Breaking news: Trattoria di Vino is going out of business.
Trattoria di Vino, which in its Academio di Vino incarnation took over the space vacated by Docks, is going out of business by Thursday if not sooner. It will be succeeded by a vegan restaurant, sources say.
I can’t say I’m surprised, as anything that followed Docks had impossibly large shoes to fill. But I fear this vegan experiment may be short lived.
This means all Accademio di Vinos will be out of business, leaving only Cesca standing. But for how long?
Dine On Ashes At Sparks Steakhouse, A New York Institution That Regrettably Fails The Steak Test
Can a steakhouse be more famous for what happened outside it than what's inside it?
Sparks Steakhouse is somewhat infamous. Can a steakhouse be more famous for what was served up outside its doors than what is served up inside? My guess is that Sparks is living proof that the answer is yes.
For the uninitiated, Sparks is infamous because in 1985 Gambino family boss Paul Castellano was gunned down a few steps away from the awning as he was walking in to get dinner.
I’ve a hunch that Sparks does a lot of trade based on the Castellano hit, because what’s served up inside, in my view, doesn’t compare remotely with what gets served up at the big boys in town: Keens and Peter Luger.
The interior decor and level of service reek of classic steakhouse excellence.
Inside, Sparks is well impressive. It looks and feels like a steakhouse should. Whereas Keens favors clips from newspapers from yesteryear and Lugers enjoys straightforward wood wainscoting, Sparks offers up a large number of paintings cluttering the walls, offering pleasant vistas. The achievement is particularly impressive as Sparks is a modern steakhouse – opened in the ’60s, although it has been in its current location since the late ’70s. The waiters are all wear white shirts and their level of service I would say on the whole is excellent. The place has a positive feel, a spacious bar, and seems like a generally pleasant place to stop for a bite. Lamentably, the food is not so good.
Who ordered the mozzerella and tomato? I don't know, but it was delicious.
The first thing I noticed was that there is NO BACON on the menu at Sparks. Perhaps it is an “off the menu” item, but I have to say it is a bold decision for a steakhouse in New York City to not plant a flag in the bacon camp. After all, the Lugers bacon is legendary, and it seems like every other shop in town is chasing that dragon. Well, that rationale (as it turns out) is wrong: Sparks doesn’t even try. Very bold.
Instead my compadres ordered the mozzerella and tomato. I wouldn’t have, but I’m glad they did, because it was delicious. The mozzerella in particular was delightful: Light, loose, fluffy, creamy and flavorful.
Sorry about the lousy color of the picture, but a great presentation for the crab and shrimp.
We also indulged in some shrimp and crab for the table. Those appetizers were ordered separately, but I thought Sparks did a nice job of presenting them together. The four shrimp surrounded a large mound of crabmeat on a single plate. It’s smart service, especially for sharing.
That said, while the crabmeat was well suitable and tasty, I found the shrimp – served split open down the back – were a bit more mealy and lacked the crisp pop you can find at Keens and Lugers. Perhaps that’s a function of how they are served, cut open that way, but on this night they didn’t compete with the big boys.
So at this point in the meal, the food was holding up basically well enough, although the group had a collective “WTF” moment about the lack of bacon, and the shrimp were a bit lacking. At the suggestion of a waiter, we ordered the lamb chops, and I am glad they did, because they were also delicious. It turns out they were better than the steak.
The lamb chops were a surprising winner.
The chops had a great meaty flavor and a suitable char note, without being overcooked. They were also on the thick side (without being too much so), making them suitable for fork and knife cutting as opposed to just picking them up by the bone and chowing down.
But on to the main: the steak. Sparks is famous for its sirloin steak. They don’t serve a Porterhouse, again choosing the path more seldom trod in a city whose steakhouses live in the shadow of Peter Luger.
Good char, but too much fatty gristle.
What you are looking at in the above picture is two of their signature sirloin steaks, which they’ve cut up. On the left you have the medium rare, on the right the medium (which of my group ordered medium?). As you can see in the photo, the steak has a very good char, but… look closer. Take a look at the second piece on the left above. Do you see all that fat? That’s ridiculous. If their signature steak is a sirloin, I find myself wondering why.
On the left, where the fork is resting: A huge glob of fat.
Just look at that. That is a great deal of fat ringing a small spot of meat. And alas, that experience was very typical of the numerous pieces of steak we had at Sparks. It just does not match up to Keens or Lugers.
Now I know that fat is flavor when it comes to meat. But this is not trimmed properly for a tier one steakhouse. Seems to me the approach they have is “We already got you in the door, there’s plenty of sizzle, and if the steak isn’t that great, who cares.” Well, that is a lousy approach. The char was good, but the meat was forgettable and to a certain extent gross.
