Posted by Jenn Sit, October 10, 2008 at 12:00 PM
With the autumn chill setting in and one too many jacketless mornings, I landed a pretty nasty cold. Yesterday, after a lunch of Theraflu and cough drops, I decided to spare my cubicle neighbors the operatic sniffling and sneezing and left work early to get some much needed bed rest. On my way home, I stopped into Cafe Edison for the classic cold remedy: a big bowl of matzo ball soup.
Cafe Edison is known for its tasty soups. I can only hope that the rest are as good as the matzo ball. The matzo ball soup consists of big chunks of chicken, egg noodles, and a broth in which bob two massive matzo balls. The matzo balls are tender to the spoon. As I whittled my way through the first, the best part was that there was another just waiting for me to dig into. Feeling warmed, I realized the $5 I spent at Cafe Edison probably did me better than the $15 I'd just spent on cold remedies.
Cafe Edison
228 West 47th Street, New York NY 10036 (b/n Broadway and 8th Ave; map)
212-840-5000
Posted by Zach Brooks, October 10, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Editor's note: On October 18th, street vendors from all around the city will converge on the Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn for this years Vendy Awards. Tickets are only $80 and every penny goes to benefit the Street Vendor Project, a non-profit organization that fights for the rights of sidewalk vendors in New York City. Every day this week we will profile one of the five finalists, and the food they will be serving up at the competition.
The Kwik Meal cart isn't the only repeat nominee at this year's Vendy Awards. The Calexico Cart is a veteran competitor as well, having been a finalist in 2006. And, as Ed Levine pointed out, they are also the only "hipster" cart—having more in common with the new breed of fancy pants carts and trucks than the traditional halal and hot dog vendors that make up most of the city's street food options. In a lot of ways Calexico was the O.G. hipster vendor. Started by 3 brothers who were inspired by the nominees at the 2005 Vendy Awards, Calexico serves up California style Mexican food from a cart in the heart of SoHo.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 9, 2008 at 6:00 PM
After coming across a nighttime treat of apple cider doughnuts at Hearth, I've decided that rainy days and chilly nights are occasions to be welcomed with much enthusiasm. This is the sort of warm, breezy fall dessert that warms your soul (and rots your teeth). A duo of crisp apple cider doughnuts fried to order and glazed with a sweet finish that shines under the dim glowing lights of Hearth. The dark fried, crackly surface crunch exposes a moist and light cake doughnut, with the cider element coming though clean and strong. To finish, a quenelle of smoky maple whipped cream atop fresh apple compote. Almost makes you wish fall would last all year long.
Hearth
403 E 12th Street, New York NY 10009 (on First Avenue; map)
646-602-1300
Posted by Ed Levine, October 9, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Here at SE:NY we don't mess around. As soon as we heard about Shake Shack's Shacktober Fest, we descended en masse to taste test every item on the Shacktober Fest menu. It is indeed a tough job, but someone has to do it—and since we consider it our mission to lead you to everything delicious in New York, that someone happened to be us.
Our order that cloudy Monday:
1 Bratwurst with cranberry horseradish relish
1 Andouille Sausage with braised red cabbage
1 Polish Sausage with celery root slaw
1 Cran-Apple Strudel Concrete
1 German Chocolate Cake Concrete
1 Apple Honey Cake Concrete (it was the concrete of the day)
2 pints of the pumpkin spice custard
An order of spicy mustard (it's only .25)
The verdict after the jump:
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Posted by Alaina Browne, October 9, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Molly's is the kind of place you've probably walked by without notice a hundred times—just another "Irish" pub in the city. But step inside and you'll be in for treat. You could follow Adam's advice and order the burger, but I usually skip it and order the chicken pot pie and a pint of Harp instead. Golden puff pastry on top, hot chicken and veg underneath. Served piping hot, I recommending poking a few holes through the pastry to let it cool down a bit before taking a bite. This is my ideal comfort food experience—friendly Irish staff, dimly lit, worn wooden booths, an old jukebox (U2 anyone?), saw dust on the floor, and when the weather merits it, a fire roaring in the fireplace.
Molly's Pub & Restaurant, Shebeen
287 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10010 (b/n 22nd Street and 23rd Street; map)
212-889-3361
Posted by Zach Brooks, October 9, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Editor's note: On October 18th, street vendors from all around the city will converge on the Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn for this years Vendy Awards. Tickets are only $80 and every penny goes to benefit the Street Vendor Project, a non-profit organization that fights for the rights of sidewalk vendors in New York City. Every day this week we will profile one of the five finalists, and the food they will be serving up at the competition.
Even if you think you haven't heard of Muhammed Rahman and the Kwik Meal cart he runs in Midtown, chances are you have. He's probably been written about more than any other street vendor in the city, and the proof hangs in small and large newspaper articles hung all over his cart. Rahman is the fabled vendor who used to be a chef at the Russian Tea Room, and when he left to open up a chicken and lamb over rice cart everybody wanted to tell his story. It also helps that his food is pretty damn good, and next weekend he'll get a chance to officially prove it by winning the Vendy Awards.
Continue reading »
Posted by Allison Hemler, October 8, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Editor's note: Every afternoon we like to post a short Sugar Rush to end your day. Think of it as the dessert to your daily blog reading.
While most of us in the office are not Magnolia Bakery cupcake fans, give us the other dessert options and they'll disappear within minutes. A new branch of the famous bakery opened this morning in Rockefeller Center to the delight (or dismay) of Midtown office workers, and we picked up a few treats to fill our post-lunch break bellies. You can find everything below at any of the Magnolia locations, but there must be a tiny bit of extra love in these freshly baked sugar-filled items of delight. At least I hope so, for the price.
