Tag Archives: seafood

Italian, Japanese, Press Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, Union Square/Flatiron

Aqua

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First, check out my Ride & Review video, HERE:

My wife and I came here with another foodie and social media influencer couple to try out some of this new restaurant’s menu. Aqua has both Italian and Japanese menus, so you can have a full-on omakase here, or you can dine a la carte and dig into some pasta or veal Milanese.

We selected eight items from this menu, and then had two versions of their tiramisu (one classic Italian, and one Japanese):

First off, they make some really nice cocktails, which is clutch since they have a gigantic bar (the whole space is pretty massive, actually).

We started with the mushroom and truffle arancini. These were delicious bites.

The lobster bisque pizzette was really unique. I’ve never had something like that. It makes for great table bread to share as a snack.

This red prawn carpaccio was absolutely incredible. This is a must order when you go here.

These little nuggets of fried rock shrimp were really tasty. They don’t look like much, but I was hooked. I could not stop popping them.

The oxtail and truffle mafalde was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the oxtail was super tender and savory.

Here’s a shot of their 12-piece sashimi omakase, which has all of your favorites, salmon belly being my favorite.

This eight-piece roll had salmon and scallop, which was nice.

And finally, the yuzu shiso marinated lamb chops. These were awesome. After the red prawn carpaccio, this was probably my favorite item.

For dessert, we tried the classic tiramisu and the matcha/green team tiramisu. I think we all agreed that the classic version was better. I didn’t snap any photos of that, so you’ll just have to watch the video to see them!

AQUA
902 Broadway
New York, NY 10010

American, Lower East Side/Chinatown, Restaurant Reviews

Cactus Wren

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First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:

The Cake Dealer and I decided to give this new joint a shot. We really liked everything we tried, so let me get right into it.

First, the cocktails were excellent. We tried three, and they were all delicious.

The shellfish platter is a bit expensive as $38 for six pieces, but each and every item was a masterpiece. I think my favorites were the hot items on the pebbles (oyster cooked with beef fat and topped with horseradish, and the clam with garlic chips.

The shrimp toast was so delicious. Buttery, crispy, and with lump shrimp meat instead of the paste-like texture that you might see at Chinese spots. The tarter-like sauce was definitely not needed here.

The mortadella tartine was really tasty. I could eat about 30 of these.

We also did their caviar service which was a generous heap of high quality caviar, cream, whipped bean puree, onion, chives, avocado and potato chips with a large bowl of fresh tortillas. This was really nice. I would definitely get this again.

For our mains, we did the fries and fish, which is a medium sized bowl of french fries and fried anchovies.

The anchovies were fresh, plump, light and crisp – not very fishy at all, and really tasty white meat.

We also did the Peekytoe crab omelette on rice, which I really loved.

This, the shellfish and the shrimp toast were probably my favorite items of the night. One thing I wish the omelette had was a crunch texture somewhere. Maybe some crispy fried shallots on top would do the trick. But I did appreciate the texture pops from the salmon roe on top. So good!

Finally, we finished off with their cinnamon toast sundae. The ice cream tasted like the cereal Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and the crunch element came from the tiny fried bombolini doughnuts on top. Absolute crack!

We can’t wait to go back to try more of the menu. The service was really great here too, as they gave us complimentary glasses of Lambrusco since we were celebrating our anniversary.

CACTUS WREN
98 Rivington St.
New York, NY 10002

Chelsea, Full Points for Flavor, Non-Steakhouse Steaks, NY Strip, Restaurant Reviews, Rib Eye, West Village

Crane Club

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I didn’t take great photos here, but the food, atmosphere, service and overall vibe is outstanding. The martinis are great, first off.

Second, the bread service is incredible. There’s semolina Italian bread, focaccia, and cacio e pepe babka, all service in an edible sourdough basket with whipped butter and a labneh onion dip.

We started the meal with a nice array of seafood to share: lobster tails, ebi shrimp cocktail, razor clams, baked cherrystone clams, and caviar service.

The pasta was killer. We did the butternut squash agniolotti, the frutti di mare spaghetti, and the baked shells. The baked shells tasted like French onion soup! Wild!

