The Strong Buzz Guide to Summer!

Now that the weather is warming up, Andrea Strong asked me to write a piece on some of NYC's seasonal offerings. From Greenmarket menus to street fairs, here is my latest Strong Buzz round-up!

The Strong Buzz Guide to Summer: The Best Eats From Blue Crabs to Greenmarket Tastings (and where to get them all)

We New Yorkers endured a long, brutal winter and a chilly, rainy spring—we’re in serious need of a little relief. Sure, sunshine and warm temperatures are a solid start, but what we’re all really craving is an al fresco meal (or ten). Most restaurants roll out the sidewalk tables the moment the thermometer reads above 60 degrees, and to celebrate the beginning of the outdoor dining season, The Strong Buzz’s Rachel Barbarotta has compiled a list of the best places to go for summer’s amazing seasonal fare, everything from blue crabs to Greenmarket menus.

IF YOU DON’T MIND GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY: Back Forty
Where: 190 Avenue B (at 12th Street), 212-388-1990, www.backfortynyc.com
When: Tuesday nights through the end of August (except 7/5) plus Wednesday 8/31 and Friday 9/2 - $40 per person.
On the menu: Back Forty will provide the mallets for a true Chesapeake Crab Boil including Spiced Blue Crabs, Buttery Potatoes and String Beans along with seasonal desserts and pitchers of Sixpoint Crisp Lager for an additional $15. Don’t worry if you’ve never cracked open a Blue Crab with your bare hands, the staff at Back Forty will show you how it’s done and provide plenty of towels to clean it all up. If you don’t mind getting a little messy in the name of sweet, succulent crab, this is definitely the place for you!

FOR THE GREENMARKET-OBSESSED: Tocqueville
Where: 1 East 15th Street (at 5th Avenue), 212-647-1515, www.tocquevillerestaurant.com
When: Now through Columbus Day - $39 for lunch, $55 for dinner and $30 for wine pairing
On the menu: In an age where we can find any restaurant menu online, it’s quite unusual when even the chef doesn’t know what he’ll be serving tomorrow! Tocqueville’s Chef Marco Moreira takes the Greenmarket trend to heart by creating fresh and inventive new dishes every single night. Chef Marco is leaving the fate of his menu to the offerings of his local Greenmarket, only featuring ingredients that he can find on that given day. This will guarantee the freshest dishes and a true taste of the summer season. Last year’s offerings included such creations as Fried Green Tomatoes with fluffy sheep’s milk ricotta and green tomato jam and Grilled White Peach Cobbler with sweet corn gelato and fresh blueberries. If sweet corn gelato doesn’t scream “seasonal ingredients,” we don’t know what does!

IF YOU WANT TO EAT ON YOUR FEET: Hester Street Fair
Where: Hester Street (at Essex Street), 917-267-9496, www.hesterstreetfair.com
When: Every Saturday from 10am-6pm
On the menu: Some of the best things about New York City in the summer are the street fairs. Those who drive may disagree, as traffic is often re-routed around them, but the Hester Street Fair is not only one of the hippest street fairs in all of Manhattan, but it also boasts some of the best food. With everything from New Orleans-style sandwiches and treats from Cheeky Sandwiches to fresh offerings from Lower East Side hotspot The Fat Radish, there is truly something for everyone. And who doesn’t love checking out unique jewelry and clothing while munching on an Empanada from La Sonrisa?

BEST FOR DATE NIGHT: Park Avenue Summer
Where: 100 East 63rd Street (at Park Avenue), 212-644-1900, www.parkavenyc.com
When: Sunday evenings throughout the summer - $35, 3-course Paella Menu
On the menu: At a restaurant that thrives on the concept of changing their menu with the seasons, Park Avenue Summer is the perfect spot to celebrate the warmer weather. Park Avenue Summer will offer a three-course Hamptons Paella Menu paired with Lieb Cellars Rosé on Sunday evenings for the duration of the summer. For an authentic paella experience, the classic Spanish dish will be made in the dining room in a 4-foot paellera and will be loaded with summery ingredients like Maine lobster, native corn and mussels. The regular menu will also include other summer favorites such as Swordfish Nicoise with Haricots Verts and Mediterranean Branzino. While this certainly isn’t a meal you’ll have to crack open with a mallet, the elegance of Park Avenue Summer is a true delight.

