nice change. it seemed a very appropriate choice for a bar twist on the standard. In some parts, the bread crumbs were downright burned, but for the most part, it was just light-to-medium browned, adding the perfect topping to the dish. I’d definitely say skip the chicken and go for the mac (or maybe something else on the menu?).
While I expected the restaurant to be more bar than high level restaurant, I was expecting a bit more from the menu. I’ve been very impressed with the level of food you can find in many bars in the city (kudos to the likes of the Redhead). By the end of the evening, I was disappointed by not only the food but the inability to conduct a conversation without yelling at my friend. I’d probably come back again to watch a football game as it’s relatively open and well set-up for that. I’d have some fried pickles (or another appetizer, since that’s where Mason Jar really excels) and find a seat at the bar. However, this might be my one and only dinner outing here.
Mason Jar – 43 East 30th St (b/w Park & Madison Aves) – 212.213.3587
Reservations Accepted
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Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City
Mimosas at Sip
Sip is a very small restaurant located in the Upper West Side, just a bit further south from Columbia University. It’s mostly comprised of two tops and enough space to maybe accommodate at most two larger parties of six, of which we were one on Saturday. They have something I haven’t seen a lot of in the city – a three course prix fixe brunch special, including drinks, all for $25 (or $12 with all you can drink coffee, tea, and juice). For drinks, you can have your choice of mimosas or bloody marys. Though it might mean the mimosa flow is a tad slower, I really like that they use fresh hand squeezed orange juice. See the pulp along this empty glass? Fantastic. I did notice however in my second visit the drink glasses were smaller (things places think they can sneak by with, but never really can).
Fruit Plate – Sip
For your first course, you can choose from a pastry (several options – plain croissant, pan de chocolate, etc – varies from day-to-day), fruit plate, or toast. I always go with the fruit plate, which is really a bowl full of assorted seasonal fruits. This time, it was grapes, raspberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon. Kiwi, I missed you. It’s a plentiful serving and is always very ripe and fresh. Nice way to start off the meal.
Eggplant Sandwich – Sip
For the main course, you have a choice of the omelet of the day (past Saturday, this was chicken liver), French Toast, eggplant sandwich, or mac ‘n cheese. I really loved the eggplant sandwich the first time, so I couldn’t bring myself to change it up. The eggplant is slathered onto the bread in a more pureed form, topped with red peppers and melted mozzarella cheese. The bread is a tad hard for me, but works to hold up against the eggplant. I’ll take hard bread over soggy bread any day. It was served alongside the vegetable of the day, which was curried corn. The last time the vegetable was sauteed asparagus. Impressive choice over the usual default of mesclun greens
French Toast – Sip
Even though it was simply summarized as French Toast, the dish itself was anything but plain. The bread was actually raisin bread. In between each half, comprised of two bread halves, was a thick block of cream cheese – close to 1/2? thick. Instead of being topped with syrup, the toast was topped with a white vanilla bean sauce. It was definitely unique and on par with some of the more involved and innovative takes on French Toast. It’s presentation on the menu lead me though to recommend asking more, especially if you have any food allergies or are particular about how something is prepared.
One friend finally tried the dish we were all curious about yet not quite inclined to order – their macaroni and cheese. It was prepared with sharp white cheddar and had been baked to a very light golden brown, smothered in a heaping helping of bread crumbs. The verdict was positive. The cheese was flavorful, and paired well with her chosen third course (really more of a side) – chorizo.
Billionaire’s Bacon – Sip
Other third courses included their billionaire’s bacon (brown sugar coated bacon – my current bacon fave in the city), home fries, and broccoli au gratin. The bacon is so good, one of my friends ordered an extra serving (oh yes, it’s worthy). Their homefries are more like roasted potatoes, chunky and round, simply seasoned and coated mainly in olive oil.
