Posted by Adam Kuban, August 27, 2008 at 11:00 AM
"Free ice cream. Cool ZIP code."
I have no idea what ice cream has to do with 90210, but the CW network has come up with a stunt to promote the revival of that icon of '90s teen dramas:
To promote its already much-hyped ZIP Code revival, The CW will give away 100,000 ice cream novelties over the Labor Day weekend. The network has hired ice cream trucks to drive around waterfront locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago to distribute the tasty treats.
The story at TV Week says there will likely be ice pops and "something from the chocolate family."
We'll be fine as long as there are no sideburn-shaped creamsicles.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, August 4, 2008 at 7:00 PM
They may look like normal people (oh wait, they are normal people) but they're actually the next cast of Top Chef. Blogger Kurt Strahm waited outside the 20 Bayard building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn—the luxe home of this season's cast members—long enough to see the four females and six males leave. According to Eater LA, the bald one in the green tee could be Los Angeles chef-turned-caterer Stefan Richter. Recognize any others from former meals? [via Eater]
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 6, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Good morning, serious eaters. I'm thinking of having ham as part of my breakfast today. What about you?
This photo of artist Theo A. Rosenblum's Pig Meets Its Potential was sent to us by a reader. It's on exhibit at the 7Eleven Gallery at 711 Washington Street in New York City.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 3, 2008 at 9:00 PM
Will another light-green bar, signaling a new world record, make its way onto this chart tomorrow? Will Joey Chestnut, the only American since 1999 to win the Mustard Belt, hold onto his title? He would make 1916 champ James Mullen proud. [via Waxy.org]
Related:
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Shortened to Ten Minutes
Photo of the Day: Patriotic Hot Dog from Nathan's
Fancy Food Show vendors tore down their exhibits today, probably pawning off tons of excess product after the three-day event. And you know what—I wouldn't mind some Zambian hot sauce from Elephant Pepper or chow chow from Flippin' Pickles. That's right. As much as we fancied the Unfancy Food Show, we didn't unfancy the Fancy Food Show, echoing an argument made today by the Village Voice.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, June 16, 2008 at 6:15 PM
©iStockphoto.com/Veni
Remember the Real World locale guessing game? "I heard Los Angeles! No, it's totally New Orleans, stupid." The same intrigue and mystery now follows Top Chef, except sources like food blog Snack and now Grub Street have revealed that season five will in fact call New York home. Come July, you can whip out your camera phones and start stalking the wandering knife cases.
Posted by Ed Levine, May 10, 2008 at 11:00 AM
I asked some of my food critic friends and some of the correspondents from around Serious Eats where they would recommend taking your mom on Mother's Day. Intel poured in from around the country. And I added my own picks, too.
Atlanta
John Kessler, food columnist and feature writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, says:
We're going to Watershed, which has a great, often overlooked brunch with cream biscuits, lard biscuits, toad in the hole, poached eggs with spinach and country ham, house-cured salmon, candied bacon. 406 West Ponce De Leon Avenue, Decatur GA 30030; 404-378-4900; watershedrestaurant.com
A nice new choice might be Parish, a very cool-looking New Orleans cooking spot in an old bleach factory in one of the suddenly new in-town nabes that was all crack houses and kudzu just a couple of years ago. It had a fine roast beef debris sandwich with mustard and pickles, but I think Mother's Day brunch is more. 240 North Highland Avenue, Atlanta GA 30307; 404-681-4434; parishatl.com
[After the jump, some serious recommendations from D.C., Dallas, Chicago, New York, and L.A. that are worthy of that special lady in your life.]
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, April 29, 2008 at 5:15 PM
So this is what condiments look like during infancy. Aw.
Tina Wong (aka The Wandering Eater) came across these baby condiment jars while eating at The Little Owl in New York City.
Related
Photo of the Day: Solid Cocktails
The Wandering Eater at Momofuku Ko
Photo of the Day: Cheddar and Bacon Chive Scone
Posted by Erin Zimmer, April 26, 2008 at 3:00 PM
You're in the East Village and you want a Grizzly Peak Marzen on draft. Think fast. Wandering in Midtown West, thirsty for a Brooklyn Pilsner. Where to turn? A few clicks later, BeerMenus.com has the answers. (Hop Devil Grill and St. Andrews, respectively). While MenuPages is strictly food and BeerAdvocate has a grasp on beer-focused web forums, this beer 2.0 site combines the two and includes prices, specific alcohol by volume and the beer medium (tap, casket, bottle, can). It's like Ask Jeeves for the boozer, but unfortunately only in New York for now. [via Webware]
Posted by Robyn Lee, April 16, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Photograph from Tina Wong on Flickr
You're not just looking at any old bowl of cereal and milk, marshmallow, or Jell-O cube, but a White Russian with toasted puffed rice cereal, a Ramos Gin Fizz marshmallow, and a cube of Cuba Libre gelatin atop a slice of dried lime. These are the solid cocktails from Tailor, a contemporary dining and cocktail parlor in New York City. Read more about Tailor in Tina Wong's review.
