Posted by: Orlick | February 10, 2010

Lhasa’s Here – Lao Bei Fang’s Tibetan Border Chaser

A friend and I went to check the situation over at the new Tibetan shop on 37th Road this afternoon and everybody’s eating soup! My associate ordered the beef noodles, then I saw the man pushing pieces of dough into a boiling broth-filled wok. And even though I just ate lunch, I had to have a course or two. So we sat down.

And it’s such an improvement from the run-of-the-mill steam tables of the former restaurant. These woks the new tenants brought in assert their right to be here. The fire, the smoke and steam tearing off the layer of blah from what was once just the rear end take-out joint of Shangri-La.

Beef Noodle Soup

It’s a small kitchen beside you as you walk in with some prep also taking place in the basement. The man behind the counter has a cool, and possibly edgy, command over the wok, while one of the ladies helps with the steamers and boiling pots further inside the galley, and also handles the orders and phones. It’s a short menu of 19 items, with the steam table currently only about half-filled with 3 or 4 trays at a time. And looking at the steam tables is sad, yes, those 3 trays, but they seem like they could hold their own. I didn’t hear any apologizing. It remains to be tasted…

Opposite the kitchen, the dining room is only 4 or 5 tables. Like Merit Farms, it’s getting popular in here. Demand for Himalayan food is clearly growing fast, so we ended up sharing a table with an enthusiastic young man of Tibetan descent. I asked him if this is the best place for soup, and he laughed and nodded like I would probably do if he asked me a question in Tibetan. I believed him nonetheless. All this under one of the coolest pictures of the Dalai Lama in existence. I’m still not sure if it’s there tongue-in-cheek, or if they just are comfortable that he is a really cool guy.

The momos, which are probably the most accessible Tibetan food to the American palate because of their familiar shape (a dumpling), tasted like meatballs inside a thick, doughy shell. Not dissimilar to any other dumpling of another country; slight tweaks could make this Polish or Italian or German. The sauce on the table was chilis in oil, the same as you’d find in Lao Beng Fang, but brighter red. In other momos, I’ve seen them accompanied with a thick, hot sauce that left a tingling, even numbing feeling to my mouth. These seemed more comfortable and even familar on my tongue. I have no evidence and I didn’t ask questions this far, but I would be very surprised if these were frozen and not made by a delightful, older lady in the basement.


Beef Thentuk

But the thentuk is what really took me. It was what I saw the cook making as we came in. The little pitches of dough, thick and slightly chewy, tucked inside an opaque broth. Thentuk translates to Pull Noodles and is justifiably the winter meal of choice in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. Here, it shows fresh, bright colors with it’s bok choy and heavy darks on the pieces of beef, along with hints of other vegetables and even an as-of-yet unidentified fruit. Dig deep into the utensil jar for the big spoon unique to the Eastern world, which lassos the ingredients here dutifully.

Now there’s no need to go to Elmhurst for that fresh noodle craving. This is nearly on par with Lao Bei Fang, and because this restaurant is new, the grease isn’t caked on the chili bowls. No longer do we have to put up with the waste bucket of remains. No more punk kids disrupting our chow. It’s now Tibet. And LBF, a little vinegar will help clean those bowls, by the way.

I keep hearing people downing Tibetan food, saying they aren’t known for their cuisine for a reason. I’ve disagreed before, but only recently am I gaining backup. And it’s not coming anymore, it’s here. 37th Road has 4 Tibetan restaurants and the surrounding 2-block radius has at least 5 others. It’s here and it’s becoming legit. I think the only question that remains is: What are we going to call it?

Sign not updated

Lhasa Fast Food
74-14 37th Rd
Jackson Heights, NY

Links:
Lhasa Wiki
Food in Lhasa
Unique Tibetan Food and Souvenirs for Tourists
Thentuk recipe
Lhasa Travel Guide
Chowhound discussion on JH Tibetan

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Posted in Himalayan, Queens | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | February 9, 2010

Ambassador Dinner – Tex Mex Night with Jenny Miller

For each new Ambassador Program, I am looking for someone who attends to write up the event. I posed it to this group, and James Boo of theeatenpath.com took it to task. We are lucky to have him cover the event; take a look at his site, you’ll see the calibur of the writing, which pretty much makes my site look like it’s written by a 5th grader. So thanks to Mr. James Boo for lending iwantmorefood his pen, and enjoy his wrap-up of our Tex-Mex Ambassador program. - Jeffrey Tastes

——————————–

Ambassador Jenny Miller (http://jennymiller.org/) led us to Cobble Hill the other week to show us a thing or two about Tex-Mex cuisine, staple of her hometown of Austin, Texas.

The spot was Lobo, a stone’s throw from restaurant row and recipient of the most coveted descriptor in the restaurant business: “authentic.” Approval from those who had eaten Tex-Mex in its native environment verified this fact, but how did everything taste?

A bit of Tex-Mex 101 before we get into the answer: While its hallmarks do kind of betray the diversity of Texas’ offerings (the balance between Tex and Mex can shift depending on where you are in the state), they do form a distinct culinary tradition. Tex-Mex, which gave birth to the fajita, chili con carne and (I think) breakfast tacos, tends to funnel Mexican influences into comfort food, with liberal use of sauces, melted cheese and large plates.

Lobo represented accordingly. The corn tortilla chips that greeted us were accompanied by a saucy-not-chunky salsa that favored sweet tomato over spice and zing. Steak and shrimp nachos were built from split hard taco shells and topped generously with guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, melted cheese and (praise Dios) pickled jalapenos. Fried Okra, announced by Jenny as our “vegetable of the night,” was heavily breaded and seasoned only with salt, resulting in a mild and crunchy bite.

Our main courses were comprised of tacos and enchiladas. The tacos, very simple affairs of meat-in-tortilla flanked by refried beans and rice, were hearty but didn’t raise a lot of eyebrows. Lobo’s chicken was shredded, very moist, and very slightly smoky in flavor. Its beef, also tender and moist, had been braised and diced, but, like the chicken, didn’t register too strongly in the flavor department. Lobo’s shrimp tacos, rubbed with chipotle, were the crowd pleaser of this course.

Enchiladas received higher marks overall, especially the ones doused in mole. More gritty than silky, the smoky, chipotle-dominated sauce was the probably the most distinct flavor of the meal. Beef and cheese enchiladas were more familiar ground, where soft flavors and textures melded into melty, saucy goodness.

The dish that garnered the most praise was queso, a holy grail of Tex-Mex that my college roommate once defined as Velveeta + Pace. Lobo’s queso, made with a higher level of care, was nevertheless faithful to the basic combination of liquified cheese, pico de gallo and ground beef. While a few of us noted that the ground beef was a bit too watery to be in the dish, almost everyone was a fan of the rich and shameless dip.

While Lobo is a good representation of the cuisine, the group seemed to settle on “good, but not great” in terms of overall quality. Many wished that the flavors had been more pronounced and the dishes less generic, but this criticism was tempered by an understanding that a Tex-Mex meal is not the same experience as a walk down Roosevelt Avenue or a drive through Pico-Union in Los Angeles. The atmosphere at Lobo is easygoing and the space great for groups, making it an easy thumbs-up for anyone who’s never tried Tex-Mex before – just try not to think too hard about Sunset Park while you’re at it :)

Highlights
-Nachos
-Queso
-Mole Enchiladas
-Shrimp Tacos
-Great company!

