64 Charles St
New York, NY 10014
(646) 486-2185
I know it's mildly heretical to rate an institution like Mary's Fish Camp only three stars. But there you go. It's not that I don't like the place. It's a friendly, casual little neighborhood joint with decent food and drink, where I've been going for years. But I've never understood how folks are willing to wait for an hour and line up around the block to eat dinner, here.
The food is decent to good across the board. Fish and lobster are reasonably fresh and consistently cooked to the perfect state of doneness. The shoestring fries are similar to Spotted Pig's (though seasoned with garlic powder and parsley rather than rosemary) and greasy as hell, but exactly what I want to snarf down after a good workout. (For the record, this is one of my favorite places to limp into after my trainer kicks my ass at the gym.) Oysters are generally, though not always, well chosen. Braised octopus, prepared with mirepoix, oyster mushroom, zucchini and tomatoes, is tender and well flavored. Risotto has a tendency to be slightly underdone. Lobster rolls are very mayonnaise-heavy.
If there's no wait, Mary's Fish Camp is a good neighborhood choice. But that's a big if!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Sundaes & Cones (New York, NY)
April 2010
95 E 10th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 979-9398
It ain't new headline news that Sundaes & Cones has some of the most inventive flavors of ice cream available in NYC, including cult classics like wasabi and black sesame. However, unlike some other places that also offer "exotic" ice cream varieties, S&C is not just about the novelty flavors. It's about very good, old school-style ice cream. Period.
The texture is perfect, as perfect as any I've tried in NYC: not too aerated, not too dense. It's served at the right temperature (not too cold) with wonderful mouthfeel. I don't know if the ice cream is made everyday, but I've never had anything that was less than perfectly fresh. There are never ice crystals or textural inconsistencies from temperature fluctuations (unlike Chinatown Ice Cream Factory). The ice cream is sweet, but not horrifically so (unlike Cones). It's really one of the best old fashioned-style ice cream joints I've tried in all of NYC.
The folks who work there are *REALLY* nice (very patient and cool about samples). Scoop sizes are generous.
95 E 10th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 979-9398
It ain't new headline news that Sundaes & Cones has some of the most inventive flavors of ice cream available in NYC, including cult classics like wasabi and black sesame. However, unlike some other places that also offer "exotic" ice cream varieties, S&C is not just about the novelty flavors. It's about very good, old school-style ice cream. Period.
The texture is perfect, as perfect as any I've tried in NYC: not too aerated, not too dense. It's served at the right temperature (not too cold) with wonderful mouthfeel. I don't know if the ice cream is made everyday, but I've never had anything that was less than perfectly fresh. There are never ice crystals or textural inconsistencies from temperature fluctuations (unlike Chinatown Ice Cream Factory). The ice cream is sweet, but not horrifically so (unlike Cones). It's really one of the best old fashioned-style ice cream joints I've tried in all of NYC.
The folks who work there are *REALLY* nice (very patient and cool about samples). Scoop sizes are generous.
Sake Bar Hagi (New York, NY)
April 2010
152 W 49th St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 764-8549
This place reminds me of Village Yokocho. The wait can be crazy and the food is just so-so, but somehow it all adds up to be a pretty good time, probably due in large part to the cheap, free-flowing booze.
A few buddies and I snuck out of work early to grab a quick bite to eat last week. It turned out to be not such a quick bite since even early (around 7:30 p.m.), there was a 45-60 minute wait. We wrote our names and phone numbers on the list and had a drink at the (kinda sh*tty) Italian restaurant / bar three doors east. Exactly 45 minutes later, Sake Bar Hagi called with the good news that our table was ready.
We had:
- okonomiyaki (greasier and fluffier than other okonomiyaki I've tried; my friend, who grew up on the stuff, called this version "gringo")
- edamame (fine, hard to screw up, not overboiled)
- beef liver sashimi (mm... frankly not my favorite; under other circumstances, it might actually appeal, but this stuff didn't have the clarity of flavor that fresh meat has)
- chicken skin skewers (good)
- grilled rice balls with ume and salmon (well grilled, but came out long after all our other dishes, when it should've been an accompaniment)
- fried smelt (greasy and delicious)
- stewed tofu with scallions (average quality tofu)
- seared tuna with fried garlic and ponzu (great!!)
- fried natto / tofu skin pouches (good if you like natto)
Probably the best way to eat, here, is to emulate all the inebriated salarymen who still compete with the hordes of midwestern tourists and college-aged couples for a table. Order a bunch of the fried offerings and use them to soak up all the cold Kirins you chase them with. Gourmet food it is not, but sometimes Kirin with grease just hits the spot.
152 W 49th St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 764-8549
This place reminds me of Village Yokocho. The wait can be crazy and the food is just so-so, but somehow it all adds up to be a pretty good time, probably due in large part to the cheap, free-flowing booze.
