Buttermilk Spiced Apple and Maple Bacon Pecan in a bowl
Whether on vacation or back at home it takes something special to see me walking in the rain and with that in mind as we walked through Williamsburg during a sudden storm without umbrellas the onus was placed squarely on the shoulders of Sam Mason and his team at OddFellows to be exceptional, a challenge to which the former wd~50 chef thankfully proved capable. Focused not only on the artisan but also on the interesting with flavors ranging from punchy Apple Cider and subtle Thai Iced Tea to smoky Chorizo Caramel and PB&J so yeasty that one would swear there was discarded crust dissolved in the house pasteurized mix it was with good humor that the smiling staff allowed us to sample our way through each of the day’s selections before settling on four small scoops and a house made waffle cone which we slowly enjoyed until the storm passed, each bite creamy and complex leading to smiles almost as large as that of the creepy monkey guarding the door.
Celery Root Remoulade with Green Apple, Rillettes du Porc, Daurade Tartare, Boudin Noir Parmentier, Brandade de Morue
Pate en Croute with Cornichons and Onions
Duck and Foie Gras Terrine with Pear and Apple Chutney, Toasted Brioche
Quenelles de Brochet with Nantua Sauce
Traditional Cassoulet with Bacon, Sausage, Belly, Duck Confit
Fall Vegetable and Chestnut Cookpot
Chocolate Souffle
Tahitian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Souffle
Mille-Feuille
Baba au Rhum
Known as one of Midtown’s hottest spots for “Power Lunch” and frequented by movers and shakers for classic French bistro fare from the mind of Alain Ducasse Benoit was decided on as an midday meal for three on Monday based on three things – foie gras, brandade, and soufflé – though quenelles, cassoulet, mille feuille, and baba au rhum did not hurt the cause. Ever the classy space with checkerboard floors, white tablecloths, a sky-blue ceiling, floral flourishes, and a wait staff seemingly plucked from the streets of Paris it should go without saying that much of the appeal of Benoit is that of the scene but with a menu of time honored recipes executed under the guidance of Philippe Bertineau that truly make the restaurant memorable. Beginning simply enough with a plate of melting gougere and moving onward to a quintet of small bites including a shockingly delicious raw daurade along with the expectedly bold boudin and branade before heading towards hefty courses including house-made pate and foie gras it was not until the cassoulet and quenelles arrived that we knew we had overordered but with the cookpot providing a bit of levity all was well as we sat, laughed, and picked through fatty pork belly and melting duck confit knowing that dessert was a must, all three of us selecting a different confection and all three Ducasse classics more than meeting expectations, from the fluffy soufflé to the a la minute mille feuille to the last boozy bite of Baba.
Chicken and Waffles – Cheddar Tabasco Waffle, Crispy Sage, Grilled Lemon, Chili Butter and Maple Jus
Croissant French Toast with Fresh Berries, Mascarpone Cream, Toasted Almond Crumble
With my sister intentionally neglecting to suffer the lines at Dominique Ansel the decision was made to meet up at 24/7 Chelsea hotspot ‘Cafeteria’ for breakfast and although I’d admittedly heard some mixed things about service versus scene our visit really could not have been more pleasant, the atmosphere light, the service jovial, and the food featuring fun takes on American comfort foods with everything from pancakes and French toast to steaks and burgers to the complete dessert menu available all day and all night. Perhaps benefitting from an 8am shift change when both kitchen and front of house were fresh with servers zipping around the half-filled room it would be a matter of moments after taking a seat in a cozy back corner before Jorge visited our table and with a bit of chatter about daily specials menus were presented, decisions came by with some difficulty as several options looked tempting, and orders were placed – the food arriving fifteen minutes later while my sister and I watched the fashionable foot traffic on 7th Avenue. Happy to indulge, especially at breakfast, but with an eye on both lunch and dinner it was with some restraint that we opted to limit the order to two plates and one dessert sticking to the tried and true we were well rewarded as all three items shined; the croissant French toast a buttery day-old saturated through with eggy custard, the chicken and waffles defiantly spicy and enormous with the syrup and lemon proving an ample foil, and the bread pudding smooth and decadent, crowned with ice cream even at 9am.
