Nino's: Upper East Side Italian Gem

I recently finally checked out Nino's (1354 1st Ave), a neighborhood restaurant that always intrigued me by walking by. I could never tell what was inside this place by walking by, but always heard great things. Upon entering this restaurant I was very surprised by how pretty it was inside, and how the owner Nino introduced himself to my dining partner and I immediately as we checked in for our reservation. I felt like that fact that Nino himself, checked us into the restaurant made the dining experience much more personal and special. This place was definitely very old school italian, with the definite feeling of elegance, high class, and the fancy atmosphere. 

We of course started the evening with a bottle of wine. I like that they put the wine in a decanter instead of leaving it in the bottle. It made the visual element better, and made the wine taste better :)

 Bottle of Wine :)

With the bread bowl they served a tapenade of eggplant and chickpea, that was much like a fancier hummus. My dining partner and I polished this off within seconds, and kept getting asked if we wanted more. I refused the offer because I knew I would eat it! It was a very welcomed treat to start off the meal while waiting for our meal. 

Eggplant and Chickpea Tapenade 

The appetizer menu had so many good options on it that my dining partner and I had a lot of trouble picking one out. From our servers suggestion, and our gut feeling of what we wanted, we chose the Mozzarella Di Burratta. They offered to split this appetizer in the kitchen without us even asking, which I thought was extremely nice! It also was huge! Half of a serving, which you can see below is enough for two people to share! The mozzarella was extremely fresh and creamy and melted in my mouth. All in all, this appetizer was very refreshing because of the cold aspect of it, and combination of mouthwatering mozzarella, savory prosciutto, juicy tomatoes, oven fried peppers, and marinated broccoli rabe. I had never had broccoli rabe before and I loved it! Before biting into it, I thought it was spinach by the looks, but the taste was definitely different and loved it with the other ingredients on the plate. 

Mozzarella Di Burratta 

For our meal, we decided to split two meals so we could have the "best of both worlds" experience. We went with the Mignonette Rossini & the Pappardelle All Anatra so we could have something more savory, and something more saucy. 

The Mignonette Rossini was a filet mignon with foie gras on top served in a port wine reduction with baby spinach and fingerling potatoes. The wine reduction was extremely flavorful and made everything on the plate extremely moist and delicious. The serving of filet mignon was a generous size and was cooked to perfection. It was just as good, if not better than steak I have had at many steak places. It was also a much better value than being at a steak place, because for the same price at a steak place you wouldn't get the foie gras, port wine reduction sauce, spinach, or potatoes. Those would all be extras! My dining partner and I both agreed the steak was awesome, as well as the sauce ! :)

Mignonette Rossini

The Pappardelle All Anatra was a wide noodle pasta covered in a duck & porcini ragu with tomatoes and duck glaze. The ragu sauce was extremely meaty and did not leave craving for more meat. I feel as though at a lot of restaurants the ragu sauce is never meaty enough and you always want more. At Nino's, the ragu sauce was extremely meaty and savory, and answered my prayers for a comfort food.  It was definitely more of a traditional italian dish than the steak. We definitely had the "best of both worlds" dining experience :)  

Pappardelle All Anatra

Nino's doesn't have a written dessert menu, and only offered up a list of homemade desserts that our server verbally told us. I am one that prefers seeing an actual menu rather than being told verbally whats on the list. So picking a dessert was a little more stressful than usual. From our server's suggestion, we picked the zabaglione. Zabaglione is an italian custard that is made with milk, eggs, sugar, and alcohol of choice of the maker. Our server made the dessert right in front of us which I thought was extremely cool! It was like having a performer perform at your table. Our zabaglione had champagne in it and some other type of liquor and was served with fresh fruit. 

Zabaglione Station

Our Server Making the Zabaglione

The zabaglione was very light in taste and refreshing. Although, it was a little on the watery side. I wish that it was a little thicker in texture so it wasn't like sipping on a soup. Otherwise, the taste of it was nice. 

Our Zabaglione! 

Homemade Biscotti

We also were served homemade biscotti compliments from the kitchen. This biscotti was actually the best biscotti I have ever had. I am used to eating package biscotti, and these were very fresh and flavorful! They had a definite taste of almonds, with a finishing hint of licorice. A definite highlight!

Complimentary Humongous Platter of Fruit! 

At the very end of our meal, our server brought us a fruit platter on the house! This thing was huge! It was like a trough of fruit. I was so full at that point that my stomach could literally not fit anything else inside of it. But, it was definitely extremely thoughtful of the kitchen to serve us this. They made the platter very pretty by making the fruit appear as statues on the plate. Because of all their hard work in cutting the fruit, I didn't want it to go to waste and had it wrapped up! The kitchen was very happy to send me home with enough fruit for breakfast for a few days! 

