Saveur Second Annual BBQ Event

Great food, great people, plenty of chef sightings, and grilling bbq on a pier.  Now that makes for a good event. 

Going to a chef event is sometimes hit-or-miss.  Most of the time they are great.  Plenty of restaurants doing what they do best with a hot guest list, serving top-notch food in a beautiful setting.  Others, however, not so much.  Sometimes you can head to one where every restaurant runs out of food within an hour (that's poor planning due to the PR team, not usually the restaurant), and there's not a lot of care put into the food.  This, thankfully, was a major hit. 

This is the second year Saveur magazine threw this event, and it was so discrete from the public that it was invitation only.  Everything was served off of Pier 66 in Chelsea Piers, very much away from the public eye. 



There was no shortage of top restauranteurs and chefs here (yes I was giddy with excitement because these guys are like rockstars to me).  Here are just a few:

Pictured are Marco Canora (Hearth), Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster), Merri Lee Kingsley (Saveur magazine), Marc Murphy (Landmarc), and Dan Kluger (ABC Kitchen). 

L'Express

Imagine this.  You go out for a night on the town.  You're partying, you're drinking, you're having a good time.  Then between 2am and 4am, it's all over.  You're buzzed, you're drunk, you're hungry.  Visit to the open halal cart with the usual chicken over rice and gyros?  Visit the diner with the usual burgers, eggs, and sandwiches?  What could be better at that exact moment than knowing there's a 24 hour Lyonnaise bistro open right around the corner? 

This is what draws me into L'Express.  Not only is the restaurant 24 hours, but the food here is very, very good. 

The decor is minimalistic.  During the overnight hours the restaurant is actually very dimly lit.  White tabletops covering dark wood tables, with matching dark wooden chairs.  Wall-sized windows looking straight out to Park Avenue, and a bar which never stops serving through the night (ok, maybe from 4am-12pm).  It's not the decor which should invite you in here, though, it's the food. 

Even at 2am their menu is full of options, including breakfast if that's what you're in the mood for.  I've been here a few times, and there hasn't been anything I haven't enjoyed.  Granted, I have yet to visit this 24-hour bistro while completely sober, so my opinion here really doesn't matter.  (Side note, I apologize for this fact due to the pics in this post being very blurry and dark.)  On this visit I started with the House-made pate, and finished with the Moroccan-spiced lamb burger. 

Craftbar

Before I get into detail with my meal at Craftbar, I want to say that I LOVE the original Craft located in Gramercy.  Craft is by far one of my favorite restaurants in NYC.  I never had a bad meal there.  The large portions and family style set-up, beautiful decor, great service, top-notch fresh and local ingredients picked up straight from the Union Square greenmarket, make it the perfect first-date and every date after that type of destination.  I assure you, guys, if you bring your girlfriend (or boyfriend or however you roll) to Craft, they will fall head over heels for you.

However, I wish I could say the same for Craftbar.  Tom Colicchio, I'm sorry, this place puts a huge dent in your Craft empire. 

Having so much love for Craft I've been wanting to try the smaller and cheaper restaurants in the Craft family for a long time.  I went in this past Saturday for lunch, and expecting a packed house for their brunch hours, walked into a fairly empty restaurant.  Craftbar is located in Union Square.  The foot traffic is incredible, even on a Saturday afternoon.  Why was this place empty?

I sat at the bar, and scanned the room to find a very dismal decor.  There was no life to this place.  The entire FOH team is dressed in gray shirts and black pants, which honestly, is a very uninviting color combination.  The rest of dining room is set in red and white, but placed next to the bar with dark wood and chairs, doesn't exactly make the room pop too much. They were also playing bluegrass music in the background.  How depressing is this lunch going to be?

I'll let the food speak for itself here. What drew me to try out Craftbar was the menu.  Potted chicken liver pate, potted pork rillette, beef tongue, pork torchons, and all served with local greenmarket ingredients.  You're speaking my language here. 

Shake Shack vs Five Guys

DC vs NY and everything in between.  Which Eastern burger chain will soon dominate all?

