Roasted Brussels Sprouts!

When I was a kid, I hated brussels sprouts! I could not stand the smell or the taste. I remember that my mom used to prepare them with merguez (lamb sausages) and unfortunately, the sausages were absorbing all the taste of the brussels sprouts! Many years later, I ended up with brussels sprouts on my plate, in a restaurant in New York City. I tried and kind of liked them! So, if you are struggling to get your kids to eat vegetables, it is not desperate and you should try to roast them (the vegetables, not the kids!!!). 

The way I roast brussels sprouts applies also to other vegetables like asparagus. I like them slightly burnt so it caramelized them. 

First, after washing the brussels sprouts, I remove the buds from the stalk and discard any loosen leaf from the surface. Depending on the size of the sprouts, I may cut them into two parts. Then, I put them on a tray with olive oil, salt and pepper. With my hands, I mix the brussels sprout with the oil, salt and pepper to ensure they all get their little bath. I then cook them in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Et voila!

Bon Appétit!

La Piazza at Eataly: I wish I was living there!

As you probably know from reading my other posts on Eataly located in New York City, I love this place! The only negative is that it is crazy other there with all the people who, like me, want to enjoy some great Italian delicacies! This time, we tried La Piazza, with its delicious cheeses and salumi. The setting is awkward: you either eat at the bar or on the marble high standing tables (no chairs), in the middle of the marketplace, with people passing by. Not the best place for a quiet meal! The service was great and I loved sitting at the bar, watching the preparation of the orders. 

The menu is mainly centered around wine, cheese and meat, but you can get some specialties from restaurants nearby such as Il Pesce (for seafood). They also make fresh mozzarella daily. We went for the Grande Piatto Misto Di Salumi & Formaggi that is a selection of meat and cheeses. The cheeses that day were (from left to right): ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, pecorino toscano, taleggio and gorgonzola. For meats, they served us prosciutto di Parma, prosciutto San Daniele, Mortadella, prosciutto Cotto, speck and Salami.

They also gave us, with the bread, some almonds in honey, candied orange peel and figs, to eat with the cheese (good call for people who do not like strong cheeses). 

The presentation on a wooden cutting board was awesome, with the different colors and texture of the meats and shapes of the cheeses! It gave a rustic feel to the entire dish. Although the quantity was not enormous, I really enjoyed it, alternating cheese and meat. 

I also got a crudo from Il Pesce, composed of pink snapper, fluke and Halibut. I like raw fish so the texture was not a problem for me. It was served with some olive oil and salt. Simple and delicious.

Definitely a good lunch that day!

Enjoy (I did)!

Other posts for Eataly:
A taste of Eataly in New York City!
Great Dinner at Home ! Thank you Mario Batali!
Great Bread and Cheeses from Eataly!
Cheese night!
Fresh Pasta and tomato with porcini mushrooms sauce

And remember: I just want to eat!

Wild Ginger Thai food in Maplewood, NJ

I like having great food in small restaurants that have no pretension. I believe Wild Ginger in Maplewood, New Jersey is one of them! The restaurant felt cozy and warm and the service was very good!

The menu is simple with not too many choices, but with the basics: Pad Thai, Massaman Curry, Penang Curry, Lo Mein...No frog legs for me (I mainly find them in Thai restaurants).

They have a good and affordable lunch menu served with a soup or vegetable spring roll, brown or white rice. For the entree, you first pick the protein (chicken, tofu, beef or shrimp), then the way it will be prepared. It goes from traditional curry (red, green, Penang, Massaman, Thai) to classic vegetable dishes like broccoli with garlic sauce or string beans with soy and ginger sauce.

So, here comes the interesting part: what did we eat?

First of all, when I have Thai food, I always order a Thai ice tea. It was delicious, refreshing and not too sweet. A perfect start and believe me I got some bad ones! 

