August 9, 2009 9:55 pm
Attending opening exhibition parties at the MOMA involves very tasty spiced almonds, long lines at the bar (where men do better than women; the bartenders play for their team, not mine) and occasionally some art with viewing. I stood in front of the showcase exhibitions displayed rows and rows of plastic bottles and thought to myself: "They call this art, I call it recycling." I enjoyed my artistic fill for the evening and moved on to an activity I enjoy considerably more—eating. My friend Lisa suggested we go to Seasonal and since I'm always ready to try a new restaurant, I was game. Chef Wolfgang Ban, aka "Wolfgang from the East" as he likes to call himself, wowed us with his Austrian specialties.
We started with Ziegenkäse Salat, which consisted of pumpkin seed crusted goat cheese, mixed greens, salt baked baby beets topped with shallot elderflower dressing. I also tried Schlutzkrapfen, featuring Allgäu mountain cheese ravioli, morals, fava beans and pea sauce. Each cheesy bite melted in my mouth. For our entrees, we tried what is called, Spätzle—a homemade Austrian egg pasta also with fava beans, ramps, and asparagus. I noticed that Wolfang seems to use similar ingredients for almost all his recipes. Beets were in two of our dishes, same with fava beans and ramps kept reappearing. Still, this did not take away from the quality of the delicious food we enjoyed all night long. We also tried some Wiener Schnitzel, a breaded veal cutlet with crescent potato-cucumber salad and homemade lingonberry jam. Wolfgang paired the finest wines that Austria has to offer. Americans often think of dry white wines (often made from the Grüner Veltliner grape) when they think of Austrian wines. Sometimes you even think of Austria's sweet dessert wines made around the Neusiedler. It was a rare pleasure that this talented chef introduced me to an Austrian grape, Gelber Muskateller that I had not even heard of!
You would probably think we were full by the time we finished our entrées—but hey, you thought wrong. After reviewing the delectable dessert menu, we delved into some Erdbeerknödel, sugar coated strawberry dumplings served with rhubarb compote, pumpkin seed and vanilla ice cream. The strawberries were heavenly. My friend Andrea was particularly pleased that we dragged her along for this gourmet fare. She proclaimed she only used to eating "cereal, ice cream, and what she can put in her microwave."
Seasonal
132 W 58th Street (between 6th & 7th Avenues)
New York, NY 10019
212.957.5550
—Divya Gugnani
— Written by Divya Gugnani
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August 8, 2009 3:04 pm
Nestled in the Upper West Side near Columbia, Barnard, and Bank Street College of Education, a likely local stomping ground for students, lies remarkably authentic Thai Market. I met my mom uptown for dinner and we took a chance on a nearly empty spot (which we never do). We soon came to realize as the crowd started pouring in, that we had just beat the dinner rush. Because the weather finally cleared up after what seemed like a year of rain, we got a chance to sit outside as the hot day started to cool.
When you look at the menu, it's like you're reading a news flyer, with thin printed paper and what seems like little articles tucked in between the $8 lunch specials and the appetizers. We decided to start with the Thai Crepe, stuffed with minced shrimp, toasted coconut, bean sprouts and peanut. It was amazing! If I only had that I would've been fine. I think what really made it so special was the toasted coconut...Yummo! (to quote my nemesis R.R).
Classic Michael Jackson tunes and some great people watching later, our main course appeared. We decided to share the Shrimp Pad Thai and Chicken Green Curry. Now I have to make a disclaimer. When it comes to green curry I am very picky. I am not picky about all food but I LOVE green curry and I just don't want a bad experience. Hesitant, I took the first bite. It was the perfect level of spice complemented by cooling coconut milk. The Pad Thai was also up to par, paired nicely with a few lime wedges for a little citrus burst. The noodles cooked to perfection, my only complaint was the dish skimped a little on the shrimp.
I'm glad we took a chance on this small Thai outlet. For a change, we even asked the waiter to pack up our leftovers to eat the next day.
Thai Market
960 Amsterdam Avenue (near 107th Street)
New York, NY 10025
212.280.4575
—Emily Rodney
— Written by Emily Rodney
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August 7, 2009 6:39 pm
I always pictured heaven as some place high above full of bright lights, puffy white clouds, smiling angels, and of course, every dream I could possible ask for turning into a reality. Well last Wednesday, I realized you don't need to die to encounter heaven. From work, I hopped on the B and headed up town to West 77th and Columbus where I visited burger heaven!
