AlwaysPartying: National Blueberry Pancake Day

January 28, 2010

Clinton Street Baking Co.‘s Wild Maine Blueberry Pancakes.

Today, January 28th, is National Blueberry Pancake Day and that immediately got us thinking about the City’s best flapjacks. Back in April of last year, Bubby’s chef and owner, Ron Silver, challenged a restaurant of our choice, Clinton Street Baking Co., to a blueberry pancake throwdown. Check out the results to see where you should go for the best blueberry stack.

Featured Breakfast: Maialino

Jeff Zalaznick — January 27, 2010

Clockwise from top: Amatriciana Al Forno, Porchetta Al Uovo, Cacio E Pepe Strapazzato, Cestino Di Dolci.

There is no doubt that Maialino has been a great addition to the Gramercy eating scene, and the breakfast is no exception. It provides the neighborhood with a desperately needed power breakfast spot, in addition to an incredible morning menu. Like the other meals offered here, the breakfast is grounded in Roman tradition, and goes the extra mile by making some creative and delicious dishes out of the classics.

The two stars of the show are the Porchetta Al Uovo sandwich, and the Amatriciana Al Forno. The first, features a sizable portion of roast pork and fried eggs on ciabatta, that is a stellar new addition to the breakfast sandwich scene. As for the Amatriciana with guanciale, the sauce isn’t very spicy as advertised, but it is a great rendition of tomato sauce, that proves why eggs and tomato sauce belong together. It is something that I wish I could find more often.

All of the food is good though. The coffee is strong. The pastries in the sampler, Cestino Di Dolci, are all tasty—the two musts are the Budino di Olio d’Oliva (Olive Oil Muffin), and the Pane Cioccolato. The Cacio E Pepe Strapazzato could have had a little more cacio and a little more pepe, but if there’s a way to make scrambled eggs more exciting, this is a good start— especially with an accompanying bite of thick-cut, black pepper bacon (Pancetta Al Pepe Nero), or Salsiccia Di Cacio E Rapini (Broccoli Rabe, Pecorino & Pork Sausage), both of which exhibit accurate flavor intensity and perfect technique.

AlwaysInvestigating: Latin Breakfast Sandwiches

Maryse Chevrière — January 18, 2010

Café Habana’s “Sloppy Pepe” with Pulled Pork, Two Eggs and Habanero Pickled Onions.

At the end of last year we predicted that the Mexican sandwich craze would make a big splash in 2010. As much as we love tortas and tacos, some of the best Latin sandwiches are served at breakfast. Here are three of our current favorites.

Café Habana’s Egg Sandwich with two scrambled eggs, lettuce, tomato, black beans and mayo on thick Cuban bread is arguably the best in class. Add bacon and a liberal amount of their excellent hot sauce to enhance the experience. It’s exactly what you’ve always wanted in a breakfast sandwich. The catch? It’s only available on weekdays. But there’s an equally good sandwich on the brunch menu. Advertised as a hangover cure, the “Sloppy Pepe” (above) is perfect after a big night out. Juices from the smoky pulled pork soak into the crusty bread and the runny yolks from the two sunny-side up eggs add the right amount of richness. But the Habanero pickled onions are what make this dish. A bright, sour note that leaves you salivating.

Click here to see our other favorite Latin breakfast sandwiches >>

AlwaysInformed: Norma’s Breakfast Dumplings

Arthur Bovino — November 06, 2009

Breakfast Dumplings at Norma’s in Le Parker Meridien.

It happened at Norma’s (view) and it could have been epic, the meeting of two all-time favorite things: Breakfast and Dumplings. There they were under “Eggs Cellent” on the menu: Breakfast Dumplings Stuffed with Scrambled Egg, Shrimp and Mushroom.

They even looked promising when they arrived: six plump dumplings in a bamboo steamer basket. The disappointing reality wasn’t something to be ordered again: run-of-the-mill scrambled eggs, but served inside dumplings, and for $22.00. It really even wasn’t worth eating a second one. They needed some salt, some fire, something.

