New Summer Menu at Bistro 33

Since summer is officially here, it's nice to think about some delicious, light summery food, and a few restaurants are starting to reflect that in their menus.  One in particular I want to highlight here is Bistro 33, that's always diligent about keeping up with the seasons.  Browsing through their new summer menu got me excited - take a look:

Escargot - Honshimeji, Maitake ragu, cheesy grits, scallion pesto crispy parsnip

Salmon Crudo - Poached in duck fat, soft boiled duck egg, sauteed greens, potato pancake, orange supremes, bacon BBQ

Half Pheasant - Fennel, kimchi, Peruvian potato salad, hoisin sauce, cognac mustard

Tuna Foie Gras - Asian pear chutney, spicy cashews sour cherries, Thai basil salad, orange blossom honey

These are just a few things, but you can peruse their entire menu online.  Looking through it, I noticed the Lobster Roll that also got me pretty stoked.  Enjoy!

Bistro 33 - 19-33 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105

718.721.1933

N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

www.bistro33nyc.com

Bistro 33 Unveils the Lobster Roll and New Cocktail Options

It’s been a while since I’ve heard from Bistro 33, so I was eager to see that they had some new food and cocktail news.  They do seafood particularly well, so I was happy to see they’re offering a lobster roll option, along with some yummy sounding cocktails.  It’s meant to be a pairing, and the options sound lovely – just perfect for spring and summer.

Spicy Lemonade – Corp organic meyer lemon vodka, fresh lemon juice, hellfire bitters and siracha salt

Ginger Bash – Muddled ginger root, fresh pineapple, Flor de Cana Rum, cherry rum, apple liqueur and lime juice

Monkey Iced Tea – Monkey Shoulder Scotch, fresh mint and lemon juice

33’s Old Fashioned – Chopin Rye Vodka, orange peel, cherry liqueur, peychauds bitters

Bistro 33 - 19-33 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105

718.721.1933

N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

www.bistro33nyc.com

Visiting Montauk and Their Famous Clam Bar

I'm happy to report that most of this week was spent chillin' and relaxing out East in Montauk, in celebration of my birthday.  Like a little kid, I tend to make my birthday celebration last a whole week and this year totally followed suit, as Dan and I headed out for a little mini vaca.  

Part of why I love the East end, including Montauk is for its fresh seafood, and we of course had nothing but this out there.  Loving the fact that you can get a lobster roll at the drop of a hat, we of course had to take advantage of this at Montauk's famous Clam Bar.

Atmosphere:
Located right off of the main road that leads into "Downtown Montauk" or 27 as the locals call it, the famous Clam Bar is a drive by kind of place.  The atmosphere is super lax, with white plastic backyard furniture set up as its outdoor dining room.  Each table is covered by a large umbrella, which helps shield the hot rays, especially during the summer months.

And although sitting down and enjoying the local atmosphere is quite lovely, you can also go up to the counter, order and take away.  Dan and I chose the former, wanting to relax and enjoy the summer vibe, including their classic rock music mix, and catching some rays in the process too.

Food:
I love that the menu includes all your seafood favorites such as clams, steamed lobster, lobster rolls (yay!), clam chowder, steamed mussels, fish and chips and more.  Aside from these mainstays, there are also a wide array of daily specials, which showcase just how fresh everything is.  In fact, we found out that The Clam Bar has their own fishing boat, which they take out each morning and catch the freshest stuff, for each day's service.

Lobster Salad Roll - I was a bit confused about why they were calling this a lobster "salad", as I always think of the chunky lobster meat rolls when ordering this dish.  The staff at the Clam Bar however assured me that this was no "fake lobster salad" but indeed the real thing, with chunky bits of lobster meat, a minimal amount of mayonnaise and some crunchy pieces of celery.  Even though I was still a little skeptical, what arrived in front of me was just awesome.  

The lobster roll was indeed what I was expecting - a beautiful, soft buttery bun, filled to the brim with chunky fresh lobster meat.  Amazingly flavorful, the combination worked beautifully and far surpassed my expectations, for there were tons of meaty pieces of lobster and the crunch from the celery added a nice, clean freshness.  The roll was so huge and so filling, that I gave away a few generous bites to Dan.  Even though I haven't tried the place across the street called Lunch, also known for their lobster rolls, everyone swears that Clam Bar's are better.  I trust this is true!

