At $40 for 4 courses, this is a steal. Recette is one of our favorite restaurants, and our dinner last night was nothing short of spectacular. Included are a snack, two plates, and dessert. The entire menu is available, with the only supplement being $15 for the two most expensive plates, the duck and the lamb.

We started with the hamachi crudo and Buffalo sweetbreads, then continued with skate, quail, pork belly with shrimp, and langoustines. For dessert, we had an assortment of three ice creams and a chocolate banana gateaux.

To take advantage of this deal, you have to arrive by 7 PM, and it’s only available until Labor Day. This would cost $146 for the two of us at regular price, but it was only $80. We will definitely be back before it’s over.

Monument Lane has been around for a few years, and we live only a block away, but it was one of those places we just never got around to trying. A Blackboard Eats deal for 30% off was what finally got us to give it a shot, and I’m very glad we did. Nice atmosphere, warm and attentive service, and very tasty and interesting food made it a happy experience.

I started with the pork salad, with fried pig’s ears that were crisp and delicious. Stanley began with sauteed squid. I had the tilefish with a tomato sauce and sunchoke, fava beans and olives. Stanley had another appetizer, rabbit with gnocchi and goat cheese, with a side of pole beans. I had a Saranac brown ale and he had Mother’s Milk stout.

We did not have room for dessert, but the dessert menu looked tempting.

This is definitely a place we will return to.

Click on the image below to view, and enlarge as needed:

To view, click on images below and enlarge as needed:

Please visit the web page to see photos and video:

http://www.wohlfarth.com/listing-details/upper-west-side-coop-970063.html

Last week, we had the opportunity to try both of these in the same day. I had reserved for dinner at Oiji a few weeks in advance, then we were invited to get together with friends for lunch at Hanjan. I was excited about Hanjan after reading Pete Wells’ 2-star review in the Times. I thought it might make sense to postpone Oiji but then decided it would be fun and interesting to compare and contrast the two. Hanjan was pretty good, but Oiji wins by a mile.

To be fair, I should point out that the lunch menu at Hanjan is limited, and the dinner menu has a number of main courses not available at lunch, so I am basing my judgment on the two dishes I tried and the general appeal of the menu. My impression is that Hanjan is more traditional, the sort of food Koreans might eat every day. I started with chicken katsu, which was decent but of no great consequence, and then had the bulgogi with bibimbap, which should have been called bibimbap with bulgogi. The dish was mostly rice, with just a tiny bit of beef.

http://www.hanjan26.com/

Dinner at Oiji was a more exciting affair, as might be expected as the chefs come from Gramercy Tavern and Bouley. The food is a modern take on Korean. From the very appealing menu, available at both lunch and dinner, we chose four dishes and an order of sticky rice. First, fried chicken with spicy soy vinaigrette. This was far superior to the katsu at Hanjan, juicy pieces of chicken with a delicious sauce. Next up was pig’s trotter salad, with large meaty slices of pig foot. Loved it. Then we had pork belly with kimchi. Delicious. Last was oxtail with root vegetables, with tender meat falling off the bone. The sticky rice was excellent, and the amount of food was just right. It’s all small plates, so plan on 4 or 5 dishes for 2 people. There is a nice selection of beers.  Afterward, we were given a bowl of honey butter chips, which were very good, perfectly crisp if a bit overwhelmingly sweet. The service was great and the staff could not have been nicer. We are looking forward to coming here again.

http://www.oijinyc.com/

We had a wonderful time in Mexico City in 2013, when we spent 5 days over the Thanksgiving weekend, so much that we are planning another trip this Thanksgiving. As my postings about our European trips have received so much notice, I thought I would share our experiences here. Stanley had made a brief trip there some years ago, but I had never been to Mexico before. Our dear friend Vy is an American who has lived in Mexico for over 60 years and every year hosts an American Thanksgiving dinner in her Mexico City apartment, for local friends and others from the US and around the world. We thought it was a good time to finally accept her invitation as she was also celebrating her 90th birthday. Our original plan was to stay with Vy’s daughter Laurie, but due to visiting children and grandchildren, she did not have room for us, so we ended up choosing a lovely small hotel, the Residencia Polanco, just a 15 minute walk from Vy’s apartment. At less than $100 a night for a beautiful suite, it was more than reasonable.