Sip is a fabulous place for a low-key brunch with food that doesn’t come close to settling for mediocre. The music is great, yet not overwhelming, and the service is very attentive. I’ll be back, and mac, I’m coming for you…
Sip – 998 Amsterdam Ave (between 109th & 110th St) – 212.316.2747
Reservations Not Accepted
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Old Bay Potato Chips – Choptank
Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City
I’ll admit, I’d never heard of Choptank until they were recently featured on Blackboard Eats (BBE). It’s a decent-sized space on Bleecker, with the main seating area situated in a room to the left of the bar area. Their special was especially generous in the context of other BBE offers – $38 for a three course meal, each course paired with your choice of a red or white wine or beer. You could even mix choose different types with each course. I was impressed that the wines they ultimately brought out were off of their regular wine listing and weren’t just a house wine. Upon being seated, we were also served a basket of house made potato chips, heavily seasoned with Old Bay. I like things spicy, so I loved this, but can see how some people would find it to be on the extreme side.
Crab Dip – Choptank
To start, I had their Classic Maryland Crab dip. I expected a small bowl of the dip and was surprised to see the large oblong dish that appeared at the table. There was easily enough dip for three people. The crab, white cheddar, and cream cheese blended so well together that, save the layer of melted cheese on the top, it was impossible to distinguish the individual ingredients. My friend had the Rock Shrimp Taco, which was served with a cumin-lime slaw. She later confessed she actually liked this better than her main course. It was on the smaller side though – so probably not the best of choices if you are planning to share (though from what she said, I don’t think you’d be wanting to share anyhow). The other option was their take on a corn dog, which sounded interesting, but the least enticing of the three.
Choptank Burger – Choptank
For our main course, we had a choice of their burger, fried chicken, the skate wing, or Arctic char. I decided I had to try their burger, especially once they confirmed it was roughly 6 ounces and wasn’t one of those massive ones I’ve found common in Manhattan. The Choptank Burger was served with pickled pepper mayonnaise, aged Wisconsin cheddar, bacon jam, and fries. You might say this is an odd selection for someone who rarely eats red meat, especially seeing as Choptank is known for their seafood. I’ll confess, it was in part my lack of desire to try skate and part intrigue to check out their bacon jam. I found the fries though to be very bland and instead, ate the remainder of the Old Bay chips. My friend ordered theirfried chicken, which was served with a black pepper honey. She liked the honey, but found the chicken to be nothing special.
Cheesecake and Port – Choptank
For dessert, there were three options. There was a house made vanilla ice cream. They also had their Berger Cookie, which was fudge slathered on shortbread. I learned after I got home that that was one of their more famous offerings. I don’t know if it woudl have been able to beat out option number three – their homemade cheesecake. I appreciated our server’s detailed explanation. Instead of a traditional cheesecake which is prepared ahead, chilled extensively, and takes on a more gelatinous consistency, theirs is prepared fresh when ordered. It’s more soufflé – very light, though not overlooking the essential element I love the most … cream cheese. The crust had been flipped, so the top was instead dusted with a thin line of oats and graham crackers. It was served with a side of blood orange syrup, so you could add as much or as little as you liked. While I love cheesecake, I find it oftentimes too rich and heavy. No problem here. The syrup was a nice option, allowing you to occasionally add a bit of extra flavor as you saw fit. This course was paired with a port (Keo, St. John Commanderia), not too sweet as to compete with the alight sweetness of the cheesecake.
I’d like to go back and try the Rock Shrimp tacos at the bar, and finish off again with the perfect cheesecake/port combination… Oh that cheesecake!!
Choptank – 308 Bleeker Street (at Grove) – 212.675.2009
Reservations Recommended
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Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City
LIC Market – Long Island City, Queens
I always get excited when new food options open in Long Island City around work, because, as I’ve noted before, the pickings are slim. Though recently a few things, such as Burger Garage, have come onto the scene – and LIC Market unbeknownst to me recently opened. Currently the restaurant is open Monday through Friday, 7AM to 4PM. They have a full breakfast and lunch menu, as well as daily specials. They are doing brunch on Saturday only, with their hours being 11AM to 4PM. They’ve noted they will be adding dinner to the line-up as well as beer and wine later this Fall. Unlike some of the other options in the area, they actually have a full separate dining area in the back, which is a nice alternative when you want something a little nicer.
