Double Crown

Double Crown has an interesting theme. It explores the culinary dualities of Indian and Southeast Asia after the the British Empire’s influence. What could that possibly mean you ask? Well it means Bowery’s got a hip new spot (relatively new) that features Bangers and Mash, Butternut Squash Curry and Braised Pork Belly with Ginger-Lychee dressing. Confused? Dont be – Brad Farmerie (thats right the one currently on The Next Iron Chef) executes it well.

We started the meal with the spicy pork stuffed lychees. These were delicious  – I highly recommend ordering them even if you’re going in just to have a beer or two. The sit in a light coconut sauce and hit all the major tastebud flavors: salty, sweet, spicy, and a light sour. Keep in mind, they only come 3 in a plate so if you’re in a group order at least 2 or 3 plates. They will FLY!

Then we got the entrees: Twice Cooked Chicken, Bangers and Mash with WOW WOW sauce, and the Butternut Squash Curry. The Twice Cooked Chicken was so incredibly moist – I mean incredibly. I didn’t have to use a knife at all for my entire meal. Granted, the broth was a bit watery but the chicken itself was flavorful and in the end I guess thats what counts. The Bangers and Mash was very vinegary due to the wow wow sauce, which I happen to like but some people might not. The bangers were also a bit dry (emphasis on ‘bit’). The Butternut Squash Curry was a great vegetarian entree, meaty consistency, flavorful, and filling. All in all – the entrees were solid – especially the chicken. In terms of

Twice Cooked Chicken

side dishes we ordered the brussel sprouts and the pickled cucumbers. Both were great choices. The brussel sprouts were a little more charred than I usually like them but the flavor – OH the flavor – was excellant. Spicy and slightly sweet with that delicious mini-cabbage taste I’ve grown to love over the years. The pickled cucumbers with yogurt sauce were an excellant contrast considering most dishes had an element of heat.

Now its time to discuss the desserts. We chose 2: the panna cotta with goat milk ice cream and the hot fudge brownie sundae with shitaki ice cream. The panna cotta was delightful but I had a problem with the hot fudge sundae..mostly because it WASN’T HOT! DO YOU HEAR ME DOUBLE CROWN? I’m sorry, a cold brownie and cold chocolate sauce do not a hot fudge sundae make. Its ice cream with chocolate sauce at that point..which is ok…just don’t call it a hot fudge sundae. So when you visit Double Crown make sure you DON’T order the sundae.

In summation the dinner was a delight. The flavors weren’t quite Indian, or Southeast Asian, or British – which is exactly why I enjoyed it. If you are in the area make sure you go AND don’t forget the awesome gin joint next door. You have to go through a ‘hidden’ door in the back of the restaurant (pretty koooooool) and then you can enjoy the latest cocktail to enthrall NYC: gin and jam. Housemade jams, served in a little teaspoon alongside gin and lemon over crushed ice.

316 Bowery
New York, NY 10012
(212) 254-0350

http://www.doublecrown-nyc.com/

Aquagrill

I love oysters. They are briny, salty, and silky. Mmmmmm – even better? 6 oysters are about 1 point on Weight Watchers. I’ll repeat that because its worth repeating: this means a dozen oysters are only 2 points. Luxurious and diet worthy.

Aquagrill boasts an extensive oyster menu so I went there for brunch one day. The critics were right – the oysters are wonderful and they have over 25-30 different types to choose from on any given day. One day I plan on getting the $70 one-of-every-kind platter just because I need an excuse to have 3 dozen oysters to myself. Since I didnt have the cash to fulfill this dream, I decided to stick with a mix of blue point and malpeque oysters and they were amazing.

Next comes the actual food (although I could have easily dined on oysters alone if I had the cash), I had the warm chicken salad with artichokes, bacon, and a roasted potatoes. Sounds delicious right? It was good – but I have to admit I was expecting a chicken breast…not fatty chicken thighs. In my opinion, thighs have their place on a menu and it generally isnt in a leafy salad. That kind turned me off to the whole plate. Also, my husband got the shrimp fettucine with pesto. The shrimp was cooked well but there was no pesto; it was chopped basil. Fehh..

