Manhattan: Midtown West
Posted by Carey Jones, November 18, 2009 at 5:00 PM
"Even my Diet Coke was awful."
[Photos: Robyn Lee]
At Serious Eats, we eat an awful lot of meals we don't tell you about. And usually, if there's nothing to recommend, we keep our mouths shut. Why review an unremarkable restaurant with mediocre food? There's no reason to waste your time or ours.
But every once in awhile, we find a spot so egregiously awful that we simply have to write it up. To save you from making the same mistake we did. To spare your stomach and your wallet and your schedule. So today, we present you the most laughably terrible lunch we've eaten in ages—at Lucy's Cantina Royale.
Let's get one thing straight; we didn't expect this geographically confused Baja-Tex-Cali-Mex restaurant to be particularly good. Factor in my Californian "This isn't real Mexican!" snobbery and a few gushing PR emails, and we weren't particularly optimistic. But we try to eat as widely as possible, and just a five-minute walk from our office, Lucy's deserved a shot.
We should have known better. There are four Rules of Restaurants I have yet to disprove:
- If a restaurant refers to itself as a "concept," the food's probably not very good.
- If a restaurant is at 34th and 8th, the food's probably not very good.
- If a restaurant has Slushie machines behind the bar, the food's probably not very good.*
- If the waitresses are wearing distractingly skimpy outfits, the food's probably not very good.
And we'll add a fifth, on the basis of this lunch alone: If a restaurant has the charming pronouncement "Tequila makes your clothes fall off!" stenciled over the bar... the food's probably not very good.
Five strikes against Lucy's before we even sat down. And it sure as hell didn't get better from there. (The fact that it set us back $66 didn't help, either.) A comedy of errors, after the jump.
*The one exception: Momofuku Noodle Bar. If you have another, bring it on.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, November 17, 2009 at 11:00 PM
"The food-world equivalent of Springsteen playing a last-minute gig at a small club."
[Photographs: Robyn Lee]
Ma Peche
Mezzanine at the Chambers Hotel, 15 West 56th Street, New York NY 10019 (b/n Fifth and Sixth Avenues; map)
Service: Friendly and surprisingly efficient for what may be a temporary operation
Setting: Lounge-like, a combination of small wooden tables and coffee tables made of felt
Compare It To: The Breslin, Standard Grill, other Momofuku restaurants
Must-Haves: Grilled cheese, cheeseburger, granola, chocolate chip cookies
Grade: A-
Momofuku's Tien Ho may be the best chef in New York that you've never heard of. That's going to change when Má Pêche, the company's first foray into Midtown, opens in 2010 in the former Town space in the basement of the Chambers Hotel. Chomping at the bit, waiting for the dining room renovations to be completed, Ho—a former sous chef at Cafe Boulud—and his crew started serving lunch in a sort of makeshift restaurant in the mezzanine lounge of the hotel last Thursday.
The sudden opening was the food equivalent of Springsteen playing a last-minute gig at a small club. In other words, it became a culinary cultural happening disguised as hotel room service. Momofuku Midtown room service cooked by a great chef. Now that's a concept serious eaters could get behind.
Ho on the challenge he took on: "It was really tough trying to balance between what we love, and what we thought the hotel guests wanted. Ultimately, we cook the food that we love to eat and even more important, we carry the food products that we are proud to serve."
Being brilliant guerrilla marketers, they opened for lunch last Thursday, trumpeting a bunch of $10 "midtown lunch specials" (take a bow, Mr. Zach Brooks), an all-day menu, and a breakfast menu that's served from 7 to 11 a.m.
Our lunches and brunches, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, November 16, 2009 at 12:15 PM
"The people have spoken. And City Bakery is no longer their cookie of choice."
[Photos: Robyn Lee and Sophie Finkelstein]
Last week in the Chocolate Chip Cookie Championship, we went uptown to find the best chocolate chip cookies on the Upper East and Upper West Sides. Having found our favorites, we're now moving to Midtown—between Union Square and 60th Street.*
In this round, there were formidable contenders and surprising upsets: disappointing frontrunners, dark horses, and a chain thrown into the mix.
