Annisa, NYC

For our Manhattan Ladies Dining Club in October we picked Anita Lo's West Village restaurant, Annisa. If you watch food shows on TV you might recognize the name - she's been on Iron Chef America and on Bravo's Top Chef Masters. Between those and knowing that she's got a Michelin star, we figured this was going to be a meal to remember.

The restaurant is small, located on Barrow street. We got there when it opened to be able to have a drink before dinner at the tiny bar. I started with a glass of the Marie-Noelle Ledru Ambonnay Brut Grand Cru as we waited for everyone in our party to arrive.

The bar is on the street level with great views out of full length windows but with only four stools. It's pretty inside with blond woods and soft orange accents. The tables are up a half flight of stairs and there are only about twelve of them so reservations are a must.

We were seated the middle of the dining room at a square table though I liked the looks of the big booths on walls and bet they are more spacious and comfortable. We had a a bottle of sparkling wine off the tiny list ("J" Winery in the Russian River Valley, Brut Rose) that was acceptable but not noteworthy. The wine list has only bottles from female producers which is quite limiting.

We all ordered two appetizers and an entree. It's a small, seasonal menu and with four people we pretty much covered the entire thing. We inquired about the tasting menu but the entire table commits and it's still dishes from the menu so we figured we'd get more coverage by doing it ala cart.

To start off...the amuse bouche was a tartlet with parmesan custard, chives, mushroom and cauliflower puree. A nice first bite; warm and salty and it paired well with sparkling wine so we were off to a good start!

First round of appetizers: two of us ordered the seared foie gras with soup dumplings and jicama served with a reduction. When our polite, attentive server described this dish to us I was intrigued. She said the dumpling held a warm liquid center that would burst with flavor in the mouth and therefore was best experienced as a single bite. Ok...I've got practice eating complex concoctions in a fell swoop so you'll probably be surprised to hear that in this case it was so not worth it! First off, the dumplings were entirely too big to be shoved into the mouth at all once. Secondly, there was no exciting, satisfying burst of liquid or flavor. Mine were on the dry side and very bland. I was disappointed to say the least. But the far worse part...the foie gras was tasteless. Seared foie gras - no taste! How is that possible?!?

Mary & Patty both ordered the crispy tofu dish shown below. Their review was similar, bland. Pretty, but bland.

For our next course I had a simple field green salad with fresh herbs that was fine. Nothing unexpected. I love salad so simple was perfectly ok.

Mary tried the fluke crudo with black lime and radishes. I thought this was the most interesting course of the evening. The fish was fresh and thinly sliced; paired well with the citrus of the lime and the bitterness of the radish. A very nice dish.

Gianne had the barbecue squid with basil and peanuts. A visually appealing dish, the squid was presented in both a battered and un-battered form. When I tried a bite though was when it became impossible to ignore that everything coming out of the kitchen this evening lacked any Oomph. The texture change was the only differentiator in the dish and the peanuts weren't infused in any way. Another miss in my opinion.

Patty ordered a tomato, burrata and onion salad with citrus dressing that was nice. It's impossible to mess up tomatoes if you just leave them alone when they are ripe. This dish was good...simple and good.

 Onto the final course. Someone other than me tried the pork tenderloin with Guanciale, figs and Oca Yams. I don't remember trying this dish or the comments surrounding it.

In a leap of faith moment I tried the frog legs and lobster with white speckled grits and seared okra. I don't know what possessed me to order this dish - something about the grits and okra caught my attention and I haven't had frog legs in a really, really long time. Turned out to be a pretty good call. One of the best dishes of the night. The meat from the frog legs was sparse but tasty in a fried chicken sort of way. The lobster was basically nonexistent but the grits were fantastic. So overall, good...not great.

The final dish is a bit hard to see in this picture (sorry - we did this without a flash so we wouldn't bother fellow patrons). If memory serves me correctly this was the sauteed filet of Copia with caviar, cauliflower and capers.

We skipped dessert, called it an early evening and went uptown to have drinks at a bar near Port Authority. While discussing the meal in the taxi the overall consensus was that we were disappointed. Bland was too common a phrase used to describe the dishes and not at all what we were hoping for. We were turned off enough that we advised the group of guys that were supposed to go there the following week to pick another place - and that's what I'd tell all of you. I'm not sure how our experience was so out of whack with both Michelin & Zagat but there's no way this meal deserved a star or a 28 food rating. You'll do better elsewhere.

Michelin Rating: One star

Zagat Rating: 28-24-27

Jenn's Rating: 76

Benoit Bistro, New York City

Last week I met up with a friend and former co-worker to catch up and have lunch. We picked Benoit Bistro on 55th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues - right down the block from the Peninsula Hotel.

A traditional French bistro, the menu is filled with staples like escargot, foie gras, cassoulet and pate. We started off immediately with two glasses of Caravelle Rose (and proceeded to order four more) while we perused the menu.

Table side they have a little card of hors d'oeuvres for sharing - small plates. We checked off three including a tasting of Mayo Eggs (one a version of deviled and the other a mini eggs Benedict); seared Daurade tartar and crispy pied de cochon with tartar sauce that were delectable. And I loved the Daurade - so fresh!

For our lunch we decided to split a Heirloom tomato salad with red onion and basil and then share the roast organic chicken for two with garlic cloves and pomme frites.

The salad was very simple and so nice. There's no doubt we're in the middle of tomato season in the Northeast and the Heirlooms are incredibly sweet. I loved the red onion to give an offset to the sweetness and we had no trouble polishing off this course quickly.

