Pizza wars in NYC

New York magazine came out with an article and review of the "25 Best New Pizzerias in NY" and I tried three of them. Although these were good, they don't depose Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge.

The biggest culinary news in New York is the renaissance of the authentic pizzeria. New York Magazine and the New York Times devoted many an article on this fact. Frank Bruni developed an interactive critic's article with taped reviews accompanying the photos. Many truly excellent pizza restaurants of all shapes and sizes have opened over the past year and are stiff competition for each other and for the strongholds like Grimaldi's, Una Pizza Napoletana, John's and Lombardi's. The sad news is that Una Pizza Napoletana closed. Anthony, the lone pizzaiola who worked hard and created every single pizza over the past several years, had enough of pizza rolling and sold the shop in order to move to San Francisco. I hope he gets a surge of energy out west as his was my very favorite pizza place.

During my trip this past fall, I went to three excellent and very different pizzerias. Lucali's in Carroll Gardens has gotten a great deal of press. The pizza is lovingly prepared but I didn't like the crust--more like a cracker-type Roman crust and not chewy at all. However, Lucali's does have its following, as evidenced by long lines. Service is youthful and Brooklyn and friendly. They don't serve beer or wine but you can bring your own. And the corner store sells some basic wines just for this purpose.

My favorite of the new pizzerias that I tried is Co., bar none. It is in Chelsea on 9th Avenue and 20th Street. The chef is a bread maven and his talent shows in the chewy crust. The restaurant is an upscale Chelsea place with butcher block tables and a subdued decor. There are appetizers, drinks, and desserts. Chris started with a fabulous radicchio salad with taleggio cheese and a great balsamic vinaigrette. We had the Popeye--a true winner of a pizza with spinach, garlic and a variety of Italian cheeses. And next was the Fennel and Sausage pizza with crushed tomato, mozzarella,roasted fresh fennel, sweet sausage and chili. The desserts are modern Italian and look great, but I didn't have room to try one. However, the people around us raved about the chocolate torta and the gelato.

Across town in the East Village is Veloce on 1st Avenue at 6th Street. It is the third place I tried on this trip. They serve their take on Sicilian pizzas and these are large, square and chewy. One pizza is enough for two. We opted for a superb tomato salad (when tomatoes are in season as they were, there is nothing like them) and a Porchetta Sausage Sicilian pizza. It had rosemary, sage, fennel, tomato sauce, mozzarella and fresh Porchetta sausage. This was quite tasty and with the house wine, went down very easily. This restaurant is not as upscale as Co.

Now that Una Pizza Napoletana has left New York, I will have to say that until I find another favorite, Co. and Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge (written about in an early blog) are my favorites.

Newest Japanese restaurants

Three new Japanese restaurants

On rue St. Anne, an authentic "combi" (like a 7-11 in America) opened in place of a travel agency. It is called Kmart and is a combi (convenience supermarket) with a canteen next door. For the inexpensive price of 7 euros, you can get three types of delicious bibim bap (rice with vegetables and seaweed or more vegetables or beef), bento with either salmon or grilled tuna, sushi combos. The room is bright and clean and it is a lot of fun to eat there. There are Korean and Japanese specialties to buy in the "combi" section of the store.

Across the street is Lai Lai Ken. I was just introduced to this place by a Japanese friend who swears by their ramen and she is right. The noodles are al dente and the various broths are very delicious. For example, the shrimp ramen has 5-6 succulent shrimp along with Chinese cabbage. Lai Lai Ken also serves other Japanese canteen specialities such as yakisoba and (my favorite) ebi yaki soba, cha han with lots of vegetables and shrimp, and a kani cha han which features crab flakes. After 6pm, there are other more inventive dishes such as sautéed asparagus and mushrooms, agedashi dofu, and a variety of other Japanese specialities. Lai Lai Ken is a large restaurant and there is rarely a line so you can count on going there and being served right away.

