Restaurant Review: Empellon Tacqueria

I went out to Empellon Tacqueria with a large group of girls for one of our monthly dinner adventures. I had heard mixed reviews about this place, and I have to say I feel mixed about it myself.

The space is on the smaller side and they definitely pack in the tables in here. It's a good place for groups since they have a couple of larger tables. Unfortunately, our table was right in front and directly in the path of the freezing air that rushed in every time the door opened (which was often, since it was a busy night). We also were sandwiched between the bar area/walkway to the restrooms and the other tables/walkway to the exit. So, our central location put us in a place to get bumped a lot by people trying to get by, and also allowed all of the sounds to pass through making it really loud and hard to hear anyone but the person next to you.

Now that I sound like an old fart that can't hang, I will move on to the drinks and food. We ordered some margies and beer (I got this adorable "Baby Sol" which was a mini beer) and a couple of guacs + 7 salsas, which is all of the salsas on the menu. The guac was good, once I removed the cilantro! And the salsas were fun. They came in small dishes displayed around the guac in order of spiciness. #1-#5 were good, #6 was really spicy and #7 was insanely HOT, so thank god I only took a very very small taste. I don't know where in the spectrum this one fell, but I especially liked the smoked cashew and chipotle one.

Baby Sol

Guac + 7 Salsas

For dinner, most of us got a variety of tacos, since we were at a tacqueria after all. The tacos come in orders of 2 or 3, and one taco will run you ~$6-$8 each. We all pretty much went splitsies and I ended up with the lamb barbacoa with cucumber and salsa borracha, skirt steak with mojo de ajo, and duck confit with loganiza (type of sausage), avocado puree, red onion, and habenero.

The lamb was my favorite of the three. It was pulled, which was interesting and worked well as a taco. I don't think I have ever had lamb prepared that way, and the cucumbers gave it a nice crunch. My least favorite was the skirt steak. It was cut into chunks and while I know skirt steak is normally on the chewy side, this was just a little too tough and fatty for me. It was hard to bit into as a taco, so I ended up trying to eat just the steak out of the tortilla, but that wasn't working either so I just gave up on that one. The second runner up was the duck confit. It took a few bites to actually find the flavor in this, meaning the duck itself was not seasoned very well, but the other stuff inside helped keep it alive.

Left: Lamb
Center: Skirt Steak
Right: Duck Confit

Conclusion - I probably won't be coming back since I really did not like the ambiance and the food did not help Empellon's case either. You win some, you lose some!

Restaurant Review: All'onda

Jeremy and I had a lovely Valentine's Day dinner at a new place, All'onda. I had high expectations because this spot had a lot of buzz when it opened, considering it is the product of the chef from Ai Fiori and Morimoto and the former partner of Michael White, and it mostly delivered.

We chose this place that night because they did not have a pre fixe menu, as many high end restaurants do on the big day of love. This way, we were able to properly explore the menu.

We started with some drinks, me with red wine and Jeremy with the 697 cocktail - bourbon, honey, bitters, and amaro rinse. Both were fine, exactly what we wanted and exactly what we expected.

To start, we went with the crostino with monkfish liver, persimmon, and caramelized onion. It came on two pieces, one side had the liver consistency you would expect, and the other side was in the form of pate with the jellied persimmon on top. The livery side was SO fishy, it was overwhelming and we were not into it. However, the other pate-ish side was better. The sweetness of the persimmon balanced it out and the "pate" was not nearly as fishy.

Crostino

Next we had the Bucatini pasta - by far the best dish of the night. With homemade pasta, smoked uni (smoked in house) was a main ingredient in the sauce and pieces were throughout the dish which was topped with spicy bread crumbs. This Eatr article is what intrigued me, and thank god because this dish is where it's AT. A must order if you go.

Bucatini

And finally, for our entree, we went for the short rib for two. An unusual move by us, considering we always aim to try the maximum amount of dishes our stomachs and wallets will allow, but Jeremy saw another table with it and he was hooked. This dish is MASSIVE. We were served two huge pieces of short rib, stacked up against each other, on top of a tomato mostarda (basically a yummy roasted tomato spread). In a separate dish, we were served a saffron risotto. The short rib had some pros and cons. 

I will start with CONS: not the tender, fall off the bone texture I was expecting of short rib and very fatty (I had to cut away large pieces of fat throughout the piece). 

PROS: While not cooked how I expected, it was cooked to the perfect temperature and had a beautiful pink inside. After cutting away the fat, the meat was extremely flavorful and the outside was exceptionally seasoned.

The risotto was amazing upon first bite - so rich and creamy. However, after a couple more bites, you start to realize that the reason this so amazing is because you must be eating a bowl of butter and cheese and it starts to be a little TOO rich. 

Short Rib

While we didn't have the perfect meal food wise, I enjoyed the atmosphere and service, and my company was decent as well. The food was good enough to keep me intrigued and I would definitely go back for the Bucatini and to try a few more things.

