Shariq’s Département

I have a tendency not to take Bobby Flay too seriously.  With all of his Food Network work, one wonders how he takes time out to ensure the quality of his restaurants.  So, dubiously, P. and I ventured forth to Mesa Grill, which has been around for many years now, to explore.

The results were intensely satisfying as the pictures of the food will testify.  P. started with a shrimp and roasted garlic corn tamale (picture 1) which was colorful and bursting with flavor.  My barbecue duck and blue corn tamale appetizer (picture 2) was an adult’s noir dream of a dish: smoky, subtle, sophisticated.  The dishes were washed down with a very reasonable and delightfuly springy and alive Chenin Blance that danced on our palates and partnered with each dish in a unique and generous way (picture 3).  P. liked his main dish of spice-crusted tuna with mango and green chile sauce very much (picture 4), while my mahi-mahi with pineapple was a bit too tropical and mild for me (picture 5).  A side of healthy spinach (picture 6) rounded off the evening.

Venture forth to this enduring bastion of old New York and celebrity wisdom.  And you will not be disappointed.

Amidst the swirling seas of the Altantic, nestled within the arms of “Wish” restaurant in South Beach, I enjoyed and celebrated my existence, wishing for an exciting future and knowing that it will indeed come to pass.

There is something about being on the ocean that is relaxing, energizing and ultimately self-motivating (picture 1).

The birthday food celebration at Wish included: P.’s starter of lobster ravioli with a cardomon-yuzu foam (picture 2), which he really enjoyed.  My appetizer of fois gras was unusual in that it was paired with white chocoloate (picture 3)!  It took a little getting used to, but ultimately I enjoyed it.  My main was a branzino with a fregole of olives, pine nuts and frutti di mare (picture 4).  P. ate a salmon dish with risotto and mushrooms (picture 5).  My birthday dessert was a chocoloate molten cake with caramel ice cream (picture 6).  P. ate a trio of sorbets (picture 7).

Onwards and upwards - once more unto the breach!

Amidst the winter woes of restaurant disarray in NYC, a bright light shines on Bridgehampton transplant “Almond” in Gramercy, which has filled in the old “Borough” space.

The restaurant, although large, was so crowded on a Saturday night that we had to wait for 20 minutes even though we had a reservation.  This is a testament to to tasty and well-priced food available at the restaurant.

Management was extremely apologetic for the delay and sent a free seafood platter to our table immediately to try and make amends (picture 1).  The platter included a spicy scallop and fennel ceviche, marinated octopus and curried mussels - all very delicious.  We immediately returned to a good mood, encouraged by a very tasty and well-priced Minervois wine from the Languedoc region of France (picture 2).

Among the appetizers, my duck confit with lentils was amazing (picture 3).  The duck was crispy and tasty.  H.’s salad of arugula, beets and roquefort was well received (picture 4) as was L.’s salad of field greens and warm chevre (picture 5).  P. very much liked his appetizer of salt cod croquettes (picture 6).

For mains, I ate steak frites (very classic and nice) with au poivre sauce (picture 7).  P. ate cavatelli pasta (picture , while L. ate mussels (picture 9).

Desserts were simple, yet delicious: chocolate mousse (picture 10) and creme brulee (picture 10).

All in all a very satisfying meal with terrific atmosphere.  We’ll be going back soon - but make the reservation for 15-20 minutes before you really want to sit down to eat!

Daniel Boulud’s opulent “DB Brasserie”, facing a magnificent waterfall with multi-colored images and sound, at the Wynn in Las Vegas, is unlike his more muted and reverent restaurants in New York. 

The service is as gracious and solicitous.  Hoever, the food is a hit-or-miss affair.  It can be sublime (my tuna appetizer, picture 1 -a fantastic vitello tonnato with crispy sweetbreads and radishes) or disappointing (my beef main -picture 2, which was very pedestrian  and P.’s salmon main - picture 3, since the texture of the fish was quite slimy, without being silky).  The much-hyped peekytoe crab salad (picture 4) that P. ate was also apparently a bit bland - it didn’t stand out.

Overall, though, this one-Michelin star effort is a very romantic experience, with the view.  P. got to celebrate his birthday again! (picture 5).  The wine from Provence (picture 6), an unusual 1999 vintage, was an excellent choice and set the tone for a French brasserie evening, where, as most of you know who have been to Paris, expect the unexpected.

With a low-key, lush, dark-wooded ambience overlooking the Bellagio casino, “Fix” surprised with amazingly well-executed dishes, making me wonder why I can’t find more restaurants with such high quality in NYC.

I started with a duck salad appetizer (picture 1) that was so tasty, harmonious and well-balanced that this dish will stay with me for a long time. The duck was cooked perfectly, served in generous portions and melded beautifully with the salad.  P.’s deconstructed Caesar got raves from him (picture 2).  Simple can be fantastic, as long as it is executed well.

We both had the same main course: a sea bass dish with risotto, baby shrimp, and lobster broth (picture 3), which was great.

Desserts were awesome!  I ate a “cake and shake” dish (picture 4), melding a delicious chocolate cake with a coffee shake…yum!  P. ate a spiraling creme brulee (picture 5) that he ate with deep intensity to a conclusion before I could have a taste (just kidding, P.!)

P. has always been a high roller and an artist, so what better way to celebrate his birthday than at the 2-Michelin star Picasso in Vegas?  The chef, Julian Serrano, of Spanish descent, obviously views himself as an avante-garde artist with his food, which did not disappoint.

The setting is a handsome, stately room with views of the Bellagio fountains which sway and swoon every 15 minutes, and the walls are graced by actual Picasso paintings. 

