Middle School Food Critic

What makes a great restaurant great? Is it the food, atmosphere, service, decor or the company I’m with? The answer is all of these things mushed into a vat of passion bubbling inside of me.

Firstcomes the food; tasty, delicious and sexy food adds the most important feature to a restaurant’s greatness, igniting a spark in my stomach. Food that takes my breath away and compels even my worst moods to become cheery and sociable. Like a dish I once ate at Le Bernadin, ‘a sour zucchini flower, sweet crab and a woody essence of truffle sauce. Each flavor was a puzzle piece and when they fit together they became a clear picture. It was like flowers, deep within a forest of trees, and sweet smells.’

Secondly, an atmosphere and decor need to match the style of the food to push my restaurant experience to an even greater level of pleasure. I like an atmosphere that welcomes me, the diner, invites me into the flow of amiable conversation. As well as a decor that flirts with the atmosphere, contrasts and works together with it. For example when homey, whole hearted dishes are served in a cute warm restaurant it makes me feel in place, part of something.

When these two ingredients are combined with superb service, the memory of a night out can be imbedded in my mind for weeks. A server who treats me politely can make me feel royal and special. A server should also be conversational and fun. This is the kind of server that makes an okay night out into a night of everlasting laughs and ‘waiter I’d like another, now!’

At last, having friends and family with me completes my experience. Sure you can dine alone, but it adds tremendously to the evening when friends and family are involved. For me, being able to socialize while I eat and drink is a crucial part of my dining experience. Alas, when these ‘elements’ are combined the spark in my stomach becomes a warm fire, fueled by delicious foods, cordial and humble service, friends, family and an overall sublime dining experience.

Posted in Other Food

Loud, exhilarating, delicious and classy. These are but some of the many adjectives you may use to describe the Fatty Crab to a friend. Everywhere you look it’s a party, the music’s pumping, the people chatting, the waitresses and waiters running.

At 7:30 on a Friday night with 5 other friends and family, I decided to stop into one of the Upper West Side’s most hopping restaurants. The restaurant itself is small and very crowded, but the booths with glossy wooden tables are rather spacious. The menu is divided up into 8 categories: Snacks (includes dishes like Pork Buns), Noodles, Soups, Rice Bowls, Fatty’s Specials and Vegetables. To begin, we order a couple of snacks, the pork buns ($9) and the classic fatty sliders with spicy pork beef patties ($9). After I ordered I headed to the bathroom. Wait, is this the bathroom? No… YES! The interior of Fatty Crab’s bathroom is black with one dark red light and spooky sounds. Mmmm bizarre, but back to the food.

The first ‘snack’ to arrive unannounced at our table was the steamy pork buns. A bite into this intense dish was all I needed. The doughy, sweet outside contrasted beautifully with the spicy flavorful meat inside. Just that little bit of spice added a unique edge to the pork buns. The fatty sliders came almost instantly after the pork buns disappeared. Maybe a little too quickly; I was still thinking about the buns. The sliders were thick slabs of meat on small buns with a spicy mayonnaise sauce spread on top. What can I say, they were messy, but tasty. A little filling, though, for a snack.

Now let’s talk entrees or Fatty’s specials. Char Kway Teow, a $21 noodle dish featuring horfun noodles, shrimp, squid and bean sprouts. Countless flavors overrode my senses; soft doughy noodles with a touch of soy, and fresh seafood including a welcome extra, octopus that was not listed on the menu. Just like the previous dishes, the Char Kway Teow had a hint of spice, adding a kick to the dish. We were next served the Singaporean Black Pepper Mussels. At $16 these mussels were mediocre. Not superb, but not terrible. At a first glance they looked delectable, but after a few mussels I felt like the sauce was wrong and the mussels tasteless. Finally, to end on a good note we had the Fatty Crab Duck. The duck was a combination of 40% duck and 60% fat. The meat was savory and tender while the fat was rich and added a necessary flavor boost. Resting on top of a plain white rice that absorbed the flavor of the duck it was definitely a ‘Fatty Crab Special’. When the duck was gone we all sat back and sighed, feeling like satisfied fat crabs.

