Marie Fromage

New Amsterdam Market

Take a sparkling fall day, add a well-produced food event and there will be smiles all around. 

The New Amsterdam Market was launched in 2005 near the downtown municipal buildings as an addition to the great urban market experience.  It’s currently located under the FDR, next to the South Street Seaport in front of the old Fulton Fish Market.  Goodbye overwhelming fish stench, hello artisanal cheese stink!

You may ask, “How is this different from the Union Square Market or other neighborhood markets for that matter?  Why would I want to head all the way downtown and brave the tourist crush of South Street Seaport?”   Here’s why: most vendors at Union Square Market are regional farmers bringing their wares to the urban masses.  The New Amsterdam Market features more regional food producers and purveyors than farmers.  Think cheese makers AND sellers (Saxelby Cheesemogers), butchers, pickle makers (Brooklyn Brine Co.), bakers (Sullivan Street Bakery), fish purveyors (Luke's Lobster) and small specialty restaurants (Porchetta) to name a few. 

First order of business – a restorative plate of freshly shucked oysters on the half shell from Seaport-area restaurant Stella.

Narragansett Creamery, based in Providence, RI had an outrageously delicious whole milk ricotta and they are in search of NYC retail opportunities.

The stall for hip Brooklyn butcher Marlow & Daughters was mobbed (yes, that's right, I said "hip". Butchers are currently rock stars in these parts).   Word was out about their deeply satisfying grass-fed beef chili.

Hudson Valley cheesemaker Doug Ginn from Twin Maple Farm was promoting his Hudson Red, a washed rind, buttery, stinky beauty made from raw Jersey cow’s milk. He too is looking for local retail exposure.

Sadly the New Amsterdam Market isn’t open every weekend and it was only this year that it started to become a once-a-month event (the next one is Nov. 22).  If it becomes more popular it will step up to a more frequent schedule, so go!

New Amsterdam Market, when open, is located South Street between Beekman Street and Peck Slip
On the East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan.  For more information visit their web site: www.newamsterdammarket.org

New York City Wine & Food Festival

The New York City Wine & Food Festival is a four-day, gut busting foodiepalooza featuring tastings, demos, tours, panel discussions and parties taking place throughout the city but centered mainly in and around the Chelsea Market and Meat Packing District.  

The Food Network is the driving force behind the festival, with a little help from Food & Wine and Travel & Leisure magazines and the net proceeds going to the Food Bank of New York and Share Our Strength.  All of it good, all of it overwhelming!  So many events, so little give in the waistband, so many miles that will be required to walk it all off.

It was my first time attending and the choices were mind-boggling.  My pal Gastro Chic, who went last year and had a full roster of events planned for this go-around, suggested I attend two show stoppers - “The Grand Tasting” on Pier 54 and the sold-out “Tour de Beef”, an inside look at the famed DeBragga and Spitler butchers.

The Grand Tasting

The Grand Tasting took place in Hudson River Park, which ran the length of Pier 54 and featured approximately 25 food providers along with about 50 wine and spirits makers.  It was sponsored by ShopRite, an area supermarket chain, a fact that gave me pause. ShopRite is fine and all, but it isn’t known to be an especially gourmet shopping experience.  Is this going to be all about being bombarded with corporate brands and PR blitz?  I took a deep breath and dove in.  Where to begin, where to begin…

The thing with these big tasting events is that the eating begins the minute you walk in, with little bites from here and there and eventually you hit a food wall about half way through;  fortunately some of the standout food tables were up front.  This event is really an opportunity for new-ish New York restaurants to get their name out to the local eaters and the press.  Here are some of the standouts:

10 Downing presented a tasty bite of ocean trout tartar with pickled mustard seeds, pine nuts, chorizo oil and a quail egg. 

Inside Park at St. Bart’s dished out “Kapusnica”, a stick-to-your-ribs stew of house-smoked meat, sauerkraut and caraway dumplings.    

