The Wandering Eater

This is my final Restaurant Week review. I’ve changed my mind into going to another restaurant for RW. I don’t think I can handle it anymore. So, let me talk about Eleven Madison Park, shall I?
I went to Eleven Madison Park before. As in my pre-blogging days and it was two years ago before the current chef, Daniel Humm, took charge of the kitchen. The restaurant has made a few changes, physically, in comparison to my last visit: they got rid of the large chandeliers and the black leather banquettes with a warm colored wood are the seating now. In all, the formality is gone but it’s still the most formal restaurant out of all of Danny Meyer’s (the restaurateur) restaurants. It’s just a bit more welcoming and warm due to the colors and the elimination of the chandeliers. You’ll see below. Also you might want to see the Amateur Gourmet’s review/photos of the place when it was the pre-Humm days.


The Restaurant Week menu (to see a larger version, just click on the photo):

I should mention that they didn’t seat me all the way to Siberia unlike at Telepan. I’m actually seated where most of the activity is buzzing around.

Other things they’ve changed is that the use of the maple leaf marketing: they only emblazoned the leaf only along the side of the banquettes; no longer on the butter (seen below) neither on the menu.

The bread served there was a choice of: a mini French baguette, a slice of multi-grain bread and a mini olive batard. I opted for the olive bread just because I like olives.

The bread was superb: crusty and crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, slightly salty and briny from the olives. Delicious. The butter was good, too. I think it tasted better than Telepan’s.

For some reason when I looked on the beverages available, I wanted to have a glass of non-alcoholic wine. Yes, I ordered grape juice but not any juice, it’s a Pinot Noir grape juice. It was a pretty darn expensive glass too; it cost me $7. Well, it tasted like grape juice but not like the stuff you drink when you were a child. It’s sweet but not cloyingly. I regret ordering that but I said it and it’s done. I might as well order a bottle of wine (pretty good choices) that I remember seeing that cost $24.07 instead of this grape juice. [bangs head on table for stupidity.]

The $7 glass of Pinot Noir grape juice

As for the actual food, my appetizer was the “Big Eye Tuna with Satsuma Tangerine and Pickled Radishes.”
When my server came, I was slightly astonished to see this long, narrow plate. It’s beautifully presented and arranged. It also tasted as good as it looks. The tuna was almost melt-in-your-mouth. I said “almost” just because it was cut into 1/2 inch cubes so I have to chew it. The vinaigrette, radishes and tangerine were nice, sweet-sour accompaniments to the tuna. I liked this appetizer.

Next up was the “Navarin of Colorado Lamb with Taggiassa Olives and Tomato Confit.” It also came with a small bowl of mashed potatoes.

The mashed potatoes was unexpected, since I didn’t remember seeing it on the menu but it was a nice thought. The lamb tasted wonderful and hearty. The vegetables highlighted some sweetness of the lamb and everything tasted fresh and the olives gave it some briny salinity that was a good contrast to the heartiness of the lamb. The mashed potatoes tasted fine, nothing spectacular to note about. It was creamy (both flavor and texture) and a hint of butter. If you’re a meat and potato person, this is your dish.

Last but not least, dessert; which was the “Espresso Frozen Parfait with Banana Macadamia Nut Crisp & Chocolate Soup.”

Presented view

First of all, the chocolate soup was poured from a silver sauce boat at the table. When the server poured it, the chocolate soup flowed down like a much thicker, milk chocolate version of City Bakery’s hot chocolate. The crisp that you see, is salty and sweet, underneath that crisp are two large dots of bittersweet (tasted like 62% cocoa) ganache with sweet, softened banana slices. I liked this combination together. It worked well. As for the frozen dome of the espresso parfait, it was quite hard that I have to use some force to get a piece off of it. It’s quite potent in the espresso flavor, also the use of ground espresso beans (under the dome) amplified the espresso flavor. The chocolate soup had small, ground up bits of macadamia nuts. When I ate each component in a bite, it didn’t work out too well. I honestly enjoyed my dessert from Telepan more than here. So, two out of three courses that I like a lot, isn’t bad at all.

When I paid my check, my waiter gave me a gift certificate that is worth $24.07 just because I ate here during Restaurant Week. I must admit, Danny Meyer is one smart businessman. This is tempting me to go back here for lunch again.

