VittlesVamp

Revisiting Sunset Park's Little Latin America

What's the point of enjoying the glories of an ethnic neighborhood's culinary options if you don't have friends in tow? Intrepid eaters only apply.

So, when considering a day of nibbling Latin American-style in Sunset Park, I grabbed a group of fine foodie pals -- including Max, who just happens to be the editor of Serious Eats New York.

Here's his report: "A Sunset Park Food Crawl: Beyond the Taco"

And, FYI, he may have been particularly enthralled by the non-taco options on our tour, but I was taken by the wee tasty tacos at Taqueria El Maguey, pictured above. Small, but exploding with flavor whether filled with carnitas, lengua, nopales -- or even pig ear.

Where to next? Not sure. But I do know that I will be inviting friends to join!

A Pok Pok On Your House!

I wasn't expecting it, but Pok Pok NY lived up to the hype. Mind you, I didn't endure the de rigeur two hour wait to get a table. A VIP connection whittled it down to a half-hour. Unfair? Yes. But, that sort of magic only works once and now -- dammit -- I want to go back and I'll have to give up two hours of my life to do so. Still, I have to say that the food was spectacular. Rustic, flavorful and nothing like your typical neighborhood Thai joint, even if your go-to Thai joint is Sripraphai.

As any devoted New York City foodie knows, Pok Pok NY is a spin-off of the legendary Northern Thai restaurant Pok Pok in Portland, Oregon from James Beard Award-winning Chef Andy Ricker. Not to be outdone by Portlandia, with the advent of Pok Pok NY, Brooklyn has its own outpost at the edge of Carroll Gardens, past the BQE in a tiny storefront on Columbia Street.

Unsurprisingly, the Portlandia adage "put a bird on it" resounds at just about every table at the Brooklyn location, with an order of Pok Pok's infamous Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings. But, the menu offers so much more by way of delights, from Yam Makheua Yao, a delectable smoky char-grilled eggplant salad sprinkled with hard-boiled eggs, shallots and dark toasted slivers of garlic; to Cha Ca "La Vong," a wholly satisfying dish of catfish sauteed in bright yellow tumeric-infused oil with cilantro and dill, served on rice vermicelli with peanuts, mint, cilantro and fermented fish sauce.

Other favorites at our table included the Sai Ua Samun Phrai, pictured above, featuring Chiang Mai sausage with herbs, aromatics and Burmese curry powder, served with steamed veggies, a smattering of fried pork rinds and a mound of addictive Thai green chili dip called Naam Phrik Num; as well as Kaeng Hung Leh, a clay pot filled with a fragrant -- almost bewitchingly sweet -- stew of pork belly and pork shoulder with ginger, palm sugar, tumeric, tamarind, curry and pickled garlic.

All in all, it was a triumph of a meal.

Of course, now I want to try the rest of the menu.

Let's see if I can hold off for a few months to see if the waits get shorter. Then again, considering how good the food is, resistance might be futile. I may need to resign myself to giving my name and number to the hostess and meandering over to B61 or MikNic for a few drinks while I wait. Besides, have a strange feeling that I'll run into a number of Pok Pok NY fans at the bar.

Windy City Ramble - Part 4

I know what you're thinking: Where's the Windy City glam? Hot dogs, ham sandwiches and crawfish aside, where is the culinary spectacle?!?

First off, let me say that Hot Doug's Chicago-Style Dog, Butcher & Larder's Homemade Ham Sandwich and Blue Bayou's Crawfish Boil were spectacles unto themselves -- albeit sans gourmet finery.

I may have skipped out on the city's molecular gastronomy glitz and showmanship, but I got plenty of elegant eats, including White Sturgeon Caviar with Blini, Creme Fraiche, Chopped Egg, Red Onion and Capers. As pictured above, this grand nosh was had at Pops for Champagne, accompanied by a bottle of sparkling Rack & Riddle Blanc de Noir.

I also made sure get my cocktail fix in with a visit to the bar at Sepia, where Josh and Bill shook and stirred many a libation, including a beauty with a painful name -- Death & Taxes. This lovely was so darn easy going down, a careful composition of Sheep Dip Blended Malt Whiskey, Metaxa Brandy, Oregano Earl Grey Syrup, lemon, grapefruit and Creole Bitters. Potent and altogether perfect.

