I like to Quickly Judge… A Lot

As our cab pulled up to the just-opened Lot at 30th and Tenth Avenue, our driver said “What the hell is that?” We craned our necks out the window and it looked like we were about to enter an amusement park. Large, colorful balloons were blowing back and forth even though there was little wind and there was a man greeting folks at the gate.

Upon closer inspection, we soon realized that the man standing at the front of the Lot had two roles: 1) to guide entering visitors to the ticket booth where you can buy booze and 2) to prevent exiting visitors from taking that booze off the premises. Not sure about the policy on food, but we soon realize Lesson #1: Beer before High Line, you’re in the clear. High Line with Beer, Not OK Here.

The Lot, a highly-anticipated parking space-turned hip food / beer joint is promising in nature and – if successful – will create a much-coveted outdoor bar space in NYC. Not for nothing, it’ll also serve as a safe haven for so many of NYC’s beloved food trucks who have been ousted from streets across Manhattan lately.

But before I say more – here’s the real deal. We only went in for about five minutes – so I really don’t have too much to report and I will go back in a couple of weeks and write a more comprehensive post. But in the meantime, here are three observations made in three minutes or less:

Observation #1: Where’s the beef?

No seriously – where the hell are all the food trucks that are supposed to be here? Only two standing were Rickshaw Dumpling and Red Hook Lobster. Don’t get me wrong, those are some KILLER trucks, but thought Taim, Kelvin, others were supposed to be around. Was super bummed that they weren’t. Can’t decide if the reason they weren’t there was because it was opening night. But at the same time – why weren’t they there for opening night?

Observation #2: Beer is $7… Cash.

Hit up the ATM before you go. At first blush (seriously first blush – 10 second scan) I didn’t see an ATM on the premises. Not sure what the beer selection was like, but there promises to be a special summer brew made just for the Lot by Brooklyn Brewery. I will be sure to return for that.

Observation #3: Seats available!

There were surprisingly few people there! I was expecting to be “sardined” (is that a word?) into the Lot like I am on the L train in the morning. Might have been the heat (um, 99 degrees!) or the fact that it’s opening night that kept them at bay. And for those people that were there, a lot of them might have just been sceney-seeking hipsters. Benji likened it to the first day of school – everyone was just trying to get a feel for the place, walking around but not staying long.

So that’s about it… for now. More to come in a couple of weeks. Post a comment or tweet me @mrscauthren if you check out the Lot and have more to report. Oh – and to answer our cabbie’s so eloquent question, “that” was a colorful art installation created by AOL and a Miami-based art collective. If you want to avoid facing “Rainbow City,” head to the Lot after July 5 – when the exhibit ends.

A Smorgasbord at Smorgasburg

I live one subway stop away from Brooklyn yet in seven years have gone there fewer times than I can count on one hand. I know, I know, Brooklyn has amazing things to offer – from great restaurants to cute boutiques – and I’m totally missing out.

But when I heard that Williamsburg was hosting a festival dedicated solely to food, I realized the time had come for me to get over there — immediately. And so we went to “Smorgasburg.”

So? What IS Smorgasburg? Well, it’s not a typo and it’s not what the Swedish Chef used to prepare from the Muppets.

Smorgasburg is, in fact, this culinary dream developed by Brooklyn Flea, the mastermind behind NY’s best outdoor markets, located right on the Williamsburg waterfront with breathtaking views looking back to Manhattan. Featuring more than 100 vendors and 20+ GrowNYC vendors, Smorgasburg has a little something for everyone from pickled okra (Rick’s Picks) to hot dogs with jalapeno mustard and potato chip topping (Asia Dog).

It would have been impossible to try all the food there so I plan to make multiple return visits this summer (Smorgasburg is open every Saturday from 9am – 5pm) but in the meantime, here’s a little recap of some highlights from the day.

