Not strictly dining but...

The Garden food market on Manhattan has THE BEST selection of coffee. They sell by the half-pound and they will grind it to whatever degree of fineness that you like or just take it home. Last night I seriously left out the bag of Seville Orange coffee that I got while I was shopping because it was so fragrant and my kitchen smelled awesome.
They also have great bread, deli and organic produce and a large chocolate section which may or may not be of interest to you.

More expensive than the other groceries on Manhattan but worth it for some of your more specialty food needs and wants.

They also have locations in LIC and Williamsburg.

True. Sometimes You Just Want What You Want. [Vero, NYC]

Vero is a restaurant and wine bar. It’s got two locations in Manhattan (trust me, I went to both in the same night). Midtown East (53^rd and 2^nd ave) and the UES (2^nd Ave btw 77 and 78).

Well, anyway. The 53^rd St. location is a little newer and is pretty dimly lit which is perfect for a date, meeting friends for drinks…or screaming tourist who sing Bon Jovi or Journey (apparently).

So back to the actual destination here (focus! It’s only Thursday). Snazzy music in the vein of Gotan Project playing a pretty steady stream of your typical bar/loungey-type music. Candles on tables and what not. The argument that most people look better candlelit is probably valid and therefore this ambiance was appreciated.

After the slight transgression on the host’s part of trying to get me to squeeze in between two tables no more than 3” apart (I’m not that skinny), we sat down in the back corner table –enter singing tourists. Our waitress was amused and pleasant, though. Wine list is expectedly extensive—it is a wine bar, afterall—but the categories of “World red and white varietals” is a little silly (especially when you have an in-house second level sommelier). A mini-wine-dumping-ground after all of the larger categories are exhausted. The 2,200 wine cellar is pretty impressive for a small NYC bar, though. There’s a list of creative cocktails in the lineup, too. And being that it was a weeknight (Happy Tuesday, everyone!) I got the strawberry basil lemonade. Now, seriously, in Italy, this happens a lot but not as much in the US. Mixing fresh herbs and fruit in a drink is the shit. You have to try it sometime. This particular version was strawberry stoli, fresh basil, fresh strawberries and lemon peel all muddled up with a bit of lemon juice and soda. Good call, me.

So after messing around with my drink for a while, we start looking for some sustenance. My friend, Erik, has been to Vero uptown and has one thing on his mind: the Vero Pizza. After looking around, it’s not there. He asks, “Nope, not at this one. You gotta go uptown.”

“We’re going.” We are? I guess we are, so in the cab we go. Up about 20 blocks to the UES location. Same deal, a little smaller. Get a glass of rioja, sitting at the bar and order the Vero Pizza and meatballs.

OK. So, I can see why we came. It’s pretty good. Worth another cab ride? Debatable. Interesting take on pizza with a fontina cheese, prosciutto, roasted red peppers and a sundried tomato spread (instead of red sauce…a little too sweet). Came out as small triangular slices with a balsamic glaze—pretty presentation, and no worries about dropping cheese all over when you are separating a piece from a traditional pie. The meatballs were better, though, with a garlicky misto, stuffed with mozzarella. I have set the bar high since I’m 50% Italian and my Momma makes “the best” meatballs. They didn’t disappoint. The grilled ciabatta on the side could have been more grilled but I wasn’t interested in it anyway because I had a pizza to eat…

So, sometimes you just want what you want. Vero is a good concept with solid food and a really great bar. It’s not New Haven pizza so maybe not worth going out of your way for (i.e. from Brooklyn), but good little places if you’re in the neighborhood. It was a fun little chase up the east side to get a bite and a good glass of wine on a random weekday night.

Hello Punkin.

Let’s talk pumpkin. Pumpkin stuff to be exact. I realize that’s not really exact but bear with me. Da (roommate) and I have been recently consumers of mass amounts of pumpkin things.

