New Favorites

I haven't updated the blog in a while -- but I wanted to list a few new favorites and will try to review them soon.

Our new favorite is Regional -- on 98th and Broadway.  It's called Regional for its replication of the cuisines of the various regions in Italy.  Soft jazz plays in the background.  The restaurant is quiet enough for conversation.  And the food is delicious.  After more than a half dozen visits in the last few months, we have yet to be disappointed.  Love the short rib appetizer -- fall-off-the-bone tender beef covered by a rich, deep-red, reduced sauce.  Love the garganelli al ragu di vitello from the Emelia Romagna region for its curly, quill shape covered in a ground veal sauce; love the spaghetti in lamb ragu from the Abruzzi region;  love the wide rigatoni smothered in a tomato-eggplant sauce and dry ricotta cheese from the Silcilian region.  We also love the salad with fried artichokes -- and all the desserts.

We've been back a few times to Symposium on 113th between Broadway and Amsterdam.  We like the Greek salad with its chunks of fresh cucumber, tomato and feta.  We like the combination plate that gives you a chance to sample everything -- yummy mousaka, pastitsio, and Greek meatballs -- served with sides of potato chunks and green beans.  We also enjoy the salad combination -- for the chance to taste everything and especially enjoyed the various dips including a fish roe dip, an eggplant dip, and a potato-garlic dip.  And the desserts:  rice pudding, baklava, and that incredible Greek delight -- Galaktobourito -- a phylo encrusted custard.

We ate once at Max Soho on Amsterdam at 123rd -- very good, fairly inexpensive Italian -- which we'd return to more often if it weren't a 15 block walk.

Two Boots has recently opened an UWS location on Broadway at 97th -- which is perfect for grabbing a slice of fabulous pizza (crunchy crust, ample cheese, rich tomato sauce) before an event at Symphony Space.  I remember going often to their original location in the East Village when my niece and nephew were 2 and 6 and we'd order the pizza with the smiley face.  They're now 18 and 22.  :)

We tried Massawa -- an Eritrean restaurant on Amsterdam at 122nd -- and enjoyed the unusually spiced meats and vinegary vegetarian entrees you sop up with the never-ending offering of spongey bread.

And there are others:  Sura for very good pad thai (101st and Broadway), The Mill for Korean bimbim bop and garlicky, vinegary chimchi (114th and Broadway), A Cafe and Wine Room for creative French-Jamaican fare (byob) and next door, LaBelle for eclectic nouveau cuisine (byob) on Columbus at 108th.

Symposium, 113th between Broadway and Amsterdam

This is not a tourist restaurant.  This is not even an easy restaurant for locals to find -- unless you know it's here.  We've lived five blocks away for almost sixteen months, and never knew it was here except by word of mouth.  I've been craving good, Greek food without having to get on a subway or bus.  We were not disappointed.

We were impressed by the crowd -- not a so-noisy-you-can't-talk crowd, just people (looked and sounded like a lot of Columbia students and professors) laughing and talking at most of the tables and booths:  a symposium of drinking and dialogue that reminded us of a gathering at which Socrates or Plato might be comfortable.

A long communal table runs through the center of the restaurant -- and we thought at first it held a large party, until we saw the different scattered groups paying and leaving at different times.  We were seated at a booth at a table shellacked and varnished to preserve painted sketches of women; Picasso-esque paintings covered the ceiling.  And a waiter quickly appeared to offer us menus (hand written in an artist's or cartoonist's hand).  There is a garden area for outdoor dining in warmer weather.

We ordered a Greek beer and a Greek wine -- both good and reasonably priced.  ($7 for the wine.)  Then we ordered two sampler platters:  the small Symposium Mixed Appetizer Plate ($11.95) and the Popouri of Greek Foods ($15.95).  The mixed appetizers -- quite garlicky -- included Tzaziiki (a yogurt, cucumber, garlic dip), Taramosalata (a fish roe dip), a mild eggplant dip, Skordalia (a potato and garlic dip), stuffed grape leaves with rice, all divided by tomatoes and and crisp cucumber slices -- and served with warm, fresh pita.  All was tasty and satisfying -- and almost a meal for two.

