The nautical themed West Village seafood haven, Harbour has surprisingly little fanfare and buzz, aside from a few mentions on Grub Street, which is good in some ways because my friend was able to book his birthday there with little notice, but bad perhaps in this economy – because for the price and the service, and most importantly the food, it's a place I'd hate to see fall by the wayside.

The most instantly noted element of the restaurant is the d?cor, not unlike some other city hot spots, Harbour gives one the illusion that they are in the dining section of a very wealthy friend's yacht without the hassle of having to actually befriend some jerk who owns a yacht. The staff is as gracious and high class as one would expect to find on such a vessel with (real) worldly accents and a quick smile with every meal.

A pre fixe is available, but requires participation from the entire table. We ordered a la carte, and I believe it ended up being cheaper in the end. I started with the oysters that sat under that old “aren't we fancy” favorite: foam! But I'm not one to turn my nose down on trends, especially when they're executed so deliciously and brinily.

When it came to main entrees, a majority of the table just could not resist the tile fish when we learned that “lop chum” was a Chinese sausage accompaniment. With yellow curry and crispy garlic too, you might think the dish would be confused and intense, but I guess that's where a Michelin star chef comes in handy, because this one of the rare seafood main entrees I've had that has really blown me away.

Butterscotch pudding with brown butter cookies and popcorn was a dessert worthy of the rest of the meal and rich enough to share.

Harbour is a special occasion spot, but for all the wine (cheap, good options available), beer, apps, tea, coffee and desserts we piled in our stomachs, plus sharing the bill for our beloved birthday boy, it all came out to a mere $75 per person. If you know a seafood fiend that wants to be treated right and would enjoy sitting in a fancy pants environment, perhaps under a blown glass chandelier, I couldn't recommend a place more.

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Posted on May 4, 2009

I had it on good authority from two reliable friends that Souen was the place to try macrobiotic hippy food that is actually yummy, but it was just too steep a learning curve for someone who gets crushes on their local butcher and is dreaming of ways to make cow hearts and bone marrow. Everything had that earthy, kind of dirty after-taste and it cost a fortune; but people love it, so I don't want to knock it too much.

I found Foodswings, a vegan spot in Williamsburg with a “fast food” bent to be a much easier sell. I'd recommend getting a couple things to share, since the flavors can be monotonous, but overall we were surprised by how much we enjoyed it. The menu is huge and overwhelming, and my only advice is to steer clear of the mac and cheese (mac and cheese sans butter and cheese is just a sad thing no matter how hard you try), otherwise, it seems like you can't go too wrong here.

I had the fake beef Philly cheese-steak which had nice, almost teriyaki-ish flavor and Jim was pretty impressed with the fake chicken drumsticks that came with a dill ranch that I personally loved. Desserts are tasty too. We split a pistachio shake (forgetting while ordering that I was putting my life in my hands) that, despite salmonella paranoia, was absolutely delicious.

This is a spot I'd take a veggie friend coming for a visit, and who knows, with their uncharacteristically helpful service and chicken wings that even Sam Champion loves, I might be back on my own too.

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Posted on April 20, 2009

With all the adventurous eating I've done in the last couple of years (sweetbreads, brains, hearts, tongues and testicles) you'd think that by now I'd have had some goat but, until last night, you'd have been wrong. It's not really a strange food at all – in fact, it's quite popular in most of the world (sometimes it's referred to as mutton and is frequently interchangeable with lamb) but in my mind it calls to mind hole-in-the-wall ethnic spots here in the city that always reinforce the phrase, “you can't judge a book by it's cover” (though I've actually found that you can more often than you can not).

Tacos and More is a florescent-lit but very clean new Greenpoint spot with tacky flags outside to mark its not too recent grand opening and a tiny kitchen where all sorts great Mexican food is made. We ordered goat and chicken which were both thankfully mild but still flavorful with just a touch of oaxaca cheese and green salsa. It seems the thing to order next is the chorizo and fish because that's what the staff was cooking up for themselves. And I do mean cooking. No heat-lamped pre-prepared meats here, all the tacos are made fresh from scratch which make the process a little but longer, but is totally worth it.

Tacos and More may not be a prime destination for those who live outside the neighborhood, but for those of us who are local, it offers fresh Mexican made with care and a great menu that won't have your tummy feeling the way most heavy tacos do – and it's open till 11pm, which is rare for local eateries.

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Posted on April 6, 2009

I'm almost a bit reluctant to share my recent discovery of Fanny's weekend brunch. It's such a quiet spot with no waiting, amazing food, and perhaps most impressive of all, it costs about half of what the other Williamsburg lazy day eating options charge. Five Leaves is still a go-to spot if we're out the door before 10am (note: the chicken sandwich with anchovies is the best thing on the menu), but if you show up any later than 11, a big wait is pretty much guaranteed.

And while I'm wild about Brooklyn Label's Red Flannel Hash and Colorado Chili, the reason that restaurant has never made this list is that the entrees run $12 and $14 each (respectively) and more often than not they can take up to an hour (once,?no lie, nearly two) to make it to your table.

Therefore, Fanny has?stepped in as a little yummy savior. The space is bright and cozy and the menu has some unexpected surprises. For example, who else can offer grilled toast with spinach, poached eggs, and tarragon shrimp? It was delicious by the way, as in I actually exclaimed, in the middle of breakfast, “this is delicious!” delicious. And all you Francophiles out there can find Croque Monsieurs and Madames and mussels with fries.

The staff is a little lackadaisical, but our meals came quick and they made us feel comfortable hanging sticking around even after we'd finished our meals. And again, I just have to belabor this point, Fanny is a major deal. Laura and I both had the shrimp dish and two cappuccinos a piece and still only owed twenty bucks.

It doesn't seem like?Fanny has made the same sort of food impact as fellow neighborhood spots, which is why we got a table so quickly, but it's also cause for concern because I'd hate to see such a little gem go out of business for lack of word-of-mouth. They also serve an equally nicely priced lunch and dinner.

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Posted on March 23, 2009

Even the phrase can conjure dreams of belly warming niceness: “soup dumplings” not dumplings floating in soup mind you, but dumplings hiding soup within it's pillowy casing. Crazily enough, I've known about this Joe's Shanghai delicacy for years, but only had the chance to try it the other week. It's the house specialty, the efficient waiters ask you how many before a menu is even distributed. We ordered two crab versions for each of us (though I could have eaten more).

According to the site:

Xiao Long Bao or “Little Dumplings from Basket” was originated from Nan Xiang, a suburb of Shanghai. Their perfectly symmetrical shape, resembles a pagoda.”

Here in the city there are several places to try the dish, but none are more popular than Joe's Shanghai, so expect a wait if you go during peak hours. Of course, who makes the best is a topic of great debate on Chowhound and the people are always ready to fall the king – but I was blown away and crave them right this second (particularly with that winter sleet blowing around outside).

And NY Mag answers one of the big questions :

“How do they get the soup inside those dumplings? Easy: They thicken it with gelatin and put it in solid. Then, when the dumplings are steamed, voila: soup!”

But the typically bright and stripped down restaurant deserves accolades for more than just their dumplings. I can't recall all the dishes we ordered everyone had their own pick) but I seem to recall Moo Shoo pork Shrimp and Chicken in Plum Sauce and one of the noodle dishes with beef.. even if the names escape me, I can say with certainly that they were all really good.

There are three Joe's locations, the one I ate at in Chinatown, one in midtown and one in Flushing.

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Posted on March 9, 2009