Just four months old, Kiku (which means to listen or hear) at 56 rue Richer is a winner. It is already popular and as it only seats 25, reservations are necessary. At lunch, there are a variety of interesting donburi (fish or meats on rice) with vegetables. The menu states that they do not use tuna as it is endangered, and in its place, I was happy to find yellowtail (hamachi) which is rare on French Japanese restaurant menus. With the donburi come an interesting salad with sesame oil, and a good miso soup. Kiku also serves hardy one-dish meals which come on a small tray with three tsukedashi (amuse-bouches) such as salmon sushi, pumpkin mousse and a small salad. With the little appetizers come either a roast tofu dish on a bed of various winter vegetables, sukiyaki for one in a small oven dish with lots of vegetables, and an interesting chicken dish with a miso-sesame sauce. I want to try that the next time. At dinner, there is a menu dégustation for 35 euros. For that price you get to choose three different dishes out of 12, and the usual Japanese staples are featured. However, they are prepared in creative and delicious ways.

Trip to NY: two four-star restaurants

Two New York Times four-star restaurants in New York: Bernardin and 11 Madison Park


The New York Times rating system is closely followed by foodies and the rare four-star restaurant is a much pursued destination. During this wonderful trip to NY, I had the fortunate opportunity to sample two of these temples of cuisine: Eleven Madison Park (newly elevated to four stars) and Le Bernardin which has had four stars since its inception over 20 years ago. The lunch at Le Bernardin, for 68 dollars is well worth it. There are numerous choices in every category and everything is beautifully and deliciously prepared. I went with my cousin, Jenny, who loves delicious inventive cuisine as much as I.

At the table was rillettes de saumon (smoked salmon) served with toasted country bread. The bread server then made the rounds with several choices of wonderful bread including brioche bread which is my favorite.

For starters, Jenny had tuna that was pounded flat and layered with foie gras, and I chose soft shell crabs served with a lime sauce. We shared everything. For our main courses, there was codfish stuffed with sweet peppers and octopus and topped with a red wine reduction, and crispy black bass served with a braised celery and parsnip custard. The final touch was Iberico ham topped with a green peppercorn sauce.

Desserts were very light and interesting: Pear with cinnamon and caramel, Pistachio mousse with a caramelized white chocolate cream. Neither of us felt like drinking too much at lunch so we ordered wines by the glass. With coffee came a basket of warm financiers.

Le Bernardin is an exquisite New York institution that I discovered in Paris years ago before the Le Coze brother and sister moved west. I recommend the lunch as it is quite reasonable considering the calibre of the cuisine.

The other four-star restaurant I was lucky to experience is Eleven Madison Park. My cousins, Larry and Boots took me there and we had a splendid meal. The amuse-bouches alone were worth the trip: cornet of crisp sweetbreads, warm gougères, radish with butter and sea salt, tortellini of manila clams, quince gelée with foie gras on a savory butter cookie--all lovely and delicious.

I had an extremely superb and interesting appetizer: slow poached egg with farro, sweet corn, frogs legs and summer truffles--like a thin risotto (the farro) garnished with many textures and flavors. Boots had a gorgeous roulade of avocado, Hawaiian prawns, avocado, lime and yogurt. All my favorite things in one dish. Larry chose a lovely salad with jamon Iberico, melons, basil and heirloom tomatoes.

For the main courses, Boots and I shared the best duck I have ever had. It was rare, juicy and crusty at the same time, glazed with lavendar honey and served with butternut squash, figs and other spices. The duck legs came confits with fresh figs and herbs. Larry had a beautiful roast suckling pig with stunning vegetable garnishes. The wine we chose was spectacular: Edna Valley Topanga Syrah 2005. It was really a remarkable wine.

For dessert we had a chocolate-caramel tart, an ice cream sandwich with mint chocolate ice cream and a vanilla soufflé. Throughout the meal we were surprised at how consistently superb and splendid everything was. This is a great discovery and I just hope that chef is happy in his kitchen and stays there for many years.

A place 'pour toutes les poches'

This literally means a place 'for every pocket' (or every pocketbook). What follows are three Parisian restaurants at three levels of expense which are all noteworthy.

First: Chiberta which has one Michelin star (quite an honor) and which will run you around 100 euros per person if not a bit more depending on the wine you choose, of course. I went there right before a big trip to the states with a friend I had met at the wedding in Puerto Vallerta.

The amuse-bouche was a delicious and beautiful cold creamy pea soup with a dollop of whipped cream garnished with toasts slathered with fresh peas.

We started with gambas à la plancha (grilled large shrimp) flavored with grapefruit and served with a millefeuille (layers) of white and green radish and avocado. Very light and delicate but flavorful. Gail had marinated sardines with sweet Espelette peppers from the South of France, tomatoes, and a gazpacho sorbet. Both appetizers were lovely and light and a nice opening to an excellent meal.

