Underground Dining

Barcelona till February

2012-01-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

Off to Barcelona! Nine days of wandering the city, 3 days at a yoga retreat :)

NY Bike Share!

2012-01-17T10:02:00.003-05:00

Click on http://a841-tfpweb.nyc.gov/bikeshare/ and suggest a bike share location. Let's make this happen!

Simpson's Foodie Episode

2011-11-27T10:36:00.001-05:00

Guerilla Haiku Movement

2011-11-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of this?
Guerilla Haiku Movement
Underground Poems

GHM hosted a Brooklyn haiku scavenger hunt this past Saturday (such a beautiful day), starting in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn. Participants (majority straight men...who knew so many loved writing haikus??) were then divided into neighborhoods with a point-based systems list (ie: two points for writing in public transportation, 5 points for getting a stranger to participate).

Here are some of my favorites:

>Is the 'F' train working? It is the weekend, silly...50-fifty chance

>Good dogs and coffee. Odiferous and brownish. One comes in a cup.

(Me under bridge. Group effort, not my own haiku).
>Waves sound overhead. But it isnt the ocean. The tides of transport.

>(I like the little girl staring back) I am in the street. I hope I dont get car struck. It would be bad.

>(A passerby with his attempt of a haiku gone awry. Good try). "Wow, I love being Irish and getting shitfaced. But Mondays feel like a Friday with half time scoop. --Love Baldy"

Click for more pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghm575/sets/

Barcelona: Underground Dining

2011-11-15T14:33:00.001-05:00

I'm busily compiling a list of places to see, things to do, food to eat in Barcelona.
Here's two to check off :
Jezebel's: http://www.jezebelsclandestinedining.com/
Dontell Cleaners: http://www.tintoreriadontell.com/

Supper Club: Brooklyn Fork and Spoon

2011-11-14T20:07:00.001-05:00

Guys, the temperature is going to drop soon and if you haven't found your snuggle buddy for the winter yet--here's your chance...

Saturday, December 17th, Singles Night at Brooklyn Fork and Spoon.
$40 for great food: menu here.
Carnivores welcomed. Alcohol provided.

Include the following in your reservation to eat@brooklynforkandspoon.com
-Gender:
-Interested in (men, woman, both):
-A little bit about yourself (interests, random facts, etc.):
-Age and age preference:

Murmuration of Starlings

2011-11-05T17:16:00.000-04:00

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Brooklyn Winery: Events

2011-11-04T10:56:00.000-04:00

For $15, Brooklyn Winery hosted a panelist discussion, with Ray Isle of Food and Wine Magazine; Talia Baiocchi, columnist at Eater NY; and David Naczycz, founder of Urban Oyster, in the history of wine.

Three hours later, with three wine tastings, we stumbled out of Brooklyn Winery more knowledgeable in wine and tipsier than I had expected. Mixing Riesling, Chardonnay and Merlot will do that to you I guess. Find out more about Brooklyn Winery's events here.

Gowanus Studio Space: Hallowanus

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Super fun dance party at the Gowanus Studio Space last Saturday celebrating Halloween. We dressed as a pirate (arrrr!), raven (speak no more), bear (roar!), and hooker (hey, hey, hey). Danced till 4AM.

Find out more about GSS's events, classes and membership.
Gowanus Studio Space: 166 7th street between 2nd and 3rd ave Brooklyn, NY

NYC > HK > NYC

2011-10-31T01:57:00.002-04:00

Enjoyed my new subscription of Brooklyn Magazine while flying business class.

Will Bike For Food: Ayada Thai

2011-10-17T21:38:00.004-04:00

NYMagazine published The Queens Top 20 this summer and we aimed to ride out from Brooklyn and devour our way through the list. I really wanted to go to Mumbai Express in Floral Park...but our butt pleaded 'no' (its a 2 hour bike ride one way). So we opted for Thai. Going through our options, I nixed Sripraphai off our ride because it has 10 million reviews on yelp and I dont want to buy into the hype. Plus, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." (Whats up Don).

In the end we chose Ayada in Elmhurst: 1hour bike ride each way, total of 22 miles.

I used googlemaps for our bike route...and learned 3 important things.
1. Queens is f-ing retarded/ I should have the read the map more thoroughly. They list every street by number. So there is for example 69th St, 69th Pl, 69th Av, 69th f-ing Blvd...all right next to each other.

2. There are no bike lanes in Queens. So we rode along the underpass majority of the way. Fortunately drivers in Queens are not aggressive and no one honked at us, but it was still a little scary being on such big roads.
3. Because there are no bike lanes, we technically didnt have to take the excessive route that I drew on my arm (cool tattoo idea though). I guess googlemaps suggested that specific route because it was flat and we didnt have to go uphill. But taking Greenpoint and continuing on to Woodside (albeit lots of uphill downhills) is a straight shot and Im glad we took that way home.

Ayada Thai
77-08 Woodside Ave
Elmhurst, NY 11373

I dont eat Thai often, but Ayada definitely doesnt taste like the menus from Smith St. We had the drunken noodle (order Thai ice tea to cool down the heat), papaya salad (super spicy and that was what they considered as 'medium spicy') and my favorite: a whole fried snapper topped with mango that was priced at $25 (Everything else on the menu costs like $7). Pricey - yes. Worth it? Totally. Yum.

BMW Guggenheim Lab: Last Day Oct 16th

2011-10-10T21:23:00.001-04:00

Michael Cirino of A Razor A Shiny Knife, opened a conversation at BMW Guggenheim Lab on water through edible data visualization. We ate and drank the information- literally. Big fan of tactile learning.

Find out more about BMW Guggenheim and how they are making an impact in our community and environment on their blog or website. Lab closes this October 16th and moves on to other parts of the world. P.S. They serve Roberta's at their pop up cafe.

Brooklyn Brainery: Cocktails

2011-10-08T09:21:00.002-04:00

Sarah Lohman of FourPoundsFlour taught about historic cocktails at Brooklyn Brainery. We made The Cocktail, Mint Julep and Sherry Cobbler and sipped them through paper straws. Booze + Fun Facts = Big Smile. Find out what other classes they offer here.

MiniBoone: Let's Dance!

2011-10-07T00:22:00.004-04:00

Let's dance!! Taylor from Miniboone is my favorite person to dance with!

Come support them at the Museum of Moving Image this Saturday at 10PM.
Open bar from 8:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.. Cash bar follows.Coolhaus and Big D’s Grub Truck parked out front.

Books Online

2011-10-06T00:00:00.016-04:00

Two great children's books... you can watch online...(hmm...scratching head)

It's a Book by Lane Smith

Go the Fuck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach, narrated by Samuel L Jackson

Steve Jobs: 1955-2011

2011-10-05T22:13:00.002-04:00

Be inspired.

525Dinner is Back in Brooklyn

2011-09-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

525 spent the summer upstate; but he's back in Williamsburg starting this Thursday, Sept 29th. Just a fantastic meal for $35 in a bedroom. Seriously. F-- the $100 supper clubs. Its a 50/50 chance of dining with weird people anyways. Visit www.525dinner.blogspot.com

To New Adventures!

2011-09-26T14:41:00.000-04:00

Wishing my brother and Ann all the best in Dallas!! xoxo

I leave ya'll with Honey Bee by Blake Shelton.

I XO CPH

2011-09-05T21:30:00.000-04:00

I havent even landed yet but I've already fallen in love with Copenhagen.
Photo from Copenhagen Cycle Chic.

Austin, Texas: You Make Me Smile

2011-09-03T12:45:00.002-04:00

Succulent dinosaurs! Found these bad boys from Plaid Pigeon, along South Congress in Austin Texas. Buying one was just not enough....

Dinner Party vs Supper Clubs

2011-08-10T10:44:00.001-04:00

Jason Anello of Forking Tasty explains it all:

Source: A Razor A Shiny Knife

New Hampshire: Kayaking

2011-07-26T16:55:00.000-04:00

Spent the weekend in New Hampshire kayaking! 9 miles, Contoocook River.
Good call considering New York's contaminated waters this weekend

Underground Lunch: Sandwiches & Salads

2011-07-19T04:51:00.001-04:00

Better Being Underground is a hidden organic lunch spot in the West Village. The only advertisement for them is an inconspicuous black sign on Leroy and Varick St stating: GoUndergroundForLunch.com.

