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Chef gives ‘off the cuff’ lecture on his love for Italian cooking – Event at 92Y Tribeca

January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

BY BETH KAISERMAN

Rons Suhanosky's Spread

Chef Ron Suhanosky eats pasta with tomato sauce almost every day.

Suhanosky, who opened Sfoglia on the Upper East Side and in Nantucket with his wife, released his second cookbook, The Italian Table, this past fall.

In a lecture Thursday at 92Y Tribeca, he discussed his love for Italian food and gave some cooking advice.

After working for years in New York City restaurants, including River Cafe and Il Buco, Suhanosky wanted to return to his passion for down-home Italian food. Inspired by his travels in Italy, he realized it was time to be “more off the cuff,” he said.

Last month he opened Nonna’s Table, 163 E. 92nd St. which offers specialty foods, cooking classes and private dinners. His mother provides the pastries.

Rather than working tirelessly over restaurant recipes, Suhanosky now wakes up in the morning and decides what he feels like cooking for his customers. What he likes, customers will like, he said. It’s all about using the ingredients properly.

“The simpler food is, the more Italian it is, in my mind,” he said.

But one of his favorite melt-in-your mouth delights isn’t from Italy — it’s from Mars.

A bowl of perfectly cooked al dente pasta, fresh tomato sauce, and a bag of peanut M&M’s are the keys to this chef’s heart.

For information on booking a cooking class or private dinner, call 212-831-9200.

Filed Under: Featured, Food Events, Informational, Italian, Restaurant News, Reviews, Upper East Side Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Race to Reservations Is On – Restaurant Week 2012 Begins on January 16th!

January 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It’s that sweet time again! Starting January 16th, enjoy twenty days of discounted fine NYC dining, ending February 10th!

Click on the image below for a list of participating restaurants.

 

Filed Under: Featured, Food Events, Upcoming Events Tagged With: , , ,

“Better Than Wine”: Cheese and Beer Pairings

November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

BY ERIN PALISIN

92Y, 1395 Lexington Ave.
Upper East Side
(212) 415-5500

Beer and pizza.. Beer and burgers.  Beer and…cheese? Although typically most people think of wine when they hear cheese, it turns out that beer serves as a versatile and downright delicious pairing for the cheese lover in us all. The night’s instructors (Martin Johnson of The Joy of Cheese and Maggie Fuller of 12% Imports) showed a great deal of both knowledge and passion for their respective fields and provided a very educational and fun setting for the evening.

The event featured nine beer and cheese pairings that were each discussed in detail by the instructors. The instructors were also eager to make this an interactive experience and encourage as many questions as came up. One “student” asked a particularly useful question: “Is there a specific way we should be tasting cheese or something specific we should be looking for when tasting.” We all learned that the key to a good cheese tasting is simple: let it sit on the tongue for a moment before chewing and think of what the cheese reminds you of. Most cheeses get their flavor from the diet of the cow, goat or sheep that the milk comes from. If you taste a hint of thyme in your cheese, you are most likely correct and chances are that it was part of the animal’s diet. Taste is one of the most powerful memory triggers. Who knew that cheese could evoke such emotion and bring back a specific memory or experience?

There are a few pairings and pieces that were of particular interest to this taster. We started the evening off with the L’Amuse; a smoked gouda variety. I have never been a big fan of gouda but I have never tasted a gouda quite like this one. Instructor Martin Johnson described this as one of the most “underrated” cheeses out there. It seemed like we started the night with dessert first as the L’Amuse had a very candy- like flavor to it with a subtle hint of butterscotch and a salty finish. The beer pairing for this cheese was the Dormal Amber Ale of Brouwerij Hoften in Belgium. Both this beer and the second beer were bottled with corks and preserved a very champagne-like quality of these bubbly, herbal ales going very well with the dessert like cheeses they were paired with.

Another very successful pairing featured two domestic products: the Extra Aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese and the Stillwater Cellar Door beer. The cheese, from Dodgeville, WI is a three-time “Best in Show” winner at the annual American Cheese Society’s awards event. Its nutty and smooth flavor was finished with a surprising “crunch” that we learned is actually an amino acid crystallization that is born throughout the aging process. The Stillwater Cellar Door ale was my favorite drink of the night. Brewed in Maryland the hint of sage and herbal tones in this beer made it crisp and very easy to drink.

