Bouchon Bakery - New York, NY

What is a trip to New York without getting some delicious, baked pastries?  Well, it's a trip that is missing something!  But what is a trip to New York with a visit to Chef Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery?  Absolutely awesome!

Sure, there are plenty of people that feel that a croissant is a croissant.  There are plenty of people that cannot appreciate a good macaron, and there are even people who may not even like macarons.  But Bouchon brings pastries to the next level in my humble opinion, and every trip brings something different for me to try, and something different for me to take to go so I can bring it home and enjoy it tomorrow.

Today's trip brought on 3 different types of macarons.  First I opted for the vanilla, followed by the caramel, and finally the chocolate.  These are elegantly cooked cookies of sorts, with a nice crunch on the outside, and a soft chewy center on the inside of the cookie.  These are then filled with a cream of sort, and they are absolutely delicious.  I have to say that of the 3, the vanilla was my favorite, followed by the caramel.  Next time I need to get a few of the pistachio as well!

A trip to Bouchon wouldn't be complete without some croissants as well.  Croissants are by far one of my favorite pastries, with the buttery, flaky layers that are ever so delicious!  You can tell that they use the lamination technique here, where they make the dough, and wrap it around a giant piece of butter, folding it over and over, so there are hundreds of delicious layers.  This is definitely the case here, and what is there to say other than awesome.

Even with the regular croissants, I couldn't pass up the chocolate croissant as well, made using the same lamination technique, folded around 2 bars of chocolate.  I couldn't help but eat one of these immediately as I needed a little pick me up for the walk around the city, and as always, it was absolutely delicious!

I could probably go on for days about some of the other things at Bouchon!  From the other cookies, to the pastries, sandwiches, chocolates, brownies, etc, everything looks absolutely awesome!  Not only is choosing what to purchase a difficult decision, but being able to restrain yourself from eating everything before you get home is as well.  Today I actually did pretty well!  Cheers!  -F. Scott

Bouchon Bakery at Rockefeller Center
One Rockefeller Center
New York, NY 10020
Phone:  (212)782-3890
http://www.bouchonbakery.com/

Open Monday-Friday, 7am to 7pm
Open Saturday-Sunday, 8am to 8pm

2010 Domaine La Suffrene Bandol Rosé

Had a glass of this today as Momofuku Ssam with lunch, and feel free to check out the review above for my full review of my lunch.

Nice salmon color in the glass with a fruity nose of strawberry, raspberry, grapefruit (really???), and citrus. Some alcohol on the nose, which seemed to blow off as the glass was emptied and this warmed up a bit.

On the palate, the first thing I noticed was the nice acidity.  Very nice fruits of citrus, some more grapefruit, and a bit of watermellon.  On the finish, some cranberry notes come through a bit, though the finish is short.

At $14 a glass, I got exactly what I expected, but you have to remember that these are New York prices, so you really can't complain.  Guessing this costs about this a bottle in stores, which makes it a realatively nice value, and cheaper than Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé, though that is, and has been a favorite of mine for a long time.  But all in all, this went perfect with my lunch today.  Cheers!  -F. Scott

Death & Co - New York, NY

When my good pal John Rueff sent me a text message before 6AM today, I knew it was going to be a good day, and that he was coming to town.  That said, I hopped the train to meet him for dinner, and after dinner we checked out a few places for cocktails that I have been meaning to try at the suggestions of friends.

First and foremost, if you didn't know what this place was, you would probably walk right past it.  But what is it exactly?  Is it a swanky bar and a hip place to hang out?  You bet!  Is it a small, cozy place that serves good drinks!  Oh heck yes!  Is it a place where you can grab some tapas and a snack?  Yup, it's that too!  Long story short, it's an old styled speakeasy that serves good drinks!

But that being said, this isn't a shot and a beer sort of bar.  Not in the least!  If you are going to take the time to go to Death & Co, do yourself a favor and stay away from the beer and the wine, and go for a cocktail.  The bartenders are not just drink pourers, they are mixologists, and some of them are genius!

The place itself is small and cozy, and I could see this place being absolutely packed on the busier nights.  Being a Monday, we took the last 2 seats at the bar, and stayed for a drink.

For the small plates menu, there are about 15 plates (including 3 desserts) to choose from.  Some of the winners include the Truffled mac and Cheese, served on 8 individual spoons, portioned into the perfect sized bites. 

