February 10, 2007
All Croissants Are Not Created Equal
Buttery, flaky outside, moist inside... so many words to describe a croissant.
Then, there are all the different varieties: plain, fruit, chocolate, plain with butter or jam or as a base for a breakfast sandwich... you get the idea. None of these comes anywhere close to City Bakery's Pretzel Croissant. It is a thing of beauty. Imagine a nice big perfect croissant. Now imagine that seasoned with salt on the outside and sprinkled with sesame seeds; the inside has a hint of sweetness which acts a nice foil to the salty exterior. It's so transcendingly good that I don't even balk at the $3 price tag (c'mon, how much can it cost to throw some salt on a croissant?).
Apparently, I am not alone in thinking this. Far from it. It seems this one little bit of baked paradise is popular enough that it, and it alone among City Bakery products, has its own website. It's the perfect compliment to a cup of their (also rightly famous) hot chocolate.
Try it. I dare you not to like it. Resistance is futile!
The City Bakery
3 W. 18th St
(off 5th Ave)
NYC 10010
212/ 366 1414
Posted by the Nixter at 11:05 AM | Send to a Friend | Comments (0)
February 05, 2007
Brgr: Prtty Gd
Forgive us our abscence, our lives have been an emotional whirlwind the past 2 months but not to fear, The Food Nerds are back-- back from travels, and quitting of jobs, back from sickness and hospital stays, just back... and we're bringing sexy with us.
My first long overdue post is about Brgr, which I had the pleasure to preview at the Taste of New York event last November. I was wowed by their "#3" burger-- the one with the roquefort, bacon, sweet onion marmelade and usual fixins, and had been keeping tabs on the place, eagerly awaiting its opening.
Brgr has gotten a lot of mixed reviews on places like Citysearch and Menu Pages and I just find it difficult to believe that I'm dining at the same place as these naysayers. Granted, I haven't visited Brgr during "prime" dining hours, usually just getting there right before/ after the lunch or dinner rush, and I've heard that the line at lunch can be out the door (but isn't that a good sign rather than something to gripe about?), but I've visited three times now and couldn't be more pleased with my experiences.
I first visited the week they opened and tried the #5-- a burger with cheddar, bacon, horseradish cream, onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles, etc. While a little light on the horseradish, it was overall delicious and cooked perfectly medium. My chocolate shake rocked as well-- none of that watery McDonald's junk here. I love that while this place is just a casual burger joint, there's still an element of "service": you take a number and sit down and someone brings your order to you and alternately, someone takes your tray and garbage when you're done; and on each of my three visits, either the owner or head chef came around to the tables asking everyone how the food was, etc. They seem to be genuinely interested in what people have to say and welcome any feedback (and now there are feedback cards on every table as well).
On my following visits I had the #3 again and it was just as good as I remember-- the roquefort is such a nice touch-- and then just the other day I tried the #1: American cheese, brgr sauce (tho I forgot to find out what's in the sauce), grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles and I had them add bacon to it because what's a burger without the bacon, right? Also tasty.
Food aside, the restaurant is clean, bright and comfortable; there are two (very clean) unisex bathrooms (humorously labelled Carnivore and Vegiterian and they've splurged on double-ply tp), and on any given visit, you'll see guys in suits, moms with carriages, FIT students and people who work at the Martha Stewart Show, which is right around the corner.
condiments and two ply! (hopefully not at the same time)
Brgr
287 7th Ave
(corner of 26th St)
New York, NY 10001
212/ 488-7500
Oinks: 4/5
Why Bother: tasty, fresh, organic burgers and thick shakes
Average Setback: about $12 for a burger and a fountain drink; more if you add fries or a milkshake
Posted by the Nixter at 07:45 PM | Send to a Friend | Comments (2)
November 17, 2006
Taste of New York
Last week I attended NY Magazine's Taste of New York event and after three hours of eating, surprisingly, it was my feet, not my stomach, that hurt. I still haven't decided if that's a good thing or not.
In alphabetical order, the highlights (and lowlights) of the evening; all oinks (ratings) are out of a possible 5:
Alain Ducasse
4 oinks.
Ducasse's Terrine of Foie Gras with black mission fig, orange marmelade on toasted brioche was, as one would expect, excellent but safe.
Aquavit
5 oinks.
My favorite dessert of the evening: little cups of Goat Cheese Mousse with lemon curd and apple basil compote, very similar to the Arctic Circle dessert they serve at the restaurant.
I expected this to be heavy but instead it was heavenly and light and I went back for seconds (and then thirds).
Beacon
5 oinks.