Clearly coming a long way from my first visit in February 2012 both in terms of creativity and popularity it was admittedly with a bit of reluctance that I lined up with nearly one hundred others at 6:40 in the morning to revisit Dominique Ansel, a pastry chef whose work I’d already experienced thrice but whose ‘cronut’ has undoubtedly been THE food story of 2013. An interesting crowd both in terms of demographics and reasons for visiting, those around me including a fellow from Calgary with extensive knowledge of the Manhattan dining scene and one from Delaware who’d simply heard about the craze via the internet, much of my time in line was spent enjoying the pseudo-social experiment of it all and once the line started moving things progressed smoothly, my eventual order including a pair of cronuts and four of the chef’s seasonal specialties. With Chef Ansel present and working fervently alongside his team as the line pressed on, selling out of cronuts that day just after 9:30, it can only be said that much like many highly praised foods the cronut was indeed quite good as the soft layers gave way to soft apple compote with crème fraiche adding a light sour note and while I personally prefer some of the more crispy copycat versions I’ve experienced it was nice to have experienced the original. Faring far better than the cronut, each of the other items selected including the made-to-order magic soufflé with a Gran Marnier exterior and molten chocolate core were innovative, subtle, and delicious – the pinecone itself worthy of an hour-long wait and the Religeuse amongst the best I’ve ever had.
Dry Aged Cote de Boeuf for Two – Bone Marrow, Bordelaise, Roasted Cabbage, Onions
Cayuga Farms Polenta
Gnocchi
Hen of the Woods Mushrooms
Apple Cider Doughnuts – Apple Compote, Whipped Cream
Pear Spice Cake – Dark Chocolate Ganache, Cardamom Ice Cream
Sweet Potato Ice Cream Sundae – Caramel Sauce, Gingersnap Cookies
Trio of Ice Cream – Burnt Caramel, Cardamom, Chocolate with Cookies
Almond Sables
Double Espresso
Located on the border of the East Village and Alphabet City Chef Marco Canora’s Hearth had been towards the top of my Manhattan bucket list during two prior trips to the Big Apple but realizing that this was the sort of menu where I’d be far better served by dining with a group than as a solo I bided my time, eventually putting together not only a party of six friends and family but also a group-selected tasting menu consisting of nearly twenty items served family style by a highly educated service team led by a young man named Nick. Trained under the tutelage of Danny Meyer and focusing on high end ingredients sourced locally and ethically with rustic preparations including open flame cooking to coax the maximum out of each plate without overcomplicating the process it was with little reservations that aside from choosing the specific items we allowed the kitchen to course out dishes at their whim and aside from the occasional log jam created by too much food, too little table, and too much conversation nearly every aspect of the evening was a coordinated ballet of service and flavor. Beginning lightly with vegetables and small proteins just large enough for a bite or two per person alongside a tremendous display of house made charcuterie with some of the finest textured foie gras I’ve had in some time before progressing into grains and pastas with the signature meatballs easily the best I’ve ever tasted and the gnocchi light pillows of flavor it was with the main courses that Hearth truly proved its merit – a duo of “for two” large plates that easily divided by four including the sort of beef that leaves everyone at the table raving and chicken with skin that shattered and flesh that nearly melted on the tongue. Moving last to desserts, at this point with many in the group beginning to feel the effects of the heavy, albeit largely healthy, cuisine there was the house apple cider doughnuts – far better than those even at your local orchard – and a number of sweet potato sundaes with spicy gingersnaps proving counterpoint to intense caramel, a beautiful finish to a truly memorable meal.
