NYC - - Page 17

by BS

I’m Addicted to Hope (And Wine)

If your last two years have been anything like mine, your emotions today are probably a mix of unbelievable excitement, paired with a gaping hole full of questions like, what am I gonna do now with all that time I spent watching CNN, and, where am I gonna donate all my money now that David Plouffe doesn’t email me five times a day?

Never fear, ES is always on the lookout for opportunities to fill your bellies, fill your schedules, and empty your wallets. So here’s one great foodie/feel good event ya’ll can check out next week.

Advocacy Lab is an awesome nonprofit that works with New York City high school students to empower them to become advocates for human rights. If you are against things like child soldiers, malaria, and torture, and pro- things such as education and freedom, you will probably be down with AdLab.

Next Wednesday, November 12, Advocacy Lab is holding a wine tasting/fundraiser at Moore Brothers Wine Company, a really awesome Manhattan wine shop with tons of organic (and reasonably priced) selections. You should really check out Moore Bros. sometime even if you can’t make the event – and you can donate to AdLab online here.

Full disclosure – my girlfriend helped start this nonprofit. And yes, gansie, I made her write up a recipe in exchange for pimping her event, so hold your breath for an awesome baking post.

When: November 12, 2008, 6:00–8:30pm
Where: Moore Brothers Wine Shop, 33 East 20th Street at Broadway
Donation: $30 includes wine tasting and talk by the Moore Brothers, and light refreshments. (Cash and check only at door. To use your credit card, you can go to www.advocacylab.org/donate. )
Auction Items Include: Dahon folding bike, dance classes, dinner at a top New York restaurant, Chelsea Piers passes, Moore Brothers Wine Tasting for 100+ people, and more.

Photo: NickWebb

by BS

ES Sneak Peek: Top Chef Season Five

Endless Simmer got a sneak preview of the upcoming season of Top Chef at the Taste of the Five Boroughs event in New York yesterday, where we met up with the judges and some chef’testants from the past. (Yes, it’s true, I was that close to Padma Lakshmi.) But most importantly, we got to meet the cast of the upcoming season. They all seemed to be very close with one another, insisted they were all friends, and reported that there was no villain. Riiiiight.

Here are some very snap impressions:

Melissa is a sous chef from Boulder, Colorado, and the most personable of all the chef’testants I met. She’s super-talkative, comes off as a party girl, and definitely has some drama potential — she seems more like a Real World contestant than a Top Chef-er. I’d say they’ll keep her around for a bit.

If you’ve been missing the Long Island flavor that Howie and Joey brought to Season Three, than you’ll be excited to meet Danny. He’s the chef de cuisine at the Babylon Carriage House in Fire Island, and I’m voting him most likely to get drunk and start fights in the waiting room while the judges deliberate.

Radhika is my fav. She’s the executive chef at Between Boutique Cafe and Lounge in Chicago, and I’m already digging her fusiony-y cuisine. She’s way cuter than this photo, and really soft-spoken and sweet. She says she was a religious watcher of Top Chef in past seasons, and has never been more nervous than when standing on the chopping block. I’m rooting for her.

More snap judgements — and Padma’s insight — after the jump.

in Celebs / TV 5 comments

by BS

New York’s Top 10 Outdoor Eating Spots

You may have noticed that in the past week or so, certain elements in the media establishment have been trying to convince you that summer is over. THIS IS A LIE. As I’m sure we all remember from 8th grade earth science, summer does not end until the autumnal equinox on September 22. Any attempts to claim that it is already time to get back to work, back in shape, or back to sober are just shamefully false. And most importantly, we’ve still got a good few weeks yet of prime outdoor eating time. So close down that spreadsheet and check out our list of New York’s Top 10 Outdoor Eating Spots.

10. Tree

Some people say outdoor eating should be reserved for lighter fare, like summer salads or baguette slices and brie. To this I call BS. There’s nothing better than sitting outside and enjoying a full plate of steak frites and a couple of bottles of Bourdeaux. Wedged between a deli and a barber shop, this narrow East Village French bistro is entirely missable from the sidewalk, but one of New York’s best-kept secrets is hidden in the back: the lush, ivy-lined patio garden.

190 1st Avenue, Near 12th Street, East Village

9. Harbor Lights

South Street Seaport is generally a place New Yorkers like to avoid when not guiding out-of-towners around. But if you’re up for a little tourist-elbowing, it’s worth pushing your way past the mall crowds to this seafood palace serving freshly-caught oysters, clams, shrimp and lobster, along with the best views going of the Brooklyn Bridge and downtown Manhattan. Sure, it’s a cheesy postcard moment, but as those go, it’s as good as it gets.

Pier 17, 3rd Floor, South Street Seaport

8. New Leaf Cafe

All the way on the other end of Manhattan, Washington Heights’ woodsy Fort Tyron Park is the setting for this quaint limestone building and garden cafe, which serves an upscale seafood menu featuring oysters on the half-shell and tuna tartare (hopefully nothing culled from the Hudson below). But the real draw is the view from up on the hill, with the towering Cloisters museum just next door and an expansive view of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx in the distance.

1 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tyron Park, Washington Heights

7. Gowanus Yacht Club

Photo: Semarr

Don’t let the stuffy name fool you: Smith Street may be home to Brooklyn’s toniest restaurants, but this summertime beer garden is a dirty beach bum’s dirty hipster’s paradise, complete with dirt cheap burgers and hot dogs, and the added lure of Styrofoam cups of beer starting at one dollar.

