What’s in a Name: Peking Duck House

The Gluttoness — October 01, 2009

Just as parents set out to find the perfect name for their newborns, chefs and restaurant owners alike are always searching for the perfect title for their restaurants. Some people go for the obvious, like a relative’s name or a favorite ingredient, but often, there is more to a moniker than meets the eye.

Presentation of Whole Peking Duck from Peking Duck House on Mott Street.

Peking Duck House (view) is a glaring exception to the rule above. Unlike the newly opened Blue Elm, or Xie Xie, or any other restaurant whose name leaves no indication as to what is being served, Peking Duck House wears its product on its signage. If you’re looking for peking duck, then Peking Duck House is the obvious place for you. Fancier than most Chinatown establishments, the white tablecloths and suited waiters set a much more elegant tone than Nice Green Bo’s hurried service, awkward communal seating and sticky plastic tabletops.

Most importantly, the namesake dish is as well-executed as anywhere else in New York City, and at much more affordable prices than fancier Chinese restaurants like Tse Yang or Mr. K’s. An entire Peking Duck, with the traditional fixings costs $40 and this BYOB establishment offers prix-fixe deals for larger parties at $26.50 per person.

We prefer the Mott Street location, but with another restaurant in Midtown, you don’t have to head down to Chinatown. Peking Duck House is perfect for a range of occasions, from birthday dinners and quiet dates to a night out with the kids or impressing out-of-towners. Peking duck lovers need not look any further for their fix. Sometimes the obvious choice is the best one. In this case the sign says it all.

What’s in a Name? NOODLE PUDDING

Jeff Zalaznick — May 04, 2009

From Left: Noodle Pudding (the dish), Noodle Pudding (the restaurant)

When I hear “Noodle Pudding”, I instantly think of noodle kugel—the classic sweet or savory Jewish noodle casserole, which is also one of my favorite dishes in the world. As someone famous for ordering pasta for dessert, you can imagine why. There are multiple variations of this dish, but the sweet variety almost always includes the following: egg noodles, raisins, cinnamon and sour cream. Thus, you can imagine that I was perplexed when I heard of a notable Italian restaurant in Brooklyn Heights, that was named Noodle Pudding. Due to my positive association, I have always felt fondly towards this restaurant, but it has also always been a source of great confusion.

The other day, I had The Gluttoness call Noodle Pudding’s owner, Antonio Migliaccio III, to find out the deal. I was overjoyed to find out that in Ischia, a volcanic island off the coast of Naples where Antonio hails from, if you go into a bakery and order Migliaccio, you’ll likely be served something that resembles a Jewish-style Noodle Pudding. More specifically, Antonio told us that his favorite comes from the Calise Family Bakery, which sells a sweet noodle pudding known as Migliaccio di Ischia. It’s made with capellini that is baked with eggs, milk, sugar and candied orange peel.

It was this noodle pudding that Antonio thought of when he decided to name his restaurant after the English translation of his last name, and thus, Noodle Pudding was born on Henry Street. Unfortunately though, they don’t serve it there. When we asked the manager, Alfredo, if they serve noodle pudding at Noodle Pudding. He answered,“No, We serve much better desserts.” Probably not true, but either way, we love the name.

What’s in a Name?: L’asso, Lusso & Luzzo’s

March 02, 2009

It’s already difficult to remember the tens-of-thousands of NYC eateries, but three particular shops are making it even more so. This trio of Italian eateries (two known for their pizza) are all located below 14th Street and have eerily similar names. In an effort to avoid any confusion, we’re using our What’s in a Name feature to differentiate between these easily mistakable monikers:

1. L’asso: Translates to “The Ace” in Italian.

2. Lusso: Translates to “Luxury” in Italian.

3. Luzzo’s: For 85 years this space was an Italian bakery owned by a man with the last name Luzzo. When he sold the space, the new owners decided to name their new business in his honor.

What’s In A Name?: Soffocone di Vincigliata

Jeff Zalaznick — February 17, 2009

Whenever I go to Dell’Anima, I know that my buddy Joe Campanale (unless he is too busy over at L’Artusi that is) will always pair the delicious homestyle Italian food with a great and interesting bottle of Italian wine. Joe really outdid himself though, when he brought a bottle of the 2006 “Soffocone di Vincigliata” to my table. I was already sold when he told me that the wine had arrived just before it became illegal to import to the US, but it was the liquor authority’s reasoning for this decision that really blew me away.

In order to truly understand this, it is important to examine two incredibly charming aspects of Italian culture:

1) Small Tuscan towns each have their own distinctive character, which is one of the things that makes them so charming. The small town of Vincigliata exemplifies this notion. Located on the outskirts of Florence, Vincigliata is situated right next to the more famous town of Fiesole. Overlooking the beautiful Florentine skyline, tourists mostly know Vincigliata for its views, and, on occasion, for making some decent wines. For locals though, Vincigliata bears a totally different meaning. For Florentines, Vincigliata is the equivalent of “make out point”. Its vineyards are a place for lovers, and the perfect place to play a little game of Nasconda la Salsiccia, known in America as, “Hide The Salami”. In Italy, men live with their mothers until the day they are married (re: the term Mamino), so you can imagine that Vincigliata plays an incredibly significant role as Florentine men come of age.

