Thursday, July 08, 2010

On the Road Eats: Boston Review of The Gallows

Over the years I have made it through much of Boston's restaurant scene. It's one of the things I love about that city — it's small enough that you can really get a thorough sense of what eats it has to offer, yet there's enough turnover so that there are always new places to try. The Gallows opened up just a few weeks before my visit in the same space as the now-defunct Cafe Umbra, a restaurant I had previously visited and liked a lot. The Gallows has a terrible name that could be an ominous statement on its future, but luckily, the food should keep it going for some time. It's a noisy, dark space and there weren't enough servers, but those are kinks that the restaurant may work out over time. The menu is original, extensive and in addition, there's a whole page of daily specials.

Longshoreman's Platter
The menu includes a set of platters and the ingredients used on any given day are part of the specials. This included smoked scallops, fennel cured salmon, horseradish beets, pickled vegetables, a dill cucumber mix, broiled brandade (yes, we had this twice in one day) and a few pieces of bread and a side of mustard. The smoked scallops were really interesting. I usually reject scallops for their bland taste and squishy texture, but here, the smokiness was lovely; it was akin to smoked mozzarella. The cod was served warm, giving it a leg up on the one we had at Coppa earlier in the day. And the salmon was wonderful with just a mild fennel undertone.

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Small Bites

- Slate combines bacon and waffles into one dish. It's all going to the same place anyway!

- Greenhouses could allow for sustainable eating all-year round.

- Why are there gender-based food clichés?

- The Department of Agriculture's proposed new dietary guidelines seem more progressive, addressing the issue of good nutrition for all, including poor people.

- The Obamas, the restaurant scene and their food values.

- There seems to be a lot of ice cream experimentation these days, but Humphry Slocombe in San Francisco might just top them all.

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

On the Road Eats: Boston

I recently took a trip up to Boston for a friend's birthday. Before heading out of New York, I stopped at El Quinto Pino for breakfast and fueled up for the road with a Bikini sandwich, ham and cheese and a bit of truffle oil pressed between two slices of a flaky, buttery bread.


A long ride in the car of course left me famished. Our late afternoon lunch stop: Coppa. It was the perfect place to share a few small plates, still leaving room for dinner in a few hours.

We were able to sit outside on a lovely, warm day and because this wasn't a terribly busy street, it was quite peaceful.

Tuna Crudo: Charred cippolini onions, black radish and parsley

Chicken liver crostini 

Monday, July 05, 2010

Desi Truck Review

A couple of weeks ago, while walking along Fifth Avenue, I spotted a bright yellow food truck at the corner of 27th Street. It seemed to be a low-budget operation thrown together in a hurry, with a handwritten poster for a menu, pasted to the side of a former halal truck.

Before I had a chance to return to try the Desi Truck out, Midtown Lunch posted about it. It seemed like a positive enough early review that I suggested to my dining companion that we take a chance on it when we were pondering lunch near Madison Square Park.

Friday, July 02, 2010

The First Custard of July


Plum crumb (I liked the rhyming name) kicked off Shake Shack's July flavors and of course I was there to test it out. As you can see, it's pretty harmless and unfortunately the flavor was just as mundane. I detected just a hint of pluminess, but my dining companion insisted it was little different from eating vanilla. The crumbs were plentiful and sugary, but not soggy — something that Shake Shack seems to be quite adept at doing.

Update: The people who said the Times Square Shake Shack would open today were wrong. The latest info says Tuesday.

Update Two: For the holiday weekend, Shake Shack has weekend specials — a corn dog at the Upper West Side branch and a special concrete using Mast Brothers chocolate at both locations. 

See Bruni Speak

If you are a fan of former Times critic Frank Bruni's memoir, Born Round, go hear him speak free in Madison Square Park on July 8 or at The Strand on July 13. I thought the book was a fun, fascinating read.

Thursday, July 01, 2010

Shake Shack Summer

It's shaping up to be a summer of Shake Shack for me. First, here are the new flavors for July:

Monday: Strawberry Pistachio
Tuesday: Sweet Corn
Wednesday: Boston Cream Pie
Thursday: Plum Crumb
Friday: Mud Pie
Saturday: Blueberry
Sunday: Peaches n' Cream

And Eater has photos of the progress at the Times Square branch, which is rumored to open Friday!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Small Bites

- The Food and Drug Administration is seriously considering approving genetically engineered salmon.

- If you've ever wondered why some foods make you smell funny, here's why.

- Airline food doesn't just taste bad, the FDA has found safety flaws. Maybe it's better that fewer airlines are serving food on board.

- Here's something to test just how strong your stomach is — one woman eats her placenta and tells us how it was.

- For fans of Mario Batali: He hangs out at Morandi on Sunday mornings.

- A basil blight is threatening the herb of summer.

- Some tips on how best to photograph food in bright daylight.

