Sebastian "Sebastian Saint" S.'s Profile

Looking for masterfully crafted, old school cocktails in the West Village? This is the place.

Happened to be walking by on a late Sunday afternoon. We were looking for a place to enjoy a nice glass of wine or a cocktail before dinner so the next door Turks and Frogs looked good until we took two steps and found their sister establishment next door. These two places seemed to be connected in the back where the kitchen is but the front house is completely different.

We decided a cocktail would go better than a glass of wine so we walked in and picked one of the ten or so tables in the back of the room. There is a small bar in the front which looked to seat about five or six as well as two small tables lined the front window. It's not a large place but it can easily accommodate thirty to forty people comfortably. It's decorated as an old fashion train car with antique luggages, maps and photos related to the famous Orient Express train line which was the line from London to Istanbul.

We decided to try their Gin based drinks and ordered the Agatha, St. Polten and the Duke of Windsor. They were all excellent! They were so good that you can get addicted to their smooth taste. But because they are so easily drinkable you may not realize how fast these go down. We decided to get the hummus plate with pita triangles and the Pastirma which is the Turkish air-cured, thin sliced beef to give our drinking some support from the stomach area.

Both our server and the bartender made sure we truly enjoyed ourselves. We finished our drinks, paid our check and headed out  thinking when we can return.

Since Chef Cesare Casella's Beppe closed its doors and Ciano opened its, I have been waiting to visit this fabulous Italian to experience Chef Shea Gallante's creations.

Well, I was not disappointed with the hype this restaurant generated since it opened in November 2010. We started at the bar which is located on your right as soon as you enter. We told the host that we arrived a bit early so wanted to have a glass of wine before we were seated. Our coats were checked and cocktail/wine menu was given to us to make our selection. It's a small bar area so unless you score of the few chairs you have to keep giving way to the people passing by the narrow alley way from the host station down to the dining room. Only thing I thought it could improve was the number of wine choices available by the glass. There were only four white and four reds but if you wanted to order a bottle then you can choose from hundreds of bottle both from the Market or Reserve lists. Market wines are more approachable but still good quality wines when the Reserve wines are way north of three to four digits; it's great if you can expense it...

Anyway, after couple of classes of wine we decided to head down to our table in the dining room. While at the bar noticed that besides wine the next most popular thing was a generous pour of martini with three giant olives (mental note: order a martini at next visit). Dining room had a bit of smoke issue, we were told that the wood burning oven had a some defective wood which caused the dining room to fill with smoke. They managed to clear it by keeping the main door open and blasting the AC system, not a big deal. It added a smoky ski lodge feel to the dining experience.

We ordered a bottle of red from the Market list and sommelier served it after a brief explanation of the wine, vineyard, etc which we thought was kind of him to educate us with our selection. Some of the market wines are also available by half bottle if you think you can not drink more than that or just finished the first bottle and don't want to get a full second one.

You have a choice of ordering the chef's seasonal tasting menus, a la carte options of mix and match from both menus which was nice for them to be flexible with the decision process. So that's what we did, got the crispy duck from the tasting menu's entrees along with the rack of lamb (comes medium rare by chef) from the a la care menu. Both were prepared masterfully, full of flavor and presented with an artist's touch; hats off to the kitchen staff under the leadership of the Chef Gallante. For starters we decided on yellowtail crudo with sea urchin and fluke crudo with grapes and spicy chili peppers, chive and cucumber. Again both hit the spot and enjoyed them immensely.

I don't normally go for the salad because I think it's just fills space when there are so many other options like seafood, pasta, meat, etc but the salad at this place looked good enough to actually order one. So we'll save that for next time as well along with the delicious sounding pasta dishes so do your homework before going and study their dinner and daily market menus and go hungry to try as much as you can before stuffing yourself. Also watch out for the bread basket, it was amazing but fills you up quickly.

