New York City

Bar Henry Breakdown

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:35:00 GMT

Bar Henry

Photo: Evan W. Miller

From the moment the doors opened last week at Bar Henry, the restaurant’s antique mahogany bar was packed with patrons. The third venture from Winston and Carole Bergman Kulok – who own Café Henri in the West Village and Long Island City – it gets its name from their pet Maltese.

The Food: Limited bistro fare, presented in a small and basic but well-prepared menu.

The Design: Old New York. Think vintage brass chandeliers and polished wood floors, plus a copper ceiling and bar top that give a warm glow to rooms. The entrance has striking black-and-white Italian marble floors, while the back room is bordered by brick walls, with red velvet ballroom chairs bought at the Plaza Hotel auction.

Sample Dishes: Mushroom barley soup ($8); short-rib corn taco ($14); blini and American caviar ($15); roasted organic chicken with herb jus ($25); LaFrieda dry-aged strip steak ($38).

Sample Dessert: Tarte tatin with crème fraîche ($9); chocolate mousse ($9).

Sample Drinks: Tom Morgan (Beefeater gin, tonic and lemon juice), Captain Berelsky (Gosling’s rum, amaretto, lemon and lime), Tiger Tail (bourbon, Benedictine, ginger ale and lemon juice). Grape aficionado John Slover (of Grand Cru Consulting) has put together a large wine list, with plenty of half-bottle options.

The Crowd: Village locals mixed with young professionals in their 30s, and wine-industry types.

The Tunes: Jazz standards and old R&B.

The Deets: 90 West Houston St.; 646-448-4559

–Beth Landman

Charting Boulud's Bar Pleiades

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:27:00 GMT

The room’s as lacquered as the crowd at Bar Pleiades, a new black-and-white boîte in the Upper East Side’s Surrey Hotel, where the glam mood matches the art-deco-meets-Coco-Chanel decor; courtesy of Daniel Boulud (proprietor of Café Boulud next door), it’s named after a star cluster in the constellation of Taurus, an oblique reference to the astronomical prices.

20 E. 76th St.; 212-772-2600

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Dining News Elsewhere: Obese Americans, Ramsay Loses His Number Two

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:19:00 GMT

– By 2018, 43% of Americans are expected to be obese. [NYDN]
– Gordon Ramsay has lost his right-hand man. [Bloomberg]
– The Senate is considering requiring beef to be tested for E. coli. [NYT]

– Top Chef contestants aren't being paid for the TV dinners that feature their faces (and recipes). [Time]
– First canned pumpkins, now an Eggo shortage looms. [NYDN]
– The art of complaining to a restaurant. [Guardian]
– A modest proposal for fixing restaurant and bar smoking bans. [Eater]
– Related: the science behind banning smoking outside. [Time]
– Ever wonder what it would be like to cook dinner for Thomas Keller? [Esquire]
– Talking cooking with Coolio. [Fork in the Road]
– NBC's newest cooking show, United Plates of America, will give away a four-restaurant chain. [Reuters]
– Hey, so, while you eat that sushi, this guy here is going to swallow a sword. [WSJ]
– Starbucks continues to roll out its unbranded coffee shops. [Diner's Journal]
– If New York loses its lawsuit, Tavern on the Green will become Tavern in the Park. [Crain's]
– Restaurants embrace Twilight. [NRN]
– Martha Stewart is not a fan of Rachael Ray. [ABC News, via EMD and GS]
– The Rolling Stones, the wine. [Examiner]
– Pork belly and other over-served dishes. [Between Meals]
– Students arrested for not paying their tip. [Philly]
– Plastic wishbones: what will the kids fight over? [SE]

Death & Co.'s New Menu and More

BuzzEditor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:03:00 GMT

Photo: courtesy of Death and Co.

In an effort to ramp up its food program, Death & Co. enlisted Luis Gonzalez (formerly of Mercer Kitchen, JoJo, and Bond Street) for a new dinner menu that launched this week. Among the offerings are tuna tartar with crushed avocado and housemade kettle chips ($12); pan-seared foie gras with a corn pancake and poached quince purée ($18); lobster brioche rolls with crunchy jicama, apple and fennel slaw; and truffle macaroni with aged cheddar and truffle bread crumbs ($12). The full menu can be found here. For aspiring home mixologists, the bar has also posted recipes for new fall libations, including "Daisy Buchanan" and "Little Engine" (212-388-0882).

For those wondering what's next for the D&C team, Cien Fuegos, the new Cuban concept they are opening (with Gonzalez helming the kitchen), should launch by the end of the year at 95 Avenue A and Sixth Street. By December, expect sandwiches to be sold in the first-floor space; closer to spring, be on the lookout for an upstairs cocktail and dining area. Unlike Death & Co., which stresses the speakeasy theme, co-owner Ravi DeRossi, who had just gotten keys to the locale, says the space will be much more "open."