Five Guys Burgers & Fries - the very first location opened in Arlington, VA in 1986, and in the next 15 years slowly started to expand into the DC-metro area.  It wasn't until the year 2002 that Five Guys decided to franchise into Maryland and Virginia.  Now, they have over 750 locations across the Eastern seaboard.  The first NY area location opened within the past two years, and has now quickly expanded to 15 in NYC alone.

Five Guys used to be a destination burger joint for me.  I was first introduced to their burgers in a PA location back in 2007.  Soon after, whenever I was back in PA or DC Five Guys was definitely one spot I HAD to visit.  The restaurants themselves don't have much to them.  Red and white tiled walls, cheap wooden tables with free unshelled peanuts, and bags upon bags of potatoes in the front.  But their burgers are amazing.  No less than a double patty, formed and cooked right in front of you, you make your own combination, and so incredibly juicy. 

As busy as they ever are, the lines move quick.  Side note, and also a huge plus, you can order right from your phone.  Go here to the android website to download the Five Guys app. 

You have your base choice of hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger, or bacon cheeseburger.  Then you get to add any combination of free additional toppings, which include mayo, relish, onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, lettuce, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, green pepper, A1 steak sauce, bbq sauce, and hot sauce.  Let them do the math for you, that's over 250,000 possible burger combinations. 

Fatty Snack Kiosk

Earlier this summer owner Zak Pelaccio expanded his Fatty Crab empire into Battery Park, setting up small kiosks of Fatty 'Cue in the park itself, as well as Fatty Snack in the park and the World Financial Center. 

If you have yet to try Fatty Crab I highly recommend you do so.  The original is located in the West Village, and it does get packed very quickly.  However, the Upper West Side location is a tiny bit more spacious and also has outdoor seating.  Their chili crab is one of my favorite dishes in the city.  Hard-shelled crab, swimming in a spicy, sweet, salty, sour curry with large pieces of bread.  It's messy, it's delicious, and a whole lot of fun to eat. 

When I learned that they had expanded into battery park I immediately had high hopes of checking it out.  On this gorgeous Monday afternoon I biked into the back of the World Financial Center and had done just that.  The scenery is enough to pay a visit.  The kiosk is one of three, set up right next to a lobster roll stand, and Quality Burger.  In front of them is the  financial center with plenty of outdoor seating, and behind them is a beautiful view of a marina and the Hudson river.  On a sunny day it's no wonder you see thousands of people hanging out in the area with burgers, beers, pulled pork sandwiches, and fatty dogs in hand. 

The food at Fatty Snack is a bit on the pricier side, and quite honestly I don't see myself paying $7 for a sausage dog (and why is it only $6 at the park?) or $9 for a pulled pork sandwich on a regular basis.  And $3 for a Fiji water?  Get the hell out of here. 

Takashi

"Yakiniku" - a Japanese term referring to grilled meat dishes. 

Takashi is a small, intimate, 34-seat restaurant located in the West Village.  It is named after the Chef and owner, Takashi Inoue, who opened this restaurant with Saheem Ali (the general manager) just over a year ago. 

Being a third-generation Korean immigrant being born in Japan, Takashi masterfully combines the boldness of Korean flavors with the finesse of Japanese cuisine.  His passion comes through with every small bite offered on the menu.  The thought here is to serve beef, beef, and nothing but beef.  He stays sustainable, and uses every cut of the cow possible, from shortrib and ribeye, to more extreme cuts such as tongue, heart, stomach, and even achilles tendon.  Everything is extremely fresh, tastes amazing (he and Saheem spent months sourcing out the best local beef from small, local farms and purveyors), oh, and you get to grill it yourself. 

The address is 456 Hudson Street.  Keep that number in mind as it is what you will be looking for when you dine at Takashi for the first time.  The restaurant does not display its name on its awning, yet the NY Times review hangs proudly off the front window.  Walk through the front door slowly, as you might walk straight into a diner seated at the Chef's counter if you're not paying attention.  Warm wood and slightly dark tones run through the restaurant, and the room of just seven tables and three large benches at the Chef's counter is really no larger than most NYC apartments.  Every table comes equipped with a high-tech electric grill, and the two chefs working behind the counter stay quiet, and work with such precision, speed, and finesse it's hard not to be amazed.  A mural on the wall behind the Chef's counter comically portrays every cut of beef and their definitions, as well as nutritional values.

