The NYC weekend in food
Burger and, at my brother's instruction, a cookies-and-cream shake at Good Burger. Five Guys makes a better burger, but here's a contender.
The lobster stew with a "Strawberry Fool" for dessert — "strawberries in mascarpone cream, vanilla sponge cake & strawberry granita" — at The Standard Grill. Beneath our High Line stroll and your exhibitionist Standard Hotel, we somehow managed to get a table upon walk-in. ("Few of them will end their stroll with a meal at the Standard Grill, unless they booked well ahead," the Times said a month ago.) Nearby tables were fashion designer, model, fashion designer, model maybe. There were neon ascots in the crowd. The bread comes in a brown paper bag, with bits of Parmesan for snacks and the floor covered in pennies. And was that Michael Kors at the next table? Still can't tell.
Sullivan Street Bakery, on 47th Street. Flatbread with pecorino cheese folded inside with breadcrumbs on top, focaccia with divots of cheese and tomato, bomboloni with vanilla filling, bomboloni with jam filling (both seen here), and chocolate tortino. The last is seen and described here: "At the intersection of a chocolate tart, a cake, and a brownie, the indulgent treat is distinguished by a touch of sea salt and a handful of breadcrumbs, giving every bite an intoxicating crunch."
Five Guys. More cook yelling than at the D.C. original. But they did the Guys proud. Later, back at Rob's, beer from the Coopers Brewery.
Clinton Street Baking Company. Lot of bakeries named after streets in this city. Buttermilk biscuit sandwich, cheese grits, fries, blueberry pie.
Brisket on rye, at the waiter's rec. Tender as promised. Katz's Deli.
Stopped into Russ & Daughters early in the weekend to get a gift card for my brother, met fourth-generation Niki Russ Federman, a blogger and @LoxPopuli on Twitter. "What girl is this for?" "Ha, for my brother, he lives around the corner." "He letting you crash at his place?" Went back later to load up on rugelach. In Serious Eats NY's interview with Russ Federman: "Guilty pleasures? Every morning, when I get to the shop, I eat a croissant right as it comes out of the oven."
Hershey's Kisses, upon entry to Hershey's Times Square store.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:13 PM
So. Jealous. Can't. Speak.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:02 PM
Ended up in the Village twice and tried to remember if that's where you lived back in the day. What was the bakery next door to you?
November 10th, 2009 at 8:51 AM
Very nice use of Serious Eats links. And having loved the smoked fish wonder that is Russ & Daughters for a while now, good catch for Rob.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:23 AM
you have to give me more credit than that. if michael kors had been a mere table away not only would i have recognized him, but i would have given him a big hug. cause he's adorable. and most definitely too classy to wear a neon ascot.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:25 AM
ps-bro did well. russ&daughters + clinton street + katzs + sullivan = ny classics
November 10th, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Not the neon ascot guy! The one at the table with the two women, the one you thought was a john.
August 26th, 2010 at 8:23 PM
[...] Bourdain's new list in Men's Health (via The Morning News), I'm glad to see I once went to two of the list's restaurants in the same weekend, Russ & Daughters and Katz's Deli. Granted, they're two of the cheapest spots on the [...]