Featured Cocktail: Maialino

Maryse Chevrière — August 19, 2010

From left, Pig and Pepe, and the Farewell to Arms.

Mention cocktails and Maialino in the same breath and chances are conversation is going to lead to the Pig and Pepe. It makes perfect sense— this is, after all, the cocktail made with tequila that has been washed with fat from the restaurant’s signature suckling pig.

Set your fears aside, the Pig and Pepe doesn’t taste like drinking pork. It’s light and tart, like a margarita— best with a bit of the smoky chili powder rim. But this is a bar you want to linger at (if you can angle a seat)— great for people-watching. Finish the Pig ($12) and explore other drinks.

More cocktails at Maialino >>

Featured Brunch: Maialino’s Pesce Spada Affumicato

Maryse Chevrière — June 04, 2010

Pesce Spada Affumicato at Maialino.

Smoked fish, cream, onion, toast— a combination familiar to New York’s brunch scene. But at the Gramercy darling, Maialino, the concept is given fresh legs Italian-style: Pesce Spada Affumicato.

The customary lox is replaced with smoked swordfish that is clean and simple, like a breakfast crudo. The fish is mild but with a meatier texture than you would expect for such a thin slice. It’s a plate that begs for do-it-yourself construction. A shmear of smooth robiolina on thin, chewy toast, swordfish on top of that, finished with a tart sliver of pickled red onion. A side of bitter greens, well-dressed with a splash of acid, helps you slow down and keep pace between bites.

AlwaysInvestigating: Burgers & Corn Dogs, Shrimp-Style

Maryse Chevrière — May 17, 2010

The Low Country Shrimp Burger at Blue Smoke.

Enter the dining room at Blue Smoke, and the intoxicating smell of barbecue makes it difficult to imagine ordering anything else. Why would you when there are Chipotle Chicken Wings, Brisket, and Memphis-style Baby Back Ribs to choose from? But there’s more to the menu than ‘cue— consider, for example, shrimp, in applications not typical to them: burgers and corn dogs.

More on Blue Smoke's Shrimp Burger & Corn Dog >>

Featured Dish: Wasabi Shumai at Yama 17

Arthur Bovino — May 13, 2010

Wasabi Shumai at Yama 17.

Putting aside the proper or authentic way of eating wasabi, let’s discuss the eat wasabi, pound the wall, lab-rat-reaches-for-electrocuting-cheese approach to it. If you’ve found yourself doing that more times than you can remember, there’s a shumai for you. The Wasabi Shumai at the Irving Place sushi joint, Yama 17, just blocks from Union Square.

At first glance, the five shumai that come per order ($7.50) don’t look like much. They’re a tad larger than typical dumplings with wasabi-flavored skins the color of light green parchment paper. Usually when you eat a bit too much wasabi, it takes a few seconds for that breath of fire to rush up through your nasal passage to send your brain tingling. The brain-on-needles effect is almost immediate, you don’t even need to close your mouth, and you’re already hitting the table, or at least clenching a fist.

You get the same result whether or not you dip the dumplings in soy sauce. The moment passes. You reach for another. As Eisenberg’s sign says, “Either you get it or you don’t.”

Featured Brunch: Bao Noodles

Maryse Chevrière — February 19, 2010

Clockwise from top: Exterior, Pork Banh Mi with Fried Egg, Interior, and Seafood Congee.

We’ve recently enjoyed Mexican and Italian spins on breakfast sandwiches, but how about a Vietnamese rendition? Well, the Pork Banh Mi with Fried Egg is the star of Bao Noodles’ new brunch menu.

The chewy baguette is loaded with long strips of breaded, fried pork that resemble ham steak. There’s tomato, slightly sour, pickled vegetables, and two fried eggs that put this sandwich in the morning meal category. Break the yolks first and let it act a sauce. The massive portion makes it great for sharing.

The other thing to get is the Congee. It’s a warm, satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs, winter porridge. Bao Noodles serves two— one with meat (duck, pork and chicken), and the other with seafood (shrimp, crab and squid). Both are very good, but if pressed to choose between them, opt for the meat. Soy sauce and fried garlic chips are served on the side for mixing in— and you should. The salt and crunch enhance the flavor and texture.

Of the other options, the braised Pork Belly, though visually unappealing, is savory and tender. The accompanying fat-laced sticky rice is reason enough to order it. During brunch, you can also order from the regular menu. If you’re in the mood for noodles, the Beef on Rice Vermicelli is the move. Regardless, at $9.99 per person for an entrée and cocktail, brunch at Bao Noodles is a great value.

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.

