The interior is alot bigger (and fancier) than I thought it would be. This isn’t just a sandwich shop! There is a white theme with crystal chandeliers running through the restaurant – to be honest? It reminded me of a cheesy club you might find in South Beach but it’s not about that…it’s about the food for me.

We decided to share an appetizer, get a pasta plate and main course each.

Deciding between the veal meatballs, the bufalo mozz and octopus, we decided that the octopus would probably be the most unique option.

Very tender morsels of baby octopus are served with black squid ink, sliced and roasted fingerling potatoes, fried capers and what tasted like parsnip puree.  It was very well done. Not a trace of chewiness.

For pasta, Cookie Monster got the agnolotti pasta stuffed with goat cheese and topped with wild mushrooms ragù:

The pasta at Caffe Falai is all home made. This plate was plentiful (unlike mine) and I loved the contrast of the tangy goat cheese filling against the earthier more richer notes of the mushroom ragu. That ragu really made it for me – it was so full of flavor and meaty.

I got the ravioli stuffed with scallops in a fennel saffron puree and topped with thyme butter sauce:

This dish is actually alot lighter than you think. The scallop filling is very very delicate and the fennel saffron puree seemed to only accentuate this light as air, melt in your mouth texture.

Main course, Cookie Monster got the Falai hamburger (so to speak) – it’s florence meat veal with bufala, caramelized onions, roasted cherry tomatoes, tabasco, and mayo all on brioche. It’s served with homemade potato chips.

Interior shot of the burger:

This was a thick juicy burger that somehow managed to be delicate because it was made with ground veal. It was delicious and interesting but I have to say, I was REALLY too obsessed with my main course to be bothered with a burger.

I got the branzino with porcini mushrooms, napa cabbage, roasted red onion and red wine reduction:

Side note: alot of reviews had mentioned that the portions at Caffe Falai were really small for the price. I must disagree. Look at this portion, it was two large filets of branzino…perfectly cooked and moist branzino might I add. I tried the porcini mushroom and cabbage laying beneath the fish first and was BLOWN AWAY. I did not expect such delicious flavors. I love the texture of cooked cabbage and porcini is one of my favorite type of mushrooms for it’s excellent umami flavors. The comination just did it for me. I must add that I’m almost very certain that Falai uses kimchi in this dish. There were pieces of cabbage sliced exactly the way you find in a jar of kimchi and the flavors were almost identical. It tasted like kimchi that has been rinsed off of the spicy fermenting liquid and maybe even steeped in water to reduce the strong spicy garlic flavors kimchi has right out of the bottle. If I am correct, I think this was quite clever because the kimchi added the right amount of seasoning and acid this dish needed. This was one amazing dish.

For dessert Cookie Monster got the tiramisu (good but nothing special)

I got the crepe cake. (This is why I read reviews prior to a restaurant visit – I had read this was a must have)

Ok this cake is ridiculous. I love custard and creamy desserts and this nails both. It’s several layers of soft crepe interspersed with layers of creamy custard like filling. The top was carmelized very similar to creme brulee. It was amazing. The velvety layers of crepe….and it wasn’t super sweet. Cookie Monster had dessert envy. We just found our “go to” cake for future birthdays and celebrations. They apparently sell a small individual portion and a larger version at the bakery next door. Definitely getting for an upcoming birthday celebration!

Caffe Falai…I have no idea why I waited so long. The meal was delicious: start to finish.

Caffe Falai, 265 Lafayette, New York, NY

When you sit down, you are served warm cornbread with scallions and whipped butter:

I had heard many great things about the mini fried oyster sliders so of course that was a must have. We got one each:

At first glance, I thought the bun was going to be hard but it was so soft – a nice contrast to the crunchy but luscious fried oysters.  There was a dijon mustard sauce which cut the richness of the fried contents and the fresh lettuce trimming was a nice but necessary touch.  The best part is they arrived piping hot – you knew they were just made.  I wanted to order another but knowing we had ordered a ton of food, I refrained.

We also shared the fried chicken wings:

3 pieces of small chicken wings – the skin was incredibly crunchy and the meat of the chicken was moist.  The same dijon mustard sauce found in the oyster sliders was also drizzled on the wings which didn’t appeal to me as both appetizers tasted too similar.  I say get one or the other but not both. (My recommendation is the oyster sliders however.)

For main courses, we decided to share the grilled pork chop and the short ribs with a side of the cauliflower.

