Featured Cocktail: Watermelon Soju at Pocha 32
Maryse Chevrière — March 18, 2010
Pocha 32’s Watermelon Soju.
Cocktails might be the last thing on your mind after yesterday’s St. Paddy’s Day revelry, but a little hair of the dog never hurt. Here’s a good recommendation: Watermelon Soju at Pocha 32 in K-Town.
We know what you’re thinking. What’s so special about watermelon soju at a Korean restaurant? The answer here, is presentation. The drink is actually served inside a hollowed-out, halved watermelon. You’re given a ladle, and chilled camping-style tins for self-service. It’s an ideal drink to split among friends, and a pretty good deal at $24— you can easily get upwards of six liberal pours.
The drink is refreshing, and not too sweet (an accomplishment for a fruit cocktail), and the flavor is a dead ringer for watermelon Bubbalicious gum. It evokes summer and backyard barbecues. The bonus, of course, is scraping out spoonfuls of the saturated fruit once all the soju has been downed. Just be forewarned: this stuff is more potent than the taste would suggest. Of course, if you do wind up with a hangover, we’ve got you covered.
AlwaysPartying: St. Patrick’s Day
Maryse Chevrière — March 17, 2010
Mint Jelly to accompany the Lamb Chop from Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse on 5th Avenue.
Most days, it ain’t easy being green. But on St. Patrick’s Day green is where it’s at. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled photographs of some favorite green-hued eats and drinks.
Think about it, there’s a lot of green food out there. Spinach, lettuce, avocados, peas— with pasta, on pizza, in sushi, and on sandwiches. The list goes on. Of course, if you’re looking to down pints til you’re green in the face, Midtown Lunch has a great round-up of places to bar crawl in the heavily pub-dominated neighborhood.
Behold, the epic green foods photo extravaganza you’ve been waiting for. Happy St. Paddy’s Day.
AlwaysPartying: Eat Beer for St. Paddy’s Day!
Maryse Chevrière — March 17, 2010
Litre Pints at Radegast Beer Hall & Garden.
Sure, drinking beer on St. Patrick’s Day is practically a rule, but let’s not overlook the many great foods that are actually made using beer. To celebrate, we’ve created our own menu using dishes that feature beer as a key ingredient.
AlwaysPartying: A Shamrock Shake and a Whiskey Witch Walked into a Bar…
Maryse Chevrière — March 17, 2010
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Clockwise from top: McDonald’s elusive Shamrock Shake, Fat Witch Bakery’s Whiskey Witch, and Baked by Melissa’s St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes (image courtesy of Baked by Melissa).
Greensanity continues. This time with green sweets. As reported, the Union Square McDonald’s is serving the Shamrock Shake, a tasty minty green confection not normally found in New York. It’s good, get it while you can (though maybe not between stops on your bar crawl!).
If you’re in the Union Square neighborhood with a sweet tooth, make a pit stop at Baked by Melissa for their festive green cupcakes. Or if you’re by Chelsea Market, Fat Witch Bakery is offering some St. Patrick’s Day-themed brownies, like the Whiskey Witch: “a wee bit of whiskey in a Fat Witch.” It’s a sly, guilt-free way to booze at your desk if you can’t be out amongst all the drunken tomfoolery.
AlwaysInformed: Lunch at Dickson Farmstand Meats
Maryse Chevrière — March 16, 2010
Salt and Pepper Sausage on a Roll.
Those in the environs of Chelsea Market during lunch certainly don’t want for good dining options, the new offerings at Dickson’s Farmstand Meats included among them. The butcher shop, which has been serving lunch for three or four weeks, offers about five sandwiches that change daily (check their site).
A representative noted that every day they try to have two sandwiches and two sausages on the offer (the Beef Chili is a staple). The star of today’s menu? It was a deceptively simple-sounding Salt and Pepper Sausage on a Roll ($9.00). The loose, juicy sausage has a snappy casing, and comes drenched in richly-flavored, sweetish, baked beans with burnt ends. The chewy baguette holds up nicely, and the runny whole grain mustard under the sausage adds a spicy kick. Say hello to the new gourmet chili dog. Toss that tie over your shoulder, hunch over the tray, and get ready to chow down. This is going to get messy.
OnlyLook: Village Tart Desserts
Maryse Chevrière — March 16, 2010
Valrhona Chocolate Dulce de Leche Skillet Torte.
