Archive for the ‘NYC’ Category

momofuku

January 26th, 2012

I became obsessed with dining at Momofuku Ko shortly after reading the first issue of David Chang and Peter Meehan’s new quarterly, Lucky Peach. I had eaten at Noodle Bar and was ready to try more. The harder it is to get in (what, only 12 seats total?), the more I want to try the restaurant. [...]
 

I became obsessed with dining at Momofuku Ko shortly after reading the first issue of David Chang and Peter Meehan’s new quarterly, Lucky Peach. I had eaten at Noodle Bar and was ready to try more. The harder it is to get in (what, only 12 seats total?), the more I want to try the restaurant.  Ko’s been around since 2008 and it turns out the online-only resy system isn’t so tough if you’re game for a 16 course midday meal.

Lunch at Ko was easily my favorite dining experience of 2011.  Not simply because of the exquisite food the chefs are preparing in the narrow kitchen right in front of you, but because this particular meal turned my fine dining expectations upside-down. No, it’s not for everyone, but I was in heaven eating killer food, while listening to Jesus and Mary Chain, quite comfortably dressed-down in a pair of jeans. I am grateful for an option to eat well, but without all the pretense.

Ko doesn’t allow any photography. That’s a bit of a bummer for you guys, but it does bring me back to Lucky Peach. Since I can’t post photos from this fabled meal, I’ll share a few magazine shots instead. I hope it will inspire you to pick up your own print subscription. Smart and irreverent, each issue fills me with good cheer as Lucky Peach takes on the tired old food mag M.O. and attempts to give it a swift kick in the pants.


The Momofuku obssession continues… last weekend we served up the Bo ssam recipe, oysters and all. Extra thanks to tipsters: @funwithcarbslg and @blapins.  Bo ssam is a great option for an easy dinner party. If you decide to give it a whirl, please let me know how it turns out!

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Maison Premiere – Brooklyn, NY

January 10th, 2012

In 2010 I made my first trip to New Orleans and fell in love, with the food, music, culture… the feel of the City.  Yes (to those of you detractors), it did also have its gritty and shabby moments, but that is also part of what made New Orleans such a memorable experience for me. [...]
 

In 2010 I made my first trip to New Orleans and fell in love, with the food, music, culture… the feel of the City.  Yes (to those of you detractors), it did also have its gritty and shabby moments, but that is also part of what made New Orleans such a memorable experience for me. I’ve been plotting a return visit to Louisiana ever our short 3 day stint ended. I mention this only because it’s much of the reason I swooned while visiting Maison Premiere in Williamsburg last month. It’s got that confident air of Parisian cafe meets French Quarter speakeasy, but in Brooklyn, New York.

Maison Premiere’s focus is narrow (absinthe, spirits & oysters), but all are done in style.


We tried five different West Coast oysters (and in a concession to D, one from East Coast).

We arrived ahead of the crowd on Saturday afternoon. Come before 1 pm and you’ll likely have the entire horseshoe-shaped bar to yourself.

Details, details. They’re everywhere, like this toothpick holder.

Scallop crudo

At Maison Premiere the meticulous interior details are plentiful and pleasurable – from the quiet soundtrack to ceiling fan circling lazily overhead. With just a short L train ride, I felt as though I had dropped into a different place and time, escaping the Big Apple for the Big Easy. While I’m sure hardly any of my regular readers would be surprised that I’ve fallen for yet another oyster and cocktail joint, what really captured my attention is the entire experience inside Maison Premiere. It was such a pleasurable stop, any question of authenticity seems incidental.

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thompson les eats

December 30th, 2011

We are usually those overnight suburban visitors who just settle for a hotel in midtown because it’s convenient to Grand Central Terminal. With an unusual 3 nights in Manhattan, we wanted to explore a new neighborhood and set our sights on the Lower East Side. We found the perfect match on Jetsetter, a 500 sq [...]
 


We are usually those overnight suburban visitors who just settle for a hotel in midtown because it’s convenient to Grand Central Terminal. With an unusual 3 nights in Manhattan, we wanted to explore a new neighborhood and set our sights on the Lower East Side. We found the perfect match on Jetsetter, a 500 sq ft room at the Thompson LES (190 Allen St). I was attracted to the Lower East Side because it is home to so many great restaurants (we also ate at wd~50 and Frankies), but I had no idea how many eateries would be within 2 block radius of our hotel.

First stop after check-in: Meatball Shop (85 Stanton Street)

It’s a cozy spot with a simple menu, but it features some incredibly appealing comfort food. We walked in on a weekday at 2pm and were able to immediately get a seat at the bar. Even mid-afternoon, the entire restaurant remained full. The Meatball Shop is open until 4 am, so if you’re also in business if you happen to get a late night craving!

My surprise favorite of the sliders: chicken with Parmesan cream sauce

Classic beef meatballs with tomato sauce and provolone on an Il Forno baguette

No trip to NYC in your future? There’s a cookbook and right now the copies in the shop are signed.

