Goodies First

Jun 22

The Vanderbilt

1/2 Waiting long enough after an opening and long enough past prime dinner time can make dining at popular Brooklyn restaurants more enjoyable (despite the hype and proximity to my apartment, there is no way I’m touching Seersucker in the immediate future–I learned my lesson with patience-trying Thistle Hill Tavern). Of course, that also means that no one in the online world cares because not-so-new equals dull. That is fine; I’ll take seven-month-old, The Vanderbilt, at 11pm on a Saturday.

I’d already eaten pepperoni pizza and a few bites of a reuben earlier at Rocky Sullivan’s while trying to be a semi-sophisticated American embracing the World Cup. (I don’t watch sports period, and frankly, don’t understand where World Cup mania sprouted from all of a sudden.) A small plates dinner and cocktails were fine.

You would think that someone ordering the Whiskey Skiffer (rye whiskey, Cynar, sweet vermouth, mole-amarillo bitters) would know what they were getting into. Clearly not, since our server warned me, “It’s bitter.” Better safe than sorry for him, I guess. Then again, the last Cynar cocktail I had at The Sackett (what’s up with all the The?) was kind of foul.

Maybe it was because I’d just had a few handfuls of movie theater popcorn while watching Please Give, but this wonderfully oily broccoli with singed edges reminded me of Smartfood. Each pecorino-draped bite oozed olive oil and had a delicious crunch.

The Serrano croquettes actually tasted like ham. You never know if you’re going to get a bready mouthful or be able to distinguish the advertised filling. Plus, the aioli dollop was a nice touch.

All that brown needed a hit of green. It was the boudin noir that attracted me to this dish, but the fresh peas and shoots kept the blood sausage from overpowering.

Even if you know rillettes come packed in fat, seeing so much melted animal product can give you pause. I like mine a little stiffer and opaque, more spreadable. The rhubarb preserves did add a nice sweet tartness.

The Vanderbilt * 570 Vanderbilt Ave., Brooklyn, NY

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Jun 21

White or Wheat

I work with data but I've never been a numbers person. And once you start getting into visualizing networks and nodes, I get nervous. At least this is a known unknown, not the dreaded so stupid you don’t know you’re stupid unknown unknowns.

Yet, I still find Hunch’s THAY (Teach Hunch About You) concept fascinating. Lately, they have been analyzing user data to create food-related reports, this month’s being A Network of Food Preferences.

Hunch users prefer multigrain bread over white, 73% to 27%. I’d pick a nice baguette given the option. Using data on bread, cheese and lettuce preferences, they’ve determined that the most likable sandwich would be made up of hard cheese, multigrain bread and romaine. Sounds meh to me. Then again, who’d think that a lettuce sandwich would be a good idea?

But the beer and french fry pairings were right on. I would absolutely pick bistro frites and a dark ale given the options. The real question? Ketchup or mayonnaise with those fries.

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Jun 20

To Dye For

At first I was excited to hear about blue mozzarella like it a new hybrid. But no, just tainted product, (and more creepy than cool).

Rainbow bacon, however, is a reality. I’m happy to see the full color spectrum being applied to meat and not just the usual sweet suspects. Who says cupcakes and macarons should have all the fun? [Bacon Today via Consumerist]

Photo from Bacon Today

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Jun 18

My Week In Fried Chicken, Ice Cream and Beer

I declare Friday to be horn-tooting time. This week I had three pieces published by someone other than myself.

The first missive in my new international chain restaurant column for Serious Eats focuses on Pollo Campero. Too bad I ate all the yuca fries before taking this photo.

Yeah, so, Time Out New York put out an ice cream sandwich round-up this week. Well, me too, for Metromix. We only listed three examples in common.

Loreley, the LES biergarten opened a Williamsburg branch. I talked to the chef and owner for Metromix. Loved the käsespätzle

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Jun 17

Chain Links: New Moon

I thought the sky high Subway for site workers at the World Trade Center was already functional, but their soft opening was yesterday. Lasagna, burgers, hotdogs, pretzels and Papa John's pizza might get added to the menu. [NYT]

Waghausel, Germany is home to the world's first eco-friendly McDonald's. [Food Business Review]

Chipotle has a new look and a midtown location is the first recipient of the modern makeover. [Grub Grade]

Like all good teen stars on the edge of adulthood, Taylor Lautner, "boy werewolf" and 7.5 million per film actor, also enjoys a little Hospitaliano every now and then. Olive Garden was his choice for a GQ interview venue:

"Without glancing at the menu, Lautner orders the Toscana soup, then asks to substitute the Caesar salad for the house. Before the waiter can reply, Lautner interrupts innocently: 'I know,' he says, 'it'll be a dollar fifty extra. That's fine.'" No pasta? [GQ]

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Jun 16

A Senior Moment

This is the headline: Kraft Gets Grandma to Upload Her Videos

This is the hook: “Kraft is breaking down the conventional wisdom about demographics and user-generated video. In a successful promotion for Philadelphia Cream Cheese, the company succeeded in getting over 5,000 women mostly age 35 and older to upload videos of themselves preparing their favorite recipes.”

Grandma, here, almost soiled her adult diaper–and is having an uncontrollable urge to put cream cheese in her Thai curry. Where would she have gotten such a notion?

Image from DesignerOnline.

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Jun 15

Xie Xie

Last year, when I was looking for worthy alternatives to the banh mi (which I still love), I kept waiting for Xie Xie to open. They took their sweet time, and so did I. Only now have I gotten around to sampling a few of their Asian sandwiches.

