NYC Restaurant Week - Part 1

ARTISANAL: The first adjective that comes to mind when entering Artisanal Restaurant and Fromagerie is: pungent. This French bistro boasts over 250 cheeses, and the powerful aroma is a bit off-putting when you walk in for a meal. I chose to persevere, as this was the first destination for Restaurant Week (which is actually two weeks) in NY. For those unaware, this is the twice yearly event in which many restaurants have a special 3 course, prix fixe menu available for lunch and/or dinner, $24 for lunch and $35 for dinner. It gives diners a chance to go to restaurants that they might not otherwise be able to afford, and it give restaurants a chance to expose their skills to a new audience, one that will hopefully return. Reports vary, as some restaurants rise to the occasion, while others offer meager portions and not the greatest fare. I think it’s unreasonable to expect rack of lamb on Restaurant Week, so if you don’t go in with unrealistic expectations, you may have a wonderful dining experience. The ones who seem to dislike it a bit are the waitstaff, as people tend to tip based on the prix-fixe price rather than what the meal would actually have cost them, but hey, that’s kind of the point, isnt it - having a chance to eat there and not pay full price?? I’m sure it works out in the end due to volume, as most places are completely booked.

Last year I vowed to book a bunch of reservations at the next Restaurant Week, and luckily I have. I’ll be taking notes and will post my reviews here. First up is the aforementioned Artisanal, located at 2 Park Ave. off 32nd Street. Very high ceilings, many French cheese posters, and a friendly waitstaff (maybe too much as I caught our waiter flirting with my brother’s boyfriend). We started off with the Artisanal fondue as an appetizer, very tasty and not too rich, served with chunks of crusty bread. We shared a bottle of Chateau Pichon Saint Emilion, a rich bordeaux which matched up great with our dishes. For the first course, we had a choice of pumpkin soup, parmesan gnocchi or mesclun salad. The mesclun was a good portion served in a bowl, and the gnocchi was prepared with braised pork and root vegetables in a delicious brown sauce, however, there were only TWO gnocchi in there! TWO! I mean, it was tasty but this is not a high ticket item, and serving only two gnocchi is an embarassment. It was definitely a WTF moment. Entree selections were Beef Bourgignon served on a bed of creamy,cheesy polenta with glazed vegetables. The beef was tender and full of wine and seasonings. I was jealous that I didnt order it, as I got the Parsillade Crusted Cod with Fennel Marmalade and Caramelized Orange Vinaigrette. The cod crust was delicious, delicate and a bit of crunch but the piece was about 1-1/2 by 4 inches and maybe 3/4” thick. The fennel was braised and the sweet orange vinaigrette was an interesting match. The beef dish was a good portion, and I found myself reaching for the bread to fill up with my cod dish.
We each got one of the three dessert choices. Most interesting was the refreshing Fruit Soup with a scoop of coconut sorbet and pomegranates. I got the Fromages Du Jour, three slices of cheese, one mild and semi-firm, one a tangy goat cheese (I think) and the third a ripe blue cheese. Most popular as can be guessed is their wonderful cheesecake with pecan praline and some caramel sauce.
Overall, the food and wine were very good at Artisanal, the restaurant was well-lit, busy but not too loud, and service was good. One can argue that it was “only” $35 for the three courses, but I at least want to be relatively full (and not on bread) and for the most part they skimped on the portions, at times embarassingly so. Our bill was $187 (not including tip nor the $14 martini Pete had at the bar). Perhaps the non-Restaurant Week menu offers larger portions, but this is not an inexpensive bistro. Am I glad I ate here? Yes. Did this make me want to come back? Not really. Last year I ate at Mesa Grill during Restaurant Week, and it was such a great meal and dining experience that I went back shortly thereafter and bought a gift certificate for a friend who did some legal work for me. That is how a business benefits from Restaurant Week. Not to beat a dead horse, but for a coupla more gnocchi and some better portions, I might have left Artisanal feeling more appreciative and shown it the way I did at Mesa Grill. If you are a cheese lover, a fondue lover, are fond of good French bistro food and have some bucks to spend, then try Artisanal. Or stop in with a group and just enjoy a fondue and a good bottle of Bordeaux!

