I really enjoyed Rice to Riches, and I'm going to convince myself that it's much healthier to be eating rice pudding than just plain old ice cream!
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Rice to Riches, New York, N.Y. (Manhattan)
After our pizza experience in So-Ho at Lombardi's, Ian wanted dessert, so we went across the street to a unique dessert shop called Rice to Riches, a speciality place serving only different varieties of rice puddings. I don't know if there are other rice pudding shops elsewhere in the country, but this was a new concept to me.
The shop is a long, narrow, deep store with a long counter that looks much like a futuristic ice cream store. They seemed to have dozens of flavors and varieties of rice pudding, and a huge selection of toppings and add-ins to be mixed into a pudding dish. We split a 14-ounce bowl ($8.50) and chose two different flavors. Ian picked "Coast to Coast Cheesecake" (though he almost got the "Cinnamon Sling with Raisins") and I got "Man-Made Mascarpone with Cherries." Side by side in the bowl, it was hard to see which was which, but they both had very distinct and delicious flavors. The puddings are served in translucent orange heavy plastic bowls with lids (Ian took it home to use as "Tupperware") and in lieu of spoons we got these little flat, stylized plastic paddles.
I really enjoyed Rice to Riches, and I'm going to convince myself that it's much healthier to be eating rice pudding than just plain old ice cream!
I really enjoyed Rice to Riches, and I'm going to convince myself that it's much healthier to be eating rice pudding than just plain old ice cream!
Lombardi's Pizza, New York, N.Y. (Manhattan)
One night we decided to venture out to another historic restaurant. This time, we went to SoHo to Lombardi's Pizza, the very first pizzeria in the United States. They even have a big bronze plaque outside their door commemorating their achievement and 1905 founding.
Now, when pizzas first started coming over from Italy, they weren't at all like the modern pizzas we know today. They tended to be small appetizer flatbreads with only tomatoes on them, and it wasn't until the late 1880s that melted mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves were added (one legend says that that was to create the colors of the Italian flag). As the pizza came to America, the tomato mixture began to be replaced with tomato sauce, and American bakers used high-gluten wheat flour that allowed them to toss the dough to make it stretch and become very thin crusts. Eventually, Americans began to add other toppings and the pizza evolved to the Italian-themed quintessential American food that it is today.
We wanted to be traditional, though, so we ordered a large pizza margherita to share (the "original" kind with just tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil). It took a while to bake, but it finally arrived, piping hot and balanced on a cake pedestal.
I'll have to say that the pizza was just okay. I've certainly had better, even in the "traditional" New York or neapolitan style, but it wasn't bad. I enjoyed the chewiness of the crust, which had been baked in a stone oven. The biggest thing to give me pause about the pizza, though, was the price, since it was quite an expensive pizza at $20 for a large that wasn't really very large. And, on top of that, the restaurant does not take plastic! They are cash only! They have an ATM in the dining room, and we were wondering if they got a cut of the ATM fees. It was all an adventure, though, and we now can say we've eaten at the original American pizzeria.
The menu at Lombardi's is pretty much limited to pizzas, salads, and beverages.
Now, when pizzas first started coming over from Italy, they weren't at all like the modern pizzas we know today. They tended to be small appetizer flatbreads with only tomatoes on them, and it wasn't until the late 1880s that melted mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves were added (one legend says that that was to create the colors of the Italian flag). As the pizza came to America, the tomato mixture began to be replaced with tomato sauce, and American bakers used high-gluten wheat flour that allowed them to toss the dough to make it stretch and become very thin crusts. Eventually, Americans began to add other toppings and the pizza evolved to the Italian-themed quintessential American food that it is today.
We wanted to be traditional, though, so we ordered a large pizza margherita to share (the "original" kind with just tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil). It took a while to bake, but it finally arrived, piping hot and balanced on a cake pedestal.I'll have to say that the pizza was just okay. I've certainly had better, even in the "traditional" New York or neapolitan style, but it wasn't bad. I enjoyed the chewiness of the crust, which had been baked in a stone oven. The biggest thing to give me pause about the pizza, though, was the price, since it was quite an expensive pizza at $20 for a large that wasn't really very large. And, on top of that, the restaurant does not take plastic! They are cash only! They have an ATM in the dining room, and we were wondering if they got a cut of the ATM fees. It was all an adventure, though, and we now can say we've eaten at the original American pizzeria.
