Best of 2009: A Few Dishes
December 22, 2009
A few of AlwaysHungry’s favorite dishes of 2009.
There is no question that a lot of eating has gone down this year. Rookies have introduced new favorites and standbys have reminded us that oldies can still be goodies. To celebrate the conclusion of the ninth year of the aughts, we’ve compiled a little photo tour of a few of our favorite dishes and organized them into nine of our favorite food groups.
Click Here for a few of AlwaysHungry's Favorite Dishes of 2009 >>
FirstLook: MARK Burger
The Hungry Goat — October 20, 2009
MARK Burger’s Beef Slider, $2.00.
With everyone obsessing over Bill’s Bar & Burger there is a sleeper that is going under the radar that may just be serving the best sliders in New York. It was hard to imagine that something could have been missing from the already cramped restaurant row that is St. Mark’s Place. But with last week’s opening of MARK Burger (view), it became alarmingly clear that what it was missing—craving, even—was a good, cheap burger (or in this case slider) joint.
AlwaysInformed: Burger Poppin’
The Gluttoness — August 17, 2009
Champagne bottles from the ‘Quarter’ to the ‘Balthazar’ (courtesy nicks.com.au) & burger counterparts.
A recent nightclub outing brought us face-to-face with the Methuselah, an awesome and incredibly heavy bottle of champagne, equivalent to eight ordinary bottles. Bottles larger than magnums are generally filled with champagne that has been fermented in standard bottles or magnums, and are named after biblical figures. In terms of these epically-sized bottles, the Methuselah, a biblical patriarch said to have lived to the age of 969, only ranks as the seventh largest.
It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reason why champagne bottles are named thusly. There is speculation that the names were selected “to evoke importance and even a certain extravagance.” One site, uncork.biz, claims the earliest recorded use of these names is 1725 when Bordeaux winemakers were using the name Jeroboam for the four-bottle size, “It’s presumed they selected Jeroboam, the biblical founder of Israel…because he is referred to as ‘a man of great worth.’” There are larger sizes: Melchior (24 bottles), Solomon (33 bottles), Primat (36 bottles), and the Melchizedek (40 bottles), but as you might imagine, seeing one of these is a pretty rare occasion.
In order to best comprehend the disparity between the smallest bottle, the ‘Quarter,’ and the granddaddy, the Nebuchadnezzar (a 20 bottle monster, not pictured above), we thought it best to relate the increase in bottle sizes to one of the things AlwaysHungryNY.com knows best: burgers. In this case, as with the bottles of champagne, the larger and more extravagant the hamburger, the higher the price-tag The beef and bun Nebuchadnezzar is as monumental and seldom-ordered as its bubbly brother.
FirstLook: Aamchi Pao
Arthur Bovino — June 17, 2009
“There’s always a right time to reinvent yourself,” Chef Surbhi Sahni, told us recently at Aamchi Pao.
No, Chef Sahni isn’t leaving her post as Devi’s pastry chef. But she has joined Nandini Mukherjee as co-owner at the reincarnation of Mukherjee’s West Village restaurant of almost six years, the Indian Bread Co. As previously reported, the Stuffed Parathas and Naanwhichs (grilled Indian “panini”) are gone. There are still Kathi Rolls, but the Naan sandwiches have been replaced by “Pao,” renditions of Pav Bhaji, a Mumbai street food that is essentially an Indian Slider. The word “Pav,” in Marathi (the language of southwestern India), is said to come from Pão, the Portuguese word for bread.
Click here to read more about Aamchi Pao's Mumbai Sliders >>
HungryChefs: Chefs Love Lupa, Mixed on Hot Dogs
The Gluttoness — June 11, 2009
Roasted Pork Shoulder “Gyro” with Pickled Cucumber & Yogurt from Anthos at Street & Savory
Some of the country’s best chefs attended Citymeals-on-Wheels’ Street & Savory Tasting Event. We’ve already brought you pictures of all the dishes and rounded up our favorite plates, but we were also able to speak with the chefs.
Our questions were obvious: What are you AlwaysHungry for? Which New York City restaurant do you crave? And in keeping with the night’s theme: what would you serve if you opened your own street cart? Some chefs took the easy route, promoting dishes they had prepared for the evening, others were quite creative with their responses.
AlwaysInvestigating: About Giada’s Meatball Madness…
GutterGourmet — May 21, 2009
Now that Dish du Jour’s “Meatball Melée of the Boroughs” is behind us, and Nicky’s Famous Meatballs, a dark horse, deep-fried meatball by Bello Giardino’s, has taken the title, Best Meatballs in the Borough, it’s time to look forward to the next great meatball competition. This fall’s return of the Food Network’s New York City Wine and Food Festival (presented October 8-11 by Food&Wine and Travel+Leisure) is rumored to be featuring an entirely new event hosted by Giada De Laurentiis: Meatball Madness. It would have been a close call to choose between getting up close to Giada or the city’s best meatballs, thankfully we won’t have to. And who better than Giada to judge the best balls?
The event has inspired some intense thought about the competition’s potential participants and possible categories. For the approval of the powers that be, we submit the following:
The Traditional Italian/American Category
1) Lazzara’s gargantuan Meatball Parmigiana Hero (now at 2 locations: 38th Street and the new offshoot in Hell’s Kitchen on 9th Ave.).
2) Papa Perrone’s (best Midtown pizza truck) for meatball sandwiches and meatball pizza.
3) Manganaro’s Grosseria (no, not their archrival relatives next door, Manganaro’s Hero Boy).
4) John’s of 12th Street for spaghetti and meatballs in a Tony Soprano atmosphere circa 1908.
Click here for more suggested "Meatball Madness" categories >>
Dish by Dish: L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Jeff Zalaznick — May 18, 2009
Les Burgers
Beef & Foie Gras Burgers with Caramelized Bell Peppers
It seemed as if I had missed the work of Chef Joël Robuchon when he closed, Jamin, his small, three Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris. I had never been. The food became something that I dreamed about, his famous mashed potatoes, purée de pommes de terre, haunted me in my sleep. Lucky enough, my prayers were answered, and six years after retiring, Robuchon’s L’Ateliers began popping up. First in Tokyo, then Paris, Las Vegas, and finally at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City.
They could not have found a better home for L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. The bar at the Four Seasons has always been a power drinking scene, but it had never really had the food to go with it. A Michelin-rated restaurant where one can order Asian and French influenced cuisine from one of the world’s most renowned French chefs seemed to fit the bill. As the location will reinforce though, this restaurant blurs the distinction between bar and restaurant, just as it does between bar food and fancy french. Over half of the menu is offered as small plates, including a game-changing rendition of sliders topped with seared foie gras (pictured above). This dish could be interpreted as a symbol for the restaurant as a whole.
The remarkable presentations, ingredients and flavors of Chef Joël Robuchon’s cuisine consistently impress, and since they opened in 2006, there is no question that L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is one of New York’s best restaurants. It is what it’s supposed to be—excellent— and it does what it’s supposed to do: fine dining with out the fancy. It could be that you can sit at one of the twenty bar seats and watch Robuchon-protegé and genius in his own right, Yosuke Suga at work, or it might be that you can order an entire meal as tapas, but either way it is incredibly successful at making you feel comfortable eating foie gras in your jeans. And everyone is served a dish of mashed potatoes alongside the meal.
The world has gained more Ateliers (London and Hong Kong) since, and there is another one planned to open in Philadelphia in 2010. If you have one in your city, and enough money in your wallet, go there now.
Signature Small Plates: Les Burgers (Sliders), L’Anguille (Caramelized Eel Layered with Smoked Foie Gras), Le Calamar (Sautéed Squid with Violet Artichokes & Chorizo in Tomato Water)
AlwaysHungryNY: Yankee Stadium Fare
Arthur Bovino — April 22, 2009
Eating was fun at the old Stadium even when the best option was Premio Sweet Italian Sausage in tin foil, but now that the Bombers have relocated to grander digs with an expanded menu we were excited to see what was what. We passed on peanuts, crackerjacks and the delicious, double-feature popcorn smell wafting through the food courts to do a thorough tasting of each stand. Having seen foodie takes on ballpark food, we thought we’d do a baseball take on ballpark food.