The Devil Is in the Eggs

BuzzEditor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:21:00 GMT

Shoolbred's deviled eggs with candied bacon

Photo: courtesy of the bar

Comfort foods hold that title for a reason, and with the economy still shaky, people seem to be turning to them in droves (see: chicken, fried). So it comes as little surprise that that family-picnic staple, deviled eggs, are currently in the midst of a renaissance. The classic dish is not just on the menu at Southern-accented spots like Hill Country ($3.95), Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (three for $3.95, six for $6.95, 12 for $10.95), Tipsy Parson ($5) and The Redhead (whose new brunch menu includes pickled shrimp and deviled eggs, $6), but also at spots like Lure Fishbar (where the dish is served as an amuse-bouche when you are seated), Little Giant ($6), Centro Vinoteca ($4), Spotted Pig ($3) and the brand new Café Henri spin-off Bar Henry ($9). Looking for a twist on your deviled eggs? Resto's rendition comes with crispy pork toast and green onions ($9), while the ones at Shoolbred's are topped with candied bacon ($8).

Maialino Makes the Scene

BuzzEditor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:17:00 GMT

Maialino

Photo: Evan W Miller

Maialino

Photo: Evan W Miller

To the revamped Gramercy Park Hotel space that was Wakiya comes Maialino, an Italiano from restaurateur Danny Meyer, which takes its visual and culinary cues from the classic trattorias of Rome and, à la Gramercy Tavern, is divided into a casual (and cheaper) front bar section and a checked tablecloth–equipped rear dining room; connecting the two areas are counters showcasing its housemade bread and salumi, the latter of which stars on the moderately expensive menu that also features pastas, traditional entrees like the eponymous roast pig and an impressive formaggio selection.

2 Lexington Ave.; 212-777-2410

Maialino

Photo: Evan W Miller

Dining News Elsewhere: Koodies, Samuelsson Goes to Washington

BuzzEditor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:22:00 GMT

– Marcus Samuelsson will be working the kitchen at Obama's first state dinner. [Obama Foodorama]
– The fight for Cadbury intensifies. [WSJ]
– Chipotle sets its sights on London, Europe. [NRN]

– Costco drops Coke. [AP]
– Related: Coke bottles, 1899–1986. [Pixdaus]
– Milk producers wish they could sell their product "raw." [NYT]
– Hooters is having trouble in Vegas. [Eater]
– A canned pumpkin shortage looms. [Diner's Journal]
– Putting things in perspective with the Fat Map. [HP]
– Jamie Oliver wants to help you find a date. [Marketing]
– A Shake Shack in Boston looks increasingly possible. [GS:B]
– What a $20 Thanksgiving feast from Walmart gets you. [The Awl]
– A word we'd like to quickly forget? "Koodie." [SE]
– Foods named after people. [Mental Floss and Cakespy, via SE]
– They found water on the moon...can you drink it? [Slate]
– Making mushrooms with coffee grinds. [Chronicle, via Coldmud]
– Making art with meat, some wires, a videocamera and a stove. [EMD]

Veggie-Minded in Midtown

BuzzEditor — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:36:00 GMT

Fans of sustainable eating will soon have another option in Midtown. Otarian, a new vegetarian concept conceived in Australia (though initially launching in New York and London), is taking over the old Momo Sushi space at 927 Eighth Avenue. Designed with the environment in mind, the new restaurant plans to be "the first restaurant chain in the world to have a carbon footprinting system on its menu. When you order a veggie burger, there will be a statement about all of the emissions saved by your vegetarian meal compared to its non-vegetarian counterpart."

Cooking Back to Natirar

BuzzEditor — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:58:00 GMT

A rendering of the Ninety Acres Culinary Center at Natirar

Photo: courtesy of Natirar

Billionaire, hot-air balloon enthusiast and Knight of the Order Sir Richard Branson has converted Natirar, the King of Morocco’s former Peapack, NJ, estate, into a luxury resort, spa and culinary center. The first phase of the project, Ninety Acres Culinary Center, debuts December 1, with a restaurant, cooking school, wine school and working farm. Chef David C. Felton, formerly of the nearby Pluckemin Inn, will run the kitchen using ingredients from the estate’s farm to create dishes such as kabocha squash ravioli with ricotta, maitake mushrooms, duck confit and bouillon; and roasted Chatham cod with mustard spaetzle, braised cabbage and cracklings. The high-profile owner, and lush interiors designed by David Rockwell, are sure to be a draw for cityfolk looking to explore new foodie territory (2 Main St., Peapack-Gladstone, NJ; 908-901-9500).

