You are browsing the Food category
April 30, 2008
We've got some damn tasty sandwiches in this city, no doubt about it. So today the Times gives New Yorkers a collective pat on the back, surveying seven high points in our spectacular sandwich landscape, including Taim's green falafel, the Knish Press (a sandwich composed in a split knish) from Press 195, and – in a surprise nod to nearby Montclair – the Benny Mac (a heart-attack-inducing chicken cutlet sub topped with mac-and-cheese, barbecue sauce...
Continue Reading "The City's Best Between the Bread"
| 
Like No Impact Man before him, Brooklyn resident Scott Ballum embarked last month on a year long mission to radically examine his own patterns of consumption. He’s calling it the Consume®econnection Project, and his plan sounds simple yet exhausting: The Mission: A year-long effort to meet the laborers and craftsmen who build what I buy – and put a human face on consumption. For every transaction, there must be a personal connection with someone along...
Continue Reading "Brooklyn Man Must Know Everything About What He Buys"
In a lawsuit that’s had more back and forth than John Goodman at an all-you-can-eat Marriott breakfast buffet, a federal appeals court has ruled that, yes, city restaurants with 15 or more establishments nationwide must start displaying calorie information for all foods and beverages. In the meantime, the city has agreed not to issue any fines for non-compliance until July 18th, by which time judges are expected to rule on the National Restaurant Association’s appeal....
Continue Reading "Now Calorie Rules Must Go Up, Appeals Court Rules"
This week the Times’s Frank Bruni hands down his verdict on Commerce (pictured), the trendy new inhabitant of 1911 West Village carriage house formerly occupied by Blue Mill Tavern, among others. Overall, he deems the new tenant fussy and cacophonous; chef Harold Moore’s “polyglot menu and intricately wrought dishes let him strut his stuff in a way that a more archetypal bill of fare might not. In doing so he creates a rankling dissonance, his...
Continue Reading "Midweek Special: NYC Restaurant Review Roundup"April 29, 2008
Southpaw owner Matt Roff is awfully busy opening new bars and venues lately (hopefully not nearby any nit-picky neighbors). As he works on the Galapagos space transformation, he somehow fit in opening up a beer garden last Friday in Crown Heights. Franklin Park is a 2,000-sq-ft beer garden (with 1,200-sq-ft of outdoor space) housed in a former mechanic's garage (à la Fette Sau) located at 618 St. John's Place in Brooklyn. Their website serves...
Continue Reading "Franklin Park Brings Beer Garden to Crown Heights"Advertisement: Gothamist Continues Below!
April 29, 2008
"About halfway through, I bit in and felt something hard and crunchy." That’s what NYU senior Benjamin Jarosch declared after eating part of a found muffin, and he wasn’t talking about a walnut: his innocuous-looking blueberry muffin was stuffed with three razorblades. Jarosch and his buddies had discovered the muffin, along with four others, wrapped in tin foil, upon arriving in the classroom. It seems they were left over from a previous class and were...
Continue Reading "Razors in Muffin Give NYU Student a Close Shave"
Note to middle management: today’s the day workplace productivity takes its annual nosedive, as employees across America wait on interminable lines for handouts at Ben & Jerry’s. Free Cone Day – not to be confused with Free Clone Day – lasts until closing time at five participating Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops in Manhattan. Ben & Jerry's at 104th & Broadway (2722 Broadway), Ben & Jerry's at Macy’s Herald Square Food Court, Ben & Jerry's...
Continue Reading "Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day is Upon Us"April 28, 2008
Freshly fried plantain chips and homemade chimichurri sauce start the meal off right Shachis, the Venezuelan spot in South Williamsburg run by Pedro Boyer and his partner Alan Rodriguez. You can snack on the chips while perusing the menu, which specializes in arepas – Venezualan corn cakes – but also offers delightful Latin American entrees incorporating flavors of saffron and piquillo peppers, yuca, and sweet plantains. A handful of simple salads are a gateway...
