NYC Restaurant Week: At Aureole, farmed salmon fillet is no bargain

The highlight of my $25 three-course lunch at Aureole in Manhattan on Thursday was a starter of Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with Jicama, Bonito Cream, Cucumber and Purple Basil.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I've never met a farmed salmon fillet that packed the flavor and vibrant color of the wild-caught original.

So, you can imagine my disappointment at the pale-looking, artificially colored salmon I was served on Thursday, one of the three courses on the $25 Restaurant Week menu at Aureole in midtown Manhattan.

You'd expect more at a restaurant with the reputation of Aureole, which was fully booked for the bargain lunch on Thursday.

I was able to walk in and sit at a bar stool with a hard-leather seat, but there wasn't enough legroom to get as close as I wanted to the place setting and my food.

Unlucky 13

I counted the bar stools -- there were 13 -- and that didn't augur well. 

At least I enjoyed the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare starter, especially the pleasantly tart Bonito Cream and the contrast of the tender cubes of raw fish with crunchy jicama and cucumber.

With my main course, I liked the Herbed Couscous with Pomegranate seeds, but didn't touch a Citrus Hollandaise designed to give the bland salmon fillet some punch.

And the dessert, Vanilla Roasted Pineapple with Mango Lime Sorbet, was tasty, but I needed a knife to cut the fruit.

Aureole serves a small wooden bowl holding three kinds of bread, and on request, extra-virgin olive oil for dipping. 

All in all, a filling meal, and you can't beat the price.

Poached Salmon with Pomegranate Herbed Couscous (hold the Citrus Hollandaise, below). I wanted the farmed salmon medium rare, so the bartender said he'd ask the kitchen to grill the fillet. But it was served poached and medium.

Vanilla Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Macaroon and Mango Lime Sorbet.

Before lunch service started, the bartender cut lemons, above, and two servers methodically folded napkins, below.

Aureole is at 135 W. 42nd St., between Broadway and Sixth Avenue, Manhattan; 1-212-319-1660. Web site: 'Progressive American Cuisine'

Details

The Winter Restaurant Week promotion at more than 350 places in Manhattan runs through Feb. 5, with three-course lunches for $25 and three-course dinners for $38, plus tax and tip.

Lunches are a better value. If you pay for your meal with a registered American Express card, you will get a $5 statement credit (up to four times), and that covers a 20% tip at lunch.

Web site: $25 lunch in Manhattan

At Esca in N.Y.C., go for the bargain lunch, pass on pricey flight of wine

An entree of Cape Cod Sea Scallops, Venetian Red Rice and Caramelized Endive was on the Restaurant Week lunch menu this week at Esca, a high-end Italian seafood restaurant in Manhattan.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

On the bus ride into Manhattan for lunch at Esca, one of the city's top Italian seafood restaurants, I had my heart set on house-rolled dumplings in an unusual tuna bolognese sauce.

Esca is always my first choice during the semi-annual Restaurant Week promotion -- a three-course lunch for only $25, plus tax and tip, less than the price of an entree ordered a la carte.

It's only a couple of blocks from the bus station, but more importantly, I gave up eating meat and poultry years ago, and now enjoy seafood exclusively.

Esca, which serves an incredible variety of raw and cooked fish and other seafood, is co-owned by restaurateur Dave Pasternack, who is both a chef and an avid fisherman.

A walk-in

I got there a few minutes after noon on Thursday, and even though I was alone and hadn't reserved, I was shown to a corner table in one of the small dining rooms.

I had to ask for the special Restaurant Week menu, which will change daily, "inspired by the catch of the day," according to Esca's Web site.

And just when I thought my waiter was telling me too much about the preparation and ingredients of the Cavatelli with House-Made Tuna Bolognese, he mentioned one of the ingredients was pancetta -- a pork-belly bacon.

I passed, thinking it made no sense to put fatty, artery clogging pork in a heart-healthy dish of tuna, mackerel and other fish. 

To add robustness to the dish, anchovies would have made far more sense than pancetta.

Still, my bargain lunch was terrific: 

Complimentary olives, a warm crostini, and wonderfully crusty Italian bread, with fruity extra-virgin olive oil for dipping; spicy fish soup, a half-dozen sea scallops with extraordinary caramelized endive, and dessert to go. 

