Manhattan: Union Square
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 27, 2009 at 1:10 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
I was waiting in line at Joe's the other day when I spotted this pumpkin muffin baked by Bread Alone. And considering my goal to hunt down every delicious pumpkin sweet in the city, I couldn't pass this one up.
It's hearty, with a slightly crunchy surface, dotted with toasted pumpkin seeds (how awesome would it be if they also salted the pumpkin just a tiny, tiny bit?). Tasty, but not among the best, with a somewhat crumbly interior. Glad I gave it a try, but I'll be sticking with my standard chocolate cream cheese when it comes to my morning muffin at Joe's.
Joe the Art of Coffee
Various Locations in NYC (map)
joetheartofcoffee.com
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 8, 2009 at 7:00 PM
[Photographs: Robyn Lee]
You still have a few hours tonight and all day tomorrow to visit the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck before Doug Quint closes for the season tomorrow night. I stopped by this afternoon to fit in my final taste of Mister Softee soft serve with funky toppings, my favorite "special" being the Salty Pimp. What makes the combination of vanilla soft serve drizzled with thick dulce de leche, sprinkled with crunchy sea salt, and dipped in chocolate so good? I shouldn't even have to explain why. It's salty, sweet, creamy, and crunchy all at once, and if you're anything like me it will make you go, "Oh god, this is good," after every bite.
The Affogayto Mexicano is great (vanilla soft serve topped with whipped cream and hot chocolate made of Scharffen Berger cocoa powder and cayenne pepper), as is the Gobbler (vanilla soft serve topped with crushed graham crackers, pumpkin butter, and whipped cream), but my friend and I agreed that the Salty Pimp is where it's at. And if you can't decide...just get all of them.
Tonight the truck is at Broadway and 17th Street until about 9 p.m. Tomorrow it will be at that location until moving to Destination Bar at Avenue A and 13th Street for their Season Ending Party from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Check @biggayicecream on Twitter for the latest updates.
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 22, 2009 at 4:00 PM
Spotted at the Union Square Greenmarket this past Saturday: lemon & herb popsicles from Twee Fountain Herb Farm, on the southern end of Union Square West. At $2 each, the popsicles come in a trio of flavors perfect for a walk around the park: Lemon-Verbena-Thyme, Rosemary-Lemon, and Sage-Lemon. I went with the Verbena-Thyme, light on the sugar, heavy on the herb, just short of overly fragrant. Popsicle in one hand, and bag of market pickings in the other—my Greenmarket shopping was all the more delightful that afternoon.
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 16, 2009 at 12:00 PM
"If it's a good deal and ordinary dishes you're searching for, mosey on over for some very solid cooking."
[Photographs: Kathy Chan]
You will not find a true sense of Aldea's scope and potential in their newly launched lunch prix fixe, but you will find an awesome deal. Three courses. $20.09. I've done much worse for much less. I stopped in last Friday, just thirty minutes into lunch service. Aldea was empty then, but three other tables were filled by the time I left. I have little doubt they'll fill up over time.
Lunch starts with pizza bianca or piccola bread, both by Sullivan Street Bakery. And then your choice of soup or a tomato heirloom salad. Even on a rainy day, the chilled cucumber soup was a delight: creamy with chunks of cucumbers and a quenelle of pimenton creme fraiche. Finished with a handful of crispy shallots, it was light and immensely satisfying. I dunked more than my share of pizza bianca into this soup.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 14, 2009 at 12:00 PM
It started with the apple dumpling. Early one morning, I passed a bakery on 13th Street and stopped to look through the glass windows. There was a tray filled with muffins on one end, scones on the other, and little square pockets in the middle. Curious, I turned in and purchased one of the square pockets. They turned out to be apple dumplings—and they were still warm, glory be.
I nestled the little pocket in my hand and scooted off to find a bench. There, I slipped the dumpling out of its paper bag and started munching away, breaking though the buttery shell to find sweet apple wedges kissed with cinnamon. It was absolutely lovely—delicate, almost precious.
The bakery was Thé Adoré, a Japanese restaurant and bakery with seating upstairs and a takeout area downstairs. Here, American and European sweets are given the Japanese touch—smaller, lighter, prettier, if you will. Baked goods usually come out around 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., so arrive between those times if you must have croissants warm from the oven, or a hot morning quiche. The sweets—including crème brûlée, berry pies, and apple, plum, peach, and pear tarts—come a bit later, about 10 a.m.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 27, 2009 at 1:10 PM
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
I was waiting in line at Joe's the other day when I spotted this pumpkin muffin baked by Bread Alone. And considering my goal to hunt down every delicious pumpkin sweet in the city, I couldn't pass this one up.
