Elias Corner

Remember when I told you about Estiatorio Milos? The upscale Greek seafood restaurant in Manhattan that serves quality fish in a beautiful space at redonk prices? Well, swap "upscale" for "casual," "Manhattan" for "Astoria," "beautiful" for "basic," and "redonk" for "not all that redonk," and now you have Elias Corner. Ta da!

Located at the corner of 31st Street and 24th Avenue, the restaurant's address might sound familiar to anyone who has been to Astoria's Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden across the street - a great spot for entirely different, boozey, sloppy reasons. What makes Elias Corner worth the trip is the fantastic food, sure, but also the experience.

For starters, the restaurant is only open for dinner, and it does not accept reservations. Diners therefore start lining up early (the restaurant opens at 3:30pm on Sunday and 4:00pm Monday through Saturday), and they check out the fresh selections of the day in the glass display case up front. This is a most crucial step, because once seated at the table, there are no menus to peruse. The gruff waitstaff will rattle off options if you're completely clueless, but dishes to know before you go include the green salad (chopped romaine, feta, dill, scallions, and olive oil), Greek salad (large segments of tomato, feta, and cucumber), char grilled octopus, lobster, grilled zucchini, fried potatoes, and fish fish fish from red snapper to sea bass to St Peter's, served simply grilled with olive oil, herbs, and a squeeze of lemon if desired. Wine and beer are available, though hard liquor is not, and it is questionable as to whether or not they even serve dessert, as I have always been too full to care.

Chattering families and small groups treating dinner as the night's main event enjoy their meals either indoors or on the back deck when the weather is warm. An additional side room is also on the premises, but it is often closed and most likely used for private events. The tables in use are therefore turned rather quickly, but this thankfully means your meal is served without delay once you've finally been rewarded a seat for your patience. The energy of the space is frenetic, what with harried waitresses running platters to closely situated tables and the staff's tendency to bang through the door separating the indoor section from the back, but that's all part of the charm. If, however, this reads like a headache to you, it is best you stay home, Sir Grouch of Curmudgeon Estates.

One last noteworthy point: Elias Corner is a cash-only establishment. I know, I know, but are you really surprised? No menus and no credit cards but a lively and delicious meal. Doesn't sound like a bad trade off to me...and everyone else clamoring for a table.

Elias Corner - 24-02 31st Street at the corner of 24th Avenue in Astoria, Queens

Mizu

So he says to me, he says, "Hey! Fresh Pepper!" Though you know it sounded like "Peppah."
And I'm like, "Word?"
He goes, "I'm ten blocks south of Mishima, and I ain't tryin' to walk for no sushi."
So I'm like, "Oh yeah?"
And he's all, "Yeah! What you got?" But it comes out like, "Challenge!"
With my brightest Colgate smile, I go, "Mizu, homes!"

I hope you enjoyed my entirely fictional and unnecessarily affected dramatic sketch. The moral of the story is: there is a Japanese restaurant in Gramercy called Mizu, which is worth checking out if you are in the neighborhood. The food is fresh, the service is prompt, and the atmosphere is a touch trendier than the previously discussed Tomoe and Mishima.

Whereas the other two restaurants are sparse in their decor, Mizu's design elements include exposed brick (along one wall), slate tiles (along another wall), and illuminated rice paper (throughout the room and most noticeably in a palm frond formation on the ceiling). Even the wood-framed glass door and floor-to-ceiling front windows are ornate in that each panel is comprised of multiple glass panes in varying geometric shapes. However, plastic tabletops, plastic-cushioned metal chairs, and exposed air conditioning units render the overall feel of Mizu casual. The loud crowds and music are contributing factors as well.

So how does Mizu measure up against my sushi restaurant test? The california roll was $6.50 at last check, which indicates prices are not particularly low. Regular rolls range from $4.00 (cucumber roll) to $8.00 (tuna/avacado/caviar roll) with an average of $6.00. Special rolls range from $6.50 to $15.00 with an average of $11.00. This is by no means outrageous, but it is not a bargain either. As for my spicy scallop roll, they have one, it is tasty, and it costs $9.00.

I recommend Mizu for one of those fun Thursday nights that feels like a Saturday after several after-work flutes of champagne at the aptly-named Flute across the street, for a double date with that couple who both wear fedoras on a regular basis, or for lunch with your nephew - he's already in the neighborhood and unwilling to walk the ten blocks to Mishima anyway.