The menu at Lombardi's is pretty much limited to pizzas, salads, and beverages.
El Cantinero Mexican Restaurant, New York, N.Y. (Manhattan)
The night of the Great Pre-Christmas Blizzard, Ian and I were out walking around Manhattan when we decided that 1) it was snowing hard, 2) the wind was blowing those snowflake at high speed and they were attacking our faces like knives, 3) it was cold out, and 4) we were hungry, so we dashed into El Cantinero Mexican Restaurant down in the Village. It was late enough and the weather was getting sufficiently inclement that we were able to get immediate seating.
We stayed simple and hearty with our food choices. Ian got the chicken burrito and cheese enchilada platter, bare. I got the beef chimichanga and beef enchilada platter, and had the waitress give me Ian's unwanted guacamole and crema. Both platters came with rice, cheese-covered refried beans, shredded lettuce, and large slices of cucumber.
The waiter kept the free chips and salsa coming throughout the meal.
Ian wanted dessert, so I agreed to split a dessert burrito with him. They wrapped a banana in a flour tortilla, deep-fried it, and served it covered with vanilla ice cream, copious quantities of whipped cream, strawberry sauce, and a maraschino cherry on top. I'm glad we split it, since it was way more than I would have wanted to eat by myself.
I thought they did a pretty good job with the basic Mexican food at El Cantinero. One never knows how the Mexican food will be when one is not in Mexico or the American Southwest, so this was a pleasant surprise, especially since I've yet to find an adequate Mexican restaurant in Washington, D.C.
My only criticism of the place, and a major black mark in my book, is they served me a piña colada glass full of ice with some light tan liquid in it garnished with a lime wedge, charged me $5, and called it iced tea. Then, they wanted to charge me for refills! Needless to say, I stuck to water the rest of the meal.
We stayed simple and hearty with our food choices. Ian got the chicken burrito and cheese enchilada platter, bare. I got the beef chimichanga and beef enchilada platter, and had the waitress give me Ian's unwanted guacamole and crema. Both platters came with rice, cheese-covered refried beans, shredded lettuce, and large slices of cucumber.
The waiter kept the free chips and salsa coming throughout the meal.
Ian wanted dessert, so I agreed to split a dessert burrito with him. They wrapped a banana in a flour tortilla, deep-fried it, and served it covered with vanilla ice cream, copious quantities of whipped cream, strawberry sauce, and a maraschino cherry on top. I'm glad we split it, since it was way more than I would have wanted to eat by myself.I thought they did a pretty good job with the basic Mexican food at El Cantinero. One never knows how the Mexican food will be when one is not in Mexico or the American Southwest, so this was a pleasant surprise, especially since I've yet to find an adequate Mexican restaurant in Washington, D.C.
My only criticism of the place, and a major black mark in my book, is they served me a piña colada glass full of ice with some light tan liquid in it garnished with a lime wedge, charged me $5, and called it iced tea. Then, they wanted to charge me for refills! Needless to say, I stuck to water the rest of the meal.
The Cottage (UWS), New York, N.Y. (Manhattan)
One night, Ian and I couldn't decide where to go eat. Ian decided he wanted Chinese, and, while I was amenable to the idea, I didn't want to go back to the same place we'd been before in Gramercy Park. So, Ian dragged us all the way up to the Upper West Side, where we went to another Chinese restaurant that offered free wine with dinner. We got there, and it turned out to be another of the three branches of The Cottage! It took me a bit to recognize it, though, since the arrangement and decor was completely different from the Gramercy location, and even the menus were different.
The restaurant was really quite crowded and noisy, and this location is about half as big as the Gramercy site. They were also doing a brisk take-out trade from the main cash register in the center of the dining room. We had to wait for quite a while to get seated, and it was rather awkward, since there was no real place for waiting patrons to sit or stand. Finally, we got a table, but it was a little tiny two top in a corner where the architecture of the room made it a very tight squeeze for us both to sit at the table. Service was quite brusque in that rushed way that can be seen in many Chinese restaurants, and clearly the waitresses were trying to get people in and out as quickly as possible.
