Posts Tagged With: restaurants
The Staten Island Survival Guide – 2024 Update
Categories: New York City, Staten Island
Tags: food, NYC restaurants, restaurants, Staten Island, staten island dining
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Don Peppe – Legend Still Going Strong
Every time I’m invited to an event at Don Peppe, I huff, and puff and bitch all the way there. Its too far, its too old, its past its prime, I think I have a rash and it could get nasty any minute. No shortage of excuses. I just dont like to travel too far for old school Italian. But every single time I go there, I’m not only reminded how good it is, but I’m also reminded that we dont really have anything like it.
Even with a party of 10 on a Saturday night, no reservations allowed (I dont think). And even with a very full house, and standing room only in the oversized waiting room, we got our table in no time. People travel here from all parts of the city, often well over an hour to get a chance to experience this legend. In fact, its one of the only reasons to get to the JFK area other than JFK. Well, except the casino or if you are on your way to long island as I once did with my daughters. Introducing them to Don Peppe was like taking them to a Goodfellas movie set.
Don Peppe is family style at its core. Families, and large groups have been coming here since 1968. Its Carmine’s for locals if you will, though arguably much better food. At this isolated location, you better be good to make it all those years. The only issue, and its not a small one with a large group, is what to order, and how much of it. Your eyes are often bigger than your stomach. And as much as you want to be at the mercy of the trusted waiter, our shrinking stomachs may not always agree with his assessment.
I think more than half of the people come here strictly for the Vongole. Spaghetti with clam sauce is individually plated table side, and reliably addictive. When the waiter took the order and dictated the amount we need, my friend mistakenly told him that he doesnt believe every one of us wants it. The waiter corrected the silly goose with a show of hands.
Earlier on, the baked clams and simple house salads were winners. The salad is individually plated as well. We also often like to order Shrimp Fra Diovolo as an app. Fresh, plump, and plenty of heat for old school Italian. Though its beyond time for us to try some of the other Shrimp dishes that I suspect are even better. The only app I would skip is the mozz-tomato-peppers combo.
The zesty, buttery “Francese” like chicken was spot on. Same with the perfectly flaky, delicious Sole. But the one main that people often go nuts about here is the Veal Don Peppe. Breaded veal cutlets covered with tomatoes, peppers and onions. Its a crowd pleaser even on crowded stomachs.
And just when the food coma starts to kick in, we still rarely miss dessert here. From the Tiramisu, Tartufo, and Sorbetto, its hard to go wrong here. While the prices have increased over the years, the fine house red is still fairly affordable. Not the most touristy location, but you wont find a more fitting “welcome to NYC” when arriving to JFK. Go!
Categories: New York City, Queens
Tags: Don Peppe, Don Peppe NYC, food, NYC restaurants, restaurants
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Z-List Update
Speaking of which (last post), a long overdue update to the Z-List. Five in, five out….
Out
Capizzi – Just not as strong as the many newer pizzerias
Bowery Meat Co. – Hard to stay below $100 especially if you want steak
Marta – Sadly closed
Scampi – Sadly closed
Faro – Closed. The location was a killer
In
Indian Table
Foxface Natural
Claude
L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele
19 Cleveland
L’Aubergeade {Paris} – Double Trouble
I was told by a local to keep this one a secret. I told him sure no problem, but failed to mention that I’m not very good at keeping secrets. Not to mention the local who gave me this secret equally sucks at it. Sometimes secrets get you in trouble. Like when I told my primary doctor that I smoked cigarettes at the age of 6. He’s old and didnt quite get the half joke and sent me for a Chest CT scan and other tests.
With the war in the Middle East consuming our lives these days, our visit to L’Aubergeade feels like ages ago. But it was only last month. On our first night in Paris the stars aligned, and everything clicked. Well, until we picked the “iPhone Tower” as our after meal Passeggiata. Its like a giant iPhone commercial these days as that’s all you see all around you. iPhones, red balloons, and a tower somewhere between it all.
L’Aubergeade is an old timer, run by two old timers. Twins in fact. I was about to say to my wife, “its like there are two of him”, until I noticed our waiter/owner had a different shirt this time. The twins easily handled the entire house, running around like two teenagers. In the US we are accustomed to seeing double the amount of workers in places this size, not to mention half the age of the twins.
