tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73027939168325427272024-03-05T18:46:15.177-05:00Law & FoodNoahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.comBlogger342125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-37212372977021071532012-02-14T08:36:00.000-05:002012-02-14T17:54:44.252-05:00Killer Dumplings at Tanxia Wang Fu Zhou CuisineI'm back.<br />
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Like I said in my brief post repping for Real Cheap Eats, the past month and a half was spent almost exclusively preparing for (and ultimately losing) a trial. That's over now, and I've returned with one of the choicest pieces of Chinatown knowledge I've acquired in ages. Tanxia Wang Fu Zhou Cuisine is on Eldrigde, just south of well known hand-pulled noodle spot <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/06/looking-for-the-best-hand-pulled-noodles-in-chinatown-manhattan-nyc.html">Sheng Wang</a>, serving a succinct menu of Fujian classics.<br />
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The dumplings here are the main draw, and they're brought steaming on styrofoam plates almost as soon as you've snagged a seat (sometimes before you've even finished ordering). The waitresses speak barely any English, but you can always point at the menu along the long, constantly crowded wall. It's a busy spot, but turnover is high, so you're likely to find a seat soon enough.</div>
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Back to the dumplings. They're filled with copious greens mixed in loosely amidst slightly sweet, ground pork. With just a bit of grease–enough to coat your mouth, alerting you to the presence of fatty pork juice–these dumpling don't easily wear out their welcome. The dumpling skin (likely a commercial wrapper), is just thin enough and more than up to the task.</div>
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At just $9 for a bag of 50, it's worth bringing some home. </div>
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The wonton soup is almost as good. A drop of finely ground pork is centered around a thin, almost diaphanous, ripple of dumpling skin. (Diaphanous was my eating companion's word, not mine. I could only figure it out in context and am slightly embarrassed to admit I had to look up the actual definition.)</div>
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Peanut butter noodles ("ban mian") can be a whole meal by themselves. Bland without any additions, they're best when doused in Sriracha and thick soy sauce. </div>
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Pork balls looked vaguely testicular. They can be a little greasy, but they complement the thick broth so well that all is forgiven.</div>
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Fish balls filled with ground pork, with their slippery texture, are a chopstick workout. A slightly porkier version of <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2010/09/rosh-hashanah-interlude-making-gefilte.html">gefilte fish</a>. The broth, lighter than the one served with the pork balls, was just as good. </div>
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Significantly, this place is Dirt Fucking Cheap. Two bowls of soup, a plate of noodles and eight dumplings will only run you $9. It's impossible to spend more than $10 here (well, maybe you could get a drink). Check it out. You won't be sorry.</div>
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<b>Tanxia Wang Fu Zhou Cuisine</b></div>
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<b>13B Eldridge Street (south of Canal)</b></div>
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<b>New York, NY 10002</b></div>
<b>(212) 343-0548 </b><br />
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<br /></div>Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-4965603309830674912012-01-24T10:15:00.002-05:002012-01-24T10:15:53.138-05:00Real Cheap Eats Winter Edition 2012Once again I find myself apologizing for not updating the blog. This time I have a very good excuse-- I've been preparing for trial the last few weeks and have not had a single waking moment of free time (ok, that's a slight exaggeration, I may have had a moment or two last Thursday).<br />
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Anyway, for those who haven't already been subjected to our relentless barrage on the social medias, I'd like to point you to the <a href="http://realcheapeats.com/nyc/tag/2012-winter/">Real Cheap Eats Winter Edition 2012</a>. It's pretty freaking great (no bias). And, if you like Real Cheap Eats and would really like to help us out, please <a href="http://realcheapeats.com/nyc/2012/help-real-cheap-eats-and-win-a-free-food-tour/">fill out our user survey</a>, which will help us build the best damn mobile app in the universe (yes, even better than Shazam).<br />
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-Noah-<br />
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<br />Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-73547988825183145622011-12-30T00:01:00.000-05:002011-12-30T00:02:57.869-05:00Second Annual Obligatory-Later-than-Usual Best of the Year List: 2011<b>Hey you guys... it's me, Noah. It was sort of a big year here at Law & Food (emphasis on "sort of"). I haven't had much to write about in the past few weeks (on top of being extremely busy and due to the fact that I'm currently in France), but as a food blogger, it seems necessary to somehow wrap up "2011 in Food" in a nice little package. So without any further introduction, here's my favorite eats of the year broken down into completely arbitrary categories.</b><br />
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<b>Favorite new restaurant</b>: <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/06/bed-stuy-do-or-dine.html">Do or Dine</a>. In a year where I was bored and jaded by the high-end, Do or Dine snuck in through the back door, crashing the party. Where else could you find a try-anything-experimental-vibe while still experiencing a backbone of excellent service, inventive drunk food and creative dishes (like the now infamous foie gras doughnut)? Right now, these guys are the kings of Bed Stuy "fine diving." The picture of "A Fish and Some Chips" is from the pre-Roehawk version (check <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/08/do-or-dine-bed-stuy-brooklyn-new-modern-nyc.html">this one</a> out on Serious Eats).<br />
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<b>Best Sandwich</b>: The <b>chicken liver and bacon sandwich</b> at Post Office in Williamsburg. The only reason I haven't written about Post Office yet is because it's nearly impossible to get a good picture in the dim light of this small bar on Havemeyer right near the BQE (OK, and I'm lazy). Picture an American riff on a banh mi. Thick, smoky bacon plays backup to funky chunks of chicken liver, while pickled cucumber, carrot and shallot with frisee mixed with a green apple vinaigrette balances the caloric onslaught. A slightly spicy mayo and crusty baguette completes the effect and you realize that this sandwich is much more than a mere riff.<br />
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<b>Best Pizza</b>: Shockingly, my two favorite pies this year were both eaten outside of New York City. <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/11/ill-timed-roatrips-new-haven.html">Zuppardi's</a> clam pie in West Haven, Connecticut was a revelation of freshly shucked clams on a cold, snowy day. The sausage pie was nearly as good. Almost as good was a pie I ate earlier this year at <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/05/along-on-annies-new-jersey-pizza-tour.html">Star Tavern</a> in New Jersey which proved to be the pinnacle of the bar pie form. Also, for a NYC rec: <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/03/things-im-addicted-to-best-pizza.html">Best Pizza</a>, Best Pizza, Best Pizza.<br />
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<b>Best Cheap Eat for Only a Buck</b>: <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/09/maria-tamale-lady.html">Maria's tamales</a>. The secret is lots of lard.<br />
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<b>Best Chinese</b>: This was the year I discovered the flavors of Henan at Uncle Zhou and <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/03/flavors-of-henan.html">Henan Flavor</a> (and its original branch in Flushing, Henan Fangwei). Big Dish Chicken, Spicy Crispy Rabbit in a Big Tray at Uncle Zhou (both times I had it, I must have eaten most of the dish) and anything with those broad, rustic noodles made me very, very sweaty. Check out Dave Cook's review in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/10/dining/reviews/uncle-zhou-in-queens-nyc-restaurant-review.html">New York Times</a> and this video of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMn_9i_EH30">demonstration</a> the owner and his chefs graciously did for us, making hand-pulled angel hair noodles seemingly out of thin air.<br />
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<b>Best Use of Foie Gras</b>: The <b>double cut pork chop</b> at <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/04/mwells-taste-of-nouveau-quebecois.html#more">M. Wells</a> in Long Island City was one of the best "large format" (blech) dishes I ate all year. Two massive, double-cut pork chops, two oversized lobes of foie gras and two baked pineapples covered in a bright red cherry sauce. Close second went to another M. Wells dish, cream of mushroom soup with a big lobe of foie gras as a garnish. I literally licked the plate clean in front of five other food bloggers. I'm that much of a pro.<br />
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<b>Best Burger</b>: IT'S A TIE! Sorry, that's too much enthusiasm. I'll chill out now. Yet <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/01/atlanta-elusive-burgers-at-holeman.html">Holeman & Finch</a> in Atlanta and <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/01/bold-burgers-at-brindle-room.html">Brindle Room</a> in the East Village served up some amazing burgers this year. Enough has been written about Holeman & Finch for me to add anything substantial, but few dishes have lived up to the hype quite like this burger.<br />
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Brindle Room still flies under the established "Best in NYC" burger radar, but the aged beef is funky and deeply buttery, and the pub-style patty is the perfect size. I've converted many true believers this year with this same spiel. Better than the famous Minetta Tavern Black Label Burger at half the price. It comes topped with caramelized onions and your choice of cheese. Get it with American cheese, and it needs nothing else. Add the house-made "Prison Gangbang" habanero hot sauce to your ketchup and fries, too.<br />
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<b>Absolute Best meal</b>: Carlo Mirarchi's <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/05/celebrating-spring-and-steves-birthday.html">tasting menu</a> at Roberta's stands high above the rest in terms of epic gluttony. I had a lot of good meals this year, but nothing came close (except, a glorious meal at Craft, centered around a 30 day dry-aged ribeye for two, and maybe a similar meal at Roberta's a few weeks after this one). The focus on extreme aged meats-- 90 day aged Wagyu and aged whole duck-- changed my notions of how meat could taste. Plus, the sheer technical skills of a perfectly cooked piece of fluke, and the majesty of foie gras with lots of black pepper (along with something sweet and seasonal) made this meal unforgettable.<br />
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Well that's all I've got. Have a great new year!<br />