CRAFTBAR: #2 was lunch at Craftbar on Broadway between 19th and 20th. Simple, semi-elegant atmosphere, and we were seated side-by-side at a comfortable banquette for 2. Right off the bat, the menu was excellent. Plenty to choose from, and everything sounded fantastic. Ms. Kyle, former chef and current salesgalextraordinaire at Petrossian and I were ready to explore some of famed chef Tom Colicchio’s menu (he’s also a judge on Bravo’s Top Chef). We started with a glass of dry Cava Brut, and these salty spiced breadsticks that were awesome.
For appetizers we got Seared Calamari with Baby Arugala and Lemon Confit, cooked to perfection with a hint of citrus. The other app was Fried Oysters with Celery Root Remoulade. These oysters were perfect examples for Frying 101 - light, crisp, and not oily at all. Delicious. There must’ve been a dozen or more appetizer choices.
Our lunch entrees were difficult to pick from the wide selection, but we went with Sauteed Skate with Black Currants and Bacon and Brown Butter. Two portions of skate (I think they were pan fried) - very tasty, subtle taste of brown butter on a bed of sauteed cabbage. One piece was a overcooked on one end, but THAT is the only complaint about the entire meal! The other dish was Braised Short Ribs over Potato and Celery Puree, the rib meat was succulent and tender and the puree was creamy, light and had lots of potato flavor. The cooking was dead on, this was great. We almost ordered the Pork Belly with Red Cabbage and Spaetzle, mainly from a curiosity standpoint - I’m sure it’s great, too.
For dessert I got the Crispy Chocolate Cake with Pistachio Ice Cream. The cake came wrapped in a light pastry shell, about 2.5 inches in diameter, and the cake was very rich. Reminded me of a molten chocolate cake. The pistachio ice cream was very fresh, right out of the ice cream maker! Creamy, and not at all like the green pistachio ice cream you get at the ice cream shop. Kyle got the cheese plate with 3 cheeses - Bucheron (goat-France), Cabrales (cow/sheep-Spain), and Plave (cow-Italy).
Cappucino and tea brought the bill to 81.43. In addition to the friendly and efficient service, we were each given a $10 gift certificate! Now THAT is how you make the most of Restaurant Week from a business stanpoint - great menu, delicious food, decent portions, and an added incentive to get the customer to return. Highly recommended.

DEL POSTO: Del Posto is owned by two huge names in the Italian restaurant biz, Mario Batali and Lydia Bastianich. Located on 85 Tenth Ave and 16th Street, where many giant-sized restaurants, like Morimoto, reside. An expansive space, when you walk in there is a dining area to the right and the bar and more tables to the left, and dead center is a staircase leading downstairs to walls of glass and wood wine storage. This is available for private affairs, but when we (we being college chum Paul and I)walked down the staff was dining and giving us the “why are you here?” look. Paul’s a very successful self-employed graphic designer, husband and father of four, so he doesnt have much opportunity to go out like this. It’s great because his enthusiasm level is always high for these special occasions, plus he’s just good company. I got a glass of Moscato d’Asto prosecco and Paul got an Italian white. Paul started with the Pasta Fagiolo soup. It had a hint of rosemary that accented the flavor perfectly, it was mostly broth with a few cannelini beans and extra virgin olive oil. That had to be Lydia’s touch, if you ever see her show, she is HEAVY with the olive oil. I got the Affatati Misti, a selection of house cured meats and dry aged sausages with bruschetta. Three meats, one slice each, two pieces of prosciutto and a very small piece of crusty bruschetta. Good, but kind of a small portion.

For mains I got the Pork Loin with artichokes, fennel and peppercorns. Omigod! The pork was juicy and tender, lightly crusted with the pepper and spices - excellent. Paul got the Garganelli Verde, quill shaped spinach pasta with Mario’s favorite Bolognese sauce. Quite tasty, the pasta was light and fresh and not heavy on the sauce.