And to ensure that I didn't get too tipsy, we also ordered a few savory nibbles off the menu, such as Grilled Baby Octopus with Olives...

But the height of Chicago sophistication was truly found at the heights of the John Hancock Center, when Gourmet Rambler whisked me to a party at a pal's high-rise home on the 66th floor. Needless to say, the bubbly was iced and the view was mesmerizing...

If only I'd had a Hot Doug's Chicago-Style along with my flute of fizz, while I watched the skyline twinkle and took in the fireworks off of Navy Pier.

Now that would have been elegance at it's highest form -- not unheard of, and to my thinking a future must-do combo in the Windy City!

Windy City Ramble - Part 3

You thought I was done with Chicago? Hell to the no!

Then again, some of my best memories of the Windy City tasted a hell of a lot like I was below the Mason-Dixon line instead of by Lake Michigan.

The Southern's Fried Chicken was one such transporting delicacy, crisp coated and juicy within. But, it was the Crawfish Boil at Blue Bayou that had me whistling Dixie. Mudbugs aplenty, tossed in Cajun seasoning, boiled with love, along with giant shrimp, sweet corn, onions and potatoes. A meal fit for a Mardi Gras king, enjoyed on the sidewalks of Chicago.

Damn fine eating.

Thinking that it's time I sought out similar crawfish happenings in New York City. Anyone care to join me and bring along a six-pack of Abita Turbodog?

Windy City Ramble - Part 1

This weekend I grabbed a plane from LaGuardia to O'Hare to see my boisterous gal pal Gourmet Rambler and experience Chicago from her singular point-of-view.

No sooner did I land when the tour began. Straight off the plane I was ushered into a Chi-Town cult favorite -- Hot Doug's, a one-stop shop for all things involving encased, tubular meat. There was no way I wasn't paying call on this visit. The hot dog holds a special place in Chicagoans' hearts and Hot Doug's is the ultimate top "dog" when it comes to their wiener and sausage obsession.

With only a couple of patrons ahead of us on the lunchtime line, we quickly settled on three specimens from the extensive menu: a bayou-inspired Smoked Shrimp and Pork Sausage with Creole Mustard, Hominy Grits and Goat Cheese; the infamous Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel; and the traditional Chicago-Style Hot Dog.

No contest. Pictured above, the Chicago-Style, topped with yellow mustard, chopped onions, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices and a dash of celery salt was the winner. There's a reason it's a classic. Absolutely delicious!

Sated, we rolled my suitcase down the block and onto the bus towards Roscoe Village, where Gourmet Rambler's apartment waited with a fridge full of bubbly and a list of "must-do" spots for the rest of the weekend.

Curious if she led me to one of the city's celebrated deep-dish pizza joints for dinner? No. Not her thing and not mine either. But, do stay tuned for more on my tasty Chicago adventures, because the Windy City offers a lot more than hot dogs and deep-dish...

Skipped GoogaMooga For Kick-Ass Fruit Salad At Talde

In truth, I had no intention of going to the Great GoogaMooga Festival this past weekend. Too many people. Too many lines. Hall & Oates? Not so much.

I just said "no."

Instead, I said "yes" to Talde with my pal Margo. Figured we might be able to score a coveted brunch table with all the foodie fah-fah over at Prospect Park. We were right. Huzzah!

And let's just start by saying that the food was darn right killer. The Shrimp Toast with Fried Egg and Chinese Sausage Gravy is all it's cracked up to be and more. (Next time, we're definitely going to take Chef Dale's recommendation and order it up uncut, split it down the middle to let the yolk start to ooze and gobble it up sandwich-style!)

But there was one dish that stopped us in our tracks -- Fruit Salad. That's right! Fruit Salad.

The picture above doesn't give this dish its due. Gorgeous ripe fruit glossed in honey with star anise, five spice powder and lime. Then it's all piled high atop a rich blend of roasted bananas and tofu whip.

Oh my freakin' goodness! Sheer Asian-inspired fruity-tooty brilliance!