I finally gotten the opportunity to eat with another (and more popular) food blogger, Robyn. You know? The “Girl Who Ate Everything.”

I actually e-mailed her about having breakfast or lunch with her a few weeks ago just before the week I start classes. Since she wasn’t a morning person like I am, we met at 11 AM. In my time, it’s the afternoon. Her time, she told me that this is earlier than what she would normally wake up. Oy. She reminds me of my friend, Seungmi: they’re both adorable, they like sleeping or napping, and they like to eat. I’m content. ^^

Anyways, the meeting place was at Florent. I always wanted to go here for a while and I haven’t gotten the chance, so I might as well eat here with Robyn.

When we went inside this restaurant, the decor reminds me of a diner with really dim lights (and the lights gave an orange glow to the place). The stainless steel counter where patrons can sit on stools, the friendly waiters and waitresses, and lots of locals eat here. It’s not scene-y as the nearby Pastis.

The menu has simple and familiar French bistro fare; they also have daily specials. Robyn ordered the “Special Sandwich” ($12.50; which is today’s special) which is basically a grilled Cajun spiced ahi tuna burger on a toasted English muffin with a side of fries. I ordered the standard fare of brunch: the Eggs Benedict with fries ($10). Here’s what our order looks like:

Robyn’s Tuna Burger

My Eggs Benedict

I’m sorry if the pictures look a little crappy; it’s just the poor lighting and the fact that I used my point and shoot camera instead of the SLR. Anyways, the food was good. Robyn’s burger was cooked perfectly: medium-rare. It was flavorful, slightly creamy from the avocado slices and the chipotle aioli (in other words, mayonnaise), spicy but not burning your mouth/throat from the chipotle aioli and the Cajun spices in the burger. (I know because she cut me a small piece.) Did I mention that it was huge?! Once Robyn put the other half of the English muffin on top, I just end up asking her, “How can you actually manage to wrap your mouth around that thing?” She ended up taking bites that go halfway (vertically) off the burger.

My eggs benedict was cooked to perfection: the tell-tale signs of the runny egg yolk (as you’ll see below). It tasted fine but I didn’t love it. I think it needed more salt but since my fries had salt, it balances out. I think I like Robyn’s burger more than my benedict. Hmmm… I almost forgot to mention, the fries were pretty good too: Hot, slightly crisp and salty.

Egg yolk ooze…

At the end of our meal, Robyn inquired the idea of dessert. Eating dessert in Florent is not what I had in mind, so we paid our check and walked around the area. Originally, I thought of going to Tea & Sympathy but we just wandered in to Chelsea Market. Robyn asked what I like to eat in here, so I pointed out a few things and places but when we passed by Buon Italia, she wanted gelato! Argh. I normally would’ve have thunk of eating ice cream or gelato in the dead of winter and it’s actually cold today but when we kept on walking down the Market, and L’Arte Del Gelato had someone giving out small samples of their cherry vanilla. When we tried it, it was agreed that it tasted really good.

L’Arte Del Gelato’s gelato… Mmm…. :p

We walked into their small stand of sorts, and actually sampled a couple of flavors before we bought a small cup of our own gelato. After pigging out on samples and being our indecisive selves, we finally made a decision after 5 minutes probably. Robyn ordered pistachio and strawberry. Oddly, she was feeling “fruity” instead of chocolate-y and she loves pistachio gelato. I ordered gianduja and marscapone. I must have my filling of chocolate. It’s a daily requirement.
Here’s the photo of our goods, when we found seating a couple of yards away:

All of the gelato flavors were intense, fresh, delicious, and not cloyingly sweet. It’s creamy, dreamy and it cost us $3.75 each. It’s not bad. Robyn’s strawberry tasted like fresh strawberries and her pistachio gelato well, tasted like roasted pistachio. I was a bit apprehensive from trying pistachio gelato because of a really awful childhood experience with pistachio ice cream. My mom bought a half gallon of Friendly’s ice cream from my local supermarket when I was young and she bought pistachio. When I ate a few spoons of the Friendly’s pistachio ice cream, it tasted awful. It tasted medicinal, alcoholic; nothing tasted close or related to pistachio. Whenever there was a pistachio ice cream or gelato flavor, I avoid it like the plague ever since. But when I sampled Robyn’s pistachio gelato, it redeemed my faith in the pistachio gelato. Not all pistachio flavored ice cream or gelato are created like Friendly’s. Thank goodness! Thank you Robyn for now getting me hooked on pistachio gelato. Now I have an another food obsession. Like I need more?

