Fillips (My First Review in a Newspaper)

Just came across this finally the other day. This following write up is actually the first article published reviewing my food in a newspaper. The only copy I have is one faded original copy in my portfolio, so rather than a link that probably wont last long, this is the article in it's entire original format. It's certainly not the best article ever written, but hey, it's my first! As disappointed as I was when I read it(every thing they say is true), there was a part of me somewhere inside that was pretty excited to see my name in a published NYC paper. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At Fillip’s, Peace and Quiet, And French From a Textbook By Moira Hodgson • 09/19/05 12:00am AddThis Sharing Buttons Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to LinkedInShare to Google+Share to Email I had in mind the sort of casual place I used to frequent in the Village: doors folded back onto the street, a few tables under the awning, relaxed and quiet on a warm summer night, a place where you could linger over a bottle of wine. Fillip’s, a small French restaurant in Chelsea, sounded like just the thing. The aroma of rosemary wafted from bushes that had been placed outside to create a small dining area under an awning. A couple of friends I hadn’t seen for a while happened to be eating there, and I joined them briefly for a glass of wine before going inside. The view, across a rather grungy strip of Seventh Avenue, was of a locksmith’s shop, a Chinese take-out place and a nail parlor. “If it weren’t for that, I could almost imagine I was in Paris,” I said. My friend shrugged. “If you were in Paris, that’s probably what you would be looking out at.” My dinner guests arrived, and the restaurant’s lone waiter, formally dressed in black tie, seated us inside at a table near the small bar by the entrance. The long, narrow dining room, lined with banquettes, is painted yellow, and the walls are hung with mirrors and Edward Hopper prints. Other than our party, there was just one couple, at the far end of the restaurant. It was blissfully quiet. After one of my companions got over the fact that he couldn’t have the Scotch he’d been looking forward to all day (only wine and beer are available), we ordered a bottle of Chablis. It’s an odd wine list, mainly French and quite expensive. The menu is classic French cuisine, from vichyssoise and sweetbreads to côte de boeuf and crème brûlée. Fillip Billan, the owner, used to have an Italian-Mediterranean restaurant here, but last spring he decided to upgrade the place, putting cloths and candles on the tables and decorating the room with giant flower arrangements. He brought in a young chef, Brian Bieler, who recently worked at Compass, and reopened two and half months ago as a French restaurant. “What’s good?” I asked the waiter. “It’s all good,” he replied with a smile. But the tough dinner rolls were not very good, nor was the “gift from the kitchen,” a clump of overdressed spinach salad decorated with a twee baton of bacon. Another night, it consisted of two tiny yellow and red tomato halves and a dollop of goat cheese mousse on a crouton. I’ve never been much of a fan of the soi-disant “amuse-gueules,” those small bites supposed to tickle the taste buds before the meal begins in earnest. They’ve become as common as the “palate-cleansing” sorbets that arrive halfway through dinner in pretentious restaurants. But if a chef does insist on sending an amuse-gueule out, it had better be worth it. There are two soups on the menu, vichyssoise and white asparagus infused with lemongrass. One of my companion’s eyes lit up at the prospect of the latter. “I love white asparagus,” she said, and when her soup was delivered, she fell upon it eagerly. But with the first taste she bolted upright, as though she’d just had an electric shock. The soup was truly awful. Washed up somewhere in the middle of a pallid, watery broth was a grilled scallop. This dish is an experiment that should never have left the kitchen. But before I had time to fling my napkin down in disgust and ask for the check, I tasted the vichyssoise. This 50’s throwback, made with leeks and potato, was wonderful, thick and creamy, seasoned with a touch of nutmeg, a few drops of olive oil glinting on the surface. The meal continued to seesaw. On the down side: doughy soft-shell-crab tempura and a clunky, characterless first course of wild arugula with strips of duck confit and apple that was big enough for a main course. Cucumber salad, one-third the size of the arugula salad, consisted of two long strips of cucumber wrapped around a pile of greens with radish and balsamic vinegar. Strange. On the up side: delicious seared scallops, lightly browned and juicy, with Meyer lemon adding a delicate citrusy note, and a garnish of baby leeks and mâche. Eating here can be a frustrating experience. Mr. Bieler has mastered the classic French techniques, serving up good food made with the best and freshest farmers’ market ingredients, but many of his dishes are unfocused and lack a personal style. Long Island duck was one of the successes. Tender and pink, it came with a golden raisin and eggplant purée and baby bok choy. The rack of lamb seasoned with chervil was also very good, served with a creamy parsnip purée and Swiss chard. Atlantic cod was beautifully cooked, crispy on one side, and accompanied by a delicate purée of celery root, spinach and a light citrus beurre blanc. But the butterfish, also known as black cod, seared with a crisp skin, needed more than the acidity of sliced baby tomatoes to cut its oiliness. A rib eye for two, charred rare, with baby leeks and asparagus, was pleasant but not memorable. For dessert, the molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and blueberries was state-of-the-art. So was the crème brûlée under a glassy sheen of caramelized sugar. There is also a selection of half a dozen nicely ripened and interesting artisanal cheeses. With a few tweaks here and there and some sharper focus, the food at Fillip’s could move up to another level. And after all the raucous restaurants I’ve been to lately, the quiet was a treat all its own.

