1200 Miles

The approximate distance from Algeria to France is 1200 miles. In a historical context, Algeria was ruled by France from 1830-1962 (Thanks wikipedia). Blending in the Moroccan flavors and primarily French ingredients, we have 1200 miles, located in Flatiron. According to the website, the objectives of the head chef is to make a New American cuisine which incorporates his background of French, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Moroccan cuisines. It certainly works as the dishes we had were full of flavors we could not confine to one cuisine.

View from outside

Interior- Classy and sophisticated but not also has a casualness like a French bistro to it

Doors to the back section- the doors could slide (we noticed the tracks on the floor) and create a private room

Private booths for diners who like privacy

There is a platform that leads to the other section of the restaurant, below the platform is the bar

Almost medieval lights- creating a eclectic atmosphere which is representative of the eclectic cuisine

Bread to start with- they bring the small pan basket of bread and a plate with garlic and seasalt; after the plate is settled down, our waiter poured olive oil on the plate. So interesting! I thought we were going to eat bread with salt for a second there!

Appetizer from Restaurant week menu- “Creamy Peekytoe Crab- Melon, tomato, tarragon & lime (quoted from menu)”- Very light summer appetizer, lightly seasoned crab meat is placed on top of a sweet summer sauce.

Grilled octopus salad- I only had a piece of octopus but it’s grilled to perfection, chewy and savory. So good.

Appetizer from Restaurant week menu- “Asparagus salad- Spicy Carrots “En vinaigrette,” yogurt, Shaved chevre” (quoted from menu)”-Simple and tasty.

“Chilled tomato soup- buttermilk marinated peaches, soft herbs” (quoted from website)- Such an interesting combination, the chilled tomato soup has a lot of the sourness of tomatoes but with sweet peaches floating around and the herbs to give it a kick of flavor, it’s really uniquely its own. Definitely try this when you’re there; don’t think you would be able to get it elsewhere.

Entree from Restaurant week menu-“black garlic fettuccini- summer vegetables, chanterelles, pine nuts, grana padano”- (quoted from menu) Italian cuisine! I love fettuccini because of the flatness of the noodles so I am very biased. If you want to be safe and not so adventurous, you definitely can’t go wrong with this. It is one of the more traditional dishes.

Entree from Restaurant week menu-“pan roasted bluefish padron peppers, mussels, long island corn, asparagus pesto”- (quoted from menu)- The fish has crispy skins and the meat is moist- the corn, mussels and peppers has a spicy kick to it. This was the dish that made us think the primary ingredient is French (fish) but the side ingredients (corn, mussels and peppers) are the ones seasoned with Moroccan spices.

“colorado lamb loin- english peas, vaudovan carrots, oyster mushrooms” (quoted from website)- the sauce is uniquely its own (meaning hard to describe since I don’t think I had similar) and the lamb loin is cooked medium rare so the meat retains its juiciness without being raw or overcooked. Don’t get this if you have a big appetite as the portion is a bit small for this entree.

“tea brined chicken- grains and greens, spicy chermoula sauce” (quoted from website)- Another good dish and very reliant on its uniquely spiced sauce

Dessert from Restaurant week menu-“Chocolate Espresso Parfait- Pistachio praline, chantilly cream”- (quoted from menu)-
Mild espresso, strong and creamy chocolate which is not overly sweet and moderate in density so it’s not too heavy. You don’t feel like you’re 1200 pounds after you finish it!

Dessert from Restaurant week menu-“Summer Stone fruit zabaglione, biscotti”- (quoted from menu)- Zabaglione is an Italian dessert made with eggyolk, sugar and wine. The dessert the sweet creamy zabaglione, somewhat tart fruit mixed with peaches and plums marinated in wine and biscotti.

