The lovely ladies of La Newyorkina, creators of Manhattan’s only artisanal Mexican ice pops, better know as paletas, are at it again! Saturday marks the debut of a brand new flavor paleta at Hester Street Fair: Honeydew Cucumber. It’s best described by La Newyorkina co-founder Hannah Goldberg:
“They say that it’s not easy being green, especially when one is a popsicle, but this one manages beautifully. A pale green with a delicate and elusive flavor that treads that fine line between sweet and savory – super-refreshing and utterly delicious. I hope you’ll make it down to the Fair to taste one!”
You heard the lady! Get down to Hester Street Fair and try one for yourself, tell them NYC Food Guy sent you.
On its second day of official business, OliO greeted NYC Food Guy with a full house, bar and all. But while the 1,000 degree oven churned out pies like the brightly flavored Margherita ($12) by the minute, not even the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the governing body of Neapolitan pizza, could prevent the disaster that was the Campagnola ($21) pie. It was the inclusion of burrata on this pie that intrigued me as I’d never had this wet, creamy mozzarella on a pizza. And pairing it with parma prosciutto, arugula and parmesan seemed fool-proof enough. There’s no complaining about the size of the pie, its sufficient for two, but when dealing with authentic Neapolitan pizza, sometimes less is more. Parma prosciutto doesn’t benefit from being sliced any way other than paper thin. OliO’s slices of parma required not just a bite, but a hand – to keep the ham in place while you tear at the thick, fat-streaked pieces. The confusion continued as the overabundant bed of arugula combined with the sharp parmesan to completely eclipse any flavor or texture the delicate burrata attempted to provide. The result is a soggy slice that leaves more fallen on the plate than in your mouth. The dough at OliO is delicious – pliant, slightly charred and mildly smokey – just go easy on the toppings.
OliO, 3 Greenwich Ave nr. Sixth Ave, New York, NY 10011 212-243-6546
A source inside the Artichoke empire tells NYC Food Guy that management was reportedly scouting MacDougal Street in Manhattan’s West Village Monday as the location for a possible third branch of its eponymous slice joint. This very early tip comes on the heels of new signage appearing outside Artichoke’s impending 2nd branch, located on 17th street and 10th Avenue, a development that took nearly a year from the time word of the 2nd branch first leaked in October 2009. This gives us reason to wait at least a few months for West Village developments. Just enough time for Joe’s Pizza to develop a rival Artichoke slice of their own.
Through all my varied, sometimes indulgent, eating over the last three and a half years of NYC Food Guy’s existence, the meals that left the most lasting impression – no matter the cuisine – were comprised of fresh, flavorful ingredients allowed to shine in their near natural form. Fresh, as it turns out, leaves you feeling better than deep fried. This is why I left Northern Spy Food Co. Saturday smiling and fully satisfied.
I don’t use the word spectacular often, but the lineup of chefs and food items at the Celebrate Flatiron Chefs event tomorrow at Madison Square Park is nothing short of it. Purchase a ticket ($260 for 5:30PM entry, $160 for 6:30PM) and become one of the first New Yorkers to try Hill Country’s new fried chicken and delicacies from Eataly, the new Mario Batali Italian food emporium opening soon across from the park. The event supports more than your gluttony, tickets are tax deductible since it’s actually for the park and the kids, raising money to aid free programs, concerts, public art exhibits, and readings. Check out the chefs and menu ahead (click to enlarge) to see why I’m so excited…
How did The Meatball Shop’s Chef and Co-Owner Daniel Holzman get a job a Le Bernadin at age 14? Which HBO TV star stole his first love? Where did the idea for The Meatball Shop come from? He’ll answer those questions plus we’ll make a little history, tasting The Meatball Shop’s brand new, pork fat-infused Buffalo chicken meatballs and blueberry frozen yogurt macaron sandwiches for the first time on camera.
The Meatball Shop 84 Stanton Street b/t Allen St & Orchard St New York, NY 10002 (212) 982-8895
Carnivores rejoice! Meatopia is upon us. 30 top chefs and BBQ teams will be cooking all types of delicious meat this Sunday on Governor’s Island from 11:30AM to 4:30PM and NYC Food Guy will be on hand filming a video chronicling the indulgence. Come down, say hello and grab a bite. Tickets range from $25 to $150, the higher you go, the more food you’re entitled to. Check out the event info page for all the information you’ll need. And if you’re still not convinced, click ahead for the chefs and menu and then just try and tell me you’re not enticed…
Montreal native Chuck Hughes wanted to be in a biker gang when he grew up. He got the tattoos but he traded the motorcycle for the Cooking Channel Ice Cream Truck. That’s how NYC Food Guy found the star of Cooking Channel’s “Chuck’s Day Off” two Saturdays ago, handing out free People’s Pops and chatting up all passersby about everything from his food-centric tattoos to his popular Montreal restaurant that is at the heart of his TV show. He may be rolling on four wheels instead of two but he’s doing his best to bring the rock and roll spirit to the world of food. Check out the video as I introduce Chuck to chocolate covered bacon and pupusas while he waxes poetic about his favorite NYC food.
