Posts for February 21, 2013 -- Grub Street: New York Magazine's Food and Restaurant Blog

Posts for February 21, 2013

2/21/13 at 5:50 PM
Leftovers
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The Modern’s New Beer for Craft Beer Week; Luckyrice Dinner Parties

• The Luckyrice Festival is launching the Luckyrice Parlor, a week of dinner parties helmed by chefs including Danny Bowien and Ivan Orkin. Tickets range from $88 to $250 and go on sale February 26 here. [Grub Street]

• On February 24, Tacombi is hosting an Oscars viewing party. They'll project the event on two huge screens, one in the front of the restaurant and one in the back. Chef Luis Aguilar will be highlighting his specially made passion-fruit-Champagne cocktail just for the night. It begins at 7 p.m. [Grub Street]

• As part of Craft Beer Week, the Modern is debuting a new proprietary beer, Ataraxia, which was created in collaboration with Sixpoint Craft Ales' Jan Matysiak. It's a warming ale with a sweet, biscuity malt character and a slightly spicy note — available starting February 25. [Grub Street]

• Pizzeria Speedy Romeo presents the next installment of the Chef Collaboration Pizza Project, featuring chef Anthony Ricco from Spice Market. His pizza, "The Bangkok Burn," features wood-oven-roasted Thai beef meatballs, sweet chili Thai tomato sauce, fontina cheese, pickled shallot, and a frisée, radish, cilantro, and basil salad with chili mayo and lime. [Grub Street]

2/21/13 at 5:30 PM
Under Wraps
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Introducing B’klyn Burro, Which Will Gladly Show New York How Real Burritos Are Made

By Hugh Merwin

Suiza time.

"New Yorkers don't know the difference between carne asada and carnitas," writes San Francisco–based site the Bold Italic. "They aren't capable of coaxing the deep flavors of chile verde out of their pork, and they probably think avocado can substitute for guacamole in a burrito." The site may not really have a dog in this fight, but it duly notes it does have faith in Bay Area expat Pepe Urquijo, a documentary-maker living now in Brooklyn who so missed Mission District burritos that he began a quest to open his own taqueriá and even flew in a guy named Feliz, who has fifteen years of West Coast experience, to be his chef at B'klyn Burro, his brand-new endeavor.

Where to check it out.

2/21/13 at 5:00 PM
Restaurant Power Rankings
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Grub Street’s Restaurant Power Rankings: Perry St. Reopens; The Meatball Shop's World-Conquering Expansion Continues

By Alan Sytsma

Photo: iStockphoto

The buzz cycle of a New York City restaurant can come in many forms: Some places open big before quickly fizzling out, others build their buzz slowly through word-of-mouth, while still others open big and stay big (Danny Bowien, we're looking at you). But all places benefit from renewed interest after the opening cycle wears down, and it seems lots of places are feeling that this week, thanks to the arrival of some editorial lists, potential awards, and at least one comeback from Sandy-related devastation. Read it all, straight ahead.

2/21/13 at 4:45 PM
Video Feed
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Watch Jimmy Fallon Make His Writer Eat a Pickle for the First Time

By Caroline Shin

One of Jimmy Fallon's Late Night writers had never tried a pickle in his life. Apparently, he didn't eat a lot of green stuff as a kid. So Fallon put him up to the test for our amusement. The man took a big bite like a champ, but then proceeded to gag and choke "a little bit." Let's hope Fallon provides good health insurance.

You never forget your first time.

2/21/13 at 4:10 PM
Video Feed
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Watch This Vegetable Genius Play Massive Attack’s ‘Teardrop’ With Produce

By Hugh Merwin

Brooklyn-based artist, musician, producer, and tinkerer Jonathan Dagan, who is also known as j.viewz, enlists about $10 worth of supermarket produce to help perform a cover of Massive Attack's "Teardrop." The veggies complete a circuit relayed to a keyboard, he explains, in a situation that's probably similar to the one that allows people to use mushrooms to operate iPhones. Put your headphones on and watch j.viewz use mushrooms, kiwis, grapes, and eggplants to make music. Beautiful, vegetal music.

Except for the hoarse radish, it's all great.

