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Post by ironchefcanadian on Mar 20, 2008 12:46:00 GMT -5
Once again, I'm driving out to NYC for Easter weekend.
Part of it is attending the NY Auto Show, but I'm also planning on doing some fine dining. Saturday, I plan on checking out Centro Vinoteca, which is Anne Burrell's place; and I have a reservation to go to Mesa Grill on Sunday. (I booked reservations for both via OpenTable; since I'm planning on visiting Chelsea Market on Saturday, I would have booked at Morimoto, but apparently his resto doesn't do OpenTable.)
Anyone else eat at these places, or have a recommendation?
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Post by missteetheironchef on Mar 20, 2008 14:11:40 GMT -5
You could've book Morimoto, my Canadian friend.
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Mar 20, 2008 18:20:17 GMT -5
As I said, Morimoto doesn't do online reservations. (Besides, I'm curious about Anne Burrell's cooking when Mario's not around.)
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Post by herringchoker on Mar 21, 2008 13:17:52 GMT -5
Please us know your thoughts on the restaurants and their dishes once you've dined, ICC.
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Post by eiko on Mar 21, 2008 19:39:19 GMT -5
Anne has a show!
SECRETS OF A RESTAURANT CHEF
Premieres: Sunday, June 29th at 10:30AM ET/PT
With extensive experience as a top restaurant chef and a lifelong passion for food, Anne Burrell takes the mystery (and apprehension) out of the professional kitchen and highlights the practical techniques necessary to create delicious at-home meals. Based on her love for rustic food with simple ingredients and intense flavors, Anne prepares surprisingly achievable dishes such as Herb-Crusted Leg of Lamb with Roasted Fennel, Artichoke, and Red Bliss Potatoes and Brined Grilled Pork Chops with Parmesan Polenta, Sautéed Swiss Chard and Bacon. With stand-out recipes perfect for a party but easy enough for an everyday meal, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef will make the viewer’s dinner table the hottest reservation in town.
ABOUT ANNE BURRELL:
Now serving as Executive Chef at New York hot-spot Centro Vinoteca, Anne Burrell has always stood out in the restaurant business for her remarkable culinary talent, bold and creative dishes, and her trademark spiky blond hair. After training at New York’s Culinary Institute of America and Italy’s Culinary Institute for Foreigners, she gained hands-on experience at notable New York restaurants including Felidia, Savoy, Lumi, and Italian Wine Merchants. Anne can also be spotted battling on Food Network’s iron Chef America as Mario Batali’s energetic and reliable sous chef. Additionally, Anne taught for three years at New York’s Institute of Culinary Education and recently took over the kitchen at New York’s Gusto Ristorante e Bar Americano.
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Mar 22, 2008 21:47:59 GMT -5
Well, I checked it out. It's small and the noise is a bit loud, but the food is very, very good. I liked the fried cippolini (basically pearl onions deep fried -- really nice) and the dessert (a cappucino pudding) was excellent. Wine list was a bit pricey so I opted for sparkling water instead. I'm hoping there'll be no problems with Mesa Grill tomorrow.
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Mar 26, 2008 9:00:40 GMT -5
And here's my opinion on Mesa Grill, from my blog entry:
Let me say at the outset that I don’t consider myself a fan of Chef Bobby Flay. I don’t actually hate the guy, it’s just that his public TV persona is the hip and cocky type that some people find irritating. I suspect that half the people who watch the Food Network’s Throwdown tune in just to see the man lose against the other chef.
That said, though, I went to Flay’s Mesa Grill on Fifth Avenue for dinner, out of curiosity. And I will say that I liked the place, even more than last night’s Centro Vinoteca.
I like the idea that food styled from the American Southwest / Mexico could be considered haute cuisine, all the more so when you consider how it’s all done. Oysters fried in cornbread sounds simple enough, but when you line them up in a row using coarse salt to set them up like a miniature sculpture, that’s moving food up into a completely different realm.
Same with the pork tenderloin, which is one of the Grill’s more popular dishes. I don’t have the words to describe it with any sort of justice, but the sauces dabbed on the meat had the right amount of kick to make this more than a simple piece of grilled flesh.
Expensive? Oh yeah; the Grill isn’t an everyday place. But it is a genuine New York experience, and I’m glad I made the effort to try it.
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Post by missteetheironchef on Mar 28, 2008 8:22:04 GMT -5
Good Luck, my Canadian friend. Give Bobby Flay my regards!
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