Marcus Samuelsson fundraiser brunch

Occasion: Fundraiser for his charity, Horn of Africa
Location: Marcus Samuelsson's apartment in Harlem
Edibles: some kind of spiced rice with bay; spicy stewed chicken legs; mashed lentils; lamb shank stew; collard greens; bread and crèpes and little corn muffins

Musings: I quite liked Swedish-Ethiopian chef Marcus Samuelsson from Top Chef Masters, so I signed up for this brunch.

Marcus' apartment is fairly normal, the most striking feature being the enormous outdoor patio space, perfect for entertaining. The people at the party were the New York-iest people I've ever seen. It looked the way New York parties do in the movies - lots of hipsters and models and artists, people dressed in clothes that are retro or futuristic or both.

Mark and I mostly tucked ourselves in a corner, chowing down and people-watching. Marcus eventually came over to shake our hands and thank us for coming. Really classy guy.

The food was really hearty and filling. My favorite was the lamb shanks, which were made by Maya Samuelsson. Who, by the way, is a gorgeous Amazon of a woman who towers over her husband when she's in heels. She's the one going to Africa to distribute the food and other supplies funded by the donations. Hope her trip goes smoothly!

Ed's Chowder House

Occasion: Post-ballet (the Mariinsky doing Anna Karenina) dinner with Winnie
Location: Ed's Chowder House on 63rd and Broadway
Edibles: chowder sampler, a couple of raw oysters, and a share of the scallop ravioli

Musings: Wow, for a place calling themselves a "Chowder House," the chowders they make are pretty lame. The New England and the corn were both insanely, insanely rich, and not in a good way. I actually like Hale & Hearty's corn chowder better.

Winnie did make an offhand comment that I thought was interesting. She said, "Maybe I've been eating crappy canned chowder for so long that I can't tell what a good one is supposed to taste like?" I immediately disagreed. While some foods are an acquired taste, chowder is not one of them. I mean, it's not like it's durian or sea urchin or something - there's nothing challenging in a simple chowder at all. Either the chef gets the texture and flavors right, or they don't.

I would assert that, for 90% of foods, you can tell whether it's good or not just by putting it in your mouth. I think the visceral reaction is absolutely valid. Think about the last time you had a great piece of fruit.

That's not to say that you should give up on something after a single try. I'm always trying to get people to try tofu that's properly and flavorfully prepared.

Anyhow, back to Ed's. Winnie and I were both cream-and-butter'ed out by the chowders but we still enjoyed the scallop ravioli (which has a creamy sauce). It's really quite yummy. It's only an appetizer portion but given its richness I don't think you need more.

If I ever come back to this place, the meal to get is the raw oysters to start and the scallop ravioli.

Cafe Ronda

Occasion: Dinner with Abby and Jill
Location: Cafe Ronda on Columbus between 71st and 72nd (caferonda.com)
Edibles: calamares fritos; gambas al ajillo; spinach salad with goat cheese

Musings: While waiting for the girls, I ordered a cocktail at the bar. The drink was rum-based, but what their drink menu didn't mention was that they used coconut rum to make it. I really don't like coconut - it reminds me too strongly of sunscreen. Over a period of about 20 minutes, I took maybe two or three small sips of the drink. The bartender finally asked me if I liked it, and I told her about my coconut-suncreen thing. At which point she did nothing. Didn't comp the drink, didn't offer to make me a new one with regular rum. Boo. What NOT to do in terms of customer service.

The calamari was a nice big dish at $9. Inexplicably, the $11 shrimp were puny and came in a tiny dish.

Bottom line: Give it a pass - there are lots of better options on the UWS.

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!

Burger Joint

Occasion: Dinner with Josh before the Phil (harmonic, that is)
Location: Burger Joint, behind a velvet curtain in the lobby of the Parker Meridien. No joke. Hotel's on 57th between 6th and 7th. (parkermeridien.com/eat4.php)
Edibles: burger and fries, chocolate milkshake

Musings: For its bizarre location and retro ambiance, A+ for sure. For the burgers, B. They don't season their patties, and the bun is generic grocery store stuff. Not as good as my beloved Shake Shack.

