Hibachi Heaven

A major hole has been filled.  If you wanted hibachi in NYC your only option was Benihana.  Yummy, but it's a whole sit down process and definitely on the more expensive side.  And if you wanted takeout style hibachi (like my beloved Hiawa's in Savannah or Inoko Express in Athens), you were completely out of luck.  Thankfully a food truck has arrived on the scene to save us all.

Hibachi Heaven makes perfect fried rice, veggie, and protein bowls in about two minutes for an average of about $9.  And while they have the typical ginger and pink sauces (sometimes referred to as steak sauce and shrimp sauce), they also have a creamy wasabi sauce and sriracha on hand.

It's hard to believe Hibachi Heaven is the first (and at this point the only one) to recognize that NYC was in need of a speedy hibachi meal.  I'm just glad somebody finally gets it!

Peck's

My final stop at the "Taste of Jewish Culture" street fair was Peck's where I sampled pierogis.  They were huge and only $4 for two of them so I would have to say it was the best deal of the day.  I decided to get one of each flavor: the kasha and mushroom as well as the brisket and onion.  The kasha was very good but that brisket was out of sight.  The afternoon went by quickly and all I really remember saying was "This pierogi is serious.  Serious."  First off, the brisket itself was juicy and flavorful.  Then the pierogi was pan fried like a Korean dumpling, getting it just a bit browned and crispy.

Peck's is a food truck that remains in a single spot in Brooklyn.  But if they're in truck form, they must be able to drive around...like to Manhattan...so I can eat more of there food.

Lonestar Empire

Last week I went to my first ever SummerStage concert.  SummerStage is a concert series in Central Park that provides both free and not free music throughout the summer.  Concerts are always a good time but my mind was blown when I saw they had food and beer stalls.  Lo and behold!  Food and beer makes the music sound even better!  If anything, I thought it would be simple burgers and hot dogs, but they actually had about three fancy food vendors from the Brooklyn Flea set up.  We got all of our food from Lonestar Empire, who put their Texas-style smoked meats (brisket and pork) in both sandwich and taco form.  The tacos had great slaw; the sandwiches had perfect pickles - good toppings all around.  They don't have a brick and mortar store so make sure you head to Smorgasburg to taste their meat (that's what she said).  And if you haven't been to a SummerStage show, definitely put that on your bucket list.

 

Brooklyn Oyster Party

I like any vendor who has the word "party" in their name.  Just saying the word party (or more accurately "partaaay") makes me want to start dancing.  Brooklyn Oyster Party was a new vendor at Madison Square Eats and the one that received the majority of Albert's attention.  

Getting a half dozen oysters on ice is the kind of thing you order at nice restaurants...not exactly street fair food.  But we were all decked out for the Derby and it was a beautiful day so it just felt right to glam it up a bit.  Because it was so out of the norm to see an oyster stall, it felt all the more classy.  There we were, sitting underneath a Marimekko umbrella, with a spiked lemonade in one hand and a freshly shucked oyster in the other.  

I liked that we were still able to choose our oysters upon ordering (two options for east coast, two for west).  It made it feel like they weren't sacrificing quality just because it was a stall at a pop-up food festival.  I was also a big fan of their cucumber ginger mignonette sauce.  Oysters are usually all about being traditional, but I liked this twist on the classic.  Then again, once you start shucking at a street fair, you've veered away from traditional already.

Calexico

I had some great ideas about how I would spend the Derby on Saturday.  I planned to gather all my fabulous friends, we'd wear fabulously dapper outfits, and we would have a fabulous party at a bar.  Unfortunately, pretty much all my friends were busy and/or out of town so the fabulous-ness was put on hold.  But then Albert came to the rescue with all sorts of great ideas, the first being lunch at Madison Square Eats, which just reopened this weekend.  

Now that Madison Square Eats has returned [for their 6th year], I feel like it's officially Spring.  The pop up food market has grown and added even more vendors this year, but my first stop had to be one of their original stalls.  Though Calexico was one of the first to join Madison Square Eats, I had never gone because the line was always so long.  Now that there are more options to choose from, the Calexico station stays packed but the wait is very manageable.    