The pork chop is HUGE. It’s grilled and about an inch and  a half thick and served with baked beans and vinegared turnips.

The pork chop at Locande Verde is phenomenal and this one did not disappoint either. It was PERFECTLY seasoned and cooked and not dry at all. I loved the salty charred parts around the bone. The baked beans lent a slightly sweet touch to every bite. It’s a pretty large portion so if you are a big eater, this is for you.

The short ribs were served with golden turnips, stout and caraway:

Unfortunately you cannot see the very dark, super tender pieces of short rib.  The short rib was divine! And the restaurant gives you two good sized blocks of that wonderful meat.  I couldn’t decide what I liked more, the short ribs or the pork chop! The sauce made from stout had a lovely depth and slight bitterness that worked really well with the rich morsels of meat.

The short rib comes with a side of mashed potatoes and more of that dark gravy:

Not knowing the short ribs came with the mashed potato side, we had ordered a side of the cauliflower with toasted hazelnuts, pear and butter sage sauce:

If you like cauliflower, you’ll love this. Not exactly the healthiest version but it was great – the cauliflower was roasted and then drizzled with that butter sage sauce. The roasted hazelnuts added a nice nutty crunch.

For dessert, I got another glass of wine (I was STUFFED silly) and Scarf got the banana cream pie:

Oh good heavens! This was so light and custardy and full of banana flavor. Homemade graham cracker crust and a side of vanilla ice cream. Love!

So Scarf had to leave for a party and Cookie Monster came in and took his seat. Cookie Monster had just left a work event very close by and had not eaten dinner yet. Wasn’t he lucky to have a seat all warmed and ready for him?

He started with the cold octopus salad with roasted red peppers (not photographed) as a starter and I took a bite just to taste the flavors.  Very Spanish influence and the octopus was tender and not tough at all.

For main course, he chose the pecan duck with celery and dirty rice:

He liked the duck but not nearly as much as the duck served at Locande Verde (which he was actually hoping for when he ordered this one at The Dutch). I believe he found the celery a bit overpowering. I cannot speak to this dish as I did not try it.

Cookie Monster ordered the bacon button potatoes as his side:

Now mind you, I was so full I couldn’t bring myself to take more than one small bite of the octopus and I passed on the duck altogether…I tried these potatoes and could not stop picking at it! The potatoes were creamy and delicious!  What did they do to it? We asked our server and she told us that there was chicken stock (which explained the great savory flavor), chopped bacon, chives and sour cream. It was like a deconstructed baked potato. I need to try and recreate this. At the bottom, the starch from the potatoes had thickened the chicken stock turning it into a thick wonderful gravy that coated each potato. YUM.

So I’m a huge fan of The Dutch. It was delicious and worth every bit of the hype.  Everything Carmellini touches seems to turn to gold. It’s nice to know that there are two establishments I can turn to when I need a Carmellini fix.  Reservations at decent times never seem to be available so I suggest doing what Scarf and I did, go early, grab a seat at the bar and eat there.  OR you can go to the bar and enjoy one of their delicious and expertly made cocktails while you wait for a table – it’s a bustling scene.  Either way, try The Dutch, you will not be sorry.

The Dutch, 131 Sullivan Street, New York, NY

I grabbed Strawberry, a fellow eater and adventurous palate, to eat at Takashi.  She also had heard great things and was more than willing to be my companion.  We got there at 630, avoided the long wait (which later in the night I overheard being 2 hours!!!) and was seated at the sushi bar with a grill.  We decided to order a bunch and share.

This is what you get the minute you sit down. In Korean restaurants – it is called “banchan” or small plates typically eaten with your meal.  Takashi served up some kimchi (far left), some raw cabbage (center) in this outstanding sauce (it was slightly spicy, vinegary and bursting with umami flavors…maybe even a touch of miso?) and some bean sprouts with ground sesame. We ate all the cabbage because the crunch of the cabbage and that sauce was addictive.

The first to appear was the kobe slider stuffed with foie gras and served with a BBQ chocolate sauce.

The kobe slider is not served on a bun but in a sizzling mini cast iron skillet. Kobe slider was only slightly larger than maybe a golf ball and stuffed with foie and served with a quail egg.  The chocolate sauce is drizzled table side. Yelp reviewers LOVE this dish and I have to say, I did not love it so much? I love all things kobe, foie and egg but I found the meat itself very tough and almost grainy and there definitely wasn’t enough foie gras to satisfy me.  I was not terribly fond of the chocolate sauce…but then again, I’m not one that loves sweet mixed in with the savory.  For $20 for ONE, this was not worth it.