Latin hot spot Yerba Buena Perry whipped up super delish arepas with coffee glazed pork belly and picked red onions.  

There was a tasty grilled New York steak crostini with truffled spinach & fresh corn salad from North Square, the restaurant inside the Washington Square Hotel.  

Chef Albert DiMeglio at Olana was celebrating a harvest-themed taste for the savory sweet combo with a chocolate pumpkin & almond tortelli with mostarda butter, pumpkin seed brittle and bites of pumpkin mousse.  

Dickson’s Farmstand Meats featured its delectable pork rillets and trotter terrine, all sourced from New York State farms.  Can’t wait to visit their new shop in the Chelsea Market.  

Another highlight was a short but informative and un-intimidating wine seminar lead by Andrea Robinson, the people’s sommelier.  

Overall, The Grand Tasting was well produced, fun and full of delicious bites and drinks, serving the foodie masses with a broad smile.  But I also found it to be a bit too branded and corporate.  For example, there was a ShopRite pavilion, a Delta Airlines tent and the island of Aruba had a table (thanks for the free nail file!).  And do I want Pepperidge Farm cookies & Barilla pasta at something like this, a “gourmet” event? Nope.  Onward!

Tour de Beef

A more toned-down festival feature was the “Tour de Beef” over at the DeBragga and Spitler warehouse, one of the last remaining butchers in the gentrified Meatpacking District.  This was more like it. 

DeBragga and Spitler are the butcher of choice for many of NYC’s top restaurants, experts at dry aging beef – a process that brought to mind, what else, cheese.

Everyone had to don hair nets and white coats before entering the chilly & pristine aging rooms, giving the tour a scientific air.

Charming owner Marc Sarrazin Jr. is passionate about his company, having learned the trade from his late father, who was a mentor to many of New York’s great chefs.

We finished up our visit to DeBragga and Spitler with a compare & contrast tasting of wet aged and dry aged beef, paired with some Coppola wines. 

The perfect coda to a frenzied foodie experience.

Cheese: Frère Fumant; Let's Call Her Brin; Cheese In Space

Something Stinky This Way Comes: 3-Corner Field Farm’s Frère Fumant

Frère Fumant hails from upstate New York and is a fantastic firm, raw sheep’s milk cheese inspired by the famous smoky, nutty Spanish cheese Idiazabal.   And if Idiazabal revs your engine, this will also take you there.  Try it grated over pasta for a wee smoky accent.

3-Corner Field Farm’s Frère Fumant; available in NYC at the Union Square Farmer’s market, at Saxelby Cheesemongers or via their web site, www.dairysheepfarm.com

 Suggested Names for Children of Cheese Lovers*

Brin (short for Brin D’Amour; for girls)

Jarls (short for Jarlsberg; for boys)

Emme (short for Emmentaler; for girls)

Hoch (short for Hoch Ybrig; for boys)

Val (short for Valdeon and, like “Pat”, it can go either way)

*Yes, I’m losing my mind!

Cheese in Space – Running Down A Dream: http://tinyurl.com/lfht2h

Beware the Foodie Boondoggle

Here’s where Marie Fromage gets cranky…

Le Fooding d’Amour

I like to think I have an open mind.  I’m patient and willing to try new things.  So when I heard about Le Fooding coming to New York, I jumped at the change to go. Jumped I tell you!

Le Fooding was started in Paris in 2000 as a way for young chefs to challenge the old guard and breathe new life into the staid Parisian dining scene. It’s an urban picnic that mixes casual cuisine with edgy DJs in a cool setting. 

Sounds like something that New Yorkers would absolutely gobble up. 

So Le Fooding plans to come to New York as a charity benefit for Action Against Hunger that will take place at P.S. 1 in Queens. Tickets sell out quickly.  The buzz is major.  I can’t wait.  I enlist Gastro Chic, my usual partner-in-dine to come along because this seems like it will be GREAT!

 Well, not so fast.  Trouble started brewing before we even got in the door.  Turns out, Le Fooding was all about les lines – lines to get in, lines for the drink tickets, lines for the food stations.  