 When I told Alan we were coming to Benoit for lunch he recommended the chicken for two if Megan was on board. She was and Oh My God am I happy we ordered this dish. They presented us with the entire chicken all golden brown and juicy table side before whisking it away to be broken down and arranged in this lovely pan. Is the picture making you hungry? It should be - one of the BEST chicken dishes I've ever had anywhere and more than that, it could go up against many of the standby bistro dishes and come out on top. Simple preparation to perfection seems to be the name of the game at this Alain Ducasse restaurant and they mean business. Incredible. Go and order the chicken!

The fries were pretty damn good too...we ate all of them. Every single whole and little broken piece from the bottom of this generous serving.

For dessert we ordered off the pastry trolley (oh yeah, a trolley baby!) and selected a lemon tort and a chocolate ganache covered lava cake. Both were good - I think Megan liked them more than I did but if you've ever read this blog or know me you know I'm not a huge fan of dessert.

I put this pretty high on my list - service was exactly what I expect...attentive yet fading nicely into the background. Never had to wonder if my water would be filled or look far to ask a question but nor did they interupt the flow of our conversation. The food was fantastic and simple - a nice change from some of our more formal experiences. I really liked it - so go try it!!

Jenn's Rating: 89
Zagat: 21-21-20

La Grenouille, NYC

Having just got back from a long vacation, we've been reconnecting with friends for dinner. With Patty, the choice was an NYC tradition, La Grenouille. This is the oldest still standing French restaurant in Manhattan, located at 52nd between Fifth and Madison.

Upon arriving a few minutes early for our reservation, we had drinks at the small but chic bar in the front. Comfortable red cushioned stools and an attentive bartender poured us glasses of Laurent Perrier Rose to start the evening.

A subdued, elegant atmosphere of red and gold gilt with fresh flowers abounding...it felt like we'd walked into a fairly formal dining room of which even in a dress and heels, still made me think I was under dressed. Seated at a lovely table in the middle of the main room with two of us kitty corner on a plush sofa, it was a very comfortable arrangement. And as the room filled up with patrons, it became apparent that we were going to be the youngest diners that evening by a good thirty years or so.

The service was spot on and what you'd expect - heavy French accents with a hint of humor and perfect timing. We ordered off the price fixed menu...three courses, $98 per person. Plus wine, of course.

For appetizers, Patty chose the Beggar's purse with egg and truffle; I opted for the lobster and tarragon ravioli and the winner of the first round was Alan's seared foie gras with fennel and blood orange. Patty's course was so fragrant with the smell of warm, black truffle but the pasta containing the egg overwhelmed the delicateness of rest of the ingredients. My ravioli was good but missing that factor that makes it perfection - it seemed a bit too thick and too hard to taste the actual lobster. Alan's dish was excellent.

For the entree, Patty chose the grilled Dover Sole with mustard sauce. I went with the organic chicken roasted with root vegetables, truffle and foie gras sauce. And Alan selected the special of the evening, pork chop with pork belly. And while Patty's sole was delicately prepared and beautifully presented, it still didn't have that wow factor. My chicken was actually wonderfully prepared and cooked to a juicy happiness...but it's still chicken. Comforting, but not winning any prizes. It was Alan's pork that took the prize...succulent and juicy with the right amount of fat to make it joyful without chewy - fabulous flavor. Great dish!

And finally, dessert. I opted for a cheese platter which they served like an intermezzo course for all of us to share. Nicely presented with five cheeses including a goat, Camembert, a semi-soft, a blue and one more that slips my mind. All served with toasted raisin country bread, almonds and honey. Very nice course.

Then out comes the crown jewel - Alan ordered a chocolate souffle. It was tall, light, fluffy and bursting with chocolate happiness. Easily one of the best souffles I can remember ever tasting. The souffle alone was worth the trip. They had five different ones to choose from but I'm so happy he went with the classic. This was accompanied by Patty's shaved ice and gelato dish and a kitchen gift of a classic apple tart. These were okay...they paled in comparison to the souffle.

With a half bottle of Ruinart Blanc des Blancs NV and and a 2009 Simon Bize Savigny Les Beaune Les Grands Liards, the night was quite nice and about the same price point as the others we've been to lately ($225 a person all in all). Would I go back? Probably not. Would I recommend it to someone else, probably. It's a place that will give you that feeling that you're eating in one of the high end Paris restaurants without breaking the bank. A nice experience overall.

Zagat: 28-28-28
Jenn's Rating: 90

Elements, Princeton NJ

Last night Alan, Mary, Steve and I went to Elements in Princeton for a Farm to Fork dining experience. Steve made the reservation and booked us a chef's table back in the kitchen. There are three tables back there - two that accommodate four diners and one table for two. Very nice ambiance - a little more casual, a little more fun than the romantic vibe you get from the main dining room.

We all arrived at the same time and started with a drink at the tiny little bar under the staircase. By the way, I love this bar - it's cute and it reminds me of Harry Potter and the Cupboard Under the Stairs. The bartender was pleasant and attentive. We started off with a glass - Steve & I with an Italian Rose; Alan & Mary with a Spanish cava rose. Not bad. Not great, but not bad.

We retire to our table and peruse the menu - both the main dinner menu and the Farm to Fork Menu. Within minutes it becomes clear that the Farm to Fork menu isn't going to be the direction we take the evening. It was a pleasant three course offering but struck everyone as too light and too few choices so we pushed that to the side and went with a three+ course dinner. Everyone ordered a cold appetizer, a hot one and an entree. The plus, we also shared a fifth entree that was a close recreation of the dish the chef Scott Anderson recently won the Jersey Seafood Challenge held on July 1st at the Governor's Mansion. That dish consisted of fluke with garlic scapes, panko, arrowhead cabbage and a herbaceous vinaigrette.