The Grease Trucks

It's no surprise to anyone that there is a food truck craze going on in America.  From NY to LA, Chicago to Austin, food trucks are popping up everywhere.  You can now find gourmet meals offered to you right on the sidewalk, offered at a fraction of the price of a restaurant, with the same amount of quality and friendly service.

Chefs and other professionals that want to get into the food industry are realizing it is easier than ever to start your own mobile food truck business.  And with the impact of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, food trucks are getting as much media attention and followers as the latest restaurant establishments.  Call it the newest trend.  Call it a fad.  Yet, The Grease Trucks of Rutgers University are some of the originals.  Started in 1979, the R U Hungry? food truck was the first, and the original Fat Cat was born. 

If you've never heard of the Fat Sandwiches, here's a rundown.  Imagine taking fried, greasy food, mixing it with lettuce, tomato, and onions, topping it with French fries, and stuffing it into a roll.  The orginal Fat Cat took every college kid's favorite meal, the double cheeseburger and French fries, and stuffed it into a roll with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and ketchup.  Sound delicious?  It is.

In 1997, a student by the name of Darrell Butler went up to R U Hungry?, and asked if he could take chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, and french fries, mix it with marinara sauce, and eat it as a sandwich.  Call it sheer genius or a drunken mistake, but alas, the Fat Darrell was created.  Thirteen years later, Maxim magazine named it the number one sandwich in the country. 

The Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory

One of my closest friends introduced me to The Brownstone Diner a few years ago.  Ever since, I was jealous of the fact that she lived, literally, twenty feet from the entrance.  This diner has now become my favorite in the area, as well as so many others I have introduced it to.

It may be the welcoming family spirit of the Bournias.  Since the early 70's this place has been family owned, and every member of the family can be seen from time to time working in the diner.  You can tell they care.  They care a lot about their customers.  Every one of them is friendly, and welcome each diner with a warm smile and open heart.  You feel at home from the second you walk through the door, and this could also be due to the fact that the diner has a feel of someone's home kitchen.  There is no endless stainless steel or neon lights here. 

As many times as I have been here, I can admit I have only conquered about a quarter of their menu.  In true diner fashion, they offer well over 100 items, with 31 of them being just pancakes.  Hey, if you're gonna call yourself The Pancake Factory, you better have an entire page of your menu dedicated to them.  I could go on and on about how great their pancakes are, and in fact I could go on and on about how great everything on their menu is, but I don't have to.  Most people already know.  It's not surprising to have to wait upwards of an hour or two for a seat here on the weekends.  And this was even before the diner was showcased on Guy Fieri's Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives".  (This will explain the huge poster of him hanging over the window to the open kitchen.) 

You can get breakfast here all day (they're open every day from 6am-11pm).  As much as I love their pancakes, though, corned beef hash and eggs is, and always will be my go-to for diner breakfasts.  I can't get enough of it.  When I started living on my own years ago I even found myself buying cans upon cans of corned beef hash to cook at home.  To me it is the ultimate comfort food.  There is nothing better when you're sitting at home, and eating a plate full of warm, crispy corned beef hash and poached eggs.  A sprinkle of tabasco and I'm in heaven.

Goodfellas vs Deninos

The best of Staten Island pizza.

Ahh, Staten Island.  You can find numerous Italian eateries, bakeries, and supermarkets on any street.  There’s a pizza shop in every plaza.  But with all the Italian shops around, who wins for the best on the Island? 

This post is comparing the New York style cheese pizzas offered at both Goodfellas, and Denino’s on Staten Island.  Both are brick-oven pizzerias, and beloved by Staten Islanders, as well as other New Yorkers. 

Goodfellas Pizzeria.  This one is a local favorite.  Goodfellas has three locations in Staten Island, with the original being founded in 1992 in Dongan Hills, and the other locations in Eltingville and Rossville, respectively.  I have been to the original location only once, and they offer some great food there.  The fried calamari, fried zucchini sticks, and spinach roll are at the top of the list of three favorites. 

