Vintage bike I rode Uptown (thanks, Bols Genever)

NEW ORLEANS

It’s New Orleans’ time… again.  I’ve written on the Uptown, Carollton and Garden District, CBD, on French Quarter food, more Quarter eats and drink and the Fauborg Marigny and Treme neighborhoods.

Here’s more from my July visit to Nola in the Uptown/Garden District and Bywater, plus coffee and breakfast stops.

Uptown/Garden District

Hansen's Sno-Bliz

HANSEN’S SNO BLIZ - In early 2009, I wrote about my favorite Nola food book, Gumbo Tales. I was moved (to tears) by the chapter on Hansen’s, the legendary sno-ball (not snow cone!) shop on Tchoupitoulas Street, and the hardships and joys of the family behind it. Closed in my prior November visit, this July it was top priority – and absolutely crucial in the heat.

Cream of Almond & Spearmint

With my divergent desires for a cream syrup but also spearmint on my ice, the sweetheart of a woman behind the counter said Cream of Almond and Spearmint was actually one of her favorite combos. She was right – I could not believe the rich, brightness of flavor and fine, feathery texture of the ice they are famous for from their family-made machines.

Hansen's flavors

Hansen’s sno-ball perfection was accentuated by my stop an hour later at SnoWizard, another Nola long-timer since 1937. The flavors I tried here were syrupy sweet, fake, basically the bright-colored junk food syrups you’d expect, though flavor concepts were fun (Cajun Red Hot!)  And the texture of the ice wasn’t comparable.

Hansen’s is king, their staff exude heart and it did my heart good watching entire families sit on the sidewalk eating sno-balls.

Divine Lobster Beignets

LA PETITE GROCERY - Let’s just say La Petite Grocery was the best overall meal I had this visit to New Orleans. I’d put it up there in my top Nola meals alongside August, Jacques Imo’s, Dick & Jenny’s, Commander’s Palace. The space is simultaneously sophisticated chic and Southern hospitality. Beers range from Alsace to Tibet. Cocktails are solid, from an Americano Classico ($8) with Cocchi Americano, moscato dolce, muddle orange, mint and a Luxardo cherry, to a bright Bee’s Knees ($10): Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, lavender blossom clover honey, lemon.

Abita Root Beer Ribs

And, oh, the food. I let out a moan of delight more than once during this meal. Certainly for Lobster Beignets ($9), warm, with lobster falling out of a fried casing. French remoulade and cabbage slaw accented this buttery delight. But how could I not equally swoon over Abita Root Beer-braised Beef Short Rib ($11)? Tender beef, potato croquettes and house pickles all won me, but it was the sweet, nuanced sauce on smoky meat that ushered the dish into another realm.

Shrimp & Grits

Fried Boudin ($6) was peppy with red onion marmalade, whole grain mustard and pickled jalapenos. Pan-seared Rabbit ($19) was a solid, savory dish of tender rabbit with wilted spinach and spaetzle in a lemon caper brown butter. Entrees particularly shined in these two superb dishes: Braised Pork Cheeks ($15) over Louisiana popcorn rice, grilled corn and roasted peppers, and ever-a-favorite Southern dish of mine, Shrimp & Grits ($14), swimming in jus, shiitake mushrooms, divine, smoky bacon and thyme.

DOMILISE’S - It doesn’t get much crustier: mom, grandma and son frying oysters and catfish, while loading up sandwiches, ignoring a ringing phone, and trying to avoid the incessant line of customers until they absolutely have to take their order or payment.

This is all you'll get for a sign to Domilise's

Only grandpa, serving me an ice cold root beer at the bar, seemed to have a little joy, and even then, reservedly so. I fell in love with Domilise’s, a Nola po boy institution for decades. The bread is far from artisan, oysters and shrimp are  greasy and plump. The po boys are best loaded not only with the usual hot sauce, but with horseradish and tartar sauce. Roast Beef Po Boys are as popular as the Oyster Po Boys. Half sizes are still large and range from $9-12.50 (oysters being the most expensive at $12.50), while full-sized sandwiches run $11-16.

This is a classic I am glad to say I finally visited on a non-descript, residential block Uptown… a true peek at the unique character of old school, New Orleans cheap eats.

Cure bar (photo source: www.curenola.com)

CURE - Cure opened since my last visit to Nola so when I was here for Tales, it was a priority to visit what is one of the few “new wave” cocktail bars in a city that more often keeps it old school. As it isn’t a common style of bar in Nola, I appreciate it, but compared to bars of this type across the country, it did not overly impress. The patio is a nice break from loud music in the echoing, chic interior. But in July, the heat is so oppressive, even late at night on the patio, a drink barely refreshed.

Jazz at Commander's Palace brunch

The drinks are solid, like Re-Bootsy Collins ($9), an El Jimador Blanco refresher with house-made rhubarb & lime cordial, topped with soda water. Celery Stalker ($10) is bright with Miller’s Westbourne Strength Gin, lime, house celery bitters, and cucumber, topped with Prosecco. There are also spirituous, bitter treats like Cease & Desist ($9) with Rittenhouse bonded Rye, Carpano Punt e Mes, Fernet Branca and orange peel.

Shrimp and Tasso ham w/ pickled okra

COMMANDER’S PALACE - Commander’s Palace is the Queen of New Orleans’ jazz brunches (Arnaud’s is another quintessential Nola brunch). Commander’s main dining room, highlighted with tacky balloons, is more circa 1980’s elegance than Arnaud’s lovely, turn-of-the-century, garden-style dining room, but the legend, history and importance of Commander’s in Nola history cannot be overstated. Not to mention the food is excellent. All reasons alone you must visit at least once.

Cafe Brulot prepared tableside

Similar to other hours-long jazz brunches around the city, you will pay $30-40 per person without drinks, and will be serenaded by roving jazz trio as you dine. Also similar to others, my beloved, only-in-Nola brunch drinks are available, some off-menu. Just ask for a Bourbon (or Brandy) Milk Punch for creamy, boozy breakfast decadence. Or a tableside coffee/brandy Cafe Brulot, flaming orange rind and all. I’m still waiting to see this presented properly in the Bay Area.

Bread Pudding Souffle

While the band wooed with my request for Lazy River, I filled up on Gumbo YaYa,  Shrimp & Tasso Henican (wild Louisiana white shrimp stuffed with spicy Cajun ham, Crystal hot sauce beurre blanc, pickled okra and five pepper jelly) and Eggs Acadian: duck, andouille and sweet potato hash cakes with two poached eggs over bacon, smothered in red beans and spicy Creole mustard hollandaise. Who could miss their famed Creole Bread Pudding Souffle? Don’t, if you haven’t had it. It’s bread pudding souffle-style: light, airy, doused with whiskey cream sauce tableside.

