Featured Restaurant: Chalet Alpina
GutterGourmet — March 12, 2010
Clockwise from top: Potato Pancake with Sour Cream and Apple Sauce, the Bavarian Platter, Pints of Spaten, and the Chalet Alpina coat of arms.
Metropolitan Avenue near Woodhaven Blvd and Forest Hills Gardens was once home to a large German immigrant population in the mid-50’s and 60’s. Chalet Alpina caters to the original, now elderly, residents, and those pining for a taste of Bavaria. As you walk in, an older German woman plays the accordion, flashing you back to those sixth grade auditions for “The Sound of Music.”
More Photographs of Food at Chalet Alpina >>
Featured Dish: Rustica Pizza
Arthur Bovino — March 08, 2010
Clockwise from top: Manducatis Rustica’s Rustica Pizza. The fireplace at the back of the dining room.
Manducatis has been a Long Island City stalwart almost uninterrupted since 1959. No one is saying it’s the City’s best Italian. But there is still something fun about walking through its non-descript door and into the cascading dining rooms that each feel like secrets. Development may have infiltrated Long Island City, but Manducatis’ owners, the Cerbones, have made their own progress in the past two years. Namely, when their daughter, Chef Gianna Cerbone opened her Italian café nearby: Manducatis Rustica.
There is a doll-house, but thrown together quality to Rustica’s decor. An old oven. Mismatching chairs. Brick walls. There’s a large open doorway to the kitchen. The layout takes a cue from Manducatis, with a working fireplace in the back of the first dining room.
You may have heard about their celebrated calzone, a sauce-covered $15.00 behemoth described as “a pizza folded over on itself.” But there’s also a list of brick oven, Neapolitan-style pizzas. The eponymous pizza pie, the Rustica ($13.00), is dressed with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, and a healthy pile of fresh arugula. The dough is chewy and pliable, if not necessarily very crisp. You could see how it would make for a good calzone. For dessert, there’s fresh gelato, and cannolis done the right way— plain or chocolate-dipped, but filled to order. Now that’s Italian…American.
Restaurant: Manducatis Rustica
Address: 46-33 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, NY 11101
Contact: (718) 937-1312
Hours: Mon-Thur, 12:00pm-9:00pm; Fri-Sat, 12:00pm-10:30pm; Sun, 12:00pm-8:30pm.
AlwaysInvestigating: X-Tudo Burger
Arthur Bovino — March 08, 2010
Cross-section of the X-Tudo Burger at New York Pão de Queijo in Astoria, Queens.
Any sandwich whose name begins with an ‘X,’ especially a sandwich that is Brazilian, deserves attention. That goes double when that X is followed by ‘tudo,’ which means ‘everything’ in Portuguese. Many of Brazil’s snack bars serve a version of the X-Tudo, which is a cheeseburger with many toppings. While New York has its own non-Brazilian, topping-towering burgers (the Sunburnt Cow’s Burger with the Lot for one), finding one with South American flare is more difficult. One place where you can find the X-Tudo is New York Pão de Queijo (left) in Astoria.
AlwaysInvestigating: Mozzarella from Factory to Plate
Arthur Bovino — January 29, 2010
Franco Spatola uses his own fresh mozzarella on his pizzas at Da Franco in Queens.
You can find great mozzarella and great pizza in New York. But restaurants that make mozzarella from scratch to put on their pizza? That’s another story. When Franco Spatola offered a factory to plate demonstration in Queens, we couldn’t resist.
Mozzarella from Factory to Table >>
Always Hungry: The Perfect Chocolate Malted
GutterGourmet — January 28, 2010
A Banana Chocolate Malted at Eddie’s Sweet Shop in Forest Hills, Queens.
Growing up in Queens, little league baseball was life and death. To lose a game invoked serious thoughts of suicide. Fortunately, the coach, who was the father of one of my teammates, knew the perfect way to get us over our shame and mentally prepare us for next week’s game: chocolate malteds! As we only got to go for malteds when we lost, I must confess I might have looked at a few too many strikes.
