the black duck, cafe fuego & artepasta

it'd been recommended to me time after time, and on friday, on a date (gasp!), i had dinner at the black duck! it was a perfect setting on a really cold autumn night. we stumbled in without a reservation, at peak time, and were able to snuggle up to the cozy fireplace and hold hands while we waited the few minutes for our table.
service was quick, the wine list was thorough and the dishes were simple and presented without fanfare. my date ordered the blackfish special, which was a perfectly seared white, flaky filet with crispy skin over a bed of fluffy, traditional mashed potato (no skin, no garlic, no truffles, no fuss) and haricot vert. the vegetable was a really young bean, tender & delicate and we shared bites in between kisses (gasp!!). my first course was a beautiful pumpkin soup, with crème fraîche and it warmed me after walking blocks in the cold, deciding on a restaurant. it was creamy without being overpowering and sweet without crossing over into cloying. as a main course, i ordered the chicken, something i wouldnt normally do, but i was baited by the promise of porcini mushroom risotto, and as someone who hates cold weather, risotto is one of the things i look forward to once the mercury drops. a half chicken arrived, perfumed with thyme tucked beneath the crispy skin, and the flesh was juicy and succulent. the portion was too much for little ole me to finish, but my date enjoyed the boneless thigh (th chicken's, not mine) and the rest that i wasnt able to eat. for dessert, we were presented with a tart-like pumpkin pie. the pastry surrounding the filling was too thick, too dense and wasnt flaky in the way pastry should be. once we cut thru the bits too cumbersome to eat, the pie was delicious. nutmeg-y, creamy, not too much like custard & garnished with toasted pecans and delicately spiced whipped cream. although i didnt realise the black duck was a sister to one of my favorite south beach restaurants, it still gets high marks for making a first date a really special one.

after weeks of watching halle, making plans to go over to what i'm calling 'gabriel's place' (cafe fuego), i'm happy to report that armangac and truffles has finally had the opportunity to check it out! three girlfriends & i popped in for lunch, ready for the cuban specialties of ropa vieja, pernil & of course, beans & rice. the atmosphere was exacty as we'd been told, with lots of dark wood, candles (even in broad daylight) and were surprised to find that the menu is no longer cuban, but now 'world tapas'. to the restaurant's credit, the website does clearly state - world tapas - but we were prepared from reading reviews, for cuban! we settled in on a bottle of bone-dry malbec from the Broquel vineyards in argentina, which worked well with all the different dishes we ordered, but probably would have been too harsh a finish to drink on it's own.

a round of beef tenderloin pinchos were ordered by two of us. we expected a skewer or two of the succulent meat, but no less than four per order arrived with a different sort of chimichurri that i was really pleased with and made up for the fact that these were almost under seasoned, or lacking salt. the jury is out on which is the case... the goat cheese & beet 'chiva' was fresh & crisp, the tuna tartar was well received with a beautiful chipotle and ginger cream complementing the avocado, and my friend who ordered the skirt steak never said a word until she was done, so it must have been fantastic! the yuca fries were greasy and delicious, but not to be outdone by the greaseless tostones (two orders QUICKLY disappeared between us four) and the mojo de ajo which accompanied them was fresh, bright & perfectly garlicky. i ordered my tapas staple of gambas in garlic & olive oil. the tureen of shrimp were almost undersalted, but the generous amount of garlic and red pepper flake that perfumed the olive oil they were swimming in made up for it. the small dish was served with pita bread triangles (whole wheat ones rather than white could have been the only improvement) and all was deliciously devoured!

on sunday, i met a distressed friend (hi lisa janel!) for an early supper at an italian we'd yet to try. artepasta's website boasts huge portions (not necessarily our style) and a family atmosphere. we arrived at the end of brunch, but were still treated to the unlimited mimosas/champagne and were able to order from the dinner menu. to start, we selected the 'toasted' ricotta ravioli, which were actually fried, but were SO good that we couldnt complain, instead we both made sure we tried to get the lion's share! we both ordered the shrimp scampi, which was accompanied by a small serving of broccoli (still crispy!) and capellini. the scampi dish was unremarkable, especially considering the spoils of our staple down the street at gusto, but it did the trick, and the ravioli & the friendly service really made the difference. we'll definitely head back to artepasta for casual ravioli bites...

lucy of gramercy

this restaurant used to be called lucy latin kitchen, but the upgrades and changes are brand new, and the flavors are the most innovative, most delicious of a latin restaurant in a very long time in new york. the ideas are fresh without being 'fusion-y'. chef carmen gonzalez arrived from miami with a menu of innovative but simple puertorican specialties, and a friendliness that allows her to breeze in & out of the kitchen to give a hello & recipe tip to interested diners.

as this establishment is downstairs from the dance studio, we decided in having a post-class bite there this past weekend & found that the changes to the menu (lucy latin kitchen to lucy of gramercy) will be nothing, if not well received. we ordered a small smattering of tapas, the alcapurrias, filled with white meat chicken, yuca fries with fresh garlic mayonnaise, and the finest, most perfectly seasoned garlic spinach ever. the baby spinach leaves were so delicately prepared, it was more like a salad, with toasted garlic, sea salt, simple black pepper and lemon juice. chef carmen proves here that simplicity is they key to everything. although we initially ordered one side of this beautifully dressed green, we ordered one more immediately after grazing as ladylike as we could on the first & nearly fought for the second as it arrived.

the bar is equipped with a know-it-all bartender, a wonderfully friendly mixologist, some of the best homemade potato chips ever fried and chifles to munch while you ponder the drink menu. the bottles of wine are well priced, tasting of the juicy cocktails is permitted in teensy little glasses and everyone has a sense of humor and wants to get to know your name at this place. the staff is friendly, good looking, the music is upbeat and swinging, and the food, the real star is inspired and filling, even in tapas portions. this could be the place that makes us show up more & more 4 dance class, just so we have an excuse for albariño and alcapurrias!