French Toast – Nutella with Bourbon Glazed Bananas
Undoubtedly the most casual of Michael White’s growing Restaurant Empire, Tribeca’s “The Butterfly” served as an impromptu stop while gallery hopping before dinner and although the original plan to sample a few cocktails and dessert quickly fell by the wayside when we were informed that the dessert menu is not offered during brunch it proved no difficulty for us to make do with what was available, cocktails, sweets, and savories included. Fashioned as a mid-century cocktail bar, long and narrow with reclaimed wood balanced by soft lighting and earthen colors, and featuring a soundtrack including everything from The Rolling Stones to The Silversun Pickups plus friendly service it would not take long to determine our order and with the restaurant largely empty as the team prepared for staff-meal drinks and plates arrived quickly, though we were encouraged to linger and actually did just that until the first patrons began to trickle in for supper. Personally opting only for coffee while my sister elected a Highball both of us were duly impressed by the extra layer added by the house-smoked cola and moving onward to the cuisine itself, while certainly not Italian both the juicy sage and rosemary tinged fried chicken and crisp-gives-way-to-custard French toast were superlative while the multi-layered biscuit with honey butter set a new standard for best in the city.
Hudson Valley Foie Gras Terrine with Gewurztraminer Gelee
Quark Spatzle with Braised Rabbit, Peas, Chanterelles
Chestnut Soup with Viennese Melange
Snail Ravioli with Butternut Squash
Wiener Schnitzel with Potato-Cucumber Salad and Lingonberries
Squab, Celery Root Puree, Concord Grape
Venison Goulash with Mushrooms, Croutons, Bacon
Quark Spatzle
Apple Strudel with Cinnamon Ice Cream
Salzburger Nockerl with Huckleberries
Familiar only with the name of Kurt Gutenbrunner and his critically lauded modern Austrian cuisine it was largely a fault of New York’s ever changing culinary landscape that I’d never visited any of his restaurants but with a relatively new Sunday lunch program proving a veritable bargain plus family and friends happy to share in the indulgence there seemed no better opportunity to visit his flagship Wallse than on the second day of our most recent trip to New York. Located in a rather small footprint bordering the Hudson and brightly lit with the mid-day sun on our arrival it was with good fortune that we were the first to arrive for lunch and as such were given our choice of seats, a four-top large enough for six our reward in the main dining room where a young woman named Sasha guided us through two hours of bright colors, bold flavors, and plates proving approximately as large as one would anticipate for a $39 prix fixe, though not without some flaws – particularly the seemingly stale bread and flavorless still-frozen butter. Certainly a restaurant focused on quality ingredients with plates far more complex and nuanced than one would expect from a region known for such hearty fare it was not entirely surprising that the dishes seemingly most traditional would prove the best and with the tender schnitzel and goulash both excellent while desserts also shined the one true stunner of the meal was delivered in the form of a half-dozen tender and briny snail ravioli finding balance in sweet squash and plenty of butter, a truly beautiful mélange of flavors amongst the best pastas I’ve had this year.
Still hankering for good fried chicken after our visit to Sweet Chick the day prior it was largely a matter of convenience that we stopped by Hill Country early Sunday morning to find the place largely empty with servers smiling and cooks setting out the day’s breakfast items and pies. A homey sort of charm with wallpaper, Formica, and lunch trays despite the fanciful Manhattan address it would not take long to decide on our order and with the chicken and waffles prepped to order the meal began with fluffy biscuits, thick and spicy cheese grits, and pie…or pies with an ‘s,’ both still warm from the oven and both with an all-natural butter crust overflowing with American staple fillings, the cheddar and apple particularly impressive though the boozy pecans certainly weren’t lacking either. Moving onward to the main event, almost everywhere that Sweet Chick had lacked Hill Country picked up the slack and with the chicken’s heavily seasoned white meat well coated in crispy batter while the waffle was lightly tinged with buttermilk the only thing left to do was add a drizzle of pure maple syrup and a bit of hot sauce, the result being one of the best presentations of the dish I’ve yet to find south of Harlem.
