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Ouest
Category:
Restaurants
2315 Broadway
New York, New York 10024
Ouest is one of my favorite restaurants. It's that simple. Time after time I've enjoyed my experience at this Upper West Side standout. After several years, chef Tom Valenti continues to offer up...
Ouest is one of my favorite restaurants. It's that simple. Time after time I've enjoyed my experience at this Upper West Side standout. After several years, chef Tom Valenti continues to offer up exciting, creative and flavorful food, he has not rested on his laurels, like some New York chefs. As for service, it is just how I like it - helpful and aware, but not hovering.
A favorite appetizer is the grilled baby octopus which comes with a roast tomato and caper vinaigrette. It is amazingly tender and the vinaigrette compliments it boldly without overpowering the fresh seafood. My entrée of choice is a guilty pleasure, bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with grilled pork belly, yes, triple pork! I'm sorry, wrap it in bacon and I'm there. Words to describe this decadent course - crispy, juicy, smoky goodness. Pair that with their magnificent mashed potatoes, they are special. For desert, if you have room, you might as well close your eyes and see where it lands on the menu because for the life of me, I've never had a bad one at Ouest. Maybe that's not helpful, but that's just how I feel. Ouest is certainly one of the best restaurants in New York, that makes it a rare standout in the neighborhood.
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Walking into John Derian's store you feel transported into a 19th century novel. He covers everything from plates bowels, light fixtures and paperweights in images from 19th and 19th century antique...
Walking into John Derian's store you feel transported into a 19th century novel. He covers everything from plates bowels, light fixtures and paperweights in images from 19th and 19th century antique prints. The images are unique and the trouble here is how to choose. Whether it's a series of beautiful owls, whaling vessels, cartography, leaves and flowers, the effect is pitch perfect and very hip. He carries a few lines from other makers that all match his own rustic, sometimes gothic eye. He eye for great design is very sharp.
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Sinfully delicious decadent delights. That's what Black Hound bakes. Their creations have an artisanal flair. The Busy Bee cake is the perfect gift cake for a special occasion that will have...
Sinfully delicious decadent delights. That's what Black Hound bakes. Their creations have an artisanal flair. The Busy Bee cake is the perfect gift cake for a special occasion that will have everyone asking "Where did you get that?" Amazing cookies too!
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Thank goodness Second Avenue re-opened on 33rd Street. Besides the addictive pastrami, the chicken-in-a-pot is like grandma's. Jewish penicillin, the best matzoh ball...yummy. and they deliver.
Thank goodness Second Avenue re-opened on 33rd Street. Besides the addictive pastrami, the chicken-in-a-pot is like grandma's. Jewish penicillin, the best matzoh ball...yummy. and they deliver.
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The store has changed hands and the place is a treasure trove. I find myself visiting every week because they do such a high turnover. This is a rare find, especially these days of shrinking small...
The store has changed hands and the place is a treasure trove. I find myself visiting every week because they do such a high turnover. This is a rare find, especially these days of shrinking small neighborhood store. The quality and service were excellent, but the prices are worth the trip alone. I read a negative review earlier, I can't believe they were in the same store I visit. A rare gem in the neighborhood...the entire city.
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We've read so many mixed reviews about Spice Market when we finally got around to visiting it for ourselves we were intensely curious. I was excited to go to one of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's...
We've read so many mixed reviews about Spice Market when we finally got around to visiting it for ourselves we were intensely curious. I was excited to go to one of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurants and was surprised when we got an 8:00 pm reservation only four days earlier. We had also called and talked to the hostess to tell her it was a special event (friend's birthday) and could they possibly make sure we got a good table.
When we arrived, we were instantly ushered to an amazing table upstairs in the front by a window with a great breeze blowing through. "Score" I thought. Then what to eat? They told us they encourage sharing, so we scanned the menu and tried to pick something from each section.
The first thing to say about this place is that the decor will transport you, mind body and soul, you will be taken off the tacky, trendy meatpacking district streets and find yourself in an airy, transcendental Bombay temple.
I had read that this was supposed to be Jean-George's take on Asian street-vendor food so the I thought the appetizers would be extra special.
We ordered, got our cocktails and selected our wine for dinner (a great Sancerre).
The food in short was adventurous if not slightly uneven. Definitiley empahsizing the spice part of the market. The lobster roll was fresh and tasty with a wonderful mustard dipping sauce. I thought the black pepper shrimp were nice, but my friend didn't like them, they were very spicy and accompanied with sweet dried pineapple. The mushroom egg rolls were not spectacular. My favorite dish was the short rib which came on a bed of noodles in a dark, rich broth. The one dish I actually did not care for at all was the sea bass, which comes drowning in a messy pile of kimchee, it was salty, fishy in an unpleasant way and the kimchee was cloying and bitter.
The desserts were a revalation. We had the strawberry creme brulee, a chocolate-pecan tart with cinnamon sorbet the Ovaltine kulfi! Yes, I said Ovaltine. A rich, fudge-like, creamy slab of heaven.
The service was attentive without being annoying.
One thing that they need to ban is the use of cell phones. This is not an inexpensive restaurant and the ringing and chatting at our neighbor's tables was intrusive.
For me, the ambiance of Spice Market is what stays in my memory, we had a lovely evening. the food as I say was mixed, with stellar desserts. I'll be back.
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In a land before time, when the dinosaurs roamed, there were neighborhood video stores...remember....before the big chains, before netflix.
Alan's Alley at 207 9th Avenue, (between 22 & 23) is a...
In a land before time, when the dinosaurs roamed, there were neighborhood video stores...remember....before the big chains, before netflix.
Alan's Alley at 207 9th Avenue, (between 22 & 23) is a survivor, and a thriver! Actually by any standard it's a gem of a video store. Their staff use their encyclopedic film knowledge for good, not evil. By this I mean they are incredibly knowledgeable without talking down to customers for not knowing every little arcane bit of trivia about film history.
Alan's Alley always seems to have all the newest films available, and if you give them a call, they happily set one aside for you. If your film is out they'll even give you a call right when it comes in.
Two day rentals are the norm here, but give them a break, their small...but mighty.
Also, they have everything, I mean every little rarity on DVD, plus their entire VHS stock still available for anyone who still hasn't made the switch (like my retired parents).
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With a slew of recent birthdays recently I’ve been munching on a little cake. The bakery that has my friends rolling around in chocolate cake ecstasy is Big Booty Bread Company at 261 W. 23rd St....
With a slew of recent birthdays recently I’ve been munching on a little cake. The bakery that has my friends rolling around in chocolate cake ecstasy is Big Booty Bread Company at 261 W. 23rd St. between Seventh and Eighth Avenue.
We’re declaring all New York cake and cupcake wars over with Big Booty taking the cake prize.
The cake we ordered was a luscious German Chocolate cake. It's our birthday tradition to have this cake, but who has the time to bake it themselves? So suffice to say, we've sampled a lot of different bakers version of this one. It was the best we've ever had.
An entire made fresh to order Giant German Chocolate was only $30, which for New York prices is a huge bargain. They also sell single slices of all their cakes and many cupcake versions.
Other sublime offerings include coconut cake and Red Velvet, and Dulce de Leche cupcakes to die for.
The service and prices are also incredible. If you are like us and are tired of dry cupcakes with grease icing from those other places...try Big Booty...our cake was light, flavorful and moist with heavenly icing.
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