Pittsburgh: ELEVEN (September 2017)

Eleven - Always a Great Meal in a Trendy Atmosphere

My spouse and I dined at ELEVEN for dinner on a Friday evening in mid-September 2017. We have dined here several times previously, both in the dining room and at the chef’s table. On our most recent visit, because it was late in the evening, we dined at the bar. (The kitchen closes late at 11:00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights.) ELEVEN is open for lunch (weekdays), dinner (daily), and brunch (Sundays). You can book a table using the online Open Table reservation system.

ELEVEN is technically located in the Strip District, although it is closer to the downtown area than other Strip District restaurants (like sibling Kaya). ELEVEN is located next to the Senator John Heinz History Center (museum) and diagonally across the street from the Hampton Inn. (The still-under-construction AC Hotel [by Marriott] is right next door.) The restaurant is named because it was the eleventh restaurant opened by the Big Burrito Restaurant Group (which also owns Shadyside restaurants Casbah, Soba, and Umi; the Strip District’s Kaya and ELEVEN; and many locations of Mad Mex [eight in the Pittsburgh area, one in Erie, one in Columbus, one in State College, and three near Philadelphia).

The chic, modern restaurant space is expansive. You can dine in the high-ceilinged spacious main dining room on the street level, or on the narrower second floor that overlooks the main room. An adjacent space offers a bar and lounge seating, with additional dining tables on the second floor “catwalk” that overlooks the bar area. In warmer months, ELEVEN offers outdoor seating both on the sidewalk/street level and on a second-floor outdoor balcony with roll-down fabric sides. Depending on where you dine, you may be seated at a regular-height table, a high-top table, a booth, at the bar, or on the comfy lounge furniture. One booth in an alcove off the main dining room is positioned within view of the kitchen so that you can watch the staff work as they produce tasty dishes. (We once ate a great multi-course, chef-selected tasting meal at that “chef’s table”.)

ELEVEN offers modern, contemporary cuisine. On previous visits, we have chosen options from their fine dining menu. This time, because of the late hour and our seating at the bar, we ordered from the tavern menu, which includes a few favorites from the regular menu, as well as more casual options. We chose a burger and fries (phenomenal, topped with a short rib mix), and a meatball sandwich with a side salad (regrettably, although the meatballs were delicious, the roll fell apart and we ate it with a knife and fork). We could not pass up their delicious banana cream “pie” for dessert; ELEVEN’s version is an elegant, creative spin on the classic dish. We were also thrilled to sample their "Rosalita" cocktail, which showcased Calvados, an apple brandy that originates in Normandy France, where we had visited just two weeks previously (also made with vodka and grapefruit).

The quality food, trendy atmosphere, and great service make ELEVEN one of our favorite restaurants in downtown Pittsburgh.

New York City: Atera (August 2016)

My spouse and I visited Atera for dinner on a Saturday evening in mid-August 2016. Atera is open for dinner on Tuesdays through Saturdays (closed on Sundays and Mondays). We made a reservation online using the Open Table system, and we were required to enter our credit card number in order to hold our booking. In the event of an emergency, you can cancel up to 72 hours prior; after that time, you can transfer your reservation to another party. A meal at Atera generally takes 2.5 to 3 hours, so there are two nightly seatings at 6:00 and 9:30. The restaurant requests prompt arrival (comparing their dining experience to the theatre) because all guests are served the same items at the same time. Atera has no dress code; in fact, their confirmation email reads “come as you like”; still, most guests dress for their evening.

Atera, which opened in 2012, is located on Worth Street in Tribeca. The restaurant offers no glaring signage from the street; just a low-key entry shared with a few other businesses. Our confirmation email said that there is no sign for Atera – yet there is a small sign – and to look for the blue awning – but there was no awning, blue or otherwise – when we visited. A basement cocktail bar is open to dinner guests only. (At one time in previous years, the bar was open to the public, but no longer.) The chic space features wood paneling and potted foliage (one wall contains an arrangement of potted plants to resemble a forest). Guests dine at a U-shaped slate-colored concrete counter open to the kitchen without the traditional finery of tablecloths, menus, and sometimes even without utensils. Frosted windows prevent passersby from gazing in. Even the restroom is spotlessly maintained, with a staff member freshening it between each guest’s use.

