Sweet Blog O'Mine

Tag: food

  • Holiday Gift Guide o’ Mine

    I know, I know. It's a bit late in the game for a holiday gift guide, but hey — you can always save it for next year.

    – If you are in NYC and haven't been to Hearth or Terroir, you should. If you live elsewhere, make sure they are on your list for when you come to town.  Marco Canora, Paul Greico and their amazing team have created a mini-empire of high caliber but not high falutin' wine bars with food that's as high quality as the dishes they create at their mother ship restaurant. Whomever is the recipient of one of their gift certificates will be a happy camper. I guarantee it.

    15yearsolddarkest
    – I am not a big fan of heavily peated Scotches. I continue to taste them as I'm learning about Scotch generally, and I appreciate why others may like them, but they are not for me. My kind of Scotch is the Bowmore 15 Years Old "Darkest", balanced with a hint of smoke and prominent rich chocolate notes. It's finished in Oloroso sherry casks — probably another reason I like it. It retails for approximately $70.

    – On the complete opposite end of the booze spectrum, Lillet's newest iteration,  Lillet Rosé, is a perfect apéritif on it's own or serves as a lively fruity, floral and bright addition to a cocktail recipe. It retails for about $17.

    – Avuá Cachaça Amburana: This newly launched, small-batch cachaça is made by one of Brazil's few female distillers and is aged in Amburana wood (hence the name). The end result is a smooth spirit with sugarcane and vegetal notes, with a touch of spice, suitable for cocktails or sipping neat. It won't be available for a few more months, but it will retail for about $45.

    – And while you're shopping for cocktail ingredients, make sure you visit The Liquid Chef Junior Merino's newly launched online store, which is chock-full of bitters, aromatics, syrups, tools, and more. Having had the opportunity to test them out in the Liquid Lab, I'm a huge fan of his salts/sugars designed to rim cocktail glasses, adding a level of unique flavor to your personal libation creations — pasilla chile & cinnamon, hibiscus & rose, Hawaiian salt & saffron and more.

    Bestchefs 
    Kitchen-cover-21
    – For those more food-driven, I'd suggest two new books from bloggers that I've known for years: The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook & The Amateur Gourmet's Secrets of the Best Chefs. Trust these people. I do.

    – For the pinot noir drinkers on your list, check out the David Family Wine Black List. This exclusive club gives you access to their  limited-release Black Label pinot noirs a full six to twelve months before anyone else (at a 20-30% discount, no less) plus a discount code that you can use for their full portfolio. Sounds like my kind of club.  There are limited slots available, and although there's no cost for membership, you must purchase three bottles per year to keep your place.

    LumpsofCoal Bags-filtered
    – Last, but by no means least, for your friends of the canine persuasion, Bocce's Bakery Biscuits uses organic local ingredients to create dog treats that sound so tempting you might try to steal them. Who wouldn't drool over truffle mac & cheese, beef bourignon, or the Elvis (peanut butter, bananas & bacon)? I know Moxie would. Although sometimes I feel like she deserves some lumps of coal (they've got those, too).

  • Best Things I Ate and Drank This Year (or at least six of them)

    Once again, I was a contributor for Time Out New York's 100 Best Dishes and Drinks in New York City.  The stunner on the cover — the chicken dish at the NoMad that I now refer to as the FUCKING CHICKEN — was definitely one of the top hits, but I didn't write about that one, even though it was on the list. I wrote about these:

    I had many more favorites, but they may have to wait until next year. The new list has already started.

  • The Tourist List – East Village/Lower East Side

    Every so often I encounter tourists looking for places to eat/drink while they're in town. I don't have a definitive list, but I wanted to share a list I made last night. This one was for a French couple who is leaving tomorrow. They're staying at an apartment in the East Village and it's their first trip to the U.S. I tried to think of very New York places, modestly priced, that they could walk to from their home base, or places that they might find something they wouldn't find in their native Paris. They also asked me to pick just one from the list that they should go to if they only had time for one. Based on what they told me, I picked Katz's (but told them they should also go to Momofuku Ssam Bar if they could do two).
    IMAG0650-1.jpg

  • Tales of Tales

    • Julep
    • Wwilliemae
    • Chix
    Chix

    I made it back from NOLA in one piece, and actually feeling pretty good. I had such a wonderful time, and got to spend quality time with some of my favorite people from all across the country, most notably @rockdoggydog, @allanvkatz & @m_quinn. I even got to spend quality time with people I don’t see nearly enough of in NYC, including @jordanarothman, @chriselford, @vinbar44, @livethelushlife, @creativedrunk & @stevierosenyc.

