Seasonal

132 W58th St

Walk down W58th Street, and you might miss the brand new, quaint, quiet, and overbooked modern Austrian restaurant calling itself Seasonal. Upon entering, you'll be greeted by two smiling women speaking to one another in German and translating to English only to announce a two-hour wait. But pull up a stool at the bar, and Glenn (the bartender) will take good care of you. Throughout the night, Glenn offered up free tastings of this and that.
The wine list focuses on Austrian wines, with many Gruner Vetliner's as well as some rarer bottles. We ordered a bottle of Gruner recommended by Glenn, because it is the favorite of Wolfgang Ban and Eduard Frauneder - Seäsonal's talented chefs and owners.

The menu (which has changed since it was posted on their website) is compact but filled with wonderful Austrian and German inspired delicacies. I shared the FRÜHLINGSSALAT with my date - an arugala and microcress salad with grilled asparagus, a perfectly poached egg, and a great lemon dressing. Another grazer-worthy appetizer was the LACHS UND HEILBUTT - similar to a salmon and halibut carpaccio served with a quail egg and a sweet cream sauce.

Next, I had the halibut, which came out crispy on top and flaky in the middle. It was served with pearl onions (which were roasted until caramelized and sweet), sauteed romaine, and more smoky mushrooms. In fact, overall the dish had a distinctly smoky flavor, which I found unique and delicious.

The decor - black, white, and gray - manages to be simple, luxurious, warm and inviting. Beautiful fresh flowers are displayed at the rounded bar, which is both social and intimate. Comparisons to Wallse (down in the West Village) are obvious, but Seäsonal manages to pull together an identity of its own. This restaurant - for its wonderful food as well as its staff - is not to be missed.

- The Grazer

Bar Boulud

1900 Broadway

With the recent addition to his empire, Daniel Boulud - knowingly or not - has opened a place for grazing. With Bar Boulud, Chef Boulud has followed the NY culinary trend. Gone are the white tablecloths and the idea that you have to order three, sequenced courses. Instead, you can graze on patés, terrines, cheese and vegetable plates, or salads. If you do want an entrée, there are plenty of lighter fish entrees to choose from: an artic char, a striped bass, a skate and a sea bass.

To start, I actually went for the "Lapin De La Garrigue" - pulled rabbit, carrot and zucchini paté. Given that paté is made from minced meat and added fat, I was worried I might get something a bit more gamey, but instead it was deliciously tender and light and still very tasty. I also had the Mesclun Provencal: a huge portion of greens, fennel, radishes, olives, roasted grape tomatoes, crispy artichoke pieces and little bits of white anchoives. The anchoives were a bit too salty for me and I found myself picking around them, but overall a satisfactory bowl of greenery.

Next I had the striped bass with braised greens, butternut squash and roasted chestnuts. The portion was small - in the traditional French way - but not too small. I actually couldn't even finish it. The fish was good but unmemorable. The best things on the plate were the sides. The braised greens were delicious, as were the two small chunks of butternut squash, which sat on a pretty orange butternut squash puree. Perhaps strangely, the best thing on the table were my roasted chestnuts; they were really rich and full of flavor. If you don't want the striped bass, I recommend ordering a side of the chestnuts or you'll have missed out.

The service was impeccable, but not pretentious (like it can be at Boulud's Upper East Side haunts). We were seated promptly - actually before our reservation - and the waitress came over right away. Not one, but two Sommeliers took care of us, matching our preference for an aromatic white wine ("not too sweet") perfectly, and later, recommending a light dessert wine to pair with our "Diva" (raspberry and pistachio) gelato.

If I were to be picky (hey, I'm The Grazer), I'd say my one problem with the place is the design. I found it stark. It looks to me like the kind of place you go to for a business lunch. Perhaps Boulud still has a touch too much of the Upper East Side in him for the new central West Side location.

- The Grazer

Sardi's

234 W44th St

Ah, Sardi's. That classic NY haunt, known for its antipasti meat platters and steaks. Not a typical choice for a grazer but sometimes we get dragged somewhere and we just have to make do. I recently had a pre-theater lunch at Sardi's and I was very much impressed. The service was fast, but not rushed and the servers were conversational but unobtrusive. The lunch menu actually offered more grazer-esque food then I had expected: a few salads, a vegetarian soup and even a tofu and steamed vegetable entrée. I ordered the seafood cobb: shrimps, crabmeat, avocado, roasted peppers, hearts of palm, corn and cherry tomatoes. Strangely, each ingredient was placed separately on the plate, so that I had to mix it all together myself. I also had to mix in the dressing, which came on the side (while I'm a big fan of salads, I happen to like when the dressing comes right on the salad because the chef always gets it more evenly tossed than I ever do). Still, especially on a hot summer day, it was lovely to bite into one cooling ingredient after the next.

