In fairness to the Momofuku Ko system, it’s actually a very democratic, albeit competitive process for securing a reservation. No special treatment, no secret phone number, just log onto the website and pray that one of the 70 available dinner seatings for the week will be open. Repeat. Should you manage to secure a reservation, this is what you need to know. It’s going to be an expensive meal. It’s $125 per person just to eat dinner, and drinking will cost you quite a bit more. That hefty price tag affords you very little in the way of traditional luxuries. No white tablecloths (no tables, actually), no doting waiters, and no busboys with breadcrumb scrapers. Just a front row seat to some of the most creative cooking you can find anywhere…and some really good tunes. If you’re expecting fine dining for that kind of money and want to show off your new boat shoes at dinner, allow us to suggest Eleven Madison Park. We love that place too. But if you’re looking to put a notch in your culinary experience belt, Momofuku Ko has to be on your list. Good luck getting in.

Photo Credit: Noah Kalina

Food Rundown:

Our standard food rundown seemed inappropriate for a Momofuku Ko meal. Part of the experience is sitting down and having your mind blown by the unexpected. Plus it doesn’t seem fair to rave about something that may or may not be on the menu when you visit. However, there are a few things that will definitely happen that we can touch on.

You will have somewhere in the neighborhood of ten to twelve courses.

One of those courses will have frozen, grated foie gras on it.

You will like that.

Some things will be simple and delicate, others bold and complex.

There is an arc to the meal – the best things will come in the middle.

A least three things that you eat will confuse you and at the same time make you very happy.

At least one dessert will be served (we had two).

Food Rundown:

Butterhead Lettuce Salad
As discussed, meals at Back 40 start strong. The butterhead lettuce is similar to bibb lettuce. This salad is well dressed in a white balsamic and the shallots taste like candy. It’s also got a great name.

Summer Corn Soup
My favorite part of the meal, this corn soup was done right. Served cold with lime and chili oil, the combination of flavors was both refreshing and exciting. Excellent soup.

Summer Succotash
Here’s where the bottom starts to drop out. This summer veggie mash-up of corn, romano beans, tomatoes and squash sounded great of paper, but this came out a little slimy and kind of gross. Avoid it.

Grilled Catskill Trout
Speaking of gross…the trout came highly recommended from our waitress as the best fish swimming out of the kitchen. Sadly, it was a little bland, a little fishy and quite underwhelming.

Lemon and Coriander Rubbed Roast Chicken
More bad news. This chicken dish looked like something you bring home from Boston Market. It was greasy, oily and didn’t settle well in the belly. Not even the crispy smashed red potatoes and cipollini onions it was served with couldn’t save this dish.

Grass Fed Burger
This burger had the complexion of ET: a little gray, kind of gloomy and absolutely not something you want to put in your mouth. Since I went in thinking this could be awesome, it was a pretty big let down. Also, the rosemary fries were so-so. Oh well. You want a burger on Ave B? Head down the block to Royale.

The Red and Black
We’ll close this review up on a high note. This Red and Black drink is incredible, so incredible that I’m now making them for myself at home. Tequila, strawberries, black pepper and lime. Trust me, you’ll dig this.

The Lion is a new joint opened by the chef from Waverly Inn and a bunch of other people you would only know if you a) spent too much time at Beatrice Inn or b) give a shit about who the “celebrity” investors are in a restaurant. Either way, this place is New York’s newest hot spot, and if you read all the other reviews, you’ll no doubt find a long list of A-listers recently sighted here. Exciting! But what has us considering an amendment to one of our beloved dining axioms is that despite all the baggage that comes along with a “scene” like this, the food at The Lion is actually pretty damn good. We’ve even found the place to be generally tolerable on all of our recent visits. Yes, tables can be hard to come by, and yes, it’s full of people who probably refer to themselves in the third person, but so far we’ve found the staff to be friendly and courteous. And while the quality of food and service are a bit surprising – what makes the biggest impression is the interior of the restaurant itself. The main dining area is an amazing two-story space that looks like the living room of a drug addled safari hunter/art collector (my dream job). It’s a pretty incredible place to eat your steak, and makes the hefty price tag a little more bearable. The bar in front is cozy and tavern-like, a perfect spot for sucking back dark and stormys and even possibly scoring a walk up table, especially if you arrive for dinner on the earlier side of the evening.

