Corner Bistro

[Pookipichu]

Corner Bistro of Manhattan has opened an outpost in Long Island City. The place was full when I walked by, it still has the smell of varnish and paint.

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Corner Bistro
47-16 Vernon Blvd, Queens, NY 11101

[rickrickwhat]

Agree with most posts here... Corner Bistro (at least in LIC, haven't been to the one in Manhattan) was a real disappointment. Burger was OK, sides not. Locally, Burger Garage is better, though more of a fast food vibe to it.

[Jim Leff]

Went and had a very refined, meticulously shaped and plated burger. Ordered with fried onions, and it was like neo-Durkees. Fries also good, definitely not reheated.

Strange thing was there wasn't a grain of salt in either. Which explains the austere/subtle flavor vibe, but may not be to everyone's taste (I happen to like low salt cooking when it's intentional, as here, rather than just a gaffe/omission).

[tex.s.toast]

ive never been able to tell, by taste alone, whether salt was left out due to carelessness or some belief that food is better without salt.

i found the lack of salt in the CB burger i had in the city one of its more defining characteristics (and not in a good way)

[Jim Leff]

Salt, like grease, is an easy, cheap shortcut to pleasure (I don't mean that as a criticism...it's just true). That's why both are so rampant in restaurants (fancier restaurants cover their tracks better, but all classes of restaurants lard in plenty of both).

If you simply remove salt from most cooking, there's not much left, since salt's relied on to carry the flavor and the interest. To make something delicious without salt requires exponentially more care and craft, and that high level of care is palpable. That's how you can draw the distinction.

If you're accustomed to lots of salt, in may be harder for you to detect those subtler aspects (human perceptions ratchet up/down to be most acute in the range they're accustomed to; that's how, for example, dark adaption works). So, similarly, if your'e used to a very low salt diet, it becomes hard to distinguish between deliciously salty and just plain over-salted.

[tex.s.toast]

I was definitely unimpressed with my one experience at the original location - the burgers were prepped really weirdly, kept above the salamander before cooking and with little to no beef flavor (i had to use a ton of salt on my burger). cheap enough, but not anything that would have me running to return - especially with the long waits at the original.

[Pookipichu]

The understand the appeal of the original location, the boozy dark, old NY atmosphere, combined with affordable and tasty burgers caused massive word of mouth that has made them to operate at a capacity where quality can no longer be maintained.

The new location has no such excuse, it's easy to get a seat and there's no reason for stale fries. The burger was generously portioned and cooked to order, no complaints. But the burger at Tournesol has a delicious smokey char that was lacking at Corner Bistro. The burger at Alobar uses a butterybrioche bun and has savory, battered, deep fried bacon. Not to mention the burger at Burger Garage or LIC Market or Petey's Burgers. There are a dozen competent burger options and not one decent Chinese restaurant in LIC.

[Bob Martinez]

"There are a dozen competent burger options and not one decent Chinese restaurant in LIC."

You can say the same thing about Williamsburg, Park Slope, Carrol Gardens, and on and on.

[Pookipichu]

You'd think that someone from Flushing would branch out into the vast swaths of Queens and Brooklyn without decent Chinese food.

[secondbecky]

Not anymore Bob! Try Tofu in Park Slope. There have been several threads discussing this "chinese renaissance."

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Tofu on 7th
226 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

[Pookipichu]

I've eaten Tofu many times, including their "secret menus" Japanese/Szechuan :) (I'm fully expecting them to have a secret Thai or Vietnamese menu revealed at some point ;)

Tofu is perfectly fine for a local place and LIC or Williamsburgh would be lucky to have it, but it's still not on par with Flushing.

[Daniel76]

Agreed, I am not kicking it out of bed but, I went a month or two ago to Tofu and have not been back.. I have been to Flushing probably 10 times since then.

Has anyone tried Sensation Neo Shanghai Cuisine in Williamsburg

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Sensation Neo Shanghai Cuisine
208 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

[apossibleworld]

Yes, Sensation Neo Shanghai is definitely worth trying. I can't exactly give a normal recommendation because they prepared take-out for me for the no-sugar diet that I'm on, which is really unusual for any Chinese restaurant to do. I really enjoyed what I had, considering the circumstances. In fact I might do it again right now, and will post a proper topic about it.

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Sensation Neo Shanghai Cuisine
208 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

[Pookipichu]

Stopped in and the hamburger was fine/good but the fries were stale/reheated. All in all, I'd sooner head to Tournesol for a burger or even Alobar does it better.