Located in the foyer of Andrew Carmellini’s NoHo hotspot, Lafayette, is a lesser known bakery – the point of delivery for sweet sustenance and artisan breads from Jennifer Yee and James Belisle whose work I’d previously encountered at The Breslin and Per Se, respectively. A grand space amidst the soaring ceilings of the beautiful brasserie with early opening hours and no crowd on the day of our visit we arrived at Lafayette to find the pastries just being laid out for the morning and selecting a wide variety of options to share it was largely a matter of restraint (and later meals) that we did not opt for more. Beginning first with the viennoiserie I will say the same thing that I always do in regard to arriving early because as with most prior experience nothing makes for a better croissant than receiving it still warm from the oven, the double filled chocolate version truly shattering to tooth and leaking liquid dark chocolate onto the counter while the almond and blueberry versions were slightly less crisp due to a light custard infusion but both on par with the best in Manhattan. Moving on to the small canele trio and glazed madeline the texture of the canele was interesting largely as a result of the size and thus allowing for more crunch than custard while the madeline was a bit of a dud, too much sweetness masking the intrinsic lemon tones. Moving last to a decadent and crispy éclair with a soft chew and the flavor of a macchiato alongside three macarons with good crunch but still chilled filling indicating overnight refrigeration I have to hand it to Chef Yee on the flavors, the eponymous version with a gentle earl grey flavor and the spiced caramel far more interesting than the omnipresent salted version.
Cold Foie Gras – Kobotcha Squash Roasted and Cured, Raw and Cooked
Puntarelle Salad – Anchovy, Castelvetrano Olive
Mushroom Cavatelli – Poached Egg, Ginger
Grilled Short Ribs – Romaine, Sweetbreads
Seared Brook Trout – Rainbow Chard, Wild Rice
Poached Lobster – Shelling Beans, Dill
Poached Golden Tilefish – Celery, Potato
Disznoko 5 Puttonyos Tokaji 2005
Iced Spiced Concord Grapes
Baked Apple – Thyme, Cheddar
Red Plum Cake – Ricotta, Perilla
Rice Pudding – Lavender, Meyer Lemon
Chocolate Brownie – Coconut, Pecans
Frozen Chocolate Stout Macaron
House Rootbeer
Holler Mountain Espresso Infused Bourbon
Dining as a VIP with my sister and friends of both Chef Bryce Shuman and GM Eamon Rockey it is impossible to fairly assess midtown newcomer Betony in terms of ‘experience’ as nearly every aspect of our evening was well mannered and totally manicured, visits from the kitchen and complementary plates included, so instead focusing on only what arrived on the plate I will simply say that from the first bite of bread to the final macaron every single plate served over the course of our three and a half hour meal spoke to a serious restaurant deserving discussion amongst the Michelin Stars. Beginning the night with each of the shared ‘bites’ before moving on to proper appetizers and mains as our group of four covered approximately 80% of the menu during our stay it would be difficult to describe Shuman’s style without pointing to his time at Eleven Madison Park and although all proteins were exemplary including the melting short ribs and stunning poached lobster it was in the vegetables that each plate found its subtlety and balance, tiny details like the varied preparations of squash taking the foie gras to the limits of its distinct flavor and the point/counterpoint of the fried pickles and sprouts a surprise stunner with the subtle yogurt. A beautiful space, though admittedly a bit darker than I typically prefer, desserts would prove equal to the savories with variant spices helping to reinterpret classic flavor profiles and although it was delivered on accident when I requested an iced coffee the house infused coffee bourbon should not be missed, especially with the chocolate desserts.
Pastry Plate – Banana Bread, Corn Muffin, Asian Pear Coffee Cake, Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf, White Chocolate Cranberry Scone
Iced Coffee
Located in one of the trendiest sections of already trendy Brooklyn it was just after 3pm when I met my sister from Chicago and a friend from Los Angeles at Sweet Chick for the first of many shared meals over the coming week. Undoubtedly stylized, perhaps to the point of trying too hard with wooden picnic tables, Edison bulbs, chalk boards, mason jars, plus fanciful duds and suds all accounted for along with over-the-top aloofness from Damian, our server who first condescended to me about the pastry plate before bait-and-switching a sticky bun for the desired bread pudding, I think it can be said that the scene at Sweet Chick left much to be desired and leave it at that…and so how was the food? Good but not great, the thick toothsome grits and coffee cake stealing the show from crispy chicken entirely reliant on syrup to make up for a lack of seasoning, though the quality of the meat itself was high. A fine place to drink, see, and be seen there is simply far better food and service to be found throughout the five boroughs than to dedicate a meal to a place that doesn’t seem sure it wants to be anything more than another hipster watering hole.
