250 replies to this topic

[Wilfrid]

Certainly it would be good to share that dish. But I speak as someone who has been know to eat a two person paella without assistance.

[Suzanne F]

What can I say -- my mileage varied from all yours. You don't need to defend the dish, and I don't need to defend my reaction to it. It could be that it was an off night for that dish. Or that the lateness of the hour meant I was getting the last dregs bits (it was well after 10 PM when it would have been fired). It bore almost no relation to the version so many here love, other than the basic ingredients and the crispness of the skin. I'm sure it can be a good dish when it's executed well; it just wasn't, last night.

[Wilfrid]

Sure. Not doubting you.

[Orik]

What can I say -- my mileage varied from all yours. You don't need to defend the dish, and I don't need to defend my reaction to it. It could be that it was an off night for that dish. Or that the lateness of the hour meant I was getting the last dregs bits (it was well after 10 PM when it would have been fired). It bore almost no relation to the version so many here love, other than the basic ingredients and the crispness of the skin. I'm sure it can be a good dish when it's executed well; it just wasn't, last night.

I was confused because you seemed to be describing the same dish I get there and it was surprising that it was bland (I still am surprised, maybe they ran out of stock and made it with colored water). I didn't ask for your not-so-passive aggression, cut it out.

[Scott -- DFW]

Hmm.  I've had the arroz de pato the last three times I've been in NYC and will probably have it again the next time.  It's never seemed bland (though I admit that I didn't pick through it to segregate the olives, chouriço, duck crackling, etc.).  A polishing up of a comfort food, without sacrificing what makes the inspiration great.  Another vote in favor of the dish's excellence, though I might be prejudiced by having lived in Portugal for a couple of years.

[Sneakeater]

I had a better-than-usual (even for Aldea) dinner at the chef's counter here last night.

But I've got to tell you, it wasn't like seeing Hamlet.

[mitchells]

One of the nicer and more civilized places to have lunch and a steal for 3 courses for $24. Mussel soup, perfectly cooked skate wing with cucumber relish and a light fig tart.

[irnscrabblechf52]

had dinner here tonight. started w/ a hemingway heat at the bar. it's an interesting experience, this whole drinking cocktails thing, since i do it very rarely and just started in september and am an enormous noob re all things alcohol. i've essentially gone into the learning process totally tabula rasa (other than my general culinary preferences), so it kind of gives me a window into how someone w/ no to very little restaurant/food knowledge approaches a restaurant/food (when i moved to new york i had eaten at european michelin starred places and read enough to be pretty contaminated). i haven't really read anything substantial about wine, beer, spirits, so just learning as I go (if anyone wants to pm me a list of things i should read and/or things i should drink where [that aren't too expensive, which is really a huge barrier in new york] please do). anyway, i've noticed a couple of things: 1) i prefer strong citrus flavors 2) in cocktails i prefer light spirits, in a non cocktail context darker spirits 3) i like spicy cocktails 4) i don't like very sweet cocktails but i do like dessert wines a lot. i'm not really sure what these points add up to other than a) i'm a noob and b) i like the hemingway heat a lot--rhum jm, luxardo, grapefruit, lime, jalapeño.

had the bonito tuna "rillette" for an appetizer, essentially like very juicy, tomato-y tuna salad on charred toast. not strong at its price point but i still enjoyed it. companion had honeycrisp+gala apple salad. didn't taste it, but i was surprised at how incredibly "composed" it looked, tweezed. yea it's tweezery whatever i went there.

there was a special tonight of scottish partridge. there were two components, a sausage and some sort of roulade stuffed with i think liver? both components were cooked sous vide. in terms of "poultry cooked sous vide" this prep destroyed per se. the texture wasn't spongy at all, just very tender and moist. minimally gamey. it came over some concord grape puree which i really didn't understand--it tasted like a very smooth grape jelly (smuckers) and was kind of disconcerting with the partridge. if he wanted to add sweetness to the plate i wish he had gone with maybe something apple-y? it would have worked better with the other elements, some brussels sprouts (i think, pretty sure), mushrooms, and some vadouvan spice.

for dessert, had the chocolate pear parfait--ginger infused pears, gianduja crisp, gingersnap ice cream. the crisp was the weakest component since it wasn't really crispy, more just hard and dense. i liked the idea of chocolate+ginger+pear, but the pear itself didn't really have a strong "pear" kick. the pears i've been eating from the greenmarket have been nice but not spectacular and certainly not super punchy, more just creamy and sweet, which is how these pears came along. not a lot of the "juicy pear" flavor we've come to expect from the artificial flavor industry and which is possible from really amazing and almost overripe pears.

comp: white port with dessert. again, don't really have any idea what's going on here. i thought--raisin+apricot. it was pretty viscous. harsher than the sauternes i've had (not surprisingly). my companion was surprised at how heavy it was compared to white port she had in portugal. i really, as i said, have absolutely no clue.

anyway, another strong meal from the mendes kitchen.

[Sneakeater]

FWIW, I'm not a cocktail noob, and I like the Hemingway Heat A LOT.

[Wilfrid]

Restaurants need to send up something equivalent to a Bat Signal when they have game in the kitchen.

[irnscrabblechf52]

Restaurants need to send up something equivalent to a Bat Signal when they have game in the kitchen.

it would actually be helpful if there was some sort of aggregator (twitter, a website?) into which restaurants sent their specials (e.g. we have partridge, grouse, grizzly bear tonight w/ black truffle, white truffle, ankimo, w/e)--it would only be helpful for people who make dining decisions day of and/or people who have a ton of disposable dining income and are interested

[Sneakeater]

Remember the night when just about all of Mouthfuls spontaneously showed up at Cercle Rouge for the lievre?

[Orik]

Jackrabbits still avoid that part of town.

[Wilfrid]

Remember the night when just about all of Mouthfuls spontaneously showed up at Cercle Rouge for the lievre?

If you tell us, we will come. For better or worse.

[robert40]

Anyone go to the Notes From A Kitchen book launch dinner?