Our eight contestants: City Bakery, Pret a Manger, Max Brenner, Petrossian, Ruby et Violette, Frankie's (at Stumptown), and Times Square Hot Bagels.
The best chocolate chip cookie in Midtown, after the jump.
*Okay, this isn't all Midtown. But do we really need separate Hell's Kitchen, Murray Hill, Gramercy, Flatiron, and Chelsea cookie tastings? We're sticking with "Midtown-ish."
Continue reading »
Posted by Joe DiStefano, October 27, 2009 at 3:00 PM
[Photos: Joe DiStefano]
Back when I worked in Midtown Manhattan it was a culinary wasteland with just one Sichuan restaurant: the venerable Wu Liang Ye on 46th Street. Today one can choose from three: Wu Liang Ye, the much acclaimed Szechuan Gourmet, and the newly opened Lan Sheng. The last two are on a stretch of 39th Street Zach "Midtown Lunch" Brooks recently praised as one of "the better lunch blocks."
As a self-taught Chinese food expert, it is with genuine embarrassment that I admit I've never been to Szechuan Gourmet. Lan Sheng is another story; it turns out an old college buddy is friends with owner. I was privileged to sample their food at a press dinner last week. A look at what we had, including some items which are being added to the menu, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 21, 2009 at 4:00 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
I had a meeting scheduled at Macaron Cafe the other afternoon. After a breakfast and lunch consisting of too many sugary desserts, the thought of macarons had me queasy. But I discovered in Macaron Cafe's Chocolate Milk, a fine example of a not-sweet sweet. Steamed milk (whole, to ensure a luxurious drink) and unsweetened cocoa powder results in hot chocolate milk, very dark and chocolately—hot and satisfying, without a touch of sugar. Perfect when you just can't take any more sugary liquids, but coffee or tea won't fit the agenda.
Macaron Cafe
161 West 36th Street, New York NY 10018 (map)
646-573-5048
macaroncafe.com
Posted by Carey Jones, November 18, 2009 at 5:00 PM
"Even my Diet Coke was awful."
[Photos: Robyn Lee]
At Serious Eats, we eat an awful lot of meals we don't tell you about. And usually, if there's nothing to recommend, we keep our mouths shut. Why review an unremarkable restaurant with mediocre food? There's no reason to waste your time or ours.
But every once in awhile, we find a spot so egregiously awful that we simply have to write it up. To save you from making the same mistake we did. To spare your stomach and your wallet and your schedule. So today, we present you the most laughably terrible lunch we've eaten in ages—at Lucy's Cantina Royale.
Let's get one thing straight; we didn't expect this geographically confused Baja-Tex-Cali-Mex restaurant to be particularly good. Factor in my Californian "This isn't real Mexican!" snobbery and a few gushing PR emails, and we weren't particularly optimistic. But we try to eat as widely as possible, and just a five-minute walk from our office, Lucy's deserved a shot.
We should have known better. There are four Rules of Restaurants I have yet to disprove:
- If a restaurant refers to itself as a "concept," the food's probably not very good.
- If a restaurant is at 34th and 8th, the food's probably not very good.
- If a restaurant has Slushie machines behind the bar, the food's probably not very good.*
- If the waitresses are wearing distractingly skimpy outfits, the food's probably not very good.
And we'll add a fifth, on the basis of this lunch alone: If a restaurant has the charming pronouncement "Tequila makes your clothes fall off!" stenciled over the bar... the food's probably not very good.
Five strikes against Lucy's before we even sat down. And it sure as hell didn't get better from there. (The fact that it set us back $66 didn't help, either.) A comedy of errors, after the jump.
*The one exception: Momofuku Noodle Bar. If you have another, bring it on.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, November 17, 2009 at 11:00 PM
"The food-world equivalent of Springsteen playing a last-minute gig at a small club."
