RISKY business: Almond

RER 4.15.15

Dining out is always a risk. You never know what is going to happen or what you’re going to get…Or how long you’re going to have to wait.

Almond is beautiful. There is no way of telling from the front that the restaurant is that expansive and varied in feelings and décor.  We walked all the way from the cozy front, lined with windows, to the very back, next to a billiards room and an area that evoked a library. We passed a skinny bar, a mish of subway tiles and a variety of textures. It was lovely, as lovely as I wished it to be.

RER 4.15.15

Part of it was our fault, perhaps. The four of us sat at the table and studied the wine menu. We could not decide on wine. Picking appetizers and entrees was a breeze, but choosing a bottle of wine was proving impossible. As logical dining guests we asked the server for a little assistance. He was less than helpful; in fact, he practically walked away in the middle of our inquiries. Like, poof.

Finally, after much deliberation and a little eenie-meany-miney-mo, we chose our wine. We received our wine, were given a taste, and were poured glasses before our server was prepared to take our orders. He forgot a pen. He seemed to be very distracted and spread thin. Every time he walked away, we feared he wouldn’t come back, so when we ordered with a rush, hoping not to lose him.

RER 4.15.15

The appetizers came to the table— pretty and just large enough to share. The smoked bluefish served with a giant potato pancake and creamy yogurt sauce, was salty with a barrage of textures from the chewy smoked fish to the crunchy pancake and silky sauce. Cheese Fries Quebecoise was a messy slew of French fries, topped with globby cheese curd, brown gravy, and thick fat bacon. It was addicting and briny, but not amazing.

And then we waited. We waited a long time. Our bottle’s contents vanished and eventually our glasses emptied, and the dishes from our starters were swept away ages ago. The volume fluctuated as other tables quieted while chewing on their entrees or roared as drinks appeared, but we maintained skeptical chatter, waiting.

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Finally, after a solid 40 minutes had passed, our gorgeous entrees arrived. Each looked like spring danced on the plant, bringing pastel hues, fresh scents and floral accents.

The almost tender wine-soaked short rib was dark, but lightened by more pink bacon, a scant number of chewy soft gnocchi and a bed of greens, wilted with the heat of the meat. Eight ravioli plump with grainy fava beans and mealy cheese circled each other in the shallow bowl, playing keep away with the discordant mint sauce.

RER 4.15.15

Thursday’s shrimp scampi special was a riot of colors—peachy pink meaty shrimp, green and eggplant floral garnish, bright read grape tomatoes and the warm yellow of yolky pasta—with a lightness that was refreshing and mildly satiating. The delicate crab and uni butter pasta emitted a hum of nonchalant flavors except the occasional prick of chili flakes and the crunch of pretty white flowers, but little else.

Despite the stunning presentation of each dish, the luxury of the ingredients and the ove zealous use of edible flowers, the food was a let down. Flavors did not always add up and the portions weren’t worth for the price.

RER 4.15.15

And the wait for our food and service even was unacceptable. Unfortunately, I do not remember much other than waiting and being disappointed. I wanted to love Almond with its sexy menu, beautiful venue and my high expectations… but like I said, dining out is always a risk.

RER

4.15.15

HOMESTYLED Italian: GP's Restaurant & Bar

RER 10.26.14

Sometimes I just want pasta. More specifically, pasta with pesto. There is something severely comforting about pesto pasta and shrimp. It brings me back to one of my favorite childhood dinners involving a Knorr packet of creamy pesto—a powder brought to life with olive oil and water, a little stirring and patience. Somehow, that packet is what I expect pesto to taste like, as inauthentic as it is.

This particular Sunday, that is what I was craving, but we decided on dining out. Lucky for us (yes, us, not just me—my yearnings can be dangerous), GP’s in Jersey City had the pasta dish to satiate my hankering.