Grapefruit Givre – Sesame Halva, Rose Loukoum, Grapefruit Sorbet
Epicerie Boulud
Almond Croissant
Blueberry St. Honore
Largely impressed by each of my previous visits to Daniel Boulud’s ever evolving empire it was only Boulud Sud and the attached Epicerie Boulud that had eluded me on previous trips to New York and working to rectify that situation I happily met two of my favorite tablemates for brunch as the restaurant opened on Saturday. Conceptualized as a Mediterranean space, light and airy with light wood and modern cantilevered chairs, plus a menu encompassing everything from burgers and pastas to egg dishes and pastry plus a number of Southern French and even African inspired specialties it would take a bit of debate before determining how to order but eventually settling on two appetizers, three mains, and three desserts everything that reached the table was excellent – particularly the sweeter selections. Typically small in portions aside from the spicy, supple burger and the oft-raved Grapefruit Givre personal favorites from the menu included the Warm Lemon Custard served in a Tagine with a multitude of textures forming a semi-sour parfait punctuated by soft balls of pistachio cake and the French Toast which found fantastic between citrus and savory, both these options easily serviceable as dessert though I’m unsure why anyone would want to order them in that capacity as the proper dessert menu from Tyler Atwell also proved divine…a fact making me wonder why the chef isn’t more involved in the creations at Epicerie where an overpriced St. Honore proved vastly inferior to anything I’ve found at Dominique Ansel and the Almond Croissant, doughy and dry, rivaled the worst in the city.
Nutella French Toast – Brioche, Warm Nutella Filling, Caramelized Bananas
Red Velvet
A cute place in Murray Hill that had been on my ‘to do’ list for a number of years, Penelope would prove to be a good spot for breakfast after some early morning doughnuts and although my friend with whom I’d planned to dine instead had to go to work I entered the small, cozy restaurant as a solo and was seated immediately at a small two top juxtaposing a pair of families with children that unfortunately felt the need to out-misbehave one another throughout my meal. With a menu consisting of “…the coziest of comfort foods, just like your mom used to make” but odd service policies including mandating alcohol or juice on the weekend brunch menu and upcharges without refills to simply pour the freely refilled hot coffee over ice my decision was to simply forgo the juice and pay the upcharge thus receiving a $17 plate of French Toast with a single glass of coffee, a $5 Cinnamon Bun, and a $6 slice of Red Velvet Cake to go. With service slow as a result of the small kitchen and substantial crowd once my items started to arrive I will note that while the cinnamon roll was largely mediocre and slightly overbaked both the mountain of crispy French Toast covered with Foster-Style bananas and the Red Velvet were reference standard examples – the tangy cream cheese frosting on the cake one of the best I’ve encountered, playing a perfect foil to the dense cocoa laden cake.
Days after my return from Las Vegas I boarded a plane to New York, a Redeye landing me at JFK around 5:00am Saturday morning and plans to meet a friend for doughnuts in East Harlem only a few hours later with my luggage in hand. A small shop located on Park Avenue with simple signage and seating for no more than six Dough Loco seems the sort of place more likely to be found in Brooklyn than Harlem and with a well culled half dozen varieties of raised doughnuts available daily the decision was made to try one of each and with a tab of $20 for the brioche pillows and two iced coffees from Blue Barrel we sat and enjoyed. Speaking first to the quality of the doughnut itself, particularly as someone who prefers cake to raised, Dough Loco’s version is one of the best I’ve found with light yeastiness and sweetness intrinsic to the dough itself plus great chew and moving on to the all-natural glazes each one was impressive but none moreso than the Banana Curry with Dulce de Leche and the Blueberry, Rosemary, Lime – both waltzing a fine line of sweet and savory, the rosemary and curry both perfuming the palate with each bite.
