November 20, 2009
Posted by Laren Spirer, November 20, 2009 at 4:00 PM
[Photos: Highlands; Laren Spirer]
In my mid-20's, I used to think all Scotch was the same. It was something that old men drank, and something that my male friends were "learning to drink." Every time I tasted it, all I got was heavy peat and smoke, so I assumed that's what Scotch was all about.
Flash forward to the present. Not only have I matured greatly since then (or so I'd like to think), but during the course of my spirits education—both formal and informal—I have learned just how wrong I was back then.
Highlands, New York's West Village Scottish bar, is a perfect place to educate yourself about Scotch whiskies. Take some time to taste and learn which ones suit your personal preferences; they've chosen about thirty, and compliled brief tasting notes on each, but their selection goes beyond the printed list. That said, Highlands isn't all about the Scotch. The comfortable, sophisticated atmosphere lends itself to a visit just to perch at the bar, no matter the type of tipple you prefer. They offer beer, wine, and a handful of seasonal cocktails, as well as modern Scottish-influenced small plates, like a lamb sausage roll and House Cured Loch Duart Salmon (haggis is reported to be coming in the not-too-distant future).
A recipe for my favorite Scotch cocktail, after the jump.
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Posted by Joe DiStefano, November 20, 2009 at 2:30 PM
[Photos: Joe DiStefano]
With the notable exception of Go Go Curry there is probably no Japanese restaurant in Manhattan more obsessed with New York Yankees left-fielder Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui than Go Sushi. Sports pages featuring Matsui are pasted above the sushi bar at this Saint Mark's izakaya, whose name means "five" in Japanese. To honor the newly minted MVP who has worn the number 55 since his days at the Yomiuri Giants, and in recognition of the Yanks World Series win, Go introduced the Yankee Roll. My team loyalties—such as they are—lie with the Mets, but only because I love Queens. Nevertheless, I decided to cast aside my loyalty to the home team and try the $5.50 creation.
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, November 20, 2009 at 1:30 PM
The menu description doesn't do this dessert justice: "acorn squash slowly cooked in syrup served with vanilla scented whipped cream." The dessert is by Natalia Machado, the pastry chef at Tribeca's Industria Argentina, and it's named Zapallos en Almibar ($9), an Argentinian classic with a rich history, not often served outside the home. Acorn squash is cubed, soaked in pickling lime, then cooked for hours in syrup.
The result? Glossy, almost translucent cuts of squash, with an crackle crisp exterior and innards, a soft and creamy affair. The contrast of two textures in a single bite is addictive. It's very sweet, so the fresh whipped cream, light with a touch of vanilla, is absolutely necessary. And if squash is not your thing, you're bound to find joy in a quince and cheesecake stuffed crepe or a molten dulce de leche cake paired with caramel-streaked sea salt ice cream.
Industria Argentina
329 Greenwich Street, New York NY 10013 (map)
iatribeca.com
Posted by Carey Jones, November 20, 2009 at 12:30 PM
"We're already looking towards next year. After all, Borough Market quickly became a weekly event..."
Photos: Erin Zimmer
When I first visited the New Amsterdam Market on a brutally cold, ice-whipped December day back in 2007, Robert LaValva and Cerise Mayo had assembled a single long row of vendors for their first-ever "Wintermarket" at the South Street Seaport.
In fairness, it was an incredible row of vendors: Anne Saxelby grilling cheese sandwiches, Mario Batali (in shorts!) slicing porchetta, The Bent Spoon serving ice cream that sold out despite the nastiest sleet storm I'd ever seen.
But looking back two years later, it's incredible to see how the market has evolved. After a hugely successful 2008 market and a well-attended oysterfest fundraiser in February, New Amsterdam Market was able to set a monthly schedule for the fall of 2009, and this Sunday, November 22, the third market in this series will convene. (More info here.)
LaValva's mission is the same as ever. He seeks to establish a year-round, large-scale venue for sustainable, local food—driven not only by farmers, but by purveyors, butchers, and distributors who can draw from multiple sources to expand the range of regional products available in New York in bring the best of those to market.
But establishing a monthly meeting, LaValva tells us, has caused a key shift: New Yorkers are starting to view the market as a resource, not just a novelty. "People come here to shop," he told us. "At the October market, we saw visitors coming with bags, and shopping lists. People from lower Manhattan, who arrive on foot, and buy food for the week. There's a sense of a regular schedule that lets them do that."
The future of New Amsterdam Market, after the jump.
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Posted by Nikki Goldstein, November 20, 2009 at 12:00 PM
"It's a great hangover brunch dish, and there's something to be said for that on a Sunday morning in the West Village."