Then, as an appetizer, we picked the roti canai that is a roti bread served with a curry dip. I was surprised to see a roti in a Thai restaurant as I thought it was more an Indian / Pakistani bread (note: as opposed to the naan, it is an unleavened bread). In fact, Roti can be found all over South Asia with different names and declinations. It van also be found in parts of the Southern Caribbean, particularly in Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.

This dish is wonderful! Yes, the bread is a bit greasy because it is fried, but the only regret I have is that I did not order it for myself alone! It was so good! The curry dip is similar to the Massaman curry that has a bit of sweetness. It is more like a sauce than a traditional dip that would be thicker. Definitely an appetizer to recommend!

Then we got the appetizer: we all picked the vegetarian spring roll: good choice and nice presentation. I just wish it was bigger!

For the entree, we tried: the Tofu in the red curry (tomato, potato, string bean, pineapple, onion and coconut milk), Chicken Penang curry (string bean, carrot, broccoli and coconut milk) and tofu with string beans in a soy and ginger sauce. All of these dishes were served with brown rice, that was in fact not brown but had a mix between red and black! I loved it: it was a nice surprise and was a festival of colors with the different dishes (you eat first with your eyes, remember!). 

The food was pretty good: I am not a big fan of vegetables, but the string beans were very tasty and cooked to perfection. I preferred the tofu with the string beans rather than the one in the red curry because it was roasted and steamed tofu does not have that much flavor, despite the delicious red curry sauce it was sitting in. The Penang curry was awesome! Not too spicy, good texture and with a bit of sweetness. From the three entrees, it was my favorite!

So it was definitely a nice lunch experience and I hope plenty of people will go enjoy Wild Ginger as we did!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

2012 - 20th Restaurant Week Edition in New York City!

Here it comes again: for its 20th year, Restaurant Week is back in New York City! From January 16th to February 10th. So, not a week, but 20 days! Restaurant Week started in 1992, during the National Democratic Convention where restaurateurs proposed prix fixe meals for visitors. Twenty years after, it is still popular!

This time, you can get an appetizer, one entree and a dessert for $24.07 for lunch and $35 for dinner. This is a great opportunity to discover restaurants or to go to places that are usually expensive, but it is true that a lot of restaurants will sacrifice quality during this event. That is why I always tell people to avoid Steakhouses: I had bad experiences at Beacon, Steak Frites or Dino & Harry in the past. On the other hand, I discovered good restaurants like Fig & Olives. 

Click here to get the list of restaurants participating in Restaurant Week!

Enjoy (I am sure you will)!

Great News on I Just Want To Eat!!!

Couple of important news on this site! So exciting!

First of all,  if you did not notice, there is no need for you to remember the full complicated address from blogger jp-ijustwanttoeat.blogspot.com. Now, just remember I just want to eat! Yes, the address is:

www.ijustwanttoeat.com

Also, instead of a boring link on your page or blog to I Just Want To Eat!, you can now add a button that you will find in the tools section (click here). 

When people click on it, they will be brought directly to this blog.

If you need a smaller size, let me know by email and I will prepare it for you!

Participate!

I created a page for you so you can share with all of us your experience (click here)! To ensure a level of quality and integrity of this site, any comments will go to moderation, to avoid people who are just advertising a restaurant as well as spam and profanity!

Enjoy (we all will)!

Recipe: vegetarian chili

Before watching a chili competition on TV, I did not know that the original chili does not contain any beans (I am sure some of you would be grateful about that omission...). In fact, chili was made by American settlers using  dried beef, suet, dried chili peppers (usually chilipiquenes), and salt, which were pounded together, formed into bricks and left to dry. They would then boil the bricks during their trip. I think I made my own chili when I was not even 10 years old, probably after seeing a John Wayne movie or, I have to admit, a Terence Hill movie (shame on me). My attempted were not always successful, especially that time when I did not really cook the beans (my cousin Sandrine still remembers me that one). One day, I decided to make a vegetarian chili. I went on the internet, checked few recipes and made my own which is as follows:

Ingredients for 4 servings:

- 14 oz of firm tofu

- 15 oz tomato sauce unsalted

- 2 cans of red beans (15 oz each)

- 3 garlic cloves

- 2 tbsp of soy sauce

- olive oil

- chili powder

- cayenne pepper

It is important to use unsalted tomato sauce as the soy sauce is already salty.

