For the past several years, I've made a habit of taking myself out to lunch at Eleven Madison Park for restaurant week. It's how I pat myself on the back, remind myself how sweet life can be.
Those of you not NYC-centered may not know anything about Danny Meyer. In short, he's the city's, neigh the country's, best restaurateur. For a foodie, going to a DM restaurant is akin to great sex. Sex you pay for, though, as more than a few trips his way could possibly leave you bankrupt. (Mr. Meyer is also the man I have to thank for giving me the only decent Chicago dog to be found in this city.)
Of his restaurants, all of which are great, EMP is the one that holds a place in my heart. I've often thought that if I ever get married (to somebody rich) that I'd eschew the traditional wedding and rent the place out so I could have this gem all to myself for 4 or 5 hours. The room is tall and sun-drenched. The colors soft and welcoming. The service? If it weren't so pleasant, it might be downright creepy the way every smile that's directed your way is genuine (or at least faked tremendously well). Walking in means being treated like royalty for the next couple hours. Try not to get used to it though lest the trip out through the revolving door prove too jarring for you as everyone you pass on the sidewalk will not smile and greet you and move out of your way in deference.
I always go alone and I'm never treated like I'm a leper for dining solo. I prefer to go alone, actually, in order to fully enjoy the experience. I'd think dining there with a guest would be like having a masseuse who chats constantly with you during your 1 hour rub-down. It would be distracting. I'm weird, I think. However, I've never dined there for dinner. It's a combination of it being fairly pricey (and so I doubt I'd find someone to eat with me) and the fact that having a some 10 course meal while alone might be overdoing it. 1 hour lunches are cake to handle alone. Plenty of light to read by, etc. 3 hour dinners = a different story. That being said, I'm totally trying to finagle Justy into going with me to Blue Hill at Stone Barns for my birthday (though I've already decided that if he won't go, I'm still going to go by myself...out to Tarrytown! Scary!).
Anyway, the food is fantastic. I don't mean that as an afterthought even though it sort of sounds like one. I suppose I just assume that any great restaurant starts with great food. And some end with great food as well,see Ko for an example of that. As much as I enjoy Ko, there's something to be said for the level of service found with good 'ole DM. The pampering. Servers so gentile and comforting that I feel I may want to take them home so they can tuck me into bed the way mother never did. Seeing Danny (as I do every time I go) standing at the edges of the restaurant, surveying his baby with a knowing father's eye, I also kind of want to bring him home too so he can tell me to do my homework or, "no TV before dinner." And I'm not even a student...nor do I watch TV.
I'm rambling. If you're ever in New York, just go. It might hurt your wallet but you won't regret it.
a meal there = happiness.
post script: i've just been informed by my favorite street jewelry seller ricky that dave chang will be on charlie rose tonight! huzzah!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
more chang!
my boy dave chang is taking the country by storm.
i was actually out to dinner with katie and some family friends of hers from bumblefuck. somewhere out in that empty spot between central and upstate new york. katie was making fun of my Ko debacle and the kid says, "oh, david chang! of the noodle place!" and to answer my look of confusion he followed up with, "i read Gourmet."
and now there's a whole profile of the darling in my cherished new yorker.
as if reservations at Ko weren't hard enough to get, now they'll obviously be even worse.
but i came, i saw, it conquered me. when it did that to me, i knew somehow, it had to be...
so i'll keep trucking. i'd like to try back in another month and maybe i'll get lucky. both with the reservation AND with the cute skinny blond chef with wire-rimmed glasses...
i was actually out to dinner with katie and some family friends of hers from bumblefuck. somewhere out in that empty spot between central and upstate new york. katie was making fun of my Ko debacle and the kid says, "oh, david chang! of the noodle place!" and to answer my look of confusion he followed up with, "i read Gourmet."
and now there's a whole profile of the darling in my cherished new yorker.
as if reservations at Ko weren't hard enough to get, now they'll obviously be even worse.
