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?
Oh man, that light. Try this trick:
Stare at the light for fifteen seconds. Now squeeze your eyes shut and turn your head away from the light for five seconds. Now open them quickly. Did you see Jesus?
[Ha ha ha ahaa, I didn't write that, I stole it from *rollerfink*]
No but seriously though, I think I got a suntan sitting at that bar.
Please rate the Bar:
Don’t go into the light, Carrie Anne! Sorry, couldn’t resist.
And the bartender is quite the serious young man. He’s very proficient, though.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
The cocktails are very good, nice ingredients. But kinda expensive. The wine list is excellent, especially for an Asian restaurant, but again, don’t exactly expect to find any bargains here.
Please rate the Dining Room:
It’s simple, could be warmer. But it’s pretty plush. Looks kinda Californian actually.
Please rate the BOH:
Exceptional. If you’re a foodie, this is the place for you all right.
How was the staff?
Good. Maybe a wee tense. But that could just be the general aura.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Everything on the menu, I am not even kidding : The menu essentially consists of a three-course tasting and a five-course tasting. There were four of us, we opted for the fiver, there were four choices for each course offered… yada yada, we ate the whole menu. And it was very good, if you’re into that sort of thing. Personally I’m not, but I totally get the appeal. It was all very fancy and creative and artistic. I liked the amuse bouche and the "rice’" course best, I’m just sayin.
What did you like?
It’s always nice to try something new and different. I even gave the superloo a whirl. And ehee heee now I want one.
(Oh, and that Chambolle Musigny was pretty wonderful.)
What did you dislike?
Uh, alls I’m a say is "hire a decorator to come in here quick, cuz… damn."
What was your last impression?
Aww, the other superloo isn’t working right. Boo.
Would you come back?
Well, I’m not sure I would, but my very discerning pals are already planning their return with other friends of theirs. So, it’s not for all of the people all of the time. Like that.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you, it was a pleasure.
[P.S. The impending iPad menus in the dining room to match the currently single one at the bar? Please don't.]
* * * * *
Have you heard?
Until the release of PX Me – The Sequel to PX This (Spring 2012), 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?
WTF? No really though, this has got to be one of the oddest layouts for a restaurant I’ve ever seen. Way to break all the standard rules! (The hostess that’s supposed to greet you upon arrival is hiding somewhere way off in the corner… behind you, e.g.)
Please rate the Bar:
Uh, is this a bar? It seems more like a domestic-kitchen "island" outfitted with liquor. Gotta admit— you’ve seen homes that try to incorporate a professional commercial kitchen (for die-hard foodies), but I bet you’ve never seen it done the other way around before, ha ha aha!
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
I guess the drinks are still a work-in-progress, since as of now they only have one kind of vodka, for example. (Then again, it doesn’t seem like much else is going to fit behind that "bar.") They don’t have much in the wine department yet either— but if you opt for wine, you may just want to spring for a full bottle.
See, sometimes the problem with these newfangled trendy stem-less wine glasses, is that the bartender maybe thinks he’s pouring a cognac or something. I mean like for instance, our wine-by-the-glass was poured woefully short (just above where the outward curve of the glass starts to angle inward again) but ten minutes later I looked over at the table across the way, and somehow they got healthy "full" by-the-glass pours (above the "halfway" mark).
I’m just sayin’.
Please rate the Dining Room:
It’s small, but kind of cute I suppose. But again— by commercial dining room standards, it’s pretty nonsensical.
Please rate the BOH:
Lots of potential, but… (see: "How was the food?" below)
How was the staff?
They try hard, but they clearly need to work on their system or something. Also, the total lack of buspersons/backwaiters becomes sort of a glaring oversight when it starts to seem like nobody knows what the hell is going on.
