dshapusa

Delmonico’s
56 Beaver Street
New York, NY
212 509 1144

I have eaten in some of the best steak houses here and abroad, while Florentine beef is
very good, Delmonico’s is still number one.
Yes, historic Delmonico’s, originator o Lobster Newberg, Baked Alaska and Chicken ala Keene (king). The service is still first rate and atmosphere hasn’t changed since 1837. The only curious thing is that the appetizers and desserts are small while the main courses are enormous
We celebrated a birthday there recently and we were not disappointed. The double porterhouse was buttery and even sweet and cooked just right. The serving was so big that we served three instead of two. The sides were very good and both were swimming in heavy cream or butter.
For dessert a chocolate mouse cake sandwiched peanut butter and vanilla ice on the side made me think about spending an extra hour at the gym, but it was worth it

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Mendy’s Kosher Deli
61 east 34 street
New York, NY

212 576 1010

I haven’t been to Mendy’s on 34 Street in a while. They have redecorated and updated and the results were interesting.

The food is still very good, if anything better. There is now a salad bar and the front counter still makes sandwiches that must be handled with two hands. They still have the best kosher deli especially corned beef in town. It is lean without being dry and crumbly. The only complaint was the kasha knishes had mashed potatoes mixed with the kasha. The potato makes them easier to eat, but dilutes the special gritty taste of the kasha

But something is gone and I can’t quite put my finger on it. If pushed, I would say it’s the heimshe or home style feeling. Gone are the male waiters, who had an opinion on everything. Instead young orthodox women, extremely modestly dressed, covered from ankle to neckline, whom seem to be afraid to talk to you, are the new wait staff. Perhaps, it’s the general trend in orthodox Jewish circles to become stricter and even more observant. This holier than thou attitude has replaced warmth with elitism and narrow mindedness.

I know you can’t eat atmosphere, but a smile does aid the digestion

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There is somethimg delightful about Mimis Hummus. Although the food is good and there is enough variety among the middle eastern dishes for a vegetarian or a carnivore, There is something intangible, that shines through.
The tangibles ( food) are good and inexpensive with main courses for under $ 15 and lots of salads and sides that can be upgraded to mains. Some of the combination salads are definitely worth tryiog for example I had a salad plate of roasted beets, white beans and hummus, which could have beeen a meal by itself
It could be the intangibles (ambiance, helpful, friendly young ladfies eager to help or the new wave, music background, some of it original works), but there still something more
In retrospect it was the combination of the food, ambiance and service --- that delightful balance and good karma, It rare when it come together, but when it does it can make your whole evening.
Try Mimi’s and see if you can feel the specialness of the place
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With Ducks and half pigs hanging in the window, there is no doubt that this is an authentic Chinese eating place.
There are lunch specials as cheap as $ 4 and the food is very fresh, as there is a major Chinese market next door. A la carte main courses run about $ 10
The green vegetables are done just so and the sauces have none of the gloppiness of a Junior High School cafeteria. You can even get your Chow Fun dry
The ambiance is definitely family style, expect to sit at a large round table with people you don’t know.
BTW definitely go to the market next door, the Chinese love their greens and always have at least a dozen varieties available. Don’t worry if you don’t speak perfect Mandarin, the store’s help always answer every question with “very good, very fresh”.

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Tanoreen
7704 Third Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11209
718 748 5600

There are a lot of small ethnic restaurants in Brooklyn, some are better than others, but occasionally one stands out. Tanoreen is a Middle Eastern Jewel in Bay Ridge. A storefront, with rather indistinguishable decor you could easily miss Tanoreen.
However, there is something special going on inside – the Food. More particularly the appetizers, yes, you can get kabobs at Tanoreen, while tasty, they are commonplace.
What I am proposing, is a dinner made of their hot and cold appetizers, sort of a Middle Eastern Smorgasbord. With a spread of Baba Ghanoujh, Cauliflower Salad, Tabbouleh, Vegetarian Grape Leaves for starters with wedges of Pita bread, you can satisfy your palate without damaging your wallet or arteries.
But I am not finished; your second course should be the hot appetizers, i.e., Sambosek- a Middle Eastern Samosa, and Falafel.
If your still hungry, and I doubt it. The Eggplant Napoleon is delight to the eye and the taste buds. Slices of crispy eggplant layered with Baba Ghanoujh and topped with tomato basil salad.
Perhaps, the most surprising thing about this feast is that no item exceeds $9!!!
Warning on weekend nights Tanoreen is packed, sometimes reservations work, not always and parking, well parking is ….. After all this is Bay Ridge

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Chinese Indian Fusion-Confusion Reigns

O.K., I am a sucker for any new cuisine. Tell me about a restaurant that features a cooking from a country, that I never heard about and I am there.
According to Indomunch “Indian Chinese Cuisine is the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques to Indian tastes. It is widespread in certain localities in India, and is also enjoyed by people in Malaysia, Singapore and North America.”
I was hooked!!!
IndoMunch is a very pleasant looking small and clean restaurant at 182 Lexington Avenue, near 32 Street, NY, NY.
The food was fresh and the portions adequate, but what was missing is taste. I expected the “Prawn Munch Special”, to beshrimp cooked in a Chinese style with curry, to have a curry taste, but I was sadly disappointed. There was no heat and very little curry. The “Lamb in String Bean” was cooked with a black bean sauce and there were black beans in the dish, but none of saltiness and distinctive flavor of black beans. You could get a side dish of rice (basmati) or hakka noodles, a nice touch.
Chinese and Indian cuisines are known for their great unique tastes, but this restaurant could not make up its mind and got confusion, not fusion. In general, the preparation was not amateurish, the ambiance pretty, the service o.k. but the food had no soul.
The cost for two complete meals, about $70 with an automatic 20% tip.

