Manhattan: Soho
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, November 6, 2009 at 2:15 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
One square big enough to share. A banana cake with the slightest tang of sour cream. A smother of chocolate, closer to a ganache than frosting. And a single banana chip to finish. Thumbs up. If you pop the cake in the toaster oven for a few minutes, the edges get extra crisp and the dark chocolate turns molten—a delicious lava bit with each forkful.
It's lovely, yes, but the single best item at Oro Bakery are those madelines, plump, moist and lemony. You might remember them from our post on Serious Eats's Guide to the Best Madeleines in New York City. They are stellar, I kid you not!
Oro Bakery
375 Broome Street, New York NY 10013 (map)
212-941-6368
orobakerybar.com
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, November 4, 2009 at 1:30 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
It's trendy, that's for sure. At the recently opened La Crepe Parisienne, I didn't love the crepes—too soft and floppy—but I loved the energy inside tiny restaurant. The service is genuine and efficient. Order at the counter from a selection of sweet or savoy crepes. They all hover around the $8-$10 range. The savory crepes are deceivingly filling creatures, American-sized, a bit thick. As the gals over at Lunch Studio noted, these crepes would have been better served by a traditional folded square, as opposed to the triangular route.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, November 2, 2009 at 10:00 AM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
At Grandaisy Bakery, we've tasted the glorious pizza bianca, and house sandwiches incorporating bresaola, fresh mozzarella di bufula and speck. But in the sweet department of the bakery, where do you venture? After the jump, our five favorite Grandaisy sweets.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 6, 2009 at 2:30 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
Iced chocolate is all I can think about this week. After yesterday's jaunt to L'Arte del Gelato, I swung by MarieBelle in Soho this morning, with thoughts of Erin Zimmer's hot chocolate post lingering in my mind. Any respectable place that does hot chocolate surely must do iced chocolate during the warmer months.
And lucky for me, their iced chocolate came in three flavors: spicy, aztec, and cardamom. I was sold on the latter. For $7 a cup (one size only), the drink isn't a bargain, but does comes in a large serving, ideally shared between two. Similar to L'Arte del Gelato, the drink is thin, and I wished for more than just a faint hint of cardamom. But the chocolate, dark of course, is incredibly intense. Each cold sip is dotted by the tiniest ice chips and even tinier shards of dark chocolate melting upon your tongue. I had my drink to go, but if you should have the time, you won't regret having it to stay in the Cacao Lounge, a sweet little Soho oasis.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 14, 2009 at 5:00 PM
[Photographs: Kathy YL Chan]
Green Apple opened less than a month ago by three friends, and is perfectly situated on Mott Street between Lombardi's and L'asso. The goods? Gelato and sorbet. Our favorite gelato flavor on the menu is a tie between pistachio and green tea. Pistachio is buttery in all the right ways and smooth in consistency with a heavy hand of pistachio paste. Green tea is made with matcha powder from Ten Ren. Sorbets are made with fresh fruit (save for a certain flavors like passion fruit), thus both flavors and consistency change with the season.
Pictured above is a triple scoop with pistachio gelato on top and pineapple sorbet to the right. A scoop of summer lychee sorbet (yes, made from real lychees) is hidden on the bottom. The pineapple, tangy sweet, is killer—and bears an uncanny reminder of the Dole Whip cones (pineapple soft serve) I grew up with in Hawai'i. At $2.95 for a small, this is the best priced gelato and sorbet around.
Green Apple
202A Mott Street New York, NY 10012 (map)
212-966-5666
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, November 6, 2009 at 2:15 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
One square big enough to share. A banana cake with the slightest tang of sour cream. A smother of chocolate, closer to a ganache than frosting. And a single banana chip to finish. Thumbs up. If you pop the cake in the toaster oven for a few minutes, the edges get extra crisp and the dark chocolate turns molten—a delicious lava bit with each forkful.
It's lovely, yes, but the single best item at Oro Bakery are those madelines, plump, moist and lemony. You might remember them from our post on Serious Eats's Guide to the Best Madeleines in New York City. They are stellar, I kid you not!
