Manhattan Offender

Friday Food: Manna Express

Restaurant:  Express Manna Kitchen
Location:  Just north of Union Square on 18th Street, near Broadway
Occasion:  Lunch  delivered to the office
Cocktail(s):  If only we could drink at work.  Instead the Izze's Clementine did the job nicely.
Wine:  See above
Appetizer:        The kim-chi is just enough to make a bit of sweat bead up on the scalp, just as kim-chi should.
Entree:  If you have a love for Korean food, the shredded beef stew will not disappoint.  Served with scallions and egg, medium spicy, over rice the only complaint is that it is a huge quart-sized container.  Generally speaking, unless ordering from the lunch menu, the portion sizes are huge here.  The side dishes were okay, but not memorable. 
Dessert:  n/a
Service:  Possibly the fastest delivery in the Union Square area and clear-spoken phone service. 
Atmosphere:  This has always been a delivery option; however, the space is clean and small, but never seems to be crowded. 
Pricing:    Great value for the large portions.  Again, if you are ordering for a lunch, stick to the lunch menu.
Rating:  "Pretty much".

Friday Food: Kenka

Restaurant:  Kenka
Location:  East Village (St. Marks Place near Second Avenue)
Occasion:  Meeting with a couple of friends with the mutual realization on a Friday night that if this level of drinking continued that we would all be hospitalized so perhaps we should eat. 
Cocktail(s):  $1.50 Sapporo's!
Wine:  A bottle of sake
Appetizer:      There are over 100 items and we ordered at least eight appetizers for three people.  Everything married very well with "oo's" and "ah's" for every dish as it arrived to the table.  A favorite was an eggy item that was fluffy and spicy.  Octopus balls met with trepidation, but it could be an issue of the name alone.
Entree:  Again, dishes were shared and there was booze in the system, so detail are sketchy.  The pork tenderloin was memorably awesome.
Dessert:  On departure, you are given sugar with which you can make your own cotton candy.
Service:  There is a wait for tables and no reservations are taken on weekend nights.  After a 45 minute wait, entering the packed place the expectation is for some stutters in the service.  That expectation is met, but the $1.50 Sapporo's assuage everything. 
Atmosphere:  Some focus is required as you are surrounded by great traditional imagery and music out of Tokyo radio of the 1950S.  With the packed room full of a mix of Japanese and NYU kids and assorted others the key thing to note that although this is the East Village of the middle aughts, there is nary a twat nor a douchebag in sight.  The crowd is there to have fun. 
Pricing:    Amazingly cheap.  We ate like pigs and drank like fish and paid like (some animal that is frugal).
Rating:  "Yeah, so totally".

Image from  ptuft on flickr.

Friday Food: Beast

Restaurant:  Beast
Location:  Prospect Heights
Occasion:  Brunch on a date en route to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Ron Mueck exhibition
Cocktail(s):  Bloody Mary - On the spicy side for a first beverage of the day, so be sure to have the water ready.
Wine:  n/a
Appetizer:  n/a   
Entree:  French Toast with carmelized apples and bananas was perfectly prepared and a perfect melding of flavors.  Also on the table (or, in the air of disclosure, at the bar as we didn't want to wait for a table on the busy Sunday) was the rueben benedict.  Being a little phobic of poached eggs, they never touched my lips but they were reported to be perfect, which is a science when it comes to poaching.  (The (unfrightening) roasted potatos were quite yummy too.)  A must is the side of thick crispy bacon.
Dessert:  n/a
Service:  Yet again another Brooklyn semi-hipster restaurant with no attitude.  The hostess informed us of a ten to fifteen minute wait for a table, but quickly offered the bar.  Sometimes when eating at the bar it is apparent that the bartender would much prefer just making drinks, but in this case he was all smiles and knew the menu like the back of his hand.
Atmosphere:  There is a bit of a gothic air as you walk through the heavy curved wooden doors.  The interior is very much a step back in time with an authentic antique bar.  At first glance you could be in a bar (which Beast is by night) or in an old-time eatery with a gothic twist.  The back dining room is more family style.  The only thing that seemed out of place was the bathroom with was oddly clean and Restoration Hardware-y.
Pricing:  Less than $15 each for very hearty portions. 
Rating:  "Yeah, so totally".

Image from CityNoise.org.

Friday Food: Dressler

Restaurant:  Dressler
Location:  Williamsburg
Occasion:  Dinner with three friends

Cocktail(s):  Old Fashioned - perfectly made
Wine:  Cremant du Jura Brut Rose - A sparkling rose.  Although this is trendy of late, it's been a favorite for years.  Never one to merely follow trends, it was ordered knowing that there has much work and thought put into these lately and that it would accompany both the dishes and the festive mood of our table.
Appetizer:  Lobster Bisque.  Actually three of us had the bisque.  It was perfect for the chilly night and a great start.   
Entree:  Striped Bass on a bed of swiss chard, potato, bacon, leeks, and chowder broth garnished with little neck clams.  Can bacon ever be wrong?  Ever?  The perfect combination of the bass with the chard and the thick chunks of bacon were expertly married by the broth.  Bouncing in my seat, my tablemates knew either my enjoyment or my drunkenness was high - actually a perfect combination of both.
Dessert:  Assortment, shared with the table.  All of which were fully devoured.  The plates were cleaned.
Service:  From the entry to the exit, at the door, at the bar, and at the table the staff was laid back and, dare it be said, nice.  As a non-foody, my questions can at times be naive, but my waitress (who recommended the bass of the ahi by the way) was cordial and all smiles.
Atmosphere:  Although relatively new, the restaurant has a timeless feel, with nothing trendy of a certain moment.  The crowd was festive, if not flirty enough (especially the beardy guy at the table to the left).  Of note is the beautiful ironwork throughout.
Pricing:  Came in around $60 or so per person, but so worth it.
Rating:  Hm.  Sort of new to this, so for now a rating of "Yeah, so totally".

Image from Noah Kalina via Eater.

Friday Food: Overview

Most restaurant reviews leave me feeling as if on the outside looking in.  In no way a "foodie" there is still a great love here of going out and having a nice meal.  The attempt will to be to look at the meal and environment as a non-expert, measuring the food, environment, service, and the total package.

To start this little experiment, the majority of listings will be places familiar and enjoyed.  As for particular likes and dislikes:

• Simple beats fancy any day.
• Surprising combinations always win.
• Presentation doesn't mean shit.
• Trying to impress me usually results in a "you're trying to hard" knitting of the eyebrows from me.
• There is some major food phobia in this house.  The purpose of this is partly to talk about eating out and about, but mostly to get me to try new things.
• There will likely be more restaurants in Astoria and Brooklyn to start.  Manhattan is too 'done' anyway.
• Recommendations are welcome.  ("Invitations" was almost typed but seemed cloying/desperate.)

Image source.