Our day job is also sponsoring a pumpkin carving contest and pie baking contest (obviously, I’m a fan) so here’s to pumpkins:

Pumpkin beers: Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale is awesome. I don’t have much else to say on the matter but it tastes like pumpkins without being sweet and still tasting like beer which is an accomplishment. Also enjoyed Punk’N which has good pumpkin taste but after one was almost sickening sweet. It's decent but get the Smuttynose if you can...There's also the Heartland Brewery's Smiling Pumpkin Ale (from NYC) if you're into the local thing.

Pumpkin Waffles are REALLY GOOD! add some puree to your batter next time.

Pumpkin Pancakes: Go to Enid's for brunch. They have a delicious version. Or make your own if you're not in North Brooklyn like I am.

Pumpkin Pie: who didn’t even believe I could cook or bake untilobviously, mine is the best. I will NEVER divulge my secret but even my dad, recently said, “This may be the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had in my life.” Ok, but since we’re all not bff (actually, most of us are, I don’t have a huge audience, do i?), and you might not get to try my pie, I recommend the little pumpkin tarts at Whole Foods (whose blog recently did their own pumpkin entry... They are portioned to be a couple bites big so you don’t have to worry about…ahem…over-indulgence. They have a nice texture (not slimy, but moist) and a tasty soft, caramelized walnut topping.

Pumpkin ICE CREAM: This was a great idea, whoever had it. Bravo. Get some on the LES at Sundaes and Cones!

Pumpkins: yes, natural pumpkins. They grow in the ground…usually not in Brooklyn…but if you spit a few seeds, who knows what may happen. Here are a few recipes for interesting, toasty fall pumpkin recipes:

Pumpkin Bread from The Fresh Loaf

Real Pumpkin Pie (yes, with an actual pumpkin)

Canned Pumpkin Pie (cheating a little but still can be tasty)

Pumpkin Pie cheesecake (if you're a little suicidal)

And, although starbucks is my nemesis culturally and most likely ethically I would like to conclude with the glorious Pumpkin Spice Latte. Get the nonfat version. Hell, it’s even very (surprisingly) good iced. If you like pumpkin, try it. Personally, I like the hot version, and don’t get the whipped cream but do add the shake of spice on top. I’d love to have whipped cream all the time but hey, when you’re writing about

food, you have to cut corners every here and there to make sure you don’t look like you write about food. Dunkin Donuts has a pumpkin flavored coffee which will probably disappoint you if

you actually like a) pumpkins, or b) coffee.

(-->Pumpkin the cat approves this message.)

Interlude

Hi from me and my moms.

Dazie's (Sunnyside, NY!)

Queens is an interesting place: almost as culturally diverse as somewhere like, say, the world, it’s got a lot to offer food-wise but you have to be willing to look around a little bit past the generic Chinese places and gimmicky would-be (were they not in Queens) tourist attraction type places.

Let me set the scene. Typical Sunday night: everyone is lazy and secretly convalescing the dread that, yet again, the weekend has come to an end. Nobody is going to cook. After 90 minutes of deliberation, we rule out French—the place I want to try is cash-only. I have $11 in my wallet…

Sarah, from Massachusetts, suggests Sfoglia (Nantucket and the UES…”Sss-vole-yia” or “sa-foge-lia” as Da likes to say is a rustic, charming-enough looking place on the UES…which is not taking reservations until 9:30. Apparently it has a cult following that keeps it booked. It’s 8. We’ve already stalled for an hour, people are getting cranky, hungry and tired. La Taverna (on Manhattan Ave is suggested) and while I’m going to go there “sometime soon,” it just didn’t feel right. What did feel right? Mafia. Standard “family” style Italian place.

So, Google Maps is so handy sometimes. Google Maps plus a dire sense of laze is amazing in its capabilities. And so we stumble upon Dazies. Nestled in the shadows of the 7, Dazie’s is what you’d expect from an Italian restaurant in Queens…except better. Speaking to my grandparent’s generation with its iron sconces, candles and tuxedoed waiters, it’s well above average for traditional Italian-American dining.

Yes, there are a lot of stereotypical things here but there are some really great things too. Roasted eggplant to start is great on bread. Both the stuffed mushrooms and fried calamari are tasty but I always think they’re tasty…Not the best I had but far from the worst. Veal Saltimbocca would have been wonderful—the meat was perfectly cooked and tender—but they finished with too-salty spinach and thick slices of hardboiled egg instead of a fried egg…or no egg.

