Brunching at Hundred Acres

Poached Eggs with Goat Cheese Thyme Bread Pudding

So after professing my aversion to all things brunch, Hundred Acres COMPLETELY altered these  staunch feelings. This alteration primarily due to the fact that my boyfriend and I were happily strolling through west Soho one Sunday afternoon and passed by Hundred Acres. The poached eggs and thin cut french fries glistened through the wooden windows with such a Wintry appeal that I was suddenly drawn. That week, all I could think about was how I needed to have brunch the following Sunday. I needed those eggs! And french fries! How is it that one beautifully presented plate of poached eggs served in a rustic and Wintry atmosphere could SUCK out all my negative feelings and send me through anxiety driven loops of brunch needs that needed immediate satisfaction?!

And so, I officially caved. And now, am an avid brunch goer, brunch lover, brunch dreamer. You name it, I'm there.

The Food at Hundred Acres

It's like a Bubby's type but A LOT better and with more options. There are peanut butter tartines, poached eggs with brioche bread pudding toasts, huevos rancheros, french fries seasoned with herbs, waffles and bloody mary's. All of the brunch options are sophisticated and quite tasteful. Listen, this isn't the best brunch in the world, but I'd go back any day. There are loads of options that can satisfy the vegetarians, meat lovers, kids and parents. It's a large restaurant and can accomodate large parties which is tough to find downtown.

Huevos Rancheros

Bloody Mary

Peanut Butter, Banana & Raisin Tartines 

Peanut Butter & Banana Tartines, Kale Salad with Warm Goat Cheese 

Corn Bread (which was just like a corn muffin with an added crunch) & Poached Eggs

The Atmosphere

It's a tad noisy and overcrowded with customers waiting to be seated even though it is quite a large space.

The Bar

Back Area of Hundred Acres

The Wait & Resos

Funnily enough, no one makes reservations on Open Table, they just show up and then wait 45 minutes to be seated. We arrived, put our names down at 1pm for a 45 min - 1 hour wait and then logged into Open Table on my phone only to discover that there were available reservations for 1:15pm. How interesting, no? Now you know the secret to beating the system! MAKE A RESERVATION and you won't have to wait behind an hour's worth of walk-ins!

Good For: Large parties, small parties, brunch with friends or family

Hundred Acres

38 MacDougal St. 

http://hundredacresnyc.com/

212-475-7500

Menu changes a bit each Sunday

Sundancing

Every year, we, as in my family, venture to Mormon country on Martin Luther King weekend to do some warm Winter skiing and check out the latest films at Sundance. Last year, after a few phone calls we finally acquired a much anticipated reservation at Robert Redford's restaurant Zoom, only to discover how absolutely terrible the food was. His restaurant is the ultimate tourist trap. Seriously, beware!

This year I did some actual research and finally tried two great spots. Unless you are part of Hollywood's elite and very well connected, getting a reservation on the first Saturday night of the festival, or any evening time during the first weekend, which is always Martin Luther weekend, is absolutely impossible and sometimes hopeless. Finding a restaurant of quality and of open reservations are EXTREMELY few and far between. 

This year, with some research and preparation, there was success at last. 

Grappa

Located on Main Street

The only dinner option was the Pre Fixe. A product of Sundance week and milking Hollywood and film diners for all their worth. This of course is not noted on their website or mentioned upon seating. It is only once the menu is opened, a scarcity of dollar signs, does one realize the menu may, just so happen to be a pre fixe. 

Regardless of this fast one, I was SHOCKED by how good the food was. Remember, last year we ate in three or four restaurants (maybe more) and each was less exciting than the next, to say the very least. I have memories of oily and flavorless food. Uch. 

This explains why we were so surprised to find something on an acceptably good level, maybe, even one notch up from that! It was a quality meal with well cooked snapper, and a light Caesar salad. The food was in no way spectacular but overall I would recommend Grappa for a Park City visitor hoping for tasty food and a cozy and upscale Italian atmosphere. Skip the dessert, we tried three of the five and they all stunk.

Bread for the Table, Flat Bread with Artichokes & Olives, Warmed Olives 

Caesar Salad

Spumoni Ice Cream Dessert, Cheesecake & Tirimasu
The dessert looks a lot better than it tasted.