Banana Pudding
Ed Levine says, "It's hard to make a banana pudding that nobody likes." Gordon Mark and I are devoted fans of the layers of vanilla wafers, fresh bananas, and vanilla pudding. It's ridiculously sweet, and keep an eye on your eating habits: if you sit down at the TV with this container, you might finish the entire thing. ($4.50 for 12oz.)
Continue reading »
Posted by Tam Ngo, October 8, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Editor's note: Izakayas have become more and more prominent in the New York City landscape, and nobody here at Serious Eats knows them better than our newest correspondent, Tam Ngo. Here is the first in what will be a series of izakaya reviews.
A compound of i (to remain) and sakaya (sake shop), the word izakaya connotes more than bars serving Japanese food. Izakayas speak to the very essence of Japanese pub culture. Cozy and convivial, these drinking establishments welcome regulars who stop in after work to catch up on conversation. Izakayas facilitate leisurely unwindings with bottles of sake and plates of shared snacks. Service is present but unobtrusive, and unlike most dining experiences in New York, one never feels rushed to leave.
Riki is the perfect example of a low-key izakaya, tucked away in a basement on a quiet block of East 52nd Street.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, October 7, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Photographs by Robyn Lee
Dessert Club ChikaLicious
204 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003 (b/n First and Second; map); 212-475-0929; dessertclubchikalicious.com
Service: One person takes your order and fills it, bakery style
Setting: Pretty, soothing, tiny place with perhaps 15 seats
Compare It To: Magnolia
Must-Haves: Banana cupcake, Triple Chocolate Cupcake, Adult Chocolate Pudding
Grade: A-
When ChikaLicious' Chika and Don Tillman opened the Dessert Club directly across the street from their Dessert Bar, their plan was to sell only three kinds of delicious pudding made with care from great ingredients. It was to be the only pudding bar in the country, and maybe the whole world for that matter. What an elegant, simple, even-more-minimalist-than-Dessert Bar concept.
It was a beautiful thing. There was only one problem. It bombed. People wanted more than high-priced, high-quality pudding at a sweets emporium.
So with necessity being the mother of invention, especially when it comes to small food businesses, Chika and Don remade Dessert Club into an equally idiosyncratic, still small, not quite full scale bakery—albeit one with a limited menu. Not just any small bakery, either. Dessert Club has become one of the best bakeries or sweet shops in not just the East Village, but all of New York. You might say it's mighty fine.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, October 7, 2008 at 8:34 PM
Paella from La Nacional
Frank Bruni reviews Socarrat tomorrow. I had a very good meal there early on, the day before I reviewed Socarrat owner Lolo Manso's other restaurant, La Nacional. Socarrat is a tiny restaurant. In fact, it's really just a long bar with seats on both sides. The bulk of the menu is devoted to different kinds of paella, and I can tell you that Lolo Manso has no peer in New York when it comes to cooking paella. I have no idea what odds Ben Leventhal is laying on Bruni's review over at Eater, but I think it will be a very positive one star review. I would be very surprised if Bruni bestowed two stars on what is a very modest restaurant. But, you never know.
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 7, 2008 at 6:00 PM
What dessert contains shaved ice, green jelly cubelets, red beans, fruity syrup, condensed milk, and canned corn? Singapore ice from New Malaysia in Chinatown. Fluffy, finely shaved ice is piled on top of a dish of jelly bits, sweet beans, and corn, and soaked with nondescript artificially colored syrup and condensed milk. The corn may seem odd, but I don't think it's any stranger than the other mix-ins; it adds another layer of texture and sweet flavor to each spoonful. For $3.25, it's definitely worth trying.
New Malaysian
48 Bowery, New York, NY 10013 (Chinatown Arcade b/n Bowery & Elizabeth; map)
212-964-0284
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 7, 2008 at 2:30 PM
I love all kinds of Japanese curry. Even the pre-made stuff that comes in a microwavable pouch—and you know that's the worst of it.
During my first visit to home-style Japanese restaurant Soy, (named for their tofu-based specialties, although there are also many meat dishes to choose from) I ordered the vegetarian curry. During my second visit this past weekend, I ordered...curry. Again. But at least I got a different one this time: beef curry with a potato croquette. The curry sauce was good as always, mildly sweet and spicy, although particularly light on the potato and beef chunks. The star of the dish was the diminutive potato and beef croquette; it didn't look like much at first, but I was hooked after one bite through the crispy, feathery light panko crust and smooth mashed potato innards. While pork katsu curry is usually my favorite combination of something fried and curry sauce, potato croquettes and curry from Soy is high up there.
Soy
102 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 (b/n Delancey Street and Rivington Street; map)
212-253-1158
soynyc.com
Posted by Zach Brooks, October 7, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Editor's note: On October 18th, street vendors from all around the city will converge on the Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn for this years Vendy Awards. Tickets are only $80 and every penny goes to benefit the Street Vendor Project, a non-profit organization that fights for the rights of sidewalk vendors in New York City. Every day this week we will profile one of the five finalists, and the food they will be serving up at the competition.
Two of the five Vendy finalists are from Midtown this year, and while Kwik Meal may be the odds on favorite (they were nominated last year, and won the people's choice award) I don't think anybody should count out The Biryani Cart. Opened four and a half years ago by Meru Sikder, a former banquet chef for a New Jersey Hilton, the Biryani Cart started off as your standard Midtown chicken and rice operation with a small twist. Each day the Bangladeshi native would serve one Indian food dish as a special, alternating between chicken tikka masala and chicken biryani.