Popover Cafe

Occasion: Post-movie (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1) brunch with Robert
Location: Popover Cafe on Amsterdam at 87th (popovercafe.com)
Edibles: I had the Kobe corned beef hash; Robert had the smoked salmon scramble

Musings: I've heard some rave reviews about this place and have been wanting to come for a while. How did it measure up to expectations? Well, let's just say that my old UWS favorites Kitchenette and Good Enough to Eat should not be too worried.

We had a 45-minute wait, but that's pretty much the case for any half decent brunch place on the weekend.

I must say I was disappointed with the food. Their eponymous popover was stone cold and kind of rubbery. I'm not a popover connoisseur or anything, but I think BLT Steak's are better. The fancy $15 Kobe corned beef hash wasn't even as good as the stuff they service in my office canteen, and I'm pretty sure that stuff comes frozen in giant sacks from Costco. The eggs were dry. My hot cider had a ton of cinnamon sprinkled on top and all over the rim of the glass, giving you a mouthful of dust every sip.

Which is all a pity, because Popover Cafe's a cute place - homey and unpretentious. Anyone out there want to talk me into a second visit?

Kitchenette

Occasion: Brunch with Ben and Rebecca in our old law school stomping grounds
Location: Kitchenette on Amsterdam between 122nd and 123rd (kitchenetterestaurant.com) [Note: another location downtown on Chambers]
Edibles: lumberjack breakfast for me, with berry pancakes, eggs, turkey sausage; omelet for Rebecca; blueberry French toast and a Bloody Mary (an unusual one made with white wine and wasabi) for Ben

Musings: Usually crazy crowded, we inadvertently hit the sweet spot after the regular semester but before summer session when Columbia is deserted.

Kitchenette's food appeals to that inexplicable Southern belle in me. (Also the lumberjack in me, I guess.) This plate made me SO happy when it arrived:

The pancakes were thick and fluffy and the turkey sausage was a nice departure from the usual breakfast meats. Two minor dings: Ben's French toast was too dense and cake-y for my taste, and the cheese grits that came with Rebecca's omelet were deemed too salty by her and too thick by me.

The bakery case is worth a look-see. While waiting for Ben and Rebecca to arrive, it took everything I had not to buy a whole pie to take home (knowing from experience that I would not have the room to eat any dessert). Dinner here is likewise excellent. I'm particularly fond of the turkey meatloaf, buttermilk-honey fried chicken and mac and cheese.

Fig & Olive

Occasion: Post-ballet (Don Quixote) with Brigid
Location: Fig & Olive on Lex between 62nd and 63rd (figandolive.com) [Note: two other Manhattan locations]
Edibles: I had the crostini trio (crab with lemon cilantro mayo; salmon and ricotta; bell pepper and goat cheese) and the beef carpaccio; Brigid had the tuna carpaccio and a side of sautéed spinach

Musings: The salmon crostini was bland and oddly slimy. The roasted pepper and goat cheese one was nice, but the crab one was SUPERB - I wish I'd just gotten three of those. The carpaccio was tasty but very insubstantial, sort of like the illusion of eating beef.

Good eats and conveniently cross-town from Lincoln Center, though the kitchen closes too early for it to be a good after-theatre place. We barely squeaked in after an average-length ballet with a 7:30 curtain. No way you'd make it after an 8:00 opera.

Uva

Occasion: Pre-Brandy's dinner with Rebecca, Tessa and Dale
Location: Uva on 2nd between 77th and 78th (uvawinebar.com)
Edibles: to start, we shared a burrata with yellow tomatoes, fava beans and a balsamic glaze (I continue to be obsessed with burrata); I had the beet salad; Dale had the chicken salad; Rebecca had the cavatelli al pesto; Tessa had the ravioli; we passed around a slice of girella al cioccolato (chocolate-hazelnut cake) for dessert

Musings: Location is everything. A place like Uva with a decent atmosphere and decent food would probably survive okay in the crowded field of the LES. But out in the barrens of the UES, it's packed to the rafters.

I don't think I've ever been here for an evening that didn't include Brandy's (one of my happy places, along with the shoe department at Bergdorf's). But though I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, they do make a decent showing. The wine list is long and varied. Our dishes were flavorful and all of the portions were generous. I was particularly impressed by Rebecca's cavatelli - the pasta was nicely plump and tasted homemade to me. And the cake was divine.