Glitretind at The Stein Erikson Lodge on Deer Valley Mountain

This restaurant is the answer to lunch's fine dining during a full day of skiing. This is no lodge cafeteria. It is an actual restaurant with both in and outdoor seating on the Deer Valley mountain. Ski up to the lodge, drop the skis (no boards on Deer Valley), take of the head gear and helmet and one is seated for an absolutely spectacular lunch with a beautiful view of the Deer Valley mountains. Glitretind offers either a buffet option (think, upscale carpeted dinning room buffet) or the option to order from the menu. Both options are recommended. For $30 a head it's an all you can eat buffet of food, fruit and dessert. Think gourmet buffet. It's the furthest from trashy, fried food and more like a catered wedding buffet with both pasta and carving stations along with cheese plates, fish, salads and veggies. If you're a dessert person then definitely go with the  buffet option which offers a full spread of pies, cakes, bread pudding, candy, cookies and cupcakes. I sampled it ALL, including the mini creme brûlées and ate my dessert before my meal so that I wouldn't have to worry about "saving space for dessert." The actual menu, if one chooses not to go with the buffet option, has a fabulous selection of sandwiches, salads and entrees that are just as good as ordering from the buffet. 

The thin and crunchy french fries and the sunny and luxurious outdoor seating were probably my highlights (along with the all you can eat dessert). Although the seared sushi grade tuna sandwich was extremely good although it was surprising that the only bread option was white.

French Fries & Seared Sushi Grade Tuna Sandwich

Unbelievable, no?
Mid-mountain lunch + Sun + French Fries, what could be better?

Let's just say, this sure beats the chilli and sandwiches in the lodge and food stops on the mountain! 

If you're in Park City and skiing, do not neglect this option. I'd ski Deer Valley any day just for this. Not that skiing Deer Valley would ever be some sort of chore or anything ;). 

Glitretind serves brunch and dinner as well. 

Some Tips: 

*During Sundance, or any off peak time, lunch time reservations are not necessary. 

*Also, the restaurant is NOT located on the Deer Valley ski map. 

But ask anyone employed by Deer Valley on the mountain and they'll know exactly where to direct you.

For more info:

http://www.steinlodge.com/dining/glitretind

J & G Grill at The St. Regis in Deer Valley

(Jean George Restaurant)

My parents ate here and said it was absolutely divine.

I cannot attest to the recommendation but would trust their taste (and Jean George's) any day.

Downtown at Louro

Before I begin my review of Louro, some food for thought about restaurant and food quality. If you aren't really interested, just skip on to The Food.
It must be noted that eating out, and one's opinion of the food quality is so relative and partial. Quite obviously. There are always going to be some palettes that are more inclined to certain flavors while others are not. After dinning out with another couple last night this very simple notion hit me. While I found certain dishes to be nothing special, others quite enjoyed them. What got me thinking was the following. There is, most certainly, a basic intuition that is able to distinguish the sub par and ok quality of food, to the good, and then the excellent. But, once that threshold is crossed, from the sub par to the quality, it becomes a fine line. There are loads of great restaurants out there. But who doe we trust to recommend the right place?
 Do New Yorkers actually enjoy the atmosphere more than the actual food? If the food is pretty good, and tastes like the other "pretty good" places, than, the notion goes that its worthwhile to recommend and return.

I also find that too often than not many simply concur with the opinions of those in powerful and influential positions like food critics and major bloggers. Why? Because, these powerful individuals have accumulated massive influence with years of experience. On that point I agree, yes they are experienced and have therefore naturally acquired a refined palette. But there are too often times where I wonder if many diners simply agree with the reviewers because they are meant to. Sam Sifton says its good, then it must be good! Meaning, if everyone in revered positions enjoys it than of course I should as well. And yet, I've found that many times Adam Platt, who is quite spot on in my very subjective opinion, is just so off sometimes and I am in complete disagreement with him. Why does he so strongly believe that Il Buco Alimentari's chef should be named one of the top ten new chefs of New York for 2013 when I found the food to be good but totally over rated? 

This is why I've begun to trust less and try more. And this is how I've come to realize how subjective food reviewing and recommending can become. I expose myself to reviews and opinions of others and then can only have myself to judge. Yes, I can be snobby at times about the quality, but it's rightly so. I travel to other cities and am so much more impressed with their basic food establishments than I sometimes am in New York. 

Like with anything, the more one educates himself on the subject, and for the purposes of this article it would be in the food and restaurant industry, the more he is able to seriously determine these fine lines. Anyhow, it is all a matter of opinion and this post is heading on a steeply philisophical path with no concluding points that divert (only a tiny bit ;) from the very purpose of this blog. 

Overall, there was a definite agreement within our intimate party of four that the food at Louro, the atmosphere and the service were, overall, simple, enjoyable and perfect.

But, then again these very opinions are subjective in themselves as well.
Try it and see for yourself!

The Food
I had a read a number of good things about David Santos opening up his new spot called Louro. For a while he was hosting private dinners in a place on Governor's Island and most famously he worked as a chef at Bouley and Per Se before deciding to open up his own spot last month.

