A Damn Good Burger!

Does the quest ever really stop when trying to find the perfect burger in New York? I think not. After driving around on a below-freezing day, the car parked itself right in front of Kenn's Broome Street Bar.

(Established 1972 in the 'cast-iron district' of Soho)
My winter "coat" instincts kicked in and I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with a side of steak fries. To be perfectly honest, there was hope of a decent burger, but without high expectations. Kenn's ended up scoring high points. I didn't even look at the menu long enough to realize the burger was inside a pita and served with a salad. The thick circle of ground beef was seasoned, not heavily, with salt, pepper and a dash of garlic powder. What really made this burger were the short, crispy pieces of bacon and cheddar cheese. The thought of bacon on a burger is it's a supplement for underseasoned meat as opposed to an enhancer; but in this case, it worked well. It tasted so damn good, the meat/bacon/cheese combo could have been taken out of the pita and eaten on its own with the salad.

The salad had romaine, real button mushrooms and a light dill vinaigrette. Nix the oily fries...there's a reason they don't come with the burger.

Kenn's Broome Street Bar 365 W. Broadway @ Broome (212) 925-2086

Schiller's

There's not much to say about my last (as in, will not return again) brunch at Schiller's. Always a fan of the McNally dynasty whether it be for the food or ambiance, but Schiller's just dropped off the list. Far off.

It's shocking the scrambled eggs with lox and onion were even allowed to leave the kitchen! The underpart of the salmon was cooked into the mix as opposed to the pink portion. After stating it shouldn't look like that, the waiter looked at us with crazy eyes, but did bring out another omelet with herbs and cheese as a substitute.
(note the brown-ish/gray color)

The omelet was decent, but eggs were overcooked and home potatoes were sitting in a pool of oil.


Good thing they have Balthazar, Morandi and Minetta Tavern to fall back on cause they don't have much else.

Schiller's 131 Rivington Street (212) 260-4555
www.schillersny.com

SHUTTERED The New French

Nestled between two dark storefronts on Hudson lies a small bistro, The New French. The uninviting dark-wood paneled interior is balanced by glow of the mural painted by Maira Kalman, whom also happens to be the penman of the menus. We were seated almost immediately in green and white wicker bistro chairs overlooking the chalkboard of specials with our coffee press and sandtimer.

What seems to be a typical bistro with traditional Parisian breakfast, is anything but. The eggs with potatoes and greens, omelettes and crepes are all enjoyable enough, but the real stars here are the sandwiches. The intense flavors of the chili/beer-braised pulled pork on brioche with mustard riata and brisket on ciabatta with roasted peppers should win some sort of award.
The complex, ethnic seasoning (particularly that of the pork) leaves you begging for the next bite. The beautifully cooked french fries are an added bonus to a perfect meal. These are pommes frites a bistro in France would gladly call their own ~ crispy, with little flakes of salt.


At one point, I glance over and see the steaming bowl of TNF pho noodles with broccoli, carrots, scallions, shallots, and cilantro which looks like another appetizing dish. The former chef of Tabla produces a much more ethnic-inspired menu than French; but heck, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

The New French 522 Hudson Street @ 10th Street (212) 807-7357

Basta Pasta

It was a last-minute decision to head to Basta Pasta, an Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant in Chelsea. Far more Japanese than Italian, this restaurant represents an interesting union between two cultures so passionate about their culture and cuisine. The industrial sized space favors Eastern minimalism, with the ambiance of a loud, Italian family gathered for dinner. Most patrons were Japanese (always a good sign in a Japanese restaurant) and the waitstaff was attentive and polite.

The bagna cauda appetizer was a simple crudite plate accompanied by a warm anchovy cream dip. The dip was a well-balanced blend of cream and anchovy; not too creamy and the right amount of anchovy that doesn't result in fishiness.

The spaghetti was the lighter of the two pastas served with the tobiko highlighted. Tobiko is versatile in cooking with its slightly sweet, salty flavor followed by crunchiness. The shiso leaf is such an underused ingredient; typically used as a garnish under the ginger and daikon in sushi restaurants (try it on a piece of tai, Japanese snapper, sushi with lemon and salt). It's pretty much used the way for the pasta, but with the shiso shredded on top, it actually has a chance of being consumed with each bite.

The uni linguine didn't sit for more than 20 seconds before I had to dig in, therefore, no photo was taken...next time. The brininess of the uni was lost in the pink sauce with basil, but the richness and creaminess was not. My tastebuds were overhyped and although it wasn't a letdown at all, I expected a little more.

The poached pears covered with vanilla ice cream and zabaglione were...if I may...a light way to end the meal. They somehow managed to play perfectly off one another in a dessert that could have been a sugar overload.

