Posted by Kerry Saretsky, November 15, 2008 at 10:00 PM
I know; the first ingredient in this recipe is filet mignon, which may sound like punishment for your pocket. But think of it this way: steak tartare is something most of us ONLY eat at restaurants. This dish is an opportunity to turn yourself into a real restaurant chef, as you make two things you have probably never made at home before: mayonnaise, and steak tartare. If your pantry is stocked like a well equipped arsenal, this recipe should be a cinch, without much added expense or time. Plus, there is no cooking. If the filet mignon is prohibitive, ask your butcher for what he recommends—just be sure to tell him you’re eating it raw!
At Balthazar, the small Steak Tartare sells for $15, the large for $21, plus tax and tip, per order. This recipe serves 6-8. Even with the filet, that’s stretching a buck. Plus, you get to feel like you’re in Paris for the night without paying Air France the price of thirty large Balthazar Steak Tartares.
Go to the recipe »
Posted by Zach Brooks, November 11, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Photograph by Front Studio
I'll admit I know very little about these apple beignets that I saw on the Lunch with Front Studio blog, but the little information I do have (i.e. the photo) makes me know one thing: I want. "Apple slices dipped in dough and deep fried," the ladies of Front Studio do warn that "they are not meant to be ordered in a to-go fashion." Sounds like advice I will be putting to good use very soon.
Cafe Select
212 Lafayette Street, New York NY 10012 (b/n Broome and Spring; map)
212-925-9322
Posted by Ed Levine, October 14, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Photographs by Robyn Lee
Despaña
408 Broome Street, New York, NY 10013 (b/n Lafayette and Centre; map); 212-219-5060; despananyc.com
Service: Friendly but slow
Setting: A ridiculously pleasant, well-curated Spanish specialty food store
Compare It To: Nothing. It's unique
Must-Haves: Picante, Gallego, Iberico Ham (if you want to splurge), and/or the Bonito sandwich
Cost: $12 for a sandwich and a drink (the samples are free)
Grade: A-
When you walk up a few steps and enter Despaña you leave New York and arrive in Spain, where you will find yourself in a gorgeously minimalist Spanish specialty food store. A leg of Jamon Iberico will be on your right, and past that gorgeous porcine ham you will find other cured meats, followed by a small but well-curated collection of Spanish cheeses. Dishes of samples beckon serious eaters like some Flamenco siren call.
On your left are samples of vinegar, olive oil, jams and relishes, and way in the back on the left are high-end Spanish sweets, including an oddly appealing soft honey almond torrone that has a halvah-like texture.
Tear yourself away from the samples. (It's unseemly to avail yourself of too many. I know. I've been there.) Take a look at the gorgeous display case of prepared Spanish foods. There are croquettas, little savory tarts, wedges of tortilla, mini-sandwiches, glistening roasted red peppers, and of course boquerones (superb anchovies).
Buy yourself a nibble or two to start your meal and then peruse the big sign announcing the sandwich possibilities. The sandwiches, my friends (I hope I'm not channeling John McCain here), are a must buy here, as they are models of sandwich construction.
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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.
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Posted by Ed Levine, October 3, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Trying to figure out what to bring to a dinner party can be difficult. Usually, what happens in our circle of friends is people ask me what I want to bring. I'm pretty good on dessert, more than adequate on cheese, and truly terrible on wine or spirits. So I have found the surefire winner to bring to any dinner party is a whole pizza bianca from either Sullivan Street Bakery or Grandaisy.
What is pizza bianca? Here's how Sullivan Street Bakery founder Jim Lahey describes it:
A 6-ft. long light, airy, hand-formed flatbread; porous and bubbly with silky crumb. Accented with extra virgin extra virgin olive oil, coarse sea salt, and rosemary.
Yum! Just take a look at this beauty in its unfurled state.
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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, August 12, 2008 at 10:45 PM
Photographs by Robyn Lee
Papatzul
55 Grand Street, New York NY 10013 (near West Broadway; map); 212-274-8225; papatzul.com
Setting: Casual, pleasant, but I wish our server hadn't decided that watching ESPN was more important than serving us
Compare It To: Dos Caminos, La Palapa, Mi Cocina
Must Haves: Guacamole, Ceviche, Fish Tacos
Grade: A-
New York's food radar is so powerful I used to think it was impossible for any restaurant to fly under it. The food media (both old and new) contributes to this state of affairs, as does our obsession with discovering the latest bit of deliciousness to be had here. But every once in awhile, a restaurant like Papatzul opens, and somehow, some way, the food intelligentsia doesn't notice.
