HudsonRW: Clinton Social

RER 7.30.13

Hudson Restaurant week started on Monday, and we were already behind. Clinton Social was our first stop this time. Clinton Social is right around the corner and I had never been until Tuesday night. The front room has the bar and some tables and there is seating area in the back, so the place is bigger than you would think. The hostess sat us where we asked to be seated which was nice, but it was also empty and early. She told us about Restaurant Week and the happy hour specials.

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The $35 prix fixe menu was short and sweet— three or four options for each course. First course choices consisted of appetizers like a fresh salad, pierogies, macaroni and cheese, and mussels, while mains included a pork chop, a veal, a fish, and a chicken dish. However, dessert was far less imaginative and involved, including the usual suspects like gelato, sorbet, and an almost obvious chocolate cake.

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The artichoke and cheese pierogies were good. They were pretty to look at; glistening with oil, topped with honey colored caramelized onions, punctuated with dark green chives, and separated by pale artichoke hearts. They were not very flavorful, but they were rich and heavy. The tangy cheese was not quite enough to bring out much life because of the heavy dough. Care was put into the shape and presentation of the dumplings, but they were missing that crunch.

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But the mac and cheese kind of looked like childhood, with a little fancy cheese to try to elevate the dish. It tasted like childhood too, too cheesy, too smooth, almost artificial.

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The Chilean sea bass dish was attractive. The fish was sitting on a bed beginning with a creamy light layer of mojo, followed by deep purple black beans, and white basmati rice. A flourish of color from the fruity and light mango salsa topped the fish. The flavors converged nicely, a mix of tart, sweet, fruity, and meaty, though with a hefty dash of salt. The sea bass had an almost crisp crunch, but it was a shell of salt, which ended up plaguing every bite.

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But the salt did not stop there. The roasted chicken dish also had the same malady. Everything was laden with salt; the chicken skin, the spicy sautéed corn, the leek au gratin, even the pool of juice that accumulated on the bottom of the plate. The only thing that was not salty, surprisingly, was the purple and yellow candied potatoes. The salt made everything taste almost the same, and the only differences were texture and the intense spike of heat in the corn.

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Dessert was not too exciting, though the typical flourless chocolate cake came with some popcorn crumbles, which added a little crunch and a little salt to the deep cake. If the popcorn played a larger role the predictable chocolate cake would have been more innovative and playful.

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It was nice to try out Clinton Social, so I think Hudson Restaurant Week did its job: opening local restaurants to their community in effort to increase patronage and exposure. It was the exciting deal and event of the restaurant week that brought me in, but I think happy hour drink specials and appetizers might be the only things to bring me back.

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Only 44 restaurants to go and 10 days to do it (I totally wish this was realistic, because I really would love to try them all). Stay tuned and see where I head to next. Or for those a little less patient, follow me on twitter or instagram to keep up.

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7.30.13

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photo op: sweetgreen NoMad

RER 7.24.13

The cult favorite from D.C. has finally made its way to the Big Apple, and it is the sweetlife. sweetgreen has landed in NoMad (North of Madison Square Park), and it is going to make a big impact, on the area, local farms, and its community. Check out my article on Miss A for more of the details, and sit back and take in the sweet view.

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Also, I would love if you would like the foodie ventures facebook page. We have over 100 likes, and I really appreciate the support. Let's keep sharing and growing!

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7.30.13

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FoodView: bring in the NOISE

RER 5.14.13

In the July 22 issue of New York Magazine, food critic, Adam Platt, exposes a current trend in restaurant culture in an article titled “I Can’t Hear Myself Eat: Why restaurants are louder than ever.” Perhaps the volume of the restaurant atmosphere has incurred slow growth, but it has currently reached deafening proportions, as Platt explains, “Why restaurants are so damn loud.”

Platt notes that the shift happened just over a decade ago, when restaurants morphed from what he calls “hushed, cocooned dining rooms” to “noisy bars, built for sound that happen to serve good, sometimes excellent food.”

