Tocqueville is a quiet, traditional "American with a European sensibility" restaurant with surprisingly unique cuisine.
Since our jobs prohibit us from leaving the building during the day, the bf and I rarely get to experience the beauty (and bang for your buck) that is the Restaurant Week $24.07 lunch. Finally, though, thanks to a well-timed New York staycation and the extension of Restaurant Week through Labor Day, we were able to try it out.
We picked Tocqueville because it's well-reviewed, right next to Union Square, and its menu looked intriguing, not to mention its wide variety of fonts.
We had a fantastic meal.
Our waiter was, as the bf put it, a "stuffy guy trying hard to be cool" in the sweetest way. We could tell he was a professional, but that didn't stop him from being really nice and saying things like "I'll leave you with this bad boy" when he slipped us the check. He was also the only captain (lead waiter) there, which actually was appropriate, since there were only three or four other tables filled besides ours.
To start, an amuse-bouche: some sort of cured meat, a tiny potato chip, pureed asparagus, and a tiny, half-cooked dollop of egg yolk. The bf loved it, but seeing as I can't eat room-temperature meat or undercooked egg, I couldn't eat much of it. I did really enjoy the tiny potato chip and pureed asparagus, though.
For appetizers, the bf ordered "white and green asparagus with black truffle vinaigrette" and I had the "heirloom tomato salad with tomato lemon verbena consumme and olive oil ice cream." The truffles combined with the asparagus was a perfect, if surprising, fit. They were both earthy and hearty, but the truffles brought some elegance to what could have been a "yes, it's good but I could make it at home" dish. I certainly could not have made my olive oil ice cream at home. I've never had ice cream in an appetizer before, but it was a fun thing to try. The tomatoes were fresh and juicy, the consumme was tart and had a strange but tasty flavor I didn't expect, and the ice cream tasted like whipped butter and olive oil, which was just about perfect for me.
Our entrees were equally surprising. My "grilled marinated Pennsylvania quail" came with the tastiest, most heavily buttered quinoa I've ever eaten. I could have had an entire meal of that quinoa. It was full of roasted marcona almonds and dried fruits. Even the bf took two bites of it. The quail was adorned with carmelized onions and cherries that had had something delicious done to them because I couldn't get them in my mouth fast enough. I haven't had much quail in the past. It's a dark, flavorful meat, a little challenging to get off the bone, but on the plus side it made me feel like a giant eating a turkey, which was pretty cool. The bf had the most amazing "baby artichoke and spring garlic risotto." I don't even like risotto and I couldn't get enough of it. It was beyond creamy and in the center of the dish was a ball of melting house-made ricotta cheese - how perfect! He ate every bite.
Our desserts were not as outstanding as the rest of the meal, but only because they were plainer. The bf had a "bitter chocolate mille-feuille," which was basically three layers of cookie and two layers of dark chocolate ganache, resting on a pool of chocolate sauce. The sauce was especially good. My "duo of mixed berry sorbet and sheep's milk yogurt" was more interesting - the yogurt was my favorite part, because it tasted like vanilla ice cream until just a few seconds after I'd swallowed it, when I really tasted the sheep's milk. It also came with a strange orange fruit (maybe?) that tasted pretty good but I couldn't figure out quite what it was.
All in all, we had an amazing meal and can't wait until we have enough time off of work and money saved that we can return. They have a special $39 Greenmarket lunch menu that we hope to try sometime. It has a new menu every week and all of the meat and produce comes from the nearby Union Square Greenmarket. Talk about fresh!
Showing posts with label Restaurant Week. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Restaurant Week. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
The Restaurant of 2011?
If David Burke Townhouse was my and the BF's fancy restaurant of choice this past year, will ABC Kitchen be our fancy restaurant of 2011?
It sounds pretty great on paper (check it out - local, organic, famous chef, what more could you want?), and we're planning on going next weekend.
However, the true test will not if it's delicious when we go for its regular menu, but if it will offer a great option over Restaurant Week? Because that's where David Burke won us over. They offer just about the full (delicious!) menu for Restaurant Week and the waiters aren't mean to you about it, which is a winning combination.
