Field Trip: Flushing

Every Sunday I wake up wanting the same thing: dumplings, scallion pancakes, and any other variation of Chinese food. Never had I ventured east to Flushing, the true Chinatown of New York, and I decided today was the day I'd swipe my Metrocard and board the 7-local until its terminus. My guide was well versed in the diverse Flushing scene, so we resto-hopped around all afternoon. It was a great time, with nothing but delicious and interesting bites along the way. We even met some random people who happened to be the cinematographers from Kite Runner.

I'm going to opt to let my pictures tell a thousand words, but needless to say, it was a great, quintessentially New York experience. The standout was the Muslim Lamb Chop, a dish from Manchuria which is without question one of the best things I've eaten in New York to date. Smothered in a rub with cumin and fennel seed, these chops are more like lamb spare ribs. The crispy skin top rivaled the most delicious bacon I've eaten (read more here). We sopped up the rub and juice with pillowly scallion pancakes.



here we go...Main St-Flushing



first stop: peking duck buns



from bird to buns...these were delightful and transcendent



white bear for some spicy wontons



spicy, delicate, juicy. awesome.



soup dumplings, or bust



little parcels of soup and pork: ideal for a chilly February afternoon



next stop: muslim lamb chops



behold: the best lamb dish in New York



the aftermath



some sweets before the westbound 7-train



like flan, in a pastry crust. must try coconut next time.



Until we meet again...

Naples or Bust

Of all the cuisines in New York, Italian has to be the most pervasive. For good reason, the varied regional cuisine of the boot-shaped peninsula offers something for everyone. The most salient contribution from Italy is of course Pizza.

My friends and I ambitiously planned a pizza tour of the city last summer. Due to recessionary dining, pizza has had a sort of renaissance and a lot of great places opened up. One of those new places was Keste--and I finally had a chance to sample their Neapolitan pies this weekend.

The Bleecker Street restaurant is long, narrow, and boisterous. After a brief wait, my brother and I were seated and immediately noticed were the only people around us speaking English. It actually felt that were had left New York and were in some pizzeria in Naples. Adding to the tourist experience was my camera lying on the table.

Getting back to the pizza, Keste is a typical Neapolitan pie. The pizzas are individualized, a little sloppy and wet, with chewy, soft dough. Most of the pies are made with buffalo mozzarella (awesome) and I opted for the namesake pie that came with arugula, prosciutto, and Parmesan. It was a great pie. I found the crust a little chewy, but the ingredients were awesome. It was a knife-and-fork kind of pizza, not a fold in half and pick up slice. If you want New York pizza, go elsewhere--this stuff is the same food you'd be serve anywhere in Italy. I enjoy Neapolitan pizza because it feels more like a complete meal as opposed to a late night snack, and I left Keste feeling satisfied but a little bit disappointed when I walked outside and realized I was still in New York.

The next big pizza place to open is Keith McNally's Pulino...stay tuned.

Momo-Birthday

In celebration of my 27th year, I secured a reservation at one of the more coveted tables in New York: Momofuku Noodle Bar's Fried Chicken dinner. After a month of anticipation, I finally had the meal I had been hearing so much about since it opened up in 2009.

I love fried chicken in theory, but rarely eat it in practice. First, it is not a nutritionally balanced meal. Second, chicken bones are a real turn off. Third, when fried chicken fails, it fails spectacularly. After months of hearing the food glitterati obsess over this meal, I figured this fried chicken had to be worth it.

And it was. The chicken itself really was amazing. Of the two preparations, the korean version comes triple-fried, perfectly crispy, and coated in a delicious sauce. The Old Bay version initially struck me as a little plain, but as I dressed housemade pancakes with greens and the variety of sauces that arrived at our table, I sort of fell for the Old Bay. It was more a palate for you to design the perfect seasoning for your chicken as opposed to the Korean, which was harder to play around with.

The pieces of chicken seemed to come from some superbird. Orbs of chicken are bursting with white meat that was so tender and so juicy it made me re-think the kind of flavors a chicken can yield. The mammoth plate of chicken that arrived at our table was a formidable foe for myself and my five diners. I regret to say, we were defeated, leaving a few pieces leftover.

We ordered rice cakes and pork buns in addition to the bird, which are standards for Momofuku. Consensus was that the rice cakes are better at noodle bar, and the pork buns superior at Ssam. To top off a great meal, we ventured to Milk Bar (in the delightful late February weather). I opted for the cream cheese frosting and red velvet twist ice cream which restored my faith in the Milk Bar's flavor palate. After a couple months of interesting yet not delicious flavors (e.g. Salt and Pepper), the cream cheese frosting ice cream stopped me dead in my tracks. The texture was airy and it was chilled perfectly. Like the best ice creams that Milk Bar has churned out over the years (cap'n crunch, lucky charms, old-fashioned donut, root beer), it cannot be accurately described in words. You just have to see for yourself...and bring me along too.

The Little Owl That Could

I first visited The Little Owl before I moved to London (translation: a long time ago). The jewel-box sized restaurant is a quintessential West Village establishment: a little cramped, a little too expensive, and a little snooty. I don't mean any of these descriptions pejoratively, more like this is what you should expect when you eat out west of 6th Avenue.

My first visit was memorable, so much so that I kept trying to go back but between ridiculously long wait times and reservations books being filled weeks in advance, I decided to give up on it. Last night, I triumphantly returned with my brother. Now, most know my tendency to exaggerate, but I have to say, this was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Everything about this meal went right from start to finish and I left feeling really invigorated and ready to make myself a regular at this West Village eatery.