Papatzul opened more than two years ago. Chef-owner Thierry Amezcua had been cooking in serious restaurants like Savoy and Il Buco for ten years when he decided to open a restaurant to serve the food he grew up eating in Mexico City.
I remember reading about it in a Village Voice blurb, but I wasn't spurred into action until my friend Steve, a fellow with solid taste buds, sent me the following email:
Let me take up the cudgel for an authentic nondescript place in the heart of trendy Soho on Grand Street: Papatzul. There's nary a mention on Serious Eats, and it doesn't even have a Zagat number rating. My Cali friend, who transplanted to New York years ago, routinely bemoans the awful Mexican food here, especially the typical mish-mash of Tex-Mex, Cali-Mex, Nuevo Mexicano, and Mex-Mex. He grudgingly went along, and we loved the cantina.
When we raved to the waitress, who was on her first week, she said she'd tell the chef. Owner-Chef Amezcua came over and was beaming. Said he'd bring us some homemade spicy salsa.
Well, the place was crowded (a lot of eye candy, by the way, befitting its location), and we paid the bill, which was pretty gentle for these days. As we left, the chef ran out and grabbed us: "I forgot the salsa, you can't go, I will send you dessert." And we had a lovely dulce de leche ice cream with great pecan brittle ("palanqueta," as I read in the New Yorker review).
Chef said we need to go back for the flautas and beef enchiladas. Some serious cooking is being done in there, and I'd be interested in reading your thoughts if you or your staff ever get a chance to go down there.
Steve's note certainly piqued my interest. What did I find?
Continue reading »
Posted by Joe DiStefano, July 30, 2008 at 12:30 PM
I tend to avoid brand-new restaurants. It’s a defense mechanism; let other folks be beta tasters. But when I heard last week that Jimmy Carbone, the man behind the acclaimed East Village gastropub Jimmy’s No. 43, had just opened 1 Dominick, I threw caution to the wind and headed downtown to this cozy spot that shares a space with Here Arts Center. Focusing on Carbone’s Italian roots, the menu inspired me to forsake my usual outer borough stomping grounds—and I’m glad I did.
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Posted by Zach Brooks, July 29, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Photograph by Front Studio
Lunch w/ Front Studio has the low down on Sage American Kitchen's carrot cake cupcakes: "The cake is almost always moist and all of their frostings have a wee bit of cream cheese that distinguishes them from everyone else." Available at many locations around the city, this particular cupcake was purchased at the McNally Robinson Tea House in SoHo. 52 Prince St, New York NY 10012 (nr. Lafayette; map)
Posted by Ed Levine, July 10, 2008 at 8:15 AM
There are already geeks waiting in line to get the iPhone 3G in Manhattan. Here, Serious Eats mastermouth Ed Levine checks in with his picks for serious eats near the three locations in the Big, er, Apple.
Apple Store, Fifth Avenue
Carts on Sixth Avenue: There are several food vendors who line the sidewalks from 55th Street down to 51st (map), and many are open late. Most serious eaters get the chicken, white sauce, and a little hot sauce, over salad.
