Those of you who track me on Twitter or Facebook know that I hit Bar Americain on Friday, after getting recommendations from several readers and even people in the business who saw my note on Mesa Grill from April. At BA, the smoked shrimp salad sandwich was very much as promised. Served on a dark Pullman loaf with watercress inside, but the salad had a rich, sweet smoky flavor (I think hickory, but I’m no expert on smoking woods). I had never had or even heard of “smoked shrimp” before, and other than an excess of dressing (mayonnaise-based, but thinned out with vinegar), the sandwich was outstanding. It’s served with real French fries – no batter or coating, just potatoes, served with a remoulade dipping sauce – and all meals come with a bread basket that includes these amazing, savory cornbread sticks with black pepper.
The one new breakfast spot was Mon Petit Café, which does indeed strive for that Parisian-café look and feel. I met BP’s Joe Sheehan for the meal, and I am pretty sure I ordered wrong: feeling the need for a big protein infusion, I went with the ol’ EMPT, scrambled with bacon and a baguette, although I ordered a croissant on the side. The bacon was ridiculously good – I could have eaten a half-pound of it, no problem – while the eggs were sort of overcooked on the inside so that some of the eggs’ liquid had leaked out. The croissant was amazing, as was the chocolate croissant that Joe Sheehan ordered (dessert for breakfast is a big thing over in France). Joe noticed on the restaurant’s Web site that they have good-quality bagged tea if you ask for it; the alternative is Lipton, which just makes dirty water. I’m giving a grade of “incomplete” here, because I need to go back and order something more appropriate.
Virgil’s BBQ was right across the street from my hotel, and though I’ve seen it fifty times I never managed to make it inside. Their pulled pork sandwich (ordered without sauce) was solid average, but not above it. The meat was extremely moist and I received plenty of burnt ends, but they apparently didn’t trim the meat at all, which meant first removing a huge portion of pork fat from my mouth, then lifting the lid performing surgery on the mound of meat to remove any other slimy bits. The meat had no clear smoke flavor or flavor from the dry rub used before smoking, but because it was smoked properly, it could rest somewhat on the laurels of the flavor that pork develops no matter what wood is used to smoke it. The side of barbecued baked beans was a waste of time, and the iced tea was too bitter. I wouldn’t mind trying their brisket, and the pork was good enough to go again since I’m usually staying in the vicinity. Incidentally, the sides that come with the sandwich are French fries or (cole slaw with potato salad). Not only is that weird (one side vs. two), but who the hell orders French fries in a BBQ joint?
Between doubleheader games on Sunday, I went to Flushing’s Chinatown and tried Sentosa, a refugee restaurant from Manhattan’s Chinatown, now on Prince Street a block away from the Main Street stop on the 7. I’ve had Malaysian food twice in my life, including this meal. I stuck to dishes that were obviously Malaysian, since the menu was sort of a pan-Asian thing with lots of Chinese or even Chinese-American options on it. The roti canai with chicken curry featured a large, thin, slightly sweet pancake that is meant to be dipped in the curry sauce. The dish got the obligatory one-pepper label for “spicy” (there were no degrees of spiciness, which is apparently a binary variable in Malay cuisine), but I’d give the coconut milk-based red curry about a one or two out of ten in terms of spiciness. The chicken was dark meat, of course, and there were two potato cubes in the tiny bowl. For an entrée, I went with nasi lemak, which I think is the most famous Malaysian dish out there, a sort of deconstructed fried rice that’s served with a giant mound of white rice that was cooked with coconut and cloves and is surrounded by accompaniments: curried chicken (more of a brown curry this time), a sweet/spicy mixture that apparently contained anchovies (whatever it was, it was very chewy), picked vegetables (mostly cabbage and carrot), sliced cucumber, a hard-boiled egg, and roasted peanuts. I mixed and matched haphazardly, skipping the hard-boiled egg entirely and trying to avoid the temptation to just eat all the rice, which was completely infused with coconut flavor. Everything but the anchovy mixture was excellent, and unlike the barbecue lunch, it didn’t push me into a meat coma afterwards.
Dinosaur BBQ … best BBQ in nyc, IMHO … well worth the trip uptown
http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Keith,
Good stuff. Remembered a chat a couple months ago when you said you planned on coming to Philly. Did you visit yet? Know good restaurants to check out down here if not.
Also, just saw you on the Hot List (Tues, 4:15), what city’s background is that supposed to be?
Hi Keith
Any recos for family dining with a 2 year old in Chicago? Heading out there in a few days and would love your suggestions.
