Can't judge a gift by its box.

Every fiber in my being says I should not like Niko. It's loud and pretentious and feels more like an 80's themed nightclub than a Japanese restaurant. But then comes the fish and there is no other way to describe it than excellent. Somehow this restaurant disguised as a club is serving some of the most satisfying sushi around. And they make a pretty mean Lychee Sake-tini too if you ask me.

Arrive at this Mercer Street newcomer and you're beaconed up a flight of stairs into a trendy, shiny and highly decorated space. And in case the night club vibe isn't complete, was that a model as your hostess and is the sushi chef wearing a colorful do-rag -- yes that was and yes he is. Nevermind those facts and order the food. The pieces are excellent and might be even more enthralling given the setting.

I know I must sound like a minimalist sushi snob. One who expects my sushi to come in an artisinally carved natural wood box served to me in at a restaurant which matches that description. So you'll understand my surprise when I find a place so gratifying that fits more with 4 inch heals and feels more like the start of an all-nighter. I guess you can't judge the sushi by the box it comes in. Niko taught me that.

Niko (currently closed)
170 Mercer Street

Top 5: Uni

For many people Uni (sea urchin) is an acquired taste. But for me it is the ultimate taste. It is my favorite treat, my turning point for becoming a true food-lover and my most sought after dinning experience. So when I sat down to think about my greatest experiences with the delicacy five came to mind.

#1: Live uni at 15 East -- After the Thursday delivery, when Chef Masato brings you that fresh Uni having been wiggling only moments earlier and you take the first bite, you will understand what it feels like to hold the sweet side of the ocean in your mouth.





#2: Uni Carbonara at Tocqueville (interestingly has the same owners as 15 east) -- One bite of this decadent, creamy, fresh angel hair & uni pasta and it will haunt your dreams.





#3: Open faced Uni Sandwich at Aldea -- Thank you Chef Mendes for figuring out that sea urchin, tomatoes & shiso on lightly toasted bread would make such a divine combination.






#4: Uni shooter at Bond St. Miami -- Somehow this cocktail of vodka, uni, caviar and magic leads to repeat orders. Lots of repeat orders.








#5: Santa Barbara Uni Brioche at Brooklyn Fare -- Delicate uni atop pillow like brioche with truffles. Yes, yes and yes please.

Dinner with David Family

Last Friday I had the good fortune of attending an intimate dinner party hosted by the proprietor of David Family Wines, a boutique luxury Pinot Noir wine maker. And it must be said that this family knows good food and wine. David Family makes some of the most decadent and smoothest wines I've ever tasted.

So, there we were surrounded by good friends, good food and good wine. A riot could have broken out outside our door and we would have been well set for at least a few days of bliss.

David Family Wine is a treat. I ordinarily consider myself a food-splurger (one who can justify spending inordinate amounts on eating) and I tend to skimp on the wines. Some people might be appalled by that admission but you have to give in somewhere. But on the occasion when a really good wine is popped it shines a light on the elegance of that art and the people who appreciate it. DFW is decadent and worth every penny for the occasional wine splurge. It is one of the most enjoyable drinking experiences with notes of berry and oak; the wine drinks smoothly and has a light yet full finish. It paired well with the orange braised bison stew that we enjoyed but who am I kidding, I would drink it with ramen.

Oh yea, if you need more justification for the splurge--a portion of all the proceeds go towards Habitat for Humanity and each bottle comes with a hand-crafted leather label to save as a souvenir from your dinner with David Family.

David Family Wines

Service is the Savior.

Three strikes and you're out is the conventional wisdom in baseball and restaurant reviews. So the fact that the whole world, except for me, loves Gramercy Tavern caused me to pause and really take my recent third dinning experience there seriously. I figured if a restaurant is so universally loved I must be missing something and should give it the old college try. And there I found myself half way through a meal at the gorgeous, non-pretentious yet elegant restaurant and I'm not in love with what I'm eating. Maybe I ordered wrong? Maybe I don't love the sauces? Maybe it's just not for me? Whatever the reason it's just not hitting. But then...our consummately professional waiter, Stephen, noticed that I'm not effusively licking my plate clean like many of the other patrons and he comes by to assess the situation. I give him the usual apologetic 'it's not you, it's me' response but he's unsatisfied. What begins next is the equivalent to a culinary hand holding like I've seldom seen. He is determined to make me and my whole table walk out absolutely loving our meal.