It's hearty, with a slightly crunchy surface, dotted with toasted pumpkin seeds (how awesome would it be if they also salted the pumpkin just a tiny, tiny bit?). Tasty, but not among the best, with a somewhat crumbly interior. Glad I gave it a try, but I'll be sticking with my standard chocolate cream cheese when it comes to my morning muffin at Joe's.
Joe the Art of Coffee
Various Locations in NYC (map)
joetheartofcoffee.com
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 8, 2009 at 7:00 PM
[Photographs: Robyn Lee]
You still have a few hours tonight and all day tomorrow to visit the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck before Doug Quint closes for the season tomorrow night. I stopped by this afternoon to fit in my final taste of Mister Softee soft serve with funky toppings, my favorite "special" being the Salty Pimp. What makes the combination of vanilla soft serve drizzled with thick dulce de leche, sprinkled with crunchy sea salt, and dipped in chocolate so good? I shouldn't even have to explain why. It's salty, sweet, creamy, and crunchy all at once, and if you're anything like me it will make you go, "Oh god, this is good," after every bite.
The Affogayto Mexicano is great (vanilla soft serve topped with whipped cream and hot chocolate made of Scharffen Berger cocoa powder and cayenne pepper), as is the Gobbler (vanilla soft serve topped with crushed graham crackers, pumpkin butter, and whipped cream), but my friend and I agreed that the Salty Pimp is where it's at. And if you can't decide...just get all of them.
Tonight the truck is at Broadway and 17th Street until about 9 p.m. Tomorrow it will be at that location until moving to Destination Bar at Avenue A and 13th Street for their Season Ending Party from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Check @biggayicecream on Twitter for the latest updates.
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 22, 2009 at 4:00 PM
Spotted at the Union Square Greenmarket this past Saturday: lemon & herb popsicles from Twee Fountain Herb Farm, on the southern end of Union Square West. At $2 each, the popsicles come in a trio of flavors perfect for a walk around the park: Lemon-Verbena-Thyme, Rosemary-Lemon, and Sage-Lemon. I went with the Verbena-Thyme, light on the sugar, heavy on the herb, just short of overly fragrant. Popsicle in one hand, and bag of market pickings in the other—my Greenmarket shopping was all the more delightful that afternoon.
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 16, 2009 at 12:00 PM
"If it's a good deal and ordinary dishes you're searching for, mosey on over for some very solid cooking."
[Photographs: Kathy Chan]
You will not find a true sense of Aldea's scope and potential in their newly launched lunch prix fixe, but you will find an awesome deal. Three courses. $20.09. I've done much worse for much less. I stopped in last Friday, just thirty minutes into lunch service. Aldea was empty then, but three other tables were filled by the time I left. I have little doubt they'll fill up over time.
Lunch starts with pizza bianca or piccola bread, both by Sullivan Street Bakery. And then your choice of soup or a tomato heirloom salad. Even on a rainy day, the chilled cucumber soup was a delight: creamy with chunks of cucumbers and a quenelle of pimenton creme fraiche. Finished with a handful of crispy shallots, it was light and immensely satisfying. I dunked more than my share of pizza bianca into this soup.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 14, 2009 at 12:00 PM
It started with the apple dumpling. Early one morning, I passed a bakery on 13th Street and stopped to look through the glass windows. There was a tray filled with muffins on one end, scones on the other, and little square pockets in the middle. Curious, I turned in and purchased one of the square pockets. They turned out to be apple dumplings—and they were still warm, glory be.
I nestled the little pocket in my hand and scooted off to find a bench. There, I slipped the dumpling out of its paper bag and started munching away, breaking though the buttery shell to find sweet apple wedges kissed with cinnamon. It was absolutely lovely—delicate, almost precious.