Thanks
Keith,
Didn’t know you were on Twitter. Is your account open to follow? If so, what’s the name?
Hi Keith,
Completely agree with you on Virgil’s. OK but not great. The brisket is about like the pulled pork–nothing special. I spent 7 months in NY while working on I Am Legend and stayed at the Ramada Residence at 6th and 38th. I tried desperately to stay away from Times Sq. My favorite restaurant in the area was Jack’s on 40th just off Broadway. Just about everything is good and for NY it’s not outrageous. If you want a very expensive but very good steak try Keen’s Chophouse on 36th just east of 6th. There’s also a very good authentic Chinese restaurant on 39th (I think) halfway between 6th and 5th on the north side of the street. Wonderful food and the price will amaze you (as in am I still in NY?).
Randy
Dinosaur is overrated as well. It’s hard to find great BBQ in NYC. I take BroJ’s over Virgils, but I’ve heard Daisy Mae’s is best. Yes, the one with the ridiculous commercials that make it seem like a joke. BroJ’s has great ribs (for up north) with three different styles (North Carolina, South Carolina, and 21-spice dry-rub), including an all-you-can-eat special on Sundays (plus all you can drink draft beer), perfect for football season. Steak tips are good, wings are decent, pulled pork sandwich could use a bit more but is solid. Fried catfish left something to be desired but I heard the fried chicken is great. Don’t let the atmosphere fool you…
I liked Dinosaur OK, but I went with a friend who spent 4 years at Syracuse eating at the original restaurant who was disappointed. Personally, in the city I like Hill Country for BBQ
Dinosaur isn’t very good. I went there last year and was very disappointed.
Charlie: keithlaw.
SA: I like two breakfast places downtown (Ann Sather and Lou Mitchell’s), but I don’t think I have a lunch/dinner option that’s toddler-friendly (I was there sans daughter on both trips).
Kyle: No Philly trip, saw them at Shea so I’m set with the Phils. The backdrop is Boston.
I agree with those saying that Dino BBQ is overrated. I do like Hill Country, especially the sides, though Daisy Mae’s is the best I’ve had in NYC. (Standard disclaimer: it’s still not as good as the “real thing.” I’m from the NYC area but half-Texan, as Mom would say, and spent several weeks in Texas each year growing up, so I get to be a BBQ snob, a Tex-Mex snob, a bagel snob, and a pizza snob. Life is good.)
And just to get some synergies between BBQ and BA, if you go to BA for lunch on Mondays, their special is a bbq pulled _duck_ sandwich that’s quite tasty, if not traditional BBQ.
Mon Petit was the Oliver Perez of breakfast spots, wildly inconsistent, but good enough at its best to make you believe. Service was very spotty, they don’t do eggs well and they gave us about 90 seconds to enjoy the crossants before bringing the full plates, which led to quite a logistics issue on a small table.
On the other hand, the chocolate croissant was very tasty, with loads of melting chocolate, on the darker side, in a light pastry. The meats were good–two unimpressive-looking link sausages were tasty and meaty, and Keith has lauded the bacon. I think eschewing the eggs for crepes or pancakes might be the call here.
I pushed Keith to Virgil’s; I should have mentioned that the popcorn shrimp, brisket and lamb are my favorites. Also the mac’n’cheese, which doesn’t really work for him. They have excellent sauces as well, especially as you move away from the basic BBQ.
Agree that Brother Jimmy’s isn’t bad; the burnt ends come in a very flavorful sauce, and are my personal favorite.
There is no such thing as really good barbecue in NYC. Doesn’t exist. Especially if you’re a fan of Carolina or St. Louis barbecue. But Hill Country (glad to see others agree about this place) serves good Texas BBQ. Not great, but as good as you’re gonna get in NYC. When it comes to grilled meats here, I think people should instead pay more attention to things like barbacoa and chicharon.
And Keith, I have an awful aversion to Bobby Flay. And it’s totally unwarranted. I’ve never eaten the guy’s food once and I pass judgment. Absolutely unfair. But after years of watching the guy cook on tv on various shows, his dishes all look the same to me now. Protein plus ancho/poblano/jabanero/chipotle plus honey/dark brown sugar plus lemon/lime = a Flay creation. I know he specializes in Southwestern cuisine. I know he’s shown a lot of people ways to expand on grilling. And I can only assume that the food is quite good, or else he wouldn’t have gotten where he is. And yet, I only have a mild interest in ever going to his restaurants. I am an epicurean bigot.