So while we can’t fully throw our full Infatuation approval behind a place that has a door guy out front, we have to admit that there is a lot to like about The Lion. Enough for us to make one exception to a big time rule…for now.

Photo Credit: Janelle Jones

Food Rundown:

Artichoke Fritters
Delicious little fried spheres with soft artichoke and lemony goodness inside them. On the small side for what you pay, but tasty nonetheless.

Spring Asparagus
A straightforward Spanish classic – fresh asparagus with a soft egg on top. This is always a crowd pleaser, and the Lion’s version is no exception. I think I saw one of these things coming over the kitchen counter and off to a table every twenty seconds.

Pasta Annunziatta
On one of our visits, the waiter had the balls to recommend I try this pasta rather than the burger, which I appreciated. After having both, I’m glad he steered me in this direction. Octopus, guanicale and olives make for an incredible combination tossed with pasta. That guanciale pops in your mouth and leaves behind a fat slick that makes everything that comes after taste awesome.

Burger
We’ve heard people throwing around comments that this thing is up there with Minetta’s Black Label Burger. It’s a good burger for sure, but let’s everyone sit down and take a breather. Plus, we’re not entirely sure that a piece of pork belly on a burger is a good, or particularly responsible idea. We do respect the gusto though.

Lobster Pot Pie
Flaky crust, lobster, vegetables…what’s not to like? This is a football shaped pie full of lobster, and it comes to the table volcano hot.

Delmonico Steak
An expensive steak at $55, but one of the better things on the menu here. This guy is tender and has a nice marble, so it definitely doesn’t lack in flavor.

Food Rundown:

Veggie Burger
I don’t do veggie burgers, but my better half is quite the aficionado and she and her friends have been freaking out over this one since they were in college at NYU over a decade ago. It must be good.

Tunisian Eggs
My personal go-to here: eggs over easy served atop sauteed spicy peppers and tomatoes with home fries and pita. If you love peppers in your eggs, this is your dream dish. If not, this aint for you.

Eggs Blackstone/Eggs Florentine
Orlin poaches a damn fine egg. My two favorites are both listed under the brunch specials: Eggs Blackstone and Eggs Florentine. The Blackstone is bacon, sauteed tomatoes, poached eggs and hollandaise. The Florentine is sauteed spinach, poached eggs and hollandaise. They’re both great and the hollandaise sauce is spot on.

Brioche French Toast
Not my favorite French Toast, but it gets the job done. I’ve had experiences here where it comes out a little dry and overcooked, so I usually skip the french toast and focus on the eggs.

Warm Mozzarella Sandwich
A fixture on their brunch, lunch and dinner menu, this fan-favorite is a scrumptious combination of portobello mushrooms, spinach and sundried tomato puree on baguette.

Hummus Plate
I’m not the hummus expert around these parts, that title goes to Stang. Kid actually bottles his own secret recipe around Christmas and gives them out to his favorite people. Be nice and you might get some this year. Anyway, the Orlin hummus is damn good, and I think even humus snobs like Stang would appreciate.

Roasted Goat Cheese Salad
All their salads are good, but this is the consensus favorite and an excellent light bite. The roasted medallions of goat cheese are quite tasty and the toasted walnuts taste like candy.

Food Rundown:

Raw Bar
A classic raw bar with oysters, clams, and some shrimp cocktail. A few drinks and some oysters at the bar are always a good idea, assuming you can actually get to it.

Maryland ‘Hand Picked’ Jumbo Lump Crab Cake
A solid crab cake that can be a nice starter for the table. In an era when pork buns and brussels sprouts seem to be on every menu, and old school appetizer is nice.

The Cadillac Burger
The gold standard at P.J. Clarkes, this is their burger with bacon and cheese. The bacon is cooked perfectly, as is the burger, and it’s tasty and satisfying, even if a little on the small side. They recently revamped this guy with a new meat grind and bun, which the jury is still out on for us. We fear change.

3 Mini Cheeseburgers w/ Bubble & Squeak
Just as tasty as the full size burger, and served with bubble and squeak, which is apparently not a cartoon rat family.

Lobster Roll
So much lobster roll talk lately. Unfortunately, we felt it our duty to weigh in on P.J. Clarke’s, which is somehow boring and a bit too chewy.

Fries
If you only come to P.J. Clarke’s to eat fries and drink, you’ll walk away happy. These are crispy, salty, and perfect, and should be on your table no matter what.

