Subject:

Robert Sietsema

  • Blogs

    May 15, 2013

    Sietsema on Cole's Greenwich Village; Rao on Alder

    This week Robert Sietsema reviewed Cole's Greenwich Village, a West Village restaurant in a building "shaped like a wedge of brie," while Tejal Rao took a crack at Alder, Wylie Dufresne's new spot in the East Village. Sietsema begins with a history lesson:

  • Blogs

    May 15, 2013

    GoogaMooga Participants: Reviewed

    This weekend's GoogaMooga, the hyped-up food festival set to take over Prospect Park Friday thru Sunday, has a cast of 85 food vendors, 75 brewing companies and 100 wines. But after last year's debacle -- Saturday was deemed "a mess" after food and drink ran out, cell service dropped out, and vegeta ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 1, 2013

    New Restaurant Reviews: Soup Dumplings at Full House; Vegan at Kajitsu

    Kajitsu's glass noodles On this sunny May Day, our critics single out two new restaurants to usher in the season. In Midtown, Tejal Rao bows her head in favor of the vegan Japanese Buddhist temple cuisine at Kajitsu, while Robert Sietsema slurps up soup dumplings at Full House on the Bowery. Read o ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 26, 2013

    Don't Be Scared of Eggs!

    A few weeks ago, stories about a study published in Nature Medicine upset meat lovers. The study had connected the presence of TMAO -- sounds like internet slang, but it's a chemical produced by bacteria in the intestines -- with higher risks of heart disease. And the analysis found that after eatin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 26, 2013

    New York's Best Fries, Coming Your Way on Monday

    There's nothing better than a perfect French fry. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and the best ones don't even need a burger or rotisserie chicken to make a meal.

  • Blogs

    April 25, 2013

    New Restaurant Reviews: Cafe Cluny, Nightingale 9

    Is it summer yet? Not quite. But our dining professionals found themselves in the kind of casually inviting spaces that seem to usher in the warm weather (at least, we hope they will). Robert Sietsema checked in on longtime West Village favorite Cafe Cluny, while Tejal Rao ventured to Carroll Garde ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 22, 2013

    Food at Barclays Fatty 'Cue is Really, Really Terrible

    FiTR has recommended where to eat at outside Barclays Center, but there's a whole host of places to eat inside the arena, too, including many counters and carts offering nachos, hot dogs, hamburgers, and hot wings. More interesting, perhaps, are such Brooklyn foodie favorites as Calexico, L & B Spum ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 19, 2013

    Boston Shutdown Snarls Penn Station

    With Boston in a full lock-down due to the ongoing manhunt for the surviving suspect in Monday's marathon bombings, travelers throughout the northeast found themselves facing delays and cancellations today.

  • Blogs

    March 27, 2013

    New Restaurant Reviews: Share the Spreads at El Omda; Red Gravy Lays It on Thick

    This week, our professional eaters sought out plates that reminded them of home -- if not theirs, then someone else's. In Astoria, Robert Sietsema enjoyed an Egyptian feast at El Omda, while Tejal Rao sopped up the sauce at Red Gravy in Brooklyn Heights. How did our critics rate their Middle Easte ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 20, 2013

    New Restaurant Reviews: Brooklyn Ramen and Parallel-Universe Mexican

    Despite the calendar's promises, New York doesn't seem to know that it's spring. Perhaps our food critics had a feeling that the winter chill would linger in the air, as they both sought out belly-warming comfort food this week. Robert Sietsema slurped up ramen at Suzume and Ganso, while Tejal Rao o ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 13, 2013

    Catch Up with Our Critics: Sietsema at Lotus Blue; Rao at Cocina Economica

    This week, Robert Sietsema introduces his meal of crossing-bridge-noodles at Tribeca's Lotus Blue through a Yunnan folktale. Further uptown, Tejal Rao reminisces about the highs and lows of restaurant staff meals before exploring the Upper West Side's new Mexican comfort-food restaurant, Cocina Econ ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 20, 2013

    Under Review: Sietsema is in Spicy Heaven at Sweet Yummy House; Rao Devours "Fresh-Killed" Chicken at Hanjan

    For our own Robert Sietsema, hearing the name Sweet Yummy House "conjured up gingerbread dwellings deep in the woods made by witches." In reality, the Elmhurst restaurant is one of the city's newest Sichuan restaurants, specializing in "delicious peculiarities resulting from fusion with other cuisin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 9, 2013

