You are here: Home / Archives for Soho

Delicatessen Summer In Soho Tasting Event – Review of Delicatessen

July 26, 2011 By 1 Comment

BY STEPHANIE AMY COLLAZO

Delicatessen
54 Prince St
Soho
212-226-0211 / delicatessennyc.com

Downstairs seating area. Photo provided by Delicatessen.

            Delicatessen is known for being a NYC eater’s favorite stop for their lobster mac and cheese, but unknown to the general public if you slink your way through the crowd and down the stairs hidden in plain view you will find yourself in an entirely different atmosphere. 

            Entering the downstairs dining area of Delicatessen you find yourself surrounded by bright lights and a green seating area.  Looking for a taste of their signature cocktail of the night, I made my way to the mini bar tucked away down a short hallway near the bathroom area.  Once inside the dimly lit bar I admired the dark décor featuring black walls lined with a variety of glass bottles. 

Minibar. Photo provided by Delicatessen.

            While waiting for the bartender to make me a “Tilly,” fresh strawberries and lime muddled together with pomegranate and Satisfaction vodka, a line quickly developed behind me and didn’t dissipate until the end of the night.  This cocktail was amazing to say the least, you could barely taste the alcohol, which makes it dangerous for the careless drinker.  The flavors of the mint, strawberry and pomegranate meshed well making for the perfect summer cocktail.

Flash Fried Tuna Avocado Roll. Photo provided by Delicatessen.

            I decided to take a seat in the mini bar area, which could hold up to 20 seated guests.  Soon after I was joined by a fellow food blogger and the waiters began to bring out the long awaited sampling menu.  We first sampled the Flash Fried Tuna Avocado Roll ($14) which came with a creamy sambal chili sauce.  My acquaintance, who is not a fan of tuna, loved this dish.  We had to have about three pieces each, it was so good.

Tempura Mozzarella and Tomato Salad. Photo provided by Delicatessen.

            Next we had the Tempura Mozzarella and Tomato Salad.  The tempura mozzarella added a different texture element that was unexpected, but greatly appreciated.  After about four samplings of the mozzarella and tomato, we received the Pork Mole Tacos ($11).  The pork in the tacos was so juicy that I needed two napkins, but I am not complaining.

Sweet Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Photo provided by Delicatessen.

            While we didn’t get to try the Smoked Chicken Tacos ($11) that we had read about in the sample menu, we did receive a sample of the Sweet Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps ($10).  I found these a bit difficult to eat as they were tiny and the juice from the chicken dripped everywhere.  The chicken was sweet with a hint of spice, I would have liked them a bit more if they were bigger and less messy, but I have no complaints about the flavor. 

            Next we got a chance to sample three desserts off of the new menu.  First we tried the Cheesecake Lollipop, which is included in their “Hostess” Dessert Plate ($9).  The Cheesecake Lollipop was coated in white chocolate and the cheesecake filling was smooth and a bit lemony.  Following the cheesecake was the Chocolate Layer Cake ($10), this was your basic chocolate cake layered with chocolate ganache, very rich and dense.  Last but certainly not least was the Maple Bacon Beignet ($9).  I had been waiting for this since I arrived and I was not disappointed.  This dessert combined two of my favorite things bacon and crème anglaise.  The beignet was kind of like a bacon donut and the bourbon crème anglaise that they served on the side for dipping was the perfect glaze for that donut. 

            Though this was my first time visiting Delicatessen it certainly will not be my last.

Share/Save/BookmarkSubscribe

Delicatessen on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Asian Fare, Cocktails, Food Events, New American, Nolita, Reviews, Soho, Trendy Spots Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

What’s On… Crosby Street?

May 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

BY CAROLYN ONOFREY

What’s On… Crosby Street?

Downtown Manhattan

Photo by Carolyn Onofrey

Bordering Soho, Nolita, Little Italy, Chinatown and the West Village, Crosby Street is best known for its wide (though not overwhelming) selection of high-end boutiques where you can get anything ranging from a designer handbag and lingerie to refurbished vintage furniture and stationary. The west side of the block is a part of the historic cast iron district of New York; the east side however, unfortunately did not make the cut due to a large fire in 1884 destroying a large portion of the block.  Crosby Street is still a wonderfully quaint area with refined shopping and some great neighborhood food finds, some even paired with the shopping destinations Soho is known for!

9 Crosby Street – Imperial No. 9 (Inside Mondrian SoHo Hotel)

It’s all about the whimsy at Imperial No. 9 where seafood is the name of the game.  Executive chef, Sam Talbot (winner of Top Chef Season 2) created a sustainable seafood menu comprised of sharing plates.  Though some say the atmosphere, complete with mirrored tabletops and glass chandeliers, upstages the food no one can deny it’s a great place to grab a drink with someone you care to impress.