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If you're so inclined, here's our <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2010/12/obligatory-year-end-wrap-up-highly.html#more">2010 list</a>. We may have lost Steve, but he remains in my heart (and probably eating somewhere really good).Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-57489392329223087532011-12-04T15:24:00.001-05:002011-12-08T10:07:36.734-05:00I Swear I'll Stop Writing About Georgian Food After This Post: Brick Oven BreadI know you're all probably tired of hearing about Georgian food by now, but wandering along Brighton Beach a few weeks ago, my friends and I came across "Brick Oven Bread," a Georgian bakery on a residential block, just east of Coney island Avenue.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/roboppy/6450998867/in/photostream">Robyn Lee</a></span></div>
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Completely and utterly full from a long day of butter and cream-filled Russian treats, we decided to simply note the location before vowing to return as soon as humanly possible. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving and preparation for a trial got in the way, but I was finally able to return with my friend Lizzie and two colleagues of hers visiting from London.<br />
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As we walked inside, Lizzie's friends started asking about Georgia and Georgian food. "That's where Stalin was from," I said, summing up about 50% of my Georgian knowledge.<br />
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"Stalin?" He replied. "He was a bit of a tinker, wasn't he?"<br />
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Take what you will from that, but a "tinker" was described to me as a "cheeky fellow."<br />
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Sorry for the digression, onto the food. After Lizzie had a brief conversation with what I can only assume was the owner, they brought us out a sliced round of khachapuri. The cheese was applied with far more restraint than at <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/georgian-bread-or-how-i-made-everyone.html">Georgian Bread</a>, and it was slightly sharper. "This is more authentic," claimed Lizzie.<br />
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We also picked up a shotis puri, which is the long bread that looks as if it swallowed a football. Here, the bread is a little thicker than at Georgian Bread, a bit doughier and with slightly less char from the tandoori-like oven (also known as a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">toné<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f;">). It's also massive, probably 1 1/2 times the size of Georgian Bread. While good, especially fresh from the oven, I slightly prefer the bread at Georgian Bread. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f;">We also picked up a duo of dips. Chopped spinach was shot through with dill, garlic and pomegranate seeds, while lobio, a kidney bean salad, was covered in walnut sauce, onions and a bit of Georgian chili sauce. Both were devoured with handfuls of puri.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f;">This intriguing bakery is a worthy twin to Georgian Bread only a short walk away, but unlike Georgian Bread, it's completely off anyone but the local's radar. An extensive Google search revealed nothing. Nothing on Chowhound, no Yelp review, not even a 5-year-old post by Dave Cook on <a href="http://www.eatingintranslation.com/">Eating in Translation</a> (as is almost always the case). How could this be? Well, check it out and see what you've been missing.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f;"><b>Brick Oven Bread</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f;"><b>109 Brighton 11 Street (near Oceanview Avenue)</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f;"><b>Brooklyn, NY 11235</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f;"><br /></span></span></span>Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-76697233890552853202011-11-30T08:12:00.001-05:002011-12-04T15:28:07.159-05:00I'm a Food Blogger and I Ate a Sandwich!Sorry for the sarcasm, but I haven't had anything interesting to say lately. That said, I'd like to announce that the other night, at Jodough, the new sandwich shop and second restaurant from chef and owner Joe Dobias, I ate a sandwich. I know, I know, this was a very important occasion, wholly worth writing about. I probably would have just gone on with my life, keeping my new-found sandwich wisdom to myself, had I not experienced a few minor irritations with, what on the whole was a good sandwich.<br />
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It was pouring outside when I walked into JoeDough, Dobias was cooking in back and a woman took orders at the long counter up front. Being a conflicted Jew myself, it seemed natural to order the "Conflicted Jew" sandwich which comes with chicken liver, bacon and onions on challah. However, I'd gorged on my grandmother's chopped liver over the Thanksgiving weekend, and was feeling momentarily less conflicted. Instead I went with the "L.E.S. French Dip," which comes with griddled tongue, a horseradish mayo and au jus (menu <a href="http://images.nymag.com/images/2/daily/2011/11/15_joedough-menu.pdf">here</a>).<br />
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I asked for a glass of ice water and the counterwoman replied, "we can't really give you water if we're selling it." Touché, I guess. Also be aware that it's cash only, and all sandwiches are $10 including tax, which makes me wonder what the value proposition is with the "Wedge Sandwich" of iceberg lettuce and blue cheese dressing. Someone else is going to have to order that to find out. (Just found a picture <a href="http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2011/11/joedough.html#photo=5x00006">here</a>. Doesn't seem worth it, does it?)
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Anyway, after a few minutes my sandwich was complete and ready to be devoured. Alongside the sandwich, the au jus sat steaming in a tall, narrow "We are Happy to Serve You" cup. Not an ideal jus delivery system. The realization that I couldn't actually dip my french dip hit me hard, so I resorted to more drastic means. First, I tried to simply pour the jus over the sandwich, but this did little, as the salty jus simply flowed out the ass-end and onto my tray. Then I hit on a better idea, I'd take a mouthful of jus before taking a bite of the sandwich, ideally injecting the jus into the bread intra-orally. This worked slightly better, but was awkward as hell. It would help if the sandwich, served on a brioche-like roll, was cut in half (or better yet, served on a long baguette or roll like the classic French Dip), because once I was actually able to dip the bread, I got some excellent bites.<br />
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Regardless, I enjoyed the sandwich. The griddled tongue and horseradish sauce raised the obvious comparison to an Arby's roast beef sandwich, but the quality of the ingredients made it far superior. Being a tongue lover, I could appreciate the meaty bite of the sandwich versus the weak, almost paste-like consistency of a crappy Arby's roast beef. All that's needed for sandwich nirvana are a few minor adjustments. Seeing as they've only been open a few weeks, hopefully Dobias is still toying around with sandwich components and will hear my jus problems.<br />
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<a href="http://chefjoedough.com/"><b>Joe Dough</b></a><br />
<b>135 First Avenue (btwn St. Marks and 9th St.)</b><br />
<b>New York, NY 10003
(212) 780-9222</b><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1631161/restaurant/East-Village/Joedough-New-York"><img alt="Joedough on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1631161/minilogo.gif" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a>Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-59598528972489123482011-11-10T09:50:00.000-05:002011-11-14T22:59:24.021-05:00More Georgian Food at Mtskheta Cafe<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #232323; line-height: 20px;">Once again I've found myself overly complacent. Mtskheta Cafe, a new Georgian restaurant near the end of the D train in South Brooklyn (in what may or may not be Bensonhurst) blasted onto my radar with a review in <a href="http://nymag.com/restaurants/reviews/underground/mtskheta-cafe-2011-10/">New York Magazine</a> of all places. A s</span>couting trip with Jared Cohee of Eating the World in NYC that same day confirmed that I should probably return.<br />
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That Friday, we showed up with a large group for a birthday party where we ordered much of the menu (and also had much to drink). Then, I sat on my post. Subsequent write-ups by <a href="http://www.eattheworldnyc.com/2011/10/mtskheta-cafe.html">Jared</a>, <a href="http://www.pinkpignyc.com/at_the_sign_of_the_pink_p/2011/11/georgia-cafe-mtskehta.html">Wilfrid</a> of At the Sign of the Pink Pig and <a href="http://www.eatingintranslation.com/2011/11/mtskheta-cafe.html">Dave Cook</a> at Eaten in Translation showed that I really had a lot to add to the conversation.... Regardless (I've sold this quite well, I'm sure), I'll add what I can (having been to a lot of Georgian restaurants in the city, I believe my self-proclaimed expertise means my voice should be heard).<br />
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At the first meal with Jared, we decided to keep our order lean and mean with kupati, khachapouri and a Georgian salad. Also, the all-Russian menu was daunting, so we just named a few dishes to try. Our young, English-speaking waiter pushed the garlic chicken, but we'd already ordered too much. This type of food requires alcohol. I was unprepared, but ran to the Rite Aid down the street, where the best of a bad selection was Heineken tall boys. Those would do. <br />
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I returned to chewy lavash bread and soon our khachapouri arrived. It was buttery, almost like movie theater popcorn and overflowing with cheese, but otherwise unremarkable. Stick with Pirosmani or Georgian Bread for khachapouri.<br />
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Kupati, beef and pork sausages, arrived on a sizzling platter with fries and raw onions. I seemed to enjoy them far more than my companions on both occasions. The addition of sour plum sauce certainly helped.<br />
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Friday night I returned for a birthday party with my friend Lizzie, who speaks Georgian, and who we completely relied upon to order (as usually happens in these situations). She claimed to have ordered too much, but it's never too much.<br />
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For drinking, we had the ubiquitous honey pepper vodka, some kind of Armenian brandy and beers-- Heineken and Miller High Life. Also, Borjomi, lots of delicious Borjomi.<br />
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Badrijani, slices of eggplant rolled around light, fluffy walnut paste and topped with pomegranate seeds, was one of the better versions I've had. This is an essential order and probably the lightest way you can start a meal here.<br />
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The only stew we tried contained lamb and tarragon. The rich broth tasted mostly of anise and long-stewed lamb, which we eagerly soaked up with lavash bread. Speaking of dipping bread, make sure to get the thinned out walnut paste (almost like a walnut tahini) to pour over the bread.<br />
