Dylan Prime where cocktails rule supreme!

My marathon week of dining out ended with a trip downtown to Dylan Prime. RRR & I met up with her junior high school friend Cuchie Coo, CC's friend NickyNJ, and Nick's friend Hooplala who used to play professional basketball in Italy.

We decided to sit in Dylan Prime's more casual bar area. I have been here twice before (including with the New England gals a few weeks ago) and both times have gone gaga over the drinks but had not sampled anything off the menu.

After much internal debate, I decided to try the Chocolate Martini which is made with Boru Vodka, Frangelico, White Creme de Cacao Garnished with Chocolate Truffles. Drinks here are an art form and the vodka was clean and smooth. The martini was sweet but not sickeningly so and went down so easy that I was tempted to order another and another and another. Willpower shockingly kicked in - this was a "school night" after all...

We ordered a few appetizers including the Miniature Beef Wellingtons, Red and White Endive Salad Maytag Blue Cheese, Spiced Walnuts & Poached Sickle Pear in Hazelnut Vinaigrette and Baby Baked Potatoes Roasted Garlic, Parmesan Cream Sauce, Bacon & Chives. The red & white endive salad was a bit of a glorified cole slaw but the blue cheese and the poached pear saved this from being a boring salad. The Wellingtons were bite-sized bits of beefy goodness with a rich brown sauce that perfectly complimented the meat.

I followed this with the Boneless Pork Rib Sandwich with Shaved Apple, Texas Style BBQ Sauce & Crispy Fries . The pork was tender and the barbeque sauce was smoky sweet. The tartness of the apple was a nice touch to counter the sweetness of the sauce and the fries were crispy and well-seasoned.

Cuchie Coo, RRR & Nicky NJ all chose the Fresh Sliced Prime Rib Sandwich with Arugula, Horseradish Cream, and Grain Mustard. Again the beef was tender and the peppery arugula along with the horseradish cream added a nice bite to what could have been a boring sandwich - but not here. Hooplala chose the Dylan Prime Burger with NY State Cheddar Served with Crispy Fries and I would have asked for a bite so maybe he'll comment on this one.

Dylan Prime is on the outskirts of TriBeCa; pretty much right below Canal Street. When a place takes their drinks as seriously as Dylan Prime does, offers a nice atmosphere and good food, it is certainly worth the trip!

Simple Sophistication at Via Emilia

Five years ago, RRR & I visited Via Emilia. I had just moved to New York and someone in the neighborhood had recommended it to me and when we walked into the small storefront with brick walls and tiny tables I wasn't expecting much of a meal. Boy was I in for a surprise! The pastas were outstanding, the service warm & friendly and I felt like I found a secret gem in Union Square.

RRR does not recall this meal but since we last ate at Via Emilia, they have moved around the corner to a much larger location. The exposed brick is gone; replaced with a much more modern decor but the meal was just as fantastic as ever!

RRR & I were joined by the lovely Contessa for this meal. We began our rediscovery of this delightful Italian restaurant with Insalata di anatra al profumo di mele verdi
(smoked duck, baby spinach, green apples and walnuts) for Contessa and Tagliolini al balsamico (thin noodles with braised garlic, olive oil, balsamic and Parmigiano Reggiano) for Ms. Foodie. Contessa's duck was sliced very thin, almost more like a proscioutto than chunks of duck.

My homemade pasta was unique and outstanding. The undisputed king of all cheeses added a salty creaminess to the dish and the balsamic counteracted the saltiness with a touch of sweetness. The pasta was fresh & light; the depth of the roasted garlic and the nuttiness of the olive oil had me fighting to not sop up every last bit of sauce! I needed to control myself since the main event was yet to come!

RRR chose to do two appetizers in lieu of an entree. The Tigelle (Modena’s little tile-baked mountain bread, served with soft cheeses, cold cuts and pancetta spread) along with the Polpettine di melanzane (warm eggplant patties served w/ arugula & goat cheese) were both wonderful. One of the soft cheeses was a tangy blue cheese and the meats were beautifully cured.

Contessa & I both chose the Arrosto di cinghiale (thin sliced wild boar roast w/ mushrooms, tomatoes and beans) as a main course. When the waiter placed the plate in front of me, I was immediately greeted with the pleasant fragrance of rosemary. The thinly sliced boar was tender and the beans with diced tomatoes added a Tuscan-inspired heartiness to this modern take on a rustic dish. Fan-freakin-tastic!

All this great food was enjoyed with a medium-bodied 2001 Toquato made up of 60% bonarda and 40% barbera. The only downside to our meal was that Via Emilia still does not except credit cards but if that is the worst part of a dining experience I'll take it and the prices were certainly reasonable and the portions generous.

Restaurants like these certainly prove that you do not need to go 'high rent' to get 'high quality'. I know that I won't wait another five years to make a return trip!

Steak Frites at Steak Frites

I had a bit of a sorority reunion last night when Bomber, SIP & I met for dinner. After some discussion Bomber & I decided on Steak Frites, a pleasant French bistro located in my neighborhood. I have been to Steak Frites on two other occasions and both times left the restaurant quite pleased with my meal. Would the third time be a charm?

