Go for the ambiance, skip the food

Place: Turks & Frogs Tribeca

Location: 458 Greenwich St. near Desbrosses St.

The occasion: Searching for a good Turkish restaurant in the new hood

The setting: The former stonemason’s studio is given warmth and an eclectic personality with a smattering of French and Turkish antiques at every turn.

The food: Having massive Turkish food withdrawals thanks to the Upper East Side’s yummy Beyoglu, Ivan and I set out to find a replacement closer to our new Fidi apartment. We had hoped we had found it with a short, 10-minute walk to Tribeca’s Turks & Frogs, a cozy red-hued bar and restaurant that seats 60 and has over 80 varieties of wine. But sadly, the food didn’t live up to the décor.

While the crystal chandeliers, antique lamps and paintings were beautiful, the fylo rolls tasted more like a salt lick—I’ve never had such salty feta in all my life. And this is coming from a saltaholic! The chicken kabob was served over soggy croutons with two mushy grilled green peppers and two lackluster grilled tomatoes. With the lighting so dim, it was hard to tell whether I had bread or chicken on my fork. And more often than not, it was bread. The portion size was small and favoring carbs over protein.

I wouldn’t recommend eating here, but it is the perfect spot for a quiet night of drinks, where you can emerse yourself in good wine and conversation, while taking in the lovely sights of an era gone by. 

Sneak Peek: Daniel Boulud

Chef Daniel Boulud and Épicerie Boulud Executive Chef Jonathan Kinsella.

The best meal of my life—hands down—has been at Daniel, the flagship New York City restaurant of celebrity chef Daniel Boulud. So when I was invited to a “hard hat” unveiling of his still-under-construction new eateries, I was thrilled. In fact, I skipped breakfast so I could enjoy every single morsel!

In May, Chef Boulud is adding to his culinary empire with not one—but two!—new Upper West Side locations, both just steps from his already popular Bar Boulud. The menu for Boulud Sud, a 120-seat Mediterranean grill, is influenced from the plethora of flavors from Greece, Turkey, Italy, Spain and North Africa. I had the pleasure of feasting on tapas-size tastes of some of his new dishes, and I feel it's my duty to ooh and ahh over them, because they are truly out of this world!

Octopus à la plancha: perfection on a plate!

The octopus á la plancha is by far my favorite. Perfection on a plate is the best way I can describe it. Precisely braised (with white wine, no less), it’s served with a marcona almond puree, arugula and orange salad with lemon-oregano vinaigrette and toasted marcona almonds. The lamb cleopatra is also flawlessly tender. Braised with a mix of Mediterranean staples—including cumin, cinnamon, allspice, coriander, fennel seed, nutmeg, ground ginger, star anise, clove, cayenne and cardamon—the dish is served with apricots, toasted almonds, baby carrots and spring onion. Other delicious entrees included veal tonnato with anchovy and capers (tasty, even for me, someone who doesn't love anchovy), orechiette pasta with braised goat and tangy chicken tagine.

Orechiette pasta with braised goat.

 Aaron Chambers, a dapper Brit trained in the French culinary tradition, is the Executive Chef. Jonathan Kinsella, former Executive Sous Chef at Bar Boulud, is Aaron’s counterpart at Épicerie Boulud, the new eat-in and take-out market of house-made charcuterie (by Gilles Verot), artisanal cheeses (by Saxelby Cheesemongers), and freshly-made soups, salads, sandwiches and pastries (by Executive Pastry Chef Ghaya F. Oliveira). All I could think was, How perfect for summer picnics! And at night, the raw oyster bar comes out. Eventually, it will amp up to late-night hours to match the schedule of nearby Lincoln Center. Now all we can do is sit back and wait for it to open! I’m already counting the days…

Locations: Boulud Sud, 20 West 64^th St (between Broadway and Central Park West); Épicerie, 1900 Broadway at 64^th St.

The Setting: Though still under construction, award-winning interior designer Thomas Schlesser says the look of Boulud Sud should transport you back to the Mediterranean in the 1950s with it’s light yellow color palate. And the barrel vaulted ceiling is both a nod to Bar Boulud next door and the architecture of the Lincoln Center.