Results tagged “elettaria”

            

Fifty years ago, chef and food writer James Beard consulted on the very first menu at the Four Seasons restaurant. Beard's input helped galvanize the kitchen in its early days, and over the last 50 years the Four Seasons has developed and maintained its position as the city's preeminent Caesar salad and power lunch spot, complete with seating charts that are more detailed than most star maps. On Saturday afternoon, the James Beard Foundation honored the Four Seasons' co-owners Alex von Bidder and Julian Niccolini at their annual Chefs & Champagne event.

In the middle of the 19th century, more than 12 Brooklyn breweries were busy producing suds within the same 12-block square Williamsburg neighborhood—the so-called Brewer's Row—on the daily. A history focused group named Urban Oyster now leads walking tours of the area every weekend, retracing long gone hops with steps. Tour features include a peek at the two remaining Brewers' Row 19th century buildings, a pit stop at the Brooklyn Brewery, some snacks, tastings, and a lot of breweriana. Tours take three hours; more information is here. In other news, a massive home brew and beer themed cook-off is happening this Sunday at the Bell House. It's beer revival time!

The next evolutionary step for specialty cocktails seems to be one in which they blow up, or at least sip like they've been smoked over coals for a long time. The bartender Eben Freeman (right) serves a drink at Tailor called The Waylon, made with cherry- and alderwood smoked Coca Cola syrup (recipe here) and bourbon. Bar chef-tinkerer David Arnold, who might soon open a bar with Johnny Iuzzini, gingerly heats his flips with a Watlow Firerod that lights up like a glo-worm "well past 1700°F" and ignites drinks on contact. Elsewhere, Gourmet notes a new wave of smoky cocktails, from the single malt based called Pipe Smoke made by Joe Swifka at Elettaria, to the downright mezcal char found at spots like Mayahuel. Tailor offers classes in cocktails for $50 a pop, and Arnold serves his science fair cocktails at L'Ecole one night a month. And if you just like making things blow up, try this supremely low tech Mentos Rum and Diet Coke hack offered up by Wired.

For whatever reason, Christmas is the holiday most often associated with show-and-tell memories. They can be broken down, these memories, into three basic movie categories: memories shown to you by chain-rattling ghosts, memories shown to you by guardian angels, and the surplus category known simply as Nicolas Cage. Thanksgiving too often gets the short end of the musket, even though its very name incorporates an act of gratitude brought on by reflection.

In his one-star review of Elettaria earlier this year, the Times's Frank Bruni described the atmosphere as “self-consciously adorable, with girly flourishes,” and “dollhouse elements.” Last week, in an article about gender roles and restaurants, Bruni reiterated: “The bound linen dinner menu evokes a diary and elements of the décor bring to mind a dollhouse; I spotted more women than men.”

The Times’s Frank Bruni reports “a mix of exciting, intriguing and frustrating moments” in his review of Elettaria (pictured), the haute-Indian restaurant in the Village. BYO rimshot because one liners abound: “Elettaria describes itself as ‘spice-driven.’ (I’m waiting for the restaurant that’s driven by Morgan Freeman.)” But seriously folks, he loves the fluke in a sauce of coconut and tapioca pearls, while other entrees prove disappointing. Still, it gets a star for the “definite peaks and curiosities, among them the costumes worn by the poignantly obliging waitresses. If Calcutta has leprechauns, they must look something like this.”

Elettaria: Hendrix shredded here once upon a time, when it was a music venue called The 8th Wonder, but now the stage is an open kitchen and South Asian-spiced American dishes are the stars. Decorated by the man behind Allen & Delancey, the seductive 72-seat interior (pictured) features a rustic reclaimed barn-wood ceiling, plush banquettes, old-world paintings and exposed brick walls. Appetizers include a dish of dayboat sea scallops with celery root puree, oxtail, Meyer lemon and cilantro leaves, while entrées like roasted chicken with sweet and sour tomato ravioli and smoked sunchokes sound irresistible. Behind the 14-seat steel bar, Death & Co. alums concoct their fancy cocktails. 33 West Eighth Street, (212) 677-3833.