but i came, i saw, it conquered me. when it did that to me, i knew somehow, it had to be...
so i'll keep trucking. i'd like to try back in another month and maybe i'll get lucky. both with the reservation AND with the cute skinny blond chef with wire-rimmed glasses...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
momofuku ko
so that little eensy restaurant i was giving myself anxiety attacks about?
the clusterfuck that was obtaining a reservation is detailed here, summaryhere. that i got a reservation is a miracle. a bloggy miracle! and i brought poor poor peter on the ride with me. frantic e-mails, begging him to reload the site while i was out if he was going to be home and e-mailing him my credit card info to use to make my resy if i wasn't home for the site debut. not only did he NOT use my card to buy $4,300 worth of escort services, but after the panic of getting the resy he said, "i'm a little spent now. i need a cigarette" (he doesn't smoke) and i knew how he felt. i could have used a massage after the whole ordeal.
justy, not only one of my favoritest friends but also one of the only people who enjoys food as much as i do and doesn't mind spending some money on it, was my date.
food porn can be found here, thanks kathryn for the beautiful photos.
the place was serene and cozy except for the intermittent passersby who stopped in to ask, "how long is the wait for a party of six?" or "can i get a takeout menu?" justin and i smugly chuckled at the ignorance of those foolish people. then we let out a wee evil laugh.
justin and i hadn't had alone time in months so we had a lot of catching up to do. the couples on each side of us barely exchanged words all night which resulted in justin and i being a full 3 courses behind those who sat down AFTER us (we were in the second seating, nobody was waiting for our chairs otherwise, i promise, we would have kept pace), but the chefs took it all in stride. food was every bit as good as i expected it to be. the oysters and pork belly in kimchee consommé was my favorite dish...i think. but then there was the foie that was fluffy as new snow but savory and buttery and melty right when it hit your tongue. i kind of wanted to swim in it, like, all the time. and the amuse of teeny english muffins with pork fat and butter that, later, the chefs topped with slices of boiled egg and caviar as a snack. and just when i thought i might explode, the fried apple pie came and was so much lighter than it looked that i thought i might actually want a second helping.
wine/sake pairings were better than decent. a rioja that i hadn't had before (i didn't know such a thing existed) rocked my world. the sancerre cut just the right way during its course. some house made sparkling malbec? was amazing (though a bit tough on the nose, in the mouth it somehow worked).
justin and i lingered (we were actually the last table to leave) and shot the shit with the chefs. david chang was behind the counter for all of 4.5 minutes of our 3.5 hour dining experience. though the legend wasn't there to entertain (and he's SOOOO not the smiley pillsbury dough boy that he appeared to be on the cover of the dining section this morning, but rather more of a distant slightly cocky thing), the chefs he had in his stead (notice the cute lanky guy with the glasses in the background of aforementioned photo and another delightful shy guy who wasn't in the photo, probably because i bet he'd rather be speared than be featured in a photo in a major newspaper) were collected and graceful. also, ridiculously friendly.
afterwards, we sat around with chang (who seemed infinitely looser and happier sans patrons) and the other chefs for a bit. JW black on the rocks in hand, we chatted about the ease with which their first night was executed. snacks were made, things tidied, budweisers consumed. one chef was a bit disappointed that i knew what every course was going to be before it came but, seriously, anyone who had the ambition/luck/unbridled obsession to get a resy at this place HAD to have known a million intimate details about the spot first. in fact, at one point, i reminded them all what their day off was. "it's tuesday, not monday! and i'm a freak that i actually know that, sorry." when all is said and done, i enjoyed that we were normal people, not critics or people with "ins", and were still able to dine there on their very first night. huzzah to democracy in action! i'd also like to take some time to thank my right hand index finger. without its rapid taps on that F5 button, i wouldn't be here telling this story today.
