This Little Piggy went to the New Amsterdam Market

I was excited to go to the New Amsterdam Market this past Sunday, especially since I had enjoyed October's market so much.  I was a little worried that the snow would deter some shoppers and mainly vendors, particularly those coming in from out of town.  Fortunately for us, that was not the case.  For those who don't know, the New Amsterdam Market is a monthly farmers market that has been held in the South Street Seaport (shout out for FiDi) over the past few years and more regularly since September.  Their website states,

"Reinvented for our present time and needs, New Amsterdam Market will incubate a new growing business sector: purveyors who source food directly from farmers and producers whom they trust to be good stewards of our land and water."

We arrived a little late in the game at about 3:15, though luckily there was still enough time to take a look around.  Among many wonderful items present at the market were really tasty cider, kimchi, smokra (smoked, pickled okra), mead, and cheese.  The Market was also very festive, providing the vendors with bells, which they rang in order to spark holiday cheer.  Expect more to come on individual items purchased while shopping and many more posts when they re-open in Spring 2010.

Danny Meyer Considering Plaza Food Kiosks in FiDi

As I mentioned last Friday, for as dead as everyone claims the Financial District to be (and it can't be that bad since I live down there),  they certainly seem to be opening, or at least contemplating, many new restaurant endeavors in the area.  As seen yesterday on Eater,   Danny Meyer Considering Plaza Food Kiosks in FiDi.  All these new places is about enough to make me reconsider my move at the end of January.  Hopefully 2010 will be a rebirth for FiDi... We shall see.  Oink Oink!

This Little Piggy ponders "The rise of the kitchen bitch"

I found The rise of the kitchen bitch., an article published last week on doublex.com, extremely interesting.  It reminded me of a question someone asked Batali and Chang at The Strand about a month ago.  I can't remember their question verbatim, but it dealt with the woman's place in the kitchen.  I remember Chang stated that while he has no problem with women joining his team, at times it causes some issues, merely due to strength and how much a woman can lift versus a man.  Similarly, Batali claimed he also did not have any concerns with women in the kitchen, noting that they often times add a delicate touch to the pasta that a male chef cannot.  That being said, it does seem that many of the big name chefs these days do tend to be men, which is sort of strange (though not bad at all), considering that traditionally women tended to be the leader of the kitchen.  Anyways, I thought I'd include this article, which elaborates on the topic.  Please feel free to add your comments!

This Little Piggy stays warm in the Crocodile Lounge

Although it's nice to stay inside in a cozy apartment when there is a blizzard outside, I didn't want to miss the snow.  I headed out to meet a friend for a drink near his apartment at the Crocodile Lounge (E. 14th between 1st and 2nd).  I'd never been before and it felt like I had just been transported out of NYC to some random hole-in-the-wall bar in the middle of nowhere.  Mind you, the streets were completely white, as was everything else in site, so it already felt different than your normal Saturday evening in Manhattan.

I walked down into a dark bar and grabbed a seat while I waited for my friend.  The place was oddly cozy, uncrowded (though, I heard it is usually much busier) and the perfect place to have a casual drink.  I was pleased to see they had Harpoon Winter Warmer on tap and even happier when it was only $5.  I was asked if I wanted a pizza and politely declined; shocking, but I wasn't hungry.  Come to find out, that's their thing.  Evidently you get a personal cheese pie with every drink.  Lucky for me, it wasn't too late and we ordered one with my friend's drink.  This seemed like an Insane deal!  A beer and a pizza for $5?!  The pizza wasn't even bad, especially when loaded up with parm and chili flakes. 

Also exciting was that they have Skee Ball, Big Buck Hunter Safari, a photo booth and some bowling video game (like Golden Tee for bowling) that you can actually win money from.I may have just found a new favorite place! 

I definitely will be back for the pizza, beer and skee ball, not to mention it beats crossing the river to their sister restaurant, the Alligator Lounge, in Williamsburg.

This Little Piggy went to Lusso for Brunch

Lusso , a contemporary Italian restaurant located in SoHo, sits on the corner of W. Broadway and Grand in a modern, exposed brick space.  I had passed Lusso many times over the past few weeks on my walk home and was intrigued by their drink special brunch menu ($20 all you can drink with a brunch entree).  While the atmosphere is nice, cozy and offers a warm refuge to the snow outside, the food was less than delicious.

