AlwaysInvestigating: Burgers & Corn Dogs, Shrimp-Style
Maryse Chevrière — May 17, 2010
The Low Country Shrimp Burger at Blue Smoke.
Enter the dining room at Blue Smoke, and the intoxicating smell of barbecue makes it difficult to imagine ordering anything else. Why would you when there are Chipotle Chicken Wings, Brisket, and Memphis-style Baby Back Ribs to choose from? But there’s more to the menu than ‘cue— consider, for example, shrimp, in applications not typical to them: burgers and corn dogs.
Featured Cocktail: The Mint Julep
Maryse Chevrière — April 29, 2010
The Mint Julep at Death & Co.
With the Kentucky Derby this Saturday, May 1st, there’s just one cocktail to feature: the Mint Julep.
Bourbon, sugar, water, and muddled mint. Allegedly conceived in the American South in the 18th century, the now-iconic cocktail became the official drink of the Kentucky Derby in 1938 and has been keeping track-goers loose and liquored-up ever since.
If you’re in the City, and planning to watch the race, visit Time Out New York for venues hosting parties. They range from Eleven Madison Park to the Bell House. If you’re more interested in what’s happening in your cup than in the race, there are many great julep renditions to be had around town.
Though not served in the traditional metal cup, the Mint Julep at Alta ranks as one of the best. Bourbon stars, with the mint and simple syrup striking a perfect balance. Versions at Back Forty, Little Branch, and Death & Co. all deserve praise, like bourbon-soaked ices garnished with beautiful mint bouquets.
Of course, the ultimate Derby dining experience goes beyond Mint Juleps. Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain serves Kentucky Hot Browns for lunch, and brunch, and Mara’s Homemade often serves Derby Pie. To read more about those dishes click here. In the meanwhile, check out this slideshow for photographs of some of Always Hungry’s favorite Mint Juleps.
Always Hungry: Opening Day at Citi Field
Maryse Chevrière — April 05, 2010
Inside Citi Field.
Last year, the buzz surrounding the fare from the likes of Shake Shack and Blue Smoke at the Mets’ new Citi Field practically outshone the games being played there. With all the misfortune they faced last year, fans could definitely justify waiting on the Shack lines away from the action on the field. With first pitch of the new season at 1:10pm this afternoon, it is once again time to start thinking about the best food the stadium has to offer.
Though the Rabbi Dog is reportedly no longer available, there is still plenty to choose from. If you’re heading over to the stadium check out Always Hungry’s food rundown from 2009 to get ready. There’s a dish by dish at the swanky Acela Club, and a breakdown of the food from all the top-notch vendors.
Hopefully Jason Bay, and a healthy Mets team will send the Mets to the World Series this year to face the Yanks, for a rematch of 2000. Let’s go Mets!
AlwaysPartying: National Peanut Butter Day
January 22, 2010
Clockwise from top: Blue Smoke’s Peanut Butter & Belly, Hill Country’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcake, Ma Pêche’s Peanut Butter Cookie, PB & J Soft Serve from Momofuku Milk Bar.
Sunday, January 24th is National Peanut Butter Day, and needless to say, the possibilities of how to eat your way through this holiday are endless. Going the sweet route is obvious. Start with the PB & J soft serve from Momofuku Milk Bar, then hit up Hill Country for their famous Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcake, and finish off at Ma Pêche with a Peanut Butter cookie. For something savory, you’ll want to visit Blue Smoke to taste the Peanut Butter & Belly appetizer.
AlwaysInformed: Blue Smoke’s Peanut Butter & Belly
The Gluttoness — November 05, 2009
Peanut Butter & Belly: Berkshire Pork Belly on Raisin Toast w/Poblano Jelly and Peanut Sauce, ($11.95).
One of Blue Smoke’s (view) latest lunch additions, Peanut Butter & Belly, may employ a cute play on words and dainty tea sandwich proportions, but it’s actually nothing to scoff at. It features a complex combination of textures, flavors and temperatures: slices of crisped pork belly portioned to the size of small raisin bread rectangles. The toast is warm, the pork is soft and the golden raisins add surprising bursts of chewy sweetness.