in all, an incredible night that i wish i could do over and over again. and would, if it weren't for the cost and the fact i'd look like a beached whale in a matter of weeks on that diet. i'll certainly be going back but i'll give them a few weeks to rotate the menu a bit. no sense in duplicating courses...(that is assuming i'll ever be able to get a reservation ever again).
you can't see me but i have a very content grin on my face at the moment and doubt it's going anywhere any time soon. and luckily for me, neither is Ko.
the clusterfuck that was obtaining a reservation is detailed here, summaryhere. that i got a reservation is a miracle. a bloggy miracle! and i brought poor poor peter on the ride with me. frantic e-mails, begging him to reload the site while i was out if he was going to be home and e-mailing him my credit card info to use to make my resy if i wasn't home for the site debut. not only did he NOT use my card to buy $4,300 worth of escort services, but after the panic of getting the resy he said, "i'm a little spent now. i need a cigarette" (he doesn't smoke) and i knew how he felt. i could have used a massage after the whole ordeal.
justy, not only one of my favoritest friends but also one of the only people who enjoys food as much as i do and doesn't mind spending some money on it, was my date.
food porn can be found here, thanks kathryn for the beautiful photos.
the place was serene and cozy except for the intermittent passersby who stopped in to ask, "how long is the wait for a party of six?" or "can i get a takeout menu?" justin and i smugly chuckled at the ignorance of those foolish people. then we let out a wee evil laugh.
justin and i hadn't had alone time in months so we had a lot of catching up to do. the couples on each side of us barely exchanged words all night which resulted in justin and i being a full 3 courses behind those who sat down AFTER us (we were in the second seating, nobody was waiting for our chairs otherwise, i promise, we would have kept pace), but the chefs took it all in stride. food was every bit as good as i expected it to be. the oysters and pork belly in kimchee consommé was my favorite dish...i think. but then there was the foie that was fluffy as new snow but savory and buttery and melty right when it hit your tongue. i kind of wanted to swim in it, like, all the time. and the amuse of teeny english muffins with pork fat and butter that, later, the chefs topped with slices of boiled egg and caviar as a snack. and just when i thought i might explode, the fried apple pie came and was so much lighter than it looked that i thought i might actually want a second helping.
wine/sake pairings were better than decent. a rioja that i hadn't had before (i didn't know such a thing existed) rocked my world. the sancerre cut just the right way during its course. some house made sparkling malbec? was amazing (though a bit tough on the nose, in the mouth it somehow worked).
justin and i lingered (we were actually the last table to leave) and shot the shit with the chefs. david chang was behind the counter for all of 4.5 minutes of our 3.5 hour dining experience. though the legend wasn't there to entertain (and he's SOOOO not the smiley pillsbury dough boy that he appeared to be on the cover of the dining section this morning, but rather more of a distant slightly cocky thing), the chefs he had in his stead (notice the cute lanky guy with the glasses in the background of aforementioned photo and another delightful shy guy who wasn't in the photo, probably because i bet he'd rather be speared than be featured in a photo in a major newspaper) were collected and graceful. also, ridiculously friendly.
afterwards, we sat around with chang (who seemed infinitely looser and happier sans patrons) and the other chefs for a bit. JW black on the rocks in hand, we chatted about the ease with which their first night was executed. snacks were made, things tidied, budweisers consumed. one chef was a bit disappointed that i knew what every course was going to be before it came but, seriously, anyone who had the ambition/luck/unbridled obsession to get a resy at this place HAD to have known a million intimate details about the spot first. in fact, at one point, i reminded them all what their day off was. "it's tuesday, not monday! and i'm a freak that i actually know that, sorry." when all is said and done, i enjoyed that we were normal people, not critics or people with "ins", and were still able to dine there on their very first night. huzzah to democracy in action! i'd also like to take some time to thank my right hand index finger. without its rapid taps on that F5 button, i wouldn't be here telling this story today.
in all, an incredible night that i wish i could do over and over again. and would, if it weren't for the cost and the fact i'd look like a beached whale in a matter of weeks on that diet. i'll certainly be going back but i'll give them a few weeks to rotate the menu a bit. no sense in duplicating courses...(that is assuming i'll ever be able to get a reservation ever again).