One reason the Little Owl and I are made for each other is the menu is full of exactly the kind of food I generally always want: comfort food or modern twists on classic American dishes. Immediately I was drawn to the broccoli soup. It came with bread covered in cheddar and bacon, creating that heavenly combination of broccoli and cheddar. The soup arrived and was a rich, hunter green color. The soup was not smothered by a heavy cream, instead, it was the flavor cruciform vegetable which was showcased. The crostini that floated atop the green liquid provided a richness and fuller flavor that only dairy and pork could do. Aside from burning my tongue on the soup (I am always to eager when it comes to food), I cannot remember a time I have enjoyed soup more.

For my main dish, I opted for two more starters...the legendary gravy meatball sliders (a blend of veal, pork, beef, and pecorino) and the ricotta cavatelli (more pecorino and more bacon). Presentation wise, the restaurant combined these on a single plate, making my childish picking and choosing of appetizers look more like a grown up dinner.

The cavatelli were tender, little morsels with a great tomato broth that was perfectly acidic. The bacon provided some smokiness to counter the creaminess of the ricotta-based dish and the light dusting pecorino melted into the pasta creating a warm, bowl of all things I love in this world. I never gravitate toward pasta, but this is something I would come back to over and over again. Nothing could be better for a cold, damp January night.

There is no better accompaniment to the cavatelli than the transcendent gravy sliders. These are beyond your typical burger bites. They're sloppy, juicy, and the meat blend makes them so flavorful and rich, you will think about them for months to come. The bread the sliders come on does a great job sopping up the gravy that oozes from these little devils and I cannot think of a better slider in Manhattan or ever. I hardly remember what I was talking about when I was eating them because I was so lost in them. My brother went with the crispy chicken, which arrived looking proud (TC season 2 ref!) and perfectly cooked. John gave it high marks and it is rare I'm envious of a chicken dish, but suffice to say I was.

Then the dessert menu was brought out. I tend to avoid desserts because 1) my palate prefers savory to sweet and 2) calories are precious and I try not to waste them. However, my eyes popped out at every single dessert on the menu. I considered the raspberry beignets, not atypical these days, but the addition of raspberry always changes the game for me. Even the pear crisp crossed my mind, despite not being a huge pear proponent. There was one dessert which was a clearly must have for me.

The easiest way to my heart is through root beer (seriously, this is true). I have loved root beer for as long as I can remember. Living abroad, I would pay a 10x markup for a warm can of the stuff. At the NC State Fair, I had root beer so delicious that I pretty much would pay $100 to have a glass of it right now. Throw in some vanilla ice cream, bits of dark chocolate, and a couple of raspberries and you basically have created the most perfect dessert. Little Owl did just that. Again, I found myself complete enraptured in my food for the second or even third time that night. The root beer that came with the float was Olde Brooklyn, which was pretty decent as far as NY-based bottled root beers go (the best come out of a barrel at state fair). The addition of chocolate and raspberry added some flavors not normally found in the traditional soda shoppe version of the drink and really are what made this special for me.

Wrapping up, Little Owl is a great, NY restaurant...it's the kind of place that reminds why you put up with all that comes with living here (high taxes, crowds, the 6 train on Saturday night). I clearly will be back to make sure this was not a fluke visit, but I'm pretty sure it was not. Still thinking about that root beer float. Wow.

Gamechanger?

Burgers and pizza could sustain me forever. In an effort to reign my caloric intake, I've unfortunately had to curb the consumption of my beloved foods. However, certain occasions inspire me to forget about calorie counting and when my London bruv Aly Patel rolls into town, all bets are off.

I figured that it was finally time try out Bill's Bar & Burger in the Meatpacking. After they announced that they are opening up a massive outpost in 45 Rock (I work on the 7th floor of 45 Rock), I needed to figure out if this place was legit. I now fear that all my gym time over the past year might be a waste if I am an elevator-ride away from these delicious patties.

My gold-standard for burgers in New York is the Shack Burger. Bill's is on that level...plain and simple. The meat is wonderfully delicate and really well seasoned. The American cheese that tops it melts into the bun and meat and is unpretentious. The special sauce is not that special: thousand island dressing, but it works really well. The bun looks like the picture perfect sesame seed bun from a McDonald's commercial. The whole thing melted in my mouth and made me want ten more burgers (and once upon time, I could have polished off another ten).

The fries that come with it are awesome. They are even more awesome when covered in brisket chili: which is smoky and rich and turns the fries into a formidable side to the burger itself. I left most of them on the plate, but Aly P cleared his. I'm sure if Lord B was in town, he would have eaten us both under the table.

Bill's is definitely a worthy adversary to the Shack. It's also open "very late" on weekend evenings--meaning a post-Saturday night stopover is likely. Rumor has it the dogs are pretty delicious too. Just when you think the burger movement has reached a saturation point, Bill's comes along and remakes the landscape.

Times They Are A Changin'

Late in December, Tom Colicchio announced he was closing Craftsteak, and re-opening it as Colicchio & Sons. The time for high-flying steakhouses was over Tom explained and he was excited to get back to his culinary roots from way back when he used to run things over at GramTav.

Craftsteak holds a special place for me, mostly because my brother slaved away as maitre'd there for 18 months. The service has always been impeccable and the staff makes you feel welcome in what could be considered a very intimidating restaurant.

My brother's erstwhile maitre'd status earned us a coveted invitation to the friends and family preview of the restaurant. After a near crisis situation, we showed up last night to try Tom's new place.

The menu is simple, concise, and well-balanced. The biggest departure from the Craft-empire establishments is the lack of sides. The dishes here are complete thoughts, as opposed to fragments the diner can assemble any which way he/she wants. I opted for the gnocchi with marrow, truffles, and chestnuts while my bro decided on some white bean agnolotti (which he raved about). The gnocchi were like little down pillows and the richness of the marrow and chestnut oozed its way deep inside the potato dumpling to give it a bold, warm flavor. Really great way to start.

