MarkJoseph Steakhouse - Financial District, NY

Restaurant week creeps upon us twice a year, in the blistering cold and in the scorching sun. It's always that time when J and I have a hard time deciding if we want to go to any participating restaurants and which ones.

This year, we decided to drag along 2 friends with us to a steakhouse. I mean, how can you say no to steak? I've done a good share of researching. I'm the type of person that wants to know what I'm exactly getting at a restaurant for a deal that they usually don't offer. What I mean is a lot of places would either lessen the plate of the food or just serve you something that's what you expect. I don't like surprises...in that way.

MarkJoseph was the winner for us and I gladly made the reservations.
The date we chose to eat as MarkJoseph will forever be memorable, just because the next day, NYC had the biggest snow storm in a long time. It was already snowing pretty hard when we left the restaurant. But, now back to the food.

The service was quite superb. Even dining during restaurant week, I felt like an appreciated patron. The food was amazing. Definitely the best deal we got. We started off with the thick cut Canadian Bacon and Baked Clams, both were very good. Of course, portion size was cut in half since it was restaurant week, but that's ok. Then onto the main course, we all ordered the Sirloin Steak which was 20oz each. Cooked perfectly to medium rare and served on a sizzling hot plate. The steak was so tender, add some salt or use their in-house steak sauce or nothing at all. Each steak came with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. For once, the mashed potatoes actually tasted like potatoes and wasn't covered and mixed with butter and cream, the spinach tasted like spinach and not fancied up cream that had a gloppy consistently.

Lastly, the dessert was simple yet delicious. The Mini Brownie Sundae definitely was a nice ending touch to a wonderfully satisfying meal. Oh, forgot to mention, the wine was amazing also. If you're curious, we ordered the 2011 Ruffino Chianti Classico Reserve from Tuscany, really good bang for you buck wine.

I'd go back to MarkJoseph in a heartbeat. It's hard to find a good steakhouse in NYC because there are just too many, but once you find one that you like, don't let it go, keep it in your radar.

Verdict:
Food ~ 4.5 out of 5
Price ~ 4 out of 5
Service ~ 4 out of 5

2011 Ruffino Chianti Classico Reserve

Thick Cut Canadian Bacon

Baked Clams

Sirloin Galore

Brownie Sundae

MarkJoseph Steakhouse
261 Water Street
New York, NY 10038

Philadelphia: Wedge&Fig + Monk's Cafe

On our second day at Philly, we chose Wedge&Fig to brunch at because of the cute name and they had the normal brunch menu along with BYOB. The cafe was small but they have seatings in the garden which we were instantly interested in.

The garden looked really realistic and made me feel like I was in the rain forest, the floor was made of pebbles too.

We ordered our food and had our waitress opened our bottle of wine. They also provided an ice jacket for our bottle which was pretty neat since a lot of places just give you an ice bucket - boring.

The Strawberry Stuffed French Toast came in quite a big portion, our friend SS wasn't able to finish it and had to wrap up the rest. It was good and not too sweet which I liked but I can't imagine having it again later when it's all soggy.

Knowing how J is, he ordered the Bacon-Lattice Mac + Cheese Pie. Looks insanely unhealthy. Bacon was really good though and surprisingly it wasn't really a big dish. The pie part didn't seem to really work so bacon mac + cheese would've been a lot better by itself.

I had the Eggs NOLA; I like eggs benedict but you have to make it right. What's special about this was the cornbread instead of your average English muffin. The cornbread was a thick cut which makes it a bit soggy to eat. Didn't exactly enjoy it too much because even the sauce was a bit lacking in flavor, I needed salt.

Most likely I wouldn't be coming back because everything felt average and even below that, but one thing, the waitress was really nice.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning we went to Monk's Cafe. I initially wanted to come here for dinner but SS was like we haven't tried it out this visit to Philly yet so let's just go there before heading back to NYC.

The restaurant was completely empty when we went for lunch. It was quite dim inside with no lights, the only light that we saw was coming from the outside.

They have a huge variety of beer. So this would be a heavenly place for beer lovers.

Started off with some Frog Legs, they were lightly fried and then covered in a light buffalo sauce. Really good, very meaty. If you never had frog, they're very similar to chicken but a little chewier than usual. These would be great beer food.