Compliments to the chef.
 Every single vegetarian friendly option on the menu was ordered and every option was tasteful, extremely fresh and not too heavy. Please note that although I will mention what we tasted, I believe the menu changes daily as Yelp featured photos of options that were not on our menu and two days ago the Dourade was on the menu while last night it was not.

The best dishes were the Red Snapper which was cooked with a simple broth of mushrooms and leek.

The mini cubes of beets mixed with warmed goat cheese and walnuts was so light and the cheese was so runny and complimentary to the beets. Skip the pickled veggies appetizer, it arrives in a round glass cylinder and isn't anything one hasn't tasted before. The Roasted Pumpkin was a delightful and an unexpected surprise. It arrived as thin roasted slivers with light olive oil, arugula and huckleberries.

This is the perfect example of a dish that is deceiving in its simple look.
It's a must order.

The Arugula salad was a simple salad with a light quality olive oil and very thin shavings of pecorino cheese that complimented the salad so perfectly. I think it was one of my favorite dishes on the table!

Lack of stinginess on the Pecorino shavings allowed for the perfect cheese compliment to a light salad.
The marinated peppers addition to the salad weren't my favorite though.

For the entree's I already mentioned the Red Snapper (I couldn't wait to mention it first, it was too good)! The trout was NOTHING SPECIAL but, to be honest, either I've never tasted trout prepared properly or I actually believe it just isn't the tastiest fish. Either way, I wouldn't bother.

The two pastas both the Gnocchi Romana and house made Cavatelli were fabulous. The gnocchi was pretty good but the cavatelli was cooked in a lovely cream sauce that warmed my insides and had the perfect addition of parmesan cheese.

On the left is the Cavatelli, right is the Gnocchi 

The one thing I'd skip and actually disliked the flavor completely was the Fry Bread which sounded a lot better in theory.

I may have differed from our group in that they enjoyed the Fry Bread as well as the Trout while I enjoyed the cavatelli more. The Red Snapper, the Arugula Salad and the Roasted Pumpkin were the biggest crowd pleasers.

With some reluctance, and some perseverance by our waiter, we tried the Pineapple Upside Down Cake for dessert which turned out to be the furthest thing from pineapple. Other than the simple pineapple glaze and fruit cubes surrounding the corn cake with caramelized edges, there was no other hint of fruit in this dish and it was my favorite dessert.

The crowd pleaser was the Peanut Butter Pain Perdu with roasted marshmallow ice cream and grape jelly.

The Ambiance

The atmosphere was vibrant and the crowd wasn't too young or too old but perfectly mixed. There is no pumping music but the loud and excited voices of the diners is enough to replace a sound system. The lighting was dimmed with lots of mini votives on the tables and unlike many of the wooden and rustic-turned-modern restaurants overpopulating this city, Louro had a uniquely modern feel that still maintains a touch of class. It's designed with lots of white simplicity, white ribbed hard wood booths and walls with thin white appetizer plates and square cutlery to compliment the decor. 

Wait Time & Resos

Reservations are necessary, especially for a busy night like Thurs, Fri or Sat. We arrived at 9pm with a reso, of course, and when we left at 11:30pm Louro was still quite full with few open tables. Keep in mind, Louro opened on December 4th, only one month ago and is keeping busy!

Good For: It's the perfect place for a social night out with friends, girlfriends or other couples.

Louro

142 West 10th St.

(Between Greenwich & 7th Ave)

http://louronyc.com/

The First of Many, Guest Review of The Lion

Hey All,

The first guest review is up.
Written By:
Roy Dervich
Roy is a friend that I've come to know quite well and recently celebrated his girlfriend's birthday at The Lion downtown. 
Below is his review...

The Lion 

Before I talk about the food at The Lion I want to talk about the atmosphere and ambience. The restaurant is basically hidden on a normal residential block with just an address on it awning, adding to the whole speak-easy vibe.       

Image via Yelp.com

I was extremely impressed with the décor and main dining room, which is a perfect example of how décor and a vibe can elevate a dining experience. The main dining room is identical to CO-OPs, but set back 90 years ago. It has a punch of prohibition with a touch of Gregory Peck class. There are large and small frames all around the room with photos of Al Capone and black and white photos of girls in vintage bikinis on the Coney Island boardwalk. The crowd seemed to be the “old money” type with class and sophistication, which can be contagious; I found the need to ask my girlfriend if I can be excused when I had to go to the restroom. The age group varied from mainly 25-55 many who seemed like they lived in the area or were European tourists. It’s a high-end spot but low key, so wasn't pretentious either. 

