Red Cat

04/02/09

Food to Perfection

by kara nortman at Citysearch

Maybe I have been living outside of the food mecca of nyc for too long, but I was blown away by my relatively simple, incredibly well prepared meal at Red Cat.

I started with the frisee salad with egg - I can never resist an egg on any non-breakfast meal, but this egg was poached to the ideal amount of "runnyness" to spice up the frisee and bacon accents. Then the salmon.. ooh the salmon was crisped, grilled and flavored to a crescendo with the first slice of the fork. I tried to resist dessert, but was lured into sharing a chocolate bread butterscotch bread pudding that was worth the impact to my waistline. All in all, a must try.

• Pros: Every course is excellent
• Cons: A little bit loud, but still intimate and lively

03/11/09

neighborhood favorite

by openroad75 at Citysearch

As a New Yorker who dines out several times a week, it's so refreshing to find a restaurant that continues to make the grade over and over. I've been a fan for many years and have turned on many friends and business associates to this not-so-hidden gem. On a recent visit my wife, who is notoriously hard to please, had a perfectly braised lamb. I opted for their signature pork chop which is maybe the best I've had. The staff is always warm, smart and professional. We know we're in good hands with their recommendations and they've taken the time to get to know our preferences over the years. Hat's off to the cat!!!

• Pros: consistently impressive food & service

02/02/09

Good, but I've had better for less money.

by yippee1999 at Citysearch

I had been to Red Cat twice before, around the Summer of 2007 perhaps. Both times I really loved the entire experience...the food, the ambiance...

I went again in January of '09 with a friend. I got the beet salad appetizer, which was "good"...nothing spectacular, but then, beet salads are pretty basic. My friend got the pierogi appetizer which I tried, and it was scrumptious.

For the entree I got the double-cut pork chop. While the chop itself was very good, I found the choose of accompanying vegetables (pieces of romaine, slices of radish, gigantes (or large white beans) and feta cheese, to be "odd". I wasn't crazy over it.

My friend got the salmon dish, and while I didn't try it, she seemed to enjoy it.

For dessert, I got the semi-freddo. I consider myself a dessert connoisseur, and I must say it was totally decadent and delicious, and the warm chocolate sauce was of a very good quality.

The ambiance of the restaurant was nice. For a Saturday night, reservations were definitely needed as the place was full.

However, considering I paid $80 (which included the tip) for an appetizer, entree, dessert, wine, and coffee, I've had meals that were just as good at similar level restaurants, for about $20 less. So I'm not sure I would see any reason to return....