Cookshop NYC: Up in the running as my favorite NYC restaurant

I went to Cookshop 2-3 months back, but it has stuck in my mind as one of my favorite places in New York since then. My friend Janet knows the General Manager of the restaurant, so we both dined together and got a boat load of free delicious wine and little food tasters thoughout the meal. While it may have been the special treatment that lured me into being an avid Cookshop fan, the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of every dish I consumed is a very telling sign that Cookshop is, VIP treatment or not, a sincerely great find.

To start, the restaurant is very California-esque with high ceilings allowing a warm, open air, un-claustrophobic space. The restaurant spans half of a block between 19th and 20th street, and large windows spanning the walls make the place appear even more spacious than it is. Such a great find amongst the delicious yet exceedingly cramped joints in NY. Despite the large establishment feel, though, you'll find a menu filled with refined yet homey, filling food made with local and organic ingredients at great prices.

To start, I had a deliciously salty proschutto and egg on a piece of grilled bread with some watercress to lighten it up. The egg was cooked perfectly and poured over the bread when punctured to add a creaminess that partnered with the tangy, salty pork to start a party in my mouth. Crusty, crunchy break added the perfect texture to round out the dish. The next dish I tried was almost sinful - a thick, spicy crab bisque - creamy and just chunky enough to convince me that there was in fact fresh crab in the bisque. And to top off the deliciousness, there was a lightly fried softshell crab that stuck out of the bowl - not sure if you're supposed to pick this crunch, bisque-soaked creature up to eat, but I sure did. And I have no regrets.

For my main course I went for the sea scallops. Generally, I find sea scallops tough to ruin unless they're sandy or not fresh. These, however, weren't just good. They were stellar - Maine Day boat scallops with creamed English peas, sugar snap peas, and morel mushrooms. The scallops were huge, and an overly generous portion of about 6-7 surrounding a large plate with flavorful sauces and veggies. Janet ordered wisely as well by ordering their signature dish - Vermont Suckling Pig "porchetta" with green garlic potato puree, pickled onions, mushrooms and asparagus. Literally, the crispiest pork skin I have EVER tasted. Justin, the GM told us how it was made, and if I remember correctly they put the pork in the oven first to render the fat and flash fry the outside to make the skin as crispy as a pork rind. So so flavorful and so so good - and they truly succeeded in making a rich dish taste light.

For dessert, I was literally awed by the Cookshop Candy Bars, which are described as Devil's food cake, gianduja crunch, praline ganache, frozen peanut nougat and chocolate shell. The saltiness of the nougat complimented the sweet chocolate cake and praline chocolate sauce perfect - truly bringing out the flavors and making this dessert so much more than just "sweet." It really brought that meal up that extra mile to make me leave the restaurant thinking "I GOT TO GO BACK THERE!"

Please take my advice and give Cookshop a try - an all-types-of crowd pleaser, a beautiful space, wonderful wonderful service, and tons of local, organic foods (have you SEEN Food Inc??).

Address: 156 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10011

Website: www.cookshopny.com

Scuderia - the bread is small but it's really good

I have been dying to go to Bar Pitti and Da Silvano, but my attempts are generally cut short by the long waits any night of the week. The other night, I passed by the two restaurants and sure enough my concerns were justified - long waits and crowds outside. I glanced across the street in sadness, and a dimly lit awning caught my eye. "Scuderia" it said. The name suddenly brought me back to an article I had read about the restaurant that noted it was a cheaper version of the two Italian restaurants it faced across the street. In fact, its co-owned by Silvano Marchetto of Da Silvano.

I was ecstatic that I remembered this - I dashed over and to my delight was greeted and seated immediately. Upon arrival I immediately noticed the full bar - such a rare commodity for good Italian restaurants. The restaurant is filled with good tables; there's a large area of out door seating, and the restaurant's full sized windows open to make the whole space feel airy, familial, and summer friendly.

