The Savored Blog

Among the snazzy sandwich shops and trendy taquerias of Manhattan’s West Village sits an unassuming restaurant, bannered with the namesake leaf; Yerba Buena Perry calls to mind an idyllic Havana cabana of our dreams. Perfectly clean cocktails slide across a marble bar, featuring Latin flavors and spices. Entrust in the congenial staff, who are quick to endorse their favorite dishes, and encourage sharing. If you have a proclivity for pork belly, and a thirst for a flawless piña colada, Yerba Buena Perry has the recipe for success.

Le Comptoir, simply translated means “the counter” – however, in France the nuances of this phrase hint at a longstanding tradition of culinary outposts.  The 2012 Diner’s Choice winner Le Comptoir in Williamsburg certainly pulls its inspiration from this convention. The modest bar and restaurant invites you into the candlelit dining area, walking past a long bar replete with French wines.

We were presented with a list of delightfully inventive and sometimes suggestive cocktails. I loved the Lemon Incest, which had a kick of red peppercorn. The Comic Strip was equally beguiling, offering fresh notes of cucumber and parsley. Our server coquettishly slid across the wine list, a polished selection of french reds and whites that are sure to please.

To begin the meal, we were presented with an ethereal Goat Cheese Crostini, the perfect rusty broil topped the toasted brioche which was seated on a bright and sweet shaved fennel salad. Their roasted brussel sprouts were a beautiful specimen of developed flavor, maintaining the essence of the crunchy vegetable.

The menu offers bistro staples like the haute burger, in addition to a slew of traditional dishes. The Tuna Tartare Japonais is enlivened with bits of brioche croutons. We delighted in a surprisingly light braised short rib and parmesan risotto, which thoughtfully features the quality of the meat, falling off the bone and packed with flavor.

Befitting to our perfect meal, we ended on a traditional note, with their effervescent floating islands, leaning back with generous glasses of Pinot Noir.  The proprietor of the kitchen was all the while modestly sampling and testing dishes in the open kitchen, which served up our entertainment for the evening. Le Comptoir has a strong constituency in Williamsburg so make sure to snag a reservation. The simple and perfect fare imbued our confidence in the restaurant’s success, recently earning a number of accolades including top rankings in Zagat.

Date Night at Tiella

What does the perfect date night dinner have in common with Japanese tacos and Italian Sushi?  Why, they’re all this week’s newest Savored restaurant offerings!  This bunch of Italian restos will have the pasta-craving masses adding a handful of new joints to their to-do list and the fusion-foodie-fiends equally delighted.

Date Night Signature at Tiella

Upper East Siders take note: date night with your sweetie just got that much sweeter with a four-course tasting menu that includes wine or cocktail pairings at Tiella.  Get your veggie on with chickpea fritters followed by garganelli pasta teeming with tender scallops and fava beans before moving along to the wild boar stew with black olives.  Oh, and be sure to leave room for the lemon delizia!

Sushi and Tacos at Taka Taka

And now for something completely different… grab your indecisive friends and get to Taka Taka where Mexican sushi meets Japanese tacos.  Confused?  Don’t be!  This is a geographically diverse pairing we’re thrilled to partake in (plus with 30% off your total bill, this is a trip around the globe that won’t cost you a pretty penny!)

Ristorante Aglio's Branzino

Ristorante Aglio

Eat your Italian with a side of elegance at Ristorante Aglio, Savored’s latest addition to the TriBeCa scene.  Meat craving patrons will rejoice in the presence of not one, but TWO dishes featuring Kobe Beef.  A full list of Italian wines begging to be discovered await, with a wait staff that will fawn over your every need.  Don’t keep them waiting – book your next weeknight excursion now!

Coming out in droves for Caffe Cielo

Round up the whole gang and head to Midtown West for dinner at Caffe Cielo.  This authentic Italian joint takes Savored reservations for up to 12 guests so don’t be greedy – share in your savings.  Or you could always see a show and make some new friends to bring to post-theatre dining – the more, the merrier, especially with eats this tasty!

The Original Fettuccine Alfredo

Be a Tourist at Alfredo’s of Rome

Start with a visit to the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Plaza (the quintessential Winter NYC tourist experience) and then walk on over to tour the culinary delights of Roman cuisine at Alfredo’s of Rome.  Don’t forget to try the fettuccine Alfredo, a dish whose origins trace back to Alfredo’s sister restaurant in Italy!   But do save some room for surprising menu selections (Italian sushi? Yes, please!) that will keep your palate guessing for what treat will come next.

Cocktail Nirvana

Six years ago, the Fatty Crew – a group of friends with a penchant for Malaysian cuisine – brought new, highly developed flavors to New York City’s dining scene.  The evolution of this innovative cuisine resulted in Fatty Crab, the culmination of Southeast Asian eats with thoughtfully sourced ingredients and perceptive twists on their overseas menu counterparts.  Whatever these guys put through their Fatty Prism (their phrase – not mine, sadly) comes out with funky flavors that are imaginative and play to the most unfrequented recesses of your taste buds. If you’ve never joined the Fatty Crew for a meal, allow me to welcome you to the table as I navigate my way through the ideal Fatty meal.

Where to start?  Drink selection, naturally! The progressive cocktail list stays true to Fatty standards in taking beverage staples and shaking them up (over ice, usually) to create a new genus of ingenious drinks.  If you’re a dark and stormy fan, their take on it with homemade ginger beer will make you see the drink in a whole new light.  For wine aficionados, the comprehensive list is made palatable through the use of logical categories like “Floral & Fun” and “Bright & Crisp”.

The Clam's My Jam

When planning your meal, take care to note seasonal adaptations to core menu picks – items are deftly chosen to highlight the freshest ingredients at any given time. Some of my natural selections include the Tea Sandwich, with a vibrant peekytoe crab salad and Steamed Buns that were a great shareable item (we had veggie – they were next level).  As far as entrees go, the Singaporean Black Pepper Clams top my charts, but meaty favorites like the Fazio Farms Duck and Watermelon Pickle & Crispy Pork dishes rank high among the carnivorous customers.

With locations in the West Village and Upper West Side, and the Fatty Crew’s latest variation on Malaysian at Fatty ‘Cue joints, also in the West Village and in Williamsburg, BK, it’s never been easier to get your Fatty fix!  Make a reservation today – with 30% off through Savored, you won’t need to fear your budget’s extinction.