I ordered the chipotle pork taco that looked small (especially for $5) but it was actually very filling.  I particularly liked the pickled onions on top but would have liked for the meat to be a bit spicier.  What it lacked in spice, however, it made up for in tenderness.  The meat was super juicy - you could tell it had spent a long time cooking.  

Otto's Tacos

The bright orange sign made me wonder if it was legit, but Albert really wanted to check out Otto's Tacos.  I want to say the reason I agreed was solely because he asked me to, but the real reason was twofold: I started reading a lot of good reviews about their LA style tacos on homemade masa tortillas and I heard about a secret menu.  The reviews offered validation and the secret menu made me feel special.  Like I was a gatekeeper.  Don't tell me you wouldn't want that honor.

The menu is small but it's really all you need.  My favorite of the regular menu tacos was the shrimp.  The shrimp has been marinated to be a little tangy and spicy and it comes with a serrano crema that really set the whole thing off.  Thankfully, that crema also made it's way onto the Gorgon.  The Gorgon is the secret menu item at Otto's, but I'm telling you about it now so I guess the secret's out.  It's a deep fried taco that's much larger than the regular menu tacos so you won't need to order as much as you think.  The tortilla is puffed up like a greasy peacock and filled with carne asada (good char on the meat), guac, that crema, onions, and cilantro.  It may not be on the menu, but it's the best thing on the menu. Wink wink.

Gorgon in the back

Gorilla Cheese

Food trucks have recently deemed the front of my office building a good place to park, which means temptation is now ever-present.  I had resisted for quite some time, which was easy since I typically bring my lunch to work.  On Thursday, however, I just didn't have time to make my turkey and cheese sandwich.  Sure, I could do the right thing and get a healthy salad or the cheap thing and go down to my building's cafeteria but if anyone tries to tell me that's better than going to a grilled cheese truck, I will laugh in their face.

The Gorilla Cheese Truck makes all kinds of grilled cheese - something for every kind of cheese lover.  I was having a tough time deciding between the #5 and the #8 so I asked the guy in the truck window for a little advice.  He said the smoked gouda with bbq pulled pork and caramelized onions is the best thing they make so there was my decision.  I ordered it as a $10 combo, which comes with tots and a drink.  I actually made mine a $13 combo by adding bacon and cheese whiz to my tots because once you know that's an option, there's no turning back.  

The bread on the grilled cheese got a perfect, buttery, crisp crust.  The sandwich was dang good, but there was more pork than cheese.  Perfect ratio if you're calling it a pork sandwich, but can that qualify as a grilled cheese?  The tots were great, but the whiz and bacon may have put me over the edge.  Next time I'll just add one of their $.50 dipping sauces instead so I'm not full til next Thursday.  I'm glad I got to try Gorilla Cheese while it's still National Grilled Cheese Month.  Celebrating a holiday - any holiday, apparently - makes me feel all patriotic.   

Dainobu

I recently stumbled upon Dainobu while I was walking home from work.  This Japanese grocery store and deli is packed with the kinds of products you usually need to go to Canal Street to find.  I finally made the time to go in but made the mistake of going on a Sunday evening when the prepared foods are not at there best.  From what was left in the deli case, I could tell there were once a lot of delicacies including stuffed squid, udon salad, mochi, and unidentified syrupy sweets.

I figured I would go back when I wasn't dealing with such picked-over goods, but still walked away with the chocolate filled cookies and aloe drink pictured below.  The drink was good but a little sweet for my taste, which means it would go over very well in America and makes me wonder why it's not a thing here.  I picked the cookies based solely on the picture on the box and hoped for the best.  I was wowed to see they were actually mini chocolate filled pastries.  The pastry was far flakier than you would expect from a pre-packaged snack.  If I didn't know better, I would have thought this was a French goodie instead of Japanese one.  I love my Oreos and Vitamin Water, but this was a nice way to mix up my snackies this week.