Tini and I thought it would be a great place to meet before finishing up our holiday shopping.  Although we opted out of the drink special, the coffee was good, and the bloody mary was decent.  The menu also looked appetizing, including brunch items like maple toast and steak and eggs, as well as salads and sandwiches.  I chose the eggs and polenta and Tini ordered the frittata with basil, goat cheese and potatoes.  I was hopeful about my choice, however, sadly disappointed.  The creamy polenta, which closely resembled cream of wheat, quickly became luke warm before I had hardly touched it.  Additionally, the poached eggs possessed a runny, white consistency, which I hate.  Personally, I find runny egg whites disgusting.  Fortunately, the bacon was nice and crispy, though nothing to write home about.

The frittata, on the other hand, was delicious, though I find goat cheese makes everything tasty.  The potatoes were mixed into the eggs and added a surprising texture, which I enjoyed.  Other than that, the meal was mediocre at best (clearly excluding my wonderful company).  The hi-light was definitely the decor and very much not the food.  Who knows, maybe the dinner menu is more impressive.  Unfortunately, I probably won't find out since I likely won't go back unless to grab a drink at the bar.

Get your Wall Street Burger!: The Open Door is now, um, open on John Street

For as dead as everyone says the Financial District is (I'm not disagreeing entirely), there are certainly a lot of new places opening down there.  Within the last month I can think of at least three.  First the Vintry, then a couple weeks later Goodburger and now right across the street from me, Open Door.  And coming soon (who knows when?!), Bon Chon will also open a few doors down.  All of this just two months before my lease runs out and I move farther uptown... I guess you can't win 'em all.  Luckily, my brother will still be in the area.  Anyway, more to come on the above mentioned locals in the next couple of week.  Have a good weekend!

Consumer Reports Health Blog: Is romance ruining your waistline?

Given that I am a 25 year-old woman who went to school in Texas, it's not surprising that I know dozens of girls who were getting married right out of college.  Also not too surprising, are the bitter comments I hear from ladies who are not yet married or in serious relationships.  Fret no more my friends, at least you're not one of the statistics in Reports Health Blog: Is romance ruining your waistline?, an article recently posted on Consumer Reports Health Blog discussing the correlation between marraige and weight gain.  Cheers to that next time you're at brunch with your girlfriends!

Personalized Wine Journal | Williams-Sonoma

Still finishing up your holiday shopping? Stay warm indoors and shop online at William-Sonoma. They have a wonderful selection of gifts for everyone on your list. They even break it down into price ranges for under $25, $50, $100 and $250. My personal favorite is the Personalized Wine Journal Williams-Sonoma for $49.00.  What can I cay, I'm a sucker for monograms! 

Culinary Adventure Society at Zingerman's Mail Order

Who would've guessed, based on football alone, that anything great could come from Ann Arbor, MI? This sounds like an episode of Bizarre Foods delivered right to your doorstep. So exciting!

10 Creative Mac ’n’ Cheese Creations from WomansDay.com - Macaroni and Cheese

10 Creative Mac ’n’ Cheese Creations from WomansDay.com - Macaroni and Cheese

Being the big fan of Mac 'n Cheese that I am, when my friends Bana and Lulu sent this to me, I had to re-post.  I'm looking forward to making the Three-Cheese Mini Macs!  Oink oink!
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This Little Piggy Goes Oink for Oysters!

While reading Bourdain's A Cook's Tour, In Search of the Perfect Meal I discovered that we share a love of oysters.  I was really hoping to incorporate his  feelings about the amazing bivalve into The Piggy Post, but couldn't for the life of me figure out how.  Low and behold, a wonderful article in WJS.com this morning, Re-Branding the Oyster by William Snyder.

The article is fantastic.  It provides interesting knowledge about the marketing trends currently surrounding the oyster industry.  It also explains why different oysters have different tastes and how those flavors are developed, using the comparison of different grape varietals and how those produce differing wines.  Snyder states, "That’s because like Malbec or Cabernet grapes, oysters from the same species create entirely unique tastes when raised in different conditions. But while extracting a varying flavor from a grape means growing it in a different country, climate or hemisphere, for an oyster that change in taste might only be a matter of a few yards."

