Week 5: Aldea

With who: First time sat upstairs with Laura, Mike and Stephen...Second time at the Chef's table with Dylan

I'll just start off by saying that Aldea, with only two visits, is already in my top 10 favorite restaurants in New York. The Chef, George Mendes, has created a new-American menu with strong Portuguese influences. Most dishes look like art and because of the minimalist interior of the restaurant, the food really pops on the plate.

But the dishes are much more than just pretty. For appetizers try the crispy pork belly with apple cider reduction. The squares of juicy pork are topped with thin slices of apple and are crispy and just fatty enough. The cured fluke is also really interesting served with almond milk and crunchy soy, the texture alone makes the subtle fish worth ordering. I'd also recommend the cuttlefish. Even though the portion is really tiny, the squid ink, caramelized lychee and some sort of curry flavor make for a great spicy-sweet combination. It's also a great alternative to a traditional grilled octopus dish.

If you only leave this blog post with one thing, it should be this: Order the Arroz de Pato. A paella-like dish that is one of the best things I've ever eaten. Ever. Essentially, it's fried rice mixed with shredded duck confit, topped with sliced duck breast and duck cracklings--or fried duck skin. It's studded with black olives and chorizo and the plate is dotted with a sweet apricot puree. It's simply mind-blowing.

The scallops with cucumber and farro risotto are also great. The crisp cucumbers really balance out the rich risotto, but still allow the scallops to shine.

To drink, try the Harvester, an interesting take on the Manhattan: Calvados, chai-infused vermouth and apple cider foam.

Here's the chef and I:



And here's Laura, me and the Harvester:



Aldea; 31 West 17th Street (between 5th and 6th)
First photo courtesy of Aldea.

Week 4: Calle Ocho

Day/Time: Sunday 2PM
With who?: Stephen

I usually work on Sundays so was excited when I had the day off to try Calle Ocho’s famous Sunday brunch for the first time. It’s one of Stephen’s favorites for a reason and one reason only: included with your brunch entree—free of charge—is unlimited sangria. And I’m not talking “free sangria” in that you have to flag down your waitress every time you need another glass of Franzia and orange juice that’s filled to the brim with ice. I’m talking free all you can drink sangria from the sangria bar. You can pick from about 8 different varieties (4 red, 4 white) and then best part is you serve yourself and you can stay as long as you want.

This is undoubtedly the best deal in town and I say this now in fear that it’s too good to be true. They are going to realize sooner than later that charging 10 bucks for a Cuban sandwich and letting everyone get shitfaced on their dime is not the best business model. But until then, whoo hoo!

I had the yuca crab cakes with eggs and red and green chili sauces. For $11 I should have suspected there was no actual crab in them. Disappointing, but hey, it’s hard to complain when you’re drinking for free. Stephen had the skirt steak with eggs, avocado and rice. Again, for $13 I was not surprised that the steak was overcooked and a bit stringly. But again, sangria, people.

To be honest, the side order of yuca fries and the bread basket with spicy black bean dip was worth the money alone. So if you ever find yourself not-hungover on a Sunday, take the trek to the UWS. But make sure to make a reservation in advance as they, unsurprisingly, tend to book up quickly.

Calle Ocho: 446 Columbus Avenue (Between 81st and 82nd)
Photo courtesy of Calle Ocho

Week 3: Bar Pitti

Day/Time: Friday night 7pm.
With who?: Stephen and Rachel

Even at 7pm, the place was packed. Understated yet wildly popular, Bar Pitti is a casual Italian spot in the West Village frequented by celebs and locals alike. After waiting about 10 minutes, we were shown to our table for four and a chalkboard about two feet tall and a foot wide was place on the table leaning against the wall with countless specials written in scribbled cursive.

Our very Italian waitress came over and we ordered a bottle of Montepulciano, which they were out of, so we had Chianti instead. She listed off the specials in great detail from the board which took a solid five minutes. As soon as she walked away Stephen said, “Okay so what are the specials?” Ugh.

For an appetizer Stephen and Rachel Split the special buffalo mozzarella and tomato salad. The buffalo mozzarella was served inside a shell of regular cow’s milk fresh mozzarella. It was superb: rich and creamy yet balanced out with the firmness of the cow’s milk cheese, the acidic tomatoes and fresh basil. (around $18) I had the decidedly more frugal chicken liver pate on country bread ($5.50). I got two large pieces with a seriously heaping portion of the liver. While the flavor was there, the consistency was almost watery so by the time I got to the end of the first piece, the bread was soggy. The second piece remained uneaten.

For entrees Stephen got the Taglierini All'empolese: a thin pasta that looked a little bit like Chinese lo mein, to be honest, topped with leeks, artichokes, garlic, olive oil and a little tomato. I’d say across the board average. What really surprised me however, was Rachel’s simple Penne Arrabbiata with garlicky tomato sauce, olive oil and spicy red crushed pepper. It was just so flavorful. I would never think to order such an ordinary dish at a restaurant so it was really pleasantly surprising. My entrée was a special, the linguini with clam sauce. Not to sound totally cliché, but the pasta was perfectly al dente. Using olive oil, garlic (of course), parsley and a touch of tomato sauce, the chef was quite heavy handed with the whole clams, which was appreciated.

