Micromanage my life

[MitchW]

I think it's totally unexciting, but there are some dishes that I've rarely seen (that salmon, the celeriac tartare for example) so if that's what tips the excitement scale...

[SethG]

13 hours ago, MitchW said:

I think it's totally unexciting, but there are some dishes that I've rarely seen (that salmon, the celeriac tartare for example) so if that's what tips the excitement scale...

I think I just appreciate how nearly-raw the salmon appears to remain inside its croute. 

[Wilfrid]

I don’t keep up with Asian restaurant options very well. I would welcome recommendations for a nice, reasonably smart place (not necessarily high end, but not an authentic dive), in Manhattan. With a chance of getting a table on a Friday.

I know Asian is broad (not Szechuan).

[MitchW]

https://www.lolasnyc.com/

 

[SethG]

On 11/18/2024 at 5:49 PM, Wilfrid said:

I don’t keep up with Asian restaurant options very well. I would welcome recommendations for a nice, reasonably smart place (not necessarily high end, but not an authentic dive), in Manhattan. With a chance of getting a table on a Friday.

I know Asian is broad (not Szechuan).

Skimming over Resy openings for tonight, places we’ve had decent meals - Osamil, Van Da, Tuome (though it’s been a few years), maybe Sakagura? They’ve changed chefs a few times since last time I was there, though. 

Ddobar for an inexpensive tasting menu  

Haven’t tried Phoenix Palace yet, but they’re the cool new kid on the block. 

We’ve had takeout from Uluh a couple times and I’ve enjoyed most of it. The menu is kind on pan-Chinese, not just Szechuan. 

If you’re interested in Filipino, Naks or 87 Ludlow perhaps. 

Edited November 22, 2024 by SethG

[SethG]

On 11/18/2024 at 8:58 PM, MitchW said:

https://www.lolasnyc.com/

 

Oh they look fun. How did that not pop up on my radar before?

[GerryOlds2TheReturnofGerry]

For contemporary Korean, I have a soft spot for Atoboy, and Kisa and Octo are both getting great reviews. Then there's this: https://ny.eater.com/2024/11/11/24287895/yong-chuan-lower-east-side-what-to-order

[Wilfrid]

1 hour ago, SethG said:

Oh they look fun. How did that not pop up on my radar before?

Yes, I have a table there tonight but the other suggestions look great for the future.

[AaronS]

I’ve been hanging out with someone who would have loved wd-50 but never ate there.

is there anything at all that will scratch that itch? cafe mars?

is his pizza place more interesting than I think it is?

she’s had new nordic.

[SethG]

3 hours ago, AaronS said:

I’ve been hanging out with someone who would have loved wd-50 but never ate there.

is there anything at all that will scratch that itch? cafe mars?

is his pizza place more interesting than I think it is?

she’s had new nordic.

Stretch Pizza I was a little torn on. Like, the pizza is fine...? Some clever flavor combos. There's a bit of a "2AM stoner fridge raid" vibe now and then, but that can still be good. Some of the side dishes I found duds. There are a couple likeable ones (like the chickpea fries) that have brief flashes of the old Wylie, but overall there's not much whiz-bang to a meal there. 

I think at this point, many of those techniques and chemicals and whatnot that Wylie, Heston, etc were playing with... a lot have become more commonplace. They're just in the background of many dishes at many restaurants, no longer the point. So you don't see the work so much, even though it's there.

Honestly, right now, in terms of interesting modernist food manipulation that really shows -and that I've been to - my first thought is EMP. There's also the Jose Andres Bazaar (which I haven't been to) that I imagine will sate any desire for clarified scallop snow and goat cheese balloons. 

Cafe Mars for sure has me curious, though. It looks like silly fun. 

 

 

[SethG]

8 hours ago, GerryOlds2TheReturnofGerry said:

Then there's this: https://ny.eater.com/2024/11/11/24287895/yong-chuan-lower-east-side-what-to-order

Oddly we had been thinking about getting takeout from Yong Chuan tonight, so I took that as a sign.
 

