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

When you eat as much as I do...

It's sometimes hard to take a break. But hubby and I decided that right before the holidays, when both of our offices are overwhelmed by holiday treats and candy, would be a good time to do our first ever juice cleanse. Really, we didn't put too much thought into what the process would entail--we like being healthy and figured we'd give it a go. And now that I'm half way through day one I can already see clearly just how much and why I love eating as much as I do.

The Blue Print Cleanse involves drinking 6 juices a day for 3 days and to be honest some of the juices are quite delicious. I also like the thought of putting good into my body and having bad vacate it. But all that being said, I miss food. And not because I'm hungry, which I'm not. I miss the idea of food. The ritual of food. The reward of food.

For the most part, every day of our lives can feel like a routine and for me food is the miniature vacation I can take with myself and friends 3 times (or sometimes more) a day. I relish dining. I look forward to eating. I live for food. And now, having self-imposed a mini break from eating I can pin-point so clearly what about food I love.

For me, food is more than sustenance. It's entertainment. It's art. It's reason. And it's beautiful. It's beautiful in the mundane and expected feeling I get from having my morning cereal. It's a gift during a busy work day when I take a break (even if only briefly sometimes), step away and have lunch. It's the event of my evenings - sometimes simple and quick, sometimes full of pageantry and joy. And it's the highlight of my vacations, often dictating where and when we travel.

And even though I miss food I know how much I'll enjoy it again soon. But 3 days is feeling longer than ever before.

You don't need to be able to pronounce it to enjoy it.

Ushiwakamaru. U-shi-waka-maru. This Japanese restaurant is a mouthful in more than one way (I didn't intend for that to sound dirty if it did). But just like the restaurant's name each piece of sushi that you eat floats around your mouth before entering your subconscious and changing you for the better. Incidentally, Ushiwakamaru is actually the childhood name for a legendary twelfth-century Japanese war hero. They must have chosen it because Ushi is a hero in the NYC sushi scene, swooping in and offering incredible fish at reasonable prices.

The decor of natural wood, clean lines and elegant lighting help the patron focus on what's really important. Sushi. And the sushi is worth focusing on. Considering that within a few blocks one could pay a lot more money for sushi that is only a little bit better quality Ushiwakamaru is fast becoming a go-to establishment for sushi aficionados around the city (of which I count myself). The menu, much like the environment, is simple; you won't find complicated, fancy rolls or heavy deep fried appetizers, but instead quality, elegant fish.  And that's heroic to me.  
Ushiwakamaru
136 Houston St. nr. Sullivan St

Dearly Departed: I really miss LAN sushi.

LAN sushi was my favorite restaurant. Period. End of post. just kidding.

LAN was my go-to place when I wanted to celebrate a personal triumph like a getting a raise, running a new long distance or when a cute guy winked at me on the subway (this was before I was married obviously). But it was also the place I went when I wanted to drown my sorrows on rainy days & grey Tuesdays, after a stressful day at work or when a cute guy hit on my friend (this was before I was married obviously). In short, LAN was the perfect catch-all restaurant through good and bad times and I really reveled my evenings spent reading on my own or playing follow-the-leader sushi with friends.

The fish was incredibly fresh, the sake selection was really extensive, they had a chocolate molten souffle on the dessert menu and it was perfect. Never so crowded that you had to wait long for a table but never too empty that you felt strange dining alone. So when LAN closed a few years ago it became a challenge to find a replacement but I recently tracked down the man behind LAN, Tadao Mori, at his latest restaurant, Dieci (Japanese Italian food - yes Italian) to find out what happened. While I couldn't get a straight answer about why LAN closed other than "it just didn't work out" it's comforting to see the owner, chef and much of the old staff happily settled at this new establishment.

Anyway, now on those evenings when I'm in need of some celebratory sushi or some drown-my-sorrows sake I make my way to one of the following non LAN spots; Shima when I want no muss/no fuss quality fish, very low key and mid-level good. Kanoyamo when I want to step it up a notch but I still don't feel like getting dressed up. The fish quality is slightly better but the prices go up quite a bit. And relatively new to me is Ushiwakamaru on Houston--friends introduced me to this spot over the summer and I'm really glad they did. It's casual, non-pretentious, absolutely delicious and fresh. You may need to go elsewhere for the chocolate molten souffle but I think these spots have helped to fill the canyon size void that LAN left in my heart.

1000 pageviews! Where should we go to celebrate?

Whoa! 1000 pageviews! Sounds like a reason to celebrate if I've ever heard one. How about cocktails at our place and then onto the main event...

