AustinSLin ..'s Profile

Management is out of control here.

Granted, it's busy potentially on a Saturday, but execution of customer service and general organization from order to delivery of that order was dismal.

By hurrying , combined with miscommunication from the cashier, orders were made incorrectly, which exacerbated wait times.

When drink confusion arose from finished orders and asked which drink was which, the cashier opened up multiple cups and sniff tested each one.  Are Argo Tea employees trained to borderline tease health code violations with such self imposed olfactory audits of each individual's drink---nostrils inches away from the beverage itself? Really?

As in every institution and business, the true test of managerial execution is not in the normal day to day routine, but in the task under pressure. Misses in service don't fall solely on the staff; accountability rests with the  managment whose job it is to train the staff to be agile under peak times.   With so many coffee places within moments of each other, it's easy for missteps to translate into significant losses in customer service.   People simply will go elsewhere.  It's easier to do so.

The product is actually tasty---a favorite of mine is the Brazilian Matte Latte, a nice tea-based caffeinated pop of energetic, soothing flavor.  

The pains endured to receive such treats this time were disappointing.

Roger Sherman Inn's restaurant is an establishment in a colonial-era inn and a traditional, historical destination for New Canaan-ites and other Fairfield County folk.

Service is impeccably white tablecloth---attentive crews of well-coordinated wait-staff are deployed to serve each table as if you were the only customers in the entire inn, even if it's packed to the colonial rafters.

Coming here for a prix fixe brunch invites you to explore the varying brunch menu as prepared by the chef.     The "Crepe complete" was a crisp origami of ham and Gruyere cheese.  A foie gras appetizer is generously portioned and buttery without the salt-shock and is paired with toast.  

Like the prix fixe menu, the dessert menu will likely have something for everyone in your pair or party.  An apple gratin offered on the day of my visit is a nice "crustless" cobbler ,skipping the pastry shell straight for the good stuff: the baked apple chunks buried beneath the ginger ice cream.

The dining room can accommodate everything from cozy corner tables for two to large post-Sunday church service crowds to entire wedding receptions.  Parking immediately on the property fills up fast -- there is also a large lot across the street--just look both ways and cross gingerly as the traffic on the straight-away that is Oenoke Ridge road can be quite the high-speed parade of SUVs and Mercedes.

Prix fixe menus are upwards of $28 per person, not including drinks or coffee or dessert. The prix fixe brunches vary from $28 and up--the menu varied by the chef on the day of your visit.  Some items, like the foie gras appetizer, come at an additional $6 upcharge.  Mimosas are $11 each.  The apple gratin dessert was $12.

Perched next to the Community Theater in Fairfield is the charming colonial public house whose unassuming moniker with the word "tavern" in it  shouldn't conjure images of the dark and dingy in food-goers' minds. Quite the contrary, the natural light and bright, reserved interior rivals the beaming quality of the service staff.  Great for everyone as a brunch destination, whether it's a mother-daughter pre-shopping weekend on Post Road, a larger Saturday morning meet and greet brunch with friends, or a calm, fulfilling family brunch outing

If you arrive on a sunny morning, kick-off your meal with a Bellini, let the friendly service serenade you with the day's specials, and watch the weekend shopping crowds (and Post Road traffic) flow by through the large sliding windows that make up the street side of the dining room.

The PEI Mussels make a nice appetizer to start with; they're delicious and steamy hot--and the leftover sauce is quite possibly by design, made for the fresh sliced bread that shows up at the table.  The steak sandwich tender yet made to the temperature of your liking and the sauteed onions atop of it really balance out the flavor.  Can't go wrong with burger selections and the fries are solid, salted, and not overdone.  The Lobster roll is also fantastic----served on the same style of traditional cut roll that you'd get at the famed "Lunch"/ "Lobster Roll" restaurant in the Hamptons---except you don't have to brave the 3+ hour drive to Long Island.

Burgers are $10.50, the steak sandwich $12.50, PEI mussels $10.50.

