Featured Cocktail: The Highlands’ Blackberry Tartan
Maryse Chevrière — August 26, 2010
The Blackberry Tartan at The Highlands.
By now, scotch fiends have found a home in West Village gastropub, The Highlands. There’s a serious selection of malts and scotches for the straight up drinker, and a menu of carefully-crafted cocktails too. In the latter category is the Blackberry Tartan, an ideal summer-switch-to-fall concoction.
It’s late August now, September is creeping in, and you’re in a weird place— you want to hold on to the fruits of summer, but you are primed to dive in to the bounty of the new season. The Blackberry Tartan ($13) solves this dilemma, offering the tart berry in combination with maple syrup, Appleton Estate Rum Reserve, and anCnoc 12 year scotch.
The Tartan is frothy on the top and viscous throughout with real body from the fruit pulp. Maple syrup adds to the cocktail’s steady hint of sweetness—never overwhelming—well-matched against the scotch, which maintains its identity. You finish faster than you expect and think, “I want to try more of what this place has to offer.” Mission accomplished.
Featured Restaurant: ilili
Maryse Chevrière — August 25, 2010
Lamb Chops, seared with Za’atar Salsa Verde and Herb Roasted Tomatoes.
With the impending opening of game-changing, market-restaurant hybrid, Eataly, at the end of this month, a lot of attention has been devoted to the great things being planned by Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. But the focus on the neighborhood’s dining options reminded us of another Flatiron joint that deserves mention: ilili, Phillippe Massoud’s still-swank Mediterranean venture.
To start, there’s Hommus, of course, and Labne, a tangy strained yogurt— textbook examples of whipped and silky smooth, respectively. Tear a piece of the thin, warm puffed pita and attack unabashedly between sips of the signature Not-So Bloody Martini (or for something more floral, the From Manhattan to Beirut). The Mouhamara, a vibrant, nutty-textured mixture made from sun-dried pepper, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses comes highly recommended. With it you should order the leafy, parsley-heavy burghul Tabbouleh to add to the mix. All together it makes for wonderful grazing.
Featured Dessert: Tabla Cart’s Kulfi Pop
Maryse Chevrière — August 24, 2010
Milk Chocolate and Almond Kulfi Pop from Tabla’s seasonal cart.
Here’s a Flatiron dessert option that not only hits the popsicle trend, but also presents a nearby ice cream alternative for those who have already cycled through Shake Shack’s custard calendar: Tabla cart’s Milk Chocolate and Almond Kulfi Pop.
For those unfamiliar with it, kulfi is a type of flavored, milk-based frozen dessert originally from India. At Tabla’s seasonal cart you can have it sandwiched between chocolate chip cookies ($3), or on a stick as a “pop” ($3) that has been dipped in milk chocolate and covered with slivers of raw almond.
Featured Cocktail: Maialino
Maryse Chevrière — August 19, 2010
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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.
Featured Dessert: El Quinto Pino
Maryse Chevrière — August 16, 2010
Crema Catalana at El Quinto Pino in Chelsea.
By now you know El Quinto Pino as that quintessentially perfect Spanish tapas-winebar date spot. A tiny space with low light where you can sip from a glass that benefits from a good pour, and share bites like uni panini, croquetas, and “tomaca.” But, if you have yet to stay for dessert you’re missing out.
Presently, there are two options to choose from: Crema Catalana and Torta Santiago. Order both— they’re just $6 each. The Crema Catalana is like Crème Brûlée’s Catalan cousin, but with a more rustic feel— the cracking burnt sugar crust not even reaching the edge of the dish. The custard underneath is sweet with impressive volume, fluffy in a way you don’t imagine custard can be.
First Look: Dinner at Vandaag
Maryse Chevrière — August 12, 2010
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Top, Popped Barley, a fantastic snack being served at Vandaag in the East Village.
Before officially debuting their dinner menu today, East Village newbie, Vandaag, opened their doors to friends and family last night. Through the next-day aquavit and genever-induced haze, there are several things that stand out about the Dutch and Scandinavian-inspired restaurant.
First, clearly, the cocktail program rocks. Their beer cocktails have already gotten good play but equally interesting are those starring spirits in step with the restaurant’s style of cuisine. The B-Side Sling, made with Bols Genever, Roobis-infused vermouth, lemon, maraschino, and bitters, is more powerful than its feminine coloring suggests. This take on a Manhattan is great for sipping, but smooth enough to drink as a two-part shot for those who are inclined.
