We’re off to a very good start. Was it cheap? No. Was it delicious? Absolutely.
In case you haven’t heard, I’ll be dining my way through Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, which runs from today through March 21 (except Saturday). You can see all the participating restaurants here at hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com. Dinners are $26.09 and lunches are $16.09.
My first meal is at a new entrant in the HVRW game: Equus, the restaurant at The Castle on the Hudson in Tarrytown. I’m going to write my review — but I want to hear about your experiences, too: whether at Equus or anywhere else. So give me your reviews…. and I’ve got some incentive. I’ll give the authors of my five favorite comments 2 free tickets to our Wine&Food Festival, April 4, 5 and 6 at the DoubleTree Tarrytown.
Now: on to the food! That up there is the filet mignon. (Pan-Seared Beef Tenderloin: Roast Root Vegetables and Potato Straw with Shallot Red Wine Sauce.) It was terrific. There was a lovely crust on the edge. It was perfectly medium-rare as I’d asked. There was a tiny hint of truffle oil in the salad-potato tuft on top. The carrots and onions were toothy but not too hard. Only one minor trouble: There was a $20 surcharge for it.
I went to Equus with three other people so we were able to try the entire HVRW menu. We started with a drink at the bar. Vueve. We couldn’t resist.
Have you ever been to the bar at Equus? It is seriously a gem. Look at this little nook inside the cirle of a turret. It might be the best table in all of the Hudson Valley:
There’s also a lovely lounge outside the bar area.
Little areas for conversation before dinner. And the wood paneling is simply gorgeous. Look at the fireplace.
Oh — and the view! I can’t wait for summer to come out on this patio overlooking the river.
After a drink we moved to our table in the dining room. It’s very rococo with lots of tapestries and carvings. Like a castle should be.
There were a ton of people. I asked the receptionist and she said it was definitely due to HVRW. You might have trouble getting a reservation.
But if you do get in, you won’t be disappointed. Here is the Roast Beet, Walnut and Endive Salad with Maytag Blue Cheese Dressing Laced with Port Wine Walnut Vinaigrette:
The earthy beets and the bitter endive were a great match. They were cooked perfectly, too.
The Roast Sweet Potatao and Pear Bisque Garnished with Duck Confit and Spiced Pear:
Garnished? I’d say. More like how some people put vermouth in a martini: by waving the closed bottle above the cocktail shaker. I didn’t see any duck confit. Maybe that was a good thing. The first bite my friend had was so salty she puckered. But then she gave the soup a good stir and everything was salvaged. It was actually a very nice flavor. Well-balanced and not too sweet, as you might expect. Good for these still-cold days of March. But duck confit? Eh — why advertise it? Just leave it off the menu and nobody would be the wiser.
The appetizer winner in my book? Salmon Carpaccio with Radish and Pea Shoot Salad with Yuzu Vinaigrette:
My favorite thing about this dish was the temperature. So often a dish like this comes out so cold you can’t enjoy the flavor of the fish. It was just lovely. And there were little hints of salt and citrus that popped in my mouth. The radishes were spicy for contrast. I think there were a few too many pea shoots, but that’s quibbling.
On to entrees. I already told you about the beef. I really liked it, but I’m not sure you need to spend the extra $20 unless you’re dying for beef. It’s very very tasty, don’t get me wrong — but if you’re on a budget, don’t fret. All of the other dishes are great, too.
Braised Oxtail, Pancetta and Radicchio with Creamy Mascarpone Polenta:
Comfort in a bowl. Falling apart beef, nice porky flavor from the bacon and the polenta soaks it all up.
Hazelnut Crusted Tilapia with Honey and Anise Braised Carrots with Curry-Carrot Couscous:
The couscous was Israeli, so it was nice big rounds of grain that soaked up the sauce. There was a bit of a muddy, earthy flavor in the crust of the fish that I didn’t care for, but the fish itself was flaky and moist. And I liked all the accompaniments, from the curry to the foam to all the carrots in their various forms.
Grilled Paillard of Chicken Marinated with Orange and Aged Sherry Vinegar, Crispy Fingerlings, Shaved Chorizo, Manchego Cheese and Spring Bitter Greens:
That chicken was amazing. It was so moist and flavorful I couldn’t believe it. And I thought having a sherry sauce was going to be old-fashioned, but it was a fresh take: not too dense, just light and dancing on the plate.
The restaurant offers wine pairing suggestions on the menu, but they were all more than $11 each. We were trying to be economical, so we ordered by the bottle (there were 4 of us) and asked for the two cheapest bottles on the list at $40 each. A Sepp Gruner Veltliner, which went well with our appetizers, and this cherry, chocolatey tempranillo —
a 2003 Marques de Riscal Rioja, which was a nice match for all of our dishes, even the fish.