Goodfellas has won national awards for their Vodka Pie, and also won the title of World’s Best Pizza numerous times at the International Hotel and Restaurant Show annually.  I was hooked the first time I tried their New York Style pie.  Thin crust, not too crispy or soft, just the right amount of dough.  Perfect amount of cheese, satisfying that cheesy craving with every bite.  The sauce is flavorful, not too thick, but I have had incidents in the past of the sauce dripping off the pizza and onto my clothes.  Not good at all, so be careful. 

Hill Country Chicken

“A fresh fried chicken joint”

I do not want to start a debate with fried chicken enthusiasts, or get hung by Southerners on who has the best fried chicken in New York City.  Hopefully, we can agree that the fried chicken served at Hill Country Chicken is damn good. 

I’ve been here twice, and this place is always packed, no matter what time you go.  HCC sources out extra-large all-natural chickens, prepares them fresh daily, and the result is an immensely flavorful, crispy, and juicy piece of chicken.  They have three dining areas, with sidewalk seating open for the season, and a main dining area with plenty of large tables.  The downstairs area is a little more private, with plenty of more seating, as well as banquettes, offers a view of their prep kitchen, and also serves as a kid’s party area complete with board games and a classic Space Invaders arcade machine. 

The chicken here is sold by the piece, in both classic and Mama El’s (the founder’s grandmother) recipes.  Every piece of chicken offered here is brined in buttermilk, spices, and herbs, coated with a flour, egg, and cracker crust, and deep-fried to perfect crispy goodness.  Something else that may shock everyone is to know that the fried chicken served here is skinless.  With the cracker crust, though, let me tell you, you’re not going to miss the chicken skin at all.  They then toss it in a variety of spices.  My god.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it. 

Maialino

I’ve been to Maialino, located in the Gramercy Park Hotel, about three times now.  However, I never made it into their dining room, as I love to sit at the long open bar, which is why it’s only fair I review just the bar area in this post. 

The bar area at Maialino has a very modern European café look to it, and their dining room resembles an old school Roman trattoria.  Blue and white picnic-style tablecloths cover the wooden tables, fresh baked breads line the walls, a small open kitchen displaying the house-made charcuterie, wine bottles lining the room dividers, and huge windows facing the street allowing so much natural light in.  Maialino is definitely a great place to grab a drink and a quick bite to eat.  They even serve breakfast, and I have been trying my best for months to wake up early enough try their Porchetta sandwich.  Roast pork and fried eggs served in a roll.  Now that sounds like a great way to wake up. 

To say the staff is friendly is an understatement.  Everyone who works here is incredibly nice.  For those who know me, yes this opinion is a little biased as I know a quarter of the staff, but I can see how they serve other patrons as well.  Every diner here seems very comfortable, as if they were sitting in someone’s home.  Danny Meyer’s famous hospitality definitely comes through with this restaurant. 

White N' Hot Halal Truck

Halal carts.  They’re all over NYC.  Five dollars can get you a great meal of chicken n’ rice, lamb n’ rice, falafels, gyros, shish kebabs, and even burgers and fries at some of them. 

There are as many of them lingering the sidewalks of NY as there are hot dog carts.  Most people grab a meal at the closest one out of convenience.   Others are worth going out of the way for.  Asking a true New Yorker what the best halal cart/truck is in NY can spark a debate that would never end.  By the way, if you mention “Platters” in midtown you’re clearly labeled as a tourist, or from New Jersey.

Don’t get me wrong, Platters is good, but it’s not worth all the hype and attention it receives.  Also, I don’t see why I should wait upwards of 20 minutes for street food there, as the line is usually down the block.  My favorite halal truck in NY is called White N’ Hot, and it’s parked at the corner of 28^th Street and Madison Ave. 

Platters is the one all the tourists flock to, but White N’ Hot is the one that all the cab drivers come to.  That’s a true sign that you know it’s going to be good.  The truck is parked there all day, from noon to 4am.  If you go late, like I do around midnight or so, you’ll always get friendly service.  The two guys running the truck love what they do, and love feeding the people of the neighborhood.  Even when the bar crowd at Pranna empties out, you’re never waiting more than five minutes for your food.