Atera describes itself as an immersive sensory dining experience. The Danish chef trained at El Bulli, Mugaritz, and Noma, and he serves modern American cuisine. Their 18-bite (“blind” so you do not make any choices) tasting menu (the only menu option) costs $235 per person, which includes gratuity but not tax or beverages. We ordered one nonalcoholic “temperance” cocktail pairing, which was amazing in both the creativity and complexity of drinks, and in the flair and flourish with which they were prepared and delivered. Atera holds two Michelin stars.

Our tasting menu courses included the following dishes:

1.        Lime/juniper drink with varying temperatures

2.        Waffle with thinly sliced mushroom and summer truffle

3.        Foie gras with corn and lemon verbena

4.        California grapes that were really olives

5.        Golden osetra caviar with beer and pistachio ice cream

6.        Mackerel with cucumber and horseradish

7.        Oyster with kohlrabi and thyme

8.        Lobster with celeriac, tomato, yuzu

9.        Whole wheat batard with butter and cheese

10.     Summer vegetables with quail egg yolk and cheddar

11.     Squab with chanterelle, cherry, and black currant leather

12.     Beef with zucchini and garlic scape

13.     Toasted hay with raspberry and elderflower

14.     Chocolate-covered rhubarb ice cream popsicle

15.     Mini-desserts: chocolate, blueberry tart, miso caramel, orange flower, and flodeboller

16.     Extra dessert: mini-chocolate birthday cake

Our temperance pairing included the following drinks:

1.        Cham”pine” with douglas fir

2.        Grapefruit “martini” with lemon verbena

3.        Cucumber fizz with lime, seaweed

4.        “No”groni with juniper gin, quinine “Campari”, sultana “vermouth”

5.        Cote de “beet” with black currant, thyme

6.        Milkshake with yuzu, green almond

We enjoyed our dinner at Atera; in particular, we loved sitting at the counter to observe the chefs plating dishes, and the amazingly inventive non-alcoholic pairing. Also, everyone at the restaurant repeatedly wished us a Happy Birthday, which made the evening even more memorable.

http://ny.eater.com/2016/5/10/11652078/atera-masters-the-art-of-the-non-alcoholic-drink-pairing

Atera’s Temperance Pairing—a series of virgin libations based on classic cocktails. New executive chef Ronny Emborg came up with the idea, which was inspired by the common Danish tradition of pairing juices with meals. Atera’s bar director Nick Duble says that rather than use juices, they decided to approach non-alcoholic pairings with the history of American cocktail culture in mind. The result is a rather impressive recreation of boozy beverages like the Negroni, Champagne, and glass of Côte de Beaune. Whether diners ask for an alcoholic or temperance pairing, they get the same dinner menu. And like any good beverage pairing, the Atera team designed each drink—wine, cocktail and mocktail—to draw out key flavors in the dish with which it is paired. Duble’s objective with the mocktail pairing was to go beyond what people expect of an alcohol-free cocktail. The challenge was using non-alcoholic ingredients to recreate some of the most familiar alcoholic beverages around. Their Nogroni was a particular doozy as the Negroni is a combination of three alcoholic ingredients. Over several weeks of research and development, Duble and his team tweaked ideas for ingredients that could, for example, recreate bitter Campari. Building the same acidity as a full-bodied red wine for their "Côte de Beet" mocktail was another undertaking. It’s a combination of black currents and beets that are aged in toasted oak. During the tasting menu, it’s served with the final main course—lamb.

New York City: Blanca (July 2013)

My spouse and I dined at Blanca for dinner in mid-July 2013. We traveled to the restaurant from midtown New York, which cost approximately $30 each way by taxi. On the return from Bushwick, Brooklyn, the restaurant called a car/livery service for us, which charged a flat fee to Manhattan versus the metered ride we had on the way to the restaurant.

We made our reservation on the first of the month that we wished to dine using their new online reservation system called Seat Me. It worked fabulously, as opposed to the old method of telephoning on a particular day and time, because we had been unsuccessful ever to even get someone to answer the phone.