The two dishes built up a solid following, but the real breakthough came in May of 2007 when the very popular Kati Roll, located on the same block as the Biryani Cart, moved locations. Seizing the opportunity, Meru immediately added his own version of the kati roll to the cart—and from there business exploded.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 6, 2008 at 6:00 PM
When most people think of City Bakery, blue and white cups filled with hot chocolate, enormous wedges of caramelized french toast, and chocolate chip cookies are what usually come to mind. But I'm not most people. The peanut butter cookies are what I've come to love far more than any of the other typical favorites. The smallest of all City Bakery cookies, the peanut butter numbers are not large flat disks easily piled upon one another. Instead you'll encounter scoops, no more than an inch and a half high and two inches in diameter—a dainty baked ice cream scoop. But oh goodness, one taste and it'll be hard to return for any other cookie. It's far too easy to love the butter-rich, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture; so generous, easy, and giving on the tongue. Like the melting moments of Mexican wedding cookies, powdered sugar must be a key contributor to this wonder. Playing on the lines of sweet with salty touches, why have one when you can have two? Lucky for us they're sold in pairs, and at $1.50 they're one of the cheapest items at the Bakery.
City Bakery
3 W 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
212-366-1414
thecitybakery.com/index2.htm
Posted by Carey Jones, October 6, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Claude, of the West Village’s Patisserie Claude, is a man you take one look at and immediately trust in the kitchen. In fact, if I were to draw a cartoon chef, it would look something like Claude: white-clad, grey-haired, and somewhat rotund. A little bit grumpy. And very, very French.
While I’d rank his croissants and éclairs among the best in town, his petite quiches are the tastiest item in his modest little shop. The quiche is one of the oldest and tiredest food clichés. But Claude’s, served warm from the oven, hardly resemble the rubbery yellow slices found elsewhere. The crumbly, buttery crust alone is memorable; it reminds you, with every bite, that Claude is first and foremost a pastry man. But that crust can barely hold back the silky egg inside—salty, creamy, barely set, and perfectly dotted with tender mushrooms. Or ham. Or spinach. Or endive and gruyere…
Patisserie Claude
187 W. 4th Street, New York NY 10014 (map)
212-255-5911
Posted by Lucy Baker, October 6, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Harry and Sally had a mind-blowing lunch at Katz's. Carrie Bradshaw satisfied her sweet tooth with Magnolia cupcakes. And of course, there's Seinfeld and the Soup Nazi. For as long as movies and television shows have filmed scenes in New York restaurants, fans and tourists have been flocking to them.
Michael Cera might not be as established as Billy Crystal, as suave as Chris Noth, or as iconic as Jerry Seinfeld, but he is fast becoming one of Hollywood's leading young men. His latest flick, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, opened last Friday and Tom Birchard, owner of the restaurant Veselka, reports that they were "slammed all weekend."
One of the final scenes of the movie features Cera and leading lady Kat Dennings at the East Village Ukrainian eatery feasting on pierogies. Evidently fans (we're guessing the bulk of them were NYU freshman girls) flooded Veselka, which is open 24 hours, after seeing the film at nearby theaters. Of course, Cera was nowhere in sight (he divides his time between Canada and Los Angeles), but what better way to console a crush than with a steaming bowl of soul-warming borscht?
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 2, 2008 at 6:00 PM
It's the first week of October, which only means two things: the best month of the year is here, and with it, the new autumnal Custard Calendar [PDF] at Shake Shack. This month, Thursdays are "Pancake" because, you know, people eat more pancakes in October.
Our Gordon Mark trekked over today with the office ice cooler. Overall, it's a solid flavor, but not overwhelmingly pancakey. Little specks of what very well could be pancake are swirled in, but disappointingly, no big chunks. I didn't feel like I was sitting down to my Nana's pancakes. Still good though, and any Heath Bar Crunch or toffee lover will appreciate the super sweet flavor with buttery aftertaste. Personally, I'm more excited for Pumpkin Spice Mondays.
Serious Eats overlord Ed Levine had this to say: "I lurve this custard. It's the essence of frozen custard: creamy, rich, eggy, full-flavored, and completely addictive. There's only one problem, and it verges on the existential—it has no discernible pancake flavor. So my question is this: Can a pancake custard be considered great if it doesn't taste like pancakes? Help me answer the above question by having some pancake custard yourself on Thursdays in October and commenting on this post."
Posted by Jenn Sit, October 2, 2008 at 3:30 PM
"I discovered the spicy special myself a month or so ago... and it is glorious." "Next time I'm buying two." "To you non-believers, NEVER doubt the glorious invention that is the Spicy Special."
These are just a few soundbites gathered from various blogs and sites that hail the $4 Spicy Special sandwich, a hero that is fiercely beloved by Columbia students. Known as the "Crack Deli" to some, the 109 Gourmet Deli is open 24 hours, which makes it another prime target for the drunken munchies of Columbia kids—and might also explain its loyal following. Of course I had to experience this lauded and mysterious creation for myself, especially when I realized that its maker is at 109th and Amsterdam, just around the corner from my apartment. So one afternoon I journeyed up the block to find out what all the Ivy chatter was about.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 2, 2008 at 9:45 AM
Inspired by the launch of "piadinis" at Starbucks yesterday, we had an itch to do some regional research and try the real Italian inspiration. Piadinas at Teodora are an appetizer snack, piled with either stracchino cheese and truffle oil, salumi, or broccoli rabe. The flavors are great, and the concept simple: lard in the flatbread, pig's fat in the salumi, and cow's fat in the cheese. Tasted like an adorable Italian nonna had made it herself, even if some guy in the back had.