Mizu - 29 East 20th Street, between Broadway & Park Avenue South

Mishima

I have three basic tests for sushi restaurants:

1. Is the california roll more than $5.00?
2. Is raw scallop on the menu?
3. Would I eat said scallop here?

Here is the reasoning:

1. Although I do not often order california rolls, they are a solid standard by which to measure overall price reasonableness of a restaurant. If a fluff item of vegetables and imitation crab costs more than $5.00, the legitimate fish will probably hit the wallet harder than necessary.
2. Scallops are not offered everywhere, and they do not need to be. However, when I am looking for something more than a spicy tuna roll, it is lovely to know the establishment provides interesting options. "Interesting" is subjective, and I would agree there are more off-the-beaten-path choices than this particular one; however, this is a basic test, and something as extreme as poisonous blowfish is not required to pique my interest. Also, I think scallops are tasty, so lay off me, bub.
   
3. The availability of raw shellfish does not automatically mean I will eat it. The combination of the restaurant's cleanliness and reputation for quality goes quite far in this regard.

How Mishima measures up:

1. The california roll was $5.00 at last check. I would forgive an increase to $5.50 considering how well the staff has treated me in years past (a free dish of edamame here, rushed delivery there), but I am not trying to give the management any silly ideas.
   
2. Scallops? Got 'em! Other menu items include both lobster miso soup and clam miso soup in addition to the standard tofu miso soup. Appetizers cover basics like shumai, gyoza, and negimaki while also including nasu-shigiyaki (eggplant with miso paste and ground chicken) and goma ae (spinach with sesame sauce). As for entrees, yes, there's sushi and udon noodles, teriyaki and tempura, but there's also una don (boiled eel on rice) and, at times, hamachi kama (which is Japanese for "yellowtail collar" and probably also for "crazy delicious").
3. Not only do I feel comfortable eating the scallops here, I am compelled to order at least one spicy scallop roll upon every visit. This may have something to do with the spicy mayo sauce, which is preferable in my opinion to the chili flakes/paste/oil used elsewhere, and which is all shades of yum. Now, I am not going to say Mishima is the absolute best Japanese restaurant in Murray Hill, but I am going to note several others have come and gone from this neighborhood over the years while Mishima has remained a constant. Take from that information what you will.

Mishima is noticeable on Lexington Avenue thanks to its three black awnings with simple white lettering. One spans the ground floor picture window and door, while the other two are anchored above the restaurant's second story windows. After stepping down from the sidewalk to the entrance, you have the option of sitting in the narrow downstairs area at one of the tables along the mirrored wall or at the sushi bar. Otherwise, you may choose to sit at the second sushi bar upstairs or at one of the tables in this brighter, larger space. The food and sake taste the same in either location, so don't agonize over the decision. Chances are you will be seated wherever there is room, as the restaurant is typically busy during peak lunch and dinner hours.

So go with that Long Islander who drove in via the Midtown Tunnel and doesn't want to sit in any more traffic, that coworker who spills the best gossip about your other coworkers, or that recent graduate who is living out College 2.0 in one of those Murray Hill "dorms." Run it by your own checklist, and let me know what you think.

Mishima - 164 Lexington Avenue, between East 30th & East 31st Streets

Tomoe

I think there are two main reasons people line up outside and wait for seats at Tomoe:

1. The interior is crazy small.
2. The food is crazy good.

What is not crazy, however, is you for wanting to get in. Well, ok, if you're standing in the rain with the flu and you'd just like a bowl of miso soup, you're crazy for waiting. If you're craving hot dogs and french fries, which they don't serve at this Japanese restaurant, you're crazy for waiting. If you're the guy on the subway who set empty toothpaste boxes on the seat next to me, scratched your head, and then smacked me on the arm, you're just straight up crazy. Thanks for reading my blog, though!

Like at Tartine, there isn't always a mob of patrons clamoring for seats, but trusting reader, it is only fair that I warn you it can happen, has happened, and will happen again.

So what's the fuss? The sushi is damn good. The selection is fresh as fresh can be, and they have options not typically found at most Japanese restaurants. For example, whereas eel is a common sushi restaurant find, both sea and fresh water options are not. Whereas most offer yellowtail, Tomoe additionally offers belly and baby yellowtail. To be fair, not every item listed on the menu is always available. To that, I say, "Whoop Whoop," because if it's not fresh at the market that day, they're not serving it, and I'm not eating it. Upset stomach and parasites avoided!