Beacon was the hands down winner for me in the savory food category. Never have I had a more succulent, flavorful piece of lamb than Beacon's Wood-Roasted Baby Lamb Chops with black olives and lemon. The line that snaked along the table and down the hall should be testament to this.
Becco
0 oinks.
Becco's Porchetta "Panini" was a waste of a perfectly good pig and an insult to the word "panini". Between the bread and the pork, it was so dry I had to chuck the sandwich and make a beeline for a bottle of water.
Blue Hill/ Stone Barns
4 oinks.
Blue Hill at Stone Barn's "Vegetables on a Fence" might just be the solution of how to get kids to eat their veggies-- delicious and fun.
Bouchon Bakery
Any place that's going to set out an assortment of macaroons, chocolates and other assorted pastry just can't go wrong in my book. This "Taste of Autumn" was a perfect display of all that is great about Bouchon.
Brgr
5 oinks.
I had to wait 15 minutes to sample this. But instead of little sample sizes, Brgr served full sized Angus Beef Burgers with applewood smoked bacon, sweet onion marmelade, roquefurt cheese and all the (very fresh) trimmings. It was well worth the wait. I think the city's best burger joints have some viable competition.
Buddakan
3 oinks.
Buddakan served up Tuna Spring Rolls with a really nice punch to them. It was just enough to make you stop and think twice about something you could have easily dismissed.
Chinatown Brasserie
2 oinks.
This Pork Puff Pastry was too much pastry, too little pork.
Dona
3 oinks.
Dona's Hawaiian Ahi Tuna with dehydrated, pickled and fresh watermelon, dill and feta was a refreshing little bite that left me wanting more.
Felidia
1 oink.
Bitter and chewy, Felidia's Burrata with Broccoli Rabe, Butternut Squash & Chestnuts is better left off the plate.
Gotham Bar & Grill
3.5 oinks.
Unfortunately, I didn't get around to trying Gotham's Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake with Guiness Whipped Cream until the end of the evening by which time the whipped cream had all but disappeared. But judging on the cake alone, I give it a thumbs up.
Japonais
4 oinks.
Japonais had the winning combination of scrumptious food and most engaging presentation. In fact, it was interactive. They offered thinly sliced Marinated NY Strip Steak that you had to cook yourself on a bed of hot stones (rocks were heated over open flames and then placed in a trough-like vessel and you place the meat directly on the rock until desired temperature is achieved). Whatever was in that marinade was wonderful-- the meat was tender and flavorful.
Jovia
3 oinks.
I feel no matter what you do to an oyster, the oyster flavor will always overpower your attempts; so was the case with Jovia's Oysters on Sunchokes and Salsify with Cynar*. Their dessert, Coppa di Mele-- apples, buttered pecans and maple cream-- was a delectable little scoop of autumn in a pastry cup.
*Cynar is a bittersweet Italian liquer made from an infusion of alcohol fresh artichokes and herbs.
Le Bernadin
3 oinks.
Sheep's Milk Panna Cotta with quince, fig, ras el hanout* and basil seed. A very nice twist on traditional panna cotta.
*Ras el Hanout is a blend of ground Moroccan spices, commonly containing allspice berries, nutmeg, cloves, saffron, peppercorns, mace, cinnamon, cardamom, rosebuds, ginger, paprika, cumin, annise, cayenne, coriander, salt and turmeric
Le Cirque
3.5 oinks.
Now Le Cirque prepared something more along the lines of what I expected from Wallsé-- "Choucroute Royale"-- an Alsatian dish of sausages, pork loin, potatoes and sauerkraut with choice of sweet or hot mustard. A great cold weather dish and the portions they served were almost too generous.
Le Cirque was one of a handful of places that served dessert in addition to a savory dish: the perfect, traditional Creme Brulee.
Little Owl
3.5 oinks.
Little Owl served up fantastically messy Meatball Sliders with the perfect meat-to-bun ratio.
Lonesome Dove
2 oinks.
Not so crazy. I love foie gras but this preparation-- Guajillo-Rubbed Foie Gras-- didn't do anything for me at all. I was hoping he'd bring the prairie butter or buffallo corn dogs I'd read so much about.
Morimoto
4 oinks.
Though a bit on the salty side, Morimoto's Kampachi* Carpaccio was melt-in-your-mouth fresh and flavorful.
*Kampachi, which has only been available since September 2005, is recognized for its 30 percent fat content, which ranks it with some of the best wild salmon and means it's high in Omega-3s, as well as being recognized for its subtle flavor.
Parea
3.5 oinks.
