Savory Tidbits: Restaurant News and Views for NYC, San Francisco, Chicago and LA

West Side Sleepers

Earlier this week Zagat published a list of restaurants in a post titled Sleepers in the City That Never Sleeps. While the list included some solid recommendations I couldn't help but notice that all of the picks were on the East side, from the LES (Brown Cafe) all the way up to Harlem (Charles Southern Style Fried Chicken). In the name of fair and balanced reporting, here are a few West side sleepers for your consideration.

Naka Naka

458 West 17th Street at Tenth Avenue
The very definition of serene, Naka Naka serves traditional Japanese homestyle cuisine in a tiny space in Chelsea.

'ino
21 Bedford Street between Sixth Avenue and Downing Street.

Not all of Jason Denton's places ('inoteca, Lupa, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria) are this sleepy and 'ino can get jammed pretty quickly, but we love it for a late afternoon lunch and glass of wine.

Crispo
240 West 14th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues

Joey Fortunato of Extra Virgin  turned us on to Frank Crispo's place a little while back. We love the consistently excellent Italian cooking, the welcoming atmosphere and the rather large collection of meat slicers on display on the back patio.

Blaue Gans
139 Duane Street between West Broadway and Church Street

Sure, Kurt Gutenbrunner is a bid deal chef, but this relaxed "German bistro" stays off the radar for the most part. It might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of sitting at the bar to enjoy a glass of crisp white wine and a half dozen oysters, but its as good as any we've  been to recently.

The Savory New York One-Sheet: March 20 - March 27

Destination Dishes: Bon Chon Chicken Wings

Last month we asked writer Elizabeth S. Bennett to track down NYC's finest chicken wings. She reports back in a three part series highlighting the tastiest and most skillfully prepared wings she found on her journey. This week, find out why Bon Chon Chicken is worth the wait and how they get their wings so deliciously crispy.

For reasons beyond our understanding this season's Top Chef has featured more guest chef judges from NYC than from the shows host city of Chicago. Whether this is due to laziness on the part of the producers or some other factor, it's a shame. If you've watched any of the videos on Savory Chicago you know that there are many incredibly talented and articulate chefs working in Chicago today. One of them is Shawn McClain, who is featured in a trio of new Chicago videos. Click through to watch McClain talk about his clean food and simple presentation with vegetables at Green Zebra, seafood at Spring and artisan meats at Custom House.

There are only four days left to sign up for Savory Cities new web site to have a chance to win dinner for two at any restaurant featured in a Savory video. Click here to sign up now.

Recently Opened

• Park Avenue Spring - Right on schedule Park Avenue drops Winter and re-emerges as Spring. The decor, menu and wine list have all been updated. If you just can't wait for spring vegetables to show up at the Greenmarket, Park Avenue offers a good way to get an early fix.
• Pomme de Terre - A new French bistro in Ditmas Park from the owners of the Farm on Adderley.
• Ippudo - It's official opening is on Monday but the restaurant opened for previews this week. We stopped by the preview party last week and were impressed with the rich, flavorful Shiromaru Classic ramen.

