Tag Archives: NYC restaurant week

Sunday Game Plan: NYC Summer Restaurant Week 2022 – 30 years in the making

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NYC Restaurant Week began 30 years ago with 95 participating restaurants in 1992 to approximately over 600 restaurants today.  This season’s restaurant week began on 07/18/22 and will end on 08/21/22 for most participating restaurants, but some of the well-known or higher end place will end their promotion on either 07/31/22 or 08/07/22. The price points this time are $30, $45 and $60. Mastercard is also a sponsor so if you have a Mastercard, you can register your credit card to get $10 credit back into your statement for purchases over $45 and you can purchase up to 3 meals; so in essence you’ll really paying $35 for an order, which is a pretty good deal.

As of 07/19/22 there are 660 participating restaurants. We reviewed 312 dinner and/or brunch menus of restaurants partnering with Mastercard offering $10 credit for meals $45 and over from July 18-31. During my review of 312 menus, which is based on the menu availability and whether they are participating in Mastercard promotion, below is a list of restaurants grouped by meal and number of people that is worth exploring:

Lunch for 1: Bistrot Leo ($30); Boucherie West Village ($45); Chelsea Table + Stage ($30); Lexington Brass ($30); Malii Gramercy ($30); Morton’s ($45); Rivercrest ($30); Sant Ambroeus ($45) and Side Door ($30)

Dinner for 1: Anassa Taverna ($60); Bar Boulud ($60), Chelsea Table + Stage ($60); David Burke Tavern ($45); Empire Burger House ($45); Festival ($60); French Roast ($45); Hangawi ($60); Il Fiorista ($60); Jue Lan Club ($45); Malii Gramercy ($45); Montebello Restaurant ($60); Morton’s Steakhouse ($60); The Ribbon ($45); Rivercrest ($30); Rosa Mexicano ($45) and Sac’s Place ($45)

Lunch for 2: Cibo e Vino ($30); Dos Caminos ($30); Empire Burger House ($30); Jue Lan Club ($30); Nice Matin ($45) and Yama Ramen ($30)

Dinner for 2: Ammos Estiatorio ($60); Boucherie Union Square ($45); Casa Lever ($60); Chateau 49 ($60); Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse ($60); Cibo e Vino ($60); Dos Caminos ($45); Claudette ($45); Essex ($45); Felice 56 ($45); Hoja Santa ($45); Hudson West ($45); Beauty & Essex ($60); La Pizza and La Pasta ($30); The Land Thai Kitchen ($45); Leuca ($60); Lexington Brass ($45); SenYa ($60); Santo Bruklin ($60); Nice Matin ($60); One 19 ($45); Philippe ($60); Redeye Grill ($60) and SeaFire Grill ($60).

Lunch for 3: Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse ($45); Cibo e Vino ($45); Empire Steakhouse ($45); Felice 56 ($30); Gentle Perch ($30); Amali ($30); Fulton ($45); ilili ($45); Jones Wood Foundry ($30); La Bonne Soupe ($30); Lattanzi Cucina Italiana ($45); Mable’s ($30); The Meatball Shop ($45); The Russian Tea Room ($45) and Tudor Steakhouse ($45)

Dinner for 3: Merakia ($60); Bistrot Leo ($60); Alice ($45); City Winery ($45); Copinette ($45); Danju ($60); Elea ($60); Empire Steakhouse ($60); Frankie and Johnnie’s Steakhouse ($60); Amali ($60); Jasmine’s Caribbean ($45); Jones Wood Foundtry ($45); Kellari Taverna ($60); L’Adresse Nomad ($60); La Bonne Soupe ($60); La Masseria ($60); Longo Bros ($60); Mable’s ($45); Pomp & Circumstance ($45); The Russian Tea Room ($60); Cull & Pistol ($45) and Il Falco ($45).

