Advanced No. 7 Sub Maneuver: After you place your No. 7 sandwich order, instead of waiting idly for it to be ready, head around the corner to Stumpton Coffee and grab a Beet Cupcake to go. What’s smarter than dessert-inspired efficiency?

One bite of this brilliant confection will have questioning your longtime love affair with carrot cake. And yes, that’s cream cheese frosting.

Despite my disappointing Breslin experience, I’ve been eager to return to Ace City since No. 7 Sub docked. It’s the sandwich-only outpost of Brooklyn’s No. 7 restaurant, where a couple of chefs are doing a lot of cool things. The journey to Manhattan has not water-logged their creativity.

Braised lamb is accompanied by mint jelly, romaine, and pappadam. A slab of tofu is fried, doused in General Tso’s, and topped with broccoli mayo, roasted onions, and carrots. Ceviche comes with hummus and roast beef with pickled daikon. A protein, a foil, and dueling textures are always in play. We sampled the lamb and the tofu and were very impressed with both.

There was the perfect distribution and amount of toppings. Not once were we overtaken by the urge to do the “sandwich shuffle.” You know the jig – it usually involves shifting a tomato slice and removing a lettuce leaf. The lamb was moist and the the tofu was perfectly sauced, but the bread, acting like an impenetrable seal, didn’t let a morsel or drip escape.

The bread, baked in Brooklyn, is a smart and well-proportioned vehicle for the cargo. It has a wheaty flavor and wee bit of crunch. It’s easy to get your hands around.

There’s no place to sit, the subs are $9 each, and the wait can be up to 30 minutes (15 minutes to order, 15 while they make your sandwich). But sub or no sub, it beats crossing the river to Brooklyn.

The Breslin’s authentically tarnished ceilings and dark wood are not only gorgeous, they’re inviting. Though you’ll complain, you’ll secretly relish the inevitable wait for your table amongst the attractive New Yorkers. You’ll order a drink, maybe even a cask beer to get you in the mood, and take in the scene.

Decorative pigs adorn the walls. On your way out you’ll realize they were taunting you, smiling and whispering: “you are what you eat!” You’ll also wish they could be conjured to life to help with the sloppy service.

We oohed and ahhed at the pork scratchings’ packaging just to discover it was a hog in piglet’s clothing. The Scotch egg, fried in a batter of sausage and breadcrumbs, was too bloated with its own crust. Thankfully, The Breslin-coined scrumpets of twice fried lamb were worth the calories and the dill pickle juice that accompanied the raw oysters was something of a revelation. Pearl, Mary, Ed – are you listening?

One doesn’t go to The Breslin for fish. Even the lamb burger seemed too healthy a choice. Once you’re seated and resigned to your porkful fate, it’s near impossible not to be wooed by the pig’s foot. Don’t believe the menu’s claim that it feeds two. Four of us were hard-pressed to finish this behemoth.

The foot is generously stuffed with ground pork before it’s – yep, you guessed it – fried. At our table, the feeling was unanimous: the texture was unappealing and the flavor underwhelming. This was not a star trotter.

The smoked pork belly was the meal’s savior, reminding us that pork deserves its time on the throne. We somehow managed to squeeze in an order of thrice fried chips and a side of cabbage & bacon.

For dessert, we simply couldn’t stomach the donuts and instead focused on toffee pudding and chocolate. We had our fill of oil. We were fried.

The first time I dined at Veritas I was not only impressed by then-chef Scott Bryan’s food, but also by the value of the obligatory $67 3-course prix fixe menu. By my second visit, the cost of the menu had crossed the $70 mark, but the French cuisine and atmosphere were still well worth it.

Gregory Pugin, Veritas’ newest chef inspired me to return to the restaurant last weekend. Pugin’s resume is notable, including significant time spent under the tutelage of Joel Rubuchon. I was excited to see what, if any, changes had befell Veritas under its newest culinary leader.

Veritas remains convivial, both in décor and service. Warm smiles and knowledgeable staff move proficiently through the cozy atmosphere accentuated by white tablecloths, soft lighting, and tables nestled together.

