Weekend Whets 5/24

Local Food, Global Trade, and the Future of Rural Communities, Wednesday, May 29, 2013, 6:30 p.m., Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40th Street, Manhattan:  Writer Fabio Parasecoli discusses issues regarding where food products come from.

New Taste of the Upper West Side, Wednesday, May 29, 2013 through Saturday, June 1, 2013, Columbus Avenue between West 76th and West 77th Streets, Upper West Side:  Annual festival celebrating restaurants and chefs of the Upper West Side.  Ticket sales fund the Streetscape project.

Meat Hooked!, Thursday, May 30, 2013, 6:30 p.m., BLDG 92 , Brooklyn Navy Yard Center, 63 Flushing Ave (at Carlton), Brooklyn:  Gotham Center Director Suzanne Wasserman’s new film, a documentary about meat and the rise and fall and rise again of butchers and butchering in and around New York.  $8/$5 members.

A Secret History of Coffee, Coca, and Cola, Thursday, June 6, 2013, 6:30 p.m., Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40th Street, Manhattan:  A discussion by author Richard Cortes.

A Moveable Feast, Tuesday, June 12, 2013, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., 101 West 15th Street, Manhattan:  Apartment hop in the Stonehenge building trying gourmet bites at this James Beard Greens (foodies under 40) event.  Tickets $95 non-members.

Born with a Junk Food Deficiency, Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 6:30 p.m., Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40th Street, Manhattan:  Writer Martha Rosenberg discusses what goes on behind the scenes at large food companies.

The Food Truck Handbook, Wednesday, June 19, 2013, 6:30 p.m., Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40th Street, Manhattan:  Food truck owner David Weber discusses New York’s food trucks.

On the Chocolate Trail, Monday, July 15, 2013, 6:30 p.m., Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40th Street, Manhattan:  Author Deborah R. Prinz discusses the history of the chocolate trade.

Happy Hour: Réunion Bar

On my recent Neighborhood Watch column on 9th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen, I mentioned wanting to try Réunion bar on West 44th Street and 9th Avenue.  Well, I finally tried it this week, and I’ve already been twice!  If you’re missing the beach or a tropical clime, this is the place to be in NYC!  Just take the stairs down to the small bar that is kind of hidden and still a bit undiscovered.  You’ll see surfboards, video of surfers riding waves, coconut shell cups behind the bar and other beach bar decor.

The menu is limited as one would expect at a bar, but it’s a quality menu with some creative choices. I highly recommend trying the “Tot” Chos, basically Tater Tot nachos…with sour cream, guacamole and jack cheese.

There are happy hour drink specials as well, but I opted for some special cocktails. I really like the Coco Loco, Réunion’s version of a Piña Colada.

I also tried the Hawaiian Pog, a Hawaiian Daquiri with passion fruit, orange and guava.

The owner and bartenders are super friendly and welcoming, and the bar has a pleasant, chill vibe to kick back and relax after the work week!

Two for Tuesday: Appliance and Dinnerware Stores

If you are looking for the best in kitchen appliances, Krup’s Kitchen & Bath in Chelsea is the place to go.  If you want something with a retro feel or in a unique color, Krup’s has it.  Look at this adorable 1950s-style refrigerator from Smeg in pink:

How about this adorable oven range from BlueStar in purple:

Fishs Eddy is the quintessential store for dinnerware with its interesting and kitschy designs.  If you’re a NYC fan, there are many local patterns like the New York skyline, the tunnels, the Brooklyn bridge, dog walkers, Brooklyn and more.  I got the Brooklynese set for my mom.

They have other designs too like Alice in Wonderland, the New York Times crossword puzzle and this pretty pattern from Lotta Jansdotter that I wrote about before.

creamer and coffee mug

Fishs Eddy also has a cool collection of vintage dishes dating back to 1903.

I also like these small trays. I got one that’s a recipe card, but there are others like a parking ticket, a lotto ticket, a restaurant check, a prescription and more.

Neighborhood Watch: Little Italy’s Grand Street

Today, it’s hard to imagine that Manhattan’s Little Italy once encompassed a much larger area than a few blocks along Mulberry Street.  Yes, my family lived on Mulberry Street south of Canal Street close to Bayard Street.  And Italians lived as far east as the Bowery.  Little Italy shrinks as the years go by.  It’s pretty much just Mulberry Street now maybe from Spring to Canal.  But that’s a stretch, as most of the businesses along that strip are not Italian or Italian-owned.  I would say the most Italian section of Little Italy is right off Mulberry and Grand Streets.  Here is the fairly new Italian American Museum, opened in 2001.  The building was the Banca Stabile, a bank founded in 1885 to aid the local Italian community and arriving immigrants.  Due to financial reasons, the museum is seeking a developer to build a new building at the site, so if you want to see the historic building, you should visit now.

