Je & Jo: A sweet goodbye to Hell's Kitchen

As I neared the end of packing my apartment for my move to Philly, I moved into the stage of trying to use up everything in my fridge and freezer. That included the ice cream that I always have on hand; once that was done, I had a few nights left to have some last desserts in NYC. When I heard the news that Je & Jo ice cream had opened up a tiny storefront just about a block away from me, I knew their innovative four-ounce cookie-dough ice cream cups would be one of my last NYC tastes.

I asked the friendly counter worker for her recommendation as I tried to choose among the vanilla (with chocolate chip cookie dough), peanut butter (with peanut butter cookie dough), or vegan coconut (no cookie dough). Upon her counsel, I chose the classic vanilla with chocolate chip.

Like a new-school Hoodsie

It comes in a cute little compostable container, and it's inherently portion-controlled, which is nice. My only complaint about the pre-packed cup format is that it precludes sampling, which is my usual way of choosing my ice cream flavor. That aside, it's cute and portable, if a bit pricey at $4 (that'd be $1 an ounce, folks). Of course, it's all-natural, hand-made, and all that jazz.

But how does it taste? Aside from the very top and edges of the ice cream, which suffer from a bit of freezer exposure due to the paper lid and container, pretty darn delicious. The vanilla flavor is pure and, well, natural: it tastes like vanilla and cream. The cookie dough, of which there were about two medium-sized chunks, was appealingly gritty, with tiny chocolate chip specks for a little chocolate flavor. The only problem here is the distribution; it seemed as they had partially filled the cup with ice cream, then laid a couple pieces of cookie dough on top, and then finished with another layer of ice cream, creating sort of a parfait, or an inverse ice cream sandwich, if you will. So it's tough to access the cookie dough when you're digging through a lot of ice cream; you sort of have to smoosh around the ice cream as you eat to get to that middle layer. In sum, I wish there had been a whole lot more cookie dough, and I wish it had been more evenly distributed.

Ice cream layer, then cookie dough layer

But that's only because it was delicious. Flavor-wise, ice cream and cookie dough were both noteworthy, and I support both the ethos of the company and the friendliness of the staff. Even though I'm moving away, I'm glad I got a chance to try Je & Jo, and I hope they thrive. Make the trek west to support them yourself-- your taste buds, if not necessarily your wallet, will thank you.

Je & Jo

515 W. 47th, between 10th and 11th Avenues

212-967-4856

Hola, Patron

Remember Flavor? The martini bar whose arrival I announced last November? Well, it was open for approximately a week and a half, and then it closed. Whenever I walked past it, even when it was ostensibly "open," the grate was down. I'm not sure I ever saw anybody in there. It's been closed for good for a while now.

Ole?

So it wasn't a surprise when I walked past earlier this week and a brand new awning was up. Welcome, Patron Mexican Grill! If your cartoonishly bright primary color scheme doesn't get people in the door, nothing will. Best of luck in what is perhaps a cursed space (four-plus restaurants/bars in the four years I've been here...).

A(nother) new wine bar in the mix

Walking down 9th Avenue the other day, I noticed that one of the under-construction storefronts between 45th and 46th Streets had come to life:

Wine bar!

Welcome to Hell's Kitchen, La Carafe wine bar! The space, previously Fragolino, is tiny, but the menu is pretty extensive and it definitely LOOKS like a wine bar inside. As a lover of wine, I'm all for it-- the more, the merrier!

La Carafe, 653 Ninth Avenue between 45th and 46th Streets, no phone that I can track down

Celebrate the coming of warmth with... ice cream, of course

Now, this may come as a surprise, but the other day, it was...warm out. Yes, warm, as in, spring-- sunshine-- 70s. And since we all know the weather gods may revoke such privilege at any moment, it makes ample sense to celebrate it when we have it, no? So after dinner and a quick drink with SL, I trotted over to Holey Cream on my way home for some celebratory frozen treats.

They had both my favorite flavors from last year, so I got a small cup with half of each. Sadly, the two flavors were perched one on top of the other rather than side by side, so I had to do some Macgyvering to get alternating bites of each. The top scoop was their iconic chocolate peanut butter frozen yogurt, a low fat concoction featuring chocolate yogurt studded with chocolate chips and ample ribbons of alluringly frozen peanut butter. The bottom scoop was their berry pomegranate with granola, a vanilla frozen yogurt base with swirls of berry jam and the occasional crunchy granola cluster. Both flavors are something special, but the latter is powerfully sweet; the combination of the two helps cut the sweetness somewhat.

