Thursday, January 31, 2008

The Soda Shop, The Cosmopolitan Cafe, BonBon Chicken

The Soda Shop & The Cosmopolitan Cafe: Breakfast Any Weekend


"Many Saturday or Sunday mornings, Grandma J. and Grandpa D. whisk my two girls off for breakfast before the rest of us are out of bed. The routine seems to split these visits between The Soda Shop (now run by Linda Donahue) and its new cousin around the corner The Cosmopolitan Cafe (owned by Craig Bero). Both places were decorated by Craig with found treasures, artifacts and antiques. The girls go for pancakes or a pastry (the sweeter the better in their mind). Grandma J. recommends the Eggs Florentine if it is on the menu at The Soda Shop. Both places have great cappuccinos and tons of homemade charm -- a welcome contrast to the Starbucks next door."

Bon Bon Chicken: No Time to Cook Thursday, Jan. 10th


Yes, it is takeout, but Bon Bon cooks to order (call ahead) which makes it fresh. My three kids would eat this every night if I'd let them. Even my good friend who's child only eats 3 things likes Bon Bon's chicken strips. I'm a fan of the spicy drumsticks. Add a salad when you get home and you have an easy no cook meal.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

PTA Night at Takahachi

Update from Tribeca:

PTA Moms' night out at Takahachi,145 Duane Street, NYC 10013:

What we ordered:
Edamame (soy beans)
Yin-yen Nasu (grilled eggplant)
Rock Shrimp tempura
Cold Mountain (tuna, avocado & asparagus maki)
and Apollo 13 (shrimp tempura, cucumber, lettuce and avocado maki).

Our friend said: "It was way too much food, but I wanted to sample everything my friend likes. The spicy mayo sauce they served with the Rock Shrimp Cold Mountain and Apollo 13 had some yummy heat. I ate at Nobu last Halloween (FYI, easy to get a reservation on Oct. 31st!) and the rock shrimp tempura at Takahachi compares very favorably to Nobu's famous dish."

Recent visits - Bouley and Bouley Upstairs

Recent Restaurant Wraps!

Bouley: Sunday, Jan. 6th
"Eating here is always a special occasion. I love opening the big door and entering the apple warmth of the place. We've been here before, but the glamor of the red room with curved ceilings and beautiful art never fails to welcome and remind us that it has been too long since we last ate here.

"After ordering champagne by the glass, I went right for the Tasting Menu without the wine pairing. There are five courses -- actually more with all the little chef treats to wet the appetite or cleanse the pallet, and cookies to see you off. (My babysitter was so happy to get the lemon bread that was an extra gift as I picked up my coat.)

"Each course had a few dishes from which to choose -- not easy to decide.

I went the seafood route:
Chef's Canape -- a yummy beet and foamy horseradish starter
Sashimi Quality Tuna with shaved fennel dressed in herb oils and a spicy marinade
Return from Chiang Mai -- chilled Maine Lobster, Mango, fresh artichoke and Serrano ham with passion fruit, fresh coconut and tamarind dressing (a treat, don't miss this!)
Maine Day Boat Lobster with fresh Porcini mushrooms, black trumpet mushrooms, pencil asparagus, parsley root puree and burgundy wine sauce (Your mouth should be watering now; it was amazing!)
Texas Pink Grapefruit Soup infused with green cardomon, star anise, and Tahitian vanilla with Campari sugar and Fromage Blanc sorbet

Hot Valrhona Chocolate Souffle with Vermont maple ice cream, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sorbet (the souffle was perfect)
I should not forget the bread. I tried at least four different kinds, one better than the next.



Upstairs Bouley Bakery: Jan. 11th

photo from NY Mag

"My husband and I only had an hour for dinner and no reservations. Since we had just eaten at Bouley earlier in the week, we thought we'd try Upstairs next door. The General Manger, George Barber, couldn't have been nicer, finding us a couple chairs at the sushi bar with a promise of the full menu service. (I loved the hook under the bar to hang my purse.)

"I can't go to Upstairs without having the asparagus with blue crab, my favorite. My husband and I marveled at the efficiency of the small sushi and Japanese corner, only to learn from George that the chef will soon have his own Japanese addition to the Bouley family (in the nearby space formerly occupied by Delphi diner). It seems there are lots of moves in the future for the Bouley enterprise in Tribeca:
- Main restuarant Bouley will move into the newly remodeled Mohawk Building;
- Bouley Bakery will move into the current Bouley space, and
- Upstairs will expand with Bouley Bakery's move.

Glad to see that Tribeca will have even more fine dining to choose from in the coming year -- given the crowd, they need the extra space.

The Odeon - A Tribeca parent's review

"We went to The Odeon last night for a birthday dinner with 4 adults and 2 children. It was a great evening with a great meal.



We started with the French Onion Soup and 2 Satur Farms Baby Beet Salad (with Black Mission figs, shaved fennel & aged goat cheese), which is a family favorite.

The children split a generous portion of pasta with butter.

For the entree, we had
- Local Autumn Squash Ravioli with pancetta butter & sage
- 2 orders of the Angus Hangar Steak
- Grilled NY Sirloin Steak

For dessert,
- ice cream for the kids
- Odeon ice cream sundae
- Warm Upside Down Apple Crisp with pumpkin seed dipped caramel apples & vanilla ice cream
- Warm Doughnuts with raspberry jam and maple dipping sauce
- Molten Chocolate Cake with hazelnut ice cream

The food, service and atmosphere were all great, and the children were welcomed and kept busy with coloring."

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Takahachi



Takahaci is a great restaurant in Tribeca, and a recent visitor had this to say about it:

Chanterelle in Tribeca

One of the restaurants at Taste of Tribeca is Chanterelle, which has been a neighborhood favorite for years.

The video below profiles Chanterelle in an interview with executive chef/co-owner David Waltuck and his wife and co-owner Karen Waltuck.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

food writers needed to profile taste of tribeca chefs

in the next few weeks, we will be asking noted food writers to get involved in taste of tribeca.

the chef's and restaurant owners who participate in the annual fundraiser donate their time, staff, and products to raise money for nyc public schools.....

please join us, and review the list of taste of tribeca restaurants....feature them in upcoming articles......

winter recipes from tribeca chefs

we have some winter recipes from our favorite taste of tribeca chefs......from blaue gans, roast goose with prunes.......tribeca grill is now serving grilled dry aged rib eye steak for 4. yes , for 4!! chef _____ says it's really a classic "cote du boeuf", each steak is 3 1/2 pounds.....

roast goose with prunes
'after a day of hunting, chef k.g. comes home with a winter goose....with all the squawk about foi gras, k.g. says geese are plentiful, underappreciated, and rarely cooked by americans...
1 fresh goose, plucked
2 pounds prunes, organic, of course
etc.....

dry aged rib eye steak for 4
don't believe what the menu says: this can really feed 6-8....and that's on an empty stomach.
1- 3 1/2 pound dry aged ribe eye steak, bone in, tied by the butcher
lots of salt and pepper
one hot oven.....

this is a playful example of what a recipe entry could be like