Things To Do In New York When You're Fed

The time had come to call to order the first international DINNERGEDDON board-meeting; which sadly required those of our UK correspondents who had free time to make the trek out to some small town called New York City... have you heard of it?



We flew on a plane!

Once we had the business chatter out of the way (we shredded the notes; take THAT Patriot Act!) there was nothing to do but eat and drink.

"Anybody know any good places to eat around here?"

Fortunately for us, DJ Kneedriver did.




Roberta's - Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Now, we realise this looks pretty spooky, but rest assured, this place is the perfect way to ease into Brooklyn. You know why?



PIZZA.

You walk through that imposing door, behind which you'd expect Carey Elwes to be doing some messed up stuff, to be greeted by the enveloping hum of friendly yammering, heavenly smells, and a real open-fire stone pizza oven.

Behold our blurry action shot!



We ordered up a Specken Wolf, a Chicken Of The Sea, a Da Kine, and a Millennium Falco.


Four funny names; four serious pizzas.

Roberta's even take the time to feature a real herb garden in the back (cared for by Mrs. Kneedriver, we should add) which provides not just fresh herbs for the toppings, but an open space to cool off in, away from the white-hot heat of that bad-ass oven.



After our trip across the Atlantic, illegally stowed-away in the cargo-hold of an industrial freighter jet, we felt a little stone-baked ourselves.

Would you like to see a picture of a pitcher?



BANG. Bet you didn't see that one coming.

This beer was "Six Point Sweet Action", and New York friends, you take this stuff for granted. This Brooklyn-local brew is both smooth and sweet (as the name would suggest) and was the ideal tonic for our jet-lagged metabolisms.

Reeling from the buzz of pizza and beer, we ended our night as we would every night to follow... chilly bottles of Magic Hat.



Morning came.



We felt fine about it.



Ever had Red Velvet Cake for breakfast? It sorts you right out.



So creamy and luxurious (again, as the name would suggest.) We will shortly be attempting a home-made version which will hopefully get its own post, so KEEP YOUR PEEPERS PEELED KIDS.

A heavy day of pilgrimages to locations used in Crocodile Dundee II set us up for more of that geographical oddity that is, the NYC Ale.



This is Dead Guy Rogue.

Not dissimilar to some eastern beverages such as London Pride or Sussex Best, but just, well... different. Colder, that's for sure; with a sweeter, more acidic edge that gave it a much lighter finish.

It was the perfect appetiser for MORE BEER. A thirst that could only be quenched at the source...



BROOKLYN BREWERY = The Source.



Every friday night, the Brooklyn Brewery; in the heart of Williamsburg, opens its doors to the masses to enjoy their fine product in its natural habitat. Rows of picnic benches line the factory floor where you can swap money for tokens and get crunked on the freshest hops in town.

Check out this gear!



Mega stuff.

DINNERGEDDON took it very seriously.



What does one do when they feel a snack coming on?
They get Snacky!



This neon-themed Japanese joint is small, homey, and has a kind of Hunter S. Thompson vibe to it... The feeling that we had just stepped through "the looking glass" pervaded, and we began to feel light-headed.



Fortunately these Garlic Soy-Drenched Greens arrived just in time to keep us grounded. Leaping upon them the same way that a mother jaguar leaps upon those that seek to harm her cubs, we ate most of these before our camera could even take the picture (hence the scarcity of the portion on display... trust us, there was a mountain of them.)

The steamed leaves retained a nice crunch, and the sweetness of the dressing made for a rich and satisfying start to our Asian odyssey.



This is Snacky's own version of a long-established DINNERGEDDON favourite, the Bi Bim Bap, and is as good as any we've ever had. Just as always, it stirs together into a big heaping love-in of deliciousness, and because the food continues to cook itself while you eat, each bite really is different from the last.

Of course we took full advantage of a deal that pairs a chilly bottle of Tsing Tao beer with a crisp shot of Sake for a bargain price.



