Food: October 2007 Archives

These ribs feature date molasses, a flavorful sweet syrup you can pick up at Kalustyan's, and mesquite smoke powder, which you can order from Auntie Arwen's Spices (a really wonderful resource, where we also love to stock up on Two Knives Special Curry Blend and Thief in a Jug Garam Masala).

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Alto and L’Impero, both now run by chef Michael White (formerly of Fiamma Osteria). He finds Alto “better than ever” and bumps it up from two stars to three. “Alto is now a full throttle dining experience, no matter where on the menu you turn,” he says. L’Impero doesn’t fare so well, and receives two stars (down from the three it received from Eric Asimov in 2002). “Its menu harbors more disappointments than Alto’s, and its kitchen is less polished,” says Bruni.

, by Simone Ortega.

, by Simone Ortega.

East and West Village sweet tooths went into withdrawal last weekend with the abrupt closure of both Mary’s Dairy ice cream and chocolate bars. The plucky little parlors had developed a loyal following since scooping out their first location in a former West Village leather shop. They soon became a favorite pit stop for lithe model-types who swore by their tasty fat-free soft serve, which, according to the Times, succeeded in avoiding “the chalky taste of similar products.” Reached by phone this morning, the co-owner of the parlors, who insisted on being referred to only as Mary, blamed the usual suspects in her Dairy’s demise: “We have very loyal customers who all say they’re going to miss us, but it just comes down to Con Ed and rent.” First Con Ed came for the ice cream – can Christmas be far behind?

At the Ethnic Market highlights international specialty foods and ingredients that you're very unlikely to find at your local Gristedes.

At the Ethnic Market highlights international specialty foods and ingredients that you're very unlikely to find at your local Gristedes.

We’re probably not alone in the fact that we love wines from Burgundy but really can’t afford them. A great 1er (premiere) cru Gevrey Chambertain could cost us around $35 - $50, and while on special occasions they can be worth every cent, the reality is that we don’t get to have them as much as we like. But there is good news.

What’s worth watching on food-related TV this week?

Come spring, Whole Foods is going to have some stiff competition on their uptown turf when a new Italian gourmet supermarket opens their first U.S. location on 48th Street. The wildly successful enterprise is called Eataly; since the flagship store opened last January in Turin, 1.5 million customers have flocked there for gourmet food, wine, dining and an array of culinary classes. By bringing his big-tent concept to America, owner Oscar Farinetti hopes to “stupefy New Yorkers” with imported Italian cheese, fresh-baked bread, cured meats, packaged foods, beer and wine. (Vegetables will be from local sources and the beef will be sacrificed by Piedmontese cattle in New Jersey, but most everything else will be from the Boot.)

Bro, the Lower East Side has finally arrived! Know how we know? There’s totally a bangin’ new rodeo themed bar/restaurant with a mechanical bull!!! We’re going to be getting so much sweet action once the hotties see us taming that bad boy. Plus there’s like 16 killer beers on tap, chicken fried stake and pork chops! So untuck that striped shirt and ramble on down here, cowbro! Oh, and since the place still hasn’t settled on a name, try to come up with one on the way – we’re thinking maybe The Slouching Beast or Brodeo. 133 Essex St, near Rivington.

Well well well, when we reported in August that Lido Bar in Red Hook would be closing we were met with many emails and comments stating this was 100% untrue. Bar manager Molly Franklin even held strong that Lido Bar would remain open and that this was nothing more than "bar gossip."

FR.OG and P*Ong, two perfectly good Manhattan restaurants that opened earlier this year, have names that independently invoke two classic arcade video games, Frogger and Pong. Now, as the fall openings season draws to a close and the votes for worst new restaurant name have been cast, we’d like to draw your attention to the most incredibly iconic new restaurant name in New York: It's that of Roclantic Eatery, a soul food and oil drum “Bar-B-Que” place that opened just two weeks ago on the corner of Atlantic and Rockaway Avenue in East New York, coincidentally enough. Kind of rolls off the tongue. With a purple-painted exterior and booming, shadowed, all-caps signage, Roclantic’s owners have come up with a restaurant name so unique that as of right now, it doesn’t even return a single Google hit.

