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?