Monthly Archive for June, 2007

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Peter Luger – Brooklyn

Published by Gastronomer on June 7, 2007 in Burgers, New York City and Restaurant Review. 4 Comments

May 28, 2007
Cuisine: Steakhouse

178 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Phone: 718-387-7400
Website: www.peterluger.com

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Onion, Rye and Salt, White (complimentary)

Luger Burger with Cheese ($10)

Luger Milk Chocolate Coins (complimentary)

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After a seven mile run along the scenic East River, The Astronomer and I were ready for day two of our food tour. We hopped on the F train, transferred to the M, and eventually arrived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at Peter Luger.

Peter Luger is famous for their superior steaks, but we came for their lesser-known hamburger. Ever since discovering Alan Richman’s list of “The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die,” I’ve been aiming to try them all. Richman’s fourth ranked Rouge Burger in Philadelphia did not disappoint, so I had particularly high expectations for the second ranked Luger Burger.

The Astronomer and I shared a Luger Burger because we had big eating plans ahead of us. The burger’s base price is $8.50 and cheese is available for an additional $1.50. Unlike the kind folks at Momofuku, we were charged a split fee of $3, which was disappointing considering what a well-regarded restaurant Peter Luger is. Before our burger arrived, we enjoyed some complimentary bread with butter. My favorite was the white dinner roll because it had the fluffiest interior.

At last our burger arrived and it looked delectable—thick meat patty, melted cheese, and sesame seed bun. We cut the burger in half and dug right in. Even though we ordered our hamburger prepared medium, it came out a tad pinker than we had hoped. But because the meat was so juicy and flavorful, we really didn’t mind too much. The highlight of the hamburger was definitely the meat; we could taste the impeccable quality in every bite. Neither of us bothered to slather ketchup on our hamburgers because they were so good as is. Disappointingly, the cheese and sesame seed bun were forgettable.

The Luger Burger’s patty is without a doubt top-notch, but the Rouge Burger offers a more complete hamburger package in my book. #4 > #2. The milk chocolate coins provided a pleasant conclusion to our meal.

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Babycakes – New York City

Published by Gastronomer on June 6, 2007 in Bakery, Dessert, New York City, Restaurant Review and Vegan. 13 Comments

May 27, 2007
Cuisine: Desserts, Bakery

248 Broome St, New York 10002
Btwn Orchard & Ludlow St

Phone: 212-677-5047
Website: w ww.babycakesnyc.com

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Chocolate Spelt Cupcake with Rich Chocolate Frosting ($2.95)

Vanilla Spelt Cupcake with Zesty Lemon Frosting ($2.95)

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The cupcake craze taking over New York City and Los Angeles has yet to hit Philadelphia so I included a handful of bakeries specializing in cupcakes on the food tour. BabyCakes was the first one we hit up since it was located near our shelter in the Lower East Side.

Babycakes differentiates itself from the sea of competitors by offering vegan cupcakes. Erin McKenna, BabyCakes’ founder, virtuously touts on the bakery’s website:

In a city dominated by cupcakes overflowing with sugar, flour and butter cream, it’s easy for those with delicate tummies to feel left out. BabyCakes offers all natural, organic and delicious alternatives free from the common allergens: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein and eggs. Rest assured, all sweeteners have been chosen responsibly and used sparingly. White sugar will never be found in our bakery, nor will we ever use toxic chemical sweeteners. Instead, most products are sweetened with agave nectar—a natural syrup from a cactus which is low on the glycemic index and often a safe alternative to most non-insulin dependent diabetics. Occasionally, unprocessed and unrefined sugar is used in certain goods, although sparingly.

Curious to try sweets made without the usual suspects, The Astronomer and I picked up two cupcakes to-go. He chose lemon, while I went with chocolate. We dropped off the cupcakes in my brother’s apartment then headed off to dinner. Hours later when we returned to enjoy our treats, the frosting had unfortunately melted due to warm temperatures both inside the apartment and the cupcakes’ plastic container.

While I must admit that the frosting-less cupcakes looked a little pitiful, they still tasted great. Both cupcakes were sweet and moist—the lemon one was tart and the chocolate one was very chocolaty. When it comes to cupcakes, I totally appreciate one-dimensional flavors. The texture and taste achieved without butter or eggs by the clever bakers at BabyCakes is very impressive.

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Momofuku Noodle Bar – New York City

Published by Gastronomer on June 5, 2007 in Japanese, New York City and Restaurant Review. 3 Comments

momo door

May 27, 2007
Cuisine: Noodle Shops, Japanese

163 1st Ave, New York 10003
Btwn 10th & 11th St

Phone: 212-475-7899
Website:www.momofuku.com

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Ramen with Shredded Berkshire Pork ($10)

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Our second stop on the NYC Memorial Day food tour was at Momofuku Noodle Bar. The Astronomer, Miho, and I managed to save enough room to share a bowl of pork ramen even after some hefty appetizers at Dumpling House. Regrettably, our appetites weren’t sufficient enough to order the Berkshire Pork Buns, but they are definitely one of my favorite menu items.

My brother introduced me to Momofuku over a year ago and I try to return whenever I’m in the city for work or play. The noodle bar is literally the the size of a shoe box and is almost always packed during peak dining hours. I was expecting a ridiculous wait for a table since Momofuku’s chef and owner David Chang recently won the 2007 Rising Chef Award from the James Beard Foundation. I was pleasantly surprised when we were seated only after three minutes of idleness.