Sketches...

Bavette Steak, Grilled with Morels, Spring Peas, Watercress

This is a recipe for spring time, once the morels have come through, the spring peas are available and the first of the watercress is also available in the market. Bavette Steak is something new to me. It comes from the same area the T Bones come from, but is nothing like that cut of meat, except for the fat content, their one similarity. In fact, the Bavette cut of steak is what you would get if you were to combine a flank steak and skirt steak. "Flap Steak" is another name for Bavette, but since this name probably gives people an assumption before they even begin to taste their food, think I will stick with the prior. It benefits, just as flank and skirt steaks do, from both dry rubs and intense marinades. Also like Flank and Skirt steaks, Bavette benefits from being cooked on a very high heat, from a wood fired grill to a very hot cast iron pan. Slicing on the bias, against the grain, helps to make a piece of meat that is not so tender taste as though it is. This recipe utilizes all of the above techniques... This recipe is made for the use of a large wood fired grill. However, a charcoal grill will work. Try using wood such as hickory or apple wood that have been soaked for at least 30 minutes once you have a strong bed of coals. 1 10 ounce portion of steak (bottom chuck flap) 4 to 7 large stalks of red rhubarb 1 bottle red wine Honey or simple syrup 1/4 cup English peas, shucked 1/4 tsp sea salt plus more as needed 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper, plus more as needed 1/4 cup butter, cubed, good quality unsalted fresh 1 shallot, thinly sliced 6 to 10 large morel mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed with a damp paper towel 1/4 cup beef or vegetable stock 1 bunch watercress 1 to 2 TB good quality extra virgin olive oil Half a lemon Trim any silver skin from the steak and allow it to come to temperature. Juice the rhubarb using a juicer and strain. Bring the juice and half of the bottle of wine to a boil and reduce, while skimming. Allow to reduce, adding the honey, until the sauce covers the back of a spoon. Taste, season until the acidity is balanced. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the peas for 20 seconds in rapidly boiling water, drain, shock and set aside. Heat a grill to medium heat. Season the steaks evenly with salt and pepper. Cook the steaks on the grill until medium rare. Move and turn the meat frequently to build a uniform, caramelized crust. Season with fresh salt and pepper once removed from the heat and allow to rest, uncovered for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a medium pan over medium heat and add the shallots. Saute until soft and clear. Add the morels and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, flipping once or twice. Add the stock, 1 TB at a time until the sauce reduces to a glaze. Dress the water cress in a bowl with the olive oil, squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Slice the steak thinly against the grain and divide evenly between two warmed plates. Spoon the morels and peas and sauce over the meat, garnish with the watercress...

