Top Chef alum Dave Martin (pictured right) opened the doors to his first restaurant, Crave on 42nd.  Upon dispatching a regular correspondent to the opening event, we've learned that Martin himself has personally painted the brightly colored squares that adorn the walls.  The specials are cutely written, as if with lipstick, on a large mirror facing the entrance.  Not to be confused with the east side ceviche bar Crave, Martin will be serving "upscale American comfort food."  On the kitchen agenda: Dave's black truffle mac n' cheese and the hanging tenderloin martini- steak with carrot puree served cocktail style in a martini glass. Though Martin did not reign victorious on Top Chef, there are new aspirations that diners and fans will be making the trek to the western wilderness of 12th Avenue.  Time will certainly tell...

Crave on 42nd
Address: 650 W. 42nd St. at 12th Ave.
Phone: (212)564-9588    

No matter what culinary genre they're tapping into, Bruce & Eric Bromberg (Blue Ribbon restaurants) seem to have a knack for drawing crowds and maintaining a devoted clientele.  At Blue Ribbon Brasserie, the two manage to deliver a just as first-rate steak tartare as they do a comforting Matzoh ball soup.  While many often falter and overreach when mixing cuisines, the Bromberg Bros. have built a lucrative empire off the formula.

At Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, they've integrated their two Sullivan Street concepts at 6 Columbus Hotel, just a few steps from the Time Warner Center.   Though this incarnation has sadly left the signature steak tartare and cheese fondue behind, there's a sizeable Japanese-centered menu with a generous raw fish selection in addition to cooked meats and seafood. 

Seeing as there was a forty-five minute wait at 8 this Saturday evening, it's safe to say the word is out on this anticipated spot.  With an ample inventory of wood booths and dining nooks, the Columbus Circle outpost looks like a bigger version of the Sullivan Street sushi flagship.   

Once I got over the conspicuously "missing in action" steak tartare, things ran unusually smoothly for a restaurant that's officially been open since Thursday.  I started at the front bar with an excellent bone marrow appetizer, served with toasted baguette. 

After achieving a table in one of the dining enclaves, I settled into the sushi - all of which was superiorly fresh - including sea bream, yellowtail, mackerel, scallops, and the spicy lobster roll in egg wrapper.  Luscious uni just may have been better than at the downtown location, but we'll have to do conduct further investigations before official ruling on the newly minted establishment.

Phone: (212)397-0404
Address: 6 Columbus Circle

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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This weekend we stumbled upon a truly peculiar cocktail at Double Down Saloon, the New York spin-off of an infamous Las Vegas bar.  This artful dive bar serves up a house-infused bacon vodka.  Committed to his peculiar vision, the owner has special bacon flown in from Kentucky, which he then fries up and soaks in high-quality vodka to create a "Bacon Martini" or Bloody Mary.  And if bacon vodka wasn't sufficiently audacious, each martini is topped with a juicy stick of Slim Jim to gnaw while sipping.  Bartender Joan likens the libation to "a good scotch."

Address:14 Avenue A, just above Houston St.
Phone: (212)982-0543
doubledownsaloon.com

Laurent Tourondel has successfully done steak (BLT Steak), seafood (BLT Fish) and like everyone else, a burger joint (BLT Burger).  Now, he's jumping on the market bandwagon with BLT Market.  A seasonal affair, BLT Market will embrace locally-sourced produce with a menu that rotates monthly.  Come fall, chef Tourondel will dabble in dishes like an arugula and dandelion salad, pan-seared striped bass with cranberry bean caponata and fennel confit, and Amish chicken Provencal. 

A glimpse of the interior reveals creamy walls lined with vibrant paintings of tomatoes (an obvious nod to the market component) and bare bulb light fixtures which hang over reclaimed wood tables and chairs.  Though this appears a more casual endeavor for Tourondel, we can't forget it's housed in Central Park South's Ritz Carlton.

Opening its doors August 16th, BLT Market will serve dinner on a walk-in basis only with a 10% discount.  Come September 10th, you'll have to sacrifice your 10% discount for a reservation.

Phone: 212.521.6125
Address: 1430 Avenue of the Americas
Website: www.bltmarket.com

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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The newest Italian to descend on the "boot-saturated" West Village reveals a determined kitchen with ingenious little twists on food that manages not to take itself seriously.  With Felidia, Savoy and numerous stints as Batali's sidekick on Iron Chef America, Centro Vinoteca is Anne Burrell's solo show. 

While it's still too early in the game to jump to any conclusions, I'm compelled to bask in the sheer delight of their truffled deviled eggs.  Now twice bitten, these nibbles proved themselves to be no fluke.  Let's break them down, shall we?  Behold, these hardboiled whites; deceptively simple groundwork for wickedly creamy puffs of black truffle-specked yolks, doused with truffle oil & sprinkled with fresh chives.  Here's the clincher: they're a mere $4.  I'll never see a deviled egg quite the same way again.

Address: 74 Seventh Ave., at Barrow St.
Phone: 212.367.7470

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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