[Photographs: Robyn Lee]
Ma Peche
Mezzanine at the Chambers Hotel, 15 West 56th Street, New York NY 10019 (b/n Fifth and Sixth Avenues; map)
Service: Friendly and surprisingly efficient for what may be a temporary operation
Setting: Lounge-like, a combination of small wooden tables and coffee tables made of felt
Compare It To: The Breslin, Standard Grill, other Momofuku restaurants
Must-Haves: Grilled cheese, cheeseburger, granola, chocolate chip cookies
Grade: A-
Momofuku's Tien Ho may be the best chef in New York that you've never heard of. That's going to change when Má Pêche, the company's first foray into Midtown, opens in 2010 in the former Town space in the basement of the Chambers Hotel. Chomping at the bit, waiting for the dining room renovations to be completed, Ho—a former sous chef at Cafe Boulud—and his crew started serving lunch in a sort of makeshift restaurant in the mezzanine lounge of the hotel last Thursday.
The sudden opening was the food equivalent of Springsteen playing a last-minute gig at a small club. In other words, it became a culinary cultural happening disguised as hotel room service. Momofuku Midtown room service cooked by a great chef. Now that's a concept serious eaters could get behind.
Ho on the challenge he took on: "It was really tough trying to balance between what we love, and what we thought the hotel guests wanted. Ultimately, we cook the food that we love to eat and even more important, we carry the food products that we are proud to serve."
Being brilliant guerrilla marketers, they opened for lunch last Thursday, trumpeting a bunch of $10 "midtown lunch specials" (take a bow, Mr. Zach Brooks), an all-day menu, and a breakfast menu that's served from 7 to 11 a.m.
Our lunches and brunches, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, November 16, 2009 at 12:15 PM
"The people have spoken. And City Bakery is no longer their cookie of choice."
[Photos: Robyn Lee and Sophie Finkelstein]
Last week in the Chocolate Chip Cookie Championship, we went uptown to find the best chocolate chip cookies on the Upper East and Upper West Sides. Having found our favorites, we're now moving to Midtown—between Union Square and 60th Street.*
In this round, there were formidable contenders and surprising upsets: disappointing frontrunners, dark horses, and a chain thrown into the mix.
Our eight contestants: City Bakery, Pret a Manger, Max Brenner, Petrossian, Ruby et Violette, Frankie's (at Stumptown), and Times Square Hot Bagels.
The best chocolate chip cookie in Midtown, after the jump.
*Okay, this isn't all Midtown. But do we really need separate Hell's Kitchen, Murray Hill, Gramercy, Flatiron, and Chelsea cookie tastings? We're sticking with "Midtown-ish."
Continue reading »
Posted by Joe DiStefano, October 27, 2009 at 3:00 PM
[Photos: Joe DiStefano]
Back when I worked in Midtown Manhattan it was a culinary wasteland with just one Sichuan restaurant: the venerable Wu Liang Ye on 46th Street. Today one can choose from three: Wu Liang Ye, the much acclaimed Szechuan Gourmet, and the newly opened Lan Sheng. The last two are on a stretch of 39th Street Zach "Midtown Lunch" Brooks recently praised as one of "the better lunch blocks."
As a self-taught Chinese food expert, it is with genuine embarrassment that I admit I've never been to Szechuan Gourmet. Lan Sheng is another story; it turns out an old college buddy is friends with owner. I was privileged to sample their food at a press dinner last week. A look at what we had, including some items which are being added to the menu, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 21, 2009 at 4:00 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
I had a meeting scheduled at Macaron Cafe the other afternoon. After a breakfast and lunch consisting of too many sugary desserts, the thought of macarons had me queasy. But I discovered in Macaron Cafe's Chocolate Milk, a fine example of a not-sweet sweet. Steamed milk (whole, to ensure a luxurious drink) and unsweetened cocoa powder results in hot chocolate milk, very dark and chocolately—hot and satisfying, without a touch of sugar. Perfect when you just can't take any more sugary liquids, but coffee or tea won't fit the agenda.
