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EAT HERE!
I have only been here twice but both times it was with a large group of people and both times the only sounds you could hear, once the meals arrived, were mmm and ohhh.
It is the kind of place where you really want to try your friend's food but you really don't want to share your own food. The service is friendly and the atmosphere is delightful but the food, whoa! Amazing!!
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Neither. The pineapple did, then the egg. A lil' Canadian (or Caribbean) bacon in there also, topped with hollandaise and balanced all upon a toasty English muffin.
Caribbean Poached eggs, you are the sunshine of my cloudy day. You, and the bajillion beverages that came with the $9.95 brunch. One would think the brunch menu offered a cocktail and choice of coffee or orange juice, but noooooo. Water glass, cup of coffee, orange juice (from the foreign lands of Tropicana), and Bloody Mary... all lined up military style across my section of the table. All delicious, especially the coffee. I know you're thinking the 9th Street Espresso is right up the street, but this refillable mug of happiness is well worth your love.
Not only was the entire brunch delicious, but our table was well cared for by our waiter. I had inquired about the fruit salad and he ended up bringing a bowl of it out just for kicks --- and it's amazing! Tropical fruit party in my mouth, complete with lychee and starfruit.... a surefire way to guarantee me as a returning brunchlover.
Foodie recession survival skill number 1: ALWAYS look out for interesting sandwich boards.
The ten dollar hanger steak Arcane promises really delivers. I popped in and plunked myself down at the bar, with a feeling I was in for a let down. The warm yellow lighting and lively world music made me wonder if I might not be surprised after all. I noticed how much a leaving party was enjoying themselves, and I had hope.
The owner brought out my bread and olive oil. He looked me in the eye and asked how I was doing. We discussed what kind of a crazy economy produced such a wonderful deal, and we discussed the merits of Rabbit on a menu - also on ten dollar special along with 3 kinds of Mule Fritz , Ribeye steaks, and several other goodies.
And then came my steak. It was good. It was real good. It was worth the twenty....the ten?!?! ten dollars for all these ample ounces smothered in jus just the way Steak Fritz should be!? Real potato's that actually have flavor beyond the french-fry oil is a rare touch anywhere. Peppercorn sauce thick enough you dictate its spread with the back of your fork.
I couldn't quite finish the special even after biking around for the last three hours. As I finished off my beer, I watched the owner conversing with some customers about an upcoming event Arcane was either hosting or catering. This guy is cool and confident through and through - he'll give you his undivided attention whether your a single customer or representing a large group.
Ten dollar specials which are real meals. The $20 prix-fix looked great too. The Gastro-confidence to prepare rabbit in new york. The kind of place even eating at the bar seems just a touch classy.
I am happy to report the LES is now a much more worthwhile dinner destination and I strongly encourage everyone to sample Arcane's innovative offerings.
I love, love, love Arcane.
I have been twice and I will say their $20 pre-fix from 5-7:30 is a wonderful deal. However their $10 week-night special is not as great as it sounds, at least with the rib-eye, as you do not get a side and will have to order one anyways. The service both times I have been here has been highly attentive, friendly and very knowledgeable of the menu. Of what I have ordered, and tried from others here The real stars are the Feroce appetizer (bacula and guacamole served with plantain chips), the cod fritter appetizer, the seafood blaff and the coconut flan. The Colombo was good but not spectacular, my boyfriend's rib-eye was sub-par and the conch stew was very good but did not live up to the blaff (but to be fair our waitress did tell me it wouldn't when I asked her what was better.) I will defiantly be back!
One last note, they take credit card but ONLY Am-Ex, a little strange but not too big of a problem.
Hidden away on Avenue C, Arcane is appropriately named. I don't know what my obsession with restaurant names is, but its here to stay, so deal with it!
The decor is "casual chic." I've picked this term up from my girlfriend, who is really into Project Runway, so I'm pretty sure its a weird term that no one uses for anything apart from clothes. The only thing I like about that show is Heidi Klum, so may be I should say the decor was "ridiculously hot in her late 30s."
The entress were hit and miss. My lime organic chicken was a bit chewy and a little flavorless but the thin carribbean-style sauce w/chickpeas and sweet potato that came with it was very flavorful indeed. The girlfriend's lamb chops were "just okay, not juicy enough, please don't give it more than 3 stars". Now she thinks I don't ask her how her food was without a "Yelpterior " motive. Clearly, ahem, she's wrong.