    I had a much better time at Tales this time around. I’d say that part of it was that I knew what to expect, part of it was that I had fewer obligations, and part of it was that I skipped a lot of things on my tentative schedule, focused on the things I wanted to do and the people I wanted to see, and generally just rolled with it. This mentality started when my direct flight out of NYC got cancelled and I ended up taking a three-leg trip just to make sure I escaped the vicious weather that was predicted for much of the East Coast. That bit of  ridiculousness paid off, and I made it to NOLA well before my luggage did — it was on the flight on which I was originally rescheduled. I landed and went straight to Coop’s, where festivities were already in progress.

    Highlights of the trip included a visit to Willie Mae’s Scotch House, dinner at Arnaud’s, Cochon & Maurepas Foods, drinks at Cure, Belloq, and SoBou, Pig & Punch, and shenanigans with friends near and far.

    Points of note:

    – I ignored my own advice and went out one steamy night without my trusty water bottle. That night, I was dying for water, and it was hard to come by. Until I found some, I made do with a glass of ice-cold champagne.

    – Sometimes, a frozen Irish coffee from Erin Rose totally hits the spot.

    – Always keep an open mind at Tales — take advantage of a last-minute invite, taste something new, and be welcoming to strangers. You’ll have a much better time that way.

    – Chicken tastes even better when it’s hand-fed to you by the farmer who raised it.

    – If there is a zombie apocalypse and/or a drought, you want @rockdoggydog to be your roommate; he’ll make sure all the supplies are covered.

    – I didn’t hang out much at the Old Absinthe House this year, and I didn’t really miss it. I also went to bed pretty early my last night after a lovely dinner and a few drinks, which made for a much more pleasant re-entry to NYC.

    See y’all next year!

     

  • And By the Way

    I'm writing for CBS New York these days, too, for their Best of New York Food & Drink section! Stay tuned for more food/cocktail posts.

  • My Five #100Best

    I got some good (and logical) guesses, but here are my five contributions to TONY's #100best:

    Under Bar Food: Torres Tots at PDT and Spicy Fried Chickpeas at Mother's Ruin

    Under International Eats: the Sizzling Sisig at Maharlika

    Under Vegetarian-Friendly: Crispy Chinese Watercress Salad at Sripraphai

    Under Best of the Rest: Spicy Sliced Pork Jerky at Malaysia Beef Jerky

    I've already got an idea or two for next year . . .

  • Scenes from a Blizzardy Birthday

    Tower
    I was looking forward to this all year! The seafood tower at Blue Ribbon, complete with lobster, scallops, oysters, clams, crab, shrimp, caviar, and two shots of Stoli.

    Backyard

    And the view of my backyard on the way home.  Many many thanks to Noel, Sarah, Arlan, Rachel, Kim and Katie for trekking across states and boroughs through the insanity to help me celebrate what might have very well been my most memorable birthday of all time.  Love you all.

  • Sweet Blog o’ Mine Holiday Gift Guide!

    I've already done my holiday shopping, but if you're looking for some ideas, here's a list of books, food, and drinks that have crossed my path this year that would be suitable for any bon vivant in your life.

    Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl – this definitive book by cocktail historian David Wondrich details the history of punch and includes recipes that will keep you and your friends full of cheer at any party.

    Left-coast-libationsLeft Coast Libations — this book from our friends on the West coast contains 100 delicious looking cocktail recipes and drink porn galore.

    Salt to Taste – although technically this crossed my path last year, I've turned to it repeatedly since then for cooking guidance from Hearth's Marco Canora. 

    Class at Pizza a Casa — Mark Bello will teach you how to make kick-ass pizza (and now pasta, too), at home.  That said, even if you don't take up pizza making in your spare time, going to Mark's class is worth it just to share in his passion and enthusiasm.  Plus, there's lots of pizza!

    Karlsson's Gold Vodka — For all those vodka naysayers out there who whine about vodka having no flavor, you may want to check out this potato vodka.  I had the opportunity to go to a tasting where the Karlsson's team had us taste several of their vodkas, each made with a different type of potato, which had a huge impact on the flavor profile of each.  Karlsson's Gold is lovely on the rocks with a hit of freshly ground black pepper.

    Flying Pigs Farm — This may seem like an odd gift, but every time I try a new product from Flying Pigs Farm I am less likely to buy my pork from anyone else.  Chorizo, bacon, pork rillettes, chicharrones, Canadian Bacon — pick some up at the Union Square Greenmarket and get cooking.

    Beefeater Winter — Beefeater's latest limited seasonal launch has notes of orange, cinnamon, nutmeg and pine, making it ideal for winter cocktails.  I used it in a negroni last week and it married beautifully with the Campari and sweet vermouth.

    Cutbklyn Cut Brooklyn — Want a gift that will last a lifetime? Check out these beauties.  Hand crafted knives made from all-American materials by artisan Joel Bukiewicz.

