PX This presents THE "WORD OF MOUTH" REVIEW
We’re actually getting kinda sick of new restaurants; it’s a bit tedious pointing out the same types of flaws over and over and over again and ultimately being disappointed more often than impressed. (Here’s a novel idea: why don’t you try working to improve the shitty restaurant you already have, rather than opening a new one every nine months, you greedy egomaniacal bastard?) But hey, maybe that’s just us.
Anyhoo! It’s so nice to see you! We hadn’t planned on visiting your place, probably like— ever— but the "word of mouth" on this joint has been pretty outstanding. So, ya know— we’re intrigued. We’re hoping that good "word of mouth" is all genuine, and we can get us some of that good in our mouth. Word.
What’s that? You’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you’re hoping we’ll like it and help spread the news, since you fired your publicist long ago for not doing jack shit for you?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what obnoxious opinionated food-bloggers are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What exactly made you choose our restaurant?
I hear raves all the time; evidently it’s a favorite amongst the industry folk (and the neighborhood locals).
What was your first impression?
Cute. Warm and cozy.
Please rate the Bar:
Pretty commodious for such a diminutive space. Welcoming and comfortable.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Good. There are some interesting creative house recipe cocktails —and any place that pours Luksasowa out of the well is OK by me. Nice price, too.
The wine list could maybe use a tweak or two, but overall, a good, solid, homey watering hole.
Please rate the Dining Room:
It’s quite charming. Very smart and efficient use of the spare square footage.
Please rate the BOH:
Excellent. Not surprising considering chef Josh Eden‘s* pedigree. What’s actually more astonishing is his stalwart dedication to this humble little gem. Shouldn’t he be out chasing TV and book deals by now or something?
How was the staff?
Great. Friendly, knowledgeable, and proficient. There’s a very distinct family-like vibe going on here all right.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Jerusalem artichoke soup : Delicious. Rich and flavorful. I’m pretty much sold already.
Grilled shrimp salad : Outstanding. The shrimp is perfectly cooked, tender and succulent. Clean but zesty.
Hamachi tartare : Mmm— fresh and light but luscious. Great twist on a simple classic.
Roasted chicken : Wow. I don’t generally ever order chicken in restaurants, but this one came so highly recommended I couldn’t resist. Huh, is this one of the best chickens I’ve ever had in my life? Could be.
Burger and fries : Oh man, this is one juicy and hearty burger, and the fries are great too. Huh, is this one of the best burgers I’ve ever had in my life? Could be.
What did you like?
Just about everything.
What did you dislike?
Nothing really. But if they worked on that wine list a bit, I’d think about moving in.
What was your last impression?
What a fantastic little restaurant. Really.
Would you come back?
Definitely.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you, it was a pleasure.
* Note: Josh Eden’s short-lived (joint) endeavor in healthy Chinese takeout, Ten Ten, has CLOSED.
Truth be told, despite Eden’s obvious talent and tremendous expertise, we here at PX This can’t exactly say this was entirely unforeseen (as usual). The moral of this story is:
If you think there’s an Asian foodie chef-groupie chick with a wealthy background that works in fashion and is deliberating opening a restaurant in downtown NYC— that PX This DOESN’T know — dude, you are totally smoking crack. Ha aha ha ahah maybe try asking around or something next time, bitches. Geezus.
* * * * *
Have you heard?
Until the release of PX Me (Summer 2011), this website will henceforth be updated only intermittently (approximately once or twice a week).
Abbe Diaz’s new (daily) blog is now at: abbediaz.com
PX This presents THE "WORD OF MOUTH" REVIEW
We’re actually getting kinda sick of new restaurants; it’s a bit tedious pointing out the same types of flaws over and over and over again and ultimately being disappointed more often than impressed. (Here’s a novel idea: why don’t you try working to improve the shitty restaurant you already have, rather than opening a new one every nine months, you greedy egomaniacal bastard?) But hey, maybe that’s just us.
Anyhoo! It’s so nice to see you! We hadn’t planned on visiting your place, probably like— ever— but the "word of mouth" on this joint has been pretty outstanding. So, ya know— we’re intrigued. We’re hoping that good "word of mouth" is all genuine, and we can get us some of that good in our mouth. Word.
What’s that? You’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you’re hoping we’ll like it and help spread the news, since you fired your publicist long ago for not doing jack shit for you?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what obnoxious opinionated food-bloggers are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What exactly made you choose our restaurant?
Well, when you fly into San Francisco, it’s always easiest to fly outta there too (even if your final destination was elsewhere), that’s just how airlines roll.
And evidently, leaving California without a pitstop at In-N-Out is widely considered something of a travesty. So, like that.
What was your first impression?
Holy cow (oh oops haa no pun intended), it’s crowded.