So with the help of veteran Yankees announcer, John Sterling’s WCBS radio calls, we’ve included highlights, things to avoid and the best Stadium meal you can create.
Click here for Stadium home runs, doubleplays and our culinary batting order>> >>
AlwaysTraveling: Little Big’s (Houston, TX)
Maryse Chevrière — April 01, 2009
Beef Slider with Cheese, and 4-Minute Fries at Little Big’s in Houston, Texas.
Restaurant: Little Big’s
Location: 2703 Montrose Boulevard, Houston, TX 77006 (2nd location)
Contact: (713) 521-2447
Hours: Sun-Wed, 11:00am-10:00pm; Thur, 11:00am-11:00pm; Fri-Sat, 11:00am-3:00am.
Grade: A
Recommended Dishes: Beef Slider, Spicy Chicken Slider, and 4-Minute Fries.
It’s true what they say, everything is bigger in Texas— especially when it comes to food. But Houston’s latest burger sensation is helping diners overcome their gastro-sizism and realize that good things do come in little packages, or bites, at least. At Little Big’s, the popular new slider joint from Reef’s chef Bryan Caswell, and co-owner Bill Floyd, the motto is, “little burgers, big taste.” The 3 oz. patty, which is made from fresh, never-frozen beef, is ground in-house daily, and certainly delivers flavor-wise.
The meat is perfectly-seasoned, and a cross-section of the mini burger reveals a light pink center—no easy feat considering the burger’s size. The sweet, caramelized onion topping provides a little steakhouse flair, and adds to the juiciness of an already succulent burger. As my dining companion observed, “I can see why they call it a slider, they slide right out of the buns.” On that note, the homemade yeast rolls deserve a shout-out. Baked fresh every few hours, they’re chewy, slightly tangy, and hold up under the ooze of the messy burger.
While the Beef Sliders steal the show (especially topped with a slice of melted aged Cheddar), the tiny menu features other standouts. Chef Caswell has truly outdone himself in the fry department with his 4-Minute Fries. Hand-cut and deep-fried to-order for a lengthy four minutes, the large basket of golden, coarse sea salt-sprinkled fries are exquisitely crispy. The Spicy Chicken Slider is tender with a wonderfully crunchy coating and a mild, lingering heat. The vegetarian option, the Shroom Slider, was the only disappointment. As good as a fried, three cheese-stuffed Crimini mushroom cap sounds, there’s something off with the flavor combination that honey mustard sauce didn’t help.
Even better, the small sliders are matched by equally small, er, low, prices—especially fortunate since a true Texan might need a half-dozen to fill-up. One slider costs $2.08, and a trio (three sliders, your choice) is just $5.78. Add a large basket of fries for less than $2.00, and you have a full meal for under $10.00. You’re even left with enough money to indulge in a “hard” shake (like a Sangria Slushie, or blended White Russian), or enjoy a glass (or bottle) of wine from the impressively cheap wine list.
AlwaysInvestigating: The Libertine
The Gluttoness — September 29, 2008
Thompson Hotels have a proven reputation to create buzz upon their arrival, which is why Chef Todd English chose to put his latest restaurant, The Libertine, in the new Gild Hall Hotel downtown. The nearby Wall Street location has informed the manly, library-inspired decor, making for a dressed up English tavern with tons of wood and framed vintage photographs. While the gastropub vibe has classic pub fare to match, The Libertine is admittedly anti-establishment. The concept of The Libertine represents attitude and rebellion, and within that framework, the restaurant embraces non-traditional dining. The kitchen follows suit, throwing custom out the window in their very respectable refusal to have chicken on the menu.
Click Here for the Full Story >>
<< Back to Thought For Food
"Unleash Your Inner Fat Kid."
Whet your appetite with a daily dose of AlwaysHungry's Thought for Food. We provide content that will improve your knowledge of food, and that will enhance your experiences with food. We do not write industry gossip.
Always Hungry Newsletter