This dessert —
— was billed as a Chocolate Panna Cotta with White Chocolate-Pistachio Crus. It wasn’t really, it was more of a mousse. But the flavor was satisfying. I didn’t really care for the other choice, the Orange-Basil Frozen Bavaian with Orange Froth:
The orange and the froth were nice, but the Bavarian was frozen so hard I could have used a knife. The flavor was sweet, but I didn’t find any basil to make it more interesting.
They gave us a little lagniappe at the end; a two-cookie package of biscotti, with chocolate chips inside:
All in all, this is one of the best meals I’ve had for restaurant week in a very long time — and I’m talking in NYC, too. I just have one complaint. I looked at the regular menu, and there isn’t one dish in common with the HVRW menu. The braised oxtail and radicchio ragout comes with the sea scallop appetizer and the beef tenderloin entree, but that’s the only common denominator I could find. Still, I’m willing to overlook that because I got such a good feel for chef David Haviland’s cooking through this meal. It’s definitely enough to get me back.
They’re really going all out at Equus. Our service was friendly, polite and accommodating (though sometimes a little slow), and the food was beautifully presented and delicious.
And with a setting like this?
It’s hard to imagine finding a better value. But believe me, I’ll be out there trying.
Equus, 400 Benedict Ave., Tarrytown. 914-631-1980. castleonthehudson.com
35 Comments
So what did you think of Equus — or any other HVRW?
Tell me here in the comments field. I’ll choose my five favorite comments and give the authors each a free pair of tickets to the Greater New York Wine&Food Festival on April 4, 5, and 6 at the DoubleTree Hotel Tarrytown.
Hi Liz,
I enjoyed your review of Equus. I believe my friend and I were there the same day – Sunday evening around 5:30-9:00. The views and ambiance were stunning. We had a terrific time, but I found the meal to be a bit unbalanced. The food was good, but there were definitely consistency problems. For instance, my salmon carpaccio was CERTAINLY not salty at all – when I tried it, I suspected they forgot to season it. My friend LOVED her soup and her bowl was overloaded with duck confit. And while the flavor of my braised oxtail was absolutely delicious, the polenta was so runny that it actually leaked through the fork, so that it was almost impossible to eat. It was the consistency of melted ice cream. I never send anything back and I considered sending that dish back because it was so frustrating trying to eat it, but in the end I kept it because the flavor was very very good. And yes, we both had the panna cotta, and our thoughts were that it tasted more like mousse.
All in all, a very fun time, but for their reputation, and what they normally charge, I expected their food to be spot on. It was uneven, with only spots of greatness.
Last night four of us went to X20. I have eaten there before. For restaurant week they had a limited menue. The four of us all ordered fish. When it came it was a bit on the warm side ( not hot) My friend didn’t care for it and sent it back for the pork dinner. His wife sent hers back to have it re heated. My wife and I had the fish warm. We ordered a botle of wine, and ordered coffe or tea with desert. I don’t understand why the cofee and tea were not included in the price. For the evening we paid a bit over $200.00 Over all the food was good. the scenery was excelent. The staf went out of their way to please you.
We ate at Iron Forge Inn last night. I’d wanted to eat there since I read reviews of their HVRW menu last year, and decided to use the Sundays to go to restaurants further away from my house in northern Westchester that I wouldn’t want to do on a weeknight (next Sunday we’re eating at Relish). Plus their menu looked really great (many restaurants have their menus posted at http://www.hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com). We had a 5:30 reservation and I guess I was the only one with that time and a party of 3 (wife, son and me) because we were greeted by name as soon as we entered. We were seated on the porch (more about that later). The menu appeared to be a simplified version of their 4 course $46 menu (similar items, some different ingredients).
For appetizers, my wife and son got the soup duo (Creamy Pine Island Onion Soup and Warwick Apple Gazpacho) and I ordered the Warwick Apple & Shaved Fennel salad (I figured I could convince them to share their soups). The soups were both very good but I think the salad was the real winner here. None of us generally like fennel, but this was so sweet and tender, and the apples were also sweet.
My wife had the beef entrée (Spice Braised Beef, Onion Bread Pudding, Roasted Fennel, Five-Spice Molé), while my son and I had the Brook Trout with Local Potato Gnocchi, Winter Greens. Both were huge portions, stacked on the plate (not quite tall food, but close). The beef was a huge chunk, and the trout was cut into quarters (with only 3 per portion). The trout had a mustard coating on it which was a little strong (that is not on their online menu). The gnocchi were phenomenal – they were sautéed so they were crunchy outside and soft inside. The greens were good but I found some meat in there that I would have preferred not to find (I guess I should have asked). My wife loved the beef, and the mole sauce was excellent.