Entreewise nothing was screaming at my name, so I let the server do the deciding. I opted for the pancetta-wrapped monkfish. The execution on this dish was flawless--the fish was perfectly cooked and pancetta armor was not too crispy nor too flabby. Sometimes the flavor of the pancetta overwhelmed the fish a little, but I was on board with this. The dish came surrounded by beets cooked in cider, creating a makeshift sauerkraut (I think I read Tom borrowed this from a Top Chef contestant). It added a nice acidity to it all.

At the behest of one of the managers, we order a cheese course and two desserts. I ordered coconut cream donuts with lime jelly and caramel ice cream. The flavors were spot on, though a little out of place for the season I'd say. The donuts were long, tubular pastries with ample filing. The ice cream at Chef Tom's establishment has always been revelatory--this was no different. My brother opted for a peanut butter parfait, which looked like it had been created straight out of a dream of mine. The cheese course was a nice way to finish the meal and nice to see a cheese trolley rolling around a restaurant floor these days.

I enjoyed Colicchio & Sons immensely. It definitely is much more low-key than its opulent predecessor which I think is a shrewd move on Mr. Colicchio's part. I'm not sure anything I ate was really revolutionary, but everything was really delicious. The front half of the restaurant will be more casual and I think that section might become part of my normal rotation.

Resolutions

While most people grapple with foods and eating habits they are trying to curb in the new year, PJ Eats A Lot thinks about what else he needs to be eating. Here are my New Year's resolutions:

1. Eat at Minetta Tavern. This is long overdue and frankly embarrassing at this point that I still have not even step foot in this place
2. Spend more time in the outer boroughs...Queens especially. Sometimes I find Brooklyn like Manhattan East when it comes to food. Some great places, but nothing really that different than what I am eating here. Queens has some amazing ethnic options that need to be tested.
3. Take more pictures. Time to combine my love of food with my love of photography. The G11 needs to be a constant dining companion.
4. Preempt the press. Much like I did with Maialino, it is nice to beat the critics to the restaurants. Your experience is unbiased with the thoughts of Sam Sifton or Adam Platt and it is always interesting to compare notes when the reviewers finally weigh in.
5. Do more food events. One of my favorite food experiences of 2009 was attending Le Fooding, which brought together Parisian and New York chefs. It was a unique way to spend a night and I'm always looking for new ways to experience food.

The Best of 2009

I am obsessed with annual Top 10 lists—I love making them and reading other people’s perspective on what was great in a year. So, it should come as no surprise, I am ranking my Top 10 meals / food experiences of 2009. This is a difficult list to make. Meals are fleeting experiences—unlike a great song, you cannot eat to it over and over again (unless you are willing to shell out for it over and over again). Anyway, here were my favorite meals of the year:

January 2009: Tom’s Tuesday Dinner. It’s crazy to think back when my brother was still working for the Craft empire, but he was able to wrangle us a four-top for Tom’s Tuesday Dinner. My experience with set tasting menus is that about 75% of the plates are great and the rest are either average of failures. The meal definitely had some high notes (pig’s trotter, lobster) and some low notes (undercooked lamb, brebis panna cotta). One of the more memorable moments came when Chef Tom came over to our table and we are stared blankly at him, completely starstruck. Chef Tom later fell down during the service and our table had to bit our tongues to refrain from laughter.

April 2009: Corton. I actually was rather impressed with Corton. The space was really warm and inviting, especially considering the price point and managed to retain a downtown feel while serving high-end cuisine. My memory of the meal is somewhat hazy—but I do remember really enjoying all aspects of it. Strangely enough, the two items that made a huge impression on me were the petit fours (salted caramel, delicious) and the butter selection. I actually caught myself at one point eating butter straight from the plate. Rest assured, I had my cholesterol checked over the summer and all is well.

March 2009 / May 2009: Scarpetta. I really enjoy Scarpetta. The first time I went, I was really impressed with the pasta dishes and the wine selection. My general quip with the place is the $20+ priced spaghetti, but it is the best spaghetti I’ve eaten, Italy included. Other standouts include the black cod, which is hard to think of outside the Nobu context, but it is nicely acidic and deliciously Mediterranean. Interestingly enough, one of my favorite desserts of the year was served to me here: a coconut / passion fruit panna cotta that blew my mind away. Still dreaming about that one.

July 2009: Market Table. This West Village restaurant had always been on my radar but there was always someplace else that I wanted to try first. A friend and I went during the summer and I was thoroughly impressed with the locavore cuisine and the impeccable service. The skate wing was by far my favorite, lightly sautéed, perfectly crispy and tender. Like many New York restaurants, the price was the downfall of the meal—but all and all, a great spot, especially for the organic, locally grown food lovers.

July 2009 / October 2009: DBGB. I was ready to crown DBGB my favorite new restaurant of the year (until Maialino complicated matters for me), but it definitely is still a contender. This is one restaurant that my friends and I are mixed on. For me, the appeal of DBGB is the sausage. I do not consider myself an aficionado of sausage, but at DBGB, sausage is why you go. My two personal favorites are the Vermont and Beaujolaise, but I intend to continue trying more varieties in 2010 (New Year’s Resolution!). The feedback I’ve heard on the burgers is mixed—I thoroughly enjoyed mine though. Lastly, the ice cream sundaes are perfect for grownups who love eating like children (aka me).

August 2009: Aldea. I’ve written about my experience here, so I will keep it brief, but I adored this place. It is worth a visit alone for the arroz con pato (rice with duck) which ranks among my top 10 dishes of the year (maybe a post on that will come over the holiday break). I am definitely interested in going back to Aldea sometime in the New Year (once the crowds disappear for a few months) to see what other interesting dishes the chef is putting out…but honestly, the arroz con pato, with its classically Spanish ingredients is the star here.