Oro Bakery
375 Broome Street, New York NY 10013 (map)
212-941-6368
orobakerybar.com
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, November 4, 2009 at 1:30 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
It's trendy, that's for sure. At the recently opened La Crepe Parisienne, I didn't love the crepes—too soft and floppy—but I loved the energy inside tiny restaurant. The service is genuine and efficient. Order at the counter from a selection of sweet or savoy crepes. They all hover around the $8-$10 range. The savory crepes are deceivingly filling creatures, American-sized, a bit thick. As the gals over at Lunch Studio noted, these crepes would have been better served by a traditional folded square, as opposed to the triangular route.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, November 2, 2009 at 10:00 AM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
At Grandaisy Bakery, we've tasted the glorious pizza bianca, and house sandwiches incorporating bresaola, fresh mozzarella di bufula and speck. But in the sweet department of the bakery, where do you venture? After the jump, our five favorite Grandaisy sweets.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 6, 2009 at 2:30 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
Iced chocolate is all I can think about this week. After yesterday's jaunt to L'Arte del Gelato, I swung by MarieBelle in Soho this morning, with thoughts of Erin Zimmer's hot chocolate post lingering in my mind. Any respectable place that does hot chocolate surely must do iced chocolate during the warmer months.
And lucky for me, their iced chocolate came in three flavors: spicy, aztec, and cardamom. I was sold on the latter. For $7 a cup (one size only), the drink isn't a bargain, but does comes in a large serving, ideally shared between two. Similar to L'Arte del Gelato, the drink is thin, and I wished for more than just a faint hint of cardamom. But the chocolate, dark of course, is incredibly intense. Each cold sip is dotted by the tiniest ice chips and even tinier shards of dark chocolate melting upon your tongue. I had my drink to go, but if you should have the time, you won't regret having it to stay in the Cacao Lounge, a sweet little Soho oasis.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 14, 2009 at 5:00 PM
[Photographs: Kathy YL Chan]
Green Apple opened less than a month ago by three friends, and is perfectly situated on Mott Street between Lombardi's and L'asso. The goods? Gelato and sorbet. Our favorite gelato flavor on the menu is a tie between pistachio and green tea. Pistachio is buttery in all the right ways and smooth in consistency with a heavy hand of pistachio paste. Green tea is made with matcha powder from Ten Ren. Sorbets are made with fresh fruit (save for a certain flavors like passion fruit), thus both flavors and consistency change with the season.
Pictured above is a triple scoop with pistachio gelato on top and pineapple sorbet to the right. A scoop of summer lychee sorbet (yes, made from real lychees) is hidden on the bottom. The pineapple, tangy sweet, is killer—and bears an uncanny reminder of the Dole Whip cones (pineapple soft serve) I grew up with in Hawai'i. At $2.95 for a small, this is the best priced gelato and sorbet around.
Green Apple
202A Mott Street New York, NY 10012 (map)
212-966-5666
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 10, 2009 at 3:15 PM
$1 for a cupcake sounds like a good deal, even when three is the minimum purchase. But when the three cupcakes, each one slightly smaller than a quarter, are handed to you in one large cupcake liner—you can't help but feel gypped. Couple that with a not-so-nice salesperson in this crowded Soho storefront, and then you start to wonder why you spend your money here. The cupcakes are not bad, thank goodness, but they are overly sweet and reminiscent of those produced by supermarket cake mix. Clockwise from top: Tie-Dye (vanilla-flavored), Peanut Butter & Jelly, and S'mores. Good for a quick sugar high, but not much else.
Baked By Melissa
529 Broadway, New York NY 10012 (map)
212-842-0220
www.bakedbymelissa.com
Posted by Carey Jones, July 30, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Photo from yummiliondragon on Flickr
I so wanted to like Ivo and Lulu.
It's a small slot of a restaurant in off-center Soho, just around the corner from my old office. Its French-Caribbean menu, heavy on duck and game, looked exciting and flavorful. More than one friend had described it as a real hidden treasure; more than a few online reviews agreed. And it's a BYOB. What wasn't to love?
Unfortunately, quite a bit.
Occasionally stumbling service is forgivable. Running out of a few dishes can be, too. Loud radio, smudged glassware, a forgotten butter dish, an awkwardly located table—these are flaws I'm willing to ignore in favor of a bigger picture. As a food writer, an acolyte missionary of the delicious, I'd rather let you know about the best in a restaurant—not get hung up on minor annoyances.
But if the kitchen doesn't perform, that's it.
Continue reading »
Posted by Nina Lalli, June 17, 2009 at 3:00 PM
"It's clear that not all soybeans are created equal."
Do you ever, when eating tofu, stop and really focus hard on it, asking yourself: "Am I just eating this because it's cheap, inoffensive protein, or does it in fact have flavor? I mean, can something really have no flavor? Can you describe the taste of water? Can I pinpoint the effect of tofu on my taste buds?"
