Immaculate Infatuation

Danny Meyer. Gobbling up screen time on this site just like he’s gobbling up restaurant space all over town. We finally got around to a review of The Modern, and it’s about time, they needed more good press. Or wait a minute, no they didn’t. Along with a Michelin Star and constant raves, Chef Gabriel Kreuther was honored this past year with a James Beard award for Best Chef: NYC. We’re actually still waiting to find out if we won for Most Influential Food Website: Earth. They’ll call or something right?

The best way for us to give you the lowdown on this place is to explain that it’s really two different experiences: the bar, and the dining room. The dining room is a beautiful, formal space overlooking the MoMa garden with a three course prixe fixe menu. It’s fine dining for sure, and it’s incredibly good. Think of it as a more “modern” Eleven Madison Park. The bar area is quite a bit different. It’s sleek, more relaxed, and on a good night, you’ll find some Action at the Bar. The plates are smaller and a bit more restrained, but you will still get A plus service and have a decent meal. We like the bar just fine, but what it really comes down to is this: … read more

Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill is kind of a ridiculous concept on paper – a Frankenstein fusion of Blue Ribbon Brasserie and Blue Ribbon Sushi in a Thompson Hotel lobby. We’re huge fans of the Blue Ribbon brand, especially the brasserie and sushi outposts. We’re not huge fans of Midtown, especially Midtown hotel restaurants. How is this going to work exactly? Believe it or not, pretty well. The sushi at this Blue Ribbon is excellent (as it should be), and they put some delicious tweaks on a few brasserie classics that will blow you away (see fried chicken with wasabi honey below). This place is, however, insanely expensive. So expensive that we don’t recommend coming unless you’re dropping a corporate card or rolling with someone that’s so rich they eat Faberge eggs for breakfast. The service can also be a bit clumsy, and we don’t exactly love the clientele. The crowd is usually some combination of old guys with young girls, executives having dinner meetings, and John Popper. Seriously, we sat next to John Popper when we ate here last, and had a front row seat as he threw some awkward rock star game. Unfortunately, no harmonicas were present.

Photo Credit: ny.eater.com … read more

The Mermaid Inn … this place has been a staple in the Infatuation playbook since back in 2003 when we were standing in line outside of terrible Manhattan night clubs and listening to nothing but Brand New and 50 Cent. Fortunately, we’ve matured (a little) since then, and The Mermaid Inn is not only still hanging around, it’s thriving (they recently opened an Upper West Side location). The secret to this upscale clam shack’s longevity is nothing more than consistency. The fish is always fresh and fantastic, and their lobster roll is solid. It’s all reasonably priced considering the seafood is top rate, and service is always good. These days they have even stepped it up and frequently throw down fish frys, clam bakes, and all other manner of seafood-centric specials that you can get in on. Also worth noting, they are currently running a “Blue Plate Special”: lobster roll, Old Bay fries, and a Blue Point beer for twenty dollars from 5:30 to 7:00 every evening. You can find me in the club …

… read more

Takahachi, we wish you delivered. On second thought, it’s better that you don’t, otherwise I might never leave my apartment. This little sushi joint trumps others of its kind in the East Village. Anyone thinking of hitting The Sushi Lounge – you know, the yellow spot on the corner of 7th St. and Ave. A that is constantly having ’sales’ on sushi – don’t. That place is disgusting. Walk the couple extra blocks to Takahachi. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. Just be prepared for a quick but worthwhile wait, because as with most quality places in this city, everyone wants a piece. Bonus points to Takahachi for having one waiter whose sole duty is to refill your water glass, providing a nice fresh glass after almost every sip – respect. The food is well rounded, be we suggest to stick with the basics. The fancy rolls don’t come off too well, and we prefer the no frills options.

… read more

We’ve got a handful of spots that we like in Hell’s Kitchen, and there are definitely a few that we still need to hit up. But right now, Taboon is at the top of our list in the ‘hood. That says a lot for the food, considering the restaurant itself lacks most qualities of a typical Infatuation Approved establishment. It’s pricey and a little stuffy, and the music they play is an unlistenable combination of Greek lounge music and Yanni remixes. Oh yeah, and it’s on 10th Avenue. But what Taboon lacks in cool, it more than makes up for with top quality Mediterranean eats and good service.

A taboon is an Arabic word for a wood-burning oven, and the one in the front of this restaurant turns out some damn tasty food. Things that swim seem to benefit the most from the taboon treatment – all of the fish entrees here are excellent, and the octopus and crab salad appetizers should not be missed. They also bake an amazing fresh focaccia and serve it on a paddle, which I then use to jam the entire loaf down my throat at once. More please. Prices are a little steep, so Taboon probably shouldn’t be in your heavy rotation, but we recommend spending the extra bucks if you’re in the area looking for a solid meal.

… read more