The Bronx
"As a serious carnivore and lifelong Yankee-hater, I'm intrigued by NYY Steak," writes ESPN columnist Paul Lukas. He documents his evening chronologically, from phoning in the reservation at 6:45 p.m. to receiving the $302 bill at 9:49 p.m. ("clearly a bargain when you consider it's about 0.01 percent of what CC Sabathia makes for throwing one-third of an inning.") Related: First Look at the New Yankee Stadium Food
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 23, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Photograph from jeffpearce on Flickr
A press release we just received touts the food choices at the new Yankee Stadium and makes much of the fact that 70 percent of the concession areas there will have the ability to cook on site.
One of the most unique characteristics of the Stadium, and an example of the Yankees’ commitment to serve "Fresh-To-Order," is a window found in the left-field concourse of the Field Level where fans can see butchers from Lobel’s of New York preparing prime, dry-aged steaks to be served in various locations in the Stadium. Fresh Lobel’s steak sandwiches will be sold on a cart outside this location.
While that's all well and good, the full list of food products and vendors (read the full press release after the jump) is a huge disappointment. Among the "traditional favorites" are the same ol' things we saw at the old park; the debuts include such mall food-court fare as Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, Dunkin' Donuts coffee, Johnny Rockets burgers, Brother Jimmy's BBQ, and "Boar's Head made-to-order" deli sandwich stands.
Yawn. I'm falling asleep in the bleachers here.
With the new Mets ballpark bringing the noise with the Shake Shack and Blue Smoke and a Danny Meyer–run taqueria and Belgian fries stand, the Yanks have lost this nosh pennant before the season has even begun.
Take me out to the ballgame? No, thanks.
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Posted by Joe DiStefano, October 6, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Editor's note: On October 18th, street vendors from all around the city will converge on the Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn for this years Vendy Awards. Tickets are only $80 and every penny goes to benefit the Street Vendor Project, a non-profit organization that fights for the rights of sidewalk vendors in New York City. Every day this week we will profile one of the five finalists, and the food they will be serving up at the competition. To kick it off Joe DiStefano headed to the Bronx to sample Fauzia Abdur-Rahman's "Heavenly Delights".
Friday afternoon I paid a visit to Fauzia’s Delights a street cart located outside the Bronx District Attorney’s office. It’s up for a Vendy Award this year, and after tasting Fauzia Abdur-Rahman’s food and talking to some of her loyal customers, I can see why. As I got on line I asked a fellow in front of me about Fauzia’s eats and he told it to me straight; “I’d cry if she wasn’t out here.” I asked him what he usually gets and my jaw dropped when he said the vegetables. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone more excited about veggies in my life. Because of the rain the friendly Fauzia didn’t have a chance to make any jerk chicken that day. I asked someone else on line what was good and they beamed, “It’s all good.”
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Our Market Scene expert Blake Royer, who you may know as one of The Paupered Chefs, wakes up at the crack of dawn to visit the Fulton Fish Market in Hunts Point, Bronx, where fresh seafood is distributed to restaurants and grocery stores around the city. Not familiar with the 186-year old fish market? Read Blake's overview of the "winding and corrupt" history of "the largest food distribution center in the world."
Posted by Emily Koh, July 21, 2008 at 3:15 PM
An X-rated Subway? Grinders in both female and sandwich form? That's what Anthony "Cousin Vinny" Agnello was promising at his Bronx deli, which doubled as "Cousin Vinny's Little Secret" in the private rear room. The former Subway store owner was evicted for not paying rent, but took all his corporate supplies—the logoed wrappers, bags, and menus—down the street to re-open the business, this time with exotic female dancers.
According to the New York Post, Agnello is going to court, and the community, police, and Subway officials are outraged. He's since posted an apology note on his store wall. Sure gives a whole new meaning to the dirtiness of hole-in-the-wall eateries...
The Yankees scream for it: "The Yankees went on a health kick when Joe Girardi was named manager, prohibiting ice cream from the players’ lounge. Now the ice cream has returned, because the loudest critic of the policy, Mike Mussina, has reached 10 victories. It happened much quicker this season than last."
Posted by Zach Brooks, May 17, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Pre-game buffet. (Photo courtesy of Eating in Translation)
With baseball season kicking into full swing, alot has been written about good eats around Shea and Yankee Stadiums, and with the Mets visiting the Bronx this weekend, I think the best suggestion I've seen so far has got to be this one from Dave Cook over at Eating in Translation. Sure it's in a different borough, but did you know that the Charles Southern Style Kitchen on Frederick Douglas (there are two locations) is only a 20-minute walk from Yankee stadium? What better way to lay the foundation for an afternoon of drinking than stuffing yourself at an all you can eat buffet. Show up at 11:30 a.m., and you'll have plenty of time to walk across the bridge for that one o'clock game.
