NYC Good Eats

"It's like butter melting in your mouth." I don't know about you, but I like butter on my toast or on my mashed potatoes, not just a slab of it in my mouth. Gross. What a weird description, right? And why would that be the one you go to when describing an enjoyable meal? 

Well, now I know. Red Farm. Go there. Wait in line. Wait an hour if you must. It's worth it. 

It's been a while since I really had a great meal in New York. I mean, they are mostly all really good, but moving here three years ago has made my threshold for great meals relatively difficult to achieve. Red Farm made it.

Spicy Crispy Beef and 'Pac Man' Shrimp Dumplings

Please forgive the pictures...pathetic cell phone images that don't do the food justice. To boot, the most amazing thing we ate is not pictured as we inhaled it without pause. What was it? It was a chicken and truffle soup dumpling. DI-VINE. A special as well so please go and eat it and rave about it to everyone so they make it part of the regular menu. Now.

Red Farm's chefs are the duo of Ed Schoenfeld and Joe Ng, the latter affectionately labeled the "Dim Sum Master" on the Red Farm website. They aren't kidding. The 'Pac Man' shrimp dumplings were served with a side of guacamole and a sweet potato fritter. Luxurious. I don't even LIKE sweet potatoes and ate the whole thing without pause.

Sauteed Black Cod with Black Bean & Thai Basil

Back to that butter comment. What melted in my mouth like a pat of butter? What made me stoop to using that awkward and somewhat creepy metaphor? It was the Sauteed Black Cod. When we saw it on the menu I thought of Nobu's Black Cod. This is better. Maybe it's the black beans and the punchy peppers or the Thai Basil. The fish was cooked perfectly...as to melt in my mouth. Fantastique! Get it. You won't be sad.

They don't take reservations (of course), but they are way fancy with an iPad waiting list app so you give them your phone number and go down to the corner for a drinks or meander down Hudson and they'll shoot you a text when your table is ready. And now with the weather turning in our favor, what could be better? Get on it.

I must also acknowledge a few other super stars of the last six months. A big shout out to Talde, the new restaurant by Top Chef, Dale Talde, out in Prospect Heights. We went there on Friday and loved the Fluke Hawaiian buns and the short ribs...and their house-made hot sauce on the table...oh, I was eating that with my fork.

My other top stand-out is Empellon Taqueria, the upscale Mexican restaurant conceptualized by veteran pastry chef, Alex Stupak. Delicious-ness. I haven't had a dish there that didn't delight. We even were so brave as to go there for a set menu dinner (usually these aim to disappoint in my opinion) for New Years and all six of us left happy campers. We are trying out their new restaurant, Empellon Cocina, tonight. Cheers!