Soap Box: What does it all mean… the food hug

Soap Box: What does it all mean… the food hug

Ted Allen once said, “New Yorkers need comfort food more than anyone else on the planet! If a restaurant could sell fried chicken, mac and cheese, Xanax and marijuana, they'd stay in business forever."

He also mentioned another time this is the reason cupcakes are so popular in New York City, because New Yorkers just need a hug. The cupcake…comfort food…it’s a hug. I think this is even true beyond the borders of the center of the universe (New York City), I believe this is what most people want in the end.

Generally speaking there are three types of people in the world, those that can count, and those who can’t, in the culinary world, there are only two, the ‘eats to live’ and the ‘lives to eat”. Us live to eats often get caught up in the discovery of new things, the never ending culinary voyage, but you know something, when it comes right down to it, something simple is going to make you happy. Ask any of the top chefs in the world, food writers, food personalities, if they could eat one last thing before they died, it’s going to be fundamentally simple. That’s right “foodies”, look away, because they are going to say things like, “A baked potato with butter…a fried egg… not some exotic plate, where the sauce had to be reduced over three days, and involved some rare ingredient found in an ancient roman wall, preserved down through the centuries, now unattainable, with foams, and things exposed to nitrogen!

Speaking for myself, the sandwich is most often my food hug. That’s right, something delicious, hugged between two pieces of bread, not last meal hug, but it’s up there. How about Bourdain’s Pho comments on No Reservations, about in the end just wanting a bowl of something good. Pho is a great hug. Other comforts for me, the most simple pasta dishes possible, Aglio e Olio, Cacio e Pepe, when I need recharge I will make one of these, they are so simple, in fact I don’t think it could get simpler, but they are special.

Another case in point is roast chicken. All the refined dishes in the world and not much can really be more enjoyable than a high quality, well prepared and roasted chicken…that’s right, chicken. Anyone who denies it is lying, and we know what happens to liars. And I will be the first to tell you when I’m at a restaurant it’s probably the last thing I will order, however that fact is that if I get over myself and actually order it, I am going to enjoy it very much.

My friend and New York City chef Carlos, said something profound yet simple to me one night, you need two things to cook good food, a reason (someone), and that thing the beetles said is the only thing you need, love. This may be why so many of our favorite dishes were something our moms made for us. They could not have gone wrong (unless your mom didn’t love YOU, which is entirely possible). They had a reason and love, and we enjoyed it.

The reason I have gotten on this soap box is because I believe that all the other things in the food world are important, yes, the foams, reductions, nitrogen, blah blah blah, I love it, but I don’t think you can really appreciate those things unless you can acknowledge certain fundamental truths. Then it’s the frosting on the cake (or cupcake) so to speak. You can then approach those things less pretentiously and enjoy them for what they are.

Ok, now someone knock me off the soapbox please...

Thanks Federal Government!

Alex and I always seem to find ourselves being yelled at by authority figures with badges and guns. Why is that? Or do they just treat everyone that way? Well I digress. To make a long story short, Al and I found ourselves in Norwalk Connecticut to renew Al’s passport, it’s a long story. I have never actually gone to a Federal building to get a passport, the experience… was special.

During a break from being yelled at by passport lady, (12:30-3:30, what seems to be a federal lunch break of sorts), we had some time to kill in the small town of Norwalk. At a first drive though, it seemed like we had some good choices of places to eat, I admit that I did not expect such a thing this deep into “nutmegger” territory.

Al and I settled on the Burger Bar and Bistro. Tiffany was a great sport letting us sit there for 3 or so hours and kept us in ice tea the whole time. The food here was excellent. There is nothing I like more than a restaurant that is anal enough to be this consistent. In other words, whatever you order is going to be awesome. It appears there are no dead spots in the menu as it were. I had the best New England clam chowder I have had on the east coast to date. This was a surprise to me as well. Also the tea glasses (mason jars) and brown and tan soup bowls harkened me back to eating at my grandma’s house, no joke.

The burgers were excellent, not to heavy, perfect really. And the cheese and gravy fries were also amazing. We did turn down a fry dish that involved brie, and black truffle oil, in favor of living another few years without suffering a massive coronary episode. It haunts me though; I must return someday and try it.

So if you find yourself stuck, trying to get a passport in Norwalk Connecticut, please check this place out, it was even worth sitting amongst the best hipsters Connecticut has to offer, while they sip on their Pabst Blue Ribbon like and 1811 Château d'Yquem. If I can take off my food hat and put on my Hipster Anthropologist Stocking Cap, I did notice that the Connecticut hipsters opt for the khaki pants as opposed to the skinny jeans of the Williamsburg heard of TryHardicusPointyShoesis, interesting, and (here I will do them a favor) also…ironic.

http://www.burgerbarandbistro.com/

Don't Be a Square

It just occurred to me the other day, the whole summer has passed and I have not had one, single Sicilian slice of L&B’s pizza. Fail. Now in my personal opinion, the restaurant side of L&B Spumoni Gardens is not going to change your life, and the spumoni is good, and the square slice will not being making our bucket list.

