SHUTTERED: Bee Desserts

Claudia Steves' renamed La Palette has just reopened on Greenwich Avenue with the same menu as its predecessor.

The tilapia sandwich ($12) looked appealing with its sesame seed bun, deep-fried bananas and asiago cheese, but lacked flair. The green sauce, which would have brought the dish together, simply wasn't strong enough. The asiago was the only element keeping it together, and the tilapia could have used a dash of salt.

Forget the pulled pork altogether...not even worth the mention, dry and bland.

DO pick up the foil-covered speciality honeycakes. The spongy honeycake is enclosed in a dark cocoa shell, come with marshmallow, liqueur and almond and made with zero sugar. The quaint back garden (along with sweet strings of lights) is lovely for an evening of sipping wine and eating pleasurable desserts, but hardly much else.


Bee Desserts 94 Greenwich Avenue @ Jane Street www.beedesserts.com

Shopsin's

There is a diner menu, then there is the Ultimate diner menu. In a cushioned chair at the end of Essex Street Market, sits foul-mouthed Kenny Shopsin. He watches every element of Stall No. 16 like a hawk. Only this man would be ballsy enough to formerly come from a diner space to a 50 sq. ft. kitchen and produce an extensive 1000-item menu. Shopsin and his daughter keep breakfast items in the simplest form, but reinvent the wheel with mac 'n' cheese, s'more pancakes and slutty cakes (glazed pumpkin, peanut butter & pistachio). I mean, how could these dishes not a gather a cult following?

The Moe I ups the ante on the McGriddle. Two doughy pancakes with the thickest slices of maple bacon stuffed in the middle, topped by two sunny-side up eggs. The bacon has been soaked in syrup, so much that none needs to be poured on. Now you can't pick this bad boy up, but who wouldn't want the real version?

The pulled pork sandwich, aka ATW, was slopped with BBQ sauce, along with bacon, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, jalapenos that overwhelmed the meat of the sandwich. It couple have been simple, pulled pork on ciabatta.

One disappointment were the jalapeno grits - I would like to think a place like this could get grits right, but they were undercooked and undersalted.

Drawbacks: Unless you arrive at 9am, expect a lengthy wait...at least 30 minutes to an hour and do NOT go with more than 2 people. Read the menu before being seated or while waiting. They do not care for undecided folks.

Shopsins 120 Essex Street @ Rivington http://www.shopsins.com/
CASH ONLY

Egg

Nothing is more satisfying when a good, no, praiseworthy dish shows up on your table after an hour long wait. This happens to be one of the rare occasions when I order only one dish; and while all the dishes I passed looked scrumptious, only one looked me in the eyes:

Country Ham Biscuit . . . $8
Country ham from Col. Bill Newsom's Hams in Princeton, Kentucky served on a biscuit with homemade fig jam, Grafton cheddar, and a side of grits.


I've never been a fan of ham texture, but this aged ham is stringy and salty, much like beef jerky. The beautiful, flaky homemade biscuit is flanked with homemade fig jam and Grafton cheddar. The not-so-sweet jam and biscuit cut the saltiness of the ham, but it is the ham that brims with flavor. Pair this with the thick, creamy grits and the plate is a home-run! Side note: You can order products from http://www.newsomscountryham.com/

Egg 135 North 5th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn CASH ONLY http://www.pigandegg.com/menus/breakfast/

David's Brisket

Getting off the E train in Crown Heights can be quite a culture shock, but it is also home to David's Brisket. This absolutely 'no frills' joint has four two-tops and could use a major cleaning, but the food compensates dining space and cleanliness.

Though breakfast is not the specialty here, it is worth the extra calories just to try. If you are seeking pancakes comparable to that of Pink Tea Cup (sigh), try these. The doughy pieces of fluff have enough sweetness in the mixture that you won't even need to use syrup. A family of four could feast on one plate of eggs, pancakes and turkey bacon and breakfast sandwich. It was easily one of the best breakfast rolls I've ever had! $2.95 buys you a three inch thick egg, cheese and turkey ham on a roll.