SS got the Monk's Duck Salad, amazing. Duck was cooked extremely well, meat was tender and soft and the salad had a nice vinaigrette dressing that was really appetizing. Wish I had the whole plate to myself.

J was hungry so he ordered the Rib Cap Steak that came with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes. This is a hungry man's food! Steak was good but could've been better, the cut was a bit tough but nonetheless enjoyable.

I ordered the Provence Mussels because I've been craving. This was a bit disappointing. I specifically wanted this pot because of the amount of vegetables that's in it, from mushrooms to peppers to celery to leeks and garlic, but it was the parsley and cream that made me ultimately want it. The broth was weak and light which I did not like. I wish it was thicker and heavier in taste because my mussels were lacking flavor. The mussels were also small.

The Pomme Frites came with the mussels and they were ok, the bourbon mayo dipping sauce was a bit bland. We all got full in the end regardless. I can definitely be satisfied with just the frogs and duck salad.

Wedge + Fig
160 N 3rd St
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(267) 603-3090

Monk's Cafe
264 S 16th St
Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 545-7005

Thalia Restaurant - how can you say no to such cheap aphrodisiacs

J and I always have a hard time deciding where to eat, and we get annoyed and upset at each other about it but we get over it quick. This time, we ended up at Thalia's. Apparently they have HH $1 oysters after 7pm, unlike other places which ends at that time.

Thalia was big, there were couches for the lounge-y feeling, high tables for the sophisticated and regular dining tables for the romantic. We came without a reservation, waited for about 15 minutes for a table which was understandable.

Started out with a pitcher of Rose Sangria, it was more fruity than anything else and the Rose tasted really light. I also don't like how the ice melted so quickly making the drink a lot more watery than it should be.

Some bread and olive oil was served. J liked the foccacia but I barely had any since I wasn't a big fan of this type of olive oil.

We didn't order too much food because the waiter advised that we already had a lot of food already. It's nice when the waiter can judge the amount of food and tell if it would be too much or too little. Plus, in the end he was right.

The HH $1 oysters was really good. They were a decent size and each one packed with meat. I also ordered half a dozen of clams, J doesn't like it as much as I do but these were a bit briney and fishy...definitely could've passed. I really wanted another round of oysters but held myself back from ordering.

It took a while for our next dish to come which made the oysters set into the stomach and made us pretty glad we didn't order another round. The Fried Sweetbreads, special of the night, was amazing. The vinegar glaze went so well with the delicately fried sweetbreads, along with the watercress and onions, it was a match-made in heaven. For those that don't know what sweetbreads are, it's the throat or pancreas of a calf or lamb. In this case, it's the "throat" of a calf...taste very similar to the consistency of brain, it has that mushy feeling.

So at this point, we were at the brim of being full because the entree took a looong time to come.

The Filet Mignon w/ pork reduction, fingerling potatoes and broccoli rabe was quite impeccable. The steak was encrusted with a layer of dried cranberries and what seems to taste like breadcrumbs. But anyways, it was really good and cooked nicely to a medium rare which we ordered.

After such a satisfying meal, there was no room left for dessert. I'd love to come back just so I can have endless amounts of oysters. Next time, I'll stick to glasses of wine rather than the sangrias...

Thalia Restaurant
828 8th Ave
New York, NY 10019
(212) 399-4444 

Spumoni - Chef's Table to cure my deep and uttermost hunger

J's cousins came to NY to visit, dinner was always on the cousin so we really didn't care where we ate. We also know that the cousin likes Spumoni. No reservation for 5 people, waited around an hour for a table. Crazy packed and busy on a Friday night but definitely worth the wait.

The cousin chose the Chef's Table, better for us since we all don't have to decide on any dishes. Just keep it coming...

I was insanely hungry, waiting that long really got me grumpy. Good thing the bread and butter came, but the butter was rock hard. So glad my boyfriend's hand is so warm, he warmed up the butter in no time. Love me some salted butter with bread. They took it away from me after 3 slices because they were afraid I would get too full...

I never thought I would enjoy Artichokes this much, the lemon-y sauce was so good. Too bad each person only gets one...

