Featured Cocktail: 8st Kitchen’s Korean Bomber

Maryse Chevrière — May 13, 2010

Dropping a shot of soju into OB Lager, the Korean Bomber at 8st Kitchen.

Irish Car Bombs, Jägerbombs, sake bombs— Korean bombs!

If you’ve never had a soju bomb, you can find one at 8st Kitchen, the Greenwich Village go-to for legit Korean food outside of K-Town. The Korean Bomber is simple: a shot of soju or whiskey dropped in 3oz of Korean OB Lager ($10.00). Flavor-wise it’s on par with a sake bomb— smoother, and easier to drink than an Irish Car Bomb or Jägerbomb.

As far as drinks that you have to pound go, this one will probably make you feel the least like a coed. Still, it’s a great primer for a night of imbibing among friends— especially since 8st Kitchen offers one of the better happy hour deals around: half-price soju and vodka cocktails (the Watermelon and Lychee Martinis are particularly good) from 5pm to 8pm, daily. For those who don’t get out of work until 7pm, a happy hour that ends that late is a real gift.

Featured Dish: Havoc Burger

GutterGourmet — January 11, 2010

Patty & Bun’s Havoc Burger.

Patty & Bun is one of the latest entrants to New York’s burger wars. An attractive bar on W. 8th Street next to Gray’s Papaya, P&B distinguishes itself from the rest of the burger crowd by wreacking havoc on our conception of the traditional burger. While P&B’s burgers have been written up, some of the more interesting sandwiches on the menu, like a Monk Fish BLT, The Caddy Patty (“biko vakra” beef patty topped with shredded braised duck and shiitakes), and the Havoc Burger haven’t gotten as much attention. We visited recently to check out the latter.

Cross-section of the Havoc Burger.

The Havoc Burger (deluxe, $15) forces you to redefine what makes a great burger. There’s the unorthodox, so-called “tequila drop bun” (not spicy, but chewy like a kaiser roll), which stands up nicely to the juicy burger, the condiments (Portale-piled-high chimichurri and pickled Napa red cabbage), and a meat blend that could confuse even Pat LaFrieda: beef, lamb and pork. American cheese and ketchup are not only unnecessary here, they’re unthinkable add-ons to this unique burger.

While the bun holds together nicely, this isn’t the kind of burger you’re going to want to put down— the sauce drips everywhere. This is great flavor-wise, but it also adds moisture to a patty that the restaurant makes sure to cook all the way through because of the pork mixed in.

First Look: 8st Kitchen

Arthur Bovino — November 06, 2009

Yook Hoe Moo Chim, $8.00. 8st Kitchen.

K-town has moved downtown. 8st Kitchen, the new sister restaurant of Koreatown stalwart, Third Floor Cafe, officially opens for business tonight. Unlike with Third Floor, there’s no optical storefront, no Maxwell Smart-like, bathroom-stall sized elevator to an upstairs lounge, it’s all ground floor and glass window front.

The restaurant’s opening has been spearheaded by Third Floor’s good-natured manager, Jung-min Kim, with Chef Sung Ho Lim (right) in the kitchen. As Grub Street noted, the menu features traditional Korean dishes that get the occasional Japanese flourish, including Korean pancakes (Jōn), grilled or roasted meat dishes (Gui), wok or stir-fried dishes (Bok Keŭm), and rice and noodle dishes and sides (Bap and Gook Soo). Proteins vary from ground beef and cod fillet to squid, pork belly, rib eye and short ribs, with rice, noodles, and rice cakes. There are old favorites like Bul Go Ki and Bi Bim Bap, as well as Bo Ssäm with pork belly, pickled cabbage, daikon salad and oyster.

Among the dishes sampled during this First Look, the Yook Hoe Moo Chim (a Korean steak tartare), the Hae Mool Pa Jōn (Pancake with Shellfish and Squid), and the Bul Go Ki Ddōk Bok Ki (Rice Cake with Soy-Marinated Kobe Rib-Eye), were particularly strong. Some of these dishes are going to be especially good eating during chilly weather, but no matter which season, the Hae Mool Pa Jōn is the perfect well-seasoned, lip-smacking snack to eat with a beer at either the beginning of a night or the end of one.

