Libertador

Occasion: Cinco de Mayo! Dinner with Brigid after an Opera Hispanica showcase.
Location: Libertador on Second and 89th
Edibles: chicken, beef and spinach empanadas; skirt steak

Musings: All the Mexican places were crazy packed, natch. We were too hungry to wait out the crowds and so ended up at Libertador, figuring that Argentinean was sort of in the ballpark.

It had been a long and frazzling day, so I took full advantage of their fantastic half price Cinco de Mayo drink specials. (I think they offer the awesome prices for regular happy hour too.) I had something that tasted like boozy Welch's grape juice and then their sangria. Both packed quite a punch. I like a bartender who pours generous.

Good empanadas. I liked the beef the best; Brigid liked the spinach. But all were yummy.

We sat at the bar around the grill, and watched quite the parade of sizzling meats before our dish came up. By that time, I was positively drooling and pretty much dove in headfirst. Awesome skirt steak with some nice garlicky fries on the side. Not cheap but so very, very good. Meat-tooth happy.

I'll definitely be back. I've been looking for another restaurant within walking distance of Brandy's for ages!

Ben & Jack's Steakhouse

Occasion: Dinner with Josh, after a NYCB Gilbert and Sullivan recital
Location: Ben and Jack's Steakhouse on 44th between 2nd and 3rd (benandjackssteakhouse.com)
Edibles: steak (natch), a side of creamed spinach, and a hot fudge sundae for dessert

Musings: Doofus that I am, I invite a boy out for a casual night of Victorian-era operetta... and then realize after hitting 'send' that it's on Valentine's Day. Josh was a good sport about the awkward date and not only found a found a last-minute reservation, but one involving giant slabs of red meat! Yay! (Hey, I offered to foodcart it, but he insisted.)

As soon as I walked into the place, I knew I was in for a good meal. Ben and Jack's smells like a steakhouse should smell - liked seared cow and high cholesterol. The décor is pretty stodgy and Republican; if you like the look of Sparks or Ivy League alumni clubs, you'll be more than comfortable here.

The steak is presented starkly on a huge plate with no garnishes whatsoever. Doesn't need it, though. The chef got the doneness on mine - the rare side of medium rare - spot on. The beef was juicy and tender and robust. Pure heaven.

The creamed spinach was a nice side; a single order was plenty to share. I think they must make it with chicken broth or bacon or something - it tasted too savoury for a purely vegetarian dish.

The finale was a decadent hot fudge sundae. They'd run out of their famous schlag (whipped cream) by then, but I didn't think the sundae was in any way diminished.

What a meal! Thanks, Josh!

[Postscript: Just so you know, I picked up the check on the next dinner. I'm a modern girl and all.]

Craftbar

Occasion: Dinner with Rachel W.
Location: Craftbar on Broadway at 20th (craftrestaurant.com)
Edibles: I had hanger steak and brown sugar cake for dessert; Rachel had the sweet potato agnolotti with brussels sprout leaves, bacon and hazelnut butter sauce, and the ricotta fritters for dessert; we also shared two cheeses

Musings: The wines by the glass are pretty expensive, and pretty crappy. I ordered one of the cheapest glasses of red ($11) and it was sour and puckery and awful. However, I will give major props to this place for service. A dude checked in on us about halfway into our meal, and I mentioned the crappy wine (which I had tasted before it was poured, and was fully prepared to finish). He was quick to swap out my wine for another and also silently took it off the bill. Unfortunately, the second wine was no better. Really smoky and charcoal-y, which was pretty much all I could taste. They really need to revisit their wine selections.

Long story short, get a cocktail and avoid the wine, unless you're getting a full bottle.

The food. My steak was a tad chewy, but the potato gratin and the caramelized onions on the side were perfect. Rachel's pasta dish was a work of art. Really luscious, pillowy pasta, perfectly balanced, and so appropriate for the season. (It was so good, in fact, that I had to talk her out of ordering a second one to take home. That kind of dish never travels well, so it's better not to ruin the memory of the original experience.)

Our desserts were both pretty average, lacking in creativity and delicacy. E.g. the poached pear that garnished my cake was still pretty hard and uncooked. I think a little cheese plate and a cup of coffee are the way to go here.

Thanks again for the birthday dinner, Rachel!

