Restaurant Review: Arabelle

In this day and age of continuous pop up restaurants, food trucks, and cheap eats, curious eaters (including myself) forget that there are restaurants inside hotels dishing up amazing food. I reminded of this when my chic eating partner and I set out for a afternoon bite at Arabelle, inside of The Hotel Plaza-Athenee in NYC.

Imagine, if you will, a little old world luxury tucked inside a posh in-block on Madison ave. Chandeliers, afternoon tea, and a table crumber were all apart of this lunch experience. And a great thing – no posh dress up required! Comfy luxury! Participating in the extension of Summer Restaurant Week, Arabelle had a impressive 3-course menu. Although I didn’t personally enjoy my entree, I would loved for my appetizer and dessert to come in a larger bowl 3x over! They were delicious. Arabelle was a little too old school for my taste, but I do recommend it for anyone who wants to enjoy a little piece of luxury and afternoon tea in the city that never sleeps! Here is what we dined on:

Chilled Summer Corn Soup

Pan Roasted Gnocchi with Shrimp

wild mushrooms and Porcini Essence

Braised Short Rib

Blue Cheese mashed potatoe and summer squash

Crusted Swordfish

wilted greens and fingerling potatoes

Chocolate Terrine

Berry Coulis and flaked sea salt

Apple and Almond Tart

ARABELLE

37 E. 64th street @ Madison Ave.

New York, NY 10065

212.606.4647

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Steak Frites NYC

I know I say food is good all the time – I cant help it, it’s my job (no really, it’s my job!). Although I get to eat some pretty and wonderfully delicious things, every now and then I crave real food – meats, starches and veggies. Nothing fancy or expensive, nothing applied to the plate by a mega chef with tweezers. No gelees, chorizo foam, or foie gras. Sometimes my palate is just that simple.

Photo: Grub Street

I have found this place. A beautifully intimate atmosphere with great service, great wine, and wonderfully good food. This place (that I’m drooling over as I type) is Steak Frites in NYC. I can’t even begin to describe my experience here because everything was cooked perfectly, the menu suited everyone’s liking, and a wine pairing was even noted for an added bonus on the Restaurant Week menu. There was no need to stray to the regular menu because the Restaurant Week menu was so fulfilling.

Steak Frites reminds me of a repeat offender for good food. My lamb was cooked exactly to a medium rare temp as I had ordered, the vegetables in my ratatouille still had a slight crunch, and my pomme puree was buttery and smooth. My glass of Malbec red wine matched perfectly as the menu suggested!  (Sorry, I got excited from the memories of licking my fork and my naked lamb bones, don’t judge me!). Here’s what my friends and I  indulged in:

Icy Blue P.E.I Mussels
White Wine, Pastis, Shallots, Tomato, Fennel, and Herbs de Provence.

Jumbo Lump Crake Cake
Corn, Cranberry Relish

Seared Canadian Salmon
Lobster, Maine Crab, and fingerling potato hash

Filet of Beef “Oscar”
Lump Crab meat and asparagus

Rack of Lamb
Pomme Puree and Ratatouille

New York Strip
Chopped Spinach and crushed potatoes

Apple Tart
Caramel Ice Cream

Pot de Creme Au Chocolate

Profiteroles “Dame Blanche”

Steak Frites
9 East 16th street (btwn Union Square West and 5th ave)
N.Y. N.Y. 10003
212.675.4700
http://steakfritesnyc.com/

Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend…

Living in NYC, the five boroughs are all different – different people, food, and cultures. Manhattan is recognized for its restaurants, hands down! The place to be for good eats to the average New Yorker has always been in Manhattan. Chefs are now venturing into different non-traditional neighborhoods and opening up places of their own, Harlem being a prime example.

Harlem is known for its soul food, right? WRONG! In the last (i’d say) three years, Harlem has experienced a food boom! I’m talking NY-Times-write-up food boom! Frederick Douglass Blvd, also known as 8th ave, is now being referred to as “Restaurant Row”, and that’s where I had the pleasure of taking on a new and interesting experience. On 112th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd sits 5 & Diamond restaurant.

The restaurant is nothing out of the norm for the weekly average diner, but a wonderful change for the already budding up and coming neighborhood. I used to work in the area and I hang out there often, so I knew of 5 & Diamond and I’d just never ate there. Not time is better than the present, especially when there is a new $5 menu (Yes I say!) full of deliciousness! From 5:30pm-7:00pm , Tuesday to Friday, the $5 menu is perfect for noshing while out enjoying the summer sun. The menu consists of:

Menu:

Crispy Pigs Ears, Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled Piri Piri Shrimp

Cod Brandade Fritters, Smoked Paprika aioli

Lamb Belly Sliders Curry, oven roasted tomatoes

Tempura Asparagus, Black Soy Sauce

Cocktails:

White Sangria

Margarita

Wines By The Glass:

Alva, White Ebling, 2008

Mas Laval, Grenache/Syrah, 2008

Beer and Cider:

Estrella South Hampton Sly Fox Magners

My crew and I ordered all 5 choices and split them amongst ourselves! YUMMY! I will be back to try the full menu!

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2072 Frederick Douglass Boulevard

New York, NY 10026

646.684.4662‎