Recently Eaten
Joseph Leonard
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Joseph Leonard recently opened in the West Village to some acclaim. The menu is seasonal American, with a fancy twist on comfort food, in a rustic/nostalgic setting - lots of rough hewn wood, vintage photographs, and one of those analog clocks found in practically every elementary school in the 50s from here to Sausalito. It's a tiny restaurant, with at most 3 four tops and 3 or 4 two tops, and a number seats around the bar and the open kitchen.
I wanted to like this place so badly, but I feel that there are a number of kinks that the restaurant needs to iron out before I would even label it "good". We arrived about 20 minutes before the restaurant opened because it was Cochon night, when a whole pig is brought in and broken down into a number of specials that are only available that night. There were already a number of people waiting, but there didn't seem to be anyone managing the line and it started turning into one of those "creeping as close to the door as possible so as not to get screwed" kind of scene. And it didn't help that there was a photographer and a reporter on the scene asking all sorts of questions and snapping flash photos of the ridiculous crowd. I just wasn't in the mood for jostling other patrons and didn't want to start my night off annoyed.
Mercifully, when the manager let the crowd in, we were somehow all accommodated. We sat down and read over the menu, and asked the waitress a couple of questions, most of which she was unable to answer, answered incorrectly, or was just generally unhelpful ("That dish is great!" "Well why is it great?" "Um, because it's great!"). The food itself was lacking attention to detail. For instance, the lettuce in the caesar salad had been chopped too small - as a result, the warm pork shoulder made the whole thing soggy. It also needed more salt and acid to contrast with the fattiness, the pork shoulder texture was unappealing combined with the lettuce, and the crouton wasn't crunchy enough. It just didn't hit the mark for what I expect a caesar salad to be.
For my entreé I had the Blanquette de Cochon, a pork stew with white gravy stuffed inside a squash. This dish would have been great but for two reasons: the food came out lukewarm and the pork could have been cooked longer. The first is totally unacceptable, especially for a stew. I expect a stew to come out piping hot, with a meaty smelling steam rising up into my face. I was sorely disappointed. Lastly I had a piece of carrot cake, nothing overly memorable but at least it was a satisfying piece of cake.
I think the biggest problem with Joseph Leonard is that its team has lofty ambitions and is trying really hard to produce interesting food, which I give them props for. However, it's missing attention to detail that unfortunately make it miss even the baseline for good food. There really IS a Platonic ideal for a Caesar salad and you can't mess with that. You can play with expectations but you can't miss every element, then it's just not a Caesar salad.
All in all, Joseph Leonard definitely deserves another try, especially on another night (or day) that isn't quite so hectic.
I wanted to like this place so badly, but I feel that there are a number of kinks that the restaurant needs to iron out before I would even label it "good". We arrived about 20 minutes before the restaurant opened because it was Cochon night, when a whole pig is brought in and broken down into a number of specials that are only available that night. There were already a number of people waiting, but there didn't seem to be anyone managing the line and it started turning into one of those "creeping as close to the door as possible so as not to get screwed" kind of scene. And it didn't help that there was a photographer and a reporter on the scene asking all sorts of questions and snapping flash photos of the ridiculous crowd. I just wasn't in the mood for jostling other patrons and didn't want to start my night off annoyed.
Mercifully, when the manager let the crowd in, we were somehow all accommodated. We sat down and read over the menu, and asked the waitress a couple of questions, most of which she was unable to answer, answered incorrectly, or was just generally unhelpful ("That dish is great!" "Well why is it great?" "Um, because it's great!"). The food itself was lacking attention to detail. For instance, the lettuce in the caesar salad had been chopped too small - as a result, the warm pork shoulder made the whole thing soggy. It also needed more salt and acid to contrast with the fattiness, the pork shoulder texture was unappealing combined with the lettuce, and the crouton wasn't crunchy enough. It just didn't hit the mark for what I expect a caesar salad to be.
For my entreé I had the Blanquette de Cochon, a pork stew with white gravy stuffed inside a squash. This dish would have been great but for two reasons: the food came out lukewarm and the pork could have been cooked longer. The first is totally unacceptable, especially for a stew. I expect a stew to come out piping hot, with a meaty smelling steam rising up into my face. I was sorely disappointed. Lastly I had a piece of carrot cake, nothing overly memorable but at least it was a satisfying piece of cake.