RER 10.26.14

GP’s is a sweet little spot next to the even sweeter Hamilton Park. There’s a high ceilinged bar area in the front, some tables and a more intimate dining space, with dim lighting for atmosphere. The menu is typical of an Italian American spot, playing into the family-style feeling emanated by the tall red wall lined with photos.

There are antipasti like cheese plates and special crostini. That night a homemade burrata served with green olives, prosciutto, toasty croutons, peppers and a tart sweet balsamic reduction was highlighted. The burrata was not stringy and sticky at its center, there was no stretch and pull, but it was like soft ricotta, salt-less and rustic.

 

Small plates like smoked salmon outfitted with accoutrements and Gorgonzola polenta, mix familiarity with freshness.  The meatballs drenched in a homey tomato sauce and heavily dusted with grated Parmesan, are the perfect example. A bit of home out, meaty but perhaps over-loved.

After a range of salads, a standard pasta selection—maccheroni Bolognese, spaghetti pomodoro, orecchiette with broccoli rabe, etc. The list finishes with homemade gnocchi with pesto and shrimp.

RER 10.26.14

Exactly what I came for. The gnocchi were plump pillows, doughy, with a floury aftertaste. They were swimming in a thick and creamy pesto sauce, sweetened by the succulence of the scant shrimp. The first few bites were all the things that I wanted, but it was thick on the tongue, heavy and slow going.

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Of the classics, the chicken parmigiana was intriguing in the most traditional of ways. We asked for pesto sauce on the homemade spaghetti in efforts to mimic a favorite. The portion was just enough, a healthy balance of overworked protein and delicate and chewy pasta.

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And the classics continued with dessert, a flourless chocolate cake and cheesecake, to name a few, but the seasonal came into play as well. A dense cheesecake laden with a thick layer of sweet fig was paired with a tangy fruit sauce, a little citrus to cut the intense sweet.

GP’s converges traditional with the now in an effort to create something timeless and timely. There is quality with some slippage but most importantly, feelings of familiarity, like a place where grandma could very well be stirring the sauce and your great friend is pouring your drink.

RER

10.26.14

it's a CELEBRATION : Flea Street Cafe

RER 8.24.14

We decided it was my “birthday,” so we ate like it was a celebration and devoured the seasonal menu at Flea Street Café in Menlo Park, California.

Heirloom Tomato and Peach Salad

Surprisingly enough, the title of the dish didn’t include sexy burrata (burrata makes everything better…or is that bacon?). This summer seasonal salad was light, buoyant and delicious. The pecan pesto made vibrant with sea salt added a little heartiness to combat the sweet and tangy fruits and the silky creamy burrata.

RER 8.24.14

Corn and Mushroom Agnolotti

The flavors were delicate, but at the same time pungent enough to hold their own. The sweet corn played to the fresh eggy pasta and the creamy, chewy mushrooms. Even the cheese brought punch, livening up the mellow moments.

RER 8.24.14

Ricotta and Chive Gnocchi

The dense gnocchi dotted with green chives, swam in a mess of delicious chaos, served with a canopy of a thin crispy round of pancetta. Silky chanterelle mushrooms mellowed the tomato sofrito, which was more intense and tangy.

RER 8.24.14

McFarland House-Smoked Trout

Pretty seasoned waffle potato chips were the perfect base for a flaky forkful of the smoky pink trout and a balanced pinch of the potato salad. The smoky bacon echoed the smoke in the trout bringing out the meatiness in the fish, while the salad –soft potatoes, salty bacon, pleasantly bitter frisee, and horseradish crème fraiche vinaigrette— added a complexity of flavors.

RER 8.24.14

Lamb and Buckwheat Crepes

The layers of flavor and expertise were exhibited in this second course. The lamb was meaty and tender, meeting perfectly with the nuttiness of the doughy buckwheat crepes. The sweet roasted beets played to the sweetness of both the meat and the crepes, while the little crown of bitter frisee added complexity and recalled the earthiness of each element.

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Which Came First?

