Another Dose of Dosa
After an inexplicable hiatus, the Dosa cart is back in Morningside Heights, but in a new incarnation. The bigger, spiffier cart touts a tantalizing list of vegetarian Southern Indian staples—from varieties of dosa and uttapam to flavored rice, aloo tikki, samosas and exotic drinks like tamarind and guava. Read more
A Foot Long of Philly
Would getting a Philly cheesesteak in New York City be like getting a New York bagel in Philly—inauthentic and ultimately unfulfilling? Well, my Philly cheesesteak was not only filling, but it was fulfilling in an “I really need some red meat in a bun” kind of way. Nothing like watching be-suited businesspeople stalking along Park Avenue to make you feel like tucking into some steak. Read more
Ace in the Hotel: Part Two
There’s always a line and nowhere to sit at Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Yet, you can eye the cute, tattooed wait-staff in their jaunty hats and bring your robust cold brewed coffee ($2.50) and small savory sandwich ($4.50) into the Ace Hotel lobby. Like the New York Public Library reading room, albeit with food, a bar and chatting, the space features an oblong table with brass lamps where a line of patrons sat tapping at their laptops—except for one man who bellowed into his cell:
“ANNIE LEIBOVITZ… You know THE PHOTOGRAPHER. YES, she’s going to be the stylist.” Read more
Flavorless Wines
Subtle wines that are refreshing and don’t hog Center Stage
By Josh Perilo
Recently, at the restaurant where I serve as wine director, I was clearing out our inventory of old wines and giving away past selections to fellow employees. The head bartender, Jason, took a bottle of a higher end Chardonnay from Oregon called Arcadian “Sleepy Hollow.” It was a full-bodied, rich and buttery wine that was almost a meal by itself. Read more
Ace in the Hotel: Part I
The Ace Hotel has two tiny, almost hidden eateries, both of which serve noteworthy snacks: No. 7 Sub (a spin-off of Chef Tyler Kord’s Ft. Greene No.7) and Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Read more
Get Me to the Greek (Market)!
Can’t Greece catch a break? Their economy is in shambles and their soccer team was eliminated from the World Cup. However, who doesn’t fantasize about sitting in a Greek island taverna amid blinding white stucco houses, or dancing Zorba-style in the olive groves at an impromptu party? Read more
Prepared Food Paradise
In Sex and the City 2, Carrie tells Big that he won’t find her in the kitchen, only ordering delivery. Well, if I had the fantasy life that is Sex and the City, I’d probably order in every day from Agata & Valentina, the Upper East Side version of Zabar’s, albeit with its own Sicilian slant. What pristine produce! What perfect prepared foods! And happily, one can stroll through the aisles without being part of a human conveyer belt of shoppers. Sure, things are a wee pricey, but not what you’d expect, given the locale. Read more
Falafelling in Love With Maoz
I’ve reviewed snacks from five falafel joints, but I haven’t featured a single falafel sandwich. The Middle Eastern chickpea balls always seem flavorless, dry, greasy or overpowered by soggy lettuce and tahini. Then Maoz moved in, and I had even more reasons not to eat falafel, or at least theirs. Read more
Catering to Carnivores —in the Concourse
Juicy… smoky… tender… salty… savory… satisfying, but ultimately indescribable. The best steak I ever tasted was in a “little spike” sandwich in Tri Tip Grill’s “Modest Meal” ($5.99), which includes a plain white roll stuffed with 2-and-a-half- to 3-ounces of steak, your choice of salad or sides and a small soda or spring water. My “red mashers” side played a superb supporting role, especially with rich gravy drizzled on top.
The meal may be modest, but this California import is anything but—when it comes to describing the steak, and what they do to make it so indescribably scrumptious. The menu commands you to LEARN
Photo by Daniel S. Burnstein
WHY THIS SANDWICH WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. I like a steakhouse that stands by its beef. Tender and lean, this little-known cut of Angus beef undergoes something like steak spa treatment: “aged for 21 days,” “rubbed in a specialty marinade and craft seasoning,” “charred over roaring fire” and “finished in a wood smoker.” And I should add, “rolled in your tongue,” because you just don’t want the sensation to stop. Who would have thought you could find such a rare, complex flavor in bland Rock Center? While tourists head up to the “Top of the Rock,” I’ll be in the basement, enjoying the full 6-oz. in a Big Buck ($7.99).
—Nancy J. Brandwein
Tri Tip Grill
30 Rockefeller Plaza
Concourse Level
212-664-1124
Got a snack attack to share?
Contact NBrand@aol.com
East is West
It’s about time a full-fledged dumpling house moved west—and north—of Chinatown. A few storefronts off Broadway and almost hidden, this new dumpling house packs lots of flavor in its bulging purse-like packets. I have become so used to frying up frozen potstickers from M2M that I had forgotten how good a pork dumpling could be. The pork and chive ($5.50/eight pieces steamed) hold together well when you take that first juicy bite—no Vienna sausage-shaped wad of pork pops out of the skin, as happens so often. Made fresh and fresh tasting, these are livened by ample chives and the homemade dipping sauce—tangy with vinegar and garlic. My husband loved his so much he slurped leftover sauce from the shallow dish. Read more
