Goodies First

Nov 9

Les Halles Downtown

All that a bistro should be, at least it feels that way. I went all classic
and ordered the hanger steak with frites and a frisee salad with lardons and
blue cheese. Meals like this make me think the Atkins Diet might actually be
doable. But can man live on meat and fat alone? (11/9/02)

Oh, this place always makes me go overboard on fat. The lardon filled
frisee salad with blue cheese heaped crouton-bruschetta would be a
sufficient meal, but I went nuts and also ordered the duck confit with
truffled potatoes. You know, I think I mightve ordered that exact same combo
the last time I visited Les Halles, which wasn't recently at all.

The food is always satisfying, but the service tends to mystify. Waiters
change throughout the meal, drinks are screwed up and then you are never
asked the rest of the evening if youd like another or even how your food is.
There's nothing maliciously poor about any of it, but you get the sense that
no one knows what theyre doing.

I was internally making fun of the young obvious out-of-towners a table
down from us because they wanted vegan items and then the guy just ordered
and ate while his girlfriend watched (I guess she was the no animal product
person). Why would anyone think French food would lend itself to this style
of eating? But then the tables were turned (almost literally) when I tried
to squeeze out of our two-seater without pulling out the table and my tipsy
(I eventually was able to flag down more wine) fat ass barely fit between
ours and the next and I almost fell on my head. Though I still think trying
to order vegan fare in a bistro is more foolish than forcing a large body
into a small space. (6/30/05)

LesHalles
Downtown * John St., New York,NY

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Nov 8

Midtown Friday’s

All those commercials about "in here it's always Friday," making the chain
dining experience look like a blast, the bartenders something like
"Cocktail" era maestros, don't apply to this location. Chains are weird in
NYC to begin with. At least the Times Square location can boast being the
largest in the United States. Since chains are always inexplicably busy,
hour or more waits not uncommon for Olive Gardens and Red Lobsters, it
seemed baffling that TGI Friday's could be dead, on of all nights, Friday.

Along a tourist corridor, the prices were easily $5 higher than
reasonable for fajitas, chicken strips and the like. But the suburban
experience in the city doesn't come cheap, and I could abide that. We were
quite possibly the only "locals" downing Buffalo wings and BBQ chicken pizza
that evening.

TGIFriday's *
1680 Broadway, New York, NY

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Nov 2

Blue 9 Burger

I'd heard they were like In-n-Out, so I thought I'd give them a try. But
then, I've only ever eaten one lukewarm In-n-Out burger on an airplane, so
it's not as if I have much point of reference. That said, I did like Blue
9's burger and fries. In fact, that's all they have on the menu, which is
kind of refreshing in these days of haute fast food, all crazy with
remoulade and Niman Ranch wieners (Blue 9 does have a chili mango sauce next
to the ketchup pump, but that's okay).

It's not cheap as fast food, but it's not like a sit-down restaurant
either. I think the cheeseburger was $3.50. The reason I mention this is
because on our way out, a scruffy guy out front who looked like he was going
to ask for change or a cigarette instead asked, "Is the food cheap?" I don't
know why that struck me as so amusing. It had never occurred to me to ask
someone that on their way out of a restaurant–maybe I should give it a try.
I wasn't sure how to answer. I think I said something along the lines of
"not, cheap, but not expensive, sort of in the middle." Not too decisive, am
I?

I'm very curious to see how long this restaurant holds out in this
cursed spot. The last two didn't even make it past the six month mark.

Blue 9 Burger * 92 Third Ave., New York, NY

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Nov 1

Starfoods

It's a "French-American roadhouse," if there is such a thing. I think
this means serving things like rabbit with grits. Starfoods seems potentially
scene-y, though it was pleasantly low-key during opening week. The Space
Invaders tiles in the bar are cute. In fact, I'd be more likely to stop
back in the bar than the restaurant and I can't say why for sure.

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Nov 1

Washington Park

This choice threw me for a loop. James called me up Thursday night to
announce he'd made reservations at "Jonathan Waxman's new restaurant." Er,
okay. He's not retarded, but he's not really up on chefs, recent openings,
what's hot and all that crap. (He'd also made reservations for Les Halles
the following night, but that choice wasn't surprising considering Mr.
Bourdain's recent successes as author and television show commentator.) It
weirded me out a bit, but who am I to look an expensive gift horse in the
mouth?

The vibe is sort of an anachronistically yuppie, business casual affair.
James claimed a table of men behind me were very "Bonfire of the Vanities."
And without ever having seen that movie, I'm pretty sure what he meant. But
the '80s are big at the moment, right?

The menu is all about the market (not the stock market), what's fresh,
what's in season, all that Chez Panisse philosophy. I had to question James,
"You know this is California cuisine, right?" knowing his fear and
disdain for all things West Coast. But if a menu is going to be seasonal,
for my taste, autumn is the time to go. I had red pepper pancakes with
salmon, caviar and creme fraiche for a starter (James the lobster taco),
then the duck breast with roasted acorn squash and chestnut puree (James
couldn't resist the name-dropping Niman Ranch pork). The dessert was
something pecany, possibly gingery, artfully arranged with a crispy
caramelized sugar decoration and a small scoop of pumpkin ice cream.