It's combinations like this, that lead to combinations like this...



KIM CHEE HOT DOG!

Some of us had never tried Kim Chee before, while others at the table we seasoned connoisseurs of this vinegary/sweet pickled cabbage. Not dissimilar to Sauerkraut, just A LOT more full on, it is kind of a berserk choice for a condiment, yet oddly appealing in a way that is difficult to describe. We will be acquiring some of our own shortly...



A good night's sleep left us feeling refreshed and completely not-at-all jet-legged.
Honestly. Not even a tiny bit.

Fancy an insanely strong coffee?



Man, that is a work of art. The people at Blue Bottle Coffee in Williamsburg really know what they're doing.



Utilising the power of what can only be described as a COFFEE BONG (see above) Blue Bottle roast their own beans and drip their own brews to bring you the richest, most natural cup in town. Quite the eye-opener, and perfectly matched to a Lox Bagel on the river-front.



We now find ourselves lacking an appropriate segue into dinner, so let's just use a Segway.



Smoothly done.



This behemoth is the Diner cheeseburger, and it is no exaggeration that I would readily crawl all the way from England to New York on my hands and knees just to get another one. I might need a snorkel for the middle part of the journey, but it would be worth it.



All the meat for these burgers comes fresh from the grass-fed organic butchers right next door, so what you're eating is nothing but the highest quality steak, in patty form. I asked for mine rare, and it came just how I wanted it; pink in the middle, full of flavoursome juices, and big enough to demand two hands to complete the task.



We toasted to Diner, as it remains in our minds the single best meal of the trip. Look at the intense face DJ Kneedriver is pulling in the background... that's what this much red meat does to you.



We will finish this epic post (have you made it this far?) with a breakfast place that is one part greasy-spoon, one part Cheers bar, and one part backyard clubhouse:

JIMMY'S



This place is so much fun. Check out the decor!



Colour me charmed.

They aren't shy up "Irishing" up your breakfast either, should you so desire...



Classy touch. We placed our order, and were promptly brought complimentary cinnamon donuts to enjoy while we waited.



I know they are a simple pleasure, but holy mackerel! I can't believe they give these beauties away free, fresh from the fryer! Awesome.


CHEESE GRITS AND FRESH CORNBREAD

Grits are very much an American phenomenon; being a kind of savoury porridge made with bacon-grease, but man oh man, they are no laughing matter. Just an intense flavour hit with every spoonful, and a perfect pairing with some slightly sweet cornbread for mopping up with.


MADE-TO-ORDER SPINACH, GOAT'S CHEESE AND HAM SCRAMBLE

If you wanna "have it your way" at Jimmy's, they are more than happy to oblige, with an extensive list of scramble ingredients to throw in the mix. Check out the occurrence of more grits and cornbread on the side too! That is out of control.


PULLED-PORK HASH WITH EGGS

You'd think something like pork, potatoes, and eggs would basically be the same everywhere you go, but Jimmy really knows how to handle the humblest components and elevate them into a thing of greatness. Nobody is leaving his place with room for dessert, that's for sure. (Although to be fair, you've already had your dessert with those free donuts. Oof.)

Highly recommended.

...and with that, we reluctantly packed our bags, knowing full well that we were likely to exceed our weight-allowance due to a little extra food-induced "baggage".

Thanks a bunch New York. I hope we didn't eat you out of house and home.

Next DINNERGEDDON board-meeting in the UK? I'll get the Jellied-Eels in!

Good Company at the Tortilleria

- NEW YORK -

Article taken from Mark Shue's blog, DJ Kneedriver.

Last night, we got the tacos.

A block or two from our apartment is Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos. It started life as a humble family-owned tortilla factory on Starr Street in Bushwick. In the front of the factory, they set up a little kitchen where they'd cook up fresh tacos, tortas, and picadas for the family, friends, factory workers, and passerby. Word got out about the food they were serving. After positive reviews ran in the New York Times and the Village Voice, they suddenly found themselves in the spotlight. People came from all around the five boroughs to partake in this delicious goodness. Anthony Bourdain even came there on his television show, No Reservations.

