VittlesVamp

Tabla Withstands The Test Of Time

No, it's not my birthday. However, it recently was my pal Leah's birthday and I decided to take her to one of my standby favorite places in the city - Tabla, a marvelous spot for creative Indian-American cuisine.

One of Danny Meyers' dining establishments, I knew we could count on terrific service. I also knew the colorful and inviting room would still feature a stunning mosaic, oversized windows overlooking Madison Square Park and a bustling, almost sensual energy that would welcome us with open arms.

What I didn't know was how we'd feel about the food. A few months back the restaurant decided to merge its two menus, combining Chef Floyd Cardoz's bright, yet comforting selections from the casual Tabla Bread Bar downstairs with the more sophisticated fare offered in Tabla's formal dining room upstairs. I was a bit cautious. Would it prove to be a genius move? Or would they have "edited" out all of the winner dishes?

Thankfully, my concerns were completely unwarranted.

Tabla delivered on all fronts, from the addictive Goan Guacamole with crisp Lotus Chips to moist Chicken Tikka with Watercress and Red Onion Salad to piping hot Rosemary Naan and vibrant chutneys and dipping sauces aplenty. Even the Tahitian Vanilla Bean Kulfi was a cool, smooth, silky delight, arriving properly with a birthday candle atop.

In a city that is always changing, its nice to know that some things remain true and constant. I can say quite happily, that the food at Tabla is among them.

Now, mind you, Chef Cardoz, I would appreciate a seasonal shake-up of the menu from time to time, and I still want to hear about the specials on the menu too. I know if they're coming from your kitchen, they are sure to be special specials indeed.

Hmm...Maybe I need to go back to Tabla for my birthday too!

Marrow Goodness

There is nothing more primal and gratifying than a plate of aromatic beef marrow bones, ready to be attacked, its fatty richness waiting to be smeared on thick slices of toast and sprinkled with a bit of coarse salt.

In all its Flintstones splendor, I find this dish irresistible. Dining companions always ogle at my bizarre plate and once they hear me moaning with pleasure (as I did at Stone Park Cafe, while downing the mammoth marrow extravaganza pictured above), they suddenly become green with jealousy.

Luckily for them, I'm good at sharing. Figure if I do it enough, someday I'll get to marvel at an entire table tucking into a platter or two of roasted beef marrow bones.

A lovely, genteel sight to be sure. (And, that said, it'll also be the closest I ever want to get to the caveman diet.)

D.O.C. OMG

Dang that was delicious! Damn fine!

I wasn't alone in this line of thought. I had a whole table of revelers agreeing with every "ooh" and "ahh." Even the archaeologically-inclined birthday girl, my pal Kristin, was enthralled.

From the Mediterranean bread salad pictured above to handmade noodles stewed in red wine and topped with tangy goat cheese...

...Williamsburg's D.O.C. Wine Bar put on quite the rustic Sardinian enoteca show.

Bottles of deep crimson, plummy wine were joyfully downed as platter after platter of glorious Southern Italian fare was devoured. A well-endowed salumi and cheese plate was welcome, as was a basket of Pane Carasau, traditional wafer thin crisps of bread, sprinkled with good olive oil and fresh rosemary.

Unsuprisingly, once we got to the third bottle of vino, an arugula salad with pear and blue cheese, two more pasta dishes and second basket of Pane Carasau, everyone at the table agreed that D.O.C. was the ideal pick for the b-day celebration.

Dessert just clinched the deal.

Espresso Panna Cotta. It originally came with a candle, which Kristin wished upon and blew out in a flash.

Can't help but hope that she wished we'd go back to D.O.C. for her birthday next year too.

Dancing In The Aisles - At Gristedes?

I had to pinch myself. Was it possible that I was actually in my neighborhood Gristedes supermarket or had I been transported to some remarkable gourmet grocery store in a magical land far, far away?

First I met a friendly butcher. So friendly that he offered to get me a shopping basket while I perused the selection of chickens. So friendly that he even placed a special order for me for pick-up on Monday. I was there when he called it in, demanding the highest quality for a "special customer."

