2008 June « WeCouldEat @ the GrubHub

High Class Mexican

June 3, 2008 — wecouldeat

Pampano
209 East 49th (2/3), NYC

Pampano is an excellent restaurant from the king of high class Mexican dining, Richard Sandoval. I visited his other NYC place, Maya, a number of years ago, and it was quite good, although a little stuffy and expensive. But Pampano gets it right on all counts. The space is white and airy with funky beige ceiling fans and a large outdoor sundeck (although it was raining on our visit). The service was friendly and efficient and the menu was alluring and creative. Of course you get what you pay for, and Pampano is on par with other nicer Manhattan restaurants. But he had their delicious pre-fixe $26 lunch. We chose the shrimp empanada, and ceviche for apps. I don’t usually love ceviche, but this was firm and flavorful. The mains were pork enchiladas and skirt steak with garlic chorizo mashed potatoes. The rice pudding for dessert was nice, however the other, 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, was surprisingly plain. Everything was outstanding and the portions were quite large. We also ordered the guacamole, but really did not need to. I would definitely recommend Pampano and the lunch menu for a wonderful, luxurious oasis in midtown. It was one of the best meals we have had in quite some time.

Posted in mexican, midtown east. Leave a Comment »

The S’Mac Down

June 3, 2008 — wecouldeat

S’Mac
345 East 12th Street, NYC

A place that only serves mac & cheese?!? Sign me up! Well that’s what I thought at first, but in really analyzing the nature of this type of “One Trick Pony”, I have had other thoughts lately. S’Mac stands for Sarita’s Mac & Cheese and has gotten a ton of press because of its all-mac & cheese menu and East Village location. The menu is interesting with a dozen or so kooky variations that are considerably more delicious and fun than the Kraft product. We had the Garden Lite, an all-vegetable, and the Parisienne, with figs, brie and mushrooms. They were a tasty snack before our main dinner an hour later.

I think the problem is that there is no heart here. It is a contrived concept that only wants to make money, not genuine grub. The counter person had the same interest in food and love for his job as your typical Duane Reade cashier. This place shamelessly self-promotes and you get the feeling that there will be one in every mall soon. It is similar to Totally Baked (see review), now that I think about it, in its distanced vibe and concept, the difference is that baked potatoes are a great, fun snack food. Don’t get me wrong, I love mac & cheese but I want it with a full meal in a comfortable setting, not in a fast food environment.

As far as these One Trick Ponies, I have been skeptical since I waited on an hour long line for BB Sandwich Bar in 2001. My feeling is that when they are fun snack foods: pudding, hot dogs, fries, knishes, they are great; when they are trying to be mass-produced and a substitute for dinner, they fall short.

Posted in american, down home, east village. 2 Comments »

Michael Angelo’s

June 3, 2008 — wecouldeat

Michael Angelo’s II
29-11 23rd Ave, Astoria
Michael Angelo’s is a local Italian restaurant with a narrow facade that gets lost among other notable establishments on its block, like Stamatis and Club 23. After passing by dozens of times, we decided to finally give it a shot. The inside is small with only a few tables, but there is a sparsely decorated covered patio where we sat. The service was friendly with a strong neighborhood feel, where one should feel at home, although we did not for some reason. The food was fine. The best dish was a warm fava bean and artichoke salad. Fava beans are so underrated in most cuisine, and are really hearty and satisfying. Spud got a standard chicken spinach pasta dish and I had the thin crust mushroom pizza which had a very rich marsala sauce on it. The first slice was great, but went downhill fast – I didn’t even eat the leftovers – which is saying a lot if you know me. Although the plain thin crust cheese pizza looked very good.

So there is nothing wrong with Michael Angelo’s, its just that we wouldn’t rush back. But let me qualify that by saying that we hardly ever go to Italian restaurants. Spud likes to cook Italian and is quite good at it, so unless it’s going to be spectacular, we usually cook or order from the pizza joints. So don’t let me dissuade you from Michael Angelo’s, you might really enjoy it.