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Miniature football-shaped corn fritters were best paired with a stinky, ultra salty, sulfuric cheese along with the squishy, low-moisture-mozzarella-type cheese that was raved about in NY Magazine. Both cheeses by themselves were unpalatable, but in different ways. The mozzarella was flavorless, and the cheese was overpoweringly sulfuric. Trust me, only take a small bite of it on its own before combining.<br />
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We should have listened to the waiters recommendation of the garlic chicken on our first trip, since this was the highlight of the night. The chicken, which remained tender (unlike at other places), was bathed in a garlic sauce enlivened with more butter than I'd care to imagine. The younger waiter speaks very good English, and, like I said, the menu is entirely in Russian, so you're putting a great deal of faith in your waiter. If he pushes you toward the garlic chicken, you'd best follow his lead.<br />
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After a 45 minute wait, during which I passed out no less than two times (what? I lost count of the shots I'd taken after five), we were finally served our kinkali, which we dutifully showered with black pepper. The all-beef filling was disappointing, not as good as the pork and beef combo ones I'd tried at Tbilisi or even at Pirosmani. </div>
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So after two visits, I can safely say that Mtskheta Cafe doesn't upset the hierarchy of Georgian restaurants I've visited in Brooklyn. The top two remain <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2010/07/pirosmani-stalin-would-approve.html">Pirosmani</a> and <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/04/blurry-georgian-nights-at-tbilisi-cafe.html">Tbilisi Cafe & Bakery</a>, while <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/georgian-bread-or-how-i-made-everyone.html">Georgian Bread</a> is in its own category. Still, Mtskheta Cafe was likely the friendliest, most welcoming Georgian restaurant we've visited. So as long as you bring some friends (and alcohol), you won't be disappointed.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #232323; line-height: 20px;"><b>Mtskheta Cafe</b></span><br />
<b>2568 86th St</b><br />
<b>(between Bay 41st St & Stillwell Ave) </b><br />
<b>Brooklyn, NY 11214</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1627217/restaurant/Gravesend/Mtskheta-Cafe-New-York"><img alt="Mtskheta Cafe on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1627217/minilogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:15px" /></a>Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-87348840059309574742011-11-03T10:47:00.000-04:002011-11-04T11:21:33.304-04:00Ill-Timed Roadtrips: New Haven, Connecticut<br />
Occasionally, despite overwhelming outward confidence, I can be a little too bold for the sake of a good meal. For a week we had planned a short day trip to New Haven, but the forecast incomprehensibly predicted snow. "Snow?" I scoffed. If Hurricane Irene was overrated, then certainly this snowfall would, at most, consist of a few flurries falling on overeager weathermen.<br />
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Not so. Amidst the pouring rain, we picked up our rental car, which was armed with suspiciously weak headlights, for what was supposed to be a fairly short drive. I'll avoid describing our first stop, <a href="http://cannellepatisserie.com/">Cannelle Patisserie</a>, for the sake of narrative consistency. Suffice to say, everything I tried out of the $30 worth of pastries <a href="http://thespatulaqueen.blogspot.com/">Melissa</a> and <a href="http://nomnivorous.com/">Emily</a> purchased was pretty damn good.<br />
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By this time, the freezing rain had turned into heavy snow as we headed north on I 95. As the self-designated driver, I was determined to show off my hardcore driving skills, but before we reached New Haven, I had to pee. Also, we needed gas.<br />
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Luckily, Colony Grill in Stamford was only an exit away. Stepping out of the car, I sunk to my ankles in slush. We scattered and ran inside, sliding into a long booth, hoping in vain to dry off. The bar style pizzas here are only $8.50, plus $1.50 a topping. Resolved to pace ourselves, we ordered one pie with hot oil, which is <a href="http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/03/stamford-ct-colony-grill-awesome-tavern-bar-style-pizza.html">the draw</a>.<br />
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True to its reputation, the hot oil had a slow burn, but the ripper did not. It had a quick, intense burn. The thin crust was nice, but not better than <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/05/along-on-annies-new-jersey-pizza-tour.html">Star Tavern</a>, the gold standard in bar pizza. Good pizza, but I'd probably hyped it up a bit too much in my mind. Slightly disappointed, we trudged out of the bar and sprinted to the car, continuing our journey.<br />
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<b><a href="http://colonygrill.com/">Colony Grill</a></b><br />
<b>172 Myrtle Avenue</b><br />
<b>Stamford, CT 06902</b><br />
<b>(203) 359-2184</b><br />
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<a name='more'></a>The rest of the drive proceeded as slowly as you'd expect, and I'd become convinced that I would be driving to New Haven in the snow through intense traffic for the rest of my life.<br />
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During planning, a stop at Louis' Lunch seemed necessary, if only to mix up the tedium of pizza. I'd eaten the burger the only other time I was in New Haven, over four years earlier. I'd just taken down a massive dinner with friends and suddenly stumbled across Louis' Lunch. There was just no way I could resist that burger. I remembered liking it, but not much else.<br />
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Despite promises that "all burgers are cooked to medium rare," both our burgers, a cheeseburger and a hamburger, were at least medium. (Can you ask for rare?) Still, the meat was beefy and well seasoned. At the very least their ketchup hatred is something I can get behind. Though I liked the toast and cheese whiz, next time I'll get it without any vegetables, since the onion is overpowering (and I might as well throw away the tomato after that). Also, a little odd (and slightly creepy, for some reason) was the deliberate misspellings on the menu, i.e. "creem" for "cream." I don't get it. Maybe this is some kind of New Haven humor?<br />
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<b>Louis' Lunch</b><br />
<b>263 Crown Street</b><br />
<b>New Haven, CT 06511</b><br />
<b>(203) 562-5507</b><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/48/955823/restaurant/Hartford/Louis-Lunch-New-Haven"><img alt="Louis' Lunch on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/955823/minilogo.gif" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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Leaving Louis', we made the short drive to Sally's, where, at 4:45 in the pouring freezing rain, 15 minutes before opening, there was already a growing line. Soaking wet, with waterlogged feet, and insufficient protection, we looked as pathetic as we felt, standing outside waiting for pizza.<br />
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Just after the doors opened, we pushed our way inside behind another group on a pizza tour. What a bunch of posers, we're on the original pizza tour! Our plain pie would have benefitted from some mozzarella, but that's the price you pay for trying to be authentic (not like that loser pizza tour across from us).<br />
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In the comments of Steve's post on Sally's vs. Frank Pepe's over a year ago, an <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-haven-pizza-rivalry-sallys-vs-pepes.html?showComment=1284237713186#c3189934652314031240">anonymous commenter recommended</a> the white potato pie. Somehow, the thought stuck and we ordered a small potato pie to mix it up. The slightly crisped, browned edges of potatoes made for an interesting textural contrast with the cheese and crust, while rosemary and onions was the dominant flavor.<br />
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<b><a href="http://sallysapizza.com/default.aspx">Sally's Apizza</a></b><br />
<b>237 Wooster Street</b><br />
<b>New Haven, CT 06511</b><br />
<b>(203) 624-5271</b><br />
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Sally's was good, but the clear winner was our last stop, Zuppardi's Apizza. Lured by a freshly shucked (frucked?) white clam pie, I drove the last stop on the impossibly dark streets of West Haven for this under-the-radar pie.<br />
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Unlike Sally's, Zuppardi's was almost completely empty, but a steady flow of people came in with carry out orders. We stuck with our plan-- the white clam pie-- which we'd completely held off on till this point, but it was time for our victory pie.<br />
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"Mootz or no mootz?" Asked the waitress. "Half mootz," I replied, feigning a Connecticut accent.<br />
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This pie was studded with garlic (though not overpowering) and plump, fresh clams oozing juice. Being the gluttons that we are, we preferred the half mootz to the cheese-less side. Truly a fabulous pie.<br />
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We had paced ourselves almost too well, so we felt we deserved a treat in the form of a sausage pie. Made in the restaurant, the springy sausage was dominated by the soothing, anise-y flavor of fennel. Wow, was this a good pizza. Cornmeal dusted, perfectly darkened chewy crust ably held the clam and sausage toppings.<br />
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<b>Zuppardi's Apizza</b></div>
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<b>179 Union Avenue</b></div>
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<b>West Haven, CT 06516</b></div>
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<b>(203) 934-1949</b></div>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/48/958039/restaurant/Hartford/Zuppardis-Apizza-West-Haven"><img alt="Zuppardi's Apizza on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/958039/minilogo.gif" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
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Finishing the pies, we leaned back, satisfied in the knowledge of a job well done. Though my companions' were finished with all their responsibilities, I realized that I was still on the hook for the drive home. No coffee or artificial stimulants for me (for some reason), but I'm proud to say, I made the drive without a stop, hunched forward over the steering wheel, in an hour and a half. Sometimes my overconfidence pays off.Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-81379791180067785262011-10-24T10:00:00.000-04:002011-10-24T10:00:12.481-04:00Change UpYou've probably noticed that we've been posting less frequently lately. I owe you an explanation. Most significantly, editing Real Cheap Eats has taken up a lot of my time, and I'll be doing some type of weekly contribution to their new <a href="http://realcheapeats.com/nyc/nycblog/">blog</a>. Work has also picked up significantly (and that's what pays the bills and allows me to eat all this food).<div>