Thanks to Jenny and Jeff for bring everyone together for this meal, and thanks to Phil for being our Rock Band enabler! -James Boo, theeatenpath.com

Lobo (lobonyc.com)
218 Court Street @ Warren
Brooklyn, NY 11201-6405
(718) 858-7739

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Posted by: Orlick | February 7, 2010

Another Tweet Dump

oh, the memories of tweet’s past. I can’t believe I started this during the first Pizza Tour. some highlights include a video with Holly Moore and the Indonesian bazaar. memories…

@citizenjane I am a fan of Baltika number 4. Those pints.8 are a perfect size for me.
9:53 AM Sep 10th, 2009in reply to citizenjane
Loving JHTrade Fair’s selection of Russian Beers. Baltika 0 through 9 and Arsenalnoye – so cheap and so good.
1:08 AM Sep 10th, 2009
San Marzano slices for $2 – pretty good deal. L’Asso serves great slices at the bar too. Pizza lunch is looking up in Manh.
6:50 PM Sep 9th, 2009
I needed my pernil at Bodega Hispana in Huntington Station tonight. Been dreaming about pernil since Sunday. tastes like grandma’s turkey.
9:14 PM Sep 8th, 2009
Puglia for pizza was great, but they don’t do a sauce and cheese plain pie. unfort disqualified. L’asso is excellent but is quite hipster.
2:24 PM Sep 8th, 2009
exploratory tour today-Joes, Johns, Bleeker St, Keste. Johns was cool. Ran into Scott’s pizza tour at Keste.we had a match of pizza wits
6:03 PM Sep 3rd, 2009
Mark the pizzaman from Roebling Pizza tipped me onto Puglia for the tour. Putting it on the exploratory list….
6:01 PM Sep 3rd, 2009
Bronx Pizza Tour Wrap-up! A pizza tour never to be forgotten. http://bit.ly/19oCw8
12:29 PM Sep 2nd, 2009
Yo, I need a good excuse to go to Taste Good in Elmhurst already. It’s been too long on my to-do list.
12:28 PM Sep 2nd, 2009
pictures from Bronx Exploratory Tour (sorrentos, pizza italia, cx bx pizza, circle pizza) http://bit.ly/B0fMZ
10:09 AM Sep 1st, 2009
Bronx does pizza awesome. Cross Bronx, L&E, 089, Marios, Carmines, & Real Italian Pizza. Pictures from the tour: http://bit.ly/2RDwq5
8:15 PM Aug 30th, 2009
What do you guys think about people who dunk their burgers in condiments? http://bit.ly/W9jFR
10:58 AM Aug 29th, 2009
A 5 grease stain experience for the Dilly Dog at Dilly’s of New Hope, PA courtesy of @HollyMoore
6:57 PM Aug 28th, 2009
extra points to Rizzo’s pizza in Astoria for offering RC Cola and Stewarts Root Beer from the fountain.
7:53 PM Aug 24th, 2009
White pizza from Salvatores of Soho —– woowwowowowwowoowwwowww. and I barely like white pizza. Ridiculous. Staten Island!
10:45 PM Aug 23rd, 2009
SI Pizza tour- another great exploration. Salvatore’s of Soho exceeds everything including the hype. I fell in love with Staten Island today
10:34 AM Aug 23rd, 2009
Doner Turkish in Williamsburg – Wow, that’s some doner with integrity. I was very impressed. those spoiled kids just got very lucky.
5:03 PM Aug 22nd, 2009
Tsering Momos on 37th St in JH. I applaud their bravery as the only non-Indian/Pak on the block. funky store, short menu, not bad food too.
10:44 AM Aug 21st, 2009in reply to LaLa5F
Just got a tip for LaRocca’s in SI www.laroccasitalianices.com veeeerrry intriguing…
5:16 PM Aug 20th, 2009
Staten Island Exploratory Tour pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/orlick/sets/72157622085367700/
The ferry is awesome!
8:31 PM Aug 16th, 2009 -pollo peruano in corona – I had to do it b/c peking BBQ ran out of bbq – and I’m glad i did! very comparable. god is good. plus a salad.
7:27 PM Aug 16th, 2009 -LI Maritime Huge Seafood Festival in 2 weeks!! http://limaritime.org/seafoodmainpage09.htm I always wanted to go to this.
8:48 PM Aug 15th, 2009 -going to indonesian food bazaar tomorrow. http://www.masjidalhikmahnewyork.org/ Last time it was fun. this time they have a ping pong tourny
8:37 PM Aug 15th, 2009 -Yelp party at water taxi beach. surprisingly good pulled pork & burger. ID taken by the popo – that’s what I get for helping a brother out.
6:46 PM Aug 14th, 2009 -rode my bicycle around the perimeter of manhattan today. Harlem is big. Absolute Bagels A+. The Intrepid is big too. my butt hurts.
4:19 PM Aug 14th, 2009 -@HollyMoore Great Video, congrats. You’ve been my favorite guide since creation. Come back to NYC! RE: http://bit.ly/P0GQm
8:05 AM Aug 14th, 2009 -I want to go places, do stuff! Why was I out of the loop til now?? http://bit.ly/5rWg2
7:59 AM Aug 14th, 2009 -Brooklyn leg of the 5-Boro Pizza Tour Wrap-up posted http://bit.ly/D8w1R Motorino, Roberta’s, Luigi’s, Delmar, L&B Spumoni Gardens
7:06 PM Aug 12th, 2009 -I am 240 reviews behind on my blog from my yelp reviews…. Not sure how to approach this task of being in the now on the blog.
4:04 PM Aug 12th, 2009 -better burger nyc… I’ve had better. should have gone to sarge’s.
4:01 PM Aug 12th, 2009 -Loaded sicilian at Gino’s in Elmhurst. their pan pizzas are unsurpassed. Today at 11am was the first time I’ve loved shrooms and/or peppers.

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Posted by: Orlick | February 5, 2010

Who takes pictures of Flowers?? Macro Button should be Food

Playing with my camera today and was thinking…
The Macro button shouldn’t be flowers, who takes pictures of flowers??
The Macro button should be a drumstick


The macro should be chicken


The macro button should be a bowl of noodles


The macro button should be pizza

I don’t know, what do you think? Someone call Canon. Who takes pictures of flowers anyway?

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Posted in About Food | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | February 3, 2010

Tweet Dump – From the beginning….

I put a lot of good information out there on twitter, and it would be a shame to let them be lost in the cellars of the internet. So I am going to start assembling and dumping my useful tweets on this site every week or so. Enjoy.

