The Steamy Paella

Recently I found myself at Sugar and Plumm, at the suggestion of my friend Stephanie, staring at a somewhat unlikely dinner menu. Who would really pick to eat dinner at a restaurant with a whole page of sweet treats alone; banana splits, crepes, tarts, waffles, ice cream, and the like? Well, the savory side proved some delicious choices as well. I found myself enjoying a heaping pile of pulled pork waffles with pickled onion and slaw and jalapenos.

The whole place has a whimsical feel. With purple swirly straws and rotating, glowing clouds circling above your head.

If you want to enjoy dinner or some delectable sweets, come to this place for a slight “down the rabbit hole” meets “Suessville” feeling while you chow down on their sweet and savory menu. Looks like there’s one opening in Manhattan soon too!

I’ll give you a forewarning regarding this entry because I’m about to be a Negative Nancy. Not all reviews/experiences can be positive, so I hope to save someone else time and money by possibly convincing them to avoid my negative experience. 

To start off, I’ll admit that I was at Katz’s on a Saturday evening, in what appeared to be the exact hour every tourist (and possibly New Yorker?) wanted a steaming hot pastrami sandwich. My fault, but that’s what worked for my schedule. I’ve heard of Katz’s as the legend and the be-all of NY deli sandwiches, so I finally decided to go. My boyfriend warned me that he didn’t recommend it , but I wanted to go (quite stubbornly) anyway. We got there, and within seconds I had sensory overload from the cattle style lines, winding in unmanned chaos, leading up to the counters with food. 

Yes ladies and gentleman, free-forming lines where every man is in it for him or herself. Claw your way to the front, back stab the person next to you by squirming your way in somewhere ahead of them; law does not apply in this establishment. 

If my boyfriend hadn’t been before, I would also have been completely confused. You get a ticket at the door, which is how you get your order tallied once you  make your way to the front. You also can’t lose your ticket, even if unused, because you need it to get back outside. The consequence if you lose it? I’m not sure. Maybe they make you stand in their winding lines until closing time aka real world hell on Houston Street. Forget the boiling oil and tar for eternity with the Big Man himself. I think that bad souls just get trapped between two fat Southern tourists at Katz’s for eternity. 

Anyway, on to the food. Yes, their sandwiches are, erm, sufficient. I ate it, it was good. I will give the food a “meh” though because of the cost ratio. My boyfriend and I got one sandwich and canned soda each, and the bill was just over $40. Really? Go to Harold’s in NJ, and you can feed at least 3-4 people on $40, and you’ll probably have leftovers. (Blog on Harold’s to come soon!). 

Here is half of the pastrami sandwich in all of its unimpressive glory.

When you order at the counter (above) they let you have a slice of whatever you’re ordering, which is a pretty nifty idea considering you’re probably starving and watching them cut the meat, but instead of it being a “sample and then choose” situation, you get a taste of what you already ordered. Weird. I guess if they let everyone taste and order afterwards, the lines would be out the door.

They do give you a handful of pickles with your sandwich, and being a huge pickle fan, that is quite an exciting idea to me. However, the half sour pickles were not briny enough, and actually, also pretty unimpressive. Not to tout Harold’s again, but they have a whole pickle bar that you’re free to visit throughout your meal. Awesome right?

Here is the infamous seat as seen in “When Harry Met Sally.” After having visited Katz’s, I have to say I hold that scene a little less fondly at heart.

Seating is also first come first serve. Float around with your tray until you find a place to sit. If you split up to get drinks (which are at a different ordering station), be prepared to scan the room a few times just to find them. Oh, and no soda fountain, just cans? Really again? They do have Pilsner Urquell on tap, which I enjoy, but I did not order it. 

I figured it was time to take this blog in new directions, so here we go…

Presenting, homemade food entries! Live and laugh through my successes and failures (oh, I’m sure there will be failures). And better yet, learn from my mistakes.

To kick this baby off, homemade strawberry ice cream made by my wonderful boyfriend (with some small help from me, so this hopefully still counts).

The rotating ice cream is pretty mesmerizing. 

As a disclaimer, the pistachio is store bought. PS, pistachio = the best.