Snyder's comments on oysters reminded me of Bourdain's description, "What is an oyster if not the perfect food? It requires no preparation or cooking.  Cooking would be an affront...It appears on your plate as God created it: raw, unadourned."  I also recalled Batali's response at The Strand last week when asked what his favorite meal was: "Anything someone else makes for me." He elaborated with the example of an oyster, stating if someone else was doing the shucking he could eat hundreds, while forced to do it himself he would only eat a 1/2 dozen. 

All this oyster talk has me excited to try the new Mermaid Inn Oyster Bar, open now in Greenwich Village.

This Little Piggy Goes to Brunch at BREAD

While trying to catch a matinee performance of the Nutcracker last Saturday on the LES, a friend (aka. Tini) and I decided to grab brunch beforehand. Neither of us had been to Bread, but I had walked by many times before and always thought it would be a nice place to try. Tini arrived shortly before me and was able to take shelter from the dismal weather at the quaint bar near the front of the restaurant. Upon my arrival, we were quickly seated... a pleasant surprise for 1:45 on a Saturday afternoon.

The menu was relatively simple, though not small, with only a handful of brunch options hidden on the back. I seriously considered trying the eggs benedict with prosciutto cotto, which also came with coffee and something else (I forget what), but Tini mentioned she had seen the tomato soup served to another table and that it looked tasty. Taking that into consideration, and that they're known for their bread, we both ordered the soup and 1/2 sandwich combo, an excellent deal for only $10 (the menu said $11).

We chose the tomato soup, as opposed to the soup du jour, and were slightly worried it would be a small cup and with the 1/2 sandwich we'd leave hungry (God forbid). Not to worry. The bowl of soup was larger than a regular bowl and had a delicious crostini on top with a sprinkle of parmesan (yum!). We also chose the same sandwich, the Prosciutto Di Parma with mozzarella and cherry tomatoes on ciabatta (I know, I know, we should've tried different things, but it looked so good). Additionally, the sandwich came with a small mixed greens salad. Everything was delicious! The prosciutto in my sandwich was excellent, as was the soup. The table next to us had ordered a salad and the Tortellini with butter and sage. They looked amazing as well! Given I do not live in the area, I am not sure when I will return, however, it is definitely worth the visit. Oink oink!

This Little Piggy went to 10 Downing

I had been wanting to try 10 Downing for about 8 months now.  I finally stumbled upon it last night, unknowingly, while trying to find a "Plan B" to Blue Ribbon Wine Bar.  Luckily, the wait was only about 20 minutes at 9:30 pm, and the atmosphere seemed to be just what we were looking for.  The triangular space focused its decor on one wall, including various paintings and creative pieces.  The place was lively, but not so much that you couldn't hear your conversation.  We made our way to the bar and ordered a bottle of Rioja from their small-medium sized wine list.

Upon being seated, we began to review the menu, which is broken up into small plates, appetizers, entrees and sides.  I decided I would create a meal of small plates in order to better experience the menu.  So much stood out, the bone marrow, yellowtail with uni, steak tartare, beets with burrata... the list went on.  I decided I would seek the advice of our waiter, I mean, he would know best, right?  Unfortunately, no.  When I told him what I was hoping to do and provided some of the dishes that jumped out at me, he sneered "Well, they're all different."  Clearly I knew that bone marrow and yellowtail were not remotely similar, I was merely hoping for some guidance.  This attitude persisted throughout the meal, although the rest of the staff was delightful.

Anyway, I selected the beets with burrata, wild mushroom polenta with manchego, and the steak tartare, and was pleasantly surprised with my choices.  The beets came first with a beautiful presentation.  An assortment of both purple and orange beets were placed throughout the plate, with delicious morsels of fresh, creamy burrata intermixed.  Then, the tartare and polenta arrived.  The steak tartare was one of the best I have had, however, I think next time I may forgo the polenta with manchego to try something new.  My friend ordered the roasted chicken, which comes in both a half and full order.  It was delicious, very moist, and the skin was nice and crispy, though it could have been a little crispier.  Additionally, we had ordered a side of the fries with truffled salt, which never came, though we were both full and definitely didn't need them.