So, yes, you'll find me camped out early evenings at Talde's bar with a cocktail and an order of that genius Shrimp Toast, but also expect to see me weekend mornings grinning like the Cheshire Cat in front of an order of glorious Fruit Salad -- especially when the GoogaMooga is in full-swing.

New Orleans -- A Few More Morsels

Apparently, some of my friends and readers feel like they've been short-changed when it comes to my trip to New Orleans. Who am I to short-change anyone when it comes to the Big Easy?

And so, we'll start with a New Orleans tradition: Friday lunch. It's a monumental multi-course, multi-drink extravaganza, that is meant to last for the better part of the afternoon.

My Friday lunch was spent with my good pal Anne, a native of New Orleans, who picked out one of the city's hottest spots for our get together -- MiLa. Modern, yet warm, I knew that we were in for a treat the second I sunk my teeth into their homemade Sweet Potato Biscuits, but it was the kitchen's Venison Pâté with Creole Mustard, Cornichon and Toasted Baguette that made me audibly moan. My entree of Fried Rabbit Tenders, Bok Choy, Roasted Mushrooms, Onion Puree and Mustard Jus was jim-dandy as well, but it was the Pâté that made the meal.

Not wanting our time together to be over -- and craving a bit more by way of the hard stuff -- Anne and I sauntered over to Mr. B's for one of the city's infamous boozy milkshakes, known as a Brandy Milk Punch. Unsurprisingly, it packed a wallop and went down easy alongside a slab of rich Bread Pudding drizzled with Irish Whiskey Sauce.

Now, that was a lunch!

You'd think I would be too full from that meal to ever eat again. Well, not so much. In fact, not at all!

A few more of my favorite morsels in the Big Easy...

*Listening to live jazz the Windsor Court Hotel's Cocktail Bar, while enjoying a Sazerac or two (or three) made by their ever-gracious mixologist Christine Jeanine Nielsen.

* A Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich that rivaled Van Horn's, downed gleefully at the French Quarter's Sylvain.

* Watching "Master Oyster Shucker" Leo Price do his thing at Bourbon House, as I slurp back half a dozen plump Louisiana Oysters on the Half-Shell with Mignonette and Caviar.

* Reveling in a flute or two (or three) of Nicolas Feuillatte N/V at the civilized Vieux Carre wine bar known as Patrick's Bar Vin.

* Splitting a "fully-dressed" Catfish Po' Boy at neighborhood joint Franky & Johnny's in Uptown.

* Swooning with every bite of dessert at Chef John Besh's August -- a Creole Cream Cheese Tartlet with Ponchatoula Strawberries, Elderflower, and deep green Pistachio Butter.

OK. Now I'm too full to ever eat again. (Maybe.)

2012: The Year of the Egg?

We are used to seeing the humble egg grab the spotlight on Sundays, when brunch is the preferred meal du jour and dishes that range from the classic Eggs Benedict to Colonie's savory Duck Hash with Poached Egg and Fingerling Potatoes (pictured above) are taking centerstage.

But lately, I've been seeing a bit more of the freshly cracked, gentle white and yellow eye appearing on evening menus -- and we're not talking about "breakfast for dinner" here. For example, Danny Meyer's Manhattan hot spot The Modern showcases a Slow-Poached Farm Egg with Maine Lobster, Artichoke Purée, Crosnes and Sea Urchin Froth on its Bar Room Menu. One of Chef Thomas Keller's most famous French Laundry dishes is a riff on "Bacon and Eggs," sporting a spoon filled with a soft-poached quail egg with applewood-smoked bacon and beurre monté. And, proving that the egg is more than just an American phenomenon, "The Hen and the Egg" is the signature dish of René Redzepi, the chef at Noma in Copenhagen, arguably the most lauded restaurant in the world.

To top it off, WD-50 molecular gastronomy whiz Wylie Dufresne presented a dynamic lecture about the wonder and glory of the egg at a recent TED conference.

So, is the egg going to finally overtake pork belly as the "it" ingredient of 2012? Poached, sunnyside up, scrambled or hardboiled, my bet is in.

