Rouge et Blanc: French meets Vietnamese in SoHo

Having heard few (but mostly positive) reviews and craving something original, MW and I found ourselves in SoHo on a rainy Friday evening. Our destination was Rouge et Blanc the relatively new French-Vietnamese restaurant by former Chanterelle and Beacon sommelier, Thomas Cregan. Given his previous role, it only seems fitting that the restaurant's name would be a nod to the restaurant's wine list comprised of French "reds and whites." Although we had made reservations, they hardly seemed necessary as the dining room was never more than half full throughout the course of our meal.

JBF LTD: David Chang and Iñaki Aizpitarte

Easily the most anticipated of all the JBF LTD dinners was the collaboration between David Chang and Iñaki Aizpitarte. Known in food circles as culinary rogues, Chang and Aizpitarte represent a new wave of chefs who are pushing the culinary envelope and are unafraid of challenging their diners. Listed as the world's 9th best restaurant by S. Pellegrino (tops among all French entries), Le Châteaubriand has established itself as one of the preeminent destination restaurants despite Aizpitarte's rigid take-it-or-leave-it five-course prix fixe menu. Likewise, with his infamous reservation system, dislike of stools with backs and award-winning food, Chang is a kindred spirit.

JBF LTD: Laurent Gras

With food trucks becoming a fixture into the New York dining scene, it seems as though yet another L.A. food trend has found its way to the Big Apple. They're called pop-ups, and much like food trucks, it appears the concept just might stick around. Roughly defined, a pop-up is a temporary restaurant installation, with "temporary" being the operative term. Chef Ludo Lefebvre popularized the form when his LudoBites restaurant literally "popped-up" six times in five different locations, quickly selling out on each occasion. Naturally it was only a matter of time before pop-ups started appearing in New York. And, after the success of John Fraser's What Happens When, it was all but assured that more would soon follow.

Momofuku Ssäm Bar Through the Years

It's almost impossible to add anything that hasn't already been said about Momofuku Ssäm Bar. Since its opening in 2006, it's become one of Manhattan's most popular restaurants. Under the early guidance of Tien Ho (current Executive Chef at Má Pêche), Ssäm Bar burst onto the scene with three stars by Frank Bruni (after an initial two). Currently helmed by Chef de Cuisine, Ryan Miller, it has remained a fixture on the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants since 2009 and has shown no signs of slowing down. So instead of rehashing every meal eaten here, I found it more apropos to examine Ssäm Bar's evolution over the years.

Dinner from a Top Chef at Perilla

I entered Perilla with some initial trepidation. Mixed reviews had me pondering whether it was a solid neighborhood restaurant or one that lured unknowing patrons with the siren calls of a reality food television star at its helm. In case you don't remember or simply don't care, owner and Chef Harold Dieterle was the inaugural winner of Top Chef series but was also a sous chef at The Harrison. Through his combination of culinary skills and determination, Harold emerged victorious and true to his word, used his winnings to open Perilla in 2007. I'm happy to report that I found Perilla to be more of the former rather than the later during our dinner experience. Bolstered by a 30% off coupon from Blackboard Eats, Perilla proved to be surprisingly good as I found chef Dieterle's juxtaposition of flavors, textures and temperatures a winning combination.

SHOwing Support for Shaun Hergatt

In the restaurant wasteland otherwise known as New York's Financial District, SHO Shaun Hergatt has been become a food sanctuary. Here, Australian chef Shaun Hergatt forges French technique with Asian influences to produce some of the best food to be had in Manhattan. Garnering multiple awards including a 29/30 for food in the latest Zagat Survey as well as a Michelin Star in 2010, it came as quite a surprise when New York Times food critic Sam Sifton gave the restaurant a meager two star review. Immediate backlash ensued on Eater forums with Josh Ozersky arguing against Sifton's review; insisting that SHO was worthy of three stars. After having read Sifton's review of SHO and having had the pleasure of dining at the restaurant on multiple occasions I feel compelled to weigh in on the subject. If restaurants are to be judged based solely on the food that they serve, instead of the their ambiance and clientele they attract (Sir Paul McCartney in sneakers) then SHO Shaun Hergett is deserving of at least three stars.

I agree with Ozersky that the crux of Sifton's two star review stemmed less from the food than his own prejudice against the opulent nature of the restaurant and its cuisine. It seems that in the wake of Lehman Brothers, Freddie Mac and AIG, the zeitgeist (repeatedly referenced by Ozersky) has rallied against such white-linen establishments, preferring pork belly to a côte de boeuf. But even in hard times such as these, there always will be a demand and a need for such fine dining restaurants and I hope in spite of Sifton's tepid review, SHO Shaun Hergatt will continue to thrive.