Rosa Mexicano-NYC

http://www.rosamexicano.info/

18th St., Union Square

Oh the days of fancy Mexican cuisine. It seems like an oxymoron...and is. Coming from Nevada, Mexican food is supposed to be family style, full of flavor, spicy, and shareable. This "high-class restaurant" doesn't do any of this. The hostesses are pretentious, the waiters Caucasian...it makes you wonder about the chefs. I walked in with reservations and was told to wait for twenty minutes as they glared distastefully at my lack of "club" attire. Truly, not an atmosphere one should go for any less than the party of the rich and famous. Want to get borracho? There's a fabulous bar that makes great...American...margaritas.

Let's start off with the guacamole. This is what people come for, and I'll give them that. The guac is truly fantastic, and I absolutely abhor guacamole. For starters, they prepare it right in front of you on their guac-cart. Peeling the avocados, crushing the cilantro, adding the spice to your liking...you end up with a medley of flavors combined with a perfectly smooth yet slightly chunky texture. Adding the sauces they leave on the side, you end up with a meal in itself. Try the brown sauce. It's delectable.

The meal was quite the experience. I asked, as always, which of three choices the waiter would recommend. If you don't know by now, I do this because A) I want to see if they are just choosing the highest priced one, B) I want to see if they eat their own food, and C) I'm flipping indecisive. A) He picked the two highest priced ones, B) He couldn't describe the food well enough, C) I went with his decision. The week was the end of the month of chocolate, so I got a chocolate steak-esque thing. Sounded a little like mole, which is what I had been craving....

The good points: the beef was of extremely high quality and was cooked quite well. Completely tender and well presented. The bad: where was the flavor? And this cut of beef was thin, leaving some to be desired. While the hints of the flavor were in there, there was no spice, not enough of that rich texture that IS Mexican. This was a steak for an anorexic girl. I am certainly not her. I actually had to add the green salsa to this $36 entree, which I think is a travesty. Also, I was left quite hungry and had to continue digging into the guacamole.

For dessert, what else but a chocolate lava cake with three flavors of mousse? Out of the mousses, I would say the mint was the only one worth my time. The cake was rich and moist (and they used the correct percentage of chocolate). The pomegranate glaze on the side was an interesting twist, but it didn't pair will with the mousse. The presentation was different than the chocolate-on-the-inside cakes (as this is far easier to bake) but the flavor was there, so I'll forgive them.

Rosa Mexicano is not for those accustomed or wanting true Mexican cuisine. The flavor is for the underdeveloped palate of a purebred white person, not for anyone attuned with the land of spices. The margarita lacked everything a true Mexican margarita should have, tasting like the kind I make in my own kitchen with a mix. If you want a loud, pretentious, underseasoned, overpriced place, Rosa Mexicano is for you. I wouldn't be surprised if celebrities arrive, just because of the atmosphere. For true foodies, just skip it and make your own true family style Mexican feast. You'll save quite a large amount of money and not leave hungry.

Per Lei-NYC

http://www.perleinyc.com/media/perlei.html

71st and 2nd

For those of you who know me, you understand (well) the fact that amazing food, great wine, and decadent desserts are the keys to my heart. Company comes secondary. Well, not at this fine establishment. At Per Lei, you get exquisite meals, perfectly matching Italian vino, with a flourishing finish of desserts and espresso, and then you have Marcello, the owner. His main goal is to make sure that everyone is happy, everyone is well fed, and everyone always has a full glass of wine. As he dazzles you with his tales of Capri, offers his condo in Vermont, and refills your wine glass, his every darting eyes are making sure that everyone is satisfied.

The crowd of this restaurant is a different breed entirely--forget the trendy Manhattanites, here the name of the game is Euro-chic. Speaking another language, be it in scattered words or fluidity, is a must. Grazie, Prego, and you're set. The majority of the diners are fresh off the plane, hearing about this restaurant from his slew of other dining adventures around Italia. The rest are fancy men with their bleach blonde trophy wives--conversations are interesting, to say the least.

I was slightly appalled by some of the men. Trying to dazzle me with their gold, diamonds, and limousines, I couldn't help but laugh. One, while his girlfriend/wife/mistress was inebriated and stroking his back, actually turned in his chair to stare and make eyes at me. I stared back. Smiled. And looked away. I was actually told by another man to hurry up and finish my meal so that I could go to the party of some movie star, chauffeured in a limo. I laughed and said, "Do you really think I would gulp down a fantastic meal and a bottle of wine for some fancy party and a limo? Please. I am not jaded by you or your money. I am jaded by the quality of this food. Cheers."

As the night grew on and the crowds died down, we joined Marcello and the head waiter, Luca, at their table, shared some wine, desserts, and stories of these ridiculously wealthy men. The saddest thing to me was that they actually thought I would forgo food for money. The next was that they actually got a few other women to do just that.

Gold diggers.

Anyway. The meal--back to the point--was excellent. Starting off with bruschetta: finely chopped tomatoes rich with basil and garlic on lightly toasted bread. The next course was the gnocci--Marcello has yet to make me the strawberry gnocci he's been promising--but nonetheless, this is the best gnocci I've had. Ever. Light and fluffy, lacking any of the typical heaviness that comes with a potato pasta, this gnocci was simply divine. The fresh mozzarella on top melted perfectly into the dish, giving it that extra "omph." The salmon was probably my least favorite. While the flavor was there, it was slightly overcooked, leading to an overtly dry texture that I had to swallow down with the sides and some wine. Ok, so it wasn't THAT bad. The sea-bass is much, much better. From what I remember, it melts in your mouth. The salmon was made up for with the steak--perfectly seasoned and cooked to absolute tenderness. I highly recommend it. For dessert, we were surprised (and overwhelmed) by 3 different ones! The tiramisu is probably the best in the city. If you want tiramisu, go to Per Lei. Not too much cream, not too much rum, just enough chocolate with a texture that is so hard to come by. The specialty dessert is a puff pastry with cream and strawberries--the pastry is homemade and rich, the strawberries fresh, and the cream practically hand churned. The chocolate "lava cake" was not quite up to my par as a notorious chocoholic. They only use 60%, and could probably risk up to 75%. But the tiramisu....ah! To die for.

As a whole, this restaurant is an experience. If you go, I suggest reservations. Also, don't show up in anything less than what you would wear to a club, and don't show up before 9pm. Be prepared to sit for anywhere from two to four hours of people watching, stomach satisfying time. And be prepared to drink the wine. Specially imported from Italy, it's just superb. The prices are actually quite reasonable considering the location and atmosphere, Marcello saying that he gives a fair price based on the actual quality of the food--he only purchases and imports the best from Italy, and charges justly for his troubles. Not a penny more.

Bon appetite!

Oh, what is the world coming to?

I am constantly asked what my favorite restaurant is. This question being posed due to my inherent food addicted nature...it's a little sick. To all those I've attempted to answer, I apologize--but this is my true response.

I do not have one.

And may NEVER have one.

There are just too many amazing restaurants out there :)

So here goes my attempt to review a large amount of the haunts I've invaded with my criticism. Enjoy.