Verdict: come here for the warm complimentary scones/muffins and the oysters. Skip the rest.

Smorgas Chef

Smorgas Chef was one of my first experiences with Scandinavian cooking several years ago and I fell in love with it.  The food features vibrant herbs and delicate flavors. Cloudberries, lingonberries, herring, house-cured gravlaks, and Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese are all over the menu and its fabulous.

I’m particulary fond of their brunch menu – which features delicious skillet baked eggs. Whats a skillet baked egg?  Two pan fried eggs in a cast iron skillet with ham, Jarlsberg cheese, spinach, tomatos, and hollandaïse. Amazing. So amazing. You wont need to eat anything else for the rest of the day. They also have one with just mushrooms and veggies and one with baked cod, tomatoes, spinach, and parmesan. They also make very light and fluffy vanilla waffles with clouberry sauce. Mmmmmm..

Brunch not your thing? The swedish meatballs with chive mashed potatoes and aquavit cured gravlaksare awesome. Go here, try some of the food, and let me know just how much you liked it.

Wall Street Location:

53 Stone Street New York, NY 10004
(between Broad Street and Hanover Square; 2 blocks south of Wall Street)

Casa Mono…Brava

Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali have scores of restaurants scattered around NYC but this one is a tad bit different from their others. Instead of focusing on regional Italian cuisine, Casa Mono takes us to Spain with their delicious tiny tapas plates and delectable wines. Don’t be held back by the idea of ‘small plates’ here  – you WILL leave full.

My husband and I were debating where to eat the other night and I suggested Casa Mono since I wasnt in the mood for a huge dinner and was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. Thank goodness for the huge yellow and orange ‘CASA MONO’ sign ontop of the restaurant, because the place is a shoebox. I mean, its not the smallest restaurant I’ve ever been too but I didnt expect it to be so cramped. Maybe the cramped feeling had more to do with how busy it was then anything else? I dont know.

We opted to sit at the bar instead of waiting for a seat and ordered 3 plates to share since we saw they were tiny: Foie Gras with Cinco Cebollas, Sweetbreads with Fennel al Mono, and the Bone Marrow with Radishes. We also asked for some Jamon Iberico to start with since the pig leg was STARING us in the face. The jamon was obviously delicious but the crusty bread and olives they gave as an obligatory snack was lacking. I’ll rephrase that: the crusty bread was lacking – very hard and kinda tasteless. But at least it was the only ‘BOOO’ factor for the entire meal.

The bone marrow came out first and it was magical.  Silky, salty, and meaty - the texture of the bone marrow can only be described as etheral. Served on chewy, crusty, buttery bread it was positively perfect. The foie gras was combined with different types of onions and it was utterly delicious. In fact, my husband thought it was the best thing her had ever eaten. The sweetbreads were crunchy and juicy – but they werent the best sweetbreads I’ve ever eaten (where were the best sweetbreads? MAZE).

 In summation: eat here. I know I’ll be back.

Egg: A Brooklyn Staple

First I want everyone know, I didnt just want to like Egg – I wanted to love it. It has all the makings of a ‘Vicky Top Ten’. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day (and theyspecialize in it), most of their ingredients are from local farms, and the foods got southern flair. Unfortunately it didnt live up to the hype.

It was around 2pm on a Saturday and the hubs and I were more than peckish. We originally planned to eat at Relish but of course they were filming a movie IN the diner for the entire day. So we wander around Berry and saw Egg…and thought why not.

We didnt really wait to be seated since it was already past 2. We did however wait for the food. I ordered the Grits and Eggs with a side of homemade sausage. My husband went for the pulled pork sandwich because he wasn’t in the mood for breakfast. We waited almost an hour for our food and we were STARVING when it arrived so we started scarfing it down. After the first few bits it hit me – the sausage was bitter and dry and the grits were bland. Not to mention the fact that my eggs were runny. Ugh. I was so sad. My husbands sandwich was also dry. Seriously? This was the famous Egg??

Once again – since I love Egg in theory I promise to give it another chance.

I Want Macaroons!