Please rate the Bar:
N/A. This is a G-rated production.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
My "fresh-brewed" iced tea was eh. Tastes a lot like the wax cup and the plastic straw actually.
Please rate the Dining Room:
Typical. Clean, though.
Please rate the BOH:
Wow, those guys are moving. Yea, you don’t see much of that at McDonald’s.
How was the staff?
Just a tad exasperated, but they work hard.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Double cheeseburger : Okay. I mean don’t get me wrong, I totally appreciate the high quality, non-frozen, hand-butchered rigmarole, I really do— it’s awesome. But in terms of presentation, execution, and flavor— I still prefer Johnny Rockets, I don’t care what anyone thinks. I’m just sayin’.
Fries : Okay. I mean don’t get me wrong, I totally appreciate the high quality, non-frozen, hand-chopped rigmarole, I really do— it’s awesome. But they’re kinda bland. And a bit too flaccid.
"Fresh-brewed" Iced Tea : See above.
What did you like?
Now I get to say I’ve been here?
What did you dislike?
Dude, I don’t have anything against onions, but these stayed with me like all day, even after brushing. They’re like Super Onions.
What was your last impression?
I am glad I tried it.
Would you come back?
Sure.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thanks!
PX This presents THE "WORD OF MOUTH" REVIEW
We’re actually getting kinda sick of new restaurants; it’s a bit tedious pointing out the same types of flaws over and over and over again and ultimately being disappointed more often than impressed. (Here’s a novel idea: why don’t you try working to improve the shitty restaurant you already have, rather than opening a new one every nine months, you greedy egomaniacal bastard?) But hey, maybe that’s just us.
Anyhoo! It’s so nice to see you! We hadn’t planned on visiting your place, probably like— ever— but the "word of mouth" on this joint has been pretty outstanding. So, ya know— we’re intrigued. We’re hoping that good "word of mouth" is all genuine, and we can get us some of that good in our mouth. Word.
What’s that? You’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you’re hoping we’ll like it and help spread the news, since you fired your publicist long ago for not doing jack shit for you?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what obnoxious opinionated food-bloggers are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What exactly made you choose our restaurant?
It came very highly recommended by a chef friend who’d recently relocated from NYC to San Francisco.
What was your first impression?
Cute. And big!
And oh look— it’s Michael Chiarello… in chef whites. At lunchtime? "Off-season," no less? Wow, don’t see that in NYC very often.
Please rate the Bar:
Uh, if I remember correctly, it’s big? Sorry, the place is so huge and there’s so much to see here (got totally distracted by the little Bottega shop across the way… with 20 kinds of salt… a dozen olive oils… a myriad of chutneys… you get the picture). Oops, my bad.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Who drinks liquor in Napa Valley? Yah sorry— no clue on that.
The wine was great though… but ahem, don’t even know what it was. When you’re rolling with a sommelier, it’s really easy to get lazy like that. Ooopsie again. (Whatever, it’s Napa— this is definitely the place to give in and let somebody else do all the work for a change.)
Please rate the Dining Room:
Went straight for the outdoors. Yea, you don’t get much garden dining like this is NYC either. What a beautiful view.
Please rate the BOH:
Stellar. And with a party of nine (over half of which are food professionals), it’s not hard to order nearly everything on the menu. So we did.
How was the staff?
Good. Come to think of it, they must have been pretty great, because I barely remember any of them.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Like I said, damned near everything : And save for the pasta carbonara which was wholly underwhelming, everything was quite exceptional. The biggest surprise was probably the polenta, which was spectacularly flavorful and superbly scrumptious. If I described every single dish, I’d be here all day. So let’s just say I loved it— it was undoubtedly one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had.
What did you like?
Pretty much all of it.
What did you dislike?
What’s up with that carbonara? Odd how it was so bleah, particularly compared to everything else. Great presentation, but really quite bland.
What was your last impression?
I’m so glad we had such a large group; there’s no possible way to taste as much otherwise.
Would you come back?
Would absolutely love to.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you, it was a pleasure.
PX This presents THE "WORD OF MOUTH" REVIEW
We’re actually getting kinda sick of new restaurants; it’s a bit tedious pointing out the same types of flaws over and over and over again and ultimately being disappointed more often than impressed. (Here’s a novel idea: why don’t you try working to improve the shitty restaurant you already have, rather than opening a new one every nine months, you greedy egomaniacal bastard?) But hey, maybe that’s just us.
Anyhoo! It’s so nice to see you! We hadn’t planned on visiting your place, probably like— ever— but the "word of mouth" on this joint has been pretty outstanding. So, ya know— we’re intrigued. We’re hoping that good "word of mouth" is all genuine, and we can get us some of that good in our mouth. Word.
