01/26/09

Crudo at Tarry Lodge

Following up with Chef Andy Nusser for our upcoming Westchester Magazine Tarry Lodge review, we learned an alarming fact. Apparently, diners have been avoiding his bodice-ripping antipasto of raw fluke with shaved fennel and celery, (lightly sexed up with lemon, La Mozza olive oil and sea salt). This dish had good looks, bedroom eyes, and highly questionable morals. We craved it in carnal way.

In fact, the wistful chef informed us that due to lack of interest in the crudo, the raw fish antipasto has been changed to tuna tartare. Chef Nusser did some delicate stepping around “diners around here”, or “maybe it was the wording”, but his overall drift was that tuna tartare was about all Westchester’s could handle. “

Posted at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

01/19/09

All About Raclette

Imagine fuzzy mukluks, après ski gear, a cozy fire in Switzerland, and a sexy blonde ski instructor. (This last item can be gendered in any way you like). What do you eat while cradling your slope-sore body in floor pillows? Not gloppy fondue, which is strictly for the tourists, but Raclette, a rich, fatty cheese toasted until it’s gooey and deliciously browned.

While our current economic apoplexy might have cancelled this winter’s Alpine ski trip, you can still get Raclette at Larchmont’s Auray Gourmet. For the cost of the cheese (and the insurance of a loaned credit card, which seems fair since these machines can run up to...

Posted at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1

01/12/09

Caution: This Steak Is How You Ordered It

Either the world is getting more ridiculous, or diners are getting more stupid.

While researching steakhouses, we’ve started to encounter a new restaurant trend. Servers are being forced to question -- in the nicest way possible -- whether diners know what they’re ordering. Here’s a sample of the typical conversation, which we’ve endured at least three times.

Eater: I’ll take that rib-eye.
Server: Great! And how would you like that cooked?
Eater: Medium rare, please.
Server: Great! And just so you know, our medium rare rib-eye is cooked brown on the outside and pink and warm inside. Is that all right?

Call us oversensitive, but that last bit is kind of insulting. After all, aren’t steakhouses...

Posted at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments: 5

01/05/09

Love Is: the Best Roaster in Westchester

In the southwest of France, around the Gers, there’s a food truck that visits a few of the weekly markets. Once you’ve assembled your staples and stocked up on Guinness and Cadbury’s chocolates at the stall mobbed by the British expats in these parts, you can pick up dinner at the itinerant truck.

Posted at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0