Pie-by-Pie: La Pizza Fresca

The Hungry Goat — August 05, 2009

With the proliferation of Neapolitan-style pizzerias in New York City, the debate over who serves the most authentic, wood-oven baked pizza is as hotly contested as where to get the best slice. With the buzz around heavy-hitting newcomers like Motorino and Kesté swelling, AlwaysHungryNY.com decided to see if an originator of Neapolitan-style pizza in New York City, La Pizza Fresca (restaurant page), still held its own. Renowned for being the first New York City restaurant to become certified by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana in 1997, the amount of praise that La Pizza Fresca’s pies has garnered is staggering—most recently including mention in New York Magazine’s Top 20 Pies of the Moment. It makes our negative experience there all the more puzzling.

“La Pizza Fresca” (Tomato Sauce, Bufala Mozzarella, Italian Cherry Tomatoes, Black Olives, Parmigiano Reggiano, & Basil, $18)

The restaurant’s namesake pizza was its best. The sweet, fruity San Marzano tomato sauce starred, acting as a foil to the briny, whole black olives. Slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella added a subtle tang. A meager scattering of cherry tomatoes makes you wonder why they bothered with them at all. Of course, the real draw of a Neapolitan style pizza is the thin crust, and La Pizza Fresca’s limp, chewy base was dangerously close to that of Franny’s, a problem with every pie.

Quattro Formaggi (Bufala Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Fontina & Parmigiano Cheeses, $19)

Billed as featuring bold cheese, their flavors were muted and overshadowed by heavily charred bubbles in the crust. The plump pieces of mozzarella which featured so prominently in the signature La Fresca pie, had melted into obscurity.

Continue for more pictures of La Pizza Fresca's pies. >>

AlwaysInformed: Veselkhiarascuro

Arthur Bovino — July 10, 2009

Charnick installing Veselkhiarascuro at the AlwaysHungryNY.com headquarters

Those of you who are fans of Veselka (restaurant page) may remember reading on Eater last August and Grub Street in January that Veselkhiarascuro, the iconic mural by Arnie Charnick, was going on sale. The restaurant’s planned 10-foot expansion through the back wall meant it would no longer fit. All you 24-hour pierogie-eaters need not fear however because the mural has found a wonderful home right here in AlwaysHungryNY.com’s headquarters.

It’s not everyday that an artist walks into your office carrying an epic piece of artwork that when unfurled spans almost twenty feet. When I asked AlwaysHungryNY.com’s founder, Jeff Zalaznick how we had acquired Veselka’s mural he explained:

“When I walked into Veselka and saw that the originally high price of the mural had been lowered and now included the chance to ‘make your best offer,’ I made Charnick an offer he couldn’t refuse.”

And what was that offer?

Continue reading about the new home for Veselka's mural, Veselkhiarascuro >>

Featured Restaurant: Terakawa Ramen

Josh Kaplan — July 08, 2009

Terakawa Ramen with Roast Pork

The East Village has long been considered New York City’s Kingdom of Ramen. With so much competition, how does one hope to stand out? The recently opened Terakawa Ramen, to the north on Lexington and 23rd, appears to have found its niche in that time-honored adage of the real estate business: location, location, location.

Evidence of tempered ambition abounds at Terakawa from its intimate space and homey decor to the minimalist, reasonably priced menu ($3.50-$9). It seems to be angling as a lunch destination for the clusters of office buildings crowding Madison Square Park. There are $12 ramen and gyoza (or fried rice) combos and there’s an undeniable emphasis on speed and convenience. Call for pick up and your food will be ready in five minutes, order in-house and you’re served even faster.

That’s not to say the quality suffers. Terakawa’s Tonkotsu (pork broth) adheres to the classic profile: a fragrant, shimmering, golden brown with bubbles of fat. Minced raw garlic was present in each spoonful. The hard-boiled egg’s gelatinous yolk assumed the broth’s flavor splendidly. Al dente noodles became passable with time in the steaming broth. On one occasion the spiraling slice of roast pork had the perfect amount of fattiness, on another, it was so fatty the challenge was finding the meat. Additional helpings of roast pork, bamboo shoots and egg are available for $1 each.

There’s no competition with its more lauded cousins downtown, but if you’re in Gramercy, Terakawa will do just fine.

Check out the Terakawa Ramen restaurant page for more information, including hours and address.

Delivery Duel: BBQ Brisket Sandwich

The Gluttoness — June 10, 2009

AlwaysHungryNY.com’s offices in Gramercy position us in prime location for BBQ delivery, so we decided to match the Barbecue Beef Sandwich at Hill Country against Wildwood Barbecue Smothered Brisket Sandwich. Both restaurants are just about equidistant to AHNY HQ and calls to them were made at precisely 12:26 p.m. by two AHNY members who finished ordering at just about the same time. The clock was ticking.

Click here for the results of the BBQ Delivery Challenge >>

AlwaysHungry: Defonte’s of Brooklyn

February 24, 2009

The Manhattan branch of Defonte’s, the old-school Red Hook sandwich shop, finally opened at 21st St & Third Ave. The store’s design more resembles a chain eatery (à la Potbelly’s) than the Red Hook original but New Yorkers lining up 15-deep have quickly demonstrated the previously untapped, intense desire for these famous, over-sized deli sandwiches. The AlwaysHungry Council of Eaters sampled six (five hot and one cold) and from first glance they were truly archetypal Italian-American sandwiches. Not fancy yet sophisticated. Beautiful golden bread with a crisp exterior housed generous piles of thinly-sliced meats, meatballs and chicken parmesan.