In a dutch oven, put the olive oil, minced garlic and tofu cut in small cube at medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and cook until half the liquid (soy sauce and olive oil) has evaporated. Then, add the tomato sauce, red beans, chili powder and cayenne pepper (to your liking). Cook at low heat for 45 minutes, uncovered. 

I suggest eating the chili the next day to rest it all night so the tofu will get more flavor from the sauce.

You can add to the recipe peppers, jalapenos, etc...I personally like to it it with sour cream, guacamole and cheddar cheese.

Bon appétit!

Another attempt at making Crab Cakes Benedict!

After the not so bad attempt to make Crab Cakes Benedict few months ago (click here), I decided to try again. This time, it was much better! First, I used crab meat and not claw meat. That makes a big difference. Then I decided not to put too much of anything else to really feel the crab. Below is the result. Not bad, don't you think?

As you can see on the photo, I served it with roasted asparagus and roasted brussels sprouts. I found it was a good alternative to the classic roasted potatoes and gave me the impression I was cooking a healthy meal...

So, this time, this is what I did:

For 4 crab cakes:

- 1 lb crab meat

- 1 egg

- 1 tbsp of butter

- salt and pepper

I made sure that I removed all the water from the crab meat by pressing it in a strainer. I then added the salt and pepper, melted butter and the egg, beaten. I mixed everything. With my hands, I made 4 cakes and delicately put them in a pan on medium heat where I previously put olive oil and butter. I then covered and cooked for 10 minutes.

Hollandaise sauce:

- 4 yolks

- 5 tbsp melted butter

- salt and pepper

Put the 4 yolks in a bowl with salt and pepper and beat them until obtaining a thicker consistency. Slowly add the melted butter. Once the butter is incorporated, put in a sauce pan at low heat and continue stirring so the yolks do not start cooking too fast and scramble. Once the sauce is warm enough, serve immediately. 

Note that you can put any twist to the sauce: you can add cilantro or truffle oil for instance.

Bon appétit!

Indian Sweets: Kaju Katli

One of my colleagues just came back from India and brought some traditional sweets called Katju Katli from the original maker, Haldiram's who is based in New Delhi It is made of cashew nuts paste, sugar and silver leaf. It is very good! On the sweet side with a subtle cashew taste.

Apparently these sweets are only made in India and, if you are lucky, you can find them in the US as they import them here.

I enjoyed (I did!)

BBQ at Hill Country in NYC!

I love BBQ. I kind of miss it sometimes: the smokiness, the smell and the delicious taste of the meat.  Yes, I wrote meat and not fish as for me BBQ is all about meat! Although fish on a BBQ is not bad...I remember one time going to a shack in France for Mother's Day where you first catch a trout that would be cleaned by the owner and then grilled on...a barbecue! That was very good.

What is interesting is that BBQ differs by country. What we call BBQ in France is in fact grilling in the US: grilling would refer to fast cooking over high heat, while barbecuing refers to slow cooking over indirect heat and / or hot smoke. From what I understand, especially after seeing the last Top Chef episode, Texas is the land of BBQ: you do not need to tell me more to think about going there...

In New York City, there are plenty of BBQ joints. This time, I went to Hill Country. I guess the decor is supposed to render the atmosphere of a typical texan BBQ restaurant with wood everywhere and a big Lone Star that you cannot miss when you enter. The way it works is unusual: they give you a meal ticket that will be stamped (stickered would not be better if ever this word existed) at the stations (one for the meat, one for the sides and one for the drinks and desserts). Once you finish eating, you go to the cashier, present your menu cards and pay accordingly.