2/21/13 at 3:25 PM
Coming Soon
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Umami Burger, Dos Toros Taqueria, and More Confirmed for Brookfield Place Complex

By Hugh Merwin

A panoply of cupcakes, hamburgers, tacos, grilled-cheese sandwiches, and salads are set to join the fast-casual love fest in progress at the soon-to-open Brookfield Place, Diner's Journal reports. In addition to the third location of Long Island's shockingly thin-crust pizza chainlet Skinnypizza, incoming tenants include Umami Burger, master salad spinners Chop't, Dos Toros Taqueria, Dig Inn, Sprinkles Bakery, and Little Muenster. The guys from Num Pang, who are on a bit of a roll today, are also onboard for the football-field-size dining terrace that will seat 600 guests, with six more chains expected to sign on in the forthcoming months. [Diner's Journal/NYT, Earlier, Related]

2/21/13 at 3:00 PM
Breakfast Tacos
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Salvation Taco Opens for Brunch This Weekend

April Bloomfield and Roberto Santibañez will attempt to cure your hangover with steak and egg burritos, chilaquiles, and grilled lamb tongue tortas at Salvation Taco. If you don't want to send your body into shock via crispy pig ears, opt for a fresh-baked pastry like the date-pecan muffin. You can sweat out all those toxins with a game of ping-pong after you eat, too. Brunch will be served Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

2/21/13 at 2:15 PM
Overnights
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Top Chef Seattle Recap: David Rees on Unclean Sweetbreads and Kristen’s Baroque Euro-Esoterica

By David Rees

You know it's the finale because the lighting is dramatic.Photo: Bravo

I’m back from my cruise. No, not that cruise; this cruise. I know you guys are interested in food, so I tried to eat lots of it at every meal. After a few nights of heavy American meats and sauces, somebody told me the ship’s cooks were Indian and the smart thing to do was order Indian food off-menu. Friends, let me say: It was some of the best Indian food I’ve ever eaten! The curries were spicy, but the spices were deep down in the dish, not floating on top, if that makes sense. It was amazing. I also ate bananas for breakfast and salad bars for lunch.

"Kristen admits to peeing in her pants."

2/21/13 at 1:45 PM
Revamps
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Parea Bistro Is Now Parea Prime

By Hugh Merwin

Good Choice. Better Prime.

Seven-year-old Greek restaurant Parea Bistro in Flatiron has steakhousified to become Parea Prime, part of a full-on porterhouse renaissance sweeping Manhattan, which also includes Arlington Club, John DeLucie's Bill's redo, and the new iteration of Gallagher's. While many of the Greek elements remain the same, Parea's owners have brought in Bobby Van's vet Jean Christophe Villard to oversee a vast and meaty menu of chops, rib-eyes, and strip steaks, all of which are dry-aged in Pat LaFrieda's "Himalayan Salt room," which is in fact a real thing. Check out the menu over here.

2/21/13 at 1:10 PM
Quote of the Day
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Jeremy Lin Sure Knows His Dollar Menu Exchange Rates

"Got my first ever technical last night and lost $2000 ... makes me angry when i realize thats 2000 mcchickens or 4000 jack in the box tacos." — Yes, Jeremy Lin, getting your first technical is really sad news, for lots of reasons. For a frame of reference, BuzzFeed shows you exactly what 2,000 McChicken sandwiches look like. [Buzzfeed, Jeremy Lin/Twitter]

2/21/13 at 12:25 PM
Closings
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Schnitzel and Things, El Jalapeño, and Noella Brew Bar Are All Closing

By Hugh Merwin

The owner of the somewhat kitschy but always decent Mexican café El Jalapeño tells Here's Park Slope that two co-owners recently died, and the restaurant will close "as soon as a buyer is found." Meanwhile, citing an overcaffeinated retail corridor over on Seventh Avenue, former Ozzie's owner Melissa Rapoport tells the blog she will close Noella Brew Bar on March 3. Lastly, and sadly, Schnitzel and Things owner Oleg Voss tells Midtown Lunch he'll permanently close his two-year-old Midtown shop on Friday. Rent is too high, says Voss, who adds he plans to open another brick and mortar down the road. "I don’t want this to be a pity thing," he says. [Here's Park Slope, Here's Park Slope, Midtown Lunch]

2/21/13 at 11:50 AM
Red Sauce
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The 117-Year-Old Rao’s Is Indeed Expanding to Hollywood

By Hugh Merwin

Somebody tell Harvey Keitel.Photo: Courtesy of Rao's

Spanish Harlem institution Rao's is indeed opening at 1006 Seward Street in the Hollywood Canteen space, according to co-owner and managing partner Frank Pellegrino Jr., who says in a press release that the restaurant is targeting a late spring or early summer opening.