Lunch for 4: David Burke Tavern ($45); Kubeh ($45); Longo Bros ($30); Maggie’s Place ($30); Osteria 57 ($30); Quality Eats ($30); Redeye Grill ($30) and Zabb PuTown ($45)

Dinner for 4: Fine and Rare ($60); Flatiron Room ($60); Hortus ($60); Kurant ($45); Lattanzi Cucina ($60); Osteria 57 ($45); Pera Mediterranean ($60); Pera Soho ($60); Cathedrale ($60); Laut Singapura ($45) and Temple Court ($60)

Lunch for 5 or more: Ammos Estiatorio ($45); Blue Smoke ($30); Bowery Road ($30); Ci Siamo ($45); Montebello Restaurant ($45); Il Gradino ($30)

Dinner for 5 or more: Vallata ($60); Chazz Palmanteri ($60); Baar Baar ($60); Blue Smoke ($45); Bowery Road ($45); Casa Brazilian ($60); Altesi Downtown ($60); Kubeh ($45); Maggie’s Place ($45); Mazu ($45); Mint Marsala ($60); Perrine ($60); Cacio e Pepe ($45) and The Independent ($60)

Stay tuned and follow me on Instagram: @tablespoonsandteaspoons.

Throwback Thursday – 2022 New York City Winter Restaurant Week – Part 2

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It’s been approximately 8 weeks since I posted my restaurant dining experience on the first three restaurants, I’ve dined in during NYC winter restaurant week.

Now, I am finally going to write about my experience eating in the remaining four restaurants.

  1. Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse
  2. Thaimee Love
  3. The Bar Room at the Modern
  4. Taralucci E Vino

Ben and Jack’s Steakhouse – 219 East 44th Street New York, NY 10017

After work, I ventured into the Midtown East just past Grand Central Station into this renovated steakhouse. The steakhouse was huge and I was immediately seated. For my drink I ordered a ginger ale. For my appetizer I went with the French onion soup, which was the perfect comforting soup to consume on a very cold winter night. The soup was hot and each scoop of the cheese with the soup hit the spot.

French onion soup and ginger ale

For my entree, I ordered the 14 oz steak with a side of broccoli and mashed potatoes. The broccoli was a bit overcooked. The mashed potatoes were good yet standard. The star of the entree was the steak. The steak was cooked well done due to my pregnancy. Having a well-done steak gave me the opportunity to taste the namesake steak sauce, which made the meat consumption experience worthwhile. Apparently I was hungry because I devoured the entire steak and I took the bone home to make my bone beef broth.

Prime Dry Aged Sirloin Steak with sauteed broccoli and mashed potatoes

For dessert, I went with the server’s recommendation which was the chocolate mousse cake and ice cream, which hit the spot. However, I had to end my meal with decaffeinated tea with lemon to maintain body warmth after consuming the ice cream. FYI, they are also participating in the 30th Anniversary of NYC restaurant week starting from July 18 thru August 21.

Chocolate mousse cake with tea

Thaimee Love – 116 West Houston Street New York, NY 10012

I’ve been personally dying to return to this restaurant once it reopened. I dined after the huge snowstorm because I struggled to get out of my Uber with my baby bump hoping not to slip in the black ice sidewalk. I eventually made it inside and the owner Hong Thaimee was there. I was greeted by the server and owner both welcoming and awesome people. The restaurant was waiting to get their liquor license so their drink menu options were limited. My server also looked out for me by recommending not to order the Thai teas because he was not sure of the caffeine content.

For the appetizer, I ordered the Yum Gin Ghai soup, which is a “Northern Thai style chicken soup with a rich broth of turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, mint, and “Laab chili”. This soup was not spicy and it was perfectly portioned for a solo diner on a cold winter evening. I would definitely order the soup again and not a lot of Thai restaurants make this type of soup.

Yum Gin Ghai

For the entree, I had spare rib favorite green curry, which was served with berry rice. The green curry paste is made in-house and once again another perfectly portioned dish, which was also beautifully presented. The meat from the rib was very tender as it falls off the bone. The curry with the rice was to die for and I don’t usually order green curry. No wonder why the green curry is one of the favorite dishes to order.