There were hundreds of people there, and the chefs didn’t pre-plate anything, dishing the food out as they went along and at some stations just plain old running out of food. What?!?! The lines for some stations were so long we didn’t even try.  For example – they were scooping out ice cream from a tiny cart by hand, while about 75 people waited. And don’t get me started on the wine - $12 a glass and all you got was a 3 ounce pour.  Clearly the organizers of this event have no experience in pulling these things off.  And Veuve Clicquot was one of the sponsors – couldn’t they afford to hire event planners?  Do they even use event planners in France? While I believe the organizers had the best of intentions, Le Fooding is a good idea gone bad, at least with the New York edition.  

The Il Buco Pig Roast

Early Fall is that fantastic time of year when the weather sparkles and outdoor events are in abundance.  Il Buco, a trendy Italian restaurant in NoHo, was hosting its sixth annual pig festival.  The weather for the day was going to be gorgeous, so going to this event sounded like the perfect thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.  $20, solid food, sun on the face - yes, a good idea.

And it all looked lovely, the stage set for a laid-back yet festive autumn feast.  It all looked lovely…until it was your turn to eat.  

Way too much salad which made me suspicious, one sausage link, a mostly bread sandwich with a few slivers of roast pork, one ricotta fritter and, last but not least, actual slices of pork FAT. No meat.  Did they think we wouldn’t notice?

“Why are you serving slices of pork fat and no meat?” people were asking.  “This is a very fatty pig,” the lady behind the counter told us with a straight face.  Right.  The sausages were raw too.  

I brought mine back to get a cooked one and was given another raw one.  The ricotta fritter was the size of my thumb, and I have tiny hands.  Totally and completely unsatisfying and we felt as if we’d been had. 

What to do?  Vow never to return to Il Buco and head straight to the Great Jones Café for an amazing Bloody Mary served with a side of gritty soul music from the jukebox and service with a smile. An even better way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Great Jones Café (NoHo): 54 Great Jones St. bet. Bowery & Lafayette; (212) 674-9304; www.greatjones.com

Piadina Italian Flatbread - If You Can Make Pancakes, You Can Make These

Piadina

I had my first piadina while taking a pasta making class at La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese in Bologna, Italy.  The chef made these for our midmorning snack and served them warm and layered with prosciutto and cheese.  My head nearly blew off by how tasty they were.  

This is a great bread recipe for the summer because there’s no need to turn on the oven!  If you can make pancakes, you can make these.

Makes 8 Piadina

3 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 ¼ cups half & half (add a Tablespoon or 2 more if needed).

1.  Combine the flour, salt and baking power in a large bowl.

2.  Add the half & half. Using your hands (that’s right, your spectacularly clean hands) combine with the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.

3.  Turn the contents of the bowl out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead the dough until it comes together in a firm ball.

4.  Place in a bowl, brush the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil, cover with a clean dishtowel and allow the dough to rest for 1 hour.

5.  Remove dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 pieces.

6.  Roll each piece into a ball with your hand, then roll into a more-or-less round shape as thin as possible (think pizza or pasta dough).

7.  Pre-heat a flat griddle (or large cast iron or heavy stainless steel pan) and brush with olive oil.

8.  Add the dough round and cook until lightly browned for about 2-3 minutes per side.

9.  Place on large plate and proceed to cook the other rounds, stacking them as you go.

So now you have all of these Piadina in your house.  What now? Use your imagination – the possibilities are endless!  Here’s a couple of serving suggestions:

* Quick pizza: spread with pesto or tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese and put it under the broiler until the cheese is melted.

* For breakfast: toast it lightly and top with eggs, cheese, bacon, tomatoes, etc.  Also good for breakfast – spread it with peanut butter and drizzle with honey or top with a banana.

* Spread with hummus and top with olives and tomatoes.

* Cut it into quarters and toast until crisp in a 350° oven. Serve with your dip of choice.