This chicken entrée sounded complex complete with a poached egg and pork belly, but in the end felt like two separate dishes. One was comprised of sweet corn puree, smooth lobster mushrooms, mealy fava beans, salty pork belly, and the almost runny poached egg. The other was the filled rounds of chicken with crispy skin. It was a mishmash of freshness that encapsulated the season, but could have united more seamlessly.

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Meyer Lemon Beignets

The tiny filled beignets were extremely tart, banishing all saccharine and greasy effects. The crunchy granules of sugar that coated their exterior and the crunchies beneath the cream were welcomed and necessary. The seasonal huckleberry compote added more tang and shifted the balance even further to an uncomfortable tartness.

 RER

8.24.14

RER 8.24.14

HudsonRW: Satis Bistro

RER 8.6.13

Entering Satis Bistro, in the quiet neighborhood of Paulus Hook, Jersey City, is like entering a portal that shifts time and transports to somewhere else. The space is a maze of minute details, like a museum, but it is still breathing, alive with the movement of time, people and food. There are pictures in frames hung purposefully on a small wall, and a tall communal table under a giant chalk board with latin scrawled in a rainbow of colors, and there are green hanging plants seated in the high windows, drawing the eye up to the very tall ceilings and eventually to a second lofted dining area. Even the powder room felt aged and lived in. But a visible kitchen, where some appetizers and cheese plates are prepared, is its own space, completely different than the rest, and thrown further back in time, underlined by rustic touches of benches for seating and rough pillows throughout the venue. 

RER 8.6.13

RER 8.6.13

The restaurant has a definite atmosphere, a kind of allure like the scent of fatty short ribs, gnocchi pillows, and red wine vibrato. Somehow there is a swirling of place and time, until neither is quite distinguishable, but the flavors reign and solid technique soars. Either through the super chilled avocado vichyssoise, with almost enough charred corn, summer tomatoes and watercress coulis, floating just so in the middle of the creamy and rich soup. Or the cheese plate appetizer with its haphazard elegance of apricot chutney, hot with mustard seeds, or the red ribbon of prosciutto and fat, and crusty bread.

RER 8.6.13

RER 8.6.13

Even what seems as straightforward as meat and potatoes or simple pasta, was elevated to something luxurious and comfortable at the same time. The short ribs, tender with time and seasoning, were fatty and surrounded by a bold peppery sauce, which balanced the richness, and enlivened the starch of the tangy goat cheese mashed potatoes. An addition of tiny cubes of chorizo, pushed the dish further. The mixture of  varied textures created a pieced together harmony, much like the décor of the restaurant.

JAR 8.6.13

RER 8.6.13

This play on the expected and the unexpected puzzle continued with the surprising gnocchi. There were not the little dots of doughy dumplings that are asssumed; but these were like little biscuits, pillows of ricotta with the essence of citrus and browned. The six fluffy dumplings were highlighted by a creamy sauce, gently wilted escarole, firm white beans and sweet roasted garlic. The dish was rich and reminiscent of home, comfort and familiarity, but the quality and technique equated refinement.

RER 8.6.13

RER 8.6.13

The sundaes, however, were an easy way out, strikingly contrasting the effort put into every other detail. There were not the careful and pristine elements constructed into the melty moments of chocolate and vanilla ice cream drenched in caramel and dashed in toasted coconut and meaty nuts, or the round balls of unnatural strawberry and vanilla disguising a dense sweet corn pound cake, as in other facets of the restaurant.  They were easy and effortless though, like the amalgamation of flavors and the mixed aesthetic. The sundaes did not transport across sea and continent, but rather, back in time to childhood and midnight concoctions.

RER 8.6.13

RER 8.6.13

Every element of Satis is orchestrated, creating an experience that does not stop at the food— it is an atmosphere, a transformation of a small space into an anonymous bistro in another part of the world. Its European roots are demonstrated through charcuterie, pastas, meats and fishes, a blend of the old and new and near and far.