This dish was really different. The Mozzarella in Carrozza pan-fried with mozzarella cheese in the center, covered in sauce-y and tomato-y bed. Oily and unhealthy but extremely delicious.

Moving on to the Chef's Salad so we don't feel too guilty. It was a simple salad with greens, tomatoes, onions, cheese and olives in a vinaigrette dressing. Good palate cleansing dish.

So much for cleansing 'cause the next dish was Shrimp Two Ways. The shrimp cocktail was really good, big pieces of meaty shrimp. I think I actually prefer the fried shrimp with tartar sauce, so good...couldn't really speak at this moment cause everything was just amazing so far.

J's favorite Baked Clams. I love it also, with some lemon on top it was so perfectly summery. The breadcrumbs didn't over-power the delicate clam meat. J and I can probably eat endless dishes of this.

And if that clam dish wasn't enough, the Linguine in White Clam Sauce came. So effin' good. Pasta cooked al dente which is how it's suppose to be. Sauce was light yet flavorful and so many little clam meats. I would totally be a happy camper if I can have this all to myself, I wouldn't need anything else...just this dish and me.

So, that wasn't even the entree. The entree for the night was Grilled Steak, 2 plates of that sucker above. Could've been more on the rare side but it was good, like meaty carnivore goodness. All it need was a bit of salt and pepper, perfect.

Sides were mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe. I totally devoured the broccoli rabe, love it! Mashed potatoes lacked some flavor tho...

This moment, we were done. Hoping there wouldn't be more and just carry on to the finale.

Massive dessert. I don't even know if there's a name for this, Chef's Dessert will be the name. There was like 3 scoops of spumoni ice cream, those wedges of ice cream wrapped with chocolate, 2 slices of cheesecake (which I didn't care for - me no like cheesecake), and whip cream! We were all in the stage of comatose and had to struggle to lift ourselves off the seats to leave.

Excellent meal. It's even better when you don't need to pay for it...well we did pay for tip but that was probably nothing compared to the bill.

L&B Spumoni
2725 86th St
Brooklyn, NY 11223
(718) 449-1230

Cafe Orlin - we left but came back for more

Yes, we returned. It was gonna be sooner or later and this was the chance to get our hands on their delicious foods again.

It's something about Cafe Orlin that makes me like it so much. Maybe because of the great food and the fact that we don't have to wait too long for a table. I mean, they're usually packed for breakfast/brunch but for dinner, they don't fill up until around 9ish and we get there way before that.

The last time I remember, we started with a bottle of red and here we are starting our meal with another bottle, but of white. Went for a Riesling ($32) this time, nice and subtle.

I think it's official that we love ordering things from the Specials Menu. The Black Sea Bass Ceviche ($11) was delicious. Just enough lime, onion, tomato and spices. It was quite the gamble that we ordered it because we usually only order ceviche at Mexican restaurants.

I've been hooked onto calamari lately. The Grilled Calamari ($11) was excellent. Spritz some lemon on top and it's the most perfect appetizer. I really like the watercress that came with the dish, balances out the spices that the calamari gives off.

For entree, J had the Hanger Steak ($18). Same thing as last time because it's that dam good. Always comes with fries and some greens, just do you feel a bit healthy. Steak is great as usual, add some tabasco and ketchup to really bring out the flavor and tenderness of the piece of meat.

This time around, I ordered something different. Actually, last time I wanted pasta but their fish special totally steer me off to the other direction. The Linguine with Shrimp ($13.50) was interesting. The sauce was a bit on the heavy side but very aromatic, lots of garlic in it. It was good, I enjoyed it but I got extremely full from the carbs.

Even though I said I was full, once I glanced at the menu I knew I wanted the Tres Leches Cake ($6.50). Such a fatty! It was just mediocre, definitely could do without it but everything we had was just exquisite.

Cafe Orlin
41 St. Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-1447

Cafe Orlin - Spontaneous decision that was made and done

It was definitely one of those nights where J and I didn't know where to dinner at. We just walked along East Village and was hoping a restaurant would intrigue us enough to go in.

The famous Cafe Orlin that is usually packed during brunch and lunch hours was patron-less for dinner. I called the shot and had us dinner here.

