188578 Wed Feb 24 00:32:48 -0800 1999 2 18 Manhattan 0 1006735 (So happy to have found a foodie place to hang!) Becco, (355 West 46th Street) serves Northern Italian food in a lively, casual, farmhouse style. The portions are huge and a great value. I ordered the two course, fixed price ($21.95) grilled vegetables and seafood, with unlimited servings of the three pastas of the day, (penne, rigatoni, and ravioli). The menu is somewhat confusing at first. You can order a la carte (with a Caesar salad) or choose from "menu two" which is "menu one plus a choice of three entrée courses." What this means (I think) is for about eight dollars more, you are served unlimited portions of three different pastas with your dinner. My friend ordered the ossobuco served with a barley risotto, ($20.95) also a very large portion. Bring a big, enthusiastic appetite for this one. I'm not sure what was the best part of my weekend brunch at Park Avenue Café (100 E. 63rd Street). The food was delicious, innovative, and artistic. The décor was calming, romantic and stylish. Huge, colorful fresh flowers surrounded us, and the service was top notch. (Thanks again to our waiter, Eric, for adding such a special touch.) We started with pastrami salmon and smoked salmon on a warm corn blini ($12.50). The pastrami salmon is Chef David Burke's own invention and, in fact, is trademarked. We were told it took him 10 years to develop. It was out-of-this-world delicious. The open-faced omelet with yellowfoot chanterelles, leeks, salsify and farmers cheese ($16.50) is the most beautiful egg dish ever invented. We loved everything we ordered. The Executive Pastry Chef, Richard Leach (winner of the James Beard Foundation's "Pastry Chef or the Year"), personally came over to meet us. Then he surprised us with three of his original and imaginative desserts, including the "Chocolate Cube"--a large bittersweet chocolate box filled with espresso mousse and chocolate sorbet. His desserts are not only delicious, but they're also works of art. He also brought out his version of crème brulee, which I politely took a few bites of before passing it over to my friends to finish for me. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I had already baked, sampled, and served 400 crème brulees on my trip. Lunch at the relaxed, hip Metro Grill (45 W. 35th St. in the Metro Hotel) is a treat for those of you who enjoy innovative soups, appetizers, and pastas. Michael Miele was on hand and very friendly. His wife, Karen Fohrhaltz Miele, is the imaginative chef behind such marvelous dishes as the pizzette; grilled flatbreads filled with Italian sausage, tomato, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese, or with roasted red peppers and garlic with sweet gorgonzola and a sprinkling of truffle oil, (small $6 and large $9). I asked for extra truffle oil on the side, and used it as a dip. It's a nice change from the traditional olive oil. The soup of the day was an incredible tomato soup with parmesan cream, ($5). The entrée that I sampled was Atlantic salmon with potato pancakes, sautéed winter greens and a light horseradish sauce, ($18). At Meson Sevilla (344 W. 46th Street) a neighborhood style Spanish and Italian restaurant, the emphasis is on paella. My shrimp creole ($13.50) was scrumptious, but the paella really was the star of the menu. I kept sneaking bites from my friend's plate, even after I had cleaned my own. The number one rule of dining out with somebody who writes about food -- you should offer to share. Otherwise, you make the food writer feel like they're being rude. (Okay, so maybe that's not an actual rule, but it's *my* rule.) If you go to Meson Sevilla, you must order a pitcher of sangria. It is fruity, with just the perfect blend of sweetness. Heaven. Although I didn't actually eat a meal at the Royalton, (44 West 44th Street) the charm and atmosphere is worth mentioning. This expensive, romantic bar, set up in an unusual style as a series of "living rooms" is really something to see. The chef sent out some wonderful desserts (including crème brulee of course) for us to sample. I had just a bite or two of the orange crème brûlée with candied orange peel, but I'd really recommend the apple tart. Lunch at the Harley Davidson Café (1370 Avenue of Americas) was an experience. From our table we looked out over the busy shoppers on 5th Ave, a perfect people watching spot. The food is basic Americana at this fun, loud, motorcycle-themed eatery. It includes such basics as meatloaf with mashed potatoes, chile, hamburgers and old-fashioned desserts. Thank goodness there was no crème brulee. I know there's no shortage of good kosher delis in New York. I wish I could have tried them all. However the one I did try was Bernsteins, somewhere near the Williams- Sonoma store on 69th & 2nd. Lunch was brought in, so I didn't actually get to see the deli. Anyway, I had a wonderful pastrami on rye. My return to Los Angeles aboard American Airlines was the consummate ending to this whirlwind, busy trip. Before we even took off, I was served a glass of Moet & Chandon Champagne. We took off and right away, I was brought warm mixed nuts, and fresh vegetables with dip. Next came the caviar cart with Sevruga Malossol cavier with traditional garnishes and blini or toast points. Also, there was a small serving of smoked salmon with capers and a shot of Absolut Vodka. The salad cart came next; seasonal mixed greens with creamy peppercorn and herb dressing, with a few small, succulent lobster tails. When my flight attendant saw that I had eaten the lobster tails first, she brought me more. My entrée was chateaubriand with an incredible dish of goat cheese caramelized onion mashed potatos. (I'll never make plain mashed potatoes again.) Next came the desserts and cordials. A hot fudge sundae, a bowl of Haagen-Dazs macadamia nut ice cream, another (small) bowl of Haagen-Dazs vanilla-raspberry swirl, and then the warm walnut chocolate chip cookies, fresh from the oven. And there is something magical about being in NYC, because I didn't gain any weight! Debbie Wed Feb 24 00:32:48 -0800 1999 0 Debbie Puente 1 1006752 Wow, Debbie--are you a professional food writer? Excellent report; enjoyed every word. This is a great board!! Wed Feb 24 22:26:57 -0800 1999 1006735 0 Marcia Gordon-Powers 1 1007356 Order the Filet Mignon, the Shrimp Ajillo, or the Stuffed Lobster at Meson Sevilla. Thu Jul 24 12:11:33 -0700 2003 1006735 0 Josh