Well, if you did, you would probably recognize that tofu does have a taste, but a vague one. It's kind of vegetable-y and ground-y, but what we usually praise tofu for its ability to assume the form of whatever entities with which it mixes—kind of like me in middle school! Impressive.
Well, I have discovered a brand of tofu that is undeniably, immediately, and gloriously flavorful. It's called Otokomae, which my Japanese hairdresser (Kelly, a layering-master at Lotus Salon on Prince Street) tells me is a humorous phrase that means something like "Handsome Man." I'm calling it "Hot Dude" tofu, and the insane website features my new favorite theme song.
Sunrise Mart is very excited to be bringing the stuff to New York every week from Kyoto.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, June 3, 2009 at 4:00 PM
Wicked chocolate, banana rum sorbet, and vanilla rum caramel were but a few flavors outfitting the Jacques Torres ice cream cart at the Hudson Street store this week (rotating flavors are also at the DUMBO location). Fresh-made waffle cones and waffles were tempting, but after sampling a few flavors, I stuck with the plain and simple in-a-cup method. At $3 a scoop, this is one of the lowest-priced scoops in town. Gelato runs nearly $5 a cup nowadays, and ice cream standbys such as Sundaes and Cones and Chinatown Ice Cream Factory take you close to the $4 range.
Banana-chocolate ice cream.
Banana-chocolate was my flavor of choice—heavier on the banana in flavor and lighter on chocolate. The ice cream itself was of fine texture: lush, consistently smooth, and just a note stickier than most ice creams. Delicious though not quite destination ice cream. When I go to Jacques Torres, even during the sweltering summer days, Mudslide cookies and frozen hot chocolate will be on the top of my agenda. Ice cream will simply be a sweet bonus.
Scooping it all up.
Jacques Torres
350 Hudson, New York NY 10014 (at King Street; map); 212-2414262
66 Water Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (map); 718-875-9772
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, May 8, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Most regulars at Soho's City Girl Cafe are devoted to a few favorites, like the Peanut Butter Balls, ginger cookies, and the ever-fudgy brownies. My affections fall for the latter, a $3 hunk of a brownie, dense and almost too rich. My only qualms were the lack of walnuts, a must, as far as I'm concerned, when it comes to brownies. Someone from above must have heard my wishes, as I was greeted with a "we just started making walnut brownies today!" from the fellow behind the counter.
It's the same classic brownie, dark, and decadent, only with bright nutty chomps of walnuts to cut through it all. All this to my list of new City Girl Cafe favorites.
City Girl Cafe
63 Thompson Street, New York NY 10012 (map)
212-343-0110
citygirlcafeny.com
Posted by Erin Zimmer, March 23, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Every Monday night, Tailor in Soho has a pretty unique special: huitlacoche corn dogs with a Modelo Especial beer for $12 at the bar. (Normally those two would put you at $17—and normally, you're probably not having a huitlacoche corn dog on a Monday night.) 525 Broome St # 1 (map); 212-334-5182
Posted by Barbara Hanson, February 10, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Editor's note: It's time for another dispatch from Serious Eats community member BaHa, aka Barbara Hanson, who checks in now and again about the various one-of-a-kind food stores and markets in New York.
Given all the hoopla surrounding the creations of mad genius Ferran Adria, credited as the inventor of molecular gastronomy, one might think that traditional cuisine of Spain had been supplanted by foam, asparagus bread, and liquid ravioli. Step into Despaña, a Spanish market nestled on a tiny Broome Street block, and you will discover that the traditional food of Spain continues to survive and thrive.
This is no old-school market; it opened only two years ago, and the vibe is definitely more Balducci’s than bodega. The L-shaped interior is sleek yet inviting, and packed with more samples—including olives, olive oil, cheese, and several varieties of chorizo—than I have seen since the opening week of the Houston Street Whole Foods.
Don’t fill up on samples; the counter in the back of the store is packed with bocadillos and flautas (large and medium sandwiches, respectively) encasing such fillings as Iberico ham, piquillo peppers with bonito (tuna), and Serrano ham with cheese
Pintxos, appealing little open-faced sandwiches, are topped with, among other things, bacalao (cod) croquettes, chorizo, Manchego cheese, and a slice of Spanish omelet filled with shrimp mousse. Needless to say, there is also a wide range of tapas including chorizo, the spicy Spanish sausage with a smoky edge; octopus in olive oil; and tortillas made with potato, onion, and a choice of meats or cheeses. A Spanish tortilla is close to what we think of as an omelet, but rounder, higher, and more toothsome.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, January 6, 2009 at 4:00 PM
Today is January 6, the Christian feast day of the Epiphany, which happens to be a special day for competitive dessert eaters. Not only are you encouraged to eat the traditional Kings' Cake, but hope for the lottery slice with the plastic baby Jesus—or, depending on tradition, another trinket-mabob—lodged inside.