(Da was hungry.)

White clam sauce over linguine is very good. Well spiced and not creamy or too thick. Filet with a Barolo sauce and sautéed mushrooms is delicious. Really perfectly cooked medium rare (thank god). Gnocchi was also very good if you’re looking for a different pasta dish, came in a fairly light pesto sauce.

Wine list is remarkably inexpensive for New York. And waitstaff is so pleasant that they had my Chinese roommate speaking Italian (really).

So go. They even filmed a scene from 30 Rock here. Right off the 40^th street station on the 7!

It's time to do an update when...

...your mother, who can barely use a computer, lets you know that you haven't updated your blog in "a while" even though it's only been 1 day.

So here we go:

This is The Bar Review, after all, so a bar review is in order.

The Turkey's Nest at the borders of Greenpoint and Williamsburg in Brooklyn, is a dive.



The Turkey's Nest is a bar that cards. I got carded in NYC for the first time possibly EVER. After this little boost to my self-esteem (they carded our 36 year old friend, as well). We wandered in. The bar is scattered with TVs with various sports games on, dart boards and, as a dive, is also equipped with Big Buck Hunter, decent music and the "frozen gargoyle" (i'll explain later).

But first, a story. We were out to celebrate. It was a friend of a friend's birthday. A potential new hire was out with us (all the way from Austin, TX) and, most obviously, it was the weekend. Drinks all around! So, 3 of us decide....since we're in brooklyn...that we'll order Manhattans.

me: Yep, can i get 3 manhattan's please?
bartender: Does that have vermouth in it?
me: Yeah.
bartender: Yeah, this isn't a fancy bar.

OK. I'm sorry! I was unaware that liquor that wholesales at about $5/bottle was fancy! Well, I digress. We order beer.

Except for my roommate, who orders a fretful Frozen Gargoyle. This is a frozen mixed drink. But instead of a margarita it's some concoction involving absinthe. My 5'6" roommate is a goner and after several drinks before this, ends up spending the rest of the night shooting at the shrubbery in Big Buck Hunter. He does not remember this. Or the mile walk home. But it's all good. Supposedly absinthe, in its American-acceptable form, does not contain enough wormwood to have any hallucinogenic qualities, but weighing in at 100-proof, it does pack an alcoholic punch. For whatever reason, I'm going to discard commonly accepted medical advice and report on behalf of both Da and myself, that it's still a mind eraser.

(This guy does NOT approve of frozen drink mix-->)

The Turkey's nest is a pretty fun time. Surprisingly minimal hipster presence and uncrowded, just don't order anything "fancy."

PIE!

enough said. i'll be entering. it'll be awesome. i promise.

Ocean House Pacific Haiku Series.

[Image courtesy of "Bad Sushi Decisions" search via google]


It's friday, the only thing suitable is haiku:

Ocean House Pacific
Please give your chef a knife, sharp
It seems to be lost.

huge and unspicy
jalepeno piece
my fav'rite roll spoils.

at least the udon
tastes recognizable, thanks.
seaweed salad's fine.

Sad, gray sushi roll.
oh where is my "umami"?
I must have been starved.

an ode (or oh no) to french cuisine...

First of all, I just want to say, before i write this article, that I have the utmost respect for Daniel Boulud's culinary style after having oysters at Daniel NYC.

But last saturday night, at DB Bistro Moderne, Boulud fell flat.

Not that it was a terrible experience but I need to stay the hell out of midtown on the weekends. I'm never happy with the decision to leave brooklyn for midtown on the weekends. If you are going to offer an extensive and expensive wine list, please teach your waitstaff to at least pretend to pronounce the wines on your list. In the most un-snobby way possible...how well does it bode for my confidence in your staff's advice if they act like they haven't even SEEN the wine on the list before let alone actually TASTED it.