For dessert, they offered ample portions of two desserts from their normal menu—Pumpkin & Ginger Bread Pudding with Fresh Apple on top and Candied Warwick Apple. The “candied†apple was really more like a slice of baked apple with some sugar on top, and also came with a “maple cloud†which tasted sort of like panna cotta. Both were really good.
Service was friendly and a reasonable pace (it took a while to get dessert because apparently other parties were also getting it at the same time).
Now, back to the porch. I had re-read the 2006 HVRW reviews for this place before leaving and noticed that someone complained about being seated out on the patio (he thought it was too cold and ended up leaving). I had not asked for a specific location when I made my reservations (several weeks ago) but sure enough, that is where they put us. There were 2 large parties when we got there who were making a lot of noise (including one with a child who decided she enjoyed making music with her glass and a spoon), and us in the corner. While I am generally more interested in the food at a restaurant, I really don’t like being seated out of the flow (in Siberia, if you like) and that is what I felt here. When we entered, I immediately noticed a smell of the fireplace and it reminded me of old country restaurants we used to eat at in Connecticut. The porch had no smell and little of that ambiance. I should have asked to be seated elsewhere but it appeared that was where they had planned for us to sit (the hostess told me she had already filled our water glasses, so it wasn’t even that they put us there because we had a child with us). I would very strongly recommend that when you call for a reservation, ask NOT to be placed on the porch. I think you’ll enjoy your meal much more.
I have 5 more dinner reservations for HVRW, and I think I am going to do 2 lunches with co-workers. Then I stop eating for a month
. Fortunately, we were recently on a cruise, so I got into practice for this serious eating.
Liz, did they really charge you for valet parking at Equus, or was there a free parking option? I was really turned off by that and the $20 surcharge for beef on the menu. If they cannot do an item for the menu price, then just don’t have it on the menu, don’t double the price. It’s just not keeping with the spirit of the thing. That said, we’ll be eating there later in the week because we’ve never been there and the rest of the menu does look good.
Gene—what was the fish entree and were there any choices other than pork?
PS to Gene—coffee/tea are never included in the HVRW menus. I’m not sure why you’d expect it to be at these prices.
Bill,
There was no free option for parking. Valet was $5 and we gave a $2 tip. We also tipped $2 for our coats. We also paid $70 (with tip) for one round at the bar and $40 each for two bottles of wine and $20 for the beef. So like I said, it wasn’t cheap, but still: I think it’s a terrific value.
Sharon,
Very interesting about the inconsistencies. What was your friend’s entree?
My family and I went to Relish in Sparkill on Sunday. I had been there before and wanted to go back. With the restaurant week prices I grabbed the opportunity.
They offered the full regular menu to choose from, which really surprised me. I had expected 3 or 4 options for each course. Everything was as delicious as I expected, and we found a very inexpensive but perfect wine with help from the owner that went well with all of out entrees. Between the six of us we tried most of the menu and all of us were very happy with our selections.
The best taste of the meal was one of the desserts, a dark chocolate cake with pretzel ice cream. The sweet/salty of the ice cream was perfect with the dark chocolate.
This was a great value and a wonderful experience. The space is beautiful, the service was friendly, attentive and very professional. I can’t wait to go back!
I was so excited that we had an upcoming reservation at this restaurant in the sky with views of the Long Island Sound. Sorry to say what a dissappointment! We booked this reservation a month in advance for a Saturday evening and the restaurant was empty. The choice was a prix-fixed 5 course dinner or you were able to order a la carte. We chose the later and so did the other couple. I started off with sweetbreads which were suppose to be hot but cold and a little rubbery. The portions are very small so be prepared to leave hungry even after dessert! My entree was a braised chicken breast over a polenta, cold again and not impresssive at all. We were able to choose dessert from either the prix-fixed menu or a la carte but the waiter acted as if he was doing you a huge favor. My recomendation is to choose another hot new restaurant to wait a month to get into or just go for drinks at the bar. The view is lovley but as we were leaving the bar was so crowded that the view was not worth it. I much rather dine at BLT and then have drinks in the cozy lobby of the Ritz Carlton.That will be my next review!
Robin,
Are you talking about Equus in Tarrytown? There are no Sound views… only the Hudson. Maybe you mean 42 in the Ritz?
Carolyn—that is great news about Relish. They were actually the last place that I chose for dinner reservations and did so before they posted their menu (I had been looking for something up north but could not find anything that excited me). My son said that he had a problem with the menu from Relish—there was so much good stuff to choose from! I’ll definitely report back after our meal next Sunday.
Liz—it does look like Robin was talking about 42—check out the URL her name links to. She must have thought the Website field was for a subject
.