The thing about the perfect malted is that to construct one, you need specific ingredients and even more specific equipment. The places that have these things are soda fountains like Lexington Candy Shop, Hildebrandt’s in Williston Park, and Eddie’s Sweet Shop in Forest Hills, which has been around since 1909. Never drive through Queens without stopping for one (for a great variation, try their banana chocolate malted).
Of course, you could always make yourself a malted at home. If you do, keep in mind the following:
AlwaysInvestigating: New York’s Best Pão de Queijo
Arthur Bovino — January 08, 2010
Cross-section from Churrascaria Plataforma’s Pão de Queijo.
If you’ve visited Brazil you know about Brasileiros’ love for Pão de Queijo (learn more), the addictive, gluten-free cheese gougère made with tapioca starch. Like arancini in Italy, doubles in Trinidad, pizza in New York or pan con tomate in Spain, pão de queijo is one of Brazil’s most iconic snacks.
Natives of Minas Gerais may contend this, but some of the Brazil’s best pão can be found at São Paulo’s Pão de Queijo Haddock Lobo. There is nothing in New York that approaches Haddock Lobo, but a few places go a long way to giving you a fix. We set out on a mission through three boroughs to find the City’s best, eating pão de queijo at a total of 14 places in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn, and keeping in mind the following criteria.
- Size: Domed and about three inches in diameter.
- Exterior: Slightly crispy and without a gummy coating.
- Interior: Light and airy with holes, semi-hollow and slightly gummy.
- Flavor: Savory and cheesy. Adding salt should be unnecessary.
- Temperature: They don’t have to be piping hot but at their best they’re at least a little warm.
We discovered a few things about the state of New York’s pão de queijo. One, it’s easy to mess up. Two, the City’s renditions are smaller by almost two thirds on average, and often, heavier. Three, for the number of Brazilians living in Astoria, we were surprised that so few of the pão de queijo in that area ranked near the top. Lastly, New York’s best pão de queijo are free…with drinks. You’re welcome!
Without further ado, New York’s best pão de queijo, worst to first.
Click Here for a Search for New York's Best Pão de Queijo >>
Always Hungry: Queens Hot Dog Trucks
GutterGourmet — January 08, 2010
Top, D’Angelos Italian Sausage with peppers and onions. Left, D’Angelos. Right, Angel Bonilla.
Long before the advent of trucks selling gourmet desserts, mini-cupcakes, waffles and even schnitzel, the D’Angelo family was selling life-affirming hot dogs in two very different regional styles alongside St. John’s Cemetery on Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens. The styles are miles apart in taste profile, but the two different trucks selling them are separated by only several hundred yards. Both were owned by the D’Angelo family, who have been doing this for about 40 years, but the Dominick’s truck was recently sold to a family friend.
Why St. Johns Cemetery? Angel Bonilla, one of the family members who runs the D’Angelos cart, laughed and said, “My uncle started it here many years ago, for no particular reason. He thought it was a good location. It seems to have worked out well for us though.” They’re hoping for similar fortune with their new Huntington location (918 E. Jericho Turnpike), which opened about a year ago.
Continue Reading About Dominick's and D'Angelos Hot Dogs and Sausages >>
AlwaysHungryOlympics: Queens
Arthur Bovino and Maryse Chevrière — December 08, 2009
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Top left: the ’7.’ Restaurant exteriors, clockwise: stops #1-7 below.
You’ve seen AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Olympics-style eating before, most recently in a New Haven pizza quest with I Dream of Pizza’s Jason Feirman and company. From one Olympics another was born: Destination Queens. It was organized by fellow New Haven pizza-questers and Queens residents, Jason and Deb Scher.
With Sam Sifton’s recent review of Imperial Palace in mind, the timing couldn’t have been better. While we didn’t storm the Palace this time, it was only because we really couldn’t eat anymore.
Mission: Determine recommended dish worthy bites at seven significant Queens’ destinations in one day.