Continue Reading "Camera in the Kitchen: Shachis"
Jersey based pizza fanatic Scott Wiener (pictured) may have found a way to turn his appetite into a career with his just-launched Pizza Tours of New York City. Every Sunday, Wiener will escort up to 32 ravenous adults on a pizza tasting odyssey to half a dozen pizzerias stretching from Lombardi’s on Spring Street to Louie & Ernie’s in the Bronx. The licensed New York City tour guide is charging $55 a person for the...
Continue Reading "All Aboard New York City's New Pizza Bus Tour"
The coveted Momofuku Ko reservation has reached Craigslist (again), where all in-demand items are eventually available if you're willing to pay the price (which isn't always monetary). A gentleman named "Tom" seems to have found himself a "resi" for two at Ko this week, but is lacking both funds and friends in order to properly enjoy it.I recently achieved what most have found impossible. I have a resi for two (2) at Ko this Weds....
Continue Reading "Momofuku Ko "Resi" Hits Craigslist"April 26, 2008
Wildwood: Pit master “Big Lou” Elrose has come a long way from his Ozone Park lunch wagon; the 6’4 Brooklyn-born behemoth has now transferred from Hill Country to this new Park Avenue South barbecue restaurant, part of the B.R. Guest empire. The atmosphere is urban industrial and reclaimed rustic, with high ceilings and a 50-foot-long bar. Big Lou’s famous ribs, pork brisket, pulled pork and smoked chicken can be paired with such sides as Cast...
Continue Reading "Openings Roundup: Wildwood, Barrio, Bourbon Street Bar and Grill"April 25, 2008
If you're wandering what to do with the rhubarb that's starting to appear in stores lately, try pairing it with these shortbread cookies filled with nicoise olives. Alternating sips of rhubarb soup with crumbly, salty bites of olive cookies is a wonderful way to start a spring meal. Recipe after the jump....
Continue Reading "Rhubarb Soup with Nicoise Olive Cookies"April 24, 2008
Sure, websites like Menupages are handy when you need to line your stomach for a night of debauchery, but how do Manhattan transplants find the best place to meet up for high fives and car bombs? And how do you find the best bar to avoid them and enjoy your favorite microbrew? A new website, Beer Menus, is more than just a bar search engine; it’s a great resource for tracking down microbrews and...
Continue Reading "New Beer Menus Website Maps Manhattan World of Beer"
A Wired reporter bemoaning the pizza backwater that is San Francisco rang up Mario Batali to find out why New York Pizza is so magnificent and got an intriguing theory out of the celebrity chef: New York’s old pizza ovens “capture the gestalt of beautifully cooked pizza.” A food development consultant believes Batali’s abstract ‘gestalt’ is, to scientists, vaporized ingredients that become “volatilized particles and attach themselves to the walls of the baking cavity. The...
Continue Reading "NYC Pizza Rules, But Does Anyone Really Know Why?"
The cost of rice has shot up dramatically in recent months, and some analysts say a domestic shortage is on the horizon. The price increase is part of an alarming trend that’s seen the cost of flour rise 13 percent, milk 10 percent, eggs 30 percent and soon – make sure you’re sitting down – beer 10-15 percent. According to the Daily News, Sam's Club and Costco are now limiting how much rice customers can...
Continue Reading "Price of Rice Makes Shoppers Think Twice"Advertisement: Gothamist Continues Below!
April 24, 2008
A federal appeals judge has issued a delay on enforcement of the new law that would require NYC restaurants with 15 or more establishments nationwide to prominently display calorie information for all foods and beverages. The rules had been scheduled to take effect on Saturday; the new delay will last until Tuesday, when the three-member appeals court will formally consider an even longer delay. The New York State Restaurant Association is arguing that the rules...
Continue Reading "Another Big Fat Delay for NYC Calorie Rules"April 23, 2008
Restaurateurs Marc Meyer and Vicki Freeman took some time out of their hectic brunch schedule at Five Points to cook up some matzoh brei, a traditional Passover dish. They generally don't limit their matzoh brei eating to the Passover season. "We eat it all the time," says Vicki. At their house it is generally served plain, although Vicki admits to eating it with applesauce and sour cream when she gets it at Shopsin's. Marc...