Boca Chica

Occasion: Liz in town from Brussels!
Location: Boca Chica on the corner of 1st and 1st (a.k.a. the nexus of the universe)
Edibles: avocado salad and skirt steak chimichurri for me (didn't really taste anyone else's food since I was enjoying my own so much)

Musings: We ended up here after Lil' Frankie's got pissy about the logistics of our large party (I mean, come on. It's New York - people are always coming late or leaving early.)

I was completely frazzled from dashing all over town on errands and traversing nearly the entire length of Manhattan to get to dinner (yes, I was one of the guilty late ones!) so the prompt service on my passionfruit margarita was a good start. They also had tasty thick-cut plantain chips on the table to munch on instead of the usual stale tortilla chips.

The $5 avocado salad was nothing special - basically half an avocado, sliced and fanned out, dunked in vinaigrette and plopped on a little side plate with some pickled onions. Either the price or the presentation could use some rethinking. They were redeemed by the skirt steak, which was tender, flavorful and perfectly cooked. The chimichurri was fresh and bold, if a bit overloaded with garlic. The enormous plate with sides of rice, beans, and a delightful coleslaw-like salad of cabbage with cilantro and tomatoes, was a very reasonable $17.50. Plenty for two to share, even by my meat-tooth standards.

I remember Jana liked her dish (something porky?) and Shana and her husband were pleased with their food, while Liz was indifferent on her sandwich (the Cubano?). If I had to choose, I'd probably give the edge to nearby Molé's superb carnitas tacos. But if Molé's tiny dining room is full (or Lil' Frankie's is giving you attitude), Boca Chica is a great fall-back.

The Butcher Block

Location: on 41st, just off Queens Blvd in Sunnyside (close to the 40th St / Lowery stop on the 7 train)

Instead of a turkey, my plan this year was to bake a spiced ham based on a Nigella recipe. The recipe listed a "mild-cured gammon," and called for it to be boiled for 2 to 3 hours before going in the oven. I knew that I could find a fully cooked, spiral-cut ham or a fresh, uncured ham (a.k.a. pork roast), but this recipe seemed to require something in between.

I called Lobel's to confirm. Once I got past the call center to the store itself, a butcher named Paul immediately said, "What you're looking for is an Irish ham. We don't have it, but The Butcher Block will." And indeed they did.

From the name it sounds like they just sell meat but they're actually a grocery / market that stocks all sorts of Irish and British foodstuffs. The guy I spoke to on the phone was very friendly and informative; the butchers were likewise in person. My six-pound ham cost a very reasonable $30. Recipe to follow.

I was particularly tickled by the fact that everyone in the store, from the employees to the customers (except me) had the full-on "they're after me Lucky Charms" Irish accent.

Enfundá La Mandolina

Occasion: Dinner with Elizabeth
Location: Enfundá La Mandolina on Salguero in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires
Edibles: I had the mixed seafood plate (battered and deep-fried white fish, clams and baby octopus), followed by steak; Elizabeth had the pan relleno ("stuffed bread" with tomatoes and cheese), then a baked casserole dish I forget the name of

Musings: We tried this place on the recommendation of a guy who worked at our hotel. He told us it was "very authentic" and once there, I agreed. The place is low-key, dim and shabby-chic, and (major plus) had zero tourists other than us as far as I could tell. The downside is that the rather complicated menu is only in Spanish and the waiter's English was a bit spotty. However, he was very friendly, tried really hard to help us understand the dishes, and never gave off any hint of impatience.

I liked my app - the waiter's rec - a lot. The fish, in particular, was wonderful - piping hot, moist and flaky. The three dips that came with the dish were all distinct from each other and all very tasty. My steak was just average, by Argentinean standards. (Here three days and I'm already totally spoiled!) Elizabeth's pan relleno was sort of like a calzone, but one made with great market-fresh ingredients, and the portion was big enough to serve as a main.

While our dinner was very good, I had the feeling that there were really amazing dishes to be had if you could read the Spanish menu in detail or knew more about South American cuisine than I do. If I'd had a second chance to go, I would have just walked around the restaurant, shamelessly looking at other tables' food and ordered by pointing.

