Narcissa

Narcissa is focused on locally sourced ingredients with a focus on vegetables.  It's a concept from Andre Balazs and John Fraser and a lot of what they source comes from Andre's Hudson Valley farm.

I started with their beets which they cook on a rotisserie, very clever, and served with a delicious bulgur salad, apples, and creamed horseradish.  It was so good and its is one of their more popular dishes.

I also had the tuna with cucumber basil water and jalapeno.  Light and refreshing this was a wonderful dish.

For an entree, I had their amazing scallops that came with little potatoes, fiddleheads and crayfish.  Their sauces are so good I just wanted to get every last ounce of them! 

 

They finished us off with alittle chocolate truffle and what seemed like raspberry jellies which was fabulous and a perfect end to the meal.

Truly amazing, I absolutely loved Narcissa, the food was delicious and I felt good knowing that I had healthy, good for you food, cooked cleanly. 

Narcissa
21 Cooper Square (in the Standard Hotel), New York, NY
http://www.narcissarestaurant.com/

Washington D.C. Edition: Zaytinya

One of my favorite types of food is Greek food and while I was in Washington D.C. I stopped into Jose Andres' Zaytinya, and I am sure glad I did!!!!  Zaytinya is influenced by the cuisine of Greece, Turkey and Lebanon and the plates are all served tapas style.

Now, I am pretty psyched about getting to eat Greek food for dinner but that doesn't mean I will like any old Greek place (well actually I will) but this was truly very good and a fun place for a group or for a date to share plates and try a few options.

We started with the spreads: Hommus, Baba Ghannoughe (pictured), and their AMAZING Htipiti - I actually wasn't going to order it but this was the best red pepper spread I have ever had so do try it.  Oh...and their pita, it comes out warm.

I ordered the grilled octopus (I know, predictable!) with capers and onion and a split pea puree.  

 

As a side, I LOVED the brussel sprouts, which came with coriander seeds, barberries (Iranian cranberries) and garlic yogurt.  The combination of the crunchy brussel sprouts, sweet berries, and the rich yogurt was fantastic.  

Typically I never order desserts at a Greek restaurants because they usually have the same three things: a honey cake, baklava, or Greek yogurt.  However, Zaytinya has paid special attention to developing the dessert menu and it was quite diverse and absolutely delicious.  The Galatopita was like a raspberry shortcake with phyllo dough and custard which was so light it tasted like a decadent whipped cream!  So fabulous!!

The Turkish Delight with walnut ice cream, yogurt mousse, a honey gelee, orange caramel sauce and toasted pine nuts.  So perfectly composed it was, as its namesake, a true delight!

Grab some friends - so you can order a ton of plates to taste - and you are sure to have a fantastic dinner at Zaytinya; I can't wait to go back!

Zaytinya
701 9th St, NW, Washington, D.C.
http://www.zaytinya.com/

 

Washington D.C. Edition: Daikaya

I recently was in Washington D.C. and went to Daikaya, a Japanese restaurant with a seriously fun menu and cocktails.

We started with some well crafted drinks.  They have a few drinks but all very different, and they have unique drinks on the specials menu which should not be missed.

The tuna poke was delish with seaweed, pine nuts and sesame oil.  Very traditional.

The crab croquettes were what you would expect in a fried ball however the inside was quite thin and was almost like a fried ball of crab chowder, very tasty.

On their specials menu they had chicken drumsticks that were fried golden brown with a Sriracha honey.  Yum!

The sashimi was very traditional and basic.  The plating was fabulous!

The Chawanmushi was something I have never tried before, it's a steamed egg and Dashi custard with mushroom and a Parmesan crisp.  I really didn't taste the Parmesan crisp but it was a fun and unique dish that was very good. 

I thought Daikaya was a unique experience and a great way to try Japanese food that's not just sushi :)

 

Daikaya

705 6th St NW, Washington, D.C.

http://daikaya.com/

Ardesia

One of my favorite places to go on the west side is Ardesia.  A cute little wine bar, they have outdoor patio seating on a quiet street between 10th and 11th avenue, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the city.  They have a lovely wine list and the food is fabulous.

 

On Saturday's Ardesia hosts a "wine social" in which they pick 5 special wines off or on their wine list and give you 5 tastings for $25.  Its a fantastic deal as they don't skimp on a taste.  We started with the sparkling rose (could this be more perfect) and moved into whites and then reds.  They create a wonderful journey of wines.

 

 

 

Making a meal out of it, we started with their divine deviled eggs. These delightful little bites are so full of yolk-y goodness!

 

 

 

Since we were going through a leisurely afternoon of wines, we ordered their mixed olives as well.  Olives and wine just go so well together.

 

 

I really love Ardesia's salads, I don't know what it is but they create perfect salads and I love that they serve them in a bowl!  I hate when salads are on a plate.  This was with radishes, grape tomatoes, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, goat cheese feta, sunflower seeds and a champagne vinaigrette. 

 

 

 

 

To top the salad, I got the grilled shrimp.  They know how to get a great crust on these babies.

 

 

 

 

And finally, their perfectly delicious and doughy NY Pretzel with mustard and cheese sauce.

 

 

Man, I love this spot.

 

Ardesia
510 W 52nd Street
http://ardesia-ny.com/