Overall Ciano is a wonderful restaurant to enjoy modern Italian cuisine. A bit pricey and the seating is tight but end results worth the trip.

Enjoy!

Always had a soft spot for intimate wine bars with good selection of wine and food. Peri Wine Bar is the latest addition to Lower East Side drinking establishments and it fits the bill.

We happened to walk by and decided to go in for couple of glasses of wine. It was very quite on a Sunday night but it sounded like weekend brunch is a fantastic deal so we made plans to return before even leaving the bar. DJ plays for the brunch and you get bottomless Mimosa and Bellini for $24.95. They also have oysters on special Sunday nights and Mondays.

Place is nicely decorated with few high tables/chair combinations and cool chandeliers along with old fashioned bar bulbs set the mood for a relaxing atmosphere. It's not a large place but tables and bar area nicely spaced so you are not on top of each other. It looked like they spent a lot of time to create a comfortable yet chic place.

Prices are more than reasonable. I highly recommend the small plates to share with a bottle of wine. Spinach Crepe, Dry Beef Sausage, Mediterranean Cigars and the Grilled Halloumi Cheese are the hits from the small plates. We didn't get to try any of the large plates or salads but Salmon Beet Salad and the Seafood Feast sounded good enough to take a mental note for the next visit. Besides these options there are other salads and sandwiches along with cheese and charcuterie platters and Crostinis which are again perfect to share among a group of friends with wine. I thought they offered a large selection of dishes for such intimate space so you won't run out of options to choose from.

Owner himself was behind the bar serving so got a chance to meet and have a chat about his plans of bringing live music in the near future.

Peri Wine Bar certainly made it in to my list of LES favorites to return to try their other offerings.

Enjoy!

Rogue Tomate makes healthy(ish) food look and taste good. After having it in my list of restaurants to try we finally made it over to Rogue Tomate on a Tuesday night. It was fairly easy to make a reservation for three people at 8PM. It looks like it gets packed right after work but the crowds thin out after 7PM or so.

This location used to be belong to the fashion designer Nicole Farhi and even she opened up a small cafe' downstairs but didn't last too long. Place is very large, there are various other rooms reserved for private parties including a full lower level. When you walk in you are greeted by the host right after you pass a quiet high glass bridge of some sort so don't look down :)

Pass the front desk and you are in the bar area. Bar area gets busy with after work crowds so hard to get a chair but cocktails worth standing around but at $17 a piece they are pricey. Rest of the floor is the main dining room with table and booths arranged around the dining room. Nice thing is there are plenty of space between them so not much elbow touching.

Menu is divided in to different sections like, toasts, fish/shellfish, vegetables(salads), seafood/meats/poultry, pasta/grains, desserts, juice bar (yes, juice bar), etc. Wine list is quiet extensive with bottles costing north of $50 on average but there are definitely bargain if you look or ask your server for a suggestion. They know that not everyone eating here is on an expense account.

We started with seafood plates which are larger portions that you would expect and there exotics like the Arctic Char and Hawaiian Walu or the local Long Island fluke, I would highly recommend starting your meal with one of these then a salad and a half portion of one of the main courses to make it a four course meal including a dessert. This was you get to sample their vast selection and still pay around the same as a three course menu.

Long Island Duck as the main course was great so was the Spaghetti alla Chitarra with sea urchin and Pappardelle with Veal Ragoût. If you want to finish your meal with a light dessert than go with the Heirloom Citrus Parfait unless you want chocolate then Bittersweet Chocolate Sphere will do the trick.

Total check for three including a bottle of OR Pinor Noir for $56 and tip came out to $265. A bit pricey but healthyish food prepared and offered in a creative way will make me return if I can avoid the after work crowds.

Enjoy!

Long acticipated The Setai recently opened on Fifth avenue and already added a wonderful lounge bar, Bar on 5th to this side of the town that really needed a good lounge bar.