IF YOU LIKE TO DRINK YOUR VEGETABLES: Trestle on Tenth
Where: 242 10th Avenue (at 24th Street), 212-645-5659, www.trestleontenth.com
When: Select cocktails (four at a time) from The Drinkable Garden menu will be on circulation for brunch, lunch and dinner throughout the summer
On the menu: When you were little, you used to feed your vegetables to the family dog under the table. And while you can’t quite remember the exact day when you decided you actually liked Brussels sprouts, you never thought you’d be drinking them through a straw! To celebrate the season, Trestle on Tenth opened their newly renovated outdoor patio and simultaneously announced their brand new cocktail menu including drinks made with fresh vegetables! Whether you prefer the Belle of the Ball with vodka, red bell pepper, mint, grapefruit juice, lemon juice and yellow chartreuse or the 20/20 with house-made carrot-infused Tito’s vodka, fresh carrot and lime juice, we promise not to rat you out to your mom!

Bring on the sunshine!

Let's Eat!
The Fabulous Foodie

James Beard Pop-Up at Chelsea Market

I'm a little late in sharing this with you since it was posted on Bite of the Best on April 1, but since the pop-up is open until May 12th you should go check it out anyway! I want to thank Bonnie Leblang for giving me the opportunity to write this piece for her wonderful site:

James Beard Foundation Launches Pop-Up Restaurant
April 1, 2011The pop-up restaurant trend, a short-term restaurant that literally “pops up,” remains open for a short time and is usually gone as quickly as it came, has proven successful in LA, London and Paris over the past few years. In the current unsteady economy, the concept is the perfect way for chefs to flex their creative muscles in an experimental setting while appeasing diners who are easily bored by mundane cuisine. Several new pop-ups have arrived in New York City as of late. Former Dovetail chef John Fraser brings What Happens When to Nolita for 9 months and brunch-only spot Maharlika will make its temporary residence in the East Village.

As pop-up restaurants are now growing in popularity in New York City, who better to bring one to Chelsea Market than the self-proclaimed inventors of pop-up restaurants themselves: The James Beard Foundation (JBF). The Foundation, which began in 1986, has been inviting chefs from around the globe to cook at the James Beard House in Greenwich Village ever since, thus creating the concept of very first pop-up restaurant.

On April 12, the Foundation will launch JBF LTD, a temporary restaurant and food pavilion in Chelsea Market that will offer a rotating calendar of food-related events titled Nightly Dinners, Daily Specials and Side Dishes until May 14, 2011 at Chelsea Market located at 75 Ninth Avenue in New York City. Tickets are on sale today.

Nightly Dinners will feature prix-fix dinners prepared by celebrity chefs that include Michelle Bernstein of Michy’s (Miami) and David Chang of Momofuku (NYC). These dinners will generally be offered five week nights (excluding Sundays and Mondays) with four seatings — 6:30, 7:00, 7:30 and 8:00pm.

Daily Specials — an interactive café, retail shop and lounge open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am through 4 pm — will offer tastings, book readings and culinary demonstrations with guests such as Gail Simmons of Top Chef: Just Desserts and Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics. In addition, the café will serve lunch and snack items.

Side Dishes will offer interactive food-themed experiences such as a “Who Was James Beard?” exhibit, related contests and giveaways and several retail displays that will sell James Beard’s books, JBF t-shirts and more.

For more information or tickets, click here.

-Rachel Barbarotta, Bite of the Best special correspondent

I love that I am referred to as "special" correspondent. Makes me feel, well, special!

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Solid Italian Fare at La Carbonara

From the outside, it looks like any other New York City restaurant, so it was by the fate of the OpenTable gods that we landed at La Carbonara for dinner one night a few months ago. Patrick and I took his friends from Maryland out to dinner to this Italian spot on 14th Street between 7th & 8th Avenues and from the second we walked in the door we fell in love with it.

Now don't get me wrong, I always have been and always will be Max's biggest fan, but since we moved to Chelsea, the trek to either Tribeca or the East Village seems far when we're craving pasta, so we've found a new home at La Carbonara. Let me break it down for you. The cozy atmosphere gives diners low lighting, a noise level that is never too loud even when the restaurant is packed (and it is always packed), and small wooden tables far enough apart for privacy but close enough together to feel like you're sharing a meal with 100 of your closest friends. The staff is incredibly attentive and welcoming and the decor makes you feel like you're having a comfortable dinner in your Italian grandmother's dining room. This restaurant makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and I haven't even gotten to the food yet.

