Totto Ramen: Slurps of Satisfaction

"New York City is full of crazy trends..." sarcastically remarked a man walking past me last Friday evening. This comment, while not entirely untrue, was in obvious reference to the large crowd amassed outside of Totto Ramen, the popular Japanese restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. While it seems that virtually all of New York is obsessed with Ippudo's porky Hakata-style ramen in their sheik downtown digs, count me as part of the dissenting minority who believes that Totto's chicken-based ramen is consistently serving up the better bowl.

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.

Le Bernardin: Second Time's a Charm

Even to this day, I still remember feeling dismayed as MW and I departed from Le Bernardin from a celebratory birthday dinner in 2009. As one of only seven restaurants currently boasting four stars from the New York Times, an impressive three Michelin Stars, as well as a near perfect score by Zagat, it's all but assured that Le Bernardin is widely considered the best seafood restaurant in New York City-- if not in all of America. Add into the equation the fact that the restaurant's kitchen is led by celebrity Chef, Eric "The Ripper" Ripert, and our disappointment was compounded. Surely there must have been something wrong with us, how else could a restaurant such with so many accolades and critical praise be so mediocre!?

Má Pêche: Peachy Keen

On his trip to Má Pêche last June, Noah left questioning whether David Chang's latest restaurant was, "boring," and concluded his post by saying,

"...yet David Chang and Tien Ho, with all their skill, are still searching for a way to bring má pêche up to the level of the rest of their restaurant universe. There is serious potential, though, and it would be foolish to expect Chang and Ho to just spin their wheels, especially when so much is seemingly at stake. It's a process, but here's hoping they succeed."

Well Noah (and anyone else reading this), I'm happy to report that Má Pêche is most assuredly not boring and that Chang and Ho have succeeded in creating yet another solid addition to the Momofuku empire.

The Cocktail Collective at Fourty Four at Royalton Hotel

Here at Law & Food we like to think that we're above the fray-- which is why we invariably decline almost every publicity event sitting in our inbox.  It's a useful illusion, but every once in awhile I have to get off my imaginary pedestal and accept an invitation that sounds interesting. Such was the case last week for a cocktail party at the Royalton Hotel on West 44th St.

I went for the cocktails, because honestly, who can pass up an opportunity to have two mixologists* pour you whatever drink you want, normally at fifteen bucks a pop, for two hours? I'm not that strong of a person. Most people aren't, and I can't compromise my so-called integrity for nothing.

Above I mentioned that it was "Law and Food" that broke our so-called ethical code. It was really me, I'm just trying to share some of the responsibility with Steve, who didn't (or wouldn't) go. Instead, I brought along our friend Joe, who enjoys drinking a well-made cocktail (as well as Firefly Vodka).

*Yes, I hate the term "mixologist," but there's gotta be a way to distinguish these guys from a 22-year-old girl pouring tequila shots at McFadden's.

Journey to Esca

My mom wanted good seafood. Naturally, I pushed for Marea. However, The DA wrote it up earlier in the year, and I had gone later in the Summer. To my mom, that meant it was off limits, as she wants me to have new content for the blog. Thus, I don't get to eat at Marea again, but everyone still wins. Esca was the next obvious choice (and somewhere we'd wanted to try for a while).

Before getting to the heart of the post, let me first apologize for the crappy cell phone camera pictures. But you get what you pay for (until someone is willing to buy me a camera and I decide that I'm comfortable taking photos in restaurants). However, to combat the lack of pretty pictures, I present the tenuously relevant video for "Separate Ways" by Journey, which was playing over the speakers when we first sat down (with Eighties greatest hits the rest of the night as well).



I sincerely hope that it's now stuck in your head (along with the mental image of Steve Perry "breakin' the chains" over and over again). Regardless, the food from Chef Dave Pasternack (see this New Yorker profile, which is a fantastic read) and owners Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich was much better than the music.

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.

A Real Life Advertisement For Shake Shack

I finally made it out to the new Theater District Shake Shack in the Intercontinental Hotel for lunch on Saturday to satisfy a vicious craving for a burger and ice cream on an oppressively hot July afternoon. The line was nothing compared to the original location, stopping right at the door to the long, narrow space. A blast of AC hit me in the face as an awkward employee handed me a menu and attempted to explain the Shake Shack concept. I turned up my iPod and ignored him. (I know we've posted on Shake Shack multiple times here and here, but this is a new location, surely making it worthy of yet another post.)