The store is masked under scaffolding and buried in the basement. As of today only 14 yelpers have learned about Better Being Underground. It hasnt even been blogged on SeriousEats yet. But word of mouth has spread since their opening in April and while the closet space can barely hold 6 people at at time, you can expect a line.

Better Being Underground is take-out only. It's opened weekdays 12PM to 3PM. Meals are made fresh daily, and menu is constantly changing depending on market availablity. The novelty and quality of your meal makes up for the price and occasional small portion size. We liked it so much we've been 3 days in a row.

Day 1:
The R@dical Roll: FRESH LOBSTER ROLL w/Spiced Lemon Butter on Toasted Potato Hot Dog Bun (Lots of meat. Better than Lukes Lobsters. No mayo, whew)
The Slumdog Millionaire: Curried Free Range Chicken w/Cilantro, Spinach & Mint on Pressed Garlic
(could of used a litttttle more curry, but loved that the chicken was so moist!)
The Salad: Marinated Kale w/Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Radishes, Walnuts & Shallot Vinaigrette
(Huge portions. Delish!)

Day 2:
El Jefe: Grilled Free Range Chicken w/Chipotle Mayo, Avocado Salsa, Pinto Bean Puree, & Homemade Chimmichurri (mother f-in huge)
Peasant Salad: w/Sourdough Croutons, Feta, Tomatoes, Cukes, Red Onion, Basil, Oregano, & Red Wine Vine
The Rauschenberger: Seared Tuna Burger w/Chipotle Mayo, Avocado, & Rainbow Micro Greens
(wow, best one so far)The Knishwich: w/ thin layer of pastrami (wish it was as big as Katz)

Day 3:
The Monte Cristo: Antibiotic Free Turkey & Ham w/Cranberry Jalepeno Jam, Mustard & Swiss on Egg Pressed Brioche
The Is-What-It-Is-Wich: Free Range Chicken Salad w/Cranberries, Walnuts, Apples, Blue Cheese on Toasted Everything Bagel (kept me full all day)

We'll see how long Better Being Underground can be kept a secret. Until then, check out their daily menu.

Restaurants: Rucola

2011-07-14T12:08:00.004-04:00

So you've most likely heard of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and perhaps have been overloaded with enough peas and rhubarbs this week to last you for a lifetime. In comes ThisBatch.com. It's similiar to CSA (sustainable and supporting local farmers) BUT it allows you to choose the batches you want. No more surprises. You can learn more about ThisBatch and sign up for the program here.

Anyways, I found all this out after dining at Rucola in Boerum Hill. Its a new corner Italian restaurant on Dean and Bond that uses the ThisBatch system. Although we were just strolling by and nibbling (always have room for food) it blows Building on Bond out of the waters (BoB lacks flavor and quality in their dishes). The menu changes weekly since they only use fresh produce.

Rucloa has ambience, great service, sustainabily AND great food. (Crap, forgot to take pictures of the light fixtures...that was my favorite decoration).

Please note I am writing this review after only splitting one brunch meal with Erka (I hate it when people do that on yelp), but this one meal was that delicious.

Braised duck, potato and garlic scape hash--sunny side up eggs

The goodness underneath....

Market Squash Salad-- English cucumber, squash, eggplants topped with ricotta and toasted seasame

A Bloody Mary that almost beats Char4.

And although full, we were so happy with our meal, we decided to get dessert and save it for later.

Will Bike For Food: Rockaway Beach / Rockaway Taco

2011-07-13T18:31:00.003-04:00

Bike ride from home to Far Rockaway Beach / Rockaway Taco = 30 miles total, 2 hours one way.
I huffed and puffed my way there on an empty stomache...but rode back with a full belly~

This time around we skipped the scenic route of Ocean Parkway and dived straight into Bedford Avenue. From Beford you can still connect onto Shore Parkway and over onto the Marine Parkway Bridge into Fort Tilden. Its not the "safest" route, but its much more direct. (Click here to see post of ride to Fort Tilden).

From Fort Tilden, you cruise along the boardwalk. You can also run parrallel on Rockaway Beach Boulevard if youre in a rush.

My suggestion is to get to Rockaway Taco before 1PM on the weekend. We barely missed the line! What a scene...

Cute outdoor seating with a guy strumming the guitar next door.

So my thoughts on the food....
I say if you're already out at Far Rockaway you know, surfing and sunbathing as your main priority, having all this smorgasbord of food (huge list...Rockaway Taco, Caracas Arepas Bar ,Ode to the Elephants, etc) is a tremendous plus. Having said that...Dont let all the hype from the press ruin your experience...its just better fried food. No matter what though, it is 10xs better than having the flimsy hot dogs and rubber burgers we usually get at the food stands. I am hugely grateful and support these guys. Its a definite perk having them all here.

Also, Rockaway Taco has TWO locations, same food. You can skip that huge line on 96th Street and just walk up to the sand and water on 106th to the rest of the food court.

And no meal is complete without something sweet. Magnificent vanilla coconut ice cream from vegan Baby Cakes.

Free Yoga in Park: Thursdays

2011-07-01T11:01:00.000-04:00

Um...amazing. Free yoga every Thursday, 7PM, Long Meadow Lawn near Grand Army Plaza opening. Bring your own mat. Hosted by Lululemon Athletica. All levels welcomed. Enjoyed this immensely more than practicing in a studio!

Jet Blue: July, Bikes Fly Free

2011-06-30T15:48:00.001-04:00

Where are you going this Summer? Ride Jet Blue and your bike flies free!

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

2011-06-29T08:11:00.001-04:00

An hour in line, an hour viewing = worth the wait and crowd.
The details in Alexander McQueens craftsmanship is exquisite.
Visit the exhibition before it ends in August!

bigLITTLE Get Together: Supper Club

2011-06-28T00:58:00.004-04:00

Finally found a menu worth throwing down money for.....coffee as an ingredient in all 5 courses? Intriguing. ....but then BigLITTLE unfortunately had to cancel. Sad face.

Until next time. Maybe you'd like to join to? biglittlegettogether@gmail.com

Neistat Brothers/ Red Hook Crit: Bikes

2011-06-27T00:58:00.006-04:00

Watched this first through Tishon, but it was also screened at the Bicycle Film Festival, so thought I'd share as well:

Heres another fun one by the Neistat Brothers and how easy it was to steal bikes.

And oh, find out about the Red Hook Crit here. Save the date for next year. Track bikes only.

Daniel Kornrumpf: Needlepoint Portraits

2011-06-24T00:34:00.003-04:00

Daniel Kornrumpf blows my mind!

He turns brushstrokes into needlepoint portraits.

Um, I want one done of me...diamonds on my neck, diamonds on my grill...

Food Rations via PBS.org

2011-06-23T00:47:00.003-04:00

Food rations from military meal via PBS.org. http://magazine.viiphoto.com/story/show/337 Click link to play video.

Okay and Then...

2011-06-22T05:12:00.004-04:00

Follow Patrick as he backpacks through Europe. He's got a pretty good eye for photography. http://okayandthen.blogspot.com/

Bicycle Film Festival

2011-06-21T02:32:00.005-04:00

Its Bicycle Film Festival week June 22-26th~ Bought my tickets for "Racing Towards Red Hook" and "Bill Cunningham" of Times Style section...whoo hoo! Here's the schedule.

This American Life: Jack Hitt

2011-06-20T14:28:00.003-04:00

Went to Jack Hitt's performance. It was my first time hearing about him, but if you listen to This American Life, I guess you'd know that he was a regular. Hitt did a pretty impressive one man show, streaming stories of science and his past into his performance. His stories sometimes seem far-fetched and made up, but... they are all real. Listen to this one about his building super being a hitman and even more here.

Dogs and Cats, Boars and Baboons

2011-06-13T13:11:00.002-04:00

Do you know your animals? This made my weekend. Thanks Angie! Addicting...

The Society: Culture Club

2011-06-08T19:18:00.002-04:00

The Society is a sophisticated culture club based in NY, Toronto, Miami and LA.
Members enjoy exclusive interactive events like underground boxing matches and architecture bicycle tours. Its kind of like the Gilt Groupe of activities-- luxurious yet approachable.

Most recently The Society presented a canning and pickling event at The Brooklyn Kicthen featuring Bob McClure, of McClure Pickles. The ingredient for Wednesday was rhubarb--fresh in season-- and since Zacapa Rum was sponsoring, McClure incorporated rum as a component for the brine.

Photo taken by: http://kyledeanreinfordphotography.com
The complimentary Zacapa daiquiri was good....but honestly, nothing beats a Zacapa Old Fashioned....