While the scenery has never changed - cartoons of actors still cover the walls - Sardi's was not the pretentious old-NY steakhouse I had purposefully avoided. Rather, it was a nice mix of the old-NY pre-theater buzz with a new-New York menu of light bites. If you find yourself in the theater district looking to do lunch and a show, I think Sardi's is a good choice. Even for a grazer.

- The Grazer

Hoomoos Asli

100 Kenmare St

This place is a hole-in-the-wall, and yet the food is not-to-be-missed. After a busy day, I was craving a really filling falafel and hummus sandwich, and that is just what Hoomoos Asli served me. I got a warm pita over-flowing with tomatoes and cucumbers, tahini, two falafel and hummus. If I have one complaint, its that each of those ingredients came in their own layers instead of mixed altogether. Still, everything was fresh and reminded me of the food I had in Israel. The hummus was pasty, reminiscent of the hummus I had up in the Galilee.

The falafel were crispy on the outside but fluffy and green from spices on the inside, like the ones I got on the street in Tel Aviv. Even the vegetables tasted fresher than the ones you get anywhere else in Manhattan, just like they do in Israel. Best of all, it came out really fast and cost only $5.00!

I'm not sure why the waitress was so rude - she sneered at me when I asked for water - but everyone else at Hoomoos Asli seemed really mellow. One group of twenty-somethings was already finished eating when I came in and they were still there hanging out when I left (Israelis spend hours hanging out in cafes too). For a quick, cheap eat that will remind you of (or clue you in to) the food and culture in Israel, I definitely recommend Hoomoos Asli.

Some pointers: It's kosher, so don't ask for milk products because they don't have any. Also, they don't have a liquor license, so bring your own if you want to drink.

- The Grazer

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Here are some recipes I thought you might like:

falafel

hummus

tahini

Lulu'

235 Mulberry St (between Prince and Spring)

Last night I had dinner at Lulu', a super chic new wine bar from the owners of bread, which is just around the corner. You could almost miss this new restaurant when you walk by due to its small storefront and very dark (albeit cosy) interior, but you shouldn't. Step inside and it's as if you are in a Prohibition-era cocktail lounge. Our bartender, Stephanie (who is also the owner's sister), shakes up unique cocktails like a Pineapple Margarita or a Cantaloupe Martini with fresh basil. The whole bar smells of her muddled mint and basil.

The food here is more refined than it is at bread. At Lulu', Exectuive Chef Eric Fleischer puts out carefully prepared "snacks" and entrees. The menu is short but covers all bases: a few salads, a couple of fish dishes, a pasta, a chicken, a pork loin, a steak and a burger. The snack list encompasses everything from roasted vegetables to risotto fritters to crab cakes, meant for grazing at the bar. Which I, of course, did. I opted for the long-stem artichokes and my friend had the risotto fritters. The portions were larger than I had expected for only $5 but, unfortunately, I think the taste can be hit-or-miss. My artichokes tasted like the ones that come canned in olive oil from the supermarket. But my friend loved his risotto fritters, which were large and fluffy and came with a side of fresh tomato sauce. And so I didn't allow myself to become disheartened just yet.

After our snack, we decided to sit at one of the intimate candle-lit tables lining the wall beside the bar. Our waiter was so friendly and helpful. Despite my reluctance to order a Chardonnay (I shy away from Chardonnays because I don't like that typically oaky taste), he promised we would love their bottle of steel-fermented Barboursville 2006 Chardonnay, and if we didn't he would take it back. But he was right. This wine had almost no smell but a surprisingly crisp and complex taste - first the taste of bananas and then apples. Best of all, it grew on me as we continued to drink it.

For di

nner I ordered the calamari salad, which is supposed to have frisee, calamari, proscuitto and sweet peppers. But I asked for it without the proscuitto and the waiter happily complied. It was delicious. The calamari was actually a touch floured and fried, but I didn't mind because the fresh lemon dressing was able to soak into the calamari giving it extra flavor. The frisee was light and the sweet peppers really complemented the lemony calamari. Overall, a great salad at a beautiful restaurant with a lovely staff. Definitely worth a return visit. Next time I'll just snack on something else.

- The Grazer

Village Natural

46 Greenwich Ave

Amidst a spattering of new trendy restaurants on Greenwich Ave sits an old hidden gem: Village Natural. At first I thought the restaurant could use a face-lift, but as I sat there I decided that the 80s retro decor added to its charm. As did the guitar player, who sat towards the front and played some quiet tunes throughout my meal.