New England Lobster Roll with Toasted Parker House Roll and Old Bay Butter / Michael’s Tomato Soup with Maine Lobster Grilled Cheese and Micro Basil
Shrimp and Grits, Serrano Ham, Shellfish Broth, Jalapeno Cream
Seared Scallop and Foie Gras with Pain Perdu, Candied Fennel, Charred Blackberry Butter
Grilled Lion Fish with Yukon Gold Potato Chowder, Steamed Mussels, Pork Belly Croutons
Crawfish Hush Puppies
Lobster Whipped Potatoes
Lemon Pound Cake with Melon Sorbet, Compressed Melon, Blueberry Tapioca with Pop Rocks
White Chocolate Bread Pudding – Caramelized Banana, White Chocolate Ice Cream / Warm Beignets with Chocolate Mousse and Lime Sugar
Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte with Salty Caramel Ice Cream, Peanut Praline / Mascarpone Cheesecake with Huckleberries and Vanilla Crust
Double Espresso
Having made friends with folks in the Mina group and harboring a great respect for the chef himself after many stellar visits to his restaurants in various cities my final dinner prior to becoming an official resident of Las Vegas saw me seated at Aria’s American Fish for a self-selected tasting menu based on classics and seasonal specialties, the newly reorganized kitchen working in full view and servers happy to engage in discussions of sourcing, preparation, and approach. A truly beautiful restaurant, tucked away from the Casino in in typical Mina fashion (Michael Mina Bellagio, Stripsteak, Pub 1842, etc,) I was seated in a corner booth and greeted quickly with a glass of champagne and electing for a cocktail to go with dinner my meal began promptly with Chef Mina’s classic corn bread in a muffin form and doing my best to temper eating these by the dozen I still managed to order a second basket as I progressed through six savory courses and two rounds of dessert inclusive of amuses and palate cleansers, plus sides paired with my final savory. Focused squarely on the sea with fish generally out of the waters no more than 24 hours each and every plate that arrived was prepared to a lightly cooked exterior and delicate rare internal temperature, the tender scallop balancing a creamy piece of foie gras and the shrimp and grits particularly impressive while the lion fish was flaky and light, beautifully complimented by the brine of the mussel chowder and smoky pork. Always happy to overindulge on dessert, even though the hush puppies were like sweet and savory crawdad doughnuts, the team at American Fish continued the trend of very impressive sweets that I’ve seen from Baltimore to Detroit to Vegas and San Jose with a quartet of options where doughnuts and bread pudding both shined and cheesecake wowed; the lightness of the mascarpone something I generally don’t anticipate in the dish but truly impressive in the setting of light vanilla cream and reduced berries.
A clever idea and much easier to find than many would have you believe, Secret Pizza at The Cosmopolitan is one of those places that seems to get a lot of praise from all the wrong sorts of people yet curious to experience it myself and without dinner plans until 8pm I decided to stop in for a snack while shopping Crystals. A small place with a TV and a couple of pinball machines plus the slice counter down a long hall of records the restaurant was perhaps half full when I arrived and with three pizzas ready to serve my choice was simplified dramatically when a fresh Roma and Ricotta emerged from the oven as I was waiting in line. Friendly in service and low in price for a hefty slice with excellent ingredient quality I’ve heard many compare Secret to New York slice shops and while the foldable structure and gas oven production is similar I’ll simply say that anyone making such claims is a fool – most New York Slice shops are serving low quality ingredients on a subpar crust for ninety-nine cents while Secret is serving top quality sauce without unnecessary sweetness under smooth mozzarella on a crust with a good crunch, great chew, and an excellent crumb. Admittedly bummed that they were completely sold out of canolis that are, alas, pre-filled but still something I’d like to try I’ve no doubt I’ll head back for the square slice sometime soon.
Waking late after the gluttony of Carnevino the previous evening breakfast on Sunday would feature not only the culinary stylings of Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger but also new friend and fellow blogger/local gourmand Clint from biteandswitch.com at Border Grill’s all-you-can-eat Mexican brunch. Having visited the original Santa Monica location with family many years ago and coming away impressed by the food but less so by the service the style of the Mandalay Bay location was decidedly different with a large, open floorplan including al fresco dining and typically professional Las Vegas Strip service delivering selections two at a time as we progressed through 90% of the menu, most of it exemplary in quality considering the $35 price. Featuring bottomless coffee and beginning with fresh fruit and empanadas before progressing through plates both sweet and savory utilizing organic proteins and produce plus house-made jams, jellies, sauces, and creams highlights of the menu for myself included the fluffy biscuits surrounding peanut butter, jelly, bacon, jalapenos and a fried egg as well as the quesadilla and excellent shrimp and grits but all-in-all it would also be foolish to overlook the quality of the pork belly atop the crispy waffle, clever churro tots, or creamy French toast either – the only problem with these being that I had a real estate appointment and the combination of limited time and so many other choices prevented the ordering of a second round.
