Balthazar

REVIEW

February 25, 2010


CUISINE: Bistro, French
NEIGHBORHOOD: Nolita, Soho

(photo taken from Balthazarny.com)

80 Spring Street

(P.) 212-965-1414

Balthazar on Urbanspoon

 

To me, Balthazar is a New York institution.  I remember when I made my first solo trip to the city, I ordered the shepherd’s pie.  When I graduated from college, my family squeezed around a circular table, and the light reflected off of the speckled mirrors and white tabletop, where our wine left purple rings.  I remember meeting an ex-boyfriend for martinis at the long wooden bar, and squeezing an impromptu business gathering into one of the booths that flank the area.  The last time my grandmother was in town, we ate salade nicoise and drank cups of coffee.  Such are my memories of Balthazar.  CONT'D

 

 


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Posted in FOOD on February 25, 2010 3:22pm by Rachel Hochhauser | 2 comments





Rice

REVIEW

February 17, 2010


CUISINE: Asian, Indian, Thai
NEIGHBORHOOD: Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO, Fort Greene, Nolita

 

 

Nolita: 292 Elizabeth St. at Bleecker St.

Dumbo: 81 Washington St. at Front St.

Fort Greene: 166 DeKalb Ave at Washington Park

 

Rice is the UN of restaurants; the food is a smorgasbord of international flavors. The staple of the democratic menu is, intuitively, rice.  Though it boasts all of the normal kinds (brown, basmati, Japanese), there are special varieties as well.  You will enter a world of rice that you never knew existed.  For example, one can opt to have Thai black rice steamed in coconut milk, or alternatively, sautéed in garlic and mixed with edamame.  In essence, the menu invites you to curate your entire meal in such a manner.  Condiments are served in test tubes placed on every table, but those who want to go crazy can order sauces such as alepo yogurt, or chipotle mayonnaise. CONT'D

 


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Posted in FOOD on February 17, 2010 9:20am by Rachel Hochhauser | 1 comment





La Esquina

REVIEW

February 3, 2010


CUISINE: Mexican
NEIGHBORHOOD: Nolita, Soho

 

114 Kenmare St. at Lafayette St.

(p) 646-613-7100

 

I don't like to eat at restaurants where people are jerks.  La Esquina is my exception.  The famously hipper-than-thou staff once told a friend of mine, "I'm sorry, we don't have you in our system, so there is nothing I can do for you."  But the food's good, y'all, and you can eat it easily if you avoid the crowd downstairs. CONT'D

 


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Posted in FOOD on February 3, 2010 11:06am by Rachel Hochhauser | 2 comments





Mikaku Sushi

REVIEW

January 29, 2010


CUISINE: Japanese, Sushi
NEIGHBORHOOD: Chinatown, Lower East Side, Nolita

 

85 Kenmare St.Between Cleveland Pl. and Mulberry St.

(p) 212-431-4820

 

Everyone has a secret comfort-food spot: the tiny hole-in-the-wall whose number is saved in your phone, the place you trudge towards at the end of a long day, when your thoughts become so food-centric you can hardly think about anything else.  In every neighborhood I’ve lived in, I’ve always found one of these places — and Mikaku is currently enjoying my embarrassingly frequent patronage.  

 

Mikaku is "worth it" in every way because it lives up to a humble promise: cheap, enjoyable food.  With no more than six tables, the restaurant itself is tiny — but their efficient delivery or takeout system is part of the appeal.  I can be in and out in five minutes, with a bowl of steaming hot udon ($6.15) tucked in a paper bug under my arm. CONT'D

 


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Posted in FOOD on January 29, 2010 2:09pm by Rachel Hochhauser | 0 comments





Caffe Falai

REVIEW

September 30, 2009


CUISINE: Brunch, Desserts & Bakeries, Salads, Sandwiches
NEIGHBORHOOD: Nolita

Photo: Gavin Thomas, NYmag.com

 

265 Lafayette St at Prince St

(p) 212-274-8615

 

For those who crave the rich flavor of Falai, but are worried about the waistline of their wallets, a compromise can be found in brunch at Soho’s Caffe Falai. Breakfast was meant to be good this past Saturday; it was the weekend, the sky was clear and blue and there was a table to be had out front — without a wait. The café is beautifully decorated in shades of white, giving an airy, fresh feeling to the place.  In fact, more than one person commented on how clean the window-glass was. Caffe Falai’s success is perhaps partially due to its atmosphere, but surely also thanks to the food. CONT'D

 


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Posted in FOOD on September 30, 2009 10:15am by Rachel Hochhauser | 1 comment