Featured Brunch: Cabrito
Maryse Chevrière — May 07, 2010
Biscuits and Gravy for brunch at Cabrito.
You’ve been to Cabrito for the eponymous dish, downed a Border Dog during one of its football parties last October, maybe you were even lucky enough to taste the Pata de Cerdo special. But if you haven’t been to Cabrito for brunch you’re missing out on yet another reason to be a fan.
The ever-crowded West Village spot fills up just as quickly on the weekend, but go on a Saturday around 12:00pm when they open and you won’t have a problem finding a seat. Choosing from the many tempting entrées, however, may prove more difficult.
Best of 2009: Trends and 2010 Predictions
Jeff Zalaznick — December 23, 2009
It’s that time of year again. Time for reflection and prediction. As we leave the aughts behind, we look back at the trends that changed New York City’s food landscape in 2009 and ponder what’s in store for 2010. We are going to take a positive spin: those that we hope will remain and those we eagerly anticipate.
TRENDS 2009
1. Best Steaks, Not From a Steakhouse New York has always been known for our steakhouses, but this year the best meat was ripped from the house’s hands and put into the control of some of the city’s best restaurants. Much of this loosened grip has to do with the all-star quality and distribution ability of Pat LaFrieda (watch video). Though I love me a Porterhouse at Peter Luger’s, a Rib-eye at Strip House and a Double Eagle Strip at Del Frisco’s, they have been surpassed by the Côte de Boeuf at Minetta Tavern, the Rib-eye for Two at Locanda Verde, the Strip at Marea. The list goes on and on. It was also the year that the bone in rib-eye finally rose up to overtake the porterhouse as King of all Steaks. It was only a matter of time. This is a major advancement across the board.
2. Haute Dogs The hot dog went gourmet and I am not complaining. Crif Dogs has been doing impressive things with the genre for a while now (though their new usage of “everything bagel spice” is very exciting), but restaurants like DBGB, Fatty Crab UWS and Cabrito are jumping into the mix with some seriously delicious contenders. This is one that I think will continue to grow in the next year.
3. Omnipresent Octopus Seriously, think about every restaurant you’ve visited lately and ask yourself if there was octopus on the menu. I guarantee that more often than not, no matter the cuisine or price-range, this cephalopod was probably present. And why not? It’s economical to serve, and recently, the average rendition is fabulous. I am so happy that chefs have finally learned how to prepare it so well, leaving the chewy childhood memories behind. Also, keep an eye out for sweetbreads, I think that they are starting to fall into the same category.
PREDICTIONS 2010
1. Artisanal Italian beer everywhere.
2. Large-format alternative (not steak or chicken) proteins for two.
3. Lamb belly becomes the new pork belly.
4. Italian Small Plate (aka “Stuzzichini”) Restaurants
5. Brain is the hot new Offal
6. Mexican Infusion: Fusion Cuisine and Sandwich Revolution.
AlwaysInformed: Cabrito’s Border Dogs
The Gluttoness — October 23, 2009
From top left, clockwise, Cabrito’s Border Dogs: Sonora Dog, Danger Dog and Lucha Libre Dog.
Cabrito (view) really knows how to use the flat-screen TVs they recently installed. No NY1 on these bad boys— they’re reserved for specialty events like Mexican Lucha Libre, the World Cup, and for now, football. Given Chef David Schuttenberg’s new promotional menu for his football parties, the combination of food and flat-screens may make this your new favorite Sunday hangout, especially if you enjoy eating while watching the game, but are tired of snacking on junk while surrounded by drunken frat boys at sports bars. Schuttenberg’s line of “Border Dogs” coincides with the ongoing hot dog craze, but it was his time in Tucson, Arizona (and a recent NPR article, The Sonoran Hotdog Crosses The Border), which inspired him to recreate the “Mexicanized” Sonora-style dogs.
Schuttenberg balances the Cabrito/Fatty profile (read: spicy/funky) with the regional flavors of Mexico. As per Sonoran custom, the dogs are wrapped in bacon. At Cabrito, Nathan’s (“because they’re New York”) are wrapped in bacon, Fatty ‘Cue’s smoked coriander bacon. Then they’re deep-fried. Rather than the dense, traditional bolio, Schuttenberg uses Martin’s Long Potato Rolls, which he coats in lardo then griddles. Each of the three border dogs ($8.00/each) are distinct. For him, the “Sonora Dog” represents home, the “Danger Dog” is about being a badass, and “Lucha Libre” is pure, artery-clogging gluttony.
AlwaysInformed: Fatty Bars
The Gluttoness — October 16, 2009
Fatty Bars on sale ($8.00/each) at Cabrito.
As I sat down at the bar in Cabrito, I thought I was seeing things. But the display of Fatty Bars wasn’t a figment of my imagination, but rather new sweet merchandise from Zak Pelaccio and Team Fatty. According to the folks at Cabrito, the $8 chocolate bars have been available for two weeks and can be found at: Cabrito, both Fatty Crab restaurants (West Village and UWS), and the Fatty/Cabrito kiosk at the Mad. Sq. Mark’t on 23rd Street.
The candy bars come in two flavors: milk chocolate with puffed rice and ginger, and bitter chocolate with almonds, chili, praline and salt. They’re made by a boutique chocolatier in Brooklyn, and are wrapped in foil, as if the golden ticket on a Wonka Bar had gone crazy.