The menu offers all the items meat lovers would like: beef, pork, chicken, in the form of ribs / prime ribs, chops or sausages. The selection of sides is mouth watering: Cheddar Mac & Cheese, corn pudding, baked beans, chili, deviled eggs...
The meal ticket offers combos at reasonable prices that can fulfill any appetite. I went for the pitmaster: 1/4 lb Lean Brisket, One Pork Spare Rib, One Beef Rib, Quarter All Natural Chicken and two sides. For the sides, we chose: Cheddar Mac & Cheese, White Shoepeg corn pudding, green beans casserole with Durkee onions and smokey chipotle deviled eggs. Let's talk about these items:

The meat:

• The way it was presented was very rustic: they put 4 slices of white bread on brown paper and then disposed the meat on top of it. I guess this is a Texan way: Texas toast. The packaging was like a little gift that you have to unwrap slowly, to discover some amazing pieces of meat. 
• In term of taste, I loved the chicken: it was well cooked and moist. The brisket was good but a bit dry: I had to put some BBQ sauce that was on the table to eliminate the dryness. The beef rib was good but a bit tough: I was expecting the meat to fall off the bone. Then I got the pork rib: it was so salty!

The sides:

• My favorites were the Mac & Cheese and the corn pudding. The cheese in the Mac & Cheese did not taste like processed cheese and it was pretty good, not dry. Then the corn pudding was a nice addition where you could taste, but not too much, the sweetness of the corn.
• Then, I did not like the green bean casserole (bland) and the deviled eggs (off taste for me although I love mayonnaise). Bad choice on our part.

I was a bit disappointed by the experience, especially as I heard good things about it. Was it an off day? I do not know. Considering the number of BBQ places in New York City, I will try somewhere else next time...

Enjoy (I did not really)!

Hot cocoa and chocolate cake at Koryodang in NYC

Perfect day for this. The hot cocoa is good and the chocolate cake moist and very chocolaty!

Fig & Olives in New York City

Olive oil has a fantastic reputation in Mediterranean countries: it is said that it contributes to the longevity of their inhabitants. In fact, the main type of fat found in the different kinds of olive oil is Monounsaturated Fatty Acids or MUFA, that is a monounsaturated fat, better than saturated or trans fat. These MUFA help lower the risk of heart disease, helping to lower, for instance, the level of cholesterol (the bad one!). It is also supposed to help blood clotting. Some research show that it may benefit blood sugar control and insulin levels, therefore benefiting people who have a type 2 diabetes (when did I get my PhD???). But, know that Olive oil is high in calories and all the beneficial nutrients it contains can be affected by heat, light and air. That is why it is better to keep it in a dark place and consume it between 6 months to a year maximum. Concerning the heat, that is true that I heard in the past that olive oil is not good for cooking: not sure what to think about it. A lot of chefs are using it instead of vegetable oil and it is true that the taste is better even in these circumstances.

So, now imagine a restaurant specialized in olive oil: it is what Fig & olives is about. They have several locations in New York and in each of them, they have an entire wall of bottles of olive oil that they sell. When they bring bread, they replace the butter by an olive oil tasting. I think this is interesting: who would pay attention to the different tastes of olive oil? There are so many different, that I find it clever to offer a tasting.

Their menu is definitely Mediterranean, with cuisines from France (the owner and chef are French), Italy and Spain. We discovered this restaurant during Restaurant Week and it was a great experience: everything was fresh and delicious. They did not degrade the quality of their menu like other restaurants do, probably understanding that a happy customer is a customer who would come back and recommend this restaurant. One of the things I appreciate is that they offer, all year long, a tasting entree for $30 (time of posting), called the Mediterranean tasting. It includes:

• Grilled chicken breast, grilled provence vegetable, marinated red bell pepper - Nocellara Olive Oil
• Grilled steak on rosemary skewer, bell pepper, Greek yogurt & honey, couscous - Koroneiki Olive Oil (photo 4). Note that the couscous is in fact a taboule salad.
• Grilled shrimp on rosemary skewer, cherry tomato, saffron rice - Pimenton & Oregano Hojiblanca Olive Oil

This tasting platter is a feast not only for your stomach, but also your eyes. The presentation is perfect. Of course, some may say that the quantities are not enough. Well, it is reasonable and considering the quality, I do not see any problem. On top of this, it gives you an opportunity to try their desserts!

