New York Restaurants

casa mono can be a little cramped (got seated at the end of the bar once and waiters kept bumping me) but the food's pretty great, co-sign on the razor clams

also spicy grilled pork with pickled watermelon

how was wd-50? been there once w/ mixed results

mixed results, though my entree was the best.

Pork Belly with caper emulsion, capers, sunchoke and ancho crusted pineapple or something.

My favorite just closed: Col Legno -- a great little Italian place on East 9th.

my favorite everyday-sushi place, Kirara, closed... so sad. it was by far the best non-high-end sushi in new york :( :( (:

From my last Trip, Minca Ramen on 5th between A and B, the most awesome char siu pork and the freshest tastiest daikon salad.

I am excited for the opening of Curry-ya (Japanese-style curry) in a week or so (brought to us by the Rai Rai Ken/Soba-ya/ etc. etc empire. It's right next door to Rai Rai Ken and looks ready to go.

Japanese curry scares me, no food should be that shiny.

col legno RIP. it was a great place.

phil, after i teach you to cook we should celebrate at casa mono (or perhaps bar jamon next door).

Casa Mono is one of my favorite restaurants in NY, but the tables are so tight. I try to go between 2-5pm not that they're open all day.

I've had one very good meal at wd~50, but my last time there was probably the most dispassionate meal I've ever had at that pricepoint. Uncoordinated service, assembly line feel, no manager in sight. I'll probably never go back.

yeah im so looking forward to being able to actually make something for myself... and yeah, casa mono or bar jamon sounds great!

yah, both places are so tiny. i walk by around 5ish pretty often, though, and that seems like a good time to go.

i usually eat lunch around 3 or 4 anyways

yeah we probably won't go back to wd-50 either. my meal was decent but my wife hated her entree (some kinda fish with "cocoa nibs" in the sauce, very weird texture and taste)

we almost bailed out from the very beginning when we arrived at 5:55 for our 6 o'clock reservation. restaurant is supposed to open at 6. we go in and they said we're not ready yet, come back in 20 minutes and sent us to a bar down the street. my mouth almost dropped open. but it was for a birthday and we didn't have any backup plan so we decided to stick it out.

I was pretty surprised when Bruni bumped them up from 2 to 3 stars. for the amount you're paying I think it's a crap shoot on whether you get something amazing vs. a bunch of "works in progress" that don't taste that great.

lunch @ di fara pizza today. TOTALLY lived up to the legend. and my son loved it, basil, cheese and all. YAY.

http://offthebroiler.files.wordpress.com/2006/05/IMG_5216.JPG

looks so good! ^^

Mmmmm.

Forgot to mention that I had a pretty perfect plate of pasta at Little Giant while that crazy thunderstorm raged outside.

Last night I had the steak at Aurora (@ Grand and Wythe) ... it levitated!

My favorite Japanese bakery Panya got closed by the health department :(
I don't mind that there may have been mice baking my curry pans.

Wha...? Are they gonna reopen?

They'll probably reopen. Usually what happens in these situations is the restaurant has to renovate and exterminate to bring itself into compliance and then they have a repeat inspection before being given the green light.

Had a nice surprise at Mamajuana in Inwood - sort of an upscale Dominican restaurant. It was much more of a big-hunk-of-meat and fruity cocktail place than I usually eat at and probably never would have gone in if friends hadn't brought us, but the food was good to excellent. Had paella and lamb in mint chimichurri sauce.

quick where to get (reasonably priced, i.e. not $4 apiece) oysters in or near east village?

Essex, on the L.E.S. You might get hepatitis since June has no "R", but at least you won't overpay.

oh wait i thought it was the other way around with the Rs? why would i not want to eat delicious raw oysters in the summer?

Best Pizza in New York: http://www.unapizza.com/
Also fucking expensive: 21 for a single person pie. I eat here every chance I get, about twice a month.
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2004/10/una_pizza_napol.html

i thought the r thing was B.S.

They have beer and wine now, btw.

eager to try this new place in my hood called James, looks $$$ but seriously good

http://thestrongbuzz.com/buzz/details.php?item_id=398

opened a couple days ago in the space that used to be Sorrel

Blue Ribbon Brasserie on Sullivan between Spring and Prince has the best raw bar in downtown and it's not too crazy expensive IMO but it's tiny.

Balthazar on Spring has a bigger raw bar but it's a little pricier.

Both are in pretty, pretty blocks for a nice summer's evening walk.

xp

I think historically it was something about not being able to refrigerate them but I think that's no longer an issue.

i thought sorrel was pretty lame xpost

I thought it was aight. couldn't understand why it was always empty.

maybe because the portions were tinnnnnnnnnnnnnny

25 bucks for 3 courses is cheap tho. but I guess it's no bargain if yr still hungry

Essex has a weekly lobster night that is fun and a good deal. Maybe it's Wednesday?

Is the blue ribbon brasserie the bar opposite their bakery?

i know that the oysters are $4 at the blue ribbon in brooklyn...i just can't get my head around paying that much for a single oyster! i can eat sooo many of them.

I looked that up, I did not realise the extent of their empire.

BRB has a market now?

er, the Bakery, that is

totally craving some oysters now. i went from not even being able to look at them to really loving those things now.

No the bakery is in the West Village. BR brasserie and BR Sushi are in SoHo.

Well Essex has buck oysters on Mondays and Thursdays.

noted!

Bell, try the Mermaid Inn on 2nd Ave near 6th St. I've never been but I imagine you can get oysters there. Or how about Jack's Oyster Bar, which is near there. Friends of mine ate there once. Can't vouch for the pricing at either place. Or the Oyster Bar at Grand Central?

Jack's Luxury Oyster bar is very expensive / tiny / hard to get into

haha oh wait they moved. and maybe not so popular anymore

http://eater.com/archives/2007/10/deathwatch_jack.php

but still pricey. supposed to be good tho

I kinda like grand central oyster bar. but more for the atmosphere than the food. I think the oysters there are about $2-$4 apiece.

marlow & sons site says theirs are $2.50 each. i hear they are good.