Aureole

34 East 61st Street; New York NY  212-319-1660
 

(June 10, 2008).  Who knows what finally lured us to this Upper East Side treasure but whatever it was we are now firm fans. 

As usual with a first visit, we had the tasting menu, at $38 for three courses this may be the lunch bargain of the western world. 

Our amuse bouche of smoked salmon belly with a chive sauce tipped us off that we were in for a treat.  Gary’s chilled asparagus and ricotta with a truffled leek vinaigrette was topped with a sunny side up egg and it all blended together well. 

Varian’s soft shell crabs were sauteed and served with mangoes and scallions and an Asian style soy lime vinaigrette. 

Gary’s saffron braised rabbit with paparadelle, chick peas olives and parsley made him homesick for Nice, while Varian’s grilled hangar steak with marinated onions, wilted baby spinach and a white bean puree couldn’t have been better. 

For dessert, Gary’s plate and a firm chocolate mouse with peanuts and syrup and ice cream with vanilla sauce.  Uncharacteristically, instead of cheese, Varian had a bowl of luscious fresh berries.

Throughout the meal we ordered our wines by the glass so we could experiment.  The four we tried, two each not four each thank you very much, were a 2007 rose from Mas de la Dame in les Baux and a Sauvignon Blanc Panacea from Napa.  The reds were a 2003 Chianti Classico Riserva and a 2005 Malbec and Cabernet from the Mendoza region of Argentina. 

The decor is quite understated, leaving room for some dramatic floral displays.  Alas, however, this intimate and relaxed address will soon be closing to move to a new one in the Bank of America Building at 42nd and 6th.  Lunches will be served at this address only for the next month or two, so get there while you can.

 

 

 

 

 

Union Square Cafe

21 East 16th Street; New York, NY 10003 212-989-352

(June 9, 2008). For us, this is the NYC restaurant that we try to visit on our two week-long visits to NYC each year. Danny Meyer’s concept of friendly service combined with the always appealing menu never ceases to delight.

Asiate, NYC 2

80 Columbus Circle at 60th 212-805-8881

(June 11, 2008). Intrigued by its Zagat rating as the “best decor in town,” we found ourselves seated on the 35th floor of this stunning restaurant overlooking Central Park and east down 59th Street.

The Bottle Tree Grocery

1415 County Route 7; Ancram, NY  518-329-0444

Ancram?  Yes, Ancram.  Sort of in the middle of nowhere, in what used to be a filling station, Liz and Eric Macaire have created a charming and funky little restaurant, open only on Friday and Saturday nights.

Oceana, NYC 2

When we went to Oceana in December, Linda and I decided that it is the best fish and seafood restaurant in New York. Our return visit with John on May 20, 2008 reconfirmed that opinion.

Aquavit, NYC

Aquavit always seems to get mixed reviews although the cuisine sounds interesting. So we tried it on May 18, 2008, with David and Frédérique. It was terrific. 

Bontá Restaurant, Hampton NH

On May  14, 2008 Chris, Lawrence, Linda and I dined at Bontá Restaurant on the Exeter Road in Hampton NH.

Insieme, NYC

Insieme opened just over a year ago to a lot of anticipation in the food press. Its owners had already made a big success of Hearth, hidden away on the Lower East Side. When they opened in the heart of tourist Manhattan at 51st Street and 7th Avenue, the reviews came out quickly and were mildly favorable, usually commenting that improvement was expected.

Picholine, NYC 4

Picholine has long been a favorite of ours for dining before an event at Lincoln Center. In 2006 it was redecorated and the menu became more ambitious. The reward was a second star in the last NYC Michelin.

Rigsby’s Kitchen, Columbus, Ohio

Rigsby’s Kitchen has been my (Linda’s) favorite restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, since niece Rebecca introduced it to me about 20 years ago. It is a restaurant where one can relax and well, it is the most New York-like spot I know in Columbus besides the Columbus Museum of Fine Art.  So on May 2, 2008, my niece Rebecca, her husband Chuck and my sister Barbara and I met for dinner at this now-venerable Short North (High Street) restaurant and veteran CountryEpicure reader Rebecca rightly suggested that we offer you our first Ohio blog posting!

The Café Sabarsky, NYC

This Viennese Café is part of the Neue Galerie, the museum of Austrian and German art next to our apartment building at 86^th Street and Fifth Avenue. It does a good business all day long serving Viennese pastries, but it also has a breakfast menu from 9 to 11 and then meals, Schmankerln, until closing, which is at 6 or 9 depending on the day (or at 5 if there is cabaret in the café that evening.)

Daniel, NYC

Daniel has two stars in the Michelin Guide. There are only three restaurants in New York rated above it with three stars. It is one of five restaurants receiving the top rating from the New York Times, although they have not reviewed it for seven years. It shares the top food rating with six others in Zagats. So one expects it to be quite special.

Asiate, NYC

As regular readers of this blog know, I really like good Asian fusion cuisine. I had wanted to try Asiate, which describes its menu as an “artistic and modern approach to Asian-inspired cuisine.” The 2008 Zagats says:

“Plan to be blown away by the “breathtaking views” “high above Central Park” – as well as “beautiful” decor rated No. 1 in NYC – as you savor “exciting” Japanese-French “fusion at its best” and enjoy “impeccable” service at chef Noriyuki Sugie’s “posh” dining room at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel; if the “sky-high” setting doesn’t induce vertigo, the towering tab may – though the $24 lunch prix fixe is a “bargain”.”

Gramercy Tavern 4

 

Lewis and I, Linda, have celebrated many a mutual spring birthday at Gramercy Tavern, long before this blog originated, but on April 22, 2008, we held a special luncheon celebration at our favorite quiet windowside table in the restaurant’s back room.

Eighty One, NYC

Eighty One is the third in the new series of upscale restaurants on the Upper West Side, the other two recent openings being Telepan and Dovetail. So to check it out Linda and I went to Eighty One for dinner on April 17, 2008.

The Chinese food market area, San Francisco

On January 26, 2008, Linda and I had just started our around the world trip. We went to the Farmers Market at the Ferry Building in San Francisco and I posted my photos of it to the blog a week later, but I never did get around to putting up my photos of the Chinese food market area where I went later that morning.

Honolulu travel notes, 2008

Linda and I were in Honolulu from January 28 to February 3, 2008. We stayed at the Halekulani Hotel. We were there to see friends and the sights of interest to us. We are not golfers or surfers etc so there will be no tips on such things here.

Hakkei, Honolulu

On February 2, 2008, I went to Hakkei, Honolulu with Galen and Timothy. It was not an ordinary night at this country-style Japanese restaurant hidden in a parking ramp.  Seiya Masahara, recent winner of the Japanese Iron Chef contest, had come here a few days before to prepare Kaiseki dinners for those who had reserved well in advance, but, by chance, he was still in Honolulu helping prepare tonight’s meal with his student chef. So there was no menu; it was some Kaiseki, plus Oden.

The Ferry Building Farmers’ Market, San Francisco

On January 26, 2008, Linda and I went to the famous Saturday Farmer’s Market in and around the old Ferry Building at the Embarcadero at the end of Market Street. Inside the building contains many food shops and restaurants which are open daily. I had feared that the stalls and tents outside would not be active on this winter day with rain threatening, but there were plenty of farmers and other vendors with products which grow in the Northern California winter: many kinds of root vegetables, greens, cabbages, late fruit etc. 

The Halekulani Hotel, Waikiki

Linda and I stayed at The Halekulani Hotel from January 28 to February 3, 2008. It is right on the beach at Waikiki, surrounded by other hotels with an upscale shopping area just inland.