And then the main course arrived -- a plate covered with healthy size samples of Greek cuisine:  spinach pie, mousaka (creamy top, ground meat and eggplant), pastitsio (a noodly meaty, aromatic dish -- probably cooked with allspice), Keftedes (Greek meatballs), and several slices of roasted lamb.  All that was served with a plate of rice and potato and and a mountain of over-cooked green beans and peas.  The two of us could not finish the abundant offerings -- and left with some left-over lamb for our dog.

Of course, we could not resist ordering dessert.  We left the baklava for another time and ordered a Galaktobouriko -- a wonderful melding of custard nestled in phyllo dough and drizzled with honey.

Yum.  We'll be back.

*** (out of 4)
$$  (under $50 with wine/beer and tip)

Suma Sushi, Amsterdam between 107th and 108th

A trip to Suma Sushi was Meryl's and my idea of a way to stanch our abrupt cessation of hormones (following a scary article in the New York Times) and our attempt to quell our interior saunas.  Our goal was an infusion of tofu -- which we know offers a decent dose of phytoestrogen.  We were not disappointed.

I ordered an appetizer of Agedashi tofu, which were a half dozen squares of silky tofu lightly fried with bonito flakes, ginger and scallion and served with a teriyaki dipping sauce and an order of Hijiki salad -- cooked black seaweed with chunks of tofu.  The tofu terriyaki Meryl ordered covered her plate with at least a dozen squares of tofu, flash fried and crisp.  A sweet teriyaki sauce covered the golden squares of tofu.  We each thought we'd be bringing half our meal home -- but finished every bite.

We both look forward to returning and trying other dishes on the menu!

Sura, Broadway just south of 101st Street

I met a friend for appetizers and warm winter drinks at Sura on a south of 30 degree day.  At 5:30 in the afternoon, the charming, postage stamp size restaurant was quiet and inviting.  Slate tiles line the floor and walls.  Candles glow on the tables.  A dozen or so tables are lined in front of a long banquette with opposite facing chairs.  A bar with seating lines the opposite wall.

I ordered the saki/plum wine drink -- expecting it to be served hot.  When it came over ice, the waiter obliged me by returning it to the kitchen, taking out the ice, and heating the concoction in a ceramic saki vessel with a brined plum (wonderfully sweet and salty) in the tiny saki cup.  Very nice way to warm up.  And Natasha ordered a wine/apple cider drink that was served hot in a wine glass.  We toasted to warmer days.

We ordered a fried chive pancake and chicken satae.  Both were delicious.  You dip the chive pancake into a chili-soy sauce and bite through the fried crust of the chive pancake into gelatinous rice flour shell that holds a pocket of chives.  The chicken satae served on a stick was moist and served with a yummy peanut sauce - good for sopping with the corners of toast served on the side.

We each took home a green papaya salad with peanuts -- crisp, pleasantly tangy.  And I also brought home a chicken pad thai -- the standard I order at a Thai restaurant.  This particular dish was full of rice noodles, ground peanuts, bits of scrambled egg, and chunks of chicken.  A hearty meal for two -- with leftovers for a third!

We look forward to returning and trying out more selections.

Smoke, Broadway @ 106th

In the summer we pass the open doors and windows of Smoke and often pause to listen to the music of trumpet and trombone and piano and drums and bass -- and if we're lucky, vocals.  I've longed to go in and take a seat at the bar or at a table, to sit inside rather than gazing in from the outside.  But that is one of the nice things about New York -- you can indeed listen to music from the sidewalk -- and the band is just 30 or 40 feet away -- closer than in most concert halls.  And what a concert it is!

Finally, we booked a table and sat with friends not 10 feet away from the small stage (where sometimes, up to 16 musicians play jazz!).  The menus are waiting on tables dressed in off white cloths, a candle burning in the center.  An old-time wooden bar lines one wall.

