While the Banh Mi craze continues to storm all of NY, Num Pang is doing it a little different. Smaller, more creative sandwiches, but a bit more pricey. With the likes of duck breast, pork belly, crab cakes, veal meatballs, skirt steak and lemongrass chicken liver pate sandwiched between the tasty little bun I had to try out this relatively new hot spot.
I opted for one of the specials, the Five Spiced Pork Belly with Pickled Rhubarb ($7.50), a tough decision with many other options available and a few tasty specials being offered. One of the less expensive options, the sandwiches range up to $15 for the crab cake (ouch!), it was packed with flavor, albeit it a bit small for the money. The stubby little sandwich was stuffed with cucumbers, cilantro, chili mayo and the delicate pickled rhubarb all on a small Parisi Bakery bun. The pork belly, in all it's fatty glory, was cut into chunks with some of the fat rendered down into crispy ends. The meat was not neccessarily cooked evenly with some pieces full of chewy fat and others offering a more tender, crispy bite.
While it was surely a tasty sandwich, you can get much more for your money at Baoguette or one of the many banh mi joints in Chinatown, where $6 can buy you two sandwiches, each double the size of Num Pang. 21 East 12th Street, New York, NY, 212-255-3271, Price - Inexpensive - Moderate (anywhere from $8 - 20/person) photo courtesy of Fat of the Land
With burgers all the rage these days it can be frustrating when I can't find a great burger within walking distance of my apartment. With Dram Shop a good distance away, Beast and Soda inconsistent, and Bonnie's just now impressing me, I'm happy to say that Alchemy is doing a great job with ground meat on the grill.
On a recent visit for lunch, where the burger came with a half pint of beer at no extra charge, we found ourselves all ordering burgers, including 1 veggie burger. Sitting in the comfortable backyard we were served our burgers, which each came with a heaping pile of skin-on, super crispy fries. Most importantly, the burger was cooked to order, medium-rare just as I had requested and topped with melted cheddar. The patty was loosely formed of all-natural Angus beef and sandwiched on an onion brioche. I generally found brioche too sweet for my burgers, but this hit the spot, the onion adding a nice depth of flavor and helping to make up for the somewhat under seasoned beef. Opting to go without the accompanying lettuce and tomato, the burger was remarkably juicy and remained held together by the brioche. The shallot confit which topped the burger was a bit too oily for my taste, but was good intentioned and can easily be removed.
We all agreed, this was a solid burger and a welcome change from some of the more inconsistent, overly fussy burgers found around the neighborhood. One important point, the burger is $11 during lunch, but an extra $1 for cheese (varieties include blue, cheddar, havarti and swiss) plus another $1 for bacon. During dinner it is $13, with the add-ons still requiring the extra dough. 56 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 718-636-4385, Reservations - Not Needed, Price - Moderate ($15-20/person) photo courtesy of Grub Street
It is good beer month and to celebrate Slow Food USA, The Good Beer Seal and Jimmy's No. 43 put together an exciting event last night at the original Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City. At the center of the event was an amateur cook-off focusing not on a single ingredient, but on all local ingredients. Contestants had to source all ingredients, from local farms within 150 miles of the city and then be prepared to explain the source to the attendees and judges. The dishes were to be unique interpretations of standard grilling dishes, so there were no hamburgers or hot dogs here, but rather many more interesting bites. To round out the evening food was also served by Fatty Cue, Fette Sau, Rub BBQ and Jimmy's No. 43 while Sixpoint beer was featured at the bar.
Of course the weather put a damper on the evening, but the cooks could not be stopped. Looking out to the fog covered skyline, seven contestants competed for prizes and bragging rights and were judged by Josh Ozersky of The Feedbag, Rachel Wharton of Edible Brooklyn and Edible Manhattan and Lucinda Scala Quinn of Martha Stewart Living. After a few minor delays due to rain and grill malfunction, these discerning palates gathered and declared a winner around 9pm. To the best of my memory the dishes were:
- Thinly sliced, cured and grilled pork belly over vinegar-based bok choy (pictured) - Pork belly lettuce cup with corn pudding, plums and miniature magnolia flowers - Steak kebobs with peppers and a spicy, sweet peach sauce - Grilled corn "Mexican style" with cojita cheese, spice rub and pulverized ham hock - Black and blue steak with salt crust and summer corn - Pork belly over fava bean puree with crispy onions on a baguette - Sliced beef heart with carmalized onions on toast
The judges favorite, and winner of the grand prize, was the thinly sliced pork belly with bok choy, also my personal favorite. While it was not presented in the most elaborate or beautiful way, it had the most powerful, addictive flavors that kept me coming back for more. Definite props go out to all the contestants for their hard work and solid food, it certainly was not easy putting out 150+ servings in these conditions.