Although we will likely never stop thinking that wine and cheese are a great pairing, hopefully the beer and cheese trend will continue to gain momentum. With several specialty cheese shops and countless numbers of bars and restaurants with craft beers on tap here in New York, we have plenty of opportunity to put our taste buds to the test. As our instructor’s put it, “Beer and cheese speak at the same volume.” That is neither one over powers each other and they can each stand out in their own right. Cheers!

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Filed Under: Beer, Belgian, Food Events, Food Trends, Informational, Reviews, Upper East Side Tagged With: , , , ,

Showcasing specialty roasts and Brazilian delights – Casa Restaurant hosts Cafés do Brasil Week Brunch

November 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

BY BETH KAISERMAN

Kicking Off Cafés do Brasil Week at Casa – November 12, 2011

Cafés do Brasil sponsored a lovely brunch and coffee tasting Saturday morning at Casa, 72 Bedford St. in the West Village.

Casa is located on a cozy corner of New York City’s oldest street and serves up regional Brazilian home cooking. It was the ideal spot for an authentic experience in Brazilian flavors.

The brunch kicked off Cafés do Brasil Week, a week-long event during which 20 New York City restaurants will be serving Cafés do Brasil specialty coffees. The event runs until Saturday, November 19.

Brazil is the biggest coffee producer in the world. Attendees at Saturday’s brunch tasted three coffees — starting with Mogiana, a light-bodied selection from Minas Gerais, Cerrado from Sao Paulo, and Planalto, a rich option from Bahia.

Brazilian Farm Breakfast @ Casa

Eggs Florentine with Organic Baby Spinach and roasted potatoes with Linguiça

For brunch, Casa served each person a basket of sugar and cinnamon donuts, yucca and coconut cake and cheese bread “Pao de Queijo.” Along with the coffees, this was a perfect pick-me-up to start off a beautiful Saturday. The main dish was Eggs Florentine with organic baby spinach and roasted potatoes. Brazilian Specialty Foods provided sausage “Linguica” as an optional accompaniment to the egg dish. It was hearty and full of flavor.

For a complete list of participating Cafés do Brasil Week venues, see http://cafesdobrasil.com.

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Filed Under: Brazilian, Coffee, Featured, Food Events, Informational, Reviews, Upcoming Events, West Village Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Teasing Customers One Spice at a Time – Review of Spices and Tease

November 8, 2011 By 1 Comment

BY LISA M. NGUYEN

Spices And Tease
2580 Broadway (Between 97 & 98 Streets)
spicesandtease.com/ 347-470-8327
Upper West Side

 This unique stand once started off selling at street fairs, being the odd one out with their robust aromas of different spices and teas, which included 30 varieties of homemade spice blends, over 70 original spices and 180 imported teas.  While walking around Madison Square Park’s food festival, other stands were cooking pizza, hot dogs, sandwiches, and then there was Spices and Tease.  

You’ll be able to find your classic tea’s, like Earl Grey and Chai, but you’ll also be able to try something out of the ordinary like their Dark Choco Orange Black Tea, made with orange bits, cocoa bits, cardamom, and pink pepper.  This mix creates a comfort with the taste buds and turning plain water into a work of art. You can also try one of their other tea’s like their Mango Pineapple Chili, which they like to call their “Pirate of the Caribbean” tea.  This mixture is made up with mango flakes, chili powder, and pineapple pieces.  A soothing and flavorful mix.

Going for $7 for a small tin and $10 for a large, these fancy tins keep the tea and spice’s fresh, and are made for the perfect gift for your family and friends.

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Filed Under: Featured, Food Events, Food Vending Trucks, Indian, Informational, Reviews, Upper West side Tagged With: , , , , ,

Chocolate, Cheese and Wine: A Celebration of Taste

November 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

CLAIRE McCURDY

 

Alexandra Leaf


Is it possible to have too much chocolate at one sitting?  I wouldn’t have thought so, but I must confess that I now know the answer is yes. Even if the chocolate is all delicious. Think of the Halloween sack, or hollow pumpkin, or UNICEF box in which you deposited your treats. If you ate them all at once you’d feel a little – say- overwhelmed.

