Degustation, NYC 2

Degustation has been a favorite of some New York foodies since its opening in 2007. It gets a 28 (the 2nd highest) food rating in Zagat, but faint praise in other media. I dined there in 2009; my reaction was mixed, but I concluded: “I would be happy to go back … as I could sense the talent of the chef.” Well, the chef has changed several times since then, but Linda and I went for dinner on April 21, 2013.

Empellón Cocina, NYC

Alex Stupak, 33, was regarded by many as the best American avant-garde dessert chef, at Clio, at Alinea, then for four years at WD-50. But he abandoned this specialty and, two years ago, opened a taqueria in the East Village called Empellón, meaning “push” in Spanish.

Marea, NYC 4

Marea has become one of our favorite restaurants in New York. Although our last blogpost dates back almost two years, we have enjoyed it since then without blogging. Linda and I returned for dinner on March 5, 2013.

Corton, NYC 3

After our last meal at Corton, in August 2011, I wrote:

“We certainly enjoyed our meal and were never bored. That some of the combinations didn’t work for us is unimportant. We came to see what the chef was up to. I think we will be back. You should go too, if you are looking for a fine, unique culinary adventure.”

So Linda and I returned for dinner on February 28, 2013.

Aquavit, NYC 4

We were surprised when Aquavit received a star in the 2013 NY Michelin Guide. We had enjoyed two excellent meals there in 2008, but when we returned in 2010 under its new chef, the meal was a real disappointment. The former chef, Marcus Samuelsson, had become a media star and left Aquavit suddenly in early 2010. He has become even more of a celebrity, cooking the first State dinner at the White House for the Obamas. Marcus Jernmark, who had stepped in then from the position of Executive Sous Chef, took a while to get things back in order.

Union Square Café, NYC

The Union Square Café was opened by Danny Meyer in 1985, his first restaurant. It has often been voted the “most popular” restaurant in New York in Zagat, currently ranked eighth in that category. It shares Zagat’s third highest food rating with many others. Linda and I went for dinner on February 21, 2013.

The NoMad, NYC

Chef Daniel Humm and his General Manager Will Guidara have elevated Eleven Madison Park to the best restaurant in New York in the opinion of many, including us. So it was with great interest among foodies that they opened this restaurant in the nearby NoMad Hotel last year. Blair and I went for lunch on February 18, 2013.

Del Posto, NYC 3

When Linda and I last went to Del Posto almost two years ago, we had a somewhat mixed reaction, so it was with considerable curiosity that we returned on January 20, 2013, with Blair and Karyn.

Mas (farmhouse), NYC

Mas (farmhouse) has the second highest food rating in Zagat, equal to EMP, Bouley, Daniel and Jean Georges etc. We had enjoyed its sister restaurant, Mas (la grillade), last August and so Linda and I were looking forward to a lot when we went for dinner on January 17, 2013. Although Mas (farmhouse) has been open since 2004, we had not been before.

Annisa, NYC 7

On December 5, 2012, Linda and I returned to Annisa with Javier, Pelusa, Ron and June.

The Modern, NYC 2

When Linda and I went to The Modern over five years ago, we did not think that it lived up to its Michelin star and high Zagat rating. But the star and high ratings continue so we returned on November 28, 2012, to try it again. After all, it is a Danny Meyer restaurant; they usually do not disappoint.

Barraca, NYC

This is my third blogpost in 18 months on restaurants under three different names with Jesús Núñez as the chef. His Graffit, a bit north of Lincoln Center, had to change its name as being too close to that of an established competitor. Then, he left Gastroarte in September in some kind of a dispute with the owner. We had enjoyed his Spanish cuisine under both names. Now he cooks at Barraca, owned by Hector Sanz, whose restaurant group is also behind downtown spots Macondo and Rayuela.

Soto, NYC 2

Having been very impressed by our meal at Soto last year, Linda and I were really looking forward to our return there with Tony on August 23, 2012.

Café Boulud, NYC 4

After we went to Café Boulud in 2006, I wrote a very negative blogpost. We were much happier when we returned there in 2007 on the invitation of John H and Françoise. Then I wrote, “The cuisine was well done without any lapses, easily meriting its high Michelin, Zagat and NYT ratings.” We went back in 2010 with mixed results. So we were curious how it would turn out when we dined there with John R on August 15, 2012.

Jean Georges, NYC 2

When Linda and I last went to Jean Georges, more than three years ago, I wrote: “For this meal Jean Georges was not even close to its ratings.” But the very high ratings continue. It is one of the seven three-starred restaurants in the 2012 NYC Michelin Guide. For The New York Times it is one of only six four-star restaurants. It has the second highest food rating in the 2012 NY Zagat. Steve’s OAD Guide calls it the sixth most important restaurant in the U.S..  Marc Shepard’s New York Journal gives it its highest rating. So when Blair, who had not been before, and I went for dinner on August 5, 2012, we were curious what we would find.