Macaron Cafe
161 West 36th Street, New York NY 10018 (map)
646-573-5048
macaroncafe.com
Posted by Carey Jones, October 20, 2009 at 1:45 PM
[Photos: Robyn Lee]
'Tis the season for sweets, and no one does them like Bouchon Bakery. This year, Thomas Keller's bakeries are packing in the pumpkin, with breakfast pastries, cookies, and more. A few of the goodies, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, October 19, 2009 at 10:00 AM
[Photos: Robyn Lee]
Our Top Five
- The Winner: Two Little Red Hens
- Mona Lisa Pastry Shoppe
- Lady M Cake Boutique
- Cheesecake Factory
- Fairway Market
In the pantheon of iconic New York foods, not much outranks the proud cheesecake. Whether after dinner at Luger's, by the round at Eileen's, or shipped across the country by Junior's, New York cheesecakes are a force to be reckoned with. The cheesecake is a dessert that's perfect in its simplicity. A silky, creamy base, an optional thin crust—and that's it.
What makes a first-class cheesecake? It's smooth and creamy, just sweet enough, with a hint of tartness. If there's a crust, it adds something extra without overwhelming the taste of the cheesecake itself. And it's rich enough to seem a bit decadent, without going down like a cement pour. You should want to keep eating—at least, for more than one bite.
So we canvassed the boroughs for New York's best cheesecake, arrived at our finalists, and assembled our panel of crack tasters. All cakes were tasted blind, brought to the same temperature, in similar-size slices. We even scuffed up the edges of the more cosmetically privileged. And we had our tasters start with different samples, to cancel out the effects of palate fatigue—a real concern, after 14 cheesecakes. As it turns out, the first bite wasn't always the best bite.
(For the purposes of fair comparison, we went only with bakery cheesecakes, rather than restaurant ones. We also excluded all flavored and ricotta-based cheesecakes—stay tuned for later taste-tests.)
So after countless miles traveled, bites considered, and calories consumed, we've arrived at our winners. Our favorites, our surprise showings, and the best cheesecake in New York—after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, October 8, 2009 at 10:30 AM
My new breakfast of champions.
[Photograph: Robyn Lee]
If any serious eater is coming to New York this fall to holiday shop I have my new breakfast of champions sandwich to steer you towards: Bouchon Bakery's Fluffernutter sandwich (peanut butter, sliced bananas, and house-made marshmallow cream) on the third floor of the Time Warner Center. Toasty, buttery golden brown on the outside and warm, creamy, and melty on the inside, it's my idea of a perfect sweet breakfast sandwich. If the good folks at Bouchon Bakery would add some crispy bacon to the filling, Elvis might come back from his grave to partake.
Bouchon Bakery
Time Warner Center 3rd floor, 10 Columbus Circle, New York NY 10019 (map)
212-823-9364
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 7, 2009 at 4:00 PM
[Photograph: Kathy YL Chan]
Petrossian's croissants are quickly moving up my list of favorite croissants in New York City. The plain croissants are wonderful, but later in the morning I often crave something a notch sweeter and a bit more exciting. Usher in their pistachio croissant smothered in marzipan, topped with apricot preserves, and sprinkled with crushed pistachios. One would be right to claim that this croissant teeters on the verge of overkill, but luckily it falls on the side of restraint. Delicate and full of flavor, it's also a gorgeous sight. This is a winner.
