Bar Americain

As you may know, I go through phases with my favorite Food Network chefs. My latest interest has been Bobby Flay. He first came to my attention in his show "Boy Meets Grill" where he cooks anything and everything, from steak to pizza, on the grill. I thoroughly appreciate his deeply-rooted connection to Brooklyn, his hometown, and his unexpected culinary interest in the southwest. I also noticed that of all the chefs on Iron Chef: America, his creations were the ones I would most like to try.

He has three New York restaurants and I knew I had to try one in my last trip up there. Mesa (Grill), his first restaurant is a product of his love for southwestern cuisine. His second restaurant, Bolo, is a tribute to his love of the simplicity and richness of Spanish cuisine. His newest NYC endeavor is Bar Americain, a restaurant where he attempts to spice up traditional American dishes with the bold flavors of the southwest. I settled on Bar Americain probably because it sounded most intriguing to me. After all, what exactly is "American cuisine"? Fried chicken?

I was pleasantly surprised to find that "American cuisine" was exactly what I was looking for out of my Bobby Flay experience. Not only was the food rich and delicious, but the decor was uniquely modern and our waiter quickly became our guide to the hidden complexities of the fairly simple menu.

Example Interaction:
Sara: I am interested in the Sweet Potato Clam soup...does that have any meat product other than the clams?
Waiter: Absolutely.
Sara: (silence + puzzled expression)
Waiter: There is bacon all through the soup.
Sara: Oh.
Waiter: Get the French Onion.
Sara: Really? Are you sure?
Waiter: Oh yes (expression-less face). It's the best French Onion in Manhattan.
Sara: Well then! French Onion it is!

Before the French Onion however, I decided to get the sampler plate from the Raw Bar (which actually didn't have anything raw...except oysters). The plate came with three seafood mixtures: Shrimp-Tomatillo, Crab-Coconut, and Lobster-Avocado. As I bet you can guess, they were out of this world. Not only were the base flavor combinations rich and flavorful, but there was some masterful blend of spices and fresh herbs involved in each that I could not guess (because I was too busy having a mouth-orgasm). I realized, small tastings of seafood is a great way to start out a meal because simply prepared, fresh seafood is never heavy or overbearing.

Because I ordered two appetizers instead of one entree, they came out together. I had the French Onion soup first because it was hot. I must say, after the sensational sample plate from the raw bar, the French Onion was a bit of a let down. Granted, there was definitely a slow-cooked taste in the soup and the top was made from a really fantastic Gruyere, but it was overall just too heavy and thick for me to really enjoy. The more I reflect on this the more I think I should have realized this upon ordering, as French Onion is certainly heavier than a potato soup, but it was impulsive and alas, that is the price I pay for not carefully planning everything!

After my French Onion, I delved into my crab cake. But oh no, this was no ordinary crab cake! It was a Crawfish and Dungeness Crab cake. I had never had this combination and was (rightfully) very intrigued. Crawfish, I learned, was sort of similar to shrimp. In addition to its pinkish color, it was more firm and defined in shape than crab. The combination was phenomenal. The problem, I think, with many crab cakes is that the texture of the crab is so consistent that the cake as a whole can seem like one big pile of crabby mush. Adding the Crawfish created a nice point of contrast so each flavor was experienced uniquely but also contributed to the overall taste and feel of the crab cake. To the side of the crab cake was a basil vinaigrette which was a little too sweet for me, but I didn't mind because the crab cake was so fantastic that it needed no sauce.

It's hard to imagine after that glory, there was more. I was hoping to try the Lemon Moscato Crepes for dessert but instead listened to my waiter's recommendation and tried the Chocolate Waffles. I gotta tell ya folks, this was the icing on the cake. The pieces of waffle were very small, maybe half that of a typical toaster-waffle, but they had a rich, velvety chocolate filling, similar to a soufflé. The waffles were places over a really soft, half-melted vanilla ice cream. Amidst the small puddle formed by the melted ice cream were plump black cherries and chopped up pistachio. I usually hate pistachio as an addition to anything and prefer it on its own, but the nuttiness and crunch it added to this dish was really impressive. The cherry also reminded me of my favorite ice cream, Cherry Garcia. The combination of the warm chewy waffles with the soft vanilla ice cream with the sweet cherries and distinct pistachios was out of this world.

In general, I was really impressed with the food. The menu had a lot of classics like various steaks, hamburgers, and smoked chicken, all served with crispy french fries. But it also had a lot of interesting, innovative dishes like lamb chops in a cranberry sauce and salmon with cracked wheat and wine. Like I mentioned earlier, the decor was great too. The super-high ceilings and harmoniously colored walls and lamps made the crowded dining room more comfortable and relaxing. The bathroom was also très chic. If you are willing to spend a little money, Bar Americain is an excellent choice for a great New York lunch (or dinner), with love, from Bobby Flay.

Agave

Nestled in the West Village, Agave is a harmonious melange of distinctly southwestern flavor and uniquely New York modernity.

I heard of it from Rachael Ray's newest show "Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels". The show is similar to "$40 a Day", where she travels to a new city every episode, but in this show she does not consider money as a factor and simply recommends her favorite restaurants. She mentioned their lunches being particularly affordable so it was at the top on my list of things to try during this last trip to New York.

Not knowing what to expect, I had made reservations on OpenTable, but upon arriving with Melissa, I was surprised to see it was sparsely populated. We chose to sit in the front of the restaurant, with a nice view of both passerbyers on the street and the bar with the delicious-looking bartender.

