Ponty Bistro

Hello eaters! I know it's been a while. I've been eating but so much has been happening that I haven't been writing. Please forgive me! I'm back now and will have a lot to write about given the many many dining experiences I've had. 

I recently went to a press dinner at Ponty Bistro. It's a Senagalese French restaurant in Manhattan. I ate at the original location which is on 3rd avenue and 19th street. It's a neighborhood I rarely dine in these days. The location seats about 45 guests and although there's no sidewalk cafe, if you come early you can snag a seat by the floor to ceiling window that remains open during warmer months. I have been to a couple of Senegalese restaurants before but rarely have I had the kind of culinary delight I experienced at Ponty Bistro. The first dish on the warm summer-like spring evening was Gazpacho.  


I have never been a fan of gazpacho so I was immediately skeptical. However when it landed on the table, I was pleasantly surprised by the scent of the berber spices. My first spoonful was enough to convince me. The spicy tomato based soup included cucumbers which had a cooling effect. The surprises continued when the Kale Salad arrived. 

Eaters, you know I'm not about the salad life. However I must say the combination of pine nuts, goat cheese, cranberries mixed with a lemon vinaigrette dressing was just right. I was the first to finish this dish and really wanted more. I was less impressed with the Risotto. 

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad. The combination of truffle mushroom and asparagus with Parmesan cheese was actually pretty good. I just felt overwhelmed by the number of mushrooms in my tasting portion serving. They did add an interesting texture and provide a richer flavor, but the dish still seemed more rice than risotto. The Risotto was a distant memory when the African Mussels arrived. 

If there was a drool worthy dish, this was definitely it. The scent of the coconut milk, curry, lemongrass, and berbere spices hit you right as the bowl landed on the table. These were unlike any other mussels I've had the mussels themselves were larger than what I'm used to. The sauce was light but the flavor was HUGE. The sauce was so good we were eating it by the spoonful when we finished the mussels. The last dish was an unexpected favorite. Chicken Tagine. 

This was another dish with lively color and bold taste. It is inspired by the Moroccan dish of the same name. The onion based sauce includes a blend of rich spices. It had a little kick to it which I appreciated. The Cous Cous was also cooked to perfection and went really well with the sauce. 

There's no better place I could have asked for to re-enter the blogosphere. Ponty Bistro had a diverse menu and offers a cuisine you can't find in many locations around the city. The dishes are well worth the prices especially considering the portions. I'm looking forward to trying the Harlem location soon!

Hungry yet?  

The Mermaid Inn

On a snowy day earlier this year, I splashed through the puddles down to the East Village for dinner with Ms. O and Mr. M.  I was super excited to finally dine at The Mermaid Inn. We sat in the main dining room at the back of the restaurant. Although it was cold outside, it was quite warm in the nautical themed restaurant. Since the office closed early, our dinner was before 7 which means we were able to take advantage of the amazing happy hour specials! To kick off the night, we started with the Grand Platter. 

We are definitely seafood lovers so we were thrilled when the platter arrived. They oysters were fresh, the clams were flavorful and the shrimp were fantastic!  The lobster was a nice touch, but the star of the platter was the chilled bowl of Tuna Crudo. 

Holy moly! The sushi grade tuna was chopped in bite size pieces and mixed with avocado and jalapeño. It was like eating the best spicy tuna roll you've ever had but without the rice or seaweed. From that point on, it was non-stop food at our table. We were curious about the Lobster Knuckles Escargot, after all you can't combine two of the most delicious items without piquing our interest.

Le sigh. The tricked us! It was really lobster knuckles served escargot style.  Still delicious, but not as exciting as the advertisement would lead you to believe. The Mermaid Fish Tacos were as advertised!

Lightly fried beer battered tilapia in a tortilla filled with red cabbage for crunch, pickled jalapeños for spice, and pico de gallo for liveliness! The pickled jalapeños were the most powerful part, which was perfect for me. Definitely not for the uninitiated though. The biggest disappointment was the Boston Bibb Wedge Salad.

No surprises from me that generally, a salad is disappointing, but the specific complaint was the blue cheese. Too overpowering!! I suspected as much because Ms. O never lets her salad linger and this one lasted the entire meal. Mr. M ordered the grilled octopus which had some pork product that I couldn't eat.

Judging by how quickly the plate was emptied, I imagine it was quite good.  He also ordered the Mini Clam Chowder. 