Photo taken by: http://kyledeanreinfordphotography.com
McClure giving us a lecture of art, science and safety of canning and pickling.

A before and after of our rhubarb.
Photo taken by:http://kyledeanreinfordphotography.com
Members packing in rhubarb.

Photo taken by: http://kyledeanreinfordphotography.com
Adam scooping up the Zacapa brine.
Photo taken by: http://kyledeanreinfordphotography.com
Find out more about The Society here: http://www.thesocietyglobal.com/
Thanks Adam and Annie for the invite.

Getting Ready to Hike

2011-05-31T15:04:00.002-04:00

My new Vasque hiking shoes!

End of World: Bloomberg

2011-05-20T15:00:00.001-04:00

Doomsday is tomorrow and Bloomberg will be absent yet again during another emergency. NYMagazine. Good one.

Oh this weather...

2011-05-19T03:14:00.004-04:00

Geez

2011-05-18T10:19:00.001-04:00

!!!!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Tone Def Poetry Jam

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

The Daily Show on Facebook

Lucky Rice: Night Market

2011-05-09T23:01:00.003-04:00

On May 4th Lucky Rice hosted Night Market, providing street food inspired dishes (like stinky tofu!) from Vietnam, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, etc.

If you enjoy big events like the Big Apple BBQ or street fairs for the variety of food and bustling crowd, this should be on your list of events to attend next year.

But for me, I plan on avoiding scenes like this in the future. I dislike waiting in line and mobs of people.
P.S. An Choi you suck for running out of food.

*Thanks Susan for the invite; enjoyed meeting you and Laura~

Hurrah: But Let's Call It a Day

2011-05-03T12:25:00.000-04:00

POV from Economist: Let's call it a day.

Obama Roasts Donald Trump

2011-05-01T16:22:00.001-04:00

Be Careful, Supper Clubs

2011-04-29T12:39:00.000-04:00

Be careful, Supper Clubs. Health Department on the prowl. Read here: GrubStreet

Words, Words, Words

2011-04-26T12:05:00.013-04:00

Two completely different videos, but both great.

Thought provoking Words by Everynone . Try to match word to image.

Hilarious commentary. Honey Badger dont give a sh*t.

Supper Club: 525Dinner

2011-04-25T08:44:00.005-04:00

I trust anybody who has a refrigerator stacked with 16oz and 32oz plastic containers labeled with blue masking tape. This one in particular belongs to Sam Richman of 525Dinner, an understated supper club based in Williamsburg.

Sams resume includes Jean Georges and The Fat Duck and has been successfully holding supper clubs since 2007, mostly through word of mouth.

There are two dinners a week in his apartment, no advance menus, both chef's choice. The prices are fairly low balled considering the quality of food prepared for you. $25 Tuesdays is his family style plates, while $40 Saturdays is a more intricate, elaborate meal.

The environment is casual and friendly, BYOB, random ipod playlist playing in the background. You dine with 12 guests in a dining room table set in Sam's roommates room, next to a queen size bed. Weird at first, but ::shrug:: its NY, you get over it.

For the $25Tuesday meal on April 12th, we had:

...two heaping servings each of the mixed bitter greens w/ red wine marinated apples and toasted walnuts, potato and onion kugel (loved the crust), braised brisket (slow cooked for 20hours!!)...

and the best coconut macaroons Ive ever had (I ate 4...okay 4 1/2). Whats even more impressive is that it was his first time ever making them!

Visit www.525dinner.blogspot.com to make a reservation.

Bicycle Ticket...

2011-04-23T09:32:00.004-04:00

Ah. Just a friendly warning to all you folks on bicycles. Cops are ticketing like crazy rabid dogs. Got one on a quiet, nondescript sunny Sunday cruising from Prospect Heights. $270 fine. WTF. If only I were Robin Williams.

On a happy note, here are some bicycle portraits that I absolutely love, love, LOVE:
Dmitry Gudkov: Bike Portraits

It's Friday, Friday, Friday

2011-04-22T10:04:00.002-04:00

I think you'll enjoy this. Its fun, fun, fun!

What Happens When...

2011-04-20T12:09:00.007-04:00

Back in March, Cindy and I made a silly bet, both confident in our decision. In the end, winner would get to choose restaurant, loser would have to pay. I won...graciously of course.

We dined at the new, but temporary, revolving restaurant in Nolita, What Happens When. The basic concept is: each month the menu, theme, sound and decoration changes.

Movement #3 was based on Renoirs 19th century French garden party and lasts from March 29- April 25th. Chef John Fraser creates a delicious 3course meal. You can find food pictures on Cindy's blog: www.ChubbyChineseGirl.com.

But what amazed me the most was the intense attention to details---especially since in 30 days they would essentially be tearing the place down to rebuild another theme! They gave more thought in creating and romancing this installation than most long term restaurants ever do...

From French music softly playing in the background, dancing lights, the pink and green awning, hidden utensil drawer, delicate dishes, flowers potted in glass cups...

...to the bathroom. Yes, I took pictures of the bathroom painting, pink tassels and little signage. Ha, dont judge me...

The whole experience as a whole was a visual and sensual overflow. I had gone in thinking that this 'pop up' would be cheesy but was happily surprised. Well done in creating a successful ambiance, team! (And thanks Cindy for dinner <3)

What Happens When ends September 2011.

Too Much Clicking and Playing

2011-04-19T20:51:00.004-04:00

Tumblr.com doesnt allow me to reblog into Blogspot.com (boo) so click here to make some music. Its been quite addicting!

Just Keep Going, You Got Nothing To Lose

2011-03-29T23:20:00.004-04:00

http://www.gadling.com/2011/03/29/the-product-of-communicating-with-subway-patrons/

Love random strangers. We are change. Thanks Eatizens.

Supper Clubs: Brooklyn Fork and Spoon

2011-03-20T20:06:00.003-04:00

After missing out on ABCD's Supper Club (sigh, 4th in a row!) and a cool Brooklyn Brainery class due to side projects, I booked a last minute ticket to Brooklyn Fork and Spoon because I really needed a "home cooked" meal rather than take-out and cereal. I know, my last posting in February was of BF&S-- I'm not playing favoritism-- it just worked out that way.

Anyways, sometimes dinner parties are a hit or miss. Oh god, can they be a miss. There are no guarantees. But if fate brings you together with good food and good people--you have, as pictured below, a wonderful time! Eatizens and Naama (Israeli culinary writer) were also guests that night!

Photos taken by Richie, who sneakily borrowed my camera throughout the evening while we played musical chairs (switching seats, chatting with someone new each course!)

Pictures of actual food can be found here.

Outside NY: Relief Fund

2011-03-15T18:27:00.000-04:00

I know. Who can think of food with everything going on in Japan...and the world in general. Before I begin posting again, please help the victims of this weeks earthquake anyway you can: Earthquake Relief Fund

NYTimes photos.

Outside NY: Earthquake + Tsunami

2011-03-11T12:47:00.000-05:00

8.9 earthquake in Japan. Tsunami watch all of West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska. Be safe. Hearts and prayers go out to you all.

Live feed: Japan : http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream/3&hpt=T1
Live feed: California :http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream/1&hpt=T1
Live feed: Hawaii http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream2&hpt=T1

Compiled Videos from Gawker.
http://tv.gawker.com/#!5780951/every-amazing-earthquake-video-from-japan/gallery/1

Food In General: Tampopo

2011-03-08T15:10:00.002-05:00

I've been meaning to watch Tampopo, a Japanese 1985 film, ever since hearing about it at a ramen lecture at the Asia Society in December. You can't get this noodle western on Netflix. So while I was vintage shopping in Haights and passed by Amoeba, a cd/ dvd store in SF, I paused and decided to try my luck.

Jūzō Itami, is brilliant Director with a bizarre imagination. His humorous gastoronomic film covers all the beauty in food in diverse mini-stories. The main focus is on a widow, Tampopo and her transformation of making successful ramen. But the common link between the seemingly random vignettes is food: the demand (husband ordering wife to cook while on deathbed), the sense of touch (old granny squeezing items in market), etiquette (women learning to eat spaghetti silently), the obsession (Yakuza's enthusiastic last word to girlfriend is about boars and yams), the sensuality (live shrimp doused with alcohol on bare belly) all come together.

Here are two PG13 clips I enjoyed. The shrimp dousing and egg yolk exchange may not be appropriate to share:

How to eat ramen

Rather than saying "I love you" he goes on about boars and yams.

