Beauty & Essex - New York, NY

So from Death & Co, since we were just a few blocks away, I absolutely had to take John to Beauty & Essex!  Now, if you didn't notice Death & Co while walking past it, there is no way you would ever realize that Beauty & Essex was even here.

From the outside, it looks like an old pawn shop or antique/estate jewelry store.  But at the back left of the store is a giant door with a doorman, and once the door is open, you see and absolute vibe of a great place!  Sure, this too is styled after an old speakeasy, however, this place is done with some class!

On the right hand side as you walk in is a giant staircase.  Unfortunately, I didn't go up here to see what was there, but we were just stopping in for a drink or 2.  There seemed to be a lot of people going up and down, so who knows.

We grab 2 seats at the bar on the left before the dining room, and there were only 2 other people at the bar which probably has about 12 stools.  Opposite the bar is seating that was jam packed, all the way down the wall, with some tables, and chairs as well.  Definitely a cozy spot.

Towards the rear of the restaurant is the dining room, which looked absolutely gorgeous, and definitely had a great vibe.  There wasn't an open table that I could see, and again, considering it was a Monday, this is a good sign for the economy.  Or a good sign that this is a fun gathering place where the masses like to hang out.

As for the drinks, again, I would stay away from beer here and go the cocktail route.  I actually had a glass of Bordeaux, and while it cost $14, it was what it was in Manhattan.  The service from the bar was nice and friendly, and she was accommodating enough to take a picture for us.

The menu at Beauty & Essex looks nice, and the few entrees that I saw looked delicious.  Appetizers are from $12-$16, and entrees run $18-$52.

Looking forward to visiting for dinner one of these nights.  In the meantime, here is another fun NYC gem worth checking out!  And don't be afraid to go in...there really is a door into the speakeasy through the pawn shop!  Cheers!

Beauty & Essex
146 Essex Street
New York, NY 10002-2301
Phone:  (212)614-0146
http://www.beautyandessex.com/

Gordon Ramsay At the London - New York

Here it is, the night after Halloween, and we couldn't ask for better weather to hop on the train and head to Manhattan to celebrate our anniversary, albeit a few days late. But with busy schedules, it made perfect sense to save a special celebration for a weekend night!

Tonight we are dining at Gordon Ramsay At the London. We are both huge fans of Chef Ramsay, and we have wanted to dine here for months. I originially wanted to bring Zelda here for her birthday, but I had no idea that you have to book 2 months in advance, to the day. That being said, I made our reservation first thing on the morning of September 1st, and here we are.

Upon arriving at The London, you will see the bar and restaurant "Maze," also ran by Gordon on the right hand side. We were greatest by the hostess when we walked in, who immediately sent us to the host stand on the left. Upon looking around, Maze is a more laid back restaurant and bar, compared to the more formal dining that is in the main dining room. There was all sorts of attire, ranging from nice dresses and suits, to more casual blue jeans.

We were led to the back of the room left, and brought to a glass door, and upon opening this door, it revealed a gorgeous dining room. Gorgeous chairs with table settings with white linen and very nice china plates. Everything sitting perfectly, and everything uniformly spaced, from the placement of the napkins, to the placement of the silverware, to the wine glasses, water glasses, etc. Everything was set with a masterful precision, and I am sure that they would not settle for anything less.

Other things that I noticed was their gorgeous climate controlled cellar in the back of the restaurant on the way to the kitchen. This cellar is done in stainless steel and glass, with wire racking stacked nearly 15 feet tall. You can see this plain as day upon entry, and it is a gorgeous view! As we sat, we see a gorgeous Champagne cart being rolled around the dining room, with many different types of Champagne being poured. A few moments later, a cheese cart containing at least 25 different blocks of cheese rolled by, that looked like absolute heaven! YUM!

More to come when I get more time!

2005 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard

Purchased off the winelist at Gordon Ramsay "At the London." Over-inflated price, but what do you expect. One, it is Gordon Ramsay's Restaurant. Two, it is New York City. And Three, it is Kosta Browne. Regardless, it was our anniversary celebration, and worth every penny.

Popped and poured from the bottle, this wine immediately showed a gorgeous garnet/ruby color in the glass. The nose of the Koplen is absolutely intoxicating, and absolutely Kosta Browne! Tons of dark berries: blackberry, boysenberry, black cherry, jammy raspberry, and a hint of spice. This is a wine that I can sit and smell all night long.

