Posts Tagged ‘Upper West Side’

« Older Entries

Bon Appétit Café at Lincoln Center: A Favorite Lunch Stop Pops Up Uptown

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Some people might mark the turning of the seasons by the falling leaves and cool breezes, or by tents going up in Lincoln Center, but we here at City Dish mark the beginning of fall in pumpkin dishes and cozier fare. Not a shocker there. And while the end of summer means the end of lovely lobster deals and alfresco pop-up dining, fall promises many great food events to look forward to, not the least of which is the infamous Bon Appétit-sponsored pop-up café. Featuring dishes crafted specially for the event by celebrity chefs as well as pulled straight from the menus of famed New York eateries like Le Bernardin and Momofuku Milk Bar, the Café is always a guaranteed good time.

Previous pop-up cafés have included samples, demonstrations, and appearances by celebrity chefs. It’s not clear if those will be part of this year’s event as well, but there are plenty of new perks this time around. For starters, the café is closely tied with Fashion Week, so it will be taking place in Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. Also, for the first time, the café will remain open to the public in the evening as a wine bar (in past years, it converted into an exclusive supper club after dark) and it will serve small plates from the likes of Daniel Boulud, Mario Batali, and Emeril Lagasse.

Now for the main event: the fabulous food! The menu is made up of soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts concocted by New York-based chefs including Laurent Tourondel, Bill Telepan, and pastry chef Christina Tosi, as well as some imports like Chicago’s Rick Bayless. With a roster of chefs that varied, it’s no wonder the menu is so eclectic. Highlights include Missy Robbins’ prosciutto sandwich (ricotta, Prosciutto di Parma, roasted fig and arugula on ciabatta), Laurent Tourondel’s lobster roll, and Bon Appétit’s shrimp, mango and avocado salad with sweet chili-ginger vinaigrette. And the Café pulls out all the stops on dessert, with pumpkin whoopie pies, blueberry cream cookies, and bacon brittle on the menu.

The Bon Appétit Café will be open for breakfast, lunch, and small plates from the 12th-16th. There are no reservations, so make sure you have an extra-long lunch hour blocked out before heading uptown. But rest assured, for the delicious dishes the Café always offers, it’s worth the trip.

Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig
Price: $-$$
Location: Avery Fisher Hall, 64th St. and Columbus Ave.
Type of Food: American
Veggie Friendly? Y
www.bacafe.com


Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Deals | No Comments »

Fatty Crab: A Memorial Day Deal Worth Remembering

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

If you haven’t made Memorial Day plans yet, well, we just made them for you. For those staying in the city this weekend, nouveau Southeast Asian eatery (and cousin to Cabrito) Fatty Crab is hosting an all-day bash to kick of summer with the season’s three best things: great food, cold beer, and live music! On Monday afternoon, $29 grants you entrance to the festivities, and that fee is truly all-inclusive: you’ll have yourself unlimited pork (roasted whole, of course), passed hors-d’oeuvres from the raw bar, draft beer, and enjoyment of the live music the crew has in store. The fun starts at 3 p.m., so get there early to get your money’s worth!

Posted by: Kim Partrick
Price: $$$
Location: 2170 Broadway (between 76th & 77th Sts.)
Type of Food: Southeast Asian
Veggie Friendly? N
www.fattycrab.com


Tags: , ,
Posted in Deals | No Comments »

Pinch and S’Mac: What Swimsuit?

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

Sure, swimsuit season is fast approaching. But tomorrow is tax day, meaning that a meal deal that stretches your dollar is just what your bank account ordered. And one that will keep you satiated for days? Even better!

Starting this week, Upper West side sister restaurants slash co-tenants Pinch (“Pizza by the Inch”) and S’Mac (“Sarita’s Mac and Cheese”) will offer unlimited pizza and mac and cheese, respectively, along with salad, for just $20 every Wednesday and Thursday. This is your chance to sample more of the plentiful offerings at both restaurants for a flat price! Hey, the more you try, the longer you can go without paying for your next meal!