And with that, I am eating at Ippudo tonight. Nom nom nom.

Outside NY: San Francisco

2011-03-07T15:03:00.000-05:00

While I was in SF last week, I ate some good meals. Wexlers, Wayfare Tavern, The Grove. But all food in SF is good. I've yet to be disappointed. Sadly, good gets boring. So this makes me want to strive for better than good.

Which leads me to Baretta. Yes, the burrata pizza was good, and so was the squid ink risotto. But thats expected. Give me something unexpected....and in comes their desserts.

A spoonful of their house-made gelato ice cream seriously awakened my palette.
Left: Bonet-chocolate gelato with amaretti & caramel: Savored every bite (and I dislike chocolate). I couldnt grasp the beauty of almond flavors melding in with chocolate. We sat in silence appreciating this one.
Right: And then the panna gelato with extra virgin olive oil & sea salt was a little life altering. Polar opposites -- like vanilla ice cream and french fries.

Bi-rite Creamery has nothing on Baretta. But NY's Big Gay Ice Cream Truck may-- he does a killer vanilla with siracha sauce. He'll be back in May!

This Weekend: To Do

2011-02-10T09:44:00.001-05:00

Saturday 2/12
Brooklyn Fork and Spoon Supper Club 730PM
Chaos Cooking 630PM
Underground Rebel Bingo 9PM

Sunday 2/13
Ice Cream Club 1PM
3RD Ward's Moviehouse 7PM

TBD
And or...more pop up's.

Super Bowl Sunday: Ads and Food

2011-02-07T15:31:00.008-05:00

I'm glad the Packers won for the sake of our Super Bowl hostess, Laura.
But I was there for the ads!

My two favorites:
1. Volkswagon: Melt my heart! May the force be with you...

2. Chrysler with Eminem: Detroit building themselves back up. I'm not from Detroit, but man, I felt that pride.

Worst ads though? Groupon's selfish, insensitive f*%#$ Tibet ad. Who approved that commercial? And Ford's Concrete Jungle ad. We do not drive huge SUV's in New York. It's called taxi, subway or bike. Do some research before... :)

Anyhoo...we cant forget about the food. This was truly a foodie's Super Bowl. A new take to everything traditional. Chicken wings: double fried with ginger, soysauce, honey glaze! Guacomole with pomegranates! Bratwurst dogs! And chocolate cake! Yummm....

Long Island City: Art + Food

2011-02-03T17:46:00.001-05:00

Feng MengBo: On view December 12, 2010 - April 4, 2011 at MoMa PS1

Long Island City isn't thaaaaat far away. And Feng MengBao's massively scaled interactive video game (BOTH SCREENS) is worth a trip. You, the Red Army soldier, fight Mario Brothers and Street Fighter characters, throwing Coca Cola cans as weapons. It's genius.

Then stop by M.Well's for a quick bite (or stay longer since the wait last Saturday at 1230PM lasts about an hour). Fish soup was mind blowing. Visit Five Points for some graffiti before you get on the train. All 3 (museum, M.Wells and Five Points) are within the same area.

KickStarter: What Happens When...

2011-02-02T09:43:00.000-05:00

"What Happens When is a temporary restaurant that will change theme every month for a run of 9 months in New York City." Make your reservations: http://www.whathappenswhennyc.com/

Supper Club: Brooklyn Fork and Spoon

2011-02-01T16:11:00.004-05:00

Brooklyn Fork and Spoon is a vegetarian supper club hosted in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Everything, for the most part, can be eaten with... a fork and spoon. They hold eight seats, bountiful food, and endless pours of wine.

The hosts: Becka (bakes), Mardi (cooks), and Kerstin (drinks).

None of the attendees for this test run were vegetarians and yet we were all pretty amazed of the depth and flavors of having a meal sans-meat.

Appetizer: Roasted tomatoes stuffed with whipped white beans and rosemary. My favorite. They'll be posting recipes on Sprout&Pea shortly.

Salad: Winter root vegetable salad with toasted pine nuts and pickled garlic. Loved the colors. Toasted pine nuts rocked.

Main: Mac n' goat cheese with roasted red beets and aged gouda. Picture doesnt do this plate justice. The beets really added a sweet flavor to a traditional mac n' cheese.

Dessert: Chocolate ganache ginger bread cakes. Who says no to chocolate?

The website for Brooklyn Fork and Spoon isnt up yet, but contact eat@brooklynforkandspoon.com to be added on to their email list. Next seating is Saturday, February 12th!

Supper Club: Apt 4

2011-01-30T23:14:00.003-05:00

Chef Jay and his 6 other teammates (Dan, Jess, Jon, MattJohn & Wendy) have you covered at their supper club, Apt4 in Brooklyn with their 4 course, 5 wine dinner.

Apt4 just started recently in March but have already held cocktail events for 30+ guests and intimate settings like January 21st's Chef's Table held in Jay's bachelor brownstone.

For this specific dinner party, no menu was given hence "chef's table", location details were sent out the day before, and only 6 guests were invited. It's the smallest dinner party I've been to.

To start, we were welcomed with sparkling champagne and bread + butter.

First Course-Moules Frites: pan friend russet. claytonia. dijon aioli. Looks simple, but the mussels + dijon aioli + wine pairing was kind of mind blowing.
Paired with 2009 Tomero Torrontes, Salta Argentina.

Second Course-Roasted Asparagus: mushroom stir fry. slow poached egg. cotija cheese. Again, combination/ textural heaven.
Paired with: 2009 Chateau Pesque Viognoer, France

Third Course- Braised Beef Shortribs: carrot puree. brussel sprouts. I think after this dinner, I would definitely invest a trip to Mas Farmhouse (Jay works there)..
Paired with: 2006 Chateau La Roque Pic St. Loup, Langiedoc Roussillon, France

Fourth Course- Chocolate Francier: sauce caramel. cara cara orange. Oops, started eating; forgot to snap picture.
Paired with: NY Grahams "Six Grapes" Port, Douro, Portugal

The best part about the dinner:
-Not knowing what we were about to eat. That's the first supper club that made the menu unknown. Adds to the suspense.
-Having such a knowledgeable sommelier, Jon and incredible chef, Jay. Ask them questions, they'll have answers.
-Impromptu Saved By The Bell + Seinfeld trivia

For upcoming events: www.apt4foodandwine.com or follow them on twitter at @apt4.

Yoga in a Forest: Open House Gallery

2011-01-25T21:52:00.001-05:00

Visit Open House Gallery this month. They've brought Spring early with a forest installation in SoHo: imagine fake grass, rocks, trees, mini pond, birds chirping, and free wi-fi. Doors open every day 11AM to 6PM and closes for good on January 30, 2011.

Every day at 12PM, Yogaworks hosts free yoga classes in the middle room, sponsored by SmartWater.

It's the perfect retreat post-blizzard.
Urban Daddy hosts picnics and movie nights. There's food carts on the weekends. People napping, babies crawling. Find out more information on Facebook: Open House Gallery.

The Underground Rebel Bingo Club

2011-01-08T01:49:00.003-05:00

Who knew Bingo was so popular??
Let's find out Saturday, January15th.
Join through Facebook or check out their website.

Upcoming Event: Sunday "Sicilian" Supper

2011-01-07T01:45:00.000-05:00

My friend Jennifer of Morta di Fame is putting together a traditional Sicilian Sunday Supper curated by Jeremy Parker this Sunday. Buy tickets here.

Heritage Radio Network

2010-11-22T00:05:00.004-05:00

I pass by the work week listening to Pandora and NPR, but recently came across HeritageRadioNetwork.com which combines food related topics and interviews.
I quite enjoy and hope you do too!

Storm King: Go Next Season

2010-11-19T21:05:00.003-05:00

Storm King was dope. A better adjective would be breath taking.
I felt like Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice walking through the fields in search of Mr. Darcy.

Or Jun Ji-hyun from My Sassy Girl. Whats up with these chick flick movie flash backs??? (dot dot dot) Sorry guys.

Anyways, the scenery and foliage...was just picturesque. Something Bob Ross would have painted.

Here's Erika cartwheeling. But it kind of mimics the art behind her no?

Me with Maya Lin's landscape art.

And Jane when we pulled over to appreciate the view. Im the king of the world! Ha. (Thats from Titanic just in case you didnt know).