The restaurants renowned wine cellar (over 3000 bottles!) is also still very much intact. It is perhaps one of the reasons Veritas has remained on the NYC culinary map for a decade. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, the expert sommelier will guide you well.

New chefs are hired for their individual style and Chef Pugin has certainly brought his to Veritas. Pugin’s menu reads more classic French than Scott Bryan’s heartier fare, but there are a couple of eye-catchers and surprises.

The new menu also comes with a new price. The 3-course tasting menu is $90.

Every dish was plated beautifully and meticulously. Painstaking effort and skill were imparted on the smallest of details. The tiniest and most prim potatoes anna I’d ever seen accompanied the squab. Delicately stuffed zucchini blossoms adorned the dover sole. Three perfectly formed and colorful scoops of vegetable purees complemented the Jamon Iberico.

Diminutive beauties and pristine appearances aside, few of the dishes wowed.

An appetizer of glistening paper-thin slices of Langoustine Carpaccio, cut by a trail of ebony caviar, dazzled the eyes more than the taste buds.

The Squab Roti and Dover Sole Provencal entrees tasted stiff, as if their preparations had been taken too seriously, robbing them of any feeling or depth.

In an odd contrast, the Wagyu Filet ($9 supplement) was rubbed so vigorously with peppercorns that the innate and wondrous earthy taste of the special beef was often overpowered.

Proper praise must be paid to the exceptional Frog Leg Salad appetizer that succeeded in every aspect. Succulent lollipops of meat encircled a mountain of chanterelle and haricot vert embellished salad. A sprinkling of fresh almonds and truffle vinaigrette finished off a dish that tasted just as good as it looked.

With the exception of the Chocolate Caramel Torte that was rich and complex in taste, the desserts were consistent with the rest of meal: they were lovely and complicated constructions that failed to excite the palate.

While Pugin’s food has potential, at the high-ticket price of $90, his 3-course menu needs to astound and amaze. Veritas seems to have abandoned its strong roots and heaved itself into a category of NYC restaurants in which it might not be able to compete.

Veritas

www.veritas-nyc.com

43 East 20th Street

New York, NY 10003

212.353.3700

My summer ended in a weekend of free desserts.

On Friday night at Aqua Grill, management “tri”aged five of us with three sweets to compensate for three over-cooked fish dishes. Yes, three out of five of our dishes were incorrectly prepared. But more on that next week; I’d rather leave summer behind with more idyllic memories.

On Saturday night my husband and I dined at Gramercy Tavern where any lingering thoughts of the previous night’s follies were erased by perfectly cooked entrees.

We’ve dined at Gramercy a few times over the years; always in the dining room. Each time, as I approach the host’s stand, I begin to pine for the hubbub of the Tavern. The gorgeous murals that decorate the ceiling above the bar are a bold and fitting overlay to the lively atmosphere. But each time, I dutifully follow the host to the back dining room where the din is also casual, yet sublimely romantic. When I settle into my table for the evening, the wooden beamed ceilings arching above my head, any regrets disappear.

Gramercy Tavern is renowned for its service. It prides itself on providing friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive service that is not suffocating or overly formal. It’s the kind of place where your water glass is always full, but you don’t remember anyone coming by to fill it. True to form, our water glasses were kept full and dishes were delivered and cleared cheerfully and expeditiously. We did, however, feel as though we were given a little too much space. We were ready to order a good ten minutes before our server even came by to walk us through the menu. No one asked if we were enjoying our starters or entrees. No one came to offer us a second piece of bread. I don’t like being suffocated, but for an $82 prix fixe, I do want a certain level of attention.

At Gramercy Tavern diners choose between a three-course menu and two five-course tasting menus. Savory dishes can be pulled, mixed, and matched from any of the menus and sized as smaller or larger portions. We relished the flexibility.

Both starters were elegant in appearance and light and balanced in taste. Paper-thin slices of Summer Squash and Cured Pork Loin were folded like origami paper and arranged in a colorful line of yellow, green, and pink. The pork, though not overpowering, stood out against the vegetables and a drizzle of Husk Cherry Vinaigrette.

