Fave in the hood...NOT! - Osha Thai Kitchen

i've been told that baby photos of me look, well, like i'm a fat chinese baby.  i would not be surprised since there have historically been alot of chinese in cuba, where my family lived.  perhaps that is also why i have such a penchant for far eastern cuisine in all its forms.  regardless of the reason, it is rare, if not completely unknown, that i don't like an asian restaurant so this one stands out for having the distinct (dis)honor of holding that title.  more's the pity since it is close to home and within delivery range; but Osha Thai Kitchen was a big disappointment from beginning to end.  because the food was culprit there's absolutely no other reason to go since, as i always say when someone counters "but the place was beautiful"...you can't eat the decor.  the long and the short of it, and there really is no reason to be elaborate in my gastronomic displeasure (why bother? there's little pleasure in bile).  the j-dumplings were stale and tasteless, the spring rolls were dense and disgustingly peppery, and the calamari was tough (what else can you say once the calamari is tough?); but because i was still hungry, disdain of appetizers will do that, i had the chicken with pineapple and ginger.  ...the chicken was tough, the ginger lacking and the pineapple bland (like eating water chestnuts type of bland).  i'm sure that pineapple would have preferred to have wound up in the bin than suffer the dis-honor of that dish.  it was the sort of gustatory disgust that makes you want to take the cook outside and kick him 'til he bleeds.   life is too short to have bad food.  go somewhere else...go on, git!

oh mary...

i know, you're all probably starving, so have i been for a long time. let's try to put it behind us...


it's nice to come back on memorial day when we are all getting memorial about something or someone. i've been catching up on the early nyc history (one of my favorite things), which, anyone who IS anyone will know, is stellar. antebellum manhattan continues to innovate...the highline, governor's island, the trade center of the world. eats is no exception (ARE no exception?). and a-propos the early fishing history of the big apple, mary's fish camp tries. 1840's innovation, and turmoil, are alive and well, and just as frenetic...not its best feature. but lets talk about the oysters. but oysters are as oysters are, and mary, unfortunately, had nothing to do with them...but they were fabulous, raw and fresh and with a mignotte or sauce or h=radish. pre-civil war america was HUGE... mary's fish camp is small in size and achievement. the flavors fresh but incohesive, the seafood fresh and well, if blandly prepared, yet done a miserly misjustice...the experience repulsively compelling. noteworthy lacking in adornment gives the food focus, but doesn't occupy the spotlight the way it could. gottta have seafood now? two blocks away? there are plenty of places for drinks if you gotta queue; if you gotta...go for the oysters. 'nuf said.

notes from a wineaholic/the applewood winery

i've always enjoyed the annual fall visit to the apple orchards with friends and family. this year more so because applewood orchard is also a winery, and amidst the mayhem in the orchard and the face paining and puppet show for the kids, there was the brief, yet very luscious tasting of fermented and distilled beverages produced there. for a mere five dollars a person can taste five of their 18 blends. i tried their seyval chardonnay reserve (dry, crisp blend aged in american oak), the vidal (semi-dry with fruit and floral notes), the merlot (dry, with distinct peppery finish), the cabernet franc (dry, with berry notes and spicy finish) and the oak barrel reserve (dry, with an earthy, smoky finish). they were all quite yummy and i brought home a bottle of the seyval and the merlot to age a bit. that day we also visited the heaven hill farm where we went on a hayride, picked pumpkins, watched pig races and played tag in the corn maze (which was sooooo much fun, and a little scary!) so often this annual outing is just about the kids; but this year i think the adults found some fun and more age appropriate entertainment too.

Come into my parlor...