– Kathleen Squires

The Buzz “J Walks” With Next Iron Chef Finalist

BuzzEditor — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:22:00 GMT

Jehangir Mehta

We’ll have to wait until November 22 to find out who will take the title of The Next Iron Chef, but our bet is on Graffiti’s Jehangir Mehta, for no other reason than he invited the Buzz’s Kathleen Squires to appear on the first two episodes of his web TV show, J Walk. Check out Kathleen and Jehangir here and here as they buzz about unusual ingredients and cooking utensils from around the world.

Nick Anderer: Meyer’s New Star at Maialino

BuzzEditor — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:43:00 GMT

Maialino

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Danny Meyer certainly knows how to pick ’em. Chefs that is. The restaurants within his Union Square Hospitality Group have produced a good share of mega-stars: Michael Romano, Tom Colicchio, Marco Canora, Daniel Humm and Floyd Cardoz to name a few. Meet Meyer’s new rising star, Nick Anderer, who makes his debut as an executive chef at Maialino within the Gramercy Park Hotel. Plucked from the kitchen of Gramercy Tavern, Anderer comes with a pedigree, having worked for Colicchio, Michael Anthony, Mario Batali and Larry Forgione. The Buzz chatted with the chef the morning after his first night of service.

Zagat Buzz: So we heard that Anna Wintour, Ruth Reichl, Dana Cowin and Alain Ducasse were all in the house on opening night? How did that go?

Nick Anderer: Yes, it’s true, they were all there. It went very well. It was all good to have that vibe in the house.

ZB: How do you know when a restaurant is ready to go when you’re opening it?

NA: It takes time. Any restaurant is a living organism that is going to grow over time. For me, I’ll know it’s there when I look up and see the big picture. Right now my head is focused on lots of small details trying to make that big picture come together. But the day where I can walk out of the kitchen comfortably and sit in that dining room and experience a meal is the day that I’ll say, “Ok, this vision is at least getting there.” But the short answer is that you’re never going to be there, it’s something that’s going to continue to grow. There’s always a lot of unfinished business. And that’s the beauty of restaurants, and of Danny’s restaurants, because they stick around and you always have opportunity to improve on things.

ZB: Were there any special considerations opening within a hotel?

NA: Absolutely. It was something we had to think long and hard about. It is a situation that is unique and we were given the opportunity that a lot of hotel restaurants haven’t been given in the sense that we can function Maialino pretty autonomously. There’s a room service kitchen that is separate from the regular kitchen. I have basically transplanted a team of new chefs that are all people that I have worked with in restaurants, so my entire management team has a restaurant-geared mentality. Of course, opening a hotel restaurant comes with a certain amount of hesitation from a chef. I think that all those fears go away with the fact that we do pretty much function as a free-standing restaurant.

ZB: So what is your approach to the menu at Maialino?

NA: We’re doing hearty Italian food inspired by Roman trattorias. Every single neighborhood in Rome has had an impact on the menu. Danny and I spent several weeks there researching for the menu and this is kind of a greatest hits of all the things that we tried. And Danny and I both have a shared love affair for Rome that goes way back. Danny spent a lot of time there and I spent a full year my junior year of college studying art history there. That time was the spark for my culinary career – I came back to New York and started cooking. So it was that shared love of Rome that inspired this restaurant.

ZB: What are some of the signature dishes?

NA: I don’t like to say “signature dish” because there are so many things that we pride ourselves on. But some of the things that stand out in my mind are the bucatini all’amatriciana, coda alla vaccinara (oxtails with tomato and celery) and spigola al forno (baked whole sea bass). But despite the fact that we are sticking to the Roman canon, the areas where we stray are in choosing the best ingredients. In any Roman trattoria the call is to what is really thriving at the market on that particular day. We’re not in Rome, we’re in New York, so we can’t make everything to the T. As a result we’re not going to have carciofi alla Romana every day. The things that we are coming up with on a daily basis are very market driven.

ZB: With so many Italian restaurants in New York, how do you feel that Maialino is going to stand out?

NA: Hopefully it will stand out because everyone who comes in will feel that they are getting a little slice of homeyness. I think the challenge for me as a chef is to try to make a pretty big restaurant feel smaller than it is. There’s love in each plate. I encourage all my cooks, with every single movement that they make throughout the day, to think about who they are cooking for. And we really take a lot of pride in the sourcing of our ingredients. That attention to detail will make us stand out.

ZB: This is the first kitchen that you have been in charge of as an executive chef. What have you learned from your years within the Union Square Hospitality Group that helps you to be a good leader in the kitchen?

NA: I have learned so much about building a cohesive unit and about putting together the perfect team. Danny Meyer really creates a great sense of family in all of his restaurants and makes every single person feel that their job is the most important job in the entire space. And every person takes pride in what they do because they feel valued. I have learned to make sure that every person realizes how important their job is. I think Danny is the master of making sure that each individual part of this big unit is functioning at a high level at all times.

