Blue Ribbon Brasserie, NYC

I was in NYC over Easter weekend to celebrate my cousin's graduation from the French Culinary Institute (lucky gal, right?) and one of the spots we decided to try was Blue Ribbon Brasserie on Sullivan street in SoHo. I've heard of this place before in some show on the Food Network to be the place chefs go to eat after they get off work. Little wonder, they serve food until 4am!

But anywayz, I was super excited to try this place out. We went at midnight and unfortunately, Blue Ribbon doesn't accept reservations for parties under 5 people. The wait was excruciatingly long. Good thing the bar's cocktails are delicious. Their signature cocktail is the Bloody Mary, which is spicier and chunkier than normal (think gazpacho).

We were finally seated after an hour of cocktails and ogling beautiful people (after all, this IS a trendy spot). The ambiance is quite romantic, with dim lights and light music. It is a small restaurant and the management tries to fit in way too many tables, making it seem smaller than it really is.

We started with a few appetizers. The most memorable was the bone marrow marmalade with a stew-like side. It was served in a hollowed bone, with some crostinis. I thought it was delicious and unique. I especially liked the stew-like sauce that was on the side. Another appetizer we had were the fresh oysters, and boy! Were they fresh! Their escargot was rather disappointing. It had a stew-like consistency and also had bread chunks and mushrooms (among other things) in it. I would have preferred the simplicity of a garlicky, olive oil sauce. Finally, we also had the cheese fondue appetizer served with cubed bread and sliced apple, which was another disappointment. The fondue contained too much white wine and not enough cheese.

As the entree, I had the hanger steak with onion rings and mushrooms. It was one of the best-cooked steaks I've ever had. I ordered it medium raw. It was so tender and almost melted in my mouth (literally)! The onion rings were light; not overly breaded and seasoned very well. However, my cousin didn't enjoy her salmon because her culinary school education has sharpened her taste buds significantly. She thought it was slightly bland and not cooked enough. The others in our group had lobster (which was enjoyable and succulent) and a burger. We ended our decandent late dinner/early breakfast with their creme brulee. The top layer of caramelized sugar was not crunchy because they used brown sugar but the custard part was so thick, rich and creamy.

Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable meal except for the waiting time. I wished I had tried their matzoh ball soup and duck breast, but there is always a next time. And the highlight of the evening? Look who I met while waiting!



Iron Chef Morimoto was so gracious and friendly to us, rabid fans, even though it was super late. We did try to get a table at his restaurant in NYC but the reservation wait list is about a few months long! Do check out Blue Ribbon if you're in NYC!

www.blueribbonrestaurants.com