From its battered diagonal-oak floor to its black-painted ceiling to the year-round Christmas decorations in between, there's no pretension, no irony, no signs of creeping fabulousness in this old Greenwich Village joint. If these walls could talk, someone would probably try to kill them.
Besides its funky decor, Arthur's offers no food, and so-so drinks. Drop in for top-quality jazz and blues most nights from 7 till closing time, and excellent people watching.
Pianist Eri Yamamoto's trio has played the early shift at Arthur's just about every Thursday through Saturday for well over a decade. Her musicianship and her deceptively simple original compositions are on par with what you'd have to pay a steep cover charge to hear nearby.
Arthur's doesn't always attract a listening crowd, so try to sit up front.
Those so-so drinks aren't inexpensive--$10 for a glass of Yellowtail. But there's no cover charge, the music is excellent and the atmosphere is unique.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Watercolor Cafe, Larchmont
Probably our favorite place to hear music in Westchester, we catch Leslie Pintchik and Scott Hardy here once or twice a month. The Watercolor has a nice atmosphere and attracts a crowd of respectful regulars who chat quietly while enjoying the music.
The food is uneven. A surprising number of menu items include gorgonzola. My fave entree is a grilled veggie plate--an abundant and interesting mix of eggplant, squash, peppers, asparagus and more--with fruited basmati rice (hold the gorgonzola). The seared scallop appetizer makes a good light meal--three plump sea scallops on a bed of mashed cauliflower. The pulled-duck quesadilla sounds more interesting than it tastes--it's pretty bland in spite of the mushrooms, gruyere and mango chutney.
The Watercolor has recently started pouring Old Overholt, a long-time sentimental favorite. I also enjoy the blood-orange margaritas; the wines by the glass are ok, nothing especially interesting.
Desserts are a mixed bag. Apparently the key lime pie and apple strudel are good but unrecognizable as key lime pie and apple strudel. The toll-house pie rates an eh.
The food is uneven. A surprising number of menu items include gorgonzola. My fave entree is a grilled veggie plate--an abundant and interesting mix of eggplant, squash, peppers, asparagus and more--with fruited basmati rice (hold the gorgonzola). The seared scallop appetizer makes a good light meal--three plump sea scallops on a bed of mashed cauliflower. The pulled-duck quesadilla sounds more interesting than it tastes--it's pretty bland in spite of the mushrooms, gruyere and mango chutney.
The Watercolor has recently started pouring Old Overholt, a long-time sentimental favorite. I also enjoy the blood-orange margaritas; the wines by the glass are ok, nothing especially interesting.
Desserts are a mixed bag. Apparently the key lime pie and apple strudel are good but unrecognizable as key lime pie and apple strudel. The toll-house pie rates an eh.
Red Flame Diner, 44th and 6th
Good, fast, inexpensive diner fare. I've eaten here for years, when I'm working in the area or even when I just want a quick bite before the theater.
For best results, keep it simple. Today's choice was split pea soup and a grilled muenster cheese and tomato sandwich. Both were good, cozy and homey, accompanied by crisp cole slaw and a pickle. My colleague had Greek salad--the small size was enormous. She liked the assortment of veggies, ignored the dressing, and declared the stuffed grape leaves to be up to her standards. Friendly service.
For best results, keep it simple. Today's choice was split pea soup and a grilled muenster cheese and tomato sandwich. Both were good, cozy and homey, accompanied by crisp cole slaw and a pickle. My colleague had Greek salad--the small size was enormous. She liked the assortment of veggies, ignored the dressing, and declared the stuffed grape leaves to be up to her standards. Friendly service.
La Fonda del Sol, New York
You can't get any more convenient for commuters than this newish tapas bar on the Vanderbilt side of Grand Central. The food is quite good, the wine-by-the-glass list is full of intriguing choices, including Telmo Rodriguez LZ Rioja that could become my signature pour, as soon as I can find out where to buy it. I've never seen so many sherry choices--more than a dozen, from bone-dry manzanilla to rich oloroso. You can order flights of three from across the spectrum, which I think I'll do next time.
The food is quite good, though with some surprises. Pimientos a la plancha with garlic, lemon and sea salt turned out to be shishito chiles, rather than the milder padrons. With pardrons, about one in a dozen has a real spike of spicy heat; with shishitos, the hot-to-savory ratio is reversed.
In Spain, pan con tomate is simply a piece of crusty bread rubbed with garlic and plum tomato, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with salt. At La Fonda del Sol, the dish is similar to bruschetta, slices of toast heaped with chopped tomato salad.