Read from the bottom to start from the beginning:

10:56 AM Aug 12th, 2009 -Giovanni from Luigi’s in Windsor Terrace is the Howard Roarke of Pizza.
4:16 PM Aug 11th, 2009 -ROTD for my Shake Shack review on yelp. Possibly the best review I will ever write. I was channeling the Gods that day. http://bit.ly/2WmBEI
7:38 AM Aug 11th, 2009 -Uploaded pics of exploratory Brooklyn Pizza tour http://www.flickr.com/photos/orlick/sets/72157621882489015/ great classic slices there
10:04 PM Aug 10th, 2009 -in reply to isildursbane Great article on Bronx pizzas http://bit.ly/90IRH Don’t know how to do links on Twitter yet.
10:36 PM Aug 9th, 2009 -in reply to citizenjane Great (new?) sweet shop next to little morocco in astoria on stnway. Al-Sham, unfortunate name, excel pastries and sweets. all made in house
10:35 PM Aug 9th, 2009 -Giovanni the owner of Luigi’s proved himself tonight. He runs a legit show. his pops grows his herbs & tomats in SI. best flour in NY.$12 pi
7:41 PM Aug 9th, 2009 -went to timmy o’s after the pizza tour. it is just like a bar and timmy o is the bartender. great place to chill and talk.
7:38 PM Aug 9th, 2009 -brooklyn pizza tour major success. luigis and robertas were crowd favorites. L&B was beautiful. delmar was good, motorino rocked taste buds.
7:36 PM Aug 9th, 2009 -Re: DiFara’s: The hype too often sucks out any positive feelings from a great restaurant. instead of hungry, you feel vindictive.
8:05 AM Aug 9th, 2009 -Pizza tour today. Looking good. 16 people, 4 cars, some of the best pizza in brooklyn. Should be fun.
7:44 AM Aug 9th, 2009 -Sarge’s deli is hard not to order something monstrous. 1st time I’ve had kreplach.
11:56 AM Aug 8th, 2009 -eating vegetarian today and little bread. need to prepare my stomach for the pizza tour
9:21 AM Aug 8th, 2009 -Elms Cafe in Elmhurst – ridiculous Momos. confirned again. Makes me want to punch someone in the face. Tsering looks cool, tastes ???
4:56 PM Aug 7th, 2009 -We now have 2 pies worth of people for the pizza tour and enough drivers to sustain. Looking good.
8:32 AM Aug 7th, 2009 -got a tip from my chiropractor, armondos on rockaway ave for sicilian. he outlined the cheese by pulling apart his hands like spiderman
8:23 AM Aug 7th, 2009 -I’m a lover, not a scientist
5:37 PM Aug 6th, 2009 -finally finished leftovers from chivito d’oro. That place is Good.
4:31 PM Aug 6th, 2009 -just had the daily news interview. they are going to send a photog to every event. Daily News is now my fav. i was seldomly articulate.
9:01 AM Aug 6th, 2009 -Daily News interview tomorrow for the pizza tour. I hope I am articulate. I wonder if I have aspergers. I like hamburgers.
9:58 PM Aug 5th, 2009 -just went to bella vista in plainview. wasnt that great. the guy was a bit of a douchebag. question is: Who cares about what I eat??
6:58 PM Aug 5th, 2009 -my first tweet, muthafuckaaaahhs

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Posted by: Orlick | February 3, 2010

Super Boll Saturday – Revealed! – and a South Indian Ambassador

Super Boll Saturday will take place at the location at the end of this alley:

It is on 73rd street, between Bway and 37th Ave, down the alley just south of Alauddin sweet meats.

SATURDAY, Feb 6th at 7:20pm

If you are nervous about the alley, please give me a call and I will send an escort.

—————————-
We will have a South Indian Ambassador program in mid-February. I will generally not publicize Ambassador programs before they happen, so if you want to be in the know, send me your email to be put on the mailing list.

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Posted in Events, Indian, Queens | Tags: ,

Posted by: Orlick | February 2, 2010

Judy Ruminates… Pho 32 & Shabu – Murray Hill, Manhattan

Pho 32 & Shabu
Categories: Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
2 W 32nd St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 695-0888

Have you ever thought fondly of the days when you were allowed to play with your food at the dinner table and not get smacked? Those innocent days are over, but you can relive them temporarily at Pho 32. The Special Plate is special indeed, allowing you to build your own summer rolls with a slew of ingredients at your disposal. What will playing with food cost you? $22. There’s enough food for you and two others to play with, so it’s not a bad deal.

When you hit the playtime button, the servers start rolling out the plates of ingredients. One plate contains cooked and pre-seasoned pork and chicken pieces. Another plate has a variety of vegetables, avocado, and mango. The last plate holds the summer roll wrappers. They’re surprisingly hard and don’t seem like they can wrap anything. Then they bring out the hot water in a bowl and it all starts making sense. You soak the wraps in the water and within seconds they turn see-through and flexible. Kind of like Shrinky Dinks when they’re in the oven. Remember those?

The ingredients:

Given my wrapping skills and over-zealousness with the fillings, my rolls tended to vomit frequently onto the plate, but they were delicious nonetheless. The deliciousness is only limited by your creativity in choosing the fillings, so you have permission to go wild with the chopsticks. I would like to believe that I became more and more expert at crafting these rolls as I went along, but who knows? They all tasted like someone else with more skills made them. I think I ate 7 rolls by the end and was satisfied.

In progress…

Wrapped!

Since our group was larger than three, we also ordered other dishes to supplement our meal. There was a seafood noodle dish that was extra spicy – more Korean than Vietnamese, I think. The spiciness hurt my abilities to savor my rolls, so I ate very little of it. There was also a seafood shabu where the shrimp still had their heads on. We also had a tofu/vegetarian pho that I didn’t try, but it received high praise. We ended up with way too much food, but it was great to sample the dishes. The Special Plate, though, is really what you should focus on. – Judy Ruminates

Seafood noodles

Seafood shabu ingredients [without the shrimp]:

Links:
Pho 32 on Chowhound (not much)
A ton of Yelp reviews

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Posted in Japanese, Judy Ruminates, Korean, Manhattan, Vietnamese | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | February 1, 2010

El Guayaquileno Mini Picanteria Truck Guide

This truck has 4 locations. Off Roosevelt, they are usually at Warren St and 80th Street. I have no idea where the other 2 locations are. The base restaurant is at 94-54 Corona Ave.

Menu Translations:

Encebollado de pescado – tuna soup
Corvina Frita – fried fish (croaker), comes in a platter with rice
Quaker – I think this is an oatmeal drink
Ceviche de camaron – Shrimp ceviche
Ceviche de concha – Conch ceviche
Bollos de pescado – ball of fish, onions, steamed with corn meal in a husk (it is awesome)
Seco de chivo – Goat stew
Guatita – Beef tripe stew
Carne asada – Grilled beef
Caldo de salchicha – Sausage soup
Agua – water
Morocho – Hot, creamy, corn based drink

These items are on the big sign on the non-window side of the truck. May not be available.
Seco de Gallina – Chicken stew
Sango de camaron y pescado – Shrimp and seafood stew ( I think )
Arroz Marinero – Rice with seafood
Lomito Salteado – strips of marinated steak stir-fry. Similar to pepper steak.
Chifles – Plantain chips

From the Roosevelt Ave Taco Cart Crawl, Crawlers eating Bolos de Pescado

Links:
Interesting research on Ecuadorians in the Streets of NYC – from Baruch College
Crawling for Tacos audio slideshow – Listen at 0:50 for an interview with one of the ladies from the El Guayaquileno truck.

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Posted in About Food, Ecuadorian, Food Stands, Queens | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | February 1, 2010

What does MP stand for on a menu? and what is SP?

MP stands for Market Price
SP stands for Seasonal Price

Even if I don’t want what’s seasonal, my curiosity wreaks havoc on my mind. I want to know how much tilapia is, but I feel like I look cheap once they tell me the price and I go “Oh, okay… I’ll have a hamburger.“

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Posted by: Orlick | January 29, 2010

Fornino Coming to Park Slope – and thoughts of the original

First, the breaking news:
Fornino is creating their 2nd location in Park Slope. This will also be called Fornino, but supposedly has a “new product.” More details on Brooklyn blogs to come….