“summer plum tart- honey, vanilla gelato, currant cassis sauce”- (quoted from menu)- For this freshly baked tart, there is a 12 minute wait time. It’s definitely worth it, the tart crust is crispy like a buttery croissant with many layers and the wine marinated tart is sweet but not superfluously so. The gelato melts on the warm tart rather fast so make sure you eat this fast!

Even without restaurant week menu, 1200 miles is fair with prices, given the unique experience and cuisine it has to offer. Our waiter was nice and patient with us as we asked to split the bill into four and then asked to put it back as one for my cousin’s special occasion. I didn’t have a good look at the cocktail menu but apparently it follows the same philosophy as its dishes; uniquely its own with blends and concoctions you would not find elsewhere. The restaurant week menu is from the restaurant’s official menu not a specially prepared menu for the less fortunate.

The Lambs Club

Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s New American restaurant, The Lambs Club is located inside Chatwal hotel in the theatre district. There are two floors and two bars. Entering the premise on the first floor, you would noticed retro red seats and fireplace on the side, artifice of Mad Men era.

We went for restaurant week so technically they will only seat you at the Lambs Club bar which is this small section on the second floor. However, we were lucky the bartender was friendly and got us seats on the first floor. Although I am normally an introvert, I got curious about the restaurant and chatted a bit. According to the bartender, a lot of food network’s celebrity chefs frequent there and she has seen a lot of Zakarian (just not on Mondays that much, for those of you, stalker-fans). She also got to try the restaurant week entrees before they were released! Perks of working there!

First floor- When you first walk in, you feel like you moved into a movie set because of all the lighting and unrealistic red cushion seats.

Signature painting in the center of the dining room- recognize anyone?

Fireplace to make it romantic!

Started off with a non-alcoholic beer because I had to wait for my friend at the bar- wanted to study also, so figure this will do me least harm. Asked bartender what is a non alcoholic beer exactly and it turns out it still contains alcohol but they shorten the last part of fermentation so it won’t be as alcoholic!

Soft warm bread with scallion, poppy seeds, black and white same- this was really good and buttery (even without the butter on the side).

Warm Vermont Burrata (a type of cheese)- Burrata tastes like fresh mozzarella cream, salad has olive oil with parsley, fresh bits of basils, and a hint of garlic. Arugula salad and the prune divides the dish into sweet and salty; the fresh burrata neutralizes the acidity of the olive oil, delicately balancing the saltiness with the sweetness.

Crudo of Hamachi- Crudo means raw in Italian. Hamachi sashimi is what it means essentially. Can taste it is slightly flambe, it is still very freshly raw, there is a hint of lemon and when you eat it with the thinly sliced jalepenos, you get this citrusy and refreshing olive oil taste sashimi. Very delicately delicious. Love the combination of flavors.

Arancini Di Riso- Crispy risotto balls- deep fried with bread crumbs and parmesan on the outside, it’s very melty creamy in the inside.

Cod- Grilled on top, mashed potato on the bottom- the fish tastes fine not like the usual rubbery undercooked or dried overcooked. However, it is a bit salty.

Short Ribs- Noticed on the menu, they listed cocoa & curry, out of all the ingredients from the sauce, the one that is most dominant is definitely the port wine. I do not taste cocoa or curry. It’s bbq on the outside and juicy and tender in the inside. Very light on the seasoning of the meat so it retains its natural taste.

Honey Pistachio cake- Reading the description on the menu I was really looking forward to this. Eating it, I became disappointed. Cake was hard and frozen. Besides being hard and frozen, I couldn’t describe the taste. Yogurt was sour and blackberries were sour, so it doubled the sourness next to a ice brick cake. Not cool.

Milk Chocolate Mousse- Ice cream is standard chocolate ice cream. The passion fruit sauce drizzled on the side did not do anything for the dessert. However the winner is the outer layer of milk chocolate; this milk chocolate tastes like something you’d get from La Maison Du Chocolat. Nice aftertaste and strong cocoa flavor. The mousse is average at best.