Cosmopolitan candy men and women packed the hotly-anticipated opening of Papabubble on Broome Street Saturday night. The high-end confectioner has been a big hit in Barcelona, Tokyo and Amsterdam, so it was only a matter of time before the New York market opened wide for some gourmet candy “sculpture”. Their new location continues the Papabubble tradition of preparing the sweets in-store, which has proven to be an entertaining and well-nigh irresistible marketing strategy. You tell yourself you’re just stopping in for a quick peek and maybe one free sample, next thing you know you’re passed out on the curb with your blood sugar crashing like a Cessna.

- this brittle is the real deal.

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Korean restaurant Moim in Park Slope, awards the restaurant one star. Says, “Many of its dishes, distinguished by a beautifully modulated and lingering heat, are compelling. Most are at least satisfying.” Prices are reasonable as well, he says, though service less than attentive.

Late October is a the perfect time of the year to eat local zucchini blossoms, those fleshy, pale orange flowers that are often found stuffed or battered on fancy restaurant menus. The first part of this sentence would be true if zucchini plants were flowering now, but they’re not. Instead, consider the pumpkin blossom: Generally overlooked in the culinary world (like zucchini flowers once were before they were trendy), pumpkin blossoms are in incredible abundance this year, especially because there hasn’t yet been a lot of frost round these parts. There are many huge orange flowers still blooming on pumpkin vines out there, so either if you’re doing the whole Charlie Brown waiting game thing or going pumpkin picking somewhere on the outskirts of the city this weekend, there’s a really good chance you’ll be able to score a huge bag of flowers for cheap. If your friendly pumpkin patch guardian isn’t selling flowers up front, ask him or her if you might be able to borrow a few blossoms. Chances are the answer will be yes, and they might even be free. Once you get them home, keep them refrigerated unwashed and under a damp paper towel, the whole thing loosely wrapped in plastic wrap until you’re ready to cook them.

If the ghosts of Timothy Leary and Nam June Paik collaborated with Kraftwerk and some dancers to make dinner theater aboard a spaceship to The Pleiades, it might feel something like OutMigration, the immersive dining/video/performance experience happening at Williamsburg’s Monkeytown through Sunday. $70 gets you an elaborate 12-course tasting menu, with wine pairings, prepared by chef Ryan Jaronik (formerly the executive chef at Boston’s beloved Masa). Before entering the intimate performance/dinner space, our group was cautioned against reading the program to learn what we were eating; the idea was for us to surrender to a bewildering new sensory world without any preconceived notions, man. (Uptight squares and those with food allergies can check the menus here; there are spoilers after the jump.)

Gastronauts seeking Indian fare have rocketed along the 7 line to 74 St./Roosevelt Ave. for a decade or more. Sadly many Jackson Heights stars, including the Jackson Diner, have long faded. Even when one finds tasty grub it still seems like eating from a vast steam table. Nevertheless, we hold out hope and were glad to happen upon Malgudi.

Gastronauts seeking Indian fare have rocketed along the 7 line to 74 St./Roosevelt Ave. for a decade or more. Sadly many Jackson Heights stars, including the Jackson Diner, have long faded. Even when one finds tasty grub it still seems like eating from a vast steam table. Nevertheless, we hold out hope and were glad to happen upon Malgudi.

For almost two decades, the 35 year-old chef Alex Ureña has been quietly working behind the scenes at some of New York’s most well regarded restaurants: His very first kitchen job was at The River Café during Charlie Palmer’s tenure. A few gigs later, Ureña was translating the contents of Ferran Adrià’s first cookbook for David Bouley, a chef he spent 7 years with and considers a mentor. Alex Ureña later served as executive chef of Blue Hill, Marseille, and Suba and between gigs in New York managed to clock time in some of the highest rated restaurants in France and Spain. Ferran Adrià’s approach informed the menu of the short-lived Ureña, the chef’s first go around as owner (with wife Martine Gren). The New York Times food critic Frank Bruni awarded the restaurant 2 stars but complained about its interior, calling it “the ugliest restaurant with great food that I know,” and singling out the dining room’s bright lights as an impediment to a good meal. Ureña closed in August and re-opened last month as Pamplona, with the light fixtures now a little dimmer. We spoke with Alex Ureña last week at Pamplona as the chef prepared for dinner service.