The waitstaff was all tricked out in Thomas Pink, the linens were Frette, and the silverware was all
silver, duh. Come to think of it, I doubt I've ever actually eaten
with real silverware. The meal was fun, if not a tad decadent for an
unemployed sap like me.

*Hmm, Washington Park's sudden demise baffles me. (6/11/04)

WashingtonPark * Fifth Ave., New York, NY

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Oct 26

Los Pollitos

I used to get chicken salad for lunch from the Park Slope branch, but that's
all I'd ever tried until I visited the Sunset Park location while
researching a story on places to drink while watching the NY Marathon. Odd
topic? I suppose — drinking at 11 a.m. on a Sunday is a bit much, even for
me. I opted for a fresh-squeezed lemonade instead, which they kindly sweeten
to your liking. And tried a torta even though they're about the rotisserie
chicken. The food is perfectly acceptable, but what really gets me are their
comically portrayed chicken mascots, wide-eyed, wings flapping, strutting in
big red clodhoppers.

Los Pollitos * 5911 Fourth Ave., Brooklyn, NY

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Oct 24

Tacu Tacu

Half Japanese, I've heard of. Half Vietnamese, I'm not so sure about. In
that crazy, oh-so-eclectic Williamsburg tradition, they've created a
Peruvian/Vietnamese restaurant with two separate menus under the same roof.
I guess it works for White Castle/Church's and Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins,
right? Some family members want burgers, others want fried chicken. James
got paella (is that Peruvian?) and I got the whole fried red snapper in a
spicy sweet and sour sauce, which wouldn't be likely at most other
restaurants. So, for variety's sake, it's an amusing concept, though I'd
feel better about eating Peruvian at a Peruvian place and Vietnamese at,
yes, you know, a Vietnamese restaurant.

TacuTacu/Maison Saigon * 134-136 N. Sixth St., Brooklyn,NY

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Oct 14

Chez Alexandre

We thought we were being smart, taking our extended Columbus Day weekend in Canada. But Monday morning I suspected something was up when there were too many people out and about and it looked like lots of businesses were closed. We had wanted to try the steak frites at L'entrecoute St. Jacques, but the place was shuttered-up at prime lunch time. It wasn't until I read the Thanksgiving closure notice on a bank door that any of it made sense.

Still in search of steak frites, we settled for Chez Alexandre, down the street. I fear that neighborhood is the Times Square of Montreal (minus the Disney Store and black muslims). The menu didn't seem so remarkable, but the prices indicated as much. Who were we to argue? Choices were scarce and we were in a hurry to get on the road.

The most interesting part of the meal was spying on the middle-aged gentleman in the corner who ordered what appeared to be a gin and tonic, then would periodically hide his glass with his newspaper and pour in smuggled gin from one of those mini airplane bottles. He even had the audacity to ask for more ice at one point, just to top it off with his own spirits. I couldn't begrudge him, he was alone on a holiday (maybe he couldn't wait to get away from the family) and the drinks were probably expensive. I wonder if one gets into some sort of trouble if found out by the waitstaff?

Chez Alexandre * 1454 Peel St., Montreal, Canada

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Oct 13

Fonduementale

I'm keen on the standard cheese fondue, James prefers the chocolate version,
neither of us had tried the shabu shabu ("Chinese," as they call it) style,
so we opted for "The Romantic" sampler. Fondue three ways may be more over
the top than romantic, but to each their own. The whole shebang included an
appetizer of pink peppercorn cheese fondue (or traditional fondue or soup of
the day), beef and chicken Chinese fondue with shrimp, salmon and calamari,
and chocolate (or maple syrup) fondue. The mish mash of influences seemed
rightly French-Canadian, though if we had wanted to really go completely
Canuck, we could've opted for wild game like wild boar in apple oil, caribou
in cedar extract or deer with juniper berries.

Fonduementale* 4325 Rue
St. Denis, Montreal, Canada

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Oct 13

L’avenue

We couldn't find Beauty's for the life of us, then were talked out of the
place by a young coffee shop guy (who spoke perfectly accentless English to
us, then French to his friend on the phone. It just doesn't seem right, this
French-Canadian act. Everyone's all particular about speaking French,
signage being in French, but they all understand and speak English as well
as the rest of Canada and all of the United States can) who in so many words
said it was overhyped. That, I understand. I don't want to get stuck at like
the Carnegie Deli of Montreal.

L'Avenue was very popular with the locals, and just about everyone else
in town. People seem to love lining up at restaurants and bars in Montreal.
Are there too many people or not enough places to go? The menu was entirely
in French, but I was able to deduce the eggs benedict. Good: you could smoke
all over the place. Bad: the enormous "fruit" salads that came with
everything. Why fruit means 90% melon, I'll never understand.

L'Avenue* 922 Mont-Royal Ave. E., Montreal, Canada

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