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So what's going to happen with Law & Food? First, Steve will not be posting anymore. According to him, he's taking an "indefinite hiatus," which, knowing him, will likely last forever. However, he will continue to post photos of his meals, making the rest of us jealous. You can find those photos <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lawandfood/">here</a>. Of course, all the shitty pictures on our Flickr page are mine.</div>
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The plan now is for one post a week. This post will probably not be a straight restaurant review, but something a little broader-- I'm going to keep it loose. Though, if I do eat something worth writing about, it will be here. There will also likely be more cooking posts, since my new apartment has a pretty sweet kitchen, and I've been cooking a lot more. My previous apartment had the worst kitchen I've ever cooked in, perhaps only second to the summer apartment I had in Bushwick, where I owned a broken microwave and had to turn the gas on each time I cooked (unless I wanted to blow up the building). Cooking posts have always been a lot of fun to write, and I like to think that I've got some skills (and creativity) to show people a thing or two. </div>
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Music Monday's are out. I know how disappointing this is to everyone who loves them. If the five of you who are interested in obscure reggae still want to hear what I've been listening to, I'll continue posting music links on Twitter. There's also a podcast that will be coming soon, although that will likely be on a different site. Of course, I'll link it here when it drops.</div>
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Until then, I hope you stick around to see what's in the works. I'm excited for the change and I hope you are too.</div>
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Noah</div>
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<br /></div>Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-47134962157288030372011-10-20T08:38:00.000-04:002011-10-20T08:38:00.296-04:00Too Much Magic Fruit2008 was the Year of Miracle Fruit. Its popularity briefly exploded after a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html">New York Times article</a> (at least in my dim recollection-- I'd thought this was in 2009) about "flavor tripping" parties. Those two words together proved irresistible to me, and I was determined to try this miracle fruit, which briefly re-wires your taste buds, making sour foods taste sweet. However, after a few weeks of searching, as usual, I moved on to another fad because anything can hold my attention only for so long.<br />
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Eventually, I'd all but forgotten about miracle fruit. But just this week, out of nowhere, I was offered a magic ticket to a Google sponsored event at the Counting Room in Williamsburg and an even more magical pill-- a concentrated extract of the berry.<br />
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So... should I grind it up and snort it? Maybe I could snort lemons afterwards and see if it tasted delicious. Smoke it? Inject it? No... just roll it around on your tongue. Oh, ok... I can do that.<br />
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For some reason, all I could think of was "Magic Bus."<br />
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The taste was mildly sweet and a little fruity, but mostly chalky. I let it coat my mouth before it eventually dissolved and immediately ordered beers and a shot of tequila. The cheap tequila (I'm thinking El Toro, a classic of my college years) is allegedly supposed to taste like Patron. If so, I asked myself, does Patron taste like the nectar of the gods when full-on tripping off of miracle berries? I never got that far, as I was soon distracted by other things (not that this is some kind of theme with me).<br />
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To my surprise, <a href="http://thespatulaqueen.blogspot.com/">Melissa</a> was able to actually drink a beer, mostly by herself. The Times article boasts that Guinness "tastes like a chocolate milkshake," but obviously the writer had never tasted Mother's Milk Stout, which already tastes like a milkshake without hallucinogenic enhancements of any type. To me, it tasted specifically like a chocolate milkshake made with Carnation instant mix, but with an almost sickly sweet aftertaste. Similarly, my Full Sail Session Lager, which already has a slight sweetness, was cloyingly sweet. Flavors lingered on my tongue for an uncomfortably long time. I wanted them to go away. Was I having a bad flavor trip?<br />
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Tasting citrus changed everything. As everyone notes, citrus is by far the best. Grapefruit morphed into fruity-textured candy, and lemons became the best lemonade I've ever had. I only had a bite of lime immediately after taking the tequila shot, but it seemed to be the weakest of all.<br />
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Blue cheese was easily the worst thing I tried. It was sweet and almost metallic tasting. Avoid. Other cheeses didn't seem much affected, like swiss and cream cheese.<br />
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After only thirty minutes it was over. I was coming down, and the sour no longer tasted as sweet, nor the beer as chocolatey. Instead, the feeling was replaced with depression and the realization that we still needed to actually eat dinner.<br />
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As we left, the most apt song of the evening blared over the speakers.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3oRKvpZ7PjE" width="420"></iframe>Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-80017826797505997362011-10-11T08:40:00.000-04:002011-10-11T08:40:16.200-04:00Real Cheap ExcusesOne of the main reasons I haven't been posting much is that I've been doing a lot of behind the scenes work on <a href="http://realcheapeats.com/nyc/">Real Cheap Eats</a>, which I edit along with James Boo of <a href="http://theeatenpath.com/">The Eaten Path</a>.<br />
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Today, that extra work has paid off in the form of the <a href="http://realcheapeats.com/nyc/2011/real-cheap-eats-fall-edition-2011/">Real Cheap Eats 2011 Fall Edition</a>. Not only are there over 50 new entries from food bloggers throughout the city, but we've improved mobile performance, added a blog and included a "$5 or Less" tag for the really cheap bastards who consider $10 a splurge. Check it out!<br />
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NoahNoahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-55112508895879385242011-10-10T08:35:00.000-04:002011-10-10T08:40:59.570-04:00Brooklyn Risotto Ball RumbleI've been eating lunch at the recently opened Catania Cafe on Atlantic Avenue a lot lately. It's close to the Kings County Courthouse and has the benefit of being ultra-cheap (pretty much everything on the menu is under $10). Plus they specialize in hard-to find Sicilian food (if you're looking for more of the same, check out <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/joes-of-avenue-u-italian-cuisine-brooklyn">Joe's of Avenue U</a> in Gravesend).<br />
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But I'll write about the rest of Catania Cafe's menu some other time (if you need some other dish recommendations now, check out this <a href="http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/788018">Chowhound thread</a>). Today it's all about the risotto balls.<br />
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Here, the arancini sit like a fat teardrop among a bevy of fried Sicilian snacks and come filled with a chunky beef ragu laced with fontina cheese. It's slightly sweet crust marks a stark contrast to the savory interior. Unfortunately, the arancini tend to fall apart, making a fork almost necessary.<br />
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The best though is found at Arancini Bros., a former denizen of the Hester Street Fair that opened earlier this year next to the Wreck Room Bar along an industrial stretch of Flushing Avenue in Bushwick. O<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">wners David Campaniello and Will Levatino</span></span> seem to have found their groove with a limited, mostly rotating menu of rice balls (and a couple of other fried goodies I have yet to try). Their classic arancini allegedly has saffron in the mix, along with a pork and pea-dotted ragu encircled with mozzerella, but I couldn't taste much of the expensive ingredient. Regardless, these balls were damn good, cheesier than at Catania, and with much less sweetness in the crust. They also held together better.<br />
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Pro tip: if you like your balls hot, make sure they fry them a bit longer, since the insides sometime stays cool.<br />
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Also, they look disgusting when opened, joining the ranks of other non-photogenic treats such as doubles, tamales and most anything else I eat after 2 AM. Good thing too, since Arancini Bros. is open from 4PM til late at night, so if you find yourself wandering down Flushing Avenue at three in the morning, you're covered.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ddEuG-LAr4/TpHaNqoQD2I/AAAAAAAAA4k/y2AS0vqrl9o/s1600/openragu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ddEuG-LAr4/TpHaNqoQD2I/AAAAAAAAA4k/y2AS0vqrl9o/s400/openragu.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The ragu version is good, but carbonara is easily the best I've tried (probably because I'm a sucker for anything labeled as such). Eggs, pancetta, pecorino and a shower of pepper gives as close an effect of biting into the actual version as I've ever had. This is a so-called special arancino, but should stay on the menu forever as far as I'm concerned.<br />
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Try it now before it disappears forever.<br />
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<b><a href="http://cafecatania.com/">Catania Cafe</a></b><br />
<b>193 Atlantic Ave</b><br />
<b>Brooklyn, NY 11201</b><br />
<b>(718) 522-2880</b><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/arancinibros">Arancini Bros.</a></b><br />
<b>940 Flushing Ave</b><br />
<b>Brooklyn, NY 11206</b><br />
<b>(718) 418-6347</b><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1608987/restaurant/New-York/Bushwick/Arancini-Bros-Brooklyn"><img alt="Arancini Bros on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1608987/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a>Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-61043787876883644362011-10-10T08:18:00.000-04:002011-10-10T08:18:02.690-04:00Music Monday: Killer MillerThe late, great Jacob Miller is one of my favorite reggae artists ever. Together with his band Inner Circle (who later gained fame for the song "Bad Boys"), they became one of the most popular reggae groups of the late 70's "Rockers" genre. Unfortunately, as the charismatic Miller was about to gain international fame, he died in a car accident at the age of 27. Even still, he left behind a legacy of fantastic music. Check out the famously chunky musician in action in these two clips:<br />
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First, a live performance of "We a Rockers."<br />
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Next is a clip from the 1977 BBC documentary "Roots, Rock, Reggae: Inside the Jamaican Scene."<br />