...said the spider to the fly. i had no trouble, though, willingly walking into the Parlor steakhouse on the corner of 90th street and 3rd avenue, and i've been back several times. that's no surprise since i'm known for willingly walking into trouble when cajoled by a spider. there was no trouble here though, and fortunately for me, my folks didn't think so either. my mom, luis and my grandmother joined me and john for a brunch this past sunday and we all walked out happy and full. it's not any small feat to entice my grandmother into public eateries. whereas i'm happy to try anyplace for the sake of the experience, she's of the mind that there can't be anything better than home cooked food and her standards are high. at Parlor the decor is spartan, clean and sleek; but the food and service are lavish, and satisfying; a pleasure to the eyes and the palate. as always with repeat visits to restaurants i like trying something different so this time it was the lobster roll. it could have been a little bigger for the price; but not better for sure. the kumamoto oysters i had for appetizers were the star here though. beautiful, small cupped shells, plump and only slightly briny meat. i'm always fascinated by oysters because they are so beautifully ugly on the outside; and so luscious and opalescent on the inside. highly sculpted, fluted shells, crusted and rough. their insides adorned with gorgeous mother-of-pearl. and the pearls! its so amazing the perfect gem that an irritating grain of sand can produce. its testimony to the fact that bitterness and adversity in life can lead to beautiful, priceless creations. so much lovely art, memorable books, acts of valor and genius are the products of lives of misery and misfortune, strife and toiling against unimaginable odds. so be an oyster babies! take your lemons and make lemonade! if someone leaves a cow in your living room, milk it and sell the milk and cheese! turn your life's irritation into gems!

Wu Liang Ye

anyone that knows me knows that i would rather eat chinese food more than just about anything else. so here's another "fave in the hood", wu liang ye on 86th street between third and second avenues is the best szechuan you'll ever have, anywhere. one of the hallmarks of a good ethnic restaurant is whether it is frequented by persons of that nationality, and yes if you go to wu liang ye you will certainly see many, many asian patrons. i'm pretty sure that i must have some asian heritage somewhere along the line. there were many chinese in cuba so it is not totally outside the realm of possibility that there could be a bit of a "slant" in my gene pool. interestingly, the chinese in cuba were the butt of many jokes, much the same as the poles seem to have been in many american jokes. when a cuban was plagued by bad luck, it was said that "he was being followed by a chinaman" ("tiene un chino atras"). regardless, all are welcome at wu liang ye; we all know a good thing when we see/eat it. their lunch special is a steal for $7.95. you get choices of appetizer, different types of rice, and many really yummy entrees. i decided my first time there that i was going to make a habit of the lunch special and work my way down the list of entrees. i'm still working on it, and having a great time doing it. some may think that the prices are a little high; but the menu is not your run of the mill chinese food and well worth the visit.

notes from a wineaholic/moscatel

i figure the best way to come back is with something to drink, and what better way than with some moscatel. while at dinner with john and shivann at one of the best italian restaurants in manhattan, luna piena, the owner, luigi, sent some moscatel to the table and i knew there was a reason why i loved that place so much. a delicate wine with the subtle taste of peaches and apricots, this sparkling more prestigious cousin of the asti is not considered spumante (sparkling) at all, just a bit frizzante (fizzy). delicate, lightly sweet and gorgeously fruity, the moscato is particularly low in alcohol and therefore fairly fragile. generally made in tiny batches and limited quantities it is highly desirable and should be drunk fresh and soon after release. the rest of the dinner was no slouch. grilled shrimp with warm white bean salad, asparagus wrapped in mozzarella and prosciutto, spinach greens with strawberries and toasted almonds. my entree of homemade squid ink fettuccine with clams, mussels, calamari and shrimp in a light red sauce brought to mind the rice with squid in its black ink my grandmother makes. the rice turns out a beautiful black color. make sure you visit luna piena and tell luigi i sent you. have a glass of the moscatel, and enjoy one of the great wonders of wine.