For dessert we had the Sheepsmilk Yogurt Cheesecake, with kaffir lime leaf and coconut gelato plus something else that I can’t read in my notes! Oops! I got the Semifreddo di Torone, and this was unique and full of flavors. Served in a short glass, it had siciilian pistachios, blood orange and moscato d’asti meringue. Layered, and the various textures of the frothy meringue and other ingredients was unlike any dessert I’ve had before. If you go to Del Posto and it’s on the menu, definitely order it. Our waitress was great, didnt rush us and took time to chat with us for awhile. She gave us each a glass of dessert wine on the house, which was a very nice touch. My amigo was inquiring as he wanted to take his wife here for dinner sometime, and apparently there are two menus that alot of people arent aware of. I’m a bit restauranted-out so I can’t remember the particulars, but it sounded like the same food but served on one side of the restaurant or something like that, and less expensive. If you call for reservations, inquire about this, or check out the website DelPosto.com, there might be info there. Del Posto has nice atmosphere, roomy, not loud and an excellent waitstaff, and I recommend it for a special date or business meal. Could get pricey, and I don’t know what their non-Restaurant Week portions are like, although I’m sure they’re more generous. Mario being Mario you know there will be unusual ingredients and surprises (in a good way) and Lydia does solid Italian cooking with a homey touch. If you are a wine enthusiast, you’ll appreciate the selection if Italian wines here.

"And in this corner..."

I'm about to explain something that has perplexed those who know me.

Some people have vices like gambling, drugs, porn, and booze, and though I have dabbled in some of the aforementioned, I have one more. Those of us with this vice have all the traits - hiding it from people, denial, secretly indulging in it, finding others who also have this vice, etc. What I'm speaking of is...professional wrestling. I know, I know, I know what you're thinking. My eldest brother has often asked me with a mixture of confusion, contempt, and pity, "You're educated and cultured - why do you watch that crap?!?"

The answers are many. I'll take you back to the beginning and tell you how I got hooked. 6th Grade. Anthony Wayne Junior High School. Art class. My friend, Ralph, and the other guys at my table kept talking about these characters with names like Bulldog Brower, Mighty Igor, The Mongols, and the Italian Connection. Turns out they were talking about professional wrestling, in this case the now-defunct IWA (International Wrestling Association) which aired Saturday nights at midnight on channel 9. My curiosity piqued, I asked the parental units if I could stay up to watch it. Their bedroom was just off the living room. I guess I was disturbing their Saturday night fun, because Dad came out in his white briefs and said, "Fer crissakes, what are you watching? Why don't yo go to bed??"

Finally, midnight arrived. The show opened with the roll call featuring the aforementioned stars plus Eric the Red (viking guy carrying a big jawbone), The Love Brothers, Ernie Ladd, Tex McKenzie, and of course, the champion of the world, the masked Mexican sensation and man of a thousand masks and a thousand moves, Mil Mascaras (above is a portrait I painted of him)! Keep in mind, I was a diehard comic book collector, and this was way before computer special effects and "Superman" was a decade away, Spiderman and XMen movies were TWO decades away. I was captivated by all these larger than life, colorful characters who didnt take anything from anybody. Good vs Bad, plain and simple. A bad guy picked on a good guy? Well, he turned around and belted him! This was pure enticement for a skinny adolescent. I started doing flying dropkicks on the couch in my pajamas. My bathrobe was no longer a mere bathrobe - it was a sequined robe with my name gleaming on the back as I strode to the ring! I wasnt a gangly boy anymore - I was a 6'4", 250 lb stallion!!

Anyway...halfway through the program, these two guys were fighting and a bad guy runs in and they double team the good guy. Suddenly, out runs this huge muscular guy in a cool mask and a cape! He climbed up the ropes to the top turnbuckle, does a "sunset flip" (dives over the guy, grabs him around the waist, rolls forward holding him, the guy comes over and falls with his shoulders to the mat) and then he beat the hell out of him!! It was the heavyweight champion of the world - Mil Mascaras!! My jaw was literally hanging open and I jumped up! This was a comic book superhero come to life! I never saw such a thing - it was a dream come true! It was amazing; and I was hooked bad.

Several months later, the IWA was appearing live at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ. I begged my father and he took me and my friend, Ralph. I was still young enough to have that all-encompassing excitement you get as a kid when you're psyched for something and was bouncing off the walls. The Capitol Theatre was set up like a concert venue/cinema, so the ring was on the stage, rather than in the center like at an arena or school gym. This didnt dampen our enthusiasm one iota. Dad bought me this bad black and white photocopy of Mil Mascaras and a program at the concession table. The champ fought Eric the Red that night, and I distinctly remember Eric standing on the ring apron waving his bone and yelling at the crowd. Finally, Mil reached over, grabbed him by the neck, and flipped this 300 lb viking over the ropes and into the ring - with one arm!!! The crowd was unglued and that first time seeing pro wrestling live was something I'll never forget. The IWA only lasted a few more months, as the dominant northeast regional promotion, the World Wide Wrestling Federation now know as the WWE, ran the upstart IWA out of business. This was before the national expansion and wrestling was still divided up into regions and closely guarded. The WWWF started running shows the night before or opposite the IWA in the same town with surefire stars like Andre the Giant appearing, so people spent their money on their shows instead of the IWA and they eventually went out of business. However, the WWWF show replaced the Saturday midnight IWA show, so I was able to get my fix. I hope this explains my attachment to rasslin, and for those reading this who share this addiction, know that you are not alone.