———————-

Fornino
Category: Pizza
Neighborhoods: Williamsburg – South Side, Williamsburg – North Side
187 Bedford Avenue
(between 6th St & 7th St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 384-6004
www.forninopizza.com

Their menu is seperated into 3 generations of pizza. The first is of classic base toppings: tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil with other Italian caveman ingredients like basil or oregano and parmesan to differentiate the styles, including the famed, 2009 obligatory DOC. The 2nd generation of menu features pizza in the premium pie vein of Lombardi’s and Grimaldi’s, adding daring toppings like clams, fennel sausage, eggplant and mushrooms. Then the 3rd becomes a flourish of items that could very well take on the term Sustainable and no one would bat an eye. Here, we are introduced to ingredients like asparagus, fingerling potatoes, pinenuts, bel paese (a cheese) and white truffle oil.

Differences in the 1st, 2nd 3rd generation seem to be complexities of the toppings, as the crusts courtesy the wood-burning oven are good, yes, but indistinguishable. Taking a closer look, you see a nice amount of char, with a spattering of bubbles blackened or browned giving your mouth a bit of a roller coaster ride. Those packets of flavor kept me eating more and more, wondering what the next mouthful would taste like.

Some pies are particularly fragrant. Even flagrant, shouting truffle oil, making me more eager to fold it into my mouth. Most of the menu is vegetarian friendly, possibly carnivorizingly abhorrent – although the Caprece with soppresetta is, despite it’s looks, not similar to pepperoni. This makes sense for the neighborhood and makes a choosing Fornino easy.

Away from the food and into the environs, the decor is one of my favorites. Simple, relaxed, wooden with music on the speakers selected by staff who aren’t trying to prove anything. The tables have plenty of room between each other and there is even an outdoor back room for overflow (when it gets warmer). The oven is in the main room and you can see a prep area on the way to the back. Everything is transparent and open and inviting. And while no pie in particular is calling me, I would not hesitate to come back.

Margherita classica: tomato, mozzarella, basil, parmesan, olive oil

Calabrese: tomato, mozzarella, sopressata piccante

Funghi Misti: mixed wild mushrooms, caciocavallo, mozzarella, white truffle oil

Gorgonzola: gorg, mozz, caramelized onion, rosemary

This trip courtesy of the Wandering Foodie project

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Posted in Brooklyn, Food News, Pizza | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | January 26, 2010

The Inaugural Ambassador – M&T Northern Chinese Wrap-Up

Special thanks go to our Ambassador for the evening, Joe DiStefano. He took us on a culinary trip through the Qindao province courtesy of his dinner table away from home, the streets of Flushing. This was our first Ambassador program, where a person of considerable knowledge of a cuisine takes out a group, orders their dream meal for the table, discusses what they are eating and why they are eating it, and, most importantly, has a gay ol’ time.

M&T is a tiny shop, no more than 8 tables but word is spreading fast of the atypical Chinese food which they prepare, thanks in part to NYC food writers such as Joe Himself, Robert Seitsema and chowhounds all over the tri-state. At meet time, we were bursting out of the biggest table they had and as even more of the group started to come, it became apparent we were taking over the restaurant. When other customers began to shuffle out, the staff put together every square tabletop they could find to make our king’s table. It’s fine, if we were going to do this right… it had to happen.

Joe came prepared and ordered his favorites and most interesting of the fare. I wonder if it was exciting or boring for him. Joe, like me, is a food explorer. Whenever I go out, I always get something new from a restaurant, unless it’s something like a Katz’s pastrami sandwich. It’s difficult to sit back and enjoy without learning something. I believe 90 percent of the table Joe knew what he was getting into, so was this the ultimate satisfaction of our ambassador? Either way, he showed us a good time in Qindao proper. Besides, we were lucky enough to have Melissa our translator who helped with ordering and fact finding, so I’m sure Joe learned a few things to put in his scrapbook.

Joe giving the rundown

above photo courtesy: Judy Ruminates

Joe put in the order and went over what we were about to eat. He explained how we might be familiar with Tsingtao beer which comes from the Qindao province (Tsingtao is actually the western name for Qindao) and that the name M&T stands for Mei Er Te (beautiful and extraordinary). Beyond this, he talked about other dishes on the menu and on the picture board and the exact preparations of some of what we were soon to encounter.

There are nearly 200 items on the pink menu to choose from with even more pictured on the wall plus daily specials; with so many potholes and goldmines to navigate, what are we supposed to do? This is exactly why we are doing this Ambassador thing. Here is what we ordered:

Salt and pepper flounder

photo courtesy: Judy Ruminates

This was one of the favorites of the table. The fried fish held it’s own, but the big peppers took the torch. They were only mildly hot – you could easily eat them like chips. I believe they are called Fragrant Crispy Peppers which are imported by the restaurant themselves. Now, these big peppers, emote fear to the heat conscious, but once those with this affliction at our table overcame it, they were casually enjoying it like popcorn. Not much heat at all. I don’t believe this is on the proper menu yet, as it was our own personal translator who, with calls to her mom who called her dad, told them that this fish was called “A Flounder“. They could only describe it as brown, flat, and lurking on the ocean floor. They know the name now, so if you tell them Flounder, you will probably get this version.

Salt and pepper Laoshan ginseng

Above photo courtesy: Judy Ruminates

The ginseng was another favorite of the table. It held as the standard for anything fried in this batter. The flavor wasn’t overpowering, but still kicked the batter in the butt and twisted it into a springboard for the taste buds.

Sea Shrimp with Chili

These were great, a personal highlight. Because they were fried so, you can safely eat the shells, even the head – like sweet shrimp at a sushi restaurant. The shrimp’s chili-crust zests your mouth and the shrimp itself cools you down. The Sichuan peppercorns on top disrupts any mouth relaxation and fried shrimp shell adds a crunch that gives a freshness to your mouth. Eating bone gives you calcium, so this is good for you too. sorta.

Qindao Style Spicy Eel

The staff said this was a favorite of American customers. I agree that eel is a food that Americans generally like, once they get enough courage to try it. Surprisingly, though, this was one of the only dishes for them to take away without the plate being clean. The sauce reminded me of barbeque, but eel can be smoky in general. Watch out for bones. Not a bad dish at all.

Shrimp Skin with Hot Pepper

above photo courtesy: Judy Ruminates

First of all, this should be renamed Hot pepper with shrimp skin. The green peppers just packed a bit of kick, but had a crisp freshness that is expected out of a dish mainly of fresh peppers. The dried fish bits added a salty fishiness which counteracted the plant’s water base nicely.

Lotus root – an easy palate cleanser

photo courtesy: Judy Ruminates

Peanut with celery

photo courtesy: Judy Ruminates
This was another example of the food not being greasy. Other than the fried ginseng and fish, the vegetable dishes stood out for their simplicity and flavor. I believe this had a dash of vinegar, balancing out the meal well. BTW, Isn’t it weird that a pepper is a fruit??

Pumpkin pancakes


above photo courtesy: Judy Ruminates

This was one of the more anticipated dishes. The pumpkin was not sweet as expected, more savory. Nice little crunch in there was a warm guest of the table.

Pork Chop with Shrimp Sauce

photo courtesy: Judy Ruminates

People were fans of the frying style, both with the batter and without (as seen here). I originally thought I missed the shrimp sauce or the staff did. But as it turns out, as Mr. DiStefano once graciously documented, the sauce not a condiment, no, it is in the batter. That being said, the pork was not as juicy as I’d like, moreso crispy on this occasion.

Qindao Special Course


above photo courtesy: Judy Ruminates

A melange of ingredients, including planks of tofu, sprouts, pork, carrots, peppers. It seemed like a collection of sticks from the entire forest. This was a highlight of mine for the diversity of the plate, although I believe I was the one with the last five chopstick pulls from this dish.