- Farmers' markets are booming, but there are downsides.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Basta Pasta Review

Basta Pasta? Really? Why would you choose to eat in a place called Basta Pasta? That's a name for some cheap, cheesy Italian joint with bad red sauce and garlic bread. Cringe. That's the reaction I had when a friend told me a while back that she wanted to eat there. Turns out that my snap judgment was wrong. In fact, Basta Pasta is a Japanese Italian restaurant. How disorienting. It's a cute spot on 17th Street that seems to stay mostly under the radar, yet it can be tough to get a reservation and even on a late weekday evening was full. Then again, how many Japanese Italian restaurants do you know in the city? And after my superb dinner here, I get it.


In addition to a bread basket, we got slices of toast with a creamy mascarpone cheese.

Monday, June 28, 2010

It's That Time Again

It's time to book your reservations for Summer Restaurant Week, which is July 12-25. I'd recommend looking for restaurants that are offering dishes more representative of the regular menu (not just boring chicken, salmon or steak) and that offer a better value. I'm considering Aldea and Convivio and returning to The Bar Room at The Modern, which was wonderful when I went during Winter Restaurant Week. Maialino could also be a good bet.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Monday, Monday


Mondays in June mean chocolate chip custard at Shake Shack. The Shack knows how to start off the week right. A base custard that tasted like it could have been cookie dough rather than just straight vanilla hid many more chewy gobs of chocolate chocolate chip (the name should have double chocolate in it) cookie dough. Those three pieces sitting on top are just this custard's flair, the glitter on the costume to catch your neighbor's eye. Those deep cocoa flavored chunks provide the perfect texture contrast I constantly seek in my custard. But while eating this, I wanted to scream "Stop melting so fast!" because I cannot abide soupy ice cream, but wished I could have savored this flavor more slowly.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Small Bites

- A look inside the office of Serious Eats, one of my regular stops for food blogs.

- CNN jumps in to the world of food blogs.

- Celebrity chefs conquer the world.

- The advertising campaign for the new M&Ms with a pretzel center caters to younger customers with an emphasis on digital and social media.

- The impact of behavioral economics on school lunchrooms could change the future of the obesity epidemic.

- Salon gets one economist's view on the pay-what-you-want experiment that some restaurants have been adopting.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

A New Life for Gourmet

 Last fall Gourmet magazine shut down. Now, Conde Nast announces Gourmet's reincarnation — as an iPad app and a Web site with the magazine's archives. There's a nifty video summarizing the new version. Former editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl won't be involved, but on her Twitter feed, she pities the fact that it's just the brand, not the magazine, that is being revived.

Another Step Forward for Times Square Shake Shack

Food in a Nutshell is keeping you updated on the step-by-step progress of the impending Times Square Shake Shack. Here's another reason to get excited — the sign has appeared for the branch that is set to open soon-ish on Eight Avenue and 44th Street.

Shake Shack Review

When I'm at Shake Shack, you'll usually find me in the B line gearing up for custard. There's almost always little or no line, and custard is far better than a burger, though I have to admit that many a time I have longed for fries to be offered in the B line. On a recent evening though, I found myself in the longer queue snaking around the curve of Madison Square Park. A friend was having her virgin Shake Shack experience and, well, the line IS a big part of that. But it's not so bad, comparatively, late on a weekday night.

Pre-bite
I decided to indulge in the Shack Stack, which could otherwise be called a heart attack: a 'shroom burger (fried portobello with melted muenster and cheddar cheese) paired with a cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato and Shack sauce, all on the same bun. Oh yeah, and a side of fries. Don't ever forget that side of fries. No custard only because I'd already had some (coffee & donuts!) earlier in the day.

I usually don't love burgers because I don't enjoy the taste of beef, though I have found that the rarer the beef is, the more I take to it. Shake Shack's burgers are cooked medium and the meat itself is tender and flavorful (supposedly a mix of sirloin, chuck and brisket). But the real trick for me is the cheese and sauce that drowns it all out. I also can't get enough of the crinkly cut fries; they're crispy and addictive and for french fries, they are reasonably ungreasy.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Scarpetta Review

On a busy stretch of 14th Street near the corner with Ninth Avenue, there is an arched entrance to a modest building. The exterior has vinyl siding and a shingled roof and it resembles a small house. It's easy to miss; when I discovered that this was my destination — Scarpetta restaurant — I realized that I had passed by it several times in the past few weeks and hadn't even noticed it was a restaurant, much less one whose name I was familiar with. The signage is minimal in keeping with what seemed like the restaurant's unassuming demeanor.

Scarpetta is a product of Scott Conant who at one time had his hand in L'Impero (now Convivio) and Alto, two other upscale Italian restaurants. The prices at Scarpetta still keep it in the range of what most would consider a fancy dinner, but the atmosphere is less stuffy and many of the dishes are straightforward. Take, for example, one of our pasta appetizers.

