Dear NYC Foodie lovers,
I am NYC Foodette, NYC Foodie's younger sister. Last night I went to Candle 79 with our other sister (no relation to the film The Other Sister). Believe it or not, I had wanted to check it out even before Frank Bruni's one-star review since I have recently (a little over 6 months ago) become a "pescatarian" with vegan tendencies. This means I do not eat any meat that comes from land animals and I try to avoid all dairy products as much as possible, but I do eat a fair amout of seafood, especially sushi. Judgement expected and accepted...
Ok, onto the meal. We shared everything, as usual - even the drink, not as usual (both the sharing of it and the fact that it was non-alcoholic). Our sweet, vegan waiter Christopher had the bartender conveniently split into two glasses the Antioxidant Potion: concord grape, pomegranate, cranberry, lemon, sparkling water ($7). This drink was right up my alley - bold flavors, refreshing, and just the right amount of tartness. This was one of about 10 juicy mixtures, and there are also around 8 delicious-seeming cocktails that I would like to try when it's not a school night (no, I'm not a student, but old sayings die hard).
We were then served our starter and our salad simultaneously. We had the Wild Mushroom and Spinach Pate served with crostini, roasted garlic bulb and balsamic reduction ($14) and the Beet Salad with mache, arugula, apples, baby carrots, haricots verts, toasted pecans and a vanilla-fig dressing. The salad was also supposed to come with fennel, but we asked them not to add it as neither my sister nor I is a fan of the anise-flavored plant. The fennel-less salad was very tasty; it was sweet and light, and the perfect complement to our other dish. The pate was much more filling than I would have expected, and the balance of spinach and mushroom was perfect. I must admit, however, that what attracted me most on the plate was the roasted garlic bulb. I probably shouldn't admit this in a public forum, but when we had finished the rest of the dish, I picked up the near-empty garlic clove and ate every last drop I could extract without looking like a complete neanderthal (no offense, Geico dudes).
By the time our entree arrived (right after we finished our previous course) I was pretty full, but was still excited to try our next dish: Porcini Crusted Tofu with garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach and cabernet-wild mushroom sauce ($22). In case you couldn't tell, my sister and I are really into spinach and mushrooms, and they were both great in this dish. The most prevalent flavor was the mushrooms, and those found in the sauce were some of the best I've had. The sauce was generously poured over the tofu, which was sliced for easy sharing and eating and cooked perfectly. It was a great dish, and something I definitely can't cook at home.
At this point the level of fullness was ridiculous, but who can resist vegan dessert? We went for the Live Key Lime Tart with nut granola crust, key-lime cashew cream and huckleberry ice cream ($13). A few of the items on the menu say "live" and this just means it's a completely raw dish. I think I would have enjoyed the tart a bit more had I had a bit more room in my stomach, but it was a pleasant way to end the meal. I would have preferred the "custard" to be a bit more tart, but the huckleberry ice cream (magically dairy-free) made up for it.
You know how sometimes you feel like you're dreaming even though it's the middle of the day and you are clearly awake? Well by the end of the meal that's how I felt, but more intensely than I ever have. Perhaps it was something in the wild mushrooms... I left feeling totally satisfied, slightly stoned, and very excited for my next adventure at this diner- and planet-friendly haven.
Candle 79
154 E 79th Street
New York, NY 10075
(212) 537-7179
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( 3 / 354 )Last night I attended "FergusStock" at The Spotted Pig. Fergus Henderson is one of London's most acclaimed chefs (St. John restaurant), and when I heard he would be a guest chef at The Spotted Pig last night, I knew I needed to take advantage of this culinary opportunity. Mr. Henderson is known for his use of offal (the internal organs of a butchered animal) and what has been called "nose to tail" eating, which not everyone is a fan of, but as someone who likes to experiment, I was game!
There was a two and a half hour wait for a table for one, but luckily after grabbing a beer at the upstairs bar (and running into chef/Food Network star Anne Burrell), I found a lone seat at the downstairs bar. Even more luckily for me, that seat was next to another lone diner who ordered the Pot-Roast Half Pig's Head (for 2). The Pig's Head looked amazing and obviously too large for one, and this chap (Alex from London) who ordered it for himself was super kind and offered to share the dish with me!
The Pig's Head was actually amazing! The meat was juicy and tender and melted in my mouth. The flavors were salty and sweet, but so perfectly balanced and executed, that it was truly divine. After my first bite, I honestly got a tear in my eye - it was that good. A culinary dream come true! The skin was crisp to perfection, and Alex let me have the best part: the crispy pig's ear - phenomenal!
My new dining partner, who hailed from London and is a regular at Mr. Henderson's restaurant St. John, recommended I order the Ox Tongue And Bread with Green Sauce as well as the Deviled Kidney on Toast. And I ordered just that.
The Ox Tongue dish was simple and refreshing. It was basically a salad of greens with ox tongue and bread (which looked and tasted like soft croutons.) I didn't really see any green sauce, but whatever sauce was on the dish was tangy and nice.
The Deviled Kidney on Toast was mindblowing! Now, I'm not a huge kidney eater (who is?), but this dish which consisted of around 5 lamb kidneys on toast, was phenomenal. I'm not exactly sure how they were cooked or what was in the sauce, but it was truly delicious. It must have been some sort of red wine or marsala sauce in combination with some cayenne pepper to give the kidneys the perfect kick and sweetness they deserved. Again, I think I had another tear in my eye after my first bite.
As I expected, the place was filled with other note-worthy chefs wanting to feast on this unique and great food. Momofuku empire king David Chang walked in (Mr. Henderson will be cooking at Momofuku Noodle Bar tonight), as well as Barbuto's Jonathan Waxman, to name a few.
