It’s a sad day when pizza disappoints, review of Paulie Gee’s in Greenpoint:

“New York feels so saturated with Neapolitan-style pizza restaurants that you can barely throw a wad of dough without hitting a wood-fired pie in any neighborhood. Greenpoint is just the latest area to embrace the trend with Paulie Gee’s, which opened mid-March in the old Paloma space. Run by its namesake, Paul Gianonne, this rustic restaurant is nestled in the hippest part of the neighborhood near staples like The Pencil Factory and The Black Rabbit, and, from the look of the crowd gathered on a recent weekday night, this joint is gearing up to become a permanent fixture.” – New York Press

Oh what a Tangled Vine we weave, but a delicious one!

“The wine list alone is organized in an unusual way, from the lightest of the brews to the richest. But even with the comical and well-informed descriptions under each offering, the staff is more than happy to pair wine with food, or just to offer a glass you will love. I was lucky enough to spend a recent evening with Tangled Vine’s wine director, Evan Spingarn, as he taught me what went with which dish, and how different wines could really bring out the flavor of the food. With more than 160 types of mainly.” – West Side Spirit

Pizzacone to the rescue! Feature on K! Pizzacone and how they are changing the world of pizza:

“Before it even properly launched, K! Pizzacone became a legend. A to-go box from the restaurant’s opening day sold for $56 on eBay, and one man from Charlottesville, Va., was so enamored with the idea of the pizzacone that he took a bus to New York during a category-5 blizzard, just to get a taste. “It was delicious,” he wrote in a blog post, which was merely signed “Alex.” But Alex’s excitement for K! Pizzacone isn’t unusual. On opening day last month the tiny, day-glow take-out joint was packed with the hungry, the curious and, of course, the food bloggers.” --New York Press

Two meat shops make their debut, reviews of This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef and Mile End:

“These days, meat is king. It seems like no matter what kind of flesh you’re interested in, there’s a shop devoted to making sure it’s readily available. And now we’ve got two new sandwich shops in the game: This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef and Mile End. Both focus on making a supreme meat sandwich, whether it’s roasted, braised, boiled or steamed.” – New York Press

I was overall pretty impressed with the spread.  There were creamy, mustard tinged deviled eggs from Fort Defiance; soft yet chewy beef jerky from The Vanderbilt, mini smoked meat sammies from Mile End, and savory meatballs with parsnip and pickled fennel from The Farm on Adderly.  One of my favorite stands, and by the length of the line, other people’s as well, was Palo Santo’s.  I last saw chef Jacques Gautier dishing out treats at the Gourmet Latino Festival preview, but was more impressed with the wild boar in mole negro tacos and tangy ceviche he served last night.  It went perfect with the smoky Ilegal Mezcal Joven and Reposado and spicy sangrita chaser he doled out along side the food.

Despite the tight, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, I was able to pick out a few familiar faces.  Of course Rachel Wharton and Gabrielle Langholtz from Edible Brooklyn and Edible Manhattan were there, along with cookbook author Louisa Shafia, and Rick Field of Rick’s Picks, my favorite pickle company.   I finished up the night with a dark chocolate bonbon (or three) from Tumbador Chocolate and samples of Compass Box’s smoky, artisan scotch whiskey.  By the end of the event I was full and warm from too many cocktails like my favorite, Fort Defiance’s Warwick Bramble, which went down twice in smooth, berry sweet gulps.   Despite trying numerous concoctions and liquors, this morning I woke up refreshed, and wanting to do it all over again.

Who doesn’t love a pile of spicy, smoky, diced tomatoes with cilantro, lime, jalapeno, and onion, all mixed together and placed on top a corn chip, burrito, or taco?  In Colorado, you go to a Mexican restaurant and immediately they serve you a ramekin of garlicky tomato puree, rarely the bowl of fresh pico de gallo you get in New York (which people mistakenly call salsa).

But as New York Times writer Julia Moskin dives into the new Mexico chic cuisine that has popped up all over the city, she finds that a lot of places are getting this simple sounding, but not so simple dish, right.  Surprisingly, as a Mexican food snob, I totally agree with this article.  There are some great places to get some unique and tasty salsas.  Her list includes: Cascabel Taqueria, La Superior, Hecho en Dumbo, and more.  I would definitely add Cabrito, one of my personal favorite taco spots here, to the list.