(photo credit: La Carbonara)

As I said, we took some of Patrick's friends here a few months ago and everything was wonderful. But the meal I want to tell you about took place last Friday night. Patrick and I (once again) both had rough weeks at work and decided we owed ourselves a good dinner date. We chose La Carbonara because we were craving some pasta and we loved it so much the last time we had gone. We were shown to our table by the same man who had served us last time, presumably a manager, an incredibly nice Italian guy with a ponytail and beard. We soon found out he'd be our waiter again, and his service was flawless. He checked on us enough times to be helpful but not so much that it was overwhelming.

We decided to split the Oven-Baked Eggplant with Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella to start. I love that this dish is baked and not fried, and was really in the mood for this savory treat. It arrived to our table in a small bowl and the aroma nearly knocked me out of my chair. I couldn't wait to dig in!The eggplant was both crispy and soft in all the right places, the cheese was melted to perfection and the sauce rivaled the best I'd had. On the whole, we made a phenomenal appetizer selection.

For some reason, I was really craving seafood. While Patrick went with the Rigatoni with Veal Ragu, I scanned the menu and was really hoping there would be a stand-out seafood special. I was not disappointed. Not only did they have a pasta dish with mussels, shrimp AND lobster, the pasta in said dish was black squid ink pasta, one of my favorites! They had it paired with a spicy marinara but I opted for a garlic white wine sauce. I couldn't wait for our food to arrive! While we waited, Patrick sipped on a crisp white wine and I indulged in a glass of Prosecco.

Our food was finally ready, and I knew it was coming because I could see the lobster on my plate from across the room! Patrick's pasta looked great:but I was very happy with the plate that was placed in front of me:And of course when the busboy brought over the chunk of Parmesean with the grater we kept him at our table for a good long time grating cheese over our dishes. What is a plate of pasta without a mound of cheese on top?

I am proud to say I finished every last bite of the incredible dish. The seafood was so fresh, the pasta was cooked exactly to my liking (al dente!) and I always have a good time cracking open lobster (even though, to this day, my dad cracks it open for me when I get lobster with my family.) I was in heaven! I tried Patrick's pasta, and it was also very good, but braised meat is not my favorite. He definitely enjoyed it though.

La Carbonara has quickly become one of our favorite places in the city. When a great atmosphere is paired with both wonderful service and delicious food, you really can't go wrong. We'll be back for sure, and we'll send new customers to this great spot too!

Where is your favorite place to get pasta in the city? Do you like fancy Italian at places like Del Posto? Or do you prefer good down-home pasta at places like Max and La Carbonara? Let me know, I'd love to hear what you think.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Great Ramen at FoodParc

While I've already visited and written about FoodParc (29th & 6th Ave.), I only just learned that in addition to the great sandwiches, Chinese dishes & burgers, they also have awesome Ramen. A few nights ago when it was chilly out, I was in the mood for some warm comfort food and Ramen was just what I needed.

I ordered the Roasted Pork Ramen with Wontons to go (two actually, one for me and one for Patrick) and we took our dinner up to the roof of our building. When I removed the lid from my soup I was pleasantly surprised by how incredible it both looked and smelled.

I was excited to sink my teeth into the egg, which I did first, and every bite I took afterwards lived up to my expectations. The pork was tender and full of flavor and the broth was incredibly savory. The noodles were just the right consistency, not too soft and not too firm, and when I ate every element in one bite the result was sheer perfection.

I know there are a lot of places in NYC to get great Ramen like Ippudo and Momofuku, but I was truly surprised to find a great version right in my own neighborhood at FoodParc.

Where is the best Ramen you've ever had? The dish sure has come a long way since the three-for-a-dollar variety I used to eat in college!

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

PS: I went back to FoodParc a few days later to have it again and took a better picture of the soup:

My NYC Passover Guide on The Strong Buzz

I was recently asked to write a Round-Up of Passover Seders in New York City for The Strong Buzz. See a recap below, and check out the full article here.