This Week's Restaurant Reviews

• New York Times: Frank Bruni re-reviews Mas (farmhouse) and increases its star count from 1 to 2. "For the most part this isn’t a restaurant for diners with big, blunt appetites. It’s for those who revel in little surprises and unexpected nuances, like the smoked celery root purée that came with grilled turbot one January night."
• Theatre District pizza joint Nizza and hyper-focused Upper West Side Thai restaurant Sookk are reviewed in this week's Dining Briefs.
• New York Magazine's Adam Platt checks out Merkato 55, Marcus Samuelsson's new Meatpacking District eatery. "Will this semi-exotic menu transport you for a fleeting moment or two from the grubby confines of Gansevoort Street to the markets of Addis Ababa? It just might. But the terroir of the meatpacking district exerts its own powerful pull, and the rhythms of the meal at Merkato 55 (crowded bar area, festively themed cocktail drinks, a heavy club- music backbeat) inevitably play out according to the time-honored customs of the neighborhood." (2 of 5 stars)
• Bloomberg: Richard Vines continues his tour of the classics, this time visiting Daniel, which is scheduled to close for renovations later this year. "I'm awarding three stars for the first-class food and service and holding back on a fourth because I'd like to see more of a wow factor."
• The New York Sun: Paul Adams visits Mia Dona. "Mia Dona occupies a middle ground between Anthos, the Michelin-starred flagship of the Psilakis-Arpaia empire, and Kefi, Mr. Psilakis's cheap and simple Greek bistro. But it's awkward: In trying to incorporate the best of both worlds — that is, culinary refinement alongside beer-laden informality — the restaurant achieves neither, and strands itself and its customers in that uncomfortable place."
• The New York Daily News: RG gives 2 of 4 stars to Commerce. "Bent on proving his versatility and culinary repertoire, Moore overreaches with a self-conscious and pricey menu that feels notably out of sync with the informal tavern setting."
• The Village Voice: Robert Sietsema goes to Merkato 55. "Certainly, you can get better West African food in nearly any borough. Yet what other place dares to offer such a spectacular—if flawed—catalog of African dishes?"

Blogs & Newsletters

• The Girl Who Ate Everything visits cheap eats spot Yola Cafe in Williamsburg and is unable to fend off her horchata craving. The carne enchilada torta and vegetarian burrito both get good marks.
• The Paupered Chef prepares a turducken. See the play by play, from the selection of the fowl at the live poultry market under the BQE, to the bird "hanging," to brining, de-boning, assembling, cooking and, finally, feasting on the bird within a bird within a bird.

Events Around Town

This Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. the good folks at Flatbush Farm will host a BBQ featuring grilled venison sausage, red cabbage, grilled Blue Point oysters, vegetarian chili, veal and marjoram sausage with saurkraut, grilled lamb skewers and Sixpoint Craft Ales. Call 718-622-3276 for more details.

In Other News

Thomas Keller appears on Charlie Rose and talks about lessons learned from his early years as a chef, the importance of his relationships with suppliers and the one book that is required reading by his kitchen staff.

Videos for James Beard Nominees

The 2008 James Beard Foundation award nominees were recently announced and many of the nominated chefs are featured on Savory Cities. Have a first hand look at these chefs and their restaurants via the links below.

OUTSTANDING CHEF AWARD

Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago
Dan Barber of Blue Hill in NYC
Suzanne Goin of Lucques in Los Angeles

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT AWARD

Boulevard in San Francisco
Chef/Owner: Nancy Oakes, Owner: Pat Kuleto
Campanile in Los Angeles
Chef/Owner: Mark Peel
The Slanted Door in San Francisco
Chef/Owner: Charles Phan

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR AWARD

Nate Appleman of A16 in San Francisco

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF AWARD

Mindy Segal of HotChocolate in Chicago

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE AWARD

Eleven Madison Park, NYC
Wine Director: John Ragan

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

Spiaggia in Chicago
Owner: Tony Mantuano
La Grenouille in New York City
Owner: Gisele Mason

BEST CHEF: PACIFIC (CA, HI)

David Myers of Sona in Los Angeles
Craig Stoll of Delfina inSan Franciso
Michael Tusk of Quince in San Francisco

BEST CHEF: GREAT LAKES (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Graham Elliot Bowles of Avenues in Chicago
Carrie Nahabedian of Naha in Chicago
Bruce Sherman of North Pond inChicago

BEST CHEF: NEW YORK CITY (FIVE BOROUGHS)

Terrance Brennan of Picholine
David Chang of Momofuku Ssäm Bar
Wylie Dufresne of WD-50
Gabriel Kreuther of The Modern

Two Boots, No Soap

You know, it's a real bummer when you have to scratch a place off your list of reliable lunch spots because you witness an act that our old friends at the DOH would have a field day with. Such was my luck today as I watched the counter guy at Two Boots at West 11th and Seventh empty the trash bin, barehandedly scoop up dirty flotsam, and then serve pizza to the lucky few customers who happened in shortly thereafter. Looks like I'll just have to walk a few extra blocks for my slice fix from now on.