Chuck’s Day Off airs Saturday at 2pm and Wednesday at 10PM only on the Cooking Channel
From left to right: Guerilla Ice Cream’s Red Coat & Chinatown Tea Party
Above: La Newyorkina’s Watermelon Paleta
If you’re looking for a way to beat the heat this weekend, get down to Hester Street Fair Saturday where two unique frozen treats specialists are debuting brand new, July 4th inspired flavors for one day only. The two mad ice cream scientists behind Guerilla Ice Cream continue their political revolution-inspired creativity as they debut Redcoat ($5)(spicy cranberry shaved ice with pop rocks) and Chinatown Tea Party ($5) (Steel Buddha Tea sorbet with Chinese walnut cookies and fresh dragonfruit). While those two troublemakers are slinging scoops, the lovely ladies of La Newyorkina, creators of Manhattan’s only artisanal Mexican ice pops, better know as paletas, will be reinventing the experience of eating a beautiful piece of fresh watermelon, right down to the rind, with their Watermelon Paleta ($4). To achieve the look of a real wedge of melon, the ladies fill their paleta molds with a combination of fresh pureed watermelon, simple syrup, lime juice, and salt then top it with a peeled, lightly sweetened puree of the rind. It may be more delicious than the real thing.
The Food Network Great American Food & Music Festival passed two Sundays ago without much fanfare. But that didn’t stop NYC Food Guy from having some fun! Eighteen restaurants were serving up their regional specialties at the New Meadowlands Stadium and I wasn’t about to miss out on a chance to try the self-proclaimed creator of the hamburger (Louis’ Lunch), the buffalo wing (Anchor Bar), the Chicago style Italian beef sandwich (Al’s Beef), or the oldest barbeque in Texas (Southside Market). And that was only the tip of the iceberg. But what I really wanted to know is whether these famed American food items are truly worth the hype? Check out the video above to watch me eat my way from sausage and Suicide wings to freshly fried churros and frozen custard. It’s the best of America’s regional specialties and it’s all in one place!
What better way to celebrate the arrival of summer and the Cooking Channel than with free frozen treats? The Food Network’s new baby has created a “one-of-a-kind” ice cream truck to tour the country and promote itself by handing out free frozen dessert. New Yorkers get a special treat this Friday and Saturday when the Cooking Channel ice cream truck doles out free People’s Pops, the new Chelsea Market-based shop offering popsicles made from seasonal fruits. The truck will be at Chelsea Market Friday from 10AM to 6PM (75 9th Ave b/t 15th & 16th St) and at the NYC FoodFilm Festival Saturday from 12PM to 10PM under the Brooklyn Bridge. Check out the rest of the national tour schedule after the jump…
What better way to discover a new restaurant than to get in the kitchen with one of the co-owners and one of the chefs and see a signature dish being made firsthand? NYC Food Guy had the pleasure of this experience Saturday at Williamsburg’s newest Mexican restaurant Carino. Owned by several former employees of the recently closed Bonita, Carino’s menu focuses on authentic, fresh and flavorful Mexican food, the highlight of which is the housemade guajillo pepper chorizo stuffed gordita. Check out the video above to see this delicious Mexican mini monster made from scratch.
Carino 82 South 4th Street nr. Berry Street Brooklyn, NY 11211 718-384-8282 Website
What’s better than BBQ and pie? How about when the pie is arguably better than the BBQ? This was the thought running through my mind upon tasting First Prize Pies S’Mores Pie ($6/slice) last week at Fatty Cue. All of the Southeast Asian-inspired BBQ was spot on, but when someone can take a foolproof recipe like S’Mores and make it better, it’s time to rejoice. Creator Alison Kave’s recipe features a tightly packed, buttery graham cracker crust which provides a crisp, crumbly and slightly salty shell for a layer of creamy Belgian Callebaut milk chocolate ganache crowned by sticky and pleasingly burnt homemade marshmallow fluff. It’s the dessert dreams are made of. Kave’s culinary prowess is no accident. Her brother is Corwin Kave, executive chef at Fatty Cue, and her mother is Rhonda “Roni-Sue” Kave, of Roni-Sue’s Chocolates, home to NYC Food Guy’s favorite bite at the Hester Street Fair: the red velvet truffle from Roni-Sue’s new Bake Sale collection. But enough about Mom. You need to go try her daughter’s S’Mores Pie which you can find at Hester Street Fair, Fatty Cue, Saturday at Roni-Sue’s Chocolates, Sunday at God Buns Market (next to Fatty Cue), or on the First Prize Pies website.
The headline says it all. Tallgrass Burger, a new burger joint in the old Elvie’s Turo Turo spot on 1st Avenue near 13th street, will open its doors to the East Village at some point today, likely mid-day. And for the next few weeks, Tallgrass is enticing diners with a special: Buy one burger, get the second 50% off. The menu will feature 6 grass fed beef burgers with meat sourced from New York and Vermont via Hardwick Beef. A turkey burger and two chicken sandwiches rounds out the menu along with salads and fries. Since the chicken sandwich is called “flame grilled,” NYC Food Guy is hoping the burgers will meet a similar fate. As of now, the restaurant will be open until 11PM nightly. We’ll see how wise that is with the East Village’s glaring need for a go-to late night, post bar burger spot. Where’s your favorite late night burger spot? Let us know in the comments section…
Tallgrass Burger 214 First Avenue New York, NY 10009 No Phone Yet
NYC Food Guy is proud to present another great recipe from Homecookin’ contributor Spice Jonze’n. If you’d like to contribute your recipes to the site e-mail lawrence@nycfoodguy.com. Take it away Spice…
Sometimes we find inspiration from a random encounter in the streets of New York. After picking up some ipek, a dried version of the Turkish Maras pepper, at Essex Street Market in the Lower East Side, I stumbled upon SOS Chefs on Avenue B b/t 6th & 7th Street. I was immediately overwhelmed by the plethora of spices available but fortunately the helpful staff allowed me to smell anything I liked while they explained the origination and usages for each spice. I ended up walking out with cumin seeds, zataar, sumac, and fenugreek. And I knew exactly what I was going to make with them: roast chicken.
July 30, 2010 
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