Comestiblog

Dine In Brooklyn 2010

2010-03-14T22:42:21-04:00

Dine In Brooklyn. From 15-25 March 2010, over 200 eateries will offer three-course meals for $20.10 at lunch and $25 at dinner as part of Dine in Brooklyn 2010. Nearly 40 restaurants will offer two meals at the aforementioned fixed prices.

Stir It 28 Haiti Relief Effort

2010-02-21T13:31:21-05:00

STIR IT 28: Food bloggers join forces with Share Our Strength and Yéle Haiti to benefit Haiti relief effort. Bloggers in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and D.C. mobilize the at-large culinary community to raise money for Haiti relief.

Food is Where the Heart is

2010-02-14T13:47:29-05:00

A few "hearty" dishes for Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day Sweets for Your Sweetie 2010

2010-02-13T13:57:06-05:00

Although my Valentine's Day picks for 2009 remain perennial favorites, my roster of preferred chocolatiers is expanding (in sympathy with my waistline). The 2010 edition of the Comestiblog Valentine's Day cacao recommendations includes MarieBelle, Shoppe Roni-Sue, and L. A. Burdick.

Pommes Frites for a Slice of Belgium

2010-02-11T12:24:26-05:00

Do we still know how a simple fry tastes? Happily, Pommes Frites in Manhattan's East Village offers us a reminder with the pure, earthy flavor of its authentic Belgian fries. Here, hand-cut potatoes are fried twice. The resulting golden-brown beauties are simultaneously crisp and silky.

Soup and Bread in Brooklyn to Benefit the Hungry

2010-02-04T14:58:00-05:00

On 4 February 2010, from 6:00 P.M. till 9:00 P.M., Martha Bayne and Sheila Sachs will ladle out soup contributed by local chefs and bloggers at the Bell House in Brooklyn. This free, family-friendly event is designed to raise money for the New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH).

Gaging Arby's Takes Its Tollner

2010-02-03T23:04:08-05:00

Gage and Tollner. This Downtown Brooklyn landmark has ushered in two new centuries and has served the likes of Diamond Jim Brady, Lillian Russell, Mae West, Fanny Brice, Jimmy Durante, and your humble Comestiblogger along the way. Though the legendary Gage and Tollner has faded into history, its classic appointments, mirabile dictu, have been preserved.

Boston Wine Expo 2010

2010-01-24T23:42:28-05:00

The nation's largest trade and consumer wine event took place this weekend at the 19th annual Boston Wine Expo. Over 450 international and domestic wineries participated in this year's Grand Tasting. With more than 1,800 wines to sample, I may have missed one or two.

Le Petit Marché's Bread and Butter

2010-01-16T23:56:28-05:00

With the start of 2010, Le Petit Marché's pain et beurre have given way to Bread and Butter, the restaurant's new appellation. In the new incarnation, French fare has been replaced by American comfort food in the form of Southern-fried chicken, burgers, mac 'n' cheese, and the like. While the ownership has remained essentially the same, the management has been revamped, and the kitchen has seen...

Istanbul in Brooklyn: güllüoğlu Baklava & Cafe

2010-01-11T13:42:30-05:00

There's no better cure for a winter chill than dessert and a hot cup of sahlep from Güllüoğlu in Midwood, Brooklyn. This elegant and cozy Turkish café entreats with over a dozen varieties of baklava and kadayif, as well as other sweet and savory specialties, such as böreği, poğaça, simit, acma, ay çöreği, acibadem, and, of course, the obligatory Turkish Delight and Turkish coffee.

Memo re: Turkish Shish Kebab and Gyro in Midwood

2010-01-02T11:28:12-05:00

My erstwhile super, a Turk, introduced me to Memo Shish Kebab several years ago. This marvelous Mediterranean eatery has remained my favorite place for doner ever since. Whether served as a platter or as a sandwich, the lamb gyro/doner is one tasty viand.

