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.

Click Here for the Dog-by-Dog Pictures >>

AlwaysInformed: Tenzan’s Sushi Sports Bar

The Gluttoness — September 11, 2009

Tenzan’s new bar with flat-screen televisions, a sushi and sports lovers’ dream.

When you’re considering where to go watch the football game, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a good ol’ fashion sports bar— maybe even a barbeque joint. But you definitely wouldn’t think of a sushi bar on the Upper West Side. But Tenzan (restaurant page) is the ideal spot if you’ve ever dreamt of dining on spicy tuna rolls as your team crushes its competition—or so you hope. Foremost, their fish is incredibly fresh, reasonably priced and they don’t skimp on their sashimi slices. In addition to a laundry list of eclectic specialty rolls there’s also a variety of teriyakis and fried tempuras to appease your non-sushi-eating friends.

Tenzan recently expanded into the adjacent storefront. It now boasts a modern bar area with a dozen stools and six two-tops (which can be combined for larger parties), soaring ceilings and three impressive 50-inch plasmas. The once quiet Japanese restaurant is now commanded by techno beats and these badass flat-screens, which broadcast picture-perfect sporting events. A recent lunch lasted much longer than it was supposed to as Serena Williams’ performance at the US Open distracted from the matter at hand, some Double Taste and Dancing Eel Rolls (right). The TV’s are only visible from the new bar area and there’s a much quieter atmosphere upstairs in the main dining room.

Tenzan already stood alone as a stellar neighborhood spot but when word gets out, their TV’s are going to draw large, sports-and-sushi loving audiences. Beat the crowd, swap your usual Sam Adams for some cold sake and let the games begin!

SEARCH: Flatscreens for Your Football

September 11, 2009

Cercle Rouge’s “Cercle Wings,” house special chicken wings.

Last night, the defending Superbowl champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Tennessee Titans 13-10, marking the 2009 debut of NFL football. It also marked the beginning of an eating season filled with AlwaysHungryNY.com favorites like nachos, wings, and jalapeño poppers. There are plenty of places in New York City to eat great food and watch the game, including as we noted today about Tenzan, surprisingly enough, one where you can simultaneously eat good sushi. But when we think football season, we think Buffalo wings, and when we think wings, one restaurant in particular comes to mind: Cercle Rouge (restaurant page).

Hard as it may be to believe, this TriBeCa-based, classic French bistro scores a touchdown with their Cercle Wings. As we previously reported, Executive Chef Pierre Landet tweaks the traditional recipe by adding a few upscale touches, like “Frenching” the bone, but a final coating of Frank’s Red Hot harkens the original enough to satisfy purists.

While the wings at Cercle Rouge are certainly top-notch game day fare, the setting is probably not the rowdy bar space that you’re looking for. Not to worry, if a place with pitcher specials and a room with 14 HD TV’s (like at Southern Hospitality) is more your speed, we’ve got you covered.

Just go to AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search Engine and select “Guys’ Night Out” from the What Occasion field and “Flat Screens Included” in the What Features field, to get a list of restaurants where you can take in the game.

AlwaysInvestigating: NYY Steak (New York Yankees Steak)

Arthur Bovino — May 13, 2009

The dining room at NYY Steak in Yankee Stadium.

Having thoroughly sampled the ballpark food in the new Yankee Stadium, it was time that Always Hungry visited New York Yankees Steak, the New York Yankees’ organizational attempt at creating refined dining in the new cathedral in the Bronx.

A Dish-by-Dish at NYY Steak >>

AlwaysInvestigating: Citi Field’s Acela Club

The Gluttoness — May 12, 2009

The view from the Acela Club at Citi Field.

It’s tough to pass up Blue Smoke, Shake Shack, and El Verano Taqueria on field-level at Citi Field, but the sacrifice is worth a meal in the Acela Club, the New York Mets’ Amtrak-branded attempt at fine dining catered by Restaurateur of the Year, Drew Nieporent. While there are flat-screens everywhere inside, you may as well pay the extra $10.00 to sit in the best of the club’s 350 seats (outdoor tables or seats with unobstructed field views in the tiered levels) to better see the game.

The Food at Citi Field's Acela Club >>