Click Here for Pictures from a Day of Olympic-Style Eating in Queens >>
Featured Restaurant: Taverna Kyclades
AlwaysHungry — November 11, 2009
Small Peasant Salad with Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Onions, Cucumber and Feta.
When it comes to authentic Greek cuisine, we all know Astoria is the place to go. Not only does the neighborhood boast a Greek population, and awesome Greek cuisine, but these restaurants are also easy on the wallet. The AlwaysHungryNY.com favorite has for a long time been Elias Corner, but Taverna Kyclades is also a delicious experience that’s worth the trip.
Read the Full Review of Taverna Kyclades here.
AlwaysPartying: 2009 Vendy Awards
The Hungry Goat — September 28, 2009
New York City’s love affair with street vendors was on full display at Saturday’s 2009 Vendy Awards. A crowd of over 1,000 hungry New Yorkers—a record high for the event—filed into historic Corona Park to sample and support the eleven contenders by way of an hours-long eat and repeat marathon.
Highlights included: Biryani Cart’s kick-ass Kati Roll, the chorizo huaraches by Vendy’s winner, Country Boys/Martinez Taco Truck, Big Gay Ice Cream Truck’s Caramelized Bacon Ice Cream Sandwich, and “Freddy” The King of Falafel’s unforgettable performance with two lovely belly dancers.
Top, Country Boys/Martinez Taco Trucks’ Chorizo Huaraches. Bottom left, Chicken Tacos.
2009 VENDY CUP WINNER
Country Boys/Martinez Taco Truck – Fernando & Jolanda Martinez
Served: Fernando said he selected his clients’ favorites, Huaraches, Quesadillas or Tacos with a choice of chicken, beef, or vegetarian filling.
AlwaysHungry For: Anything with seafood.
AHNY Notes: Fernando said his favorite restaurants are El Viejo Yayo, and Barzola.
AlwaysLearning: Coxinha
Arthur Bovino — September 08, 2009
Top, Coxinha & Guaraná soda from Barril Grill. Left, Barril Grill, 30-18 Broadway, Astoria. Right, Coxinha cross-section, New York Pão de Queijo, Astoria.
Sure there are Pastels and Bolinhos de Bacalhau but when you consider the Brazilian salgadhino that comes to mind most quickly after Pão de Queijo, it’s likely to be Coxinha (pronounced, Co-sheen-ya).
Where it’s from: Brazil.
What it is: At its most basic, coxinha is a croquette filled with minced chicken and seasonings. In Brazil, each coxinha is usually about two and a half to three inches long and about one and a half to two inches wide. It can be found in Brazil’s little corner coffee shops throughout the country. Where you find Pao de Queijo, you’ll most often also find coxinha. The word, ‘coxinha’ is said to actually mean ‘little chicken thigh”, and that’s supposedly what it originally contained. These days, the teardrop shape is said to be purposely reminiscent of this drumstick origin.
While it’s easily eaten on the go, coxinha is often consumed at the cafe counter where there’s usually a bottle of hot sauce. The top is torn or bitten off, and a dash of hot sauce is often used to spice it up as it’s eaten. The perfect coxinha resembles a misshapen arancine, and is similar in color. The outer shell should be crisp and delicate. Just underneath, a quarter-inch layer of batter and catupiry combines for a creamy effect, similar to a mashed potato paste. Finally, in the center, the minced chicken should be moist, flavorful and at least a little warm.
How it’s made: There are different preparations, but generally, chicken cooked with broth is then seasoned and minced, then enclosed in a wheat flour batter. Applications differ, but most recipes call for a Brazilian cream cheese called Catupiry. Some dictate that the cream cheese should be mixed with the chicken, some stipulate its inclusion with the batter, while others just note it should be present with the chicken when it’s battered and fried. This filling is then coated with batter and breadcrumbs, shaped to roughly resemble a drumstick, allowed to set and then fried.
