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Showing posts with label steak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label steak. Show all posts
4.16.2014
photo op: PASSOVER seder
1.21.2014
HudsonRW: Marty O'Brien's
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Next stop, Marty O’Brien’s. Another first, but it
definitely will not be my last. Stopping in for Hudson Restaurant Week, was a great idea— a great meal for a great
price. The bar eatery offers a hefty menu for the $25 prix-fixe, with
appetizers like General Tso’s chicken and crab strudel, and mains like
fettuccine and shrimp and braised short ribs among others. There are a ton of
options and most definitely something for everyone.
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Even though,
walking into the corner spot, you are thrown into a space complete with a long
bar, a bunch TV screens and high tables lining the wall, Marty O’Brien’s serves
up extremely high-quality food. It looks like a bar at first glance, but
further in there is casual dining space and a hearty restaurant menu, with full
meals that do not qualify as just bar food.
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The French onion
soup was classic, small and served with French bread and a heavy dose of gruyere
cheese. It was salty and warm, sweet with the caramelized onions, typical and
delicious. Even the macaroni and cheese was a step beyond rough and ready mac
and cheese. The mixture of mascarpone and gruyere cheeses along with the salty
smoked bacon gave an adult flare to an easy favorite. Both appetizers had the
comfort of bar food, but a quality that made them more special.
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Though petite,
the hanger steak entrée was a blend of traditional flavors with an unexpected
twist. Blue cheese and steak marry in many a salad, but at Marty O’Brien’s, the
slices of meat rested in a pool of thick sweet onion and blue cheese sauce, uniting
the flavors in a less straightforward way. Appealing roasted corn on the cob
also offered an elevated presentation as well as a smoky sweet taste. The
mashed potatoes, though pretty normal, were executed with ease, adding that
pillow of comfort.
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A hefty portion
of fish dominated the plate for the potato crusted salmon option. It was far
heavier and far more satisfying than initially expected. The salmon was filled
with lump crabmeat, which added another consistency and a layer of sweet
meatiness. The potato crust offered merely texture, a crunch to the soft chew
of the salmon and its filling. Yellow rice and sautéed spinach accompanied the
fish, just filling the plate, adding color and sustenance. It was the topped
salmon that was the star, a unique conglomeration of the familiar.
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Dessert was
either a creamy cheesecake or zesty carrot cake. Neither was the consummate
dessert, but each had elements of deliciousness. The crust of the cheesecake
was like a cookie, soft, but spicy because of cinnamon, which cut the sweetness
of the creamy filling. But the moist carrot cake was dense while its cream
cheese frosting had a lightness to it that was addictive.
Do not let the
long bar and gigantic TV screens fool you; there is something truly delicious
in store at Marty O’Brien’s. It is both a home for Hoboken regulars, as well as
a spot for a low key but high quality meal. Can’t wait to go again! Thanks
#HudsonRW.
And stay tuned for
more #HudsonRW on facebook,
instagram, twitter, yelp
and pintrest! Where will I go next?
You just have to wait and see.
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1.16.2014
HudsonRW: A&W Steakhouse
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Hudson Restaurant Week kicked off on Monday, and our first stop
was A&W Steakhouse in Bayonne, a
new participant. It was extremely quiet on their first evening; a hushed front
room with a bar and a warm expansive dining room with a contrasting atmosphere.
The place gave off an air of an old guard, keeping hold of that lost luxury of
a time not too long ago.
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A shallow dish
introduced the thick and creamy corn and clam chowder, dense with chewy meaty
clams. The soup spoke to familiarity and comfortable predictability present
throughout the entire meal. While the fried calamari, topped with parmesan and
tossed with black olives and pickled jalapenos, was crunchy and fresh. Though
the heat brought the breaded rings alive, the saltiness of the cheese helped to
ease the spiciness of sweet chili sauce and scattered jalapenos.
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Even the mains
were straightforward, with no dramatic flourishes, just honest steakhouse fare.
There was however no shortage of satisfaction with the medium rare fillet
mignon and the juicy thick cut pork chop. The fillet was missing some salt, but
married perfectly with the peppery mashed potatoes hiding pockets of blue
cheese. A browned apple relish on top of the juicy pork chop, rustically
replicated homey pork chops and applesauce.
Dessert was just
as upfront and dependable. The molten chocolate cake was served warm topped
with a quickly melting ball of vanilla ice cream stripped with raspberry sauce.
Sweet, but not too overpowering; chocolately, but not too overwhelming, this
little molten cake had a lovely balance of flavors, as well as textures, as the
outside was crunchy, while the middle was fudgy. The idea of the dulce de leche
cheesecake with a graham cracker crust was drool worthy, but the pretty plate
fell short, something lost in translation.
The service was
prompt and the staff extremely friendly, ready to offer recommendations and to talk.