There are those ideas that you just have to categorize under, “it seemed like a good idea at the time.” After all, that’s the counterbalance for the unorthodox dish that succeeds. And when you run into something that doesn’t work you can comfort yourself by knowing that eating it had to be done and that at least at Le Parker Meridien there’s an easy solution to put you back in a good mood: Burger Joint.

AlwaysPartying: Petrossian’s Annual Holiday Breakfast

Arthur Bovino — November 02, 2009

Pressed Caviar. Left, Petrossian seal on the door of the New York Boutique & Café. Right, Petrossian.

Can it be November already? We spotted our first Christmas tree last Tuesday so it really must be time to gear up for the end of the year. It was a little easier to acknowledge how little left there is of 2009 while sampling from an open tin of Pressed Caviar at Petrossian (view) during its Annual Holiday Breakfast last Thursday. Alexandre Petrossian introduced pastry chef, Antoine Luchene (right), Petrossian’s Pressed Caviar (which launches Friday), holiday gift baskets and caviar samplers that will be featured next week on AlwaysHungryNY.com.

Click for AlwaysHungryNY.com's Pictures and Slideshow of Petrossian Caviar and Pastries >>

AlwaysPartying:  Yom Kippur Break-Fast

The Gluttoness — September 28, 2009

Yom Kippur, aka the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year. We ask for forgiveness for our sins and we deny our bodies food for an entire day. For those of you who are eagerly awaiting sundown, here is some “Break-Fast” inspiration:

__ Barney Greengrass’ Lox scrambled with Eggs & Onions ($14.00).__

More Break-Fast Dishes >>

Featured Brunch: Spina’s Lox & Pasta

The Gluttoness — September 25, 2009

Farfalle with Smoked Salmon and Cream, $12.

It’s becoming more and more common for carbonara to appear on brunch menus. Since bacon and eggs are commonplace for breakfast anyway, it makes sense to skip the toast and serve them with pasta instead. Prune was one of the first restaurants to serve this traditional Roman dish in the morning, and innumerable restaurants have since followed suit.

Spina (restaurant page), the East Village’s new (and fantastic) fresh pasta house, is the latest to offer carbonara for brunch. Between Blanca’s (formerly of I Trulli) impeccable pastas and Chef Roberto Patriarca’s (right) sensational sauces, it’s no surprise that their Orecchiette Carbonara is spot-on. The al dente ears cup the creamy sauce and thin, crisp slabs of salty guanciale. Subtly seasoned with pepper and nutmeg, the decadent flavors deepen in intensity as the sauce settles, making each bite more delicious as you get to the bottom.

While the carbonara is a success, and a surefire hangover cure, the real star of the brunch pastas is the Farfalle with Smoked Salmon and Cream, Spina’s clever twist on two other classic breakfast ingredients: lox and cream cheese. Not only is the presentation incredibly beautiful, but it’s revelatory in other ways. First, the farfalle, a pasta that’s hardly ever handcrafted, is like twisted shards of velvety pappardelle. The silken cream sauce lusciously lacquers the delicate, unstructured bowties. It’s heavy in taste yet remarkably airy on the palate, accented by the meaty bits of smoked salmon that saunter amongst the pasta. The sumptuous execution of this classic flavor is reminiscent of Sarabeth’s Goldie Lox omelette, a favorite here at AlwaysHungryNY.com, although Sarabeth’s eggs can’t really hold a candle to Blanca’s farfalle. If you’re looking for something familiar but different, Spina’s lox and pasta beats a bagel any day.

AlwaysPartying: National Corned Beef Hash Day

Arthur Bovino — September 25, 2009

Prime Rib Hash ($16.50) from the Pub Menu at Keen’s Steahouse.

It’s National Corned Beef Hash Day and it would be remiss not to recount the story of Chef Maggie Maloney, the cook who brought this simple spiced amalgamation of finely chopped meat, onions, potatoes to its perfection.