The guys brought us a complimentary plate of the brisket, corned beef and pastrami thinking the breakfast was our meal, yet they had no idea what we had in mind. We then proceeded to order brisket, corned beef, pastrami and corned beef/pastrami combo sandwiches on rye. Unfortunately, the namesake brisket, was super dry even when topped with gravy.

But, the corned beef/pastrami combo was the clear winner! The partly-dried pastrami and small amount of gelatin in the corned beef was a sinister combination! Wash it down Dr. Browns Cel-Ray and Root Beer and you got yourself a meal.

Take a pass on the side dishes of coleslaw and particularly, the potato salad. Both were chock-full of mayo AND relish. Last I checked, relish was not an ingredient included in potato salad.

All this food for $56 with enough to take home (I actually used the CB & pastrami for omelettes). Now isn't that worth the $2.25 subway ride?

David's Brisket House 533 Nostrand Avenue
http://davidsbriskethouse.com/

There's a bizarre, yet interesting art project to check out as you walk to the subway: http://brooklyntheborough.com/?p=3898

B&H Dairy Lunch

B&H is one of the last remaining Jewish kosher dairies* in New York. The dairies, located mostly on the east side downtown, catered to the needs of the Jewish immigrants and was a complement to Katz's.

This tiny 'luncheon' spot is a throwback to early 1900's New York with their fountain chairs, porcelain hanging lights and mismatched china.

The jumbo potato pancakes taste even better than the ones mom makes! The simple, traditional pancake was shallow-fried and served with sour cream and applesauce.

Recently, I've been in the mood for the sweet portion of breakfast menus. B&H makes their own challah onsite and although it accompanies most everything on the menu, I decide to go with the challah french toast. The french toast is served on a plate with thick slices and although it was good, I need something salty to offset the sweetness.


The lox and onion omelette served with homemade potatoes was outstanding. B&H scratched out all the reasons (taste eggy, too big, not enough filling) I usually shy away from omelettes. This was long and thin and, of course, filled the entire plate. It is made with belly lox, so if you are needing a salt fix, this is what to order.


Other dishes that looked delicious: matzo ball soup, the daily special of mac & cheese, blintzes and grilled cheese on challah.

The narrow space and small tables are not exactly suitable for the portions, but you somehow make it work. I can see why B&H has a loyal following with customers sometimes returning daily; but try and make it before 1pm, otherwise, you'll be on a waitlist. How I never discovered this place while living across the street will be a mystery, but I'll be back at least a few times a month to make it up.

* kosher dairy - no meat is served

B&H Dairy 127 2nd Avenue b/t 7th & 8th Streets
http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/b-h-vegetarian-restaurant/menu

Village Voice Choice Eats 2010

Monday evening I went to my first ever tasting event, The Village Voice Choice Eats hosted by Slow Food NYC. The event featured over 50 restaurants along with beer and wine pairings. The cuisine chosen by food critics, Robert Sietsema and Sarah Di Gregorio, truly exhibits New York's influence on a global scale.

It's difficult to plow through 50 small bites, especially when most are pork and beef, but somehow we ate about 30. I tried to stick to the places I hadn't already eaten outside the tasting and drink beer I had never tried.

Some dishes tasted:
Highlands - sausage rolls wrapped in phyllo with mustard
Hummus Place - hummus & pita
Bunny Chow - Bunny Chow stuffed loaf with curry, mango chutney and toasted coconut lamb
Despana - Spanish meat & cheeses on Bread
Rajbhog Sweets & Snacks - Indian chickpea with tamarind sauce
Smorgas Cafe - meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries (my fav!)
Txikito - Meatballs on baguette
Xi'an Famous Noodles - Cold, spicy noodles
Max - lasagna

If you haven't attended an event such as this, I highly suggest it! You need to arrive on the early side (some stations were finished after serving 700 tastings in an hour) and deal with a somewhat pushy crowd; but it's a bargain for $45!

http://choiceeats.villagevoice.com/2010/

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