It's a Good One: Gottino's Anchovies

Posted by Nina Lalli at 5:08 PM, February 1, 2008

There are two kinds of people in this world: either the photo above grosses you out or it makes your mouth instantly fill with saliva. I'm in the second camp. Perhaps I have a genetic predilection for loving anchovies. My great grandfather, when asked how he was doing, used to say "like butter and anchovies" instead of something normal like, "good, how are you?"

That brings us to that magical combination. Fat plus salt is always dreamy, and this, along with lox and cream cheese, is a stellar example. Recently, I was not quite blown away by a couple of visits to Gottino, a new West Village wine bar—the fact that I was standing while eating might have been part of the problem—but the anchovy crostini ($5) won me over. The butter is made in-house and applied very generously to slices of toasted ciabatta. Then a few anchovies lay on top. Salt! Fat! Holler.

At Gottino, the chef uses Sicilian anchovies from Agostino Recca, which come in olive oil rather than packed in salt. I have recently been enjoying fillets from Roque, a French company ($12.99 for 5.3 ounces). Yeah, you can use the Roland stuff from the supermarket if you're going to cook the shit out of them, but we urge you all to embrace the real thing.

Gottino

52 Greenwich Avenue

(212) 633-2590

It's a Good One: Japanese Flavor Crystals

Posted by Nina Lalli at 12:46 PM, January 29, 2008

EfV has a new addiction, furikake, which is a mixture of sesame seeds, sugar, salt, and little strips of nori confetti. Furikake is meant for seasoning rice, but lately, we can barely eat anything without it. Including popcorn.

$3.25 for 1.5 ounce packet at Sunrise Mart:

29 Third Avenue

(212) 598-3040

It's a Good One: Jimmy's Shishito Peppers

Posted by Nina Lalli at 6:09 PM, January 25, 2008

We've only been to Jimmy's No. 43 twice, but we've decided to stick with the snacks from now on—and the beer. Last night, we were barely willing to share the huge pile of roasted shishito peppers ($7) with our friends. Tonight, we may just have to hit up Sunrise Mart for some (8.99/pound), so we can recreate this dish and drink a boatload of beer immediately.

The green peppers are small and long, just barely hot (although Our Man Sietsema warned that, randomly, every eighth or ninth will actually burn). At Jimmy's, you may recall, there is no proper stove, just hot plates, and these guys are simply charred in a pan, then drizzled with lemon juice and sprinkled with sea salt. If you don't like green bell peppers, don't be scared. We don't either.

The dish is a special, but it has become a fairly consistent listing.

Jimmy's 43

43 East 7th Street

(212) 982-3006

The Christmas List: A Knife for the Child Gastronome

Posted by Nina Lalli at 12:23 PM, December 7, 2007

One of Michael Whiteman's restaurant trend predictions for 2008, and the only one that seems new, really, is "Gastronomy for Children". (The full description is available for your reading pleasure after the jump.)

Our immediate reaction to this is, like Grub Street's, "ew." But it's a fine line. Whiteman anticipates the end of the chicken-finger-dependent kids' menu and, in its place, kid-sized portions of regular menu items. That sounds great—when we have kids, we want them to enjoy all kinds of food and not be afraid to try things.

But, this whole thing could go very, very badly. Have you ever been stuck in line at a cheese shop while some beaming yuppie woman encourages her daughter to learn the difference between sheep's milk and cow? And the decide what to buy? Oy.

Meanwhile, a certain almost-four-year-old we know will be getting this miniature Misono knife for Christmas this year. Cute? Weird? Please chime in.

#8. GASTRONOMY FOR CHILDREN:

Food for children is the next gastronomic frontier. There’s a raft of cookbooks for young people, including Kids Cook 1-2-3, a big hit in the US, England and Germany, whose author, Rozanne Gold, coined the term “gastro-pups.”

Also very hot: Kids cooking classes are erupting in restaurants and hotels across the country as chefs seek out ways to connect to entire families – and to fill their restaurants during off-hours.

At the same time, parents are rebelling against so-called kids menus – the ones with fried chicken fingers, greasy fish sticks, and gummy spaghetti. Because more and more kids are joining parents at restaurant dining tables, they – and their parents – want real food. That means child-size portions of regular menu items.

