Published: Big Plans in Store for a Sliver of a Storefront in the East Village

Sweeettt.

Always have had much love and much respect for the Village Voice, a godfather in the alt-press universe. Yesterday, my first freelance post for their excellent food and drink blog, “Fork in the Road,” hit the Internets.

Cienfuegos, a rum punch bar debuting soon in the East Village, has been in my sights for a while and I’m stoked that I was able to get the post written and up on the Voice’s site before the New York food blog with “exclusive” rights to photos and other as-of-yet-unknown details got theirs out. (I still haven’t seen it, but guessing it’s Eater NY.)

Click here for the full post on Cienfuegos, including a recipe for one of the bar’s signature rum punch drinks, Port of Mischief.

Cienfuegos, 443 East 6th Street, between First Avenue and Avenue A, 212-614-6817

#storyoftheweek CNN, HuffPost Counting on the Fact That You’re Hungry for More

Sometimes, no news is good news. And then there are the times when good news is, in fact, great news. This week’s tweets announcing new food channels on CNN.com…

…AND at the Huffington Post:

were, in my book, decidedly of the later kind of “great” news.

As the Village Voice‘s food blog, A Fork in the Road, notes, Huffington Post Food and Eatocracy are just the two latest foodie news feeds to have launched: “Last spring, The Atlantic launched its Food Channel, Salon got its Food section last fall, and NBC New York debuted Feast earlier this year.”

To which I add, the New York Daily News recently launched a supplemental Sunday food section, and the Wall Street Journal hired a restaurant reporter to cover the beat for its soon-to-debut New York section (via The New York Observer).

Not everybody’s happy about it (e.g. this retweet today from the Houston Chronicle‘s food critic, Alison Cook):

But here’s the thing.

Not only do more food news sources mean more food news production — (which equals more potential freelance opportunities for this writer and many others, joy!) — but this burst of growth is just the latest evidence that something really is afoot. Food isn’t just what’s for dinner anymore.

As HuffPost blogger (and celebrated foodist in his own right) Craig “Meathead Goldwyn so undeniably illustrates in his slideshow essay introducing the new section, “Food for Thought and Thought for Food,”

Food may be the preeminent topic of our times. An exaggeration? Food weaves through, nay, encompasses all the major topics…

…from politics to religion, from health to business to entertainment, food touches every sector of our lives.

And people are figuring it out.

Editor’s Note: iPhone Down. (aka the “To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade Photography?” Post)

For better or worse, thus far one of the conceits of the BLD Project is to use photos taken with  my iPhone.

avg. iPhone low-res photo

Which means no flash, no high-res, can’t get too close otherwise, no focus, either.

Pros: On the other hand, having taken thousands of photos with the iPhone camera, I’ve gotten fairly good at it.

Plus, taking photos with an iPhone allows me to fly in stealth mode as much as possible, which is always a good thing.

Cons: Yeah, I know. Often, the photos sort of suck. Particularly the dark and blurry ones. (But isn’t that okay?)

This is going to be a moment of reckoning for the BLD Project.

using a 5.1 MB digital camera

Most likely, my iPhone is truly lost (still in denial). Most likely, I’m not getting a new iPhone until the 4G comes out in a few months.

But I’m certainly not taking a break from blogging.

So what to do?

Digital cameras are so small and amazing in 2010. Should I embrace the moment and upgrade BLD Project to photos worthy of food porn status? Or should I stay true to the blog’s guerrilla style?

The Collective: Sorta Like Grandma’s House Went Down the Rabbit Hole … and Ended Up in MePa

How to describe The Collective. It’s sorta like grandma’s house went down the rabbit hole…

Pillars are draped in faux bling, bound in cable ties to look like a bristle brush or covered in a knotted weave of those skinny, noodley balloons (called twisting balloons) used to make balloon animals.

Tables have been inlaid with incomplete Scrabble tile sets purchased on eBay; street signs, bath tubs and even a classic “Walk/Don’t Walk” sign (which makes for a particularly warming seat) are now chairs.

The light fixtures are striking, particularly the prescription pill bottle chandelier with its surprisingly delicate orange glow and the giant sculptural ceiling light made of styrofoam. It just goes on and on…

Bottom line: Thanks to the craftsmanship of some crazy, brilliant, out-there motherfuckas, what’s old is new again and hardly anything is what it seems.