The bakery was Thé Adoré, a Japanese restaurant and bakery with seating upstairs and a takeout area downstairs. Here, American and European sweets are given the Japanese touch—smaller, lighter, prettier, if you will. Baked goods usually come out around 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., so arrive between those times if you must have croissants warm from the oven, or a hot morning quiche. The sweets—including crème brûlée, berry pies, and apple, plum, peach, and pear tarts—come a bit later, about 10 a.m.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 29, 2009 at 4:30 PM
Though skeptical of snow cones that cost as much as gelato and aren't fluorescent green (or blue or yellow), I am a fan of Num Pang's newest sweet and spicy cherry flavor ($3.80). Launching snow cones earlier this month with two flavors (pineapple ginger with toasted coconut and lemongrass lime with lychee), the Cambodian sandwicherie accomplishes the right feathery snowflake texture you want in a snow cone. So often they are ice nuggets about to break your molars, which has its place sometimes sure, but think about your dentist. He or she would want you to splurge on the fluffy version.
Macerated in port wine, the bulbous cherry halves get a little kapow from red chili flakes. [Fans of both spicy food and snow cones: there is a god!] The ice-to-cherry ratio is great—you don't have to pace yourself the whole time, eating gratuitous bites of ice before ever reaching the good stuff. To maximize the experience, let it melt a tad.
Num Pang
12 E 12th Street, New York, NY 10003 (b/n 5th Avenue and University Place; map)
212-529-3901
numpangnyc.com
Related: Num Pang Sandwich Shop: What's in a Name? A Lot, As It Turns Out
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 23, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Schnitzel is probably as fun to say as it is to eat. And how often do you really get a schnitzel-eating opportunity? [Twitter update: they are shooting to be in Union Square by noon today.] Oleg Voss and his partner Jared Greenhouse recently launched Schnitzel and Things, yet another force in the Tweeting, beyond-gyro street food movement. Yesterday they were parked on Smith Street in Brooklyn between Warren and Baltic, strategically in front of the Met Food. Grocery shoppers were sidetracked by the fried meat and fish blankets.
Schnitzel with all the fixin's.
"If I'm doing my job right, it should only take about two minutes," Voss said to one customer planning to pick up a few things while her dinner went into the deep-fryer. Pork is definitely the most popular, though chicken holds its own, and poor cod, no love for what's really a Filet-o-Fish at its best (minus the processed orange cheese and gloppy mayo). There has also been talk of veal. Voss has been building his upper body strength whacking all that pork loin and chicken (the fish stays thicker) into a thin sheet with his big honkin' mallet.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 22, 2009 at 4:15 PM
You've probably never had tagine from a truck before, but that'll change soon. Moroccan-born Yassir Raouli is launching Bistro Truck later this month in the Union Square area. The concept is affordable Moroccan food with Mediterranean influences. As he'll let you know, the lamb is not the gyro kind—it's the once-bahhhing, real-deal roasted lamb meat kind served with couscous and a salad ($7). He's also excited about the Dijon Chicken ($6) made with mustard and creme fraiche, and the secret sauce (mayo, harissa, and "some other stuff") and grass-fed beef on the Bistro Burger ($4.75).
This is a very early sneak peak at the menu. Before lamb, Raouli was more focused on off-the-shoulder dresses, working on his wife's fashion line Elsa Leon. He's had some restaurant experience, but only front of the house. Joined by a recent culinary school grad, he'll be manning the truck during lunch hours until about 7 or 8 p.m., at least for now. If all goes well, Raouli would love to keep Bistro Truck running 24 hours a day. Follow Bistro Truck on twitter.com/bistrotruck.
Posted by Hannah Geller, July 14, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Squash from Sycamore Farm.
Red raspberries from Terhune Farms.
The last time I set foot in the Union Square Greenmarket, it was a sea of green: spinach, sorrel, and lettuce galore, with not a single fruit in sight (except for those controversial greenhouse raspberries). Not even moving to a diversified farm in the meantime could prepare me for the summer’s bounty that greeted me recently. Tomatoes, squash, broccoli, carrots, and fruit, fruit, and more fruit!
Tomatoes are still greenhouse-grown, and not quite as magical as the field crops. Still, they’re infinitely tastier than those tomato-impostering tennis balls crowding the grocery store all winter. Cherry Lane Farms had some particularly pretty heirlooms.
Carrots from Paffenroth Farm.
Carrots are officially my most frequently consumed vegetable (possibly because they taste the closest to candy), and Paffenroth Farms had a rainbow of crazy, beautiful types: red, purple, yellow, “white satin,” and something called carrot nubs, which seemed to just be small carrots.