Clam Bake Chicken

Surprisingly distinct flavoring with the chicken broth and then the mussel shells on their own.

Shan Yao (Chinese mountain root/yam) with tomatoes

This had a sweet flavored sauce keeping the cooked tomatoes warring with the thicker yam texture. It gave a much-needed softened coating to my insides.

Qingdao Cold Pasta

This dish had the most leftovers. Enough for one of our guests to take it home. Let me tell you this: it’s not for everyone. The pieces were stiff, the plate cold, and frankly I’m surprised that this is called pasta. I had trouble discerning what exactly I was tasting, but it did have some sort of flavor. This cold pasta is actually plant from the sea. I’m not sure I disagree with keeping it there.

Pork’s Head Meat with Cucumber

Another cold dish, with cucumbers providing the crunch and the fatty pig’s head pieces giving it some slide through your teeth. One of the more popular sayings around the table became different iterations of “Can you pass the pig face?” or “hey, get me more of that face!” or “mmm, just what I’ve been wanted all night. Pig Face. I can’t get enough that face.“

Lizardfish – Children, look away

This fish was not juicy as I would like. Most people agreed that the ginseng was a much better choice for the insides of this same fried batter. These pieces of fish were bigger and a bit denser than the flounder, but has a light flavor more subtle but not totally dissimilar.

Dessert

This was pureed Chinese mountain root/yam with some syrup topped with wolfberries. It was sweet and thick, almost like mashed potatoes with simple sugar on top. The region is not known for dessert and this might possibly be the only known one in existence. I’m still not totally clear on what this was because it’s not on the menu, but the staff liked our eating habits so much, they gave this to us for free. Thanx!

Our cost was $14 per person for the food and a couple more for each drink (with us covering Joe’s share).
—————————-

It’s obvious there is much more at this tiny restaurant still untapped. It was clear that on our dinner, the subtle and strong flavors and the freshness of this cuisine to our palates kept all of our interests piqued. The owners enjoyed giving us recommendations and the depth of their kitchen seems virtually limitless. As we left, more than a few people came out, cheering their desire to come back for more. Thanks again to Joe DiStefano for showing us around M&T Restaurant.

Stay tuned for more Ambassador Programs. Send me your email if you want to be put on the Ambassador mailing list. Depending on room, sometimes I will advertise events publicly and sometimes I will keep notice only through email. Our attendance is limited, so you’ll need to be quick on the trigger to get in.

Looking forward,
Jeff Orlick

Links:
Visit Joe’s blog, World’s Fare
Qindao wiki
Joe’s SeriousEats article on M&T
Become an Ambassador
Chowhound discussions
NY Times article
A homecooked meal at our translator’s home
World’s Fare blog post A table for 14 at Flushing’s M&T

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Posted in Chinese, Events, Queens | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | January 25, 2010

Judy Ruminates… Edible Queens Winter Warm-Up Wrap-Up

Some people may wonder why I would schlep my tuckus all the way to god-forsaken Long Island City on a rainy afternoon. The answer is food. Free food. Lots of free food. Edible Queens magazine’s first food tasting event, to be exact. Winter Warm-Up was touted to be a treasure trove of samplings from restaurants all over Queens, and I was excited to be a part of it! Upon exiting the station, I beheld the goliath L Haus, a blocky and frankly, crazy-looking condo building. An interesting choice to hold a foodie event.

Model on the first floor

The tasting room held a good number of restaurateurs and independent vendors. Glancing through their wares, it dawned on me that the restaurants only represented LIC and Astoria. Hmmm…curious. Well…food is food, after all, wherever it comes from. And I was ready to eat.

The first station happened to be a dessert vendor called This Chick Bakes. Sue me. I had dessert first. A chocolate cupcake went straight into the gullet. Delicious!

Next came LIC Market, which provided me with a tapenade and blue cheese nibble. Two strong flavors that seemed to compete with each other without fully resolving the issue in my mouth.

More dessert followed as the Manducatis Rustica folks plied me with their rainbow cakes and cream puffs. Good. Good. And good.


Drinks at last! I gulped down two tiny cups of apple juice from Red Jacket Orchards. Interesting flavors that remind you that apples make good bedfellows with other fruit.

Testaccio provided some more nibbles in the form of oxtail spread on toast. I told my friend I wasn’t too keen on it and he quickly plopped the rest of it in his mouth. I was waffling!!!

The lady for Dolce Nonna, a pickled-veggie-in-a-jar vendor, looked somewhat bored, so I sampled her nibbles as I perused her display of jars. Not bad. Good winter food.

The most satisfying tasting came from the next station, Pestos with Panache by Lauren. Not only did they provide little-spoon samples of their pestos, they provided two pastas that showcased two different pestos. The pumpkin chipotle pesto was really amazing. Wait, do I have their card?! Yes, I have their card. Whew.

Loaded up with carbs, I was ready to tackle more sweets. Onto the Bareburgers station, where two guys made organic milkshakes on the spot. Tasty, but the organicness of it was lost on me and it was not what I’d really like to sample from a place called Bareburgers…

The last stop was the Queens County Farm. Free range eggs and sheep’s wool for sale. Hmmm…somewhere out there, a sweater wants a-knittin, but alas, I am no knitter.


Two hours in, they held a panel discussion about food in Queens, moderated by Joe Distefano, a food writer and newly-appointed blogger for the magazine. The folks on the panel were:

Lee Anne Wong, former contestant and current consultant for Top Chef
Josh Ozersky, food writer and founder of Ozersky.TV
Zora O’Neill, Co-author of Forking Fantastic! Put the Party back in Dinner Party
Dave Cook, food writer and “Eating in Translation” blogger

From Left: Joe DiStefano, Lee Anne Wong, Josh Ozersky

From left: Josh Ozersky, Zora O’Neill, Dave Cook, Leah McLaughlin

The conversation revolved around everyone’s favorite spots for different foods. Pizzas, burgers, carts. Astoria came up again and again, with *sigh* only a short mention of Jackson Heights for its carts, particularly the Arepa Lady and the Hispanic food vendors on Warren Street. (The panel’s favorites will be posted on ediblequeens.com) The Q&A was wildly esoteric, with someone asking for the current source for a long-lost mustard and someone else talking about his experience planting heritage apple trees in Queens. Evidence that foodies are indeed weirdos. [And I am proud to count myself among them.]

I left the food tasting event thinking it was great that we just had a Queens-centric foodie event that *gasp* drew people from other boroughs for once and not the other way around, but I also felt like there really could have been more representation of restaurants from other parts of Queens. It was a great first effort though, and will probably get better over time if it becomes an annual thing.

A special thanks to Leah McLaughlin for coming up with this awesome event and more importantly, for creating Edible Queens, which I love so much I pay to subscribe when it’s free. – Judy Ruminates

Links:
Edible Queens
Pestos with Panache

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Posted in Events, Judy Ruminates, Queens | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | January 23, 2010

Judy Ruminates… Yoshinoya – Manhattan Theater District Japanese

Yoshinoya
Category: Japanese
Neighborhoods: Fashion District, Theater District
253 West 42nd St
(between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10036
(212) 703-9940
www.yoshinoyausa.com

The food here makes me want to commit harakiri with my chopsticks. Arguably, this would be more torturous than using a sharp implement, but I’ve already suffered through two torturous meals here. You are dealing with half-assed ingredients and preparation in the form of their beef bowl and short ribs bbq platter – cold noodles, crunchy overcooked rice, meat that shouldn’t be called meat, and a greasiness that stays in your mouth until your next meal. I understand that this is Japanese fast food, but there’s fast food and then there’s slop. I would rather eat at McDonald’s. — Judy Ruminates

Short ribs BBQ platter

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Posted by: Orlick | January 22, 2010

Super Boll Saturday – Food Group VOTE

We are going back to Little India as Super Boll weekend rolls around.
The date is SATURDAY, Feb 6th
The time is 7:20pm

3 choices for February, vote on one. The winner will be announced by Feb 2nd.