I definitely enjoyed dining at Nino's. I would like to check it out again on a more prime night, since we went on a Monday and it was on the emptier side because our reservation was on the later side and it being located in the upper east side, people aren't out as late! I would suggest this place for a date or celebration dinner because of its fancier vibe. A definite place to check out if you live on the upper east side! 

Delmonico's : The Traditional Steakhouse

After debating over a million choices in restaurants for Restaurant Week, my friend and I decided on Delmonico's (56 Beaver St.). We had heard of this old school steak house as being amazing. It is actually known for being the first restaurant in New York. Originally starting as a pastry shop, and eventually ballooning into a world renowned steak house. Located in the middle of the financial district and old Manhattan, you won't be surprised to see it filled with business men and financial guys out with clients. 

Outside View on Beaver St.

For restaurant week you can't go wrong by going to a steak place because at most other restaurants, steak dishes are always supplemental fees. At that point, what is the point of restaurant week if you have to pay extra for all the "good" dishes.

Restaurant Week Menu

I have to say that all in all the food was outstanding, even down to the bread basket at the start of the meal. It came out very soft and warm, straight from the oven. They were also willing to give us a new basket once ours became cold. Usually I try not to fill up on too much bread before the meal, and try to stick with one piece, but this bread was so good, that I had to have two! The butter was extremely creamy with sprinkles of brown sugar on top, which I would have never thought to put on butter, but what a great idea! It added some sweetness to the already carbo-loading damage I was doing to my body.

Best Bread Basket Ever! ....Best Butter too!

For my starter, I chose the 1867 Classic Lobster Newberg, that was served in a Brandy, cream and caviar reduction. This starter had a supplemental fee of $10, but was well worth it. There was a very generous portion of lobster and it was extremely fresh and deliciously drizzled in the cream sauce. It was a party in my mouth! This was offered in an entree size also for the meal, but I decided I had to have steak for the meal and go for this for my appetizer. Surf and Turf!

1867 Classic's Lobster Newberg - Brandy, Cream, and Caviar

For dinner, I ordered the 8 oz. Filet Mignon. It was served with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes. The steak was cooked to perfection and was just the right amount of steak. The vegetables were also very nicely seasoned. The steak was served on top of the mashed potatoes, which gave the mashed potatoes an amazing flavor because they soaked up all the juices from the steak.

Filet Mignon - 8 Ounce Filet Mignon with Chef's Seasonal Vegetables 

For dessert we ordered two desserts to share. We had the Classic Baked Alaska, which had a meringue coating with walnut cake and banana gelato on the inside. There was apricot jam on the outside of the dessert and some on the inside giving it a moist and fruity taste. The banana gelato had an intense banana flavor. I almost would have preferred another flavor of ice cream, perhaps something with chocolate, raspberries, or strawberries in it. Banana is something that not all customers like, so I thought it was weird that this was the flavor of ice cream they were serving. 

Classic Basked Alaska - Walnut Cake, Apricot Jam, Banana Gelato, Meringue

Our second dessert, the Tiramisu, was very delicious! I feel like its hard to serve a bad tiramisu. It had the intense espresso and chocolate flavor that I love in tiramisu. It was extremely moist and spongey like tiramisu should be! I liked that they served it with some caramel drizzle on the bottom of the plate for dipping :)

Tiramisu

Joy Burger: A Very Joyful Experience

After planning to go for burgers at Joy Burger (361 6th Ave, West Village) with one of my guy friends for months, we finally made the plunge! And I am so glad we did! He knew of my love for burgers, and suggested that this place was the perfect burger joint for me to sink my teeth into. Their slogan, "the sauces make the difference" was perfect for me because that is how I view eating and food. The toppings and the sauce always makes the meal for me. 

The fun part about this place is, it is certainly not a hole in wall, but it is no frills. You order at the counter and are given a playing card that serves as the claim ticket for your food. The board near the cashier has a listing of a million toppings you can add to your burger for FREE! The selection of sauces is also very decent considering it is FREE! They also have beer and wine, which is the perfect pairing with a burger. 

The Sauces make the difference 

Menu Board - Free Toppings! 

Our Claim Ticket for our Food, a playing card :)

Food here is pretty reasonable in price because only the premier specialty toppings are extra. Let's just say, I went crazy with toppings and sauces, like I ALWAYS do! I couldn't resist. Being here was like letting a kid play in a playground. My customized burger had lettuce, tomato, pickles, jalapeños, sautéed onions, pesto sauce, BBQ sauce, and Garlic Mayo on it! The pesto was definitely an interesting and welcome addition to my burger. I would have never thought to  put that on a burger, but it added a very rich flavor to the already delicious burger. In addition to the burgers, we ordered sides of onion rings and fries. They were also very exceptional! 

