AlwaysLearning: Are Critics Important?
The Gluttoness — October 08, 2009
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From left: Danny Meyer, Lee Schrager, Mimi Sheraton, Jean-Luc Naret, Jean-Georges and Kate Krader.
On Tuesday, in honor of the 2010 New York City Michelin Guide, Danny Meyer, Lee Schrager, Mimi Sheraton, Jean-Luc Naret (director of the Michelin Guide), Jean-Georges and Kate Krader gathered at the Borders in the Time Warner Center for a discussion about the state of restaurant criticism. Moderator Mike Colameco’s first question didn’t mince words: do critics matter?
AlwaysInvestigating: Burger Square-Off (Philly vs. New York)
The Gluttoness — October 06, 2009
SquareBurger’s Classic Hamburger.
Restaurant: SquareBurger
Address: 200 N 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (map)
Hours: Through October 31st, Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm; Sat-Sun 11am-7pm.
AlwaysHungry Grade: A
AlwaysHungry Recommends: SquareBurger, The Cake Shake, Classic French Fries
The proliferation of Philadelphia’s restaurant scene can be partly attributed to Stephen Starr. After tackling New York City and Atlantic City, he seems to have found himself back in the City of Brotherly Love. As his empire grows to encompass everything from soul food to steakhouses, he unabashedly draws inspiration from his most revered peers. His recent venture, Parc, a French bistro on Rittenhouse Square, is an obvious interpretation of Keith McNally’s Pastis or Balthazar. Starr openly toured the top pizzerias in New York and New Haven for his own Neapolitan pizza joint, Stella. This summer, in an obvious replication of Danny Meyer’s celebrated Shake Shack, he opened SquareBurger (view), a burger stand in Philadelphia’s Franklin Square just off I-95.
The small SquareBurger shack is nearby the Franklin Square Fountain.
SquareBurger is next to a beautiful fountain, but it’s in an area devoid of local foot traffic, which may explain why there were only five people there on a sunny Saturday. While there are differences between Shake Shack and SquareBurger, both pay their due to burgers and frozen sweets. Ultimately, it comes down to a direct comparison between Starr’s Classic Cheeseburger and Meyer’s ShackBurger, between a SquareBurger’s Classic Shake and Shake Shack’s Hand-Spun Shakes and Concretes. The question is, can Starr top Meyer?
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.
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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