Last week I attended NY Magazine's Taste of New York event and after three hours of eating, surprisingly, it was my feet, not my stomach, that hurt. I still haven't decided if that's a good thing or not.
In alphabetical order, the highlights (and lowlights) of the evening; all oinks (ratings) are out of a possible 5:
Alain Ducasse
4 oinks.
Ducasse's Terrine of Foie Gras with black mission fig, orange marmelade on toasted brioche was, as one would expect, excellent but safe.
Aquavit
5 oinks.
My favorite dessert of the evening: little cups of Goat Cheese Mousse with lemon curd and apple basil compote, very similar to the Arctic Circle dessert they serve at the restaurant.
I expected this to be heavy but instead it was heavenly and light and I went back for seconds (and then thirds).
Beacon
5 oinks.
Beacon was the hands down winner for me in the savory food category. Never have I had a more succulent, flavorful piece of lamb than Beacon's Wood-Roasted Baby Lamb Chops with black olives and lemon. The line that snaked along the table and down the hall should be testament to this.
Becco
0 oinks.
Becco's Porchetta "Panini" was a waste of a perfectly good pig and an insult to the word "panini". Between the bread and the pork, it was so dry I had to chuck the sandwich and make a beeline for a bottle of water.
Blue Hill/ Stone Barns
4 oinks.
Blue Hill at Stone Barn's "Vegetables on a Fence" might just be the solution of how to get kids to eat their veggies-- delicious and fun.
Bouchon Bakery
Any place that's going to set out an assortment of macaroons, chocolates and other assorted pastry just can't go wrong in my book. This "Taste of Autumn" was a perfect display of all that is great about Bouchon.
Brgr
5 oinks.
I had to wait 15 minutes to sample this. But instead of little sample sizes, Brgr served full sized Angus Beef Burgers with applewood smoked bacon, sweet onion marmelade, roquefurt cheese and all the (very fresh) trimmings. It was well worth the wait. I think the city's best burger joints have some viable competition.
Buddakan
3 oinks.
Buddakan served up Tuna Spring Rolls with a really nice punch to them. It was just enough to make you stop and think twice about something you could have easily dismissed.
Chinatown Brasserie
2 oinks.
This Pork Puff Pastry was too much pastry, too little pork.
Dona
3 oinks.
Dona's Hawaiian Ahi Tuna with dehydrated, pickled and fresh watermelon, dill and feta was a refreshing little bite that left me wanting more.
Felidia
1 oink.
Bitter and chewy, Felidia's Burrata with Broccoli Rabe, Butternut Squash & Chestnuts is better left off the plate.
Gotham Bar & Grill
3.5 oinks.
Unfortunately, I didn't get around to trying Gotham's Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake with Guiness Whipped Cream until the end of the evening by which time the whipped cream had all but disappeared. But judging on the cake alone, I give it a thumbs up.
Japonais
4 oinks.
Japonais had the winning combination of scrumptious food and most engaging presentation. In fact, it was interactive. They offered thinly sliced Marinated NY Strip Steak that you had to cook yourself on a bed of hot stones (rocks were heated over open flames and then placed in a trough-like vessel and you place the meat directly on the rock until desired temperature is achieved). Whatever was in that marinade was wonderful-- the meat was tender and flavorful.
Jovia
3 oinks.
I feel no matter what you do to an oyster, the oyster flavor will always overpower your attempts; so was the case with Jovia's Oysters on Sunchokes and Salsify with Cynar*. Their dessert, Coppa di Mele-- apples, buttered pecans and maple cream-- was a delectable little scoop of autumn in a pastry cup.
*Cynar is a bittersweet Italian liquer made from an infusion of alcohol fresh artichokes and herbs.
Le Bernadin
3 oinks.
Sheep's Milk Panna Cotta with quince, fig, ras el hanout* and basil seed. A very nice twist on traditional panna cotta.