The other factor that elevated the experience was the outstanding service. At The Lion they are extremely proactive with multiple servers and waiters advising you on the menu and asking what you need.

The Pre Co-Op vibe

Now, to the food, 

we ordered the following:

1)    Big Eye Tuna Tartare

2)    Hand Pulled Burrata

3)    Ricotta Gnudi

4)    French Fries

5)    Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Guanciale, Apples

6)    Dessert- Market Fruit Plate with Cranberry Sorbet

Buratta, French Fries, Brussels & Ricotta 

I feel the need to mention that the bread they offered was extremely delicious. But on to the things we ordered, I’ll go down the list.

1)    The tartare had an extremely fresh texture and an explosion of flavor like one only see in gum commercials.

2)    The burrata was basically a ball of mozzarella with truffles and infused with balsamic. It had a good flavor but just a very weird cold texture, we didn’t love this dish so much.

3)    The ricotta pasta was sprinkled with truffles and a treat for my palate. This was extremely delicious with a texture that melts in your mouth and will make you salivate the second you swallow it, also known as, food porn.

4)    The Brussels and French fries were perfect sides and compliments both topped with herbs, I personally enjoyed the sprouts and found it ironic how mothers forcefully try to feed this to their sprouts, they obviously are not making them this good,

5)    I can honestly admit we didn’t order dessert right, the fruit platter seemed like something I would eat in my kitchen and was not the perfect ending, cake probably would’ve complimented the meal better but we were full anyway so that probably affected our lack of enjoyment of the fruit platter.

In terms of reservations, I used OpenTable a couple of weeks before hand. I was delighted that the restaurant called me to confirm the reservation a few days earlier. When we got there we didn’t wait a second, we got directed to a great table right in the middle of the dining room. 

My conclusion on this place is that it may just be my new favorite restaurant, you feel secluded from “the scene” but in a very hot spot, so no feelings of anti-socialism because honestly the scene just doesn’t know about this cool spot yet, its like TAO 10 years ago. It is expensive but I personally don’t care when I feel like I’m getting what I pay for. Menu options can also seem very limited if you don’t eat meat or seafood.

The Lion

62 West 9th Street  New York, NY 10011

(212) 353-8400

http://www.thelionnyc.com/

**Good For: Dinner, Date Spot, Intimate Dinner with Friends or Adult Family

The Dalloway

I'm so sick of testing out sub-par restaurants. Everywhere I've been lately has been good, but none of it has been exceptional. Am I spoiled? Have I refined my palette too much? Or, have I become a snob?
I don't know.
What I am beginning to notice is that New York, especially Manhattan (I would agree with anyone that argues Brooklyn is otherwise) is more of a restaurant culture than it is a food culture. The difference?
 In the restaurant culture extremely focused on well designed, trendy and cool establishments that are accompanied by young, hipster and somewhat good looking wait staff to complete this very hip vibe. The food is beautifully presented, french fries and chips in tins, clean white plates, and modern glassware on rustic tables and chairs with hipster looking walls and bars. The restaurant is created for the scene and sometimes it seems as though there is more invested in the decor and the vibe than in the actual food and ingredients. Don't get me wrong, the design and the restaurant's atmosphere is a huge part of the experience, especially for me, but where is the food quality? Where is the fresh food? Where is the meal that isn't buttered to the bone and fried in tons of oil that leaves diners feeling heavy, full and ultimately unsatisfied? 

I'd say this was pretty much my experience at The Dalloway.
And honestly, none of the food was bad or terrible, it never is at these places. I'm just coming to realize the sub par food at trendy and write-up restaurants is surprisingly more ubiquitous than one would believe and which, most importantly, brings me to the subject of this post.  

The Food at The Dalloway

It comes in small portions, and when I say small, it's extremely small and for the same price as standard portioned food. It's meant to be tapas style, as the waitress explained when we mentioned our hunger after the first few dishes. This then entails ordering the entire menu because after each round of food (appetizer, main course), we were still famished.

One of the best items was the Persimmon Carpaccio (photo below) which I recently Instagramed  and found to be an extremely cool concept and also tasting fresh and light.

Love this dish, it looks like art

The flat bread pizzas were ok. The brussel sprouted salad with truffle oil wasn't my cup of tea but the sweet potato chips with garlic aoli were a favorite on our table. Essentially they were Terra chips reincarnated, and I think we all love Terra chips, but I'll give The Dalloway some more credit for claiming to create them on their own. The chipotle tuna was great and the mini smores at the end were a cute and gimmicky final touch. 