To start, they brought us a delightful looking amuse bouche consisting of (from right to left) a cold grapefruit and citrus gelee with herbs; a radish with goat cheese; a warm broccoli soup. The grapefruit was overpowering for me even though the coolness of the bite was welcoming and bright. The radish was crunchy and again, overpowering...I could barely taste the goat cheese. The broccoli soup however was beautiful, warm and creamy. I swiped up remaining droplets with bread so as to not lose a morsel.

For our first course - the cold appetizer - Mary & I ordered the tuna tartar with scallion, ginger and white soy. Delightful! I loved the freshness and flavor of the raw tuna complimented with a hint of ginger and the snap of soy. The greens on top offered the tiniest amount of bitter that went well with the sweetness of the fish. The only thing that struck me as odd was the texture...usually tuna tartar is served with small chunks of fish intact giving that sushi type quality of the mouth. This tuna seemed to be almost creamy and lacking the defined shape of individual cubes. It was as though it had been overly blended and then formed. Not a big deal, the taste was great.

Alan & Steve both opted for the interesting sounding Composed Salad served on a piece of slate. It consisted of goat cheese, hazelnut, Mangalista ham, peaches and barley. There were also field greens and I think I spotted a zucchini blossom. This was a colorful dish with an array of textures and flavors going on. Trying each thing individually was just as exciting as a full forkful that allowed the ingredients to blend together in the mouth. I liked this dish a lot, even though it wasn't mine! Both Alan & Steve wiped their plates clean.

For our next course we all chose a hot appetizer. Mary & I borrowed a course from that evening's tasting menu - the poached egg with mushrooms and squash spaghetti. A small portion (thankfully) that was rich and wonderfully executed. This is something I haven't seen before on a menu so unique and exciting. The egg was perfectly cooked so when broken into, the runny yolk coated the pasta. Just lovely.

Alan ordered the salt crusted duck breast with peanuts and greens. My first impression was that the duck was cooked exactly the way you want it to be cooked - deep red in the middle with the fat layer rendered but intact. My bite at first took me by surprise - it was salty!! Duh. The salt crust, in my opinion didn't mask the duck - it just took a moment for it to come into focus. But it was Alan's dish - so he'll have to add any commentary to the contrary.

Steve ordered the other dish I had been contemplating...the gnocchi with miatake, celery, Parmesan and oxtail. Luckily Steve is willing to share!!! This might have been the dish of the evening, in my opinion. The mushrooms and oxtail brought that earthy warmth to the dish and since it wasn't overflowing with gnocchi, it still managed to have depth of flavor without being heavy and burdensome. Nice!

Then onto the entrees... when we ordered the special fluke dish we were hoping, and perhaps didn't clearly communicate it as such, that it would be it's own course. That didn't happen - it came out as a fifth entree along with our other dishes. It was placed in the center of the table (of course, where else would you put a fifth entree?) and my first bite was of the fluke alone. Nice and flaky but not overly flavorful. But then - I added a piece of the tempura vegetable (a zucchini blossom?) and the cauliflower puree and HEAVEN. What a combination! The crunch of the tempura along with the creamy, distinct flavor of the puree just enhanced the fluke to the point of joyful. Great dish!! I can see why it won.

Unfortunately, the happiness I was experiencing after the fluke did not translate into continued euphoria when I tried my own dish. I ordered the handmade tagliatelle with roasted fennel, squash, zucchini and Parmesan. I need to start learning from these experiences - these pasta dishes with the lighter flavors (not soaked in a heavy red sauce) and made moments before serving just aren't having enough time to really meld together and show themselves off. My dish felt like many different players on stage with no show being put on. The flavors didn't blend and I was left disappointed. I only ate a little and brought the leftovers home - I'm hoping that like the DBGB pasta, this one is much better the day after.

Mary did something completely unexpected - she ordered a vegetarian dish off the Farm to Fork menu for her main entree. Who knew?!? A combination of squash, zucchini, corn polenta, kale and trumpet mushrooms rounded this out. I didn't try it...at all. Now I feel a little bad since it's not my nature to pass up on a bite of anything (and it looks so pretty)...but with my whole pasta debacle going on, I wasn't in the mood. Mary, what did you think?

Alan ordered the Griggstown chicken with tarragon, pioppini (?), broccoli and rye bread. I had a small bite of this and it was good...not fabulous, but good. I noticed he didn't finish all of it which usually means he's full or it just wasn't good enough to power through.

And finally, Steve ordered the 48 Hour Short Rib with fennel, red onion, fingerling potato and chorizo. I tried a bite of this as well and here's where I come out...it was okay. But let me say that I may not be a good judge of short ribs. I'm finding that the vast majority of the time I'm completely underwhelmed except for (1) Daniel's Duo of Beef (which I do think is God's way of giving people a piece of heaven on earth) and (2) the short ribs at Cook in St. Helena, California. Cook's short ribs are, I truly believe, the greatest short ribs on the planet. Or at least in Jenn's world. But beyond those two, I keep expecting to try others in all manners of restaurants and they all come up sadly inadequate. I'd like to hear Steve's opinion on this one since he did order it and seem to enjoy this dish.

