So much more than a steakhouse, Gotham Steak, Gotham Steak earns highest marks for the wide variety of original delectable delicacies not commonly associated with a restaurant that features steaks as its main fare. From the moment one arrives at Gotham Steak, the excitement of a spectacular evening and the expectation of a superb culinary experience are set in place by the vibrant edgy modern space, the lively people filling every table, the cool live music and the professionalism of the staff. Head Chef John Suley is an intense young man whose passion for food is evident when he proudly speaks of the freshness of his ingredients and the subtleties of his creations. Suley is a perfectionist, totally hands-on; he works tirelessly preparing his dishes, sourcing ingredients from locally-grown vegetables and finding the highest quality seafood available in South Florida. One can taste the overwhelming freshness as well as his creative hand in the flavors and sauces of his dishes.
The Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare as well as the Hamachi Sashimi Red Snapper were two memorable appetizers. Another outstanding starter was the Fois Gras Terrine with Quail Egg. The Alaskan Prawn Risotto can easily stand up to the risotto prepared in any of the finest Italian restaurants; it is an absolute showstopper. The Lobster Bisque with lumps of lobster meat swimming in it was light and delicious.
For main dishes, the Florida Grouper with Quinoa, Haricots Verts, Picholine Olives, Speck Ham, Cherry Tomatoes was our personal favorite. The flavor of the NY Strip prepared in a hard wood charcoal oven has a special flavorful sweetness. A must as an accompaniment to any of the meat entrèes was the memorable dishes include the Lobster Mashed Potato served on the skin of a baked potato with the meat of lobster claw on top as a side dish. Among his sweet irresistible desserts, Pastry Chef Josh Gripper prepares a chewy brownie that is an absolute must.
Gotham Steak is so exceptionally appealing because all of its dishes are so thoughtfully prepared, and the impeccably trained staff is always there without being in your face.
Gotham wins five stars for its execution, presentation and inventiveness. The restaurant itself is split into two floors. The downstairs, facing the immaculate open kitchen, appears more traditional and is less of a "scene." The upstairs, on the other hand, is livelier with music and vocalists Thursday through Saturday. The ambiance is much more high tech with a wine cellar reaching to the ceiling.
For wine lovers, this restaurant boasts 500+ exceptional wines from around the world. A special fact to note- Gotham Steak is open from midnight to 3am for the after-hours crowd. At this late hour, diners can have their wee hours dinner at a mere fraction of the menu price—a super bargain.
All in all, a very exciting, crisp, delectable dining experience from Alfred Portale, Chef and Owner of both the New York City Gotham Bar and Grill as well as Gotham Steak at Miami Beach's Fontainebleau.
Gotham Steakhouse
4441 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
877.326.7412 for reservations
A drive-thru window at any fast food joint would be the last place you would ever find me. The only time I ever eat fast food is if I am on a road trip, on a major budget or very early in the morning after a late night (even then I can keep the urges at bay). However, I recently found myself on the Upper West Side standing in line at what I wouldn't necessarily call your typical "fast food," but in a burger/hotdog establishment that raises the bar and the quality for that matter.
During a girl's day out on the town with my step daughters, Laura and Marie, we filled our hearts' content with manicures, pedicures, shopping and lunch at the Shake Shack. Knowing that the two of them love a cheeseburger and French fries, as well as any moment to get a decadent dessert, I would have to put my snobby fast food boycott on hold. Boy am I glad that I did!
The Shake Shack is part of the genius Danny Meyer Union Square Hospitality Group, and is of brilliant concept. When we walked in, the place was jam packed with families, business people, firemen, and an abundance of strollers. This place was obviously going to be a treat. There were two lines to stand in, one for hot food and one for desserts. We decided that we were going to order our lunch first and take dessert to-go. Don't let the crammed full entry way and minimal amount of tables fool you on the seating size of the place. There is a "Rec Room," with additional seating downstairs, thank goodness!
Looking at the menu, there are two options: burgers and hotdogs. Still, both contain quite a variety to choose from. We all went with a burger (**note all burgers are served medium unless otherwise specified) me being the only one to forgo the cheese. We took two small fries and each had a soda fountain drink, and waited quite impatiently for our buzzer to shake. Finally, our half sheet tray was filled to the edges and stacked with high with condiments and plenty of napkins. Lunchtime was officially in session.
Thinking that because we were on the "Upper West Side," and that this wasn't your typical fast food place the ticket would be a little pricey. It was actually all under $25 for the three of us to stuff our faces with high-quality, meaty goodness, followed by a little crunch of heaven in each perfectly crinkle cut French fry.
Now for the moment the two girls had been waiting for, the "shake" part of the Shake Shack. We made our way to the line once more looking over the dessert items. Though each of them sounded too good to be true, plain vanilla shakes were in order. Light and creamy with each sip coating the inside of your mouth, this was the perfect refreshment to feast on while sitting in a chair getting your toe nails painted a pretty pink, or blue if you're Laura.
