Entries Tagged 'NYC' ↓

BlogSoop’s 2007 New York City Summer Dining Guide is here.

Restaurants reviewed include:

• Via Emilia
• Shake Shack
• Landmarc (TWC)
• Hill Country
• Grom Gelato
• Momofuku Ssam Bar

Thanks to all the bloggers who have agreed to have their reviews included. I’ve included links to their sites within the .pdf - once downloaded its easy to click through and explore.

Feel free to copy, distribute, embed or otherwise transmit the work as you see fit.

I hope you enjoy it!

Water Taxi Beach will open this Memorial Day. Those who know me well realize what a fiend I am for this fake beach. I attend pretty much any chance I get - provided I can rally a small group to come with. I’m not one to stay out all hours of the night. WTB affords me the luxury of hanging out and relaxing mid-afternoon.

There is no water at the beach and there is no swimming. Each year 400-tons of sand is trucked in. WTB resides at the edge of Queens offering unparalleled views of Manhattan. I’ve brought tourists here on several occasions.

People here have more fun here than at a run of the mill bar; something about being outdoors perhaps. There is great barbecue (try the Motz burger) at reasonable prices. When I first started coming in 2005 they offered 24 oz cans of PBR for $2. The prices have risen slightly as the WTB’s popularity has grown, but so have the amenities. There’s now a tent (I had my birthday party here last year, during a downpour), disc jockeys, beach volleyball, and a more expansive menu.

Special events this summer include a Vegan Dinner being held on June 9th. Not to be missed are the Saturday night’s when virtually all the patrons at the nearby P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center head over for an after-party.

Although it goes by the name Water Taxi Beach - I prefer instead to take the subway, or if I have enough people, a cab, which costs only a few bucks per person from Midtown. Its very close to Manhattan and easy to get to. If anyone wants some company at the fake beach, drop me a line.

Pictured here, Chef Harry Hawk.

A meme started by Sam from Becks & Posh is rapidly making its way around the food web. Here at BlogSoop, we’ve tried to round-up all the various shots seen in our travels and post them in one place.

What’s in your fridge?

Becks & Posh





Eggbeater





Ladle & Whisk





My Vintage Kitchen





The Kitchen Illiterate





The Ethicurean





Mental Masala





In Praise of Sardines





I Heart Farms





Meat Henge





Chez Pim





SeriousEats





Kung Foodie





Restaurant Widow





The Perfect Pantry





The Traveler’s Lunchbox





David Lebovitz





Aidan Brooks





Passionate Eater





Glorious Food & Wine





more bread and cheese, please!





umami





My Food Geek





TracyFood





Dressing For Dinner





Chez Christine





Cooking in the ‘Cuse





Leena Eats This Blog





The Sour Dough





Erin’s Kitchen





Muffin Top





All Things Edible





Life Begins at 30





Hedonia





Anna’s Cool Finds






Alice Q. Foodie





Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity





I’m Mad and I Eat





Food Musings





Off The Broiler

While the story of East Harlem’s resurgence is nothing new the rate of change is. We’re close to reaching a tipping point here. The neighborhood’s proximity to the Upper East Side combined with Manhattan’s burgeoning population is having a profound influence on the real estate, food and culture.

I moved here in 2004. In the past three years I’ve seen dozens of new buildings take shape. I’ve seen old business replaced by new. The transformation is quickening.

A new luxury development on 110th b/w Lex & 3rd. Note the Schomburg Towers in the background.

My studio apartment (in a five floor of a walk-up on 112^th & Lex) does not have the prettiest views. Friends won’t visit unless prompted. Even so, I have no interest in moving. I’m just a block from the 6 train, my apartment is spacious and bright, I have laundry in the basement. If I jump off my fire escape I will catch a glimpse of the Empire State Building. I’m a five minute walk from Central Park.

My apartment building. Note the new “Global Link” Gallery

The same apartment would cost 50% more just twenty blocks south. That’s serious money - a savings of $5,000 - $6,000 each year. Living here has allowed me to work on my own terms and pursue new and interesting projects.

When asked what seem to be the prototypical New Yorker questions, ‘where do you live and what do you do’ I’m often greet by quizzical expressions…as if they wanted to say “why would anyone want to live there?” The question is often one of safety. But I’ve never felt unsafe. Last year there was a shooting across the street. I was more put off by the police officer who questioned me than by the act. People need to take a hard look at statistics before they pass judgment - random violence is extremely rare. Everyone I’ve met has been friendly and treated me with courtesy.