The niku-uni, which is raw chuck flap topped with sea urchin, shiso leaf and dried seaweed, arrived next:

This is what I saw Bourdain eating on the Layover and it was this very dish that served as the impetus to push me to finally go to Takashi. Bourdain took a mouthful and closed his eyes in delight…Strawberry and I did the same.  The uni was soooo creamy and enhanced the fat marbled raw meat. The shiso leaf burst with flavor in your mouth (a flavor I find very difficult to describe but only as slightly minty, a little licquorishy and fresh).  The whole mouthful was finished with a crunchy slightly briny flavor from the seaweed. SO good. So worth it.

Next came the beef tendon casserole:

Beef tendon casserole is exactly that – only stewed so long that the tendon is melt in your mouth soft and the beef is fall apart.  I was skeptical of how good this dish could be but I have to say, it was one of my favorites for the night (the other being the uni raw beef plate above).  The casserole was rich, slightly sweet and like thick gravy – probably thickened by the slow cooked tendon and the stew was full of beef flavor. Every mouthful tasted like the best beef stew one would ever eat. The portion was small but due to the richness of the plate, half was plenty for me.

Now we moved onto the grilling portion of our meal.  We opted to get an order of beef tongue and the chef’s choice of freshest parts.  The meats are served with a side of sesame oil and salt that you dip the grilled meat into.  The dipping sauce enhances the richness and flavors of the meat.

So grill, then dip, then eat:

So the tongue – I thought I would really enjoy this. I have a problem with tongue – it grosses me out to be honest but if you’ve been following my blog, I’ll try everything once and I do love things that most people find gross (ie uni, bone marrow, tripe, etc).  Bourdain LOVES tongue as do alot of my friends. They describe it as tender brisket..both in texture and flavor. So we ordered an entire plate of it.

Fresh off the grill you are hit with a nice beefy smokey flavor but I didn’t find it as tender as brisket…it was chewy! And very sinewy.  I also found it slightly gamey.  I don’t think I like tongue.

The chef’s choice of freshest parts:  first stomach, fourth stomach, sweetbreads, beef cheeks (which replaced liver at our request) and heart.  The chef’s choice items we opted to have marinated in the special Takashi marinade.  

I’ve eaten tripe and sweetbread so I wasn’t worried about the first and fourth stomach. Beef cheeks probably just taste like beef so what’s the fear there?  But it was the heart that made me stop. I’ve never had heart. I’ve had kidney before and hated it and I figured the flavors would be similar.  But again, all reviewers mentioned the heart as being very tasty.

Let me give you a run down of each thing on the plate – or my impressions of it.  1st and 4th stomach – both very chewy but aside from that, all you really taste is the marinade. Chew as much as you like cuz you ain’t grinding that thing down with teeth. Just chew and swallow.  Sweetbreads were very fresh and creamy but the aftertaste was quite gamey. I realize I prefer my sweetbreads breaded and fried – not so fresh as this.  Beef cheeks tasted like beef but just a bit tougher – probably cuz it’s a worked muscle.  Heart: here we go. The first impression is “oh it’s juicy and tastes like beef” but then the gamey-ness kicks in and it kicks in hard.  It’s also a little crunchy?  Suddenly my stomach turned and I had to swallow so I didn’t gag. I don’t know if this was just my mind getting around the fact that I was eating heart but I did not like it.  I took another bite to make sure and revelation: No more heart for me.  But for what it’s worth, Takashi’s marinade is amazing. They should bottle it up and sell it.

For dessert we got the vanilla ice cream with the works: salted caramel sauce, green tea powder, mochi and sweet red bean.

FYI vanilla ice cream with an option of topping or the works is the only dessert they offer here but don’t pass it up. Especially not the salted caramel sauce! The sauce was salty and slightly bitter and worked really amazing with the other sweet toppings.  Nice way to finish the meal.

So my thoughts on Takashi – I would come back for the niku-uni and the beef tendon casserole and probably stick to more standard beef cuts. I also want to try the oxtail pie on the menu.  But in terms of straight up grilled beef? I’ll go to Korea Town for that. You get alot more for your money and the beef is better in my opinion.  Takashi is nice for a novelty night and it’s fun to grill with a friend.  This place doesn’t take reservations unless you are a party of 4 or more and make sure you wear something that you can wash right after – you walk out smelling of BBQ’d meat.