My Customized, Heavily Topped Burger - Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles, Jalapeños, Sauteed Onions, Pesto Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Garlic Mayo

A closer look at "Heaven"

I will definitely be returning again! It was clean, with fast service, and a nice atmosphere for a casual gathering with friends, or a low key date. And interestingly enough, it was the cleanest and best smelling bathroom I have been into in a while! They had mood lighting and scented candles in the bathroom :) 

Mussel Pot: A Pot of Gold

When my friend had a deal to the Mussel Pot (174 Bleecker Street), I will admit, I was a little apprehensive. I read many bad reviews on Yelp, and was kind of worried that this would be a terrible experience. I was definitely proved wrong. 

The ambiance was nice. It wasn't anything too special, but it was clean, good lighting, perfect level of noise, and good service. I was impressed by the selection of entree's to choose from the Mussel Menu. It reminded me of being at a Macaroni & cheese place where you customize all the toppings, but instead this was with mussels. I had never seen Mussels prepared in this way with so many toppings, flavors, and sauces!

Mussel Menu - So many choices!!! 

I knew I wanted to order something with lobster in it, or some type of seafood other than the mussels since there were so many entrees with this option. I debated back and forth between the Chef's Best Mussels  and the Lobster Bisque Mussels. I took the waiter's suggestion and went with the Chef's Best.

I definitely made the right decision, because it was amazing! It was very full of flavor, and extremely cheesy. It had bits of lobster, bacon, and mushrooms while covered in a cheese fondue. One thing I will say, is there definitely could have been more lobster, but otherwise, it was absolutely amazing! There were also bits of chives in it, which gave it a sharper bite. After all my mussels were gone :(, I definitely dipped mass amounts of bread into my cheese sauce! mmmm-delicious! 

"Chef's Best" Mussel Pot - Lobster, Cheese Fondue, Hard Smoked Bacon, Roasted Wild Mushrooms

My dining partner ordered the Lobster Bisque, which you would think sounds amazing, but it wasn't! I tasted it, and it was on the bland side. Mine was definitely much better. It was made with a sherry and brandy sauce, with baby shrimp, peas, shallots, lobster, and crawfish, so there were definitely some good add-ons mixed into it, but definitely lacking the flavor. 

Lobster Bisque Mussel Pot - Sherry, Brandy, Baby Shrimp, Peas, Shallots, Lobster & Crawfish Meat

For sides, we ordered sweet potato fries and regular fries. They were slightly crispy at the edges, and soft on the inside. They were served in a cute cone. I think fries are the perfect pairing with mussels! The pots of mussels were so large and filling, that I could barely eat my fries though :(  My hips thanked me later! 

Side of Sweet Potato Fries

I definitely enjoyed my experience at the Mussel Pot. It was exciting to see that the possibilities were endless on a pot of mussels. I would return for the Chef's Best, but definitely not the Lobster Bisque! 

Onegin: Russian Opulence at its Best!

Before dining at Onegin (391 6th Ave, near 8th St.), my experience with Russian food was not favorable. I had previously been to a place in Brighton Beach, and was not impressed. When I found out I was going out for Russian food, I had no idea what to expect. 

Onegin really changed my opinion of Russian cuisine! This place was not only delicious, but my oh my, the lavish ambiance is none that I have seen before. From the cute, but funny sign outside of hands pointing to the name of the restaurant, I was not expecting to walk into such an exquisite place. 

Opulence is an understatement for this place. The host and waiters wore jackets and were very attentive. The ceiling was painted with a beautiful portrait, while the walls and tables were painted with feather quill sketches and journal entries from Pushkin, a Russian who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet. There was not an area of the restaurant that looked as though it lacked in decoration. 