I think the biggest problem with Joseph Leonard is that its team has lofty ambitions and is trying really hard to produce interesting food, which I give them props for. However, it's missing attention to detail that unfortunately make it miss even the baseline for good food. There really IS a Platonic ideal for a Caesar salad and you can't mess with that. You can play with expectations but you can't miss every element, then it's just not a Caesar salad.
All in all, Joseph Leonard definitely deserves another try, especially on another night (or day) that isn't quite so hectic.
Blaue Gans
I've been to Blaue Gans a number of times over the past few years and there is always something that brings me back, especially when the air's turned chilly and the days get short. The menu is a greatest hits of satisfying German and Austrian comfort food, from schnitzel to herring to weisswurst to Viennese pastries. It's all served in a genteel yet relaxed atmosphere: think art deco bistro with quirky art exhibition posters. It does tend to get a little loud and crowded in the evenings, but is the perfect spot for brunch.
The schnitzel is some of the best that you can find in the city - tender, moist and crunchy, not overcooked and rubbery like so many other places do it. The potato salad is a bit runny and missing some acid for my taste, but the herring salad was spot on - creamy, vinegary tart and in your face fishy. I could have eaten about a gallon of the stuff. The other benefit is the extensive (and affordable) beer and wine selection that is focused on Germany and Austria. It shakes things up a little bit and obviously pairs with the food fantastically.
The crowd always seems a bit mixed - older folks with their grown up children, bohemian hipster types, early 40s Tribeca parents with their 5 year olds, downtown bankers, and academic foodies. At least it keeps the scene interesting, and there is no shortage of people watching. It's definitely the kind of place that I head to when I want to have a satisfying meal at a reasonable price that isn't uber trendy but happening in its own way.
The schnitzel is some of the best that you can find in the city - tender, moist and crunchy, not overcooked and rubbery like so many other places do it. The potato salad is a bit runny and missing some acid for my taste, but the herring salad was spot on - creamy, vinegary tart and in your face fishy. I could have eaten about a gallon of the stuff. The other benefit is the extensive (and affordable) beer and wine selection that is focused on Germany and Austria. It shakes things up a little bit and obviously pairs with the food fantastically.
The crowd always seems a bit mixed - older folks with their grown up children, bohemian hipster types, early 40s Tribeca parents with their 5 year olds, downtown bankers, and academic foodies. At least it keeps the scene interesting, and there is no shortage of people watching. It's definitely the kind of place that I head to when I want to have a satisfying meal at a reasonable price that isn't uber trendy but happening in its own way.
TUE Thai
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I really wanted to like this place. The decor was achingly hip, with low lighting, a good soundtrack and boldly designed menus. It looked like the food on offer was a bit more adventurous than most Thai joints, in fact there wasn't any Pad Thai displayed prominently on the menu. The focus seemed to be more on "Kitchen" specials, with a good number of duck dishes and a liberal use of fruits and ingredients like tamarind. Ultimately the food left something to be desired - I had the Tamarind Sesame Chicken. The concept was good, basically a twist on Sweet and Sour Chicken with some bok choy and onions, but the chicken was overcooked to the point of being inedible. However, the lemongrass drink that I had was lively and light, with just the right amount of sweetness.
I really want to give this place another chance, so I'll keep it mind - but for now it really only deserves 1.5 stars.
I really want to give this place another chance, so I'll keep it mind - but for now it really only deserves 1.5 stars.
Kyo Ya
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This place was totally unexpected. In fact, I wasn't even supposed to go to this restaurant at all. Originally we had tried to go to a casual place in midtown to try anmitsu, a Japanese dessert made (among many ingredients) with agar agar and sweet black syrup. But the place had totally changed its menu, so we did a web search for another place that served anmitsu and Kyo Ya came up in the results.
So imagine my surprise when we walked down the stairs and saw this beautiful interior with sleek wood slatted walls and stone floor with high ceilings. Every single detail was considered, from the carved wooden chairs to the tiniest spoon. Every single item was presented in a different piece of pottery - the bowl that the anmitsu came in was a soft matte finish on the outside and shiny reflective on the inside, felt so good to hold in my hands, and was exactly the perfect size and shape for the contents within.