Spaghetti with tomato & basil
You can't get much simpler than this. Had I not read Frank Bruni's review that recommended it, I absolutely would have skipped over these three words on the menu or quickly ruled the dish out. I'm glad I didn't. The noodles were cut thickly and unevenly, marks of a handmade pasta, and properly cooked al dente. The tomato sauce had a roundness to it that gave it great savoriness and the basil topped it all off. I could eat this every day.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Creating "Real" Asian Food

Not long ago, I came across this guest post, by food writer Andrea Nguyen on Mark Bittman's Web site, in which she writes about RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen. According to Nguyen's description, this restaurant seems to defy all odds —it's huge, located in a mall in Los Angeles and was opened by the Cheesecake Factory — churning out good Southeast Asian food. Nguyen spoke with the Singaporean chef, Mohan Ismail, who explained how he changed some aspects of the dishes that he makes in order to better match the American palate. That might offend the foodies seeking out "authentic" food. Yet Ismail also uses strong Asian ingredients, such as fish sauce, that just really can't be substituted. And what's the result? A mix of customers:

What surprised me most about RockSugar was its clientele. There were the corporate suits from Century City law offices, young couples on dates, but also groups of Asians, some multigenerational. Some spoke Asian languages; an Indian man discussing a special event with Ismail. Everyone was having a good time.

The question Nguyen tries to raise in all this is whether Asian food can be mainstreamed while still maintaining authenticity. To me, finding the common road produces a type of food that falls into a category all its own.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Recent Eats

Last weekend was the 8th Annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party in Madison Square Park. The heat of the day was much more bearable than last year, so this time I decided to brave the line for Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q, which I had read was the place to go for pulled pork.

Twenty minutes later, I forked over $8 for my pulled pork shoulder sandwich and a side of coleslaw. Some have griped that the portions are overpriced, but I thought the serving was ample, especially given that you will often pay about the same or more in any barbecue restaurants in the city. The pork was tender and much better than the pulled pork I got last year. Those lines pay off. The sandwich was served dry, but at the end of the line were rows of Big Bob's classic barbecue sauce and a version with a slight jalapeño kick to it. I much prefer adding my own sauce. The spicy one was a winner here. And while I don't typically love coleslaw, this one was a good side, crunchy and slightly sweet.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Small Bites

- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is sponsoring researchers who are trying to develop a low allergy peanut.

- Some of New York's main food bloggers do the difficult task of picking their favorite restaurant (except for Ed Levine who was honest in saying there are too many to name).

- Eater interviews George Mendes, chef of Aldea restaurant, one year in. I dined there twice last year with good results.

- Il Laboratorio del Gelato, on the Lower East Side, is one of the city's standout gelato places. But I have yet to hit it when they were offering some of their wackier flavors. This profile of the place and gelato maker, Jon Snyder, makes me want to try harder.

- Despite letting Gourmet magazine go under, Conde Nast is working with Parade Publications on putting out a new newspaper magazine called Dash, with food articles and recipes aimed at surburban mothers with children. The Gourmet archives will be part of it.

- Slate investigates claims of fraud in the wine world.

- A Chipotle burrito vs. McDonald's Big Mac. See how it all shakes out. I would always choose Chipotle over McDonald's, but when I do, I try hard not to think about all that nutritional info.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

A Return to El Quinto Pino

I recently returned to one of my favorite tapas bars in the city, El Quinto Pino. I've reviewed it previously so here's a mostly visual rundown of my latest meal there.

Fideua: Noodle paella 
This was tossed with some squid and shrimp. It had an almost Asian noodle flavor to it (my dining companion likened it to ramen noodles).

Uni Panini: sea urchin sandwich
This was much spicier than the first time I had it. It was slathered with a wasabi mayonnaise.

Nuestras Bravas: signature crisp potatoes w/spicy aioli  
They know how to do the patatas bravas really well here. The potatoes are so crispy and coated in a perfect aioli. I can't not order these here. Do not skip.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Hi-Chews Going Big

A recent report from Serious Eats on the Sweets and Snacks Expo covered some good up-and-coming candies and lo and behold the very last entry focused on one of my favorites, Hi-Chews. When attempting to spread their goodness, I have described them as similar to Starburst but much, much better; Serious Eats agrees. The company apparently plans to push the candy nationwide. In case you missed my enthusiastic endorsement of them last year, take this as your second notice.

Szechuan Gourmet Review

Szechuan Gourmet is the Midtown Chinese restaurant on which former Times critic Frank Bruni bestowed two stars. A big deal for any Chinese restaurant. I had ordered dinner delivery from here a couple of times with decent results (though I had forgotten that my last experience with a much-praised lunch special hadn't turned out so well). But lucky for me I had forgotten about that last time and decided to check out the lunch specials in person. The food was much better this time, perhaps a result of eating in instead of taking out.

Despite its popularity, the wait for a table moved quickly and after ordering, the food arrived fast, though not in a way that made us feel rushed.

The lunch special comes with a soup — it's slightly sour and had an unexpectedly peppery spiciness to it. Not far behind came our two lunch specials: Sliced Pork with Baby Eggplant and Shredded Pork with Spiced Tofu and Asian Celery.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Times Square Shake Shack Opening Soon

I'll soon be able to get my Shake Shack custard fix near my office! The Times Square branch is making rapid progress: Grub Street says it'll open at the end of this month or the beginning of July. And if you've lost track of all the Shake Shack expansions, The Huffington Post can help you out.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Get in Online or Get in Line?