And so it was this evening. But I’m glad I came.

The 92Y had issued a generous invitation to foodies:  “Join us for this walk-around pairing, featuring an array of hand-crafted chocolates, cheeses, pastries and wines.”

“Meet local producers, increase your knowledge of artisanally-made foods, and seek inspiration for your holiday table.”

It did sound wonderful. Unfortunately or fortunately, the spread was almost entirely of chocolate. Hand dipped chocolate. Chocolate brownies. Hot chocolate.  Chocolate martinis More little ovals and squares with cunning little sprinkles of things on top. True, some bonbons were paired with chucks of very aged Gouda, which was a great idea since the intensely salty cheese took the edge off the eternal sweet things. . And there were some wonderful wines and mixed drinks in the center of the room to which you could repair.

Note, I’m not complaining. I wish I had been able to eat each one of my chocolates, leave, take a turn around the block and come back in. But no dice. The Y treated this event with the gravity and officiousness (and possibly, concern for security) that it would treat piano recital- tickets, lines, guided tours up the stairs (not the elevators) and a sharp eye on the participants. So there we all were with our chocolates.  A difficult fate.

The two stars of the evening were Fairway’s Master Baker Sarah Black and Costas Mozouras, Resident Mixologist of Gotham Wines and Liquors. Sarah Black was there to share the  secrets of The Best Brownie in the World.

Sarah Black and Fairway Market are not shy about advertising  its delicious Brownies.  “Kosher under the Supervision of Rabbi Abraham Marmorstein;  Artisanal Baked Goods, passed down three generations from Pauline LaMarche to her daughter Ann Black to her daughter Sarah Black, Fairway’s Baker Director. Offering the best brownie to the best market in the world to customers who know what the ‘best’ means. ”

It was truth in advertising.

And best of all, Fairway/Black customers were cordially  invited to sample a brownie and take one home for a friend.  It was a hit. This take home brownie was solemnly pronounced –if not  the best, right up there close to the top. It disappeared within two minutes. Even the cats sampled the crumbs and pronounced themselves pleased., wandering about looking longingly for more.

Costas Mozouras,  resident mixologist of Gotham Wines and Liquors, accompanied by Mixologist Raoul Segarra,  occupied  the tables in the center of the room the room.  The seductive sounds of shaken ice and liquor drew all.

Imagine that- the star of the show was a wicked- white chocolate martini, with chocolate infused gin (I think) and white chocolate gently dusted around the rim of the glass, It was so very good it was hard not to stay close to the tables for the rest of the evening.

Flanking the martini were the wines.  I picked a Pinot Noir to sample from Gotham Wines’s extensive selections. A Daedalus Pinot Noir 2008 From Willamette Valley, Oregon. It was light  and subtle and best of all, dry- no sticky sweet aftertatste after all the many sweet things I’d imbibed.  It deserved a fine meal to complement it.

Cafe, O CAFÉ,  the first coffee bar in New York to serve coffee brewed  from the highest quality Brazilian beans, also had a fine spiel:   “We make the Big Apple a Green Apple.”

Café owner Fernando Aciar’s just-launched a Brazilian café.   Brazil offers  extraordinary potential for the production of rare coffee beans,  yet to be discovered by the mainstream coffee market.    The café offers you  the opportunity to   “Pair a Bahian chocolate-infused latte with savory pão de queijo, a toothsome roll made from yucca flour and Minas cheese. Come spring, refresh with superfruit (açai, cupuaçu) pulp juices sourced from the Amazon.”

With O Café, I  believe, it was pastries. Undoubtedly they were wonderful. I was a little dazed by this time.

Chocolat Moderne’s Chocolate Atelier is staging a “bloody good time” now, for Halloween, through tonight.   They advertise “bloody hearts, new pumpkin pie bonbons, and new fiendishly hot drinking  chocolate.”

Go, you will not be disappointed.

While the atelier’s chocolates were utterly delicious, the not too sweet hot chocolate was quite wonderful on a very unseasonably cold night.  It also took the edge off the many sticky sweet things I had tasted that evening. I’d happily have gulped it- instead, the piping heat meant that I had to sip it slowly.  Just as well.