The recipe is from Cuisinart, since it was a Cuisinart ice cream maker.

Makes a few delicious Tupperware containers (small/medium size), to keep in your freezer to snack on. Throw in some gummy bears and you can’t go wrong. So fresh tasting, and fairly easy to make! Just remember to really get your ice cream maker insert frozen long enough. If your ingredients don’t fit at one time, you’ll have to re-freeze, because it won’t be cold enough after the first batch. Refrigerate your ingredients beforehand as well!

We all like a little cake porn ever so often, so here you go. Tiramisu cake from Mazur’s Bakery, one of my favorites. I recently eased up on my annual demand for cannoli cake on my birthday. I think I had at least a 5+ year streak, but my heart is set on espresso soaked cream heaven now, and there’s no looking back.

Traditional meat pie, potato salad, homemade ginger fizz, homemade orange fizz.

The verdict? Meat pie, pretty tasty. Good seasoning, well baked, flaky. The potato salad, not so great. I’m Eastern European, and potato salad is kind of our thing, so I have pretty high standards. The potatoes in this salad were too raw and it did not have enough flavor. The orange fizz was sweet and delicious, but I unfortunately ordered the ginger fizz, which was just too much raw ginger flavor for my liking. I expected a ginger ale type mix, and got strained raw ginger + sugar + seltzer.

I’d definitely go back for another meat pie, but with a different side!

http://www.tuckshopnyc.com/info.php

So Jasmine went to Cancun, Mexico, and brought me back some treats. I’m mostly posting these because they had funny ingredient translations. They were both actually tasty, but I couldn’t eat more than a few bites because the sugar ratio per square inch must have been through the roof. I ran to brush my teeth right after because I felt like they were already rotting. I can’t imagine the dentistry needs of Mexican children if they actually eat these! The “rollo de leche” was sweet but kind of reminded me of marzipan, however I don’t think marzipan is made of “seed than squash.” The internet told me it’s like a Mexican fudge and contains milk, sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and vanilla. The coconut one was just that, coconut with what seemed like condensed milk.

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Imagine a piping hot pretzel being handed to you after coming out of the oven. Imagine paying 35 cents for said pretzel. Imagine said establishment makes their own delicious mustard. Imagine this place exists on Washington Ave in Philadelphia.

The hardest part about having a warm pretzel in your hand? Catching them while they’re open, unless you’ve been out drinking and it’s 2a.m. or you like pretzels for breakfast. I’ve participated in both scenarios.

Let me tell you about a quest for pizza. Yes, it turned out to be a quest, in perhaps the lighter sense, however many obstacles appeared to be in the way of getting inside the door of Lucali’s in Brooklyn, NY. 

It began with word of mouth, possibly the best way to get informed of new restaurants. Jasmine and I looked Lucali’s up online, and decided to go. Jasmine wound up there first, and did attest to the greatness of Lucali’s, so of course I just wanted to go all the more. My birthday rolled around, so I naturally picked this restaurant for my dinner for three. They don’t open until 6pm, and at Jasmine’s suggestion, we arrived shortly after their opening to snag a table. However, the restaurant was already packed. The wait, around 3 hours (my memory is a little hazy on the details but I remember being baffled). Since Jasmine lives nearby, I opted for take-out instead. The wait for that? Two hours. Oh and they don’t deliver. I turned with my tail between my legs, knowing I was not having pizza from Lucali’s on my birthday.

The next day came around, and I still finding myself on Jasmine’s couch, thought, why not try again tonight for dinner? This time we wanted to be there at exactly 6pm. Of course the subways weren’t running on a normal route, and shuttle buses replaced some subway stops. Since we were coming from Manhattan we were going to take the subway to the closest stop to Lucali’s, but instead found ourselves on a shuttle bus, which was an express bus to nowheresville Brooklyn, instead of on the local bus which was what we needed (we were shuttle bus newbies). I called Lucali’s at 6pm from the bus, and found out the secret to the place. Even though they don’t take reservations, call them the night you want to eat there, and they add you to a list, and will call you probably 15 minutes before your table opens up so you can head over. Finally! Well, while we’re heading to the middle of nowhere and then back, they called us to tell us our table would be ready. So we ended up sprinting from the bus stop to the restaurant. Have I sprinted to an open table before? No, definitely not. 