[Photo: Nikki Goldstein]
With all the natural light that pours into the space, 10 Downing is a beautiful place to wake up. The one thing that nobody likes in the morning, though, is a broken promise: The website had given me hopes of a delicious-sounding sunny side up duck egg atop duck ham with stewed figs and onions, which my menu and waiter promptly and unapologetically informed me was no longer available. Thankfully, there was redemption, which took the form of two slow cooked eggs atop corned beef hash, a comfort-packed classic with extra oomph.
After a bread basket filled with carrot muffins, chocolate cookie logs, and olive oil cake, I was ready to tackle the hash, which looked far daintier than any I've seen before. Below the pile of frisee were two beautiful, gigantic eggs that had a favorably disproportionate ratio of yolk to egg white. I wondered where they came from—a local farm, perhaps?—but couldn't resist the desire to pierce the yolk and start chomping away.
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From Slice
Posted by Adam Kuban, November 20, 2009 at 11:45 AM
[Photograph: Turbulentflow on Flickr]
An alarming piece of reader mail today from an undisclosed Manhattan pizzeria should send shivers down the spines of any slice-loving New Yorker. If this is not just a single instance of overzealous enforcement by the NYC Department of Health, the following could have serious ramifications for the majority of pizzerias in the Big Apple:
I am having a huge problem. I run a pizzeria, and we have gotten a warning from the Board of Health saying that pizza is not allowed to be used off of the slice display.
This, of course, has to do with the fact that the cheese cannot be left between 40°F and 140°F and then reheated. No matter how hot the oven is, it is still a violation according to the Board of Health.
My question is, how do i comply with their regulations and still produce a quality product?
How do I comply and still serve people in a reasonable amount of time?
Could you please post this or start a forum to discuss it?
I am extremely frustrated and I don't know how to handle this logistically.
Thank you very much,
[Name and location redacted]
------------------------------------------------------------
Holy. Crap.
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Posted by BrianYarvin, November 20, 2009 at 11:00 AM
[Photos: Brian Yarvin]
Walking through my local outpost of the Supremo supermarket chain, under the Mexican, Colombian, and Brazilian flags, I got an intense dose of Latin American flavors that showed just how important those cuisines are here. Just what are all those different tortillas? In what way are Oaxacan, Guatemalan, and Salvadoran ones different from each other? And cremas? There are all those different kinds! Strolling down the aisles of Supremo gives a person hope. The presence of all these great ingredients means that somebody is cooking great Mexican, Central and South American food right near by. Because if they weren't, this place would be out of business in a second.
The cheese section makes you ask why we never talk about Latin America when the subject of artisan cheese comes up. There's some serious cheese here. A variety of fresh ones that you just don't see anyplace else. And the produce is for those who know. Fruits, roots and leaves of every description, and more habeneros then you ever thought could be in one place, with very little labeling besides names—and sometimes not even that.
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From A Hamburger Today
Posted by Mary Phillips-Sandy, November 20, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Sidecar
560 5th Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11215 (b/n 15th Street and 16th Street; map); 718-369-0077; sidecarbrooklyn.com
Cooking Method: Grilled
Short Order: A juicy, satisfying burger.
Want Fries with That? Comes with great skinny fries.
Prices: Cheeseburger, $12; extra toppings +$2
I checked out Sidecar in Park Slope due to a recommendation from AHT reader Dan Federman. He did not recommend that I pair the burger with fried chicken though; I take the blame for that and the subsequent discomfort it wrought on my dining companion's digestive system.
The 7-ounce (or 6-ounce; I got two different answers) grilled cheeseburger is made with grass-fed beef and comes with lettuce, onion, and tomato on the side, We got ours medium rare with American cheese and added sautéed onions for another $2.
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[ Flickr: Kathy Chan ]
- Polenta Budino from Otto: poached pears, maple syrup, walnut gorgonzola crumble [Flickr: Kathy Chan]
- "Subterranean Izakaya" Sake Bar Hagi has "crispy Deep Fried Chicken Gizzards" recommended "for even the most amateur of diners." [Always Eating]
- "The tongue is easily El Rey del Sabor's most tender option," writes Zach of their tacos. "Topped with onions, cilantro and their fairly spicy salsa verde, it was muy delicioso" [Midtown Lunch]
- Salad at Dirt Candy: "Grapefruit wedge in a hard candy shell" and "grilled cheese croutons [that] were basically mini grilled cheese sandwiches." [Eat to Blog]
From A Hamburger Today
Posted by Robyn Lee, November 19, 2009 at 6:45 PM
Mm, meat noodles.
In their latest video, Always Hungry takes you behind-the-scenes at New York City's Pat La Frieda Meats, meat supplier to burger favorites Shake Shack, Minetta Tavern, and the Spotted Pig, along with many non-burger restaurants. Watch the video after the jump.
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