Prime Burger: This quirky joint won a James Beard Regional Classic Award and has excellent burgers, pie, and onion rings. 5 East 51st Street, New York NY 10022 (map)
Angelo's Pizza: Call ahead for a pie here, and have one of your line-waiting buddies go on a pizza run. It's a more-than-decent coal-fired brick-oven pie with fresh mozzarella. 117 W 57th Street, New York NY 10019 (map); 212-333-4333
Brooklyn Diner: Excellent and humongous (though expensive) hot dogs and hamburgers that come with estimable onion rings and fries. 212 West 57th Street, New York NY 10019 (map)
Le Pain Quotidien: This is your breakfast option. I love the macaroons and the meringues here. They've got a formerly excellent baguette that's still worth eating. 922 Seventh Avenue, New York NY 10019 (map)
Apple Store, Chelsea
La Taza D'Oro: The rice and beans here will sustain you for a long time. 96 Eighth Avenue, New York NY 10011 (map)
Amy's Bread in Chelsea Market: Here's your breakfast option near the Chelsea store. Get the cheddar biscuit with ham and cheese. 75th Ninth Avenue, New York NY 10011 (map)
Ronnybrook Farm Dairy's Ice Cream: Also in Chelsea Market. You've been waiting a long time. Treat yourself to a shake or malt at the Manhattan outpost of this Upstate dairy farm. 75th Ninth Avenue, New York NY 10011 (map)
Pop Burger: These mini burgers are little, tasty, and come in boxes of two. 58-60 Ninth Avenue, New York NY 10011 (map)
Pinkberry Yogurt: It's a phenomenon. What can I tell you? 170 Eighth Avenue, New York NY 10011 (map)
Apple Store, Soho
Soho Park: Solid burgers and hot dogs. And some good sides, too. 62 Prince Street, New York NY 10012 (map)
La Esquina: Decent tacos, great grilled corn. Inexpensive. 106 Kenmare Street, New York NY 10012 (map)
Lombardi's: One of the few coal-oven pizzerias that delivers. I'd imaging they'd deliver to you in line. Just make sure nobody else waiting tries to masquerade as you when the order shows up. Try the very fine white pie. 32 Spring Street, New York NY 10012 (map)
Ray's Pizza: It actually is the original Ray's. Decent slices. 27 Prince Street, New York NY 10012 (map)
Balthazar Bakery: Here's your Soho breakfast option. Well-constructed sandwiches and excellent baked goods. 80 Spring Street, New York NY 10012 (map)
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Now's a good time to mention that you can view this guide on Serious Eats Mobile: m.seriouseats.com. And because Serious Eats Mobile supports commenting, you can supply live eats intel from the field, from whatever device you're about to upgrade out of. It's as easy as thumb-thumb-thumb-Post a comment!
Posted by Zach Brooks, July 2, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Is there a prettier name than Sofia?
I will name my first born daughter after this sandwich. Well, to be completely honest, my pregnant wife and I decided on the name Sofia long before I ever ate at Alidoro, but I still may claim the sandwich as our inspiration; it's that good. Typical of most offerings at this quaint Italian sandwich shop in Soho, the Sofia is loaded up with fresh Italian ingredients, which in this case included large thick slices of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced-to-order salami, artichokes and an olive spread similar to what you'd get on a muffaletta in New Orleans. The whole thing gets drizzled drenched in olive oil, and the top half of the roll is hollowed out to make room for the artichokes. A perfectly constructed masterpiece.
Serious Eats grand poobah Ed Levine has always touted the greatness of Alidoro, so it was no shock to taste how good the sandwich was. What did surprise me was the little bit I couldn't finish— the sandwiches are huge— retained its deliciousness even after spending two days in the fridge (you may say the secret ingredient is olive oil.) If we end up having a boy, I may have to try the Marcello.
Alidoro
105 Sullivan St., New York NY 10012 (nr. Spring; map)
212-334-5179
Posted by Emily Koh, June 25, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Wedged between the tourist-laden Italian restaurants and hole-in-the-wall Chinese eateries dotting Broome Street, Papabubble is an quiet and unassuming candy shop, making it easy to miss. It's unconventional appearance makes it even harder to distinguish: it is not your father's candy shop of yesteryear—homey and warmly quaint—and it doesn't have that joyful kiddie-friendly pop of Dylan's Candy Bar.
No, it's more like a bizarre fusion of a futuristic kitchen and a mad scientist's lab, with Erlenmeyer flasks filled with mysterious neon liquids on the back wall, alongside brushes, Popsicle sticks, graters, ladles and spatulas. Glass panels cordon off the steel tables of this "candy lab," while the opposite wall is lined with shelves demurely showcasing jars of candy in neat rows. Lollipops and candy rings in Petri dishes glow underneath glass containers, and even bite-sized candies are sold in test tubes by the cashier.
For a place that's supposed to help satisfy your sweet tooth, it's jarringly sterile and disarming. However, people keep coming back, and for a good reason: it's the only candy shop in New York where you can witness the factory process of candy making in front of your eyes, as great fruity globules unfurl and transform into lollipops and candy rings.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 3, 2008 at 8:00 AM
From The Urban Daddy:
That's right, your favorite recently legalized, possibly hallucinogenic liquor has finally made it into ursine gummi form, fresh from Tailor's in-house candy shop (aka, mad scientists Sam Mason and Eben Freeman). You'll mostly taste licorice—it's really the anise in the absinthe—but this gummi is smarter (and boozier) than the av-e-rage bear. It's 85 percent absinthe, with just a touch of gelatin and sugar added to keep things solid.
