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

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill

Last date I was here: 05/08/2009

Restaurant: Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill (http://www.tobykeithsbar.com/)

Location: Bricktown, Oklahoma City, OK

Total Rating: 3.85

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

Summary: Leave it to country music legend Toby Keith to create a restaurant that offers great food and the best live music in Oklahoma City. Named after Toby’s hit single “I Love This Bar,” this exciting venue offers a real down-home experience. With 12,000 square feet and seating for 450 guests, the restaurant’s emphasis will be on great home-style food. Chef Brad Johnson has assembled a true down home menu that is sure to leave you adjusting your belt buckle. Decorated with over 100 pieces of Toby Keith memorabilia including signed guitars, platinum records and clothing Keith wore in videos, this restaurant provides a fun atmosphere for locals and visitors alike.

I tried this place with some co-workers as we were in town for a conference. Since they do not take reservations, we had to wait 45 minutes for a table, but were able to sit at the bar and order a drink while we waited. We were then seated upstairs in one of the “Redneck Loveseats” that had a prime view of the musical stage. The band that night was pretty good - Brandon Clark Band - and we were seated just as their set began. Patio seating was also available outside. The food was fairly proced for the large portions and tasted pretty good. My chicken was cooked perfectly - seasoned right and juicy. They had many confort food items on the menu as well as a decent selection of beers. In addition to live music, big screen televisons were scattered throughout for those sports fans. Overall, I enjoyed this place and was neat to try some Oklahoma cooking.

What I ate:

Grilled Chicken Breast

An 8 oz. grilled chicken breast topped with bacon, ham, BBQ sauce and Monterey Jack cheese.

Served with Mashed potatoes - made with Red skin potatoes, sour cream, butter, roasted garlic, green onion, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper; Sauteed Mushrooms with shallots and butter; and jalapeno corn bread.