My starter was Zuppa Di Pesce Amalfitana, a fish soup in the style of Amalfi, with a spicy tomato-and-chili bruschetta.

Whining about wine

Since the 1990s, Restaurant Week lunches have always been about getting a terrific meal at some of the best restaurants in Manhattan for relatively little money, and not ordering extra-cost bottled water, soft drinks, iced tea, coffee or anything else that would upset the balance.

On Thursday, however, I decided to indulge myself by ordering a 2-ounce serving of Italian wine to go with each of my courses, a supplement of $17.

I loved the white from Friuli with my fish soup, the red from Tuscany with my scallops and the sweet dessert wine from Piedmont, but $17 for 6 ounces of wine isn't much of a deal.

I also objected to the use of large glasses without lines, unlike the ones you'll find in Montreal restaurants, asking my waiter how he knew he was pouring 2 ounces of wine.

And when it came time to add a gratuity, I departed from my past practice of not tipping on wine, because restaurants mark it up so much, and reluctantly left 15% on the food and wine total of $42.

Normally, I'd leave $5 or 20% on the $25 food bill.

If you enroll an American Express credit card and use it to pay for your $25 lunch, as I did, you'll receive a $5 statement credit for up to four such meals.

See: Spend $25, get $5 back

Car or bus?

Restaurant Week is ideal if you work in Manhattan or are visiting the city for business or pleasure. 

For residents of northern New Jersey like me, taking the bus into the city is the only real alternative to spending more than the price of a three-course lunch on the Hudson River toll and parking, not to mention fighting insane traffic.

A glass of Brandini Moscato D'Asti 2014 Piemonte, a sweet dessert wine, was served with my third course, Salted Caramel Semifreddo with Peanut Butter Ganache. After taking the photo, I asked for a take-out container and bag. 

A white wine from Friuli was served with my first course, a spicy fish soup.

I arrived without a reservation not long after the restaurant opened, and was shown to a table for two.

Before my fish soup and sea scallops, I enjoyed a complimentary warm crostini with beans and preserved mackerel, and olives, plus crusty bread and a small plate of extra-virgin olive oil for dipping.

Esca is at 402 West 43rd St., near Ninth Avenue, in Manhattan (212-564-7272). Service was excellent: My water glass was kept full, I was offered bread twice and luckily got the heel of a crusty Italian loaf, and my table was crumbed between courses.

The restaurant's Web site: Esca

Details

The Winter Restaurant Week promotion at more than 350 places in Manhattan runs through Feb. 5, with three-course lunches for $25, a better deal than three-course dinners for $38.

Esca is offering a three-course lunch menu for $25 Mondays through Fridays until Aug. 14

See nyc.go Web site for other participating restaurants: 

$25 three-course lunch

Exploring the Mediterranean at another bargain lunch in Manhattan

A quartet of Truffle Mushroom Croquettes -- crispy outside, creamy inside -- was one of the starters on the $25 lunch menu at Fig & Olive in midtown Manhattan. The dish includes cremini mushrooms, parmesan and bechamel with a Truffle Olive Oil aioli.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I picked the Mediterranean menu at Fig & Olive for my second Summer Restaurant Week lunch in Manhattan.

The $25 prix-fixe lunch, plus tax and tip, is a bargain, and includes bread service with a trio of extra-virgin olive oils.

The server put down two Spanish olive oils and one from California, describing the last as "grassy and herbaceous."

Olive oils from Greece, Spain and other countries also are used in many dishes.

Restaurant Week lunches include an appetizer, main course and dessert, selected from a limited menu, and no substitutions are allowed, not even fruit in place of dessert.

I don't eat dessert, and prefer the prix-fixe lunches I've seen advertised in Montreal -- appetizer, main course and coffee or tea -- usually for $20 or $21.

The Midtown branch, one of three Fig & Olives in Manhattan, has a dining room and bar on the first level and another dining room upstairs, with a total of 180 seats.

I made a noon reservation for me and my son on Thursday, and when we left, the restaurant was nearly full.

Both the food and service were great, and I felt pleasantly full after only two of the three courses.

