Always Hungry: The Great Food T-Shirt Project
GutterGourmet — January 07, 2010
The Always Hungry Crew pooled its current collection of food T-shirts.
Has this ever happened to you?
Lying poolside in Miami wearing my favorite Russ & Daughters T-shirt, three elderly Jewish women who each could have doubled for my grandmother surround me and start moaning “Oy, I haven’t eaten there in years! What I wouldn’t give for a bagel and lox with a shmear!”
Or, the time I was sitting in a bar wearing a Super Duper Weenie T-shirt and an attractive girl sidled up and asked, “Is it really super-duper?”
Or, the time I walked into Hill Country wearing a T-shirt from Kreutz Market in Lockhart, Texas (the model on which Hill Country was founded), and the bartender says, “What’ll it be? On the house.”
Bottom line? Restaurant T-shirts preserve memories of food experiences much the same way that matchbook covers used to while fulfilling your fashion needs (they’re great icebreakers too).
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Front and back of the Always Hungry T-shirt.
Always Hungry now has its own T-shirt to wear while embarking on food adventures in the new decade (it’s also a great gym T-shirt). Now, for your pleasure, the Always Hungry Crew has assembled its current collection of treasured memories.
Click for Ten of Our Favorite Food T-Shirts and a Gallery With a Hundred More >>
AlwaysHungry: New York’s Great Bread Baskets
The Gluttoness — November 02, 2009
Complimentary bread basket at Bar Americain.
Complimentary bread baskets are a beautiful thing, they’re the reason why AlwaysHungryNY.com has a Worth-It Bread option in its Advanced Search Engine. After all, who doesn’t love free stuff? Well actually, Frank Bruni for one. Remember?
“If restaurateurs charged for bread, might those of us who hanker for bread on a given night end up with better bread as a result of the restaurant being able to treat it — and, indeed, being forced to treat it — like any other menu item?”
Maybe. But charging for bread could just as easily mean diners would be paying for the same mediocre bread baskets that used to be free. Regardless, the restaurants featured below already serve some of the best bread in New York City. A warm, fresh French baguette is a simple delight, but these baskets go above and beyond the call of carbohydrate duty. BLT Prime’s steamy, sea-salted popovers are inspiration in themselves to have a steak dinner whether or not you’re in the mood. And while Del Posto and Commerce operate out of disproportionately sized kitchens, both serve some of the best bread in town. We won’t even go into the famed lardo that Del Posto serves with theirs.
From tomato-dressed focaccia to buttered buns and French gougères, the bread baskets in the slideshow below really made it difficult to exhibit self control. Whether the bread was assorted, as at Bar Americain or purely in the style of the restaurant’s cuisine, as at Beyoglu, each basket was delicious in its own right—although they all tasted even better since they were on the house.
Go ahead, ask for seconds. We won’t tell.
AlwaysHungry: 5 Courses of Uni
Jeff Zalaznick — October 19, 2009
From top left, clockwise: Tempura Fried Uni, Steamed Lobster with Uni Mousse, Uni and Sweet Shrimp Roll, and Uni Ika Roll.
There is no better barometer of how good a restaurant is going to be than the sea urchin that they are serving. When the Uni is sweet and creamy, I can be sure that the meal will follow suit, but when it is metallic and jarring it is a disaster and in most cases, so is the restaurant that serves it. My favorite uni experience can be found at 15 East (view) on a Thursday Night aka “Uni Thursdays.” They have live urchins in the shell, as well as their normal selection of Maine, Santa Barbara and Hokkaido Sea Urchin. Purity is key at 15 East, but it is a part of a larger, normally perfect array of raw fish.
Soto on the other hand takes uni passion to a new level. There are two things that you need to know about Soto (view), and Bruni said them both quite elegantly: “If you’re an uni lover and haven’t been to Soto, you must go. Just know that the sushi isn’t the restaurant’s strength, and is a waste of a visit here.”
Soto is not a sushi restaurant, it is an uni restaurant. To honor that I have assembled the ideal Five-Course Uni Tasting for one to have there. It is an elegant progression that hits on all cylinders: raw, soup, fried, warm, sushi. If you are an uni lover, this should certainly be your next order of business.
AlwaysNYCWFF: Bruni Unveiled
Arthur Bovino — October 11, 2009
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Eater.com co-founder, Ben Leventhal (left) with former Times restaurant critic, Frank Bruni.
