Always Investigating: Balkan cuisine at Djerdan
GutterGourmet — August 02, 2010
Traditional Veal Kebabs at Djerdan Burek.
On 38th Street, just west of 7th Avenue is a quiet, unassuming restaurant below street level that looks like it could be the home of the Bosnian Social Club. Fortunately for us, it’s not members only, and Djerdan Burek offers great Balkan cuisine to anyone daring to venture in.
AlwaysInvestigating: Jimmy’s Burger Shack
Arthur Bovino — July 21, 2010
Clockwise: No. 9 Burger (Fried Egg, Bacon, and Cheese) and “Shack Sauce” at Jimmy’s Burger Shack.
Summer rolls around and I want to get the hell out of Dodge, Malcolm X-style— JFK, LaGuardia, I-95, the Port Authority, and Penn Station— by any means necessary. And when you’re at Penn with time to kill, one of your best options (lest you want to brave oysters and bread bowls at Tracks) is New York Pizza Suprema. But travelers cannot live on pizza alone. Sometimes you have to shake things up. You wonder, “Can Jimmy’s Burger Shack be all that bad? It’s still there three years after opening, right?”
Featured Dessert: The “Shacked-Up”
Arthur Bovino — July 13, 2010
“Shacked-Up,” an off-menu mash-up of three new concretes.
SHAKE SHACK THEATRE DISCTRICT
Starring Danny Meyer
OPENING NIGHT: A SHAKE SHACK LINE!
A musical about tourists and zealots alike!
The new Shake Shack in Midtown West has created opportunities for burger headlines, pun-ridden show titles, and at the least, the names for three new menu-standard concretes: the Great White Way, Pretzel! The Concrete, and Jelly’s Last Donut. Those new menu items have also created the opportunity for a new over-the-top off-the-menu option, a mixture of all three.
AlwaysInvestigating: Sandwich Planet’s Napalm Burger
GutterGourmet — June 23, 2010
The Napalm Burger at Sandwich Planet, with a cross-section.
Recently, we profiled the Hellfire Slice. Today, we’re turning up the heat by reviewing Sandwich Planet’s Napalm Burger. Because of its location near the edge of the known solar system (the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel on 9th Avenue and 39th), stumbling upon Sandwich Planet can be like discovering Pandora. In lieu of Unobtainium, Sandwich Planet fulfills our species’ need for sandwiches and variety.
First Look: The Plaza Food Hall
Arthur Bovino — May 27, 2010
Left, Seared Tuna. Right, top to bottom: seafood display and dessert station at the raw bar in The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English.
First the Limelight Market, now The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English. The inexorable march to the Year of the Food Hall’s most anticipated opening— Eataly— continued last night with a preview of Todd English’s European-style tribute on the lower concourse level of The Plaza.
The 5,400 square foot space designed by Jeffrey Beers was packed with industry folk, there to eat sliders, examine the Todd English candy bars, sample sushi, and marvel at the school of fish on ice at the raw bar in the center of the room— a grand Alaskan King Crab surveying his domain.
Shelves were lined with high-end dry goods and sundries. And there were Wellfleets and Kusshis, macarons, cupcakes, tartlets, sliders, and more thin-crust pizza (quite decent though aggressively pushed) than you could imagine. Check out the slideshow below for a preview of the scene you will be able to see for yourself starting on the scheduled opening, June 4th.
Photographs at The Plaza Food Hall >>
AlwaysPartying: Toast of the Town 2010
Maryse Chevrière — May 25, 2010
Catsmo Smoked Trout with Chopped Beets and Shaved Fennel from Wall & Water.
As expected, the City’s wine fanatics came out to play at last night’s Toast of the Town grand tasting event hosted by Wine Enthusiast. The David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center was once again packed with well-heeled revelers sampling from more than 500 internationally acclaimed wineries and spirits producers.
There was food too, of course. Small plates from a handful of New York’s top restaurants helped keep party-goers on their feet as pours got bigger and continued until 10pm. Thalassa’s silky Olive Oil-cured Scallop over Caviar Mousse was a repeat favorite, joining Brasserie Cognac’s Lobster Bisque and Wall & Water’s Smoked Trout with Beets and Fennel as the evening’s best bites.
More Photographs from Toast of the Town 2010 >>
First Look: Momofuku’s Beef 7 Ways
GutterGourmet — May 19, 2010
Braised Shank, the main event of Ma Pêche’s Bay Fête de Bœuf, Beef 7 Ways.
Having partaken in Momofuku’s special epic preparations at Noodle Bar (Southern and Korean Fried Chicken) and at Ssäm Bar (Bo Ssäm), the Always Hungry crew answered the siren song of Ma Pêche’s online reservation-only Bay Fête de Bœuf, Beef 7 Ways, with mixed results.
Slice by Slice: New York Pizza Suprema
GutterGourmet — May 17, 2010
The Bacon Slice at New York Pizza Suprema in Midtown, and a Bacon Slice upskirt.
Any discerning pizza-lover who has missed a train at Penn knows the deal: Rosa’s will do in a pinch. But if you hurry, the place to grab a slice is New York Pizza Suprema, catty–corner on 8th Avenue where it has been since 1964. Suprema is a bastion of goodness in the pizza wasteland that is Midtown. What’s not often noted is that it can be discussed as a destination too. It’s no stretch to mention it in a conversation about members of New York’s pantheon of Metropolitan slicerias. We’re talking Joe’s, and Patsy’s of Harlem. As Suprema’s website says, “This pizzeria was here before Madison Square Garden.” But it had been a while since we’d visited so it was time for a state of the slice.
Featured Dish: Triomphe’s Scallops in Foie Gras Butter
GutterGourmet — May 12, 2010
Scallops with Porcini Mushroom and Foie Gras Butter.