The Lambs club started off with really good appetizers but ended with mediocre desserts. Sadly dessert is the last part we eat and the dish that keeps us happy at the end usually. We see tons and tons of potential just from consuming the first dishes, however something is missing here. And for an expensive restaurant inside a hotel, the waiter service definitely needs improvement. For dessert, the waiter brought us 2 pistachio cakes and when we told him the order was wrong, he took the dishes back and sighed loudly. I understand customers are annoying but some etiquettes are expected at a highly regarded restaurant like The Lambs Club. It’s not worth it to lose it just because of a petty annoyance. They did give us an extra dessert for free (the pistachio cake we did not like).

Mas (La grillade)

Located near the Bermuda triangle (one of many) of west village is Mas (La grillade). The restaurant serves New American food; French portions and unique combinations of fresh ingredients. Walking into the restaurant with black signs, it seems to be receding and blending in with the street image, it is hidden and you have to look twice before you can actually locate it; the sign has thin white fonts against dark black borders.

Entering the restaurant, there is nothing flashy about it; it is humble and clean. There is a wine vault with countless bottles of wine in a glass room. Awesome to look at although we are not lovers of wine at all.

Near the center, to the left you can see the glass room with bottles of wines. The waiter is very meticulous; we watched as he carefully sets the table- making sure the forks and knives are placed perfectly aligned!

Classic and humble, there are beautiful paintings on the wall.

Bread with butter- the bread is warm and chewy. Love warm bread!

Grilled Shrimp salad- Shrimp is fresh and does not have frozen taste, it is seasoned lightly but perfect and is cooked to just the right state- Shrimps usually cook quickly so if it’s overcooked, it might be dried. Salad dressing has vinger dressing that complements the grilled shrimps and veggies taste very fresh.

Buttersquash soup with bit of sour cream- Soup is very delicious; smooth and rich. It has shitake mushrooms, bits of apple pieces and croutons in it. Eating it while it’s warm is great!

Mahi Mahi with bok choy and arugula- Mahi Mahi is a bit overcooked but still retained its juiciness and has miso like sauce on the side to complement it. Bok choy and arugula are fresh and cooked just right; feels very healthy and organic.

Duck Confit with brussel sprouts and spinach- Duck confit had crispy skin but did not feel greasy. The fig on the side (hiding underneath the duck) pairs with the duck perfectly; the cranberry sauce on the side (hiding) also tastes good with the duck (fig is better though). Brussel sprouts and spinach are not salty and tastes ok.

Cake with pomengrenate seeds and cinnamon ice cream- Cinnamon ice cream tastes plain by itself but when the dessert is eaten as a combined entity, it tastes very good. Cinnamon ice cream on lemon cake with grapefruits on top; it tastes citrusy from grapefruits, a bit sour from the pomengrenate seeds and a tad spicy from cinnamon. Perfect combination. So delicious!

Housemade Earl grey and Guinness Stout ice cream- Earl grey ice cream displays the more floral side of earl grey as the black tea taste is very faint; if you eat it continuously it will just taste sweet; you need to have a clean palate to taste the delicate flavors. Guinness stout is interesting; alcohol hits you from the first taste but as you wait for the aftertaste, it tastes a bit like chocolate!

Mas (La grillade) prided themselves by “seasonal menu of New American Cuisine prepared using locally grown and sustainably raised foods cooked solely over wood fires of oak, apple, and other hardwoods.” (Quoted from its webpage)

The dishes are definitely well thought out and the combination of flavors are excellent. I would definitely recommend going if you are in the area and want a special meal for a special event. The chef definitely knows his ingredients and combines freshness with innovative execution of ingredients. I would never imagine the sourness of pomengranate would go well with spiced cinnamon yet it worked perfectly in the dessert. Definitely recommend this place! Prices are a bit steep but a worthwhile place!! There is this attentiveness to details from plate settings to the actual dishes that is hard to find.