Thursday May 20th

3pm

84 Stanton Street

After sending a few places from my “must try list” to The Wandering Foodie we decided on the recently open Meatball Shop in the Lower East Side for a late lunch. I read about it when it first opened, and the idea of being able to order meatballs at 4am was intriguing (the kitchen is open until 4am Thursday – Saturday, until 2am Sunday – Wednesday). If you didn’t guess from the name, meatballs are the specialty of the house. The space itself is small—a large communal table fills most of the dining room with a few tables running along the side wall and about a dozen seats at the bar. During warm weather there’s a few tables available outside as well. Fresh flowers are neatly arranged at each table, a chalkboard announces the specials of the day (featuring a daily meatball, sauce, side, salad and ice-cream) and black and white vintage family portraits line the red wall.

When you sit down you’re handed a laminated menu and a dry erase marker to make your selections. The menu is divided into 3 sections: Ala Carte Balls, Sandwiches – hero (served on a baugette) or sliders, and a meatball smash (served on a brioche bun).

How it works:

Step 1. Select ala carte, slider, hero or smash

Step 2. Select your meatball – chicken, beef, pork, vegetarian (made with lentils and walnuts) or special

Step 3. Choose a sauce – classic tomato, spicy beef, parmasean cream, mushroom or special

Step 4. Mozzarella or provolone

I love the idea of taking one food – the meatball – and creating an endless choice of options, but I guess this is why you get the dry erase marker in case you start to second guess. If you’re at a loss the wait staff will gladly offer up their recommendations and favorite combinations. These aren’t Mom’s meatballs (my Sicilian Mother and Grandmother used a mix of pork, veal and beef and simmered them in a tomato sauce with neck bones for flavor), but they were tender and delicious. I recommend trying the basil pesto (if available as the special) with a chicken meatball or the spicy beef with a beef meatball (beef on beef seems so gluttonous but tasted so good).

Tip: Don’t forget to save room for dessert! The ice-cream is made in-house and you can create a “custom” ice-cream sandwich from a choice of four types of cookies or a brownie.

Lunch

(I had a taste of each)

• Sliders – beef with spicy beef, special jambalaya with shrimp, andouille and rice with basil pesto (the only miss, was too salty and fishy), pork with mushroom, chicken with classic tomato
• Smash – chicken with basil pesto and mozzarella (my favorite)
• Side of white beans
• Special salad – arugula with asparagus and a creamy lemon vinagarette
• Market salad – arugula with apples
• House made tangerine, caramel and mint ice-cream with a ginger snap cookie on the side (We couldn’t come to a decision on a sandwich combination so ordered ala carte)

Good for: Meatballs, Endless Choices of Meatballs, Late Night Meatballs, Customizable Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Sunday May 9th

4:45pm

377 Greenwich Street (located in the Greenwich Hotel)

Locanda Verde has it all – co-owned by Robert De Niro, an award winning chef and pastry chef, a prime TriBeCa location, a warm and welcoming atmosphere – but it does not have reservations through the website or OpenTable. You actually have to call and speak to a real person who then flips through pages of booked time slots for the next 4 weeks. Only 3/4 of the tables are reserved and the remaining 1/4 is open to walk-ins to keep with it’s casual neighborhood vibe—plus there’s always the option to dine at the bar if you’re lucky enough to land one of the coveted dozen or so stools. The Wine Dutchess and I thought we’d take advantage of the off-peak hour and stopped by for a glass of wine at the bar. Our bartender informed us that the kitchen didn’t open until 5:30pm on Sunday, so we sipped some wine and at 5:20pm put in our order early for two types of crostini – the ricotta (which I had on a previous visit) and the bartender recommended the blue crab and jalapeño for our second. The menu is rustic, classic Italian and changes nightly. The oversized menus are printed each day on brown paper and feature crostini, seven choices of “secondi” entrees and pastas with Andrew Carmellini, a protégé of Daniel Boulud, as the chef. On a previous visit the Grandma’s Ravioli were outstanding – delicate little pillows of pasta stuffed with the trinity of beef, pork and veal. In keeping with the casual theme, nothing on the menu is over $25. The wine list by the glass is small but affordable as well, averaging $12 and featuring a selection of Italian Reds and Whites along with Digestivi. If you’re not familar with Italian wines your bartender or server will gladly pour you a taste or offer a recommendation.

Note: There’s also a “cafe” area in the front where you can sit and relax with a cappucino or espresso while enjoying one of famed pastry chef Karen DeMasco’s creations.

Wine:

• Vietti Barbera D’ Asti Tre Vigne 2007

Crostini:

• Ricotta – fresh ricotta served with a drizzle of olive oil, topped with sea salt and fresh herbs. Served with lightly grilled crostini and focaccia
• Blue Crab and Jalapeño served on top of a crostini

Good for: Rustic Italian Food, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Warm Atmosphere, Casual Neighborhood Dining, Robert De Niro sightings, Notable Chef and Pastry Chef

Saturday May 1st

5pm
757 Fulton Street (Brooklyn)

I’ve always heard the grilled corn and margaritas at Café Habana in Soho were amazing, but the small space makes for long lines and I’ve never ventured over for that reason. A friend invited me to the Habana Outpost in Brooklyn to enjoy a few afternoon margaritas on the outdoor patio– but the long lines seem to have found their way across the river. We arrived (a quick drive from downtown and accessible from the 2/3, 4/5 or C) and my friend explained there’s two lines – one for food orders and one for drinks and grilled corn. The crowd was spilled into the street waiting, and we got on line for drinks. It moved quickly – but not that quickly. They offer buckets of beer but not pitchers of drinks, which is surprising since Sangrias and Mojitos go so well in a pitcher. I’d recommend ordering two because you’re not going to want to get back in line anytime soon. When ordering food or grilled corn you’re given a ticket to take to the “truck” – a repurposed street food truck that resides on the back patio and serves as the kitchen. It’s important to take the ticket to the truck right away because the cooks are flooded with orders and they get cranky when you wait.