What’s that? You’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you’re hoping we’ll like it and help spread the news, since you fired your publicist long ago for not doing jack shit for you?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what obnoxious opinionated food-bloggers are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What exactly made you choose our restaurant?
Truth be told, French Laundry was actually our first choice for this trip, but evidently eight people is considered "private dining," and such reservations are booked up to a year in advance. Benu was considered an excellent second choice due to its outstanding pedigree. (Too bad two people canceled and we ended up being a party of only six anyway. Oh well.)
What was your first impression?
Huh. It’s… kinda… plain?
Please rate the Bar:
Uh, N/A? If there’s a bar, I didn’t see one.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
For a sixteen course chef’s tasting we opted for wine all the way, so I have no idea if they even offer the hard stuff at all (somehow, I doubt it). All four bottles were the sommelier’s choice, and they were quite excellent, especially since each one was only in the $80 to $130 per bottle range. Very impressive.
Please rate the Dining Room:
Honestly, it’s rather a wee blah. But maybe this is a San Franciscan or Californian haute-dining thing— the food is the point, you see— or something (what the hells do I know); it’s a pretty prevalent phenomenom really.
It’s not quite how I (or most New Yorkers for that matter) would’ve done it, is alls I’m sayin.
Please rate the BOH:
Stellar. Didn’t really expect anything less though, frankly.
How was the staff?
With this background and at $160 per head, overall the FOH is not quite as good as you’d anticipate. Trying a bit too hard to be casual, perhaps? Just a tad hasty, and much more assertive and obtrusive than they should have been.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Chef’s tasting, 16 courses. Sorry, if you expect me to name them all, you must think I really need a life or something : Exceptional. Undoubtedly one of the finest dining experiences I’ve ever had. Standouts include the thousand year old quail egg, the shark fin soup, the grilled eel cigarette-shaped thing, the foie gras, and the odd "caviar, bone marrow, lobster" concoction that was nothing like what you might expect. Less breathtaking was the braised beef, unfortunately the last savory course.
By and large however, quite superlative.
What did you like?
The creativity in (and execution of) the food was unquestionably exemplary.
What did you dislike?
Nothing other than what I’ve already mentioned.
What was your last impression?
Definitely worth trying, and even better with a larger group.
Would you come back?
Ehhh, it’s not the sort of experience I’d generally consider a habit. But as part of a travel experience…
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you, it was lovely.
Antinori Solaia 1997 – Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Franc – Tuscany, Italy
Cost: $85/bottle purchased in early 2000 (vintage 2006 currently about $175/bottle)
Amazingly dark ruby/purple color for a slowly maturing wine that is 12 years off the vine. Full-bodied and rather inky in texture. The nose is slow to emerge, almost as if it’s still quietly waking up after resting about 9 years in my wine cellar. The Solaia performed exceptionally well (but only after about 40 minutes of aeration) offering a bouquet of blackberries, black currants, premium cigar tobacco, sandalwood, and licorice. But its true calling in life and overall quality seem to show more in its huge concentration of fruit, most notable on the mid-palate, backed by a wall of tannins. Clearly this wine is still youthful and its structure is just barely allowing consumption at this stage, and only with plenty of air time in the glass. This wine could have benefited enormously from decanting, but I admit I was remiss.
Rating: 92
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
Wow. Swanky.
Please rate the Bar:
There’s two actually— and they’re both pretty slammin. Big, welcoming, commodious, and smart. Curious to see how they end up handling the door, but this place could very well be the new jumpoff…
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Excellent. Good sagacious recipes with quality, creativity, and lots of fresh ingredients. And the prices aren’t bad either, considering.
Please rate the Dining Room:
It’s pretty stellar. There’s maybe just a wee touch of austerity, probably due to all the glass and concrete, but overall it’s a beauty. Very impressive.
Please rate the BOH:
Well ya know, it’s Sam Talbot…
I can’t exactly say I’m the greatest Top Chef fan, but I can say after one meal, this dude has made a believer outta me all right.
How was the staff?
Exceptional. Everybody. Really.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Cauliflower fritters : Wow. Not flowers as you might expect, but pureed like mashed potatoes. Sooo delicious.
Iberico lardo and toro : Faaantastic. How can I explain— sorta like a crostini with scrumptious fresh toro and Iberico lardo piled on top? Oh who cares, just eat it.
Slow cooked octopus : Not as mind-blowing as the others, but still very good. Rich and flavorful.
Shrimp and grits : Better than it sounds, trust me. Succulent and hearty.
Cucumber kimchee : Yah, uh… –the fuck? Whatever, it’s good. Tamer than the "real" stuff, but ya know… that’s just how round-eyes roll, I guess. Ha ha ha ha haaa… oh lighten up there, Casper.
What did you like?
Just about everything.
What did you dislike?
If you must know, I’m not feelin those girl uniforms. What’s with all the hotels and the ugly satin dresses everywheres all of a sudden?