Early on the silky smooth Foie Gras with clementine jam was a nice preview of things to come. Even more memorable was the addictive Escargot. Garlicky, buttery, awesomeness. Just like we like them. The problem with perfect escargot on your first night in Paris is that the rest of the stay they may seem pedestrian (and they were).
The deconstructed steak tartare was more deconstructed than I anticipated with all the ingredients including all the sauces on the table. But after mixing it up with some adjustments I think I’m ready for a chef de Tartare at Granite. Not sure I prefer it this way but enjoyed it nonetheless.
Leg of lamb with couscous was masterfully cooked. Extremely tender and scrumptious. Finished with a nice “Norwegian Omelet”, a new one for us. Essentially a baked Alaska. Flambéed, ultra light, fluffy, with an ice cream surprise inside. My favorite kind of surprise.
L’Aubergeade is just the kind of rustic we look for on our travels. Judging by the amount of locals in the house, it seems like everyone’s kind. Its not quite on the tourist trail. The residential location in the 12th will probably make sure of that. Tremendous value to boot with 88 euros total including a nice bottle of house white. This is a major Go!
Indian Table – A Goan Delight in Brooklyn
Its official boys and girls. Indian Table is now my favorite Indian in NYC. It may change next month or even next week. But for the time being, this Cobble Hill gem fits my taste like a favorite pair of shoes that you can only wear once or twice a week. Otherwise you risk losing their efficiency or they become stinky.
Indian Table is far from the typical NYC Indian, even though they offer some typical dishes. Thankfully I might add, after trying their killer Butter Chicken. Indian Table is Goan at its core, so plenty of Goan and hence Portuguese influences throughout the menu. There’s even a Pasteis De Nata for dessert. At the helm is a seasoned Eric McCarthy whose resume includes Michelined Tamarind and Tulsi among other notables.
McCarthy’s latest is not the Michelin kind (although you never know), but a nice bridge between sophisticated and your corner casual Indian. There’s a smart wine and cocktail list, in addition to a headache inducing food menu. The manager can masterfully guide and help with the headaches. In addition to Goan specialties, Indian Table also offers Restaurant Week theme menus that highlight different regions. On my first visit, it was the Malvan region, with a group of “Chowhounds”.
As for the food, duds are hard to come by. Eric’s Punjabi Samosas are rock solid, while the tomato ladened crispy cauliflower is more typical. The star early on was the beautifully marinated Achari Chicken Tikka. Smoky, minty, and flavor packed. Speaking of smoky, we wished for more wonderful chorizo from “Auntie Rosie’s Choris Pao” and less of the other stuff (like the spongy bun) but I’d order it again.
The chicken lineup is the main headache culprit. It has everything I look for in an Indian restaurant including my long time friend, the Chicken Chettinad. I tend to pick places that have this on the menu. Peppery, well balanced, and really one of the best versions I’ve had. While the Butter Chicken was not on the menu this night, they happily made a solid version. A rare Xacuti (Goan specialty) was fine, though some did not appreciate the star anise and fennel notes.
Another hit was the Konkan Railway Mutton. Unclear if its a riff on the railway classic that was served on the trains between Bombay and Calcutta during British rule, or another railway creation. Regardless, its another tender, succulent, red pepper based goat curry. Mutton in Indian cuisine is referred to goat and sheep, just to confuse us further.
With all these meat dishes, I opted for Jackfruit Biryani. Jackfruit did an admirable job subbing for meat, with some aid from the potato, but I was still missing the meat slightly. Like when your favorite team wins the game, but dont play as well as they usually play. I wasnt missing the meat at all in the Achari Baigan (eggplant) however. A wonderful lineup, all washed down with a fine Sancerre which is quickly becoming our new favorite white.
Indian Table
234 Court St (Cobble Hill, Brooklyn)
Recommended Dishes: Achari Chicken Tikka, Choris Pao, Punjabi Samosas, Chicken Chettinad, Butter Chicken (ask if not on the menu), Konkan Railway Mutton, Achari Baigan
Categories: Brooklyn, New York City
Tags: food, Indian Table, Indian Table Brooklyn, NYC restaurants, restaurants
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Yes, Parcelles {Paris} is the Real Deal
Tough to write about food these days, but we march on.