Spare rib green curry with berry rice

For dessert, I was excited to try the pandan custard with roti. As the menu description stated, the dish definitely was “the perfect way to end” my dinner. The dish was to die for. The only drawback to this dessert was that there was not enough roti to dip into the amazing custard. I would eat this over and over and over again.

Pandan custard with roti

My overall experience at this restaurant was amazing. They obtained their liquor license so their menu has expanded to include cocktails. I can’t wait to return to try their summer dishes, cocktails and afternoon tea. FYI, they are also participating in the 30th Anniversary of NYC restaurant week starting from July 18 thru August 21.

The Bar Room at the Modern – 9 West 53rd Street

My friend and I met for the only dinner reservation that evening. My friend could get there on time, but for me to arrive on time was impossible because the reservation was at 5pm and I usually get out of work at 5pm. Thankfully the restaurant was able to accommodate and we had our girl time dinner. FYI, the menu at this restaurant also changes seasonally so the entrees and desserts from this dining experience is currently not available.

For the appetizer we both ordered the tarte flambee which is a flatbread made of onion and bacon. The portion was surprisingly generous that I took half of it home. FYI this dish will be offered for the 30th anniversary of NYC summer restaurant week lunch starting July 18 – August 21.

The entrees and desserts were very good and we devour both dishes.

Entree – Duck breast
Dessert

The final restaurant I ate in was the Tarallucci e Vino in the East Village. I arrived there pretty late. The overall service was OK. I am unsure if this location is participating in this season’s restaurant week. The appetizer I ordered was the Tortino di Melanzane, which tasted pretty good and definitely a great start to my dining experience despite the so-so service. For the entree, I ordered the lamb chops thanks to my server who twisted my arm to get it. The lamb chops were cooked medium instead of well done, but I ate it anyway. The polenta fries were really good. For dessert I had the panna cotta with mixed berries, which served as a perfect ending to my dining experience.

TORTINO DI MELANZANE
Lamb Chops Special
Panna Cotta with Mixed Berries

NYC Restaurant week will be starting again on July 18th for it’s 30th year. Stay tuned for my game plan on approaching this milestone restaurant week.

NYC Winter Restaurant Week 2022 Game Plan

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NYC Restaurant Week began 30 years ago with 95 participating restaurants in 1992 to approximately over 500 restaurants in 2022.  This season’s restaurant week begins on 01/18/22 thru 02/13/22. The price points this time are $29 lunch, $29 dinner, $39 lunch, $39 dinner and $59 dinner. Mastercard is also a sponsor so if you have a Mastercard, you can register your credit card to get $10 credit back into your statement for purchases over $39 and you can purchase up to 10 meals; so in essence you’ll really paying $29 for an order, which is a pretty good deal. Some of the higher end restaurants or even the consistently participating restaurants have increased their price to $59.

NYC Restaurant Week has resumed the experience of indoor and outdoor dining throughout the five boroughs in the summer of 2021. I only ate at three restaurants because I was leery about the Delta variant and plus I am pregnant so travel has been limited due to the symptom called fatigue. Anyways, the three restaurants I ate during the summer are also participating in this season’s restaurant week.

La Sirene – 558 Broome Street

The first restaurant I ate was a French bistro spot in Soho. I went solo and I informed the staff I was pregnant. The server accommodated me because management was pissed that I didn’t order wine. Well if I was not expecting that would be a different story. In addition, the restaurant was only accepting cash or Mastercard. Anyways, the food portions of my three course meal was very generous and it was worth the $39. Here’s what I ordered:

Appetizer: Ravioles de Royan au Comté – Sensual little French Ravioli stuffed with Comte cheese in Truffle Cream Sauce

The Ravioles were to die for and no wonder why it’s considered a rare find. The dish itself was beautifully presented fresh and hot. The Comte cheese and the truffle cream sauce was so comforting, that I would return to just have this dish again.