Dimly lighted and tons of open tables, we were told to choose wherever we like to sit. Our waitress was just too cute, she made the mistake of calling a bottle of red white Helen Keller instead of Keller Estate, we busted her chops for the rest of the night.

And yes, we did end up getting the Heller Estate ($32/bottle). A little lighter than a malbec but it still wasn't my favorite. It has that pungent spice to it which really gives you a kick when you eat anything acidic.

Appetizer was Mussels in Garlic and White Wine sauce ($11) in place of the calamari on the menu. We would definitely get that if it wasn't off the menu for the night. But the mussels were great, the broth was delicious. There was chopped tomatoes and onions, the cilantro really pulled it together and made me fall in love with the dish. The toasted bread drizzled with olive oil was amazing with the broth also.

Our entrees didn't take too long to come out. J had the Hanger Steak ($18) with frites and watercress. It was cooked to perfection with the right amount of red in the center, it got some interesting steak sauce over it which was so good. The waiter asked us if we wanted ketchup and hot sauce, J just said yes because he believe there was a reason why he suggested the hot sauce. Truthfully, I've never been to a restaurant that serves hot sauce with steak. Boy, ketchup and hot sauce with steak is the bomb! Quite genius!

I chose a dish from their Today's Special menu which was the Market Cod ($19) with mash potato, asparagus, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Very flavorful dish, the cod could've used a bit more seasoning but all the vegetables were nicely cooked. I wished I had more mushrooms...I'm a mushroom fiend!

Delighted evening. Started to get packed around 8-9pm but emptying out by 9:15...odd. I'd definitely come back for the steak with ketchup and hot sauce.

Cafe Orlin
41 St. Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-1447

Cannibal - Please turn around if you don't want anything meat

Been wanting a good piece of steak for the past month or so and finally satisfied this craving!

And to satisfy such craving, what's better than going to a place named Cannibal. A bit odd and creepy but we're not eating humans here, just other animals...haha.

In total, we ordered 3 dishes and none of them have greens in them. Pure meat heaven.

Started off with Pig's Head Terrine ($11) as an appetizer. A nice cold rendition of headcheese that is quite gelatinous and porky. There were bread accompany this dish so don't feel too horrified of eating this fatty goodness. The gherkins were a nice touch, love me some pickled cucumbers.

Next was the Beef Heart Tartare ($16), I have to say this was my favorite. I love trying something new and I know that J couldn't agree more! I was afraid the heart would be too gamey and had too much of an iron taste to it since it is a muscle of blood, but to my surprise, the beef heart was covered in spices that really brought out the meaty-ness of the dish.

The beautiful fried shallots on top really gave it that extra oomph, if you know what I mean. I would come back to Cannibal, get a glass of wine and just enjoy this tartare because it's that amazing. If you can eat tuna tartare or beef tartare, then this is just a piece of cake.

For our main course, we had the Steak Du Jour for two. It was whatever they had that night and they had a ribeye and t-bone. We chose the former because the t-bone was quite on the pricey side plus, we weren't that crazy into the steak.

The Ribeye ($95) cooked to medium rare was perfect. Placed on a wooden cutting board and served to us just like that. We cut our own pieces, or we could've used our hands...no one cared since we're suppose to be cannibals! There was a lot of fat on the ribeye though, the non-fat parts were quite juicy and delicious. Was it worth the $95? Definitely not, but it was aged for about 4 weeks so that's where the price kicks in.
The waiter asked if we wanted any sides, I really didn't want any because I literally just want to be left alone with this ribeye. But, good thing we didn't because I was stuffed and J would have to finish everything and I don't think he'll be too happy with that.

Would I come back again? Sure, but I won't be getting the Steak Du Jour again though. Maybe try their bone marrow or cold cuts or even sausages.

Cannibal
113 E 29th St
New York, NY 10016
(212) 686-5480 

Knickerbocker Bar & Grill

Never would I thought of coming here. I past by it so many times when walking in the area but it wasn't one of those spots I would choose to eat at. There was nothing wrong with it, it's just I didn't see myself going inside and plus nothing appealed to me about it.

It just so happened that after a couple of drinks and the need for steak, J and I gave Knickerbocker a chance. It was weird knowing that I ate here on my birthday. A place I never would have went and yet I dined here on a day that is special to me.