The best part about NYC is how easy it is to walk around and find a gem. One day while I was wandering around West 36th street looking for a decent cup of coffee and I found the Macaron Cafe. Here’s my review:

They have dozens of macaroon flavors:  Vanilla, Bourbon Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Pumpkin, Caramel, Pistachio,  Raspberry, Strawberry, Apple Spice, Lavender, Earl Grey, etc. The flavors change for the season and can be either fruity, floral, citrus, nutty, and/or chocolately.

The sandwiches are also really delicious. The ‘Paris’ has thick slices of ham, homemade mayo, gruyere, and cornichons. Add 2 macaroons and a cafe latte and you’ve got an amazing lunch for under $15.  If you’re lucky, you’ll arrive right when they’re making a fresh batch of the delightful namesake cookie. Watch them while you’re waiting for your java.

 

161 W 36th St (between 7th Avenue and Broadway)
New York, NY 10018 

My One on One with Jacques Torres

Ok – maybe the title is a bit misleading. I did meet Jacques Torres – in fact I’ve met him twice – but I’ve never really sat down and talked to him. No one on one interview…as of yet. This brief blog is about the best hot chocolate I have ever had in my entire life.

I was getting an emergency passport (again) since I had lost mine and was about 10 days away from  flying to Montreal on business. The stress of taking a day off to get my passport and the possibility of leaving the country in less than a fortnight without one was working me up, so I decided to hit up the Jacques Torres Chocolate place on 350 Hudson (conveniently around the corner from the NY Passport Agency) to soothe my aggravated soul. It was 9:30am so I couldnt indulge too much. I have a strick policy of no truffles before noon – once you start down that path it’ll only end up with you eating a bag of a potato chips, 1/2 lb of prosciutto, and a cup of ice cream for dinner.

Anyway, I walked in and did my typical look around the store. It was completely empty — then again it was 9:30am on a Tuesday. I ordered my wicked hot chocolate to the guy behind the counter without really looking at him. It wasn’t until I heard in a French accent “Of course miss….brisk out today isn’t it??” did I realize it was Jacques Torres MAKING MY hot chocolate. Needless to say it was a perfectly balanced cocoa with a hint of spice…just how I like it. I have a lot of respect for a man who still works his stores by his lonesome at 9:30am even after all his success. Kudos Jacques!!

So next time your in the neighborhood (either DUMBO or Hudson) stop on into his place. Who knows, he might just be the one making your hot chocolate.

Location:
350 Hudson at King Street (1 block South of Houston)

Store hours:
Mon – Sat 9:00am – 7:00pm
Sunday 10:00am – 6:00pm

Fulton Stall Market Opens!

Of course I had to go to the opening day of the Fulton Stall Market at the South Street Seaport this year on May 22nd. It was a lovely 80-something degree day and I was parading around NYC with my sis-in-law Marianne. We decided to check out the market around lunch time  – figuring we’d get a bunch of stuff and eat lunch outside. We did the free taste test run throughout all the stands and then made our way backwards to purchase.

The Positives:

Sang Lee Farms had delicious veggies-to-go with ginger dipping sauces and garlic dipping sauces – note to all moms in the area: these are great snacks for young ones. The boys at the Valley Shepherd Creamery were more than generous with their samples (I’m almost positive one of them was hitting on Marianne ) and their cheese was delicious. Try the Manchego if they have it or the cheese with nettles. I had never tried nettle cheese before but it was actually pretty tasty! Bread Alone had excellent baguettes and also produced a yummy and smooth lemon/blueberry pie.

The Negatives:

Its just too small. It hardly feels like a market at all. With all the delicious food in the area, why such a small space? Plus its next to the seaport which I guess is a plus if you are a tourist but I always find it to be a bit of a drag. I’m not in LOVE with the seaport crowd and never have been. I was also a bit disappointed that Yummy Coffee only had beans to purchase. No samples. No drinks available. Its a hot Spring day in Manhattan and you can’t offer me iced coffee drink options? WHY? Maybe I’ll want to buy the beans after tasting how delicious your coffee is?! Heck – even local wineries give out taste samples…C’MON!

All in all it was a nice experience and if you are in the area – you should go….even if it’s just for the cheese boys.

http://www.fultonstallmarket.com/home.html

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