63 Degrees in November

2010-11-12T22:13:00.002-05:00

So this weekend is going to be an amazing 63 degrees!!!!!
Im heading to Storm King to romp around in Maya Lin's Wave Field before they close for the season, but hope next week is just as nice for Dutch Days Bike Tour!

Supper Club: 18th Restaurant

2010-11-08T00:06:00.005-05:00

The 18th Restaurant, hosted by Anne Apparu, is held every month on the 18th, at a different location.

In August (I have a lot of blogging to catch up on...) Apparu opened up her Brooklyn Heights home to fellow guests.

The dinner started with mingling, drinks and snacks in Anne's lovely backyard.*

Her dishes were befitting to her style...bohemian...rustic ...kind of like your grandma's cooking, as Anne describes it.**

Appetizer: goat cheese, figs, and hearty home made bread. Best of all her dishes!

Fresh tomatoes, radishes and cucumber, served in a Spiderman bowl. I liked the Spiderman bowl a lot (no sarcasm). It fit in with all the mismatched chairs and quirkly silverware--Chinese take out chopsticks.

Zuchinni Flan: It looks weird...and thats sad because I am a total sucker for presentation...and texturally felt weird too. But smelt good and tasted okay? Im not well versed with French food, so I appreciated trying something new like this. Its all about new experiences...

Blue Fish Tagine: I tend to eat with my eyes first. And the presentation reminded me of a soup kitchen. However, tasting it changed my mind. Beautiful broth and chunks of tomatoes, zuchinni etc....really the flavors were incredible.

Dessert: Nectarine Tart. This was delicious. Buttery crust, sweet glazed nectarines...yum! ***

Contact: the18threstaurant@gmail.com for next months invitation.

So if youre wondering what all those asteriks are about, heres why I have them:

I admire anyone who is able to bring together a gathering of people to share good food. I honestly think that every supper club is great and unique in their own way...its your supper club, you run it the way you please. I am only here to blog my own experience. ...And my experience based on this particular host, food and environment will not be the same as yours since each location, menu and environment is always different.

*The only time the host acknowledged us as guests was while collecting money...right before we were allowed to choose a seat at the dinner table...right before we even ate... May I suggest collecting money after dinner or investing in PayPal instead? And also holding a quick conversation instead of...."Would you like to pay now". I obviously have a picture of her sitting down in front of me smoking, talking and smiling-- but this is only because AA flagged her down and reintroduced everyone. I know, shes very shy...Im just saying.........

**There were no menus printed out to guide us as we ate; only a small sign written up hastily and illegibly by the door. The dishes were served family style and dropped at the table with no introduction. When asking the one friend helping out Anne what ingredients were used, we got the reply "I dont know". Great. Continue eating...

***Some guests walked out and left early not encouraged by their experience here, and I can not blame them. If I wanted to eat at a restaurant where food came out at different times for different tables, I would be at a restaurant. If I wanted a pile of food thrown at me, I would have just hired you as a caterer. The 18th Restaurant kind of sucked the romance out of being at a supper club.

However, again, as I noted above-- no experience is ever the same at one of these events. The 18th Restaurant has been written up with much ethusiasm by Eating is Art and The Times. I wish I had been there instead.

Will Bike for Food: Palisades Interstate Park

2010-10-22T00:14:00.004-04:00

Okay Im off to HK, but before I leave, just wanted to encourage you guys to enjoy the foliage by bike while you can. Its beautiful, I swear. Dont try to hold back your tears.

We did a 50mile ride. Don rode fixie, I rode single.

Not sure how long Don had to wait for me, but the picture above is of me throwing down my bike after the never ending uphill Palisades climb, sprawling on the grass, smiling from ear to ear, feeling as if I conquered the world!! Look at the pretty leaves...

The ride started from Brooklyn to Upper West Side over George Washington Bridge (kind of tricky to find) into Palisades Interstate Park (elevation was killer, Ive never been so thankful for downhills in my life before!!!!!), back down to grab ramen at Mitsuwa (milkiest pork broth...slurp), past Edgewater, into Hoboken (how do people live here its so depressing), grabbed the NJ Transit and then peddled my ass home.

Map out your own ride via Gmaps Pedometer.

Vegan Supper Club: Nasturtium

2010-10-19T10:38:00.007-04:00

Yes I am alive! I have been traveling, biking, underground dining all with aplomb-- so much so that I couldnt commit to a post. But what brought me back online??? Who would have thought...fucking vegan food.

I had my pre conceived notions of vegan-ism. Faux meat? Picky eaters? My first glimpse into vegan food (and I had hoped my last) was a few years back at Red Bamboo, which now I know is just junk food and nothing solid of a well executed vegan experience.

Cue in Scott Winegard and Elena Balletta of Nasturtium who have forever changed my taste palette for vegetables.

The word vegan may sound scary-- but its simply food without any animal products. Yes, a meal sans meat or dairy can sound unappetizing...however Nasturium has now become one of the best supper club meals Ive had so far! Uh oh, scoot over Brooklyn Edible Social Club!.

Set in a loft space in Brooklyn this past Sunday, $50 gets you a 6 course meal with 32 guests. Yes, 32 guests! Its the biggest supper club Ive attended-- but most importantly all courses flowed smoothly and well timed (...hello remember the 5 hour dinner at Devorar...)...I applaud you!

Scott and Elena run a well oiled kitchen, seamlessly working side by side garnishing and setting up plates with assistants at hand helping with prep work.

I especially loved how amidst working hard orchestrating each course, Elena and Scott were also able to entertain and be hospitable to every guest at the same time. The setup was an open kitchen, where guests sat intimately against the prep work station. Being in such close proximity and seeing all the action only adds more to the experience of a supper club. Reminded me of dining at the chefs table of Dell'Anima and Pied Du Cochon.

So on to the food. No menu was posted prior to the event besides 1. vegan 2. locally sourced. Luckily I love surprises.

Amuse bouche: Butternut squash + fried brussel sprouts. Nasturium can convert you to any and all vegetables-- even brussel sprouts. Hes never eaten a vegetable he's never liked.
:
Soup: Smoked sunchoke + fennel chowder with nori strips. This picture doesnt do it justice.

Salad: Grilled treviso, baby beets, mascoun apple, spiced pecans

Pasta: Marina chiogga squash dumplings, bitter greens, spiced cider reduction. If you enjoy Frankie's or Char4's gnochhi, you will love these. Fried on outside, soft in the inside...with amazing sauce to soak it up.

Entree: Autumnal roulade stuffed with freekeh , green wheat, roots, mushroom jus. Also known as vegan burrito!

Dessert: Sugar pumpkin, dark chocolate, toasted pecan butterscotch. I thought Adirondack's kulfi + pistachio was phenomenal until....this. Almond and cashew blended ice cream (no dairy). Seriously? Everyone was asking for an extra generous serving!

Who knew that meat was not necessary to have an excellent meal? Apparently Nasturium. If you hadnt told me this was vegan, I wouldnt have known the difference between that and any of my other meals.

You can find out more about Nasturium via Facebook for their future events or follow them on twitter @nasturtium_nyc.
If youre in the city looking for a bite to eat, check out Angelica Kitchen and Counter.
And if you need some inspiration you can follow Scott's blog for recipes...well partial recipes.

Out of Office

2010-09-07T00:31:00.002-04:00

In Amsterdam, London and Montreal for 2 weeks. Forecast says rain. Crossing fingers for it to change! Enjoy the sun NY!

The Amazing Adam Aleksander: Experiential

2010-09-06T01:29:00.000-04:00

Adam Aleksander orchestrates mind blowing underground experimental experiences- which he summarizes as "experiential". He goes beyond underground dining and expands into decked out events combining the world of food, art, and dance seamlessly together.

Adam curates his inspirations through separate websites and pop up locations. Adam Aleksander Presents is his fully interactive dinner parties: imagine dressing up and reliving your high school Epic Prom or dancing with France's iconic but ill-fated queen Marie Antoinette at Orsay Restaurant.

Then theres Les Salonnieres , his artist salon, that brings together creative professionals to meet, share and collaborate their work. Adam is the attentive host, you are his guest, and featured panalists of artists entertain and share their wide scopes of talents to you throughout the night.

Last Saturday, August 21, Les Salonnieres provided a trio of artists, speakeasy and supper club with performances and lectures.

Drinks began at 7PM in a LES apartment. From the outside, its nothing extraordinary. Kind of an anti-climatic from the hype I described above no?

But dont be fooled by the facade. Once inside you discover the charm and specialness of this location--a tenement which holds so much history.

