Posts filed under 'Tribeca'
Landmarc Restaurant
179 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013
(212) 243-3883
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 3/5
Notes:
- Burger: Landmarc serves a well charred, thick, juicy burger that is a little too lightly seasoned. But oh, that nice char flavor from the grill…
- Bun: A hearty white bun with a crusty top that was able to absorb the juice from the burger without falling apart completely.
- Garnish: The burger comes with a healthy dose of pickle slices, a thick slice of tomato, and an even thicker round of red onion and can be topped with American, gruyere, blue, or mozzarella cheese. We both ordered ours with American, which melted nicely across the top of the grilled patty.
- Mess factor: The substantial and juicy burger topped by the extra-thick vegetables made the cloth napkins a requirement.
- Fries: Thick, meaty fries, that were crispy but lacked any seasoning.
- Price: $13 (cheese adds $1).
- Bordeaux: Despite Landmarc’s notorious “bargain” wine list, we had a hard time selecting a wine that didn’t break the $50 mark. Rather than a Bordeaux, we opted for a Burgundy that paired nicely with the hamburger. This 2003 Santenay-Beauregard Premier Cru from Roger Belland was a bold, fruity wine that was very even and just a hint dry. We found this wine thoroughly drinkable.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there.
- Overall: Landmarc is the kind of restaurant where you might hope for a really great burger. The décor is modern with dark wood and candle lights. The windows overlook a quiet section of West Broadway. The upstairs dining room is a nice hideaway but downstairs, the open grill behind the bar gives the restaurant a nice smoky smell that primes your appetite for a burger. We had been once before, to celebrate JP’s birthday, and we both had a great dinner. But this time, the hamburger suffered from too many narrow misses to garner a very high mark: the patty was inadequately seasoned; the garnish was cut too thick; the bun wasn’t quite able to stand up to the task; and the fries were devoid of flavor.
October 26th, 2006
Dylan Prime (Lounge)
62 Laight Street (@ Greenwich)
New York, NY 10013
(212) 334-4783
[map] [subway directions]
Rating: 3.75/5
Notes:
- Burger: Dylan’s patty was one of the best we’ve had in terms of flavor and texture. It’s a nice, meaty, thick patty of lean ground beef generously seasoned with salt and pepper. Every bite was delicious.
- Bun: The sesame encrusted bun wasn’t that flavorful or interesting. Nevertheless, it held the fat sandwich together very nicely and didn’t threaten to fall apart.
- Garnish: The burger comes topped with cheddar and accompanied by an unimpressive slice of tomato, red onion, and a couple of leaves of lettuce. This garnish added little to the overall experience. Disappointing since our visit coincided with the height of fresh tomato season.
- Mess factor: Dylan presents a fat, not messy burger, as long as one can open wide.
- Fries: Light, thin, crispy fries, cooked just right and topped with a hint of salt. The burger comes with a pile of fries, and they are good enough to keep enjoying long after the sandwich disappears.
- Price: $12 – includes the cheddar, fries, and garnish.
- Bordeaux: A 2000 Cotes de Bourg from Chateau Tayac that the waitress was more enthusiastic about than we were. This starts as a decent wine, very leggy, pretty dry and heavy enough on the tannins to elicit a pucker. Some breathing time improved the overall experience; we could eventually pick up hints of cherry or berry along with oak.
- Atmosphere: You could definitely take a girl here. In fact, we do this often.
- Overall: It’s safe to say that Dylan Prime is one of our favorite steak houses in the city. It was nice to walk into the lounge on a Friday evening and sit right down at a large booth to enjoy our dinner. This is a very cool room dominated by a sweeping bar backed with liquor bottles that climb to the high ceiling. The lanterns hanging from long cords overhead and the candles that light the back bar lend to a subdued atmosphere. The pop hits of the 80’s and 90’s playing in the background might threaten this atmosphere, but the volume is kept in check so that Glass Tiger tune won’t impair your conversation all that much.
It’s impossible not to recommend this place. However, the overall experience of Dylan is best paired with one of their mouth-watering steaks and enough of their delicious sides or fondues to make you feel like you’ve eaten like a king for a week. So, have a drink in the lounge, then adjourn to the restaurant for a proper meal.
June 25th, 2006
Edward’s
136 West Broadway (Between Thomas & Duane Streets)
New York, NY 10013
(212) 233-6436
[map] [directions]
Rating: 3/5
Notes:
- Burger: Some restaurants take a burger seriously, others put the obligatory hamburger on the menu to serve that portion of their customers who always prefer to order one. Edward’s seems to have found its place in the latter category, with a burger that was simply average — cooked right on, but a plain patty with little seasoning and almost a little too juicy.
- Bun: The best thing to be said about the bun is that it did a great job of capturing the grease, but had little flavor to offer.
- Garnish: Mealy tomato, a few rings of red onion, two or three flavorless pickle slices and one leaf of butter lettuce. In short, nothing to write home about. If you really want something to write about, order the onion frizzles and don’t be shy about piling them on top of your burger (you’ll have plenty to spare).
- Mess factor: A little bit of a mess but not so much that a seasoned professional would ask for an extra napkin.
- Fries: Perfectly cooked, crispy and the right amount of seasoning, if you’re following a diabetic diet.
- Price: ~$13
- Bordeaux: 2000 Chateau Carignan. One of the highlights of the evening, low on the tannins and high on the fruit. Overall, a little less bold than we were expecting. But we drank it to the dregs (literally!) and thoroughly enjoyed it all the way.
- Atmosphere: You could take a girl there.
- Overall: Compared to the other places we’ve reviewed, this was not the best burger — but we would consider coming back here to sample something else on the menu. We sat in the back of the room and, once the kids left, it was a pretty good spot. The downbeat music wasn’t too loud and the canldes lighting up the black and white leather booths and vintage mirrors made for a warm and funky diner atmosphere. Which, along with the onion frizzles and wine, were the standouts of the evening.
March 16th, 2006