We ordered from the prix-fixe ($29) menu -- which is really the regular menu from which you can choose two courses -- either an appetizer and entree, or an entree and dessert.  Of course, you can order all three (and pay for the third course -- as we did).  Wonderful recorded jazz played as we sat and talked with our friends, before our orders arrived and before Eve Cornelious and Mosaic began playing their first set at a little after 7.

We started with an appetizer of seafood meatballs -- which was like a wonderful bouillabaisse of compressed shrimp, clams, and scallops in a white-wine parsley broth.  The reduced balsamic dressing perfectly coated the crisp, organic baby greens salad.  We ordered among the four of us one steak with spinach and mashed potatoes (an additional $10 charge to the $29 prix fixe) and three orders of barbecued baby back ribs with baked beans and bacon braised collard greens.  The ribs were tender and covered in a sweet-aromatic sauce.

Jeremy Pelt's trumpet harmonized with Dion Tucker's trombone, making that sound that makes you want to swoon for its beauty.  Eve Cornelious's voice has a range from deep mellow to craggy sass.  We were smitten by the music and that hour of listening (and eating) went by far faster than we would have wished.

We finished our meal with three desserts:  The apple tart (which tasted as good as the one I'd had in Paris at the Place des Vosges -- caramelly, light  appley -- with a side of butter-cream ice cream .  The wine-soaked pear with shortcake and vanilla ice cream.  The chocolate rich brownie sundae with hot fudge, walnuts, whipped cream, strawberries, and chocolate ice cream.  I felt sated -- and craving more.  At Smoke, sensory notions come at you from all directions -- fusing taste, texture and sound.

Max Soha, 123rd @ Amsterdam

A year ago, my daughter suggested Max Soha as a place to gather when my parents were in town -- and finally we've made our way up, through Columbia's campus, to 123rd and Amsterdam Avenue in South Harlem -- or Soha.  It was a balmy late, October night and we sat outside at a yellow cafe table.

Service was impeccable.  The waiter, the busboy, as well as the owner were all attentive.  When I asked for chianti, the waiter offered to bring me a taste of the wine.  I wasn't sure if I liked it. He brought me a taste of the pinot noir and the malbec, as well.  In the end, I preferred the chianti and he graciously collected the three tasting glasses and returned with a full glass of the deep, red wine.

A chalk board behind us offered several specials -- from a corn soup to a grilled sea bass to a black seafood ravioli.  We started with a misto salad (5.95) we shared -- a light basalmic vinaigrette mixed with greens, chopped endive, and tomato.  We ordered the duck with fettucini and pink sauce special (12.95) and the lamb with thin homemade pasta (11.95). Both were delicious.  And the pasta, homemade, fresh and perfectly al dente, was the best pasta I'd had outside of Italy.  The duck was chopped into bite size chunks and covered with a sweet pink sauce.  The ground lamb sauce was a tomato sauce that was bit rich for my palate -- but David finished it all.  We ordered the tiramisu (5.95) for dessert which was drenched in espresso and filled and covered with a rich mascarpone cheese.

Cash only.  About $25 per person.

The Columbia Farmers' Market

On Sundays and Thursdays a greenmarket arrives under white tents on the sidewalk north of 114th Street on Broadway.  In the fall, the best apple cider (no preservatives, not pasteruized) is available, as well as lots of varieties of apples.  You can buy eggplants, a variety of squash, fresh Amish eggs, lavender arrangements, flower arrangements, organic meats and poultry raised locally, fresh fish caught locally, fresh baked pies and breads, honey still in the comb, local flours and grains, as well as local organic wines.   It's always a delight to see the action and colors and shapes and textures and scents of a farmer's market -- and to imagine bringing it all home to your kitchen to display and to cook and to serve.

Deluxe, Broadway at 113th Street

It was a beautiful day and I went to Deluxe for a waffle, hoping for the kind of Belgian waffle that I craved when I didn't live in New York and would come to the city to eat to eat a waffle a day -- and sometimes two -- covered in strawberries or whatever fresh fruit was in season.