From Fatty Bourbon (by Buffalo Trace) to Fatty Bars, it will be interesting to see what Team Fatty comes up with next. Or maybe they could just focus on opening Fatty ‘Cue already— the Epicurious preview was a terrible tease.
AlwaysInformed: Cabrito & Fatty Crab at Mad. Sq. Mark’t
The Hungry Goat — October 15, 2009
Chorizo Tacos by Cabrito and Fatty Crab’s ‘Fatty Dog.’
As Grub Street reported, Madison Square Park has upped its food game with a slew of pop-up vendors. Participants in Mad. Sq. Mark’t (view) include Hill Country, Wafels & Dinges and Ben & Jerry’s, but the real story is the stand shared by Fatty Crab (view) and Cabrito (view).
The Fatty Sliders and Fatty Dog were just as enjoyable as when we had them at the Upper West Side location when Fatty Crab opened, and the chorizo and al carbon tacos will certainly hit the spot if you have a craving (especially since going to Calexico in SoHo is a real time commitment). The stands will be up until November 1st, so if you’re a Flatiron luncher, it’s a must-visit, and surely a faster line situation than Shake Shack. Some pictures follow for your enjoyment.
AlwaysNYCWFF: Grand Tastings’ Top 10
The Gluttoness & The Hungry Goat — October 12, 2009
From ilili: Sliced Whole Lamb Leg on the Bone with Salsa Verde and Pickled Turnips on Warm Milk Bread; Grape Leaf.
Of all the New York City Wine & Food Festival events, the two-day Grand Tasting is literally the grandest of them all. The enormity that is Pier 54 (site) was transformed into the Mecca of all tasting events. On each day, about thirty New York City eateries offered small bites, the ideal base for an afternoon of endless wine, beer and liquor.
Dishes prepared by certain chefs stood out amongst others, and we have taken them all, and chosen our top 10 favorite dishes served at both events.
Making the Grade: Hakata Tonton
GutterGourmet — July 28, 2009
Grilled Pork Tonsoku
“I have a fetish for eating pigs’ feet.
My favorite restaurant on the continent is Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal. I remember vividly my last foie gras-stuffed Pied de Cochon at the now defunct, La Cote Basque. And I recently enjoyed Chef David Schuttenberg’s rendition, A Pata de Cerdo, at Cabrito. So I could hardly contain my excitement upon entering the temple to tonsoku (Japanese for ‘pig’s foot’): Hakata Tonton in the old Taka Sushi space in the West Village.”
CLICK FOR AHNY’S FULL REVIEW OF HAKATA TONTON
AlwaysInformed: Shanks for the Memories
GutterGourmet — July 24, 2009
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Cabrito’s A Pata de Cerdo
There is no question that Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal is one of North America’s greatest restaurants. As its name indicates, there are a lot of piggy amputees limping around Canada who have sacrificed limbs for our dining pleasure. The chef/owner of that restaurant is a lunatic named Martin Picard whose pig, duck and foie gras induced creations are gorgeously illustrated in the Au pied de Cochon Album Cookbook, which I highly recommend (spring for the hardcover with DVD so you don’t miss Picard and his cronies dining naked at the restaurant and their drunken attempts to reassemble an entire pig by placing the preparations of its various anatomical parts on a feasting table).
David Schuttenberg, the chef at Cabrito (formerly of Fatty Crab, which also owns Cabrito), admitted to me that he has never been to Au Pied de Cochon, but he was so inspired by the album’s recipe for Foie Gras Stuffed Pigs’ Feet that he had to adapt it to Mexican cuisine.
The original recipe is an involved process. First, the shank portion of an entire trotter is partially deboned with a hacksaw. The shank meat is browned with mushrooms and onions to make a stuffing, which is packed into the deboned shank and threaded shut. The whole trotter is then slowly cooked sous vide over several hours. Next, the cooked, stuffed trotter is brushed with egg and mustard, coated with breadcrumbs and cooked in a buttered skillet. Picard then throws layers of seared foie gras on top (as he tends to do with everything) for effect.
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Cabrito’s plated “A Pata de Cerdo” and cross-section
Schuttenberg said he was faithful to Picard’s recipe and preparation (down to the hacksaw), but to bring the dish south of the border and make it “A Pata de Cerdo,” he added housemade chorizo to the stuffing. Sautéed chorizo and cubed leg meat are cooked separately with onion, garlic and Serrano peppers, then mixed with almonds, cilantro, chipotle chilies, panko breadcrumbs and mescal-soaked raisins. The stuffed trotter is braised in stock for 12 hours, refrigerated for 12 hours to set, then breaded, fried, baked and plated on shredded lettuce with tortillas and a side of cotija-topped Soupy Beans. Instead of foie gras, Schuttenberg piles on housemade pickled jalapeños, which cut the dish’s unctuous fattiness.
I recommend you get to Cabrito fast. The dish is a special this Saturday but they only serve four a night (unless they can find a hog bred with more than four legs). By the way, Cabrito (restaurant page) has some great happy hour deals on booze and tacos: “The Fatty Fix” (beer and bourbon, $12) got me in the proper frame of mind and the Taco Lengua ($3) blew away its counterpart at my standby, Tehuitzingo in Hell’s Kitchen. The eponymous Goat Belly Taco ($3), however, was the evening’s only disappointment.
Perhaps they should change the name of the place to “A Pata de Cerdo.”
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