I had been slightly wary of them, due to the presence of “Jinhua Ham” on the menu. Jinhua Ham is illegal in the US, and I doubt they’re secretly importing it and advertising an illegal product openly. So it’s obviously some other country ham they’re passing off as Jinhua… it could even be something good, like Lady Edison’s “Jinhua-style” ham (probably not) - but that’s a pet peeve of mine. 
 

A silly peeve, perhaps. Fine. 
 

Anyway, that aside… dinner comes in a nice reusable foil-lined bag:

The order: seafood noodles, stir-fried eel, Ningbo pork patty, and a shockingly priced ($32 for a small) duck and bamboo shoot soup with aforementioned “Jinhua” ham. 

You may notice I listed four dishes but there are five in the picture. That’s because the “small” soup took up two giant bowls and contained half a duck. So I guess the price tag made sense. 

i really liked the noodles, there was a rich nuttiness to the oil that slicked it. Reminded me of when I make homemade XO sauce with Serrano ham.  Fat from that “Jinhua” ham? Maybe.

Eel was very good. Well-balanced bright flavors, good counterpart to the meaty protein  

Soup was okay. Very mild. There’s still some in the fridge. It’ll make an okay lunch with some rice tomorrow. Not a re-order though. 

If you unrobed twenty uncooked pork dumplings from Vanessa’s and mashed the filling together you’d have the Ningbo pork patty. Well, with an egg on it you would. I mean, it’s fine. Just not terribly exciting. And a bit much, unless you’re sharing it four+ ways. 

[bloviatrix]

I need help - looking for a place to have an unofficial reunion with ~20 people on a Saturday night. Thinking bar that isn’t too dark or noisy and has space to mingle. Some of the bridge and tunnel folk prefer near Penn Station, but it's not a must.

[relbbaddoof]

I can't speak to what it will be like on a Saturday night, but the bar at Moynihan Train Hall is surprisingly pleasant and certainly not dark. Plus, there's food all around (that you can bring into the central bar area): Pastrami Queen, Burger Joint, Alidoro, E.A.K. Ramen, pizza slices, etc. (The food may wind down 8ish, though.) Amtrak also has a frequent-railer lounge with a lovely, large balcony overlooking the main concourse of Moynihan. The lounge has a bar, and it offers snack. They rent out the balcony for events, but that kind of expense may not be what you have in mind.

[Wilfrid]

I haven’t used that bar yet but it does look lovely.

[Steve R.]

You might want to try the West Bank Cafe.

[GerryOlds2TheReturnofGerry]

Red Hook recommendations? It's been several years since my last visit. Was thinking Red Hook Tavern. I love Ferdinando's but it might be too old school for the people I'll be with.

[Wilfrid]

Several years for me too. When I think how often I went in the heyday of the ballfields food stands…

[Steve R.]

Depends on when you're going.  The new Lundy's will be open in the next few weeks.  Meanwhile, there's a new Spanish (tapas?) place on the corner of Hicks & Union, across from Ferdinando's, that's getting some good reviews & I want to try soon.  And, on the same block (Union), Cafe Spaghetti is good.  Around the corner, Swoony's (same owner).  Other than Lundy's, none of these are technically Red Hook, but Columbia Hts.   As is Popina, a couple of blocks away.

[backyardchef]

On 11/27/2024 at 5:20 PM, GerryOlds2TheReturnofGerry said:

Red Hook recommendations? It's been several years since my last visit. Was thinking Red Hook Tavern. I love Ferdinando's but it might be too old school for the people I'll be with.

Cafe Kestrel? 

[GerryOlds2TheReturnofGerry]

Thanks all for the suggestions. My friend had her car with her, so we wound up heading to Ugly Baby after seeing that they're closing. Was every bit as good as I remembered, and the wine/beer lists (which weren't as extensive the last time I ate there) really are impressive.

[small h]

How was the wait?

[GerryOlds2TheReturnofGerry]

We showed up a half hour before opening and were maybe eighth in line. By 5pm the line was halfway down the block, but when we left it had quieted down.

[Steve R.]

Good choice.  We went 2-3 times the first years it was open but realized that we just couldn't take that level of spice.  From what my burning mouth and innards could discern, the food was excellent.  It will be missed.