When it came to the restaurant food, nothing could top Fette Sau's Pork Belly Sliders (pictured). These tasty little sandwiches were by far the best thing I ate all evening. Crispy, tender pork belly cubes were stuffed into miniature Martin's buns and could be topped with anyone of 5 sauces. Other food consisted of Fatty Cue's chicken wings and rye cocktail, RUB BBQ's smoked chicken, Water Taxi Beach's Motz burgers and Jimmy's No. 43 grilled sausage with mustard. Each restaurant offered solid food, but nothing beat that pork belly slider. All in all a fun evening with crowds toughing out the rain to help raise thousands of dollars for Slow Food USA. For more photos of the evening, including photos of the contestants dishes and the restaurant offerings see below:
Stone Park Cafe is one of the more well-known restaurants in Park Slope, but also one of the pricier options. With entrees reaching the $30 it is priced more like a Manhattan restaurant than neighborhood Brooklyn spot. Well, with brunch the fear of overpaying is not an issue. I had long heard of the stellar brunch offerings here, but just never managed to get around to it. After a long food and drink filled weekend a craving came upon me for biscuits and sausage gravy. Yes, an odd craving, but I had been recollecting about a stellar breakfast I had in Cape Cod back in May and needed to fulfill it. After reading about the local restaurants offering biscuits and sausage gravy, Stone Park Cafe was the clear winner.
Upon arriving at the restaurant we were seated outside, allowed to enjoy the beautiful morning and clear blue sky. Ordering was a quick process and the food arrived promptly. A huge plate of biscuits smothered in a thick, creamy sausage gravy laced with sage. The biscuits lost some of their crunch and pillowy texture due to the heavy gravy, but that did not take away from the taste. Joining the biscuits, two perfectly poached eggs oozed their bright yellow yolks onto the plate. By no means a heart healthy breakfast, it was absolutely delicious and quickly filled my craving. I chose to have my dish accompanied by a side of sauteed greens, which were of course cooked with bacon and spiked with chiles. My friend chose the house cured bacon, which while not crispy enough for my taste, offered a welcome smokiness to breakfast. At $14 my brunch was not the cheapest, but it was delicious and kept me full until dinner time. I'm glad I finally made my way over to Stone Park Cafe, and while I know I'll be back for brunch, I will certainly have a tough time not getting the biscuits with sauage gravy again and again. 324 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215,718-369-0082, Reservations - Not available for brunch, Price - Moderate ($12-20/person)
Spending $10 on dinner is a rarity in NY. The few options of pizza, sandwiches and falafel can be rewarding, but not an every night occurrence. Enter, Beacon in midtown, the generally pricey business lunch spot,with a menu full of appetizers exceeding $10 and entrees approaching $30, one wouldn't expect a deal here. Well, to celebrate their 10th anniversary and revamping of their menu, July 10th brought about a special deal for diners. Three courses for only $10, an absolute steal no matter how you look at it. The deal was originally marketed as available to the first 100 diners, but eventually all diners were able to take advantage of it. To top it off, select bottles of wine were only $10 as well. Considering the least expensive wine on the menu is $30.
I quickly made a reservation for a handful of friends who can't pass up a good dining deal at the prime time of 7pm. Arriving at the restaurant it was shocking to not see a packed dining room. Regardless, we made our way to the table and were served a complementary glass of prosecco. Initially aprehensive about the quality of the three course menu, were were pleasantly surprised by the selections. For the first course we had the choice of Watercress Salad with Grilled Peaches and Balsamic, Seafood Chowder with Fennel and Saffron, and vibrant Yellow Tomato Gazpacho. All three were good, not great, but considering they would have been more than $10 on their own we already recouped the cost of the meal.
Our second course brought about some winners and continued variety, Stout Braised Short Ribs, Duck Confit, Half-Roasted Chicken, Salmon with Pesto Salad and a Vegetable Risotto. My personal favorite were the short ribs, served on the bone, the tender meat sat in a pool of sweet polenta with a rich veal demi-glace. Not the largest portion, and with a few minor flaws, it was a very good dish considering it's approximate cost of $3.33. The crispy duck confit was also a solid dish albeit served without much else on the plate.
Continuing on to dessert we were offered three options, Devil's Food Chocolate Cake, Toasted Coconut Cheesecake and a Trio of Housemade Sorbets. Opting to continue my rich meal I chose the moist chocolate cake. While they were unneccessarily large portions, each was enjoyable. Our four, yes four, $10 bottles of wine may not have been stellar, the choices were Pinot Grigio and Rose Syrah, they certainly made the meal even more of a steal.