Part of the rise in decibel levels was a way to raise funds and increase profit. Platt explained that the recession forced many New York City restaurants to enlarge their small bars in the front of the house to push more “profitable drinks.” We all know that drinks add up in a magical way that only drinks can. Somehow it is easier to be a little more conscious of prices when enjoying food, one appetizer instead of two, but it is so hard to decline a refill on a glass of wine, or resist that next delicious cocktail. And at some point, inhibition and sense are thrown out of the window as more drinks are consumed, resulting in more profit for the business.

This maneuver adds patronage, but also has the potential to transform expectations and clientele. Bringing the bar, meaning some times making the bar bigger or bar menu larger, to restaurants, not only changes the reason why people come, but also the function of the space. Bars are supposed to be loud and convivial, there is a mixing which was missing in restaurants past. Adding bars and drinks and noise changes the dynamic of the restaurant.

Expanding the bar or even the bar menu was a way of appealing to and drawing in a younger crowd, another market to get money from. There is a whole class of young professionals with money to spend (even in harder times), who are willing to indulge in luxurious food and drink. They expect and follow the trends, and sometimes trends are loud, overbearing and obvious.

Platt also points out in his article, the “snowball effect” of volume in restaurants, just like we see with drinks. And this is quite apparent in most situations; we see it all the time, even outside of the City. Loud music, small spaces and larger crowds, make for a noisier experience, and everything escalates with food and especially drink. A night dining out sometimes can feel like it turns into a shouting match, or a competition to be heard.

Success of a restaurant can now be measured in noise. In New York City eateries, noise levels are “regularly measured at 90 decibels,” according to Platt. 90 decibels is equivalent to a police whistle, heavy traffic, noisy home appliances, or the subway to name a few (see more here). Turning up the sound system is trendy, but it has become an occupational hazard.

Dining in a loud establishment can be difficult— the noise taking away from the symphony that could potentially be on the plate. There is distraction from the food, other outlets for attention and detail, but perhaps restaurateurs are trying to cultivate a different kind of experience in conjunction with their innovation in the kitchen. Sometimes silence and quiet can be seen as stuffy, old fashioned and tired, and at other times it can be seen as intimidating. But times have changed and good food has become an ongoing trend, because everyone is a foodie now. Restaurants were breaking from their molds and now try to cater to a larger margin of people, perhaps even a generation that thrives on noise and instant gratification.

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7.25.13

RER 5.1.13

MangiaMore: chocolate chip BANANA oatmeal cookies

RER 7.19.13

Yup, it is another one of those recipes especially using those tired looking, smushy bananas (like this one and this one ) Somehow it seems there are never enough recipes for the brown over ripe bananas, and we always fall into a rut. This recipe was an effort to break the rut, but will now be added to the rotation, until bravery creeps up again and we try something new.  After I came home from a large chicken parm dinner, my sister announced that she was going to make chocolate chip banana oatmeal cookies, and I was going to help. Nice and easy recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff for nice and easy cookies.

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Overall, I like the cookies. The loose cookie dough was delicious. The cookies have a variety of textures created by the dry and chewy oats, the almost melty chocolate chips and the pure moisture added by the bananas. Although there are bananas in there, these cookies do not scream "banana," and that flavor is more prevalent the next day. In fact, I enjoyed the cookies far better the following morning for my pre-workout breakfast (counter-intuitive, I know). They were fluffy and almost like stiff muffin tops, airy and bready, perfect with a  cup of strong coffee (but not so perfect with the cottage cheese I had with them before the gym). Though, I am in the market for a butter-less cookie, any recipe recommendations?

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Hope you take a little look at the foodie venture facebook page... I put enticing recipes up there all day long, wishing, hoping... praying someone will make the goodies for me. Hope you like it to follow the food I see.

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7.19.13

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BREAKING boundaries: Beacon Bar

RER 7.16.13

The Beacon Bar is chic and polished, but almost cold when quiet, however the light food and specialty drinks give the new uptown bar warmth and comfort. Since April, the latest piece of the Beacon empire has settled in, nestled between the legendary Beacon Theatre and Hotel Beacon. The bar lounge proves that it is more than just a hotel bar and it can be a neighborhood hangout. It stands apart with its curated drink menu and a list of light bites and appetizers that evoke home, carving out a reputation for regulars, hotel guests and theatre-goers alike.