Their portions are impressively ample

So there ya go. Spring, ice cream, deliciousness. It's pretty simple, no?

Holey Cream
Ninth Avenue and 53rd Street
212-247-8400

Welcome Donna Bell's!

A new bake shop has stealthily popped up right near the entrance to the 50th Street C/E subway stop on the corner of 49th and 8th: Donna Bell's. It's a Southern bakery with offerings ranging from cupcakes and cakes to scones, breakfast items, and even sandwiches and other savories. I popped my head in during their soft opening and was told everything is homemade; the goodies looked tasty and charming in a, well, homemade way. I'll stop in soon to sample the wares...

Well hello there!

Donna Bell's
301 W. 49th Street at 8th Avenue
212-582-8463

Back to Medi for more wine and olives

As I vowed the last time I tried Medi Wine Bar, I went back as soon as I could, this time with friend AS in tow. We sat in the corner of the bar amidst a frenzy of activity between the bar and the kitchen, but for the most part everyone working there seemed to be having a good time, so it was more convivial than distracting.

For wine, AS chose a cotes du rhone and I selected a glass of Ciro Bianco from Italy. This was a surprise delight: lightly sweet at first sip, fruity and a bit floral, and thoroughly delightful.

That's mah wine!

And of course, I got a dish of the olives. They were just as meaty, salty, and delightful as last time.

Such a wonderful variety

Medi is great. It's laid back, reasonably priced, and delicious. What more could you ask for in a wine bar?

Medi Wine Bar
811 Ninth Avenue, between 53rd and 54th Streets
212-586-1201

After Bai Cha comes...?

The spot that formerly housed Thai street food purveyor Bai Cha didn't stay unoccupied for long. Today I spotted a new awning up, just over a week after noticing Bai Cha's departure. And so, with very little ado at all, it's (almost) time to welcome to the Hell's Kitchen dining scene...Out Latin Food!

Huh.

Could this be what its name seems to suggest it is? Speculation could lead us astray here, so instead I merely wait patiently for the spot to unveil itself officially...

Bai Cha gone?!

I walked down Ninth Avenue this afternoon and saw a curious sight between 48th and 49th: a missing awning and shuttered storefront where recently there wasn't one. A quick racking of my brain reminded me that this was Bai Cha, that Thai-ish street food offshoot of Chili Thai a few doors down. Gone already, when it only opened in August?! Sad!

Bye bye, Bai Cha

White is the new black (sesame)

Yes, it happened, the moment we all knew was coming sooner rather than later. I indulged in my inaugural Kyotofu soymilk soft serve of the season, and readers, it was delicious.

This time around I was drawn by the "white sesame" flavor. You all know I'm a huge fan of the black sesame, and I figured that white sesame could be equally intriguing. I was right; white sesame is incredibly delicious, with a similar peanut-buttery bite at first taste that retires quickly into a mellow vanilla after a couple of cold mouthfuls.

Overflowing fruit compote

I chose the black sesame with a swirl of their chocolate flavor, which is a pretty inspired pairing, but next time I go back (I mean, let's be honest, there will definitely be a next time) I think I'll just get the white sesame on its own. Problem is, the chocolate is so assertive that the delicate white sesame flavor is almost completely overwhelmed, so you end up with what's basically a cup of chocolate soft serve. Not that that's bad, mind you, but if you want to let the white sesame shine, you've gotta give it top billing.

Till next time, Kyotofu...

Kyotofu
705 Ninth Avenue, between 48th and 49th Streets
212-974-6012

Bye-bye Ciro, hello West End

Behold, the newest entrant into the Hell's Kitchen dining game, West End Bar and Grill, located at the corner of 49th and 8th:

We're waiting...

This swanky looking joint replaced Ciro, which "went on vacation" and never came back. I'm excited-- West End looks interesting, and we could always use some more options around that area. Stay tuned...

Giving Pure another try

This past week, my dad was in town for vacation, so many delicious meals were eaten, and many Broadway shows were seen (Book of Mormon = Best. Show. Ever). The first of said delicious meals was pre-theater, which always makes for a curious conundrum-- it's gotta be relatively quick, something yummy but not too fussy. For some reason, I steered us toward Pure Thai Shophouse.

