One of the perks of my job is the requirement to stay on top of trendy new restaurants opening in NYC.
Recently I checked out three.
First, my co-worker Lily and I went to
Corton, a new venture from chef Paul Liebrandt in the heart of Tribeca. It has gotten good reviews, but I found it pretty over-priced. I don’t mind paying “New York prices” for good food once in a while, but it has to be really good.
This place seemed like every dish was the result of a strange science experiment. Odd ingredients put together, coupled with strange cooking methods – lots of foams and pastes – but not to the end of a delicious meal. Rather to the end of guests saying “That was … interesting.”
Oh, and they said one other thing, at least the table to the right of us, who were figuring out the check."The total should be four hundred and thirty three". There were three of them.
A frigid Wednesday night found my colleague Rocco and I exploring another of New York’s newest restaurants,
La Fonda Del Sol. Located at 200 Park Ave and described as “in the Met Life building,” our biggest challenge was finding the place, which was actually located on Vanderbilt St at 44th, adjacent to Grand Central. But once inside things immediately got warmer. The space was nicely done, split between the large front room, which was clearly designed as a casual after-work lounge space for the commuter walk-ins that filled it, and the main dining room, separated by a glass wall that blocked out the bar noise almost completely, resulting in a comfortable atmosphere.
The food was exquisite! We started with cocktails, Rocco enjoying a vodka cocktail that looked fruity but had a surprising amount of kick from chili powder – a trend in drinks lately. I had a fantastic sangria. After we ordered we were treated to an amuse bouche from the chef, another trend I’m noticing in New York dining - beyond what one orders, tastes and bites are brought to the table to surprise and delight the diner.
Rather than appetizers, we ordered 3 of the many delicious-sounding tapas to share. The garlic shrimp were excellent, and the cheese croquettes were heavenly, but the short rib was to die for, simply melting in your mouth. The dishes all had well thought out combinations of flavors – unique, but not overdone.
Our main courses were equally fantastic. Rocco had lamb that was really delicious, crusted with a layer of pumpkin seed, and I had a filet minon that was cooked to perfection, and served with 3 sauces and a flavored salt that I couldn’t get enough of. Dessert was heavenly. And best of all, the check was very reasonable – not cheap, but certainly not outrageous. La Fonda Del Sol is well worth checking out if you are in midtown.
Finally, I had brunch with friends on Sunday at a new restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen called
Braai, which serves South African cuisine. I was admittedly a bit skeptical, but the space was superbly decorated, bamboo and wood providing the required atmosphere.
The menu was indeed South African – most of the dishes has strange, unpronounceable names and some ingredients we didn’t recognize. However if you are in the mood for something unusual, it’s a menu worth experimenting with. (One dish pictured above.) It definitely offered something different, and the fairly inexpensive brunch includes unlimited passion fruit mimosas. The Hells Kitchen gays will be back for more of those you can be sure!
Being a Plus One has been fabulous, and it is with pause that I post my last entry of the week. There are so many more amazing stories to be told – tales of debauchery, depravity, and Davi-ty. Fortunately, until I return for my next stint as a Plus One, there is another opportunity to experience all my sassy stories of sordid singledom. Yes, I’m plugging my own blog, a journal about cocktails, sex, and New York City called Manchattan.
