ekscrunchy

Franco: I just noticed when they will be here. I will do my best to try Sfoglia before then and report back. Many, many thanks for the help on the translation! I will get back to that thread soon!

ekscrunchy

Franco (again!) While I think of it, here is the schedule for the NY Mets. You can see the dates of the "at home" games when they need to keep in mind the subway crowds. They do not necessarily have to avoid traveling to Queens on those dates, but perhaps they could avoid the peak of the pre-game rush. Someone else, who is more familiar with that stadium, can advise in more detail.


http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/schedule...nym&m=9&y=2010

christy1

I'm going to add to the chorus that if they are serious foodies and willing to splurge (and have more than 60 days until their trip--they need to call exactly 2 months in advance, at opening EST), they should go to Per Se. It's probably the best restaurant in the county. Lunch is very worthwhile and a bit less expensive if they don't want to do dinner.

franco

ek, thank you again: their nine evenings in NY are going to be September 19th to 27th, the possible evenings for Flushing 19th to 26th (they'll attend the Metropolitan Opera opening gala on the 27th, so no time for an extended dining trek that evening).

mclaurie, they just sent me another email telling how happy they are with your Balthazar brunch tip! They can even walk there from where they'll be staying.

franco

Ah, well, cross-posting! (I'm a slow typer today...) Ok, so they are lucky and just need to avoid Flushing on their first evening. Thanks!

ekscrunchy

Franco: I now find myself with a few minutes so I can return. I looked over my notes and was reminded of how much I enjoyed my last meal at Imperial Palace. So I am going to list a few suggestions for that restaurant first:

VIETNAMESE CLAM CASSEROLE (my notes say: "next time order with mei fun noodles to sop up the sauce!")

LOBSTER WITH STICKY RICE (this dish, with crab, is a house special; I like lobster better than crab so we ordered that last time; both are excellent and I would take the season into account when choosing. Having said that, I have to inquire as to which is better ordered in September)

HOUSE SPECIAL FRIED LAMB (lamb chops, not actually "fried"; ask for one per person)

PEKING PORK CHOPS-one of my favorite dishes there; essential

WOK-FRIED FLOUNDER--make sure fish is local if possible

CONCH AND DRIED SQUID WITH LILY BULBS AND SNAP PEAS--fantastic, essential dish from specials menu

They also do the Chinese green vegetable very well; snow pea shoots with triple eggs is a good choice, as would be dried scallops with snow pea leaves.

I will return with the Little Pepper dishes later.

ekscrunchy

As promised, here are a few suggestions for Little Pepper. Remember that this place, like most (but not all) of those in the area, serves beer only, but they will allow you to bring your own wine if you want to drink that with your meal. There are places selling beer and wine in the area in case your friends decide to go to a place with no license.

Little Pepper is located down a flight of steps from the street. The room is windowless and a tad grimy. This does not bother me but I have to mention it. There is little English spoken but other diners are a good source of suggestions and help. The place is small--only a few tables.

Here is a list of dishes which I, and my friends, have enjoyed in the past; my last visit was about two weeks ago:

COLD APPETIZERS:

Sliced beef tendon in spicy sauce (this is not my cup of tea but it is always a popular addition to our tables when I eat with friends) ($4.95)

Sichuan pickled vegetable--vinegar-ey cabbage and red peppers. Excellent and very typical dish. ($2.95)

Bamboo shoots in spicy sauce--personal favorite ($2.95)

Celery, dried tofu appetizer--not on my paper menu but they can makek it and I highly recommend. Not spicy.

Spicy Sichuan cold noodles. Excellent. Typical.
(listed under lunch specials on paper menu)

HOT APPETIZERS:

Pork dumplings inn spicy sauce ($3.50)
Wonton in red chili sauce ($3.50)-more spicy than the previous dish

(order one of the above, not both; I like the second one better)

Soft bean curd in hot spicy sauce ($2.00)..interesting typical dish. Do not need to order this if you/they order the fish with soft bean curd.

FISH

Whole fish with spicy bean curd--signature dish. ($16.95)


VEGETABLE

Spicy whole green pepper in salt and sour sauce ($7.95)
Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce (I like chinese broccoli ("gai-lan") better than the standard pea shoots ("dou miao"); which they order depends on their taste) ($7.95)
Eggplant in garlic sauce--typical Sichuan dish; good rendition here ($7.95)



CHEF'S SPECIALTIES


Shredded tea-smoked duck with ginger--I would say this is a must order ($9.95)
Lamb with hot and spicy cumin sauce--another essential dish here; quite spicy ($11.95)
Crust of cooked rice with Pork--not spicy but good, and unusual ($9.95)
Shredded pork with bamboo shoots--not spicy; a personal favorite; I always order this ($7.95)
Double cooked pork--this is what we call bacon and it is very good but not in the first rank unless they love bacon ($8.95)


That should give them enough for the time being. Notice that I do not inclue any chicken or shrimp dishes. I am not a big chicken fan, unless it is a really special chicken (!), And I avoid most shrimp preparations because most of the shrimp we get in NY is farmed frozen shrimp from Asia or South America. Just not good, for various reasons, the first of which is that it usually has no taste. (I don't know where the chef at Aldea sources his shrimp for the Shrimp Alhinho appetizer but I do not care because the way he prepares it (with pimenton) is exceptionally tasty)


There are many other interesting sounding dishes on the menu. For example, they might want to try one of the carb dishes. But I've not had these yet so do not recommend with first-hand knowledge.

ekscrunchy

Also: I asked for the input of my friend who is a baseball fan. He told me that because of the relatively small size of the Mets' stadium, and the fact that they do not sell out, he did not think that there would be much problem going to Flushing on game nights. So that tip will might open up more dates...

ekscrunchy

Franco, sorry. I meant "crab," not "carb" in end of my 4:40pm post..

franco

Sigh! I guess I'll have to join them!! Just for their own comfort, of course, so that there is a chance to sample more dishes at each restaurant...

franco

Ah yes, and ek: my friends don't care much for Indian food, and as far as Thai, they have a regular chance to get excellent real Thai food (remember the story told above about the once-in-a-lifetime hothothot dish?), so are less curious about it. But if there is any exceptional place, with or without subway trek: please don't hesitate, they really like Thai food.