Around the table, we also had the fish stew, which was a little to "fishy" (no pun intended), and the pork curry stew was generally good, but nothing that blew me away. The sides of creole rice and red bean stew were good, but the waitress forgot to bring those till the very end, so we couldn't really do justice.
It's too bad the entrees didn't live up to our expectations after the delicious appetizers raised the bar. The tuna tartare was definitely the best dish on the table. I could literally eat a massive bowl full of that stuff. A close second was the potato au gratin which was perfectly baked and had a crunchy brown cheese crust.
Arcane certainly wasn't a bad joint. I'd go so far as to say, I left with an overall positive feeling, but at the same time, I'm not really dying to go back. My score would be a 3.49/5.00, mainly because I don't want it to show up as 4 stars on the Yelp page. They really need to grant us meticulous folk the half stars. While we're at it, I'd also like some way to Bold and Italicize certain lines, but please, whatever you do, DO NOT enable smiley faces.
I go out to dinner a lot; more than anyone reasonably should. It is perhaps my favorite thing to do. It's why I've got a gut, and it's why I'm broke.* But as much as I eat out, I am not a regular anywhere. I have places I go back to, sure, but there is nowhere I regularly dine. That's why it was so out of character for me to go to Arcane two nights in a row.
We walked in on Saturday night, and it was LOUD. But in a fun, lively way. At times, it was annoying that I couldn't hear what my girlfriend was saying over the drunken party of 8 incoherently "singing." But overall, it was just a festive place filled with people having a good time.
The thing that stood out was how well-seasoned all the food was. Everything we ate was bursting with outstanding flavor, from the oil that was served with the warm, crusty bread, to her shrimp salad, to the fried calamari with their house marinara that tasted strongly of cilantro.
And ESPECIALLY my hanger steak with the delicious peppercorn sauce. Served with haricot vert or another side, it was honestly fantastic, despite being medium rather than medium rare. Normally $16, you can also order it as part of a $20 prix fixe from 5-7:30 every day. And it's a STEAL on Sunday nights at $10 (they have a $10 meal every night), which is why we decided to go back the next evening.
This time, she ordered the hanger steak. The fries were crispy and wonderful, as was the shallot sauce,** although she also ordered the peppercorn sauce after it arrived because it is certainly the better of the two.
I opted for the prix fixe, and started with the papaya salad, served with jicama and a sweet chili sauce. It was presented nicely in a red cabbage leaf; summery and refreshing, but with good heat. The Columbo de Porc was exactly as described, a "traditional French Caribbean pork curry stew." And although I enjoyed the tenderness of the pork, I envied her hanger steak the entire time. We ended the meal with a huge portion of tasty lemon sorbet, topped with mint as a perfect finishing touch.
If there is a drawback to Arcane, it would be the service. On Saturday night, the waitress was just overworked. She was covering the entire, packed dining room, which although small, is too big for one server. We sat for 15 minutes before she asked us if we wanted tap water, then disappeared. The hostess and bartender ended up bringing us water and then drinks.
On Sunday night, I think they bring out the B Team. We were one of two tables in the place, and this woman couldn't handle it. I really don't think she's ever waited tables before. We were seated next to the hostess stand, and we repeated our order to her as she entered it into the computer, and she still forgot a side.*** And after she ran my card (AMEX only), she disappeared without giving me a pen to sign my check.
But you know what? I don't care. Because this steak frites, at $10 on Sunday, could very well be the best, most delicious deal in Manhattan. Apparently brunch is also $10, including a cocktail AND coffee. As the governor says, I'll be back.
_______
*As a joke.
**It's not really a sauce so much as shallots that were marinated in some sort of red wine reduction. You can't pour it out of it's little container.
***We wanted to try the banana gratin. I still don't know what that's like, and it pains me.
Love Love Love this place! It was dimly lit but the music made me feel like I was on vacation in St. Barth's and the drinks were delicious.
We started the meal with the Bacala Guac and the Fritters both were flavorful but not too filling. I ordered the pork stew and my parents tried the grilled snapper and grilled shrimp.
The chef came out and spoke to us, he is from Serbia and has been cooking French food for 20+ years. Everything was great.
Dessert the 14-fruit salad was so simple but sweet. The chocolate Brownie was also amazing. The entire meal was so wonderful and the $9.95 brunch sounds great as well.
Arcane is a great, fun restaurant. I've been here for brunch and for dinner, and while I preferred brunch, there was something to say for both meals.
