that WAS summer: North End Grill

RER 8.24.16

It’s another season now. But it was fun while it lasted— while the strawberries were red and ripe, sweet and juicy; the tomatoes plump with little give; and the green zucchinis were bright, mellow, and plentiful. That was summer.

RER 8.24.16

It’s fall now, but I can still taste the late summer at North End Grill.

I can feel the gritty bread in between my teeth and the sandy chunks of sea salt sprinkled by my own hand in the sweet and creamy butter.

RER 8.24.16

I can feel the effervescent bubbles tingle and pop on my tongue as I sipped sparkling wine, and the slinky flesh of oysters glide with obvious luxury passed my lips.

RER 8.24.16

I can smell the hot fresh garlic painted on thin crust studded with plump little clams, gems of succulent meat not nearly attached to the crisp foundation, and the fresh aroma of decadent butter and fresh herbs, green moments.

RER 8.24.16

I can taste the acidity and oil emulsified with summer tomatoes, smeared on just thick enough bread, toasted till cratered and crunchy. Savory small smoky anchovies languish on the textured toast and tomato, and peppered fragrant rosemary.

RER 8.24.16

I can taste the fatty rounds of trotter torchon, speckled pink and white, marbled and  indulgent, crowned with dressed greens and a string of aioli.

RER 8.24.16

I can smell the ribbons of bright zucchini draped in fat flakes of pecorino cheese, earthy, salty, dry, rounded off with studs of anchovies, pretty summer on a plate, herbs and all.

RER 8.24.16

I can hear the unmistakable crunch of French fries made crisp in duck fat, creating a solid layer of refined crust and a slender soft interior.

RER 8.24.16

I can see the vivid red strawberries, arranged like an origami flower, layered on top of a sweet cookie shell, with a smooth dollop of strawberry cream, and fresh rounds of savory basil gel.

RER 8.24.16

I can see the cityscape from the high-above roof garden, a vista of Battery Park, and lines of trimmed and plucked produce, already in use at North End Grill below.

I miss summer, but I can fall for fall, too.

RER

10.8.16

Not Just Nourishment: The Hudson School Board of Trustees Dinner

Third Course: Dill Crusted Salmon with Fennel , Yukon Potato, Pearl Onions, Asparagus and Lemon Beurre Blanc

Tuesday night, alumni, faculty, board members and parents of The Hudson School came together for their annual Trustee Dinner at Amanda’s Restaurant. For many years, the school and its board have hosted the event involving a five-course meal with complimentary wine pairings, to raise money for the school’s scholarship fund.

Amanda’s is a mainstay of Hoboken (more here, here, here and here), offering fresh and classic food laced with comfort and refinement. Each course at this event was visually balanced and alive with color, from the mint green of the pea flan, to the coral pink of the salmon and bright red of the tart raspberries. Quality was present in the pretty ingredients and the varied textures throughout the courses along with the polished flavors.

First Course: Balsamic Roasted Strawberries with Olive Oil Whipped Goat Cheese, Basil, Arugula and Grilled Baguette

Second Course: Spring Pea Flan with Poached Shrimp

Fourth Course: Roasted Strip Loin with Horseradish Whipped Potatoes, Zucchini Batons, Parsley and Meyer Lemon Gremolata

Fifth Course: Raspberry and Brown Butter Tart with Vanilla Gelato

After enjoying chatting over the first few courses, Suellen Newman, the principal and founder of The Hudson School, spoke to the crowd. Her speech was heartfelt and sincere, using stories and real-life examples to underline the reason for the delectable event: raising money for The Scholarship Fund and enabling students who need financial assistance to attend the private school.

RER

4.28.15

everything has its reason: the FINCH

RER 4.9.15

Stepping into The Finch is kind of like walking into your own kitchen, only it’s cooler. The lines are cleaner, the painted white brick is brighter—it’s just better.

And then passing the very open bar and the even more open kitchen, you step through a doorway, and you are transported to somewhere else. Wherever it is, it’s just as cool, just not as clean. This dining room has a formula, just as the front space does, it’s just not the same equation. Its exposed brick brings Brooklyn in and the classic furniture ties it to the front.

You sit down, and you want to explore. Your eyes wander, catching the mortar between the bricks, the different textures on display, the changing light coming in, and the many shades of green of plants. It’s intimate back here too, but it feels airy and open, almost outdoors.

The different spaces echo the streamlined menu and beautiful dishes; it’s apparent each is created, tested and perfected, but here too, there’s a formula. Everything’s there for a reason, even if you don’t want to believe it—like that unfinished back wall. Ingredients seem a little haphazard and unconnected at first, but you want to try everything, you want to see how it all works out.

And somehow, it does.