An article published by The Times in 1921 tells it all. Maloney was the cook for Ohio senator Mark A. Hanna at his residence in Washington, DC, at the turn of the century. Supposedly, she cooked a corned beef hash for his 10 o’clock Sunday morning breakfasts that was nonpareil—so good it had politicians and those in the know clamoring for breakfast invitations. President McKinley often visited Hanna on Sunday mornings for a plate of Maggie’s hash, and it’s said that Republican Senators and Congressmen invented political crises as excuses for dropping by during breakfast. The article notes:

“It was recorded that a single Hanna breakfast, on more than one occasion had brought the light of reason to recalcitrant legislators. Serious faction fights in the Republican ranks were frequently averted because of the hash-inspired good-fellowship which prevailed at the Hanna breakfasts.”

And if you think that’s hyperbole, consider this: in 1921 Maggie was left $25,000 in the will of the widow of the late senator, a fifth of the entire estate. Now that’s some hash.

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AlwaysLearning: Pão de Queijo

Arthur Bovino — September 04, 2009

Pão de Queijo in Astoria at New York Pão de Queijo, $1.75.

Pão de Queijo (pronounced, pow de KAY-ju, with a nasal ‘ow’) is an addictive, gluten-free, South American salgadinho.

Where it’s from: Pão de Queijo is one of many different salgadhinos (snacks), like Coxinha and Pastels, which you can find everywhere in Brazil. It is most often sold at cafés, where it’s eaten with espresso for breakfast while standing at a counter— though it can be found all day. Variations are said to be found in Bolivia, where they’re known as Cuñapé, and in Paraguay and Northern Argentina where they’re known as Chipás.

What it is: In Portuguese Pão de Queijo means ‘cheese bread.’ Bread isn’t quite accurate— gougère or cheese profiterole is more apt. Basically, it’s a domed cheese puff one to three inches wide, made using Povilho Azedo, cassava flour (tapioca starch) usually with Queijo de Minas cheese inside. Origins are murky, but it’s thought to have been created by slaves who harvested the yucca crops and gathered the starch leftover after processing. Starch was rolled into balls and baked. Later, when cattle-farming became widespread, cheese was introduced. One Brazilian chain that specializes in it, Casa do Pão de Queijo (founded in 1967 in São Paulo), attributes it to the 18th century in the state of Minas Gerais, a region in the Southeast of Brazil, a little less than 300 miles from Rio.

How it’s made: Recipes vary, but generally, milk, oil and butter are first mixed over heat. Then tapioca flour, eggs and cheese are added. After the mixture cools, balls of dough are formed and cooked for about twenty minutes. The combination of tapioca starch and cheese creates a slightly gummy, chewy consistency inside, like a palatable rubber cement. When done right, they are crisp on the outside and light, airy, warm and slightly chewy on the inside with full, cheesy flavor. One of Brazil’s best places for pão de queijo is in São Paulo— Pão de Queijo Haddock Lobo —a little shop in a neighborhood called Jardins Paulista.

Where to get it in New York: There are pockets of Brazilian restaurants downtown (like Casa and Cafe La Palette in the West Village, and one place in the East Village, Esperanto) that serve pão de queijo, as well as a few in Midtown (Emporium Brasil) on what’s left of Little Brazil on 46th Street (“Little Brazil Street”) and also in Newark, and Astoria, Queens.

One AlwaysHungryNY.com favorite spot for pão is New York Pão de Queijo (right), a small café in Astoria. It has other treats including açai na tigela and a bevy of Brazilian fruit juices. Fair warning: once you’ve eaten one, it’s difficult to stop.

AlwaysInvestigating: Fried Bologna Sandwich

The Gluttoness — August 26, 2009

1 Dominick’s Fried Boloney Tramezzino ($8).

As FoodBeast recently noted, the latest example of the melding of fast food with prepackaged, processed meat can be found at Hardee’s, whose collaboration with Oscar Mayer resulted in the Hardee’s Mayer Fried Bologna Biscuit. The new breakfast sandwich is housed in Hardee’s Made from Scratch™ biscuit and filled with egg and cheese on top of a folded slice of fried Oscar Mayer Bologna.

Since the closest Hardee’s are in Pennsylvania and Delaware, we went ahead and found somewhere nearby where you can enjoy a similar sandwich. Jimmy Carbone’s small, colorful eatery, 1 Dominick (view site) is tucked away on Dominick Street in West SoHo. It’s not particularly worth seeking out unless you need somewhere nearby the newly-renovated Here Arts Center to grab a bite and a beer, but their small menu does include a Fried Boloney Tramezzino.