Shun Lee

Occasion: Jill's birthday!
Location: Shun Lee on 65th between W Central Park and B'way (shunleewest.com) [Note: there's another location on the east side, but they don't seem to be very closely affiliated and their menus are quite different]
Edibles: a mixed appetizer plate with a xiao long bao, cold sesame noodles, a fried shrimp ball and a pork (I think) and veggie lettuce cup; a mixed main course plate with orange beef, stir-fried prawns, some kind of chicken and a bowl of fried rice with Chinese sausage

Musings: First, happy birthday Jill! I'm glad we got to see you to celebrate before you jetted off for your beach vacay!

As for the restaurant... My impressions of Shun Lee previous to this visit were that it was a moderately nice Chinese restaurant, if slightly overpriced. They used to have a very good tea-smoked duck (not on their menu anymore) that I would occasionally treat myself to if I was in the neighborhood.

Tonight, I think they took advantage of our group inertia to play fast and loose with a "prix fixe" menu. What we should have done was: A) ordered wine by the bottle; B) each picked one entree (ranging from about $18 - $30) and eaten family-style. Instead, for the okay meal they picked out for us, the bill was an absolutely ASTRONOMICAL $80 per person. I felt especially bad for our one vegetarian, who had a plate of tofu stir-fry and paid the same as the rest of us.

This is decidedly not the economic environment to be pulling this kind of stunt, Shun Lee - shame on you. I will not be back.

JoJo

Occasion: Brunch with Sylvia
Location: JoJo on 64th between 3rd and Lex (jean-georges.com)
Edibles: 3-course prix fixe - butternut squash soup with trumpet mushrooms and chives, salmon with truffled mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts, and molten chocolate cake for me; Sylvia had the same, except tuna tartare for her first course

Musings: The hidden gem of Jean-Georges' empire. (I find the food at Jean-Georges' eponymous restaurant, the one just off Columbus Circle, to be too gimicky and fussy.) JoJo has a nice cozy space, elegant food, very reasonable prices, and you can always get a reservation.

I usually get the crab for my first course, but this cold winter afternoon I just couldn't pass up the butternut squash soup. It was perfect - piping hot, velvety and rich (though I barely tasted any cream), with a bit of texture from the mushroom. For the second course, I find their chicken to be a bit olive-heavy; the salmon is my go-to. They source some nice fish so you can get it cooked rare.

I believe the pure bliss of an expertly crafted molten chocolate cake needs no further elaboration.

[Note: I had gone to Carnegie Hall with Amy the night before to see him, and was stunned when Yo-Yo Ma turned up at the restaurant and sat down at the table behind us. He was very nice and gracious when I stopped him on his way out, even though he was obviously in a hurry and loath to attract attention. Luckily, I still had the playbill in my purse - which he autographed!]

Bettola

Occasion: Pre-opera (Aida) dinner with Mamie
Location: Bettola on Amsterdam between 79th and 80th
Edibles: shrimp app special and cremini mushroom farrotto to share; I followed it with the salmon; Mamie had a pizza

Musings: When Mamie and I walked past it (our Good Enough to Eat plans foiled by a gas leak), I was really excited to eat here again. I had come here ages ago with PA and Bettola made a really deep impression. I can still remember the awesome scallops I ate with a startling amount of detail.

I was a little nervous upon discovering that the restaurant was completely empty - though I guess it was only 6:30. (There were five other tables by the time we left.) They really deserve to be doing better. One quibble: the waitress blew through the specials like an auctioneer and we had to ask her to repeat herself on several items.

I had eaten a late lunch, but it didn't take much convincing to go in on two shared apps. The shrimp dish was okay, but they need to prep and trim their asparagus more carefully. I ran into several pieces of inedible, woody stalk. The farrotto was HUGE and they didn't skimp on the mushrooms. Delicious. My salmon was a touch overcooked for the medium rare I ordered but it was a good-sized portion, well-plated and with nice veggies on the side. Next time, I'll probably have a glass of wine, the farrotto and the tiramisu (I was dying to try it but there just wasn't room, alas).