This week's Dining section of The Times includes an article about the game of taking reservations or making customers wait it out, and the types of diners restaurants get as a result. I shared my opinion on the topic earlier this year.

Small Bites

- Robert Sietsema, the Village Voice's restaurant critic, explains how he finds new restaurants to check out.

- Anthony Bourdain covers the topics of wrongness, taste and travel.

- An Atlantic food blogger likens the nation's obesity problem to the BP disaster

- New Orleans chef Susan Spicer serves as inspiration for a character on the HBO show Treme and works with the show as a consultant.

- Farmers and activists battle over raw milk in Wisconsin.
- Slate has the rundown on the environmental impact of eggs.


-Scientists who have used mollusk shells to measure pollution are now using the method to track the oil spill's effect on the food web.

- A Pittsburgh restaurant hopes to engage people in dialogue by serving dishes from countries with which the United States doesn't have the best relationships.

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Recent Eats Part II

Brunch at Alias
Alias is great for a low-key brunch on a Sunday morning, a great contrast to the mostly crowded lines-out-the-door types of places that populate New York City. The menu has a vaguely Southern bent to it and manages to provide lots of options that help you to customize a plate that covers all the bits and pieces you might want to try.

The buttered cornmeal waffle is a terrific morning starter. The cornmeal gave it an added crunch where waffles often turn soggy. It was served with sweet blueberries and strawberries on the side and a fried egg.

My dining companion and I knew we both wanted to try the fried chicken and biscuits. So the simple two eggs plate was the way we went — you could choose grits or a salad and had an option to add fried chicken (which you definitely want to do in some form or another on this menu).  The fried chicken had a delicate, flavorful crunch and a buttermilk richness. I only lament that there wasn't more. I'm not a big grits person, but these (Anson Mills) were good, thick rather than soupy. The biscuit, which looked like it had whole grains in it, was fluffy and buttery the way a biscuit should be.

 Alias also offered us a chance to try a food I had never before tasted: goetta. The menu had a small explainer that this is a food of some uncertain origins but that is a specialty out of Cincinnati and usually involves oats and some pork bits and is sometimes likened to haggis. This turned out to be quite innocuous,  a paper-thin woven hash brown with tiny pork bits mixed in. It reminded me a bit of fried dim sum dishes, probably because Chinese food involves much pork.

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Recent Eats

After a long recovery from an illness that prevented me from indulging in my normal eating habits, I returned to my gluttonous ways this past weekend.

Brunch at Egg

Third time's a charm with Egg, a popular spot off of the main strip of Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg. On my first attempt, the place was unexpectedly closed because of some maintenance issue; on the second, the line was too long, even at an hour considered early for weekend brunch. So this weekend, I made it a point to arrive even earlier (10:30 a.m.) and on my own. Still, there was a 20-minute wait.You put your name on a waiting list and hover around outside until you are beckoned in by the hostess to a boxy room so spare that it feels a little like a picnic under a large tent.

A complimentary cinnamon sugar doughnut. It was light and not greasy and managed to hold up despite being served at room temperature.

Friday, June 04, 2010

A Pilgrimage to Paris

Coincidentally, Francis Lam, of Salon's Food section, is writing a series of posts from his food pilgrimage to Paris. He too sought out a good baguette and found his at Eric Kayser, at least on one day. He's finding that his "best" may just be what makes him happy:

But I thought about it some more, and discovered something about what it means for me to be in this country looking for culinary benchmarks: It shouldn't be about finding "The Best." It's about finding something that makes you happy and makes you ask, "How can it get even better than this?" It's about finding the bites that show off characteristics I never thought existed in that food, or ones I never thought could be so much themselves. And once that door is open, I can start to wonder if it can be even more that way.

And, really, that's not even about being in France, it's not about making a food pilgrimage. It's an experience anyone can have anywhere. Like literature, like film, like anything worth caring about, the artist only does one half of the equation; it's up to the audience to care about it enough to do the rest, accepting the idea that tasting is worth concentrating on and thinking about. From there, it's just a matter of eating things, discovering what you like about them, and keeping that in mind the next time you eat that thing. After all, you don't find memories, you make them.

So check in to see what else he finds in Paris to make him happy.

Things I Ate in Paris: Day Four

Some people go bar hopping — I go bakery hopping in Paris. My travel research had included several notable places for baked goods and, after visiting Sacre Coeur, we wandered around the Montmartre neighborhood and hit up three of those places.

We started Grenier a Pain Abbesses, which had recently won best baguette in Paris for 2010We of course indulged in a wonderful baguette that had a perfectly crackly exterior crust and a light, airy bread inside. A short walk down the hill took us to Rose Bakery where we ogled the enticing loaves, but settled on a sparkling elderflower soda and an apple and peach juice. Across the way, we stopped in at Arnaud Delmontel and bought some treats for later: a raspberry sable and an earl gray chocolate tea cake.