 

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The menu rallies elevated comfort food with twists on the recognizable while familiarizing the obscure. With choices like a chilled vegetable platter or a Mexican shrimp cocktail, along with other light bites like a portabella burger or pulled pork sliders or the more imaginative French dip sliders and toast with warm goat cheese, there is a dish for every discerning taste. Even the staple cheesecake is offered for pairing with exquisite handcrafted drinks. Each item appears straightforward on the menu, but comes with a surprise of complexity and visual appeal.

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The jumbo lump crabcake light bite is a multifaceted play of decadence and brightness. Each small cake is rich with lumps of crabmeat large enough to be tangible and savored, wanting the breaded filler present in many lesser crabcakes. A pale wasabi mayo accompanies the cakes, adding heat and heaviness. The fennel salad bathed in citrus makes the cakes shine, brightening the dense cakes. The details of the fresh lemon and orange zest to the finely shaved fennel and spicy red onions down to the flourish of chives, echo the careful creation of the drinks and aesthetics.

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Though the macaroni gratin mirrors the classic, it is the refined relative of the mac and cheese of childhood, grown up with the sophistication of gruyere and parmesan. The crumb top of the baked curved pasta casserole adds another dimension of maturity. But somehow the disguised green peas and salty ham revive past memories. The sweetness of the peas breaks the heavy creaminess of the cheeses, hot and almost smooth, but the ham spikes the monotony with salt and texture. 

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Even the pulled pork sliders have transformed from messy summer barbeque to something more distinguished through flavorful accoutrements: a fancy bun, spicy slaw, and vegetable chips. The hot slaw, dotted with tomatoes carrots cabbage and jalapeños, ignites a balance with the cloying sweetness of the sauce mixed with the tender stringy pork. Served with a riot of color from starch and vegetable chips, which supply sweet earthiness and a crunch, the pulled pork sliders suggest outdoor gatherings, contradicting the mystique of Beacon Bar’s interior.

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Each dish brings forth bright colors sharply contrasting the cool hued theme written in the lux dark cobalt leather booths or the sharp lines of the tiled wall or even the infinity of circles on the fabrics. The icy blue and grey scale decor exudes contemporary sophistication and muted elegance, while the flourishes of ingredients and garnishes are enlivening and fresh. The plates demonstrate effortless balance and expertly layered flavor profiles, none too pretentious to break the mold of upscale bar food.

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See what my first time at the Beacon Bar was like here and here.

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7.16.13

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photo op: HEATWAVE dinner

RER 7.15.13

Oh yes, it is hot outside, and hot is an understatement (unfortunately). I am not particularly fond of the high temperatures and scalding sun, but there are some summertime good eats. Check out this dinner we had a few nights ago, including some delicious ribeye steaks, hearty quinoa and good ol' spring mix salad, followed by some seductively summery peach cobbler with old fashioned ice cream. Talk about perfect.

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AJR 7.15.13

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What are some of your favorite summertime dinners? I need suggestions, because I feel like we are in for a long and hot one here. Leave some food for thought, or give me some comments on the foodie ventures facebook page. Can't wait to find out!

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7.15.13

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HUDSON Restaurant Week: Summer 2013

It’s about that time again! Hudson Restaurant Week is just around the corner and I can’t wait. This summer round is set to start July 29 and go through August 9. The food celebration highlights diverse restaurants across the county, featuring discounted prix fixe menus that would tickle any foodie on a budget. Check out the website for a list of the 45 different restaurants and their special menus. There a couple of new additions to the list, as restaurants are trying to expand their reach and participate in the community. I am excited to try out new places, and even revisit some that I went to during the winter restaurant week.

Take a peek at the places I tried out in the past restaurant weeks (it might help you pick and choose where to go):

Dino & Harry's, Hoboken

Hamilton Inn, Jersey City

Brass Rail, Hoboken

3Forty Grill, Hoboken

The Madison, Hoboken

Elysian, Hoboken

Maritime Parc, Jersey City

Light Horse, Jersey City

I am super excited because it is always a fun time and a way to explore the community and get to now the local offerings. Hope you Hudson County people get to try out some of these restaurants and show support. Stay tuned for photos, impressions, and stories about my Hudson Restaurant Week adventures, because there definitely will be some!

*Note all images are from hudsonrestaurantweek.com

RER

7.16.13