FoodieNYC Restaurant Notebook: May 10, 2006

Every so often I will give a list of restaurant recommendations based on notable and recent dining experiences I've had. These aren't reviews.  No one I know speaks in terms of stars ("Babbo is so three star - you should go!"), so I won't either.

Highly Recommended - You'll Love It

Nougatine - Jean Georges now offers a more casual, less expensive option within his flagship restaurant on the UWS.   It has a serene if unremarkable atmosphere.  It remains a bit stuffy, yet it has energy thanks to a bar that was packed with diners and drinkers alike.  I've dined at JG proper in the past and was completely blown away with the innovative nature of their cooking, plating and flavor combinations.  Hey, that's why JG has four stars.  Nougatine does not really offer that level of innovation.  It focuses on simple, straightforward, perfectly executed dishes featuring the highest quality ingredients.  Indeed, it's the same staff and quality ingredients from the JG kitchen.  We had a tuna tartar dish that was very good but not unique or memorable at all.  A foie brulee was the most innovative dish on the menu and beyond fantastic. A crunchy layer of carmelization was atop a rich, creamy base of foie below.   A strip steak entree was very nicely executed.  The quality of the steak was great - phenomenal beefiness made the dish a standout.  An organic salmon dish with Asian vegetables was again not special in theory, but the quality of the salmon was extraordinary.  Only an average cheese plate at the end of the meal was not up to par (uninspired selections, served too cold, just boring).   Another bonus of the restaurant is access to the JG wine list.  We had a 2001 Rioja for $40 bucks that was excellent.  We got out of there for about $120 ish, which is less than Cesca, Compass, Telepan and many other options within this caliber in the UWS area.

Beppe - I've been to Beppe twice recently.  It's a very casual, homey Italian restaurant with a low key (read: untrendy) atmosphere.  The simple pasta dishes are executed perfectly.  A rabbit tagliatelle, for instance, had braised pieces of rabbit within the pasta, while a clear, flavorful stock/brodo took it over the top for me.  The homemade sausages at Beppe, served as an appetizer, are a favorite.  They have a hint of cinnamon that I find an intriguing and excellent touch.  The fries cannot be missed - they are insanely good.  Insanely.  Good.  Main courses are usually whole grilled fish or simple braised meats.  I've had a braised beef cheek dish with vegetables twice and loved it both times.  Simple Italian classics done right and relatively inexpensively are the hallmarks of Beppe.  The wine list is long but very expensive (not in keeping with the prices of the food or the style of cuisine) in my opinion. 

Upstairs at Bouley -  This restaurant makes me wish I lived in Tribeca.  A very small restaurant that doesn't accept reservations.  Two cooks in the exposed kitchen.  Two sushi chefs at a small sushi bar.  That's it.  The menu is equally as small, with about four or five choices for both appetizers and mains, and a few  selections featured from the sushi bar.  The dishes are very simple and seasonal.  I had a crab salad with asparagus that was excellent, followed by cod in a pea broth that was simply grilled to perfection. The cuisine is very similar in concept and execution as Bouley proper - refined and clean in flavor (i.e. not overly busy with lots of ingredients) but just a bit simpler at Upstairs.  The service can be a bit unorganized and manic. For instance, there are occasions in which have to run across the street to Bouley proper to get the wine you order from the wine list.  They also have some outside seating as well which will be nice for the summer months. 

En Japanese Brasserie - I love the atmosphere and design of this restaurant.  It is elegant, sleek and modern, yet it is mellow and relaxing. Sit at the large communal type table that forms the perimeter of a tranquil pool. We did a $50 pp ten course tasting of their favorite dishes on the menu, served in small bites.  The sashimi we had was very fresh and flavorful.  A tofu tasting was served in a few styles of preparations that were intriguing and unexpected for a tofu novice like myself.  Multiple fish preparations-a shallow fried cod, the ubiquitous black cod miso, sashimi with rice in fish broth - were spot on.  A braised pork belly dish was meaty, flavorful and juicy.  They also have an xxcellent sake list with detailed tasting descriptions for guidance.

A Voce - I've been to A Voce only once thus far and tasted only a few dishes.  I was with a large party, however, and was able to gauge reactions to individual dishes.  Overall, the restaurant is very good and reasonably priced.  I very naturally started to compare the restaurant to Babbo, which I find to be a compliment to A Voce.  Appetizers and salads were a strong point.   The duck meatballs are phenomenal - simple, rich, homey and yet a new taste for me.  A porcini salad with lentils was also very nice - simple and uncomplicated.  A few of the pasta dishes were also a success.  Ramps with parm and speck was an excellent pasta that a few people really loved.  I had the lamb ragu with ricotta and papardelle.  It was very tasty, but I found the balance of ragu to pasta way over the top. I think I would rank both Babbo and Lupa's pasta execution as both superior to A Voce.   Many at the table did not find the entree section of the menu intriguing - only one out of 10 chose an actual entree which tells you something.  Finally, I find the space a bit uninviting and a little tacky, but that's just me.  I personally find A Voce a notch below Babbo in terms of food and wine (though A Voce has a nice list), but still very good overall.   I'd encourage you to make a reservation there.

Recommended, But.....

Jovia -  I found the food at Jovia to be generally unfocused.  One of my biggest pet peeves is overwhelming a dish with flavor upon flavor, ingredient upon ingredient, and in the process losing the essence of the dish.  I found this happening very frequently at Jovia, both in duck and cod entree courses.   I am a tortellini in brodo aficionado, having O.D.'d on it at the source of its conception (the Emilia-Romagna area of Italy).  Jovia's version is pretty weak in comparison.  Finally, the prices are relatively expensive, most likely due to the very nice townhouse in which the restaurant is located.  I wouldn't discourage you from going to Jovia, but I'd rather eat at A Voce or a handful of other ambitious Italian restaurants right now for more focused flavors at a cheaper price.

Urena - I've been to Urena twice now, but have only eaten once.  We had to actually leave the first time we were there, as we were not seated after waiting 45 minutes for a table we reserved.  On our second visit, we did actually get to eat.  The food is pretty good but not great.  I had a braised short rib dish that was very nice.  Otherwise, I would say that the interpretation of Spanish cuisine is uninspired.  For starters, there is chorizo in about every dish.  There are the cliched flavors of Spain (manchego, salt cod, etc) continually repeated over the entire menu and multiple dishes I tasted.  Many of the flavors lacked balance - everything was rich, salty or smokey....that was about it.  I found the menu to be quite small and limiting.  In fact, the tapas are sadly not offered at the table, making this only an appetizer, entree menu.  Finally, the decor here is beyond horrendous.  I actually found it painful to be in the restaurant, as I continued to get flashbacks of eating in Jersey strip malls.  I think the food is OK, the wine list small and generally well chosen, but the atmosphere is an F.  The desserts are actually very good and quite original.  You could do a lot worse, but you have many other choices for more inspired Spanish cuisine in the city.