Previously
The Wandering Eater at Momofuku Ko
Unique Desserts at the Dessert Studio in New York City
Posted by Jamie Forrest, March 18, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Not long ago, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission began a program to outfit all yellow cabs with a backseat multifunction TV screen, one that can track the cab's location with GPS, show up-to-the-minute weather reports, and broadcast clips from local news shows. I kind of hate these screens because they make me nauseated (as does reading in cars), but the other day when I happened to see a short clip from ABC news about a local ricotta cheese making operation, I just had to watch.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 13, 2008 at 4:30 PM
I'm on the NYCfoodbloggers list, which is a great resource for finding out about all sorts of interesting events and items that often fly under the radar. A few months back, the list administrator, Danielle of Habeas Brulée, floated the notion among fellow food bloggers of leasing a space to start a free-form restaurant where different food bloggers would take turns cooking on different nights. It stemmed from her interest in cooking for the public here and there, just not full-time.
Fast-forward to today, when an email with an update about her idea appeared in my in-box:
Jack is an occasional restaurant, by which we mean that it is only occasionally in existence. We are open for one seating per night at 7 p.m. on Saturday nights, every other week or so. Our fixed multicourse tasting menu changes each time. Menus are posted in advance on this site, BYOB, and reservations are absolutely required. You can find the complete list of dates when Jack will be open in 2008 here. Our cuisine is eclectic, innovative, and very tasty.
Jack Restaurant
Address: In the Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11215 (Park Slope, at Union Street)
Website: jackrestaurant.com
Cost: $75 a ticket
Posted by Robyn Lee, March 10, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Photograph from Tina Wong on Flickr
If you're not paying attention, you could easily miss the small neon sign tucked away in a corner of the window of New York City's molecular gastronomy–specialized restaurant, WD-50. Don't know what WD-50 is all about? Read Tina's reviews of its dinner and dessert for a virtual taste.
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 10, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Photograph courtesy of Peter Cunnigham
Gotham foodies can rest easy. The Parks Department has finally decided the fate of the wildly popular Latin-American food vendors who sell some serious eats to soccer players and fans during the warmer months.
Posted by Robyn Lee, March 5, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Artisanal candy shop Papabubble in New York City's Little Italy makes fresh batches of creatively flavored and styled candies each day. This video from Cool Hunting brings you behind-the-scenes of the candy-making process with co-owner Fiona Ryan and candy maker Jelly, from pouring out the boiled sugar, stretching the candy base, rolling out the candy, and cutting it into pieces.
Watch the transformation from molten sugar to bite-sized treat after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, February 22, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Joe DiStefano at Gothamist found liulan soo, flaky durian cream-filled pastries, at Chatham Square Restaurant in Manhattan's Chinatown. I would describe the flavor of durian as a mix of garlic and onion—not necessarily horrendous (although other people would disagree), nor something I'd dream about eating—but Joe highly recommends these pastries:
"It had a kinder, gentler flavor than fresh durian, which has a funky undertone that can linger for quite some time after one has swallowed the last creamy bit. In fact the green and yellow treats were so tasty that almost as soon as the first plate was finished another was ordered."
As Chinese cuisine isn't known for excelling in the "desserts" department, I think I have to try these for myself.
Chatham Square Restaurant
Address: 6 Chatham Square, New York NY 10038 (map)
Phone: 212-587-8811
Posted by Robyn Lee, January 23, 2008 at 6:30 PM
What is banana cream pie besides my most favorite pie in the universe? Just a combination of four of the best things on Earth: buttery pie crust, bananas, thick vanilla pudding, and a heavy dose of fluffy whipped cream. That's a little piece of stomach-crushing heaven right there.
I once went to Billy's Bakery for dessert after eating dinner at Grand Sichuan with Kathy. Despite that we felt like our stomachs were going to explode and/or burn away from stuffing ourselves with hot Sichuanese food, we proceeded to dig into a hulking slice of their banana cream pie. The plastic plate it came on was barely strong enough to support the pie's heft. Each forkful of crust, banana chunk, creamy vanilla pudding and freshly whipped cream that we swallowed was like a stab to our digestives systems, but the combination was too perfect to resist. Sometimes you just have to eat through the pain.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, January 22, 2008 at 7:15 AM
Wow, it turns out that people are as passionate about their local food as they are about their sports teams. There were many claims and counterclaims being made by Boston and New York food advocates on yesterday's post, so I thought it might clarify things if I broke down the comparison food group by food group, much the same way newspapers, magazines, sports radio shows, and talking heads on television break down a football team: offensive line vs. offensive line, linebackers vs. linebackers, quarterback vs. quarterback, coach vs coach, and so on.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, January 18, 2008 at 11:30 AM
The Crosby Connection, the go-to sandwich spot in New York City's NoHo neighborhood, is about to lose its lease on February 1. A lease on a kitchen the size of a closet. Out of this narrow 45-square-foot space, owner Joey Cramarossa and his employees churn out awesome sandwiches for $5 to $7. These sandwiches have cheaply filled my belly many times during my lunch breaks; it'd be a shame if future students and workers in the NoHo area were unable to experience the same sandwich-induced joy.
Head over to An Error Occured While Processing This Directive for more pictures, a petition, and information on what else you can do to help save this little sandwich shop.