* Layer it with ham and cheese or whatever you fancy for a quick sandwich.

 

Storage suggestions:

Layer each Piadina with paper towels or wax paper, then wrap with plastic wrap; they should be good for a couple of days.  They also freeze well – allow to cool completely, layer as described above, wrap in plastic and then with foil.  Use as needed.

(Photo credit: all photos by Mary Connolly); Copyright 2009 Mary Connolly All Rights Reserved

 

See my latest article on Sheckys.com: "Cheese, Glorious Cheese: Where to Get Fondue in NYC"

See my latest article on Sheckys.com!

"Cheese, Glorious Cheese: Where to Get Fondue in NYC"

"Because what other group activity involving flame, pokers, bonding, and hot liquid can you do in public?"

Bites: Cheese of the Week; Chocolate & Bacon; Jimmy’s No. 43, Dovetail

Cheese of the Week:

Budget-conscious truffle lovers rejoice! There’s a new cheese in town called “Truffle Tremor”, brought to us by Cypress Grove, a Northern California-based maker of a variety of exceptional artisanal goat cheeses (you are probably familiar with their Humboldt Fog). Intoxicatingly earthy, tangy, creamy-and highly addictive, it made my senses sing! Now you can indulge your truffle love without breaking the bank. A new favorite.

Another reason to rejoice: Mo’s Bacon Bar

Someone brought this into the office the other day, laid it out on a table and we all crowded around, daring each other to try it. You know how weirdly good bacon dipped in syrup tastes? The brilliant folks over at Vosges Chocolates came up with this insanely strange and delicious bar of velvety milk chocolate mixed with bits of Applewood bacon and Alder wood-smoked salt. Try it, I dare you. It won’t kill you and in fact, it may open you up to a whole new world of taste possibilities!

Jimmy’s No. 43

I first discovered Jimmy’s No. 43 by accident. My friend Ellen was in town and she suggested we check out a ukulele concert being held in the tucked-away party room here (yes, there is an underground ukulele scene in New York. Who knew?). “What is this place and why am I here?” I wondered aloud as we descended the steps into the bar and walked back into the performance space. Needless to say, the ukulele scene was not for me and we fled the concert, but I was curious about this place: a cozy subterranean warren of rooms with gothic archways, brick-lined vaulted ceiling and walls ringed with beer casks and antlers. Hmm, I must investigate.

Turns out this is an under-the-radar and very cool gastro-pub owned by restaurateur Jimmy Carbone, who converted what was once a Ukrainian social hall into a relaxed and inviting urban rathskeller. The focus here is the beer: a large selection of local and imported craft ales, lagers, pilsners and stouts. He recruited Chef Philip Kirschen-Clark away from WD-50 to present a straightforward and creative greenmarket-driven menu.

Recent eats I’ve enjoyed there recently have included a creamy and decadent squash soup drizzled with pumpkin oil and sprinkled with toasted pepitas and pumpernickel croutons; “baked fondue”, a bubbling crock of cheese served up with toasted homemade bread; a cozy version of shepherd’s pie comprised of beef ragu topped with Hoppin' John's stone-ground grits; skillet-fried beer sausages; a plate of charcuterie and a board featuring cheeses of the day supplied by Saxelby Cheesemongers. A memorable dessert was a tangy and refreshing banana granita. My only complaint was that I found their cassoulet (my favorite winter dish) thin and unsatisfying, and there is no burger on the menu! Maybe that’s a little too pedestrian for what they are trying to do here, but I bet they’d have an interesting take on this traditional beer food and it would be a hit.

Remember that tucked away performance space I’d mentioned? Things at Jimmy’s go above and beyond the gastro-pub. Known as the “No. 43 Stage”, there are regular beer tastings hosted by the New York City Degustation Advisory Team (next event: a bacon, beer & cheese pairing on Feb 19), film screenings, live music, comedy and sometimes even a bit of burlesque!