Other startups are franchising cooking academies for young people, and websites are devoted to kids and their food. There’s a store in New York selling only kids’ food, and an interesting new venture is selling pre-packed breakfasts, sandwiches and snacks to parents who only have time to shove ready-made components into a lunch bag. Several supermarket chains are selling kid-oriented dinners-in-a-bag as part of their prepared foods offerings.

Watch as beverage companies they try selling their “enhanced” high-priced waters to your children. Crayola – along with a clutch of cartoon characters -- has licensed its name for flashy-colored vitamin waters; Honest Tea is pushing pouches of fruit-flavored teas (called Honest Kids) for children; and some companies are packing waters in bottles that can be reused as toys, doing everything possible to make simple tap water appear uncool.

Jim Leff's Favorite Tofu

Posted by Nina Lalli at 5:00 PM, November 30, 2007

Jim Leff is a chowhound for life. Recently, he discovered and went bananas for the soft tofu at Woodside's Han ah Rhum. We can vouch for the firm stuff, but we may need to make a trip on the 7 train for the soft serve soon.

The Christmas List: Korean BBQ at Home

Posted by Nina Lalli at 1:57 PM, November 27, 2007

In this particular fantasy, my friends and family are dripping with cash to spend on me, and for Christmas, I get this cute tabletop grill by Eva Solo, which costs $300. In addition, it works really well, which may or may not be the case in real life. Then I start having indoor grilling parties in my very chic miniscule apartment. Thanks, Mom!

It's a Good One: Secret Pizza Sauce at Luigi's

Posted by Nina Lalli at 1:50 PM, November 19, 2007

When you've lived in New York for nearly 30 years, it's always a great thrill to find yourself on a street you've never walked down before, or, even better—eating the perfect New York slice of pizza in a spot you've never visited.

For me, this was Luigi's on Fifth avenue in South Slope (at 21st Street) on Friday night. The owner, Giovanni, sweat-suit-clad and extremely passionate, offered a drizzle of his special herb-oil, which elevated the already outstanding slice to lusty new heights.

The pie is thin—crisp and slightly browned underneath, but still absorbent and soft on top, the sauce is made with a combination of imported canned Italian tomatoes and Staten Island grown and jarred tomatoes, which, like the herb oil, come courtesy of Giovanni's dad, who grows the basil and other (unspecified) herbs himself.

Luigi's Pizza

686 Fifth Avenue

South Slope

(718) 499-3857

It's a Good One: The Flagel

Posted by Nina Lalli at 12:20 PM, November 12, 2007

We may be a little late to this party, but for those of you who are in the same boat, we must share a new discovery: the flagel, Fairway's flat bagel. Maximizing surface area, this thing, shown here in a lovely coating of "everything," is to the bagel what nuggets are to fried chicken. When toasted, they are delightfully crunchy, but the inside still has the chewiness a bagel should曜ust less of it. (69 cents each.)

It's a Good One: Half-Real Tacos Near Pratt

Posted by Nina Lalli at 3:55 PM, November 1, 2007

Last night, Eva Mendes told Jay Leno about how she loves tacos, but not "real tacos." She has a thing for the big, gross tacos at Jack in the Box, which we have never sampled, so will not comment on. But we did like her for admitting it.

Incidentally, EfV just stumbled upon a spot that may bridge the gap between "real" and, shall we say, American-style tacos. Chinantla is a deli on Myrtle Avenue we pass by all the time. When we finally investigated, the place looked so dingy inside that even we had our doubts (and dingy is like, our whole shit!). But the chicken taco and the pork taco, which was heavily spiced, were quite delicious.

They were adorned in the traditional style -- chopped onions, cilantro, lime, a dollop of thin avocado sauce, and radishes, with hot jalapeno/tomatillo/cilantro sauce on the side. There was no shredded melty cheese and no sour cream, but the tacos were overstuffed, agreeably salty, and dripping with fantastically tasty grease. We imagine this goes over well with the Pratt students nearby. And even though these tacos are, in a sense, super-sized, they still go for the traditional $2 each.

Chinantla

657 Myrtle Avenue

Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy

(718) 222-1719

It's a Good One: Good Old Grape Jelly

Posted by Nina Lalli at 12:14 PM, October 30, 2007

Here at EfV, we eat several peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every week. We used to try to fancy-it-up with wild blueberry preserves or black berry jam, but recently, we realized we just wanted grape jelly. Let's keep things authentic, and not go all "new American", you know? Now we're addicted to McCutcheon's grape jelly (concord, red, and white, plus sugar and pectin). It is sweet and tangy, and, with chunky, salty peanut butter, remarkably perfect. Also good is the price: a 19-ounce jar is $3.19 at Fairway.