May the decadent Nola jazz brunch tradition never die.

Bywater

Bacchanal Wine Bar

BACCHANAL – Nevermind that after hanging out with aperitifs and wine, then waiting in a 30 minute line for BBQ (which smelled amazing), I neared the stand only to find they’d sold out of literally everything. And this was all before 9pm. That was a brutal blow, but otherwise, Bacchanal is a special, Nola-style wine bar.

Jazz in Bacchanal's back yard

With a big backyard that feels like a friend’s summer BBQ garden party, live Dixieland jazz and blues (with gospel and lounge thrown in for good measure) set the tone for a magical evening. I like this more remote, laid-back neighborhood and find Bacchanal a summer idyll with a cheese platter and bottle of Cocchi Americano. No wonder it’s the ‘last hurrah’ hang-out for bartenders and spirits folk at the end of Tales.

Breakfast & Coffee

Surrey's Juice Bar

SURREY’s JUICE BAR, Lower Garden District -  Surrey’s would be at home in Berkeley. Eclectic garage sale decor and a hippie vibe confirm Berkeley-like status with juices and wheatgrass shots. On a blazing hot, Louisiana summer day, nothing tasted better than a fresh juice of carrot, orange and celery. You can pop in for juice or stay for breakfasts of Brat N’ Eggs, Costa Rican scramble with black beans, Tofu Breakfast Platter or Bananas Foster French Toast.

La Boulangerie

LA BOULANGERIE, Uptown/Garden District – A locals favorite and one I hit during each visit to Nola, La Boulangerie is vaguely Tartine-reminiscent though far from that exuberantly amazing. Still, baguettes, breads and pastries are of high quality, baked fresh daily, and I couldn’t go wrong with a breakfast of their Peach Danish ($2.20) or Apple Cinnamon Scone ($1.90).

Fuel coffee

FUEL COFFEE HOUSE, Uptown/Garden District – I stumbled upon Fuel when riding a bike out along Magazine Street. The front garden and porch invited me in, the clientele on a weekday seemed predominantly college students from nearby Tulane or Loyola, and coffee was surprisingly strong and smooth. When I saw the sign next door (photo below, left) on the wall of neighboring (and fabulously dive-y) Le Bon Temps Roule, it put a big smile on my face: a black baby with headphones for Brown Sugar Records (which is not in the building, by the way), that reads: “Our Business is Pleasing You.”

Sign from Fuel porch

PJ’s COFFEE – Yes, PJ’s is a chain, with 15 Nola shops alone, but the location inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel saved my life numerous days during Tales when I’d order their damn good Iced Coffee or a Cappuccino before a morning seminar down the hall after only 3 hours sleep.

I can’t help but laugh at the obvious Nola boozy factor: if you so desire, bottles of liquor hang upside down, dripping straight into your coffee. Add Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Baileys or the like, to your cup first thing in the morning.

NEW ORLEANS

Tales of the Cocktail brought me back to my beloved Nola. I’ve done articles on the CBD, Uptown, Carollton and Garden District, Fauborg Marigny and Treme neighborhoods, and on French Quarter food. Now I’m back in the Quarter with drink and food updates…

French Quarter Drinks

Tujague's & their fine Sazerac

Loving the time-transporting atmosphere of the truly magical Jean Laffitte’s and the dank, historical Old Absinthe House doesn’t help when the drinks aren’t so good. Tujague’s fares well with history, crustiness and fine Sazeracs, and Napoleon House, famous for their Pimm’s Cup (which I find watered-down), oozes 1700’s charm. Nowhere in America do I know of bars that hold the pirating, French, Creole, only-in-New Orleans’ mystery each of these places hold.

1700's absinthe fountain in original Old Absinthe House back bar

Skip Bourbon Street (anything but live jazz at the awesome  Fritzel’s, Maison Bourbon for dixieland, and the one-and-only Preservation Hall), and head half a block off Bourbon to the delightfully divey Erin Rose, complete with crappy drinks (or cheap shots), espresso ice machine (kind of like a house Frappuccino with Irish whiskey), crusty locals, savvy tourists, and a kick-ass jukebox.

But when you need a decent drink in the Quarter? The charm of all the intrigue-laden places I’ve mentioned, sadly does not equal a proper cocktail.

Retro decor touches at French 75

BAR TONIQUE – Bar Tonique is a noteworthy addition to the Quarter, right on the purportedly dangerous edge of the Quarter and the Treme, facing Louis Armstrong Park. Pretty new to the scene, it’s now my number one recommend for drinks in the Quarter. The brick-walled space holds booths, an alcove and plenty of bar stools (even a roach that ran across the alcove floor on a recent summer night! What do you expect from 100% humidity?)

Cocktail hour at French 75

The staff are tatooed, friendly and shake some fine classics (The Last Word, Ward 8, etc…) along with cocktails like Blanche Dubois, a refreshing mix of muddled strawberry and mint with Beefeater gin, orange curacao, orgeat and lemon… the orgeat added nutty dimension. And most cocktails hover around a reasonable $7-8.

FRENCH 75 – Widely regarded as one of the best bars in New Orleans, and some say, the country, French 75 has the added (and now rare) perk of being a cigar lounge. So light up and take in the circa 1930’s atmosphere while sipping a French 75 (of course), Sazerac, or aperitif. It’s a place where I can go dressed up and have grown-up conversation, even a little romance with my drink.

French Quarter Eats

Bayona's Eggplant "Caviar"

Last year I shared a few Quarter eats with you (including Coop’s, which I revisited this time around – still the best jambalaya I’ve ever had). Here’s Quarter eats from my July visit.

BAYONA – I’ve been trying to get to Bayona for years, having long heard about the illustrious chef, Susan Spicer. Granted, I only visited for lunch, but was not exactly thrilled with the rather dated (read: 1980’s) dining room and a menu not quite as varied as I’d hoped. In the end, there were two real stand-outs.

Smoked Duck PB&J

Eggplant “Caviar” Tapenade ($7) is light, enlivened by fresh feta chunks, a bit of anchovy and tomato on toasts, while Sauteed Sweetbreads ($15) are plump and vibrantly tart with lemon-caper butter, though the fried notes grew tiring after a couple bites. Goat Cheese Crouton ($10) were toasts piled with mushrooms in Madeira cream. Lots of bread in this meal.

