January 2008 Restaurant Round-Up, PART I

Restaurant Week is always a special time here in New York, a brief shining period when secretaries can lunch beside their bosses, when mere mortals can dine in splendor usually reserved for corporate expense accounts. Now that so many bosses have had their corporate AMEXs shredded, Restaurant Week is more fevered than ever. And more needed and welcomed. In a gesture greatly appreciated but also unnecessary, Jorge M. treated Cafe Drake to lunch recently at Midtown Manhattan's ode to modern Greek cuisine, Anthos (bottom pic), as a token of appreciation for our care of his aging chihuahua, Ocho Manahan, over the December holidays.

Anthos is an essay in easy, lyrical charm - uncluttered yet cozy, filled with natural light and the crisp reflections of white linens and flowering branches from its mirrored walls and shiny cream floors. Efficient waiters and servers guided us through three dazzling courses. Standouts included: butter-soft fluke sashimi atop "whipped feta" bullets atop drops of thick smoked chile puree atop grassy slicks of scallion oil; melting tender lamb shanks with stripes of creamed celery root and deep-fried kale leaves nestling sharp Greek cheese; cranberry bread pudding and a heart-stopping finale of warm walnut fudge crowned with a dense quenelle of dark chocolate ice cream.

Not all meals can be so extravagant, but they can be rich and satisfying. A great budget alternative is STILL the Nachos Supreme ($9.95) at the century-old tavern Teddy's in North Williamsburg. Cafe Drake hadn't tackled a platter of these perfectly cheese-smothered chips with all the fixings (3-bean chili, spicy salsa, jalapenos, sour cream, thick guacamole) in over a year! It was high time on a frigid January night - an early dinner with Jen Lazzaro - and also warming was an impressively priced but just OK Sidecar ($6.50).

Return visits also paid off (in Spades!) to Indian buffet meccas - Long Island City's Punjabi 5-Star and Jackson Heights' lunchtime jewel, Delhi Palace. The former offers a basic selection that for $9 can fill any emptiness of stomach or heart or soul: noteworthy typical selections include the fenugreek-laced vegetable dumplings, a superb tikka masala and a very ample "salad bar".

Delhi Palace charges a scant $2 more, but also offers cooked-to-order masala dosas and a much wider range of Southern Indian vegetarian options (the lentils and saag paneer are legendary!)

Finding ourselves unexpectedly in downtown Brooklyn, wandering in search of sustenance in the blocks surrounding BAM, Cafe Drake popped into 67 Burger for a much-craved Ranch Burger and Beligian frites ($12.95). Pricey? A bit. Encroaching SoCal-styled interiors? Sadly, yup. Highly Competent and warm servers? Almost. Porked Major? Um, yeah. The ranch burger is a mound of tender, medium-rare grass-fed beef, decorously arranged atop a toasted roll with lettuce, ripe tomato, pickles, stips of crispy bacon, aged cheddar and ribbons of housemade ranch dressing.