AlwaysTraveling: Pink’s Hot Dogs (Los Angeles, CA)

Arthur Bovino — June 01, 2010

Clockwise from top: a Bacon Chili Cheese Dog at Pink’s, corner of Melrose and La Brea in Los Angeles.

Restaurant: Pink’s Hot Dogs
Address: 709 North La Brea Ave., LA, CA 90038
Hours: Sun-Thur, 9:30am-2am; Fri-Sat, 9:30am-3:00am.
Contact: (323) 931-4223
Grade: A-
Recommended Dishes: You can’t really lose, whether you start basic (Chili Cheese Dog) or go big (Three Dog Night).

Is there anything about Pink’s that hasn’t been said? Hard to imagine. After all, there’s a perpetual line, the walls are covered with autographed photos of celebrities, and it has been serving customers since Paul Pink started his pushcart in 1939. It has been lauded by no less than Johnny Apple and Ruth Reichl. Describing Pink’s is like explaining a bagel to a New Yorker— you don’t do it. But, Pink’s is a pilgrimage, so this is more celebration than revelation.

More at Pink's Hot Dogs >>

AlwaysPartying: National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day

January 14, 2010

Katz’s Pastrami and Eggs.

Today, January 14th, is National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day. This makes us think of one thing: KATZ’S. And, as we recently detailed in The Always Hungry Restaurant List: A Strategic Guide to New York Eating:

“For breakfast, have Eddie make you Pastrami and Eggs “the way the boss likes it,” which means he cooks the eggs on the hot dog grill to impart greasy flavor. With an order of Fries this is a breakfast for a king. At all other times, get a Pastrami Sandwich “Extra Fatty” and eat it with mustard and a side of Fries. This is the only Deli Sandwich that a man needs in his life. Start with a Matzoh Ball Soup. Have a Hot Dog while you wait. If he is there, only work with Eddie. Tell him you are a friend of mine. (See Video.)”

Featured Restaurant: Cafe Edison

GutterGourmet — December 03, 2009

Chopped Liver Sandwich at the Polish Tea Room. Left, 47th Street entrance. Right, lobby entrance.

So I’m schlepping around the Schmatte District looking for a bowl of matzoh ball soup and a nosh when I realize I’m all the way up on 46th street outside of The Hotel Edison (site). I walk through the hotel lobby all the way in the back through a nondescript door leading into a little coffee shop. Cafe Edison (view) aka the “Polish Tea Room” is not at all fancy-pants like the Russian Tea Room. In fact, it’s a bit schmutzy but haymish.

I get a booth and order the soup. The kneidlach are to die for. Better than the 2nd Avenue Deli’s if that’s possible. It was a shonda that this was not included in AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Top Five Matzoh Ball Soups! Then I order a bissel of the Kasha Varnishkes on the side, the Chopped Liver and the Hot Roumanian Pastrami on Rye. The bowtie pasta, buckwheat and onions are superb, the chopped liver with hard-boiled eggs needed a touch of salt, but the pastrami, though not up to Katz’s or the 2nd Avenue Deli’s standards, is just fine.

I am a maven when it comes to Chocolate Egg Creams and this one is poifect. Being a fresser, I cannot leave without ordering the blintzes, all three of them (the waiter already thinks I’m meshuga). The cheese, cherry and blueberry fried crepes make me think of my old bubby who was a waitress at Ratner’s when she was a girl. I ate so much I could plotz.

Café Edison is truly a time machine if you want to go kibitz or kvetch for an hour. I must return to try the Latkes, the Matzo Brei and the Gefilte Fish.

Click Here for Beautiful Pictures of Food at the Polish Tea Room >>

AlwaysInformed: Izz Nat Your Average Deli

The Gluttoness — October 14, 2009

Challah French Toast with Caramelized Bananas and Maple Butter.

Every neighborhood has its advantages, and while there is much I love about living way downtown, the lack of an authentic delicatessen has always been a problem. We’ve got Bubby’s and Kitchenette, my TriBeCa brunch staples, but while you may be able to order a Matzoh Ball Soup there, at neither place can you find a towering sandwich a la Katz’s. Gold St.‘s 24-hour diner concept was overthought, particularly the inclusion of a sushi bar, and ultimately, the food sucked. A good deli has to stay simple and classic. Izzy & Nat’s (view) successfully brings that authentic deli experience to Battery Park City.