For main courses, I chose duck sautéed with foie gras and stuffed zucchini. Gail had saddle of lamb roasted with thyme and eggplant served three ways. For dessert, I had a hot apricot soufflé and that was heavenly. It came with a verbena sorbet which goes very well with either peach or apricot.

Our wines were well chosen by me counselled by the sommelier--a not too expensive but very flavorful Monthélie by Pierre Morey. I know this name from long ago when I sat at the same table as Morey's father in law and then learned that his is a prestigious house in Burgundy.

Before she moved back to Japan, I treated Yuko (a wonderful Japanese friend with whom I have been doing a language exchange for about a year and a half) to a delicious meal in a place suggested by my dentist. His recommendations are always superb. This place is called Le Bistrot de L'Alycastre and is open everyday. It is in the center of St. Germain des Près. To fête this event, we had wonderful glasses of Laurent Perrier champagne. This bistrot, although in the moderate price range, has an excellent wine list.

For starters, I had a sauté of chanterelles (girolles in French) and Yuko had wild gambas (large shrimps) served in a carpaccio with lime and lemon-flavored oil. Lovely. I adore turbot and had it as a filet served with a wonderful risotto with cèpes. Yuko had something she will not get in Japan: succulent sweetbreads served with cèpes and small potatoes. We shared a dark and creamy chocolate soup and left the table sad to say goodbye but very pleased and satisfied with the meal. I will see Yuko the next time I go to Tokyo which should be very soon (for the cherry blossoms in early spring).

Finally, I tried Cucina Napoletana with my friend, Alex. This is a very small restaurant in the Marais which specializes in Italian food served family style. They have a marvelous antipasto plate for whatever number of people are at the table. We chose a superb linguine with a whole lobster in fresh tomatoes and were in heaven. Wines are served by the glass or by the bottle and the list is well representative of Italian wines.

There are several pasta dishes as well as daily fish and meat specials. Rare is it to get well-prepared pasta in France, but this place does the real thing. Depending on what type of main course you choose (lobster is on the expensive side), you can get away with paying very little at this lovely place. The owner of the restaurant is rather cold, but the level of the cuisine is well worth the frosty welcome. Reservations are necessary as there are just a few tables in the restaurant.

Paris Thai and day in Lyon

A new Thai restaurant in Paris and an excursion to Lyon for some fine dining

Eric and I went to Reuen Thai restaurant in Belleville. Recommended by a Japanese friend, this restaurant serves very authentic Thai preparations with the beautiful presentations that are so ubiquitous in nice restaurants in Thailand. I had a delicious soft shell crab with crispy garlic starter. I love spicy food and so ordered a green bean concoction with squid that was served in a hot pepper sauce with sweet red peppers. To counter the heat of the dish,I chose a lovely plate of sautéed noodles and vegetables which was also very good. Eric chose a whole bass baked with ginger and vegetables. I find that the whole fish preparations are usually extremely dependable choices in the Thai restaurants.

About a week later, I took a day and went to Lyon, the city known as the Stomach of France. There are so many wonderful restaurants there, but most serve extremely heavy lyonnais food: quenelles de brochet in a cream sauce, or sausages in brioche crusts. However, there are also more contemporary restaurants which serve upscale dishes. I chose a one-star restaurant known as Les Terrasses de Lyon. It is in the old part of the city atop one of the hills. The diningroom has a gorgeous view of the city.

I decided to opt for the menu dégustation, as I had come to Lyon to eat. However, the restaurant does serve a lovely 3-course menu for lunch that costs 48 euros without beverages.

My menu dégustation began with four petites amuses bouches. There was an egg shell filled with a bit of egg, tomato gelée and baby vegetables, topped with cream; salmon sushi with raifort; an oyster on a toast topped with a balsamic vinegar gelée and a cube of foie gras with a compote of figs. A very nice opening to the meal.

My first course was a dish of two large roasted gambas served with small vegetables and squid ribbons. The squid sat atop a little toast and was very nice. Next was a whole lobster tail served with a spring roll of vegetables: a very luxurious dish. It was sauced with citronelle and galanga--straight from Asia. The main course was a delicious pigeon with a tartine of confit of onions and a little sausage made of the offal of the pigeon. I love offal and ate this part up right away. The pigeon was braised in a little clay pot and flavored with verbena and white peaches. Delicious!!