Which is exactly the point, said The One Group‘s CEO, Jonathan Segal, when he stopped by our table (I was here for a press function). Everything in the restaurant is reclaimed or redone somehow, or used in an unexpected way.

I like, I like. Makes for great eye candy … and I’m not referring to the statuesque Meatpacking crowd that had begun to settle in at the the bar.

Even the truffled deviled eggs (pictured, $10) came out lined up in an overturned egg carton, and the chicken-n-waffles ($12) — a table favorite — came out in a hot cast-iron skillet, presumably the one that had something to do with how the dish was cooked.

But then, everything else was presented on … white plates. Rectangular white plates, oblong white plates, white bowls, all uniform white, white, white.

“Wouldn’t it be cool if all the plates, glasses and flatware were mismatched, too?” our table mused. “They could be sourced from flea markets or … bought up at auctions from restaurants or wholesalers in incomplete sets. Something…”

Really, so insignificant. But we just loved the decor so much we wanted it to go all the way, down to the level of detail where that aesthetic would still be there even when we finally pulled our eyes away to look down at our food.

Oh yeah, the food! Lands solidly in the “grub” category. There are more ladylike dishes on the menu, but the best of what I sampled was the hands-on finger foods.

So whether it’s Hong Kong ribs (pictured, $20) at 10 p.m., a late-night dessert of the (darling) housemade fudgesicles on a stick ($8), or a 4 a.m. order of disco fries ($12) to sop up the booze, just get messy.

The Collective, 1 Little W. 12th St., at 9th Ave., 212-255-9717. More information can be found here.

The $6 Wundersandwich (aka the “It Could Be Possible To Live Off Nha Toi’s Menu Alone” Post)

Finally. A $6 sandwich in New York City that is everything I’ve ever wanted: Badass baguette that’s so fresh it talks smack: “Oh yah, what. Bring it.” A serious veggie crunch and bold, fresh flavas that stand up to the succulent, meaty, (in this case porky) protein at its core.

There’s more, nine more banh mi on the menu — lemongrass pork cutlet or shitakke mushroom, anyone? — all priced at either $6 or $7 dollars, NSA.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Nhà Tôi.

Don’t blink as you walk past this tiny storefront on Havemeyer Street, lest you miss it (inside, it’s almost all kitchen and about a mish-mashed seats). The bi heo sandwich that I had — stuffed with shredded pork and skin with roasted rice powder — trumps any banh mi I’ve had in the city, including Baoguette’s.

This is the kind of food memory that will make the injustices of that crappy, prepackaged salad lunch in Midtown and overpriced UES bodega sandwich — with all due respect, it’s just meat, cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, watery tomato, raw onion on a passably fresh roll — all the greater.

But Nhà Tôi’s menu doesn’t stop there. Once you get past the sandwiches, there’s a full menu of pho to explore, as well as snacks. On my visit, I was blatantly oggling the crispy spring rolls at the next table (can’t help it, close quarters warrant awkward seating and wafting smells).

… and the drinks? Well, no booze. However, the lineup of canned Southeast Asian beverages strung up on a chord will keep you perennially interested, e.g. basil seed beverage with “creme soda flavour” ($2). What’s it taste like? Says Nhà Tôi chef/owner Fred, “Well, I grew up with it. So I love it. But there’s definitely a certain texture to it.“

So how does Nhà Tôi keep their prices down? I’d guess from low overhead costs. In addition to being tiny, there’s only one menu, on a sheet of 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper, full of Sharpie cross-outs and tacked-on additions.

Why not print more? Not sure … that’s between a man and his laser jet. I’ll be back to Nhà Tôi in a split second, but I’m not going there.

Nhà Tôi, 160 Havemeyer St., nr. S. 2nd St., 718-599-1820. Cash only.

Eggie Post Script

Meant to include a mention this yesterday…

The most bizarre eggs that I came across in any of the markets was this carton of Wonder Hen Eggs, size Super Jumbo, from Vande Bunte’s of Michigan, which boasts:

“Almost all of our eggs have TWO YOLKS!”

Folks, that’s just not natural.

More information is available here.

Published: What’s In an Egg? (aka the “Size Does Matter” Post)

There are few grocery staples as beguiling as the egg: color, size, grade, omega-3s …. seriously?

