Category Archives: Food

Petite Abeille West Broadway

Petite Abeille on West Broadway

Petite Abeille West Broadway
Mussels on the menu at Petite Abeille West Broadway

Petite Abeille is a quaint Belgian restaurant most known for its Mussels and Belgian Waffles.  With four Manhattan locations, no one can deny that this restaurant has outlived New York’s Belgian food buzz, and their Tribeca location certainly does them justice.

If you choose to dine here, do yourself a favor and try a new beer- your waiter will definitely be able to find something you’ll enjoy out of their 50 different Belgian beers.  All four of the beers our waiter recommended- from the strong and heavy Scaldis ($8.50) to the sweet and fruity Lindemans Framboise ($9.50)- were delightful and a great way to start the meal.  They also had the added benefit of enhancing our appetite which we were extremely grateful for later on in the evening!

The appetizer portion of the Moules Marinieres ($9.50) were more than enough for two people to share.  I could definitely see why their Wednesday night all you can eat specials are so popular; the mussels were fresh and not the least bit grainy, and the white wine broth was divine.  Petite Abeille also provides diners with deliciously crusty, chewy, and sour bread that’s perfect for dipping into the broth.

Belgian Waffles from Petite Abeille
Belgian Waffles from Petite Abeille

For my main course, I got the Vol Au Vent, Frites ($18.50), which was basically a deconstructed pot pie with pommes frites on the side, definitely not a meal for the calorie cautious!  The pommes frites were kind of overkill, especially since they were soggy and undercooked.  The chicken, on the other hand, was slightly dry and overcooked, but the sinfully creamy gravy provided a great textural balance.  The deconstructed nature of the Vol Au Vent insured that the puff pastry stay puffy, and the bacon and mushrooms were a perfect addition to this indulgent meal.  If the chicken weren’t so dry, this would definitely rank in my top 5 chicken pot pies.

Vol Au Vent from Petite Abeille
Vol Au Vent from Petite Abeille

After that heavy dish, I definitely felt the need to unbutton my pants and call it a night, but I couldn’t leave without trying the Belgian Waffles.  This was an instance in which the masses were correct: The Gaufre Chantilly ($7.00), or the waffle with whipped cream and strawberry sauce, was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, and I don’t even like waffles!  Actually, I don’t particularly like waffles, whipped cream, or strawberry sauce, but together these three elements create perfection!

Even if you’re not into mussels, please, take my advice and drop in for dessert, or try one of their tamer options like a burger or steak frites.  You won’t be disappointed!

Race to my Place: Fish N' Chips

Race to My Place: Lilly O’Brien’s vs. Biddy Early’s Fish and Chips

Race to my Place: Fish N' Chips
Lilly O'Briens vs. Biddy Early's: Who was faster?

For each installment of the Race to My Place, we will be pitting two restaurants with similar cuisines, estimated delivery times, and prices against each other and see whose delivery reigns supreme!  We will compare delivery speed, packaging & presentation, quality & taste, and value.  For this Irish pub race, our contestants were Lilly O’Brien’s and Biddy Early’s.

One thing we are lucky to have in downtown Manhattan is a decent amount of Irish pubs.  You probably frequent these places for the Irish charm, a mug of Guinness, but today, we are sampling some pub grub: Fish and Chips!  And because the fish and chips alone wasn’t enough to satisfy the delivery minimum, we also ordered some bread and butter pudding, a quintessential Irish/UK dessert.

Delivery Speed: Biddy Early’s
Biddy Early’s only took 27 minutes to deliver, while Lilly O’Brien’s took 40 minutes.  The two restaurants are basically right next to each other, so that shouldn’t make a difference in delivery time.  Biddy Early’s won this category fair and square.

Packaging & Presentation: Tie
Both restaurants served their food in the same plastic bags and tin containers with cardboard tops.  They both included tartar sauce and lemon wedges.  Biddy Early’s Fish and Chips was presented better, but Lilly O’Brien’s bread pudding looked more legit, so this category is a tie!