I should say this. For four of us, with drinks and a bottle of wine, the bill came out to $500 with tip. That is comparatively less expensive than Luger’s and Keens, which I am glad about, because the steak doesn’t compare.
I can’t recommend Sparks to people looking to have an authentic New York City steakhouse experience. If you’re looking to be able to tell a tourist “This is where Paul Castellano got whacked,” go to Sparks. If you’re looking to tell that same tourist “This is some of the best steak in town,” you definitely can’t.
At the end of the day, Sparks is a steakhouse that fails the steak test.
Sparks Steakhouse
210 East 46th Street New York, NY 10017 212.687.4855 www.sparkssteakhouse.comRack & Soul Is Delicious And Helps Compensate For The Overall Lack Of Great Barbecue In New York City
Like most red-blooded Americans, I love barbecue. Vegetarianism is admirable and almost certainly better for you, but some of the foods that make it seem like an impossibility for me include steak, burgers, and barbecue.
I am no barbecue expert, and I recognize that in fact there is such a thing as that. In fact my college classmate Caryn now actually judges barbecue contests, and had to get certified to do so, so it is treated with the same religiosity in the South as many food concerns are in Italy.
At any rate, New York is a Mecca for foodies, and understandably so. But there is an overall lack of truly high-quality barbecue in this town. I know, there are those who will swear up and down about Dinosaur BBQ, or Blue Smoke (which I don’t get), and others who will tout (more convincingly, in my book) Hill Country – and we have a few other places that do indeed make barbecue, but is it any good? Mostly, and sadly, the answer is no. It is usually heavily sauced and lousy. Granted, there are a few places I have yet to hit (R.U.B., I’m looking at you, for example) but in the meanwhile I’ve yet to find a convenient and top shelf (flavorwise) barbecue experience.
When you're on a sidestreet, you need a bold sign.
Enter Rack & Soul.
Now, with all this barbecue discussion, you’d be correct in thinking that it is a barbecue joint. But it is frankly more than that, it is a Southern food, soul food joint, which of course has some barbecue elements on the menu. It was their barbecue offerings that got me interested in them, and I am pleased to report that they are very suitable and winning. But as wonderful as their ribs are, it is their fried chicken that keeps me coming back.
The fried chicken is decadent and delicious.
Now the shop itself is on the small side. It’s located on a side street, which I imagine must be hard for any business. There’s small bar and seating area up front, a narrow hallway, and then a rectangular seating are in the back. It’s an awkward shape, but they’ve done a nice job of making the place feel cosy. Part of that is a significant on making it seem rustic. The wooden plank walls in the back are painted sickly green, and the faux-rusty tin ceiling also caught my eye.
Even though it was the middle of January when I visited, and granted – it was a 50 degree day, which is odd in itself – it was a little dismaying to see the small squad of flies that were working the back dining area. Not too many, mind you, but enough to guarantee a fly-by probe of your food if you’re not careful.
Two succulent shrimp lurk below.
I started with the gumbo. I’m not a gumbo connoisseur either, but I’ll say simply I wasn’t too wild about it. It has a suitable heat and spiciness, and there was a faint thickness to the sauce. There were two nice shrimp in the cup, and I must say the presentation was nice. It is satisfyingly hearty, but to my palette it didn’t quite sing.
The fried chicken with baked beans and mac and cheese.
The fried chicken, however, is a panacea and will cure what ails ya. It is just marvelous. Now everyone knows that fried food is generally wonderful, especially when it has a fried coating that looks like the surface of Mars, texture-wise.
Delicious, crunchy fried chicken.
Importantly – crucially – Rack & Soul’s fried chicken is not greasy. That to me is miraculous, as many a fried chicken joint, will deliver you a greasy heart attack special. Here you may have a heart attack, but it seems like it’ll be slightly healthier.
"Musical?" Maybe. "Magical?" Yes.
Rack & Soul has a secret weapon: Their baked beans. Holy mackerel, they are fantastic. They’re made with chunks of pork and some pepper and onions. They routinely steal the show of whatever meal I get there, be it chicken or ribs.
I always get the mac, but it's not as good as it should be.
I can’t really say much, lamentably, about the mac and cheese. I love mac and cheese. Theirs seems more like a texture than anything else. It is good and buttery, but it is nowhere near the excellent mac and cheese available at Delta Grill, for example.
That combo is ridiculous. Also: $3.50 Budweiser's!
I should also discuss the pricing at Rack & Soul. Entrees hover around $19-20 per. Yet they have a special combo deal, for $22, which is way too much food for most mortals. As part of the combo, you get two (smaller) entrees. Also, they serve a “kids portion” for $8, which comes with two sides. That’s also an ample portion. So whether you want to eat heavy, heavier or really heavy, it’s all there for you. We had the fried chicken, a kids portion of catfish, and two drinks and got out of there stuffed for about $60 before tip. And yes, they deliver.