We also did some scalloped potatoes along with a burger and fries that they generally only serve downstairs to the exclusive Crane Club members. A real nice steakhouse style classic, and the fries are perfectly crisp and well seasoned.

For the mains, we tried the aged rib eye, the dover sole, and the parmigiano-aged NY strip steak. All of these were excellent, but the real stand out winner for me was the strip steak. It was so tender, so perfectly cooked, and so uniquely flavored. I can’t wait to go back for more! 10/10 for that baby, with a solid 9/10 for the rib eye.

 

For dessert, we tried the banana layer cake, the apple crisp, and the cheese cake. It was hard to choose a favorite here, but I think I was leaning toward the apple crumble the most.

I can’t wait to go back here to try more shit. This place is a real winner, and it makes for a perfect replacement to Del Posto.

CRANE CLUB
85 10th Ave.
New York, NY 10011

Lower East Side/Chinatown, Other, Restaurant Reviews

87 Ludlow

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87 Ludlow is a relatively new bar and restaurant that offers up an ice happy hour, chock full of nice cocktails and interesting Filipino food.

My wife and I stopped in for a quick meal last week. Here’s what we got:

Oyster Sisig, which I didn’t get a photo of, but you can see a bit of it in the beginning of this video here (my wife is mixing the quail egg into it):

Video Player

The Isaw (crispy pork intestines) was excellent!

I think the penang curry mussels were my favoritie though:

We also enjoyed the crispy pork knuckle.

And last, the uni noodles:

87 LUDLOW
87 Ludlow St.
New York, NY 10002

American, Brooklyn, Restaurant Reviews

Randazzo’s Clam Bar

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Randazzo’s is a spot I’ve always heard about but never got a chance to try, until now.

My wife and I were out at Coney Island, and we figured this would be a great spot for lunch after getting sand blasted on the windy beach that day.

 

We started with the combo platter of fried seafood with their famous spicy red sauce on top. It was awesome.

Really, the seafood is just fine or okay, but it’s the sauce that you really find yourself going back for over and over. So we took some home with us.

We also did their fried oyster and lobster roll sandwiches. Both were “meh” at best. The lobster was a cold lobster salad and not a warm lobster roll.

That said, they are expert with frying shit. The fries and zucchini were great, as was the batter on the oysters and calamari.

I would probably go back again, but I’d stick with the spicy calamari.

RANDAZZO’S CLAM BAR
2017 Emmons Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11235

Japanese, Restaurant Reviews

Sushi Fan

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First, check out my Ride & Review HERE:

This joint has a really nice 15-piece omakase for just $85. You get a lot of what would normally be “upgrade” toppings on the pieces, too. Things like uni, foie, etc. Here are some pics of everything we had (minus the hand roll).

My favorite was the wagyu beef with uni on top (obvious?). It was A5 rib eye!

I would definitely go back here again, and the joint is BYOB so that’s perfect! They also offer a super-upgraded 18-piece omakase for $140. But honestly, the 15-course is such a great value that I don’t think I’d get the 18-course.

SUSHI FAN
102 St Marks Pl.
New York, NY 10009

American, Restaurant Reviews, Union Square/Flatiron

Little Maven

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First, check out this awesome episode of Around the Hood in 8 Minutes, which features Little Maven.

My chef buddy Josh Capon opened this joint in late November, and I finally got a chance to check it out in the new year. The Cake Dealer’s birthday weekend is always filled with great food, and this was our first stop for the occasion.

We started with some great cocktails (get the Maven 75), and Josh sent over some bites for us to try out that highlight his fun menu.

Whipped Tahini

Tuna Tartare Cannolis (These are AMAZING)

Caesar Cups

The broiled oysters here are fantastic. Very similar to Capon’s famous broiled oysters from Bowery Meat Co.

This sizzling grilled octopus is so tender and tasty. The potatoes were perfectly seasoned and crisp.

We also had a delicious duck confit and mushroom ravioli dish that was on special, but I forgot to snap a pic. You’ll have to watch the video to see it, and to hear Josh explaining how to properly confit duck!

For the mains, we went with the dry aged duck and the steamed black bass in Thai green curry. The duck was one of the most tender and perfectly cooked I’ve had.

