Results tagged “ketelone”

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Eric Greenspan might be the best chef you’ve never heard of. The 31 year-old Jersey born, California raised, and one-time New Yorker spent the better part of the last decade working his way through several top-rated restaurant kitchens- Bouley, Union Pacific, and Alain Ducasse to name a few- before landing his first high profile chef’s job at Patina in Los Angeles four years ago. Later, a stint at the highly-regarded but short lived Meson G left Greenspan without a kitchen to call his own. “I was doing cookie demos in combi-ovens at trade shows,” says Greenspan, “but it paid the bills.” Now the chef will put everything he knows about food to test when he opens The Foundry on Melrose, a place that will serve what he calls “fine dining for the everyman.” This past weekend, Greenspan came back to New York to catch up with some old friends, and to survey the current restaurant scene.

The waitress slid the martini in front of us with the grace of a blindfolded, 300 lb linebacker. Much of it didn’t survive the 10-foot journey from the bar to our table, and as we looked down at the half-empty martini, it was hard to remain optimistic about the cocktail we ordered. With hesitation we slowly brought the drink to our lips. Why did we select a martini as our cocktail of choice at the Steak and Lube in the Pittsburgh Airport? It may have been desperation that sets in when you have a two-hour flight delay on a Friday night. Unfortunately, the foreshadowing was a good indicator of what was about to come. The warm liquid coated our mouth with a sweetness that screamed too much vermouth. The vodka was harsh and the olives…well, mushy is the best we can describe them. If a martini is such a basic cocktail then why is it so difficult to get a great one? We can’t blame this solely on Pittsburgh, as the Steak and Lube is probably not a fair representation of the city’s potential. But even in New York, there is so much martini-deviation from place to place. This week New York Magazine did a piece with Jean-Luc Le Du, to find the best gin Martinis in the city. While their selections represented a great cross section of cocktail bars in the city – after all Employees Only, Angel's Share and Milk & Honey are some of New York’s staples, we did a little research of our own, to seek out the best vodka martinis – unfortunately the Steak and Lube didn’t make the cut.

Gothamist has been on a perpetual quest to find the perfect Bloody Mary for about 3 years now. Perhaps this quest has been created as an excuse to drink before noon, but it seems that in a city with over 2,000 brunch options, finding a good Bloody Mary has resulted in the Goldielocks complex. They have been too spicy, too bland or have enough horseradish in them to choke, well a horse. Recently, Gothamist’s luck has changed – and it’s about bloody time.

be conscious of you

The trial of Jayson Williams, for the shooting of his driver, Costas Christofi, gives people a peek into the wining and dining former pro-basketball players do. Before Christofi was killed in Williams' NJ home, Williams was out at the Mountain View Chalet, having a grand ol' time. The waitress, who took the stand yesterday, said that Williams did not seem drunk, but admitted she wasn't watching carefully. She also said he was a regular there and gave a 25% tip.