Smorgasburg 2012

Smorgasburg is back and better than ever!  I have written about this food fair here and here, but I'm writing again because it's just so good and there are new booths to discover this Summer.  Gone are the traditional flea vendors and all spots have been filled with food.  Since Jill was visiting from Boston we had to make sure to hit up enough booths to last her all the way back to Massachusetts.

We started with sliders from Dumont Burger.  It was a great little slider.  Simple and nicely cooked, but I'm not sure it was something we could have gotten elsewhere.  It was a good entree into the fair.  Next we had my favorite of the day: hash browns from Egg.  They start with really good, fresh hash browns and you get to pick your mix-ins.  I went with pulled pork, pimento cheese, and a dash of hot sauce.  The smokiness of the pork pervaded the entire dish.  I could eat this everyday.  Next was the monster cemita sandwich.  I don't even know what each layer to this sandwich was, but the cheese was like a Mexican mozzarella, the chicken patty was thick and juicy, and all the spreads were strategically placed so as not to sog-ify the bun.  Our final savory course came from the Japanese taco stand.  We ordered one whitefish and one short rib.  Japanese and Mexican seem like a weird fusion, but this worked, especially the white fish.  After all that food, it was time to cool down with some sweet treats from People's Pops so we grabbed a blueberry apricot popsicle and a red plum shaved ice.

I think it's safe to say we took the improved Smorgasburg by storm.  I didn't even know there was room for improvement over last year, but they have outdone themselves in 2012.  There are still so many stalls to try, so hopefully this will not be the last post of the season.

Dumpling Day

My Mommy knocked on my door nice and early yesterday morning because there was a lot we wanted to pack into one Saturday.  We started by heading to Orchard House, my neighborhood coffee house for a cup of java, a scone, and a glance at the New York Times.  Orchard House has been in the 'hood about exactly as long as I have, so we share a special bond.  I like the vibe, the coffee, and the free WiFi.

After we got the necessary caffeine buzz, we tackled the Brooklyn Bridge.  At just over a mile (each way), it is a nice walk with a great view.  If you've never done this, I highly recommend it, and if you have, do it again - it's not just for tourists.  We got to other side just in time for Grimaldi's to open their doors, but we had something better in mind for lunch.  We took the subway back into Manhattan and headed to Chrystie and Houston for the Dumpling Festival.  $20 got us four plates of food, so we decided to split one ticket.  We started with the Malaysian lemongrass dumplings (pictured below) after eavesdropping on Mario Batali's convo next to us and hearing they were good (and yes, he was wearing the standard orange crocs, shorts, button-down, and navy fleece vest).  He was right about the Malaysian dumplings, but Macao Trading Co.'s dumplings were amazing.  I'll have to actually go to the restaurant now.  Suddenly a bajillion people decided to show up and the lines grew to overwhelming lengths.  It was at this time that we decided to use our third ticket to get two pomegranate ginger ales from Bruce's.  Surprisingly spicy and refreshing.  Our fourth and final ticket went to sticky sweet rice dumplings (some filled with sesame paste, others with nuts).  I'm glad we picked a dessert dumpling to end our meal, but they were super sweet.  One order came with five dumplings, but one was enough to satisfy me.

After dumplings, we walked around the LES so I could point out some sights to my Mom.  By sights, I mean I showed her all the bars and restaurants I like, which doesn't sound like crazy fun but whatevs.  After buying a pair of earrings at a cute little boutique, I couldn't resist a stop into Russ & Daughters.  My Mom was amazed by the fresh bagel/cream cheese/lox sandwiches.  I can't say I blame her, but I had my eye on something else and walked away with a quarter pound of chopped liver.  Chopped liver may weird some people out, but I love it.  Russ & Daughters makes a pretty good version, but nothing will compare to Mildred/Grandma's, probably because my Grandma uses way more lard.

After all that walking, I was ready for a shower and a nap, so I headed home to do just that.  Throw a little How I Met Your Mother in the mix, and it was the perfect rest before dinner.

Jamaican Me Happy

I am a little behind in my reporting because I have been so busy with my parents, but now that it is Sunday evening, it's time to play catch-up...all the way back to Thursday.

