December 29, 2006
In brief: Outsized gastronomy became an understatement in 2006, as Manhattan restaurants grew ever larger. We witnessed the pan-Asian explosion as well as the celebrity chefs (and their owners) expanding further afield in Manhattan as well as branching out to Las Vegas. With a healthy dose of chefs on the move, we also heard endless stories of chefs being fired or replaced, of new management, of new names (such as Izakaya Ten, formerly Anzu, formerly D'or Ahn), and of the endless shuffling of restaurants in the Grace and Jack Lamb empire of East Fifth Street and lower Second Avenue.
Average service at higher prices was again a hallmark of this year, particularly the much ballyhooed reopenings of old favorites such as Le Cirque and Waverly Inn. Given the success of the film Supersize Me, one could laud the trend towards new restaurants serving mostly small plates, yet react with befuddlement as to how so many new steakhouses, or places serving mostly burgers, cupcakes or macaroni and cheese could stay in business. Perhaps the backlash against atherosclerosis will be the trend of 2007 and tofu will reemerge as a major contender. Highly unlikely, however.
A number of new ventures flopped after a few months (most notably Sascha), and still others found it tough to compete in a crowded and expensive marketplace (i.e. Shopsin's), and still others launched TriBeCa mini-me branches (i.e. Wolfgang's Steakhouse, Mr. Chow, Turks & Frogs).
Given how many kitchens are now staffed mostly by Mexicans, the great wonder remains as to why the finest regional dishes of Mexico—from the Yucatán to Baja—are still so difficult to find. Given the strong American appetite for food from south of the border, how can the scandalous Taco Bell or merely semi-authentic La Esquina remain so popular? Probably because the eager young workers from Puebla are too busy making French croissants at 2 a.m. or chopping vegetables in a brasserie at dinner time. Then again, semi-authentic was a major trend this year, given the strong showing of overhyped restaurants such as Chinatown Brasserie.
Long Island surf food (Ditch Plains) struggled to ride the wave of Manhattan; the much ballyhooed E.U. European Union survived endless problems; and two little cheese shops that could (Formaggio Essex and Saxelby Cheese) made a profound impact on dairy consumption on the Lower East Side. Nina Planck's real food markets became a contender in the Greenmarket business. Authentic Thai food has become tantalizing closer; wine bars as well as the enlarged new Astor Wines and Union Square Wines expanded our palates; and top-quality ice cream suddenly appeared in many places, even at a Whole Foods gelato bar. New barbecue joints appeared out of the woodwork, yet no contenders matched the supersized cocktails of Dallas BBQ. Chocolate in all forms became so popular that we even invented a walking tour for roaming chocoholics.
On to our new favorite picks for 2006, in no particular order: Boqueria for its stylish tapas; L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon at the Four Seasons for its lavish small plates; Degustation for its more discreet small plates; Frankies 17 Spuntino for its old-world charm and uncomplicated fare; Falai Panetteria for exquisite breads and desserts; Le Cirque for all the usual reasons; and Room 4 Dessert for Will Goldfarb's seminal desserts. (Do ensure you listen to Jennifer Leuzzi's amusing interview with Goldfarb that can be heard here.)
Finally, although we avoid all prognostications for the new year, we do eagerly await Pichet Ong's P*Ong dessert restaurant, Landmarc's new steakhouse in the Time Warner Center, and about three dozen other contenders that will emerge during this exceptionally mild winter.
Tags:
Boqueria, Chinatown Brasserie, chocolate, Degustation, ditch plains, Falai Panetteria, Formaggio Essex, Four Seasons, Frankies Spuntino, Grace Lamb, greenmarket, Jack Lamb, Jennifer Leuzzi, Joel Robuchon, La Esquina, Le Cirque, Mr Chow, nina planck, Pichet Ong, Room 4 Dessert, Sascha, Saxelby Cheese, TurksnFrogs, Will Goldfarb, Wolfgangs Steakhouse
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Posted on 12/29/2006
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