    Olive Oil on Tap at Le Midi; Not Everything's Awful at Bill's Food and Drink

    Tejal Rao took a break from professional eating this week, but our own Robert Sietsema kept at it by checking in at Le Midi Bistro. Located in a former East Village Woolworth's building and karaoke den, Sietsema notes in his review of Le Midi that the restaurant "is one of those old-school bistros w ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 28, 2012

    The Best Things We Ate in 2012

    It's been such good year for eating in New York! Here, the Fork team looks back at some of the very best things we ate in 2012, from rice porridge with uni in the West Village, to dreamy cheese fries upstate, and homemade bread pudding. Share your best bites in the comments or tell us about them o ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 2, 2012

    Round-Up: Fork in the Road's Hurricane Sandy Coverage, and How You Can Help [UPDATED]

    Well, it's been quite the week here in New York City. We at Fork in the Road have been working remotely (some without power, heat, or even running water) to bring you the best coverage we can. We'll continue our reporting but in the meantime, for your convenience, here's a rundown:

  • Blogs

    October 31, 2012

    How We're Doing After Sandy

    Things have been quiet around here as our team begins to recover from Sandy. Some of us have power, water, and internet, but others don't. We'll do our best to keep you updated here during the next few days and we hope you're safe and sound, readers. Meanwhile, you can find us on Twitter: Tejal R ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 10, 2012

    Robert Sietsema at Nicoletta, Tejal Rao at Ducks Eatery

    Robert Sietsema visits Nicoletta in hopes that chef Michael White had made amends to all of the negative press: "I took another bite of that disappointing crust, and my mind went back to college: It tasted like the Tombstone frozen pizzas once served in Wisconsin bars and warmed in lightbulb cabinet ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 12, 2012

    What's Liza Queen Up To at Potlikker?

    A marvelous plum salad, for one thing . . . [See More Photos from Robert Sietsema: 5 Amazing Indian Dishes From Deccan Spice | 5 Best Things To Eat at Masak, in the East Village] Liza Queen is one of the city's most unusual chefs. When she opened Queens Hideaway eight years ago on Franklin Avenu ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 30, 2012

    Robert Sietsema At Masak; Tejal Rao At Governor

    Robert Sietsema says that Singaporean joint Masak is Asian rustic: "But instead of making diners dodge crab-shell fragments like at Fatty Crab, Masak delivers the primmer and more approachable chili crab dip." Tejal Rao heads out to DUMBO and eats at Governor, where she notes that the chef is both ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 16, 2012

    What's for Dinner? Check Out Our Restaurant Guide, Voice Places.

    Are you going out to dinner tonight? Ordering in? Can't decide? Well, we have a restaurant guide to assist you in making this incredibly difficult decision. It's called Voice Places, and it's your new go-to restaurant guide. Here's why:

  • Blogs

    August 3, 2012

    This Week's Specials: Story of Futomaki, Whipped Green Eggs

    Here's what we've been up to this week at Fork in the Road: Robert Sietsema gave us the story on futomaki: "Futomaki in Kansai - where the roll is called eho-maki ("happy direction roll") - originated as a festival food. It would be eaten once a year in uncut form, which must have been quite a spec ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 29, 2012

    This Week's Specials: Best Of Hell's Kitchen, Free Iced Booze

    What we've been up to this week at Fork in the Road: Robert Sietsema lists out his ten favorite restaurants in Hell's Kitchen. We list out a hot summer deal about free iced booze at Bottlerocket in the Flatiron district. One of the menu items: "Bootlegger Vodka Sno-cones with Fruit Syrups." Seve ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 14, 2012

    BREAKING: After a Multi-Alarm Fire, 4Knots Blazes On

    If you have following Twitter about #4Knots, you know by now that a fire broke out in the South Street Seaport. With help from music editor Maura Johnston, fellow scribes Nick Murray, Eric Sundermann and Robert Sietsema, we have a detail dump on the happenings in Downtown. Here is what we've found o ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 22, 2012

    This Week's Special: Make Your Own Marijuana Brownies, Monster Jackfruits

    See what we've been up to this week at Fork in the Road: Robert Sietsema teaches us how to make a perfect batch of marijuana brownies -- Betty Crocker recipe and all. We love cheap ice cream. $0.99 ice cream in Brooklyn by vans that are called the "Dollar Truck." Monstrous jackfruit at Anada B ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 8, 2012

    This Week's Specials: Salted Licorice Pops and Cannibal Recipes

    We pay a visit to Sockerbit and find a salted licorice frozen pop. Tejal Rao gives us her list of ten foods she'd pack in her zombie apocalypse go bag. We round up some of June's hottest restaurant deals and offers.

