Paola's

Media_httpwwwurbanspooncomblink1454771biglinkgif_aqllncfgrbextgk

I like to call Paola's a Upper East Side, Italian version of Pastis. The crowd is a bit older and much more "Upper East Side" instead of the trendy socialites that inhabit in the Meatpacking District, but Paola's looks like an Italian version of Pastis. Like Pastis, Paola puts ceiling fans and giant mirrors to good use in the decor of its restaurant creating a very elegant yet almost casual environment. For now, the patrons at Paola's are mainly wealthy families who live in the area but I'm assuming that will change due to all the write-ups this restaurant is getting. But what is best about Paola's isn't the decor nor the service (which is pretty good by the way), its the food. Paola's serves traditional Italian food and each dish I ordered was above par. The Taglierini Con Funghi was spectacular as well as the Anantra (Duck). The Taglierini Con Funghi consisted of homemade taglerini pasta with a mushroom sauce and a bit of shaved black truffle. The pasta tasted homemade and it was a truly authentic Italian dish. The duck dish consisted of a seared duck breast with a red Italian mushroom risotto and an apricot purée. The apricot complemented the duck perfectly and you really got to taste the contrast of the sweet and savory. While I'm not a fan of risotto, it did happen to taste good and wasn't chunky or too al dente like some risottos can be. Paola's is a good, moderately priced Italian restaurant that should be visited over trendier Italian restaurants that don't deliver the same quality food as Paola's (not to mention any names...Roc in Tribeca).
Media_httpwebmecompaolasrestaurantnycpaolasfoodpicsfilespumpmg9373jpg_phbmawjaxpatvrp

New York Times Demotes The Spice Market

In the New York Times' Dining & Wine section, there was an article reviewing Jean Georges' Spice Market. Any New York foodie knows the New York Times' restaurant reviews are key to any restaurant's survival in this brutal and competitive city. Originally, NY Times gave the Spice Market 3 stars, which if you're not familiar with how the NY Times rates restaurants is pretty damn good. But today's review gave the Spice Market only 1 star. I've been to the Spice Market twice and while its no where near 3 stars, it's still pretty brutal to be knocked down from 3 stars to 1 star. At The Spice Market food takes a back seat to ambiance and decor as while the menu is interesting and definitely cultural, a lot of the dishes are poorly executed and should be a lot better than they are (some examples are the chicken skewers and the short ribs). The NY Times review can be found here. On the positive side, The Spice Market happens to be one of the few restaurants that can be budget friendly depending on what you order (The Spice Market offers a 5 course tasting menu for $48 and a $24.07 bento-box lunch special) and the portions are quite generous...oh yeah and the restaurant is gorgeous!
Media_httpgraphics8nytimescompackagesimagesphoto2009062320090624rest28408059jpg_ifybhyemeaavprv

New Jordan Spizikes

Jordan is releasing a new pair of Spizikes in February of 2010. These sneakers are insanely simple, especially compared to the Spizikes Jordan has released lately (who remembers the Kings County Spizikes?). No word on pricing nor a specific release date, but all we know is these are a hot pair of Jordans and you know everyone's going to want to cop a pair! Check back for updates!
Media_httpnicekickscomfiles200906jordanspizikeblackred20102jpg_fdxfgcscixcnujw

MERKATO 55 July 4th Brunch

I have just received an email from Merkato 55 informing me of their July 4th Independence Day Brunch. If I weren't going to be in Rwanda I'd deffinetly make a reservation as soon as possible as spots are limited and are going to be filled ASAP. Only negative, Merkato is ONLY taking reservations in special packages called Silver & Gold Tables and there's also a Platnium Package. These packages are for groups (each package has their own requirements on the amount of guests) and they give certain things such as personal bottles of Sables D'Azur and bottles of Veuve Clicquot for the table, in addition to a full 3 course brunch. The amount of Veuve Clicquot you get for your party depends on which package you pick. The main difference between all these packages is the amount of people you invite which directly indicates the amount of Veuve Clicquot you get. Each package is $100 per person (a bargain in my opinion considering an entree and one specialty drink can come out to $35 with out tax). To make a reservation click here. But like I said, spaces are limited and will fill up quick. Damn I wish I could go! (Image via guestofaguest.com)
Media_httpguestofaguestcomwpcontentuploads20090439144jpg_sxefichuwgbvkde