Who has your favorite salsa?  And, what is the best way to make it?

Here is my quick and easy recipe:

Take one large can of whole peeled tomatoes (28 ounces) and put in food processor with:

2 garlic cloves

1 small onion (chopped before going in food processor)

1/4-cup fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeño pepper

2 tsp Tabasco brand chipotle sauce

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of salt

Today New York Times writer Manny Fernandez wrote about the 99-cent pizza craze that has been spreading across Manhattan.  But, he isn’t the first one to note cheap, $1 and under food.  About a year ago, I did a round up for Serious Eats that included pork buns, noodles, and sticks of meat from Flushing, Queens’ Chinatown; $1 falafel sandwiches; cheap sushi; and 39 cents an ounce frozen yogurt.  Josh Bernstein has also been rounding up cheap eats by neighborhood for Metromix.  He recently stumbled on the Hell’s Kitchen area and talked about the same pizza Fernandez did in his article.

What’s up with this craze?  Is 99-cent pizza worth it?  Adam Kuban of Slice didn’t say in his cheap pizza battle last year, but he also didn’t say he really liked either pie.  Some things I think work well as $1 items, like ices on the street in the summer, hot dogs, and French fries.  But overall, I would rather pay $2 for a really good slice, then bother with a kind of gross one for less.

*Update: Here is the New York Press piece about RBC NYC.

One recent Friday afternoon, I found myself with an hour to kill and was conveniently located near Union Square and its fabulous greenmarket.  Normally I just rush about, wanting and craving everything I see, but either I have no cash, or don’t want to carry my bounty around town.  This time, while the fresh veggies, eggs, and meat tempted me, what really pulled me in was the goat stand.  For about 20 years, Ellie Hushour has owned and operated the Patches of Star Dairy in Nazareth, PA, and her goaty goods are found every week at the green market.  She sells goat milk, yogurt, and cheese, all packaged fresh, with no preservatives, and at reasonable prices.

Given that I had a bundle of beets at home, I instantly started craving roasted beet and goat cheese salad, one of the simplest things to make.  So, I strolled over to her stand and asked which cheese would go best.  Hushour recommended the honey chevre ($5 or $8 for two) and boy was she right.  When I got home, I whipped up my meal and marveled at how the light honey in the cheese complemented the sugariness of the beets.  Together they rounded off nicely and I ate the whole, healthy thing.

photo by Randy Mayor (from Cooking Light)

Man, so about a month ago I took on the task of rounding up the best all-you-can-eat joints in the city.  My results? You can now see them HERE in this week’s Time Out New York! My all time favorite one was Cabrito, mostly because the staff was so nice and their tacos-AMAZING.  Of course, from fried chicken, to piles of meat, to delicate mussels, all these places are good, I tried each one in less then a week.  Still not sure how I did it, I mean, that is a lot of food.  Lucky me, it seems I was born with a second stomach.

Does anyone have a good all-you-can-eat place that I missed? Always looking for more places to gorge.

Tacos at Cascabel

Hey kids, I figure you have noticed I have been slooooooow at posting. I guess the more you write about the food the harder it is to keep up the blog. The good news is, there are tons of reviews for you to read! I have also started writing for Edible Brooklyn, which is pretty exciting.  Anyway, all these restaurants are Mexican themed, my favorite. Click the link to read full review.

Piquant in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; New York Press:

“With drinks in hand, we got down to the task of choosing from the vast menu, which featured first course options like tacos, sides, sliders, soups, salads, ceviches and entrées.We started with the crab quesadilla ($12); the lightly fried tortilla came in four wedges stuffed with hearty crabmeat structured around a mound of cool jicama slaw.What made this dish truly stand out was the addition of a rich black bean sauce swirled with a tangy ginger lime cream, which I slathered on each bite.  All the food on the menu gets its inspiration from chef and owner David Sharp’s Texas upbringing and love for Southwestern and Mexican food. Piquant is the ex-Mustang Grill chef’s first solo venture, and he plans to focus on the spicy (piquant) flavors of this cuisine.”

