Much Meat at Ilo: Ten Years Ago

[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid:  July 27, 2011]

Now where was I?  Oh yes.  It wasn't as hot ten years ago as it has been this week.  At least, if it was, I can't imagine what would have tempted me to engage with a long, all-beef tasting menu.  I like meat as much or more than the next person but I couldn't bring myself to envy the Meatopia guests last Saturday afternoon, force feeding themselves flesh in 103 degree heat.  But back to Ilo.

Remember Ilo?  A swish little dining room wedged awkwardly off the lobby of the Bryant Park Hotel.  Finnish chef Rick Laakonen made waves during the restaurant's first year or so with some exceptional cooking.  I recall a deep bowl of briny sea denizens which recalled my dinners at Rockpool in Sydney and in some ways looked forward to the fjordy experiences we now hear about at Noma.  He had an incredible way with duck too.

But what drew me on that July evening was the promise of all beef all the time (ahead of the curve again).  After cocktails in a bar staffed by absurdly beautiful women in absurdly revealing black outfits, I wedged myself behind a table and tackled:

Honeycomb tripe, fino sauce

Braised flank steak with lemon & pickled green tomatoes

Roast marrow bone, confit of shoulder, tomato, thyme

Oxtail, braised chard and pecorino sardo gnocchi

Grilled petite rib eye, smoked tongue, collards, red wine reduction

Dessets

I can't recall if there was any tallow in the desserts.  Paired wines (not noted in my diary).  Oof.  What a very good and ambitious - and short-lived - restaurant it was.  Chef Laakonen was last spotted rather anonymously involved with something called Bazar, a Mediterranean bistro.  What a pity.

Otherwise, I was a slave to the stove yet again.  Pretty ambitious myself, it seems. 

Monkfish tail wrapped in bacon, red pepper purée, aubergine salad, Pont L'Évêque.  Roast quail over cheese grits.  Chicken gizzards stewed in red wine over more cheese grits.  Roast veal stuffed with prunes.  All this and a visit to the Chagall show at the Jewish Museum too.

Were there more hours in the day ten years ago?

Comments

[Roz]

We attempted to try Bazar yesterday, but when we called to make a reservation, we got a "Service temporarily disconnected" message.

[Roz]

I certainly do remember Ilo. We had dinner there once and enjoyed the food very much though I have no recollection of what we ate (no photo snapping back then). But I do have a vivid picture in my mind of the space and exactly where we sat.

Thanks for the tip about Laakkonen at Bazar. It's conveniently located near us, so I'm definitely going to try it.