November 27:

Arriving on time in the early afternoon we looked for the driver Vy had sent, who was supposed to have a sign with Stanley’s name on it. Frustrated after waiting for half an hour, I finally called Vy, who called the driver, who expected US to have the sign !!! We found him and were off. The hotel is on Isaac Newton Street. He found the street, but kept stopping to ask directions to the hotel, as we were at the wrong end of Newton. We had a hard time convincing him to go all the way to the other end of Newton, where we quickly found the hotel. Arriving, we were confronted with the news that they did not have a room for us, but would gladly send us to another one of their hotels, in Napoles, which happens to be many miles away. I was moaning and groaning, but wisely decided to get Vy on the line. She spoke to the receptionist, who was French, and, ascertaining her nationality, Vy quickly likened her proposal to sending us to a hotel in Versailles if we had booked in the center of Paris. Remarkably, the receptionist discovered they had another hotel that backed up onto this one, around the corner, and they had a suite available. Such a miracle. We were soon situated in a perfectly agreeable suite, looking out on the other hotel, where we would return the next day. Polanco is a great neighborhood, with many of the best restaurants in the city, and bordering Chapultepec Park. We went out for a late lunch, and not finding the restaurant recommended by Vy’s daughter-in-law, on Avenida President Masaryk, settled instead for Biko, a very nice Spanish, or more accurately Basque, restaurant I had read about, where we had a splendid meal. We had a light supper later in the evening at Villa Maria, complete with Mariachis who imprisoned us at our table.

Biko:

Wonderful Basque/Northern Spanish. Loved the division of the menu into modern and traditional dishes. We had some of each, and all were superb. Best non-Mexican meal we had.

http://www.biko.com.mx/

Villa Maria:

Touristy but not a tourist trap. Very good traditional food, nice decor, LOUD, lots of large groups, mariachis, huge frozen Margaritas with very little alcohol, dirt cheap for the quality and quantity.

November 28:

The great day, which, of course, was nothing special in Mexico. We went on a walking tour in the late morning, taking in the Tamayo Museum, before returning to freshen up. Vy suggested that we should be there by 1:30, and we were about the first to arrive. There was seating for 110 people in the apartment, all spread along the balcony that surrounds the apartment on Hegel. We sat with Vy as she held court and welcomed the arrivals for the next two hours, including Diana Kennedy, the doyenne of Mexican cuisine and cookbooks, who quickly disappeared into the kitchen and had to leave even before we all sat down to dinner at four o’clock, so we never got to meet her. The conceit here is that Vy has been giving this American-style Thanksgiving Dinner for her Mexican and other friends since her marriage in 1948. Needless to say, many of the congregants were in Vy’s age range, but Mariana and Lesley, her granddaughters, brought many younger friends and children, so it was a very pleasant atmosphere. We enjoyed meeting Vy’s friend Micheline, who had come from Ottawa, and as it turns out had lived in Teaneck in the 1940’s, which is before I was born, but she was just a few blocks from where I grew up. We also met a friend of Vy’s from the L.A. County Museum and her mother.  On the back balcony, we spoke with Holly, who grew up in Santa Monica, where I have cousins. She told us about the Castillo de Chapultepec, a must see, so we kept that in mind for the next day. As we spoke, a helicopter landed on the roof of the adjoining apartment building, evidently the residence of a former President of Mexico.

We left about eight thirty, with Laurie promising to pick us up at 1:30 for lunch at her apartment. We arrived to move our bags back to the Residencia, where the first apartment (in the back) was missing a hair dryer, and some lights were not working. so we ended up being upgraded to a beautiful front room with a planted balcony. Grand Marnier, and so to bed.

I’m hoping that we might not need a hotel for our upcoming trip, but if we do, this is the one we will choose:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g150800-d248801-Reviews-Residencia_Polanco-Mexico_City_Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html

November 29:

Based on Holly’s recommendation, we set out in the morning to cross Chapultepec Park to the Castillo. The pond in the park is a striking green, and so unlike the home life of our own dear Central Park, but obviously sorely loved by the denizens. We mounted the ramp to the Castle and were carried back to the great days of Maximilian and Carlotta, and the not so great days of Porfirio Diaz. Splendid views, lovely maintenance, and scores of young Mexicans. The castle is incredibly beautiful, and complete with all the original furnishings and art.

http://castillodechapultepec.inah.gob.mx/index_2.html

Back at the hotel, we were anxiously waiting for Laurie at 1:30, which soon became 2 o’clock and a call to Danny, who confirmed she was coming, and an arrival by 2:30 and there by three o’clock. Laurie’s small (as she describes it) apartment is actually a large and lovely duplex on the far end of the Park. We found Vy and Micheline already ensconced, and we joined them for cocktails. Lesley and her companion were off on a flight back to the Yucatan, so they caught a bite to eat in the kitchen. Mariana arrived after a field trip for one of her daughters to the Olmedo Museum. We sat down around four o’clock to a lunch of black bean soup, salad, and beef and potatoes, with chocolate and fudge for dessert. Vy was pointing out all of her old silver and china she had given Laurie. It was a lovely setting, and Mariana’s children were so well behaved. The maids are absolutely shadows of every act. Vy’s maid sat in the boot of the car as we drove back.