– Kathleen Squires

Dining News Elsewhere: Buzzy Booze, Subway in the Sky

BuzzEditor — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:37:00 GMT

– The FDA is targeting caffeinated booze. [WSJ]
– Meanwhile, its efforts to ban eating raw oysters didn't work out so well. [NYT]
– Burger King franchisees lose 10¢ for every $1 double cheeseburger sold. [NRN]

– A special Subway franchise is set to rise up with the Freedom Tower in New York. [NYP]
– U.S. chicken production is set to fall for the first time in 36 years. [Reuters]
– Champagne sales are a bit flat these days. [NYT]
– Musicians do covers of other bands' hits, why shouldn't chefs cover other toques' recipes? [Guardian]
– Pinkberry's further expansion plans include Boston, DC, New Orleans and Mexico. [Eater]
– Why we read cookbooks. [The New Yorker]
– Want a new drug? Synthetic alcohol isn't out of the question. [Scotsman, via ColdMud]
– Just when we've gotten used to twist-off tops, get ready for wine in a plastic bottle. [Stuff]
– Things a restaurant patron should never do. [Applesauce]
– Related, 10 dirty restaurant tricks. [Slashfood]
– Peace through hummus. [Economist]
– Hard to turn down a "love dessert" made with passion fruit and...Viagra. [NYDN]

Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:48:00 GMT

Authenticity has never been more perfectly faked.

Per Se Travels the Hudson

BuzzEditor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:17:00 GMT

Per Se

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

On Wednesday, November 18, Per Se continues its American Table series with a seven-course dinner focusing on Lee Hudson's wines and produce. The evening starts with a standing reception, and continues with dishes like buckwheat blinis and pork belly with collard greens served with apples and mustard sauce; wine pairings include Hudson Vineyards 2006 Carneros Chardonnay and 2006 Kistler Chardonnay. For a look at the full menu, click past the jump (6:30 PM, reception, 7 PM dinner; $375 per person; 212-823-9335).

HUDSON RANCH DINNER MENU
The seven-course tasting menu for the evening is designed to celebrate the symbiotic relationship of eating food and drinking wine from the same land:

Buckwheat blini
Smoked Salmon, Sterling White Sturgeon Caviar and Kendall Farms’ Crème Fraîche

"Salvatore Brooklyn Ricotta Agnolotti"
Heirloom Squash, Sage Leaves and Brown Butter Emulsion

Butter Poached Nova Scotia Lobster
Eggplant, Peppers with Sauce "Rouille"

Pork Belly
Collard Greens, Apples and Mustard Sauce

Dry-Aged Beef Rib-Eye
Torpedo Onion, Pommes Purée, Broccoli and "Sauce Bordelaise"

CHEESE (Red Wine)

DESSERT (Quince, Walnut)

The dinner will be paired with Hudson Vineyards 2006 Carneros Chardonnay, Hudson Vineyards 2006 Kistler Chardonnay, Hudson Vineyards 2006 Ramey Chardonnay and Hudson Vineyards 2006 Syrah.

Commerce Commences Tavern Menu

BuzzEditor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:13:00 GMT

Commerce

photo: Ryan Charles

Starting tomorrow, the West Village’s Commerce launches its tavern menu, to be served every Saturday, noon–5 PM. It’s a mix-and-match mash-up of chef Harold Moore’s greatest hits from his brunch and dinner menus. Expect favorites like spaghetti carbonara and croque madame with sunny-side-up egg, along with casual new bites such as a braised beef short-rib sandwich with caramelized onions and syrah mustard. A selection of nine cheeses rounds out the afternoon delight (212-524-2301).

New York City

Bar Henry Breakdown

Bar Henry

Photo: Evan W. Miller

–Beth Landman

Charting Boulud's Bar Pleiades

Dining News Elsewhere: Obese Americans, Ramsay Loses His Number Two

Death & Co.'s New Menu and More

Photo: courtesy of Death and Co.

The Devil Is in the Eggs

Shoolbred's deviled eggs with candied bacon

Photo: courtesy of the bar

Maialino Makes the Scene

Maialino

Photo: Evan W Miller

Maialino

Photo: Evan W Miller

Maialino

Photo: Evan W Miller

Dining News Elsewhere: Koodies, Samuelsson Goes to Washington

Veggie-Minded in Midtown

Cooking Back to Natirar

A rendering of the Ninety Acres Culinary Center at Natirar

Photo: courtesy of Natirar

– Kathleen Squires

The Buzz “J Walks” With Next Iron Chef Finalist

Jehangir Mehta

Nick Anderer: Meyer’s New Star at Maialino

Maialino

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

– Kathleen Squires

Dining News Elsewhere: Buzzy Booze, Subway in the Sky

Outtake of the Week

Per Se Travels the Hudson

Per Se

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Commerce Commences Tavern Menu

Commerce

photo: Ryan Charles

–Kathleen Squires