Parcelles is one of those places that people either love or love to hate. Local buzz, followed by NYT praise put Parcelles on a hype pedestal very few are able to achieve. Reserving Parcelles isnt very hard if you have a full week in Paris. Just pick the only time available, cancel your Louvre tickets, move dinner plans, and make sure you are around the Marais that day. Easy shmeezy.
Parcelles is a comfortable, sophisticated Bistro in a quiet corner of Le Marais. While its just far enough from the Falafel crowds of the Marais, it is still a destination for FOMO travelers. Well, like myself. The problem however when you are surrounded by FOMO travelers, you are feeling the stress from people that are not entirely comfortable with a menu as such. Thankfully there’s always Gnocchi.
Talking about stress, two young guys ran the entire house. I’m always amazed with European restaurants that operate with half the number of employees of similar restaurants in the US. But at Parcelles you could feel some of the stress in the room. No brownie points for the ambiance from me, but not only the food more than made up for it, the ambiance may be quite alright for you.
A three courser of one hit after another, starting with an outstanding silky smooth Calf’s head carpaccio. Even though I enjoyed it more than Mrs Z who didnt care much as she was in Paté heaven with the Paté en croute. We skipped the much hyped Gnocchi as its something I can easily get in NYC.
One of the reasons to come to Parcelles is for the Sweetbread. If you search for Sweetbread on this site you wont get many results as this is just not my thing. But this is one of those foods that I feel one should not easily give up on. I call it The Bacalhau affect. The Parcelles version may convert you. Expertly cooked Sweetbread with mashed potato, dark veal jus and capers, a spoonful of pure bliss. They only make 10-15 per day, so some call to reserve their Sweetbread for dinner.
Another solid dish was the monkfish, even though it relied a bit too much on the accompanied sauce. The Sweetbread is just a tough act to follow when you are sharing. Chocolate tart with caramelized pecans was another standout. While I’m not the biggest fan of Chocolate desserts, I’m a sucker for a good chocolate tart. Go!
Kjun – NOLA Seoul
I have to make this one brief. Got much on the plate this week. I cant even take the time to think of a better title, but this one is pretty telling once you understand. Kjun is a tiny, and I mean tiny, hole in the wall with a big soul in Murray Hill. The owner is Jae Jung, born in Seoul, trained in NOLA, refined in NYC as her bio so cleverly puts it.
Jung’s resume is one of the most impressive I’ve seen (August, Herbstaint, and all sorts of Michelined NYC establishments), and so is her cooking that naturally morphed into a Korean/Cajun mashup. Hence the name, Kjun. This is her first solo project. While we dont have a shortage of of Korean (especially in that area), nor Cajun, or even NOLA inspired Korean (Haenyeo in Park slope), I cant think of anything remotely like Kjun.
From the starters the Boudin Balls and chicken liver pate were particularly strong. Four explosive Schweddy balls stuffed with starch noodles instead of rice. The buttery and immensely flavorful pate that no one talks about might be the unsung hero. Soy marinated deviled eggs were fine but not as memorable as others. Same for the Okra Kimchi that got boring even as a side. The forgettable stuff here are only that because of the unforgettable.
All the larger dishes were solid especially the Jambalaya featuring a nice cabbage Kimchi action and juicy mixed meat. Beautiful clean flavors that stay with you for a some time. The fried chicken was above average, though I wouldn’t go as far as calling it one of the best in town as Pete Wells did. It was nicely marinated but a bit on the greasy side and too large to work with on such small tables. Sharing it for three required some planning.
We also enjoyed the cheesy grits with Andouille. Quite sweet for Andouille but it worked. For dessert we much preferred the Dalgona Banana Foster over their version of pecan pie. Think a Banana Foster and Tiramisu love child. You also get a free delicious probiotic drink at the end, and a welcoming starter bite at the beginning to get the juices flowing. Everything about the place is quirky including the stools.