On the palate, this wine is singing, which was kind of surprising. Regardless, this is a HUGE wine! When I say HUGE, I mean massive! I really expected this wine to be tight, and needing more time in the glass. I also expected a little more heat and alcohol on this wine, but not the case! This wine will however, still benefit from a few more years in the bottle or a nice splash decant.

Gorgeous silky smooth feel on the palate with more black fruits shining through again....dark raspberry, black cherry, a hint of color, and the slightest bit of earthyness. Wow this wine is amazing, and it just kept opening up with more time in the glass. The finish on the wine lingers forever, making it a pure joy to drink.

The 2005 Koplen is in contention for my personal wine of the year! 95 points, and a perfect example of why I love pinot noir! Happy Anniversary Zelda!

Tavern on the Green - New York

Here's yet another restaurant that we have been dying to try, so when Zelda asked where I would like to go for my birthday dinner, we decided to try Tavern on the Green in New York's Central Park. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating all that much this morning, so we didn't take the train up early to walk around and do some shopping. The weather did finally clear up around 4PM, and it turned out to be a gorgeous day. We hailed a cab at Penn Station, and off to Central Park we went. We had a little run in with Ray Kottner, the oldest and crabbiest cab driver in New York City (LINK), and then we arrived at 67th and Central Park. From the exterior, Tavern on the Green looks great. Upon arriving, you are greeted, if you want to call it that, by a grumpy old man wearing his Tavern on the Green tux and top hat. I suppose if I had to dress like that I would be a little grumpy too! We had about 45 minutes to kill, so we walked down to the corner to get a good look through Central Park. Tons of runners, bikers, and tourists were out in full force since the rain had subsided. We headed back to Tavern a few minutes early, checked in for our reservation, and went to enjoy the outdoor seating at the outdoor bar. What a great little area, with plenty of room for live entertainment, seating, etc. Gorgeous silk lanterns were strung from the trees in many colors, and it just made for some nice decor. Before we even received our glasses of wine, our buzzer was buzzing, and off to our table we went. The place is a bit of a maze, and you walk down a mirrored hallway, with stained glass lamps hanging from the ceiling. We were then greeted at another host stand, and brought to our table in the atrium. The first thing that we noticed in the atrium was the noise! Good lord, this was kid central, and very loud. It immediately screamed tourist trap. The place however is gorgeous minus the noise, although it could use a bit of updating. There were nice 180 degree views of the courtyard outside, and the colors inside are comprised of a lot of pastel, including the flowery, pastel carpet, and painted wood work on the ceiling. Gorgeous chandeliers are hung from the ceiling as well. At first it reminded me a bit of a hotel dining room in Florida, but that is not such a bad thing. Upon being seated we were greeted by our Captain, and our waiter brought over some rolls and butter. We already had our glasses of wine from outside that we never even got a chance to sip, so we didn't end up ordering any wine with dinner, although, the 1998 Marcassin pinot noir was very tempting. ;-) For an appetizer, Zelda opted for the BLUE CRAB BISQUE TARRAGON, TOMATO AND CREAM, and I opted for the CARAMELIZED ONION SOUP-EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, CHIVES, PARMESAN CROSTINI. As we waited for appetizers, we were amazed by how many kids were here, and how loud the place was. We were also shocked at some of the attire that people wore here, but God knows that the tourists just stumble in, and they have no problem going out in their sleeveless t-shirt and hole filled shorts or blue jeans. This is also the a venue that I would expect to see people playing the game where you flick a paper triangle football through field goals made of two fingers, but we did. We could also tell that this was a bit of a tourist trap with the photographers walking around, taking your picture for $25 and selling them to the various tables. I guess you have to do what you have to do to make a few dollars. Kind of sad though, and it takes a bit away from the experience...but after the behavior we had already seen, there is not a lot of ambiance left. Tourist trap or not, the soups came and they were both delicious. My french onion was not the best I have ever had, but it was good. Nice onion taste with a good beef stock, garnished with a Parmesan covered crouton. Zelda's soup had a nice creamy orange color and texture, and nice flavors as well, but we have both had better. For dinner, Zelda ordered the SHELLFISH CIOPPINO-LOBSTER, CLAMS, MUSSELS, PRAWNS, CRAB LEGS PEARL PASTA, SAFFRON AIOLI. This was served in a giant bowl with all kinds of fresh seafood. The seafood was cook absolutely beautifully, and the sauce had a nice flavor that did not mask the taste or over power the fresh seafood. This definitely was not mind blownig, but it was good. I opted for the HERB-CRUSTED FILET OF BEEF-POTATO GRATIN, ASPARAGUS, ROSEMARY, PINOT NOIR WINE SAUCE. I ordered it medium, and it came out closer to well done, but the meat was still moist, and not dried out. I probably should have sent it back,but with hundreds of people here, I didn't feel like waiting. The pinot noir sauce was a nice treat, and the asparagus was a great pairing and a good side. The potato gratin was almost cooked like a lasagna and sliced into squares, with flavors of parm, basil, and thyme. Very good! The herb crust on the filet definitely had some basil on it, as well as parm and bread crumbs, and was good, although it did take away from the flavor of the meat. If this were a Flannery cut, I might be disappointed that the crust took away from the flavors of the meat, but to me, this was a "wedding catered steak" at best. We opted to skip dessert as we really weren't all that impressed with dinner, and I don't think the desserts that we saw were knock your socks off looking either. All in all, the ambiance was ok, minus the noise and kids misbehaving at the tables. The food was a touch above a banquet facility, and pricing for Manhattan was not nearly as high as you would expect based on how much of a tourist trap this place is. Would I go back, not likely unless we had some friends from out of town that really wanted to go there. Long story short, for the money, there are definitely much better options, and I consider this one NYC's tourist traps. At these prices, I'd be surprised if they make it another 2 years with the turning economy without some serious menu revamping. Time will tell! Cheers! Central Park at West 67th Street New York City, NY 10023 Phone: 212.873.3200 Fax: 212.580.4265