This evening was what is starting to be a theme - a blend of hit and miss dishes. But like the others, the company, service, ambiance and conversation more than make up for a lackluster dish. It's a wonderful restaurant that I still highly recommend!

Jenn's rating: 85
Zagat's rating: 26-25-25

ABC Kitchen, NYC

Thursday night (7/14) was the second meeting of the Manhattan Dining Club. This name refers to Gianne, Patty & I and are quest to eat at lots and lots of great restaurants in the city. We try and meet once a month and make the reservation for four people so we can invite a guest to join us. Last night's restaurant was ABC Kitchen (Jean-Georges) and our guest, Alan!

To drink, we ordered a bottle of Domaine Carneros Rose that I thought was pretty good. It had a bit of a floral bouquet and a slight linger on the finish - plus a great color and was chilled nicely. it complimented the first two courses well.

It's located at 18th and Broadway near Union Square and it has one of the more unique and interesting interiors. Lots of white lights, trees and different styled tables. Pleasant and happy; bright and upbeat. We had a 5:30pm reservation not from choice but it was all I could get. This still must be on the hot places to dine list - it was packed by 7pm. Note - it doesn't open before 5:30pm - although it has a hopping bar scene, you can't get in early for a drink before an early reservation.

We ordered two market plates to share, appetizers and entrees. To start, a bottle of rose from Domaine Carneros in Napa. The market plates were the crab toast with lemon aioli and the warm, fresh mozzarella. The crab toast was heaped with lovely crab and a soft lemon accompanying flavor that I really liked. The toast enhanced without taking anything away from the fresh sweetness of the crab. I don't know for sure, but I'd guess that was either dungeness or blue crab since it had a distinct flavor with that hint of brine I love.

The fresh mozzarella was nice but needed salt. It went well enough with the fresh bread and we all enjoyed it. But it wasn't super memorable.

For appetizers - Patty ordered the special Green & Red salad and I ordered the warm field greens with prosciutto, fried egg and sherry vinaigrette. I didn't try Patty's...mine was actually over done. Between the heavy pepper and sherry, you could barely taste the egg or the greens. Even the prosciutto was washed out. This course for me was a miss. Alan ordered the fried calamari with two dipping sauces - a white and a red. The white was a take on tartar sauce and the red a marinara. This dish was very good and probably the best of the appetizers. Gianne ordered the raw diver scallops with sea beans, Serrano chilies and lime. I had a bite of hers - way too much chili / pepper taste. It totally overshadowed the delicateness of the scallop. The scallop itself looked fresh and nicely prepared and a great texture...to bad you really couldn't taste it.

For our dinners, Gianne ordered the roast suckling pig with smoked bacon marmalade and baby leeks; Alan ordered the fried organic chicken with wild spinach, basil and hot butter sauce (served on the side). Patty opted for the steamed halibut with zucchini and I got the wood oven roasted Maine lobster with oregano and lemon-chili vinaigrette. All told, some dishes were good and some were blah...nothing was spectacular.

The suckling pig and the fried chicken were both pretty good. And my lobster was good, not great. Patty's halibut was bland. I actually liked Alan's chicken and side of mashed potatoes the best. Between this dinner and the lunch at Nougatine, I'm going to go ahead and state that Jean-Georges is just not a top 10 chef for me or my palate. It's possibly his executive chefs that are missing the mark, but I expect more from chefs and their restaurants at this caliber and price point.

We finished up what was in fact a wonderfully fun, chatty dinner among friends with two desserts - the donuts with vanilla cream & bacon fudge sauce and the sour cherry & a strawberry sorbet. The sorbets were great...the donuts lost me when I realized they were overstuffed with the vanilla cream and conquered any sugar coated donut happiness I was hoping to experience.

This one will not be a repeat for us.
Jenn's rating: 84
Zagat's rating: 24-23-23
www.abckitchennyc.com



Nougatine, NYC

Susan & Rich knew they'd be coming into the city on the 30th for an appointment and asked if we'd like to join them for lunch. Never ones to pass up a meal, we were looking forward to trying Nougatine, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's bistro in the shared space with his namesake restaurant. They share a kitchen and a bar which I didn't realize until we were being seated.

But before we get to lunch, both Rich & I had some time to kill before the reservation waiting for Susie to finish her appointment. We decided to go grab a drink around 5th and 59th, settling on the champagne bar in The Plaza. We ordered a Veuve Clicquot Rose - a half bottle poured generously between our glasses.

One of the really cool things about drinks at The Plaza besides watching the crazy tourists come into the lobby just to take pictures of themselves is that they always bring you snacks when you're drinking. Last time Alan and I were there it was spiced nuts and peppery popcorn. This time it was a trail mix assortment of nuts, sunflower seeds and chocolate covered almonds. Yum! The Veuve was very nice - floral bouquet, dark pink color, nice finish and a high acidity that goes nicely with salty snacks.

Time to go to lunch!! We walk from The Plaza over to Columbus Circle where Nougatine is - in the Trump building actually - and are seated within a few minutes of arriving. This is when it dawns on Susan, Rich and I that we'll be literally in the outer room of the famous Jean-Georges restaurant that we all ate at back in September, 2010 when Susan was pregnant with Connor.

The menu was lovely - an a la cart side and a bargain $28 prix fixe. We decide to go that direction since the two sides of the menu are pretty much the same. We decided to get an appetizer, an entree and dessert - - being us, that's actually not enough so we also ask to throw in a burger course in between!

