Restaurant Week: David Burke's Fishtail in NYC, NY

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We took advantage of Restaurant Week to enjoy a delicious dinner, at a discounted price at David Burke's Fishtail. It was on my list for a while, being a fan of Chef Burke and looking at his mouth watering food photos on Instagram with always a bit of drool. For sure, we had to book quickly and used Opentable as this place was a popular spot for Restaurant Week.

We got our reservation at 7:30pm and I thought the odds were against me as there were issues with the subway and I was worried that they would not hold our table, Jodi having to come from downtown by train. I arrived on time, explained the issue and reassure me that there was no issue. It would have been such a bummer to have to come another time, especially as my mind and stomach were prepared for a nice meal there. 

So, Fishtail is all about fish (you can get a steak if you want, but it is not the point) and everything in the decor will remind you that, whether it is the walls that mimic fish scales

Or the art. 

The restaurant has been built in a townhouse, with the bar on the first floor

And the dining room on the second floor. 

You can also have a glimpse at the kitchen, on the first floor, where all the magic happens. 

For restaurant week, they offer a menu for $38 that includes any appetizer, entrée or dessert from their regular menu. I love that, because it means that you will get dishes that are served on a regular basis and not created for that event, totally embracing the spirit of Restaurant Week. I guess the catch is in the quantity, but, at Fishtail, you will not leave hungry for sure. Well, at least I did not. Know that, similar to many restaurants, some dishes require to pay a supplement. 

They started off bringing us some bread and butter.

In fact, it was not bread there, but a delicious popover, freshly made. 

For her appetizer, Jodi chose the burrata with watermelon, tomatoes, prosciutto and crushed olives. 

This was a very refreshing dish with different flavors that works perfectly together, such as the watermelon and the olives, or the watermelon and the burrata that was delightfully creamy. 

On my side, I ordered David Burke's own pastrami spiced smoked salmon. 

It was served with horseradish crème fraiche, mustard oil, watercress and blinis. That was delicious: if you like smoked salmon, you will definitely enjoy it, whether it is the smokiness of the fish or the spices used. I truly appreciated the fact that the taste of horseradish was not too pronounced and did not overpower the dish. 

For her entrée, Jodi ordered the grilled mahi panzanella. 

It was composed of mahi mahi, sourdough, basil, garlic and tomato. The presentation was beautiful, but unfortunately the fish was slightly overcooked. This dish was definitely not as good as the one I chose: nori & mustard crusted tuna. 

Served with soba noodles, I thought the plating was beautiful. Nori is seaweed and I was scared that it would overpower the tuna; it did not and the fish, with this interesting crust was sublime. I asked for medium rare and it was perfect. I also liked the soba noodles that were delicious and a perfect side to this dish. 

For dessert, Jodi ordered the salted caramel and peach parfait. 

The presentation was great. The caramel came on the side and they poured it in the middle of the parfait. On top was ginger oat crumble that was delicious, but I admit that the best for me was the caramel that was delightfully buttery, as well as the homemade whipped cream. 

On my side, I got their take on peanut butter and jelly: peanut butter and jelly mousse bar. 

Now that was very good, the dessert being well balanced between the peanut butter and the chocolate ganache. It was also not too sweet, that was perfect after such a feast.

That was a delicious dinner, that made us want to go back another time, outside Restaurant Week. The only negatives were the noise level and the fact that they crammed in tables, so we were a bit in the way of people, a location a bit uncomfortable, especially as, each time somebody was passing next to us, I was scared they would knock down something...

But I enjoyed (I did)!

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Frere de Lys, French restaurant on the Upper East Side, NY

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Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!  

Frère de Lys is a French restaurant located on the Upper East Side that discovered last week end. I met with two of the owners of this place Alexis and Thibault Piettre, who before that worked in other restaurants in New York, before fulfilling the dream to open their own restaurant. Their mother was even there and chat proudly about this adventure. I was intrigued by the name as it seems to be a play on fleur de lys (iris flower), a symbol of monarchy in Europe; According to French historian Georges Duby, the three petals represent the medieval social classes: those who worked, those who fought, and those who prayed (source: wikipedia). 

Alexis told me that they are not royalist at all, but wanted to celebrate the renaissance period, their renaissance and as he and his brother have a fleur de lys tattooed on their arms, they thought about Frère de Lys as the name to their new adventure, frère meaning brother in French.

Decor wise, it is a simple place with a lot of warmth thanks to the dark wood of the tables, chairs and long banquette, keeping a touch of modernity. 

At the entrance is the bar with its bulbs that give a vintage feel.

Then, the dining room, simply decorated.

With of course a photo of an iris in the back.

Menu wise, do not expect to see a bistro type menu: there are no escargots, no confit de canard and no steak frites. There, the menu has classic French dishes, modernized and sometimes changed with an American twist. Know that we were there for a tasting, so the portions were smaller that what is shown on the actual menu. In fact, they were perfect portions for sharing and trying plenty of dishes and, who knows, their menu may include smaller dishes at some point!

Like any good French menu, it started with bread (toasted and served with olive oil) and wine. I got to try two wines:

The first one was a château de la sèlve palissaire 2012:

The second one was a Domaine du Colombier Chinon 2010:

I went for the Chinon. 

Then, we chose three appetizers:

Roasted figs and prosciutto, that is one of their best sellers:

The tiny figs were topped with goat cheese and complimented with arugula, all of this drizzled with a house vinaigrette. 

I thought it was a nice pairing and I loved the combination of the fig, with its particular texture, and goat cheese. It was definitely a good start.

