I’ve often described dining as a multi-sensory experience. Smell and taste are a given at any great restaurant. Great plating and decor makes for an eye pleasing experience. Textures of the courses stimulate the tongue, while design elements draw my hands to touch. The quiet chatter of the guests, the insulated bustling kitchen, the muted chopping block of a sushi bar, and rarely some sizzling plates, these are the sounds of gastronomy.

All these senses are complementary, however occasionally one overwhelms the others.

This week I ventured to one of the hottest restaurants on the scene, Kenmare. Situated on Kenmare Street, right on the edge of Little Italy, it’s not exactly an ideal location for a restaurant aside from an overflow traffic from the bridge. Every 10 minutes or so, the 6 train rumbles beneath the ground, causing ripples in the wine.  Yet somehow, barely a few months into its existence, it’s defined itself as a trendy hot spot.

Perhaps an unique cast behind the scenes can explain this phenomenal celebrity. Kenmare is the brainchild of nightlife veterans Nur Khan and Paul Sevigny, who brought on board Little Owl’s Joey Campanaro to design the menu and run the kitchen. In my own experience, nightlife and fine dining are usually sequential activities, mixing is usually hazardous to your tastes.

Kenmare's dimly lit except for a neon sign (not pictured)

Now the owners are adamant that this place is a restaurant, not a night club. However once you enter, you sense a conflict in identity. The beautiful hostesses don’t command the house like a traditional maitre d’, but instead reminds me of the managers behind a velvet rope. The only difference is that the clipboard is replaced with the touchscreen Opentable.

Then there’s the bar, bustling and overflowing with people, on a Tuesday, at 9:30PM.

10PM on a Tuesday, Kenmare was still packed.

The menu was fairly simple, appetizers on one page, entrees on the other. Kenmare definitely feels more like a gastro pub than a restaurant.

The appetizer crab cake with arugula and marinated onions was moist and tasty, a solid start.

An excellent crabcake.

Then the entrees arrived. I once again ordered scallops, which were char grilled. Chefs often say “no color, no flavor”, this was a bit too much charred flavors.

Charred scallops, packed with (a bit too much) flavor

The wild striped bass with lobster orzo was delicious. Chunks of lobster in the risoni really impressed me.

Wild striped bass with lobster orzo

So this restaurant has good food, looks great, has great looking people, but why can’t I recommend it as a fine dining destination? The noise was simply overwhelming. I found myself shouting at my guest just to carry out a conversation. Listen to this clip below.

Kenmare Audio

Yes, aside from a camera and a notepad, food bloggers should now look into carrying audio recorders.

If you’re ever in the mood for a drink and some great snacks, this is a great place to go, especially with that 4AM liquor license. However, Kenmare is not a spot for fine dining, unless you enjoy shouting at your date.

CS

Rating:  

Kenmare (Make a Reservation)
98 Kenmare Street
New York, NY 10012

July 24th, 2010 | Tags: 3Apples, Joey Campanaro, Kenmare, Little Italy | Category: American, Mediterranean | Leave a comment

No, not quite.

The block of 10th Ave., between 15th and 16th Street, is a foodie’s utopia. You’d be hard pressed to find another block with so much culinary fun and star power. Here you have the Chelsea Market, Food Network studios (including Kitchen Stadium), and restaurants from 3 celebrity chefs: Morimoto, Batali, and Colicchio. There’s bound to be some friendly competition at these locations.

Now while Morimoto and Del Posto has thrived, Tom Colicchio’s first effort, Craft Steak, failed to impress critics and diners alike and was shuttered at the end of 2009. The space was re-imagined as Colicchio and Sons (whatever that name means), features a more rustic concept from the higher end “craft” series, and reopened earlier this year. Colicchio mentioned that this was an opportunity for him to refocus on cooking, and that he’ll frequently be in the kitchen.

For the size of the restaurant, I was surprised how difficult it was to secure a reservation. His ever expanding Top Chef franchise of television shows is probably the reason, not to mention some fairly favorable reviews from Sam Sifton.

We decided to have dinner in the “Tap Room”, the casual-er part of a supposedly casual restaurant.  We quickly ordered our dishes and imagined a quickfire challenge taking place in the kitchen.

The food came with nice sized portions, but everything was on the salty side. Some of the appetizers had a curious mix of flavors. My beets with a hint of curry in particular drew a few raised eyebrows.

Colorful beets with curry and cheese, weird?

Prosciutto and beans, another unexpected combo

Bone marrow, topped with half a fish.

Entree was less exciting, but much better tasting. My soft shell crab sandwich was excellent, but the chips tasted almost identical to Lays. Jessie’s broiled chunk of meat had a very Asian influence.

Pizza by Colicchio

Soft shell crab sandwich

Mussels, finally a "normal" looking dish

A tower of beef

As much as I wanted to like the restaurant, it was ultimately a disappointment. We expected so much from Tom Colicchio after his very public statement about his return to the kitchen. The food simply didn’t taste like something from a chef who’s so extremely vocal and critical on the judge’s table.

Luckily as diners we determine our own fate. Please pack your wallet and eat elsewhere.

CS Hsia

Rating:  

Colicchio and Sons (Make a Reservation)
85 10th Ave.
New York, NY 10011d

July 21st, 2010 | Tags: 2Apples, Colicchio and Sons, Tom Colicchio | Category: American, Reviews | Leave a comment