SEARCH: Where to Watch the Big Game

Maryse Chevrière — February 05, 2010

Clockwise from top: scene from the Saints’ victory over the Vikings, Acme’s Fried Shrimp Po’Boy, Kate’s Crazy Wings from Wogies, and Cabrito’s Danger Dog.

If you’re planning to throw a Superbowl party, we’ve already got you covered. But let’s say you want to pass on the hosting duties and obligatory clean-up hassle. Where’s the best place to go for tasty snacks, strong drinks and good company while watching the Saints take on the Colts in Superbowl XLIV?

We’ve made it simple for you. Just go to Always Hungry’s Very Advanced Search Engine, select “Guys’ Night Out” from the By Occasion field and “Flat Screens Included” from the By Features field, for a list of great game day options.

Naturally, a lot of restaurants are offering specials deals for the event. A few interesting ones:

• Delmonico’s is serving up Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Double-Fried French Fries and unlimited Stella Artois on the house from 5:30pm to 6:30pm.
• For something less traditional, Artisanal is doing a Monterrey Jack Fondue with Black Beans and Chipotle ($48.50/person).
• If you’re one of the many who have been not-so-patiently awaiting the opening of Fatty ‘Cue, both Fatty Crab locations will serve a preview menu (though only the Fatty uptown has TV’s).

AlwaysInformed: Octopus Lives in a Coconut Under the Sea

December 15, 2009

Word comes from Australia today that scientists have documented a veined octopus in Indonesia that collects coconut shells and carrying them across the ocean floor to form a makeshift hideaway. It is the first documented proof of an invertebrate animal using tools. Spongebob lives in a pineapple under the sea, why can’t an octopus live in a coconut?

The discovery doesn’t exactly have us craving coconut-crusted calamari, but it inspired thought about restaurants that serve great octopus dishes. Click here to see them, or just type “octopus” into AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search.

Video: You’ve Been Opening Bananas the Wrong Way…

December 09, 2009

“My whole adult life I never knew the right way to open a banana and now you do too.”

You think you’re smarter than a monkey. You think you’re so phisticated cause you’re living your life like a good homo sapien. You think you’re so educated and so civilized cause you know how to do simple things, like open a banana. But are you sure about that last one?

Make like an apeman. Watch the video, “Open a Banana Like a Monkey,” then use AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search to find some of the best banana dishes in New York City.

AlwaysPartying: National Guacamole Day

AlwaysHungry — November 13, 2009

Arcane’s Feroce D’Avocat: Bacalao Guacamole.

Tomorrow (11/14) is National Guacamole Day, and to celebrate, we’re shining the spotlight on one of the more interesting renditions we’ve eaten lately. We’ve enjoyed unique add-ins like beets and watermelon in the guacamoles at Mercadito Cantina, but Arcane’s (view) French Caribbean take, Bacalao Guacamole, was a pleasant surprise. A good guac needs a decent amount of salt and using bacalao accomplishes that while adding a hint of the sea. The texture is certainly different (creamy with a slight chew) and odd at first. But eaten on top of the soft, sweet, fried plantain rounds, it’s addictive.

Of course, whether you enjoy more out-of-the-box interpretations or prefer a classic tableside preparation, all you need to do is type ‘Guacamole’ into AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search Engine to find the best New York City has to offer.

Take a look at our guacamole recommendations before drinking margaritas make you forget what you were even celebrating in the first place.

SEARCH: French Onion Soup

November 02, 2009

Bar Americain’s Vidalia Onion Soup w/Parker House Crouton & Blistered Vermont Cheddar, $11.00.

Sure, soup is the perfect meal on a cold night, but some soups are better than others. Case in point: French Onion Soup. Any soup smothered in bubbling, burnt cheese is going to have an advantage over an unadorned bowl. However, not all French Onion Soups are executed equally, and no amount of melted cheese is going to save a poorly seasoned soup.

French Onion Soup is actually relatively easy to make—-sweet onions are slowly caramelized then simmered in beef stock. The purpose of the crouton, aside from being juicy and soaked with deliciousness, is to help the cheesy overlay stay afloat. As for cheese, Gruyère is the most commonly used, although Fontina, Cheddar, Parmesan, or a combination of them, are all valid choices. As long as the cheese is properly blistered and gooey it will most likely taste great.

Bar Americain’s (view) rich Vidalia Onion Soup (above) is one of Manhattan’s best. The thick broth is full of sweet, soft onions, and the coating of Vermont white Cheddar is sharp and distinctive.

