Fat Hippo Revisted!

My Dad recently celebrated his 77th birthday & we went to Fat Hippo (71 Clinton St. @ Rivington) for food & drinks. My brother, Stefan (Sous Chef Stef) had flown in a few days earlier to surprise my Dad. The menu has progressed from my last visit (click)

We started with the Burger Fondue which was really well received. A really fun whimsical play on fondue. The cheeses were delicious (unfortunately, I can't remember the names) & we really enjoyed this starter.

Earlier I had shown the group the picture of the monstrous sized Pork Chop that we had the last time we were at Fat Hippo for the soft opening party, so my Dad was really looking forward to ordering that. Unfortunately, they put a pork loin on the menu in it's place. Stefan got the steak which was delish. I opted for the Crab cake (my real motivation was the mac & cheese which is among the best in the city). The chicken was ordered as well as the seared tuna (highly recommended).

It was nice to try some of the dishes that I missed at the opening & everyone enjoyed the meal.

The Clerkenwell (49 Clinton Street)

Grant & Kate were only in town for 1 day last week, so I shuffled down to Clerkenwell, a gastropub on Clinton St. between Rivington & Stanton. I'm somewhat skeptical of places that label themselves as 'gastropubs', so I was eager to taste the food here. We took over the entire bar area & downed pints of Stella & Strongbow, but as the night (& drink tab) progressed, we got hungry.

We started by sharing the pate which did not disappoint. Topped by a thick layer of butter & a side of caramelized onions, this dish got even better as the butter softened & melted.


I opted for the Toad in the Hole. Honestly, after spending 8 years in an English boarding school, I was expecting the same disgusting, dry fare, but I was pleasantly surprised. The dish was basically 'deconstructed', with Yorkshire pud replacing the normal flaky pastry & a delicious jus topped the sausages, onions & mash. The real star of the plate were the sausages which are made fresh in the kitchen. They were well spiced & delicious, a far cry from school lunches!

Adam got the fish & chips which he devoured, so I can only assume that they were good. The chips were thick cut, English style (as they should be). The plating of the dish was not what you'd really expect from a gastropub, but it did look good.

Clerkenwell is a stone's throw from my house, so odds are I will be returning. The food is good, our bartender was very friendly & we all had a good time. You can't really ask for much more than that.

Fat Hippo (71 Clinton Street @ Rivington)

I went to my friend's new restaurant, Fat Hippo, last Thursday for a tasting night. They're not officially open yet, but wanted to get feedback from friends & family. The decor although unfinished (according to the architect), looks great. With exposed brick, vaulted ceilings & some awesome I-beams. Again, they weren't quite ready to open, so the only choice of booze was wine or beer, but we were assured that they'd have a full bar. 4 of us sat down & decided to order everything off the menu & just share, so we could all taste everything & give our opinions.

1) 'Trailer Park' Chicken Sampler

I never met a piece of chicken I didn't like, so I was excited by this dish. The fried chicken was good, but the star was the beer can chicken breast. It was insanely tender & did not last very long. There were 2 sides: collard greens which I really liked & corn bread which was a little on the dry side. The chef has been tinkering with the recipe, so I'm sure it'll be perfect when they open.

2) Chili & Chocolate Glazed Spare Ribs (foreground)
Pan Fried Mozzarella Balls (background)

I was somewhat skeptical about the ribs, but I was glad to be proved wrong. spicy & sweet, they literally fell off of the bone. Pickled watermelon (an interesting flavor) & radish slaw accompanied. We all loved this dish. The mozzarella balls with arugula & herb roasted tomatoes were also tasty.

3) Grapefruit & Feta Salad

I was really surprised how well the tartness of the grapefruit went with the salad, this dish was a hit with all of us. It featured olives, spiced pecans & a honey vinaigrette.



4) Hot & Sour Sauteed Calamari

Call me a wuss (everyone does), but I found this dish to be way too hot. Everyone else seemed to be able to manage the heat, but I was guzzling down water & beer like it was going out of style. The calamari was cooked well (no Bridgestone tire here), but my tongue was on fire.

5) Maryland Crab Cakes

Yowza! This was amazing! Served with corn succotash, roasted garlic caper sauce & a side of Mac 'n Cheese (background), I was a very happy man. The crab cake was really good, & the Mac was some of the best that I've ever had in my life. Bravo!

6) Grilled Marinated Pork Chop

I had to do a double take as this monstrous piece of pork arrived at the table, it looked like something out of the Flintstones! How any one person could finish that is beyond me. The 4 of us struggled & couldn't even do it. Served with pulled pork stuffing, bacon (yes, more pork), brussel sprouts & a maple-jalapeno mustard sauce, it was incredibly tender.

7) Steak & Eggs

I'll admit that there was nothing really special about this dish. A grilled hangar steak with green tomato gratin & egg toast. I liked the presentation of the egg, but I thought the meat was slightly overcooked & could have used more sauce.

8) Free Range Turkey Meatloaf

By this time my stomach was waving the white flag, so I didn't try too much of this dish. It was served with mash, green beans & a house made tamarind ketchup. I did enjoy what I tried though.


Not pictured were the Shrimp Ceviche & the French Fries. I have nothing much to say about the ceviche as it really was like any other. The fries were not that crispy, but they were having trouble with the deep fryer.

After this insane meal, all 4 of us has a serious case of food coma & were all sitting there happy, yet sleepy. I enjoyed pretty much every dish here, which is a real rarity. The standouts were the crab cake & the ribs. The prices (if they don't change before opening) were insanely cheap given the portion size & the quality of the food which was all organic.