It was a trip to sit in The Tishman Auditorium of The New School last night during “Bruni Unveiled,” the New York City Wine and Food Festival’s (site) sit-down interview of Frank Bruni by Eater.com co-founder, Ben Leventhal. After all, this great writer with a bestseller who the food world obsessed over used to be someone I did research, and signed aliases on restaurant checks for, when I occasionally joined him for meals while working as The Times’ Dining Section news assistant, years ago.
Seeing Frank on stage with Leventhal was surreal. But it was cool to see audience members experience Frank’s wit and get a glimpse of the person behind the weekly columns (especially since some are sick of Pete Wells and already miss him).
Following are some highlights of the conversation.
AlwaysTraveling: Feast (Houston, Texas)
The Hungry Goat — September 16, 2009
Stuffed Lamb’s Heart, Garlic Rutabega, and Green Beans.
Restaurant: Feast (view site)
Address: 219 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas, 77006 (view map)
AlwaysHungry Grade: A
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Rabbit Offal on Toast, Welsh Rarebit, Black Pudding, Pork Cheek and Dandelion Greens Salad, Lamb’s Heart, Sticky Toffee Pudding
Feast was put on the radar of the gastronomically informed when it ended up on The Times’ Dining cover this past April with Frank Bruni marveling at the homey British restaurant’s “full-on, extended ode to offal.”
If there’s ever an occasion to be an adventurous eater, a meal at Feast is it. “How big are the lamb’s hearts?” I asked James Silk, one of the restaurant’s co-owners who was doubling as a waiter and didn’t miss a beat, “About the size of a child’s fist.”
What makes this unassuming restaurant unique, as Bruni was quick to note, is that its rustic European fare includes items that are a rarity among even the most offal-centric New York City restaurants. Then again, Mr. Silk did work with nose-to-tail chef Fergus Henderson at his acclaimed St. John’s Restaurant in Central London. But most importantly, he explained, liver, neck and heart aren’t on the menu for shock value, the folks at Feast are simply “cooking the food we like, food we grew up with.”
The dishes that come out of Feast’s kitchen certainly taste like a labor of love, one which results in food that is more approachable than the names suggest. Rabbit Offal on Toast set the tone for an impressive meal characterized by robust flavors and interesting textures. The rich, syrupy sauce hit the right savory notes while the tender meat contrasted with the thick toast. Another toast, the Welsh Rarebit looked strikingly different from one AlwaysHungryNY.com recently sampled at The ChipShop. Cooked with beer and mustard, the cheese topping had a thick, paste-like texture that coats your palate with its spicy tang. Bitter dandelion greens were featured in a salad with pork cheek that had been cooked on top of toast to make a delectably crunchy, porky crouton.
Black Pudding was another pleasant surprise. Instead of serving it in sausage form it was a light, spiced loaf that was enhanced by the creaminess of a fried egg’s runny yolk and the freshness of minted peas. Onion-stuffed Lamb’s Heart and Lamb’s Neck dishes proved that there is a lot to be gained from riskier orders. The three hearts were served in a sauce reminiscent of a classic boeuf bourguignon, and the neck (presented on the bone) boasted an intense, gamey lamb flavor.
And for those who find offal less appealing and aren’t inclined to risky ordering, there’s atmospheric solution. “I think there’s a reason why it’s so dark in here,” my dinner companion commented, looking at the Rabbit Offal on Toast that had just been placed before us, “it forces you to eat with your senses so you don’t think about what part of the animal you’re eating.”
AlwaysTraveling: O Ya (Boston, MA)
Zach Aarons — August 21, 2009
Bottom left, Hamachi Nigiri with Spicy Banana Pepper Mousse. Right, Warm Eel with Thai Basil, Kabayaki, and Fresh Kyoto Sansho.
Restaurant: O Ya (view site)
Address: 9 East Street, Boston, MA, 02111 (view map)
AlwaysHungry Grade: A+
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Foie Gras Nigiri, Fried Kumamoto Oyster Nigiri, La Ratte Potato Chip Nigiri, House Smoked Wagyu Nigiri
In 2008, The New York Times’ restaurant critic, Frank Bruni, put O Ya at the top of his list of the “country’s best new restaurants.” The following year, Boston Magazine named it “Best of Boston 2009, General Excellence.” More accolades followed. Most importantly though, Jeff suggested that I go there, so I recently visited to see if O Ya could dispel my skepticism about Boston’s culinary scene.
O Ya is pleasant and unpretentious. The menu is divided into two sections. The front features nigiri and sashimi, while the back includes vegetables, meats, salads, soups, and several interestingly named categories: ‘truffles & eggs,’ ‘other stuff,’ and ‘something crunchy in it.’