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The food at Village Gyro is freshly made, healthy, and the portions are large. This is a very inexpensive place to eat. Pakoras are sold by the pound for four dollars a pound. A pound of Pakoras is all you could possibly eat and easily fills a large plate. An entrée with rice and salad averages about $12.
I have heard from the community elders that American Pakistani restaurants no longer compete on how spicy hot they can make their dishes, my guess the restaurants is that they like us are becoming soft Americans. The Village gyro dishes do have some heat, but the level is reasonable and Zantac is not a necessary precaution.
I do not speak either Urdu or Russian, but I do have a god enough ear to tell the difference between them, when I hear it. In the same way, I expect to tell the difference in flavorings between a vegetable pakora, a lamb gyro and a chicken tikka. Yes, the ingredients are different and I can taste and see that, but there should also be a difference in the flavorings. Unfortunately, at the Village gyro, this subtly is lost on the cook.
It is a shame because Village Gyro, with its bright clean décor sets itself apart from the hole-in-the wall Pakistani kabob places on Coney Island Avenue. Perhaps the cook will learn that a lack of hot spices does not mean a lack of flavor variations.
The Village gyro does have a great variety of South Asian sweets. My advice is, take the sweets home and avoid the restaurant.
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Fino’s Wall Street is mis-named, it should be Find if you can, Not on Wall Street. Look for this subterranean pricey restaurant off the corner (or maybe that should be under the corner) of Beaver and Pearl.
The décor of Fino’s reminds you of a 1940’s gangster movie, there is even a private platform where the shoot out can occur. We went on Friday night and discovered that we were the only patrons with a wait staff of about twenty.
Because we were a group of four we were able to sample a fairly wide range of their offerings. Fino’s is not an Italian restaurant from any particular section of Italy, unless you consider Jersey City a section of Rome.
The Papardelle con Funghi was very good, but the Lobster stuffed Ravioli came with a zesty tomato sauce and seafood stuffed Ravioli should always had a creamy white sauce. The Cesar Salad had almost no dressing, but the shrimp, chicken and Veal dishes were first rate. The cold antipasti plate was very good and lots of variety, but almost superfluous, because the table service includes a large plate of olives, salami, peppers and large chunks of Parmesan.
Dinner for four with appetizer, pasta, main course and dessert will run about $ 220
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773 Coney Island Avenue –Bar Lounge

There is an old story that the Police from the 70 precinct used to eat at Georges Diner not only because the food was good and cheap, but also because it was only a few doors down from 773 Bar Lounge and they could easily fill their quota of arrests there. Maybe Seven Seven Three, wasn’t that bad but you certainly didn’t walk in unless you knew someone or wanted to forget someone.

But with new owners, a spruce up and a limited menu, 773 has become a welcoming working man’s/women’s place. Drinks and Beers are still the staple, but with frozen shots, new lighting and some surprisingly edible finger food, this is now a welcoming place. If last night’s jazz group and CAMBA benefit, is a sign of things to come, then maybe you would come to 773 to be seen rather than be forgotten
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On Saturday about 11 a.m. a walk through Chinatown, NYC, I noticed that most of the restaurants were essentially empty except the Dim Sum places. For those who are not native New Yorker’s or Californian’s, Dim Sum is a weekend brunch where small tasting plates of various Chinese dishes are wheeled through the dining room. Typically you are put at a large table with people you have never met, often there are family group from Grandma to infants. As they stop by your table, you can pick out the dishes you like and a card is stamped indicating your purchase. These Dim Sum Palaces are often huge and can easily fit several hundred people and often the noise level, while not loud is a constant hum.

Sunshine 27, at 46 Bowery, is the successor to HSF, a Dim Sum stalwart. While I found the variety of dishes was smaller than the former HSF or 888 Palace, the food was quite good. A stand out was boiled beef short ribs, cut very small, served on top of rolled Chow Fun noodles and topped with either oyster sauce or chili sauce. There are many varieties of stuffed wontons or pot sticker such as Har Gow, with translucent outside and a shrimp paste stuffing. My favorite dessert is an Egg Custard served in a tiny pie tin with a flaky crust.

Brunch usually runs about $ 12-15/per person

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New Star Restaurant (Dim Sum)
1217 Avenue U
Brooklyn, NY

718 998 –0350

Yes, I am a Dim Sum fanatic, but who can blame me. This Chinese brunch ritual is wonderful and New Star impressed me.

New Star has expanded and this has given them the ability to present a huge variety of Dim Sum (small plates) at a very reasonable price. Their Shui Mei (meat) and their Har Gow (shrimp) dumplings were excellent. The variety and freshness of their other offerings was amazing. I tried a new item, a mini fried egg with fish mouse inside that seemed to float off the plate and was silky smooth. Dessert for me is always an Egg Custard tart.

I know I can be picky, but I never liked plastic chop sticks the wooden ones though less hygienic have a better grip in your hand and on the food.

A “I ate too much” brunch was $ 25 for two including tip

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