Featured Cocktail: Drinks and Snacks at Nuela
Maryse Chevrière — August 12, 2010
From left: Summer Wind, Devil’s Sweat, and Abaci Batida cocktails at Nuela.
According to staff at the pan-Latin Flatiron newcomer, Nuela, the Summer Wind and Devil’s Sweat have come out of the gate as early customer favorites.
The Devil’s Sweat, made with chili-infused Pisco, Cio Ciaro, citrus, and beer, is sweeter than you might expect. But it still delivers on its promise of heat— even more so if you brave the thick slice of jalapeño garnish. Keep in mind that it sinks, so if you’re going to eat it, better fish it out at the beginning while there’s still some cocktail left. If the tingle from the spice lingers, as it surely will, the Summer Wind is a smart bet, a refreshing blend of Farmers gin, cilantro, and Verjus, with a heavy dose of ginger beer. Equally cool is the Abacai Batida, a mountain of crushed ice doused with Leblon Cachaça, and garnished with crushed pineapple— an adults-only slushie.
These are sneak-up-on-you-strong cocktails, the kind that make even cautious drinkers order more rounds than they should. A good reason to pair them with a few of the Nuela’s small plates.
Featured Brunch: 6th Street Kitchen
Maryse Chevrière — August 06, 2010
“Bacon and Eggs” at 6th Street Kitchen in the East Village. Pork Belly, Radicchio, Coddled Egg.
Among restaurants in the East Village, brunch competition is stiff. There’s the fried chicken with pancake-soft waffles at Back Forty. A spicy, hangover-perfect mix of scrambled eggs, chorizo, and French fries at Hecho en Dumbo. Bagels galore. How do you choose? More importantly, how does a newcomer to the neighborhood vie for your attention?
Pork belly with coddled eggs are a good way to start. At relative neighborhood newbie, 6th Street Kitchen, the “Bacon and Eggs” are near impossible to overlook. The dish arrives appearing as if ready to meet expectations— it’s very pretty. At the base are slabs of pork belly, perfectly uniform little rectangles, well-peppered and salty with a seared-on crunch. They’re buried underneath a confetti of tangy radicchio, on top of which is a coddled egg that offers a little yolk for sauce.
Featured Cocktail: Marea’s Stormy Veloce
Maryse Chevrière — August 05, 2010
Marea’s Stormy Veloce.
In a way, it makes perfect sense that Marea, Michael White’s much-decorated temple of coastal Italian seafood, would serve one of the City’s best Dark ‘n’ Stormy’s. Where better to enjoy a cocktail that evokes images of the beach and sea, than here, over impeccable crudo and crostini with uni and lardo.
The “Stormy Veloce” ($14), as it’s called, even fits in quite nicely with the space. The cocktail’s copper red, fade-to-yellow coloring is striking against that swirling, glowing great tide of a marble bar. But enough admiring—mix and sip.
It’s bold. A powerful one-two punch from the fresh ginger and heavy hand of Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. There’s no ginger beer, as per the original recipe. Instead the aromatic Italian liqueur, Veloce, and Chinotto, an Italian citrus/herbal soda, have been added, more in theme with the restaurant’s cuisine.
Featured Brunch: Joseph Leonard
Maryse Chevrière — July 30, 2010
Saucisson a L’Ail: Pork and Garlic Sausage, Fried Eggs, Hash Brown, Crème Fraîche and Arugula.
That on a recent Sunday three dishes had been 86’d from the brunch menu at Joseph Leonard (including the day’s special), says something about the restaurant’s weekend dining program: it’s popular.
But removing the Biscuits and Gravy, Croque Madame, and the Watermelon Salad, while disappointing, still leaves several tempting options. You can stick with the familiar— Lox on Rye, Brioche French Toast— or lean towards the more creative— Beef Tongue Corned Beef, Saucisson a L’Ail. The latter ($13) presents sausage and eggs perhaps not as you expected. The pork and garlic sausage is loose and terrine-like, delicately sliced and held together by a ghost casing. With it are two fried eggs and a fat nest of a hash brown with a super crunchy shell.
AlwaysInformed: BBQ Soft Serve Now at Milk Bar
Maryse Chevrière — July 28, 2010
BBQ Soft Serve with Potato Chip Crunch at Momofuku Milk Bar.
When it comes to soft serve flavors, there really is nothing out of realm of possibility for the Milk Bar team. Their latest WTF creation, just out today: BBQ.
Whatever reason compels you to try it—curiosity, daring, a genuine love for savory desserts—if you’re going to go there, then you just kind of have to do it: go all the way, embrace the concept. “Can I get the Potato Chip Crunch on that too, please?”