Divine Creole Cream Cheese/Red Velvet Cake ice cream

Despite more bread inherent in a sandwich, things got exciting with their signature lunch dish: Smoked Duck/Cashew-Peanut Butter/Pepper Jelly Sandwich ($12). The duck falls apart, savory and creamy with the peanut butter. An adult’s PB&J. Dessert won over my whole table: a house special ice cream of Creole Cream Cheese (which I will never say “no” to) laced with chunks of Red Velvet Cake. If I had to exhale a slight moan with each spoonful, could you really blame me? Not if you tasted it.

Creole Tomatoes at Irene's

IRENE’S CUISINE – First, you get a group welcome from Irene herself and waiters at the door. Then, there are multiple dining rooms, each more seductive than the last (I prefer the lush middle room with marble fireplace). Irene’s is actually off-the-beaten-path for the Quarter, yet remains a Nola institution.  They have no website and prefer to do things as they’ve always done them, which works when dishes are made with such loving-care and a sense of history.

Escargot aux Champignons

I started “light” with a special of giant Creole Tomato slices topped with buffalo mozzarella and red onion on one half, pancetta and blue cheese on the other. Nothing wrong with that. Escargot aux Champignons ($8.75) were meaty mushroom caps cooked in butter, garlic, leek and parsley, stuffed with plump snails. Yes, thank you. Lightly-fried Soft Shell Crab, another pleaser. But even better on the fried tip? Fried Oysters & Grilled Shrimp ($10.50) sauteed in Italian breadcrumbs. On my first night in Nola this July, one bite of those flavorful fried oysters and I knew I was back.

Irene's heartwarming Ravioli and red sauce

Another highlight, besides the sweetest, most genuine service one could hope for, was a side of house-made pasta: Ricotta & Spinach Ravioli ($7.50). Delicate, melting pasta is warm with cheese and spinach, topped with shaved Parmigiano, a hint of nutmeg, and, most importantly, a divine red pasta sauce that belies their Sicilian influences.

Nothing like Irene's Creole Cream Cheesecake

Talking me into dessert wasn’t painful when it meant Creole Cream Cheesecake with Louisiana strawberries and amaretto syrup. If you haven’t had Creole cream cheese (which I eat as often as I can when in Nola), you are sadly missing out. Light and fluffy, it’s also tart, creamy, unforgettable. The pairing of a sweet Hungarian dessert wine, Royal Tokaji’s 2006 Tocai, made for an ideal completion to a true New Orleans dinner.

CLOVER GRILL – Two years ago, I stayed in an apartment on the edge of the Quarter/Fauborg Marigny, passing Clover Grill almost nightly, open 24 hours with darling, retro diner authenticity. In the course of Tales, one craves 3am sustenance after hours of cocktail tasting.

All night long: Clover Grill

Thankfully, Clover Grill more than took care of my needs. The clientele is boisterous, but not obnoxious. It feels like one all-night party, though service is understandably harried with steady crowds. They grill up a surprisingly good Burger ($5.49) that reminded me of childhood, particularly fun loaded with jalapenos and cheese (an additional $1.09). Their Chocolate Malt ($3.99) is one of the maltiest and best I’ve had. An Omelette ($4.99) tasted right doused with chili ($1.09). This a classic in these parts and a mighty fine neighborhood diner.

GREEN GODDESS – Green Goddess is an odd Quarter spot. Located in an alley right around the corner from the Hotel Monteleone where I stayed for Tales, it opened in 2009 and despite a rather cheesy name that reminds me of a hippie Berkeley restaurant (and the salad dressing), a local told me this was one of the more creative new openings in the Quarter. I popped in for dinner, charmed by the sweet chef and staff, a quirky, under-stated space and alley location.

Shrimp "Wearing A Grass Skirt"

They take cochon (pig), gulf shrimp, tasso ham and other local foods, and mix in Asian influences for what often sounds odd but works. Banh Xeo ($13) is a Vietnamese rice crepe filled with crabmeat, sprouts and avocado, served with a sweet chili garlic sauce. Shrimp “Wearing a Grass Skirt” ($14) is BBQ Louisiana shrimp roasted in shredded phyllo with roasted pineapple and coconut slaw.

Mango-Banana Lassi

Not all of it works as well as fusion I’ve had in my own city or NY, but I respect the ambition and attempts of this spot to do something different, international and out of the Quarter, or even Nola, norm. I want to try more of their menu.

If I hadn’t been burnt out-completely on cocktails, I was eager to sample their eclectic mix of drinks like The Jesuit Bend ($10), a Brazilian cachaca concoction with O.N.E. berry coffee juice (not sure if that would be good or not?), pepper syrup, and Fee Bros. Aztec chocolate bitters.

I did enjoy their Mango-Banana Lassi ($6), which was thankfully tart and balanced. Particularly noteworthy was the added texture of basil seeds and a curry sugar rim.

Imbiber in NEW YORK CITY

Cocktails

Though my May New York adventures brought me to some of the city’s newer treasures (see June 15 issue), I also made sure I hit up some of the greats of the past decade for a sip of what they’ve been serving lately:

Milk & Honey classics (L: Paper Plane; R: Penicillin)

Milk & Honey, Lower East Side - Through its dodgy, unmarked door into a musty yet romantic (?) interior, Milk & Honey remains one of the best bars in all of NY, father of the speakeasy renaissance (opened in 2000), even if cocktails are a whopping $15 or $16 each. Ice is of highest, hand-chipped quality, and the Penicillin, created here, is always the go-to drink for the uninitiated. But my recent visit held the beauties of a boozy Paper Plane (Amaro Nino, Aperol, bourbon), and a brilliant variation of a Corpse Reviver, along with the company of lovely regulars we chatted with for ages at the bar.

Death & Co's Southern Exposure & Pearls Before Swine

Death & Co., East Village – In the early days, this bar was mellow, sophisticated, with impeccable cocktails. That still holds true, while required table seating thankfully attempts to keep the mellow part in check, but it is a scene now and doesn’t always feel like a bar filled with cocktail lovers. This is apparent from the (kindly) bouncer, the long waits to get in, etc… Fabulous, new Cienfuegos is on the same block so if the wait is too long, head there instead. But Death & Co. creates some of the best cocktails in New York, evidenced by their double win last week (it was exciting to be at the Spirited Awards in New Orleans – more next Perfect Spot) at Tales of the Cocktail for Best American Cocktail Bar and World’s Best. Not sure I’d call it either, but it remains a wonderfully fine bar.

My last visit showed range and contrast between the spicy, vibrant Southern Exposure (jalapeno-infused Chinaco Blanco, Sombra Mezcal, lime, petit cane syrup, fresh red pepper puree, kosher salt) and a lightly creamy, intriguing Pearls Before Swine (Martin Miller’s Westbourne Strength Gin, lemon, orgeat, greek yogurt, lemon curd, rose water). The latter was a delicious stand-out. I respect (when well done) this kind of experimentation in cocktails.

