Sushi of Gari

One of my favorite meals of all time has to be the Omakase menu at Sushi of Gari. 

 

This tasting menu has fish so fresh and tender it melts in your mouth. These chefs use high quality basic ingredients and are able to pull so much flavor out of them, 

BLOWS MY MIND. 

The tasting menu is about 10 courses and ranges from $95-$125 depending on the fish.

 

On this particular evening.....

 

 

Toro with Daikon Radish

 

 

 

Red Snapper with Basil and Fried Taro

 

 

 

Yellowtail with Jalepeno

 

 

 

Whole Snow Crab

 

 

 

Seared Salmon

 

 

 

Tuna with Tofu

 

 

 

Miso Marinated Yellowtail

 

 

 

 

Salmon and Seared Tomato

 

 

 

Sea Urchin

 

 

 

 

Golden Eye Snapper

 

 

 

Foie Gras

 



I also LOVE the chopstick holder, he just makes me smile.

Sushi of Gari
402 East 78th Street, (b/w 1st & York Avenues), NYC
http://sushiofgari.com/index.html


 

The Bar Room

I really liked the sound of this place: the BAR room...but besides that, the decor is wonderful, bright and brasserie-like but also contemporary and the food was delicious. 

 

I started with a nice glass of rose.  Their lunch special is an entree with a glass of wine or beer for an extra $5.  Score!

 

 

I love eggs so I ordered the lobster frittata.

 

 

I was not expecting much but I was pleasently surprised with how much lobster they used!!  It is always disappointing when you order a lobster dish and they have little bits and pieces; this was the opposite and was fabulous.  It also had perfectly fresh avocado on top to add another layer of richness.

 

 

 

My husband had the burger which was AMAZING.  The sauce was perfect, the meat was juicy, the bun soft, and pickles, an excellently crafted meal.

 

 

 

For dessert we had the banana bread pudding and this was also wonderful.  I love banana desserts and this was a great one.  The whipped cream top was perfect.  Light and fluffy is was heaven.

 

 

 

 

A great spot in midtown (bonus! It is close to Bloomies) The Bar Room is a winner.

 

The Bar Room
117 E 60th St, between Lexington and Park Ave, NYC
http://www.thebarroomnyc.com

MP Taverna

I took a trip out to Astoria as I was told that MP Taverna has one of the best octopus dishes in the city AND if you read my blog....you know how much I love octopus!  I have been to one of Michael Psilakis' other restaurants and always had a great meal so I would expect nothing less coming here.

 

The restaurant had a great decor and it was a beautiful evening so we sat outside.  My dining partners and I decided to start with the spreads: eggplant, yogurt, and hummus, all of these were completely delicious.  The pita that came with it, some of the best pita ever!  Warm, soft and pillowy, it was fantastic.

 

 

 

We also ordered the tomato salad with cucumber, feta, and grilled onions.  I loved this dish as well; the tomatoes were fresh and juicy, the cucumbers were bright, the feta creamy, and the onions provided a great grill flavor. 

 

 

 

I ordered the octopus for my dinner and I do have to say this is probably in my top 3 favorite octopus dishes.  It came on a chickpea salad of veggies and herbs with olive oil, balsamic and olives which all played nicely together.  However, all your flavors could be spot on but to have a good octopus dish, you have to cook it perfectly and they sure did, crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.  I will have dreams of this octopus.....

 

 

 

For a fantastic Greek meal in a great setting, head to MP Taverna, its worth the trip to Astoria!

 

 

MP Taverna

31-29 Ditmars Boulevard, Astoria, NY 11105

http://michaelpsilakis.com/mp-taverna/#&panel1-1