Posted by Ed Levine, March 26, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Hunts Point Market, at 60 acres and 700,000 square feet of refrigerated storage, is the largest food distribution center in the world.
The Village Voice introduces us to the restaurants that feed the thousands of workers at the huge Hunts Point Cooperative wholesale food market in the Bronx. I am looking forward to trying:
the broccoli rabe sandwich at Fratelli's Pizza Cafe
the camarones (shrimp) on Fridays only at the Dominican La Misma Nelly Coffee Shop, the pernil (roast pork) at Randall Restaurant,
Frank's Filthy sandwich, which features barbecued chicken and mac and cheese, at Market Kitchen.
I've had Mo Gridder's barbecue (good ribs, substandard pulled pork), but I have to admit I have never been to any of the other places the Voice mentions. The story is also a revealing glimpse about life at the Hunts Point Market, which is open 24 hours a day Monday through Friday. I don't know about all of the restaurants, but at least one, Fratelli's, is open the entire time.
Posted by Ed Levine, October 23, 2007 at 8:00 AM
Writing about the late, great Abe Lebewohl, a man's stomach turns its attention to delis—Jewish-style delis of course. Some of my earliest food memories are of eating at Wilshire's Deli on Central Avenue in Lawrence, New York. I remember my typical lunch there being a pastrami sandwich and two hot dogs, but I couldn't have eaten that much, could I?
One of the first dates I went on with my wife was at the dear departed Gitlitz's on Manhattan's Upper West Side. But when it comes to delis in New York, I don't need to wax nostalgic. Though there are far fewer delis here than there once were, there are still enough excellent examples in Gotham that we maintain our status as America's preeminent Jewish-deli city. Some Los Angelenos insist that L.A. is a better deli city, but I believe they have simply spent too much time in the sun.
How do you judge a deli? To me there are clearly established yardsticks, pastrami or corned beef, soup (matzo ball or mushroom barley), and french fries. The quality of the cole slaw and the pickles matter as well.
Using those yardsticks, here is a list of my favorite delis in New York. Are there great Jewish delis outside New York? I love Langer's pastrami in Los Angeles, I've enjoyed many smoked-meat sandwich and french fry lunches at Schwartz's in Montreal, and my Baltimore friends swear by Attman's, but, Serious Eaters, I long to know of others around the country. Do tell.
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Posted by Ed Levine, August 1, 2006 at 3:29 PM
By popular demand, here's a list of my top ten pizza slices in NYC:
1) DiFara (you all know where it is)
2) Adrienne's (Old Stone St., Wall Street)
3) Patsy's (117th and First Avenue)
4) Joe and Pat's (Staten Island)
5) Nunzio's (Staten Island)
6) Sullivan Street Bakery
7) Sal and Carmine's (102nd and Broadway)
8) Joe's (Carmine Street and Park Slope)
9) Grandma Slices at Maffei (22nd and Sixth)
10) Louie and Ernie's (Bronx)
Anybody beg to differ?
Posted by Ed Levine, July 18, 2006 at 8:13 AM
My friend Roy took me to the Yankee game last Friday night, and not only are his seats fantastic, fifteen rows back to the right of home plate, but they are fifty feet from the Arthur Avenue and Carl's Cheese Steak concessions. Roy waited twenty minutes between innings for a Carl's Cheesesteak, which turned out to be mighty disappointing. It turns out that for some things good things don't happen to those who wait. The roll was cottony and dry, and the meat was all shriveled and dried up from sitting for too long. Roy said they cook off the meat in advance and then hold it on the griddle for as long as it takes to sell it. This is no way to produce a good cheesesteak.
The Arthur Avenue sandwich, from Mike's Deli, was much better. There was no line, and the prosciutto, mozzarella and roasted peppers sandwich I had on foccacia was pretty damn fine for a ballpark sandwich. The sandwich was pre-made and sitting in a refrigerated case, so it was kind of soggy. But all in all I would certainly order the sandwich again. But the best ballpark sandwich in New York is the Mama's roast turkey, fresh mozzarella and gravy sandwich behind home plate at Shea Stadium.
For that sandwich alone the Mets win the Subway Sandwich series.
Posted by Ed Levine, June 19, 2006 at 12:39 PM
I was at Yankee Stadium last week, and I noticed that there is now an outpost of Mike's Deli. 
the great sandwich and specialty food emporium in the Arthur Avenue retail market. Does this mean that the Yankees and the Mets, who installed a Mama's (Leo's Latticini) sandwich kiosk a couple of years ago, are now engaged in a battle for both sandwich and baseball supremacy. Has anyone had a Mike's sandwich at Yankee Stadium? I've had a Mama's sandwich at Shea, and it was pretty swell to be eating real food at a stadium.
