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The Chef Eats Out - October 2002
by Chef/Owner Philip Mihalski
What do chefs like to do when they get time off? Eat out, of course!
Unfortunately, being at the restaurant five or six nights a week and having a three-year-old daughter at home does not give me many chances to get out. Recently, however, I had a chance to fly back to New York for a couple of days. Along with visiting family I checked out the Manhattan food scene for new spots and old favorites. Here is my food travel report:
One evening I went to Union Pacific located at 111 East 22nd Street. I gathered a group of friends, seven of us, and I had quite a good meal. The meal began with a little amuse gueule—just a few little haricots verts—thin green beans—with a nice lemony vinaigrette and several little slices of a duck prosciutto. Just a few bites that whet the appetite for more.
A first course foie gras was very interesting. The menu listed it as foie gras cru—the French word for raw. Rather than being cooked it’s cured with salt. It was a foie gras terrine topped with a few strawberries and served with a strawberry vinaigrette. The texture was quite unique and very appealing. “Crispy Sweetbreads with a Thai Basil Glaze and Pea Foam” and “Yellow Curry of Baby Calamari” were two other first courses we sampled.
Next, a small bowl of corn soup arrived for everyone. Their soup used yellow corn and was totally simple with no added garnish. It was interesting for me as we have had white corn soup on Nell’s menu for the past month. Our recipe is included with this newsletter.
We all ordered different entrees. My choice was “Sautéed Skate with Lime Pickle Swiss Chard and Brown Butter.” The pickles gave the chard a nice bite and paired well with the impeccably fresh skate. Another tasty entrée was “Atlantic Cod with Corn and Saffron.” That night’s tasting menu featured corn. It was in all five courses including dessert. I was tempted but did not go for it.
I always look forward to having a few slices of pizza when I’m back in the City. There are great pizza places all over New York—you can stop in any time of day, any time of night and get something good to eat. One of my favorites is Vinnies on Amsterdam between 73rd and 74th. It was there when I first lived in the City in the late 70’s. It’s still there and thriving. Twenty-five years since my first visit, the pizza is the same—still great.
Another evening I went to Balthazar at 80 Spring Street in Soho. The chef there, Riad Nasr, is a friend of mine who I met at my first cooking job in New York. We worked together for two years at Park Bistro. Balthazar recreates a French brasserie in New York. While the restaurant is only about five years old, from the day it opened it looked like it had been there for decades. The place is packed lunch and dinner. A great raw seafood bar, pâté studded with bits of foie gras, roast chicken for two, cod brandade, and apple tarte Tatin make you think of a great evening in Paris. I’d eaten there before but was happy to sample again this satisfying food in this lively spot.