The spread at Flatiron Lounge

Flatiron Lounge, Flatiron - Though I don’t think Flatiron Lounge has held up in the cocktail renaissance compared to some newer, better bars (I’d rather go a block or two away to Raines Law Room), Julie Reiner (who went on to help launch Pegu Club and Clover Club) opened this place ahead of the resurgence, back in 2003. It has historic touches like an original 1927 mahogany bar from The Ballroom that Sinatra and other celebrities frequented. These touches make it special, even if the space is a little lacking in warmth or transporting mood. Cocktails (mostly $13) are solid, if not revelatory, from a refreshing King Rose: gin, basil, strawberries, lime; Vincente’s Antidote: silver tequila, Green Chartreuse, elderflower liqueur, lemon, grapefruit bitters; to Ship to Shore: cognac, dark rum, earl grey tea, figs, lemon, sherry.

Little Branch, West Village - Little Branch, from the unstoppable Sasha Petraske of Milk & Honey, is (similar to M&H) a musty bar that comes off a little like a bowling alley bar tucked in a basement during Prohibition. The menu is short, sweet, sticking to classics. But what these bartenders make best is off menu. It is pretty much about spirituous classics here and I go with bartender’s choice, knowing they’ll always satisfy my thirst with well-crafted libations.

NEW YORK CITY

The glow of the Chrysler by Grand Central Station

My beloved New York. The city that awakened me, at the sensitive age of 14, to cities… and the world. I put my hand over my heart upon first glimpse of the radiance of Manhattan at night from Jersey’s banks, where I lived during high school (and my family lived for years beyond).

There’s always dear friends, family, and such an ease and familiarity with city, it’s like second nature roaming its neighborhoods via the metro, wandering “the villages”, Flatiron or Lower East Side, endlessly hunting for a proper coffee (I finally found some on my last visit – see Imbiber). I always feel at home (my second home, it is), with a lifetime of memories all over Manhattan and the other four boroughs.

As I come close to wrapping up my recent NY series, here are my other NY articles.

NoHo PRIX FIXE STEAL

Coconut Chicken

Double Crown, Noho - One of the better dinner deals I’ve seen in New York is at Double Crown, an airy, open space with modern Asian decor, an intriguing basement, sidewalk patio and cooking influenced by various regions of Asia (see their intelligent, visually gorgeous blog cataloging the owners’ Asian travels, gathering culinary influences for their menu).

Coconut Laksa

Nonya Nights happen Sundays, inspired by family-style dining of Singapore and Malaysia with Chinese and Southeast Asian influences, and are $35 per person for eight courses. Friends, for NY, this is a steal and though portions are small, they are not minuscule – you will be quite full by the end of eight dishes.

Yellowtail Sashimi

Though every dish is not a stand-out, the whole forms a pleasing meal, from Coconut Laksa soup with crab, rice noodles and bean sprouts, to Yellowtail Sashimi with cucumber, hijiki and citrus-truffle dressing. I savored lobster chunks in Lobster Lo Mein Noodles with mussels, scallions and cilantro, as well as Crispy Brussels Sprouts in chili caramel.

Sweet & Sour Eggplant

Over a long dinner with dear friends, it’s a fine communal meal, while the candlelit glow of the dining room inspires conversation, with friendly but unobtrusive service.

Finish with Chocolate Thai Iced Coffee Cake, satisfied by the thoughtfully created feast you’ve devoured for a mere $35. Don’t forget to head next door to their gin bar, Madam Geneva for preserve and jam gin cocktails after or pre-dinner.

CHEAP EATS: East Village duo

Caracas in the East Village

Caracas Arepas Bar, East Village – Caracas Arepa Bar is a cheap, utterly satisfying NY meal: Venezuelan homemade arepas stuffed with all kinds of goodness. The tiny, charming East Village spot became so popular, there’s a to-go side and now a second Brooklyn location. Everything is under $7.50 and waits are long unless you arrive early, but you can order Camburada ($4.75 – banana cinnamon milkshake) and Guasacaca & Chips ($6.25 – Venezuelan-style guacamole with plaintain and sweet potato chips) while you wait. I love the La de Pernil Arepa ($7) stuffed with tender pork shoulder, tomato and spicy mango sauce. But I was equally pleased with the vegetarian La Mulata Arepa ($6.25) filled with white cheese, jalapenos, sauteed red peppers, fried sweet plantains and black beans.

Luke's delightful Lobster Rolls

Luke’s, East Village – Head right next door from Caracas and you’ll find Luke’s Lobster Shack, a humble hole-in-the-wall with a couple stools, take-out Maine seafood and a second location on the Upper East Side. Operating on principles of sustainability and New England authenticity, the prices are “cheap” for NY and for lobster rolls: get a whole Lobster Roll for $14 or an ideal “snack size” for $8. Loaded with buttery lobster from Maine and a light coating of mayo, it may not be my beloved Pearl’s in the Village, but it’s up there and a steal. For an extra $2, get the roll with Maine Root Soda, Miss Vickie’s chips and a pickle.

GOING UPSCALE… at the right price

Aquavit Bistro, East 50’s -I’ve been trying to get to Aquavit for years, certainly having long heard about the mark chef Marcus Samuelsson left on modern Scandinavian cooking through this restaurant, but also because it is hard to find Scandinavian cuisine most places. I adore the region’s focus on fresh fish, salmon, caviar, herring and, of course, the namesake spirit, aquavit.

Aquavits are a highlight at Aquavit

Again looking for deals, I dined in the spare, upscale IKEA bistro versus the more stuffy, pricey dining room (though I love the chairs in the bar area of the dining room). Quality does not suffer in the bistro, while service is gracious and well-orchestrated.

Despite a thoughtfully chosen drink menu, I had to go for a $17 flight of three (or $7 each) of the house-infused aquavits, though narrowing down flavors was problematic. I suspect I’d love most of these since the three I chose were all lovely, from a crisp cucumber, to hot mango/lime/chili, to my favorite: horseradish. There could not have been a better accompaniment to the food.

Artful Matjes Herring

Each dish delighted and portions were generous – The Renaissance Man and I left positively (emphasis on the positive) stuffed. Gravlax ($11) is heaping slices of bright, cured salmon in hovmastar (a mustard/white vinegar based sauce) with dill and lemon. I equally fell for Matjes Herring ($10): thin slices of herring with finely diced yellow beets, red onions and sour cream. Chilled Green Tomato Soup ($11) was almost tart with green tomato skins and pulpy juice, given finesse with apple, horseradish and crunchy croutons.