We arrive huffing and puffing, and mostly hungry. The restaurant is crammed (it only has about 10 tables or so), and when the hostess gets annoyed by people coming in from the street, she puts up, NO JOKE, a red velvet rope in front of the door. Yes, the kind you will find by a bouncer at a club. May I remind you that we’re at a pizza place.

We end up waiting another 20 minutes before being seated (feeling like idiots for running). The party next to us asks for wine glasses to start on their bottle of wine outside (pretty antsy, giving the hostess some ‘tude). We all just want to get intoxicated on mozzarella and sauce already. Tensions are high.

Finally, the hostess emerges and calls my name, and I want to run to the table before someone else occupies it. Once inside, you sit down and you feel like you’re in someone’s kitchen. It is warm, cozy, and lit by candlelight and dim lamps. The main chef (possibly owner) overlooks his diners while making his pizzas and calzones (it was a little awkward because the place is so small). He looks like he’s making pies for his patiently waiting family, sometimes stopping to sip wine, kneading the dough as if he’s dreaming about his days in the Tuscan countryside (haha just kidding), observing the tables intently (possibly judging if we’re worthy?). There’s a huge bowl of fresh peppers and mushrooms and tomatoes, which I thought was pure decoration (it looked too perfect!) and then the chef reached in, chopped, and sprinkled on a pie. A+ on atmosphere.

(So dark)

Now, for the main event. Instead of a menu, you glance at the chalkboard for your dinner options. Lucali’s only serves pizza and calzones. Nothing else. Your only choice of meat is pepperoni (from what I remember). Other options include mushrooms, peppers, artichokes, garlic, and fresh basil (the last two come for free, the other options cost extra). We got a calzone with garlic and basil, and a pizza with half artichoke and half garlic/basil.

Somehow, they brought the wrong table our calzone, and after waiting for what felt like half an hour or more after our pizza came out, they realized, apologized, and gave us a free calzone. The owner/chef apologized to us in person, which felt very sincere. We hadn’t complained because we just thought they were busy (and to be honest, I was afraid of a “no soup for you!” situation). The large calzone is the size of half a pizza tray. I ate a few slices of pizza, and one and a half slices of calzone, and I was done in. We brought back a full pizza box of leftovers. 

To be honest, I wasn’t majorly impressed, but Jasmine said the food felt a little off that night. The ingredients were fresh and simple and delicious, but it just didn’t seem worth the wait for me. It felt like any other specialty pie place. I want to go back again to see if it is different the second time around, and I plan on getting different toppings in my calzone and on my pizza. I did enjoy the atmosphere and food enough to give it a second try.

As a side note, this place has some of its fame from being frequented by Jay-Z and Beyonce. I questioned this claim in my head, and joked around with Jasmine, asking if the place closed up when they came over, or which “perfect” table they picked for them. Halfway through our dinner, I realized a table had been empty for quite a while in the far left corner, and wondered how in the world that was possible with the waiting diner milling outside. Not another fifteen minutes passed and an Escalade pulled up (after creepily circling around as Jasmine noticed), and none other than Jay-Z and Beyonce strolled in. To answer my question, I guess they really do come in pretty often. The entire restaurant didn’t move a muscle, and no one even seemed to notice them. With that kind of treatment, no wonder they come often. The chef walked over and welcomed them personally, and that’s when I stopped looking too.

PS. Beyonce is really pretty.

My fellow foodie friend and ex co-worker, Kimberly, once told me about the ever-so-famed Mexicue food truck. As interested as I was, the thought of finding the food truck seemed fleeting, and I put it on my laundry list of “eat here.” Then Jasmine and I attended the Grub Street Food Festival, which proved to be a complete failure (imagine having to elbow your way in a crowd of 200-300 people, just to see where each stand was, let alone figure where the lines began and ended), except for the glorious Mexicue truck parked outside, a rainbow in my gloomy day of disappointment, a joy in a sea of lines and hungry/angry people (trust me, the worst combination of all). Yes, we had to wait on line for, hm, 30 minutes? But I figured the truck was there, and I didn’t want to chase it down another day, so we waited.