Entree: Coquelet rôti au Jus – Roasted Cornish Hen “Au Jus”, cooked À La Minute

The Cornish Hen entree was huge and it came with four different vegetables which tasted amazing. I ate half of the hen and took the other half of the hen home along with half the of the vegetables too. Another plus, this dish is also gluten free.

Dessert: Mini profiteroles

For dessert, I had to settle with the mini profiteroles. The dish came with two profiteroles doused with dark chocolate. The dish was rich and it tasted so good. I devoured that dish.

Guess what, La Sirene is also participating in this season’s restaurant week and all three dishes mentioned above are included in their restaurant week menu except their three-course meal for dinner has gone up to $59. But if you register and use your MasterCard, you can get a $10 credit for your meal.

Almond Flatiron – 12 East 22nd Street

The second restaurant I went to was an American Bistro restaurant with a French fare. I met up with a friend of mine for dinner. My friend ordered the Moroccan lamb meatballs and I ordered the buffalo cauliflower. The cauliflower dish was a bit on the spicy side, but it was still delicious. For the entree, my friend got the roast chicken which was huge that she took it to go and I ordered the fennel agnolotti, which was to die for. For dessert, I ordered the lemon tart and my friend got the sticky toffee cake, my phone died so I didn’t take the photos. The lemon tart was my least favorite of the three courses and the sticky toffee cake was obviously the better of the two.

Appetizer: Buffalo Cauliflower
Entree: Fennel Agnolotti

Almond is also participating in this season’s restaurant week and all three dishes mentioned above are included in their restaurant week menu, which is still $39. But if you register and use your MasterCard, you can get a $10 credit for your meal.

Il Cortile – 125 Mulberry Street

The final restaurant I went to is in Little Italy. My friend and I met up in this beautifully decorated restaurant. Service was quick and accommodating because of my situation. I ordered the baked clams which was disappointing due to the portion I was provided. My friend got the fried calamari, which was impressively delicious. For the main entree I went with the Pepite di Gnocchi which was to die for and my friend got the Capellini Special, which tasted good, but she loved the gnocchi I ordered. For dessert, we settled with the pistachio cheesecake, which was our least favorite.

Appetizer: Baked Clams
Entree: Pepite di Gnocchi
Dessert: Pistachio Cheesecake

Il Cortile is also participating in this season’s restaurant week and the appetizers and entrees dishes mentioned above are included in their restaurant week menu except their three-course meal for dinner has gone up to $59. But if you register and use your MasterCard, you can get a $10 credit for your meal. Personally for this season’s restaurant week, I’d go with the lunch option, which is two courses for $39 and you can still get your $10 credit for your meal.

During my review of 151 menus, which is based on the menu availability and whether they are participating in Mastercard promotion, below is a list of restaurants grouped by meal and number of people that is worth exploring:

Lunch for 1: Altesi Ristorante, Chazz Palminteri Italian, City Winery, Empire Steak House, Mark Joseph Steakhouse, Morton’s The Steakhouse – Manhattan, Motel Morris, Nice Matin, Pasta Louise Restaurant, Quality Eats – Upper East Side, and Rosa Mexicano

Dinner for 1: Bar Boulud, BLT Prime, BLT Steak, Hangawi, Jue Lan Club, Lafayette, Marseille, Morton’s The Steakhouse – Manhattan and World Trade Center, Noreetuh, Russian Tea Room, Sofrito on the Hudson, STK (Downtown and Midtown), Tarallucci e Vino (East Village and NoMad), Thaimee Love, and Tuscan Hills,

Lunch for 2: Bluebird London, Il Mulino Uptown, Il Mulino Soho, Il Cortile, Longo Bros., Russian Tea Room, Safari, and Sant Ambroeus

Dinner for 2: Almond, Archer & Goat, Beauty and Essex, Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse, Copinette, Fine and Rare, Guantanamera Restaurant, Kyma, La Loteria, La Sirene (Soho), Mark Joseph Steakhouse, Masseria del Vini, Pig & Khao, Quality Eats – Upper East Side, Safari, Sant Ambroeus, SenYa, Sonnyboy, and Yakiniku Futago