Corkscrews. That’s what we’re talking about; get your mind out of the gutter for a second (just for a second as we’re sure we’ll throw in a hooker reference eventually). Corkscrews come in all shapes and sizes. From the rabbit to a flynut or even the gas-injected powered option, there is literally a corkscrew for everyone. But do all these fancy contraptions really make our lives easier or are they just another esoteric wine gadget to waste money on?

Corkscrews. That’s what we’re talking about; get your mind out of the gutter for a second (just for a second as we’re sure we’ll throw in a hooker reference eventually). Corkscrews come in all shapes and sizes. From the rabbit to a flynut or even the gas-injected powered option, there is literally a corkscrew for everyone. But do all these fancy contraptions really make our lives easier or are they just another esoteric wine gadget to waste money on?

What’s worth watching on food-related TV this week?

After receiving a dispensation from city officials last month to remain open until the end of their traditional season, the Red Hook Ball Field vendors are serving up their South and Central American and Mexican fare today and tomorrow for the last time this year. Whether they will return next spring is an open question. This summer the Parks Dept. proposed opening bidding for vending concessions at the fields, which would push most of the present vendors from the scene. Offering indigenous Latin American fare at low prices, there is little chance any of the vendors would be able to outbid a better capitalized organization.

The massive $7,000 truffle acquired by Le Cirque owner Sirio Maccioni sits vulnerably under glass just steps from the restaurant’s doors. But Mauro Maccioni, who helps run the place with his brother Marco, says he’s not worried about any truffle-burglars scrambling off with the famous fungus. “They’d never make it. But that reminds me – my father was one of the first people to bring truffles to New York; he tells a story about a well-known restaurant critic who picked up a truffle and wondered why we had an Idaho potato on display.”

Back Forty: Peter Hoffman of Savoy brings his fresh-from-the-farm mentality to the East Village, complete with farm implements decorating the walls. The term "Back Forty" referred to the undeveloped quarter of a 160-acre homestead where farm families went to relax and unwind. The menu may be small, but includes a grass-fed beef burger, Maine shrimp and bacon beignets, and a whole grilled Catskill trout. Wash it down with a house cocktail, or if you've got a sweet tooth, a root beer float. 190 Avenue B, near 12th Street, 212-388-1990.

France’s Gascony region has long been famous for the Three Musketeers, Armagnac and foie gras. Lately it’s becoming known for white wines as we learned at a luncheon at Orsay earlier this week. Wines from Domaine du Tariquet were paired with a menu that featured ingredients from D’Artagnan that ran the gamut from foie gras to pheasant.

France’s Gascony region has long been famous for the Three Musketeers, Armagnac and foie gras. Lately it’s becoming known for white wines as we learned at a luncheon at Orsay earlier this week. Wines from Domaine du Tariquet were paired with a menu that featured ingredients from D’Artagnan that ran the gamut from foie gras to pheasant.

Clutched like a shot put by a chef in Le Cirque's kitchen, here’s a photo we took of that $7000 truffle that has been making the news this week- it even landed in the Daily News' gossip pages. In true Page 6 style, we became ad hoc truffle paparazzi Tuesday night in an effort to score a candid of the truffle at the restaurant. Armed with our crummy digital camera and generally warded off by Le Cirque valets, we knew the moment had arrived when the delivery car pulled up: From 5 yards away, the October air literally filled with the smell of truffles as the car doors opened.

The Counter Meal, a waitress explained during a recent visit, is an Australian tradition made up of comforting food, a hefty drink, an informal atmosphere, and a darn good price. The menu offers an appetizer, either burger or entree, and a choice of traditional Australian desserts for this price ($16)--or even less, $10, on Sunday nights.

This five-course wine dinner will feature nine top wines from Alsace, Austria and Germany paired with regional dishes such as Alsatian Onion Tart with Thinly Sliced House-Smoked Brisket and Raclette Fondue and Riesling-Marinated Poulet Rouge with Glazed Baby Turnips and Carrots Crispy Sauteed Spaetzle, and Riesling Jus. Doesn't that sound like fall to you? $125, tax and tip excluded. For reservations, call 212.874.7400. 7pm, Aix, 2398 Broadway at 88th Street.

