July, besides being known for the heat and school vacation is also my birthday. And how do you think a self proclaimed foodie would celebrate? Yup, by attending one of NYC's premiere kosher restaurants. Since I'm currently in culinary school, I decided that the 7 course tasting menu would be a perfect exercise in the development of a gourmet palate.Though it may surprise you, I had never been in Mike's Bistro before that night, but you can be assured I'll be going back again and again.
The ambiance at Mike's Bistro is magnificent(picture posted above.) It is spacious, and airy with beautiful lighting. Unlike many restaurants I've been to previously, Mike's Bistro is more concerned with the comfort of their patrons than filling every square inch of space with a table. The wait staff was exteremely cordial and we were seated promptly.
The meal started with a corn chowder topped with the chef's version of bacon (one of the specialties of chef Mike Gershovich is curing and smoking veal to make it taste like bacon). As someone who has had real pork bacon i can attest to the fact that the Chef's version was indistinguishable from the real thing. The corn chowder itself was creamy and the texture was velvety. I did, however, find the flavor a bit too strong for my taste buds - but my husband enjoyed it immensely.
For our second course we were served a legume and sprout salad with home made salami in a white wine vinegarette. I am not a fan of beans or sprouts in general, but I did enjoy the lightness of this course and thought it was a perfect palate cleanser after the thick chowder.
The third course was probably one of the best things I have tasted in my entire life(and I have tasted a lot of things). We were served a home made Gnocchi with a duck and chicken confit with portabello mushrooms and a duck jus. the gnocchi was made wonderfully and the duck and chicken added such a medley of flavors in my mouth. I savored every bite. As Chef Michael Gershovich, who by the way came out of the kitchen and spoke to all the diners, stated "its the ultimate comfort food". To be quite honest, its been three weeks since our dinner and I can still taste the flavor of that gnocchi in my mouth.
For the fourth course we were served a Chinese Style Steamed Market Fish with cabbage, ginger, scallions, garlic, sesame oil. This was a real asian dish and a real contrast to the previous three courses. the first bite confused me, but with every subsequent bite i enjoyed it more and more, and before I knew it I had finished my entire plate.
Course number five, though it may sound simple was just a perfectly executed chicken breast. This ain't your mama's chicken breast where its so dry it needs the jaws of life to cut it. This was a herb marinated chicken breast that literally melted in your mouth. I didn't even use my knife to cut it. It was chicken breast the way its supposed to be.
Our final savory course was a Braised Boneless Short Ribs with a barbecue glaze, cauliflower & potato mash, braised kale, and a celery root sauce. Though quite tasty, I found the Short rib overly fatty and thought this course would work better as a small appetizer rather than a large main course.
The finale of our incredible dining experience(and my husbands favorite course) was blueberry crisp, well actually to be more accurate it was a homemade blueberry ice cream served under a fresh blueberry sauce which was then topped with granola and oats. it was a very unique and flavorful dish. The crisp was light and a perfect completion to our meal.
If you want a good meal, go to Mike's Bistro - and order the Gnocchi!!!
visit their website: www.mikesbistro.com
Rating: 4 STARS
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