UPDATE: Crosby Connection isn't going to disappear—Joey plans on opening a new restaurant just a few blocks away. [via Eater]
Posted by Jenn Sit, January 4, 2008 at 3:00 PM
View Larger Map
Late-night dining is what New York City is all about. What makes it "the city that never sleeps" is the fact that there's always someplace open to eat at any hour. On the weekends, in the wee hours of the morning, most night-owls are just looking for a pre-emptive strike against a hangover (I'd recommend two Gray's Papaya dogs and a Nalgene full of water). What you realize the next morning when you wake up from that gluttonous bender is that you have a food-hangover—not hungry until 2 p.m. and wondering how eating that many hot dogs seemed like such a great idea. Whether you're starving after seeing a late show or you've got the midnight munchies, we've got the eats for you.
This week we're checking out the classic nocturnal nosh spots in New York City's East Village, a neighborhood that is the epitome of cheap delicious late-night dining.
We've made a grease trail from Second Avenue to East Houston, so check out the digs after the jump.
Continue reading »
New York magazine offers a rather thorough guide to where to eat in New York City in 2008.
Posted by Ed Levine, December 31, 2007 at 9:42 AM
New Year's Eve usually drives me crazy. We can never figure out what to do. I hate going to restaurants, many of whom jack up their prices figuring people are so desperate to convince themselves they are doing something special that they don't mind paying the extra ducats. I don't like traveling far to a New Year's Eve party even in NYC because I don't like dealing with the crazies on the street and on the subways who are determined to suck everyone around them into their manic New Year's Eve behavior. So our rule of thumb on New Year's Eve is to go to a party in our neighborhood that we can easily walk to.
This year our good pals Eric and Eslee invited us to their apartment right down the street from us. We don't even have to cross a street to get to their party. We love Eric and Eslee (their son Max, Will's good buddy, is practically our second son), so we really look forward to going to their house. We're supposed to bring two desserts this year. Vicky would like to make brownies. What's the best brownie recipe you know? We like them both fudgy and cakey with nuts. C'mon Serious Eaters! We're counting on you.
Cuddlier and more efficient than exterminators and poison, the cats that prowl your local delis and bodegas hunting for rats and mice are getting busted by the NYC Department of Health as a health risk. You gotta ask yourself what's worse: a rat-killing feline or vermine noshing at your bread loaves? [via Gothamist]
Posted by Erin Zimmer, December 18, 2007 at 5:15 PM
It's a fusion tradition that ain't on swanky menus but is very rooted in America's melting pot culture. Just think of cream cheese wontons (right), Soy Vay products, and how many Peking Dragons are open on Christmas. This dude [video] knows what I'm talking about. It's a curious overlap, but this post on the New York Times City Room blog went where few other Jewish-Chinese fusions have gone before.
Pastrami egg rolls and Chinese hot dogs, available at Eden Wok on 34th Street in Manhattan.
Continue reading »
Calling all Survivor fans: Courtney Yates may not have been crowned the sole Survivor on last night's finale, but if you'd like to the see the first runner-up model/waitress and self-proclaimed "world's biggest b----h" serving food instead of trying to win challenges for it, grab a table at the Coffee Shop in Union Square. According to a recent interview with the guys over at Grub Street, she once received a $250 tip from Taye Diggs. It may not be a million dollar prize, but perhaps her newfound fame will bring in more big tips à la Taye.
Posted by Adam Kuban, November 26, 2007 at 1:45 PM
Now that the weather's cold, the Serious Eats staff has been eating a lot of soup from The Soup Spot.
And it's not just us. During lunchtime and well beyond, there's routinely a line for this tiny takeout place nestled within a parking garage on West 31st Street. The scene is somewhat reminiscent of the "Soup Nazi" on Seinfeld except that the people here are actually nice—with no discernible sacrifice in efficiency or quality.
The wide range of soups, stews, and chowders are made with good-quality vegetables and from chicken, pork, and beef that the joint advertises as free-range and antibiotic-free. As I type this, I'm eating a deliciously creamy chicken and dumpling soup, and our web developer, Raphael, is eating a split pea soup (though he says his favorite is the Maryland crab bisque, "but they haven't had it in a while.")
Continue reading »
Frank Bruni goose-eggs Harry Cipriani, "a bizarre mix of indulgence and deprivation."
Posted by Emily Stone, November 10, 2007 at 9:00 AM
We Americans used to believe that all chocolate came from France (or possibly from Belgium or Switzerland). Now we know that it comes from asymmetrical pod-laden trees that grow in the jungles of Côte D'Ivoire, New Guinea, Brazil, Venezuela, the Caribbean, and Central America. But the French are still in charge of the Chocolate Show.
Francophone couple Sylvie Douce and François Jeantet founded the show in Paris in 1995 (they got 40,000 visitors on the first try), and they brought the event to New York ten years ago. At this weekend's New York Chocolate Show, France's chocolate artisans offer some healthy competition to their American counterparts.
Continue reading »
New York City residents should check out Milk-n-Honey, "a multimedia theatrical performance about Americans, food, appetite, and happiness" currently playing at 3-Legged Dog until November 18. Each night after the show you can snack on free cupcakes and participate in special events in the After Show Café.
