Pork Belly
-
Posts
53 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
2
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Articles
Dining Guide
Everything posted by Pork Belly
-
Wonderful dinner last night. Love the vibe of the place, the teamwork, and the fact that no one is phoning it in. And the food was crazy good. Not just clever for the sake of being clever, but clever and delicious at the same time. The tuna/avocado/fried rice/smoked chili was an amazing piece of sushi and the porcini soup with white chocolate foam, gyros with lamb tartare, squab scrapple, and araucana hour-long poached egg were right there. I'm not a huge fan of modernist gastronomy -- I think traditional cooking techniques evolved as they did for a reason (because they make food taste good) -- but this place could make me a believer.
-
I posted shortly after they opened, reporting that the frying was a problem. It took me a while to get back there but I'm happy to report that whatever the problem was has been fixed. The clams, the shrimp, the fries were are crisp and not at all greasy. Really good. Also really good was the Portuguese stew, a gumbo-like melange of seafood and sausage that is a nice alternative to the fried and cream-based options. Great to see a place that really listens to its customers and is trying to continually improve. In that vein, as long as the cole slaw is getting larger, a bit creamier would be good thing too.
-
Went for dinner last night with limited expectations. Based on the reviews, I thought the pizza would be fine but unremarkable -- somewhere in the mix of Two Amy's wannabees. I left thinking this may be my favorite pizza in town. The key is the crust. Not the floppy center of the pie -- yes, I know it's authentic; I just happen not to like wet crust -- but the five-inch penumbra around the outside. It's tender, almost spongy, but with enough char and crispness to give it character. This may sound trite, but the only pizza I remember with a crust like that was in Naples. I had the Marco, with sausage, mushrooms, and smoked mozzarella, and the toppings showed the same care and attention to detail. No hunks of fatty sausage or wan mushroom slices -- both could have stood on their own. For dessert, the waitress touted their salted caramel budino as better than the butterscotch budino at Pizzeria Mozza in LA. It was good, but not nearly as good as Mozza's -- and a much skimpier portion. But I was playing with house money at that point and didn't really care.
-
Totally agree that Yannick Cam is one of our finest chefs. That's the whole reason I went there and posted what I thought was a pretty glowing review. If I gave the impression I didn't know who was cooking for me, nothing could be further from the truth -- the sight of Yannick cooking in the open kitchen when I walked in gave me goose bumps.
-
Lovely dinner last night in the courtyard. Had not been there since the chaotic opening weeks when the place was clearly overwhelmed by the crowds. No evidence of those problems now, service was warm, efficient and accommodating, and the food ranged from very good to excellent. My wife ordered the bouillabaisse, which is an amazing rendition, with a depth of flavor that had me reaching my spoon over again and again. There is some sticker shock when you sit down -- no sign of a recession here -- and the menu if anything contains too many choices (12-15 special apps and an equal number of special entrees in addition to the regular menu). But the bouillabaisse is a relative bargain at 28 bucks and then you can focus on the apps (I had the morel soup with mini crab cake to start and it was terrific; this guy clearly has a way with soups).
-
What a great place. For $13, I got the Zenebech Special platter. Unlike some Ethiopian restaurants where you have to choose between veggie and meat platters, this one gives you four of each. Two of the meat dishes were raw, whch the guy behind the counter said could be cooked if I preferred. I said no, I wanted the real deal, and I'm glad I did. The kitfo was terrific as was the second raw dish -- which I couldn't place until later when I was paying and the guy asked me "how was the stomach and liver"? The whole platter was delicious and a real bargain.
-
The NE clam chowder is good and the seafood is fresh, but for a place that serves so much of its food fried I was expecting them to be better at it. From the fish to the fries to the onion rings, everything came out a bit soggy and greasy. Hopefully it was an off night. Will go back to try it again -- I really want this place to succeed.
-
Stopped by on Friday for an excellent lunch. Pigs in a Blanket were like a gourmet version of the Pillsbury Crescent Roll-wrapped hot dogs I used to make in college. And fried cod sandwich was fresh and well-cooked (although the fries were a bit on the flaccid side). Going back soon for the lobster roll and maybe another couple orders of Ps in a B.
-
One of the best lunch deals in town might be the ginger pork donburri at Kaz's -- $9 on the list of specials. It's a good-size bowl with rice topped with lettuce and the most flavorful, fall-apart pork (shoulder?) you could want. There are only 10 orders available per day but I was there at 1 pm today and had no problems.
-
Another surprisingly good rendition -- Celebrity Deli in Cabin John.
