I like playing favorites, especially when discussing banana pudding and cupcakes.  Thanks to sugar Sweet sunshine, my two favorites are under the same roof.  I’ve praised their banana pudding before, and after a visit last week, I’m happy to report that copious amounts of ripe banana and Nilla wafer ensconced in rich, creamy pudding are still the norm.  And for the first time, a cupcake made me speechless, namely the Ooey Gooey ($1.75, top), featuring moist chocolate cake crowned with chocolate almond buttercream frosting. For lovers of marzipan and almond paste, this frosting is your zen; it will ease your soul, align your spirit and have you moaning in delight.  Make sure to try the seasonal chocolate chip trifle (above left, $4 small, $5 medium, $6.50 large) before it’s gone; it elevates dessert to another level by blending whipped cream and butterscotch pudding with pockets of crushed chocolate chip cookie.  There’s always room for one more favorite, right?

sugar Sweet sunshine Link 126 Rivington St b/t Norfolk St & Essex St New York, NY 10002 (212) 995-1962

Brian De Palma has Scarface.  Jimi Hendrix had “All Along the Watchtower.”  And Daniel Holzman has his meatballs.    Remaking a classic is never easy, but when it’s done right, it’s so sweet you forget there was ever an original version.  This is the case with Holzman’s spicy pork meatballs (4 for $7) at his popular new restaurant The Meatball Shop.  Just larger than golfball size, each tender meatball splits at the lightest urging of your fork revealing a juicy interior filled with pork butt and pickled cherry pepper.  The latter adds a pleasingly assertive level of heat which lingers during and beyond each bite.  The bright “classic” tomato sauce pairs nicely, offering a tartness that’s balanced by the use of high quality olive oil.  Order the two over al dente rigatoni (plus $4) from the “Stick to your bones” section of the menu or opt for just meatballs and sauce. Either way, it’s all covered in feathers of shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano and no matter what, the best bite will be scooping up the bits of meat and tomato at the bottom of the bowl.  Just like Mother intended.

The Meatball Shop Website 84 Stanton Street b/t Orchard St & Allen St New York, NY 10002   212-982-8895   Sun.-Wed. Noon-2AM Thurs.-Sat. Noon-4AM

Blueberry Glazed $2.25

Doughnut plant breaks its desserts into two categories: Yeast doughnuts and cake doughnuts.  The yeast doughnuts are significantly larger and lighter than the smaller, dense cake doughnuts.  The Blueberry glazed is not as delicious as it is eye-catching but it certainly embodies an authentic, albeit sweet, blueberry flavor.  On other occasions I’ve tried the Peanut Butter Glazed Jelly-filled, the Banana Nut, and the Coconut Glazed Coconut Cream-filled. All are worth trying but the novelty and deliciousness of a coconut cream filled doughnut makes it my favorite yeast doughnut.

Tres Leches $2.00

I’ll take the Doughnut Plant version of this traditional Latin American dessert over the original any day.  The sugary glaze surrounds a ring of vanilla cake and creamy vanilla custard.  As you bite into the doughnut, the glaze melts into the porous cake as the custard overtakes your taste buds.  If your motto is “the sweeter, the better,” than this doughnut is for you.

Blackout $2.25

A chocolate lover’s delight, the Blackout cake doughnut features a chocolate fudge infused chocolate frosted chocolate cake topped with fudgey chocolate crumbs.  Wrap your mind around that.  Fortunately, the decadent inner fudge ring finds a balance with the just-sweet-enough frosting and crumbs satisfying chocolate cravings without overwhelming.

Creme Brulee $3.00

The sparkling (literally) crown jewel of the doughnut tower in my lead photo, the Creme Brulee doughnut is the perfect example of the innovative, gourmet approach Doughnut Plant takes with its desserts.  True to form, a crunchy, torched sugar surface crowns a light, mini yeast doughnut housing a well of sweet, thick custard.

Carrot Cake $2.50

Here’s a glimpse into the world of NYC Food Guy just to give you a taste of what it’s like to be a guerilla food blogger.  I’m photographing a doughnut tower atop a newspaper stand on the corner outside Doughnut Plant.  A man wearing a black t-shirt with “Doughnut Plant” written across it in white walks by and does a double take.  He inquires as to exactly what I’m doing and asks me if I’ve tried the carrot cake doughnut.  Since I hadn’t, just a few minutes later, the man returns with the treat itself.  Sometimes it’s good to be the Food Guy.

Bits of sweet carrot and crunchy walnut are studded in the outer glaze (similar to that of the Tres Leches) and the buttery inner cake.  And like the Tres Leches and Blackout doughnuts, the Carrot Cake is lined with an inner ring of sweet cream cheese frosting, cementing this doughnut’s status as the reinvention of a true classic.

Doughnut Plant

==============

Awesome and awe-inspiring.  Both words describe the two defining characteristics of Shopsin’s General Store:  its menu and its owner/chef, the inimitable Kenny Shopsin.  And with a constantly changing menu (the massive Mexican skillet combo is already gone) and equally unpredictable maker, every trip to Shopsin’s provides a new opportunity for edible adventure.

