first of all, i’d like to apologize to my readers…all 2 of you. it’s been over a year since my last entry and i have absolutely no excuse. good news is that i am now the proud owner of the canon eos rebel xs camera that i expect will inspire additional blog entries…let’s hope.

ahh fatty crab…i’ve been to the upper west side location several times and felt it was time for inclusion in the blog. while the atmosphere doesn’t quite achieve the downtown coolness as that of the west village location, it is warm and welcoming and has become a standby for post work dinners and drinks.

let’s start with fatty crab’s drink selection, which is quite extensive. one of my favorite beers, which i believe is no longer available at momofuku, is pork slap. the can alone merits ordering it, no? they also have pbr for $3, thank you, and a delicious japanese beer called hitachino, which was introduced to me by my favorite foodie comrade, jessica. in most cases i enjoy wine with dinner but this is a place where i always order beer. maybe it’s the spiciness of the food…

and speaking of the food, we began the night with fatty duck. the menu describes it as “steamed, fried” which i’m guessing is the method responsible for the duck’s tenderness (think peking duck sans-skin), no knife needed. beneath the duck was a type of rice called tamaki, which is fairly similar to sticky rice or sushi rice and was the perfect bed for the duck to rest on as it soaked up its spicy sauce.

sliders. these are unlike any sliders i’ve had, which i believe is due to the blend of meat (pork and beef), creating a flavor that i can only describe as malaysian. the burgers are topped with pickled cucumber, spicy mayonnaise and bibb lettuce all on a toasted roll-like bun. this dish exemplifies fatty crab’s je ne sais quois…unparalleled, flavorful dishes that constantly entertain the palette.

on to the grand finale. this is the dish that must be ordered. readers, please meet watermelon pickle and crispy pork. sounds weird, i know, but the combination of the greasy, gamey pork coupled with the refreshing, bright watermelon is a hit. it almost makes you think you’re eating healthy…almost.

atmosphere: 7 / 10

service: 8 / 10

value: 8 / 10

food: 18 /20

overall: 41 / 50

fatty crab (uws)

2170 broadway @ 77th street (upper west side)

212.496.2722

$$$ / $$$$$

malaysian

restaurant week summer 2008. i love restaurant week. it’s a great opportunity to check out a restaurant you couldn’t otherwise afford. sure there are a few restaurants that don’t deliver, with contrived menus and stuck up attitudes, but davidburke & donatella was quite the exception.

we were seated promptly when we arrived and led to the back of the restaurant. the room was bright, lively and colorful in a tasteful, not tacky, way. my only complaint would be the crammed together tables, which led to many bumps from the wait staff and involuntary eavesdropping on fellow diners. but, i understand. it’s new york and you have to pay the rent.

i was really excited when i saw the rosemary sticking out of the bread roll. i love rosemary and when its flavor is infused into anything (i’m dreaming of babbo’s rosemary potatoes), i get really excited. sadly, the rosemary was just a garnish. the bread was disappointing. mine wasn’t as burnt as the others, which i really enjoy. nothing like a crunchy piece of bread to start the meal.

the butter, however, was beautiful…and soft. much appreciated. that’s rock salt on top, which is the perfect partner for the bread/butter combination.

the appetizer below is the pretzel-crusted crab cake and shrimp. there was a lovely orange sauce (“confit orange”) which paired wonderfully with the shrimp. brilliant salty/sweet play between the pretzel and sauce.

i went with the lobster-lemongrass bisque. the bowl was brought out with a “lobster stick” and bits of lobster meat and apple, then the bisque was poured table-side, which i always enjoy. overall, it was smooth and delicious, without an overpowering sherry taste, and the lobster stick was a playful complement.

the options for the main course were the standard chicken, salmon and beef. the chicken was steaming hot and super tender. the mashed potatoes were nothing spectacular.

below is the salmon with white asparagus. not a huge fan of cooked salmon, but the fish was juicy and hot with a nice crust. the asparagus didn’t have quite the crunch it could have had, but sarah enjoyed it.

and my entree, handmade cavatelli and braised short ribs with wild mushrooms, mushroom chips and truffle mousse. although a bit heavy for a summer evening, the plate was really well done. the meat was super tender, no knife needed, and anything with truffles, i’m in. there were several different versions/techniques of mushrooms included in this dish, but i didn’t feel overwhelmed at all. the soft cavatelli against the mushroom chips with the truffle sauve was a hit. and the leftover sauce…perfect for sopping up with the bread.

lori and i split a side of brussels sprouts (not pictured) with bacon and apples. they were really not good, too soggy. i prefer them crisp, almost burnt, a la david chang.

dessert time. i was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of chocolate options on the menu, which i didn’t see on the online version. bryn and sarah went with the milkshake and cookies. the cookies were really small as you can see. i didn’t taste them but heard they were mediocre. the real star was the milkshake, which was chocolaty with a strong coffee flavor. a great way to round out the meal.