I love my gelato flavors. The mascarpone was delicately flavored with mascarpone cheese and a slight hints of vanilla. It was a good contrast to the gianduja, which is intensely chocolate-y and a background flavor of hazelnut. *sighs* I’m in gelato heaven. I haven’t eaten good gelato like that since Il Laboratori del Gelato. I had a daring thought that in one hot, sweltering summer day I’ll go to this gelato shop and actually ask for a large cup or container and ask for a scoop of every flavor they’ve got and I’ll live off of it for the day. I’ll be satisfied and feel cooler by then.

Once we finished our dessert, we waddled our way around the Chelsea and Union Square, perusing various stores and I walked with Robyn to her apartment, just for the sake of burning a few calories. When I left Robyn at her place, I roamed around Curry Hill and eventually I had a strange craving for more sweets. I have a very strange stomach. I ended up walking to Cafe Zaiya and I bought the Sweet Potato Pie or is it puff? It cost me $1.95.

This somehow appealed to me compared to the other pastries and buns that were available. In terms of taste, this does taste like a sweet potato pie but much sweeter due to the sugar glaze and the puff pastry that enveloped the sweet potato filling was quite flaky. It was good but a bit too sweet for my taste.

In all, it’s been a good day: I ate out with another food blogger who got me hooked on pistachio gelato and it actually feels like a real January day in New York, unlike what happened a couple of weeks ago. I like the prior more than the latter.

This is a slideshow just for the sake of posting photos of stuff I bought in the city and a homemade cappuccino.

I’m kind of proud of my own cappuccino just because of the fact I can make a decent cup of my own without spending $4. No, I don’t own an espresso machine. I have those stovetop espresso makers and I foamed my milk with Bodum’s Schiuma set.

The chocolates are from Moonstruck Chocolate. Cute little critters. Really. The Japanese desserts or snacks are just…well, my obsession for Minamoto Kitchoan’s stuff. I’m really a sucker for their packaging.

I almost forgot. If you want to know the flavors of the chocolates and the five wagashis, in respective order. Click here and/or here.

Enjoy the show!

I’ve been having a huge craving for blue cheese and figs for the past week that it’s been driving me crazy!

Well, since my mom wanted me to cook dinner for her, I thought of going for a two or three course menu and it one has to be involved with the fig and blue cheese (since I want to eat them). I remember skimming through one of Mario Batali’s books, Molto Italiano, in Barnes & Nobles a couple of months ago in the city about a simple appetizer that involves with fresh figs that is stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and wrapped in prosciutto.

Since fresh figs are out of season, I thought of using dried figs and reconstitute it in balsamic vinegar for 5-7 minutes. This reduces the balsamic to a certain level of sweetness from the reduction process and the dried figs’ sugar.

I then took out the figs, cut the tops off and stuff it with gorgonzola dolce cheese with a pastry bag. The reason I used gorgonzola dolce is the fact that my mom’s not enamored with blue cheese, generally. So this is a ploy of sorts to get to her to like blue cheese. Then I wrap it in some prosciutto di parma and torch it briefly with my hand held blowtorch.

As for plating, I used the center for the toasted rosemary bread with a thin slice of gorgonzola dolce, to reinforce what I used in this course. Then surround it with the prosciutto wrapped figs. The reduced balsamic vinegar is dotted in between the spaces of the figs and drizzled down the slice of gorgonzola dolce.
The wine of choice to pair this course was a 2005 Côtes du Rhône from Château du Trignon that I bought from Chelsea Vault Wines for about $12. It was recommended by a guy who works there. It’s medium bodied, yet filling in the mouth, dry yet it was a nice lightness to contrast all the flavors that is going on in that plate. I like this wine and the price isn’t so bad either.
If you’re wondering if I drank a lot. No, I just drank a glass that you see in that photo. I have a low tolerance for alcohol. Period.

