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The Ten Most Recent Posts By wanderingeater
The Ten Most Recent Comments By wanderingeater
Favorite Wine Bars in NYC
I third Terroir; second 'ino.
I don't have that much experience with wine bars since my alcohol tolerance is really low...
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
I do agree with Alaina in terms of pricing. Not all are worth the price tag since some menus have the typical chicken, fish, and vegetable as the main course option.
The really bad Restaurant Week experience I had was at Anthos. Their RW menu wasn't too exciting that my friend and I opted for their normal prix fixe menu (which did defeat the purpose) and service was horrible. We tried flagging for the waiter numerous times but no one noticed us. Instead of the 1 hour - 1 1/2 hour lunch we thought of having, extended for nearly 2 hours!
The good/memorable experiences were at Aquavit Cafe for lunch and The Bar Room at the Modern for dinner. The food's delicious and service didn't suffer.
Pistachio Gelato Smackdown: Grom vs. L'Arte del Gelato
I second that, Ed.
Weekend Excursion: Eating Advice for the Big Apple BBQ Block Party
Ed, when I'm looking through Big Apple BBQ's website, they didn't list Southside Market. The only one who's doing brisket is Salt Lick BBQ.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Garrison Confections Ultimate Chocolate Cooler
I prefer dark but am an equal opportunity chocolate eater.
2007 Most Serious Eater Award: Call for Entries
Uh...first of all, thank you Raphael and Robyn for nominating me! I'm not worthy! Really. I'm practically a nobody in the Interwebs.
As for my vote, I'll fifth Robyn! I love her photos, her blog, and give the SE site a little bit of humor, cuteness, and je ne sais quoi.
The Trail to the Chocolate Show
I have ambivalent feellings of not going to the Chocolate Show this year. It was fun last year when I ate all the chocolates 'til my gut screams "Uncle!" and made a dent in my wallet...but I'm interested in trying Amano's chocolate since I heard a lot about them. Ugh.
Anyways, I really love Mary's chocolate (from Japan). The pretty chocolates. So pretty.
If you had to pick just one...
1. CHEESE
2. COFFEE
3. WINE?
4. Hmmm...tough one. PANCAKES.
5. PASTA
6. CAKE
7. HAMBURGERS
8. ANY SODA BUT
9. ICED TEA STRAIGHT
10. PEAS
11. PUDDING
12. KETCHUP
13. EGGS FRIED
14. CLAM CHOWDER – WHITE
15. DARK MEAT
Some tough ones...but very fun.
Where to Find Macarons
I think we should start a campaign (and most likely a futile attempt) to persuade Pierre Herme to open a shop in NYC.
I miss PH's macarons. Thank you Robyn for making me fall in love (and nearly cry) with them.
I'm just depressed with the stuff we have in the States...why must we suffer with sub par macarons?!
What do you do with fresh pears?
I make them into non-nutritious form by creating a dessert: poached pears in red wine, served with a dollop of lemon marscapone.
Responses to Comments by wanderingeater
Favorite Wine Bars in NYC
My problem with wine bars is that they are just as expensive as regular restaurants, and often don't have nearly as good a selection of food. And that's putting it mildly. Some wine bars I've seen border on being ripoffs. You would think that with the volume of wine they sell they would attempt to differentiate themselves by have a lower markup. So I'd rather just go to a restaurant that has a good by-the-glass wine list, and just order some appetizers with my drinks.
Favorite Wine Bars in NYC
Veloce family of bars in EV - Bar Veloce on 2nd Ave. (Italian), Bar Carrera - next door to Veloce, with a new room added this past summer (Spanish) and Solex on 1st Ave. (French). All 3 have great snacks and a nice selection of wine. Terroir has been a nice addition to the neighborhood as well.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
Collegekid19 asked for an Italian restaurant. Del Posto is nice. I don't know exactly why, but, while there and even later, I kept thinking "nice!".
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
Inspite of the pitfalls, I love RW. I find that, if I arrive early (even without a reservation) for lunch and look well put together, I almost always get seated. On the one or two occasions when this strategy failed, I did get seated at my second choice restaurant.
I agree with the praise for Danny Meyer's restaurants. I go to Gramercy Tavern during restaurant week and during the rest of the year. I always feel welcome.
Besides Gramercy Tavern, I love Aquavit and Oceana. The salmon at Aquavit is transcendent. The food overall at Oceana is subtle, beautifully presented, and memorable.
One place to avoid is Grayz. This is a midtown restaurant owned by Gray Kunz, a celebrity chef. It is located in a former Rockefeller townhouse. Aside from the historical interest, I have little good to say about the restaurant.
The staff at Grayz resented serving an inexpensive meal. For each of three courses, there were only two selections. There was loud Hispanic music. The food was bad.
What can I say? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
My favorite was Mesa Grill, Aureole was fine but they run a summer special throughout the summer, they may not even officially participate. Trying to get into Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison Park is just an exercise in frustration for me. I would've called a month in advance but just forgot about it and now both places are booked solid. This year I am going to Tabla with my sister, not my original choice but like others I feel Danny Meyer does the most honorable job with RW. We'll see how it goes.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
I highly recommend River Cafe for lunchtime restaurant week. Great view, amazing food with several different options ( not just two ). And afterward you can walk over the bridge or lay on the grass under the bridge and enjoy a lovely day.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
Restaurant Week is indeed a great *idea* but you need to be aware of the pitfalls:
- huge crowds and rushed service
- restaurants that cut corners (i.e., chicken and fish, none of the signature dishes, etc.)
- getting shut out of reservations since you didn't call 28, 30, or 31 days in advance
- the *really* high quality and popular restaurants usually do not participate
- restaurants that already have a prix fixe deal that is in that price range (Devi, Tocqueville, etc.)
I've always had a good experience at any Danny Meyer restaurant. As well as restaurants that typically don't have a large lunch crowd but are popular for dinner.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
I highly recommend lunch during restaurant week because it is more affordable than dinner. But I did have a great time at Nougatine during restaurant week in February. The service was great and the food was generally the stuff you'd find on the regular menu.
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
@collegekid19--don't know if Ino does RW, but it's pretty inexpensive for a regular night out, and SO worth it!. We love love LOVE going there for the truffled egg toast and panini. Ino is one of my favorite spots in the city.
Restaurant Week is taking a beating here, and I think it's a great idea. My boyfriend and I are on a budget and don't get to eat at all of the fantastic places in NYC as often as we'd like. RW is a chance for us to try something that's normally out of reach. Once August hits, it's back to checking things off on the "Best Cheap Eats" issue of NY Mag! We love Restaurant Week! (almost as much as truffled egg toast...)
NYC Summer Restaurant Week Recommendations (or warnings)
I'm with SE. Check it:
http://gastrogirls.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/nyc-resto-week-rears-its-head/
100% agreed on NY Resto Week.
Website: http://thewanderingeater.wordpress.com
Location: New York City
About: I love food. I have a weird obsession for macarons.
Favorite foods: Macarons! ...does that qualify as food?, burgers, and interesting/weird foods (let your mind take it to whatever extent you want).
Last bite on earth: