restaurantgirl

** Stars
115 Allen St. (btwn. Delancey & Rivington Sts.)
Phone: (212) 253-5400
Hours: Dinner, Mon.-Sat., 6 p.m.-12 a.m., Sun., 5 p.m.-11 a.m.
CUISINE  Contemporary European.
VIBE Cozy lower East Side haunt.
OCCASION  Romantic dinner; Bar dining.
DON'T-MISS DISH  Caramelized bone marrow, Sweetbread raviolo
PRICE Appetizers, $12-18; entrees, $20-29; desserts, $10.
RESERVATIONS  Highly recommended.

At Allen & Delancey, a well-heeled woman spooned bone marrow into her mouth. It was a nonchalant bar gesture, followed by a leisurely sip of a cocktail.

This is a culinary sign of the times.

Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "Live deep and suck out all the marrow of life." Dining on bone marrow was likely not what the philosopher had in mind, but fitting, as this is not an uncommon sight at New York City restaurants in the 21st century.

Allen & Delancey is the perfect place to heed Thoreau's advice. It is a warm, nearly wintry lower East Side haunt. Reminiscent of a gentlemen's library, the upfront bar is lined with artisanal bitters, books and frameless paintings. The black bar top is as glossy as the creamy pearls of paddlefish caviar that crown the caramelized marrow. It's a luscious appetizer that can be indulged on a bar stool or at a dimly lit banquette in the main dining quarters.

Owner Richard Friedberg has appointed sommelier Glenn Vogt and chef Neil Ferguson to tend to this romantic room. Having been recently released from Gordon Ramsay's upscale inferno, this is as far removed from the chilly formality of The London Hotel as Ferguson can get.

But Ferguson is a British chef, versed in the refined art of French cooking. This is also a chef with a serious offal and organ meat fixation. Thus, the menu pivots on a sophisticated and downright hearty axis.

Ethereal sweetbreads are tucked into a raviolo atop braised cabbage and a vigorous Bolognese sauce. A supremely tender lamb chop comes topped with a zesty persillade and sided by succulent braised lamb's neck. An excellent Moulard duck breast shares a plate with seared foie gras; its buttery richness ably tempered by the earthy bitterness of turnip confit and button radishes.

In matters of seafood, Ferguson also enlists the bold, lusty flavors of meat. He infuses bacon into gnocchi below mackerel, and wraps fluke in a smoky blanket of prosciutto. Both have tasty results.

When he doesn't employ animal offerings, fish tends to register as a blank slate, too reliant on accompaniments for flavor...

You may recognize pastry from his reality TV show, Ace of Cakes, on the Food Network.  But Duff's background consists of much more than an artful cake creator.  Duff began his cooking years at the early age of 4, and began working in a professional kitchen at 14.  Having a great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother who all worked as cooks or artists, a culinary arts career was somewhat inevitable.

Duff studied pastry arts at the CIA in Napa Valley, where he advanced his culinary talent.  Having gained notoriety as a skilled graffiti artist as a kid, his technical pastry skills coupled with his graffiti inclinations invited a unique career in pastry.  After working in pastry at Keller's French Laundry, Duff moved back to Baltimore in 2000 and opened Charm City Cakes to televised national acclaim.

Status: Single/Married/Divorced
Live with girlfriend.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
An artist - or a football player.

What was your first job in food?
McDonalds.

Having once been a professional graffiti artist, how do you blend the talents of graffiti into cake design?
Taught me about color, harmony, and taking risks.  Listening to your heart and breaking rules.

Otto Enoteca and Pizzeria
15th Avenue and 8th Street
212-995-9559
If you haven't already noticed, olive oil gelato is currently seizing its moment in the restaurant limelight.  But Otto's rendition is the real deal: Sprinkled with sea salt and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, its subtly sweet and mellow.  Likewise, the hazelnut stracciatella harkens Nutella, and the pistachio proves itself profoundly creamy.

Levain Bakery
167 West 74th St, nr. Columbus Ave.
(212)874-6080
A permanent fixture on our “Favorite Desserts List”, we’re humbled in the over-sized presence of this UWS bakery's cookies.  In a nutshell, you’re simply not going to find a better cookie – chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, dark chocolate chocolate chip, or dark chocolate peanut butter chip – in New York City.   Just yesterday we learned by way of Eater, Bobby Flay couldn’t Throwdown with these talented bakers.  Every scone-sized variation proves exceptionally moist and divine.  Levain also peddles fresh-baked breads, including ciabatta and black & white sesame-studded semolina. (It's a shame we don't own stock in this spot.)

Something Sweet
177 First Ave., at 11th St.
(212)533-9986
This old school East Village bakery has been around for ages, but it still stands up to more youthful competition.  Our favorites include the raspberry macaroons, creme brulee cake, banana cookies and truffle buttons.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard Street btwn. Elizabeth and Mott Sts.
212-608-4170
Though this bustling shop offers traditional flavors, opt for the exotic, Asian-inspired varieties: Black sesame boasts hundreds of crunchy seeds; lychee evokes floral aromas and a creamy texture; while the honeydew pearl tea is dense, sweet and stocked with chewy tapioca balls.

Cendrillon
45 Mercer St. btwn. Broome and Grand Sts.
212-343-9670
This Filipino restaurant offers a medley of ethnic desserts, but your first stop should be the Halo-Halo, an exotic ice cream sundae of sorts. Topped with taro ice cream, the combination of shaved ice, red beans, toasted rice, coconut flan, and jackfruit is luxuriously fruity and defiantly light

Flames Steakhouse has just morphed into Giardino D'oro, an Italian eatery in the Financial District.  Nick Vuli, who was both the owner and chef at Flames, partnered up with Benny Jakupaj, to undertake the restaurant's transformation.   

Owners site Wall Street woes and tightened expense accounts for the recent decline in Flames' lunchtime business and thus, the transition to affordable Italian.  Outdated wallpaper has been replaced by gold-tinted Venetian plaster and rugs have been torn out in favor of cherrywood floors.    

This traditional Northern Italian features eggplant rollatini, veal chop Valdostana sauced with wild mushrooms and cognac, homemade agnoletti and four-cheese stuffed ravioli.  While not on the newly issued menu, Vuli still offers its signature, dry-aged in house steaks on an off the menu request basis: expect porterhouse, rib eye and New York strip steaks.

Address: 5 Gold St., at Maiden Lane
Phone:(212)514-6400
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11a.m.-10p.m., Sat., 3p.m-10p.m.

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
**Don't forget to subscribe for Restaurant Girl's weekly newsletter**

This is a great recipe for homecooks because it is an easy way to introduce yourself to cooking seafood at home.

Serves 2

1 small leek
1 cup white wine
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 Nantucket or Taylor Bay Scallops in the shell
1/2 pound cold butter, cut into small pieces

Prepare the leek by trimming off the dark green top and roots, slicing the white part in half lengthwise, and cutting it into 1/4-inch slices. Immerse the leek slices in a bowl of cold water and agitate then to loosen and remove the sand. Skim the leeks out of the water and into a strainer, leaving the sand behind.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the wine to a simmer. Add the leeks and a small pinch of salt and saute for about 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the scallops in the shell and cover the pan tightly. Raise the heat and steam until the shells open, about 3 to 4 minutes. Check them halfway through to make sure there is still liquid in the pan. If not, add more wine or water. When the shells open, leave the leeks in the pan but remove the scallops. Place them in a bowl in a warm place while you make the sauce.

To prepare the simple pan butter sauce, over medium-high heat reduce the liquid in the pan to about 1 tablespoon. Add the chunks of cold butter one piece at a time, whisking constantly. Work quickly, or the sauce will break. Once all the butter has been incorporated, pull it off the heat and season it to taste. Pour the sauce over the scallops and serve.

**1/2 Stars
Address: 54 Carmine St., at Bedford St.
Phone: (212)255-2100
Cuisine:  Seasonal American
Vibe: Quintessential neighborhood spot & grocery
Occasion: Casual date, neighborhood dinner
Hours: Dinner, Mon-Sat, 5:30p.m.-12a.m.  Closed Sundays
Don't Miss Dish: Gnocchi with short ribs; Pan roasted chicken. 
Drink Specialty: Rotating wine selection.
Price: Appetizers, $9-$12; Entrees, $17-$29; Desserts, $5-$9.
Reservations: Reservations recommended

CAPSULE:  Not just another trip to the market… Shop for groceries and you’ll be tempted to stay for dinner at Market Table.

What looks more like a corner grocery store is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after tables in town. The only entrance to Market Table's dining room is by way of an adjoining grocery shop, a makeshift preview of what's on the menu. Think general store meets butcher shop, where customers can purchase anything from exotic dried fruits to burger patties.

Yes, this is yet another market-restaurant shtick. But while it's unlikely you'll spot diners exiting the Ritz's BLT Market with simple syrup for the road, the notion of taking herb-flecked gnocchi, made fresh daily, is a functioning and alluring concept here - especially if you taste the finished product in the dining room.

Chef Mike Price plunges these soft nibbles in an exceedingly tasty Parmesan broth laden with short ribs and nutty escarole. You'll get the same thick and superior cut of meat whether you buy it to go or order it from the menu. But I strongly recommend the latter: You'd be hard pressed to achieve as beautiful a char from a strip steak as he does. That's because Price dexterously plays the roles of the butcher, the baker and the chef.

But Market Table is a three-man show, as Price shares the stage, and ownership, with Joey Campanaro and Gabriel Stulman (both of Little Owl fame). In the dining room, Stulman is the veritable Sirio Maccioni (Le Cirque) of a new dining generation - one that thrives on the informal, hospitality-driven eatery.

He guides you to a butcher-block table in an elemental setting, outfitted with a cherrywood bar and floor-to-ceiling windows that look onto the West Village. There are the warm charms of votive candles, utensils dispensed from antique file drawers, and a congenial buzz bouncing off glossy brick walls.

Another draw is polished fare with the perfect measure of Seasonal American edge and grounded simplicity that brings out the superiority of the individual ingredients.

Golf-ball-size hush puppies are fluffy enough to indulge in one too many, savory enough to pair with its sweet honey butter. Instead of the usual smear of cream cheese, salmon gravlax is ingeniously paired with a deconstructed egg salad, consisting of egg, radicchio, parsley and red wine vinaigrette.

Creative and tremendously flavored dishes streak the menu...

The Frederick's midtown outpost has transformed itself (once again) into Jour Et Nuit, a modern French-American bistro.  In hopes of resurrecting the defunct Soho Jour Et Nuit, owner Frederick Lesort has teamed up with twin brothers Derek and Daniel Koch to install the latest incarnation this subterranean space has seen.  Having worked at Le Bilbouqet for numerous years, the Koch brothers have amassed a loyal and predominately European clientele they hope will follow them to their new venture. 

Once a private supper club, Jour Et Nuit has a more democratic door policy and a decorative face lift.  The space has been newly appointed with cherry wood floors, blue velvet banquettes and cream colored walls.  There's also a lengthy standing room only bar to lure the after-work banker crowd. 

The menu features the French classics: croque monsieur, moules frites, steak tartare, and charcuterie.  In an appeal to the masses, there's also a club sandwich, macaroni & cheese, and burger.  We'll see if the bistro menu and French concept sticks at this forever evolving midtown space.

