Saturday April 17th, 2010
11:15pm
1 Little West 12th Street

A month in New York isn’t complete without at least one birthday party and/or going away party invitation – tonight it was the latter and a prime table at one of the newest Meatpacking ventures The Collective. It’s is part of The One Group, who also own STK and Tenjune, but it’s definitely got it’s own unique identity. Upon entering you really don’t know where to look first – there’s machinery on the walls, sculptures made of pill bottles, pillars adorned with jewelry, street signs, chairs made of functional crosswalk signs (see photo below). It’s unlike any space I’ve seen and kind of felt like being in the intersection where Dada meets Dali meets Dr. Suess (I’m a fan of all). Staying true to the name, The Collective is a mix of people, ages, styles, music, food and drinks. The bar area isn’t that big, and the main draw seemed to be tables that can accomodate large groups – a few of them celebrating birthdays and bachelorette parties. There’s  a small dinner menu, but it’s not really a restaurant as more of a lounge that serves food. The menu features a section called “a taste of the hoods,” which is supposed to feature favorites by neighborhood but the choices seem a little clichéd. A few people in our group ordered food and it looked average for upwards of $20 an entree. I’d recommend sticking to the cocktails while taking in the eye candy.

Cocktail

• Moscow Mule – vodka, ginger beer and lime

GOOD FOR: SINGLES, GROUPS, CELEBRATING, TABLE SERVICE, COCKTAILS, LATE NIGHT, EYE CANDY

Friday April 16th, 2010
12:45pm
15 west 56th street (Chambers Hotel)

After attending a morning session of the Behance 99% Conference at the Felissimo Design House I realized I was across the street from the Chambers Hotel, home to the newly opened Midtown outpost of Momofuku Milk Bar and David Chang’s newest venture Má Pêche. Since last Fall Má Pêche has been operating out of the mezzanine at the Chambers Hotel, only offering the Midtown Lunch – a $10 box lunch to-go featuring a choice of Banh Mi with a water or soda (add a Momofuku Milk Bar peanut butter cookie for an extra $1.85). The dining room on the main level recently opened for lunch at the beginning of April, but since I was dining solo I opted for the more laid back option of the 2nd floor mezzanine. It was set up like any other trendy hotel lobby upstairs – oversized couches, a few chairs and tables, shelves lined with books on Warhol and New York City photography- however you can sit wherever you like and order from a streamlined menu. Most of the items are around $16 (with the exception of the skirt steak at $29) and there’s no sides or accompaniments. In the true style of David Chang my pork spareribs were so tender and flavorful in a lemongrass carmel reduction that a few field greens on the side wouldn’t of added anything more to the meal.

NOTE: The Banh mi ($10) is only offered on the bar menu available on the mezzanine level and not the dining room, so if this is what you’re craving head upstairs.

Lunch

• Côtelletes de porc (Newman’s Farm, MO) – pork ribs, coated in peanuts and served in a lemongrass caramel reduction

Good for: Business Lunch, dining Solo, Pork, Milk Bar Treats, $10 Midtown Lunch (to-go), Did I mention Pork?

Saturday April 10th, 2010
10:30pm
2 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue)

In light of the prevalent hotel bar scene (including The Standard, The Ace, The Empire, The Peninsula, The Maritime and the Copper Square Hotel to name a few) it’s easy to forget the Church Lounge at the Tribeca Grand has been doing it for nearly a decade (they actually won Best Hotel Bar in 2003 by NY Magazine). The Church Lounge is still a good place to stop in for a drink, but it’s kind of gotten a bit lost in the shuffle. It’s situated in right in the middle of the hotel lobby atrium, which is kind of an awkward arrangement – but they try and amp up the ambiance with low lighting and a wall of candles (reminiscent of church). I went for a close friend’s birthday party and it proved to be a good spot to mingle among fellow guests. The DJ played a good mix of music and the bartenders poured (very) strong drinks. We even had a celebrity spotting of Russell Brand and Katy Perry at the bar. Please note, we didn’t just gawk from a far. A few people from the party said hello and they were very nice!