New BapeSTA Release

*A Bathing Ape just released a "normal" pair of all black BapeSTAs. These Bapes go back to the basics and are actually kind of elegant in a way and sort of remind me of a pair of Dior sneakers I have (you know the black ones that look like Adidas). Anyway, they're out there and these are actually better than anything Bape has released latley!

Media_httpwwwhypebeastcomimage200906abathingapebapebapestablacktonalsneakersjpg_qxbjxnpytguxsba

Owners of Le 55 Soon To Open Piccola Cucina

The owners of Merkato/Le 55 are now opening a small, trendy Italian restaurant named Piccola Cucina. Piccola Cucina is where Cafe Tina used to be in the West Village, but the group behind Merkato has revamped its design and has given it a much more modern feel to it. Piccola will have a moderately priced Italian menu (below). Will Merkato be hosting Saturday brunches here, I hope so but then again...does the West Village really want to be sucked into this weekend brunch madness?
Media_httpresourceszagatcomimgbuzz20090619nycpiccolacucinacourtesyjpg_aqgrgdcghsvtnuj

ANTIPASTI

Vitello tonnato con julienne di verdurine, capperi in fiore e limone a vivo
Veal in a tuna sauce with vegetables, capers and lemon
11
Carpaccio di manzo alle due salse: rugola e grana
Beef carpaccio with arugula and parmesan sauces
11
Texture di arancini di riso (melanzana, ragout e piselli, pescatora)
Arancini rice fritters filled with eggplant, ragout and fish
10
Mozzarella di bufala con pomodorini pachino e basilica fresco
Buffalo mozzarella with cherry tomato and fresh basil
9
Seppie alla griglia con puree di broccoli e infusion al nero di sepia
Grilled squid with broccoli puree and squid ink
11
Polipo grigliato con puree di melanzane e insalata di finocchi e arance
Grilled octopus with eggplant puree and fennel-orange salad
11
Involtino di pesce spada con pomodorini e arugula
Swordfish roll with tomatoes and arugula
13
Selezione di pregiati salumi e formaggi italiani
Italian salumi and cheeses
15

PRIMI

Spaghetti al pomodoro fresco con cipollotto e basilico
Spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce, sweet onions and basil
10
Lasagna agli asparagi aromatizzati alla maggiorana
Asparagus and marjoram lasagna
12
Ravioli agli scampi con ricotta e pomodoro confit mantacati con bisque leggera e crema di asparagi
Ravioli with shrimp and ricotta, tomato confit, light bisque and asparagus cream
15
Risotto alla pescatora con guazzetto di pomodorini e triglia profumata all’arancio
Seafood risotto with cherry tomatoes, red mullet and orange
17
Tagliolini con vongole veraci e lamelle di bottarga e finocchietto
Tagliolini with clams, bottarga and fennel
16
SECONDI

Millefoglie di filetto con mozzarella e pomodoro
al pane profumato su corona di zucchini e la sua salsa
Filet mignon napoleon with mozzarella, tomato, bread and zucchini
25
Agnello in crosta di olive su spinaci saltati al cipollotto e Macedonia di pepperoni
Olive crusted lamb with sautéed spinach, red onions and peppers
25
Grigliata di pesce con verdure alla griglia e olio alla menta
Grilled fish and vegetables with mint oil
28
Ventresca di tonno rosso siciliano con melanzane, olio al basilico e crema balsamica
Tuna belly with eggplant, basil oil and balsamic cream
21
Cotoletta di vitello alla Milanese con rucola e pomodorini
Veal milanese with arugula and tomatoes
5oz/26 9oz/31
Branzino in cartoccio con pomodoro ramato e asparagi bianchi con fumetto montato
Broiled branzino with grape tomatoes and white asparagus
23

