A Gourmand's Life

1. Egg Caviar, Jean-Georges

2. "Uovo", Soft Egg-Filled Raviolo with Truffle Butter, SD-26

3. Red Wine Marinated, Charcoal-Grilled Octopus, Periyali

4. Kang Kong Belacan, The Fatty Crab

5. Onion and Bone Marrow Soup with Parmesan Toast, The Breslin Bar and Dining Room

I made my first visit last week to the Upper West Side outpost of The Fatty Crab, the restaurant that helped establish a beachhead for Malaysian food in New York City. Not that we are entirely lacking in good Malaysian restaurants, like we are in, say, Vietnamese – we have Sentosa and Restaurant Malaysia in Flushing and now Laut near Union Square – but Zak Pelaccio at The Fatty Crab was the first chef to modernize the cuisine by applying refined techniques and incorporating local produce and ingredients.


This location, which thoughtfully accepts reservations, just about doubles the size of the Hudson Street original, which is to say it’s not quite as small and uncomfortable. But all else is familiar - tables are still elbow-to-elbow, the servers are still scruffy, the music still blares and the food arrives in no particular logical order. But that food is still good, depending as much on the authenticity of its flavors as on the quality of its produce and the skill of the kitchen.

This is one of those increasingly annoying small plates restaurants, the kind that guarantee you will order not enough or way too much. Twice our group had to reconvene and order additional dishes, particularly repeats of the ones we liked best. The Watermelon Pickle with Crispy Pork, a signature dish from day one, is impossible to resist, even in January when you know the watermelon arrived on your plate after a long trip. Crispy, salty and refreshing, it is one of my favorite dishes here, the beautifully pickled melon a perfect foil for the rich pork belly.

More pork belly arrives in the Steamed Pork Buns, perhaps not quite as delicious as the ones at Momofuku Noodle Bar, but very good in their own right.



Surprisingly, the Fatty Crab handles traditional Malaysian dishes even better then it’s more original creations. Nasi Lemak, the national breakfast of Malaysia, is one of my favorite dishes, and Pelaccio and chef de cuisine Corwin Kave know not to mess with it. Stewed chicken in curry is plated next to coconut rice (rice soaked in coconut milk before steaming) and a myriad of condiments including dried fish, sambal and achar. This is one of the best versions of this dish that I have had.

Even better is the Kang Kong Belacan, or Chinese water spinach cooked with spicy shrimp paste, shallots and garlic. The flavors of this dish are extraordinarily complex. It is one of the most important dishes of Asian cuisine.



The Fried Chicken is a beautifully conceived dish, with the chicken pieces first seasoned in spices too numerous to mention, then brined, steamed and finally deep fried until crispy and tossed in a glaze made from fish sauce, young ginger, smoked shrimp paste and Thai chilies. It sounds great, and tastes wonderful too, but anytime you toss a deep fried item in a glaze you have to be careful not to soften the skin, lest you lose the textural contrast. This has a very complex flavor, but the chicken skin didn’t hold up.

The Fatty Sliders seem like an afterthought, an acknowledgment to the unfortunate fact that you cannot open a restaurant these days that appeals to a younger demographic without including a burger. This one is made from beef and pork and so must be cooked to medium. It has a nice peppery kick but is rather dry, and the flavors are wan compared to the other dishes.



I have worked my way through most of the dishes at The Fatty Crab, and for the most part they are terrific. The atmosphere may capture - sometimes too well - the zeitgeist of dining in New York these days, but the food manages to bridge the divide between authenticity and modernity without skipping a beat.

Pity Tony May. In deference to the modern dining zeitgeist - as preached by Bruni and his acolytes - May, the restaurateur’s restaurateur, spent millions to move, relaunch and even rename his beloved San Domenico, only to have a new critic at the Times - one with an altogether different aesthetic - blast him for it. Despite what you may have heard, SD26, the result of May’s determination to persevere, is neither inelegant nor impersonal. The white tablecloths remain, but in the fashion of downtown, the greeting is a little warmer, the service a little looser, the modern white decor warmed up by splashes of red and vibrant fabric sculptures adorning the walls.