Dosa Place. Specializing in…. dosas and Southern Indian cuisine. One of the newer Indian restaurants in the area.
http://www.villagevoice.com/locations/dosa-place-529964/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/dosa-place-jackson-heights

Raja Sweets. Vegetarian homestyle Indian food. Made by a bunch of mothers. Some of the food looks great, some looks like slop, but you will probably be enlightened once you start trying their stuff.

and the third choice is a super secret, hidden Bengali restaurant. There is a steam table but they are also willing to cook for you. No menu. They would prepare something for us. They have biryanis, I think a cross between what you would find at kebab king and maybe Spicy Mina’s.

So what will it be?
Send me your picks and we’ll make it happen

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Posted in Events, Indian, Queens | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | January 21, 2010

Jake Moon – Clarksville, NY

Jake Moon Restaurant and Cafe
Category: American (Traditional)
2082 Delaware Turnpike
Clarksville, NY 12041
(518) 768-2570

There is no June’s Place though the building still claims there to be. Only the collapsible sign in the street asserts it Jake Moon’s since January ‘09. And there’s no Jake Moon. Only his great, great grandson, chef Dan Smith, who can be seen in glimpses above his prep table when the wait staff swings open the door to his kitchen.

I can eat here with a clean concience. Most of the ingredients come from local farms or Smith’s own backyard. He’s ambitious in reaching for greatness and spot-on with his integrity and care for his product.

The patrons are the proper folk of the capitol region and Clarksville. Many vests, turtlenecks, white hair and a few contractors. Far from a working man’s meal, though this is where you go if you take pride in what you put in your body. And it’s heard from the restraint of din in the dining room; you can listen to the customers concentrating on their plates.

Red Flannel hash was different than i’m used to. It’s a mix borrowed from a local farm. Not corned beef, but sirloin mixed in with beets, corn, onions, potato and egg. Don’t go in expecting a grease-filled regret – I was surprised at how delicate this was, considering it’s a “hash”. Hash is a Man’s meal. Salty and harsh, but this was cool and calm. Tucked nicely underneath an egg top hat.

The Bennett Hill Scramble was the winner of our table. It’s an omelette of wild mushrooms, herbs and fresh gouda. I don’t even like mushrooms, but the cheese threw off my expectations of them and it’s inconsistency made each bite fresh. I thought it was great.


As for their home-baked bread… I appreciate the effort, but in a moment of self-realization, I think it might be the wording on the menu that I actually appreciate. The execution could use improvement or maybe I just caught them on a bad day.

There’s a large daily specials menu guided by the season. Dinners seem more interesting than anything else and I wish I could stick around for the fish fry and the poutine, for on my Sunday they were breakfast only.

Cooked simply, all of the ingredients have an important place in each dish here. Prices aren’t bad at all, considering the pretense that should be occurring. That would be occurring if it weren’t so off the beaten path. Chef Dan Smith gives a great example of For us, By us. Thanks for letting me in.



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Posted in American, Upstate NY | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | January 19, 2010

El Barrio Guide Released!

Sometimes there are important documents that only lie in the underbelly of the internet. I feel these things need to be out in the open so everyone can benefit from it. After viewing this amazing diary of Harlem food, I asked the author to let it out. Here’s Stephen Falla Riff’s Guide to El Barrio & Beyond.

EL BARRIO & BEYOND: Eateries for Hungry Lawyers and Laypeople, Too

There are a ton of restaurants and street food vendors in and around El Barrio. The Mexican restaurants alone are astonishing. Sometimes it seems like there are 2 or 3 on every block. What follows is a selective list of some of my favorite places to eat; all are open for lunch unless otherwise indicated. This list is always subject to revision and addition, as places are opening and closing all the time. Please keep me posted on spots that I’ve missed.

Prepared by Steve Falla Riff (“Hungry Esteban”)
Copyright © 2005 Stephen Falla Riff

Most recent revision: January 14, 2010

PUERTO RICAN & DOMINICAN

La Fonda Boricua, 106th St., between 3d & Lexington Ave. (near 3d).
A neighborhood stand-out for excellent Puerto Rican food. Great soups, roast chicken (pollo al horno), stewed oxtail(rabo guisado), black beans, flan, etc. Exposed brick walls and art work by local artists. Live salsa on Thursday nights.

El Carribeno, 105th St. & Lexington Ave.
A neighborhood institution. Excellent rabo guisado, pernil, roast chicken. Recently reopened following a renovation.

Nuevo Caridad, 116th St. & 2d Ave.
Downtown branch of the Washington Height’s Dominican restaurant features tasty lechon (suckling pig). Lunch specials starting at $4.

La Isla, 104 & 3rd
Cuchifritos place with very good rotisserie chicken. Best for take-out.

Lechonera El Barrio, 172 East 103rd Street (Third Avenue). 212-722-1344
Although it’s called a “Lechonera” I have yet to arrive when they have lechon. However, the pernil (roast pork) is very good. Make sure to request the skin with the pernil. It is crispy, full of flavor, and melts in your mouth (you’ll feel great just before your heart attack). The Cuban sandwich is tasty and enormous.

MEXICAN

El Paso Taquerio, 104th Street & Lex. 212-831-9831.
An office favorite. Great tacos & burritos (tasty vegetarian included), sopes (grilled corn cakes), tortas (Mexican sandwiches) and Cemitas (a multi-layered sandwich on a big, toasted sesame bun); first-rate Guacamole. Everything’s good and reasonably priced.

Casa de Los Tacos, 117th Street & 1st Avenue. 212-860-7389.
Simply great tacos at low prices. A classic El Barrio taqueria.

Mexico Lindo, 116th-117th Streets and 2d Avenue.
This Mexican bakery also serves tacos, enchiladas and a tasty pozole. Primarily take-out.

San Francisco de Asis, 1779 Lexington, 110-111th Streets. 212-427-4440.
Good tacos (tasty barbacoa de chivo–barbecued goat), freshly squeezed juices and horchata (rice drink).

Mesa Mexicana, 207 East 117th Street (2d-3d Avenues), 212-289-4380.
Solid standard fare like tacos, tortas, enchiladas, etc., at reasonable prices. Very clean inside. Quiet at lunch time; a good place to linger over coffee or for a lunch meeting.

Pubelas Chula, 167 East 106th St, (3d and Lex) 212-534-4873
It’s a little place next door to La Fonda Boricua that offers tacos, tortas, burritos, sandwiches & wraps and fresh squeezed juices. It’s good & quick and is a “microenterprise” of the type that we like to support. A bit over-priced, though.

Taco Mix, 116th Street, 2d and 3d
A hole in the wall with a very good selection of great tacos. Check out the daily specials (if you dare), including goat, tongue and tripe.

Las Delicias Mexicanas, 2109 3rd Ave, 115-116th Streets (212) 828-3659
Fragrant tortillas freshly made (upon request); a very respectable assortment of tacos, sopes, huaraches, etc., and reasonable prices. Relaxed atmosphere—a real neighborhood joint. You can save $5 per person or more compared to El Paso Taqueria, though the food is not quite as good.