you can't see me but i have a very content grin on my face at the moment and doubt it's going anywhere any time soon. and luckily for me, neither is Ko.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
why i'm crushy on dave chang
check out his posts over at eater.com
he's obviously talented, if he has a huge ego he has enough tact to appear self-effacing (in public, at least), is very funny and extremely hard working.
but, he's a chef. and i kind of love chefs, but i these days prefer to like them from afar. they're just impossible to date. you never see them and even when you do, you never want them to cook for you, seeing as they do too much of it during the day as it is. for as good as you know they are with their hands, they can be clumsy in bed. and for as much as i like cooking, there's nothing that makes me feel more inadequate than cooking for someone who actually knows how to do it. (i will note that i make some awesome lentil soup. and braised lamb shanks are SO my thing.)
but we both really love pork. and, in the end, isn't that what really matters?
eater dropped the news today that he'll be leaving his places in capable hands while he pursues other ventures. he claims he'll still be in the kitchen, but i think the days are numbered on my secret fantasy of him sending out some comped hamachi and asking me out to dinner during a late night visit to ssam bar.
sigh. we'll always have pork.
he's obviously talented, if he has a huge ego he has enough tact to appear self-effacing (in public, at least), is very funny and extremely hard working.
but, he's a chef. and i kind of love chefs, but i these days prefer to like them from afar. they're just impossible to date. you never see them and even when you do, you never want them to cook for you, seeing as they do too much of it during the day as it is. for as good as you know they are with their hands, they can be clumsy in bed. and for as much as i like cooking, there's nothing that makes me feel more inadequate than cooking for someone who actually knows how to do it. (i will note that i make some awesome lentil soup. and braised lamb shanks are SO my thing.)
but we both really love pork. and, in the end, isn't that what really matters?
eater dropped the news today that he'll be leaving his places in capable hands while he pursues other ventures. he claims he'll still be in the kitchen, but i think the days are numbered on my secret fantasy of him sending out some comped hamachi and asking me out to dinner during a late night visit to ssam bar.
sigh. we'll always have pork.
Monday, December 17, 2007
holiday dinner at freemans
"hey, save sunday for a hurliday* dinner, i'll make a reso somewhere and send out the info this week." those were my friend colin's words last weekend. colin is in the core group of 8 that includes the gays and a few lady friends.
tuesday i get an e-mail, "i need your address to messenger you the invite." a messenger shows up and i sign for a padded envelope that contains a gorgeous invite sheathed in rice paper with gold labeling. it announced a "christmas sit down" at freeman's, "black and white holiday attire." and just like that, our casual dinner was turning into an event. colin also got to plan the menu.
we showed up and there was another party in our room. colin kind of pulled the "don't you know who i am" card which worked like a charm because his company does a lot of business at the restaurant. we were bought a round of drinks and the other people were kicked out to make room for us. colin disappeared and then reappeared to guide us to our private room where on the table he'd scattered pictures of us and had put photos of each of us, individually, in little stands at each place setting acting as our place cards.
we took turns talking about our fondest memories of the past year. our goals for next year. we regaled each other with tales of parties past. recounted our many nights of debauchery. talked about how lucky we felt to be in each other's lives.
on the menu: cheddar toast with watercress, endive and pear salad, pork with sauteed apples over a creamy polenta, mac and cheese, apple crisp and chocolate cake.
the food was phenomenal but the company was clearly the highlight of the evening.
