Featured Brunch: Yerba Buena Perry
Maryse Chevrière — May 28, 2010
Sandwich Cubano at Yerba Buena Perry.
The brunch menu at Julian Medina’s Yerba Buena Perry presents you with that problem-you-want-to-have situation of too many good-sounding dishes to chose from. On it you’ll find brunch staples tweaked with Latin flavors— Cachapa Benedict with Serrano Ham over a Sweet Corn Cake, French Toast with Manchego Dulce de Leche. But, there are also familiar classics like Churros, Huevos Rancheros, and a Cuban Sandwich. The solution? Arrive hungry and over-order.
AlwaysHolidays: On the Tenth Day of Christmas
Arthur Bovino and Maryse Chevrière — December 21, 2009
Technically, the Twelve Days of Christmas don’t start until Christmas Day, but we’re already in the spirit. To celebrate over the next two days, here’s the carol, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ AlwaysHungry-style, featuring some dishes we tasted in 2009 that we’d be willing to sing about.
Ten Lords a Leaping. Lords/gourds (gourds include: melons, squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers). Leaping/heaping. Hey, these higher numbers get tough.
Today’s verse for this Christmas food carol begins:
On the tenth day of Christmas, my waiter brought to me… ten gourds a-heaping,
From Bobo, Chocolate Pudding.
Seasonal Spotlight: Sweet Potatoes
The Gluttoness — November 10, 2009
A sweet potato-centric meal from: Yerba Buena Perry, Blue Water Grill, Gansevoort 69, & Kyotofu.
Sweet potatoes don’t require much more than baking and butter to be tasty. And while some chefs do keep things simple, other restaurants use them in more exotic dishes from ceviches to Japanese desserts.
Click Here for a Sweet Potato-Centric Meal from Four Restaurants >>
AlwaysInvestigating: Faux Fries
The Gluttoness — October 22, 2009
From left to right, “Fries” from Yerba Buena Perry, Bar Artisanal and Bill’s Bar & Burger.
Nothing beats a great batch of French fries, preferably extra crispy. Sweet potato fries are common substitutions, and actually, I enjoy them even more (the whole sweet/salty thing). Beyond sweet potato, yucca and even avocado, some Manhattan restaurants are attempting more uncommon, even outrageous ingredients— in one instance, appropriating the term French fries where hardly applicable.
Yerba Buena Perry (view) has a line of YB Fries (all $6.00), none made with potatoes. Julian Medina’s “Latino Fries” consist of: cactus, red jalapeño, hearts of palm and avocado. I was most enthralled with the Watermelon Fries. Sticks of watermelon are breaded and deep-fried for a crispy French fry facade that gives way to sweet juiciness inside. An accompanying mate ketchup adds extra sweetness.
Bar Artisanal (view) fuses “frites” and “fritters” to describe their jumbo “Chickpea Friters” ($8.50). The gritty texture of the crisp semolina coating offsets the luscious chickpea purée inside. Once bitten, the warm insides swarm the palate with rich flavor. They’re served with a salty, chunky tapenade, which contrasts this luscious mouthfeel.
The brand-new Bill’s Bar & Burger (view) also serves a side of non-potato fries. But these don’t even attempt to mask their composition. Bills’ basket of Crispy Veggie Fries ($4.50) includes lightly battered and deep-fried cauliflower, broccoli, string beans and carrots rounds. They’re like Americanized vegetable tempura. The crisp, transparent coating allows the vegetables’ natural flavor to shine through, but each one also goes marvelously with ketchup.
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