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs ($19) were the best I’ve ever had, redolent with cinnamon and gentle spicing in the meat. The massive mountain of meatballs and mound of whipped potato puree contrasted nicely with pickled cucumbers, sweet lingonberries, and  addictive cream sauce.

I longed to try dessert (Stuffed Swedish Pancake with goat cheese cream?), but had not an inch of space to spare in my stomach, though it was happy with me for feeding it ultra-fresh fish. This is now a New York favorite and I’m more than a little sad not to have a place like it here in SF.

Sho Shaun Hergatt, Wall Street/Financial District - Sho Shaun Hergatt is a newer fine dining kid-on-the-block getting rave reviews for it’s “Asian-accented French cuisine” from chef Shaun Hergatt.

Sho Shaun Hergatt's Lobster Bisque

I was pleased to enjoy this expensive destination at lunch for a $30 Prix Fixe. Normally, lunch prix fixe menus offer throwaway menu items but as our waiter explained, theirs features some of Hergatt’s most popular dishes. The Renaissance Man and I ordered one prix fixe plus a la carte dishes for a fine cross section of dishes also on the dinner menu (note: prices reflect lunch menu costs). For lunch, it’s a Zen-like atmosphere with Asian-influenced decor, white linens and refined service, while convivial diners and staff glow in the expansive room.

Japanese Escolar

With wine, lunch ended up being around $100 for two, but would have cost double at dinner. A deal for fine dining in NY. Wines reflected a welcome range of locals, like an ‘07 Rkatsiteli from Dr. Konstantin Frank in Finger Lakes, NY ($11 a glass), or far-reaching, like a Spanish ‘09 Albarino, Lagar de Costa from Rias Baixas ($14).

For my Prix Fixe ($30), I ordered a delicate Chilled Lobster Bisque with peach and basil, succulent Seared Soft Shell Crab with cilantro and Florence fennel, and for dessert, Banana Millefeuille, elegantly bright with passion fruit, lime mousse, coconut milk ice cream. Each dish flowed into the next with grace.

Surprising Frog Legs presentation

Possibly my favorite dish was Florida Frog Legs ($22) with spring garlic puree and silky onion espuma under a pasta blanket… a confident, unusual presentation, tender and full of flavor. I also loved Thai basil froth and basil seeds dotting the artful Japanese Escolar dish ($30) with Hon Shemiji (edible mushrooms).

I’m not sure I would have been happy paying dinner prices, but for lunch, Sho Shaun Hergatt is an unpretentious fine dining addition to Manhattan.

THE CHANG FACTOR

Cured Hamachi ($16) w/ horseradish edamame beans, pea leaves

Momofuku Ssam, East Village – Who continues to remain hotter than hot in NY? David Chang, that’s who. I started to pray I wouldn’t hear any more about him as the constant Momofuku raves were getting tiresome all the way from this coast. Sure, I always meant to go to one of his restaurants, and even after his ignorant but truly no-big-deal SF comment and his fun and funky cookbook, I was going more because I finally should rather than because I was excited to.

Kimchi Bloody Mary

I decided on Ssam as his mid-range venture between fine dining and noodle bar, but also one with consistently high accolades. I can’t say I was blown away. But I had a festive meal with The Renaissance Man and my dear NY cousin, one where tripe and pork belly happily played prominent.

Spicy Rice Cakes, my top dish

We started off right with the Bloody Mary special, given a unique slant with kimchi. Hell, yes. We had to chow down on those now ubiquitous Steamed Pork Belly Buns ($9) which were certainly good, but I’ve had versions at least as good elsewhere, though granted, they were copying his. Kudos to Chang for taking pork buns the gourmet pork belly route. Spicy Honeycomb Tripe ($13) may not be the best tripe dish I’ve tasted (Oakland’s Oliveto is in the running for that one), but it was palatable for those who fear the stomach lining, with ginger, scallion, celery, pickled tomatoes.

Those oft-copied Pork Belly Buns

There’s nice platters of country hams, Corned Beef Terrine and the like, but my top dish may have been chewy, dense cubes of Spicy Rice Cakes ($18), accented by pork sausage, Chinese broccoli and crispy shallots. The dish managed just the right balance of heat in it’s red, chili-soaked rice bites, but it is, first and foremost, Asian comfort food.

Dessert was a refreshing, tart Grapefruit Cream Pie. It’s one fault was being a little too frozen, but the taste profile was just what you wanted to end this sort of meal with.

Momofuku Ssam is worth a visit, even if I couldn’t see putting it on my favorites list.

Momofuku Milk Bar's soft serve ice cream

Momofuku Milk Bar, East Village – Next door to Ssam is Milk Bar, a charming little storefront serving flavored milks, pastries, cookies and ice cream. While none of it is the best I’ve ever had, it’s a playful shop (with a Midtown location as well) offering fun soft serve flavors ($4.15) like Carrot Cake or Cereal Milk, or Compost Cookies ($1.85) loaded with pretzels, coffee, potato chips, chocolate chips, butterscotch and oats. Or how about a Kimchi & Blue Cheese Croissant ($6)? They also serve Stumptown coffee so you can’t steer too wrong.

QUEENS

It’s always like coming home to my lifelong best friend in Queens, and now that my dear cousin lives in Brooklyn, I was able to take in some of the affordable eats in these boroughs in my couple days stay after a full week in Manhattan (see my other NY articles)… all excellent. Queens really does have some of the best dining deals in NY.

Addictive house bread & yogurt cucumber dip

TAVERNA KYCLADES, Astoria, Queens – I’ve long wanted to dine on Greek food in Astoria, ground zero for all things Greek. Taverna Kyclades was the perfect choice: with old friends, eating family-style in a humble, convivial space; one half an indoor dining room, the other an enclosed glass patio. It feels like a casual seafood/fish house, which in fact, it is, in the form of platters of Greek food shared by Greek families packing the place out.

Excellent Peasant Salad

House bread arrives piping hot, addictive with olive oil or one of their house dips, like Yogurt/Garlic/ Cucumber Dip ($5.50). Peasant Salad ($7.50 small; $10.95 large) is plenty large, even as a small. Plump, red tomatoes, heaping amounts of onions and olives, and a big slab of  fresh feta cheese… a beautiful salad.

Memorable Grilled Octopus

Mythos Beer washed down Grilled Sardines ($14.95) and lemon potatoes (which you can also order as a side), tasting vividly lemony but in an almost unnatural yellow hue.  Filet of Sole stuffed with Crab Meat (19.75) was the one ok dish: old school, not the freshest crab, reminding me of the 1950’s style of seafood entrees you find at SF’s Tadich Grill.