Basta Pasta 37 West 17th Street (212)366-0888
www.bastapastanyc.com

A Fork in the Road: Little BIGS (Houston, TX)

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Sitting on the corner of Montrose and Westheimer in Houston, is Bryan Caswell and Bill Floyd's (of Reef) Little Bigs. The idea is an even better twist on the burger joint....a slider joint. They have three types of sliders - beef with caramelized onions, chicken and black bean. You can order them in a trio or solo. I tried one of each with a large basket of fries.

The fries are true-handcut perfection covered with flakes of salt. There aren't too many places that can perfect the simplicity of frying a handcut fry.
The beef with caramelized onion was only mildly juicy after being a tad overcooked and the "special sauce" (nothing more than a mixture of mayo and ketchup) was the saving grace of the bland chicken. The star of this trio was the black bean slider. It was the first one I tried and upon taking a bite, I actually thought this was the beef! The black beans were well-seasoned, then mashed into a 'meaty' blend. The buns were inconsistent on all the sliders, but nothing significant to spoil it. Wash it all down with an Arnold Palmer...or Bigs offers a variety of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, butterscotch, and White Russian milkshakes. I'm sure one would be enjoyable on the patio in the summer, though I didn't try one this time.
Little Bigs has awhile to go before it can even be in a race with all the incredible burger joints around Houston; but if you are looking for a snack of fries & a shake, hit this place up.

2703 Montrose Blvd. @ Westheimer (713) 521-2447

January 3rd...A Sad Day

Pink Tea Cup in the West Village has closed its doors.

Point to Noho

(Five Points, NYC 1827)

The trio of Cookshop, Hundred Acres and Five Points seem to be favorite brunch spots among many New Yorkers. The deep space is gorgeously decorated with ceiling tall seasonal floral arrangements. The lighting is just right. Not too loud. Just average food.


We sit in the very back room with a skylight near all the lovely stacks of freshly baked Balthazar breads. The housemade pork-fennel sausage and poached eggs atop a buttermilk biscuit, roasted tomato sauce and hollandaise fondue was tasty; but the Cookshop Scramble with eggs, caramelized onions, creme fraiche, and chives atop a buttermilk biscuit tastes identical. Fennel has distinct taste with hints of black licorice. I couldn't pick up any in the sausage, but at least it was hearty.


The three eggs in a crock tasted like the cast iron crock, but looked delectable with its slightly charred top with mozzarella baked in the white fluffiness.

This restaurant grouping is fair with heavy dishes to compensate for the lack of flair.

Five Points 31 Great Jones Street
http://www.fivepointsrestaurant.com/

A Fork in the Road: Huckleberry (Los Angeles, CA)

One of the best breakfasts I've ever come across is at Huckleberry in Santa Monica. The vibe feels pretty typical of a Southern California establishment: large, raw space with natural sunlight, people just finished working out and healthy, fresh food. While standing in line waiting to order, the breads, pastries and desserts looked the quality of a Parisian patisserie.

Erin told me I HAD to order the poached eggs with market vegetables, but because I'm used to ordering much heavier, I chose sunny side up eggs on rustic bread with Niman Ranch bacon, gruyere and crispy arugula. Once the yolk bleeds down the face, the colors become a striking blend against the green, white and brown. This tasted almost as good as Thomas Keller's BLT Fried Egg Sandwich looked in the movie, Spanglish.

As tasty as the sandwich was, I wish I had ordered the poached eggs and vegetables. A tip of the hat to Josh & Zoe Loeb! The combination of corn, snap peas, orange cherry tomatoes topped with pesto and breadcrumbs is exceptional! This wasn't a protein and vegetable that I thought would work well, but happy I was proved wrong. Sometimes simple just works.

I can count on one hand how many times I've had dessert at 8am, but this chocolate pudding was heavenly. The texture was velvety with a touch of cocoa and dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.

It's safe to say Huckleberry is there to stay...and I will be returning every chance I get.

Huckleberry 1014 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica, CA (310) 451-2311

The Mighty Burrito

Finally a decent burrito hath arrived in New York City! Two Northern Cali boys recreate a Cali taqueria to perfection (everything in this place is sustainable).
The pollo asado, or grilled chicken, burrito was so damn tasty I could have had another. Korin and I actually considered having 2.
It starts by warming a slice of cheese on the tortilla itself. The cheese further melts by smacking rice, black or pinto beans, salsa and sour cream atop before it is beautifully rolled together. If you add guacamole, they give you a fairly generous helping and you can actually taste the tomatoes, onions and cilantro used to make it. I, of course, brought my own hot sauce for extra kick.

The prices are unbelievable and the hipster staff gets along with just about everybody.

147 Fourth Avenue b/t 13th & 14th Streets
www.dostorosnyc.com

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Nothing beats ice cream on a cool evening...
Decided to head down the block to the famous Chinatown Ice Cream Factory after Cantoon. The shop is a little kitchy selling t-shirts, totes and hats. Then again, that's not what you're going for. I got the red bean ice cream in a sugar cone. Delish! Creamy, not too sweet and fresh red beans.

65 Bayard Street Chinatown
http://chinatownicecreamfactory.com/home