The result ($4.90) is predictably weird. Not sour, like most Milk Bar flavors, instead it’s tangy, gradually sweet. It evokes cocktail sauce, or maybe Tabasco— you can’t put your finger on it. It’s not as offensive as you’d expect. With a sharp fragment of salt speckled potato chip, the equation gets even more complicated. You just have know when to stop. The whole serving would just be too much.
Featured Cocktail: Anfora’s Cucato
Maryse Chevrière — July 15, 2010
The Cucato cocktail at Anfora.
“What do you think?” asked the bartender at Anfora about their Cucato cocktail.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” you’ll want to answer, “but it kind of tastes like salad.”
It’s true, and a very good salad at that. Made with organic tomato and cucumber vodkas, lemon, and finished with a salt and pepper rim, the drink ($12) belongs in the same league as ilili’s Not So Bloody Martini and Prune’s Ghost of Mary. It’s exactly the refreshing option a savory cocktail drinker looks for on a muggy summer evening. The key is the cracked pepper on the rim— not a move you see all that often, but it works, and you’ll seek them out as you rotate around the glass with each sip.
With it there are also several above-par bar snacks to be had, this is, after all, the sister establishment of nearby dell’anima. A large board of loosely-folded speck, a fantastic Lamb Ragu slider, and another large board featuring soft Robiola with its proper accompaniments. You could easily make an enjoyable meal out of it. If the restaurant is too crowded you should.
AlwaysPartying: Celebrate Flatiron Chefs
Maryse Chevrière — July 14, 2010
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Clockwise from top: Taste of Summer Melons from Eleven Madison Park, slicing porchetta from SD26, the scene at Celebrate Flatiron Chefs in Madison Square Park.
Last night, just a month after the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, tents were in place and grills were once again fired up in Madison Square Park— this time for Celebrate Flatiron Chefs.
The annual event, which benefited the Madison Square Park Conservancy, was just as much a reminder of how good the neighborhood has it on the food front, as it was a preview of great things to come. A table of salume was there to represent the game-changing, Italian mega market-restaurant concept Eataly (scheduled to open August 31st), and a rum cocktail in a lime cup from The Hurricane Club built anticipation for an after-work, tiki-themed happy hour.
The highlight (for those who arrived early), was a preview from Hill Country Chicken. Last night it was a Mini Texas Hand Roll. They joined offerings from more than twenty of the Flatiron District’s top restaurants. There was pork, of course, burgers too, and plenty of other summer-inspired fare.
More photographs of the food at Celebrate Flatiron Chefs >>
Featured Dish: RUB’s Ham and Brie Burger
Maryse Chevrière — July 13, 2010
Ham and Brie Burger at RUB BBQ.
Yesterday was definitely an important day in the annals of New York burgerdom. After all, the hotly anticipated Shake Shack Theater District finally opened— three new awesome concretes, hello! But, it was also a Monday, which means these weren’t the only new burgers to anticipate. That’s right, we’re talking the RUB BBQ weekly burger special, and on last night’s menu: the Ham and Brie Burger.
What’s so exciting about a ham and Brie combination? After all, as far as sandwich stuffers go it’s pretty standard. Then again, who could have anticipated Goober and Butter Burgers being such big hits? Chef Scott Smith seems to have a predilection for funky, robust cheeses (the Bacon and Roaring Forties Blue Cheese Burger), because this was Brie with a presence.
The gooey, rind-on cheese was paired with house-cured ham that could easily pass as prosciutto—soft, salty, with a little pull. It’s a reminder that pork can indeed exist on top of a burger in a form other than crunchy bacon. All that and you still didn’t lose the flavor of the meat. Leads us to a familiar question: when can we anticipate the announcement of a stand-alone RUB burger joint? (Please?)
Featured Brunch: Hecho en Dumbo
Maryse Chevrière — July 09, 2010
Huevos Estrellados “Lucio” at Hecho en Dumbo.
It is possible to do a seven-day-a-week brunch, and a quality one at that. Those who scoff should pay a visit to Hecho en Dumbo, the fresh-faced, East Village, Mexican joint on the Bowery.
Replacing the typical Bloody Mary is a Michelada Cubana: Valentina salsa, Worcestershire sauce, Maggi seasoning, and fresh lime juice, cut with Bohemia lager. It’s spicy, but more refreshing than you’d expect. If that’s not quite your calling, the Margarita de Jamaica is highly recommended.
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