The Gotham Palate

Looking to hang your grillmaster apron this Independence Day?
Go ahead, spare yourself the drudgery of roasting and the long, toilsome aftermath
and hop over to Tribeca and join a fabulous Viennese-style all-you-can eat barbeque
feast at Kurt Gutenbrunner’s Blaue Gans. Barbeque fare includes whole roasted pig, legendary
Schaller and Weber sausages, sandwiches, a Viennese dessert bar and more.

Image from TastingTable.com

Cost: $35 per person

Hours: 2pm - 10pm

For reservations, please call 212-571-8880 or reserve online at OpenTable.com.

Location: 139 Duane Street, Tribeca, between Church and West Broadway.

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JoeDoe’s Joe Dobias is among the spate of chef-restauranteurs in the New York City restaurant world that are lashing out at restaurant critics. According to Eater, a Dobias is said to have railed against New York Journal blogger for critical remarks expressed in a review. Here’s a taste of Dobias’ gratuitous, below the belt response, courtesy of Eater:

“….when you kill yourself for a living like I do, it is very tough to stomach an angry little mans opinion. Who honestly care what you think and further how dare you and the other shithead bloggers. You made your snap judgement on one visit and further as I said you have zero credibility for writing reviews..stop your malicious bullshit and stop this site! YOU ARE NOT A FOOD WRITER AND WILL NEVER BE YOU NASTY LITTLE MAN!!…It is 9:30am time to cook brunch hopefully not for some nasty little bald men like you.”

JoeDoe Restaurant - Image from Eater.com

Dobias much like, pizza-chef-restauranteur, Jim Lahey, who lashed out at Frank Bruni for a lukewarm review, is either plagued by massively detrimental anger issues or is wrongly convinced that self-inflicted negative publicity is a good thing. Dobias has even gone as far as formally banning photography of his dishes–the rule is purportedly printed on the menus. Glad The Gotham Palate was there to get pictures in February, when the photo-getting was still good. For the record, I’ve eaten at JoeDoe’s and not only enjoyed it, but also gave it a favorable review on this blog. See here:

But back to the backbiting chefs.

First of all: don’t these chef-restauranteurs realize when they overreact to these reviews, they are not endearing themselves to the public in any way? Nor are they hurting the critics. If anything they are affirming how relevant they really are. ey are only exposing their hyper-inflated, fragile and co-dependent egos. Is the restaurant business a tough racket? Unbelievably so. Do critics and bloggers occasionally issue unfair reviews? Of course they do. Do they warrant overly-defensive responses in the form of wickedly hostile and ad hominem attacks of the reviewer? Most defintely not.

If restauranteurs must offer any type of corrective to what they perceive as unfair criticism, they ought to consider taking a page from Jon-George Vongerichten’s rebuttal to Frank Bruni’s recent downgraded rating of his five year old, Meatpacking, Asian fare Mecca, Spice.

“I’m sorry that Bruni and his guests didn’t have a better time, but I make no apologies for opening Spice Market or any of my other restaurants. Like each one, Spice Market was conceived of and built as a stand-alone restaurant. In fact, it was a deeply personal project: I spent years cooking in Asia and ate at the fantastic open-air markets every night after work…

Whether or not you agree with JGV, the response is classy, to the point and do not constitute the makings of a PR fiasco.

Tags: Food Trends, Informational, Neighborhood News, Reflections and Rants // Add Comment »

31 E. 20th St.
Gramercy Park
212-598-0141
www.lapizzafresca.com

You don’t need to be a foodie, nor a slave to the internet’s ubiquitous review venues to know that the New York food scene, especially in its current recession-ridden guise, is being held hostage to an artisan pizza craze. Not that I’m not for it. I love pizza. I’ve been making my own pizza dough since I was thirteen, and continue to experiment and come up with new pizza recipes. Heck I even have my own pizza-column after all!

Pizza Primavera

Back to the wild fire spreading pizza fad: I’m so glad that the city still has places where you can enjoy gloriously good, authentic Neopolitan style pizzas without the hyper-inflated, celebrity-status vying pizza-chef egos and hoardes of self-professed trend-setting yelpers twittering away their reactions and the deafening din they produce. La Pizza Fresca Ristorante is one of those rare places in Manhattan. (more…)

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Examiner.com reports that popular frozen yogurt chain, Pinkberry, will be offering free small yogurts on Friday, June 26th, from 5pm - 9pm. The occassion? They are introducing two new summer fresh flavors:  coconut and passion fruit. Get your free taste of summer in a cup at your local Pinkberry or click on the logo below, to find a Pinkberry near you.

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Now is the time to help the more than 4 million New Yorkers — mainly children, women, seniors, people with disabilities and the working poor — struggle to afford food.  Food Bank for New York City will double your donation through June 30th.

Click on the image below to make your contribution now.

