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.

Brunch Bets: Minetta Tavern

I zig when others zag.

After recently editing the Real Cheap Eats Guide along with James Boo of The Eaten Path and a host of others, I figured that I may as well write about Minetta Tavern, a restaurant that, unless we completely compromised ourselves, will never make The Guide. I posted about my first meal there late last year, a meat extravaganza of nearly epic proportions (and I don't just throw the word epic around like some people I know). I have yet to return for dinner. Instead, I've sought out their brunch.

First, an important tip. Always start with the Balthazar cannele instead of the full pastry basket. I know I shouldn't tell a reader to "always" do something, but ALWAYS DO THIS. I am right. Thank me later. While my mother and the maitre'd waxed rhapsodic over the cannele, sharing a silent moment over the the thought of its slightly chewy, caramelized crust, I ate mine in a single bite.

You can order the infamous Black Label Burger for brunch. I won't go into too much detail (just read my first post), but I will say that, while very good, I still prefer The Brindle Room Burger (especially at half the price). Still, this is a damn good burger unlike any other burger in the city.

What's Old is New Again at Next Restaurant

Aside from the impending closure of El Bulli, no restaurant in the world has received the same amount of media coverage than Grant Achatz's last project, Next Restaurant. With a menu that will change four times a year, it was announced that the restaurant's inaugural menu would be fashioned after the cuisine of Auguste Escoffier when he opened the Ritz hotel in Paris, 1906. In an odd twist of fate, the chef who was renown for his futuristic food was suddenly recreating the classics of yesteryear.

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.

Ai Fiori: Dream Team

The 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona ushered the term "dream team" into the American lexicon. Buoyed by the likes of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, they easily went on to win the gold medal, crushing their opponents by an average of 44 points per game, and in so doing, set the bar of what an all-star team should achieve.

If the dream team has any culinary equivalent, one need not look any further than the all-star team Chef Michael White assembled at his newest restaurant, Ai Fiori which included the likes of: Executive Chef Chris Jeackle (Morimoto, Eleven Madison Park), Pastry Chef Robert Truitt (Corton), master mixologist Eben Freeman (wd~50, Tailor), beverage director Hristo Zisovski (Jean-Georges) and front of the house veteran John Paulus (Jean-Georges). Obviously impressed, many quickly tabbed Ai Fiori for instant success. But championships aren't won on paper, and after disappointing reviews for White's Osteria Morini, one couldn't help but question whether the chef had jumped the shark and spread himself too thin. Making matters worse was the fact that history wasn't on White's side. After all, Sifton had previously given SHO Shaun Hergatt, another Setai collaboration, a meager two star review. But being a fan of White's food it was only a matter of when, not if, MW and I would eventually visit.

Yuba: Caviar, Foie Gras and Truffles! Oh My!

Named after the Japanese tofu skin, Yuba is a relatively new Japanese restaurant located in the East Village. Opened by two ex-Masa veterans, George Ruan (Masa) and Jack Wei (Bar Masa), Yuba hasgarnered plenty of media attention given the chefs impressive pedigree. Having spent years learning from Masa Takayama himself, Chef Ruan works the restaurant's small sushi bar while Chef Wei mans the kitchen in the back. Since I had never experienced Masa's $450 omakase (not including tax, tip, supplements, alcohol or a 20% service charge), MW and I were very interested in sampling the duo's luxurious cuisine, albeit at a much more modest price point.

Eleven Madison Park: Like a Well-Oiled Machine

Newly anointed James Beard Award winner Daniel Humm, and General Manager Will Guidara caused quite a stir when they closed Eleven Madison Park in September and made changes to the crown jewel in the Danny Meyer empire. First, the restaurant removed 34 seats, going from 113 to a more "intimate" 80. Next, the bar menu was dropped along with the restaurant's bargain $28 lunch. Clearly they hope to elevate their status from "just another one of Manhattan's great restaurants" to a world class culinary destination. Eater, Chowhound and eGullet boards were filled with comments ranging from curiosity to downright anger (who said people don't love 11-course menus?) regarding the restaurant's revamp, proving that even New Yorkers are afraid of change.