In honor of its September Special Issue, Saveur Magazine hosted its Summer Party at New York's latest burger home, Shake Shack. I entered expecting to try a fry, sip a cliché milkshake and have a good ole American burger. I had read up on Hailee Moore's recent review on Behind the Burner and knew the food would be tasty. But what I encountered exceed all expectations. I entered an adorable little restaurant where an aroma of meat paradise immediately made my tummy growl. I was then welcomed by Saveur's friendly hosts and greeted by multiple staff members of Shake Shack, offering me what any hungry young woman could not resist: burgers, dogs, shakes of all flavors, fries, frozen custard, ice cream and of course the famous Arnold Palmer, half iced tea, half lemonade delicious duo. Well in about two seconds of my eyes meeting the food, I said farewell to my diet for the afternoon and indulged on all this flavorful shack had to offer.
First I took a hold of the Shroom burger paired with some crunchy ridged fries. "Hey a veggie burger— the diet is still intact!" or so I thought. The burger looked brown, rather than the black charcoal norm, so I was a little worried. Well, after one bite, the worries went poof! Smothered in Portobello mushroom flavor with a perfectly seasoned crispy texture, oozing with Munster and cheddar cheese, I thought the term "Shroom" burger was the perfect label. I've never tried the drug, but the "high" this burger gave definitely beat out any "trip" I would have received otherwise.
Next, I tried the classic Shack burger. I was pleasantly satisfied. I guess you could say it was all about the meat
—juicy, cooked medium, and adorned with lettuce, tomato, American cheese and of course, Shack sauce. The sauce tasted of mayo, with a bit of a sweet tang. For me, it made the burger. Yet, what really made my taste buds explode was what is called the "Bird Dog," a smoked chicken and apple bratwurst take on the traditional hot dog, topped with jalapeños and mustard. Although the spice made my mouth yearn for a water hose, I can honestly say I have never experienced a hot dog like that in my life. I was then told to try the New York Dog, a bit more fitting for the reserved side of my mouth. This Vienna all beef dog was pretty average until my mouth realized how much it enjoyed the Schaller and Weber Sauerkraut and mustard as toppings This dog definitely got my tail wagging!
Surprisingly, what I could not get enough of most was the French Fries. These 25 percent less fat Yukon Gold Potatoes seemed to go perfectly with every meat entrée offered. They weren't anything crazy or curly or deep fried in onion and garlic flavored as some burger joints try to impress you with. They were just plain good—simple and light enough on the salt with a perfect seasoning that made my hand seem as if it was under some magical wand control, reaching for a fry about every, oh, .5 seconds. I even managed to dip my fries in every flavored shake, I always recommend doing this when you have both at hand. There is something about the salty, sweet hot to cold combination that just forms harmony inside your mouth.
Now clearly the shack wouldn't be anything without its shakes. I took full advantage of all the tastings—strawberry, vanilla, chocolate and okay ready for this...BASIL! I at first was thrilled to see a green shake standing in the midst of the chocolates, thinking they served pistachio or mint chip, two flavors I highly adore. When I asked to make sure, I was told it was basil. EW? Well, being one who likes to say she's tried everything, I took a sip and found myself a new love. This basil pureed frozen custard was far from your puke green flavor. The first sip came as a bit of a shock, but soon I found myself wanting more. A sweet basil frozen, creamy beverage really makes for the perfect summertime shake. Besides, in a way it is herbal, so it even tricks your mind to thinking you're drinking healthy (whoops!).
After some mingling over these scrumptious eats and reading Saveur's Burger Bible issue, I gained more than just some weight. Rather, I also filled myself with a beef load of insight on the significance of the burger for the America people. There's really nothing like a burger, shake and some fries to remind you of the goodness of simplicity in life, even if it means committing a calorie crime for a day (so what!) Most of the best burgers we've tried were made right in our own backyard grill. I guess for New York, even a "shack" truly can be the best of homes.
Shake Shack, Upper West Side
366 Columbus Ave. (at 77th Street)
646.747.8700
Shake Shack, Madison Square Park
Southeast corner of Madison Square Park,
Near Madison Avenue and 23rd Street
Park New York, NY 10010
212.889.6600
Shake Shack, Citi Field (Home of the New York Mets)
12301 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing
citifieldshack@shakeshack.com
—Joanna Weinstein
— Written by Joanna Weinstein
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August 5, 2009 3:54 pm
For a restaurant named Aquavit, I guess you could say it seemed quite fitting for the skies to continuously dump water the night I visited. New York City had yet another one of this summer's dreadful, but reliable storms, and I was drenched on arrival.
Staring out my Fifth Avenue window at the horrid rain with a pretty empty stomach at work, I received an IM from an old friend I hadn't seen in ages. I convinced her to come to Aquavit's press dinner where our conversation could go beyond a computer screen—little did she know she was in for much more than a simple, friendly dinner, but rather one of crayfish galore.
