Market Cafe
I was honored and excited when the authors of NYC Nosh asked me via email if I'd be interested in meeting up for a bite to eat. From reading each other's blogs for the past few weeks it was apparent we share pretty similar interests with regards to blogging and food.
I had suggested Grocery, in Brooklyn, because I had never been and heard great things about it. But when I learned both Nosher and Hungryman had eaten there previously, I said best try a new place. My method to choosing restaurants has now changed, to reflect how I treat picking out a movie at Blockbuster. If my friend's seen it, we won't rent it. If my friend's already eaten somewhere, we won't eat there. In New York, it's all about trying new places together.
When I mentioned this to Nosher, he mentioned he'd been meaning to review Market Cafe. Agreed. Little did I know until we arrived and placed our order that both friends had eaten previously at Market Cafe...I'd been duped, but happily so.
I should mention that Nosher makes a mean cocktail of Chambord, vodka, and some fruit juices. Maybe if we're nice and put lots of comments on his site he'll share this Nosher-tini recipe.
Now, I have yet to buy a camera to put to use with my food blog. To date I've been grabbing images from here and there...if you want to see the beautiful pictures of dinner check out Nosher and HungryMan's review of Market Cafe here.
When we walked into Market Cafe I felt I was walking into a sauna room. No, not because of the heat or anything, the dining room was the perfect temperature for me. But rather because of the white tiling, from floor to ceiling. Nosher said it reminded him of a fish market. Either way it was clean and went well with the sea green leather banquette and matching chairs.
Menu (you can click here to see an older version of their menu, but note it has since changed) memorables:
My pick for an appetizer was the wild mushroom salad, which was a unique blend of spinach and long wiry mushrooms (I am wild for wild mushrooms). It seemed to be a hit with everyone at the table. I enjoyed its blend of salty spinach and sweet balsamic dressing, which was not overpowering. I was still able to enjoy the flavor and texture of the mushrooms. Swimster chose a white potato flatbread (almost like a white pizza) as an appetizer and was startled by its enormity. It would have been too much food for a main course. If you have a large party with a large appetite going to MC and split it as an app. I loved the blend of white cheeses and spices. It was thick and hearty, and definitely one of my favorite dishes at dinner. Okay, I'll admit it, it was even better cold the next morning as a leftover.
HungryMan went for the salmon tartare, which was the perfect summer appetizer. Cool and crisp it came with 2 crostini and a sort of red berry jam/chutney. He was nice enough to make me a little taste of everything and it was perfect. The chutney was a nice touch and I surprisingly enjoyed the berry/fish combo.
Nosher chose the caesar salad and really enjoyed it. Apparently he orders caesars like I do calamari, he can't resist it when it's on the menu. I got a taste and thought the dressing (makes or breaks a caesar) was light and not too eggy. And the romaine was crisp and fresh and NOT soggy, a problem I seem to run into a lot with caesars.
My entree was the steak pizziola, which I found was similar to a steak milanese, with a lot of salad on the side and a cold tomato salad garnish on top. The steak was cooked perfect and was very tender. The salad on the side was a little bit on the salty side, and I wished there had been a little bit more dressing. But definitely a winner nonetheless. I cleaned my plate.
Swimster chose the sole meuniere which was lightly battered. I've had many soles and it was right up there with my favorite from La Playa's Terrace Grill in Carmel, Ca. I just looked up what meuniere means and found this useful information. Meuniere (muhn-YAIR) is French for "miller's wife" and refers to the cooking technique used. In this case, fish is seasoned with salt and pepper and then dredged with flour and sauteed in butter. I learn something new everyday!
Nosher advised the specials were always a good choice and he followed his own credo by choosing the pasta special cockle fettucine. I am not an expert in the field of cockles, and Nosher said they were a bit bigger than what he had previously been used to. I think he enjoyed this dish regardless, and he was nice enough to share some with me. I am not a huge fan of the seafood and pasta combo but I enjoyed the fettucine, light buttery sauce and cockle trio. If you like seafood pasta give this a try, that is if you're lucky enough to find this on their evening special list.
HungryMan chose the pork loin and I can honestly say this was my favorite entree of the evening. The pork seemed to be lightly fried and topped with cherries and cranberries and rosemary...OH MY! The pork sat on top of a mound of mashed potatoes which I didn't taste but eyed over HungryMan's shoulder. Having just met Nosher and HungryMan, I didn't feel I was at the steal-a-bite point yet in our relationship. Maybe that will come with our next dining adventure. I did get to try the pork and berries, however, and I want to go back for more.
Market Cafe was a real treat and I feel lucky Swimster and I could share it with new friends. Our server was extremely friendly and the timing of everything was dead on. The prices at MC are unbeatable and its flavors reflect prices that elsewhere might break the bank. Entrees range from $12 to $16. I challenge you to find a deal like this anywhere in the city.
Thanks Nosher and HungryMan for a fun-filled evening and I hope we can do it again soon...