All I have to say is, “wait and you shall receive.”

A small glimpse into the unpleasant Saturday of disappointment. But behold the majesty which is… MEXICUE

I got the BBQ brisket slider ($3) and the oak smoked short rib taco ($4). 

Jasmine got the pulled pork slider ($3) and the chorizo slider ($4).

What do you get when you combine perfectly spiced rubs with fresh toppings in joyful handheld wrapping? A 30 minute wait well-worth it. Topped off with a chilled mint tea, I finally found something worth the chaos and waiting. Well done Mexicue, well done.

One caveat of the Momofuku Noodle Bar is that it belongs in the Momofuku family of restaurants, which means you’re in for a wait, and yes, that wait will be brutal. When you combine somewhat reasonably priced food with a desired name in the restaurant business, you get an unebbing line of patiently waiting customers and tourists. 

Is the wait worth it? Still deciding. Read on.

My usual partner in crime, Jasmine and I found ourselves waiting for a table, and since it wasn’t unreasonably cold, the wait was bearable. We finally got called, and hurried through the packed dining area. We finally stopped and were seated at a bar, which directly faced the cooks. This was a playful and fun idea, but I found myself staring at the staff pounding ramen after ramen, much like I’d find myself staring at a caged bear at the zoo. I somehow felt guilty, even though I found it very interesting, and couldn’t look away (although hopefully they’d be used to spaced out faces with hungry stomachs drooling in their directions). I think it proved to diminish conversation because I’d catch myself dozed off watching the line cook with poached eggs, rather than talking to Jasmine who was a few inches from me.

Note how hot and steamy it was from sitting so close to boiling pots of water. 

We ordered one of the specials from the blackboard, the kimchi pork tamale, which should have been somewhat of an appetizer, but arrived after our ramen at which point we were too full to really appreciate it. 

From what I remember, the tamale was actually somewhat bland (not that I think I’ve ever had an especially tasty tamale). It would have been nice if we had gotten it before I main course.

I ordered the “ginger scallion noodles – pickled shiitakes, cucumber, menma.” Unfortunately my biggest critique is that it was so salty that my mouth and tongue actually felt that brininess, and that’s what I mostly remember from my meal.

I am generally a fan of fresh scallions and mushrooms so I enjoyed my meal, however it got a little difficult to finish towards the bottom because of the salt content.

Jasmine got the “chilled spicy noodles – sichuan spiced sausage, spinach, cashews.” I have to say it had a lot more flavor than my dish, which I think can be attributed to the sausage. I tend to stay away from cold noodles as my entrée, but if I could have chosen her dish instead of mine, I would have. The candied walnuts were a nice touch, but as the sausage was a bit on the sweet side as well, I don’t know how it would have been after first few mouthfulls. 

Overall, we both weren’t that impressed. I might go back again just to try something else, but I’m not hurrying anytime soon.

So, let me talk about a satisfying food adventure, since those are the ones that most spark my interest in blogging. Jasmine and I found ourselves wondering what to eat next, and the prospect of hot ramen on a chilly fall day won our hearts over. And with good reason! Ippudo was worth the looming warning of an hour or more wait. In the end we ended up only waiting like 20 minutes, which was enjoyed in the company of a Sapporo (2 for 1 Sapporo or Kirin draft from 5-8pm at the bar for Happy Hour, $6 each) at a bar filled with ramen noodles!

I should warn you that we did make a 5:30pm date, and when we were leaving around 6:30pm, the waiting area was packed. Show up early and with an empty stomach!

Anyway, I ordered the Shiromaru Hakata Classic, which turned out wonderful. Well seasoned, a little creamy, full of sodium like I enjoy in my ramen. Jasmine got the Akamaru Modern, which actually had more flavor and I would probably order next time. I think their “special” sauce and the miso paste really add something extra. Also her pork belly had more flavor than my pork loin pieces. Here’s my dish though!

Not only is the food great, but the decor is pretty striking, with a lot of mirrors everywhere, adding that extra “imaginary” space. The staff shouts welcoming phrases in Japanese when you walk in, and when orders come up. The atmosphere is bustling and alive while you sip on your soupy goodness. Definitely recommended!