I don't want to overshadow the food because the Braised Lamb Shank was excellent but I would like to take a moment to say that Parea's Jonathon Sawyer wins the "Friendliest Chef" award. He was warm and welcoming, really seemed to be enjoying himself and the responses people had to his food.
Per Se
3.5 oinks.
Orange Marlin "Pastrami" with Per Se coleslaw on caraway seed melba toast. Another place that I felt could have served up something so much more exciting. Tasty but not that inventive and shouldn't be taken as an indicator of what dining at Per Se is (because it's so much better than this).
Picholine
2.5 oinks.
Picholine's Roquefort Parfait was too strong and heavy to have more than a spoonful of. I don't know how anyone could eat a normal portion of this.
Porterhouse
3.5 oinks.
Porterhouse was another in the two category tasting with theirColumbus Chopped Salad With Smoked Beef Tongueon rye crisp with horseradish dressing and for dessert, Indian Pudding with whiskey sauce.
Chef/ Owner Michael Lomanaco
The tongue was good, though I've had better (haha) but the pudding was amazing and not at all what I expected as an offering from a steakhouse; the whiskey sauce had just enough whiskey in it to leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy.
Telepan
3.5 oinks.
There was something so reminiscent of Telepan's offering of Robbiola Tortellini With Meatballs and Swiss Chard in a Parmesan Broth, it was subtle yet flavorful, kind of like what you'd imagine coming home to after an afternoon of playing in the snow as a child. That is, if Mom happened to be a world class chef.
Todd English/ Olives NY
4 oinks.
Another delicious lamb dish, Olive's Lamb Shank Ravioli with saffron burro fusso, tomato ragu, parmesan, and orange zest is a force to be reckoned with. Rustic and rich and completely gratifying.
Trestle on Tenth
3.5 oinks.
Pork Shoulder Crépinette with Wilted Greens. Worth the wait.
chef/ owner Ralf Kuettel in foreground
Wallsé
3 oinks.
I must say I was disappointed in their choice of what to prepare. I'd been looking forward to some hardy grub and instead come face to face with "One Bite Lollipops". And they aren't kidding about the one bite because if you should happen to take more than one, you'll find that the center is all liquid and you now have chocolate splattered on yourself. Good but dangerous.
WD-50
3 oinks.
WD-50's Pine Nut Cassoulet with Rabbit Sausage & Thyme Oil was a bit on the bland side and another dish that, aside from using seasonal ingredients, I would say isn't very representative of the restaurant which is known for its fun and quirky dishes.
Posted by the Nixter at 05:59 PM | Send to a Friend | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
November 10, 2006
Back to the Pinkberry Debate...
Finally I made it to Pinkberry this week (and funny that I went two days before my departure for LA, home of Pinkberry) and you know what? I went back again the next day. Call me a fan. What I like is that it's not cloyingly sweet and there's no nasty aftertaste that you sometimes get from frozen yogurt or even some ice creams. It's just sweet enough but the tartness is very refreshing.
On my first visit I had a small vanilla, straight up. When I went back the next day, I upgraded to a medium with blueberries, bananas and strawberries. Either way, delicious.
Continue reading "Back to the Pinkberry Debate..."
Posted by the Nixter at 08:23 PM | Send to a Friend | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
November 05, 2006
Bistro Juliette: What's In a Name?
I'm no Romeo but I may have found my Juliet(te). It's about time Williamsburg got a real French bistro. Yes, there is Fada but to me, that's more out of the way country cafe than bistro. Juliette is the real deal. From the tiled floors to the tin tables and banquettes in the rear of the room, it exudes Frenchiness.
Exterior; hallway
Continue reading "Bistro Juliette: What's In a Name?"
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October 09, 2006
A One Way Ticket to Vienna, Please
On a recent visit to the Neue Galerie to see the Klimt exhibit before it went the way of the warm weather, we popped into Cafe Sabarsky for a quick pre-viewing lunch. There was about a 40 minute wait to get in early on a Friday afternoon. It was worth every minute.
Upon stepping inside, you're transported into an old world dining room, one wall of which is taken up by a great fireplace and a Bösendorfer grand piano (which, sadly, was covered and functioning more as a table for brochures than anything music-related). Warm wood panelled walls, tiled floor and marble topped tables all add to the old school charm.
We started with the Spring Pea Soup and the Spätzle. Both were tasty tho both were also missing a little something. Garnished with only mint, the soup was very pea-y. It was good, but could have used a little something extra, perhaps cream to smooth out the taste and some salt and pepper. The spätzle too, which came mixed with wild mushrooms, corn and peas, needed a bit more seasoning other than the tarragon and would have been amazing with some thick cut bacon cubes, but still quite tasty without.