CUBAN

Amor Cubano, 2018 Third Avenue (111th Street). 646-461-3312
Delicious Cuban food in El Barrio. The mojitos are terrific and only $5 during happy hour. Live music some evenings.

NUEVO LATINO

Camaradas, 115th St. & 1st Avenue. 212-348-2703. www.camaradaselbarrio.com.
A bar and restaurant with good lunch specials ($4.95) that has a casual, café-like feel during the day and music, comedy and poetry in the evening. Happy hour from 4-8 PM.

Don Pedros, 96th St. & 2d Avenue.
Cuban Nuevo Latino. Lunch specials. Decent mojitos (Cuban rum, peppermint and sugar cane drink).

Itzocan Bistro, 100th St. & Lexington.
Excellent Mexican-European cooking fusion. Not cheap, but one of NYC’s great values. Highly recommended for dinner and recently began serving lunch, as well. If possible, go only from Wednesday through Saturday (when the principal chef and part-owner is cooking).

ITALIAN

Patsy’s, 118-119th St. & 1st Avenue.
Not to be confused with the Patsy’s pizzerias downtown, this is the original and best, due to its coal oven-fired pizzas. Nice dining room. Also serves a general menu of good Italian food.

Piatto d’Oro, 109th St. between 2d & 3d Avens. 828-2929
Neighborhood Italian. Reasonable prices. Excellent, old-fashioned Italian restaurant atmosphere and decent food.

OTHER RESTAURANTS

Orbit, 116th St. & 1st Ave. Dinner only. 212-348-7818
The East Village meets El Barrio. Interesting Italian-oriented menu; a bit over-priced for the neighborhood. Jazz, blues, Afro-Cuban music some nights.

Joy Burger Bar, 1567 Lexington Avenue (corner of 100th St.). 212-289-6222
Excellent char-grilled burgers in three sizes: “much”, “midi” and “maxi” with a wide variety of tasty toppings. Also, sandwiches, wraps and schnitzel (breaded, fried chicken breast), homemade frieds and refreshing salads. Very friendly owners and casual, comfortable atmosphere.

Moustache, 102nd Street & Lexington Avenue. 212-228-2022
A Middle Eastern restaurant that bakes home-made pita while you wait and has wonderful falafel, creamy hummus, and a specialty called pitza, which is like a thin crust pizza, except that it is baked on a pita-like crust, and has Middle Eastern toppings. The grilled baby lamb ribs are another highlight. The meat is pounded thin and then grilled and is full of flavor. The Moustache in the East Village is great, and I expect that they will maintain high standards in this new outpost.

Ricardo Steakhouse, 110th St. & 2d Ave. 212-289-5895
Pricey steak house with impressive wine list, but it has lunch specials in the $8-$12 range that are a good value for what you get (including pork chops, skirt steak sandwich and seafood salad). They have also introduced a selection of pastas.

Creole Cafe, 2167 Third Avenue (118th Street). 212-876-8838
Good soups, crab cakes, ribs and drinks. Cajun/creole cuisine. Jazz brunch on Sundays.

Magic Table Café,1590 Lexington Avenue (entrance between Lex. & Park) 212) 289-2955
Honest and delicious home cooking by two German ladies in a charming, inconspicuous side street location. The meatloaf and schnitzel are mainstays, as are the home-made desserts. On the down-side, rumor has it that if you eat here you will smell like meatloaf all day.

Yo In Yo Out, Lex between 100th and 101st. 212-987-5350
A cool little cafe with 65 cent coffee, fresh baked goods, crepes, sandwiches and large, tasty. salads, all reasonably-priced.

Triple A Restaurant, 106th Street and Second Avenue. (212) 410-6950

One of the few diners in the neighborhood. Serves a good breakfast (weak coffee, though) and is a meeting spot for the old-timers and true locals. Apart from breakfast the food is, to be charitable, not memorable.

BAKERIES/COFFEE

Le Tropezienne, 1st Ave. between 109-110th Sts.
French bakery & small café with excellent baguettes (morning special of half baguette & coffee is a good bet) & pastries. Also has rich soups, sandwiches and quiches for lunch.

Savoy, 110th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues
A wide selection of coffee drinks (espresso, cappucino & lattes in addition to the regular coffee) and an interesting mix of pastries, ranging from an excellent, flaky cheese danish to a variety of Chinese sponge cakes and buns. The proprietor stated that they are planning to add tables.

East Harlem Café, 104th Street and Lexington Avenue
Michelle Cruz’s newly opened café is our answer to Starbuck’s: individually owned, very comfortable (with two couches), friendly, and with good coffee, espresso and a small selection of pastries and sandwiches. Free wi-fi is a plus.

Mexico Lindo, 117th Street & 2d Ave.
Very good Mexican bakery that also serves tacos, enchiladas and other lunch specials.

Morrone’s Bakery, 116th St. between 1st-2nd Avenue. Some of the best brick oven bread in town and excellent proscuitto and provolone breads, too. It appears that they have closed. L

Blimpie’s, 3rd Ave between 106-107 Sts.
Believe it or not, they make a decent cup of coffee. Hot condensed milk with the coffee, too.

DELIVERY

Chinatown East, 93rd St. & 3rd Ave. 212-987-3500.
Decent Chinese food. Lunch specials provide plenty of food.

El Paso Taquerio, 104th Street & Lex. 212-831-9831. Described above.

Pubelas Chula, 167 East 106th St, (3d and Lex) 212-534-4873. Described above.

Mesa Mexicana, 207 East 117th Street (2d-3d Avenues), 212-289-4380.
Described above.

Ricardo Steak House. 212-289-5895. Described above.

Joy Burger Bar. 212-289-6222. Described above.

Moustache. 212-828-0030. Described above.

Triple A Restaurant, 106th Street and Second Avenue. (212) 410-6950

CAFES/BARS

LFB Lounge, 106th Street between 2d and 3d Avenues
A bar and nightclub from the owners of La Fonda Boricua (see restaurant description above) that has become a gathering place in El Barrio. Cocktails, salsa and Afro-Cuban jazz.. Tasty bar foods include tender short ribs. Live salsa and Afro-Cuban music.

Camaradas, 115th St. & 1st Avenue. 212-348-2703. www.camaradaselbarrio.com.
Described above in the “Nuevo Latino” section.

SpaHa Lounge, Lexington Avenue, between 103 and 104th Street
Although it is nice to have another bar in the neighborhood, this place feels like it was designed and marketed for the yuppies who occupy the new condos and rentals located nearby. On the bright side,
happy hours drinks are $3 (beers) and $4 for hard liquor (including margaritas, martinis, Mojitos, etc., which are not bad).

STREET EATS

There is a great profusion of street vendors in El Barrio, selling arroz con leche (a sweet rice and milk porridge), tamales (cornmeal studded with chiles, meat or cheese), tacos, fruit (in the summer, mangos on a stick cut to resemble flowers), and helados (ices, but with much better flavor than the commercial variety found below 96th Street). I regularly patronize these vendors, being somewhat careful about the hygienic standards of the ones who sell hot food. Current favorites include

• The Mexicana vendor stationed in the morning at the northeast corner of 103rd Street and Lexington Avenue (arroz con leche and lovely tamales).

· Just about all of the tamales vendors in the neighborhood serve soothing and delicious tamales, oozing corn flavor and fragrance, and often packing the spicy kick of guajillo, or other chiles. Try the rajas (green chiles) con queso, for a yummy introduction.

• The taco truck on East 105th Street, near the northeast corner of Third Avenue.

