Food Adventuring Around NYC
Forget bacon and eggs. The breakfast served at this homey Japanese restaurant includes a soup, a piece of seasonal fish, and alternating sides. Not to mention rice and pickled vegetables. It’s a delightful and cleansing way to start your day. Price: $12 OKONOMI 150 Ainslie Street (between Lorimer and Leonard Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn okonomibk.com
NYC Food Cart Tour – Halal Gyro Express An under-the-radar cart in the Financial District is doing something nobody else seems to be doing. They’re grilling up Afghan-seasoned lamb chops that are as good as anything you could get at a restaurant. Topped with their green jalapeño sauce, this is a cart worth seeking out. …
The star of this now unavailable salad at popular chain Sweetgreen was the dressing, a special collaboration with Momofuku chef David Chang. Hozon is a fermented seasoning similar to miso paste, but its made with sunflower seeds rather than soy beans. The tangy and smooth dressing would brighten up anything it touched. SWEETGREEN 1164 Broadway …
SADLY, PASAR MALAM IS NOW CLOSED. Fruit salads usually instill a sense of fear, but the Malaysians do it right. This crazy salad is a savory and sweet bowl of crunchy fruit and vegetables (pineapple, green mango, jicama, apple, and cucumbers) tossed alongside slices of fried bread that are softened by a tangy dressing of …
Someone finally figured out the veggie burger. Chef Daniel Strong has created a patty made of beets, brown rice, lentils, and mushrooms that is just as juicy and smoky as a beef burger. When it’s topped with lettuce, tomatoes and bacon in the form of thinly sliced charred eggplant on a Sullivan Street Bakery …
Forget mash-up foods (like the cronut), these perfect little bites at Michael White’s supper club restaurant are all you need. Not too dissimilar from cocktail hors d’oeuvres, these fried balls packed an unexpected punch with corned beef, sauerkraut, and even rye inside. There’s also the requisite thousand island dressing drizzled on top. Who needs an …
Despite the dark and small photo, I had to include this mind boggling cocktail. I love weird and experimental cocktails, so Experimental Cocktail Club is clearly an exciting place for me. Not everything works, but their savory and rich Take is Going Back to Japan cocktail was a home run. Smoky scotch infused with shiitake …
SADLY, MONTMARTE IS NOW CLOSED. There’s not too many places in NYC to get legitimate french onion soup. But once I discovered Montmartre, I don’t need to look anywhere else. Loaded with bits of braised brisket and lots of sweet caramelized onions, it all hides underneath a blanket of melted gruyére. Trés magnifique Price: $14 MONTMARTRE …
SADLY, GATO IS NOW CLOSED. Bobby Flay is not just a pretty TV personality, he also can cook! At Gato, his smoky and crisp octopus is brought to life by the addition of a tangerine vinaigrette, salty bacon, and plump shishito peppers. Price: $18 GATO 324 Lafayette Street (between Bleecker and East Houston Street), Noho (212) 334-6400 …
In a year of fried chicken sandwiches, this little fast food joint inside a hip food market sort of flew under the radar. Well, I caught it and it’s good! The juicy breast has a crunchy, salty exterior and is complemented by unexpected toppings like apple/celeriac slaw and a sweet and spocy sambal mayo. Price: …
SADLY, DOVER IS NOW CLOSED. The chefs from Battersby have opened perhaps Brooklyn’s best new restaurant. Dover suceeds on all accounts as was evident from my extraordianry dinner there. The al dente garganelli with duck ragú caught my heart and hasn’t let go since. Too bad it’s not currently on the menu. DOVER 412 Court Street …
You know a restaurant in Astoria is legit when English is barely spoken and Greek men are playing cards in the kitchen. This off-the-radar taverna served me and my Greek friend some spectacular pork sausage kissed with orange and fennel. It made me really miss Greece, but now I realize I can just hop on …
This new concoction by the chocolate geniuses at Mast Brothers sounds like a dessert of sorts. It’s not. While a little added sugar is recommended, this complex drink really lets the flavors of the cacao bean shine with fruity, earthy, or smoky flavors. It takes a little while to wrap your head around it, but …
SADLY, MATCHABAR IS NOW CLOSED. Not an easy task, but the new Matchabar in Williamsburg is attempting to wean Brooklynites off their morning coffee and onto the more healthful matcha. The powdered green tea produces a beautiful drink in any number of forms (hot, cold, with frothed milk, or with seasonal fruit juices) with a nice …
SADLY, TAKASHI IS NOW CLOSED. Eating any number of the cow stomachs sounds a bit terrifying for most Americans, but the impeccable Takashi makes it accesible for adventurous eaters. The first stomach is marinated in their special sauce and then grilled tableside so that it has a crisp, chewy texture with lots of meaty and sweet …
It comes out looking like a bowl of chocolate soft serve and this chicken liver mousse is just as decadent. Softened and creamy, the smooth texture is unbelievable and the rich flavor has hints of sweetness with a garnish of candied walnuts for crunch. Spread this on toast with some pickled shallots and you’ll quickly …
SADLY, SAU VOI CORP IS NOW CLOSED. Who’d think a nondescript Asian CD store would also be selling some of the best Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches in Chinatown? The “number one” is the classic crusty baguette bread overloaded with salty ham, rich paté, and slices of chewy pig’s ear. It’s brightened with the usual cilantro, cucumbers, …
Maman is a cute little Soho café with bites and coffee, but their chocolate chunk cookie reigns supreme. Kissed with sea salt and studded with a variety of nuts (almonds, walnuts, and macadamia), the modest little cookie is loaded with crunchy, buttery, and sweet surprises. It’s certainly the best cookie of the year. Price: $3.75 MAMAN …
One of the most interesting beers I’ve tasted this year, the White Coffee Stout is a bit of a misnomer but it’s certainly exciting. The blonde colored beer releases the same sort of roasty, coffee flavors you expect from a dark stout. Here, it’s both creamy and light while rich and sweet. It’s as exciting …
This unusual beer is part of the brewery’s special Worshipful Company of Brewers series, wherein a different brewer gets to create whatever sort of beer he or she wants to and then it is available for a limited time exclusively at the brewery. When it was Saidou Ceesay’s turn at bat, he created a smoked …
