Bumps in the road, a glitch in the kitchen in pursuit of 2 bargain Manhattan lunches

FOR SEAFOOD LOVERS: A whole local Black Sea Bass (Spigola Nero in Italian), above, and a Mediterranean Sea Bream, below, were highlights of bargain lunches at Manhattan fine-dining restaurants during the NYC Restaurant Week promotion -- 2-courses for $26 and 3-courses for $32, plus tax and tip.  

MOB SCENE: The service at Estiatorio Milos, a Greek restaurant in midtown Manhattan that seats about 200 on three levels, was excellent despite a packed and noisy dining room. I was impressed that the whole fish I ordered was butterfield and deboned, and loved the bread service with extra-virgin olive oil and fresh oregano.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Twice a year, I get such a big kick out of making reservations for bargain lunches at some of Manhattan's most expensive restaurants.

The NYC Restaurant Week promotions in January and July are intended to drive business to hundreds of fine-dining restaurants during their slowest periods, and I've been a loyal fan of these great deals since the early 1990s. 

In keeping with the low prices, I have always taken mass transit into the city, but this time, I encountered a couple of bumps in the road -- literally -- when taking NJ Transit buses from Hackensack to the midtown Port Authority Bus Terminal.

The round-trip fare for seniors is a mere $4.10.

Milos and Esca

I met a friend for lunch at Estiatorio Milos, a Greek restaurant where fresh whole fish is displayed on a bed of ice and sold a la carte for more than $60 a pound.

And I took my son to lunch at Esca, where seafood dishes that normally cost $27 each "are rooted in Italian flavors," according to the website.

In 2019, Esca's Executive Chef David Pasternack parted ways with Chef Mario Batali, who had a financial interest in the restaurant until reports that Batali had sexually assaulted and harassed women.

Esca closed, then reopened last September after Pasternack found new partners. 

Overcooked fish

During Restaurant Week, 2-courses lunches are $26 and 3-course lunches are $32, plus tax and tip. Dinners are $42, but the menu is similar to what is served at lunch and they aren't as good of a value.

The winter promotion ends on Sunday.

The only glitch I experienced was that the kitchen at Esca overcooked the monkfish in my entree, reminding me of a disastrous Restaurant Week meal I had there in July 2011.

At that 3-course lunch, which cost $24.07, my entree was a whole John Dory, one of the ugliest and boniest creatures in the sea. 

Bad news. After I posted this, I got an email from Esca, which is unveiling a 2-course lunch for $34 on Feb. 18, and the first fish entree listed is "Whole roasted John Dory." 

NJ Transit

Despite the astronomical property taxes we pay, our streets and roads are in terrible condition, and I felt every bump and pothole riding what appeared to be a decades-old NJ Transit 165 local bus with screeching rear brakes into Manhattan on Jan. 30 for lunch at Milos.

The return trip was equally agonizing, and the beaten-down seat cushions provided no comfort on the noisy, herky jerky ride.

This week, the express bus to Manhattan and the local bus returning to Hackensack my son and I rode were in a lot better condition, and the seats far more comfortable.

Neither here nor there

Speaking about great food, did you see The New York Times' Food section on Wednesday?

In a clear sign of desperation among the editors, the cover story focuses on nudists in Lutz, Fla., who cook, and there's a big color photo of three men and and a woman at a dinner party from more or less their sagging midsections up.

I stopped reading after the woman, who looks like she is in her 60s but still eats artery clogging bacon,  is quoted as saying this:

"Embracing the nudist lifestyle has given me permission to feel my feelings."

This ridiculous article "gave me permission" to turn the page, and shake my head over another Times pasta recipe with 2 tablespoons of artery clogging butter that the dish absolutely, positively doesn't need (Page D3).

GRILLED CALAMARI: At Esca, my son loved his appetizer of grilled local squid with hot red pepper, arugula and radish.

SARDE: I chose House Marinated Sardines with a Salad of Italian Greens dressed in a Caper Thyme Vinaigrette.

PESCATRICE: The kitchen at Esca overcooked the relatively small pieces of local Monkfish in my entree, in contrast to the juicy whole Sea Bass served to my son, who gave me some of his fish. And there was a long stretch of time between appetizer and entree I hadn't encountered at previous Esca lunches. Below, my son wanted a 3-course lunch, so I paid $6 more for his dessert, Chocolate and Blood Orange Cake with Cocoa Whipped Cream and Roasted Hazelnuts.