My parents are fun and adventurous eaters, so when I met them for lunch on Thursday afternoon, it was no surprise that my Daddy begged for street food.  Unless you're talking roadkill, street food does not exist in Savannah, so I was not about to take my parents to any old Halal cart.  No no; only the best for my parents, which is why I took them to the Jamaican Dutchy.

The Jamaican Dutchy serves scrumptious Caribbean food out of a street cart.  Daddy got the curried goat, Mommy got the stewed chicken, and I got the Jerk chicken.  All meals came with slaw, rice and beans, and sweet plantains.  The food was so flavorful and they managed to stuff an impossible amount into one small styrofoam box.  Daddy got the small meal (which was not small by any definition of the word) and Mommy and I each got mini meals (more than enough food).  At just $6-$7 for the mini meal, this is a steal and a great break from the build your own salad we're all accustomed to eating at lunch in Midtown.

Getting My Just Desserts

To jump into their premiere season with a bang, Top Chef: Just Desserts decided to give away free dessert all over the city from food trucks this past Tuesday.  I have to thank Twitter for bringing this amazing deal to my attention.  Once I found out one of the food trucks would be parked in close proximity to my office, I decided to do lunch backwards.

They weren't giving away boring, tiny samples.  They were giving away full-size treats from some of the best bake-shops in New York.  On top of that, there was no regulation on how many treats you could try.  We were trepidatious about asking for more than one and spent the entire time in line trying to choose the single best dessert available, but it turned out they were happy to let us try everything!  I'm not a cupcake gal, so I passed on Billy's Bakery (though my office pals were disappointed because they think Billy's is the city's best cupcake), but I did get a cup of Breyer's ice cream, two Godiva truffles, and a compost cookie from Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar.

Momofuku's Milk Bar is 100%, hands down my absolute favorite dessert shop in the city.  When it comes to sweet treats, it cant be topped.  I couldn't believe I was able to walk away from this food truck with a full size compost cookie, which is filled with pretzels, potato chips, coffee, butterscotch, oats, and chocolate chips.  It reminded me that I haven't had a Momofuku moment in quite a while and it is probably time I head down to the East Village for some crack pie, cereal milk, and cake truffles.

Top Chef, I recommend you do this before every episode.

Going on a Joyride

I have mentioned my love for food trucks and street food in the past.  I have also touched upon my fondness for Pinkberry-type fro-yo.  I have often pondered how wonderful it would be if those forces combined.  No longer do I need to wonder because such a truck exists and parks at 52nd and 6th on Mondays (then moves down to Wall Street).  

The Joyride truck serves both original tart and buzzed, which tastes just like original tart but has a shot of caffeine.  Not sure how they do that, but I loved it.  If you just want the buzz, they serve the revered Stumptown coffee.  Basically, they're able to satisfy your mid-day snack craving and your afternoon pick-me-up all at the same time.  All the good toppings are there, including a new one, jaggery, which is like maple syrup that comes from a Sri Lankan tree.  Don't worry about choosing - you can put on as may toppings as you'd like...and I like.  My small buzzed was not small at all and only cost $4.50 ($4 for regular, not buzzed), which means I'll be back next week. 

Soup Truck - Day 2

Still electrified about the Restaurant Week soup truck, I walked in the rain to grab a cup of Chilled Edamame soup from Megu.  I was excited because I've heard good things about Megu but sadly, the soup left me wanting.  It was watery with mini [soggy] bread cubes floating on top.  It looked like a mint green hot chocolate with mini marshmallows.  In fact, it had the same consistency and level of sweetness as hot chocolate, too.

Don't get me wrong, it had good flavor, but there's only so much sweet soup I can handle.  It's very hard to make a meal out of it.  It was very one note, needed to be thicker, and could have used a little spice or crunch.  Thankfully, I had brought a chipotle chicken salad sandwich from home.  I had intended to eat both as a soup and sandwich combo, but the sammie ended up taking center stage.