My first course was a delicious warm quail salad with sauteed artichokes and walnuts.  The bird was delicate and exciting, without being too gamy.  It was just the right tantalizing introduction to a high quality evening (picture 1).  P. had a cream of squash soup with shrimp, which he enjoyed (picture 2).  Our wine was a delicate 2002 Volnay with a very long finish (picture 3).

For the second course, I ate a boudin of fresh lobster, shrimp and scallops, offset by a very tasty tomato coulis (picture 4), while P. ate black bass with saffron sause and cauliflower mousseline (picture 5).

My third course of venison with apples and a zinfandel sauce was exceptional (picture 6) - I have not had better venison in the States (only Switzerland compares).  P. ate swordfish, which he seemed quite happy with (picture 7). 

The desserts were so beautiful (pictures 8 and 9) - both chocolate and both irresistable.  Petit fours rounded out the evening (picture 10).

If you are in Vegas and want to celebrate a special occasion, Picasso is highly recommended.  Just ask for a table with in front of the windows, with a direct view of the Bellagio fountains when you book.

On a recent trip to Atlanta, P. and I found a fantastic French restaurant, Trois, in midtown, which combined French classics such as P.’s appetizer, French Onion Soup (picture 1) with outrageous dishes that worked, such as my main of oxtail with scallops -yummy! (picture 2).

We were first offered a refreshing amouse-bouche of trout mousse over a slice of granny apple - the flavours really worked together (picture 3).  I started with a delicious tuna tartare with piquillo pepper, olives and warm mayonnaise (picture 4) to accompany P.’s soup.  P.’s main was a yellowfin tuna dish with salsify gratin, braised endive and a caper-raisin vinaigrette that he said was very good (picture 5).  We washed all this down with a very nice Pinot noir.

For dessert, P. had a trio (no pun intended) of ice creams (picture 6), while I had a soul-satifying warm chocolate clafoutis with vanilla ice cream, chocolate streusel and English cream! (pictue 7).

The ambience was breezy and romantic.  I definitely recommend this restaurant if you ever find yourself in Atlanta.

Cafe Ponty, which just opened last week, in the former Sri Lankan restaurant space on 3rd and 19th, offers quite delectable French bistro flair with a spicy twist in a cosy, spot.  I think it’s a great addition to the Gramercy neighborhood

For starters, we had the buttnernut squash soup (picture 1), which was earty and delicious, and calamari (picture 2), which was crispy and was served with an unusual spicy sauce.  As the restaurant is just starting out, they also gave us a free appetizer of chicken spring rolls (picture 3), which, I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed.

For mains, P. had the sea bass (picture 4) and I had the lamb with couscous (picture 5), which is definitely one of the better lamb dishes I have eaten anywhere, even in Michelin-starred restaurants.

The service is still a litte unsteady, but I am sure it will improve.  Stay away from the chocolate cake dessert - very doughy and dense.

We’ll be going back soon!

P. and I tried “Pranna” last night, the new pan-Asian restaurant that just opened this week on 28th and Madison, and were surprised at how good the food was.  The flavor combinations were unusual and surprising, even for New Yorkers who think they’ve tasted it all.

I started with a scallops sitting atop a Tom Yum, garbanzo and hazelnut puree.  The flavors were tangy in a typical Asian style, but what was really unusual was the bunch of mint leaves in the middle, not meant for adornment but as an interactive seasoning to play with the sauce.  And, the effect is quite magical as you interveave a mint leaf with a bit of scallop and the hazelnut puree.  Very memorable.   P. also enjoyed his cuttlefish, seaweed and Japanese eggplant salad.  We were so into the food that we forgot to take pictures of these first two dishes.

Before the appetizers, we were served nice, light, airy naan bread with delicious dipping sauces, like Tabla.  Except the naans here seemed lighter, and less dense, so there was space left for the rest of the meal.

For mains, I had a hanger steak that was a KNOCKOUT! The meat was crisply cooked and had a cumin crust (picture 1).  These meat flavors were amplified by the sauce, a rich mix of sprouted moong salad, candlenut, guajillo peppers and winter berry compote.  This has become my favourite steak dish in the city now!  I have to go back.  P. ate a Chatham cod dish with crab dumplings and a corn cilantro cake that he said was also very good.

We both had a wonderful meal, and had a nice bottle of Languedoc Merlot red that was a well-priced alternative of light wine that accompanied the food well (picture 3).

We ended with a chocolate souffle (picture 4), and, as you might expect, it was sinful but deeply satisfying.

The ambience at Pranna is great, the seating is roomy and the service is attentive and solicitous.  Go now before it gets discovered and reservations are hard to come by!

Although Lunetta, a Manhattan outpost of a Brooklyn Italian restaurant, opened in the Flatiron district almost a year ago, P. and I didn’t make it over there till last night, and we were really impressed!

The mood is calm, relaxing.  The service is solicitous, and the cavernous dining room lends a sense of space to what has become an increasingly oppressive month in New York.

I started with an Octopus appetizer (picture 1) which was a true standout.  The octopus was beautifully charred and crisped on the outside, while the accompanying salad mixed celery and radishes in a zingy lemony vinaigrette - very clean flavours and highly delicious.  P. had the risotto balls with tomato sauce (picture 2), which he enjoyed very much (although I managed to grab one).

We both had the tuna main (picture 3) - and we both ordered the fish at different temperatures, and both pieces were cooked exactly as we ordered them (one medium and one well done) - this is a rare Manhattan kitchen willing to be in tune with its customers.

Dessert was a decadent chocolate fling (picture 4).  Need I say more?