Jean-Georges: A Luxurious Lunch

Jean-Georges Vongerichten needs no introduction. Commanding a culinary empire spanning several continents, Jean-Georges is one of the world's most celebrated chefs, and perhaps an even more successful businessman. Best known for his original take on French cuisine, preferring intense flavors in the form of oils and light broths in lieu of traditionally heavy sauces, Jean-Georges is still one of the best restaurants in all of the United States, and despite a recent price increase, remains Manhattan's best destination for a splurge lunch. Yet, for whatever reason, MW and I had never visited any of Chef Vongerichten's restaurants, let alone his eponymous flagship-- located in the Trump International Hotel and Tower-- until the week preceeding Thanksgiving, when we both were free on vacation.

The Dining Room at the Modern: A True Masterpiece

 
While MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) is world renowned for their priceless art collection, it also lays claim to another priceless gem: The Dining Room at the Modern. Since the arrival of Alsatian-born chef, Gabriel Kreuther, the Modern has created food that rivals the museum's most famed treasures in both skill and artistry. After having dined in the restaurant's more casual "Bar Room" on several occasions and always coming away impressed, I selected the more formal Dining Room to celebrate MW's birthday.  While last year' celebratory meal at Le Bernardin left me unimpressed, the Dining Room at The Modern more than exceeded all expectations, making for an unforgettable evening.

Cincinnati Brings the French: Jean Robert's Table

No chef in Cincinnati, Ohio has more cachet than Jean Robert de Cavell. His previous restaurant, Jean Robert at Pigall's carried the fine dining torch after the closing of the Maisonette, which was the longest running Mobil five-star restaurant in the country. For the New Yorkers: de Cavel was the chef at La Regence, which was awarded three stars by the New York Times and named one of the best French restaurants in the city (youngster that I am, I've never heard of this place, but three stars speaks for itself).

But now, as everybody knows, the times are trending downscale, and with it comes de Cavel's new restaurant in a former Lone Star Steakhouse: Jean Robert's Table.

Jean Robert's Table has been open less than a month, but with much fanfare and hype (de Cavel had a contractual dispute with his former business partners that delayed the opening for months). I'd been eagerly following the developments, since it was the one new restaurant I wanted to try while home for Labor Day weekend in Cincinnati. Luckily, so did my parents. Less fortuitous was our complete lack of advance planning-- a call that morning revealed them to be booked solid. We would have to take our chances at the bar.

One thing I've learned from living in New York is the secrets of obtaining seats-- from restaurants to subways-- with practiced passive aggressiveness. My skills were put to good use, and quicker than I thought possible the three of us were seated comfortably at the bar, drinks and menus in hand.

Looking around the restaurant, there are no traces of the former tenant. The bar was stripped clean and looked brand new, and exposed brick set off the main dining room from the bar area (which also has some seats). The crowd was surprisingly older than I anticipated, and on entering the restaurant some guy in front of us seemed to forget where he was and blocked the door for much longer than necessary. He was apologetic when he realized his lapse, but I jokingly told him he was a crappy doorman.

Behold, amateurish pictures from the camera on my new cellphone after the jump. This might be as close as you'll get to me taking legitimate pictures in a restaurant, so savor the framing, lighting, etc.

Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro: A Cheesy Affair

Upon first glance, Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro appears the victim of an identity crisis. On one hand, the restaurant looks, feels and eats like your typical bistro. The restaurant's interior is decidedly bistro-esque, complete with a long wooden bar and checkered-tiled floor, but ironically, its most famously known for fondue, a classic Swiss and not French creation. But while lesser restaurants would surely suffer from this apparent duality, Artisanal has thrived. The main reason for its success can be traced to its owner, king of all things cheese, Terrance Brennan, who in addition to Artisanal, owns the two-Michelin starred restaurant, Picholine.

Having to entertain my family and their friends for the weekend, I was charged with selecting a restaurant with wide array of dishes surely to please all. It was under these circumstances, as well as my family's love for cheese, that I settled on Artisanal, "settling" being the operative word.