Teodora
141 East 57th Street, New York NY 10022 (map)
212-826-7101
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 1, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Perched in the cake tier right above piles of triple chocolate chip cookies at Tisserie, rests the molasses cookies. These golden rounds of spicy wonder are noticeably thicker than most molasses cookies in this city—coming in at a solid 1/2 inch thick. But instead of breaking in to discover a chewy cookie (as all visual indications would indicate), Tisserie's cookie crumbles apart in the mouth. "Crumble" is employed in the finest sense of the word, and with a nudge of the tongue you're taste buds will be flooded with cinnamon, cloves, and a faint whiff of ginger. Perhaps even a bit of nutmeg. Brown sugar is clearly the dominating ingredient, and because molasses itself has a light hand you end up with a more delicate cookie with a focus on spices.
Tisserie
857 Broadway, New York NY 10079 (nr. 17th Street; map)
212-463-0850
Related:
Tisserie's Venezuelan Brownie: New York's Best
Posted by Allison Hemler, October 1, 2008 at 4:30 PM
Every Wednesday we'll be posting delicious educational opportunities in the New York for the approaching weekend and the following week. All classes listed still have openings, but if you hear otherwise, please let us know.
'Cheese Basics' at Artisanal Cheese Center
Friday, October 3, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., $85
A beginner hands-on class exploring various kinds of artisanal cheese from all over the world. SE intern Kerry Saretsky attended this class a few weeks ago.
Artisanal Cheese Center, 500 West 37th Street, 2nd Floor, Manhattan; 877-797-1200; artisanalcheese.com for more info and tickets
'How to Write a Recipe' at ICE
Monday, October 6, 7 to 9 p.m., $75
Learn how to write clear recipes that make people want to cook, no matter where in the food industry you are.
Institute of Culinary Education, 50 West 23rd Street, Manhattan; 800-522-4610; web.iceculinary.com for more info and tickets
SLOW U: Oysters, Fresh from the Farm to You
Tuesday, October 7; 6 to 8 p.m.; $20, Slow Food members, $30 nonmembers
Enjoy this Slow Food NYC class, where students will eat Long Island-raised oysters and drink estate wines while learning about sustainable shellfish, seasonal taste profiles, and how oysters are harvested.
Moore Brothers Wine Company, 33 East 22nd Street, Manhattan; 212-475-1730; brownpapertickets.com for registration
More classes and events—and free tasting info—after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, September 30, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Porchetta
110 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10000 (b/n 1st and A; map); 212-777-2151; porchettanyc.com
Service: Friendly counter people take your order. That's the extent of the service here
Setting: A tiny storefront with counter seating for four
Compare It To: The roast pork sandwich at 'wichcraft, Sophie's, Milanes, or Sandy's Lechoneria
Must-Haves: Porchetta sandwich, potatoes and burnt ends
Cost: $18 for a porchetta sandwich, potatoes, and a soda (don't get the Boylan's Diet Cane Sugar Cola, it tastes like medicine)
Grade: B
If you love pig in all its forms the way I do, a serious chef opening a restaurant dedicated to porchetta is cause for celebration. That's of course assuming that said chef can deliver a fabulous rendition of porchetta, which in central Italy is a crazy delicious whole boned and roasted pig seasoned with lots of salt, pepper, garlic, and wild fennel.
Sara Jenkins, co-author of Figs and Oranges and Porchetta's owner, is an extremely accomplished Italian chef who actually grew up spending summers in Italy. Clearly she knows her way around porchetta.
Her version is made from whole Hampshire pork loins that she cooks for four to five hours in a special combination steam and dry heat oven at two different temperatures (350°F to brown the outside and 220°F to slowly cook the interior). At any one time in the tiny shop you can see two of these beautiful golden brown puppies, with their crunchy exterior skin giving way to streaks of fat and tender, well-seasoned pig flesh.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, September 30, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Editor's note: Every afternoon we like to post a short Sugar Rush to end your day. Think of it as the dessert to your daily blog reading. —Zach
Like politics, black and white cookies inspire heated conversation, compassion, and displays of personal identity. So when you slap on edible imprints of the two presidential candidates, you've got yourself a controversial little cookie. At first, I thought this would take a turn down a racially insensitive direction, but alas, both McCain and Obama get their own seperate cookies. Despite the crease down the middle of each face, it's a pretty impressive rendering from food coloring ink printed on rice paper.
How does it taste? To make a metaphor with politicians—it looks good on the shelf, and fun to hype up, but in the end, pretty dry and predictable.
The cookies are available for $3.25 at Zaro's Bakery (multiple locations).
Posted by Robyn Lee, September 30, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Ain't nothing like eating under the harsh glow of bright blue and fluorescent pink lights.
People frequently ask me, "What's the best dim sum in New York City?" My answer is always the same: "I don't know." Unfortunately, my Chinese heritage does nothing for my knowledge of good Chinese food.
But I can say what dim sum restaurant I've been to the most: Jing Fong. It's huge, crowded, and chaotic during dim sum prime time (around noon, although the earlier the better) on the weekends. So far I've been satisfied with the food, a big draw being that you can mindlessly pull dishes from the carts and still only end up paying $15 or less per person.
Here are some of my favorite dim sum dishes that I've been eating for the past few decades. By no means is this a definitive guide, considering that my tastes fall on the tame side. But if you're wondering, I have tried the Chinese favorite of chicken feet, and its a few light years away from my list of "Foods I Would Repeatedly Eat and Recommend to Others."
Rice noodle rolls: If you like rice noodles (my personal favorite due to the slight bouncy chewiness), you'll love rice noodles rolls. They're just large sheets of steamed rice noodle—most commonly filled with bits of dried shrimp, pork, or beef—rolled up and given a squirt of sweet soy sauce.
