Recommendations from a French Chef in California
I had the opportunity of recently visiting New York with my wife. When visiting this fantastic city, do not miss the Oyster Bar in the heart of Grand Central Station. This legendary 96-year-old restaurant is one of the hottest spots to visit while in New York. This institution has the best oyster selection on the East Coast. Plan to be there at 11:30 a.m. because at noon the place gets full. Service is committed, but if you are looking for a special treat, just ask for Carlos or Noka and let them know you are a friend of mine. The chowders are fabulous, as well as the steamed clams and mussels (moules marinières).
Before you exit the train station, you may want to check out the food market where great fresh seafood, a cheese shop, and local produce can all be found. If you are not quite ready to hit the streets yet and the cocktail hour is fast approaching, stay inside the station and go up a couple of floors to The Campbell Apartment Bar. This beautiful art nouveau bar has a relaxed décor and a speak-easy vibe. It used to be the office of the railroad director. The cocktails are well-prepared, and the old fashioned is a perfect fit.
The next day, we visited Chelsea’s Market, where you can enjoy a great seafood place called the Cull & Pistol Oyster Bar. Here you can splurge on the perfect steamed lobster. It is rather pricey, but so tasty. For another option, you can sample exceptionally fresh sushi “East Coast style,” while sipping a great local brew.
Another place to visit that just opened in March is Mercado Little Spain. This new venture is backed by the superstar trio of José Andrés and brothers Ferran and Albert Adrià (El Bulli). It is a food mecca where we spent two hours enjoying delicious Iberian Ham, crushed tomato toasts and fried potatoes with spicy tomato puree, while sampling some great sherry. Guests can sample freshly made woodfire oven paella, whole steamed octopus and stunning liquid olives, among the many items on the menu.
Of course, we could not miss a traditional French meal, so one of the days we booked at Pastis. Everything was excellent, from sardines to escargots to steak tartare. The ending was just as spectacular with perfect profiteroles. This newly relocated spot is so well designed that you may think it is a 200 year-old restaurant in the heart of Paris.
If you are a fan of foie gras, visit Aldo Sohm Wine Bar in midtown next to Le Bernardin. They offer a foie gras lollypop over a nice pain de mie toast with a spiced pumpkin spread. Do not forget to order the baked Camembert. It is a must. There was a beautiful wine lis and it was reasonably priced. When visiting, say “Bonjour” to the French manager.
In Mid-Town as well there is a new restaurant called Limani. This inspired Greek restaurant offers a refined Mediterranean cuisine that is tasty and well-presented. Its specialties are incredibly fresh. Try the appetizers: crispy, very thinly sliced eggplant with zucchini and light herbal yogurt; seared cheeses with organic heirloom tomatoes; or the best dish was roasted peppers and grilled sardines. The setting was all white with white marble counters and a vast blue water feature in the center of the room. A great find.
If you are looking for an Italian restaurant, we discovered Lavo. It is an Italian brasserie with great ambiance, oak wood bar and tile walls with amazing authentic cuisine and excellent service. Burrata and tomato salad was my starter, followed by fresh clam linguini. My wife had a perfect tomato basil pasta, and we shared the best Cheesecake ever. It had a crème brulee crust and was served with a black cherry sauce. It was well worth the detour. I will try to duplicate this dessert very soon at Café Jardin.
My last recommendation–especially if you love soul–is the Red Rooster in Harlem. You will enjoy amazing live music, jazzy gospel and great food. Even when we had to wait for 45 minutes at the bar, the ambiance, music and perfect drinks were worth it. We enjoyed zesty deviled eggs, crispy honey chicken with mustard greens and grits ‘n mash.
New York City is such a foodie melting pot that it would be impossible not to find what you are searching for. This French Chef from California found many. KUDOS to New York!
- Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station, 89 E 42nd St., New York, NY 10017 212-490-6650
- The Campbell Apartment Bar, 15 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, NY 10017
- Cull & Pistol. Chelsea Market, 75 9th Ave., New York, NY 10011 646-568-1223
- Mercado Little Italy, 10 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001 646-495-1242
- Pastis. 52 Gansevoort St., New York, NY 10014 212-929-4844
- Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, 151 W 51st St., New York, NY 10019 212-554-1143
- Red Rooster, 310 Lenox Ave., Harlem, NY 10027 212-792-9001