My last post of the day (I think). A co-worker ate at X2O last night. I am attaching what she sent me. I spoke to her and it sounds like the menu (cornmeal crusted trout with a cream sauce with grapes) is the same as I had at Restaurant X during RW in 2006, and while I did not post my review of it, it was a disappointing meal by their standards. I am a huge Peter Kelly fan, but I don’t want to have another bad meal, so I’ll go elsewhere that night (or, shudder, eat at home).
Here’s her email to me:
Just thought I would tell you, we went last night for restaurant week and it was very disappointing! Not only was the selection the cheapest food (with no upgrade options), the service was poor and the food not very good. We took a small group of friends and were very embarrassed we suggested it! Even worse, the waiter never came by to ask how the food was and the plates were removed by a bus boy who did not ask how we enjoyed our meals. So even though I ate less than half my fish, he did not ask if it was OK. And, my friend who is gluten free ordered a chocolate dessert that the waiter thought was gluten free. He never came back to say it was not but later arrived with another chocolate dessert that was gluten free but which he made of point of saying was not on the restaurant week menu and we were charged an additional fee!
The upshot: we will never go back.
We too were at Equus Sunday night and loved the experience. It was certainly fine dining. We asked to be seated in a dining room with a fireplace, even though they had taken us to the proch. One thing that impressed me was the fact that they brought us the Special Restaurant Week Menu without asking for it. The only suggestion I would make for those who usually like larger portions is to take a second roll; the whole wheat were excellent. Loved every minute of it.
Bill:
The three options last night for the main course were
Brook trout with corn bread crumbs
Chicken ( don’t remember how it was prepared) we didn’t have it.
Loin pork.
I have eaten there before. The food from the regular menue were excelent.
You will love Equus even more when the weather gets warm enough to eat in the veranda underneath those huge umbrellas. Food was great and the staff was very attentive.
Haven’t been to Equus in a few years. I used to love their Sunday brunch! Not sure if they still have it. Anyway, I’d like to comment on a couple of other places I’ve been to recently. The first is Louie & Johnnies in Yonkers. They used to be on the northbound side of Central Avenue, but they recently moved to Yonkers Avenue, across from the racetrack. The new digs are very nice. Food was good but not great. For appetizer I had the Hot Appetizer Deluxe For 2. This included calamari, zucchini sticks, shrimp wrapped with bacon, stuffed mushrooms and baked clams. They brought out a complimentary salad, which was a pleasant suprise. For the main course I ordered Cappelini Pescatore. This was, obviously, a pasta dish with calamari, and some combination of shellfish (shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels?). My dining companions ordered the Chicken Parmigiana and the Veal Sorrentino. Portions were big and we all took home a doggie bag.
Next up on the list are a couple of burger joints. First, Bugers, Shakes and Fries in Byram, Ct. Great burgers! Fries and shakes are good too. I ordered two single burgers. The singles are big enough, a third of a pound each. The first burger was topped with bacon and egg. The second burger had swiss cheese, tomato, mushrooms, hot peppers and sauteed onions. The burgers are prepared medium rare and come on white bread grilled with butter. Delicious! Kory, the owner, takes your order and is very personable. Beware, the place is kind of small and gets crowded easily. Be prepared to wait for your food. Only other downside is the pricing. Each topping is extra and the price, with fries and a shake, averaged out to about $10 per burger. However, beats any burger joint in Westchester, hands down.
Another good burger joint I tried recently is Cheeburger, Cheeburger in the Palisades Mall. Tucked away by itself in a corner by Barnes & Noble. Not much on atmosphere but the food is very good. The place could use a makeover and some new help. However, great burgers and a very large selection of flavors on the shakes. I had the chocolate, peanut butter, banana shake. Yummy! Also beats any burger joint in Westchester.
Next up on my burger joints to try is Five Guys in Hackensack.
Thanks, Gene. Sounds like the same menu they had at X last time, which I was determined to avoid this year. It’s too bad that Peter can’t figure out a way to do something close to their normal food at a RW price.
Steve—I ate at Cheeburger, Cheeburger once and also thought it was pretty good. I like that you can get all the toppings you want for free
. The grilled chicken sandwich (also available with the same toppings) was also good, and the fries/onion rings were great.
We went with another couple to The Bird & Bottle Inn last night (Sunday). The service was wonderful and so was the food. We try to order different dishes and sample each other’s plate. The soup (Potato & Cheddar) was outstanding,light and creamy without being starchy. The smokiness of the bacon was present but not overbearing! The other apps that were ordered were the salad (also very good) and the tomato tartare (a little disappointing-
had a different kind of flavor- the flavors of the beans and tomatoes just didn’t mesh).Two people had the lasagna—fantastic—were a little disappointed at the portion—OK for a lady, but a hungry man?????