What was your last impression?
Oh look it’s Charlie Walk. [Waaalk this waaay… sorry, couldn’t resist.]
Would you come back?
For sure.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you, it was a pleasure.
* * * * *
Have you heard?
Until the release of PX Me (Summer 2011), this website will henceforth be updated only intermittently (approximately once or twice a week).
Abbe Diaz’s new (daily) blog is now at: abbediaz.com
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of luck[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
Huh, somehow it looks bigger than Le Gamin…
Please rate the Bar:
Cute. Small, (about six seats) but cute. Love the colorful fruit baskets.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Smart. No ABC license— due to their unfortunate location between the church and the devil— so they’re forced to make due with beer, wine, and spirits. Great job, though— inventive recipes, fresh ingredients, and palatable prices make the hard stuff not so easy to miss.
Please rate the Dining Room:
Like I said, bigger than I expected. And typically appealing and hip— oh it’s very Serge Becker all right.
Please rate the BOH:
Sorta N/A— the BOH is smack in the middle of the FOH. And it’s really verrry good.
How was the staff?
Fabulous. Of course. Come on, it’s everybody you already know and adore. What’s not to love?
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Codfish fritters : Good. A little chewy though, sat in ‘the window’ just a minute too long, and they might want to double check that oil temperature. Just sayin’.
Smoked mackerel salad: Nice. Fresh, tasty, love the textures. And big too.
Oxtail stew : Very good. Hearty— don’t forget the hot sauce. Delicious.
Jerk chicken : Ohhh yeah. Tender, succulent, perfectly cooked. And that "chef made" jerk sauce is not messin around. It means business— and after that plate landed in front of me, so did I. Even the rice is good.
Banana Pudding: Mmmmm… simple, light, and natural, but creamy, rich, and flavorful. Love it.
What did you like?
Pretty much everything.
What did you dislike?
The tables are kinda cramped, but I get it. And I’ll live.
What was your last impression?
Yay! (It’s so close by, you see.)
Would you come back?
Ha ha aha get serious.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
No nooo, thank yooou! Especially for that special "reservation" e-mail address.
:)
* * * * *
Have you heard?
Until the release of PX Me (Summer 2011), this website will henceforth be updated only intermittently (approximately once or twice a week).
Abbe Diaz’s new (daily) blog is now at: abbediaz.com
PX This presents THE "WORD OF MOUTH" REVIEW
We’re actually getting kinda sick of new restaurants; it’s a bit tedious pointing out the same types of flaws over and over and over again and ultimately being disappointed more often than impressed. (Here’s a novel idea: why don’t you try working to improve the shitty restaurant you already have, rather than opening a new one every nine months, you greedy egomaniacal bastard?) But hey, maybe that’s just us.
Anyhoo! It’s so nice to see you! We hadn’t planned on visiting your place, probably like— ever— but the "word of mouth" on this joint has been pretty outstanding. So, ya know— we’re intrigued. We’re hoping that good "word of mouth" is all genuine, and we can get us some of that good in our mouth. Word.
What’s that? You’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you’re hoping we’ll like it and help spread the news, since you fired your publicist long ago for not doing jack shit for you?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what obnoxious opinionated food-bloggers are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What exactly made you choose our restaurant?
I was craving good sushi, and your place was a closer walk than Blue Ribbon— it’s COLD outside! Obviously, your stellar reputation precedes you…
What was your first impression?
Holy cow it’s crowded.
Please rate the Bar:
N/A. Service for the dining room only.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Oh whoops, is there liquor here? Sorry, forgot to check. They definitely have beer, wine, and sake though. Not the most superb collection, but basic and satisfactory.
Please rate the Dining Room:
A little cramped and somewhat worse for wear, but fine. Straightforward— no fanciness, snazziness, or bells and whistles here.
Please rate the BOH:
Very good. Great quality, freshness, and particularly generosity.
How was the staff?
Good. Polite, attentive, and proficient, if not exactly effusive.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Yellowtail with jalapeño : Yea, the typical "classic." Lavish slices of fish.
Dragon Roll : Another classic. Huge! Good.
Hot Alaskan Roll : Salmon and Tuna, not quite as spicy as the title suggests. But excellent. And again, huge.
Sea urchin sushi : Seems rather steep at $9.50 per serving— until you see how big they are. Very fresh and flavorful. Fantastic.
Kanpachi sashimi : Oh so good. These portion sizes are killing me.
What did you like?
Pretty much everything.
What did you dislike?
Nothing really, except I do find the old punch out clock (with cards!) on the wall smack in the center of the dining room kinda amusing.
What was your last impression?
Oh look, it’s Julianne Moore.
Would you come back?
Yes, for sure.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you, it was a pleasure.