Phone:(212)752-6200
Address: 8 West 58th St., btwn. 5th & 6th Aves.
Hours: Mon-Sat, 5pm-1am

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
**Don't forget to subscribe for Restaurant Girl's Weekly Newsletter**

As new restaurants continue to trickle onto Hell's Kitchen dining scene, Roberto Passon (Cipriani, Italy) gets in on the action with casual Italian, La Bocca di Bacco.   Right around the corner from his eponymous Venetian-inspired restaurant, chef Roberto Passon has officially opened a wine bar with Northern Italian tapas, crostinis, salads and pastas. 

La Bocca di Bacco's menu features octopus carpaccio with pistachio lemon dressing, goose breast crostini and chestnut lasagnette (none of the plates will exceed $20).  The wine list highlights over 40 wines by the glass.

Phone: 828 Ninth Ave., btwn. 54th & 55th Sts.
Address: (212)265-8828
Open for business
 

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
**Don't forget to subscribe for Restaurant Girl's weekly newsletter**

Quick Sauté of Zucchini with Toasted Almonds & Pecorino
(Adapted from The Red Cat Cookbook by Jimmy Bradley and Andrew Friedman)

Serves 4

We’ve served this dish at The Red Cat since our first dinner back in 1999.  The most important thing here is to not overcook the zucchini.  When cooking it, check it with the back of your hand; get it out of the pan when it’s warm, but not too hot.  This will unlock its flavor and help it meld with those of the almonds and oil.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• 3 to 4 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, then into matchstick sized segments (about 5 cups matchsticks)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ pound pecorino Romano, thinly sliced into 12 triangular sheets with an old-fashioned cheese slicer or very sharp knife

Directions
Divide the oil among 2 large, heavy-bottomed skillets and heat it over high heat.  When the oil is hot but not smoking, add half the almonds to each pan.  Cook, tossing or stirring, until the almonds are golden-brown, approximately 30 seconds.  Add half the zucchini to each pan and toss or stir to coat the zucchini with the hot oil, just a few seconds.  Remove the pans from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and return to the heat for 30 seconds, tossing to warm and distribute the seasoning. 

The Red Cat
Phone: (212)242-1122
Address: 227 Tenth Ave., at 23rd St.

These days, cocktails have become as important as dinner, and a good mixologist as valuable as a top chef.  Though some revelers are content to sling back beer year round, many enjoy autumn’s produce in their potable (and alcoholic) forms. Think apples, tart cranberries, and fragrant pie spices.  Serious bartenders around Manhattan have stepped up, offering out-of-the-ordinary cocktails that make it nearly as enjoyable to drink in this city as it is to eat.

Death & Company – Maple syrup explores its adulthood in a Maple Julep made with Rittenhouse rye whiskey at this East Village sleeper, which just keeps conceiving first-rate libations.
433 East 6th Street, (212) 388-0882

Gramercy Tavern – Fresh cranberries, macerated until plump and spiced with Goslings rum, add a sweet-tart burst of seasonal flavor to the tavern’s “Drunken” cranberry Daiquiri.  But really anything Juliette Pope mixes up, turns to gold.
42 East 20th Street, (212) 477-0777 

Flatiron Lounge – Like a whiskey-soaked pumpkin pie, Ichabod’s Courage blends rye whiskey with pumpkin, ginger, egg white and aromatic bitters to create a Grimm libation worthy of a misty November evening.
37 West 19th Street,  (212) 727-7741

dell’anima – This new West Village wine bar boasts a handsome selection of Italian wines and housemade grappas, but mixologist, L.R., also keeps up the cocktail end of things.  In a fine homage to cranberries, he muddles fresh cranberries with orange bitters, bourbon and a dash of Galliano. 
38 8th Avenue, (212) 366-6633

Silverleaf Tavern – The Hot Maple-Buttered Rum is like the hot apple cider of the over-21 set.  Replete with a cinnamon stick swizzel, this soothing concoction begins with a spiced compound butter mixed with apple cider and Goslings Gold rum.
43 East 38th Street, (212) 973-2550