Imperial No. 9 – Photo courtesy M.T. on yelp.com

Imperial No. 9 – Photo courtesy M.T. on yelp.com

 

9 Crosby Street – Mister H (Inside Mondrian Soho Hotel)

Although Mister H has only been for a little over a month now, it is quickly becoming the IT spot with the fashion crowd in Manhattan.  The door may be near impossible, but if you get past the doorman, walk into a vintage inspired Chinese lounge dreamt up by Armin Amiri (mastermind behind, now defunct, Socialista) and dance the night away.

Saturday’s Surf

31 Crosby Street – Saturday’s Surf

Where do you go to buy a surf board in Manhattan?  Saturday’s Surf, of course!  Stop by for an interesting selection of surf inspired apparel, home furnishings, art work, and even coffee.  The baristas are seriously cool Aussie’s who know how to make a mean cup. In nice weather, relax with your coffee in the laid back patio space at the rear of the store.  Gnarly, dude.

33 Crosby Street – In Pursuit of Tea

Selling a large variety of tea by the cup or loose for enjoyment at home, In Pursuit of Tea is a tea shop for the serious tea drinker.  The friendly staff is knowledgeable and more than happy to chat about the product, even offering classes for the tea enthusiast.  Check them out online for a larger selection of all things tea.

33 Crosby Street – Ñ

Upon entering this tiny Spanish tapas restaurant and bar you’ll find it easy to forget you’re in New York, especially on flamenco nights when dancers crowd the tiny bar area for a true treat.  Stay for solid tapas and sangria and get cosy with your company.

On the corner of Crosby and Broome – L’Orange Bleue – 430 Broome Street (Entrance on Crosby)

Another stop in the area with flamenco nights (do I sense I trend here?), as well as other chances for live music, L’Orange Bleue is located in an airy French/Moroccan inspired space.   Simple food accents the great atmosphere.  Come early with friends and stay late.

79 Crosby Street – The Crosby Bar

A part of the swank Crosby Street Hotel, the Crosby Bar is a playful stop on Crosby Street featuring Afternoon Tea and Saturday Night Screenings in their private theater.  The prices are excessively Soho (read: expensive), but for those who can, why not?

On the corner of Crosby and Prince – Savoy - 70 Prince Street

(Entrance on Crosby)

You’ll feel like you’re walking into your parent’s dinning room at Savoy.  The New American cuisine can be hit or miss and when it’s a miss, it’s just not worth the price.  The ever changing seasonal menu and fresh ingredients however, make it a tempting stop when you’re in the neighborhood..

Housing Works Bookstore and Café

126 Crosby Street – Housing Works Bookstore Cafe

The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe is a part of the Housing Works organization; a community for those living with HIV and AIDS.  Proceeds from the Cafe go to the organization.  Stop by and enjoy a cup of coffee while you browse the used bookstore and support a great cause!

The back entrance at Puck Fair

Puck Fair (Back entrance on Crosby) – 298 Lafayette Street

Slip into the back entrance on Crosby or walk around the block for the main entrance, whatever your choice you will be greeted by 20 beers on tap and another 50 in the bottle.  The über beer geek will appreciate the draught beers which are kept at optimal temperature do to a high tech tap system.

A gigantic samosa from Lahore

132 Crosby Street – Lahore Deli

The Lahore Deli lies on the block between Jersey Street and West Houston and serves some super fresh, super flavorful Pakistani food.  Popular for lunch, especially with the Cabbies who often crowd the place, this is a great find if you’re working nearby or craving Pakistani and willing to travel to this otherwise sleepy block.  *Try the chai and samosas (just $1 ea.!) for a late night snack.

 

Share/Save/BookmarkSubscribe

Imperial No. Nine (Mondrian Soho Hotel) on Urbanspoon

Lahore Deli on Urbanspoon

Housing Works Used Book Cafe on Urbanspoon

L'Orange Bleue on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Chinatown, Neighborhood News, Nolita, Reviews, Round-up Reviews, Soho Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Eclectic, Exotic, and Enticing – Review of KITTICHAI

March 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

BY STEPHANIE HARRISON

KITTICHAI
60 Thompson Street
Soho
212-219-2000 / kittichairestaurant.com

Kaffir Lime Leaf Pancake topped with maple syrup from KITTICHAI

Authentic isn’t the first word that comes to mind when thinking about this SoHo restaurant. KITTICHAI’s Thai cuisine is eclectic, exotic, and enticing. The lobby of the restaurant has a birdcage filled with fish for goodness sake. This place is Thailand’s home away from home, but with a nice, more upscale twist. Decorated with bamboo and wooden fixtures, it offers an original feel of Asian architecture that provokes a soft-spoken type of conversation. More importantly, the food is the heart of KITTICHAI.