Le Cirque owner Sirio Maccioni made big news recently by dropping $7,000 on a single white truffle, telling the Post, “Once in a while, you have to be crazy.” Indeed, the highly coveted tubers – which at Le Cirque are often shaved sparingly onto pastas or used for tortellini filling – are known to drive chefs and gourmands mad with ecstasy. (Melissa Hom, who took the above photo for Grub Street, snapped a hilarious shot of Le Cirque’s kitchen team partying around Sirio’s huge score.)

, a whirlwind guide through the culinary delights of Italy. Willinger has spent 30 years traveling through and living in Italy, settling in Tuscany, a gastronome's playground. The book guides you to shops, markets, and restaurants by way of "introductions" to the people she has encountered throughout her journeys followed by the recipes they have either created or inspired.

When we learned that R.U.B. just started serving Frito Pie we hastened to Chelsea to try one. Until we ate our first one the other day, we always thought that a Frito Pie, was literally a pie made with corn chips, sort of a redneck quiche Lorraine. That’s not to say that Gothamist expected a filling of Gruyère cheese and lardons, we were pretty sure that chili, cheese and jalapeños would play a prominent role.

The light, soft buttermilk biscuit has just a touch of almond flavor to it, that comes out more with each bite. It is the sturdy base which supports the other components in this dish. The sour cherry compote just blazes with flavor, tart and sweet and intoxicatingly intense. The pickled ginger barely needs to be candied at all, but the added sugar adds a nice crunch to the already crisp ginger.

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Centro Vinoteca. Says of chef Anne Burrell “The woman can fry,” and you’ll be happy with your food provided you choose anything fried, especially those items on the piccolini (small plates) menu. The rest is erractic: “Both on and off the plate, Centro can elate and deflate you.”

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Centro Vinoteca. Says of chef Anne Burrell “The woman can fry,” and you’ll be happy with your food provided you choose anything fried, especially those items on the piccolini (small plates) menu. The rest is erractic: “Both on and off the plate, Centro can elate and deflate you.”

Earlier this year one artist's chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ wasn't leaving a good taste with many, 41% of you calling it "sacrilege." However, 34% of you wanted one for Easter! Maybe Halloween will do, because it looks like it's been resurrected!

"My Sweet Lord," an anatomically correct milk chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ that infuriated Catholics before its April unveiling was canceled, returns Oct. 27 to a Chelsea art gallery, its creator said Tuesday. This time, artist Cosimo Cavallaro said he expects the public exhibit to proceed without a problem.

"We don't approve of the piece at all, but it's not something we're going to protest," said Kiera McCaffrey, the league's director of communications. "This is much less an in-your-face assault on Christians, and it's not happening during Holy Week."

Not making their way to the greenmarket this week are domestic matsutake, one of the most prized mushrooms in the world. Matsutake have a slight pine flavor and give off a wild, funky cinnamon aroma when cooked. This fragrance is said to do things to people, like instantly transport them to Xanadu or make choruses of ladybugs hail from the sky in intense, Busby Berkeley style formations. Hand foraged and scarce, matsutake are in fact like truffles, with whom they share a peak season and some frequent flyer miles: Just as a good number of Italian truffles are gussied up and shipped off the New York market each fall, most Pacific Northwest matsutake are flown overnight to Japan after collection, where the best ones are so expensive it’s not even funny. For the time being, and at least on the East Coast, matsutake are most likely to be found in restaurants.

An article in today’s Post reports on West Village rancor surrounding Chumley’s, the legendary Bedford Street speakeasy that’s been closed since April after an interior wall collapsed during repair work. But while the Post drops the name of the building’s managing agent, one Margaret Streicker Porres, they fail to point out that the notorious Porres was declared one of the 10 worst landlords of ’06 by the Village Voice. (Pull quote: "When Porres bought the building two years ago, I allowed her into my apartment to measure and look around. I thought, she's a young woman, what's the harm? Little did I know I was measuring my coffin.")

Time was that Glendale and the surrounding neighborhoods were the place to go if you wanted to have a few beers and some old-fashioned German food. Now that the venerable Niederstein's has closed, and been turned into an Arby's no less, it would seem that the only place in the nabe to have some brats or a meaty hunk of kassler rippchen is the antediluvian Zum Stammtisch.