Citrus Cured Arctic Char was similarly refined. Delicate, pinkish-orange pieces of char were laid atop a tartare version of the same fish. There wasn’t a dollop of cream, nor a cracker in sight. This one was all about the fish.

It was when our entrees of lamb and duck arrived that the fireworks started. Both meats were extraordinary in quality and both were prepared flawlessly.

Earthy Rack of Lamb, served without the bone, melted in your mouth. Beneath the two tournedos, smears of broccoli puree glowed emerald.

I’ve spent the last few days trying to recall a better duck entree. I can’t. There wasn’t a hint of gaminess in the Glazed Duck Breast & Leg Confit. There wasn’t a single chewy bite. The glaze brushed atop its crispy skin was sweet and decadent, but not overbearing. On the side, a simply roasted, half-bulb of fennel was unadulterated and delicious.

I would be remiss not to mention that the Swiss Chard that accompanied the duck and the Quarter’s Lettuce that adorned the lamb were very over-salted. But we were so happy to direct all our taste buds’ attention towards the meats, we hardly cared.

When the dessert menu arrived we narrowed it down to three choices and asked our server for advice. Tableside, he chose the Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding and the Grand Marnier Mascarpone Cheesecake. But, when they were delivered to our table so was the Chocolate Macaroon; our other choice. The Chocolate Macaroon (which would have made Pierre Herme proud), was filled with the most scrumptious of Peanut Butter Semifreddos and ended up stealing the show. The cheesecake followed the “elegant and light” theme, but when I order cheesecake I’m looking for creamy decadence. The Bread Pudding had a bit of an identity crisis, caught somewhere between brioche and lava cake.

We also indulged in the extensive wine by-the-glass list, which offers all glasses in three and five ounce pours.

Add it all up (and don’t forget the pork sausage amuse bouche, the petit fours, and the parting gift of breakfast cake) and it’s clear that Danny Meyer’s Gramercy Tavern remains at the head of the pack.

Our summer ended on a very sweet note.

Gramercy Tavern

www.gramercytavern.com

42 East 20th Street

New York, NY 10003

212.477.0777

A Voce received accolades when it opened a couple of years ago and it has since secured its place in the NYC dining scene. This week, A Voce is back in the headlines as rumors swirl that a second outpost will open in the Time Warner Center. Serving excellent Italian food in a modern, almost business-like décor, A Voce should translate perfectly to the Time Warner, as should its success.

The menu at A Voce, which means ‘Word of Mouth,’ is the creation of Chef Andrew Carmellini. Before opening these digs on lower Madison Avenue, Carmellini worked at Café Boulud. While the classic and rustic Italian fare at A Voce may be a departure from his previous restaurant experience, his menu is focused and his abilities are undeniable.

Earth tones and clean lines abound. Guests swivel about in caramel colored Eames chairs that look as though they were squandered from a Wall Street conference room. You forgive the oddity, however, due to their incredible comfort. Terrible acoustics provide for a very loud dining room. During peak hours, when the bar overflows with patrons waiting for their tables, carrying on a conversation can get difficult.

Our waiter, who disappeared for long stretches of time, seemed overwhelmed. He didn’t answer questions with great confidence and as the night progressed he became harder and harder to hear over the din.

A starter of Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, sprinkled with herbs, sea salt, and olive oil, arrived in a lovely terra cotta bowl. If only for a moment, as you slather the fresh and creamy cheese on slices of bread, you’re whisked away to the Italian countryside.

A small crock of Crostini alla Toscana, chicken liver foie gras with moscato d’asti, was served with crispy toast. Pairing a hint of sweet with savory foie gras is not a novel union, but it is always good. At A Voce, the chicken liver tasted deeper and richer than usual, making it even better.

Peperonata and lemon sauce gave kick to a tender, albeit small, portion of Grilled Octopus. Unfortunately for chefs across the world, I have yet to find anyone who does grilled octopus better than Batali.

As a special entrée, Venison was gussied up with nuts, foie gras, huckleberries and jus. All the flavors flourished and just when you thought Carmellini had outdone himself, you had a bite of the accompanying stuffed cabbage.

Parmesan shavings decorated pillows of pasta stuffed with sweet squash. The Tortelloni de Zucca, further adorned with a light cream sauce, was decadent without being too heavy.