don't be afraid, vegetables don't bite

the lower east side has long been my favorite area of the great island of manhattan. i love being surprised by the variety of hip and delicious places to eat. at an invitation from melissa king, love ya mel %^*, to a happy hour meet and greet/networking party i was happily introduced to counter. on first ave. between 6th and 7th streets, it is billed as "an organic wine and martini bar and vegetarian bistro". their wine list is extensive and impressive, and their cocktail menu is serious and seriously funny, with drinks named "tie me to the bed post" and "the angry lesbian". their menu of vodkas infused with herbs grown in their own roof-top garden will definitely tempt you and provoke your palate. i had the angry lesbian..."tarragon infused vodka, framboise and orange puree", and as a card carrying member of that group i approve. no really, ask lori barry, i AM lesbian...and chinese, and nigerian, and swedish and indian... the noshes and entrees, some completely vegan, were beautiful to look at, delicious to smell and yummy to eat. the spiced seytan ragout on the hummus royale was sharp, aromatic and delicious; the chickpea fries and corn beignets with remoulade sauce were so good it was impossible to stop eating them. i had the italian farmhouse panini made from walnut-lentil pate, plum tomatoes, greens and slivers of red onion, and rosemary aioli on a crunchy ciabatta served with a generous side of baby greens with a dressing so light it never weighed down the delicate leaves but was sharp and crisp. the bartender was gracious and where else do you know that will actually just BRING you a glass of water when you sit down at the counter? stop by after work, for a lunch or brunch, you'll have to keep going back, as i will, to sample the whole menu.

kittichai

it is probably a thai word which means "i'm too sexy for you", and rightly so. the soho restaurant by the same name is so cool, its hot; so in it could be impossible to get into and so sexy i think i just came writting this. ok, so i liked it, you get the idea; but really, the place is beautiful and unfortunately trendy. kinda like i describe the hamptons..."love the place, hate the people". stylish alcoves where small to midsize groups can dine in relative seclusion; red, orange and yellow fabric colored walls uplit for drama and style; a ceiling simulating bamboo screens; dim spot lighting on the tables; a large pool with floating candles that tumble against each other and clink lightly together, and a flawless, and beautiful staff that seems to appear and disappear as if from nowhere to make sure your service is perfect. oh, and by the way, the food doesn't suck. if you could eat the presentation it might just taste as wonderful as the food actually does. they are currently participating in restaurant week and have extended this menu to march 31st; but they also have a prix fixe brunch on saturdays AND sundays. take advantage folks!

notes from a wineaholic/eggnog

the wineaholic is particularly rummy during the holidays for reasons obvious to most; and yes there is a holiday drink with which to pahty, pahty. my aunt's eggnog recipe is the real deal, baby. a no holds barred, send you over the christmas tree, sugar high infused with rum to knock you right out of your holiday stockings. did i say rum "infused"? well, i don't know if that's really the right term considering that its a potent potable one third of which is rum. i'm off tonite to the first of the holiday family get-togethers, and i wouldn't be properly armed (i mean festive, yeah, that's it, festive) if i wasn't packing a bottle of "the nog". we're talking loaded for bear baby, as my sister in in-law kim will tell you while she chugs it (i mean sips it, yeah that's it, sips it) on the day after christmas morning all by herself in her kitchen. this year there is not only christmas eve at my family's, and christmas day at kim and jimmy's, there will also be a post-christmas family melt-down (i mean gathering, yeah that's it, gathering) at karen and wayne's. it's all good, really. and it is after all another occasion for food and drink.
here's the recipe:
one can of sweetened condensed milk,
one can of evaporated milk,
one raw egg (that's right raw, be a man!)
one sweetened condensed milk can full of rum (because it is the bigger can of the two cans)
one cup of sugar

combine the first four ingredients in a blender and mix. put the sugar in a non-stick pan on high heat and caramelize. the heat should be on high in the beginning but be careful once it starts to caramelize that you don't burn the sugar. it will smoke some so turn off the alarms. with the blender running add the caramelized sugar in to the other ingredients and blend. enjoy!!