You enter from the grand entrance on Fifth avenue between 36th and 37th streets. Once you enter turn left and after few steps you'll find yourself in a comfortable, elegant and upscale lounge. Menu can easily complete with some of the best reataurants this area without counting the extensive signature and classic cocktails. Menu is divided to multiple sections to offer wonderful dishes from sharables to impressive main courses. You can choose from open faces sandwiches on artisan breads to salads, soups, cheese and charcuterie plates to main courses like lamb shank, scallops, beef and much, much more choices for any appetite, any time of the day to any taste.

Drinks are great and all of them made with fresh juices and top shelf liquors. Pick one from the long list of coctails or order your own custom drink. Tehy average $15 and they are well worth it, specially considering the large portions.

Finally the service; they go out of their way to make sure you are satisfied with everyhing about this place. First you get a great bowl of nuts to accompany your drinks, then manager brings over a small plate of hors d'oeuvres to keep this wonderful experience going. This time we only had few drinks and a crudite platter because of dinner plans we had for later but next time we are going back to experice the rest of the food offersings.

Highly recommended for an afternoon cocktail, drinks after dinner or for any excuse to enjoy a wonderful, well-made drink behind the hustle and bustle of the Fifth Avenue's tourist crowds.

I heard so much about this restaurant that finally decided to make a reservation for dinner on a Saturday evening (Our plan B in case we couldn't get a table was the Highlands). From outside it looks like an old-fashioned town house stuck between the short buildings and shoe shops on 8th street. What I found intriguing was that they advertise their cuisine as British and being that there are only handful of restaurant in NYC that they fall in to the British cuisine category.

Anyway, once you enter the dimly lit main floor, you find yourself in a large room with the main bar area on the left and tables on the right and a staircase on the back going up to the second floor dining room with its own mini bar and restrooms. I prefer the second floor so made a mental note for our second visit. It is cozier and certainly quieter than the main floor.

You can certainly feel the attitude among the staff even though our waitress was very helpful and friendly compared to the hostess and other servers. I detected a subtle Eastern European, possibly Russian accent in their speech. Actually staff reminded me being at the trendy Russian restaurant, Mari Vanna on 20th street. We were offered to choice of sitting either by the window or near the bar area. We went for the two large arm chairs with a small round table in the middle of the room. There were only three tables occupied around 7 PM which was surprising but our server mentioned that they get jammed after hours with lounge crowds taking over the bar area as well as the second floor.

They offer nice selection of cocktails updated classical so we settled on two of them while browsing the menu. Their wine list is mainly focused on Spanish wines as well as couple of bottles from each wine region in the world. Prices seemed a bit steep :(

We started with the heirloom tomato soup which was cool the way they served red and yellow diving the plate. We continued with Smoked Sturgeon Salad and Salmon Belly Tartare for our appetizers. For our mains we decided on the Crispy Duck Breast and the Grilled Leg Of Lamb. All of the dishes were planned, executed and plated very well but I thought they were a bit overpriced. Also I didn't really see the influences of the British Empire on the recipes. We skipped the dessert.

Overall, would I go back? Probably yes, if I end up in this area again. Will make a special trip to return? Probably not, unless I am going out late drinking with friends.

Salon Millesime certainly brings a new vibe to this quiet stretch of the Madison avenue. Now that center bar of the Country Cafe is removed from center of the room there is a nice size platform with a grand piano as well as a small area for the DJ to set up. Live bands and DJ take turns entertaining the after-work crowds and out-of-towners.

There are actually two different entrance points to this new establishment: Main entrance is on the South-West corner of the 29th street and Madison avenue. You will need to take few steps down to be greeted by the host. Or you can choose to enter from the grand entrance of the Carlton hotel on Madison avenue between 29th and 28th streets, go down the steps towards the front desk and make a right when you see the back bar or the lounge bar which is the back area of the Salon Millesime.