The accoutrements are where you’ll find the classic combination of peanut butter and jelly. There’s a sticky peanut glaze and a salty crunch from a pile of chopped nuts. Poblano jelly acts more like a decorative hot sauce, delivering subtle heat. The sweet and spicy accents are the perfect finishing touches.
Peanut Butter & Belly is an inventive new appetizer— a tasty bite with which to begin a barbeque binge at Blue Smoke. After all, no meal there is complete without running the gluttonous gamut from wings, ribs, and burgers, to pulled pork, fried chicken, and of course, one of Manhattan’s best renditions of macaroni and cheese.
AHNY Video: Big Apple Barbecue Block Party 2009
July 20, 2009
Executive Chef Damon Wise of Craft assisting Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ (Decatur, AL)
Three pitmasters. Two days. One epic event.
For seven years, pitmasters from across the country have descended upon New York City to show off their ‘cue at the annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party. This year, AlwaysHungryNY.com interviewed three renowned pitmasters, Pat Martin of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint (Nashville, TN), Chris Lilly of (Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ), and BABBP’s co-founder, Ken Callaghan (Blue Smoke, NY), as they showcased three regional preparations of meats provided by Pat LaFrieda and Mark Pastore of LaFrieda Meats.
CLICK HERE for the AlwaysHungryNY.com Video: The Glories of BBQ: Three Styles of an American Tradition.
AlwaysPartying: National French Fries Day
The Gluttoness — July 13, 2009
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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.
HungryChefs: Love Summer Dishes
Arthur Bovino & The Hungry Goat — June 29, 2009
Chef John Stage, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
At City Harvest’s Summer in the City fundraiser last week, we chatted (in between amuses) with some of the hot New York City chefs who were serving up food for a good cause. It was an opportunity to find out what these chefs are AlwaysHungry for, which restaurants chefs crave, and their favorite summer dishes to prepare.
Click to find out what chefs' crave, where, and the summer dishes they like to prepare >>
AlwaysPartying: Big Apple BBQ Block Party
June 16, 2009
Blue Smoke’s Kansas City Ribs & Pickled Okra
The Big Apple BBQ Block Party this past weekend was a blast— full of smoke, “hog coffins,” fire, sauces and genuine, get your hands dirty eating. We even ran into some lucky winners of our Big Apple BBQ FastPass Giveaway on the express lines. Everything was delicious, but of course, we had our favorites, which we ranked below. Check out our photographs of pure BBQ goodness on the jump along with a field report from the GutterGourmet.
Click here for a field report from GutterGourmet & AlwaysHungryNY.com's BABBQ pictures >>
AlwaysLearning: Regional BBQ Primer
The Hungry Goat — June 12, 2009
Hill Country’s Beef Ribs
In honor of the summer and all the BBQ we intend to eat this weekend at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party, we’ve compiled a BBQ primer for you that details many of the varied types found across the country, their cuts and traits, their typical sauces, sides, serving styles and cooking methods.
Most importantly, we have included the restaurants and dishes in New York where you can find many of these different preparation styles.
AlwaysHungryNY: Ultimate Derby Dining
The Gluttoness — May 01, 2009
The Kentucky Derby is tomorrow. When you think about it, aside from those tea sandwiches, the Derby is actually a respectable culinary occasion— the race only lasts two minutes and most of the time celebrating it is done while wining and dining in fancy garb. Even if you can’t make it to Churchill Downs for the festivities, you can still throw on your over-sized sun hat and dine like you’re there. Get dolled up and head over to Eleven Madison Park for its upscale Derby Party or, if you start itching to break out of the gate yourself, head over to Johnny Utah’s party and take a spin on the mechanical bull. For the ultimate Derby meal, we’ve cited New York’s best renditions of three Kentucky classics— Mint Juleps, Kentucky Hot Browns and Derby Pie.
Always Hungry: Citi Field Fare
The Gluttoness — April 15, 2009
A fan chows down on a rib from Blue Smoke at Citi Field.