Posted by Zach Brooks, October 10, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Photograph from The Flooz on Flickr
With few exceptions, most food at outdoor concerts is terrible, leaving music lovers to stuff themselves beforehand or pack a portable picnic. Nothing is more portable than a sandwich, and this past weekend, one of my Flickr friends found the perfect sandwich for a pre–Arcade Fire picnic on Randall's Island in New York: the Rosino Panino, picked up from Sorriso Italian Pork Store in Astoria, Queens.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, October 3, 2007 at 7:32 AM
I lived in Los Angeles for a few years and have often gone there for business, but until I read Jennifer Steinhauer's article in the New York Times, I had no idea that it had become the grilled cheese (fancy-pants and otherwise) capital of the U.S. and maybe the world. She describes the grilled cheese sandwich in L.A. as "an object of outright mania." She makes it sound as if grilled cheese sandwiches are the closest thing Los Angelenos have to their own organized religion. But I, too, am a grilled cheese maniac, and I figure a lot of you are, so today I am soliciting entries for the Serious Eats Grilled Cheese Honor Roll. Why?
Continue reading »
Posted by Alaina Browne, September 28, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Yen and Michi's blog, Lunch, is exactly what it sounds like: a blog about lunch, updated daily with a photo of what they had for lunch and a 4 p.m. snack. A virtual peephole into Yen and Michi's day, Lunch inspires me to take the time for lunch. We get to know Yen and Michi in this week's Meet & Eat.
Name: Yen Ha and Michi Yanagishita
Location: New York City
Occupation: Architects at Front Studio
URL: lunchstudio.blogspot.com
What prompted you to start your blog, Lunch?
We've always eaten lunch the way we do (which is to say everywhere and everything) and we've always had this slight obsession with cataloging, so it seemed normal to combine the two compulsions in a blog. Architecture tends to be a rather serious profession, so we wanted to create a light and amusing distraction.
What's the most surprising thing to come out of your blogging?
We've been pleasantly surprised to be making friends through Lunch. Using the blog as a pretext, we've been writing old friends, acquaintances, and sometimes strangers, inviting them to share a meal. We're seldom opposed to meeting new people or trying a new place for lunch, which makes for some fun meals.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, September 26, 2007 at 6:45 PM
We hope Frank Bruni won't feel threatened by Bill O'Reilly's stunning review of well-known Harlem restaurant Sylvia's. Take a listen, Frank. O'Reilly's willfully ignorant observations about African-American culture in general show just how uninformed he is about anything outside his own narrow set of experiences. O'Reilly was amazed that eating at Sylvia's was just like eating at an Italian restaurant. That is astonishing, Bill.
Posted by Adam Kuban, September 19, 2007 at 1:00 PM
If you live in or will be visiting New York City on October 6, there's what looks like an awesome culinary tour—the 7 Train Eating Tour.
It's $75 and lasts five hours and is given as part of the Institute of Culinary Education's "Recreational Division." Full description after the jump. [via curdnerds.com]
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, September 11, 2007 at 6:30 PM
I woke up Sunday morning thinking I was going to go to the Farm Aid concert and feed, but I went to Serious Eats world headquarters instead and cleaned my desk. I wanted to see what kind of local, family, farm-oriented food they had, and I really wanted to see the Allman Brothers Band, who I hadn't seen since the Watkins Glen rock festival in 1973.
But Kim Severson went and reported that Alice Waters took offense at the corporate nature of the food sponsors. Companies like Horizon Organic and Clif Bar apparently paid sponsorship fees to be able to sell their products at Farm Aid.
What is Alice's remedy for all this Farm Aid–sanctioned corporate food?
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, September 6, 2007 at 4:15 PM
The New York City Food Film Festival continues tonight and over the weekend with its third and final installment for the year. Three nights of barbecue films, people. That's something we at Serious Eats can get behind.
Lights, camera, action at Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City. Films are free and 'cue can be purchased at the event. More info here.
Posted by Robyn Lee, August 31, 2007 at 10:30 AM
There's good, mouthwatering food porn, and then there's Gridskipper's NYC Macaroni and Cheese Porn Gallery. Macaroni and cheese samples from ten New York restaurants are photographed in all their gooey, glistening, residual cheese-trailing glory to illustrate the wide variety of macaroni and cheese that New York has to offer. The gallery is informative, but I have a feeling the photos don't capture the tastiness that each restaurant has to offer. Gridskipper will reveal its choice for the best macaroni and cheese sometime today.
Posted by Robyn Lee, August 30, 2007 at 6:15 PM
Down the block from the Serious Eats office on 7th Avenue and 27th Street is Charlie's Fashion Beef Hot Dogs where for $1.50 you can get a grilled hot dog topped with onion, relish, chili, ketchup and mustard. The life of the above hot dog was about a minute before swimming in my stomach's digestive juices. It was a damn good minute.
Posted by Robyn Lee, August 17, 2007 at 2:45 PM
I'm somewhat glad that I don't know what mangosteens taste like; otherwise I might shell out $11 just for one piece of the fruit primarily grown in Thailand. Gersh Kuntzman only indulged in two pieces at a gourmet greengrocer in Brooklyn, lest he wanted to refinance his house. Although Kuntzman happily tore into his $45-a-pound fruit, his wife was less impressed:
"Face it, at $45 a pound, this mangosteen should come in a limousine with a chauffer who also cleans our kitchen. Besides, the joy of eating a mangosteen is eating it in Thailand. Imagine sending a Bagel Hole bagel to your brother in North Carolina. It’s not even worth the bother."