Additionally, they’ve evidently been trained to utter the most bizarre food descriptions when delivering the dishes: "…with walnuts to add flavor" (get out) and "…fennel to aid digestion" (thanks, Doc). If that’s they way they really want to go on this, then they probably need to employ just a little levity to make it sound less pretentious.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Shrimp Ceviche : Good. Fresh. Sweeter than your traditional ceviche, but not cloying or overwhelming.
Goat chees, Crab, and Mushroom/Truffle Pizzette : Very good! Especially since: who ever thought crab and goat cheese would go so well together? The crust is fantastic too. Flaky and light, like phyllo. Delicious.
Foie gras with rasberry compote : Fine, tasty.
Ribeye with Fennel : Excellent. Tender, juicy, perfectly cooked— and although the fennel is quite dominant, it complements the steak really well. Impressive.
Pop Rock Oysters : Ohhh, god no! What is this mess? Oh right, it’s fucking Pop Rocks. Yes, the stupid candy from your youth that you’d happily thought had been banished forever. It’s on your raw oysters. Gah! Uggh, the nasty artificially-sweet chemical after-taste of those things stay on your tongue far longer than any funky raw oyster ever could. I repeat: WTF?!
But hey, you know, maybe it’s just me. If you’re one of those freaks who actually enjoy the taste of St. Joseph’s aspirin (mixed with raw oyster), go for it. According to the oddball description, it’s "to add a crackle on the tongue." (‘Cos yeah, that’s juuust what I want a raw oyster to do in my mouth.)
What did you like?
That pizzette was pretty great.
What did you dislike?
Take a wild guess.
What was your last impression?
Oh look, it’s Zaha Hadid.
Would you come back?
It’s not exactly in my ‘hood…
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thanks and best of luck to you.
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. This is… different.
Please rate the Bar:
The bar itself? Is a little odd. But maybe only because when you’re sitting at the "bar" that just looks like the bar and is located across the bar, but really is actually a dining counter, you can get a bit confused. So basically, from where I was sitting, which I thought was the bar, which was not actually the bar, the actual bar looked pretty good. I guess.
Except the seats are very poorly built and a wee nonsensical.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Well, apparently the fancy shmancy cocktails already got some hoopla in some sort of newspaper, so I was already warned about their fancy-shmanciness. So, I suppose I wasn’t disappointed!
Pretty creative presentation all right, and the recipes are somehwat intriguing if you’re the type that’s into that sort of thing. Me— I’m a vodka/rocks kinda guy— so the genuine rock in place of my "rocks" was uh… amusing at best. (Vermouth "soaked" rock, huh? Squeeze some blood out of that thing, then maybe I’ll be impressed.)
Otherwise, A for effort! Or maybe A-, because all that rigmarole is expensive (app. $15 per drink).
Please rate the Dining Room:
Is it finished?
No really, I’m really truly not quite sure whether all that exposed plywood on the banquettes is intentional or not. However, considering the poor design of the bar/"bar" stools, I wouldn’t be surprised.
So, yeah— it’s… different. Not exactly the design choices I would make personally, but hey. I didn’t have to pay for it— and diversity is what makes the world go round! Right?
Please rate the BOH:
I admit I don’t know anything at all about the chef; I didn’t bother to do any research before or after my dining experience. But if I had to guess, I would say it’s probably a true-blood Italian trained in French culinary techniques. Am I right? Did I win?
There’s a lot to appreciate about the menu, and certainly the artful presentation, but the execution could maybe use just a little more time and/or work. The potential is definitely there; it’s the conception that might need a tad more revisiting. If I said anymore than that, I’d need a consultation fee.
How was the staff?
Good. Friendly, adept, and conscientious. Also, very European.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Baby Artichoke Croquettes : Very good. Easily my favorite of all the dishes I tried. Tasty, aromatic, rich in flavor but delicate. (But now in retrospect, I’m not sure whether it was good or bad to start, rather than end, on a high note.)