What was really weird about it though: I've been going to this Gristedes for years and never once laid eyes on a butcher. Ever! Was he simply a figment of my foodie imagination? Guess I'll find out on Monday.

But the freakiness didn't end at the butcher aisle. It continued at the checkout aisle, where Cheryl Lynn's classic disco tune Got To Be Real blasted from the speakers, inspiring a checkout cashier to start shimmying. The song got to me too. I was possessed. I started swaying. We synced up our dance moves. Whooping and gyrating commenced.

I'm home now. Shopping bags unpacked. And I still have a bit of groove in my step. Gristedes groove.

Who would have guessed it was possible?

Bolognese Three Ways

Despite the recent heatwave, with temperatures hitting the balmy 40s, overall it's been a blustery winter. The season's chill calls for stews, soups and, in my case, a warming bowl of pasta or two -- or three. And, nothing says comforting Mediterranean rustic like al dente rigatoni, pappardelle or penne tossed in a tomato-rich meat sauce.

Above, a special appetizer portion of fresh rigatoni from the theater district's Southern French brasserie Marseille. True solace after braving fierce winds in search of fine dining following a Time Square flick.

Below, Falai Caffe's ever-popular Butternut Squash pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu, gorgeous to look at and gorgeous to eat.

And, last but not least, my own homemade penne rendition made with San Marzano tomatoes, butter, a splash of Balsamic vinegar, sweet Italian sausage, sauteed red onion, fresh julienned basil and a grating of sharp Pecorino cheese.

Don't for a second think I'm done. We have more than two months of frosty weather to contend with here in NYC. Another bowl of bolognese will likely be necessary.

Food Porn Week - New Year's Eve Chicken

Ringing in 2010 required friends -- friends and a meal that was cheery, elegant and utterly scrumptious. My friends arrived and my kitchen provided: Hearts of Romaine with Creamy Lemon Dressing; a Garlic-Thyme Roast Chicken with Red Bliss Potatoes, Sweet Carrots and thick rounds of caramelized Spanish Onion; and slices of Pecan Pie piled high with mounds of Whipped Cream.

Happy New Year! May it be filled with pleasures of the heart, the mind and the table.

Food Porn Week - A Double Dip Of Dumplings

I was remiss in posting yesterday, so it only seems fair to provide not one, but two delicious images in this entry. Both pictures capture the glorious gluttony that is a plate of dumplings.

Up top, pan-fried lovelies from Macao Trading Company alongside a salty, spicy dipping sauce. Marvelous.

Below, slurp-worthy pork soup dumplings from Famous Sichuan in Manhattan's Chinatown. Eaten with a traditional drizzle of tart vinegar and slivers of fresh ginger, dumpling goodness doesn't get much better.

Food Porn Week - Cheesecake Snapshot

The Golden Girls never got here, but they should have - Galatoire's in New Orleans for a slice of their moan-worthy Sweet Potato Cheesecake. AARP beefcake seemed to be in the girls' sights too, but cheesecake always won out in the end.

Food Porn Week - The Timeless Torta

Egg and sausage are just the beginning when it comes to this gargantuan Mexican sandwich, better known as a Huevos y Chorizo Torta. No place makes this hot, spicy, dripping off the bun delicacy better than Sunset Park's 24-hour bakery/counter service hot spot La Flor. The place is a grungy mess filled with garishly decorated cakes -- and some of the best, cheap Mexican grub in the area.

Food Porn Week - A Study In Hot Dog

Let's be honest. This year sucked for many. Well, sucked for most. So, I propose something fun and fabulous to ring in 2010 - a week of food porn VittlesVamp-style.

First up, a beautiful hot frankfurter - from Bark in Park Slope, Brooklyn. This is the hot dog shop's Slaw Dog, plump and beefy, stuffed into a butter toasted bun and topped with sweet cabbage slaw.

And, let me just say, it is no surprise to moi that this high-end weiner establishment is located up the street from Babeland. Clearly, this block of Bergen is the new weiner go-to on several accounts.