panna cotta

when it comes to mealtime i do not usually care so much for the desserts as much as i enjoy the entrees. today, however, i am opening this post about my dinner at alfredo of rome with praise for their panna cotta. literally it means "cooked cream" but that is a misnomer because it is not actually cooked at all. it is a combination of milk, cream, and sugar then mixed with gelatin to set it. most other cream desserts involve eggs, usually cooked over a double boiler, and are more difficult to make because you need to worry about overcooking or undercooking. it is widely accepted that this dessert originated in the piedmont region of italy where it might once have been very simply consumed as a cream mixed with fruits and maybe nuts. just when the addition of the sugar came in, which would have been very expensive and difficult to find, is not exactly known; and some sources say that the gelatin added to make it set may have come from some very unsavory sources, including boiled fish bones. while there are savory as well as sweet versions of panna cotta, somehow the idea of fish panna cotta seems particularly unpleasant to me. at alfredo the panna cotta came in a very traditional berry sauce and it was the perfect ending to a heavy meal of their signature dish, what else? the fettuccine alfredo. that and the grapa of course (this is after all, about food AND drink!) alfredo has a very tony spot off the corner of fifth avenue and 49th street, and has a perfect view of the rockefeller center plaza with all the holiday trimmings. the service was excellent, our waiter jovial and expert, offering to fillet john's branzino (silver sea bass), and, as i mentioned, plying us with grapa. i'm always impressed with comfortable seating, and while there was just a little too much holiday music for my taste, they did manage to play one of my favorites which i offer to you here,
BUONO APPETITO

and yes!!! santa if you can leave johnny for me too i promise to be ohhhh soooo good (wink, wink)
although this is my absolute favorite christmas song and it is NEVER really the holidays until i hear the waitresses sing CHRISTMAS WRAPPING

a bitter pill and yummy chaser

nhaok so the bitter pill is jury duty. i don't want to hear from all you civically minded soft-heads out there about my responsibility. when i start getting full representation under the law i'll maybe be a little bit more open to sitting in judgement of another human being (MAYBE). considering that when this country was fighting for its independence one of the things that set off that whole party was the fact that americans were not getting representation in parliament across the great pond while still being taxed out the wazzoo, this country has not come along way in the last couple of hundred years or so. maybe i should start a revolution, i'm pretty close to it you can believe me. "no taxation without representation!!!!!", it was a good battle cry then and it is now. the yummy chaser is the opportunity to have lunch at nha trang while in the five points area of nyc. btw, it is one of the most rich historically in the entire city, and very well worth reading about. anyway, back to the food. if you love vietnamese food, and i do, and you love a bargain, and who doesn't?, nha trang is the place. even if you're not complying with your civic duty (fuck that shit), make the trip to 87 baxter street, share a table with someone if you're dining alone, indulge in the delicious spring or summer rolls, the bbq pork chops and the variety of fresh soups.
A LITTLE DINNER MUSIC FOR YOU

stella del mare

if you missed this terrific find in the murray hill section of manhattan, you'll not have another opportunity. after 30 or so years, this seafood-oriented northern italian with its "old-world feel" and "high qualify" fare is closing its doors. its location made it a treasure for the lunchtime business crowd; but that and the locals could not sustain this out-of-the-way favorite during the toughest of times. the last time i was there i was treated to a "run of the house" dinner courstesy of john's affiliation as a concierge. obviously, the fact that it was free made the food even more delicious :^D but even if you had to pay for it it would have been well worth the price. my favorites were the mussels in white wine sauce and the soft shelled crabs.
restaurants are a difficult business to keep up even in the best of times, its unfortunate that such a long lived one, with such a great, and well deserved, reputation could not survive. as it has been said, "location, location, location" and unfortunately this restaurant's address was too out of the way for the tourist crowd which is only interested in whatever is near the theater district, or whatever is the newest fad.
stella del mare will be sorely missed.