Posted in New York's Hottest, Restaurant Reviews
Tags: Fatty Crab, Fatty Crab Dishes, Fatty Crab Menu, Fatty Crab Review, Fatty Crab UWS

Wine Grapes

Slipping on my pants and shoes quietly so as not to wake up the others, I was excited. I snuck out to the grape vines and began my walk. The overwhelming smell of sweetness and wine was delicious. Along the way I stopped, of course, to eat the violet grapes that swelled on the vines. My first impression was sweetness, then sour, as I bit into the skin. Sweet sticky juice ran down my chin as I finished a bunch. After completing my march down the hillside of vineyards I hiked back up to the 5 star hotel, Il Boscareto, where we were staying for a few days. My head swam with thoughts of the hunt to come later that morning- for the famous White Truffles of Alba!

Truffle Hunt

We drove across narrow roads with row after row of vineyards on both sides. The yellow and green colored leaves on the vines were unbelievable. It was a valley of colors spread out over miles. We pulled into an old stone driveway where our trifulau (truffle hunter) greets us with a wide grin on his face. Of course he speaks not one word of English, so lucky for us we brought along our wonderful Italian guide (and now good friend) Daniela, to help us. We hop into his Jeep and drive aggressively into the woods. Once we reach a particularly hidden trail he lets Jolie out. Jolie, the trifulau’s dog, is six years old and has been trained since she was 6 months old for this very moment. The dog began to dart back and forth with her nose down. She trotted up and down the trail while our trifulau prepared for the hunt. Of course, I’m wearing fancy shoes and jeans instead of dirty pants and a shirt, but he assures me it will do. He pulls out hand-crafted walking sticks and hands them to us without a word. It was self-explanatory; we would be doing extensive hiking.

Jolie Truffle Dog

The hunt began quietly as our trifulau whispered short commands to Jolie.

Jolie was always on the lookout for encouragement such as a,” bravo Jolie!” After 45 minutes of no success, we came upon our first truffle! The minute before, Jolie had stopped and sniffed for longer then usual, causing excitement throughout our group. It had turned out to be nothing. Jolie was trotting around as usual when she just stopped. At first it was nothing, and then she began to dig with a glint in her eyes. The trifulau was yelling at Jolie from a distance, but there was no stopping Jolie. By the time we got to her the truffle had almost entirely emerged under Jolie’s careful digging. Jolie’s master was very careful not to offend Jolie by giving more attention to the truffle then to her. It was intriguing to watch how he completely ignored the jewel lying before his eyes

Simple Truffled Pasta

and concentrated on Jolie and her welfare. Once Jolie was calm he set out digging for the white truffle himself. He latched his ax into the soil and tugged slowly and carefully. As more dirt poured away, a garlicky, dreamy smell arose from the small hole. Then it hit us. With full blast the perfume blew us all away into an everlasting silence broken by Jolie’s squealing and her own attempts to reach the golden truffle. I put out my hand in the ground slowly, and with extreme caution brought out a medium sized truffle. We were thrilled and so was the trifulau. The hunt concluded with our finding two truffles, one weighing 52 grams, and one weighing 23 grams. These truffles were to be used in the meal we had after we got back to the inn/restaurant. As we stepped into the restaurant, which smelled throughout like truffles, our trifulau was applauded by his guests. He went to change as his new role was as host of the delicious meal prepared for us by his wife and proudly served by both of them.

2 Truffles

© 2009 David Fishman

Posted in Other Food

Aroma Entrance

Aroma is unique. Have you ever heard of a modern comfortable cafe that supplies fast internet and cheery service. No? I didn’t think so. I’m sitting there now in a modern retro styled chair and watching others converse in soft leather couches. Every 10 minutes a polite worker comes around to pick up all trash. Aroma doesn’t nag you to buy anything in trade for internet. They welcome one and all without hesitation. As I am not a coffee drinker I sadly cannot supply you with a review of the coffee, but the hot chocolate I can. It’s not regular hot chocolate. It’s not powder and it’s not diet ‘friendly’, but it may be the best damn hot chocolate I’ve ever had. Aroma makes their own special cocoa out of what I guess is a mix between whole chunks of softened chocolate and crushed chocolate. First they steam whole milk (yes whole milk, you can choose to make it with skim, but it’s not the same), after the milk reaches 140 F degrees they add it to a mug which contains the special cocoa. That’s it. Simple, but greatly delectable. When they hand you the mug they insist that you mix the milk and cocoa well to ensure extreme satisfaction. The creamy milk and nutella tasting cocoa is on the whole irresistible.