Generally a meal like this would have run over $50 a person, but here it was less than $20 a person before tax and tip. Unfortunately, the deal was not only a celebration, but a sign of the times in the restaurant industry. Hopefully this special deal introduced new diners to the restaurant and brought about positive publicity. I for one hope more people realize the impressive culinary showing at the Kitchen Counter, the intimate six person chef's tasting meal, or even the much talked about Burger Bar. If anything, the new menu will hopefully breath new life into an older restaurant on an unattractive midtown block with a very talented chef.
The highly anticipated Prime Meats, of the Franks fame, has been on my short list of must visit Brooklyn restaurants for the past few months. Not making my way to Carroll Gardens very often, I quickly took advantage of an invite from a few friends to join them at this instant hot spot. Located on a quiet corner near the rest of their small empire, Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli, opened Prime Meats with the intent on bringing together locally sourced goods and plenty of housemade cured meats. The latter half of that is still in development as the dining room and full menu won't be making their debut till September, but for now you can enjoy a simple, yet pleasant menu along with superb cocktails in an wood clad bar room.
We arrived on a recent weekday evening, around 7:30pm, and easily grabbed a key table. The room is setup with a small bar, a few booths and a few tables. There is no seating at the bar so at peak hours the front of the spot can get quite packed. Our table, a booth for 4 was perfect, allowing for an absurd amount of food and plenty of people watching. To start, a round of drinks. For me, the classic Old Fasioned, the bourbon cocktail I find myself ordering time and time again. Prime Meats version is solid, with a hefty pour and housemade pear bitters, I liked it so much I ordered three.
From a food perspective we started with the Vesper Brett ($13), described as an "Alpine tasting board" a hefty charcuterie platter with kassler (smoked pork), landajer (a dried hunter's sausage), black forest bacon, bologna, farmer's sausage and cervelat. Accompanied by a spicy mustard (for now not housemade, but soon, we were told) this was a great platter of fatty meat, with pickled red onions and bread & butter pickles to mellow everything just slightly. I was a huge fan of the chewy, jerky-like landajer. A cheese platter (3 for $19) of Kunik (Goat's Milk & Jersey Cream), Shaker Blue (Raw Sheep's Milk) and I believe Grayson (Raw Cows' Milk) appeared with hefty slices of nutty bread and a fig spread. Each cheese unique with my favorite being the super stinky Shaker Blue. Of course more food found it's way to the table with four hungry eaters, a housemade hot pretzel ($3) with sweet Bavarian mustard was forgettable, but the side of "bread and butter" paired health bread with addictable, salty, creamy butter. And two specials, a Beet Salad and Pork Belly Terrine, of course because we didn't have enough food. The salad, composed of thin slicing beets, included the beet greens and a generous dollop of goat cheese. It offered a much needed brightness to a table of meat. While the terrine, served cold, had a wonderful texture and was topped with a few greens and radishes. This was just round one.
In round two, we opted to step it up and order from the back of the menu, where dishes like 36-Day Aged Bone-In Ribeye, available by the ounce for $1.70/per, a burger, Weisswurst platter, Surkrut Garnie, Sauteed Trout, NY Strip and a couple variations of spaetzle. Apparently they were out of ribeye, probably a mixed blessing for my wallet and my stomach, so we ordered two burgers, two steaks and a side of Herb & Gruyere Spaetzle and Sauteed Spinach with Spring Garlic. The burger ($13), my choice, was an 8oz Creekstone Farms Black Angus mix, stuffed between a housemade sesame roll, with dill pickles, lettuce, tomato, thin-cut fries and melted Gruyere ($2 extra). I had high hopes for the burger. The Creekstone meat alone excited me more than anything, but unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. Overcooked, it was more medium-well than medium-rare like I asked, but the rich, beefy flavor was enjoyable. The biggest flaw for me was the bun, it was extremly dense, making the whole burger quite a mouthful. I would have prefered a soft potato roll or even brioche, which would have made it easier to eat.
On the other hand, the strip steak was superb, and something I highly recommend. At only $19, this 12oz steak was charbroiled to a perfect medium-rare. A wonderful crust and seasoned nicely, I would say it is one of the best steaks I've had this year, and at under $20 a steal. 30-day dry-aged, the steak had a deep mineral flavor and was accompanied by a spicy chimichurri sauce and watercress salad. If the ribeye is prepared anything like the strip steak then that is surely something I'll have to order next time. The sides, also were delicious, but I preferred the cheesy spaetzle ($5 for a small) which was like a German mac & cheese.