  • Blogs

    June 1, 2012

    This Week's Specials: Breakfast Tacos and Ma Po Tofu

    Robert Sietsema shares with us a list for his five favorite breakfast tacos: "Sadly, breakfast tacos are few and far between in Gotham, and you have to behave like a ferret to find them." What's the story behind Sichuan mapo tofu? The dish features bean curd, ground meat, fermented bean paste, chi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 25, 2012

    This Week's Specials: Lamb Dishes and Shrimp Heads

    Robert Sietsema gives the run-down on New York City's best lamb dishes. Thinking of going camping over the long weekend? We give you five ideas for outdoor eats: mason jar cocktails, spiced chickpeas, kale chips, picnic apple pies, and Hong Kong-style hot dogs. A recap of the not-so-great Goog ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 11, 2012

    This Week's Specials: Soba, Hot Dogs, and James Beard

    What we've been up to at Fork in the Road this week: Robert Sietsema gives us the verdict on the best soba in NYC. He talks up Lower East Side Corcoron and throws in a mention for the East Village-based SobaKoh: "Soba are often eaten cold with a soy-based dipping sauce. The noodles feel cool on the ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 20, 2012

    This Week's Specials: German Beer Halls, Mexican Delights

    What we've been up to at Fork in the Road this week: We give you our picks for German beer halls in the city. Robert Sietsema checks out three types of guacamole and other Mexican offerings at Angelo Sosa's Anejo Tequileria. He also lists the 5 best things to eat at the Cal-Mex restaurant, Floren ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 29, 2012

    Robert Sietsema at Coluck; Lauren Shockey at Sao Mai and Xe May Sandwich Shop

    Robert Sietsema wanders around the Chinatown Arcade and samples some Chinese-fusion café fare at Coluck: "Well, they'll feed you cheaply and copiously with foods that seem like a merging of neighborhood Chinese and the cooking of a culinarily challenged English mom who, strapped for time, pulls a b ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 22, 2012

    Robert Sietsema at Barboncino; Lauren Shockey at Caffè Storico

    ​ This week in the Voice, Robert Sietsema heads to Crown Heights to see how Barboncino's pizza holds up against New York City's finest, and decides that "as an artifact from another time and continent, Barboncino's margherita is unsurpassed."

  • Blogs

    February 17, 2012

    This Week's Specials: NYC's Iconic Eats, Karaoke Recs

    ​What we've been up to at Fork in the Road this week: Robert Sietsema identifies New York City's iconic foods and shows us where to find them. Lauren Shockey chitchats with Gail Simmons about her life as a Top Chef judge.

  • Blogs

    February 15, 2012

    Robert Sietsema at Bowery Diner; Lauren Shockey at Brasilina

    This week in the Voice, Robert Sietsema questions whether Bowery Diner really qualifies as a diner: "There are whelks, for God's sake -- just try requesting those in a Greek diner -- served raw or cooked with garlic butter. You'll also find periwinkles, Jonah crab claws, oysters, scallops, clams, mu ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 5, 2012

    Year of the Takeout Day 35: Christopher Golden Wok

    Fish with ginger and scallion from Christopher Golden Wok (159 Christopher Street, 212-463-8182)

  • Blogs

    January 20, 2012

    This Week's Specials: Soused Scribes and Savory Sichuan

    Totally tofu...​Fork in the Road sticks its nose in a book with this week's Literary Lushes: Our 10 Favorite Book (and Play)-Writing Boozers. Robert Sietsema samples Upper East Side sichuan in his review of Land of Plenty. Lauren Shockey snacks on mozzarella sticks in her review of SoHo ho ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 14, 2012

    This Week's Specials: New York's Best Ramen and Soda Robots

    Hungry for great food writing this weekend? Then check out some of Fork in the Road's top stories from the past week. And make sure to come back later for more news! Bon appétit! Robert Sietsema slurps noodle soups in this week's listing: NYC's 10 Best Bowls of Ramen. Lauren Shockey talk ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 10, 2012

    Fork in the Road's Favorite Hummus in NYC

    It's time for Tuesday Toasts, our weekly feature highlighting the Fork in the Road team's favorite versions of popular dishes and favorite spots in the city for a given activity. They might not be the best or the coolest or the newest, but instead represent the things and places that are near and de ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 30, 2011