On Thursday, my appetizer was Cucumber & Pink Peppercorn, a refreshing Chilled Cucumber Soup with mint, lemon, orange and shallot that was poured at the table. The soup is made without milk or cream.

Bread service included three extra-virgin olive oils.

For a main course, my personal Paella del Mar included shrimp, mussels and calamari over creamy rice with a saffron aioli and Hojiblanca Olive Oil.

My son picked Grilled Lamb on rosemary skewers, with Couscous, Greek Yogurt and Honey, and Koroneiki Olive Oil ($5 extra). A grilled caramelized fig, which he gave to me, was wonderful.

My son's dessert, Orange Panna Cotta with cookie crumble. I took home a second dessert, Crostinis with strawberries and mascarpone.

The second-level dining room on East 52nd Street, near Fifth Avenue, above and below.

The first-floor dining room and bar.

Details

Fig & Olive - Midtown, 10 E. 52nd St., near Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y.; 1-212-319-2002.

Summer Restaurant Week Web site:

$25 lunches, $38 dinners

By using a registered American Express card to pay, you can get a $5 statement credit for up to four lunches or dinners.

Enjoying a bargain lunch at a 1-star Michelin restaurant in Manhattan

Two of the starters available on the $25 lunch menu at Ai Fiori, a seafood restaurant in Manhattan, are Chilled Corn Soup, above, and a Salad with Manchego Cheese, below.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I picked Ai Fiori for lunch in Manhattan on the strength of a memorable four-course birthday dinner I enjoyed a few years ago at an affiliated restaurant, Marea.

And what better time to try Ai Fiori than during Summer Restaurant Week, when hundreds of city restaurants offer $25 three-course lunches and $38 three-course dinners?

Normally, Ai Fiori offers a two-course lunch for $45, plus $18 for an additional course.

Both of us chose the Pan-Roasted Skate Wing for our entree, but we had to ask for slices of lemon.

Ai Fiori has 1 Michelin star

When we walked into a Fifth Avenue hotel in the 30s, where Ai Fiori is located, we saw a sign noting the restaurant has been awarded 1 Michelin star in the 2015 guide (out of 3).

That's great, I thought, and while we loved the food and attentive service, I now wonder how a fine-dining restaurant kitchen could send out a seafood dish without a slice of lemon.

I started with a Salad of crisp Baby Lollo Rossa Lettuce, other greens and Manchego Cheese, with a dressing that included aged sherry.

My wife had the refreshing Chilled Corn Soup with charred corn, Calabrian chili and basil, and a waiter poured it out of a pitcher at the table.

The soup tasted creamy even though it had a milk base, according to the maitre d'.

Skate, hold the thin ice

Both of us chose the Pan-Roasted Skate Wing with Couscous, which was made with olives, broccoli and tomato aioli.

At my request, the skate was prepared with olive oil instead of butter. It was crisp outside and moist inside, and it benefited from a little fresh lemon juice from slices we asked for. 

For our third course, we wanted berries, but weren't allowed substitutions for the Chocolate Tort or a second dessert listed as Meringue.

So, we asked for the desserts to go for another family member who has no dietary restrictions.

Our two lunches totaled $50 before tax and a 20% tip, and by using a registered American Express Card t0 charge them, I'll get a $5 statement credit.

Ai Fiori serves butter with bread, but I asked for extra-virgin olive oil into which to dip the crusts, and used some of it over my salad.

The restaurant's dining room, above and below, is on the second floor of the Langham Place Fifth Avenue Hotel, accessible via a winding marble staircase.

We had a comfortable corner banquette, and were able to get seated before our 12:15 p.m. reservation.

Ai Fiori has 1 Michelin star, and Marea, which heads the Altamarea Group of restaurants, now has 2 Michelin stars.

We walked to the restaurant from the midtown bus terminal, pausing to look at Seward Johnson sculptures displayed in a pedestrian mall that runs for several blocks along Broadway. Above, one of the two figures in "Los Mariachis."

Table and chairs are set up on Broadway for people having an al fresco lunch, including a man who said he paid a bargain $2.75 for two slices of pizza and a soft drink at a nearby pizzeria.

"Monet, Our Visiting Artist" is the title of this Seward Johnson sculpture.

