Immaculate Infatuation

Let’s be honest. White tablecloth fine dining establishments are not places that you will typically find the staff of immaculateinfatuation.com. We like things a little bit looser, a little bit dirtier, and a little bit more laid back. That said, every once in a while a man needs to throw on a pair of wrinkle-free Dockers and dine like a gentleman. Every once in a while, a man also gets a gift card to a restaurant for his birthday.

Whatever the motivation, on a recent weekday night, we found ourselves heading for an Immaculate Infatuation man date at Eleven Madison Park. It was clear from the start that this would not be a typical night out stuffing our faces with burgers and pork buns. The dinner menu at Eleven Madison Park consists of different prix fixe configurations, including an eleven course chef’s tasting menu. No, this would not be another night of casual eating. This night we were going to be tucking our napkins into our collars and doing things real fancy like.

Fancy though it may be, the restaurant is surprisingly lively, and the room wide open and airy – definitely not typical of a place serving this kind of food. Make no mistake, Eleven Madison Park is fine dining at its most serious. The staff is polite, yet rigid and focused like they’re on a mission from God. I think one of them folded my napkin with his mind. While the formality of the staff can be a little bit awkward at times, their knowledge and focus is appreciated when eating at this level. The food rundown will give you the details, but our meal at Eleven Madison Park was amazing. With a menu that sources many local ingredients via the Union Square Greenmarket, from start to finish, you get what you pay for and more. Save it for the right occasion. You won’t be disappointed.

… read more

The more I read about Mas, the more it became clear – Mas needed to be my next fine dining destination. So to celebrate my 29 years on this earth, Mas got the call. After witnessing what appeared to be an ecstasy induced seizure by a fellow food freak at the mere mention of Mas, I knew this was the right move. Literally she was foaming at the mouth, eyes rolling into the back of her head, and nearly falling out of her chair as she attempted to recall her glorious meal. It was one of those “holy s–t, I immediately need to see you do that again” moments.

With high hopes and empty stomachs we rolled up seven deep and sat at Mas’ lone big table. My only complaint about the table was that we were in direct line with the air conditioning which was pumping right on our faces the whole time. Not the most comfortable way to spend a meal. The design is one that can only be described as modern rustic. A seamless blend of wood, stone, and mirrors produces a subtle elegance. The service was superb and our waiter was laid back and informative. Quite impressive and accommodating is the fact that, for their four-course $68 price fix tasting menu (one app, two mains, one dessert), you can pick anything from the menu. We sampled just about everything on the menu and the result was one of the better meals I’ve had in a long time. Let’s get down to business.

… read more

On a recent weekend night, a disastrous attempt at having dinner at Landmarc in the Time Warner Center resulted in an impromptu visit to Bar Boulud. Let me set the scenario before I get into the Bar Boulud review. The Time Warner Center Landmarc is essentially New York City’s Rainforest Cafe…true mall dining at its finest. It was an absolute zoo, there were tables crammed into every square inch of available space, and the hosts and bartenders clearly hate their lives. I’m pretty sure they would have asked us to have dinner on the floor if the place got any busier. Needless to say, we closed out our bar tab and got the cuss out of there. Desperately looking for a civilized meal and a drink, we wandered over to Bar Boulud, sure that a Friday night walk-in would illicit some French snobbery. Surprisingly, they politely sent us to the bar for a quick glass of wine and we had a table within ten minutes.

Bar Boulud is Daniel Boulud’s “casual bistro”, but by Infatuation standards this is a fancy restaurant. It’s an older crowd, but a seemingly loose one as the restaurant feels upbeat and lively. The service is first class, but not the slightest bit stiff. As for the food, you’ll find a long list of pates and terrines, but otherwise, it’s a pretty straightforward bistro. Pay attention to the specials, and the fish selections are spectacular. Salads and starters are tasty, and the wine list is well priced and full of lesser known varietals that will have you taking notes and chasing down bottles online. What‘s the takeaway here? Don’t let the French formalities scare you off. Bar Boulud is fantastic.

… read more

Raoul’s is the shit. That’s really the only proper way to put it. If you can’t have a good time here, you probably can’t have a good time anywhere. This boisterous French bistro has been a Soho institution since the 70’s. It’s that awesome NYC restaurant depicted in your favorite Woody Allen flick, one that probably doesn’t exist in real life. Except it does and in reality it’s just as cool. Raoul’s is useful for a variety of different reasons. Having dinner with friends from out of town? They will feel the upbeat, lively vibe at Raoul’s. Double date with your favorite party couple who like to un-tuck, throw a couple back and grub hard? This is the place. Just be prepared to drop dollars. On the prowl after work with your favorite wing-man/wing-woman? There’s all kinds of good action here and a nice variety to choose from; a classy crowd of spunky ladies and well put together dudes. If you want to be all up in the mix, make sure to request a table in the front of the restaurant. For a more subdued good time, the back atrium through the kitchen is where it’s at. Time to talk food.

… read more

Tree has an unassuming exterior that may cause someone to walk by hundreds of times without realizing that there’s anything worthwhile inside. I, for instance, live right around the corner and never paid much attention to the joint. Luckily, my pops insisted we go one night thanks to a very high Zagat rating. After that fateful night, Tree was promptly added to my local rotation. During the winter, it’s warm and cozy interior is the perfect place to take your girl or guy on a cold Friday night. The large backyard garden is the perfect place to dine alfresco on those balmy spring or summer evenings. There’s something a little more mature about Tree than the majority of the restaurants in the area. It’s not filled with young hipsters; the crowd tends to skew a little older. I counted five tables containing guests with gray hair the last time I was there. Basic rule of thumb when it comes to the menu; stick with the heavy sauce dishes and you’ll be a happy camper. Tree kills it with their sauces. Resist the temptation to order the steak frites and stick with the good stuff served in bowls. For the food rundown, I’m sticking with my go-to dishes and nothing else … all served in bowls.

… read more