Bar Americain

Bar Americain
152 West 52nd Street
New York, NY
(Visit the restaurant's website.)

The highlight of my recent Bobby Flay eating tour was visiting the Iron Chef's own Bar Americain. Chef Flay has a couple of restaurants in New York City but this one was the closest to where I was already headed and it is the restaurant featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay. I had to try it. To be brief, it was spectacular.

I visited Bar Americain with a dining companion for brunch and we just ordered as much as we could. First, I have to say th

at the setting is very inviting and nice. The tall ceilings and decor were light and refreshing. Everything was very clean and professional. The whole place seemed to scream "business casual."

We started out with some cocktails, which were a bit pricey but very tasty. I tried the "Kentucky 95," which is a blend of Maker's Mark, champagne, lemon and orange juices. It was delicious but was it worth $12? My dining companion had the Pimm's Cup, which is made of Pimm's No. 1, lemonade, and cucumber. Yes, cucumber. Cool, refreshing, and different what with the taste of the cucumber and all. The drink was so good that she had to order another one.

Our meal began with a delicious basket of bread and coffee cakes. And these were the best coffee cakes that either of us had ever had. They were so warm, fluffy, and chocolaty. But don't think that it was too heavy. Nothing at Bobby Flay's restaurant was too heavy. He's found the perfect way to make food tasty and light so that you can keep stuffing yourself. The rest of the bread was served with very delicious Jalapeno butter.

But onto the actual appetizers. We couldn't decide on one in particular so we chose the sample platter, which included jumbo shrimp and tomatillo dip, crab in a light coconut milk, and lobster with avocado. I have to say that I am no fan of crab meat but I was willing to give it a chance here at Flay's. Well, I'm sold. This was just tender crab and the light sweetness of the coconut milk (and mango?) was perfect. I couldn't get enough of it. The lobster was perfectly cooked and tender. The meat tasted wonderfully with the avocado too. The shrimp was also tasty but not as good as the other two. We would have ordered more but there were other items to look forward to.

The main courses did not disappoint either. I was torn between the burger and the steak. This being Bobby Flay's place, I had to try one or the other. I went with the strip steak since Flay has often bragged about how he likes grilling steaks. This perfectly portioned slice came with an array of sauces including a home made steak sauce with a kick to it. The fries weren't anything special unfortunately but the meat itself was cooked very well and quite tasty.

My dining companion had the red snapper tacos since there had been a recent episode of Throwdown with the dish. These were perfectly cooked red snapper pieces served with cabbage slaw, a few salsas, and soft flour tortillas. The combination of flavors and the texture of all the ingredients was unbelievable. Now, that's a fish taco. It was perfect.

We were full by the end of the meal but we just had to have dessert. We finished off with a blueberry lemon crepe and a Granny Smith apple tart. The former was wonderfully smooth with brown sugar and brown butter while the latter came with delicious maple walnut ice cream.

Did we overdo it? Yes. But it was worth every bite.

Anthony & George's Steak House

Anthony & George's Steak House
7505 Staples Mill Road
Richmond, Virginia
(Check out their website)

I honestly did not expect a whole lot when I walked into Anthony and George's Steak House near the Staples Mill Road Amtrak Station outside of Richmond. It was a convenient location for someone just passing through and the sign outside said that they had lunches for under $5. The place looks like an old and perhaps somewhat worn down diner from the outside. But I was in for a real surprise because the food was great, fast, and cheap. This is one of the diners that you miss in the age of chain stores and trendy food. This is the sort of diner that you wish you had around the corner and could go to every day for their lunch specials and dinners. While I was there a bunch of regulars came through the doors and sat down. They were greeted by all the waitstaff and it really seemed like a nice place to hang out. Yes, the service was very nice and everyone was very friendly. Never judge a restaurant by how it looks outside.

They had a lot of lunch specials to choose from too. Being in a steak house, I tried to Delmonico. It was delicious. The beef was cooked perfectly and the cut had just the right amount of fat. The meal came with two sides. The broccoli was delicious and very well cooked. The beans were also good. I also have to say that the fried fish sandwich was wonderfully prepared. The fish was lightly battered and cooked very well. There are many ways to mess up a fish sandwich but these guys do not mess it up. It was probably one of the best fish sandwiches I've tasted.

And then there's the freezer full of desserts. Who serves pie and cake for under three bucks these days? These guys do and they have a rotating selection so there is no set dessert menu. I can testify that the carrot cake was very good though.

So, Anthony and George's Steak House, I apologize for underestimating you at the outset. You're great! I wish you were in my neighborhood. I will definitely stop there again if I'm back in that neck of the woods.