The Chefs Favorites

Danyelle Freeman, NY Daily News Food Critic, aka The RG: Kefi, Fiamma and Soto are my favorite newcomers for 2007. I still don't think Soto has gotten its due: Chef Kosugi is extremely talented.

Dave Chang, Man of the Year: Hill Country, Tailor, El Quinto Pinto

Mimi Sheraton: Market Table, Alto (with new chef), Porter House

William Tigertt, Freemans Restaurant: Soto, Allen & Delancy, and Resto

Anon, Sr. Editor, Food & Wine: Anthos, Momofuku Noodle Bar - cuz it's totally diff, more pleasurable experience, and Fiamma - if new chef situation counts as newcomer

Jennifer Leuzzi, Snack: Dell'Anima, Solex, Tailor

Joanne Wilson, aka Gotham Gal: Market Table, Pamploma, Momofukosaam

Adam Kuban, Serious Eats: 1. Isabella's Oven: For a brief, shining moment it was making some of the best pizza in the city. But then the joint's virtuoso pizzaiolo moved back to Italy temporarily. Word is that he's coming back in early 2008, which may bring the place's pies back to their masterful levels. 2. Peppe's Pizza & Panini, 3. Di Fara: Does reopening again and again after multiple DOH shutdowns count as being a "newcomer"? It's a newcomer each time, right?

Zach Brooks, Midtown Lunch: 1. If you judged by number of times visited, for me it would have to be Caselulla—the (more than just your average) wine and cheese bar in Hell's Kitchen. The pig ass sandwich. The perfect cheese and condiment pairings. So great. 2. Does Lucy of Gramercy count as a new restaurant? I haven't read much about this place since it was taken over by Chef Carmen Gonzalez, but I had an amazing meal there from beginning to end, and the "pork martini" (my name, not theirs), was one of my favorite NYC dishes of the year. 3. If you're talking about Midtown, it's got to be Five Guys Burgers & Fries. No bigger grand opening. No better burger and fries in Midtown (for under $10 of course).

Ben Lerer, Thrillist: Mercat, Perilla, Aurora Soho

LS: 3. 3. Ssam Bar (rated third, so humor me here on timing of the opening). 2. Soto (though I haven't been by nearly enough) 1. Norwood (I kid. Er, wait, do I?)

BL: Since Chang got his due last year, Tailor, Morandi, Smith & Mills. Honorable Mention: Norwood, Soto

Checklist

Places I wanna try soon...

East Village
Momofoku Noodle Bar
171 First Ave / 11th Street

LES
Allen and Delancey
http://www.allenanddelancey.net/

Cafe Katja, 79 Orchard St., (212) 219-9545


UWS
Kefi, 222 W. 79th St., (212) 873-0200

Midtown
Aquavit
http://www.aquavit.org/flash.html

The Russian Tea Room
150 W 57th / 7th Ave

West Village
Bobo
181 W 10th at 7th Ave

Venezuelan restaurant. El Cocotero, 228 W. 18th St., (212) 206-8930

BROOKLYN
W burg
Cafe Moto
http://www.circa1938.com/

Fette Sau
354 Metropolitan Ave. at Havemeyer Street

Smith and Wollensky Steakhouse

Smith and Wollensky
880 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Tel: (212) 838-2061

The atmosphere is great while a little bourgeouis...
Lobster and Shrimp as a starter with lots of home made Ketchup, good and a little trashy.
The waiter was a great performer and comedian.
I made the wrong choice: Filet mignon au poivre. Just peppered meat in a brown sauce. Better would have been the Sirloin Stake...
Choice of deserts included carrot cake and cheese cake. Both delicious and devastating. Felt like a snowman afterwards and digested for 2 days at least...

Jewel Bako East Village

239 E 5th St- Btwn 2nd & 3rd Ave New York, NY 10003 212 979-1012

A real Jewel... highly recommended. Not to be missed... Appetizers Exotic Japanese Mushrooms "En Papillote" Steamed In Sake and Yuzu Sushi Sea Eel (melts on your tongue) Barracuda (with a delicious lemon sauce) Jack Mackerel Tartar in Shiso leave

I took the Omakase chef's selection of Sushi. The three sushi mentioned above were heavenly affairs, the other 7 or so were delicious, but not as mouth-watering.

The fluke sashimi appetizer was very good, but not as amazing as the mushrooms...

The white miso soup is good, a little bit too retained for my taste.

What I like to check out soon....