496 Ninth Ave., (between 37th and 38th Sts.)
212-967-3892
I had suggested Grocery, in Brooklyn, because I had never been and heard great things about it. But when I learned both Nosher and Hungryman had eaten there previously, I said best try a new place. My method to choosing restaurants has now changed, to reflect how I treat picking out a movie at Blockbuster. If my friend's seen it, we won't rent it. If my friend's already eaten somewhere, we won't eat there. In New York, it's all about trying new places together.
When I mentioned this to Nosher, he mentioned he'd been meaning to review Market Cafe. Agreed. Little did I know until we arrived and placed our order that both friends had eaten previously at Market Cafe...I'd been duped, but happily so.
I should mention that Nosher makes a mean cocktail of Chambord, vodka, and some fruit juices. Maybe if we're nice and put lots of comments on his site he'll share this Nosher-tini recipe.
Now, I have yet to buy a camera to put to use with my food blog. To date I've been grabbing images from here and there...if you want to see the beautiful pictures of dinner check out Nosher and HungryMan's review of Market Cafe here.
When we walked into Market Cafe I felt I was walking into a sauna room. No, not because of the heat or anything, the dining room was the perfect temperature for me. But rather because of the white tiling, from floor to ceiling. Nosher said it reminded him of a fish market. Either way it was clean and went well with the sea green leather banquette and matching chairs.
Menu (you can click here to see an older version of their menu, but note it has since changed) memorables:
My pick for an appetizer was the wild mushroom salad, which was a unique blend of spinach and long wiry mushrooms (I am wild for wild mushrooms). It seemed to be a hit with everyone at the table. I enjoyed its blend of salty spinach and sweet balsamic dressing, which was not overpowering. I was still able to enjoy the flavor and texture of the mushrooms. Swimster chose a white potato flatbread (almost like a white pizza) as an appetizer and was startled by its enormity. It would have been too much food for a main course. If you have a large party with a large appetite going to MC and split it as an app. I loved the blend of white cheeses and spices. It was thick and hearty, and definitely one of my favorite dishes at dinner. Okay, I'll admit it, it was even better cold the next morning as a leftover.
HungryMan went for the salmon tartare, which was the perfect summer appetizer. Cool and crisp it came with 2 crostini and a sort of red berry jam/chutney. He was nice enough to make me a little taste of everything and it was perfect. The chutney was a nice touch and I surprisingly enjoyed the berry/fish combo.
Nosher chose the caesar salad and really enjoyed it. Apparently he orders caesars like I do calamari, he can't resist it when it's on the menu. I got a taste and thought the dressing (makes or breaks a caesar) was light and not too eggy. And the romaine was crisp and fresh and NOT soggy, a problem I seem to run into a lot with caesars.
My entree was the steak pizziola, which I found was similar to a steak milanese, with a lot of salad on the side and a cold tomato salad garnish on top. The steak was cooked perfect and was very tender. The salad on the side was a little bit on the salty side, and I wished there had been a little bit more dressing. But definitely a winner nonetheless. I cleaned my plate.
Swimster chose the sole meuniere which was lightly battered. I've had many soles and it was right up there with my favorite from La Playa's Terrace Grill in Carmel, Ca. I just looked up what meuniere means and found this useful information. Meuniere (muhn-YAIR) is French for "miller's wife" and refers to the cooking technique used. In this case, fish is seasoned with salt and pepper and then dredged with flour and sauteed in butter. I learn something new everyday!
Nosher advised the specials were always a good choice and he followed his own credo by choosing the pasta special cockle fettucine. I am not an expert in the field of cockles, and Nosher said they were a bit bigger than what he had previously been used to. I think he enjoyed this dish regardless, and he was nice enough to share some with me. I am not a huge fan of the seafood and pasta combo but I enjoyed the fettucine, light buttery sauce and cockle trio. If you like seafood pasta give this a try, that is if you're lucky enough to find this on their evening special list.
HungryMan chose the pork loin and I can honestly say this was my favorite entree of the evening. The pork seemed to be lightly fried and topped with cherries and cranberries and rosemary...OH MY! The pork sat on top of a mound of mashed potatoes which I didn't taste but eyed over HungryMan's shoulder. Having just met Nosher and HungryMan, I didn't feel I was at the steal-a-bite point yet in our relationship. Maybe that will come with our next dining adventure. I did get to try the pork and berries, however, and I want to go back for more.
Market Cafe was a real treat and I feel lucky Swimster and I could share it with new friends. Our server was extremely friendly and the timing of everything was dead on. The prices at MC are unbeatable and its flavors reflect prices that elsewhere might break the bank. Entrees range from $12 to $16. I challenge you to find a deal like this anywhere in the city.
Thanks Nosher and HungryMan for a fun-filled evening and I hope we can do it again soon...
496 Ninth Ave., (between 37th and 38th Sts.)
212-967-3892
posted by Mona at 5:29 PM
2 Comments:
We just got back from being away and saw this! I'm so happy we arranged this outing-- and I'll share the drink recipe gladly, with or without lots of comments!
Ha, d'oh! And I just saw this one too! Good to have you guys back! How was the trip? I'm in the middle of a long week (7th day in a row, and one more to go) before I head down to Charlottesville for a football game. Can't wait! It's my birthday weekend (sort of) and I love this time of year!
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