Part of the post-2007 high-end chefs going casual trend (I celebrated my birthday—not saying which—at Angelo Sosa's short lived Yumcha back in 2005 when he was still cooking "serious" food) Xie Xie successfully turns bread and filling into something exciting. Too bad they didn't even crack New York's Best 101 Sandwiches.

Both the bbq beef and the pork sandwiches contained meats that seemed very American despite all the accouterments. The tender short rib was akin to brisket despite the soy and sugar, basil mayonnaise bridged cultures while the carrot kimchi tasted purely Korean. The squishy sesame bun just made more sense than a baguette.

Rather than the pork belly slices you often see tucked into steamed buns, they used pulled pork, sweetened by hoisin and oyster sauce. Oddly enough, the addition of pickled onions and cilantro made this handheld meal taste Mexican. If you've ever eaten Yucatecan cochinita pibil, you'll recognize the flavors. Just swap buns for corn tortillas.

I am prejudiced against no foods except melon (yes, even watermelon) but I won't be able to tackle a 1,000-year-old egg for quite some time. The most violent stomach sickness I've ever experienced period (to be fair, I'm pretty sure I had flu the entire vacation and was not food poisoned) occurred after a big meal at the famous roast goose restaurant, Yung Kee in Hong Kong. The dark gelatinous center of the fermented egg was tough going, but Xie Xie's 1,000-year-old ice cream sandwich was a delight. I love how they approximated the same gooey blue-black color for their salted caramel center.

Xie Xie * 645A Ninth Ave., New York, NY

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Jun 14

Pining Away

Thursday night I was nibbling on party food, home party food—hummus, edamame, French onion dip, crackers, grilled kabobs—not the lollipop chicken and sliders of catered parties and nothing with crazy flavors. Which is why the rotten, bitter taste that suddenly appeared in my mouth made no sense. Had I damaged my taste buds with too much alcohol—or I was allergic to cane rum? Sunday, I'd attended a cachaça seminar and because I'm easily influenced had brought a bottle of Leblon as a gift to this birthday party.

Friday, my morning half-bagel splurge (I know, sad) was ruined by the metallic bitterness and it didn't let up the rest of the day. I turned to Twitter, which has never been the source of any particular wisdom (or camaraderie or marketing platform or whatever it is particpants use it for) until now. I got my answer! Bret Thorn of Nation's Restaurant News knew what was what.

Pine nuts. Yes, I had eaten them, toasted and sprinkled on a salad I'd made Monday night. Trader Joe's brand. But nonsensically, I had used these same pine nuts in a green bean dish on Memorial Day when cooking for a group of visiting family members and suffered no ill effects. I wonder if anyone else did.

Saturday, I thought I'd gotten rid of the pine nut plague; it wasn't noticeable at all while drinking Sixpoint Rye and eating pizza while watching the World Cup at Rocky Sullivan's. But the food-wrecking sensation crept back while late night snacking at The Vanderbilt, triggered by a glass of Torrontes.

Sunday, I learned that pine nut mouth is an epidemic! Straight from The Awl, which is very much like the CDC. Megnut suffered the same bitter fate last week. The syndrome was also just mentioned on The Body Odd, an MSNBC blog.

Three in a week is a trend. Move over miracle fruit, rancid pine nuts are all the rage.

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Jun 12

I Love My Calendar Girl

I’m not a gossipmonger, I don’t really care about the peccadilloes of television chefs or AMC actresses and I don’t 100% understand the chain of events that led up to January Jones calling up Bobby Flay for advice on how to handle what appears to be a drunk driving incident, but can we agree that Griller & Chiller's friend very much resembles his wife, Stephanie March?

If I had a husband who was hanging out with a half-decade younger version of me, it would not be cool. And this month of the year name business just might be treading into fetish territory. April Bowlby (What? You don’t watch Drop Dead Diva or Two and a Half Men?) had better stay alert.

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Jun 11

Chain Links: Yes, We Have No Banana Doughnuts

South Korean SPC Group will be adding Jamba Juice to their business.
Currently, they operate Baskin Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts. Based on
Dunkin’ Donuts’ banana, coconut and white chocolate doughnut shaped
like the tropical fruit, some twists might be in store for Korean Jamba
Juice. [Business Wire]

Villa Enterprises Management who “started in 1964 as a tiny pizzeria next to the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City” have morphed into a zillion different restaurant concepts and have spread all over the world. Two brands, Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen and Greenleaf’s & Bananas are sprouting up in Puerto Rico. Eh, pasta and sandwiches. [QSR]

Have you heard of Marble Slab Creamery? I had not. It sounds an awful
lot like Cold Stone Creamery, but upon further investigation the lesser
known (to me) chain opened five years earlier, in 1983. Name
recognition is not holding Marble Slab back from expanding around the
globe, though. They just opened their first Mexican shop in
Guadalajara. Too bad Cold Stone already has a presence in Mexico City,
Monterrey and are coming to Acapulco. [Business Wire]

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The Vanderbilt

White or Wheat

To Dye For

My Week In Fried Chicken, Ice Cream and Beer

Chain Links: New Moon

A Senior Moment

Xie Xie

Pining Away

I Love My Calendar Girl

Chain Links: Yes, We Have No Banana Doughnuts

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Occasional Instagramming

Yes, it’s come to this

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The Past Will Haunt You

Pigeonholing 101