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Have a fabulous Music Monday!Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-64981902365104633092011-10-04T08:12:00.000-04:002011-10-06T00:18:05.609-04:00Staten Island Style: Rubirosa and Pier 76Just over a year ago, a Staten Island specialty (complete with one of its most famous namesakes) was ferried to Manhattan in the form of Rubirosa. Setting up shop in Nolita, across the street from Torrisi Italian Specialties, together they've established a bastion of neo-classic Italian cuisine along the edge of the less-than-classics of Little Italy, just a block away.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Despite high expectations (especially for the pizza), I've yet to be disappointed with anything I've eaten on numerous lunchtime visits. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Arancini comes extra cheesy, filled with </span><span class="Apple-style-span">mascarpone, prosciutto and fontina. </span>The wedge salad, meanwhile, is served with a couple strips of bacon, vodka blue cheese dressing and a scattering cherry tomatoes. Call me old fashioned, but I like my wedges drenched in blue cheese dressing. Even so, this rendition of the classic is a smart way to start your meal.<br />
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Or you could get the meatballs, which can be ordered as sliders covered in melted mozzarella, but are even better as an appetizer, served by themselves in a skillet and drenched in a chunky tomato sauce. <br />
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Circling back around to that Staten Island cred I mentioned before... it comes in the form of a co-owner who grew up in his father's world-famous (in Staten Island, at least) <a href="http://www.joeandpatspizzany.com/">Joe & Pat's Pizzeria</a>. Functionally, this means that the pies are better than everything else on the menu. Thin, even for a Staten Island style pizza, and well charred, this pie is quite close to thin-crust nirvana. The toppings are excellent across the board; meatball, with its marble sized balls, complements the rest of the ingredients. Also memorable was a large arugula and prosciutto pie that required a post-meal nap. Vodka pizza (pictured below) is a solid choice, but pales in comparison to the classic sauce, which is tomato-y without being too assertive.<br />
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Be aware, these pies can be very large despite the deceptiveness of the thin crust. Two people can comfortably eat a regular, but most will struggle on a large pie (better to add a third person, or get a regular pie plus an app). </div>
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Speaking of vodka pies...<br />
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Pier 76 on Bay Street in Staten Island is within the same galaxy of pizzerias in the Joe & Pat's progeny. (Is that a mixed metaphor?) By virtue of it being exceedingly close to the courthouse in Richmond Terrace (and right off the ferry), Pier 76 has become my go to lunch on Staten Island. Though, I <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/06/long-weekend-of-excess.html">wasn't impressed</a> the first time, I've since discovered the slice that truly deserves accolades.<br />
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That's right, it's the vodka slice (closest in the picture), whose cool orange sauce is much more mellow than at Rubirosa. This is a good thing. Where vodka sauce can sometimes be harsh, here it is has only a slight bite. Unlike at Rubirosa, the cheese is piled high, but the discs of milky, melted mozzarella don't seem like overkill, and exponentially larger slices have the feel of a more traditional NY slice. Right now, I can't conceive of a slice I crave more.<br />
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Anyone need pro bono work done in Staten Island?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://rubirosanyc.com/index.html">Rubirosa</a></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>235 Mulberry Street</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>New York, NY 10012</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><b>212) 965-0500 </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.pier76si.com/">Pier 76</a></b><br /><b>76 Bay Street</b><br /><b>Staten Island, NY 10301</b><br /><b>(718) 447-7434</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1525242/restaurant/New-York/Pier-76-Staten-Island"><img alt="Pier 76 on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1525242/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a></span></span>Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-62031472564353044872011-10-03T09:12:00.000-04:002011-10-03T09:12:38.950-04:00Music Monday: Youth LagoonApologies to everyone for the shortage of new material. I'll spare you all the usual excuses and admit to a severe lack of motivation. That shouldn't suggest I haven't been eating well, I have, but a busier than expected schedule has put my blogging responsibilities on temporary hiatus.<br />
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A few weeks ago I managed to meet up with an old college friend of mine in Chicago. Considering he's spent the past few months working in Europe, it was especially nice catching up with him. Based on a recommendation of his I checked out the band, <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/youthlagoon">Youth Lagoon</a></b>, who recently released <b><a href="http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15873-the-year-of-hibernation/">The Year of Hibernation</a></b>. A DIY project of Boise, Idaho artist, <b>Trevor Powers</b>, I immediately was hooked by the album's crude production and artfully arranged melodies. Below is a personal favorite of mine, "<b>Montana</b>," enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8IKPT30jOJw" width="400"></iframe>TheDegustationAsianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17572899803928959506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-88728066163249839032011-09-26T08:16:00.001-04:002011-09-27T22:10:14.057-04:00Music Monday: Bobby EllisIt's always nice to start off the week with some instrumentals. Why? I have no idea. Regardless, today's song is "Step Softly" performed by Bobby Ellis and the Crystalites. It's slow, swinging rocksteady beat is immensely catchy.<br />
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Have a fabulous Music Monday!Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-72358665557140854552011-09-19T00:30:00.000-04:002011-09-19T21:01:38.069-04:00Tanoreen: A Study in Over-Ordering<br />
Though not an official rule, it's by tacit agreement that Steve and I over-order whenever we eat out together. It's unavoidable (not that we try to avoid it anyway), especially with large groups, where we'll order an exponentially greater amount of food until a concerned waiter or waitress vainly presses us to relent. It seems as if we suffer from a lethal combination of wanting to try everything and the concurrent realization that the cost of said extra items will be spread evenly throughout the group (who invariably must be as willing in their eating habits as us).<br />
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A recent meal at Tanoreen presented textbook opportunities for our brand of over-ordering. OK, so we stuffed ourselves so full that my post-dinner tahini burps almost made me regret the meal (and make others regret it) as I staggered home. Almost. That said, I've passed my monthly quota of tahini.<br />
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Before our obligatory Baba Ganoush and hummus arrived, we snacked on crisp, spice dusted and sesame covered fried pita and pickled vegetables.<br />
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A special of fried brussel sprouts came topped with tahini-yogurt-pomegranate sauce and panko breadcrumbs. These were fabulous, with the yogurt and pomegranate cutting the bitterness of the brussel sprouts.<br />
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Fatoush Salad is so known because of the crunchy, fried pieces of pita bread which soak up the lemony dressing. Tanoreen's version, with spectacularly fresh vegetables, did not disappoint.<br />
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Lamb sausages came as a replacement to our sujok. Tasting somewhat like merguez, these were excellent, with a tangy, slightly spicy tomato sauce.<br />
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The trio of pies was unmemorable. The lamb pie was spiced exactly the same as the musakhan below. Besides, I think I only got a bare bite of the cheese pie and nothing of the dumpling shaped deal whose stuffing remains a mystery to me.<br />
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Grape leaves filled with lamb and rice were surprisingly bland and more than a little watery. Not even a spritz of lemon could give them life. Maybe we got a weak batch, but I'd avoid these next time.<br />
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What can I even say about rice?<br />
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One of our most unique appetizers, the "Eggplant Napoleon," sandwiched two pieces of fried eggplant around a mozzarella-like slab of baba ganoush sauced with a moat of chopped tomato and basil salad. The chefs at Tanoreen certainly have a way with eggplant, but I doubt it's what Napoleon had in mind when he <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezn9Lrdc9ZQ&feature=related">designed his eponymous dessert</a>.<br />
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Musakhan, a flatbread topped with sumac spiced chicken, caramelized onions and sliced almonds was one of the best dishes of the night. The sliced almonds added crunch to a flatbread that held more chicken than was really necessary. (Note to self: I miss eating things spiced with sumac, I need to step that up.)<br />
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Kibbe appeared as a trio of brown zeppelins, and they went down my throat like the Hindenburg (too soon?)<br />
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How could we not order the kabob combo plate? Featuring ground lamb kabobs with "Tanoreen spices," lamb shish kabobs and chicken kabobs, it was the chicken that turned out to be the best-- the other two tasted undersalted.<br />
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It was our final dish that put me over the edge. Another special, fish tagine. A whole branzino (or was it a red snapper? Either way, it sure as shit wasn't tilapia) was crusted with a tahini chili sauce and topped in caramelized onions, shallots, pomegranate molasses, lemon and olive oil. Whoa. Big flavor, so much so that it hardly mattered which fish it was, it all would have tasted of the same delectable sauce anyway (except for tilapia).<br />
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I somehow forgot to mention that I'd eaten a slice of pizza from the spot across the street while waiting for the rest of our group to arrive as Steve looked at me in horror. Proudly, I still managed to (nearly) keep up with everyone else. Drinking helped, too.<br />
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Despite the brick of food in our bellies (with tahini for mortar), we had to order the knafeh, a pastry consisting of phyllo dough, "Rawia's homemade sweet cheese," orange blossom syrup and a sprinkle of pistachios. We made our first, and only non-gluttonous decision of the night by opting for the small rather than the far more massive large. It was plenty of food.<br />