Quality & Taste: Biddy Early’s
I was surprised at the outcome of this comparison.  I’ve been to both pubs before, and compared to Lilly O’Brien’s, Biddy Early’s is a bit of a dive; I expected their food to pale in comparison.  When I opened the containers of food and saw their dinky bread & butter pudding, which didn’t look like any bread pudding I’d ever seen, I didn’t have very high expectations.  Their fish and chips, however, were expertly battered and fried and arrived still crispy!  The fish was soft and flaky, and didn’t taste fishy at all.  Their bread & butter pudding tasted a lot better than it looked, although it tasted more like really awesome french toast than bread pudding.

Lilly O’Brien’s offers a malt whiskey bread & butter pudding, which is much denser and bread pudding-like than Biddy Early’s.  You can definitely detect the malt whiskey, although the flavor isn’t over powering.  Unfortunately, their fish and chips did not live up to my expectations.  The batter came out oddly flat and was extremely greasy and soggy.  The fish was just as fresh and flaky as Biddy Early’s but the bad batter completely ruined the experience for me.

Value: Biddy Early’s
Here’s the price breakdown:

Biddy Early’s
Dublin Style Fish & Chips:  $9.95
Bread & Butter Pudding: $3.25

Lilly O’Brien’s
Beer Battered Fish & Chips: $10.95
Malt Whiskey Bread & Butter Pudding: $6.95

Both restaurants gave the same amount of fish & chips, and Lilly O’Brien’s was not worth an extra dollar.  Although Lilly O’Brien’s did give a substantially larger serving of bread pudding, I’m not sure it was double the amount of Biddy Early’s.

Winner: Biddy Early’s

Overall, Lilly O’Brien’s cost $4.7 more than Biddy Early’s, and that’s before tax and tip.  I understand why you would pay that extra price if you were eating on the premises, because Lilly O’Brien’s is a classier establishment.  However, if you’re just ordering in, the faster delivery, better tasting food, and better value make Biddy Early’s the clear winner!

L&L Hawaiian BBQ Mixed BBQ Combo Plate

Restaurant Review: L&L Hawaiian BBQ

L&L Hawaiian BBQ Mixed BBQ Combo Plate
L&L Hawaiian BBQ Mixed BBQ Combo Plate

When I moved to Battery Park City, one place that was recommended for cheap eats was L&L Hawaiian BBQ.  I’ve passed by the restaurant a few times, and to be honest, it looked a little run down and dirty, even by New York standards.  However, I checked out the prices on seamlessweb.com one night, and everything was super cheap!  I figured there was no harm in checking it out.

I ordered the Mixed BBQ Combo Plate ($9.99) which came with a combination of beef, short ribs, and chicken, rice, salad, and macaroni salad.  All of the meet was super soft and tender and were flavored with a sauce that could only be described as “Asian”-it wasn’t quite teriyaki, and not quite Korean BBQ, but it had similar sweet garlicky soy flavors.

The macaroni salad was the best I’ve ever had (I normally don’t even like macaroni salad!) and the rice was cooked to perfection!  What I really want to know is how they get everything from the rice to the meat so incredibly soft without getting mushy.  Every bite was delicious, and the plate was enough for just over three whole meals- definitely the best 10 bucks I’ve ever spent!

Masubi Combo from L&L Hawaiian BBQ
Masubi Combo from L&L Hawaiian BBQ

I also got to try the Musubi Combo ($4.49) which included one Spam Musubi, one BBQ Chicken Musubi, and one Chicken Katsu Musubi.  They were all covered in the same sweet BBQ sauce, and despite the fact that the seaweed had become soggy, it was still really soft!  Usually, warm and soggy seaweed is really hard to chew and bite, but somehow, even though it wasn’t crisp, it was super easy to chew through.

The Chicken Katsu somehow managed to stay crispy- crispier than any Katsu I’ve ever had!  My favorite, however, would have to be the Spam Musubi, mostly because I like strange unidentifiable salt ridden processed meats.  The Spam and sweet BBQ sauce was a match made in heaven, and I would happily eat this for lunch everyday, blood pressure be damned- just don’t tell my doctor!

Battery Park City's picks for New York Restaurant Week

Restaurant Week Begins Today! Where to go Battery Park City?

Battery Park City's picks for New York Restaurant Week
Battery Park City's Best Bets for NY Restaurant Week

It’s that time of the summer again, for foodies all over the city to figure out how to spend their $24.07 for lunch (or $35 bucks for dinner) in honor of New York Restaurant week!