Oh vey. Another restaurant to eat in. Two more to go…(that’s next week)

Telepan in my perspective, a restaurant that caters to the neighborhood…well sort of. It’s very basic food fare (nothing out of the ordinary) and the prices are moderate, considering the location.
When I first entered the door of this restaurant, at the maître d’s table I saw a small stack of Chef Bill Telepan’s book! It just hit me of the NY Times article that Frank Bruni just written about. If you want to know what I’m talking about, click here. I felt a bit of vexation at that moment but it passed on.

I was seated all the way in the back of the restaurant, in the corner. My first thought was “Why?” but a few moments passed on, I thought to myself, “I don’t mind some privacy.” Should I mention that I was eating alone? And I lugged my Canon Rebel XT? So that’s why I thought the latter. Also, I was seated a few tables away from two men trying to open a new restaurant of sorts and briefly met with Chef Telepan during the middle of my lunch.

Anyways, back to the restaurant. The interior’s very streamlined and it tries to be cheery or slightly energetic of sorts due to the lime green walls and the interesting lights that hang from the ceiling.
The waiters and waitress (she served me initially but changed to a man later on) were courteous and presented my menu.

Sorry it’s a bit blurry. I didn’t want to use any flash.

I ordered an orange pekoe tea to begin with since I was freezing my butt off in 30 degrees weather (less with the wind chill factor). I know; it’s an extra $5 that will be added to my check and I could live with it. I just want to drink something warm! The tea’s pictured below. Somehow, it seems Bodum’s teaware is eponymously used in all restaurants in Manhattan. Hmmm…


Onto the food! I ordered: the House Smoked Brook Trout, the Duck Leg Confit, and the Crunchy Peanut Butter and Gianduja. Once I ordered, the bread came in:
Honestly, I was anticipating a bread basket or tray but all I received was a warm, crusty, white roll. It was good but nothing sensational and the butter was fine.

My appetizer, the House Smoked Brook Trout, looked really good and it tasted delicious.
The trout is resting on top of a potato-buckwheat blini and a thin layer of radish sour cream. The trout was faintly smoked and it had a touch of bitterness from the shredded turnips. I just love that blini. It’s very smooth and seductively creamy that I wished I have some more. The buckwheat flavor adds a nice nutty flavor to the soft, creamy potato.

The entrée, Duck Leg Confit was honestly, my first duck confit.
Even though I have read hundreds of times how to make duck leg confit, I have never attempted to make it myself. Anyways, my duck leg was succulent and delicious but it lacked that crispy skin that I hoped for. Nevertheless the duck meat and duck fat melts in my mouth that I can overlook that little flaw. The baby turnip greens, that is under the left half of the leg, was cooked perfectly and it imparted a nice sweet-bitter flavor to go along with the duck. The farro (seen on the photo below) was nutty and toothsome that gave it a good contrast to the soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture of the duck. The dried cherries was sweet and tart that went along with the nutty farro and the savory-sweet sauce.

Now to the best part (at least for me, since I love desserts): the Crunch Peanut Butter and Gianduja.

View of how it was presented
Viewed at a different angle

This dessert is really trying to play on the American childhood nostalgia: peanut butter and jelly or the Kit-Kat bar and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

The main portion of the dessert (the bar/cake in the center of the plate) reminds me of an upscale version of a Kit-Kat bar (texturally) with the flavor of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. It was really delicious. The gianduja somehow was really concentrated with the ground peanuts (hazelnuts were absent from this particular recipe, from what I tasted) that it was really nutty and crunchy with that biscuit that is on the bottom of this bar. The ice cream was intensely flavored with peanut butter and it was insanely creamy and rich. The small pool of dark, bittersweet chocolate (nearing or is at 80% cocoa) is a great addition to contrast the sweetness to the bar.

The only thing that disappointed me was the huckleberry gelée because it insipid. I didn’t really taste any huckleberry flavor (only a very faint hint of tartness) and it wasn’t sweet or tart. All it really was a small pile of dark blue-black, slightly chewy jelly.

In all, the food is very good but not very inventive fare. The ingredients are fresh and it’s cooked almost spot-on. The staff is friendly and attentive; they didn’t treat me like a weird person who likes to take photos of food and ate alone attitude. If I had the choice of coming back to eat here, I would.

I’m seriously eating too much food this week. I’m definitely taking it easy on the food after this Saturday. I’m still going to the remaining two restaurants next week but don’t expect the daily write-ups I’m doing this week. It’ll most likely be the once or twice a week posting from the next week on. Sorry, my body can handle so much food.