Address: 22 West 8th Street (map), (212) 477-7755.
Hours: Sun – Wed, 5pm-11pm; Thur – Sat, 5pm-2am.

Click Here for a First Look at the Food at 8st Kitchen >>

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 >>

SEARCH: Good Food, Late at Night

July 22, 2009

You can use Always HungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search Engine to search for new restaurants or to learn more information about places that are already your favorites, but you can also use it to discover restaurants that are open when you need them to be.

If you’re looking for late-night good food in New York City, select “Until 1am” from the By Meal drop-down menu and select “A and Above” from the By Rating menu, and the Very Advanced Search Engine will generate a list of recommended restaurants for late night grubbing.

Whether you’re looking for food in the Village or a place in Murray Hill, it’s just another way that AlwaysHungryNY.com ensures that you will never eat another insignificant late-night meal again.

SEARCH: Need a Brunch Specialist in Greenwich Village?

April 03, 2009

Use our very advanced search engine to always find the perfect place. Do you need a Brunch Specialist in Greenwich Village? Starred restaurants also have Outdoor Dining! Here’s what is AlwaysHungry Approved:

1. ‘ino 21 Bedford Street

Recommended Dishes: Truffled Egg Toast, Egg & Cheese Panino, “Italian BLT” Tramezzini

2. Blue Ribbon Bakery 33 Downing Street

Recommended Dishes: Challah French Toast (pictured), Blue Benedict with Smoked Salmon

3. Ditch Plains 29 Bedford Street

Recommended Dishes: Oysters, Spicy Chicken Wings, Lobster Roll, Hot Dogs, Macaroni & Cheese

4. **“Home”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/reviews/home/ 20 Cornelia Street

Recommended Dishes: Eggs Benedict, Home Salami Sandwich, Bacon-Cheddar Grits

5. **“Jane”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/reviews/jane/ 100 W. Houston

Recommended Dishes: BLT & E (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato & Fried Egg), Vanilla Bean French Toast

6. **“La Palapa (6th Ave.)”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/reviews/la-palapa-6th-ave/ 359 6th Avenue

Recommended Dishes: Mexican-Style French Toast, Cornbread, Guacamole

7. **“Morandi”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/reviews/morandi/ 211 Waverly Place

Recommended Dishes: Fritelle di Ricotta, Pizza “Occhio Di Bue”, Fritto Misto

8. Perilla 9 Jones Street

Recommended Dishes: Spicy Duck Burger, Prime Corned Beef Hash & Eggs

AlwaysHungryNY: Cuban Beats on Thompson Street

The Gluttoness — April 01, 2009

If neither the name, nor the on-sight cigar roller send the message, Cuba is undeniably Cuban. The space echoes salsa music and the sangria is flowing. The menu reads like a laundry list of Cuban classics—Yuca, Plantains and Tamales give way to Ropa Vieja, Vaca Frita and Lechon Asado. From all appearances the Council of Eaters is optimistic. The growing crowd furthers our high hopes, but did the Cuban food further our good time or did it dampen the already rainy evening?

Read the full review.

Maintaining the Grade: IL MULINO

Jeff Zalaznick — March 17, 2009

Il Mulino is the quintessential NY staple. The unassuming Greenwich Village location was opened in 1981 by Italian brothers, Fernando and Gino Masci. Now, 20 years later, Il Mulino’s dishes continue to define NY Italian food though their adherence to tradition, bold garlic flavor, large portion size, and charming staff. For all of these reasons, this restaurant has always had a special place in my heart. It is a perfect place to celebrate a birthday, have a romantic dinner, take your parents, or have a dinner with the boys. Even in these tough times, Il Mulino is a very difficult reservation, and, even if you can score one, you will wait at the bar for a minimum of ten minutes. At the end of the day though, it is part of the vibe, and it is most certainly worth it.

