620909 Mon May 18 18:05:00 -0700 2009 14 18 Manhattan 0 4695666 Anyone been yet? Reviews? Mon May 18 18:05:00 -0700 2009 42239 actarheel 1 4735176 A friend and I ate at the chef's table last night, and it was a wonderful meal. We had a 9pm rez and there was a delay at the beginning, but the chef apologized profusely and brought out an extra app. We had the razor clams, ramps with crisped pigs ears (unbelievably yummy and great flavor/texture combinations), spring consomme, shrimp alhinho (the pimenton flavor was outstanding), arroz de pato (essentially a duck paella), and scallops (perfectly cooked). We also shared a relatively inexpensive bottle of Portuguese red. We were too stuffed to try the desserts, but will definitely be going back. I can see this becoming a go-to restaurant for me. Tue Jun 02 07:01:26 -0700 2009 4695666 31491 cbking 2 4735236 thanks for the review. Have to try it. Love George Mendes' cooking. Tue Jun 02 07:17:09 -0700 2009 4735176 52499 ChefJune 1 4735595 Exceptionally good, I thought - not least the prices. The popular arroz de pato entree, for example, $20 - rare duck breast, braised leg meat, chorizo, rice of course. Don't miss the small bites at the top of the menu, especially the sea urchin toast. Tue Jun 02 09:03:10 -0700 2009 4695666 10475 Wilfrid 1 4779525 Excellent. We had the peas with bacon, egg and truffles, the baby squid, roast baby goat and pork belly with clams. For dessert, rhubarb soup and caramelized brioche. Loved every dish. The kitchen was a bit slow but the staff was very apologetic and each dish came out perfect. Really delicious bread, too. The place is still new so they need a little time to get the timing worked out. I can't wait to go back. Tue Jun 16 17:43:51 -0700 2009 4695666 126803 rrems 2 4793973 Rrems: I plan to go to Aldea this week. Were you pleased with all the dishes you ordered? (Each one of them sounds "right up my alley!") Mon Jun 22 04:36:49 -0700 2009 4779525 12618 erica 3 4796666 erica, Yes, we loved all the dishes, but especially the goat and cuttlefish. Next time I really want to try that duck paella. The quality was so high I can't imagine any dish being a mistake to order. Let us know how it works out. Mon Jun 22 19:49:03 -0700 2009 4793973 126803 rrems 4 4800908 RRems: I took your advice and ordered the cuttle fish and the goat and both were fantastic! The goat was so mild and delicious; it was served with chanterelles and other mushrooms, and cherries. Spectacular! Equally spectacular was the cuttle fish dish--the "Thai-ish" combination of flavors was a "wow!" I scooped up every last bite of the sauce, after finishing the fish. My friends ordered the shrimp, which I tasted and also give very high marks (love the smoked pimenton--shrimp were truly excellent) and the arroz de pato--very, very happy with those. I tasted the duck, too, and have it on my list for next time. There is both confit and magret in the rice, along with chorizo. We tried the ramp/pig's ear for the table. Interesting combination of flavors, but not an essential for me. Desserts looked intriguing but we behaved and shared one lonely dish of three sorbets--vanilla coconut, spicy plum, and one more which I have forgotten. Served with a tuile-like cookie. Excellent. We were seated upstairs which was much quieter than the main room. So while we did not get to see the open kitchen, we were very pleased. Definitely worth a return visit soon! Thanks for all of your help!! Wed Jun 24 03:17:48 -0700 2009 4796666 12618 erica 1 4810539 we went last night, and had: ramps/pig ears duck ham (not ham, but done in the style of it) mushroom consomme (with ravioli? which "pop" in your mouth) shrimp alhinho arroz de pato pork loin. strawberry and chocolate dessert dishes. the ONLY complaint we had was that there was definitely too much salt in both entrees. i like salt, but this was way too much, and it wasn't unique to the pork or chorizo. but the food was quite good. service was exceptional, wine was affordable. nice place. Sat Jun 27 06:42:50 -0700 2009 4695666 11235 bob gaj 2 4810684 I went a few days after opening, and 3 out of 4 dishes we had were great, the lone exception being the razor clams, which was very disappointing because it's perhaps my favorite clam, the foam on it really detracted from the flavor I thought. The monkfish was fantastic. Sat Jun 27 08:23:57 -0700 2009 4810539 101627 fishermb 1 4878964 We went last night. Service was excellent. No issues with noise (one lively table behind us) even though room is rather long and narrow. Now on to the food: BREAD - great flavor, olive bread was a little old (my teeth got tired), really good olive oil We had a bottle of Alion Ribera Del Duero Cosecha 2005. Thanks again to our server for her excellent suggestion. SMALL BITES: *Knollcrest farm egg (bacalao, black olive, potato) - served in an egg. Delicious. *Sea urchin toast (cauliflower cream, sea lettuce, lime) - very good CHARCUTERIE: Duck ham, house cured - interesting, never had it before, good. Barbecue type sauce on the side. Probably would not get again. APPETIZERS: *Lightly cured spanish mackeral, meter lemon, almond milk, crunchy soy - amazing flavors, loved this *Shrimp alhinho (garlic, coriander, pimenton, pressed jus) - very good, another favorite MEAT: *Arroz de pato/duck confit, chorizio, olive, duck cracklings, rice - delicious, loved this dish. Duck was cooked so incredibly perfect. Appreciate that chef was able to