It’s easy to miss L’asso–maybe it’s the abstract signage. Or maybe it’s the fact that it’s a block away from Lombardi’s, a New York institution. But in case you think they don’t know their pizza, L’asso prides itself on adhering to the rules for Pizza D.O.C.–guidelines that specify the type of tomatoes (san marzano), the type of mozzarella (buffalo milk), and the type of oven (domed, brick, and heated to 420 degrees), deemed necessary by the maestros Italy to produce a genuine neapolitan pizza. They also serve pizza by the slice, something a lot of the “institutions” don’t do. (more…)
Update: Wafels and Dinges now has a restaurant at 15 Ave B
Street-fare Belgian waffles have arrived in Midtown! The Wafels & Dinges truck has migrated uptown to 46th street between 5th and 6th avenue, brightening the days of office dwellers like a bright yellow beacon. The menu lists both the puffy, breakfast-style Belgian waffles, as well as liege waffles, in both cinnamon or vanilla flavors. I advise on getting your liege waffle ($4) simply dusted with sugar, but you can upgrade to something called the WMD (Waffle of Massive Deliciousness) and pile on as many dinges (Belgian slang for toppings) as you like for $7. (more…)
The road to Krumville might be the longest few miles you ever drive. County Route 2 unwinds past redundant woods, ponds, and abandoned barns, the Catskill mountains bobbing ever-closer in the near distance. You know you’re getting close to The Country Inn when your usually-intrepid companion says with a hint of irritation, “So WHERE is this place?” and you say “I think it’s just up ahead,” but there is doubt in your voice.
Just hang in there because it’s worth the trip. The Country Inn sits on a hillside overlooking an algae-coated pond, and inside is all lodged-out, wood-lined and adorned with objects like a giant mounted fish and hanging mottled softballs. (more…)
For a long time the word hummus conjured memories of bleak bagged lunches consumed by a sugar-deprived school friend, but I’ve come around since then. Just-opened Hummus Place exemplifies how delicious it can be. The simple menu boasts three of four different varieties, but I generally like the “hummus tahini”–smooth, rich hummus heaped with nutty tahini, drizzled with olive oil, flecked with parsley and paprika and sliced hard-boiled egg ($6.95). With a hummus-centric meal the accoutrements are key, and here they’re top-notch; sharp slabs of onion and salty pickles for crunch, peppers and scorching hot sauce add spice, and two of the pillowiest pieces of pita you’ll find. (more…)
I washed up at Joe’s Pizza for the first time four years ago, after I’d been suckered into going to Misshapes. As we pushed into the party and I saw a barely-twenty-year-old girl with Weimar-era makeup and a sculptural Isabella Blow-ish hat I understood why the doorman had pronounced our jeans and t-shirts tragic. The thing about feeling old and lame at 25 is that you still have the stamina to drink and dance until you don’t care that you’re a fashion disaster. Still, certain worries edge this pleasant little mood–it’s so late, I’m so hungry, where the hell am I going to eat?
Joe’s Pizza at 4 am glows like a molten cheese bubble in the strange afterhours dark of the closed-down city. A glittering, laughing, sweating, exhausted cross-section of nightlife clings to this oasis, and spills onto the waiting sidewalk, held upright by promise of hot pizza. (more…)
Doughnut Plant is probably the only bakery I have visited twice in one day. It’s that good.
First, there are the yeast donuts, in glazed, jelly-filled, and creme-filled varieties. They’re squarish, faced-sized and unbelievably light, with airy, melty dough under a sticky layer of sweet glaze ($2). Perennial faves are vanilla bean, Vahlrona chocolate (messy), and peanut butter and jelly. There’s a rainbow of seasonal flavors too, including fresh strawberry, pomegranate, pumpkin, and banana pecan. Vanilla is simplicity perfected if you usually find donuts too sweet or too fried. Often there’s one fresh from the oven on a baking sheet poking through the kitchen window, and they’ll drop that one in your bag instead of the one on display in the shelves. (more…)
Update 3/18/09: Kossar’s is no longer open 24 hours. See hours below.
I never tasted a bialy before I lived in New York City. Even in New York these cousins to the more-mainstream bagel are hard to come by. Try to find a good one and most likely, you’ll end up standing at a certain spot on Grand Street, where trendy Lower East Side melds with Chinatown and overlooks the projects. Here stands Kossar’s Bialys, the remaining stronghold of downtown’s vanished bialy-baking industry. (more…)
I don’t know of too many baked goods that warrant their own website comparing them to mermaids and unicorns, but City Bakery’s pretzel croissant has one, perhaps deservedly so. A dream-concoction of sweet and savory, the pretzel croissant boasts a salty, buttery, sesame seed-studded crust around a chewy whole wheat middle. A hint of pretzel leads to irresistible nibbling while the tad-buttery, doughy center leaves you oh-so-satisfied. Cult-like devotion is completely understandable. (more…)
The lack of decent pizza slice joints in the East Village has been a long-standing gripe of mine. I’ve been eyeing Artichoke Basille, and the line snaking out its door, since it opened about a month ago. Although I usually avoid excruciating hype-fueled waits, I figured I’d should finally bite the bullet and get in the queue.
Twenty-six minutes, three rounds of phone tetris, and two passers-by wanting to know what the fuss was about later, I emerged bearing two slices. (more…)
Since the church-like doors first parted last winter, Death & Company has been the place for worship-worthy cocktails in the East Village. Personally, I love how the electric candlelight glows off the wood-planked ceilings, the way the charmingly-vested bartenders do some serious chucka-chucka-chucka shaking of the silver tumblers, and of course, the extensive drink list, loaded with artfully paired ingredients. This low-key haunt would probably be my pick for my Last Cocktail on Earth.
Here’s a few things I’ve learned over the past year, all key to enjoying your visit:
Don’t fear the wait list. Death & Co only seats about 50, and the friendly gatekeeper is there to make sure you’re not fighting through a drunken mob, unable to edge toward the bar. Put your name down and grab a cheap drink at divey Cherry Tavern or neighborhoody Joe’s. They’ll call when they have seats.
Sit at the bar. That way, you can chat up the bartenders and watch them work their magic. For the most part, they’re quite knowledgeable, ready with recommendations, and happy to indulge questions. (more…)