Today I went to Chinatown since I’m eating all this fancy stuff the past two days (Cafe Sabarsky and A Voce), I just randomly go into different bakeries all over C-town and hope to find something that interests me at that moment. I feel a bit lethargic and lazy to write up every single detail of what I ate. So I just but up the slideshow of where and what I ate. Just hover over the thumbnail to read the caption.

If you’re wondering what I liked the most from what I ate was the egg custard tart for the mind blowing price of 50 cents! (While many bakeries charge on average of 60 - 70 cents a piece.)

The other food I liked was the cha siu sou. Whenever my parents take out my family for dim sum, I always looked forward for that particular pastry. Something about that flaky, buttery (and possibly lard since my dad keeps emphasizing the use of pork fat when he used to work in restaurants back in his day), mixing with the soft, slightly salty, Chinese barbecue pork meat with the sauce is really tantalizingly good. *sighs* The one that I just ate today was actually not bad but it wasn’t the same excellence that I had in a restaurant in Flushing, Queens. It was buttery and flaky, the filling was pretty generously meaty with some of the signature red sauce found in all the cha siu bao. Keep in mind that this pastry is supposed to be light and flaky but the meat filling is supposed to be dense. One should be enough, unless you either really love these things or you’re really hungry. As in how you eat it (for those who don’t know), if you’re in a restaurant or at the table, it is suggested that you eat it with chopsticks and just take bites out of them, if you’re on the go and they just give you the waxed paper bags, you may just eat them like they’re buns. Just in case you are wondering, I bought these from Canal Seafood Restauarant on Canal Street; several doors away from Pearl Paint. It costs 60 cents a piece.

For those of you who have been loyal readers (and I thank you for that), I told you that I’m eating out in four different restaurants on the Winter Restaurant Week. Today’s reservation is at A Voce. More on that later.

I started the morning with a latte at Café Grumpy. Those of you who are familiar with this place, it’s actually from Greenpoint, Brooklyn. However, recently I read from New York Magazine the past week that it just opened in Chelsea. Since I love espresso and coffee, I have to try it.

The odd thing about this place is the block that it’s located. I mean, the entire street is parked with the local residents’ cars and police vehicles (the precinct is a few doors down). The photo below will explain what I mean.
The interior is nice. One side of the café has the exposed brick wall, while the opposite has photos and artwork that is pleasing and it’s dimly lit. One half of the café is the coffee/espresso bar and the other half is seating (about 6 tables). It’s really a casual, relaxed vibe you feel once you enter here.
I ordered a latte ($3.25 as listed on their menu).

It’s actually pretty good…but I had better. In my opinion, I like Joe’s latte more but for the real espresso, I love Sicaffe. The problem with Sicaffe is that it’s in the Upper East Side of Manhattan and I don’t go there often. Somehow with Grumpy’s latte, it’s a little bit too milky.

After my latte break, I went up to Madison Avenue to meet with my friend, Giulia for lunch at A Voce.

We were actually half an hour earlier than my 11:45 reservation, so we killed some time wandering around the neighborhood, browsing at some stores or just walk around to keep ourselves warm (since it’s technically 34 degrees Fahrenheit outside; not including wind chill).

We came back to the restaurant about three minutes before they technically open and I stated my name for the reservation. We were seated and were given the menu.

The place actually feels casual yet upscale. The seating is interesting. The seats along the walls are plush benches and the seats opposite it are cushioned swivel chairs (but in a good, comfortable way). The host and hostess were friendly; our waiter and servers were amicable and attentive. I like it here even before the ordering the food!

I know it was a far stretch that the renowned duck meatballs would be on the Restaurant Week (I’ll refer to it as RW, from now on) prix fixe menu (it’s actually on the a la carte menu. Drats!). To tell you honestly, their RW menu isn’t so bad: four choices for appetizers, four main courses, and three desserts. I’ve seen far more fewer (and worse) choices per course in my past years dining during RW.