Another favorite around here are the apricot preserves (20 ounces, $4.19), especially on some crusty wheat bread with Manchego!

It's a Good One: Chinese Funnel Cake Fish

Posted by Nina Lalli at 11:46 AM, October 22, 2007

If you close your eyes and take a deep whiff of Ren Ren Restaurant's "pepper and salt fish ($11.95), you will not think of a school of tiny fish who got caught in some hot oil. Rather surprisingly, you are more like to think state fair. The fish (we were unable to verify what kind of fish these are) are salty and peppery, but the puffy batter is exactly like what you would find at a carnival, and we thought we detected a pinch of clove in there too. Somehow, the slight sweetness works perfectly. We happily popped many of these babies in, and washed them down with beer, drunk from a tiny shot glass that the waitress brought over. This was endlessly hilarious to us, because we have no life. Oh, and the best part: Ren Ren, which is in Sunset Park, is open until 3:30 AM every day.

Ren Ren Restaurant

5318 Eighth Avenue

Sunset Park

(718) 633-3383

Treasure Hunting: Your local Supermarket

Posted by Nina Lalli at 1:01 PM, October 8, 2007

You might think of your local supermarket as a place to pick up the basics, a place where the meat section smells suspect, a place that only sells sugary cereal and not your beloved organic meusli. But don't overlook its charms. Don't do all your shopping at Whole Foods. I'm a big fan of the 365 line for many staples, like butter and shampoo. But, depending on where you live, your regular old market holds local treasures far more interesting than the overpriced "ethnic" options at most gourmet markets.

Recently, at the Bravo on Fulton Street (near Nostrand), I discovered Trappey's Indi-Pep hot sauce, a West-Indian style hot sauce which lists as its first ingredient vinegar. Indeed, it is highly acidic, and would brighten up any braised meat dish (also good on a peanut butter sandwich). Oh -- and it cost 99 cents.

We'd love to hear about your neighborhood treasures...

It's a Good One: Deep Fried Garlic

Posted by Nina Lalli at 9:11 AM, September 27, 2007

Recently, we did a modest izakaya crawl in the East Village, gorging on some of our favorite Japanese snacks, just so we could share them with you through the magic of pictures.

It's a Good One: The Tortilla Lady!

Posted by Nina Lalli at 4:52 PM, September 20, 2007

(Please forgive us. Our camera is broke.)

On East 116th Street, a/k/a Taco Row, there's a special someone we like to call the Tortilla Lady. Her makeshift snack bar is set up outside a shoe store specializing in cowboy boots between Second and Third Avenues, and, amazingly, she's there all year. Her tacos are good, but you must order something made with a fresh tortilla, which evolves from masa ball to pressed, thin wrap before your very eyes. Our pick is definitely the chorizo-and-potato quesadilla with queso fresco. You might have to hold back from hugging her.

It's a Good One (In Theory): Artichoke Burger

Posted by Nina Lalli at 4:13 PM, September 17, 2007

Craving fat, a beer, and a seat outside, I ended up at 67 Burger in Fort Greene recently, where the burger was so greasy it hardly mattered that it was overcooked. One of the toppings available was crispy artichokes, which the cashier had never heard of. The beef grease overwhelmed these as well, but the idea is a good one. We're thinking fontina, though.

67 Burger

67 Lafayette

(718) 797-7150

It's a Good One: Slimy Raw Octopus

Posted by Nina Lalli at 3:31 PM, September 14, 2007

Photo by Jen Snow

When the Tako Wasabi, "salted raw octopus with wasabi flavor" ($3.50) arrived at the table at Kenka, I didn't want to eat it. It looked gooey and I feared a squid gut flashback. But in fact, this stuff is a perfectly addictive bar snack. It's cold, spicy, and salty. It's firm and not chewy. It is, folks, a good one.

Kenka

25 Saint Marks Place

(212) 254-6363

Its a Good One: Deep-Fried Cheese Balls

Posted by Nina Lalli at 9:07 AM, September 4, 2007

I'm pretty sure that every time anyone has looked at me and said, "Con todo?" I've replied with a resounding "Si." I stopped in at Michelle Deli for my favorite tongue taco last night, and on my way out, was persuaded to eat a little more when the cooks concocted a fresh, deep-fried quesadilla ($4.75).