Available at Tailor, 525 Broome Street, New York NY 10013 (near Sullivan; map); 212-334-5182; tailornyc.com
Posted by Ed Levine, October 12, 2007 at 11:16 AM
Alidoro's namesake sandwich is so delicious I often find myself gravitating there even when I have no other reason to be in Soho.
What's in it? Smoked chicken breast from Nodine's, arugula, and Alidoro (formerly Melampo) dressing.
When Alessandro Gualandi owned this picture-perfect sandwich shop, he would never tell me what was in his dressing, and I'm afraid new owner Walter Momente has been sworn to secrecy. I think it's a caper vinaigrette, but all you really need to know is that it's a delicious complement to the smoked chicken breast and the peppery arugula.
If you're looking for one of those over-stuffed cold Italian heroes the Alidoro is not it.
But if you're after a perfectly balanced sandwich with the right ratio of filling to bread the Alidoro is your kind of sandwich.
Alidoro
Address: 105 Sullivan Street, New York NY 10012 (b/n Spring and Prince)
Phone: 212-334-5179
Posted by Ed Levine, August 22, 2006 at 7:36 AM
"SOME COOKS ONLY KNOW HOW TO COOK DELICIOUS FOOD"
Momofuku's David Chang and his talented crew of cooks are folks that seem to only know how to cook delicious food. So it should be no surprise that the brand new Momofuku Ssam Bar (there's supposed to be two dots, an umlaut, over the a in Ssam, but I can't figure out how to put it in), opening tomorrow (Wed.) at noon, serves food I would happily eat every day if it were in my neighborhood. A ssam translates in Korean into wrapped food of any kind. So what kind of wrap did I try last night? Black beans flavored with ham hocks, kimchee puree that didn't taste like any fermented cabbage salad I'd ever had before, whipped tofu that was as creamy as sour cream, rice, and toothsome Berkshire roast pork. It was the ultimate Korean burrito. I also had phenomenal chicken and pork buns, similar to the ones you get at Momofuku, but made with braised and shredded meat instead, and a vegetarian salad with roasted mushrooms that had me believing there was meat in there somewhere as I wrapped it in a whole lettuce leaf . Think of Momofuku Ssam Bar as a Korean-American version of a Chipotle Grill (and that's a compliment). And unlike Momofuku there's even a few tables for those of us old fogies who like to eat facing one another.
207 Second Avenue at 13th St. 212-254-3500.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, May 15, 2006 at 10:22 PM
THE WEEK IN FOOD IN NEW YORK MAGAZINE AND THE NEW YORKER
- I've already posted about Cafe D'Alsace (_1695 Second Ave., 88th St., 212-722-5133_), which Adam Platt gave one star in this week's New York Magazine. Using his rating system (1-5 Stars, with five being the impossibly perfect restaurant) I would have given CD two stars. Stick to the rib-sticking fare like the housemade sausages, choucroute garni, and the killer hangar steak served with great, just salty enough, french fries, and you'll eat very well indeed.
- Friends' early reports on Sascha have not been positive, so Platt's no star rating is no surprise. The double cheeseburger does sound promising, and I will have one and a couple of the baked goods from the Sascha Bakery in the near future. Based on Gael Greene's typically evocative description the cheeseburger is the only thing I would order at Barmarche (_14 Spring St., nr. Elizabeth, 212-219-2399_).
- Finally, how can you not want to love any restaurant called Pies-N-Thighs (_351 Kent Ave., entrance on S. 5th Street, 347-282-6005_). The savory dishes include all my favorites: pit-smoked pulled pork, fried chicken, mac and cheese and biscuits. For dessert, why pie of course. Double-crusted pie to be exact, something many NY pastry chefs shy away from. Of course the picture of the strawberry rhubarb pie looked pretty soupy. I don't think I'm going to get to Pies-N-Thighs for a couple of weeks, so I need a Serious Eats food explorer to check it out and post about it.
- The New Yorker restaurant reviews have been getting better and better, but this week's review of Momofuku (Momofuku photo courtesy of amateurgourmet), by Lauren Collins, is particularly wonderful. She not only nails the food (she describes it as carbs and animal fat), she describes the energy of the place perfectly. I love Momofuku, and so does Lauren Collins. Go for lunch, when it is a far more relaxed experience than dinner.