—Hailee Moore
Shake Shack, Upper West Side
366 Columbus Ave. (at 77th Street)
646.747.8700
Shake Shack, Madison Square Park
Southeast corner of Madison Square Park,
Near Madison Avenue and 23rd Street
Park New York, NY 10010
212.889.6600
Shake Shack, Citi Field (Home of the New York Mets)
12301 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing
citifieldshack@shakeshack.com
Sheets of rain were flooding Nolita on Sunday night. So to avoid any wet travels, yet still satisfy our hunger, my friend and I picked a restaurant that seemed fitting, cozy enough to keep us dry and tasty enough to match the delicious nearby world of Little Italy—Civetta Ristorante .
The ambiance was very inviting adorned with dimly lit European elegance and vaulted ceilings, rustic wooden tables, and of course a warm fireplace that assured us we made the right choice in that dreadful weather. Upon seating, we were immediately impressed by all the choices on the menu, and after a quick debate my friend and I settled on having mussels, baby octopus and veal meatballs to start. I'm used to ordering two appetizers for two people, but hey you only live once, right? With such a variety, we were unable to limit ourselves. The mussels were cooked with cacciatorini, an Italian dry-cured sausage, fennel and tomato. The sausage presented hearty flavors which balanced the freshness of the seafood without overpowering it. In fact, I liked it so much I managed to spill broth on dress. Luckily, with some quick club soda action, I was able to recover and continue to enjoy my meal.
The baby octopus was flavorful but the red wine dressing gave it an overly pungent bite. As expected, the veal meatball was not as juicy as a beef meatball, and was a little bit on drier side. Thankfully, the baby corn added a lot of sweetness, especially considering it is so perfectly in season at this time.
We had an even harder time deciding on the wine, so much so, that the manager came over twice and gave us recommendations; however, ordering our main entrées was a bit less of a struggle when it came to deciding. I somehow managed to fight my carb urge, although tempted by my all time favorite pastas—Rigatoni alla Bolognese, and Potato Gnocchi, I still resisted and took the seafood route: Sautéed prawns infused with garlic, brown butter, chick pea puree and parsley. Clearly, I did not regret my decision. The prawns were served with their head on. Although this is a horrifying "no no" for some, this style did not intimidate me, but instead brought me back to the delicious Mediterranean styles of Europe.
As for my food loving friend, he selected the breaded pork chop, adorned with grated carrot, Guanciale salad and Vin Santo dressing—tasty, predictable but not wow-worthy in my book.
For our final food battle, we almost opted out on dessert, debating on enjoying some blueberries form the farmer's market awaiting at his place. Yet, Civetta's selections claimed victory once again. The scrumptious dessert was the cherry on top to our whole Civetta experience-literally. We enjoyed a pignoli macerated seasonal fruit served in a pine nut tart, oozing with crimson perfection.
I must say, the cherry flavor in the tart was definitely the perfect sweet ending to our meal, now allowing us to venture back out in the rain with a much better mood and of course, a filled stomach.
—Divya Gugnani
Civetta Ristorante
98 Kenmare Street
New York, NY 10012
212.274.9898
The latest episode of Top Chef Masters really brought out these masters' true colors. "If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen," many say. But, this time, the heat was completely out of their control.
For success, we're usually told, "keep it simple." Yet for these experts, simple was exactly the challenge. With a mere 20 bucks and 30 minutes, each master was assigned an aisle at Top Chef's most trusted supermarket, Whole Foods, to select ingredients for the winning dish. The contestants returned to the kitchen to discover they would be judged by no other than Whole Foods experts themselves. Let the aisle trial begin!
"I never cook anything in 30 min so this is pretty tough," said Yamaguchi. Really now, some expert? I really can't understand how any top chef "master" could admit this on camera without thinking he wouldn't be criticized for poor kitchen verbiage. It's like an athlete saying he can't run a mile in under ten minutes. But let's move on. After some difficulty with assembling the pressure cookers, the chefs managed to pull through with some bearable, and some brilliant dishes.
The skeptical Roy Yamaguchi took a crossroad on his usual Asian cuisine when assigned the Pasta & Olive Oil section, and made a pasta dish with a fried egg. "Weird!" was the initial blurted word, but the dish seemed to work earning him a lovely 4 stars. Art Smith earned a big 4.5 stars for his multi-grain risotto, claiming "I'm gonna take the show!" Cocky chef speaks too soon if you ask me, or maybe not eh? The renown Jonny Waxman ends with only 3.5 stars for his lentil dish, a major disappointment. But for a golden five stars, Michael Cimarusti, unexpectedly wins with his chocolate parfait — a non pastry chef born on a shooting star? Or, this could just be pure talent ladies and gents.
