Yaku suffered from an odd location (an apartment building with very little walking traffic, and a strange name (is it Japanese? Is it Latin? Is it Fusion?).
I only had a chance to visit once before it closed in January 2010. Service was very good (contrary to some reviews) and the food was very mixed. The dumplings we had (pictured at bottom) were quite good - as were the other appetizers, but the main courses were lacking.
Restaurateur Mauricio Fraga-Rosenfeld, founder of the Latin Concepts group, still has a number of other locations in his stable, including the nearby Gua-Rapo.
Meal: Dinner Rating: ** Date: 8 November 2010 Address: 1900 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 Website:http://www.latinconcepts.com/
You'll probably recognize the outside of this restaurant if you ever watched Seinfeld. Though it was called "Monks Cafe" in the sitcom and a used a different interior, the wrap-around neon sign was unmistakable. But I came by Tom's Restaurant from another pop-culture angle, Suzanne Vega's 1987 son, "Tom's Diner."
Doo doo doo doo, doo da-doo doo ...
So, after hoping off the M60 bus at 125th St., I strolled down past the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and popped into Tom's to find myself "sitting at the counter." Since it wasn't breakfast, I didn't order coffee, but instead got a burger, fries and ice tea. The restaurant was packed with late brunchers and lunchers; the counter itself was packed elbow to elbow, but the counter help was friendly and served me quickly.
The mostly Greek staff had me thinking for a minute about the Billy Goat Tavern ("Cheezborger!"). Burgers at both were pretty good (basic and nothing fancy), and like the BIlly Goat, there was a touristical element (tee-shirts!), but it was a good meal and looked like a fun local spot.
Rumor had it that Isabella's was known to harbor celebrities. Seinfeld had been spotted there as well as a selection of Baldwins. Well, if they were there, I didn't see them. But the fault could have been that I was with a large group. A really large group, sixteen people. For whatever reason, the reserved table didn't work out, so three of us peeled off to be the satellite "kids" table. Ended up working out well!
The three of us decided to split two of the tasty salads for starters. We went with the Poached Bosc Pear Salad (Wild Arugula, Camembert Cheese, Toasted Walnuts) and the Warm Goat Cheese (Organic Beets, Baby Greens, Toasted Macadamia Nuts, Sherry Vinaigrette). Both were good, but I liked the warm goat cheese best (the beets were fabulous).
For entrees, we all went with meat. A filet mignon, pepper crusted sirloin, and my choice, the Creekstone Farms Boneless Short Rib (with Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Baby Vegetables). The meats were all quite good and well prepared. The short rib was for tender and the sides done just right.
As regular readers know, I'm not usually a dessert person, but our table decided to split the Dark Chocolate "Bag" (Fresh Raspberry Mousse, Seasonal Berries Filled & Topped with Fresh Whipped Cream). Tasty, but, again, I'm just not big on desserts.
Isabella's also offered a nice wine selection and the service (especially for our large group) was handled well. Overall a nice dinner.
Amsterdam Bars: Amsterdam Avenue that is!
While staying on the Upper West Side for some meetings, I had the opportunity to visit a number of interesting bars on or just off Amsterdam Avenue between around 79th and 82nd streets.
In order of visits, they were:
The Gin Mill
Cava
Dead Poet
420
Jake's Dilemma
The Gin Mill and Jake's were the best of the bunch in terms of the great dive bar ambiance (see The Horsehoe and Little Shamrock in San Francisco or the Capitol Lounge in DC). The Gin Mill was having a very happy happy hour during my visit and the bar was loud and crowded. The drinks, however, were practially free! Three drinks (for our group) for around $12 (with a liberal tip). I visted Jake's on a Monday, just after 5 pm, and it was pretty quiet, a couple people shooting pool, some playing beer pong and one or two at the bar. Again, great happy hour prices and we added some tasty nachos to the table. Both spots, great finds.
Cava was a much different spot, focused on wine. Nice tasteful wood paneling with bottles from their extensive collection lining the upper walls. On a nice spring afternoon, the best part was the large windows that opened up onto 80th Street.
Since the night was still young and some of the group was a bit chilled by the open windows, so we moved on to The Dead Poet. A loud, crowded Irish pub, we found a table for our group and focused on a selection of Smithwicks and Guiness.
After a lovely dinner at Isabel's, a small group of us stopped off at 420 for a little nightcap. The place was nearly empty and nice and quiet for some shop talk. The bartender was cheerful and helpful and made for nice end of the day.
Gin Mill Meal: Drinks Rating: *** Date: 21 March 2010 Address: 442 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY Website:http://www.nycbestbar.com/ginmill/
Cava Wine Bar Meal: Drinks Rating: **** Date: 21 March 2010 Address: 185 West 80th Street, New York, NY 10024 Website: http://www.cavanyc.com/
Dead Poet Meal: Drinks Rating: ** Date: 21 March 2010 Address: 450 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024 Website:http://www.thedeadpoet.com/
420 Meal: Drinks Rating: **** Date: 21 March 2010 Address: 420 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024 Website: N/A
Jake's Dilemma Meal: Drinks Rating: **** Date: 22 March 2010 Address: 430 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024 Website:http://www.nycbestbar.com/jakes/
