Abe & Arthur's

As is typical of trendy restaurants, despite the fact that they will give up your table if you are more than 15 minutes late, they have no problem making you wait for over 15 minutes.  And despite noticing handfuls of empty tables once were were seated, we waited about 20 minutes for our table in Abe & Arthur's bar area.  Luckily, the bar area at Abe & Arthur's is comfortable, with plenty of high stools at the bar and low lying benches nearby.  Even though it was 8:30 pm on a Friday night, we had no problem getting the bartender's attention and plenty of room to enjoy our drinks.

Once you are seated, instead of receiving a bread basket, Abe & Arthur's delivers warm pop overs to your table, a fun take on a standard bread offering (sorry no picture, they were hastily devoured).  The wine menu featured wines from all over the world and varietals for everyone but nothing so outstanding to write about.  Abe & Arthur's corkage charge is reasonable so I would recommend bringing your favorite red to go with the steak.

While I noticed dozens of staff buzzing around the restaurant during our meal, our server was awful.   We waited awhile to be greeted and had to ask for water and bread.  Also, shortly after we finished our apps, my husband ordered another cocktail from our server while we waited for our steak to arrive (I declined another glass of wine b/c mine was still about half full).   After ten minutes, the server came by with drink menus, asking us if we wanted more drinks (Mitch had ordered one and was still waiting for it) and if we wanted dessert (we were still waiting for our steak).  The whole service seemed hap hazard and uncoordinated.  While I was inclined to ask to speak to the manager, I kept quiet (a result of the wine lethargy).

Rewinding back briefly to earlier in the night, I arrived with a Hanukkah present in my hand which the coat check women mistook for a birthday present.  As a result, she repeatedly wished me happy birthday but it was so loud I only caught on the third time.

At the end of our meal, we ordered one dessert but received 3.  I had absolutely no clue why.  The staff did not know I write a food blog, it wasn't my birthday despite the coat check women's repeated wishes (and the desserts did not have a birthday candle in it like others delivered to tables around us) and no one apologized for the abysmal service.  When we asked why we received the extra desserts, the server told us the manager sent them over.  My only guess is that the server alerted the manager that the meal had gone poorly and the manager tried to send over extra desserts to make mends (smart man, I have a wicked sweet tooth).

What to Eat:

To start, order the Shrimp Scampi.  The three large shrimp are grilled, and then thrown in a buttery sauce with charred cherry tomatoes and crusty french bread. The bread arrives partially soaked in the thick buttery sauce.  I made a crostini out of the ingredients but you an happily enjoy the app however works best for you.

For your entree, go with the Porterhouse for Two if both/several diners at the table are meat eaters.  I enjoyed every bite of the juicy steak. The two of us are big eaters but we couldn't finish the enormous steak.   Abe & Arthur's offers various side sauces (for a charge) for the steak like au poivre, bearnaise, etc...but truthfully, the steak doesn't need it.  The steak was so flavorful I preferred enjoying it on its own.

For a side,  go with the Truffled Herb Parmesan Fries if you are into crispy fries and love the taste of truffle.  Abe & Arthur's douses the fries in truffle oil and then coats the fries in parmesan cheese so the fries don't taste like your average fries.  Side note: pass on the Mac N Cheese side, it's too bland.  Abe & Arthur's Mac N Cheese reminded me of Kraft's version out of a box with bread crumbs sprinkled on top.

For dessert, order the French Toast Bread Pudding.  The warm, doughy bread pudding is drizzled in maple syrup and then topped with a large scoop of butter pecan ice cream.. The consistency was perfection and the entire dessert made you feel like you were enjoying a beloved breakfast treat for dessert.

With respect to the extra desserts we received, the Baked Alaska, while aesthetically interesting, tasted underwhelming, especially next to the bread pudding.

The pumpkin cobbler, on the other hand, a special, was outstanding for pumpkin lovers.  The cobbler arrived in a jar and was topped with a cream cheese like ice cream.  The flavors truly captured the holiday spirit.  Because it was a seasonal special, you may not find it but don't despair, the French Toast Bread Pudding should be on the menu all winter.

In the mood for a steakhouse minus the suits?  Abe and Arthur's is a hit when it comes to trendy and top notch steak but a miss with the service,

Your foodie friend

The NoMad

The owners of Eleven Madison Park opened the NoMad to serve food to the masses, the trendy (deep pocketed) masses, that is.  Despite opening it's doors about one year ago, you will need to book your reservation 30 days out or will be left with the 5:30pm or 10:30 pm options (forget about walking in without one).