Just to emphasize and help visualize, Kjun is the size of a small coffee shop. Wells jokingly compared it to a van, but its really not much bigger than a U-haul truck. The three of us got a round table that would normally be reserved for one or two. But not only we managed, I dont get a sense from reading reviews that its much of a problem for others. Perhaps most understand that its a small price to pay, and its part of the charm. This one is a major Go!
Kjun
154 E 39th St (Murray Hill)
Recommended Dishes: Chicken liver pate, Boudin Balls, Jambalaya, Grits with Andouille, Banana Foster
Categories: Murray Hill, New York City
Tags: food, Kjun, Kjun NYC, NYC restaurants, restaurants
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Hell’s Kitchen – The Magnificent Ten
The Hell’s Kitchen Survival Guide is dead! Long live the Hell’s Kitchen Survival Guide! The pandemic and other unforeseen circumstances did quite the number on the Hell’s Kitchen dining scene. So many great places closed, making the old guide, the bread and butter of this site (in terms of eyeballs, not dollars. I have no interest in making money off of this) essentially useless. Since I dont work in HK anymore (but still spend plenty of time), I have no desire to revive and update the old guide as I used to do. Instead, I will give you my current top 10.
Overall I’m noticing a slow shift. A crazy amount of international offerings, with Chinese and Korean especially beginning to dominate. Eater went as far as calling Hell’s Kitchen our newest Chinatown, but I think its way premature, and you can probably still get better Thai or even Italian these days. Not a whole lot of surprises here if you’ve been following me for a while. I will try to update this from time to time, unless, you know, we get another pandemic. In that case, stay tuned for the Terrific 5!
Pure Thai Cookhouse
No shock here. I’ve been talking about Pure since it was called Pure Thai Shophouse (Chipotle lawyers forced them to change the name! Long but funny story) many moons ago. Many great Thai open and closed over the years in an area that hasnt seen a Thai shortage in over two decades. But Pure just keeps chugging along, with pretty much the same flavor packed menu since day one. And once you try much of the menu like me, the daily specials will keep you entertained.
LumLum
Remember when I wrote “many great Thai open and closed over the years in the area”? Well, one of them kinda opened with a bang. It took me a while to finally make it (not from lack of trying), and now I cant get enough. Its a bit elevated from the usual HK Thai, and quite the transformation from the previous tenant, Survival Guide darling Pam Real. They essentially got both seafood and meat departments covered with superb dishes like Steamed Fish, Crab Curry, Crying Tiger. But classics like Pad Ki Mao, and Panang Curry with beef should not be overlooked.
Dell’anima
Do you capitalize the D or not, one of the mysteries surrounding this unconventional Italian in Gotham West Market. But one thing is certain, chef Andrew Whitney and Co. can flat out cook. The far west location makes it still unknown to most visitors, but these guys essentially put Italian cuisine on the Hell’s Kitchen map since they moved from West Village. And in order to make it this far west and this long, it means they are doing something right. Either with its sick Tajarin Alla Carbonara, the stupendous Pollo al Diavolo, or anything really.
Blue Ribbon Sushi
Jack of all trades, master of many. Its almost a shame to have Sushi in the name in this case, as they do so many things very well. In fact, I rarely get sushi here, even though it’s always been top quality. Fried chicken, the sensational oxtail fried rice, and my favorite squid in the city, simply sauteed with ginger and garlic are the usual suspects. Sometimes steak when I’m feeling naughty. Slowly but surely BR has become a staple in the kitchen, even though its inside a hotel.
Ippudo
Talking about staples, here’s another one. The fact that Ippudo is now a mini chain, and the vast amount of Ramen options in Hell’s Kitchen these days, should not take away from the fact that its still one of the best area options. On the contrary, the waits arent nearly as long these days. We’ve tried many Ramen spots over the years, including other Ippudos, but the vibe/atmosphere/taste combination of “Westside” is still unbeatable.
Sicily Osteria
Probably the most important addition to the hood during the last few years. From the outside it looks like just another pretty face on super touristy Restaurant Row. But its actually one of the most Sicilian rich menus I’ve ever seen in NYC, headed by an Osteria Morini, Marea alum. The snacks including the Arancino and Pannelle are outstanding. Fantastic Busiate alla Trapanese, Couscous, and the signature Pistachio Lava Cake.