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Setting Up Shop

The Treats Truck is the latest mobile vendor to earn a permanent spot. They'll be opening in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, in 2011.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Small Bites

- Salon details the art of being a food snob. It sounds like what just about all food bloggers do intuitively because they enjoy food, are interested in what they eat and eat adventurously.

- Being a good cook can earn you the admiration of friends, but on the flip side they may also have a phobia of you — of feeding you.

- American food companies are intensifying the flavor of their products, perhaps in response to a public that has evolved a broader palate.

- Mexico's police officials are trying to encourage the force to slim down.

- Can you name which restaurant chain has the unhealthiest dish in America?

- Some seemingly healthier food options contain just as many calories as some more obviously bad-for-you eats.

- Even though a soda tax might help decrease soda consumption and make us healthier, it might need to be reframed because people react badly to having their behavior controlled.

- A Japanese television show, Kitanachelin, takes the Michelin guide concept to cheap and dirty but delicious places to eat.

- A former restaurant critic for a Tacoma paper is now unemployed and living off of food stamps.

- Lay's wants to market itself as food rather than a snack while Kraft wants to stir an adult love of its macaroni and cheese.

- Our perception of egg flavor may just be psychological; a store-bought egg and a backyard egg have little difference.

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Shake Shack's June Flavors

Those of you who missed out on Coffee & Donuts in the past (or if you've tried it and loved the flavor, as I did) can look forward to Thursdays in June.

Monday: Chocolate Chip Cookie
Tuesday: Strawberry Lime
Wednesday: Honey Roasted Peanut
Thursday: Coffee & Donuts
Friday: Black Raspberry
Saturday: Banana Cream Pie
Sunday: Cherry Almond

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Things I Ate in Paris: Day Three (con't)

Another day, another stop at Pierre Herme. It seems impossible to come to Paris and visit here only once. And it seems that Paris rivals New York for things that people wait in long lines for. Pierre Herme, being a narrow sliver of a shop, seems to have a line constantly snaking out the door.

This day we sampled the famous signature Ispahan macaron, a giant masterfully crafted delight of rose, raspberry, lychee and cream.


This almost-too-beautiful-to-eat macaron is so rich with fruity flavor yet light. The lychee, hidden in the middle is a refreshing surprise and the mild watery quality of the fruit plays off the tangy sweetness of the raspberry.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Things I Ate in Paris: Day Three

Falafel platter (with eggplant, cabbage and carrots) at Chez Hanna in the Marais. Long lines for the couple of shops open on Saturday, but we avoided it by sitting down in the restaurant (and paying a premium for it but our weary feet thanked us).


Monday, May 24, 2010

A Times Take on The Tangled Vine

The Times offers an opinion on The Tangled Vine, which I reviewed last month.

Things I Ate in Paris: Day Two

Dinner at Josephine Chez Dumonet.

This is the place to go for your classic French bistro experience, to eat traditional French dishes. The house specialty is the duck confit and the main reason why we were here. Last year, I had eaten the best duck I've ever tasted here and was now back for more. Luckily we were able to get a reservation; they are not open on weekends. There's also a list of hot desserts that you must order at the time that you order dinner. They are pricey but they are entree-sized and require sharing. But if you can muster enough appetite, I'd highly recommend it. Had I allowed my eyes to be bigger than my stomach, we surely would've also ended up with one of several desserts we saw appear on other tables.

We shall work our way up.

Dinner began with a complimentary soup starter. Maybe red pepper? Maybe potatoes? We were unable to identify it and this is not the type of restaurant where dishes are set before you with an introduction. The waiters here, though friendly, speak limited English and are constantly busy. But it was wonderful nonetheless.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Small Bites

- Chow.com's list of the most annoying restaurant Web site features is spot on.

- Opentable.com monopolizes the business of online restaurant reservations, but several competitors are now popping up.

- An ode to civil rights leader Dorothy Height, who passed away recently, and her love of sweet potatoes.


- The other side of Food Network personality Sandra Lee? Girlfriend of New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/15/nyregion/15sandralee.html

- Gourmet magazine fans have not migrated to other high-end food magazines.

- The inventor of the Chipwich has died.

- A St. Louis cafe run by the Panera Bread chain has adopted the pay-what-you-want model, which has had mixed results among other restaurants. 

- The Meatless Mondays campaign makes the meat industry nervous.

- Too much raw bok choy sent one woman into a coma.

- Defining what qualifies as candy (to determine what would fall under a candy tax) isn't as easy as one would think.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Things I Ate in Paris: Day One (con't)

Dinner at Itineraires

Another lovely option for a prix-fixe meal. But you also have the option of choosing how many courses (from one to three) you would like.

Clam Salad
This came with thinly saved rounds of white mushroom and fennel fronds. I had never had a combination like this before. It was tastier than the white, bland-looking presentation might suggest.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Things I Ate In Paris: Day One

I arrived in Paris midday on my first day hungry (what else is new?) and ready to eat. I came prepared with many eating guides, including a special Paris issue of Gourmet magazine from a couple of years ago and a copy of Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris (Clotilde is the author of a blog I occasionally read, Chocolate & Zucchini.) Browsing through these, I sought out something near the hotel and settled upon La Gazzetta, which had also recently been written about in a New York Times article about good prix-fixe deals in Paris. Testing out the veracity of such write-ups is fun and I was glad to find that indeed this was a good deal. Our two-course meal started with a cold fava bean, almond, cucumber soup that was a bit too grassy and green for us; a white pizza with anchovy, light and salty; and white lentils served with thinly sliced pork, which was deliciously refreshing.


Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Small Bites

An abbreviated version of Small Bites as Food in a Nutshell goes on hiatus for the next week. Hopefully I shall return with some Parisian posts.

- Kit Kat candy bar flavors expand when you head to Japan. There, you can get a taste of Intense Roasted Soybean or Soy Sauce. NPR taste tests several of them.

- Is the increasing presence of the Internet and social media in people's lives having an effect on the way we eat? A Salon essay explores the idea, such as the fact that it has encouraged the small plates trend.

- Slate holds a showdown between recipes from Cook's Illustrated and food52, a Web site cofounded by New York Times Magazine food writer Amanda Hesser.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Recent Eats

This is Pizza Moto at the Brooklyn Flea. They arrive there with a mobile brick oven. Because they don't have a brick and mortar operation and I was there, I thought, how could I NOT seize the opportunity to try pizza? But it would be a challenge as I saw that my $9 would get me a rather large pizza (margherita) cut into eight slices.

I took this down, all by myself, in under 15 minutes. You better believe it. How silly of me to take a paper bag in case I couldn't finish it. The pizza was thin and tasty. I really enjoyed the light, sweet tomato sauce; I prefer my pizzas less saucy. But the center of the crust had gotten slightly soggy, despite my being able to ingest it no more than two minutes after it had come out of the oven. Based on a similar experience at Motorino, another brick oven pizza place, perhaps the sogginess is just a characteristic of these types of pizzas. My other complaints are that the cheese didn't fasten to the pie very well and that it didn't have enough basil. But the crust was nicely charred and had enough salt to keep it from being bland.

Friday, May 07, 2010

A Perfect Pair

When I'm not indulging in "fancy" food or enjoying ethnic eats, nothing beats the reliable combination of pizza and ice cream (or custard).

I kicked off May's custards with Flan Wednesday. It was not what I expected; the most notable aspect of this flavor was the surprising presence of lemon zest. When I think of flan, I think of an eggy flavor with notes of caramel or cinnamon, which was present in the custard. You'd think cinnamon and lemon would clash, but they both seem to fall along the same spot on the sweet scale and together helped to make this flavor interesting and unique.

My day ended with a stop at Artichoke Pizza, a place that I'd heard about but felt had to be reserved for just such an occasion, a late-night snack stop. It's a tiny space that at the hours nearing the next day seems to perpetually have a line out the door. There are only four types of slices. I had to get the signature artichoke slice for $4. Although it's on the expensive side for a slice, this was a giant, thick triangle well worth the price. This is smoking hot spinach-artichoke dip slathered on crusty bread. Despite burning the roof of my mouth off with the first bite, I couldn't make myself wait for it to cool off; I plowed through the creamy, salty goodness while standing at the skinny counter along the wall before my stomach could register just how filling it was. A full day of getting full and ending full.

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Small Bites

- David Chang and Michael Pollan made Time Magazine's Time 100 list. Ruth Reichl writes Chang's profile and Alice Waters gives us the essay on Pollan.

- Farmers try to protect farmers markets as places for local vendors as resellers infiltrate.

- The popularity of the local-food movement has gotten many restaurants interested in creating rooftop gardens.

- There's now an iphone app that caters specifically to the people who photograph their meals and tweet about it.

- One woman indulges in her love of curry by going to Bangkok for a cooking class.

- The recent oil spill has raised concerns about the safety of eating seafood from the Gulf.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Recent Eats

Brunch at Char No. 4

Char No. 4 adds a twinkle of Southern charm to Smith Street in Brooklyn. They've got the biscuits and gravy and the grits on the menu. And several "house smoked" items on there as well. It all added up to a more interesting brunch menu than most.

Smoked &fried pork nuggets with Char No. 4 hot sauce

Crazy Concepts

Grub Street has a jump on the big news that Grant Achatz, chef of Alinea restaurant, will continue to challenge people's concepts of dining with a molecular gastronomy bar in Chicago called Aviary along with a new restaurant called Next that will feature menus reflecting different cities of different time periods. The menus will change every three months and diners will have to purchase tickets to eat there. There's an interesting video to introduce the idea. Guess those rumors weren't so far off.

Saturday, May 01, 2010

Happy New Custard Flavors Day

Following my conquest of last month's flavors, the new challenge is revealed. Shake Shack's May flavors:

Monday: Mud Pie
Tuesday: Raspberry Verbena
Wednesday: Flan
Thursday: Grasshopper
Friday: Salted Caramel
Saturday: Red Velvet
Sunday: Strawberry Rhubarb

Custard Calender Conclusion

I did it. A full week's worth of Shake Shack flavors in April. I tasted them all and just in time. No, I didn't do it seven days in a row. But I did accomplish it on the last day of the month. Saturday, Sunday and Monday first. And this week, I pushed through the other four days, consecutively, and I was forced to take extreme measures to ensure I reached the finish line. Here are my reviews and a few notes on how I got there.

