Caviar Deviled Egg
by Celia Cheng
December 16th, 2005
COOKSHOP
156 10th Ave
@ 20th St
212-924-4440
Cookshop has received raving reviews, so I was excited to try it despite the fact that it’s the sister restaurant of Five Points, which didn’t shoot off fireworks in my mind. The other thing that had me wondering was the location. West Chelsea is now teeming with new restaurants, but much of it seems like an extension of the Meat Packing phenomenon of high profile infiltration. However, not many can even compete near the same caliber as The Red Cat, now considered an old-timer in that district.
Unfortunately, I was not wowed by Cookshop. Some restaurants you try once and you don’t have the inclination to go back to. That was my impression of Cookshop. It’s definitely not a destination stop, and I’m glad I don’t live or work in that neighborhood or I would be frustrated by my narrow selection even with the number of new restaurants opening.
My friend and I started with the caviar deviled egg, which might have been the first mistake. When I see deviled eggs on a menu, I never let that pass. I love deviled eggs, they’re comfort food. Well, take note that this is a deviled “egg” singular, at $5. I’m sure that by adding caviar to the equation they felt justified in charging $5 for this dish, but my expectations were high, and to me, this egg was not a $5 egg. It was not even a ¢50 egg. There was nothing particularly devil-y about the egg. It was bland, and the caviar proved to be just a fancy gimmick that didn’t do much for it. Putting fish eggs on a chicken egg is a cute idea but make sure it works.
We continued with three appetizers, one main course and a side, all to share. The first two appetizers, marinated beets, herb salad with tahini, and grilled Montauk squid, were fine. The chicken fried duck livers arrived with the beef short ribs and the spiced fries. I tried a couple of the spiced fries, and thought how unexciting they tasted, compared to even some place like Porcupine, where the menu doesn’t do much for me, but they have good fries. The beef short ribs were nice and fatty. But I must cut my story short here as I proceeded to get very ill during this meal. I am in no way implying that I got food poisoning from this restaurant. In fact, it is probably not possible to have such a violent reaction to food that quickly, and one can react to food eaten within the past seven days in cases of food poisoning, so I’m sure it was something else I had.
The restaurant itself I have mixed feelings about. Most of the restaurant area is very open with large windows to both sides of the street looking in. The wooden chairs are nice to look at, but over time, uncomfortable to sit on. The restrooms are located in the back right by the open kitchen. For some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking California Pizza Kitchen when I was there. I know that is a horrible thing to say, and maybe I mean it in a good way as in casual dining ambiance, but that doesn’t seem right either. What can I say? It just didn’t feel right.
Posted in American , West Chelsea
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Sautéed Potato Pierogies
by Celia Cheng
December 1st, 2005
THE RED CAT
227 10th Ave
(23rd & 24th St)
212-242-1122
This goes on my list of top five best dishes tasted in 2005. Yes! It’s that exciting. Sautéed potato pierogies with mushrooms, lobster wine and butter, reads the menu. Let’s see, I love potatoes, I like pierogies, mushrooms and lobster, oh, and wine and butter too – it’s got all the ingredients to make it a winner. The execution makes it spectacular! The skins of the pierogies are more like pancake-like blinis than dumpling-like dough, when sautéed in butter, it just tastes like heaven. Of course, if you put it in a sauce that is basically a lobster bisque, the combination is just fantastic.
The Red Cat hardly needs an introduction. The first of Jimmy Bradley and Danny Abram’s Beanstalk Restaurants, The Red Cat opened in 1999 and has consistently maintained its high quality and standards. It set the bar for subsequent sister restaurants The Harrison and The Mermaid Inn (Pace just recently closed).
What has struck me most about their restaurants is the service. The staff are always very friendly and not in that superficial, “Hi! My name is …” who cares kind of way. Rather, they make you feel at home and are attentive but not intrusive. In this city, of all places, it’s hard to come by this kind of service without getting some attitude but that’s probably why The Red Cat has such a loyal following. Not to mention, The Red Cat has one of the nicest bars at which to dine. I love eating at the bar in restaurants, and this one is big and comfortable —- the perfect place to enjoy a drink, dine, or preferably both. Fellow diners tend to be Red Cat loyalists and food lovers, which always makes it fun.
Congratulations, The Red Cat, on receiving your second star from The New York Times this past summer. It’s well deserved!
Posted in American , Dumpling , West Chelsea
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Pumpkin Pie
by Celia Cheng
November 24th, 2005
‘WICHCRAFT
224 12th Ave
(27th & 28th St)
map
397 Greenwich St
@ Beach St
map
Bryant Park
Four kiosks located on the 6th Ave side
(40th & 42nd St)
map
I LOVE pumpkin pie! Actually, I love all things pumpkin, but I really love pumpkin pie. For the past couple of years I’ve been on the search for one that would blow me away, but I’ve always been disappointed by what I’ve found in the city. Certainly, I have ventured out to other pumpkin sweets and found some consolation in treats like Fatwich’s pumpkin brownies, Magnolia’s pumpkin cheesecake (although it is getting worse), and Beard Papa’s pumpkin cream puffs. Most recently I discovered that Savoy’s pumpkin spice cake is delicious, but I still have not been able to satiate my pumpkin pie craving. Where O where was my perfect pumpkin pie?
Well, luck would have it that I ordered a pumpkin pie from ’wichcraft for my Thanksgiving dinner this year, and, voilà, can I just say “Oh my god?!” If I don’t say so myself, it was by far the most popular dish at our feast, and it went quickly even though everyone was stuffed from the turkey and side dishes.
’wichcraft uses roasted pumpkin in addition to the usual ingredients. The pie is extremely moist, and that includes the homemade graham cracker crust. The filling is rich and the honey added makes it very caramelly. The filling and crust work in perfect harmony and you want to savor them, both apart and together equally. The smooth filling and the granulated graham cracker crust offer a variety in texture, but certainly the two work in unison to deliver a gorgeous taste that I can’t get out of my mind. The pie is sprinkled with pumpkin seeds as a brilliant little touch to complete this perfect pumpkin pie.
Posted in Sweets , Tribeca , West Chelsea
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Tapas
by Celia Cheng
June 8th, 2005
TIA POL
205 10th Ave
(22nd & 23rd St)
212-675-8805
I’ve been meaning to try this tapas restaurant for more than half a year now.
Down the street from Half King and The Red Cat, Tia Pol lies discreetly next to the gas station on the corner of 23rd and 10th Ave. The restaurant is a long sliver with the bar in front, seating in the back, and the kitchen partially open to view in the middle.
One of reasons it’s taken me so long to actually try it is the restaurant is perennially busy. I tried and failed twice before, both times because the wait was too long.
My third attempt was a success, as it was a perfect evening for a glass of rose and some tapas at the bar. Because it wasn’t overly crowded, I was able to really appreciate the charm of this little restaurant. I felt really at ease and happy.
I had the periwinkles Chinatown style, rough cut potatoes with spicy aioli, ham croquettes, and deviled eggs. All were delicious. There were several other tapas recommended to me, but I couldn’t eat that much by myself. Besides, it gives me more reasons to come back.
If I lived in the neighborhood this would definitely be one of my local hang outs.
Posted in Spanish , Tapas , West Chelsea