Posted by: Kim Partrick
Price: $$
Location: 474 Columbus Avenue (between 82nd and 83rd Sts.)
Type of Food: Pizza, Pasta
Veggie Friendly? Y
www.pinchandsmac.com


Tags: ,
Posted in Deals | No Comments »

Penang: Malaysian Sensation

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Penang buah mango

I’m as big of a fan of Chinese food as the next New Yorker, but it’s always fun to shake things up, and Upper West Side Malaysian joint Penang makes for a great change of pace. The dishes are reminiscent of what you’ll see at your corner takeout joint, like sweet and sour chicken, crispy fried duck, and wonton noodle soup, but most incorporate flavors you’re likely used to seeing in Indian or Thai dishes like lemongrass, coconut curry, and basil galore. It all makes for a wonderful fusion southeast Asian cuisine.

Every meal starts with delicate roti canai, served with a peanuty curry sauce (with cubes of potato and chicken hidden in the sauce). My dining companion sampled a traditional Malaysian dish (pictured above; note the scary knife!), called buah mango, shrimp with shredded mango and green and red peppers topped with spicy mango and served in mango halves. While my dish was a little less exotic, the Malaysian spareribs were dripping with Penang’s fantastically sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. Most dishes won’t set you back more than $15, and the “express lunch” clocks in at less than $10, leaving you some extra cash to sample one of Penang’s potent Asian-inspired cocktails (like the Green Tea Martini). For an extra jolt of Asian flavor, head on up to the UWS and check out Penang’s unique menu.

More pictures from my meal after the jump.

Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig
Order: roti canai, Malaysian spareribs
Price: $$
Location: 127 W. 72nd St. (at Columbus Ave.)
Type of Food: Asian
Veggie Friendly? Y
www.penangusa.com

(more…)

Tags: , ,
Posted in Reviews | 2 Comments »

Easter Brunch: Holiday Meal Deals for Under $30

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Easter. It’s just another excuse to jack up meal prices at some of New York’s ritziest restaurants. Or, if you’re judicious, it’s a chance to get dressed up in your Sunday best and enjoy a fancy prix fixe brunch for little more than you’d pay for your average all-you-can-drink morning meal. We’ve perused the Easter deals to find five special Easter menus for $30 or less.

SoHo Brazilian restaurant, Sounds of Brazil (unfortunately abbreviated SOBs), offers a three-course brunch along with their all-you-can-drink sangria bar for only $26.99. Enjoy such delicacies as banana-stuffed French toast, ginger lime snapper in a banana leaf, and feijoada (a traditional Brazilian stew of pork, beef and black beans), all to a non-stop bossa nova soundtrack.

If you’re looking for something a little more hearty, Meatpacking District steakhouse Macelleria is offering a $29 brunch with complimentary mimosa. The menu includes such Italian fare as ravioli al pomodoro, straw and hay tagliolini with peas and pancetta, as well as more brunch-friendly dishes like Sicilian egg toast with asparagus and truffle oil. and crepes with nutella.

In the same vein, Upper West Side Italian restaurant ‘Cesca boasts an impressive three-course prix fixe menu, plus a bellini or juice for $29. Once you’ve chosen from the salad, charcuterie, cheese, or soup of the day, you have to pick one of a whopping twelve entree options, ranging from the prosciutto fritatta to crespelle (chick pea and herb crepes) filled wtih sauteed granny smith apples, ricotta, and candied walnuts. Naturally, the menu also includees breakfast standbys like the “Tuscan toast,” served with mixed berries and chestnut honey. And don’t forget dessert!

Of course, Easter doesn’t have to be all fussy brunches and fancy eggs. Hell’s Kitchen’s Kiran Indian Cuisine boasts an Easter-inspired, and quite affordable, alternative. Enjoy a three-course Easter lunch for a mere $14.99, only slightly more than the cost of the average entree on the menu, which includes the standard curry specialties, an “Indian-style pizza,” plenty of kebabs from the tandoor oven.

