Eating In Translation

Isaac's Bake Shop

2013-05-19T09:30:00-04:00

This cinnamon strudel ($6 per pound) was very moist despite being dairy-free, my dining buddy observed. Also available in poppy, chocolate, and one variety that appeared to be almost 50 percent raisins.

Isaac's Bake Shop
1419 Ave. J (14th-15th Sts.), Midwood, Brooklyn
718-377-9291
Closed Saturday

Thai Thai

2013-05-18T23:30:00-04:00

In Thailand khao niew ping, sticky rice and banana wrapped in a banana leaf, then grilled, is an everyday if not commonplace street snack. At the counter of this Elmhurst grocery, the window of availability is much narrower: weekends only, from late morning until they sell out in early afternoon ($1.50). A similar timetable applies to what looks like sesame chicken (below, $5); it's actually sesame plantain. Both snacks are often available with a taro filling, too.

Previously: Given the choice between two varieties of fruit-in-ice (170 g., $3.25), my natural impulse was for a new flavor. Why go for the mangosteen, one more time, when I could try santal? A quick web search via iPhone revealed nothing about it.

I declined the shopkeeper's offer to hunt down a plastic spoon, and just as well: The cup's transparent seal was made of tough stuff. After the pull-tab and all available edges tore free, I finally punctured it with a metal spork (part of my regular field kit). But despite the spork and even after warming my purchase between two palms, I made frustratingly slow progress on the icebound (and unphotogenic) mass underneath, and I didn't fully appreciate the flavor.

That evening I belatedly recalled another near-encounter with santol, as it's more often spelled, years earlier. As it happens, one of the fruit's many other vernacular names is faux mangosteen.

Thai Thai (also known as NongNoi Thai Grocery)
76-13 Woodside Ave., Elmhurst, Queens
917-769-6168
www.Facebook.com/ThaiThaiGrocery

Peter Doelger's Extra Beer

2013-05-18T23:00:00-04:00

Though sometimes credited as a former Peter Doelger's brewery, these vintage-1880s premises are much too small for what was, by 1895, the eleventh-largest such operation in the country. More likely this sign marked a franchise bar serving the beer in question. The stained glass has held up well over the decades; Peter Doelger's gave up the ghost in 1947.

Peter Doelger's Extra Beer
Surviving signage at Teddy's
96 Berry St. (at North 8th St.), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718-384-9787
www.TeddysWilliamsburg.com

Mado

2013-05-17T23:30:00-04:00

Mado's dondurma lays claim to the mantle of "hardest and densest ice cream in the world." Even more so than Middle Eastern ice cream, Turkish dondurma is bolstered with sahlep and mastic; filling my cone ($2) required two strong hands and an implement wielded like a long-handled chisel. And yet whether chiseled, sliced like doner kebab, or bitten off, it melts in the mouth, I can vouch.

Mado
Multiple locations in Turkey
http://en.Mado.com.tr
At Grand Bazaar to Grand Central
Grand Central Terminal, Vanderbilt Hall, 87 East 42nd St. (at Park Ave.), Manhattan
www.TADF.org/images/banners/grand-central-poster.jpg
(The 2013 event, perhaps a one-off, was held on May 14)

Eskimo pie?

2013-05-17T10:00:00-04:00

Igloo as pizza oven
Sign outside Uni Cafe, 2937 Broadway (at West 115th St.), Manhattan
212-662-1000

Food-Friendly Events, May 16-23

2013-05-16T11:15:00-04:00

Steal the Menu: Forty Years in Food
Friday, May 17, noon-???
92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St. (Vestry-Desbrosses Sts.), Manhattan
www.92Y.org/Tribeca/Event/Steal-the-Menu-Forty-Years-in-Food.aspx
Tickets: $21

Ukrainian Festival
Friday, May 17, 4:00-11:00; Saturday, 11:00-11:00; Sunday, 1:00-5:00
East 7th St. between Second and Third Aves., Manhattan
www.Brama.com/stgeorge/#events
Previously: www.EatingInTranslation.com/2011/05/st_georges_dess.html
Free admission

St. Demetrios Cathedral Greek Festival
Continues Friday, May 17, 5:00-11:00; Saturday and Sunday, 1:00-11:00
30-11 30th Dr. (at 30th St.), Astoria, Queens
www.SaintDemetriosAstoria.com/cathedral/images/festival_2013.jpg
Free admission

The Great GoogaMooga
Friday, May 17, 4:00-10:00; Saturday and Sunday, 11:00-8:00; rain or shine
Nethermead Meadow, Prospect Park, Brooklyn
www.Brooklyn.GoogaMooga.com
Tickets to Friday's kickoff, $54.50, entitle you to admission on your choice of Saturday or Sunday