In a matter of moments a flutter of staff surrounds us and we are given a course off a different menu, with wine pairing, a tutorial about complimenting flavors of wine and food (something I'll admit I don't often give as much credence as it may deserve), and a venerable wine tasting of pairing options with our dessert course. To say that he more than made up for my earlier interpretation of the food being lack-luster is an understatement. And while I still would not be compelled to stand on the rooftops and shout Gramercy Tavern's praises, I would be compelled to hop on the world-wide bandwagon and say that our meal at Gramercy Tavern was one of the most lovely experiences I've had dining in a long while. Kudos Stephen.

Also, it is worth noting that not everyone at my table felt the way I did...others loved their food and did, as I mentioned earlier, effusively lick their plates clean (particularly excellent were the Squash Custard with Shiitake Mushrooms and peppers, or the Sea Bass with Spaghetti Squash, walnuts and sherry sauce) but I think it's a true testament to the art of good service when because one person wasn't bowled over, the entire table was taken on a culinary adventure to correct the situation. And when I say I don't love Gramercy Tavern I'm saying it with a proverbial grain of salt because not liking a restaurant like GT is like not liking a mid-winter vacation; it's excellent just by its nature.

Gramercy Tavern
42 East 20th Street

Eleven Madison Park...the mother of all dining.

Eleven Madison Park will always remind me of my mom. Elegant. Sophisticated. Fabulous. And over the years we've celebrated some special mom-related events there; Mother's Day brunch, fancy cocktails at the bar and last year we hosted the mother of all surprise parties in the upstairs private room -- my mom's 60th! Eleven Madison Park is befitting an amazing mom like my own; it's traditional without being stuffy, it's modern without being pretentious and it is reliably excellent. So when the opportunity arose to celebrate another life milestone we agreed 11MP should be the place we do it.

From the moment you walk into the old bank building across from Madison Square Park one can't help but notice the sheer importance of the space. Something serious takes place within these walls. And despite the strong, stable and hallowed building that houses 11MP over our years of patronage we've seen some significant changes -- staff, chefs and notably, the menu. In it's current iteration the food is the focus. Even within the incredible setting and with the first rate staff and service, the food is the centerpiece of the evening.



The menu itself is a single square page with one word descriptions of each dish. It is suggested that diners allows themselves to be taken on a culinary journey; don't over analyze your dish before it arrives and let the evening (as well as the food and wine) flow. And that's just what we did. After several fabulous amuses (quail egg on light cracker with sweet apple tea, parmesan and truffle black & white cookies, sweet raw scallops atop crispy scallop crackers and the savory yogurt and seed ice pops) we were on to the mains. Fresh Hamachi with shaved horseradish followed by delectable and sweet Lobster with lemon and shellfish bisque. On to the perfectly cooked Rib Eye roasted with sorrel and mini potatoes and the earthy and hearty Morel mushrooms with snap peas and tripe. We ended the evening with sweet dark Chocolate morsels paired with lavender, orange sorbet and sea salt. Several more post dinner treats and a few repeats of the wine pairings and we were satiated and impressed.

And as I looked around the gorgeous setting and I sipped what must have been the 10th in a sequence of wine pairings I was reminded that life is worth celebrating. Surrounded by my family, our senses glowing from what we had just imbibed I was thankful for that evening. And thankful for my mom (and dad) for bringing us back for the mother of all dinners.

Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Avenue

A little reward at Sushi Yasuda

I did something decadent tonight. After work I marched myself eastward and walked in to Sushi Yasuda for an impromptu reward dinner. What I was rewarding myself for is hard to say - making it through Monday? Getting the majority of my work done before lunch? Surviving the start of winter without the sniffles? All of the above! No matter what the reason I decided that I was going to treat myself. And when it comes to treating oneself Yasuda is among the best options. It's cheaper than jewelry yet similar in that when you sit at the sushi bar you are assigned a dedicated chef who's entire purpose is to bring you little jewel like bites as your whim compels you. Also similar to a jewelry store you can try this bite and that and then return for a second try of what you loved, and when it comes to many of their pieces you may be returning for thirds.

The fish at Yasuda is so fresh and clean and delicate you may find yourself wondering if you've somehow been transported to Tokyo instead of a random storefront in No-Mansland Mindtown. Ordinarily I'd say the omakasa is the way to go (put yourself in their hands) but for a quick and fun reward meal ordering ala carte really does the trick.

And while I'm really glad that I decided to treat myself on this cold Monday night, similar to shopping for jewelry, next time it'll be better enjoyed with my husband.


Sushi Yasuda
204 East 43rd Street

Simple as ABC...

When I grow up I want to live inside of the ABC Home store and use ABC Kitchen as my personal dinning room. And it's not just because the food at ABC Kitchen is rustically ethereal and the decor is eclectically elegant. It's because the menu and the setting found a way to perfectly compliment and support one another so well. It's almost as if the food transcended taste and found a way to be welcoming and comfortable and the restaurant's design found a way to touch your senses and taste delicious and full of flavor all at the same time.

When one walks though the ABC Home store they are compelled to pick up, touch and tinker with all the beautiful little accent pieces and furniture. Similarly when one peruses the locavorism menu at ABC Kitchen they will find it a difficult task to select just a few items for your meal. But luckily for me when we last dinned at the amazing ABC Kitchen our table decided we wouldn't have to choose and we practically ordered the whole menu. Among the many stand outs included the mouth-watering roasted squash toast with fresh ricotta and apple cider vinegar; the delicate tuna sashimi floating in ginger and mint, and the rustically satisfying roasted carrot and avocado salad balanced with pumpkin seeds, creme and citrus.

Usually when I finish a meal that I enjoy this much I start brainstorming when we'll have an opportunity to return, but at ABC Kitchen I left trying to devise a plan to move in.

ABC Kitchen
35 East 18th Street

Lobster, lobster, lobster, lobster!

Is it wrong that we ate grilled lobster four nights in a row at our Jamaican paradise -- or is it very very right?

All our days bled together while sitting on lounge chairs overlooking the most tranquil rock cliffs at our Negril utopia, Tensing Pen. Each morning began with papaya so fresh it could barely stay skewered on the edge of the fork before falling to pieces under its own weight. That was immediately followed by mid morning sun-bathing and a float in the warm calm blue ocean. Then the obligatory fresh coconut; first enjoyed with a straw, then chopped open with a machete - how could we not? - the juice was so replenishing and the coconut meat, which we ate with a spoon, was like eating a piece of the scenery. More sun-bathing. Lunch consisted of a walk down the street for the freshest, most flavorful "ital" (Rastafarian, vegan organic) food. A mid afternoon Piña Colada with a rum float. And then...succulent, garlicy, buttery, juicy grilled lobster! Each day went something like that. It's hard to remember all the details; I think there was a couples massage thrown in one day just in case there was any residual stress left over from winter in the city.

Now, coming from the Northeast I've been primarily exposed to steamed, boiled, baked or broiled lobster. But after four days of being shown what I was missing I can now say in full confidence that grilled lobster is the way to go. Locking in those sweet juices, marinating in its own flavor, soaking in sugary decadent garlic butter. Something happens during that charring process that makes the lobster burst with delicate, tender, unbelievable flavor. I'm sure it didn't hurt that we were sitting on a rock cliff back-lit by twilight, being serenaded by the crashing waves but no matter what contributed, we were in our own heightened happy state. And regardless of the reasons, I'm convinced...grilled lobster is worthy of repeating.

Tensing Pen
Negril, Jamaica