The Kitchen at Brooklyn Un-Fare

This past June, it was reported that The Kitchen at Brooklyn Fare would soon expand its dining room and increase seating for these highly coveted dinner reservations. Ever since its inception, this  partnership between chef César Ramirez and the Brooklyn Fare grocery store has thrived, often, being fully booked several months ahead. A glowing review by food critic, Alan Richman, and loyal followers of chef Ramirez's cooking has only contributed to comparisons from previous diners proclaiming The Kitchen Brooklyn Fare as "the Per Se of Brooklyn," quite a stretch in my opinion. Sadly, you can count me officially off the César Ramirez bandwagon (note I said chef Ramirez and not The Kitchen at Brooklyn Fare) as my meal there last January was anything but fair. Before writing this, I struggled long and hard about how to approach this post. In the name of objectivity, I felt it prudent to table any writing about the experience, hoping to avoid any knee jerk reactions that I would later regret. But after half a year, nothing has changed the fact that this was unequivocally, the worst meal I have ever experienced.

San Francisco Wrap Up: Brenda's French Soul Food, Zuni Cafe and Fleur de Lys

Brenda's French Soul Food

With no real agenda on our last day, MW and I trekked from our hotel through the Civic Center area of San Francisco to Brenda's French Soul Food. Albeit a bit skeptical about finding authentic Creole food on the west coast, this restaurant intrigued me after reading numerous positive reviews, but we ultimately decided to go due to our craving for some beignets. We arrived to no line and immediately grabbed two seats along the wall that sat adjacent to the kitchen. Service was fast and efficient throughout the meal, and as with any veteran waitstaff, our coffee cups were never empty.

Undecided on which beignets to choose, we naturally decided to split a Beignet Flight which consisted of one of each of the following: Plain, Ghirardelli Chocolate, Granny Smith Apple with Cinnamon Honey Butter and Crawfish with Cayenne, Scallion and Cheddar. Definitely not the best beignets I've had, but solid nonetheless, these thoroughly satisfied our beignet craving. The plain served as a control and was good, not too sweet but not as delicate as others. The crawfish came dusted in cayenne pepper but lacked any real crawfish. However, the granny smith apple was very good, reminiscent of the fried apple pies I enjoyed during youth, only better. But the favorite was the Ghirardelli chocolate-filled beignet that was sweet and rich.

Gary Danko: The People's Choice

Without question, Restaurant Gary Danko is San Francisco's preeminent fine dining establishment. Similar to Gramercy Tavern's status in Manhattan, Gary Danko is the most popular San Francisco restaurant, and with good reason, the food and wine are both excellent and the service is remarkable. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, chef Danko was named one of Food and Wine's best new chefs in 1989, won a James Beard Award for Best Chef California in 1995 and was awarded a Michelin Star. Fusing French technique with seasonal ingredients, Gary Danko's mix-and-match menu allows diners to create personalized three, four or five-course meals and exceeded all expectations.

The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton: Survival of the Fittest

If food trucks were last year's hot trend, then this year may be remembered as the rise of hotel-restaurants. The likes of Bloomfield (The Breslin/Ace Hotel), Chang (Má Pêche/Chambers Hotel) and Vongerichten (The Mark Restaurant/Hotel) are just some of the culinary titans to recently embrace this movement in New York. But San Francisco also boasts their own array of such ventures, with Michael Mina's flagship restaurant located in the Westin St. Francis and since 2004, chef Ron Siegel has run the kitchen at The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton after having spent time at Aqua, Charles Nob Hill and Masa's. Thomas Keller's original sous chef at The French Laundry, Siegel made a name for himself in 1998 by becoming the first American chef to earn a victory in the original Iron Chef series, defeating Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai in a lobster battle. Siegel is known for combing French techniques with Japanese elements and although I tend to be reluctant about eating at hotels, positive review after positive review prompted me to see first hand what all the fuss was about.