accomodate request to serve chorizio on the side. DESSERT: *SONHOS "little dreams" - spiced chocolate, smoked paprika apricot (loved this sauce!), hazelnut praline (a creamy sauce) PS This is how I wanted to feel after dining at Corton and spending over twice as much . . . finally a new place that deserves the praise and is not overhyped/overrated. Tue Jul 21 18:01:28 -0700 2009 4695666 73159 financialdistrictresident 1 4888545 Just went again last night. I had the shrimp and the duck paella, my partner had gazpacho and hanger steak. We shared the strawberry dessert. Everything was fabulous and the kitchen and service staff were perfectly coordinated and efficient. Fri Jul 24 17:06:56 -0700 2009 4695666 126803 rrems 2 4888592 Glad to hear you've had another excellent dinner at Aldea, rrems. That arroz de pato is, indeed, sensational! Looking forward to getting back there, perhaps as soon as next week. Fri Jul 24 17:38:12 -0700 2009 4888545 13867 RGR 1 4937610 Went to Aldea last night. No reservation, had dinner at the bar. When I left they apologized they didn't have a seat at the chef's counter. The same excellent service as the last time I went. Their proximity to Penn Station might be a dangerous thing. I had: *Foie gras and duck terrine, nectarines, cocoa, nectarine sorbet - really enjoyed the flavors and textures (cocoa crumbs) . . .delicious *Baby cuttlefish caramelized lychee, mentaiko (fish row), squid ink - very good, liked the caramelized lychee (different and surprising). Not sure if I'd get this again. *Monkfish, roasted baby eggplant, tomato-saffron, yogurt - server suggested this when I couldn't decide between the fish entrees and didn't want the duck paella (I had a duck salad for lunch at Scallions) - very good, enjoyed the eggplant flavors *Caramelized brioche, blood orange gel creme fraiche pink peppercorn ice cream - delicious I could get addicted to Aldea. Tue Aug 11 14:35:47 -0700 2009 4695666 73159 financialdistrictresident 1 5009393 Finally made it here and was impressed with our meal. Having eaten our way through Spain recently, I've been looking for something to scratch that Iberian itch. Aldea, while serving Portuguese cuisine, is doing great, delicious, inventive cuisine that satisfies! Bravo! Foie gras terrine was a generous portion. We split it and they brought two LARGE squares of freshly toasted, warm, buttery brioche. The cocoa nibs, sea salt, and nectarines added interesting contrasts to the buttery and creamy foie gras. Excellent! I loved the brioche and hate it when restaurants don't give you enough for the amount of foie gras. This was NOT the case at Aldea. For my appetizer, the peas with poached egg, shavings of truffle, wild mushrooms, and thick chunks of smoky Benton's bacon. How could you go wrong? A wonderful combination of flavors. Delicious. My husband's tomato-cherry gazpacho with mozzarella ravioli topped with sliced heirloom tomatoes was also good. The ravioli were quite clever -- spheres that popped in your mouth. Quite satisfying. The real stars of the show were the mains, though. Pennsylvania Baby Goat was meaty, tender, and delicious. The savory nature of the wild mushrooms really enhanced the flavor of the goat, and was bolstered further by pickled cherries! I should also mention that the portions are quite generous. My husband mistook a generous piece of goat (with the carmelized skin) to be a mushroom at first, then realized just how much protein was on his plate. Arroz de pato was excellent, as has been reported elsewhere. Wonderfully chewy rice with the intense flavors of duck. A few generous slices of duck breast on top, and shreds of delicious duck meat scattered throughout. A sprinkling of thinly sliced chorizo, bits of dark savory olive, and duck cracklings, with some apricot puree. I was not certain that I could finish the mount of paella on my plate and I was not wrong, but I longer to keep eating and keep discovering all the different combinations of chorizo-olive-apricot-rice-crackling. This dish was fantastic. I will dream about this dish in the winter, whenever it snows, waiting for my notional Portuguese grandmother to make me this dish. Although we were stuffed, my husband cannot resist donuts on any menu. The sauces of spicy chocolate, apricot, and hazelnut praline were quite good. Our favorite was the chocolate which had a bit of a kick. Donuts were fluffy and served piping hot. Good, not the best donuts I've ever had, but solid. And I had loved the brioche that came with our foie gras so much, that I ordered the carmelized brioche with a creme-fraiche peppercorn pink ice cream, with blood orange sauce. I though the brioche was a little soggy as I was expecting a wider, flatter slice of bread (with some crust), but I really loved the pink peppercorn ice cream. Good but I'd go for the chocolate textures or strawberry tasting instead. The petit fours also bear mentioning. The tiny tea cakes came out hot from the oven. Buttery and light. The apricot jelly was fine. The chocolate cherry brownie square was excellent. Intense. Like what you would get if you boiled down a pound of cherries and a pound of chocolate into a tiny square and made a brownie. My husband said it was like "freebasing a brownie." With coffee (a very generous cup!) and a single cocktail, tax, and tip, the bill came out to about $160-170. Service was excellent. Next time: the chef's counter! Sun Sep 06 13:24:57 -0700 2009 4695666 10936 kathryn