Aroma's Hot Chocolate

Not only does Aroma serve beverages, but great sandwiches and pastries. If you’re looking for a way to get out of the house this is it. Bring your computer and relax to the sound of soft conversation around you.

Aroma is located at these locations in the U.S.

161 West 72nd Street

To learn more about Aroma visit their website: http://www.aroma.us/

Posted in Other Food
Tags: Aroma, Aroma Decor, Aroma Hot Chocolate, Aroma Locations

It was a warm, clear, breezy end of summer night, with the smell of ocean in the air, on the coast of Long Island. It was decided, by my cousin and I, that the time had come. Guests were hungry, and the ingredients were sitting there on the kitchen island waiting ready to be used.  I thought of Rosa Mexicano, a popular Mexican restaurant based in New York City, where I had recently dined.  The restaurant has a unique activity performed in front of the diners. There is a table side  cart piled high with chopped tomatoes, white onions, cilantro and jalapino peppers. Oh yeah, I almost forgot the last ingredient:  Avocados. Can you guess what the ingeridants made? Guacamole.

Our plan tonight was to satisfy our hungry guests by making a custom our version of the traditional Mexican dish, Guacamole. I split up the tasks. Tomatoes were assigned to my cousin. Onions to my aunt. The tomatoes had been carefully picked out at a local farm stand (one of many in Long Island) by myself. I picked the cilantro among, many other herbs like parsley and basil, in our backyard garden. The avocados were trickier to find than the other ingredients. After trying 3 supermarkets with expensive unripened avocados we went to a local Spanish take-out place. Scanning the store with our eyes we finally spotted a mesh basket holding three green ripe avocados. Luck seemed to be on our side. Back home, with all the ingredients gathered we started the process of creating the guacamole.

If you follow the technigue used at Like at Rosa Mexicano, the cilantro must be made into a paste. In the restaurant, the cilantro was chopped into microscopic pieces,  then scraped into a stone bowl. A heavy looking, black stone mallet, was used taken from the cart. (I found out later it is called a mortar and pestle)The waiter pounded the cilantro into a pasty substance so it would easily blend into the guacamole. I didn’t have a stone mallet so I placed my cilantro on a chopping board and took a large rock from outside. After cleaning the rock carefully I began to pound the cilantro into a mush much like the one at Rosa Mexicano. Once the paste had been completed it was scooped into a large bowl. Next comes the avocados.

From the Rosa Mexicano waiters, I had learned  how to de-pit an avocado in a stylish clean way. Take a sharp knife and slit a circle around the avocado. Once the circle is completed slowly pull each half of the avocado off the pit. One side should be pit free, but the other still requires de-pitting. Stab your knife into the pit and slowly twist the pit until it’s free of the avocado. Keep the fruit in the skin and glide your knife in small criss crosses around the interior of the avocado. This should make it easier to take the fruit out and mush it. My cousin kept adding more salt (which the quacamole needed) when our backs were turned. With chips in another bowl, we called the other guests and headed outside to the back deck, overlooking the ocean- where the sun had not yet set. With drinks in hand, we shared a delicious guacamole experience. From the rock smashed bitter tasting cilantro , to the farm stand sweet tomatoes and spicy onions, and, of course, the Spanish market avocados,  we shared our own customized guacamole dish. Have fun and try combining different ingredients yourself to get a different taste. For example, I used to use parsley instead of cilantro. The flavor is completely different. The parsley was extremely bitter and absorbed the sweet flavor of the avocado. This time the cilantro complimented the avocado and was only a side flavor instead of taking some the attention like the parsley did. I still like to add lemon. Next time!  I’m ready now to start mashing… or, with summer over and I’m back at school, it may be time to head over to Rosa Mexicano  and watch the waiters do all the work (though to me it would still be more fun to make it myself, with a little help from my friends).