All in all, it is easy to recommend Rack & Soul. Delicious ribs, sensational chicken: It is high quality decadence. When you want a blast of Southern comfort food, come here.
Rack & Soul
258 W. 109th Street New York, NY 10025 212.222.4800 www.rackandsoul.comWhy Do People Go Rushing Headlong To Shake Shack When Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop Is Right Across The Street?
The thin, sweaty, relentlessly disappointing Shackburger.
As you probably know by now, I remain convinced that the most overrated burger in New York City can be found at Shake Shack. To this day I do not understand why it generates such massive lines and a cult-like following. I mean Shake Shack loyalists have this near-fanaticism which prompts them to full-throatedly yell “THIS IS THE BEST BURGER” like Donald Sutherland at the end of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” while stumbling, staggering forward in slow-moving lines, drooling like zombies that smell fresh brains.
Now I will eat at Shake Shack. And I think they serve, well, a burger. But is it better than Five Guys? Nope. Is it better than any one of a myriad of better burgers I could point you to? No.
My buddy Sam asserts that “It’s the whole experience” of getting a concrete and lounging outside while eating a burger that’s part of the Shake Shack shtick. Well my experience involves too many strollers, waiting on lengthy lines, and not necessarily even a cheap price once factoring in your drink and fries. The burger’s good, but I don’t think it is good enough to justify all the ruckus. Much like Good Enough To Eat.
Nowhere is this more true than at the original Shake Shack site in Madison Park, which is perhaps the best expression of Shake Shack in town. There is a picturesque park, you can eat outside beneath sun-dappled trees, and generally have a very pleasant time. However the lines there are so notorious that Shake Shack themselves took it upon themselves, as a customer service, to provide a live-streaming “line cam” so you can see how many circles of hell you have to get through to get their burger.
On balance, I do not get it. If there’s no line and I felt like a burger, sure. But if there is a long line, nope. Especially when New York City institution Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop is a block away.
The shop is proud of its rich history.
Eisenberg’s tagline is “Raising New York’s Cholesterol Since 1929.” No I did not make that up. It is printed on the front of their menu.
Eisenberg’s is a throwback. It is a long, thin railroad-car of a shop, with a counter, many stools, and a small eating area in the narrow back. It is the kind of place where you are likely to get nudged a little as people walk past. Additionally, hanging coats and other ephemera may make their presence known, depending on where you sit. In short, it is not a place that is big on comfort.
It is, however, big on comfort food.
The narrow shop, with protruding coats, and stools, and waiters, and patrons... .
Eisenberg is perhaps best known for its tuna fish sandwich, although I suppose that’s debatable. Either way, they have a reputation for it, and some argue it’s the best tuna in the city. Of course, I believe the best tuna in the city can be found at the sensational Murray’s Sturgeon Shop on the Upper West Side, but that’s another story.
In short, I feel no obligation to eat the tuna when I go to Eisenberg’s. On this occasion, in fact, I was just in the mood for a grilled cheese and bacon on rye. But first, an Egg Cream, and some matzoh ball soup.
The egg cream is proper.
It has become almost impossible to find a decent egg cream – formerly ubiquitous – in town. They are usually too sweet, mishandled, put together by people who don’t get what it’s supposed to be. While tops for egg creams remains perhaps at Gem Spa, there’s no doubt that Eisenberg’s gives them a solid run for their money. The Eisenberg’s egg cream is sweet without being too much so, milky without being overly so, and fizzy. It’s delightful.
Floaters!
Also let us take a moment to reflect on their matzoh ball soup, and Community Restaurant, I want you to pay special attention. At Eisenberg’s, which does not shy away from being a greasy spoon-type joint, you are served your portion in a cheap plastic bowl with a dingy tin-feeling spoon. The broth is a bit too salty, though there’s plenty of carrots and celery. It seems a bit greasy, but not unforgiveably so. The broth is far and away better at Community, easily. However, the Eisenberg’s matzoh ball is terrific. There are two types of matzoh balls: sinkers and floaters. Both are delicious, but my heart belongs to floaters. Eisenberg’s delivered in style. Light and fluffy, like a dumpling. Marvelous.
They don't keep kosher... .
What you see before you above is the simple, delicious excellence of an expertly handled grilled cheese and bacon. Now this not some gourmet, artisanal bacon, or fancy shmancy cheese. Nope. Simple rye bread, bacon, and American. Eisenberg’s lives up to its credo, in this case spiking my cholesterol, I am sure. Two sandwiches, the soup, and two egg creams clocked in at $25.
Again, I am not arguing that Eisenberg’s will make some haute sandwich that will dazzle. No. They will make a basic, decent sandwich, in an old-school atmosphere with classics like “Take The A Train” playing over the speakers. It’s a great old-school place and a very reliable spot in that neighborhood.
ME LIKE EAT 