To go with each course, the restaurant proposed some excellent wines including a Puligny Montrachet with the lobster. This selection could be chosen at the beginning of the meal and was well worth it.

Unfortunately, I had no room for cheese and so went on to the dessert courses. To introduce the main dessert was an ice cream bar of passion fruit sorbet wrapped in chocolate and accompanied with a tiny cup of chocolate mousse. I chose the soufflé au chocolat for dessert. Although it was beautiful, it was the only disappointing part of the meal as no one can make a soufflé as well as I or my mother can! I am usually not happy with restaurant chocolate soufflés but since I love them, I make the mistake of ordering them. With coffee came a lavish assortment of petit fours and chocolates.
The lunch was extremely expensive but I did order the menu dégustation which is usually served at dinner. I was happy with the menu and all in all, it was a successful journey. I am sorry I forgot to bring my camera as the view was lovely and the meal was beautifully presented.

Paris dining in July

Some great restaurants that are open until late July and where you will get wonderful meals; straightforward restaurants with regional cuisine; a stir-fried "choose your own ingredients" place; haute Japanese; and the best fellafel in Paris

Kazumi-san, my enthusiastic Japanese friend, works everyday with only Sunday off. When she found out that I was staying put in Paris for the summer, she suggested that we dine out together and that I choose the restaurant. That is a small challenge at the end of July on a Sunday but I found Le Petit Nicois--open daily except for a vacation in August--in the 7th arrondissement. What a find!! The menu presents food from the sunny south of France including a superb bouillabaisse redolent of saffron and chock full of seafood and pieces of fish. It is served with rouille and toasts. But before I get into our main course, let me praise the appetizers. I had marinated raw sardines that were so fresh that they seemed to bring the sunshine with them; Kazumi had a luscious salad of gambas with a delicious garlic dressing.

The other main courses all have the theme of Nice and Provence in them: Ratatouille, Petits Farcis, Pieds et Paquets, Marmite de pecheur, Loup roti, to name some of the classics.

Le Petit Nicois proposes a three-course menu, but really, when you have bouillabaisse, that it enough!! However, the appetizers came as one of the abbreviated menus and that is why we indulged. We had to forego the desserts (Baba au rhum, Ile Flottante, Candied cold lemon filled with strawberries, and a chocolate mousse). Next time, I won't get the bouillabaisse and will choose the three-course dinner for 32 euros.

Friends I met in Puerto Vallerta were in Paris for two weeks and asked me to reserve dinner for us. We went to one of my favorites: Le Cameleon. It was a classic and tired bistrot that was taken over by the restaurant maven, Jean Pierre Arabian. He is a terrific host and knows how to create the perfect space and find the best chefs. This is really a great place--right in the center of Montparnasse. There were four of us and we were able to sample a number of the specialties. Patrick started with a delicious gazpacho that had a tomato stuffed with langoustine floating on it. The two Lees (there was another in our party) had a very refreshing lobster salad with shaved celeriac and a lime vinaigrette. Stephen chose hearts of lettuce with a delicious dressing garnished with baby summer vegetables.

For our main courses, three of us chose the meat offerings and they were all perfectly prepared. I ordered gigot d'agneau and stressed that I like it rare and that is how it came. So often, they overcook lamb in restaurants but this was terrific. Lee got the specialty of a thick slice of calf's liver deglazed with a red wine sauce and served with macaroni and melted parmesan. Stephen had never had tournedos Rossini and so he treated himself to that. It was served with a lobe of sauteed foie gras. Patrick was the conservative member of the group and got cabillaud (flakey codfish) with a vegetable sauce. Everything was excellent including the reasonably priced Margaux we ordered: exquisite!!

Desserts were great too: Baba au Vieux Rhum, Mousse au Chocolat, Nougat aux Fruits Rouges. I don't like nougat desserts but this one was special.

Kyoko Kato was in from Japan. She is so much like me. She lived in Paris for two years and spent the whole time discovering the best restaurants. This activity included making trips to the provinces to try some of the three-star palaces that I have made pilgrimages to over the years. Tonight, I chose a new place, Ozu, which is open everyday as it sits in a public museum. The kitchen is overseen by Thierry Marx (I dined at his wonderful restaurant outside of Bordeaux about two years ago and wrote it up in this blog), who did a lot of culinary learning in Japan. I was sure it would be fusion food and I didn't want something totally Japanese so that the restaurant would be new and amusing for Kyoko.