Photo courtesy of Eater

I ordered and received my food all within 20 minutes-- much more efficient than Madison Square Park already. To satisfy my burger craving I got a double Shackburger (I think the cheese in the stuffed mushroom overwhelms everything else in the Shack Attack). It had by far the best sear of any Shake Shack burger I'd ever eaten, but as a result was completely cooked through with only a light schmear of shack sauce. Oh well. Minor quibbles, since there's still plenty of flavor in the beef. Craving definitely satisfied (for now).

A New Addition to the Momofuku Empire: má pêche

My first meal in the main dining room at David Chang and Tien Ho's new restaurant, má pêche, left me with many questions. Foremost among these is whether or not má pêche is "boring" (I know, I know, I'll define my term soon).

After nearly four years at the vanguard of the New York City culinary scene, Chang has opened má pêche amid the sterile skyscrapers of Midtown, where they're courting a crowd far different than those who flock to Momofuku Ssam/Noodle /Ko in the safety of their East Village home base (if you've already read this sentence elsewhere, it's pretty much how everyone needs to start a post on má pêche these days, so I'm sorry for contributing to the noise).

Returning to the original question, what is "boring" anyway?  I'm not saying a restaurant has to be gimmicky, but, at this point, it needs to be more than just a good meal. A sign of which is that I'm endlessly craving a certain dish (or two, or three). This is an awfully high standard, yet Chang, through his own fault or not, has raised the game to the next level. So when I say boring, I'm essentially asking whether má pêche contributes to Chang's growing restaurant empire or if it just rehashes proven concepts.

The awkward Midtown location, at 56th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue, meant my brother and I walked from the 51st Street subway stop on the east side in the late afternoon heat for our 6pm meal. With no reservations taken (and the fact that we weren't getting the beef 7 ways), we figured that an early dinner was our best bet. Good choice. It was nearly empty when we arrived and met up with my visiting parents and local cousins (who are real dining professionals). The six of us soon took up an arm of the X-shaped table as the restaurant slowly came to life, filling up by about two thirds by the end of our meal.

Once seated, I continued to ponder the deeper meaning of my meal (or as deep as one can think about a restaurant, rather than say, the meaning of life), as well as other questions. Does Chang have a responsibility to remain at the forefront of the city's dining scene? Moreover, is a Midtown restaurant the next logical step? What is the next logical step anyway, beyond a Momofuku Milk Bar in every mall in America? All of these questions swirled in my head as I took in the scene.

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.

A Meeting of the Masters at Marea

Has any chef had more success during the tumultuous last two years than Michael White? During this time all he's managed to accomplish is winning a James Beard award for Best New Restaurant, collect his fourth Michelin Star and oh yeah, recently announced an upcoming project with partner Chris Cannon at the Setai Midtown. In the pantheon of New York's best seafood chefs Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin and Dave Pasternack of Esca are situated at the summit. But with the success of Marea, Michael White fully deserves to be mentioned in that same sentence.

Following in the success of the Northern-Italian themed Alto and the Southern-Italian themed Convivio came Marea, White's take on coastal Italian cuisine. Frankly, it takes some chutzpah to open such a grandiose restaurant on Central Park South like Marea during such a precarious time for restaurants. Fortunately, for both chef White and the rest of us, his gamble paid off with a wonderful new addition to the Manhattan dining scene.

So of virtually all the restaurants I could have chosen for my recent birthday meal, Marea was my first choice. In addition to being given three stars by the New York Times and a star by the Michelin guide in 2010, Marea offered two of the most talked about dishes of the past year: their Ricci, crostini topped with Santa Barbra Sea Urchin, Lardo and Sea Salt; and their Fusilli with Red Wine Braised Octopus and Bone Marrow. Needless to say I was pretty excited when MW told me she got a dinner reservation at Marea.

Yakitori Totto: Food Just Tastes Better on a Stick

One of the foods I miss most from my time in Tokyo is yakitori. The Japanese word, "yaki" means grilled, and there are thousands of these tiny smoke-filled huts grilling just about everything you would want to eat across the country. But where should a New Yorker turn to when they crave yakitori? Perhaps the Japan-centric East Village or Lower East Side? Nope, contrary to what one might believe, I think that a small restaurant in Midtown West serves some of the best yakitori in all of New York. I'm talking about Yakitori Totto, a restaurant visited by the likes of Thomas Keller and Anthony Bourdain. But Yakitori Totto has been on my radar long before these ringing endorsements.

Wanting to go early before they ran out of popular items, I finally found the perfect opportunity after returning from a Braves/Mets game at Citi Field. The restaurant opens its door for dinner at 5:30 p.m. and I would suggest you get there quickly to put your name down. In our case, MW and I arrived a mere 15 minutes after opening only to discover an hour wait. We decided to put our names down and give the hostess our phone number while we grabbed a drink or two from a nearby bar.

Our patience was rewarded with delicious food.