The other two had the English Short Ribs—of which you only received 1—but the chipolte mashed potatoes and french string beans were a very nice compliment to the succulent and tender beef.
The desserts—chocolate lava cake and apple crisp were a wonderful ending to a delicious meal!
Highly recommend The Bird!
I went to Equus last September for my anniversary and found it to be very romantic. The service was excellent and the food was as well. I had Chilean Sea Bass while my husband had the fillet. The chef brought us appetizers as we know him from his days at Ridgeway Country club. I wish he was still chef there because his food was delicious and the setting was serene and elegant.
My latest gastronomic delight was BLT Steak. My husband, myself and four other friends ate there this past Saturday night. I’m still dreaming of the food and still full from it! We met at the bar which was hopping. I ordered a pomegranite martini, but the bartender gave me a pomegranite sidecar which is on their drink menu, but too sweet for me. She changed it and was very nice about it. Since we had to wait over a half an hour for our table, the chef brought out some appetizers for us. He gave us pate with roasted bread and a plate of genoa salami, sopresata, and ham. If this wasn’t enough to begin to fill us, the waiters then came over with huge popovers and butter. They were warm and delicious. The pate was my favorite. It was salty and briny, just how I like it.
Next we ordered wine and salads. Most of us had ceasar salad, but one friend had the vegetable salad which was too big so she ate it with her meal as well. I found the ceasar salad to be heavy on the parmesan cheese, light on the dressing. I would have liked more dressing and less cheese. The wines were perfect compliments to the meal, but I lost count of how much I had and the names of them because the pouring didn’t stop.
My husband shared a Porterhouse for two with our friend and I shared the Fillet Mignon with my friend. I have to say that the fillet was prepared perfectly considering my friend must have her meat well done with “no red” as she requested and it was exactly as that, but juicy and tender too. I was expecting it to be a bit dry, but it wasn’t. It was pleasantly perfect! My husband said his porterhouse was not the best he’s had at a steakhouse. The sides we ordered were also plentiful. They were mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, french fries, asparagus, onion rings, and roasted mushrooms. All absolutely perfectly done and delicious. I especially liked the tiny frying pans that the onion rings came in stacked one upon the other. I wonder where they got them.
No one wanted to order dessert, but I was craving something sweet so I started with the peanut butter chocolate mouse. That started it so the others ordered the cheesecake, and a strawberry tart. Little did we know that dessert was also on the chef and he added two more. He sent a Pannacotta (sp?) and chocolate cookies. The Pannacotta was deliciously light, airy and custardy. But I have to say my favorite dessert was the peanut butter chocolate mouse. It had exactly the right amount of each with a hard chocolate shell and a slight crunch. The cheesecake was my second favorite. It was deeply rich and buttery! All the desserts, as were the sides, were particularly small, but it wasn’t necessary to have them any bigger because of how rich, fresh and satisfying they were.
Rarely does a restaurant leave me thinking about it two days later. Therefore, I had to comment on it. The only reason I won’t be going back very soon is the price. It came to approximately 240 a couple and that was with many dishes on the house. I will definitely be going back for a special occasion and recommending BLT Steak to all my friends.
My husband and I along with our two friends were also at Equus Sunday evening. I enjoyed your review and thought I should add my comments. The castle is beautiful! We loved the decor and the ambiance. They sat us in the porch which had lovely views but did not have a fireplace and was chilly. It turned out to be an expensive evening: $55 for 4 drinks at the bar before dinner, $47 for a bottle of wine and $6.50 each for 4 cappochinos! We thought the service could have been better. They kept us waiting at times and questions about the items on the menu were not answered accurately. The French rolls were very hard, the whole wheat were better. For appetizers 2 of us chose the soup and 2 chose the salmon – all excellent. My husband’s oxtails did not look at all like the one in your photos. He had lots of polenta and very little meat. He said it was tasty but he was disappointed. My chicken was delicious. It was a good choice! Our friends both had the tilapia and they said it was delcious. For dessert we all chose the pana cotta and agree with you that it was mousse. It was an enjoyable evening and we all agreed that we were glad we had the opportunity to try it out!
For those of you who had the chicken at Equus, do you think they can easily leave the chorizo off? We don’t eat that but the dish sounds great otherwise.
I also went to X2O Sunday with my husband and another couple. I’m also a big Peter Kelly fan, have been to all his restaurants and had excellent meals and am wild about his Sunday brunch.
What a let down this was, the choices are uninspired and not a representation of his amazing cooking abilities. The appetizer of butternut squash “flan” tasted like baby food, the spicy shrimp roll was probably the best appetizer offered (a special addition for the evening), but is that even “cooked” by Peter.