So we'll see if ABC Kitchen can live up to our high David Burke standards or if the Townhouse will continue to be our restaurant of choice in 2011.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Restaurant Week: Summer Edition
I'm too excited about finishing the first season of "Veronica Mars" (such a good show! And yes, I really have nothing better to do with my Saturday nights than watch puppy videos and TV shows) to write my Restaurant Week post tonight, so let me give you all a little teaser:
1) Mercer Kitchen (lunch) - $24 lunch menu... sushi pizza, peach and mozzarella salad, and heavenly molten chocolate cake (though, really, when isn't molten chocolate cake heavenly?)
2) David Burke Townhouse (lunch) - $24 steak, mint chocolate mousse cake, and the best eggs of my life
Get excited!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Restaurant Week Review: David Burke Townhouse
Four friends and I sampled David Burke Townhouse last week during Restaurant Week.
What we ordered:
Appetizer: Wild Mushroom Soup with truffle parmigiana foam - Pretzel Crusted Crab Cake and Sweet Chili Prawn with confit orange and poppy seed honey
Main Course: Mustard Crusted Tuna with coconut-kaffir lime basmati rice, baby bok choy, red seaweed with sweet and sour blood orange sauce - Seawater Soaked Roast Organic Chicken with herb garden potato puree, roasted vegetables and pommery jus - Handmade Cavatelli & Braised Short Ribs with wild mushrooms, mushroom chips and truffle mousse
Dessert: Caramelized Warm Apple Tart cider caramel and dulce de leche ice cream - Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with peanut butter mousse and roasted banana ice cream
What We Loved:
Appetizers:
The bread was delicious and arrived alongside tall, molded butter sculptures.
Both appetizers were knock-outs. According to those who tried both, the crab cake was the winner. I'm no fan of seafood, though, and I can tell you that, whatever the heck truffle parmigiana foam is, it's delicious. The soup was thick but not too heavy and laden with mushroom flavor. Unlike many soups, it was not intensely salty, instead relying on the mushroom to really bring on the flavor. A few soup-sogged croutons made of the starting bread really sealed the deal to this excellent starter.
Main Courses:
While everything was great, the Cavatelli knocked the rest out of the park. The ribs were pulled off the bone, mashed together, and stuffed into two paper-thin rolls of Cavatelli pasta. They were surrounded by crispy mushroom chips and extremely thick morsels of bacon. The meat was tender and flavorful. While it must have been saturated with fat, it wasn't dripping with grease or gristle, my usual complaint when it comes to short ribs. The pasta was light and, while I didn't notice it much at first, really added something lovely and different to my final few bites.
Desserts:
The Bittersweet Chocolate Cake was another Knock Out. This cake cannot really be called a cake. It was three thick slabs of dark chocolate goo with two slabs of light, fluffy peanut butter mousse in the middle. Drops of chocolate lined the edges of the plate, adding a few extra bites to the already chocolate explosion. But the best part was by far the roasted banana ice cream. Now, I like banana ice cream, but rarely do I LOVE it. This was incredible. It rested on a bed of delicious, sweet butterscotch crunchies. Alone or mixed with the crazy Reeses' Peanut Butter Cup on Crack, it was an incredible scoop of ice cream.
The Service:
They seated us before our full party arrived, which was very nice of them considering how crowded it was. They didn't treat us differently even though we clearly could only afford the place because it was restaurant week, so points for them there, too.
What We Liked (But Didn't Love):
Appetizers:
Nothing. They were all amazing.
Main Courses:
The Roasted Chicken was delicious, but the portion was a little too large for the average person. Our only complaint with the Tuna was that, unlike the Cavatelli, there was nothing very special about it. My boyfriend noted that he had had better seared tuna at Hibiscus, one favorite Special Occasion restaurant in Dallas. While it was great, it didn't quite live up to what we had expected. One (minor) critique of the Cavatelli was that the bacon that came with it, was (in my boyfriend's words) "more like glorified ham." I know everybody nowadays thinks the world should be covered in bacon (and admittedly, I had bacon in some macaroni and cheese from Westville last week and it was fabulous!), but some things really are just great as they are. The Cavatelli was a perfect example of that.
Desserts:
Our dining companions who had the Apple Tart loved it and are huge fan of apple tarts, so no complaints in this department, either!
The Decor:
We definitely got the Alice in Wonderland theme (red and white, weird card paintings, etc), but there were some pieces (glass balloons?) that seemed somewhat out of place.