here’s the caramelized warm apple tart with cider caramel and vanilla ice cream. not a huge fan of non-chocolate desserts, but this was really good. the apple flavor didn’t overpower and the best part was the play on the hot apple tart and cold ice cream. they did a great job with temperature throughout the whole meal.

i went with the tropical chocolate mousse. mousse is my favorite dessert, alongside pudding. here, it was paired with extremely fresh and flavorful raspberry sorbet (chocolate-rapsberry happens to by my favorite combination). i didn’t really eat the mousse and sorbet together, but switched from one to the other. perfect for me.

atmosphere: 9 / 10

service: 9 / 10

value: 7 / 10

(non-restaurant week, very expensive)

food: 18 /20

overall: 43 / 50

davidburke & donatella

133 e. 61st st. @ lexington ave. (upper east side)

212.813.2121

$$$$$ / $$$$$

american nouveau

nestled in the back of the 6 columbus hotel, the restaurant is dark, cool and low key, exactly what you need after a day at work. sort of a minimalistic set up, the chairs, booths and tables are a honey golden color, thick and clean. when we sat down, we were handed hot, damp towels and checked out the menu.

caitlin went the sushi route and started out with the seaweed salad that was very tasty. i believe they used a fish or oyster sauce in the dressing…lots of flavor for a usually boring starter. below is the spicy crab (left) and spicy tuna (right). the spicy crab roll was awesome. probably the most fresh tasting sushi i’ve had in a while. the roll included shiso, a member of the mint family, that gave the roll a fresh and clean taste.

blue ribbon, aside from it’s sushi, is also known for its fried chicken. this chicken was spot on. the skin was super crispy and the meat was perfectly juicy. as if that wasn’t enough, the dish came with a honey-wasabi dipping sauce. i love all things spicy and honey is one of my favorite ingredients. so the combination of the crispy skin, juicy meat and spicy honey was genius. absolutely loved this dish.

atmosphere: 9 / 10

service: 10 / 10

value: 7 / 10

food: 18 /20

overall: 45 / 50

blue ribbon sushi bar & grill

308 w. 58th st. @ 8th ave. (midtown west)

212.397.0404

$$$ / $$$$$

american traditional / japanese

very homey, casual, unpretentious atmosphere. i really liked the layout, bar in the front with the maitre d’ station farther back. then, the dining room, divided by a tree that’s been split in half with a fountain trickling down from the front of the room to the back. very nature-y without feeling like you’re in a lodge. from the tree sprung massive bouquets of white flowers and sticks. made for a great division of the room, keeping the feel intimate even though the place was packed.

the bread basket, i think, is a good indicator of the creativity of a restaurant. it’s standard. every place has it, it’s all about what you do with it. what kind of bread? is it warm? how is the butter served? at five points, the bread is, well, standard. there was one piece that had a crispy, charred crust, but the other two slices i didn’t even try. i did, however, really appreciate the butter. it was served in pad form and at room temperature, thank you. there’s nothing more frustrating than wrestling with a cold, round hunk of butter. also paired with the bread and butter was a pickled slaw of sorts. i didn’t try it on the bread, but tried it on its own. i like pickled food, but didn’t quite see the connection to the bread.

to start, the highly-recommended wood oven pizzetta with fontina cheese, yukon gold potatoes and truffle oil. i read another blog that claimed otto should take lessons from five points’ pizza…completely disagree. yes the pizza was tasty with the cheese and potatoes (unlikely, but great topping), but the crust was a bit thicker than i’d like, and it lacked the char and smoke factor you get at otto. still good, just not as stellar as expected.

entrees…i went with the sucking pig (young pig only fed its mother’s milk, traditionally roasted). to me, this was a glorified pork chop, without the chop. the meat was darker and little moister, but wasn’t as adventurous as i’d imagined. there was no crispy skin and parts of the pig were a bit chewy. furthermore, the plating wasn’t there. i guess they were going for the comfort food feel, but it felt a bit messy. beneath the pig was a concoction of cauliflower and other veggies, which i found kind of mushy. the broth, or sauce, was delicious. i put the bread to good use here.

caitlin went with the black cod. i love black cod, never really had one that i didn’t like. the fish is extremely moist and the combination here with sauteed spinach and slices of crispy potatoes was a nice bed to sop up all the juices from the cod. really liked this.

and now the good stuff, dessert. the special that night was profiteroles with espresso gelato and a chocolate sauce. the actual profiterole was not as crispy and flaky as it could have been. the gelato was insanely rich. it was like having an espresso and eating an incredibly smooth, creamy gelato all at the same time. now otto has some competition. i am a choco-holic and this could be a point not shared by all, but the chocolate sauce was a little on the skimpy side.

atmosphere: 9 / 10

service: 8 / 10

value: 8 / 10

food: 14 / 20

overall: 39 / 50

five points

31 great jones st. @ lafayette (noho)

212.253.5700

$$$ / $$$$$

american nouveau