thanksgiving

although this year thanksgiving took a bit of a beating, things finally turned out very nice. we didn't have to do any running around except to get to my mom's house in hackensack, and nothing after that except back home. at times, thanksgiving for me has meant pace yourself at house #1 so you can eat again at house #2, and digest along the way. i was spared that, and hopefully for all years to come, by deciding that if our families can manage to share the holiday, then so can we. my mom in the past has done a more latin styled thanksgiving by making the guest of honor in a fricassee instead of roasted. frankly i prefer it in the former fashion as opposed to the latter, it's more juicy and infinitely more flavorful. this year it was a more traditional bird with all the trimmings; sweet potatoes, string bean casserole; except for the rice of course. cubans have rice with everything. my grandfather used to have rice with his spaghetti. you read it right. he would just spoon some rice into his pasta with marinara sauce and slurp it up. i never tried it 'cause at that age i was into being grossed out by things like that; but now, who knows. the evening went well though, my brother behaved himself, he and i spent alot of time making fun of my uncle's side of the family (especially melissa my cousin and her daughter victoria) just because they weren't there and it pisses off my mom. don't you just love family dynamics?! we used to spend our holidays all together before my uncle (who is my mom's brother) and his family high-tailed it outta new york for the hurricane-drenched shores of miami. the story was that they were running to a better, more affordable life in warmer weather. my take is that they were running away from my cousin mark's crazy bitch girl friend who fucked him up so bad that he had to go into therapy (she actually came into the apartment one day and stole everything that wasn't nailed down-and i mean EVERYTHING!!), and my other cousin melissa's druggie boyfriend who got her pregnant and is a fucked-up psycho. but that's just my opinion. anyway, all went well right down to finding the perfect parking spot when we got back into the city. i hope you all had a great one, or at least survived it with a minimum of extra sessions with your shrink. just remember, the big one is just around the corner...AAAIIUUUUGGHHHHHH!!!!!
GEORGE WINSTON (to relax some)

cooking school

a couple of nites ago john, karen (his sister) and i went to a cooking class at the viking cooking school in fairfield new jersey. it was actually a very belated, combined birthday gift for john and me from karen. the recipe theme for the evening was fish. we cooked a tilapia with julienned red pepper, leeks and compound butter en papillot; seared salmon with a citrus vinaigrette; tuna burgers with wasabi slaw, and a fried haddock with avocado salsa. the recipes were all very simple and incredibly delicious. when the class was over the group was able to sit and eat what they cooked. i think my favorite was the tuna burger with the wasabi slaw, although i actually ate EVERYTHING!! i think it's fun to prepare food together when you are will be having dinner together afterwards. it's such a great way to share the experience, and of course an opportunity to drink. we couldn't really drink while we were cooking at the school but they did serve us wine with our meal. i usually drink while i'm cooking, maybe that's why i enjoy it so much!!! well, next week brings an opportunity to do some heavy drinking with cooking during the thanksgiving festivities. don't miss the opportunity, i promise it will make everything better. not perfect, but better.

dutch kitchen

in plain city ohio (yes, that's right, plain city) there's a rather large amish community well served by a homey restaurant and bakery called the dutch kitchen. it's cute and friendly, and frankly just a little bit scary to a big city mouse such as me; but the menu is full of those comfort foods you would expect from an eatery specializing in "simple, satisfying, home-style meals", such as meat loaf, chicken fried steak, country cured ham, and german potato pancakes. there's even a "barn-raising buffet" sure to please the lumberjack in any of you. i was taken to this place by my uncle jose on my recent visit to this swing state lately turned blue (to quote chrissie hynde "way to go o-hi-o!"). i had the meat loaf, of course, and i would swear the string beans they served me came out of a can. i wouldn't have expected anything less from a place that's been around for about 45 years and was probably founded on the tradition of tv dinners (which i love) and canned vegetables (about which i have very mixed feelings). their pies are homemade and so are their sausages; and the place smells sweet and savory until you get too close to one of the amish kids working there and then it smells more like a barn-raising. i don't care if you are amish, take a fucking bath, it was fucking summer for christ's sake, you're not gonna die from the cold. anyway, it was a slice of americana well worth having. visit if you have the chance, even if it's just for the shits and giggles; but as long as you're there, sit, have something to eat, and let the friendly staff scare the hell out of you. check out the link on the side there, and chrissie hynde right here.
THE PRETENDERS

notes from a wineaholic/ein bier bitte!