And they want me to let you know they would be glad to hear more opinions on Blue Hill. Anybody else?

Aduchamp1

Per your schedule, the Mets will only be home on Sept 19 for a day game. It will against Atlanta. If they come out of their coma, they could be contending for the division and it will Chipper Jones last game in NY and the Mets will want to give him a proper send off "Larry, Larry."

franco

Great, Aduchamp, thank you. They will definitely stay away from Flushing on the 19th.

Aduchamp1

The ballpark is a different subway stop from Flushing where the restaurants are located.
________________________

All this talk about Prune, we went there for lumch today and it was mediocre by any standards. I had bacon and marmalade on pumpernickel. There were were no more than two strips of undistinguished bacon in the sandwwich. It was accompanied by a small bowl of cold sesame noodles.

Mrs. Adu had a grilled tuna sandwich which was just so-so with a side order over salted ordianry french fries.

When you sit down they put out a tiny cup of olives and celery. Mrs. Adu said the olvies were from a can or jar. She could tell from the color of the olive juice and the general taste.

Now one can say, that it was a bad day. But Prunella herself, Gabrielle Hamilton, was standing right behind us the entire time, sharing drinks and stories with a customer and two of her bartenders.

I guess success has led to complacency.

ekscrunchy

I was underwhelmed when I at there years ago...could never understand how it had become so hot. Although, as I wrote above, I like the style of the chef and have found her recipes to be very good. Well, you don't lack for places to try in your neck of the woods, Adu.

ekscrunchy

Franco: On the off chance that your friends will want to read an interesting article on North Eastern Chinese restaurants (Fu Run is among them) in Flushing, I present:


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/dining/10chine.html

franco

OMG, you're all so terrific. Thank you very, very much, Aduchamp - Prune is off the list. And ek, thank you again: you KNOW that the "off chance" is 100 percent! I don't tell you how much your restaurant notes had our mouthes watering. (Nor how jealous I am of my friends. And of you.)

fluffnfold

franco,

You were looking for more opinions on Blue Hill. While I haven't eaten at the location in Manhattan, I did just eat at the one in Pocantico Hills (Hudson River Valley near Tarrytown) last weekend. I'm not sure how similar or different they are--the one outside the city is on a farm, so you have the advantage of touring the pastures, gardens, and greenhouses to really see where your food is coming from, but I would imagine the menu selections and format are similar. Both my spouse and I agreed that it was the most unique meal we've ever had, although not the best meal we've ever had (those accolades would go to either Per Se or The French Laundry). Blue Hill was half the price, though, so it's hard to be disappointed, and if I had to say anything negative, it would be that they are serving a larger number of people per day/night, so the service is just a tad lacking, or inconsistent perhaps (sometimes we had several servers at our table, and at other times they were nonexistent). You have your choice of a 5-course tasting menu or an 8-course menu, so plan on a lengthy dinner. My other somewhat negative comment is that the servers didn't describe each dish adequately--they mentioned the main ingredient, but not the minor components, and I wanted to know everything since the tastings were completely blind.

Here's a list of the Mobil restaurants in NYC:

3 stars: Daniel, Jean-Georges, Le Bernadin, Masa, Per Se

2 stars: Alto, Corton, Gilt, Gordon Ramsay at The London, Momofuku Ko, Picholine

1 star: Adour, Annisa, Anthos, Aureole, A Voce, Blue Hill, Bouley, Cafe Boulud, Casa Mono, Convivio, Del Posto, Dressler, eighty one, Eleven Madison Park, Etats-Unis, Gotham Bar & Grill, Gramercy Tavern, Insieme, Jewel Bako, Kajitsu, Kyo Ya, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Marc Forgione, Marea, Minetta Tavern, Oceana, Perry Stret, Peter Luger, Public, Rhong-Tiam, River Cafe, Rouge Tomate, Saul, Seasonal, Shalizar, SHO Shaun Hergatt, Soto, Spotted Pig, Sushi Azabu, Sushi of Gari, The Modern, Veritas, Wallse, wd-50

Thus far, I've only been to Cafe Boulud, Gotham Bar & Grill, Gramercy Tavern, and Per Se. I have a reservation next month at Le Bernadin, which I am eagerly anticipating.

franco

fluffnfold, thanks much. I hope you would come back to this thread after having dined chez Bernardin and let us know... Could you please detail WHAT was so unique about your dining experience at Blue Hill? And ek, could you explain WHY you're not a fan? I know that you are usually very fond of Slow Food, and Blue Hill seems like one of their signature restaurants in the US, so it would be interesting to know more.

I see that there are two obvious sushi places on fluffnfold's list... which leads me to ask NY sushi experts to chime in, please! Our great discussion here has been somewhat short on sushi so far.

Aduchamp1

Well, you don't lack for places to try in your neck of the woods, Adu.

My only complaint is that the really cheap/good food value restaurants are disappearing.