This joint serves up a 15-course omakase for just $89! It’s really close by, so we had to give it a try.
My favorite items were the crab handroll, the stripekack, and the scallop with uni.
Great spot! No liquor license yet, and they don’t let you BYOB, but they said the license is in the works and they should have beer and wine soon.
I can’t wait to go back to try it again. The chef said the fish can change on a daily basis, and he likes to use a lot of unique and different fish than you normally see.
This Italian steak joint just opened up in midtown on Madison Avenue, and the owners were kind enough to invite me in to take photos and promote on social media. Read on below, but first check out my Ride and Review video HERE!
Flavor:
We tried the t-bone, which was a beautiful 24oz hunk of beef. The filet side had a lot of aged flavor on it, and it was incredibly tender. The strip side had an awesome rosemary flavor to it, and was also very tender. I don’t know what they do to their steaks, but you can cut them with a spoon here! That’s how soft the meat is.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available:
There’s a good selection of cuts here, and the menu notes that they are all USDA prime. You have all your standard steakhouse selections, plus some larger format items for sharing.
Portion Size & Plating:
Everything we had was a good portion size for the price point listed on the menu. The plating was nice also – no sizzling plate for the t-bone, of which I am not a fan, so that was good. I am not sure if they do that for the porterhouse.
Price:
Given the location and competition in the area, price is always a tough nut to crack, but this place offers great quality meat for a very fair price.
Bar:
The bar here is really beautiful. A thick marble slab with some princely stools. A beautifully appointed wall of booze, and a nicely mixed martini with Castelvetrano olives is all you need to tie it off.
Specials and Other Meats:
There is a great selection of other proteins here, including pork, veal, lamb and chicken. We went with the veal pizzaiola, which was as delicious as it was beautiful. What a beast!
You can also hit up some alternative meats in the pasta section of the menu. We had the opportunity to try this delicious bowl of cavatelli with an oxtail ragu that was incredible.
Apps, Sides & Desserts:
We didn’t get to try any sides, but the appetizers and desserts were excellent. Most notable were the baked clams and octopus carpaccio, which were both unique and delicious.
We also tried the Caesar salad, which was served on a nicely composed dish with some crispy croutons and three delicious, clean and flavorful anchovies.
This crab cake also really hit the spot, and it is one of their most popular items. I can taste why.
For dessert, we tried the apple strudel and the chocolate salami. We both preferred the chocolate salami, hands down! It was a unique cross between a cookie/cake type thing, and fudge.
Seafood Selection:
We didn’t try any seafood mains, but if the quality of the starters is any indication for those, then the seafood here will be tip-top. We really enjoyed what we tried!
Service:
Service was awesome here. The chef, Diego, even came out to the tables to say hello to all the folks in the dining room, asking if everything was okay. Also worth noting the nice selection of bread for the table here – good stuff!
Ambiance:
The decor here is gorgeous. They have a nice modern but elegant setup here, and the space doubles when you go upstairs. I really can’t wait to come back and try some more of their proteins, especially the lamb loin!
DELBIANCO PRIME
423 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
A second location of the popular Williamsburg bar “The Commodore” just opened in the lower east side at Avenue C and Houston Street. My wife and I have been eagerly awaiting the open since we saw renovations going on there last year. The interior is really cool, almost like you’re aboard a yacht. They even have life fish in a tank along the right side wall, with circular portals for viewing.
We started with two frozen drinks and both were great. The winner between the Orange Julio and the frozen mojito was the mojito, however. They also serve $4 cans of Schaefer, which is a steal. During happy hour, you can get a beer and a shot for $7, which is a price that’s on par with the cheapest dives in town.
Speaking of happy hour, they offer their burger with fries for $14 (normally just the burger costs $14, but at happy hour the fries come with). The burger is a nice crumbly patty that’s well seasoned and dressed with all the fixings.
We also tried their fried chicken, which, despite saying three thighs on the menu, actually came with four. Also great biscuits, two hot sauces and a sweet honey butter. At $22 this is a great deal, especially considering how crispy outside and juicy inside the chicken was. Delicious.
