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Vanessa's Finesse
VANESSA'S DUMPLINGS | 118A Eldridge St. | 212.625.8008 | vanessasdumplinghouse.com
Ssäm I Am
...the percentage of lean, slowly roasted duck meat to the slightly rendered, protective layer of fat to the self-basted, crispy skin was outstanding to visually behold as well as slowly consume, enjoying the purity of it all at first that it took me a while to even address the possibilities of adding the condiments.... [Full Post]
Swimming to Cambodia
...Amazingly, after forkfuls and handfuls of these bold flavors, the mackerel dish succeeded in showcasing the inherently more nuanced properties of the warm and light, flaky fish and its crisp, slightly seasoned skin, topping a melange of a colder salad that stood well on their firm textures and naturally clean and earthy aromatics.... [Full post]
Too Much Of A Good Thing
...The lightly buttered, toasted bread a more than capable dais on which to perch its tasty ingredients. The shrimp was prepared perfectly, firm but not tough. The cooling crab was nicely flaky and lumpy and full of deep sea taste. The lobster was so fresh you it took us out of the city and somewhere where sea mists cooled off our faces.... [Full post]
Luke's Is On A Roll
...Save a few gems, dining in his area was serviceable at best, offering a paucity of variety in types of cuisine and too many inconsistent purveyors if each. I was getting tired of having to travel down to the Lower East Side/East Vilalge for authentic dishes of arepas, currywurst, Italian roast pork, artisinal pizza, a decent plate of meatballs, and, yes, a yummy lobster roll... [Full Post]
Pulino's Just Might Deserve (and Survive) The Hype
...But eventually you have to give McNally some credit. I've liked—if not raved about—the food at Pravda and Balthazar, and frequented those for many years regardless. Pulino's will have its heralders—and, I'm sure, some detractors—but longer after fanfare, discussions and debates have subsided and been forwarded to the new "next big thing", people will be squeezing in rezys and inviting their friends to grab a bite and a beer here with them.... [Full post]
Luke's Is On A Roll
...I was first impressed with the impact of genuine Maine lobster flavor, even with it seeming to be minimally seasoned, though seasoned quite properly. The tail and claw meat chunks were firm yet tender, moist, and were well served by an evenly and lightly toasted bun, and an extra dash (after a few bites) of their "secret" seasoning, cutely contained in a lobster claw-shaped dispenser.... [Full post]
Overthrill, Pt. 1
...It was a little after 2 p.m. and the place gets crowded pretty quickly with just a handful of customers, as it did as I finished my second slice and worried that I had, again, cut my eating agenda short, having left scant room in my tummy for zeppoles of any kind (or the Brendan-recommended cream puffs that Led Zeppole seems to also be famous for).... [Full post]
Mm, Mm, Mm, All The Way Home
... I can, however, speak to how great it is! Although the initial reference is to piggies, TLPHRB (?!) specializes in the beef that it slow cooks and slices in house. The beef is tasty and tender, highlighted by that clever, familiar zestiness unique to Cheez Wiz, and a true au jus whose flavors and aromas get soaked up into a nice, warm, "cushy" sesame seed roll. I couldn't even stop eating enough to save the half I had promised to deliver to my next door neighbor.... [cont.]
No Meatballs, But Good (Asian) Spaghetti
...The noodles were very tasty, possessing great varieties of flavor and little residual all. So impressed was I, in fact, that, although in my culinary maturity I've learned to accept tofu, this was the first time that I've actually enjoyed it!... [cont.]
Arepa, Arepa! Part 1
Caracas Arepas Bar | 93 East 7th Street (Bet. 1st Ave. & Ave. A) | 212.529.2314 | caracasarepabar.com
