Everyone who knows us and knows we live in New York will eventually ask us the same question: what is your favorite restaurant in the city? The problem with that question is that our favorite restaurant in the city is not a super-famous restaurant…and we would like to keep it that way!
So we’re not going to tell you the name of our favorite restaurant ever because I want to continue being able to find 8:00p reservations for Friday night when checking Opentable on Wednesday. But because we love this place so much and we do want you to go there if you really care, we are going to give you some hints so the intrepid among you will be able to figure it out.
It’s not a famous restaurant but it is possible you have already been there if you live in or have visited us in NYC. Many of you who know us pretty well have probably already met us in the East Village for Modern Hawaiian food and a fantastic wine list at a small space with a black awning in between a bakery and an Irish pub. Just like in this post, the name is not prominently displayed anywhere–you just have to know something amazing is inside.
Inside is a small space divided across two rooms. A small bar is somehow squeezed in the middle and the specials are written on a surfboard-shaped chalkboard on the back wall. Looking around the restaurant before you’re probably wondering what the heck “Modern Hawaiian” food is and why such a restaurant would have such an amazing wine list.
Great food, great wines and great times
Pork jowl and spam musubis: “Modern Hawaiian”
Checking out the menu gives you your first clues about why this place might be special. A three-course prix-fixe menu for less than $50 is basically unheard of in New York these days. As if that isn’t enough, you can tack on a three-course wine pairing for just $35 more!
Even if the food were bad and the wines were dreck this would be a pretty good deal these days. But as you start to look at the menu you will probably quickly realize there are some really tough choices to be made–because everything sounds amazing! The silken tofu is ridiculously creamy and earthy in the best way; the kabocha squash tempura is probably the dish I would talk about if I were ever on that Food Network show “Best Thing I Ever Ate”. The chicory salad with papaya and pumpkin seeds is refreshing and a brilliant combination and the big-eye tuna poke is Bryn’s go-to. And while all the mains are amazing, the mochiko fried heritage chicken is crisp and crave-worthy and basically a can’t-miss.
Mochiko Fried Heritage Chicken! Seriously the best fried chicken in NYC.
Amazingly, the wine is also not dreck! Usually wines by the glass at restaurants in Manhattan are either not worth drinking because they’re gross or not worth drinking because they cost almost as much as the whole bottle. Not here; all the wines available by the glass are great by-the-glass choices and the pairings (if chosen) are expertly paired with all the dishes.
Sometimes though it is tough to choose the three-course wine pairing because the bottle list is even more amazing than the wines-by-the-glass. There are enough choices at enough price points that you will definitely find something you like–especially with the staff’s help–but not so many choices that it is overwhelming (cough, cough, Union Square Cafe). It is definitely a wine nerd’s wine list. Assuming you listened to my advice and ordered the mochiko fried chicken, consider pairing it with a bottle of the 1994 Poco do Lobo Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva if you see it–just make sure there is still one left for the next time I go ; )
Great wines…
…and great company
Everything about this restaurant is wonderful, from the food to the beverage program (especially the wine!) to the warm and welcoming staff. It really is the perfect restaurant experience in my opinion. If I could afford to eat here every night I would probably try! Hopefully one of those nights we will see you there too ; )
What if there were a place nearby to New York City where the people are friendly, the food and booze are delicious and the scenery is beautfiul? Don’t believe it? Neither did we. That’s why it’s been almost 12 years that Bryn and I have lived in New York but have not visited the Finger Lakes region. Not because we thought it would suck, but just because it we figured it couldn’t really be as good as it sounds.
But on this account, we definitely stand corrected. We drove up just for a short weekend, but everywhere we stopped we found friendly, genuine people who are passionate about what they do. Everywhere we looked we saw Norman Rockwell-worthy scenery.
It’s easy to feel a connection to a place that seems so full of genuine and frinedly people and even in just a short visit I think Bryn and I felt that connection to the Finger Lakes region quite strongly.Don’t miss
Don’t miss
F.L.X. Provisions – Wine Store – Geneva There is a mini-empire of related businesses all across the Finger Lakes; the “F.L.X.” empire is probably the thing about the Finger Lakes that impressed me the most. While we could not get one of the coveted spots at F.L.X. Table, we did discover this gem of a wine store basically next door (it’s connected to the F.L.X. Fry Bird, which is a fried chicken restaurant–see below–that is next to F.L.X. Table). Not only has this great little shop done the hard work for you to find the best wines from the best wineries in the Finger Lakes–if you see a bottle of wine in this shop it is going to be a good bottle of wine from a good winery–but because they have a Coravin hooked up to a huge tank of argon (I guess it’s argon?) you can taste any wine they have in the shop at very reasonable prices, including wines from Element Winery, which is the winery owned by the F.L.X. team.