August 2009: Locanda Verde. I’m loco for locanda. I was wowed by this neighborhood Italian place in the Greenwich hotel. I’m still thinking about the crostini with ricotta or the unbelievable lamb sliders or rabbit terrine. I hate the fact that this place is perpetually mobbed and I have yet to return (though I have tried on numerous occasions). It’s a great example of the restaurants that were great in 2009: straightforward, reasonable, delicious cooking…with a cheap wine list to boot.

Weekly, since Spring 2009: Num Pang. I cannot exclude this restaurant from my list. If an establishment can manage to capture my business upwards of thrice a week, they deserve a gold star. The sandwiches at this place never cease to amaze me. The old reliable, Duroc Pulled Pork, is probably the most important sandwich I’ve ever eaten. The brisket sandwich is decadently fatty, rich, and juicy. The catfish is a lighter option that benefits from a nice drizzle of sriracha. The shrimp, a slighter sweeter option perfect for a hot summer day. I order the corn, the lentil soup, and the grilled vegetables. All are winners. I cannot hype this place enough.

November 2009: Maialino. One of my more recent posts was about Maialino, so I do not really have much else to add here. I definitely need to try Maialino again before I bestow more effusive praise upon it, but I am confident in Danny Meyer’s ability to get a restaurant right (see: Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Café, Shake Shack, etc.). If you visit Maialino, be sure to get the namesake entrée…it is the best piece of pork I’ve eaten to date.

The Best Meal of 2009
July 2009: Cinc Sentits. What a cop out. My favorite meal of 2009 was a meal I had abroad! In Barcelona, my other favorite city in the world, my friends and I went to Cinc Sentits. Everything about this restaurant was flawless. The foie gras I had melted and was perfectly crisped in its sugar shell. The cochinillo (suckling pig) was near perfect (just one notch below Maialino’s). The canneloni’s were perfectly cooked, not too chewy and rich and hearty. The wine list started at 10 euros. My absolute favorite part of the meal was the amuse bouche: it was a shot of warm maple syrup, cream, finished with rock salt. I have never tasted anything it like before and am doubtful I will taste anything like in the near term. Definitely among the best meals of my lifetime.

The Folly of Buzz

Ever since the John Dory closed, everyone was clamoring for the low-key sister restaurant situated in the Ace Hotel called the Breslin. Myself included, having been enamored with The Spotted Pig (same proprietors), ever since my first visit 4 years ago, I had high expectations for this place. I would have to say that while my meal at the Breslin was delicious, and some items I thought were amazing, it fell just short of what I had envisioned.

First off, the Breslin is packed. I went with my brother around 6:45, hoping to beat the 7:00 rush. We did, just barely, and were seated in about 25 minutes. The setting is nice--not anything revelatory, but comfortable nonetheless.

The menu was a nice length--I loathe menus that are chock full of dishes. I am of the opinion that a restaurant can only do so many things perfectly and they should serve only those items. As it was my brother's birthday, we decided to cover the gamut of dishes: scotch egg to start, plate of terrines, pig's foot, and fries. For those averse to swine, options are more limited. This place is definitely a palace of pork and they are very unapologetic about that fact.

The scotch egg rolled out first and probably was my favorite of the night. It was caked then crisped in a luscious breading and sausage stuffing, the egg oozed perfectly when you cut into it, and had a delicious, almost breakfasty flavor. Both my brother and I are still talking about it.

The terrines rolled out next. I have been more willing to give terrines a second chance lately. When done correctly, they really are amazing...when done poorly, they are loathsome. The Breslin nailed the four terrines we ordered: Guinea hen with morels / Rustic Pork / Rabbit & prune / Head Cheese. I pretended to forget what head cheese is, but it was still tasty. My favorite was probably the rustic pork or the guinea hen with morels...mostly because I adore morels. At this point in the meal, I was full, but alas, we had a beast (literally) of an entree heading our way.

On our servers recommendation, we opted for pig's foot. This name is misleading, as our server pointed out, as the dish is really the pigs lower leg, from knee to hoof. It is stuffed with more pig and is probably the most pork-tastic dish one could conceive. This is when I was a little let down. The dish is meant for two and could be easily shared amongst a foursome. The meat was tender and flavorful. However, it was too mushy and there was too much of it. The texture was kind of like really rare hamburger meat (though it was cooked properly) and there was not enough balancing items to add a crispness or crunch to the dish. When I did add some of the sides, it improved the dish, but not by enough. It was almost like glorified baby food.

The side of thrice cooked chips, however, were a totally different animal. They were very salty (not necessarily a bad thing btw), had a crispy shell with a warm and soft interior. The dipping sauce that accompanied tasted of something from India, but I still can't pinpoint what. They were awesome. The fries were recently dubbed the best in New York--I do not agree with that (Pommes Frites still does it for me), but they are definitely in the outstanding category.

So, all in all, I would given the Breslin a good not great. In the Breslin's defense, this was the second week of dinner service, so the kitchen still may be working through recipes and ideas. I would probably go back--certainly after the initial craze wears off.

Tis the Season (New Restaurants!)

Sorry for the hibernation: a looming work deadline impaired my ability to dine around town. Now that time has come and gone and I can resume my culinary pursuits.

First stop was Maialino, the new Danny Meyer restaurant located in the Gramercy Park Hotel. The space was formerly Wakiya, a critically panned, pan-Asian restaurant. Meyer took over the space earlier in the year and made a quick turnaround to get the spot up and running by the holidays.

I managed to snag an 8:30, Friday night reservation a week after opening, which ranks highly on my reservation coup list. Expectations were high: early buzz was strong and I was eager to eat some real food as opposed the seamless web grub I had been relegated to over the past few weeks.

Our foursome was sat in a spacious booth. We decided family style was the best to experience this place, so we covered the menu, hitting antipasti, pastas, and entrees.

We started with some cured meats (can rarely go wrong here), octopus, and fried artichokes. The restaurant also graciously sent over a plate a special pate that they were offering that night. Everything was spot on--though my favorite were the artichokes. They were lightly fried, perfectly crispy, but still retaining their earthy flavor. I could have eaten them like candy.