Absolutely stunning! It came with turnips and wine poached pears. Rich without being too heavy, which was the same comment I made about the ravioli.

The black bass really stole the show, however.

It came with a crispy rice cake and a mixed herb and green bean salad that were both so damn tasty when mixed with the green curry. It had a kick of spice without being too overpowering. I could eat this every day!

Josh also sent over some really unique and soft miso chocolate chip cookies, as well as a banana split for the birthday girl. Chocolate, vanilla, banana cream and strawberry/raspberry flavored ice creams. Save your appetite for dessert!

I can’t wait to go back and try more of the pasta dishes, and of course the steak frites.

LITTLE MAVEN
30 W 18th St
New York, NY 10011

American, Charleston, Restaurant Reviews

The Ordinary

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Our last meal of 2023 culminated with a seafood blowout in Charleston, at a joint called The Ordinary.

We started with a massive seafood tower, filled with all sorts of delicious raw and cooked goodies.

The best of the tower was probably the peel and eat shrimp, which was a shocker for me.

This oyster slider was superb too. Highly recommend it.

I also liked the smoked mussels here as well.

This clam toast was salty, and it ate more like a panzanella. But I did enjoy it.

This rock shrimp fried rice ate more like couscous or broken rice, and it wasn’t fried at all. That said, it was still very tasty.

For sides, we did the roasted squash and sweet potatoes. I could have passed on these.

Our two main fish dishes were roasted tilefish and mustard crusted flounder. Between these, the flounder was the easy winner. It was the best part of the meal.

This was a pretty good meal overall, and I would definitely recommend it to people heading down to Charleston and looking for good seafood.

THE ORDINARY
544 King St
Charleston, SC 29403

American, Charleston, Parms, Restaurant Reviews

Fig

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For our final meal of the trip to Charleston, we went to the often difficult to reserve Fig with a couple that I’m friends with who live nearby. I managed to score a last minute reservation at 9:15pm, and we ended up closing down the joint at close to midnight. It turned out to be our overall best meal of the trip. Let’s get into it…

We started with a bunch of items that we all shared. Broiled oysters aji dolce, chicken liver pate, raw hogfish (similar to snapper) with rice and popcorn (crazy!), lamb bolognese ricotta gnocchi, and wagyu beef tartare.

These were, each of them, all-star level dishes, and I am hard-pressed to pick a favorite among them. I would order each of them again in a heartbeat, but I think I was most surprised by the hogfish. It was so unique, and I’m a sucker for popcorn. The gnocchi was definitely meant to be a main dish, but we shared among the four of us.

For mains, we also went heavy with five dishes. Baked wreckfish, sautéed flounder, mustard crusted swordfish, Berkshire pork milanese and lump crab spaghetti with lemon and bottarga.

Again, everything really incredible. I think, though, what stood out the most to me was the swordfish. The capers and mustard crust really paired beautifully with the medium-rare cooked fish. Loved it!

For dessert, we went with these lemon curd cream puffs, which were really nice.

I highly recommend Fig if you’re in Charleston. Absolutely delicious!

FIG
232 Meeting St
Charleston, SC 29401

American, Charleston, Restaurant Reviews

Lowland Tavern

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This newly opened Charleston joint converts an old downtown townhouse into an elegant bar and restaurant space that serves up some modern American cuisine.

We started with some lighter bites, the tuna crudo (more like poke), and a celery salad.

Both were really nice and fresh, but the celery salad stole the show, of all things.

For entrees, we had a pasta dish consisting of a bolognese style sauce with shells, and grilled triggerfish with collards in broth.

Between these, the fish was the slight winner for me. While the flavor of the pasta sauce was delicious, the pasta itself was overcooked and a little mushy for my liking. The fish was a nice leaner style, tighter muscle flesh type of white fish. It reminded me of chicken breast!

For dessert, we had the banoffee pie, which was an absolute stunner, and easily the best dessert of the trip.

I would definitely go back here on future trips to Charleston, especially for the gorgeous bar in back.

LOWLAND TAVERN
36 George St
Charleston, SC 29401