Butter Midtown

While LaShauna was in town for her birthday, we wanted to find a fabulous spot for a celebration dinner. Alex Guarnaschelli's Butter Midtown had opened recently, and it was on the top of my proverbial List.

We got a reservation for 7 and showed up pretty early. They weren't able to seat us right away (nor did we expect them to), so we got a seat at the spacious, welcoming bar. These bar seats are fabulously comfy, and we could take in the whole restaurant, which features communal seating as well as luxurious booths.

Our bartender, Devon, set us up right away with drinks: the Anjou & Forelle for me (pear liqueur, pear vodka, and a pear garnish) and the Calamansi (Grey Goose Vodka, fresh watermelon 'ice cubes,' mint, and Calamansi lime juice) for LaShauna. Cocktails are $15 each.

That pear cocktail was so delicious-- not too sweet, full pear flavor, and a perfectly crunchy slice of pear on the outside. I could easily have had another, but then we saw Devon make a mojito with elderflower liqueur-- and that was our second round.
Devon was great-- attentive, while working with a lot of customers, and he makes a perfect cocktail.

It was about 20 minutes past our seating time and we hadn't been called to our table, so we checked in ourselves. They sat us a few minutes later at a booth. This is when service went from stellar to sadly spotty.
We eventually got some bread and butter (herbed and salted--both stellar), and just about pounced on that.

We ordered one more cocktail (oh be quiet), another Elderflower mojito. The young woman taking our order asked if we wanted the Mount Gay mojito. I clarified that it was the one Devon made with elderflower. She looked a bit confused, but nodded...and came

back with 2 Mount Gay mojitos. We took a sip and decided that these would not work. We actually sent them back to the bar-- something I've never done!

They replaced our drinks quickly, and we tore into our appetizers.

I went with the Welsh Rarebit, which at Butter Midtown, is a toasted pullman bread with melted Wisconsin cheddar & ale sauce. The wholegrain mustard was strong and in the forefront, but it didn't overpower the delicious cheese and ale flavors, either.

LaShauna's app was the ricotta crostini-- 3 crunchy bits of bread with housemade ricotta, hen of the woods mushrooms and toasted, crackly brussels sprouts leaves. It was a small portion, but LaShauna still shared it with me. I could have eaten a bowl of those leaves, and I'm still wholly undecided on brussels sprouts in general!

LaShauna had a pork chop special for her entrée, and she loved every last bite of it.

My entrée was the wild boar, over toasted fregola (a Sardinian pasta similar to couscous, but even better, I think) and sautéed kohlrabi, which I'd never had before, but enjoyed. I tried cutting into the meat and it felt incredibly tough, but I kept sawing away. It took me a few seconds to realize the twine was still tied around the meat. Oops! Once I removed that (it was a bit tricky/messy), I cleaned my plate. Squeaky clean. I hate to say the boar tasted 'gamey,' because that's a word that normally has a negative connotation in my book, but it was definitely different from my usual fare and quite tasty. It was supremely tender (minus the twine) and expertly done.

We also had an order of fingerling potatoes ($10), and there was more than enough to share for 2. These were so delicious and craveable that I kept eating even when I knew I was getting full. The perfect texture, seasoning, and size. Bravo.
We pushed through and MADE room for dessert. I ordered the Dobosch torte: multiple layers of sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with a caramel drizzle that gave it a buttery flavor and a fabulous crunch (with a little sea salt to boot). The textures alone kept me coming back for bite after bite. I'd probably share this next time, but I would definitely order it again.

LaShauna's dessert was the house made S'more. This one definitely was NOT very shareable, but she still gave me a bite. It was FLAWLESS. My only wish is that there were more of them!
I had mentioned in both OpenTable (online reservation program) and to our server that we were celebrating LaShauna's birthday, but they still forgot a candle or sparkler or whatever they normally do for a special occasion. I was definitely more disappointed than LaShauna was, but I still wish the servers paid a bit more attention overall. This was not a cheap meal, and I definitely felt like we were getting service that was subpar compared to the on-point food and drinks.
TL;DR: Service is spotty- we actually wish we'd stayed at the bar. Despite my mentioning it twice (in Open Table and to the server), they still forgot about LaShauna's birthday, and we waited a long time for placing orders, getting food, and getting the bill. Everyone was nice, it just seemed a bit.. off. I'd go back at least once more, but I'd definitely eat at the bar.

