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Posted by leesays at 04:28 PM | Comments (0)
Rothmann's Steakhouse and Grill
3 East 54th St
New York, NY 10022
Phone 212.319.5500
There are so many Steakhouses in New York City it can be a difficult decision trying to decide on which one to go to on a given night. Since I had been to Rothmann's in East Norwich, Long Island many times before, choosing to go to Rothmann's on 54th St seemed like a no brainer to me. The New York City Rothmann's did not disappoint. Rothmann's is completely different from many of the Old World New York City Steakhouses. 
It is a sleek and modern looking restaurant where the service is as nice as the decor. Since we ate on a holiday eve night I am unable to make judgement on how well reservations work on a busy Friday or Saturday but on this night we were seated immediately. After being seated we were greeted by a friendly waiter and ordered 2 glasses of $9 Pinot Noir. The menu has more variety then the typical Steakhouse. 
We started with a $15 Seared Tuna appetizer. It arrived quickly, and it was pretty good. Nothing spectacular but overall a nice size and good taste, then again we were not there for the fish. Our main course arrived and it was a huge sizzling plate of meat. We ordered the $75 Steak for Two and it was exactly what I expected. It was cooked perfectly, medium rare and was as large as the biggest Steak for Two I have ever ordered. The Steak was unbelievable, charred perfectly on the outside and medium rare on the inside. The steak literally melted in your mouth. We had a side of $8 Garlic Mash to accompany our Steak and that was very good also. We washed the final pieces of steak down with another 2 glasses of wine, at that moment we realized Dessert was not even fanthomable. Throughout our meal the waitstaff was attentive and professional and we never felt rushed. The total damage with 4 glasses of wine, Tuna appetizer, Steak for Two and Garlic Mash came to $146 without tip. Rothmann's is a great Steakhouse with an excellent waitstaff that serves top notch food. I highly recommend a visit when you are in the mood for some great steak.
Posted by leesays at 08:42 PM | Comments (0)
PJ Clarkes
915 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Phone 212.317.1616
Sticking out like a sore thumb among the Skyscrapers of Midtown is this 120+ year old bar, P.J. Clarke's. We arrived at 7pm on a Friday night and after admiring the Old World Charm 
of this century-old pub we made it through the crowded bar area to find a hostess ready to seat us in the large back dining area. Within minutes we were greeted by a smiling waitress who took our drink orders while we perused the menu. We were ready to order when my $5 bottle of Killians Red arrived. The $10.10 Turkey Club was served on four long wooden skewers. Each skewer had 2 triple decker triangular cut sandwiches. It was a nice sized sandwich and tasted pretty good although $8 or $9 would have been a more appropriate price. I ordered the $9.30 Bacon Cheeseburger with $1.25 Smothered Onions on top. This was also a bit pricey compared to some of the other good Burgers I have had in other bars. The Burger was a perfectly cooked medium rare and it tasted great. The $3 Fries which are ordered ala carte were served in a minitaure pail with wax paper similar to the way Pomme Frites are served sometimes. The Fries were very good. Our waitress was great and the busboy helped us immediately with a few things we needed. The two Sandwiches, order of Fries, and one Beer totaled $31.12. The food was good but it was a little pricey for typical bar fare.
Posted by leesays at 12:57 PM | Comments (0)
Corner Bistro
331 W 4th St
New York, NY 10014
Phone 212.242.9502
One of the best Burgers in New York City and it is under $6? Is this possible? Yes it is if you are at Corner Bistro
You would be hard pressed to find a top ten list of best burgers in New York City without seeing the name Corner Bistro on it. The Menu is simple. The Bistro Burger with Bacon, Cheese, and Raw Onion (I don't like lettuce and tomato on my Burger) is a 1/2 lb. Burger served on a paper plate that is simply awesome.
The Grilled Cheese with Bacon is filled with Bacon and Cheese and is as good as any Grilled Cheese I have ever had. The shoestring Fries are sold separately and are a perfect compliment to the great Burgers. The $2 McSorley's mugs help wash down the food and will definitely help if you choose to wait on the sometimes absurd lines that occur at odd hours of the day and night. It appears to be completely random when there will be a line. This is the one downfall of this dark old bar, the long waits. Sometimes it is better to grab a seat at the bar and eat there as opposed to waiting on a snake like line that sometimes goes from the small front room to outside onto the sidewalk. If there is a line of more then 5 or 10 people I will always opt to go someplace else and return another day.