Lunch for 3: Almond (Brunch), Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse, Jue Lan Club, Kyma, and Queensyard,

Dinner for 3: Catch NYC, Chazz Palminteri Italian, Dos Caminos, Flatiron Room, Gentle Perch, Havana Central, La Masseria, The Leroy House, Quality Eats – West Village, and The Woo

Lunch for 4: Ammos Estiatorio, Bar Marseille, Miznon – Chelsea, and Miznon – Hudson Yards,

Dinner for 4: Alice, Danji, Maison Pickle, Meet the Meat, Osteria 57, and Tribeca Grill,

Lunch for 5: Amali, La Sirene (UWS), and Montebello Restaurant

Dinner for 5: Amali, Ammos Estiatorio, Casa Brazilian, David Burke Tavern, Jacob’s Pickles, Montebello Restaurant, Philippe by Phillippe Chow, Philippe by Philippe Chow Downtown, and UN Plaza Grill

Stay tuned and follow me on Instagram: @tablespoonsandteaspoons.

Throwback Thursday New York City Restaurant Week

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Restaurant Week has returned to New York City! But…it’s for takeout and delivery only so it’s now named

NYC RESTAURANT WEEK TO GO

NYC Restaurant Week is back and it started three days ago on 01/25/2021. This annual event started almost 30 years ago can you believe it?! NYC restaurant week started with 95 participating restaurants in 1992 to approximately over 500 restaurants in 2021.  This time around, all five boroughs are joining in on this opportunity to promote budget friendly meals to boost their businesses during this ongoing, unprecedented times.  All restaurant week dishes are being sold for only $20.21. In addition, another awesome perk is the premier sponsor for this year’s restaurant week is Mastercard. If you have a Mastercard, you can register your credit card to get $10 credit back into your statement for purchases over $20.21 and you can purchase up to meals; so in essence you’ll really paying $10.21 for an order, which is unheard of.

The website was updated very late on 01/24/2021 and after briskly reviewing over 500 menus or restaurant week to go offer(s) from each participating restaurant, there were definitely hits and misses from many restaurants that continued to participate in the past. What I discovered overall that the best offers were items related to omakases and steak dishes. Given the promotion ends on Sunday 01/31/2021 for most restaurants, some restaurants may extend their promotion until next Sunday 02/07/2021. With the short time I’ve had, I have only eaten at one restaurant to date, which is Adrienne’s Pizza Bar. For $22 that includes tax, I got a huge arugula salad and a 1/2 square of the old fashioned pie. I posted a picture of this huge lunch meal on my Instagram @tablespoonsandteaspoons.

During my review of over 500 menus I have come up with a very short wish list of places that is worth trying based on cost on a regular day of dining.

Angelo Pizza: Grilled Salmon with vegetables and fried calamari with garlic and oil.

Barbounia: Short Rib & Hummus or Branzino & Hummus

Bistrot Leo: Steak Frites with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

BLT Prime or BLT Steak: 14oz Strip steak with Fries

Khe-Yo – Crispy Chili Bell & Evans Chicken over Jasmine Rice with side of crispy brussels sprouts.

Tsuro Ton Tan (Union Square) – Omakase set—a full-size order of udon (choice of beef, chicken or spicy tan tan), and eight pieces of nigiri with a chef’s choice roll

With 4 days left, here’s a list of places I definitely would love to check out. Stay tuned and follow me on Instagram: @tablespoonsandteaspoons.

Sunday Game Plan: NYC Restaurant week Winter 2020 & Long Island Restaurant Week

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Happy Chinese New Year! So another health issues popped up and with one week of restaurant week already gone, it is time to give my game plan. This game plan is the Winter 2020 NYC Restaurant Week which began on January 21 and will end on Sunday February 9. Two course lunch/brunch is $26 and a three course dinner is $42.

