Magical MissTari Tour: Winter RW 2019 - Charlie Palmer Steak and Bombay Bread Bar

Yay! Restaurant Week is here again! My consumption of new food has had to decrease because of the cost increase, but that's ok. So far I've enjoyed two meals and I have one to go. Since I don't have any new theater to talk about, let's chat about food!

I had forgotten that I've already been to Charlie Palmer Steak, but when a co-worker suggested we go there for a RW lunch, I happily accepted. Their menu looked very tasty and yummy food is yummy food, whether I've been to the restaurant before or not, right? Off we went last week for the now-two-course lunch (I do miss the desserts, but oh well). If you want to refresh your memory about my previous trip to Charlie Palmer Steak, which included a little chef fangirly-ness, you can see that HERE.

For some reason, we were again seated near the entrance instead of truly inside the space, which is strange. The space inside didn't seem full, and it would be nice to actually be seated near the kitchen area to watch the chefs, but oh well. At least the food was very tasty. For my first course, I got the fresh tagliatelle with roasted chestnuts and crispy guanciale. Oh, good golly, this was grand. At first, when the very nice server set the bowl down, I thought 'that's it?!' The serving seemed quite small. But the dish was so yummy and satisfying, it was actually the perfect size for a first course. The pasta was beautifully made, with a terrific chew, and the ragu of chestnuts and guanciale was unique. I thought the taste would be heavy-ish, but it was actually very light and tender. The saltiness of the guanciale was offset by the meatiness of the chestnuts, and their dice was so small and precise, everything just melted in my mouth. It was delicious.

For my second course, I almost got the pork belly (I mean, hello, pork belly), but then I thought I didn't need to have pork in both courses. I probably overthought it. Anyway, I decided to get the MSG Charlie Palmer Steak Sandwich. It is a seared New York strip, with caramelized onions and the chef's signature sauce (apparently the MSG means that the sandwich is the official steak sandwich of Madison Square Garden; uh, ok). I will pretty much eat anything that features caramelized onions, because yum. The sandwich was really good - the meat was cooked and seasoned perfectly and the onions were sweet and delicious. The signature sauce had a little bit of a kick to it, which was nice. It seemed ketchup-based, which is fine by me. Fries came on the side; they were a nice surprise. The fries were just the way I like them, crispy and salty. So good. Again, the serving size seemed small at first, but the flavors were so satisfying, I couldn't finish. So I need to stop thinking like an American when they put a plate of food in front of me...

Even though I was sorry there was no dessert included, I was so full, I probably wouldn't have been able to eat dessert anyway. Though it would've been nice to have a little something something sweet after the meal. Oh well. But I again enjoyed eating at Charlie Palmer Steak and would be happy to go back, even not during RW. I really do think my daddy would enjoy it.

For years, I've wanted to eat at a Floyd Cardoz restaurant. I never got to Tabla, which was a bummer, then I saw him on Top Chef Masters (I miss that show, I wish it would come back; did they run out of Masters?) and found him delightful. I've been waiting to be able to taste his food and I'm happy to have finally had the chance. Bombay Bread Bar is his new-ish spot, replacing Paowalla down in the Village. It's a pricey place, but I was happy to use my jury duty reimbursement check to pay for my RW dinner there.

What a fun spot! It's all brightly colored and cheery, with cool art and funky decorative touches all around - even in the restroom! The staff is friendly, without being too obtrusive, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. The cost puts Bombay Bread Bar into the 'special event' category, but that's ok. I was texting my sister photos of my meal and she wants to go the next time she visits, so that will be a special event!

I did a little internet research before going, so I would have a little more detail on the food items on the RW menu. I had my choices narrowed down to just a couple of dishes, and the very pleasant server helped me make up my mind. As soon as I sat down, though, I needed to order a cocktail. Which, of course, is not included in the cost of a RW meal, but it was so bloody cold out, I needed some alcohol to warm up. I chose the tamarind margarita, which was DELICIOUS. Just perfectly balanced, and smartly only puts salt on half the glass rim. At least it's smart for me, because I can never finish that salt. The drink was amazing by itself and also tasty with my food, so thumbs up on that cocktail.

Every table gets an order of rosemary naan with three chutneys - tamarind, tomato, and mint cilantro. The bread was so light and airy, yet crispy, too. And the chutneys were incredible, even the mint cilantro. I don't really enjoy cilantro, but that chutney was so light and clean-tasting. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. But tamarind chutney will always be my favorite.

For my first course, I ordered the Sindhi Dal Pakhwan, which had lentils, spiced chickpeas, spicy yogurt, tamarind chutney, crispy puri (crackers), and pomegranate seeds. OK, this was SO good. Again, so much going on, with textures and spices and flavors, it was delightful. It was almost like a Indian version of seven-layer dip (I know, I'm such a Midwesterner), but I loved it.

I was hesitating between ordering the short ribs or the halibut for my second course - when I asked my server, he did not hesitate. He recommended the halibut as something very special. OK then. Boy, was he right!! It was amazing! It comes coated in some kind of puffed rice, in a tomato broth with roasted butternut squash and a crispy split pea. It was served with a side of lemon pilaf. This will definitely be going onto my favorite dishes of 2019 list! I couldn't have imaged how amazing halibut coated in crispy rice could be, but IT IS. The fish was cooked perfectly and the broth had just the right amount of acidity. The crispy split peas were also really tasty, and the sprinkling of little pieces of soft butternut squash was perfect. Just incredible.

For dessert, I was indecisive for about a minute, then I ordered the Gulab Nut, soaked in old monk rum syrup and served with pistachio cream. I had no idea that Indian doughnuts were what I needed in my life!! After the first bite, I immediately posted on Facebook that I am now dating that doughnut. It was soooooooo delicious, sweet and cakey, boozy and creamy. Another nominee (and it's only January) for best dish of the year. Even though I was practically ready to explode, I couldn't stop eating that delicious thing. Thumbs WAY up for the doughnut.

Obviously, I loved my meal at Bombay Bread Bar. I wish it were a little less pricey there, but I will definitely be back. I had a book (which coincidentally is set in India - synergy!) and enjoyed a nice, leisurely dinner. I highly recommend your going. Having said all that, though, maybe I should point out that I'm a wimp when it comes to highly-spiced and/or food with a lot of heat. For me, the food at Bombay Bread Bar was perfect, because it was subtly spiced and not too hot. I found it tasty and delighfully complex, but perhaps people looking for a more authentic chili experience would be disappointed. I sure wasn't. My only problem was that I was so full, I couldn't get on the subway right away after I left the restaurant and it was awfully cold to walk around, but I did. It all worked out well and I hope to get another unexpected reimbursement check in the mail and I'll use it for more delicious food by Floyd Cardoz.