    This Week's Specials: Perfect Pork and Poisonous-Tasting Booze

    And now, a look back at what was on the menu here at Fork in the Road this week. Robert Sietsema warmly welcomes 2012 with a look back at the 11 Most Astonishing Dishes of 2011. Lauren Shockey samples the small plates at Greenpoint newcomer Calyer and finds the tapas-style eatery passes her tas ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 16, 2011

    Scaffolding Fall Closes 14th Street

    Robert Sietsema​From our Robert Sietsema comes this photo of the scaffolding fall at 222 West 14th Street, which occurred at around 7:45 this morning. The FDNY tells us they are still on the scene securing the area, and while they were initially concerned over injuries, there appear to be none ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 14, 2011

    Robert Sietsema at Littleneck

    Don't clam up.​ This week in the Voice, Robert Sietsema bites into bivalves at Littleneck, a Gowanus clam shack: "The most spectacular appearance of Brooklyn's iconic bivalve is on a clam roll ($16), featuring full-belly littlenecks with creamy tartar sauce and a few shreds of lettuce for colo ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 3, 2011

    The Merry Well at Allswell

    Each week in The Daily Shot, we have ourselves a drink that we think you should try, too. Robert Sietsema​

  • Blogs

    December 2, 2011

    Zoku: Instant Ice Pop Maker, Gift Suggestion No. 1

    ​Zoku: It reputedly makes "healthy" frozen pops on the countertop in 7 minutes. Tired of making your own alcoholic popsicles by mixing up the hooch, pouring it in cheap plastic molds, popping them in the freezer, and then waiting hours for your treats to gestate?

  • Blogs

    November 18, 2011

    This Week's Specials: Space Dining, Cheese Sticks

    And now, a look back at what was on the menu here at Fork in the Road this week. Robert SietsemaThe ship has sailed. ​ Robert Sietsema takes us to Mars and to the turtle races! In his top 10 this week, he gives us a tour of New York City's weirdest restaurants of the past and present. Barns ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 16, 2011

    Village Voice HQ Is Being Protested for 'Facilitation of Sex Trafficking'

    Robert Sietsema​A group protesting against what they call the " Backpage.com's Facilitation of Sex Trafficking" has gathered in numbers of about 50 outside our office. The group is made of a handful of organizations including The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, Prostitution Research an ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 28, 2011

    This Week's Specials: Halloween Treats, Day of the Dead Meals, Mario Batali

    And now, a look back at what was on the menu here at Fork in the Road this week. Robert SietsemaSo that's why they call it MacDougal Street!​ We revealed Our 10 Best Things to Eat on MacDougal Street. Drink a Black Eye at Forty Four at the Royalton this Halloween. Wondering where to eat for ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 19, 2011

    Robert Sietsema at He Nan Flavor; Lauren Shockey at Beecher's Handmade Cheese

    This week in the Voice, Robert Sietsema discovers authentic Henan on the Lower East Side at He Nan Flavor. Lauren Shockey sips a Grilled Cheese Martini at Beecher's Handmade Cheese.Liz BarclayCurd-ish pleasures at Beecher's​ Adam Platt isn't exactly charmed by the new West Village Fatty 'Cue ( ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 7, 2011

    Robert Sietsema Addresses The Ruth Bourdain Twitter Account Question

    There's been a lot of talk today about the identity of Ruth Bourdain, the James Beard humor-award-winning Twitter account that deftly mixes up Ruth Reichl platitudes with Anthony Bourdain's attitude, being our very own Robert Sietsema. But is this true? We asked Robert to elaborate.

  • Blogs

    September 21, 2011

    Robert Sietsema at Taiwanese Specialties; Lauren Shockey at Forcella

    This week in the Voice, Robert Sietsema samples fly heads and chicken neck at Taiwainese Specialties; Lauren Shockey indulges in the deep-fried pies at Forcella.Liz BarclayTaiwanese Specialties​ Sam Sifton praises St. Anselm for the "pulsing bass line of ambition beneath its simple steakhouse ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 13, 2011

    Pizzeria 900 Degrees Goes up in Smoke

    Robert Sietsema​After only four months, the city's strangest pizza appears to be no more.

  • Blogs

    September 7, 2011

    Robert Sietsema at Neely's Barbecue Parlor; Lauren Shockey at Do or Dine

    This week in the Voice, Robert Sietsema is shocked to find that, at Neely's Barbecue Parlor, "Much of the food is good, despite hatred of the restaurant spewed by Yelpers and others." Lauren Shockey is charmed by Do or Dine, which "embraces a youthful (but still professional) spirit of chance-taking ... More >>

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