Lucky for us, they weren't too crowded the other night. So we went on through to the back with some bodega beers and enjoyed a great meal of steak tacos and a vegetable picada. About a third of the way into our tacos, the owner, Marcelo, came up and introduced himself and offered us two Modelo Especials. He was super friendly and had a great sense of humor. His english was pretty limited, and our Spanish was sadly awful, but we shared some good conversation and some hearty laughs.

As he was sippin' on the Modelo, he told us he was getting geared up to go on vacation, back to Mexico with his wife. His eldest daughter is going to hold down the fort while he's gone. She's really cool, and I guess we first made acquaintences with her about a year and a half ago, when we first came to Los Hermanos. She's always at the tortilleria - taking orders, cleaning up, cooking, cleaning, talking with customers, and generally keeping things organized. Marcelo told us he'd been in the tortilla business in Brooklyn for years. Los Hermanos is his third operation. Recently, he started hosting art shows and rock n' roll parties in the factory. He said he loved hosting the shows, but there are too many people coming out for the space they have. Some of the shows turned into wild parties till the wee hours. Too much awesome for one space to handle, Marcelo hinted.

Marcelo told us that we just so happened to be there on his son's 23rd birthday. His family began to gather in the back of the factory, lighting candles on the birthday cake. "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you.." we all began singing. Marcelo's son blew the candles out, and we were offered a piece of cake. We hung out for another hour with the fam, trading stories about growing up, raving about Mexican food, life in Brooklyn, and good times. They are were such a warm and tight-knit family, and it we were so grateful to be included in the awesome evening. As we started to leave, Marcelo's drinking buddy gave us two leather spiky punk bracelets. Fuck yeah.

I love Los Hermanos.

Brunch at Casa Mono

--NEW YORK --

It's Mark here, reporting from the Big Apple.

My cousin Jackie first turned me on to proper Spanish cuisine when I moved to New York some years back. Jackie lived in Spain for a good chunk of time, and it was there that she dove head first into the world of Flamenco, made some lifelong pals, and no doubt ate some seriously unforgettable food. Since my wife and I moved to New York, Jackie has shown us the way to some excellent Spanish eateries to be found around town. Some spots were fancy and modern, others simple and unassuming, some fiercely traditional, while others presented a modern fusion. We became instant fans. Top that off with a honeymoon visit to Barcelona last year, and our love of Spanish food has skyrocketed to epic levels.

This is Casa Mono. Once in a blue moon, I'll meet Jackie at this cozy spot. Usually we'll go for dinner, but on this particular occasion Jackie and I shared a nice Sunday Cousin Brunch. I'd say it's a modern and perhaps more avante garde take on classic Spanish favorites. The food is really damn good, and consistently so. Why is it so tasty? Because Mario Batali owns this place. That's why. Before anything is ordered, you get this perfect staple. Sliced baguette paired with Spanish olives and a pool of olive oil for dipping. You can tell by the deep green color that this ain't no po man's olive oil. Yes, this is the good stuff. Hide it from the kids. After being turned on to this simple concept, I often ask for olive oil with the free bread at restaurants instead of butter. It's just the way to go.

Best cappuccino. It rivals many that I enjoyed in Barcelona. The waitress told us that the espresso is imported from Spain, which might start to explain why it's so good. But it was really really good. I had two.

We start with the Ensalada Mono with manchego cheese. So fresh and crisp. The manchego makes an ideal compliment to the greens. It was great, and it paired well with...

... the Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Croquetas. Imagine tasting a savory (but just barely sweet) pumpkin pie, paired with goat cheese, rolled into little balls, and fried. These ping pong ball-sized morsels pack a lot of punch. I can almost taste them as I type this. Oh man.