Instead of driving into the city and blowing a small fortune on gasoline, the Hudson River toll and parking, we took the bus from our home in North Jersey. Round-trip for two was $12.30.

Details

Ai Fiori, 400 Fifth Ave., Second Level, in Langham Place Fifth Avenue Hotel, Manhattan; 1-212-613-8660.

Restaurant Web site: 

Cuisine from the Italian and French Riverias

NYC Summer Restaurant Week continues through Aug. 14, except Saturdays. Web site: 

$25 lunch is best value

NYC Restaurant Week lunch is a far better deal than dinner

Skate Wing with Chickpea Puree, Roasted Vegetables and Arugula at Fulton, a Manhattan restaurant owned by Citarella.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Fulton -- named after the famous fish market of the same name -- is a restaurant from Citarella, known for upscale markets selling pristine seafood, meat and produce.

The Upper East Side restaurant also is one of hundreds offering three-course lunches for $25 and three-course dinners for $38 during the city's semi-annual Restaurant Week, which ends Aug. 15.

Lunch is a far better value, as I discovered at dinner on Wednesday at Fulton, where the two fixed-price menus are virtually identical.

I enjoyed my meal: An appetizer of the tenderest octopus I have ever had, a generous portion of skate wing with roasted vegetables and two kinds of sorbet to finish.

The restaurant is just around the corner from a Citarella market on Third Avenue.

An appetizer of Grilled Octopus with Potato, Chermoula and Cured Lemon. The waiter said the octopus is tenderized for three hours in boiling water, and it showed. 

Moroccan marinade, stacked skate 

The octopus was marinated in chermoula, a Moroccan seafood sauce made with cilantro, parsley, garlic and other ingredients. 

Two pieces of local skate wing were stacked with chickpea puree and roasted vegetables.

Skate is normally tender, which this one was, but some of it was annoyingly chewy and stringy.

I left a 15% tip, and took advantage of an American Express promotion during Restaurant Week by registering my card and using it to pay for the meal, giving me a statement credit of $5.

That brought the cost of dinner down to $33, plus tip and tax. As I was leaving, the hostess handed me two cookies.

Still, I plan to stick with lunch during the rest of Summer Restaurant Week.

Mango and raspberry sorbet with fresh mint leaves. Fulton's Restaurant Week dinner menu offers tiramisu, but I asked the waiter for something lighter and to tell the kitchen not to cook my food with butter. 

Bread service: Crusty rolls and extra-virgin olive oil.

You can't tell from the dining room, but Fulton was busy on Wednesday evening, with most customers sitting at outside tables, enjoying $1 oysters and $6 glasses of prosecco during Happy Hour, below.

Happy Hour menu.

Fulton Restaurant, 205 E. 75th St., New York, N.Y.; 1-212-288-6600. 

Web site: Citarella's seafood restaurant

Restaurant Week lunch is still a bargain

Sauteed Skate Wing at db Bistro Moderne in Manhattan.

Braised Beef Paleron.

Restaurant Week lunches in Manhattan now cost $25 for three courses, up from $24.07.

That's still a good deal for a meal that would cost $40 or more, if ordered a la carte.

On Friday, my wife and I enjoyed great food and service at db Bistro Moderne on West 44th Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, one of Chef Daniel Boulud's restaurants.

Farm Salad with mushrooms, cheese and walnuts.

I had a sumptuous wild-mushroom soup, a melt-in-your mouth sautéed skate wing with leeks, kale, mushrooms and a Romesco sauce; and a dessert of cheese, dried fruit and raisin bread.

This was an indulgent lunch, with creme fraiche floating on the thick soup, slices of olive and raisin bread, and two full-fat cheeses.

My wife started with a wonderful farm salad and chose braised beef in a red wine sauce for her entree.

She hasn't developed a taste for mushrooms, so I speared them from her salad and entree.

Assiette de Fromages.

'Creamsicle'

Her dessert was called Creamsicle -- citrus sponge cake, vanilla custard and orange sherbet.

The dining room was packed and noisy, but service was excellent.

The Winter Restaurant Week promotion runs through Feb. 8. Menus and other details can be found at www.nycgo.com.