The front of house is essentially your average bagelry (a luxury TriBeCa and the FiDi now have thanks to Zucker’s and Leo’s) with hand-rolled bagels, smoked fish, cold salads and schmears. The black and white tiles and leather booths give the dining room that old school deli flair. A lengthy menu provides a problem that I actually like to have—too many options—and the Fair Trade Organic Coffee, imported from Chile, is one of the best cups of joe I’ve had in a while.

On a recent visit, I thought I wanted lox and a bagel, but Challah French Toast and a Pastrami Benny kept luring my attention with promises of caramelized bananas and creamy hollandaise. Then there are all the Jewish staples: Kasha Varnishkes, Potato Pancakes, Matzoh Brie and Sweet and Sour Meatballs—not to mention a house-made Meat Knish with pastrami! Holy heaven. Should I make my own sandwich or settle for the always-satisfying Reuben? I decided on a towering Turkey Pastrami on Rye (right) and a warm slice of Chocolate Babka, which hit the deli spot. The meal tasted even better for having been able to devour it just a few blocks from home.

Maintaining the Grade: Momofuku Ko

Arthur Bovino & The Hungry Goat — September 09, 2009

We lucked out and scored a coveted reservation for dinner last night at Momofuku Ko (restaurant page). Taking pictures of composed plates is still banned so we annotated the meal with grades in the Dish by Dish style of two AlwaysHungryNY.com meals there in February.

Click here for the course by course >>

AlwaysHungryNY: CitiField’s Pastrami Dog

Arthur Bovino — May 20, 2009

Much has been written about the food at the Mets’ new ballpark, CitiField. AlwaysHungryNY has made a thorough investigation of the food both on the field-level and in the Acela Club. But one item, served at several Kosher Grill stands, seems to have been overlooked in all the fuss over “DannyMeyerField”: the Pastrami Dog, ($6.50).

You’re wondering if the dog is made with pastrami— it’s not. It’s a regular hot dog but it’s the best one in the ballpark. Under the watchful eye of Rabbi Katz (right, white beard), the hot dog is slipped into the bun and layered with a generous portion of pastrami which has been cooking on the flat top. The thin pastrami shavings add salty flavor and the ends that have slightly hardened while cooking, add texture. It’s a tasty combination, especially when loaded up with onions and mustard.

Discounting the Yanks’ Lobel’s Steak Sandwich, the Pastrami Dog is just another example of the superiority of the food at CitiField over what’s on the offer at Yankee Stadium.

AHNY: Top 5 Matzoh Balls? Nope, Just Three

Jeff Zalaznick & Arthur Bovino — April 07, 2009

In honor of Passover, AlwaysHungry set out to find New York’s top five matzoh balls. What we discovered surprised us: there is no Top 5. New York City, despite having the world’s second largest Jewish population outside Tel Aviv, has only three knaidlech contenders. Sure, it was close between the top two but for the most part, outside these top three contenders, everything else was for the birds.

Noodles and dill, carrots and celery—we decided not to consider these varying soup ingredients as determining factors. This is about matzoh balls. After all, competing philosophies on how best to construct them are distracting enough (seltzer or water? oil or schmaltz? how long should the eggs be beaten? seasoned inside or out? boiled in salt water or chicken broth?). For Top 5 purposes, we judged based on three criteria: texture, flavor and appearance.

Continue Reading About Matzoh Ball Mania… >>

Slashfood Round-Up: Primanti’s Takes the Cake

March 17, 2009

It’s not surprising that an AlwaysHungryNY correspondent has taken the trek to Primanti Brothers in Pittsburgh simply to cross the famed eatery off their sandwich bucket list. What is surprising is that of all the sandwiches in this great nation, Primanti Brothers’ Cheesesteak has won Slashfood’s title of Best Sandwich in America. The country-wide poll was voted on by Slashfood readers, and 54 esteemed restaurants made the cut. New York City was first represented by Porchetta in the 10 spot. Momofuku Ssam Bar’s Pork Bun came in at No. 25, followed by Baoguette’s Baoguette at No. 26. Number 46 went to the Pastrami on Rye at Katz’s Deli, and the biggest shocker of them all is No. 49, The Natte at The Hungarian Deli. We promise a follow-up investigation on this one.