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Some people are turned off by cheesy desserts, but I dig this. Maybe it's the pistachio, which I'd eat in any situation, but the stretchiness of the cheese really makes this a unique dessert.<br />
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What did we learn today? Absolutely nothing. Steve and I will continue to over-order, and I (and most everyone else, judging by the crowds) will keep eating at Tanoreen and all will be right in the universe.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.tanoreen.com/">Tanoreen</a></b><br />
<b>7523 3rd Avenue</b><br />
<b>Brooklyn, NY 11209</b><br />
<b>(718) 748-5600</b><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/41303/restaurant/New-York/Bay-Ridge/Tanoreen-Brooklyn"><img alt="Tanoreen on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/41303/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a>Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-4703992056386320582011-09-19T00:00:00.000-04:002011-09-19T00:00:07.231-04:00Music Monday: Matt Berninger and Annie Clark cover the Crooked FingersHaving just celebrated the mid-Autumn festival and the Korean holiday, Chuseok, last Monday, we seem ready to <i>bid adieu</i> to summer and welcome in fall. But before we start thinking about daylight savings or unpacking that "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIkMeaAfIRw"><b>autumn sweater</b></a>" (sorry, I couldn't resist the obvious <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2010/10/music-monday-yo-la-tengo.html"><b>Yo La Tengo</b></a> reference), I wanted to share one final summer-themed song.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Albeit more well known for their respective bands, <b>Matt Berninger</b> of <a href="http://www.americanmary.com/"><b>The National</b></a> and <b>Annie Clark</b> of <a href="http://www.ilovestvincent.com/"><b>St. Vincent</b></a>, collaborate on an excellent rendition of the <a href="http://www.crookedfingers.com/"><b>Crooked Fingers</b></a> duet, "<b>Sleep All Summer</b>." Clark does a wonderful Lara Meyerratken impression, while Berninger's baritone vocals lend exceptionally to Eric Bachmann's sobering lyrics, resulting in a stunning cover. In other but closely related news, St. Vincent have just released their new album, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/09/04/139946514/first-listen-st-vincent-strange-mercy"><b>Strange Mercy</b></a>, while The National will be hitting the road shortly to embark on a new <a href="http://pitchfork.com/news/43972-the-national-announce-tour/"><b>tour</b></a>.<br />
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For posterity's sake, I've also included the original recording of the song. Happy Music Monday!TheDegustationAsianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17572899803928959506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-1999026424784411172011-09-13T00:01:00.000-04:002011-09-13T00:01:02.847-04:00It's Skyline TimeGrowing up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Skyline Chili was more than just a rite of passage. In a town wedded to its local dining traditions, it was simply What You Ate. You ate there after Reds games and before Bengals games (mostly to soften the blow of the inevitable loss), after school and on a date. You ate there late at night to settle the alcohol in your stomach, or early in the morning before a flight out of town.<br />
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I probably ate at Skyline once a week for almost 20 years. Not only did I never eat at another chili parlor, despite the many throughout town (and a fact that I should be embarrassed to admit in my willingness to try everything else), it never even occurred to me that I should.<br />
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An important note: people expecting a "real" chili are unfailingly disappointed. Think of it as a soft ragu or meat sauce. The spicing is also radically different, with an aroma of clove, cinnamon and chocolate dominating. Authentic recipes call for the beef to be boiled rather than browned and tenderized in vinegar for a characteristically mushy texture. I know, it's difficult to imagine how this could taste good, but stick with me. The chili is but one component of the whole, which works far better than it has any right to taste.<br />
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To be sure, this is not just a hard chili recipe to get exactly correct, the other ingredients are almost as tough, with the cheese being nearly impossible to replicate. A fluffy tangle of Big Bird yellow cheese forms a mountain over the chili and thoroughly cooked spaghetti, never clumping and only barely melting on the lowest layer touching the chili. <br />
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Finally, the proper dish is needed. See my picture below. The proper dish collects the copious chili juice, which provides a secondary yet crucial lubrication to the spaghetti. But the dish is also shaped so as to spread the juices and not concentrate them, like at the bottom of a bowl. I had no such dish.<br />
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Crash course: a 3 Way is spaghetti, chili and cheese. A 4 Way adds onions or beans and a 5 Way contains both. Top with liberal amounts of hot sauce and oyster crackers to achieve synergy.<br />
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So it was in celebration of the start of the 2011 Bengals season this past Sunday, and with all the above cultural and referential baggage that I made Cincinnati chili for the first time. Committed to researching the perfect recipe, I cruised through nearly a hundred different sites. If it didn't call for boiling the beef it was out right away. Same went with cinnamon and chocolate, an open secret ingredient in Cincinnati chili-dom. Tomatoes rather than tomato paste? Fuck off! Finally, I found <a href="http://www.beergeek.com/category/cincinnati-chili/cincinnati-chili-recipes/">a recipe</a> that seemed to have the right combination of ingredients and spices along with the requisite geekiness. <br />
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The chili looked like thus:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">It should be colored like chocolate and look slightly shitty with a greasy sheen.</span></div>
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A few modifications, necessitated by, well... necessity. And laziness (plus a bit of cheapness). I'd bought ground beef for burgers the night before that was significantly fattier than the 93/7 lean to fat ratio called for in the recipe. It showed. This was some extra greasy Cincinnati chili (which in itself is already pretty damn greasy).<br />
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Cardamom is also apparently foreign to Bed Stuy, and with the clock ticking to kickoff, I decided to skip it. Finally, I added bay leaf and a little bit of ground chiles (I'm completely crazy, right?). After the simmering had finished, my cousin Zach and I tasted diligently. Debating the relative pros and cons of the two types of cheddar he'd bought. We ended up with a combination of both the C-Town store brand, Krasdale, which sounds like a joke name straight out of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and Kraft Cracker Barrel "Marbled." As I mentioned, the cheese is hardest to replicate, and this was the only component or "way" in which I felt we failed. I of course blame Zach.<br />
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My 5 Way:<br />
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Pretty good for my first time. The spicing tasted right, and the texture was familiar enough. But the cheese, as expected, was impossible to replicate. I opted for the finest grater I had, but the cheese ended up clumping rather than sitting in the fluffy piles which I so desperately seek. Oh well. Only a fool would expect to perfect Skyline on the first try. The search continues, with more experimentation to follow.Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-40609966148905657072011-09-12T08:03:00.002-04:002011-09-12T08:04:14.580-04:00Music Monday: Crimson and CloverIt seems that every Music Monday I post is merely the song that was stuck in my head the previous day. For that I apologize. Apologizing, however, in no way means that I'll stop doing it. Today's song is "Crimson & Clover," which burrowed its way into my head while I was gathering ingredients for Cincinnati-style chili at the grocery store (more to come on that soon). As usual, it was the reggae version that I wanted to hear again, rather than the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpGEeneO-t0">Tommy James & the Shondells original</a>, which is pretty damn good in its own right.<br />
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Here is the fabulous version by The Uniques, one of my favorite Jamaican harmony groups of the 60's.<br />
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Have a fabulous Music Monday!<br />
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Also, I realize we haven't been posting as much lately, but I promise we've got some exciting posts lined up for the next few weeks. I have no idea what makes a post "exciting," but I think these fit that vague category. Unfortunately, after the next few weeks, I make no guarantees about the excitement level of our posts.Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-77705500807224768532011-09-05T00:01:00.000-04:002011-09-05T00:01:01.653-04:00Music Monday: Real EstateTo be honest, other than recently digging "<b>It's Real</b>," I know relatively little about the New Jersey based band, <b><a href="http://www.myspace.com/realestate">Real Estate</a></b>. The quartet's second full length album, <a href="http://www.dominorecordco.us/usa/news/12-07-11/real-estate-announce-new-album--offer-free-download/"><b>Days</b></a>, was produced by <b><a href="http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12260-its-real/">Kevin McMahon</a></b> (the Walkmen, Titus Andronicus) and its September 27th release seems to be generating plenty of buzz around the blogosphere. The combination of lead singer, Martin Courtney's warm vocals, catchy chorus line and breezy guitar driven melody, makes the song an ideal tune to ride out these last weeks of summer. Happy Music Monday!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="370" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uS-nxXFv1ZQ" width="494"></iframe>TheDegustationAsianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17572899803928959506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-16467649691014081262011-09-01T08:12:00.000-04:002011-09-01T08:14:03.028-04:00Maria the Tamale LadyI would hardly consider myself a tamale expert, but every once in awhile a tamale comes along that's so terrific its deliciousness can hardly be disputed. (If you want to dispute me, I will gladly argue with you.) This is the story of that tamale.<br />
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Wandering down Roosevelt Avenue on a late night crawl led by <a href="http://iwantmorefood.com/">Jeff Orlick</a>, we stumbled upon a row of three tamale vendors directly beneath the 103d Street station. Though we were <a href="http://iwantmorefood.com/2011/08/09/roosevelt-avenue-midnight-scouting-tour-2011-taco-chimi-trucks/">incredibly full</a> by this point, we decided to try some tamales in the interest of science.<br />
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For a while I was content to ignorantly snack on the tamale I had purchased from the first vendor, a guy with a flashy sign and not much else. That was until I was fed a bite of Maria's tamale. I looked at my now disgusting tamale and couldn't throw it in the trash fast enough before pushing through the crowd now congregating around Maria. My fullness dissipated, I quickly ate two tamales.<br />
