South Indian Up West
Authentic Indian food comes to the Upper West Side
The first time I traveled to Chennai, India, my uncle-by-marriage swore the best cup of coffee could be found at Saravanaa Bhavan, a restaurant specializing in classic South Indian vegetarian fare. Naturally, we had to try it.
As they served us metal bowls containing tiny metal cups filled with steaming, light brown liquid, my Americanized coffee snobbery blossomed. Visions of glorious pounds of fresh roasted beans and hot mugs of black-as-night coffee and a general distaste for the world of sweet coffeeshop chains flitted by, but with a single sip, those recollections faded. The coffee was at once creamy, sweetish and comforting, with bold coffee back notes—indeed, the finest I tried in the whole country. Read more
No Title Required
Museum dining artfully done at Untitled
Hit the gift shop, skip the restaurant.
Unless you’re part of a tour group, hypoglycemic or having a day out with your nana, this has always been the accepted wisdom for museum visits. If you happen to be an unlucky member of one of these groups, you can look forward to a selection of dry sandwiches, a steam-table entrée and a sweaty, pre-cut cheese plate. The best to be hoped for is a tolerable wine to drown your sorrows and some art to remind you of the reason you’re there.
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At El Porron, Taste of Spain Is Delivered
Authentic dishes served with flair
By Tom Steele
Before I visited Spain for the first time, my friends warned me that I’d be disappointed by the cuisine there. On the contrary, I was not only completely beguiled, but the trip changed the way I cooked in several important ways. For example, as soon as I returned to New York, the first thing I did was get myself a good Spanish paella pan. Ever since, paella has almost always been my go-to dish for company—it’s so incredibly versatile, and you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen; after a certain point, it just cooks itself. Read more
An Empire Comes to Midtown
Richard Sandoval spices things up with his newest creation
A few years ago, I was at this exact same spot when it was Jeffrey Chodorow’s Wild Salmon, the last of his multiple attempts to make the location successful. I had a great meal in a beautiful space, but it folded.
Now it’s chef Richard Sandoval’s turn. Perhaps the impresario behind 14 other restaurants around the world will have the Midas touch with his Asian and Latin fusion cuisine. Partner Placido Domingo, a friend of Sandoval’s, opened Zengo weeks after surgery, so things may already be looking up. Read more
Neapolitan Cookery Ready For Its Close-up
Wood-burning oven provides savory flavors
By Tom Steele
I can’t remember ever visiting a two-week-old restaurant that had its act so completely together. Credit must be bestowed on Tiella’s co-owner Mario Coppola, whose hands-on management style results in a tightly run ship. And Peppe Castellano’s Neapolitan cookery is as authentic as it is intensely delicious. Read more
Now You Skeen Him, Now You Don’t
5 & Diamond is still a bit rough
The first thing we learned at Harlem’s newest haut restaurant 5 & Diamond is that you need a reservation, even if no one is in the small, 40-seat dining room. On a recent rainy Wednesday evening at 6:30, we were shocked to find that no seating was available on the floor, and wouldn’t be all evening, despite the open tables. Read more
Uptown Outback
The Sunburnt Calf brings a bit of Australia to the Upper West Side
According to the back of its menu, The Sunburnt Calf got its name from owner Heathe St. Clair’s beloved heifer Bessie, who filled his childhood with laughter and wonder until the day she was accidentally left outside too long in the Australian heat. Cows can’t really recover from sunburns, so Bessie had to be put down. I have to admit, reading the tale of a euthanized cow wasn’t exactly how I wanted to start my Upper West Side dinner, but how can you argue with a restaurant that offers tableside keg service and shark meat? Read more
Bird is the Word
Fried chicken served with Southern flair
Many fried chicken devotees believe that you have to travel south of the Mason-Dixon Line or north to Harlem to have your bird cooked as God intended. Chef Charles Gabriel, of Charles’ Country Pan Fried Chicken fame, brings a little of that Southern flair to Midtown’s Aretsky’s Patroon with his latest creation. Read more
Crêpes, with a Side of Pop
A discothèque vibe colors these sweet and savory indulgences
On a steamy Friday evening in June, a friend of mine and I sought air-
conditioned refuge and a soothing atmosphere after a long week. Unlike many other places responding to the unexpected heat wave with open doors and windows, Yorkville Crêperie offered cool relief and the prospect of savory and sweet crêpes. Read more
No Resisting This Siren’s Song
Enticing seafood specialties and reasonable prices at Mermaid Inn
By Tom Steele
In a time not long gone by, other than the venerable Ocean Grill, you would have been hard pressed to find a really terrific and reasonably priced seafood restaurant on the Upper West Side. Somehow, this decidedly idiomatic area just didn’t lend itself to seafood-driven places. In 2007, restaurateur Danny Abrams and co-owner/executive chef Laurence Edelman decided to change that by opening a new edition of their East Village seafood shrine on a populous stretch of Amsterdam Avenue. Read more