Next up our pasta and entrees emerged from the kitchen. The house speciality is called Maialino, which is a suckling pig. I fell in love with suckling pig when I visited Segovia, north of Madrid. It is unabashedly fatty, tender, and delicious when prepared right. Maialino's blew me away. It was an epic piece of meat (meant for two, our foursome was handily defeated by it) but it was the most tender piece of pork I had ever eaten in my life. I'm still thinking about it two weeks later. To complement, we ordered the half chicken. We all agreed that ordering chicken at a restaurant is certainly a faux pas, but this was chicken re-imagined. It was perfectly cooked, with a crispy skin and tender breast meat. It was a perfect companion to the Maialino. The pasta was also a triumph, freshly made, perfectly cooked, and wonderfully flavored.

Full from our feast, we opted for apertifs in lieu of a more sugary afterthought. My experience at Maialino was one of the more positive I've ever had in New York. The atmosphere is wonderfully unpretentious, the food delicious, the prices reasonable. I read an article that mentioned Danny Meyer wanted to make this a neighborhood restaurant and that he is not trying to cultivate an elitist reservation regime that certain restaurateurs (ahem, McNally, Carter) seem infatuated with. This is a wonderful breath of fresh air for New Yorkers and I think Maialino is an exciting new place that will be around for a while.

Seafood on Sunday

It has been a while since I had the privledge of eating a great, new restaurant in New York City. Finally, on Sunday night, myself and two friends went to Marea, the new restaurant by Michael White (Alto, Convivio). Marea is Italian-inspired like Alto and Convivio, but definitely bent toward creatures of the sea.

The space did not seem like it had a huge makeover since the restaurant's previous tenant: San Domenico. The room is comfortable and warm with a more mature crowd (this was Columbus Circle, not Washington Square after all). We were seated promptly and perused the (too) extensive menu and decided the best way to experience it was a reasonable $89 prix fix menu that hit the main areas of the menu (antipasti / crudo, pasta, main, dessert). The menu was plentiful in lobster and octopus, which garnered no complaints from anyone.

I opted to start with the lobster and burrata. A sucker for lobster and for any cheese, this was a match made in heaven for me and was executed perfectly. The lobster was tender and delicate and not stringy in anyway. The burrata soft and creamy--an interesting contrast to the crustacean. An impressive first start to the show. My only quip with this dish was that it seemed more apropos for a summertime meal, rather than a mid-autumn's supper.

Up next was the pasta course. A slight aside, I have never been a huge pasta lover despite my Italian heritage, though I do enjoy a great pasta course when it's done right. I opted for the fusili with octopus and bone marrow. It was in a spicy, tomato sauce that sometimes had a little to much heat for my palate. The fusili was chewy--I'm on the fence about whether this inhibited or amplified the dish. It was hard for me to taste the marrow. My friend who ordered it as well had similar comments on it: good, not great. I have to admit, I was a tad envious of my other dining mate who ordered lobster ravioli (always a great call)--though it was described as being very heavy, in a good way.

Main courses rolled out soon thereafter (the restaurant had great pacing, btw). The branzino was great: tender and moist. I wish there could have been a little more flavor to the actual fish but it was surrounded by sides that more than compesnated. It came with pancetta--which you can never go wrong with (I would have preferred mine slightly crispier) and brussel sprouts. It was a pleasing course that left me satisfied but not stuffed. However, I would not consider it revelatory--especially because I had something similar at Alto a few months prior.

Oddly enough, my taste for dessert has virtually dried up over the past few months. But off we went to the final course. I asked the server for her recommendation and she immediately chimed back with the Polenta (which was not something I had even considered) but I went with it anyway. She was spot on with this choice. This dessert was inspired. The crispy polenta reminded me of a high-end doughnut / fried dough / funnel cake and it had a rich marscapone ice cream that really just made the dish even better. My friend got an affogato, which she had been talking about since dining at Convivio over the summer which was also amazing (think an amazing rich and delicious iced coffee).

So, the final verdict on Marea. Glad I went and tried it. The food was great but not some place I'd rush back to given the variety of other places in New York. It's an ideal place to take the parents (or have the parents take you) and is a nice addition to the city's fine dining scene.

Aging Gracefully

In honor of turning 24 a couple years ago, I took a group of my friends to Craftbar in the Flatiron. It was an average meal: large meals are difficult to negotiate, but the food was pretty basic and not that interesting.

However, I have returned to Craftbar a couple times since and each time have been impressed with the food, menu selection, and atmosphere. I definitely got the impression that the Craft empire decided to devote more resources to its more casual outpost and it has paid off. I recently went on a Thursday night. The restaurant was lively and warm. The menu was seasonal: lots of hearty vegetables, sturdy proteins, and heady sauces.

The starters at Craftbar are great: they have risotto balls, which are delicious morsels of rice with pecorino laced throughout. I went for a mushroom and fontina bruschetta which had a nice variety of hearty mushrooms. For the main, I went for a classic, or at least a classic in my mind: duck confit with chestnuts. When I walked into the restaurant, I had intended to order fish, but the duck and server sold me on it. The duck confit was great, the chestnuts a nice accompaniment. All and all, a perfect meal for the chilly November night.

It's rare I give restaurants second chances after an average experience...Craftbar is one of the few I have given another go and it has succeeded. Mercat is another restaurant which I think has improved a lot since its opening a few years back. It's a lot of fun when you can see tangible progress in a restaurant but in a city where there are so many dining options, first impressions still are most important.

Pumpkin Party

It is no secret I love pumpkin flavored anything. However, I feel very strongly that pumpkin should only be consumed in the autumn months (from late September to Thanksgiving to be exact). A sort of tradition has emerged where my friends and I spend a Saturday in October consuming the finest pumpkin treats NYC has to offer. It also has become tradition that the weather be as unpleasant as possible. Here is a breakdown of Pumpkinfest 2009.

