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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Private screening of The 100-Foot Journey at The NiteHawk Movie Theater in Brooklyn, NY

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Courtesy of DreamWorks Studios

I Just Want To Eat wrote:

"An immersion in the culinary world, when the ugly is soon replaced by the passion for food". 

Je Veux Juste Manger said:

"I am hungry!"

"A lovely comedy that makes me hungry!"

Jean-Philippe

This week, I was invited to a private screening of The 100-Foot Journey, the new movie from director Lasse Hallström, who also directed Chocolat in 2000, that will be released in Theaters on August 8th. I would say that I went there as a moviegoer, food lover and...Frenchman. The food part was not only the movie, that certainly makes you want to eat the dishes cooked in the plot, whether they are classical French, Indian or fusion, like the Boeuf Bourgignon à la Hassan. It was also the fact that it took place at the Nitehawk movie theater in Brooklyn, where one can enjoy a meal while watching the movie. 

I never went to this kind of movie theater and was a bit excited. 

The theater is organized in a way that you have two seats sharing a small table where you get a menu, as well as some paper and a pencil to write down what you would like to order.

As this was a special event, we were served a beverage and some flavored popcorn inspired by the theme of the movie. 

Representing France, we got a glass of Domaine Du Pre Barron Tourraine Sauvignon Blanc

And herbes de Provence popcorn. 

Representing India, we had a Kingfisher beer

And some curry popcorn. 

The popcorn was really good and my favorite was the curry flavored one that was more flavorful. You might think that it is a weird combination, but it works! 

We also decided to order from the menu. I should mention that prices were reasonable and they have a nice selection for brunch or dinner. We ordered two snacks:

Tater tots with a cheese sauce and scallions:

Chorizo and goat cheese fritters:

I admit that I was surprised by the presentation (real plates and silverware) and the taste that was pretty good. I was glad I ordered these dishes as, as we were eating in the dark, a salad would have probably end up on my pants...

We also tried their delicious lemonade. 

So, back to the movie: 

My take as a moviegoer: it is a comedy and, although they use few clichés like any movie of this genre, it was very entertaining, refreshing, with few moments of sadness. 

As a food lover and blogger: just to think about all the dishes they are talking about in the movie makes me drool. I met few Chefs and could see the same passion for food that transpires in the movie: Hassan and Marguerite are passionate about food, while Mrs Mallaury's main goal is to get another Michelin Star. Having a Michelin Star can be everything for a Chef. Sadly, back in 2003, Chef Bernard Loiseau ended his life after a newspaper rumored that he was to lose one of his three stars.

As a Frenchman: food is very important in France and the French are very proud of it, sometimes lacking the curiosity to try other cuisines, especially in small towns. I think this transpires well in the movie.

Here is the synopsis, courtesy of DreamWorks (http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/films/the-hundred-foot-journey):

In “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) is a culinary ingénue with the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch. Displaced from their native India, the Kadam family, led by Papa (Om Puri), settles in the quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. Filled with charm, it is both picturesque and elegant – the ideal place to settle down and open an Indian restaurant, the Maison Mumbai. That is, until the chilly chef proprietress of Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin starred, classical French restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), gets wind of it. Her icy protests against the new Indian restaurant a hundred feet from her own escalate to all out war between the two establishments – until Hassan’s passion for French haute cuisine and for Mme. Mallory’s enchanting sous chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), combine with his mysteriously delicious talent to weave magic between their two cultures and imbue Saint-Antonin with the flavors of life that even Mme. Mallory cannot ignore. At first Mme. Mallory's culinary rival, she eventually recognizes Hassan's gift as a chef and takes him under her wing.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Don Coqui, Puerto Rican restaurant in Astoria, NY

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

Astoria surely has some great gems that should not be ignored, and Don Coqui, a Puerto Rican restaurant is one of them. I discovered it last Sunday when we went for a tasting for dinner. This huge place is a restaurant and lounge with multiple rooms:

A first one, small, at the entrance, with a nicely furnished bar:

The lounge with its impressive lighting:

The two dining rooms that can cater approximately eighty guests each:

They set the mood with not only Latin music, but also a blue lighting in the dining room that kept the lounge-y feel. 

Don Coqui opened in February 2011 in Astoria (they have several locations such as The Bronx or New Rochelle that is their flagship). The restaurant got its name from a small frog that makes a sound like "coqui, coqui", that is quite a funny anecdote. 

The menu, crafted by Executive Chef Jack D'Angelo, had so many mouth watering dishes that I admit that I was not sure what to order; so we followed the advice of our server, Andres, who was very knowledgable about the dishes, describing them in detail. 

I started by ordering a drink. I chose the mango Mojito that was delicious, refreshing and original. 

They then brought us some bread, made on premises. 

It is like a focaccia with garlic butter that is pressed like a panini. I had to resist not eating too much of it...

For the appetizers, we got a sampler they made for us (so you will not find it on the menu). 

It was composed of:

Fried calamari with marinara sauce:

The difficulty with fried calamari is that they are either rubbery and/or soggy, not crispy. There, they were perfect.

Beef empanada with tomato and guava sauce:

Nicely done: the filling was juicy and tasty, and the shell crispy. There was no need for the sauce that I appreciated anyway with the empanada...and the calamari. 

Tostones montaditos:

It was fried plantains topped with cod fish, tomato, onion, cilantro and lime. I liked the flavors that were clean and well balanced, a bit refreshing. 

I also tried their hot sauce that they import directly from Puerto Rico. At first, I did not taste the heat, but it rapidly revealed itself.

For the entrées, when we thought we would have smaller portions, we saw all these big dishes coming! The first one was the plantain crusted red snapper, served with a yuca mash. 

This is a very original dish: they bake plantains, crush them and then use them as breading. This was divine: the plantain crust had a bit of crunch and worked perfectly with the fish that was nicely cooked, moist and flakey. I also loved the yuca mash: prepared with cheese, it had a very interesting texture that I am not sure how to describe, denser than regular mash. 

Then we got one of their best sellers: rabo guisado that is braised oxtail. 

This is a very comforting dish, with bold flavors, but I admit that it was my least favorite one. Well, my favorite one was definitely the Don Coqui paella!

It was made of rice cooked for more than two hours with mussels, shrimp, clams, calamari, chorizo and chicken, topped with half a lobster. 

This was the high point of the meal: the presentation was outstanding, as were the flavors. You could definitely taste the fact that the rice was cooked with the ingredients for a while. I hate when the rice has no flavor, indicating that it has been cooked separately and assembled with the rest at the last minute, right before serving. Quantity wise, it is a huge serving: I cannot imagine how one person can eat that and was surprised to see many customers ordering the paella for themselves: they probably take it home...

I should also mention the abundance of seafood, especially the squid. If you love paella, Don Coqui is definitely the place to go!

With our dishes, we also got tostones, served with a garlic and oil sauce

As well as some sweet plantains. 

For dessert, they told us they would bring us a sampler. We did not imagine what was coming. 

There were five desserts:

Tres leches:

Cheese flan (my favorite, made with condensed milk):

Chocolate flan:

Coconut flan (Jodi was in heaven):

Chocolate lava cake:

Know that they make all the desserts on premises and they were fantastic! I could have eaten everything but admit that I was full after such a feast. 

To finish our meal, they brought us a drink called the coquito, that all customers get (I saw few of them getting more than one...). It is a drink usually served at Christmas time, made with coconut milk, nutmeg and rum. It was very good and a nice way to end this succulent meal. 

If you crave Spanish cuisine or would love a paella, Don Coqui is for you: it is worth a trip to Astoria!

Enjoy (I did)!

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