There are rows of small and tightly positioned tables along the walls and few leather communal seating areas by the entrance. Once you are seated you can choose snacks, signature cocktail and beer/wine selections. Snack menu is quite impressive with choices including the Pork Belly Lollipops for $14, Lamb Brochette for $15, Burger Millesime for $16, Croque Monsieurs for $14, etc. Menu is divided in to groups of Table Snacks, Classic, Parisien, Spice, Simply Prepared and Sweet. Menu is well planned to offer great dishes for anyone having a quick lunch, group with shareable plates, light dinner and more.

We tried the Train Wreck and the French 75 to start our evening. There were five signature drinks based on the classics at $15 each. There is a non-alcoholic Blackbird for $10. All the drinks were well made, tasty and generous, we enjoyed the food and our server Stephani was helpful and friendly. I would certainly return when I am back in the area but looking forward to the opening of the restaurant on the upper level in October.

I was fortunate enough to be stumbled upon to the Bazar Mediterranean Bistro prior to the official opening on August 16th. Full menu was not yet available but the staff was kind enough to explain their menu which features mostly Mediterranean dishes but you can also find dishes influenced by French, North African, Iberian and Moroccan cuisines.

There will be also be a list of wines by the glass which will all be reasonably priced under $13.

Finnish import Rick Laakkonen, formerly from the famous Petrossian will be at the helm to create dishes and coming from a place like Petrossian you can be assured that the quality will be amazing.

This is the former space of the Italian restaurant Porfolio which recently shut its doors down. Bazar Bistro team managed to create a small (74 seats) yet comfortable space by incorporating neutral colors with subtle Moroccan influences.

I will visit again few weeks after their official opening which should give them enough time to work out the new restaurant / new staff kinks.

Good luck guys, this is a promising new venture in my neighborhood.

Ottimo is now CLSOED. It was sad to see that there is a For Rent sign outside. Too bad, it'll be missed.

Just had an amazing dinner at my new local favorite restaurant. Even though it happens to be located in a hotel, Vincci Hotel Avalon to be exact, chef and management found a way to deliver an impressive menu to go with wonderful service (minus the ambiance which I think needs a bit of work).

Sign on the door still says opening soon but as of last Thursday, June 24th they are open for hotel guest and locals happen to walk in. Their official opening is still few weeks ahead so they are lacking a proper wine list and few items are missing from the five page food menu, yes five pages of food selection from soups, salads, pastas, appetizers, sharable dishes, side dishes,  main courses and desserts.

It seems like they tried to cover any type of food that originated from the Mediterranean region. Co-owners Cesare and Tio alogn with chef Claude are  serving fresh and tasty dishes influenced from Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Northern Africa regions.

As I said they are still not officially open so few dishes are missing form the menu but the ones they are serving totally makes up for the four or five dishes that will be joining soon.

We walked into see if they were open and got greeted by one of the owners. He made sure we got a nice table to sit down and within minutes we were offered couple of glasses of fresh made Bellinis from the compliments of the bar. They only had two types of white wine so we went with the Washington state Sauvignon Blanc for $35 which was better than we hoped for. Then we started with the beets with grilled goat cheese, appetizer portion of green pea risotto and grilled calamari. When it came to the mains we picked the Branzini and the Black Sea bass. They all tastes amazing, it was like each dish tried to out do the last one. We did not leave a single crumb on the plates. Prices ranged from $10 to $15 for appetizers and $20 to $25 for mains and huge portions more than justify the cost.

We finished the meal with a delicious Tiramisu and two Turkish coffees. One of the owners was having a meal himself with his family next to us and they pretty much ordered the same dishes as we did but the tuna, salmon caviar, Cornish hen, duck and the grilled salmon looked incredible enough for us to put them in the next visit list.

We paid our check which came about to $126 without the tip so it was a great value. Chef himself made sure that we enjoyed every bit we ate and asked if we had any suggestions but we were completely satisfied with the service and the food and already look forward to our next visit.

This new restaurant could be the next sleeper in this area so give it a try before it gets busy.