One bowl of pork ramen was the perfect portion for the three of us after our Dumpling House binge. Although we felt a little strange ordering a single bowl of ramen, our waiter was totally cool with our request to share (unlike the folks at Peter Luger—details to come).

Authenticity aside, the pork ramen is a brilliant creation. The long strands of noodles are perfectly al dente even when dunked in the steaming savory broth. The Astronomer and Miho both commented that the broth was most excellent, but I found it a tad too salty. The bamboo shoots, fresh peas, and scallions go wonderfully with the ramen and provide both texture and freshness to the dish. The shredded Berkshire pork, though noticeably fatty, is my favorite element for its unrivaled flavor.

Dumpling House – New York City

Published by Gastronomer on June 4, 2007 in Chinese, New York City and Restaurant Review. 4 Comments

May 27 and 28, 2007
Cuisine: Chinese

118 Eldridge St, New York 10002
Btwn Grand & Broome St

Phone: 212-625-8008
Website: none

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Chives and Pork Boiled Dumpling (10/$2.00)

Chives and Pork Fried Dumplings (5/$1.00)

Sesame Pancake with Beef ($1.50)

Sesame Pancake with Tuna Fish ($1.50)

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Gastronomer: This past Memorial Day weekend, The Astronomer and I headed to New York City for a 36 hour food tour. The only items on our agenda were breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which kept us busy and well-fueled. Prior to embarking upon the city, I meticulously researched and composed an ambitious list of eateries I wanted to try or revisit:

Babycakes NYC: 248 Broome St New York, NY 10002 (212) 677-5047
Billy’s Bakery: 184 9th Ave New York, NY 10011 (212) 647-9956
Bouchon Bakery: 10 Columbus Cir. New York, NY 10019 (212) 823-9366
Doughnut Plant: 379 Grand St New York, NY 10002 (212) 505-3700
Dumpling House: 118 Eldridge St New York, NY 10002 (212) 625-8008
Magnolia Bakery: 401 Bleecker St New York, NY 10014 (212) 462-2572
Momofuku Ssam Bar: 207 2nd New York, NY 10003 (212) 254-3500
Momofuku: 163 1st Ave # 2 New York, NY 10003 (212) 475-7899
N.Y. Dosas: W. 4th St. at Sullivan St New York, NY 10014 (917) 710-2092
Peter Luger Steak House: 178 Broadway Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 387-7400
Shake Shack: 11 Madison Ave New York, NY 10010 (212) 889-6600

Due to a combination of time and stomach constraints, we didn’t make it to all the places listed above. But seven unique delights in 36 hours isn’t too shabby! Our first and last meal was at Dumpling House located in my brother’s ‘hood—the Lower East Side.

Astronomer: Dumpling House was an amazing find—delicious northern Chinese cuisine at truly incredible prices. With my friend Miho in tow, the total dinner bill for three came out to a mere $8 for twenty pork and chive dumplings, two large stuffed sesame pancakes, and a bottle of water. Placing our order in the chaos of the crowded, tiny restaurant was not easy, but we eventually managed to communicate with the staff and received our food.

Gastronomer: While the wait at Dumpling House can be long due to its immense popularity and limited staff, the open kitchen provides great entertainment. There are a handful of stools located in the back of the restaurant for in-house diners, but the restaurant’s cramped space isn’t the most inviting. We took our dumplings and sesame pancakes to Roosevelt Park two blocks away to enjoy.

Astronomer: Both varieties of dumpling were flavorful and juicy; so juicy in fact that we were forced to eat standing up to save our clothes. I preferred the boiled dumplings, while the Gastronomer liked the pan-fried ones. We all agreed that both types were irresistible.

Gastronomer: The fried dumplings had the most wonderful texture that was both soft and chewy, especially along the crisped edges. The boiled dumplings’ exterior was delicate and subtle. The pork and chive interiors were seasoned fantastically; definitely no soy sauce required.

The sesame pancakes were an interesting creation—giant spheres of dough are deep fried and cut into triangular wedges. The wedges can either be eaten plain or sliced down the middle and stuffed with tuna, beef, or vegetables. Each sandwich is garnished with pickled carrots and cilantro, which reminded The Astronomer and I of bánh mì. The tuna filling was spicy, while the beef was smoky in flavor. I highly recommend the tuna sesame pancake.

Astronomer: We liked everything so much that we gave Dumpling House the honor of being the only place that we visited twice on our tour, returning the next evening after our plans to eat at N.Y. Dosas fell through.

Apricot and Berry Crumble

Published by Gastronomer on June 2, 2007 in Crumble + Crisp + Cobbler, Dessert and Recipe. 2 Comments

An excerpt from Ruth Reichl’s Gourmet Weekly e-newsletter—

The first California apricots showed up at the market this week, which makes me absurdly happy. Fresh apricots, with their understated tartness, make the best—and easiest—desserts. You don’t even need a knife to cut them. Here’s my favorite crumble:

2 pounds apricots
1 stick butter
3/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. flour
Grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pull apart 2 pounds of apricots, remove pits, and put apricots in a pie plate.

If you don’t have 2 pounds of apricots or want to include berries into the mix, add an assortment of blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc. to equal 2 pounds of fruit total.

Melt 1 stick of butter and stir in 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup flour. Grate in a bit of fresh nutmeg and cover apricots with the mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes and serve warm, with vanilla ice cream.