As Blanca requested via email and telephone, we arrived at 4:30 for our 4:45 reservation; however, we were made to sit in the small bar area of Roberta's and have a drink before they agreed to seat us, which was just a bit annoying. (If you arrive really early, just around the corner is a bar/lounge called the Pine Box Rock Shop where you can have a drink in a larger, more comfortable space.) We would have rather wandered in the outdoor (but fenced in) garden space to view the gardens for which the restaurant is famous.

The space for Roberta's is very casual and informal when compared with the space for Blanca. The entire restaurant complex occupies what must amount to a quarter of the block in Bushwick. Roberta's is on the immediate corner of Moore Street and Bogart Street, but is comprised of the main building, an atrium area, and an outdoor covered area that then leads to the gardens, which are both on the ground-level and raised. The Blanca building is at the back of the entire property and is super-modern and starkly furnished. Patrons (about 12 at one seating) sit at a bar (with comfortable bar stools) to watch the chefs work. Even the bathroom in Blanca is cool - nearly hidden in the wood and plant-covered wall. You are asked not to take photographs and to put your cell phone away.

Each of our 20+ courses was delicious, carefully conceived and presented. Service was excellent, and the wait staff is extremely knowledgeable about ingredients and preparations. We were disappointed that the restaurant does not provide a menu that you can take home - most other tasting restaurants give you that as a souvenir (even Brooklyn-competitor Brooklyn Fare provided us with a basic menu outline when we requested it).

We recommend this restaurant, however, the degree of difficulty in attaining a reservation, and then in reaching Brooklyn from Manhattan would probably deter us from dining here again.

New York City: Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare (March 2013)

My spouse and I dined at the Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare for dinner in early March 2013. We had tried for about one year to get a reservation, calling every Monday at 10:30 am for a reservation six weeks later. Generally, for the first hour or hour-and-a half that we attempted to call, we would just receive a busy signal, but when someone finally answered the phone (usually around 12:00 noon), the spaces were always filled. We always asked for our names to be placed on the waiting list, but space never opened up. (Note: When someone does answer, be prepared to be transferred around a few times. To us, it seemed like the phone was being answered by someone in the grocery store, then put on hold, then picked up by someone else who saw the blinking light, then transferred again until we finally reached the reservationist.) Then one day we got lucky and secured our spot - who knows why that time was different than all our other tries? We guess that our persistence finally paid off!

After you make your reservation, you will receive an e-mail confirmation explaining more about the process. Two weeks before your dining experience, you will receive an e-mail asking you to reply to the e-mail to confirm your spot, then they charge your credit card for the amount of the dinner plus tax and mandatory 20% gratuity. Even though you have already been charged, they call to verbally confirm a few days before you dine; we are not really sure why, because we do not think they would refund your money if you cancelled at that late date. But perhaps they can resell your seats, thereby making twice the original amount for your particular seats. You will receive a handwritten bill for your drinks after dinner, on which you will tip for your beverages only; they did not seem to directly pander for an additional tip over the 20% that you are pre-billed.

The website says that formal business attire is required, but when the reservationist called to confirm our reservation, we asked if a tie was necessary, and we were told that the dress code was business casual (which to us means long-sleeve collared shirt and dress pants for men, but no tie or jacket). Fortunately, he wore a jacket, as did every single other male diner there; some even wore suits with ties. We would have felt completely out of place without the jacket!