With the equivalent of an app and main per person (but with no wine), our total bill came out to $67. Although it's a bit of a stroll to Lincoln Center, I think Bettola is a great pre- or post-theatre option.

Gina La Fornarina

Occasion: Post-marathon cheering (Go Amy!) brunch with Abby, Jill and Chrissy

Location: Gina La Fornarina on 2nd between 81st and 82nd - just look for the fuchsia awning (gina-lafornarina.com)
Edibles: the Gina frittata with sweet Italian sausage, potato and onion for me; focaccia with robiola cheese and prosciutto for Abby; focaccia with scrambled eggs and truffle oil for Jill and Chrissy

Musings: Gina is just a few months old - and evidently still working out a few kinks in their service and supply. (What brunch place doesn't have orange juice?!) Still, it's a great addition to the UES. Tasty food, reasonable prices, a fun vibe and hardly any wait even on Marathon Sunday! Chrissy, our sole UES-dweller, mentioned it's good for a late-night drink and cheese plate too.

My frittata was lovely and fluffy, but I think I liked the two focaccia dishes a little bit better. They consisted of an entire wheel of toasted focaccia, split open and filled like a sandwich. Definitely big enough to share between two people - I ended up eating about half of one myself, between Jill and Abby's leftovers. Yum. An auspicious start to November.

Cafe Fiorello

Occasion: Post-opera (Barber of Seville) drink and snack with Jana.... at least, that's what we intended....
Location: Cafe Fiorello on B'way between 63rd and 64th (cafefiorello.com)
Edibles: antipasto platter - eggplant caponata; fried cauliflower; sautéed Swiss chard with pine nuts; grilled asparagus; roasted beets; bocconcini mozzarella; shards of parmesan cheese; two kinds of olives; sundried tomatoes

Musings: Being an okay-looking girl in the city - as the saying goes, that and two bucks will get you a cup of coffee. Once in a while, though....

I've been coming to Cafe Fiorello for some time now, something like (geez) seven years. It's convenient - Winnie used to live on 62nd, and Lincoln Center is just across the street. My favorite thing to get is the mixed antipasto plate. For $20 - seven years ago - you could pick four veg and three seafood from their vast selection of antipasti at the bar. They also threw in a fist-sized ball of fresh mozzarella that did not count as one of your choices. A really sumptuous brunch or dinner, in my book.

Sometime, maybe three years ago, the price went up to $28. The servings got a little smaller and the mozzarella counted as a choice. Still not too bad, if you shared it with a friend and filled in the gaps with bread. Yesterday, I took a look at the menu and it had become an exorbitant $24 for three seafood alone! Three veg clocked in at $18! Unbelievable!!

I asked the bartender (and not in a flirtatious way) if they had recently changed the menu. I mentioned that the antipasti seemed to be a lot more expensive. He took a look at us and said, "My beautiful ladies! You can pick ten and I will only charge you for three!" I generally don't turn down free food, so we were off.

I stopped after the first six things listed above. Ten minutes later, he came by with a plate of parmesan chunks, green and black olives and sundried tomatoes. Ten minutes after that, he was brandishing a block of Himalayan pink salt, which he ceremoniously grated over everything. A second quartino of wine appeared for each of us (pinot grigio for me, pinot noir for Jana).

At one point, he started chatting with Jana, who busted out her fluent Spanish. They had a long and involved conversation about the landscape and culture of Ecuador. After finding out we had come from the opera, he also offered to get us half-price tickets from a guy he knows who works there.

Now, my mom taught me that, if you're paying, it's okay to leave something on the plate; if it's on the house, you gotta finish it. So we finished the antipasto plate. Friendly Bartender took that to mean we were still hungry and so he brought another giant serving of caponata! And a third round of wine. I gave it my best effort but could only get through half of the caponata.

What a meal to remember! All those flavors and colors, textures - from the creamy softness of the mozzarella to the leathery grittiness of the parmesan to the crisp snap of the asparagus. Whew! Stuffed to the gills and pretty tipsy from all that wine, we paid our $67 tab. There was, of course, a VERY generous tip in it for Friendly Bartender.