For entrees, two of us had the trout which was mushy and temperature challenged. My husband had the tough pork (the itsy bitsy portion of mashed potatoes were very good) and our friend had the chicken, which looked very boring (especially after the picture of Sonora’s chicken). The service was lacking, asked for more bread twice, it never came. When our appetizers were done, our plates were just switched the main courses, no breather there. Then, when we were done, a very long wait for dessert. We were on our second bottle of wine by then, I wonder if they wanted us to finish it so we would order coffee. Anyway, we all had the chocolate dessert, which was excellent and the best part of the evening.
We have another res at Bully Boy, I’m now seriously thinking of changing it. Onto the Kittle House Friday night, I hope this works out better.
Pam, I’d skip X (Bully Bar), the menu will probably be the same and there is no sense being disappointed again. Go to Relish if you want to stay on that side of the river—the review yesterday was excellent and they have great menu choices.
I had lunch at Kittle House today and it was good, and the dinner menu looks interesting. I can post it later if you want, along with a review.
I called BB and yes, the menu is exactly the same as X2O, what a disapointment! Going to try Sonora instead after Liz’s raves, we’ve eaten there before and I thought the food was very good.
Looking forward to the Kittle House Fri. night, how was it? We’ve eaten there when they offered the late night $25 menu and that was very good.
I posted my Kittle House review in another thread. It was ok.. I think it depends on what you ordered. The person I was with really enjoyed her stuff. I was less thrilled with mine.
I cancelled my X2O reservation today and made one at Stoneleigh Creek instead based on another writeup here and also their menu.
8 of us went to Equus last night to celebrate a birthday. We had a lovely evening and enjoyed the “feel” of being in the castle. There were four cars and a couple of us were put off by the mandatory $5.00 charge for the valet parking. One car had parked their own car and were made to go back and get their car so they could park it for them! I went to the bar to wait for the rest of the group…and yes, the bar was the nicest room and the bartender very nice, as was all the staff at the Castle…One glass of wine was $15.00 without the tip…a bit steep I thought. We sampled the entire menus (sans the tenderloin) and thought everything was delicous. Those who had the soup were singing its praises from the first taste. I had the beet/endive salad which was delicous. I decided to try the oxtails – never having had oxtails before – and found them very tasty…or should I say, found the sauce very tasty as there was barely any meat on top of the polenta! My dish did not look like your picture. We loved both desserts and I agree the panna cotta was more like a mousse…but it was a fantastic dessert.
I have been to Equus before for lunch and remember having a terrific meal. Some of my group are returning for brunch next weekend.
I am going to Harvest next week with three other people. Harvest is one of my favorite restaurants and am going with people who have never eaten there. I will be disappointed if their HVRW menu isn’t as good as their regular menu.
HVRW is a great way to try new places and revisit old favorites. I look forward to it every year!
My husband and I tried Stoneleigh Creek last nite and once again it’s all about the bread – soooooooooooooo fresh and then they took it up a notch by serving a lovely small plate with a sprinkling of olives in WARM olive oil. Sublime! Portions were very generous. I had the sushi grade tuna appetizer and it could have been a meal. I then had the snapper which was delicious and I brought half home for today which is super since it’s a Friday in Lent. The apple dessert which was billed as puff pastry was instead like a fried pie sprinkled liberally with cinnamon sugar and served with vanilla ice cream. Yum yum. Took me back about a hundred years. My husband had the short ribs and beet salad and raved about both. The place is intimate and charming with the entire staff being very welcoming and pleasant. Parking is available and it is very easy to find. We are going back so I hope no one reads this because I don’t want to have to wait in line.
Judith—thanks for the review of Stoneleigh Creek. I have reservations for next Wednesday and it’s nice to hear that I probably did not make a mistake
. I was kind of looking forward to puff pastry in their dessert however – Kittle House did a tart tatin without puff pastry and I was very disappointed.
Strangely, they do have tuna (served rare) on the lunch menu as an entree. But I think the snapper (opakapaka, as they have it on the menu) is actually on the regular menu so I guess they want to offer “real” dishes, which is nice. If you liked the tuna appetizer you should go to John Michael’s, where they have an amazing tuna appetizer on their RW menu.
Diner tonight was at Equus. Given the number of people who ate there on Sunday and reported on their meals, I pretty much knew what to expect (and to avoid the Bavarian dessert). I was not happy about the $5 parking charge, but they did put it on their menu on the HVRW site and there were numerous signs across the property, so at least I was warned. I also wasn’t happy about the $20 surcharge for the beef dish, but given that there was other decent stuff to order, it wasn’t a deal killer.