Ian didn't want an appetizer, but he did want some crispy noodles, those fried strips of won-ton wrappers that Chinese-American restaurants often serve with soups; he didn't, however, want to pay the $1 charge for the noodles. So, I got a bowl of hot and sour soup, with which the crispy noodles came for free. It was interesting soup, with nice pieces of mushroom and more than the usual quantity of tofu. And, Ian ate my crispy noodles. Then, he decided he wanted more, so he ordered another bowlful and paid the $1 charge. LOL
For his main course, Ian ordered the chicken lo mein. The lo mein noodles were quite thick, and the large plate was laden with clearly enough lo mein for two. Instead of coming with a fork or chopsticks, a big pair of tongs came with the platter.
I was in the mood for something spicy, so I got the shredded pork in garlic sauce. There was a large quantity of pork, and quite a lot of green vegetables like scallions, celery, and Chinese cabbage. It wasn't terribly spicy-hot, but the garlic was a very strong presence.
This store wasn't as generous with the free white wine, and only allowed us to have two small carafes. The food quality was similar at both of the Cottage locations, but the Upper West Side store was much more crowded, noisier, and had less congenial service, so if I had to choose between them, I would definitely prefer the Gramercy location.
The restaurant was really quite crowded and noisy, and this location is about half as big as the Gramercy site. They were also doing a brisk take-out trade from the main cash register in the center of the dining room. We had to wait for quite a while to get seated, and it was rather awkward, since there was no real place for waiting patrons to sit or stand. Finally, we got a table, but it was a little tiny two top in a corner where the architecture of the room made it a very tight squeeze for us both to sit at the table. Service was quite brusque in that rushed way that can be seen in many Chinese restaurants, and clearly the waitresses were trying to get people in and out as quickly as possible.
Ian didn't want an appetizer, but he did want some crispy noodles, those fried strips of won-ton wrappers that Chinese-American restaurants often serve with soups; he didn't, however, want to pay the $1 charge for the noodles. So, I got a bowl of hot and sour soup, with which the crispy noodles came for free. It was interesting soup, with nice pieces of mushroom and more than the usual quantity of tofu. And, Ian ate my crispy noodles. Then, he decided he wanted more, so he ordered another bowlful and paid the $1 charge. LOLFor his main course, Ian ordered the chicken lo mein. The lo mein noodles were quite thick, and the large plate was laden with clearly enough lo mein for two. Instead of coming with a fork or chopsticks, a big pair of tongs came with the platter.
I was in the mood for something spicy, so I got the shredded pork in garlic sauce. There was a large quantity of pork, and quite a lot of green vegetables like scallions, celery, and Chinese cabbage. It wasn't terribly spicy-hot, but the garlic was a very strong presence.
This store wasn't as generous with the free white wine, and only allowed us to have two small carafes. The food quality was similar at both of the Cottage locations, but the Upper West Side store was much more crowded, noisier, and had less congenial service, so if I had to choose between them, I would definitely prefer the Gramercy location.
Pete's Tavern, New York, N.Y. (Manhattan)
For brunch, Ian and I went to the historic Pete's Tavern, said to be the oldest continuously operating bar and restaurant in New York City. Even during Prohibition, the tavern became a flower shop and was a notorious speakeasy. Around a century ago, the tavern became famous as the location where writer O. Henry penned his classic short story, "The Gift of the Magi," a story I remember reading back in junior high school.
Since it was brunchtime, we both opted for daily specials. Ian got the four cheese omelette and I got the artichoke and mushroom frittata, which was really quite good. Both dishes came with home fried potatoes and warm blueberry muffins. Oh, we also each got a free bloody Mary with brunch, too!