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Why were they so good? Well, the masa was laced with lard (and every once in awhile I got a bite of pure pork fat), while retaining a light, fluffy texture. No dryness here. The fillings were also solid: pork verde and queso brought the heat, adobo and rojo were also excellent.<br />
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Luckily we were joined by multiple Spanish speakers. We soon learned that Maria was actually Ecuadorian and had learned how to make tamales while working in a Mexican restaurant. Now she sells her own at the exceedingly convenient hours of midnight to 8AM.<br />
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Since that first encounter I've been back twice, each time leaving with a heavy sack of tamales that hardly last more than a day or two. For a dollar each, these may be some of the best cheap eats in town.<br />
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<b>Maria's Tamales</b><br />
<b>Roosevelt Avenue at 103d St. </b><br />
<b>Maria is the vendor on the north side of the street furthest east from the stop.</b><br />
<br />Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-21018610300992932042011-08-30T07:31:00.001-04:002011-08-30T07:32:24.390-04:00Totto Ramen: Slurps of Satisfaction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vp9eL8J_ZXU/Tlw8oHi36yI/AAAAAAAAEPA/vD-hbyoIHwI/s1600/Totto+Ramen_8-19-2011-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vp9eL8J_ZXU/Tlw8oHi36yI/AAAAAAAAEPA/vD-hbyoIHwI/s400/Totto+Ramen_8-19-2011-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
"New York City is full of crazy trends..." sarcastically remarked a man walking past me last Friday evening. This comment, while not entirely untrue, was in obvious reference to the large crowd amassed outside of <a href="http://tottoramen.com/"><b>Totto Ramen</b></a>, the popular Japanese restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. While it seems that virtually all of New York is obsessed with <a href="http://www.ippudony.com/"><b>Ippudo</b></a>'s porky Hakata-style ramen in their sheik downtown digs, count me as part of the dissenting minority who believes that Totto's chicken-based ramen is consistently serving up the better bowl.<br />
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To refer to ramen, a beloved food with a rich culinary tradition, as a "trend" is nothing short of blasphemy. In fact, I never realized how ubiquitous ramen was to Japan until having lived there. But considering the food's foreign roots, combined with New York's recent infatuation with these noodles, and one could see a bit of truth in his statement. A direct comparison between Totto Ramen and Ippudo is an apples-to-oranges scenario. While both restaurants primarily serve ramen, their styles are remarkably different.<br />
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Situated next to a nondescript sushi joint, Totto Ramen seems to <i>always</i> have a line. The procedure is simple: walk up to the restaurant, put your name and party size on the sign-up sheet attached to the door and wait to be called. Depending on when you arrive at the restaurant your wait will likely vary; prompting the hungriest of diners to visit during off-hours. Whatever you do, try not to miss your name being called or else you will be moved to the bottom of the list, and like almost all Manhattan restaurants, you will not be seated without your entire party present. Seeing the dozen or so names ahead of us, <b>MW</b> and I decided to walk down the block and grab a cocktail at <a href="http://www.danjinyc.com/"><b>Danji</b></a> instead of standing on the street on the humid evening.<br />
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After finishing our drinks, we returned to an even larger mob scene. Our timing was just about perfect, and no more than five minutes after returning our names were called. Making our way through the envious crowd, we were seated at the bar. Aside from the three or four small tables towards the rear, the crowded bar comprises the majority of the restaurant's seating, evoking the spirit of a traditional Japanese ramen-ya. Seated at the bar, we witnessed a display of theatrical efficiency. Three men worked vigorously churning out bowl after bowl of the good stuff as one was solely responsible for cooking the long, homemade noodles, another tending exclusively to the soup and the third, a sort of go-between that put the finishing touches on each dish and prepped appetizers.<br />
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We picked up where we left Danji, ordering two Sapporo beers which were vital in battling the heat from the open kitchen. Wanting more than just ramen, we selected two appetizers from the restaurant's limited menu. First to arrive were our orders of <b>Ika Yaki</b>, or grilled squid. Two small skewers of squid were "grilled" with a blowtorch, splashed with a sweet ginger sauce and covered with shaved scallions. The dish was fine, as the ginger sauce accenting the bouncy squid and pungent scallions well, but was nothing memorable and rather small considering its price.<br />
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More satisfying was the second appetizer, <b>Avo Tuna</b>. Just as the previous dish had been, a slab of raw tuna had a quick date with the blowtorch, yielding a firm exterior but still rare interior, before being placed atop a bed of avocado marinated in a yuzu garlic sauce. Pairing the smooth tuna with the buttery avocado resulted in a delicious, if not a tad predictable, dish.<br />
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Not long after finishing our appetizers, our ramen was ready. Seeing how it was her virgin experience, I urged <b>MW</b> to order the restaurant's signature, <b>Totto Chicken Paitan Ramen</b>. Set in the restaurant's distinct chicken and soy sauce based soup, a mound of straight homemade noodles cooked<i> al dente</i> and was garnished with scallion, onion, char siu pork and a sheet of nori. Adding a seasoned boiled egg for good measure, <b>MW</b> really enjoyed the texture of the noodles, rich soup and fatty char siu, finishing her ramen one slurp after another. <br />
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Wanting something different, I chose the <b>Totto Spicy Ramen</b>. Essentially, the original Patian ramen laced with a side of rayu (a spicy sesame oil), my dish came garnished with scallion, char siu pork, bean sprouts and nori. Although I hesitate to call this ramen "spicy", the rayu imparted a pleasant peppery flavor to the already satisfying Patian soup, adding an extra layer of complexity. <br />
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Practically inhaling my noodles, I yelled "<i>kaedama</i>" to the cooks and was rewarded with a side of extra noodles for the nominal fee of $2.50, an extremely small price for added pleasure.<br />
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<a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2010/09/the-best-ramen-in-new-york-city-nyc-japanese-ramen-ya-east-village-midtown-manhattan-japanese-noodles.html"><b>Serious Eats New York</b></a> recently wrote a post on what they feel is the best ramen is New York City, with Ippudo and Totto Ramen placing second and third respectively. When it comes to iconic foods such as pizza, burgers and ramen, I feel "favorites" are often determined by individual preferences that are inherently subjective. Hell, my Chicago friends will (and have) argue(d) with me over the merits of deep dish versus thin crust pizza. But rather than argue, I say try them both for yourself and make your own judgment. With their wonderful homemade noodles, a robust soup at nearly two-thirds the price and less of a "scene" to boot, Totto Ramen is my ramon shop of choice.<br />
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<b>Totto Ramen</b><br />
<b>366 West 52nd Street</b><br />
<b>New York, NY 10019</b><br />
<b>(212) 582-0052</b><br />
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<a href="http://tottoramen.com/"><b>http://tottoramen.com/</b></a><br />
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<b>To see all the pictures from this meal click HERE.</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1528634/restaurant/Midtown-West/Totto-Ramen-New-York"><img alt="Totto Ramen on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1528634/biglogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 34px; width: 104px;" /></a>TheDegustationAsianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17572899803928959506noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-77489590075946244632011-08-29T08:29:00.000-04:002011-08-29T08:29:30.024-04:00Music Monday: Augustus PabloAugustus Pablo will be forever linked with the melodica, basically a harmonica with a keyboard, which he used to produce his unique reggae sound. One of my favorites is "Fat Girl Jean," which showcases the full effect of Pablo's melodica.<br />
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Have a fabulous Music Monday!Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-91588138152749624782011-08-24T07:27:00.001-04:002011-08-24T09:32:19.417-04:00Rouge et Blanc: French meets Vietnamese in SoHo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Having heard few (but mostly positive) reviews and craving something original, <b>MW</b> and I found ourselves in SoHo on a rainy Friday evening. Our destination was <a href="http://www.rougeetblancnyc.com/"><b>Rouge et Blanc</b></a> the relatively new French-Vietnamese restaurant by former <b>Chanterelle</b> and <a href="http://beaconnyc.com/"><b>Beacon</b></a> sommelier, <b>Thomas Cregan</b>. Given his previous role, it only seems fitting that the restaurant's name would be a nod to the restaurant's wine list comprised of French "reds and whites." Although we had made reservations, they hardly seemed necessary as the dining room was never more than half full throughout the course of our meal. <br />
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Upon checking in, we were immediately seated at a table in the rear dining room. Decorated with hanging lanterns and ornate wooden screens, the dimly-lit restaurant possessed both the look and feel of a "French colonial tavern from 1940's Saigon." Our server, dressed in a French maid costume, seemed confused and unfamiliar with the menu. Fortunately, Mr. Cregan managed to answer any and all of our questions and helped us select a <b>Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewurtzraminer</b> that paired wonderfully with out meal.<br />
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But as much as we enjoyed our wine (and we did), the main purpose of our visit was to sample the fare of Chef,<b> Matt Rojas</b>, whose resume includes time at both <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/01/eleven-madison-park-like-well-oiled.html"><b>Eleven Madison Park</b></a> and <b><a href="http://www.degustationnyc.com/">Degustation</a>,</b> two restaurants we've enjoyed very much. We passed on the seven-course tasting menu which now requires 24-hour advance notice, and instead, chose to sample a number of dishes from various parts of the menu.<br />
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Our meal began with two options from the portion of the menu entitled, small plates. First was <b>Squash Blossoms with Chevre, Rehydrated Shrimp and Shitake Mushrooms</b>. As expected, the squash blossoms were stuffed with a chevre-shrimp-mushroom mixture and were deep fried. Light and not greasy, the tangy goat cheese, sweet shrimp and earthy mushrooms packed quite the flavor punch.<br />