The dessert menu also looked delicious, particularly the chocolate cake with olive oil gelato.  To my dismay, I could not eat a single thing more.  Good thing there is always next time.  While the food didn't blow me away, it was good, and I will definitely go back.

This Just In: Grub Street on Batali, Chang & Meehan @ The Strand

This Little Piggy wants Momo of Ma Peche

After reading Midtownlunch's review of Momofuku's new lunch outpost, Ma Peche, in the Chambers Hotel (56th between 5th and 6th), a couple girlfriends and I thought we'd go today for lunch.  Figuring it would be packed and we may not get a table, I arrived promptly at noon.  Luckily, it was early enough and there were still tables available.  I was prompted to have a seat in the front while I awaited the other two in my party.  The space is a very relaxing, modern hotel lobby atmosphere and I happily awaited the other two in my party. 

Once they arrived, we were escorted to a small, artistic table surrounded by a small couch and two cushioned stools.  Typically, I would find this a most uncomfortable seating arrangement, however, it went perfectly with the meal and conversation. Since the restaurant is technically not opening until 2010, they currently have a limited $10 lunch menu in addition to a small breakfast and dinner selection.  Assuming they will make additions once the restaurant is in full swing, I'm curious what they may add because right now it is perfect as is.  I selected the  bahn mi du maison, which came with a soda or spring water, as do all the lunch menu options.  My friends, who are not as crazy about pate, selected the bun du riz, a dish consisting of rice noodle, pork ragout and saw leaf herb.  Both choices were excellent.  The bahn mi quickly became my favorite of those I have tried throughout the city.  What it lacked in size, it made up for with incredible ingredients, including an absolutely delicious and creamy pate. 

Additionally, we ordered the popcorn from the regular menu, which came with a interesting nori and chili seasoning.  To top it off, we shared a peanut butter cookie, which was dazzled with bits of peanut brittle that were the perfect compliment to an otherwise perfectly moist cookie that left us asking, "how do they do that?!"

This turned out to be one of the most wonderful weekday lunch experiences I have ever had.  We didn't have to wait, the food was flawless, and the decor and table settings were especially enjoyable.  We will be back next Thursday without a doubt.

This Little Piggy Met Batali, Chang & Meehan

If you love food, and particularly restaurants in NYC, you really missed out last night if you didn't make it to The Strand to see Mario Batali, David Chang and Peter Meehan converse about life, food, and their NY outposts.  It was truly awesome and made me remember why I am so happy I moved to this city.  The event started at 7 pm and when we arrived at 6:30, it was unsurprisingly packed.  Luckily, my friend scored some great seats right in the front that had somehow been overlooked by others, and I quickly grabbed a signed copy of Babbo and dove right in while we awaited our hosts. 

Before we knew it, in rolled Batali, orange crocs and all, followed by Chang and Meehan.  The conversation was incredible.  They spoke very briefly about their new books, the Momofuku cookbook (Chang and Meehan) and Spain...A Culinary Road Trip (Batali), but mainly focused on questions raised by Meehan and the audiance.  Chang relished on his younger years, before he was voted JBF Best New Chef: NYC (2007) among others, emphasizing the wonderful inspriation and mentor that Batali had been, and continues to be (Mario frequented Momofuku for lunch in its early years on a weekly basis).  They discussed what they each look for in a cook at their restaurants and Batali said he can tell within 30 seconds of sitting down with someone whether or not they will be a stellar chef by "the kindness in their eyes".  They both elaborated on the change in the priorities of chefs over the years, touching on the new battle between passion and star chefdom.  Additionally, they spoke about the concept of authenticity.  Batali explained that for him, authenticity deals more with the ingredients than anything else, stating "We're using American ingredients with an Italian thought process," when describing his Italian restaurants, while Chang answered the million dollar question, "what type of genre would you classify the Momofuku Restaurants?" using "fusion". 

Ultimately, it was a delightful, rainy evening in New York.  Batali was hilarious and Chang had an unexpected degree of sincerity in his responses.  Peter Meehan didn't say much. I left after meeting Batali, Chang and Meehan, with a personalized copy of Babbo for my collection (I already have the one on Spain) and an even greater excitement to discover Ma Peche the following day.