October 08, 2007

Essential Williamsburg, Brooklyn Culinary Experiences

Marlow & Sons

There is a mass exodus under way. Over the past four years, our friends have been gradually leaving Brooklyn for greener pastures in California, Chicago and abroad. But this week alone we lost three friends to the Bay Area. We tried to dissuade them with fear mongering -- warnings of earthquakes, fires, landslides and real estate prices higher than here. It didn't work.

In a sad, last ditch effort to win back our West coast-bound friends, we have assembled a list of mouth watering dishes they can only eat in the neighborhood they have left behind.

Dumont
DuMac & Cheese - The oozing cheddar, gruyere and parmesan cheeses seep perfectly into every crevice of the radiatore noodles. And when it comes to the chunky bacon bits speckling the dish, we've never seen this level of generosity.
Dumont Salad - The perfect continuation Dumont's bacon journey. Oh, and a great way to get your daily dose of nuts, cheese and vegetables.

Marlow & Sons
Oysters - It's hard to find oysters with such taut freshness. In your new home, you will have no trouble getting fresh Pacific Oysters, but good luck finding briny East Coast goodness like this.
Brick Chicken - We hear that California chefs are against baking chicken under bricks. So, for you it's good bye to the juiciest roasted chicken.

Dressler
Braised Short Rib & Grilled Hanger Steak - If you're looking for a Brooklyn splurge of a meal get gussied up and hit this spot --a recent recipient of a Michelin star. It's worth the extra dollars. And if you're on a tight budget, saving your pennies to flee to the West Coast, try their Sunday brunch.

Bonita
Fish Tacos - Delicately fried fresh fish, drizzled with creamy goodness. For years you've been complaining that NYC doesn't have any good Mexican food. Just when there are finally some fantastic basics you leave?
Mexican Corn - Corn slathered in mayonnaise and crumbles of queso Mexicano. Sure you can get this in California. But you'll be in California, not Brooklyn.

Brick Oven Gallery
Pizza Margarite - New York already wins the world-wide pizza contest. So to have the very thinnest, tastiest brick oven pizza in your very own neighborhood, how could you leave that?
Peter's #1 Favorite Pie - It's like eating a peppery pizza salad -- piled high with uncooked arugula, prosciutto and shaved parmigiana

Fada
Mussels - The tightest little mussels are always piled high in the broth du jour. The almost floral, anise and garlic is the best you ever tasted.
Nicoise Salad - Of course you'll find a good nicoise salad in the Bay area. But it could take weeks or even months to dine around and determine where you'll get tuna cooked to this perfection. Save yourself the trouble and come back.

Bahia
Zucchini & Cheese Pupusas - Thick hot corn pancakes oozing with cheese and shredded zucchini, just around the corner. Your favorite meal after a long hard day when you just didn't feel like cooking.

Aurora & D.O.C.
The plates of Italian fixings are always tasty at both of these eateries. But they don't make romantic settings like this in San Francisco.

Moto
The best use of a corner space, this dark hole-in-the wall beneath the JMZ train tracks, feels like a noiry speakeasy. It's also one of the few spots that serves whole artichokes (the perfect vehicle to sip melted butter).

Queen's Hideaway
Technically, this restaurant shouldn't qualify since it's beyond the Williamsburg boundary, tucked away in Greenpoint. But with a changing menu that revolves around what's fresh, unusual and good -- we know ex-pats will have trouble locating a replacement that manages to simultaneously comfort and surprise their taste buds.

With Thai restaurants springing up faster than cheaply built "luxury" high rises, we know you won't miss Eurotrash magnets like Sea & Planet Thai (that instantly went from essential to average when it switched locations). But ever since Bozu and Zenkichi hit Williamsburg's restaurant stage with their delicious Japanese pub fare, Williamsburg has become the izakaya capital of Brooklyn.

It would be negligent to forget that before the hipsters invaded the Northside of Williamsburg, it was a Polish neighborhood serving up great pierogis that can still be found at Kasia's Restaurant.

And of course this list would not be complete without mentioning the Williamsburg institution, Peter Luger Steakhouse. It's pretty obvious what they serve.

Of course, we'll admit there's some pretty good eating in California too. After all, instead of shelling out three bucks at the corner bodega, they can pick their avocados right off the tree! And we'll even concede that California has us beat with their tacos and wine. But remember, it's hard to pick the right wine to go with your Burrito Pescado when the restaurant’s swaying from a shaker that measures 7.3 on the Richter scale.

Stay tuned to find out the very best places to drink in Williamsburg.

[thanks to FreeWilliamsburg for all the restaurant links]

Posted by Cakehead at 03:54 AM | Comments (5)

June 12, 2006

How Deep is the East River? How High is this Thigh?