Kyclades' grilled sardines & lemon potatoes

The piece de resistance is Grilled Octopus ($11.95), a succulent spread of plump invertebrates, envigorated by a squeeze of lemon. Opa!

SPICY & TASTY, Flushing, Queens - Frank Bruni once reviewed Spicy & Tasty, placing it firmly on NY’s culinary map. I wanted to see if years of raves were true, and staying literally a mile away, I couldn’t pass up the chance. The simple dining room looks like plenty of other Chinese eateries, as does the menu. But there is a freshness level that is cut above, exemplified in veggie dishes, such as lightly crisp Green Beans or a Seaweed Salad. Though there was a language barrier with the servers, they did their best to help when I asked for recommendations.

A Spicy & Tasty spread

Famous Dan Dan Noodles ($5) with minced pork are basic white noodles in a sauce that at first tastes like unchallenging soy sauce fare, but unfolds with complex nuances that come from chili oil and sesame. Szechuan-style Chicken ($8.95) is quite moist with a mild burn that grows the more you ingest.

Peanut Butter Sweet Sticky Rice Balls

I became ecstatic upon biting into Peanut Butter Sweet Sticky Rice Ball ($2.95), listed under “Szechuan Delicacies“. Everyone else at my table thought it sounded wholly unappealing but I was intrigued, and at that price, figured I couldn’t lose.  It was the highlight of my meal. Four sticky rice balls they were, with a savory peanut sauce drizzled over the top and a surprising, warm interior of black sesame. It tasted of smoky campfire and oozing peanut butter in mochi-like wraps.  How could I not tingle with discovery?

Spicy & Tasty Dan Dan Noodles

HAN JOO CHICK Korean BBQ, Flushing, Queens – Here’s the sad part: I’m not going to be able to give you a lot of details on this one. My best friend’s husband (and dear friend of ours) is Korean so he knew where to go. The staff only speak Korean, there is no website, and there are few if any reviews I can find on the place other than a couple Yelp comments.

But let’s just say the crowds of local Koreans frequenting this place are in the know about Han Joo Chick’s BBQ, beyond the greasy fare you find at many a Korean BBQ joint. Yes, you’ll see the same sides and dishes you might have elsewhere, but flavor is ratcheted up a few notches. The meat is fatty mounds of pork belly sizzling as excess juice runs down the slanted grill, flavoring veggies at the bottom. There’s a dense spread of bowls full of pickled delights, various styles of kimchi, and Pajeon extravagantly loaded with seafood. I would eat here again and again… and wish I could.

Dutch Kills' cocktails

DUTCH KILLS, LIC, Queens - I want to love Dutch Kills, Queens first honest-to-goodness, Manhattan-style speakeasy in a god-forsaken stretch of Long Island City. If you’re in the area (and if you are, you must drive to the LIC waterfront for a moonlit walk with Manhattan laid out before you!), I’d recommend it for a nightcap. Bar seating is limited since the bar is all by itself in a back room, away from view of cozy wood booths up front. The setting feels blue collar Prohibition-era, which suits me just fine.

Entering Dutch Kills

But somehow, despite direct association with the unstoppable Milk & Honey crew, and its breath-of-fresh-air-compared-to-Manhattan prices at $10 a cocktail, I was mildly disappointed.

Our drinks were classic concoctions, all solid, but not as perfectly balanced as at Milk & Honey, nor as interesting. When asked for bartender’s choice and giving parameters (spirituous, never sweet, scotch or bourbon-based), I first got The Penicillin, which I adore but have had many times over at Milk & Honey (where it was created and rose to fame), and LA’s The Varnish (prepared more adeptly at both those establishments, I might add). A fine choice for a novice but should they have asked me a few more questions? Giving it another chance with a second round, our server brought me a drink she described as “perfectly balanced, not sweet at all”…  it was not the first, and certainly was the latter. Nonetheless, I enjoyed myself in this dim, warm Queens bar but couldn’t help but wonder: did we get an ‘off’ bartender that night or is Queens still miles behind Manhattan in the quality of its cocktails?

BROOKLYN

Roberta's fabulous pizzas

ROBERTA’S, Bushwick, Brooklyn – Roberta’s has the spirit of both Brooklyn and classic Neopolitan in its pizzas, the likes of which we see to the point of overkill in SF.

Mustard Greens

At Roberta’s, every aspect of the place dares you not to be crazy about it: a sketchy, off-the-beaten-path Brooklyn locale reveals a warm dining room with wood-fired pizza oven and rustic, eclectic garage-sale in a 1970’s mountain cabin decor.

Eat at picnic tables indoors or head out back to the tiki bar (alas, no cocktails, but wine and quality beers on draft, like NY’s Ommegang), where there are more picnic tables, thatched roofs, expansive garden and a greenhouse upstairs over the patio, growing herbs found in your meal.

Roberta's greenhouse

The menu offers charcuterie (La Quercia meats but also a divine Biellese Finocchiona made locally in NY), cheeses, Veal Sweetbreads ($13 – playful with lemon, parsley, mayo infused with Benton’s ham), cuttle fish, tripe. My kind of menu… the type that has been popular in the Bay Area for years.

Salads are simple, gourmet, with greens from the greenhouse. Mustard Greens ($9) perked up with bits of pickled rhubarb, basil and guanciale. Bosc Pears ($12) travels the creamy route tossed in honey and runny burrata cheese, with Benton’s fabulous bacon and black pepper.

Hold on, it's the spicy, cool Cortes!

The pizzas rock: blistered, thin but thick enough. With dear family and friends, I sampled three, delighted with each, like the Millennium Falco ($14): pork sausage, tomato, Parmigiano, garlic, onions, bread crumbs and basil. California creative flair was stamped all over Cortes ($16): tomato, Hatch Red Chili pork sausage, lime, pickled onion, shaved radish, jalapeno, cilantro and crema fresca drizzled on the top. Felt like attending a fiesta. But the straightforward Lupo ($16) may have been my favorite: pesto, mozzarella, prosciutto cotto, smoked ricotta and spring garlic. Lovely.

The Latest in Cocktails in NEW YORK CITY

My May New York adventures brought me to some of the city’s newer treasures I’ve been desiring to partake in… a couple of them literally just opened weeks before, others open about a year.

Brand new

Cienfuegos' Havana-meets-Alice-in-Wonderland interior

CIENFUEGOS (upstairs through Carteles sandwich shop), East Village – Open barely a month when I visited, this intriguing new rum bar is through a Cuban sandwich shop just a couple doors down from Death & Co. (and same owners).

