La Mar - Peruvian - $$$$

Website

my friend's boss designed the space at la mar and was partially treating us to a meal there. i admit, it was never on my radar, and still having been, i don't know that i would return or recommend it to anyone. it's one of those annoying, we're trying so hard to be a sexy nyc restaurant, type places. strange high end decor (sorry boss) and expensive dishes with tiny portions. i think a lot of the ppl there were not new yorkers... just not my type of place.

we ordered everything the boss had told us to. the first few dishes were really delicious, but we were too full for our entrees and they weren't good enough for 2nd bites either. the truth is, i can't even remember the names of some of the dishes, so i'll just post pictures instead.







bill ended up being 2.5x what our budget was. i can certainly, officially say that it was SO NOT worth that amount and i'll never spend that much again!

Casa La Femme - Egyptian - $$$$

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To give you an idea of how fulfilled I felt by finally coming here, I have to let you know that I made reservations at this restaurant about 6 times in the last 5 years. Each time, I would get into some argument beforehand with whatever boyfriend I had at the time, and I would cancel the reservation instead of going. I didn't want anything to lessen the experience of Casa La Femme.

My father used to talk about this restaurant when I was younger, and often took family friends, out-of-towners, or clients there for dinner. It was as much about the food as the experience, so from an early age, I had to go. Judging by the pictures of the new location they opened downtown, still approximately 2 years before this reservation, I determined that whenever it is that I do ever get married, this would be the venue for my engagement party. The decor is very sexy. The next time they want to build a restaurant, I want to build it. Every last detail was given tremendous thought. The bar, the bathrooms, the dining room. Wow.

So you have to understand the magnitude of shock I felt, when I learned that a friend of mine who I went to college with, told me that her uncle actually owns the place. Jaw to the floor.




So I finallyyyy decided, screw it, it doesn't have to be a special occasion, I'm going to organize a dinner with a group of coworkers who know nothing about Egyptian culture or food (I, being half Egyptian, wanted to provide the experience)and make a night of it.

Since we were a large group of 8, we were given a tented table with a prix fixe menu. Great idea for groups because they brought out the mezzes for everyone to share- which you almost need to do when guests have no idea what Egyptian food is. Through the course of the evening, we sat in our tents enjoying both the Egyptian music playing in the background, as well as the gorgeous belly dancer who captured everyone's attention. Even the hookah was delicious. It was a great time for all.

Here's what we ate:

- Hummus, Babaghanoush, Foul
All the mezze dips were to share. Foul by the way, is like a staple of Egyptian breakfast food, along with tamaya (falafel). It's mashed up fava beans with spices and sometimes white cheese. This was a big hit at the table. And the fresh pita bread it was served with was soft and delicious. Below is a picture of the tamaya.



- Mahshi (or Stuffed Peppers)
This dish seriously brought me to another place. It was so spot-on and made me feel so incredibly nostalgic for my family back in Egypt that I took about 20 minutes to eat these tiny little things, just to prolong the experience. It is so flavorful and spicy and I only wish I could have had more.



- Moussaka
I was a little disappointed in this one. I was expecting it to come with a heafty layering of bechemel sauce, which Egyptians love oh-so-much, myself included. This was a leaner version, with cheese sprinkled on top, and unfortunately, while it was still very delicious, it did not bring me to the same place that the Mahshi did.

Most of my friends had ordered the fish couscous and were ooh-ing and ahh-ing over each bite. And one thing I should mention is that when the kitchen realized that they fell short of one of the couscous dishes, they brought out a whole grilled fish to hold the person down until their couscous arrived. That is excellent service. It was resolved before we even knew it was an issue, and it was done in excellent taste.

We easily spent about $85 pp with drinks. So worth it.

Union Square Cafe - American - $$$$

Website

Union Square Cafe is one of those quintessential NYC restaurants; an oldie but a goodie. It also always participates in Restaurant Week, which is a nice chance to check out a pricey restaurant. I couldn't wait to try it and have this restaurant to live up to its reputation. I really wanted it to WOW! me... but it was ok. Don't get me wrong, the food is really great and it's a really beautiful, classy restaurant, but I don't think that I'd ever choose to go back. The ambience is more of a business-y, classy, somewhat uptight, atmosphere. I think it is more appealing to a mature crowd than a 20-something gal about town. I did in fact, go for a business dinner, so it was appropriate for the setting.

- Pacific Oysters
- Grilled Lamb Chops Scotta Dita
(perfect)

Without wine it cost about $55pp.

Ninja - Japanese/Sushi - $$$$

Website (Tribeca)

Ninja is a themed restaurant that is done very well, and not nearly as cheesy as the other themed restaurants in the city. It's a unique and special place, but certainly not the kind of spot that would become your regular go-to. It's actually a really great place to bring out-of-towners, or to lighten up the typical dinner-date-- just make sure that whoever you're bringing has a sense of humor. I went to Ninja 2 years ago with 2 girlfriends, and we had a great time.