 Cute Sign Idea, love the pointing hands :)

19th Century Carriage Seats

Very Fancy Dining Room inspired by Pushkin's Tale of Eugene Onegin

As I am a huge vodka lover,  I was extremely impressed by the amazing selection of flavors of house infused vodkas. I have been to one other place in Manhattan, Pravda, that is known for their house infused vodkas, and Onegin beats them hands down in that category. When we sat down, the server joked about how we had to sample every flavor of the house infused vodka before actually ordering one, which would equal 9 vodkas. Being a 5 foot tall light weight, thank god he was joking! Although, my dining partner and I definitely had our share of vodka while dining at Onegin, because it just seemed to keep "flowing". :)

 House Infused Vodka Menu, All Russian Standard! :)

Honey & Pepper House Infused Vodka

Our first vodka was the honey and pepper vodka, which was extremely flavorful and tasted exactly like the description. A lot of infused vodkas I have had in the past didn't taste as flavorful as the vodka at this place.  Upon first sip, I tasted an immediate taste of honey with hints of pepper. This drink went down really easily :)

 Horseradish House Infused Vodka

Our second vodka, was the Horseradish. It was the perfect level of spicy to drink, and I loved that it was served with a pickle in the center of it. Such a cute idea! And I do know that Russians love their pickles! 

House-Smoked Charcuterie

For starters, we ordered two, which ended up being way too much food! Their portions are very large at this place, but oh so good. We ordered the House-Smoke Charcuterie platter, which had smoked bacon, home-made kielbasa, brick oven roasted pork loin, and roast sirloin. It was served with three dipping sauces, spicy mustard, sauerkraut, and a spicy plum-based dipping sauce. My favorite was the plum-based dipping sauce, because it was like mixing sweet with savory. All in all, this amount of meat could have fed a fraternity house, but it was definitely smoked to perfection and offered quite the selection to taste of each kind of meat. So if you are starving, and craving a trough of meat, I suggest ordering this to start! 

 Traditional Ukrainian Dumplings "Vareniki"

For our second appetizer we ordered the Traditional Ukrainian Dumplings "Vareniki." We almost ordered the Russian dumplings, which had meat in them, but our server cautioned us that we may be on meat overload and suggested the Ukrainian ones because they had potatoes inside of them. I am so happy for his suggestion, because it definitely would have been way too much meat! The Ukrainian dumpling were so good! They were soft, doughy, slightly buttery, and so full of flavor. Pairing them with the creamy sour cream made them that much better. The potatoes were also very refreshing after all that meat. Definitely a comfort food on crack. I can also admit, that the next day, I was counting the minutes till I could come home from work and eat my left over dumplings, and they were just as amazing the next day :) 

Apricot & Cape Gooseberry House Infused Vodka

Our next house infused vodka was the Apricot & Cape Gooseberry. This one I thought was the prettiest in looks, and most sweet in taste! It was presented with gooseberries hanging off the side of it. It was fruity with floral aromas. I kind of want one now...does that make me an alcoholic? 

Cranberry & Red Currant House Infused Vodka

Our 4th and final house infused vodka was Cranberry & Red Currant. I must say, if I had any more vodka, you may have found me in the hospital later that evening. The vodka portions were huge, and definitely potent! This one was very good also, and on the more girly side, like the Gooseberry one.

"Pozharsky Cutlets"

For dinner, I asked the server what he suggested, and he spoke very highly of the "Pozharsky Cutlets". I am so glad that I listened to his suggestion, because this dish was like schnitzel on steroids. It was two patties, one chicken and one veal, very lightly breaded with a thin, crispy coating and pan fried. They were served with a mushroom cream sauce and mashed potatoes. I couldn't have enough of this dish. It was so scrumptious. The meat was slightly buttery, and extremely moist. The cream sauce was extremely flavorful, and a perfect pairing to eat with the meat, and also with the potatoes. The mashed potatoes were very creamy and flavorful, which I expected since I know that Russians love their potatoes! Finger-licking Good!

Beef Tenderloin "Stroganoff" 

My dining partner ordered a dish I have actually heard of before,  the Beef Tenderloin "Stroganoff". It was creamy filet mignon strips in a mushroom cream sauce. It was served in its own pot with a side of whipped potatoes. He said the the only downside of this dish was that the beef could have been more tender, but that sauce and mushrooms were so tasty when mixed with the potatoes. 

 Halva Parfait with Cashews and Hazelnuts

For dessert, we were surprised with a complimentary dessert, the Halva parfait with Cashews and Hazelnuts. This was a welcome surprise, since I haven't had halva since my trip to Europe. This Halva was the best Halva I have ever had. It was velvety, cool, rich, and jam packed with flavor. I loved the addition of cashews that added some texture to the creamy goodness. Also, the fresh berries and whip cream added some sweetness to this very rich, extravagant dessert.

I will definitely be going back to Onegin. I think on my next return visit I will have to try the Russian Borscht soup, which I have tried once before at a bath house and loved.  Also, I have been reading about their brunch on the weekends, and I definitely want to try it! It seems as though there is some house infused vodka special on the weekends, along with a party during brunch. I highly suggest trying this place for the food, vodka, ambiance, and service. I had an exceptional experience!