In a typically which came first, chicken-or-the-egg argument, one may consider---to be a great Mexican restaurant, does it start with having great Mexican food first and then build the restaurant around the menu?  Or does it start with a well managed, well run restaurant first, in which case any specialization in any cuisine could be fostered successfully?

Tequila Mockingbird suggests a solution in how its business and culinary strengths flow together. It is not just "another Mexican restaurant" -- rather, it's a well run restaurant whose creative culinary emphasis is Mexican cuisine.

Tequila Mockingbird is a multi-sensory dining experience from start to finish.  From the moment you walk in, you have stumbled across a festive, colorful street party in Mexico somewhere that a local traveler has tipped you off on. From the colorful banners, splashes of neon, and decorative flourishes of tequila bottles and Mexican flair, you have entered into a weekend daydream that possibly once belonged to Frida Kahlo or Diego Rivera.

The menu's offerings show that there is indeed a difference between "Mexican food" and "Mexican cuisine."  In the case of chiles relleno, "Mexican food" is some inattentive place that serves a freezer-burned pepper caked in excess with cheese, using mass density as a substitute for flavor.  In "Mexican cuisine" -- and by that I mean "Tequila Mockingbird" - chiles relleno means a triplet of lightly breaded peppers where the cheese is representative enough to remind you that it's there, but leaves the chiles as the true stars of the show.   And by show, I mean a festive plating of an orange mole-esque sauce veiled in a net of lighter sauce for an almost artistic upgrade of an otherwise historically abused dish.

As my encounter with the chiles relleno suggests, the best bet is to take advantage of the specials menu, the regularly changing paper insert attached to the inside of the menu.  

What is so engaging about the house specials is that each dish has its own story as to how it was inspired and how it has been reinterpreted or altogether reinvented under the culinary standards of Tequila Mockingbird.  Many of the descriptive vignettes come from the chef's own childhood experiences---consider them to be an edible anthropological compendium of favorite childhood dishes that have become realized in contemporary maturity.

Some standard menu items include the fish tacos---in the house lightly fried "Baja" which again, use the preparation as a nuanced enabler of flavor,leaving the tilapia to fend for itself rather than other places that may use deep frying as the path to escape culinary stewardship.  

Service is attentive and friendly.

Coming here with groups much larger than 5-6 people can be a tight fit but certainly doable.

The chiles rellenos, when available as a house special, are $16.95.  Baja fish tacos are $16.95.   For a grilled alternative, a swordfish version of the fish tacos are available for around $19.   Margaritas are short and sweet and to the point at $9.50.

Parking is on the street if you are lucky enough to claim one, otherwise neighboring lots are good options, particularly during dinner time.

There are pros and cons to having chocolate and the art of confectionery as your modus operandi.  The pros: you create truffles that have a soul shaking power in their balance of flavor without overpowering sweetness.  You create hot chocolates that stand out in richness and flavor to such an extent that it almost warrants being called something much more than the pedestrian, "hot chocolate".   As a chocolatier, the artistic flair from your sweet creations overflows into presentation, your papermaking, your presentation.

The downside is that such single-minded, inimitable mastery of chocolate takes away from attempts at culinary branching out---like brunch.

The pommes brie crepe had way, way, way too much dijon mustard on it.  A third of what was plated would have been too much.  Mustard should not be expounded on in this way: a decorative flourish gone wild that coated every layer of the crepe, hiding any semblance of taste from the ham, brie, and apple slices that were smothered (as in buried alive) within.  But there comes the challenge: consistency.  If standards are absent or neglected, it is your customer that pays the gastronomic price and at the end of the day, it is your brand that becomes attached to such encounters, good or bad.

The side of sausage ordered was crisped well, but perhaps playing its role within a confectionery too well by being a bit too sweet.  The Croque Madame was excellent---almost French toast-y in consistency with the flavors of the ham and eggs coming together well.  

It's great that in both the crepe and sandwich dishes that a side of mesculun greens comes as a side dish, but when plating a salad that is intended as a side dish rather than an entree, less is more---overflowing and literally falling off the plate looks too coerced for a delicate salad.