Continue reading »
Posted by Zach Brooks, September 29, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Photograph by Robyn Lee
Two weeks ago Time Out New York asked me to nominate my favorite food neighborhood in New York City, and they told me I couldn't pick Midtown (for obvious reasons, I guess.) So I was forced to go with the only other neighborhood I could speak to with any real authority—the one I live in—Hell's Kitchen. Despite the pride I took in most of my recommendations (they added a few that didn't come from me) I somehow managed to miss a big one. It's I wish I could say I had forgotten about Kashkaval, the Mediterranean cheese and gourmet food shop on Ninth Avenue, but the truth is for some inexplicable reason I had never been there for dinner until this past Wednesday night.
Kahskaval is one of those New York City chameleons. I have shopped there during the day on many occasions, buying cheese and coffee from the front part of the shop. In the daylight, the back looks like a drab, casual eatery, maybe good for a snack— but certainly no destination. What I never realized (and many seem to already know) is that nightly this "shop" turns into a warm and cozy candle lit dinner destination with a really delicious menu of Mediterranean snacks and fondue.
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 26, 2008 at 6:00 PM
They are true to their word at Murray's Cheese Shop where the lemon cake is indeed drenched in the essence of tangy sweet lemons. Sticky lemon syrup saturates the cake pores, rendering the body addictively moist. The surface is glazed in a lemon icing, and while I'm not typically an icing fan, this was a fine number. More lemony than sweet, and a perfectly complement to the slice of cake. A handful of lemon rinds top off the creation, which is a relative bargain at $2.99 a wedge. But here's a tip to keep in mind, the lemon syrup only soaks through the top half of the cake, leaving the the bottom half hovering on the edge of bland. Either way, the easy melt-in-your-mouth texture more than makes up for the slight loss in flavor as your fork eagerly sinks in from top to bottom.
Murray's Cheese
254 Bleecker Street, New York NY 10014 (b/n Leroy and Cornelia; map)
212-243-3289
Posted by Adam Kuban, September 26, 2008 at 12:45 PM
The New York Post has the deets:
The tranny and cross-dressing staff's ode to John McCain's partner in politics includes a 10:30 p.m. Sarah Palin drag show, a Palin look-alike in hunting gear passing out vodka shots, and a happy-homemaker Palin serving up what Lucky Cheng's calls "grizzly bear stir-fry, caribou kebobs, Thai wolf salad, baby seal bites, chocolate moose and baked Alaska."
Lucky Cheng's
24 First Avenue, New York NY 10009 (at 2nd Street; map)
212-995-5500
planetluckychengs.com
Posted by Allison Hemler, September 26, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Now that you have gotten perspectives on two very different classes from last weekend's New York Culinary Experience, I've got a look at one more: Italian comfort food.
On Sunday afternoon I got a chance to learn Italian American cuisine interpretation from one of Ed Levine's favorite chefs: Tom Valenti. He's owner and executive chef at Ouest and the soon-to-be-opened West Branch on the Upper West Side. Like many other Italian-Americans, I wanted to expand beyond the marinara sauce, meatballs, and sausage and peppers of my mother's repetoire. Luckily the menu was Arancini (Rice Balls) and Linguine with Tuna and Pepperoncini, two dishes most of us didn't have too much of growing up.
These were not childhood dishes for us, because none of us are Tom Valenti. He grew up on "the kinds of food that snowstorms were made for", all cooked by his Italian grandmother (who makes her way into every dish he makes).
Continue reading »
Posted by Jenn Sit, September 25, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Roti rolls. Kati rolls. Chapati rolls. Indian burritos. Call them what you will—if you live in New York and have never had any variation on these stuffed grilled paratha wraps, get one now. They are hand-held, greasy, and full of any number of ingredients—from chicken tikka with egg to palak paneer, depending on where you venture. Lucky for us, since the success of Kati Roll Company, which has two locations (one in Midtown and one in the West Village), these rolls seem to be popping up all over the place—from the Biriyani Cart in Midtown, who were recently nominated for a Vendy Award, to Roomali in Gramercy.
When I discovered Roti Roll Bombay Frankie was around the corner from my apartment, open late on the weekends, and just a few steps down from my neighborhood watering hole and Columbia favorite, 1020, it became a must-eat. Yet, even more exciting than seeing if the rolls were up to snuff was trying the Masala Calamari—a unique and strange addition to the Indian burrito scene. Who knew that a pint of spicy fried squid after a night out could be pretty good?
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, September 24, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Soon you'll be able to eat this burger in private.
Move over Gramercy Tavern, Daniel, and Per Se. According to the New York Sun there's going to be a new private dining room in town with lots of cachet, at the new upper west side location of the Shake Shack. With the coming financial meltdown I think a lot of corporate and Wall Street types will find serving burgers, custard, and frozen french fries at their functions a fine way to celebrate deals. My question: Will they serve fresh French fries in the UWS Shake Shack private dining room? C'mon, Danny, you can even charge a little extra for the good fries.
Posted by Alaina Browne, September 24, 2008 at 4:00 PM
This weekend was the first time I decided to trek above 14th Street to visit David's Bagels on 1st Avenue near 19th Street in Manhattan, and my first encounter with a flat bagel, or "flagel." I was a regular at the David's Bagel location on 1st Avenue between 13th and 14th Street (sadly, it closed at the end of August), but had never seen flat bagels offered there.
Curious, I had to learn more about this crunchier species of bagel. Like, how does a flagel get so flat? First it helps to know a little bit about bagel preparation. Bagel dough is mixed and kneaded, then shaped into a bagel. The bagels are then proofed for at least 12 hours before boiling for a few minutes, and finally finished in the oven. It's this process that produces a bagel's (or flagel's) shiny, crispy exterior and tender interior. A phone call to David's Bagels confirmed my hunch—a flagel is a bagel that's flattened after it's been boiled and before it goes into the oven.
