catch up

ok. so it's been a while since i've reviewed a place! i've been busy eating, and walking all over this glorious city that new york transforms into when summertime is upon us. SORRY! i've been eating all over the place, with more to come, so i'll do a quick recap with some good ones and some not so good ones!

tea and sympathy: sounds simple enough. the problem here is the owner, her nasty way (even the shopboys next door in the market will tell you she's a wacko) and the general shoddy food. yes, yes, no one told me that the brits have good food, but $12 for a pot of tea that i could just buy a BOX of at whole foods for around $4 is absurd. i'm supposing the extra $8 is for eggy (not in a good way) whole wheat bread, sub-par buscuits and smelly attitude...?

202: a lovely restaurant discovered after a gallery showing. the menu had so many things that all us girls had a hard time choosing. the fish was impeccable (an obvious result of the fish market in the adjacent chelsea market) and waitstaff super friendly & helpful with choices. the one thing i wasnt happy with was the carrot soup, a bit too curried for the sweetness of the carrot. other than that, fantastic wines, perfectly seared filets & beautifully wilted greens. good stuff all around.

gusto: i discovered this yummy spot for pasta and wine and just a lot of fun after a bookstore show. the best feature of this restaurant (aside from real italians on the staff!) is the beautiful pasta which is made on the premises. i am a slave to the malfatti, listed on the menu as spinach & ricotta ravioli, but are more like the lightest dumplings with sage butter ever created. the entire wine list is italian (hard for me, because i'm a lover of california reds), and the pannacotta is made with almond milk and is light & guiltfree. sit at the bar and watch the owners transform into the playboys they always dreamt they'd be as the prosecco starts to flow.

kittichai: this lovely lovely thai gem deserves it's very own post. the finest in thai food and impeccable service comes along with an elegant atmosphere in downtown new york. everything on the menu is expertly prepared and seasoned, but my favorites are the monkfish and hearts of palm in red curry & sauteed gai lan(a sea vegetable, not unlike tender green onions crossed with broccoli rabe, but without the overpowering pungency or toughness) with ginger & garlic. and anything that cute, gracious chef sends out...