Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
my normally dour Calabrese grandfather happy. A Voce offers daily
specials called “
del mercato
” which feature the chef 's more unusual
creations like, a “rabbit terrina” with salt-cured
foie gras.
You won't
go wrong whether you try the rustic or the modern. The palate-
cleansing citrus tiramisu is the perfect conclusion.
41 Madison Avenue (at 26th St.).
&
212/545-8555.
www.avocerestaurant.com.
AE, DC, MC, V. Main courses: $18-$39. Mon-Fri 11:45am-2:30pm; 5:30-11pm;
Sat-Sun 5:30-11pm. Subway: N, R, W to 23rd St.
Primehouse
STEAKHOUSE There are many meanings of the
word “prime,” and in the case of Primehouse, the newest (2007) from
restaurateur Stephen Hanson (Fiamma, Dos Caminos, Ocean Grill,
and so on), it means top-of-the-line meat, of which there are many
cuts at Primehouse. The space is gargantuan; and, at times, I felt serv-
ice would have been a bit more prompt if the waiters could have used
skateboards to traverse the long walk from kitchen to table. Once the
food did arrive, all was forgiven. The combination of raw seafood and
steak has traditionally been a natural one. At Primehouse, the oysters,
from either the East or West Coast (or you can try a sampler of both)
were fresh and briny. The romaine, tomato, onion and Maytag blue
cheese salad was crisp, even when smothered by the rich blue cheese
dressing, but do not attempt to tackle it yourself—it will finish you
before your steak arrives, and that would be a mistake, especially if
you've splurged and ordered one of the special cuts aged in the restau-
rant's “Himalayan Salt Room.” I sampled the 35-day aged Kansas
City sirloin along with the 40-day aged rib-eye; and whatever they do
for all those days, it works.
381 Park Ave. S. (at 27th St.).
&
212/824-2600.
www.brguestrestaurants.com.
Reservations Recommended. Main courses: $24-$62. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Fri
11:30am-4pm; Sat-Sun 11am-4pm; Mon-Wed 5-11pm; Thurs-Sat 5pm-midnight;
Sun 5-10pm. Subway: N,R,Q, 6 to 28th St.
MODERATE
Hill Country
BARBECUE In a competitive market, and the
world of barbecue is
very
competitive, everyone needs an edge. Hill
Country's is Texas-style barbecue. And in Texas, beef reigns, so it's
not surprising that the standouts are the barbecued beef items,
specifically the brisket, served moist or lean (go for the moist) and
the gargantuan beef ribs, coated with a spicy dry rub. If you can't go
without your dose of the pig, the Kruez market sausage, shipped
from Texas, is the real deal. At Hill Country, once you are seated at
one of the picnic tables in the Texas-sized, loud dining room, you are
given a card. Then you proceed to the meat and/or sides counter