Most importantly Odette Fada is still behind the stove. No doubt San Domenico could be maddening at times due to the occasional lapses in quality, sometimes within the same meal, but Fada has always been a chef who could knock one out of the park, especially with pastas. The memory of her Agnolotti del Plin, little crescents of joy, served in a pool of veal stock with shaved white truffles, still brings tears to my eyes and drool to my lips.

I have only been to SD26 once, for restaurant week, but clearly this is a kitchen still capable of quality work. Yes, the signature Uovo, one raviolo filled with a soft egg yolk and blanketed in butter and Parmigiano Reggiano, could have used more truffle butter (not to mention white truffles), but it is still an iconic dish that never fails to excite.



My wife's starter, Farro and Borlotti Bean Soup, was pure San Domenico, a refined, clean version of an Italian peasant dish that maintained its warmth and comfort factor.



For her main course she chose a pasta, the Chitarra SD26, tomato and basil sauce. I do so wish that the city's best Italian chefs would save this dish for tomato season, but this version was interesting for its bright, almost citrusy acidity.
 
 
I finished with Pan Roasted Guinea Hen with Chestnuts and Leeks. The hen was cooked perfectly, except for a touch of flabby skin on one piece. A little more attention to detail is necessary with a dining room that can sit 300, a fact that the kitchen will come to realize in time. Still, this was a simple but well done dish.
 
 
For dessert we sampled a vanilla bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction as well as the ice creams and sorbets of the day. Panna Cotta has never been my favorite of the cooked custards due to the use of gelatin to set it, which can result in an unpleasant texture. This version, although a tad too sweet, had the creamiest, smoothest texture I have ever seen in a Panna Cotta, at times threatening to wobble right off the side of its dish.
 
 
The ice creams were good, not great, but I did enjoy a sorbet made with Greek yogurt.
 
 
The restauarnt has taken a bit of flack for its electronic wine list, probably from those who remember the slow and unwieldy thing from the old Aureole. Much to my surprise, this little device worked quickly, was sensitive to the touch and easy to read. I will always prefer the bulky wine list that threatens to knock every glass off the table, but I could get used to this thing. If you come with an open mind I think you will get used to the new San Domenico as well. To Mr. May, his daughter Marisa,and chef Fada, congratulations on your return.

There are few examples of one chef's dominance over a city's gastronomic landscape that can compare to Jose Garces' current reign as the overlord of Philadelphia. It is, perhaps, Philadelphia's relatively small size and lack of a fine dining echelon that has catapulted Garces, who specializes in Latin cuisine, to local, and ultimately national, fame.

After leaving Stephen Starr and El Vez behind, Garces opened Amada, a Spanish tapas restaurant that set the template for Garces' empire with its big, lusty flavors and modern riffs on authentic regional dishes. Garces is up to five restaurants now, including the recently opened Village Whiskey, which had a two hour wait at 6:00pm the evening I stopped by. Garces' recent arrival as the new Iron Chef certainly isn't hurting business. So on this trip Distrito would have to do, and it did well.

We arrived a tad early for our 7:00pm reservation to find an already packed house, made even more surprising when you finally get to see how big that house is. Distrito sprawls out over two floors filled with kitschy salutes to Mexico, from the VW bug that doubles as a four top to an expansive wall of Lucha Libre masks.



The menu at Distrito does not stray too far from traditional Mexican fare. While Garces elevates and refines some of these dishes, we are not talking about Topolobampo here - his sights are set lower. Still, this is certainly one of the better Mexican restaurants in the country. You may not recognize it as such after sampling the solid but unspectacular Guacamole, although the Tomato Salsa that accompanied it packed a solid punch, in January no less.

But the next three dishes were knockouts. If your only experience of Tortilla Soup has been at hole-in-the-wall Mexican kitchens that promise authenticity but deliver disappointment, the version at Distrito will come as a revelation. its silky broth redolent of tomato, chicken and Pasilla chile.