Note: Habana Outpost is an eco-eatery which means they’ve incorporated green practices into the construction and day-to-day operations, including solar panels and a rainwater collection system. They also have a “human bike blender” where pedaling the bike causes the blender’s blade to spin, eliminating the need for a motor. If you pedal you get a $1 discount – plus burn of some of the calories from the margaritas!

Drinks

• Frozen Margarita
• Frozen Mojito

Snack

• Mexican-style Grilled Corn – slathered with a creamy concoction (perhaps a blend of butter and mayonnaise), rolled in cojito cheese, topped with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and served with a lime wedge. It really is worth the wait!

Their famed grilled corn is worth the wait!

Frozen margarita and frozen mojito – so good they offer a drink that’s a blend of both.

Two lines form at the door – one for drinks & corn only, the other for food

Good for: Grilled Corn, Human-powered bike blender, Margaritas and Mojitos, Outdoor Seating

Tuesday April 27th, 2010
6:30pm
156 9th Avenue

I’ve been wanting to attend a tasting dinner sponsored by Tasting Table—3 courses paired with wine for $50 seemed like a great deal. When I received an email that there was a “Think Pink” Rosé Dinner being held at Tipsy Parson in Chelsea I called the Wine Dutchess and we sent in our RSVPs, despite having read mixed reviews on the venue. The restaurant bills itself as southern and cozy with a seasonal menu. The space itself was inviting and the front area had window seats looking out to 9th Avenue, however the bar area was maybe a bit too cozy with one to many tables piled next to each other. The evening began with passed canapés of pickled deviled eggs and salmon gravlax and cucumber paired with Cava. It seemed promising. The Wine Dutchess and I were seated in the bar area and not the main dining room, which was fine considering it was a full house that night (the restaurant was closed for this event). The servers began to pour the first flight of wine and the only instruction was to “drink counter-clockwise”. I was expecting the representative from VOS to explain the flights in a little more detail, but there was only a flurry of servers trying to get out the course while it was hot. My serving of pork belly during the first course was practically inedible and consisted of about 90% fat and gristle. The lone bite of meat I managed to find from my serving was over-salted and over-cooked (maybe I’m spoiled from David Chang’s pork belly at Noodle Bar?) and the tiny portion of ramps and rhubarb were oddly chewy. The next course was rack of lamb and the Wine Dutchess was missing her rack (her portion was served without bones) while mine was a bit too rare and under-seasoned. The next flight of wine was poured and still no word from our sponsor. Dessert was the only highlight of the meal – a White Chocolate Raspberry Parfait (no coffee was served, I would have gladly paid extra for a espresso). I can say this was my first and last trip to Tipsy Parsons.

Canapé

• Pickled Deviled Eggs, Salmon Gravlax and Cucumber
• Wine Pairing: Dibon Brut Reserve Cava Rosado Penedes, Spain

First Course

• Fudge Farms Braised Pork Belly with Ramps and Rhubarb
• Wine Flight: 1. Chateau de Roquefort “Corail Rosé Provence, France 2009 2. Domaine Le Galantin Bandol Rosé Provence, France 2009 3. Kir-Yianni Akakies Xynomavro Rosé Amyndeon, Greece 2008

Second Course

• Roasted Rack of Lamb with Beet Dumplings and Fresh Horseradish
• Wine Flight: 1. Urano Rosé Menoza, Argentina 2009 2. Chateau Haut Rian Rosé Bordeaux, France 2009
• JM Raffault Chinon Rosé Loire, France 2009

Dessert

• White Chocolate Raspberry Parfait – almond dacquoise (a cake made with layers of nut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream) with pink peppercorn streusel

(LEAVING OUT THE “GOOD FOR” IN LEIU OF A DOWNTOWN GOURMAND FIRST – NOT RECOMMENDED)

Tuesday March 23, 2010
12:45pm
66 Pearl Street

I ventured out for a salad and noticed that FIKA had opened on Pearl Street. Curious, I stepped inside to the minimalist interior to place my order. The menu features classic Swedish dishes (shrimp salad, gravlax, meatballs), along with salads and sandwiches. They also carry truffles and pastries along with a coffee bar, as the name implies. The prices are a bit high for lunch, my salad ended up costing $14 because I added chicken to it – which ended up looking better than it tasted. Next time I’ll be ordering coffee … and a truffle.

Lunch

• Pear & Walnut Salad – blue cheese, roasted walnuts (skipped and added chicken), pear, cherry tomatoes, radish

GOOD FOR: COFFEE, TRUFFLES, INFORMAL MEETING

Wednesday March 17, 2010
1:45pm
76 Fulton Street

In anticipation of St. Patrick’s Day festivities planned later in the evening I thought it might be wise to have a good lunch. The Country Kebab is a tiny carry out (with limited seating) Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant on Fulton Street. The food is fresh, authentic and reasonably priced for the FiDi.  There’s a great selection of all the classic vegetarian dishes (such as hummus, tabouleh, babaganoush and falafel) but they also serve lamb, chicken and fish options. They also serve a variety of soup (my favorites are the butternut squash or lentil) and a daily hot food selection.

Lunch (enough left over for another meal/snack)

• Chicken kebab platter – served with a warm pita, spicy red sauce, white sauce and a choice of 3 sides
• Sides –  2 stuffed grape leaves, hummus and Shepherd’s salad (cucumber, tomato, feta, red onion and parsley in fresh lemon juice and olive oil)

Good for: Cheap Eats, Lunch, Carry Out, Delivery