brian myers

unique location that proved ultimately disappointing. Be fully aware, as others have noted, that there is AUTOMATIC 20% gratuity added to the bill. So, unless the service blows you away, adding more is not really necessary. The location deep in the bowels of Rockefeller Center (Rink Level) was one of the only places we felt would meet our needs and was open after a late Sunday afternoon theater performance. Open air-no walls-dining area pretty much in the middle of the arcade shopping area. Seated promptly and offered beverages. It felt like the staff was short a body or two as waits for attention were long for there being only a few patrons. And it dwindled during our visit. It is hard to honestly say the service was worth the gratuity.

This lack of value continued into our meal. I am well aware that things cost more all around and the restaurant business is difficult and good labor is hard to attract and keep, etc. But if you have to charge $20+ for a glorified French Dip ($21) and a basic cheeseburger ($23) even if they come with fries, then maybe they should be replaced by other dishes. The French Dip is actually menu listed as a Chicago Beef Sandwich-the added house made Giardiniera being the only difference. We settled on these and after our wait, were disappointed to find dry sliced beef on one and a deeply well-done patty on the other. The au jus provided some solace on the sandwich, though it was quite salty to our taste, and more tomato condiment helped the burger. Servers asking the question on preferred doneness or a menu note would help with the burger situation. Fries were quite tasty. The meal filled us up and didn’t make us sick. From our one visit, can’t really recommend.

a great place for a delicious sweet or savory pastry treat or meal. Many self-serve. Donuts, tarts, croissants, breads, etc. All looking truly spectacular. You could build a nice lunch with savory items available. We were here for a dessert after lunch and it was quite the dilemma to choose. After much deliberation we chose two items-a Raspberry Fruit Bite which is basically a square croissant filled with pastry cream and topped with a few fresh raspberries and a seasonal treat, the Croissant Donut filled with Nutella. It’s 100% accurate to say both of these were world class. The pastry layers were perfectly baked, berries fresh, cream creamy, and the Nutella was the perfect amount and match to the flaky dough. I am fortunate enough to have a location coming to my area and will be looking to visit day one and often after that. There are around 100 locations in the US and Canada so if you are near one and love a good bakery, search this out.

Unassumimg yet highly rated izakaya spot in the Akasaka/Roppongi area. We arrived without a reservation but it was only somewhat busy on arrival and seated immediately. The menu and staff both use English which allows minimal Japanese speakers to easily ask questions and order a meal. We were given damp wash cloths at the beginning of our visit which we (wrongly) assumed were for a refreshing wipe but it turned out these were intended as our napkins. Different. While perusing the menu, we noticed a gentleman next to us was presented an oyster on the half shell that was at least 4-5 inches across! Absolutely huge. Did not partake in one of those.

We both started our meal with the Creamy Crab Croquettes. These were thumb sized, fried nuggets of potato and crab meat. Cooked perfectly but really lacking in flavor. Dear wife chose the yakisoba which she pronounced as “good”. The broth was very tasty. I ordered the specialty of the house-Nokkezushi. This was a sushi dish consisting of Cucumber Roll topped with Sea Urchin, Salmon Roe, chopped Tuna, and Crab. A very impressive dish when presented on the plate. And it was truly delicious. If you enjoy urchin and roe, definitely order this. Value for the price, in our opinion was good. A most enjoyable stop.