Besides this tasting dish, I also tried:

• Yellow fin tuna carpaccio: Tuna, balsamic vinegar, cilantro, arugula, tomato marcona almond - Toasted Sesame Oil (photo 2): although the tuna was good, it was a bit bland and was missing some acidity. 
• Penne Funghi Tartufo: Cremini mushroom, black trumpet, parmesan, parsley, scallion - White Truffle Olive Oil (photo 3). This was delicious! If you are a fan of mushrooms, you will be happy. The penne were perfectly cooked (al dente) and you could taste all these delicate flavors of mushrooms. Yum!

I am definitely a fan of this restaurant. The only negative is the noise level that is pretty high....

Enjoy (I did)!

Recipe: olive oil oven poached tilapia

I tried a similar dish at

The Franciscan

, one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. Similar in the sense that I tried to recreate it and hopefully it is close enough! I love this dish: it is great for a nice dinner and very flavorful, mixing the flavors from the fish, the olives and olive oil and the sweetness of the butternut squash. It is not complicated, but takes time (close to 1h30)!

Here is the recipe:

For 4 servings

- thin white fish: I picked tilapia (4 filets)

- Pitted Manzanilla Olives (8oz)

- Peeled Butternut Squash (20oz)

- Potatoes (24oz)

- Salt and Pepper

- Olive oil

For the potatoes, I picked some baby potatoes, preferably the creamer ones, with a thin and tasty skin as I keep the skin on it when roasting them. They are usually moist and have a creamier flesh perfect for this dish. 

For the Butternut Squash, I prefer the peeled one as it is a pain in the neck (excuse my French) to cut a squash. I cook it in boiling water until soft as a first step and then will cut each piece in a size that will match the size of the potatoes that I will also cut in small pieces.

In a dish that goes in the oven, put some olive oil, salt and pepper. Put the potatoes and cook at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the flesh is soft (test with a knife). This may take 30 to 40 minutes. Then, put the pieces of butternut squash and the olives. Cook for another 10 minutes. Add some more olive oil and put in the bottom of the dish the filets. Cover with the potatoes, squash and olives and cook for 30 minutes. Et voila!

Bon appétit!

Koryodang: Korean pastries???

One time, we were walking in Koreatown in New York City, looking for Red Mango and noticed this big (very high ceiling), modern and bright pastry shop with a calm atmosphere (probably the water fountain and stones). We right away saw the different pastries and decided to go for a lemon tart and a chocolate tart: this was delicious and reminded me the tarts I used to have in France. Who would have thought that I would find some delicious pastries in a Korean patisserie? We went back another time and tried their hot cocoa, that is pretty decent: they, at least, use milk and not water, and you can ask for some whipped cream.

So, after we got this memorable dinner at Il Bastardo few weeks ago, we kind of needed to end the evening with something sweet. And guess what: we ended up at Koryodang, again. They had a whole bunch of cakes, but, unfortunately, they did not indicate what was what. So we asked the waiter what it was and his answer was quite amusing: "it is cakes" he said, slightly annoyed! You know what? I would not have guessed!!! Of course it is cake! So we gently asked him to describe them; this would not happen if they put a description for each pastry (duh!). Finally, we came home with two cakes: a white tiramisu and a chocolate truffle cake. Both cakes were delicious, not too sweet and very light.

Koryodang is definitely a good address to know if you need a dessert! By the way, Koryodang is apparently a term used by a group of friends to call upon the only korean friend that they have.

Enjoy (I did)!

Bonne Annee! Happy New Year!

I wish to all my readers and followers a Happy, Healthy and Foodie New Year 2012!