I think I'll skip out on trying a mangosteen stateside for now—it gives me all the more reason for me to visit Thailand.
Of course, if you do want to try them Stateside, shipments of Puerto Rico–grown mangosteens started arriving on these shores earlier this month. (Those grown in Thailand are banned from the U.S. because of concerns over insect infestation.)
The season is short, and only two outlets have distribution deals—Melissa's World Variety Produce in Los Angeles and Baldor in New York City.
Photograph from DiemThuyen on Flickr
Posted by Ed Levine, August 15, 2007 at 1:00 PM
I know it's all sliders all the time in the food media these days, and I don't mean to jump on the bunwagon, but I feel compelled to post about the scary good, extremely serious meatball sliders I had at the Little Owl last night. Chef Joey Campanaro combines ground veal, pork, and beef; fennel; panko (Japanese breadcrumbs); and pecorino Romano cheese to impossibly delicious effect. The house-made cheese garlic roll doesn't hurt, either.
They come three to an order, perfect for sharing, though after your first bite, you won't want to. The recipe for these bad boys, minus the house-made buns, is in this month's Bon Appétit. I pondered making some at home, but it turns out these suckers are hard to replicate.
Little Owl
Address: 90 Bedford Street, New York NY 10014
Phone: 212-741-4695
Photograph from beurremanie on Flickr
Posted by Adam Kuban, August 8, 2007 at 2:30 PM
The blog Porkchop Express reports on the latest hurdle that the Red Hook soccer field food vendors have run up against. This time it's not the parks commission but the department of health, which has some issues with the set-up:
Foremost amongst these: no running water at the fields. So today (Tuesday) at 5:15 pm, Cesar was contacted about a “big” meeting Wednesday with the Deputy Commissioner of Health. Pressure has intensified, City Officials are again flexing muscle, and the implied bottom-line is rough. Worst-case scenario, the Vendors will have to shut down operations stat to comply with DOH mandates. But we wont know anything until [Wednesday] afternoon.
Earlier: Red Hook Soccer Tacos Safe for Whole Season
Posted by Ed Levine, August 6, 2007 at 2:30 PM
Porter House New York: A steakhouse with a chef back where he belongs. Photograph courtesy of Jason Perlow
Steakhouses don't usually have chefs in charge. For example, who's the chef at Peter Luger? Or Gene and Georgetti in Chicago? Or the Pacific Dining Car in Los Angeles? I don't know, and I am willing to wager a steak dinner at Luger that nobody else does either. That's because steakhouses are traditionally not chef-driven; they're prime, preferably dry-aged meat and perfectly golden hash-brown-potato driven.
Although celebrity chefs have gotten into the steakhouse game (because they love red meat and love developing concepts that can be cloned and yield profits with minimal oversight), I can think of only one serious chef at a high-end steakhouse who runs the kitchen or is at the broiler nearly every night. And that one chef is Michael Lomonaco at Porter House New York.
I have had half a dozen meals at Porter House and have spotted Lomonaco there each time. When the restaurant opened less than a year ago, the food was not nearly as good as it is now, and the reviews reflected that.
But each meal I've had there has been successively better, and the meal I had there last week might have been one of the best steakhouse meals I have ever had.
Continue reading »
Posted by Lucy Baker, August 3, 2007 at 11:30 AM
Photographs by Robyn Lee
In these modern times of high rises on New York City's Lower East Side, health fad diets, and increasingly hard-to-find high-quality ingredients (Where can you get a good rye bread these days? Does anyone dry-age pastrami anymore?), can the New York delicatessen survive?
These questions were tackled Tuesday night at the Museum of the City of New York at a panel discussion titled "Jewish Cuisine and the Evolution of the Jewish Deli." The talk was moderated by food writer Matthew Goodman (Jewish Food: The World at Table), and the panel included food historian Joel Denker (The World on a Plate: A Tour through History of America’s Ethnic Cuisine); former New York Times restaurant critic Mimi Sheraton; Alan Dell, owner of Katz’s Delicatessen; Jack Lebewohl, owner of the now-shuttered 2nd Avenue Deli; and Mark Federman, third-generation owner of Russ & Daughters.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, July 30, 2007 at 9:45 AM
Last Wednesday, I was at the Union Square Greenmarket when I was waylaid by Andrew Carmellini, the chef-partner at A Voce.
"Hey, Ed. Can you give us a hand with our stuff?" I said sure and loaded the four boxes and two bags of produce into a cab along with Carmellini and two of the cooks at the restaurant. We took the cab to 27th and Park, and then we schlepped the boxes one block to the restaurant. By this time, it was 11:45 a.m. and A Voce was about to open for lunch. When in A Voce, or should I say Rome, I said to myself, so I decided to have a bowl of pasta. Although Carmellini first became known to the culinary world as the opening chef at Café Boulud, he is one of my favorite pasta cooks (which is a good thing, since A Voce is first and foremost an Italian restaurant).