For the appetizers: Rich ordered the fried calamari with basil, salt and citrus chili dip that looked like a citrus foam. Very good. Susan ordered the shrimp salad with avocado, tomato and champagne vinegar dressing - also very good. I ordered off the a la cart menu requesting they swap in the peekytoe crab cake on greens. This was good but not great. I really couldn't taste the crab. Alan ordered the watermelon salad with goat cheese, olive oil and cracked pepper. Depending on the bite of this you tried it either had an overwhelming amount of pepper or was too oily. The consensus at the table was that it was a disappointing course but I actually liked it and swapped my crab cake for it. I liked the tang of the goat cheese against the sweet crispness of the watermelon.

For our middle course we asked for the cheeseburger with crispy onion rings and Russian dressing to be quartered for all of us to share. Being rather obsessed with burgers, we were looking forward to trying this one. I had dreams of something akin to the reigning best gourmet burger of all time - the one from Wolfgang Puck's Postrio in the Venetian in Las Vegas. However this one did not even come close. First - it was overcooked. Second - it was small. Third - the onion ring and Russian dressing didn't add any depth of flavor or even some crunch to make it interesting. It was a pretty boring burger overall.

For our entrees, Rich and I both ordered the skate over an asparagus / bean puree. It was as delicious as it was beautiful.

Susan ordered this lovely fish dish of which I can remember absolutely nothing about. But she liked it!

Alan got the organic chicken with chopped green beans in a broth of cinnamon, coriander and other spices usually associated with fall flavors. Alan didn't think it was a particularly summer dish.

For dessert, Susan, Alan and I all ordered the warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream while Rich got the Lindsor tort. The chocolate cake was like a souffle, all melted happiness inside. Very good. Rich liked this tort but I don't remember any of the details.

All in all it was a nice lunch because of the four of us being together, playing hookie in the city and doing what we love the most - eating and drinking. But the food didn't blow me away and I didn't get to experience the excitement of a new place with a cool or interesting ambiance. Jean-Georges was sitting at the table next to us with three guests...so we've seen him both times we've been there. The service was well orchestrated and blended in nicely - always attentive but never overwhelming. I'm not sure I'd go back there for lunch...dinner in the main dining room is a fantastic experience that overshadows Nougatine.

Jenn's Rating: 88
Zagat: 27-23-25

Pluckemin Inn - Summer Wine Tasting & Dinner

Along with Mary & Steve, Alan and I attended the summer wine tasting at the Pluckemin Inn on Sunday, June 26. There were ten distributor tables spread across two floors, each with between 5 and 7 wines they were showcasing. I didn't keep my tasting notes nor do I remember much about what I tried so I'm hoping Alan, Mary & Steve will add their thoughts to this post. I concentrated on Rose and Champagne with a little Pinot thrown in. I do remember clearly that the standouts for me were the Evening Land Pinot from Oregon and the Alfred Gratien rose (joy in a bottle).

After the tasting the four of us were joined by Jeff & Dana for dinner on the patio. Outdoor dining at it's best, it was a perfect temperature to be outside. We decided to all do an appetizer and an entree. I may or may not be able to remember what everyone ordered and since there wasn't a ton of plate trading this time, there are a few of the dishes I won't comment on at all.

To start it off, both Mary and I ordered the half dozen oysters with cocktail sauce and mignonette. One of the things that I really like about the Plucky's oyster appetizer other than the freshness and clean taste of the oysters (usually east coast selections) is that they serve both lemon and lime. Once you've put a little lime on your oysters you won't go back. The mignonette had the appropriate level of briny vinegar to pair perfectly with the raw bites. I saw Mary eating hers with cocktail sauce so hopefully she'll throw in a note about that.

Alan tried to order the tuna and hamachi tartar but was told a few minutes later they were out. He switched to the tried and true Butter Lettuce Salad with pecans, goat cheese and pear (or apple). A really wonderful salad. Jeff ordered the tuna sashimi and Dana got the beat salad. The dish that stood out for me actually though was Steve's risotto with spring peas. Nice flavor, great texture and not overly heavy. Good call, Steve!

For our entrees, Dana and I both got the new Sunday special fried chicken with mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe. They served three nice sized pieces that were coated and fried nicely ~ almost lightly ~ in a crunchy but not greasy coating. The chicken was cooked perfectly, moist and tender. Mine was wonderful and I ate every single bite. The mashed potatoes were also great - really smooth and flavorful and served in their very own crock. I don't remember the rabe.

Alan got the Plucky burger and fries. I'm sure everyone already knows this but I'll state it again. Best. Fries. Ever. Alan said his burger wasn't very good this time around - over cooked and small, it didn't fit the bun well.

Mary ordered a white fish...halibut? I'm not sure. Looked great sitting in the light broth and she said it was very good. Steve ordered the ribs which fell off the bone...he mentioned that he tried them a few weeks before and was very happy with the flavor. We'll have to try them next time. Jeff ordered the steak & frites but I didn't ask how it was.

The Pluckemin Inn is a standby and a favorite. They do a number of dishes very, very well including most fishes. In fact just about everything with shellfish or fish in it have been flavorful and inventive. I didn't see a crab or lobster salad on the menu this time around but it's been one of my go to dishes. I'm sure we'll be back many, many more times.

Grand Del Mar, California: 2011

Alan and I are spending his pre-Birthday week in Del Mar, California at the absolutely gorgeous Grand Del Mar Resort & Spa. Located just north of San Diego in the cliffs and just a few miles in from the dark blue Pacific Ocean. I have no idea how expensive this resort is to stay at out-of-pocket, but when on a business paid conference trip, it's just the perfect location.

