The Kitschy Cowgirl

I'm not sure what it is about Southern/BBQ restaurants that make the owners feel the need to decorate it in the most over-the-top manner. They try to cover every square inch of wall space with every country/western knick knack known to man. Of course there are exceptions to this rule (the more classy joints), but Cowgirl fits right in with the "chotchkies galore" mentality when it comes to its decor.

Old highway signs, gun racks, and cowboy hats decorate the space and the wooden booths make you feel like you're in a western saloon. If I hadn't been to Cowgirl before, I would have been convinced that this place was a complete tourist trap. My co-workers and I went there for dinner before another colleague's performance a few blocks away. I quickly reassured them that it was a fun, neighborhood restaurant and we'd have a great meal.

Just as soon as we were seated and our drink orders were taken, chips and black-eyed pea salsa was brought to our table. As weird as we all thought it looked at first glance, this salsa was absolutely delicious. I didn't want to fill up on the chips and salsa too much, but luckily the little bowl went quickly among the four of us.

There were so many dishes that really caught my eye on the menu...I knew it was going to be a tough choice! Cowgirl was too unique to order any of the typical items like fajitas or a bbq chicken sandwich, so it was easy to eliminate those. Then, something stood out to me and I knew I had to order it...a Frito pie. Most of you from above the Mason-Dixon line probably have no clue what a Frito pie is. Imagine Frito chips (you know, those salty, greasy, corn chips) covered in chili and all the fixin's.

Cowgirl took it to the next level, further convincing me they have some creative chefs in that kitchen! Not only was the veggie chili (there is also the choice of beef brisket) served on top of the Fritos, but the entire dish was served IN a Fritos bag!!



The Fritos got soggy pretty quickly under the heat of the chili, but the first few bites had a great crunch. The chili itself was delicious...a little sweet, a little spicy, and had a lot of beans and veggies in it. The whole thing was topped with shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped onions, and jalapenos. It seemed like a small portion at first, but was definitely very hearty.

So far, so good. To add to the great experience, if you order the 32oz fountain drinks, there are free refills...and you know how I feel about that! Granted most people cannot consume 64 ounces of soda in one sitting, but then again, who ever claimed Miss Menu was "most people?!" My co-workers really enjoyed their meals too. Two got the Cowtown Quesadillas with pulled chicken and another got Papa Joel's Pulled Pork sandwich. They also liked the frozen margaritas, one was mango flavor and the other was made with Jameson instead of tequila.

If you're looking for a cute (if not slightly over-decorated!) place with a lively atmosphere, great bar scene and happy hour, and some good ol' down-home cooking, Cowgirl is the place for you. Happy eatin', y'all!

Cowgirl
519 Hudson Street
@ West 10th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

EN? Maybe out.

New York is known for a lot of things when it comes to its restaurant culture. One trend that seems to be ever-present and always popular is the uber-modern, high-end Japanese/Sushi joint. I'm sure a few come to your mind...Bond St., Nobu, Tao, Megu, and where I dined last week...EN Japanese Brasserie. This restaurant is newer to the scene, although it's been open for a few years now.

I went to EN when it first opened and had a great experience. I was blown away by the design of the restaurant and its decor. It's a huge, loft-like space with an open kitchen. Everywhere you look there is a really cool design element, from the soy sauce to the chopsticks, from the concrete slab floor to the furniture. The meal I had there was phenomenal, and the service was excellent.

So, it's safe to say that this prior experience set my expectations at a pretty high level for my visit last week. In addition to that, there were a few things that were out of our control that made this meal turn out the way it did. First off, we were seated in the bar dining area, rather than the main dining room. This had a cool atmosphere too, but paled in comparison to the main room. The tables were more lounge tables with arm chairs, which made it sort of uncomfortable, especially if you're really tall.

Now to the food. The menu changes semi-annually, so you can never be sure as to what will be featured when you get there. We decided to order a few dishes to split...some good and some not so good. EN is known for its homemade tofu. While I'm not the biggest tofu fan, I figured having some served on top of a salad would be a good way to try it without ordering an entire dish of it. Unfortunately, that was a bad call! The EN House Salad was made up of greens that were more stems than leaves, walnuts, tofu skin, and a soy milk dressing. The entire thing was bland and gross. Now I wasn't expecting your typical ginger dressing green salad served at every sushi place, but this was just too much. I was tempted to ask for soy sauce to pour all over the salad, but decided to just stop eating it.