Prior to my latest Market Research column — which came out today in amNewYork newspaper — my methodology for buying eggs may as well have been to cover my eyes and point randomly, giving preference to the more expensive, brown eggs over the most basic white eggs, eventually compromising on some middling dozen without really knowing why.

So when I was given the green light for this assignment, I just couldn’t wait to get in those little eggies’ faces.

Research

I skulked around the egg sections at more than a half-dozen major markets around the city like some crazy chicken lady — Whole Foods, Gristedes, Food Emporium, C-Town, Gourmet Garage, among them — before I settled on five packages that covered the spectrum of the egg kingdom.

They were:

— Jack’s Egg Farm (Brooklyn), Grade AA, Medium, white ($1.99)
— Eggland’s Best (various), Grade A, Large, white ($3.79)
— Horizon Organic (Colorado), Grade A, Large, brown ($5.69)
— Giving Nature (Newton, Pa.), Grade A, Extra Large, white ($3.79)
— The Country Hen (Hubbardston, Mass.), Grade A, Jumbo, brown ($4.19/6)

Methodology

On the day of the tasting, the chef and I cracked one of each of the eggs open to compare size and color of yolk; stature of egg white; taste of egg (sunny side up, runny yolk) with just the slightest dash of kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper as our quality control.

Admittedly, I’m not sure I knew how varied egg size and yolk color could be until I poured out five eggs at one time.

In terms of taste, hand’s down, the winningest eggs were from Jack’s Egg Farm and The Country Hen — the cheapest and most expensive eggs in the survey, comparatively.

Huh. So you’re saying that I could pay less than $2.50 for a dozen eggs from a local manufacturer — which happen to be graded as AA — or I could pay $0.70 per egg (albeit, a guaranteed excellent egg that was conceived in living facilities with sunlit porches)?

Four words: Egg King for life! (That’s Jack’s Eggs Farm’s tag line.)

Sooo…. if you don’t spend the time to read my less-than-500-word article (read it!) here’s what you need to know about eggs:

(+) The only difference between brown eggs and white eggs is the bird from which they’re laid. Brown eggs are more expensive because the birds that lay brown eggs are larger and require more feed;

(+) Doesn’t matter how eggs are packaged. According to my source at the American Egg Board,  the only difference in type of packaging is cost. “In the production industry, if you put good eggs in the carton, the carton should protect the eggs,” she said.

(+) The grade of AA is higher than Grade A; however, due to manufacturing processes, by the time that many eggs labeled “Grade AA” reach the market, they’ve become Grade A eggs. The difference is slight to consumers.

(+) Eggs naturally have about 100 mg of omega-3, so when a company (such as Eggland’s Best) boasts that their eggs are a good source of omega-3, having 115mg omega-3 per egg … it’s purely a marketing ploy. (If omega-3s are your deal, look for eggs that have 200 mg to 300 mg omega-3s per egg, such as Giving Nature‘s eggs or The Country Hen.)

(+) Recipes generally call for large sized eggs.

Nom nom nom!

South 4th Street Just Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, Blowing Up (aka the “Traif, Mazel Tov!” Post)

South 4th Street just can’t stop, won’t stop, blowing up.

First, Pies ‘n’ Thighs, and their glorious comfort food and even more glorious pies. Then, Dram, a cocktail geek’s cocktail bar that’s been almost two years in the making. I stopped by on Friday night and management said they’d “officially-officially” been open for a week at that point (but if you followed me on Twitter you’d have known that already #shamelessselfpromotion).

Now, the eminent arrival of Traif, with its passion for all things un-kosher organized into an eclectic menu of small, sharable plates of deliciousness — shrimp, scallops, bacon, chorizo, pork belly, pork cheeks, potstickers, foie gras, lobster, ribs several ways — separated from one of Brooklyn’s prominent Hasidic communities by a  mere eight lanes of traffic accessing the Williamsburg Bridge.

Foot-in-mouth move? No way.

The dynamic duo running the restaurant — co-owners Heather Heuser and chef Jason Marcus — were scouting locations in the East Village and LES for Traif long before settling on this South Williamsburg gem (check out the restaurant’s blog for photos of the sleek, casual interior and stunning backyard).

