TABLE FOR ONE: BENJAMIN STEAKHOUSE

Tonight I decided it was too long since I had been to a steak house so I decided to hit up Benjamin Steakhouse in Midtown. The chef, Arturo Mcleod, spent 20 years at Peter Luger's, so he knows his steak. The restaurant, adjacent to the Dylan Hotel and formerly Britney Spears' flop NYLA, is a magnificent space. It is elegant and regal, with soaring ceilings two stories high. The centerpiece of the main dining room is a huge working fireplace, which is turned on during the Winter. That is exactly where I sat, like a king on his throne.

I started off with three appetizers; Lump Crab Cake ($19.95), Canadian Bacon, Extra Thick ($3 a slice), and the Caesar Salad ($11.95).

The Canadian Bacon was truly extra thick, had a wonderful glaze on it, and was quite delicious.

The Caesar Salad was perfect. The lettuce was fresh and crisp, and the dressing had a slight flavor of anchovies, which I loved. It was definitely one of the best Caesar salads I have encountered.

The Lump Crab Cakes were great as well. I hate crab cakes that are made with mostly breading, and the breading on these crab cakes was almost non-existent, just the way I like it!

For my main course I wanted to get a Porterhouse, and they only had a Porterhouse for 2 ($82.95), so I went with it! (Please note I planned on taking home leftovers, for I knew there was no way I could consume all this food in one sitting!) The Porterhouse came out on a sizzling platter and it was a great presentation. The meat was perfectly cooked medium as I requested and had a great char to it. I will tell you this was by far the best steak experience of my life. It was a great and wonderful steak. Benjamin Steakhouse also makes its own steak sauce, which I added at times to give the meat an extra little sweet tang.

Of course to really get the true steak house experience I ordered a side of Creamed Spinach ($8.95) and the German Potatoes ($11.95). Both were great. I loved the kick of garlic to the spinach and the slightly burnt top to the potatoes.

Benjamin Steakhouse is the quintessential steak house. If I were to picture what a steak house is and should be, Benjamin Steakhouse would be it. The staff was very attentive too, placing more steak and creamed spinach on my plate for me at times! (Of course, I was one of the few diners there, for it was an early dinner, but they were still great.) In fact, I entertained many of them with my magic throughout the meal! 

So if you need to fill that steak craving and want to feel like a King, Benjamin Steakhouse will satisfy all your desires.

Benjamin Steakhouse
52 East 41st (bet. Madison and Park)
New York, NY 10017
212-297-9177

www.benjaminsteakhouse.com

TABLE FOR ONE: FERGUSSTOCK AT THE SPOTTED PIG

Last night I attended "FergusStock" at The Spotted Pig. Fergus Henderson is one of London's most acclaimed chefs (St. John restaurant), and when I heard he would be a guest chef at The Spotted Pig last night, I knew I needed to take advantage of this culinary opportunity. Mr. Henderson is known for his use of offal (the internal organs of a butchered animal) and what has been called "nose to tail" eating, which not everyone is a fan of, but as someone who likes to experiment, I was game!

There was a two and a half hour wait for a table for one, but luckily after grabbing a beer at the upstairs bar (and running into chef/Food Network star Anne Burrell), I found a lone seat at the downstairs bar. Even more luckily for me, that seat was next to another lone diner who ordered the Pot-Roast Half Pig's Head (for 2). The Pig's Head looked amazing and obviously too large for one, and this chap (Alex from London) who ordered it for himself was super kind and offered to share the dish with me!

The Pig's Head was actually amazing! The meat was juicy and tender and melted in my mouth. The flavors were salty and sweet, but so perfectly balanced and executed, that it was truly divine. After my first bite, I honestly got a tear in my eye - it was that good. A culinary dream come true! The skin was crisp to perfection, and Alex let me have the best part: the crispy pig's ear - phenomenal!

My new dining partner, who hailed from London and is a regular at Mr. Henderson's restaurant St. John, recommended I order the Ox Tongue And Bread with Green Sauce as well as the Deviled Kidney on Toast. And I ordered just that.

The Ox Tongue dish was simple and refreshing. It was basically a salad of greens with ox tongue and bread (which looked and tasted like soft croutons.) I didn't really see any green sauce, but whatever sauce was on the dish was tangy and nice.

The Deviled Kidney on Toast was mindblowing! Now, I'm not a huge kidney eater (who is?), but this dish which consisted of around 5 lamb kidneys on toast, was phenomenal. I'm not exactly sure how they were cooked or what was in the sauce, but it was truly delicious. It must have been some sort of red wine or marsala sauce in combination with some cayenne pepper to give the kidneys the perfect kick and sweetness they deserved. Again, I think I had another tear in my eye after my first bite.

