Amalia?
I'll be in NY on the 13th, and pretty much right after checking into my hotel in SoHo, I'll be going to Amalia for dinner.
1. Is a cab the best way to get there?
2. Anyone have any reviews, suggestions and so on?
Also, is the Carnagie Deli an ok place for cheesecake? I like the idea of the cookie crust.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
12 Comments:
I went there and had an awful experience--I only made the reservation because my parents insisted on a place close to the theater we were seeing a show at, and I got an awful plate of food 'smears'--it used to be good, I hear, but what I had was an unholy fusion of Mediterranean and Mexican cuisine--hummus and refried beans on the same platter.
HeartofGlass at 9:06PM on 09/08/08
If you want the best cheesecake, then you must go to Junior's...although their flagship is in Brooklyn, they have a store in the Food Court of Grand Central station...it's worth it...mmmmmmmmmmmm....now I wish I had a slice!
KateRuby at 11:32PM on 09/08/08
When Bobby Flay, of all people, beat a Junior's cheesecake on his smackdown show, I sort of wrote it off.
The suggestions I have gotten have been
Carnagie
Zabar's,
Juniors
What I am seeking is a good, hefty, hUUUUGGGGE slice of cheesecake!
@HeartofGlass I am sorry for your bad experience! Coming from LA, where Mediterranian and Mexican food can be found easier than my socks, that doesn't really sound so bad.
Does anyone else have any review of Amalia?
wavewench at 9:48AM on 09/09/08
I like Mediterranean--however, hummus served with refried beans, sour cream, bruchetta, and guacamole was um, interesting. And my stepmother and father didn't like the restaurant either very much. It was supposedly once very good but the original chef moved. Still very pretty interior, though.
Juniors has no crust, one reason I'm not a mega-fan (not much of a cheesecake person in general, and the crust is my favorite part!)
Ed Levine did a cheesecake article in the NY Times ages ago, I believe.
HeartofGlass at 10:20AM on 09/09/08
I also love a good crust on my cheesecake! I read the article, and some of those cheesecakes looked a bit fancy-schmancy for me. Few were whompin' big.
One of the reasons I was favoring Carnegie was the pictures I saw on Yahoo Images of HUUUUGEE pieces of sexy dense cheesecake with an amazingly good looking crust. That is what I crave.
The new Amalia Chef, Adam Ross, seems to have a very good background and reputation. I have read good things about his dishes, but seen few "real person" reviews. I have had one enthusiastic real person review from someone who had an amazing time there, eating Chef Ross's food! Since we have reservations, I am going to keep them, but still value everyone's feedback.
What else did you eat?
wavewench at 11:52AM on 09/09/08
I think I may have dined during a different chef's regime--we started with a spread of roasted pita chips and spreads (pumpkin, walnut, and a few other dips) that were okay. My father and stepmother threw a tantrum about being served 'peanut butter' and pumpkin and the portion size, however. Dad had scallops, stepmom had chicken which they inhaled with more complaints about portion size and expense. Said the wine price and amount you got was too low, too. My vegetarian selection, as I said, was like random smears of food and looked and tasted very odd, almost like smears of food on someone's shirt who had been to 2 different restaurants. Stepmom had lavender infused yogurt for dessert which she said was okay.
I've heard Carnegie is very 'kitschy' and not that good--I would start another thread about cheesecake. Fancy might be better than not up to snuff.
HeartofGlass at 12:21PM on 09/09/08
Slice's of cheesecake at Junior's are quite large and I'm a big fan.
bobbob at 12:42PM on 09/09/08
Junior's cheesecake is good (the dinner food not so much), but my favorite is from the Brooklyn Diner on 57th Street: a giant, rich-but-not-too-dense slice topped with fresh strawberries and a little pitcher of melted chocolate.
salty_sticky at 12:13PM on 09/10/08
I'm worried about Amalia, now, but I'm still gonna give it a go. I HAVE heard good things, just not one here. I actually like sort of smeared sauces and dippy things a lot. I've never tasted smears of food off of someone's shirt, so I can't get a picture of what you said there. I'm hoping to do a tasting of a few good dishes. I will report back, I guess!
Saw a pic online of the Brooklyn Diner Cheesecake...crust is too dinky for me.
Junior's offers many varieties, but doesn't look quite the thing, somehow.
I gotta think more
wavewench at 4:49PM on 09/10/08
Hands down, the best cheesecake in NYC comes from the Bronx...S&S Cheesecake at 222 W 238th St to be precise (one block east of Broadway)...if you blink, you'll walk past them as they're in a non-descript brick building...All they do is cheesecake, nothing else...They have them in two sizes (I think 1 lb and 2lb, not 100% sure) come both fresh and frozen and they are also available sliced...718-549-3888...
SanMan at 11:33AM on 09/21/08
my most favorite dessert company, a kosher restaurant in the theater district, has really good cheesecake.
there's also a junior's in the theater district, in shubert alley.
cybercita at 11:39AM on 09/21/08
For cheesecake when I'm in NYC, it's Junior's or Zabar's. Granted, I haven't been there for awhile, but back when I still went there a few times a year -- those were the two places for me!
Brownie at 12:00PM on 09/21/08