Restaurants

La Mela in Little Italy

I was all for eating at a grocery store in Little Italy when we arrived in New York City a day early for the Carnival Dream inauguration last week. But my friend, who is a bit more of an upscale person, asked the concierge at Morgans Hotel for his recommendation.

This question, in my experience, usually gets you something far more expensive than ziti with marinara sauce from a deli counter.

“La Mela,” he said without hesitation as he pulled out a subway map and showed us how to find Mulberry Street. “It’s not overly expensive and still has the red-checked tablecloths on the table. Very charming, real Italian food.”

Well, so is the fare at my spot on the corner, but whatever. It’s only money, right?

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It’s fest season in Germany – there are all manner of different festivals celebrating the harvest across the country.  You may have heard of that whole Oktoberfest one.  That’s the biggie, of course, but even small villages like the one I live in host little block-party-esque fests to celebrate the season.  It’s a great place to grab a beer and people watch.

But these fests aren’t just about the beer.  You can also find all manner of hot dogs and sausages to enjoy with your beer.  Bratwurst, weisswurst, bierwurst, blutwurst, knockwurst, frankfurters, wienerwurst…You name it, the Germans have found a way to make a sausage out of it.  It’s best not to wonder too much what it might be made of.

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What kind of restaurant does a harried writer/Mom type like when craving a great meal in New York City?  According to Allison Winn Scotch, NYC resident, mother of two, and New York Times Bestselling Author of Time of My Life (now available in paperback), it’s a nice, quiet meal at a place like Cesca, a fantastic Italian joint on West 75th and Amsterdam. 
 
“The Upper West Side’s dining has really blossomed over the past few years,” she says.  “And Cesca is just one of those places where every dish you order is good.” 
 
When Scotch and her husband can get the babysitter to stay a few extra hours, they often meet up with friends at this charming and “fairly hip” eatery.  “The ambiance is really nice:  loud, but not too loud.  You don’t have to worry about talking over the noise but also don’t have to worry about laughing too hard after a glass or two of wine.”  

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While I was in New York, a friend and I wanted to go out for a celebratory meal.  Steak was on our minds so I asked around for a recommendation.  Over and over again, people told me to head to Smith & Wollensky on Third.

“Don’t be fooled by the kind of ramshackle outside,” they said.  “You’ll get the best steak you’ve ever had.”

And while I can say that the food was good, the service was terrible.  My friend and I made a reservation to eat in the restaurant.  We dressed to the nines and wanted to make a swanky evening of it.  Once we arrived, however, we were automatically schlepped to the more casual Wollensky Grill.  When I asked if we could be seated in the main restaurant, I was told that there would be at least an hour wait despite our reservation.

We opted to just take the open table – still determined to have a great evening.  But after we were seated, things just got worse.  The waiter forgot to bring our drinks, which we had to remind him of after he brought our starters.  When finally bringing my glass of wine to the table, he then stumbled and knocked it all over my starter and my dress.  The starter was never replaced.  Although the waiter apologized, the floor manager, who was only about 10 feet away when the incident occurred, never bothered to come over and see if things were all right.  My steak was not cooked as I requested and, after the wine incident, the waiter seemed to be avoiding all eye contact.  In fact, another waiter ended up bringing us our check – which charged me for the ruined starter and the spilled glass of wine.  I ended up stalking him to the kitchen to get it all fixed.  It ended up being a fairly terrible meal, all in all.

Food, of course, is paramount when you are talking about the restaurant experience.  But I also think that if you are going to charge patrons $250 for the pleasure of two steaks, a couple of glasses of wine and some swanky ambiance, service matters quite a bit, too.  So upon my return, Smith & Wollensky will definitely not be on the menu.

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Smith & Wollensky
797 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022

(212) 753-1530

Hours:  Daily 11:45am-12:00am

Photos courtesy of japes18.

Personal chef Mark Tafoya knows good food.  One of the founders of the Culinary Media Network, Tafoya is always in search of authentic culinary experiences across the globe — and within his home of New York City.

“I truly believe in what I call ‘the diplomacy of the dish,’” he says.  “My philosophy is all about exploring the world using all five senses.  And I think enjoying the local dishes is the best way to get a true cultural understanding of a place.”

When I first asked him to tell me about a favorite restaurant in New York, he hesitated.  “People ask me all the time about a favorite restaurant.  And I don’t have a favorite as in a restaurant that I endorse above all others,” he said.  “There are plenty of great restaurants here.  But I love good, really authentic ethnic restaurants that serve great regional cuisine.”