So, worth going back? Definitely, over and over again. A very lively, warm and friendly place that might even be my new regular hangout!
Jimmy’s No. 43: 43 E 7th St, between 2nd & 3rd Avenues

Dovetail

I can now exhale. You may recall my recent rant against BLT Market (see my post on Jan 21st), detailing my growing concern about the overt brand-building at fine restaurants everywhere and overall plastic-ness of it all. Not all is lost! Enter Dovetail, a brand new culinary gem on the Upper West Side.

Gastro Chic gathered the troops and we headed over there one recent Friday evening. My first impression was that they are aiming for subtlety at Dovetail: I missed the entrance at first pass and once inside, everything is muted, beige and dimly lit. A little bit like a corporate executive dining room, which made me leery. Would the food be bland too? My fears were unwarranted and I think I get it: I believe the subtlety in design is aimed to put your focus on the food, exactly where it should be.

Chef-Owner John Fraser (French Laundry, Taillevent, Snack Taverna, Compass) presents a seasonal market-driven menu, just like everybody else these days, but with a refreshing perspective. For example, the venison here is succulent and served with chestnuts, cabbage and marshmallows, and it works. There was a dish of decadent, tender gnocchi that were sautéed and served with veal short ribs, foie gras butter and prunes. I loved the wonderfully light and flavorful rabbit terrine with kumquats and toasted brioche. The best entrée of the night was the roasted sirloin and beef cheek “lasagna”, which was stacked with trumpet mushrooms and basil. However the dish that resonated most with me was the crazy-good banana brioche bread pudding topped with a thin bacon-flecked wafer. Bacon: it’s in everything now, and I’m not complaining!

Worth going back? Oh yes. Yep. I would like to have a romantic dinner here. I would like to come back with a good friend and have a decadent evening here. I would be willing to spend ten bucks or more for a
cross-town cab through the park to come here, and that says it all!
Dovetail: 103 W. 77th St., near Columbus Avenue
(photos courtesy of Gastro Chic)

Bites: National Cheese Appreciation Day, Deux Amis, BLT Market

National Cheese Appreciation Day!

Hey, did you know that that Jan. 20 was National Cheese Appreciation Day? Neither did I, until I got an email from The Cheese Mistress, who was honoring the date by organizing one of her meet-ups at Artisanal Bistro. It was a bitterly cold day, but we found warmth and sustenance in the form of yummy red wine, bubbling fondue and platters of cheese chosen from Artisanal’s in-bistro cheese boutique. When picking out the cheeses, I was attracted to one in particular: the Bierdeckel Beermat from Switzerland, described as having “an explosive barnyard aroma”.
Never one to shrink from a challenge, I stepped-up to the cheese plate and nearly passed out from the smell. Whoa! I believe this is the stinkiest cheese I have tasted to-date. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but it was TOO stinky. Offensively stinky. At least to me, because there were a few among us (mostly the fellas) who really liked it. Go figure!

I was, however, introduced to a new favorite, the Brescianella Stagionata, a raw cow’s milk cheese from Italy. It was creamy, tangy and had a slight pungency that wasn’t overpowering. I loved it and the happy day of cheese talk.
The Cheese Mistress: www.cheesemistress.com

Deux Amis

This kind of freezing weather brings on cravings for hot and steamy things to warm you from head to toe. In particular, I get a hankering for cassoulet, that classic French country stew made of white beans, pork sausage and duck confit baked in an earthenware pot. When served with crusty bread and a hearty red wine, nothing could be cozier; and the cassoulet they’re cooking up at Deux Amis fits the bill perfectly.

Deux Amis is a quirky little place and it took me a while to succumb to its charms. The crowd is a little wacky: one part ancient, plastic Sutton Place denizens, one part United Nations delegates and one part Midtown professionals. It’s not a place I naturally gravitate to, and I only started coming here because friends in the neighborhood liked it; however, the food is so much better than expected: classic French bistro fare with a Moroccan twist. Here you will find excellent versions of French onion soup, escargot and steak au poivre, as well as delicious couscous stews served with chicken, lamb or vegetables. And that near-perfect cassoulet that finally won me over. Worth going back? Oh yes. You will find me here quite a bit.
Deux Amis: 356 E 51st St. between First and Second Avenues.