The menu is comprised a variety of typical yet refined Italian fare - pizzas, panini, pastas, primi, secondi, and a few choices of tramezzini (small bites) to curb the appetite. The food is well priced, and you can definitely eat a delicious, filling meal without breaking the bank. The wines by the glass are also fairly cheap - I had a delicious cabernet for just $7.50. For food, I tried the insalata pizza with mozzerella on wheat crust and the Paccheri alla bucaiola - a deliciously dense pasta (somewhat like ravioli without filling) with spicy sausage, sweet peas, and cream. Honestly, the pasta was hot, perfectly seasoned, and to heaven in my mouth. The little bits of caramalized sausage sealed the deal. The pizza was simple - a wheat crust pizza with a pile of lettuce on top - tasty but nothing over the top or spectacular. The salad atop the pizza came with mango, something I would never imagine throwing on a pizza in an Italian restaurant, and probably wouldn't recommend.

Overall, the service was friendly and accommodating to my random requests (sauce on the sauceless pizza, bread immediately, etc). I would recommend trying Scuderia if you want something Centro-Vinoteca-esque with a more laid back, open air feel, edgy feel. It's a little bit remote on a wide 6th-ave block, but once you're inside you may forget you're in New York (which is sometimes a good thing).

Address: 10 Downing St between Minetta St & Avenue Of The Americas

Website: www.scuderianyc.com

Baoguette - Tasty cheap eat, but don't go for the ambiance

For the past few months, I've read a new article almost daily about the thrill of Vietnamese sandwiches, or Banh Mi as they are more traditionally known. Banh mi are traditionally made of thinly sliced pickled carrots, daikon, onions, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapeño peppers and some kind of meat, and shops that sell them have recently popped up all over NYC.

To be honest, though, sweet and spicy Asian ingredients on a warm french baguette at first thought sounded like an excessive clash of flavors and cultures. That's like putting beans, rice, salsa, sour cream and carnitas on sliced bread. But being a die hard food trend follower, I decided to suck up my reservations and taste one. And, considering "Baoguette" opened directly beneath my apartment, I really had no excuse to deny them.

Baoguette is a tiny place with multiple locations, and a little more modern in appearance than what one would normally imagine a Vietnamese sandwich shop to look like. The restaurant is clean with zen-like decor, and vary narrow in shape. There are only about 4 booths and three small tables, but the front of the restaurant is lined with a bar for solo eaters. But, don't be fooled by the bar - the place has yet to receive its liquor license, though it welcomes outside beverages. My first time around, we brought in coronas, which actually coupled the food quite nicely.

Fortunately there's quite a bit of variety on the menu for a traditional sandwich/pho shop. I decided to start with the Vietnamese shrimp summer rolls - pretty traditional with rice paper, poached shrimp, noodles, and a sweet and tangy peanut dipping sauce. I was happily surprised that they were only $5 and tasted just as good as any other summer roll I've tried. For my entree I tried both the beef broth Pho and the BBQ chicken sandwich. Both were excellent, though the pho could have come out a bit hotter. The noodles of the pho were long and thin, and it is served with a generous plate of bean sprouts, mind, basil and all of the other awesome fixings that generally come with pho.

The BBQ chicken Banh mi was absolutely delicious. Tender pieces of dark meat chicken, thin slices of cucumber, bean sprouts, and carrots stuffed into a warm, crispy baguette actually worked perfectly as a unique combination. With its perfect consistency and doughiness, the bread really stood out. Be warned, however, that the sandwiches come with mayo - something not in the menu description. But if you make the mistake it can be easily corrected: once our servor overheard us griping about that, he immediately came out with another sandwich - this time without mayo. Great service in a small sandwich shop at low prices? Quite a deal I might say.

I would definitely eat Baoguette again - in fact I've returned there since my first visit - but I wouldn't waste a night here if you'd like to be "wined and dined." Though its food is cheap and delicious, the place is in desperate need for business, making the restaurant feel starck, empty, and stale. Not a fun environment to spend time in. However, give it a chance, and it may change your mind about your expectations of fusion cuisine ... definitely changed mine!

Baoguette/Pho Sure

Address: 120 Christopher Street @ Bedford

Website: http://www.baoguettecafe.com/