There is no debate that Defonte’s is good and a welcome addition to the neighborhood, but unfortunately, we were all repelled by Defonte’s signature fried eggplant which garnishes many of their sandwiches. The paper-thin slivers of eggplant were each suffocated by a pound of soggy, once-fried batter. These slices both tasted and looked like tofu and their blandness seemed to negate the flavor of each sandwich. With or without the eggplant, every sandwich was in dire need of condiments (oil, vinegar, mustard and/or mayo for the cold ones, and extra tomato sauce for the hot ones).

The Sausage & Pepper sandwich was our favorite. The Italian sausages had the full bodied flavor we were looking for, which was lacking in the rest of our order, making us thankful for our office bottle of sriracha. Still, with Defonte’s just blocks away (Baoguette and Defonte’s, how lucky are we?), we will have to re-evaluate our stance on these sandwiches. To avoid the plight of the eggplant, next time we plan to build our own sandwiches—Jeff’s thinking a ham, roast beef, hot salad, mustard, balsamic & oil. With no nearby competition, we’re definitely glad they’re here. They have so much potential and we are sure they are going to get better.

Baosers! Chef Michael Bao Does It All

Jeff Zalaznick — February 08, 2009

Michael Bao’s latest venture, Baoguette, recently opened in Gramercy, a few blocks from AlwaysHungry headquarters. In a neighborhood lacking in viable banh mi options, it was obvious that Baoguette would be the lunch of choice. We called up, ordered everything on the menu (doubling up on the Baoguette & Barbecue Chicken options), and waited patiently for our Vietnamese feast.

An hour and a half later, patience turned to annoyance with our food still nowhere in sight. We turned to the Baoguette website, where you are instructed to “call or text your order to the number below”. Each of the three times we called (ignoring the odd text message option) to check the status of our delivery, we were told by the man on the other end of the line that he was downstairs. The whole episode was confusing, as substantial time continued to pass with no sign of the delivery, and more importantly, we were supposedly calling the restaurant’s direct number, so how could they be downstairs? Suddenly, the text message option started to make sense, but who would have a restaurant line connected to the delivery guy’s cell phone?

Nearly two hours after ordering, the delivery man rushed in carrying three bags stuffed with food, he handed us the receipt, and muttered under his breath:

I looked at the AHNY Squad with a look of utter confusion. Was Michael Bao, owner of four respected Manhattan restaurants, really hand-delivering our banh mi? A quick look at Google images left us speechless. The only thing I can say, is RESPECT, Mr. Bao. That is true dedication. Things aren’t moving fast enough, do them yourself. Sometimes everyone has to get their hands dirty. Michael Bao is the Charles Oakley of Vietnamese food. Grinding to get it done.

Even without eating the sandwiches, it was worth the wait just to see Chef Bao’s dedication. It was truly an act of heroism that should be applauded by the whole industry. He should potentially get a key to the City.

After recovering from the act of courage that we had just witnessed, we tasted. The sandwiches were consistent across the board. They use good ingredients, but the secret is the spectacular bread, which not only tastes great, but also rips in an incredible way. I mean, literally you can rip a sandwich in half with no fall out. You don’t see that very often…

The signature banh mi, aka the “Baoguette,” combined the classic pate, terrine and pulled pork with pickled julienne carrots, cucumber and a hefty bunch of cilantro, which amounted to a traditional banh mi that just tasted much cleaner. It made me feel like they had achieved what Nicky’s Vietnamese had tried to achieve. Cleaning up the banh mi’s act. Like an egg roll at Chinatown Brasserie, a cleaned up and better version of what you get for 50 cents at the hole in the wall around the corner.

Now, the Sloppy Bao, the Slop Sloppy Bao, was an ode to Vietnamese lunch ladies around the world. Bridging the very large gap between Vietnamese flavor and traditional cafeteria food. Instead of the normal tomato base, the meat was flavored with curry and topped with green mango, basil & lemongrass. Flavor was good, concept made me happy, but the major problem was that it was under stuffed and thus, incredibly not sloppy. Should be an easy fix for them though. The B.B.Q. Chicken Sandwich, was lackluster and not worth discussing, but a delicious surprise came in the form of a Catfish Sandwich, which is worth a try if you are in to that sort of thing.

Green Papaya Salad was standard and refreshing. Classic Summer Rolls had too much vermicelli, and not enough shrimp. The Spicy Beef & Pork Noodle Soup packed a meaty punch, but was by no means spicy.

All in all, the sandwiches were very good, but the cameo from Chef Bao was EPIC. And, now you know that if you need to send him a SMS, his number is on the site…