Upon entering the restaurant, the maitre'd by the door was just lounging and leaning sluggishly against the table. He walked us to a table and it took about 10-15 minutes for a waitress to give us a menu. Any longer and I would've just left but I was hungry and I really wanted steak.

The waitress told us the specials of the night and which she also mentioned that they have the last order of skate and if we wanted it, we should order it ASAP. I had steak (of course!) and J decided on the skate...



It was a tad bit awkward 'cause the waitress asked us if we wanted bread and butter. Usually it would be just brought to us without question, I then started questioning myself if we're getting charged for bread... (which we didn't *phew*)

The butter was extremely good along with the cornbread. Whipped butter, yes please! The cornbread was really warm and one of the best I've had. Knickbocker probably isn't so bad afterall.

We ordered an appetizer to share because we were afraid the entrees would be of a large portion. The Grilled Octopus with Fingerling Potatoes was another amazing dish. I'm getting wow-ed by the moment. The octopus was nicely grilled and seasoned well. Although the potatoes were more on the salty side, I did wish there were other vegetables other than potatoes.

Our entree took a while to come out, starting to get unpatient. This is what happens when you're intoxicated with liquor and you go to a place which you didn't have positive feelings of.

My Bone in NY Shell Steak was satisfying. Obviously not the best steak I've had but it worked for me. I liked the steak sauce that was glazed on top of the steak, better for me because I was way too lazy to ask for any sauce and then having to dip it. It also came with mash potato gratin infused with truffle. More potatoes?! I wish it was mac and cheese instead...

J's dish was small. We looked at each other and had the "are you kidding" look. That's what happens when it's the last portion of the night. So lame. It was good but the fact that we feel we got jipped didn't make it taste any better. The Grilled Skate with bok choy and shitake mushroom ended the night with me feeling the same as before I ate here.

I wanted to like this place because the food were pretty to start with. But it just didn't live up to the expectation of a birthday girl. At least it was tried.

Knickbocker Bar & Grill
33 University Pl
New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-8490

The Palm Restuarant

I've heard good things about The Palm, probably not around New York. I first heard about The Palm on a television show and it was said to be pretty popular in California. Being the greedy person that I am, I searched to see if there's any around here in NYC... and there was a ton of them.

It just so happened that The Palm was having their 85th anniversary. They offered a Surf and Turf with 2 appetizers and 2 sides for just $85, total deal. I love lobster so 2 lobster tails and an 18 ounce steak was enough to make me happy.

How can one forget about bread bowls and butter? I love their butter because it's whipped, so soft and just the right amount of salt. I just couldn't stop with the butter.

A delicious cocktail that consist of pineapple, orange juice, and whiskey. Totally forgot the name.

J's margarita on the rocks with salted rim. Gosh so salty!

Autumn Salad

J chose this for me, now I wished he chose the Caesar Salad since I know I'll definitely eat that. This tasted interesting, so many elements within the salad. I guess it just didn't work for me, arugula, pears, walnuts, blue cheese in a balsamic vinaigrette.

Lobster Bisque

Ok, J chose the better appetizer. :le sigh: This was just so rich and yummy with chunks of lobster meat. I can also taste the heaviness of the cream that was added to the soup.

Half and Half

Fried onion strips and potato slices. I really like the potato cause it tasted just like potato chips, but a lot more healthier. I passed on the onions, never really an onion kind of gal.

Green Beans

I was so happy when I finally chose something food for the night! Although they might look oily but tasted so good. Sauteed with panchetta and pine nuts, definitely one of the best side dishes I ever had.

Surf and Turf

The star of the night. I loved the beef steak tomatoes on the side, goes extremely well with the steak. We had the steak cooked medium rare, was told by the boyfriend since he seems to know his steaks better than I. Surely, he was right. The steak came out tender and just right. The lobster was good also, can't really mess up a lobster tail unless you over or under cook it but then with a place like The Palm I'm sure they can master just a tiny lobster tail.

The meal sure didn't disappoint. J and I were both stuffed and definitely a satisfying meal. A dinner that can easily cost around $200 came out to less than $60 a person which was such a bargain.

The Palm Restaurant
Various Locations

The one I went to....
837 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10017
(212) 687-2953