Where The Kois Are

These days I may be keen on jetting off to Shanghai or finding Chinatown hideaways, but admittedly my affinity for Chinese cuisine started at a shopping center restaurant on Long Island. I can't remember the name of the spot to save my life, but it was a moderately grand affair painted in ruby red, sporting a indoor pond full of koi. There, I learned to enjoy classics like Beef and Broccoli, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce and Pork Fried Rice. I may have moved beyond those timeworn dishes to new favorites like Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf and Duck Soup with Dumplings and Duck Feet, but there is still something about textbook Chinese food and bit of grandeur that I find rather soothing, if not downright delightful.

So, needless to say, I was ecstatic when a colleague recently invited a group of us to join him at Tse Yang, an upscale Midtown Chinese stalwart complete with formal white table cloth seating, massive fish tanks and intricate wooden carvings of Oriental landscapes. I knew the place was costly, so I was equally appreciative that my colleague, a loyal Tse Yang devotee, invited us as his personal guests and insisted on picking up the tab.

Walking into the iconic 51st street restaurant, I spied several well-heeled Scotch-drinking execs at the bar, seated next to a sizable statue of a beaming Buddha. The veteran coat check woman seemed knowing -- if only I could speak Cantonese and wheedle a few tales out of her. (Did the gents at the bar offer her stock tips along with fivers as they retrieved their coats?) The dining room was filled with staid, prosperous-looking customers. Moving about the room, the grey-haired waiters, dressed in red Mao jackets, had clearly worked at the restaurant for 20 years or more.

As the food arrived, I realized that part of the place's charm was that the menu hadn't changed for more than 20 years either. All the quintessential dishes were had: Baby Spareribs, Spring Rolls, Fried Rice with Crabmeat, and Peking Duck.

It may not have been Duck Feet, but that wasn't really what I had been hoping for that evening. I'd been seeking old-school Chinese comfort food made complete with a hefty dose of New York sheen and polish -- and I got it.

Sadly though, our host revealed that this Manhattan mainstay is going to have to shut its doors in January. Their building is being demolished to make way for something modern and new. The owners are searching for a nearby location to reestablish Tse Yang, but have yet to find a spot that is close enough to the original address to keep their regulars from wandering off to find something closer at hand; potentially something modern and new.

I left the restaurant hoping that the new year finds them in a new location, but that the old traditions, high-priced Scotch, their knowing coat check lady, the gargantuan aquariums, Peking Duck and happy Buddha statue are all part of the move. Tse Yang wouldn't be the same without them.

Happy Freakin' Birthday To Me!

I like my birthday. I really like my birthday. Strike that. I LOVE my birthday. Besides, the alternative to turning a year older is highly unattractive.

Par for the course, over the past week or so, I have enjoyed many courses at many different restaurants with family and friends, all in the name of celebrating the anniversary of my birth.

*As you can see from the photo above, my adoration of dumplings was given homage. In this case, at David Burke Kitchen in Soho, happily downing these beautiful, plump and altogether decadent Lobster Dumplings with a dear friend in from Boston.

*A brilliant sushi and sashimi extravaganza was had with another pal at the East Village's peaceful and pristine Jewel Bako, including fatty toro and supremely fresh, sweet raw scallop drizzled with yuzu.

*Genius Brandade Crema with Fried Fennel and Sweetbread, and Doppio Ravioli with Taleggio and Oxtail were only two of the breathtaking dishes I shared with Mama Vamp at Philadelphia's esteemed Vetri Ristorante.

*Potent cocktails were tossed back at Orient Express in the West Village with a gaggle of girlfriends, followed by Meatballs with Pine Nuts and Raisins, Roasted Beets & Avocados with Balsamic Vinegar, and Cavatelli with Faiccos Hot Sausage & Browned Sage Butter at Frankies Sputino's lively outpost on Hudson Street.

*Then there was a lesson in the sheer brillance of Austrian wines at Chef Marco Canora's Hearth, accompanied by good pals, Grilled Octopus with Potato, Celery, Smoked Black Olives and Aioli, and Roasted Duclair Duck with Confit Duck Leg, Honey-Crisp Apple and Cabbage. No better way to follow-up a meal like that than with Brown Butter Quince Cake with Walnut Nougatine and Vanilla Ice Cream...

...and happy birthday wishes painted in chocolate, of course!