Cocktail

• Gin & Sin – gin, lemon, cardamom syrup and blood orange

Good for: Pre or Post Dinner Cocktail, Private Parties, Events, FILM Screenings on Sunday Nights

Friday April 9th, 2010
11:00am
51 Spring Street

One of the greatest things about New York City is wandering down a familiar street only to discover someplace that you’ve never noticed before. After leaving an appointment on Spring Street and heading to the 6 train I was on the lookout for a Starbucks to grab a quick coffee when I spotted La Crêpe Parisienne with an Illy coffee sandwich board out front. Inside the small window a chef was making crêpes while another man took orders at the counter. There’s only a handful of tables and a few stools along a counter at the other window. It’s a quaint spot, and each order is made while you wait. Since since Summer is right around the corner I only ordered an Illy coffee, but the selection of breakfast (butter and sugar), sweet (nutella, berry and sugar) and savory (gruyere) written on the chalk-written menu board on the back wall was tempting.

On a side note, this establishment got it’s start as a street cart in Mexico City. It was opened by 3 brothers in 1996 after they lived in Paris. Spring Street is the only U.S. location to date – the other 6 locations include Mexico, Brazil and Guadalajara.

Thursday April 8th, 2010
6:45pm
637 Hudson Street

I love ‘inoteca, cucina on Rivington Street, so when brothers Jason and Joe Denton opened Corsino in the West Village I couldn’t wait to try it. The interior evokes a bit of ‘inoteca—hard wood floors, wooden walls, bottles of wine lining the shelves, casual yet elegant. Unfortunately that’s where the similarities ended. The service was spotty and over the course of our hour and a half there we had at least 3 different servers. The wine list by the glass is small (Italian Reds, Whites and a few Sparkling) and I found the food to be over-priced (each piece of crostini costs $2.50). The mushroom & tallegio and cannellini bean & artichoke were the standouts, however the olive tapenade (over salted) and shrimp and arugula (fishy and creamy with one lone piece of arugula on top) were inedible. Our server let us pick out another to try to make up for it, and the substitute ricotta and orange honey proved to be a good choice. My bill was nearly $40 (including tip) for a glass of wine, a few shared crostini and a cheese plate. I really wanted to like Corsino, but I think the concept is far better than the execution.

Wine

• 2007 Brigaldara Valpolicella - a balanced medium-bodied Italian red with notes of berry

Appetizers (shared by the table)

• olives
• mushroom and tallegio
• cannellini bean and artichoke (had a nice hint of cinnamon)
• ricotta and orange honey
• olive tapenade (inedible – flavor overpowered with salt)
• shrimp and arugula (inedible – a creamy, fishy blend topped with one sad piece of arugula)
• cheese plate – fresh cow’s milk ricotta, taleggio and capra sardo

GOOD For: A GLASS OF WINE AT THE BAR, PRE OR POST DATE DRINK

Sunday April 4th, 2010
1:30pm
146 Beekman Street

What better way to spend a sunny Easter Sunday than dining al fresco with an English Bulldog in tow. Fresh Salt seemed like a great option – there’s dog friendly outdoor seating (only a handful of tables) and a $10 prix-fixe brunch menu that features a choice of 9 entrees with a juice or coffee included. I’ve been here for lunch and the sandwiches are great, but brunch not so much. My omelette was completely overcooked (notice the golden brown hue in the photo below), as were my friend’s over-easy eggs (the yolk was just about fully cooked). The high point of the meal was my bloody mary, nice and spicy and served in a pint glass – however my friend’s mimosa was served in a small juice glass and cost $1 more than mine. The sunshine made up for it all, but I think next time I’ll stick to the daily happy hour  - from 4pm-8pm there’s $4 drafts and well drinks and $6 martinis and margaritas. The bar is open until 4am daily – a rarity in the Seaport area.