Abondoned and left in solitude-- except when Adam throws a party...

Featured Artist: Christina Casey, paints throughout the night. We get to see the progression from start to finish. She will continue to paint at Les Salonnieres as a live experimetal project.

Featured Artist: Brian Quinn of The Noble Rot, a traveling wine saloon, is the principal mixoligist for the night. My favorite for the night was bourbon, grapefruit juice and simple syrup.

Featured Artist: Mike Lee, chef of StudioFeast , (he also collaborates with A Razor A Shiny Knife on the side) served a delicious 4 course meal. Its hard to describe all the flavors--just know that the fellow guests sitting amongst me (model, film scout locator, cocktail enthusiast, etc) licked our plates clean!

Panzanella: Graindaisy Bakery Fiilone/ Heirloom Tomato, Stokes Farm NJ

Salmon Roulade: Sauce Gribiche/ Satur Farms Frisee/ Smoked Okra Pickle. Paired with Ch.Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling-2009 (Riesling apparently is not always sweet!)

Duck Breast: Pea Puree/ Red Lentil/ Demi Glace. Paired with Wellies Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2008.

Corn Flake & Cream: Corn Flake/ Cream/ Apple Donut/ Berry. Paired with Leopardi Brut Cava, Llopart - 2006 (Outdid Donut Plant-- is that possible??)

After dessert, panelists of speakers and performers begin at 830PM.

Featured Artist: Edie Pypers of Edie Art talks us through her progression as an artist. Her art "emanates a certain warmth and happiness". Check out her website/ buy some art to experience the full sensation.

Featured Artist:

(left) Pearl Lin introduces Ferret Laura Lin in an show stopping mini fashion show.
(right) Didnt get a chance to catch her name, but 2 words: Belly. Dancing.

Definitely plan on making a whole night out of Adam Aleksander's events. You can also follow him on twitter for his next underground. I hear the next one may be an underground pool party. What....

Underground Grilled Cheese: Bread.Butter.Cheese

2010-08-30T23:58:00.001-04:00

Im blogging out of order of dining excursions, because I wanted to... cut to the cheese...

If you havent heard already, Dr. Claw was shut down recently by the Dept of Health.
His claws were delicious...and hopefully he'll be back...

But in the meantime if youre still in-want of participating in underground activities AND craving grilled cheese, Bread.Butter.Cheese is serving it up in East Village.

Same concept as Claw.

1. You text a number and place an order....

((Im only this excited because Ive been texting Ron for almost a month and was beginning to think that he didnt exist))

2. Set up place and time to meet and hand over money.

((Found out 2 things while chatting with Ron: 1. This is his full time employment 2. Order early. When I texted him around lunch time in the past the goods were always all gone by 2PM.))

3. Receive brown paper bag--with napkins! Very classy.

((I bought a latte so I could stay and eat in the coffee shop. We hadnt discussed how much a grilled cheese was, but I figured $17 would cover 2 sammies along with tip. I mean Im here for the experience and money grows off trees))

4. And BAM-- the deal is complete.

((Standard cheddar with slices of granny apple on thick white bread. Cant go wrong.))

And then Chefs Choice was mozzarella with tomatoes.

((I liked this better than my pick of cheddar--but wish he changed up the bread to whole grain or something else than white. Other than that he totally satisfied my grilled cheese cravings!)).

You can order any kind of grilled cheese with Ron: pepperjack with bacon, brie and walnut gouda with habaneros...you name it. Next time I wont play it safe--Ill see if he can do a pork belly grilled cheese...

Anyways I will share with you Bread Butter Cheese's number if you share with me a new underground dining spot. Deal? Email me at contactblogemail (at) g m a i l (dot) c o m.

Underground Lobster Dealer: Dr. Claw

2010-08-11T12:59:00.005-04:00

Youve read about him. Youre salivating.
Want a piece of Dr. Claw? Just read the fine line text and follow instructions.

Step 1: Join the group Brooklyn Urban Anglers Association via Facebook

Step 2: Make it known on the page that you want 'in'. No comments, no access.
Step 3: Wait for Dr. Claw to contact you. Follow his instructions. Its all part of the experience and his safety.
Step 4: Text Dr. Claw when youre at the red wall.(Warning: Smells like dog piss on a hot summer day).

He's pretty prompt with getting back to you and courteous.

Step 5: Get your money ready. Exact change. Its $14 and its always courteous to tip!

Step 6: You make your exchange. Your lobster rolls come wrapped in foil in a brown paper bag. Flirt as necessary-- Dr. Claw is hot (!!)...

And the lobster rolls are quite amazing. The bun is toasted and warm (albeit on a hot dog bun)-- but everything is buttered and hello, chunks of CLAWS!

Step7: Enjoy it on a random stoop. Dont bother with chewing gum afterwards. Let the flavors last in your mouth all night.

Supper Club: A Razor A Shiny Knife

2010-08-02T00:13:00.002-04:00

Ive been on A Razor A Shiny Knife's mailing list since May 2009 and have been avoiding participating in it because they are on the higher end of the dining $$$ spectrum. With all these other supper clubs that are priced lower...I questioned if my money would be worth spent??

I finally decided to give it a go with the recommendation from Jordana.

And my consensus is that "Yes, A Razor A Shiny Knife is definitely worth your money". Especially if you RSVP for the Test Kitchen where prior to an actual event Michael Cirino and team experiment with recipes...and you get to help!

"Help" as in...pour liquid nitrogen...and shave $800 worth of truffles and pressure cook it for its juice...

I mean come on, how often do you get to work and learn in a 'chef's kitchen'? Your own mother has probably kicked you out of her kitchen in the midst of preparation asking you to set the table instead of interfering.

But with Michael, Andrew and Danielle...they teach you while youre on kitchen duty, hold a conversation and entertain. It truly is "an educational, social and theatrical culinary experience". This was almost as great as assisting at the James Beard Foundation and torching foie gras.

For last week's Test Kitchen, A Razor A Shiny Knife was held at Botanica in Red Hook.

We started at 6PM to 9PM prepping and ate our musings after.

There was a lesson on knife sharpening from Danielle...

And then everyone got to do a little of everything in the kitchen and multi-tasked. Danielle prepped the short ribs, I snapped the snap peas and another mashed potatoes with a chinoise which gives the mashed potatoes its smooth texture.

The end result as Danielle would say was "Fantastic!"

Meanwhile Andrew teaches us how to prep our main dish which will be crudo sea bass with pickled peaches (amazing!!)

Pickling is actually quite easy. And the sweet and vinegary taste of a peach is surprisingly palatable! Im going to start pickling everything now! Add some xanthan gum to the pickling juice and youll have a syrup like texture that you can drizzle over the crudo.

The end result, topped with some greens and black salt. Beautiful!

And then the most interesting dish of the night...smoked egg yolk with triple cream cheese and toast....

Smoked flavor egg yolks poached in a vat sitting at 62degrees.

Triple cream cheese (extra stinky) > Michael then pours liquid nitrogen over it to freeze it > and then the cheese is broken like shattered glass and blended into powder...

Plated with a piece of toast and topped off with black salt!

Youll definitely come out of this kitchen learning something new...
Sign up for their mailing list at: A Razor A Shiny Knife.

Supper Club: Nasturtium

2010-07-29T00:39:00.003-04:00

Scott Winegard has never met a vegetable he's never liked.
Join him on facebook under Nasturtium or check out his blog.
Encourage him to update more :)

SF: SF Underground

2010-07-28T00:13:00.001-04:00

I dont live in SF, but after my first visit this past May, maybe...I could.
If youre in the Bay Area, you should visit SF Underground Market--AND their Wild Food Walks.

Supper Club: ABCD's of Cooking

2010-07-27T00:10:00.003-04:00

Chitra Agrawal, of ABCD's of Cooking, just won last weekends Food Obstructions contest.
She also sells Masala Loca tacos at Greenpoint Food Market (reopens in September)----AND holds a supper club in Brooklyn. Check out her blog for more details!

Will Bike for Food: Fort Tilden (minus the food)

2010-07-26T05:38:00.002-04:00

My all time favorite ride in NY (so far) has always been to Fort Tilden. Theres a sense of accomplishment getting to the beach and plopping on the sand after an hour plus long ride.

Directions: So basically from Brooklyn, you just take Ocean Parkway Av straight down to Brighton Beach. You make a left on Neptune Av, and theres an opening RIGHT BEFORE the Shore Parkway! **Do Not Ride On the Highway!**

Then you follow the Green Way bike trail as seen above.