Roasted Chicken Sandwich
I was torn my first time there as I looked through their sandwich options. Roasted Chicken … grilled cheese … shredded brisket … slow cooked pork. All sounded intriguing, and ranging from $8-$9. I first tried their roasted chicken, which was served on souman bread topped with caramelized onions, provolone, arugula, and a roasted shallot dressing. The bread was perfect – not so stiff as to hurt to eat (you know what I’m talking about – I’m sure you’ve been a victim of vicious bread at least once!). The caramelized onions in particular paired nicely with the roasted shallot dressing. Roasting the shallots gave it almost a smoky flavoring. The only thing which surprised me was that the sandwich came solo – no accompanying salad, chips, or the like. It was sufficient on its own though for the meal.
The second time I visited, I tried their “grilled cheese”, opting to pay the additional $1.50 to add ham. The sandwich was prepared using port salut, a mild white cheese, which was nice and melted. I think it was a good addition, as it was not so strong to take away from the remaining ingredients. It was topped with apple, endive, honey-dijon, and a truffle oil. My only complaint (see above, think reverse) was the bread was extremely stiff. I was committed though and didn’t let that keep me from enjoying the sandwich.
Market Burger
My friend ordered the Market Burger on one trip, which is served on a brioche bun with cheddar cheese, sliced tomato, greens, and aioli. It’s also accompanied by potato salad. The burger was a nice size – on the bigger side, but not ridiculously ginormous. Another trip, my friend tried their Roasted Chicken salad. The portion sizes on their salads are definitely generous and not bad with a price in the $9-$10 range.
LIC Market also has a market area in the entry which is not only where you pick up any “to go” orders but is actually a decent sized market featuring house made items and gourmet ingredients used in their menu selections. Excellent addition to the neighborhood dining selection. If it says anything, my visits were actually two days in a row.
LIC Market – 21-52 44th Drive (at 23rd St – Long Island City) – 718.361.0013
No Reservations Accepted/Required
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Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City
Since Manhattan was a ghost town for the Fourth of July weekend, a friend and I decided to play OpenTable Roulette on our way back from Long Beach – soon extending our search even further to include spots we’d been meaning to try but never figured on scoring a prime Saturday dinner reservation. Which is how, at the last-minute, we found ourselves headed to Mas Farmhouse to treat ourself to a very nice dinner after a warm day in the sun.
Maryland Soft-Shell Crab – Mas
Mas is known for sourcing its ingredients as much as possible from sustainable farming operations just outside of the city. The restaurant was candlelit and was partly empty, like most of the city. It felt appropriately in line with our relaxing day. We both started off with one of their seasonal cocktails – the greenmarket strawberry, a combination of organic strawberries, house-infused lemon vodka, elderflower liqueur, and Tahitian vanilla-perfumed sugar. We also started with their Maryland soft-shell crabs appetizer. The crabs were crusted with almond flour and paired with a cremer bean salad, Bibb lettuce, and pickled shishito peppers with poppy seed dressing. I’d never had soft-shell crab, and prefered the subtle flavor of it to the usual crab taste.
Violet Hill Farm “Belle Rouge” Chicken Breast – Mas
For my main course, I went with the roasted Violet Hill Farm “Belle Rouge” chicken breast stuffed with capers, thyme, lemon and pine nuts, served with baby carrots, swiss chard, and new potatoes roasted with duck fat. I felt a bit lame contemplating the chicken, but the server encouraged my decision, noting it was one of the better things on the menu. And after it arrived, I had to agree. It was extremely flavorful, with alternating bites highlighting different components of the dish. I’d never seen such interesting presentation of chicken – a cascading series of slightly stuffed medallions. My friend had the Pacific Halibut wrapped in leeks, which was served with zucchini and summer squash sautéed with onion brulee (the dish typically also features chanterelles, but those were left off due to an allergy).