After a few minutes, our waiter came back to take our orders. So, I had the Ravioli Fagiole, “My Grandmother’s Meat Ravioli” (That’s the name; I’m not making it up. I don’t even have an Italian grandmother. It’s actually referring to Chef Andrew Carmellini’s grandma), and for dessert Chocolate something. As for the chocolate dessert, I forgot to write down the name so um, to save myself from a misnomer (and use the general term “something”) I’ll just describe it to you later on. Giulia ordered the Crispy Calamari Salad, Marinated Chicken Alla Griglia, and a Citrus Tiramisu. She wanted a chocolate dessert (she’s a chocoholic like I am) but since I ordered it, she intentionally ordered a different dessert for variety.

After our orders were taken, the bread tray was brought to our table.It’s slices of really good cibatta bread with a dipping bowl of olive oil with drops of balsamic vinegar and flecks of chili flakes. The bread reminds me of Sullivan Street Bakery’s cibatta: a perfectly thin, crisp crust with a spongy, chewy crumb. It’s wonderful with the olive oil dip: rich, fruity olive oil mixed with the sweet, slightly acidic vinegar; it’s hard to stop eating the darn bread! We had to control ourselves before we just ruin our appetite.

Then came our appetizers: my ravioli fagiole
and Giulia’s crispy calamari salad.
I totally have forgotten that fagiole is a bean soup. Being a foodie of sorts, it’s a shame to my knowledge or just overlooking that fact. Generally I do not like beans. The exceptions are peas, string beans, red adzuki beans (in paste form only; I do not like the tong sui, the sweet dessert soup) and black beans (in relation to Asian food). But being the fastidious bean eater that I am, I like this soup. It is thick, rich, and creamy that it warms your body from the frigid cold that is just outside. The ravioli is a nice contrast to the soup in ways that it is filled with ricotta cheese, which gives it a nice tang that differs from the earthy flavors of the bean soup.

Giulia’s calamari salad is actually done very well. The calamari (known as squid) is done just perfectly. It is just chewy enough that it does not have the texture of a rubber tire. The vinaigrette is a great addition to the salad and the calamari.

Our main course:
Giulia’s Marinated Chicken Alla Griglia

and my “Grandmother’s Meat Ravioli.”

When the server and set our food, all I saw was Giulia’s All-Clad pan of chicken and lots of foam! Giulia’s chicken was (as you can see) served in a stainless steel All-Clad cassoulet pan. She gave me a piece of her chicken and when I tasted it, it was perfectly cooked and well seasoned. I do not know what that foam tasted like, since the piece she gave me was devoid of foam. The other accouterments that accompanied her dish or pan, are potatoes and onions covered in pesto. She seemed satisfied with her chicken.

My “grandmother’s” ravioli was plated simply in a deep white bowl with a chunky tomato sauce with a sprinkling of chiffonade basil and Parmesan cheese. This deceptively simple plating actually let the ravioli’s ingredients speak for themselves: the eggy pasta that enrobed the meat filling, consisting of beef, pork and veal. It is really delicious. Even it has gotten the approval from Giulia. She isn’t a big meat eater but she does enjoy a good ravioli.

And finally, dessert!
Giulia’s citrus tiramisu
and my chocolate dessert.

We first tried my dessert. I’m still kicking myself for not taking notes of the names of the plates and the menus online does not have it. *sighs* Anyways, the chocolate cake is dense and not moist but it has a caramel center to impart some moisture and walnuts on the bottom of the cake. A slight left of this photo, there are some cooked banana slices that tasted like it was flambéed since it had that soft zing in the end after we ate a banana slice with a nice crunchy exterior from the browning. To the far left, the banana ice cream. Even though it is a small quenelle, it is packed with lots of banana flavor. It just immediately screams “banana!” once it hits the tongue. It is also mixed in with walnuts that gives it a nice bitter contrast as well as a chocolate wafer cookie bottom that gives it a textural counterpoint.

Another view of my dessert

Giulia’s citrus tiramisu looks deceivingly creamy and heavy but it is actually light and refreshing. Look at the photo below to see the airiness of this dessert.

As I just stated, there’s an ethereal lightness to this dessert that was truly unexpected for this dessert, in a traditional sense. Usually, it would be a mixture of marscapone cheese enriched with zabaglione (an egg custard) layered with espresso-soaked ladyfingers. This is basically a lighter reinterpretation that is executed well. I concur with Giulia saying that “this would be a palate cleanser” since there is grapefruit in the bottom of the dessert glass, as you will see the photo below.