That evening, Stanley and I dined at a very nice Spanish place called DO, not far from Vy’s on Hegel and Masaryk. We had the salt encrusted fish, recommended by Laurie.

DO (Denominacion de Origen): Another Basque/Galician place, pretty traditional. Had a wonderful whole fish baked in salt crust. Pulpo Gallego was also very good. Reasonable price and nice atmosphere.

November 30:

The morning was taken up with a complete tour of the Anthropological Museum, one of the greatest in Mexico and the world. Using our English accousti-guides, we moved at a leisurely pace.

http://www.mna.inah.gob.mx/index.html

Back to the hotel, and this time Laurie promptly showed at 2:30 (or so) for our lunch at Fonda El Refugio down in the Zona Rosa, where Vy has been eating since it opened in 1954. It was very classic Mexican, and Vy had pickled pigs feet; We had an assortment platter, and we got a tour of the kitchen afterwards, where they make everything from scratch, including the corn tortillas. Mariana then took us on a tour of her neighborhood in Roma Norte, which is very charming, except for the utility wires everywhere. We stopped to inspect her new apartment, yet to be occupied, which is very unlike Vy’s apartment in Polanco, but very serviceable. In true Mexican style, it has no heat (although it can get quite cold in the Winter) and no venting for the sewage system (“the drains” in English). We went on a tour of the museum where Mariana works, the MUCA, and then she took us, in the dark, to an old neighborhood where there is a craft market in a venerable building with affluent young hipsters holding forth as Bohemia in excelsis. They called a cab for us to get home, and later we dined at Quintonil,

Fonda El Refugio:

Wonderful traditional Mexican in Zona Rosa. We got a tour of the kitchen and saw how they make the tortillas from scratch (beginning with the raw corn), best tortillas you will ever have. They make their own sausages, etc. This is not to be missed.

Quintonil:

Modern Mexican in a lovely setting. Very creative food, excellent service, a casual but classy place.

Inicio

December 1:

Our last day, and it started with news of the train derailment at Spuyten Duyvil. At Mariana’s suggestion, she arranged a driver to take us to the Dolores Olmedo Museum in the southern part of Mexico City. We left at 11 o’clock, but we should have left an hour sooner. Traffic approaching the museum was fierce, and there were lines for tickets and lines to get in. This was no doubt due to the special show from the Orangerie in Paris, for which they had sacrificed their best Riveras and Kahlos. We toured the house and stood in line, and admired the strange dogs (which were Rivera’s) and still had twenty minutes to run through the Museum. Then it was off to the San Angel Inn in Altavista, arriving with Vy and Laurie just steps ahead of us. That evening, we had planned to dine at a place featuring carnitas, but it was closed for a special party, so we made do with a chain restaurant of Argentinian extraction with huge portions of undistinguished food. I can’t even remember the name. Sunday night in Mexico City is not a time when many people dine out, and many restaurants are closed.

San Angel Inn:

This is a splendid old hacienda in Altavista (worth a taxi ride from Polanco), where Laurie had Sunday lunches when she lived in the neighborhood. We could not get a table in the courtyard, but just as well as it got cool as the sun set.The food was surprisingly delicious as Vy had told us it was good but not great. They mix Mexican with French. I was delighted to find brains on the menu, which Laurie, Vy and I all ordered. Wonderful with a spicy tomatillo sauce. Stanley had the tongue. There are plenty of more conventional choices for the less adventurous. The Margarita was the best I had on this trip. Huge family/birthday groups predominated, but it was still very charming.

Inicio

December 2:

Packed and off in the cab. To his great embarrassment, Stanley discovered that he had thrown away the return portion of his immigration form; I had only saved mine by accident. Who knew we would need this to get out of the country? He had to go to immigration, and then spend forty-five minutes at HSBC trying to pay the $22 fee. We still had time to have a simple lunch before boarding, and an uneventful and timely return.

Plans for Thanksgiving 2015:

Once again, we will be staying at Residencia Polanco.

We didn’t get to the old city on our previous trip due to a major protest march and demonstration occurring on the day we had set aside for it, so we are very much looking forward to it on the upcoming trip.

We are also planning a day trip to Teotihuacán. The ruins, located 30 miles outside of the city, are supposed to be quite spectacular. We will probably take the public bus that runs every 15 minutes, and plan on spending about half a day, rather than a bus tour that would be much more expensive and involve time-wasting stops and little time at the pyramids.

For restaurants, we are now definitely planning to go back to Quintonil. I have also reserved Pujol. We will go to El Bajio, which we missed last time due to it being closed for a private party. Returning to Fonda el Refugio is also a possibility.

Here is a quick update as of 11/27/15. We are having a great time, great food, and great sightseeing. I will be posting a full report when I return home next week.