Our room is on the third floor and our balcony looks over one of the courtyards as well as the third hole of the on-property golf course. The room itself is one of my favorites of any resort - very spacious with a monstrous king size bed, a wonderfully comfy L-shaped sofa with ottoman, two desks and a huge bathroom featuring a walk in dressing room & closet. It's also got one of the most important aspects to a truly wonderful hotel room - a beautiful, large, glass enclosed shower with the most fabulous water pressure. Powerful, streaming a nonstop flow of hot, hot water. So nice after a long plane ride or a brutal round of golf. As we sit here once again after hitting the links, with our balcony doors wide open watching the Yankees play the Reds we hear the not infrequent sound of navy F-15 fighter jets flying overhead....and for the second time in one day, a little sparrow flies into our room, hops around as Alan gently shoo-shoos it back out the balcony doors. I wanted to feed it but Alan said no, sternly. He doesn't want a repeat of the banded mongoose fiasco of 2002.

But this post is about food...and hopefully wine since I'm thinking Alan will add an addendum to talk about the five bottles packing snugly in our luggage that made the trip out here with us on Continental from Newark.

Our first on resort food experience was the California sandwich they made at the Cafe. Really, really great chicken breast sandwich. Big (enough for two of us to share), warm (heated in a panini press), wet with an olive oil mayo and perfectly accompanied with fresh tomato, bacon and avocado. The bread was a french style baguette, fresh and doughy. Served with crunchy pickles.

Second taste was breakfast from the same Cafe to take To Go out to Torrey Pines with us. We get two toasted bagels - mine plain with cream cheese and Alan's a cinnamon-raisin with butter. They added little fruit cups into our To Go boxes that was a welcome surprise. The bagels were what they should be.

The next dining experience is a last minute trip down to the in hotel restaurant, Amaya. It's a combination of indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the lovely Aria lawn. This is a wide expanse of perfectly manicured lawn surrounded by blooming flora and a large Italian style, open aired pavilion that I know from the Travel Channel is a favorite wedding location. What it means when we're there, a place for every child in the place to run about screaming...interestingly in this case, the kids don't both me or anyone else and are even a bit amusing to watch them chase, tag and tumble all over each other.

I ordered a Caesar salad to start that was nicely prepared with that heavy anchovy taste that I'm particularly fond of. Alan had the short rib cannelloni with beech mushroom ragout and I ordered the crab & lobster pappardelle with tarragon, mushrooms and Parmesan. Alan liked his cannelloni quite a bit. I very much liked the flavor of my dish but between the bottle and a half we already drank and my overall exhaustion after walking the course at Torrey Pines, I ran out of steam after eating only a quarter of my dish.

The next morning (today, actually as I post this), we decide to go for a sit down breakfast since we're not teeing off until 12:30pm in a shot gun start. Back to Amaya we go. Once again sitting outside and once again treated to children running nonstop on the grand Aria lawn. It's a most beautiful morning.

A nice menu, we opt for a mixed seasonal fruit plate to share plus I get the egg white frittata with spinach, tomato and goat cheese served with toast and Alan's breakfast burrito with Parmesan cheese, prosciutto and carameliz onion served with breakfast potatoes. Oh, joy!! My frittata is wonderful - the goat cheese adding that twang of flavor to jazz up the eggs and blend so nicely with the freshness of spinach and tomato. Alan's burrito was good but could have used more meat and less tomato and needed a little salt. The fresh fruit was perfect.

Next up for food - a boxed lunch provided on our golf carts for the tournament. A big box, it held a giant turkey, tomato & lettuce combination in sun dried tomato wrap with a seasoned ranch dressing, a bag of jalapeno chips, chocolate brownie and cold pasta salad.YUMMY. Matched up with unlimited drinks, it made for a perfect golf day lunch! So far, so good!! Hope to be able to post good things about our dinner tomorrow night at Addison.

Sent via DROID on Verizon Wireless

Benoit NYC

I’ve been to Benoit three times now…once when I left HRG in 2008, once in 2010, and in 2011. It’s a recreation of a famous French restaurant that was converted from a pharmacy into a bistro, and owned by the Alain Ducasse restaurant group. The restaurant has three distinct areas…the bar, which has outside seating, the main dining room, and private rooms upstairs, which look like you walked into an old school pharmacy. (By the way, you have to take a very small elevator up to the private rooms, but it’s worth asking about taking a peek at them).

The evening started in the bar with an unremarkable glass of Chenin Blanc from the Loire valley. That was followed by a much more interesting glass of Lanson Brut Rose Champagne. This was a lighter style rose clearly meant as an aperitif. I hate to categorize champagnes that way as I believe them to be incredibly versatile, but I could not see this holding my attention with food, and there are too many other champagnes that I like better. Grade of C.

My dining partner, Sean, and I were greeted at the bar by Andre, the current Sommelier. Sean has known Andre for years, but I met him originally at Alain Ducasse’s signature restaurant in NY, called ADNY. He’s a terrific Somm, and a nicer guy. After ADNY, I also had the pleasure of seeing him at meals at Adour, and now at Benoit. If you go, and have any questions about wine, spirits, or general liquids, don’t be afraid to ask Andre. He’s that good, and his recommendations are spot-on.

As I was picking out the wines for the meal, and Andre knew Sean, he brought us over the Reserve wine list. This is a ledger style book where the pricing is hand-written for all the wines, of which there are many. Unfortunately for me, the Reserve list was a bit too Reserve for me (read expensive), so I asked for a recommendation. As per our normal, Sean and I were looking for a white to start, and a red with the entrees. We finally decided on two wines, the 2009 J. Mellot le Montarlet Sancerre from the Loire and the 1996 Paul Jaboulet Aine La Chapelle Hermitage.