There’s no egg, but the $8 panini features thinly sliced, flash-fried mortadella and fontina on thick slices of organic white bread. A slathering of mayonnaise on the outer layers ensures a crisp exterior. After the sandwich is pressed and sliced, the result is like a bologna-laced grilled cheese. The meat is crisp around the edges, and its saltiness cuts the richness of the sharp, gooey fontina which gushes out when the sandwich is sliced in half. 1 Dominick may not use namebrand bologna or a “homemade” biscuit, but their sandwich is a greasy, cheesy mess, and it’s totally delectable because of it.

HungryHamptons: Pop-Up Animal at Solé East (Montauk)

Jeff Zalaznick — August 14, 2009

Pig Ear, Chili, Lime, Fried Egg.

I have never been to the Animal (view site) in Los Angeles, CA, but this pop-up at Solé East (view site) in Montauk did not disappoint. The Balsamic Pork Ribs were fatty and delicious, my first encounter with Spam was well-suited to a Foie Gras Loco Moco, and Jon Shook (the half of the Animal duo who came to town) is one of the nicest and most genuine people that I have ever met.

The highlight of the meal was the pig ears, which were cooked for 30 hours, then deep-fried and coated in homemade teriyaki, soy, chili paste, and topped with a fried egg, this “classic Filipino breakfast dish” was a revelation. I have never liked the texture of pig ears but these broke boundaries. I have never been to Animal in LA, but this pop up preview kept me excited about the prospect. As I told Jon Shook after the meal, the only thing that could make it better would be if I could wake up the next morning in the Philippines so that I could have those pig ears for breakfast again.

Click here for dish by dish pictures >>

AlwaysLearning: Açai Na Tigela

Arthur Bovino — July 27, 2009

Açai na Tigela at New York Pão de Queijo in Astoria, Queens

There may be more fruits in Brazil than English words for them. One, açai, has had quite a run. As recently reported, it was added to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: “small dark purple fleshy berrylike fruit of a tall slender palm of tropical Central and South America that is often used in beverages.” Little wonder, it’s in everything from cocktails to cheesecake. There’s even acai liquor.

Its notoriety is due to its reputation as an energy-booster and antioxidant source. Health benefits are debatable, its great taste and the best way to eat it (Açai na Tigela) aren’t. You won’t hear AlwaysHungryNY.com rhapsodize about smoothies. This ain’t no smoothie.

What it is: Açai’s flavor is often described as a cocoa-like berry. It can be found plain, but is often mixed with natural sweeteners like honey, cane juice and/or fruits and berries, like guaraná (high in caffeine and also endemic to Brazil). For Açai na Tigela, frozen pulp is blended with fruit (banana or berries) and either juice or milk. Consistency-wise, it should be thick enough to give you fishface if you try to suck it through a straw. But ‘Açai na Tigela’ means Açai “In the Bowl” in Portuguese, and that’s the way it should be served: covered with granola and sliced bananas.

Where it’s from: South America, namely, Brazil, from Olinda to Brasília, São Paulo to Rio, at roadside stands, on beaches and at juice bars in favelas and affluent neighborhoods— wherever there’s electricity. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert, it’s cool, refreshing and filling— a Brazilian way of life.

Where to get it in New York: Nine out of ten times you’ll find it in smoothies. Ignore these soupy disasters. Açai is thick— more ice than ice cream— less water ice than gelato. The best place for it in New York City is New York Pão de Queijo, (view site), a little café in Astoria, blocks from the Broadway Station of the N/W train (view map). It can also be found in Brooklyn at Bogota Latin Bistro (view map) and Siggy’s (view map)

You can make your own using packets of Sambazon açai bought online or from Whole Foods, or Rio Bonito in Astoria (view map).

AlwaysInformed: Mushrooms (Grand Army Plaza)

Michelle Kiefer — July 16, 2009

Oyster Mushrooms at the Grand Army Plaza market (Mycomedicinals Madura Farms, Goshen, NY).