After reviewing over 290 menus out of the 364 restaurants participating, there were a lot of restaurants continuing to participate plus several new ones. So, here is my plan for this year’s winter restaurant week adventure:

1) The Carlyle in the Upper East for dinner for two. This is the first time that they are participating for restaurant week. Definitely want to try their yellowfin tuna, beet salad, chicken, gnocchi and lavender creme brulee. In addition and it’s optional the wine pairing for all three dishes will be an additional $36.

2) Felidia in Midtown/Upper East Side is a great Italian restaurant with a connection to the Vatican because the owner Lidia Bastianich has served food to past three popes during their visits to New York. Personally I have eaten here this past summer for the Italian Restaurant Week and it will be interesting on how I will be treated because I experienced subtle inequality and slight discrimination when I dined there alone. Reservations go by very quickly.

3) Catch Steak is another restaurant under the Catch corporation located in Meatpacking is also participating in restaurant week for the first time for dinner. All three items chosen for their prix fixe are also sold a la carte. The ambiance of the place is awesome for pictures and girls night out.

4) Manhatta is a hard to get in restaurant under the Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group located in Lower Manhattan. They are also participating in restaurant week for lunch. Miraculously, I managed to get a reservation for a very early lunch. For my solo lunch, I definitely want to try the snails and lamb burger. Out of all the restaurants that are on this list, this is the one I am most excited about.

5) Aburiya Kinnosuke in Midtown is also participating in restaurant week for the first time and will be going for dinner for two. Definitely want to try their tofu, vegetable stir fry, black cod, chicken thigh, Shiratama Amitsu ice cream and mochi ice cream.

6) Ambassador Grill and Lounge located in the Millennium Hotel in the UN is also participating in restaurant week. All three items chosen for their prix fixe are also sold a la carte.

Due to time and obligations, I will not be able to eat at other restaurants this time around, so here is my wish list for restaurants to try: Cathedrale, David Burke Tavern, Tuome, Bann, Woodpecker, Cafe Boulud, Danji, Charlie Palmer Steak, Club A Steakhouse, and DB Bistro Moderne.

Now we will shift gears to Long Island Restaurant Week and over 175 restaurants will be participating. A three course prix fixe will cost $29.95. The awesome thing about this restaurant week is that they will be offering it on Saturdays until 7pm. Given that this restaurant week is coinciding with NYC restaurant week, it’s going to be difficult to participate. Therefore, here are my choices for this restaurant week: Red Salt in Garden City, Luigi’s in New Hyde Park and Imperial Meat Company in Huntington.

Stay tuned on my Instagram: tablespoonsandteaspoons and Twitter: spoonstt for posts during this adventure.

Meatless Monday – David Burke Tavern

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Last week I decided to make solo trip to David Burke Tavern in the Upper East Side in Manhattan. The former Fishtail location will be one of the participating restaurants for the upcoming NYC restaurant week starting tomorrow.

One of the entrees that will be offered during restaurant week is the celery root ravioli. The dish consists of grapes, pickled celery and winter black truffles. This homemade dish is well balanced especially when all the elements are combined.

Celery Root Ravioli

Stay tuned for the Restaurant Week Game Plan.

Flashback Friday- NYC Restaurant Week – Bread & Tulips

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Happy 2020! Can’t believe that we are halfway in the first month of the year! What’s even more exciting is next week is NYC Winter Restaurant week. One of the restaurants that will be participating during the restaurant week is Bread and Tulips.

Over the summer, my friend and I had dinner at this hot spot in Gramercy. They had happy hour until 7pm for discounted drinks. We came on a Monday evening during the summer and the place was dead. Service was on point in terms of knowledge and efficiency.