The ambiance is nice old world coffee house meets modern SoNo renaissance. The unique "gallery" seating gives visitors a chance to dine while literally looking through a window into the kitchen: a fun, engaging feature that brings the customers closer to the act of behind-the-scenes creation. But if you're going to let the customer into the kitchen, welcome them like guests visiting your home----electrical outlets crusted with chocolate powder, baker's torches gnarled in their power cords, and oh-my-goodness-what's-that-crusted-atop-the-track- lighting doesn't exactly reveal the side of the kitchen that a hungry, inspiration-seeking diner may want to see.

The pommes brie crepe was one of a selection of crepes on the brunch menu, all around the range of $10.00 or less each.  The Croque Madam was also around $10.00.  The hot chocolate and coffee creations like the Chocopologie Coffee will run just over $5.00 each, but are worth their weight in...well, chocolate.

Would give the food menu another try, but will likely return with the specific interest in pursuing the establishment's namesake alone next time--- look to Chocopologie for a coffee and a delightfully artisan crafted pouch of the house chocolates.

Parking is available via a connected pay lot or otherwise first-come first serve street parking, mostly metered as well.

Bar Americain is tucked off to the side of the main vein of Times Square sensory overload and a pleasant place to seek culinary sanctuary.  

For cocktails to start off with, my favorite is Bar Americain's version of the Dark and Stormy, made with Gosling's dark rum.  The flavor will pull you right into the fabric of the bustling environment.  Whereas Mesa Grill is more contemporary in overall design, Bar Americain has contemporary nuances while at its heart, the setting is more an almost Art Deco reinterpretation of a mahogany banker's spot for power lunches and alliance-forming dinners.

There is a great "Tasting of 3" seafood appetizer sampler which picks from Bar Americain's interpretation of shellfish and seafood classics like the shrimp cocktail---everything direct-from-sea fresh.   The crispy oysters weren't on point for me---the oysters themselves a bit too overdone and the breading too hard for an oyster dish.  Focus your gastronomic energies on the aforementioned seafood "cocktails" instead.

Some entrees: the duck with drity wild rice -  the breast meat slices were again a bit too tough for medium, but the duck leg itself of superb, very delicate and almost creamy in texture.  The substance of the duck paired excellently with the accompanying bits of wild rice and pecan hints.  For the skate with a side of grits - the skate didn't seem to have a unique personality -- was flavorful, but its texture could have been a Hollywood stand-in for trout or sea bass.  The side of hominy meal was a delightful texture which otherwise balanced out the taste nicely.

In general, I'd recommend starting with the seafood "cocktails" and a selection off the drink menu leading into the entrée and skipping adding a side dish.  Between appetizers and the entrées, you'll have plenty to dish on (and afterwards, about).

The duck with wild rice was $31.00, the skate $29.00. The seafood/ shellfish cocktail sampler was $25.00   While it perhaps goes without saying, keep in mind that as with other star restaurants in Manhattan and elsewhere, you are paying for the entire dining experience and not just the entrées. Meals here, including drinks and a shared side dish, without tip, will come to about  $75 per person. If you're looking for a good first celebrity chef Bobby Flay experience, check out his similarly priced Mesa Grill instead.

The service at Bar Americain is impeccable, from the moment you walk in and are greeted by the host staff, through the bread service, through the waitstaff, through the conclusion of your meal experience.

Dan is a great little spot just a couple blocks north of Lincoln Center.  Running in here after a long night of catching up on work at the giant Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble (which is sadly no longer open) has always been a great way to end the night with a brown rice pork katsudon rice bowl, a cold Sapporo, and a couple slices of generously cut hamachi yellowtail sashimi.

When it's not overly crowded, the service is fairly quick, though impersonal.  The katsudon is nicely portioned with a unique brown rice option to substitute for traditionally white rice.  The pork cutlet that tops it is firm without tasting overdone and there was just the right scattering of fresh sliced onion to go with the egg 'omelet' atop it.  

Katsudon is $12.50 and includes either a light broth or salad with ginger dressing.  Sashimi comes in the standard 2 piece servings, but are generously portioned.  

Closest subway is the (1) at 66th St/ Lincoln Center.  Walk north on Broadway past the Loews movie theater and Dan Tempura House is on the corner of 69th and Broadway.