OLIVE SERVICE: We were served a dish of olives at Esca and 2 kinds of bread, but the complimentary crostini with white beans I had enjoyed in the past was missing.

MORE SEATS: The renovation at Esca opened a wall to a second, smaller dining room, and added seats, but I guess I'll have to warm up to it.

GREEK MEZE PLATE: My appetizer at Milos -- tzatziki, taramosalata and htipiti (whipped feta cheese and roasted red peppers) -- with warm pita and marinated vegetables. I followed with that butterflied whole Mediterranean Sea Bream, and didn't have room for a 3rd course.

TOASTED BREAD: Fresh oregano was snipped at the table as part of the bread service.

Eating Out + Eating In: In chaotic times such as these, I hunger for comfort food

EATING OUT: An appetizer of crispy, fried falafel ($3) at Aleppo Restaurant in Paterson's Middle Eastern and Turkish shopping district.

I improvised a falafel sandwich with hummus, muhammara and Arabic Salad.

 -- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

In stressful times, eating well and eating healthy is the best revenge.

I can't think of a better way to flip off America's industrial farms than to enjoy a hearty breakfast of organic eggs over organic whole wheat pasta in a red sauce with wild-caught sardines.

Our environment may be going to hell under President Trump, but in my small corner of the world, there is plenty of naturally raised or grown food to enjoy, and we buy and prepare as much of it as possible.

Fresh, wild-caught fish and Gulf Shrimp are widely available at stores big and small -- Costco Wholesale, Whole Foods Market and The Fish Dock in Closter, to name just a few -- so no one has to eat artificially colored farmed salmon or other farmed fish raised on harmful antibiotics.

When eating out, I take the most comfort from the small plates of Syrian specialties served at Aleppo Restaurant in Paterson, the closest I can get to the food my Sephardic Jewish mother (who was born in Aleppo) prepared when I was growing up in Brooklyn.

In second place is a Korean meal, but definitely not one with low-quality barbecued meat.

Instead, we go for a comforting soft-tofu soup surrounded by small dishes of spicy cabbage kimchi and other free sides.

Read:  A visit to Paterson with Aleppo on my mind

Read:  A 2016 visit to South Paterson

EATING OUT: At Aleppo Restaurant on Thursday, one of the great spreads begging to be scooped up with fresh pocket bread was Muhammara ($5) -- pureed sweet red peppers, hot pepper and chopped walnuts moistened with olive oil.

A simple plate of tasty Hummus ($5) was beautifully composed.

The Arabic Salad ($5) -- chopped tomatoes and peeled cucumbers -- was dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and fresh mint.

We started with a small bowl of Aleppo Restaurant's Lentil Soup ($3), which is served with a wedge of lemon.

Mohamed K. Jello, the chef-owner of the halal restaurant, is a devout Muslim, and customers are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages with them. Aleppo Restaurant is at 939 Main St., at Thomas Street, in Paterson's South Paterson section, below. Phone: 1-973-977-2244.

TAKE-OUT: At Fattal's, 975 Main St. in Paterson, we picked up a package of the bakery's medium pocket bread ($1.50), Bulgur with Vermicelli ($2.99), Crushed Red Aleppo Pepper ($6.99 a pound), a large package of Bay Leaves ($1.60), and Fattal's Spinach and Cheese Pies ($10.19), below. Fattal's has its own parking lot. Website: Don't miss the cafe

At The Paterson Museum, 2 Market St., "Electric Valve" was one of the 16 designs in the "Paterson Echo-Chic" exhibit, made with recyclable, discarded or upcycled material donated by Paterson factories and other businesses. If you go, turn right at the end of the parking lot to find spaces reserved for the museum.

No visit to Paterson is complete without seeing the Great Falls, but Overlook Park, the traditional viewing spot, was closed. We strained to see what little water was falling on Thursday.

EATING OUT: AT BCD Tofu House, 1640 Schlosser St. in Fort Lee, spicy cabbage kimchi is one of the seven free side dishes served at lunch, including a small battered and fried croaker (not shown), above and below.

