Restaurant of the Week

Just because it might be where we eat dinner tonight (and because it's pretty good):

El Paso Taqueria [1642 Lexington Ave. (at 104th St.) 212-831-9831]
Head to the Upper Upper East Side for some delicious guacamole and tacos at reasonable prices. Throw in a mango margarita and you'll have the full experience. I had three tacos, one each of chicken, beef, and pork and was pretty full afterwards for just $8. Although I normally prefer pork tacos, I would say that the beef (Bistec) was my favorite one here. Of course, El Paso also offers all the other classic Mexican dishes and the Burrito de Hongos (mushrooms) is a solid vegetarian option.

Restaurant of the Week

After having just eaten here again on Wednesday, I figured that I would recommend Caracas again. It's delicious. And they have good fruit drinks as well.

Caracas Arepa Bar [91 E. 7th St. (bet. 1st Ave. and Ave. A) 212-228-5062]
From what I have read, this tiny place might be the only authentic Venezuelan restaurant in the city (except for its To Go sister cafe next door). Caracas offers a variety of Venezuelan specialties, but the arepas (think stuffed english muffin, but made of corn flour) are the signature dish. Along with my assistant, I tried the De Guasacaca (guacamole and cheese), the Reina Pepiada (chicken and avocado), and the De Pabellon (beef, black beans, plantains, cheese). All the fillings were fresh and tasty. The arepas themselves were very good as well. They were a little too hard for me the first time I went, but the second time, the arepa consistency was just right for my delicious La Del Gato. For appetizers, start with the Guasacaca (Venezuelan Guac) and the Yoyos. All in all, Caracas will offer you a great meal for a great price.

Restaurant of the Week

Since I forgot to post this on Friday for some reason, here is the restaurant of the week. I have been here twice in the past two weeks and it is fantastic:

Tsuki [1410 1st Ave. (bet. 74th and 75th Sts.) 212-517-6860]
An absolute gem. I am consistently amazed by how many excellent sushi restaurants there are in New York. Like many of the other ones, Tsuki has a very modest decor, but some fantastic fish. You should really make sure to treat yourself here, and here is how you should do it: Start with the 3 Salad Appetizer, which is definitely big enough to share between two people, but also worthwhile for a hungry individual. The Lobster Salad is particularly delicious and can be ordered with just seaweed (no Hijiki) in an exquisite combination. For the main event, go for the Omakase if you've got the money, but there is also a more affordable way to taste some of the best fish available. In this case, I am referring to the Tsuki Selection, in which you get six of the chef's best cuts of fish along with the fantastic Volcano Tuna Roll. In fact, this selection is big enough that you could certainly share it with someone else, along with one other roll (perhaps Salmon Carrot Sauce?), and feel full. Finally, if you still don't feel full (or even if you do), top off your meal with the Mochi ice cream. Get chocolate and vanilla. Both are excellent and come with very sweet and tasty mountain berries. On the whole, Tsuki is a very good alternative to a place like Sushi of Gari because it is cheaper, much less crowded, and of similar quality.

Restaurant of the Week

It's a long weekend, eat something. A lot of things. Here is this week's selection:

Carne Vale [46 Avenue B (bet. 3rd and 4th Sts.) 212-777-4686]
If you're in it for the salad, this is not the churrascaria for you. But if you're in it for the salad, you shouldn't be in a churrascaria. For $35 at Carne Vale, you can get all the meat you want all night long. And while you are at it, try drinking some Caipirinhas. For those unfamiliar with how these things work, you start by serving yourself at the salad bar, which features salad along with hot and cold appetizers. The selection here is good in this regard, but small. After you warm up, the main event starts as soon as you flip your food coaster to green. At this point, servers start coming around to your table every couple of minutes with skewers holding all different cuts of meat. Take what you like, use the special Brazilian sauce, and become a carnivore. My favorite meats were probably the Beef Ribs and the Sirloin. Be wary of the Flank Steak because it is very salty (albeit tasty). Eat until you can eat no more and make sure to watch the belly dancing shows that happen periodically. Finally, for those who are curious, the interior of the place is darkly lit and features comfortable leather chairs.

Restaurant of the Week

Amazingly, the guide is now completely up to date. This will probably change when I go to a new restaurant this weekend, but a man can try, right? Here is this week's restaurant:

Mediterraneo [1260 Second Ave. (at 66th St.) 212-734-7407]
A Berger family favorite for years, pasta doesn't get much better than at Mediterraneo. The pizza and other dishes are good too, but pasta is clearly the specialty (along with fast service). Among others, I would recommend Tagliolini al Granchio, Linguine Nere all'Arrabbiata, Pappardelle all'Anatra, and Penne al Sugo Toscano, but every single pasta dish I have ever tried there has been delicious. This restaurant is almost always crowded, so if you can't get a table, I suggest a visit to the sister restaurant down the block, Za Za (see below).

Restaurant of the Week

Check out part two of this new weekly feature. Also, I have updated the guide considerably in the last couple of weeks, adding a Diner category and tweaking the front page slightly (try to figure out how).

Zerza [304 E. 6th St (bet. 1st and 2nd Aves.) 212-529-8250]
Lovely service and great food make this East Village Moroccan restaurant a great place to try something different. The atmosphere, which includes music and sometimes belly dancing, lends an air of authenticity to the proceedings. As for the food, there are a couple of good appetizers to try. Depending on your tastes, I would recommend the extremely sweet Saganaki (fried Feta cheese with pure honey) or the Marinated Tomato Salad with Feta Cheese. For my main course, I was desperate for some cous cous, so I ordered the lamb variety. It was excellent. The lamb was succulent and the blend of toppings on the cous cous was wonderful enough to make sure that I cleaned my plate. The tagine was good as well. Try a red Algerian wine, which is sweet and a fine complement to the food. If you feel like relaxing, top things off with a hookah.

New Feature!

Starting today (but normally every Friday), I will post my restaurant of the week. This will be a way to highlight some of the best picks from my guide. So here is the first choice:

Le Miu [107 Avenue A (bet. 6th and 7th Sts.) 212-473-3100]
An absolute gem of a restaurant in the East Village, Le Miu offers Japanese food with a twist. By that I mean that Le Miu provides its patrons with a creative array of dishes that you won't find at any ordinary Japanese joint. And when you combine excellent food with a sleek, modern atmosphere and good service, you have a place worth returning to multiple times. For appetizers, my dining companion and I began with the Grilled Marinated Duck Breast and the Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab, which was particularly delicious. For main courses, we split the Miso Marinated Baby Lamb Chops and the Chef's Sushi Platter. Both were exquisite and presented beautifully. The only thing that might scare people away from here would be the prices, but the prices are reasonable for the quality of the food and I highly recommend that anyone who reads this review pays the restaurant a visit.