What a beautiful sight. 2009’s Opening day at Citi Field, and a famished, possibly drunk Mets fan happily gnaws on a juicy sparerib. Not any sparerib, a Blue Smoke Spare Rib. In the footsteps of groundbreakingly gourmet sporting arenas like Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the Mets’ new stadium has stepped up its game, cuisine-wise at least. Centerfield, in particular, houses some of the best bites, while the beauty of Blue Smoke and Shake Shack under one roof is a dream come true for bona fide meat-etarians. Ribs and burgers are only the beginning— a night at Citi Field is just as much about dinner as about baseball.
SEARCH: Flat Screens & BBQ for March Madness?
March 19, 2009
Use our Very Advanced Search Engine to always find the perfect place. March Madness is coming! Just search for Flat Screens Included and BBQ, to find the best places to watch the games and chow down with your boys. Here’s what’s AlwaysHungry Approved:
1. Blue Smoke 116 E. 27th Street
Recommended Dishes: Deviled Eggs, Chipotle Chicken Wings, Memphis Baby Back Ribs, Macaroni & Cheese
2. Daisy May’s BBQ USA 623 11th Avenue
Recommended Dishes: Big Pig Gig (48 Hours Notice), Rack of Lamb (24 Hours Notice), Oklahoma Jumbo Beef Rib, Carolina Pulled Pork, Creamed Spinach, Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Corn
3. Hill Country 30 W. 26th Street
Recommended Dishes: Beef Ribs, Pork Spare Ribs, Regular Kreuz Sausage, Moist Brisket, Bone-In Pork Chop, Beef Shoulder, Beer Can Game Hen, Smokey Chipotle Deviled Eggs, German Potato Salad, Corn Souffle, Baked Beans with Burnt Ends, PB&J Cupcakes, Pecan Pie
4. Southern Hospitality 1460 2nd Avenue
Recommended Dishes: Baby Back Ribs, Pulled Pork Platter (pictured), Classic Macaroni & Cheese
5. Spanky’s BBQ 127 W. 43rd Street
Recommended Dishes: St. Louis Style Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, Mac & Cheese, Warm Tollhouse Cookie Pie
6. Wildwood Barbecue 225 Park Avenue South
Recommended Dishes: Bottle Caps, Kicked-Up Caesar Salad, Beef Short Ribs, Dry-Rubbed Pork Spare Ribs, Jailhouse Chili
Danny Meyer’s Chicken Soup for the Soul
The Hungry Goat — March 06, 2009
For Danny Meyer’s “Chicken Soup” initiative, the restaurateur has challenged the chefs at his esteemed restaurants (save Shake Shack) to come up with their own spin on classic Chicken Soup. For every bowl that is sold during this promotion, which lasts through March 31st, $2 will be donated to City Harvest. The truth is, in these difficult times, a comforting bowl of chicken soup might benefit the diner just as much as the charity. Especially when the soups in question feature ingredients like sweetbreads, black truffles, and ricotta dumplings.
I took to the streets in the name of culinary benevolence to see how Meyer’s restaurants were interpreting this simple dish. What I found were five very different, very delicious, interpretations of chicken soup, each a reflection of the restaurant and the chef.
AlwaysInformed: Danny Meyer Wants to Take You Out to the Ball Game
The Hungry Goat — July 09, 2008
Calling all Mets’ fans: if ballpark franks and ice cream served in a plastic baseball cap don’t quite measure up to your dining standards, then Danny Meyer has a solution for you. The renowned chef and restaurateur has announced that his company, the Union Square Hospitality Group, will be teaming up with ARAMARK and The Mets to provide fans with game-time grub from some of his most popular establishments. According to a press release, Citi Field will be home to new Shake Shack and Blue Smoke outposts, in addition to a taqueria and a Belgian fries concept. The USHG will also play a role in sprucing up the Sterling Club, which will now feature a casual cafe and market, a more formal dining lounge, and a bar complete with an impressive selection of international wines and specialty brews.
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