And if you’d rather skip the fuss and get an old fashioned boozy brunch, La Palapa in the East Village is happy to oblige. But even they’re still getting into the Easter spirit with lavender margaritas and other holiday-inspired goodies.

Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig
Price: $$$
Locations: Sounds of Brazil, 204 Varick St. (at W. Houston St.)
Macelleria, 48 Gansevoort St. (between Greenwich St. and Washington St.)
‘Cesca, 164 W. 75th St. (at Amsterdam Ave.)
Kiran Indian Cuisine, 401 W. 53rd St. (at 9th Ave.)
La Palapa, 77 St. Mark’s Pl. (between 1st Ave. and 2nd Ave.)


Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Deals | 1 Comment »

Ed’s Chowder House: Lobster Lovers Unite!

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

You’ll need to bust out your elastic waistband for this deal. Even though Ed’s Chowder House is in close proximity to Lincoln Center, it will be hard for theatergoers and other UWS types to stay classy when they’re devouring two pounds of lobster plus fixings. We’re big fans of Gael Greene’s twitterfeed, and just this week we spotted a tweet about an exclusive deal offered to readers of her Insatiable Critic blog. Just visit her blog and check out the ads on the right-hand side, and you’ll see a phenomenal deal from Ed’s Chowder House, which is offering a two-pound lobster plus sides for only $29. (You might have to refresh a few times. It doesn’t always pop up right away.) We already love Ed’s, so it won’t be hard to convince us to go back. Lobster feast, here we come!

Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig
Price: $$$
Location: 44 W. 63rd St. (between Broadway and Columbus Ave.)
Type of Food: Seafood
Veggie Friendly? N
www.chinagrillmgt.com


Tags: ,
Posted in Deals | No Comments »

Fatty Crab: Worth the Hype

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Much ado has been made over Fatty Crab’s Monday all-you-can-eat chili crab deal, and for good reason. While $39 might seem a bit steep, the value you’re getting for your money is pretty incredible. No one knows how much the chili crabs cost at Fatty Crab (they’re listed at market price), but the day I chose to visit, it was $41 per crab. So, right off the bat, there’s $2 in savings. Now, if you think I stopped at one crab, you’d be quite mistaken. Let’s just say my dining companion and I managed to put away more than $200 worth of chili crab and lived to tell the tale.

Be sure you only go to Fatty Crab with your closest of friends, because the scene is not going to be pretty. When they place the first bowl on your table they also drop off an egg timer that alerts you to how far you are into your allotted all-you-can-eat hour. (Yep, you only get an hour to go to town.) Those crabs are work-intensive and insanely messy. They’re slathered with this amazing sweet and spicy chili sauce, but it will get everywhere, guaranteed. You won’t care though, because you’ll be gorging on the most divine dish and praying that your stomach will allow room for more. The chili crab comes with several options for sides including coconut rice and “chicken rice” (prepared in chicken stock), but those are merely an afterthought for when you can’t stomach another bite of seafood goodness. You might be too stuffed to eat for the next 24 hours, but you won’t soon forget the wonder that is Fatty Crab’s chili crab.

Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig
Order: chili crab, coconut rice
Price: $$$$
Locations: 643 Hudson Street (between Horatio St. and Gansevoort St.), 2170 Broadway (between 76th St. and 77th St.)
Type of Food: Asian
Veggie Friendly? N
www.fattycrab.com


Tags: , ,
Posted in Deals, Reviews | No Comments »

Ed’s Chowder Bar: Where Everybody Wants to Know Your Name

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Ed's Chowder Bar

It may not be Cheers, but it’s the closest thing I’ve seen. I’ve never met a more genial crowd than the after-work crew at the bar at Ed’s Chowder House. One of my dining companions says she can be found on her stool as many as four nights a week, and it’s no wonder. For the neighborhood and the service, Ed’s Chowder Bar is a downright bargain, and the dishes and drinks are fun, imaginative, and, of course, delicious.