GOOD FOR: LUNCH, HAPPY HOUR, LATE NIGHT, OUTDOOR SEATING, NEIGHBORHOOD FAVORITE

Saturday April 3rd, 2010
10:45pm
293 East 10th Street

Every now and again I love to smoke a good hookah, so when the mood strikes Horus Café is usually my go-to spot . On this particular night there was a wait and the bouncer told my group we had to wait outside. There was an early Spring chill in the air, and I was starting to second guess the decision, but I guess we proved we were serious about getting a table and were let inside after a few minutes. The space isn’t large, and the size of the hookahs along with the servers carrying glowing charcoal overhead make it seem even smaller. But once seated you can settle in and enjoy the scene—and even the occasional belly dancing show or live music act. There’s over 20 hookah flavors to choose from, and if you’re looking for a late night bite or dinner there’s a fairly extensive food menu featuring mostly Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes.

Note: Horus has two other locations – The Café and Kebab House on East 9th and the Lounge at Laguardia Place

Hookah

• Egyptian Pharaohs – with citrus infused water

Drinks

• Moroccan tea with fresh mint (served in a sterling silver and glass tea pot)
• Sahlab tea – a traditional Egyptian drink made from salep (a white flour-like powder made from wild orchid) mixed with milk and coconut and topped with cinnamon and nuts , served hot (a must try – it’s heavy so get one for the table and share)

GOOD FOR: Hookah, late night, groups, outdoor seating, entertaining out of town guests

Saturday April 3rd, 2010
8:30pm
306 East 6th Street

Birthday’s are usually the one day where you can call the shots and your friends willingly agree with your choices. So when a friend announced he wanted to undertake the Phaal Challenge (featured on the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food, click here to watch the episode) we headed over to the Brick Lane Curry House for dinner. Since misery loves company another person in the group decided he would try it too. The restaurant describes this as the “hottest curry ever” and challengers must verbally agree to a waiver (see photo below).

Phaal Fun Facts

• 60 times the heat of a jalapeño
• Made from a blend of 10 different kinds of peppers
• The chef wears a gas mask while preparing it
• Challengers must eat the contents of the entire bowl, including all of the sauce
• Winners get a free beer and their photo on the “(P)hall of Fame”
• 5-6 people order it per month, most don’t finish

The phaal really doesn’t look any different than most curry dishes – it was a thick brown sauce covering chunks of meat – one challenger chose chicken and the other lamb. Out of curiousity the rest of us at the table dipped a small piece of naan bread into the sauce. Simultaneously my mouth went numb, my face went red, my tongue started to burn and I began to feel a little dizzy. Taking a pull of Taj Mahal beer was the only thing that helped quench the burning. I like to think I can handle spicy food—but this wasn’t a flavorful, multi-layered kind of spice. Rather it was more of a hot, burning, almost chemical kind of taste. While the challengers (teary-eyed and sweaty) finished all of their phaal meat, they technically didn’t win the challenge because of the leftover sauce. It was quite an impressive effort none the less, and a birthday dinner none of us will soon forget!

The rest of the group ordered a more traditional Indian meal. The restaurant is small, and while they do accept walk-ins it’s probably best to make a reservation. The service is spotty, at times the waiters were over-attentive and tried clearing dishes we were still working on and at times under-attentive like when we had to keep asking for more water. The prices are a bit high considering the neighborhood, and especially given there are many other Indian options on East 6th Street. The entree prices range from $14 to upwards of $20 and they charge $4 for an order of Naan (which is usually included). Each of the curry dishes comes with rice and a choice of chicken, lamb, goat, fish, shrimp, paneer, tofu or vegetables. Overall the food was good, but the cauliflower appetizer was a surprising stand-out.

Dinner (for the rest of us)

Appetizers (shared)

• Lasuna Gobi – crispy cauliflower florets tossed in a sweet and tangy garlic tomato sauce
• Vegetable Pakoras – fritters in a chickpea batter
• Vegetable Samosas - crispy pastry stuffed with spiced potatoes and vegetables

Bread (shared)

• Classic Naan
• Stuffed Naan with Cheese
• Tandoori Roti – whole wheat bread cooked in the tandoor

Entree

• Jalfrezi with shrimp – medium spiced tomato curry with stir-fried with onions, bell peppers and tomatoes

GOOD FOR: DINNER, CURRY, PHAAL CHALLENGE