Mille Feuille Bakery Café. I’ d say this was the top of the line:  fine French goods. Chef Olivier is obsessed with pasty. “He spent a year at the famous Ritz Cooking School in Paris where he learned how to make delicious pastry During a trip to New York City  in 2009, Olivier and his wife fell in love with this incredible city and conceived of a project: a French style bakery with the homely and welcoming atmosphere of a Village café that would offer French and American pastries with a fine taste, using organic and all-natural products – a combination of the French touch with American openness. “

Macarons, breakfast pastries, dessert pastries- the menu is packed with sweets as well as genteel French lunch and dinner fare. This is one follow-up trip I feel I owe to myself.

Finally another chocolate fest.  R+D Chocolate, which stands for “research and development” — our approach to chocolate making, the result of a Ph.D. in bioengineering, years of training as a research scientist, and an obsession with chocolate.”  “It also stands for “rachel and david Gordon.”

Their pr is truly poetic.  “we turned to making our ideal chocolates. We are obsessed with (dark) chocolate and chocolates that are wholesome, pure, and overwhelmingly satisfying. These are chocolates that are not too sweet, that capture the essence of their ingredients. All of our products are made by hand (by Rachel).    We use only the highest quality ingredients, including locally produced ingredients whenever possible, and we make everything to order in small batches. “

These chocolates were magnificent. I was again tempted to keep hovering but collected myself and bag and made tracks.

As a final treat here is the irresistible abridged list of the flavors one can sample while also suggesting new and different flavors of one’s own.

“Current Menu (all coated in 72% Dark Chocolate unless otherwise specified):

72% Araguani chocolate ganache

Fleur de sel caramels

Raspberry ganache

Lemon verbena ganache

Elderflower ganache

Passion fruit ganache

Chocolate mint ganache

Strawberry pâte de fruit

St. Germain ganache

Lagavulin 16 yr scotch ganache

Black raspberry ganache…………………………………..”

Enjoy

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Filed Under: Food Events, Informational, Products Tagged With: , , , ,

Upclose with Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone and Why The Big Apple’s Local Dishes Are the Best

October 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Hotel Indigo Invites NYC Locals to Meet Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone and Prove The Big Apple’s Local Dishes Are the Best – Friday, September 30, 2011

EVENT REVIEW & INTERVIEW BY CLAIRE McCURDY

Chef Curtis Stone at Dish on the Dish at Hotel Indigo, NYC

The Hotel Indigo was clearly having a bountiful foodie afternoon. The stream of black-clad New York foodies eddied in and out. The ladies in black and white uniforms with trays of little tiny edibles like a wicked maguro roll with dipping sauce cunningly concealed in the bottom of a tiny cup, or a tiny crème brule garnished with an even tinier mint leaf and seated on a red pomegranate base, efficiently made the rounds. The buzz of conversation and appreciation rose.

Displays of local delicacies– from the five boroughs—were mounted around the room. A magnificent Brooklyn bakery, Brooklyn Bread Guy, Inc., with an amazingly wide variety of breads, rolls, baguettes, was posed next to an importer of olive oils so that one could rip off a chunk of fluffy baguette and dunk it into the olive oil seated at the adjacent table and savor both.  Tumbadour chocolates, also from Brooklyn, created by pastry cook Jean Francois Bonnet, (formerly of Daniel Restaurant) were cunningly decorated to display their contents – an abstract swirl of lime for a lime scented chocolate, for example.  They inspired broad smiles in anyone who came to their table, and everyone did.   A Double Cross Pear Martini made with Double Cross Vodka from Slovakia, the delicious garnish of a Chilean Wild Baby Peach, and wild baby pear juice, was amazing, the juice masking the strength of the vodka.

But all of this was merely the introduction. The star of the day and the event was Chef Curtis Stone, Australian super chef, and star not only of the cutting board in Australia, Britain and the US, but also a media darling.

