Blossomed Anew
February 4, 2010
Despite the influx of taco joints and pork-saturated dishes flooding restaurants these days, there is still a place for those seeking respite from animal proteins. Situated on the restaurant-heavy First Avenue, between East 79th and 80th streets, Café Blossom recently opened up its third location at what used to be a chicken shop (Eastside Poultry Inc., which moved to 1564 Second Ave.). Now, the food is all vegan, all the time. [Read more]
Barrio Chic
February 4, 2010
When I walked past El Museo del Barrio, I was wowed by the formerly gritty museum’s new bold yellow Plexiglass façade and, once inside, by the bright, airy modern café, with its huge arched windows overlooking the Central Park Conservatory garden. Part of El Museo’s $35 million renovation, El Café is
catered by Great Performances, the same company that brings you warming root vegetable soup at Wave Hill or artisanal cheese boards at BAM. [Read more]
Lost in the List
February 4, 2010
“I’ll tell you what you should do,” the well-dressed bar regular slurred after his fourth whiskey and water. “You need to get rid of that Merlot and pour a Cotes du Rhone instead.”
“Yeah, why don’t you just have six wines by the glass instead of four?” another regular asked, popping her head into our conversation.
“Also, your price for the Grgich Hills Fume is quite a bit more than the place down the street. You’d sell more if you lowered it a little.”
“I’m just saying this because my friend was in here last week and she’s a wine expert. She was just commenting on the list. That’s all.” [Read more]
What I Found in My (Pita) Pocket
January 27, 2010
“You’ve got to try Pita Joe,” Pete told me, week after week.
Pete Blumenthal and I have spent years after school on the P.S. 75 playground, sometimes talking about our kids, but mainly talking about food. And while I trust his instincts, I wondered what could be so special about yet another falafel joint.
Well, Pita Joe is not your “average Joe” of falafel joints. For one thing, it’s a strange mix of German, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Indian tastes stuffed in whole wheat or white pitas. [Read more]
Wine, Au Naturale
January 27, 2010
“So this wine was made from grapes that grew… out of the ground?”
My friend Jon stared at me blankly after he said this, as if issuing some kind of challenge.
“Yeah,” I snorted. “Of course.”
“And it fermented? Naturally?” [Read more]
Plus-Size Barbecue
January 20, 2010
What with the wildly popular Big Apple Barbecue Block Party in Madison Square Park each summer, and relatively new barbecue joints in nearly every neighborhood, barbecue joins burgers and Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches at the top of New York City’s most esteemed foods. And to think that a mere decade ago there were only three or four restaurants serving barbecue in Manhattan. Due to the city’s strict smoke emission regulations, starting a barbecue restaurant is a dicey—and pricey—prospect. It took the venerable Danny Meyer a good year to get Blue Smoke right. [Read more]
Chinese Firecracker Bang for the Buck
January 13, 2010
Never mind the indifferent to unfriendly waitstaff, the run-down décor and refrigerated soda cans on display. Never mind that they charged me 40 cents to take home the crispy noodles that arrived the moment I sat down—those eggy noodles that send you right back to the 1960s as soon as you dip them in duck sauce. The lunch deal here is just too good to pass up. [Read more]
Bitchy Brew
January 13, 2010
In the ever-changing world of wine, there are few constants. But every once in a while, you stumble on a wine that makes you remember why everyone makes such a fuss out of the stuff in the first place. I have found such a wine, and it has made me re-obsessed with a grape that I had all but forgotten.
First, the grape: Grenache, or Garnacha if you’re in Spain (we’ll get to that later). It is thought that this grape originated in the area of northern Spain/southern France around the Pyrenees. It traveled further inland in Spain and farther north into France, as well. It is now grown worldwide, but the classic versions of this grape remain the wines of the Languedoc region of France, where it is made into red and rose, the southern Rhone, where it is used as a major blending grape, and throughout northern Spain. [Read more]
What’s Cooking
January 8, 2010
A post-holiday hunger pang? I’d just licked off the last Panettone crumb, finished all remnants of the Alaskan wild-caught smoked salmon and given away the dark (fair trade, of course) chocolate terrine. Really, I was ready to re-join Weight Watchers and swear off lardo.
But as I contemplated the headlines, the “For Rent” signs all over the city and my empty fridge, I decided we could all use some heart-warming news. So for you, I cooked up a sampling of great culinary adventures. After all, if we’re supposed to eat less, it might as well be the most succulent fare in New York City. [Read more]
Savory Specialties, Syrupy Sweets
December 31, 2009
In New York City you have only to think of a restaurant specializing in poached eggs or the cuisine of Papua New Guinea, and Chowhounders will soon be telling you the cross streets. Dream of a café selling myriad types of baklava? Your culinary prayers are answered with the opening of Midtown’s Güllüoglu.
Long known as a purveyor of baklava imported from Turkey, Güllüoglu is a sleek, sophisticated café with aerial images of Istanbul on the glass tabletops. Make it past the displays of baklavas and other desserts oozing cream and honey, and you’ll see a wide array of authentic savory specialties. [Read more]