Posted by leesays at 08:52 PM | Comments (0)
Old Homestead
56 9th ave
New York, NY 10011
Phone 212.242.9040
Since opening in 1868 in the Meat Packing District Old Homestead has had a long time to perfect there craft and they have done an excellent job in doing so. We arrived at 7:55pm and our jackets were checked and we were seated with a wine menu in hand by 8pm which was our reservation time.
After ordering a glass of $9 Pinot Grigio and a $9 Yellow Tail Shiraz we were given the Dinner Menu. For appetizers we ordered 2 Jumbo Shrimp $6 each and 3 pieces of Seared Yellow Fin Tuna at $3 each. The presentation was great; the apps were brought out on a raw seafood stand with dipping sauces. The Shrimp and Tuna were delicious. A great way to start a meal and after seeing a table next to us order the chef's special bread we elected to do the same. It was slices of Garlic Bread stacked on top of an amazing Parmesan Cheese dipping sauce. After devouring all our appetizers we were ready for the main course. The $75 Porterhouse for two, medium rare was served on a plate and in a separate dish was our garlic mash potatoes. The steak was as expected, perfectly cooked and very tasty. My only gripe would be it looked a little short on the Filet side of the bone but needless to say it was a huge amount of steak and was melt in you mouth soft. The garlic mash was very good also. We skipped dessert since we had homemade cake waiting for us at home. The service could not have been better. We had, as it seemed 2 very attentive waiters, who were not only helpful but also very friendly, no attitude here whatsoever. The total cost of the meal, which included 2 glasses of wine, 2 Jumbo Shrimp, 3 pieces of Seared Tuna, Chef's special bread, Steak for 2, and Garlic Mash came to $136 without tip. Old Homestead is definitely a Steakhouse I will recommend.
Posted by leesays at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)
Crif Dogs
113 St. Marks Place between 1st and Ave A
New York, NY 10009
Phone 212.614.2728
Among all the bars, shops, tattoo parlors, and fast food 
places on St. Marks Place lies a gem I am hesitant to tell you about. I am afraid if more people discover this place it may become too crowded on days that I go there. Crif Dogs is one of those quirky little food places that make New York City so special. As you approach Crif Dogs you will clearly see the can’t miss "Eat Me" sign out front. After walking down a few steps you enter a place that is just fun to be at. There is a big box of games like, Connect Four, Chutes and Ladders, etc. There is a Galaga/Centipede Arcade Game and to my sister-in-laws delight a tabletop Ms. Pac-Man game. There is usually a skateboard or some other extreme sports video on the TV and all kinds of old school toys, dolls, and action figures. Even with all this the Hot Dogs are the main attraction.
Crif Dogs are without a doubt the best Hot Dogs in New York City. Most are Deep Fried and have a deliciously crispy skin. Some of the choices on the Menu may seem scary but I have yet to have a bad Hot Dog here. It is so hard to select a favorite. How can one choose between a Tsunami, which is a Hot Dog wrapped in Bacon with Teriyaki, Pineapple and Green Onions and a Chihuahua, which is a Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog, covered with Avocados and Sour Cream. Most of my friends seem to be partial to the Spicy Redneck, a Chili, Cole Slaw and Jalapeno covered Hot Dog. The bottom line is, they are all great. The cashier/order takers at the counter are the nicest friendliest fast food workers you will ever meet. Go to Crif Dogs now, you won't be disappointed. Oh and please don't tell too many people about this place I like that it is usually not too crowded.
Posted by leesays at 08:11 AM | Comments (0)
August
359 Bleecker St, between Charles and West 10th
New York, NY 10014
Phone 212.929.4774
August is an Eclectic European Bistro creating dishes from various regions of Europe. 
We arrived at 8pm Saturday (Thanksgiving Weekend) and were told there is about a 35 minute wait unless we wanted to take the table next to the front door. We reluctantly accepted that table since we were both starving. The front dining room was a bit crowded and loud but it was nothing that would discourage me from coming back. Although August was crowded, our waiter was at our table within two minutes asking us if we wanted to order drinks. We opted for a $7 Merlot and an $8 Sauvingon Blanc.
We ordered an $8 Gnocchi with Sausage appetizer. It was light and tasty and with the sausage mixed in it was an excellent dish. Our busboy and waiter were very attentive they made it seem like we were the only people in the restaurant. My only qualm was that our bread and butter was brought to our table at the same time as our appetizer, I wish it had been brought out sooner. The $21 Grilled Beef Bavette was about 5 to 6 nice slices of sirloin cooked perfectly medium rare. The beef was very flavorful and placed on top of some greens. The $17 Skate Grenobloise was in brown butter and served with cauliflower and capers. The flavors mixed wonderfully and I even ate the cauliflower (I am not much of a vegetable eater). The size of the Skate was not very big but it was in proportion with the price. Sides are not included with the entrees so we ordered a pomme frites side that came with mayonnaise. It was typical fries. We opted to skip dessert at August because we were craving cupcakes from Buttercup Bake Shop. The bill with 2 glasses of wine, 1 appetizer, and 2 entrees and a side dish came to $73. This was a great meal at a great price.