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Posted by tressa eaton, July 9, 2009 at 4:00 PM
Lemongrass Lime with Lychee snow cone.
Num Pang (the sandwich shop offshoot of New York's only Cambodian restaurant Kampuchea) is now serving snow cones in two flavors. Take your pick: Pineapple Ginger with Toasted Coconut or Lemongrass Lime with Lychee.
The lemongrass cone was a little weak for my taste, but the pineapple ginger was the best snow cone I've ever had. After tasting it, I quickly got over my disappointment that the the snow cones weren't served in those nostalgia-inducing paper cones. Not for the ginger-averse, this baby packs a serious ginger punch. The snow cone could only be improved with more of the freshly toasted coconut to balance the spiciness of the ginger. Num Pang, if you're listening, I'd love it if you did little ice and toasted coconut layers all throughout your environmentally-friendly GreenWare cups.
If you are around the Union Square area and if New York ever gets some true summer weather, one of these snow cone would be a fun mid-day pick-me-up.
Num Pang
12 E 12th Street, New York, NY 10003 (b/n 5th Avenue and University Place; map)
212-255-3271
numpangnyc.com
Related: Num Pang Sandwich Shop: What's in a Name? A Lot, As It Turns Out
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, June 30, 2009 at 2:00 PM
This city is flooded with blueberry muffins. Plain ones, sugar-dusted numbers, big ones, itty bitty ones, and others still, paired with everything from bran to corn. We loved some, hated others, and passed on a few. Our conclusion? There's one we can honestly call "the best" and many others which are simply great and worth a detour. In the end, blueberry muffins, like most sweets, are totally subjective. Taste is personalized, so we've made sure to included seriously delicious muffins on all ends of the spectrum.
Where to begin? See the list after the jump for our picks for the city's finest blueberry muffins.
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Posted by Hannah Geller, June 1, 2009 at 2:00 PM
The Greenmarket this weekend was at that awkward, adolescent stage of late spring. The veggies of its early days were becoming gangly and overgrown, while the bountiful, beautiful produce of summer still looms in the distance. Nevertheless, those Union Square vendors had a few tricks up their sleeves, and managed to surprise and impress us.
High on the surprise-o-meter were strawberries from Phillips Farms in New Jersey. We suspected greenhouse growing or black magic, but our farmer friend informed us that some early season strawberries are coming out now. Samples were on the sour side, and hardly Gaviota-quality
Ramps were pretty much out of the picture, but Mountain Sweet Berry Farm aimed to set a trend with a sign proclaiming, “Spring Garlic: The Ideal Ramp Substitute." Green garlic is the same plant as regular old garlic, simply a few months before the bulb materializes. Mariquita Farm has some nice recipe suggestions. Based on pungency, though, green garlic is a better substitute for scallions and chives than for ramps, which tend to be relatively mild.
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Posted by Alaina Browne, May 12, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Cold crawfish at Num Pang Sandwich Shop
The cold crawfish ($6) at Num Pang Sandwich Shop is just the thing to take the edge of your crawfish craving. A little spicy and served with a couple of slices of lime and a citrus dipping sauce, be sure to bring your own handiwipes. The crawfish are a seasonal special, so get them while they last.
Related
Num Pang Sandwich Shop: What's in a Name? A Lot, As It Turns Out
Meet & Eat: Ratha Chau, Num Pang
Crawfish boils? [SENY Talk]
Posted by Hannah Geller, May 11, 2009 at 2:45 PM
"Sorry, Dan Barber, but the greenhouse-grown raspberries were absolutely delicious."
Greenhouse-grown raspberries from Fruit Valley Orchard in Oswego, New York
We headed back to the Union Square Greenmarket this weekend, mainly to pick up some sheep’s milk ricotta from Valley Shepherd Creamery. Sheep’s milk has a higher fat content than cow’s milk, and a sweet, vanilla milkshake-like flavor that makes for exceptional creamy cheeses.
We weren’t expecting to find much different from last week, as spring remains in full swing and summer produce isn’t out yet. But the Union Square vendors had some items we had never even tried before.
At Terhune Farm’s stand, we spent a horrifying amount of money on wild asparagus. Our gardener friend suspected it was no different from normal asparagus, but some research confirmed that we hadn’t been duped. Wild asparagus is sweet and delicate, and the ones we bought were particularly un-woody.
