We arrived at Fuego by Mana for our 9:15 PM reservation (which thankfully we made because they were making people wait) at about 9:20 PM.
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AJK DDF, on Flickr
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AJK DDF, on Flickr
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AJK DDF, on Flickr
After pointing out we had a reservation, but that we wanted to wait for a table outside, the maitre'd told us to hang tight. The place, at 9:30, was still very busy.
At about 9:40, two girls showed up, without a reservation, and were somehow seated before us outside after doing some "sooper-sekrit handshake" with what appeared to be the owner. We were ultimately not seated until about 9:55 or so. Tsk, tsk. Not off to a good start, Mr. Fuego.
That out of the way, the place is tastefully decorated, and I loved the inside/outside seating, which you can only rarely find in NYC/NJ. We finally sat down and ordered Pulled-Brisket Empanadas ($12), Flatiron Steak ($36), Chipotle BBQ Back Ribs ($49), Creme Brulee ($12), and Chocolate Souffle ($10), two Diet Cokes, and a glass of Dalton Canaan ($9).
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AJK DDF, on Flickr
Now, I know Dan/jj1000 recommended the flat breads as an appie, but after being stuffed with enough carbs to last me until the next time I'm in Miami from ZtB, Mrs. AJK simply refused to order more carbs, so we went with the empanadas (which also had carbs, I may point out!).
Anyway, they were terrible. Overcooked, tough, dry, and almost flavorless. Avoid at all costs. (I should have just gotten the flatbreads, darn it!)
The meal though, quickly turned around with the arrival of the mains:
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AJK DDF, on Flickr
The Chipotle BBQ Back Ribs were very good. Just the right amount of meat (and by that, I mean just enough for a $50 plate--any less would have been... uncool), and they were succulent. And I love the fact that, unlike pretentious places like Reserve Cut and Prime Grill, they include two side dishes which you can choose from a large selection. I got fries and a salad.
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AJK DDF, on Flickr
Mrs. AJK said that this flat iron steak, covered in three pepper-corn sauce and served with chimmichurri sauce, was one of the best she's had, and I'd
tend to agree. It was a perfectly cooked, tender, and tasty piece of beef, if not on the smaller side. But I guess for $36, they weren't going to give her the cow.
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AJK DDF, on Flickr
The creme brulee was good, if not memorable. Wasn't as good as the one at RC, nor the one I've gotten at ETC, which was the best I've had. But the whip cream was a welcome addition.
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AJK DDF, on Flickr
Between the two desserts, we both preferred the the Chocolate Souffle which was really good, while not being overly rich, though I'd have preferred a bit of ice cream instead of whip cream.
A restaurant I'd return to on the food front (and get the flatbreads!), but there is work yet to be done, as noted below.
A note on service: A bit of a disaster. And considering the amount of staff they seemed to have employed, this is simply incredible. Aside from the initial seating SNAFU, we must have had 3 or 4 different people come take our orders, clear our table, bring us menus, bring us meals, and bring us meals intended for others, it was all just terribly chaotic and disorganized. It seemed like there were a dozen puppets, but no
puppet-master attempting to create order and efficiency. It's great to have the number of staff they do, with secret service ear-pieces and tablets connected the kitchen via wifi, but if you can't harness that, it ends up being worse than not having it at all.
Oh, despite (or perhaps because of) having 14 different people assume the role of server, my glass of wine never showed up. Lots of room for improvement on this front.