Please bear in mind that this was a pre-opening meal & they were working out the kinks in the kitchen. Also several dishes were unavailable. Any gripes that I had will be sorted out before opening.

Jeffrey's On Essex ( 120 Essex St., Essex Market)

Today, I have a renewed faith in society... You might remember the hellacious time I had trying to procure fine meats (see post here) in the East Village last year. I braved the cold this afternoon looking to get some lamb for the club meal that I am cooking tomorrow. Shunning Whole Foods, I headed to Essex Market & was lucky enough to meet Jeffrey Ruhalter, 4th Generation owner & proprietor of Jeffrey's on Essex.

Extremely knowledgeable, friendly & courteous; just what you want in a family butcher. Even though he didn't know me from Adam, he treated me like a lifelong customer. After buying 3 baby racks of lamb, I moved onto 2 giant New York Strip steaks for me tea. Jeffrey asked me if this was my first time shopping there & I replied yes. With a smirk on his face he promptly told me that if I didn't accept the gift he was about to offer me, then I wouldn't be able to shop there again. I accepted... 6 beautiful frenched lamb chops. He reccommended that I bread & lightly fry them. "Meat Popsicles!" He exclaimed!

The meat selection there is excellent & Jeffrey clued me up on all of the other delicacies that I could order with 1 days advance notice; ostrich, venison, elk, alligator, to name a few. you bet your ass that I'll be going back to Mr. Ruhalter for all my meat needs! I suggest you do the same.

The Stanton Social (99 Stanton Street)

So, the gang (11 of us in all methinks), descended onto the Lower East Side yesterday for some excellent brunch at the super-cool Stanton Social. Given the number of diners, we were offered a 6 course tasting menu & boy was it good!

We all arrived & were seated on the mezzanine level which overlooks the hip, industrial main dining area. Brunch started off a bit shaky as the waiter forgot a few of our drink orders, but as soon as the food came out, it was pure bliss.

- Wolf & Sons' Bagel & Lox Platter.

Aye Curumba! I'm a huge fan of smoked salmon, so I was really excited to 'wolf' (pun intended) these down.

I thought that the presentation was excellent, particularly the cream cheese which was served like an scoop of ice cream. The fish was delicious, but my only real gripe was that it took a bit of effort to get at the capers. No biggie though.

- Vanilla Bean Pancakes w/Caramelized Bananas & Spiced Pecans.

Again, beautifully presented & topped with the bananas, pecans & a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar. I'll admit that I'm not much of a pancake eater, but these were small & went down very easily. The maple syrup was some of the very best that I've ever had (move over Aunt Jemima!) I did, however, wish that there were more bananas on the stack.

- Classic Eggs Benedict w/Canadian Bacon & Hollandaise.
- Potato Latkes.

These two courses came out together & actually complemented each other very well. Nothing much of interest to report about the Benedict, standard fare (not trying to say they weren't good). I really liked the Latkes which were topped with sour cream & apple sauce. An excellent mix of sweet & savory.

- BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich.
- Lobster Rolls.

Whoa! Sandwich overload! It was like a mini surf & turf! I was already filling up by now, but I did enjoy both of these courses. Particularly the Pork which was cooked to perfection.

All in all, an excellent experience. I'd like to go back to The Stanton Social for dinner one day & sample the a la carte delicacies. Definitely check the joint out!

The Mighty Balthazar

It was my Mom's birthday last night, so my brother & I took her to Balthazar (80 Spring Street). We had tried to go to Blue Ribbon (97 Sullivan St.), but the Maitre D' informed us that it would be an hour or more for a table. It was freakishly hot yesterday as well as being a Saturday, so we knew it would be busy, but not that busy. So, we decided to go to Balthazar & didn't fare much better.

Balthazar can be somewhat imposing & upon opening the front door, our senses were barraged. The smell of the various foods, the sight of the sheer size of the place with it's staff doing what looks like a choreographed dance, the sounds of hundreds of people eating & chatting & the feel of 75 or so people waiting for tables & brushing up on you. We didn't get to the taste part until an hour later, & that was with preferential treatment as my brother knows the Maitre D', Kevin.

We were finally seated in an area away from the door, with far less foot traffic which made for a far more pleasant/comfortable dining experience than those who were sitting by the door or bar. I was still recovering from the night before, so I drank San Pellegrino all night, but my brother did order an excellent '05 Sancere which I had a few sips of. The wine list simply blew my mind. I thought it was only the front & back of a large sheet of paper, but it actually opened up to reveal 2 inner pages - over 400 wines; amazing!

We started with a dish known simply as 'Le Grand'. A towering, two-tiered monster of selections from the raw bar along with a seafood salad, crab & gigantic shrimp. We also ordered half a dozen Fanny Bay oysters for good measure.

Stefan ordered the Sat. special; Braised short ribs, which fell off the bone at the slightest touch. He also got a glass of Syrah-Grenache blend which he seemed to enjoy. I got the duck shepherds pie which I thought was so-so (that having been said, my taste buds were still recovering from the whiskey beating they had taken from the night before). We ended the night with coffee & a chocolate cake for my Mom.

All in all, an excellent experience. Don't let my horror story of the wait deter you from checking Balthazar out. The food is excellent & the service is among the best I've ever had (our waiter, Provost was awesome) despite the huge number of people dining. You can thank me later...