We ordered omakase, which focused on the nigiri and sashimi. It began with oysters— one of two prominent appearances of this ingredient that seemed strategically timed. Though both dishes featured Kumamoto oysters, they could not have been more different. The first was a summery dish that opened up the palate with bright, delightful flavors: Fresh Kumamoto Oyster coupled with Watermelon pearls and Cucumber Mignonette.
At the meal’s midpoint, just as the memory of the fresh oyster began to fade, the evening’s best dish arrived, Fried Kumamoto Oyster with Yuzu Kosho Aioli and Squid Ink Bubbles. The fried oyster was light and fluffy, but possessed dark, savory flavors. Its squid ink bubbles paired elements of traditional Japanese cooking, avant-garde gastronomic technique, and good old New England-style seafood. The oyster was a masterpiece that melted away mellifluously. It was unlike any oyster I have ever tasted.
FirstLook: SHO Shaun Hergatt
The Gluttoness — June 08, 2009
It’s rare that I’m speechless, but last Thursday night’s preview dinner at SHO Shaun Hergatt stunned me into my first satisfied oblivion of 2009. Executive Chef Sean Hergatt has spent two years turning the concrete canvas within The Setai New York into a modern Asian masterpiece with simple elegance and ruby red accents. An expansive glass wall separates diners from the theatrics of the grand kitchen and many of the tables face Hergatt’s “stage” where he commands his dutiful “players.” You witness meticulousness then taste it.
The striking décor is matched by the drama of SHO’s impeccable food, which the chef described as “Asian-accented, modern French cuisine.” Hergatt is a brawny Australian with a sweet smile—the unexpected artist behind brilliantly feminine dishes that are as artistically inclined as they are sophisticated in flavor. There’s a continual dance between delicacy and decadence. Riveting taste always wins, but it’s the manner in which it’s achieved that is so interesting.
Duo of Canapes: Crêpe w/ Tobiko & Sour Cream over Lime & Sesame Seed Tuille w/ Whitefish Tartare
Two velvety crêpes were filled with tobiko and sour cream, then tied in purses, served over thin slices of lime and topped with gold leaf. Two sesame seed tuilles were rolled like cigars and stuffed with whitefish tartare. There was an impressive equilibrium between the rich insides and the subtle exteriors.
Click here for AlwaysHungry's full First Look at Sho Shaun Hergatt >>
AlwaysInvestigating: Kurve’s Wagyu Burger
The Hungry Goat — April 30, 2009
One thing’s for certain, you would never accuse Kurve of being predictable. From the beginning, chef/owner Andy Yang had us all on our toes with his restaurant’s peekaboo open-shutter-reopen debut. Since its “official” September launch, the perennially plagued establishment has become just as notorious for being chronically empty as for its difficult-to-categorize, Asian fare—the eclectic, disjointed menu even left the great Bruni scratching his head. A recent discovery had us feeling the same way. What could be more unpredictable than a seriously great burger made by a “contemporary” Thai restaurant with a Eurotrash dance-club aesthetic?
AlwaysTraveling: Ubuntu (Napa, CA)
Jeff Zalaznick — April 10, 2009
Gargouillou of Daily Vegetables.
Restaurant: Ubuntu (view)
Address: 1140 Main Street, Napa, California 94559 (map)
Grade: A+
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Everything.
‘Ubuntu’ (which in Zulu means ‘humanity toward others’) opened in Napa Valley in August 2007. The owner, Sandy Lawrence, who also owns the Lion’s Run Winery in Napa, hired Jeremy Fox, who was Chef de Cuisine at the four-star Manresa for four years. The restaurant shot to the top of my “must-go” list after I read about it in Frank Bruni’s February 2008 Times article Coast to Coast, Restaurants that Count, and promptly fell off a cliff when I processed that it was a vegetarian restaurant in a yoga studio. But, having dined there on an incredible food pilgrimage that included meals at the French Laundry and Cyrus, I can easily say it was the best, and by far the most interesting meal of the trip.
For a devout meat-eater like myself, it was a mind-blowing experience. I have compared the meal to the perfect amalgamation of the first half of a meal at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and the highlights of a vegetarian tasting menu at Per Se. Chef Fox isn’t vegetarian (he was recently spotted having a head-to-tail dining experience at Chef Chris Cosentino’s Incanto) but the food at Ubuntu is because he believes it’s the best way to use and showcase the amazing, daily-harvested, farm-fresh Napa produce.
He’s right.
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