Having visited Carnevino once prior with old friends at lunch I was admittedly excited to return when the same group I’d dined with at Gordon Ramsay Steak the night prior invited me to join in on a meal that expected to trump the prior visit considerably. A large space with soaring ceilings, heavy woods, and smooth marble befitting both a Vegas Steakhouse and the Italian Chef/Restaurateur backing the venture it was at the bar that our evening began while a large table was cleared in the larger back room and with excellent cocktails and a superlative wine list it would not be long before we were seated, drinks in hand – the subsequent two and a half hours awash in food, cocktails, wine, stories, and laughs with servers who kept pace amicably. Beginning with appetizers and progressing through perfectly pastas, lightly prepared proteins, interesting sides, and thankfully dainty desserts with a main course of nearly 8lbs of aged super-prime beef from Adam Lang plus supple duck and a hefty piece of foie gras poached in Barolo it would be difficult to imagine any “steakhouse” putting on a better performance than what we experienced that evening and although such a meal invariably comes with a substantial tab, particularly on the Vegas Strip, this was a night of excess worthy of the expense and without a doubt a night to remember.
(Samples of Crème Brulee, Cioccolato e Peperoncino, Pera e Gorgonzola, Chocolate Sorbet, Fior de Latte, Pistachio, Carrot Cake, Sweet Corn, Banana, Olive Oil and Rosemary)
Owned and operated by the same team as Viva Las Arepas and featuring the skills of Desyree Alberganti, Art of Flavors had seemingly gotten an inordinate amount of local and national press leading up to my September visit and bringing along a trio of friends including one I can only describe as an ice cream maven the small shop on Las Vegas Boulevard more than exceeded high expectations. Featuring both classic and novel flavors with all natural ingredients, no artificial colors, and a slow churning process that allows for exemplary density and mouth feel each and every sample tasted was a spot on representation of its signature ingredients, the Pear and Gorgonzola and Olive Oil Rosemary truly savory and subtly swet while the fior de latte was one of the most impressive ‘pure’ flavors I’ve ever had the opportunity to taste. Opting for 3 flavors at a mere $6 and sticking to similar flavors harkening breakfast at a great bakery my duo of cinnamon roll and bombolini were similar but distinct, the later with a subtle yeastiness and slightly sweeter than the former, while the extracted white coffee bean flavor was every bit on par with some of the best in the nation, gelato or ice cream, of which a few of us have tried more than a few.
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast – “Vermont Maple Syrup”
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Creamy Lemon Ricotta
Chicken and Waffles – Crispy Chicken and Fluffy Waffle
Red Velvet Pancakes with Icing
With two disappointing stops and plenty of food left on the table already under my belt an afternoon stop to watch some football was planned at the seemingly well praised Republic Kitchen & Bar $20 All You Can Eat “Jazz Brunch/Breakfast” – a meal featuring approximately thirty made-to-order items served in a large, brick and wood heavy bar located in Henderson. Featuring a pair of televised football games but lacking jazz, patrons, and appropriate descriptions on the menu the meal began with a single cup of acrid and luke warm coffee before I requested a fresh brew that finally arrived over forty minutes later and moving on to food choices the most consistent fact spanning the items selected was simply that of blatant misrepresentation; the Monte Cristo with ‘fresh fruit’ delivered with a Heinz Grape Jelly packet and the “Vermont Maple Syrup” also Heinz – a corn syrup bastadization of maple syrup fresh from Pittsburgh. With overcooked eggs and flavorless ham dominating earlier selections while the chicken and waffles was laughable at best it was only the two sticky buns slathered in ‘syrup’ and the surprisingly soft and delicate lemon pancakes that prevented the meal from total disaster, but even at $20 the whole experience was not one I’d recommend to anyone, ever, especially with Novecento next door.
