Results tagged “bluesmoke”

Mix Shake Stir, Danny Meyer's recently released book of cocktail recipes, contains a bunch of quasi-unattributed but helpful quotes from bartenders at Union Square Hospitality Group restaurants like Blue Smoke, The Modern, Eleven Madison Park, and Tabla. For example: "'Like a good cook, an experienced bartender tastes everything before serving it to guests. A cache of straws comes in handy!' — Union Square Bartender."

            

The heat lamps, hot dog bins, and Shake Shack Miraclean grills are all in place, and the long-awaited Citi Field is a go. This weekend’s Mets vs. Red Sox exhibition games will be a trial-by-fire for every swanky new full service stadium club in the place, as well as every lowly hot dog kiosk, popcorn cart, and concession stand. In order to prepare for the crowds, hundreds of foodservice workers are literally stocking the shelves and cooking things around the clock. (Not all concession stands were open during Sunday's dress rehearsal.)

So, Shea is gone and Citi Field opens April 13. Hungry? It’s long been known that Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group [USHG]—proud parent of the burgeoning Shake Shack empire—will duly expand into Queens County come opening day. Shake Shack will join the concessions with a scaled version of USHG’s Blue Smoke. Additionally, an all-new joint called Box Frites will open to stadium. Box Frites is so-named to evoke both the largesse of Belgian-style dipping sauces it will feature, but also the sport at large: “Box Frites” = box seats (compare and contrast with original, foul ball name Pop Fries). In other Citi Field food news, Tabla's Floyd Cardoz, another USHG player, will oversee the endless summer-style Verano Taquería.

The folks at Serious Eats have launched the first of their city guides today, focusing on -- where else -- New York City. The guide is designed to highlight NYC's "essential eating experiences," and doesn't contain many surprises. You'll find quintessential New York icons like Russ & Daughters and Katz's Deli for "Best Old-School New York Landmark," Blue Ribbon for "Best Late Night Eats," and Blue Smoke, Hill Country and Daisy May's for "Best Barbecue," along with a list that should fill the bellies of many tourists. Visitors should take particular note of the list of eats under the category "Must Eat Before Leaving City," which includes the holy trinity -- a hot dog from Gray's Papaya, a slice of pizza from Di Fara, and a burger from the Shake Shack. Anything they missed? Not a whole lot of love for the outer boroughs, particularly Queens. . .

GQ's Alan Richman gives props to his five favorite burgers in the city. As expected, the list contains several of the usual suspects -- Shake Shack ("Not a great burger, but a very good one."); the Burger Joint ("No matter how you take it, your burger will be perfect, a manifestation of caring and know-how."); and Peter Luger ("There’s only one correct way to eat meat this wonderful, and that’s unadorned.") -- but others were deliberately snubbed.

Sterling In-Seat Service: waiter service will feature "Best of Ballpark" food from the outfield concourse Apparently, Meyer is a Mets fan and has been a season ticket holder for quite some time, and is very pleased to be putting his mark on the new stadium. "What you eat and drink – and how it's all served – has become a major part of the ballpark experience, and we are eager to contribute as much as we can to why people will love going to Citi Field." According to the Times, the Mets owner and Aramark are negotiating with other noteable local restaurateurs. We'd like to see a NYC Icy stand (or maybe even the Lemon Ice King of Corona), an outpost of Caracas Arepa Bar, and perhaps a Dosa cart for the vegan fans. Plus, it'd be a shame to lose Mama's; hopefully there will be space for them as well.

Sure, you could go to a traditional sports bar to watch the Super Bowl, but that would just be so . . . traditional. We've rounded up a few more options for you -- find one to suit your mood.

BENEFIT: Tonight catch a special performance by Alanis Morissette, while rubbing elbows with Matt Dillon...all for a good cause! The inaugural fundraising benefit for the Adrienne Shelly Foundation will be held this evening, and you can get in with a ticket from $150 to...well, $10,000 bucks. You'll be supporting the late Shelly's foundation which "supports the artistic achievements of female actors, writers and directors through a series of scholarships and grants." 6pm // Skirball Center...