I didn’t have any expectations on the J. Mellot. I was just looking for something to go with the appetizers, and something that wasn’t overly heavy. What we got was a terrific wine, and a very good value. Sauvignon Blanc often times has a grassy/hay nature, along with a characterization often referred to as “cat urine”. I hate saying it, much less thinking about it or tasting it. However, this wine was bright, full of acid (but not overly so), had lovely citrus flavors and mineral notes. Terrific…Grade of A- based on delivery versus expectation.

Then came the Hermitage. I’ve never had a Jaboulet, much less an aged one. Professional notes on this wine say it has great potential, but is quite backwards and tannic and thus may never really open. We didn’t have that problem with this bottle. The wine was a deep red color and had a bouquet that was actually quite fragrant and floral, with clear notes of red fruit. On the palate the wine was a nice combination of concentrated fruit, showing both smooth tannins and some acid, with flavors of dark berry cassis, grilled meats, pepper and spice. Showing quite well and open, it matched with the food well. A solid experience for me as I usually don’t like syrah-based wines, but the Rhone valley is really a different animal from California in this regard. Grade of B+.

On to the food. Benoit has a lot of starters to choose from, but what caught our attention was a small piece of paper and a golf pencil on the table with our menus. On this paper were about 9 appetizers, and you had the choice of either selecting 3 or 5 choices. Think of it as an Appetizer tasting menu, or a selection of Amouse Bouches (at least in terms of size). I choose a Crab cocktail with avocado & grapefruit, Egg mayo, and the Crispy Pied de Cochon (mostly because I didn’t know what it was).

The Crab cocktail was very good. The sweetness of the Crab was offset by both the smoothness of the avocado, as well as the tartness of the grapefruit. The Egg mayo was one egg split and prepared two different ways. The first was like a deviled egg. I don’t like deviled eggs, but this was quite good. The second was like a hard-boiled egg, but covered in a semi-hard shell made of what seemed to be hollandaise sauce. It was more interesting than great.

Lastly was the Crispy Pied de Cochon. As I mentioned, I didn’t know what this was, but I knew that it would be crispy, which means fried and I like fried, and that it came with tartar sauce. I honestly was thinking that it was fish based. Well, not exactly. Pied de Cochon is actually pig trotters, or to further translate, pig’s feet. I didn’t find this out until I got home and looked it up. All in all, I’m glad I got it, although not because it was great. They were very good and interesting, but the experience was more valuable.

For my entrée I ordered the Duck breast with daikon radish. For those of you who know me, I love duck. Additionally, my personal opinion is that you always get the best duck dished in authentic French restaurants/bistros. When in France, if Duck confit is on the menu, I’m all over it. In any case, this course furthers my theory. The dish was two strips of duck breast, each about four inches long, 1½ inches wide, and 1½ inches thick, served with triangles of daikon radish. The duck had been cooked medium in the center, with the skin still on and crispy. Yum is all I will say.

While I don’t remember what Sean ordered for his appetizers, he ordered the steak frites as his entrée. I expected the steak to be a hanger steak, but it looked like a rib-eye when served. It was done to perfection (ordered medium rare). The frites, which came out in a big bowl, where also excellent. Honestly, not as good as the ones at DBGB the prior week, but still very good and we finished every last frite.

While Sean and I don’t typically do desserts when we dine together, Alain Ducasse’s restaurants often have one of Sean’s favorites…Rum Babba. This is a moist piece of cake smothered in fresh cream, and Rum. At ADNY, when you ordered the Rum Babba, they brought over to the table a Rum cart that would rival any cheese cart for its number of selections of Rum. Not being the fan of Rum that Sean is, I ordered a Chocolate soufflé. I must say that I really enjoy Chocolate soufflé, or soufflé of any type actually. This one was served with vanilla ice cream, but no sauce poured into it. Good, but not great.

Overall, Benoit is a cool place. Not cheap, but the food is top notch French bistro fare. Keep it in mind if you are in mid-town.

DBGB Wine Addendum

I wanted to add a quick addendum to Jenn's DBGB food notes that focused on wines.

First off, the restaurant has a really large and interesting beer list. To the point that they can even do match beers to a "tasting menu" type food approach. Thus, if you like beer, and want to try beers that you probably haven't heard of or seen otherwise, put this place on your list.

When we arrived at the restaurant, Jenn and I were a bit early, so we started off with a glass of wine at the bar. Jenn had a glass of Rose, which was quite nice, but I don't remember any of the details. I was looking for a glass of white wine, but something interesting. I decided to try the Mas Cal Demoura L’Etincelle Grenache Blanc/Roussanne blend from the Languedoc. It was just Ok. Actually, maybe less than Ok. It was a bit flabby, as I would have liked more acidity even though I was drinking without food. The aftertaste was a bit bitter as well...just not what I was hoping for. Oh well. Grade of D.

With dinner, I decided that I'd like to have a bottle of red burgundy, since the courses we were having were quite mixed. I picked the following, which was listed as "a rare gem".

2008 Gagnard-Delagrange Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru – When poured the wine had a nice bouquet that jumped from the glass which showed red fruits, floral notes and a touch of spice, which had me quite excited. However, the palate didn’t follow through. It was a bit dry and tannic, showing little fruit, a bit of earthiness, and some minerality. May have needed more time, but the bouquet led me to believe otherwise. Grade of C+.