Continue Reading "Marc Meyer's Matzo Brei Recipe"
The Times’s Frank Bruni chimes in at last on the abundantly reviewed Merkato 55 (pictured), an ambitious pan-African brasserie in the Meatpacking District that “pivots into a sexy evening for the Marc Jacobs set. It’s Spice Market on the Serengeti.” Dishes like the cast-iron pot of lamb meatball in smoked tomato sauce are "a delight," but overall it’s hit or miss. And some unlucky waiter made the mistake of pouring water into his wine glass...
Continue Reading "Midweek Special: NYC Restaurant Review Roundup"
Gowanus Yacht Club is known for its simplicity, so we suppose that answering our questions with such brevity is just owner Alan Harding's way of keeping things consistent. The beloved Brooklyn hang only opens during the sunshine months, and this past weekend it unlocked its gate to the beer drinking, hot dog eating masses. How did the bar become named Gowanus Yacht Club? The canal is two blocks away and needs all the help it...
Continue Reading "Alan Harding, Gowanus Yacht Club"April 22, 2008
The New York State Restaurant Association is appealing a ruling by a U.S. District Court judge requiring NYC restaurants with 15 or more establishments nationwide to prominently display calorie information for all foods and beverages. But some establishments like Starbucks and Chipotle are already voluntarily complying with the new rule, and the Times sent out reporters to get some Man on the Street – or Man on the Feedbag – reactions. Howard J. Moll, 83,...
Continue Reading "Some Shudder, Others Shrug at In-Your-Face Calorie Info"
First devastating weather patterns and destroyed coral reefs, then lousy harvests and global food shortages, now this: soaring beer prices. In an increasingly warmer world, precious, life-sustaining beer is becoming a luxury item. The past year has seen a drought in Australia, flooding in Germany, hailstorms in the Pacific Northwest, and lower crop yields throughout Europe – all resulting in a dramatic spike in the cost of grains and hops. Climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger...
Continue Reading "Global Warming and Bad Harvests Raise Cost of Beer "
With all the alarming facts about catastrophic climate change at our fingertips, most of us know by now that every day needs to be Earth Day. And one of the easiest ways to start minimizing environmental impact is by considering what goes into our own mouths. Here in New York, Broadway East, a new “plant-based” (but not strictly vegetarian) restaurant, has made sustainability a top priority. Tables in the elegantly designed eatery are made from...
Continue Reading "Chef Lee Gross, Broadway East"April 21, 2008
Photograph of the Cheyenne's exterior at night by Goggla on Flickr Beloved Chelsea standby, the Cheynne Diner, closed two weeks ago so the site's owner could begin work on a 9-story building that will bring in rental income. But now, regulars can look forward to visiting the diner across the East River in Red Hook! AMNY's Urbanite spoke to preservationist Michael Perlman, who said, "I am elated to report that a contract has been...
Continue Reading "Saved: Cheyenne Diner Will Move to Red Hook"
The term "diner" usually evokes thoughts of breakfast at midnight and dense menus of Dickensian length. But at the Jackson Diner in the heart of Jackson Heights in Queens, crowds assemble for some of the city's best North Indian food. In the heart of the borough's "little India," a large and casual banquet room with deep purple paper placemats is the go-to spot for a reasonably-priced unlimited lunch buffet and Indian food hankerings of...
Continue Reading "Camera in the Kitchen: Jackson Diner"
Graphic via Post. The New York State Restaurant Association [NYSRA] is still fighting a law requiring chain restaurants operating in New York City to prominently display calorie information on all food and beverages, but the new rules go into effect today anyway, and some establishments – such as Starbucks, Subway, Chipotle, Auntie Anne’s, Jamba Juice and Chevys – are already complying. Not playing ball are places like McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Domino’s, Pizza Hut and...
Continue Reading "Calorie Rules Start Today But Restaurants Still Fighting"Advertisement: Gothamist Continues Below!
April 21, 2008
With Earth Day coming up tomorrow, it's a good time to think about greening up your life. Enter: Manhattan Milk; the company delivers farm fresh, organic milk straight to your doorstep...so you don't have to walk 10 feet to the corner bodega. Sure, the idea has an old school charm to it, but it's the milk itself that's enticing -- it comes from "pasture roaming, free-grazing cows," and is produced with "no antibiotics, no added...