A rum-centric bar with punch bowls, varying sizes of cocktails and rum shots, what immediately converts here, after a walk through the humble sandwich shop and up a set of stairs, is the magical wonderland interior. I’m not a pink girl, in fact it is my most loathed color, only palatable when paired with something to give it heft, like black or brown. But here, pink entices, teases, even charms. There’s yellows, soft greens, white, a pastel profile I would normally hate, but here becomes a glowing explosion of color.

Cienfuegos rum drinks: Rosa Verde (L), Vesperone (R)

It plays like old world Havana meets Alice in Wonderland. You have fallen down a candyland rabbit hole and awaiting you are vibrantly fresh cocktails and bowls of rum punch, served in both the restaurant (will have to try next time) and bar area.

I adore their little cardboard-bound menu with old-fashioned drawings and a mix of classics, punches and modern creations. Initial intrigues? The Vesperone ($15) wowed by mixing Zacapa rum with rye whiskey, Green Chartreuse, agave nectar, blackberries and sage leaves. Musky and bright. Rosa Verde ($14) is a salad in a cocktail. I slurped down arugula leaves from a bright, pink glass of Flor de Cana rum, watermelon juice, celery bitters, lime, arugula-infused simple syrup and pink peppercorn.

LA BIBLIOTECA, East 40’s/Midtown East - Again, this just opened a couple weeks before I arrived in the basement of a new restaurant, Zengo. I’d go to Mayahuel (below) for the best tequila cocktails in NY and a hip, festive atmosphere, but La Bibilioteca offers tastings of over 400 tequilas, NY’s biggest selection yet, in an expansive underground lair.

La Biblioteca - Manhattan's tequila library

La Bibilioteca is a tequila storage library (similar to, but larger than, SF’s Taverna Aventine) in a subterranean lounge where you are leisurely educated with tequila flights or your server’s suggested tastings. The night I visited, a tequila brand ambassador was giving a tasting, offering further opportunities to educate New Yorkers, who, it was apparent, have barely scratched the surface of the tequila world.

Tequila tastings & shots of sangrita

Thankfully, this place is attempting to narrow that gap. Servers are still in the process of beginning to try all they offer, so you may  want to do some research ahead of time and go ready to ask for tequilas you would like to taste (for example, I noticed the Del Maguey line sitting in one cabinet – a fine place to start for mezcals).

Inside the enchanting world of East Village's Cienfuegos

But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Their servers are friendly and willing to offer guidance, while the menu offers flights with varying themes. I appreciate the Barrel Aging Tasting ($16) theme, three tequilas aged in different barrels: Don Julio Reposado, the best of the three and one I’m already a fan of (bourbon barrel), Riazul Anejo, with vanilla and caramel notes (cognac barrel), and the interesting, but not necessarily winning, Asombroso Reposado (wine barrel). There’s Anejo flights (mine had Don Julio, Casa Noble, Patron), brand flights where you try reposados through extra anjeos of one particular brand, and so on.

I sipped palate-cleansing shots of their bright tomato sangrita, and best of all, their house Horchata Blanco using Jose Cuervo traditional. Creamy and lush.

Sink back into black couches lining the large room (with touches of red), order guacamole and chips, and get schooled on tequila, New York.

2009 Openings

Raines' brick walls & leather chairs

RAINES LAW ROOM, Flatiron – Opened in early 2009, there is a whiff of pretension when one locates  an unmarked door and hipster doorman (a new guy on his first day). But there is no pretension within. In fact, this is now one of my favorite bars in NY.

The bartenders and staff are relaxed, knowledgeable, willing to explain stories and ingredients behind their recipes. Linger in the brick-walled, elegant main room, on black leather couches, cozy chairs next to the fireplace, pulling little wall buzzers  signaling you are ready to order. This is an elegant, Prohibition-era den evoking a wealthy but approachable friend’s living room.

Alice's Evidence (L); Harold & Maude (R)

Head back to The Kitchen where, under pressed tin ceiling and atop a marble butcher block countertop, mixologists concoct drinks as you interact with them.

Most enchanting is the back garden, where herbs used in their drinks are grown. On a warm May evening, candles flickered in Moroccan lamps, lounge chairs inviting me to recline and take in the night air. The garden was refreshingly empty on an early weekend night. An idyllic respite.

The menu runs the gamut from classics (Negronis, Old Cubans), to seasonal (utilizing herbs and produce), to signature house drinks (all $13). There’s even a “Fancy Cocktail” section with elaborate drinks from $16-23.

Raines' soothing secret garden

My visit included a boozy but smooth special of the day, Alice’s Evidence with Asyla scotch, lemon, lime, simple syrup with absinthe rinse, and a signature Harold & Maude: Johnnie Walker Black, Zacapa 23, lemon, rose & lavender syrup, aromatic bitters, shaken and served down. Beauties, all.

Their former doorman is a chocolatier and after expressing interest in his chocolates (listed in the menu; available by the box), our server brought us a couple to sample. Chocolate Meurens are creamy, Belgian-style truffles in flavors like Aztec (cinnamon, cloves, cayenne, anise, orange flower water) and Early Century (absinthe and Grand Marnier).

MAYAHUEL, East Village – Tequila doesn’t flow on the East Coast like it does in California. In fact, our bartender at Mayahuel talked about the difficulty accessing tequilas we are easily able to procure in Cali. But that’s where Mayahuel, from the crew behind Death & Co., steps in.

Mayahuel's tequila cocktails

I’d been eager to visit since I first heard about it’s opening last Spring. The tequila selection is comprehensive with the likes of Del Maguey and Fortaleza stocking the shelves.  The mezcal selection is excellent, bartenders are informed and passionate about spreading the tequila gospel, and the space is a charming, half-underground Mexican bordello with shiny tiles, wrought iron, snug booths, and loads of citrus and herbs lining the bar. If this was in my ‘hood, I’d be a regular.

It made me reflect on the tequila bars we have at home, and though there is no tequila selection to match Tommy’s, I wish we also had a spot like this: tequila in an subterranean, cozy, hip space with top notch cocktails (SF’s Cantina has a superb tequila and South American spirits cocktail menu but the decor is not Mexican, which, gimmicky or not, I love about Mayahuel).

I didn’t eat here, but they have a fun menu of good-looking food. If you’re not sampling straight tequila, there are a slew of fine tequila cocktails. I particularly liked the balanced heat in Herb Alpert ($14 – love the musician’s moniker): El Jimador Blanco infused with jalapeno, mezcal, fresh oregano, lime, and enjoyed a layered Slynx ($13): reposado, bonded applejack, pear & whiskey barrel bitters with a mezcal rinse.