There are few restaurants in Williamsburg that can boast even a glimpse of the East River. Yesterday, with the wind blowing hard we wanted nothing more than to dust off our Sunfish sailboat and haul it to the East River from its holding tank in New Hampshire and sail the open channels with the Brooklyn & Manhattan skyline surrounding us. Unfortunately, we were without a car and sufficient haul time. So instead we did the next best thing. We made a beeline for one of the few Williamsburg restaurants with a river view: Pies & Thighs. If you sit at the correct table you can get a straight on shot of the waves lapping the concrete underneath the Williamsburg Bridge - all this while you knock back a few Arnold Palmers (half ice tea, half lemonade - that could have used a few sprigs of mint to add that extra kick), and biscuits and gravy.

It's a counter place so order your food inside and then the nice waitress with the deer tatoo will deliver it to you at your sidewalk table - or in the barbeque zone - a fenced in area with red checked tablecloths, folding chairs and fantastic views of the Williamsburg Bridge (sans East River).

Brunch for two was under 20 bucks. The money we didn't spend is going into the ZipCar fund so we can drag up our boat and begin picnic season sailing-style.

Pies & Thighs:
351 Kent Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
near S. 5th St.

Posted by Cakehead at 12:46 PM | Comments (0)

June 07, 2006

Escapism via Williamsburg Restaurants

For months now, work, travel and preoccupation with the guarding of important secrets have kept fellow cakeheaders from venturing out to explore the greater neighborhood around us. But with spring here and with a huge new umbrella to protect us from our favorite kind of weather, we have finally returned to the land that lured us to New York in the first place: the streets. We're on the hunt to uncover what's new and good, and what the New York Times and New York Magazine can't begin to understand.

While the leaves on the trees have been busy switching from pale yellow to verdant green, graffitied storefronts and warehouses on the outer reaches of Williamsburg have been transforming into restaurants, bars and shops. It's been happening for a while now. And the guys at FreeWilliamsburg.com are on the ball to document what's coming and going.

But we're searching for more than a restaurant. The restaurant is merely the excuse for the pursuit. It's the pursuit itself that we love. In the world of restaurant discovery, there may be nothing better than wandering down a long abandoned block, past metal gates and emptiness, then, in the distance you hear whispers of a song your old boyfriend used to play, and when the music's source is identified, you spot a tiny metal placard that announces that you've discovered a secret hidden venue that few have found. And you ring and are invited in and it turns out you've stumbled upon one of the city's underground eateries.

Since all are bound to experience spells of discontent with this city, we've found that wandering to the periphery of the comfort zone can cure anyone's escapist longings.

But because wandering is a side project and sampling costs money, we've had to create a small enterprise to fund our endeavors. Charm and wit can only get you so far, but we've found that with it, it's possible to earn a meager allowance from a small crop of sugar mamas and daddies who are lonely and in need of comfort and attention. Invite a stockbroker along for the adventure and you're guaranteed to have your meal paid for as well as a steady barrage of compliments about how you're different, better than the other ones. They might teach you something about investments too.

What we discovered:

1. There are fantastic NYC skyline views at the Dekalb stop on the L train. We always thought the L train shot us east, east, east. But in fact the L train curves north and distantly runs parallel with Manhattan. There's nothing better than a little warehouse in the foreground of your deco skyline cityscape.
2. Emerging from the subway at the Jefferson stop on the L train are more warehouses - but also a comforting restaurant called the Northeast Kingdom. We love the idea of the Northeast Kingdom because when we think about fleeing the city, the Northeast Kingdom is where we threaten to go. Now it's only four train stops away.
3. Contrary to recent reports, Northeast Kingdom does not serve wild game. But the report that they did inspired us to create our own wild game night barbeque.
4. You don't need to go to Manhattan for oysters. Marlow and Sons is serving them up in the back behind the country store. But watch out for the nasty waiter who is only nice to boy customers. Our jealous tendencies ran a little rampant when she didn't flirt with us too.
5. On some nights a certain gentlemen's club opens its doors to non-members. On these nights they are kind to outsiders who drink their beer and roll little balls in their pinball-like bowling machine.
6. Dresslers - the new and more expensive restaurant by the Dumont owner, Colin Devlin- has gotten a lot of press. And the food is good. But will they be able to last with those prices and a shortage of sugar parents?

Posted by Cakehead at 01:51 PM | Comments (0)

August 17, 2005

The World's Best Restaurants, a list

Exterior of the World's Number 1 restaurant: The Duck Fat

All these expensive restaurants are making us hungry for some dirt cheap street food.