In honor of the World Cup game happening right now (go Spain!!!!), I thought I’d blog about one of my top dining experiences in Spain. Casa Botin in Madird, Spain, claims to be the earliest restaurant in the world. Now, granted or not if this claim is true (I mean how often do they get challenged on this anyway?), if you are in Madrid, you would seriously be a fool not to go here. I stumbled upon this place from watching Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods. This restaurant oddly didn’t fit into his usual routine of being a shock and awe sort of food experience (no they don’t serve caterpillars or eyeballs), but it turned into one of my favorite, so thank you Travel Channel. I believe he did go for a plate of baby eels (which costs 129,40 Euro, yeesh!), which is pretty “exotic” or “bizarre,” but I still find it to be one of his less adventurous efforts.

Now to preface my culinary delight from Casa Botin, I have to say this was my first meal after my flight from Newark, NJ. I was sleep deprived, starving, and about to overdose from my Spanish food withdrawl. Therefore, my claims may be a little elevated, but I will stand behind every word I’m about to say.

To begin, this place is apparently famous for its preparation of the suckling pig, which is said to be so tender and crispy, that it can be cut with a plate. I didn’t attempt this myself, but I did see it in the episode of Bizarre Foods, so I’ll let that claim stand. I will however go in order of what we ordered, so let’s save the pig for last.

To begin we ordered a pitcher of sangria, which makes a jet-lagged girl even more appreciative of the plates to come. The sangria came in the quaintest little jug, which seemed to add to the atmosphere of the whole place. 

So first up was a plate of cured loin of pork (Iberian), which I have blogged about before in my favorite tapas entry. This translates to “Jamón ibérico de bellota.” The flavor surpasses all other cold-cuts in the world (in my opinion). Seriously decadent and worth every penny. I small plate like this will run you about 20 Euro, but if you’re on vacation, I highly suggest a splurge.

Next up were anchovies with red peppers. I’ve never seen the two paired like this before, but yet again the Spaniards know what they’re doing. Cold and drizzled in olive oil, the flavors become extremely subtle and complementary. With or without bread, this dish definitely grew on me instantly.

Now comes probably my favorite dish that we had. The “Clams Botin” were honestly so intoxiting, that I ended up eating the sauce they came in with my spoon. It was a frantic rush to get every drop of that precious sauce out of that tiny little cazuela. I have honestly never been so excited by a dish before. I am not sure what they put in this tomato based sauce, but if they would bottle it and sell it on the internet for $100 an ounce, I would probably be suckered into buying it. Thank you culinary gods for gracing us with this joy.

And finally, here’s the crowning jewl of this restaurant. Every table was ordering the suckling pig, in every proportion. You can get one piece and split it for two, or you can order a pig of any size for the entire table.

Yes it was tender, yes it was juicy, yes it was “suckling.” To be honest, if I could have ordered 10 more of those clam dishes instead of this pig, I would have. I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I should have based on the hype. I may or may not have enjoyed my roasted potato more. But granted, I’m not that into large pieces of pork in general, so don’t take my word on all this.

We ended with some sort of cream puff-type dessert called “Bartolillos De Madrid.” Unfortunately I took all these photos with my Blackberry camera (I honestly hate pulling out my digital SLR at restaurants), so this dish is all blurry. However, it wasn’t that exciting, so no worries. If I were you, just order Clams Botin for dessert instead.

So I used to walk by Artichoke very often, and I’d constantly be amazed by the line of people waiting to order. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever walked passed this place without at least a line of 10-20 people outside. Yelp even provided a picture of the same exact line at 3am, which is baffling (but understandable, read on!).

So with an empty stomach and high expectations, I met up with Jasmine and indulged on a seriously tasty pizza experience. Unfortunately the pizza place is tiny (which makes me wonder how it is a “bar” considering you actually cannot consume the alcohol indoors because of the lack of space, tables, and chairs), so we had to order to go and took it to Union Square. We sat on a bench on a warm summer evening, amongst skateboarders and presumably some drug addicts, and started eating. 

