If you walk to the corner of Canal and Baxter you will confronted with a plethora of Vietnamese restaurants that may as well all be identical on the outside. Four in a row, to be more exact, and you probably want to know which one to eat in.

The great news is that you can't really lose in any of them, but if you want to eat in a place that makes you feel welcome rather than rushed through like a unwanted guest, New Pasteur is the one. The small dining room is scented with the exquisite aroma of one of the greatest cuisines on the planet. The very best things on the menu (at least, of the things that we've tried) are the prominently displayed specials: the Banh Hoi Bo Nuong and Banh Hoi Nem Nuong. These piping hot, flavorfully spiced, tender dishes of BBQ pork and beef come with carrots, mint, vermicelli, cucumber, lettuce and a stack of thin rice paper to wrap it all up in. This is a favorite Vietnamese dish of ours and Pasteur does it extremely well. And that paired with a genuine smile when we walk in makes this unassuming gem one of our most frequently visited eateries in the city.

See more: Restaurants

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 15, 2007

Pies n' Thighs is one of those “worth it” restaurants; it's worth the trek to the rusty shadow of the Williamsburg Bridge; it's worth the lethargic service and it's worth the unmentionable calories which will result in bigger pies and thighs for all who eat it. This cutely rhyming restaurant has been on my go to list since it opened last summer, but the darn place always seemed to be closed when we stopped by, fortunately Marlow and Sons was close by to swoop in and dry our hypothetical tears.

Finally, after a nice walk across the bridge the other night, the time was right to finally taste their goods: the lights were on, the chicken was frying, and we were ready to chow. We shared a chicken basket (three pieces that were crispy, salty, and extra yummy) and a pulled pork sandwich that was a bit too vinegary to be a total recommendation (and this is coming from someone who drinks pickle juice). For sides we had decent baked beans and an out of sight potato salad, possibly one of the best versions in the city of this already unbeatable side. We probably could have enjoyed the pies if we had shared one plate between the two of us, but we were just too gut-busted to push it. You might want to be aware that neither the restaurant, nor the Rock Star Bar, where you can grab a beer to buddy up with your meal, have a sign, so this literal hole in the wall can be easy to miss. Just look for a tall barbed wire fence and some dirty picnic tables. Sure, it doesn't sound pretty, but food like this doesn't need or want frills.

On an interesting side-note, the original chef and co-owner Steven Tanner left the establishment in February to possibly make my dreams come true as the chef at Egg – which is rumored to soon be opening for lunch and dinner.

See more: Restaurants

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on October 1, 2007

I've been yearning to go to this restaurant since I moved to New York five years ago. For our fourth anniversary, that dream finally came to true and, to my amazement, it exceeded all my expectations. The atmosphere is stylish but also very laid back and unintimidating. The staff is never pompous and, unlike some other high class restaurants, it never felt stuffy or made me feel like a six year old that shouldn't be there. It's a refreshing take on gourmet dining. And the food is just as fun. I'm an adventurous eater and you really should be to fully appreciate the tasting menu here.

Our twelve course meal began with squid noodle, sunflower seed, prune, and fresh coriander seed. I have no way of describing the taste except we liked it. It felt as though we were eating on another planet. Next came Jim's favorite dish: pizza pebbles! The perfect example of Dufresne's sense of humor and lack of pretension, you are encouraged to eat these delicate dehydrated spheres of pizza with pepperoni cream and dried shitake, with your fingers. They tasted like a high end Combos. Knot foie gras came next: a long ribbon of silky foie gras beautifully and simply presented with home made rice krispies and kimchee sauce. The sweetbreads with cabbage kaffir and waterchestnuts were breaded in camomile and had the richest, creamiest texture you can imagine. Beef tongue with little blocks of fried mayonnaise and a pungent tomato molasses was next and is one of the dishes the restaurant is most known for. The simple sounding, but exquisitely and ingeniously assembled french onion soup was next (see photo). The onions came in the form of a concentrated paste atop two thin wafers of rye which you let drop into the broth with its globes of cheese which burst when the dish is all mixed together. This was a highlight of the meal. Our second to last savory dish was perhaps my favorite: warm surf clams with watermelon, garlic chive and these extremely potent little fermented black beans that looked like watermelon seeds. Lastly, before desserts began, we had lamb belly, which was prepared like thin bacon with black chickpea and cherried cucumber, an earthy hearty final savory entry…

The reason I remember everything in such detail is that they give you a copy of the menu to follow along. I asked the waiter if it would be possible to get mine signed by Dufresne, and he said “Well, would you like to meet him?” We were taken into the surprisingly calm kitchen where ten or so people were preparing the dishes we had enjoyed. We saw several beef tongues getting their final touches of garnish and learned that interns had the task of carefully crafting the dehydrated pizza pebbles. Wylie was nice and soft spoken and signed our menu with a “Thank you!”. No, Mr Dufresne, thank YOU for the best dining experience ever.

See more: Restaurants

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on September 17, 2007

Thai restaurants are about as common as pigeons in NYC, but just as it's possible for a New Yorker to have no idea what a pigeon is (this is true, I once knew a guy who knew a guy), it's also possible to find a New Yorker who has never had Thai food. We ventured to this midtown hole in the wall with one such man, and I feel I should have warned him that not all Thai experiences will be as fulfilling as Wondee Siam II.?/p>

It takes something special to recommend a restaurant when there are so many decent versions of the same cuisine within a stones throw from anyone's apartment, but there are a few in the city and the boroughs that manage to stand out (previous picks Sripraphai and Noodle Studio for example). But Wondee Siam does them one better, it stands out and makes you want to eat there even though it's located in MIDTOWN. Not a place most people enjoy going to if they don't have to, but you know eventually you'll find yourself with a visitor or family around the theater district or Times Square. Instead of dreading the crowds now you can get excited about going to that part of town for authentic, spicy, and delicious Wondee Siam II (the original is just down the block and reportedly just as good). The service is friendly and my order of larb gai was perfect, as was Jim's pad se ew. Prices are cheap and so is the decor, but the food is sublime.

See more: Restaurants

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on September 3, 2007

Many agree that the only place to get real Greek food in the city is Astoria, but there are so many options to choose from, where do you start? We started with a recommendation, complete with advice on what to order and what not to.

Zenon Taverna is a Cypriot restaurant with some of the most friendly staff I've encountered in years. They offer an unbelievable special: roughly 16 small plates for $18 per person. But, thanks to our friends' advice, we decided against ordering it, apparently it is a perverted amount of food and should only be ordered with extreme caution and complete disregard to one's health and safety.

Instead we went a la carte, with a little cheat sheet in our pockets of the best dishes. For dipping, we got hulking plates full of Tarama (red Caviar dip) and Tahini Dip. The greek Tarama is very similar to my favorite thing of all time, Taramasalta, but it adds potatoes–a shocking twist if you aren't expecting it, but still worth ordering.

Next we got the Cyprus Salad, possibly the best Greek salad you can find, made so by the freshness of the ingredients and the inspired addition of caper leaves. Next came the charred grilled squid, and the heavens opened and the birds were singing. This is the dish to come here for, the one that will haunt your dreams and leave your pillow drenched in saliva. I love grilled squid, but have never tasted it so tender, so flavorful, so exquisite.

Unfortunately, the heavens closed right up again for the hot antipasto, which was by no means bad, but too greasy and fatty for our tastes (the lamb kebob and the cheese were stand out favorites though). Next time I would stick to the seafood and vegetable plates, and that next time will be very soon because just writing this makes me crave it.

See more: Restaurants

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on August 20, 2007