Butter Midtown
70 W 45th St
New York, NY 10036
(212) 253-2828

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Holy Cronut!!

Sweet fancy food trends!! A most serendipitous surprise awaited me this morning as I arrived at our radio station-- a listener had actually waited in line (starting at 5:45am) to bring our host TWO of these controversial cronuts!

You may have heard all the press about this pastry. It's a hybrid croissant/doughnut (flavors change monthly), and people are literally waiting in line for HOURS to purchase them (2 per person). The cronut has plenty of critics, scoffers, haters, and then, people like me, who are just too lazy to give up precious sleep to wait in line for something (especially in the summer heat)! There are lots of wannabes and knockoffs, but Dominique Ansel's Bakery is the only place you can get a legitimate, bona fide, Cronut (TM).


According to the Facebook page for the Dominique Ansel Bakery (located in Manhattan's SoHo [South of Houston street] neighborhood), this is actually a 'Croconut,' as it has coconut milk cream filling, coconut glaze, a dusting of cinnamon sugar, and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.

So how does it TASTE? I gotta say-- these things are pretty tasty. Yes, it's very sweet, but the richness of the coconut was a nice counterbalance to the sugar. The cronut itself was crispy and chewy. I'm a fan, especially because I didn't have to wait in line to try it! But having tasted one... I want more. Isn't that the way it always goes????

Next month's flavor is fig & mascarpone cheese. I love BOTH of those flavors...will I finally succumb to the call of the Cronut(TM) and wait in line? Stay tuned.....

Dominique Ansel Bakery
189 Spring Street
NY, NY 10012
(212) 219-2773

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London: Gordon Ramsay (part 2)

This meal was so wonderful that I just can't cram it all into one long post. This one covers our main courses and desserts (and the fabulous service from start to finish).

I was ordering from the fixed price menu and chose the Shin of Angus beef braised in red wine. It's served ‘en croûte,’ or in a pastry crust, with confit potatoes and mushrooms à la crème, with a parmesan emulsion. Sounds fancy, right? I was not prepared for the amazing, deep, layered flavors. This wasn't just some shredded meat.

It was tender, juicy, tangy from the red wine, and the pastry crust had a gorgeous parsley leaf perfectly baked into it. Even the Parmesan-crusted carrots were showstoppers. Attention to detail was perfect, not pretentious, and this was some down-home, comfort food that went off to college and got a Master's Degree. Wow.

LaShauna's dish was the Best end of Cotswold lamb with confit breast and braised shank, navarin of autumn vegetables and vitelotte potatoes. Gorgeous and cooked to her order--she was delighted with her choice, as I was with mine.

You'd think our meal was over, wouldn't you? How could there be more awesomeness? And yet there was! They brought us mango shakes in pretty glasses--we drank these down in no time. Light, not too sweet, and a perfect pause in the crave-worthy courses.


There was another server in the room who was from Italy (I'm forgetting his name, LaShauna!) When he heard that I was from Brooklyn, his eyes lit up and he peppered me with questions about where I live, how much I pay in rent, how's the commute, etc. He has been there before and wants to work there again, and when we wrapped up our conversation, he said "Maybe I see you in Brooklyn," and I have a feeling he just might! Again, I was just blown away at how personable and welcoming everyone was. You would think with such high-caliber food, setting, ratings, etc, there might be a bit of stuffiness, but you would be wrong. So deliciously wrong.

For dessert I picked the Banana parfait, another deconstructed dish with beautifully-appointed layers of peanut butter mousse and bitter chocolate sandwiched with caramelised bananas. It smelled heavenly and was light and lovely.