First we started with "old reliable," Sugar Sweet Sunshine. This Lower East Side bakery is legendary for its cupcakes, cakes, and trifles, and the pumpkin trifle here is the gold standard by which pumpkin desserts should be measured. It is essentially pumpkin cake, vanilla pudding, and whipped cream, all mashed together in a cup. It is amazing. What makes it for me is the vanilla pudding because it adds silkier and denser texture than just whipped cream would. I only opted for a few bites as we had to pace ourselves given the ambitious agenda we had ahead of us.

Next up, we realized our proximity to Doughnut Plant, an NY establishment known for having some of the best doughnuts in the country. I had never been, so I was thrilled to sample it on Pumpkinfest of all days. DP offered two kinds of pumpkin doughnuts: cake (think old-fashioned) and yeast (think glazed). The man running the shop that afternoon recommended both, and who were we to turn him down? I was partial to the cake doughnut, because it reminded me of the doughnuts I used to eat at cider farms growing up and I like the denser consistency. This was a matter of preference however, as my friend preferred the yeast. Aside from the out of this world doughnuts (which I would eat anytime, by the way), the store was a great place to people watch.

Our final destination was Stand, a Greenwich Village diner I've mentioned before. I had read they had a pumpkin milkshake that was delicious (after all, the toasted marshmallow comes from there), so off we went to try. Stand was definitely the most controversial outing of the day. First of all, the service was pretty deplorable, though we learned it was our server's first day. As for the shake itself, reviews were decidedly mixed. I liked it, another friend thought it was fine, and another thought it was down right terrible. It definitely tasted more like pumpkin the squash as opposed to pumpkin in pumpkin pie, if that makes any sense. It was not a heavy on the nutmeg and cinnamon so typical of pumpkin desserts, but I appreciated the brightness of the pumpkin flavor on its own. We also managed to scarf down a plate of onion rings, which gave our palates a nice break from nonstop sweets.

After it was all said and done, my consensus winner was the donut plant pumpkin cake doughnut. Last year, I gave the milkshake at Ronnybrook in Chelsea Market the blue ribbon, which still haunts my dreams. Until Autumn 2010!

On an unrelated note, secured Marea reservations in early November!

Lunch Break!

Aside from all the great restaurants that New Yorkers have access to, most of us eat at them no more than a few times per week. There are a plethora of ordinary, boring, restaurants which sustain me throughout the work week, especially when it comes to trying to figure out what to eat at lunchtime.

I gave up long ago to try and find routine lunch spots that are unique, savory, and cheap. The point of a work lunch is to sustain you until dinner; gustatory sensibilities are not something to consider.

However, once and a while, I try to make the midtown lunches a little less monotonous and try something new. Yesterday I finally ventured to the Schnitzel Truck, stationed for the day at 52nd and 6th. I already had tried to visit this truck before, but was confronted with a formidable queue. I still battled a line of about 30 minutes for Schnitzel, but have to say, it was one of the better lunches I've had in midtown to date and would hurry back next time they were around.

For those unclear about what Schnitzel is, it is a deliciously fried, paper-thin pounded piece of protein. Austrian by birth, it traditionally is veal (Weiner Schintzel), however the truck offers chicken, pork, and cod. I opted for chicken, and got two sides: mesclun salad and chick pea salad for $10. The price seemed steep, but the portions were admirable, even bountiful.

As for the food itself, wow. I was impressed--as apparently many were because the truck won Rookie Food Truck of the Year at the most recent Vendie awards. The meat was perfectly thin, crispy, but not greasy and really tender. The mesclun salad was--well a mesclun salad, but the chickpea salad added a nice taste of the Mediterranean through balsamic vinegar and olive dressing. As I mentioned, the portions were huge and I felt really satisfied afterward, but not immobile for the afternoon. In fact, I never slipped into my afternoon food coma which has been haunting me lately.

I'm a big believer in the food trucks (both savory and sweet), and will be devoting more blogtime to them. They are uniquely New York and really add a layer to our food scene that no other city can really rival.

Back to Ssam

With a friend visiting to New York for the first time since January, all the talk I heard about Ssam Bar at the Bruni event on Friday, and my general longing to have a delicious meal close to my apartment, I ventured back to Ssam Bar for the third time on Sunday night.

Ssam Bar is the second David Chang restaurant in Manhattan, after the Noodle Bar. Ssam Bar started off having these odd korean burritos, which I cannot say I ever managed to try. It morphed over the years and became a famous swine peddler after putting the pork bun on the map sometime in 2007. It has since lost the korean burritos and has ascended the ranks to join an elite grouping of restaurants that has earned 3-stars from the New York Times. The food is always compelling and interesting when I go, and as Frank Bruni aptly said, it is a great restaurant to go to understand what is going on in the New York dining scene right now.

I do have my quips about Ssam Bar. First off, my friend and I got sat at the bar. The tables are not that much more appealing since the chairs are basically tiny stools, so comfort is not a priority here. Momofuku Ko was actually more offensive on this point truth be told. Second, paper napkins, and lots of them. This was actually useful because the food gets messy, but it creates additional clutter on an already crowded surface.

The service at Ssam Bar is delightfully casual. They are not stuffy nor pretentious and when you ask for recommendations, they do so with a fervor that assures you that they actually like the food they are telling you to order. I went with the server's thoughts for both my dishes and have to say, was pleased with her thoughts.

The star of my evening was a rib sandwich that I would say was one of best starters I've had at a restaurant in the past 12 months. The sandwich is Chang's take on a McRib. It has comes topped with slaw and is really messy and tender. The bread is lightly grilled so it comes across as panini-esque. I dabble sriracha gently on the dish to add a little spice. My friend ordered the classic pork buns, which did not seem to disappoint either.