Poached Sweet Cherries Dessert – Mas
For dessert, I persuaded her to try the poached sweet cherries over a cocoa nib tart, accompanied by cocoa nib ice cream and cocoa gelée. Our server encouraged us, saying it was one of their best current seasonal offerings. It was refreshing with the cool ice cream (not too sweet – more of a bitter cocoa flavor to it) and the cherries had been sliced so they almost looked like the fruit version of sliced olives. It was definitely one of the least sweet desserts I’ve had in a long time, but it was a refreshing change of pace. And my friend who’d hesitated since she doesn’t usually like cherries found she loved it as well. We were even each given a mini lemon tart along with our bill to help cleanse our palate. While its price means I won’t be back frequently, I thoroughly enjoyed this last minute dining excursion. Innovative and fresh.
Mas Farmhouse – 39 Downing Street – 212.255.1790
Reservations Required.
Additional offerings include $68 for a three-course tasting menu (menu lists suggestions, but you are allowed to choose from the entire menu) or $95 for a six-course Chef’s tasting menu
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Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City
I love karaoke, no matter the day of the week. I really like it though on Friday because that’s a night I want to do something but don’t want to go anywhere too crazy. We arrived to Baby Grand early enough that I was able to jump in on the bartender’s dinner order for herself and another patron for delivery from La Esquina, a Mexican restaurant in SoHo that I’ve had on my must-try list for forever. It was ironic to try La Equina at the same time as Baby Grand, a karaoke place which has been on my to-try list for a long time as well – our last attempted trip (back closer when they first opened) having been a gigantic fail. Easy to happen though seeing as it is such a small venue.
Taco Delivery from La Esquina
I was a little bit anxious that after all of the build-up that La Esquina would fall short (especially when throwing the delivery option into the equation). I knew I wanted to try a couple of their tacos, and I deferred to the experts, as they had both been there multiple times. I tried to order the “Bistec”, which was char-grilled marinated steak, onions, cilantro, chipotle salsa – sadly though they were out of the steak…). Instead, I had one of the “Carne Enchilada” (grilled achiote rubbed pork, cilantro, onions, pineapple, salsa verde) and the “Pescado A Las Brasas” (grilled market fish, shredded cabbage, salsa verde).
It was very interesting… the enchilada actually referred to the seasoning of the meat (something I’ve never experienced). However, no complaints from this direction seeing as the meat was so perfectly done. The pineapple was an interesting addition, but the sweet along with the sweeter onions balanced the more savory salsa and achiote rub. I also found their fish taco quite good. I’m typically a fan, but I found their fish (nameless – unsure what the “market” fish was this particular Friday, but they chose well). I was quite impressed – all that for $10 (including tip). Can’t beat that! Definitely want to make a reservation and head there in person…
Baby Grand is my new obsession – cozy and comfy, it’s easy to feel at home with singing here. And you can even look up their song selection online. How can you beat that? The second Tuesday of each month, they also offer live acoustic karaoke. I’m intrigued!
La Esquina – 114 Kenmare St (@ Lafayette St) – 646.613.7100 or 646.613.1333
Baby Grand – 161 Lafayette St (@ Grand St) – 212.219.8110
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Clearly in keeping with my trend to visit romantic restaurants on girl’s night outs, I recently went one Saturday to Rayuela in the Lower East Side. I found the decor refreshing yet simplistic from the moment we walked through the door. The bar area was small on the right-hand side before you enter the main dining area, which continues up a set of stairs to a second level. There are a few white curtains and candles were lit throughout. Nice and elegant.
As much as I am usually a proponent of solo dining, I’d recommend this be a place you go with at least another person with you. Many of the plates are intended to be served tapas style and even those which are main courses can be easily split between two or among more if you want to be able to try more of the menu. I had read much of Rayuela’s inventive cocktail menu, but in the end it was the sangria that caught our eye. The blanca contained mint, limes, sugarcane juice, and Brugal Anejo. I always love to try sangria. No matter how many times I try it out places, it’s always different. I prefer white to red, even though I oftentimes find it too sweet. This was just the right touch of sweet, without being too sweet. It almost tasted like sangria trying to masquerade as a mojito. Highly recommend that if you come here, you consider giving this a try ($10/glass or $36/pitcher).