Described variously as an important ’young gun” chef and by People Magazine (to his stated embarrassment) as “one of the sexiest men alive,” Curtis describes himself endearingly as a kid learning about making delicious meals from his mother and grandmother. He said that family and food were a close association with him. And was it not true that most people, when asked what was the best food they could ever remember, was a dish their mother had cooked?  It was certainly true for him.  A cherished memory, family sitting around the table, eating food cooked especially for the occasion, and the meal featuring his mother’s bread—she is a baker. Curtis likes to bake bread from her recipes.  “Good food,” he said, “has that personal touch.”

I asked him if he had a philosophy of food.  He said that a great meal starts with really great fresh ingredients.  Go looking for the perfect local fresh cheese, meats, vegetables–that’s what he wants to have end up, cooked perfectly, at the dinner table.  And remember the cooking timelines of each food element in order to put together your total timetable for cooking the meal. So that the timing of the cooking all works together.

Curtis has said that he loves soaking up local cultures as he travels, so I asked what was his favorite cuisine. He said that French cuisine would have to be at or near the top of his list. That they used their beautiful local produce and products to create brilliant, flavorsome exquisite meals and had been honing their techniques for hundreds of years—to perfection. And that their elegant foods are an integral part of their culture.

Did he have a signature meal? Curtis commented that as one got to know the history of food one learned about certain striking spots – such as Liguria in Italy- the birthplace of pesto.  The name means “pounded.”   Pesto is the pungent, aromatic, brilliant mixture of garlic, basil, and pine nuts pounded together and blended with olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano.  He said that one could really get a feel for the wonderful taste of squashed mashed young basil leaves.  That it was very important to use young basil leaves.  Then the pesto will be powerful and delicious.

Curtis reluctantly acknowledged that he has become a media darling but insists that it was all by accident.  He said he started with a number of segments, (Oprah, Ellen) during which he worked hard to share his love of food, and that it just caught on. People love food! And they love hearing other people talking well about food!

Who was his favorite talk show host? Curtis adroitly dodged that one, saying that Al Roker comes backstage frequently to sample his wares even when he isn’t on the show, and that he loves Curtis’s cooking.

His advice to a new chef just starting out?  Think of assembling your meal as a Sherlock Holmes or treasure hunt experience.  You start with great fresh local ingredients and then start asking questions about them. And going on a hunt for ingredients which will complement the first element.  Find a great bunch of asparagus—then ask, what goes well with this? A beautiful prosciutto? Then what?   Keep building on those initial blocks and you will have assembled the pieces to a beautiful meal.

When I asked Curtis what he felt was the key to success in his restaurants, he said that he always strove for integrity.  He said that a chef and restaurant owner must love his customers and must care for them and their needs from the minute they walk through the door. The chef’s warm attitude must be consistent throughout their time in the restaurant. Love- that’s the key!

And the perfect note on which to end the conversation.  Curtis had served us the dessert, you might say, and the fine cup of coffee

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Filed Under: American, Chelsea, Food Events, Food Trends, Informational Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Delicatessen Summer In Soho Tasting Event – Review of Delicatessen

July 26, 2011 By 1 Comment

BY STEPHANIE AMY COLLAZO

Delicatessen
54 Prince St
Soho
212-226-0211 / delicatessennyc.com

Downstairs seating area. Photo provided by Delicatessen.

            Delicatessen is known for being a NYC eater’s favorite stop for their lobster mac and cheese, but unknown to the general public if you slink your way through the crowd and down the stairs hidden in plain view you will find yourself in an entirely different atmosphere. 

            Entering the downstairs dining area of Delicatessen you find yourself surrounded by bright lights and a green seating area.  Looking for a taste of their signature cocktail of the night, I made my way to the mini bar tucked away down a short hallway near the bathroom area.  Once inside the dimly lit bar I admired the dark décor featuring black walls lined with a variety of glass bottles. 

Minibar. Photo provided by Delicatessen.

            While waiting for the bartender to make me a “Tilly,” fresh strawberries and lime muddled together with pomegranate and Satisfaction vodka, a line quickly developed behind me and didn’t dissipate until the end of the night.  This cocktail was amazing to say the least, you could barely taste the alcohol, which makes it dangerous for the careless drinker.  The flavors of the mint, strawberry and pomegranate meshed well making for the perfect summer cocktail.

Flash Fried Tuna Avocado Roll. Photo provided by Delicatessen.

