Photo: Spirited Cocktails

You may still be stuffed to the gills after Thursday's Thanksgiving feast, but hopefully you have room for one more seasonal treat, this time, in cocktail form. I recently had the pleasure of taking a class with Jonathan Pogash, a.k.a. The Cocktail Guru at Astor Center. Pogash's class, The Cocktail Lab, reviewed some basic cocktail history and techniques, but also included an Iron Chef-style task where each small group had to create a cocktail that contained a secret ingredient. We could use a wide range of ingredients lined up on the bar, including spirits galore, fresh fruits, herbs, tea, eggs, and more, but the secret ingredient—in our team's case, Averna, an Italian amaro—had to be included in the mix.

One of the ingredients in our bar pantry was pumpkin puree. A few days prior to the class, I had tasted a pumpkin cocktail at Apotheke made with Beija Cachaca; inspired by that, and also by a recent taste of (ri)1 Rye Whiskey, filled with spicy cinnamon notes, I suggested a pumpkin cocktail. Averna is at the same time bitter and sweet, and is most often consumed as a digestif after a meal. Given its flavor profile, we thought about using it as we would bitters—not as the focus of the drink, but as a highlight. After tasting and a few failures, we came up with a winner. It's a rich drink—you might not want more than one—but after Thanksgiving, a little moderation couldn't hurt.

1/8 oz. Averna
1 1/2 oz (ri)1 Rye Whiskey
1/4 oz fresh orange juice
1 barspoon pumpkin puree
1 barspoon maple syrup
1 dash pumpkin pie spice
2 dashes angostura bitters
1 egg white

Dry shake all ingredients first (that is, shake without ice) in a Boston shaker. Then add ice and shake again very well. Strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

[Photographs: Robyn Lee]

'Hands-On Pizza Workshop & Walking Tour of Little Italy' at Astor Center
Sunday, November 29, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., $195
After an ingredient shopping rendezvous in Little Italy, join Mark Bello in preparing your own pizza dough. He'll run through the steps of making your own pizza, focusing on crust, toppings, and wine pairing. Class will begin at Alleva Dairy at Mulberry Street and Grand Street in Little Italy.
Astor Center, 399 Lafayette Street (at East 4th Street), Manhattan; 212-674-7501; astorcenternyc.com for info and registration

'Beer Basics & Cheese Pairing Principles' at Murray's Cheese
Sunday, November 29, 2 to 3:30 p.m., $65
Learn how to pair beers (brown ales, wheat beer, IPAs) with a variety of cheeses—tangy goat, Brie, or cheddar, to name a few, with Murray's Taylor Cocalis and Smuttynose's Tom Briggs at the helm.
Murray's Cheese, 254 Bleecker Street (at Sixth Avenue), Manhattan; 212-243.3289; murrayscheese.com for info and registration

'Sticky Holidays with Liddabit Sweets' at The Brooklyn Kitchen Labs
Tuesday, December 1, 6:30 to 8 p.m., $50
Handmade sweets company Liddabit will demo a number of seasonal candies to make at home and give to friends and family for the holiays.
Brooklyn Kitchen Labs, 100 Frost Street (b/n Leonard Street and Manhattan Avenue), Brooklyn; 718-389-2982; thebrooklynkitchen.com for info and registration

Discussing traditional Dutch food and baking fine holiday cookies—after the jump.

'Holiday Cookies' at ICC
Friday, December 4, 6 to 10 p.m., $195
After a demo of cookie making techniques and recipes, students will prepare an assortment of holiday cookies in small teams, incorporating nuts, fruits, spices, and plenty of sugar. After class, you'll partake in a "cookie exchange" to try every holiday cookie you ever dreamed of.
International Culinary Center, 462 Broadway (at Grand Street), Manhattan; 888-324-CHEF; internationalculinarycenter.com for info and registration

[Photo: Kathy Chan]

Meet the Chocolate Velvet Boule, found at Corrado Bread inside the Grand Central Terminal Market. Enrobed in dark chocolate, it has an exterior coat of finely chopped and caramelized walnuts—little bits of crunchy, nutty, and sweet that were my favorite part of this boule. Inside: sponge cake, a dome of milk chocolate mousse, velvety and full, on the sweeter end, and single cake layer to seal.

Corrado Bread

Grand Central Market (at Lexington and 43rd Street; map)
corradobread.com

[Photos: Tia Kim]

Looks can be deceiving at Waterfront Ale House. Seventeen beers on tap? By the looks of the homey neighborhood bar a block down from the Kips Bay movie theater, it's a nice surprise, but not a stretch of the imagination. House-smoked meat on the premises that's actually really good? Now that knocked the wind right out of me.