The baby cup was done in no time. I of course ordered more oysters, because I just couldn't help myself. They were phenomenal.  We also ordered Steamed Maine Bouchot Mussels.

They were cooked with prosecco and although I liked them, because after all, it's difficult to be dissatisfied with mussels, they weren't spectacular. The fries that came with it were good, but with so many other choice items on the table, it was difficult to eat too many fries. Ms. O enjoyed her Fried Clam Slider.

I enjoyed The Mermaid Inn so much, I was back there within a few weeks, but this time I went to the upper west side location with MM and AAA. We had a glorious time. I ate too many oysters, but also sampled other items.  AAA tried the Shrimp Corndogs.

Too much Corndog, not enough shrimp. We also tried the Lobster Slider.

Yummers! It was filled with lobster, so much so that it was falling out.  Yessss! I hope they'll be at this year's Lobster Roll Rumble!  We also ate two orders of the Fried Calamari.

Yup, we were loving it. Lightly battered and lightly fried but heavily flavored - YUM! I also ordered the mini clam bake.

A bite size version that was well spiced - especially the potatoes!  The shrimp corndogs were a no go.  Stay away! 

The Mermaid Inn is high on my list of favorites of this year. I highly recommend their happy hour, because the specials are just too good to pass up. It also runs late enough that you don't feel like you're force feeding yourself early in the day.  The service was also incredible both times. They were very responsive and reminded you when happy hour was about to end. Although they have no dessert menu, I have no complaints because they serve everyone a little chocolate pot and a fish fortune.

Awesome.

Hungry yet?

Pappardella

My amazingly awesome nephew turned 2 in March.  To celebrate, we went to dinner at Pappardella on the UWS.  This is one fancy two-year old I tell you.  The weather was fabulous that day but we chose to sit indoors.  After he ran around a bit trying to pick up one of the many apples, we sat down.  We started with Caprino. 

Gotta love a good beet salad.  This one was fantastic.  The combination of arugula, roasted red beets and fresh goat cheese was exactly what we needed.  The beets were perfectly fresh and tasted wonderful.  We also ordered the Caprese.

The layers of fresh mozzarella, vine ripe tomato and basil were dripped with a rich balsamic reduction.

Taking a bite from every layer was definitely the best way to enjoy this delightful treat.  The birthday boy shared the Rigatoni Bolognese with his mom.

He loved the huge pieces of pasta that hid pieces of beef & vegetable ragu in every crevice.  His uncles went for the Pappardelle Manzo Brasato.

They love a solid beef dish.  This one with braised beef, swiss chard, caramelized onion and bread crumbs was well received.  There wasn’t a morsel left on the plate by the time they were done.  I had a hard time finishing my hearty portion of Spaghetti Frutti di Mare.

This is one of my favorite dishes to order at an Italian restaurant.  Big chunks of lobster meat, shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams topped with a fresh plum tomato sauce.  How can you go wrong?  This version was well executed, but the sauce could have used a bit more spice.

We decided to skip dessert so we could go buy the little one a cupcake and of course he loved it.  Good thing he likes brushing his teeth.  Pappardella is a restaurant I’ve overlooked a number of times, but turns out it’s actually worth eating there.  I look forward to going back for beet salad and the Spaghetti Frutti di Mare.

Hungry yet?

Spicy Thai Mussels

A few weeks ago, Bestie came to visit. We decided that it would be best for just to make dinner together because we have never cooked together.  I mean I heart restaurant dining as much as anyone, but it was nice to stay in and make something delicious.  We ended up having a multi course meal.  We started with a simple recipe for Spicy Thai Mussels.

Ingredients

½ stick butter

½ cup grape tomatoes, seeded, chopped

2 tbs minced garlic

2 tbs chopped peeled ginger

2 14oz cans unsweetened coconut milk

2 tbs Thai red curry paste

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, more to garnish

1 tsp salt

3 pounds mussels, scrubbed, debearded

Melt the butter in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, garlic and ginger; sauté about 2 minutes until the garlic is tender.

Mix in the coconut milk, curry paste and ½ of the chopped cilantro and salt.  Simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Add the mussels; cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. 

Discard any mussels that don’t open.

Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with additional chopped cilantro.