Unfortunately, Fergus Henderson only stops by The Spotted Pig to cook once a year. So, for "nose to tail" eating at its finest, purchase a ticket to London, or mark your calendar now for his next visit.
The Spotted Pig
314 W. 11th St. (at Greenwich St.)
New York, NY 10014
212-620-0393
www.thespottedpig.com
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( 2.8 / 521 )The NYC FOODIE dish of the week is Socca and eggs ($12.50) hailing from the really good Hells Kitchen restaurant Nizza.
Socca is a crispy chickpea flour pancake. At Nizza they bake it in a brick oven and add swiss chard, fontina, onions, and top it with two eggs.
I had this two nights ago and it was phenomenal! Words can hardly describe the feeling I had when I put in my mouth this crispy and gooey pancake of deliciousness!
Just go and try it for yourself. Trust me, it'll make your night.
Nizza
630 9th Ave (bet. 44th and 45th)
New York, NY 10036
212-956-1800
www.nizzanyc.com
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( 3 / 506 )Thursday night my family and I went out for my sister's birthday to the Spanish tapas restaurant Mercat. I had been wanting to go to Mercat since it opened and was excited for this culinary adventure. I love tapas (of all cuisines) because it gives you the opportunity to try a little bit of everything.
The restaurant is rustic and sexy, perfect for a date, or dinner with the fam! There is a bar up front, an open wine cellar on the second floor, an open kitchen in the back, and more tables in a downstairs room with another bar.
We ordered a lot of the dishes including Patates Bravas ($8), Croquetas De Gamba ($8), Mojama Amb Ametlles ($8), Boquerons ($9), Fideus Negres Amb Alioli ($17), Pop ($13), Bacalla ($15), Col de Brusseles ($9), and Remolatxa ($9).
The Patates Bravas, which are potatoes with garlic and spicy sauce found on many tapas menus around NYC, were up there with the best I've had and were super tasty!
The Croquetas De Gamba, filled with shrimp and spinach, as well as the Mojama Amb Ametelles (cured tuna loin with almonds), and the Boquerons (anchovies with Guinadilla peppers and Arbequina olives) were all great little nibbles to have with some nice wine.
One of my favorite dishes of the night was the Fideus Negres Amb Alioli, which is short noodles with Sepia (cuttlefish) in its ink. The Sepia ink made the noodles black and I thought the texture was slightly chewy, but in a unique and good way! I hadn't experienced a dish like it before.
I also enjoyed the Bacalla a lot. It was line caught cod with artichokes, bacon, and hazelnut mayonnaise. The bacon was delicious and the hazelnut mayonnaise was a great complement to the juicy and tender fish with crisp skin.
Brussel Sprouts have been making a comeback in the last few years in NYC, and the ones at Mercat do not disappoint. Here they are served with chestnuts and romesco and they are great.
The Pop (cold octopus salad with arugula, fingerling potatoes, and salsa verde) as well as the Remolatxa (market beets, roasted red onion, and La Peral -a blue cheese) were both enjoyable dishes too. I appreciated the thickly cut pieces of octopus from the Pop, and thought the addition of the La Peral to the beets was the perfect complement.
For dessert we had the churros with chocolate sauce, which were fine, but didn't blow my mind. We also had vanilla ice cream with apple compote, which was delicious. I'm usually not a fan of anything apple, but the compote went really well with the vanilla ice cream and was a great ending to a great meal.
So if you are a fan of Spanish tapas and wine, and like to try a little bit of everything, bring a date, or bring your fam, and bring them to Mercat.
Mercat
45 Bond St.
New York, NY 10012
212-529-8600
www.mercatnyc.com
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( 3 / 516 )Here is another course for all you Foodies out there that might be of interest to you:
Food and Science Expert Harold McGee To Teach Three-Day Course In November at The French Culinary Institute
NEW YORK, October 23 2008 -Harold McGee, renowned author of On Food and Cooking and one of the world's most respected authorities on science and food, joins with Vice President of Culinary Arts, Nils Norén, and Director of Culinary Technology, Dave Arnold at The French Culinary Institute to teach a three-day course on food and cooking.
The Harold McGee Lecture Series, November 7 through 9, is a fun, informative weekend of experiments, tastings, and engaging discussions. The class gathers the expertise of a scientist (McGee), chef (Norén), and technologist (Arnold) to give students a multi-dimensional perspective on conventional and cutting-edge culinary techniques, taste perceptions, and the chemistry of flavor. Participants can expect to leave with a completely new understanding of ingredients and cooking methods that will help them achieve impressive results in the kitchen, and ultimately lead to greater culinary creativity.
The interactive sessions include:
ˇ Day 1: Ingredients (5 hours)
A close study of the deceptively simple egg, and its emulsifying characteristics, opens a wider discussion on how observation can transform your basic conception of food. Some common misconceptions about everyday kitchen ingredients will be reexamined.
ˇ Day 2: Techniques (5 hours)
The class will discover how the application of heat-the technique of temperature control-can be manipulated for specific and precise results in grilling, searing and other cooking methods.
ˇ Day 3: New Technologies (5 hours)
Students will discover how cutting-edge ingredients and technologies are changing the culinary landscape with a focus on new techniques that can enhance food taste and texture in unexpected ways.
LOCATION
The French Culinary Institute
462 Broadway at Grand St.; NYC
DATE
Friday, November 7 - Sunday, November 9
9 AM - 3 PM daily
The series is $1,250. Participants can enroll at www.frenchculinary.com.
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