I really loved F.L.X. Provisions–it’s my kind of shop–and loved chatting with the manager Donovan who led us through our tastings and geeked out hardcore with me about all things booze, much to Bryn’s chagrin. They also have a great beer selection and you can drink anything you buy in the store at the Fry Bird restaurant too. I can’t really recommend it highly enough. The only drawback is it’s pretty small so there is room for about 4 people to do a tasting at once. During high season it might be worth calling ahead to see if they can slot you in at a specific time.
F.L.X. Wienery – American – Dundee In case you can’t tell from above, I am a big fan of what they are doing at the “F.L.X.” family of companies, and especially what they are doing at the Wienery. Yes it’s a hot dog restaurant, but it’s also so much more. The wieners and sausages are delicious of course, but the real gem is their crazy and amazing beverage program (yes, it’s a hot dog shop with top-notch booze) and their Saturday night specials (known as “Dundoit Socials” they are basically crazy ideas for a party that come to life every Saturday night, with different themes like Tequila and Tacos or Ramen with a Master Sommelier).
F.L.X. Wienery: don’t judge this book by its cover
Maybe the coolest thing about F.L.X. Wienery (or in fact any restaurant I’ve ever been to) is their “Secret Wine Fridge”. It’s a wine fridge in the middle of the restaurant that has no printed list of what’s inside, but you are welcome to look through it and if you find something you like you can buy it and drink it, and there are some serious bottles of wine in there. Their actual (non-secret?) wine list is also legit and they even have DRC on the list, as if it’s not weird to have a $1500 bottle of wine with your $5 hot dog. They have a super-legit beer selection and in case somehow you are not impressed yet they have a crazy good spirits menu with some of the heaviest hitters around (Pappy Van Winkle 23-year-old and George T. Stagg for example). This is exactly what a restaurant should be–cool, casual and welcoming but still pushing the envelope with impeccable taste in everything they do.
Kemmeter Wines – Winery – Penn Yan If you only visit one winery in the Finger Lakes, I would make it this one. Johannes who owns the winery with his wife, is such a fantastic guy who makes really excellent Rieslings. Make sure you call ahead to schedule an appointment since tastings are by appointment only. You won’t regret the effort since spending time with anyone so genuine and passionate is an unfortunately rare treat these days. In case that is not incentive enough, you will also get to taste some cracking-good wines at the same time. How can you go wrong?
Our tasting of 4 fantastic Rieslings at Kemmeter Wines
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard – Winery – Dundee If you only visit two wineries in the Finger Lakes, I would stop here after (or before) Kemmeter Wines (see above). You can call ahead to setup a special Riesling tasting but you don’t need to make an appointment. All their wines are very good but some of their wines–especially the single-vineyard rieslings–are truly excellent and worth tasting at any opportunity. My only (minor) complaint is the wines are more expensive than you might expect when buying direct from the winery, but not so expensive that I would not go back.
Tasting room at HJW
Just a part of the Riesling tasting at HJW
Argos Inn – Hotel – Ithaca Staying in Ithaca is not necessarily the best choice for exploring the Finger Lakes region, especially if you are planning to spend the majority of your time visiting wineries–the best of which are mostly clustered around Seneca and Keuka Lakes. But Ithaca is a slighlty more reasonable driving distance from NYC and it is the location of the Argos Inn, which is a totally great place to stay. We normally do not put too much stock into where we are staying–rarely do we need (or care for) more from a hotel than a bed and a hot shower, but we really loved the Argos Inn.
Not only is it a big, cool old house with nicely appointed rooms and heated bathroom floors (a great feature for an Ithaca winter), but it also has a great cocktail bar (Bar Argos) on the ground floor and across the parking lot there is another bar/lounge space (Argos Warehouse) that has a good (and different) cocktail menu plus snacks (including a really fantastic charcuterie plate). Overall a great hospitality experience that I would recommend to anyone staying in Ithaca. Even the coffee served at breakfast was acceptable, which is basically unheard-of for coffee from a free hotel breakfast.
