David Lebovitz's Blog, page 27
July 3, 2019
Breakfast Martini
I don’t go to many press events. It’s not that I don’t like getting to taste new and interesting things, or check out restaurants before they open and to get a glimpse of what they’re going to do. But I prefer to go and have a relaxing time, and to enjoy and experience the place as a customer would. Another thing that’s challenging about press events is that they can sometimes be a scrum, as anywhere where there’s complimentary food or drink involved.
That happened to me when I attended a cocktail soirée at a very posh hotel. I was personally invited by the publicist and the bartender was quite well-known and quite competent. And as I found out when I arrived, also quite dashing.
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June 28, 2019
Apple Blackberry Slab Pie
Summer has just started and temperatures have been hovering close to 100ºF (37ºC). It’s been hard to stay cool but I’ve learned that temperatures are lower first thing in the morning, so I wake up earlier and get some tasks out of the way before the full blast of heat begins to slowly roast me, and my kitchen.
The other thing that’s hitting us at full blast is the deluge of summer fruits. There are so many nectarines, peaches, cherries, and strawberries at the market that I don’t know what to do with them all. And melons and plums are just around the corner, too. So it was odd that I found myself with a windfall of apples.
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June 25, 2019
Paris Restaurants, Bistros, Cocktail Bars and Bakeries
Not a day goes by when I don’t get a message requesting a restaurant recommendation in Paris. (Curiously, I also get asked for restaurant recommendations in cities I’ve never lived in, or even visited.) My promise to you is that I’ll only write up or recommend places I’ve been to, and with apologies to all who’ve asked for restaurant recommendations on social media, if I answered every request and message, I wouldn’t have time to write up this list for you. Or even go out to eat myself.
I do update my Paris restaurant list when I find a place I like. Similarly, when a restaurant or bistro isn’t what it used to be, I remove it. When I do a more extensive write up of a place, you’ll find it listed in my Paris restaurant categories. But other times, when I’m just going out to dinner, not toting my camera with me (and not remembering all the details the next day), I’ll give it a more general shout-out on my Paris restaurant page. But here’s a little more to add to that list, as well as some sweet shops and cocktail bars that are worthy of being on your radar.
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June 23, 2019
Favorite Links this Weekend
We’re buckling down for a heatwave that’s on its way, with temperatures heading up to 40ºC (104ºF). Fortunately I’ve got a small stockpile of fans I’ve been collecting over the years, and few bottles of rosé in the refrigerator. (And my refrigerator actually has an ice-maker.) I sometimes bring a bag as a host gift when invited for dinner…but this week, I’m saving them all for myself. In the meantime, here are some fun links I’ve enjoyed lately:
– Adam, the Amateur Gourmet, puts on his blogging shoes after an absence for the One Mac and Cheese to Rule Them All.
– The end of paper tickets on the Paris métro. (Who else remembers the turquoise and purple ones? And when they had first-class cars?)
– My next book is already available for pre-order!
– I’m interviewed, and in the spotlight, at She Knows media.
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June 18, 2019
About Salt
I don’t quite exactly when things shifted, but for many years, if you wanted salt you either bought granulated table salt, usually sold in a round canister for less than a dollar, or kosher salt, which came in a big box. Kosher salt didn’t get its name because it’s kosher, it’s because the bulkier crystals are a better size for salting meat, which koshers it.
If you live somewhere where your choices of salt are limited, kosher salt is usually available in any American supermarket, I recommend ditching your table salt and switching to that. But with salts now being imported and exported all over the world, the salt aisle’s gotten a lot larger, with a lot more options and choices.
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June 10, 2019
Fig, Tahini and Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
Not many of us saw it coming, certainly not me, way back in 1989 when La Brea Bakery opened, and I thought, “Who the heck is going to buy freshly baked bread in Los Angeles? That’ll never work…” And the rest, as they say, is history, as La Brea Bakery and Campanile restaurant, the adjacent restaurant in the same Spanish-style building (that Charlie Chaplin built), both became mega-hits.
Things change, and people move on. In the meanwhile, Los Angeles became a culinary destination, and Margarita Manzke and her husband Walter, rebooted the restaurant and the bakery for today, opening République, carrying on the tradition of making rustic breads, filling the showcases with Margarita’s fruit-topped brioche tartlets, croissants, Kouign aman, and a variety of other pastries.