New Year's Eve Cotechino con Lenticchie

2009-12-30T19:50:33-05:00

No Italian New Year's Eve dinner is complete without Cotechino con Lenticchie, a traditional dish of lentils and fresh pork sausage. Symbolizing coins, lentils are believed to bring luck and prosperity for the coming year. Cotechino is a mild, soft, and fatty sausage made from coteca (pork rind) and meat from the cheek, neck, and shoulder.

Bubbly Tastings December 29-31, 2009

2009-12-28T21:44:47-05:00

Indulge your champagne taste at one or more of these free bubbly tastings.

"Seasoned" Greetings 2009

2009-12-25T12:02:26-05:00

Wishing you a delectable holiday season.

Helping the Food Bank for the Holidays

2009-12-24T12:21:39-05:00

With the number of needy New Yorkers having doubled to some four million over the past six years, the Food Bank's donated food assets have reached an unprecedented low. Regardless of your views concerning recent bailouts of financial institutions, this bank could really use your help.

Thanksgiving, Calvados, and the Trou Normand

2009-11-26T23:27:24-05:00

Today we give thanks and celebrate the bounty of the harvest. To those expecting to feast heartily, may I suggest punctuating your meal with a trou normand (literally, "Norman hole")? At a certain stage of a grand dinner in Normandy, it was customary to pause for a glass of calvados to boost the metabolism and create a "hole" to make room for additional comestibles. Nothing prolongs the...

Misspellings on the Menu at the State Dinner

2009-11-25T18:59:58-05:00

If you're going to split hairs, at least try to use the proper terminology. Anahad O'Connor of The Caucus, the politics and government blog of The New York Times, reported that a number of spelling errors appeared on the menu at President Obama's state dinner last night. Among the mistakes: a reference to a wine from Oregon's Wilamette (instead of Willamette) Valley; a description of a dish...

Fat Franks—The Wurst Place in Bellows Falls, Vermont

2009-11-07T09:41:57-05:00

Fat Franks, the self-proclaimed Wurst Place in Bellows Falls, Vermont, is a place to relish. Anyone can serve a hot dog, but not everyone can do it right. This little place offers perfectly prepared frankfurters, sausages, and burgers in a clean, friendly, and welcoming environment. Frankly speaking, in the world of wursts, this place is a wiener.

Free Kentucky Grilled Chicken ... Again!

2009-10-26T00:33:19-04:00

Can KFC do a grilled chicken giveaway right this time? Find out for yourself on Monday, 26 October 2009 when participating restaurants offer one free piece of Kentucky Grilled Chicken per person.

Red Hooked on Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies

2009-09-15T14:06:19-04:00

Were the name Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies not already sufficiently long, the term Old-Fashioned could be wedged in. Steve Tarpin grew up around Key limes and knows what it takes to make a good, traditional pie therefrom. A fortuitous meeting led him to a new career. It was at a barbecue that Steve's pies drew the favorable attention of a Manhattan restaurateur. From an initial order of...

Curtis' Bar·B·Q: Smoke and (Bus) Mirrors in Putney, Vermont

2009-09-08T16:42:31-04:00

Curtis' Bar·B·Q, just up the hill from exit 4 on Interstate 91 in Vermont, is in its 41st season of serving southern-style barbecue in the quaint village of Putney. Were it not for the billowing smoke and hunger-inducing aromas wafting though the air, it would be easy to miss the two blue school buses that house "The 9th Wonder of the World." Over the years, this seasonal, unassuming stand has...

Pals Cabin Steaks Its Claim in West Orange

2009-08-12T11:18:25-04:00

Not so many restaurants can boast of a history as long as that of Pals Cabin in West Orange, New Jersey. This "heritage of hospitality" began as a summertime venture by two friends during the Great Depression. Martin L. (Marty) Horn and Bion LeRoy (Roy) Sale obtained permission to squat on a bank-foreclosed property at the busy intersection of Prospect and Eagle Rock Avenues. On 18 May 1932,...

Restaurant Weeks in August 2009

2009-08-07T09:29:55-04:00

Summer 2009 restaurant weeks this month in Baltimore and Boston.