A couple of guys were crowded around the counter as a young woman pressed masa to make a tortilla , piled stringy white cheese (Oaxaca perhaps) in the center, folded the tortilla over to make what looked like a calzone, pressed down the edges to seal in the goods, and dropped it into the decidedly murky looking deep-fryer.

Clearly, I was moved to imitate those guys. When the hot-pocket emerged, golden from the bubbling fat, and the inevitable question was raised, I was curious as to what "todo" would be, and pleased to discover it was black beans, crema, avocado, lettuce, and cilantro. How could this not be good?

Later, the friend who helped me consume all this was up and feeling a tad regretful. "Did I really need a deep-fried cheese ball after dinner?" he asked. Well, perhaps next time, it will be dinner.

Michelle Deli & Grocery

215 East 116th

(212) 828-9097

It's a Good One: Experimental Trinidadian Deep-Frying

Posted by Nina Lalli at 10:49 AM, August 30, 2007

"This is something new we're experimenting with," the woman behind the counter at Ram's told us, handing over a neat, golden-fried package. "You'll be my guinea pigs."

And we were happy ones, because this house-made pakora of sorts was crisp and flaky and filled with curry goodness, like potatoes, beans, and carrots. Of course, there's also very good roti here, and now, they're also frying up fish from Famous Fish Market on 145th and Saint Nicholas. The owner liked the fish up there, so she made a deal to buy it and the batter and bring a little Harlem fish and chips to Sunset Park. Smart woman.

Ram's Trini Roti Shop

5014 Third Avenue

Brooklyn

(718) 439-4090

Orange V. Blue: Battle of the Pupuserias

Posted by Nina Lalli at 4:19 PM, August 27, 2007

Readers, if you are from, or have visited, El Salvador, please tell me: Are all the restaurants lit in one very intense color? I did a little late-night pupuseria-hopping and found that, at least in Washington Heights, this is the case.

My date and I started at the orange place, where he glowed like a jack-o-lantern with dreadlocks and the pupusas were fantastic, and then we moved onto the blue place, where he looked a little under the weather, and, more important, where the food was much less impressive.

El Guanaco, at 178th and Broadway, is the proper name of the orange place. We had a cheese pupusa, a cheese and pork pupusa, and a plate of incredible fried yucca with pork chicharones. (The total came to $7.) A bucket of homemade coleslaw-like curtido was plunked down on the table along with a squeeze-bottle full of cold homemade tomato sauce. These two condiments, especially together, were magically delicious. The tomato sauce was sweet and tangy and had the subtlest, building heat thanks to whole jalapenos that were stewed in it and then removed. The curtido was crunchy and tart. The pupusas themselves were slightly more delicate than, and just as comforting as, the ones we love so much at the Red Hook Ball Fields.

El Guanaco

4195 Broadway

(212) 795-5400

It's a Good One: What's Up, Home Bread?

Posted by Nina Lalli at 12:18 PM, August 24, 2007

Photo by awesome Jen Snow

Long before we had any right to think of him as Our Man, we were following Sietsema's knowledgeable taste buds to the outer reaches of New York with great success. In 2005, Sietsema named Memo, a Turkish/Uzbek sandwich spot in Bensonhurst, number one in his Cheap Chow Now Guide:

Be amazed, be very amazed by the bulging sandwich called "mixed lamb and chicken gyro on home bread," boasting a bulwark of fresh Uzbek bread, a fortuitous mingling of twirling herbed meats, and finishing dribbles of gritty hot sauce and garlic-laced yogurt. And the baba, tripe soup, and brown-top pudding only increase your delight at this humble Turkish lunch counter.

Let's talk about the bread for just a minute. Each lamb-happy sandwich comes not on a familiar flat-bread or a pita, but, basically, on its own loaf of dense, chewy lapeshka. The lamb is tender and, in places, charred, and, as a friend put it: "This cooking even makes chicken good," meaning moist and flavorful rather than the form chicken too-often presents itself.

Memo has expanded recently to occupy the whole corner of Kings Highway and 18th Street, so bring all your friends.

Memo

1821 Kings Highway

(718) 339-8001