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.

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A Voce just received a Michelin Star which, in case you were wondering, is a huge deal in the restaurant world. A friend recently said to me, “one day, you will need to explain to me the connection between tires and good food.” I can do no such thing. What I can do is tell you that A Voce turns out some incredible Italian. It’s definitely fine dining, it will definitely hit you hard in the wallet, and it’s definitely full of suits from the New York Life building next door, but no matter – the food coming out of that kitchen is amazing. The vibe is upscale modern, and while we were blown away by the service and the food, the music is atrocious. Smooth jazz permeates the room and makes you suddenly feel like you’re eating ravioli in John Tesh’s living room. Someone needs to sort that out ASAP. We would be happy to make suggestions. Otherwise, A Voce is firing on all cylinders. Our waiter made excellent recommendations and from appetizer to entree, most everything on the menu is phenomenal. We recommend any and all of the homemade pastas, and the roasted trumpet mushroom appetizer is straight-up unbelievable. This is another one of those spots best saved for special occasions, or any time you feel the need to drop some chang on a serious meal.

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I once saw a man at Shake Shack, dressed in a suit and setting a formal table. On the small metal table he placed a white tablecloth, fine silverware, a candle, and some flowers. For a moment, I was overcome with joy at the beautiful event that was about to unfold before me … this man was about to propose to a burger.

Unfortunately, a woman soon arrived and the man instead professed his undying love for her. Nonetheless, I was inspired, and had learned something important. I now realized that I could live a fulfilled and happy life devoted to a single hamburger – The Shack Burger.

There are two lessons to be learned from this story. First, Shake Shack is the burger by which all other New York City burgers are to be measured. This is hamburger perfection, and the epic lines are the only thing preventing weekly Infatuation visits. Second, there is a huge badass somewhere out there that proposed to his girlfriend over a burger and fries. Well done sir.

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First and foremost, the popovers at BLT Prime are the single greatest table bread ever – hands down, no contest. These hollow, softball sized treats are warm and doughy on the inside, with a hard pretzel-like shell outside. Served with whipped butter and sea salt, they’re an unbeatable first impression and deserve first ink in this review. As a bonus, Prime includes a small recipe card, welcoming others to attempt to recreate them at home.

My love for BLT Prime grows deeper with every visit. Although it completely destroys your wallet, Prime is an ideal venue for annual celebrations. You get the vibe that everyone is genuinely excited about the meal they’re about to eat. The crowd is buzzing with return customers, most of them young, lower Manhattan types wearing jeans and button downs who prefer BLT Prime’s modern take on the steakhouse to the more traditional spots uptown. In other words, this is not your grandfather’s steakhouse. Prime serves only the best in beef, with all their cuts being either USDA Prime or Certified Black Angus. All beef is naturally dry aged in an in-house dry aging room which you see when you walk in. Let the drooling begin. Bonus points to Prime for serving every single hot dish in its own cast iron skillet. Personal pans are underrated.

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You obviously know by now that we’re not vegetarians. At times, this site feels like little more than a lengthy discussion about skirt steak and pork parts. Why then, are we giving so much love to a restaurant serving only raw food? Because while we may not be vegetarians, we are devoted hedonists, and Pure Food and Wine is all about pleasure. That and every musician we know talks about the place like it’s the Carnegie Hall of restaurants.

A few years back, Sarma Melngailis decided to show New York that a raw food restaurant doesn’t have to mean serving carrot sticks and lentils to a soundtrack of Ben Harper songs. Pure Food And Wine opened, and in the process she’s become an icon among those passionate about the raw lifestyle. Her restaurant, cookbooks, and One Lucky Duck takeaway business have all been extremely successful, and it’s because, raw or not, the food is incredible.

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