These were incredibly easy to make and absolutely delicious! Mussels have previously intimidated me because I thought it would be too hard to make them. But this recipe was straightforward and I loved it.  We soaked up a lot of the broth using bread. There was some additional broth left over so later in the week, I added potatoes and relived the fantastic meal again.  I can’t wait to try mussels with a different broth soon!

Hungry yet?

Chez Lucienne

My first post of 2012 and it’s #400! Wowee! It’s only right that such a milestone is about my meal with my PIC and Mr. R.   The traveled far and though I wasn’t their final destination, it was nice to serve as a resting place.  Since Mr. R is a fan of French (but not expensive French) I figured Chez Lucienne in my ‘hood would be a great place to dine.  It’s been open for a couple of years, but I’ve never managed to make it there. The décor is uninteresting, aside from the semi open kitchen. I always like taking a peek at what’s going on back there.  We started with a few appetizers.  PIC ordered the Saucisson en croute.

A roasted pork sausage wrapped in a pastry shell, served with lentil salad. Leave it to him to order something I can’t eat.   He enjoyed it and tied to stop himself from finishing it so he could save room for his entrée.  Mr. R and I shared two appetizers.  The Escargots De Bourgogne Paysanne arrived first.

Lovely little snails cooked in garlic and butter with a mix of spinach and tomatoes served on a toasted baguette. It was heavenly!! The flavors were incredibly rich and the addition of spinach added a nice weight to each bite.  We also ordered the Mussels Hot Hot Hot.

They were fantastic! It reminded me of my trip to The Mussel Pot. Now I can get delicious spicy mussels without leaving my neighborhood!  The appetizers were definitely a win.  Unfortunately, the rest of the meal was less so.  Mr. R ordered the Bavette a l'echalotte.

It didn’t quite live up to his expectations. He described the Grilled herb marinated skirt steak as pedestrian at best.  He wasn’t the only one left disappointed.  PIC ordered Coq Au Vin.

PIC was very disappointed.  He noted that it was not very good and leaves a lot to be desired.  The only thing that he though acceptable were the pearled onions.  After tasting it, I must say I agree with him.  Since Thursdays are Fish Night, I ordered the Truite Arc-en-ciel.

The Seared Butterfly Rainbow Trout was served with a salad. The beauty of fish night is you get to pick which sauce you want them to serve your fish with.  I chose Provencale.  What was supposed to be a blend of tomato, basil and olive ended up tasting like tomato paste.  I used just a little bit before I gave up on using the sauce.  The fish tasted good, but nothing special about it.  Perhaps it would be better with a different sauce.

I will certainly return to Chez Lucienne, but will probably stick to the appetizers and mussels.  The entrees were lacking. By no means were our entrées bad, the appetizers just overshadowed them.  Perhaps it’s because we ordered as the kitchen was getting ready to close, but I suspect they just do a better job with some dishes than others.  I look forward to returning on fish night for $12.95 mussels!

Hungry yet?

Morso NYC

I was invited to a press dinner at Morso a couple of weeks ago.  I immediately checked out the website and was pleased to see so many dishes I couldn’t wait to try.  As I walked down the stretch of 59^th street between 1^st Avenue and York, I saw a bright awning and then through the glass several pops of color – I had arrived.  Upon entering, I am greeted by a cheerful hostess. To my right I spy a long communal table that seems to be a private dining area. To the left is the main dining room.  It is well lit, and two walls are covered with 50s style pop art. I loved it!

We sat at one of the round tables that seats 4 or 5. The restaurant gives off a cool modern vibe in an effortless way.  The tasting menu looked fantastic and as soon as the first dish arrived, I started falling in love.  The Gorgonzola Fritter Salad was eye catching.

The aroma was also quite appealing.  I cut into a crispy shell and cheesy middle then took a bite.  I was slightly embarrassed at my audible moan. I just didn’t expect to enjoy it so much – after all, I generally am not a fan of too many cheeses.  The combination of gorgonzola, roasted pears, spiced walnuts and the apple cider vinaigrette was perfect.  The dish was light and I did not leave a bite on the plate.  When the Farro salad arrived, I thought I would have the same experience. 

It just didn’t do it for me. It was very hearty and grainy. The combination of roasted almonds, dried apricots, eggplant and Portobello mushrooms definitely screamed Mediterranean.  I took a few bites and my palette just didn’t appreciate the combination.  If you’re looking for a healthy and hearty starter, this is definitely your best choice. Our next dish was the Spaghetti Carbonara.