In addition to the freshness and variety, the sushi is noteworthy for its size. The rolls, like at most establishments, vary in girth depending on the contents. The pieces, however, are where it's at. Rather than the fish sitting on the small bed of rice, it drapes across and beyond it. Ok, so the prices aren't cheap, but at least you're getting some bang for your buck. and by "bang" I mean "fish." and by "buck" I mean "$4.75 per piece on average." You are also getting a complimentary dish of marinated bean sprouts at the start of your meal, which seems random and boring until you realize you can't stop eating it.

As for the decor, there's not much to it - just wooden tables crammed next to one another and a rather small sushi bar along the back of the room able to accommodate about five to seven diners. The walls are mostly adorned with pictures of sushi, and last time I was there, several signs were on display indicating Tomoe only accepts cash or American Express. If you plan to use amex, it is worth noting the $15 lunch and $20 dinner minimums.

So if you've walked around Greenwich Village for hours and want to cap off the day with a solid Japanese meal, Tomoe could be the spot for you. If you're an NYU student tired of spending your dining dollars at the same places, Tomoe could be the spot for you. If you're planning to propose to your girlfriend who is allergic to seafood, Tomoe is probably not the best bet for you. Maybe try Il Mulino up the block and around the corner on West 3rd.

Tomoe - 172 Thompson Street, between Bleecker & Houston Streets

Estiatorio Milos

I only go to Estiatorio Milos when someone else is picking up the check. The room is lovely, the food is fresh, but the prices are outrageous. Truly truly truly outrageous, in the words of eighties cartoon Jem.

Milos (Restaurant, you don't mind if I call you that, right?) is an upscale Mediterranean/Greek establishment in Midtown, specializing in seafood. Meat and vegetables make appearances on the menu as well, but at least one person at the table should try the fish...or the scallops...or the lobster...even if it costs a bazillion dollars. Most is prepared simply - charcoal grilled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon - but that's the beauty of Milos. In a clean, white room evocative of the Mediterranean seaside, you want to taste the clean, fresh fish. Covering it in a sauce (though potentially tasty) would obscure the flavors of the sea, and it seems that's not what Milos is aiming to do.

Most of the seafood is priced and offered by the pound. If I remember correctly, some have a poundage minimum, so it helps if someone else at the table is eying the same variety to share. If you would rather your dish be cooked in sea salt with olive oil and a lemon sauce (rather than charcoal grilled), there is a 3 pound whole fish minimum and a $15 supplement per order.

One non-fish dish I must mention is the "Milos Special." It's an appetizer of thinly sliced zucchini, eggplant, and saganaki cheese that have been ever-so-lightly fried so that they almost take on the consistency of chips. In this most swanky version of chips and dip, the dip is a yogurty/tzatziki situation, and it. is. delightful. At $28.75 an order, it better be.

So where are we eating all of this? In a lovely space on West 55th Street proximate to Carnegie Hall (two blocks north) and the MoMA (two blocks south). It is a large room divided into two main sections by back to back banquettes and a sheer white curtain draping down from the ceiling. To the left of the entrance and the divider is the stone bar, some tables, a kiosk of sorts with busy chefs preparing that which requires preparation, and a lofted private dining room up a flight of stairs. This private room is comprised of two walls dedicated to wine racks and two glass walls through which you can see the rest of the restaurant, and the rest of the restaurant can see you.

To the right of the divider is the main dining room. Here you'll find the majority of the tables, the open kitchen, the bountiful display of whole fish on ice (from which you may choose and indicate to your waiter the exact one you care to have for your meal), and another private dining room up another flight of stairs. This private room, like the one on the other side of the restaurant, is partially glass enclosed, but translucent curtains may be drawn. Whereas this private room can accommodate several small tables, the other may only house one.

The restaurant is decorated in muted tones - mainly white, beige, and gray. The floors are both hardwood and stone, and dramatic elements include large open umbrellas over a select few tables, over-sized stone jugs, and columns reminiscent of ruins.

Estiatorio Milos is a great choice for an upscale seafood restaurant if you know what you're getting into regarding the prices. They do what they do well, but if you're not prepared for the wallet whomping, the shock may make you regurgitate your meal all over yourself. That would be quite the expensive mishap. and disgusting.

Estiatorio Milos - 125 West 55th Street, between 6th & 7th Avenues