Mesob - Montclair, NJ

Up to now, I've resisted blogging about local restaurants, but as Montclair (12 miles west of NYC) has grown as a destination for Northern Jersey suburbanites, the dining options have made it, IMHO, blog-worthy...

I've been to Mesob a half-dozen times and one thing never fails. Regardless of my mood, appetite or dining partner, I will leave uncomfortably full. Sickeningly full. The culprit being that light (you think - ha!), spongy Injera (Ethiopian Bread). There are no utensils, so every bite is transported in the Injera as it absorbs the flavors and oils and herbs of the various dishes. Even better, the piles of stewed meats and vegetables are neatly arranged on a giant canvas of Injera. Just when you think you're completely full is when you dig into the bits of bread that have acted as a place mat and spent the meal soaking up flavor...

But don't get scared off. I'm quite certain my requirement to engorge myself with food is a character trait (read as: no self-control) and most "normal" people will simply stop eating when they are full. I am not familiar with this custom...

And it's more than a gimmick. The food is full of deep, fragrant flavors. Spicy, yes, but not simplistically so. My favorites are: Doro Tips (marinated chicken), Kitfo (Ethiopean beef tartare), and the Halibut (which I see isn't on their online menu, but was still on the menu when I was last in the restaurant)...

The decor is simple, but tasteful and inviting. A mesob is actually the straw(?) table that some of the diners use in the restaurant (there are still a number of "regular" tables), which is a customary Ethiopian eating table. It's small, but if you're a party of two it's perfect...

And as is the case with any downtown Montclair restaurant, since it's BYOB you get the opportunity to browse the tremendous (and unique) wine selection at Amanti Vino down the street. Just tell them what you're eating and they'll recommend something wonderful (I had a great Gewurztraminer)...

Cost: $$
Rating: 6.5/10.0

Mesob
515 Bloomfield Avenue
Montclair, NJ
973.655.9000

Crispo - NYC

Growing up in suburban New Jersey meant "family style Italian food" was as ubiquitious as Starbucks. Red sauce this, Parmigiana that. Some good, some bad. And while Italian American fare became comfort food for me, it's no longer what I'll seek out when seeking to expand my culinary horizons. Fair or not, I just don't find it that interesting any more. Which is what makes Crispo such a revelation...

I initially found Crispo on recommendation from my step-brother* whose Wall Street executive lifestyle has him entertaining and sampling some of NYCs best restaurants. And each time I've returned it's been consistently enjoyable...

The menu is exceptional. Broad, varied, but true to the core Italian ingredients and flavors that people know and love. The anitpasti or affettati allow you to sample anything that looks good, from the Prosciutto di San Daniele, Parmigiano & Figs to the Sausage Stuffed Sage Leaves. It's all good...

The entrees are solid, but it's really about the pastas. Whether the Orcchiette with Broccoli Rabe or the Bucatini alla Amatriciana or their award-winning Carbonara, they are all prepared with care and attention. The Carbonara's not too rich or too heavy. The Bucatini's cooked perfectly in a delicate, perfectly spiced sauce. I rarely eat much pasta any more, but when making a trip to Crispo's, it's a must...

If you're going w/ a group larger than 6 or so, I'd ask for the special room, it's a small room/alcove within the larger dining room that makes for a great, somewhat secluded time...

For what it is and for what it's trying to be, it's hard not to call Crispo: perfect...

Cost: $$
Rating: 8.5/10.0

Crispo
240 West 14th Street
NY, NY
212.229.1818

*Excerpt from email from said step-brother: "I have NO problem w/ you pawning off Crispo as your own discovery as long as I get some form of recognition. Even if said recognition comes in the form of an email forward that no one else will ever see. In the end it’s not about me, it’s about spreading culinary bliss. (That line should somehow make it into an entry on ihateshellfish.)"

Angeli Caffe - Los Angeles

I sought out Angeli Caffe based entirely on my podcast subscription to a public radio show/podcast hosted by the restaurant's owner. I listen every Wednesday during my long run (not to be confused with the weekly episode of Filmspotting, which serves my Saturday long run). After driving the length of Melrose (just west of LaBrea) on a grey, rainy disgusting day, I couldn't help but feel a little repulsion toward Los Angeles. Granted, I'm an East Coast guy, with a genetic predisposition to taking up such a position, but I've spent enough time living and visiting the west coast, to consider myself a neutral. LA as a visitor can be, and often is, a wonderful whirlwind of consumerism at its grandest (no sarcasm intended). I often think about what anthropologists and archaeologists in three thousand years will take from our society. And for unadulterated consumerism, for better or worse, I would think Los Angeles makes a good case (I'd file Las Vegas under a different category. Maybe "unbridled decadence"). But it's on a grey day where LA's warts really show. Sure, NYC may have invented the grey day, but it built its empire around it. The city's psychology, architecture and mythology embrace it.

Which brings me to Angeli Cafe, a non-descript tenant on a block next to The Groundlings and a few steps from an Adult Pleasures superstore. Not exactly what I was expecting from the podcast host / cookbook author. Even the interior was a little underwhelming, I would have expected unpretentious, but found slightly gaudy wall decorations and, overall, a stylistic void. But I wasn't there for an architecture class, I was there for a light lunch before I was off to a meeting...

Cauliflower Minestrone
Eggplant Poppetti
Fennel and Endive Salad with Garlic-Parmesan Dressing

Now this is the Evan Kleinman I came for. Simple ingredients, all fresh, all prepared perfectly. Nothing extraneous. Even the (really) warm paperweight of bread they brought out was a treat. And let me tell you, those eggplant poppetti. I could have eaten fifty of them. I will pine, dream and return for them. Rain or not, I'm looking forward to my next LA trip and my next trek down Melrose.

Cost: $$
Rating: 7.0/10.0

Angeli Caffe
7274 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
323.936.9086

Foreign Cinema - San Francisco

I have a new favorite restaurant (for at least a week) and I didn't even like my main course. This is an interesting exploration into the psychology behind the dining experience. Foreign Cinema is a good fifteen minute cab ride from downtown San Francisco into the Mission district. From the moment I entered the renovated old cinema (or what was made to look like a renovated old cinema), I bought in. We were seated outside in a friendly courtyard, between a restaurant-affiliated art gallery and a room of indoor diners. On the large concrete wall to the courtyard's rear, they project (we visited the second-floor projectionist after dinner) a movie. On this night it was The English Patient. Regular tables, diners are served, some watch the movie, most don't, but the concept works.

Celery root mutsu apple veloute with autumn-spiced croutons
Mixed micro green salad with fuyu persimmon, mission fig toasted pecan vinaigrette
Ajwaan and cocoa nib rubbed onglet steak with carmelites turnips

The menu changes daily (they say) and the food (up until my main) was tremendous. Unfortunately, my steak was a little tough (I don't know why I continue to order hangar-type steaks) and not as flavorful as the multi-syllabic description would have led me to believe. But I'm giving them a pass. My friend's meals were as perfect as the appetizers and soups (they had a middle-eastern influenced chicken and a pork tenderloin), but it was really the experience, the vibe, that won me over.

Cost: $$$
Rating: 7.5/10.0

Foreign Cinema
2534 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 648-7600

PS - after a return trip a few months later, I'm starting to doubt my initial review, or should I say, it's solidifying my original fears. Again, the starter and dessert were great, as was the vibe, but my main course (paprika/curry-rubbed fried chicken) was surprisingly flavorless. Hmmm...