Keith, you forgot to hit up Grom. Next time. Also, have you ever been to Levain Bakery on 74th and Amsterdam? Best cookie in the city.
Im not a big Virgil’s fan at all. I also second Hill Country.
I also think you meant Sentosa in Flushing.
I have seen this a few times, and I’m sure I’ll feel stupid when I see the answer… but WTF does EMPT mean?
Grom is about as real as it gets on this side of the Atlantic, though still far from the real thing.
Agreed, JKGaucho. The Beard Papa –> Grom –> Levain corridor is amazing. And hazardous to your health…
Hollinger – Eggs, Meat, and Potatoes
Bar Americain and Virgils? Really? At least you made it to flushing.
I’ve got to be honest, I am a little disappointing. There is no reason to eat at a Virgil’s or equivalent in NYC. Its just a Chile’s without the success.
Bobby Flay? Blue corn boy? Look if you are some Midwestern house mom on her first big trip to NYC then I would understand. This is the greatest culinary destination in the country if not the world, you don’t waste your time letting a hair piece drizzle herb oil on a plate and charge $30 for it. If you want name recognition, go to Casa Mano or Lupa or Babbo or Per Se depending on your budget.
Flushing. Good call. Malaysian? Huh? Flushing is the largest china town in the U.S., renowned for it’s Szechuan and Peking Ducking and street food. Its like going to Greece and ordering Italian.
MPC does indeed have a good Croissant. If you want to be teleported to Paris, you should give L’Absynthe (also UES) a try. A very decadent take on French Bistro.
Phill: You’ve got to remember that I’m there for work. I had about 40 minutes for lunch the day I went to Virgil’s. I went to Flushing’s Chinatown (btw, most Chinatowns end up magnets for other Asian cuisines) between games of a doubleheader at Shea. If I was there just on an eating weekend, I’d be zipping all over town, but I don’t get that kind of flexibility on work trips.
I could care less about name recognition, but many people recommended Bar Americain to me (including my agent) and IMO the food was good.
Hollinger: Eggs Meat Potatoes & Toast.
Keith:
Have you tried the DB Burger at DB Bistro Moderne? It’s just down the street from Virgils. Talk about gluttony.
Kudos on the Jack’s call. I used to work on the corner of 42nd and Broadway (or Hell, as I preferred to call it), and Jacks was a great hidden gem there. db Bistro is totally overrated and expensive. If you’re going to spend that kind of money, you may as well get the full Daniel Boulud experience at Daniel or even Cafe Boulud.
Well, with any luck you will be back in NYC for the playoffs and WS. Hehe.
Flushing has an awful lot of cuisines, its true. So next time you need a quick bite, go to flushing. Right by the 7 stop on Main St. and 40th road is a couple food stalls. This is the best fast food in the country.
Peking duck sandwiche, and the Duck is perfect btw. Scallion pancakes and steamed pork buns. Amazingly good. Each is $1.
Paul- Your aversion to Flay is not totally unwarranted. Its not that he is a bad chef, he is in many ways really really great.
The problem is that he is a victim of his own success. Many of his techniques have been so emulated, so done ad nausea now that Flay’s cooking has become a cliche.
Also his restaurants, at least Mesa Grill, seem tired, played and neglected. Flay is all over the place, he doesn’t seem to pay much attention to the cooking anymore.
Its also tiring to see some of the same old tricks over and over again. He doesn’t seem to grow.
I’ve had the DB Burger and it’s totally not worth it. Good ingredients get ruined by putting it all together like that.
And don’t listen to PhillR Keith. Flushing has great Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, Taiwanese, etc. Eat what you want.
My favorite is Minni’s Shabu Shabu though. Beef Stew, a side order of Scallion Pancakes with Egg and a Mango Smoothie…
Not to keep cracking on Bobby Flay, but that episode of Law and Order SVU in which he had a small role is completely priceless.
For those of you who’ve never seen it, Flay plays himself and he’s interviewed by cops in an ongoing investigation. We’re led to believe that Flay met a woman, was drugged, passed out, and then had his prostate massaged so the woman could steal his sperm. Another man who befell the same fate in that episode – Mr. Mark McGrath. HIGH-larity.
Not sure if you’re a pizza freak like I am KL, but be sure to get to Una Pizza Napoletana next time, and bring cash. Ethereal.
http://www.unapizza.com/
And while I’m thinking about it, go to Bianco in Phoenix…best pizza in America.
http://www.pizzeriabianco.com/