The restaurant itself is vibrant and warm, and the staff is always great. The $10 brunch is an excellent deal, mostly because the food is so delicious. For that price, you get coffee, juice, a cocktail, and either an egg dish, or french toast. The eggs (I had the omelette of the day, which was a flavorful blend of spinach and swiss cheese) come with a small green salad and crispy, well-seasoned hash brown potatoes (they're amazing.) My friends had the baked eggs, which they really enjoyed.
For dinner, they serve bread with a spicy olive oil, I had the tasty "Lulu" cocktail, and my friend and I shared the $20 salmon price-fix dinner, which came with rice, an appetizer (papaya salad), and a dessert (light, creamy coconut flan), and we were all very happy with our meals. We also tried the fries and conch fritters, both which tasted flavorful and delicious.
I really like the vibe in this restaurant and I'll definitely be back. They only accept cash and AMEX, fyi.
I ate here when this place was Bao 111 (Michael "Bao" Huynh of Bun SoHo, Baoguette, BarBao, Bia Garden etc) a cute Vietnamese hot spot (a mini Indochine) that brought a certain crowd. It was bustling with artsy New Yorkers, Wall Street types and foodies from afar... Not sure why they left but guessing the "buzz" died down and they wanted a change and so moved on to trendier spots.
I'm happy to say that the new owners really did a nice job :) Seems like they are catering to the neighborhood with lower price points. I love the French/Caribbean vibe here.
We came in on Sunday just before the end of Brunch (4pm) and ordered the two special egg dishes -recommended by our sweet waitress. One was an eggs benedict, like classic but with a pineapple slice in between. The other egg dish was baked. This one had bits of meat in it which was not mentioned on the menu. And it had a herby finish. Both of the entrées where good especially enjoyed the potatoes. I generally would eat about four pieces but found myself polishing off everything! The coffee (burnt) was served in a modern mug from CB2, a neon green spoon that had it's own slot. The Bloody Mary was fine but not spicy nor complex enough for my liking. I would come back for dinner as they have great specials including the "cute rabbit" --no just kidding!! I won't be having that once in my lifetime is enough.
Loved:
The interior -good choice of paints, plants and decor.
The Voodoo dolls mobile with cut out faces of regulars(?) -very cute.
Great use of space -small tables and comfortable seats
Lively music
Neighborhood joint
Solid four stars.
Tiny place and menu but full of character. I had the ceviche which was excellent but my friend had the steak which was only $10 but sooo good. French fries also excellent.
My Bloody Mary (or 3) definitely full filled my craving for them and worth going back for.
The owner served us until the bartender got there and both provided great service.
I also added one star because the bartender was cute and friendly and hooked us up...and worth going back for.
Also if you're French, this seems to be the drunk french club meeting spot. No complaints here on that.
It's not packed and the atmosphere is very casual. It's definitely worth the price for brunch. For 9.95, you get OJ, breakfast cocktail, coffee and one of the dishes. I had the Eggs Benedict with pineapple and it was really good. I think it's def. one of the better egg's benedicts I've had.....esp. when I had to pay at least 14.00 for them! The portions are filling as well...
It's nice to go to have a conversation with someone....not to get wasted during brunch.
AMAZING French Carribean food! Everything was delicious, waitress was helpful, attentive and knowledgeable of everything on the menu. Prices are very modest. The chicken entree is outstanding. The avocado/cod app with grilled plaintains is addictive.
If you can get past the exterior-looks like a weird club-the food is pretty good, the staff are really nice and the prices are reasonable. They have a great selection of rum and can walk you through a complex tasting but unless they make the place more visually appealing-it won't be around long.
Ok I haven't eaten here but the crowd was super cool and not too proud of the fact that there was a bunch of French being spoken (nor ashamed I should say). The bar itself had a great layout, the staff was really nice and still new at it enough to be engaging and happy to have people passing through. Sadly we only had a few drinks before leaving but I'm definitely planning on going back for dinner.
Just had brunch there last weekend. AMAZING! For ten dollars, with a cocktail plus coffee..what a deal. The staff is very attentive and the food is top notch. fyi, the baked eggs have meat in them so all you veggies out there...be warned. the raspberry flavored bellini had real raspberries in it! Will def be back.
Live Music and Drink Specials!
Brooklyn, NY
Happy holidays
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Gramercy
Category: Caribbean
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: French
People have been brewing coffee since the…
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