The Red Hook Lobster Pound — This famous lobster joint has been on my wishlist for quite some time and I’m itching to catch them on the street now that they have a lobster truck in NYC. Offered two ways (“Maine” or “Connecticut” style), we opted to try the more popular variety (Maine), which was a delicious heaping pile of chilled lobster with a little crunch courtesy of what I think were slivers of scallions. My friend Mary says that she’s a fan of the sandwich since it’s low on mayo (she’s not a fan) and instead it tastes a little unlike your average lobster roll. The Connecticut style is served warm with butter – we’ll be trying that next time, no doubt.

Our next stop was at the Meat Hook, which serves up hot dogs and delicious sausage varieties. Being true to the Memorial Day weekend spirit, we went for the basic hot dog with a little ketchup and relish.  You had to give it a good bite to cut through it with your teeth but it was so rewarding in flavor and seasoning.

As if we hadn’t had enough meat, we stood in a 15-minute line at Landhaus for what was hyped to be the best BLT I’d ever eat by passersby and my husband. I was seriously questioning how good the end result would be as I witnessed a sorry assembly line process they had in place and how little movement seemed to happen with the output of about one solo BLT every five minutes. (In their defense, I think I overheard they were short-staffed for the day). But when I tasted my first bite of the finished product, I couldn’t recall having ever had a more amazing piece of bacon in my life. Cut into thick pieces, they sear them on a grill and serve you two slabs on a toasted piece of bread accompanied by a delicious, fresh slice of tomato and lettuce and finish it off with what I believe was a basil-mayo spread (a personal favorite of mine on sandwiches). Net / net – I’d wait again for it… and I’d wait longer.

We finished off the day at People’s Pops, which I’ve been hearing about FOREVER. They’ve gotten so popular that they’re now even available at a few select retail locations throughout Manhattan. Regardless, no store can offer the experience of watching someone hand-shave ice from a huge block of ice in front of you. Yes, I went for the shaved ice! It was so hot and therefore incredibly refreshing. They featured two shaved ice flavors for the day – Bartlett Pear and Rhubarb. Feeling inspired by the season, I went with Rhubarb, which was such a light and pleasant option that almost tempted me to go back for seconds. I especially enjoyed that the ice never ended up solidifying into one chunk at the end – staying flaky and slushy throughout. (You know what I’m talking about – when you go to take that last sip/bite from, say, a snow cone and it’s one chunk that just hits you in the face when you try to drink it down. No? Maybe that just happens to me?).

Anyway, it’s really not fair to give my full assessment of Smorgasburg… yet. There’s far too many vendors I have yet to try but I can say this much, it’s a LOT of fun and a great way to spend the afternoon. Grab a couple of friends, a picnic blanket and suck up the wait for the line at Landhaus by heading to People’s Pops first so you stay cool while you wait for your bacon to sizzle.

I ♥ Olive Oil

A few months ago, my husband surprised me with a trip to Eataly’s Scuola for an olive oil tasting class. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a “thing” for olive oil. Make no mistake, I have zero sophistication about it – I love each oil as much as the next one (well until that class I did) – and show no prejudice in what I choose to smother it in or over. I love it so much in fact that several years ago I asked to adopt an olive tree in Italy as a Christmas present. I had learned about a company that would then source and press my own personal olive oil from my own little tree… A bit much? Probably. Which is probably why that request resulted in a severe eye-rolling and a  “yeah, right” reply from my mom (rightly so, perhaps).

But for as much as I loved olive oil, I was pretty clueless about which ones to use, how to select a good one or why I should care about the difference. So, with that in mind, I thought I’d share a list of “a ha” moments I had throughout the class (courtesy of my fantastic instructor, Nick Coleman!)

Judge a book by its cover. Labels do matter when it comes to olive oil. Don’t necessarily think that bottles of olive oil that are accompanied by an entire booklet of information are just sold that way in some outlandish marketing ploy. The more credentials a bottle includes the less it’s trying to hide and, in all likelihood, the better it probably is.

Product of Italy = Your product likely includes a mash-up of olives from all over the place, but a few were from Italy.  A lot of olive oil manufacturers have terms like “product of Italy” on them — ooh, fancy and European. The European part is probably right but don’t be misled. That just means that some of the olives are from Italy but they typically mix them together from all other regions. Now this doesn’t make the oil taste bad, per se. But it’s no comparison to a more pure oil made of olives all from the same vineyard or region.