*my friends have recently started talking like the target lady. all the time. i can no longer decide whether it's funny or annoying. also, tried finding a link to the target lady and can't find one anywhere on youtube! but if you haven't seen her, trust me, she's amazing.
tuesday i get an e-mail, "i need your address to messenger you the invite." a messenger shows up and i sign for a padded envelope that contains a gorgeous invite sheathed in rice paper with gold labeling. it announced a "christmas sit down" at freeman's, "black and white holiday attire." and just like that, our casual dinner was turning into an event. colin also got to plan the menu.
we showed up and there was another party in our room. colin kind of pulled the "don't you know who i am" card which worked like a charm because his company does a lot of business at the restaurant. we were bought a round of drinks and the other people were kicked out to make room for us. colin disappeared and then reappeared to guide us to our private room where on the table he'd scattered pictures of us and had put photos of each of us, individually, in little stands at each place setting acting as our place cards.
we took turns talking about our fondest memories of the past year. our goals for next year. we regaled each other with tales of parties past. recounted our many nights of debauchery. talked about how lucky we felt to be in each other's lives.
on the menu: cheddar toast with watercress, endive and pear salad, pork with sauteed apples over a creamy polenta, mac and cheese, apple crisp and chocolate cake.
the food was phenomenal but the company was clearly the highlight of the evening.
*my friends have recently started talking like the target lady. all the time. i can no longer decide whether it's funny or annoying. also, tried finding a link to the target lady and can't find one anywhere on youtube! but if you haven't seen her, trust me, she's amazing.
Friday, July 20, 2007
heaven part 2: in which i taste thai jewels
see here for part 1.
jean-georges is a bit of a celebrity in my book. see #15 on my 100 things list.
i've been to spice market a few times before. in fact, it is in the same building as the soho house (that god awful place where i used to cocktail), so all the employees shared an entrance. what i also wish we had in common? uniforms. spice market servers get to wear clay colored linen pants and airy cream linen tops. soho house attire? oxford shirts, ties, vests, ick, ick and more ick.
i went with 5 of my gay boys and we were sat in a tucked away little room that made us feel like we were in a private dining room with the restaurant all to ourselves. we were also hoping we weren't shoved out of view because we were too ugly. who am i kidding? me and the boys are beautiful. i'm sure they were just tucking us back there so the paparazzi wouldn't find us and disturb our meal!
our server was pixie-ish and lovely, the service was good (even though there were a few missteps). in lieu of bread they bring papadum to the table. we started with curried chicken samosas in that spicy indian yogurty mint sauce. next was cod on top of a tomato puree with me rice. for dessert, the elusive pichet ong thai jewels. i suppose they're not really elusive, it's just that in all my times there i wasn't informed enough to know that this is ong's most famous dessert there. it wasn't what i thought it would be but i'm always intrigued by textures. this was diced exotic fruit over a small puddle of slushy coconut milk. simple but interesting.
i would always highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a good meal. but make a reservation, it's always packed. as are all of JG's places...
jean-georges is a bit of a celebrity in my book. see #15 on my 100 things list.
i've been to spice market a few times before. in fact, it is in the same building as the soho house (that god awful place where i used to cocktail), so all the employees shared an entrance. what i also wish we had in common? uniforms. spice market servers get to wear clay colored linen pants and airy cream linen tops. soho house attire? oxford shirts, ties, vests, ick, ick and more ick.
i went with 5 of my gay boys and we were sat in a tucked away little room that made us feel like we were in a private dining room with the restaurant all to ourselves. we were also hoping we weren't shoved out of view because we were too ugly. who am i kidding? me and the boys are beautiful. i'm sure they were just tucking us back there so the paparazzi wouldn't find us and disturb our meal!
our server was pixie-ish and lovely, the service was good (even though there were a few missteps). in lieu of bread they bring papadum to the table. we started with curried chicken samosas in that spicy indian yogurty mint sauce. next was cod on top of a tomato puree with me rice. for dessert, the elusive pichet ong thai jewels. i suppose they're not really elusive, it's just that in all my times there i wasn't informed enough to know that this is ong's most famous dessert there. it wasn't what i thought it would be but i'm always intrigued by textures. this was diced exotic fruit over a small puddle of slushy coconut milk. simple but interesting.
i would always highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a good meal. but make a reservation, it's always packed. as are all of JG's places...