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June 5, 2019
New York Restaurants and Bakeries
Here’s a round-up of places I visited in New York City. One big change (which is also happening in other cities in America) is the proliferation of excellent bakeries. While Americans don’t buy bread daily, as the French do, you can get terrific bread and pastries if you know where to look.
Restaurants
Bâtard is what modern French (and European) cooking should be. Respect for tradition, but using it as a jumping off point for creating more contemporary fare. I was hard not to wolf down the stellar housemade brioche buns but we saved room for seared scallops in saffon sauce, Arctic char with spring peas and favas, and finishing up with a soufflé (a riff off Salzburger Nockerl) baked over a confit of perfect strawberries. Kudos to pastry chef Julie Elkind for creating a dessert that has me thinking about it weeks later. The seedy bread they serve with the brioche, also made on premises, is one of the best breads I’ve had.
It’s hard to say whether the sausage & kale pizza with young pecorino and stracciatella, braised short ribs under a pile of herbs and shaved asparagus, or shrimp marinated in tomatoes and garlic with jasmin rice was the top dish of the evening, but a relative of mine said the shrimp was “probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life.” As memorable as most of the meal was, I’d have to agree with her. The cookie plate for dessert was also an embarrassment of riches. Rumor has it that the cheeseburger at lunch is one of the best in the city. That’s on my docket for my next visit.
I’ve been wowed by the food at Via Carota every time I’ve been here. I’m happy to try everything but the Cacio e Pepe pasta really stands out for its simplicity and perfection in a bowl. Everything here is pretty perfect, including the deceptively simple green salad. I also like that they have small (25cl/1 cup) pitchers of wine, which are perfect for sharing at lunch. One downside is the restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so go for lunch, preferably at off-hours.
(The team that owns Via Carota just opened Bar Pisellino across the street. I wandered in one afternoon while waiting for friends, and got the sense they should have someone on the floor directing things. Once I got to the bar, I had a terrific White Negroni on ice and Cacio e Pepe-flavored potato chips.)
Normally a tough reservation, lunch opens up entirely new possibilities, and tables, making it possible to get into this pasta hot-spot. Missy Robbin’s pastas are justifiably revered. The Corzetti with mint, Italian broccoli, and pinenuts, is a favorite, are the Spinach and Mascarpone tortellini in brown butter with dried ricotta and Buffalo-butter slicked Fettuccini with aged Parmesan. The Grilled baby artichokes, when in season, served with mint salsa verde are obligatory to order as a starter. Finish with housemade Mint stracciatella gelato, please.
I’m not completely enamored of the Chinese food in Manhattan and Brooklyn, in spite of people passing on les bonnes adresses to me. But Han Dynasty usually delivers. This mini-chain offers up Szechuan specialties which include Dan Dan noodles, sauteed pea shoots (which Romain keeps asking why we don’t get them in Paris), and wontons in chili oil. (You can skip the Kung Pao chicken.) Lunch is a deal.
This may be my favorite restaurant in the U.S. right now. If I told you that it has a Michelin star, you might be tempted to blow it off. But don’t. Mexican food is one of the great cuisines of the world, and the food at Claro! is rooted in Oaxaca. I had mezcal-like cocktail made with Estancia Raicilla, which can’t be called mezcal, but its smokiness lent an alluring backbone to my cocktail. The star was the Yellowfin tostada (above) with Cara Cara oranges, kumquats, pasilla chile, and chicharrón (crunchy pork skin) on a housemade tortilla. The wild mushroom memela with goat cheese, epazoté and pasilla was also superb. This isn’t a taco joint but it’s not fancy either (hence my apprehension about touting its Michelin star) – although it’s tempting to order everything on the menu, the food is quite filling so just remember, you can always go back.