Patissier Laurent Dupal of Ceci-Cela bakery in SoHo is taking special galette orders (not gallete, as on sign above; the French bakery butchered their French!) through the end of January, and probably through February. Buttery and flaky, the puffed pastry is filled with the creamy almond frangipane, a traditional French approach. In Mexico, "la Rosca de Reyes" is more fruitcake-like with candied figs, quinces, and cherries.
Whoever finds the figurine, or bean in Mexican tradition, is crowned king or queen for the day, and supposed to buy next year's cake.
I guess the 2010 cake is on me, since I almost choked on the hidden goodie! In lieu of plastic toy Jesuses, Dupal opts for "Santons de Provance," or clay figurines depicting people in colorful Provencal costumes. Mine resembles a hunched-over hag-like woman, who surely is really nice and not actually a hag.
The $29 cakes serve eight. Order from Ceci-Cela by phone or in person at least a day in advance.
Ceci-Cela
55 Spring Street, New York NY 10012 (map)
212-274-9179
ceci-celapatisserie.com
Posted by Erin Zimmer, December 23, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Editor's note: This concludes our 12 Days of Hot Chocolate series. We end on the classic Jacques Torres.
From left: "Classic" hot chocolate and "Wicked." Hardly distinguishable.
">Photograph from wallyg on Flickr
Price: $3 (for eight ounces), $4 (for twelve ounces), or a free ounce-ish sample
The Deal: Jacques confidently calls his hot chocolate "famous." It's part of the title. If you like your cocoa super thick, almost pudding texture, then the adjective is rightfully earned. Similar to the Dessert Truck's version, this is a throat-coater. The staff uses the powder mix for sale in tins in the shop for $18, with a 2-to-1 milk-to-powder ratio. Personally, I'm weak and cannot handle a whole cup. Maybe I'm just not a chocofreak? I was guzzling water just to wash down a few ounces in the little "shot" cups. The spicier "Wicked" flavor isn't sucker punch spicy, but the chili pepper loiters in a friendly way.
Jacques Torres
66 Water Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (map)
350 Hudson, New York NY 10014 (at King Street; map)
285 Amsterdam Avenue, New York NY 10023 (b/n West 73rd and 74th Streets; map)
jacquestorres.com
Previously
12 Days of Hot Chocolate: Shake Shack
12 Days of Hot Chocolate: City Bakery
12 Days of Hot Chocolate: Vosges Haut Chocolat
12 Days of Hot Chocolate: One Girl Cookies
Posted by Erin Zimmer, December 22, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Photograph from Eating In Translation on Flickr
With a nibble of gingerbread here, a snowman-shaped sugar cookie there, my cookie tolerance is wearing thin. It's weird to be a borderline cookie hater right now, but I just need a break. This gooey Greek custard pie, with a spritz of lemon, sounds more like it—and quite the step up from the morning Fage breakfast. I don't think Eating in Translation did anything special with the lens to make this triangular glob of phyllo dough look so succulent. It's just a beautiful mess of a thing.
The Yoghurt Place
71 Sullivan Street (b/n Spring and Broome Streets; map)
212-219-3500
Posted by Erin Zimmer, December 18, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Editor's note: Until Christmas, we'll have a hot chocolate report for you. 'Tis the season. Today, the fancy Vosges shop in SoHo.
From left: Parisienne, Aztec Elixir.
Price: $5 for eight ounces
The deal: Vosges is responsible for Mo's Bacon Bar, so upon entering the SoHo chocolate shop, I had visions of a porky cocoa concept. Sigh. The sipping chocolates came in three baconless flavors: the "Aztec Elixir" with dark chocolate, chilies, and cinnamon, the "Parisienne" with dark chocolate and vanilla bean, and a white chocolate stepsister called "Bianca." All three were of the thick-goopy category; definitely not "light."
My spicy tolerance is pretty high, so the Aztec Elixir didn't have me sweating or tearing—a little disappointing. I wanted more bite. The Parisienne was fine, but not vanilla beany enough. None of these was bad, just not memorable. Note to Vosges: get on the bacon cocoa, stat.