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 23, 2007 at 2:25 PM
Does getting too big for your chef pant's britches imply an eventual move to New York City? Apparently so for one of Washington's leading chefs, Fabio Trabocchi, who publicly revealed Friday that he's leaving Maestro at the Tysons Corner Ritz Carlton in McLean, Virginia—one of the area's most lauded kitchens—to become a chef-partner of SoHo's sexy Fiamma Osteria, part of Steve Hanson's mega B.R. Guest Restaurant Group.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 20, 2007 at 10:00 AM
The chef's table—where you sit in or very near the kitchen to get a bird's eye view of the proceedings while a special meal is cooked for you—is a concept many serious food lovers find appealing. ForbesTraveler.com gives its list of the nine best examples in the U.S.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, July 18, 2007 at 3:00 PM
With the good neighborhood Chinese restaurant something of an endangered species, I am happy to report that the Grand Sichuan International on 24th Street and Ninth Avenue (212-620-5200) is still turning out first-rate, moderately priced food. GSI is a mini-chain that periodically gets the "gone downhill" reports from diners, but based on Monday night's meal, the food at 24th and Ninth at least is, if anything, going uphill. Here's what we had last night, with nary a loser in the bunch:
Continue reading »
Posted by Zach Brooks, July 18, 2007 at 2:29 PM
Everybody has heard of a PBJ. And I've seen the classic tomato, basil, and mozzarella combo called a TBM on a few occasions. But hands down, my favorite three-letter sandwich is the PMB. By applying the transitive property, the PBM should consist of peanut butter, basil, and mozzarella—but that would be disgusting (or would it?). Lucky for us, we don't have to test that theory, because the PMB actually stands for pancetta, mango, and basil, a combo of ingredients that makes up one of my favorite New York sandwiches, found at the Sullivan Street Bakery.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, July 18, 2007 at 11:20 AM
If you walked by a Whole Foods in New York City last night, you would've seen a long line of people waiting outside the closed storefront. If you walked by a Whole Foods in New York City early this morning, you would've still seen the long line of people, although this time huddled under umbrellas to protect themselves from a downpour.
What were they all waiting so diligently for? A bag. What kind of bag would only be sold at Whole Foods? Anya Hindmarch's $15 environmentally aware "I'm not a plastic bag" bag. As Hindmarch's tote bags tend to cost closer to $500 than $15, there's a bit more demand for her cloth tote bags sold at cost in order to raise awareness about the plastic bags we mindlessly throw away every year. It sells out in hours at any store it graces with its presence, nearly caused a riot in Hong Kong, and goes for hundreds of dollars on eBay.
As the New York Times says, "If you are reading this anytime after dawn on Wednesday, you are probably too late to make a fashion statement and simultaneously keep the world safe from plastic bags."
I guess I'll just have to stick with the cloth tote bag that I've been using for the past four years (whose purchase didn't require waiting outside a store overnight). It may not be as fashionable, but it does hold stuff, so I guess it gets the job done.
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 16, 2007 at 3:00 PM
The Gothamist-AHT/SE QBQ BBQ II
Photograph courtesy of Jason Perlow
Last year, Serious Eats burger site A Hamburger Today teamed up with Gothamist for the Gothamist-AHT QBQ (that's Quality Before Quantity), we've decided to team up with them again this year for another burger bash at Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City, Queens. At last year's event, chef Harry Hawk served four regional burgers from around the nation.
We're doing something similar this year, but this time you get to choose which burgers will be served, with the top three vote-getters across Gothamist and A Hamburger Today/Serious Eats making the menu. Some are regional specialties, and some are original Water Taxi Beach creations. I'll get to the candidate burgers in a bit, but first the nitty-gritty details.
But before the details, can I tell you that later in the evening, Grandmaster Flash will be spinning at WTB? OK, the deets:
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, July 10, 2007 at 7:30 PM
I've just completed food's version of a triathlon (a foodathlon?), a two day walk-through of the Fancy Food Show at New York City's Javits Center. I swam through hundreds of adult sodas, biked my way though miles of healthy snacks, and ran through a virtual United Nations of country food booths. What did I find in the miles of aisles?
Read on with some antacid at the ready.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, June 28, 2007 at 7:08 AM
I visited both Ed's Lobster Bar and Pearl Oyster Bar yesterday, in search of a glimmer of sanity and truth in what is obviously a sea of resentment and betrayal. I found out that, yes, Ed's uses the same toilet paper as Pearl. And that he makes a good lobster roll with thicker french fries than Pearl's. And that, yes, his Caesar salad does have English muffin croutons, just like Pearl's. And that Pearl's fried oyster roll is so deliciously crunchy, crisp, and briny I could have it every day for lunch.
But I also found a beleaguered Ed McFarland, in way over his head as he tries to make sense of all this. McFarland held a press conference in which (according to Grub Street) he said the following: "I believe her action has no merit. I harbor no ill will and wish her safely to port." His lawyer, Alan Serrins, followed with the following bit of disingenuousness: "I didn't know Caesar salad and lobsters are protected under the intellectual-property laws."
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, June 22, 2007 at 3:22 PM
The vendors at the Red Hook ball fields in Brooklyn have been granted at least a temporary reprieve in their battle to keep the concession license at the soccer fields that have brought them at least some measure of justified fame.
This means that the great Latino food we have talked about will now be served until October 28, the end of the soccer league season.