We hit this hotspot the first week they opened. Some of the restaurant is devoted to walk-ins, including the breezy outdoor space out back (with a pétanque court). The specialties here are French/Japanese mash-ups. Yakis (skewers) make up the main courses, but the firsts really blew us away. I didn’t know ducks rillettes could taste so good. (Like, wow, where they good!) Lowly escargots are a lot more interesting with herby shiso butter. (Sorry butter and garlic…) When I ordered the puffy Pommes Dauphine, the waiter assured me I made the right choice. And the warm, house-made baguettes with yuzukosho butter I could eat every morning for breakfast. Nothing on the menu is more than $10, subject to change.
Some say the New York deli is dead. This family-owned deli in Greenpoint offers smoked fish, smoked and braised meat. I assumed people on Instagram that the well-piled pastrami sandwich I posted, I was sharing, to stave off any questions about how I eat so much, but if no one was watching, I could probably polish off a whole one.
Grand Army and Maison Premiere
These two bars are the best of the genre, with very, very good cocktails, and bar food that meets the quality of the drinks. Both places have oyster happy hour, where fresh oysters are only $1 a piece, hours listed on their websites. Both places have inventive cocktails, with those at Maison Premiere incorporate French spirits, so I always feel right at home. Grand Army takes reservations and I suggest you make them if you want to get a seat.
One of the great things about New York is that there are lots of places to eat outside. And since smoking is forbidden, you can dine smoke-free. Romain always wants to eat overlooking the water, which isn’t always possible in New York but Fornino on Pier 6 in Brooklyn offers up wood-fired pizzas not far from the water. Warm weekends it gets quite crowded and it’s less pleasant during the week, especially when the pizza over (and bar) get backed up.
I met up with Rhulman, a ne plus ultra drinking and dining buddy, and his wife Ann Hood for drinks and dumplings. The wontons in spicy peanut sauce are a must-order. The Manhattans are pretty good as well.
The website says Bar Sardine is “laid back” but when I went with my friend, spirits writer Brad Parsons, the place was hopping. Famous for their Bloody Marys, extra-friendly bar direction Brian Bartels wrote the book on them, at 10pm it seemed a little late (or early). After a cocktail tasting at Momofuku, I went with orange wine, something you don’t get in Paris, which was the right choice with the especially crisp pig ears with hot pepper jelly and deviled eggs with chickpea puree, which we followed up with Fedora burgers served with bbq mayo, smoked cheddar, and les frites. A good time was had by all.
While I like Miss Korea (warning: website opens with music, which scared the kimchi out of me), and it’s fun to hit the salad bar-style Woorjip, but I think it’s good to mix things up and hit The Kunjip for lunch. Lunch menus in Koreatown offer bargains and my Kalbi beef (above) was $19 and came with six banchans, soup, and cold buckwheat noodles. The young woman next to me, who was also dining alone, was startled when the server came over with a tray over side dishes, soup, etc., protesting she didn’t order it, until they explained it was all included. She didn’t eat as much as I did.
Tip: A number of people on social media asked about getting into high-demand restaurants. Restaurants that are on RESY will let you set a notification and will send you a text if a table opens up on the date and time(s) you requested. I was on the notification list for a lunch table at Misi, which was completely booked the day I wanted to go. I got four notifications of openings, one of which I jumped on.
Bakeries and Sweets
I was in New York to tape a few television shows and in the green room, others on the show insisted I stop in at Stick with Me. When I looked at the website, I wasn’t so sure: colored chocolates don’t usually do it for me. But I had to admit, once in the shop, these were gorgeous and perfectly presented. Each was creamy inside, but had the intensity of the intended flavors, from guava-passion fruit to peanut butter & jelly.
Supermoon Bakehouse is a happy place in New York City, with boldly-flavored croissants,
I loved meeting French baker Gus Reckel, aka: Monsieur Gus, who starts baking at 4am to prepare a line-up of breads that beat many of the bakeries of his homeland. His Chocolate chip cookies have won kudos for being one of the absolute best in the city, beating the locals at their own game. We tried his new vegan version, which was also absolutely delicious.
This American outpost of a Danish bakery serves up open-faced sandwiches and pastries. My chocolate-covered marshmallow puff, on a crisp shortbread, was light, fluffy, and sweet. The rugged bread that was solid grains was hearty and filling. Open from breakfast through dinner.