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Posted by Ed Levine, September 23, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Editor's note: Periodically we're going to review lunch at serious restaurants all over New York. Lunch at these restaurants tends to be overlooked, is generally much cheaper, and in many cases doesn't require 30 days of precise military-style action to secure a reservation. So today's Lunch Whistle tweets about Morimoto.
Photographs by Robyn Lee
Morimoto
88 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10011 (b/n 15th and 16th; map); 212-989-8883; morimotonyc.com
Service: Attentive and friendly
Compare It To: Megu, Soto, Bar Masa
Must-Haves: Roasted Black Cod Box, obe Beef Box, Chirashi Rice Bowl
Cost: $25 for a box or a rice bowl, tax, and tip
Grade: B+
By night Morimoto is a jumble of stylized images. When the dinner bell rings at six, impossibly thin and gorgeous men and women dressed in all black Armani convene to eat sushi, drink sake, and flaunt their stylish hipness at every opportunity. The place practically begs to be a location for Gossip Girl (and for all I know it already has been).
But at lunchtime, Morimoto becomes a relaxed, comfortable contemporary Japanese restaurant serving big plates of reasonably priced food made with top quality ingredients. It's a brisk fifteen minute walk from Serious Eats World HQ, so it has served as one of my go-to business lunch spots. Best of all, you can walk right in without a reservation—even if you're not wearing black designer duds.
It helps to have some guidance when ordering lunch at Morimoto, because if you let your eyes wander to the more expensive items on the lunch menu, you can spend a fortune without even thinking about it.
So how should a serious eater attack the lunch menu at Morimoto?
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 23, 2008 at 6:00 PM
I was so sure that my craving for something chocolatey, fudgy, and full of walnuts would be satisfied after the cookie I had at Payard Patisserie. But unfortunately, the combination of chocolate and walnuts has this uncanny ability to make me desire the goods even more. In other words, consuming the object of wonder does little to satiate a craving—the more I eat, the more I crave.
I entered Bouley Bakery in Tribeca not quite knowing what I wanted, though faint images of cookies were floating though my mind. I browsed, oohed and ahhed, and then stopped dead in my tracks upon the sight of baskets filled with their dark chocolate brownies...with walnuts! So many walnuts. Losing all interest in looking any further, I declared the brownie my own and devoured it before reaching the front door. Sinking into bite after bite, I found the brownie to be dark with cocoa, yet texturally light and lush. Hovering on the cakey end of the spectrum and less sweet than I expected, walnuts were in abundance, and I ended up consuming the rather large treat without the slightest bit of hesitation.
Bouley Bakery
120 W Broadway, New York NY 10013 (b/n Duane and Reade Streets; map)
212-608-5829
davidbouley.com
Posted by Robyn Lee, September 23, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Last Friday we received an email from a reader asking why we didn't have an official review of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que up on Serious Eats: New York. It's no secret we love the place, but I get it. You want some official food porn.
Well, coincidentally enough, a few days before receiving that email I had made the trek to the west end of Manhattan with mountains of ribs and pulled pork on my mind. And we could have eaten mountains of meat after enduring an unexpectedly long wait. Don't go to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday night—you'll be greeted by a madhouse of hungry people and wait for at least 45 minutes despite what the hostess tells you. During the wait, we mulled over the menu, soaked in the Frontierland-esque environment, and glared at the people who wouldn't leave their tables. When we were finally seated around 9 p.m., we already had our order ready, and we wanted it ASAP.
And we got it ASAP. Our friendly waiter was atypically efficient and unobtrusive while still giving us enough attention. Dishes came, were eaten, and taken away at a brisk, but comfortable pace. After bemoaning the wait, the service and food more than made up for it.
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 22, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Dark and heavily studded with more walnut chunks than first glance would lead one to anticipate, Payard's flourless chocolate-walnut cookie satisfies many cravings. With a texture reminiscent of fudge, this sweet is a cross between cookie and meringue. But the six ingredients that go into making it (walnuts, confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, egg whites, salt and vanilla extract) prove that simple is best. The thin, crackling surface breaks into a chocolate moist interior, with so many walnuts one might easily be convinced that the exclusive purpose of the cocoa rich batter was to bind the nuts. Basically, if walnuts are your thing, this cookie will fulfill every fantasy you've ever had of the perfect pick me up treat.
Payard Patisserie
1032 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10021 (nr. 74th Street; map)
212-717-5252
Posted by Zach Brooks, September 22, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Ever since I read about the bulgogi topped hot dog on Eating in Translation, I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of New York Hot Dog and Coffee, a Korean chain opening its first U.S. location in the West Village. When word came that it had opened, you better believe we were first in line to sample the goods.
You have a number of different hot dog choices: a premium (whatever that means) beef hot dog topped with bulgogi or chili and cheese, a grilled chicken sausage topped with Korean marinated chicken, plus frozen yogurt (of course), waffles (really?), soft serve, flagels (flat bagels anyone?) and coffee.
So how is it? We only sampled the bulgogi hot dog and the chicken topped chicken dog, and all in all they were pretty amazing‐although if I'm being completely honest, I am a big fan of this concept in general. Hot dog + Korean barbecued meat = automatic deliciousness. They really would have had to screw things up for me to be disappointed. The bulgogi is not the greatest of all time, and neither is the hot dog‐but together it's a magical creation.
Serious Eats Grand Poobah Ed Levine, on the other hand, is a hot dog aficionado. No Korean topped hot dog gimmick is going to easily sway him.
