Love Momofuko Ko. You won’t find a better meal than at Le Coucou but almost impossible to get in.
If you are looking for something fun I would highly recommend Blanca for your high end meal.
I love Maialino. They also have a nice brunch on the weekend.
Thanks for the feedback so far. We were able to score a booking at Brooklyn Fare for the Friday night we are there. Anyone been to Estela recently? We are meeting friends for dinner and that was their suggestion.
I was at Estela about 4-6 months ago. Very good, but a cramped and intimate environment (small tables).
The owners just launched a new spot at Met Breuer called the Flora Bar.
I highly recommend for a fun night Pasquale Jones, Contra, or Charlie Bird (probably in that order).
If corkage is a factor, PJ and CB do not accept, but they have good value lists and offer half bottle orders off anything on their list. Contra is $50 which is steep.
Couldn’t agree more. Blanca the other night might have been the best meal I’ve had in the U.S. in the last year, certainly top 5 and certainly the best in NYC.
Wanted to report back real quick
Started downtown for drinks at the Dead Rabbit and stumbled upon these ridiculous pork belly sliders topped with quail egg and irish cheddar.
Rebelle
Had a very uneven experience here. The service was really very disjointed and frustrating. We started with the seared scallop which was very nice and the cured fluke. Our veal porterhouse was really rather bland with essentially a bone dry serving vessel. Some sort of sauce to accompany the veal and potatoes would’ve been great. Beyond that, we didn’t have one person check in to see how things were other than to refill our wine glasses. Also, I hate to be a stickler but the restrooms were legitimately filthy, no soap in either dispensers and no paper towel. Just a bizarre experience.
Le Coucou
Managed to snag lunch here on Saturday and this experience was the polar opposite of Rebelle the night before. Service was impeccable, the ambiance was excellent and the food/wine matched. Had the endives au jambon, croissant, oeufs coucou and croquet monsieur…all fantastic although my wife thought the endives to be too bitter. The somm guided us to a 2015 Los Bermejos Rose to wash it down which was great.
Pasquale Jones
Another excellent meal. Service was on point the entire meal…constantly around but not overbearing. The octopus and burrata with pumpkin were both excellent. The clam pie was as advertised and the margarita was solid. The paparedelle with short rib was nice but the glazed duck was the consensus favorite outside of the clam pizza.
thanks for the report
have le coucou coming up in a couple of weeks and time to get back to pasquale jones
as for rebelle, what a shame with all that great wine. pearl and ash too left me wanting for more.
Went to a new place in the East Village called N’eat:
Nordic cuisine from a Chef who worked at Noma. The intention is to make a neighborhood spot with affordable food. All dishes are $16. They recommend 3-5 dishes per person. Overall I thought the food was excellent. I think their portion sizes and the richness of the food still needs a bit of tweaking. We ordered 7 dishes + bread for two people and I was absolutely stuffed and could not eat the 7th. And I am a big eater. I think two per person would have been fine. The bread is outstanding. I loved the wine list. The best of the Natural genre at great prices + a small curated German list. We were between the Pacalet Chablis Beauroy (on the list for $175) and a 12 Clemens Busch Riesling (on the list for $45). We went with the Clemens Busch and it went perfect with the food. The space is beautiful and service very friendly although they are still working out the kinks as you would expect since they just opened three days ago.
I will be going back soon. Highly Recommended.
You can see photos on my instagram:
PJ was $50 corkage and CB $35 with a two bottle limit. Are you sure this has changed?
In fact, as recently as a few months ago, Charlie Bird not only allowed corkage but did a free corkage on a bottle if you bought one off the list, so I would also like to know if this has changed.
Apologies as I called CB about this probably 1-2 years ago. Figured PJ would be the same (same ownership).
Good to hear!
Michelin stars are out for this year. Surprise: Here Are the 2017 NYC Michelin Star Rankings (A Few Days Early) - Eater NY
le coucou got a well deserved goose egg for the most mediocre food i have eaten all year
Corkage at Pasquale Jones is $50.00 and at Charlie Bird is $35.00 with a 2 bottle limit. I have BYO’d at both.
I have gone back to N’eat twice since my first visit and really like the food and vibe. Last night they were a little slammed because the word is getting out but it was still an excellent overall experience (and I did not have a reservation and a party of three turned into five). Corkage is $50 however if you order a bottle from the list it is waived and there are many things on the list at reasonable prices.
Thanks for the note Robert. Have it queue’d up to try between the holidays.
Faryan
3rd time to via carota yesterday in about 2 months. i really love this place. very casual, warm service and perfect food. salads in particular are beautiful and quite large. the fried rabbit and chicken liver bruschetta are standouts, although i have a lot more of the menu to get thru in the upcoming months.
west village btw
another excellent meal at olmsted this weekend. a cocktail and smores in the back yard on a cool NY evening is easily the most charming and rare (for NYC) way to end an excellent meal inside. get there before it gets too cold to enjoy it.
Saturday lunch at Rouge Tomate Chelsea. What’s not to like? Small and large plates, reasonable prices. The food execution was excellent and I was a bit concerned about the “healthy” leanings and minimal butter/fats. I believe it’s a 1* Michelin restaurant? Every dish was well prepared without a dud, consistent with the rating. Attentive/helpful staff! Lovely first floor space.
Guinea Hen terrine was super but the chicken livers with oyster mushrooms was probably the dish of the day. Very tasty mussels. We also had the beets, anchovies, tilefish, mushrooms and pasta. The winelist and Somm were excellent. Wine prices are outstanding, 2x retail for many. Ms. Lepeltier leans Loire so that’s a great way to go. We opened with a Cremant du Jura, followed by a Sancerre Pinot. The Savennieres-Roche was outstanding BTG but went with a Mathiasson Chard with the Mussels (either pairs wells). Moscato dessert wines. The carrot pie was surprisingly good. The Somm slipped us some interesting tastes of an unusual Georgian white and some Georgia (State of!) Amaro as a digestif.
$400 tab (including tip) for a 3 hour lunch for 4, worth every minute and every penny.
RT