Beginning with the Spicy and Sour Oxtail Soup with Kaffir Lime Leaves and Charred Tomatoes, you can taste every drop of sodium injected into the broth. If you dare to try oxtail, this soup is not a bad first choice. Their brunch menu offers many Thai classics, but it’s more fun to take an alternative route and nibble on something new. The Kaffir Lime Leaf Pancake with lemongrass butter and toppled with maple syrup is sure to get your brain twisted. You normally expect a margarine, sugary taste when it comes to pancakes and syrup, but within moments, the first bite of the pancake is filled with a curry aroma and flavor. If your brain can get over that, then try this fluffy, Thai inspired breakfast.

Delectable duck egg omelette

Following the exotic pancake was the Duck Egg Omelette (bacon, wok-fried morning glory with nam jim jaow sauce) and the Seared Duck Breast (Asian Pear Salad, light soy-vinegar dressing). Both phenomenal, it’s easy and crucial to jump back and forth from one duck to the other. You decide which bite you want taste last.

The Duck Egg Omelette had the perfect crisp combined with a soft fluffy texture of the egg. Dipped in the nam jim jaow sauce, a bit of a sweet and spicy flavor is added to enhance the duck flavors. This is sure to keep your mouth salivating. To take a break from the strong taste, dabble to the jasmine rice topped with lamb bacon on the side for a nice intermission. This dish has to be a popular one of many.

Fresh, thirst quenching seared duck breast

My last bite was decided on the Seared Duck Breast. It was a light, airy crunch with a sweet and sour bite to it. This small dish makes you not want to share even a little at all – you want every single taste of it, trust me. I loved it so much, I honestly had no idea and forget it had Asian pears in it. The light dressing did not overwhelm the natural flavors of the duck, it was just enough to make you want to eat it bite after bite. It is amazing what a simple dish can do – I could eat this everyday for the rest of my life. KITTICHAI’s duck entrees are surefire dishes to sample.

Banana spring rolls with burnt honey ice cream

No meal should end without dessert. Recommended with the Banana spring rolls with burnt honey ice cream – you might as well go home and take a nap after the ridiculously delicious finish. The banana spring rolls are no surprise; they taste exactly like it sounds, sweet, soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside. What is to die for is the burnt honey ice cream. I don’t care how they made it, it’s hands down the best tasting ice cream I’ve ever tried. Just think of the sugar that’s lighted fired on top of a crème brulee, add a touch of honey, and that’s the exact flavor minus however many degrees it takes to make ice cream. Warning: devour the scoop of ice cream before anyone gets a lick of it, or else you’ll regret sharing.

Next time you want Thai food and don’t want to break the bank and buy a air ticket to Thailand, head over to SoHo and treat yourself to KITTICHAI. Don’t miss out on the ice cream and the duck.

Share/Save/BookmarkSubscribe

Kittichai on Urbanspoon

 

 

 

Filed Under: Asian Fare, Reviews, Soho, Thai Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

A lovely luncheon – Review Corner Shop Café

March 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

BY STEPHANIE HARRISON

Corner Shop Café 643 Broadway (corner of Bleecker St.)
Soho /  Greenwich Village
212-253-7467 / cornershopcafe.com

CornerShop

This pocket sized, newly opened café feels as if you were making yourself a nice lunch at home. The menu offers comfort food with an upgraded twist. The décor was warm and the windows allowed just the perfect amount of light to enter to brighten up the wooden tables and chairs. The waiter assigned to my table, Matthew, accompanied me as I waited for my guest to arrive – such great manners, and friendly demeanor. Most of the seating in the café is for two, but rest assured, you can bring a few more to stop in and enjoy the cozy atmosphere among the busy street of Broadway.

When you’re lazy and want to make something to eat, most people’s go-to is mac and cheese. When you’re out and you want something familiar, yet is still restaurant-approved standards, mac and cheese is the surefire choice. Of all the appetizers to choose from, Truffled Mac N Cheese – three cheeses, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh peas – stood out the most. The small is enough to share for two, even if your stomach is growling.

Truffled MacNCheese at

Truffled Mac N Cheese at Corner Shop Cafe

You get the same feeling of comfort as the kind you can make on your own stove, but with the truffles added, and the three cheese compared to one, nicely compacted in a glass bowl, it just tastes so much more delicious. Just as smooth, warm, and with a small crunch of fresh peas.