If you’re wondering what’s in the picture, it’s the gorgeous shells lacquered into the bar. If you show up close to Lincoln Center’s curtain time, you might have a hard time getting a good look, but with some patience you’ll find your way to a comfortable seat.

After our lovely drinks — I opted for the elderflower royale — we shared the calamari, a favorite as usual, aided by wonderfully flavorful saffron aioli. Kim elected to try the jumbo lump crab cake with spicy remoulade and house slaw, and it was as good a crab cake as I’ve had. But the real showstopper of the evening came not off the bar menu, but off the appetizer list of the house menu. Based on a recommendation from a fellow diner, I was thrilled to sample the scallop ravioli, accompanied by white wine sauce and herbs. It was a wonderfully sumptuous dish, rich thanks to the creamy sauce which complemented the tender scallops well. I might have licked the plate in a less distinguished establishment.

The bar menu at Ed’s Chowder House is not to be missed, for the fantastic dishes, and for the equally wonderful company. Check out pictures from my fantastic dinner after the jump.

Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig
Order: calamari, scallop ravioli
Price: $$
Location: 44 W. 63rd St. (between Broadway and Columbus Ave.)
Type of Food: Seafood
Veggie Friendly? N
www.chinagrillmgt.com

(more…)

Tags: ,
Posted in Reviews | 1 Comment »

Gus and Gabriel: Take in Your Favorite Sport, Gastropub Style

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Typically, a sports bar trying to pack in fans for a game will do so with promises of cheap domestic pitchers and buffalo wings, with the knowledge that in most cases the game is far more important than its accompanying food and drink. Happily enough, however, Upper West Side gastropub Gus and Gabriel is offering a deal plenty enticing to those of us with intense passion for both the team and the grub.

Stop in during any game, and a measly $15 buys you an order of nachos, a hamburger, and a draft beer. These aren’t your neighborhood dive’s nachos and burger, either. At Gus and Gabriel, everything is made in-house and from scratch, from the ground beef to the relish. And with such eloquently-named brews on tap as “The Sword Swallower” and “Twisted Thistle” to accompany them, this meal is bound to blow your standard sports grub out of the water.

So while your team might lose the game, your taste buds will emerge victorious.

Posted by: Kim Partrick
Price: $$
Location: 222 West 79th Street (at Broadway)
Type of Food: American
Veggie Friendly? N
www.gusandgabriel.com


Tags: , ,
Posted in Deals | No Comments »

El Malecon Restaurant II: (Not) Just Another Hole-in-the-Wall

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Malecon mixed grill

If you somehow find yourself on the sleepy little block of Amsterdam just north of 97th, you’ll notice a mini restaurant row along the west side of the street. None of the eateries, however, are more enticing than El Malecon Restaurant II, a small Dominican place with juicy, golden chickens rotating on a spit in the window.

The last time I ate at Malecon, after a wonderful and hearty meal, I was baffled by the check. I wondered if there must have been some sort of mistake and I even asked the waiter if the total was correct. My table of five got more food than we could finish for just over $10 per person.

For our money, we sampled a delicious mixed grill with steak, chicken breast, shrimp, and chorizo. The chorizo was described by one as the “chorizo version of a Nathan’s hot dog,” but I thought it was juicy, spicy, and flavorful. I ordered the half chicken, malecon-style (only $8!), a juicy, crispy half roast chicken with spicy green sauce.

The chicken is really what draws you in to Malecon. You can’t help but salivate over the golden birds in the window. But you can’t go wrong with any dish; everything I’ve sampled garnered rave reviews. Should you find yourself near the top of Central Park, Malecon is worth leaving that pastoral haven and braving the city streets. You won’t be disappointed by the big flavor for a little price.

Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig
Order: half chicken, malecon style, yellow rice
Price: $
Location: 764 Amsterdam Ave. (between 97th St. and 98th St.)
Type of Food: Dominican, Caribbean
www.maleconrestaurants.com


Tags: , ,
Posted in Reviews | No Comments »

« Older Entries