Garces built his reputation on his insanely good interpretations of Catalonian cocas at Amada, and his mastery of the flatbread genre continues at Distrito with his Los Hongas Huarache, which bears little resemblance to the traditional large, thick tortilla usually covered with an amalgamation of gloppy toppings. This crisp flatbread is topped with an overdose of umami, from forest mushroms and huiatlacoche crema to black truffles and a layer of assorted cheeses. It is really superb.


The tacos at Distrito were a bit on the delicate side, in a good way. My favorite was the Lengua, a two bite jewel consisting of meltingly tender tongue in cebolla criolla, a South American salsa typically consisting of onions, chilies and lemon, as well as salsa verde.


Only the Mole Amarillo was a disappointment. The sauce was very one note for a mole, the rabbit was just a bit overcooked and the incongrous diced pineapple it was combined with threatened to take over the dish at any time.

We were seriously stuffed at this point but couldn't resist the promise of Churros, served with warm chocolate sauce and coffee ice cream. When made with pate a choux, churros are elevated to the pantheon of fried desserts.


The menu at Distrito is sprawling, and we didn't get to sample the ceviches or any of the larger plates. But the best dishes here are clear evidence of Garces' ability to refine classical dishes without losing their heart, or punch. I look forward to a return visit soon.

By now it should be clear that I hate brunch, although I may not as yet expressed my particular loathing for hotel brunches, those all-you-can-eat buffets where generally execrable food is made even more unpalatable by someone playing the harp. So it may seem strange that I chose to visit Lacroix at The Rittenhouse Hotel for brunch during my recent trip to Philadelphia, but Lacroix is quite different – this is an attempt at brunch for serious gourmands.


In spite of their reputation as one of the top rated restaurants in the city, brunch is not an afterthought at Lacroix. The food selections are serious, but the atmosphere is relaxed and playful. As the dining room itself is rather small, many of the buffet stations are actually set up in the kitchen, where you can watch executive chef Jason Cichonski and his staff at work while you help yourself to their array of creations. Before that, however, m you will want to avail yourself of the cold seafood station, where you will find oysters, individual shrimp cocktail shooters, and house-smoked salmon, as well as reasonably good paddlefish and salmon caviars.


The hors d’oeuvres station has numerous warm options, but since it would take a competitive eater to actually try everything on offer, I passed on most of these, except for the delightful Foie Gras Malted Milk Lollipops. Among the cold salads, Chinese Broccoli with Hearts of Palm, Orange and Muscavado-Mustard Vinaigrette, Grilled Cuttlefish Salad with Grapefruit and Chilled Peanut Vinaigrette, and a Mac “n” Cheese option consisting of elbow pasta, aged gouda, celery and apples were well executed, if not terribly exciting.


In the kitchen you will find individual buffet stations devoted to fish, meat, charcuterie, vegetables and breakfast items. Despite my intention to methodically work my way through each of these, I became distracted and missed the seafood items, which consisted of a Giant Scallop Sausage as well as Black Pepper, Caramel-Glazed Salmon. That was probably a mistake, as the meat options were unsuccessful; an Herb Crusted Lamb Rack was woefully underdone while Braised Pork Belly, while well cooked, was wan and uninteresting. Short Ribs were expertly braised but overwhelmed by kaffir lime, and the undercooked chickpeas that accompanied them were prepared in the style of baked beans, adding to the jumble of jarring flavors.


The vegetable selections had more successful flavor profiles. Brussel sprouts were combined with pine nuts, raisins and a bit of black truffle, and Salsify, one of the most overlooked vegetables, was inventively prepared Lyonnaise style.

At this point you will enter the sweet kitchen, quite literally. In addition to a table of assorted miniature pastries, you are invited to the pastry station in the kitchen to observe, as a dessert is prepared using liquid nitrogen. Next to this are dark and milk chocolate fountains, with various choices for dipping. Needless to say, these were the highlights of the day for my five year old.


The miniature desserts are all well made, including Cardamom Crème Brulee and a Pineapple and Coconut Financier.


My favorite sweet of the meal, however, was Fried French Toast with Toasted Cedar Syrup – an addictive combination that tasted like Christmas on a plate.

