Anybody been to Colette yet?
Ate at Ivan Ramen tonight. Seriously good stuff, but I admit to liking Noodle Bar a tad more. The pickled Daikon Radish was off the charts. As a bonus, we sat next to Padma Lakshmi who is smoking hot!
Have eaten two meals at Charlie Bird over the past two weeks. Bright flavors with light enjoyable dishes. So good. Biggest complaint is the temperature of the room with the windows open.
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I enjoyed Ivan Ramen as well. And they have a corkage policy.
Colette, or Claudette?
If you meant Claudette, we had a very solid dinner there a few weeks ago, marred only by the dreadful first (and I hope last) date going on two tables down. Good cocktails and wine list, especially if you like rose.
I wish the other Ivan Ramen (ie Gotham West Market) allowed corkage. That would be a fun place to have an interesting offline - each course from a different restaurant.
Sorry, meant Georgette on east 60th Street.
I have not been but a friend who I respect loves it. With the closing of Rouge Tomate last night (they are moving downtown), I will have to try it because I work in the neighborhood.
Was just there last week. Had excellent meals at Tessa, The Betony, and the new Nomad bar. The Betony was one of the best restaurant experiences I have had in the US.
Went last night and I do not eat meat. The fish and all other dishes with one exception were mediocre. The meat dishes looked better but not much and not very inventive and extremely expensive. The wine list had a few ok things on it. No reason to go back. Such a sad stuffy alternative to Rouge Tomate which WAS right next store.
Went to Betony last night. Very good. Would give a high recommendation. Showed a very very deft touch with the seafood, and all dishes were interesting. Didnât end up with any terrestrial dishes. You can see the EMP lineage, even in just how the menu is presented (3 flavors, no description of preparation, etc).
Thereâs plenty of new restaurants that are deservingly being bandied about in this thread. But, Iâll have to add that an old one, a local institution afaic, thrives and continue to get better.
I just returned from another terrific lunch at Casa Mono. I eat here, probably, once every month or 2. This restaurant continue to produce all solid and, sometimes spectacular new dishes every time I go. The wine list, the most robust Spanish list that Iâve come upon in the country, is always a plus.
I also had dinner, sat at the bar, last week at Pear and Ash. Small (or medium) plates served, just like Casa Mono. Other than the very good squid dish, the other 2 that I had were kinda not as memorable. I wished that that guy serving me from behind the bar would be more knowledgeable about their wines. I liked the girl, also working behind the bar, with the lone recommendation that she made when she came to my aid after noticing that my glass had been empty for a while.
Colette, or Claudette?
If you meant Claudette, we had a very solid dinner there a few weeks ago, marred only by the dreadful first (and I hope last) date going on two tables down. Good cocktails and wine list, especially if you like rose.
Thanks! glad you enjoyed. Please let me know if you come in again. Always great to welcome a fellow WB
[I wish the other Ivan Ramen (ie Gotham West Market) allowed corkage. That would be a fun place to have an interesting offline - each course from a different restaurant.[/quote]
This is indeed a shame. We live just a few minutes away and really enjoy eating at the bar at el Colmado, the tapas place by the same folks as Tertulia. Weâve talked with them a number of times about BYO, and they wish they could allow it (they do at Tertulia), but itâs one liquor license for the whole space and the rule is no. Fortunately, they have a decent manzanilla on tap.
This is indeed a shame. We live just a few minutes away and really enjoy eating at the bar at el Colmado, the tapas place by the same folks as Tertulia. Weâve talked with them a number of times about BYO, and they wish they could allow it (they do at Tertulia), but itâs one liquor license for the whole space and the rule is no. Fortunately, they have a decent manzanilla on tap.[/quote]
Interesting, is there a legal reason then, or is it just that management of the whole complex would have to clear it?
As an aside, how is business there at night? We only go for mid-day lunch on the weekends.
Donât know if itâs a legal issue, no one ever said so, they just referred to the shared license. Weâve asked several times, and they have run it up the chain to their management, and come back with the same answer. They are definitely not being jerks about it, and have said repeatedly that theyâd be more than happy to welcome us and our old rioja at Tertulia. They just canât do it there.
Itâs often hopping at night. We also go mostly for lunch on weekends. We loved it when the sidewalk bar/counter was open. Nick, one of the managers, is quite knowledgeable about sherry, so he and my husband enjoy chatting about that topic.
Not related to BYOB (I donât think they allow it) but I went to Dirty French the other night, a new restaurant from the Torissi people on the LES. It was phenomenal. Second best meal of 2014. Stunning.
Agreed, Wilfred. I had a solo meal here as well - very good, and the kind of place youâd be happy to eat regularly. The gnocchi were particularly good.
We also had a terrific meal at Estela the other night after a long hiatus. A series of strong dishes with bold flavors, balance and a deft touch. The service was outstanding, too. Example: one dish had a delicious broth element to it. When the protein was gone, the busboy moved to take the dish, but I told him I wanted to finish the broth. A bit later, another dish had a similar light sauce, which was left after the last bite of fish. I saw the same busboy look at our table, notice the dish, and visibly decide not to take it. Such a small thing, but indicative of high standards.
Estela is just amazingly great. The food is just so much more interesting than anywhere else right now. I just wish the tables had a little more space.
As a follow up - a second meal at Dirty French last night, which I was very excited about after the first, was something of a disappointment. The duck was excellent, but every other dish was oily and, to me, lacking in an acidic component. The oiliness was particularly troubling as it was mentioned many times by the online reviewing crowd. Normally, I donât pay much attention to the Yelpers and their ilk, but when I find a repeated complaint from them in my own experience, I tend to think itâs a general problem for the restaurant and not just an isolated incident.
Itâs still a nice restaurant and the duck breast was as perfectly prepared as any duck breast Iâve ever had, but right now I donât feel the need to go back or to take Jonathan there.
HmmmmâŚI told Wilfred on Saturday that next time he went to Dirty French I would go with him. I guess maybe Iâll wait and see what develops.