His thoughts, plus photos of the hot dogs in all their glory, after the jump...
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Posted by Zach Brooks, September 17, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Just when you thought the cupcake craziness might start to die down a little, these two bits of intel hit the blogosphere today. Grub St. reports that the Hell's Kitchen Japanese dessert bar Kyotofu will be adding a few new cupcakes to its arsenal. In honor of their second anniversary in October, "expect flavors like yuzu-vanilla and coconut-shiso" in addition to their already popular chocolate souffle cupcake. We were also pretty excited to hear about Cassie's Cupcakes, a new truck that Eater reported was parked on Broadway and Spring today. Sadly, by the time we made it down there it was gone. Cupcake fail.
Related:
Sugar Rush: New Soft Serve at Kyotofu
Posted by Ed Levine, September 16, 2008 at 8:30 PM
Square Meal
East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128 (near 3rd Avenue; map); 212-860-9872; squaremealnyc.com
Service: Friendly but slow
Setting: Long, narrow dining room filled with warmth and noise
Compare It To: Sarabeth's
Must-Haves: Dessert, dessert, dessert, watermelon and strawberry salad, vichyssoise, chive and cheddar scones
Cost: $60 for two courses, tax and tip (it's BYOB)
Grade: B+
You know that silly t-shirt, "Life is short, eat dessert first?" Well, last week I went to a restaurant, Square Meal, where the desserts were so good, I could have eaten them first, last, and in between, with no main course necessary. Square Meals' owner Yura Mohr has run a Manhattan catering business and take-out storefront for almost 20 years (before that she owned a luncheonette in Brooklyn Heights and cooked at the Heights Casino athletic club) in various locations around her stomping grounds, Manhattan's upper east side. Denizens of that tony 'hood know that as a comfort food-style baker Yura has very few peers in this country.
So it's no surprise that desserts at the recently opened Square Meal, a long and narrow, simply painted and furnished room catty corner to her take-out storefront, are stellar in that Yuraesque, if-your-grandmother-was-a-phenomenal-baker-who-shopped-at-the-greenmarket way. Go soon or you risk not finding the wild Maine blueberry pie ($8.00) on the menu. Imagine a pie loosely packed with tiny, still intact wild Maine blueberries splashed with lemon juice, with almost no blue goop whatsoever, surrounded by a flakey, buttery crust so fine you think you've been taken to a farm cafe in Iowa.
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Posted by Ed Levine, September 15, 2008 at 4:30 PM
Every fall Il Buco throws a pig-centric street fair to commemorate the autumn equinox, called in Spanish "Sagra del Maiale." This year's pork madness will commence on Monday, September 22nd from 1-6 p.m, on Bond Street between Lafayette and Bowery. We have enjoyed it immensely in the past, though we must admit it's not the best-organized event we have ever been to. But Ignacio Mattos' slow-roasted heritage pig is just delicious (though I think my favorite Mattos pig preparation is his incomparable Flying Pigs Farm porchetta panini.) There are also some mighty tasty salads (panzanella and wild arugula) to accompany all this pig, and superb apple ricotta fritters for dessert. Tickets are $20, which includes ice tea and/or lemonade. Thanks to the good folks at Il Buco we've snared two pair of tickets to this premiere porcine event to give away to the Serious Eats community.
Details on how to win the tickets will be sent in this week's Serious Eats: New York Newsletter (sent out on Friday morning.) If you haven't signed up to receive the newsletter yet, what are you waiting for? Update: This contest is over, and the winner has been contacted.
Note: This year the Il Buco folks will also be serving the pig fest items on the a la carte dinner menu until midnight. So if you can't get away during the day to eat some pig and fritters, go at night and enjoy your pork in more civilized environs.
Il Buco
47 Bond Street, New York NY (b/n Lafayette and Bowery; map)
212-533-1932
ilbuco.com
Posted by Ed Levine, September 12, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Photograph by DelicatesseNY
I must confess that I'm kind of a plain cheesecake purist, but this strawberry cheesecake tart from Eileen's is so luscious-looking I'm rethinking my long-held views on this creamy, rich subject.
Eileen's Cheesecake
17 Cleveland Place, New York NY 10012 (map)
212-966-5585
Posted by Tam Ngo, September 12, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Miang or mieng. Kham, khum, kum, or kam. With mieng meaning “many” and kham meaning “one bite,” this salad is a symphony of its confederate parts.
Mieng Ka Na is often served as a snack on the streets of Bangkok, wrapped to order in betel nut leaves. But at Wondee Siam I, you’ll find Mieng Ka Na on the “Secret Thai Menu”—served as a pre-assembled salad accompanied by Chinese broccoli leaves. Diners use these raw leaves to roll their own hand-wraps, filling them with fluffy dried pork, brine, chili, peanuts, shallots, ginger, and thin bits of lime. A little bit o' this, a lotta bit o' that. Salty. Spicy. Sour. Sweet.
Mieng Kha Na is only one of several mouth-puckering dishes at Wondee.
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 11, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Photograph from roboppy on Flickr
Composed of dairy in three forms: evaporated milk, cream, and sweetened condensed milk, kulfi is a frozen Indian dessert that hasn't quite reached the same levels of fame as ice cream, popsicles, or even gelato. For one thing it's hard to place this dessert that doesn't slide seamlessly into any of the former categories. The lack of air whipped into the treat, unlike ice cream, leaves it dense, and even a bit chewy in a most appealing manner. Kulfi nonetheless draws fans for its unique texture and uncomplicated flavors, often kissed by pistachios and cardamom. I have a particular penchant for the plain version found at Dawat in Midtown, though different takes on the sweet can easily be located at various Indian markets and restaurants around the city.