The brunch at Lacroix is nothing if not interesting - Chef Cichonski is very talented, and to his credit, he doesn’t attempt to tame down his ideas and seasonings in order to pander to a less sophisticated diner at brunch. But like many young chefs running kitchens these days, his ideas hit the plate running – perhaps before they have received proper consideration. And the sheer number of dishes prepared for this meal guarantee that a number of them will fall flat in both conept and execution. But if brunch fits the bill for a special occasion, Lacroix is the best option, by far. Bring the kids and have some fun in the kitchen.

Dining out often can leave even the most fervent foodie a bit jaded at times, even in the most stimulating of culinary environments. That is why finding a restaurant like Zahav is such a special pleasure – it introduces you to dishes you barely knew existed, and refines others in clever and sophisticated ways. If chef Michael Solomonov’s Middle Eastern flavors initially seem familiar at their core, it is because, as David Sax writes in his excellent book "Save the Deli", "the Isreali culinary landscape is dominated by the food of the Arabs". But there is a personal focus at work here - Solomonov puts his own unique touch on modern Israeli cuisine, and the results are delightful.

To dispense with the negative, the restaurant is in kind of a weird spot, hovering on a small hill next to an office park in Old City. The décor is modern industrial with an attempt at some homey touches, like Jerusalem stone and bare wood tables, but the total effect seems oddly kitschy, and the soaring ceilings don’t really make you feel at home. In fact, sitting in the center of the main dining room here can you make you feel downright insignificant, although that is preferable to a seat at the food bar directly in front of the open kitchen, where you can feel the eyes of the dining room boring a whole through your skull. To the left of that kitchen, though, you will get a good view of Solomonov working at the open pass, where he calmly fires orders while rolling out more laffa dough.

And that dough is one of the reasons you are here. Servers rather matter-of-factly suggest beginning your meal with hummus and some of that laffa, and you would be crazy to ignore them. The hummus at Zahav will clear your head of every other version of this dish you have enjoyed or suffered through in your lifetime. We only tried one of the four varieties offered, and it knocked our socks off. Light and fluffy, with an almost whipped consistency, it is served with a splash of olive oil, garlic, parsley and a touch of cumin and sumac, and it is spectacular. Accompanying your hummus is a great disk of laffa hot from the wood oven. Sort of a combination of pita and naan, it is addictive – expect to order more.



To accompany the hummus and laffa you will be encouraged to order the Salatim, Zafra'a selection of eight small salads that provide a perfect acidic counterpoint to the hummus. This night they included spicy carrots, tabbouleh with pomegranates, okra, beets, pickled cauliflower, cucumber and tomato, marinated fennel and eggplant. It is best to think of these items more as condiments then finished salads. Solomonov does not back down on acid and spice, and some are better by themselves than others. Together with the hummus and laffa, they are terrific.


One dish I was very eager to try was the Kibbe Naya, a tartare of raw lamb, bulgur wheat and allspice, but I found the texture a bit too soft, almost mushy, and the seasoning was a little strong here, obliterating the lamb flavor. The next dish more then made up for my disappointment. Chicken Freekah may be the defining dish of this restaurant. Moist shreds of chicken are merely an accompaniment to the freekah, or roasted green wheat, perfectly cooked and tossed with toasted almonds and a healthy does of lemon. Bright, clean and refreshing, this is a wonderful dish.



From this point on, your meal will involve around protein, but this is not your typical meat on a stick. All are well sourced and cooked over intensely hot coals. The Sabra has lovely chunks of chicken served over mujadara, a delicious lentil, rice and caramelized onion pilaf, and is accompanied by green tahina.

The care taken here is evident in The Gibraltar, not just in the moistness and flavor of the charmoula-marinated fish, but in the accompanying chickpeas, some of which have been boiled and others fried to provide a lovely contrast with each bite.


The Galil, baby eggplant with pomegranates and pistachio, is beautifully cooked, but the tehina that sauces it is a bit strong, and if there is a weakness here it is an oversuse of tehina as an accompaniment.