On to the food...To start, bread on the table. What a cute presentation...before I take a bite, I say to my friend that this "looks like a little pretzel loaf." Bite. Pretzel. Didn't know I was at a Yankee's game. They didn't even give me mustard. I'll stick with the mini-baguette, thanks.

Then, I had a salad called "Rocket Arugula." Ok. I am lost. Is my salad blasting off? I mean, i love arugula as much as the next Italian but...there were no fireworks. The salad was actually bland, despite the tiny cubes of serrano ham and manchego cheese. The olives they used were actually fairly rancid, if not just a very poor choice. The dressing was unmemorable. I'm sad. I love salad.

Alright, don't cry over spilt milk mediocre salad. For dinner, i had to stay away from the db burger. I just do not like foie gras and i definitely don't like it inside a sirloin burger. call me crazy, but I shared the sea bass, which was the special for the night and duck confit.



The best thing I ate all night was definitely the tiny stuffed razor clam on top of the sea bass. It was also served with herbed, and steamed squash and tomatoes. The skin on the sea bass was great, as was the clam which was topped with a little bit of pecorino. veggies were slightly overcooked but good flavor.

The duck was kind of sad. The waitress actually recommended the spaetzel as a side dish which was puzzling to say the least. We declined. The concept was great: wild chanterelle mushrooms and broccoli rabe but the actual duck wasn't as crispy as I'd like and the breast was probably from an anorexic poultry farm.

But all is not lost! The strawberry tart for dessert is LOVELY. Not only because I love to crack the caramelized crust but because it was (actually) original! Served out of a ramekin with with strawberry sorbet on the side, it's actually seasoned in the crust and light glaze with a hint of fennel and clover.

Delicious cut to the sweetness. db Bistro Moderne also has a great after dinner drink list (left). A great supplement or substitute for dessert.

Anyway, probably not worth the hype but seeing as how it was in mid-town a couple blocks from Grand Central, they are probably not on their toes as they should be.

Next time, I'm getting the coq-au-vin....or picking up a fried chicken breast from KFC and watching a movie in my apartment in Brooklyn...

The Lazy Man's Answer to Restaurant Week

There are 6 reviews in the works right now...from dive bars to bistros. sorry for the delay.

Brooklyn Brewery Events (Williamsburg)

Event tonight: They're clearing out the tasting room and bringing in picnic tables. Beer on tap will be $4 (6 for $20!) if you're in the neighborhood. They'll have their Brewmaster's reserve as well as seasonals on tap. And pizza...

Greenpoint Brooklyn: Sakura 6

Who can resist a sign that says "Free hot sake"? Not I.

Namaste, I honor the place where frugality and debauchery meet.

Sakura 6 is a 12 table japanese joint on Manhattan Ave. Yeah, I said "japanese" and "joint" in the same phrase. it's fitting...the place literally advertises it's free alcoholic beverage of choice on a poster-board on the door next to the specials.

I've gone a couple times since it's about 5 minutes from my apartment. Hosts are usually sorta rude and just point to the tables so you can find a seat. Waitresses may be f.o.b. but they've all been sweet and never stingy with the sake refills (most importantly).

I love the inside: it's super casual with a small sushi bar and small tables around the room. There's a herring bone design piece on the ceiling of the dining room, too. I guess I'm a sucker for fish bones....
The exposed brick wall is nice, too. Lighting is dim with candles on the table of course...when combined with sake can probably facilitate silly decisions. Given the hosts' general attitudes, you'll be kicked out of the restaurant after you've reached this point but quite before you're much too drunk to walk home.

Now, onto the food: The 3 roll combo for 11.99 is a steal as far as sushi goes. Definitely recommend the yellowtail-jalepeno roll...the other regular rolls in this combo are pretty much that standard fair (salmon, tuna, cucumber,crab, avocado, multiple combinations of these, etc...) Combo comes with miso soup or salad with ginger dressing. Dressing is quite good but I'm biased since I've only been disappointed by japanese ginger dressing once.

Hibachi rice is also a good bet if you're looking for something hot, just make sure to get it spicy because the spice is what keeps it from being mediocre fried rice (sorry, I said it...but hey, free sake!).