As soon as you enter, flanked by ceiling-high racks of wine bottles, you will realize just how the offerings of Napa & Co. live up to their namesake.  If you're not convinced, then perusing the hundreds of line-item wines on the winelist will further solidify your suspicions.  The benefit of restaurants that have sommeliers on staff is an assembly of wine lists that are comprehensive without being overwhelming (and at least, between the server & the manager's suggestions, can be made to seem far less overwhelming).  Think of sommeliers as not just "wine experts" but more as wine curators and you'll begin to get a sense of  the art behind pairing wines with the flavors and textures of your meals here.

The service is delivered in a way that although your server may be assisting multiple tables, you will be treated in a detailed, individualized way--from checking up on you only when relevant (rather than the perfunctory -- "You guys doing okay?" that you get at other establishments), down to making sure your wine glasses are always filled.

For appetizers, the changing cheese selection is a nice way to get the meal going. Pair your cheeses with a wine of your choice, go with the Sommelier recommendations,  or simply ask your server for hints. For this particular meal , our party had a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, which balanced out especially well with the Californian Humboldt Fog goat cheese.

For the entree, the veal gnocchi and the pappardelle were both great.   The gnocchi, because it is prepared with goat cheese, is melt-in-your-mouth delicate and not as starchy as more traditional potato gnocchi.  The plating makes the portions seem deceivingly small, but once you roll up your sleeves and get eating, they will seem bottomless: the pappardelle seemed like an endless ribbon pf tastiness.  Another great thing about these dishes was the right balance of pasta and the complimenting sauce ("sauce is just a condiment," as Mario Batali would say).   We all love sauces with our pasta, but it should never detract from the texture & overall quality of the foundational pasta itself.  Again, in this department, Napa & Co. executes very well.

The gnocchi, pappardelle, cheese course, and a bottle of wine came out to under $90.00.  The bottle of wine itself was about 30% of the tab so for those seeking out just the offerings of the kitchen, a wine-less meal brings your meal cost more on par with a typical night out in Stamford.  But since you're here--it's called Napa & Co after all--take advantage of the expansive winelist and the extent of knowledge that was used to curate it.

Parking is wherever you can find it on the street with the standard scattering of parking lots and decks peppered throughout downtown Stamford (although if you park a little further, a nice stroll through the nightlife district of Stamford after you meal isn't such a bad idea either).

Ping Pong's modern remix of the dim sum experience is the contemporary reinvention of the traditional dim sum gathering. The dining room is not the typical weekend morning battlefield where large, sometimes unbearably loud crowds are further amplified by the clanging of iconic dim sum carts loaded with plates precipitously close to the cart edges. This restaurant is almost minimalist by design and is more suited to smaller groups rather than charter-bus-loads of touring crowds.  You will not find a sleeker, more futuristic dim sum scene in the area.  Just make no mistake that you will be paying for the privilege.

Larger parties probably will have less opportunity to partake in the other spirit of dim sum: sharing--at least not  without some long distance struggling across the modern tabletops.  One physical element that was not in Ping Pong's dining design is so critical yet so overlooked in the dim sum world: the lazy susan.  

In fact, one becomes so absorbed in the scene that one doesn't realize the lazy susan is missing---until, that is, you wonder where the pork buns are and realize you'll need them passed to you Thanksgiving-style rather than being able to just rotate the goodness towards your seat in an unintrusive way.  Not to say that you can't just re-enact the simple act of "Hey, can you pass me the sticky rice?" in a homey Thanksgiving day luncheon type of way, but if you wanted that, you'd be at a large family style restaurant and not at a dim sum place, right?

The service infrastructure, in keeping with the sleek environs, is probably optimized for parties of about 5 or less, at least in the main dining area.  Parties much larger than that simply get caught in the mechanical fumblings of extra water carafes or the procedural pouring of hot water for your tea out of a single tea pot by the server. Either one pot runs out of water or it becomes edge-of-your-seat difficult to watch the server struggle with two bulbous copper pots teetering against each other, steaming with scalding hot water. Also absent (or perhaps just denied velvet-rope entry) are the standard issue handprint-stained tea kettles of (free) tea so indigenous to other dim sum places.  While tea is a line-item on the bill here, Ping Pong does offer a nice assortment of offerings, even teas typically hard to find at even some local Chinese spots.

