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.

Related: VIDEO Opening Day at Hester Street Fair

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

Menu [PDF]

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.

Mom and Dad were right about eating your vegetables.  A salad ($9) crowned with a handful of firm, creamy feta over mesclun dressed in a balanced shallot-Dijon vinaigrette was enhanced by the presence of thinly sliced red onion, crisp strips of red and yellow pepper and cucumbers marinated in a white wine, sherry, sugar and water mixture which added nice bursts of tart than sweet flavor.  It all comes together with a pleasing crunch, reminding us how great fresh vegetable make you feel.

After enjoying the spicy pork meatballs at the Meatball Shop, I was looking forward to trying Northern Spy’s all Heritage pork-leg version ($12/$17).  Three substantial pecorino-topped meatballs arrived in a shallow pool of delicate marinara pleasingly devoid of any chunks of garlic – it serves as both flavor and braising vehicle, ensuring a tender, crumbly meatball.  The overall flavor was intriguing, the bread crumbs within adding an addictive quality that led me to clean my plate – not with the dry and mainly flavorless caramelized shallot flatbread ($4) I ordered – but with my fork, finger and any spare bit of pork I could find in my bowl.

I washed it all down with a housemade selzter, an questionable concept for a man who loves few things more than a crisp bottle of plain Vintage.  The cucumber mint ($4) was subtly flavored despite its Slimer-esque hue, the mint mellowed by the cucumber.  Other seltzer options include plain ($1), lemon lime ($3), blueberry ($4), Fuji apple lemon ($4), and coffee seltzer ($3, plus $2 more for a vanilla float).  I was tempted to try another flavor but I’ll save that for next time when I return for the famous chicken thigh, poached egg, chimichurri sandwich.

Northern Spy Food Co

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…

YouTube Link

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

Related: NYC Food Guy’s Meatball Shop Review

Related: NYC Food Guy on ABC News at the Meatball Shop

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…

Abe and Arthur’s Franklin Becker Country Style Pork Ribs with Tomatillo Salsa

Aureole Christopher Lee Marinated Skirt Steak

Barbuto Jonathan Waxman Grilled Marinated Chicken with Pickled Green Papaya

Betty Brooklyn Elizabeth Kalin VIP Tent: Betty Brooklyn’s Mini Shortrib Pies with Homemade Mustard

Bobo Patrick Connolly Grilled Bacon Sandwich, Pickled Green Tomatoes, Napa Cabbage

Boqueria Seamus Mullen Whole Roasted Lamb

China Grill Bradley Day Lamb Spare Ribs

Hill Country Barbecue Market Charles Grund Jr Pit Smoked Beef Brisket

I-Que BBQ Chris Hart Competition Style Pork Shoulder

Ilili Restaurant Philippe Massoud Whole Charcoal Roasted Lamb Shawarma

La Esquina Akhtar Nawab Roasted Fudge Farms Pork Shoulder, Marinated with Leche Condensada, Eqazote, Ajo, Y Naranjas

Mile End Noah Bernamoff Montreal Smoked Meat

Mr. Bobo’s Traveling BBQ Allstars! Eric Johnson Pecan Smoked Short Rib over Asian Slaw & Bourbon Infused Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Porter House New York Michael Lomonaco Grilled Skirt Steak Hoagies, Chimichurri & Roasted Corn

Resto Bobby Hellen MLT (Mutton, Lettuce & Tomato)

RUB BBQ Scott Smith Barbacoa de Boreggo (Mexican BBQ Lamb)

Smokin’ Joe’s True-Blue Texas Barbecue Joe Mizrahi La Caja China Roasted Pigs

Suenos Restaurant Sue Torres Smoked Duck Tacos, Canela Tortilla

The Harrison Amanda Freitag Char Grilled English Lamb Chops

The Hurricane Club Craig Koketsu Honey-Glazed Baby Back Ribs with Thai Basil & Mint

The Little Owl Joey Campanaro Baron of Beef

The Meatball Shop Daniel Holzman Wood Grilled Bell and Evans Chicken, Mini Meatball Salad with White Beans and Watercress

The Smoke Joint Ben Grossman & Craig Samuel Grilled Chicken Sausage

Waterfront Ale House /Fuhgeddaboutit BBQ Sam Barbieri House Cured & Smoked Brisket Pastrami, Stout Mustard, Pretzel Roll

Wildwood Barbeque Lou Elrose Pulled Pork Sliders

Wilsons BBQ Ed Wilson Pulled Pork Shoulder, Slaw & Pickels

YouTube Link

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.

YouTube Link

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…

National Tour Schedule

(Dates and locations subject to change)

June 25-26   New York

July 1  Boston

July 4   Washington D.C.

July 17   Atlanta

July 19   Knoxville

July 20   Nashville

July 23   Cincinnati

July 28   Philadelphia

July 31- August 1  Atlantic City

September 4-5  Los Angeles

September 7  San Francisco

September 11  San Diego

September 19  Dallas

September 21  New Orleans

September 25  Chicago

October 7- 10  New York

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

VIMEO Link Video shot and edited by Zoi Florosz

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.

Looking to make this pie at home? Here’s the recipe complements of NYTimes.com’s T Magazine Blog

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

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.

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken, gizzards removed
• Olive Oil
• Salt/Pepper
• Red Pepper Spice
• Whole Cumin Seeds
• Sumac (optional if you can find it)
• 2 Lemons
• 3-4 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Fennel bulb
• Mortar and Pestle (for grinding the roasted cumin seeds)

Preparing the Cumin Seeds

In a pan, toast the whole cumin seeds; I used about 5 or 6 tablespoons of seeds. The amount depends on the size of your bird (this one was almost 8 lbs).

After you have toasted the seeds for about 5 minutes, or just when you can smell a toasted cumin aroma coming from the pan, remove into your pestle. Take your mortar and grind up the seeds to release the deliciousness trapped inside.

Chicken Preparation

Take your chicken and give it a good rinse then dab it dry with a paper towel and place in your roasting pan.

Now we get to have a little fun. We need to separate the skin from the meat very carefully with our hands. We do not want to tear the chicken skin while we separate. Use your hands and gently work the skin away from the meat.

Let’s get dirty.  Rub a generous amount of olive oil all over the skin of the chicken and inside the skin onto the meat.

Now, start with the ground cumin seeds and spread on the inside and outside of the skin, making sure to get some inside of the cavity as well. Now repeat with the salt, pepper, ipek, and sumac.

Cut one lemon into a few wedges and stuff into the cavity along with the garlic.  Take the remaining lemon and squeeze some juice over the top of the bird.

Now close the opening by pulling the skin together and cinching it closed with some toothpicks.  Chop up your fennel bulb and add that to the pan.

Roasting

Preheat the oven to 350^oF and place the chicken in the center of the oven. Cooking time will vary depending on the oven and size of the bird. You want to make sure the meat is cooked to about 165-170^oF before you take it out to set. This took about 3 hours for my 8 pound bird including time needed to remove it from the oven to baste approximately 4-5 times.

As you can see, the skin split apart on its own, but this didn’t prove an issue. The meat turned out incredibly flavorful, moist and tender. Let rest for about 10-15 minutes before carving and serving.

A salad, roasted potatoes, fresh baked flat bread with zaatar (also found on the spice journey) and a little garlicky yogurt sauce sealed the deal.

Enjoy!

Bon appétit,

Spice Jonze’n