It is a rare day that I will eat ice cream, but this was worth it. D initially announced he had no room for dessert, but I dare anyone to turn down caramel ice cream, sandwiched between 2 chocolate chip cookies.

I had no idea Prune (54 East 1st St) was so close! After reading Gabrielle Hamilton’s memoir earlier this year, we took a chance as walk-ins for a weekday lunch. There are no reservations for weekend brunch and I heard you need to be prepared to wait in line. This Rock Shrimp Roll was so delicious I would take it over a lobster roll (hot or cold) any day! I cannot stop thinking about it. PS: Old Bay French Fries. Why have I never had this before?

Grilled Hamburger with Sharp Cabot Cheddar on an English Muffin. Our lunch looked deceptively simple, but the food at Prune was so perfectly balanced I was won over and have dropped my grudge about being squished like a sardine at our table. It was quite easy to overhear neighbors raving about the shaved kale salad.

If you’re staying overnight, of course you’ll need breakfast. I wanted to return to Russ & Daughters (179 East Houston St) for more Scottish smoked salmon. There’s no indoor seatting, just a bench out on the sidewalk, so having a hotel room around the corner really comes in handy.


What do you eat before a 15-course lunch at Ko? Nothing! Just stick to a macchiato at Bluebird (72 East 1st St).

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tasting menu wd~50 – NYC

December 28th, 2011

Tasting menu at wd~50, December 2011 Fluke, red pepper, za’atar, fried lentils Everything bagel, smoked salmon threads, crispy cream cheese Foie-lafel Poached egg in the shell, pumpernickel, caesar dressing, lily bulb Sweet shrimp, miso noodles, chicory, yuzu Monkfish, smoked barley, beet-mustard, nori Quail, chartreuse yogurt, turnip, nutmeg Lamb loin, ‘red beans & rice,’ chayote squash [...]

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Tasting menu at wd~50, December 2011

Fluke, red pepper, za’atar, fried lentils

Everything bagel, smoked salmon threads, crispy cream cheese

Foie-lafel

Poached egg in the shell, pumpernickel, caesar dressing, lily bulb

Sweet shrimp, miso noodles, chicory, yuzu

Monkfish, smoked barley, beet-mustard, nori

Quail, chartreuse yogurt, turnip, nutmeg

Lamb loin, ‘red beans & rice,’ chayote squash

Bourbon, cranberry, gingerbread, walnut

Apricot, buckwheat, quince, green tea

Milk chocolate, black bean, plantain, soy, peanut

Rice krispy treats

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holiday vintage subway – ny, ny

December 23rd, 2011

The theme for today’s New York City post is serendipity. Staying in the Lower East Side, we weren’t overwhelmed with the usual December holiday chaos. To avoid being total grinches, we decided to make a trip up to Fifth Ave to see the tree and a few windows. Our hotel, Thompson LES is half a block [...]
 

The theme for today’s New York City post is serendipity.

Staying in the Lower East Side, we weren’t overwhelmed with the usual December holiday chaos. To avoid being total grinches, we decided to make a trip up to Fifth Ave to see the tree and a few windows. Our hotel, Thompson LES is half a block from the 2nd Avenue station. And the F subway line is where we got lucky. When we descended to catch a train uptown, a vintage subway car was waiting in the station and a trombone player was cheerfully bumbling through Christmas carols. The train was bound for Queens Plaza, so we decided to wait 20 minutes for the chance to ride this piece of history to Rockefeller Center. The seats were covered with caning, vintage advertisements hung overhead and at each stop the station name was yelled out the door by MTA crew members.

If you’re in the City on Saturday, December 24, the Nostalgia Shoppers’ Special will be making its final runs for 2011. These R1/9 subway cars were mostly in use during the 1930s-1960s. Schedule available on the MTA site. No extra cost, just the usual $2.25 fare.

There is something misleading about riding a vintage train. I had concluded: older train = slower speed. Wrong! The doors were open between each car, as were the upper windows. In the dim light and noisy din, it felt like we were traveling at an exceptionally fast speed between stations! The suspension (or lack thereof) ensures you notice every bump and turn. All of this combines to make for a fun and memorable subway ride. Traveling underground in these unusual surroundings, I began to wish we were hurtling through the darkness to a far-away magical destination. No such luck, so we got off at 47-50 Rockefeller and piled into the crowd of other tourists heading for the tree.

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carnival of the animals – bergdorf windows 2011

December 20th, 2011

This charming holiday video reminded me to walk up from Rockefeller Center to 57th during last weekend’s stay in NYC. My mission, to see the windows at Bergdorf Goodman. Glimpses of them appear in the video, but there is nothing like viewing the windows in person and lingering over the texture, sparkle and color. We [...]
 

This charming holiday video reminded me to walk up from Rockefeller Center to 57th during last weekend’s stay in NYC. My mission, to see the windows at Bergdorf Goodman. Glimpses of them appear in the video, but there is nothing like viewing the windows in person and lingering over the texture, sparkle and color. We arrived mid Saturday morning and there was a terrific glare of the skyline reflecting off the glass. From Fifth Avenue I could only capture shots in the lower portion of the window, but you’ll easily see why I fell in love with these stunning creations.