Restaurant Review: 83 1/2

Jeremy and I didn't feel like cooking one night, so we decided to go back to a place on the UES that we had been to over a year ago, 83 1/2. We remembered enjoying it, but nothing that made us come running back so quickly. It was pretty new at that point, and by now they have definitely smoothed out any kinks.

We had a really delicious meal and good service in a nice, quiet, welcoming place only a few blocks from home. What more can you ask for? Here's the rundown:

We started with 2 appys - Siciliana salad and Tortino di spinaci. 

The salad was made with radicchio, orange segments, candied pistachios, black olives, shaved fennel, and balsamic dressing. The slight bitterness of the radicchio was offset by the sweetness of the candied pistachios and I always love the citrus/fennel combo so that all worked really well together. 

Siciliana Salad

The tortino was a delish spinach cake surrounded by a Parmesan fondue and topped with a crispy egg yolk. This was creamy and savory and glad we decided to add this on last minute.

Tortino di Spinaci

For our entrees we split the ravioli of the day and the Cornish hen.

The homemade ravioli of the day was spinach and ricotta. It came with 8 large raviolis that were perfectly cooked and dressed in a sage butter sauce. 

Ravioli del Giorno - Spinach and Ricotta

The Cornish hen came with 2 large pieces (breast, and leg/drum) with crispy, well seasoned skin, sitting on top of baked stuffing. The chicken was juicy and moist, however the stuffing ended up getting a little mushy from the herb vellutata. That was probably my only complaint and it really wasn't that bad, I just prefer my stuffing a little less soggy.

Cornish Hen

I would definitely recommend this spot for any Upper East Siders looking for a quiet date night, dinner with parents, or a catch up with the girls!

Restaurant Review: 12 Chairs

Looking to get a little more Israel in our lives, some lady friends and I went to 12 Chairs, a Middle Eastern cafe in Soho. It was empty when we got in around 7pm on a weeknight, but totally full by the time we left, around 8ish. The service definitely could have been better, but the vibe in this place is very casual and it is run by Israelis...so that should explain that.

We ordered Labaneh, which is a yogurt cheese dip with za'atar and olive oil served with pita. It was good, standard Labaneh, homemade, and a nice starter.

I don't see a lot of shakshuka on menus, so I tend to go that route if it is available. And, this would be the place to do it, right? Shakshuka, for those that don't know, is eggs poached in a spicy Moroccan tomato sauce served with bread for dipping. They also served it with Israeli salad. I had asked for my eggs to be over easy, but they came out more than medium and did not run at all, which is the best part. So, while the sauce was pretty good and authentic tasting, I was disappointed about the eggs and not overly impressed.

Left: Shakshuka
Right top: Labaneh
Right bottom: Israeli salad

My friends got the Goat Cheese Salad and the Greek Omelette. I didn't have either of them, but they both seemed content.

Goat cheese salad

Greek omelette

While this was not a mind blowing experience, I would go back to try other menu items, especially to try brunch. It is an easy, quick, casual, and very reasonable spot to grab food in Soho.

Restaurant Review: L'Artusi

I am going to go ahead and call L'Artusi one my new favorite restaurants. Jeremy and I actually had plans with another couple at a different restaurant because L'Artusi didn't have a reservation available, and I forgot that I had asked to be put on the wait list. So, at 4:30 that day I received a surprisingly delightful call that informed me of a reservation that opened up. The 4 of us happily switched our plans, and thankfully so, because we had a really wonderful meal!

We started with a bottle of wine recommended by our waitress, but I honestly have no idea what it was. Then we ordered up several apps and side dishes to accompany our entrees. The meal included:

A cheese plate with caciocavallo di bufala and taleggio that came with some fruit and crackers. It was high quality cheese on a pretty little plate.

Dayboat scallops crudo - raw thinly sliced scallops with sea salt, olive oil, lemon, and espelette. They were fresh, refreshing, and sliced to just the right thickness.

One of the specials, short ribs with polenta - this was divine. Short ribs were melt in your mouth, and oh so savory. Honestly, this is the best short rib dish I have ever had (and I have dabbled quite a bit in short rib). I would probably call and see when this was available again so I can go back that day to get it.

Fettuccine with rabbit, cacciatore, and parmesan - the pasta was homemade and perfectly cooked with a slightly spicy tomato based sauce that was well seasoned overall. The rabbit tasted braised and really made the dish stand out.

Side of brussels sprouts with black pepper and pecorino, which were devoured instantly. They were your typical delicious brussels cooked to perfection, crispy, and complimented with the right amount of cheese. We considering ordering 2 servings and decided against it, however we would have inhaled the second plate if it were to have arrived.

Side of caramelized parsnips with honey and almonds - I found this to have a good flavor combination, but it was a little too sticky and dense (maybe over cooked?) for me. It was getting stuck in my teeth. However, my tablemates really enjoyed them.

My fellow diners ordered the roasted beets salad and orecchiette with sausage, salumi, and pecorino. I did not taste these dishes so therefore cannot really comment, but I will tell you that there was nothing but praise for everything.