Part of the neighborhood’s image problem stems from the preponderance of public housing. Zip code 10029 has the largest concentration of housing projects anywhere in the U.S. The city is committed to preserving the housing, even as condos, co-ops and new rentals sprout up.

Public housing on 112th & Lex.

The public housing is largely responsible for keeping real estate affordable; prices range from $400,000 for a one-bedroom condo to $699,000 for a three bedroom unit. Two-bedroom apartments in new rental buildings go for about $2,500 to $3,000 a month.

Crown Condos on 110th & 2nd Ave.

A smaller new development on 110th

The changing demographics are fueling the growth of upscale restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, and galleries. Their arrival confirms the suspicion that this is an area worth residing - at a certain point the neighborhood will reach the tipping point I alluded to earlier. We’re not there yet, but it’s getting close.

Ryan from Savoy Bakery (the first location is in Tenafly, NJ) set up shop a few months ago. Want a good cup of coffee around 110^th Street? You’d be hard pressed to find one anywhere else. While business seems good, it will certainly get a boost from the condo development rising across the street.

Michelle, a life long East Harlem resident, plans to open the East Harlem Cafe on 104^th and Lexington this summer. The 1200 SF space will reflect all facets of Puerto Rican culture. In addition to coffee which is ground and roasted in house, the cafe will serve small plates such as sandwiches and dessert as well as wine and beer.

This is Michelle’s first foray into the restaurant scene. She was aided by a loan from the East Harlem Business Capital Corporation, a non-for-profit which supports new small businesses. Preserving the neighborhood’s flavor is a top priority to those who grew up here. The East Harlem Preservation, founded in 2005, is an advocacy organization that promotes, preserves, and protects the neighborhood’s culture and history.

The struggle to maintain a sense of identity will be ongoing. There is no quick fix. The influx of new, culturally dissimilar visitors (I include myself in this group) will no doubt increase from a trickle to a steady flow.

In honor of St. George’s day, Sam from Beck’s and Posh has asked our assistance in helping prove that English Food is not a joke.

I took the opportunity to sit down with Nick Perry, owner of two well known English food restaurants in New York City: Tea & Sympathy and A Salt & Battery. She shared her thoughts as a leading English gastronome.

BS: How did English food get such a bad rap in the first place?

For much of its past, England has lacked the restaurant culture found stateside. The English don’t dine out as much as Americans. Times are changing; superstar chefs like Gary Rhodes, Marco Pierre White, and Heston Blumenthal are helping put us on the map.

BS: And the stigma that English food is a joke?

Many Americans had their first taste of England in the years following World War II. At the time, food was in short supply. Even staples like sugar and eggs were hard to come by - I feel a lot of the negative opinions originated then.

BS: Do you think Americans have a proper understanding of what constitutes English Food?

I don’t think they did fifteen years ago, but most do now. When I opened Tea & Sympathy, many Americans didn’t even recognize common English curse words. They’re much savvier nowadays.

BS: What foods do you feel define English cuisine?

They are the dishes that I serve in my restaurants; the ones most recognizable as English: Shepard’s Pie, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Welsh Rabbit, and Fish & Chips.

I focus on tradition, and authenticity. It’s not always possible in the U.S. I find everything is slightly different over here - the butter and eggs are different, the milk is more pasteurized, I need to import clotted cream.

England is a much more pastoral economy. The animals are typically grass-fed, and since we’re such a small nation, the produce tends to be fresher.

I’ve adapted, of course, my recipes, and sought out fruits and vegetables from local suppliers whenever possible. I buy my meat from Piccinini Brothers - a family owner and operated butcher in the City.

BS: A Salt & Battery bills itself as an authentic chip shop - what’s the craziest thing you’ve deep fried?

We do a fried Mars Bar - the inspiration for that originated in Scotland. Around the holidays we’ll deep fry mint pie. Easter calls for deep fried Cadbury Creme eggs. We also serve something called the Belt Buster. It consists of bread and butter, fried, then made into a chocolate sandwich with clotted cream.

BS: How will you celebrate St. George’s Day?

We typically decorate our restaurant with flags and work hard to accommodate the influx of English who tend to frequent our restaurants on the holiday. The wait staff will probably go out and get pissed up.

Find: English Restaurants in New York or English Restaurants in San Francisco

Gerald from Foodite was gracious enough to donate a week of his time to the CulinaryCorps, a non-profit organization that deploys culinary outreach programs in grief stricken areas. The organization’s inaugural trip is now underway in New Orleans. Head over to Foodite to learn more.