Morimoto - New York City

As we celebrate Zelda's birthday, which will remain with no age, tonight we decided to take the train up to New York, to try Morimoto. This is somewhere that I have always wanted to try, mainly the restaurant in Philly, but since it was a nice weekend, and a birthday weekend, we took the train to the city, spent the day walking around, and hit Morimoto for dinner. We got into New York around 1PM, and did some walking around and site seeing at Chelsea Market before heading to SoHo. We had a reservation at 6:45PM, booked through OpenTable.com, and ended up there 45 minutes early, and were graciously seated then. Upon walking in, the restaurant ad very nice decor. Very industrial looking, and almost decorated to look unfinished. Regardless, it was a nice touch, with the corrugated ceiling, lots of stainless steel, and the bottle wall, hung two stories from the ceiling, containing over 10,000 plastic bottles, back lit by soft white and blue LED lights. Very nice. This can be seen at the left. We were greeted by our waiter Craig, who was a nice kid, and very knowledgeable of the menu, as he should be. Tonight we ordered a bottle of wine off the wine list, a 2005 Row Eleven pinot noir. After ordering our wine, we were brought some complimentary appetizers, which were rice balls with some sort of BBQ eel sauce. They were good, but I am not sure I would order them off the menu. I don' even know if they were on the menu quite honesty, but it was a nice surprise. For dinner, we decided to try both their entrees, as well as their sushi. For the entree, we ordered the Seafood "Toban Yaki," containing a half lobster, king crab, 3 mussels, 3 clams, 2 large diver scallops, and a red miso-saki broth. All in all, it was mediocre at best. The broth was good, but the seafood left a little to be desired. The lobster was definitely overcooked, but everything else was OK. It was a little on the bland side, but nothing that couldn't be helped by slathering it wit broth. For sushi, we ordered 2 shrimp tempura rolls, a spicy salmon roll, and a yellow tail roll. The tempura rolls were good, but they are pretty much every where. Who doesn't like something battered and fried? The salmon roll as good as well, and the salmon tasted very fresh. The yellow tail roll left a little to be desired. I have had great yellow tail rolls elsewhere, but I cannot pinpoint what it was that I didn't like about this particular roll. Maybe it was the fish. For dessert, we decided to try the caramel Cinnamon Chiboust, that was very tasty. All in all, dinner was OK, but nothing to write home about. At the prices, I don't think that I would go back to Morimoto, but it was nice to try. All said and done, $212.96, plus tip. Craig did a great job, so I felt he was compensated very well, and give him big kudos for our service. Great job Craig! Cheers