The Pulled Pig comes with a choice of waffle fries or sweet potato fries. I chose sweet potato fries ($0.75 extra); hand-cut, skin-on, they were chewy with a bit of crispness at the ends. I like sweet potato fries (unlike my French fries) a touch soft, so these fit the bill. And although the fries come with a brown ale honey mustard sauce for dipping, generously seasoned with salt and pepper, they're more than fine without it.

For those who love French onion soup, Waterfront Ale House also makes their own version, pub-style. The Crock Of 4 Onion Porter Soup ($6.95) comes covered with a thick crackly layer of melted Emmentaler and Parmesan garnished with scallions and diced red pepper. Breaking through the crunchy top revealed a dark broth rich from the caramelized onions and malty from the porter. It can be a little salty, but the broiled cheese alone makes it worth ordering.

With Thanksgiving in mind, I ordered a pint of the Heartland Smiling Pumpkin Ale ($5). With notes of cloves and cinnamon, the beer tasted more like pumpkin pie than pumpkin, but it was appropriate for the holiday and the slightly sweet beer paired well with the malty onion soup.

For an unassuming bar in Kips Bay, Waterfront Ale House exceeds expectations. The next time I'm in the area for a movie, I'll be making a quick pit stop for barbecue, cheesy soup, and one or two of the seventeen beers on tap. It beats nachos with day-glo cheese and mummified hot dogs at the movie theater any day. And by the way, Waterfront Ale House offers takeout. If you happen to have a big bag with you on the way to the movies, do with that information what you will.

Waterfront Ale House

540 Second Avenue, New York NY 10016 (at 30th Street; map)
212-696-4104
waterfrontalehouse.com

It's no surprise that brunch at Locanda Verde is as good as everything else there. The morning meal is the perfect way to integrate Karen DeMasco's insane talents with chef Carmellini's, and it's a beautiful canvas that they can work on together. To help you make your way through a menu that's full of excellent choices, let us make a few recommendations.

My favorite item was a bit of a surprise: the Organic Polenta Waffle with Marsala and Apple Syrup. The waffle is always on the menu, but the dressings change. In this case, the syrup is the real winner—it's a combination of sweet and tart where both flavors are boldly pronounced and jump around in your mouth. A large dollop of whipped cream and apple slices come piled on top of the waffle, but they're practically unnecessary. As for texture, the polenta base has enough grit and hearty chew to set it apart from other waffles, but not so much that it loses its identity as such.

More favorites, after the jump.

For something a little different, try the Wood Fired Uova al Forno, a round casserole filled with eggs and autumnal veggies like giant carona beans and Tuscan kale, all topped with a thin layer of mozzarella. Though the eggs were overdone (only one had a semblance of gooeyness, while the other two were pretty much cooked through), the veggies really redeemed the dish. They're stewed in a tomato and pancetta broth that makes the otherwise tough veggies soft, glorious, and full of flavor. Long after we'd left the restaurant, one of my companions lamented the one bean left in the dish. Request the eggs cooked soft if you're particular about it, and you'll be sure to enjoy one of the best egg dishes you've had in a while.

Related: Locanda Verde: The Best Breakfast In New York?

Locanda Verde

377 Greenwich Street, New York NY 10013 (map)
212-925-3797
locandaverdenyc.com

The recipe >>

Here's the thing about shopping. When you need a break, you need a break—and wandering about overpopulated, overcrowded commercial areas looking for a snack is pretty much the most miserable experience imaginable. (Especially when you end up paying $15 for a bad sandwich and stale coffee.) So here's our guide to good eats in three shopping districts—Fifth Avenue uptown, Fifth Avenue / Flatiron, and Soho—to save you from the curse of a bad lunch.

Recommendations, maps, and more, after the jump.

View Fifth Avenue Uptown in a larger map

Prime Burger: Totally old-school, and one of Ed's favorites.
Angelo's Pizza: More-than-decent coal-fired brick-oven pies with fresh mozzarella.
Five Guys Burgers: It's not the best in New York, but as far as fast-food burgers go, we've got none better.
Katsu-Hama: Fried Japanese pork, and more.
Biryani Cart: It's a long block off Fifth, but the kati rolls from Biryani Cart—thick, doughy flatbreads wrapped around various spiced meats—are a must-try for anyone in this part of the city.
Michael Jordan's Steakhouse: Not the steaks—the bar menu. A gorgeous $6 plate of fried clams and tasty petite burger.
Eggs Travaganza: A little off the beaten path (in the other direction), but it's Ed's favorite breakfast cart in New York.
Cafe Zaiya: Delicate Japanese sweets.
Minamoto: Ditto.
Danku: We're ambivalent about their croquettes, but pretty in love with their stroopwafels and other sweet snacks.
Ma Peche: Falls into the "Might have a crowd, but you should still know" camp. David Chang of Momofuku just opened his fourth restaurant in the Chambers Hotel, and while Ma Peche still isn't serving a full menu, even lunch is worth a trip.