Batch to open tomorrow

A quick heads up...we prematurely announced the opening of Batch in today's One-sheet. A brief conversation with Pichet Ong a few moments ago revealed that they are in fact scheduled to open tomorrow morning at 11am.

The Savory New York One-Sheet: March 13 - March 20

Has it been a while since you've been to the Grand Central Oyster Bar? This week we posted a new video for this cavernous landmark, showing why it's been one of our favorite lunch spots recently. Stop by now to sample their soft shell crabs, the first of the season. Watch the Grand Central Oyster Bar video.

We'd still love to hear what you think about our new site. Take our two minute survey to share your thoughts.

If you haven't yet become a member of Savory Cities, sign up now for a chance to win dinner for two at any restaurant featured in a Savory video. Click here to sign up.

Recently Opened

• Duane Park - Shawn Knight serves up solid American fare at this re-birthed TriBeCa spot.
• I Sodi - A stylish little spot on Christopher in the West Village serving Tuscan cooking.
• Batch - A new takeout dessert and snack shop from P*Ong chef and owner Pichet Ong.

This Week's Restaurant Reviews

• New York Times: Frank Bruni reviews La Sirene located on the fringe of Soho. In what is perhaps a Bruni recession special, this odd choice receives 1 of 4 stars. He's more interested in the character of the chef/owner rather than the food served. "But this scrappy restaurant, where you can hear the bell every time a dish is ready and heat from the kitchen steams diners’ eyeglasses, will charm many people turned off by the vacuous polish and higher prices elsewhere. With no corkage fee, it’s a solid option for wine drinkers seeking liberation from restaurant markups."
• Peter Meehan travels to Bushwick  to visit, Roberta's, the 2-month old pizzeria.
  "The 12-inch pizzas ($7 to $15) are the focal point of the short menu. Roberta’s offers a margherita and a tomato-only rosso, but the restaurant is not a destination for anyone looking to stoke memories of Napoli: the heretically creative pies are the thing to get. (Neapolitan purists may now want to avert their eyes.)"
• New York Magazine's Adam Platt checks out Adour Alain Ducasse (3 of 5 stars). Platt dwells on Ducasse's toned down presentation and ingredient-focused cuisine. "The chef’s intent, of course, is to let these ingredients speak for themselves, and while you may not feel like beginning your meal with a $19 collection of beautifully cooked root vegetables, there’s no doubt he succeeds at exactly that."
• Bloomberg: Richard Vines dines at Babbo giving the Batali flagship 3 of 4 stars. Vines sampled and recommends the pasta tasting menu, saying it's "well worth trying, especially if you take the matching wines."
• The New York Sun: Paul Adams visits the Upper West Side for a sampling of Southern food at Madaline Mae, Jonathan Waxman's newest "consulting" venture.
• The New York Daily News: RG gives 2 of 4 stars to Sapori d'Ischia, the Italian market by day / restaurant by night, in Queens.
• The Village Voice: Robert Sietsema goes to Chinatown's, Food Sing and Best Fuzhou Restaurant. Both places are inexpensive and receive positive reviews. We especially liked reading about Fuzhou's, where the "seafood menu is wide-ranging, with a choice of several fish; one evening, we thrilled to the spectacle of two waitresses wrestling a five-foot eel." Sounds like fun.

Blogs & Newsletters

• Gothamist's Joe DiStefano was at Ippudo's preview party.
• The Amateur Gourmet does a dumpling tasting from Rickshaw Dumpling Bar

Featured Savory Member Review

Adour Alain Ducasse in the St. Regis Hotel

By Richard D.

Food Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Service Rating: 1 of 5 stars

"Having been a huge fan of the Ducasse restaurant at The Essex House and Plaza Athenee in Paris I expected too much I guess. Although making a reservation a month in advance we were shuttled into a si... READ MORE» de room where the service was totally neglected. Bottled water was never poured. Wine, although it was nice, took more than a half hour to arrive after ordered and after the first glass, it sat neglected by the staff in a decanter. The first course took a full 45 minutes to arrive. The waiters seemed completely untrained and uninformed. And to top it off, even though we ordered some specific items included in a tasting menu, the food was mediocre. A complete disappointment."