-
I'm not sure why this place doesn't get more love. My wife and I went there this weekend and had a lovely time. The food was delicious - panzanella and lobster bisque to start, barramundi and roast chicken for entrees, shared sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Nothing fancy, but good solid cooking in a cozy neighborhood spot where the chef/owner probably spends all of his waking hours.
-
Terrific lunch at Proof today. Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad was summer-on-a-plate. My friend's Shrimp Burger solidly delicious. But the star was a new menu item - the Crispy Chinese Roast Pork Sandwich w/spicy slaw. If you like pork buns, you'll love this. My only minor complaint is one that others have made - that the sandwiches don't come with anything (no fries, no salad, no nothing). It may be psychological, but I think a clutch of homemade potato chips to occupy some of the white space on the plate would make a big difference. The few leaves of greens strewn about the plate just don't do the trick.
-
Ended up at oval Room last night after failing to get a last-minute reservation at hotter tables (e.g., Proof, Komi, Palena). Turned out to be a stroke of luck. The 8-course tasting menu was terrific - all completely distinct and delicious (ok, maybe the goat cheese custard wasn't great, but the pastrami kampachi, fois gras, asparagus soup, short ribs, and frozen yogurt with berries more than made up for it). And because the chef relies on infused oils and gels rather than cream and butter, everyone left feeling sated but not stuffed. All in all, a terrific evening. This place deserves more attention than it gets.
-
Given the hype, I approached my maiden visit at lunch today prepared to be disappointed - sort of like hearing from everyone about what a great movie Sideways was and then finally seeing it and thinking THIS is what all the fuss was about? But oh my, this was no disappointment. This was a drippy mess of beefy goodness that was better than the $59 ribeye I had at Bourbon Steak the week before. Per the advice on the chain, I went simple to start - white cheddar, bacon, grilled onions and pickles. Next time I'll start branching out, but the bar has been set.
-
First, the highlights. The Rock was at the next table last night and he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. The service was lovely - considerate and helpful when called for, scarce when appropriate. As for the food, the fries that greet you when you sit down are good and the chocolate/caramel ice creams and coconut sorbet were delicious. The cocktails were creative and beautifully made. The rest of the meal was fine, only one thing truly bad but nothing really memorable. For apps, I had the garlic soup with duck confit, my wife had the tuna tartare, which they mixed tableside but didn't justify the show. For main courses, my wife had the chicken which came as two slices of breast and two disks of chicken sausage. The sausage was good but the breast was truly awful - no seasoning, no crisp skin, not particularly well cooked. I had the dry-aged ribeye - my favorite cut. While it was cooked a perfect medium rare, there was something missing. It lacked that beefy succulence and was so "nutty" from its dry-aging that it tasted like blue cheese (not that I don't love bc, but it's disconcerting - like the difference between dipping a carrot in bc dip and eating bc-flavored carrots). The creamed spinach and truffle mac & cheese were decent. Next time a lobster corn dog and a cocktal in the bar.
-
Chef Fargione - Thanks for your message. It means a lot to me that you took the time to respond and that you obviously have so much passion for your food. I also appreciate your honesty in acknowledging that the prices were raised around the inauguration. I suspect your restaurant was not the only one. You should know that while you may be able to make a few additional dollars on out-of-towners, it gives the impression to those of us who live here that your place is overpriced. Regarding the fact that I tasted what everyone in my party had, you seem to think I am a reviewer or something. I am not. I just love food - as does the rest of my family - and we want to try as many things as possible. If I were a reviewer, I would have been back at least once to see whether I was just there on an off night. For better or worse, most of us on this board have to make judgments based on a single visit - especially when it's in the price category yours is. Those who read the postings understand that this is one person's experience on one evening and that it's one data point in assembling an overall picture. I look forward to returning when I can to provide another perspective.
-
What a disappointment. After reading the posts, my party of six showed up on Saturday night expecting to be blown away. There was barely a breeze. The first thing someone should mention is that this is one of the most expensive restaurants in town. $15-20 apps, $30-45 pastas, $40-50 entrees, $13-20 desserts. I am perfectly happy to spend on food - I've never regretted the tab at Citronelle, Komi, CityZen, Eve, and lots of others, but it does up the ante. If you are going to charge those kind of prices, it had better show up on the plate, the atmosphere, somewhere... Two of our party started with the minestrone soup, which contained an elaborate menu description including that the broth is poured from a coffee pot. What it doesn't mention is that the broth is watery and the only thing that gives the soup flavor are the fried onions floating on top. Another person had the seafood cones, which were delicious. Two others had pedestrian salads. I had the pea cappucino, which was very nice but hardly memorable. For entrees, the spinach-ricoota ravioli with runny egg yolk was really good, the lamb shank and fish (tuna?) were fine but dull (the big block of spinach polenta that came with the fish wasn't good at all), and the lobster risotto was fine but didn't have much lobster for the $44 price tag. Caramel and chocolate gelato for dessert, both solid singles. Overall, the evenng left me dazed and confused. Is this the same place others rave about? Did we order wrong (except for the seafood cones and the revioli)? Is the chef's table that different than the regular menu? Did they jack up the prices for Inauguration weekend? I'd love to know.