This is the part of this meal where I just die and go to tapas heaven. I am a *huge* fan of the Sardine. It is easily, in my humble opinion, the most underrated little fish available. A poor man like myself can purchase countless cans of these fellas, and use them for anything. My sardines end up in sandwiches, stir frys, salads, in tacos, rice dishes, noodle dishes, on crackers, with eggs at breakfast, and even on pizza. This fish is it, I'm telling you. When the Spanish take a Sardine and lightly fry up the entire thing in olive oil, it's even better. I eat the head, the tail, and every bone. These three amigos pictured above were served up with a candied lemon summer salad, and garnished with lemon wedges. There you have it folks, Sardinas Fritas done right.

Duck Egg with Mojama. The final piece to come out, and it's just beautiful. A very large duck egg cooked to perfection sits as a canopy atop a mound of potatoes and sauteed mushroom. Mojama is a Spanish delicacy consisting of tuna loins cured for two days in sea salt, then rinsed and laid out to dry. The end result is almost something between jerky and bacon (except in fish form), and makes a perfect compliment to the savory duck egg. When the egg is pierced with a knife, it oozes lazily down onto the plate like a slow motion volcano, all the subtle flavors mixing along the way.

A perfect brunch.

---------------

Casa Mono

52 Irving Place

New York, NY 10003

Independence Eats

Last weekend I officially celebrated my independence from the land of my DINNERGEDDON brothers and sisters across the pond. It's not that I don't have a deep place in my heart for them. But you know, it was the Fourth of July, and I was hungry. Even though I had an Independence Day to celebrate in the States, I gave props to my English DINNERGEDDON crew by heading to - where else - NEW ENGLAND.

In past years, I may have headed to a hometown celebration in Virginia, where I would have taken in a parade and concert featuring these guys...

Or I might have grilled and munched on some of these puppies...

One year, I even took in a holiday-inspired movie starring this dude...

And I almost always set off or witness plenty of these dudes...

This year, thanks to some solid pals who invited us up to their family home and camp, I enjoyed a long holiday weekend in the great states of Vermont and New Hampshire. It was a most excellent Independence Day weekend.

I was excited to go to Vermont again now that this blog has come into existence. The state is a food and drink megaworld, thanks in part to its abundance of fertile land, its artisan spirit, and its independent small farming mentality. Vermont is perhaps most notable for it's maple sugar, and it also produces some of the best dairy in the USA (try some Vermont Cabot Cheddar, or a pint of Ben & Jerry's). More recently, the state has taken center stage in the American microbrew scene. Try a Magic Hat, Long Trail, Switchback, Otter Creek, Trapp Family, Hill Farmstead, Harpoon, or Shed beer (just to name a few) when you have a chance. All produced in the great state of Vermont.

On Friday afternoon we piled into a car drove far into the beautiful countryside of central Vermont, six or seven hours north of New York City. Our friend Sam grew up twenty minutes outside Vermont's capital city of Montpelier, in a tiny rural township with only one general store to its name. Her folks built their house from the ground up.

We got to the area around midnight on Friday. Before heading up the dark mountain through the winding dirt roads to to our resting place, we stopped in Montpelier for a pint or two at the Three Penny Taproom. We sampled exciting local beers from Hill Farmstead and Trapp Family (yes, the von Trapps - the family that The Sound Of Music is based on - relocated to Vermont AND they make their own beer. How fucking cool is that??).

On Saturday morning we headed down the mountain and into Montpelier for the Capital City Famer's Market. It easily rivaled many NYC greenmarkets, yet had a vibe all its own. Local goods were everywhere, and they looked amazing. We ate some great food, took in some live banjo pickin', and stocked up on produce for the rest of the weekend.