Where to get it in New York: Coxinha in New York City tends to be much smaller on average than in Brazil but you can find it at several of the Brazilian restaurants in Midtown. Be careful, on occasion you’ll find a toothpick sticking out of the center. Whereas in Brazil you usually buy one individually (unless you’re hungry), here they’re served small and several to an order. Some restaurants serving them in Manhattan include Brazil Brazil Restaurant and Brazil Grill (787 8th Avenue). In Astoria, Rio Bonito and New York Pao de Queijo also sell decent renditions.
AlwaysInformed: Rio Bonito Market
Arthur Bovino — September 04, 2009
Rio Bonito Market Supermercado Brasileiro on 32-86 47th Street, in Astoria, Queens.
Recently, there was news about a Brazilian snack trend that had arrived in the city, the cone pizza, which was tracked down by I Dream of Pizza at Rio Bonito Market Supermercado Brasileiro on 32-86 47th Street in Astoria, Queens, and devoured before you could say “Di Fara waffle cone.” Negative reviews of the cone pizza aside, the rush to Rio Bonito reminded us just how cool this little green and yellow painted market is.
You can find all kinds of Brazilian products in this former garage, like Catupiry (Brazilian cream cheese), Guarana (Brazilian soda), Caju and Maracuja juice, Doce de Leite as well as frozen Pão de queijo and açai pulp. There’s also an in-house butcher in the back of the store, and of course, fresh pão de queijo and coxinha.
Click on the thumbnails below for pictures of some of the Brazilian products you can find at the market.
AlwaysLearning: Pão de Queijo
Arthur Bovino — September 04, 2009
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Pão de Queijo in Astoria at New York Pão de Queijo, $1.75.
Pão de Queijo (pronounced, pow de KAY-ju, with a nasal ‘ow’) is an addictive, gluten-free, South American salgadinho.
Where it’s from: Pão de Queijo is one of many different salgadhinos (snacks), like Coxinha and Pastels, which you can find everywhere in Brazil. It is most often sold at cafés, where it’s eaten with espresso for breakfast while standing at a counter— though it can be found all day. Variations are said to be found in Bolivia, where they’re known as Cuñapé, and in Paraguay and Northern Argentina where they’re known as Chipás.
What it is: In Portuguese Pão de Queijo means ‘cheese bread.’ Bread isn’t quite accurate— gougère or cheese profiterole is more apt. Basically, it’s a domed cheese puff one to three inches wide, made using Povilho Azedo, cassava flour (tapioca starch) usually with Queijo de Minas cheese inside. Origins are murky, but it’s thought to have been created by slaves who harvested the yucca crops and gathered the starch leftover after processing. Starch was rolled into balls and baked. Later, when cattle-farming became widespread, cheese was introduced. One Brazilian chain that specializes in it, Casa do Pão de Queijo (founded in 1967 in São Paulo), attributes it to the 18th century in the state of Minas Gerais, a region in the Southeast of Brazil, a little less than 300 miles from Rio.
How it’s made: Recipes vary, but generally, milk, oil and butter are first mixed over heat. Then tapioca flour, eggs and cheese are added. After the mixture cools, balls of dough are formed and cooked for about twenty minutes. The combination of tapioca starch and cheese creates a slightly gummy, chewy consistency inside, like a palatable rubber cement. When done right, they are crisp on the outside and light, airy, warm and slightly chewy on the inside with full, cheesy flavor. One of Brazil’s best places for pão de queijo is in São Paulo— Pão de Queijo Haddock Lobo —a little shop in a neighborhood called Jardins Paulista.
Where to get it in New York: There are pockets of Brazilian restaurants downtown (like Casa and Cafe La Palette in the West Village, and one place in the East Village, Esperanto) that serve pão de queijo, as well as a few in Midtown (Emporium Brasil) on what’s left of Little Brazil on 46th Street (“Little Brazil Street”) and also in Newark, and Astoria, Queens.
One AlwaysHungryNY.com favorite spot for pão is New York Pão de Queijo (right), a small café in Astoria. It has other treats including açai na tigela and a bevy of Brazilian fruit juices. Fair warning: once you’ve eaten one, it’s difficult to stop.