For a HudsonRW menu, A& W offered a ton of options, steakhouse staples and
old faithfuls, each as relatable and reliable as the choice above it, solid. The
Bayonne steakhouse feels like it could be a place for regulars and dishing up
consistency as it is clear they know the value of getting what you ask for.
Keep up with all the #HudsonRW adventures and everything in between on facebook, instagram, twitter,
yelp
and pintrest! Let me know what places you are going to try too!
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10.10.2013
truffle TAKEOVER: STK Meatpacking
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Dinner was more
of a dance party than anything. STK wants
to be an experience. Instead, it was just a place where some old masters mates could
eat and be merry. Bumping music, red wine, and overblown food induced the
desired merriment.
I was almost not
hungry it was so late. But I was with foodies familiar with the menu, so
decisions were swift and assertive. Only the starters seemed interesting, so my
close friend and I greedily decided to share four. In the end, there was a lot
of plate passing and seated gyrations.
The two plump scallops were perfect— seared,
succulent and lovely. The heat was a welcomed unexpected contrast. The lemon preserve,
however, was unappealing. Its bitterness overwhelmed the delicate sweetness of
the scallop, casting a dingy shadow on the appetizer.
The two wagyu beef sliders of the downsized Lil’ Burgers appetizer were a three
bite take on comfort food. But the truffle oil doused bun did the sliders no
favors. It was strong and felt forced, like a mask for the simple favorite to become
something elevated.
Topped with moot
frisee, served with forgotten crackers and bathed in black truffle aioli, the beef tartar was luxurious but also dirtily
addictive. The raw meat flavors were lost in the combative aroma of truffles.
Only the chewy texture remained, hinting at what it was meant to be. Though the
tuna tartar was lighter, the soy
honey emulsion had a similar cloaking effect as the truffle.
We didn’t really
want to share the decadent foie gras
French toast with our long lost colleagues, but sharing is caring. Sweet,
savory, buttery, meaty, rich; the appetizer was a whimsical play on pan prepared
foie gras with plain toast points. The airy almond brioche drizzled with sherry
gastrique housed a thin slab of foie gras topped with soft tart green apples.
The different supple textures echoed the luxurious flavors and the spike of
tangy apple.
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The shape of the
pasta in the lobster mac and cheese
was reminiscent of the elbows of memories past, but the mature addition of
lobster sweetened the cheesy dish. As many adult mac and cheeses use real
cheese (not the bright orange variety from a pouch), this too had a grainy
texture that baffled the mouth while the flavors seduced it.
The soufflé-like
corn pudding was shockingly
appetizing, sweet and pillowy, with a dark decadence that sided with the
savory. It tasted like heavenly warm ice cream, interrupted with terrestrial golden
corn kernels.
After consuming
far too much liver, fancy beef, raw items and truffle (and wine for that
matter), we indulged further with the requisite dessert. Each dessert was a
playful rendition of a staple or a memory. Like the doughnuts coated in white sugar with white and milk chocolate
sauces, served from a paper bag like at a fair with a trendy twist.
Or the birthday cake, a dessert only a
princess could imagine. It was a pretty column; a white fondant encased base topped
with a spiral of baby pink frosting and crowned with clear candy and floating sprinkles.
Beneath the buttery sweet parapet was a thick layer of dense almond cake, which
rested on a cylinder of cookie dough ice cream. Sugary like childhood dreams
and fairytales, in the end, was just too much.
Many aspects of the Meatpacking eatery
were just that, excessive. From the incessant and detrimental use of truffles,
to the superfluous layers of flavors and ingredients, even to the heart-pounding
music and slinky decor, it was hard to fully enjoy the meal. STK did succeed in
creating an “experience.”
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7.17.2013
photo op: HEATWAVE dinner
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7.03.2013
second YELPing...
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4.02.2013
SOLE survivor : Le Relais de Venise L'Entrecote
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Imagine going into a restaurant, it’s beautiful, old timey,
heavy and light all at the same time, and the server says to you… "Have you
dined with us before? We only have one thing on the menu. Is that ok?”
I guess it has to
be ok… I had already touched the silverware and unfolded the napkin. And it was ok. I knew what I was in for before
I even walked through the door.
My foodie friend was in town and we planned a lunch; to
indulge in one of our favorite pastimes and it was the perfect time for him to
meet my boyfriend. He and I
chatted back and forth, brainstorming where to eat our lunch, somewhere we
could talk and be satisfied. We finally decided on one of the places he put
out, a place he had already been and really enjoyed, Le Relais de Venise -L’Entrecote.
He prefaced the suggestion with “You wanna do steak frites?” and I followed
with affirmation and then he continued “They only do steak frites…” And upon
checking the website, the fact was confirmed, and I decided it would be an
excellent foodie (ad)venture.