Prawns Sauteed with Garlic "Gambas A La Plancha"

This is a very simple preparation, something that will work great in my ramen bar idea. Essentially, just really great quality prawns sauteed on the plancha and served as is, in their shells, with maybe just a little bit of fresh lemon on the side. Prawns sauteed in garlic is one of those classic, simple dishes found all over the world. Especially in the Mediterranean, from the tapa bars of Spain to the Mezze tables of the Middle East. You can saute prawns or large shrimp in their shells, or you can peel them down to their tails, which makes them an easy finger food. Either way... 1 pound large prawns (14 to 18) 2 to 3 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed 2 TB fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1 pinch fresh sea salt lemon wedges (for garnish) The prawns can be sauteed in their shells or peeled, depending on how you want to serve them. Sauteing in their shells keeps in a bit more flavor, but peeling the prawns make them much easier to eat. If peeling the prawns, leave the tails on and remove the dark vein. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron, add the garlic and the prawns right on top of it. Cook the prawns over high heat for about a minute, until you see them starting to turn pink, then turn them over. Add the lemon juice and the chopped cilantro and cook another minute or so just until the prawns have turned pink all over. Exact cooking time depends on the size of the prawns. Sprinkle with a small amount of sea salt and serve the prawns with the lemon wedges and crusty bread. As the title says, it is best to cook the shrimp in/on the plancha if available. If not, use the thickest heaviest bottom sautee pan available. Key is to get the pan as hot as possible without burning the olive oil. It will help to sear the prawns and give them as much texture as possible. Personally, I prefer to cook the prawns in the shell, you are able to get a better sear on them, as well as mentioned above, all of the juices that would usually run out during the cooking will remain in the shells and be able to be enjoyed with the bread and lemon rather than be lost in the pan.

Lemon Risotto-with fava or shrimp in SPRING

This recipe serves 6 to 8 people depending on the course. This is a great seasonal vegetarian dish, very aromatic and savory with the addition of the shrimp or fava's. 5 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups peeled fresh green fava beans, from about 1 pound of shelled beans 3 TB fresh lemon juice Sea salt 3/4 cup finely diced shallots 2 1/2 cups Arborio rice 8 to 9 cups vegetable broth, fresh 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 1/2 TB finely grated lemon zest `/1 cup fresh grated Parmagiano Reggiano For the Fava's: Heat 2 TB olive oil in a medium sized saute pan. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the peeled fava beans and saute them over medium high heat, stirring almost constantly for 3 to 4 minutes or until they color just a very small amount. Add 1 TB lemon juice, sprinkle the beans with a big pinch of sea salt, stir and remove from the heat. Set aside while you prepare the rice. For the Rice: Heat the remaining 3 TB olive oil in a large saute pan and stir the shallots in it over medium heat with a pinch of salt and cook until they are soft with no color. Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer, cover and keep warm. Add the rice to the shallots and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Lightly toasting the rice. Add the wine and reduce to sec, until it has all evaporated. Add 1 cup of the vegetable stock, lower the heat to s small and simmer and constantly stir the rice. Continue adding the broth and stirring over low to medium low heat until most of the broth is absorbed. Slowly add more stock and stir until the rice is tender but firm and creamy, about 20 minutes or so. If the stock is added properly and the stirring is constant, there will be a small amount of a "sauce" with the rice as well. Stir in the remaining 2 TB of lemon juice and the lemon zest, as well as 2/3 of the sauteed fava beans reserving a small amount for garnish on top. (but not necessary) Stir in the Parmigiano and then, just before serving, add a final generous ladle full of the stock. Immediately spoon the risotto in shallow bowls and scatter a few beans on top. Pass the olive oil of the top, as well as some freshly grated cheese. This recipe is a standard Rice to Risotto process. The only real difference is that this recipe requires that there be a small amount of a thickened lemon/rice "broth" in the bottom of each bowl where traditional risotto has no extra/excessive liquid outside of what the rice has absorbed. It is very important, as it is when ever cooking rice to risotto to constantly stir the rice with a wooden spoon, especially in the recipe as the "broth" that is excessive should be a thickened liquid. Also the addition of shrimp makes this recipe very flexible where the dish is placed in the order. Mint, very good quality, finely Chiffonade and folded in a la minute at the very end, helps to bring out the flavors of the fava's, rice, even the lemon. Same with the shrimp.