    Firelit Coffee Liqueur — Made with Blue Bottle Coffee, this small-batch liqueur from California was handed to me with a warning about its caffeine level and raves about its deep coffee flavor.  Since I just got it last night, I haven't tasted it yet, but I'm pretty excited to try it.  Maybe tonight — hoping it doesn't keep me up!

    Bacon Marmalade — run, do not walk, to Whisk to buy this addictive condiment.  You'll mix it into eggs, slather it on a grilled cheese, or maybe just eat it with a spoon to savor its smoky, sweet and tangy goodness.

  • Pacific Time

    I returned to NYC from LA on Thursday night but still feel somewhat like I'm running on Pacific time — I slept until 11 both days this weekend (which doesn't happen that often).  It could be that I'm just recovering from the trip generally, as it was jam-packed.

    I drove straight from the airport to visit my cousin and his family in Culver City, and spent a chunk of the day catching up with them and meeting their baby Kai for the first time (he's adorable, for the record).  We had a snack at Ugo Cafe, then I drove to my hotel in West Hollywood, the Farmer's Daughter (which I loved, BTW.  Thanks, Sarah!), quickly showered and changed, then @ThirstyinLA picked me up to head to Jonathan Gold's Cocktail Speakeasy fundraiser for Zocalo at Union Station. At the event, I was able to taste food from a wide variety of restaurants and bars — an efficient culinary tour of LA!  We went for a nightcap at Varnish, but I was fading fast, thanks to the jetlag.

    Sunday I slept late, then headed to Venice for a day with my friend Arielle.  We probably walked more that day than most Los Angelinos walk in a week — after lunch at the Venice Beach Wines, we wandered over to the beach to admire the skaters, take in the activity on the boardwalk, and relax in the sand.  We walked back to her house via the Venice Canals, then rested up at her lovely, bright apartment watching Garden State before a sushi dinner at Kiriko.

    Monday I visited the Original Farmer's Market and started the day with a donut and coffee from Bob's and a walk through the market and the Grove.  After a bit of work in the courtyard of my hotel, Marco picked me up for a delicious lunch at Pizzeria Mozza.  Highlights included the bruschette with white beans alla Toscana with extra virgin olive oil & saba, the pizza with squash blossoms, tomato & burrata, and of course, Marco's wonderful company.  I spent my afternoon hiking of some of my lunch with a hike up and around Runyon Canyon, where I caught my first view of the Hollywood sign, but no celebs walking their dogs (which I was told I might see).  After returning home for a bit more work, I met Zac for dinner at BLD, where we took advantage of Dine LA week.  Speaking of dogs, Zac's story of his recent dog adoption definitely helped to convince me that I want a dog too.  Soonish.

    Tuesday I got up early to catch up with Chris over breakfast; I was happy that we were able to catch up and that he was able to squeeze me in before heading off to shoot for Law & Order LA (ah, actors!).  Then back to my hotel for some work before meeting yet another Chris (hee) for lunch at Umami Burger, my first of two meaty meals for the day (hatch burger!).  He and my friend Jimmy had both suggested visiting Griffith Observatory, so I took a detour there after lunch to wander around a bit before heading downtown to my new hotel.  Once downtown, I went to visit Allan at Caña, where Jono joined me for a quick drink.  Afterwards, I picked up some work friends and headed to Animal for an amazing dinner, heavy on the pig parts (although the fried rabbit legs might have been my favorite).

    Wednesday was a work day, beginning at 7:30 a.m. (eek!) with a meeting, followed by the APBCo Academy.  I've got to admit, I'm very lucky to have not only a job that I like that makes a difference in the world, but I've got an amazing pack of colleagues across the country, and it's always inspiring and fun to see them.  Plus, we had lunch from the Border Grill Truck — yum!  After a long but productive day, I took a nap before heading to Rivera to meet @LushAngeles for some excellent pre-dinner cocktails (V.E.P. Chartreuse Swizzle, anyone?).  The last stop of the night was Drago Centro for dinner with @tallnoe.

    I headed back to NYC Thursday morning and had a relaxing recovery weekend from my jam-packed trip.  Thank you, L.A., for a fun-filled first visit.  I'm not moving out there anytime soon, but I had a great time, and, as your Governor says, I'll be back.  Thanks to all who were a part of it — it was wonderful to see you and I'm sorry it took me so long to get out there!  Pictures from the trip are here.

  • For Your Reading Pleasure

    In case you've missed some of my recent Serious Eats NY posts:

    20100604frenchitalian

    Mix It Up: The Ginger in the Rye at Minetta Tavern

    Meet & Eat: Talia Baiocchi, WineChap.com

    Mix It Up: The Counting Room

    Meet & Eat: Karen Uribe, Co-Founder, Gourmet Latino Festival

    Mix It Up: Mother's Ruin Punch at Death & Company

    and more!