I ordered an appetizer of Kale and Veggie Dumplings ($6.12), center, and my wife chose Pork Soon Tofu Soup ($11.99), below, which came with rice and a whole egg to crack open and cook in the steaming broth.

You can order your soft tofu soup without hot red pepper or as spicy as you want. My wife chose medium spicy.

We also shared a  grilled Seafood Pancake made with rice flour, squid and other seafood, cut into wedges ($10.29). If you go to BCD Tofu House for a late lunch on a Saturday, as we did, try to arrive around 3:30 p.m. to avoid screaming children on top of the usual din of chattering customers and clattering plates, below. Website: Belly busting tofu lunch  

EATING IN: Fresh wild Atlantic Cod coated in Asian Indian spices, above, and Fresh Wild Sockeye Salmon, both from Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, have made preparing summer meals a snap. The wild salmon is ready in just 8 minutes when grilled on top of the stove, and the cod bakes in around 15 minutes in a preheated 400-degree oven, below.

I lined a large pan with parchment paper, and added fresh spinach drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, serving pieces of cod coated in spices, fresh tomatoes, pitted black olives, capers, grated cheese and fresh lemon juice.

Cod & Vegetable Medley. Fresh wild Atlantic cod from Iceland usually sells for $7.99 a pound at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro.

Organic Whole Wheat Linguine from ShopRite in Paramus in organic red pasta sauce with wild-caught sardines and anchovies.

Two organic brown eggs from Costco Wholesale (2 dozen for $5.99) over leftover organic whole wheat fusilli in bottled pasta sauce with sardines and anchovies.

An omelet made with cage-free 100% Egg Whites and Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon, both from Costco, over leftover organic whole wheat fusilli, available for about $1.50 a pound at Whole Foods Market, ShopRite and Trader Joe's.

Also from Costco Wholesale, Fresh Wild Sockeye Salmon ($9.99 a pound) with prepared Basil Pesto, and fresh herbs from my garden, above and below.

A filet of about 2 pounds yields 7 or 8 serving pieces.

I use spray oil on a stovetop grill placed over two burners turned to a medium flame. I start the serving pieces skin side down for about 5 minutes, then flip them over for the remaining 3 minutes.

The week before, I served crisp-skin wild salmon over a Honey Mustard Sauce made with non-fat Greek Yogurt instead of mayonnaise.

Two organic eggs prepared with smoked wild salmon over leftover organic whole wheat pasta shells with sardines. A 1-pound box of the pasta, from Whole Foods Market in Paramus, sells for $1.49.

I added Costco's Basil Pesto and fresh chopped herbs from my garden after I plated the shells.

I buy Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, where a 1-pound package has been selling for as little as $3.69.

A wild Gulf Shrimp & Vegetable Medley I prepared at home with organic kale from Costco Wholesale in Teterboro and shrimp from Whole Foods Market in Paramus, above and below. The Whole Foods fish-counter employee gladly deveined the shrimp.

Like the cod, the shrimp were ready in 15 minutes after I placed the pan in a preheated 400-degree oven.

Kirkland Signature Canola Oil Cooking Spray is now non-GMO. To avoid genetically modified vegetable oils, I have been using only olive oil in cooking and to dress salads. Two 17-ounce cans of the spray oil were $5.29 at the Costco Wholesale in Wayne, where I also purchased bottles of red wine. Kirkland Signature Malbec was $6.99 and Cotes du Rhone Villages was $6.89.

At ShopRite, Forest Avenue and Route 4 in Paramus, not only was this 3-pound bag of North Carolina Sweet Potatoes for $2.99 misplaced over a sign for Red Onions, the bag described the contents as both "YAMS" and "SWEET POTATOES." Yams are starchier, but sweet potatoes are low in calories and a great bread substitute, baked or mashed with extra-virgin olive oil and seasonings, including cinnamon and curry powder, below with leftover cod and homemade tzatziki.

At Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, Season-brand Plain Sardines in Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (12 4.375-ounce cans for $11.99) are a better buy than 6 4.375-ounce cans of Skinless-and-Boneless Sardines in Pure Olive Oil ($9.99), even when they are sale for $6.99, as they were this month, below. I use three cans of sardines per pound of pasta, including the oil.