But Bobby Flay isn’t the only chef serving a fantastic crock of French Onion Soup in Manhattan. By typing “French Onion Soup” in quotes into the search field of AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Advanced Search Engine we compiled a list of some of our other favorites.

SEARCH: Marathon Pasta Bender

The Gluttoness — October 30, 2009

Clockwise from top left: Penne Bolognese from Vinny Vincenz, Enoteca Barbone’s Spaghetti Carbonara, Il Bagatto’s Gnocchetti Verdie Blu, and Max’s Lasagna Fatta in Casa.

Every experienced marathoner knows that the night before the big race the best thing to do is load up on carbs. While the sponsored Barilla Marathon Eve Dinner may be satisfactory to some, if anyone at AlwaysHungryNY.com were going to run in the ING New York City Marathon, industrial vats of pasta just wouldn’t cut it. We’d prefer to shake things up with some variety, a little Bolognese, some Carbonara, maybe some Lasagna and Gnocchi.

Keeping in mind the Barilla Dinner’s $15 price, we used AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Advanced Search Engine to create a Marathon pasta bender using good, but moderately priced pasta dishes from four conveniently located cheap eats restaurants. The East Village was the perfect neighborhood for a budgeted excursion.

For the sake of finishing the marathon we’d recommend skipping wine, but the following four restaurants should help you build the perfect starchy base for your 26.2- mile run.

1st Stop: Vinny Vincenz for Penne Bolognese ($9.75)

2nd Stop: Enoteca Barbone for Spaghetti Carbonara ($11.00)

3rd Stop: Max for Lasagna Fatta in Casa ($10.95)

4th Stop: Il Bagatto for Gnocchetti Verdie Blu ($12.50)

SEARCH: Cozy, Romantic Date at a Downtown Hidden Gem

AlwaysHungry — October 23, 2009

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese at dell’anima in the West Village.

There are certain cozy restaurants that while delicious year-round, are all the more appealing when the temperature drops—as comforting as a cashmere blanket on a chilly night. And with the wind whipping around the buildings who better to share a meal with at a cozy restaurant than your special someone?

We used AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Advanced Search Engine, to find the perfect intimate destinations for your next tryst. We selected downtown, then checked date place and romantic in the “By Occasion” section and cozy and hidden gem in the “By Features” section. Click here for AlwaysHungryNY.com’s recommendations and enjoy dinner. Then go get busy under that cashmere blanket.

AlwaysPartying: Klee Brasserie’s Oktoberfest

GutterGourmet — September 30, 2009

Left to right, Frankfurter, Kase, Bockwurst, Knackwurst, Wiener, and Andalusian sausages.

Munich’s official Oktoberfest started weeks ago and ends this Sunday, but Klee Brasserie (view) kicked off its month-long celebration last night with an Oktoberfest Sausage and Beer Tasting. Chef Daniel Angerer said he’s horrified that the bacon wrapped hot dog covered with avocados and sour cream (the Chihuahua) Crif Dogs is New York City’s representative of American sausage. Making the ‘wurst’ of a bad situation, he found a sausage maker (a fellow Austrian ex-pat whose identity and upstate location he’s keeping secret) who shares his desire to bring Austrian “wurst kultur” to the city. Through the rest of the month, Angerer is rotating six wursts on Klee’s Oktoberfest menu (all available at the party) as well as several other notable dishes like a Jager Meatloaf, House-made Mangalitsa Strudel and an Oktoberfest Pizza.

Continue Reading >>

SEARCH: Peking Duck

The Gluttoness — September 24, 2009

Sliced Peking Duck at Philippe.

Peking Duck isn’t just a meal. When that gilded, lacquered bird is presented tableside it’s a full-on, succulent experience that engages all the senses. Fat-trimmed shards of duck are wrapped in pancakes, usually with hoisin and julienned scallion and/or cucumber. The assembly only adds to the anticipation of the bite, the moist meat enhanced by the sweet sauce and crisp produce. Best of all, forks and knives are set aside and you get to eat with your fingers, the customary way to consume it at even the finest Chinese restaurants.

Whether you’re looking for white tablecloths or a casual trip to Chinatown, the best Peking Duck isn’t always located in the fanciest of places. To prove our point, we typed “Peking Duck” into our Very Advanced Search Engine. From Mott Street to Madison Avenue, here are AlwaysHungryNY.com’s favorite restaurants for Peking Duck in Manhattan.

Peking Duck House

Chinatown Brasserie

Mr. K’s

Philippe (above)

Pig Heaven

Tao

Tse Yang

SEARCH: Flatscreens for Your Football

September 11, 2009

Cercle Rouge’s “Cercle Wings,” house special chicken wings.

Last night, the defending Superbowl champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Tennessee Titans 13-10, marking the 2009 debut of NFL football. It also marked the beginning of an eating season filled with AlwaysHungryNY.com favorites like nachos, wings, and jalapeño poppers. There are plenty of places in New York City to eat great food and watch the game, including as we noted today about Tenzan, surprisingly enough, one where you can simultaneously eat good sushi. But when we think football season, we think Buffalo wings, and when we think wings, one restaurant in particular comes to mind: Cercle Rouge (restaurant page).

Hard as it may be to believe, this TriBeCa-based, classic French bistro scores a touchdown with their Cercle Wings. As we previously reported, Executive Chef Pierre Landet tweaks the traditional recipe by adding a few upscale touches, like “Frenching” the bone, but a final coating of Frank’s Red Hot harkens the original enough to satisfy purists.

While the wings at Cercle Rouge are certainly top-notch game day fare, the setting is probably not the rowdy bar space that you’re looking for. Not to worry, if a place with pitcher specials and a room with 14 HD TV’s (like at Southern Hospitality) is more your speed, we’ve got you covered.

Just go to AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search Engine and select “Guys’ Night Out” from the What Occasion field and “Flat Screens Included” in the What Features field, to get a list of restaurants where you can take in the game.

SEARCH: Celebrate National Wiener Schnitzel Day

September 09, 2009

Blaue Gans’ Jäger Schnitzel with Mushrooms, Bacon and Fresh Herbed Spätzle, $28.

Today is National Wiener Schnitzel Day. This traditional Eastern European dish is Austrian in origin and consists of a thin slice of veal cutlet that is breaded and fried. Austrians take their schnitzel very seriously— supposedly they’ve protected the term by law so that it can only be used when the dish is made with veal. Unfettered by this protection, New York City offers many varieties of schnitzel. As Midtown Lunch recently noted, the newly opened Schnitzel Express is offering eight distinct variations. Of course, you always have the option of preparing your own, in which we case we recommend following Kurt Gutenbrunner’s expert lead with our instructional video, Holy Schnitzel!

In order to find our favorite schnitzels in the city we’ve turned, as always, to AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search Engine. Just go to the search field and type in “schnitzel,” and you’ll get the list of restaurants below.

Blaue Gans: All schnitzel, particularly, Jäger Schnitzel w/Mushrooms, Bacon & Spätzle (above)

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden: Chicken Schnitzel

Klee Brasserie: Veal Wiener Schnitzel (Saturday Only)

Loreley: Pork Schnitzel

Pita Joe: Joe Schnitzel

Radegast Hall & Biergarten: Veal Schnitzel with German Potato Salad

Wallsé: Wiener Schnitzel

Zum Schneider: Wiener Schnitzel

SEARCH: New Season, New Ingredients

September 07, 2009

Left, Eleven Madison Park’s Seared Atlantic Halibut with Sweet Corn, Summer Radishes & Purslane. Right, Sautéed Cod with Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash.

Labor Day means that summer is officially coming to an end. For most of us this simply means it will be getting cool again, but for chefs the fall means the changing of the guard, ingredient-wise at least. Goodbye, squash blossoms and sweet corn. Hello, apples, pumpkin and Brussels sprouts.

If you’re interested in keeping current about what to expect at the local Greenmarket, use AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Seasonal Calendar. If you’re going to leave cooking to the professionals, you could choose a stalwart like Per Se, Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Jean Georges, or even Eleven Madison Park. Or you can use AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search to search by GreenMarket and cater a list of restaurants specific to your occasion.

Say you’re looking for a quality spot with seasonal food that’s great for a date— narrow your search by choosing A- or above from the drop-down menu, and checking off GreenMarket and Date Place in the By Cuisine and By Occasion sections. You will be provided with an AlwaysHungryNY.com approved list of appropriate restaurants.

Whatever occasion, the best way to embrace the onset of fall is with its fabulous flavors. Forget committing fashion faux pas, don’t get caught eating out of season. After all, fresh food is the best food.

AlwaysPartying: National Oyster Day

Arthur Bovino — August 05, 2009

It’s National Oyster Day and if there’s one thing we’re AlwaysHungry for it’s oysters. They’re tasty, great with drinks and they’re aphrodisiacs—what’s not to like? New York has had a connection with oysters that precedes colonialism (Mark Kurlansky’s book, The Big Oyster is a great account going back to the Hudson shell-middens of the Lenape Indians) and it continues to be a great place to eat oysters to this day. To celebrate, we compiled the ultimate oyster post so you can take an AlwaysHungryNY.com Olympics approach to this food holiday.

