Bar Americain

Last date I was here: 04/01/2011

Restaurant: Bar Americain(http://www.baramericain.com/)

Location: NYC – 52nd St

Total Rating: 4.7
Food: 5, Price: 4, Service: 5, Ambience:5, Accessibility: 3


Summary: An American brasserie, Bar Americain celebrates the foods of America with a healthy dose of the bold flavors Bobby Flay is most known for. The 200-seat restaurant, designed by Rockwell Group, features traditional brasserie elements while mixing "Hollywood" banquettes in the dining room. Bar Americain's mezzanine provides an ideal vantage point for people watching with a slight respite from the bustle of the main floor below.

Oct 2006: Bobby Flay is one of our favorite chefs, so on a trip to New York City we decided we had to eat at one of his restaurants. Bar Americain was larger than expected with two levels and a huge raw bar. The experience was very nice with beautiful presentations, although I found my smoked chicken entrée to be a little too smokey for my tastes. The service was lovely and we anxiously await to try another of Flay’s spots.

UPDATE: Five years later, I finally returned with a wonderful group of ladies as one of our highlights during our NYC bridal weekend trip. Our server, Jake, was very attentive and provided great service all night. We munched on the warm variety of breads as we perused the menu. Between the seven of us, we ordered 3 appetizers, 3 sides, and 3 desserts (plus each had their own entree) which was more than enough food. We covered all the major categories: my grandmother had the porterhouse lamb chops, my mother and one aunt had the steak, my cousin had the cioppino seafood stew, my dear friend had the skate fish, while my other aunt and myself had the vegetarian crepes. The flavors were crisp and bright just as I remembered. Each spice used complimented each dish perfectly, rather than overwhelmed it. The ingredients were very fresh and overall we had an amazing meal. Unfortunately, Bobby was not there that evening, yet his touches were prominently felt throughout the restaurant. We would have thanked him personally for such a special experience.

What I ate:

Shellfish Cocktail Tasting

Tasting of shrimp tomatillo, crab-coconut, and lobster-avocado

Smoked Chicken

With hatch green chile spoonbread and black pepper vinegar sauce

Crepes

with butternut squash, ricotta, wild mushrooms and brown butter sauce

Cauliflower Gratin

Red Velvet Brownie Sundae

with cream cheese ice cream and walnuts

Chocolate Cream Pie

Lemon Butter Crepes

with tangerines

Bonefish Grill

Last date I was here: 07/25/2009

Restaurant: Bonefish Grill (http://www.bonefishgrill.com/)

Location: Centerville, VA

Total Rating: 4

Food: 4, Price: 5, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 2

Summary: Enjoy modern interpretations of market fresh fish, grilled specialties, and cocktails at this chain restaurant. Advertising "polished casual", the first impression of Bonefish was not too shabby. With a large dining area and bar, Bonefish was already crowded when we arrived at 6:30pm for dinner. We had reservations and were seated right away at a nice booth. Our server was very friendly while she described the menu. She took our drink and appetizer orders first and those came out right away. The portions were generous for the price, so I mark them high in this category. Located in a suburban strip mall area, Bonefish is not super accessible for the DC urbanite. Although our appetizers were good, the entrees were drowned in their lemon butter sauce - all over the fish, the potatoes and even the vegetable granish. It made the meal almost too heavy to eat, even though my fish was cooked very well. I tried the wood fire grilled piece of grouper that my mother ordered and it was much lighter and the wood grill flavor really came through. I also liked that they offered a large (9 oz.) or small (4.5oz) portion of the fish. All in all, Bonefish was a decent chain restaurant - although I would only come back for lunch and have some appetizers with drinks.

What I ate:

Bang Bang Shrimp
Tender, crispy shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce

Mussels Josephine
Prince Edward Island Mussels sautéed with tomatoes, garlic, basil and lemon wine sauce

Imperial Longfin
Royal delicacy pan-seared, baked and stuffed with shrimp, scallops and crab meat

Served with garlic whipped potatoes and zucchini and red pepper medley