We were delayed a day in arriving, so had a short day here yesterday, with lunch at Villa Maria and dinner at Pujol. Today we visited the old city, including the Cathedral, Gran Hotel Mexico City, Templo Mayor museum and excavations, Palacio Nacional (with its Diego Rivera murals), Museo Franz Mayer, and Museo Nacional de Arte, with lunch at El Cardenal across the street from the art museum. Tonight’s dinner will be at Astrid y Gaston, a Peruvian restaurant. Tomorrow will be Vy’s Thanksgiving dinner, which she had to reschedule from Thursday. Sunday will include a trip to the pyramids and lunch as yet to be determined, with dinner at El Bajio.

Please visit the web page to see photos and video:

http://www.wohlfarth.com/listing-details/coop-970042.html

I’d read good things on Chowhound and elsewhere about Via Carota, the fairly new Italian restaurant on Grove Street in the West Village, but given that they don’t take reservations and we are highly averse to long waits, I wrote it off. Last night we were thinking about where to have dinner, and being a Monday I found several of the places I had in mind were closed. We thought Lederhosen was open on Mondays and headed over there. Though they do not take reservations either, it is not difficult to get in. Unfortunaely, though the sign on the door indicates they are open on Monday, it was shut tight.

Walking back toward Seventh Avenue, we passed Via Carota and decided to ask how long the wait was. Told it would be about twenty minutes, we figured it was worth a try, and sat down in the bar area to look over the menu while waiting for a table. Almost exactly twenty minutes later we were seated and ready to order.

Though the concept is small plates, these are by no means tiny portions, they are actually quite generous. We ordered the chicken liver crostini (among the best we’ve had), gnocchi (perfect), fried rabbit (meaty and crisp), and lamb ribs (very rich and delicious). Nothing comes with vegetables, so we ordered a side of fava beans with lettuce and pecorino. I love favas and this was a great combination. We nibbled on it throughout the meal.

From the limited but well-chosen list of beers on tap, we chose the Black Duck porter, and it was excellent. The bill came to $100 before tip, and we were well filled, no room for dessert.

http://www.viacarota.com/

Based on favorable reports on Chowhound, we gave Rebelle a try last week. It’s no suprise that the chef worked at Spring in Paris for a long time. The style here is typical of what’s known in France as “bistronomique”, updated bistro food, simple setting, reasonable prices, but very skillful cooking. They are definitely on to something. Though I’m not a big fan of the decor (the lighting somehow manages to be dim and harsh at the same time) and the noise level, the food goes a long way to assuage these minor complaints. Service was pretty good, too, attentive and just friendly enough without being over-familiar.

They will attempt to sell you on ordering four courses, but we felt that three were quite sufficient. We did not order bread, which they charge extra for, and as we are trying to limit carbs, did not feel was necessary. We started with sweetbreads and the scallops with sea urchin. Scallops are not a favorite of mine because I find them too sweet, but these were perfectly offset by the brininess of the sea urchin. Next we had the chicken and the monkfish, both delicious, and for dessert the excellent grape clafoutis.

The very impressive wine list contains many well-chosen bottles under $50, and the markup is lower than the standard. We had a very good cotes du rhone for $40.

I’m looking forward to returning.

http://rebellenyc.com/

Our friend Dean lives in Inwood, and likes to invite us to get together for dinner there occasionally. Unfortunately, the restaurant selections leave a lot to be desired. We’ve tried several, and each time we felt we could have eaten much better downtown, for the same or lower price.

Happily, such was not the case with Mama Sushi. Looking at the online menu, I saw much that looked appealing. Yelp reviews, which I am often skeptical of, were consistently positive for the food, the complaints centering on inefficient service. I have to say, the service we experienced was excellent, well-timed and pleasant. The decor is modern casual wiith lots of windows, and the noise level was quite tolerable.

We ordered a bottle of Verdejo for $35, which turned out to be pretty good, Dean started with steamed chicken gyoza, while Stanley and I shared pan-fried duck gyoza and baby back ribs. The gyoza were very good and the ribs plump and delicious.

For our main courses, we all chose rolls from the huge selection. I wasn’t sure an order of rolls would be sufficient as a main course, but it was a huge portion, more than enough. I had the “5 Tigre” (yellowtail, tuna, salmon, etc.). Stanley had “El Original”, which contained meats, cheese, and onion. Dean had avocado rolls. I didn’t get to try those, but the 5 Tigre and Original were scrumptious. The 3 dipping sauces were excellent. I loved the intricate combinations of flavors.

This is creative and interesting food. We will definitely return, and maybe try some of the main dishes other than rolls. Just a block from the A train at Dyckman St., it’s very easy to get to, and well worth the trip, I think.

http://www.mamasushi.com/