Here's what I said then (on January 5th)

I have always wanted to eat at one of the big ones, New York's best eating establishments like Le Bernardin, Daniel, Per Se, or Jean Georges, but they were simply too expensive… Enter Jean Georges' phenomenal $28 lunch, a comparatively economic way to enjoy the finest foods in a refined environment. It was the perfect spot to celebrate my sister's engagement and with much excitement we all headed over to Trump Tower one Saturday afternoon.

We decided to each get three dishes and a dessert and of course had to try their cocktails, especially when one contains Makers, seltzer, passionfruit juice, and chili – yum. I'll tell you now, with drinks and additional dishes, the bill will balloon before you know it, but I will also tell you know that it is completely worth it – and if you don't believe me, listen to this phrase “Foie Gras Brulee“.

But I am getting ahead of myself, lets begin with the setting: a large airy room with giant ceilings, tall windows, gleaming whites, the greatest two seater chairs I have ever seen, and attentive service. A classy, clean and simple yet elegant backdrop for the delicious food to come.

It all began with an amuse bouche of smoked salmon, warm cauliflower soup, and tangerine. Next Meghan and I opted for the Sea Trout Sashimi that came displayed like abstract art with trout eggs, lemon, dill and horseradish. It was wonderful and fresh tasting. Adam was thrilled with his brussel sprouts with avocado, pistachios and mustard vinaigrette.

My sister and I agreed again on second courses, along with the rest of the table, with the delectable Foie Gras Brulee. One of the single best dishes I have ever had. The crisp sugar shell with the creamy richness of the liver atop the toast was balanced perfect with just a bit of tartness from the Pineapple-Meyer Lemon Jam. Truly heavenly. Jim had gulf shrimp with silky pumpkin, ginger and basil – a dish clearly so good, it was gone within seconds of this photo.

For mains, we ordered (Meghan) sweetbreads with licorice, grilled pear and lemon, (Jim) veal with quince-pineapple compote and roquefort, and (Adam and myself) Black Cod with Honshimehi Mushrooms and Lemongrass Consomme. All were truly excellent. These items are currently still available on the autumn menu, but the dishes changes seasonally, so you may find a whole new world of flavors available pretty soon.

Already the lunch dessert menu has changed slightly, so my apologies if my recollection of the exact ingredients is a bit shaky from here on without the menu to guide me. My sister and I had a taste of Autumn dessert which included a berry mousse with meringue and a cinnamon doughnut. Jim had the “caramel” which included a chocolate pop, coffee-cardamom ice cream, caramel curd, dehydrated sponge, and roasted pineapple sorbet while Adam went chocolate crazy with chocolate cake, vanilla bean ice cream, warm chocolate gnocchi, grapefruit and basil. To top it all of we were given tasty chocolates, tiny cookies, and hand cut vanilla, banana, and berry marshmallows.

Some other Jean Georges restaurants have begun a Winter promotion due to the economy where lunch is $24 and dinner $35. Call the restaurant to make sure they are participating.

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Posted on November 2, 2009

Here's what I said back on January 5th:
Tales of the ill-kept secret Milk and Honey bar, where at one time you could only enter if you had been given the ever changing phone number by an already trusted regular seemed the stuff of legend and had I not known people who had actually went through the hassle of obtaining the number, I probably would have let the famously exclusive Sasha Petraske hot spot remain off my radar and to do list forever.

See, I am not one for hassle and when I heard that they had changed their policy once again to make it where only members with a special key would be able to enjoy the hallowed dim cocktail walls, I knew that Milk and Honey was just a place I'd never see the inside of.

Fortunately for me, though, good friends are among the few who nabbed a key and they were kind enough to invite us there on Jim's Birthday. In a time when “speak easy” is the trend for drinking, this place trumps them all, as it should since it started the whole thing. The entrance is truly nondescript, even a bit sketchy: an unmarked beaten up thick gray steel door in a quiet apartment building, as you walk in you half expect that there's been some mistake and you'll end up in a stranger's living room past the thick curtains.

