El Toro Blanco

Let's start off with the good at El Toro Blanco.  Almost everything we ordered.  Now to the bad.  Surly/barely competent wait staff and sour margaritas.  You can tell from the Guacamole that this place serves legit Mexican food.  Which says a lot coming from Southern California girl.  El Toro's guaca reviles my guac and is probably the best in town.  It definitely had a kick to it so if you need something milder, speak up when you order (it is freshly prepared but not prepared table side).

Back to the service.  Margaritas that were supposed to have no salt arrived salted.  Traditional margaritas on the rocks, probably the least complicated thing we ordered, were awful and tasted like sour mix.  When I informed our waiter that the margaritas tasted like sour mix, he proceeded to lecture us that the restaurant puts 2 (whole) ounces of tequila in the margarita and then told us he was concerned that we would be too drunk (mind you this was our first drink of the night) if the restaurant fixed them as per our request (so they would essentially taste correct).  Apparently, he didn't want to stick to bad service and preferred to move on to down right insulting.

Luckily, the great company at the table and the impressive food helped us laugh about the horrendous wait staff and enjoy our night.  Sadly, I think bad service is endemic to the West Village.   

What to Eat:

Go with a small group and order family style.  With all of the impressive appetizers, I would recommend ordering more apps and less entrees at El Toro Blanco.  I wouldn't recommend going with a group larger than 4-6 because it's very loud so there's no chance you will hear the person sitting more than two seats away from you.  We started off with the Short Rib Empanadas, which consisted of three empanadas, stuffed with tender, braised pulled short ribs and a hint of oaxaca cheese.  The empanadas come with an ancho bbq sauce but you probably won't need it because the small empanadas are moist and packed with flavor.

Another big hit was the Octopus Tacos.  The two soft corn tortillas were filled with marinated octopus slices, avocado, and a citrus slaw.  I would recommend ordering enough for everyone to have their own taco because the octopus tacos are too good to have anything less than one taco to yourself.  Octopus appears on menus all over NYC now but I would have never thought to pair tacos and octopus.  The pairing totally worked and if I ever end up at El Toro again, this will be the first thing I order.

 I also enjoyed the Shrimp Tacos, although after devouring the octopus tacos, the shrimp tacos felt a little less exciting.  Every bit as tasty, just something you've seen before.  El Toro Blanco does a great job presenting the tray of tacos, putting lime slices on each side of the taco to help keep them propped up.  

Eventually we made it to the entrees.  The standout for the night was the Carne Tampiquena, a slow cooked, juicy skirt steak.  Ignore the lame cheese enchilada El Toro Blanco tosses on the plate, it's just as lackluster as Toloache's.  

The Elote de Calle was the best side of the night.  The corn, sliced off the cob, is seasoned with red chile powder and crumbled cheese.  Every time I pass a NYC street fair corn vendor, it will remind me of the infinitely better tasting (and easier to consume) version at El Toro.  Thankfully, El Toro serves a large bowl of the delectable corn.

For dessert, we opted for an order of Churros for the table.  While the churros were tasty, the ducle de leche dipping sauce stole the show.  If El Torro would bottle it up and sell it, I'd buy a case.

Looking for a hot spot to escape this never ending NYC winter? I know it's technically spring, it just doesn't feel like it,

Your foodie friend

Insider tip: Do not order the shrimp empanada.  It was fishy and in retrospect I should have sent it back.  It was the only bad dish we had all night.

Sarabeth's

While Sarabeth's has become synonymous with brunch, perhaps the best thing about Sarabeth's is dinner.  Don't get me wrong, I love their brunch (stay tuned for my brunch post), but their dinner menu is the true show stopper.  Also, because most people don't know Sarabeth's serves dinner, dinner time is a much more tranquil experience than the chaotic, overcrowded brunch scene.

Sarabeth's dinner menu is huge so there is definitely something for everyone.  I have to go back to try two of the dishes that initially attracted me to the menu (the Halibut and Scallops).

Sarabeth's kicked off the night with a bread basket featuring some of my favorites, like focaccia and walnut raisin rolls.  Good luck not ruining your meal on the freshly baked bread.

And the wine menu is one of the best in the city.  Sarabeth's offers more top quality, reasonably priced wines than any restaurant I've seen lately.  There were excellent choices by the glass (we served the Heller Cabernet Sauvignon at our wedding), half bottle and full bottle.  With the huge, open bar area in the front and a tasty bar menu, Sarabeth's is actually a pretty good happy hour option.