You'll also ride pass Floyd Bennett Field-- and if you have time, you should visit! It's NY's first municipal airport.

At one point while youre riding on the bike path, youll hit EZ Pass. Just cross the street, and continue on to the bike path on Marine Parkway Bridge on the right hand side.

And youre almost there! Just keep riding straight after the bridge and you can finally...

plop down and enjoy the sun!

Of course, after being sun baked and swimming I never say no to taking the ferry back to Manhattan.Thank you NYCity Water Taxi. Drops you off at South St Seaport, Pier 11.

*THERE is a concession stand at Fort Tilden for wimpy weiners and flat burgers. I say pack your own lunch and just buy Gatorade at the stand. And BYOB. Its like $6 for one can of Corona.

Upcoming Events: Underground Rooftop Films

2010-07-22T15:57:00.001-04:00

Rooftop Films = movies on top of a roof
Date/Time: This Saturday, seats open at 8PM, movie starts at 9PM
Location: Old American Can Factory in Gowanus: 232 Third St. at 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215
Featured Film: Greetings from the Woods
Food: Has nothing to do with food. But theres plenty in the area. Check yelp.com :)

Will Bike for Food: Queens

2010-07-21T21:59:00.004-04:00

Surprisingly, riding to Queens from Brooklyn actually isnt that hard.

Hop on to the scrawny Pulaski Bridge and in 5 minutes...youre in a new borough! The only tricky thing I could find is that you have to ride against traffic to get on to Pulaski Bridge--but just get on the side walk and youll be fine!

Our main goal was to get some Greek gyros from BZ Grill in Queens. But along the way we also visited:

Socrates Sculpture Park off Vernon Blvd.

Definitely worth a stop if you can appreciate art!

Then ate at BZ Grill for gyros. Clean, friendly, takes credit cards.

But most importantly the pork gyros were seriously succulent and massive. I could give it 5 stars, except that the pita isnt made fresh in-house. The meat was worth the trek, but in all honestly I dont crave gyros that much.

And then to explore more (because how often do we really visit Queens?) we stopped by the HUGE Calvary Cemetery which was eerily beautiful. For your reference, thats the cemetery you pass by coming back from JFK/LGA on the BQE. Its one of the oldest and largest cemeteries in the United States; its history goes way back to 1847's cholera epidemic!

Then just take Greenpoint Av back into Brooklyn and youre home!

Best of Gourmet Latino Festival

2010-07-15T00:01:00.003-04:00

Last month (still playing catch up) we attended the Gourmet Latino Festival at the Astor Center and were able to experience the fine culture and flavors of Latin America!

Having arrived with empty stomachs, we concurred that the best way to start off the feast was to have some Del Maguey, Single Village Mezcals. Sucking on the agave plant (bottom left) brings out its smokey, deep and warm flavors. Sip it, dont shoot it.

And although yes, Mercadito had irresistible shrimp tacos and Gabbana served a juicy beef veal meatball slider but Rayuela,at 164 Allen St, hands down won me over.

Chef Maximo Tejada has a 5Course Tasting Menu that you should definitely check out. Picture shown above is Costillas a lo Caballo: tamarind glazed short ribs served with foie gras infused polenta, and a double cooked egg. Topped with lobster chimichurri. Seriously. Amazing.

Sites I Follow

2010-07-13T09:39:00.018-04:00

*Heres a list of supper clubs Ive been to (marked with *).
Some, multiple times since each dinner is always different.
You can always check out Upcoming Events on my blog for most recent invites, or subscribe to each individual club yourselves.
Go and enjoy!

Supper Club List
*Brooklyn Edible Social Club
*Forking Tasting
*Ted and Amy Supper Club
*Choice Cuts
*Rabbit Mafia
*One Big Table
*Underground Food Collective
*Devorar
*Beast (Portland, Oregon)
*18th Restaurant
*A Razor A Shiny Knife
*Les Salonnieres
*StudioFeast
*Nasturium: Vegan Supper Club
*Apt 4
*Brooklyn Fork and Spoon
*525Dinner
Spice (San Francisco)
Chaos Kitchen
The Noble Rot
4 Course Vegan
Whisk and Ladle
Dark Dining Projects
Midnight Brunch
Cardinal Club
At the Table (PA)
Underground Naglee Park (12/07/11)
SaltShaker (a more thorough list)

And then some random ones...

Food Related
*Dr. Claw
*Bread Butter Cheese
Food Tease
Up Down Across (added 10/19/09)
Taco NYC
Fancy Fast Food
Taxi Gourmet!
Matt Timm's Take Down
Gastronauts
Scratchbread
Not Eating Out in New York
Four Pounds Flour
Eat Brooklyn
Always Hungry
Blondie and Brownie
Not Eating Out
Architects Who Lunch
Food Curated
Vendor TV
Eat to Blog
Eating in Translation
Food in Jars
Thirty a Week
yelp.com
Brooklyn Fare
Coffee!
James Beard Foundation
Hungry Filmmakers
Frugal Living!
NYC Food Crawl
SF Underground Market!

Non-Food Related
Standard Label: Men's Fashion Blog
Drunk History
Posters
If Your Bike Gets Stolen...Brooklyn By Bike
There I Fixed It
Fixed Gear Taiwan Girls
That GreenPoint Blog
Apartment Therapy
Design Sponge
Better Living Through Design

Back Up Again

2010-07-12T15:00:00.000-04:00

I know. Ive been slacking. Lets play catch up shall we?
If youre looking for a get-a-way weekend, heres an option or two.

1. Skydiving. Jump out in Gardiner, NY with Sky Dive the Ranch. Only an hour and half away. You get 14,000 feet, 1 minute of free falling and then 6 minutes of parachuting. Its kind of an awesome adrenaline rush. My tandem guy Van, above, has skydived for 37 years. Here's a clip. Worth every second.

2. Guilford, Conneticut. Only 2 hours away on Metro North and peaceful serenity. My friends have homes there, so wouldnt be able to advise where to sleep-- but you should drop by The Place (891 Boston Post Rd). Its basically outdoor tree stump seating, plywood round picnic tables and a camping atmosphere serving seafood. The foods real simple (roast clam special was the best) and the mosquitoes kill. Cash only. BYOB. Bring Off bug spray.

3. Madison, Connecticut. Just a town over from Guilford. Its clean. You float in the water. A whole different vibe than Coney Island.

More Upcoming Events

2010-06-02T00:08:00.001-04:00

1. Chaos Kitchen
A continuing social experiment where up to 50 people cook 50 recipes in 1 kitchen, 4 burners, 1 oven. All recipes must be finished in a 3 hours while everyone is drinking wine, socializing and putting delectable dishes in their mouths.
Next dinner: Sunday, June 20--6PM.

2. Street Wars. Non food related, but tickled my fancy and wanted to share!

Get trigger-happy in the city this summer. Legally.

Game starts on Midnight, July 12, ends on August 10, 2010.
Fee: $45 per player.
Read rules here.

Upcoming Events: June

2010-06-01T00:07:00.003-04:00

1. Sarah Lohman of Four Pounds Flour, is all about historic gastronomy.
Meaning she deciphers recipes from 150 years ago and makes them.
Whoah, intriguing right????
Join her for a four course meal comprised of dishes prepared from late 19th century Eastern Europe through Weimar Germany and 1950’s Tennessee, and end in present day Brooklyn.
Musical performance will be made by Clare Burson who was inspired by her grandmother's escape from Germany in 1938.

Thursday, June 10th
@ Henry Street Settlement (265 Henry St., NYC)
Doors 7 pm / Show 7:30 pm / $60
Event includes a full concert by Clare and a 4 course meal with wine pairings
Buy Tickets here.

2. If you havent been to a Reel Tasty event...this one is not to be missed!
Movie is Sideways with wine pairings mentioned from the movie.

Starts: 8pm (cocktails and appetizers)
Ends: 11pm (really, when the film is over)
Donation: $99 (make a reservation below)
Tickets: here

Away Message: In West Coast

2010-05-26T11:36:00.000-04:00

Forgot to mention Im in California for the next week.
Will post supper club events and pics from m trip when I return to NY!
Time to ride Embarcadero > Golden Gate Bridge > Sausilito >Teberon > Angels Island > Alcatraz > SoMa now!

