Casa Lever – NYC – Midtown East

I thought that it would only be fitting, for the resurrection of my blog, if I reviewed the current reincarnation of Casa Lever, in Lever House on East 53rd.

First let me say my friend & I had a fine meal…very tasty saffron risotto with a succulent morsel of braised veal; and service was suitably attentive.  I know I read a lot about how the space was dramatically changed since Lever House but, except for Warhols on walls, it didn’t look that different to me.

Last but not least, who is Mary Anne?  Two tables from us sat Mary Anne (if we overheard correctly), and a steady stream of well-wishers/aspirants came seeking an audience.  She was gracious throughout.  Am I the only NY’er w/no idea who she is? Comments welcome please….

P.S. I am also now adding links to my reviews, as you will see by clicking on the words in white.

 

 

Gotham – NYC – Union Square

I’m back.  I don’t know how I have lived in New York City for so long and not gone to Gotham until now.  While the room was rather nondescript, the food was really good.  My foie gras was among the best I had, and the halibut was really too.  My only complaint was that they only gave me two morels.  The chocolate cake was great, intense but light at the same time.

Turquoise – LI – Great Neck

Blog, I am back.   

Earlier this week I finally ate at Turquoise (LI not UES) across from the Great Neck train station.  It’s a seafood restaurant, but really a Mediterranean one.  Incidentally, they have wine & beer, no liquor.

The Israeli salad appetizer was great – crunchy, finely chopped and a touch briny. The chilean sea bass was tasty & just the right texture.  The whole red St. Peter’s fish was lovely and very good.  Even the bread was good — lightly toasted.  That’s all the good stuff.

The service was non-existent to diffident. We were ignored most of the time. One of our salads was forgotten.  And the perennial effort to get the check was a quest.  The only service bright spot – the server offered a taste of a wine to assist with decision making.

Add the bad service to the sparse decor, in a cold rather than chic way, and unfortunately the negatives outweighed the positives of the food –too bad.

Telepan – NYC – Upper West Side

I had an amazing dinner at Telepan last night.  Every dish was a surprising combination of fresh, light, flavorful and satisfying.  The soup was delicate and hearty at the same time, and the sea bass was mild, crunchy and delicious.  I’m happy to say the service was as good as the food.  All in all, a wonderful evening. For once, I can’t find anything to harp about. I can’t wait to go back for more.

Casa Mono – NYC – Gramercy

I’ve been remiss, but I’m back.

I had such an interesting lunch today at Casa Mono in Gramercy.  It serves tapas, and it has a very exotic menu.  

I liked the duck with tuna bacon and the mushrooms garlic so, so much that it just didn’t matter that the pork was ok and the goat cheese pumpkin balls seemed too sweet.  The steak and lamb that our neighbors had looked scrumptious.  It was noisy; it was cramped; the service was slow; and I still want to go back because of the flashes of wonderfulness.

Le Cirque – NYC – Midtown

I am impressed.  This is the first time in a long time that I can say a restaurant really exceeded my expectations.

The building itself with its roundish atrium / entrance is a visual delight.  The restaurant’s decor is comfortable, a little quirky and inviting (if only they didn’t have stargazer lilies, but they were happy to seat me far away) and thankfully relatively quiet. As it filled up, the noise level reached a murmur, but never a din or roar.  

As for the service, I had actually shied away from the restaurant because I was under the impression that service was diffident except for the favored few.  That was so totally not the case. Service was welcoming and attentive and accommodating.  

Last but not least was the food.  We had the Restaurant Week dinners.  At some places, the menu is really limited.  Here there were many appealing choices.  My fluke appetizer was wonderful; my chicken fricassee was very nice; and my creme brulee was sublime.  They were even happy to bring Louis berries for dessert when he said he couldn’t have sugar.  

I look forward to going back (how often have I said that before), even at regular prices….

Tava – LI – Port Washington

This is another urbane restaurant that I like, but this time it is Turkish.  There are a few things that are my favorites like kofte.  As for the rest, although good, I can take them or leave them.

Toku – LI – Manhasset

Toku is a very urbane fusion restaurant with great food. As for the ambiance, it depends. Most of the time it’s a chi-chi mob scene – not my style. But when it’s not a zoo, it’s the best.

Café Boulud – NYC – Upper East Side

I had a lovely Restaurant Week lunch at Boulud Cafe, (which has been extended to Labor Day, here.) While the restaurant is a tad crowded, the service was wonderful and the food was superb.  The salmon tartare appetizer The lamb duo entree was a surprising combination of sliced rare lamb over lamb stew, and the apricot creme brûlée was a light but satisfying dessert.  All in all, this can’t be beat.

Les Halles – NYC – Murray Hill

Well, we’ve always liked this lively brasserie, despite the deafening decibel level.  The good news is that it is very peaceful at breakfast.  The bad news is the food is mediocre and service is excruciatingly slow.  I’ll take my neighborhood diner any day!