Here are some of NY's best restaurants that (gasp!) I haven't been to. Vote on which should be next:



a) Per Se (Sam Sifton's "best restaurant in NY." Caveat: we won't be paying for the full experience just the salon menu.)





b) ABC Kitchen (love the furniture why wouldn't I love the food too)





c) Momofuko Ko (David Chang's turn with tasting menus, sounds good to me)







d) Dirt Candy (because a meat-eater can be a vegetable-lover too)




e) wild card write in?

The writing on the wall...

I'm sitting here at Graffiti on East 10th Street rudely typing away while my husband stares aimlessly at our communal table dining companions. To the unsuspecting patron across the table I must look very important because I'm clearly responding to a work email but really I'm too excited to wait to say just how good Graffiti really is.

I recently heard that the television writers for one of my childhood favorites (Pete & Pete) put parameters on their writing that everything should be "funny, sad, strange, beautiful" and for some reason that struck me. I think that's a perfect lens to look at life. So it's rather strange and beautiful that we ended up dining at Graffiti tonight. The food at Graffiti feels vaguely Spanish and Indian but that fusion works and the results are definitely beautiful. There are elements of Modern Spanish cuisine in the combinations of ingredients and presentation. And there are Indian influences in the spices that linger on your tongue and the smells that waft over you while you dine. It's a lovely sensory experience.

We started with the Pickled Ginger Scallops over a candied red chili glaze--the scallops were so sweet and delicate but balanced by the flash of heat from the chilies--it was subtle and powerful at the same time. Next the Pork Dumplings with a sweet grapefruit confit covered with strangely, crispy chickpea flakes--the different textures and combination of the hearty pork and airy dumplings created a truly enjoyable bite. To be honest the pork buns didn't wow me but the Skate with mint yogurt sauce more than made up for them. Finally, on to dessert which was amazing. Hazelnut chocolate caviar cupcake with chocolate chip ice cream. Doesn't that just sound delicious? I'll say it again; hazelnut chocolate caviar cupcake with chocolate chip ice cream. Yum. This lightly sweet hazelnut cake covered with whimsical crispy chocolate caviar spheres accompanied by chocolate chip ice cream truly finished the evening right. The whole experience fit my new mold of funny, strange, beautiful and the sad part is that it had to end.

Graffiti
224 East 10th Street btw 1/2 Ave

People will not stop talking about Torrisi Italian Specialties.

The Torrisi guys have saved traditional locally-sourced rustic Italian cuisine! The Torrisi guys have revamped the San Genarro festival and made Mulberry Street hipster-foodie approved! The Torrisi guys have revolutionized mozzarella by putting it on a stick! There has been so much non-stop buzz around these guys and their Italian food cottage industry that I decided it was high time to check out all the buzz for myself. And I'll admit it, I arrived a little skeptical -- after all these guys have more hype surrounding them than that time Angelina & Brad walked through that airport.

My skepticism was magnified when I found out that in order to dine at Torrisi one must queue up at 4:30pm and wait for a host to mysteriously appear from behind a literal veil of lace curtains for the opportunity to get one of three seatings for later that night. When you walk by the Mulberry street storefront in mid-afternoon, there is a line of fidgety foodies clamoring to be invited past the veiled window. What the old fashion window coverings are protecting is a mystery that only adds to aura and hype. Perhaps the veil is to protect the patrons who've made it in from the glaring oohs and ahhs of onlookers. Or perhaps instead to protect the passer-bys from the splendor that exists just beyond their reach. No matter what the reason the whole meal felt shrouded in secrecy and wonder. And I found it particularly comical when a random couple walked in at 8:30pm and asked for a table on the spot...ha! Those imbeciles! Don't they know what the rest of us have gone through to eat here?!?

Anyway, once we were finally seated and the wine started flowing I began to see, and be swept into, the hype. There is no formal menu, only an ever evolving prefix where the only choice your faced with is between two entrees. Luckily my table is the sharing kind so we get to try it all. We began with oysters - 2 per person - to get our palates going. Then on to the hand-pulled, house-made mozzarella in DaVero olive oil accompanied by buttery garlic bread with tomato (good start). Next the broccoli salad with crispy shallots (yum). Followed by the deliciously tender grilled octopus doused in a pepperoni vinaigrette (really delicious). The extremely delicate lambs tongue gyro followed (unbelievable). The dirty duck ragu over perfectly al dente Gemellis (holy cow that was yummy). Then onto the mains; Skate with pickled cauliflower and spicy Devil's Chicken over tangy yogurt (YAY!). We ended the meal with a venerable cornucopia of Italian pasties (and we asked for seconds of a few). Another bottle of wine and we called it a night. [Actually we sang like 20 rounds of karaoke at a bar around the corner but then we called it a truly satisfying night.]

And I'll admit, with all the buzz surrounding these guys and their recent food endeavors it was wonderful to walk away feeling that you can actually believe the hype.

Torrisi Italian Specialties
250 Mulberry Street