This post features three dishes:

• Treif: 3 Jewboy (brisket, onions, jack, Swiss) Egg Sliders ($17)
• Moe II: Maple bacon French toast sandwich, eggs on top ($14)
• Fried Potato Shreds with melted Jack and Hatch chile ($11)

Treif: 3 Jewboy (brisket, onions, jack, Swiss) Egg Sliders ($17)

If you’ve never considered combining brisket with eggs and cheese, this is a great place to start. Shopsin’s brisket is tender and meaty but the real key are the sautéed onions, the greasy flavor bridge between the brisket and scrambled eggs. The airy, slightly steamed buns add a little sweetness but tend to disintegrate under the juiciness of the other ingredients.

Moe II: Maple bacon French toast sandwich, eggs on top ($14)

“Exactly what I wanted to it be. No more, no less,” said my friend Veronica, a satisfied smile slowly appearing across her face. For something that looks so decadent, this is actually one of the plainer offerings on Shopsin’s menu. It’s nothing you couldn’t get elsewhere but there’s something special about having it the way it’s served here, sandwiched all together. Crispy, syrup-covered bacon wedged between two slices of fluffy egg-crusted French toast, all crowned by two eggs, sunny side up. Simple yet sumptuous.

Fried Potato Shreds with melted Jack and Hatch Chile ($11)

Fried potato, a mountain of melted Jack cheese and spicy Hatch Chile from New Mexico; how could you possibly go wrong? Well, you can’t, but the fried potato “shreds” were a little too thin and deep fried to provide any substance.

I try to get something different every time I go to Shopsin’s, but if I ordered these again I’d go for the hash brown potatoes (deep fried chunks like in the now defunct Mexican skillet combo). With any sweet or savory main course, you may want to consider ordering a potato side with Hatch Chile and cheese. It’s a welcome addition.  If you’re as excited about this food as NYC Food Guy is, you can buy Kenny’s book: “Eat Me: The Food & Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin” by clicking here.

]]> http://nycfoodguy.com/2009/06/29/lower-east-side-adventure/feed/ 21 http://nycfoodguy.com/2008/12/04/shopsins-general-store-spending-19-on-breakfast-never-felt-so-right/ http://nycfoodguy.com/2008/12/04/shopsins-general-store-spending-19-on-breakfast-never-felt-so-right/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:40:42 +0000 The NYC Food Guy http://nyceats.wordpress.com/?p=1836 Decisions, decisions. Sometimes you make a risky breakfast decision and it turns out to be the best choice you’ve made all day. And decisions are central to the Shopsins’ experience where both sides of the single page paper menu (pdf) are jam-packed with well over 100 unique options.

So study up because seating is sparse and you need to be ready when your order is taken, otherwise you may not eat at all. Or you can follow the Food Guy’s reliable lead and go with the $19 Mexican Breakfast Skillet Combination, Letter “I”: 3 Hatch green chile egg sliders, lightly fried hash browns, 3 coconut pancakes, and 3 smushed and fried plantains. In other words, insane breakfast deliciousness, in a skillet. Read on to find out why eating at Shopsins is an adventure like no other…

It All Comes Down to One Ingredient

The key ingredient to this entire skillet combo is the Hatch green chiles. Kenny Shopsin has them specially shipped from New Mexico and it’s a good thing because their flavor and level of spice blended perfectly with every aspect of this meal. Balance is achieved through the Hatch green chiles because they offset the sweetness of the pancakes, temper the saltiness of the eggs and cheese and enhance the perfectly fried yet naked hash browns.

If things are moving slowly before your order, self serve a cup of coffee from behind the counter. That’s the kind of place Shopsins is. Take care of yourself so Kenny can take care of the food and in turn, you.

Coconut Pancakes, Fried Hash Browns & Mundane Plantains

It’s coconut and it’s pancakes. How can you go wrong? Well at Shopsins, you really can’t. These thin, airy flapjacks were loaded with shredded coconut and tasted even better when drenched in Vermont maple syrup (a tiny, individual sized bottle is provided). The pancakes’ sweetness is offset by combining bites with the spicy and cheesy sliders.

Hash browns usually fall short because they’re undercooked, never as well done as I’d like. Not a problem here, where a quick dip in some bubbling hot oil crisps up every tiny piece of diced potato. The smashed and fried plantains were the only lackluster aspect of this meal, they ended up dry and flavorless and while their crunch was welcomed, their flavor failed to contribute to the harmony of the meal.

An Unrivaled Eating Adventure

Shopsins is an eating adventure like no other thanks to two factors:

1) the honest, eccentric and well-intentioned attitudes of the inimitable Kenny Shopsin and his family and 2) the existence of a menu overflowing with so many tantalizing and curious items, it’s a wonder Mr. Shopsin can perfectly create them all in his limited Essex Market space. But create he does and with an unrivaled flair and love for providing hearty portions of damn good food.

Alas, you don’t question greatness, and if you haven’t eaten and experienced Shopsins, you’re not a real New Yorker. Because in the end, New York City is only as strong as its neighborhoods and that’s all Kenny Shopsin hopes to create: a place where people from all of New York’s neighborhoods can come for brutally honest conversation and delicious food. What’s more New York than that?

Shopsins General Store

Pdf File Menu