Main course consisted of PB & Banana Grilled Sandwich and Yellowfin Tuna Burger. I know what most people are thinking, you can’t go from the most comforting of foods like mac n cheese and peanut butter and banana to yellowfin tuna, but yes, you can. The PB & Banana Grilled Sandwich was ordinary and could be chosen as a more filling dessert because of its sugary sweetness. Made with honey, walnut cranberry raisin bread dipped in French toast batter served with minted berries, this $9 meal is well worth it. If you dare to up the ante, request for a maple syrup on the side.

PB & Banana Grilled Sandwich at Corner Shop Cafe'

PB & Banana Grilled Sandwich at Corner Shop Cafe'

Sharing half a sandwich means you have to share half your burger. The Yellowfin Tuna Burger – cilantro, onions, peppers, sesame oil, served with fries (spicy, provencal, or plain) – was not like what I expected. The soft texture, crumbled pieces of yellowfin tuna and peppers and onions made this seem more like finger food than a full burger. The fries were accompanied with mayonnaise, which can also be used to add a little kick to the tuna burger. I definitely recommend this compilation of entrees – a mix of sweet, spicy, cheesy, and complete satisfaction.


The next time you’re shopping on Broadway and you’re looking for a place to take a break and put down your bags, consider Corner Shop Café for a homey, yet modern meal in a trendy, comfortable setting. Ask for Matthew if you want a change of pace from the frantic shopping and you want a nice and friendly server to wait on your every need.

Share/Save/BookmarkSubscribe

Corner Shop on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: American, Brunch, Reviews, Soho, West Village Tagged With: , , , , ,

French, Filling, and Flavorsome – Review of Balthazar

February 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

BY STEPHANIE HARRISON

Balthazar Restaurant –
80 Spring St, Soho
212-965-1414 :: www.balthazarny.com

courtesy of luxist.com

courtesy of luxist.com

Hungry couldn’t have described how I felt.  With a no-breakfast morning to begin with and noon rolling around, my stomach was half way done eating itself.  I arrived at Balthazar having no expectations of how the nourriture – that’s food in French – would be like.  This French inspired restaurant is staffed with the most polite hosts in New York City.  Their smiling faces and light voices convinced my cousin and I that a 40-minute wait for lunch was worth it.  Good thing we had no obligations for the rest of the day.  Our entire lunch lasted about two and a half hours, including the pre-lunch cocktail and wait, the meal and conversation, and the dessert that HAD to be ordered although we were stuffed to the bone.  This gorgeous eatery was crowded during our entire meal – from businessmen and women to young couples, Balthazar is the place to be on a Friday afternoon if you have a half-day off!

Duck Confit at Balthazar - courtesy of picasaweb.google.com

Duck Confit at Balthazar - courtesy of picasaweb.google.com

With two Johnny Walker Black and Cokes guzzled, we were finally seated at a booth served by a French waiter (or at least he had the accent, we will deem him Jacques).  After careful deliberation, I decided on the Duck Confit with crispy potatoes, wild mushrooms, and frisée salad, and my cousin choose the Moules Frites (the best $21 mussels I’ve ever had with skinny fries on the side served with a mayonnaise-based sauce – aioli perhaps?).  To accompany our meals, we were recommended with two beers, Chimay (darker, more bitter) and Duvel (more hoppy, light body).

Sir Jacques made rounds to our table at a comfortable pace, not too smothering.  The service was exceptional.  Normally, when I acknowledge that my jeans are getting a bit too snug, that means I’ve had enough.  Not that day.  We topped off our delicious entrees with the infamous Crème Brûlée.  Not too sweet, sugar perfectly browned, Balthazar offered a superb lunch spot for those who have more than 20 minutes to inhale their food.

They also offered their recipes for sale in a book entitled, The Balthazar Cookbook.  If you can’t afford the dish, then try cooking it yourself!

Share/Save/BookmarkSubscribe

Balthazar on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: French, Reviews, Soho Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

A sweet patch in Soho – Review of Baked by Melissa

July 20, 2010 By 1 Comment

BY STEPHANIE AMY COLLAZO

Baked by Melissa
529 Broadway
Soho - Manhattan
(Spring between Mercer and Broadway)
212-842-0220 / http://www.bakedbymelissa.com

Photo by Stephanie Amy Collazo

Photo by Stephanie Amy Collazo

Tucked away among the big name shops and restaurants, that makeup the bulk of Soho, is a little cupcake sanctuary.  On Spring Street, just West of Broadway, is Baked by Melissa, a tiny kiosk serving up miniature cupcakes for approximately a dollar each.

Photo by Stephanie Amy Collazo

Photo by Stephanie Amy Collazo

Baked by Melissa has a fairly original concept, mini cupcakes that come in about 10 creative flavors.  Each cupcake is about the size of a dollar coin and most have frosting inserted directly in the middle forming a perfect balance between cake and frosting. [Read more...]

Filed Under: desserts, Reviews, Soho, Trendy Spots Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,