Beef rib at Piquant

Cascabel in the Upper East Side; Our Town

“The menu at Cascabel says, “Eat, Drink, Love Tacos.” And this is exactly what you will do at this new taqueria.  With the sudden boom in places dishing up Mexican street food, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by new-fangled taco combinations and attention-grabbing slogans. Cascabel is also a bit gimmicky, as it’s completely decked out in lucha libre (the stylish Mexican wrestlers) icons. From the figurines behind the counter to wood block prints by Brooklyn designer Ulla Florholmen and two large wrestlers painted on the wall, there is no lack of kitsch in this small laid-back café.  But don’t get too distracted. The real star here is the food.”

Fonda in Park Slope, Brooklyn; New York Press

“Fonda, translated into English, means “inn,” but Roberto Santibañez’s Mexican restaurant in Park Slope has nothing inn-like about it. It does, however, sport a chic Brooklyn charm with exposed brick walls, small wooden tables and a candle-lit backyard fenced in with thick logs.  As we took our seats one recent night, a young man from Mexico dashed over to us with menus and a smile, marking the beginning of a beautiful waiter-ship; throughout the evening, he was courteous, sharp, available and just plain nice.We immediately ordered gigantic glasses of sangria, one each of the red and white ($7).The single cup filled with the cool mixture of wine, brandy and fruit stayed with us through the meal, not a small feat for someone who enjoys this drink almost to a fault.”

Inside Los Feliz

Los Feliz in the Lower East Side; New York Press

“Adding to the décor, the laid-back approach of the staff gives this taco and tequila joint a sense of establishment—more than we can say for the scattershot Spitzer’s Corner, owned by the same folks. More important than the dining room, though, is the kitchen, which utilizes the culinary skills of Mexican chef Julieta Ballesteros, whose team has created an eccentric menu of tacos, salads, quesadillas and ceviches.  Since they are the new bahn mi, I decided to focus on tacos. From carefully seared scallops to braised pork or fried chicken, the nine combinations offered steer far away from the classic Mexican street food the restaurant attempts to emulate.The food is just too complicated without the necessary punch of flavor a taco calls for. Served in disposable paper bowls like boardwalk snacks, the tiny tacos come two per order and are paired with a chipotle tomato salsa and mild tomatillo sauce, neither one packs any heat.”

“My gang and I dove into six of the options, all sized small, all gooey, all damn tasty. Each of the dishes was baked to perfection, with the insides hot and melty and the top brown and crispy. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to get an order, but every one is made fresh. My favorite of the ones we sampled was the “Mac lobsta’” ($8.99). It surprised me due to its unbelievable lightness, explained by the use of mascarpone cheese instead of a classic cheddar or fontina. Because of the mild nature of the cheese, the freshness of the lobster chunks really came through, and mixed with tarragon and cognac, the flavors eased together to create a rich and delicious combo.”

Peacefood Cafe in Upper West Side (West Side Spirit/Our Town)

“A dining experience can be many things, but rarely does it prove comical by nature. I don’t mean rolling on the floor laughing because your waiter is really a comedian or the counter person does improv, but the kind of humor one looks back on with a groan of disbelief, as if to say, “Did that really happen?”
The service at Peace Food café invokes these feelings, and if the vegan and raw food menu didn’t offer up several culinary gems, I would advise you to avoid the madness. It started with a glass of water.”

Passing the Bar: Der Schwarze Kolner (New York Press)

“Can you have a biergarten without the garten? It appears so at Der Schwarze Kolner, one of the newest players in the biergarten craze that seems to be replacing the understandably tired speakeasy trend.

This Fort Greene bar adds to the neighborhood’s already full dance card of establishments from dive bars like the Alibi (full disclosure: I tend bar there on occasion), sports bars like Mullanes, wine bars like Stonehome and even the hood’s own “secret” bar,The Hideout. So, if Der Schwarze Kolner can’t offer a garden to drink in, what does it bring to the already bar-saturated area? Beer. Glorious German beer.”

As a Colorado native, I really miss out on tacos here in New York.  Though the ones found in this Mexican heavy neighborhood certainly can contend with my beloved home state’s spicy, savory treats.  Bring me tacos or bring me death!  Ha.  But really, with all the new taco places opening up (I told you months ago that tacos would be the new bahn mi, which were the new cupcake), I am shocked more of them can’t get it right.  I won’t divulge my secret top taco spots yet…but in time you will know them too.