The hostess sat me before the rest of my party (a plus) and Bomber chose a lovely bottle of Malbec from Argentina to start our meal. After perusing the menu, the three of us decided to go with their Restaurant Week offerings. This can be a bit of a gamble, however, since some NY kitchens seem to chide their patrons who choose the $35 three-course prix fixe even though the restaurant actually has to apply and get asked to participate in this program which is something I've yet to understand. You want to be a part of this to get business into your restaurant and then treat those customers like second class citizens? Why the attitude? And yes, I am talking to you San Domenico, Vong, and China Grill!

I've droned on enough about Restaurant Week - back to the pleasantries of our meal. We all had the lovely Belgian Endive, Roasted Green Market Beets, Black Walnuts & Warmed Goat Cheese salad to start. The 'black' walnuts were simply caramelized but the crunchy sweetness of the nuts was a nice compliment to the smooth beets and the creamy goat cheese. The salad was light, tasty and satisfying!

Bomber & I followed with a traditional steak frites; medium rare. The steak was cooked perfectly and had a bit more fat than I am accustomed to with steak frites but the overall quality of the meat was pretty good. The fries were crisp and a bit thicker than the matchstick fries found in most other French bistros but held their own against the competition.

SIP had a winter shellfish bouillabaisse and was quite satisfied with her choice. I was pretty stuffed by my entree but did manage to squeeze in a clam and was pleased by the slightly spicy tomato sauce.

Desserts were the highlight of our meal; a Warm Lemon Pudding Cake With Blueberry Compote for Bomber and SIP along with Profiteroles Arabica Puffed Pastry, Coffee Ice Cream and Dense Dark Chocolate Espresso Sauce for Ms. Foodie. The pudding was creamy and not too tart and the blueberry compote not too sweet.

My profiteroles were delicious; the ice cream was rich and the pasty was light with just enough sauce to coat the dessert without overpowering it.

All in all a pretty solid meal. There are better French bistros to be found throughout the city, however, if you are looking for a solid, consistent comparably priced meal in a somewhat pricey often pretentious neighborhood you really can't go wrong with a visit to Steak Frites.

Bolo - Ole or Okay?

RRR is back in town so that means lots of restaurant visits and yesterday's journey was a trip to Bobby Flay's Bolo. This was a repeat visit for Ms Foodie; however, I have not been to Bolo since they changed their menu to more upscale contemporary-Spanish fare. Would the Flay hype machine prove to be a let down?

I started my meal with a delightful pomegranate martini made with orange and lime juice. The freshness of the juices (no concentrate or syrups here) made the martini smooth clean and smooth on the palate. DRINKS: OLE

We chose the tapas as an appetizer and there is a choice of four for $16. We went with a Seared Sea Scallop (yes that would be one scallop!) with Hot Cherry Peppers, Spanish Tortilla with Green Romesco, Lamb Tenderloin with Arugula & Oven Dried Cherry Tomatoes and Pork, Potato & Goat Cheese Skewer with Smoked Paprika. Amuse bouche would have been more accurate than tapas since to say the portions were small would be a gross understatement - the photo on the (left/right) is pretty much to scale. The pork seasoned with paprika was a standout item; it is unusual for me to combine the two and one of the better tapas. The green romesco sauce (aka pesto) added to the flavor of the eggy delight that was the tortilla. Sixteen bucks for four small tastes? TAPAS: OKAY

For the following course we chose the Bolo Salad: Bolo Salad with Chorizo, Cabrales Blue Cheese, Tomatoes & 25-Year-Old Sherry Vinaigrette. The blue cheese was super pungent, the chorizo had a wonderful char on the edges and the sherry vinaigrette was light yet not overpowered by the cheese or sausage. SALAD: OLE

Finally, in lieu of entrees (alas, the Black Olive Crusted Cod with Roasted Tomato Broth, Clams, Broccoli Rabe & Saffron Allioli sounded intriguing) we chose two additional appetizers: Salmon Tartare on a Crisp Chickpea Polenta Cake with Red Pepper Pesto & Lemon-Chive Oil for RRR & Charcoal Grilled Octopus with Grilled Lemons, Fresh Oregano & Garlic Oil for Ms. Foodie.

RRR particularly enjoyed the tiny capers that accompanied the tartare along with the chilled temperature of the salmon. A spicy red pepper sauce added a bit of Spanish flair to an overall pleasing albeit small dish.

I enjoyed the octopus as well and the sauce in this dish was more caramelized citrus syrup than grilled lemons, but a nice addition to the traditional presentation of octopus. I've had better but I've certainly had worse. APPETIZERS: OKAY

Unfortunately, I cannot properly comment on the entrees, but I did enjoy the swift service and the pleasant staff despite it being the kickoff of Winter Restaurant Week. The portions, however, were small and the prices were steep. I do expect a bit more from a "celebrity" chef and I don't really feel like the presentation of the dishes was anything exceptional.

I'd give it an OKAY instead of an OLE!