Events Around Town

Swann Auction Galleries will be holding an auction of rare cookbooks and books on the history of cooking on April 7th. From the press release, " Highlights of the sale include: Patrick Lamb, Royal Cookery or The Complete Court Cook; Hannah Glasse, The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy; Charles Carter, The Complete Practical Cook; or, A New System of the Whole Art and Mystery; Francis Collingwood and John Woollams, The Universal Cook and City and Country Housekeeper; Esther Levy, Jewish Cookery Book. For the unconventional collector, M.F.K. Fisher has two books titled, Consider the Oyster and How to Cook a Wolf."

Brooklyn Restaurant Week is happening March 24th through the 31st. For a complete list of restaurants, visit the web site.

In Other News

The Village Voice's food critic, Robert Sietsema is interviewed by Metromix and gives his opinion on being a food critic and the importance of anonymity, a trait he considers paramount to success as a critic. In the interview, he drops the hammer on New York Daily News Critic Danyelle Freeman, "I have no reason to believe that she pays for everything she eats. Which is horrible; I mean, you absolutely can have no trust in her judgments." We'd love to hear your thoughts.

The Savory New York One-sheet: March 6 - March 13

This past week brought the opening of David Chang and Joaquin Baca's eagerly anticipated Momofuku Ko, a new wine and cocktail bar on Smith Street in Brooklyn from wine sellers/cheese mongers Michele Pravda and Patrick Watson, and Jack and Grace Lamb's new Harvest Supper restaurant in New Canaan, CT.

Let us know what you think about our new site. Take our two minute survey and share your thoughts.

If you haven't yet become a member of Savory Cities, sign up now for a chance to win dinner for two at any restaurant featured in a Savory video. Click here to sign up.

Recently opened

• Momofuku Ko - It's only been open one day and it's already the second toughest reservation in town.
• The Jakewalk - The owners of Smith & Vine and Stinky Brooklyn are offering 50 wines by the glass, 120 whiskies, 40 cheeses, and "cocktails that haven’t been seen this side of the East River for nearly a century" at their new bar on Smith Street in Brooklyn.
• Harvest Supper - Jack and Grace Lamb, of Jewel Bako, Degustation and Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar fame opened this cozy 36 seat spot in New Canaan, Connecticut this past weekend. The food is being billed as "New England Market Cuisine" or, if you prefer, a combination of American and Western European inspired small plates. The chef, Michael Campbell, has worked in top kitchens in Europe and Portland, OR and most recently at Blue Hill and Hearth. View the menu (PDF).

Opening soon

• Ippudo - "Ramen King" Shigemi Kawahara enters the East Village noodle bar fray.
• Sheridan Square - Gary Robbins, whose cooking William Grimes described as "dazzling" while he was at The Biltmore Room (watch the Savory video here) will be serving rustic New American cuisine.
• Bar Milano - A new project from Jason Denton, co-owner of 'ino, Lupa, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria and 'inoteca.
• Scarpetta - Scott Conant, formerly of Alto and L'Impero, returns to Manhattan.

This Week's Restaurant Reviews

• New York Times: Frank Bruni gives Bar Boulud 2 of 4 stars. "All of that was fare I sampled in the evening. I actually prefer Bar Boulud during the day, when it serves an amazing Croque Monsieur and a fantastic Croque Madame, so cheesy and luscious they seem to be experiencing delusions of quiche grandeur."
• Julia Moskin reports on the "chef as waiter" experience at Momofuku Ko in NYC and Schwa in Chicago. Moskin credits the breakthrough to Joel Robuchon's Paris L'Atelier outpost.
• Bloomberg: Ryan Sutton visits newcomers Olana and Elletaria.
• The New York Sun: Paul Adams visits Bar Blanc and doesn't really like it.
• The New York Daily News: RG has 1.5 of 4 stars for Kerry Heffernan's South Gate in the Jumeirah Essex House.

Blogs & Newsletters

• Strongbuzz goes to Commerce.
• The Girl Who Ate Everything raves about Minca Ramen. We took particular interest because our experience there last week was less than thrilling.