BLT Market

We interrupt this generally upbeat blog with a bit of ranting. I make an effort to keep my comments on the positive side. I think there’s more than enough snark to go around in the world of bloggers, and I do my part to accentuate the positive; however, I need to vent my frustration with BLT Market.

BLT stands for “Bistro Laurent Tourondel”, not the sandwich. Chef Tourondel is furiously building a brand, with his BLT restaurants multiplying all over the place like popcorn: BLT Steak, BLT Fish, BLT Prime, BLT Burger. The new one is BLT Market, attached to The Ritz Carlton on Central Park South. His restaurants are so overtly branded that I have resisted trying out any of them, but BLT Market has been receiving particularly good buzz lately, so the time had come to check it out and Gastro Chic made us a reservation.

Her reaction to the experience was much more generous than mine; read her review here. BLT Market is jumping on the current (and all-good) local-seasonal-artisanal dining trend. But it rings hollow to me here and seems so completely calculated. There is a blackboard with hand-written specials. The napkins are dish towels. The menu has a wooden clothespin attached. Water for the table is served in a chunky old-time milk bottle. Over by the maitre d’ stand you can pick-up a colander, a jar of honey and a cookbook on your way out.

On the positive side, it’s a bright, festive and fresh-looking room. The service is warm, friendly and professional. The crowd is attractive and sophisticated. The food is very good, if way overpriced, with some dishes truly and deeply delicious, such as the amuse bouche of “pigs-in-a-blanket”, crusty bread slathered with a garlic-parsley pesto, the venison bolognese with shaved pecorino and a poached lobster gnocchi with a lemon beurre blanc sauce.

But oh, the plastic-ness of it all. I can see a branch of this restaurant opening soon at an upscale glitzy mall near you. Gastro Chic captured my sentiments perfectly, saying it “feels a little slick, like Marie Antoinette playing country house.” In a way I can’t blame a chef for making the most of his success. After all, the food business is brutal and any hint of revenue-generating excitement should be encouraged. The reality is that all successful chefs and their monied backers are doing it, so I shouldn’t be so naïve.

I just wish it weren’t so in your face.

Worth going back? Certainly not on my dime.
BLT Market: 1430 Sixth Ave. at Central Park South

Midtown Dine & Dash

I live and work in the Midtown East area of Manhattan. Worker bee Central. This is also the land of culinary extremes: the expense account lunch extravaganzas, on down to the lowly corner street vendor and everything in between, most of it highly mediocre. Every day right about lunchtime I have a mini-dilemma. Where does a gourmet gal go get good grub? (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) Midtown is lousy with anonymous “deli” lunch spots that supply soggy pre-made sandwiches, rubbery pizza, and tossed, tasteless salads made too quickly and with resentment. To add insult to injury, lunch will run you about $10 bucks or more. Who needs it!

I do -- and because time is of the essence, I usually focus on places where I can run in and take out, or run in, eat quickly and run out. And maybe run an errand too. That’s lunchtime in Midtown, my friends.

But heaven has heard my prayers and it is no longer a total culinary disaster in these parts. There are a few glimmers of hope, and some are actually pretty fabulous. Here is my highly biased list of favorites:

Dishes
Located at 6 E 45TH St, 399 Park Ave. at 54th Street, and two locations in Grand Central.
This place would be fantastic no matter where it is. The food here is truly first-rate fresh, prepared with the kind of care and quality one doesn’t expect in a quick-service type of operation smack in the middle of the
canyons of steel. The centerpiece of Dishes is the International “market” table buffet, featuring a seasonal menu offering satisfying treats such as seared salmon filets, marinated grilled chicken breast, clever side salads with unexpected grains, fresh fruits, and for dessert, generous cups of panna cotta, flan, rice pudding, cookies, brownies and pastries.