On a side note, when the runner put the food on the table he asked if Stephen or Rachel would like fresh parmesan. Then when he looked at me and saw I was debating he gave me a serious sort of look and said, “No, you don’t want any.” It made me laugh because I have always been torn on the issue of adding parmesan cheese to Italian dishes that include seafood. I’ll admit I like it sometimes. But I took the guy’s “advice” and left the pasta well enough alone. And it was delicious.

For dessert we had chocolate mousse and tiramisu. Both pretty tasty.

All in all, Bar Pitti is a great place to stop if you’re shopping around the West Village, as they don’t take reservations under 4 people and accept only cash. It’s also reasonably priced for the area. Just ask Beyonce.

Bar Pitti, 268 6th Avenue (near Bleecker)
Photo courtesy of New York Magazine

Week 2: Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar

Day/Time: Friday 7PM
With who?: Stephen

I must state the obvious when talking about Momofuku Milk Bar. They want you in and out. There are no seats in the place; only tables for you to lean upon as you munch on the delicious sweets. At first I was very anti-the whole standing thing, but after gorging myself on four different desserts, should I have had a seat, I may have fallen into a sugar-induced coma and never awoken.

On a Friday at 7, we were the only people in the place. But signs directed us to take a number like at a supermarket deli, so we played along. We walked up to the counter and ordered three desserts, then reconsidered and ordered a fourth.

First was the salty pistachio soft serve topped with crumbled pistachios. And when they say salty, they mean it. I loved. Stephen, who tends to be a little less adventurous said simply, "that's gross." It actually reminded me a bit of the savory pretzel ice cream that came with a fried cheese dessert when I went to David Chang's other (impossible-to-get-into) restaurant, Ko. Stephen's snickerdoodle soft serve was decidedly more his speed.

Next was a cornflake, marshmallow, chocolate chip cookie. It was overly sticky and hard to chew. The flavor, I suppose was alright.

But I supposed I've saved the best for last. The Crack Pie was to die for. About an inch and a 1/2 thick, the dense pie has a thin crust with filling that was essentially sugar. In an interview with New York Magazine, Milk Bar's pastry chef, Christina Tosi, spilled the secret ingredients: "It’s brown sugar, regular sugar, butter, cream, salt, and a little corn flour to hold it together." It was to die for.

On the way out I actually saw Tosi and told her we enjoyed everything. She thanked us and we vibrated out.

Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar 207 2nd Avenue (at 13th Street).
Photo courtesy of Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar.

Week 1: The Little Owl

Day/time: Friday at 5PM
With who?: Stephen

They were just opening for dinner. It was an odd hour to eat, but still recovering from New Year’s Eve, we’d slept late and put off eating until this odd hour. We were the first and, for a while, the only diners in the restaurant.

After asking if we had a reservation (we didn’t), the manager sat us at the corner window table overlooking the street. It took all of five minutes before a hoard of people diagonally across the street started furiously taking pictures of the restaurant. One of the servers told us the restaurant is in the building used for the exterior shot of the apartment on Friends.

The interior of the restaurant is small. Easy to see how getting reservations ranges from difficult to impossible most nights. There are white roses on the tiny bar and white linen napkins and tiny open salt holders on each wooden table.

We don’t drink with the exception of Stephen’s made-to-order lemonade served in a cute glass depicting a cartoon pole dancer. It seems a little out of place, but I’m never one to skimp on kitsch so I love it.

I got two appetizers, Stephen, one entrée. I started with the diver scallops. The two scallops, served over a bed of fresh spinach, capers, lemon-leek noisette, are seared perfectly and the capers give them a salty kick. Second I got the sliced duck breast. Our server didn’t ask how I wanted it cooked, which I was surprised by, so it came out cooked a little more than I usually like. However, it was still just amazing. The fat was definitely evident but not overwhelming, perfectly crisp on the edges. The breast was deliciously tender. It was served over a salad of arugula, almonds and pecorino cheese, the almonds giving the salad a crunch that went really well with the juicy duck.

Stephen’s entrée was a special: seared red snapper served in a lobster reduction broth over a tiny round pasta with escarole and whole in-the-shell clams. “It’s melting in my mouth,” he said. I tried it, and it did.

On the whole, everything was amazing: service, food, ambiance. By the time we left around six, the place was nearly full. And for good reason.

The Little Owl: 90 Bedford Street (at Grove Street)
Photo courtesy of New York Magazine

The Resolution

I should start off this blog by stating the obvious: I love to eat and drink. Always have.

Since moving to NYC in 2003 I’ve become even more food-obsessed and so have many of my friends. We’ve taken half-days at work to indulge in Restaurant Week lunch offerings. We’ve traveled out to Long Island and up to the Finger Lakes to try the local wines. And one friend and I tried for seven months to snag a coveted online-only res at David Chang’s Momofuku Ko. The friend finally succeeded after putting a sticker on her computer monitor showing her exactly where to click at exactly 10AM. We get a little crazy.

I know, I know. Being that it’s the new year I should be working on my vices instead of promoting them, but I just can’t help it. After reading countless foodie blogs and roundups of NYC's best restaurants, I realized I hadn’t been to nearly enough of them. Here I'll chronicle my adventures in the culinary haven that is New York.

Bon appétit!