Some special rolls to try: Bahana (tuna cucumber topped with tuna and avocado) and volcano (spicy mix of fish with tempura and topped with caviar) are particularly good. Crazy Flying Dragon is also a good choice, not only because it's a good roll but because they named it that.























Yeah, so good things? The sushi is consistent. It's good, not the best I've ever had but very good especially considering the price. A steal as 3 rolls combo w/ soup, 1 garden salad, 1 rainbow roll and (obviously) sake set us back $24 + tip...Drawbacks are the service and the small size of the rolls. But it's cheap so there's a possible workaround for that, if you're really hungry.

Not a go-out-of-your-way place but super good place to grab dinner if you're in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg area and hungry. They also deliver if you order $10...that'll be a B.Y.O.B. affair, however...It's worth a look, check it out.

Starbucks VIA...test drive.

Starbucks recently released a new way for them to feed your coffee addiction while taking your duckets: Instant-coffee!

Starbucks Ready Brew VIA @ $9.95 for 10 12-oz cups of coffee, it's a discount rate for Starbucks but a ripoff for instant coffee, right? Sure, but they're giving away a free tall cup of brewed coffee, so I'm game to try it out. (Image: Starbucks)

So I wander into a Starbucks nearby my apartment in Greenpoint (Brooklyn). I tell the girl at the counter that I want to try the taste test.
She looks at me really confused.
It's 7:30am on Sunday. Trust me, I'm confused why I'm awake as well...but give me my coffee!

She goes back to the bar, turns her back to me and begins concocting two shot glasses of coffee-like-substance.

(Interesting pun, sbux...Via nearly means "way" in Italian/Latin...they've found a lovely way to separate you from your money. At least you'll never be subjected to the horrors of "office coffee" again, right? image: Sacramento Scoop)

Looking at the little cups, I remember why I'm doing this: the promise of something for free! Ok, so I sloosh the coffee around, sniff it, take a swig. The taste is actually fairly close but there's one the thing that gives the insta-brew (I'm sorry...micro-ground "ready" brew) away from the traditional coffee is it's opaqueness. Since it has coffee particles unfiltered free to flit around in the water you pour it into, the Via is a darker color. The smell is a bit off, too, but it's very subtle.

Either way, thanks for the free coffee. I wouldn't buy VIA but it probably is a decent alternative to no coffee or other types of instant. Just make sure you get the water super hot or you're going to end up with a lukewarm cup o' sludge.

Death of Summer...a trip to Connecticut

Being that this is a little beyond the scope of NYC and the outer boroughs, and that there's not easy way to get there without a car, I'll keep this short.

I love New England. So this weekend, I took a trip to Noank, CT. This is a small part of Mystic...of Mystic Pizza fame. Past New London (hello the U. S. Coast Guard Academy) on I-95, almost in Rhode Island.


This is a quaint, New England shoreline town. Sleepy and full of old money, it speaks to the New England Prep school kid in me. OK, but seriously, I spent the afternoon taking in the rocky coastline, leaves on the cusp of bursting into full fall reds and oranges and having a late lunch at Abbott's Lobster in the Rough.

What was awesome about this lunch is that I was with 4 other people and could have a little of everything. On the menu: 6 oysters on the half-shell, 6 clams on the half-shell, The "Abbotizer" special (don't get excited! just some crudites), shrimp and corn chowder, steel gray clam chowder, 2 hot lobster rolls, a lobster dinner complete with a 1.5 lb lobstah, cole slaw and chips (don't forget the bib), stuffed clams and crab cakes.

The only disappointment was the roasted corn. Considering that, last weekend, I drove up and down the long island farm stretch for an hour looking for a farm stand that had roasted corn despite the downpour, I had high hopes. Abbotts roasted corn is generally average but the French in me will use any reasonable vegetable as an excuse to eat drawn butter so I ordered...Turns out that cooking corn, removing it from heat, and then cooking it again renders it totally and utterly disgusting. More than the taste (could just be a bad ear) was the texture. Just plain overcooked. Too bad.


Easily distracted by shiny things and things with claws full of succulent lobster meat, I didn't have to cope with Corngate 2009 for long.