The bar area at the back of the NoMad was packed with suits and models.  You will have to cleverly navigate the area to score a beverage and then hope desperately to find a small patch of real estate to enjoy your drink.  There's a quieter area to the left of the bar referred to as "the Library" for drinks but you will have to wait patiently (a bit shorter than a life time) for a few seats.

The extensive wine menu at the NoMad features wines from all over the globe but offers few affordable options.  The cocktail menu, while still pricey, offers inventive concoctions that are a better bet.

Similar to Eleven Madison Park, the service at the NoMad was perfect.  Our server was attentive, available and constantly confirming our approval. Also similar was their grand presentation of the food, describing each dish as it arrived.  While I appreciated the more casual ambiance at the NoMad and enjoyed most of my food, if I have to be 100% honest, the meal is a bit overpriced.  I suppose there is a price to be paid for trendy but I wouldn't rush back without an expense account.

What to Eat:

Start with the Cauliflower appetizer, which is a combination of roasted cauliflower with grapes, marcona almonds and a white cheddar cheese.  Typically I order a side vegetable with my entree if my entree does not come with a vegetable, but the entree portions at the NoMad are large enough that starting with a veggie is a great idea.  The salty marcona almonds contrast the sweet grapes.  In my head the cheddar was melted on the cauliflower but I was pleasantly surprised to see it cubed and tossed in with the other ingredients.








For an entree, go with the Chicken for Two.  The kitchen gallantly presents the stuffed bird at your table before carving it in the kitchen.  Tucked under the skin of the white meat is a mixture of brioche, black truffle and foie gras.  The white meat is plated  separately from the dark meat and included brussel sprouts and lentils.  The dark meat is served in a separate terrine that is  overflowing with a decadent wine gravy sauce.  I usually shy away from ordering chicken at restaurants but the NoMad's chicken lived up to its reputation as the best chicken in NYC.  The chicken breast was so juicy and moist that it literally melted in your mouth.



For dessert, order the chocolate caramel hazelnut tart.  The dessert is accompanied by a scoop of chocolate sorbet.  To my surprise, Mitch said, "we should have ordered five of these!"  Usually, Mitch is content with a bite of dessert (allowing me to devour the rest) but the small tart disappeared in minutes.  I was unable to identify the hazelnut flavor in the melted chocolatey caramel center but it did not diminish the dessert in my eyes.  The sorbet was placed on a bed of crumble and the plate drizzled with a rich dark chocolate sauce.








Looking to impressive a client or a date?  The NoMad largely lives up to the hype,

Your foodie friend


Insider tip:  Can't score a reservation?  IF you can find a spot at the bar, there are impressive looking snacks (e.g. like finger sized fried chicken) and people watching at the bar.

Parm

About six months ago I tried to go to Parm in Nolita.  Parm doesn't take reservations and the host said it would be about a 45 minute wait.  The problem is, there's no bar area or bar alternative nearby to kill time.  I was hungry and figured I could suffer the 45 minutes...Until 45 minutes became an 1 hour, and then over an hour.  I had to call it quits when another restaurant I had wanted to try, located down the street, had availability (see review of Balabousta, http://forthefoodieinallofus.blogspot.com/2012/04/balaboosta.html).

Despite this initial disappointment, Parm persevered on my list.  The perfect opportunity presented itself to finally dine at Parm, a 2:30 lunch.  No chance there could be a wait (or significant wait) for a table at 2:30.  Upon arrival, I was seated immediately (even without my dining companion present).

Parm is a brilliant concept.  Italian American (as opposed to authentic Italian) food, served fresh, with high end ingredients and in moderately sized portions.  Most Italian American restaurants in NYC (and all over the US) serve over fried, over battered, frozen chicken cutlets, or flavorless tomato sauce out of a can, in bulk portions to the masses.  Parm succeeds where so many restaurants in Little Italy fail.

The ambiance at Parm is 50's diner chic, but the best part is the doo wop music playing in the background.

What to Eat:

Start with the Baked Ziti.  There is an option to get a side of "Meat Gravy", which is a hearty, beef Bologna sauce.  Unless your a vegetarian, order the ziti with meat gravy.  The browned ziti noodles are layered with a homemade marinara sauce and then topped with huge dollops of fresh ricotta.  I'd love to get my hands on this recipe.