Now, I know things hadn't gone so well the last time, but I'd had a craving for their dumplings (which I knew were the same as the ones at Land) for a while, so on we went. We were perched at a semi-communal table in the back on the same uncomfortable backless stools; peppy emo-rock blared all around us. It took a while for the server to take our order, but once she did, the food arrived quite quickly.

They had the same awesome crushed ice in their drinks. It's just a really cool touch, I think.

Extra nice with crushed ice

And then, the food: Dad got chicken pad thai, which he really enjoyed. It's a well-sized portion, too: not too large, but not so small that you're still hungry at the end.

Pretty pad thai

We shared an order of the vegetable dumplings. They're exactly as I remember them, and damn, those dumplings are good. Though I ordered an extra cup of dipping sauce, I still would have liked more sauce, but even with the sauce rationed the dumplings were their same peanutty, hearty, mushy-in-a-good-way vegetabley selves.

Hello again!

And I got the papaya salad, vegetarian-style, once again. I noted on the receipt that they actually make it without fish sauce-- not just without the shrimp-- when you request it vegetarian, which is really thoughtful. And again, the salad was decent but not stellar, and again it was mouth-searingly spicy despite my request for mild. It actually hurt to eat this. Hurt so good? Kind of.

Crazy spicy

And there we were. I'd say that we had more success this time-- those dumplings really elevate Pure's game. This past visit converted me from a Pure skeptic to one who appreciates having Land-style dumplings a little closer to home.

Pure Thai Shophouse
766 Ninth Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets
212-581-0999

Bathtubs of wine and inadvertent art at Casellula

Last Sunday, I met up with AS at Casellula for a drink, a bite, and a chat session. It was pouring sheets of humid, chilly rain, and Casellula was warm and dimly lit and inviting, so the scene was right.

As you may know, I'd been to Casellula before, so there weren't all that many surprises. But what did make an appearance were huge, bathtub-sized glasses of wine. Seriously-- props to Casellula for extremely generous pours; I'd estimate each glass of wine was really the size of two (or more) regular glasses. AS got the pinot noir, which she praised as interesting and a bit different from what she'd expected. I got a glass of the goldmuskateller, a wine I'd never had before. It turned out to be truly delicious-- ever so slightly sweet, alluringly fragrant, and all around addictive. If I ever see this intriguing variety on a restaurant wine list, I'd definitely order it again.

Unusual...

Goldmuskawhat?

To go with our wine, we ordered a dish of olives. This was the standard tasty marinated mix with a good variety of the glossy, salty orbs. At one point I managed to spill about half the cup when attempting to spear an olive with my fork; fortunately, in my infinite talents, my spill turned out to be extremely artful. Behold, a food installation:

So artistic!

AS also indulged in a beet and brussels sprout salad. While the salad was tasty, particularly with the flavorful pecorino cheese, it took a few bites to realize that the bed of shredded lettuce was actually the sprouts. Given that brussels sprouts can be so delicious when caramelized and roasted, raw, shredded sprouts seem a bit of a waste, no?

Looks like shredded lettuce

We had quite a good time sitting at the bar and watching the cook assemble the appealing dishes, from cheesy panini sandwiches to huge slices of kumquatsicle cake (yes, really), in the tiny "kitchen" workspace. And we had quite a good time drinking our wine and eating our food. What's not to like?

Casellula
401 W. 52nd Street at 9th Avenue
212-247-8137

Ruby et violette ushers in a new phase of existence

Readers, you know that I am nothing if not honest. On Life With Food and Drink, I give you the truth, the honest truth, nothing but the truth, so help me (restaurant) God(s). And so here's another bit of unvarnished truth: I've made a mistake. A huge mistake.

I've lived in Hell's Kitchen for almost four years now, if you include a summer before I moved here officially. And all that time I've been erring. Badly. Because here's the situation: Before last week, I'd never been to Ruby & Violette, a little cookie and ice cream shop a mere TWO BLOCKS from my apartment.

What a fool I've been. Sure, it's unassuming, a tiny sunken storefront that looks like a cross between a '50s soda shop and Alice in Wonderland's living room. There are a couple tables and a counter, and that's it. Except that's not it: Behind the counter lies some of the (if not THE, point-blank) city's best ice cream.

The concept behind Ruby & Violette's ice cream is cookie dough-- each flavor is packed with chunks of their creative cookie dough concoction. And by chunks, I do mean chunks, each a bit bigger than a Starburst and just as chewy and dense. Oh, and there are large chocolate chips in most of the flavors too.