The successes continued to mount, which made the Pappardelle with Lamb Bolognese that much more disappointing. There was such a small amount of bolognese mixed into such a heaping portion of pasta that it almost seemed unfair to judge the dry Bolognese on its own merit. Even the dollops of sheep’s milk ricotta couldn’t liven the dish.

Roasted bananas saddled a delicious Hazelnut Torta. The accompanying scoop of rum raisin gelato was the root of much conversation, but in the end, did not garner any fans. After a meal of delicious and unfussy food, the Red Wine Panna Cotta, served with milk chocolate salsa and orange poached pear, tried too hard to be something it wasn’t.

While A Voce doesn’t take any big risks and Carmellini doesn’t try any big tricks, the food is solid and the reputation well-deserved.

A Voce

www.avocerestaurant.com

41 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10010

212.545.8555

Olana, Chef Al Di Meglio’s just opened Flatiron restaurant, has legs. While the diverse menu appears to suffer from an identity crisis whose resolution lies somewhere between the Hudson River Valley and Italy, Meglio offers an array of well-balanced and flavorful creations. In addition to meat, game, and fish, there are half a dozen pastas, each offered in starter and entrée sizes. Two dishes, a Grilled Whole Turbot and a Cote de Bouef, are meant to be shared.

Olana is named after the Hudson River Valley estate of Frederic Edwin Church. Homage is paid to Church, a famous painter from the Hudson River Valley School, with three landscape murals in the main dining room. Two are oddly positioned next to one another while the third hangs on the opposite side of the room. The plush, cranberry-colored chairs and tan leather walls are the décor’s high points while the circular bar is instantly inviting. A table in the more intimate back room, complete with fireplace, is worthy of a special request.

A suit-wearing, friendly, managerial type proficiently handled our food and wine order while a black-clad support staff tended to the service details. If the restaurant is met with popularity, more trained servers will have to be brought into the mix. During our visit, service was impressively attentive and helpful, especially for a restaurant still in its preview phase.

As with any new restaurant in its nascent stages, snafus have to be expected. When our starters arrived “Chinese food fast” we prepared ourselves for a rushed evening. Thankfully our fears were assuaged with well-paced entrée and dessert delivery. We were more disappointed when an entrée we did not order was placed on the table. The staff, however, met this error with grace and resilience. Our waiter took full responsibility for entering the wrong dish into the computer, had the correct dish speedily prepared, and then comped us dessert with his sincerest apologies. He didn’t offer any excuses, nor did he get defensive. The sincere and expedient way in which he dealt with the issue reminded me that poor service is not born from mistakes, but rather, from how mistakes are handled.

Shredded radicchio, celery slices, and nicoise olives are tossed with tender pieces of grilled octopus in the Octopus Salad. Beautiful circles of octopus carpaccio were buried under the sea of color, an unfortunate hiding place for the highlight of a dish whose separate ingredients were better than the execution of their whole.

A starter sized portion of Veal and Ricotta Cappellaci was fantastic. Pasta plump with delicate ricotta and flavorful veal was intensified by a roasted tomato sauce that tasted wondrously of fire. Pistachio nuts nestled into the pillows of pasta lent appealing texture.

The dense filet of Monkfish Ossobuco was converted into savory goodness with braised endives and lardons. Just the right amount of herb jus kept the dish moist while a complement of sweet parsnip puree balanced the entire dish beautifully.

The Roasted Rabbit, stuffed with crunchy almonds, sweet apricots and decadent foie gras made for pleasing forkfuls. Creating the perfect bite did not require individual stabs at the dish’s components, but rather each bite was gift wrapped under a well-seasoned and crispy skin.

For dessert, the tidy stack of banana mousse, cake, and wafer-thin layers of dark chocolate, formed a sophisticated and tasty Banana Napoleon.

Dining at a new restaurant in its early days is undeniably exciting – you feel as if you’re on the culinary cutting edge. Though any new dining venture is bound to have its handful of issues, more often than not Olana felt like a well-settled restaurant ready for business.