Schaller & Weber

Location: 2nd Ave between 85th and 86th (schallerweber.com)

Yining had done a lot of the provisioning for our Oktoberfest party due to my schedule constraints, but I wasn't going to miss out on this one. Recommended to me by Ben and also referenced in a Martha Stewart cookbook, this place was supposedly THE place for German sausages.

The guy behind the counter was very friendly and informative. With his help, we selected bratwürst, chicken würst, pork and veal bockwürst and pork and beef country-style brauernwürst. Most of their sausages are cooked, and only need to be reheated on the grill or in some simmering water. (Yining was wary about letting me take them home, knowing my carnivorous tendencies well, but eventually decided I was the lesser risk compared to her sister.)

We also picked up their in-house sauerkraut, red cabbage and Düsseldorf-style horseradish mustard.

Party time!

[Postscript: Of the sausages I tasted, the classic bratwürst was the best. The sauerkraut was a bit disappointing - not sour enough for my taste and the shreds of cabbage were too long and unwieldy.]

Good Enough to Eat

Occasion: Brunch with Yining (after successfully getting Tosca tickets but unsuccessfully trying to run several other errands)

Location: Good Enough to Eat on Amsterdam between 83rd and 84th (goodenoughtoeat.com)

Edibles: the Deep South (scrambled eggs with biscuits, topped with sausage gravy) for me; BLT omelet (bacon, tomato and Gruyère - no lettuce) for Yining

Musings: I have no personal connection whatsoever to the South but I sure do love their food - deep-fried, generously buttered, blanketed in gravy, festooned with bacon.... and sometimes all of the above!

Whenever I find myself on the UWS for cat-sitting or whatnot, I try to work in a stop at Good Enough to Eat. There's usually a long line outside. (Of locals, might I add. Never trust a line of tourists.) If you're willing to sit at the bar, the wait will be greatly truncated - Yining and I were seated within 10 minutes.

My CLS girls picked this place for PA's final NYC meal. That should give you some idea of how highly we regard it. On occasions like that, I usually stick my fork into everyone's plate whether they like it or not. So I've sampled a lot of their brunch offerings, even though I always order the Deep South for myself. I mean, sausage gravy!! Need I say more?

Besides the sausage gravy that haunts my dreams, the biscuits are great, the pancakes are great and they have bacon waffles on the menu. Gotta love it!

PJ Clarke's Lincoln Square

Occasion: Pre-movie (Psycho) dinner with Kathy and Atticus

Location: PJ Clarke's Lincoln Square on 63rd at B'way (pjclarkes.com)

Edibles: lobster BLT for me; burger for Atticus; salad for Kathy (I won't bust Kathy's chops for ordering salad because she has to fit into a wedding gown in a month.)

Musings: Like Luna Piena, this place has some heavy-duty Death Star associations. (Not this particular location, but still.) It's convenient to Lincoln Square, though, so I sucked it up and tried to ignore the reflexive twitch of my hand to check the BB.

Their burgers are solid. (I didn't taste Atticus', but I know this from the Death Star days.) I thought my lobster BLT was a bit overpriced at $19, considering the stingy amount of lobster inside. You can get a full-on lobster roll for about $5 more. On the bright side, the cilantro mayonnaise was wonderful and they were more than generous with the bacon. Mmmmm..... bacon.

OK for some pre- or post-activity nibbles, but I definitely wouldn't go out of my way.

Follow Me Caffe

Occasion: Dinner with Kathy and Atticus
Location: Follow Me Caffe on 62nd between 3rd and Lex
Edibles: smoked salmon, goat cheese and cucumber sandwich; Kathy had the salad with cumin scallops; Atticus had the spinach-and-cheese crêpe; we all shared the hot fudge brownie with vanilla gelato for dessert

Musings: A cute, tiny place tucked away on a quiet street. By tiny, I mean that the restaurant is literally about 10 feet across and 30 feet deep. But so cute! Perfect for brunch.

My sandwich was a nice, light summer dinner. Atticus' crêpe looked workmanlike. It was Kathy's scallops, though, that had me drooling surreptitiously. I am definitely getting that salad next time. Thanks to Kathy and Atticus for introducing me to this UES gem.