LaShauna's dessert was quite the stunner: Banoffee (a favorite British combo of toffee and banana-YES PLEASE) pie souffle, banana and salted caramel crumble. This was letter-perfect and she generously let me try a bite. It was almost ethereal!

I can't say enough about the amazing caliber of food. Every bite was packed with flavor, just right, and left me wanting more yet feeling perfectly satisfied. But above all of the deliciousness, the service left me almost speechless. I truly felt like I had come to someone's home for dinner, and they truly, truly, wanted to make sure that I enjoyed my visit. Which I did. Oh, how I did.

I stepped away briefly from the table to use the restroom (and someone leapt up to open the door for me--yeah, a girl could get used to this) and when I returned to the table, another unexpected treat was there: strawberry ice cream bombes in white chocolate shells--served on dry ice, of course! Thanks, LaShauna, for snapping a pick while they were still all smoky-looking!

One more touch before we left--dark, deep delicious chocolates on tiny trowels.

It's amazing how much deep, rich chocolate flavor can be in a teeny-tiny piece of chocolate!

After dinner, Robert asked if we'd like a tour of the kitchen. Now it was time for MY eyes to light up--oh my goodness yes! Robert led us back there and we got to see one of the most gleamingly-sparkling-clean kitchens you could ever dream of. My mother would LOVE it.

I was also delighted to see that the head chef is a woman! She was busy preparing pastry crust with another chef so we didn't bother them.

I could spend a lot more time going on and on about how amazing this experience was. Photos, words, and rapturous eye rolls just don't do it justice. Stellar, worth-the-flight-all-on-its-own service will have me dreaming about a return visit until it HAPPENS!

Thank you, Jean-Claude (that's him overseeing the arrival of some strawberry bombes to another table), Robert, and everyone else at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. You gave two American girls quite an experience that can probably only be topped by...another visit!

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
68 Royal Hospital Road
LONDON, UK
SW3 4HP
020 7352 4441

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London: Restaurant Gordon Ramsay (part 1)

My friend LaShauna had long praised Restaurant Gordon Ramsay (in London's Chelsea neighborhood) as a pinnacle in her dining experience, so when it turned out that we'd both be in London for a few days at the same time, she made this happen, and I will forever be grateful!

This is not an inexpensive place, but it's not completely outrageous, either. Still, we went for lunch and not dinner.

The interior was well-lit, warm, and sleek. We were the first to sit down and I quickly began to get nervous. I mean, beads of sweat on the forehead, do I belong here, am I in over my head nervous! It's laughable now, but I quickly realized the was the nicest place I'd ever been in my life, and I felt out of place, certain that any minute someone would escort me out as it was just clear I didn't fit in there. So silly!

The staff at Gordon Ramsay, however, quickly showed that this place not the least bit pretentious or stuffy. First, the surprisingly young female (!) sommelier, who's from Canada, asked if we'd like a drink. We started with a semi-dry Riesling. Crisp and delicious!

Up next, we met Robert (you'll see him later), whom LaShauna had met on her previous visit. When he found out that I live in Brooklyn, his eyes lit up and he told me his favorite BBQ place there--a place he discovered while training there with a chef. Robert was absolutely lovely and friendly, setting me completely at ease.


I ordered the set price lunch for 45 pounds, or almost 60 US dollars. Pricey yes, but I knew going in and I had saved up. THIS was the splurge of all splurges! LaShauna had tried the prix fixe last time, so she was going all-in with the a la carte.

First up came the bread and butter. You know it's not your every day...perfectly shaped like a beehive, and warm potato-rosemary slices and sourdough for us (2 of the many choices). Dreamy.

We were already on our way to an amazing meal!

Before our first courses came, the staff brought out a perfectly presented plate--langoustines with caviar in a fresh lemongrass consommé, which they poured at the table. Just lovely! Fresh, briny but not overly salty, and visually stunning. The sliced asparagus was stunningly fresh. If I didn't have better manners, I would have picked up the bowl and slurped every last drop.

