As you hopefully noticed in Kim’s Restaurant Week (RW) post yesterday, we’re blowing up our RW coverage this year. There are so many new options this year (and so many great menus) that it’s hard to limit our picks to a mere three each. Before I launch into what I’m really excited about though, a few comments on what I’ve been seeing in menus across the board. Last year, we warned, never go to a restaurant that won’t show you their RW or prix fixe menu in advance. Several RW menus I’ve seen this year are showing that advice to be sage, as a lot of the better items require a $5 to $10 supplement, on top of the $35 you’re already spending. Now you might not mind shelling out a little extra cash, but for me, that goes against the spirit of RW. If I wanted to spend more than $35, I’d go to one of these restaurants any week of the year. A small quibble, but one that’s important to me nonetheless. Also this year, in light of the recession, a bunch of restaurants are now offering special discount menus. This makes finding a unique RW experience will be ever more challenging than ever. That said, do your research! If you can always get lunch at Barbounia for $25, why not go somewhere else, where a discounted lunch is a special treat?
Most readers of our blog should know that Kim and I have a certain nostalgic preference for Mexican food, and Kim had some great Mexican RW picks. To her list, I’m adding vibrant Chelsea cantina Rocking Horse Cafe. Packed with fresh and unusual ingredients worked into everyday dishes, their menu offers a little something for everyone. From enchiladas de pollo, featuring pomegranate-charred free-range chicken, pomegranate-guajillo salsa, refried beans and pickled cabbage, to tarta de limon (lime custard in ginger-graham crust with Myers’s rum whipped cream, raspberry and mango purées), you’re guaranteed a fantastic dining experience.
Aside from my love for Mexican food, what I’m really excited about this year are the plethora of seafood-based RW menus. Lower East Side Latin restaurant Rayuela incorporates everything under the sun (and under the sea) into their diverse menu, bringing you dishes featuring ingredients like cuttle fish (with jalapeno chorize in a white wine garlic sauce) and hake (sliced and served with avocado in a calamnsi citrus sauce). But those are just the precursor to the real show, which is the parihuela, or Fisherman’s seafood stew with shrimp, scallops, octopus, clams, and mussels, infused with coconut ginger and lemongrass.
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the pretzel-crusted crab cake, so I was thrilled to find it on the David Burke Townhouse RW menu. What really sets that menu apart is the sheer volume of options, including eight different appetizers and entrees, and five desserts (as opposed to the paltry three choices you normally see).
For sheer inventiveness, Sho Shaun Hergatt gets my vote this year. I’m excited about dishes like hibiscus and acacia honey-glazed Long Island Duck and blood orange and cardomom-dusted scallops.
Last but not least, I was excited to see Park Avenue Winter on the list this year. I’ve been dying to try its local and seasonal menus for ages, and the RW menu, though simple, highlights a lot of what is great about their cuisine.
To be fair, it took me hours to go through all of the menus this year. There were so many excellent choices that it was hard to lower them down, and I could have included double or triple the picks that I did. Good luck with your RW selections and happy dining!
Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig
Tags: Foodie Events
[...] Restaurant Week is a wonderful opportunity to try restaurants that might normally be out of your reach, and Kim and I certainly took advantage of that this year. What’s even more heartening is that, even though RW officially ends this coming Sunday, so many restaurants are extending their menus, or offering comparable deals well into the spring. Periyali is one such establishment, and their $35 prix fixe is not to be missed. [...]