Petrossian
911 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10019 (b/n 57th and 58th; map)
212-245-2217; petrossian.com
Posted by Carey Jones, September 21, 2009 at 1:15 PM
The "JLT," by José Andrés. [Photographs: Carey Jones]
Daniel Boulud and Mario Batali aren't usually crafting your weekday lunches. But once a year, Bon Appetit assembles some of the nation's most acclaimed chefs for a one-week-only pop-up cafe, where you can stop by and grab lunch from the likes of Rick Bayless, José Andrés, Emeril Lagasse—plus desserts by our own Gina DePalma. Open each day this week from 11:00am to 3:00pm, expect cooking demos, book signings, and more along with your salad and sandwich.
[Outside the café, at 11:00am. New Yorkers like lining up for things.]
Let's be clear: Bayless is not actually back in the kitchen stirring up your soup, and the food here isn't on par with anything at these chefs' outstanding restaurants. Don't go in expecting Babbo takeout or Gramercy Tavern-caliber desserts.
But as a Midtown sandwich stop, it's an pretty impressive operation. And with prices kept low ($8-$10 mains, $2-$3 desserts), service as prompt as they could be, and more seating than any city deli I know, it's more than worth a visit during your lunch hour.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 16, 2009 at 4:00 PM
I'm sure you've all had Ferrero Rocher at one point in your life or another. They were my favorite "fancy" chocolates growing up, and those gold foil-wrapped orbs still hold a very fond place in my chocolate repertoire.
Pictured above is La Maison du Chocolat's adaptation of the Ferrero Rocher. It may only be properly described as a truly gigantic Rocher. $6.50 a pop, they come milk or dark chocolate. A giant ball of silky ganache is rolled in toasted, chopped almonds and hazelnuts and then dipped once again for a crackling crisp chocolate shell. The only thing this rocher is missing is a hazelnut center encased by a chocolate wafer round—but you can't have everything all the time, now can you?
La Maison du Chocolat
30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York NY 10020 (map)
212-265-9404
lamaisonduchocolat.com
Posted by Carey Jones, September 10, 2009 at 12:45 PM
[Photograph: Midtown Lunch]
Over at Midtown Lunch, Zach Brooks chows down at the New Kosher Oasis Cart on West 47th. Most of the food is pretty standard, but he seems to be a big fan of the beefy, spicy Moroccan cigars: "They are egg rolls stuffed with ground beef and Middle Eastern spices. Huzzah!"
Posted by Carey Jones, August 31, 2009 at 1:45 PM
A great find from Midtown Lunch at Sushi Osaka in the Garment District. There's a Japanese restaurant in front, but those who head to the back will find a formidable steam table—three items over rice for $5, including (on Zach's visit) sauteed beef and, for the more adventurous, pig’s ears.
"Whether or not you think the Garment District is an amazing area for lunch or not," Zach writes, "can probably be determined by a single factor: whether or not you love 'strange' Chinese food." If that's you, take note.
Posted by Carey Jones, August 20, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Note: The 2009 Vendy Awards, a celebration of New York street food, will be held on September 26 at the Queens Museum of Art (buy tickets here). All proceeds will benefit the Street Vendor Project, an arm of the Urban Justice Center, advocating for the interests of New York street vendors. This year's five finalists will all be on hand to feed the crowds, the judges, and compete for the ultimate title in street food. Each day this week, we'll be profiling one of the finalists.
Curried goat; the Jamaican Dutchy cart; T and Ricky.
It's hard to imagine two more unlike corners of the world than the beaches of Jamaica and the pavement of frenetic Midtown, particularly during the lunch hour rush. But the Jamaican Dutchy, up for its first Vendy nomination, stays true to its island roots. "I'm sorry, but I'm not changin' my flavor for no one," says owner O'Neill Reid—a philosophy that seems to apply to both his food and his cart, where meats are cooked long, low, and slow.
Though the Dutchy dishes out gut-busting breakfasts, among them ackee and saltfish and a rotating roster of porridge, the real crowd starts to gather after the noon bell, once the surrounding buildings hemorrhage hungry office captives.