DESSERT

Tiramisu in coppa martini con savoiardi e frutti di bosco
Tiramisu with ladyfingers and berries
7
Crème Brulée gratinata con lamponi e salsa alle fragole
Crème brulée with raspberries, strawberry sauce and thyme ice cream
7
Composizione di frutta al piatto con brodetto al vino rose al profumo di canella e menta
Fresh fruit with rose wine, cinnamon, mint and warm chocolate sauce
6
Cannoli siciliani mignon in tre gusti con salsa al cioccolato e panna montata
Mini Sicilian cannoli in three flavors with chocolate sauce and whipped cream
9
Mezza luna al pistacchio con biscotto alla nocciola, gelato alle mandorle,
salsa alle fragile e croccante al sesamo
Pistachio half-moon with hazelnut cookie, almond gelato, strawberry sauce and sesame
9

Plunge Now To Join The Saturday Brunch Trend

Plunge, the lounge/bar/restaurant atop the luxurious Hotel Gansevoort now wishes to join the Saturday Brunch party battlefield with its "Get Up Get Down" party. With Le 55 and Bagatelle already dominating the scene, why would Plunge want to all of a sudden start promoting brunch parties. Plunge believes that their gorgeous views of their rooftop deck will overcome the fact that Merkato serves up sparklers with every bottle of Rose and that Bagatelle delivers their $2,500 bottle of Moet by a waiter flown in dressed up as Superman. Honestly, I think Plunge will take the place of Nero D'Avola as their brunches have taken a major plunge (I love puns) over the past few weeks. It's good to see another contender in this Meatpacking District brunch battle, let's see if Plunge can fight it out against Merkato & Bagatelle!

Media_httpwwwnybarflycoma6a00d8341cabab53ef01156fbe8dd1970c320wi_piyiggwdmktlncj

Monkey Bar

Media_httpwwwurbanspooncomblink34721biglinkgif_ebercrxaxvccoij

The highly anticipated Monkey Bar owned by Graydon Carter (editor of Vanity Fair) has now opened in the Hotel Elysee. Well it actually was just re-opened by Carter as the Monkey Bar used to be a a very "in" steak-house about 30 years back. And of course we all knew Carter was the perfect person to reopen Monkey Bar after his great success with the Waverly Inn. Before Cater purchased the space, in around 2007 someone purchased Monkey Bar and turned it into an Asian bistro. After that failed, Graydon got a hold of the space and restored it to its original scenery. Monkey Bar is meant to be very exclusive, not as bad as the Waverly Inn but its still a hassle to get a reservation. You can only make a reservation via email (reservations@monkeybarnewyork.com) and don't bother calling their phone line. Upon arrival you are greeted by a door man who is essentially an up-scale greeting comity. You walk through the doors and into the original Monkey Bar. You can tell that not much was changed as it has a very 1950s feel to it, very elegant even by today's standards. You walk over to the maitre de whom seats you in the very piano bar looking dining room. Only one problem with the dining room, it was empty. In Monkey Bar's email confirming the reservation...well I'll let you read it. It says:

"Please note that the table is rebooked for another reservation at 9:00 and
we only hold the table for 15 minutes."

Well let me tell you, there were about 15 other tables that 9:00 reservation could have been seated at. The crowd is the same crowd you'd see at Le Cirque, elderly and wealthy. But however Le Cirque has a much bigger name than Monkey Bar so it happens to drive in more patrons. According to every major magazine in New York (especially NY Mag), Monkey Bar was supposed to be this very in trendy place that's the next best thing to the Waverly Inn. Well let me tell you it isn't and don't believe all the hype. The vibe is very conservative and quiet and nothing near that of the Waverly Inn. But never the less, the food happened to be good. Monkey Bar has been through a few chefs and menus since its opening as they originally served Asian fair but now they have switched over to an American menu which better suits the restaurant. The linguine as an appetizer was good but the salmon wasn't anything to rave about. This brings up another problem, the items on the menu aren't anything new and original. You can get anything on Monkey Bar's menu any where else in the city for a fraction of the price. The food is good at Monkey Bar, but it's really not worth the price tag. After visiting Monkey Bar, I wouldn't return till I was maybe 60. It really doesn't live up to the hype everyone is giving it and is certainly nothing compared to the Waverly Inn. The place is gorgeous and the food is good but if its a trendy restaurant with a boisterous vibe you're looking for, please don't go to Monkey bar as you'll be set up for disappointment.