Rosa Mexicano (New York City)-

-Lincoln Center

-Union Square

-First Avenue

Posted in Other Food

Antica Locando di Sesto logo.

In a villa on the outskirts of Lucca, a family owned restaurant lay oozing with hospitality and popularity. 9:00p is the perfect time for a simple, but complex meal by yourself, but I suggest with your family and friends. Established in 1368 and looking as I might imagine it back in the 14th century. The restaurant was a cozy family reunion kind of place with brass pots and pans nailed onto the white and yellow walls with a small gourmet grocery in the front. We were a party of 12 people seated on a long table in a small room that was connected by a warn looking wooden arch. The waitress was a plump rosy cheeked woman who was also the owner. She was cheery and energetic making us all feel a bit better about eating this huge meal. The first of two wines was a 2007 Montecarlo. It was chilled and refreshing making people eager to drink more not noticing the effect of the 12.5% alcohol rising within their moods.

Fresh Pasta.

The first dish or, might not qualify for a whole dish, was one piece of bread. Normal? I think not. In the home-made and I assume home-invented bread was garlic, herbs, olive oil and that fresh, crispy taste you get when your teeth bite into a good bread. Also included in the unqualified first course was Boroldo Magliato. In different towns you may find other names for this delicacy of pig blood, fat and meat. It may sound strange and inedible, but what have you got to lose to try it? The meat was sliced onto two different plates and then devoured by hungry carnivorous eaters.

Soft talk rebounded across the walls, but no music was played. Tables were covered with a yellow table cloth and draped with a white cloth matching the walls. Another wine, Maolina the house red wine, was placed in front of us. It smelled stale and fruity, but the taste was entirely different. The wine tasted unsophisticated and down to earth which made it addicting. My water glass was speckled with bits of color that looked blown into the glass. As I drank I decided that a trip to the toilets would be a wise idea. Walking and walking up long flights of steps suddenly I was in a whole other environment. There were old ropes and chests with dusty bottles of 1970 wines.

T-Bone steak on the grill.

The next course arrived. Coming with shaved parmesan cheese it was three different pasta dishes on one plate. Looking welcoming and creative I dig in. First to hit my stomach was a home-made spaghetti with wild asparagus (that I was told were in season) and a light cream sauce. The asparagus were delicate and small, but had a remarkably sour, tangy taste. The creamy sauce the sour asparagus and the fresh pasta made a unique triplet. The next pasta on the plate were balls of doughy goodness. Each one about the size of a small rubber ball and covered with a thin layer of a creamy tomato sauce. The final pasta on the long white plate were the ravioli. Filled with beef and covered with pork they were steaming with inviting smells. The ravioli was home-made and looked it to. Each one was hand crafted then stuffed with beef and drizzled with pork and a simple tomato sauce. The plainness and simplicity shone through all the dishes and placed the dish on the number one best dish list along with many others from our stay in Italy.

The last dish was the meat. We watched as a half a cow was grilled over leaping flames with nothing, but it’s own flavor and luck. When it finally came sizzling and thick we all stared at it with hungry eyes and full bellies. I was served a piece from the rare side and immediately dug in fearing it would burn up. If you want steak cut and chosen from the most experienced meat seller in Italy then this is your heaven. It was something out of a dream. Steak not tough, but soft and tender with artichoke shaved over its crispy shell. Being surrounded by acidic tasting artichoke and the leaves of a turnip, I am happy to say that the steak was at it’s best.

Looking for dessert, but winding up with another dish. This wasn’t right! A platter of fried zucchini, artichoke, rabbit and chicken. Each bite was a burden after eating a huge steak and all the pastas. The fried dishes are supposed to come first. I painfully took and bite and was unimpressed by the fry and the surprise under it. After such delicious dishes this one was no match and looked small and scared sitting there as our last dish.

Posted in Restaurant Reviews
Tags: Antica Locanda Di Sesto, Lucca Restaurants

Video clip of Today Show.

Table with Cheese Dip and Velvet cake set for four.