Fifth Avenue and Flatiron

View Fifth Avenue and Flatiron in a larger map
Aldea: For a lovely, quiet, first-class lunch. Not cheap, but three courses for $20.09 is an incredible deal.
Pita Joe's: Ed recommends their falafel.
Rainbow Falafel and Shawarma: There's nowhere to sit, but the cheap, hearty pita sandwiches can't be beat.
'Wichcraft: For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this is about as classy and tasty as a sandwich chain can get.
Craftbar: A casual arm of Tom Colicchio's empire, its corned beef sandwich landed on Ed's definitive NYC sandwich list.
Brothers L&C Taco Truck: Fast, cheap, reliable,
Bar Stuzzichini: Way above-average Italian bar snacks, plus larger plates.
Num Pang: Wander a bit south of 14th Street for fantastic Cambodian sandwiches. Not the cheapest, but when the pork is this good...
The Adore: Japanese-style European pastries, plus dainty sandwiches.
Rosa Mexicano: It's big, it's glitzy, and it's not exactly cheap, but for refined Mexican food in New York, this is a very solid bet. Or just drop in for guacamole and a pomegranate margarita—the ultimate pick-me-up.
Eisenberg Sandwich Shop: A truly old-school New York sandwich counter.
Shake Shack: Okay, this isn't where you'll avoid the crowds. This legendary burger shack always, always has a line—but we can't talk about this neighborhood without mentioning it. General consensus? Best burger in New York.

Soho and Nolita

View Soho And Nolita in a larger map
Sure, you could go to Balthazar—if you've got three hours to kill waiting in line. We've got a few other ideas.

Caffe Falai: Some of our very favorite breakfast pastries.
Pinche Taqueria: Ed's favorite fish tacos.
Ground Support: Excellent sandwiches, and tons of comfy seating.
Oro Bakery: It's a bakery, it's a bar, it's a cafe, and it's all worth eating.
Lovely Day Thai: Fantastic ginger fried chicken.
Despaña: There's not much seating, but you'll find the best Spanish sandwiches imaginable. "Asking what my favorite sandwich here is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child," Ed once wrote.
City Girl Cafe: If you need a brownie break (or some Stumptown coffee), this is your spot.

[Click me!]

OK, this is awesome. The New York Times (whose infographics really are second to none) put together an index of searches from Allrecipes.com that maps out where queries for different Thanksgiving foods come from. Look at "green bean casserole" or "pumpkin cheesecake" and see exactly which states are searching for that dish.

Things to learn?

Click me!

On Serious Eats: New York, we've given you all the info about local shopping and feasting. But over on Serious Eats proper is where you'll find the home-cookin' action. Confused on how to brine a turkey? Looking for a perfect pumpkin (or pumpkin-less) pie? In search of showstopper side dish? As you count down to the big meal, head to our Thanksgiving Central for turkey tips, recipes, last-minute suggestions, and much, much more.

[Photos: Joe DiStefano]

I'd like to preface this post by saying that I'm not the starstruck type. Monday night I went to Barnes & Noble in Union Square to hear David Chang and Peter Meehan talk with Tony Bourdain about the new Momofuku cookbook. While I enjoy the f-bomb dropping Chang's food, my reason for going had nothing to do with Chang or his new book. I was there to buttonhole Bourdain and get him to sign a copy of Edible Queens. I hadn't seen Bourdain since July when I took him and Eric Ripert to Flushing for the cover article. After what proved to be an entertaining talk Chang and Meehan stayed behind to sign books. As soon as Bourdain left the stage, I rushed downstairs to catch him. Just before he got into a waiting car, I got him to sign the cover of the magazine.

Little did I know we'd meet in Flushing again.

With several photos of Liang Pi and Bourdain on its walls Xi'an Famous Foods is a shrine of sorts to the chef-turned-globetrotter. Before Bourdain and company got to work I approached him. "I'm not stalking you, honest," I said by way of asking for a photo with him.

It turns out the shoot was for Chase Sapphire, a premier travel rewards card. Bourdain stood at the counterand slapped the card down on the counter with the phrase "And I'm always hungry for more," before digging in, as a crowd of eager Chinese fans looked on.

Naturally he ordered a plate of the savory wheat starch noodle and gluten salad known as liang pi, or cold skin noodles. Bourdain also got some lao huo zai, or tiger vegetables, a bracing salad of cilantro, plenty of jalapeños, and green onions.

"I gotta do a lamb burger and some noodles too," he said ordering a zi ran chao yang rou jia mo, and some yang rou gan che mian, or savory cumin lamb hand-pulled noodles.

Once he was done filming Bourdain got down to some real eating. "It's all phenomenal, but these noodles are like a drug, I can't stop," he said of the chewy hand-pulled noodles shot through with bits of cumin-scented lamb and slicked with plenty of chili oil.