It is usually served with guanciale, but they made mine sans pork.  I almost melted eating this dish.  The pasta was al dente and the mix of eggs, pecorino and onions was incredible.  I was especially pleased because the dish was not especially creamy. It was just the right amount of creaminess built into the dish and it did not require any additional liquid.  I finished my entire plate and honestly wanted to ask for more. When I first scanned the menu, I must say the Capesante caught my eye. So imagine how delighted I was when it was on our tasting menu.

The sautéed scallops served on black rice gave me goosebumps.  The scallops were some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Perfectly caramelized on the outside and melt in your mouth good on the inside.  The black rice was an interesting accompaniment but it worked.  The limoncello sauce was subtle but definitely present.  Next up the Agnello. I debated about whether or not I would try this dish. After all, I haven’t eaten lamb in over a decade.  I decided to give it a shot.

I mean a dish that beautiful can’t be so bad, right? It definitely had Mediterranean flare since it was served with crispy eggplant & lamb roll, white beans and mint sauce.  There were also little lamb sausages in the sauce.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  The beans were exquisite and the sauce brought everything together quite nicely.  The hint of spiciness left on my tongue after every bite was the best part.  After a short break to let our stomachs rest, we were treated to a dessert trio.  At an Italian restaurant Tiramisu is always expected.

This was different than any I’ve tried. Perhaps the blood orange sauce was the difference. The tiramisu was light and not too rich. I couldn’t resist the Chocolate Cake.

It was served with Vanilla gelato which would have been a great dessert on its own.  The dessert I least expected to enjoy turned out to be my favorite.

Pistachio Cake didn’t look like much when it came out but WOW it sure did pack a punch of flavor. I think I ate more than my share.  As I was eating, I kept thinking about all the other items I saw on the menu that I wanted to try.  I decided I had to come back…and I did.  At the end of that week, we celebrated my brother’s birthday at Morso. Our server that night was a bit chatty and overly explanatory, but I tend to be impatient so I won’t hold it against him.  The chef’s amuse that night didn’t photograph well but tasted delightful.

Beets with gorgonzola cheese and a limoncello sauce.  The beets were fresh and the contrasted quite nicely with the cheese.   Mama Bear ordered the pasta special of the day.  Our server described it as quill pasta in a yellow tomato sauce.

She loved the dish! I thought it tasted incredible. I’ve never had yellow tomato sauce, but this was amazing. The pasta was also delicious.  The birthday man ordered the Gnocchi Verdi.

I had been eying this dish since I first looked at the menu.  Gnocchi is one of my favorite dishes.  This was even better because it was spinach and in chicken and rabbit ragout.  Oh la la. Spinach gnocchi?! By far the best gnocchi I’ve ever had.  The rabbit and chicken combination was also spectacular.  I could eat this dish every day and never get tired of it. Y-squared ordered the Anatra.

What a beaut! Spiced duck breast with farro, dried cranberries, roasted pears and sweet and sour pomegranate sauce. The duck was sensational.  The crispy skin on the medium well duck breast was well seasoned and reminded me why I love duck so much.  I also had a chance to sample the Pheasant which was the Caccia (game of the day). 

Oh man! I had no idea pheasant could taste so good. It was served with gnocchi and small pieces of house made lamb sausage.  I was really impressed with how many ingredients were on the plate, but it still managed to come together well.  Everyone’s entrée was fabulous.  I enjoyed it so much I almost forgot to eat my own food.  I ordered the Caccuicco, a fish stew.

This was eye catching and definitely the kind of dish I would love.  Tons of seafood in a tomato sauce.  The seafood was great, but the sauce tasted a little thin. It needed a little more body and a pinch of salt.  The desserts were a great pick up.  They brought out a beautiful Tiramisu decorated with raspberries and a candle.

The Panna Cotta was fabulous as was the Cheesecake.  

All the desserts managed to be rich and flavorful but not overwhelming.  

Since they brought these out without us asking for them, I’m not quite sure whether or not they have a dessert menu. It may just be daily specials, which worked out quite well on two occasions!

Morso truly is fabulous. It is a restaurant with sophisticated dishes with fresh ingredients.  The décor is warm and inviting. The staff was very friendly on both occasions and I look forward to returning soon.

Hungry yet?