Here are the top 50 places to eat according to the Guardian. Drum roll please:

1 The Fat Duck Bray, Berkshire
2 El Bulli Montjoi, Spain
3 The French Laundry Yountville, California
4 Tetsuya's Sydney
5 Gordon Ramsay London
6 Pierre Gagnaire Paris
7 Per Se New York
8 Tom Aikens London
9 Jean Georges New York
10 St John London
11 Michel Bras Laguiole, France
12 Le Louis XV Monte Carlo
13 Chez Panisse Berkeley, California
14 Charlie Trotter Chicago
15 Gramercy Tavern New York
16 Guy Savoy Paris
17 Restaurant Alain Ducasse Paris
18 The Gallery at Sketch London
19 The Waterside Inn Bray, Berkshire
20 Nobu London
21 Restaurante Arzak San Sebastián, Spain
22 El Raco de Can Fabes San Celoni, Spain
23 Checcino dal 1887 Rome
24 Le Meurice, Paris
25 L'Hotel de Ville, Crissier, Switzerland
26 L'Arpège Paris
27 Angela Hartnett at the Connaught London
28 Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons Oxford
29 Le Cinq Paris
30 Cal Pep Barcelona
32 Masa New York
33 Flower Drum, Melbourne
34 WD50 New York
35 Le Quartier Francais Franschhoek, South Africa
36 Spice Market, New York
37 Auberge de l'Ill Illhaeusern, Alsace
38 Manresa Los Gatos, California
39 Restaurant Dieter Muller Begisch, Gladbach, Germany
40 La Maison Troisgros Roanne, France
41 The Wolseley London
42 Rockpool Sydney
43 Yauatcha, London
44 The Ivy, London
45 Gambero Rosso, San Vincenzo, Italy
46 The Cliff St James, Barbados
47 Le Gavroche London
48 Enoteca Pinchiorri Florence
49 Felix Hong Kong
50 La Tupina Bordeaux

These dining spots sure are a good way to make a rich lady broke and a poor lady jealous. The average price per meal is around $150 a head.

Will someone please let us in on the secret to having enough spending money to afford these joints? We obviously chose the wrong career path.

Dining sponsors please send pity checks this way. We're putting together a scholarship fund to pay for exorbitantly expensive meals for the less fortunate.

Posted by Cakehead at 08:09 PM | Comments (0)

August 12, 2005

The Atkins Diet has finally left the building

Evidence that this nasty fad is over? The proof is in the pudding...or in this instance, in the cream puff.

[From The Associated Press]:

Sure, cream puffs are chock-full of fat and calories and thin is in. But the treats that fell flat among diet-conscious Americans decades ago are making a comeback via Japan.

Dueling cream puff shops — one a Japanese standby, another a U.S. upstart — have popped up on the East Coast, and one plans to expand soon to other parts of the country.

At least one mail-order food company is also reporting a jump in cream puff sales and the Wisconsin State Fair — where they have been sold since 1924 and in recent years gained record popularity — now sells the confection at a rate of one per second.

We're sure you don't want to miss out on this new, much less meaty, trend in eating. The best way to do this is to venture to the Turtle Bay section of Manhattan on the Upper East side and tast test the Japanese cream puffs at the two rival companies: Choux Factory, the Beard Papa.

For further reading on the rivalry check out Eat Drink One Woman. The subtitle for the blog is "eating and complaining in NYC."

Posted by Cakehead at 01:40 PM | Comments (1)

June 15, 2005

Who needs Grand Central's Oyster Bar?

There's a reason I didn't discovered NYC's best kept cheap beer-drinking secret until yesterday.

I don't use the LIRR or Metro North to come and go each day. As a result, I've been missing out on the best beer deal in town. My discovery occurred yesterday.

Before I boarded the LIRR to take me to the LCD Soundsystem/Interpol/Pixies concert at Jones Beach, I made a pit stop at the LIRR platform bar for a tall cool can of beer.

The platform bars are not a new concept. I've known about them, even purchased beer from them before city getaways. However, the bargain aspect of the stands never registered. Maybe a friend made the purchase or maybe I didn't bother to look at the hefty wad of change I received back. But with money trickling in at a slower clip than usual, I’ve been particularly sensitive to deals when I find them.

On the platform, a mere $2.50 buys you a pint of Amstel Light and other imports. If you're really on a budget, you need only spend $2 on domestics. We're not even talking the wimpy 12 ounce cans. You get the full 16 ounces!

And while drinking is illegal on buses, subways and New York City streets, the MTA says yes to drinking on commuter platforms.

Shout it loud in the overheated subway tunnels. Spread the word. Boycott the taverns. Let's take happy hour to the platforms.

No need to commute to take part in this last glorious vestige of Bacchean tolerance in this neo-puritanical city. Simply go to your platform of choice. Make your purchase and take a seat on the nearby train car and wait for the conductor to announce the departure. Just be sure to not imbibe so much cheap beer that you forget to disembark before the train leaves.

Posted by Cakehead at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)