GET HOOKED ON THE HOOKAH!

A Fanciful Feast Brought to You by Chef Angelo Sosa and Loft

Manhattan is full of high-end restaurants, dive bars, fast food joints, and perfect spots when you’re simply longing for a nice meal. You want plain Jane, you got it. You want crazy Japanese sake/karaoke bar, no praaaaaaablem. But what do you get when you cross exciting dishes with elegant ambiance and a comfortable spot at which to hang out and smoke without freezing your frijoles? LOFT, located at 505 Columbus Avenue, between 84th and 85th Streets.
In a past post, ‘What’s New in the NYC?’. I briefly mentioned Chef Angelo Sosa and his glorious Asian-influenced creations. However, that was obviously just an appeteaser to this master’s grand debut.
Chef Sosa, CIA graduate in 1997 and formerly of Acqua, Ocean Club’s Dune, Jean-Georges, Spice Market, Yumcha, as well as a consulting chef of Buddakan and for Alain Ducasse, is currently the consulting/acting executive chef of LOFT, a cozy crib resulting in the ultimate Upper West Side refuge from the mean winter reds. Warm and deliciously sexy, the ambiance of LOFT beckons you in to kick back and set a spell whether in the lounge, loft, or swanky downstairs hideaway, while Chef Sosa’s innovative Asian-Mediterranean fusion cuisine keeps you begging for more. (i.e., ‘Thank you Sir, may I have another?’)
Where does the smoking part come in? No, this is not a Tabac, nor a smoke shop, nor an after-hours dive bar. With Chef Sosa’s four-course tasting menu, smoking is included as part of your meal. Oh, happy day!
Hankering for some nicotine? Sorry, you won’t find it here. What Chef Sosa and the LOFT team do have to offer is much spicier, more addictive, and actually tastes good.

Diner, hungry for delicious food and a new experience,
meet
LOFT’s Hookah Tasting Menu.

FIRST COURSE
Tuna Mole
Sashimi Grade Tuna with Avocado
Chillied Tapioca, Bitter Sweet Chocolate
(Reisling, Tesch, St. Remigiusberg, GER 2005)

SECOND COURSE
Butter Poached Maine Lobster
Cooked Under Pressure
Fenugreek Broth
(Sancerre, Loire, Jean-Marie Reverdy, FR 2004)

INTERMEZZO
Moroccan Hookah Pipe
Custom Blend Herbal Shisha
Coconut & Spice
(Moet & Chandon, Millésime Blanc, FR 1999)

THIRD COURSE
Earth Scented Kobe Filet
Smoked Corn Brûlée, White Truffle & Herb Salad
Taiwanese Poached Egg
(Cabernet Sauvignon, Jordan, CA 2002)

FOURTH COURSE
Dessert Sampler
Chocolate Hazelnut Dumplings with White Truffle Froth
Molten Bitter Sweet Chocolate Cake with Smoked Caramel
Autumn Cheesecake
(Cheateu Belingard, Monbazillac, FR 2002)

$80 per Person
2 Person Minimum
Wine pairing $45 per person

The hookah, otherwise known as nargileh, shisha or hubbly-bubbly is topped with LOFT’s own mild herbal blend marrying tobacco- and nicotine-free Black Label Shisha with black pepper, black sesame, coriander, Turkish pepper, black cardamom, chipotle pepper, and coconut, and is served during the second course to enjoy throughout the remainder of the oh-my-god-I’m-hooked meal including everyone’s favorites Kobe beef in the 3rd course and white truffles in the dessert sampler (yup, dessert). ‘Tis the season.
While it’s nice to hibernate during the chillier eves, if you don’t get outta your jammies, you’ll end up missing out on this exquisite combo of toasty exotic and sensual flavors. After December 2006, Chef Sosa and LOFT will have something new up their sleeves. Think of it as the perfect opportunity to show off those new winter threads. How? ‘Cause everybody who’s anybody is gonna be at LOFT, of course.

Want a summary? Don’t be a loser. Go to LOFT and order the Hookah Tasting Menu tonight. For reservations, call 212.362.6440. See ya there!

“The cuisine of Angelo Sosa tells a story– his story– in a new style of his own, which is at once uninhibited, bold, arousing and inspiring.” ¬– Alain Ducasse

"Angelo’s contribution was enormous to our final project, not only in the dishes that he helped to create but also in the way that he inspired the other chefs.  There hasn’t been a chef that has truly filled the shoes of the last generation but with a little luck, Angelo will lead the next generation of great chefs." – Stephen Starr on Sosa at Buddakan