After our egg dishes, we were still a tiny bit hungry, so we decided to split a piece of "Oprah's Red Velvet Cake," a dessert allegedly made from Oprah Winfrey's recipe. Now, I'm a bit of a fan of red velvet cakes, so I know a bit about them and how they are made. This was a good effort, but the layers of cake were a bit overbaked, and, hence, dry. It was still edible, but not worthy of carrying the name of a particular cajillionaire like Miss Oprah.
Still, it was fun being in a restaurant with so much history.
Since it was brunchtime, we both opted for daily specials. Ian got the four cheese omelette and I got the artichoke and mushroom frittata, which was really quite good. Both dishes came with home fried potatoes and warm blueberry muffins. Oh, we also each got a free bloody Mary with brunch, too!
After our egg dishes, we were still a tiny bit hungry, so we decided to split a piece of "Oprah's Red Velvet Cake," a dessert allegedly made from Oprah Winfrey's recipe. Now, I'm a bit of a fan of red velvet cakes, so I know a bit about them and how they are made. This was a good effort, but the layers of cake were a bit overbaked, and, hence, dry. It was still edible, but not worthy of carrying the name of a particular cajillionaire like Miss Oprah.Still, it was fun being in a restaurant with so much history.
Casa Bella Ristorante, New York, N.Y. (Manhattan)
After all my trips to New York over the years, I had never made it to Little Italy for dinner, so one evening, I dragged Ian there to find a nice Italian place to eat. We walked up and down the main drag of Little Italy looking for a mutually acceptable place before deciding upon Casa Bella Ristorante. Casa Bella seemed like a wonderful setting for a Godfather movie. It's a large place, full of customers and bustling with waiters. It was busy, but we were there late enough that we were able to be seated immediately. Now, some of the reviews I have read about Casa Bella were very critical of the service, but we had no reason to complain, and found our waiter and assistants to be quite accommodating.
Ian started dinner with ravioli fritti, a piece of deep-fried ravioli with a large boat of marinara sauce for dipping. I had a Caesar salad. We also got a carafe of the house chianti to last us during the meal, and it wasn't bad for a house wine.
For my main course, I selected the veal saltimbocca, a nice veal dish presented on a bed of sauteed spinach with a lemon, butter, and parsley sauce. The plate was decorated with cherry tomato halves and a couple of fried gnocchi. The meat came hot and tender, and I found the overall dish to be quite simpatico.
For his meal, Ian started with the spaghetti bolognese on the menu, and from there, asked the waiter for a simple sauce without meat. Well, "meat sauce" is the very definition of bolognese sauce, but the waiter didn't blink and tried to accommodate Ian's whims. I guess that what he ended up getting was a spaghetti with marinara sauce and an ample grating of parmesan cheese, all garnished with fresh basil leaves.
We had to have dessert, too. Ian got the Italian cheesecake and I got the tiramisu. I actually thought the tiramisu was pretty good, and it was nice to have one made with actual mascarpone cheese for a change.
So, that was our Little Italy experience. I thought it was kind of fun.
Ian started dinner with ravioli fritti, a piece of deep-fried ravioli with a large boat of marinara sauce for dipping. I had a Caesar salad. We also got a carafe of the house chianti to last us during the meal, and it wasn't bad for a house wine.For my main course, I selected the veal saltimbocca, a nice veal dish presented on a bed of sauteed spinach with a lemon, butter, and parsley sauce. The plate was decorated with cherry tomato halves and a couple of fried gnocchi. The meat came hot and tender, and I found the overall dish to be quite simpatico.
For his meal, Ian started with the spaghetti bolognese on the menu, and from there, asked the waiter for a simple sauce without meat. Well, "meat sauce" is the very definition of bolognese sauce, but the waiter didn't blink and tried to accommodate Ian's whims. I guess that what he ended up getting was a spaghetti with marinara sauce and an ample grating of parmesan cheese, all garnished with fresh basil leaves.
We had to have dessert, too. Ian got the Italian cheesecake and I got the tiramisu. I actually thought the tiramisu was pretty good, and it was nice to have one made with actual mascarpone cheese for a change.
So, that was our Little Italy experience. I thought it was kind of fun.