Fried Clam Strips and Sweet Potato Fries - Dan was dreaming about his beloved fried clam strips and this too delivered.  The clams were fresh as ever, and coupled with a tangy, homemade tartar sauce that we even used on their crunchy sweet potato fries.  The whole combination was just a mountain of fried goodness that I'd recommend in small doses, but still, a totally worthy summer indulgence.

Service and Cost:
Even though I wanted the service to be awesome, it just wasn't.  We found our waitress to be surly and rude, and like a lot of the restaurant service we encountered in Montauk, it was made up of 20 somethings who seemed to be too cool for school.  Even so, the food arrived really quickly and piping hot.

Costs aren't cheap, but given the quality of the seafood, they are fair.  The lobster roll set us back $19.50, which is pretty standard (even cheap for a good lobster roll), while the fried clam strips and the fries were $13 in total.  

3 Mmmms

Clam Bar at Napeague - 2025 Montauk Highway, Amagansett NY 11930
631.267.6348
www.clambaronline.com

Luke's Lobster - Simple and Perfected

Given our long Thanksgiving weekend, it was also a great time to explore new food places that have been on my must-try list.  One of those included Luke's Lobster, the rustic lobster joint that started out in the East Village and that now has locations virtually all around the city.  Dan and I visited the Upper West Side locale. 

The legend of Luke's Lobster has to do with freshness and being supplied directly from Maine shores - no middle man involved.  Therefore, you know that your lobster is freshly caught and hasn't been transported to your plate from afar.  And...you can therefore feel really good about eating it.

Atmosphere:
Staying true to its humble beginnings, Luke's Lobster is a simple, no frills place that feels like it belongs in a quiet New England town, as opposed to the busy streets of Manhattan.  In fact, when you step in, you're immediately transported into a more laid back place, and can't help but think of lazy summer days by the beach.

The space is long and narrow and decked with a couple of communal style high tables with stools.  A long mural, depicting a Maine beach scene on one side, and a busily stacked wall of Luke's redeemed frequent customer cards on the other, showcases just how popular it is.  I plan to put mine up there someday, as after my first experience, I can with certainty say I'll be back.

Food:
Dan and I both got the lobster roll combo, which came with a pickle, a bag of chips and a drink of choice.  We ooh'd and aaah'd as soon as we took a good look at this lobster roll, main reason being because the chunks of lobster were so gorgeous in color and so substantial in size.  What a bummer it is when you receive a lobster roll with more mayo than lobster, the whole thing resulting in a soggy mess! Well not this, for the lobster was surely the main ingredient, only hit with a touch of mayo and some ingenious house seasoning.  It was so simple, yet so very delicious, each bite of the chunky sandwich reaffirming to us the starring role the lobster played.  After we finished it, we felt satisfied and happy, as opposed to weighed down and overly full, as can be the case with heavily mayo-drenched renditions.

Service and Cost:
Although the service is as casual as the rest of Luke's, the staff is friendly and helpful, and generally seems happy to be there.  The woman behind the counter was nice and tried to accommodate Dan with the beer of his choice, after some ambivalence.  She had a sound idea of what was good, and tried to weigh out the options for us in terms of the best value.

Costs are very fair for the amazing quality you get.  Each lobster roll combo set us back $17, which included the aforementioned pickle, chips and a drink.

3 Mmmms

Luke's Lobster - 426 Amsterdam Avenue, New York NY 10024
212.877.8800
1 Train to 79th Street
www.lukeslobster.com 

Wednesday Nights are Lobster Nights at El Ay Si

Image by El Ay Si

Here's something fun, which can be a last minute deal for tonight or for any upcoming Wednesday at El Ay Si - Lobster Roll night.  They started this a few weeks ago and it seems to be going strong, with most nights experiencing quick sell outs of these crustacean wonders. 

They learned their lesson and stocked up this week, so in the event you do decide to get to it tonight, there's a good chance you'll get some.  I'd recommend calling ahead.

Here's what you'll get - nice sized chunks of lobster, coated with tangy mayo on a toasted, buttery bun.  Mmmm...can't you just smell the summer in that?

Each roll is $19, which is a lot but the quality should be worth it.  Try it and let me know what you think.

El*Ay*Si - 47-38 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City NY 11101
718.389.8781
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Avenue
www.elaysi.com