My entree was a monkfish with ham broth and barley. The fish was really gently prepared and tasted great against the ham broth. It was a lot of pork flavor, but the fish held up well against it and the barley added another level of texture to the dish. It was a great autumn dish but was still light and did not leave me feeling immobile afterward. My friend ordered the pork shoulder, which she noted was good, but seemed a tad rare.

We opted to head elsewhere for dessert, though I can recommend the pb&j dessert ssam offers based on a previous visit. As I thought about the meal, I definitely can say I loved my food. I've been thinking about the rib sandwich hourly since then. However, benchmarking the meal against other recent 3-star meals I've been lucky enough to eat over the past year (e.g. Corton, Scarpetta, Alto, The Modern, even Momofuku Ko) I just cannot compare it as favorably. I guess I still think of the star system as requiring elements beyond food--chairs, for example. That being said, I still am a huge lover of the Ssam Bar and will continue to patronize the place...but I better not see any 4-star reviews anytime soon.

Burger Moments

As part of the New York Food & Wine Festival, one of the main events is the burger bash. This event is a tasting of burgers from chefs far and wide. Needless to say, this is one of the hardest tickets in town to get. Aside from the limited quantity, they are pricey: $200 per ticket.

I figured the best (i.e. economical) way to gain entry would be through winning a contest. Eater, my go-to food blog, held a contest to name your favorite burger moment. I had a several moments that came to mind: eating a whopper on Thanksgiving day in Madrid before visiting my friends in London, going 30 minutes out of my way and nearly missing a flight from SFO-LHR to go to an In-N-Out, going to Louis' Lunch for the first time in New Haven after applying for my first NY apt.

I did not win the grand prize, but I did crack the "Top 9". You can check out the winners here. See if you can guess which one is mine. It should be pretty obvious.

Bruni!

Those who know me, know I love erstwhile NY Times food critic Frank Bruni. Frank wrote for the Times from 2004-2009. He covered the rise of the restaurants that would be come name brands for me during my first few years in New York: Per Se, Masa, Babbo. He also anointed new destinations, including the polemic Ssam Bar, Minetta Tavern, and Eleven Madison Park.

His reviews were so fun to read, I could not pass up an opportunity to hear him chat at the Tishman Auditorium as part of the NY Food and Wine Festival. The convo was moderated by Ben Leventhal, the founder of Eater.com.

Ben could have done a much better job facilitating the conversation to cover a wider variety of topics. Ben was fixated on the star-system and understandably so. We got several questions about the scope of the star-system, how a restaurant like Ssam Bar could earn 3-stars yet not offer a formal coffee service. We also got entertaining anecdotes about the lengths people would go to to please Frank. My favorite was a story of an incident when Frank spilled soap on himself at Nobu 57 and the restaurant bent over backwards to correct Frank's clumsy mistake.

The key message that Frank conveyed was that he judged restaurants solely on the merits of their cuisine and service: the true mission of any food critic. Despite these entertaining stories about people recognized the most feared man in food, Frank was quick to point out they had no bearing on his reviews. He also noted that these he wants to be remembered for his integrity and honesty in reviews. Despite having a very public feud with the infamous Keith McNally, he bestowed 3-stars on Minetta Tavern, and the restaurant has been impossible to crack since.

Frank was charismatic per usual and a master of words. He speaks just like he writes: fluidly, melodically, and cleverly. The conversation was short and Frank was a little too diplomatic, but all and all a perfect way to start a 3-day weekend.

I Love Le Fooding

Last night, I was lucky enough to attend Le Fooding, a food event that takes leading chefs from New York and similarly acclaimed chefs from Paris and brings them together at one giant party. The event was at PS1 in Long Island City and was probably one of the cooler things I've done in New York. The crowd skewed French, but not a huge surprise there. The whole scene reminded me of a posh Chelsea (SW3, not 23rd street) party.

We were able to upgrade our tickets which gave us access to the space one hour ahead of everyone else, plus all you can drink clicquot during that hour. We made the rounds pretty quick, alternating between the French and American chefs.

Our first taste was a Mini Henry IV casserole, with creamed cow's cheese from Le Comptoir du Relais. Honestly, this was nothing like I anticipated. I expected little puff pastries, oozing with cheese. Instead, it was essentially a glorified chicken soup. It was good, but at the end of the day, it was chicken soup. It did come with a great piece of toasted bread that sopped up the soup well.

Next was the Bo Ssam--a mythic dish that David Chang serves up at Ssam Bar. Chang was there in the flesh, dishing it out to New Yorkers and French expats alike. The Bo Ssam of course met my lofty expectations. It came on a piece of bibb lettuce and was covered in sriracha. It was juicy, tender, and perfect. I would visit this table twice more before the evening ended.

At some point, Gael Greene wandered into view sans chapeau. We hit another French table, this time with barbecued sirloin steak from Bigarrade. This was a delectable skewer of two perfectly cooked cubes of sirloin. It was light and the chef's intent seemed to be showcase the meat, which he did quite well.

We wandered over to Wylie Dufresne's spot and sure enough, he was serving up chicken necks to the masses. I have mixed feelings on this dish. The protein was certainly a difficult one. It was very bony and difficult to maneuver given the setting (i.e. no tables). However, when I could get a piece of meat of the neck, paired with yuzu marmalade, it was actually pretty great.

One of the more interesting plates was fried corn with scallop butter from Diner in Brooklyn. The corn was plump, flavorful and the scallop butter was rich and smooth and balanced the fried corn well. It definitely inspired me to venture out to Brooklyn to check out this restaurant.

The final chef's table, pork ribs with pineapple teriyaki from Ze Kitchen Galerie in Paris. I found this a gutsy choice for a French chef, given what an iconicly American dish ribs are. However, I appreciated the playfulness of the ribs and they were falling off the bone good. The sauces that came with the ribs further enhanced the flavor, especially an eggplant sauce that was creamy and reminded me of mezze.