RER

8.6.13

RER 8.6.13

the OLDER sister : Amanda's

RER 1.4.13

It was much quieter than at its sister restaurant; there was less of the chatter and more of the tinkle of silverware, there were less parties and more partners. The lights felt brighter, and the rooms felt more open. Amanda’s is like the older sister, wiser, and perhaps with a more elegant taste.

Amanda’s is kind of a staple in Hoboken, just like the couple that owns the restaurant. The Flynn’s own more than one eatery in Hoboken, and they just added a third location to their collection. Amanda’s is the fanciest of the two existing, and probably of the soon to be three. The restaurant has been in Hoboken a while, and my parents speak fondly of meals and memories there. They recall when the restaurant was only one storefront, a few small rooms. I remember too, long ago graduation dinners and other special occasions. But the restaurant has grown with success and popularity and it has spread to the adjacent store front; more rooms, more space, and more potential for patronage.

RER 1.4.13

This Friday dinner was an impromptu family meal before my younger sister returned to school. At first we were headed to the Elysian for dinner, but it was going to be a raucous wait that we were not prepared for (though I do look forward to trying it out eventually). So we reconsidered and went to Amanda’s for our dinner.

It was in fact quieter.

We sat at a table near the threshold of the two storefronts, separate rooms. White tablecloths and napkins, tastefully mismatched china, wooden chairs and mild false candlelight. There was just the murmur of people enjoying dinner, not a bar and music, and fancy lights, just a traditional meal. 

RER 1.4.13

For an appetizer I enjoyed a house made acorn squash gnocchi with shitake mushrooms and a sage cream. The gnocchi was irregularly shaped, a mark of its authenticity. The texture was a little bit gummy and chewy, which is common with gnocchi. The mushrooms were mildly salty, but very fragrant and rich. The rubbery texture of the mushrooms mimicked the homemade potato pasta. The plate was lavishly decorated with a puree of the squash, sweet and rich, while the rest of the dish was rested on a steamed portion of acorn squash, bitter and not quite appetizing, though aesthetic.

For dinner I had a pan roasted cod, atop potatoes, crescents of chorizo, red peppers, swimming in a clam ragout. They brought me a spoon, and I could not imagine for what. But when the shallow bowl arrived, I understood. I really wasn’t prepared for how wet the dish was going to be.  The cod was flaky and moist, it was delicate and took on the salty broth. The white meat starkly contrasted the pale pink broth, heavy with the red grease of chorizo and swimming red peppers, and the dark dull grey of the clamshells. Every thing was delicious, and delicate, but also a little salty. The potatoes offered a great counter texture to the flaky fish, and tender baby clams. But it also contributed a starch to drink up the broth and dampen the saltiness. The chorizo also did not have the same kind of feeling in the mouth, but it did not have the same fatty spicy taste I was expecting. I felt on the whole the dish was delicious, but not very memorable, because each component was a little lackluster. The dish was very safe, but in the end I feel like Amanda’s is not trendy or too innovative, but traditional and comfortable.

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 For dessert I ordered the key lime pie, which I have not had in ages, from there or anywhere really. And my sister ordered the chef’s cheesecake. The two desserts danced across the table, as she and I alternated tastes, both oddly fascinated with the other’s dessert. The key lime pie was tart and delicious, creamy and crunchy because of the substantial graham crust. But the cheesecake really captured me. It was creamy and smooth, room temperature and glided on the tongue like a ribbon. I was in awe of the lovely texture, and the subtle flavor. It was not dense and cheesy like many a cheesecake can be, but it was much sweeter and so much lighter. The crust wasn’t heavy or extremely present, but allowed the filling to shine.

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Amanda’s has high standards and quality, from the waitstaff  to the food, from the details in the décor to the details in what the staff must wear. This attention is also in the menu, that appears to change every month, picking up on seasonal clues and as well as the popular staples. The ambiance is quiet and classy, fun and comfortable at the same time. In many ways, it feels like home, from the varied rooms, to the friendliness of the people working there.

RER 

1.4.13

RER 1.4.13