The most impressive, noteworthy part of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is definitely the service. Overseen by the effervescent Jean-Claude (though you're seeing Robert in this photo), not a single dish enters the dining area without passing inspection--servers stand at attention in the doorway until they get the discreet signal that everything passes muster.

My first course was the (deconstructed) salad of Szechuan pork, grilled tiger prawn, pickled & marinated vegetables, and daikon dressing. Aside from being visually smashing, it was also fresh and fabulous.

It was so pretty I almost hated to take a fork to it--and yet I did. Soft, tender pork, perfectly-cooked shrimp, and a bright, fresh dressing on the vegetables. Amazing!

LaShauna ordered the seared scallops, which also came with bacon, greens, peas and a poached quail's egg (they love quail eggs over there, don't they!) on top. She was very happy with her dish, too.

At this point we were both decidedly relaxed and happy, and we hadn't even hit the main courses yet! That post comes tomorrow......click HERE to go right to it!

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
68 Royal Hospital Road
LONDON, UK
SW3 4HP
020 7352 4441

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Belated Birthday Dinner: Manzo

That Sara & I share a birthweek (among other things in common!)--hers is 2 days before mine, and every year, we take ourselves out for a fun dinner. This year our schedules were a bit hectic, so it was a week later when we got together. We decided to try Manzo, the only restaurant in Mario Batali's "Eataly" establishment (read more about the vast empire that is Eataly here) that accepts reservations (all other restaurants in the, well, complex, are first come, first served).

We ordered a bottle of Friulano wine, but they were out, so the accomodating sommelier brought us a bottle of the Lidia Bastianich Friulano, but gave it to us at the lower price of the wine we originally requested. This was delightful and tart and bright, and sweet and lovely. Win!

Manzo is Italian for meat, and that was the focus of our meal, but first, some bread & cheese...

The obligatory bread basket brought us some so-so focaccia (it was just too bland to be noteworthy), but some delicious, toothsome, sourdough-tasting type bread. I'm glad there wasn't more of this because I would have eaten every slice!

Our server was quite helpful and she explained that portions at Manzo are smaller than most places so customers can sample more of the menu. We still weren't starving, so we opted to split a app, a pasta dish and an entree in hopes of having room for dessert.

First came the mozzarella with brown butter and guanciale (pig cheek, similar to bacon or pancetta). This was super-soft and fresh, a tad too salty, but the crunch of the guanciale was a nice offset to the cheese. The crunchy-soft pieces of garlicky bread were the perfect foil--what a great combo.

THIS is the split portion of pasta---the Tajarin with Sugo d'Arrosto (classic sauce from Italy's Piedmont region that is basically drippings from a roast--YES IT'S DELICIOUS). This was quite lovely. My first bite was not fully covered in sauce, so I thought I might be disappointed, but the second bite and every one after that--sooo good.

And half the normal pasta dish was more than enough for us!

For our main dish, we got the hay-smoked veal chop. This chop was HUGE. I couldn't believe this was considered a 'smaller' portion. Have you ever taken a fresh piece of hay or straw and chewed it? That sweet, grassy, fresh flavor was perfectly infused in this chop. What a scrumptious dish!

I was also delighted to find that the broccoli rabe (atop the chop) was absolutely delicious. Normally I pass on this vegetable, as it's usually too bitter to enjoy, but this had a wonderful, savory, earthy flavor that was quite impressive.

Thanks to our sharing strategy, we had enough room for dessert: a chocolate crostata with plums and sliced almonds. This was deep, riiiiiich chocolate. Very good. Very rich. Perhaps pushing it as far as our bellies' boundaries, but yeah, worth it.

Manzo was a delicious experience, the service was spot-on--attentive but not intrusive or harried, and I would definitely recommend it for a hearty, mouthwatering meal. Che delizioso!

Manzo @Eataly
200 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10010
(212) 229-2180

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