Retro Halloween costumes

Ms. Kyle sent me this link to a site of retro Halloween costumes! It's amazing and very amusing. One of my faves is the Mr. Kotter costume from Welcome Back Kotter-try to imagine some little kid coming to your door wearing that mask!

http://www.retrocrush.com/costumes/

As usual, I went down to mi casa in Asbury Park to give out candy. Didnt expect it to be near 70 degrees or I might have stuck around for the Village Halloween Parade. I heard it was beyond packed, one friend who went said all he could think about was that Who concert where people couldnt move and got crushed. This highlights one of the strange phenomena of getting older - you start to really dislike crowds. Remember when you were in your teens and 20s, if you went to an event, or a club or a party and it was packed you were pumped - it made it more exciting, more happening, or whatever. Now it's the opposite!! "Uggh, let's not go there, it's too crowded!"

I'm curious, why do you think this is??

I Hate Technology

There are times when I really hate technology and this is one of them. I'm stuck at home waiting for DHL to deliver a cell phone. "Why?" you may be asking. OK. My cell phone literally broke in half in August. One of the great things about car life in the burbs is that you can get in the car, go, park, do your thing, and head back. No cabs, subways or long treks. Anyway, I went to the Verizon store and being that I have insurance, I was able to get a new phone delivered the next day. So Wednesday late afternoon, only 6 weeks later, the new phone starts acting silly with a reverse screen, shutting off etc, then dying. I schlep to the Verizon store in Soho, ordered a replacement (no $50 fee this time, woohoo!) and am waiting for DHL to deliver it, and I am sure that my buzzer won't work and they'll leave a note on the door. Then I have to go back to the Soho Verizon store so they can download (or upload??) the #'s from the old phone to the new. Uggh. Bad timing, as this Sunday is the 25th Annual Hoboken Studio Tour, and I was planning on doing the annual studio vacuuming today. Plus a dozen other things. Plus I may be opening a coffee bar/art gallery in Asbury Park, but that's a whole other entry.

I want my modern technology - cell phone, computer -- to be like my refrigerator. I want to plug it in, have it work, and only have to deal with repairs/maintenace every 10 years or so.

OK, occasionally I have to change the baking soda and do a cleaning if I forget about food in there and it mutates into a science experiment, but that's much easier to deal with than DHL deliveries, updates, modems, and all the bizarre mind of its own bullshit that computers love to do.

I had a cartoon on my cubicle wall at Arthur Andersen that was great - 3 guys were pulling an enraged fellow office worker away from his desk as he gave the finger to the computer, and the computer screen read "F**k you, too!"
I have AOL (which is another blog entry!) and Explorer. When I go to explorer it says I need to update Mozilla or Safari (I have a Mac). So I download Safari, and it says the same thing!! Why? Anyone know?? Help a brother out.

Well, I used most of my time this morning to print labels, price lists, etc for the Studio Tour. I'm very happy because Mom is setting up tables outside my studio to sell her handmade quilts and pillows. For someone who never took an art class in her life, she has an amazing sense of color. I have alot of small pieces, someold some new, on the wall in my studio at low prices. I always do well at the Studio Tour which equals extra moola and extra space. If you're reading this, it's at 720 Monroe Street betw 7th and 8th in Hoboken, NJ on Sun Oct 15th from noon-6pm. Below are some pics.
I used some of my time surfing the net, and did my guilty pleasure perusal of Craigslist. I wrote a note to a woman who's going to be in town and has an extra ticket for Madama Butterfly at the Met! She replied and I think I'm in, I'll know when she calls tonight - if my damn phone ever gets here. I've never been to the opera, isn't that lame for an artist?? My end of the deal is I have to find a nice place for dinner, which is cool as I love fine dining and I rarely have an excuse to wear a suit.