The Alleva Dairy for cheese and meat and other Italian grocery items and the Piemonte Ravioli Co. for pasta.

Across the street is E. Rossi & Company, an Italian housewares store that used to be on the corner and that every Italian American from NYC remembers.  Here is a great history of the store.  The article also mentions Paolucci’s, a restaurant that closed as rents went up.  Paolucci’s actually had perciatelli on the menu.  The owner introduced me to Goodfellas‘ author Nick Pileggi at the restaurant one night.

Of course, no stop to Little Italy is complete without a visit to the famed pasticceria Ferrara.

Try gelato or pastries, such as cannoli, napoleons, eclairs, or rum babas.

At the end of the block on Mott Street is Di Palo’s, an Italian deli/grocery.

Head south on Mulberry Street to the Church of the Most Precious Blood.  Established in 1891, this church is the site of the San Gennaro festival in September.

For coal-oven pizza, try Lombardi’s on Spring and Mott Streets, the first pizzeria in the United States, opened in 1905.

Lombardi’s pizza

What to Eat:  Cannoli from Ferrara, pizza from Lombardi’s

Where to Shop:  E. Rossi & Company for housewares and Italian novelties; Alleva Dairy and Di Palo for cheese, meat and grocery items; Piemonte Ravioli for pasta

What to See:  Italian American Museum, Church of the Most Precious Blood

9th Avenue International Food Festival

Today and tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday, May 18 & 19, 2013, is the Ninth Avenue International Food Festival.  The festival runs from 42nd Street to 57th Street.  As you can see from this pic, the darkening sky didn’t keep festival goers away.  In fact, when it started to pour, they got umbrellas.

There are all kinds of ethnic foods as well as typical fair foods like zeppole, funnel cakes, arepas, candy apples and grilled corn.

There are booths with Hell’s Kitchen and New York t-shirts and your standard street fair hats, sheets, spices, etc.  If you’re a single lady, there are some cute cops on the festival route, especially at 48th Street.

Some booths of note to check out are Empanada Mama, one of the festival sponsors, which has a few spread throughout the festival:

And Thai buns across the street:

I got the 3 for $5, Thai sweet sausages, pulled beef and curry chicken.  All were good.

Schmackary gave out free samples of its chocolate diablo cookie, a chocolate cookie that brings the heat.

It was really good.

Friendship has a booth giving away free samples of cottage cheese.

Poseidon Bakery, one of the festival sponsors, has a table of Greek pastries.

Neighborhood Watch: German Yorkville

German immigrants originally settled in NYC starting in the 1840s in the Lower East Side in a neighborhood that became known as “Little Germany.”  As new immigrant groups came to NYC, the Germans moved out to the boroughs and  on the Upper East Side in the Yorkville neighborhood.  There isn’t much left to the German Yorkville of old.  It’s no surprise, as neighborhoods in NYC change with each new influx of immigrants.  However, if you visit, there are some places to check out and enjoy old world German charm.

Your first stop is Glaser’s Bake Shop, a family-owned bakery since 1902 on 1st Avenue and 87th Street.

What started as a bread bakery turned into a pastry shop with German classics.  Today, the bakery has doughnuts, cakes, turnovers, muffins, seasonal bakery items, challah and more.  I got a jelly doughnut with granulated sugar, a butter danish, a cheese danish and crumb cake.

The crumb cake here is buttery soft with large, buttery crumbs on top and a fresh, soft cake.

Nearby is St. Joseph’s Church, a Roman Catholic Church founded in 1874 for the local German population, that still has masses in German.

After some delicious baked goods for breakfast, head over to Carl Schurz Park on East End Avenue from 84th Street to 90th Street to walk off all those carbs.  Carl Schurz Park was named after Carl Schurz, the German-born Secretary of the Interior in 1910.  It’s also the site of Gracie Mansion, which is open for tours.

After your walk through the park, back to German Yorkville.  Schaller & Weber, a family-run butcher shop since 1937 on 2nd Avenue and 86th Street, is the place to do some shopping.  You can get a variety of German cold cuts and liverwursts, spatzle and German products.

If you don’t want to cook for yourself, head down a few doors to the Heidelberg Restaurant, est. 1936, for authentic German food in a charming atmosphere.  The bratwurst here is the best I’ve had in the U.S.