AlwaysLearning: Açai Na Tigela
Arthur Bovino — July 27, 2009
Açai na Tigela at New York Pão de Queijo in Astoria, Queens
There may be more fruits in Brazil than English words for them. One, açai, has had quite a run. As recently reported, it was added to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: “small dark purple fleshy berrylike fruit of a tall slender palm of tropical Central and South America that is often used in beverages.” Little wonder, it’s in everything from cocktails to cheesecake. There’s even acai liquor.
Its notoriety is due to its reputation as an energy-booster and antioxidant source. Health benefits are debatable, its great taste and the best way to eat it (Açai na Tigela) aren’t. You won’t hear AlwaysHungryNY.com rhapsodize about smoothies. This ain’t no smoothie.
What it is: Açai’s flavor is often described as a cocoa-like berry. It can be found plain, but is often mixed with natural sweeteners like honey, cane juice and/or fruits and berries, like guaraná (high in caffeine and also endemic to Brazil). For Açai na Tigela, frozen pulp is blended with fruit (banana or berries) and either juice or milk. Consistency-wise, it should be thick enough to give you fishface if you try to suck it through a straw. But ‘Açai na Tigela’ means Açai “In the Bowl” in Portuguese, and that’s the way it should be served: covered with granola and sliced bananas.
Where it’s from: South America, namely, Brazil, from Olinda to Brasília, São Paulo to Rio, at roadside stands, on beaches and at juice bars in favelas and affluent neighborhoods— wherever there’s electricity. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert, it’s cool, refreshing and filling— a Brazilian way of life.
Where to get it in New York: Nine out of ten times you’ll find it in smoothies. Ignore these soupy disasters. Açai is thick— more ice than ice cream— less water ice than gelato. The best place for it in New York City is New York Pão de Queijo, (view site), a little café in Astoria, blocks from the Broadway Station of the N/W train (view map). It can also be found in Brooklyn at Bogota Latin Bistro (view map) and Siggy’s (view map)
You can make your own using packets of Sambazon açai bought online or from Whole Foods, or Rio Bonito in Astoria (view map).
AlwaysPartying: Grill-off at Water Taxi Beach (Long Island City)
Josh Kaplan — July 23, 2009
Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City, Queens
Tuesday night, the brave, food-serious masses paid $35 to eat grilled food while huddling under tents as it rained in Long Island City at Water Taxi Beach (view site) for the Local Grill-off, the signature event of the first annual NYC Good Beer Month sponsored by the Good Beer Seal. The event benefited the Slow Food NYC Harvest Time and Snail Buck programs, which encourage New Yorkers to buy local food from regional Greenmarket farmers.
Amateur contestants battled for the title of “Good Beer Month Grill-off Champion” by preparing grilled food that was supposed to be produced from sustainably and humanely-raised animals and produce grown on farms within 150 miles. Challengers ranged in experience— some were semi-professional, competitive cooks while others were nine-to-fivers seeking culinary adventure. Their ingredients were grown, purchased, foraged, donated and hand-picked from farmers’ markets and local farms.
Ribs Within took top honors with their Smoked Pork Belly with Bok Choi Shooter. The best of the rest succeeded by aiming low and letting local, seasonal ingredients speak for themselves.
Clockwise from top left: BBQ Chicken Wings (Fatty Cue), Motz Burger (Water Taxi Beach), Pulled Pork & Pork Belly (Fette Sau)
There was other food on hand. Water Taxi Beach offered their Motz Burger and Fette Sau provided their pulled pork and ethereal pork belly. Jimmy Carbone of Jimmy’s No. 43 hosted and provided Flying Pig Farm’s Sausages with mustard. But Zak Pelaccio’s Fatty Cue owned the day with a preview of his brined, smoked, grilled, curried BBQ chicken wings served by Fatty Crab chef Corwin Kave. It was paired with a “wing condiment” (rye, sherry and lemon orgeat), a riff on the Mai Tai designed to be paired with the West Indian dry rub spices on the wings.
Following are the contestants, their entries, the farms from which they acquired their ingredients and the contestants’ favorite summer ingredients.
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