Lastly, here's the email I sent to the group regarding the food...for posterity sake.

We liked it...wasn't fantastic, but some of the courses were really interesting and good. The atmosphere was kind of cool as well.

The three of each started with a salad. I had the Iceberg & Blue (good, but missing something to make it great), Jenn had the Chop-Chop with Lobster (she said was awesome), and Patty had the Butter Lettuce & Chive (too plain for any restaurant to serve).

Second Course: Jenn had the Asparagus and Fried egg (terrific), and Patty and I shared the Thai (awesome) and Beaujolaise (very safe and ok) sausages.

Entrees: Patty had the Mussels & Frites (good but got cold fast), Jenn had the Pappardelle Bourguignon (which was good, but really good today for lunch...needed time to integrate flavors), and I had the Piggie Burger (excellent, but how could it not be with a beef burger topped with pulled pork!). Mine also came with Frites, which really stole the show. They were awesome.

Dessert: we all shared a Baked Alaska, which had vanilla & verbena ice cream with Raspberry sorbet, almond cake-like stuff, topped with meringue that was flambeed. Great looking, although the flavors didn't match well IMO. All of us liked parts, but not sure about the whole.

DBGB, New York City, June 2011

Headed downtown to Daniel Boulud's Beer Garden of a bistro. Located at Bowery at Houston Street, as soon as I walked in I was enamoured of the double wide bar benches. How fun! I had a glass of the house rose while waiting a few minutes for Alan and Patty to arrive. There were already a few other patrons there eating, some in the small tables in the bar area. I covertly eyed up their dishes as I checked out the neat decor of copper pots, wine bottles, quotes and homey yet modern chic feel. We were seated as soon as we approached the host to a table in the main dining room amid the shelving built into the walls that served as both decor and serving stations. Near us, lots and lots of wine glasses and the bread baskets. Of worth to note - the brown leather, open ended both seating was clean looking and super comfy. You can really settle in there for a night of culinary exploration. Fun!

We had all individually checked out the menu online (http://www.danielnyc.com/dbgb.html) before arriving and were full of ideas of how the meal should progress. We landed on salads first, a second course and a main entree. We never discuss dessert ahead of time! So to start, I went with the Chop Chop Salad with Lobster. No matter which Daniel restaurant in which city, if there's peekeye toe crab or lobster salad on the menu it's a must have for me. And what a great way to start off! a light ginger-sesame dressing complimented the greens, generous portions of perfectly (and lightly) cooked lobster along with avocado, pepper, carrot and watermelon. Loved this salad ~ tried not to lick the plate. Alan's Iceberg & Blue was also quite nice with bacon, tomato and walnuts. Something stopped his from being the standout...perhaps it was the dressing? I liked it but it didn't compare to the Chop Chop in my book. Patty's Butter Lettuce & Chive salad with mustard garlic dressing was the disappointment of the evening. A salad that could have, should have rocked was blend and boring. But onto second courses!!

I had decided on the asparagus & fried egg with duck days before so I was all set. Patty & Alan wanted to sample the restaurant's claim to fame giant sausage selection. They opted to share the Thai link and the Beaujolais. The Thai was pork, lemongrass and red curry links, green papaya, basil fried rice, chili sauce and quail egg while the Beaujolais had pork, mushrooms, onion, bacon & red wine link with lentils du puy. I didn't taste either sausage so I shouldn't comment - I trust then to add remarks. They were pretty clear throughout that the Thai link was something special. Back to my dish. WOW, super awesome!!! Stand out dish. Enormous asparagus spears surrounding an almost tart looking pastry holding the perfection of a fried egg. All of this with duck and a mustard-egg dressing. There's a beautiful picture of this dish on the web site that's worth looking at to get a sense of the magic involved. Perfection in the blend of flavors and textures and temperatures. Ahhh...so happy.

And on to main courses. I ordered the pappardelle bourguignon with slow-cooked brisket, red wine, pearl onions, mushrooms, smoked bacon and fines herbs. This dish was intriguing and smelled amazing but being both full and feeling like it was a little more bland than I expected, I ate a little and packed the rest up to take home for leftovers. Side Note: the pasta the next day earned rave reviews from Alan who said that once the flavors had a chance to meld it was a standout dish. Back to the evening at hand...Alan did what any American Male would do in this situation - he ordered a burger! And what a burger...The Piggy. Topped with daisy mays bbq pulled pork, jalapeno mayonnaise & boston lettuce on a cheddar bun with mustard-vinegar slaw and served with fries. Quite lovely, juicy and decadent and it tasted pretty damn good to boot! Patty opted to order the steamed Prince Edward Island mussels with basil pistou, grilled summer squash, grape tomatoes and house made focaccia. I helped Patty eat some of her mussels since no one should eat mussels alone. :)  The temperature of her dish went down fast but the sauce was flavorful and the mussels steamed to the exact right doneness. Very nice.

I'm not sure why at this point we decided to keep going, but we did. We ordered a dessert to split amongst the three of us that was called the OMELETTE NORVEGIENNE. A Baked Alaska for two with vanilla & verbena ice cream, raspberry sorbet, fresh meringue and flambée with chartreuse. Yes, they set it on fire. A very pretty dish - the raspberry sorbert was wonderful but I didn't like the overall combination of flavors.

Fun place. Great bar. Potential for rocking individual dishes...would go back. Nice and casual if you're in that neck of the woods.

Jenn's Rating: 85
Zagat Rating: 22-23-21