There are also salads made to order, interesting sandwiches, and amazing soups such as the luscious, brain-exploding-good pumpkin corn chowder, and a coffee bar. The atmosphere is sleek, modern, and chic. And bustling -- that’s the only problem I have with it. It’s so good and therefore the number one go-to lunch spot for THE WORLD. If you’re in this part of town and not in a rush, get there before noon or after 2. Otherwise, good luck!

‘wichcraft
555 Fifth Avenue at 46th Street, with about 7 other locations throughout Manhattan.

I am in love with this mini-chain created by Top Chef’s Tom Collicio (who is also chef-owner of restaurant Craft). The sandwiches here are outstanding and feature fresh seasonal ingredients. They are inventive and a few are downright addictive. Take a gander at some of these offerings: grilled fontina, black trumpet mushrooms & white truffle fondue on chewy pullman white bread; slow roasted pork, red cabbage, jalapeños & mustard on a crusty ciabatta roll; along with superior versions of the sandwich classics featuring ham, turkey, chicken & tuna salads and even PB&J because, sometimes, you just gotta have it.

But the best sandwich in my mind is with marinated white anchovies, a poached egg, roasted onions & frisée on country white bread. It’s so good my pal Gastro Chic wrote a little poem in its honor called “Ode to Sandwich”. I also admire the way the place is operated, very much like a professional restaurant, complete with line cooks and someone who is in charge of making sure the food looks good and is packaged correctly before it goes out. Efficient production, rock & roll soundtrack and a commitment to quality. Fabulous.

Yushi Bento Bar
47th between Park & Lex, with another location at the World Financial Center.

This is a Japanese quick-service restaurant that goes a step beyond just supplying generic lunch sushi prepared God-knows-where to the masses. Here the emphasis is on fresh, made in-house “low guilt indulgence” served up in a civilized, chic & sleek setting. Part of the fun is in the packaging, where you can get a small Maki roll of Peking Duck, a little California Crab, a cup of edamame, and their snappy Firecracker lime-ginger Miso soup. Want something a bit more filling? Try the “Yushi Classic Checkerboard” bento box with tuna and salmon sushi, Yushi noodle salad and Thai chili dressing. Not in a sushi mood? Check out the “Baja Free-Range Chicken” made with sliced chicken breast over mixed greens, carrots, roasted soy pumpkin seeds, avocado, sesame ponzu dressing. Or try my favorite, the “Prime Tataki and Soba” with seared beef tenderloin, wasabi and chive soba noodles, Yushi noodle salad, and a shallot pepper dressing (the beauty part is this one is only 319 calories and 95% fat free!). What’s for
dessert? Choices include tiny “shots” of pomegranate seeds, chocolate mousse, or Japanese Pannacotta in flavors such as green tea or black & white sesame, or vanilla with toasted coconut. Fresh, healthy and delicious.

Prime Burger
5 E 51st Street between Madison and 5th Avenue, right across the street from St. Patrick¹s Cathedral.

When you walk into this place, you are walking into the year 1965. It’s an old-school coffee shop from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” era New York, complete with jacketed gentleman servers, a proper counter, and in the dining area, funny cushy seats with tray tables, much like a high chair but for adults. The food here is solid, high quality coffee shop fare (they’re even the recipient of a James Beard award for “America’s Classic Restaurants”.) with their burger being the big draw. Frankly, it’s on the small side but it’s pretty good. If you’re not careful and forget to ask for it “deluxe”, they will just give it to you naked on a plate. So get it with a side of onion rings and a soda and you’re set for the rest of the day.

Grand Central Market & Grand Central Dining Concourse
Grand Central Terminal, 42nd Street between Lexington and Vanderbilt.

Sometimes I’m in the mood to graze, so I head over to Grand Central Terminal and stroll the market and dining concourse. The lower level dining concourse features a variety of offerings from vendors such as Two Boots Pizza, Café Spice, Juniors, Little Pie Company, Dishes and Hale & Hearty Soups, just to name a few.