All that being said, the slice is delicious, and L&B is a NYC institution and  landmark. There are many people (a majority of whom have since moved to Staten Island and New Jersey) who just might put this slice at the top of their personal bucket lists. It’s very good, but sorry folks, L&B’s square slice will not make our list, but get a very honorable mention.

I can’t believe so much time has passed since last having a slice, there is much controversy in my home as to the tastiness of this pizza. We will not delve into that discussion as it may lead to offending many, many people. So, If you’re in Brooklyn, it’s worth seeing this place and having a famous square slice. L&B is still very vibrant, with cars (even cop cars) double (sometimes even triple parked) out onto 86^th St.

Although it doesn’t make our list, it is still a New York institution. Perhaps I should grab a slice today while there is still a little summer left.

2011

I think the time is getting close to begin unvailing ..."the list" for 2011.

The Godfather

Lunch today was in Williamsburg, the place in Brooklyn where the Hipsters mingle with the Hasidic. Usually if Al and I find ourselves in the hipster haven of Williamsburg, we make our way to Gottlieb's, one of our most favorite sandwich spots anywhere, it is an unbelievably true to form Jewish deli, and the it has all the elements we look for, authentic food, unique atmosphere, and consistently delicious food.

But, sorry, Gottlieb’s is another story for another time, today we found ourselves on Graham Ave. What would seem to be the “Mulberry Street” or “Arthur Ave” of Williamsburg, in fact, as we were making our way to Graham Ave Meats and Deli (the subject of today’s food diatribe) we had to go around an Italian street fair. The presence of Italian culture still existing in this small strip of Williamsburg is still real and tangible.

Stepping into Graham Ave Meats and Deli is that perfect gateway into a true neighborhood experience, a true NFT (that means not for tourists kids) experience, the kind most SAD (this one is standard American diet) types would never appreciate. Basically this is the real deal.

So, what did we order? The Godfather of course, with everything, and the spicy peppers, not the sweet, common’! I don’t need to put pictures up, just google it and you will find volumes of pictures of this sandwich-don. This sandwich is very good, and is actually inexpensive considering the quality and construction. $7.00! When you’re sitting outside on the rickety bench eating your hero masterpiece, as the oil and vinegar drip out onto the sidewalk, you notice on the ground evidence of many like sandwiches having had dripped in that very spot, like a motor oil stain in a driveway (wow that doesn’t sound appetizing, sorry). Is this our favorite hero in BK? No, Jimmy’s is still our #1, but this is very good. The atmosphere of the neighborhood is very conducive to sitting outside, taking a few extra minutes, and enjoying your lunch.

If you find yourself in this section of Williamsburg, it’s worth swinging by for some lunch. And to the FBI, please leave Mike “The Butcher” Virtuoso alone, let the man make sandwiches please, thank you!

Anthony P

The Bake City Bagel...Flagel

Meat sweats

Had something new today at RUB (Righteous Urban BBQ). Upon Gelman's suggestion I had my first "Frito Pie", and it is almost exactly what it sounds like, there are Frito's involved, and melty orange cheese, and chili. I would love to say this dish that seems conceived by some college student is too low brow for me, however, it was tasty. It’s so bad, and so good at the same time. We faced many obstacles just to make our way to 23rd street, including sea's of yellow cabs, police, and roving herds of Hipsters. Once inside though, we got to sit and eat in the open air side of RUB, since Al and I were late due to the many perils we faced, Gelman was forced to take our orders via texting while we were shaken down by some Times Square foot cop who pulled us over by tapping on the window of our vehicle. Officer McMillan, some sort of blue-tooth expert it seems presumed our driver, Al to be on the phone, just as the gates of traffic were opening up to us like two golden gates to the promised land, we got the tap on the window. So thank you Miss officer McMillan, at the risk of breaking a multitude of political correct ethical invisible boundaries, I was forced to tell Al, “even the African American (and female) cops in this town are Irish (McMillan)!”. And in true Gelman form we were ostracized via texted message for our lateness, “What do you mean traffic? There is no traffic over here?”, “Pulled over and about to get a full body cavity search from a Times Square cop? Don’t you have blue tooth?”.  In the end as we showed up so did the food! Chili fries, the Frito mess, duck, smoked brisket, the smokiest baked beans on earth and of course, a lot of Iced Tea.

First time for Frito pie, and first time being pulled over by a cop without so much as a bicycle to jump on for hot pursuit, we should have just waved and drove away through the open gates of no traffic.