Hamachi – Rayuela
When we were looking at options for starters, my dining companions were very interested in their ceviches. I’ll admit, I’m not usually a big fan. I find oftentimes they’re just a loose blob of various chunks of seafood with pieces of fruit mixed in. If you’ve never had ceviche, it’s essentially citrus-marinated seafood, with the idea being that citric acid cooks the seafood while at the same time adding flavor. I had read about the variety of ceviches Rayuela offered and it had received rave reviews, so I figured it was an essential part of dining here. We went with the hamachi, which was yellowtail tuna served with avocado and orange zest in a wasabi citrus sauce. Sometimes I find if it is not well-prepared, tuna is too bland for my taste, so I figured if nothing else the wasabi should save it. I was pleasantly surprised. The tuna itself was very flavorful and paired with the wasabi, was absolutley perfect. Between this dinner and a recent dinner at BLT Prime (review coming shortly), I’m learning that perhaps I shouldn’t be discounting tuna and tuna tartar so much!
Chilean Sea Bass – Rayuela
For a main course, we chose to split the Bass Chileno, which was a grilled Chilean sea bass with manchego yuca mangu and a chorizo-salsa verde salad. The portion-size ended up being perfect for us to share. I was a bit disappointed that the manchego was not a bit more prominent in the dish. The chorizo-salsa though was actually mixed in with the rice portion that accompanied the sea bass, which was outstanding. The strong flavor of the chorizo was a nice balance to the more subtle flavor of the fish. (I’ll confess I found myself missing the end of the rice moreso than the polishing off of the sea bass.)
Pear Tres Leches – Rayuela
For dessert, we chose to go with two selections. At the time, my friend and I were about to be headed to Costa Rica and so I thought it was appropriate for her to be introduced to tres leches (here you can see the Costa Rican variation we would later encounter). Rayuela took a slightly different take on it, bringing pear into the mix. Their pear tres Leches takes the traditional tres leches mixture (a butter cake soaked in three kinds of milk – evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream) and adds white chocolate mousse and poached pear. The choice of white chocolate made it look the same as the traditional form and it also ensured the chocolate wasn’t overpowering, as the white chocolate was a very subtle addition. And the pear was great in that it was not too sweet and also because I find that adding a dash of fruit with a dessert somehow always makes me feel like it’s at least a bit healthy (a stretch, but I like this theory just the same).
Rayuela Colada – Rayuela
For our second dessert, we chose the Rayuela Colada, which was a layered vanilla cake with caramelized pineapple, passion mousse, caramel tuille and coconut tapioca. This dessert was interesing because the coconut tapioca actually came as a separate shooter to accompany the dish! It was more or less a vanilla cake sandwich, with a layer of passion fruit mousse in between. This was a very light and fluffy dish and the between the pineapple, passion fruit, and coconut, the colada reference was more than justified. Definitely confirm this is a place where dessert is a must. If you’re only looking to get one of the two, it’s a tough call. I’d have to give it to the pear tres leches, but just by a hair. Overall, I was very impressed with Rayuela. It’s not a spot price-wise I’ll hit up too regularly, but I found the dishes flavorful, inventive, and the space justifying it to be worth including in plans involving a nice evening out on the town.
Rayuela – 165 Allen Street (b/t Rivington & Stanton) – 212.253.8840
Reservations Recommended
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Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City
Thursday after going to Mé Bar for a friend’s “farewell for now” gathering, we were hungry and ready for a change of scenery. While Mé Bar does offer somewhat of a view of the Empire State Building, it is a bit cramped and no matter the rooftop access, you are just on the top floor of a La Quinta. A friend summarized it best in stating “this is the McDonald’s of New York rooftop bars”. Wiser words were never spoken. Their cayenne dusted popcorn was good, but only served to work up our appetites for the main portion.
Korean BBQ – Kang Suh
I’ve been meaning to try Korean BBQ for a long time, and we found ourselves in the midst of Koreatown. Perfect location to rectify that. My friend’s favorite is Kang Suh, so that was our end destination. When we walked in, I saw the seating area was massive – extending far all around and encompassing two full floors. The tables reminded me most of fondue – seating all around the edge of the table with a metal portion in the middle for cooking. This time though instead of a hot plate area in the middle, the center had an actual metal grill.
