dresese

Aburiya Kinnosuke

A few weeks ago, I went to a great Japanese robata-style grill called Aburiya Kinnosuke. I think this is the first time I've ever been to such a place, and it was quite interesting. For much of the food, they grill it around an open vertical fire, from which the chefs place vertical food around the perimiter of. It's a nice idea, which strikes me as not only efficient (you have more area to grill), but also tasty: the juices from the topmost things run down and flavor the meats and vegetables on the bottom.

Pictured here is one of the strangest things they had. To the naked eye, it is a cracker. But up close, it looks like a nighmare a small fish would have, since it is a "skin" entirely composed of tiny smelt. This one was grilled at our table on a portable charcoal grill. It was nice, not crunchy but rather firm and pliant like a flatbread. But the best item on the menu was probably a sea bass stuffed with herbs. They stuffed it with an intense amount of thyme, and it was amazingly tasty and fragrant.

For more pictures, see my flickr set. Sea bass not pictured.

Cappuccino @ Via Quadronno

I recently heard about Via Quadronno, which many claim is the best cappuccino in the city. It's located on 73rd & Madison, a location where I rarely go. But last weekend I went boating in Central Park (pictures will probably appear on the Hyatt family blog before long), and that put me roughly parallel. I managed to convince Greta that it wouldn't be troublesome to walk over there so I can enjoy some coffee, so I found myself outside a completely packed coffee house, which had a little bar outside selling gelato. Getting a seat there was impossible, but they didn't mind giving me a real cup for me to drink from, outside.

The cappuccino they made was wonderful. It was both completely smooth, and very thick. Probably the best I've had in the city, but the cappuccino at Casa and Zibetto are nearly as good.

Check out the Via Quadronno website for some more great photos of cappuccinos, and other drinks.