Olana

www.olananyc.com

72 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10016

(212) 725-0957

I’ve consumed a lot of barbeque over the years. Whether due to my husband’s Southern roots, his master skills with a smoker, or trips to Texas and other points South, it has been a craving I seek to quell. Despite my affair with slow-cooked meat, I’ve never been drawn to it in Manhattan. It somehow feels misplaced amidst the skyscrapers and concrete. Nevertheless on a Sunday night in NYC we found ourselves at Hill Country, a behemoth of an establishment serving Texas-style BBQ.

No matter how you feel about the food, you will have fun at Hill Country. They have live music and large screen televisions to watch football games. In true Texas form, diners are encouraged to relax over beer and food. It is no wonder that this bi-level space with seating for over 225 often has a wait for a table. Hill Country’s wooden tables and picture filled walls definitely feel manufactured on West 26^th Street, but it makes for an entertaining and kitschy atmosphere.

The serving style promotes sampling and second helpings. While drink orders, water service and table clearing are tended to by staff, the rest of Hill Country is cafeteria style (or “market-style” if you’re in the PR business). Separate stations serve meat, hot sides, cold sides, and desserts. You tell the servers behind each counter what you’d like and they hand it over after checking off your order on a menu ticket. The menu tickets are tallied and paid for at the cash register on your way out.

Hill Country has nailed their portion sizes. Three options: Good Eatin’, Heapin’ Helpin’, and Feed Yer Family are small, medium, and large respectively. This range allows you to try lots of menu items without being limited by quantity. Once you’ve tried a few different ribs, slices, and sides you can return for as many rounds as your belt will permit. Meat is served on butcher paper and in true Texas-style form, white bread and crackers are available. Though everything is dry-rubbed, barbeque sauce is provided.

Great barbeque doesn’t try to be great, it simply is great. This might sound like an inane statement, but after a barbeque sandwich at the Blue Ridge Pig in Virginia or beef brisket at Rudy’s in Austin, you’d understand. The barbeque at Hill Country tried to be great, but hovered somewhere around good. The Moist Brisket and Jalapeno Cheese Sausage were standouts. The bones in the Beef and Pork Ribs were hard to maneuver, forcing you to scrape the meat with your teeth rather than actually biting into it. This also resulted in mouthfuls with too much salty rub and too little meat. The Market Chicken was very tender and flavorful, but when you are psyched up to consume pork and beef, it somehow felt like a cop out.

We perused the abundance of delectable looking sides, squealed with joy and anticipation, and then felt personally let down by their mediocrity. The Campfire Baked Beans, with bacon and a hint of brown sugar, were the only exception. Skillet Cornbread had good texture, but it was the accompanying Ancho Honey Butter that gave it flavor. The Corn Pudding was gloppy and void of sweetness. The Sweet Potato Bourbon Mash was missing gusto. The Macaroni and Cheese was rubbery and uninspired. The Deviled Eggs featured miniscule amounts of filling overpowered by chipotle seasoning. Both my Mother-in-law and I make a better Green Bean Casserole (and no, it is not difficult).  

We were painfully full, but couldn’t leave without at least trying a couple of desserts. The Banana Cream Pudding was creamy and delicious. The German Chocolate Sheet cake was dense in mass, but not in flavor.

If you haven’t had great Texas-style barbeque, you will enjoy Hill Country immensely. If you’ve been lucky enough to experience barbeque in the real Hill Country, you’ll appreciate it for what it is: good BBQ in Manhattan.

Hill Country

www.hillcountryny.com

30 W 26th Street

New York, NY 10010

(212) 255-4544

The interior of Tom Colicchio’s Craft is a reflection of the food: simple, elegant, inviting, and stylish. Some diners have complained that the “create your own” meal format is overwhelming and requires too much thought. Others have embraced the invitation to “craft” their ideal meal. I happily fell into the latter category.