Though overshadowed by its neighbor, DB Bistro Moderne and its infamous $32.00, foie gras-stuffed Original db Burger, Triomphe, the French restaurant tucked into the Iroquois Hotel, has a similarly luxe signature dish: Chef Steven Zobel’s Scallops with Porcini Mushrooms and Foie Gras Butter.
AlwaysInformed: The Hellfire Slice
GutterGourmet — May 10, 2010
The Hellfire slice at Hell’s Kitchen Pizza.
Curry phaal, super hot buffalo wings, Szechuan noodles, pizza. Pizza?
If you twist off the top of the dried red pepper flakes jar in order to get the proper level of spice on your run-of-the-mill slice, then there’s a pizzeria for you. The aptly named Hell’s Kitchen Pizza is located in, well, Hell’s Kitchen, on 10th Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets. You may have heard about it by way of their Mac-and-Cheese Pizza, but the eponymous slice, the Hellfire, is what’s of interest to heat-seekers.
This baby packs a triple threat of hot Italian sausage, sliced red and green cherry peppers, with pepperoni thrown in for good measure. We’re not talking habanero or Scotch bonnet Scoville levels here, but if you like your pizza with a kick, this slice kicks ass.
Location: Hell’s Kitchen Pizza
Address: 691 Tenth Avenue
Contact: (212) 765-8565
Always Informed: Snacks at Ardesia
Arthur Bovino — May 06, 2010
House-Made Goat Milk Ricotta Crostini.
Recently, the Midtown West winebar, Ardesia, was declared to have New York’s Most Ambitious Bar Food by Time Out New York. Sample the house goat milk ricotta and you’ll agree, the little tastes that Chef Amorette Casaus has created for thirsty revelers at this chic Manhattan hideaway reach high, and most satisfy.
One drawback is that to find Ardesia, you may end up forced to declare yourself ‘Most Intrepid Midtown Spelunker.’ If you haven’t been, head to the Hudson, then when you’re about to fall into it, keep going.
Featured Dish: Berliner Brat Burger
GutterGourmet — February 08, 2010
Clockwise from top: Berliner Brat Burger, Freakin Deal, and a Bratwurst.
Rolf Babiel has been missed since he passed last October, but thankfully, his brother Wolfgang carries on the Hallo Berlin cart tradition. I spent many a day on the corner of Fifth and 54th, waiting for my order to be ready— one of the great combination specials, often the ‘Dr. Atkins,’ or the ‘Churchill.’ Then there’s the ‘Freakin Deal,’ a wurst with onions, potato salad, and a warm crusty roll— a freakin’ deal indeed for $4.00. I loved to eat from an overflowing paper tray at one of the little folding counters on either side of the cart while watching Rolf slice the wursts and throw fresh ones on the grill.
But it’s a little cold for standing around outside, so lately I’ve taken to visiting Hallo Berlin Express on 9th Ave and 50th St. It has given me occasion to enjoy a sandwich that has not been given enough attention— the Triple B.
The Berliner Brat Burger is served on toasted bread with horseradish mustard and a pickle ($5.00). As the name suggests, it’s actually not so much a burger, as it is a salty, porky sausage in burger form. The one problem you encounter is that the bread doesn’t hold up to the juicy patty and its other toppings: rotwein, sauerkraut, and sautéed onions. But that won’t matter much when you down it while quaffing one of the German drafts they have on hand.
AlwaysInformed: Poseidon Bakery
GutterGourmet — December 07, 2009
An array of pastries from Poseidon Bakery. Bottom right, co-owner Lili Fable.
Poseidon may be the Lord of the Sea, but in Hell’s’ Kitchen, Poseidon Bakery has been the lord of Greek pastries since 1923. The best start to a meal here is to begin with a vegetable-the Spanakopita. It’s the Platonic ideal of the pastry in a flaky phyllo crust that shatters as you bite into it.
Click Here for Pictures of the Pastries at Poseidon Bakery >>
AlwaysFresh: 57th Street Market (11/18/09)
Michelle Kiefer — November 18, 2009
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Garlic from Morgiewicz Produce.
The AlwaysHungryNY.com Crew is hitting the streets and heading to farmers’ markets throughout the city to scope out the fresh, seasonal ingredients that are inspiring the culinary genius of locavore chefs and amateur gourmets alike.
This week, we were at the 57th Street Market (W. 57th St and Ninth Avenue, Wed and Sat, 8am-6pm). Click on the thumbnails below for pictures from our farmers’ market tour in Midtown. Remember, you can always use AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Seasonal Calendar Page to find out what is currently in season.
AlwaysInformed: Aureole’s Grilled Burger
AlwaysHungry — November 11, 2009
In today’s Dining Section, Sam Sifton wrote that the food at the new Aureole is “meh,” that is, except for the “extremely good” Aureole Grilled Burger. We totally agree. Below is AlwaysHungryNY.com’s post of July 21, 2009, lauding Chef Christopher Lee’s recommended dish-worthy burger:
Aureole Grilled Burger with Onion Rings.
There is no denying that New York Magazine assembled an epic slideshow of New York’s 82 Most Notable Burgers. While their round-up was ridiculously thorough, there may be a few burgers worth noting that have popped up since the list was finalized. Case in point, #83: Aureole’s Grilled Burger.
That Charlie Palmer’s Aureole (view) even has a hamburger on the menu shows how it has evolved from its stuffy, Upper East Side past. The “Aureole” Grilled Burger ($19) is available at lunch, and à la carte as a “bar room snack,” at dinner. It’s topped with Smoked Bacon, Vermont White Cheddar and Pickled Ramp Dressing.
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