Tuesday: Gianduja.
The hard-to-pronounce name for chocolate hazelnut that makes people afraid to say it. The hazelnut side dominated, earning this custard more points in my book because I typically don't love chocolate ice cream. The texture was thick and dense, solid. It was like eating the center of a Ferrero Roche chocolate without having to break through the outer shell; you start at the creamy center.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Small Bites

And now for a health-themed Small Bites (will there ever be a conclusive study on anything?):

- In Baltimore, the city's public libraries help get healthier food into communities with few supermarkets.

- Laughter may increase appetite? Hm.

- There's some kind of link between chocolate and depression.

- Seafood allergies develop later in life than most other food allergies.

- Sleep more so you don't get fat.

- But maybe having a few extra pounds may actually mean something good.

- Mild peppers could help boost metabolism.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Recent Eats


Although I stopped in at The Tangled Vine with a friend for a drink and some pre-dinner appetizers, as is wont to happen with me it became more like my first of two dinners (the second being pizza at my favorite local spot, Vezzo).  It seems to be a nice, casual addition to the Upper West Side on a stretch of Amsterdam Avenue populated by several noisy sports bars.

Mushroom Fricassee  seasonal mushrooms, duck egg, shoestring potato fries 

The waitress was enthusiastic about this dish and made sure to point out that it had even just been added to the brunch menu. The mushrooms were tasty, emanating the round, dark flavor characteristic of the earthy sprouts. The shoestring potatoes made for a subtle texture contrast, but the dish could have used some stronger complementary flavors. The egg didn't fulfill that.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Corner Bistro Review

(Photo by Hiroko Masuike on an iphone)
 
Burgers are probably the food I eat least often, almost never, in fact, because I don't typically like beef. And the only other burger I can remember eating any time in my adult life was at Shake Shack. But a coworker had a craving for a burger and wanted to try Corner Bistro, an old tavern in the West Village known for its beer and cheap burgers, so much so that people often line up to grab a spot here.

New York Magazine's listing for the place says this: "If you call yourself a New Yorker, consider it your civic duty to have a beer and a burger here at least once. If you're really a New Yorker, you'll know that the best time to do that is a weekday afternoon, when Corner Bistro's timeless tavern charm feels as warm as the sun streaming through the front windows."

We arrived late on a Thursday night and still had a short wait in line before landing a roomy corner booth in the back. I went all out and got the Bistro Burger — a burger topped with bacon, cheese, lettuce, onion and tomato. The thick patty under all of that made for a pretty tall stack. We also got two plates of fries, which you must order separately.

It was a decent burger, from what I know of them, but I wished that it had a little more salt or seasoning in the meat and that I had gotten it medium rare instead of medium. Even the bacon, which should have added some extra salt wasn't quite enough for me. The fries were great — just the kind I like, thin and crispy. And all of it washed down with a Blue Moon was enough to call it a good night.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Small Bites

- The former Fulton Fish Market in South Street Seaport could become the site of a fresh food market.

- Serious Eats tests out the new set of Ben & Jerry's flavors, including Boston Cream Pie and Hannah Teter's Maple Blondie.

- A very small research study found that exposure to fast food logos could make us spend more money and be more impatient.

- Being overweight or obese is harmful to your brain.

- Oh, the consequences of a misprint.

- The Times gathers a group to discuss the role of the government in making it easier to eat local food.

- The FDA has a long-term plan to work with the food industry to reduce the amount of salt in all processed foods.

- Slate pits Thomas Keller's fried chicken recipe against that of the Pioneer Woman.

- Airlines continue to try to make their food taste better, despite charging for it.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Taste Test

Shake Shack is betting that people like strange food combinations: They tested out a peanut butter bacon burger at the Upper West Side branch recently and Eater has an update that says the burger will be offered again this Saturday.

Marea Begins Offering Brunch

Marea, a fantastic Italian restaurant on Central Park South, which I reviewed a couple of months ago is now open for brunch. And according to the post by Grub Street, it'll be a $38 prix-fixe, pricey but based on my dinner experience, probably worth it for a special occasion or if you're looking to impress.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

A Place for People's Pops

If you aren't the type who craves Shake Shack custard as the weather gets warmer, maybe popsicles are more your style. Now there's a fun, reliable place to get your fix in Chelsea MarketPeople's Pops. I tried their offerings at the New Amsterdam Market a couple of years ago. I have seen them around with a stand at the Brooklyn Flea and at various outdoor festivals and often, if it's near the end of the day, they've run out of stuff — proof, I suppose, that at the very least, it's popular! Besides popsicles, they offer shaved ice.

