Small Bites

5 Responses to “Talk about food here”

1. 

   Bill says:

   February 3, 2009 at 12:01 pm

   I’m a little verklempt!
2. 

   Jimmy Fink says:

   February 3, 2009 at 12:44 pm

   I love the new Hai Ku on Mamaroneck Ave. in Mamaroneck. Until they have their liquor license they are not charging for the Saki. The sushi is so fresh, great presentation, friendly wait staff and much nicer atmosphere than the Hai Ku in Bronxville. If you go or have been, let me know what you think.
3. 

   Rob says:

   February 3, 2009 at 6:39 pm

   I took my girlfriend to Tarry Lodge last Thursday night for her birthday, reservations were made in advance, online through Open Table and I was asked if there were any special considerations I would like. I noted it was to be a birthday dinner.

   We arrived last night, a Thursday around 7:20pm, about 1/2 hour before our reservation and sat at the bar for a few minutes before they had a table. Unlike Babbo or any of Danny Meyer’s restaurants, I was never asked about the birthday, if I wanted something special done, no mention was made at all.

   We were shown to a table for two at the junction of the bar/kitchen entrance/kitchen exit. The restaurant was crowded at 7:30, a few large parties waiting and the bar was full. It was my mistake to accept the table I should have asked for another right away. I didn’t and it was the loudest dining experience I’ve had in 10 years. They really need to “86” table 43, if you go be sure to tell them “anywhere but table 43”.

   They have a message at the bottom of the menu that asks diners to bear with them while they work on their ‘Noise attenuation”. I guess they know it’s loud and don’t know what to do yet.

   We were given a tray of olives and two pieces of stale focaccia which was surprising because the Parmesan bread sticks at the bar were quite good.

   We ordered and appetizers were brought about 10 minutes later. I ordered the Baccala Montecato. I love salted cod in all forms , I make brandade several times a year. The montecato was served with a spoon in a ramekin, ice cold, very bland. Perhaps room temperature would have served it better, it actually needed salt.

   My girlfriend had been anticipating the Guanciale/black truffle/sunnyside egg pizza for the weeks leading up to our dinner, it was featured on the cover of a local magazine and mentioned in a few reviews. It was passable, the crust was underdone, really nothing special. I suspect the 6-8 small pieces of guanciale and truffle weren’t enough flavor component to stand up to the mozerella on a 12” pie.

   After about another ten minutes my girlfriends branzino arrived. I must say I was impressed, a perfectly grilled fish was placed in front of her, crisp skin, golden brown. It was then whisked away to a side board without consulting us. It sat on the side board for 5 minutes before a woman, whom I assume was the maitre’d, came over and started working on it. Meanwhile my entree, the beef braised in barolo was brought out. I patiently waited for the branzino to be brought back which finally made it reappearance at the table about 12 minutes from the time it was initially brought out. It arrived taken off the bone, no crispy skin, completely cold, not even on a heated plate. To top it off, it still had bones in it.

   My braised beef was good, very tender, perhaps a touch dry, and could have used more than the teaspoon of sauce that came on the polenta. I never tasted any of the advertised horseradish. Our side order of Tarry greens was escarole that was under cooked and tough.

   After the entrees were cleared we were treated to the floor show of a waiter dragging a full size plastic garbage pail, full of garbage, out from behind the bar, down the aisle between our table and the next, and into the kitchen area. Now there’s something you don’t see in Babbo or Esca….

   We ordered some biscotti, which we thought were no better than the Nonni’s you see wrapped in plastic at the 7-11, more like tiny shortcakes, and got tepid espressos.

   The bill was brought with the coffee, it was not asked for. There were empty tables at the time.

   Taste and quality of the food, the kitchen’s execution of the chefs menu, is a judgement call, my judgement is I wasn’t impressed.

   I will say that they staff was very nice and did their best, I feel the mistakes made were more in the area of management style and the restaurant concept rather than execution.

   Don’t bother to ask me if I have a special request if you’re going to ignore it.

   If I order a whole fish I would expect to be asked if I wanted it deboned, I prefer to wrestle with my own. If you are going to take it upon yourself to debone a customers fish, it should be done tableside and kept warm.

   Apparently it’s acceptable to drag the garbage past the diners because a floor manager was right there while it happened.

   If I’m sitting too long and you need the table, then explain that to me otherwise don’t bring me the bill until I ask for it.

   Portions are larger and prices are smaller than B&B’s NYC restaurants but that doesn’t entitle them to dumb down the service. I would have been happy to pay NYC prices for the same care we receive at Babbo.

   I would have liked to send this direct to the management of Bastianich & Batali but none of there websites have an email address to send such issues. I suppose snail mail will have to do.
4. 

   Morris Gut says:

   February 4, 2009 at 11:01 am

   In this economy, it is nice to report on a few restaurant openings rather than the notable closings we are witnessing…
   Route 100 Wine Bar & Grill (914-779-2222) has opened along Central Park Ave. in Yonkers…chef/owner Hector Avila of Tango Grill in White Plains is an owner. This spot was formerly Pasta e Pesce but has been totally and handsomely renovated. It’s a more casual menu with great fresh-made finger foods and an eclectic-global menu. Over 20 wines by the glass daily. Daily happy hours 4 to 7 p.m. with complimentary appetizer tasting…

   The Barnacle BBQ and Fish Shack has opened on Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck at the renovated space once occupied by Jolly Trolly (914-777-6610). Owners Mike Fenwick, Colman McCarthy and general manager Barbara Kavanagh say the menu is geared to the whole family. We’ve already enjoyed tastings of meaty St. Louis style ribs; pulled pork; and Texas style brisket all slow smoked daily in their big Cookshack smoker…Plans are to add a big open air deck in the rear facing the harbor come spring…

   John Lulgjuraj, a 30 year veteran of the restaurant/pizza business, has gone more upscale at his new Johnny’s On 5th in Pelham (914-355-2783)...It’s got a SoHo supper club feel, an Italian-American menu and weekly mature entertainment from live piano to jazz…enjoyed an evening of Karaoke here recently along with a good hefty steak…

   Let us know if you get to any of these spots.
5. 

   Bill says:

   February 4, 2009 at 5:26 pm

   Rob, let us know if you hear back from Tarry Lodge. We ate there a few weeks ago on a Saturday night and had a very nice meal. We were seated in the small room at the top of the stairs and it wasn’t that loud. The food was very good, I’d happily go back again.