The Drinks are on Drew!

Last Thursday, I met up with Smocky at Centrico, Chef Aaron Sanchez and restaurant mogul Drew Nieporent's nod to regional Mexican cuisine. RRR and I had visited Centrico shortly after it's opening and while impressed with the food we decided this place would really hit its stride within a year.

It certainly did. We both went with Centrico's extended restaurant week prix fixe menu. I was a bit hesitant to order from this menu, since past experiences with prix fixe menus means you are met with disdain from the kitchen staff. Quite the opposite in Centrico's case. Not only was our server very personable, but he kept the drinks flowing... always a step in the right direction!

We started with the Camerones y Pozole which is sauteed shrimp, creamy guadilljo chili sauce and crispy pozole. I'm going out on a limb and saying pozole is the Mexican version of hominy and let me tell you this was fantastic. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and the grainy pozole provided a nice balance to the creamy sauce with a bit of heat on the finish. Outstanding!

We also had Platanos Rellenos which is sweet plantains filled with smoky black beans and drizzled with crema fresca. The plantains and the hearty beans were a perfect marriage of savory and sweet with a bit a cream to keep the flavors in check.

We both went with pescado veracruzana which was fish with tomatoes, olives and serrano chile. The fish was perfectly seared on one side and cooked to absolute perfection. The sauce added a delightful depth of flavor to the dish and was beautifully executed.

We chose the Molten Mexican Chocolate Cake for dessert along with an order of cinnamon ice cream. Both were decent, but when it comes to Mexican cuisine, dessert isn't always the signature item on the menu. All of this plus tortilla chips and homemade guacamole to start for 35 bucks, isn't bad. Actually, it's quite good!

The best part of the night? Upon presenting us with our check, our server informed us that our pomegranate margaritas were gratis since Smocky actually knows Drew (a fact she has neglected to mention in the past - shame on you!).

Maybe I can persuade her to get in Drew's ear and tell him to re-open Layla in a new location!

Ladies who Brunch

This past Sunday, MPV, BG and Shaney-Baby came into the city and we had a lovely ladies' (and little dude) brunch at Blue Water Grill.

The reservationist assured me over the phone that Blue Water was "baby-friendly" and they were true to their word. Of course, Shaney-Baby napped during most of our meal and was an absolute doll, so perhaps a cranky baby might have tested their limits.

The service was attentive, the coffee (albeit a bit bitter) was flowing and the complimentary brunch cocktail (Bellini for BG and myself; Bloody Mary for MPV) had us wanting more.

We decided to go a bit against our norm and order brunch fare that you wouldn't necessarily get in another establishment. MPV went with the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, BG had the everything's-organic-but-the-eggs Organic Omelet with spinach, tomatoes, cheddar and a mixed greens salad and I had the Lump Crab, Artichoke and Camembert Omelet.

Overall, everything was decent. Just decent. I found my meal to be under seasoned and bland when it had so much more potential and the ladies pretty much felt the same way.

When you go to a place like Blue Water you expect a lot and I think the kitchen's playing it safe which is unfortunate; perhaps catering the throngs of Union Square tourists. C'mon Blue Water - I know you have it in you! Step it up!

On the bright side, Shaney-Baby found his jar of peaches to be most satisfying, perhaps the best brunch item of the day.