the Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Part II

The Good (Continued)...

So apparently, Zagat is completely useless in this city of which fact I was vehemently assured by several locals (see http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=20744&hilit=what%27s+up+with+zagat). A heated discussion that turned out to be - I assume due to some people having a bit of an inferiority complex. Most of the respondents, however, were very gracious and left me a ton of useful suggestions for which I am grateful. And for those who got all pissy about things - well, all I can say is I'm glad I fired a few of you up. A little competition never hurt anybody.

Back to what's important - I've got two positive reviews today (and no, it's not because of all the yellers and screamers on the forum last night but because I actually liked these places - fancy that!)

First was the Original Pancake House (http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/). The place itself is not much to look at (I went to the one at 22 East Bellevue Place) but the, what I call European style, pancakes were very good. Thin, great texture, perfectly cooked to a golden brown, a tad too sweet for my taste, but really quite a pleasant surprise. I frankly don't know any places in NYC, except for the Russian delis or some eastern European restaurants that make these. I wouldn't call them pancakes though - they're blini. We tried the Swedish version which came with lingonberries (yum) and the Cherry Kijafa Crepes with Montmorency cherries simmered in Kijafa sauce (also yum). So if you're in a mood for a sweet breakfast treat, I'd say this place is a winner.

The second place, which at least as far as dessert goes, is my absolute favorite so far, is Hot Chocolate (http://www.hotchocolatechicago.com/). Ah, what a treat! We were there late at night and only tried a couple of their appetizers, which were very good. But it is their dessert that is going to make me go back there more than once, I'm sure.

To start off properly, from the beginning, so to speak, the restaurant has a warm, modern, funky, neighborhood but in a sophisticated way, feel to it. There are several dinner tables and also a small lounge area. I got the sense that you'd need a reservation to get in there on a Friday or a Saturday night. We ordered the soup of the day (which I believe was a savory/sweet concoction of leeks and potatoes) and grilled octopus (which was perfectly cooked and came in a form of a salad, well seasoned with an oil/vinegar/lemon sauce). Both were very good.

And then we moved on to the dessert - the main object of our trip. Peach "Melba" (peach, brioche bread pudding, raspberry cream caramel and raspberry sorbet) is what I picked and B got Cherries (a napoleon of ricotta cheesecake, sweet cream custard and hazelnut financier served with cherries). Both of them were stunning. The presentation was very artistic - I wish I had a camera with me. My Peach "Melba" was interchangeably sour and sweet, with pudding and cream caramel melting in my mouth. The texture combination was wonderful! The ricotta cheesecake mixed deliciously with the cream custard and the financier. The flavors were unusual, the combination exciting. I'm making myself drool as I write this. Methinks it is time for another trip down to 1747 North Damen Ave.

I will no longer mention Zagat ratings here as that seems to be a waste (see above). Zagat people, you should probably do something about your lack of popularity in this town. I bet you don't care though, what in the midst of trying to sell yourself to the highest bidder and all.