Ahi Tuna 

Veggie Flatbread Pizza

Sweet Potato Chips

Brussel Sprouts Salad With Truffle Oil

Mini Smores

The Grilled Cheese
*recommended

Ambiance

It's pretty much that rustic vibe with hard wood tables, dimmed lighting and fire place-esque atmosphere, without the actual fire place of course. The brick walls and hipster type, mismatched pictures and "art" are scattered throughout the restaurant to compliment the rusticity. Essentially, it's that typical trendy vibe I mentioned earlier. There was some sort of loungy scene going on in the basement and honestly, if you aren't a lesbian I don't think this is really where the scene is at. If you are, then I'd recommend it. It seemed pretty happening actually.

Some Final Concluding Thoughts
The food was good, nothing special but nothing terrible. The ambiance was young and trendy but the food wasn't anything to rave and write home about. And to be completely honest, at the end of the meal we were all discussing which leftovers were waiting at home in our fridges. We left yearning for a fresh and light home cooked meal, or second meal of any sort, for that matter.  

Wait Time & Resos

Although we had a reservation, on a Wednesday evening there were loads of empty tables and mostly a drinks scene in the basement on a dark and wintry night. 

Good For: 
Dinner/snack with friends or a low key date. 

Don't come too hungry!!

The Dalloway 

525 Broome St. 

Between Thompson & Sullivan 

(212) - 966 - 9620

Notting Hill & Kensington Church St. London Edition

Now that I am fully settled and back into my regular routine it's about time to begin the new year by enticing you some eateries that will have you planning your next vacation to Kate and William's homeland.
This post is dedicated to some London restaurant recommendations. On my most recent trip, I had the short and sweet pleasure of hitting up a couple of great eateries in Notting Hill and on Kensington Church St. that are highly recommended for anyone inspired to visit the British sometime soon.

Kensington Wine Rooms

Kensington Church St.

Very rustic and dark on the inside, great for a quiet and romantic drink with tasty dinner.

The smoked salmon tartar, gnocchi and chips (french fries) are all great menu picks, as are the massive selection of wines.

Granger & Co.

Westbourne Grove

This Australian hotspot is packed for lunch and is a great place to catch up with friends and experience the trendy London scene. I would equate it with New York's Soho type restaurants that house single trendy locals and young families living in the neighborhood.

The food is light and their zucchini fritters with tehine dressing were my favorite menu item. The tehine was unique and praiseworthy for a cuisine that isn't first nature to ground sesame seed paste.

The coffee is also fabulous (as is most of the coffee out side of America, Ugh I'm such a coffee snob, shut me up, now) and the bloody mary is a must order. Their eggs and hot cakes are not to be missed either. 

Bloody Mary

Ottolenghi

Ledbury Rd.

Absolutely fabulous spot for lunch, as are the other two London locations.

Take Away (as the English say) Veggie Selection

The salads, the grilled veggies topped with thin layers of amazing goat cheese, the mince pies, are all absolutely, the most tasty food I've had in a long time. Yes, Eataly has a great vegetable restaurant, but oh no, Ottolenghi is in a far superior league of his own from anything you may have tasted.

Buy his cookbook, eat at his restaurants, this man is a mastermind.

Take away mince pies and mini desserts

Melt

Ledbury Rd.

Honestly, the English give the Swiss a run for their money when it comes to chocolate.

After tasting Melt's chocolate, and trust me, I tasted it all I can very well argue this beats almost everything I've ever had. Maybe because it's all made fresh in the back of the shop and there are no preservatives and factory processing or maybe its the creativity of flavors? Or maybe they simply just have it right. One couldn't know for sure. But, from the passion fruit and the peanut butter and jelly truffles, to the pine nut and cinnamon chocolate bars, there was nothing that dissapointed at Melt. After the truffles and sea salt chocolate bars that melt in one's mouth, plain old processed chocolate doesn't quite taste the same. 

Chocolates from Melt, Nuts & Sea Salt from Ottolenghi & Coffees and Mustards from Selfridges

Mildred's

Lexington St.

See Review Here

And... For Some Other Recommend Spots in the Neighborhood

202 at Nicole Farhi

Haven't eaten here on my most recent trip but when I was there 3 years ago, but the food is good quality and I wouldn't have any doubts in recommending eating here.

Clarke's

Kensington Church St.

Its a famous Kensington Church St. Spot known for their pastries and baked goods, as is their brunch and lunch.

Bluebird

Kings Road

Very posh, trendy and scene on the very popular English "reality" show Made in Chelsea, this is the watering hole for the young and trendy with brunch, lunch, bar and dinner menus. Young can eat and drink or just drink and order bar food their.