NYC Day 2 - LUPA (L) and LES HALLES (D)

Sunday, January 20, 2008

OK, Sunday was a day of comfort. We wanted to hit up the places we both knew we enjoyed and wanted more of. That meant the comforts of LUPA for lunch and LES HALLES for dinner.

1:00pm
After the craziness of Jean George, we woke up barely in time to get ready and head downtown towards Thompson Street for lunch. Surprisingly, we were ready to eat again, and I had the excitement of having more delicious ricotta and the salumi too. The weather was bitter cold yet again with slush on the ground but we only hailed a cab instead of taking the subway because we were running late.

We arrived about 10 minutes early but I was pleased to peer inside to see that the bar wasn't packed like on our previous visit which meant a warm place to wait, if needed. To my delight they were able to seat us right away.

This time we were led to the smaller back room. At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to be away from the warmer toned front room and seated to face the small room that held all the espresso machines, but I realized it was actually quieter so I was content.

I loved our server - she was an older woman who you just knew is seasoned and couldn't be bothered with stupidity. I could truly appreciate her no-nonsense manner.

We knew we couldn't order as much as before, so we decide to each get one main item and mix it up by getting one Primi (of pasta) and one Secondi (meat) with the salumi (prosciutto, salami, etc.) and my sardines.

We were served a plate of their moist foccacia bread and our appetizers came out quickly. I dove into the salumi right away, but I saved the prosciutto for last (it is like eating meaty butter. Yum). The meats are cured in-house and it amazing how eat piece does have so much flavor. We have ordered a salumi at many other restaurants, but they have yet to compare to what we get at Lupa.

I normally do not order pasta because it is fattening and disappointing but I wanted to relive my heavenly experience from last time with my ricotta gnocchi "pillows" so I got it again this time. While they were not as light and fluffy as before, they were still delicious. My s.o. got the Sunday special: Braciola "Alla Cacciatora"- Stuffed, rolled, tied, and braised pork shoulder with garlic, parsley, mint, lemon, cheese - a stuffed and braised pork shoulder - with the meat falling apart and savory. (BTW - I love that Lupa does provide a glossary http://www.luparestaurant.com/menu-glossary.html for the Italian food and their servers can all explain the food without being condescending.) How he is able to put it all away impresses me every time too.

The only disappointment, if you can even call it that, is that I ordered the ricotta and honey for my dessert, and I made my s.o. get the coconut gelato, since I craved that as well. (Ah, the joys of dining with a loved one.) The ricotta this time was not as light and airy, which could also explain the gnocchi, and the honey served was a thicker and grainier honey than before. I am not sure you could even chalk it up to seasonal, because I asked our server who makes this decision. She said the executive chef (I would assume is Steve Connaughton), but that he wasn't in at that moment and she thought it was maybe a summer honey choice. However, we dined in early November, so that couldn't have been the reason. I chalked it up to a choice by the chef and left it alone. But next time, I know to ask about the honey before getting it again.


8:00pm
The weather only got colder as we headed out for dinner. We bundled up as best we could and walked the few blocks towards the nearest subway entrance and we were blessed to have a stop at the corner of Les Halles on Park at 28th. Hurray public transportation.

I wasn't sure if I'd be ready for more food, but I was. I have learned that while I can't put much away at one sitting, I can eat again in less than two hours. This does help me enjoy eating at more places, but I always leave too much on the plate and feel guilty for it. Oh well.

We arrived 10 minutes early, and while it was full of patrons, it wasn't nearly as hopping as the Thursday night months before. I am sure it was a mix of being a Sunday night and a really cold day at that. This meant we got a choice of seats and we took a cute table by the window in front.

One way to avoid a drunken stupor was to ixnay the cocktails if I am ordering wine with food so I got a glass of Chateauneuf-du-Pape which was not great, but very nice. My s.o. got his usual gin and tonic and we started into our bread but remembered to watch how much we ate. Filling up on the delicious bread and creamy butter prior to the meal made for a horribly gluttonous occasion last time, so we ate the slices at a modest pace this time out.

Well, we had a server who told us he is new. This came to light when my s.o. got the boudin noir which comes with the pomme puree but he asked for an additional side of frites. Said newbie thought the meal came with fries, but exclaimed we knew the menu better than he did, as he was still learning. I thought this makes sense. Bourdain has such contempt for weekend diners, it makes sense that Sunday is a slow night and probably a good time to break in the new guy. Even so, our server was polite and eager to please. Can't ask for too much more than that.

I had such a poor filling of escargot at Comme Ca that I felt the urge to re-order them here. They came out sizzling hot and oily and garlicky. Yum. Holding back on the bread was also a smart move since that meant plenty of sopping up after consuming the morsels of snails.

The boudin noir was delicious and spicy and more filling than you'd expect. Amongst the blood and organs is a lot of rice, and the rice does expand all too quickly in the gut. But each bite was a flavor sensation. I felt like having some red meat so I played it safe and got the tenderloin with Bearnaise sauce (note: they make this to order, so you should never fear food poisoning). The meat was cooked to order but the highlight was the frites. Even when you think the fries are overdone, or even when they get cold, they are still delicious. Les Halles frites are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and they taste like potatoes. Isn't that all we ask for from fries, and yet 95% of food establishments can't seem to understand this balance of potato, oil and crazy hot heat?

I ordered the crepes suzette for dessert and my s.o. got the sorbet trio - strawberry, cantaloupe and coconut. (I have learned that I prefer coconut as a sorbet than a gelato since it is lighter and a great palate cleanser, to boot.) The new guy was making the crepes instead of the gentleman in the jacket who served up the crepes last time. New guy also made it a point of saying he hopes to make them up to par, as we are "regulars." (Only been there once before, but I guess he didn't have to know that!) While the crepes had a stronger dose of the Grand Marnier, the taste was still good.

We left satiated, happy, full but not bloated. My only regret was that we could see both of the day's establishments becoming regular joints for us, if only we lived in NYC. We can only hope to plan another outing to the East coast... as soon as possible!