AlwaysPartying: National French Fries Day

The Gluttoness — July 13, 2009

Happy National French Fries Day! The occasion got us thinking about Rare’s French Fry Tasting Basket (which combines cottage, shoestring, and sweet potato fries with four sauces) and inspired us to consider which New York City restaurants’ French fries would be found in AlwaysHungryNY.com’s ideal Fry Tasting Basket. They follow from left to right:

The John Dory’s Chips & Vinegar, $8.00 (left) — The edges and tips crunch tightly between your teeth, but in the center, they’re almost creamy.

BLT Burger’s Waffle Fries, $4.00 (center) — BLT’s waffle fries taste as perfect as they look. Aside from the fun shape and generous sprinkle of salt, each fry has a hearty crunch and a soft, airy center.

Benoit’s French Fries, $6.00 — Served in a giant intertwined mound, much like the shoestrings at The Spotted Pig, Benoit’s fries are uniquely flat and spaghetti-like. These softer, skinny fries have a delicate crispness and are best eaten by the handful.

As for our four ideal sauces, we’d love the Truffle Mayo at The Kingswood, Blue Smoke’s Maple Dip, Strip House’s Sweet Chili Sauce and Bubby’s Chicken Gravy.

DishDoppelgängers: Cal Pep and Rhong-Tiam

The Gluttoness — June 08, 2009

You know you’ve been caught looking at celebrity look-alike features in tabloids on the supermarket line or when surfing online. Well, we’re applying the concept to well-known dishes and others that resemble them. And why not, for those of us interested in food, Thomas Keller’s Oysters and Pearls dish is just as iconic as Jay Leno’s chin. As soon as a dopplegänger dish emerges, you better believe we’ll spot it.

Cal Pep’s Tortilla Española is reason alone to endure the line (if you didn’t line up fifteen minutes before as advised). This creamy potato and egg omelette is speckled with onion and spicy bits of chorizo and served slightly unset. While the caramelized crust is crisp and golden, the inside is a creamy mixture of cooked and undercooked egg. As if it wasn’t rich enough, a generous coating of garlic aïoli raises the unctuousness to insane levels once unknown to the average egg.

It doesn’t have the height of the Cal Pep’s tortilla, but the gilded coloring, heavily lacquered surface, and pizza-like slices of Rhong Tiam’s Roti with Condensed Milk could cause you to easily confuse them at first glance. Of course, taste is the ultimate distinction, and Rhong Tiam’s dessert is sweet. The crisped Asian roti is a warm, blank canvas for a luscious layer of gooey, condensed milk. Flavor-wise it doesn’t hold a candle to Cal Pep’s tortilla, but it definitely warrants a double-take in the looks department.

AlwaysLearning: Aioli

The Gluttoness — August 22, 2008

An aioli is a cold emulsified sauce made with olive oil, garlic and egg yolk. However, often times the word “aioli” on a menu will simply refer to a flavored or seasoned, mayonnaise-based sauce—which is funny since I am so often dining with mayonnaise-averse folks who lap up aioli like it’s a creamy gift from G-d. A perfect example would be the tangy lemon aioli that’s served atop the Truffle Fries at The Kingswood (pictured above). Sure, some might turn their nose up at a mound of mayo atop their fries, but when it’s disguised as gourmet aioli, don’t be surprised if you’re ordering up extra on the side. Whipping up your own aioli is actually quite easy, just whisk together an egg yolk with 100-150ml of olive oil. Once you’re emulsion is stable, creamy and incorporated, flavor it however you wish; great additions include chipotle peppers, passionfruit puree and curry powder.