NYC’s Best Dishes of 2007

In keeping with our annual tradition, we fondly remember the best dishes of 2007…

Top Ten Dishes of 2007

• Soto’s steamed lobster with uni mousse – Chef
  Kosugi made a dazzling first impression on New York with an ethereal lobster layered with uni mousse: Sweet bits of lobster received
  a briny rush of uni and a salmon caviar garnish.

Address: 357 Sixth Ave., at Washington Place
Phone: (212)414-3088

• Allen & Delancey’s Sweetbread Raviolo – After being released from Gordon Ramsay’s upscale inferno, chef Neil Ferguson made an unexpected move downtown to the cozy quarters of Allen & Delancey, where he imagined this savory appetizer: Tender sweetbreads get tucked into a raviolo atop braised cabbage and a vigorous Bolognese
  sauce.

Address: 115 Allen St., nr Delancey St.
Phone: (212)253-5400

• Gramercy Tavern’s Crab Raviolo – Chef Michael Anthony proved himself more than worthy of his newfound executive chef position with an open crab ravioli: soft strands of crab above homemade pasta is sublimely punctuated by creamy mussels and dill.

Address: 42 East 20th St., btwn Park Ave. & Broadway
Phone: (212)477-0777

• Shorty’s.32 Codfish with Gruyere Broth
  – After working in Jean-Georges’ stable of highbrow
  kitchens, chef Josh Eden arrived in Soho with New American comfort
  food.  Though he doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel, he delivers an
  inventive twist on French onion soup: flaky codfish gets posed atop
  crusty bread with caramelized onions and Swiss
  chard, all collectively doused in a fine gruyere broth.

Address: 199 Prince St., btwn. MacDougal & Sullivan Sts.
Phone: (212)375-8275

• Mai House’s Crab with Glass Noodles – Drew Nieporent elected chef Michael Bao Huynh  to take the reigns at this Vietnamese venture, producing an excellent dungeness crab entree: Sweet strands of crab intermingle with warm glass noodles, all stewing in a flavorful fish stock seasoned with lime and garlic.

Address: 186 Franklin Street, at Greenwich Ave.
Phone:(212)431-0606

• Fiamma’s Duo of Tuna – Chef Fabio Trabocchi successfully debuted on the New York restaurant scene at Stephen Hanson’s newly renovated Italian with a battery of splendid dishes, including a masterful Le Marche lasagna.  But his greatest triumph was a duo of ahi tuna, alternatively topped with briny
  sardines and sea urchins above a sorrel puree.

Address: 206 Spring St., nr 6th Ave.
Phone: (212)653-0100

• Tailor’s Passionfruit Poached Char – While chef Sam Mason wasn’t quite as successful with dessert, he
  glimpsed at genius with a silky char bathed in passionfruit
  butter and served with doughy bits of lime-pickled spaetzle.

Address: 525 Broome St., Sullivan & Thompson Sts.
Phone:(212)334-5182

• Smith’s Portuguese Sardines – Partners Danny Abrams and Cindy Smith first joint venture proved favorable at this elegant New American in Greenwich Village.  Chef Pablo Romero gave sardines an Italian treatment, usually reserved for meat:  The briny fish are crusted in panko and sharp parmigiano, subdued by sweet chunks of tomato.

Address: 79 MacDougal St., btwn. Bleecker & Houston Sts.
Phone:(212)260-0100

• Centro Vinoteca’s Rabbit Involtino – At Sasha Muniak’s sleek Italian, chef Anne Burrell managed to distinguish herself in our small-plate wrought city with a flurry of piccolini.  But my favorite plate is the rabbit involtino: pine nuts and spicy sausage supply an earthy depth for the delicate meat.

Address: 74 Seventh Avenue South, nr. Barrow St.
Phone:(212)367-7470

Crave Ceviche Bar’s Traditional Shrimp Ceviche – After departing from Kittichai, chef Todd Mitgang turned up at this beachy midtown nook devoted to all things ceviche’d.  Far from “traditional”, shrimp are playfully tossed with
plancha-charred corn, hearts of palm and topped with
chili-spiced popcorn.
Address: 946 Second Avenue, nr. 50th St.
Phone:(212)355-6565

Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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