The desserts at Village Tart inspired some high hopes. Afterall, the newish bakery-brasserie sports a pedigree that includes Permanent Bruncher Lesly Bernard and consulting pastry chef Pichet Ong. The dessert menu seduces with words like “Valrhona chocolate,” “butterscotch,” and “dulce de leche.” And early word on their baked goods set inspired more confidence. Sadly, the love affair ends there.
Featured Cocktail: Locanda Verde’s Spring Cocktails
Maryse Chevrière — March 11, 2010
“Our Pimm’s Cup” from Locanda Verde.
As reported, Locanda Verde recently introduced a series of new cocktails from Bobo mixologist Naren Young. Just what we needed, another good reason to crowd the bar at this TriBeCa hotspot.
Of the four cocktails currently available, “Our Pimm’s Cup” came highly recommended, and did not disappoint. It might sound simple— Hendrick’s, Ramazzotti, and Pimm’s No.1, charged with Fentiman’s Ginger Beer— but you have to appreciate a simple cocktail done well. It is not as bitter as some renditions, and so it certainly goes down smoothly. And yet it retains an edge. It has an attractive iced tea-like coloring and is similarly refreshing. A great drink to usher in the spring.
The Settanta Cinque.
Another, the “Settanta Cinque,” is their Italian interpretation of the classic French 75. It features citrus grappa, Strega liquori, fresh lemon, and Prosecco— a bright, springy, lady-friendly drink with tight bubbles, and a subtle tartness. Forget mimosas, this should be the new go-to brunch cocktail.
Always Hungry: K-Town “Sushi” at E-Mo
Maryse Chevrière — March 10, 2010
Kimbab spread from E-Mo Kim Bab in Koreatown.
Kyochon finally, officially opened its doors last night with all the impatient waiting, disorganized chaos, and mass crowd-forming at a rock concert’s backstage door. But the holding pattern continues for lunch-goers. A representative outside Kyochon this afternoon said that lunch starts tomorrow, but a call to Kyochon put the actual start date for lunch at March 13th. Par for the course— don’t hold your breath.
Denied a shiny, new fried chicken experience, and having already sampled the portable pizza next door at K! Pizzacone, we ventured through Koreatown for a quick fix. With the clutter of restaurants on 32nd Street, the shoe box-sized E-Mo Kim Bab could be easily overlooked. E-Mo specializes in made-to-order Kimbab, a popular Korean snack, which typically consists of pickled radish, sautéed spinach, and carrots, omelet, shredded burdock root, and another ingredient wrapped in white rice and nori. Essentially, it’s Korean sushi.
AlwaysPartying: National Pig Day
Maryse Chevrière — March 01, 2010
Whole Roast Pig from the Second Annual Pig Roast and Dance Party.
What better way to kickoff a month than to celebrate the almighty pig? Today, March 1st is National Pig Day, and in its honor we have compiled pictures of some of our favorite dishes celebrating this glorious animal in all of its delicious forms. Feast your eyes of the Pig-apalooza.
AlwaysSoBe: Dim Sum & Disco
March 01, 2010
Salmon Tataki Nigiri with Torched Tomato, Onion Aioli, and Smoked Salt from Chef Tim Cushman of o ya (Boston, MA).
Chefs from five of the country’s best Asian restaurants did a little dance, made a little dim sum, and got down at Saturday night’s Dim Sum & Disco party at The Setai. The event, co-hosted by chefs Ming Tsai and Jonathan Wright, featured the incredibly successful pairing of Asian small plates with the boogie-down beats of the Bee Gees and Donna Summer.
Chef Tim Cushman of o ya put on a show, torching slices of tomato and pieces of fresh salmon for his excellent Salmon Tataki Nigiri. It, along with his other offerings, the equally delicious Hamachi Nigiri with Banana Pepper Mousse, and Hamachi Sashimi, were some of the evening’s best bites.
Between sips of disco-themed cocktails from master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim, we also enjoyed Ming Tsai’s freshly-shucked Island Creek Oysters, and Foie Gras and Oxtail Dumplings, as well as chef Wright’s Black Truffle and Scallop Har Gau, and Crisp Fried Pork Belly. Also, the local favorite, Tropical Chinese, came to the party with a killer Leek Dumpling.
AlwaysSoBe: Grand Tasting’s Top 10
March 01, 2010
Top, Potato Croquetta with Gulf Shrimp, Ajillo Sauce and Onion Ceviche from Gia Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar.
Just as at New York’s Grand Tasting, the two-day event at South Beach was the biggest food and beverage free-for-all of the entire festival. Held under two large tents on Miami Beach, the over-the-top event brought together the world’s finest wines and spirits, as well as restaurants from South Florida and across the country. We were there to sample it all, and have picked our top ten best bites.