Private Roof Club and Garden, New York, N.Y. (Manhattan)
After we wandered all over the Gramercy, Flatiron, and Chelsea (where Ian's office is) neighborhoods shopping and playing tourist, it was nearly midnight and Ian and I were ready for dessert. We'd been inside the private park there in Gramercy, so we decided to walk across the street to the Gramercy Park Hotel, and made our way up to the Private Roof Club and Garden. The bar is a nice place that runs around the perimeter of the floor with nice views of town and almost all of the seating is sofa and easy chair combinations, with all kinds of trees and plants providing privacy for the seating groups.
Unfortunately, the kitchen had closed at eleven, so our waitress said we couldn't get anything to eat or any desserts. So, we just ordered cocktails. I had a Sapphire martini and Ian got some kind of champagne cocktail, a berry bellini, I think it was. The only problem with this bar is that at most bars and restaurants, they deal in legal tender in one dollar units; here, everything seemed to be priced in twenty dollar units. I guess that's just a function of being in Manhattan and in a nice neighborhood.
Soon, though, our waitress magically reappeared bearing two desserts, a custard cream with fresh blueberries and raspberries and a warm chocolate buttermilk cake drizzled in melted chocolate—and, keeping with the magic, the desserts were "leftovers," so they were both complimentary! In celebration of that windfall, Ian promptly ordered another (different) $20 champagne cocktail.
The Cottage at Gramercy, New York, NY (Manhattan)
Since Ian moved to an apartment on Gramercy Park in New York this past fall, I've wandered over a few times to visit and run around town with him. Try as I might (and I've been trying for years!), I still haven't been able to turn him into a gourmet or even an adventurous eater. When I ask him where decent places are to eat in his neighborhood, he usually just points to fast food or one of the ubiquitous Chinese take-aways. It, therefore, has become my mission to drag him out to different places to make him try new things, though that can be a major challenge given his Aspergerian aversion to change and his unhealthy fiscal frugality.
The first neighborhood place he picked for us to dine was a sit-down Chinese restaurant just a few blocks from his building called The Cottage at Gramercy. I'm not really sure how the restaurant got it's name, since "Cottage" doesn't really evoke an Oriental feel and the decor was more standard Chinese place than "homey." The most exciting thing about this restaurant for Ian is that they offer unlimited free wine to diners, which I suppose can be a good deal. The place was crowded and noisy when we arrived, and we had to wait a bit for a table. Once we were seated, they brought us a small carafe of inexpensive white wine, and away we went.
Ian ordered what I later found out was his "usual," the sliced chicken with string beans in a brown sauce. He got a very big plate full of very long green beans with some chicken breast and what looked like a lot of diced garlic and flecks of dried red pepper. I picked the "Neptune's Nest," a basket made of formed and fried Chinese noodles filled with a melange of seafood (including salmon) and vegetables, which I liked. Steamed rice came on the side. When we asked for more wine, they quickly and without question brought us another little carafe.
As usual, there was no dessert at the Chinese restaurant, so we moved along after our fortune cookies. I would not be opposed to coming to The Cottage again sometime.
The first neighborhood place he picked for us to dine was a sit-down Chinese restaurant just a few blocks from his building called The Cottage at Gramercy. I'm not really sure how the restaurant got it's name, since "Cottage" doesn't really evoke an Oriental feel and the decor was more standard Chinese place than "homey." The most exciting thing about this restaurant for Ian is that they offer unlimited free wine to diners, which I suppose can be a good deal. The place was crowded and noisy when we arrived, and we had to wait a bit for a table. Once we were seated, they brought us a small carafe of inexpensive white wine, and away we went.
Ian ordered what I later found out was his "usual," the sliced chicken with string beans in a brown sauce. He got a very big plate full of very long green beans with some chicken breast and what looked like a lot of diced garlic and flecks of dried red pepper. I picked the "Neptune's Nest," a basket made of formed and fried Chinese noodles filled with a melange of seafood (including salmon) and vegetables, which I liked. Steamed rice came on the side. When we asked for more wine, they quickly and without question brought us another little carafe.
As usual, there was no dessert at the Chinese restaurant, so we moved along after our fortune cookies. I would not be opposed to coming to The Cottage again sometime.
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