– Appetizers: To start, we took advantage of the restaurant week wine bottle special for $35. The wine was very good and the waiter re-corked the bottle to take home because we could not finish a bottle of wine. We ordered the crab cakes and Tuscan kale salad. The crab cakes were very good overall, the only comment I would say is that it was a little salty but all the components are well balanced if consumed in one bite. My friend got the Tuscan Kale Salad, which was really good, refreshing and healthy. Out of the two dishes, the kale salad was the better of the two.

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Crab Cakes
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Tuscan Kale Salad
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Restaurant Week Wine Special: $35 bottle wine – Campos de Riscas Estate Wine Organic Monasyrell – Syrah

– For the entree, we ordered the seared sea scallops and Long Island duck. The scallops was really good and the flavors were well balanced. Meanwhile my friend got the duck which was amazing and very lean. Out of the two dishes, the duck was the better of the two. That duck was to die for and personally I could see that dish become inconsistent if it was a busy night. Plus both dishes went well with the wine.

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Seared Sea Scallops with asparagus and pancetta vinaigrette
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Long Island Duck – Braised red cabbage, marcona almonds, sage and balsamic

The desserts were to awesome. The tartufo is amazing and with the lemon flavor and currents and walnut texture, the dish was a perfect end to my prix fixe. My friend got the chocolate mousse cake with hazelnut gelato, which was flawless.

Tartufo al Limoncello
Chocolate mousse and hazelnut gelato

Personal note, go on a non-busy night; given the restaurant’s reputation I can foresee regular people like us could get ignored and getting subpar service. The night we went it was dead (10 people were dining that evening).

Bread & Tulips is one of the over 300 restaurants participating in the upcoming NYC restaurant week starting from January 21 – February 7.

Stay tuned for suggested restaurants for this restaurant week….

Throwback Thursday – 2019 NYC Winter Restaurant Week

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Hello once again! This month was very adventurous with various eating adventures and weight gain. However, I was successfully able to achieve one of my goals for this year, which was to write more reviews on Yelp and OpenTable. I am happy to announce (yes I know it’s cheesy) but I am now part of Yelp Elite. Therefore I am very excited to take part in more exclusive Yelp events and network with more elite Yelpers.

I am happy to say that I have attended at least one of my lunch and dinner restaurant recommendations for NYC Winter Restaurant week thanks to my new friends from Catholic NYC.

So let’s begin with the list of restaurants I was able to eat at for the first official NYC Restaurant week of 2019:

1) Delmonico’s

2) ilili

3) David Burke Tavern

4) Burke and Wills

5) The Dutch

6) Riverpark

Delmonico’s

The restaurant has two floors which calls for segregation from the restaurant week people and their high end regular clients. Overall service was good, my waiter was knowledgeable and recommended the great wine pairing with my entree. This would be a great special occasion restaurant or for a date night for two. Now to the meal:

– The appetizers offered for restaurant week were different variations of their regular menu appetizers. So I settled for the burrata with arugula, beets and poached pear, which was tasty with the Portuguese white wine. Unfortunately I didn’t take a photo or the photo did it make it to this phone.

– For the entree, I settled for the miso butternut squash glazed bass, which was part of their regular menu and beautifully presented. The skin was crispy, and the meat combined with the squash and the leeks plus the white wine was perfect.

– For the dessert, I paid an extra $8 for their classic baked alaska, which was the highlight of my meal and worth the extra cost. The dessert presentation was amazing, the walnut cake, banana gelato, and lemon meringue plus carmelization smokiness was to die for.

Ilili

I came here to have dinner with three people and we had the opportunity to take advantage of the happy hour. The happy hour deals were good. The cool thing about this place was for $42 you get to order four things (Two appetizers, entree and dessert).

Overall the restaurant was busy and after paying our bill, the hostess had to “kick us out” of the table for new guests. She was really nice and accommodating by providing us with a free drink at their lounge. I ordered the “From Beirut with Passion” cocktail which is a basil cilantro mint infused vodka with sparkling passion fruit. This drink after was much stronger than the happy hour version.