Luckily, there are a few downsides that beat those nasty thoughts into submission. The most convincing being the fact that I would miss New York’s restaurants too much. Not having a Blue Ribbon or a Frank at my disposal seems unimaginable, and quickly assures me that my tiny apartment and winter are small prices to pay. Then a friend took me to Animal.

Animal is the first restaurant in Los Angeles that I have been to that approaches food with the reckless will to be delicious that so many in New York do. This is not healthy LA restaurant food, and it sure as hell isn’t sceney sushi. Animal is about nose to tail, seasonal cooking with a full commitment to make everything taste unimaginably good. Restraint isn’t in this place’s vocabulary. Pig ears are sliced thin and doused with lime juice and chili, and just in case that isn’t enough, it gets topped with an egg. Gigantic slabs of steak are covered in butter and escargot. Look at that thing. Only in New York would you find something so good and irresponsible on a menu. So I thought.

Animal is exactly the kind of restaurant that we live for, and it’s in LA. Now every time I am there, I have to come up with other things to convince myself that life wouldn’t be awesome out west. Good thing Ed Hardy exists.

Food Rundown:

Baby Kale, Pecorino, Lemon, Smashed Croutons
I wouldn’t recommend wasting valuable stomach space on a green if it wasn’t worth it. This heaping pile of kale is incredibly flavorful and worthy of a spot on the table.

Pig Ear, Chili, Lime, Fried Egg
Psst. Hey pig. Can you hear me eating you? Your ear is way better sliced up and hidden under a fried egg than it is on your head. Thanks.

Barbeque Pork Belly Sandwiches, Slaw
Two fist sized sandwiches with pork belly, some sauce, and some slaw. Really good. See exhibit A.

Melted Petite Basque, Chorizo, Grilled Bread
This is our friend Jordan, displaying the petite basque. He is a movie producer (of course he is) and you should go see his movie The Kids Are All Right .

Hamachi Tostada, Herbs, Fish Sauce Vinaigrette, Peanut
A nice light change from all of the meaty goodness on this menu. This is a beautiful piece of hamachi on a tostada, piled high with herbs, peanuts and some other crunchy goodness that I can only assume are pork parts.

Quail Fry, Grits, Chard, Slab Bacon, Maple Jus
A few pieces of quail fried up like fried chicken and served on a plate with bacon and “maple jus”, which is unbelievable. One of the better things I have eaten in a long time.

Poutine, Oxtail Gravy,Cheddar
Poutine is delicious to begin with, but the addition of oxtail takes this to a whole other level. Last time I went, this was sold out, so arrive early and order two.

Rib Eye for Two, Escargot Butter
A huge steak that should come with a release form. It’s incredible and could easily kill you. It’s probably smart to share this with more than two people and order a whole bunch of other things.

Photo Credit: Bonnie Tsang

When you pay $250 a person for a seat, you best believe that every course is going to be scrutinized like an episode of Lost. Expectations couldn’t have been higher, and both the food and service delivered in every way possible. Unlike some elaborate tasting menus, this nine course feast isn’t an exercise in how far your belly can expand, it’s more of an adventurous road trip for your taste buds to experience. There’s no better tour guide than Thomas Keller, who proves why the New York Times declared French Laundry as, “the most exciting restaurant in America.”

Until you actually step foot inside and see how small it is (15-20 tables, max), it’s hard to comprehend how The Laundry can possibly be the hardest reservation to get in North America. Are there really that many people in Yountville, CA desperate to unload their piggy banks on any given night? To secure a table, you have to call exactly two months ahead of time, right when they open, and only then do you stand a fraction of a chance of getting through. It’s like trying to be the 100th caller when Z100 is giving away Lady GaGa tickets.

My one complaint is the fact that the setting of the restaurant doesn’t reflect it’s geographic location at all. You’re dining in one of the most beautiful places in the world, at one of the finest culinary establishments in the world and if you didn’t know any better you could be eating in a basement in Kansas City. The dining room is as plain and stuffy as they come, especially downstairs where we sat. At least upstairs, you might get an open window with a view. With the exception of a small outdoor area by the entrance (which isn’t exactly conducive to hanging out) and an alleged garden across the street, that’s all you get as far as lush, green grounds. We may have deducted a few points for decor, but as far as food goes, this was by far, one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten.