We of course went with the BBQ. What all it came with, well, that I can’t get into too many details because I don’t quite know. They don’t really tell you. I was only left hoping there was nothing mushroomy to contend with my allergy. We went with three different selections – grilled shrimp, grilled boneless sliced chicken, and the grilled sirloin steak. They brought us a plate of large lettuce leafs to use similar to a tortilla, if you wish, to roll up your selected items from the spread. The accompanying vegetables did include some extremely spicy peppers, freshly sliced onions and garlic, bean sprouts, and seasoned cabbage. Upon request, they’ll also bring you rice – or extra go chu jahng (the spicy bean paste that I couldn’t get enough of!). We also tried soju, a Korean beverage similar to sake. Apparently it was originally made from grain, but is now also made from sweet potatoes. I think I actually liked it better than sake!
Watermelon Finale – Kang Suh
At the close of the meal, they brought out a plate of fresh sliced watermelon as a form of a dessert. Juicy and slightly sweet, I have to say it was a welcomed change for a finale on this warm spring day. We each ended up paying approximately $30 for the meal. Not bad for all of the different things we were able to try. I highly recommend Kang Suh (hello, it’s even open 24 hours – a good one to add to the mental roladex) and am looking forward to continuing my exploration of Korean cuisine.
Kangsuh – 1250 Broadway (at West 32nd Street) - 212.564.6845
Reservations not required
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While I really enjoy sushi, I had yet to find my “go to” spots in the city for good fresh sushi. It seems to be something that most of my friends don’t suggest and I just hadn’t gotten around to trying. So, when a friend wanted to try a sushi restaurant on the Upper West Side, I was all for trying out his recommendation.
Amber is a nice sized restaurant, with a fair amount of seating at the bar, a main dining area, and also a dining area in a separate room closest to the windows facing out towards 70th Street. As has been my experience in most nice Japanese restaurants, the decor was simple, crisp, very organized and methodical.
We started off with their miso soup, which was very fresh and perfect for the cold day (my one complaint would be the lovely window-framed room is mighty cold in the winter). I also had the Japanese Seaweed Salad, which came with a miso dressing. The menu denoted this as spicy – don’t know that I would agree, but I will say the salad was amazing. The dressing totally made the dish. My friend had the Vietnamese Shrimp Summer Roll which was accompanied by a chilihoisin sauce. There were four decent sized pieces by summer roll standards. Amber offers a variety of appetizers, most in the $5-$10 range.
Ocean Roll & Sashimi – Amber
Sushi, including the “Ocean Roll” I’d never tried nigiri sushi, which was an interesting transition from the maki sushi rolls of which I have had many. They are definitely a more filling option, although I think I prefer the texture and overall lighter nature of maki. For nigiri, we had their sea scallops, yellowfin tuna, and shrimp. For maki rolls, we had one of their tuna rolls and also one of their specialty rolls, the Ocean Roll. It was rock shrimp and avocado topped with spicy snow crab and dry seaweed – definitely the best roll I’ve ever had, period. Unique mixture of tastes and textures. Just spot-on.
They, of course, have an excellent selection of sake. Note their size between a glass and a bottle? Best not attempted to be split amongst two… Overall, excellent service and food quality. I’ll be looking to try more sushi now within the city, but in the meantime, I’d say definitely an option worth checking out.
Amber – 221 Columbus Avenue (at West 70th Street) – 212.799.8100
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Taureau – East Village
Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City
I’ve already disclosed that East 7th Street between Avenue A and 1st Avenue is my favorite culinary stroll in the city. When I heard a new restaurant, Taureau, had been added into the mix, I couldn’t wait to try it out. Located only a mere few steps east from a fellow fondue establishment, the Bourgeois Pig, I was curious to see how this restaurant would differ. First of all, I learned that Taureau actually means “beef” in French, so clearly the beef fondue must be amazing. I was unfortunately there with my sister who doesn’t eat red meat, so I’ll have to save that for a subsequent visit. However, I can attest that the scent aggresively permeating the sidewalk in front of the restaurant’s doorway would indicate it can’t be anything but amazing. Read more »
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Dish Buzz,
East 7th Street,
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Fondue,
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NYC Restaurants,
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