Le Sia
Ever since they said Sia to East Village and moved to the kitchen, they instantly became the most interesting Chinese around. Its Szechuan(ish) with a Cajun twist. And judging by the hefty delivery business, and being packed on a nightly basis (vast majority Chinese), its no longer a secret. You got your cumin ladened skewers (wings, cauliflower!), an array of tangy seafood boils including crawfish (though I’m partial to the snow crab), the ultra garlicky eggplant. And on a recent visit we discovered another crowd pleaser, Mongolian Beef.
Don Antonio
Some may be surprised that I omitted HKSG darling Capizzi here, especially considering Capizzi is closer to a traditional NY pizza parlor. But I just think that Don Antonio makes the best pizza around, and one of the better Diavolas in the city. That thick spicy Soppressata in simply unmatched. I tried quite a few pies over the years including the signature “Montanara” (fried pizza) but eventually settled on the Diavola. This is a classic Neapolitan where the crust is thin and softer than NY style.
Danji
Sadly as of this writing Danj is still closed due to fire at the unlicensed smoke shop next door. But I just gotta list Korean pioneer Hooni Kim’s flagship. When he’s not judging cooking competitions in South Korea, he’s doing all sorts of magic in NYC. Meanwhile you can find him at his latest venture, Little Banchan Shop in LIC. But Danji and my favorite tofu dish in the city cant open soon enough.
Sullivan Street Bakery
Locals gonna hate me for mentioning this one. The little bakery that could, expended, renovated, and became a giant. You’ll find their bread in restaurants and shops all over the city (this is why its no longer free). But inside you’ll find the same loafs, Focaccia, and first rate pastries like Bombolini, and Canotto. Author, James Beard award winner Jim Lahey opened a hole in the wall in 1994 and the rest is history.
O Buraquinho da Se – A Little Hole in Porto
When you walk past O Buraquinho da Se, you start questioning this whole reliance on Google thing. Google clearly says its here, but it’s clearly not. Is it closed? Did it move? Do I need to learn how to fold a map again? Yikes! Hold on, wait a minute, its only 7 pm, and restaurants here dont open for dinner until 7:30-8. We are clearly not in Kansas anymore, not even NYC. So coming earlier to confirm reservations means the place may not even be open yet. But that doesnt answer the question of where the heck is this place.
There’s no sign and no door that I could see. There are some empty tables on the alley steps, but they may belong to the bar in the corner. When I came back a few minutes later, an older gentleman with a giant open book and a cigarette occupied one of those tables. After delivering the sad “we are full” news to some patrons, he confirmed mine, with almost perfect English. Apparently Jacque recently retired from finance to do this, along with his wife in the kitchen.
And I suppose there is a door after all. More like half a door that leads to a hers and hers closet. Once inside, you find yourself in this tiny half basement, with maybe 5 tables. O Buraquinho da Se in fact translates to “The little hole”. But you can use all your favorite travel cliches here.. “A hole in the wall”, “hidden gem”, “like eating at someone’s house”, “mom and pop”, “old school”, just about all of them. The only thing left is to see if their octopus lives up to the hype.
It exceeded it. By like, a mile. 12 years ago, we fell in love with Portuguese octopus 500 meters away at another hole, A Grade. Today A Grade is a magnet for foreign, especially Asian tourists. But O Buraquinho da Se’s version was just magnificent. Two mammoth tentacles, not particularly dressed, a good thing when the product is this good. You can tell its the angels singing variety as soon as you touch it with the fork. Perhaps best Octopus I ever had.
Normal people, while vacationing, like to eat things that they, well, like. And avoid ordering things they dont like. But since Bacalhau is so deeply rooted in local culture, how can we come here without trying it again. Since I already mentioned Bacalhau in other Portugal posts, it’s safe to say that we got converted at some point. It was here, in this church. Unlike prior tries, this fish, covered with cornbread was much more balanced.
There was also a supremely flavorful, hearty shrimp Acorda, an excellent meat and cheese board, and a portobello topped with grilled goat cheese that had our taste buds dancing. Ended with a very satisfying homemade chocolate mousse and an almond tart. Washed it all down with a local fruity white Altano, by one of the Douro pioneers.