            I decided to take a seat in the mini bar area, which could hold up to 20 seated guests.  Soon after I was joined by a fellow food blogger and the waiters began to bring out the long awaited sampling menu.  We first sampled the Flash Fried Tuna Avocado Roll ($14) which came with a creamy sambal chili sauce.  My acquaintance, who is not a fan of tuna, loved this dish.  We had to have about three pieces each, it was so good.

Tempura Mozzarella and Tomato Salad. Photo provided by Delicatessen.

            Next we had the Tempura Mozzarella and Tomato Salad.  The tempura mozzarella added a different texture element that was unexpected, but greatly appreciated.  After about four samplings of the mozzarella and tomato, we received the Pork Mole Tacos ($11).  The pork in the tacos was so juicy that I needed two napkins, but I am not complaining.

Sweet Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Photo provided by Delicatessen.

            While we didn’t get to try the Smoked Chicken Tacos ($11) that we had read about in the sample menu, we did receive a sample of the Sweet Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps ($10).  I found these a bit difficult to eat as they were tiny and the juice from the chicken dripped everywhere.  The chicken was sweet with a hint of spice, I would have liked them a bit more if they were bigger and less messy, but I have no complaints about the flavor. 

            Next we got a chance to sample three desserts off of the new menu.  First we tried the Cheesecake Lollipop, which is included in their “Hostess” Dessert Plate ($9).  The Cheesecake Lollipop was coated in white chocolate and the cheesecake filling was smooth and a bit lemony.  Following the cheesecake was the Chocolate Layer Cake ($10), this was your basic chocolate cake layered with chocolate ganache, very rich and dense.  Last but certainly not least was the Maple Bacon Beignet ($9).  I had been waiting for this since I arrived and I was not disappointed.  This dessert combined two of my favorite things bacon and crème anglaise.  The beignet was kind of like a bacon donut and the bourbon crème anglaise that they served on the side for dipping was the perfect glaze for that donut. 

            Though this was my first time visiting Delicatessen it certainly will not be my last.

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Filed Under: Asian Fare, Cocktails, Food Events, New American, Nolita, Reviews, Soho, Trendy Spots Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Everything you loved about college and more – Review of Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club

June 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

BY STEPHANIE AMY COLLAZO

Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club
89 South St.
South Street Seaport – New York, NY
(212) 896-4600
Beekmanbeergarden.com

View of the Brooklyn Bridge from the outdoor seating area. Photo By Stephanie Amy Collazo.

A post-grads dream, the Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club has everything you loved about college and more.  There is foosball, pool, ping-pong, great food, a light up lounge area and of course beer.

Entering from the street side of Pier 17 the first thing you see is the large black Beekman Beer Garden sign.  Making a left at the sign you are then face to face with the fun ping-pong and foosball tables and a tented seating area with a bar and a food trailer to your right.

Before finding seats we quickly surveyed the venue walking towards the back area, which featured white couches in what I have come to call the adult sandbox.

Glowing lounge area at the Beekman Beer Garden and Beach Club. Photo By Stephanie Amy Collazo.

Later in the night we learned that these couches lit up, and the view of the Brooklyn Bridge was even more beautiful than ever.

Drink of the night “Beach Ball.” Photo By Stephanie Amy Collazo.

Making our way back into the tent one of the waitresses offered us the drink of the night, which was called a Beach Ball.  When asking what was in the peach colored concoction the waitress said she was unsure but it was a mixture of rums.  The drink was very sweet, it tasted like it was made of peach schnapps and Malibu rum.

People surrounding the server with the burgers. Photo By Stephanie Amy Collazo.

The wait staff was also passing around a number of hors d’oeuvres, which for the most part were delicious, but none went over as well as the burgers.  As soon as the wait staff would walk away from the kitchen area the crowd would mob them before they could make it three feet from the pick up table.

Oyster with salsa fresca. Photo By Stephanie Amy Collazo.

The first of many hors d’oeuvres we sampled were oysters on the half shell with a salsa fresca, which are regularly priced at six for $12 or 12 for $20.  The oyster tasted very fresh and the salsa fresca made for a great alternative to the usual cocktail sauce and lemon combo.