Food Rundown:

Oysters and Pearls
Are you kidding? No, seriously? Are you f*cking kidding? Food porn to the max right here, and this dish takes the form of Sasha Gray. If the goal here was to pique my interest, consider me aroused. Their famous “Oysters and Pearls” creation is possibly the tastiest thing my mouth has ever come in contact with. A sabayon of pearl tapioca with Island Creek oysters and white sturgeon caviar. Delicious.

Roasted Hawaiian Hearts Of Palm
Such a small plate of food, but so much going on. Small chunks of a South American Gros Michel banana, combined with small pieces of roasted palm, cashews, Belgian endive relish, cilantro and banyuls- curry gastrique. Sounds like a lot, but I promise you it all works. I finished this in about three bites – granted, the entire content of this dish could fit in a tablespoon, so really no big feat there.

Grilled Fillet Of Gulf Coast Cobia
What looks like a light piece of white fish is actually a hearty, steak-like piece of Cobia, bursting with flavors thanks to morel mushrooms, green asparagus, demi-sec tomatoes, arugula and caper vinaigrette.

Sashimi Of Japanese Bluefin Tuna
While not the crowd favorite, due to the fishiness of the Hokkaido Coast sea urchin and Tomales Bay clams that accompanied the tuna, the fish lovers at the table (like myself) approved. The actual slices of tuna tasted like butter.

Sweet Butter-Poached Maine Lobster Tail – aka “Peas and Carrots”
I’ve eaten a lot of lobster tails in my day, and this was indeed the finest. Check the Twitpic and try and tell me you don’t need a bib for all that projectile drool escaping your mouth and rolling down your chin. Sweet, savory lobster coated in an intoxicating butter sauce with English peas and Nantes carrots. Awesome.

Liberty Valley Farms Pekin Duck
This dish made us want to club Thomas Keller over the head, toss him into our trunk, move to Liberty Valley (wherever that might be), and hunt duck for the rest of our lives. That’s how good this was. Enough said.

Elysian Fields Farm Lamb Rib-Eye
A re-occurring staple on the menu, this ribeye of lamb was perfectly cooked; pink in the middle and dark around the edges. Rich flavors from pole bean cassoulet, jingle bell peppers, parsley and sauce gremolata caused a serious party in my mouth.

Dessert
By the time dessert rolled around, we were so high on food, they could have thrown a Duncan Hines cupcake in front of us and we wouldn’t have known the difference. We sampled the pre-dessert course, a Royal Blenheim Apricot Sorbet as well as both dessert options of the night: Cremeux Aux Fruits De La Passion (Silverado Trail strawberries, pistachio “pain de gêne,”and white chocolate sorbet and Pane Di Ricotta Alla Griglia (delta blue blueberries, pine nut nougatine, “limone cagliata” and buttermilk sherbet. Food high aside, they were all phenomenal.

Diner has been a Williamsburg institution for a decade now. Originally built out of necessity by two friends in need of a place to eat, drink and hang out – it soon became not only their home base, but every other recent settler’s home as well. It’s like the hipster Plymouth Rock. As expected, Diner takes the form of, well, a diner. It’s basically a hole in the wall, and if it weren’t for the constant crowds, you’d probably wonder how a place that looks like this stays in business. Everyone inside is most definitely cooler than you, but they don’t think they’re better than you. Both the clientele and staff are friendly, and generally seem to be enjoying themselves. There are no hard copies of the menu, your server personally writes the daily specials by hand on your table.

Food Rundown:

Fettuccini Special
You can always count on Diner for an excellent pasta special, and this homemade fettuccini appetizer with sugar snap peas and broccoli that we had last week was spot on. A light summery pasta that went quite well with our patio seat in the sun.

Rabbit Milanesa
Rabbit two ways – one, as a fried milanesa and the other as a shredded, braised meat over a salad of green and carrots and peas in a mustard dressing. Rabbit tastes like the dark meat of a chicken, with a little more BOOM if you will. Both styles tasted great, but it was the milanesa I’m still thinking about. It tasted like dessert. A little on the pricey side for an appetizer ($18), but really freakin’ awesome.

Bistro Top Rounds
Sliced steak served with mustard greens – both of which come fresh from Marlow & Daughters butcher a half block away. The melt in your mouth factor of the marrow butter makes up for the fact that the actual meat is a little tough. That’s all overshadowed by the fries though. Short, stocky potato chunks that are perfectly crispy, salty and delicious.

Burger
The burger is the one thing that’s always on the menu and for good reason. It’s one of the best burgers you’ll find in Brooklyn, and deserves consideration for anyone putting together a best of NYC list. It’s Just greasy enough to represent a real diner burger, but still made from grass-fed cows. Served on a delicious toasted brioche bun with pickled onions and greens, this thing is legit.