Dawat
210 E. 58th Street New York, NY 10022 (nr. Third Avenue; map)
212-355-7555
Your office is in Harlem, and you order "sandwiches and flatbread pizza from Cosi" for a lunch meeting with the Democratic nominee for President? Shameful. Bill, next time you need to order takeout, might we recommend: Amy Ruth's, Dinosaur BBQ, Louise's, Margie's Red Rose Diner, Charles's Southern Style Kitchen, and Miss Maude's Spoonbread Too. Not only would your food be better, Bill, but you and Barack would be doing your part for Harlem economic development. Soul food in New York needs the two of you more than ever, as this recent New York Times story notes. [via Eater]
Posted by Jenn Sit, September 11, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Continuing on my quest for the cheap and delicious in Morningside Heights, I came upon Flor De Mayo, which has not one, but two locations uptown. A restaurant with a split-personality—Flor De Mayo's menu serves up both Chinese and Latin American cuisines. On this trip, I decided to bypass the Chinese and went straight for the Pollo a la Brasa: a whole Peruvian rotisserie chicken.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, September 11, 2008 at 1:15 PM
A year ago on Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsay transformed the bug and rotten food-filled restaurant Dillons—described as "my biggest nightmare of all time," by Ramsay—into the Indian food-focused Purnima. In last week's season premiere he revisits the restaurant to see how the changes have held up over the past year—the kitchen is clean, the food tastes good (thanks to chef and consultant Vikas Khanna), and business is up. Watch the video after the jump.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, September 10, 2008 at 6:00 PM
While I wouldn't go to Momofuku Ssam Bar specifically for dessert—the savory, pork-based dishes are what pull me in—I wish I could have another slice of their blondie pie smothered in sweet cashew butter. I'm not a fan of blondies but putting it in a crust apparently adds deliciousness; besides that Momofuku's blondies are probably better than most others. Sweet, crunchy, sticky, rich, nutty deliciousness in every bite.
Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003 (at 12th Street; map)
212-254-3500
momofuku.com
If you've ever watched Iron Chef with dreams of getting to taste the food alongside the judges, here is your chance. This past Sunday snails were the secret ingredient in the Kitchen Stadium battle between Chef Floyd Cardoz and Bobby Flay. Cardoz lost, but he's still offering the dishes as part of a "Battle Snails" tasting menu at his restaurant Tabla. The seven course meal is $95 and will be offered through October 31st.
Posted by Ed Levine, September 9, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Photographs by Robyn Lee
Campo
2888 Broadway, New York NY 10025 (b/n 112th and 113th; map); 212-864-1143; camponyc.com
Service: Sloppy if well-meaning
Setting: A long narrow dining room with pleasant sidewalk seating
Compare It To: Gennaro, Celeste, Bianca
Cost: $35 for two courses, a glass of wine, tax, and tip
Grade: C
The neighborhood around Columbia University has never had a really good Italian restaurant. Yes, there's old school V & T for thick-crusted pizza and red-sauce Italian-American cooking; Max SoHa has let me down on more than one occasion; and Sezz Medi' has pretty good Neapolitan-inspired pizza, but I've never had anything else there that blew me away.
So I was psyched when I read about Campo, a new contemporary Italian restaurant with a chef, David Rotter, whose pedigree includes a stint at the late Vincent Scotto's fine restaurant, Gonzo.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, September 9, 2008 at 3:30 PM
When I stepped out of the quiet 110th Street 6 train subway station, it seemed unlikely that I would find a Michelin-quality private dining experience less than a block away. But just past the nondescript facade of the Food Choice supermarket was the dimly lit Savoy Bakery. It looked closed, but the address was right. I peeked through the partially drawn curtains and saw an elegant eight-person table setting in a cozy brick walled interior, along with a bright kitchen and, most importantly, other humans.
It's not a restaurant, but it's not not a restaurant. I wasn't sure what to expect when my friend invited me to a tasting at Recette, which labels itself as "private dining." By "private," Recette means they can bring dinner into your home or the venue of your choosing, but their default dining room is Savoy Bakery during the after-hours.
During your meal—a five, seven, or ten-course tasting menu ($135-$210)—the owner of Savoy Bakery and maitre d' of Recette Brian Ghaw describes the dishes created by executive chef Jesse Schenker (previously of the Beard House and Gordon Ramsay at the London) and pastry chef Christina Lee (previously of Per Se and Falai). Unless your friends are chefs in some of New York City's best restaurants and will recreate a special meal for you at home, Recette brings the rare experience of eating quality food, outside of a stuffy environment, with just a handful of other people. And after your meal is over you can discuss the food with the friendly Recette team.
I didn't realize until I was on the train home that the meal was about three hours long. A lost sense of time is always a good sign of an enjoyable dining experience. Here are some of my favorite dishes from the five-course meal (which came to a total of 12 dishes with the amuse bouches and mignardises).
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Posted by Ed Levine, September 9, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Pappardelle with chocolate-wild boar sauce from Maremma. Photograph by Robyn Lee
I ran into Tuscan uber-chef Cesare Casella over the weekend and he told me that his 35 seat grocery/ restaurant Salumeria Rosi will be opening October 15th. Chefs and restaurateurs always tend to be optimistic when it comes to actual opening dates, so I say stay tuned. Given Cesare's talent and taste, Salumeria Rossi will likely be my go-to Italian spot in the neighborhood. Pasta, salumi, beans, Italian groceries, and sandwiches from Cesare! What could be bad? 283 Amsterdam Avenue, New York NY 10023 (bn. 73rd and 74th Streets; map)
Posted by Ed Levine, September 9, 2008 at 9:45 AM
I'm a huge fan of Michael White's co