What to Eat:


Get an order of Pretzel Bread for the table (even if there is only two of you :)).  This is actually listed as a bar snack but is available on the regular menu.  Regardless of where you are sitting, the pretzel bread is worth ordering.  The three long, doughy pretzel baguettes arrive warm at your table with a side of grain mustard.  Turns out the pretzel bread is great for dipping in the guacamole as well.

Another great appetizer that is meant to be shared is the Jumbo Lump Crab Guacamole.  The guacamole was solid but the fresh, large chunks of jumbo lump crab, piled a few inches high, makes this appetizer a stand out.  I would have never thought to add jumbo lump crab to guacamole but I'm glad Sarabeth's did.  Sarabeth's prides itself on serving the guacamole with homemade potato chips.  I'm not much of a chips person so I asked my server for a substitute.  The birthday girl keenly noticed steak tartar on the menu so we asked for toast slices and our server kindly obliged.

A MUST: The Adult Grilled Cheese with Creamy Tomato Soup (I took this from a bad angle, sorry readers). Sarbeth's melts a mixture of gruyere and cheddar cheeses on its delicious pretzel bread.  Don't be shy about dipping your sandwich in the soup.  You are missing out if you eat them separately because the creamy tomato soup is the most decadent condiment I've ever had.

Thought Sarabeth's was only a brunch spot?  Think again, the dinner was even better,

Your foodie friend





Insider tip:  Skip dessert, we tried several and they ranged from bad (the vanilla raspberry bread pudding is served somewhere between cold and luke warm) to average (some of the cookies on the cookie plate were tasty).  For a restaurant known for their baked goods, it was disappointing to end the night on lackluster desserts.  The good news is that you will probably be too full from all of the delicious apps and entrees to even consider dessert.

Periyali

Somehow Periyali has flown under the radar for me.  Even though it predates my move to the neighborhood (Gramercy/Flatiron), it's Greek!  I should have found it long ago.  Recently I was looking for a new fish restaurant and Periyali appeared on my computer screen.  After devouring our meal last week, I will have to return soon to make up for lost time.

Periyali's charming host greeted us with compliments and allowed us to be seated well before our reservation time (luckily for us, the restaurant was only 2/3 full at the time).  The menu was huge and featured all of the requisite Greek staples.  The food delivery time to our table was impressively fast, which was much appreciated because we arrived ravenous.   The only minor snags for the night: (1) after we ordered the Branzino, we found out that the kitchen ran out of it so we had to go with the Striped Bass, a distant second choice and (2) the server forgot our Sauteed Green Beans (but once we reminded him, the beans arrived shortly thereafter).

Periyali's wine menu (thankfully) offered wines from outside of Greece.  I love Greek restaurants, Greek people, and Greek beaches but Greek wine, not so much.  I'm a bit frustrated when a Greek restaurant only offers Greek wine.  I know this is a bit of a double standard because I would not have the same complaint at an Italian restaurant that only offers Italian wine but Italian wine is more often than not palatable.  Greek wine, not so much.

Periyali is a great place to go with parents or friends because it is nice but not fancy.  And somehow, the festive Greek atmosphere manages to remain at a quieter decibel, which is perfect for catching up with your dining companion.  The dining room feels homey, perhaps partly because it is underground.  Despite the few snags, I will be back.  The friendly service and delicious food more than made up for the few missteps.

What to Eat:


Start with the Oktapodi Sharas, which consists of long, thick octopus tendrils marinated in red wine.  The three large tendrils were so fresh and tender, they disappeared in our stomachs instantaneously.  I was impressed throughout the night with the high quality ingredients in each dish.










For an entree, the Arni Youvetsi is a MUST.  Even though I came to Periyali with fish in mind, when I saw this entree on other diners tables, I lost focus.  The meat of the braised lamb shank literally falls off the bone and is only rivaled in taste by the generous portion of decadent tomato orzo with a hint of cinnamon.  This entree is one of my new favorite dishes in NYC.

Looking for a Greek take on winter comfort food?  I'd be happy to hide out during the impending snow storm at Periyali,

Your foodie friend

Isola

Isola, located in the Mondrian Hotel in Soho, is stunning.  The restaurant is located on the street level of the hotel, which explains the impressive high ceilings.  It looks like on warmer days (hopefully only a month away), Isola plans to offer outdoor seating.