A large black car with comfortable leather seats and bottled water in the cup holders sat waiting to

leave with it’s passengers, my mom and me. We were whisked through the city and arrived at 15 Rock just on time: 9:20AM. Past security we walked into a medium sized room called the “Green Room” and sat down along with about six other people waiting to be on the famous Today Show. Adam Miller the producer met us there. We had done a pre interview together on the phone a few day before. He calmly explained to me that there would be a teaser and then I would on for three minutes. It seemed to me that being a producer, you not only had to put together the piece, but assure the subjects that everything was going to be alright. He did an excellent job getting me organized and ready for the shoot. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours (meaning time dragged on for awhile before I was asked to sit down for the teaser).

Finally at 10:15 am I sat down at a round wooden table next to the big NBC kitchen with four set places and chairs. Three prepared dishes were on the table. One was a Buffalo Chicken Dip, recipe courtesy of Sarah’s mother. Another dish was Lemon Chicken courtesy of Kathie Lee. The last dish a dessert, Velvet Cake with cream cheese frosting, was Hoda’s recipe.

Schedule for kitchen staff telling them what to cook.

The camera men were set up (with my mom and dad on the other side) and I was on in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5,4, 3, 2, 1! I ate a tostito chip and that was it. Soon after the teaser Kathie Lee, Hoda and Sarah walked in with a sense of belonging and sat down at the table. Hoda started to talk to me and I of course became very nervous, but kept my cool. The camera man said, “ We’re on in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.”  Live TV!

Mustering up my courage I spoke as confidently as I could. It’s hard to talk in front of three largecameras and three famous hosts. The meal went by very quickly. First we dipped our chips into the Buffalo Chicken Cheese dip. My chip broke and I couldn’t seem to pierce the top layer in time. Hoda saved me by giving her chip to me. I took a bite. Sarah shouted over the table, “Oh come on David.” I decided that Sarah’s mom really was a good cook. The 4 cheese dip was great. It was usable for a party or on an upscale restaurant’s menu. The complexity of the cheese, chicken and buffalo sauce really hooked me onto the dip.

Throughout the meal Hoda kept muttering 50 seconds, 40 seconds. I was relieved to hear that I wasn’t going to be cut off and had time to plan an ending to my reviewing. The next dish we gobbled down was the Lemon Chicken. Kathie Lee advised us that the chicken would be improved with more sauce. I

thought that the chicken needed

more flavor, but it also had a home-cooked taste that was unique.

Large HD camera.

Finally at about 30 seconds we dug into the Velvet Cake. I was told the cake was made with Betty-Crocker’s help. My fork wafted through the cake. It was neither good nor bad. When I hear cream cheese frosting I think of a sour-sweet thick frosting, not thin vanilla. At 15 seconds I was asked to choose my favorite dish from the three. I chose the dip. Kathie Lee cheered and we all clapped! It was over!

The cameras and the hosts moved on and I moved in to finish the Lemon Chicken. I was hungry and I decided it really was pretty good. Thank you Kathie Lee, Hoda and Sarah!

My mom and I walked over to sixth Avenue and 48th. We found ourselves facing a large window with someone inside frosting a big Velvet Chocolate cake! It was the new Magnolia’s bakery (recently opened on the Upper Side and originally in the West Village).  How would my favorite cupcake bakery compare against Hoda’s Velvet Chocolate cake?  I’ll have to go back and try it….

Old On Air sign.

Posted in Public Appearances
Tags: David Fishman, David Fishman Today Show, Fourth Hour Today Show, Today Show

Kouzan tries… and fails. This giant restaurant does not make what I would call sushi. Dimmed to almost darkness this commercial restaurant shouldn’t be on the map. As you step into the restaurant you are hit by a glass wall with water pouring down. Split into two rooms with a flat screen TV, my friend and I sat down in the corner. A candle is placed in the middle of your table to help the lighting out. Looking over the menu it looked like any other Japanese restaurant, but it wasn’t. A middle aged woman walked over to us (waitress) and offered us drinks which we accepted. As we talked she came back multiple times pushing us to order which after a lot of pressure we did. Kouzan’s sushi for two was the meal for us, with two salads, one with ginger fruit dressing and the other with soy mustard; also a miso soup. We added the Soft Shell Crab roll to our dinner just to see and compare to other Japanese restaurants.