Bar Uriarte

Occasion: Dinner with Elizabeth
Location: Bar Uriarte on Uriarte in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires (baruriarte.com.ar)
Edibles: burrata cheese with confit tomato app, followed by the skirt steak; Elizabeth had the white polenta and risotto croquettes (two separate dishes) to start and ordered the zucchini salad for her main but got a spinach one with apples, radish coins and avocado instead

Musings: A modern and trendy place with a Meatpacking sort of vibe.

The meal started off with a great selection of breads. Which we wolfed down, as it was 10:00pm. New Yorkers think they eat late, but they have nothing on Argentineans. As we were leaving, at well past 11:00, several tables were just sitting down to eat.

The first course was a home-run - Elizabeth loved her polenta and I practically swooned over my burrata, fresh, plump and serenely simple. It makes a certain amount of sense that a country so famous for its steak would also have really good dairy. The mains were a bit anticlimactic. There was a mix-up with Elizabeth's salad but she decided to just keep the one that came. My skirt steak was good, but got increasingly rubbery as it cooled.

Still, we continue to be impressed with the calibre of Buenos Aires' restaurants.

Minga

(Munchings and Crunchings abroad! The first of our many wonderful meals in Argentina...)

Occasion: A first taste of Buenos Aires!
Location: Minga on Costa Rica in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires (mingaparrilla.com.ar)
Edibles: I had the ojo de bife (ribeye) with a side of spinach gratin; Elizabeth had a penne dish that I barely paid attention to, so focused was I on the luscious grilled meats being served all around me

Musings: Only a few hours in Buenos Aires and I was already champing at the bit for some steak. Elizabeth, who doesn't eat red meat at all, amiably let me pick our lunch spot.

When ordering, we tried to communicate the medium-rare doneness I wanted by using the Spanish words for "red" and "rose" but I guess it didn't translate. When my steak came, I gave it a quick prod with my fork and my heart sank when it barely gave at all. I sliced into it to confirm. The meat proved to be well-done, brown all the way through. Sacrilege, really.

I showed it to the waiter. My Lonely Planet guidebook helpfully supplied us with the word "jugoso" (juicy) to better describe what I was looking for. With a minimum of fuss, he whisked it away to be redone. A part of me winced to see an entire prime steak go to waste, but they really had cooked the bejeezus out of it.

Without being asked, our superlative waiter brought me a second skillet of spinach gratin with the new steak, as the original one was now cold. Full marks for service. Steak #2 was everything I had hoped for. Argentinean beef, famous for being free-range, grass-fed and really delicious, absolutely lived up to the hype. It was rich, tender, and had a robust gaminess that American steak generally does not. If you are a steak-lover, you need to get yourself to Argentina pronto. Oh, and did I mention that this steak cost about $10 USD?

All in all, a great start to our South American adventure!

Po Restaurant

(100 posts and still going strong! Thanks for reading, y'all!)

Occasion: Dinner with Winnie (in town for a conference), Tom and Melisa

Location: Po Restaurant on Cornelia between Bleecker and W4th (porestaurant.com) [Note: There's another one in Brooklyn]

Edibles: cannellini bean bruschetta amuse-bouche; Tom and I shared the cured tuna app; I had the skirt steak with gorgonzola butter, roasted fingerling potatoes and escarole for my main; Tom had the orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe for his; Melisa had the grilled portobello app start, followed by the pumpkin ravioli in sage butter; Winnie had the roasted beets to start, followed by the pappardelle

Musings: I'm a bit obsessed with Mario Batali and have been to most of his restaurants in the city: Babbo, Otto, Esca, Lupa, Del Posto, Casa Mono and Bar Jamón. I include Po in this list, even though Batali's no longer affiliated and hasn't been for quite a while.

Overall, I thought the food was great. The tuna was a little hard to pick out from the pile of fancy coleslaw it was served on, but once we started excavating, we uncovered a good number of slices. My steak was cooked perfectly and the gorgonzola butter melted into a very rich sauce.

I also sampled everyone's pasta. The pumpkin ravioli was a tad on the sweet side and I don't know if I could have eaten a whole plate, but one bite was perfect. Whoever makes Po's fresh pasta obviously knows his stuff - the pappardelle and the ravioli had great texture and elasticity. Of the three pastas, the orecchiette was the weakest, simply because it was the only one made with dried pasta.

I was very tempted by the ricotta cheesecake, but didn't really have room. Next time.

[Note: They have a six-course chef's tasting for $52. I had it a few years back with some friends and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.]