A Surprise of Cherry and a Chocolate Dipped Paradise

Ça Va Take 2...

All great meals must be repeated again, so I decided to make another reservation to Ça Va Brasserie by Todd English, just to relive that heavenly dinner all over again.  I was foolish to think that my second experience could be duplicated exactly like the first time.  Why?  Because Ça Va had something up their sleeves for my second visit.

A week after my first visit, I could still taste the Strozzapreti Pasta at the tip of my tongue, along with the memories of the chocolate mousse topped with toffee and caramel drizzle.  I had to do it all over again, but this time, I decided to have the pasta, but try the Soupe Glacée de Petits Pois Anglaise (chilled English pea soup, buttermilk flan and jumbo lump crab) and the Stone Fruit Crisp (ginger snap-almond streusel and vanilla gelato).

The pea soup wasn't what I was expecting, only because it's always strange to eat chilled soup.  The flavors though...who would ever think to put buttermilk flan and crab meat into a pea soup?  It was so tasty I started to forget it was a chilled soup and started to enjoy the harmony of the flavors together. 

The pasta was just as amazing as it was the week before, but this time, as I enjoyed my pasta, I took a look around at the people dining at Ça Va.  Would you believe that 95% sitting down at tables to dine were all women?  Not only that, but they were all eating the pasta!!!

I watched them eat their pasta to see if they were enjoying it as much as I was.  I guess word got out how heavenly this dish was.  Most were too absorbed in their conversations to really absorb that they were eating the nectar of the gods.  I will say though...no one was complaining.  Everyone appeared to be enjoying their meals immensely. 

I was getting so full (I had eaten at The Palm for lunch...I wish I hadn't done so prior to going to Ça Va for dinner).  The manager brought out my dessert.  He brought out my order of the Stone Fruit Crisp, but he also brought out something extra...Warm Pistachio Madeleines with Grand Marnier Cerise Chocolate Fondue to dip the Madeleines in. 

I decided to eat the dessert I ordered first.  It was so amazing.  The fruit dessert was perfect for the summer.  As I was eating it I took a bite and tasted something I recognized but couldn't place.  It brought back a memory from happier times of years gone past when I tried something new and loved it...but what was it? 

I continued to eat my dessert when I tasted the fruit again.  This time I sat there and savored it, reliving the memory until I realized...it was a cherry.  It's not so often I get to eat a cooked cherry, so this was a very surprising addition to my dessert and it was what made me finally make up my mind about the dessert...it was perfectly amazing.

I had just finished up my dessert while I looked at the other dessert that was given to me compliments of the house.  I wasn't for sure what it was, so I took one and dipped it in the chocolate.  I took one bite and...

There are absolutely no words to describe that moment.

The manager was walking by when I asked him again what he had given to me.  He explained they were pistachio Madeleines with a chocolate fondue dipping sauce.  It was on the regular dessert menu, not on the Restaurant Week menu. 

Remember how I said I was getting full?  I ate every single Madeleine (there were about 10-15 in the cup) just to relive that moment again and again and again and again. 

In my last review I said that the food was the nectar of the Gods.  Well, this dessert alone was like a full-blown nirvana, I've reached enlightenment moments and there was no way I was coming back down from this. 

The pistachio Madeleines were freshly baked (i.e. just came out of the oven) and warm.  I could taste the accent of vanilla in the cookie as I let the chocolate settle on my tongue.  It's that moment of contrasting flavors that I wanted to relive again and again.  

Yes, I forgot I was full when I hit the last three cookies.  Granted, the fullness lasted several days...but it was worth every single bite.

I'd like to thank the manager at Ça Va for introducing me to something more extraordinary than what they had already fed me over the last two weeks.  And yes, the restaurant went up on the perfection scale, rather than stay the same or go down.  They outdid themselves. 

It is with that, I plan on making Ça Va Brasserie my weekly haunt.  After all, you can't expect me to go back to mere mortal food after tasting the nectar of the gods.   

If you are in New York City, at least try to make it to Ça Va Brasserie over these next couple of weeks for Restaurant Week.  If you miss Restaurant Week, just go and visit them.  You will fall in love with every single bite you take...oh, and try the pistachio Madeleines.  Nothing says amazing like a warm cookie right out of the oven, dipped in grand marnier cerise chocolate fondue.  You'll understand what I'm talking about after you take that first bite. 

I think in the grand scheme of New York City, we are always looking for that right place where we belong.  The right restaurant, the right hangout, the right diner...a place where we are happy.  Over the last two weeks...and it took 8 years to find this...Ça Va Brasserie has become that place where this foodie belongs.

xxoo,

Michelle

P.S.  Looking forward to trying out everything on the menu now.