Previously the New York City Parks Department had threatened to yank the delicious food vendors' permit on September 7.
Our well-placed source, who spoke to us on condition of anonymity, says that this decision can only be seen as a show of good faith on the part of the Parks Department as the two sides work amicably toward a long-term solution.
Related
New York Senator Chuck Schumer Makes Goat Tacos Good Politics
savesoccertacos.blogspot.com
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 22, 2007 at 1:15 PM
The inaugural NYC Food Film Festival continues tonight at Water Taxi Beach. Tonight and tomorrow's films listed below.
Friday, June 22
8:30 p.m. - Tasting Rachel Ray - 3 mins.
8:45 - Above The Line - Saving Willie Mae's Scotch House - 45 mins.
9:30 - Dial S For Sausage - 15 mins.
9:45 - Fried Pies - 12 mins.
10 - Working The Miles - 13 mins.
10:15 - Hot Chicken - 10 mins.
10:30 - Q&A with filmmaker Joe York of Above The Line. Fried Pies, Hot Chicken, etc.
Saturday, June 23
8:30 p.m. - Tasting Rachel Ray - 3 mins.
- Hot Chicken - 10 mins.
- 4H at the Missouri State Fair - 4 mins.
8:50 - American Beer - 105 mins.
10:30 - Q&A with Paul Kermizian from American Beer
Posted by Harold Check, June 20, 2007 at 9:00 AM
I had the good fortune to visit the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan last week. The huge installation of Richard Serra sculptures was impressive and well worth a stroll through the museum's courtyard and upper floors. However, it was The Modern, Danny Meyer's restaurant on the ground floor that really had me smiling. My wife and I enjoyed a great lunch in The Bar Room that offered small plates of Alsatian cuisine, including fresh poached "Egg in a Jar" and grilled diver scallops. It was just the right kind of quick yet sophisticated refresher you need after two hours of digesting modern art.
From there, it was a quick dash across the street to the MoMA store to peruse the tantalizing design objects—many of which are meant to adorn the modern kitchen. There was plenty of gear worth coveting: nesting prep/measuring bowls designed by Mario Batali, the ingenious folding cutting board, and a Richard Sapper kitchen timer that is actually included in the museum's permanent collection. Of course, you'll also find quite a few gorgeous pieces for displaying you own culinary arts—the MoMA store's selection of platters and trays is a pleasure to behold, and an even greater pleasure to purchase.
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 19, 2007 at 12:30 PM
Those of you interested in starting a food blog of your own—or current bloggers who just want to learn more—might be interested in class taught by Matt Armendariz (mattbites.com; that's him at right).
Taking place July 15 (1:30 to 3:30 p.m.) at the Whole Foods Bowery location in New York City, Armendariz's lecture and demo "will discuss what food blogging is and how it has changed the landscape of food writing and accessibility. He'll also discuss what to blog about, how to take better food photos, and the basics of food styling." (Sign up here.)
I'm particularly interested in Armendariz's tips on photography and food styling, since he's adept at creating beautiful shots. [via Matt Bites]
Posted by Ed Levine, June 13, 2007 at 7:58 AM
In today's New York Times Chairman Bruni confirms in hilarious fashion what most Serious Eaters already know and love about food in restaurants these days, namely, that fat rules. Though he did hit many of the fat-centric highlights in New York eating, like Resto, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, and the Spotted Pig, he failed to mention a few of my favorites (both classic and new) listed after the jump. What are your favorite fatty dishes?
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 11, 2007 at 4:45 PM
This Thursday in New York City, Water Taxi Beach is kicking off its inaugural food film series with Hamburger America, a burger documentary we've excerpted here on Serious Eats, in addition to other shorts about food.
On Friday, the series continues with a documentary on Las Vegas buffets. Saturday brings a date with asparagus.
To go with the films, various dishes will be paired with the entertainment. Admission to the movies is free, but the food will cost you. Food tickets here.
Posted by Ed Levine, June 10, 2007 at 7:52 PM
The call came Friday morning as I was leaving the house. "Ed Levine, this is Sam Schaeffer from Senator Chuck Schumer's office. Tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. the senator is having a press conference at the Red Hook Soccer Fields to lend his support to the current food vendors. We would like you to come out and say a few words in support of these vendors."
"I'll be there,' I stammered into the phone. After all, we had posted two days before about what serious eaters could do to support the thirteen immigrant families who have been cooking delicious Latino food at the Red Hook soccer fields for the last thirty years.
I arrived at the soccer fields at 12:30. With a half-hour to kill I had time to hit two or three vendors before Senator Schumer and I, along with vendor manager Cesar Fuentes, the local state senator, and A Voce chef-partner Andrew Carmellini were to address the media. I had a pork and cheese huarache the size of my forearm. Excellent. I had a pork and cheese pupusa and ended up tallking to a Ben Benson waiter who was a Red Hook Soccer Fields regular. I was about to head over to the goat taco stand when my cell phone rang. "Ed, it's Sam Schaeffer. The press conference is about to begin." The goat tacos would have to wait.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, June 8, 2007 at 3:42 PM
First of all congratulations to our Serious Eats Big Apple Barbecue Block Party Bubba Pass Plus Winners. See you both this weekend. There are so many pitmasters and other food and drink booths I thought the Serious Eats community could use some 'cue guidance so that you maximize your eating pleasure when you do go. Now I must admit that I have not tried every pitmaster's cue as of this moment. But I can give you my list of Five Fave "'Cue" Booths so that you can be certain that even if you didn't purchase a Bubba Pass, the time you'll spend on these particular lines will be well worth it:
Big Bob Gibson's Championship Pork Shoulder, Pitmasters Chris Lilly and Don McLemore: Let's face it, most of us might not ever make it to Decatur, Alabama to visit the Big Bob Gibson mothership, so a wait on this line is a must. Flat out, the best pork shoulder sandwich you will ever taste.