Welcome Back, Restaurant Week

Today marks the beginning of 2010 Summer Restaurant Week and I couldn't be more excited (or as Chandler Bing would say, "Could I be any more excited?!").  I already have a dinner reservation set for next week, so you'll hear about that later, but more important right now is that today brought the return of the Restaurant Week Soup Truck - yippee!

All of today's soups looked great, but I went with db Bistro Moderne's chilled corn soup with corn and chanterelle fricassee and oil drizzle with a side of flatbread.  It was sweet and even though it was cream based, it was still refreshing on this warm summer day.  I only wish there were a few more chanterelles and maybe a dash of pepper.  That little taste definitely made me want to check out the full restaurant.

Can't wait to see what's in store tomorrow!

Berries and BBQ

After cooking Friday and Saturday nights, I still had one more recipe in me before the weekend ended.  I may love to cook, but baking is not so much my cup of tea; nonetheless, I wanted to give it the old college try.  I heard crisps are the easiest things to bake, so I figured that would be a good entry into the baking world for me.  I picked up blueberries, raspberries, and pears from the grocery store and popped it in the oven with a brown sugar oat topping.  Not too bad for my first try, but it was a little too tart.  I was hoping the fruit would be sweet enough, but I think it called for a little extra sugar.  It did, however, give me the confidence to try again.

I carried my crisp over to Sarah's so we would have a nice brunch treat to snack on while we chatted and got ready for the real meal of the day: The Big Apple BBQ Block Party.  The Big Apple BBQ is an annual, two-day bar-b-que fest where pitmasters from across the country take over Madison Square Park and allow Yankees to taste real bbq.  It's always packed, but it's worth it.  Good bbq is not hard to find in my Southern hometown, but I've learned that Yankees have no idea what they're doing when it comes to bbq.  Once a year, that doesn't matter because the real deal makes its way to the middle of NYC.

At most food events, the cost of food affords you a mere taste, but at the Big Apple BBQ, $8 gets you a full plate of food (includes entrée and side) from any one of the 17 vendors.  One plate is enough food to satisfy you, but then you only get to try one thing, which is a grave injustice to the tummy.  I started with a pulled pork sandwich from Ubon's Barbeque of Yazoo.  I picked them for no reason other than the fact that I wanted pulled pork and they had a short line.  The line length was no idication of taste.  The sauce was sweet and the meat was super moist.  I'm not a big cole slaw fan, so I was a little disappointed that I wound up in a line serving it as their side, but my mouth was pleasantly surprised.  Best cole slaw I've ever had.  Seriously.  It was a little spicy and had just enough mayo.  If all cole slaw tasted like this, I would eat it by the barrel.

I was already full, but I needed to push forward.  When bbq is only  here once a year, I need to take full advantage of the occasion.  The next stop was Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Que for some spicy sausage.  I must admit, this time it was the side that inticed me, not the main course.  Though the sausage was amazing (both sweet and spicy at the same time), the main draw for me was the pimento cheese served on the side with saltines.  I love pimento cheese.  It is a Southern delicacy.  The second I saw it on my plate, my mind was flooded with images of my Mom packing pimento cheese sandwiches for a day on the boat.  It may look weird, but if made properly, it tastes amazing.  Since I can't find it in any of the grocery stores here, I may have to take to making it myself (though I'm not sure how that's done) because I now realize how much I miss having it in my diet.

I would have loved to taste more (there were ribs and briskets galore), but my stomach had reached its max.  You may have to wait a year, but I highly suggest you mark your calendars for The Big Apple BBQ Block Party next June.

Food at the Flea

After over a month of waiting, the Hester Flea finally opened yesterday!  Raychel and I headed to Hester and Essex to check it out since the weather was so beautiful.  Raychel walked away with tons of loot (necklace, vase, earrings, ring), and I found some unique pottery.  Of course, I was primarily concerned with scoping out the food, and the vendors did not disappoint.