I tried the Friday Night Foosball flavor, with peanut butter ice cream and Chex-mix packed cookie dough and some Chex mix pieces sprinkled in throughout. It was a rich, peanut buttery blast.

Oh, and each taste is like three bites in itself

But my first taste, and my ultimate selection, was First Kiss, a caramel ice cream with dark chocolate chips and hunks of sea-salt-flecked dark chocolate cookie dough. The caramel flavor of the ice cream was cool and pure and perfect in combination with the incredibly rich cookie dough and the snappy dark chocolate pieces. One scoop of this is enough to fill the hungriest belly.

A tall cup and a classy-looking silver plastic spoon

Oh, and if they happen to offer you a "taste" of their brownie while you're waiting, don't turn it down. It just may be damn near the best brownie you've ever tasted, fudgy and melting, simultaneously rich and light, a texture alchemy that doesn't seem possible.

Brownie bite

I just spent the last four years without this ice cream, and now I have a whole heck of a lot of catching up to do. Don't make the same mistake I did.

Ruby et Violette
457 W. 50th Street, near 10th Avenue
212-582-6720

Traffic plugging along on 9th Ave

Traffic, the east side bar that's opening a new location in Hell's Kitchen at 9th Avenue and 48th Street, has begun to strip down the impenetrable plywood that's covered it for months. Behold, some garage doors:

Now the plywood is BEHIND the garage doors...

But don't be fooled-- a peak inside reveals that they still have a loooooong way to go on the interior. Wonder when they'll open? Hmmm...

Medi Wine Bar: Finally!

Finally, the moment I've been waiting for (literally) for several months: Medi Wine Bar is open on Ninth Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets! This place has been under construction for months, if not over a year, and I'm always eager for another wine bar to grace the neighborhood, so I've been waiting with bated breath. Well, consider my breath bated no longer, for she is open, friends! A quick glance at the menu in front reveals a lengthy list of Italian-ish wines by the glass and a typical wine-bar-esque menu of small plates and other bites. Can't wait to try it out...

Pretty storefront

Medi Wine Bar
811 Ninth Avenue, between 53rd and 54th Streets
212-586-1201

JT? Is that you?!?

File this under things I knew many months ago and then promptly forgot immediately... Hell's Kitchen is getting a Southern Hospitality! I'm not sure if Justin Timberlake is technically still involved with the restaurant or not, but either way, the signage went up on the space at the corner of 45th and 9th while I was away last weekend. Voila:

Chicken & waffles? Pulled pork? Check and check.

Very soon, the neighborhood will have more burgers, ribs, beer, and BBQ. Yeeeeeee-hawwwww!

What's up with Ciro?

I just passed by Ciro, the Italian joint on the corner of Eighth Ave and 49th, and found all the windows papered over. The place has been there forever-- many years, at least-- and I've only been there once, for various reasons I'll leave off this blog. But back to the situation: Not only is there paper on the windows, but there's a sign on the door proclaiming "We are closed for vacation and will re-open next week." Eh? In my book, usually a vacation doesn't necessitate window-papers (and which week is "next" week, anyway?), so either we're looking at a gut reno (possible) or a new resto a'comin' (probable). Stay tuned...

Check that paper

What games are you up to, "Management"?

Watch your mouth at Elsewhere

After a last-minute summons last Saturday evening, I skipped out into the frigid night to meet JR at Elsewhere. It's the newest entry into the Hell's Kitchen dining scene, provided by the folks behind House of Cheese Casellula.

JR had gotten to the restaurant just before me, and apparently the host had told him there was a waitlist. I looked around the nearly-empty restaurant and asked the host how long the wait was; he said there was a table in the indoor garden area that was available immediately. Um, okay? We'll take that. Right then.

So we sat in the indoor garden, which was actually quite lovely. There's a big (real) tree, and although the patio-furniture-style tables were slightly rickety and a bit obnoxious, it's nice to have a bit of the (faux) outdoors in the city.

We ordered from the not-quite-friendly but not-quite-rude server, and our drinks arrived promptly. JR went for a glass of red. Since it was still early in the night, I went for a glass of water. Oh, and the menu notes that Elsewhere only serves water upon request. Sure. I get it (I'm actually very pro-conservation), but it struck us both as unnecessarily standoffish and/or a bit holier-than-thou to state it like that on the menu. How about just having your servers ask tables if they'd like water? That gets to the same end without the whiff of alienation.

Anyway, how was the food? The menu has options of various sizes, from "share these" to "smaller" to "larger." We chose a couple of the "share these" and one "smaller" for my meal.