17th Street Bar & Grill and Championship Bar-B-Q Baby Back Ribs, Murphysboro, Illinois, Marion, IL, and Las Vegas, Nevada: Mike Mills, pitmaster. Mike Mills may be as good a yarn spinner as he is a pitmaster, and that's saying something, because his dry rub baby back ribs will make you cry they are so good.
Southside Market & BBQ Beef Brisket & Sausage & Pickles & Onions, Elgin, Texas: Bryan Bracewell, Pitmaster: Bryan Bracewell's smoked beef sausage is so delicious and so juicy I'm convinced the man is secretly a dry cleaning and laundromat magnate. Wear an already stained t-shirt to save yourself the worry.
Mitchell's Whole Hog and Cole Slaw, Wilson, NC, Ed Mitchell, Pitmaster: Until you've had one of Ed Mitchell's incomparably delicious Eastern Carolina whole hog barbecue sandwiches, with its little crispy shards of skin and bits of meat from all over the pig, you haven't really lived. Really.
Stehling Brothers Fried Pies, John Stehling, Early Girl Eatery, Asheville, NC and Robert Stehling, Hominy Grill, Charleston, SC. I've never really embraced the idea of eating dessert at the BABBP, but these guys are serious food people, so I have to believe that their fried pies are going to be killer.
This is not to say that everything else at the Block Party is not up to snuff. I'm just trying to make sure you maximize your barbecue and fried pie pleasure this weekend.
Happy "Cue Hunting. http://www.bigapplebarbecue.com
[photographs taken by Lia]
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 7, 2007 at 1:15 PM
It's at once amazing and not all that surprising that the Red Hook ball fields in Brooklyn are getting so much attention from New York City food lovers. From bloggers to anonymous activists to chefs, everyone agrees: The place is a culinary treasure and needs to be preserved.
I love that Save Soccer Tacos sprang up, complete with a sample message that it suggests sending to New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and City Councilwoman Sara M. Gonzalez, whose 38th District includes the ball fields.
I hate that the Parks Department website makes you use a black hole of a form to email Commissioner Benepe, so with a little digging, we found direct email addresses to ping him at: adrian.benepe@parks.nyc.gov
Here's some body text, based on the Save Soccer Tacos message, that you can copy and paste into your email to Commissioner Benepe. (Add you name and send as-is, or for a more effective plea, personalize it with what the ball fields mean to you.)
Dear Commissioner Benepe,
Please extend the Temporary Use Agreement to the vendors at the Red Hook ball fields. They are a unique resource in the city, are one of the best things about summer in Brooklyn, and they are irreplaceable.
The vendors bring value to Red Hook by bringing people out to eat who might otherwise not visit the neighborhood, and they create an experience and a range of real, honest food that typical park vendors could not possibly replicate.
I'm asking you to please grant them an extension for this year and to look for a way to make the use agreement permanent.
This is a cultural institution worth saving!
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME HERE
Photograph from Peter Cunningham
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, June 6, 2007 at 10:00 AM
There's still time to win two Bubba Passes to the Big Apple BBQ Block Party this weekend in New York City's Madison Square Park.
To enter to win this barbecue fantasy, simply tell your favorite barbecue joint here. Typical Serious Eats contest rules apply. Commenting will be open until Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. We'll announce the winner Friday morning.
Posted by Ed Levine, June 5, 2007 at 4:30 PM
Josh Ozersky reports on Grub Street that the food concession contract at the Red Hook ball fields in Brooklyn are going to be put up for bidding by the city this fall and that the last day to eat the terrific grub found there will be September 7.
This, my friends, should not be allowed to happen. The Red Hook ball fields, where Latino families put up makeshift restaurants serving real, honest food of their home countries, is one of the last bastions of real food to be found in New York City. If it's replaced by a series of dirty water dog carts, a sausage-and-pepper stand, or some generic high bidder, it would be a travesty.
Serious Eats is going to start a petition to try to get the city to see the madness inherent in this misguided notion. Apparently the parks commissioner should be the object of our attention. Mr. Commissioner, you will be hearing from us.
Photograph from my friend Peter Cunningham
Posted by Ed Levine, June 4, 2007 at 2:00 PM
Last week on Ed Levine Eats, I wrote about the problems I had with a blogger writing about lobster rolls and not crediting New York City restaurant Pearl Oyster Bar chef and owner Rebecca Charles as the woman who introduced the lobster roll to, and popularized it with, many New Yorkers. Unfortunately that's just the claw of the problem. In fact, there's something else going on with Pearl and its imitators that is relevant to every creative person and craftsperson in the food world and beyond.
Continue reading »