As I expected, the place was filled with other note-worthy chefs wanting to feast on this unique and great food. Momofuku empire king David Chang walked in (Mr. Henderson will be cooking at Momofuku Noodle Bar tonight), as well as Barbuto's Jonathan Waxman, to name a few.

Unfortunately, Fergus Henderson only stops by The Spotted Pig to cook once a year. So, for "nose to tail" eating at its finest, purchase a ticket to London, or mark your calendar now for his next visit.

The Spotted Pig
314 W. 11th St. (at Greenwich St.)
New York, NY 10014
212-620-0393

www.thespottedpig.com

DRINKS FOR ONE: APOTHEKE

I don't normally write about bars or lounges I go to in NYC, but Wednesday night I went to a lounge that blew my mind; Apotheke.

Apotheke is a new lounge that opened up on Doyers Street in Chinatown, which I think is the coolest street in NYC. 

The theme of Apotheke is 17th Century Austrian apothecary, and it's a sexy spot. There are very unique details to the design and you can tell a lot of hard work and thought went into the space.

It's a large L-shaped space with a huge marble bar lit up in the back, but with no stools. There are some really nice couches along the walls, and the place is designed so that all seats are able to have a view of the bar and "magic" being created behind it.

Head mixologist and co-owner Albert Trummer leads a savvy team of mixologists who are more like bar chefs who have a wide-array of cocktail recipes up their sleeves.

I had a bunch of cocktails created by one of the mixologists, who I told what kind of alcohol I like or what type of drink I was in the mood for, and he created some wonderful results.

Apotheke is a hidden gem (there is no sign for it, it hides behind a sign that says "Golden Flower Restaurant" )on a oool street, with a hip crowd. So for great cocktails in NYC's coolest lounge Apotheke is the place for you.

Apotheke
9 Doyers St.

New York, NY 10013

TABLE FOR ONE: BRAAI

Tonight I decided to go to a new South African restaurant in NYC called Braai. I have never had South African cuisine before so I was excited for this culinary experience.

Braai is a very nice looking restaurant with dark lighting and bamboo ceilings; reminiscent of a sexy hut.

I ordered an Ostrich dish ($12) from a section of the menu called "Mini-Sosaties" which are "traditional skewered meats marinated overnight in Cape Malay spices complimented by a selection of sambals (signature condiment sides)". The ostrich was succulent, juicy, and great. The sambals consisted of a cucumber-yogurt dill, banana-coconut, mango-coriander salsa, mango chutney and apricot chutney. They were very authnentic and each had a distinct flavor which were perfect compliments to the meat as well as the accompanying bread basket. The bread basket came with a side of olive olive oil and a mix of cayenne and crushed peanuts which I really enjoyed.

I also ordered a side called Chakalaka ($5) which is a stewed bean salad. It had a lot of heat to it and I actually started sweating. It was powerful, flavorful, and fantastic.

Braai is definitely a welcome restaurant not only to the Theater district and Hells Kitchen, but to all of New York City. I do not know any other restaurant doing this type of cuisine. So, for a great culinary experience in a sexy environment, Braai is the perfect spot. Not only before a Broadway show, but for any time in your life.

(Note-the owners of Braai also own Xai Xai on the same block, a sexy South African wine bar)

Braai
329 West 51st St. (bet. 8th and 9th)

New York, NY 10018

TABLE FOR ONE: LANDMARC (TIME WARNER CENTER)

Friday night I met my sister and her friends at Landmarc in the Time Warner Center. I have been to Landmarc in Tribeca which I like a lot and wrote about it for this site. I had heard mixed reviews of Landmarc at the Time Warner Center, but was eager to check it out.

After my sister left, I went to the bar and ordered the Landmarc hamburger and fries ($15). I wanted to add cheese ($2) to the burger and took the bartender's suggestion and went with smoked mozzarella.

Ladies and gentleman the hamburger at Landmarc at the Time Warner Center is NYC's best hamburger! It is the best hamburger I have ever had, and in fact cannot stop thinking about it! It was perfectly cooked medium (as I asked,) thick and juicy. But, what stood out about this burger is that there was some sort of seasoning in it, maybe it was just salt and pepper, I'm not sure, but I could taste it and it tasted great! The addition of the smoked mozzarella was perfect too. I added onions, lettuce, and pickle to it and it all tasted amazing! I will say that the fries were nice and crispy but underseasoned and definitely needed the addition of salt and pepper.