Below is a round-up of good restaurants with raw bars, a fried oyster round-up and a list of oyster happy hours. If you’re interested in some of the city’s notable oyster preparations check out AHNY’s Oyster Odyssey, a checklist of some of the city’s most significant oyster dishes.

Oysters on the Half Shell and Long Island Little Necks at The John Dory.

If you’re Downtown and want oysters with dinner, use the Very Advanced Search to generate a list of good restaurants with raw bars by selecting B+/A- and above, and Downtown from the “By Grade” and “Neighborhood” drop down menus, and Raw Bar in the expanded “By Features” blue box. Of course, you can do this for any neighborhood.

Before venturing out, a few words. First, we can be grateful the Kumomoto craze is over and every Tom, Dick and Harry has stopped saddling up to the bar wielding this word to impress dates. Second, Rowan Jacobsen’s The Oyster Guide is a great resource for learning about oysters in the States. Generally, East Coast oysters are more mild than West Coast ones. There are five categories of edible oysters.

Belons Salty with mineral finish. Indigenous to Europe. In US: Maine, California and Washington.
Eastern Salt, taste, texture vary. Canadian Maritime to Gulf of Mexico. Same type, regional names.
Pacific (Gigas) Sweet, slightly fruity and mineral. Available around the world.
Kumamoto Small, sweet, citrusy, often creamy. Originally from Japan. Also grown along West Coast.
Olympia Small, assertive flavor. Native to the Pacific Northwest.

CLICK HERE for AHNY’s list of GOOD DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTS WITH RAW BAR.

Pearl Oyster Bar’s fried oysters.

Fried Oysters. Crunchy. Juicy. Salty. Goodness with tartar sauce. Enter, “Fried Oysters” into AHNY’s Very Advanced Search to generate a round-up of some of the city’s best renditions.

CLICK HERE for AHNY’s FRIED OYSTER LIST.

OYSTER SPECIALS & HAPPY HOURS

Aquagrill:
Daily Happy Hour: 4pm-6pm, $1/Blue Point Oyster.
Cercle Rouge:
Sun-Thur: 4pm-7pm, $1.50/Oyster.
Ed’s Lobster Bar:
Tues: 5pm – Close, Sunday: 12pm-6pm, $2/Oyster.
Fishtail:
After 10pm, $1/Oyster.
Lure Fish Bar:
Mon-Fri: 5pm-7pm, $1/Oyster.
Shaffer City:
Daily Happy Hour: 4pm-8pm, $1.50/Oyster. Includes one type from each coast.
The John Dory:
Daily, 3pm—5pm $25/Dozen Oysters and Glass of Cava or a Half-Pint.

OnlyLook: Lucy Browne’s

The Gluttoness — August 04, 2009

The “Big O’ Burger,” described as a “secret blend crusted with sweet shallot,” $12.00.

For a restaurant to be significant, for it to be “approved” and included in AlwaysHungryNY.com’s quality-controlled, Very Advanced Search Engine, it must first be thoroughly investigated. Lucy Browne’s (view site) came onto our radar when our friend, Josh Ozersky (aka The Feedbag), got involved in the transformation of the former Steak Frites space into a comfort food eatery with the creation of his signature “Big O’ Burger.”

Thanksgiving on a Roll, $13.50.

We’ll get to the burger in a moment. Let’s start by saying, that if we had only tasted the Thanksgiving on a Roll, our experience may have amounted to a FirstLook, a glimpse into a new AHNY-approved eatery. The soft Balthazar roll housed a well-proportioned mix of holiday staples: stuffing, gravy, juicy slabs of turkey, and an authoritative cranberry sauce speckled with fruity gems. The accompanying mountain of French fries were commendable as well, impressively crisp. Their presence was the only thing that ultimately saved our unsatisfied palates as we waded through the other dishes.

Continue reading about AlwaysHungryNY.com's first, and only look at Lucy Browne's. >>

SEARCH: Good Food, Late at Night

July 22, 2009

You can use Always HungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search Engine to search for new restaurants or to learn more information about places that are already your favorites, but you can also use it to discover restaurants that are open when you need them to be.

If you’re looking for late-night good food in New York City, select “Until 1am” from the By Meal drop-down menu and select “A and Above” from the By Rating menu, and the Very Advanced Search Engine will generate a list of recommended restaurants for late night grubbing.

Whether you’re looking for food in the Village or a place in Murray Hill, it’s just another way that AlwaysHungryNY.com ensures that you will never eat another insignificant late-night meal again.