09/23/08

one of the best meals of my life

by kvvj80c

go for the tasting menu. genius plays on food, backed by impeccable cooking techniques. the range of it! From "ha ha that's so freakin' clever" to "that really shouldn't work, but they do." easy spottings if ur a chefophile. the cocktail menu is off the hook. they've been flexible to slight changes without compromising the integrity of the food. go there.

• Pros: amazing service, food + drink.
• Cons: absolutely nothing

06/06/08

Most memorable meal I have had in a long time.

by jcisrhiannon

I eat out alot, and so many of the meals I eat are perfectly adequate, even very good, but I rarely remember them. A very few stand out because I can't stop thinking about them for weeks, months after. Some past favorites have been the satays at Mr. Chow, the tunapica at Asia De Cuba, the gnudi at Spotted Pig, the foie gras poutine at Au Pied du Cochon, the beef cheek ravioli at Babbo, the tartare at Morimoto, etc. I have a new favorite--in fact, I think I found two in one evening! The foie gras at Tailor was amazing, a terrine infused with peanut butter, and I know it sounds disgusting, but it was absolutely divine. Too bad foie gras is so expensive and inhumane because I would make this at home and eat it when nobody was watching, like I do with uncooked cookie dough. It is difficult to explain exactly why it was so good, but I attribute it to things mostly textural and something Japanese call "umami." And then, by far the best thing I ate, the miso-butterscotch pork belly, is destined for imitation the same way that Nobu's rock shrimp tempura and yellowtail jalapeno shows up on every pan Asian restaurant in this country. I still keep licking my lips, hoping to find a bit of that deliciously salty sweet wonderfulness stuck in some corner of my mouth. It was that good. The desserts were great, the bar was hopping. This food isn't for everybody--of course, not everybody appreciates innovation or good food. But for those that do, I recommend Tailor because it was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences (for the food, mostly) that I have had in a very long time.

• Pros: Keeps you guessing, everything tastes good, delicious straightforward desserts
• Cons: Room is a bit spartan, location is not that great

04/05/08

Excellent.

by airwave

If you like innovative cuisine, the place is for you. I read the reviews, reluctantly went there and was blown away. The food was fantastic, on a smaller side (and pricey), although my hake main course was a big, big piece of fish.

My appetizer foie gras was delicious, chocolate dessert outstanding. The service was spotless and friendly. The place was empty when we have arrived (Sat. 7PM) but filled up later. I hope they do well.

• Pros: great food
• Cons: small portions, pricey

02/28/08

don't go here on a hungry stomach

by expressjc

i had dinner here since the place looked really nice. the menu was very limited and the portions...... tiny, tiny, tiny!!! i was highly disappointed!!! my friend and i had 2 small plates and shared one large plate and the bill came to $100. we were both still very hungry after we left. i think if they gave a bigger portion, it might make up for the $17 charge for a small plate (2 tiny pieces of calamari). we were so disappointed and upset that we spent this much and hardly had any food for it. not worth it folks. spend your $100 elsewhere for better food. i don't normally write reviews but just thought i save some folks some $$$.

• Pros: nice ambience
• Cons: very tiny portions!!!

02/11/08

Dine up & Drink down

by myfriendbob

I've eaten here several times and each time I ended my meal with some quality drinks downstairs. The chefs in the kitchen really know what they are doing. The menu is a flowing, extreme example of why New York's dining scene has no rival. On one visit, our whole table loved a duck dish that was new at the time while another dish, the short ribs, was voted favorite of the night. Desserts are an obvious must-have, given the head chef's background...Downstairs has a great, lounge vibe with serious drink choices. Not a place where I'd order a rum and coke. Let the bartenders do their thing, because they have never gotten it wrong. The crowd has been fun each time and a few of my single friends have even come out of the night with the phone numbers of some cute patrons! I have loved it every time!

• Pros: Exciting Menu, Killer Drinks, Cool design
• Cons: hard not to spend a lot of cash once you taste the bevys

A former wd-50 chef tricks out plates large and small with molecular gastronomy.

by Justin Hartung

Sam Mason, former pastry chef at wd-50, set tongues wagging when he announced that he was opening his own restaurant in Soho. For a restaurant plating up molecular gastronomy, the look is fairly subdued: Brown and beige cushions, rough-hewn wood and retro wallpaper positions the space somewhere between post-modern country farmhouse and 40s speakeasy. Sassafrass cake with smoked vanilla ice cream makes an eye-catching small plate on the sweet side of the menu, while pork belly with miso butterscotch reps the salty. Somewhere in between: Foie gras that's been infused with peanut butter.

