American – Page 6 – Writing With My Mouth Full

Market Table

54 Carmine Street on the corner of Bedford
212/255.2100
$90 each for a group of three, with a bottle of wine, with tip
♥ ♥ ♥

Is it too early to name my favorite restaurant of 2009? Last year, I ate at Dovetail the day after Christmas (and a week after its official opening) and it set the bar for my 2008 dining. If Market Table set the tone for the year last Friday, then the bar is pretty high for me right now.

Four of us giggling girls were ten minutes late for our round table at Market Table. I got a call from the maitre d’ while we were turning the corner on Bedford. I hate being late most of all, so I ran ahead of my friends to apologize to the front of the restaurant. It’s in the old Shopsin’s space with large glass windows facing the corners of Carmine and Bedford, but it’s warm and welcoming as you step inside. The maitre d’ shrugged off our tardiness while our waiter treated us as if we’ve been coming to the restaurant for the last few months.

Market Table opened first with a store, but the demand for more tables was high so they went full force with just the restaurant. Former Mermaid Inn chef Mikey Price joined forces with Little Owlâ€™s Joey Campanaro and Gabriel Stulman to open a larger space in the West Village with a menu that’s hearty and, to be honest, hard to fuck up. At Market Table, the kitchen showed how simple food can be so good if you just execute well.

The beef carpaccio was served with an egg salad, shaved Parmesan cheese, capers and croutons. The thin slices of beef were so fresh, they melted in our mouths. If one of us didn’t like the idea of raw beef, I didn’t have to convince her to try them. The seared scallops were sweet and succulent and lightly charred to perfectly meld with the slices of bitter blood orange and tangy hearts of palm. The hamachi sashimi with the limey vinaigrette was the first one to go; the hazelnuts gave it texture and the apple some crunch.

I can’t give the grilled lamb T-bones justice here. You should just go and order them medium-rare and taste for yourself. Why can’t every lamb I order be as good as this? They were the most expensive item on the menu at $32, but each serving comes with two large chunks good to share between two. Of course, the three of us got our own. The watercress and sunchoke salad that came with it made it extra special, drizzled with red wine reduction and melted Gouda cheese. The pork tenderloin was so moist and naturally sweet with pancetta wrapped around it. The small roasted tomatoes and banana fingerlings made it more exciting than just plain potatoes.

The desserts were the weakest during our visit. The brownie wasn’t the moist type we all were panning for while the butterscotch pudding wasn’t the favorite. I think we were all looking for something more dense and cake-y. (I can only imagine how heavenly it would be if the Dovetail pastry chef swooped in at Market Table.) But if a casual get-together ends with a high-end dining experience, give me a cup of mint tea and I’ll call it a very good night.

Vinegar Hill House

72 Hudson Avenue between Front and Water Streets, near DUMBO Brooklyn
718/522.1018
$40 each for a group of 5, with drinks and tip
♥ ♥

If you’re tired of the lumberjack look because you’ve seen enough of the same style at Freemans, Hearth and even the J. Crew Men’s Shop in TriBeCa, you’re better off going elsewhere. If you like plaid shirts and facial hair, plus a more accommodating service than any of those hipster places in Manhattan, Vinegar Hill House is just your place. (The couple who owns the restaurant met on the job at Freemans.) In a week’s time between my two visits, the vibe in Vinegar Hill House changed dramatically: it was the booze. The restaurant was a little more somber and comforting before they got their liquor license, but now with the hot toddies going around, the buzz is louder and, well, more intoxicating.

A lot has been said about the chicken at Vinegar Hill House and all the good things about it are true: it’s moist and liberally seasoned. But it is still just chicken, and at $16, it should be moist and well-seasoned. The Brussels sprouts were softer during my second visit and I wondered if they were baked that time around instead of roasted. The delicate squares of ravioli were just that, and the pork and trout dishes were without frills. All together, they made a nice meal even if everything is streamlined and very simple, capped with a slice of not-so-Guinness chocolate cake.

I do like a little adventure on my menu and nothing gets me more excited than something out of the box when it comes to classic dishes. I know Jean Adamson is a capable chef, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she brings out the guns as more and more seasonal ingredients come out in the spring. Perhaps it’s to keep Manhattanites away; and in this day and age of too many plaid shirts, that’s just fine with me.

Peter Luger

178 Broadway, right under the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn
718/387-7400
about $350 for five, with a bottle of wine, with tip, cash only
♥ ♥

Our waiter spilled porterhouse juice all over my sister-in-law’s hat. She wasn’t wearing it at the time, but it still sucked when she realized it outside. It was windy and 30 degrees.

I’ve been to Peter Luger several times and like most New Yorkers, I go for the porterhouse and not for the service. Being old school is one thing but the restaurant staff can really use some manners. Our waiter was brash: he grunted and interrupted whenever we had a question and he splashed sauce and fat on our table whenever he served. The attitude could be part of the draw that makes Peter Luger “authentic”, but after paying over a thousand dollars the last six years, you’d think it would at least buy politeness.

The food also hasn’t changed. It’s still the best place to get porterhouse in New York City even though they push every customer to get more than they can eat. (We watch a group of four novices at the next table fall for their bit and order three steaks for two. Their bill was already guaranteed to be $240 before ordering any side dishes or wine.) The bacon is still to die for and the creamed spinach still a good match to a perfectly-cooked piece of meat.