Cocktails at Bar Argos
Cocktail and charcuterie at Argos Warehouse
Press Cafè – Coffee – Ithaca If you do stay in Ithaca then make sure to start your mornings here; their coffee game is strong here. Single-origin drip coffee brewed and ready. Plus an an excellent flat white and a cool space to hang out as well as fresh, locally roasted beans for sale. It’s basically what every coffee shop should be. I’ll be back for sure next time I’m in Ithaca.
Flat whites and local beans at Press Cafe
Heart & Hands Wine Company – Winery – Springport Small little tasting room on the east shore of Cayuga Lake that specializes in Pinot Noirs (they also make Rieslings, but their focus is the red grape). The Pinot Noirs are very good, the Rieslings are good, and the tasting room staff is friendly. When we were there on a Sunday afternoon the co-owner herself was pouring our tasting flights. Their attention to detail and vineyard knowledge is obvious and even though I am fairly skeptical of the weird glass corks they use, I am bullish on their wines and would stop by just to try them any time I am back in the Finger Lakes.
If you have time/are in the area
F.L.X. Fry Bird – Fried Chicken – Geneva It’s a pretty small place so it can get packed at peak times. The popcorn chicken was fine; it had a somewhat funny, almost cheesy taste that I couldn’t get past although it may have been the dipping sauce and not the chicken itself. The collard greens side was excellent though and so is the drink selection when you consider you can bring something in from F.L.X. Provisions (see above) next door. I’d give it another shot next time I’m near Geneva and need a fried chicken fix, though maybe I would go for a sandwich rather than the popcorn chicken.
Nickel’s Pit BBQ – Barbecue – Watkins Glen We came very early on a Saturday evening after visiting wineries and got seated right away, but by the time we left there seemed like there was quite a wait. The no reservations policy can make it hard to time this place right and I would not say it is worth waiting for, but if you can get seated relatively quickly then I’d say go for it. If you do decide to wait a bit, they have good beers from Rooster Fish around the corner to help pass the time ; ) We had the pulled pork sandwich and an order of the smoked chicken wings. Both were perfectly cooked and very delicious, although somewhat lacking in that essential BBQ smoke flavor that is pervasive in really great ‘cue (although the room itself basically smelled like a campfire so maybe my senses were thrown off).
Prison City Pub and Brewery – Brewpub – Auburn Auburn does not seem a likely stop on your tour of the Finger Lakes region, but if you are in the area (Heart & Hands Wine Company–see above–is relatively close) then I would definitely recommend stopping here for some delicious craft beers, including an excellent chocolatey porter and a solid, fruity and hazy New England IPA. But don’t sleep on the food, as their burgers are real good and they make an awesome, if slightly non-traditional, poutine. A great place to spend an evening watching a game with friends.
Dope poutine and beers at Prison City Pub and Brewery
Thompson and Bleecker – Pizza – Ithaca Apparently this brick-oven pizza place is a big deal for Ithaca since they have been wandering through the pizza desert for a long time, at least that’s the impression I got. At this point I think Thompson and Bleecker is more mirage than promised land, but that is not to say it doesn’t have any potential. The space has nailed the hipster vibe with mismatched china pattern plates and tight spaces between tables. The wine list is intriguing but it always drives me crazy when there are no vintages printed on the wine menu (since I am a pretty severe age-ist when it comes to wine) and since we had basically been drinking all day we didn’t order any drinks with our food.
Hambo pizza: crispy on the outside, but not quite in the middle
Speaking of the food, the Prasini salad had good flavor but needed some textural element to break up the monotony of chopped lettuce, dill and scallion. The Hambo pizza–which we split–also had good flavor components but the large slices of ham coupled with the fact that the pizza was slightly undercooked in the middle meant that all the cheese and toppings came off in one bite–the ultimate pizza fail. That said, the flavors were good and the crust was nicely charred ad crisp on the outer edge like it’s supposed to be, so if they can figure out how to get the middle of the pizza cooked perfectly then they will really have something worth seeking out.
Don’t bother
Seneca Lake Wine Trail Deck The Halls Weekend – Event – Seneca Lake Region We did not do this, but we were in town at the same time as this event and in tasting at various wineries that were not part of the event it became very clear that not being a part of it was a good idea. It’s basically old-people SantaCon with Finger Lakes wineries instead of New York City bars. If that sounds good to you then I think you are probably reading the wrong blog?
Other than Old-people SantaCon I don’t think there was anything else that we did or saw that was out-and-out not worth our time. Which, frankly, seems impossible. But maybe that’s the cynical New Yorker in me speaking–maybe it is possible in a place like the Finger Lakes where people are friendly and genuinely care about what they do. Shame on us for not making that discovery sooner.