Three seatings occur at the restaurant: half of the chef’s counter (approximately 8 or 10 seats, depending on the size of the parties) is seated at 6:30 pm, then the other 8 or 10 seats [there are 18 total] are seated at 7:45 pm. We had reservations at the earliest seating (6:30 pm). We were the last of our seating to arrive, even though we were 5 minutes early; we were assigned two seats in the middle of the counter where it curved. We thought our seats allowed more room than some of the others, although the two seats at the inner end of the counter certainly have the best view of the food plating and preparation. The “hostess”, who was also the apparent “sommelier”, took our coats and directed us to the “manager” who pointed out our seats. It was funny how the “manager” consulted her little book to find our what seats had been assigned to us; obviously it was the two open seats in the middle! We were unable to immediately order drinks, because there were only two wine lists for the entire restaurant! Seriously, with an average of four parties (of two people each) ever seated at one time, and they do not even have four wine lists? (Wine lists are a scarcity at $225 per person, plus tax and 20% gratuity?) When a wine list was finally available, the “sommelier” gave us a few minutes to read it, then came over and asked to discuss the “menu” with us. When my spouse joked “There is a menu?”, she became snippy and said that there was no menu, that we would be served a tasting, most of which was fish, and so on. Of course, we knew that there was no menu! She was the one who used that word, when she probably meant “the wine list”. At this time, Brooklyn Fare serves only wine, no beer, and only one soft drink (a tart fruit-flavored soda), along with two non-alcoholic sparkling wines. (Also note that they do not serve any kind of coffee, cappuccino, or espresso with dessert.) 

The food was amazingly delicious and presented beautifully in just the right serveware. Of the approximately 25 courses that we ate that evening, 20 were fish courses, most of which were crudo/raw shellfish (they are pretty transparent about the proteins on their website, so everyone is aware ahead of time). We had about three cooked fish courses, and only one meat course (lamb), along with a cheese course, a palate cleanser, and two desserts. Unlike other restaurants that serve a tasting menu, they do not send you home with a list of what you have eaten. The guest is really at a huge disadvantage, because they forbid photography and note-taking, so you must rely on your own memory. Even though we tried to recreate the menu soon after we left the restaurant, we could really only recall the main ingredient, not all the interesting accent components.

The atmosphere in the dining room was calm for the first hour of our dinner, until the 7:45 pm guests began to arrive; then we began to feel a little rushed and slightly ignored. There is also a 10:00 pm seating, but the 7:45 pm guests have probably nearly departed by the time they arrive, because the restaurant advises dedicating about 2 hours for your dining experience. We had an issue with the restroom at about the 8:00 pm mark - there is just one restroom, and as anyone who has done a tasting knows, you must time your “break” to fit between the courses, because no one waits for you. But there were three ladies in line to use the restroom, which ended up with two of them missing the delivery and explanation of their next course. Another issue that we had was that the “manager” who stands in the center of the serving counter and presents each dish was not loud enough when she mentioned the components of each course. As we said previously, there is no written menu, neither before, during, or after your dining experience, so if she does not call out the ingredients loud and proud, there is no way for the diners to hear every word and fully comprehend what they are eating.

We were shocked that several courses reused our silverware, although just the fork; our combination knife/spoon utensils were removed, but the dirty fork was taken off the plate and placed back on the leather placemat! This is something that we expect at a low-end chain restaurants (like Applebees), but we do not expect it to happen at a 3-star Michelin restaurant charging $225 per head! They purposely removed one of the utensils but reused the other - it just makes no sense! And as far as the service aspect goes, it was good, but not on the level of Per Se, Daniel, or Le Bernardin. The chef, Cesar Ramirez, was cooking on the night that we were there, which is not always the case with high-end restaurants like this, so we appreciated being able to watch him create. He walked around to each couple after the dinner and asked if everything was okay, and everyone simply said yes. It was nice of him to make personal contact, but he did not seem genuine in wanting to hear any comments; the task seemed like something he felt obligated to do, not necessarily that he enjoyed.

When we finished dinner, as we were waiting for our coats to be delivered, space was at a premium, so when we received our first coat, one of us attempted to step into the (winter) entry vestibule while the other of us waited for our other coat, but we found that the door to the restaurant was locked! The hostess/sommelier said that she would unlock it, but that we should be glad that it was locked, “for good reason". What on earth could that reason have been? It seems that a locked door to a restaurant with patrons inside is a fire code/safety violation; in fact, the door to a retail establishment generally posts a sign that reads that the door is to remain open/unlocked during business hours.

We feel privileged to have dined at Brooklyn Fare - the food was truly amazing! However, we wish that the service was just as flawless. We are glad that we got to experience this restaurant; it was a memorable meal that we will not soon forget!