Isola's dining room is encased in glass and features draped twinkling lights.  The lights give the dining room a slightly romantic ambiance but not so much that you need to dine with your significant other.  In fact, the bar area and/or long communal table make for a perfect spot to catch up with a friend.  For a Thursday night, Isola was only 2/3 full which was surprising for a restaurant that is constantly on Page Six.  Perhaps  the holiday week or the blistering cold weather kept diners away.

For a trendy restaurant, the portions at Isola were well sized.  Sometimes trendy Italian restaurant only send out a handful of twirls of spaghetti, but not at Isola.  And our service was impeccable throughout the night.  Our meal was evenly paced and our server frequently checked in on us to ensure we enjoyed our dishes and wine.

Isola's predominantly Mediterranean wine list offered several solid options by the glass.  In fact, I was so excited by my wine by the glass options, I forgot to peak at the wine by bottle list.

What to Eat:

Isola's Taleggio Focaccia is reason enough to visit this restaurant.  The warm, doughy focaccia bread is generously topped with caramelized onions and a thick layer of taleggio cheese.  The decadent appetizer is accompanied by a thin fig jam for you to spread onto the focaccia, creating the perfect sweet to salty ratio.  Isola's focaccia was so good I caught myself day dreaming about it the next day.








People that read my blog know that I'm a sucker for a good Chitarra.  Isola's chitarra easily met my high standards.  The night we dined at Isola was one of the coldest nights this winter but the large bowl of homemade chitarra noodles and cheesy tomato sauce managed to warm me up quickly.

Focaccia lovers?  This is the place for you,

Your foodie friend

Insider tip: Skip the dry meatballs and bland bread (accompanying the meatballs).  This was the only disappointment of the night.

Fornelleto

Road Trip!  Ok readers, you asked for destination dining reviews, here's the first: Fornelleto.

Fornelleto, located in the Borgata in Atlantic City, is one of my top 5 Italian eateries in the US. That's right, top 5.  I've never had a bad dish there.  The service is always stellar and you can't beat the ambiance, for upscale casino dining.  After walking down a winding stair case (carefully in four inch heels), you find yourself in the bar area, which is a great alternative if you don't have a reservation.  Fornelleto offers several dining rooms, each surrounded by a wine cellar.

Truthfully, it is hard to tell people what to eat at Fornelleto because everything is so damn good.  My four fellow diners allowed me to order for the table (one of my favorite things to do), which is an easy task at a place like Fornelleto.  The only minor disappointment for the night was that the Osso Bucco was not on the menu.

Order family style at Fornelleto if your dining companions are cool with it because this Italian food is meant to be shared.  That, and you'll have a tough time narrowing down what to order.  The portions are generous so keep that in mind as well.

Fornelleto offers an extensive wine by the glass and wine by the bottle menu. There are wines from every region and at a somewhat reasonable price points (given you are at the Borgata in AC and at a high end restaurant).

On this visit, we were served by the charming Guissepe, who even plated our pasta and dessert course, ensuring our delicious meal did not wind up on our party clothes.  Guiseppe was attentive throughout our meal, ensuring our respective wine, cocktail and water glasses were always replenished.  Guissepe was quick with suggestions, ensuring we ordered the right amount of food for the table (and smartly guiding us with his dessert recommendation).

What to Eat:

 Start with the garlic whipped ricotta.  The creamy, homemade ricotta is served with slices of Italian toast but it tastes just as good with the focaccia bread Fornelleto provides.  The hint of garlic in the freshly made ricotta makes Fornelleto ricotta superior to most.  The portion is large and can easily be shared among four diners.

For an entree, the Chicken Parmigiana.  The chef perfectly executed the ratio of chicken, breading, sauce, and cheese.  The moist white meat is lightly breaded and then coated in a sweet tomato sauce and finally topped with melted mozzarella cheese.  This is a great base for those intending to consume a large amount of alcohol while in AC.

Next go with the Spaghetti Chitarra.  Instead of meatballs, we asked for rock shrimp, which was immediately accommodated.   I am a big believer of having pasta with chicken parmigiana.  This pasta works on its own or with the chicken parm.  The homemade chitarra noodles are tossed in a light and garlicky tomato sauce.

Guiseppe was able to convince us to order the Dark Chocolate Budino (as you can imagine, it did not take much convincing).  The budino, a somewhat moussey pudding, was topped with a hazelnut butter crunch and was placed on top of a hardened chocolate crumble.  The scoop of marscapone cream on the side perfectly lightened up the rich dark chocolate flavors.

