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.
- Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse
- Thaimee Love
- The Bar Room at the Modern
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tablespoons and Teaspoons 