Media_httpresourceszagatcomimgbuzz20090413nycmonkeybarcourtesyhalfjpg_znjokopbwuabhia


Le 55 (formerly Merkato 55)

Media_httpwwwurbanspooncomblink335228biglinkgif_pzcbayeosqmuzvw

I've actually been waiting a while to go to Le 55 (formerly Merkato 55 ) for brunch, dinner not so much. Merkato 55 is one of the "go-to" restaurants in the Meatpacking District for brunch (Bagatelle, Nero D'Avola, Pastis and 201 are the others). Merkato stands out from the rest (well perhaps all but Bagatelle) by blasting loud music, serving overpriced cocktails, only admitting beautiful people and the most important...making it a living hell to get a reservation! Merkato only takes reservations for brunch via email (reservations@merkato55nyc.com) at specific hours (12:30 PM & 2:30 PM), so its quite a hastle to get in. Option 2 is to try and get in as a walk-in (like I did). On a rainy summer day when New York's elite is in the Hamptons, going to Merkato as a walk-in is that much easier. You can feel Merkato's pulse pounding music from up the corner of Gansenvoort St. Once in front of Merkato you are greeted by a long velvet rope, a door man and 2 bouncers. I'm telling you its like a club but at 2 PM instead of 2 AM. Once getting past the doorman (which is basically to see if you look good enough to get in) you're told to see the maitre de. The first thing you see when you get through the doors is the crowded bar filled with Manhattan's yuppies (Merkato's hype hasn't really reached outside of Manhattan yet...for some odd reason I just happen to be obsessive with restaurants so I know about it). Getting to the maitre de is about a 10 minute task as that specific area is overly crowded and very narrow. But once speaking to the maitre de, you will either be told to go upstairs or to stay downstairs. Let me tell you, the party is downstairs. I walked up the two flights of stairs...and saw a half empty room. Despite that Merkato was having a slow day, I still would have imagined upstairs to be at least 75% filled. But never the less, the upper level was still thumping with dance music and the alcohol was still flowing. However, I did have an issue with the seating. I was seated at a both in the far right corner and the booth had holes and the stuffing was coming out. Now, I'm not one to complain about things like this (I better not be as I'm not even getting anything close to this when I go to Rwanda), but for a restaurant of Merkato's caliber the seats should be at least in tact. I'll give Merkato the benefit of the doubt and say that it was just that particular booth, but it had better be fixed before the next time I go! Now to the food! Let me first tell all my readers...YOU DO NOT GO TO MERKATO 55'S BRUNCH PARTIES FOR THE FOOD! But with that said, the food was actually better than it had to be. I ordered the eggs benedict, and now while it didn't look/taste anywhere near as good as Pastis', the dish was generously portioned and the eggs tasted pretty good considering the level of importance food is in Le 55. If you can either get a reservation or gain attmitance as a walk-in AND get past the bouncer and door man, Le 55 is a great way to spend your afternoon as while the food isn't anything to rave about the atmosphere makes up for it. Be sure to check out Merkato's Lavish Thursdays and their Sunday Chill Brunch as well! Oh another thing, Merkato doesn't look anything like it does in the pictures. It isn't as lavish nor as large as the pictures make it seem (image via guestofaguest.com).

Media_httpmygmablogsfileswordpresscom2009042009armsupjpg_luehiifcvcxhjjb