Other favorites include the Lobster Brioche Rolls, Tuna Tartar, Crispy Pork Belly, and the Petite Filet Mignon.  Again, these are small plates, or "Bites" as I think they called them on the menu, so order several different things to tide you over.  I will say that there wasn't anything that was underwhelming in the least.

Service is also great, and the bartenders are cool.  The guy we had seemed to have a lot of liquor knowledge, and shared a story about Absinthe with us and the history of absinthe.  Interesting...from what everyone says however, order the "Saz Wha?" from Brian at the bar.  I will have to try this next time!

In short, if you are looking for a hip place to bring some friends to, or have some friends visiting from out of town, this is a good choice!  Check it out now, and remember who sent ya while this place is still on the cool list!  We'll be back for sure in the future.  Cheers!

Death & Co
433 East 6th Street (Between 1st and Avenue A)
New York, NY 10009
Phone:  (212)388-0882
http://www.deathandcompany.com/

Bar Americain - New York, NY

So tonight I took the train from Princeton up to NYC, to meet my good friend John from back home in Chicago for dinner.  I walked up the stairs to 7th Avenue at Penn Station, and hung a quick right to meet John at the Hilton Fashion District.  Needless to say, we left his hotel and started walking towards Times Square, so I suggested Bar Americain.

We walked in and the restaurant was packed, however, there were 2 open stools at the bar so we sat down and ordered a couple of drinks, and got some menus.   I looked at the wine list, and really wasn't in the mood for a Washington State cabernet, so I went the beer route, and had a hefewizen instead, and I think it was Pennsylvania perhaps?  Not sure, but regardless, it was tasty.

It's been a few years since Zelda took me to Bar Americain, and unfortunately, there was nothing that really jumped out and grabbed me from the menu, so I ended up ordering the Monday night special of Fried Chicken, with a side of fries.  John ended up ordering the same, with asparagus however.

The chicken came out quick, and had a great crisp to it.  It was juicy and tender inside, and had some great herb and spice flavors.  This was served with a side of a black pepper biscuits with a honey of sort on them, and these too were good.  What I really liked was the flavor from the pink peppercorn in the breading on the chicken.  This added a great element which I truly appreciated.

The fries were fries.  Nothing special about them, and frankly, they could have been a lot hotter than the luke warm that they were.  The chipotle mayo however is always delicious, and the same as what is served at Bobby's Burger Palace.

All in all, a nice bar dinner, but not sure the fried chicken was $29 worthy.  I think that Chef Capasso at West Side Gravy does a friend chicken every bit as good for half the price, but that is just me.  Service was friendly, food was tasty, and it's always good to see my boy from home.  Cheers!


Bar Americain
152 W. 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
212.265.9700

Butter Lane - New York, NY

I gotta say that Butter Lane had some awesome cupcakes, and it was worth the 13 block walk!  Stay tuned!

N.V. Dr. Konstantin Frank Riesling Célèbre Sparkler

If you were ever looking to pull the wool over the eyes of your wine friends or guests and just have a little fun with them, then this is the sparkling wine for you! We were first turned on to this wine by a friend that I know from the Wine Spectator Forum named Mark. He brought this wine to a pinot noir tasting we attended with other members at the Peking Duck House in Manhattan, and since then, we have picked up two cases of this sparkler. This was our first bottle from the second case, and until now, I never realized that I have never written about this sparkling wine from the Finger Lakes region of New York. What a sin as it deserves some recognition, being a sub $20, Riesling based sparkler! On the nose, it really doesn't give up a lot, but there are hints of peanut, sweet nectar, and pear. On the palate, this is where this sparkler shines, showing nice really nice acidity, with hints of apple, pear, sweet honey nectar, and hints of peach. This wine has a really nice sweetness to it, but being Riesling based, what else would you expect? Unfortunately, this bottle also had a bit of a stale, dusty element to it as well, and this is the first time that we have experience this with this particular bottling. Being non-vintage, I guess you just never really know, but this bottle definitely didn't show as well as some others. Regardless, it was worthy of 83 points, and still a nice starter at our dinner with friends. We'll be drinking many more of these over the summer, and I wouldn't be surprised in the least if we go through yet another case before the end of the year. Stay turned for more on this fun wine! Cheers! -F. Scott http://www.drfrankwines.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