We got there a little early for our 7pm reservation. We were greeted (although not in an overly friendly manner) and after the hostess took our name we were asked to wait in a room between the entry and dining rooms. About five minutes later someone came and took us to our table, which was in the first room after the waiting area. Sadly, the only two tables for two in that dining room were against the wall; one was next to the outer wall and had a bunched up drapery to contend with. Fortunately (?) we were seated at the other table, which abutted some sort of inner wall. This meant that one of us had the view of the wall. Foolishly, I did not ask the person who seated us to find another table for us, partly because I noticed that there were no other tables for two in the room they put us. Just as well that we were not at the other table, when they seated people at it later on I noticed that it wobbled.
After we were seated, there was a progression of different people who visited our table, first to try and sell us drinks (we declined), then for water, bread, etc. None of them was overly friendly (with the exception of David, who I think may have been our waiter but it’s not clear at this place, since he did not take our order or deliver food). The strangest part was when we told one of the employees that we were ready to order. He had someone in a suit (who had the wine list) come over, and when we said we were not interested in wine, he abruptly left. Then I saw him speaking to another person in a suit, who then came over and said “Are you ready to order?†(he said this to other tables when taking their orders as well). We placed our order and he left, without saying anything. This was pretty typical of the service, and it was a far cry from the friendly (yet professional) service we had received at John Michael’s on Wednesday night. The person who picked up our plates had a bad habit of pushing the silverware (loudly) into the middle of the plate before picking it up. He also used the crumb remover on the table while holding an entire pile of dishes with his other hand – an impressive feat but not one I’d consider overly professional (although it did save him a trip back to our table) or what I would expect at a fine dining establishment like this. Service was also very quick. We were out in an hour and fifteen minutes, and that included a ten minute wait to pay our check. It didn’t beat Monteverde’s record of 55 minutes during the first HVRW, but it was close. They included a comment card and I told them what I thought of their parking charge and beef surcharge. I meant to include “be sure to read my review on the web!†but decided not to. Interestingly, the $5 parking charge was on my check. The valet initially asked me to pay him but I asked if I could pay it on the way out and he said yes. I’m not sure what would have happened had I paid the valet (I can’t see how they would have known had I paid outside). If you pay the $5 fee on your check, make sure not to tip the waiter based on it. By the way, the menu lists a whopping 21% service charge for parties of 6 or more.
As for the food, it was pretty good. My wife started with the soup, and it did have a few pieces of duck confit. She enjoyed it, although it was a very small portion. I had the salmon and I agree with Liz that it was the winner on the menu. We both had the chicken (sans chorizo, which they were able to leave off). It was moist and flavorful. I was a bit surprised to find that the crispy fingerlings were actually thin sliced and fried like potato chips (although they were tasty and I would have enjoyed a larger portion). For dessert, we both had the chocolate “panna cottaâ€, which I agree with other posters was more like a mousse. The plate could have used more than just a few dots of chocolate sauce; some berries or other accompaniment would have been nice. We were not given the lagniappe of biscotti that Liz got. We had two rolls (had to ask someone to come back to give us a second). The first was a soft roll that tasted like sourdough. The second was a very crispy French roll. They didn’t give you a choice, but both were good.
I checked the regular menu and at $74 for a 4 course dinner, I didn’t see anything that would make me go back (although I am glad we ate there for HVRW).
Next stop: Relish on Sunday.
Equus is the Latin genus for the mammal family of horses – including the ass – which is what you’ll feel like if pay full price to eat here. Why? Well, my wife and I had a taste of HVRW Equss style and it was nothing to really bray about. We won’t be back. (I felt like an ass just paying to park there.)
Appetizer – She had the roast sweet potato and sweet pear bisque and I had the salmaon carpaccio. The soup was very good, she said. I tasted it and the combination of the sweet potato and pear is appealing, if not addictive. I wanted more, but she kept it to herself, devouring it selfishly with a satisfied smile on her face. There really wasn’t much to share anyway. I had the salmon carpaccio. It was delicately sliced thin – real thin – as in transparent. It was fine that there was little there, as it helped it go down easier without chewing. Salmon should have some substance. This was some squishy fishy – perhaps left out too long in a warm room before served to me. The pea shoot salad was too earthy an accompaniment to enjoy with the fish, so that got “shot” to the side. (Alone – and eaten after the fish – it helped prepare the palate for the chicken to follow, but was mostly unsatisfying accompanying the salmon – lemongrass or some simple citrus zest would have gone better with the salmon, but what do I know, I’m no chef.)