I really enjoy eating at this restaurant. Unfortunately, being a student does not help the fact that I can eat here all the time.

After we paid the check. Giulia wanted some really great espresso (hence the title’s mention of a double dose of espresso). I recommended Sicaffe. We took the subway uptown and had the Cappuccino Triestino ($3.64 for a doppio size). I did not take a photo of the drink since I’ve written about it a month or so ago but if you insist on seeing it, click here and scroll down the page to refresh your memory. Giulia liked this drink but she did not have the stomach capacity to finish it since we have our stomachs filled with a three course meal. Oh well. Next time when we hang out, she’ll finish one.

Today was really enjoyable. Good food and someone to eat with me. I just wish it was warmer…

Cafe Grumpy
224 W 20th Street (bet. 7th & 8th Avenue)
New York, NY

A Voce
41 Madison Avenue (off 26th Street)
New York, NY

Sicaffe
964 Lexington Avenue (between 70th & 71st Street)
New York, NY

Those of you who have read my earlier posts around December, I wanted to go to Café Sabarsky for lunch. However the extremely long wait due to the fact that it was 12:30 and it was the holiday season, it was packed with people and I was about to faint from hunger. So, today I managed to get to eat there for lunch (finally!).

I arrived there at 11:05 and I was hungry (I ate breakfast at 6 AM, mind you). Basically, you just enter the doors to the Neue Gallery and they check your bags and you enter Café Sabarsky on your right.

Surprisingly, it was not as busy as I expected it to be. I just took a seat since there was no maître d’ to sit anyone. The café was half full. Most of the diners were locals, two tables were filled with ladies who lunch or have a late breakfast, and a few tourists. The atmosphere really feels like an Old World, European (it’s Austrian here) coffeehouse that feels elegant yet casual; not a stuffy, cold place that makes you feel unwelcome or feel like your being patronized on.

When the waitress handed out the menu to me, I already know what I wanted to eat since I have been staring at the menu on their website that past weekend. I just glanced on it one more time to make sure it exists. By the time my waitress came back to my table, I told her I’ll start with their coffee (”kaffee” is written on the menu) and the spätzle.

When my coffee came in, it was served in a silver tray. I remember reading this from various reviews from the past years but I find it very unusual to be served like this but it is certainly most welcome. I should note that this cup of coffee costs $5. Yeah, it’s pretty darn expensive (and it’s not a latte or cappuccino) but it is certainly bold and strong tasting that it could almost pass off as a double espresso.

A few minutes later came in my plate of spätzle ($15).

To those of you who don’t know what spätzle is, it’s basically a German dumpling but Wikipedia has a better definition of this. This is Austrian comfort food to me. It’s soft, creamy and cheesy; mixed in with corn, peas, and wild mushrooms. This made me forget the bone chilling, cold that exists outside the very windows I’m looking out from my seat. I would almost make this analogy of a gourmetized, European version of macaroni and cheese (I know it isn’t, but it feels and tastes that way).

After I finished my spätzle, they cleared my table and another server handed me the same menu but opened to the dessert page. I looked at that page and I was stuck at the many choices to pick for dessert. I know most of these cakes and pastries are delicious, as many restaurant reviewers from the past years claimed that they are. Eventually, I went for the traditional German-Austrian cake, the sachertorte ($7.50).

Sachertorte

Side view

Ok, a sachertorte is basically a chocolate cake filled with apricot jam or in this case here, apricot confiture, topped with a smooth chocolate ganache (Once again, read from Wikipedia for a better description or history of this cake.). When I took a bite of this cake, it was really good. The wonderful semisweet chocolate ganache topping (about 60%) meld with the moist chocolate cake and apricot confiture really well. The apricot was a nice tart contrast to the sweet chocolate. I thoroughly enjoyed this cake. I just wished I have room for more dessert! There’s so many good pastries to choose from. Take a look below for a glimpse of other desserts on their dessert bar or table.

I certainly felt full once I paid my check and stumbled my way out the door to 5th Avenue. Instead of taking the subway downtown to Midtown, I chose to walk 30 plus blocks to walk off my meal, even though it’s 30 degrees (or about -1 degree Celsius) but I needed the exercise.

Café Sabarsky
1048 5th Avenue (off 86th Street)
New York, NY