The main reason I tried Parm is to confirm the rumor that Parm served the best chicken parmigiana in NYC.  Rumors confirmed readers.  Parm offers the chicken parm on a small roll, a medium sized hero or a platter (the platter includes a salad or ziti).  Unknown fun fact about me: Chicken Parm Heros are one of my 5 favorite foods.  The problem is, most of them are greasy, over breaded, have average bread, etc...I found none of these issues at Parm.  Parm's chicken hero contained layers of thick slices of lightly breaded white meat, sweet marinara sauce, and fresh mozzarella.  One word: perfection.  It's a good thing they don't deliver.






It is hard to save room for dessert at Parm but find a way readers.  The dessert special was apple cinnamon zeppoles, which I was considering until the waiter brought out a slice of a diner's Peppermint Patty Ice Cream cake.  That's right, Parm serves a different homemade ice cream cake every night.  As someone raised on Baskin Robbin's Ice Cream cake, I could barely contain my excitement.  The ice cream cake was layered with spearmint ice cream, mint ice cream and chocolate ice cream.  Each layer was separated by cookie crumbs and the cake was topped with candy cane crumbs.  The server recommending getting a bit of each layer on your fork, which was a great call.  The different chocolate and mint flavors together were incredible.

Willing to wait (forever) for a table?  Parm will make it worth your while,

Your foodie friend

Insider tip:  Do not go during usual dining hours unless you are willing to wait about an hour. Go for an early/late lunch or dinner to avoid the crowds.

Del Friscos Grille

Del Friscos is my favorite steak house in NYC.  In my (gasp) almost ten years in NYC, no other steak house has come close to unseating this establishment in my mind.  So when Del Friscos opened a more casual eatery, Del Friscos Grille, I was intrigued.  Looking for a post holiday shopping meal to re-energize, we decided to give Del Friscos Grille a shot.

The Del Friscos franchise consistently delivers delicious food and outstanding service.  Our experience at Del Friscos Grille was every bit as tasty while providing impeccable service (at a (relatively) lower price point) than Del Friscos.

Del Friscos Grille offers a large and diverse menu (meat, fish, chicken, etc...).  Also, the menu includes Del Friscos famous steaks for those unfortunate souls that had their hearts set on the original Del Friscos but failed to score a reservation. 

Unlike the bright white linens and fancy decor in the original Del Friscos, Del Friscos Grille is large and dark, setting the perfect tone for casual drinks with friends.  The service at the Grille, however, was just as good as the original.  Our server accommodated several item changes graciously.  Throughout our meal, she stopped by to check on us to ensure that we had a truly flawless experience.

Each dish we ordered was better than the next.  If possible, I would recommend going to Del Friscos Grille with a few people because there are plenty of items you will want to share. 

What to Eat:

Del Friscos Grille is not meant for the light eater.  Come hungry, very hungry.  Start with the Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls.  Despite my skepticism, the Asian influenced American classic somehow works.  The plate is drizzled (doused) in a sweet chile sauce which was a nod to the egg roll (even though the sweet chile sauce was appetizing, I personally prefer a cheesesteak with ketchup).  Regardless of the sauce, the prime meat and cheese mixture is the right balance of savory, so the rest is just dressing. Also, you'll be impressed that the egg roll isn't greasy/oily.



Since you are dining at the Grille, go with the Cheese Burger if you need more meat (I'm old school so if I want a steak, I'll wait until I have a reservation at the original Del Friscos).  The two thin hamburger patties are piled high with layers of cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles.  Instead of ketchup and mustard, Del Frisco's smothers its cheeseburger with a "sloppy sauce," which is a delectable concoction of ketchup and mayonnaise.

The stand out for me at Del Frisco's Grille was the Roasted Tomato Flat Bread.  The bread crust is lightly seasoned with oregano and parmesan, and then topped with large chunks of freshly roasted tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves.  Shortly after I ordered, I noticed Del Frisco's Grille serves a burrata appetizer so I asked for the kitchen to swap out the mozzarella for the burrata.  The server ran (literally) back to the oven to have it changed in time.

Need a dinner/drinks spot to catch up with friends near 30 Rock? I know Del Friscos Grille will be my new go to spot in midtown,

Your foodie friend