An Old Favorite Glams Up

One of my favorite tapas places, La Nacional, located in a hidden spot in the basement of the Spanish Benevolent Society, was closed by the Department of Health a few weeks back. While that might sound off-putting, the owner explained that the restaurant opened in 1868 and needed structural renovations. Grub Street reports that La Nacional has reopened and based on their photo, it looks quiet different and may have lost some of its charm. But only a revisit will tell.

The Word on No. 7 Sub

I went to No. 7 Sub not long after it opened, about a month ago, and gave my take on it. Eater has a roundup of the still "early word" on the sandwich shop. It seems many have encountered long waits. I tried to go one day around 1:30 p.m. and the line was out the door and I turned around and left. But on the day I actually made it in, around noon, there was maybe one other customer and the wait for my sandwich wasn't long at all.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Eating, Exercising and Writing About It

Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton has a piece in this Sunday's magazine about how he manages the job of eating for a living while staying healthy. Along with that the Diner's Journal has a blog post of Sifton's food diary for a week — the calories he consumed and the calories he expended exercising. It seems people are always curious about the life of a food critic and, naturally, all of this has generated lots of questions from readers, which Sifton has answered in several rounds.

Colicchio & Sons Review

From a superstar (Tom Colicchio) in the food world, I expect a superstar brunch (Colicchio and Sons). This was no flashy, impressive brunch. But neither was it a snooze. It fell somewhere in between — uniting ingredients unfamiliar with with one another, yet leaving a distinct sense that they were all trying to hard to show off. And unfortunately, we saw right through it.

The space, near the west edge of the city on 10th Avenue and 15th Street behind Chelsea Market, was airy and modern, but impersonal, a place you could only have a superficial friendship with, not a cozy closeness.

Brunch at Colicchio and Sons went something like this:

Ferris Bueller for a waiter, a goofy grin on his face, presents us with menus and determines our preference for water. He soon returns to take our order, asking if we have any questions. Only one: Does the assortment of pastries include all the pastries listed? He too excitedly answers "Yes, everything there." Then a moment later he clumsily corrects himself — everything BUT the lemon cream doughnuts that we had been hoping for. We settle for an order of just the doughnuts.

The three plump doughnuts arrive generously coated in sugar, oozing lemon cream.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Shake Shack Update

The Shake Shack Web site has added menus for its new branches in Miami, the Upper East Side and Times Square coming later this year. Eater makes note of the main difference — the concrete creations unique to each spot. The theater district branch will include one — Jelly's Last Doughnut (vanilla custard, doughnuts, strawberry preserves, cinnamon sugar) — that gives Doughnut Plant doughnuts a permanent spot on the menu.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Small Bites

- Juan Valdez is the Starbucks of Colombia.

- McDonald's tries to spread America's cupcake craze to Europe by naming them after New York neighborhoods and selling the desserts in its German stores. Though cupcakes are still newer to those across the Atlantic, some are already tiring of them.

- Marcus Samuelsson, former chef of Aquavit restaurant, has a personal essay about food on Huffington Post's new food site.

- Don't try this at home: Japanese knives are for serious chefs.

- More people are buying kosher products for health reasons.  A few years ago, I told a friend that I didn't like the taste of generic supermarket chicken and she recommended I try buying kosher chicken, which I now do because it actually does taste better.

- Aluminum foil or plastic wrap — which is better for the environment?

- The way farmed catfish and farmed tilapia are raised makes them safer to eat than farmed salmon.

- The Washington Post's All We Can Eat blog has some notes on a recent event with Ruth Reichl, former editor of Gourmet magazine, where she spoke about her last book, her time at Gourmet and Twitter.

- Eating eggs has often been assumed to have a negative effect on cholesterol, but that assumption may be wrong for most people.

Chewing on Chinese Food

I recently wrote about the authenticity of Chinese food and my relationship with it. The Huffington Post's new food and drink section includes a piece about one (non-Chinese) guy's journey to liking Chinese food. And the word "authentic" is mentioned twice:

"[David] Chang, asked about his inspiration, always cited the authentic Szechuan and Cantonese cuisines of Chinatown and Flushing. I decided to give Chinese another chance."

"I spent hours on foodie message boards trying to find the most authentic restaurants."

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

New Marketplace Includes Food Vendors

Grub Street reports that the new Limelight Marketplace on 6th Avenue and 20th Street will open May 7. They've provided the full list of vendors, which includes several food options. The 24-hour branch of Grimaldi's is one of them. And following in the footsteps of recent truck-to-storefront moves, Cupcake Stop will join the market too. It looks like the place will be heavy on the sweets. Some of the others joining them are Baci Gelato, Butterfly Bakeshop, It's Sugar, Jala Frozen Yogurt, Mari's New York (brownies), and a branch of the Soho chocolate shop, Mariebelle.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Conquering the Custards


No, this isn't the Shake Shack custard blog. But, another lovely afternoon in Madison Square Park and another custard covered. Perhaps this could be the month I make it through every flavor of the week before the month changes. The carrot cake custard was a wonder — not only could I taste the nutty carrot cake, but also the smooth cream cheese frosting all in one bite! The layering of flavors was impressively complex, everything was distinctly there. How do they do that?