One of those flawless meals, aided by Jacque’s attention and English command. We live in a country dominated by a service industry, but we travel to experience this kind of service. O Buraquinho da Se is only open four days a week. Three of those for lunch as well. You wont find many or any mentions of it by influencers or Facebook like Chama and many others. Go! You can reserve this via Facebook.
Categories: Portugal
Tags: Best Restaurants in Porto, O Buraquinho da Se, O Buraquinho da Se Porto, restaurants, Travel
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Claud – Fortune Favors the Patient
A few posts ago I wrote that it takes about a year for me to check out a new restaurant in NYC. Usually, I’m in no rush, and rather wait for the establishment to find its stride, and/or the excitement to cool off. Often the stride never arrives, and they close within a year. Sometimes the hype seems artificial, and I lose interest. And sometimes, like with Claud, the hype reaches national proportions (thank you Pete Wells), and it takes roughly a year to score a table.
In this case, the plan was not to wait a full year. But after numerous attempts, I finally got a couple of bar seats, a day shy of Claud’s first anniversary. The truth is that I’ve been following Josh Pinsky ever since the Momofuku Nishi days. He called the cops on me a few times, but after a while he got used to it. When he left Nishi, I felt it was the beginning of the end, and the pandemic just expedited Nishi’s demise. Just like my touring “career”.
For Josh and partner Chase Sinzert it was only a matter of when and where. During or after the pandemic, east or west coast. Thankfully they chose the right coast, where recovered “Fukus” can appreciate them most. Claud feels like a Momofuku support club for fans and staff, with more ex Nishi than I anticipated.
But first thing first, the bread. Well actually, since I’m now over 50, the bathroom. This is got to be the most atmospheric, dare I say, romantic, toilet in the city. The lighting is perfect, its smartly decorated, and there are cookbooks for your reading pleasure in case you decide to stick around. I recommend not.
If the bread is an indication of things to come (as often is the case), you can expect brilliance the rest of the way at Claud. A sourdough with room temp, spreadable butter was soft and hard in all the right places, and pretty much bread perfection. Like truffles in Piedmont in November, the bread was center stage. It was hanging around throughout the meal, kept coming for the dishes that needed it, until we finally had to say stop.
Talking about Piedmont, this is one of the few places in the city that make Agnolotti “Plin” style all year round. Its a treat that very few restaurants make year round, some even stopped altogether due to the labor involved. But at Claud, being one of the “signature dishes”, the chicken liver Agnolotti stays to prevent rioting in East Village. Liver freak Mrs Z in particular, was in heavan.
Early on, the crab and corn fritters did the trick, with that sweet summer corn coming through nicely. And a solid buttery foie gras terrine with honey vinegar jell. Shrimp, another signature, comes sizzling on a very hot skillet. They are barely cooked, yet firm, plump, and insanely satisfying. When it comes to seafood, Pinsky doesnt mess around with too many ingredients and lets the main ingredient shine. Same goes for any raw fish you may come across (two on the current menu).
The thing about Pinsky, and Momofuku school of cooking in general, is that “Signature Dishes” is almost an oxymoron. Its a machine that continues to invent. Cooking AI if you will. On any given night you can find a dish that agrees with you most. For me it was the Halibut with cockles and green garlic. The fish was firmer than usual, not breaking apart every time you touch, yet the perfect texture. Its surrounded by a delicate complementary dashi reminiscent of a scallop dish we once had at Ko. This was pure food magic.
We couldnt find enough belly room for the much hyped mammoth Devil’s food cake. But the root beer ice cream was brilliant in itself. Whether you are into root beer in this case is almost irrelevant. Go! If you can, for Pinsky’s refined, simple cooking, and the bathrooms. In that order.
Claud
90 E 10th St, East Village
Recommended Dishes: Fritters, Foie Gras, Shrimp, Agnolotti, Halibut, Ice Cream
Categories: East Village, New York City
Tags: Claud, Claud NYC, East Village dining, NYC restaurants, restaurants
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Eating With Ziggy 