They’d also checked around a bit with the community, said Heuser, when the chef and I chatted with her on Friday night. If anything, the response they got back was: “Well, that makes it easy for us to know where not to go.” (“Traif” is a Hebrew word that refers to un-kosher foods.)

….Which just means more un-kosher goodness for the rest of us. High-five to that!

TIP: Absolutely do not skip one of Traif’s signature cocktails, the Red Pearl (chili-infused vodka muddled w/ kiwi, Thai basil and homemade sweet and sour mix), which is named in homage to the Cali restaurant where Heuser and Marcus first met. If the brightness and freshness of these flavors are any indication of the duo’s plans for the restaurant, I’ll toast to that.

—
Pies ‘n’ Thighs, 116 S. 4th St., at Driggs St., 347-529-6090. More info here.
Dram, 177 S. 4th St.,  btwn. Driggs St. and Roebling St., 718-486-dram. More info here.
Traif, 229 S. 4th St., nr. Borinquen Pl., 347-844-9578. More info here.

Something Kind of Magic Under the JMZ (aka the “Hello, Moto” Post)

Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that such an utterly romantic, sweetly nostalgic restaurant as Moto could exist — nay, thrive — in a corner of Brooklyn predominantly known for its Hasidic and Dominican communities and fast-food neon …

And yet, that’s exactly where I found myself on a quiet afternoon this last weekend, sipping a black velvet ($7) — a deceptively effervescent Guinness and champagne concoction — and channeling every bit of my attention that wasn’t swooning over the jazz music, muffled and crackling as if from another era, or the way the wooden ceiling fan cast an oscillating pattern of shadows onto the antiquated turnkey clock, while the JMZ Train rumbled on overhead … wait, where am I?

Oh yes, the task at hand: I was alternating between skewering mushrooms that had been marinated in olive oil and sherry vinegar, and finished with capers, rosemary and red pepper flakes, with toothpicks, and constructing gorgeous bites from a deconstructed salad composed of slices of cucumber, tomato, radish and soppressata, hulks of Bulgarian feta, garnishes of fresh mint and black olives.

This was just to sample something the menu; I will surely be back for more.

Moto evades categorization except to be called “excellent.” The best I can do is to say that as I sat there in my reverie, studying my surroundings, more than once I considered comparisons between Moto and such old timey, Euro-inspired cycling-centric bits of pop culture as The Triplets of Belville and that Stella Atrois commercial from last year, which I’ve pasted below:

Moto, 394 Broadway, at Hooper Street, E. Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 718-599-6895. Photos of the restaurant and a bit more information here, great writeup by the Village Voice here.

#storyoftheweek: #fuckramps

It was an otherwise average Tuesday on Twitter — conversation ebbing and flowing around such foodish topics as rainy day lunches and the greenmarket arrival of ramps,…

when, out of the blue (everything on Twitter is out of the blue, big part of the draw), Freeman’s William Tigertt tweets:

“You know what. Fuck Ramps. There I said it. Please find something else to tweet about.”

Whaa…! That’s funny.

And the tit-fa-tat that followed? Utterly fantastic and amusing.

Folks, there’s a lot of shit on Twitter. But then again, there’s a lot of shit on the Internet. But then again, there are gems like these:

Yup. For reals!

Before long, the blogs were all over this phenom. To quote the Voice’s “A Fork in the Road” (from which I borrowed the above Twitter pic):

Thanks to William Tigertt, the Ramp Backlash Starts….Now

There’s been serious backlash, as well as pure silliness. Case in point: DBTH (Death by the Hipster) tweeted just a few hours ago:

“Going to hit the greenmarket, buy some ramps and send a picture to @WilliamTigertt – you can’t stop spring!”

I did jump into the fray, siding with Tigertt, with this Tweet from the 31st:

“@WilliamTigertt Chef in house sayz they’re prbly just using them as scallions anyhow. Gotta get creative else what’s the point. #teamtigertt“

I have no issue with ramps. They are seriously delicious, and a my chef friend and I worked it out last spring, making some excellent eggs…. And now, some brilliant online bites.

#storyoftheweek

INFO

Freemans Restaurant, End of Freemans Alley, off Rivington btwn The Bowery and Chrystie, the rest of the info here.
William Tigertt on Twitter: here.
Fork in the Road blog: here.