“The Strong Buzz Guide to Passover: The Best Seder Fare for Serious Foodies”
For years, you’ve had to put up with eating gefilte fish and chopped liver at your family’s Passover Seder. Fear not, we have some great alternatives for you this year! For those of you who call New York City home, are unable to travel for the holiday, or just want to introduce your family to something new, many fantastic restaurants will be offering Passover Seder options in the city. The Strong Buzz's Rachel Barbarotta has put together a serious list to help you decide where to go for grub that will make up for all the times you had to pretend to love your Aunt’s leaden matzo balls.


GOOD FOR A TWIST ON THE USUAL PASSOVER FARE: JoeDoe
Where: 45 East 1st Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues), 212-780-0262, www.chefjoedoe.com
When: April 18th, 19th, 20th - $50 per person.


BEST FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR A TRADITIONAL SEDAR: Talia’s Steakhouse
Where: 668 Amsterdam Avenue (between 92nd & 93rd Streets), 212-580-3770, www.taliassteakhouse.com
When: April 18th


BEST FOR SERIOUS FOODIES: Telepan
Where: 72 West 69th Street (Between Columbus Avenue & Central Park West), 212-580-4300, www.telepan-ny.com
When: April 18th & 19th - $65 per person


IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO HAVE A CATERED SEDAR: David Burke @ Bloomingdales
Where: 150 East 59th Street (between 3rd & Lexington Avenues), 212.705.3800, www.burkeinthebox.com
When: Order by April 13th - $65 per person


FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT: Toloache & Yerba Buena
Where: Toloache is located at 251 West 50th Street (between Broadway & 8th Avenue), 212-581-1818, www.toloachenyc.com; Yerba Buena Perry is located at One Perry Street (at Greenwich Avenue), 212-620-0808, ybnyc.com; and Yerba Buena LES is located at 23 Avenue A (between 1st & 2nd Streets), 212-529-2919, ybnyc.com


NOSH FOR A GOOD CAUSE: Capsouto Freres
Where: 451 Washington Street (at Watts Street), 212-966-4900, http://www.capsoutofreres.com
When: April 18th & 19th - $150 contribution per person


IF YOU’RE UP FOR SOMETHING NEW: JBF LTD.
Where: Chelsea Markets, 75 9th Avenue (between 15th & 16th), jamesbeard.org/popup
When: Tickets available on Wednesday April 6th for the Seder on April 19th - $75 per person plus 10% service for a prix fixe, four-course menu with beverage pairings

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Fun, Casual Comfort Food at Mooncake

I remember when I was a teenager, I used to babysit for the young daughter of our family friends in NYC. Before the parents would go out for the night they would hand me a stack of 100 menus and say "Order whatever you want for dinner." Since I grew up in Connecticut, this concept of food delivery was brand new to me. I was told that I could get a cheeseburger and fries brought right to the apartment, and it was like a whole new world was opened up to me.

Of course since then, the New York City delivery industry has been revolutionized by companies like SeamlessWeb, and now we have thousands of options at our fingertips. With almost every restaurant in Manhattan offering delivery, it's difficult to sort through the options to find the truly great places to order from. I order delivery more often than I'd like to admit, but because of this I consider myself somewhat of an expert. No restaurant has impressed me more than Mooncake Foods.

Dubbed as "Fun Casual Asian Comfort Food," Mooncake Foods has 3 locations in Manhattan-- Soho, Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea. Since I both live and work in Chelsea, I order from the West 30th & 8th Avenue location all the time. My absolute favorite thing on the menu is the Steak Kebab plate. Grilled red peppers & onions accompany flavorful chunks of steak over rice, all covered in a delicious peanut curry sauce. Yum! I also enjoy the Miso-Glazed Salmon and the Pulled Pork Sandwich with Curry Lime BBQ Sauce. Everything on their menu is the kind of food that warms your soul, both tasty and comforting.

If you're looking for some delicious delivery in NYC, check out Mooncake Foods, I promise you won't be disappointed.

What are you favorite delivery spots around NYC? Let me know, I'm always looking for new places.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Brunch Spots: Cafeteria

Cafeteria, a popular 24-hour restaurant in Chelsea, has a motto: You Are. You Eat. If that's true, I'm 3 amazing little bowls of the best Mac & Cheese I've ever had, and I'm perfectly okay with that.