Steamed Octopus and Potato : Ah, a very Italian dish, but at this point I’m really starting to see the French coming out. Also very good, tender succulent octopus (especially for such a big old creature). The little bit of pesto turns out to be a nice touch. Eat it fast, though— once it cools down, not so appealing.
Pork Belly with Head On Shrimp and Chickpea Puree : Sounds weird, right? And yeah, it kind of is. The shrimp is tender but slight too salty (and for a salt lover like me, that’s saying a lot). But the pork belly is eh. Is it boiled? The flavor isn’t awful, but the texture is… not so good. Give me a great caramelized pork belly, and I’ll eat it ’til the pig screams for mercy. But not in this bizarre cube-like rubbery style.
Porcini, Arugula and Avocado Salad :Cold mushrooms? Bleeah. And the cauliflower, too— over-refrigerated. ‘Shame.
Tuna tartare : OK. Decent. Pretty to look at.
What did you like?
Those artichoke croquettes were slammin’.
What did you dislike?
The ambience is not for me.
What was your last impression?
People and their ideas…
Would you come back?
I’ll let you guess.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thanks, and best of luck.
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 lucks[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?
Cute. Industrial.
Please rate the Bar:
Capacious, if not exactly comfortable. Fine. The bartenders aren’t exactly the warmest bunch, but they’re knowledgeable and proficient.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Cocktails are N/A. The wine list OK— decent and somewhat eclectic, but I did rather expect a bit more diversity from a wine bar. Prices are reasonable but skewed more toward the higher end. Some fine choices though; the quality is there.
Please rate the Dining Room:
Easy, imaginative. The bar-height seating gets the point across well.
Please rate the BOH:
Satisfactory; maybe a C+ or B-. Simple and hearty, if not particularly creative— an every day spot. Nice neighborhood concept.
How was the staff?
Fine. Perfectly adept, but not especially amiable.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Fried Mozzarella Balls : OK. Tasty enough, but not extraordinary. Piping hot.
Fried Pork Patties "Special" : Eh. Pretty trite. Like Weaver® frozen breaded-nuggets trite. Weak.
Dandelion Salad : Fine, but again, very rustic. Hard-boiled egg is just blah; an over-easy one would have been better.
Reuben Sandwich : Pretty good. It’s no 2nd Ave Deli, but maybe that’s not what you’re looking for anyway? Small, but flavorful. Dainty, almost.
Bone Marrow Bruschetta : Delicious. Personally, I would have preferred a deconstructed presentation, but I get the feeling this place was built to please the ladies (and/or the Hipsters and the Emo’s).
What did you like?
The nonchalance.
What did you dislike?
The fried pork-patty ‘silver dollars.’
What was your last impression?
That was easy.
Would you come back?
It’s something of a haul, but maybe.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thanks and have a good night.
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 lucks[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?
Yeah, it’s big all right.
Please rate the Bar:
Nice, spacious, commodious, clean, comfortable. And the bartenders are friendly and adept.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Ugh, sorry— OK, there’s two types of restaurants I always never think to look at the wine list… and one of them is Indian. Ooops. Anyway, the cocktail list is creative, lots of fresh ingredients here. And used well— the lychee daiquiri (with pureed lychees) is delicious; refreshing and not too sweet. A bit on the expensive side, but I suppose that’s to be expected on the new "power asian restaurant row" (Tamarind, Nobu, Mr. Chow).
Please rate the Dining Room:
Large. Slick, somewhat "corporate"— not my style, personally. But, not bad– probably quite appealing to discerning Indian bankers and ballers.
Please rate the BOH:
Uh, needs work. It seems as though the "power asian" mentality has greatly influenced the menu, but I guess— who can blame them? Clearly, both Nobu and Mr. Chow have succeeded tremendously in expensive asian "fusion." Tamarind, however, still blatantly needs to get in their own groove.
How was the staff?
Very good. Warm, amiable, knowledgeable, proficient, and conscientious. Not one missed step (quite the contrary, actually) by anyone.