The Price:
The $35 pricetag escalates when you share a bottle of wine among 5 people (well, 4, since I didn't drink), and no wines at this place come cheap. In the end, we each payed about $45-$50 for the meal. But, considering it would have been worth $75+ on a normal night, we were still happy with it.
In the end, Restaurant Week is what you make of it. We found a good deal at a great restaurant, and we were ready to slam down the bucks to make it happen. It was a special occasion among friends and we all had a great time. For those of you looking to enjoy the Restaurant Week love, no worries, some spots are extending their offers until the end of February. And some places (like David Burke Townhouse) have a regular prix-fixe menu all year round.
Stay on the lookout and let me know what you find. Happy Stewing!
What we ordered:
Appetizer: Wild Mushroom Soup with truffle parmigiana foam - Pretzel Crusted Crab Cake and Sweet Chili Prawn with confit orange and poppy seed honey
Main Course: Mustard Crusted Tuna with coconut-kaffir lime basmati rice, baby bok choy, red seaweed with sweet and sour blood orange sauce - Seawater Soaked Roast Organic Chicken with herb garden potato puree, roasted vegetables and pommery jus - Handmade Cavatelli & Braised Short Ribs with wild mushrooms, mushroom chips and truffle mousse
Dessert: Caramelized Warm Apple Tart cider caramel and dulce de leche ice cream - Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with peanut butter mousse and roasted banana ice cream
What We Loved:
Appetizers:
The bread was delicious and arrived alongside tall, molded butter sculptures.
Both appetizers were knock-outs. According to those who tried both, the crab cake was the winner. I'm no fan of seafood, though, and I can tell you that, whatever the heck truffle parmigiana foam is, it's delicious. The soup was thick but not too heavy and laden with mushroom flavor. Unlike many soups, it was not intensely salty, instead relying on the mushroom to really bring on the flavor. A few soup-sogged croutons made of the starting bread really sealed the deal to this excellent starter.
Main Courses:
While everything was great, the Cavatelli knocked the rest out of the park. The ribs were pulled off the bone, mashed together, and stuffed into two paper-thin rolls of Cavatelli pasta. They were surrounded by crispy mushroom chips and extremely thick morsels of bacon. The meat was tender and flavorful. While it must have been saturated with fat, it wasn't dripping with grease or gristle, my usual complaint when it comes to short ribs. The pasta was light and, while I didn't notice it much at first, really added something lovely and different to my final few bites.
Desserts:
The Bittersweet Chocolate Cake was another Knock Out. This cake cannot really be called a cake. It was three thick slabs of dark chocolate goo with two slabs of light, fluffy peanut butter mousse in the middle. Drops of chocolate lined the edges of the plate, adding a few extra bites to the already chocolate explosion. But the best part was by far the roasted banana ice cream. Now, I like banana ice cream, but rarely do I LOVE it. This was incredible. It rested on a bed of delicious, sweet butterscotch crunchies. Alone or mixed with the crazy Reeses' Peanut Butter Cup on Crack, it was an incredible scoop of ice cream.
The Service:
They seated us before our full party arrived, which was very nice of them considering how crowded it was. They didn't treat us differently even though we clearly could only afford the place because it was restaurant week, so points for them there, too.
What We Liked (But Didn't Love):
Appetizers:
Nothing. They were all amazing.
Main Courses:
The Roasted Chicken was delicious, but the portion was a little too large for the average person. Our only complaint with the Tuna was that, unlike the Cavatelli, there was nothing very special about it. My boyfriend noted that he had had better seared tuna at Hibiscus, one favorite Special Occasion restaurant in Dallas. While it was great, it didn't quite live up to what we had expected. One (minor) critique of the Cavatelli was that the bacon that came with it, was (in my boyfriend's words) "more like glorified ham." I know everybody nowadays thinks the world should be covered in bacon (and admittedly, I had bacon in some macaroni and cheese from Westville last week and it was fabulous!), but some things really are just great as they are. The Cavatelli was a perfect example of that.
Desserts:
Our dining companions who had the Apple Tart loved it and are huge fan of apple tarts, so no complaints in this department, either!
The Decor:
We definitely got the Alice in Wonderland theme (red and white, weird card paintings, etc), but there were some pieces (glass balloons?) that seemed somewhat out of place.