I love scoring a deal and finding my own personal treasure amidst piles of random artifacts (my 3 small clay bowls were only $15!).  I tend to take the same approach to food.  While I did not enjoy pushing my way through the [seemingly] millions of people and booths stuffed into a much-too-small area of a park, the food I consumed made up for it.  The food vendors were local and upscale.  I went intent on trying the lobster rolls from Luke's Lobster since they seem to have become practically world famous.  However, after seeing the line, I decided I could always go to their brick and mortar outpost at a later date and set my sights elsewhere.  It didn't take long to find the new object of my affection, an omelet station.  I never would have expected to find hipsters serving up made-to-order gourmet omelets at a flea market; but there they were, crammed between racks of vintage dresses and tables of costume jewelry.  There were 4 veggie-packed options (to which your choice of 3 cheeses is added), but for only $2 more (total: $10), I decided to go for The Full Monty with goat cheese, which included everything (kale, wild mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, and spiced cauliflower).  It was huge and more than satisfying.

I had to finish the meal with something sweet, so I grabbed a popsicle from the La Newyorkina stand.  They were all out of the Raspberry Hibiscus I wanted to try, and I wasn't feeling adventurous enough for the Avocado, so I went with Coconut.  It was so refreshing and clearly made with high quality ingredients.  The only part I didn't like was the chunks of coconut meat at the bottom - I'd rather slurp, not chew when I eat a popsicle, but to each his own.

I'll definitely head back to the Hester flea soon so I can give the other food vendors a chance and hopefully get lucky in the jewelry/housewares department.  My words of advice to future Hester Flea Marketers: go early.  It opens at noon, but by the time we left at 2:30, much of the vendors' stock had been depleted.  Good news for them, not so much for the shoppers.

Rey of Sunshine

Today is Fat Friday.  Not only did I sample decadent macarons from Macaron Cafe (I'm not sure what flavor I tried, unless there's a flavor called super sweet and yummy), I ate my weight in Mexican food. 

Today, Midtown West became Midtown Best as El Rey del Sabor opened another permanent location at 49th and B'way, conveniently near my office.  El Rey del Sabor is one of my favorite street carts and one of the few serving Mexican in the city.  You would think I'd love that the original location is situated by Bloomingdales, so close to my apartment, but since it is only around during the week, I never get to take advantage of it.  Now that I can, I went crazy. 

Mexican food is supposed to be down and dirty.  If it's wrapped up in a pretty bow, I don't trust it.  There's something about watching two sweaty guys crammed in a cart that makes the food taste better.  Though hot dogs and gyros are the norm in street food, the fact that this necessitates a knife and fork does not make it exempt.  My food was delicious and I only mildly regret the amount I consumed.  I couldn't decide what I wanted, so I just kept ordering.  A tamale, small side of guac, and 3 tacos later (beef, spicy pork, and chorizo), my tummy is sooo happy.  These fellas know their way around a spice cabinet.   I also got a glimpse of the burrito my friend Pat ordered.  It was no smaller than my calf and was apparently quite tasty.  If you happen to live work in the area, make it a point to stop here for a cheap, filling, and flavorful lunch.

Soup for Haiti

I just picked up a great piece of news.  Since mobile cuisine has gained widespread popularity in NYC, as part of 2010 Winter Restaurant Week, the city has commissioned a Restaurant Week Truck, featuring daily soup selections from 24 Restaurant Week participants.  Week 1 just happens to be right next to my office (B'way between 50th and 51st), and since next week the truck will be parked too far from me (5th between 18th and 19th for the first half of the week and Greenwich between Warren and Murray for the second half), I plan on taking advantage of all the truck has to offer while I can.  How can I pass up gingered sweet potato and lobster bisque from The Sea Grill on Thursday?  Today I plan to grab some of City Crab's famous New England Clam Chowder.  Yum.

For only $6 including bread from Tom Cat Bakery, it is nearly impossibly to pass up.  This foodie event combines two of my favorite things: Restaurant Week and food from a truck/cart.  I have no problem eating something sold on the side of the road.  In fact, I believe it usually tastes better that way, and I have no problem eating street meat even when I'm not drunk.  But the best part is that $1 from each sale is donated to Haiti relief.  That kind of soup will warm your belly and your heart.