Or I head over to the European-style food market on the Lexington Avenue side of the main hall and get some cheese from Murray’s, some crusty bread and a piece of fruit. I can also shop for a dinner party here because not only does Dishes have a space here for fine prepared foods, the renown Wild Edibles fish purveyor has a stall, along with a good butcher and Penzy’s Spice Market.

Jiannetto’s Pizza Truck
47th Street between Madison and Vanderbilt

I’m generally not one for street food. It’s all just too sketchy in it’s preparation. Did you ever walk by one of those carts with the flat top grill piled high with raw chicken on a 90-degree day? But there are a few
exceptions and here’s a major one. For just $2.25 I can get a satisfying square of crunchy & tangy grandma-style pizza on the fly. It’s really just a simple piece of crust with sauce and some Parmesan cheese, so don’t expect much. But what you get is deeply delicious.

Coming Soon: Eataly
Opening at 18 W. 48th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues in the Spring.
I thought you should be aware of this. It's called Eataly and it sounds pretty fabulous. According to the article in the New York Times last Wednesday, “it will combine elements of a bustling European open market, a Whole-Foods-style supermarket and a high-end food court”. Sounds like my kind of place, and if it’s as good as they say, it will give everyone else a run for their money. Time to step up the Midtown food game folks. Very exciting. My prayers have been answered!

Cheese You

“Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese” - Billie Burke

It’s been a very cheesy week in the land of Marie Fromage.

"Joy of Cheese" Does Spain

I attended another stellar "Joy of Cheese" tasting last Thursday (9/27), hosted by Martin Johnson. The focus was on the cheese-making traditions of Spain, Portugal and Colorado. Some of my favorites included:

* Pau: a Catalonian washed-rind goat’s milk cheese.

* Idiazabal: a Basque sheep’s milk cheese that reminds me of a smokey Manchego. I had this when I was in Barcelona in the spring, grated over a bowl of gazpacho. Ooo, that’s good stuff.

* Queso De Mano: a raw goat’s milk interpretation of the Spanish Garotxa, made in Colorado.

* Torta La Serena: Runny! Stinky! A raw sheep’s milk cheese that’s one of my favorites.

For some reason it seems to be the season of Spain in the cheese markets right now, so you should have no problem finding these cheeses at serious cheese purveyors. See my article called “Cheese Me” for a list of where to buy.

Next up at Joy is Cheese..."Cheeses to Pair with Autumn Wines" taking place on October 16, 18 or 23. Classes fill up fast & reservations are a must!

Local Cheese Heaven at the Union Square Farmer’s Market

I try to make a stop at the Union Square Farmer's Market one of my Saturday things-to-do, and I always make a point of picking up some cheese from the Cato Corner & LynnHaven stands.

* Connecticut-based Cato Corner Farmstead Cheeses are made from the raw milk of free range, pasture-fed Jersey cows, and the types of cheese on offer vary from very runny and stinky to firm and nutty.

*LynnHaven, based in Upstate New York, features a variety of cheeses made from their purebred Nubian dairy goats. I recently picked up a tub of their ricotta that I’ve been enjoying for breakfast with fresh figs, almonds and drizzled with honey.

The Cheese Mistress

I recently made the acquaintance of The Cheese Mistress. Also known as “Dr.” Elizabeth Cheese Mistress (she holds a Ph.D. in Romance Linguistics), she hails from Austin, Texas, is now based in the NY-Metro area and works for a major specialty food importer. The Cheese Mistress will show you the way of the cheese through her classes, cheese blog and frequent outings she organizes through her NYC Cheese Lovers Club on Meetup.com. You will eat your cheese and like it!

A Marie Fromage Reader Shares Some Cheese Love

“My favorite cheese at the moment is Pont l'Eveque...a bit of baguette and a glass of wine...super!”

Got a food question? Cheese question? Music or travel question? Or just questioning my sanity? Send me an email! Just click on the "email me" link to the right and type away.