New York, New York I love that city and should go there more often.
They’ve been having pretty inclement weather there this winter. But before we left for our 10-day sojourn, I asked my guardian angels to provide pleasant weather. They complied since it turned lovely the day we arrived and now that we’re back here, snow is falling heavily on the Eastern seaboard again.
We went to NY for a trio of reasons. We wanted to see a particular actor, Bradley Cole, in the off-Broadway production chronicling the colorful “emperor” of the U.S., Joshua A. Norton, part of San Francisco’s illustrious history. It was a delightful play and he got some fantastic reviews, including one in the New York Times comparing him to Robert Redford and Gary Cooper. His manager was kind enough to give me some insights for a book that I am trying to write. We also visited Patrick’s sister who lives in midtown Manhattan, and I, naturally, had to hit the restaurant circuit.
We dined so well that this is a two-part article. Here are my first two recommendations.
We can say one more time that “it’s a small world.” Just before I left, I went into one of my favorite shops, the inspiring Angels by the Sea on Broadway in Laguna Beach (949-497-7616) to pick up some gifts to take with me. Mentioning to the owner that I was going to New York, he said that I must go to one of the hot new restaurants, Tao, where his son, Troy Guard, is executive chef. What a surprise! I already had information on it in my computer and was planning to do only one or two of the new venues. It was one of them.
The 3-month-old Tao is awesome. It is dominated by a two-story Buddha, visible from every place in the restaurant and set against a wall with two dozen niches holding candles. The used-brick walls of the old building, along with the slate stairway faced in river stones, exotic giant bamboo arrangements in massive pots and giant floating panels of Chinese calligraphy sufficing for a ceiling add to the Zen-like comfort. There are smaller versions of Buddha, reclining and sitting and standing in various niches throughout, and flickering candlelight is everywhere. It gives off a powerful sense of serenity playing yin-yang with the energy level provided by the crowds with reservations and the wannabe walk-ins who will have a very long wait. We had reservations, but it still was 40 minutes before we finally got our upstairs table, since people tend to settle into this compelling atmosphere and stay longer than management expects. It is one of the hottest places in Manhattan, so reservations before you leave home are imperative.
Troy and his kitchen staff present, with much finesse, true fusion cuisine. Plates are likely to be any size or shape and silver spoon and chopstick rests (chopsticks are of exotic wood) adorn place settings. We found the food quite delicious and so interesting and wished in the end we’d had time for another meal here.
We had lobster and shrimp dumplings encased in crispy wrappers and chunky Peking Duck spring rolls. Peking Duck entr & #233;e is one of the house specialties always available. Satay of Chilean sea bass atop wok-roasted asparagus spears was deliciously trendy. Then came grilled rare yellowfin tuna with flash-cooked bean sprouts and scallions in a very esoteric mingling of flavors. Also loved the Thai fish hot pot; in its lemongrass- and coconut-flavored broth were a hefty supply of lobster, sea scallops, shrimp, squid, clams and straw mushrooms. Wok-seared New York sirloin with shiitake mushrooms featured several large mushroom caps topped with a very large portion of sliced sirloin, done exactly as we’d ordered it, the whole surrounded by a delicate demi-glace. We’d really overdone it on the ordering, but nevertheless tried the Tao lo mein with pork. This is a bowl of thin noodles, crisped on the outside with lots of shreds of pork and a swell melange of spices.
From a very exotic dessert menu, we savored every melty spoonful of Molten Chocolate Cake with a scoop of coconut ice cream. We had a couple of wines from the hefty list.
Another new-ish restaurant you must try is the sleek and friendly L’Actuel. It’s about 18 months old and led by partners Christophe Lhopitault and chef Jean-Yves Schillinger. The chef and I found serendipitously that we share a super-chef friend in LA, Alain Giraud. Small world again. L’Actuel is smart and elegant, yet bistro influenced and ideally located. It is outfitted with blond wood, pumpkin and apple green velvet upholstery, inviting booths and banquettes with tables draped in pure white.
Artistic presentations on plates are meant to intensify the experience,a square opaque glass one beneath my appetizer, and a teardrop shaped one beneath my dessert, for instance. After seeing this d & #233;cor, the food presentations, the most interesting wine list,we had the Jacob’s Creek Australian Merlot,the very affordable prices and then tasting the food, I will recommend this restaurant to everyone going to New York.
Jean-Yves interprets French bistro classics, many of them with an Alsatian bent since that’s his native territory. With the prix-fixe menu, you can eat for only $20 for three courses at lunch. We dined well. Beet salad with poached egg and salmon “Acra” croquettes with frisee salad started things off. Cod fish with a cassoulet of beans and a meat tourte (redolently marinated beef inside a pastry crust) followed. The roasted chicken comes with an array of garden vegetables, a simple but tasty country dish. Do not miss specialties of calf cheeks stew, hand-cut steak tartare with fries and black sea bass with asparagus. In true bistro fashion, there’s the beloved steak and fries, which we did not try, but the absolute must might be the flamb & #233;ed pizza,a specialty of Alsace topped with a choice of onions and bacon, bluefin tuna or salmon and mushrooms. We ended our splendid foray with banana bread pudding, caramel flan and crispy apple tart.
The happy bar is called Blink, and I would advise a before- or after-meal drink to bookend the terrific dining experience you have at the table.