Supper Club: Forking Tasty

2010-05-20T18:27:00.004-04:00

Forking Tasty does it again-- on the most GINORMOUS roof deck in Brooklyn!!

Last Saturday was Jason and Aimee's season opener for their multi-course gourmet dinner, unlimited wine and beer, plus a movie for 16 guests. This month's movie and theme fall under: Ghostbusters.

Starting the night off with vodka ghost jello shots! (Brilliant!)

Appetizers included: mini pretzel hot dogs with spicy mustard. Ooo fancy pigs in a blanket hot out the oven.

Grilled hanger steak bruschetta with ramp butter, pickled shallots and pea shoots. I think I had 3 of them. Couldnt help myself...

Pretzel bites! Pretzel bites!

Mango and crab salad with avocado puree in crispy corn cups...loved the festive combo

The 16 of us seated and awaiting the entrees to come...

Jason and Aimee in the kitchen prepping the hens...to be served with roasted brocolli and caramelized red onions...(photo courtesy of Kun).

And ta-da! Roasted cornish hens with mom's Italian sausage stuffing and a serrano ham blanket....(photo courtesy of Kun)

Ricotta and basil pizza. For home baked pizza, it was fairly awesome. Totally impressed.

Soppressata and fresh mozzarella pizza...its hard to decide which one I liked better...

And no Forking Tasty movie can begin without some movie trivia! Answer is.....(C) Marshmallows!

Weather got slightly chilly and as perfect hosts, they provided blankets and.... a fire pit.

And finally for dessert we had: chocolate bottom cheesecakes with mocha-ed nuts and hot fudge!!!!

But my favorite of the night? Homemade pistachio-marshmallow ice cream. Sigh. Heaven.
(Photo courtesy of Kun)

Out of the many supper clubs Ive attended so far, Forking Tasty is still consistently one of the bests.
Follow more of Forking Tasty's delicious events here.

Will Bike For Food: Di Fara's Pizza

2010-05-18T00:32:00.162-04:00

"Will Bike For Food" will be posts from weekend bike rides for...food! Im using the term "underground dining" loosely for this one. I mainly just wanted to encourage you guys to ride and explore NY more...that and because the F/G trains are f'd up on the weekends and I refuse to take the shuttle bus.

My go-to resources are google maps and ridethecity.com, but despite them, I always seem to have minor hiccups in connecting routes. Ill show you my mistakes so you wont have to!

First up: Di Fara's Pizza, 1424 Avenue J -Brooklyn, NY 11230-3702
Lesson of the Week: (Coming from Prospect Park) Finding which bike path to turn on from Prospect Park Southwest to Ocean Parkway was confusing. Google Maps is labeled incorrectly.

The first bike path you see will actually be Fort Hamilton (see yellow). Do not go up this bridge! Skip that and go to the next one, past the freeway but before Coney Island Avenue. Its a 2 way bike lane (see red), and you will only be riding against traffic momentarily!

After that, hop in the middle lane and follow this path all the way down through Midwood, Brooklyn until Avenue J for one of the best pizzas in NY! Oh and its a largely Hasidic area, so please dont be scantily clad...

The area is also filled with "mansions" and the smoothest paved streets. Safe for learning how to ride with no hand.

And now, Di Fara's.
Im probably one of the last to have tried Di Fara's.
It's a Brooklyn legend and definitely worth your time and money.

The small run-down looking corner building with seizure fluorescent lighting exists because of Domenico, who is the only one allowed to make the pizzas.

Fresh scissor cut basil, topped with can of olive oil. Putting basil on afterwards makes a huge difference in taste compared to sticking it in the oven and cooking it.

2 girls, 1 pie for $23, topped with sausage (no meatballs that Saturday) and artichokes (gotta have some veggies). Missed out on the peppers that supposedly are on the counter with forks and knives; will add them next time.

Finished it all. Minus the crust. It was a little too hard, but Im not complaining. I originally said I would only eat 2 and ended up 4 each. So it was that good!

And then a little loop around Prospect Park to feel less guilty. Go Lisa!

Manhattan Classic Cocktail Events

2010-05-17T00:48:00.005-04:00

NYC's first week long events for the Manhattan Classic Cocktails has begun, starting with their Gala held this past Friday night in the New York Public Library on 42nd and 5th Av. More than 3000 guests dressed in their best filled the entire space of the tremendous library.

The line wrapped around to 40th St with attendees ready to imbibe specialty drinks created by talented mixologists and a night of dancing (mostly drinking!).

Boys looking handsome in schmancy tuxedos.

Floors filled with live performance and multiple cocktail stations.

My favorite sip of the night albeit not a mixed cocktail was Ron Zacapa on the rocks, a 23 year old aged rum. It was my first experience with Ron and he was super smooth.

You can still participate in other Manhattan Cocktail Classic events/ classes held until this Tuesday, May 18th, here.

If the dates are too last minute for you, classes at the Astor Center are always ongoing. Its the official bar for the MCC. I came in this past Sunday to volunteer for the "Official Bar" event and was privileged enough to help in Dale DeGroff's class. My first meal of the day was his margaritas, copa verde (amazing!), Irish coffee, how to make the perfect egg white drinks-- and the list continues. Here's a list of other instructors you can learn from at the Astor Center for future reference!

Taste of Williamsburg: Sunday

2010-05-11T12:38:00.000-04:00

Taste of Williamsburg: Buy tickets here!

Mattituck, North Fork

2010-05-07T12:23:00.003-04:00

Renting summer houses for a mini vacation is a new concept for me-- but its a habit I can easily indulge in going forward! The 7 of us had a 3 day weekend in Mattituck, North Fork last Friday thanks to our guest of honor Aja, hostess/ chef/ organizer Jordie and VRBO (vacation rentals by owner website).

Looks like it could go in Design Sponge, no?

Why do I live in NY again?

The weather was exceptional. Barely looked at my phone. Hours of sunbathing at the beach and lawn...

Enjoying homecooked meals with recipes inspired by Mario Batali...

Drank to our hearts content...refreshers in the morning....

Wine tasting at Shinn Estate Vineyard in the afternoon...

Impromptu karaoke at Old Mill Inn after dinner...

And gourmet ice cream for our ride back home...

Forking Tasty: Ghostbusters

2010-05-06T17:32:00.001-04:00

Saturday, May 15th at 7:00pm
Forking Tasty's FIRST dinner on the deck for the season.

Starts: 7:00pm (cocktails and appetizers)
Ends: 11pm (really, when the film is over)
Donation: $60 (make a reservation)
Movie: Ghostbusters

Not to over hype it. But theyre real good.
Check out last seasons dinner here.

Upcoming Events: Derby Party

2010-04-29T00:21:00.001-04:00

Tickets are on sale now — while they last. The $20 ticket includes homemade Maker’s Mark® mint juleps, beer, southern-style snacks, live music, games, and more.

Whether you’re in it for the ponies, the prizes, the spectacle of the hat contest, or the swagger of julep drinkers in seersucker suits, WorkShopLovesYou guarantee a good time and mint juleps for all!

Upcoming Events: Brooklyn Edible Social Club

2010-04-28T00:15:00.004-04:00

Brooklyn Edible Social Club has moved locations. Where to? Reserve your seat to find out!

When: Saturday, May 8th
Time: 745PM Cocktail Reception
Cost: $65

To make reservations for this dinner, send an email to bkediblesocial@gmail.com with the number of people in your party and visit their website for the menu.

Upcoming Events: Bike Brooklyn Navy Yard

2010-04-27T09:46:00.000-04:00

via DumboNYC
Urban Oyster is hosting 2 hour bike rides at the Brooklyn Navy Yard till November.
Next ride is Sunday, May 23, 1:45pm.
Buy tickets here.

And just to make this food related, check out my old stomping ground Castro's for Mexican food.
I think it lost some character after being renovated, but its cheap!

Upcoming Events: Cinco De Mayo

2010-04-27T00:06:00.001-04:00

Visit Nachos NY!

Upcoming Events: Hungry Filmmakers

2010-04-26T00:30:00.001-04:00

Hungry Filmmakers aims to showcase the work of filmmakers who are dedicated to furthering sustainable food dialogue in a social, friendly environment that allows for deeper discussion.

Hungry Filmmakers is hosted by Shelley Rogers, Cathy Erway, Jimmys No. 43 and Tim Lynch. Proceeds will be donated to the nonprofit organization Just Food.

Monday, May 24, 2010

6:30 PM - 10PM

Anthology Film Archives

$15.00

To purchase, click here.