What did you eat?/ How was the food? Well, I can’t recall the official Indian names so pardon my descriptions—
Duck wrapped in crepe-something? : which turned out to be more like a big duck spring roll. Trite presentation— and execution not so good either. Rather bland and wholly unexciting.
Spinach with broccoli rabe and corn : Sounds pretty weird, right? I though so too, so I was intrigued enough to order it.
Oh boy. It turns out it’s corn "balls"— no really— drowning in some kind of spinach/rabe puree? Or is the rabe supposed to be in my balls? I have no idea. In any case, not so appetizing. Flavorless— and yeah: weird.
Lamb simmered in some stuff with "masala curry" : It’s difficult, based on the menu descriptions, to distinguish one lamb dish from the others. So I just picked one. This one is not as spicy as the waitress suggested, and the lamb is overcooked. So maybe I should have chosen another instead.
Garlic nan : Excellent. Flavorful, aromatic, supple with just a very slight crispness on the surface. Delicious. (See? Why mess with the classics?)
What did you like?
The waitress was incredibly sweet and went above and beyond… (long story).
What did you dislike?
The food can be vastly improved upon.
What was your last impression?
Make it work, Tanto. (Oh, lighten up.)
Would you come back?
As is— for a drink, yes. But, if they can make the food better, I’d gladly give it another shot.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you, and best of luck.
Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"
So, what do you do in the industry?
I’m a Floor Manager and Beverage Director for a [very popular] 160-seater in SoHo.
And you have how many days off a week, generally?
Two. I’m off today as well [as yesterday], but I’ll still have to go in for a meeting…
What did you do for breakfast yesterday?
I don’t do breakfast. Just coffee, at home.
Lunch?
A friend invited me to a menu tasting for the new chef at Mangia on 48th St. I must have tried over a dozen dishes and they were very good (my favorites being the fried baby whitefish, the “croquettes varie,” the langoustine, the bacon-wrapped dates, and the tuna slider). I’m not in midtown very often, but I’m glad I went. I was a lot more impressed with the food than I thought I would be. Saw a few friends from the industry that work/ed for The Standard, Indochine, La Esquina, Jean Georges and The Breslin. It was fun, but I probably drank a little too much for so early in the afternoon.
And afterward?
Went with a few friends from the tasting for a drink at Rouge Tomate. I know a manager there, but unfortunately she wasn’t around. The space is very nice, and the bartender was really great. They have an unusual beer list, so even though I don’t drink beer often, I gave one a try. I had something called a "Double White" that my friend recommended, which was pretty good… and I liked the olive oil with sea salt popcorn.
Took a look at the menu for the first time, and it looks interesting and appealing. I may have to try and make it back up there for dinner sometime. I heard they had a few problems in the beginning, but that the food has improved and gotten better.
Then dropped off one friend at The Armory for the Arts/Design preview show (at $150 a ticket, it was too steep for me).
Dinner?
Cercle Rouge. I have friends in from out of town, so I wanted to take them someplace simple and effortless and not in the MPD, since it was a Thursday night ("amateur night"). Cercle Rouge has a great GM/Maitre d’ that I’ve known for years. It was the perfect choice, because my friends loved it. I did steer them toward more of the classics, though (escargot, moules frites, onion soup, etc). Sometimes some of the fussier creations at Cercle Rouge can be a little too much for me, but I find the classics are consistently good.
And afterward?
Thought about meeting up with friends at The Box, but never actually made it there. Walked with my friends from out of town all the way from Tribeca to Union Square, and after popping into the apartment where they’re staying for a nightcap, I decided to just go home. The weather got cold, and I was pooped.
How much did you blow today?
Myself, about $70. [Lunch: $0, Drinks: $20, Dinner $50, all including gratuity, but did split the total tabs with friends (Cab fare to/from midtown was paid by my friend).]
= "personne extraordinaire"