a long, long time ago, when i was just a young wino and only drinking vodka neat, i fell in love with beer. it happens, as it most often does i suppose with beers, on a steamy-hot summer day when someone hands you an icy-cold one and you're hooked for life. there's been alot of beers under the bridge since then, but a delicious bavarian wheat beer i had recently sent my heart aflutter all over again; and i was transported back to that day at lake sebago just off seven lakes drive in bear mountain new york when i had that palate expanding experience. back then it was a canadian brew that took my cherry; but the Weihenstephan, more specifically their Kristall Weissbier, that recently ravaged me was a master. people don't always remember all their "firsts", call me a romantic, what can i say? the bavarian state brewery weihenstephan was, over a thousand years ago they say, the monastery brewery of the benedictine monks. if there's one thing monks know how to produce is food and liquor. and some pretty fantanstic manuscripts. because i live in what is still considered to be a german enclave on the upper east side of manhattan, this, and many other really great beers, are not hard to find. not to mention the german food, and one place on second avenue where you can still see men in liederhosen. i just happen to mention that in case it's your thing (see you there!) prost!

got served

it's been a very long time since i posted and i'm pretty sure that most of you, if you are indeed still out there, are starved to death. a-political as i am (not), i have decided to use the outcome of the election as a segue into what i hope will be a cornucopia of postings (not of the political persuasion rest assured). going against emily post, and every other etiquette guru, who advises that politics, religion and sex are the three things that should never be discussed in public i will now plunge headlong into the fray. i voted for obama and let's face it, i would have preferred hilary; but a democrat is as a democrat does and so i can only hope for the best. as i explained it to my mother, a staunch republican who this year voted democratic, ("i did it for you" she said) what we've been given is a chance. she warned me that "you won't have bush to blame anymore so let's see what obama will do", and i replied (in an equally accusatory tone, "it'll take longer than one term to clean up what that backwards, %^%#$^#*&, idiotic, &**#$$(^(*)!!!, lying, &#%^$#^!!!^&#, divisive, poor excuse for a leader, waste of human flesh, (*%&%$#^$@!!!!!!, will be leaving us with". for reasons which may be obvious to you we don't usually discuss politics at home. my grandmother, also a lifelong republican who voted party lines this year again, felt like she had to go to bed early when it was clear that the landslide would be, as one senator put it, of tsunami proportions. the electoral vote count AND the majority choice! when i saw indiana, ohio, florida and georgia go blue i almost plotzed; but virginia? hot damn!!!virginia hadn't backed a democrat in over 40 years!!! let's face it, the country showed a unity unparalleled in recent history. the only things we have all agreed upon this way of late have been that the economy is down the shit-tube and bush sucks (anybody see the approval ratings lately? way to go dubbyuh!) well, all history setting rhetoric aside, let's pray that the obama presidency will be the one to keep us as inspired as we seem to be and united as we should be. if the new administration can't get us all to the table to turn things around, then we'll all be served.
HAIL TO THE CHIEF!

GOOD LUCK AND CONGRATULATIONS TO PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA

what's for dinner?