Color means nothing. If you’re like me, you might think “Oh! This olive oil is darker so it must be better!” Not necessarily so and probably not – especially with your typical grocery store selection.

If it grows together, it goes together. Olive oils vary in flavor and color and it can be difficult to remember what to pair with what. Well – if you have any knowledge of Italian food, this can easily be remedied. Think of it this way – if you buy an olive oil from a region near the coast of Italy, it probably goes well with seafood. Likewise for an olive oil coming from a more inland region going well with meats.

Don’t let the price tag scare you. I bought a $25 bottle of olive oil after class. What a sucker I am to buy such a crazy expensive olive oil, right? Not so! Think of it this way: if you buy a $25 bottle of wine, you’ll probably finish it off in one night or two, max. For a $25 bottle of olive oil, it’ll likely last you at least a month or more. Doesn’t sound so bad anymore, huh?

Olive oil is a ‘good fat’ – unless you rush it. This was an incredible learning for me and perhaps the biggest “A ha!” from the class. I pride myself on making a lot of meals from scratch and use olive oil in everything. But – I also get home late and try to cook things pretty fast, putting heat on high and whipping up dinner in as quick a time as possible. Little did I realize that in my hurried process, I had managed to make a nice healthy meal into a fatty, rushed disaster.  Turns out that if you heat up oil too fast and too high, it changes from a monosaturated fat to trans fat. Always keep olive oil on low as you heat it up – it will keep this from happening and preserve the taste, too.

These are just a few of so many amazing lessons I learned from the class. If you live in the NY area, I HIGHLY recommend taking it. And if the education portion of the class isn’t enough to sell you, the amazing food prepared by Eataly’s Executive Chef, Alex Pilas will make you a true believer that the right olive oil does matter.

I’m baaack…

A little thing called life got in the way over the past eight months but I’m back and feeling more excited than ever before about food. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I can’t seem to read enough about it, constantly striving to learn (and eat) more. With that, I’m aiming to return to my blogging adventures with a renewed focus on food and much more. But before I move ahead, here’s a quick recap of what’s happened in my life since my last post…

- Went to Maine, ate every lobster in sight. Stayed at White Barn Inn. Incredible.

- Got a promotion (woot! VP!)

- Attended my first Food & Wine festival, met Tom Colicchio.

- Turned 29 …for the first time.

- Pigged out for the holidays. Gained 10+lbs. Loved every minute of it.

- Got a cooking lesson on Adobo (and other latin-inspired flavors) from my good friend Yadisa. Mastered platanos.

- Threw holiday party. Discovered mustard batons are my new favorite go-to hors d’oeuvre (thank you Dorie Greenspan and Aunt Virginia Anne for getting me “Around My French Table”).

- Regretted the holidays. Followed the rest of America with New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Hated every minute of it.

- Survived worst winter ever. Promised myself a new Searle coat for Winter ’12.

- Became a morning person. (Sort of – seem to regress on rainy days)

- Channeled my obsession with redecorating into advising on my parents’ bathroom remodel.

- Channeled my obsession with redecorating into an an even greater obsession with HGTV’s House Hunters.

- Ate at Per Se. Got a kitchen tour. Died happy (or could have).

- Started a love affair with NYC Food Trucks and a whole new appreciation for falafel thanks to Taim Mobile.

- Vacationed in Mexico. Gained entire new perspective on what constitutes as good service at One & Only Palmilla.

That brings me to present day. I have a lot of fun adventures in the works coming up this summer and decided to try to stick with the blog this time around. Hey, if I became a morning person in the past eight months, I can keep up with this blog. I’ll just consider my Oct – April hiatus as a very long rainy day.

Cupcakes for a Cause

Want a good excuse for an afternoon sweet treat? You’re in luck.

This week (September 20 – 26) marks the seventh annual national fundraiser “Cupcakes for a Cause“ giving me a reason to treat my sweet tooth and do something good for the world in one bite. When you buy a cupcake at any participating bakery, a portion of proceeds will go to CancerCare for Kids, a national nonprofit that provides free professional support services for children and teens affected by cancer.