If you’re a fan of greenmarkets and mushrooms you’ve been missing out if you haven’t visited Dan Madura at his stand on Saturdays at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket. Dan is the mushroom man of Grand Army Plaza— he eats mushrooms everyday and started cultivating them on his family’s farm, Mycomedicinals Madura Farms in Goshen, NY, seven years ago after taking an interest in their medicinal value.

Ask Madura one question about mushrooms and he launches into endless facts about the vitamins and health benefits of each type. Maitake mushrooms, for example, he said, have anti-cancerous and immune-boosting benefits, and are used by yogis to make meditation tea. Shiitake mushrooms are used by the Japanese to combat the effects of chemotherapy. He noted that mushrooms are best stored in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator, and that one good way to save them is by leaving the bag out on the kitchen counter and allowing them to dry out.

But Madura’s knowledge about mushrooms isn’t limited to storing them or their purported medicinal value— he’s also full of suggestions for pairing and preparing them in the most tasty ways possible. He called King Oyster mushrooms, “the filet mignon of the mushroom world,” and recommended cooking them with scallops or slicing them into linguine-thin slivers and sautéeing them. He claims to be the sole cultivator of Piopinno mushrooms in New York, and said they’re excellent in risotto.

Yellow Oyster mushrooms, Madura explained, have a more delicate flavor and are awesome when added to omelets or any egg dishes. But, he reminded us, mushrooms are well-paired with most egg dishes. He raved about one of his favorite breakfast combinations, oyster mushrooms cooked with scrambled eggs or in an omelet along with a toasted English muffin.

Madura’s favorite mushroom dish? Homemade mushroom pizza, assembled with the tomato sauce he makes from the heirloom tomatoes he also grows on his farm.

Featured Dish: Cookshop’s Frozen Yogurt Parfait

The Gluttoness — June 22, 2009

There is nothing like dessert for breakfast and Cookshop’s Parfait with Frozen Yoghurt and Granola only furthers that truth. Yogurt and Granola is a staple combination on many breakfast and brunch menus, but Cookshop’s brunch item takes this classic to delicious heights. The conventional format is thrown by the wayside for a homemade Frozen Yoghurt. Greek-style yogurt is mixed with sweetened condensed milk, sugar and gelatin, then churned in an ice-cream machine for a creamy, decadent result. The frozen yogurt is accompanied by granola, Bosc pear, almonds and cashews. It’s like a breakfast sundae with a drizzle of sweet honey instead of hot chocolate sauce.

While not as rich as Cookshop’s rendition, other restaurants take a parfait approach to gourmet granola:

DB Bistro Moderne Yogurt & Granola Parfait ($8.00)

West Branch Yogurt, Granola & Fresh Berry Parfait ($9.00)

Telepan Yogurt Parfait w/Ronnybrook Yogurt, Granola & Seasonal Fruit ($28 prix-fixe brunch menu)

Cookshop’s frozen yogurt would make for a super after-dinner sweet, but Dovetail actually serves their Frozen Greek Yogurt Parfait ($12.00) for dessert. Topped with tangerine sorbet, this Creamsicle-sounding concoction would probably also be heightened with granola.

AlwaysTraveling: Stan’s Donuts & Coffee An’ Donut Shop

Arthur Bovino — June 05, 2009

Above, the donuts on display inside Stan’s Donuts in Los Angeles, California.

National Donut Day, now today is a food holiday we can really get behind. And there’s even some explanation as to why today is donut day. Supposedly, the tradition of celebrating donuts on the first Friday in June started as far back as 1917, when female volunteers for The Salvation Army prepared donuts for homesick soldiers who served in World War I. The day was officially established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army to raise funds during the Great Depression.

Thinking about donuts reminds us of two legendary donut places on opposite sides of the country: Stan’s Donuts in Los Angeles and the Coffee An’ Donut Shop in Westport, Connecticut. Before showing you some great pictures, we should note a few things:

1. There are reports of free donuts today.
2. If you haven’t already done so, you should check out AlwaysHungry’s Top 5 Dessert Donuts.
3. If you’re looking for more local restaurants that serve great donuts, use our Very Advanced Search. We’ve got great recommendations, whether the restaurants spell them Donuts or Doughnuts.

Now, on to the good stuff.

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