Luckily the next dish offered some redemption. The Sea Bass Kara-Age was small pieces of fish marinated in sake and then lightly fried, which were delicious. We also ordered the EN Garlic Shiso Fried Rice. It had a great taste without the garlic being too overwhelming. My friend had heard that the duck at EN was a dish not to miss, so we got that. I don't eat duck, but he enjoyed it. It was topped with grated daikon that had been cooked in a ponzu citrus soy that was so flavorful I ended up putting some on top of my rice to give it a little extra kick.

Overall, I wasn't blown away by this experience. The waiter was MIA most of the time, and the busboy ended up getting us a few things that we needed. I had hoped for a great night with fantastic food, but no such luck. I think all of this would have changed, though, if we had been seated in the main dining area and ordered a few different dishes. I wouldn't rule EN out from recommending it to friends, but I would highly suggest asking the waiter/waitress for good suggestions and descriptions of each dish.

EN Japanese Brasserie
435 Hudson Street
b/t Leroy & Morton Street
website
Menu Pages listing

A Little Farmhouse in the Big City

Until this blog really takes off and the ad money starts pouring in (a girl can dream, right?!), my experience with high-end NYC restaurants is usually limited to reading about them on other food blogs (like Grub Street or Eater). But, my visit to Mas (farmhouse) on Friday night showed me that there's a way to experience these usually unattainable restaurants without the hefty price tag.

The answer? Go for dessert. Seems simple, I know. But, I realized that even without the appetizers and entrees, this is still a great way to experience a restaurant...its atmosphere, its service, its culinary style, etc.

There's a popoular adage that says, "Life is short. Eat dessert first." Well, if it's a dessert from Mas, then that's really all you'll need! I do, however, think there should be an exception to that expression that says dessert can come second if it's following a cheese plate. Along with a fantastic dessert wine, this was shaping up to be a little slice of heaven for me. I realized during my time in Paris that I could easily live on wine and cheese alone. Throw in an apple tart with homemade vanilla bean ice cream, and you could stick a fork in me...I'm done!

Mas's ambiance only adds to the fantastic experience. Just as the title of this post suggests, Mas creatively combines the feel of a Provencal farmhouse with a sleek New York space, creating contrasts everywhere you look. There are quaint, farm-themed pillows on the booths that sit on a concrete slab floor. Authentic farmhouse wood beams form a modern bar, a wine display case/cellar, and a communal table that runs the length of the restaurant. Maybe the most surprising thing was hearing indie music playing, when I was expecting typical French accordion music!

I'm not going to cross Mas (farmhouse) off my list of places to try quite yet. Next time, I'll just have to skip dessert and go straight to the entree!

Mas (farmhouse)
39 Downing Street
b/t Bedford & Varick Streets
website

Menu Pages listing

It's all Greek to me

I love Greek food, but there aren't too many options near my apartment. Last night seemed like the perfect opportunity to try a new Greek restaurant in a new neighborhood. After a little research, and remembering my old boss at NYMag mentioning their rave review in the New York Times, I decided on Snack Taverna in the West Village.

We all know New York City has countless incredible restaurants. But, in my experience, it's not often enough to go to a restaurant that gets it all right. Sometimes it's poor service, other times it's mediocre food. I've sure you've all had your fair share of "off" dining experiences. Snack Taverna has managed to avoid all of those potential problems and made for a perfect meal.

First, the location...It's located on one of those quaint West Village streets that could seriously used as a movie set. That is, if you can find it! Those diagonal, named (as opposed to numbered) streets can be a little confusing. So typical though...as I'm working my way west from 6th Avenue hoping to find the restaurant without walking in circles, two older ladies stop to ask me for directions. Good thing Miss Menu had been to the restaurant they were asking about!

But once I walked in the door, it was definitely worth the little detour. The restaurant has a great atmosphere. Greek music was playing but not in that cheesy, "smashing-plates-on-the floor" way. There were only maybe 12 tables, but it somehow doesn't seem cramped the way some small restaurants do. The waiter was really helpful, especially with being patient as I totally botched the names of the dishes I was ordering. I'm sure he was laughing with me though, right?! And it was encouraging to hear that he was actually Greek. I ordered 4 things to share, and every single dish was unbelievable.

So if you're looking for a great place to go with a date, or with a group of friends, I'd definitely recommend Snack Taverna. Great atmosphere, great service, and even greater food. All I have left to say is...Opa!

As always, some suggestions:
- Order the tzatziki. It is hands down the best I have ever had. And with fresh pita...perfection.
- Avoid the wine that mentions hints of pine. I love the way a Christmas tree smells, but I'd really rather not drink something that tastes like it!
- This may sound weird, but for a laugh and an "only in New York" moment, take a visit to the restrooms. They are literally the size of my coffee table.

Snack Taverna
63 Bedford Street
@ Morton Street
Menu Pages listing