West Orange Pancake House—a Gusta-Tory Corner Diner

2009-08-02T23:31:52-04:00

West Orange Pancake House and Diner, just a few blocks up Main Street from Thomas Edison National Historical Park, continues to serve decent victuals, and now does so round-the-clock, seven days a week. I knew this 1950s-era stainless steel edifice as the Tory Corner Diner. The current menu is so vast as to make it difficult to make a selection.

Smooth, Citrusy, Summertime Lemonade

2009-07-27T13:32:04-04:00

Alcoholic lemonade recipe. With the arrival of the summer's heat and humidity, how does a refreshing, ice-cold glass of lemonade sound? My high-octane variant of the summertime favorite combines vodka, limoncello, fresh lemon juice, and seltzer to produce a refreshing, effervescent cooler.

Chez Oskar Night

2009-07-20T12:41:41-04:00

Chez Oskar is a lively place that seems quite at home in the diverse neighborhood of Fort Greene. It could best be described as a bistro à la Brooklyn—casual, funky, and comfortable. The service is friendly and the food is good, but I'd restrain any praise beyond that.

Restaurant Weeks in July 2009

2009-07-12T12:28:34-04:00

Summer 2009 restaurant weeks kick off today in NYC and Providence, Rhode Island.

Storm These Bastille Day Comestevents 2009

2009-07-12T09:49:07-04:00

Liberté, égalité, and fraternité will be celebrated slightly early again in Gotham this year. Most events take place Sunday, 12 July 2009.

Comestevents for July 4th Weekend, 2009

2009-07-04T15:14:22-04:00

If a cookout or picnic is not on your schedule for this Independence Day weekend, you may wish to try one of these food-related events.

Dine Richly at Pó Brooklyn

2009-07-04T13:16:58-04:00

Pó Brooklyn was launched in 2007 following the success of Mario Batali's original Pó trattoria in the West Village; it has been on my radar ever since. A friend's recommendation, nay, insistence, compelled me to try the Smith Street edition during Dine-In Brooklyn 2009. My meal was excellent in nearly every respect. Lacking any hint of mass production, each dish looked and tasted as though...

Saint Germain: Germanely French in Bay Ridge

2009-06-21T16:41:25-04:00

While Jerome Vidy's bistro fare at Saint Germain on Third Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn is unlikely to win awards for creativity, it is fairly reliable and tasty. When last I dined in this spot, it was called Provence en Boîte. Although owners Jean-Jacques and Leslie Bernat have since packed up and relocated their Provençal "box" to Boerum Hill, this space retained its Gallic flavor when it...

The Scoop on Jacques Torres' Ice Cream

2009-06-10T15:17:25-04:00

The sign outside Jacques Torres' latest venture was too inviting to ignore: "Come In! Try Our Ice Cream," it beckoned. Inspired by the success of their ice cream sandwiches over the past four years, Jacques Torres and his partner Ken Goto opened an ice cream parlor adjacent to their chocolate factory on Water Street in D.U.M.B.O. The new shop began dishing up its frozen wares on Saturday, 30...

Comestevents for June 5-7, 2009

2009-06-05T23:56:45-04:00

Comestible events this weekend for New York and beyond.

National Doughnut Day—Free Doughnuts!

2009-06-05T14:18:49-04:00

Every year, the first Friday in June designates National Doughnut Day. This holiday originated in 1938 with the Chicago Salvation Army to help feed the hungry during the Great Depression, as well as to honor the Salvation Army's female-volunteer "Lassies" of World War I. Often using helmets as cookware, the Lassies prepared thousands of doughnuts for American infantrymen—or doughboys—behind the...

Hot Dog! Childhood Memories of Verona Park

2009-06-01T22:34:38-04:00

Of all the things that had not changed at the Verona Park Boathouse was the concession stand and the superior hot dog that it offers. When I was a lad, the snack bar was situated inside the boathouse. One could eat inside, or enjoy the food outside on the deck overlooking the lake. Today the concession stand faces out to the deck, and the boathouse interior is closed. It was a very busy day,...

The Lillet-tini, Lillet Martini, Ohranj Martini, etc.

