Spasso

14 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by Rob in American, Date Spot, Italian, Restaurants, Wine Bar

Tags

date spot, foodie, Italian, people watching, Trendy, west village

551 Hudson Street http://www.spassonyc.com

Baller Spot. Always delicious. I’ve been here 3 times and it is always consistent. In my opinion, this is one of the top restaurants in the West Village.

It’s located on the corner of Hudson and Perry with great out-door seating in the summer. Also, the interior is rustic and inviting. All the times I went, the music and vibe was spot on. This is an Italian restaurant, but It’s modern, funky Italian, where the dishes are not necessarily traditional. There is a flair to all the food here.

We started the meal with the Beef Tartare Dijon, with vinaigrette, egg yolk, and house made pickles. This dish was so fresh. Hands down the best Tartare I’ve had…

The house made Straciatella Cheese is a must…It is basically creamy, stretchy mozzarella cheese. I think this is one of their most popular dishes because every table around us had it. They use a nice balsamic vinaigrette with pickled cherries which adds to its’ sweetness.

The Grilled Octopus confit with olive-fennel purée has a nice unique taste. The fennel adds a distinct flavor that I haven’t had with octopus before. It would be nice if the dish was a little bigger, but maybe next time I will order 2.

The Fusilli pasta with Spicy Pork Ragu, Goat Cheese, and Mint was also very tasty. The mint and goat cheese together in a spicy pasta is refreshing.

For me, the Pork Milanese stole the show. I don’t know of any other restaurants that make this dish. And putting a fried egg on it was perfect. This had a remarkable taste with the mix of salad, pork and egg. I’m not sure if this is a constant on the menu, but if not, it should be.

Overall, a West Village Staple, a perfect date spot…Put it on the list…Over and out…

Blenheim

26 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by Rob in American, Coffee, Date Spot, Gelato/Ice Cream, Restaurants

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brunch, coffee, food, people watching, Trendy, west village, west village food, West Village Restaurant

283 W 12th St, New York, NY 10014 http://www.blenheimhill.com

Blenheim is a new spot on West 12th, right next to Dell’ Anima, The Beatrice Inn, and Cafe Cluny. The location is money; and is arguably on one of the best corners in the West Village.

I knew this place recently opened, and had heard amazing things from my friend Eric claiming it was “one of the best meals of the year”.

My friend Andrew came and met me for Sunday brunch and what a treat it was! The interior of the restaurant is very light, airy, and rustic. But we decided to hang outside and people watch.

All their food is farm to table and comes from the Blenheim Farm in upstate New York; hence it was unbelievably fresh. You can tell when restaurants use really fresh ingredients. In addition, some of their preparation was among the best I’ve ever seen. To date, their Cream Cheese Panna Cotta desert was the prettiest thing I have ever eaten.

I had the Blenheim scramble which is scrambled eggs, ham, and cream cheese. Delicate and delightful. And of course, I also had a side of bacon, which was nice and crispy.

Andrew said his herb omelet was bomb. Cooked to perfection.

Who doesn’t get desert after brunch? The herb sorbet from their farm was the perfect way to end a nice meal.

Can’t wait to come here for Dinner 🙂

Add this to your list…DO IT

Sushi Nakazawa

02 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by Rob in Date Spot, Japanese, Seafood

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

foodie, fresh fish, jiro ono, nakazawa, New York City, sushi, Trendy, west village

23 Commerce Street www.sushinakazawa.com

After 2 long months on the wait list, we finally got to try the famous Nakazawa sushi restaurant on commerce. This place is so popular that it is literally booked solid for 2 months. Chef Daisuke Nakazawa was the chief apprentice for Jiro Ono, on whom the popular sushi documentary Jiro dreams of sushi was based.

Many consider Jiro to be the best sushi chef in the world. So Chef Nakazawa is highly sought after and admired in the sushi world. Opening up sushi Nakazawa was a major addition to the West Village, and is the most talked about Japanese restaurant in New York City.

Also, there is no menu. The sushi chef and his team skillfully put together a remarkable array of imported and hard to find fish from such hard to find Japanese mackerel to Alaskan tuna to Oregon scallops.

They opened up the scallops and their were on our plate within a few minutes. My friend Andrew and I sat at the sushi bar, which is the way to go. We got to watch front and center the chefs at work. I know there is a seated part of the restaurant, but we never walked back. The action was all up front with the chefs.

Right when you sit down the 21 course called Omakase begins. Each piece of fish is so uniquely crafted and tasted wildly different. They use different techniques for each piece. They use a blowtorch to sear some of the fish, as well as chili, salt, and other secret ingredients.

There is no soy sauce. We never asked for it as it seemed out-of-place. You just sit back, while they tell you which part of the world the fish came from, and enjoy the ride. You are not in the driver’s seat here… You are being driven.

