The Cannibal, The Cardinal, BaoHaus II And Zito's Are Now Serving
4 photos
<em>(Garth Johnston/Gothamist)</em><br/><br/><strong><a href="http://www.baohausnyc.com/">BaoHaus</a>:</strong> Eddie Huang has made quite an image for himself as a <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/eddiehuang">bad boy chef</a> but the man does know how to cook, and he <em>really</em> knows his way around a steamed bun (as anyone who has been to his Lower East Side restaurant can attest). So who are we to complain that he's gone and opened a second one on 14th Street? Between this latest addition, the pizza at Artichoke and the fried goodness at Led Zeppole, suddenly the strip between Third Avenue and First is a stoner's dream!<br/><br/>The new BaoHaus is larger than the old one and has a deep frier, which means that in addition to your old favorites (mmmm...Chairman Bao) you can dig into new additions like a fried fish bao and the Fried Oyster Po Bao. And that's not all! The sparsely decorated joint also plans on branching out from just baos with a few other dishes (and delivery is on the way). <br/><br/><em>238 E 14th Street</em>
<em>(Eva Saviano/Gothamist)</em><br/><br/><strong><a href="http://thecannibalnyc.com/">The Cannibal</a>:</strong> The name of this newcomer might seem risky to some, but for all those red-meat-eating pedal-pushers (and we believe there are still a few of you out there), it provides a one-stop shop for three of our favorite Bs: beer, butchers, and bikes. "It's kind of an ode to Eddy," said Christian Pappanicholas, one of the owners of The Cannibal and its next door sibling, <a href="http://restonyc.com/">Resto</a>. Belgian cyclist <a href="http://www.eddymerckx.be/">Eddy Merckx</a>, that isâone of the winningest professional cyclists in history, who just happens to be nicknamed The Cannibal.<br/><br/>From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., patrons can grab gourmet sandwiches and salads (think a Pig's Head Cuban or beer-braised meatball sub) to go, or opt for dinner service featuring lamb-neck terrine and house-made blood sausage after 4 p.m. If it is thirst customers are looking to quench, The Cannibal's shelves are stocked with a selection of more than 200 global brews ranging from Coor's Original Banquet to Hanssens Experimental Cassis. Plus, there is a hand-pulled line of Cantillion Lambics available behind the bar. And do note that the premises is more than bicycle friendly. "We'd love it if cyclists would just roll in in all their gear to have a beer," said Pappanicholas, who wants to serve up community as well as refreshment. The cafe will not only show televised cycle races, but provide weary riders with tubes, lube and flat fixes on site. <em>(Eva Saviano)</em><br/><br/><em>113 East 29th Street // 212-686-5480</em>
<em>Not the ribs from The Cardinal, but close. You can see the restaurant's inside <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/smoothdude/6072877997/">here</a> (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/4697935341/in/photostream/">wallyg</a>'s flickr).</em><br/><br/><strong><a href="http://thecardinalnyc.com/">The Cardinal</a>:</strong> For those fed up with the intensity of the race to become an <a href="http://jezebel.com/5834270/american-apparel-introduces-size-xl-holds-search-for-booty+ful-models">American Apparel model</a>, there is a unique opportunity to declare your disloyalty with help from no less than Dov Charney himself. Newcomer The Cardinal is bringing Southern-style barbecue to East Fourth Street, and <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/08/02/dov_charney_getting_in_on_the_resta.php">Dov Charney recently</a> created a stir when he revealed himself as the joint's godfather and investor. Now that the place is actually open, though, the focus has rightfully shifted to the more important thingsânamely, the down-home cooking championed by chef Curtis Brown, previously of the Tribeca comfort-fooder Bubby's. As for <a href="http://www.arianeleblanc.com/thecardinalnyc/dinner.html">the menu</a>? Expect such un-vegetarian treats as Memphis-style ribs, North Carolina-style pulled pork, and Texas-style brisket on one plate ($19), deviled eggs ($5), fried chicken ($15), mac and cheese ($5), not to mention smothered and fried pork chops with red-eye gravy ($15). Brown says that it's âall the stuff [he] grew up eating.â And do note, this is meat with a pedigree: according to <a href="http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/curtis-brown-will-open-the-cardinal-with-american-apparels-dov-charney-as-investor/">The Local</a>, the chef is sourcing his "beef from Fleischerâs...and will get whole pigs from Heritage Foods USA, so that he can stuff his own breakfast sausages and hot links, make headcheese, and cure his own ham." So long as he stays out of the apparel-advertising meat market!<em>(Rachel Pincus)</em><br/><br/><em>234 East 4th Street // 212-995-8600</em>
<em>(<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tag_collective/6076961746/in/photostream/">TagCollective</a>)</em><br/><br/><strong><a href="http://www.zitossandwichshoppe.com/">Zito's</a>:</strong> Yes, we're as sick of the <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/08/24/ny_times_drops_two_stars_on_roberta.php">overblown restaurant hypemachine</a> as the next patron, but we'll never turn down a new Italian sandwich joint, especially one that procures its meats from <a href="http://www.nycotto.com/">Ottomanelli</a> and <a href="http://www.salumeriabiellese.com/">Salumeri Biellese</a>. Zito's, which just opened in Park Slope, offers a menu of 13 different heroes ($8â$10) comprised of standard Italian fare. It's rudimentary, but the point is to put together fresh, legit ingredients on bread from Bensonhurst's Il Fornaretto bakery, and not surprisingly, it works. <br/><br/>We were particularly smitten with the meatball sliders, which had a perfect sauce-cheese-spice ratio, and the eggplant parm with house-made mozz. For sides, the farro salad and the roasted peppers with capers stood out, but our usual favorite, the broccoli rabe, wasn't quite seasoned to our taste. The space is awash in tile and reclaimed wood, which seems de rigueur these days (as are the two large flat-screen TVs) but a few draughts from the reasonably priced ($4-$6) Six Point selections on their patio should make anyone happy. <em>(Christopher Robbins)</em><br/><br/><em>300 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn // 718-499-2800</em>