What to Eat:  crumb cake from Glaser’s Bake Shop, bratwurst from Heidelberg

Where to Shop:  Schaller & Weber

What to See:  Carl Schurz Park

Neighborhood Watch: 9th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton

Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton is known for its famous Ninth Avenuve International Food Festival every May.  This is its 40th year, and it will be held next weekend on May 18 & 19.  There are certainly plenty of options from 42nd Street to 57th Street and every ethnic cuisine under the sun:  Afghani, Indian, Thai, Italian, Mexican, South African, Indonesian, Japanese, Argentinian, Greek, Turkish, Balkan, you name it…it can be found on 9th Avenue.

However, I have walked this strip with friends and family, night upon night, up and down, down and up, past the crowds of tourists and locals, and rarely do I read a menu that appeals to me.  I would say the area is hit or miss (and some of the restaurants–especially closer to 42nd Street–remind me of chains), although I haven’t eaten at many of the restaurants just because I’m not that interested.  I will say there is a plethora of Thai restaurants on the avenue.  However, I’m not a big fan of Thai food, so I’m usually not raring to try a Thai restaurant. A lot of the other restaurants I’ve tried were mediocre.  For example, Southern Hospitality–I’ve lived in the South.  I can get better in North Carolina or Tennessee.  But to review it, the food was mediocre.  I mean, if you can’t get grits right…need I say more?  There are many others that are popular like Eatery, Vynl, El Centro that I think are just OK.

While I don’t like most of the restaurants on 9th Avenue, there are some that I love.  My all-time faves are Empanada Mama, Pure Thai Cookhouse, Xai Xai, Braai, La Sihouette, and Totto Ramen. I’ll start from 42nd Street South and go North.

For excellent Argentinian food, Chimichurri Grill.

The steaks and pastas are top notch.  The rice pudding isn’t too shabby either.

A few blocks up is the neighborhood classic Poseidon Bakery for Greek baked goods.

Try the strudel; it has a Greek twist with phyllo dough.

Sweet Gifts has candy and chocolates, and it also has gift items, novelties and videos for sale.

Balkanika is a favorite of mine on the 9th Avenue strip.

The atmosphere is cozy and friendly.  The food is very good.  Portions are large and tasty.  A glass of wine from the area, some dips and bread…what a better way to end the week?

If you’re trying to eat clean or stick to a healthy diet, Fuel is the way to go.  They have great juices and entrees.  When you’re eating clean, you want the food to be basic, and this is, but with flavor and well cooked.

Gazala Place has very good Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food.

The labne and large, thin sheets of pita bread are delicious.  The hummus plate is a good option to try different things.

Uncle Nick’s is very good Greek.

I love the octopus here.

Pure Thai Cookhouse is always busy.  You’re lucky if you can snag one of its tiny seats.

Pure Thai has a stand at the food festival, and I got a delicious bun there and Thai tea ice cream.  I always order the same thing from them:  the roasted baby back rib appetizer and the ratchaburi.

Of course, always with a Thai tea in this cute mug!

Thai tea

Kahve is definitely the best coffee in the neighborhood or maybe in Manhattan!

And yes, they are not lying when they say they have the best oatmeal raisin cookie in town.

oatmeal raisin on the left

Across the street is Empanada Mama.  It’s hard to snag seats here, but the empanadas are cheap and to die for.

If you don’t mind turning the corner on 9th Avenue onto 51st Street, you’ll find Xai Xai South African wine bar and down in the middle of the block, its sister restaurant, Braai.  Appetizers at Xai Xai include a delicious eggplant with goat cheese.

The oxtail at Braai is wonderful.

Turn down 52nd and you’ll see the ginormous line for the world-renown Totto Ramen.

Off 53rd Street, you’ll get a wonderful high-end meal at La Silhouette, maybe the only four-star restaurant in the neighborhood.  Every time I’ve dined here, the friendly owner, Tito, has welcomed me.  The food is excellent here, and the desserts are highly recommended.

I want to try the surf bar, Reunion, on 44th Street.  The drink and food menu looks good, and it sounds like a fun place.  I also want to try Terakawa Ramen near 57th.  If anyone is interested in going with, let me know.

What to Eat:  empanadas from Empanada Mama, Greek pastries from Poseidon, dips from Balkanika, Thai cuisine from Pure Thai, coffee from Kahve, Druze cuisine from Gazala’s, ramen from Totto Ramen, dessert from La Silhouette.

Where to Shop:  Amish Market gourmet grocer, Housing Works thrift store, Ricky’s cosmetics, Delphinium Home for kitschy housewares (on West 47th).