New York Restaurant Week: The Palm

 

There's a lot of history that goes into The Palm.  It's tradition goes all the way back to 1926.  Two Italian immigrants decided to open up a restaurant in New York City.  Natives of Parma, Italy, John Ganzi and Pio Bozzi went to register the name "Parma" as the business name, the clerk didn't understand what they were saying and issued a license for "The Palm."  That's how the restaurant got its name.

Their steakhouse (which did not start off selling steaks) has grown in popularity over the last 87 years with locations all across the United States from the East Coast to the West Coast.

I first heard of The Palm back in Washington, DC.  It was a favorite amongst the politicos of DC.  I had walked by the place many times, but never went in. 

Getting a taste of The Palm in NYC, the same city where it all happened, now that is a treat for the history books...as in a 'Been There, Done That' moment.  You can see the history all along their walls which showcase caricatures of the many famous guests that once sat in their booths and the many news article reviews that once upon a time graced print journalism.  The caricatures are a time honored tradition.  Artists that couldn't afford their meal would draw or paint on the walls of the restaurant as payment. 

This is what The Palm prides itself in...its history.

The waitstaff is one of the most outstanding I have ever seen.  Your glass is always filled with water.  You never have to ask.  They make sure that the service is impeccable...like the professional service you would expect if you were to dine at "Downton Abbey." 

The food...

You'll find there was a mixed review during my visit.

The menu for New York Restaurant Week at The Palm West location (250 West 50th Street, NYC) is as follows:

FIRST COURSE:

- Classic Caesar Salad (garlic focaccia croutons and parmigiano reggiano)- Mixed Green Salad (romaine, iceberg, baby greens, cucumber, carrots, radish, scallions and cherry tomatoes, tossed in garlic vinaigrette)
- Watermelon and Arugula Salad (watermelon, arugula and feta cheese, tossed in balsamic vinaigrette)- Chef's Soup of the Day

SECOND COURSE:

- Ahi Tuna Steak (wasabi seared ahi tuna with Asian avocado salsa)
- Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos (flour tortillas, shredded cabbage, fresh tomatoes, chiptole lime dressing, red beans and rice)- Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak Sandwich (thinly sliced chicken, grilled onions, provolone cheese and homemade Buffalo sauce served on an Amoroso roll with hand cut french fries)
- Filet Mignon Medallions (two 4 ounce) (Danish blue cheese and wild mushroom demi-glace)

THIRD COURSE:
- Berries and Cream Parfait (fresh berries, crunchy granola, mascarpone whipped cream)
- Banana Crème Brulée
- Key Lime Pie (key lime custard, graham cracker crust, blueberry compote and whipped cream)

I ordered the Watermelon & Arugula Salad, Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos and the Key Lime Pie. 

My thoughts?  First, we'll start with the worst part of this lunch...the salad.  While the whole idea of watermelon, arugula and feta sounds appealing, what troubled me was the balsamic vinaigrette.  The only thing I could think as I tried to 'like' this salad was, "Did the person that developed this combination even try this?  It's horrible!"

Balsamic vinaigrette is not the right dressing for this salad.  Even a sesame dressing would have suited this salad or a very, and I do mean "VERY" light dressing so that the person eating the salad would enjoy the flavors of the watermelon, arugula and feta together.  The balsamic is not the dressing they should have used. 

My advice if you head to The Palm, avoid this salad like the plague.  It's more balsamic vinaigrette than it is salad.

What redeemed The Palm was the second course: Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos.  I've attempted fish tacos in NYC several times.  I've either walked away thinking it was horrible or I got sick.  80% of the time, I walked away sick as a dog. 

The Palm, on the other hand, has created the best fish tacos I have ever had.  The mahi mahi fish was an excellent choice to fill the flour tortillas.  The spices used with the fish were just the right spices to let the fish stand alone, but mixed with the chiptole lime dressing...it was superb.  The use of cabbage instead of lettuce was spot on. 

As for their side dish of red beans and rice...pass.  It was boring and like something I would make if I was a beginner cook and wanted to attempt making red beans and rice for the first time (i.e. dumping a can of red beans on top of some rice and calling it red beans and rice...tasted just like it too). 

As for the key lime pie...it was delicious.  It was so rich, I couldn't eat it all, but it was good.

What I've learned about The Palm...just get the main entree and maybe the dessert.  Do not fuss with the sides or starters.  Go straight for the main course.

Like I said, the fish tacos were the best I've ever had.  That makes The Palm worthwhile, especially if you want to be surrounded in history and political talk from the tables next to you.  Would I go often?  No.  Maybe once every 5-10 years. 

In other words, why eat sub-par food when there are other restaurants out there that can create a fantastic meal from start to finish?

xxoo,

Michelle