Markt

Occasion: Brunch with Abby, Elizabeth, Jill and Katie
Location: Markt on 6th and 21st (marktrestaurant.com)
Edibles: croque-monsieur with a side of bacon

Musing: Yeah, don't get the croque-monsieur here. Their version is thin, dry and Béchamel sauce-less. On the bright side, it was surprisingly uncrowded for a weekend and they made the best coffee I've had in ages. (French press, in case you're wondering. Only $3.) Also, they only charged a moderately exorbitant $4 for a side of bacon.

I'd try it again - I'm sure there's something on this menu I'd like, though it for sure wasn't what I ordered today. Maybe the Benedict. The pain perdu that Abby had looked promising as well.

BXL East

Occasion: Another Tax Day under our belts! This clearly calls for beer....
Location: BXL on 51st between 2nd and 3rd (bxlcafe.com) [Note: There's another one on the west side on 43rd]
Edibles: moules à la Grand Mère (mussels with cream, onions and bacon)

Musings: With our tax returns zipping their way to the guvmint electronically, and our third annual Tax Day an official success, Yining and I headed out for some celebratory beer. Sadly, as we feared, Hofbrau Bierhaus has been completely overrun by obnoxious frat boys. We slunk out to find quieter environs.

We found BXL pleasantly deserted. Because we're suckers for a cute logo, I started with a Delerium and Yining, with La Chouffe. Man, those Belgian beers are strong! Halfway through my second Delerium, I decided that we needed some food or I'd be asleep in an hour. And, of course, nothing goes better with Belgian beer than moules frites.

The mussels were fantastic. I don't think I've ever had a cream-based mussel broth before, but it's AWESOME. (The bacon probably helped.) I was flat-out drinking it with a spoon towards the end. It's also great to dip your bread into, if you're not as willing as I am to be uncouth in public. Yum!

Resto, part II

Occasion: Procrastination / cabin fever brunch (the former being Yining's reason and the latter, mine)
Location: Resto on 29th between Park and Lex (restonyc.com)
Edibles: we split the gruyère frittata with argula and the eggs Benedict

Musings: Jinkies! We went to Penelope at 11:00, and there was already a 1-hour wait! Man, we seriously need more brunch options in the neighborhood. We bailed, and decided to see if Resto served brunch. And they do! (And may I say, the place looks really different in daytime.)

Unfortunately, the food could use some work. The foundation's there; it just needs fine-tuning. Take the frittata. Thin and rubbery, and really unevenly seasoned - I took a crazy-salty bite, just as Yining was complaining that it was too bland. This one's easily fixed by using more eggs (so the frittata doesn't get overcooked so quickly) and salting the eggs before beating them.

The Benedict dish was great in concept - I mean, a bacon waffle eggs Benedict!! - but the waffle was WAY too sweet. I frequently encountered giant clumps of undissolved brown sugar. The effect was like eggs and hollandaise on top of a doughnut. Which is gross. Had they cut the sugar in half, and mixed it into the waffle batter properly, it would have been a stunner.

You can do it, Resto!

[After brunch we stopped by Fishs Eddy, one of my New York happy places. Of course, I could not resist picking up a few things. How wonderful is this: a sauce dish set with a green one that says Great Lawn, a black one that says Livery Cab, and a grey one - Pigeon. Love it!]

Pommes Frites

Occasion: Post-dinner snack with Abby

Location: Pommes Frites on 2nd Ave between 7th and St Marks (pommesfrites.ws)
Edibles: frites with sundried tomato mayo

Musings: Blink and you'll miss it. This little shop is probably not even five feet wide (note: seating inside is scarce - be prepared to pounce when something opens up). It is, however, conveniently close to all the bars and karaoke places on St Marks.

Sometimes the simple things are best. Pommes Frites takes the humble potato and a pot of hot oil and turns them into pure unadulterated snackfood bliss. As with most unitaskers, you know they must be good because, heck, they only do one thing. If it wasn't good, they'd be out of business.

The potatoes are thick-cut and par-cooked. They're fried a second time in high temperature oil to order. (You can find the official specs here.) What you get is a paper cone filled with piping hot, deeply golden frites, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Just as a fry should be.

Picking a sauce (listed in pink) can be a bit of a negotiation. I admit I'm not very adventurous when it comes to the sauces. I like the sundried tomato, the peppercorn parmesan and just plain ketchup, but I hear the mango chutney and peanut satay are winners.

Resto

Occasion: Dinner with Ben
Location: Resto on 29th between Park and Lex (restonyc.com)
Edibles: frites with lime pickle sauce and smoked paprika sauce; tête de cochon sandwich with sriracha and pickled onions and carrots; lamb belly ribs for me; veal belly for Ben; waffle ice-cream sandwich for dessert

Musings: In my neighborhood, finding a nice bar is no mean feat. The blocks near me are cluttered with insufferable places like Merc Bar, Tonic and Joshua Tree, usually packed to the rafters with fratboy douchebags.

Resto is a much appreciated oasis. Like Back Forty, it's dim and casual, bustling but not too crowded or noisy, and patronized by adults. Ben and I lingered long after we were done with our food and drink, and the staff couldn't have been nicer about it.

I've always wanted to try the tête de cochon or pig's head. Ben, never one to turn down a culinary curiosity, was all for it. The sandwich that arrived was a bit of a surprise, but a yummy one. It was meaty and spicy, with a nice bite from the pickled vegetables. Sort of reminded me of abánh mi.

Whoever was manning the grill did a great job with the lamb ribs. They had a gorgeous, fragrant crust on them, and had more meat than I expected. My one quibble was that they were pretty fatty. Ben's veal belly was also really fatty, but I guess that what you get for ordering the cuts we did.

The waffle had a bit of a funny aftertaste, like undissolved baking powder or something. Once I slathered it with vanilla ice-cream, it was hardly noticeable. The few kitchen missteps aside, it was a fun evening. Ben, it was great catching up and I look forward to seeing your new place!