Scheduling is tough. So much so that we had not seen Kimberly & Matt since their wedding in early October. Between the four of our schedules, we were able to squeeze in dinner tonight for almost all of us. Unfortunately, JB got stuck at work. I was the lone newlywed at the table.
We met at the Terance Conran shop where they were having a shopping event. 20% off all items and I thought I'd get a jump on my holiday shopping. I came away with only a gift, for myself, the much-written about 2006 NYC Michelin Guide. I even got a picture with myself & the Michelin man. I can't wait to read it.
After our botched shopping trip, we looked for a neighborhood spot. Bistro 61, on 1st & 61st (obviously) was where we landed. As Matt called it, the decor is "formulaic". Trust me, the exposed brick with cutouts for candles did not exist when this same space was an Indian restaurant.
The menu has typical bistro fare like mussels, french onion soup and frites, but also has some pasta dishes and salads. Our waitress was so skinny we felt guilty ordering. Nonetheless, Kimberly & I ordered a tuna tartar to start while Matt had a tomato/mozzarella tart. The tuna was served in a martini glass with rather large chunks of fish which pleased me. Matt silently ate his starter, so I can't really comment.
When we had been ordering our main courses, Kimberly had asked for the burger with foie gras. "A bargain!" she exclaimed, especially when compared to DB's burger. The waitress then let us know that that was the last one of the evening. We found that quite strange considering it was only a little after 8:00 but oh well. I did taste it and thought it just OK. The foie gras was pate-style so it was not for me. The fries, however, were close to perfect. They are on the list.
Matt & I each opted for the pasta. Mine was a rigatoni with eggplant & zucchini which I thought was somewhat healthy. Matt had black linguine, which he deemed fresh, with crab, which he deemed not.
All in all, we agreed that it was a good neighborhood spot. We then talked about their neighborhood bistros like Park Bistro & Cossette and said we'd go there next time.
Until we eat again, KLB
PS - Matt, good luck in the marathon on Sunday!
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