When my friend Jill and I wanted to get brunch one Saturday afternoon, we chose Cafeteria because we'd both eaten there before and remembered the food being delicious. We had both never been for brunch, so we decided to give it a try. And boy am I glad we did!

At first, I was a little intimidated by how many people were waiting for tables, but the hostess told us it would only be about 25-30 minutes, so we decided to belly up to the bar and order some mimosas to kick off our Saturday afternoon. At only $10 a pop, I had a delicious grapefruit mimosa while Jill had an equally yummy OJ mimosa.

When our table was ready, the two of us agreed on one thing: We HAD to try the Mac & Cheese. Several orders of the ooey gooey deliciousness had passed by while we waited at the bar, and we just had to have it for ourselves. We ordered one "Mac Attack" while we looked over the rest of the menu. The Mac Attack consists of a taste of each of their 3 Mac & Cheese flavors:
-Cheddar & Fontina
-Smoked Gouda & Bacon
-Truffle Oil

All 3 were incredibly good, but my personal favorite was the Smoked Gouda and Bacon. I highly recommend the Mac Attack if you're planning a visit to Cafeteria.

Although the portions of Mac & Cheese look small, they were very filling, but we still went ahead and ordered brunch main courses. Jill opted for the BLT with chips while I got cheesy egg whites, turkey bacon, side salad and a biscuit.

When the BLT came out, we were both shocked about how huge it was. Jill knew right away that she'd only be able to finish half of her sandwich, if even that much, and that she'd be taking the other half home to eat later. The portions at Cefeteria are definitely very good for the price.

My scrambled egg whites were perfectly fluffy and cheesy, the biscuit was delicious, the side salad had a great-tasting balsamic dressing and the turkey bacon was very tasty.

Neither one of us did much damage to our meals because we were quite full from our appetizer, but regardless, all the food was very good, and I can't wait to go back to Cafeteria for brunch again.

Mac & Cheese, in its purest form, comes out of a blue box, but a lot of restaurants love putting their own spin on it. What is the best Mac & Cheese dish you've ever had? Do you prefer it as a gourmet dish, or as Kraft originally intended? Let me know, I'd love to hear from you.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

FoodParc: A Gourmet Food Court

When I heard that there was going to be a new restaurant in Chelsea that puts a gourmet spin on the food court theme, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical. Visions of MSG-laden Chinese food & 3,000-calorie Cinnabons danced in my head.

I asked my friend Sarah to meet me at FoodParc (6th Ave between 29th & 30th) last night because I wanted to see it for myself. She loves food like I do, so it was an easy sell. From the minute we walked in the door, our mouths were hanging open in delight & surprise.

First of all, there were so many things to choose from! Sandwiches, salads, delicious-looking Asian-fusion dishes, smoothies, coffee, even a bar! I was instantly excited. Then we realized that for the actual ordering, you use a touch-screen computer with a built-in credit card machine. Cool! Once we made our selections (a process that took no less than 20 minutes) we paid for the food. I ordered half of an Eggplant Parmesan sandwich & a shrimp eggroll, and it only cost $9! That was a very pleasant surprise.

I then opted to receive a text message when my food was ready. Sarah & I took our receipts and watched as our order numbers appeared on a giant TV screen. Once my order was ready, I instantly received a text message and they called out my number for pick-up. Talk about efficient!

Once we had our lovely bags of food, we went to sit by the window. I opened the boxes and was delighted to find that the food looked incredibly delicious.

And it was! It truly tasted as good as it looked. Both dishes were piping hot and not the least bit greasy. The egg roll was crunchy and flavorful while the sandwich was cheesy and delicious. The only downside to the entire meal was that the tomato sauce on the sandwich was just a tad bit too sweet for my taste, but it still tasted so good!

I am very excited to visit this restaurant many more times to try everything on the menu. I noticed there was a build-your-own burger station that also had not only a BLT menu, but a grilled cheese menu as well. This place is too good to be true!

What is your opinion on one-stop shop dining? Do you prefer restaurants that stick to just one thing, or do you like this "food court-style" dining trend? If you live in NYC, have you tried FoodParc yet? Do you plan to? I'll definitely be returning.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie