AlwaysInvestigating: NYY Steak Express vs. Lobel’s

Arthur Bovino — April 30, 2010

Two Steak Sandwiches duke it out at Yankee Stadium.

The season is a month old, but the Yanks have spent much of it on the road. With their return to the Bronx today to face the White Sox, it’s time to visit an intramural culinary face-off shaping up between two steak sandwiches at the stadium. NYY Steak Express’ new concession stand pits their steak sandwich up against the one by Lobel’s that made a splash last year.

NYY Steak Express vs. Lobel's >>

Always Hungry: Mo’s New York Grill (New Rochelle)

Arthur Bovino — April 13, 2010

20 oz. Rib Eye Steak with Au Gratin Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach, Crispy Onions at Mo’s New York Grill.

Restaurant: Mo’s New York Grill
Address: 14 Memorial Highway, New Rochelle, NY
Hours: Tues-Fri, 11:00am-10:00pm; Sat, 12:00pm-10:00pm; Sun, 12:00pm-9:00pm; Closed Mon.
Contact: (914) 632-1442
Grade: B-
Recommended Dishes: Panama Special, Pork Osso Bucco, Rib Eye Steak.

Even after all these years, when number 42 leaves the bullpen at Yankee Stadium and jogs across center field to the mound, you know that barring an extraordinary bloop single, things will be fine. At Mo’s New York Grill, Mariano Rivera’s restaurant in New Rochelle, the servers sport his number too— it’s a nice detail. While the food is decent, and the idea behind the menu is sound— a few Latin touches that reflect Mo’s Panamanian heritage— seeing that 42 as the food is served won’t inspire the same supremely high level of confidence.

Photographs of the Food at Mo's >>

Featured Restaurant: Prime Meats

Maryse Chevrière — March 24, 2010

Clockwise from top: Housemade Pretzel with Bavarian Mustard, Smoked Trout Salad with Spelt Crepe, Roasted Beef Bone Marrow, 36-Day Dry Aged Bone In Ribeye for Three.

A strong protein game appears to be building among the crop of young Brooklyn restaurants. Pies ‘n’ Thighs has returned after a hiatus with better-than-ever fried chicken. Vinegar Hill House has an other-worldly Pork Chop, so too Roberta’s. And Prime Meats, has a steak worth talking about— among other things.

It is mandatory to start any meal at Prime Meats with the Housemade Pretzel. Fat and doughy at one end, thin and crunchy at the other— the perfect bag and street pretzel hybrid. For a meat-heavy, German-bent restaurant, there are more salads on the menu than you might expect. They are not to be overlooked. Specifically, the Smoked Trout Salad— a creamy, spreadable fish salad served over a crepe (a great bagel would work too) and topped with pickled red onions.

More from Prime Meats >>

Always Hungry: Strip House

March 10, 2010

Roasted Bacon with Boston Lettuce & Russian Dressing, Sliced Rib Eye Steak, Black Truffle Creamed Spinach, and the Strip House Chocolate Cake.

In today’s review, Sam Sifton gets seduced by Strip House’s “generally marvelous” food and “often superb steak,” awarding the restaurant two stars. Well-deserved. In fact, we recently named it New York’s best steakhouse in Always Hungry’s Restaurant List: A Strategic Guide to New York Eating:

“The best steakhouse in New York. Not only is the steak great, but the appetizers, sides and desserts are next level as well. It is so rare to find a Steakhouse that performs from beginning to end. Order as follows. To start: a dozen Oysters, followed by a Tomato & Onion Salad, a Shrimp Cocktail, and an order of thick-cut Bacon. Consume all in combination. For steak, get the 22 Oz. Bone In Rib Eye. For sides, the Black Truffle Creamed Spinach and Crisp Goose Fat Potatoes. For dessert, the world famous multi-layered Strip House Chocolate Cake.”

Best of 2009: Trends and 2010 Predictions

Jeff Zalaznick — December 23, 2009

It’s that time of year again. Time for reflection and prediction. As we leave the aughts behind, we look back at the trends that changed New York City’s food landscape in 2009 and ponder what’s in store for 2010. We are going to take a positive spin: those that we hope will remain and those we eagerly anticipate.

TRENDS 2009

1. Best Steaks, Not From a Steakhouse New York has always been known for our steakhouses, but this year the best meat was ripped from the house’s hands and put into the control of some of the city’s best restaurants. Much of this loosened grip has to do with the all-star quality and distribution ability of Pat LaFrieda (watch video). Though I love me a Porterhouse at Peter Luger’s, a Rib-eye at Strip House and a Double Eagle Strip at Del Frisco’s, they have been surpassed by the Côte de Boeuf at Minetta Tavern, the Rib-eye for Two at Locanda Verde, the Strip at Marea. The list goes on and on. It was also the year that the bone in rib-eye finally rose up to overtake the porterhouse as King of all Steaks. It was only a matter of time. This is a major advancement across the board.

2. Haute Dogs The hot dog went gourmet and I am not complaining. Crif Dogs has been doing impressive things with the genre for a while now (though their new usage of “everything bagel spice” is very exciting), but restaurants like DBGB, Fatty Crab UWS and Cabrito are jumping into the mix with some seriously delicious contenders. This is one that I think will continue to grow in the next year.

3. Omnipresent Octopus Seriously, think about every restaurant you’ve visited lately and ask yourself if there was octopus on the menu. I guarantee that more often than not, no matter the cuisine or price-range, this cephalopod was probably present. And why not? It’s economical to serve, and recently, the average rendition is fabulous. I am so happy that chefs have finally learned how to prepare it so well, leaving the chewy childhood memories behind. Also, keep an eye out for sweetbreads, I think that they are starting to fall into the same category.

PREDICTIONS 2010

1. Artisanal Italian beer everywhere.
2. Large-format alternative (not steak or chicken) proteins for two.
3. Lamb belly becomes the new pork belly.
4. Italian Small Plate (aka “Stuzzichini”) Restaurants
5. Brain is the hot new Offal
6. Mexican Infusion: Fusion Cuisine and Sandwich Revolution.

AlwaysInformed: Yuk Hoe

GutterGourmet — December 08, 2009

Yook Hoe Moo Chim from 8st Kitchen.

It’s the classic school lunchroom situation. One kid sees the contents of another’s lunchbox and can’t hide his obvious disgust: “Yuck!” The admonishment of a teacher in earshot? “Don’t yuck his yum.”

Well my yum actually is yuck, or to be precise Yuk Hoe (alternatively spelled Yook Hwe), a Korean raw beef dish that everyone compares to steak tartare though the French had nothing to do with it. It’s traditionally served with thick-cut strands of raw beef, julienned Asian pear, sesame oil, soy sauce, chili paste (gochujang) and topped with a raw egg yolk—we’re talking Seoul food.

Yuk Hoe is easily found in Koreatown. The traditional version at Kang Suh is massive, featuring thick-cut beef. It’s served with crunchy Asian pear, raw egg and lots of chili paste. The recently opened 8St Kitchen also serves a very good version (above), but it comes sans egg, mixed with a peppery Korean shiso salad and a sweet soy sauce in lieu of the chili paste and pear. The Kobe flank steak was so marbled with fat that the cold beef nevertheless instantly melts on the tongue.

Surprisingly, one of the city’s best is the traditional rendition served at Korea Palace on East 54th Street, which caters to a more American midtown lunch crowd. It’s a good place for the uninitiated to familiarize themselves with “safer” Korean staples like bulgogi or kalbi and a nice variety of banchan with the de rigueur kimchee.

Of course the more courageous can order Yuk Hoe. Just don’t be surprised if the person next to you looks over and instinctively says, “Yuk.”

Featured Desserts: Porterhouse Cake & Baked Potato Ice Cream

The Gluttoness — September 30, 2009

Dylan Prime’s Chocolate “Porterhouse” for Two: Red Velvet “N.Y. Strip,” Frozen Mousse “Filet,” and White Chocolate Bone, $24.00.

Porterhouse and a baked potato are a classic steakhouse combination. The steak’s bloody juices mix with the melted butter used to cook it, creating an obvious dipping sauce for the potatoes. Things don’t get more savory than this. But this classic combination of steak and potatoes is now getting even sweeter. Two restaurants have cleverly turned them into decadent desserts made to satisfy even the most demanding sweet tooth.

Dylan Prime’s (view) clever Chocolate Porterhouse is just as big as the real thing. The dessert even mimics the steak’s proportion of N.Y. Strip to filet: a white chocolate “bone” separates Red Velvet Cake and Chocolate Mousse Cake. Both are covered with a dark chocolate shell as if they had been seared on a flaming griddle, and raspberry purée replicates the natural juices that seep from a freshly cooked steak. A cross-section reveals how the red velvet cake emulates a rare steak, while the chocolate mousse appears more well-done. This cake can’t compete with what you’ll find in the best bakery, but whipped cream and raspberry sauce make everything better, and you won’t have to worry about taking your Lipitor.

Continue Reading >>

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.

Click Here to read all the chefs' answers >>

HungryHamptons: Bagatelle Out, T-Bar In at Savanna’s

June 08, 2009

Before Memorial Day Weekend began, we reported that the Bagatelle crew was going to be taking over at Savanna’s in Southampton. We were NOT wrong. On that Memorial Friday, the Bagatellians were in the restaurant, but unfortunately, they did not even last the whole weekend. After an immediate disagreement with ownership, the deal was over before it started.

Finally, we have more information. Instead of Rosé & EuroTrash, Savanna’s plans on bringing you delicious Steaks & Upper East Side Cougars. This past weekend, Tony Fortuna and the crew from T-Bar Steak & Lounge took the reigns. They spent this weekend working on service, and we can expect menu changes to be made over the next few weeks. More details to come…

Click here to see the dishes that we recommend at T-Bar’s Manhattan restaurant—hopefully most of them will make it out East.

AlwaysInformed: Harry’s Italian Pizza Bar

The Gluttoness — June 05, 2009

Eggplant Parmigiana Hero at Tuesday’s Dine Around Downtown

Gold St. may have seemed like a good idea in theory, but the 24-hour diner/bar/sushi concept wasn’t exactly embraced by locals in the financial district. As previously reported, the father-son team of Harry and Peter Poulakakos, is refurbishing the 2 Gold St. space and reverting to their successful “Harry’s” brand, this time with an Italian spin: Harry’s Italian Pizza Bar. If the term “pizza bar” sounds familiar, that’s because they’re also responsible for the perennially packed, Adrienne’s Pizza Bar.

We’ve gotten the early word on some of Harry’s new signature dishes. The menu will elaborate on Adrienne’s and include its renowned Old-Fashioned Pizzas. Aside from pizza, the big draws will be: family-style pasta portions (fitting considering this family-owned venture is under Peter’s management), a Meatball Hero, Steak Pizzaiolo, Stuffed Artichokes and Baked Clams. If you can’t wait until the June 15th opening, assuage your cravings for Italian at Adrienne’s in the meantime. Try the eggplant topping on your next old-fashioned pie— the thin slices make for a great Eggplant Parmigiana Pizza.

AlwaysQuestioning: Sazón’s Genaro Morales

The Gluttoness — June 04, 2009

We recently sat down with Genaro Morales in TriBeCa at Sazón, the second location of his Midtown, Puerto Rican restaurant, Sofrito, to find out how he plans on spicing up the neighborhood.

Click here for the full interview with Genaro Morales >>

AlwaysTraveling: Cal Pep (Barcelona, Spain)

Jeff Zalaznick — June 03, 2009

Cal Pep is synonymous with the great Tapas and seafood of Barcelona, and has been nestled in a small square just north of the Plaça de Palau since 1977. There is no question that its chef and owner, Josep “Pep” Manubens Figueras (now approaching 60), serves Barcelona’s best tapas. Pep is known for his seafood, specifically, Razor Clams and Frito Misto, (one taste will inform you why) and in a way, his prowess is partially responsible for the abundance of those clams that we currently find being served around New York. Yes, I am giving him credit for Razor Clams. The trick to Cal Pep is go for lunch (if you’re a tourist, it’s near the Picasso Museum, which makes for a nice morning), and show up 15 minutes before they open their doors. It’s important to play close attention to the time, because if you show up ten minutes before they open, you’ll be waiting for more than a full turn to be seated. This has now been proven three times— take it for what it is.