We also tried their fried green tomato sandwich with slaw. I enjoyed this, and the baguette was a really nice surprice here on this sandwich. I expected it to be too hard and rough, but it was warm, soft and really nicely butter-toasted.
Definitely can’t wait to go back and try their fish items, grilled cheese and nachos.
This review is for the Mishik Pulsd deal and not the premium omakase offered on their regular menu. So make sure to read below, too.
This Pulsd deal was pretty good, and I would say that Mishik is especially good if you are going for their premium omakase sets with better pieces. We still enjoyed the Pulsd deal, don’t get me wrong, but my wife and I enjoyed a few other spots more in that price range.
Mishik flies their product in from Japan and dry ages all of the fish used in their omakase. The aging process takes anywhere from one to three weeks depending on the fat quality and flavor of the fish. The chefs inspect everything upon arrival to determine how long it will be aged.
Their Pulsd flash deal is curated for the price point, but they also offer two different omakase dinners: one for $120 and one for $165, consisting of an appetizer, roughly 12-16 pieces of premium nigiri, a handroll, soup and dessert.
While we enjoyed the Pulsd deal, we probably would have enjoyed one of the other omakase meals more here. Premium!
That said, my favorite items were the king salmon, the donburi bowl, the hand roll with fried shiso and eel, the torched golden eye snapper, and, of course, the uni. They were very generous with the uni!
Go give this place a shot! I think you will enjoy it too.
First, check out THIS EPISODE of Around the Hood in 8 Minutes, featuring Burger Queens.
We stopped at this joint during a group ride, and it really hit the spot. The burger itself was a double smash patty, and I got the works on it in terms of toppings.
The shoestring fries were also perfectly crispy and delicious, well seasoned. I would definitely go here again to try the fried chicken thigh sandwich.
This place has been popping up all over Instagram, and once I saw the images of their burger and mortadella sandwich, I knew I had to get in ASAP to try.
We went right when they opened at 5pm on a Saturday, and the place was jammed by 5:30. Apparently everyone had the same idea!
We started with the fried mozzarella and Lions baked potato (with sour cream and an egg yolk).
The baked potato was a game changer. It was so freaking flavorful. We both loved it. As for the mozzarella…
Perfect temperature for stretching! And surprisingly light. Very flavorful.
The burger was 100% perfection. A nice thick aged patty, topped with two slices of American cheese, atop a slice of grilled onion, which helps to protect the beautiful sesame seed bottom bun. Four slices of pickle came on the plate as well. We obviously put them on top.
My pictures sucked, but the interior was a perfect medium rare / medium, which is ideal for this ind of “steakhouse” style burger. This was a killer. On par with Luger or Red Hook Tavern for just $18. For $4 you can get fries with it, and the fries were excellent. Nice and crispy, not too salty. The only down was that they charged us for the side order of fries ($8) rather than the “accompanying” fried ($4). I was wondering why this was such a huge order.
The mortadella sandwich was excellent too. While it ate a bit salty due to the Calabrian chili tapenade, the flavor was out of this world. The pistachio studded mortadella had a ton of porky character, and the blue cheese on this was more like a spread than a crumble or a saucy mess. It worked, though I questioned whether it would when I saw it on the menu.
As you can see, this came with chips. So we had three types of potato with this meal: chips, fries and a baked potato.
Side note: They also make a great martini.
This place is also going to be offering a steak night on Wednesdays for something like $35, and monthly “Beefsteak” meals which will be an all-inclusive price that covers drinks, starters, steak and dessert. I really can’t want to try those!
Beefbar is a global upscale steakhouse that obviously focuses on the glory of beef. They have locations all over the fanciest places in Europe, and one just landed at the old Nobu space in Tribeca. I was zipping around on my bike last summer when I saw the signage and became interested in what it was all about. Fast forward six months and here I am: attending a friends and family event a week before they open to the general public. I was pretty excited to check this place out, and I’m pretty excited to write about it, too. So here we go…
Flavor: 9
We had the center cut rib eye, which, if you don’t know what that means, its generally a loin side (not chuck side) cut of rib eye which eats and looks very similar to a strip steak, and has minimal if any rib eye cap (hold your criticism for just a moment).
