Welcome to the 3rd Annual NY Beer Craft Week. As you’ve probably guessed, this seven-day festival focuses on beer, those glorious, malty, hoppy, fizzy concoctions from small breweries all over the country. Read more »
It’s been a busy couple months of eating it up for the New York Press, especially in Brooklyn with one trek all the way up to 112th Street in Harlem. Here are the latest and greatest published reviews I have done.
Hot Bird in Fort Greene
“Hot Bird is owned by Frank Moe, the proprietor of Rope, Fort Greene’s popular art-student filled bar. Though Rope never hooked me in, Hot Bird is a different story. The bar gets its name from the famous chicken place that used to shell out roasted birds and ribs until it closed in the early 1990s, and while the restaurant doesn’t remain, the bright yellow signs that still deck a few building walls off of Vanderbilt and Atlantic avenues have become iconic ads. One, which towers over the bar’s spacious front yard, only enhances the new bar’s appeal.” (read the rest here)
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
Can I just tell you that I love coffee? Love, love, LOVE the stuff, and, because I drink it black, it totally makes my day when I stumble across a really good cup. At RBC NYC in Tribeca, they have gone all out there. Enter, the Slayer. This variable pressure machine is the only one on the East Coast, and one of 20 in the entire WORLD. Wow. Handcrafted in Seattle, I can see why this beast is so special. The three level system (which I am writing about for the New York Press right now, so more later*), draws out a perfectly smooth, buttery shot of espresso. I was buzzing so hard core after going there. Of course, I also sampled a cup of drip Sumatra. Yum. It’s no wonder the New York Times included it in their great coffee shop round up. But there was a downfall, all that coffee and no bathroom.
*Update: Here is the New York Press piece about RBC NYC.
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.
Time to round up some of my latest, tantalizing food reviews for your enjoyment. Yum yum!
MacBar in Soho (New York Press)
“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.”
Possibly one of the most amazing people I have met, chef Anne Apparu has been in the culinary world since she can remember. Her parents ran a restaurant and her overall sense of flavors and spices really give her a gift at whipping things together.
“With a dead baby pig in her arms, Anne Apparu receives news that her good friend and former brother-in-law Dash Snow, has died. But instead of breaking down, Apparu has a meal to cook. So she gathers her ingredients from various local sources like East Village Cheese, the coop on 7th Street and Essex Street Market, and heads home to her loft apartment and well-stocked kitchen in the East Village.
Antipasti at Angelina Pizza Bar
Don’t let the name fool you—Angelina Pizza Bar offers more then just pizza. This family-friendly restaurant near West 105th Street not only has extensive Italian fare and a decent wine list but Chef Giancarlo Delanzo cooks his crazy creations in a brick oven with a rotating floor. As pies like the Bella Angelina (with zucchini flowers, smoked salmon and goat cheese, $18 or $24) or the Bianco Forte (with garlic, ricotta, mozzarella, spicy sausage and hot peppers, $16 or $22) circle the fire, Delanzo dishes up small bowls with various meats, cheese and vegetables. Within minutes, the pizzas have cooked and the chef has completed an antipasti plate ($6 to $14). A bright-eyed waiter picks it up and the process starts again. (READ THE REST AT THE WEST SIDE SPIRIT)
Back for another year of cocktails, cooking and charity, Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation at the Roseland Ballroom Wednesday night went by faster then you can say “mixology.” By 9:30 most of the food was gone, the drinks had all been shaken and served, and the crowed teetered around, drunk and happy. They weren’t the only ones enjoying the top shelf event, chefs and bartenders mingled and reconnected too.
International gastronomic delights spring up in Fort Greene almost as fast as Manhattanites move to the Brooklyn neighborhood. Already an Ethiopian place, at least three Mexican joints, two sushi dens, a South African restaurant and dozens of other culinary cultures are represented. Adding to the hood’s repertoire is Deniz, a Turkish restaurant whose name means “sea” in that language. (read the rest via New York Press)