Time was that Glendale and the surrounding neighborhoods were the place to go if you wanted to have a few beers and some old-fashioned German food. Now that the venerable Niederstein's has closed, and been turned into an Arby's no less, it would seem that the only place in the nabe to have some brats or a meaty hunk of kassler rippchen is the antediluvian Zum Stammtisch.

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For those who have yet to experience the joy of a raclette grill, may this be your lucky season. Raclette, named after the cheese that is melted in it, is what happens when fondue meets Korean BBQ. The basic structure of the raclette machine is a handy compartment used to melt cheese tucked neatly under a large, flat top grill (pictured left). The grill is covered with an array of meats and vegetables and the cheese compartments get amply filled with raclette cheese. When the cheese has reached the gooeyness of your liking it is then poured over whatever was grabbed from the grill – resulting in a meal that is as fun to make as is to eat. Throw in some crisp white wines or Belgium blonde beers and you may even have a party on your hand.

A confession. In general, we’re not big Food Network Fans. We do make an exception for Iron Chef (it always sucks us in), and we love it’s latest incarnation. Last week on the premiere of The Next Iron Chef (9pm on the Food Network, Chef Traci Des Jardins got the ax, brought down by her salmon roe dessert (ick). Read the Amateur Gourmet's unique and often hilarious take on things on his blog on the Next Iron Chef site (“We all know the whole Iron Chef universe is a fabrication, right? That the chairman is an actor? What? You didn’t know that?”). Judge Michael Ruhlman is happy with episode one; says the kitchen was so hot during filming that one of the chefs had to be hospitalized afterwards for dehydration.

Bun: Chef Michael Bao Huynh and his wife, Thao Nguyen, who has amazing noodle preparation expertise, have opened this Vietnamese rice-noodle and small-plate spot in SoHo. Although he has gotten some financial backing from Warren Cuccurullo, formerly of Missing Persons and Duran Duran, Huynh designed the designed the 45-seat space himself. The menu is affordable, with a cap at around $12, and features four varieties of pho, among other dishes. 143 Grand Street, near Lafayette Street, 212-431-7999.

When most people think of ethnic cuisine in Queens the first thing that pops to mind is not Polish food. It’s more likely Korean, Indian, or Thai. Nevertheless there exists a pocket of Polish restaurants and groceries in the decidedly old school neighborhood of Maspeth.

October 11: Restaurant Reviewing in New York City

Cooking last night at The Spotted Pig for a sold-out crowd is visiting English chef Fergus Henderson, author of the newly released Beyond Nose to Tail, a sort of sequel cookbook. Spotted Pig chef April Bloomfield worked side-by-side with Henderson, who is best probably best known for his offal-centric food at St. John, his London restaurant, but is also considered to be a renegade, iconoclast cook: a chef’s chef.

This post actually contains two recipes: Roasted Leg of Lamb Stuffed With Pork, Chestnuts, and Morels and Lamby Cranberry Beans with Itsy Bitsy Potatoes.

Bruni visits Park Avenue Autumn this week, giving the seasonal restaurant, which changes name (Park Avenue Spring, Summer, etc.), décor and menu every three months to suit the season, two stars. Says that executive chef Craig Kotesku’s cooking here is much more interesting than at Quality Meats, the other restaurant he oversees. “Park Avenue Look-at-the-Weather-and-Fill-In-The-Blank has more than a striking gimmick,” he says. “It also has some terrific food.”

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Last weekend, we took a cooking class taught by Chefs Aki Kamozawa & H. Alexander Talbot of Ideas in Food. This was a new thing - they just announced their first round of classes last month. We took their class on Pork and Apples, but you still have time to catch their Steak and Eggs class this Saturday, and their Scallops class on October 20th.

Last weekend, we took a cooking class taught by Chefs Aki Kamozawa & H. Alexander Talbot of Ideas in Food. This was a new thing - they just announced their first round of classes last month. We took their class on Pork and Apples, but you still have time to catch their Steak and Eggs class this Saturday, and their Scallops class on October 20th.