Lunch: Basta Pasta

The best Italian food I’ve had in a while is Japanese.  Yes, I recently dined at Flatiron’s Basta Pasta, an Italian restaurant with a Japanese owner.  A lot of the reviews I read prior to dining describe the restaurant as fusion, but I don’t think so.  After all, Italians eat sea urchin too.  I found the dishes to be very Italian, though not your usual spaghetti and meatballs or fettucine alfredo.  I got the $19 prix fix lunch menu with a mixed greens salad and a choice of pasta and dessert with coffee or tea.  As I waited for my salad, I nibbled on the bread.  The Italian breads were a bit hard (not in the good traditional hard bread way), but the raisin loaf was wonderful.  I thought it may be raisin-olive but I wasn’t positive.  While somewhat of a sweet bread, it had sea salt on top of it for a nice balance of sweet-salty.

For my pasta, I got the fusilli with free range chicken ragu, fresh tomatoes and prosciutto.  This is not an Italian dish at all, but a dish made from Italian ingredients.  However, the sauce was reminiscent of a dish my grandmother and mother make that is obscure, one that I have not seen in any Italian cookbook or TV show.  I felt like the food critic at the end of Ratatouille taken back to my childhood.  In addition to being ethereal, the dish was also plentiful and I devoured it.

With the lunch prix fix, there is no choice for dessert, and I got the apple cake. The size was perfect, as I was almost full from my pasta. But this dessert didn’t quite work for me. The ice cream wasn’t vanilla-y enough for me, and the cake was kind of spongey.

However, I wouldn’t eat at Basta Pasta for the dessert. I’d eat here for the pasta.

Dinner Club: The Marrow

I’d heard so much (both good and bad) about The Marrow, Harold Dieterle’s new restaurant in the West Village, that I had to try it.  I’m a big fan of Perilla, so I figured I’d like the food at The Marrow too.  The concept is interesting, as Dieterle’s family tree is German and Italian, so the menu is broken into two columns, one representing the German side of his family and the other, the Italian.  If you are an aficionado of German or Italian food, do not go here thinking you will get any traditional dishes.  What Dieterle does is use ingredients from German and Italian cooking to create unique dishes.

For example, I got the grilled baby chicken from the Italian side–with fregula, fried salami, fava beans & smoked tomato vinaigrette.  For one, I was surprised with the plentiful portion.  Second, the chicken was so incredibly tender and juicy.  While the salad had tomato, fava beans, salami and farro, and the vinaigrette was tomato, it didn’t have an Italian flavor to it.  The salad was so refreshing and enjoyable, but it tasted more Middle Eastern to me than Italian.  The smoky tomato vinaigrette was a perfect accompaniment to the chicken, but its flavor was more reminiscent of American barbecue sauce than anything Italian.

I wanted to try something from both sides of the menu, so I got a German appetizer and an Italian entrée.  To start, I got the duck liverwurst with cornichons, green mustard and grilled bread.

For dessert, I got the rhubarb crostata with toasted almond and mascarpone ice cream, which was absolutely delicious.

Julie, of the Texan New Yorker, got the crispy mortadella with muffuletta dressing.

Her entrée was the polenta, a special, which she enjoyed very much.

I also really enjoyed the pretzel dinner roll with accompanying sweet mustard (German) and olive oil (Italian).

As I said, the food here is excellent, but just don’t go in expecting your standard bratwurst and spaghetti.

Two for Tuesday: Greek and Middle Eastern Cookies

This week’s Two for Tuesday are Greek and Middle Eastern cookies.  On 9th Avenue is the Greek bakery, Poseidon, a family-owned bakery much beloved by locals.  Poseidon bakes Greek favorites like baklava as well as cookies like melomakarono (honey cookies), kourabiedes (walnut cookies) and koulourakia (sesame cookies), as well as fruit strudels made of hand-rolled phyllo dough.

Sugar and Plumm‘s flagship store is on the Upper West Side, but they have a patisserie on Bleecker Street.  There, they have their signature chocolate pumps and purses that look more like the real thing than like chocolate.  They also have these divine little cookies from Vivel Patisserie in Dubai.  My two favorites are the Caramel and the Nocohi.  The Caramel consists of almond slices caramelized in honey and saffron.  Nocohi is a chickpea cookie that is soft as sand with a dash of cardamom.  The Nocochi white is a chickpea flour cookie with cinnamon, walnuts and white chocolate.  This had the chickpea flavor of the nocochi with this lovely spicy hint of cinnamon.  The Noir is a hazelnut biscuit filled with raspberry jam.  At first glance, I thought this would be my favorite.  But it wasn’t.  I’m a big fan of jam cookies, and this was not one of my favorites.  The Almond Rock is an almond biscuit topped with pistachios.