*Ras el Hanout is a blend of ground Moroccan spices, commonly containing allspice berries, nutmeg, cloves, saffron, peppercorns, mace, cinnamon, cardamom, rosebuds, ginger, paprika, cumin, annise, cayenne, coriander, salt and turmeric
Le Cirque
3.5 oinks.
Now Le Cirque prepared something more along the lines of what I expected from Wallsé-- "Choucroute Royale"-- an Alsatian dish of sausages, pork loin, potatoes and sauerkraut with choice of sweet or hot mustard. A great cold weather dish and the portions they served were almost too generous.
Le Cirque was one of a handful of places that served dessert in addition to a savory dish: the perfect, traditional Creme Brulee.
Little Owl
3.5 oinks.
Little Owl served up fantastically messy Meatball Sliders with the perfect meat-to-bun ratio.
Lonesome Dove
2 oinks.
Not so crazy. I love foie gras but this preparation-- Guajillo-Rubbed Foie Gras-- didn't do anything for me at all. I was hoping he'd bring the prairie butter or buffallo corn dogs I'd read so much about.
Morimoto
4 oinks.
Though a bit on the salty side, Morimoto's Kampachi* Carpaccio was melt-in-your-mouth fresh and flavorful.
*Kampachi, which has only been available since September 2005, is recognized for its 30 percent fat content, which ranks it with some of the best wild salmon and means it's high in Omega-3s, as well as being recognized for its subtle flavor.
Parea
3.5 oinks.
I don't want to overshadow the food because the Braised Lamb Shank was excellent but I would like to take a moment to say that Parea's Jonathon Sawyer wins the "Friendliest Chef" award. He was warm and welcoming, really seemed to be enjoying himself and the responses people had to his food.
Per Se
3.5 oinks.
Orange Marlin "Pastrami" with Per Se coleslaw on caraway seed melba toast. Another place that I felt could have served up something so much more exciting. Tasty but not that inventive and shouldn't be taken as an indicator of what dining at Per Se is (because it's so much better than this).
Picholine
2.5 oinks.
Picholine's Roquefort Parfait was too strong and heavy to have more than a spoonful of. I don't know how anyone could eat a normal portion of this.
Porterhouse
3.5 oinks.
Porterhouse was another in the two category tasting with theirColumbus Chopped Salad With Smoked Beef Tongueon rye crisp with horseradish dressing and for dessert, Indian Pudding with whiskey sauce.
Chef/ Owner Michael Lomanaco
The tongue was good, though I've had better (haha) but the pudding was amazing and not at all what I expected as an offering from a steakhouse; the whiskey sauce had just enough whiskey in it to leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy.
Telepan
3.5 oinks.
There was something so reminiscent of Telepan's offering of Robbiola Tortellini With Meatballs and Swiss Chard in a Parmesan Broth, it was subtle yet flavorful, kind of like what you'd imagine coming home to after an afternoon of playing in the snow as a child. That is, if Mom happened to be a world class chef.
Todd English/ Olives NY
4 oinks.
Another delicious lamb dish, Olive's Lamb Shank Ravioli with saffron burro fusso, tomato ragu, parmesan, and orange zest is a force to be reckoned with. Rustic and rich and completely gratifying.
Trestle on Tenth
3.5 oinks.
Pork Shoulder Crépinette with Wilted Greens. Worth the wait.
chef/ owner Ralf Kuettel in foreground
Wallsé
3 oinks.
I must say I was disappointed in their choice of what to prepare. I'd been looking forward to some hardy grub and instead come face to face with "One Bite Lollipops". And they aren't kidding about the one bite because if you should happen to take more than one, you'll find that the center is all liquid and you now have chocolate splattered on yourself. Good but dangerous.
WD-50
3 oinks.
WD-50's Pine Nut Cassoulet with Rabbit Sausage & Thyme Oil was a bit on the bland side and another dish that, aside from using seasonal ingredients, I would say isn't very representative of the restaurant which is known for its fun and quirky dishes.
]]>
.