So, for the best hamburger in NYC definitely stop by Landmarc at the Time Warner Center!

Landmarc (At The Time Warner Center)
10 Columbus Circle (3rd Floor)

New York, NY 10019

TABLE FOR ONE: SATSKO (this location has closed)

Last Thursday I had the honor of being invited to a sake tasting at Satsko in the Lower East Side, a small Japanese Sake Bar/Restaurant. The restaurant was quite empty except for two tables of girls who looked like they were regular watchers of "Sex and the City". The fact that Satsko was empty on a Thursday night was surprising to me, especially after my tasting and meal there, for Satsko is a wonderful hidden treasure.

I was brought 6 shots of different sake by Satsko, (who is the gracious owner,) and she educated me on all of them. I've had sake many times before, but it was great to learn about and taste the differences in each type.

I was then brought out a tasting plate of food which was great! There was beef wrapped around scallions, basically a take on beef negimaki, which sat on wasabi mashed potatoes. The wasabi mashed potatoes were the perfect compliment to the beef and tasted great.

There were a few pieces of yellowtail sushi wrapped with radish, and had kelp and cilantro inside as well. This was so unique, and the textures and flavors were wonderful!

There was a nice little salad on the side with yuzu, which gave it the perfect acidity.

There was one piece of pressed sushi which consisted of three layers; salmon and eel on top, and spicy tuna in the middle. I've never had this type of sushi before, but all the layers worked well with each other.

I also enjoyed some thinly sliced pieces of avocado that came on the plate.

After having this unique, colorful, and wonderful tasting plate I was still a little hungry (and slightly buzzed) so Satsko recommended I try one of their signature dishes; Asian Chicken. I'm so glad she recommended this dish for it was amazing. Def. the perfect dish for when you are a little buzzed or drunk, and great when you are sober as well! The dish is marinated deep fried wings and drumsticks (twice-fried) and accompanied by a delicious chipotle sauce. I think double-frying the chicken is ingenius and I fell in love with the dish!

Satsko is a great laid-back spot perfect for grabbing small Japanese bites and a wide-array of sakes. They actually have different events each day of the week, including a sake tasting, just like the one I had, every Wednesday for $35 a person. I would recommend going to Satsko though any day of the week for a great time and great food.

Satsko
245 Eldridge Street (off of Houston)
New York, 10002

(Note: There is another Satsko located in the East Village at 202 East 7th St.)

TABLE FOR ONE: BABBO

Last night I finally made it to Babbo, one of New York City's top Italian restaurants. Babbo is one of the toughest reservations to get in town, which was made clear to me when I arrived at 11pm to a fully packed restaurant-on a Monday! I was finally seated at a table at 11:15, in between two couples that kept staring at me. (Either they were curious who this chap was dining alone, or recognized me as the Superstar I am- they did not ask for an autograph or picture) I would have preferred to be seated at the bar, but that was packed as well. 

Before the meal started I was brought a plate of marinated chickpeas on a small piece of toast. I enjoyed this pre-meal nibble for it was something I never had, and I thought it was a nice touch. I was also brought one piece of bread with no butter, which was fine. I was surprised for I expected a much better bread selection at a restaurant of this caliber. It's not that it was bad, but it was nothing special at all.

For my first course I had the Warm Lamb’s Tongue Vinaigrette with Chanterelles and a 3-Minute Egg ($13). I was instructed by the runner to crack the egg which lay on top of the dish and use the yolk as the dressing. The dish was great. After just my first bite I said "Wow" out loud. There was something very eloquent yet simple about all the flavors.

For my entree I went with the Beef Cheek Ravioli with Crushed Squab Liver and Black Truffles ($23). The runner shaved some fresh Pecorino Romano on top as well. I had heard about this dish before so I wanted to see what all the hype was about. Let me tell you-it's worth the hype. Just might have been the best ravioli of my life. I would describe this dish, as well as my starter, as "delicately delicious". Each ravioli, triangle in shape, was perfectly cooked. The meat inside was delicious and the addition of the black truffles was the perfect compliment. I was in awe of how such a rich dish seemed so light, and it was all wonderful.

For dessert I had the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Orange Sauce and Hazelnut Gelato ($12). I love hazelnut and chocolate so I could not resist this dish. It was a really nice dessert. It wasn't overly sweet and was the perfect ending to a great meal.

I can now tell you from experience that Babbo is one of New York City's top Italian restaurants. I cannot wait to go back! So for amazing Italian food, definitely start calling now for a reservation at Babbo.