Event's around town

On March 18th the James Beard Foundation will present a dinner featuring the cooking of Jason and Miho Travi, whose Los Angeles restaurant, Fraiche, Frank Bruni recently called "approachable enough for a weekly visit." Watch the Savory video for Fraiche on Savory Los Angeles. Get event and ticket info here.

March 16-22 is World Water Week 2008 and your opportunity to support UNICEF's Tap Project by donating $1 for your tap water at any participating restaurant. Find more information and a complete list of restaurants on the Tap Project web site.

Lessons in Customer Experience: Momofuku Ko

Wow, did I really just waste the better part of my morning trying to get an online reservation for a counter seat at Momofuku Ko? Sadly, yes.

If this keeps up Chang and his "insanely talented team of chefs" won't be starting from zero when trying to wow each new diner who sits down before them, they'll first have to pay back the debt of lost time and undue frustration.

Bartender Exchange: Death & Co. and The Alembic

As previously reported on Grub Street, Philip Ward, head bartender at Death & Company, recently launched a first of its kind exchange program to swap talent amongst a handful of pioneering bars around the country. Dave Mclean, owner of San Francisco's The Alembic, let us know via email late last week to keep an eye out for Thomas at Death & Co starting last night.

We stopped in yesterday to try out a few Alembic cocktails and enjoyed a smoky sweet Macanudo (partida anejo tequila, apricot eau-de-vie, qi smoked black tea liquer and a dash of agave nectar) and a delightful Bees Knees made with lavender honey flown in by Thomas from SF. We asked Thomas how it was to be working as a guest bartender and he said that aside from learning the layout of the bar, all that's needed was a fresh supply of ingredients, which were to be found at Dean & Deluca, Whole Foods and a few other spots around town. He also reported that a mid-day stop at everyone's favorite noodle bar was required eating.

Thomas will be behind the bar tonight and tomorrow before heading back to the West Coast. Ask for a copy of The Alembic bar menu (you can find a preview on The Alembic web site) a choose between "Canon" and "New School," or simply do what we did and ask for the bartender's choice. You won't be disappointed.

Pro-Am Throwdown: Resto

Reading through the member reviews on our site has become a fun daily activity for us. Of course, we also read a *lot* of critic reviews, which range from the entertaining to the informative to the baffling.  Given that we often find lots a great fodder for discussion here at Savory, we thought we'd share some of the better, or at least more provocative of the reviews, in the hopes that you'll join in on the conversation. This week the focus is paid to Resto, one of the great media darlings of 2007. 

NEW YORK MAGAZINE'S ROB PATRONITE:

"They say you can take the measure of a chef by how well he can cook something simple like an omelette. But why not apply the theory to something even simpler like a sandwich? By that standard alone—setting aside for the moment his grander achievements—Ryan Skeen is a culinary wizard. His tête de cochon on toast is like a mad-genius cross between a bánh mì and a BLT, his new grilled cheese (see page 69) redefines the category, and his burger is the greatest thing to happen to ground meat since the Kraft Single." [Rob Patronite's favorite new restaurant in New York Magazine's Best of New York 2008.]

SAVORY CITIES MEMBER FRENCHSOIREEDOTCOM:

"I Don't Get What The Fuss Is All About.. I guess I don't get all the hype about Resto. Problem #1: They are into this new thing of not taking reservations for 2.* So, in expecting dinner at 8:30, we were not seated until 9:15-20. That can be quite annoying! Problem #2: Its VERY loud way too much for my liking. I would suggest getting there about 9:30-45 when it begins becoming quieter. We had the burgers of which I thought were small in size, (not enough for a growing boy like myself), but quite tasty and delicious! However, the bun appeared as if it were from the local Shop Rite. How "wrong" can you go with steak fries? So no complaints there. I think the $1 charge for the various sauces is more of a marketing thing than a real necessity they should stop charging IMHO. Overall, nothing really bad but nothing really exceptional either. Its a pretty place and a great beer selection. I can picture myself having lunch there, or dinner again, when there is much less of a crowd." [Resto on Savory]

* N.B., we called Resto yesterday to make an 8pm reservation for 2 and did not have a problem.

We welcome your comments below and, of course, on Savory.