Cyrus: Second to None

For our last meal before departing for San Francisco, I felt it necessary to visit Sonoma Valley's best restaurant, Cyrus. Under the helm of chef Douglas Keane and partner Nick Peyton, formerly at Gary Danko, Cyrus has become the preeminent California restaurant outside of the Napa Valley. Lauded by critics and locals alike, this two-starred Michelin restaurant sits adjacent to the luxurious Les Mars Hotel and contains all the trappings of any elite dining establishment. Yet, in spite of all the pomp and circumstance, Cyrus remains relatively overshadowed by the behemoth known as The French Laundry. Often relegated to contingency plans for those unable to secure a reservation at Keller's restaurant, Chef Keane has taken this distinction in stride, focusing his efforts on perfecting his food rather than dwelling on this unfair comparison. While parallels certainly exist between the two restaurants, after enjoying a fabulous dinner at both restaurants I could not help but walk away feeling that Cyrus is every bit as good as that place in Napa where the French did their Laundry.

Left Coast Vacation 2010: Day 3 - Opus One Winery, Bouchon and Schramsberg Vineyards

Our third day was filled with even more tours and tastings at wineries and incredible food. What an arduous vacation! We began our day at Opus One Winery. Since Robert Mondavi is synonymous with Napa wines, MW suggested we visit his most prestigious venture. Although the actual size of Opus One paled in comparison to the Robert Mondavi Winery, conveniently located across the street, we enjoyed our tour. Fortunately, the tour concluded in the tasting room as MW an I savored our wine on an outdoor terrace where we were able to enjoy the view.

The French Laundry: Ask and Thou Shalt Receive

The very moment MW and I decided on San Francisco and Napa as destinations for our vacation, I immediately began thinking fantasizing of a perfect meal at The French Laundry. Truth be told, I have dreampt of eating there ever since our life changing meal at Per Se. All that was left was the hard part... actually getting a reservation. Type "The French Laundry" into Google and you will be greeted with a plethora of websites boasting all kinds of "secrets or tricks" to securing reservations; hell there is at least one website where you can pay to have someone secure that coveted reservation for you. It seems that even in the midst of our slumping economy people are still foaming at the mouth for a chance to pay $250 a head for a daily changing nine-course dinner. But all of this is to be expected considering The French Laundry's reputation as the "best" restaurant in the United States and perhaps all of North America with Thomas Keller being the only American chef to have two restaurants with three Michelin Stars.

Ever since Keller purchased The French Laundry from Don and Sally Schmidt in 1994 it has become the marquee restaurant for the western half of the country. So how did I get reservations? I considered making a reservation at one of the Yountville hotels and asking their concierge to assist me (after hearing they saved one reservation per evening), but ultimately thought it was too pricey a risk; the restaurant stopped allowing walk-in reservations a few years ago and I had no luck with OpenTable, having to wake up at 3 am each night only to see no tables were available. Like everybody else... I waited exactly two months to the date and began a series of calling and redialing on three phones exactly at 1 pm Eastern Standard Time since their phone lines open at 10 am Pacific Standard Time. There I sat, hearing nothing but busy signals for over 25 minutes, until...ring ring followed by "Hello, you've reached The French Laundry, this is Jane Doe speaking, how may I help you?" Five minutes later and I had my dinner reservations on my first attempt, foodie rapture enveloped me, Hallelujah!

I Can Eat Classy Too: db Bistro Moderne

I'm sorry everyone, but I think I may have to change the title of the blog to something obnoxious and douchey like: "Drunken Foodie Lawyer." Really, I promise this is out of character for me. I know that I claimed to be drunk during dinner at Vinegar Hill House over Memorial Day weekend, but my meal at db Bistro Moderne with Future Partner, in from Atlanta on work (and who you may remember from my Breslin post), involved far more drunken debauchery-- and a fantastic meal.

We met next door at The Algonquin for some pre-dinner drinks, starting with a pair each of Makers Marks and Grey Goose and tonics (I won't tell you who got which). I had barely eaten after a stressful day, but finished both drinks entirely too quickly while we both vented about our respective annoyances.

The restaurant was not crowded when we walked in early for our 8:00 reservation, but it filled up throughout the night. After being seated in the back, FP went immediately for the wine list. I know to defer to her expertise, and rightly so-- she ordered a 1985 Veuve Clicquot Rose that had our waiter, the sommelier and GM fawning over us the rest of the meal.