In New York City, one of my favorite bakeries will be participating – The Cupcake Stop. And in Brooklyn, you can pop by Baked in Red Hook (home of one of Oprah’s favorite things – brownies!). The Cupcake Stop has terrific mini cupcakes and I’m a particular fan of their Red Velvet, Chocolate Caramel Pretzel and Nutella Crunch varieties.  To find a participating bakery in your area, click here.

A Taste (or Two or Ten) of New Paltz

On Sunday, we visited my sister in New Paltz, a small hippie college town a little over an hour and a half north of Manhattan.  Whenever I visit New Paltz, I think about what awaits me just east of the Hudson River – the Culinary Institute of America, the world’s premier culinary college, home of refined palates and where famous chefs like Anthony Bourdain, Todd English and Michael Chiarello (to name a few) got their cooking chops. But on this particular occasion, I didn’t have to daydream about great food because I was on my way to attend the town’s annual “Taste of New Paltz.”

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the “Taste,” which attracts a range of local restaurants and farmers who prepare small plates sampling a taste of their cuisine, available in exchange for food tickets.  While the crowd is pretty casual and some of the food is nothing shy of adequate, there were some delicious highlights from our day. Below were some of our favorite selections:

#1: Farmstand Apple Crisp – This homemade apple crisp was the perfect balance of sweet apples and crunchy granola. By the time we swung back around to their booth after making a single lap around the fair grounds, they had sold out. Grade: A-

#2: Spicy Slow-braised Pork with Corn, Bean Shoots and Pickled Ginger in Steamed Buns – This was hands-down the most sophisticated taste we had of the day and the most complex with flavors. Benji liked this so much he went back for seconds except he decided to be more adventurous his second time around and added a wee bit too much Sriracha (which became somewhat of a fatal error). Grade: A+

#3: Lobster Tempura Fritter with Sweet Chili Sauce and Mango Salsa. The fritter was delicious but would have been better hot. The sweet chili sauce was a nice touch and went very well with the mango. Grade: B+

#4: Braised Short Beef Rib with Microgreens, Carrots and Mashed Turnips, courtesy of Mohonk Mountain House. Accompanied by Captain Lawrence’s “Captain Kolsch,” one of our new favorites from the Pleasantville, N.Y. brewery. This may have not been the best pairing but we already had the beer on hand and went with it. The short ribs were tender and juicy but seemed just slightly overcooked in that it took on a bit more of a soup consistency. Grade: Short Rib: B-, Beer: A

#5: Foie Gras Flapjack with Apple Compote and Reduction of Concord Grape Juice. This image is a true testament to how amateur I am of a food photographer. Without a doubt, this was my worst picture of the day. Then again, the colors of this tiny bite all seemed to blend in together with the exception of the concord grape streak along the side. But don’t judge a book by its cover. This was outstanding. Grade: A-

In addition to the tastes above, we had our share of whipped cream, apples with caramel, garlic knots, grilled peaches, zucchini salad, butternut squash soup and much more…

To finish off the day, we cleansed our palates with some wine tasting. I’ll say this – too many of the varieties I tried were intensely fruity (i.e., strawberry wine) or too acidic.  Not sure if that was a fair representation of the region’s wine but there was one silver lining from the eight wines we tried — Whitecliff Vineyard’s “Awosting White,” an award-winning table wine that is apparently available at Gramercy Tavern (If it’s good enough for Danny Meyer, it’s good enough for me).

All things considered, we had ourselves much more than a taste of New Paltz and for the most part, those tastes were pretty good. We’ll try to make our way back to next year’s festival. In the meantime, I’m sure Benji will be challenging me to recreate those steamed pork buns at home. And that adventure will surely result in only one possible grade: F.