Without spoiling anything, when you first arrive, you take a "journey" to get to your table, and it's pretty entertaining. The restaurant looks like it came from the set of a movie: full-on Japanese decor, dim lighting, and all the waiters are dressed up as, you guessed it, ninjas. You get seated in a private room that has paper doors (like the ones you see in Geisha houses) and sporadically throughout the dinner, you'll have a Ninja play tricks on you or pop open some secret door, and make it fun. The menu features some really tasty dishes but the portions are tiny, so it gets expensive. Whatever you end up choosing, make sure it's one of the "Ninja Art Dishes" because they all have a special way of being served. Enjoy it's a fun time!

- RIN cocktail
- Ninja Star Martini


- Floating Sashimi



- Ninja Star (Dessert)
- Rose Chocolate (Dessert)

DBGB - French Fusion - $$$$

Website
(Bowery and Houston)

I was very much looking forward to trying DBGB, but sadly, it didn't live up to my excitement. I waited for a friend at the bar and had the baby shoes cocktail which was as yummy as the bartender. The space has a nice vibe- dimly lit, open area, and shelves that are stocked with all sorts of boxed and canned goods-- the kinds that my mom and I always bring back from France.

But our waiter was less than enthusiastic that night. I expect the waiters in good restaurants to sell their menu--- that is what a good waiter is supposed to do: push the best dishes. But when we asked, he was short with his answers and bland with his suggestions. The food was overall very mediocre, and I can't justify ever coming back or spending more money at this restaurant. Not one bite of anything was "WOW!" or made me want to keep eating or come back... In fact, we were so unsatisfied that we didn't even order dessert and actually went to Mark for sliders.



- DBGB Dog
(This was OK. The bun was perfectly toasted and my friend loved this, but I didn't)



- Pan Seared Scallops and Shrimp
(This was really good. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the polenta and sprouts were a really nice add to the flavors)



- Steak Frites
(This was the only entree the waiter recommended and there was nothing special about this dish at all. The fries were better than the plain steak. It was supposedly the best quality meat that you could get, but it just wasn't one of the top steaks I've had)



- Tablier de Sapeur
(Crispy tripe with tomato tripe salad. I honestly didn't even know what this dish was until I had to ask, and then, I was not happy at all. I love tripe, but you couldn't even taste or tell what this was, other than fried. I would not recommend this at all, and in fact, the waiter took this off our bill.)



We ended up spending $50 each for a mediocre meal and then went for $2 sliders to be satisfied.

Blue Ribbon - American - $$$$

http://www.blueribbonrestaurants.com/rests_brass_man_main.htm

Another great food experience. I met my friend there for a fabulous dinner after work, we barely had a wait.

- West Coast Oysters
(In my opinion, West Coast trumps East Coast Oysters. A lot sweeter and meatier than the brinier counterparts.)
- Beef Marrow & Oxtail Marmalade
(Honestly, if I knew it would be so delicious, I would have ordered it for my appetizer AND my entree. You get 3 chunks of beef bone marrow to serve atop toasting Challah Bread and spread with the incredibly delicious oxtail marmalade. Culinary genius)


- Skate
(My friend ordered this and it was so crispy and perfectly cooked.)
- Pigeon
(I ordered the pigeon and it was also perfectly cooked but I wasn't in love with this dish... it was served warm over barley and with a side of sweet potato mash that just didn't compliment the meat at all, wouldn't order this one again)
- Creme Brulee
(For dessert we split the creme brulee, which was also just ehh. Not the best one I ever had)

without wine, the meal was about $60pp. pricey, but worth it.

ABC Kitchen - American, Organic - $$$$

http://www.abckitchennyc.com

One of the best meals I've had in a long time. I went with 2 girlfriends and we shared a bunch of plates. Everything is organic and delicious--- it's American food done extremely well, plus the ambiance is great. It's trendy without being annoying, but it did take a couple of weeks to get a reservation, well worth the wait.

- chicken liver toast
- roasted kobacha squash toast
(both incredible, buttery, crisp toast. the liver pate has a cinnamon flavor and doesn't taste "liver-y"; the squash is sweet and delicious)

- roast carrot & avocado salad
- pretzel dusted calamari
(honestly, both just mediocre)

- complimentary ravioli from the kitchen

- fresh organic chicken
- braised lamb shank
(both delicious)



all that with a bottle of wine came to about $80 each, not too bad for such a delicious meal. will definitely go back and get the toasts again next time. would not even recommend those appetizers. the entrees were so delicious, but i would probably choose something else just to try other deliciousness.

definitely felt like i had a food baby after that meal.