– For the two appetizers I went with the steak tartare with onions and jalapenos and the fattoush salad. The tartare was a small portion designed to be cut into quarters to accommodate the perfect balance bite. Therefore the bite tasted good with everything combined. Next the fattoush salad arrived. The salad was refreshing, very minty and crispy due to the toasted pita chips, which worked really well after eating the tartare.

– For the main entree I ordered the Lamb Makboubeh and it was meaty, gamey and hearty especially with the dirty rice and mixed nut mixture. The cucumber yogurt sauce really helped mask the gaminess of the lamb shank. I only ate half of the dish and took the rest home.

– For the dessert came I ordered the ilili candy bar and it was a small portion compared to a regular order. It tasted so good and was a perfect end to the meal.

David Burke Tavern

This restaurant is my go to spot to take a group of people because their menu is the same for restaurant week. Service was efficient and very quick. I sat in the standing table at 5 to 8 and was done with everything at 9.

First I ordered a mocktail: Moscow Mouse which was good and refreshing.

– Appetizer: I ordered the pastrami salmon with falafel. The pastrami salmon was not the same as I had it before. The falafel was a healthier version that caught me by surprise because it was chewy and it did have the breaded crispy crunch that would be found in most if not all authentic falafel.

– Entree – I ordered the roasted branzino. The dish was one of the best dishes I have had in this restaurant to date. The branzino had a great roasted crisp especially combined with the squash, crispy artichoke and artichoke puree. The puree was the best I have had to date.

– For the dessert I went with my server’s recommendation of the chocolate hazelnut crunch cake. Unfortunately, the picture of this beautifully presented dish did not save on my phone. The cake was rich but it has to be consumed with the whipped cream for a balanced taste.

Burke and Wills

For restaurant week I came here for dinner with three friends from Catholic NYC. This restaurant was another good go to spot to take a group of people because their menu is the also same for restaurant week. The restaurant from the outside looks like a hole in a wall, after bypassing the crowded bar there was a open deceivingly unknown space for dining. I would return to have brunch because the back area of the restaurant had a awesome sunroof plus I was informed that there was a speakeasy.

First I ordered a mocktail: Paul Hogan, which was good and refreshing.

Appetizer: I ordered the roasted beet salad. The salad was definitely colorful just as our server described and it was tasty and refreshing.

Entree: I ordered the barramundi which was both popular and highly recommended by our server. The dish was roasted perfectly crispy and mixed with vegetables it had a great balance of flavors. The dish compliment well with the Pinor Gris from Australia.

Dessert: I had to have the bread pudding which was so good and a perfect end to this dessert.

The Dutch

I finally had the privilege to enjoy lunch at the Dutch for NYC restaurant week. I barely made it to lunch before the kitchen closed for dinner. The staff was very accommodating and ensured I was well taken care of. Service overall was great. I took advantage of the deal $26 for two courses which was a great bargain for the amount of food I got. I highly recommend this restaurant for lunch for restaurant week, it’s worth it.

I had the hot tin roof cocktail which was good, refreshing and somewhat medicinal. For the appetizer I went with the shrimp cocktail, the shrimps were huge and the right amount of the crab louie made this deceptively small dish very filling.

The entree was the highlight for me, the roasted chicken kale caesar salad with lots and lots of cheese was huge that it could feed two people. This salad was so good, the chicken was tender and skin was so crispy while the kale and cheese combination hit the spot. I was only able to eat half of it.

Riverpark

For the final night of restaurant week dinner I came to Riverpark with 5 people fromCatholic NYC 15 minutes before they closed. This restaurant is absolutely gorgeous. Service was efficient and accommodating especially when they were going to close for the evening. I would return to have brunch because of the view and outdoor dining option.

Given the time of night I went light and pescatarian.

Appetizer: I ordered the cauliflower sformato. The appetizer was pretty and custard in combination with the cauliflower was to die for.

Entree: I went with the diver scallops and clams which was light and perfect for that of the evening.

Dessert I had to have the persimmon cake with the ginger ice which hit the spot and was a perfect end to this restaurant week adventure.