NEW YORK CITY

My beloved New York. The city that awakened me, at the sensitive age of 14, to cities… and the world. I put my hand over my heart upon first glimpse of the radiance of Manhattan at night from Jersey’s banks, where I lived during high school (and my family lived for years beyond).

Tabla's striking mosaic

When I travel to NY, there’s always dear friends, family, and such an ease and familiarity with city, it’s like second nature roaming the neighborhoods via the metro, spending a lot of time in “the villages”, Flatiron and Lower East Side, endlessly hunting for a proper coffee (thankfully, this is the trip where I finally found some – see this issue’s Imbiber). I always feel at home (my second home, it is), with an ever-growing lifetime of memories all over Manhattan and the other four boroughs.

I’m barely scratching the surface here, so I will write a multi-part series on the one and only Big Apple, as my trip last week for the Manhattan Cocktail Classic was also an eight day extravaganza of food and drink from Tribeca to Flushing. Here are my past NY entries.

BAGELS

Classic NY exemplified in Russ & Daughters

RUSS & DAUGHTERS, LES - The bagel hunt in SF is a struggle, but in bagel mecca, it’s one fattening pleasure after another. Of course, in Manhattan, a bagel & lox will run you $10-12. But, no matter, when it’s perfection, like Russ & Daughters (fourth generation, family-owned for over a century), a Lower East Side Jewish deli that is  quintessential New York. The place is bright, crisply clean, the staff is amicably crusty, and the salmon is cut fresh and succulent before you. Put it on an “everything” bagel with horseradish cream cheese and you have happiness. There’s an array of joys here, such as pickled herring, caviar, and a lovely whitefish salad. While you’re wandering Houston Street, it doesn’t hurt to pick up an Egg Cream Soda ($3.50 – milk, chocolate soda, seltzer) to-go at Katz for a full, classic NY experience.

Ess-A-Bagel

ESS-A-BAGEL, Gramercy- Where Russ & Daughters’ bagel & lox is fresh and crisp, Ess-A-Bagel is hefty and delicious. I like the 70’s wood-paneling with chandeliers and sweet, no-nonsense staff at the out-of-the-way Gramercy location. There I ordered an “everything” bagel with lox again (piled high and generous, by the way), but as most of their cream cheeses were of the sweeter, cinnamon kind, I chose vegetable cream cheese. I pretty much fell in love with this bagel. Seriously. I’ll have another.

BURGERS

Messy Burger Joint goodness

I’ve always found decent burgers in NY… certainly Shake Shack is an easy, cheap favorite, though the lines can kill it. I walked by the original Madison Square Park location a couple times last week and lines were worse than they were years ago when I still waited over 20 minutes for a small burger. There are now five locations so may be less of a wait elsewhere, though who can beat sipping your shake under the idyllic, leafy green of Madison Square?

Comfortably graffiti-ed wall at Burger Joint

BURGER JOINT, West 50’s - On the theme of popular NY burgers with long lines, I’m partial to Burger Joint in the Le Parker Meridian. Though I hate the long waits, I’d rather spend my time there, inching behind the mysterious curtain with neon burger sign in the Meridian hotel lobby, finally reaching the dingy, convivial space where killer burgers fly off the grill all day long. It’s simple: burger, cheeseburger, fries. And you wouldn’t want it any other way.

Zeitzaff's bar

ZAITZEFF, East Village – I was disappointed in my Zaitzeff mishap, as I fell in love with the new East Village storefront (original location in Financial District) of this family-run, gourmet burger restaurant. Billie Holiday sang on a lazy weekday lunch hour in a space reminiscent of a Parisian neighborhood cafe (but serving Kobe burgers). With a dramatic 28 rating for food from Zagat posted on their door, I figured we couldn’t lose. But when asking for my 1/4 lb. Kobe Burger ($10.75) topped with Blue Cheese ($2.75) to come medium rare, I, instead got it well. Cooked to death, the blue cheese was strong and funky, shrouding the meat’s quality. I sent the burger back since there was such a gross difference between what was requested. It came out better, but still overwhelmed by the blue and not remotely worth $15. Go to Burger Joint instead!

INDIAN

Long Island Fluke Tartare

Tabla, Flatiron – Granted, over the years, I have not eaten a lot of Indian in NY, though it is a favored cuisine of mine. I hardly think anyone would call Tabla authentic Indian, but it is creative, “fusion” Indian, which we don’t see enough of in SF. I’ve tried to visit in years past but it always got pushed down my list.

In a cavernous but glowing, modern space right off Madison Square Park, Tabla has $54 per person tasting menus for family style eating. I went a la carte, trying dishes from each section of the menu. Stand-outs include their fluffy, warm Tandoori Breads ($4 or $10-12 stuffed). The naan-like bread comes in a hefty slab; the Rosemary version was particularly aromatic and satisfying.

Crab Cake on Goan Guacamole in Papadum

Unexciting as a Crab Cake sounds, Tabla’s ($16) benefits from Indian spicing, tamarind chutney and tasty Goan guacamole. Long Island Fluke Tartare ($12) was bright with fluke, pineapple, pasilla chilies and toasted shrimp flakes. More interesting is Crispy Artichoke Bhel Puri ($14). Different than other Bhel Puri dishes I’ve had, with their puffed rice crispness, this version is mixed with artichoke, green mango, peanuts, tamarind and mint chutneys. Say “yes” to the crunch and sweet meat of Tapioca-crusted Soft Shell Crabs ($30), served with spring onions and green mango, spiced up by roasted chili curry. Dessert was a delightful Mango Ice Cream Sundae ($9) with brown butter crumble and spiced caramel sauce. Delectable.

BREAKFAST

THE BRESLIN, Flatiron – In the Ace Hotel, I’d recommend going for Stumptown Coffee off the funky, cool lobby of the Ace and peeking into the awesome British-pub-meets-Victorian-era-parlor in this hot spot from Spotted Pig chef, April Bloomfield, a place I’ve liked in years past but find over-hyped (see my 2007 review).

The Breslin's Fried PB & Banana Sandwich

Breakfast was greasy and after a few bites of both dishes, I’d had enough of buttery fried sandwiches with no accompaniments… especially at such high prices.

A Fried Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich ($11) has occasional hints of vanilla and bourbon, on a crusty (bordering on hard), bagel-sized roll stuffed with melting, warm PB & banana. Their popular Oven-Baked Three Cheese Sandwich ($16) with house-smoked ham (and another $2 with egg) is tasty but doesn’t compare to a Tartine Bakery sandwich at a few dollars less. Better in my estimation to skip this one, though I sure adore that dining room.