Babbo 
110 Waverly Place (bet. 6th Ave and Macdougal)
New York, NY 10011

TABLE FOR ONE: CASA MONO

Last weekend I went to a Spanish tapas restaurant I have been wanting to go to for a while; Casa Mono. It was conceived by chef Andy Nusser and is one of Mario Batali's restaurants as well, so I expected a high quality experience. 

The restaurant is not huge. It's a small box of a restaurant with a bar counter overlooking an open kitchen as well as a real bar in the back. I took a seat by the bar at the open kitchen and was excited to have this dinner and a show.

I ordered a special Langoustine entree ($18), a Duck Egg entree ($16), as well as a Cuarto of a nice Spanish wine called Vinos Pinol ($16).

The Langoustine entree came over a bed of some greens and fava beans, and drizzled with a nice helping of olive oil. It basically was a really lovely salad which I enjoyed immensely for it was simple and clean, yet tasted good. I will say that it wasn't easy getting all the meat out of the two langoustines, but the meat I did get out was tender and juicy.

My Duck Egg entree came with Mojama and potatoes. The plate came out with the duck egg resting neatly on a bed of the potatoes, with the mojama (thin slices of tuna) balanced on the side. It was a very pretty plate that I was about to destruct. I cracked the yolk and let it run all over the plate and devoured everything. I truly loved this dish for everything complimented each other perfectly and was extremely delicious! I would say that this duck egg entree is one my favorite and most memorable dishes I have ever encountered.

In fact after my dinner at Casa Mono, it has become one of my favorite restaurants in NYC. I love the open kitchen, it really adds to the dining experience, and the atmosphere is very comfortable. Casa Mono has all the qualities of a great restaurant and I highly recommend it. Also note, since the place is not that large, they have wine bar right next door called Bar Jamon, which is also a great place to grab a glass of wine and a plate of ham. (My first time at Bar Jamon I had a great bottle of wine and Jimmy Fallon bought me a plate of ham!) 

Casa Mono
52 Irving Place (at 17th Street)

New York, NY 1003

TABLE FOR ONE: FIVE NAPKIN BURGER

Last week I decided to try a new "burger" spot that opened up in Hells Kitchen called Five Napkin Burger. This spot comes to us from Restaurateur Simon Oren who has a nice pedigree of restaurants (Nice Matin, Marseille, Nizza, etc.), so I looked forward to trying his new "burger" spot and to see if it competes with the best burgers in NYC.

The place is large and open and there is plenty of room. I liked the design of the space (it used to be the restaurant Jezebel). I ordered the Bacon-Cheddar Burger ($14.95). The burger was very big (10oz), thick, and juicy and came with lettuce and tomato. Overall I thought it was a good burger.

Unfortunately, it came with fries that were cold. Now, the restaurant had only been open for around a week, so I guess the kitchen still has some kinks, but if you are going to highlight your burger in the name of your restaurant, you better get the fries right too! Had the fries been warm I probably would have thought they were good, but to serve cold fries is a huge error, and I do hope they fix that mistake.

Also, there is sushi on the menu! Some people might think of this as a nice option, I personally think the restaurant might have an identity issue. I didn't try the sushi, so it might be good. But I'm not going back until they heat up their fries.

Five Napkin Burger
630 Ninth Avenue (at 45th Street)
New York, NY 10036

TABLE FOR ONE: BLUE RIBBON

Blue Ribbon on Sullivan Street is my favorite late night dining destination in NYC. I've been there quite a few times and have always been impressed with the food. I was there last Friday night at 3:30AM and had the pleasure of having their Fried Chicken entree ($21) with mashed potatoes and collard greens for the second time. This is the best Fried Chicken dish I've had in my life. The skin is perfectly crispy and the meat is juicy, tender, and moist. The mashed potatoes come with a great gravy and the collard greens taste delicious. There is also an addition of a side of Mexican honey which is amazing and the perfect dipping sauce for the chicken.

My previous time at Blue Ribbon I had their chicken wings appetizer ($9.50) which I loved as well. It actually came with a mini grill where you could grill the wings more if you wished, to get them a little more burnt. I loved this playful addition that I have never encountered before, and it makes dining fun, especially if you are drunk late at night!

The prices at Blue Ribbon are not cheap, but the menu has a wide array of choices. From a raw bar to steak, they really have something for everyone.

So, for a great meal at a late hour in NYC, Blue Ribbon is my top choice.

Blue Ribbon
97 Sullivan Street (bet. Spring and Prince)

New York, NY 10012