Vegetarians and vegans will find a happy home in Village Natural, where the menu is 95% vegetarian. They do offer a fish of the day for those who need more than vegetables, grains, and tofu. But if veggies and tofu are your thing, then it will be hard to choose what to order. Even more unique, they have a grain of the day, which they include in dishes nightly. Last night, the grain was wehani. It was mixed with other grains and raisins on top of my salad (the "Healthy Grains Salad") adding a rich, nutty and delicious flavor to my greens.


There are several salads from which to choose, each just a variation on romaine and spinach with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and cabbage. Some add avocado, others hijiki, and others the grain of the day. The lettuce is fresh and the add-ons superfluous.

The entrees list encompasses dishes with just vegetables and grains (wok sautéed or simply steamed) and some that include tofu or seitan. A nice mix with enough options to please those of us who are tofu-loving and those who are anti-tofu as well.
To top it off, Village Natural offers Vegan-friendly no-dairy dessert pies: pumpkin, sweet potato, and tofu blueberry to name just a few. But don’t plan on it. Even if you only intend to graze, the food here is so good that you might not have room for dessert.

- The Grazer

Jadis

42 Rivington St

If you are looking for a quaint and homey restaurant - in which to graze - then Jadis should be your choice.  In the front of the restaurant is a lovely long wine bar; in the back, large leather sofas where big groups can spread out or couples can get cozy.  

If Jadis is in one way inadequate, it seems to be short on service.  We were seated promptly but then waited for quite a while to order.  The maitre d' doubled as one of only two waiters in the restaurant and he was certainly crazed.  When we did finally get his attention, he spent alot of time with us and tried to be helpful in choosing a wine.  We ended up ordering the Reboreda Blanco, a white Spanish wine I had never had.  He described it as "minerally with pear aromas and a nice development in the mouth".  His description was decent, but the wine was somewhat unmemorable.  Still the wine list is long and judging from the beautiful display of wine bottles lining the walls of the restaurant, I'm positive they have some great bottles.

The food is grazer-worthy.  My friend ordered the baby spinach salad with beets, pears and goat cheese.  It was a nice portion and she enjoyed it.  I ordered the Quiche Savoyarde with tomatoes, onions and Tomme de Savoie cheese.  I was pleased when I received  a small personal quiche with a nice side salad.  The quiche had a light and thin crust, overflowing with freshly sauteed vegetables and topped with a thin layer of cheese.  Tomme de Savoie is a delicious French cheese made from the skim milk left over after the cream is used to make richer cheeses, giving this variety (dieters rejoice!) a low-fat content.

Overall, we felt at home at Jadis.  The restaurant had that quaint neighborhood feel without a pinch of pretension.

- The Grazer

Hundred Acres

38 MacDougal St

I must admit I was skeptical of Hundred Acres. Despite the appeal of a changing menu dependent on local market produce (paramount to Chef Marc Meyer's cooking), I was curious if the restaurant could stand up to the quaintness of Provence, the restaurant that had previously inhabited the space. I was worried that in replacing the colorful French banquets and mirrors with marble and wood that the space would lose its charm. My skepticism was unwarranted. The decor was at once modern and rustic; sleek and still very much inviting. The gorgeous wood doors - remnants of Provence - have been maintained so that diners in the front room can gaze out at the quiet street. The bar has an elegant feel, while the back room and semi-outdoor back patio provide space for a more intimate meal.And as for the meal itself, the food was unquestionably fresh, though I felt that there were definite hits and misses. We started with the asparagus fritters, which were surely different but a little too fried for my taste. I also ordered the daily market greens with radishes and beets. I love beets, so in a city suddenly sprouting with beet salads I never turn down an opportunity to try a new interpretation. Meyers' version happened to be unique, though I wasn't too pleased with the taste: the greens were too bitter, the beets were served raw so that their flavor was indistinguishable from the radishes, and the dressing tasted like onions. Nevertheless, my lightly (and perfectly) grilled scallop skewers served alongside fresh dandelion greens with a simple olive oil drizzle won me over. That dish combined with the attentive and friendly waiter convinced me to overlook my earlier discontent. Despite the bustle in the restaurant, my waiter took time to tell me about the wine list. He described the Moschofilero (a white wine from Greece that I had never tried) as "dry and at the same time aromatic." He allowed me to taste it before pouring a full glass, and would have happily taken it back had I asked him to. But he was dead on; the wine was delicious, dry with a bit of a fennel aroma. Moreover, the flavor grew on me as I ate my scallops, making for a perfect pairing.

Their biggest success may be the accessibility of Hundred Acres: Meyers and Freeman have created a menu of items all under $22, making this beautiful and delicious restaurant a good choice for any night of the week.

- The Grazer