Johnny Utah's -- Nothing says classy like a mechanical bull and an enormous bourbon selection. Marlon Manton, formerly of Blue Smoke, will be serving up twists on Tex-Mex, including Texas brisket with red-eye gravy, and smoked chorizo with pickled okra. 25 West 51st Street, (212) 265-8824.

Down at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party Sunday it sure seemed that everybody was having a grand ole' time. It seemed bigger than ever, with people spilled into every nook and cranny of the park, filed into a long row of picnic tables on Madison, and splayed out on to the sidewalk everywhere else. Our group was made of up veterans of the previous four events, had the lay of the land and knew many of the returning players. Everyone had an opinion, but when all was said and done, we enjoyed a delicious day of barbecue.

- Passover is here, so naturally it is time for matzo brei, there was even a brei off at Makor over the weekend. While we are at it, here is a take on matzo ball soup for the excellent Cooking for Engineers.

Okay, so you left it to the last minute once again. Never fear, there are still options for eating out on New Year's Eve. Time Out New York rounds up options for every budget, ranging from $20.07 snacks and apps at the Silverleaf Tavern (the bottomless glass of wine will cost you an additional $70, however), to a five course dinner at Cafe Gray including unlimited champagne and dancing for $550. Citysearch has a fairly long list, with most of the menus hovering around the $100 range, and Open Table lists restaurants serving their regular menus in addition to those with special New Year's Eve menus (we wouldn't mind spending our New Year's Eve at Blue Smoke, which is serving their regular menu that night -- any year is off to a great start with sidecars and ribs).

at Union Square. Meyer is known and beloved as the guru behind many restaurants, such as Union Square Cafe, Blue Smoke, and Shake Shack, while the excerpt of Lewis' Blind Side in the NY Times Magazine two weeks ago made everyone curious about Ole Miss left tackle Michael Oher and his new family. Clearly, this calls for B&N to offer podcasts/streaming video of their author talks.

September 16: Waldemar and Nadia at Telepan - Late Summer Cheeses

Grouse? Yes, grouse. It's grouse season, which is quite brief, running from August 12 through the end of the month. To celebrate, Orsay will present Scottish grouse dinners as the first in a series of special dinners focusing on game and specialty products from Scotland (menus dedicated to partridge, pheasant and wood pigeon are in the works). The five-course grouse dinners include wine pairings with each savory course for $150 per person; call 212-517-6400 for reservations. 1057 Lexington Avenue at 75th Street.

It's the amazing event that pigs and cows fear most! The Big Apple BBQ Block Party took over a good part of the Madison Square Park area with ten different barbecue offerings along a few blocks on Madison Avenue and on 24th Street (we remember when it was only on East 27th!). The BBQ Block Party benefits the Madison Square Park Conservancy, and it was great to see everyone enjoying the event, from hauling loads of foods away in boxes to listening to the live music. Gothamist went hog wild and tried various meats offered by esteemed pitmasters from all over the country.

Do you have one of those hamburger-crazy friends who is very hard to shop for, this side of wrapping a pound of ground sirloin with a ribbon? If you do, then we highly recommend you check out O'Neill's Hamburger of the Month Club. Coming from what might be the best press release ever to include how hamburgers and beer can be gifted over a calendar year, Gothamist learned that you can get a friend a special hamburger-plus-beer pairing per month over 12 months for $100, or do a half-year of burgers and beer for $50 (a one-off beef'n'beer fest is $10). Here are some of the pairings:

February - “Red Hot Burger” topped with roasted red peppers, grilled red onion, red cheddar cheese and smoked chipotle ketchup. Served with a pint of Murphys Red Ale.

Continue reading "Happy Hamburger Holidays!"

A Gothamist reader tipped us off and Florence Fabricant confirmed that Black Pearl, the New England style clam and lobster shack in the back of the East Village bar, Julep has closed. We will mourn quietly and head back to Pearl Oyster Bar.