So this may look like a greasy mess, but in fact it was a delicious greasy mess. You’re looking at artichoke and spinach, margarita, crab, and a Sicilian slice. The margarita slice was the least exciting, and I’m still trying to choose a favorite from the remaining three. The artichoke and spinach slice was creamy, cheesy, and smooth. The Sicilian slice was the greasiest, but for some reason not in that “school cafeteria” sort of way. Think olive oil greasy, not deep fryer greasy. And the crab slice made me wonder how the sea and a pizza slice would meet, but in the end, I was pleasantly surprised. The crab was not at all intrusive (and “fishy”) and blended extremely well with the ricotta cheese.

Each slice is about $4 to $4.50, which is pricey, but for the quality and the size of your slice, you won’t be disappointed. 

And what’s that, dessert you say? Well, for another $2.50 and a 3 feet walk towards 1st Ave, you’ll find yourself at Led Zeppole (pun intended), holding a warm bag of dough and sugar. This little zeppole place cranks out other goodies like fried oreos, funnel cake, and more! Think favorite carnival foods (even waffles and ice cream!) made fresh to order (I had to wait 5 minutes for my 3 zeppoles). As a side note, Led Zeppole is also owned by the guys behind Artichoke, and apparently has a “Coney Island” theme, which makes perfect sense.

So, all in all, pizza and zeppoles on a summer night in Union Square is something I recommend to everyone. 

So my friend Jasmine told me about this place for a few months. She worked nearby, and often touted with statements such as “I’ve been here every day this week,” and “if I could have a Cambodian sandwich for a child, I would so that I can eat its delicious meatball fillings.” Okay, so she didn’t say the second one, but she does love the place. Anyway, recently my friend Katie took me there, and something strange happened; I fell in love with a skirt steak sandwich. 

Okay, so let me get real for a second. Numpang is downright awesome. I haven’t had anything but the skirt steak sandwich (it’s too delicious to take a gamble on anything else… for now). I hear the veal meatball sandwich and catfish sandwich are both crave-able too. Well, one day we shall see. Until then… SKIRT STEAK SANDWICH (see below)

So what makes it special? The chili mayo sauce, the veggies (cucumber and pickled carrot), and most of all, the crushed coriander marinated tender skirt steak. Oh, and I’m a huge fan of crispy white bread, which is what this whole operation is held together by. Plus, cilantro has lately been on top of my list of favorite herbs. Can’t go wrong with any of these combined food items. 

And here is the quaint upstairs dining area. The downstairs may appear like a hole in the wall, but follow the winding iron stairs, and you can enjoy your sandwich with all the Sriracha hot sauce you want.

Or grab your sandwich and eat in Union Square Park. Whatever you choose, your stomach will not regret it.

Yes, there are a lot of top-notch fast food burgers in NYC, but this burger has to be in the top 3 (in the $8 burger category anyway). Burger Joint may be a less interesting review/find, but it’s a damn good one. How do you find Burger Joint? Well, when you’re walking down 56th Street, you enter a busy hotel (Le Parker Meridian), and after turning around and scratching your head for a little bit, you notice an odd looking line leading into a curtained section of the lobby. It really looks like a bathroom line, but actually once you inch up a few spaces, you begin to smell the mouth-watering grill surrounded by a well oiled staff cranking out burger after burger after burger. This may sound like a Burger King conveyor belt of burgers, but when you finally make it up to the register, you can see the fresh ground beef molded into perfection slowly sizzling on the grill. 

The only way to know you’re in the right place is from the neon glow of this unlabeled burger sign.

The inside is packed with happy customers. I happened to go on a weekend afternoon, but apparently on a weekday lunch hour the line winds through the lobby into forever…

My favorite part of the inside (which happens to the opposite of the swank hotel it resides in, no wonder they hide it behind a curtain), is that the menu is written on cardboard and taped by the register. Also, they have pieces of paper to fill out in different languages for tourists. I wish all foreign eateries were as kind when I’m travelling. 

Okay okay, so where is the best part, you ask. Well here you go, let this burger speak for itself. Feel free to ogle and drool.

Oh and crispy, thin fries? My favorite. Yes please.

Oh, and if you happen to be getting your burger for takeout, hold it extra tight as you pass the ever-growing line of hungry impatient people on the way out. The line probably grew by 10 people since you first got there…