2/21/13 at 11:20 AM
Openings
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What to Eat at Coccola, Now Serving Pizza and Panuozzos in West Harlem

By Hugh Merwin

Your own personal prosciutto pizza.Photo: Michael Tulipan

Restaurateur Sebastiano Cappitta (Buca, Bettola, Bettolona) continues his quest for thin crust with the opening of Coccola, at Amsterdam Avenue and West 139th Street in Harlem. He's hired chef Antonio Vallo, a Naples native who is only 28 years old but has nonetheless been making pizza professionally for the last 16. Fittingly, the menu includes 21 kinds of pizza, as well as ten-inch panuozzo sandwiches like the Sorrento, which is made with smoked mozzarella and pancetta. Most dishes are cooked inside the wood-burning oven, and nothing here costs more than $14. Check out the menu and take a quick look at Coccola's dining room, straight ahead.

The menus.

2/21/13 at 10:55 AM
Food Safety
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Glass Fragments Found in Special K, Kellogg’s Recalls

When you quickly throw together a Cereal Killer costume next Halloween, make sure to grab a box of Special K Red Berries. Kellogg’s is recalling the cereal after finding glass in 36,000 packages. Fortunately, there have been no consumer injuries, and since the glass made its way into a single batch, it's a small recall. The company's clearly having production issues: In October, it recalled 2.8 million boxes of Mini-Wheats after finding fragments of metal mesh. Yikes. [Reuters]

2/21/13 at 10:25 AM
Meat Me
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Dickson’s Farmstand Meats Opens Inside Foragers City Grocer

By Hugh Merwin

To celebrate the opening of its third New York location, inside Forager City Grocer in Chelsea, the generous Dickson's Farmstand Meats is getting its grind on and giving away one free pound of dry-aged ground beef all day today and tomorrow to any customer who purchases $5 or more from Foragers. The beef may be sustainable, but you should probably get there before the chuck runs out.

2/21/13 at 09:55 AM
Bookshelf
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Heady Headley: Del Posto’s Brooks Sells a Book

By Hugh Merwin

Headley at work.

Brooks Headley, who took over the Del Posto pastry department in 2008 and immediately launched a baroque, cerebral, and delicious dessert menu where vegetables have lead roles (fennel panna cotta, eggplant studded with dark chocolate), has sold his first book, Publishers Marketplace (subscription required) reports. Headley, who has a punk-rock past with the band Born Against, will reportedly synthesize his hardcore roots here with an "Italian nonna-like approach to fine dining" with the cookbook.

One, two, three, four!

2/21/13 at 09:25 AM
Openings
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What to Eat at the New Num Pang, Bringing Vermicelli Noodles and Cambodian Sangria to NoMad

By Sierra Tishgart

Following the news of the Meatball Shop's first location with booze, Num Pang has opened an outpost that will serve alcohol, too. The new flagship, which opened yesterday, is serving local Asian beer on tap, wine, and Cambodian sangria with tropical fruit, lemongrass, and ginger. It's also the first Num Pang to have full seating; it can fit up to 30 people. The menu includes old favorites as well as several add-ons, all of which are more fitting for dinner than a sandwich. Jasmine or brown rice bowls come with your choice of marinated pork steak, grilled market fish, or seasonal vegetables, and cold vermicelli noodles are served with either coconut tiger shrimp, grilled pork, or grilled steak. With No. 7 Sub as a neighbor, this stretch of Broadway's quickly becoming a sandwich haven.

Num Pang, 1129 Broadway, at 26th St., 212-647-8889

2/21/13 at 09:00 AM
No Substitutions
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More ‘Impostor’ Fish Found in America’s Restaurants and Sushi Counters

By Hugh Merwin

This guy has less to hide, and is least likely to steer you wrong.Photo: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

It's still happening: A new study published by the nonprofit group Oceana found that approximately a third of fish samples retrieved from restaurants and markets were not actually the fish they were claimed to be. DNA tests of 120 samples purporting to be red snapper at sushi bars and full-service restaurants, for example, returned a staggering 28 distinct species, including 17 "that were not even in the snapper family," the Times reports. Probably the worst finding? In New York, the article says, "fish that was not really tuna was being passed off as tuna in 94 percent of the samples taken." That's a lot of fake tuna.

Grouper? I hardly know her.