Due to the rain, my friend landed herself in the chaotic umbrella traffic and took about 40 minutes to arrive. This gave me some time to catch up with Executive Chef and co-owner of Aquavit, Marcus Samuelsson. I received a full tour of the kitchen and received an additional perk—his bartender fixed me up a ginger lemon cocktail with specialty Aquavit vodka that started off my night just right.
While I'm excited bout his upcoming book, Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine, I felt this dinner served as our virtual preview that really washed us up on the Scandinavian shores. Our first encounter here was no other than the crayfish.
The fish were laid out on two bountiful tables: one for cold crayfish and one for hot. Although not the most commonly eaten fish, these crustaceans resemble small lobster—only served with their heads on a platter, literally. I must say it is definitely a chore to get meat out of the fish, and it is sure not most polite thing to eat. Yet, all in all, I found the dinner very satisfying and to my liking.
I dove mouth first into a sea of Crayfish Soup, Fish Pâté with Crayfish Tails and Crown Dill Aspic. We also enjoyed the Crown-Dill Cured Salmon, Vasterbotten Cheese, Crayfish tail Salad Poached Salmon with Crayfish Sauce and the Crayfish Herring. No, I'm not done yet. The course ended with some "Skagen" Toast, Crayfish Cakes and Remoulade for dipping, condiments similar to tartar sauce only a bit more on the yellow side.
But there is much more to these crayfish dishes than just taste. I recently learned that crayfish has been around in Sweden for more than 10,000 years (talk about ancient dining!). These poor sea creatures even endured the plague where it became nearly extinct in Sweden. Fortunately for us seafood lovers, they didn't take the dinosaur route and complete fall of the face of the earth. Yet because of the risk, a law (abolished in 1994) was put in place where Crayfish could not be fished until August of each year, marking August as crayfish month worldwide. In keeping tradition, Aquavit's annual crayfish festival celebrated the remaining 500 species of crayfish that still exist today. For my friend and I, it was probably the best experience of the ocean's treasures we received all summer.
Aquavit
65 E. 55th Street
New York, NY 10022
212.593.0287
—Divya Gugnani
— Written by Divya Gugnani
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August 5, 2009 3:41 pm
When it comes to gourmet sandwiches, Chicago is not a city that usually comes to mind. When they put something between two slabs of bread in Chicago, it's usually extremely manly, like a hot dog or Italian beef. But on a recent visit, two locals showed me that when it comes to sandwiches, Chicago ain't no amateur.
I already knew Pastoral Cheese and Wine Shop had a fantastic selection of local cheeses. What I didn't know until last weekend is that they're making one of the best pâté sandwiches around— and I'm not someone who's usually in love with pâté The bread is crispy and light. The pâté and gruy ère cheese are fresh and richly flavorful. The mustard is spread thinly and the cornichons are crunchy. The beauty of the Sandwich Campagne, and of all Pastoral's sandwiches for that matter, is in their simplicity. The sandwiches only have a handful of ingredients but each are of the highest quality. They pay attention to the important details others often overlook, like using high-quality artisan bread. Pastoral's version of a Caprese (smoked mozzarella, tomatoes and basil-fennel pesto) will make you realize how many other places get this sandwich completely wrong. In preparation for my next visit, I'm already craving the Bocadillo De La Mancha (Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, field greens, Membrillo) and The Parisian (Madrange ham, Fromager d'Affinois cheese, tomato, field greens). Pastoral's location in the Loop is within walking distance to Millennium Park. Grab a sandwich or a whole picnic at Pastoral before a free concert—there's no better way to spend a summer day.
Proscuitto, arugula, pea shoot pesto and ricotta salata cheese. Need I say more? Cipollina is a small Italian sandwich and coffee shop with a creative and ever-changing sandwich menu. The sandwich I ordered was liberally filled with prosciutto and I was impressed by the addition of ricotta salata, a versatile cheese rarely used in sandwiches. I bought the sandwich on the way to the airport and almost felt guilty eating it while the guy seated next to me crunched on a small bag of dry airline pretzels. If prosciutto isn't your thing, try Cipollina's Whitefish or Porchetta sandwich. The bread Cipollina uses tends to be a little flavorless and heavy, the only downside of an otherwise satisfying sammy.
Pastoral (Lakeview)
2945 North Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
773.472.4781
Pastoral (Loop)
53 East Lake Street
Chicago, IL 60601
312.658.1250
Cipollina
1543 N. Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
773.227.6300
—Jennifer Meier
— Written by Jennifer Meier
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