Though different from what I expected, I enjoyed both dishes. My dining companion did not.
The simple calamari with aioli was well-prepared, very tender and tasty, a good example of what this dish can be.
Our favorite tapa was albondigas de cerdo con pimenton y queso manchego: little pork meatballs with smoked paprika and manchego cheese. Hot, fresh, garlicky and delicious, served in a tangy reduced red sauce similar to romesco, which is ubiquitous in Spain. I could eat this every day.
We had a friendly server who found out answers to all of our questions. She helped us but didn't butt in.
Desafortunadamente, La Fonda del Sol let me down in two key areas: The place is so cavernous that chatting is out of the question, and it is totally frickin' freezing in there! Without these fatal flaws, I could make this place a regular hang.
The food is quite good, though with some surprises. Pimientos a la plancha with garlic, lemon and sea salt turned out to be shishito chiles, rather than the milder padrons. With pardrons, about one in a dozen has a real spike of spicy heat; with shishitos, the hot-to-savory ratio is reversed.
In Spain, pan con tomate is simply a piece of crusty bread rubbed with garlic and plum tomato, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with salt. At La Fonda del Sol, the dish is similar to bruschetta, slices of toast heaped with chopped tomato salad.
Though different from what I expected, I enjoyed both dishes. My dining companion did not.
The simple calamari with aioli was well-prepared, very tender and tasty, a good example of what this dish can be.
Our favorite tapa was albondigas de cerdo con pimenton y queso manchego: little pork meatballs with smoked paprika and manchego cheese. Hot, fresh, garlicky and delicious, served in a tangy reduced red sauce similar to romesco, which is ubiquitous in Spain. I could eat this every day.
We had a friendly server who found out answers to all of our questions. She helped us but didn't butt in.
Desafortunadamente, La Fonda del Sol let me down in two key areas: The place is so cavernous that chatting is out of the question, and it is totally frickin' freezing in there! Without these fatal flaws, I could make this place a regular hang.
STK Out, New York
Among the drawbacks of working on food publications is the notion that every meal could be something special. Oh, and ravenous hunger, too. I usually bring lunch, since all of the places I've tried around Bryant Park feature pricy, boring food. But one day I arrived at the office empty handed. At around 2, with lunchtime way overdue, I ran across the street to STK Out and picked up a $14 bag of heartburn.
The Day-Boat Cod sandwich was ok, the fish was juicy and seemed fresh though any flavor it may have had was overpowered by tartar sauce that tasted like cheap yellow mustard. I should have followed Buck Nevada's lead and asked for the sauce on the side. Somehow I had the impression that the sandwich came with truffle parmesan fries, but no, they were extra. They were crispy, but very, very salty and oily.
It was a meal to remember, but not for the right reasons.
The Day-Boat Cod sandwich was ok, the fish was juicy and seemed fresh though any flavor it may have had was overpowered by tartar sauce that tasted like cheap yellow mustard. I should have followed Buck Nevada's lead and asked for the sauce on the side. Somehow I had the impression that the sandwich came with truffle parmesan fries, but no, they were extra. They were crispy, but very, very salty and oily.
It was a meal to remember, but not for the right reasons.
Espana Wine & Tapas Bar, Larchmont
I'd love to love this place, but I don't. Espana's nicely decorated, pretty comfortable--if you don't count the arctic air conditioning--with friendly staffers. Not always terribly efficient, which isn't a deal breaker, since el tapeo isn't about being in a hurry. But the drinks should come before the food, don't you think?
Speaking of drinks, Espana has a nice wine list by the glass, including Spanish varieties like xarello, txakoli and godello. The wine prices don't seem out of hand, but I say that about almost every place since paying $11 for a glass of house wine in Twin Falls, Idaho, a decade ago.
The menu features pretty standard tapas-bar fare, and some of it is quite good: The marcona almonds arrive warm and freshly toasted, with a generous sprinkling of sea salt. Sauteed mushrooms, too, taste fresh out of the pan, abundantly seasoned with good olive oil and herbs. The bread basket is one of the high points, with a good mix of tender and crusty choices, served with oil and sweet butter on the side.