• The piraguas (shaved ice with flavored syrups) and icies vendors just about everywhere.

• The taco vendor sometimes found at 116th St & 2d avenue who grabs fists full of masa harina (corn meal) and makes fresh tortillas on the spot, loaded up with unusual stuff like flor de calabaza (squash blossoms) and hongos (mushrooms).

For information about the significant economic and social value of street vending, check out: http://www.esperanzadelbarrio.org and http://www.urbanjustice.org/ujc/projects/street.html

WORTH THE TRIP

There is great and diverse gastronomic life in upper Manhattan beyond El Barrio.

Charles’ Southern Kitchen, 2837 Eighth Avenue (151st St), 212-926-4313
If you have not been to Charles’, you must go. God put skillet-fried chicken like this on the planet for a reason–to be widely enjoyed. Also, terrific smothered pork chops, ribs and chicken fried steak. All you can eat buffet and all the home-made iced tea and lemonade you can drink, all for only $10 until 4 pm. A worthwhile gut-buster. Quality of Charles’ was variable in 2006–ranging from excellent to so-so.

A Taste of Seafood, 59 East 125th Street (corner of Madison Avenue). 212-831-5584
Fried seafood and chicken. The crispy, succulent fried shrimp is irresistible. Also excellent collard greens (dripping fat and studded with bits of pork) and creamy macaroni and cheese. The fried whiting is reputed to be excellent as well, but I’ve never advanced past the shrimp. Get there early (by 11:45 a.m. to avoid the lines snaking out the door of the narrow shop (counter service and take-out only) and bring your cardiologist, just in case.

Harlem Native, 161 Lenox Avenue (118th Street). 212-665-2525
A diverse menu with Caribbean, French and Moroccan influences. The pecan-crusted fried catfish with cheese grits (think polenta dripping butter and cheese) and collard greens can be exemplary: the pecan batter is crispy and the fish moist and delicious. A mound of fish, grits and greens on your fork sets the stage for sensual pleasure. The Morrocan fried chicken is favored by some, but I like my chicken with skin and bone attached and I found this version to be banal. Native is said to have excellent early-bird specials and a superior bar.

Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too, 366 West 110th Street. 212-865-6744

http://www.spoonbreadinc.com/miss_mamies.htm

Serious soul food. I am a big fan of the perfectly fried catfish and the savory oxtail, simmered in a syrupy sauce evocative of molasses, brown sugar, nutmeg and other spices. If they run out of oxtail, try the tender short ribs. The usual sides are well done: collard greens, yams, mac n’cheese, etc. The banana pudding is a Harlem classic. Tasty, home-made sweet tea and lemonade. N.B. Stay away from Miss Mamie’s sister restaurant (known as Miss Maude’s) on Lenox Avenue, which can’t hold a candle to this one.

Sisters Cuisine, 1391 Madison Avenue (entrance on 124th St). 212-410-3000
A very tasty and satisfying Caribbean and southern-style restaurant. Items like chicken roti, goat curry, codfish cakes and soul food styles including yams, collard greens and macaroni and cheese.

Copyright © 2005 Stephen Falla Riff

———————————–
Incredible thanks go to Stephen Falla Riff.

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Posted in Interviews, Italian, Manhattan, Mexican, Soul, Street | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | January 18, 2010

Can you name all the locations in this Video? Re: WBurg, BpB

This is one of my favorite artists, but look at this! The places in the video look very familiar. Looks like he’s driving down Meeker under the BQE, but I’m not sure. Can you identify the locations in this video?

Bonnie Prince Billy – Lay and Love

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Posted in Brooklyn, Videos | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | January 17, 2010

The Anatomy of a Find: Villacolombia Bakery

Villacolombia Bakery
4042 82nd Street
Elmhurst, NY 11373
(718) 476-3500

Of course it was good… Below street level, busy, and the hot food is unapparent from the outside. It’s an easy formula for a food explorer. I’ve passed by it a hundred times, but before I stepped off the cliff, for a year it was in the back of my head. Like the cute one across the hall who is so quiet.

Step down 5 stairs. The food is still unseen; It’s a bakery. Only after walking 15 feet to the back do you discover 6 tables with heads in bowls of soup, plates of rice, lentils and more Spanish food. Fresh steam tables lead the take-outs in and out as people speak to Eleanora Rigby their orders*.

For lunch, you’ll can have rice (with peas if it’s your inclination), beans or lentils, a plantain, a little arepa, and an entree for 5 dollars. 6 with your choice of soup. And it’s a mound of food.

But I don’t like Villacolombia because it’s hidden or because of the quantity and price. Their food tastes great. Colombians make a top tier rice and the savor is not lost here. The arepa similar to the arepa lady’s. Not as good, of course not, but a similar creamy consistency. Add the constantly refreshed ribs, stews, roast chicken and it’s happiness happening all over again.

An entire meal will knock you out. It could hold you over for a whole day or be partitioned into multiple meals. My last order of costillas (ribs) and vegetable soup lasted a lunch and 2 breakfasts (with an added over-easy egg on each). People say it’s less expensive to cook for yourself, but eating 3 meals for 6 dollars is pretty good.


*okay, this reference is strange and the line is obscure. The line says “wearing a face in a jar that she keeps by the door.” I always thought this meant the window at the door which she would show her face. Well, when you tell the people here what you want on your plate, you have to communicate through a space of about 1 foot wide. Very cramped quarters, to speak to your Eleanora Rigby. This one doesn’t seem so lonely though.

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Posted in Bakeries, Colombian, Queens | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | January 16, 2010

Judy Ruminates… Spice – Union Square, Manhattan

Spice
Category: Thai
Neighborhoods: Union Square, Greenwich Village
39 E 13th St
(between 5th Ave & University Pl)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 982-3758
www.spicethainyc.com/spice/

It’s been awhile since I’ve stepped foot in a restaurant with such a cool setup like Spice. What would Buddha say if he were alive today looking at his likeness splashed all over the walls with rock star zeal? The second floor had more visual drama comprised of troughs of upward light and tight seating lining the open two-story atrium. My eyes soaked it in and I felt like maybe I should be in a dress with knee-high boots sporting four inch heels.


Our seafood dumplings came in a puke green color but despite the weird color choice, were delicious. My Bangkok curry fish came boned, breaded, and fried with a thick skin. The curry was not that complex for a Thai curry, but it was tasty. I had so much of it I gladly spooned a fair bit over my friend’s chicken fried rice. My rice came in a small cone shape, which I had never seen before. Cute. We both got the lychee thai iced tea but it was so cloyingly sweet I couldn’t finish mine.

Bangkok curry fish:

Siamese chicken fried rice:

I wouldn’t say this place has very authentic Thai food, but the fun atmosphere makes up for it. – Judy Ruminates

Links:
300+ Yelp reviews
Dine or Death on the lunch special

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Posted in Judy Ruminates, Manhattan, Thai | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | January 15, 2010

Ironbeer found in Met Supermarket

This was something I’d never seen before so I had to have it. Any mysterious cola is intriguing to me. This particular soda is apparently the National Beverage of Cuba. Or it was. It’s now bottled in Miami.

Ironbeer

Here’s my stream of observation:
Tastes sweeter than most colas. almost jolt-like. slightly fruity. not sure which fruit. is corn syrup a fruit? tastes a bit apple-y, with hint of the navel fruit family. smells even cotton candy like.

Does not taste like crappy cola (which I love). It has a light feel, but still coats my mouth.


Links:
Sodas of the World

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Posted in About Food, Supermarkets | Tags: , , , , ,

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