Highly recommended for date night, or even a small group. I noticed they have a nice private dining area upstairs for a small private party. Cool atmosphere and great service - I can't wait to go back!

Restaurant Review: Bohemian

Bohemian opened in NYC in 2009 (second to the first location in Japan), so it is definitely not new, however they have maintained their exclusivity as a "secret" restaurant with an unlisted number for 4 years so why not give it a try. Getting a reservation is quit difficult, so we settled on a 9pm Monday night dinner with another couple. When we arrived I realized I had actually been there once before a few years ago with a friend, so I knew how to actually find the place by entering the unmarked door and walking through a corridor all the way to the back. After ringing the doorbell, they let you in to what I would describe as a large living room with a bar and an inset garden display. It is quite small, seating maybe 20 people, and all of the seats are large loungey arm chairs with coffee tables and other non-traditional restaurant tables. They have chill music playing, but it is very quiet and the place feels intimate.

There is an option for a reasonable $55 tasting menu, however I was with 4 people and since they serve everything family style, we figured we could try everything we wanted by ordering a la carte. We went with:

Mac & Cheese - kind of random on this Japanese menu, but good nonetheless.

Washu-beef tartar - delicious and not scary raw, just really high quality raw.

Uni croquette - croquettes of mushroom cream topped with fresh sea urchin. This had quite the umami flavor and was very rich, creamy, and divine. You must order this.

Washu-gyu beef sliders - again, high quality beef and a pretty substantial slider. Bigger than a slider and I wasn't sure if we ordered enough so this definitely rounded out our menu selection

Pan roasted branzini - brought to the table whole, head on, and in a cast iron pan accompanied by anchovies, kalamata olives, onions, fingerling potatoes, whole bulbs of garlic and rosemary sprigs. The waiter filleted it for us at the table, but there were of course lots of little bones you had to watch out for. Aside from that, this fish was amazing. Crispy skin and flaky tender fish inside that had a simple flavor, because light seasoning was all it needed. A must order.

Foie gras soba noodles - the noodles were served in a tasty broth and we had to weirdly ladle out our servings. Besides the difficulty of splitting up the dish, the broth was so flavorful and the foie gras was really rich. It was a interesting combo with the soba noodles, but it all blended so well. If you like foie gras, you want to try this.

Oh, and we also drank up a storm trying out much of their cocktail menu, which had many unique choices and all were made with fresh ingredients.

Lastly, I need to tell you about the bathroom here. I know what you are thinking - ew, isn't this a food blog? - however this toilet is state of the art and I have never seen anything like it. I forget the brand but it's a high tech Japanese toilet that has a panel on the wall with all different "cleansing" options among other features. The lid was automatic too. Totally crazy, but kind of weird because while this place is very intimate, it is still a public toilet. Anyway, it makes for an interesting conversation piece after the first person in the group goes.

Overall I had a really nice experience here. The service was great and the staff is super friendly and you can tell everything is made with great care. The atmosphere is very relaxed and quiet and it is a great place to go and actually catch up with your friends while enjoying an authentic Japanese meal at an "exclusive" NYC restaurant.

Restaurant Review: Shelter Pizza

After a Sunday afternoon concert at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg, my friend and I were hungry and wanted to grab a bite somewhere. I am not familiar with the neighborhood so we just walked a few blocks and looked at some menus on Wythe Ave. We saw a giant American flag painted on a building with a neon sign that read "PIZZA EMPANADAS BAR." Clearly this was a draw. 

We opened the enormous, heavy, industrial door to Shelter Pizza and entered some sort of hunting cabin situation, and I had to double check that we walked into the right place. Nothing about pizza and empanadas connects to hunting cabin decor, but alright, I was in Williamsburg so these things are expected.

We took a seat and looked around at the moose head hanging above the bar, the snow shoes and canoes on the walls, and the animal hides covering the bar stools. Still confused, we reviewed the menu which had a number of interesting choices. We settled on a pizza and 2 empanadas, which was the perfect amount of food.

The pizza had a crispy, thin crust and was topped with prosciutto, arugula, and Parmesan. It was a bit salty, but probably due to the meat and cheese. It was cut into 4 large slices, and I would have preferred 8 smaller slices to make it easier to eat, but that is my only complaint. Otherwise, I really enjoyed how the ingredients were actually added after the dough was baked. This made everything taste fresh.

The "empanadas" were more like quiche or savory tarts or something. One was filled with pulled pork and topped with a red cabbage slaw. The pork was delicious, tender, and tasted like it was cooked for hours. It was a southern BBQ dish with a Spanish twist, I think? The second one was spinach and cheese and it filled a dough cup. We cut it in half to split, and the cheese sort of oozed out everywhere. It was fine, but not memorable and definitely not an empanada. I would be interested to try some of the other options to see how they differ.

If I was ever back in the neighborhood, I would come back to try some of the other pizzas or menu items that caught my eye (like the pickles of course). Definitely a cool spot to keep in mind if you are going to Brooklyn Bowl.