Fast Food International: Go Go Curry
It’s not Thai, it’s not Indian…it’s Japanese curry, my latest post for Serious Eats.
Jul 6
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T.G.I. Friday’s Union Square
Community activists, take note. Try as they might, the gay pride promotions and DJ playing Bel Biv DeVoe and New Edition, weren’t exactly wooing the crowds. I’ve never seen a major chain so empty in the city or the suburbs, though most of the seats at the bar were taken. My theory has always been that more locals than tourists patronize these NYC chains, but I might have to rethink that.
While I’ve knocked back a few wine coolers in my day, the ultimate underage elixir, Long Island iced tea, has eluded me thus far. This was my chance, and oddly, I was carded despite being very much over-age. T.G.I. Friday’s not only claims to have invented the everything-in-the-liquor-cabinet-cocktail that doesn’t actually contain any tea, they also had a disproportionate amount of drinks revolving around tea and sugar: SoCo (that would be Southern Comfort) Peach Tea, Ruby Mo-Tea-To and Sun-Spiced Tea, for example. I hate sweet tea, Snapple, Arizona and anything resembling these beverages, so one Long Island iced tea was sufficient. It's off my bucket list.
Mini-burgers, no, not sliders, were inoffensive. Meat, bacon, melted cheese with a bbq dipping sauce are not the harbinger of Manhattan's demise.
Nachos done daintily, and traditionally, each chip a standalone hors d'oeuvres slathered in refried beans and fused with a thick layer of cheese. I kind of prefer a big gooey mess to pick through.
While it's not obvious at first glance, the menu at T.G.I. Friday's isn't terribly diverse. Most of the dishes revolve around chicken, shrimp and/or steak, and melted cheese is rampant. Applebee’s is more creative. Yeah, I just typed that. Oh, an Applebee's executive chef just won an award—the coveted 2010 Chefs of Grey Poupon—so you know it's true.
This is one of the classic Jack Daniel's combos: ribs and shrimp, and a two big scoops of mashed potatoes like starchy ice cream. The sweetish sauce and mildly spiced rub are a notch up from Dallas BBQ, and let's leave it at that. No one saunters into a T.G.I. Friday's thinking it's Hill Country.
A built-in wall shelf was completely bare minus a little reminder of the previous tenant. The bamboo didn't prove so lucky for Zen Palate.
T.G.I. Friday's * 34 Union Square E., New York, NY
Impurrfections
Even felines are subjected to stringent beauty standards and unrealistic photo retouching. Just look at the fluffy glowing white Fancy Feast cat compared the dour Berkeley & Jensen (BJ’s Wholesale Club’s house brand) model with scraggly fur and under eye circles.
Using Your Noodle
It's hard to imagine a time, oh say, six years ago, when bread baskets were shunned and New Yorkers were eating scrambled egg whites on scooped bagels (oh right, they're still doing that).
Three is a trend, and it looks like carbs are coming back in a big way. (I’m much preferring the proliferation of country western bars: Branded Saloon, Viva El Toro and Lady Jay’s.) By the end of July, Manhattan will be home to three pasta bar chains: homegrown Hello Pasta, German Vapiano and French Nooi. It's a Small World of noodles. Is there really such a pent up demand for pasta lunches?
Then again, why not pasta? Salad bars are ancient history. I was alive enough in the '80s to have witnessed the mania first hand. And when my middle school got a baked potato bar? I knew I'd arrived when all the sour cream, grated cheese and imitation bacon bits you could cram onto one spud was deemed a healthy lunch.
Made in China
Meanwhile, in China they’re adding donkey hide glue to almonds on purpose.
Summer in Berlin
American ethnic food in Berlin. Everyone is linking to it. Me too. Campbell’s soup, maple syrup, Betty Crocker cake mixes…it’s all so right on. They should’ve had Smucker’s Magic Shell instead of Hershey’s Shell, though.
Chain Links: Cajun Grilled Onions
No secret to me, chain restaurants have been loving Manhattan lately. I can’t say I’m too excited by self-service yogurt (Menchie’s) or more burgers (Elevation Burger and Counter) but I am looking forward to Peruvian chef, Gastón Acurio’s La Mar Cebichería even if it’s going to be a flashy behemoth. [WSJ]
Localizing a menu doesn’t always have to involve border crossing. Smashburger’s first Louisiana location will attempt to cater to regional tastes. What exactly makes a burger Cajun? “American cheese, applewood smoked bacon, Cajun grilled onions, remoulade sauce, lettuce and tomato on an egg bun,” it would seem. [Fast Casual]
One hundred UK KFC’s went halal last year, and not everyone has been happy. Bacon-lovers went as far as creating a Facebook page, “No Halal at Colne KFC.” Five locations have gone back to serving pork and killing chickens like they used to. [Daily Mail]
The Applebee’s of Williamsburg
So, The Commodore is serving a hamburger that might be the best Robert Sietsema has eaten all year (we still have more than half to go in 2010) and The Underground Gourmet is raving about the fried chicken. Yeah, yeah, chicken and burgers. No meatballs?
Yet, I'm intrigued by chef Stephen Tanner's menu description, “like Applebee’s, but better.” You'd better not be shitting me. I can't find a menu online, but if they're not serving riblets, there will be hell to pay.
I'm not convinced; a Yelper mentioned asparagus and ramps (yes, Yelp is useful for factual statements). Not breaded or fried? Jeez, they're probably serving garlic scapes as I type.
Fast Food International: Lizarran
My latest installment of Serious Eats' Fast Food International: Lizarran, the tapas franchise from Spain. Not exactly fast, but it's definitely food.
Chain Links: Reform Triangle Sandwiches
Kuwait has everything, and now they have Elevation Burger. Ok, I’ve never heard of the Virginia-based company that touts organic, grass-fed, free-range beef, but it looks like I will soon; an NYC location at 103 W. 14th is listed on their site for fall 2010. [Fast Casual]
Just because Budapest already has an established coffeehouse culture, doesn’t mean that Starbucks is staying away. Last week the world-conquering coffee chain opened their first location in Hungary. They will be serving something called reform triangle sandwiches, as well as cheese pogácsa and almond nougat cake from Gerbeaud, one of those old-fashioned coffeehouses they are trying to replace. [Starbucks]
Skipping the US altogether, Sarku Japan will be partnering with Frisby, the Colombian fried chicken chain, to bring fast food teriyaki and sushi to that South American country. [QSR]
Dairy Queen will be coming to Saudi Arabia. The soft-servers already have a Middle Eastern presence in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. No word on any localized Blizzard flavors; the only quirk according to the DQ blog is that Middle Eastern Dairy Queens are open 24-hours because it’s too hot during the day to sit outside. [Bloomberg]
Photo from Closed Loop Recycling.