Divided into First Courses, Main Courses, and Side Dishes, at a first glance the menu appears straight forward. Upon further examination, however, one finds multiple sub-categories and making choices quickly becomes difficult. The table was silent as we carefully perused the menus. Our server made an appearance (her first of many that night) and was extremely helpful and patient under our barrage of questions. When we hemmed and hawed over what mushroom dish to order, she offered up a mixture of multiple varieties. (Note to Tom: put that option on the menu!) Maximizing the number of dishes one orders is key to an optimal experience at Craft. While a table for two will certainly enjoy their meal, this dining destination is best experienced by larger groups who can take greater advantage of the vast menu. One should also note that although the main entrees are listed with vegetables as their accompaniments, these are a bit more than a garnish and you’ll end up ordering starches and vegetables separately. This format can put a larger dent in your wallet than you might have been expecting. It all seems to add up very quickly.

There were a couple of seemingly small details that left me impressed. In addition to the “make your own” aspect of Craft, it is also a “family-style” restaurant where all dishes are meant to be shared. Though there are many restaurants that serve food this way, Craft is one of the only ones I have dined at with tables that are proportional in size to accomodate the number of dishes that eventually make their way to the table. So often, candles must to be moved, plates must be shifted, and water glasses must be re-positioned to precarious spots just inches away from elbows, all to make room when food meant to be shared is placed in the center of the table has nowhere to go. Whether it is intelligent design, or a bit of luck, the large (and beautiful) wooden tables at Craft are perfect for accommodating many a dish. Another ingenuity is the handing out of “food checks” should you decide to take home any leftovers. Instead of an ugly plastic or brown paper bag being placed on the table before you have even ordered dessert (yes, that very same bag you often move for aesthetics and then leave behind), your server instead, presents you with a plastic card with a number on it that enables you to pick up your leftovers as you exit the premises. I’m still trying to figure out why this is not employed at more restaurants.

To start, a salad of artichokes and malvarosa cheese was flavorful and well-balanced. The mache and pear salad was a showcase of Colicchio’s commitment to fresh ingredients. The duck foie gras was prepared flawlessly with a creamy center and caramelized exterior. The addition of fig was a unique and delightful accompaniment. The most interesting dish was a chanterelle and peekytoe crab ragoût, which includes a slow cooked, and then flash fried egg. (Hint: if you can’t find the dish, check under the Farm Egg section of the Starter Dishes.) The mushrooms were packed with so much flavor that they overshadowed the taste of the crab, though the crab did act as a creamy adhesive, gluing slices of mushrooms to one another. The slow cooked, then fried egg, is a perennial favorite of mine and it served the dish well.

For entrees, we opted for the organic chicken, short ribs, and guinea hen. We were so enamored with the Side Dishes portion of the menu that we skipped a fourth entrée in lieu of starches and vegetables.  The organic chicken is a menu staple these days, but something made us think Colicchio would do it better than most. It was moist and well-seasoned, but paled in comparison to the much more flavorful guinea hen. The guinea hen arrived with dark meat still on the bone and white meat sliced into pieces. White meat, especially when sliced, can be dry and flavorless, though these morsels suffered from no such fate. The braised short ribs were presented in a small crock scattered with root vegetables. The beef was tender, flavorful and moist. Every dish proved that simple can be wonderful and that Colicchio knows what he is doing.

Assorted mushrooms, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, cauliflower, potato gratin, and risotto rounded out the meal. The vegetables outshined the starches. The cauliflower, often boring, had all the right flavors and consistency. The butternut squash was so smooth and rich that while I’d love to pay homage to the raw vegetable, there was certainly no shortage of cream. I’ve yet to meet a brussel sprout I don’t like, and these were no exception.  We found the gratin a bit salty, but the risotto had a nice balance of flavors, including corn and bacon.  One could make a meal of these sides and not leave disappointed.

The dessert menu arrived and we sighed with exhaustion at the prospect of more choices.  We gathered ourselves and pressed on, ordering one dish from the Classic Craft Combinations section and one from the Make Your Own section. The Brioche Pain Perdu, similar to bread pudding, was the table favorite and it disappeared quickly.  Good dark chocolate was the centerpiece of the chocolate tart and albeit a bit slower than the brioche, it disappeared as well.

After a strong couple of years, there have been rumblings that Craft has lost a step. This being my first visit, I can’t draw a comparison. But, I can say, I would welcome any opportunity to return.

Craft

www.craftrestaurant.com

43 East 19th Street

New York, NY 10003

(212) 780-0880