-
Went last night with some trepidation, having read the reports of possible slippage, but found exactly the opposite - a first-class restaurant firing on all cylinders and knowing it. It helps to be right in front of the open kitchen to watch the show and to have Mark Slater give you the inside story on Bad Boy vineyard. But to me it all comes down to the food. We had a party of six - so six apps and six entrees and not one was less than excellent and a few were truly memorable (clam/scallop chowder and lamb, I'm talking to you). Desserts were also good, but only the caramel ice cream hit the heights. Full disclosure - I wasn't paying, but unlike some places, I wouldn't feel ripped off if I were. It was that good.
-
Had a terrific - if pricey - dinner at Adour last night. It didn't start out very promising. My wife and I were escorted to a small back room that felt like Siberia and had the music turned up - possibly to mask the commotion coming from the kitchen. The staff was incredibly gracious and moved us into the main room and from there on everything was either excellent or very good. Excellent: the gougeres, the bread, the gnocchi, the duck breast, the desserts. Very good: the corn soup, the roasted lobster. Also must mention the sommelier. My wife and I are not wine people and he was incredibly gracious and accommodating. We gave him our price/taste preferences - we asked for under $75 a bottle - and he decanted a bottle that was well under budget and was just right. Overall, this is a really fine restaurant. The technique is top-notch - eg, the crisp-skinned duck breast is perfectly rosy and as meaty as a steak. If it were a bit cheaper (or if someone else were paying) I would be back sooner rather than later.
-
Assaggi Mozzarella Bar (where Centro used to be) is good newcomer Persimmon is not flashy but consistently good Second/third recommendations of Mia's and Raku Haandi is good for traditional Indian
-
Stopped in this Sunday for a felafel. Amazing. The pita was pillowy soft. The toppings were fresh and varied (ask for it spicy). And the felafel balls were spot-on. Plus, this is no teenager behind the counter. This is a guy who knows how to put a felafel sandwich together so you get just the right proportions in every bite. I haven't been to Amsterdam Felafel yet, and would be interested to hear from anyone who's been to both. Hard to believe it could be much better.
-
Had dinner about ten days ago at RTC and I think 2 1/2 stars is just about right. There were some unbelievably good things and then some things that, to me, didn't quite live up to the hype. Anyway, here are the things I loved: The New York strip steak (beautiful piece of meat beautifully cooked) Fried chicken Biscuit app crab bisque Apple charlotte (esp the crust) liver pate that comes with the bread the service (eg, we were a party of five and waiter asked whether we wanted 5 biscuits) Here are things I thought were good: Chateubriand (could have been great, but was sliced in the kitchen and was cool by the time it reached the table) salads (although just tried the Caesar, and do appreciate the gesture of a free salad course) key lime pie creamed spinach deviled eggs Here are things I thought were only fair: corn pudding cauliflower dumplings that come with fried chicken (mine were dry and crumbly) shrimp app (hot shrimp cocktail?) All in all I feel a little like I did when I saw the movie Sideways after everyone had been raving about it. It was a very good movie, and if I had stumbled on it myself I would have told everyone it was great. But fairly or not, the bar had been set extraordinarily high and as I left the theater I couldn't help feeling a bit let down. oops - meant lobster bisque
-
Had lunch there today. Ma-pa dumplings and ma-pa chicken were very good, but the star was the twice-cooked pork. Porky, almost bacon-y, goodness.
-
Geez, I guess so. For the record, I thought his sandwich was really good, but that Breadline's was really, really good. A rematch is scheduled for next week (where Roberto usually shines).
-
The pork wasn't dry, just drier than Breadline's. Maybe I should have ordered it with cheese and broccoli rabe, or maybe I just got unlucky and got some pieces that had been sitting (I was there early and there was virtually no line). This was just one visit and one sandwich. If it's open next week, I'll go back and try again - if they let me in.