Santina

Posted on March 27, 2015 by cutiepatroller

Santina by Team Torrisi in Meatpacking District

Santina is a another big new restaurant from the Torrisi team. Restaurant is located on Washington Ave and corner of Little W 12th St in Meatpacking District. I was here for dinner and had four dishes. They were all very delish! I normally don’t order lobster dish but I’m glad Knifmade suggested to order. It was worth every penny 🙂 My favorite dish was Cecina (Chickpea-Flour Pancakes) with Lamb Tartare for sure.

Location: Meatpacking District

Cuisine: Mediterranean/Seafood/Italian

Santina 820 Washington St, New York, NY 10014 (212) 254-3000

OVERALL	FOOD	ATMOSPHERE	PRICE
♥♥♥♥	♥♥♥1/2	♥♥♥♥	$$$1/2

Lobster Catalan $40 ♥♥♥♥

Artichoke and grape $15 ♥♥♥1/2

Cecina (Chickpea-Flour Pancakes) $12 with Lamb Tartare $20 ♥♥♥♥1/2

Branzino Crudo $15 ♥♥♥

Vic’s

Posted on December 15, 2014 by cutiepatroller

Holiday Dinner at Vic’s

“little purse”, borsa, Ricotta, Hazelnut, Lemon 12 ♥♥♥

Ps-You should try their pizza! My girls were on the diet so I couldn’t try it at this visit but I would looooooove to try some of pizza next time 🙂

Vic’s 31 Great Jones St, New York, NY 10012

OVERALL	FOOD	ATMOSPHERE	PRICE
♥♥♥1/2	♥♥♥	♥♥♥1/2	$$$1/2

Patrolling Vic’s with Yumi Kim & Nam Vo 🙂

Roasted Oxtail, brisket, Chili Agrodolce, Mint 28 ♥♥♥1/2

Littleneck clams, Pistachios, cannellini beans, lovage 13 ♥♥♥

crispy Sweet onions, Dried Tomato, Parmigiano 11 ♥♥♥1/2

Sunchoke ♥♥♥

Kitchen

♥♥♥

Bar area

Dining Room

ilili

Posted on October 5, 2014 by cutiepatroller

Restaurant Week Lunch at ”ilili”

I had Restaurant Week three course prix-fixe $25

Cuisine: Mediterranean / Middle Eastern

Decor: Moden

ilili 236 5th Ave ( b/t 27th & 28th St ) New York, NY 10001 (212) 683-2929

OVERALL	FOOD	ATMOSPHERE	PRICE
♥♥♥	♥♥	♥♥♥♥	$$$1/2

Hommus chickpea puree, tahini, lemon, olive oil

Lentil Soup green lentil, kouzbara crotons, potato, lemon

Downstair Lounge

HINDBEH PINE NUTS / CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Bar Counter

Lamb Dip slow roasted leg of lamb, house made bun, au jus, horseradish

Braised Lamb Shank Sandwich fried eggplant, piquillo peppers, labne, mint

Bar Counter

Huckleberry & Pear Cheesecake pistachio cake, brown butter powder pear spheres, labne sherbet

LABNE CHEESE CAKE HIBISCUS SAUCE / STRAWBERRY ROSE FOAM CANDIED RHUBARB / SEMOLINA STREUSEL THAI BAIL GELEE

Ilili Candy Bar dark chocolate ganache, fig caramel dulche de leche ice cream sponge candy, salted pistachio

Entrance

Claudette

Posted on June 18, 2014 by cutiepatroller

Elegant French/Mediterranean Restaurant “Claudette” Greenwich Village

Claudette 18 Greenwich Ave ( corner of 5th Ave & 9 St ) NYC

Claudette opened this month on 5th Ave and the corner of 9th St. Just a few blocks from Washington Square Park. Claudette has the same owners as Rosemary’s in the West Village. Rosemary’s chef, Wade Moises is joined by Koren Grieveson now at Claudette. Grieveson is a James Beard award winner who once worked at Avec in Chicago. Compared to Rosemary’s, the decor is elegant and the crowd is half 30-40 year-olds and half stylishly dressed 60 year-olds. I’m calling it “West Village’s Elegant Parent”. \(^_^)/ I actually saw Nate Berkus there, You know, the amazing interior designer, author, and TV personality! The weather was very nice that night and the place had the patio doors open, which you can see in my photo below.

Overall	Food	Atmosphere	Price
♥♥♥♥	♥♥♥♥	♥♥♥♥	$$$$

The menu is made of six different kinds of small salads which are all $8 or $38 for any five. My friend and I skipped the salad menu this time, but I would order it if I came with more than two people.

There were eight appetizers priced around $15 each. Our waiter recommended the grilled octopus, but we thought that was too boring at a Mediterranean restaurant. So we ordered soft shell crab with couscous instead, which was good. CLAUDETTE’S PIED PAQUETS (braised tripe and pork shoulder) was a little disappointing. It came in a big pan yet there were only three small pieces of pork with two potatoes. It seemed like a stew in which they had forgotten to add meat and vegetables.

The average price for an entree is $27 and there are eight different dishes. We had the WRAPPED RED SNAPPER with eggplant, chermoula, fennel ($26). The eggplant had an interesting chewy texture and was delish. The Grilled Lamb ‘pommes anna’, coriander, apple, yogurt vinaigrette ($29) was tender and had just the right amount of seasoning without overpowering the taste of the meat.

We had a great three hour dinner with a nice bottle of wine. Overall, I give it 3.7 out of 5 hearts. When I give 4 hearts that means it’s one of my favorites and I am highly recommending you to go. This is just shy of 4, but you should definitely check this place out, even if just once, for the right occasion. It may be good for a date night or someplace nice to take your parents. I think the price point is good and the atmosphere is casual elegant.

Gato

Posted on June 13, 2014 by cutiepatroller

Chef Bobby Flay ”Gato”

Gato 324 Lafayette St, b/t Houston St & Bleeker St, NYC

chef Bobby Flay *\(^_^)/*

Overall	Food	Atmosphere	Price
♥♥♥♥	♥♥♥♥	♥♥♥♥	$$$$

Bobby Flay’s newest restaurant, Gato, opened a few months ago on Lafayette Street in NoHo. I’m sure you’ve probably been to one of Chef Flay’s restaurants before such as Mesa Grill (closed) or Bar Americain. Honestly, I wasn’t much of a fan of his restaurants, but I changed my mind after visiting Gato! I even went twice within one month which is unusual for me. Chef Flay has created a very impressive, new style of Mediterranean cuisine. On your first visit you must try the tapas listed at the top of their menu. You can choose three tapas for $17. I tried 6 dishes between the two times I visited. I forgot a camera my second time there, so I don’t have food photos of everything I ate. My favorite tapas was the Beef Crudo, Lamb Tenderloin, and Piquillo Filled With Raw Tuna. You can see my photos below.

I enjoyed the rabbit with couscous so much that I ordered it again on my second visit. This time the dish came with vegetables instead of fava beans. If you read my blog regularly, you know that I’m a huge fan of fava beans! So, I wish it came like that all the time. It was still yummy, though. 😉

RABBIT FREGULA SARDA, CHANTERELLES, PEAS, CARROT HOT SAUCE $30 ♥♥♥♥

I love that you can see the kitchen through a glass window because you can watch Chef Flay hard at work. It was wonderful to meet him on my first visit, too! 😉 I recommend Gato for any night of the week. I also suggest you go soon while Chef Flay is still cooking everything himself. I believe the first few months after an opening a famous chef will work in the kitchen to make sure operations run well. Don’t miss your chance for his personal touch to your meal 🙂