2) Another charming aspect of Italian culture is the many terms they use for what we here in America call: a “blowjob”. Pompino, or the verb form Spompinare, Trombare or Bofilo all are used frequently. But, in all languages, there is always that term that takes slang to the next level of dirty, and when it comes to a blowjob in Italian, that word is: Suffocone.

After years of watching Florentine coeds roll around in his vineyards, one of the local Vincigliata winemakers decided to make a wine that celebrated this often overlooked part of Florentine life.

Thus, behold, the 2006 Soffocone di Vincgliata ….

In the US, wine labels are not allowed to have any sort of sexual imagery on them, and so, when they finally figured out what was painted on the bottle, that was the end. The wine itself was pretty good, but that being said, I poured half of it out and took the bottle.

What’s in a Name?: The Redhead

The Gluttoness — February 10, 2009

Just as parents set out to find the perfect name for their newborns, chefs and restaurant owners alike are always searching for the perfect title for their restaurants. Some people go for the obvious, like a relative’s name or a favorite ingredient, but often times there is more to a moniker than meets the eye.

You’ve gotta respect a restaurant whose menu begins with Bacon Peanut Brittle. But in the case of The Redhead, there are many more reasons to love this casual joint and its impressive cuisine—we’re particularly fans of the Meatlover Flatbread, Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Shrimp & Grits. The menu is rooted in American dishes, with an emphasis on Southern classics, but you wouldn’t know any of that just by reading the name. And that’s the point.

The three owners (Meg, Gregg & Rob) didn’t want to choose a name that would automatically define the restaurant and people’s perception of it. To make their point, I was given an example. “If we named our restaurant, Crop,” Rob said, “then people would assume that we were serving greenmarket, seasonal food.” So in search of the perfect name to fit their concept of a neighborhood bar with great food, Rob and crew researched the old bars and restaurants that once inhabited the same East Village neighborhood.

In 1922, during the Prohibition Era, a new speakeasy called “The Red Head” opened in the East Village. It was instantly popular among the underground drinking crowd, and as a result it kept getting raided. In order to stay one step ahead of the police, the establishment was forced to continually relocate. Unfortunately, in 1929, just as The Red Head had gotten comfortable in its new midtown digs, it once again had to move in order to make way for the construction of Rockefeller Center. The restaurant, renamed “Jack and Charlie’s 21,” moved to its final locale on 52nd Street, where it still exists today as the restaurant we all know as the 21 Club.

Ever since learning the story of The Red Head, the name just stuck with the owners (which they combined into two words for reinvention’s sake), particularly because labeling a business “The Redhead” doesn’t invoke any pre-conceived notions of what it could be—a bar, restaurant, nightclub or fine dining outpost. The name fits its purpose, to be cutting edge in the East Village, and in many ways it reflects the Prohibition Era from which it originates, since the mysterious name allows the restaurant to maintain a sense of ambiguity. Because there is nothing cutting edge about naming your place “Bacon Peanut Brittle,” even though it would make for a pretty amazing name.

What’s in a Name?: Apiary

The Gluttoness — February 01, 2009

Just as parents set out to find the perfect name for their newborn, chefs and restaurant owners alike are always searching for the perfect title for their restaurants. Some people go for the obvious, like a relative’s name or a favorite ingredient, but often times there is more to a moniker than meets the eye.

Last year, Moss, the over-the-top but amazing furniture store on Houston, opened Centovini. Now, one of their competitors, Ligne Roset, is getting in on the restaurant action with Apiary.

The moniker Apiary stems from the owners’ penchant for bees and their passion for honey. An apiary is the place where bees are kept to produce honey. The owners hope that the restaurant will have a similar effect; becoming a sanctuary for diners to gather over food and enjoy the sweeter things in life. Keeping in theme, new Chef Scott Bryan, formerly of Veritas, has woven the inspirational ingredient into a number of the desserts, including the Goat Cheesecake with Lavender Honey, Strawberry Crepes with Honey Ice Cream, and a Cheese Plate accompanied with Artisinal Honey.

What’s in a Name?: Scarpetta

The Gluttoness — August 25, 2008

Just as parents set out to find the perfect name for their newborn, chefs and restaurant owners alike are always searching for the perfect title for their restaurants. Some people go for the obvious, like a relative’s name or a favorite ingredient, but often times there is more to a moniker than meets the eye.

Scarpetta’s logo is a gritty looking swipe and it might seem somewhat out of place until you understand the name’s clever origin. The Italian term fare la scarpetta describes the act of mopping up one’s plate with a piece of bread. And that’s exactly what Chef Scott Conant hopes you’ll do with the lingering sauces at his new Italian eatery. Stemming from the word scarpetta, which translates into “little shoe,” the correlation derives from how one deforms their bread to resemble a little shoe in order to scoop up more of the sauce. Hence the logo, their own “Nike swoosh,” is an homage to the restaurant’s name, and an artistic rendering of an almost empty plate after the final saucy swipe.