It is the time for resolutions and I am sure  a lot of people have in mind some sort of diet! In fact, going to work, I saw a Bing/Impulse survey that says that 41% of the respondents mentioned losing weight as their New Year resolution.
I know that I am lucky enough to be able to eat whatever I want without thinking about my weight. But food for me is not only a necessity: it is a wonderful way of sharing an experience with people I love and/or appreciate. It is also a fantastic excitement for my eyes and palate, because you eat first with your eyes, your nose and then your mouth! Last, I also favor quality over quantity.

So now, let me give you some tricks if you love food but have to be careful:

• Drink a glass of water before your meal. It will fill you up a bit.
• Take your time to eat and appreciate the moment if you can. Some say that it takes 15 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain you are full.
• Know the quantity that is reasonable to eat: if the plate given to you is huge, decide how much you should eat (you can even separate it in the plate)  and take home the rest.
• Don't snack all the time! I only snack the week end, whenever there is something yummy to try!

So in 2012, ENJOY (I did and will)! And remember: I just want to eat!

Awful food at Ollie's (New York City)!

I love chinese food and was excited to go to Ollie's near Time Square. I ordered from them once, a day I was working late at the office and I remember that it was ok, although I always consider that food delivered loses its prime taste during the time of transportation.

In the restaurant, I noticed two things:

• First, that most of the customers were asian. This is a good sign, because it means that they were probably looking for some authentic chinese cuisine, and it was a good place for that.
• Second, the menu is quite big. Not sure this one is a good thing because the kitchen might be all over the place and I always favor quality over quantity! It is better to have fewer dishes that are amazing than plenty of average dishes.

So we picked few specialties:

• The shrimp dumplings: I barely tasted the shrimp. Did they use one shrimp to make 6 dumplings?
• The vegetables dumplings: this one was good. I usually find the dough too thick, but this one was perfect.
• The chicken pan fried noodles: I am used to the crispy noodles that get soft because of the sauce. The noodles were good, but they barely put any! Did I make a mistake and ordered off the kid's menu? The sauce was too ginger-y and the chicken bland. Not the best choice and pricey.

I guess the only things I liked there were the hot tea and the veggie dumplings! It was a good excuse to get cookies from Zaro's after that!

You can pass on that one: there are plenty of other delicious chinese restaurants in New York City!

Del Frisco's steakhouse, land of the best crab cakes

I love a good steak! But once you have tried one, it kind of spoils your experience in other Steakhouses! So, the first time I went to Del Frisco's, I was skeptical. Especially after they pointed out that they are best known for their crab cakes. As far as I know, crab cakes are no red meat! I had the filet mignon. The meat was perfectly cooked, medium as I wanted it. It was presented pink in the center as the meat continued to cook in butter on the hot plate (I start to love this one!). To make sure it was cooked to perfection, the waiter asked me to cut the filet and he checked it was what I ordered. First time it happened to me.

The filet was very tender and my knife went through it without any effort. Then came the first bite: so good! This piece of meat was definitely of a high quality. 

Another time, I tried their lamb chops: perfectly cooked (if overcooked, it will be dry) and very tasty with a clean frenched bone.

Then I had to try their famous crab cakes! I was not disappointed! It was made with jumbo lump crab. Not sure how they made the crab cakes stay together, but it was clearly not by preparing them with lots of different ingredients that would have overshadowed the taste of the crab. I wanted crab and I got crab! 

Besides that, their sides are original and appetizing: lobster Mac & Cheese, King crab gnocchi or cauliflower and brie au gratin. All pretty good!

The only complaint would be their tendency to put too much pepper in their dishes! But even with that, it is one of my top choices for steak!

Enjoy (I did)!

The Doughnut Plant: the doughnut reinvented!

Doughnuts are in this country what croissants are for France. I am not going to get excited by the regular doughnuts that one can find in the karts in the street, but if you bring me to the Doughnut Plant in New York, then I am going to start drooling! I think it goes far beyond the doughnuts at Dunkin Donuts or at Krispy Cream! 