I had already looked at the menu online, but I still thought it over. Melissa and I both ordered our own grilled corn on the cob. I think they were boiled before grilled because their texture was softer than other grilled corn I had tried. Also, there was a hint of spiciness in the corn and a pink tint to the cob, making me think it was probably boiled in water spiced with a red pepper, like cayenne. The corn was lightly buttered with a cilantro-lime butter when it arrived, which, coupled with the spiciness, brought the southwestern feel back to the corn. As a grand finale, the corn was sprinkled with a Spanish cheese, Cojita, which was salty and firm, very similar to Parmesan. I can safely say no corn I had ever had included such an interesting and successful blend of favors.

Also as an appetizer, we shared the corn-crusted calamari. I was imaging that the corn crust would bring a new element to the typical fried calamari, but was disappointed to find it was just your typical calamari, the crust was not breaded, but more like panko, the Japanese batter used to make tempura. I didn't mind too much because I love calamari anyway, but also because of the sauces provided. With the calamari came two sauces: a "chipotle crema" and an "avocado crema". These cremas had a thick, weighty consistency, so I would assume their base is a mayonaise. As heavy as it sounds, both sauces were strong enough in favor that too much was not necessary to dress up the already-delicious calamari.

For my main dish, I had grilled Mahi-Mahi tacos. The plate came to me with warm tortillas which already had strips of fish in them. On top of the fish was a salsa which was made up of grilled pinapple, mango, cilantro, and lime juice. The fish was cooked well-done but was incredibly juicy and tender, despite it's blackened look. On the sides of the plate were other extras, including a really delicious guacamole, sour cream, fresh tomatoes, and crunchy lettuce. I appreciated that these extras were on the side so that I could control exactly how heavy or filling I wanted my tacos to be. All in all, the tacos were really fresh and light, yet richly flavorful and filling.

I skipped dessert, but plenty of their options sounded interesting.

I thoroughly enjoyed Agave. The decor was a really fantastic blend of southwestern feel, with grainy brown paper over all the tables and an adobe staircase leading down to the bathroom and also a very classy modernity, with very simply chic plates and tables. The food was just a reminder of how much southwestern cuisine has to offer.

change is good

instead of using this blog only for bitching and moaning, i have decided to make it an outlet for my inner foodie. i may occasionally bitch and whine, but i will also review restaurants and recipes i encounter.

HILARIOUS!

there is something so beautiful in the simplicities we overlook

where do you fit into this?

Daily effects of white privilege (as articulated by Peggy Mcintosh)

I decided to try to work on myself at least by identifying some of the daily effects of white privilege in my life. I have chosen those conditions that I think in my case attach somewhat more to skin-color privilege than to class, religion, ethnic status, or geographic location, though of course all these other factors are intricately intertwined. As far as I can tell, my African American coworkers, friends, and acquaintances with whom I come into daily or frequent contact in this particular time, place and time of work cannot count on most of these conditions.

1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.

2. I can avoid spending time with people whom I was trained to mistrust and who have learned to mistrust my kind or me.

3. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.

4. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.

5. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.

6. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.

7. When I am told about our national heritage or about "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.

8. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.

9. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege.

10. I can be pretty sure of having my voice heard in a group in which I am the only member of my race.

11. I can be casual about whether or not to listen to another person's voice in a group in which s/he is the only member of his/her race.

12. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser's shop and find someone who can cut my hair.

13. Whether I use checks, credit cards or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.

14. I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.

15. I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.

16. I can be pretty sure that my children's teachers and employers will tolerate them if they fit school and workplace norms; my chief worries about them do not concern others' attitudes toward their race.

17. I can talk with my mouth full and not have people put this down to my color.

18. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty or the illiteracy of my race.

19. I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.

20. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.

21. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.

22. I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world's majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion.

23. I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.

24. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to the "person in charge", I will be facing a person of my race.

25. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven't been singled out because of my race.

26. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children's magazines featuring people of my race.

27. I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance or feared.

28. I can be pretty sure that an argument with a colleague of another race is more likely to jeopardize her/his chances for advancement than to jeopardize mine.

29. I can be pretty sure that if I argue for the promotion of a person of another race, or a program centering on race, this is not likely to cost me heavily within my present setting, even if my colleagues disagree with me.

30. If I declare there is a racial issue at hand, or there isn't a racial issue at hand, my race will lend me more credibility for either position than a person of color will have.

31. I can choose to ignore developments in minority writing and minority activist programs, or disparage them, or learn from them, but in any case, I can find ways to be more or less protected from negative consequences of any of these choices.

32. My culture gives me little fear about ignoring the perspectives and powers of people of other races.

33. I am not made acutely aware that my shape, bearing or body odor will be taken as a reflection on my race.

34. I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking.

35. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.

36. If my day, week or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it had racial overtones.

37. I can be pretty sure of finding people who would be willing to talk with me and advise me about my next steps, professionally.

38. I can think over many options, social, political, imaginative or professional, without asking whether a person of my race would be accepted or allowed to do what I want to do.

39. I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.

40. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.

41. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.

42. I can arrange my activities so that I will never have to experience feelings of rejection owing to my race.

43. If I have low credibility as a leader I can be sure that my race is not the problem.

44. I can easily find academic courses and institutions which give attention only to people of my race.

45. I can expect figurative language and imagery in all of the arts to testify to experiences of my race.

46. I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin.

47. I can travel alone or with my spouse without expecting embarrassment or hostility in those who deal with us.

48. I have no difficulty finding neighborhoods where people approve of our household.

49. My children are given texts and classes which implicitly support our kind of family unit and do not turn them against my choice of domestic partnership.

50. I will feel welcomed and "normal" in the usual walks of public life, institutional and social.