the political climate surrounding the upcoming election is forcing me to proselytize. and it ain't gonna be pretty. obama or mccain. the choice is horrendous and the choices are completely lacking. we deserve so much more, and all the time we are presented with less and less. inexperience and mis-representation. self-aggrandisement and lies. an appalling lack of respect and responsibility for the public which would be laughable if it wasn't so pitiful. pitiful for us, the american public. who time after time are forced to make choices between bad and worse, the frying pan and the fire. taking matters into our own hands is the only solution left. throughout history, politicians have taken advantage of their constituents and the political machine to further their own careers with little or no regard for those they purport to serve. in the most extreme of situations, the people have revolted. that's right, people. revolution. what i'm here to advocate is nothing less than civil disobedience. at dinner one night john's dad pointed out that when someone invites you to dinner, they generally give you at least a choice of foods which are appealing to you. for too long our choices at the political table have been not only un-appealing but completely un-palatable. we are forced to choose something that will not nourish us, and actually which will ultimately kill us. there are many of us at the table left hungry and starving for want of making that choice. it's time to create our own choices. take matters into our own hands. depose the despots and clear the way for public servants with all our better interests in mind. strength through unity, and unity through a faith in the good of all. become a part of the (r)evolution. set a different table, and eat hearty.

kats's delicatessen

every once in a while i like to do something typically "touristy" and take in a little more of this great city. on the anniversary of 9/11, something i can't even think about without getting emotional, it seems only fitting to mention an institution in eating. recently i found myself in the lower east side. one of my favourite, if not THE favourite, neighborhoods in NYC. i stopped in to the place where "harry met sally" (yes, that's the place), and had, what else, a pastrami on rye. not just any pastrami on rye; but the tenderest, most savory and perfectly spiced pastrami between two slices of a rye at once delicate and crunchy. katz's delicatessen, which claims to have been around for about 120 years, is the place for all eatables Yiddish and Geshmak (that's "tasty and delicious"). take in the tenement museum while you are in the neighborhood too. i like ethnic, and going to places like this gets me thinking about just how diverse NYC really is, and how incredible that all of us live here, side by side, and have contributed to the glory of this place which some of us are proud and happy to call home. i lost a piece of myself on 9/11. something that i will never get back. i've never been so close to that kind of destruction, and i grieve today for all that loss just as i have since that awful day. it's always pissed me off to hear people bad mouth the US or NYC. so i have only one thing to say..."GET THE FUCK OUT!!!!" you're on dangerous ground when you fuck with that!!! don't come shitting where i live 'cause i will fuck you up!!! so come visit the center of the universe, the big apple, and as they say at katz's "ess, bench, sei a mensch!" (eat, pray, don't act like a jerk!).
A LITTLE MUSIC


A LITTLE HUMOR


A LITTLE NOSH

here's the beef!!

Benjamin’s Steak House was nothing short of amazing. While the specialty is, of course, beef in all its forms, do not hesitate to sample the seafood, I did. I began my meal with appetizers of stuffed clams and lobster cocktail. These were not just chopped up little bits of clams with stuffing, these were whole, juicy and delicious clams still attached to their shells and surrounded by a filling that did not overpower the seafood. The lobster cocktail was an entire, small lobster, which came already neatly sliced in half, since I was sharing, and with the claws carefully pre-cracked so the guest can easily access the delicious meat inside without a lot of fuss. I also had the fried bacon appetizer. I can never say enough about bacon but this thick-cut slab of perfectly cooked heaven-on-the-hoof was a blue ribbon winner. For an entrée I ordered the porterhouse for two, with sides of mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus. The portions are meant to be shared and there was clearly enough of the porterhouse for more than two but it was so great john and I ate the entire thing. Perfectly cooked filet mignon on one side and sirloin on the other, brought to the table sizzling and pre-slice on a bed of au-jus, so tender it melted in your mouth “like buttah!” The mashed were creamy and the asparagus was trimmed and cooked crisp. We shared a crème Brule, although I don’t know where I found the room, which was both velvety and crisp, with a side of homemade whipped cream that was light and perfectly sweet. The staff was genial from the beginning. We were cordially greeted by the hostess Susan, who escorted us to the bar to wait for our table; the general manager, Victor, welcomed us and seated us, and the meticulous French-service was supervised by our waiter Javier. I watched other satisfied guests that evening who shook hands with their waiters and the GM, as we did, and thanked them for their gracious service and outstanding food. It is a perfect dinning experience which should not be missed in a city which has the best to offer.