The Price:
The $35 pricetag escalates when you share a bottle of wine among 5 people (well, 4, since I didn't drink), and no wines at this place come cheap. In the end, we each payed about $45-$50 for the meal. But, considering it would have been worth $75+ on a normal night, we were still happy with it.
In the end, Restaurant Week is what you make of it. We found a good deal at a great restaurant, and we were ready to slam down the bucks to make it happen. It was a special occasion among friends and we all had a great time. For those of you looking to enjoy the Restaurant Week love, no worries, some spots are extending their offers until the end of February. And some places (like David Burke Townhouse) have a regular prix-fixe menu all year round.
Stay on the lookout and let me know what you find. Happy Stewing!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Restaurant Week Winter 2010!
It's that time of year again (at least for us New Yorkers)! Restaurant Week!
The name is a misnomer, since Restaurant Week often lasts much longer than a single week. This year it's from now until Feb. 7th, and at many places it will go on until the 28th. You can find out about dates, places, and much, much more on the Restaurant Week Homepage.
Eating well during Restaurant Week is a hard-earned skill. It takes time, internet savvy, accounting, and pretty much requires having a foodie friend on hand to make sure those Yelp reviews are accurate.
Why is this seemingly great feast of a deal sometimes a dud?
For one, there are 200+ restaurants listed, and you can get a great dinner for under $35 at quite a few. Others limit their menus so much that the meal you'll get won't taste up to snuff. A mighty few, though, are truly worth the hullaballoo. How do you find out?
1) Go through all 200+ restaurants with your foodie friend and have them pick out a "best of" list for you. Make sure they give you a significant amount of options, though, because...
2) Cut out any restaurants that don't offer the meal deal you want. Some only offer dinner, some lunch. No places abide by RW on Saturdays, and only a few on Sundays. The last thing you want to do is show up to a place only to realize that you'll have to pay full price.
3) Compare the RW menu to their real menu. How much are saving? $4 or $40? This is where you'll really get the bang from your buck, so make sure that number suits your needs. Also, check and see what options they've got on there - do you have any dietary restrictions? Does the menu adhere to them? If not, you may want to check out a different place.
4) Make reservations early and be flexible. RW is a big ticket item, and reservations go quickly, especially at the places with the best deals.
My friends and I acted quickly and are going to David Burke Townhouse (a $20 value!) next Monday. We're very excited for it and will let you all know how it goes. Stay tuned!
And if you have any RW experiences (horror stories, success stories, etc) you'd like to share, write them in the comments! We'd love to hear them.
Happy Stewing, Readers!
The name is a misnomer, since Restaurant Week often lasts much longer than a single week. This year it's from now until Feb. 7th, and at many places it will go on until the 28th. You can find out about dates, places, and much, much more on the Restaurant Week Homepage.
Eating well during Restaurant Week is a hard-earned skill. It takes time, internet savvy, accounting, and pretty much requires having a foodie friend on hand to make sure those Yelp reviews are accurate.
Why is this seemingly great feast of a deal sometimes a dud?
For one, there are 200+ restaurants listed, and you can get a great dinner for under $35 at quite a few. Others limit their menus so much that the meal you'll get won't taste up to snuff. A mighty few, though, are truly worth the hullaballoo. How do you find out?
1) Go through all 200+ restaurants with your foodie friend and have them pick out a "best of" list for you. Make sure they give you a significant amount of options, though, because...
2) Cut out any restaurants that don't offer the meal deal you want. Some only offer dinner, some lunch. No places abide by RW on Saturdays, and only a few on Sundays. The last thing you want to do is show up to a place only to realize that you'll have to pay full price.
3) Compare the RW menu to their real menu. How much are saving? $4 or $40? This is where you'll really get the bang from your buck, so make sure that number suits your needs. Also, check and see what options they've got on there - do you have any dietary restrictions? Does the menu adhere to them? If not, you may want to check out a different place.
4) Make reservations early and be flexible. RW is a big ticket item, and reservations go quickly, especially at the places with the best deals.
My friends and I acted quickly and are going to David Burke Townhouse (a $20 value!) next Monday. We're very excited for it and will let you all know how it goes. Stay tuned!
And if you have any RW experiences (horror stories, success stories, etc) you'd like to share, write them in the comments! We'd love to hear them.
Happy Stewing, Readers!
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