A free ticket to the opera with a cute woman from out of town via the internet - OK OK, I don't COMPLETELY hate technology.

My NY "Free" Day!

Yesterday morning the cell rings and it's Martin, a friend I've known since we met the very first day of college in 1981. Martin just left his job of 15+ years to pursue the freelance life, and lucky for him (and me) we make our schedules because a friend of his gave him 2 tickets to the Yankees/Tigers game!! FREE!! Game 2 had been rained out the night before and this was an afternoon makeup game. "Hells yeah!" I replied when he asked me if Iwanted to join him. It was gorgeous and sunny, but cold, and luckily I layered the clothes - it felt like a 20 degree difference between sitting in the sun and sitting in the shade where we were. I never sat in the bleachers before, and it's a different breed of fan there. For starters, there's no alcohol allowed in the bleachers. Everyone seems to know eachother. Lots of cops. And lots of abuse to the opposing team's outfielders. But hey, the best part of being at a live game is the crowd, and these bleacher bums really get into it. The funniest was when they'd play the fanfare to yell "Charge!", this guy would yell in a raspy, deep, New York accent-ed voice, "Chahahahahahge!"

We were right behind Bobby Abreu, and unfortunately the Yanks lost 4-3. But I love going to Yankee Stadium, and I have mixed feelings about the new stadium. When I go to Yankee Stadium, it's the history that gets you. You sit and realize that the field you're looking at was played upon by the Babe, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mickey, Yogi, Reggie, Thurman, Murcer, Mattingly and the amazing rosters of the past 10+ years. OK, the new stadium will be "nicer" and have more luxury boxes and maybe more food and family oriented stuff, but dammit, I like the grittiness! Oh well, you can't stop "progress". One more Yankee note: I think the most overlooked player on this team is Jorge Posada, my favorite. A-Rod gets the press and the big bucks, Jeter has the skills and the looks, and so many others get more media attention, but Posada is Mr. Consistent. I'm not enough of a sports fan to be able to rattle off stats, but Posada always gets the clutch hit or homer, never causes waves - he'd be a huge star on another team but this team has so many stars he gets a bit lost in the shuffle.

OK, so this is about my NY Free Day. I get home from the game and checked email and got a free screening pass for the movie "Infamous" about Truman Capote. It's exactly like the last movie about him starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote". This stars Toby Jones and directed by Douglas McGrath. Apparently this film was in the works for some time and sat on the shelf for a bit. Perry Smith was originally to be played by Mark Wahlberg, then replaced by Mark Ruffalo in 04 and finally by Daniel Craig who did a great job. Michelle Pfeiffer was originally to play Slim Keith but was replaced in 05 by Hope Davis. Get this cast: Jeff Daniels, Sigourney Weaver, Isabella Rossolini, Peter Bogdonovich, and Sandra Bullock. Much different in tone from the brooding, sometimes plodding "Capote", Jones' Capote is much more flamboyant than Hoffman's, from what I remember of Truman Capote on talk shows and such, more true. "Infamous" had plenty of humorous moments and focused alot on his gossipy relationships with NY high society. There was an awful lot of liberty taken here and the film had a disclaimer at the end. McGrath employed the use of fake talking head interviews with the other characters, and I don't know how much was scripted and how much was taken from actual statements. Interesting, because the film talks about how Capote was developing a new style of reportage, that being using the techniques of a novel to report non-fiction, and here we have a film that is doing the same thing. Daniel Craig's Perry Smith was deeper and explored more here than in Capote. In that film the stance is that Perry wasn't very bright and Capote simply used him for the book. "Infamous" delves more into their relationship, including a kiss and confession of mutual feelings which may or may not have happened - - did Capote ever admit they kissed or is this supposition based on the rumor that they had developed real feelings for eachother? I'll be curious to see the reviews and to learn more about what was "real" and what wasnt in this movie. If you're not annoyed by the Greek chorus faux interviews, it is an entertaining movie with a very fine performance by Toby Jones. How odd would it be to have 2 actors win Best Actor for portraying the same character? My pick, though, is Forrest Whitaker as Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland", which I highly recommend! Watching Jones as Capote preening in long scarves and fur coats in rural Kansas at that time was a riot, and the supporting cast make this movie worth seeing.

Even better, I saw it (and a Yankees play-off game) for FREE - all in one great New York day!