This year’s theme is the Carnival of the Animals which always makes me think of Saint Saens The Swan. It is a luxurious and relaxing piece, especially welcome the week before Christmas.

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katey & dave

November 23rd, 2011

Katey Bee’s a Smithie and like so many of my friends from college, we met inside our beloved Morrow House. In my mind, she will always be Linda’s little sister, a cheerful ball of energy with an infectious laugh and devoted fan of mashed potato pizza. The promise of Connecticut pizza…that’s precisely how we’ve lured [...]

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Katey Bee’s a Smithie and like so many of my friends from college, we met inside our beloved Morrow House. In my mind, she will always be Linda’s little sister, a cheerful ball of energy with an infectious laugh and devoted fan of mashed potato pizza. The promise of Connecticut pizza…that’s precisely how we’ve lured Katey and Dave out of the City many times. Katey hails from Staten Island and Dave from Chappaqua. They were married in the West Village at Our Lady of Pompeii Church, where I had the good fortune to be outside enjoying the October sunshine when she arrived via taxi.

While we were taking these photos, a Captain Lawrence delivery truck drove by. Certainly an auspicious sign for these 2 beer lovers. I tried to take a photo, but was too late.

Getting hitched

With a few hours to kill before the reception, we made a brief layover at Pegu Club. On our way to the reception at Twenty-Four Fifth we cut through Washington Square Park.

The new Mr & Mrs

It’s been a month since the wedding. I can’t remember what spirit she kept tucked away in the pocket of her wedding dress? Perhaps it was bourbon?

If you’e in the mood for more photos of this charming couple, hop on over to Kella McPhee’s blog.

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john dory oyster bar

November 10th, 2011

As if there aren’t enough oysters on this blog, we went in search of more on D’s birthday. At 29th and Broadway, walking into April Bloomfield’s John Dory Oyster Bar was a bit like stepping off the streets of Manhattan into a space vaguely reminiscent of Portland, Oregon.  There is a slightly campy, off-beat vibe [...]

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As if there aren’t enough oysters on this blog, we went in search of more on D’s birthday.

At 29th and Broadway, walking into April Bloomfield’s John Dory Oyster Bar was a bit like stepping off the streets of Manhattan into a space vaguely reminiscent of Portland, Oregon.  There is a slightly campy, off-beat vibe that brought back memories of our Pacific NW trip in 2008.

I heard that it’s difficult to get into The John Dory, but if you walk in on Saturday at noon you’ll have your pick of tables in the quiet, bright dining room. Evenings, I’m sure, are a different story. The only way to get a spot reserved is if you are a guest of the adjacent Ace Hotel.

We also ordered a few small entrees (warm), but my recommendation is to stick to the raw bar and the cocktail menu created by Sasha Petraske.

The crudo was my favorite dish of the day: Daurade with watercress and crispy quinoa

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eataly new york

November 7th, 2011

Sunday morning, Soho.  It was the NY Giants bye week. Dorns announces out the blue that he wants to eat brunch at Eataly. This Italian food hall in the middle of Manhattan is a place I’ve wanted to visit.  I’ve also seen the weekend line of people waiting on Broadway and assumed it’s even worse if [...]


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Sunday morning, Soho.  It was the NY Giants bye week. Dorns announces out the blue that he wants to eat brunch at Eataly. This Italian food hall in the middle of Manhattan is a place I’ve wanted to visit.  I’ve also seen the weekend line of people waiting on Broadway and assumed it’s even worse if you are inside. As it was still before noon, I figured we had a shot.  Upon arrival, the pizza and pasta dining option already had a long queue, so we sensibly sat right down at the all-vegetable option, Le Verdure.

It was a little after noon when we finished up and the market was busy with a steady stream of shopping filling in. Eataly certainly  is a food lover’s paradise, but I was no longer in the mood to explore. We had to divide and conquer.  D went to get some cheese, prosciutto and salami.

And I wandered over over to explore the fresh pasta and bought some ravoli quadrati.

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national deviled egg day

November 3rd, 2011

In honor of National Deviled Egg day, I am sharing the most recent order I’ve eaten! Pegu at 5 PM (right at opening) is still my favorite place on earth for a cocktail. It’s a rare day when I can resist an additional order of Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs. We stopped in to celebrate D’s birthday [...]


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In honor of National Deviled Egg day, I am sharing the most recent order I’ve eaten!

Pegu at 5 PM (right at opening) is still my favorite place on earth for a cocktail. It’s a rare day when I can resist an additional order of Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs. We stopped in to celebrate D’s birthday between a wedding ceremony and wedding reception a few weeks ago.  I may only get to Pegu twice a year, but it’s perfection in here… every time. And that included the eggs.


The mixologist is pouring my Earl Gray MarTEAni and on the left, the Whiskey Smash.

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