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...

Bar Carrera: New York

yum yum yum! this is a teensy little tapas bar, without tables, but two long bars along the wall, exquisitely stocked ALL spanish wine list, with perfect sherries starting at only $4! it's my new favorite tapas spot!! little perfect, authentic spanish bites from well balanced, salty brined manzanilla olives to gambas al aljillo start at only $3.50, prices that should be the norm for tapas.

the beautiful, clean space was perfumed with garlic & flamenco when i walked in & the little bagettes are seemingly fresh baked, although i'm not sure how they'd do it in the tiny little space. in any case, they were soft and tasty, the olive oil was golden & fragrant and each dish was perfect. a leg of pork was displayed on the back bar, complete with the foot attached, and each slice of jamon was cut to order, ensuring freshness and satisfaction with every plate. the bufullo mozzerella was fresh & creamy and the selection of wines was impressive with bottles from basque and many regions that are relatively unknown to serious wine drinkers. bar carrera offers something on that list for everyone, from glasses to bottles that priced as high as $120. desserts are simple, featuring fresh flavors. my friend ordered the strawberry sangria, rich with cognac & nutmeg, as well as the marscapone & strawberry baguette while i opted for a delicious de la frontera sherry (laced with moroccan spices & orange blossom) and paired it with a smooth goat cheese & membrillo

although i've yet to go 2 spain, i've known spanish food for years. this place is highly spiced, highly authentic & highly full of flavor. considering the price and quality of the food here, this is going to be a very popular summer spot for a nosh. the portions arent skimpy, the food here is just as good as boqueria and for a fraction of the cost. save boqueria for the expense accounts, head to bar carrera for true spanish satisfaction.

chestnut brooklyn

i had dinner last night at this restaurant with great expectations. it was beautifully lit on a great summer's night with my best pal, who'd recently returned from india. we opted for the candlelit garden, hoping it would be quiet enough to catch up on her adventures & mine & enjoy a yummy brooklyn meal.

the restaurant offered a prix fixe for $25 which was quite reasonable considering most of the entrees ranged between $19 & $22. i chose the grilled calamari stuffed with quinoa (my friend & i are still trying 2 decide whether the pronounciation is keen WAH or kiNOwah) and she ordered the gnocci. the fresh shaved hearts of palm were an interesting touch to the calamari, but the dish itself was unremarkable. the gnocchi was perfect, light and pan toasted with a hint of bacon, and trumpet mushrooms leaving the illusion of truffles.

for our main course, we ordered the celeriac root with black lentils and the stuffed pork chop. the vegetable dish arrived with a creamy sauce which was overwhelmingly rich, and my friend finished it with delight. the pork chop told the story as to why this restaurant, as beautiful and quaint as it was, was able to offer meals at such a discount. they dont use ANY seasonings. no salt, no pepper, no garlic, no nothing. this beautiful chop, steakhouse sized came to the table with a creamy mountain of coarse polenta and a bit of a red wine sauce. the meat tasted as if it'd been soaked in dishwater, and had no other taste or smell. disappointed, i tasted it in only about three bites, and left the rest on the plate. fittingly enough, our waitress never once took the initiative to ask whether anything was amiss since my entree went uneaten.

dessert was a bit more creative. i ordered the churros (good choice. how can u go wrong with fried bread, right?) and hot chocolate (entirely too much artificial vanilla flavoring to make up for the lack of seasoning on meats, i suppose?) and my friend ordered the lemon verbena (great!), orange (very good) and vanilla ice creams.

in short, i wasnt thrilled with the food or the service. our waitress wasnt particularly helpful and strangely, i'd try the food here (in appetizer bits ONLY) again, because this place was so beautiful & i really DO want to like it. the hostess-owner was gracious, it was elegant & well priced, but i'm hoping that the lack of salt & pepper were more a fluke, than the normal routine.

siri mole e cia: rio de janeiro

the absolute finest in baiano (northeastern brasil) cuisine is served here in an elegant, carioca style. none of the afro-brasilian touches are left behind. there is a proper amount of heat in the pimenta malagueta and the moqueca is creamy & rich & perfect. i would have a photo of it, but it vanished SO quickly after arriving at our table that none of us were able to think about our cameras. the real star of the show was the appetizer, or i should say ONE of the appetizers. it came to the table piping hot, smelling of intoxicating dende (african palm oil) and rich in culture from far far away in africa.

behold: acaraje

this fantastic & perfect street food is called acara (or akara) in ethiopia, is much like hushpuppies in the south (only in the south it's made from cornmeal, not blackeyed peas like in brasil) and is a sister to falafel in the nothern african countries (made with chickpeas there). acaraje is culinary HISTORY.

on the upper left is vatapa, which is spread between the split acaraje, and shrimp are tucked in & topped with the salad shown in the middle. if you're brave & made of part asbestos, you can drizzle a bit of malagueta onto the soft cut side of the acaraje before you spread the vatapa (this will mask some of the heat). here's a photo of an unusual green malagueta...

siri mole e cia is a marvelous place to get a little taste of bahia without having 2 leave rio. it's authentic, it's elegant & it's amazingly, blissfully, tearjerkingly delicious.

brunch at copacabana palace

there isnt much that can be said about this place.

unlimited champagne, caviarperfect crisp veggies, gravlax better than any i've had in scandinavia.

oysters from the local waters,

brie baked with damascus in a flaky crust.

and magical, enchanting coffee... coffee u can only get in brasil.

there's a reason the copacabana palace charges as much as they do. that reason is quality. and the service is almost as if they're anticipating your every need. it's worth every one of the $160R...