Takashi, 456 Hudson Street, New York, NY

More coming soon!

Restaurant was bustling and had a very French bistro decor about it. I liked it – it reminded me of a more modern version of Balthazar’s interior.

Cookie Monster started with the scallop appetizer with leek, apple and crispy proscuitto:

Perfectly cooked sweet scallops with crunchy apples and tender leeks. The scallops tasted like they were sitting on a delicate puree of parsnip puree – it enhanced the natural sweetness of the scallop. This appetizer was delicious.

Loving octopus with chorizo, I got exactly that for my appetizer:

Roasted fennel and cannellini beans were also present in the dish. I don’t know that I loved this dish more than the one they serve at Dell’ Anima. The octopus was clearly cooked properly as it was incredibly tender but it tasted a tad fishy to me. The chorizo I thought could have been cooked a little longer – they weren’t crispy enough for me and more chewy.  The fennel was delicious: roasted until they are sweet and the licorice flavors are mellowed out.  This appetizer was good and I finished it but probably not something I would order again. The two tables near us both ordered the lamb meatballs and the scent was intoxicating. I also heard them ooh’ing and aah’ing over them so that’s clearly something to get next time.

For main course, Cookie Monster got the braised short ribs with squash, farro and rainbow chard:

The short rib had a robust beefy flavor and was fork tender. So good. But the real treat on this dish was the farro in my opinion. It had a great chewy bite to it and had absorbed all that beef gravy. It was a really great texture.

I, in an attempt to be good, got the grilled branzino with cauliflower, grapes, endive and lemon gastrique. (Incidentally, I had read this was also the National’s signature dish)

The flesh of this white fish was so moist and succulent. I LOVE branzino. It just has so much flavor to it. And this is the second restaurant that I’ve seen pairing branzino with cauliflower (the other restaurant is Taboon) and I find the coupling works quite well.  Sweet halved grapes added pops of fresh sweetness here and there. I was very pleased with my selection.

We also got a side of the smoked paprika hand cut fries (I had read these were delicious):

Very good fries. Had the nice requisite crunch and the slight heat from the smokey paprika was definitely something new. We were reaching for more until there was no more.

For dessert, Cookie Monster got the mocha praline sundae with espresso gelato, hazelnut brittle and fudge sauce:

I got the cinnamon panna cotta which was creamy and not overly sweet. Tasted of fall!

We really enjoyed our meal. It made us feel grown up without it being stuffy. The food is elegant and simple.  I think this would be a great place to take parents in town.  Congrats to Chef Zakarian on taking Iron Chef! I can see why!

The National, 557 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY

We ordered some proscuitto and cheese to start:

For main course, Chicken got the amazing hanger steak with fries: (I was so jealous)

The steak was cooked a juicy medium rare and perfectly seasoned! It had a wonderful garlic butter drizzle over the top.  Those fries were exactly what you expect from a top rated French restaurant: double fried with a wonderful crunch on the outside. Delicious!

I got the braised brisket in a very deep, rich red wine reduction sauce:

The brisket was cooked till it was fork tender – so tender it had the consistency of short ribs.  That red wine sauce was deep and very robust but I found it a bit overwhelming. It masked the flavors of the brisket and all you tasted was sauce.  Don’t get me wrong, this dish was very well done but just not the way I like to eat my brisket . I like to taste my meat.  All in all the preparation (mostly the sauce) felt was very classic French.

Here’s a shot of the brisket after my fork attacked it (see how soft and fall apart it is?):

If you haven’t been to Artisanal yet, you should. They have an extensive selection of cheese and wines and if French food is up your alley, you need to visit. The location of Murray Hill is a bit awkward but after a meal here, you will probably be too full to go anywhere after except home haha.

Artisanal, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY

Met up with Page Six and Cookie Monster one very cold and rainy evening at Red Farm. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations and the place is small so do the math: long wait.  We waited for approximately 30-45 minutes and because the place does not have much of a bar to speak of, we waited in the little area right outside the restaurant that’s in between the outside door. More than 10-15 people walked in and tried to get a seat and walked out.  The place is quite popular. I thought the inner window was really cute with the potted plants:

The place has a large communal dining table in the front and another running through the middle of the restaurant with smaller tables on the side. We were seated at the unfortunate location of the end of the table where the servers were running constantly behind one person and located directly right in front of the door which frequently let in the drafts with every visiting patron.  I hoped the food was worth it! (it was)

We ordered a bunch of dim sum and then three entrees with the intent to share.