Eating My Way through Eataly

Last weekend, my husband and I visited the much-anticipated 50,000-sq-ft brand new food mecca in New York – Eataly.  Hyping a tagline that “Italy is Eataly” this place really does make you feel a little transported from the minute you walk through the door.  From the bilingual signs (Italian and English) to the flat screen TVs that flash the latest news from one of Italy’s most popular newspapers, La Stampa, you automatically realize this is no ordinary food market. Sure, there is a coffee bar and a “to-go” area for panini sandwiches, and in some way you at first feel as if this might just be an all-Italian version of Grand Central’s Market, but if you brave the crowds through the first narrow hallway, you will reach the “piazza” and your reward will be some seriously amazing food.

There are a number of individual food posts in the piazza area of Eataly — from a mozzarella-only station to a salumeria station but there are also more traditional offerings like a vegetable and fruit area and a butcher station to name a few. The options were slightly overwhelming to a total foodie like me and I quickly realized that I would have to settle for just a few items this first visit as the crowds would have made it near-impossible to peruse the floor as much as I wanted. In fact, my biggest criticism of this maiden voyage was that I could barely make my way through the crowds given the number of baby strollers, long lines and generally confused staff that I encountered. All that said, this is to be expected in the first week of its opening, especially given all the media hype Eataly has received. And as far as the baby strollers go, well… that’s the case anywhere in NY on a weekend.

My first stop at Eataly was to the mozzarella station, where I went in with the best intentions of purchasing burrata (a soft mozzarella-like cheese that is creamier in the middle) but was told that they sold out and more wouldn’t be available in about 2-3 days. Luckily, they were whipping up a fresh batch of mozzarella and within minutes of packaging it and placing it on the counter, people were grabbing it right up.  It was then that I realized… this place is going to MAKE A KILLING. But honestly the prices I encountered were very reasonable. For a standard size mozzarella ball, I paid between $2-3.

Next, I purchased some prosciutto di parma and they gave me a complimentary slice to taste while I waited. I’m sort of a prosciutto snob. I only order imported prosciutto in a store unless I plan to cook with it, in which case I beeline straight for the domestic stuff.  At Eataly – you can bet I bought imported (not sure I had a choice otherwise – nor would I have wanted one on this occasion). Words cannot even begin to describe what this tasted like. I have never in my life had such fresh prosciutto. It was insane. And again – the price for a half-pound was comparable to what I pay at Whole Foods but for such a better product. This prosciutto is so good you don’t even want to combine it with anything. Just eat it in its pure form – no need for cheese, figs, melon. Nothing. It is absolute heaven.

My last food purchase actually took place in the vegetable section. I got very excited to see they sell Hen of the Woods mushrooms (which are extremely difficult to find) but opted to not get them this trip. Instead, I couldn’t resist the delicious heirloom tomato variety bunch that I knew might be my last chance to enjoy as the season for tomatoes is coming quickly to a close. They appear to have a mix of local and seasonal vegetables along with some standard choices.

What I also did not opt for (but was highly intrigued by) was a visit to Eataly’s vegetable butcher. Yes. They have a vegetable butcher – and he/she does exactly what a standard butcher might do. Take carrots for example – you could take your just-purchased carrots to the butcher and they’ll slice off the greens, cut them up into chunks… do whatever you’d like with them. In my opinion, this role is best-used for those hard-to-prepare vegetables like artichokes.

When I finished food shopping I did a “drive by” through the kitchen tools, bakery, pasta and sauce areas – rows upon rows of various sauces, oils, vinegars, olives – you name it – they had it. Woven in between these sections are also individual seating areas where you can order food. This is, unfortunately, where they lost me a bit. Each area is sectioned off so if you want fish – you have to sit in the fish area. If you want pizza, you will be sitting in the pizza area. So on and so forth… The only exception to this is Manzo (no relation to the New Jersey housewife that I can tell) and they offer a little bit of everything. Certainly the fancier (i.e., pricier option), Manzo’s food was really impeccable. (The service was a bit hit or miss  – but again, that should hopefully improve in the coming weeks). We shared a salad of the day that was seasoned perfectly and had the most wonderful balance of acidity. Following the salad my husband ordered the ravioli di brasato (with braised meat) and I had tortellini di robiola with chanterelle mushrooms and pancetta. This was hands down one of the best pastas I’ve had in NY and rivaled some of the dishes I had this past June when I honeymooned in Italy. I also enjoyed a glass of Rose from the Bastianich winery (who knew there even was one? I didn’t!) and it was very good and about $8-9/glass.