Vosges Haut Chocolat
132 Spring Street, New York NY 10079 (map)
212-625-2929
vosgeschocolate.com
Previously
12 Days of Hot Chocolate: One Girl Cookies
12 Days of Hot Chocolate: The Dessert Truck
12 Days of Hot Chocolate: Dunkin Donuts
12 Days of Hot Chocolate: Roasting Plant
Posted by Adam Kuban, December 15, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Not only was NYC's Calexico Cart a favorite among judges at this year's Vendy Awards, type-design team Nick and Adam Hayes name it as one of their favorites—but for reasons other than its food:
We’ve also found this strange use of Monark for a street vendor selling Mexican food [in Soho, New York City]. They used Monark for the menu and the logotype. I have no idea why a street vendor would use Monark to promote their services, because it was a typeface originally designed for a magazine. We love waiting and watching for our typefaces to pop up in the strangest places. This has got to be one of our favorites!
This item, from Print magazine's "Good Type Gone Bad" column (which analyzes strange typeface choices) also has designer Sami Kortemäki talking about McDonald's use of a typeface he co-designed. [Fourth and seventh items.]
Related: Calexico Cart Review
Calexico Cart
SE Corner of Prince and Wooster Streets, New York NY 10012 (map)
calexicocart.com
Posted by Erin Zimmer, December 9, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Editor's note: For the next twelve weekdays until Christmas, we'll have a hot chocolate report for you. 'Tis the season. Today, the upscale SoHo chocolate shop, MarieBelle.
Price: $6 for a small (4 ounces), $8 for a medium (8 ounces), $9 for a large (11 ounces)
The deal: Judging by the price, we expected liquid gold. The smallest size is $1.50 an ounce! Does a cocktail even cost that much? While the cocoa flavors are pretty impressive—milk chocolate with dried banana chips, cinnamon and oats with white chocolate, dark Aztec blends—and have such a fine powder snow texture, you want to sink your hands through the vats, eek. I could buy a burrito for that! They'll add hot water (the European style) or milk (the American way), and regardless, it turns out thick, especially with their frothing technique. Though I'm not a white chocolate fan, the version with ground oats and cinnamon was most interesting. It's good to know that someone is taking chocolate so seriously, but still, a very hard price tag to justify at these times.
From left: milk chocolate with spices; white chocolate with oats and cinnamon.
MarieBelle Fine Chocolates
484 Broome Street, New York NY 10013 (b/n Broadway and Watts Streets; map)
212-925-6999
mariebelle.com
Previously
12 Days of Hot Chocolate: Grom
Posted by Zach Brooks, November 11, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Photograph by Front Studio
I'll admit I know very little about these apple beignets that I saw on the Lunch with Front Studio blog, but the little information I do have (i.e. the photo) makes me know one thing: I want. "Apple slices dipped in dough and deep fried," the ladies of Front Studio do warn that "they are not meant to be ordered in a to-go fashion." Sounds like advice I will be putting to good use very soon.
Cafe Select
212 Lafayette Street, New York NY 10012 (b/n Broome and Spring; map)
212-925-9322
Posted by Ed Levine, October 14, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Photographs by Robyn Lee
Despaña
408 Broome Street, New York, NY 10013 (b/n Lafayette and Centre; map); 212-219-5060; despananyc.com
Service: Friendly but slow
Setting: A ridiculously pleasant, well-curated Spanish specialty food store
Compare It To: Nothing. It's unique
Must-Haves: Picante, Gallego, Iberico Ham (if you want to splurge), and/or the Bonito sandwich
Cost: $12 for a sandwich and a drink (the samples are free)
Grade: A-
When you walk up a few steps and enter Despaña you leave New York and arrive in Spain, where you will find yourself in a gorgeously minimalist Spanish specialty food store. A leg of Jamon Iberico will be on your right, and past that gorgeous porcine ham you will find other cured meats, followed by a small but well-curated collection of Spanish cheeses. Dishes of samples beckon serious eaters like some Flamenco siren call.
On your left are samples of vinegar, olive oil, jams and relishes, and way in the back on the left are high-end Spanish sweets, including an oddly appealing soft honey almond torrone that has a halvah-like texture.
Tear yourself away from the samples. (It's unseemly to avail yourself of too many. I know. I've been there.) Take a look at the gorgeous display case of prepared Spanish foods. There are croquettas, little savory tarts, wedges of tortilla, mini-sandwiches, glistening roasted red peppers, and of course boquerones (superb anchovies).
Buy yourself a nibble or two to start your meal and then peruse the big sign announcing the sandwich possibilities. The sandwiches, my friends (I hope I'm not channeling John McCain here), are a must buy here, as they are models of sandwich construction.
Continue reading »
