June 2007
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Month June 2007

Entries 5 Total

Dogmatic Gourmet Sausage System

Jun 22, ’07 5:33 PM

In the park on Bleecker and Hudson
no phone number
$13 for two hotdogs, one asparagus and a drink
♥

Right behind the playground on Hudson and Bleecker and steps away from the long lines outside Magnolia Bakery is a small hotdog stand with an expensive flair called the Dogmatic Gourmet Sausage System. The flair during our visit was a thin turkey sausage for $5 a piece made by Sullivan County’s Violet Hills Farm. There are fancy sauces that you can add, from white truffle gruyere (yes, I know!) to dijon mustard and spicy ketchup. There is also grilled asparagus for the vegetarians. Everything comes in a toasted baguette. To push all the gourmet choices down, there are homemade ice-cold drinks like a really refreshing ginger with vanilla bean.

The owner, Jeremy Spector, is also the chef at nearby Employees Only. (He was wearing his Employees Only T-shirt and chef pants when we stopped by.) After we ordered, we sat on the park bench next to his stand to wait. He walked over to bring us the wrong orders: he put spicy ketchup on our asparagus instead of the hotdog and he slathered the melted gruyere on another hotdog instead of the asparagus. We joked at how confused he was–it must have been the summer heat. We ended up eating two hotdogs and one order of the asparagus because of his mistake. He let us have the other hotdog for free. And, well, we thought he was really cute for being all flustered.

Dogmatic Gourmet is a noble idea in the perfect neighborhood, but I’m not sure if I’m its customer. I found it hard spending $5 on a sausage.

Related post/s:
Sparky’s on Lafayette is a little easier on the wallet

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Governors Island

Jun 22, ’07 1:14 PM

After a free 7-minute ferry ride from the Battery Park Marine Terminal, we were on Governor’s Island. Back in the 1800s, Governors Island was used by the Coast Guard and the U.S. Army to protect the New York harbor. It became more popular after Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met there for a 1988 summit meeting. Today, it’s a New York City landmark where summer cultural and historical programs are held. Visitors can picnic and check out several historic buildings like Castle Williams and Fort Jay.

As soon as the ferry docked, we walked along the National Monument Boundary and joined a few locals who brought their bicycles with them. The view of downtown Manhattan is as nice here as it is from the Brooklyn Bridge. The manicured lawn around Fort Jay was perfect for our picnic blanket and Sunday paper.

How to get to Governors Island:
Take the 1 subway to South Ferry. The Battery Park Maritime Terminal is next to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. The first ferry ride from Manhattan is at 10am. The last one to leave Governors Island back to the city is at 5pm.

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Grimaldi’s Pizzeria

Jun 21, ’07 5:54 PM

19 Old Fulton Street at Water, DUMBO, Brooklyn
718/858.4300
about $70 for two large pizzas for five, with drinks, with tip, cash only
♥

Still considered by a lot of people as one of the best places to eat pizza in New York, Grimaldi’s has been welcoming tourists and locals alike at its location by the Brooklyn Bridge even before real estate agents gave DUMBO its name. The line stretches outside the restaurant but moves quickly. The volume inside rises when everyone’s in a good mood, but you can still tell that Frank Sinatra’s playing in the background.

Grimaldi’s pizza crust is thin and crisp. There are a lot of toppings to choose from for $2 each like black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers and, of course, pepperoni and sausages. I especially like mine with basil leaves and garlic. My only complaint is that everything gets cold too quickly. By the time I eat my third slice, it’s almost time to order another pie. Call ahead to pick up a whole pie–they don’t sell by the slice and it’s cash only–and sit by the pier while taking in the view of downtown Manhattan.

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Public House

Jun 20, ’07 12:02 AM

140 East 41st Street between Lexington and Third
212/682.3710
if we paid, about $150 for two, with two drinks, with tip
♥

I was invited by the Public House to a tasting this week. I don’t usually hang out in the midtown area but I was curious to taste what bar food could mean to chef Robert Dziekonski, a native New Yorker who has cooked with Tom Valenti and Danny Meyer. A very large American flag drapes the wall near the bar and sets the tone for the rest of the space. Booths are for small groups, while a lounge off the side is available for bigger parties. I’d equate the interior to a steakhouse more than a pub. The clientele falls in that range as well: suits who come in for business meetings and for after-work drinks.

There really isn’t a good phrase to describe the Public House menu but “bar food.” And it’s not the gastro-pub type either; it’s straightforward, all-American bar food. I’ve been on a meat-eating binge lately so I was quite excited to eat some burgers and barbeque ribs. With a request to serve everything in smaller portions so I don’t have to be wheeled out of the restaurant after eating, my companion and I started with the famous hot spinach and artichoke dip and grilled pita triangles. The Public House version was roasted in a baking dish with four kinds of cheeses. This made the top a little burnt and crispy. If the manager didn’t push for it, I would have ignored it. Thank god for outspoken restaurant managers.

The mussels were one of my favorites. Cooked with shallots and garlic but steamed in Brooklyn lager rather than wine, they also came with slivers of jalapeños which added a nice kick to them. I was good enough not to dip the bread in the broth lest I get too full too early. The scallops were a hit. They were perfectly seared and meaty, drizzled with vinaigrette of bacon and whole-grain mustard.

Public House is probably not the first place I would go to for crab cakes and barbeque ribs. Their St. Louis ribs had great texture but I could have done without the sweet sauce on them. The crab cakes were more delicious without the avocado aioli which was too creamy and salty. They came with a good combination of watercress and caramelized onions, however.

The other main courses fared better: our Angus burger didn’t come with the bacon we ordered but the sautéed onions were excellent with it. I appreciated that English muffins were used which made the burger less heavy. The filet mignon sliders shouldn’t be missed. The onion brioche were small, light and toasty and brought out the beefy taste of the medium-rare filet mignon. The onions and blue cheese were good touches. The fries that came with both dishes were addictingly crispy.

The “bar” in bar food is supported by specially-concocted drinks like a martini with olives stuffed with blue cheese and a summery spiked lemonade. Decadent dessert choices included chocolate cake and cookie dough servings. We opted for the blueberry-peach crisp topped with vanilla ice cream instead of the espresso martini. They did end up wheeling me out of Public House after all.

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Ditch Plains

Jun 19, ’07 9:24 AM

29 Bedford Street corner of Downing
212/633.0202
about $100 for 5 people, with drinks, with tip
♥ ♥

It’s appropriate that Landmarc’s owners named Ditch Plains after the famous stretch of beach in Montauk, Long Island. While the Hamptons-style crowd mingles at Blue Ribbon and at Mas across the street, the laid-back type is inside the sleek and cozy Ditch Plains. They may look like they haven’t changed their looks since graduating from college, but at least you know they’re just there to eat a low-key meal.

The menu is straightforward: mussels and oysters, burgers and mac and cheese. The choices are unexciting, but there is nothing plain about the taste. The burger was cooked after my own heart: chunks of bacon sandwiched with perfectly medium-rare meat and melted cheese. The mac and cheese was addictive with burnt cheese clinging to dear life against the ramekin. The mussels in wine with onions and parsley were perfect with a piece of toasted baguette.

Ditch Plains gets crowded for dinner, but the service never falters. Our waitress brought us an appetizer portion of calamares to let us know she was taking care of us despite the wait.

Related post/s:
Blue Ribbon Bar is next door
Mas is across the street

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