RER 4.9.15

Your appetizer is split gracefully into two large shallow dishes, one for each of you. Its arrangement is artful, crafted like sculpture, elements hidden and exposed. The sweet beets are roasted and red, soft and perfect, while the toasted traviso is bitter and smoky, cooled by creamy salted burrata. A savory brittle made with pine nuts crunches and plays to the sweet strengths of the beets and the mature savory moments of the traviso, while all unites with the mild and sensuous cheese. 

RER 4.9.15

Pork two ways makes for a whimsical dish, imaginative and sensible, hearty and delicate. A crunchy pork croquette, perfect and stringy, rests on a bed of soft cabbage and sunchokes studded with large pearls of mustard seeds. Every element melds to combat the delicious fattiness of the fried item, while a smooth apple puree marries pink centered slices of pork. There is no redundancy and yet a brilliant continuity is achieved.

RER 4.9.15

Your scallop entrée is a sexy surf and turf, bringing together sea and land seamlessly. The dish is a texture playground, where multiple feelings are playing tug of war. Stalemate. The soft, succulent scallops counter the rubbery, meaty snails that, too, have its own tenderness. There is heat and wonder written in slinky slender mushrooms and kernels of chewy Einkorn. Green things and grains bring in earthy tones and brilliant color, but you can swim in the richness and the decadence without getting lost…

Each bite and memory is meticulously constructed, precise and crafted, but also delectable and indulgent. You almost forget where you are and that your kitchen is nowhere as cool.

RER

4.9.15

RER 4.9.15

a UNION of flavors: Union Bar & Kitchen Opens in West SoHo

RER 5.20.14

Smoky sounds emanated from the accordion glass doors, opened wide to the SoHo street, letting the first breezes of summer into Union Bar & Kitchen. The low sunlight of the early evening reflected on the mirror just above the bar and antique mirrors wrapping the walls, played on the white subway tile and danced on the high ceilings.

Another glance up led to the elaborate paintings, transporting diners to another era depicting old time streets, jazzy feasts, and live music complete with a chanteuse. Artist, Clifford Bailey, brings forward the roaring twenties and a kind of liberation that hums to the tune of Owner, Executive Chef, and General Manager, Jonathan Renert’s vision— a union of flavors in a comfortable setting, a restaurant bar to get lost in time in and enjoy the present tense.

Newly open, UBK presents a lively mix of New American cuisine with global influences including Mexican, Asian and French twists. Dinner offers classics—  daily selection of oysters, clam chowder and moules mariniere to west coast cioppino rubbed rotisserie chicken. Lunch brings taquitos, fish tacos, and pulled chicken sandwiches. The bar menu puts a spin on the bar food cliché with smoked trout devilled eggs and Three Little Pig pork belly sliders. A clean drinks menu proposes diverse cocktails, a variety of draft and bottled beers, and a wide range of wines.

RER 5.20.14

Smooth and creamy bright green guacamole with a radiant note of lemon came paired with crunchy triangle chips. Each fresh and full, while the jalapeño cornbread spoke volumes of comfort and warmth at home.

RER 5.20.14

RER 5.20.14

Delicate strands of spicy red pepper threaded through the Hamachi Tartare, while cubed yellow tail played with the tiny beads of sesame and poppy seeds. Even the briny capers sang, bringing studs of salt and firmness. A crispy crust led to the succulent oyster at the heart of the fried oysters, drizzled with the heat of chili  tonkatsu sauce and cooled with tangy tarter sauce underneath— a blending of feelings.

RER 5.20.14

RER 5.20.14

Perfectly cooked hanger steak marinated for 24 hours produced a gamey essence and rhythm, but stumped. While the creamed spinach was cozy, dotted with soft carrots and celery. Hot French fries boasted herbal melodies of rosemary and earthy chords of potatoes and spice. A chili avocado slaw decorated the crunchy tilapia nestled deep in warmed flour tortillas, pulling together a harmonious taste of somewhere else in the popular fish tacos. Clear and straightforward dishes were elevated with quality, depth and details.

RER 5.20.14

JAR 5.20.14

Cubes of chocolate brownie dusted with powdered sugar spoke secrets of raspberry compote and ancho chili adding crunch and heat to the sweet ending, which made the chocolate deeper and more sophisticated. Peanut butter also got an elevated treatment, warm and salty mixed with the crunch of fried tortilla in this dessert take on chimichangas, pretty with a boule of vanilla ice cream.

UBK’s curated menu contains memories of the familiar while twists introduce international accents. The assemblage offers moments of here and there that illustrates the background of Renert, emphasized in the timeless décor, vibing art and unpretentious ambiance.

RER

5.20.14

RER 5.20.14

Union Bar & Kitchen

300 Spring Street
New York City, NY 10013

Tel: (646) 791-0005