Adventure?
Of course, even
with the single option, (well, the choices only lay in how you want your meat
cooked, what kind of wine would accompany your meal, and what dessert would
tempt you most) there are so many other things to consider when defining a
food adventure…Ambiance, service, quality…
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Ambiance
We went for lunch, so there was a lot of chatter and
clatter, but we hit the tail end, they stop serving lunch at about 2:30. Even
then it was busy until the last few bites of our desserts, some people rushing,
while others lingered with wine and pommes frites. There were a lot of people
but it was not overwhelming and unruly, just jovial.
Like the website mentions, the restaurant was decorated to
mimic the original restaurant in Paris, with the feeling of a French brasserie;
close tables, booths and chairs, tablecloths topped with white butcher paper;
refinement and familiarity at the same time. The walls were lined with colorful
paintings as well as mirrors. There was a heavy brassy elegance to the place,
just nonchalant enough to be lunch. The white paper becomes a note pad for the
server, a way to organize and set the scene for when the steak comes out.
It almost felt like a different place and time.
***
Service
The staff was efficient and fast paced without being brusque
or rude. Our server kindly explained the “menu,” like it was something new and
exciting to her, not like she had said it 50 times in the last hour. She really
wanted us to understand, like our experience there depended on it.
She was super sweet, and friendly, and by the end of the
meal when the crowd was thinning out, we even got to know her a little bit.
There was no stuffiness about her and nor some of the other staff we
encountered, which I was afraid of, especially with a strong brand like that of
Relais de Venise.
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***
Quality
Everything was perfect.
The starter salad was simple and green, nothing lavish or
even too exciting. The dressing however gave it an extreme kick, spicy with
mustard. It was hot and opened up the airways like spice tends to do, preparing
us for the delicious steak frites to come.
Unfortunately there are so many ways to ruin a good piece of
meat and obliterate a steak, but the 50 years of science and consistency has
really paid off for Relais de Venise. The meat was cooked exactly to order, a
rarity. It was tender, and the quality was obvious. As they note, importantly,
half of your steak is brought out at first, piping hot and ready to be
demolished (politely). The other portion (about a third they say) is kept warm
and waiting. Magically enough this other part was still in fact warm when we
received it and it was not over cooked either, absolutely consistent to the
first shift.
The pommes frites are never ending, each batch as warm and
crisp as the one before. Each fry is also uniform, conforming to the original
requisites of the pommes frites in the Paris location, in measure and cooking
style. As usual golden fries compliment red meat perfectly, creating a casual meat
and potato meal.
And what throws the meal in a different direction, is the
secret sauce that tops the perfect meat. It is some mysterious amalgamation of
herbs, spices, condiments and fats. The sauce is not like an herbed butter that
comes as a garnish on so many steaks, nor is it like a thin, transparent
dipping sauce. It is thick, lively, decadent and a bright green. Though the
sauce came on the entire steak the meal was not monotonous, each bite brought
different notes and complexities out in the secret topping.
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And the solo main item raised many questions for me. How is
it beneficial if the restaurant has one single option? What does it say about
the restaurant or the people that go there?
Even before we got there, even before the day planned for
lunch, and I had studied the restaurant website, I knew that this was something
highly specialized and time tested. Relais de Venise is a brand not just a
restaurant. It is a high-end chain, in France, the UK, and New York City. The
original restaurant was opened in Paris more than 50 years ago, by Paul Gineste
de Saurs, a way for a vineyard to showcase its wine. It was initially, not
about the food or the grand experience of cuisine, but the restaurant featured
a dish that would appeal to all kinds of French people. It was all set up to
advertise and spread the family’s brand of wine. Creating a restaurant was just
a base point, another way to bring people together to enjoy the wine. With
limited knowledge of restaurant operation and business, M de Saurs kept the
interior decoration if the Italian restaurant he had bought, to create his
platform, and also added a sign with “L’Entrecote.”
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Despite only offering its guests one sole main course
option, the restaurant flourished and thrived in Paris, and has become an
enterprise, spreading. It is a brand and people who go to the restaurant can
expect amazing quality and a great meal every time; there are no questions and
seldom inconsistencies. There is a certain level of quality and standards that
are connected to the name, so it is not only necessarily about options and
being avant garde. This is something I greatly appreciate. There are far too
many times that I have gone to the same restaurant, and experienced varied
experience and performance. Sometimes surprise and mystery are great and
cherished in a meal, but there is some comfort in knowing what to expect.
This restaurant seems like it is from a different time, as
it is. It has remained in tact and unmoved by transient trends and a foodie
desire to challenge what is comfortable. Le Relais de Venise-L’Entrecote has
subsisted and survived on its static characteristic and charm, something that
will truly last through the ages.
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