Next we had the coconut shrimp with orange marmalade.  This had to be some of the best coconut shrimp I’ve had at a bar to date, it’s only competition being the coconut shrimp from the lazy boy saloon in White Plains.  The batter was nicely browned and had a wonderful crunch.  Sadly the coconut shrimp has not yet made it on the menu but I am hoping it will in the near future.

Piece of a Chicken Quesadilla. Photo By Stephanie Amy Collazo

The chicken quesadilla ($8) fell a little short; it was simply grilled chicken and cheese in a tortilla.  This was something I felt I could make at home; it didn’t really stand out to me in comparison with the other hors d’oeuvres.

Bratwurst on a Pretzel Bun. Photo By Stephanie Amy Collazo.

Last but certainly not least was the bratwurst served on a pretzel bun ($6).  This was served with some deli mustard and paired nicely with my Ommegang Witte ale. The beer was a pale ale similar to a Belgian-white and went well with all of the food.  The after taste of the beer reminded me of the taste left in your mouth after smoking a djarum black clove cigarette, which may be seen as an odd comparison to some but those who have smoked the brand before will know exactly what I mean.

The night finished off with my new friends and myself sipping Malibu Bay Breezes barefoot in the adult sandbox, discussing how we soon planned to return to the Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club.

There are plans for the venue to host free indie rock concerts, as well as a few ticketed events, throughout the summer making the Beekman Beer Garden a definite hot spot this summer.

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Filed Under: Beer, Financial District, Food Events, Food Trends, Informational, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

New Taste of Upper West Side comforts hungry folks

May 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

BY BETH KAISERMAN

When entering a huge tent filled with fine foods from eclectic Upper West Side chefs, it’s important to remember to pace yourself — especially when it’s all comfort food.

Whole Foods Market presented New Taste of the Upper West Side last weekend, a two-night festival celebrating culinary wonders that liven up the Upper West Side. Friday night featured Comfort Classics, hosted by Adam Richman of Man vs. Food and Dylan Lauren of Dylan’s Candy Bar.

Photo by Beth Kaiserman

For a girl who’s been limiting her meat consumption lately, the natural place to start was Five Napkin Burger.

This is one burger joint I’ve never been to, but I’ve perused the menu online, which boasts offerings from matzo ball soup to sushi, and of course burgers.

For the event they served up mini burgers (which I won’t refer to as “sliders,” my least favorite food word) with grilled onions and mayo. This mini morsel of meat did not hit the spot; the meat itself was soggy and the overall taste had a weird tang. One bite in, and I was already cruising for something else.

Photo by Beth Kaiserman

When you have a wide variety of things available to taste, it’s difficult when you find something you really like. Shake Shack didn’t disappoint, serving up a jalapeno-battered corn dog, which I couldn’t resist conquering. It was served alongside a corn relish, but was ultimately delicious on its own. (I even went back for seconds later.) This was my favorite pick of the night.

Once I stopped obsessing over the corn dog, I moved on to other important tasks, like finding a snack to enjoy while waiting in line for Luke’s Lobster, which had the longest line in the place. But by the time people pushed and bickered their way to the seafood, the lobster was gone, and I was left with a crab roll that was pretty unsatisfying.

 

At tasting events, it’s hard to say what’s good and what’s bad. You’re not receiving a true replica of what you would be served in each chef’s restaurant. You’re also overwhelmed with trying a ton of things in just a few hours. Therefore, it’s difficult to be overly critical. Still, you expect each chef to put forth his or her best efforts in serving you something memorable.

Photo by Beth Kaiserman

Photo by Beth Kaiserman

Another difficult chore is deciding when to move on to dessert. But once I saw Insomnia Cookies, my fate was sealed.

The standout dessert though was from Ed’s Chowder House. I was surprised they weren’t serving up one of their signature chowders, but happy with what they presented instead: a not-too-sweet, perfectly comforting bourbon chocolate pudding with a cinnamon spice cream. I’m not a fan of sinfully sweet things, and this had the slightest spice and smoke to it with no overpowering sweetness. “A great way to end a bad week,” said the lady who served it.

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Shake Shack (Madison Square Park) on Urbanspoon

Ed's Chowder House on Urbanspoon

Insomnia Cookies on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Food Events, Neighborhood News, Reviews, Upper West side Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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