The first thing was the dim sum starter sampler. It allowed you to try a little of everything.

There were raw oyster topped with meyer lemon yuzu ice and caviar (humongous and quite a briny bite!), smoked cucumbers (not my thing as I’m not a huge fan of smoked items that aren’t meat or pizza but Page Six loved them), marinated mushrooms (earthy, meaty), deep fried jalapeno shrimp (crunchy and easily my favorite of the bunch! so good) and spicy crispy beef (slightly crunchy, slightly chewy, deep fried and full on beefy – yum).  This sampler was perfect and whet our appetites for more. I refrained from ordering more of that shrimp as I knew more food was to come.

Then we ordered a bunch of dim sum.

The steamed lobster dumplings with a mushroom ragu at the bottom which you are supposed to drink after ingesting your dumpling:

SO GOOD! Chunks of lobster are encased in that delicate dumpling skin and the richness of the mushroom ragu added a hearty element to it. They were delicious. I could have easily had more. This is a must have.

Crab and pork soup dumplings:

So these are just as delicious as Joe’s Shanghai dumplings – there is that same warm full bodied broth inside with the savory crab and pork meat – BUT, these come at a much higher price point and two were not enough for me. When I want my soup dumpling fix, I’ll go to Joe’s.  At least I can eat to my hearts content for a lot cheaper.

The Kung Pao chicken and scallion dumplings (I chose these thinking they would satisfy my desire for HEAT!):

For Kung Pao, you had the peanuts and the peppers and that dark Chinese sauce but alas, no heat.  I thought I would love these but didn’t. I found the dumpling skins a bit too thick and gummy and the chicken inside chewy.

The BBQ’d black foot pork belly:

Pork belly was fatty and glazed with that delicious Asian inspired bbq sauce.  It’s not nearly as tender and braised as the pork belly you find at Momofuku; this pork belly was a tad chewier and had more bite to it but that didn’t make it wrong. The flavors were spot on and you could taste the richness of the pork meat. This portion gave each person alot more than it initially appeared. Pork is sliced thin.

For entrees we got one noodle, one fish and one meat.

Page Six informed us that the grilled marinated Creekstone rib steak with bok choy was voted on some list as a “Must Eat” in some major magazine publication – can’t remember which. I can never say no to steak and that explanation was more than enough for me!

OH MY GOD……this steak was perfectly marinated and perfectly cooked to a medium rare. It was SO tender I thought it was melting in my mouth. It was unreal.  I haven’t had such tender steak this good in awhile. I wanted the entire dish all to myself. I loved the caramelized charred bits.  The bok choy added a nice fresh accompaniment to the dish and tasted full of garlic flavor but still had a wonderful crunch to it.

Here’s a close up to that godly meat:

Did I already give you a must have? Right…the lobster dumplings…get those AND get this.  You won’t be sorry. This steak was wonderful and now I want it again.

Cookie Monster loves himself wide flat noodles so he wanted to order the wide rice noodles with shredded roast duck and pickled mustard greens:

We were all underwhelmed by this dish. It didn’t taste all that different from what Cookie Monster and I get from take out. I found the duck chewy and there seemed to be more duck skin than actual meat.  This was probably the only dish we left so much of, Cookie Monster and I took it home for next days lunch.

Lastly, we got the special of the day which was a miso sea bass served with asparagus and leeks in a black bean sauce:

Wow. The fish was very moist. That black bean sauce really blew me away. It was dark and musty and full of flavor.  I really really enjoyed this. I was picking up the individual black beans and eating those up too! Very pleasantly surprised with this plate.

So overall, my impressions of Red Farm is:  it’s delicious. I love that you can eat a little bit of everything.  The food is very flavorful and the ingredients taste fresh.  The food is Chinese dim sum elevated: you get the wonderful comforting flavors of Chinese food without the heavy greasiness. Everything is refined.

I wasn’t a fan of our seating situation but I think anywhere else in the restaurant would have been better. I do think we got the worst seat in the house but hopefully next time that won’t be the case.  The place is adorable with alot of hustle and bustle. It’s softly lit and cozy. I don’t think it’s the best first or second date place because it feels a little harried and it’s quite loud in there but I think it would be a great third date place as it’s fun sharing.  Big groups beware- waits will be longer for you.

Definitely try Red Farm – enjoyed it immensely!

Red Farm, 529 Hudson Street, New York, NY