The attention to detail extended to the food. We shared a few small dishes and cold udon. The bonito sashimi was meltingly tender and rich, while the scallops had the essence of wood smoke and ocean. We also couldn't resist the pork belly, the mustard gave it just enough kick to cut through the richness. I wanted to savor every single bite, there was such an incredible play between flavors, textures and even temperatures that kept the meal interesting from beginning to end. And of course the anmitsu was so satisfying, again a carefully composed dish that went from the rich earthy black beans to the chewy mochi like white balls to the cold creamy ice cream to the supple yet firm agar agar.
I highly recommend this place - but make sure you make reservations in advance, when we arrived all of the tables had been reserved ahead of time so we had to sit at the bar. It's definitely a good date place or for a special occasion, and for anyone who is looking for a refined yet satisfying dining experience.
So imagine my surprise when we walked down the stairs and saw this beautiful interior with sleek wood slatted walls and stone floor with high ceilings. Every single detail was considered, from the carved wooden chairs to the tiniest spoon. Every single item was presented in a different piece of pottery - the bowl that the anmitsu came in was a soft matte finish on the outside and shiny reflective on the inside, felt so good to hold in my hands, and was exactly the perfect size and shape for the contents within.
The attention to detail extended to the food. We shared a few small dishes and cold udon. The bonito sashimi was meltingly tender and rich, while the scallops had the essence of wood smoke and ocean. We also couldn't resist the pork belly, the mustard gave it just enough kick to cut through the richness. I wanted to savor every single bite, there was such an incredible play between flavors, textures and even temperatures that kept the meal interesting from beginning to end. And of course the anmitsu was so satisfying, again a carefully composed dish that went from the rich earthy black beans to the chewy mochi like white balls to the cold creamy ice cream to the supple yet firm agar agar.
I highly recommend this place - but make sure you make reservations in advance, when we arrived all of the tables had been reserved ahead of time so we had to sit at the bar. It's definitely a good date place or for a special occasion, and for anyone who is looking for a refined yet satisfying dining experience.
Tamil Nadu Bhavan
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Also known as Dosa Hut - which is a bit confusing. I suppose it's easier just to call it Dosa Hut. Dare I say that this place is better than Saravanaas, which gets all the press? The nice thing was that we didn't have to wait in any sort of line, and we had the whole back corner of the restaurant to ourselves. I don't expect much in the way of decor at Indian restaurants, but this one was pretty weird. there's a strange indoor awning on the walls covered with fake grass that you'd expect on a hula skirt and random fake flowers inserted here and there.
So of course we focused on ordering the namesake of the restaurant, and we were not disappointed. There were numerous kinds of dosas, with as many kinds of fillings as you could imagine. My dosa was crispy and spicy, with just the right hits of cilantro and chile in every bite. The inside was coated with a dry spicy chile powder and was filled with onions. Wayne ordered the paneer masala dosa, it had a mysterious spicy pungent flavor that I couldn't identify but was completely addictive. Jen ordered the thali, it included an iddly, a vada, a dosa and an uttapam. By far way too much food. The three chutneys - coconut, some kind of red chutney, and a cilantro chutney were the perfect accompaniments. The portion was so huge though that I couldn't finish it, so I had plenty of leftovers to bring home.
Definitely a place to go for a cheap bite that fills you up.
So of course we focused on ordering the namesake of the restaurant, and we were not disappointed. There were numerous kinds of dosas, with as many kinds of fillings as you could imagine. My dosa was crispy and spicy, with just the right hits of cilantro and chile in every bite. The inside was coated with a dry spicy chile powder and was filled with onions. Wayne ordered the paneer masala dosa, it had a mysterious spicy pungent flavor that I couldn't identify but was completely addictive. Jen ordered the thali, it included an iddly, a vada, a dosa and an uttapam. By far way too much food. The three chutneys - coconut, some kind of red chutney, and a cilantro chutney were the perfect accompaniments. The portion was so huge though that I couldn't finish it, so I had plenty of leftovers to bring home.
Definitely a place to go for a cheap bite that fills you up.