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Here’s the thing about living in Europe – it tends to make you a bit of a snob when it comes to certain foodstuffs.  For example, when back in the States, I am now that obnoxious woman that asks the supermarket employee if they have real yogurt hidden somewhere.  And when that guy points me in the direction of the Yoplait?  Umm, yeah, I feel it necessary to explain the difference — and there is a big difference.  Sometimes the discussion can get heated enough to where hand gestures get involved.

I’m told my behavior is quite embarrassing (but not quite as embarrassing, in my opinion, as what some people will try to pass off as yogurt).

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Didn’t I mention just last week that I’m a carnivore?  I am.  A serious one at that.  But here I am recommending yet another vegetarian restaurant.  Do you think this means I’m growing as a person?

I’m a huge fan of Indian food.  I just adore it.  And from Atlanta to Prague, if I’ve seen an Indian restaurant nearby, I’ve had to try it.  Admittedly, sometimes with mixed results (especially the further afield I’ve ventured).  But I’m still always compelled to try.  So when my friend Alyson suggested that we grab a meal at Vatan in New York City, I did not hesitate.

I was immediately charmed by the restaurant’s decor.  You walk in from the hustle and bustle of New York City and are somehow transported into a delightful Indian village full of color and magic.  Once seated, you remove your shoes, climb into your table and get ready for a true culinary experience.

But it was at that moment, once I was handed a menu, that I realized Vatan was a vegetarian restaurant.  I’ll admit that then I did hesitate for a second.  My “safety” dish at Indian restaurants is always chicken tikka masala or chicken korma.  After all, those two are hard to mess up even when cooked by native Norwegians that haven’t been south of Oslo.

But the smell of the food was intoxicating.  Meat or no meat, it was time to set aside any expectations.  And with my first bite, I realized that I didn’t mind the vegetarian menu one bit.

When we were seated, our waitress said she hoped we were hungry and she was wasn’t kidding – the all-you-can-eat $31 prix fixe menu offers a fantastic variety of appetizers and entrees.  And with just a nod and a smile, the food will keep on coming until you beg them to stop.  The batatavada and chana masala starters were absolutely amazing:  flavorful, spicy and the perfect complement to my mango lhassi.  And once the entrees arrived, I couldn’t get enough of the chole.  I realized that I didn’t miss the chicken at all.  I was too busy trying a little of this and a little of that.

Vatan offers a perfect introduction to Indian cuisine for novices and an even better reminder to us Indian-food lovers what the cuisine is really all about:  flavor, spice and a little bit of adventure.

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Vatan
409 Third Avenue
(between 28th and 29th streets)
New York City, NY 10016

Tel:  (212) 689-5666
Email:  info@vatanny.com

Daniel is an Award Winner (danielnyc.com)

The James Beard Foundation has announced its 2009 awards for excellence in the food and beverage industry. By honoring the best restaurants, chefs, and more in the United States, the foundation has the power to elevate relative unknowns (and possibly deflate some otherwise puffed-up egos as well). Needless to say, the Uptake restaurants blog has a keen interest in great culinary experiences; the James Beard Foundation awards have been eagerly anticipated. This year, New York City has received more restaurant and chef awards than any other US city – reclaiming its title, perhaps, as the best destination in the states for a culinary vacation (though this writer still prefers Napa Valley).

James Beard Foundation 2009 Outstanding Restauranteur Award Winner:
Drew Nierpont, Myriad Restaurant Group, New York City

James Beard Foundation 2009 Outstanding Chef Award Winner:
Dan Barber, Blue Hill, NYC

James Beard Foundation 2009 Outstanding Restaurant Award Winner:
Jean Georges, NYC. Chef/Owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Owner Phil Suarez

James Beard Foundation 2009 Rising Star Chef of the Year Award Winner:
Nate Appleman, A16, San Francisco

James Beard Foundation 2009 Best New Restaurant Award Winner:
Momofuku Ko, NYC, Chef/Owner David Chang

James Beard Foundation 2009 Outstanding Pastry Chef Award Winner
Gina DePalma, Babbo, NYC

James Beard Foundation 2009 Outstanding Wine Service Award Winner
Le Bernardin, NYC, Wine Director Aldo Sohm

James Beard Foundation 2009 Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional Award Winner (this award goes to the brewer, spritis or winemaker who has had the most impact on the wine and spirits industry)
Dale DeGroff Co., In. NYC

James Beard Outstanding Service Award Winner
Daniel, NYC, Owners Daniel Boulud and Joel Smilow

Look at all these New York City restaurants on the list! It’s no wonder that aspiring chefs from around the

Baci di Dama at Babbo (babbonyc.com)

world come to the Big Apple for training. I’ve got to admit, I’ve been to very few of these top-notch James Beard winners. However, it’s nice to have goals in life. New York City, here I come…fork in hand and napkin on lap!