The Results:

Il Mulino knows who they are, and continue to do what they do at the top of their game. I stop in about once a month to make sure that they continue to deserve the prestigious A+ that I have bestowed upon them. They have still never let me down…

Old Grade: A+

New Grade: A+

Reasons:

1) Classic New York italian food in a classic Italian New York setting. Not that easy to find anymore.

2) The garlic butter soaked foccacia served before the meal is addictive. Along with all of the other accoutrements they bring to the table (salami, parmigiano, bruschetta with mussels, garlic bread, fried zucchini) you are never hungry when the meal starts. This says a lot for the food that comes after.

3) The pastas are all delicious, traditional, and served table-side. There is always one with sausage and mushroom and the vongole never disappoints.

4) An off-the-menu chicken is almost always a special, but if not, it can always be made by request. It’s the perfect blend of dark meat chicken, peppers, onions, tomato & sausage. On a good night, you’ll even get some mushrooms or broccoli thrown in there. It’s spicy, or, as I ask for it, extra spicy.

5) The best Chicken/Veal Parmigiana in New York. The Milanese is clearly no slouch neither.

6) The Rack of Lamb. They don’t make a dijon crust like that anymore. They rarely serve portions this big either.

AHNY Secret: go for lunch, they serve a full menu and it is not crowded!

AlwaysPartying: Taste of the Village

The Hungry Goat — September 11, 2008

Last night’s Taste of the Village event was a block party perfectly befitting Greenwich Village as it celebrated both the neighborhood’s flavor and its spirit. Held in a large tent amid the construction site that is Washington Square Park, the 20-plus tasting stations attracted an impressive crowd of hungry Village locals, NYU students, and general food enthusiasts. Mario Batali even made a brief cameo— staying just long enough to stand for pictures and support the fabulous gelato kart provided by his restaurant Otto. Elettaria head chef Akhtar Nawab showed up as well, manning his own station in an impressive demonstration of pride and humility. But this event wasn’t about glitz and glam or which restaurant had a better reputation; for one night, high and low seamlessly integrated for the sake of celebrating cuisine. The station from the famed Blue Hill (which served a glorified tomato soup that was beyond disappointing) was right at home next the less-decorated La Palapa table (which offered a mean vegetarian tostada), while the 8th Street Winecellar hit it out of the park with its fiery Mac & Cheese and swine-tastic P.L.T slider (as in Prosciutto, Lettuce & Tomato).

Here is a list of the event’s palate-pleasing highlights:

• 8th Street Winecellar: P.L.T. (Pancetta, Lettuce, & Tomato); Baked Macdougal and Cheese
• North Square: Corn Chowder with Peppers, Red Chili Oil, and Parmesan Cheese; Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
• Village Restaurant: Prosciutto with Arugula, Peaches, Hazelnuts & Balsamic
• Le Pain Quotidien: Crostini with Ricotta, Mission Figs & Honey drizzle; Mini Belgian Chocolate Muffin
• SushiSamba 7: Kampachi Tiradito; Chocolate Mousse Duo
• Café Spice: Chicken Achari Kebab
• Gizzi’s Coffee: Mini Red Velvet Cupcake; Chocolate Brownie

AlwaysLearning: Aioli

The Gluttoness — August 22, 2008

An aioli is a cold emulsified sauce made with olive oil, garlic and egg yolk. However, often times the word “aioli” on a menu will simply refer to a flavored or seasoned, mayonnaise-based sauce—which is funny since I am so often dining with mayonnaise-averse folks who lap up aioli like it’s a creamy gift from G-d. A perfect example would be the tangy lemon aioli that’s served atop the Truffle Fries at The Kingswood (pictured above). Sure, some might turn their nose up at a mound of mayo atop their fries, but when it’s disguised as gourmet aioli, don’t be surprised if you’re ordering up extra on the side. Whipping up your own aioli is actually quite easy, just whisk together an egg yolk with 100-150ml of olive oil. Once you’re emulsion is stable, creamy and incorporated, flavor it however you wish; great additions include chipotle peppers, passionfruit puree and curry powder.