Like Cucharamama in New Jersey, Zahav is a destination restauramt - there isn't anything like it in New York or anywhere else that I know of. The cooking here reflects Solomov's time at Vetri and Marigold Kitchen - it is an attempt to apply the techniques of haute cuisine to food with thousands of years of history. More importantly, it is an obvious labor of love.

Quite honestly, my previous visits to Philadelphia haven’t gone very well.

The city’s culinary landscape has seen a gradual and sometimes painful evolution take place over the last decade. Once important, trendsetting restaurants like Le Bec Fin, Pasion!, and Susanna Foo, all shadows of their former selves when I visited, have slowly given way to a new breed of modern, chef-driven spots. Restaurateur Stephen Starr deserves a great deal of credit for this – in addition to building a mini-empire, he put Philadelphia back on the map as a serious food destination with Morimoto, and helped position Jose Garces as both the city's most well known and talented chef.


My visit to Philadelphia over the long weekend revealed a new and exciting culinary destination. Following a trend in many major cities towards the gentrification of once decrepit - if not downright terrifying - neighborhoods, Philadelphia has seen an explosion of new, exciting restaurants sprinkled throughout the city. Whereas as little as five years ago a trip to Northern Liberties, University City or West Philly would have involved running a gauntlet of burning garbage can fires, today one can choose among some of the most eclectic, exciting new restaurants in town.

A couple of years ago, Marc Vetri was one of the first of the pioneers to break ground in the changing neighborhood of North Broad, and the response by his admirers was immediate and fervent. This is where the chef of his eponymous restaurant opened a second, more casual place featuring hand-made pastas and pizzas baked in a wood-burning oven. Frankly, I was unimpressed by my one meal at Vetri, one of the many disappointments I have experienced in Philadelphia over the years. The food was Emilia-Romagna as seen through a scientist’s microscope, refined and twiddled with to produce a pallid and bland result.

At Osteria, Vetri lets loose; while there is invention and refinement, this is lusty, full-flavored food that is smartly executed. We began with Mozzarella in Carrozza with Olive Oil, Poached Pear Tomatoes and Capers. At first the flavor and presentation here was a little simple, reminiscent at first bite of the all too familiar fried mozzarella appetizers we all know and hate. But the dish grew on me, particularly the texture of the soft cheese within its ethereally fluffy egg batter. I have very pleasant memories of this dish.


Our other antipasti was an interesting dish, Sepia with Tomatoes, Fennel and Squid Ink Polenta. This was a lovely little pile of expertly stewed cuttlefish pieces served over polenta delicately infused with squid ink, sort of an imaginative play on the Venetian specialty of squid in its own ink over plain polenta. This was a captivating and delicious dish.


Osteria features both Pizza Tradizionale as well as Napoletane. In consideration of our girth, we limited ourselves to one of the former category, the Lombarda, which features Bitto and Mozzarella cheeses as well as Cotechino sausage and a baked, soft egg. This was an exemplary version of a traditional thin crust pizza, its edges perfectly charred in spots, the dough tasting of natural fermentation. The flavor combination was outstanding as well.


The lunch menu is limited here, so we were forced to finish with pasta and await a return visit for secondi and contorni. Chicken Liver Rigatoni with Cippolini Onions and Sage combines house-made pasta with a shower of crumbled chicken livers that have had their occasionally unpleasant murkiness cooked out of them. As delicious as this was, after awhile it appeared to be a bit one note, perhaps missing a bit of heat or acid.
 
 
By now I am sure you have gathered that Osteria is no ordinary...well, osteria. If not, the Pheasant Lasagnetta should convince. A perfectly portioned little dish with large chunks of subtly gamey pheasant nestled in fluffy pasta, this comes to the table with its topping nicely blistered and charred - another unusual and successful dish.
 
 
Italian cuisine can be a tricky genre - known for its simplicity, it can trick chefs into trying to elevate and refine it until its essence is lost. Vetri seems more comfortable working in this genuine, classical format, and it shows. This was a very nice meal, and I look forward to a return visit.