Maybe when I return two years from now, I can finally tune the staff’s attitude out and just eat my steak in peace. For now though, one less heart from the last review.

Per Se

4th floor of the Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle at 60th Street
212/823.9335
$900 for two, with drinks, with extra tip apart from the included service fee
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

As soon as our waiter brought out a footstool for my purse so that I didn’t have to put it down on the floor, I knew we were in for an experience. Small gestures like that from the staff make Per Se, and any of Thomas Keller’s restaurants, stand out. Everyone around us was older or part of a group that discussed important business, but we were treated like we belonged there. We never felt awkward–except when we tried to push those gorgeous blue doors open–nor rushed. Our waiters and servers weren’t snotty and our sommelier was helpful in suggesting wines to match our dishes without necessarily pushing for the bottles that were out of our budget.

I was treating the Dr. for his birthday and when I made the reservation exactly two months ago, they had asked me if there was an occasion. That night, they included a “Happy Birthday [Dr.]” right below the date on our menus. It was a simple gesture, but it made the celebrant very appreciative. When desserts were brought out, a lit candle was placed on his and they joked about singing a capella. (For a few seconds, I really thought they would.) Upon our leaving, another staff member was waiting for us at the door with our coats, our mignardises packed in a silver box and a folder with copies of our menu. After almost five hours of being treated like royalty, we stepped out of Per Se’s luxurious setting and back into the concrete jungle that is New York City. I’m grateful for those few hours.

My Tasting of Vegetables:

“Mousse de Topinambours” – Toasted Hazelnuts, Lingonberries and Garden Tarragon

“Dégustation de Petits Oignons” – Arugula and Smoked Onion Purée

Tempura of White Maitake Mushroom – Persian Cucumbers, Confit of Meyer Lemons and Mitsuba with Umeboshi Dressing

Slow Poached Squire Hill Farm’s Ameraucana Hen Egg – Brioche Croûton, “Lentilles du Puy”, Root Vegetable “Matignon” and Watercress Laves with “Beurre Rouge”

Belgian Endive “En Fuille de Pomme de Terre” – Shaved Burgundy Truffles, Red Endive and Red Ribbon Sorrel with Black Winter Truffle Coulis

“Salvatore Brooklyn Ricotta” Agnolotti – Flowering Quince, Caramelized Fall Squash and Pumpkin Seed Oil with Brown Butter Emulsion

“Roquefort Le Vieux Berger” – Tellicherry Pepper “Sablé”, Marinated Purple Top Turnips, Candied Walnuts and Garden Chervil with Medjool Date Vinaigrette

Pink Champagne Granité – Passion Fruit Pudding

Black Currant Cobbler – Butter “Croustillant”, Black Currant Compote and Diane St. Clair’s Buttermilk Sherbet

The Dr.’s Tasting Menu:

“Oysters and Pearls” – “Sabayon” of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Sterling White Sturgeon Caviar

“Torchon” of Élevages Périgord Moulard Duck Foie Gras – Oatmeal Crumble, Oregon Huckleberries, Crosnes, Red Ribbon Sorrel and Blis Maple Gelée with Toasted Brioche

Crispy Skin Fillet of Red Snapper – “Ratatouille”, Globe Artichokes and Parsley Chips with Niçoise Vinaigrette

Pan Roasted Maine Sea Scallop – Garnet Yam Purée, Glazed Chestnuts and Arugula Leaves with Pomegranate Syrup

“Boudin Blanc Grillé” – Smoked Squire Hill Farm’s Ameraucana Hen Egg Emulsion, Haricots Verts and Frisée with Veal Sauce

Elysian Fields Farm’s “Selle D’agneau Rôtie Entière” – Matsutake Mushrooms, Fennel Bulb and Greenmarket Carrots with Lamb Jus

Di Bruno Brothers’ “Burrata” – “Croûton de Pain de Campagne”, Flageolet Beans and Petit Basil with Pickled Onions

“Banoffee” – Devil’s Food Cake, Chocolate “Marquise” and Malt Mousse with Banana-Crème Fraîche Sherbet

“Pomme-Beurre Noisette” – “Confiture” of Granny Smith Apple, “Financier” and Tahitian “Bavarois” with “Glace au Beurre Noisette”

Porchetta

110 East 7th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A
212/777.2151
$9 for a pork sandwich, without tip
♥

For Italians, porchetta means boneless pork roast that’s moist and juicy. Chef and co-owner Sara Jenkins doesn’t stray away from that definition: my $9 pork was no joke. The meat was shiny; its own fat glistening in between the two slices of Sullivan Street Bakery ciabatta bread. There are little surprises of crunch and soft gelatinous cubes of fat–my jaw hurt from chewing but I couldn’t stop eating.

I’ll return to try it with some of my own chili sauce, although it was well-seasoned that it didn’t really need any extras to make it more satisfying than it already is. The $5 side of potatoes were roasted in pork fat and tossed with some burnt pork ends. The bitter and garlicky broccoli rabe was a good balance to all the fat.

It took me ten minutes to walk from work to this new Porchetta branch in the east Village and another five to get my lunch order, but it took me two hours to digest one of their fatty-licious sandwiches.