Continue Reading "The Milkman is Back"April 19, 2008
Two chefs of popular seafood restaurants have settled a lawsuit out of court, denying foodies the chance to hear how restaurant plagiarism would be argued. The NY Times reports, "Both sides in the case agreed to keep the terms of the settlement confidential." Last summer, Pearl Oyster Bar chef and owner Rebecca Charles claimed that her former sous chef Ed McFarland took not only her recipes when he set up shop at Ed's Lobster Bar...
Continue Reading "Chefs' Lobster Fight Settled Out of Court"
Gowanus Yacht Club: Outdoor seating at Carroll Gardens’ kitschy beach bum beer garden was born again on Thursday night; Eater is rightfully ecstatic, and has some photos, which show the place looking pretty much the same as ever. Wouldn’t have it any other way; Gowanus Yacht Club is an ideal summer's eve refuge for enlightened discourse on the finer points of yachting, whilst sipping fine lager and feasting on hamburgers and hot dogs. (A vegan...
Continue Reading "Openings Roundup: Gowanus Yacht Club, Campo, YourAsian"April 18, 2008
Fans of Korean fried chicken who frequent Saint Mark’s Place have been holding their breath since December for TKettle to start offering the crispy bird. But this delay hasn’t kept Andy Pan, owner of the bubble tea and dumpling emporium, from launching seasonal specialties. Colder weather brought soup dumplings and now that the mercury has started to rise above the 70-degree mark, TKettle is offering Taiwanese shaved ice. During yesterday afternoon’s sneak preview there...
Continue Reading "TKettle’s Shaved Ice Locks Horns With Pinkberry"
Photograph of Mark Simmons, Top Chef contestant and sous-chef at Public, and WD-50 chef and owner Wylie Dufresne The festive factor was running high at last night's Taste of the Lower East Side, the 8th Annual fundraiser for the Grand Street Settlement. Forty neighborhood eateries pitched in to benefit Grand Street's programs that assist low-income Lower East Side residents, and they showcased some of their best dishes for the crowd of well over 1,000...
Continue Reading "Eating Your Way Through the LES in One Night"
The most eco-friendly way to eat on Earth Day – and any day – is by growing your own food, eating it raw and composting the scraps. But for those of us who aren’t urban farmers, there are some good green options happening on or around April 22nd. il Buco (pictured), the Mediterranean restaurant on Bond Street, will be offering a $30 prix fixe lunch menu Tuesday through Saturday, and donating 100% of the proceeds...
Continue Reading "Eating for a Healthy Ecosystem on Earth Day"April 17, 2008
Far Rockaway, Queens--REPRESENT! Resident Joy Devor won the Simply Manishchewitz Cook-Off last night with her recipe for "Fantastic Flounder Rolls" beating out close to 3,000 other entrants in this nationwide competition. Somehow Ms. Devor managed to score some elusive Tam Tams, which might have been the key to setting her recipe above the rest. (The recipe also used Manischewitz Extra Virgin Olive Oil.) Her next cooking challenge, according to NY1, is "preparing food for her...
Continue Reading "Queens Woman Dubbed Queen of Kosher Cooking"
When Hog Pit co-owner Felisa Dell sent an email to Eater on April 7th confirming the closure of her Meatpacking District BBQ joint, she insinuated that “the mayor and the State Liquor Authority are now only issuing Liquor Licenses until 2 a.m. It's very sneaky, but in 5 years the 4 a.m. liquor license will be a thing of the past, without any community input.” Today the NY Sun backs Dell up, reporting that many...
Continue Reading "2 a.m. Closing Time Becoming Norm for Manhattan Bars"
This recipe comes from Joanne Chen, author of The Taste of Sweet: Our Complicated Love Affair with Our Favorite Treats. In her new book, she goes on an exploration of sweets, bringing in historical anecdotes, scientific data, and refreshing honesty about her own sweet tooth along the way. For example, when given chocolate yogurt to eat in the dark and told that it was strawberry, 19 out of 32 subjects reported that it had...
Continue Reading "Guest Recipe: Joanne Chen's Apple Custard Tart"