Starting with the salads this restaurant was moving lower and lower in my opinion. Two salads were put in front of us, one twice the size as the other, yet it was the same price. Pouring the soy mustard dressing I wondered if this might have been a mistake. The mustard dressing was as sweet as sugar and tasted like fruit. Next the sushi for two loomed in front of us with the look of a dish prepared for a TV show, almost fake. One bite and it tasted like it too. Carrots all over the plate were shaped into flowers or animals. The fish itself lacked a certain freshness and firmness giving you the feeling you were eating warm mush. The one fish on the platter, yellowtail, tasted o.k, but still standard. The crab was a mixture of fry and crab paste. A dish called the Heart Roll, coming with our platter, consisted of, tuna with cucumber shaped into a heart, to draw people into thinking they were eating good food. This restarunt has a far way to come in my opinion, to even reach traditional Japanese standards and something tells me they aren’t going to try.

Posted in Restaurant Reviews
Tags: Kouzan, Kouzan NYC, NYC Sushi

Davidburke & Donnatella

Before I begin I would like to inform thee that this restaurant is not one that you might come to every week or day. This is a very fancy and expensive restaurant, but a great place for business or a celebration.

I sat down and was given a special menu, then asked for the regular and was given just that. As I was looking at all the unique dazzling dishes I was served, complimentary, Twelve. It was made with many different teas, fruits and waters. It was bubbly with a touch of alcohol and was different, but surprisingly addictive. I and my friend ordered their steak, T-Bone Halibut, lobster and egg served in a real Ostrich egg with white truffle. We also ordered a delicious looking grilled asparagus with a little cream on top.

What came first was not any of those, but an appetizer with three amazing looking things. The first was hot the second was warm and the third was cold. The first a lobster flan. “Wow” I said as I tasted the exquisite dish it was great with chunks of lobster and custard under it. The flan was almost lobster flavored and a perfect fit. Next was the corn chowder with lobster and caviar. This one was my least favorite, because I just didn’t think that these foods mixed. It was still good though and my friend absolutely loved the caviar and lobster with corn soup on top. The last one was an old dish called Foie Grasse. Now this was a dish that you either loved or hated. It was duck liver with raspberry jam on top, then the liver then some yogurt. I liked it to the surprise of my friend, but the raspberry jam and the liver mixed so you almost couldn’t taste that it was liver which was good.

A rare steak.

Next to come the ostrich egg with the lobster and the egg. This dish was by far the most mysterious because you think that the ostrich on the menu means it’s the meat of and ostrich, but instead what came were lobster, chives, caviar, scrambled egg and rare white truffle. My friend got a Shrimp Risotto with fresh cooked peas and cream drizzled over. Our waiter came and grated white truffle which added the final taste to these heart breaking delicious dishes.

Finally the Entre came. First on my side was the T-Bone halibut, a huge slab of fish that was thick and great. On my friend’s side, came the rare cooked Flank steak with fresh cream drizzled on the bottom. The halibut was cooked to perfection with pepper corns on it. My first thought was this is the best halibut I have ever had then came the smell of fresh tender meat with cream and I was swayed. I had a bite of steak and was blown away by its taste. I reflected the long amount of time and thought put into these dishes and was satisfied. Also coming with my Halibut was ravioli stuffed with the cheek bone mush. G-d this stuff was good.

Finally the end of the meal came with dessert. We let the chef hit us with his best desserts. All at once they came looking like pieces of art almost inedible. There was, lollipops on a tree that were filled with cheese cake and covered with chocolate, chocolate lava cake with chocolate chip vanilla ice cream, a beautiful box that turned out to be chocolate mouse with raspberry filling, there was bubblegum whipped cream and a butter scotch Pannacotta. I was stuffed in the end and I looked around the restaurants décor I was amazed with its beautiful blown glass balloons and designs.

Posted in New York's Hottest, Restaurant Reviews
Tags: Davidburke & Donatella, Davidburke and Donatella, NYC Upscale Restaurants