With an ever changing menu I expect many more meals at Prime Meats and look forward to the main dining room opening up. With the goal of curing and making their own sausages, charcuterie, mustard and more, the Franks are only going to improve this place. While the cost of dining here can certainly add up, an inexpensive meal is certainly possible, especially with the portion sizes. 465 Court St. at Luquer St., Brooklyn, NY, 718-254-0327, Reservations - Not Available, Price - Moderate-Expensive ($20-50/person depending on drinks and starters)
I've long heard about Veselka, its solid burger (per Serious Eats and Josh Ozersky), great vibe and of course the Ukranian food, but never managed to make it over there. On a recent day, the day when the sky looked on fire in NYC, I headed over to the East Village thanks to my girlfriend's great idea to check out the restaurant. Veselka was the destination and I already knew I was ordering the burger. The space was about half full, with huge platters of kielbasa, bowls of borscht and burgers filling the occupied tables. A few diners sat outside and the doors were all open providing a nice breeze. There were clearly some regulars here, but a nice, mixed crowd of folks.
We were quickly seated and ordered up the Cheeseburger Deluxe ($9.95) medium-rare along with Fried Pierogi's with potato and cheese ($9.50). The burger has gone up in price since I read about it last year, when it was in the $6-8 range, but came with fries and coleslaw. It's a heaping eight-ounces of freshly ground meat (chuck perhaps), but it's not a thickburger. The relatively thin patty rests between a soft, sesame-seed bun, that is apparently from Amy's, and two slices of American cheese. As you can see in the photo, the cheese doesn't arrive completely melted, but once you dig into the burger it melts very nicely. Cooked perfectly I was thoroughly impressed already, as it seems to be difficult for many restaurants to cook a burger to order. The burger is char-broiled, providing a nice crust, but I personally prefer griddled. Properly seasoned, cooked to order and with the appropriate amount of char, this is a burger I can support. The accompanying fries were also quite good, although I like mine a bit more seasoned and well-done. A far cry from the burger I recently had at Prime Meats (review to come), this burger had a great ratio of burger, bun and cheese.
At this point the Pierogi's were unfortunately an afterthought. I had my large Ukranian beer ($5.50) and solid burger. Regardless, the Pierogi's were good, but pricey for the portion. While most things are better fried, I would have preferred these boiled as the taste was lost amongst the grease. The sauteed onions which arrived with the Pierogi's were delicious, however, I didn't try them until the dish was almost done. With so many other options on the menu I look forward to my return trip, but I'll find it hard to not order the burger, which may have slipped into my top 5 in the city. 144 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10003, 212-228-9682, Price - Moderate ($15-30/person)
I had never been to any of Mark Meyers restaurants, but have always heard the same thing, that they have good brunch. After sometime I finally made it to Cookshop all the way on 10th Avenue and as I expected, the place was jumping. The large room quickly filled up and the sidewalk seating was a hot commodity (especially this past weekend). The room was well lit, inviting and bustling within 15 minutes, a definite sign of a good brunch spot.
My group of six ordered a variety of food, from pancakes to chicken salad, along with coffees, teas and a standalone Bloody Mary. My dish, the All-Natural Beef Brisket, was huge and served with two poached eggs and an Idaho potato hash. The brisket was mildly smoked and shredded amongst the potatoes which had a tangy mustard seed sauce. The eggs broke open and the yolks blended nicely with the rest of the dish, creating a creamy, smokey bite. Unfortunately, the mustard seeds eventually overpowered the dish, taking control of the lightly smoked brisket. It was a good dish, but not one I finished or would order again.
The other items on the table consisted of delicate pancakes topped with caramel bananas and cinnamon butter, two variations of the Cookshop Scramble and two orders of the Hudson Valley Chicken Breast Salad. The pancakes were delicious and the banana topping reminded me of bananas foster. The two scrambles, one with smoked salmon, the other with bacon, were good, but with one major flaw. The scrambles were served atop the restaurant's pillowy biscuits, crushing the bottom layer and ruining this flaky, buttery baked good. While the side salad seemed to be an afterthought, bringing little to the dish. The chicken salads were pleasing, offering little complexity, but a healthy and filling lunch, topped with toasted almonds, golden raisins and olives.
One of the best parts of the meal were the drinks. It's not as if we ordered anything special, but the iced coffee, ice teas (three are offered) and Bloody Mary were all very good. Strong coffee, flavorful unsweetened teas and a spicy, powerful Bloody Mary, topped with an entire stalk of celery (no joke, the biggest I'd ever seen in a drink). While brunch here is no trip to the local diner, the cost is somewhat justified by the large portions. If I return, my eye is on the fried chicken, served with ranch dressing and honey. One final note, the service we had was not only prompt and kind, but also very accomodating, something that made the experience even more worthwhile. 156 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011, 212-924-4440, Reservations - Recommended, Price - Moderate/Expensive (brunch $15-30/person)
While the Banh Mi craze continues to storm all of NY, Num Pang is doing it a little different. Smaller, more creative sandwiches, but a bit more pricey. With the likes of duck breast, pork belly, crab cakes, veal meatballs, skirt steak and lemongrass chicken liver pate sandwiched between the tasty little bun I had to try out this relatively new hot spot.