Main course – She had the hazelnut crusted tilapia with honey and anise braised carrots over curry-carrot couscous. The meal, like the name, was a mouthful. It seemed to exercise the tongue, but not in a relaxing way – think “fatigue”. My wife enjoyed the tilapia, but thought it tasted a little too earthy – as if someone sprinkled potting soil on it. I tried a bite and have to agree – the thought of spring planting came to mind immediately. I don’t get it, first, the pea sprouts added turfiness to the
surfiness of the salmon, and now the surfiness of the tilapia is accompanied by an earthy, turfy taste. Mind numbing. Was there a surf-and-turf ring to this meal? Maybe – but not in a good way. Oxtail and beef tenderloins were also offered, but we didn’t dare tread too close to either part of that cow – although others near us had this and seemed quite pleased! I think we missed out! My wife grinned and beared with the tilapia and I bet she was hankering for another, larger bowl of soup.
I went for the chicken. Yes, the grilled chicken “paillard” – which is french for the style of chicken that is pounded thin (and into submission) and cooked quickly. It was “couped” on the plate with spring bitter greens, shaved chorizo and manchego cheese – as well as potato fingerlings – or as we mortals call it, potato chips. I felt the potato chips made the meal palatable. The chicken was dry in parts and moist in others. (The sherry sauce was dotted on the plate and barely noticeable.) This uneven cooking is probably part of the “paillard” faux paus – not pounding the chicken evenly thin. Oh well. I like chicken and Equus did okay by me – although I couldn’t eat the drier parts – it was fine. The greens were undercooked and chewy – not melt in your mouth good. The chorizo and cheese distracted my palate from the greens – and that’s a good thing.
Dessert – She: the chocoloate mousse disguised as panna cotta. Me: the orange bavarian ice cream pyramid with orange slices and broth. She: delicious and wanted seconds. Me: should’ve gotten the mousse. Dessert is not why we were there. But for the dessert, I can say the orange ice cream was, well, okay. The chocolate dessert was far better. Both were complimentary to the meals. I didn’t have such a problem with the orange pyramid of ice cream. It cut easily with a fork. And the chocolate mousse, like the soup, was delicious.
All in all, she fared better than me, with 2 out of 3 choices being worthwhile for the money and possibly to come back for. 1 out of 3 is not bad for me either, not a strikeout, but I admit it – I ate more when I got home. I am used to Manhattan restaurants that fill you with less, yet more satisfying meals – where washing down the meal you just had with a fast food cheeseburger or microwaved hot dog would seem sacrilege, so you dare not ruin the moment and out of guilt trick your mind into feeling full.
Equus didn’t follow suit – I WANTED more, and other items to eat AFTER leaving there.
Both my wife and I were less than impressed. I bet if we return on a regular evening and pay full price we’ll get better everything – even the service felt rushed with our courses following each other in record time for a 5 star restaurant. Believe me, I’ve had worse, but I’ve also had better and will stick to “grazing” elsewhere.
Next HVRW stop – Il Sorriso.
Although I was aware of the fact that Saturdays are excluded from HVRW, I made a reservation at the Kittlehouse for Sat. March 15, since it was a special occasion.
The reason for that was that the person who answered the phone insisted that the HVRW menu would be offered Sat as well. I went so far as to take her name although I did not offer it to the manager when we got there. They could have been more courteous since the mistake was theirs, and we didn’t make a big deal because we had a feeling she was mistaken.
Instead the service we received was what we would have perhaps been more acceptable during a busy restaraunt week night.
We were rushed from the bar where the four of us were enjoying a cocktai. The manager insisted on seating us even thought the entire dining room was still empty. (5:30 reservation.
I had the sushi scallop ravioli and it was tastless and warm. The wasabi was so mild it could have been mistaken for avocado paste, and the scallop was an almost transparent slice of scallop with a dab of black caviar in between the slices.
It seemed that we were rushed through everything including an expensive bottle of wine. We had to ask the waiter to please not rush us through dessert and let us enjoy ourselves.
The entrees were all excellent, the red snapper was tasty and crisp, the chicken was moist the duck was cooked to perfection and not greasy at all.
We all enjoyed desert. Apple Strudel, Pecan Pie, and a creme brulee. We had after dinner drinks and coffees.
Our check came to $500 with tax and gratuity.
The dining room lacked atmosphere and the tables were a little too close to eachother. The food was very good but did not live up to the “reputation” of the Kittlehouse.
I think we would have had a better experience, (better service) maybe even a smile when the manager greeted us,had we not been labeled a a cheap date, get ‘em in and get ‘em out kind of table.
Dom—fingerlings are actually a kind of potato (long and skinny like a finger). I expected that they would have whole potatoes somehow crisped up when I saw it on the menu. I did not expect them to be potato chips. They weren’t bad, but there should have been a much larger portion.
I’ve been wondering about the soup bowl here. Is that really the portion size you get when you dine here normally (it was pretty small)? Or do they just fill it up with more than the amount needed to fill the bottom well?