While I'm not the biggest fan of pizza for breakfast, here is where I make an exception. These vendors bake their goods from scratch in a giant portable wood-fired oven, which is attached to the back of their pickup truck. Badass and really tasty. On the left is a breakfast pizza, complete with bacon, eggs, peppers, and cheese. On the right is a more traditional-style tomato, cheese, and basil slice.

This vendor sold homemade Chicken Mantu, a south Asian fried wrap or dumpling filled with chicken, cabbage, garlic, curry, and cheddar. It's served with this spicy red sauce. It was delish.

Our hosts had some good friends that opened a taco stand near the market. While I was pretty full, I somehow found room for this smoked trout taco, and I'm really glad I did. A corn tortilla filled with fresh picked greens, a hunk of trout, and topped with guacamole. Very simple, very fresh, and totally awesome.

...then, back to the house...



Sam's mama makes Limoncello from scratch. I'd only had Limoncello once in my life - Danny DeVito's signature stuff - and I'll admit that I didn't really get it. I thought it was way too sweet for my tastes, and I just sort of wrote it off. Thankfully, this Limoncello changed all of that for me. Really nice.

Remember that last DINNERGEDDON post - the one about getting shrunk by a crazy scientist? Well, here is where I was temporarily blown up by the same scientist (for a sequel film), and I'm enjoying my Limoncello from a teeny glass while sitting in a teeny rocking chair...

Fresh berries were eaten in the garden...

... and the snap peas were ripe for picking (and eating!).

The neighbors picked zucchini in the morning and popped out these fresh zucchini muffins by 1pm! They were too good. Serious. Excellent balance of sweet and savory. Find some shade by the muffin tree. It's a good tree to hang around.

I've said this before. I'm not an authority on much of anything, but I do know a good margarita when I taste one. THIS is good margarita. We picked up some tequila in town, squeezed a zillion limes, and added the special ingredient. In addition to her Limoncello skills, Sam's mama makes Triple Sec orange liquor from scratch. Man. Oh. Man.

We took the margs and the muffins to the pond, where we met a nice gang of kids. We swam, floated, and paddled around in the afternoon sun.

At night we sampled more local brews at another pub, split some burgers, and enjoyed some early fireworks.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ALERT: Change of State.

Early on the morning of the anniversary of the day of my nation's independence from these dudes, we drove to our friends' family's camp in rural New Hampshire. The car was abandoned on a dirt road near a gorgeous body of water. We took a tiny fishing boat out to the camp - the only way to access it.

Camp was beautiful. Also built from scratch, out of the surrounding trees. No electricity or plumbing. There was a small fridge and stove for minimal cooking, powered by propane gas. Outhouse in the back woods. It's a simple wooden haven in the middle of the woods on the edge of the water - everything one could want or need.

This grilled cheese at the camp was one of my favorites I've had or made. Very simple and very delicious. Maple walnut bread, baked in Vermont with local maple syrup. Vermont Cabot cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. An onion from the garden. Some spicy mustard.

It can be difficult to cook large meals at the camp, so Sam's mama brought some serious eats that she had semi-prepared beforehand. This pasta salad was cooked in Vermont and we brought it in the boat over to camp in a bag. Toss it with fresh greens from the garden, garlic, olives, and olive oil, and it's a delicious dish that can feed an army.

This caprese salad, also made from fresh-from-the-garden veggies, was a smash hit too. Seriously refreshing on a hot July day. Add a baguette, some wine, and BLAMMO - it's a seriously good vibey meal.

As night fell, we enjoyed our camp feast by lantern and candle light.

Magic Hat Brewing Co. did not, to my knowledge, pay Kip for this shameless endorsement of their beer. But hey, who doesn't like some Magic Hat? We also sampled creations from Long Trail, Switchback and Otter Creek. All awesome.

The legendary summer salads return for lunch the following day! We love it.

Top the weekend off with some fireworks and stories around the campfire, and there you have it!

Independence never tasted so delicious.

** Special thanks to the Jacobsons and the Mortons for all their hospitality and good vibes!