The del Balso's get trendy - BLT Market

TO MARKET, TO MARKET, TO.......

Eat--of course! Food is always of such interest to both

Paul and I so you will not find it surprising that we follow the news of new"RESTAUS" (French slang) with interest. We seldom go after the better reviews because getting a table is next to impossible once it receives favorable mention in New York Magazine or the Times. Last week, however, I took a chance and called immediately after reading about the new "BLT Market" in the "Dining In" section of the Times. What a coup to snag a table before the news got around. We even got a 10% discount during the "soft opening" period. Our experience was outstanding! We went with our friends, Joe and Sheila who like an eating adventure as much as we do.

BLT Market is the latest entry in the BLT (Bistro Laurent Tourondel) empire (this is the 6th in NY). At this new facility, the focus is on seasonally prepared foods at peak freshness from local markets. They're located in an attractive and welcoming space in the Ritz Carlton on Central Park South with HUGE colourful paintings of fruits and vegetables on the surrounding walls. Like Bistro's in France, there's a weekly menu posted on a chalk board as you come in the door complete with cocktail suggestions. On this day, the specialty cocktail, an Apricot-Mint Caipiroska was a winner, it was less sweet than it's cousin, the "Caiparinia", and tasted like summer.

Our dinner began with the usual treat from the kitchen which was good (if only I could remember what it was!) Now for the hard part; making a selection from a list of items that all sounded so good, they made us want to come back again and again until we'd tried them all. After much discussion, our appetizer selections included 3 cheese stuffed zucchini blossoms (these came out looking like beautifully sculpted pears), black mission figs wrapped with prosciutto and topped with goat cheese, soft shell crab over corn/date relish, pickled ramps and other tasty morsels, and grilled baby octopus with fresh greens.

For the main course, two of us ordered the loin of lamb served with artichoke/gnocchi, and a minted Fava Bean Puree. This got rave reviews from those who said they seldom ordered lamb because it tends to be overdone. A roasted plum duck confit was served on some type of root veggie we think might have been potato or perhaps Jerusalem artichoke got a thumbs up as did my langoustine risotto served perfectly creamy with just the right amount of herb seasoning.

Joe, our sommelier of choice, selected a 2001 'Negromaro' from the Puglia region of Italy--drinking two bottles was not all that difficult!

Dessert will make your mouth water if you think about a warm Peach Tart Tartin with frangipane, black currant and frozen almond milk. For the purists, the ice cream was a creamy mix of flavours that included three perfect scoops; enough for everyone to taste.

This is a gem and being within walking distance from home, I can see it becoming a favourite.

Thomas Cook - The Cloud of Unknowing

Paul says...

This was a really good read. He handles the psychological elements really well. It develops with flawless logic without being a predictable 'train wreck."

Book description...

Jason Regan, a severely schizophrenic child, is found drowned in a pond behind his family's home in this unusual, chilling mystery from Edgar-winner Cook (Red Leaves). Jason's mother, Diana, believes that her ex-husband, Mark, has murdered their son. The story is narrated by Diana's brother, Dave Sears, who comes to believe Diana has gone insane. Dave has good reason to think so; their father was a raving paranoid schizophrenic. Cook employs a curious narrative structure, dividing the story into two alternating sections: one in which Dave is being interviewed by a police detective about an unnamed crime, written in second-person, and another that Dave narrates in first-person. In the beginning it's unclear if a crime occurred at all; the police rule that Jason walked into the pond on his own. Then it appears that there was not only one murder but possibly two, three or even four. Cook reveals all the pieces of the shocking story with an absolutely steady hand. It's a bravura performance.

Cara Black - Ile Ste Louis

Book description...

At the start of Black's gripping seventh mystery to feature Parisian computer expert Aimée Leduc (after 2006's Murder in Montmartre), a distraught, late-night anonymous phone call distracts Aimée from her deadline and sends her to the courtyard of her Ile Saint-Louis building, where she finds an infant girl. After the caller never shows up for her baby (whom Aimée decides to care for), Aimée wonders if the woman may have become an "Yvette," a Jane Doe dragged from the Seine. She follows a tenuous lead to discover the caller's identity, bringing her Samaritan impulses into direct conflict with her business sense. A wonderfully complex plot is lent immediacy by environmental activists agitating against a proposed oil agreement—secondary characters who play a crucial role in the intrigue. This Paris has a gritty, edgy feel, and Black's prose evokes the sound of the Seine rising with the spring thaw. Aimée makes an engaging protagonist, vulnerable beneath her vintage chic clothing and sharp-witted exterior.