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!