 

 

Frederick MD: VOLT Table 21 (December 2012)

My spouse and I dined at Bryan Voltaggio’s Table 21 in VOLT in late December 2012. To dine at Table 21, you must telephone the restaurant no more than 30 days prior; the reservations that you can make on Open Table are for the regular restaurant menu/tables only. VOLT is open for brunch on weekends (either 3-course or 5-course menus available) and dinner Tuesday through Sunday (either 4-course or 8-course menus available). The Table 21 menu is served daily at 7:00 pm only and features 21 courses for $150 per person; there are only seats available for 8 lucky diners abutting the garde manger station where the cold dishes are prepared.

We will not go into detail about the food, but every dish was stunningly presented and unbelievably delicious. Of the 21 courses that we were served, there was only one that we found less than fantastic (although the woman sitting next to us said it was her favorite, so clearly everyone has a different opinion), which are pretty good odds! From the chips and dip to the mignardises, every dish was amazing!

The restaurant, housed in a mansion from the late 1800s in Frederick’s 75-block historic district, is totally modern inside, with several different areas: the bar, with counter seating and some couch seating, an outdoor patio (which was not open in December), the front dining room, and the rear dining room (which features the chef's counter as well as regular tables). Even the restrooms at this property are cool, with a spa-like feel and sliding door panels. There is parking on the premises, which we thought would fill up as the night progressed, but the parking lot seemed adequately sized for the number of diners.

Chef/owner Bryan Voltaggio was not in residence on the night that we dined, but the Chef de Cuisine, Graeme Ritchie, did a fantastic job of managing the kitchen. The food and service were phenomenal - as good as any meal we have enjoyed had at places like The French Laundry, Alinea, and Per Se. If you cannot score a reservation for Table 21, we are confident that the regular menu will impress you! 

New York City: Eleven Madison Park (October 2012)

My spouse and I dined at Eleven Madison Park (EMP) for dinner in mid-October 2012. We had tried several times previously to secure a reservation at EMP, calling at 9:00 am 28 days before we wished to dine, but we were never successful in doing anything more than adding our name to the waiting list. But in mid-September, in addition to telephoning at the appointed time, we also logged onto Open Table to attempt a reservation, and met with success! EMP serves lunch on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and dinner daily.

EMP serves only a multi-course tasting menu for $195 per person (previously, there were other less-elaborate and less-expensive menu choices and combinations). Most of the courses are blind (you have no choice); however, for four courses, you are presented with a menu with four columns, each with four rows of ingredients, and you are asked to make one selection from each row (for example, foie gras, lobster, potato, lettuce, beet, chestnut). EMP then incorporates that ingredient into your dish. We intentionally (although stupidly!) chose the least-expensive and least-interesting-sounding items, thinking that any great chef could make foie gras and lobster taste great, but that it would take a more adept and creative chef to elevate more simple ingredients such as lettuce and beets. (We followed a similar principle when we ordered one vegetable-based tasting at Per Se, and we were impressed beyond belief at how complex and interesting the mostly non-meat dishes were!) The dishes that we chose for ourselves at EMP were tasty, but we felt a little cheated (and mad at ourselves!) that we did not chose the more luxurious items. We will not go into detail about all the "standard" courses, because they may not be the same as when you dine there, and we also do not want to spoil the surprise on some of the more inventive and unforgettable courses (but our favorites involved sturgeon, carrot, cheese/beer, and dessert). Service was quite good, although not flawless.

The restaurant space at EMP is beautiful, housed in an old bank building, and features high ceilings and large windows. There is a bar area at EMP, so do not hesitate to arrive early for a drink and to soak up the atmosphere. It appeared that you could also order a limited menu at both the bar and at the bar tables, so if this restaurant is on your must-dine list and you have difficulty getting a reservation, at least you could eat and drink in the space and get a general idea of what EMP is all about.

We were celebrating both a birthday and an anniversary on the night that we dined, and there was a card on our table when we arrived, as well as personalized menus with a congratulatory message, and an extra treat to take home.

We would be happy to return to EMP again if the opportunity presented itself. However, we are also extremely excited to try chef Daniel Humm’s other restaurant, the NoMad.