AlwaysSoBe: BubbleQ
February 27, 2010
Clockwise from top: Lonesome Dove Western Bistro’s Lamb Belly BLT with Warm Potato Salad, Big Bob Gibson’s Smoker, Champagne refills from a chandelier-dangling trapeze artist.
Thirty great chefs working the grill. An epic BLT sandwich. Free-flowing Perrier-Jouët Champagne. A woman refilling glasses while hanging from a chandelier. Only on South Beach, and only at BubbleQ.
The event was presented by Allen Brothers, hosted by Emeril Lagasse, and held under a big tent on the beach behind the Delano Hotel. It featured everything from ribs, brisket, and fried Cuban Sandwiches, to Grilled Oysters and Frittas. Unlike at Burger Bash, no official awards were given out, but our winner was Tim Love’s Lamb Belly BLT— a crunchy, well-dressed spin on a classic. Our Top 5 bites of the evening were rounded out by entries from Restaurant August, Centrico, Big Bob Gibson Bar-BQ, and Restaurant Mirazur (Menton, France).
Pork Belly featured in Centrico’s Tacos.
AlwaysSoBe: Symon and Schwartz Take Burger Bash
February 26, 2010
Clockwise from top: B Spot’s Fat Doug Burger, Michael’s Genuine Bacon Cheeseburger, Morimoto’s Pork “Kakuni” Burger, and The Standard Hotel’s Mini Blue Burger.
The burger barons came out to play at last night’s Amstel Light Burger Bash, kicking off the 2010 South Beach Wine & Food Festival in epically gluttonous style. Presented by Allen Brothers, and hosted by Rachel Ray, the event featured entries from 27 chefs from around the country.
Returning champ, Spike Mendelsohn, still riding high off his victory in New York, came prepared to throw down. Spike was surrounded by a cheering squad, and donned boxing gloves and a robe, like the Ali of Burgers. His Farmhouse Bacon Cheeseburger was solid, but ultimately it was Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, holding home court advantage, who took home the Golden Grill Award for his Michael’s Genuine Bacon Cheeseburger.
For the people’s choice award, it all came down to a tight race between fellow Iron Chefs Bobby Crunch Master Flay and Michael Symon. In the end, Symon’s Fat Doug Burger triumphed over Flay’s crunchified Dallas Burger. We couldn’t agree more. As much as we enjoyed Blackberry Farm’s Chow Chow Cheeseburger and Marc Burger’s Crunchy BBQ Kobe Burger, Symon’s combination of a juicy patty, salty, crunchy pastrami bits, and a soft potato roll was easily our favorite.
Click here for the winners, some of our favorites, and the full slideshow >>
AlwaysSoBe: Patrón’s Great Debate After-Party
February 26, 2010
Meyer Lemon and Jalapeño Cocktail with freshly shaved ice at Patron’s Great Debate after-party.
Judging by the crowd of chefs and stylish festival-goers around the pool of the W Hotel at Patrón’s Great Debate after-party, it was clear that some tequila was just what was needed after gorging at Burger Bash. Patrón cocktails, including exceptional Margaritas, intoxicatingly large shots, Mojitos, and an exceptional drink made with a Meyer Lemon-Jalapeño mixture that was finished with freshly shaved ice. It was like a spicy, tequila-laced fruit slushie. Those who still had room enjoyed tasty bites like gnocchi made with potato and with ricotta, and a duo of tuna carpaccio and tartare. Check out the scene, and the cocktails in the slideshow below.
Featured Brunch: Buttermilk Channel
Maryse Chevrière — February 26, 2010
Fried Pork Chop with Cheddar Waffles.
That Buttermilk Channel is a great brunch spot is no secret— the not insignificant number of people hovering outside on Sunday at noon is an obvious reminder. You’d think there was no other place else nearby to get poached eggs or a plate of decent flapjacks! Then you see a tall stack of fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes at the adjacent table, glistening with thick, drizzled maple syrup, and you know that the hour you spent waiting wasn’t for nothing.
At dinner, the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Cheddar Waffles is not to be missed. But at brunch, the move is its cousin— the Fried Pork Chop. It’s served with the same chewy, cheese-crusted waffles, and a side of maple syrup. Try the syrup if you want that salty-sweet effect, but you don’t actually need it and you won’t want to soften the crust. It’s like the kind on great coconut shrimp— light, not greasy, and audibly crunchy. Combined with the chop’s thinness, it really makes for an enjoyable dish.
More About Buttermilk Channel >>
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