A few buddies and I snuck out of work early to grab a quick bite to eat last week. It turned out to be not such a quick bite since even early (around 7:30 p.m.), there was a 45-60 minute wait. We wrote our names and phone numbers on the list and had a drink at the (kinda sh*tty) Italian restaurant / bar three doors east. Exactly 45 minutes later, Sake Bar Hagi called with the good news that our table was ready.
We had:
- okonomiyaki (greasier and fluffier than other okonomiyaki I've tried; my friend, who grew up on the stuff, called this version "gringo")
- edamame (fine, hard to screw up, not overboiled)
- beef liver sashimi (mm... frankly not my favorite; under other circumstances, it might actually appeal, but this stuff didn't have the clarity of flavor that fresh meat has)
- chicken skin skewers (good)
- grilled rice balls with ume and salmon (well grilled, but came out long after all our other dishes, when it should've been an accompaniment)
- fried smelt (greasy and delicious)
- stewed tofu with scallions (average quality tofu)
- seared tuna with fried garlic and ponzu (great!!)
- fried natto / tofu skin pouches (good if you like natto)
Probably the best way to eat, here, is to emulate all the inebriated salarymen who still compete with the hordes of midwestern tourists and college-aged couples for a table. Order a bunch of the fried offerings and use them to soak up all the cold Kirins you chase them with. Gourmet food it is not, but sometimes Kirin with grease just hits the spot.
Kanoyama (New York, NY)
175 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-5266
At its best -- ordering a true omakase before Nobu san at the sushi bar -- Kanoyama can easily hold its own against better-known sushi restaurants like Yasuda, Kuruma and 15 East. Neta are very fresh and well prepared. Shari is fair, though a bit looser than it ought to be in some instances. Preparations are interesting, unusual and often visually stunning as well as stunning to the palate. Nobu-san serves several types of sasa sushi, attractively wrapped with bamboo leaves in the shape of fish. At a recent meal, we began with a refreshing, lightly vinegared cold watershield (junsai) soup, made out of the young, gelatinous watershield sprouts in good dashi and spiked with fresh wasabi. A recent sashimi prep was garnished with a variety of beautiful edible flowers,including garlic chive flowers and shiso flowers, as well as miniscule baby radishes. It was so beautiful, I was reluctant to eat it.
Away from the sushi bar, it's a different story. Ordering a set "omakase" sushi menu will get you nigiri that uses fairly good fish for neta, but mediocre medium-grained shari that can be carelessly seasoned and carelessly shaped. Certainly, these set menus do not really hint at the kind of great things that Nobu-san can pull off at the bar.
Sake prices are fair and the sake list seem to be well chosen. Though variety at the sushi bar actually isn't huge, the quality is extremely high, a fair tradeoff in my book. Our waiter was wonderful -- friendly, speedy, informative -- though unless you speak Japanese, it may be hard to have an extended conversation with Nobu-san, himself. Given the low-key digs, relatively low-grade hype, fair prices and of course the stellar food, Kanoyama might just be my new favorite go-to restaurant for omakase -- at least at the sushi counter.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-5266
At its best -- ordering a true omakase before Nobu san at the sushi bar -- Kanoyama can easily hold its own against better-known sushi restaurants like Yasuda, Kuruma and 15 East. Neta are very fresh and well prepared. Shari is fair, though a bit looser than it ought to be in some instances. Preparations are interesting, unusual and often visually stunning as well as stunning to the palate. Nobu-san serves several types of sasa sushi, attractively wrapped with bamboo leaves in the shape of fish. At a recent meal, we began with a refreshing, lightly vinegared cold watershield (junsai) soup, made out of the young, gelatinous watershield sprouts in good dashi and spiked with fresh wasabi. A recent sashimi prep was garnished with a variety of beautiful edible flowers,including garlic chive flowers and shiso flowers, as well as miniscule baby radishes. It was so beautiful, I was reluctant to eat it.
Away from the sushi bar, it's a different story. Ordering a set "omakase" sushi menu will get you nigiri that uses fairly good fish for neta, but mediocre medium-grained shari that can be carelessly seasoned and carelessly shaped. Certainly, these set menus do not really hint at the kind of great things that Nobu-san can pull off at the bar.
Sake prices are fair and the sake list seem to be well chosen. Though variety at the sushi bar actually isn't huge, the quality is extremely high, a fair tradeoff in my book. Our waiter was wonderful -- friendly, speedy, informative -- though unless you speak Japanese, it may be hard to have an extended conversation with Nobu-san, himself. Given the low-key digs, relatively low-grade hype, fair prices and of course the stellar food, Kanoyama might just be my new favorite go-to restaurant for omakase -- at least at the sushi counter.
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