Continue reading »
Posted by Hannah Geller, April 27, 2009 at 3:00 PM
"Although meat, milk, and eggs have been available all winter, the animals are out on pasture now. That means egg yolks are taking on a deeper yellow, milk is a bit more vitamin-rich...."
Spring has arrived in New York in the form of shockingly hot weather (85°F?!), crowded trains full of bare legs, and over at the Union Square Greenmarket, green garlic, ramps, asparagus, and spring onions (though the last two were completely sold-out by midday over the weekend).
Several stands were selling ramps, but Mountain Sweet Berry Farm seemed most excited about theirs. If you look closely, you’ll see that someone who’s been reading Alice Waters scribbled recipe ideas on that sign, like ramps with bacon and ramps risotto.
We bought green garlic from Norwich Meadows Farm, where they recommended using it instead of chives or to make fresh broths. Disclaimer: carry your green garlic in a separate bag from you other groceries, unless you want the pungent plant to leave your cookies tasting like focaccia.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, April 21, 2009 at 4:30 PM
To quote Ed, "a good apple turnover, like a good man, is hard to find." The one from Tarallucci e Vino ($3) is definitely date-able, and maybe even marriage material because of the insides. Almost like a cider, the filling is tart and super appley—not gelatinous or annoyingly sweet. The only character flaw? A little doughy in some pastry parts. This is where the metaphor stops. More flaky would be a good thing.
Tarallucci e Vino
15 East 18th Street, New York NY 10003 (map)
212-228-5400
163 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10003 (map)
212-388-1190
taralluccievino.net
Posted by Erin Zimmer, April 6, 2009 at 2:00 PM
At Irving Mill, every Monday in April is now a Rye-Fecta Monday. For $15 you get: the burger, a pint of Six Point Righteous Rye, and Jim Beam's Ri 1 rye whiskey served julep style, neat or, on the rocks. Reservations recommended. 116 East 16th Street (b/n Park Avenue South and Irving Place; map); 212-254-1600
Posted by Robyn Lee, April 2, 2009 at 6:00 PM
The first time I went to Stand two years ago, the burger experience was just okay, and worse was their thin pistachio milkshake, which contained shards of inedible pistachio shell (at least I knew it had real pistachios in it). I gave it a second chance just this week: The burgers tasted a bit better (although I wouldn't call it one of my favorites) and, on a brighter note, the toasted marshmallow milkshake was great. Much thicker, seemingly 100% larger than last time for the same price, no risk of inedible shell bits, and wasn't overly sweet. The glass was topped with a mass of gooey, lightly marshmallows and swirls of whipped cream. Now I know where to go if I'm ever in Union Square and crave an ice cream-y dessert.
Stand
24 E 12th Street, New York, NY 10003 (b/n 5th Avenue and University Place; map)
212-488-5900
standburger.com
Posted by Robyn Lee, March 25, 2009 at 2:15 PM
After watching a movie near Union Square, my friends and I headed to Bite for a quick vegetarian and wallet-friendly dinner. Bite's main offerings of sandwiches (cold or pressed) and salads may not sound like a unique concept, but there are at least two items here that would make me want to come back for more.
The sabih sandwich is similar to Taim's sabich pita sandwich but sans falafel and on a soft, slightly chewy ciabatta roll instead of in a pita (besides that the sabih is less messy to eat). The sabih is layered with sautéed eggplant, sliced hard boiled egg, a cucumber and tomato-based Middle Eastern chopped salad, and hummus. You get creamy, crunchy, and fresh in every bite. The sandwich is just the right size, and filling without being too heavy.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, March 20, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Today marks the opening of Num Pang, the Cambodian sandwich shop ("num pang" being the Cambodian name for "sandwich") by Union Square opened by the team behind Kampuchea Noodle Bar, Ratha Chau and Ben Daitz. Last night we checked out some of their offerings during their soft opening.
Sandwiches are modestly sized—they're built for one person—and are served with sliced cucumber, shredded pickled carrots, cilantro, and chili mayo on semolina bread from Parisi Bakery. Complimentary pickled cabbage mingling with tongue-searing chile peppers comes on the side. Don't make my mistake and eat this before you dig into your sandwich; your sense of taste will be large replaced by a tingling sensation. I do appreciate that there's no skimping on spiciness here though—there are even bottles of Sriracha available in case the chili mayo coupled with the spicy cabbage don't do it for you.
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