Over ten years after his death, Fox Searchlight studios are looking for the someone who can fill Notorious B.I.G.'s big shoes in a movie about the rapper. This past Saturday the nationwide search focused in on New York, where a few dozen look-a-likes lined up for their shot to play Biggie on the big screen.

It might have been more than a little symbolic last week when the huge, pink-frosted gyroscopic cupcake towering over 23rd Street restaurant Burgers and Cupcakes came to the end of its last full spin. Meant to be a proud beacon of sugar, the giant baked good was instead an embattled neighborhood fixture from the start; many were happy to see it go. And it’s gone: writer James Wagner shares one rumor relating the cupcake’s possible fate: that an anonymous buyer took the thing off the owners’ hands for $400.

The Michelin Guide announced selections today for its third New York Edition, which officially goes on sale Wednesday.

Probably the best way we can describe Snooth, a unique wine database that recently launched online, would be if the illegitimate web-child of Google and Facebook went to wine school. Or, more simply, it’s a ridiculously large database of wine that allows you to do really cool things and share it with your friends.

Probably the best way we can describe Snooth, a unique wine database that recently launched online, would be if the illegitimate web-child of Google and Facebook went to wine school. Or, more simply, it’s a ridiculously large database of wine that allows you to do really cool things and share it with your friends.

What’s worth watching on food-relatedTV this week?

In time for next week’s Columbus Day festivities, the Post’s Steve Cuozzo lets his Ital flag fly with two gushing columns on Italian cuisine. He points out that Italian restaurants outnumber all other kinds of restaurants in New York by a big margin (and that’s not because of the ever-metastasizing Olive Gardens.) He cites seven “marvelous” eateries – Del Posto, A Voce, Abbocatto, Insieme, Fiamma, L'Impero and Alto – that “establish Italian as the cuisine to beat.” Nobu can sleep with the fishes.

Graffiti: Pastry Chef Jehangir Mehta, who has spent time at Aix, Jean Georges, Vong, and Union Pacific, takes a stab at the world of the savory. He has opened a restaurant and bakery in the East Village with a "global bistro comfort food" menu. Offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, Graffiti serves up baked goods, coffee and tea, and a dinner menu where the dishes range in size from "nibbles" to "all mine." For the kicker, the spray cans and markers are provided in the bathrooms, where graffiti is heartily encouraged. 224 East 10th Street, 212-677-0695.

Despite years of sake drinking experience at many of New York City’s finest izakaya ranging from the rarefied Sakagura to the funky yakitori spots on St. Marks nothing could have prepared us for the Joy of Sake. Hordes of revelers gathered in the Puck Building last week to sample more than 300 hundred sakes, many unavailable in the U.S. Just because of the sheer variety of rice libations on offer, the three-hour event was overwhelming, although it did eventually take on a somewhat rosy glow.

Despite years of sake drinking experience at many of New York City’s finest izakaya ranging from the rarefied Sakagura to the funky yakitori spots on St. Marks nothing could have prepared us for the Joy of Sake. Hordes of revelers gathered in the Puck Building last week to sample more than 300 hundred sakes, many unavailable in the U.S. Just because of the sheer variety of rice libations on offer, the three-hour event was overwhelming, although it did eventually take on a somewhat rosy glow.

Williamsburg has its Thai food, and now it seems that Alphabet City has its Cuban. Bodeguita Cubana, a Serbian-run Cuban joint that opened in May on 10th Street (between 1st & Avenue A), is the third in a trifecta of ropa vieja-offering restaurants that's enveloped the neighborhood east of 1st Avenue (the other two are Cafecito & Cafe Cortadito). Arguably the most appealing of them all (though we do love Cafecito), the French doors on the facade of Bodeguita Cubana swing open, inviting a cool breeze on these warm fall nights, and the narrow space feels bigger than its 20-seat capacity. Lighting is dim, coming from the street or a few hanging straw lanterns, creating an air of coziness and welcome. Servings are consistent and generous, especially for a menu entirely under the the $10 price range. Pressed sandwiches, notably the pulled pork with homemade bbq, are scrumptious and big enough to share (depending on your hunger level), and come with either roasted potatoes or a salad with fresh steamed fava beans.