2009-05-25T23:59:08-04:00

The Lillet-tini. Perhaps it wasn't the best choice of names, but it remains an undeniably delicious drink.

Bánh Mì Comes to Amherst!

2009-05-25T23:17:45-04:00

Having been quite disappointed with the mediocrity of Boston's putative best, I was highly skeptical of what Amherst's Miss Saigon had to offer. That skepticism was quickly dispelled with the first bite, however. Miss Saigon's version of the bánh mì sandwich is quite tasty. A crusty baguette, pâté schmear, meat, cilantro, julienned carrots and daikon, onions, jalapeños, and sliced cucumber are...

Foodbuzz Extravaganza at David Burke Townhouse

2009-05-20T15:46:08-04:00

To celebrate its millionth post, Foodbuzz threw a bash fit for a millionaire on Tuesday, 12 May 2009, at davidburke townhouse on Manhattan's East Side. If David Burke, one of this year's inductees into the James Beard Foundation's Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America and 2009 chef/innovator honoree by the Nation's Restaurant News MenuMasters was out to impress a bunch of foodists, he surely...

A Margarita for Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T00:01:00-04:00

Margarita recipe. The best Margaritas are made with tequila, triple sec, and fresh lime juice. Using high-quality ingredients may cost a little more, but the results are worth every penny. Begin with a superior tequila—never settle for anything made with less than 100% blue agave (Mexican law mandates at least 51% agave; no such minimum exists for domestic "tequilas"). Cointreau, a liqueur...

Pomme de Terre, Not Ordinaire

2009-04-21T23:27:31-04:00

A few years ago, a good French bistro like Pomme de Terre would have seemed unthinkable in this part of Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. It still appears somewhat improbable today. For instance, the nearby Newkirk Avenue BMT station has no fewer than two transit cops present at any given time. And while undergoing its transformation from seedy grocery to upscale eatery, this space suffered numerous acts...

Happy Birthday, Comestiblog!

2009-04-09T12:05:14-04:00

The plastic corks are popping and the André Cold Duck is flowing to celebrate Comestiblog's ignominious first anniversary. It is hard to fathom why the weblog of comestibles, eating, drinking, and dubious taste was permitted to endure an entire year—or, for that matter, why it was allowed to begin in the first place! There's really no excuse. During the past 12 months, the curious ruminations...

Tanoreen is Moving

2009-03-30T23:32:04-04:00

Tanoreen, the popular Bay Ridge, Brooklyn restaurant, is moving to 7523 Third Avenue to usher in its second decade. Within the next two months, Rawia Bishara's "Middle Eastern cuisine with Mediterranean aromas" will be served in the dining room vacated a year ago by the venerable Mr. Tang (whose take-out branch continues to operate next door.)

The Patois of New York

2009-03-30T14:36:59-04:00

On Wednesday, 25 March 2009, Patois made its debut on Mulberry Street in Manhattan's Little Italy. Although the new digs are brighter and cleaner than the recently abandoned ones in Carroll Gardens, they somehow lack that je ne sais quoi. Nevertheless, "the food is the same," I'm reassured.

Eat: WFC Restaurant Showcase

2009-03-25T15:55:00-04:00

On Thursday, 26 March 2009, sample signature dishes from the World Financial Center's eclectic array of restaurants for $1 to $5. Choices range "from mini-burgers and pork dumplings to silky gelato and crème brûlée."

Dine-In Brooklyn 2009

2009-03-21T22:49:07-04:00

Dine-In Brooklyn 2009. From 23 March through 2 April, over 200 Brooklyn eateries will offer three-course lunches or dinners for $23 (excluding taxes, beverages, and gratuities). In addition, some 20 restaurants will serve two meals at the aforementioned fixed price. That's one of the best dining bargains anywhere.

F. Martinella Open House

2009-03-19T22:57:28-04:00

This weekend starts a little early at F. Martinella on Court Street in Downtown Brooklyn. Although this retro-themed deli opened in November, its coming-out party takes place today through Sunday (19-22 March) in the form of a Grand Open House. Enjoy food samples, cooking demonstrations, prizes, and much more.