VittlesVamp

Can't NYC Get A Little More Original?

Looks like we're bound and determined to follow in the footsteps of a certain West Coast town when it comes to the newest foodie project on the city's slate:

The little-used Battery Maritime Building, a freshly renovated and richly riveted Beaux-Arts landmark in Lower Manhattan that still serves as the gateway to Governors Island, would become a culinary temple in a redevelopment plan offered yesterday by the Bloomberg administration.

A detail of the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan.
Dozens of market stalls might fill the grand public hall where commuters in the early 20th century waited, under the fierce gaze of grotesque dolphins perched atop 30-foot-tall columns, to cross the harbor to 39th Street in South Brooklyn. A wine or coffee bar might be placed at one end, a demonstration kitchen at the other. Diners could sit out on a monumental loggia overlooking South Street and Battery Park.

Sounds a wee bit familiar, doesn't it?

2nd Annual Independent Food Festival and Awards: Most Addictive, Counterintuitive Dried Fruit

Living in New York, I am often struck by the sheer abundance of fresh produce piled high outside of neighborhood bodegas and gourmet markets. And, yet there is something to be said for the deep, rich intensity of dried fruits. Apricots, figs, sour cherries and dates are all classic examples.

I'm lucky enough to live near a strip of Arabic grocers on Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue, who all seem to share my admiration for these dehydrated sweet treats. My particular fave is a spot called Middle Eastern Pastry and Grocery, where I have been introduced to a dried fruit that has not only delighted my tastebuds, but has also taken me by complete surprise: dried cantaloupe.

You're probably scratching your head right now.

Cantaloupe? What the heck is the point of eating cantaloupe without its sweet nectar bathing your tongue and dribbling down your chin?

My friends, try some of the dried variety and then you'll know the true wonders of cantaloupe. Its flesh still retains a soft orange glow. It still possesses a thick sliver heft. But, sans juice, it takes on an even sweeter and more complex character, and its intoxicating fragrance is magnified.

So, bounty comes in many forms. For some it's found outside a bodega. For some it's found with a wise-cracking waitress named Rosie. For others it is found in a slice of dried cantaloupe.

And, to find out what bounty means to the other bloggers participating in the 2nd Annual Independent Food Festival and Awards, check out this link.

Shame on Me

I am a pitiful specimen of a foodie. For years I have lived within walking distance from two Kings County foodie/barfly landmarks - Montero's (pictured above) and The Long Island Restaurant. Yet, I have never visited either of these Brooklyn beacons.

Bad Vamp. Very bad Vamp.

And, today's New York Times showed me up but good, with a story about the ongoing feud between the owners of the related establishments:

These days Smith Street is the busy street, but if you wanted to have fun 50 years ago, well, Atlantic Avenue was the place to be. Bars and restaurants lined both sides as it rose from the docks

Noodle Collusion

Apparently there is a "noodle cartel" in the Lanzhou region of China, and the New York Times deemed their strong-arming and price-fixing as front page fodder:

"All the expenses are going up," said Zhang Yuxiao, 31, the owner of the Gazhang shop. "We're just following the market."

But was it really just the market? The number of noodle shops in the city has risen, increasing supply. In early February, price increases in other districts of the city had already attracted attention.

Then a day after the increase in Anning, The Western Economic Daily broke a major scandal: "The Beef Noodle Price Hike, a Price-Fixing Scheme." The paper documented a coordinated pricing scheme, led by a small group of noodle shop owners, who had made threats against any owners who resisted.

One owner, Ma Ali, taking a break from his kitchen after the scandal had become public, confirmed the pressure tactics. "They came over and handed this to me," said Mr. Ma, showing a two-page agreement that called for every shop owner to raise prices. "They said, 'If you don't raise your prices, we're going to tear down your shop sign.' "...The Western Economic Daily, a private newspaper, wrote editorials, commissioned a poll and continued a barrage of headlines like "Ruthless Competition Leads to a Vicious Cycle" and "Beef Noodles: Price Collusion Is Illegal." Finally, the city price bureau opened an investigation.

None of the ringleaders are confessing to any wrongdoing. (Mr. Zhang, owner of the Gazhang shop, is one of the owners listed as an author of the two-page agreement calling for the higher prices. Asked about price fixing and the newspaper stories, he replied, "Journalists have nothing else to do.")

Seems to me that Tony and Paulie Walnuts have some competition in the People's Republic. It's probably for the best that the noodles in question aren't spaghetti. Otherwise we'd have a full-scale war on our hands.

Iceberg Ahead

I had no idea what I was heading into when I joined some colleagues at Joseph's By Citarella the other night for a quick drink. Figured that the most wild I'd get was a Kir Royale. But then a drink on the cocktail menu caught my eye: The Titanic.

Forget about Leonardo and Kate. This is an Oscar-deserving combination: Ciroc vodka, muddled champagne grapes, elderflower syrup, verjus and prosecco, topped with "floating icebergs" made of champagne sorbet.

I think it's gonna be a problem having these cocktails available within easy walking distance from my office.