323 Smith Street, at President Street, Cobble Hill

6. A60

New Yorkers of all stripes discovered a new pastime this summer: figuring out ways to sneak into this exclusive rooftop patio at the 60 Thompson hotel. Techniques for gaining access to this members-only lounge include shelling out for a room key, finding a hotel-guest date in the second-floor lounge, or showing up on weekdays before seven, when the rooftop is open to all.

60 Thompson Street, near Broome Street, Soho

Next: Top 5 of New York’s Outdoor Eating Spots

in Lists 10 comments

by Russell Warnick

Gossip Girl Gastro

Brit here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of the food blogosphere’s elite.

Gastro-grub and canapés? Must be another Monday night on network television. That’s right ES readers, this Monday is the event of the ~~season~~ week, to which you have just been invited. The season 2 premiere of Gossip Girl. Friends of ES, whether you dine at Citronelle in DC, Gilt in NYC or brunch at IHOP (j/k, we know you wouldn’t be caught dead there), these Gossip Girl menu ideas are sure to be a hit with your innermost circle of friends.

Season one of Gossip Girl saw many a fine dish served, more often than not with champagne. Here are a few simple ideas for you to throw together for your very own premiere party:

Have you heard Upper ES-siders? Grilled cheese is all the rage. Try this $50 Truffle Grilled Cheese Sandwich courtesy of Chuck Bass. OK, so $50 for a grilled cheese is a little much even for me. I’ll be doing my own more affordable take on this and will let you know about it next week.

If you dare, take a jump for more delectable food ideas.

in Celebs / Desserts / Trends / TV 1 comments

by BS

Man Cannot Live on Pizza Alone

As mentioned earlier, it’s back-to-school day here at Endless Simmer (how’s the studying going, 80p?) I have sure come a long way since my college eating days (microwaved bacon…raw ramen noodles…congealed leftover pizza…shudder), and so I feel it is my duty to let the next generation of college students know that it doesn’t have to be that way. Especially for those of you in New York, there are plenty of ways to upgrade your college eating experience, without having to call mom and dad for a credit upgrade (I swear). Here’s the ES guide to Microwave-free College Eating in New York, replacing each college standard with a much less embarrassing option. Those of you elsewhere, feel free to chime in on what I missed in the outer boroughs, D.C., etc…

Dorm Fare: Easy Mac

Photo: Bucklava

You know you’re a college student if you’ve ever referred to the “fancy kind of mac-n-cheese” and meant the box of Kraft stuff that is cooked on the stovetop instead of in the microwave. Easy Mac is, well, unbelievably easy. Just add water to this little packet, microwave it for two minutes, and suddenly you’ve got gooey, cheese-y deliciousness. But the ingredient list in the “cheese sauce mix” is enough to make any sane person think twice: It’s made up entirely of hydrogenated this, modified that… trust me, none of these things is actually cheese.

Upgrade: S’MAC

Photo: S’MAC

Put down the packet and head to S’MAC, where you can get a huge cast iron skillet full of piping hot mac ‘n’ cheese, made with real certifiable cheese, and no powder. Starting at a meager $4.25, the offerings range from the kid-friendly classic (loaded with gobs of American and cheddar) to fancier versions for us “grown-up” folks, made with yummy stuff like Kalamata olives and goat cheese.
345 East 12th Street, 212.358.7912

More upgrade recs after the jump…

in Cheese / Desserts 7 comments

by BS

Hey, Where’s My Free Bread Basket?

We all know there is no such thing as a free lunch. But back in the day, you used to get something for nothing, at least a slice of bread and butter, when dropping dollars to dine out. Now, not so much.

As I’ve complained before, Mexican joints are calling chips and salsa pico de gallo and charging for them; some fancy pants restaurants don’t even include tap water as an option; and the traditional free bread basket is harder to find than ever. (I don’t care if it is a garlic-rosemary brioche twist – if it’s bread, I don’t want to pay for it.)

Since these pre-meal freebies are becoming fewer and further between, I put together this list of New York’s best restaurants, as ranked by the free food they offer.

Holla back and let me know what I missed. You too, DC folks and others. Wherever I travel, I gotta know where the free is.

– Blue Ribbon Bakery

Skip the appetizer list at this chic West Village eatery ($8.50 for olives?), because you won’t even want a first course once you get a whiff of the fragrant, overflowing bread basket. The rotating assortment of freshly baked options ranges from the basic (rye, sourdough, challah) to specialty breads stuffed with bites of walnut, olive, and yes, even bacon. The baskets’ contents change from table to table, but if you’ve got a favorite, the servers are usually happy to hook you up.

– Junior’s

The bread basket is just the beginning at this over-the-top Brooklyn diner, where each meal begins with an entire table full of snacks. There are two A-1 bread offerings: caraway-studded onion rolls and soft and buttery cornbread, and each table also gets a sampling of crunchy dill pickles and a taste of the restaurant’s extra-vinegary coleslaw. Topping off this quirky smorgasbord is a gratis bowl of bright purple beets. The only problem is saving enough room for an overstuffed sandwich and a heaping slice of the legendary cheesecake.

in Bacon / Rants & Raves 7 comments

by BS

Who’s That Eating?

You all responded so well to our Where’s Waldo contest last week that we thought we’d go ahead and make it a regular feature. Except this time, our mystery eater isn’t an ES commenter, he’s a genuine real life celebrity. So who is the mystery eater? Here are your clues:

– He’s at Habana Outpost Eco-eatery in Fort Greene, Brooklyn

– He drank a strawberry margarita. Food unknown because he forgot to take his meal ticket from the cashier to the cooks.