There are seemingly hundreds of restaurants to choose from at these prices — a bargain by New York City standards.  The only problem is “Where should I go?” Fret no more, we’ve got some suggestions. Although Battery Park City is never mentioned in the Official New York Restaurant Week site as an actual location, we rounded up the restaurants that are closest to home. Our list aggregates both Tribeca and Financial District restaurant offerings and their menus.  It’s nice to be able to give back to the businesses in our neighborhood — because quite frankly if we don’t…who will? Most everyone else thinks Battery Park City is closest to Sibera anyways.

As for some honorable mentions — fans of food television will not be disappointed. Centrico, The Harrison, Nobu and Les Halles count Aaron Sanchez, Amanda Freitag, Masuharu Morimoto and Anthony Bourdain as executive chefs and chef’s at large of these restaurants. Visiting these neighborhood restaurants is tantamount to visiting culinary television amusement parks!

Here’s the round up of restaurants in our area offering a special restaurant week menu, we’ve done our best to include restaurant menu’s as we find them — so check back for new menus being added, all to help you choose where you’ll be placing your reservations this summer!

Where are you most excited to visit? 🙂 Or where should one not visit? Let us know in the comments!

Mr Chow Tribeca

Restaurant Week Menu: Mr. Chow Tribeca

Mr Chow Tribeca
Mr. Chow Tribeca puts their spin on Restaurant Week

Mr. Chow Tribeca extends their New York Restaurant Week menu all the way to September 6th, giving guests ample time to check out some of their specialties well through the end of the summer.

Mr. Chow’s does it a little different for their Restaurant Week menu, by extending a family style option through the end of the summer.

NYC Restaurant Week MR CHOW New York – TriBecA
July 12h – September 6th (Mon thru Fri)
Semi Prix-Fixe Menu
Whole Table Served Family Style
Each guest choose 1 dish from each course – Maximum of 4 dishes from each course per table
First Course
Choice of:
Jade Water Dumplings
Squab with Lettuce
Chicken Satay
MR CHOW Noodles
Second Course
Choice of:
Steamed Sea Bass Filet
Ma Mignon
Velvet Chicken
Green Prawns
Served with:
Sautéed Rice
Vegetable in Season
Dessert:
Mixed Sorbet
Ice Cream
$35 per Guest for Food Only
(2 guests minimum – Limited to items listed above – NO SUBSTITUTIONS) Drinks, Tax, plus Gratuity are Additional
20% Service Charge for Parties of 6 or more
megu ny tribeca

Restaurant Week Menu: Megu NY Tribeca

megu ny tribeca
Megu NY offering a special Restaurant Week menu

Restaurant Week Menu, Summer 2010

July 12th, Monday – July 25th, Sunday (extended through Labor Day)

Dinner Menu $35

Choice of Appetizer

Madai Oriental Salad

Crispy “Kanzuri” Shrimp

Sautéed Scallops with Foie Gras Sauce

Choice of Entrée **

Chef’s Omakase Sushi

Kobe Beef “Kagero” Filet Steak, served with Rice

Silver Cod with Yuzu Miso, served with Rice

Choice of Dessert

Matcha Greentea Crepe

Yuzu Chocolate Mousse Cake

Wine Pairing (3kinds) $25/ Sake Pairing (3kinds) $25

** Vegetarian Choice Available

Entrée: “Agedashi Tofu” with mushrooms

industria argentina tribeca

Restaurant Week Menu: Industria Argentina

industria argentina tribeca
Industria Argentina is offering a Summer Restaurant Week Menu
Industria Argentina in Tribeca is offering a New York Restaurant week menu. All lunch seatings are $24.07, while dinner is a prix fixe price of $35.00
SUMMER RESTAURANT WEEK
Appetizers:
Ensalada de Hinojo y Citricos
Crispy fennel, Citrus segments , scallions ,honey roasted pine nuts, lemon honey vinaigrette.
Confit de Pulpito
Confit of baby octopus, toasted corn and cherry tomato salad
Empanada de Cordero ahumado al Quebracho
Braised and smoked lamb empanada
********
Entrees:
Trucha al Papel
Trout “en Papillote”, carrots, sweet peas, onions on bed of spinach
Ojo de Bife
Grilled rib eye, black olive and basil mashed potatoes, roasted beets
Pernil de Cerdo al Horno de Barro
Roasted Leg of pork, Valencia orange, white wine, garlic, grilled yams and plum chutney
**************
Dessert:
Flan de Dulce de leche
Salted caramel nougat
Compota de Frutas con crema
Vanilla scented stewed stone fruit, Crème Chantilly
Milhoja de Chocolate y Frambuesa
Chocolate ganache, vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberries Napoleon
Amanda Freitag, The Harrison, New York Restaurant Week