The former chef at Breads bakery presents his own babkas and rugelahs, as well as a selection of bite-size Middle Eastern-inspired pastries. The feta-filled puff pastries treats would have been best if hot from the oven, but it was nice to sit in the
Sweden is also well-represented in New York at Fabrique. The cardamom rolls were delicious but I was into the granola bar; a solid block of seeds and grains, with dried cranberries providing some tartness. A little off-the-beaten-track, with a line up of nice-looking breads and croissants, this is exactly the kind of bakery you want in your neighborhood.
My search for a great Black & White cookie led me here. (There’s a recipe for them in my book, Ready for Dessert.) Doughnuts made with everything, from salted butter caramel to bacon lined the shelves, but I went with the Black & White. The cookie was HUGE; literally big enough to feed four. It was quite thick, and a good one. But if they made them thinner, which would tilt the ratio of icing to cookie more in favor of the frosting, I probably could have finished it off by myself. A big plus was the terrific salesperson, who kept calling me “honey.”
My friend Renato, who founded Baked bakery, is striking out on his own with an Italian-accented cafe and bakery. They’re still building the bakery, but you can follow their progress on their Instagram feed, and I’ll see you there, when they open.
Pizza
I always get a pepperoni square at Prince Street Pizza, and discovered the Scarr’s Pizza, meant to replicate the old-style New York pizzeria. (Well, old for the 1980s.) Another favorite is the Roni Supreme at Emmy Squared, a Detroit-style pie with pepperoni and Calabrian chili paste.
I also discovered D. Coluccio & Sons in (If you’re in that area, you might want to check out Kerekes baking supply company. I didn’t make it but if you’re a baker, maybe stop in there, too.)
Other New York Addresses and Posts
Eating Out and About in New York City
May 30, 2019
Papaya Lime Sorbet
Papaya isn’t a very common fruit in many parts of the world. But if you go to the tropics, you’ll see them piled up at markets, and even alongside the roads, where people are selling the overload from their trees. Papaya is a curious fruit that is often just out of the sightline of our radars, and is usually eaten fresh. Some varieties are spectacularly colored, making them a perfect fruit to turn into a vibrant sorbet.
When I lived in California, there were plenty of papayas in the multicultural markets, some as large as footballs and as bright as navel orange inside, whereas others are more muted. But I haven’t bought one in recent years.
When I did, I always went for the ones that were as heavily blushed inside as possible. Latin American and Asian markets usually have one or two varieties on offer, and they’ll cut giant papayas into small pieces, which gives you a good chance to check out the color of the flesh beforehand.
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May 22, 2019
Absinthe Ice Cream
When I originally came up with this ice cream, the year was 2009, which seems like a long, long time ago, in so many ways. Absinthe had been banned in France since 1914, blamed for a host of societal ills, even being accused of causing people to go crazy (which has since been debunked; most blame additives added to cheap absinthe, which caused brain damage), and the spirit was revived and legal again, nearly a hundred years later.
Distillers quickly hopped back on the absinthe bandwagon, the green anise-flavored drink revived everywhere, from Switzerland (where it was originally created), to France and California. People went a little crazy again, inventing everything from absinthe gummi bears to absinthe cake. Eventually some of the hoopla subsided as people realized – with its high-proof (many hover in the 60-75% range) – that absinthe was something best enjoyed in small doses. Or in my case, with chocolate.
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May 19, 2019
Chocolate Coconut “Candy Bar” Cake
When I was a kid and we went trick-or-treating for Halloween, we’re run around the neighborhood, collecting candy from various houses, filling our bags with candy bars, sour bites, an occasional apple (ugh!, for a kid…), and assorted other goodies. Once home, we’d spill our loot onto the floor and commence with some serious trading.
The ne plus ultra of candies to get were coconut-chocolate bars, namely Mounds and Almond Joy. Those never got traded, at least for me. You could keep your beige-filled nougat bars coated with sweet milk chocolate, black licorice, and anything jellied and green, I was happy to trade away.
It was hard (for me) to part with anything that had peanuts in it, but were as precious to me as coconut bars dipped in dark chocolate. The tropical flavor of the juicy coconut, whose shreds scrunched pleasingly between my teeth, enrobed in bittersweet chocolate (and yes, it came in two pieces, which was like getting two-fer) was my bonus for a job well done. And I deserved it.
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