Eating from the Jamaican Dutchy is a carnal experience. There’s no other way to put it. Those accustomed to a neat pile of stewed chicken nestled in a cradle of rice may be unprepared for the bony, skin-on, fresh-off-the-animal hunks of sauce-dripping flesh served here. The meats piled into every groaning Styrofoam container require fingers, and teeth, and determination.
It's a calculated risk, in an office setting. Don’t attempt a bite at your computer, or standing on the street corner—or anywhere without a sink, and a full roll of paper towels on hand, and a hand mirror to check your teeth for spice and meat shards when you’re through.
But it's worth it.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, August 17, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Note: The 2009 Vendy Awards, a celebration of New York street food, will be held on September 26 at the Queens Museum of Art (buy tickets here). All proceeds will benefit the Street Vendor Project, an arm of the Urban Justice Center, advocating for the interests of New York street vendors. This year's five finalists will all be on hand to feed the crowds, the judges, and compete for the ultimate title in street food. Each day this week, we'll be profiling one of the finalists.
Winner of the 2008 Vendy People's Choice Award, The Biryani Cart is one of this year's only two repeat finalists. So popular is this fixture of the Midtown street food scene, holding down the busy corner of 46th Street and 6th Avenue for more than five years, that owner and operator Meru Sikder recently added a second, adjacent cart (dubbed "Sandwich Land") during lunch hours, next to the original operation.
Why all the love? To start, of course, there's the biryani, the chicken-and-rice dish that gives the cart its name—a pile of tender, spiced basmati with slivers of juicy chicken, a whole egg korma, and a mango pickle ($6). Sikder also serves a rice plate with chicken tikka masala ($6), familiar to anyone who's dabbled in Indian food, though far lighter on the sauce than you'd find in a restaurant curry.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 17, 2009 at 11:30 AM
HB Burger has extended the $9.95 Midtown Lunch special for one more week (until July 24). It includes a cheeseburger with fries, tator tots, or onion strings. Offer good Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 127 West 43rd Street, New York NY 10036 (map); 212-575-5848.
Posted by Nick Solares, July 13, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Chef Michael White freely admits that you would never find a dish like his fusilli with baby octopus and bone marrow on his Marea menu, in Italy. But since he is cooking in America, he feels justified in creating what he calls an homage to surf and turf, substituting octopus and marrow for the more traditional seafood and steak.
There are other local influences, the sauce base is an ode of sorts to the traditional "Sunday gravy" that simmers away for hours in Italian-American kitchens, but the ingredients themselves and the cooking techniques are mostly gleaned from Italy. The dish is similar to White's fusilli with pork shoulder served at Convivio, one of White's other restaurants, which I recently reviewed and found to be a near perfect synthesis of textures and flavors.
White has struck that elusive balance again with his latest offering. After the jump, see how he does it.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 13, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Start the week with a big, juicy roast beef sandwich from Salumeria Biellese. The deli's Monday special is $6.50 for a four-incher, which is plenty enough for one person, and you can easily split the six-inch large ($7.75) into two halves. It's a great version of the classic Brooklyn roast beef sub with drippy brown gravy, which probably got its start at the original Defonte's in Red Hook. Salumeria Biellese will let you pick any bread or cheese, but go with the purist approach—a sesame seedy French loaf, which has the right thickness to soak up all the meat juices, and the fresh mozzarella (an extra $1.50). Salumeria Biellese doesn't do the thick gravy—they pour on something of a pan jus instead, giving it a French dip effect.
376 8th Avenue, New York NY 10001 (map)
212-736-7376
Posted by Carey Jones, July 10, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Yes, you read that right; in honor of the restaurant's tenth anniversary, Beacon's three-course prix fixe menu will be $10, for one night only, with some bottles of wine available for $10 as well. Reservations going fast. 25 West 56th Street, New York NY 10019 (map); 212-332-0500.
Posted by Alaina Browne, July 9, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Go Go Curry Early Bird Special: Every day from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. any medium size curry is $5 for the first 30 orders (eat in or take out only, no additional toppings.) Good through July 31, 2009. [via ML]