We left Eataly the same way we ended every meal on our honeymoon — with a macchiato. We stopped by Caffe Vergnano, the main espresso bar located back in the narrow hallway en route to the exit.  Just like many of the espresso bars in Italy, this bar is standing-only and they give you a small glass of water and a delicious ginger cookie to accompany your beverage. My macchiato was $2 and it was outstanding.

When we exited the market, we noticed a huge line outside and they were only letting in visitors a few at a time to help control crowds. If you want to visit Eataly and can’t wait, my advice would be to visit during the workweek at an odd hour (or after work perhaps) where the crowds are likely to be more manageable. Alternatively – and perhaps a better suggestion – give Eataly a few more weeks to figure itself out. It’s a different layout than we’re used to in NY and you almost wish you had a tour guide to point out everything that’s interesting (which is a lot) so you’ll want to spend some solid time just leisurely walking around. I think I’ll need several more trips before I really feel like I’ve seen it all.  But I can’t wait to go back… and next time – I’m not leaving without my burrata.

Savvy Shopping

I may be the last person on earth to know about this, but wanted to share a great site while you’re doing online holiday shopping this year — Retail Me Not — a repository of online coupons and discounts for more than 40,000 stores!

Better yet, if you use Firefox as your web browser (like I do), try adding the “Retail Me Not” Add-On here and a little button will light up when you are browsing  a site that has coupons available! GENIUS!

E-mail “E”-invented

For several years, I threw bi-annual cocktail parties using what was then the only option for online invitations aside from a calendar invite: Evite.  The other day I received an e-mail with a holiday cocktail party invite using something other than Evite — Paperless Post!  While it’s been a few years since I’ve thrown a party, I had no idea what I was missing.  In the past couple of years a wave of new e-stationery has emerged.

Pamela Fiori, editor of Town & Country, disapproves of electronic invitations.  According to a June 2009 New York Times article (about Paperless Post, I might add) she notes: “In a world increasingly uncivilized,” she said, “it’s important that we have some ties to tradition. And I honestly think that what we’re losing with e-mail are our memories.”

While I agree with Pamela to an extent and will never stop using “snail mail,” I think these e-vites are absolutely darling for small gatherings and parties.

Lovely Wall Flowers

Occasionally you’ll notice some seething envy on this blog when I see amazing home details that are difficult/near impossible for me to do in my own home because I’m a renter.

This is one of those times.

After many past home decor disasters,  I’ve decided only to invest/embark on home improvements I can easily take with me when I move into my dream house down the road… (OK really far down the road).

But why should my limitations hold back terrific home ideas for others?  With that, I wanted to share some beautiful wallpaper that I’ve been dying to try for years (but won’t).  I love the idea of covering wallpaper in a small area like an entrance way — it’s cheaper than doing a big room and provides an interesting detail to that part of the home.

Here are my “Wonder Walls:”

1) Paintable Wallpaper by Grandin Road — LOVE LOVE LOVE this one because not only can it give the effect of an antique and Victorian ceiling, but you can PAINT it! (Hint: Same company also sells Beadboard paintable wallpaper!)

2) Graham & Brown Black and White Tranquil Paper — I like the idea of using this in a bathroom or area that has a chair rail so you aren’t looking too goth with all the black. Feels like some white space would help do this.

3) Anything from Walnut Wallpaper — I’m partial to their bolder designs but basically any style you want you can find from this California-based wallpaper retailer.

4) “Christopher” print by Grow House Grow — Love the trees in multiple colors (I’m also pretty partial to birches) and think this would look awesome on a single wall.

5) Madison & Grow’s Martha Vineyard “Maggie” print — Another California-based company, the two ladies who run this shop hail from Connecticut and are well-traveled. I am partial to this print in a kitchen.