Looking for a break from the black jack table?  Fornelleto will make sure you leave full and happy,

Your foodie friend

Insider tip:  Make a reservation!  That might not seem like much of a tip but once you have a reservation, you are more likely to be able to move the time around to accommodate your schedule then if you do not have a reservation at all.  Fornelleto books up.  Sure the Borgata offers other restaurants but all are a distant second to Fornelleto.

Toloache

The owners of Yerba Buena, one of my favorite restaurants on the Lower East Side (see review here: http://forthefoodieinallofus.blogspot.com/2012/01/yerba-buena.html), have a sister restaurant called Toloache, located in the theater district.  When I lived near the theater district and needed a Mexican food fix, Toloache was my go to spot.  I am a Mexican food snob, but that's just how it is when you grow up in Los Angeles.

I love Toloache.  BUT I think some of there dishes are overpriced.  I understand Toloache is located in the theater district but the portion of rice in the Paella was incredibly chintzy.  When you are charging around $30 an entree, why skimp on rice?  Rice is a dirt cheap ingredient.

Back to what I love about Toloache.  All of Toloache's margaritas are delicious. Also make sure to order Toloache's freshly made guacamole, which I like as much as much as mine (my recipe dates back from my childhood housekeeper and is therefore priceless).

What to Eat:

Start with the Camaron (shrimp) Tacos.  The rock shrimp is marinated in a garlic chipotle sauce and then served on top of corn tortillas with a hearts of palm slaw.  Make sure to try the tangy tamarind sauce they bring you on the side.  The appetizer is small but if you are ordering table side guacamole, the combination of both items is probably enough to get you (and one dining companion) to your entree.








For an entree, order the Carne Asada (skirt steak).  This grilled skirt steak is incredibly tender and flavorful.  Equally important, Toloache consistently cooks the meat to perfection, The skirt steak is accompanied by guacamole (my theory is you can never have too much guacamole) and a few other less exciting items, like a bland potato gratin and cheese enchilada.  Luckily, by this point in your meal, you have filled up on enough chips and guac that you won't be too distracted by the gratin and enchilada.

If you want something lighter (don't eat Mexcian food, just kidding, kind of), go with the Seafood Paella.  I know paella typically is not associated with the phrase "light" but the dish is not a large portion of rice.  What the dish lacks in size it makes up for in taste.  The dish is filled with marinated shellfish, like shrimp, scallops, and mussels.

Need a bite before or after your show in the theater district?  Make sure your credit card has room on it,

Your foodie friend

Tre

American Express Platinum failed to secure the reservation I wanted (Perla), so I took their recommendation for Tre, a tiny Italian restaurant in the East Village.  In retrospect, I have no clue why I took their recommendation, especially when I have a list of places I am dying to try but, I figured, why not? 

Tre is very casual and lacks a discernable decor.  The wine list boasted varietals from around the world at a budget friendly price point.  None of the bottles really jumped out at me but I appreciated Tre's conscientious pricing.  This cozy, narrow restaurant is probably better suited for a double date than a triple date but we squeezed into a tiny, high top table nonetheless. 

The dessert menu was disappointingly small (tirmisu, chocolate mouse and one other option) so we took advantage of the local neighborhood deli treats to satisfy our sweet tooth. 

This is one of those restaurants that was very average so it's a bit tough to write about. My advise for Tre if you go: Stick to the pastas. Several of the non-pasta items (e.g. the over cooked short ribs with flavorless risotto) were down right bad. 

What to Eat:

Start with the Spaghetti Pomodoro.  This simple, homemade spaghetti noodle is tossed in a San Marzano sauce, packed with large, chunky tomatoes and fresh basil leaves.  I ordered it as an app intending to share it with the table but could have easily kept it to myself.

The pomodoro was only slightly bested by the Parpadelle al Ragu.  Tre's ragu sauce was heavy on the tomatoes and vegetables (like carrots) and somewhat lighter on the beef which was a refreshingly welcomed take on an old staple.  On a chilly NYC night, Tre's parpadelle al ragu did a great job of warming me up.

More Italian reviews to help keep you warm? I'll keep them coming, 

Your foodie friend

Insider tip:  Monday night at Tre is all you can eat Spaghetti & Meatballs and Sangria for $22, definitely a steal! (90 min max)