I couldn’t possibly remember all the pieces of sushi but exquisite doesn’t give it justice.

The Japanese mackerel and the blue fish tuna were out of this world.

I’ve never tasted sushi like this before. The trigger fish, sea urchin, the yellow tail were phenomenal. They crafted up fish from Alaska, Oregon, different parts of Japan, North Carolina; to name a few. Also, one rarely has the opportunity to eat 21 pieces of different fish from all around the world, at one restaurant.

This is also the freshest sushi spot I’ve been to. The scallops and the giant clams were opened up and cut out of the shell right in front of us.

The Service is amazing. The food and the experience was a 10 out of 10. I guess at $200 per person it better be. All in all, a decadent, and truly amazing experience.

Potatopia

19 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by Rob in American, Delivery, Vegetarian

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Eats, food, Get Baked, Get Fried, Get Smashed, Potato, west village, west village food

378 Sixth Avenue at Waverly Place www.potatopia.com

Get Baked, Get Smashed, and Get Fried are a few of Potatopia’s key taglines… and I love it! This fun and awesomely innovative build your own potato eatery on 6th Ave is a smash hit! And it’s the only restaurant in its class that’s chief focus is the potato, and its crazy array of sauces.

First, you choose the type of potato you would like; Mashed Potato, Curly Fries, Tater Tots, Au Gratin, baked potato, to name a few.

Then you load it up with “protein” such as steak, lox, bacon, chicken, shrimp, sausage, etc.

Then you pick your toppings from the topping bar. They have over 15 toppings from brocoli to zucchini.

I ordered the Smash Hit which is one of their signature dishes and comes with the smashed potato, house salt and pepper, cheddar cheese, Asiago cheese, green onions, red onion, garlic, cilantro with roasted pepper. Oh, and I added Shrimp for the heck of it.

Their signature meals start at 4 bucks which I think is a steal. Money well spent. You can’t go wrong with these. We also ordered a few tasty baked potatoes with the works…You can never have too many toppings.

They have over 15 special sauces, from Garlic Aioli to Chipotle Ketchup, Truffle, Chili Pepper, Roasted Pepper, Ranch, Wasabi, Grainy Mustard, Chipotle Mayo, Savory Bacon, Curry  etc. The possibilities are endless.

We also got the Curly Sue which is Curly Cut fries, House Salt and Pepper, Pepperjack Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Jalapeño, Garlic, Green Onion, Chipotle Ketchup and Garlic Aioli. This was great and a little spicy.

We got another signature dish called The Lower East Sider...I’ve never had Lox on top of Tater Tots with Cilantro and Sour Creme before. So I did. And it made me happy 🙂 I’ve already gone back for this dish twice.

We got the shepherds pie which was a nice hearty treat. I don’t know anywhere else in the West Village that has this dish. I give Potatopia an A+ for creativity and thinking outside of the box.

They did a great job with the cool design of the store and its advertising. There are signs on the wall saying…Get Baked, Get Fried, and Get Smashed.

This concept was created by owner and foodie entrepreneur Allen Dikker. Dikker came up with the unique idea of pairing potatoes with a variety of sauces and toppings to make everything from a snack to a hearty dinner. Also, this place is perfect for ordering a bunch of stuff, and sharing with friends.

We welcome Potatopia with open arms and WE Love You!

-WestVillageFood

Olio e Piu Pizzeria

27 Sunday Apr 2014

Posted by Rob in Date Spot, Gelato/Ice Cream, Italian, Uncategorized, Wine Bar

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

date spot, foodie, Italian, olio, people watching, pizza, west village

3 Greenwich Avenue http://www.olionyc.com/

Its getting nice out!!! And Olio is among the best outdoor seating/people watching in the West Village. This brick oven pizza spot gets packed for brunch, especially on nice sunny days. I always get the same thing; The Nostrano pizza, which has ricotta cheese, prosciutto and truffle oil. I usually sprinkle a little olive oil and vinegar on top, which is a nice treat. their crust is also top-notch. Also, this spot is open 24 hours!!

Like Jon’s pizza on Bleecker, Olio doesn’t do slices; only full pizzas perfect for sharing or hoarding for yourself.

I also love the Amalfitana pizza with salad on top. It’s pretty cool that they have this dish because most places don’t. I also like the use of the lemon. I’ve never had their pasta, but I’ve heard really good things. But for me, I’m a creature of habit, and will always get my Prosciutto and Ricotta pizza.

All in all, a great place for drinks, people watching, and some tasty brick oven pizza.

Food Reviews for Foodies

Author Archives: Rob

Spasso

Blenheim

Sushi Nakazawa

Potatopia

Olio e Piu Pizzeria