Looking for a decent soft pretzel in New York City is a little like being thirsty in the middle ocean. There are pretzels everywhere, sold from ubiquitous street carts, but they’re completely inedible. Occaisionally one stumbles across handmade pretzels at a German bar like Loreley or Zum Scheider, but these places lack the get-it-and-go convenience of a cart. Sigmund Pretzel Shop, which opened last month, finally gives the Bavarian snack its due. A cafe and bakery headed by a former Bouley pastry chef, Sigmund sells fresh pretzels made on-site in small batches. Flavors include jalapeño cheddar, gruyere and paprika, garlic and parsley, salt, sesame, poppy, whole wheat, caramel, and cinnamon raisin ($3.00-$3.50). (more…)
You don’t want to go near Vatan unless you have fasted for an entire day and have a hardcore ability to pace yourself through a meal. This Curry Hill spot offers a $31 prix fixe all-you-can eat Gujarati dinner consisting of about a dozen small vegetarian plates with accompanying rice and sauces, plus dessert. That’s right, you can ask for more of anything and nothing gets added to your tab. But even if you don’t have room for seconds, the price isn’t bad for what you get. (more…)
I usually exit Bloomingdale’s Soho through the back door, dodging the sluggish shopping hordes on Broadway. A right on Crosby street and a left on Broome puts me within reasonable distance of Chinatown, where I can atone for my new purchase my finding something cheap for dinner. It’s no accident that enthusiasm for bahn mi spiked as the economy tanked–these hearty Vietnamese sandwiches are famously wallet-friendly. But you can skip the $5 versions at Baogette and Nicky’s. There’s better stuff downtown. (more…)
If the sight of dogs dressed up in clothes makes you shake your head in disgust at the way people torture their pets, better visit Snackish another day. Because I just got back from the Halloween Dog Parade, and I can’t keep these costumes to myself. (more…)
Papabubble, a downtown candy lab specializing in flavorful hand-made hard candies, smells like the inside of a sugar bowl. Jars of crayon-colored treats line the walls, alongside oversized spiralling lollipops and jewel-hued ring pops. There’s usually a couple of candymakers at work behind the counter, in what amounts to a free show. Today they’re busy chopping up long glossy sticks of spun sugar into bite-sized discs. “Is that a ghost?” I ask, pointing to the tiny freakish face imprinted on each one, and I’m told it’s actually a special Hannibal Lecter Halloween candy. I’m handed a sample, which dissolves into bright mango on my tongue. (more…)
If you missed out on Oktoberfest, not to worry–Chelsea Brewing company is currently holding their biannual cask ale festival, featuring nearly 40 beers. For more on the joys of sipping warm, flat-ish, flavorful ale made the way they used to do it in the old days read my post from last year’s festival. (more…)
I had my first lobster roll tonight. I tried to wait until I got home to eat it, but the toasted bread was just faintly warm under the crinkled aluminum foil wrapping, and I didn’t make it to the corner before nibbling. Inside a buttery bun were big, tender pieces of fresh lobster, lightly seasoned with celery salt and pepper. Mayo made only the briefest appearance, a mere scraping. By the time I got home my roll was all gone, and I promptly went back for another one. This time I had a crab roll, which was almost as delicious as the lobster roll, though not quite. (more…)
Currywurst, a dish so popular in Germany that it has its own museum, is essentially sliced sausage, slathered in sweet-and-spicy tomato sauce, served with fries in a paper bowl. It’s meant to be eaten on the go, likely in the middle of a pub crawl. Grub like this quietly soaks up a night’s beer-drinking and keeps you satiated for the next adventure. It’s eaten by piercing the sausage with a dainty fork, lending it a curiously exotic aspect–Americans would throw that on a bun and be done with it. (more…)
I didn’t have the slightest interest in going to farmer’s markets when I lived in the country. Since I moved to the city, I can’t resist them. I’ll wader around squeezing peaches, plucking tomatoes, staring at piles of waxy red peppers, and day-dreaming about all the things I can slather with jewel-toned jam. Now when I visit upstate, I keep an eye out for roadside stands selling super fresh produce. (more…)
Last night I slept under the covers. This is notable because during August my apartment never drops below a steamy 80 degrees (I don’t own an air conditioner, for various reasons). So the end of summer is usually a relief, like a fever breaking. The only downside is that there’s just a few days left to pick up my favorite Greenmarket snack, before they go out of season. (more…)