Thursday, July 19, 2007
heaven part 1: in which danny meyer buses my table
taking advantage of restaurant week here in new york involves strategy. many restaurants always do cheap prix fixe lunches or pre-theater dinners so what's the point of going when it's busy with people who don't know any better? Many restaurants aren't even worth the $35 you'll pay for a three course dinner. Getting resys at the ones that are worth it require calling one month in advance of the numerical date you'd like to dine.
many true foodies avoid it altogether claiming that none of a restaurant's best food is ever offered on the menu (you get two to three things to choose from for each course). that may be true. what is also true is that if a restaurant is good, whatever they're cooking, they're doing it well and it is almost always worth it for the price.
eleven madison park is probably my favorite restaurant in the city. i think it is meyer's best.
nb: meyer is also the man who brought to new york a chicago-style hotdog, even shipping in vienna beef dogs. and for that, i could kiss him. especially since i hear this year that they've finally FINALLY stopped putting lettuce on them, but i digress.
the room is large, bright and airy. the service is immaculate. i started with tuna tartare with slivers of steamed white and green asparagus, garnished with good olive oil and minced tricolored peppers. next was roast chicken. the skin was crispy and flavorful and it rested on top of fresh peas, a pea puree, diced morels and a morel puree. it was brilliant. last was my old standby, panna cotta with fresh berries and a macerated strawberry juice. it was accompanied by a gratis glass of moscato d'asti.
just as i was finishing i looked up at a man standing next to my table. he was taking in the dining room, standing confidently with a grin on his face, looking quite like a proud father at his daughter's college graduation. "he's good looking...and really tan," i mused, "and don't i know him from somewhere?" then it hit me, "oh my god, that's danny meyer!" at that point, he turned to look at me and asked how my meal was. i told him it was excellent and that i proudly restrained myself from licking any of my plates. "oh no! don't hold back! lick away!" he said as he took my dessert plates and flatware off the table. "thank you so much for coming!" he said as he scooted away with my dishes. so not only did i get a glass of free wine, but one of the most impressive restaurant moguls this city has ever seen just bused my table.
in all, it was lovely. i would eat there every single day if i had a few million dollars to waste away...
many true foodies avoid it altogether claiming that none of a restaurant's best food is ever offered on the menu (you get two to three things to choose from for each course). that may be true. what is also true is that if a restaurant is good, whatever they're cooking, they're doing it well and it is almost always worth it for the price.
eleven madison park is probably my favorite restaurant in the city. i think it is meyer's best.
nb: meyer is also the man who brought to new york a chicago-style hotdog, even shipping in vienna beef dogs. and for that, i could kiss him. especially since i hear this year that they've finally FINALLY stopped putting lettuce on them, but i digress.
the room is large, bright and airy. the service is immaculate. i started with tuna tartare with slivers of steamed white and green asparagus, garnished with good olive oil and minced tricolored peppers. next was roast chicken. the skin was crispy and flavorful and it rested on top of fresh peas, a pea puree, diced morels and a morel puree. it was brilliant. last was my old standby, panna cotta with fresh berries and a macerated strawberry juice. it was accompanied by a gratis glass of moscato d'asti.
just as i was finishing i looked up at a man standing next to my table. he was taking in the dining room, standing confidently with a grin on his face, looking quite like a proud father at his daughter's college graduation. "he's good looking...and really tan," i mused, "and don't i know him from somewhere?" then it hit me, "oh my god, that's danny meyer!" at that point, he turned to look at me and asked how my meal was. i told him it was excellent and that i proudly restrained myself from licking any of my plates. "oh no! don't hold back! lick away!" he said as he took my dessert plates and flatware off the table. "thank you so much for coming!" he said as he scooted away with my dishes. so not only did i get a glass of free wine, but one of the most impressive restaurant moguls this city has ever seen just bused my table.
in all, it was lovely. i would eat there every single day if i had a few million dollars to waste away...
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