The restaurant itself is tiny—you sit at the 20-stool bar and eat what they give you from the open kitchen. It’s also well known for its frying prowess and some fixtures of the seasonal menu not to be missed include the Fried Artichokes and the plate of fried-egg topped, deep-fried, inch-long fish, called Llengeta. In my mind, what they should be most famous for is their Tortilla Tempana. I can say with great confidence that it is the best that I have ever had in my life. It is served warm, which seems obvious but is so rarely done, and is truly a slice of Spanish heaven. When they are done with their work, they encourage you to request more. I was applauded for my last minute addition of Steak and Butifarra, and received a departing hug from Pep himself.

You can go to Cal Pep for dinner, and you can even make a reservation for large parties in the back, but the place you want to be is at the bar for lunch. To continue the seafood extravaganza into dinner, you should try their more formal restaurant nearby, Passadis del Pep, which serves one of the finest seafood meals I have ever ingested.

This is the Mecca. This is where Mario and Joe went to get inspiration for Casa Mono. This is where the tortilla at Mercat is copied from. This is the place.

Restaurant: Cal Pep
Address: Plaça Olles 8, 08003 Barcelona, Spain (view map)
AlwaysHungry Grade: A+
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Tortilla, Butifarra con Foie a l’Oporto, Almejas con Jamón, Fritto Misto

Razor Clams

Foie Gras Butifarra Sausage with White Beans & Port Reduction

Click here for the Cal Pep Dish by Dish >>

Dine Around Downtown: Steak Sandwich Face-off

The Gluttoness — June 03, 2009

Fifty of downtown’s best restaurants served up their signature dishes at Chase Manhattan Plaza yesterday for the Downtown Alliance’s 11th annual Dine Around Downtown. A live jazz band entertained the sea of hungry diners who sampled the $3 and $6 plates. With all the lobster (rolls, bisques and BLT’s) and meat (burgers, beef ribs and steak sandwiches) it almost seemed like a surf and turf event. But it was the trio of steak sandwiches that demanded our attention and comparison.

Click here to find out who had Dine Around Downtown's best Steak Sandwich >>

First Look: Mesa Coyoacan

Arthur Bovino — June 01, 2009

Finally, somewhere to take visiting Californians who lord Mexican food over you as New York’s missing culinary experience. Mesa Coyoacan, officially opens today in Williamsburg, steps from the L’s third stop into Brooklyn. And it isn’t shy—372 Graham is the metal and glass building with rectangles that yank your view up from the neighborhood’s weary vinyl siding.

The restaurant is chef and owner, Ivan Garcia’s (right) first solo venture. Full disclosure, I know Ivan through another of Mesa’s owners, Gerardo Zabaleta, with whom I worked in a restaurant several years ago. If you love Mexican food, you’ve likely tasted his—he designed the original menu for Barrio Chino and was chef de cuisine at Mercadito Cantina (of which he is also part owner). His focus is the traditional Mexican cuisine he first learned from his grandmother. The name, Mesa Coycocan, is an homage to Mexico City’s trendy but historically rich neighborhood, where Chef Garcia was born.

Continue reading for the full Mesa Coyoacan Dish by Dish >>

AlwaysQuestioning: Terrance Brennan & Bradford Thompson of Bar Artisanal

The Gluttoness — May 26, 2009

Together, Executive Chef, Terrance Brennan (of Artisanal and Picholine) and Consulting Chef, Bradford Thompson (formerly of Lever House) are delighting diners with their ““French”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/thought-for-food/tag/French/ inspired” interpretation of Mediterranean small plates in an extension of the Artisanal brand, Bar Artisanal. AlwaysHungryNY recently sat down with these two chefs who have turned the failed Trigo space into a grand bistro in TriBeCa. When the kitchen at Bar Artisanal has settled into a routine, Brad hopes to open a restaurant with French and West Indian themes. In the meantime, the two are perfecting dishes, and eating plenty along the way.

AHNY: Are you Always Hungry?
BT: I’d say so, yeah…for adventure.
TB: No, because I nosh all day, especially with the new restaurant.

AHNY: So, what did you eat today?
BT: Two espressos and a cappuccino. We had a photo shoot all day. Oh, and granola.
TB: We had the photo shoot, so I tasted the Pizza, Chutney, Steak Tartare}thought-for-food/tag/Steak-Tartare/, Roquefort Parfait, Chickpea Frites, Oysters and Hangar Steak.

Brennan & Thompson on trends, snack foods and 'must-have' ingredients >>