The next appetizer was smoked eggplant gratin:

It was made with ricotta and a homemade tomato sauce. Considering the way it was prepared, I would more associate this dish to Italian cuisine. It was very good, letting the eggplant be the star of the dish, and it was very comforting. 

The last appetizer was the veggie and quinoa tartine:

A tartine is a slice of bread with a spread or ingredients on top. At Frère de Lys, they propose few of them, with for instance prosciutto or smoked salmon. But we decided to go for the veggie and quinoa as we were intrigued by this vegetarian option. What was interesting with this dish is that it was simple: bread, cucumber and quinoa, served with arugula salad on the side. But as simple as it was, it was very good and filling, the cucumber adding a nice cooling and freshness to the dish.

For the entrees, we picked three:

The pan seared chicken, served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, haricots verts‏ (string beans), mushrooms, tarragon and mustard sauce. This was delicious: the chicken was perfectly cooked and moist, and the sauce delightful but not heavy. The mash potatoes were homemade and I truly appreciated the fact that it was not garlic-ey. The haricots verts were interesting: they were crunchy, that is the way veggies are cooked in the US, but not in France, where they would be cooked longer, until very soft, probably in a bit of butter. The two brothers disagree on the way they should be cooked: Alexis prefers the French way (as I do) and Thibault the way they are served. 

The second appetizer was the rack of lamb:

It was served also with haricots verts and sweet potato. The lamb was good, but unfortunately a bit overcooked; I did not really care about the red wine reduction that came with it as the meat was still moist. I loved the fact that it was paired with a sweet potato that was simply cooked in the oven before being sliced in half and served: simple and delicious.

The last entree was a vegetarian dish that was definitely a high point: paleo zucchini pasta.

Imagine zucchini shredded like thick pasta, served with an avocado cream sauce. That was a fantastic dish, between the crunchiness of the zucchini to the richness of the avocado. Full of flavors, this is the type of dish that even a carnivore like me would like.

Last was dessert, eaten with a decaf espresso.

We got a sampler that is normally not proposed on the menu (all restaurants should have a sampler - wink, wink!), with the slices of tarts being smaller than usually served.

We got to try:

The flour less chocolate cake:

The pear and rosemary tart:

The grand-mère apple and honey cake:

All the desserts, made on premises, were really good and not too sweet, my favorite being the last one. But I admit that the pear and rosemary was quite surprising as pear is a common ingredient for a tart, but rosemary is not, and there was just enough quantity to give a subtle taste to the tart.

I was ready to go when they propose a glass of mirabelle from Alsace, the region in France where the brothers are from. I could not refuse...

It is an eau de vie, that is a clear fruit-based spirit (made with mirabelle plum in this case) perfect for the digestion.

Although the dishes were not heavy, I needed a walk after that feast: the food was delicious and well presented. The menu, with seasonal dishes is not large, that is perfect as it is better to have a small menu well executed than a large menu poorly made. I truly appreciated the fact that they had vegetarian dishes that did not look or taste like sides, but really like complete dishes that would satisfy anybody and not just vegetarians. I also loved the atmosphere of the restaurant: with its neighborhood feel, it reminded me some of the small joints I used to go to in Paris, where you feel welcome and in a way part of a family. This is of course thanks to the dynamism and warmth of the two brothers, Alexis and Thibault. Frère de Lys is definitely worth a trip to the Upper East Side! Chapeau! 

Enjoy (I did)!



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Sprinkles Cupcakes in New York, NY

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If you are a fan of the TV show Cupcake Wars, you have probably heard about Sprinkles Cupcakes: one of Judges, Candace Nelson, is with her husband Charles, the owner. 

It all started in 2005 with the first store that opened in Beverly Hills: they got sold out the first day in three hours and then sold more than 2,000 cupcakes the first week, starting a success story that continues today, with more than 10 locations in the US and projects to open in London and Tokyo.  

Sprinkles Cupcakes is also known for the first cupcake ATM in the world, introduced in 2012, where cupcakes are available 24/7. We did not try the ATM and went straight to the store. It was a week day, the week ends being crazy there.

An allusion to the stars on Hollywood Boulevard

As soon as you enter the place, your senses are overwhelmed by an incredible baking smell that make you want to live there. It is a colorful place for sure...

What I like about such a place is that they propose cupcakes in two sizes: regular or small, the latter being perfect for a tasting. But, know that not all cupcakes are available in the small size. So, here is what we tried:

Jodi, of course, got the coconut cupcake:

They did not have it in small size, but, after the first bite, no regrets. Even me, who is not a huge fan of coconut, liked it. One thing that I always look for in a cupcake is the ratio frosting / cake, and this one was perfect.

The cake was moist and the frosting not too sweet.

On my side, I decided to try two mini-cupcakes:

Red velvet:

Banana with chocolate frosting:

Same comment there on the ratio frosting / cake: perfect. I was definitely curious to try the red velvet as it is like The Test: like when you go to a French restaurant and they do not know how to make escargots (I have names...). This one was delicious and my comments are valid for all the cupcakes: moist cake and not overly sweet frosting, allowing you to eat many. The banana one was fantastic and the combination banana and chocolate works perfectly.

Sprinkles Cupcakes is, with Butter Lane and Sweet in Hoboken, one of my favorite cupcake places. I am looking forward to going back there or to try their ice cream and cookie store located right next to it. And, by the way, if your dog also loves cupcakes, they have some for her/him that I did not try...yet!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Sprinkles Cupcakes

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