Elimination Challenge:
With 20 stars up for grabs, the odds for each chef are still high — but not for long. Karma could be a bitch if any of these chefs decide to take the evil route. The concept is heartbreaking for some. Each chef must shop for 11 ingredients for a fellow competitor and the chef that receives the box must use at least seven of the ingredients given. For the most part the chef's keep it classy, having much respect for their fellow contestants, and wanting to give them equal opportunity; however, we can't all be saints can we? Waxman, does not return the favor for Cimarusti. "I denied you fish," Waxman declares, knowing seafood is this chef's specialty. A low blow from such a respected master? I think so. Still Cimarusti remained calm and thankful to his elders for the ingredients he was given.
Claiming he feels 58 years old (yeah right!) Waxman is well aware his knife is on the line for this round, remaining in dead last for his boring lentils. Yamaguchi plates a short rib and mahi mahi dish that impresses Gail Greene — shocker! Cimarusti does his best to put his lack of fish ingredients together into a cohesive lamb dish but fails to sauce all his plates, a major disadvantage! Yet, Ms. Greene claimed she was lucky she didn't get the sauce (ouch!). Ill-behaved Waxman did prove that elders come first with his California spirited pork sausage and pork chop duo with cauliflower and shaved truffle, earning him the top position for the challenge. Yet, as in the kitchen as in life, good always prevails! Art Smith takes victory with his oozing persona dish of Southern-style fried chicken, allowing the judges to really taste his love for the South. His ability to make them laugh didn't hurt either.
Now, Chef Art Smith can spread his southern skills and love for food immensely by donating to his wonderful charity, Common Threads, educating children on nutrition, physical well being, and allowing them to partake in the reverence for the sole unifier of human kind: food.
Stay tuned weekly to Behind the Burner to discover who can take the final heat for the champion's round on Top Chef Masters.
Scarpetta at Fontainebleau, Miami Beach is a first class Italian hot spot not to be missed. Scott Conant is at the helm of this culinary sensation. If Scarpetta sounds familiar, it's likely because Conant also has a restaurant of the same name in New York City's Meatpacking District. The restaurant features ocean and poolside views (along with bountiful, beautiful palm trees and seaside breezes), a wrap around veranda, casual dining areas (even kid-friendly) and a cocktail lounge. Scarpetta is a favorite among A-list celebs visiting Miami—on my night out, Matt Damon decided to dine as well.
The modern interior design of the restaurant immediately invokes a strong nautical vibe, with discreet boat ropes adorning the walls and ceilings. From the moment I first stepped foot into Scarpetta, I was warmly greeted by a professional, friendly and very attentive staff (honestly...this unfortunately isn't always the norm on Miami Beach).
I highly recommend going to Scarpetta hungry so that you can comfortably try as many of the delectable menu offerings as possible. Starting with four flavorful choices of homemade bread! My favorite: the ciabatta topped with a deliciously creamy eggplant puree. To maximize my tasting adventure, I ordered all four courses, including the Primi Piatti and Le Paste. Do not worry about your waistline at Scarpetta, enjoy the experience and hit the treadmill domani!
Where the Primi Piatti are concerned, my favorite dishes include: Mozzarella In Carozza with Stewed Baby Tomatoes, Braised Short Ribs of Beef with Vegetable and Farro Risotto, the Crispy Fritto Misto of Seafood, Vegetables, Artichokes, Herbs and Lemon and the la piéce de resistance: the Creamy Polenta with a Fricassee of Truffled Mushrooms. For the pasta course, I strongly recommend the Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil. Even though it may sound simple and unadventurous, trust me, this dish will not disappoint. With fresh, flavorful ingredients you'll feel like you could be eating from your Nonna's farm in Sicily. For a more intrepid palate, I recommend the Agnolotti Dal Plin filled with Mixed Meat and Fonduta, Mushrooms and Parmigiano. I tasted traces of truffle oil (yum!) in this unusual pasta dish.
The Mediterranean Branzino with Saffron Ricotta Gnocchi, Cauliflower and Lobster Fricassee and the Bistecca Di Manzo with Roasted Vegetables, Preserved Truffles and Parmigiano stood out as main courses. If you find the plethora of mouth watering choices on the menu overwhelming, you may consider loading up on the Primi Piatti and Le Pasta (skipping the main course) so that you can save room for la dolce.
For dessert, you must ask your server about the Chocolate Cipolle with Warm Nutella. This is not listed on the menu and is out of this world! Other winners (on the menu) include the Coconut Panna Cotta with Caramelized Pineapple and Guava "Soup" and Cheesecake with Mango Granita and Pistachio Brittle.
I visited Scarpetta in mid-July (which is off-season in Miami)—and yet the restaurant was hopping. Not an empty table in sight, a great a sign that the recession hasn't hit every restaurant and that people "in the know" put Scarpetta at the top of their Miami dining choices. Due to Scarpetta's popularity, I recommend making a reservation in advance and request a table near the window or even on the outdoor deck if you can handle the Miami humidity.
—Alexandra Wilkis Wilson
Scarpetta
4441 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33140
(located on the lobby level of Sorrento)
877.326.7412
Subscribe to our Feed >
Join Our Facebook Group >
Follow us on twitter >
View our Flickr Photostream >