Continue reading "A One Way Ticket to Vienna, Please"
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October 01, 2006
Eat Out '06
Check out some of our favorite places-- including Fatty Crab, Dressler, Devi, and Brooklyn Fish Camp-- and plenty of others at Time Out NY's Eat Out '06 event coming up soon.
Tuesday 10 October, 6:30 - 9:30
Skylight
275 Hudson St @ Spring St
Tickets: $100 (includes a subscription to Time Out NY and a copy of their most recent Eating & Drinking Guide); a portion of proceeds to benefit Food Bank for New York City
** 21 & over **
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September 21, 2006
Pinkberry? What now Unicorns?
I thought we outgrew pink and unicorns and heroin skinny chic... So what's all this hubbub? Why? WHY? WHY??? Why must we deprive ourselves of what we really want? I don't understand. I've never ever understood frozen yogurt- from it's inception as TCBY to Tasti-Delite (what a damn misnomer). It's not better, tastier or even healthier than ice cream. You eat more of it... it has to have more preservatives..so why? I hope Pinkberry goes away, and all those twin-set-wearing-power- yoga yuppies fall in a large manhole. What we need isn't more Skeletors! We need chubby, happy badasses eating real f-en ice cream.
Posted by danyellita at 02:02 AM | Send to a Friend | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Bar Pitti
Although entirely too LA for me, and a bit scene-y, Bar Pitti's daily menu is entirely satisfying. On a sunny weekday afternoon, the entire sidewalk was full of hipsters grabbing a leisurely lunch and wine. Neatly coiffed Italians were scattered throughout the crowd, while the waiters spoke to each table in Italian-ish. A bowl full of Pappardelle all'Anatra with shaved parmesan and black pepper was perfect. The homemade pasta was thick and warm, while the sauce was heartily full of pulled duck breast. A Panzanella salad wasn't as charming, but the Pappardelle alla Fieosolana on the regular menu was almost as equally savory as the daily special. The Fiesolana was served in a carbonara style with chunks of pancetta, peas and cream. Macchiatos as a finish were expertly baristed and the house red was just heavy enough to complement any pasta on the menu. If you ignore the SUVs parked on the street in front of you, it could just be a lunch in Piazza Mino in Fiesole Italy.
Bar Pitti
68 Ave Of The Americas
New York, NY 10014-4721View Map
(212) 982-3300
Directions: A, C, E; B, D, F, Q at W. 4th St.-Washington Sq
Oinks: 4/5
Why Bother?: Daily Pasta Specials, Ribollita in the Fall
Average Set Back?: Approx $11 per pasta
Hired Help: not nearly as appicicosi as Mulberry Street
Posted by danyellita at 01:32 AM | Send to a Friend | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Snatch that Turkey
While supplies and waddles last, order your happy and healthy Thanksgiving Turkey from Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, NY. And Why? These poultry morons (sorry turkeys) are rotated throughout the fields of Stone Barns eating bugs and weeds "to their hearts' content", until they are slaughtered and defeathered 2 days before Thanksgiving. Stone Barns offers two types of birds: Broad Breasted White (like our frozen options though exponentially cheery-er) and Bourbon Red (more intense bird flavor and an old breed--a bit like an heirloom tomato).
Your main course can be picked up fresh (not frozen) Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Hey, and the drive up to Stone Barns is a treat in and of itself--visit Boris, the stud male swine with the most impressive endowment and the egg mobiles (traveling chicken coops). While you are at it, why not dine at the most romantic and delicious establishment outside of the city.
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture
630 Bedford Road
Pocantico Hills, NY 10591
Tel: 914 366 6200
Fax: 914 366 7905
Call Danielle Giordano at 914.366.6200 x118 to reserve your turkey.
A nonrefundable $40 credit card deposit or one Farm Share coupon is required per bird. The balance will be due upon pick-up and can be paid with cash, check or credit card.
Reservations will be taken only by phone on Monday-Friday between 9am – 5pm. Any orders left on voicemail are pending until confirmed. General sales will open to the public on Monday, September 18. Because supplies are limited, orders will be taken on a first come, first serve basis.
Gobbles: 5/5
Why Bother?: Happy turkeys son!
Average Set Back: Broad Breasted Whites: $3.75/ pound; Bourbon Red: $5.75/pound
(Bourbon Reds cost more per pound because they grow more slowly, requiring more time, effort and feed to raise.)
Posted by danyellita at 01:12 AM | Send to a Friend | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
