Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

28 Sep 2009

Journey to Blue Hill at Stone Barns

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Located 45 minutes outside of Manhattan, Blue Hill at Stone Barns is a working farm, an educational center, and a restaurant, all with a shared mission: to celebrate year-round farm-to-table agriculture and promote the connection between farming and eating. Of all the restaurants on my New York City itinerary, this meal was the one I was looking forward to the most.

Half the fun of dining at Chef Dan Barber’s locavore temple is the journey. Well, maybe an eighth of the fun is more accurate. After our breakfast at Russ and Daughters and a light snack at Momofuku Ssäm Bar, The Astronomer and I trekked forty blocks to Grand Central Station.

After purchasing tickets, we boarded the express train to Tarrytown. The 30-minute ride offered beautiful views of the Hudson River. Unlike our dear friend the Los Angeles River, this one was whooshing with water and free of graffiti. From the Tarrytown train station, we flagged a taxi that dropped us off steps away from the restaurant.

Before getting our farmers feast on, The Astronomer and I strolled around the farm to see the sights and greet the animals whose relatives we would soon be eating.

The first creature we sought out was the Stone Barns sheep dog. According to Wikipedia, humans first trained sheep dogs to herd and guard their flocks thousands of years ago. These dogs are very active and intelligent. My brother absolutely adores the Stone Barns sheep dog, and after meeting him myself, I am smitten as well.

After watching the herd of sheep tirelessly munch on grass, The Astronomer and I walked over to the massive greenhouse.

The greenhouse covers 22,000 square feet (a full half acre) of year-round growing space for dozens of crop varieties and uses only a minimal amount of added heat.

Every inch of space, every seedling, every clump of soil is intensely managed 365 days a year. The greenhouse has two unusual features: retracting roof panels that allow plants to “go outside” on nice days, and natural and cultivatable dirt “floors.”

There are a plethora of colorful signs around the farm to educate visitors on various operations. Click on the photo to learn how composting works at Stone Barns.

Lettuces.

Bees pollinating a bushy pink flower.

After meandering around the grounds and taking in the farm’s beauty, it was time for us to dine.

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Blue Hill at Stone Barns
630 Bedford Road
Pocantico Hills, NY 10591
Phone: 914-366-9600

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25 Sep 2009

Momofuku Ssäm Bar – New York City

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I would’ve never guessed back in 2006 when my brother introduced me to Momofuku Noodle Bar that chef David Chang would eventually mastermind a lucky peach empire. Built largely on ramen, pork buns, and uncomfortable wooden stools, the Momofication of the East Village is currently four restaurants strong. In addition to the original Noodle Bar, Chang also operates Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Momofuku Milk Bar, and Momofuku Ko. Another yet-to-be-named Momofuku establishment is slated to open in Midtown at the Chambers Hotel later this year.

The Astronomer and I managed to hit up two of Chang’s restaurants during our week-long jaunt to New York City. We toyed with the idea of dining at Ko, but found the reservation policy overly demanding and decided to leave that leaf unturned for the time being.

In between a late breakfast at Russ and Daughters and a farmers feast at Blue Hill, The Astronomer and I stopped into Ssäm Bar for a snack. Ssäm, according to the restaurant’s FAQ page, is “anything that is encircled or wrapped.” We started with an order of the steamed pork buns ($9), a dish so desirable that it is available at every single Momofuku location.

Served warm, the duo of buns were lacquered with hoisin sauce and stuffed with pork belly, slivers of cucumbers, and scallions. The first time I tasted Chang’s now infamous buns, pork belly was still widely considered a lesser meat. Now that this fatty bit has properly integrated onto restaurant menus from coast to coast, the buns have lost some of their decadent luster. The pork buns were still damn tasty, but slightly less swoon-inducing due to the belly’s ubiquitous presence elsewhere.

For our second plate, The Astronomer chose the grilled baby octopus with chorizo, pickled fennel, potatoes, and piperade oil ($15). Whenever octopus is available on a menu, my boy cannot help himself. The overly charred octopus set a harsh tone that the more delicately flavored ingredients could not overcome. Although I wanted to order a third dish to make up for the eight-legged flop, we were due at Blue Hill in a few short hours, so we left Ssäm with a slightly burnt taste in our mouths. Shucks.

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Momofuku Ssäm Bar
207 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212-254-3500

Restaurant Review

23 Sep 2009

Russ and Daughters – New York City

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My first mission during a recent week-long stay in New York City was to get my grubby little hands on some proper bagels, lox, and cream cheese, preferably all three smooshed together in sandwich form. There’s something about the combination of hearty carbohydrates paired with creamy fat and salty protein that I find immensely satisfying. I’d eat these three items every morning if I could.

Russ and Daughters has been perfecting the art of Jewish appetizing in Manhattan’s Lower East Side since 1914. Among American Jews residing in New York City, “appetizing” is used as a noun by itself to refer to the foods eaten with bagels.

The small, standing room only shop sells chocolates and baked goods in addition to an eye-catching array of dairy and “pareve” (neither dairy nor meat) appetizing. While I was taken aback by the fluorescent quality of the fish roe, The Astronomer was surprised by the availability of tofu-based cream cheeses. The air was thick with the wonderful smell of smoked fish; I wanted to eat everything in sight.

On our first visit to Russ and Daughters, The Astronomer and I shared a plain bagel with Norwegian salmon, capers, and a schmear of decadent caviar cream cheese ($9.45). The caviar-laden spread, which cost us two extra bucks, earned its keep with each savory pop. The characteristically chewy bagel matched the filling in greatness.

On trip number two to Russ and Daughters the following day, The Astronomer and I shared an everything bagel with lox cream cheese ($3.45). ‘Tis impossible to go wrong with smoked salmon and cream cheese married into one spread. Impossible.

On my short list of perfect meals, the Jewish-American triple threat of smoked fish, bagels, and cream cheese ranks near the top. Truly, only a superb Asian noodle soup and a well-crafted banh mi can dare to compete with this thoroughly delicious package.

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Russ and Daughters
179 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10002
Phone: 212-475-4880