The restaurant is in a wonderful space--part of CineAqua in the Jardins du Trocadero. Our blond oak wood table was right next to a floor-to-ceiling glass case behind which were many different types of fish swimming freely. It was a lovely sight. The chefs are all Japanese and there is a choice of a large number of small plates with different Japanese offerings. Your meal consists of your choice of dishes. Kyoko and I chose about 14 delicious jewels of Japanese food. We had delicate gyoza (pork dumplings) in a clear broth. I am only familiar with the fried gyoza and this preparation was much more subtle. We had slices of roasted pork with endives and a delicious fried fish dish with tiny bites of fish to savor with different vegetables. There was a crab and seaweed offering and (the only fusion dish) magret de canard sushi--fantastic. We also had assorted crispy tempura of three different types of fish and shellfish, and a wonderful crispy salmon-skin maki. Although this was not fusion food, we were very happy with what we ordered as well as the price. 14 dishes with wine and sake came to 50 euros apiece.

To keep up with the Asian trend, I went to a place in my neighborhood called Wok Cooking. I have passed by it many times and have always wanted to go in. There are a variety of appetizers but on my first visit, I opted for the main course only. You are given a bowl with your choice of rice, egg noodles or rice noodles. After that, you go to the wok bar to choose from a bevy of vegetables, meat and fish. I chose shrimp, salmon, squid, and a variety of vegetables including oyster mushrooms. After that, you go to the cooking area and order a sauce and herbs and spices. I chose the spiciest sauce (Thai Sauce). The chefs cook up the mixture for you and you have a very healthy meal full of fresh ingredients for just 15 euros. I can't wait to go back. This is my kind of food: light, healthy and spicy and close to my house.

Finally, I have never spoken of L'As du Fellafel--known far and wide as the best fellafel sandwich this side of Israel. There is nothing more to say except that you can order at the window and eat it on the street or pay 2 euros more and sit at a table. This is another place where your order is filled just as you make it. All the vegetables are fresh and crunchy; the eggplant is sensational as are the fellafel. The first time I went there was a year ago. A friend's daughter was studying in Paris for the summer and she mentioned it to me. After my first visit, I make a point of going once every 4-5 weeks. It is always open except on Shabbat and on Jewish holidays.

My New Favorite Restaurant

A new one-star Parisian restaurant that is one to watch

I was so lucky to go to Arôme the other night. It is run by perfectionist Eric Martins who is a long-time friend and a most charming host. Arôme is his creation and he has hired a superb chef who earned the restaurant its first Michelin star. The champagnes that Eric chose for the apéritif are wonderful: Vranken Diamant Bleu 1999, and a Veuve Cliquot Rosé 2004. I tried each one and loved them both.

Before our appetizers, my friend, Noriko (who hails from NY and with whom I dine in great restaurants when she visits Paris) and I were served brochettes de gambas aux zestes de citron vert (jumbo shrimps tempura-style with lime zests) placed in a round glass half full of a mousseline aux fruits de mer (light seafood sauce). What a delicious way to start a meal and what a lovely idea for an amuse-bouche.

Noriko had an first course of fresh mackerel placed on a rectangle of grilled watermelon and garnished with cucumbers and a mild pepper sauce. It was a stunning combination. I had a rouleau de printemps (spring roll) stuffed with fresh crabmeat that had been lightened with verbena and served with a sauce ponzu à ma facon (the chef's way).

For our main courses, Noriko chose the beautiful belly of tuna just grilled, served with zucchini, sundried Pacchino tomatoes and cilantro flowers. I won't eat cilantro but for those who do, this is an excellent dish. I had lobster served with grilled spring and summer fruits and vegetables including yellow peaches, white asparagus and baby yellow squash. It was absolutely lovely.

The sommelier suggested glasses of Riesling Domaine Gapée 2006 Grand Cru that was very flavorful and married well with our dishes.

Our desserts were chocolate soufflés flavored with cinnamon and served with a wonderful salted caramel ice cream served separately in a dark chocolate sauce. The combination of the flavors and the hot and cold was excellent.

Arôme serves an 89 euro tasting menu without wine or that menu with wines for 129 euros. It is closed on the weekends and open for both lunch and dinner during the week. It is a lovely restaurant with a modern decor and is quite large. However, reservations are strongly recommended.