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Another tasty treat were the <b>Razor Clams with a Charred Leek Confit</b>. Served on the half-shell, these slid effortlessly into our mouths as the sweet leeks married perfectly with the briny clams.<br />
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An appetizer of <b>Soft Shell Crab with Nuoc Mam, Fine Herbs and Glazed Peanuts</b> was the closest thing to authentic Vietnamese that we ordered. The crab was a textbook example of how to properly fry seafood but it was the fish sauce laced with spicy red chilies, cilantro and peanuts that really elevated this dish.<br />
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The most interesting dish of the evening belonged to the <b>Bone Marrow with Baby Octopus, Pickled Plum and Shaved Fennel</b>. A creative play on surf-n-turf, a marrow bone cut lengthwise was studded with baby octopi in a sea of jiggly marrow. Dressed with yuzu and a fennel salad, the marrow was carefully spread on a housemade Scallion Soy Bun. The octopi were beautifully cooked and weren't the least bit chewy, and turned out to be a superior version of a similar dish at <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/01/reaching-my-limit-at-m-wells.html"><b>M.Wells</b></a>.<br />
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More Southeast Asian than Vietnamese, <b>MW</b>'s <b>Banana Leaf Pork Belly with Rice, Morel Mushrooms, Baby Shitakes and Homemade Sambal</b> was good, but nothing great. Arriving still wrapped in banana leaf, the sticky rice was perfumed by the scent of banana leaf. The pork belly was unctuous and full of flavor, and was even better when cut by the surprisingly bold sambal. But we both questioned the decision to include the mushrooms, specifically the morels, which seemed strangely out of place other than to make the dish seem more French.<br />
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More intriguing was my <b>Barigoule with Spanish Mackerel, Scallops, Fat-Wrapped Blue Prawns and Sunchokes</b>. Traditionally, a barigoule is a Provençal dish of braised artichokes in a warm and slightly tangy white-wine broth with seafood. Here, chef Rojas combined seafood and sunchokes in a red sauce. From the mackerel to the seared scallops, each piece of seafood was cooked very well. The tangy sauce accentuated the sweetness of the sweet prawns and nutty sunchokes that helped round out the dish.<br />
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Having had my eye on this particular dessert, I coaxed <b>MW</b> into splitting the <b>Caramelized Foie Gras with Peaches, Cocoa Nib and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream</b>. Pastry Chef <b>Melissa Chang,</b> who worked previously at <a href="http://www.shangrestaurant.com/"><b>Shang</b></a>, hit a home run with this dessert. Best when eaten with a bit of each component, the buttery foie with warm peaches and cool ice cream made for an essential sweet indulgence.<br />
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While service was still spotty, both of us were encouraged by the food we ate. I for one will be particularly interested to see how the restaurant evolves. Unfortunately, it seemed that we were in the minority as the restaurant remained disturbingly quiet on a Friday evening and continues to go relatively unnoticed on the interwebs. Described as a "<a href="http://www.pinkpignyc.com/at_the_sign_of_the_pink_p/2011/05/rouge-et-blanc.html"><b>SoHo Sleeper</b></a>," Rouge et Blanc is starting to gain some traction on at least one food forum, which hopefully signals a sign of things to come. <br />
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<b>Rouge et Blanc</b><br />
<b>48 MacDougal Street</b><br />
<b>New York, NY 10012</b><br />
<b>(212) 260-5757</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.rougeetblancnyc.com/"><b>http://www.rougeetblancnyc.com/</b></a><br />
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<b>To see all the pictures from this meal click HERE.</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1604816/restaurant/Soho/Rouge-et-Blanc-New-York"><img alt="Rouge et Blanc on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1604816/biglogo.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 34px; width: 104px;" /></a>TheDegustationAsianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17572899803928959506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302793916832542727.post-77542482097568297062011-08-22T09:21:00.003-04:002011-08-22T09:23:28.657-04:00A First Meal at Masten LakeWhile looking for a small group dinner, <b>Steve</b> suggested <b>Masten Lake</b>, a new restaurant in Williamsburg featuring an Italian inflected menu by Chef Angelo Romano, formerly of Lupa and Roberta's. Entering the restaurant, previously a bar on Bedford Avenue, just south of the main drag, we found the room to be plain, but pleasant. Especially nice were the benches and groups of booths parallel to the long bar, providing comfort and privacy.<br />
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The menu is conveniently divided into "Cold," "Hot," "Pasta" and "Protein" sections for today's on-the-go diner. We ultimately elected to order every dish from each category except for the Cold, which, due to insurmountable differences in cuisine preference, we couldn't agree on a single dish. I hate hearts of palm, someone else doesn't like cucumbers. So it goes.<br />
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Let's break the meal down by menu section.<br />
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<b>Hot</b><br />
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Zucchini with salmon roe, buttery breadcrumbs and a smear of ricotta was our introduction to Chef Romano's cuisine. Steve immediately pointed out the comparison with Roberta's in the plating, which definitely seems to be an influence, but portions were larger across the board, and this necessarily affected how they were plated. The zucchini evoked Italy, but with a common touch: salmon roe. Playing with textures-- the zucchini was crisp and accentuated by the breadcrumbs while the salmon roe burst in our mouths, all lubricated by the fresh, ultra creamy ricotta-- this dish was a promising start.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Calamari with Charentais melon, chili and sea grass was easily my favorite appetizer. Surprisingly spicy (which allowed me to finish the dish myself when others demurred), the calamari was tender, yet still firm. If I had one complaint, it's that the chunks of melon, while they added a pleasing sweetness, were maybe slightly too big. OK, I guess you need big chunks of melon when the flavor of the calamari is so strong. Quibble withdrawn.<br />
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Rock shrimp, cherry, pancetta and another, smaller smear of black garlic was fine, but unmemorable. While the combination of black garlic and shrimp didn't really work for me, the addition of cherry to black garlic was intriguing, and would probably work better with something other than rock shrimp.<br />
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<b>Pasta</b><br />
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Cencioni with ragu bianco, chicken and celery tasted like an Italian pasta version of chicken with dumplings. Verging on overly salty, this dish was hearty and almost wintery. Despite the muggy surroundings, I thoroughly enjoyed the dish, especially the excellent handmade pasta.<br />
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Pici with trotter and Pecorino in a tomato sauce was a perfectly executed classic. The trotters melted porky essence into the pasta sauce while still making noise among the other elements.<br />
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Tagliatelle in crab brodo with monkfish cheek and burrata was fine, again with perfectly cooked pasta, but the rest of the dish was unmemorable-- not good enough to violate the holy gospel that "thou shalt not mix cheese with shellfish when cooking Italian."<br />
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<b>Protein</b><br />
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Our first main was the duck with faro, plum sauce and a "perfectly poached" egg. I've been working on my egg poaching technique, so I was eager to learn whether this egg was as perfectly poached as mine (fine-- it was even better). The farro, quite al dente, adhered to the duck and leeched up the classic plum sauce and rich egg yolk, which sat atop more faro.<br />
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Next, our dry-aged sirloin with hon shimeji mushrooms, blue cheese and dragon tongue beans arrived. Our waitress rightfully gushed about the quality of the steak, which was "aggressively" aged for a near-staggering 60 days by a woman in the Meatpacking District. However, while the beef was flawless (recalling the 90-day aged steak we'd tried at <a href="http://lawandfood.blogspot.com/2011/05/celebrating-spring-and-steves-birthday.html">Roberta's</a>), the competing funk of the blue cheese dressing drowned out that of the steak. We were reduced to scraping off the sauce and eating it plain.<br />
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Finally, Rabbit with "fairy tale" eggplant, chantrelles and agretti. I was so full at this point that I hesitated in lunging for a perfectly medium rare duck heart. Missing out, I was reduced to trying the handful of other preparations, dipping everything into the livery butter sauce. Each was stellar, especially the rabbit ragu (that's what I'm calling it) on the left of the plate.<br />
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For dessert, we decided on the farro rice krispy with olive oil gelato. Chef Romano personally served our desserts, which had been conveniently split in half (or its possible we got two portions), as well as complimentary ice cream sandwiches, which we'd initially decided against ordering. I dug the olive oil gelato, which wasn't too sweet, along with the rice crispy, which appeared to be half farro, half rice.<br />
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While our meal was exceptional, it was also surprisingly expensive. In Masten Lake's defense, we would probably have ordered the same amount of food if the original six in our group had showed up (I like calling out slacker friends on my blog-- you know who you are) and been just as full. Regardless, I enjoyed Chef Romano's cuisine. It definitely shows promise and I'm hopeful Masten Lake manages to find a niche among a crowded Williamsburg restaurant scene.<br />
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<strong>Masten Lake</strong><br />
<strong>285 Bedford Ave</strong><br />
<strong>Brooklyn, NY 11211</strong><br />
<strong>(718) 599-5565</strong><br />
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<strong>To see all the pictures from this meal click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lawandfood/sets/72157627456960374/">HERE</a>.</strong><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1609080/restaurant/New-York/Williamsburg/Masten-Lake-Brooklyn"><img alt="Masten Lake on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1609080/biglogo.gif" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: medium; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: medium; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: medium; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: medium; height: 34px; width: 104px;" /></a>Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01402544580641861927noreply@blogger.com0