Mas (la grillade), NYC

Chef Galen Zamarra opened Mas (farmhouse) in 2004 and it has been full ever since. Last year he opened Mas (la grillade) to offer another aspect of rustic Franch cuisine.

Kajitsu, NYC 4

We have enjoyed Kajitsu on previous visits for the imaginative cuisine of chef Masato Nishihara, which used vegetarian shojin techniques on a variety of seasonal ingredients. But the owner has a policy of rotating chefs into New York and so in May 2012 Nishihara was replaced by chef Ryota Ueshima, a veteran of, among others, the venerable Hyotei in Kyoto. Tony and I went to try his August menu on August 26, 2012.

Acme, NYC

Acme was a restaurant well below the radar. It has been around for some time, but hasn’t ever appeared in Zagat. It used to feature “Authentic Southern and Cajun Cookin’.”  In January of 2012 it reinvented itself under new ownership which already had several restaurants emphasizing fashionable trendiness, including the longstanding Indochine. NY restaurant blogs immediately started reporting how hard it was to get a reservation and which celebrities had been spotted there. Normally we would not have considered going, but Acme‘s new chef, Mads Refslund, was an attraction. We had dined with Trine at his MR restaurant in Copenhagen in 2008 and found it creative and interesting. So Linda and I went to Acme for dinner on August 19, 2012. 

Brushstroke, NYC

Brushstroke was announced in 2007 and finally opened in April 2011. Its menu was created by cooperation between David Bouley and the Tsuji Culinary Institute. Bouley has been a successful and well-known, although sometimes erratic, New York chef for 25 years. Tsuji educates many of Japan’s successful chefs. It has had links to France for fifty years, notably at first with Paul Bocuse and Mado Point. It influenced the development of La Nouvelle Cuisine.

15 East, NYC 4

Blair and I went for an early dinner on July 30, 2012 to 15 East, which I have enjoyed three times before.

WD-50, NYC 7

We had been to WD-50 six times over the last six years.  This time was to be different. Before, there had always  been a mix of familiar dishes and a few new creations. But in celebration of the restaurant’s ninth anniversary, chef Wylie Dufresne had announced that there would be an entirely new menu as of May 10, 2012. We were looking forward to the experience.

Blair and Karyn joined Linda and me at WD-50 on July 26, 2012, in celebration of my 72nd birthday the next day.

Tori Shin, NYC

We were surprised when Tori Shin, a small yakitori restaurant, received a star in the 2012 Michelin Guide. (Yakitori literally means “grilled bird” in Japanese.) Linda and I went for dinner on July 14, 2012.

Neta, NYC

Neta was opened in March 2012 by two former chefs at Masa, the wildly expensive sushi restaurant in the Time Warner Center. With Linda out of town I went by myself for dinner on July 7, 2012.

Donguri, NYC 8

We had not been back to Donguri for a year and a half when Linda and I took Gabriel there for dinner the evening of July 3, 2012. It was never completely full on this pre-holiday evening.

Michael’s, NYC

Michael McCarty opened the original Michael’s in Santa Monica in 1979 at age 25. It was one of the forerunners of the New California Cuisine. He opened Michael’s in New York ten years later, selecting a West 55th Street location where he could attract the same big media and entertainment clientèle as in California. Gabriel joined Linda and me for dinner there on July 2, 2012.

Maialino, NYC

Maialino is the newest of Danny Meter’s serious restaurants in New York. It is supposed to resemble a Roman trattoria. Linda and I went the first time for dinner on Sunday, May 6, 2012.

Atera, NYC

Owner Jodi Richard opened Compose in this downtown space in December 2010. We enjoyed it, but many critics did not; the chef left and it closed last July. Richard then recruited acclaimed chef Matt Lightner from Castagna in Portland, Oregon. They added a new kitchen downstairs and opened up the cooking space in front of the thirteen-diner counter. The restaurant reopened as Atera on March 20, 2012. Linda and I went for dinner on April 25, 2012.

Jungsik, NYC

This haute-Korean restaurant was opened last fall in the Tribeca space which housed the revered Chanterelle for twenty years. Blair and I went for dinner on April 17, 2012.

Gastroarte, NYC

Linda and I returned to this ambitious restaurant on March 28, 2012. In February 2011 we had enjoyed the inventive, well-executed, Spanish cuisine of chef Jesús Núñez shortly after the restaurant opened.

Le Bernardin, NYC 4

Le Bernardin was closed last summer for a complete redecoration of the dining room. It is more modern, spacious and brighter now. (At our last meal there my photos were unusable due to the low light, but now there is an overhead spot down onto each table.) I had always liked the old-fashioned paintings of fishermen, but they have been replaced by a semi-abstract wave.