Probabaly tonite, we will check out FRANKIES SPUNTINO
http://www.frankiesspuntino.com/
Un Italiano vero? Vedremo!

A mexican place that looks very rough and candle light, vivid and loud, but beautiful.
BARRIO CHINO 253 Broome Street 212 228 6710
barriochinonyc.vom

JEWEL BAKO
My wife went there lately and told me that it is more than just delicious...
239 E. 5th St., New York, NY 10003
between Second and Third Aves.
212-979-1012

NY mag says:
The glittering interior is probably worth the hike to the East Village (the name means “jewel box”), and despite the constant migration of sushi chefs, Jack and Grace Lamb’s unlikely restaurant remains the consensus choice among sushi snobs for the best sushi downtown even though it’s often impossible to find a space at the packed sushi bar. — Adam Platt Recommended Dishes Tuna toro tartare, $18; chef's omakase, $50

Le Miu - LES Japanese

Had the delicious rock shrimp on salad followed by the vegetarian sushi.
High quality fresh food. Also the broiled dishes on the neighbor's tables looked and smelled yummy.
What a pity that the interior design is so uninspired! The bar looks horrible and the baseball game on the flatscreen is a turn off.

http://www.lemiusushi.com/

Yakitori Totto

So, one of the Japanese list has been tested....
http://www.torysnyc.com/
the one on 55th

very authentic, mostly expats, beautiful smokey athmoshere, the food was very good

the ones you should not miss...
ASPARA MAKI: asparagus wrapped in thinly sliced chicken breast
MISO DARE MUNE NIKU: chicken breast topped w/ scallion and special miso paste
SHISHITOU TSUKUNE: chicken meat ball stuffed into jap. green pepper
SHISHITO: japanese green pepper + spicy bean paste w/ miso or ponzu

not terrific:
NAGAIMO: japanese sticky yam w/ soy sauce
KAWA: skin

West Village PERILLA

Not cheap, but very subtle taste range... Opened in May 2007 -- the owner Dieterle won Top Chef (poor fellow).... but nevertheless seems to know what quality means.

Perilla Restaurant
9 Jones Street (btw. West 4 and Bleecker Sts.)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 929-6868

What we drank:
Cava, SP Raventos I Blanc Brut ‘L’Hereu’ NV
nice taste, lots of bubbles, great value for 33

What we ate:
Peekytoe Crab Salad
avocado, mango & ginger dressing

the crab tasted of... fresh crab, not lemon, not fish, delicious...
Garden Pea Salad
wasabi peas, pea sprouts & pickled red onion vinaigrette
fresh and crisp, nice idea to get wasabi beans instead of croutons...

Red Snapper, the edamame croquette was not delicious everything else was...

side order
Chinese Broccoli & Baby Bok Choy
garlic chives & watercress caramelized pork belly & oyster sauce
very convincing

Goat Milk Ice Cream

Tried Vanilla Flake - a dream....

http://www.goatmilkicecream.com/index.php

Japanese in Manhattan

Japanese I have tried and would go back anytime:
Soba-ya www.sobaya.com
Omen, Yasuda, Matsuri, Morimoto, Takahachi, Izakaya Ten

The one I am not too fond of:
Sasabune

The ones I like to try:
Nobu 57 / 40 W 57th Street (betw 5th and 6th) 212 757 3000
Torishin / 1193 1st Ave betw 64 and 65 / Yakitori, solliesu, drink Kuro-shichimi pepper, organic chicken 212 988 8408
Torys / 248 E 52nd (betw 2nd and 3rd) / Yakitori and Okinawa kitchen 212 813 1800 www.torysnyc.com
Momoya / 185 7th Ave (at 21st) / healthy and affordable, spicy red crab cake, steamed vegetables, black sesame ice cream 212 989 4466
Cha-an / 230 E 9th (2nd and 3rd Ave) tea house with healthy creative meals, sakura flan. Traditional tea ceremony on reservation 212 228 8030
Gyu-kaku / 805 Third Ave 2nd floor (betw 50 and 51st) BBQ at the table Kobe beef www.gyu-kaku.com
Aburiya Kinnosuke / 213 E 45th (betw 2nd and 3rd) robata grill, very authentic
Le Miu / 107 Ave A (betw 6th and 7th) / sushi and sashimi / 212 473 3100 www.lemiusushi.com
Uminoie / 86 E 3rd Street (betw 1st and 2nd) / Japanese homestyle dishes / Goto udon

Balsamico Divino

One of the best balsamicos worldwide FT says, also agriturismo in Reggio Emilia www.cavazzone.com