I sat at a cafe table on the sidewalk and ordered the Belgian waffle with strawberries that I ordered in 2001 when I'd come to Columbia to visit my daughter who was then a student.  We'd often go to Deluxe for the sandwiches or burgers (for her) and the waffles (for me).  The waffle I remembered was delicately crunchy on the outside and yeastily eggy like a crueler doughnut on the inside.

Alas, this visit nine years later brought disappointment.  The waffle was kind of tough -- like it had been cooked too long, so I sent it back, still hoping for the waffle of my dreams.  The second waffle was also tough -- just crisper and cooked longer, and it was then I surmised that the waffle they served during the week was likely a frozen waffle.  I could not eat it (why eat calories that are not worth it?).  The strawberries were good.

On another visit I longed for heartier, homier food and ordered the meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  I was not disappointed.  The "Made Like Mom's Meatloaf" with mushroom gravy was delicious -- a moist, aromatic mix of ground meats that satisfied that desire for comfort food.

Tom's Restaurant, Broadway at 112th

Made famous by the Seinfeld scenes shot there, Tom's is a basic, all around diner serving good burgers, omelets, fries, salads, and sandwiches -- all the stuff Elaine and Jerry and George liked to eat.  And me, too.  There are two or three things I like to order in a diner:  a burger with fries, a spinach and Swiss cheese omelet with fries, a Greek salad with feta, and sometimes, a grilled cheese sandwich with swiss cheese and spinach (my omelet insides on rye).  And Belgian waffles.  (Don't go to Tom's for Belgian waffles.  They don't make them.)

This week, after sitting in my car to assure a parking place in the alternate side of the street parking world that is New York, I went into Tom's hoping for a good Swiss cheese and spinach omelet.  Some diners make the omelets too runny, some don't have enough spinach, some use spinach leaves that tend to get caught in your teeth and don't taste as good as chopped (probably frozen spinach), and some over-cook their omelets making them rubbery and almost inedible.

Tom's spinach and swiss cheese omelet was delicious!!  The spinach lent a sweet taste to the eggs, the Swiss cheese perfectly melted and stretchy, and the eggs not too well done nor too under done.  Perfection!  And the fries were crisp and tasty -- perfectly crunchy on the outside and potato soft on the inside.  Yum!

The coffee was good -- the right sense of the bean's aroma permeating the brew.  And if I looked up from my seat at the counter,  I could see Kramer with his electric do staring down from a picture on the wall.  (You can buy your very own Seinfield memorabilia at Tom's:  t-shirts, mugs, baseball caps, magnets, and postcards.)

Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana, Amsterdam Ave. between 107th and 108th

For authentic regional Mexican cooking, try Taqueria y Fonda.  This is not your gringo Tex-Mex place that glops sour cream and guacalomole on your cheese covered entree.  This place is the real thing -- with homemade burritos and enchiladas that don't have a just-out-of-the-bag chemical residue.  They are fresh and pull like fresh-baked bread.

You might think you're in Mexico, but for the open door and windows that look out on a Domino's Pizza across Amsterdam, parked cars, and parking meters with bikes locked to them.

The dining room is tiny -- seating maybe 16-20 people at a time.  The owner sat down at a table next to our to have his dinner around 9 pm, when things were slowing down.  I asked what he was having -- and had never heard of the dish before:  chicken covered cooked with avocado leaves and a paprika colored hot red sauce.  "It's my favorite!" he said as he sat down to dine.

We ordered more standard fare:  a giant steak burrito ($8.25) -- enough for 2 or 3 people -- that had really good steak -- not the shredded stuff you normally get, but real slices of flank steak grilled and mixed with rice, beans, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, cheese and salad.  I had the chicken mole enchilada ($8.95) which had chunks of chicken (again, not the shredded stuff you get at commercial places) -- and a brown, mildly spicy chocolate sauce made with peppers, sesame seeds, raisins and almonds in a homemade corn enchilada.   I was tempted by the chicken pipian that has a pumpkin seed sauce and cilantro and other herbs, but will have to save that for the next time.

We took home more than half of what we'd ordered (just 2 meals) and had them the next night for dinner, too.