The first bite to arrive was the horseradish popcorn. It looked innocuous enough, and upon first bite, it was actually rather bland. I expected a salty, spicy punch of horseradish, but it actually manifested itself in a rather creeping heat that soon filled your mouth. It was one of those things that kind of grew on you after a couple of kernels. One warning: this popcorn is absolutely, positively drenched in oil (or butter? it tasted more like oil). I had maybe a quarter of the bowl, and without going into too much detail, I'll say that that quarter bowl haunted me for the rest of the night... if your stomach is not used to really heavy, greasy foods, this will throw you for a loop. Consider yourself warned.

If you look closely, you can actually see the oil

On to lighter things. JR ordered the Dilly chili green beans, which were pickled haricots verts with a chili kick. And when I say kick, I mean "roundhouse to the taste buds," because a few green beans in and JR was positively tearing up and groping for water across the table. These little buggers were spicy as hell.

Fire in the hole!

I thought I'd escaped the fiery torment, but turns out my own selection--"baby beets, horseradish cream, chestnuts"-- was incredibly spicy as well. The little beets tasted almost pickled and were quite delicious, with an assertive vinegary bite; the horseradish cream was really mild, providing only the heat from the horseradish and very little additional flavor (it made me yearn for the tang of the traditional goat cheese accompaniment). As far as I could tell, there were no hazelnuts in this dish, only a showering of parmesan. It was an interesting take on the traditional beet salad, and on balance it was enjoyable. Plus, it cleared out my sinuses.

Also surprisingly spicy

So, I suppose it's time to rate Elsewhere. To be honest, I'm a bit torn. I really, really wanted to like the place; I wanted it to feel welcoming and warm and... well, like a big ol' cozy sweater. But it didn't. With their confusing door policy, the whole no-water proclamation, the aloof service, and the food that kicked you in the mouth, the experience was a little... aggressive. In your face. That's about it: Elsewhere is in yo' face. Would I go back? Sure, I'd give it another shot, but I doubt it will ever become my go-to neighborhood hangout. For that, Elsewhere gets three Offset Spatulas and a watchful eye towards the future.

Elsewhere
403 W. 43rd Street, at 9th Avenue
212-315-2121

Pure Thai Shophouse disappoints

Last week, Mom was in town for work, and since she's a Thai food fanatic, I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to check out Pure Thai Shophouse. So on a chilly, chilly December evening, we convened in the tiny store for some eats.

First off, the restaurant's atmosphere is funky but not exactly comfortable. It's a small place with only a few tables in the back, and each table is wedged in quite intimately with its neighbors. That's one of the exigencies of being in New York, I understand, but the design aspect I took issue with was that the chairs were backless stools. Square backless stools. Not cool, and not comfortable. Unless you're at a bar, there's no reason to be sitting on a stool, and even at a bar the stool should have a back. But, you know, that's just my thing.

First, they do serve their drinks in cool crushed ice, which makes everything better, in my not-so-humble opinion.

Swanky!

But now, to the food. Mom and I both ordered the papaya salad, hers as a starter, mine as my main. While this dish (along with everything else in the restaurant) was quite reasonably priced, it actually wasn't one of the better papaya salads I've had. The earthy taste of the papaya overpowered the flavor mix, so rather than having your mouth pop with the lime, chile, peanuts, and fish sauce, the overall flavor profile was (literally) muddy. Just a little bit... blah. I've had much better. Sad.

Sad emoticon

Mom's Wok Curry Paste with Shrimp was also disappointing. She said it didn't taste like typical Thai curry, so it wasn't exactly what she was expecting. She rated it "okay" but not great, which for Mom is a pretty low rating.

Tear emoticon

And so I write this review with consternation. Everything I've read about Pure has been a rave, and I love the owners' Land restaurants, so I'm extra disappointed that our meals weren't great. Again, everything is reasonably priced, but given all the fantastic Thai joints in the neighborhood, that alone won't cut it. I really have no choice but to give Pure two Offset Spatulas and a sad, slightly confused shake of the head.

Pure Thai Shophouse
766 Ninth Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets
212-581-0999

Enologo coming to town...

Spotted in the old New Taco Express storefront, on Ninth Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets: Enologo. Its tagline is "Brick Oven & Wine"--I'm envisioning some sort of pizza-wine bar mash-up? Here's to hoping the wine doesn't go IN the brick oven; that's how mistakes are made, folks.

Soon, my pretties, soon...