Strangely enough, Espana falls down on the job on one of the simplest options: the cheese plate. According to the menu, diners can choose from six cheeses. However, there was no choice both times I ordered it. They had manchego, mahon, and a tangy, ash-coated crumbly white (possibly) goat cheese that no one seems to know the name of, served with a sweet-tart dish of preserves and a few thin apple slices. The cheese selection is dull--nothing I couldn't find in a half-dozen stores in nearby zip codes. And considering the quantity and quality, the dish is ridiculously overpriced. Three thin slices of dry, discolored queso, with slight beads of oil on the surface as if it had been sliced and left out all day. To paraphrase an early Woody Allen movie: Not very good. And such small portions!
The menu also lists pimientos de padrons a la plancha--small, mild green chiles, blistered on a hot grill then tossed with olive oil and sea salt. Mouthwateringly delicious, one of my favorite foods. However, Espana has never had them when I'm there--they're out of season till Thursday, or the kitchen just cooked the last order or whatever. Disappointing.
Would I go back? Yes, if I was in the neighborhood. I'd skip table service and the cheese plate in favor of a glass of txakoli and a dish of marconas at the bar.
Speaking of drinks, Espana has a nice wine list by the glass, including Spanish varieties like xarello, txakoli and godello. The wine prices don't seem out of hand, but I say that about almost every place since paying $11 for a glass of house wine in Twin Falls, Idaho, a decade ago.
The menu features pretty standard tapas-bar fare, and some of it is quite good: The marcona almonds arrive warm and freshly toasted, with a generous sprinkling of sea salt. Sauteed mushrooms, too, taste fresh out of the pan, abundantly seasoned with good olive oil and herbs. The bread basket is one of the high points, with a good mix of tender and crusty choices, served with oil and sweet butter on the side.
Strangely enough, Espana falls down on the job on one of the simplest options: the cheese plate. According to the menu, diners can choose from six cheeses. However, there was no choice both times I ordered it. They had manchego, mahon, and a tangy, ash-coated crumbly white (possibly) goat cheese that no one seems to know the name of, served with a sweet-tart dish of preserves and a few thin apple slices. The cheese selection is dull--nothing I couldn't find in a half-dozen stores in nearby zip codes. And considering the quantity and quality, the dish is ridiculously overpriced. Three thin slices of dry, discolored queso, with slight beads of oil on the surface as if it had been sliced and left out all day. To paraphrase an early Woody Allen movie: Not very good. And such small portions!
The menu also lists pimientos de padrons a la plancha--small, mild green chiles, blistered on a hot grill then tossed with olive oil and sea salt. Mouthwateringly delicious, one of my favorite foods. However, Espana has never had them when I'm there--they're out of season till Thursday, or the kitchen just cooked the last order or whatever. Disappointing.
Would I go back? Yes, if I was in the neighborhood. I'd skip table service and the cheese plate in favor of a glass of txakoli and a dish of marconas at the bar.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Earl’s Sister Bay Bowl, Sister Bay, Door County, Wisconsin
From the Bowl’s webpage: “The Sister Bay Bowl is an authentic, family-owned supper club - just like the ones that were so popular in the 1950s and 60s.” Supper clubs were popular at a time when going out to eat was still a special occasion and the name suggests a certain sophistication and exclusiveness. They were very popular in Wisconsin and some restaurants still call themselves supper clubs. The menus are usually simple, unadorned American fare such as prime rib, chicken and fish. No fancy sauces other than ketchup nor any spices other than salt and pepper. An “adult lite” menu was available but I didn’t think the portions would be enough to satisfy my hearty appetite. While waiting for our meals to arrive, we were served a small loaf of warm bread that was half white bread and half rye served with a dish of butter packets wrapped in foil. The multi-flavored bread was the only attempt at culinary flair. The white bread was good but I found the rye too salty. How could that be? Apparently, they mix the breads separately and stick them together somehow. Annette, our waitress, brought our food promptly. She was not very personable but her service was quick and efficient. It was refreshing not to hear her say “My name is Annette and I’ll be your server tonight. Our specials are…” I only learned Annette’s name from my credit card receipt. My sister and I both thought that she bore an uncanny resemblance to Elvera Daul, our eccentric tenth-grade English teacher. I had ordered the perch special. As always, the fish plate came with French fries and disgusting tartar sauce, which I quickly set aside to avoid contamination of my fish and fries. The perch was fried to perfection and did not have a fishy taste. The fries were crisp and fresh. What more is there to say about two deep-fried dinner items? Clearly, they used fresh grease. Other than the potatoes, there was not another vegetable in sight. I missed the sprig of parsley that used to garnish our dinner plates. I enjoyed the meal immensely. We gave it our highest accolade: “I’m stuffed.”