"If I lived around here I'd be eating here every day," Bourdain said. My sentiments exactly, Tony.

Except for the peanut butter balls and brownies, which are always spot on, the majority of house baked goods at Soho's City Girl Cafe are decent, and little more. Looks, especially at this cafe, has a tendency to be awfully deceiving. Take this gorgeous cranberry-pistachio loaf with a golden, evenly browned crust. I came close to salivating as the woman handed it to me over the counter. Barely out the door, I stuffed my eager hands into the brown bag and chomped away. Gummy and heavy with an uneven crumb—the only saving grace were bright pops of tart and fresh cranberries. Sadness.

City Girl Cafe

63 Thompson Street, New York NY 10012 (map)
citygirlcafeny.com

[Photograph: Undici Restaurant]

Tonight in Rumson, New Jersey, for one night only, famed and former UPN pizzamaker Anthony Mangieri will be making pizza one last time on the East Coast before heading to San Francisco.

Mangieri has been consulting for Undici Taverna Rustica in this tony Jersey Shore borough (The Boss lives there), supposedly going as far as "tearing apart their kitchen and building an authentic, Naples-style, wood-fired oven."

Mangieri will be on the sticks tonight (Wednesday, 11/25/2009) at 6:30 p.m.

(New Yorkers, you can take a ferry to nearby Atlantic Highlands and then probably catch a cab from there.)

Undici Taverna Rustica

11 West River Road, Rumson NJ 07760 (at Washington Street; map)
732-842-3880; undicirestaurant.com

A little Serious Eats Thanksgiving nostalgia: Ed's favorite pies, circa 2007—a roundup he likes to refer to as his "Pie Heaven." In the Promised Land: Two Little Red Hens, Clinton Street Baking Company, Sweet Melissa's, Trois Pommes Patisserie, and a whole lot more. Get the full list here.

[Photo: Kathy Chan]

I've avoided this Tribeca cafe, on the corner of Greenwich Street and North Moore, for quite a while. The turnoff was in the cheesy name and somewhat generic-looking exterior. I walk past it at least once a day for work, and you should see the crowds out here during lunch hour. It's simply never empty. Tribeca moms with kids in strollers, students from the nearby school and the men and women from the Citibank building across the street.

Peace & Love, true to name, has a distinctly hippie vibe, very un-New York. The service is casual and friendly; the mood is laid back. High ceilings, lazy seats, and newspapers laying about. I ordered their pear and honey yogurt shake ($4.45) to begin. It was huge and syrupy sweet with clumps of solidified honey caught in the cold mass. Canned pears. Pass. I barely touched it.

A redeeming dessert, after the jump.

They do salad and they do sandwiches, all of which sound decent, if plain. So I took at peek at the list of specials for the day and opted for the beef chili taco salad ($8.50). The menu description led one to believe it was mostly chili and chips, less salad. But it arrived as 90% salad, with a scoop of guacamole, fresh, though undersalted. The chips, a thin layer in the middle of the of the bowl, were smothered in chunks of cheddar cheese, halfway melted, and chili that consisted more of beans than beef. Fresh salsa and a chipotle mayo dressing on the side with a multigrain roll. Underwhelming and forgettable, especially where there are so many good, cheap neighborhood eats close by.

To redeem the meal on a bright note, take your sweet tooth directly across the street and into Locanda Verde, where Karen DeMasco's Apple Cider Cake Doughnuts ($2) are available to-go from the bakery counter. Gently spiced, with nutmeg notes coming through most clearly, each doughnut bite has a moist interior meeting an crisp surface with just the slightest crunch, lightly glazed.

Peace & Love Cafe

378 1/2 Greenwich Street, New York NY 10013 (map)
212-349-8500

Two Stars: A Voce Columbus under Missy Robbins, Sifton writes, "is bright and airy, loud when crowded, pretty after a fashion, [and] perfectly good," a fine restaurant ripe for replication.

From Gathering To Hunting: Hunting is now joining market-going and butchering as a popular urban pursuit.

Bring Your Leftovers: A post-Thanksgiving potluck that's been held in Jamestown, Rhode Island, for the last ten years.

Eric Asimov: On Italian digestivos, far beyond grappa.

What to do with leftovers, Bittman's Turkey Day advice, Bill's Bar and Burger, and more—after the jump.

Chill Out: The Minimalist calling for a lower-key Thanksgiving.

Gulluoglu: A "trim Turkish bakery and cafe" with a "dizzying display" of baklava.

Bill's Bar and Burger: Sifton's not-so-rave review.

Leftovers: Mark Bittman's turkey curry.

Carbo-Loading: Pasta with kale pesto and butternut squash.

Food Stuff: Sigmund Pretzel Shop, Sarah Black of Fairway's bakery, and Japanese hot pots.