Posted by leesays at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)
Blue Water Grill
31 Union Square West
New York, NY 10003
Phone 212.675.9500
Blue Water Grill is exactly what I have come to expect from a Stephen Hanson restaurant. It has excellent food, service, and decor.
Main Dining Room
Our reservation this evening was for the downstairs Jazz Room. We arrived downstairs exactly at the time of our reservation but were asked to wait at the bar area until we were called. We ordered two glasses of wine totaling $16 and within five minutes we were seated. We were actually seated at a table that I noticed was already set and ready to go when we first arrived, I found this a little peculiar since they made us wait five minutes by the bar. Our table was near the stage and with the Jazz Band playing and the sexy lighting the atmosphere was pretty romantic. Our waitress was both very attentive and professional.
For starters we ordered the $8 Bamboo-Steamed Shrimp Dumplings with Spicy Asian Dipping Sauce and 3 Raw Oysters and 3 Raw Clams on a Half Shell totaling $10. The Dumplings were crispy and non greasy and the dipping sauce had a nice tangy flavor. The Clams (Littlenecks and Cherrystones) and Oysters were great also. My entree the Ginger-Soy Lacquered Chilean Sea Bass was without question the best Sea Bass I have ever had. The Sticky Rice upon which the Sea Bass was placed on was very good and it is only rivaled by Spice Markets (Review coming soon) version. The $20 Grilled Big Eye Tuna was also exceptional. It was perfectly cooked, medium rare and it was a very nice size portion, especially for only $20. We had $7 Pinot Grigio, Vigneti Del Sole, Italy 2003 and $9 Riesling, Rudi Wiest, Germany 2002. Both wines were pretty good. I am definitely not a Sommelier but based on the extensive Wine List I would say Blue Water Grill has an excellent array of choices. For dessert we opted for was the $8 Blue Water Grills Chocolate Fondue. It came with Fresh Fruit skewers, Marshmallows, and Cookies. This was a perfect ending to a perfect meal. The total bill for the night not including the 2 drinks at the bar was $120. That was definitely not the cheapest dinner in a New York City Restaurant history but it was well worth it.
Posted by leesays at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)
Aja Restaurant
1066 1st ave at 58th st.
New York, NY 10022
Phone 212.888.8008
From the moment you arrive at Aja you realize this is not your typical Japanese Restaurant. A large wooden door is your gateway into this stylish restaurant. Beyond the door, there is a dark curtain hanging from the ceiling you may have to navigate your way through. Once you are firmly inside the Restaurant you will see to your right is a very neat looking small bar area (about 8-10 seats and a L-shaped couch tucked into the corner) with one plasma TV placed directly behind the bar. To the left is an inviting dining area, which is bound to make any Zen Master happy.
Aja's Dining Room
I started off with a $6 Tiger Beer at the bar while waiting for my friend to arrive. The bartender was extremely nice and the bar was very clean and well kept. Once my friend arrived a hostess walked us through the dining room and over the goldfish and koi tanks built into the floor and sat us one table away from this massive Buddha. The Buddha is part of a waterfall type fountain with goldfish and kois. There is a light that shines on the Buddha and it changes color throughout the night making the entire area around you change color, which was a nice touch.
Okay enough about the decor. We started off ordering two sushi rolls as our appetizers. The $8 Spicy Shrimp Tempura Roll (5 pcs.) was very good. The Tempura was crispy and the Shrimp were fresh. The $8 Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll was just as good as the Shrimp Tempura Roll. It was not overwhelmingly spicy and the crunchy texture was great. The $24 Char-Grilled Chilean Sea Bass with Miso and Sake Glaze was very tasty and was an average portion for the price. The $22 Hong Kong Duck was tasty but just a little dry. The Duck was chopped off the bone and it was an excellent sized portion for the price. One more Tiger Beer with dinner and the bill came to about $74 for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 1 beer. A customer at the table next to us had the Kobe Beef that you cook at your table with a Japanese Stone Grill. It looked and smelled delicious. Overall this was a very good meal, great atmosphere, great date place. I would definitely go back.
Posted by leesays at 08:43 AM | Comments (0)