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90 Washington St. (Rector St.) Financial District
212-363-6000
merchantsny.com/mnycafe/

Located in a neighborhood that up until five years ago was deemed “dead after dusk”  to locals and tourists alike, Merchants NY is set in on a sleepy corner of the Finanical district, which is also the site of a slowly developing social scene–think Stone St.

The comely and upbeat outdoor cafe is Merchants NY greatest attraction. Its white modern furnishings and wheat grass planters give it tasteful Euro flair and seating is comfortable and spacing between tables is humane.

Uncharacteristic for charming outdoor spaces, Merchants NY’s Modern American menu and food can actually hold their own against the space’s appeal. Prices are moderate. Service is uneven and overly-solicitous at times. There’s an extensive cocktail list with drinks that deliver some respectable kick and a standard wine list.

My most recent visits there have included enjoyable dinners, but it’s also possible to just grab a drink and an appetizer or a cappuccino (which is above average)  at an outdoor table. On some  evenings, Merchants’ even hosts even outdoor movie screenings on wide screen plasma TV.

Pan-fried Rainbow Trout Amandine

The pan-fried Rainbow trout is highly recommendable. (more…)

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July 12-31st is restaurant week in New York City. During these two weeks, you can enjoy pre-fixed three course lunches at dinners at those exclusive restaurants that you’ve been dying to try for a fraction of the regular price.

Reservations begin on June 30th. Click on image above for more details.  Meanwhile, Telepan, one the Upper-West side’s rare but deserved places of culinary pride,  is already taking reservations. Go to http://www.thegothampalate.com/2008/10/24/telepan/ for my review of Telepan.

Get on the phone, don’t delay!

For city-wide dining deals and recreation discounts in the interim, click on the image below.

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14 Bedford St.
Greenwich Village
212-675-9080; quintoquarto.com

Bucatini all' Amatriciana

Located on a cobble-stoned strip of charming restaurants, this darling Village newcomer fills a void with its Roman cuisine and spirited and tempermental service. The warm, inviting decor of exposed brick and candlelight set a romantic, low-key stage that is contrasted by the family-style bustle and vivacious outbursts of the service…On the refreshing up-side: no scripted, yuppy pretense here. For lovers of high-functioning efficiency though, service can be uneven here, at its worst it can either overly solicitous or slow and neglectful. Either way it’s reliably warm and cheerful. Don’t be surprised if you hear your servers spontaneously break into some verse of Italian pop music as they bring you your silverware or napkin. (more…)

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While its rustic appearance may not inspire you to break out the Rosenthal, this simple pizza recipe will yield results so tasty that it may not even make it to the plate.

Click on the image below for the recipe I published in NY Examiner.

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Thu, Jun 11, 11 am, $40

FOODS OF THE RENAISSANCE

Join noted food historian Francine Segan for a lively discussion of menus, table manners, etiquette and unusual dining customs of the Renaissance, and taste foods made from an authentic period recipe.

www.92YTribeca.org/daytime

Fri, Jun 19, 11 am, $25

GOURMET WALKING TOUR OF TRIBECA

Visit Tribeca’s most delightful gourmet stores, wine and cheese shops, bakeries and more. Taste samples and get an inside look at new products, and get tips for buying and using specialty ingredients. Meet at 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson Street at Canal Street.

www.92YTribeca.org/daytime

Thu, Jun 25, 11 am, $40

FOODS OF THE GILDED AGE

Join noted food historian Francine Segan for a lively discussion of menus, table manners, etiquette and unusual dining customs of the Gilded Age (from the 1880s to the turn of the century), when high society was at its peak. Discover the sorts of foods and elaborate etiquette enjoyed by famous New Yorkers of the era such as Edith Wharton and the Vanderbilts. Taste foods made from an authentic period recipe and discover the most popular toasts of the 1890s.

www.92YTribeca.org/daytime

Thu, Jul 9, 12 pm, $16

BEER, GLORIOUS BEER!

Beer lovers rejoice! Get the inside scoop on buying, storing and pouring this beloved brew. Explore American microbrews and some of the world’s most distinguished brands. Must be 21 years or older. No fake IDs.

www.92YTribeca.org/daytime
Thu, Jul 23, 12 pm, $16

THE FRUIT AND NOTHING BUT THE FRUIT

As Seinfeld’s “Kramer” wailed: “The apples are mealy, the oranges are dry… I don’t know what’s going on with the papayas!” There is an art to picking fruit! Learn how to choose perfectly ripened fruit, including tips on how to select the best cantaloupe in the crate. Expert Ken Goodman also demonstrates quick and easy ways to cut and store larger fruits like pineapple, honeydew and mango.

www.92YTribeca.org/daytime
Thu, Jul 30, 12 pm, $16

HERBS AND SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE

What’s the difference between an herb and a spice? How should you buy, store and use them? What about dried herbs versus fresh? Join chef Ken Goodman for a guided tour of herbs and spices and get the skinny on big flavor.

www.92YTribeca.org/daytime

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