Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Italian

02 Aug 2011

Eataly – New York City

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Before departing New York City for the temperate pastures of Los Angeles, The Astronomer, Cousin Jackie, and I grabbed a quick lunch at Eataly. The Italian food hall, which is modeled after the original Eataly in Turin, boasts 36,500 square feet of gustatory and sensory pleasure.

The folks behind this temple of Italian food are none other than restaurateurs Joseph Bastianich and Mario Batali. Man, these guys sure have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to feeding the masses all things Italian.

The humongous space was crammed with people of all stripes during lunchtime, which made navigating the various restaurants and stands less pleasurable than I would have liked. While I don’t mind standing elbow to elbow with strangers on the subways and streets, I’d much rather not have to fight for my lunch.

Our initial plan was to dine at La Pizza & La Pasta, but the hour-long wait didn’t fit into our schedules. Instead, we dined picnic style on various meats, cheeses, and breads that we procured throughout the market. My favorite stop was at the cured meat stand. The man behind the counter was knowledgeable, opinionated, and offered up plenty of samples to guide our taste buds.

The cheese counter was equally robust, with over 400 varieties of regional Italian cheeses.

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Restaurant Review

31 Jul 2011

53rd and 6th Halal Cart – New York City

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It was a gamble seeking out “street meat” for dinner the night before my brother’s wedding. There was a slim but real chance that the platters of sauce drenched meat would wreck havoc on our systems, rendering me a useless bridesmaid and my mom a less-than-cheery mother of the groom. Still, we had to take a chance on this New York City classic. The smells emanating from the flat top grills had us primed and ready.

There was a sizable line stretching down the street when The Astronomer, my mom, and I arrived on the scene. With multiple carts claiming to be the real Halal Guys occupying the four-way intersection, I had to text the guru of street meat to confirm the coordinates. The real deal is found on the southwest corner of 53rd and 6th after 6 PM. Thanks for helping a tourist out, Zach!

Before serving the hungry crowd, The Halal guys spent a solid thirty minutes grilling pita breads and mincing chicken and lamb. Lots of preparation was required in order to survive the long night of service ahead.

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Now Closed

28 Jul 2011

Má Pêche – New York City

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Every time I visit New York City, I try to squeeze in a meal at a cutting-edge Vietnamese restaurant. It brings me great pleasure to experience the cuisine I grew up on in fresh and innovative ways, even if it means dropping more change than usual.

On our previous visit to the city, The Astronomer and I lunched on the most delectable banh mi at Chef Angelo Sosa’s Xie Xie. We were hoping to experience the same kind of Midtown magic at Má Pêche, the latest restaurant in Chef David Chang’s Momofuku empire.

Opened in 2010, Má Pêche is located in the basement of the Chambers Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The windowless room is minimally appointed and feels something like a sterile cave. Here, Tien Ho, the former chef at Momofuku Ssäm Bar, dishes up his brand of French-Vietnamese cooking.

While I wanted to try the restaurant’s upscale rendition of bo bay mon (beef seven ways), which is priced at $450 for parties of four to eight, my dining companions weren’t up for throwing down a Benjamin for the experience. So, we came here for lunch instead.

Every table was outfitted with menus, napkins, chopsticks, a squeeze bottle filled with Sriracha, and Maggi seasoning sauce. If you haven’t experienced the umami bomb that is Maggi, you must get your hands on a bottle. It tastes like a dream atop sunny side up eggs.

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