The menu, while diverse, is limited -- this is almost out of practical necessity in not having the cornucopia-esque push-carts that are (moving) fixtures of other places in the dim sum kingdom. Some very basic elements of traditional dim sum such as flat rice noodle dishes(chang fen), and radish root cakes(luobuogao) aren't available.  But then you remember that you are here for the experience: the hip, modern ambience against a backdrop of creative dishes, techno music, and attentive service.  Once you can get that past you, you can focus on the food. Ping Pong's overall unique offerings make the food and the atmosphere pair up tastily well like an indie radio mash-up for your tongue.

Some nice stand outs for us were the puff pastries---available in chicken, vegetarian, and pork.   Variations of the traditional leaf-wrapped Chinese sticky rice are fantastic--they are piping hot and just the right portion size to allow indulgence without filling you up too quickly.  The char siu pork buns (chasaobao) are also great and the use of pulled-pork style filling rather than the Chinatown style chopped barbeque pork is a delicious version 2.0 of that classic dim sum offering.

The staff is attentive and well versed in the theme of the restaurant.  If you have any questions or extra needs arising during your dining experience, the knowledgeable staff is on their game and will take care of you.

Parking, as with other destinations in Chinatown, can be annoying---street parking if you're lucky -- but fortunately Ping Pong is located right next to a large parking deck.

Individual dim sum dishes average around $3-$5 a plate--hovering towards 2x that of a more traditional dim sum price range. The selection of teas mentioned above is also impressive and neatly, creatively presented, but alas for that, you will also be paying.

So if you're seeking that dim sum experience that fills the sweetest of you and your stomach's dim sum memory, that dim sum that you crave on sleepy weekend mornings and becomes the only impetus to get you out of bed, the shouting in Cantonese from the kitchens, the agile bus boys skating through with arm-loads of dishes and ice-water, read my chopsticks: Go Elsewhere.  

Otherwise, bring your appetite and your wallet and expect to be culinarily compensated for your troubles. Ping Pong is anything but traditional and part of that is the attraction (and by "attraction" I mean it in both the "magnetic" and "amusement park" senses of the word.)

I concur with my other Yelpers that this place is a fantastic brunch location.  Be prepared for a wait if you're in a group much larger than 2-3 people during prime brunching hours.  If it's just two of you, opt to utilize bar seating as it becomes available and you'll improve your chances of getting to the goods a bit faster. The bar counter service there is just as attentive as table seating (plus you're within spatula's reach of the coffee air pots).

As the layout goes, Bella's can feel cramped even on a slow day, but the intimacy of space equates nicely to the intimacy of the service and the creative menu.  The couple of times here, whether it's been packed or if it was just a small group of us, the hospitality often felt like we were being treated like we were the only ones dining.  Service has been consistently great.

The Oscar Benedict is definitely a full plate.  A nice cut of sirloin on top of an English muffin, then topped with eggs benedict and fresh crab meat.  The crab meat is fresh and not tainted with condiments.   The hearty portion of home fries/ potatoes should be saved for last so you have time to consume the major part of the dish before you get too starched up.   From the main dish down to the coffee offerings, it's hard to find fault with Bella's.   Because of the food and service, cramped becomes cozy, long lines become eager, welcomed anticipation.  

Another unique feature that was great about the menu here was the kitchen's rotating list of fresh sausages.   They come in a host of different varieties; they work out well as side dishes to split with your brunch mates, balancing your hearty brunch with some added meaty goodness.

The Oscar benedict was $14.95, with the generouly portioned side of specialty sausage weighing in at $5.95.  The total meal for two, plus coffee for both came out to be just under $50.

Parking is wherever you can find it on the street.  

Come early and take your time savoring brunch (but just be mindful of those stomachs queuing up outside, wishing they were in your seats.)