In fact, the space is not much larger than a living room and the ambiance is minimal: the lights are very dark, the booths are a bit battered and cozy, the music soft. I can't imagine the place would make any sort of real impression on those expecting a level of fanciness for all the secrecy, particularly if those lights were turned all the way up.

But superfluous decoration is beside the point of Milk and Honey, a bar truly and utterly devoted to the notion of substance over style. The experience here is about a civilized environment in which to enjoy perfect cocktails. Plus these expertly cocktails all cost $9; a price which is a steal compared to the $11-13 that absolutely everyone seems to think they can charge these days.

There are no crowds here and to our surprise, no menus either. You simply tell your kind and knowledgeable waiter what sort of drink you fancy and they come back with a custom made concoction. I opted for bourbon, starting with a frothy ginger spiced highball and moving on to a simplified take on the old fashioned. Jim found happiness in his beloved Chicago fizz.

It's a strange place in theory. In some ways it's a stand against the celebrity obsessed, over hyped bar scene. No name dropping or obnoxious behavior is tolerated, but at the same time, it's become an almost uncomfortably elitist corner of the city (in theory). After such a wonderfully pleasant evening there, however, I stepped outside and decided I may just enjoy being an elitist sometimes, so long as it means secret keys that open doors to places like Milk and Honey.

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Posted on November 2, 2009

This is what I said on March 23rd:

The people behind Marlow and Sons, one of Brooklyn's finest restaurants, have opened a wonderful butcher shop just up the block called Marlow and Daughters. I've been meaning to pay the meat paradise a visit since it opened (much to the delight of carnivorous food bloggers) back in December, but I didn't get around to it until a recent sunny afternoon.

The shop was clean and bright and shone like a freshly painted dream for red meat lovers; an array of meaty delights awaited us and even a goat's head peeked out from beneath the glass.

Facing down unfamiliar cuts of meat in a bustling shop can be an usual and admittedly intimidating experience for sure, but don't hesitate to ask questions, the staff seem to enjoy assisting customers. One sunnily dispositioned butcher was particularly helpful, walking us through our options and even offering useful preparation tips.

On his recommendation, we went home with a honking bone-in prime rib type thing called The Last Boy Scout that reminded me of something out of the Flintstones. It was cheaper than a prime rib because of the large bone that ran though its center, which made it a little tough to carve after cooking; fortunately no one was around to witness the rough around the edges results of our unpracticed meat carving skills.

The meat itself was tender and terrific and lots of people will be excited to learn that shop only serves local, grass fed and sustainable foods. I hope to make Marlow and Daughters a staple in my epicurean life, especially since they specialize in rare cuts and meats that can be hard – nay, impossible — to find in a traditional grocery store. Sure, the price is a bit higher than what you might be used to paying at C-Town, but it's still cheaper than eating out, right?

Aside from the meat, the shop also offers a selection of fine foods like olives, spreads and tarragon mustard (which I bought and love – I happen to be a tarragon fiend). I'm also planning on trying some of their delicious looking cured meats on an upcoming visit, of which there will be many.

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Posted on November 2, 2009

From the week of April 6th:

Well it certainly took long enough, but Rotating Corpse is finally here! It's a new collaborative blog Jim and I put together with a number of our most awesomest friends. It's updated daily with amazing things to delight your mind. It's tons of fun to be a part of and just as fun to browse. Please stop by, subscribe to the feed and feel free to leave comments!

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Posted on November 2, 2009

Here's what I wrote on July 20th:

For me, Brad Neely's alternative commentary track for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone calls to mind the expressive ramblings and raspy, wild, and often despairing voice of suicidal beat poet Steven Jesse Bernstein. Inspired by the idea of retelling the popular tale from a wildly misinformed (he refers to Hagrid as Hagar the Horrible and mistakes Snape for a woman) though enthusiastic point of view, Neely has created a sort of cult phenomenon that has made Warner Brothers bristle.

Though there are curse words, it's not a low brow piece of appropriation with mere fart jokes and f-words – it's far more interesting and bizarre than that.

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Posted on November 2, 2009