Do have the pork buns, a noodle soup, and any vegetable they cook up, because they always seem to put bacon in their vegetables. Here's the Times' review of Momofuku, and New York Magazine's as well. All three are raves, but Lauren Collins seems to articulate the charms of Momofuku most succinctly.
Posted by Ed Levine, May 3, 2006 at 7:27 AM
It was a week of memorable bites:
The prosciutto balls at Joe's Superette on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. There's still very little else on the shelves in the store, but those creamy, tangy, peppery, crunchy prosciutto balls rock. And the best thing: They're 50 cents each. I buy 'em by the dozen. Photo courtesy of iheartbacon
The Kobe Beef appetizer at Morimoto. It's one of the first preparations of Kobe Beef that makes me understand what all the fuss it about, and why it may actually be worth the money. At Morimoto it's carpaccio thin and every little slice is decadently rich, meaty and fatty at the same time. I also have to say that this was the first time I ate in the main dining room at Morimoto, and it was a lot of fun: fun to look at, fun to eat in, and fun to be able to actually talk to my tablemates without screaming. They have these great fiiberglass sheets between the tables that really do soundproof the place.
The cayenne cheese sticks at Murray's Cheese Shop. I have had a ton of cheese sticks in my time, but the Murray's cheesesticks were buttery, tangy and had just the right amount of kick to them.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, February 24, 2006 at 1:01 PM
Three months in the slurping, my chicken soup piece came out Wednesday in the NYTimes. For those of you who don't read the Times, I am going to list my ten favorite chicken soups (I sampled a hundred) here, along with a few others I really liked that just failed to crack the top ten:
- Blue Ribbon Bakery 33 Downing Street (Bedford Street), (212) 337-0404. Matzo ball soup, $7.75.
- Cubana Café 110 Thompson Street (Prince Street), (212) 966-5366. Chicken soup with avocado, tomato, cilantro and yuca (cassava), $5.
- Fred's at Barneys New York 660 Madison Avenue (60th Street), ninth floor, (212) 833-2200.
- Estelle's chicken soup $8.
- Grand Sichuan International 229 Ninth Avenue (24th Street), (212) 620-5200. Chicken and pea shoots, $8.95; chicken with pickled cabbage, $7.95.
- Hearth 403 East 12th Street (First Avenue), (646) 602-1300. Chicken soup with escarole, chicken dumplings and pastina, $12.
- Momofuku Noodle Bar 163 First Avenue (10th Street), (212) 475-7899. Chicken noodle soup with Shanghai thick noodles, onions and scallions, $11.
- New Chao Chow Restaurant 111 Mott Street (between Canal and Hester Streets), (212) 226-2590. Chao Chow wonton soup, $3.50.
- Perry St. 176 Perry Street (West Street), (212) 352-1900. Chicken soup with vegetables, avocado and dill, $13.50.
- Pio Maya 40 West Eighth Street (Avenue of the Americas), (212) 254-2277. Chicken soup, $3.25.
- Sripraphai 64-13 39th Avenue, Woodside, Queens, (718) 899-9599. Chicken soup with mushrooms, coconut milk and galangal; Cornish hen in hot and sour soup (tom-zap), both $7.
A few others I really enjoyed:
- Akdeniz 19 W. 46th Street (bet. Fifth and Sixth Aves.) 212-575-2307; Slightly creamy chicken soup that comes to life with a squeeze of the lemon they serve it with.
- Al Bustan 827 Third Avenue (bet. 50th and 51st Sts.) 212-759-5933 Lebanese Chicken soup enlivened with the same lemon squeeze and, surprisingly, a touch of cinnamon.
- Azuri Cafe 465 W.51st (between 9th and 10th Aves.) 212-265-2920; I was lovin' the chicken soup here until I put the first piece of matzo ball in my mouth. It was ice cold. So I cut up the matzo balls into little pieces and let them sit in the soup for a minute or two to heat them up. Brilliant!
- Brooklyn Diner USA: 212 W. 57th Street (between Broadway and Seventh Ave.) 212-977-2280; Fine classic chicken soup with moist chicken and a toothsome broth.
- Teresa's 103 First Avenue (between 6th and 7th Sts.) 212-228-0604; If the noodles were al dente at this Polish coffee shop, this bargain chicken soup ($2.75) would have cracked the top ten.