Both chowders were very good, but I think i'll always prefer the thinner-than-usual clam chowder, seemingly made with actual sea water (in the best possible way). My mother and Mike each had a lobster roll (not my thing, i prefer the lack of bread and the carnage of a full steamed lobster any day), my Gram had crab cakes for the first time at age 81 and Rae Rae had stuffed clams.

Your eyes do not deceive you: that's a very special dog getting a tow in an inflatable raft. Peace out, Summer. It's an annual tradition for me at this little place (closes for the season on Columbus Day). Something about B.Y.O.B and picnic tables that I can't say no to. Perfect way to start, middle or end the summer if you've got a way to get there.

Say a little prayer for the lobster I spent a good 40 minutes devouring on Sunday...R.I.P. little dude, you were delicious.

Day 1: Welcome to the world NYC Bar Review.

So, after following my spending on Mint.com for a couple months, it turns out i love food.

Since I'm spending so much of my time and money on food and drink, I decided to start keeping track of some of my experiences. At the very least, I will have a nice running list of places i love and hate (always good). A repository of crazy dining stories would also be good. So let the fun begin.

Up first:

Freemans (left, photograph credit: Freemans website) This is a seriously charming place in an unlikely locale. Located at the end of Freemans Ally off Rivinginton between the Bowery and Christie.

Behold the entrance. Obviously a totally happy couple strolling into the place arm-in-arm is a good start, right? OK, so the entrance, and inside, the decor is totally rustic and appealing. A surprisingly large restaurant seemingly carved out of, literally, a hole in the wall complete with worn mirrors, hardwood floors, quilted backing to the wall booth seats and its fair share of (eek!) animals fresh from the taxidermist. Completed with a score of ancient books in shelves lining some of the walls, dried flowers and birch branches, and you have a totally alluring setting.





Sitting at the back bar, we started with bloody marys. Being Saturday morning, I had seriously high expectations for my retox beverage. Despite the very pleasant demeanor of the bartender (who let me use his pen to scrawl out the potential design of my next tattoo for my entire meal), the bloody was decidedly average. A little more spice and probably a celery stalk (hey, i'm traditional sometimes, too) and it would be awesome.

Moving on...to hash potato heaven. I'm fairly sure if you're a strict vegetarian you should steer clear...these babies were cooked up in a delightful mix of butter and bacon fat. Finished with sauteed onions and some fresh herbs. Delicious. Segue into the soup of the day: the greenest of green, split pea. Since my dining partner was Dutch, we figured it was only right to try this out. Very satisfying texture with a good balance of spices and just the right amount of ham (although the waiter told us it'd be bacon, I wasn't unhappy with the switch).

To finish up, we split the Piedmontese burger which came with some killer fries. This is a fairly new addition to the menu and is touted as a "healthy" burger...yeah....made of grass-fed/no-antibiotic/etc beef from Piedmont and The burger was super fresh, cooked on the rare side of medium rare (hooray!). The fresh, thinly sliced pickles were great on it. Highly recommend if you love a good burger but have them toast the bun because it is juicy. Screw it, I don't like hamburger buns that much so I took mine off after a couple bites. Not a dealbreaker for me, but if you like your buns on the less-saturated side, toast em up.

A really pleasant surprise was the spice of the french fries. With a slightly acidic tinge from what was probably malt vinegar, they were hot, crispy and definitely worth the calories. At $14 it's definitely on the expensive end for a burger by most people's standards but that's probably it's greatest flaw.



I was really happy with my venture from Brooklyn to visit Freemans. The focus on good tasting fare complete with the appropriately bad-for-you items (bacon fat, rare meat) was really refreshing. Hopefully, the owner won't mind his "rugged, clandestine, colonial American tavern" being exposed to the blogging public....i'm guessing not so much.



price: $50 for 2 people brunch. We were both full and content when leaving despite sharing.
ambiance: very old, rustic american. dimly lit but not dreary.
service: sat at bar, very pleasant, hostess was also nice if a bit flustered by the brunch rush since we arrived around 12:30