Now that we’ve been to Blind Tiger, we will retract that last part. I grew up in Colorado, and went to college in Fort Collins, which is place that several very successful breweries call home. Needless to say, I became accustomed to drinking in bars with incredible beer selections. What I also became accustomed to, was eating some kind of terrible chicken ranch sandwich for dinner in these places, because that’s what you get in Fort Collins (ranch dressing is a religion in this part of the country). What we have found at Blind Tiger is a New York City bar that actually has an extensive microwbrew selection AND excellent food. Unfortunately, we’re not the only ones that know it. The place gets very crowded at times, but weekend afternoons are perfect, as are late nights when you need a good beer and a grilled cheese. The wings and sandwiches are also excellent, and it’s a great place to mix it up and meet people. Be warned though – the bar staff know their beer, but they’re not very friendly. We’ll let it slide…but only because there are Colorado brews on the tap every once in a while.

Food Rundown:

Hot Wings
We have been pretty vocal about our distaste for most wings that we come across in this town. Blind Tiger’s wings are actually pretty great. Tangy, peppery, and of decent size, we’ll come back just to eat them.

Old School Grilled Cheese
A really great classic grilled cheese. You can even get a bowl of tomato soup with it, just like what I used to have every day after school when l when I was six. Yes, including the beers.

Classic BLT
A killer BLT on white toast. We highly recommend this as it’s a prime beer absorbing agent.

Bloody Beast Sandwich
Great name, great sandwich. This is a fist sized roast beef sandwich with cheese, served with a sauce on the side that they call “bloody mary” sauce. I think it’s just a bowl of bloody mary mix, but I am also totally cool with that. Probably because I carry tiny bottles of vodka with me at all times. Order this.

Banh Mi Mini
We’re growing a little tired of the banh mi thing that took over the city last year, but this one is a good snack sized sandwich. But it’s not quite the traditional bahn mi. This one comes on a round crusty roll and has a mango slaw rather than the usual fixins.

Both the food and service at Public are consistently excellent. Chef Brad Farmerie knocks out inventive, flavorful dishes that both look and taste great. It sure as hell isn’t cheap, but you absolutely get your money’s worth. Public is also a pretty well known event space. Hang out in Manhattan long enough and you’ll probably wind up at an after-party here, intoxicated in the restroom, trying to figure out how many little bars of Public branded soap you can shove in your pockets. Or maybe you can afford to buy your own fancy hand soap for your house. Must be nice.

Food Rundown:

Mushroom Ceviche
I loathe mushrooms and somehow really enjoyed this ceviche. Either my taste buds are rapidly maturing as I approach 30 or Public has some kind of magic potion in which mushrooms suddenly taste like candy. I’ll go with the latter.

Grilled Scallops
Load up on the shellfish apps, they’re all money. These grilled scallops with sweet chili sauce, crème fraiche and green plantain crisps taste as good as they sound.

Fried Barron Point Oysters
Fried oysters with a spicy Japanese flair? Yes please. We could eat these puppies all day. The wasabi-yuzu dipping sauce is real tasty.

Cured Wild Boar Plate with Garrotxa Cheese
When wild boar is on the menu, I order it. It makes me think of three things, all of which I dig: 1.) Lost (Locke) 2.) Friday Night Lights (Riggins) 3.) apizz (Wild boar lasagna). Served with olives, caper berries and crostini, this meat plate was solid, but unspectacular. Next time I’m doubling up on the fried oysters.

New Zealand Venison Loin
From one gamey meat, to another. It’s obvious Chef Farmerie enjoys a little hunting in his life. The entire table agreed that this was the standout dish of the night. Rich meat with deep flavors are complimented with cheese dumplings, mushrooms and salsa verde. It sounds like it’d be a heavy dish, but it’s not. The consistency is just right and the execution is spot on.

Roast Lamb Sirloin
Again, great presentation. The lamb roast shows up on top of a crispy goat cheese polenta with saffron braised baby vegetables. The meat is juicy, and well cooked. All love here.

Roast Duck Breast
Although overshadowed a bit by the venison and the lamb, the duck is another excellent option. We dug the accompaniments too: Korean pepper spaetzle, sautéed snow peas and a radish and grape salad. Seasonal and not what you typically see served with duck.