The thing about living abroad is that you wind up missing the strangest things.  Particularly strange are the foods and restaurants that lure with a siren’s call each time I return home.  These are places that I want to go to each and every time I find myself stateside.  Scratch that – need to go to and eat at while stateside.  And I’m more than a little embarrassed to say that these must-visit restaurants include the Olive Garden, Dunkin’ Donuts, Chick-fil-A and Denny’s.

I know, I know.  I have no excuse.  I should be smacked.  But there you have it.

So imagine my disappointment when I learned that the only Denny’s in NYC is a bar.  Somehow I didn’t think they offered a Grand Slam breakfast platter.  I’d have to find another breakfast venue during my stay and try to make do.

Luckily, the New York Luncheonette was right around the corner from my hotel.  This small, clean restaurant was a welcome respite from my hotel’s overpriced breakfast buffet.  And though it didn’t definitely couldn’t match Denny’s for price, the New York Luncheonette definitely topped them on food quality and service.  The pancakes, bacon and even the corned beef hash were top notch.  My first breakfast there of waffles and bacon was so good that I knew I’d be returning the next day.  And maybe the one after that, too.  And as far as a Manhattan dollar goes, the price wasn’t too shabby either.

So though I’m sure the New York Luncheonette might not exactly appreciate the comparison, they definitely made it so I didn’t feel like I was missing out on my Denny’s fix.  And for an American who has lived abroad for the past 5 years, that’s a pretty big deal.

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The New York Luncheonette
135 E 50th Street
New York, NY 10022
212. 838. 0165

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Photo by gailf548.

The Burger Joint may be the last kind of place you’d expect to find in the lobby of the posh Le Parker Meridien hotel in New York City.  But that may be why it’s expertly hidden — the handmade, cockeyed menu boards and old naugahyde booths might stick out a bit amidst the lobby’s clean, fussy marble.

And this is part of the Joint’s charm.  New Yorkers, you see, seem to be on a never-ending quest to find the best burger in the city.  I know this because I saw it on an episode of “How I Met Your Mother.”  And the Burger Joint is definitely a contender for the honor.  If only because it is the kind of place that requires an insider’s knowledge mixed with a dash of adventure to find.

Enter the hotel, wander, and you’ll soon see it.  A small neon burger displayed on the wall, nearly hidden behind a large, red curtain shows you where to go.  And if that one small indicator of the Burger Joint’s location is obscured, then the line of hungry NYC natives, representing all walks of life from Wall Street to panhandler, happily queueing up behind it will surely point you in the right direction.

I’ve heard tell of the Burger Joint on several previous visits to the city.  But as soon as Le Parker Meridien was mentioned as the location, I’ll admit that I balked.  Not that I have anything against the hotel – it’s a gorgeous property with a great bar.  But, you know, I can get a $30 hotel burger just about anywhere in Manhattan and not have to go on what amounts to a quest to find it.  And I don’t have to wait in line in a dark, crowded hidey-hole for the privilege either.

But this time around, my host insisted.  “It’s the best burger in Manhattan,” he said.  “Plus, they have fantastic milkshakes.”  But it was his final sentence that sealed the deal for me.  “And the burgers are like only $7.00,” he exclaimed.  A $7 burger in New York City?  Was that even possible?  I had to find out.

And sure enough, it’s all true.  I don’t know if it is the “best” burger on the island – I don’t know if I can afford to sample them all – but it was really, really good.  But keep in mind that the Burger Joint is definitely a no muss-no fuss type of operation.  You stand in line, ask for a burger from a guy who aspires to be the Soup Nazi, pay in cash (and only in cash) and then hope against hope that you’ll manage to snag one of the few tables before your order is up.  If not, you’ll snarf your food standing against a fake wood-paneled wall adorned with a Sopranos poster, get some ketchup on your shirt in the process and like it.

But you know, maybe they put something in those burgers, because I’d happily return.  But this time, I’m holding out for a booth.

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The Burger Joint
Le Parker Meridien New York
119 W. 56th Street
New York, NY 10019

212.245.5000

http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat4.php

Hours:
Sunday through Thursday: 11:30-11:30
Friday and Saturday: 11:30-midnight