REPOST: Telepan Tribeca

I'm reposting my review of Telepan Tribeca that got sucked into the void when Blogger crashed last week. QNY's Dr. Jeff was able to recover it for me. This week is the last week to try TT at the Pecan Cafe.

By West Village Bill

Lou and I had an interesting but not completely satisfying dinner tonight at Telepan Tribeca, a pop-up variation of the Upper West Side restaurant that's serving supper for just four weeks, and only from Wednesday to Friday, at Pecan Cafe.

I'm a huge fan of the fresh-from-the-Greenmarket aesthetic that chef Bill Telepan is known for, but I wasn't super excited about the offerings tonight.

First up were three amuses-bouches: Beef Tenderloin With Fennel and Parmigiano, Ricotta Toast With Fava and Mint, and Sepia With Chili Oil. The toast was my favorite: eight bites of springtime. Lou really enjoyed the tenderloin. Neither of us is particularly fond of squid, but we had fun trying it. I made a point of eating a baby squid, body and all, after consuming a few separated tentacles, because I wanted to briefly get outside my comfort zone.

Next up was Egg Drop Soup in Mushroom Broth. The first few spoonfuls were satisfying, but I grew bored with it. I should point out that I'm not generally a big fan of mushrooms; it's a textural thing.

For our entree, Lou and I both selected Pasture Veal With Garlic Wild Greens and Lemon. (The other option had been Soft Shell Crabs With Sugar Snaps and Arugula.) We both found the veal to be unpleasantly chewy. I should have taken up my waiter on his offer to take it back to be cooked longer.

Kin Shop

By West Village Bill

My 'Weetie Tony P. and I had a terrific meal Saturday night at Kin Shop, a fairly new, Thai-inspired restaurant on 6th Avenue between 11th and 12th streets. I tried the place out for lunch almost a month ago, at the recommendation of my foodie friend Joyce, and had a wonderful, three-course prix-fixe meal that was a steal at $20. Dinner was much more spendy, but I was in the mood for splurging a bit and spent about $15 more on a bottle of wine than I typically do.

For our entrée, Tony and I both got the Steamed Red Snapper With Green Curry, Cashews, Bok Choy, and Kabocha Squash. It was a superb dish. My only regret is that I hadn't noticed jasmine rice is provided only if you request it—and at an additional charge of $3—so I had none to soak up the curry with.

For our starters, I got the enjoyable Garam Masala and Tomato Soup With Tofu, Mung Beans, and Holy Basil while the Tonester got the Spicy Duck Laab Salad With Toasted Rice, Ground Chili, and Romaine Hearts. The salad was marked in the menu with four asterisks, and the four-asterisked foodnote read as follows: "These are the spiciest dishes on our menu. They're hot and we mean it." Oh hell yeah! I liked the bite I tried, but I couldn't have handled a whole plate of it. Tony did. He said the lettuce had a cooling effect.

Social Calendar - Monday Night: Stanton Social

Unlike the last 15 years living in New York, for this week, I have something social to do EVERY night.  This is to say, that when presented with a challenge, even now, I can rise to the occasion.

Tonight it was dinner with good friends at The Stanton Social (warning: annoying Flash site) down on the Lower East Side.
(Continue reading about the amazing food after the break...)