Two weeks into June means the wedding season is in full swing, and this past weekend, Mayor Bloomberg's eldest daughter, Emma Bloomberg, married her Princeton sweetheart, Chris Frissora. Emma Bloomberg has been active in her father's election campaign and other city projects, working as an unpaid aide; we imagine she'll be working on his reelection campaign as well. The details about her wedding at her mother's North Salem estate Saturday: Her dress was a Zac Posen dress of lavender, sage and aquamarine lace" - perfect for the casual affair she wanted (that's little sis Georgina on the left of Mayor B, in a bridesmaid outfit of a tanktop and skirt); food was by Daniel Boulud (short ribs, tapas, mashed potatoes) and Nobu (sushi, natch); reggae music by the Easy Star All Stars. The Mayor married the couple on Friday night at Gracie Mansion, because he only has the power to marry people in New York City. And while Gracie Mansion ain't fit for Bloomberg to live it, it's where the rehearsal dinner was held, with ribs from Blue Smoke.

We've been there from the beginning: the first, and the second, so it goes without saying that when we found out about the 3rd Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, we knew we'd be going. But, we'll admit that last year, even though we were ultimately placated by some of the best barbecue in the country, we were pretty annoyed by the crowds and the lines. Apparently, we weren't the only ones. This year brought some welcome changes, including moving the event from the North side of Madison Park to the East side, providing more space and room for four additional pitmasters (hooray!), and creating the "Bubba Fast Pass" option, a VIP card which allowed cardholders and a guest to access the barbecue tents through a separate entrance, with little to no waiting involved.

June 9th: The Rosés of Summer

It seems like the five boroughs have gone slap happy mad for smokin', spicy barbecue. Is all of it up to snuff? Gothamist thinks not. But goodness knows, the selection has increased more than two-fold within the past year or so.

Damn, it's cold outside. The past few days have made us want to curl up in our flannel p.j.'s and fuzzy slippers, rent movies, and seek warmth and solace in our favorite comfort foods. Near the top of almost everyone's comfort food list is macaroni and cheese, and this week New York Magazine rounds up some of the creamiest, cheesiest versions in the city.

The New York Times reports that Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, wildly popular in Syracuse and Rochester, will be opening its Harlem outpost on December 1st. Gothamist has had the pleasure of eating in the Rochester branch and tasting their pulled pork sandwiches at Taste of New York (we actually went back for seconds!) and we have to admit we're pretty excited to see Dinosaur joining the ranks of New York's pit-smoked barbecue along with Pearson's Texas Barbecue, Daisy May's, Philly's Smoke House and Blue Smoke. But is there room for more 'cue? Dinosaur founder, owner and chef John Stage thinks so. "I don't think it's possible to saturate the New York market in any category, and especially not barbecue." Amen to that. Now pass the ribs.

Seems like all the foodies are gearing up for Thanksgiving, and we can't forget dessert among all the hype of picture-perfect turkey and stuffing served with lump-free mashed potatoes and gravy. New York Magazine brings us nine of the city's best pies, in case you don't want to make your own. Witchcraft's pumpkin, Kitchenette's double crust apple, and Blue Smoke's bourbon-pecan certainly sounded appealing (dessert and booze in one place? Now we're talkin'), but keep in mind that buying a pie will set you back about 20 bucks, give or take.

Gothamist Cooks (Kind of) by the Book

There will be jazz and seminars, as well as lots of delicious food. Gothamist thinks the big event will be Saturday's All-Star Barbecue Sauce Tasting that has authors and gourmands Jeffrey Steingarten and Calvin Trillin putting their palates on the line, with Colman Andrews of Saveur moderating. You buy tickets that will let you purchase all sorts of 'cue and fixins' - we couldn't find any info on the sit, but expect to spend around $10-20 (depending on how big your appetite is and how much beer you want to drink). All proceeds go to the Madison Square Park Conservancy and VH1 Save the Music.