12/31/07

Perfectly Tailor Made :)

by takacsrl

I have now been here the past 3 nights and each time Tailor gets better and better. I have grown accustomed to the same old bars in NYC, and Tailor is not one of these! The friendly, attentive staff serve original, out-of-this-world drinks, which are well worth the $12-16 price tag. Our favorites are as follows:

1. Agua Verde - think of a perfect mix of a Mojito and Bloody Mary; spicy, liquid guacamole; severely addictive

2. The Waylon - smoked coke makes this drink warm and woodsy

3. Mi Amor - Margarita on speed

The door is hard to find, but once you're in, it's VERY hard to leave. Enjoy the corn nuts and seductive staff...

12/07/07

Nice and Easy

by samlorne

I stopped by this spot last night to check it out as I live in the neighborhood and I was pleasantly surprised. The place was a lot more low-key and comfortable than I'd expected. I tried to grab a bite there last week but to my chagrin the place was closed for a private BlackBook Mag event. Yes, I was annoyed but whatever. Last night the food was great and not as "weird" as everyone's been going on about. The drinks looked good but after deciding last minute to eat in the Dining Room with my gal friend, we went downstairs and had a round of beers. It was a a good combination and I'm happy to find a place that afforded me quality and pedigree food as well as the opportunity to order beer in a can downstairs, albeit Modelo Especial. Cool combination. Both rooms had an easy vibe and while not packed to the gills, there was a nice buzz and good lookn people. I like my new neighborhood joint.

• Pros: Good people, Easy vibe, Great Music
• Cons: Hard to find

11/19/07

Don't waste your time... go to Wd-50 where they get it right!

by poppy100

I have to agree with the bottom line on every review (professional & amateur!) I have read so far about Tailor. The drinks are fantastic, the decor is hot, but the food and service are anything but!

To clarify, the service on the floor was horrible. Not behind the bar! The 2 gentlemen bartenders who took care of me and my date were extremely knowledgeable, professional, and a pleasure to talk to. The drinks themselves were not only extremely creative but they were also quite delicious and skillfully prepared.

As for the food, dinner was a major let down and I am sorry we were ever led away from the bar and the company of those 2 bartenders to sit upstairs where we were ignored for 20 minutes before a waiter ever took our order. I could go into major detail about the food and everything that went wrong but what really was the huge problem was that our meat entrees were served first, and then our appetizers (which were fish) second and no one adressed the problem until it was too late.

What was extremely aggravating was that the chef sat there the whole time looking into the dining room I guess in an attempt to either see if everyone was being taken care of or to see if anyone was checking him out. I'm going to have to go with the second because if he had been in the kitchen and paying attention to the ticket like he should've been this might of never have happened.

When our waiter finally came over, she asked how were our appetizers. I said, "I am sure this cold crab appetizer might of tasted good had it not been for the sweet & sour miso butterscotch flavor from the salty pork that I just ate that is now coating my tongue and palette". She then realized that we were served in the wrong order, walked away, and came back 5 minutes later with an apology and 2 half glasses of Champagne. Nothing was comped, no manager came over to us to see if we would like something else... What is that? Come on guys!! Chef, manager, waiter... get it together!

• Pros: Sleek design, great savory drinks
• Cons: Service, poor management, poor expediting of food, poor handling of restaurant errors

11/18/07

Did I have the Wrong Restaurant???

by latac1

My brother had turned me on to WD50 when he came up to visit me in New York, he's an Executive Pastry Chef in Virginia.

Not only was the food fantastic, the desserts was just as amazing. I had the privilege of meeting Sam Mason at that time. Which was a year ago.

My brother was coming up to visit me this year for my birthday and informed me that Sam had opened his own restaurant by the name of Tailor, and that I better not go anyway near there without him.

Of course I immediately got online to investigate. I went straight to Citysearch and was shocked at the negative feedback. Two of them almost said the same exact thing (what's up with that?)

Anyway I decided not to tell my brother and was excited to venture to this new den of delights myself.......and were we surprised!!!!!!!!

We ordered the tasting menu with the wine pairing(how else to get to taste a little of everything).

We were not let down in anyway. The courses all had chocolate in some form or another. The most delicious part for me was the duck and eel terrine(aww yes eel on top) and a chocolate consume'. The peanut butter foie gras was a very close second.

Not only was the staff friendly and accommodating, and knowledgeable about every morsel

Tailor has only been open for 2 1/2 months and of course everything isn't perfect, but we had a ball!!!

Of course the food is not for everyone. You must have an open mind and palate.

Based on some of the reviews I thought I had the wrong spot!!

• Pros: Great mix of unusual tastes. Fantastic date place. Cool Staff
• Cons: Music was a little loud in the restuarant, Some of the wine and food pairings were a little off.