This was definitely a wagyu cut of some sort, because the tenderness and marbling was magnificent, buttery, and delicious.
It had a great spice rub over it, adding a smokiness to the crust. I didn’t get a ton of aged flavor on it, but nevertheless I really liked it, and it was cooked perfectly to medium rare.
We also tried the robata “spicy beef,” which is a habanero-sauced rib cap served with crispy herbs (enter the rib eye cap!). This comes propped up over an occasionally smoking charcoal grill made from a copper kettle pot.
Here’s some of the sexy smoke. Every so often, something drips onto the hot charcoal inside the kettle and smokes up the whole area for a little bit. It smelled so awesome!
This was fun, unique, interactive and delicious. The habanero wasn’t too spicy, however, and it could have benefitted from a little bit of finishing salt. On the flip side, this was one of the most fun and original steakhouse menu items I’ve had in years.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9
There’s a good selection of cuts here, and I imagine there will be even more once the restaurant opens to the public and fully unleashes an unfettered menu. I saw porterhouses and other things hanging in the meat coolers, but not yet offered on the friends and family menu. All the meat is top notch quality USDA prime from Creekstone, domestic wagyu hybrid from Snake River, or real-deal Japanese wagyu from Hokkaido.
Portion Size & Plating: 8
Portions are a little bit on the small side, but that’s because you’re trading off bulk for quality and well trimmed cuts. This was similar at Catch Steak. I think there will be some larger format items available in the future as well. One of the guys that worked there even mentioned that they can get bone-in wagyu rib chops flown in from Japan on occasion.
Plating here is a little different than most flat white plate joints, or sizzling plate, lake-of-butter spots. I was digging the cast iron and kettle presentations for the items we ordered.
Price: 8
The prices here are very fair considering the quality, the overhead that the space must cost, and the large staff. I was expecting this bill to be closer to $500, but it was under $400.
I should also mention my tremendous gratitude for this being a comped meal for friends and family. I was blown away, and totally not expecting that!
Bar: 10
The bar here is big and beautiful. I’d love to just sit there and have some snacks next time.
We tried three different cocktails and they were all good. Their take on a martini was unique – blue cheese and beef fat washed vodka, with a grape as garnish.
Their smoked cocktail, “What the Doctor Ordered,” was a fantastic take on an old fashioned using reduced Dr. Pepper syrup for the sweet aspect.
Specials and Other Meats: 8
There were no real specials read to us, but I didn’t expect much from a steakhouse that just opened, or is streamlining for friends and family. As far as other meats go, you are relegated to seafood! This is Beefbar, after all. Not chicken bar.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9
We started with three really nice items. First was the incredible pastrami hamachi with slaw. This is a must order.
The “ham” is really a lightly cured beef carpaccio, served with some nice crispy cracker type papadum. I think this would benefit from some cracked black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and flake salt. If you want to go extra, maybe some shaved white truffle.
Our last starter was the veal tartare. This was really mild and light, yet flavorful and with great texture.
We did the baby Brussels on the side with our mains. These were really nice. A balance of spicy and sweet.
For dessert we did the Beefbar take on tiramisu, with fresh ladyfinger cookies that have espresso poured over them, table side. They they are topped with pistachio cream and candied pistachios. Beautiful and delicious.
Seafood Selection: 9
There’s a nice amount of seafood here on the menu for a beef-focused restaurant. I highly recommend that hamachi dish from above, and based on how great that was, I can confidently give them a 9/10 for seafood.
Service: 10
Service was absolutely immaculate. Everyone came over to greet us, from server to CEO. I’m serious. It was incredible. If this is how they will operate on the day to day, they will be known all over the city for their professionalism and attention to customers.
Their table bread, in keeping with the bar theme, was this bowl of spicy and sweet snacks. I really enjoyed that, and it helped me save room for the meat!
Ambiance: 10
The interior is really beautiful and elegant. Super high ceilings make you feel like you’re dining with royalty. They really did a great job with the space, and the music was modern without being too loud or “party vibe.” Great spot!