On top of all that, there was a delightful cheese course, plenty of champagne, and ice cream from General Greene. The ice cream was awesome, even on a chilly autumn evening. The first flavor was a salted hazelnut gianduja and the second was bourbon vanilla. The vanilla was good and heavy on the bourbon. The salted hazelnut gianduja was awesome. Salted anything is always better (e.g. salted caramel). Despite the fact the ice cream was made without eggs, it still had a great texture.

After all the Le Fooding fun, you'd think we'd make haste to the 7-train back to Manhattan. We instead decided to hit Dutch Kills, the LIC speakeasy spot from Sasha Petraske of Milk & Honey fame. I opted for the bartender's choice, which was a great call. My favorite drink was a blackberry bramble which was sufficiently boozy but still retained an amazing blackberry flavor. Cocktails were a more reasonable $10 (in Manhattan they are now approaching $25 at spots) and it was a great way to cap of the night.

Sunday Fun Day

Sunday's always bring an interesting variety of food options. The meals are least structured and they are great days to try various bites of food from around town.

My Sunday started at Hundred Acres. Brunch and I have an ambivalent relationship. However, Hundred Acres is one of the few restaurants I enjoy eating brunch. I had poached eggs with homemade sausage, gravy, and jalapeno grits. This was my second time ordering this and neither time disappointed. The sausage is a nice, spicy patty that is vaguely reminiscent of chorizo. The grits are smooth and act as the "english muffin" in this eggs benedict reinvention. The gravy is hearty and plentiful. Finally, heaps of fried onions top the dish. My brother had the chilaquiles, which I have sampled before and which are also delicious.

After Hundred Acres, I watched the 1st set of NFL games at The Blue Seats. It was a pretty sweet setup as each booth had a set of 6 TVs where you could watch simultaneous games. The sliders earned raves, though my self-restraint inhibits me from personally opining on them.

After seeing the Pats falter, I headed back to my apartment to wrap up some errands. I stopped at Veloce along the way. Veloce is known for its Sicilian style pizza and has received strong praise. It definitely is a different taste than conventional Neapolitan slices but I really enjoyed it. The pizza crust is very soft and chewy but the cheese and sauce are perfect. It was a nice little snack between lunch and dinner. I don't know if everyone will love it, but it is a nice change from the ubiquitous Neapolitan options out there. Plus, they may even deliver to me.

The capstone to this wonderful day of eating was Ippudo. Ippudo is the acclaimed ramen restaurant steps from my apartment. After eating at Ippudo weekly last autumn, we parted ways for a few months. Tonight marked the return to Ippudo!

I went with a group of food lovers. We ordered a round of apps including peppers, potatoes with a miso anchovy sauce, and of course, pork buns. The apps were all homeruns. The peppers were nicely cooked and came with a citrus sauce that helped make them pop. The roasted potatoes were awesome, mostly because of the miso anchovy sauce that accompanied them. And the pork buns were delicious. I had realized it had been months since I last had a pork bun, and despite how oversaturated they have become in New York, I still adore them. These are great and by adding a little mayo they are more creamy than the usual iterations.

As for the ramen, I can't really claim to know much about ramen but dish itself is simply awesome. I've had the ramen at least 6 times which speaks volumes to its quality (and I hate ordering the same thing at restaurants). The dish is completely nostalgic for me. I don't think about the flavors, but rather the memories of returning to New York last fall with a new job and apartment, facing a new economic reality. Anyway, needless to say, when foods take on this status, it is implicitly understood they are delicious.

Dessert was to be had at the Milk Bar, another vice of mine. I sampled the watermelon ice cream which was good but a little to sweet for me. I wanted something that more subtly watermelon. The horchata was quite good but not too imaginative. I opted for the strawberry cake which was awesome. It had the classic "sweet-salty" duality which is why I keep coming back to the Milk Bar.

Mondays are usually filled wtih cereal, salads, and grilled chicken, so I'm glad I got to make the best of my Sunday.

Cue Town

First off, apologies for the lack of postings. With fall in full swing, expect more updates about food happenings all over the tri-state.

Despite being one of my favorite cuisines, I never am eating as much barbecue as I would like to be. As luck would have it, barbecue is on my dinner list twice this week.

My first journey was to Fette Sau, a Williamsburg bbq spot that has garnered raves from the NYC bbq community. This was my second visit and it continues to impress me for having some of the best meat around.

Fette Sau is not huge on ambience, but that is really not a factor when you are eating bbq. Each visit, I ordered across the board, meaning a little bit of everything on the ever-changing menu (seriously, the menu changed twice in the hour we spent there). Standouts were the pulled pork and pork belly. The pulled pork was smoky and not overly fatty and the bbq sauce that you can douse it in is a delicious complement to the protein. The pork belly surprised me. On my first visit, it was too much belly, not enough pork. This time it was charred well and was a nice blend between fatty and lean. The pork tenderloin was a nice, leaner option that was juicy and well-seasoned as was the brisket. The pork sausage is spicy and savory, but too rich for more than a few bites. The short rib was probably my least favorite. It was difficult to maneuver and did not have fall off the bone quality I was seeking.

Fette Sau is all about the meat. The sides are not the focus. My dining mates loved the burnt end baked beans. Previously I had the broccoli salad, which was so unsatisfying matched against the richness of the meat.

Following Fette Sau, we took advantage of the Van Leuween ice cream truck. I tried the cinnamon ice cream. It was intensely cinnamon. It had a grainy texture, likely from the ground cinnamon and both my friend and I agreed lack the classic creamy texture of ice cream. My other friend had the root beer float and I definitely was envious. All and all, a delicious excursion to Williamsburg.

Heading to Blue Smoke tomorrow. Should be an interesting comparison.