Restaurant Week Menu: The Harrison

Amanda Freitag, The Harrison, New York Restaurant Week
Amanda Freitag's The Harrison Restaurant

Amanda Freitag is at the helm of The Harrison, a local American bistro drawing from seasonal ingredients and also more recently known as a contestant on The Next Iron Chef. The Harrison is offering a summer restaurant menu below:

S U M M E R R E S T A U R A N T W E E K M E N U 2 0 1 0



C H I L L E D C U C U M B E R S O U P

d i l l y o g u r t , s m o k e d p a p r i k a , c a r a w a y c r o u t o n

B I B B L E T T U C E S A L A D

l i m e v i n a i g r e t t e , c r u m b l e d q u e s o b l a n c o

C R I S P Y S K A T E F I N G E R S

n a p a c a b b a g e s l a w & s p i c y c r è m e f r a i c h e



B A C O N C R U S T E D B L U E F I S H

p o b l a n o c r e a m & b e e f s t e a k t o m a t o e s

A L L N A T U R A L C H I C K E N B R E A S T

z u c c h i n i , e g g p l a n t , c h i c k p e a s

G R I L L E D F L A N K S T E A K

g r i l l e d c o r n s a l a d & r e d o n i o n j a m



S U M M E R B E R R Y S H O R T C A K E

h o u s e m a d e b i s c u i t s & f r e s h w h i p p e d c r e a m

city hall restaurant tribeca

Restaurant Week Menu: City Hall Restaurant

city hall restaurant tribeca
City Hall Restaurant

Restaurant Week Summer 2010

City Hall Restaurant

Appetizers:

Chilled Summer Soup

Tribeca Summer Salad
grilled georgia peaches, baby butter lettuce,
maytag blue cheese and aged balsamic vinegar

Entrees:

Escabeche of Atlantic Salmon
crispy anson mills polenta crouton, mango pico de gallo

Day Boat Chatham Cod “confit”
organic tabbouleh salad. meyer lemon vinaigrette

Petit Filet Mignon
summer corn and peas ” succotash” roasted poblano pepper

Marinated Organic Chicken Breast
summer squash ratatouille butter milk onion ring, and fresh basil.

Desserts:

Pecan and Pear Gratin
with exotic summer fruit, lemon balm consume

Chef’s Chocolate Surprise

centrico aaron sanchez

Restaurant Week Menu: Aaron Sanchez’s Centrico

centrico aaron sanchez
Aaron Sanchez's Centrico Restaurant

For Food Network Fans, Centrico is a must visit location during New York Restaurant Week as it features a dinner menu from famous TV chef Aaron Sanchez — right in our neighborhood.

DINNER MENU SUMMER NEW YORK RESTAURANT WEEK $35.00

MENU DE LA CENA
FOUR COURSES

GUACAMOLE AND CHIPS

APPETIZERS:

CEVICHE DEL DIA

TAMAL DE HUITLACOCHE
masa flavored with corn truffles, saffron-aji amarillo sauce

CAMARONES Y POZOLE
sauteed shrimp, creamy guajillo, chile sauce, pozole

ENSALADA ALEX-CESAR CARDINI
the original

ENTREES:

POLLO A LAS BRASAS
grilled recado chicken, roasted garlic, lime and chipotle

PESCADO VERACRUZANA
pan roasted market fish, tomato, olives, serrano chiles

BIRRIA EN ESTILO JALISCO
braised short ribs jalisco style, ancho chile broth

DESSERT

MOLTEN MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

FLAN DE COCO

ASSORTED ICE CREAMS

CHEF AARON SANCHEZ