Williamsburg has its Thai food, and now it seems that Alphabet City has its Cuban. Bodeguita Cubana, a Serbian-run Cuban joint that opened in May on 10th Street (between 1st & Avenue A), is the third in a trifecta of ropa vieja-offering restaurants that's enveloped the neighborhood east of 1st Avenue (the other two are Cafecito & Cafe Cortadito). Arguably the most appealing of them all (though we do love Cafecito), the French doors on the facade of Bodeguita Cubana swing open, inviting a cool breeze on these warm fall nights, and the narrow space feels bigger than its 20-seat capacity. Lighting is dim, coming from the street or a few hanging straw lanterns, creating an air of coziness and welcome. Servings are consistent and generous, especially for a menu entirely under the the $10 price range. Pressed sandwiches, notably the pulled pork with homemade bbq, are scrumptious and big enough to share (depending on your hunger level), and come with either roasted potatoes or a salad with fresh steamed fava beans.

The experts at the Italian Wine Merchants can show you how to build up your wine collection beyond those bottles that were left over from your last party. During the course of the afternoon, you'll taste eight Italian wines including vintage Barolo, Brunello, Super-Tuscans, and more while sampling assorted antipasti. $125 per person. Reservations required and can be made online or by calling 212-473-2323 x106. 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Italian Wine Merchants, 108 East 16th Street.

is considered a classic. It contains recipes such as Blood Cake with Fried Eggs, Tripe Gratin, and Crispy Pig’s Tail. Stuff like that. This isn’t stunt eating, Fear Factor-style, nor is Henderson’s food supposed to be particularly innovative, but it is. The chef’s “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” approach to cooking simultaneously emphasizes frugality and simplicity. In some sense, that's almost unheard of these days.

It's no secret that we love the succulent Texas 'cue on offer at Hill Country. Like many folks we also love the rockin' live music, but sometimes we're just not in the mood for beef, or more likely there are some noncarnivores joining us who are more interested in music than meat. All of which make us very glad that seafood house Black Pearl lies directly across the street from Hill Country.

It's no secret that we love the succulent Texas 'cue on offer at Hill Country. Like many folks we also love the rockin' live music, but sometimes we're just not in the mood for beef, or more likely there are some noncarnivores joining us who are more interested in music than meat. All of which make us very glad that seafood house Black Pearl lies directly across the street from Hill Country.

It's time for the Shake Shack's annual Shacktoberfest celebration, which starts Friday and runs through October 14th. If you can stand the lines, you can enjoy "special Shacktoberfest offerings" as well as the regular menu:

A selection of Usinger's brats and sausages – Andouille with red pepper relish, Stuttgarter Knackwurst with cranberry horseradish relish and Italian sausage with pumpkin mostarda.

Continue reading "Shacktoberfest is Upon Us"

Many of you are probably familiar with the horchata you can buy at Burritoville, a pale, dairy imitation of the real thing made with fat-free milk, rice powder, cinnamon, and sugar. It's potable, but doesn't even begin to compare with horchata made with actual rice and almonds, cinnamon and vanilla, with no milk in sight.

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Wakiya in the Gramercy Park Hotel, gives it no stars. “There’s a crushing sense of letdown” in the restaurant, he says, and “the slickness of the red and black setting and the poise of the best servers are undercut by dishes that too often look three times as good as they taste.” He likes the desserts, though.

was first published in 1974. This collection of Beard's favorite newspaper columns has been reissued to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the James Beard Foundation, the culinary haven and educational institution created in his honor.

Meat-adverse gourmands take note: October isn’t just Family Sexuality Education Month, Healthier Babies Month and Dental Hygiene Month, it’s also National Vegetarian Awareness Month! Yesterday, in fact, was World Vegetarian Day, which came hot on the heels of September 28th’s Hug a Vegetarian Day. (Photos!) Feeling aware yet?

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As a kid, apple juice was a daily enjoyment. As an adult, it’s been relegated to the few short weeks where the air gets a little cooler and the layers of clothes a little thicker. And soon enough memories of apple picking start to float in our heads. The craving hit us early Friday morning. We stopped off at the Green Market in Union Square on the way to work and picked up a little jug of freshly pressed cider. After all, we had to give into our seasonal indulgence.

What’s worth watching on food-related TV this week?