Dirty French: French/Moroccan/Asian Mashup

Dirty French
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After thumbing through pics of lamb carpaccio and foie gras in crispy bric dough scattered throughout my IG feed for the past month, I attempted to snag a table at Dirty French, the latest venture from Team Torrisi focused on French cuisine with Moroccan and Southeast influences.

Since they opened around Labor Day, tables earlier than 10pm were nonexistent and it took about two weeks until I received a call that a last minute table opened up around 8pm. So much for the Barry’s Bootcamp session I had planned to attend that evening.

Running a few minutes late, I walked past Katz’s when my eyes were naturally drawn to the bright pink neon signs silently screaming out DIRTY FRENCH.

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Bacchanal

Bacchanal
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We ducked into Bacchanal, a new restaurant that opened in late May that quickly became known for serving tantalizing small plates with influences from Italy, France, and Spain. We started things off the right way - with a superbly made cocktail. It was a particularly humid July afternoon, and this Old Fashioned was the antidote. 

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Eleven Madison Park: Style Over Substance

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It was February 6th, 2014 and I was browsing an email newsletter from "I Know The Chef", a service that allows members to book prime time reservations at popular restaurants and receive VIP service. At the bottom of the email, a same day 7:45pm table for 4 at EMP opened up and was available.

My heart skipped a beat. I had recently picked up Danny Meyer’s book, “Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business” which chronicles how he opened EMP as well as the challenges faced and lessons learned while employing the power of hospitality and service in the food industry.

Eating at Eleven Madison Park (ranked 4th in the world with 3 Michelin stars) has been a dream of mine ever since moving to New York in the summer of 2007. From my early exposure to Shake Shack, where I learned what a real quality burger tasted like, to the venerable Gramercy Tavern where I received some of the best service in recent memory, EMP would be the crown jewel that would meld both concepts at the highest level.

Without hesitation, and with 3 empty seats to fill, I had called and confirmed the reservation with IKTC’s Joshua Stern who was a pleasure to deal with. Luckily, over the next 2 hrs, I was able to find 3 of my friends willing to drop $225 for a dinner happening in a few hours.

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Four & Twenty Blackbirds: Did someone say pie?

Four & Twenty Blackbirds
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On our way to the Rockaways, we stopped by Four & Twenty Blackbirds, whose pies made their debut nationwide when Whoopi brought them to share on the Jimmy Fallon show. 

Opened in 2010 by two sisters, Four & Twenty Blackbirds is renown for homemade pies that are made from scratch every day using seasonal ingredients. The menu changes frequently which simply means I have an excuse for repeat visits.

Figuring there would be a mass of people waiting outside, we were pleasantly surprised to see no line since we dropped by mid-afternoon after lunchtime. 

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Rockaway The Last Days of Summer

Rockaway Beach
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f you don’t know Julia B, you should. She gave me the heads up on one of my favorite ramen spots, Bassanova, when it first opened, and is always in the know for underground concerts with an up and coming band or an art exhibit that nobody knows of yet. When I got the invite for her birthday party in the Rockaways, an area I haven’t explored yet, I was thrilled. Accompanying me on this adventure was a group that is always willing to travel for food:  Julia Z, Polina, and Davis.

After a 40 minute train ride on the A, we made our way to the Rockaway Beach Surf Club to say hi to the birthday girl.

 

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