The first time I heard about the Doughnut Plant was on "Throwdown With Bobby Flay", a great TV show to discover some hidden gems in New York. At first, the story of the owner, Mark Isreal, was touching: he spoke about his grandfather's recipe and how he decided to made doughnuts; how he made doughnuts out of a basement all night for 5 years before opening his first store. I started to feel some sympathy for the guy. Then came Bobby Flay who proposed a throw down. Mark Isreal did not want to compete and, once convinced by his friends that he should, had a poor attitude. He won with his signature doughnut: the tres leche doughnut (photo 1). We decided to try it with my wife and went to his location on Grand street. After trying the tres leche one, I understood why he won: the doughnut was de-li-cious: it was a cake type with a tres leche cream inside, all around the doughnut. I probably inhaled all the doughnuts we bought in a matter of minutes. Now, this was few years ago; I noticed that there is today less cream than before. They may have changed the recipe or lower the quantity to lower their cost. They are still good though!

With the same principle he uses for the tres leche doughnut (e.g. cream filled), he proposes some amazing banana or coconut doughnut (photo 2), but these are yeast doughnut (as opposed to cake, the yeast doughnut is more traditional). For the Holidays, he is proposing marzipan doughnuts. I tried both the yeast and the cake (photo 3) one: I prefer the cake one, although it was a bit dry.

Now, be aware that the cake doughnuts are heavier than the yeast one...Just in case you want to eat 5 of them!

Last, you can find these doughnuts at Dean & Deluca or Balducci's but I found that people working there do not always know what is what.

Enjoy (I did)!

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Ruth's Chris is one of my favorite Steakhouses. This franchise, more than 45 years old and more than 100 restaurants, never disappointed me! I always had good pieces of meat (most of them are USDA prime that is the highest grade), tender and cooked to perfection. They cook their steaks in butter (how can you go wrong with that) and bring them to the table in 500 degree Fahrenheit plates, causing the meat to sizzle in the butter. What is great is that you can hear this distinctive noise while the waiters walk across the room, and I can only lookup to see what other patrons ordered. At the same time, your nose will catch this amazing smell of butter and meat. The plate is so hot that it will continue cooking your steak once on your table. That is why they will always bring it to your table slightly undercooked.

My favorite is the filet mignon: you can cut it like butter; it is juicy and has a delicious taste enhanced by a bit of salt. If you like strip steak as well, I suggest the Porterhouse (strip steak and filet), but be ready for a feast!

Their crab cakes are awesome: you can see the lump crab and eating them in the sizzling butter is amazing.

The only thing they are lacking for me is some originality for the sides: what they are proposing is pretty basic and none of them make you think: "I have to try that one". They do not even have a nice Mac & Cheese!

So, forget the sides and go for the meat!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Il Bastardo!

No, I am not insulting anybody in Italian! It is just the name of an Italian restaurant in New York City!

We went there on a Saturday night, early enough so there was not that many people at the bar or in their lounge. The restaurant was quite dark and noisy: I thought I was in a Steakhouse, and in fact...it is an Italian steakhouse! The decor is a mix between modern and rustic with its mahogany floor and brick walls. I like that feel: warm and cozy.

In term of food, you can't really tell that it is a steakhouse: looks more like a traditional Italian restaurant to me, with its antipasti (literally "before pasta"), salads, pasta and main dishes that include items from the grill. There, no filet mignon or porterhouse!

We tried:

• Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with citrus - mustard aioli: it was pretty decent! The mustard aioli had a nice kick.
• Salad with Anjou Pears, arugula, tallegio cheese and walnuts. The presentation was awesome: they sliced the pear thinly and laid out the slices at the bottom of the plate. Unfortunately, the pear was not ripe enough and they were cheap on the cheese...
• Linguine with manila clams, fresh parsley and white wine: the dish was ok. The clams were not tasty and the broth was too liquidy to give some taste to the dish. Too bad, because it is usually the dish I pick when trying an Italian restaurant for the first time!
• Rigatoni with tomato, eggplant, basil and ricotta salata. This was pretty good. 

So, overall, the food was just ok. For the same price, I would go to Morandi and have a fantastic Italian experience!

Enjoy (I did)!