Bohemian Festival
Friday, May 17, through Sunday, May 19, various times
The Vander Ende-Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Ave. (Randolph St.-Onderdonk Ave.), Ridgewood, Queens
www.BohemianFestival.wordpress.com
Food available for purchase will include Bulgarian and American style BBQ with some vegetarian options, and Peruvian ceviche
Tickets: Single-day pass, $10 advance/$20 onsite; weekend passes, with or without tent fees, also available

Manhattan Cocktail Classic
Friday, May 17, through Tuesday, May 21, various times
Various locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn
www.ManhattanCocktailClassic.com
See website for details on available tickets

Indonesian Food Bazaar and Fundraiser
Saturday, May 18, noon-3:00
First Presbyterian Church of Forest Hills, 70-35 112th St. (70th Ave.-70th Rd.), Forest Hills, Queens
www.Facebook.com/events/291010884364018
Free admission; proceeds from food sales benefit Roslin Orphanage in Kupang, Indonesia

Viking Festival
Saturday, May 18, noon-5:00
Owl's Head Park, Colonial Ave. at 68th St., Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
www.May17ParadeNY.com/2013%20Viking%20Fest.pdf
Some food, plenty of atmosphere
Free admission

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Festival
Saturday, May 18, 11:00-6:00
Confucius Plaza, Division St. between the Bowery and Market St., Manhattan
www.CAPAOnline.org
Previously: www.EatingInTranslation.com/2009/05/asian-pacific-a.html
Free admission

Ethnic Festival of El Barrio
Saturday, May 18, 11:00-5:00
East 104th St. between Second and Third Aves., Manhattan
www.UnionSettlement.org/ethnicfestival2013
Free admission

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Festival
Saturday, May 18, 11:00-7:00
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 302 West 91st St. (at West End Ave.), Manhattan
www.Annunciation-NYC.org/greek-festival
Free admission

Turkish Day Parade and Festival
Saturday, May 18, 11:30-5:00
Parade proceeds down Madison Ave. from 56th St., then east to the festival site at Dag Hammarskjold Park, 47th St. between Second and First Aves., Manhattan
www.TADF.org/images/banners/festival-poster.jpg
Free admission

Ye Olde Village Fair
Saturday, May 18, 11:00-???
Vicinity of Bedford and Barrow Sts., Manhattan
www.BBCBlockAssociation.wordpress.com
Mainly about crafts, accented by a few food vendors from far and wide
Free admission

Taste of Tribeca
Saturday, May 18, 11:30-3:00, rain or shine
Vicinity of Duane and Hudson Sts., Manhattan
www.TasteOfTribeca.org
Tickets: $45 advance, $50 onsite; proceeds benefit a pair of New York public schools

Asian-American Heritage Celebration
Saturday, May 18, noon-6:00
Kensico Dam Plaza, Bronx River Parkway, Valhalla, New York
www3.WestchesterGov.com/news/all-press-releases/4530-annual-heritage-festivals
Free admission

Celebrate Diversity, Celebrate You
Saturday, May 18, noon-6:00
Jackie Robinson Park (near Bradhurst Ave. and West 146th St.), Manhattan
www.CelebrateDiversityCelebrateYou.org
Free admission

Balkan Dance Party and Spring Wassail
Saturday, May 18, 3:00-???
Breezy Hill Orchard, 838 Centre Rd., Staatsburg, New York
www.HudsonValleyCider.com/images/wassail_5_18_13.pdf
Tickets: adults, $60 advance/$70 onsite; discounts available ("no one turned away"); RSVP requested

Ninth Avenue International Food Festival
Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19, noon-5:00, rain or shine
Ninth Avenue between 42nd and 57th Sts., Manhattan
www.NinthAvenueFoodFestival.com
Free admission

Citizen of Burma Award Fundraiser
Sunday, May 19, 11:00-4:00
Aviation High School, 45-30 36th St. (enter on 35th St. near Queens Blvd.), Long Island City, Queens
www.Facebook.com/events/537223132986687
Previously: www.eatingintranslation.com/2011/05/burmese-home-cooked-food-bazaar.html
Free admission; proceeds from food sales benefit humanitarian efforts in Burma

Drums Along the Hudson Native American Festival
Sunday, May 19, 11:00-6:00, rain or shine
Inwood Hill Park at 218th St., Manhattan
www.DrumsAlongTheHudson.org
Previously: www.EatingInTranslation.com/2008/05/drums-along-the.html
Free admission

Park Slope Fifth Avenue Festival
Sunday, May 20, noon-5:00, rain or shine
Fifth Ave. between 12th St. and Sterling Pl., Park Slope, Brooklyn
www.ParkSlopeFifthAvenueBID.com/events/fabfair2013
Previously: www.Flickr.com/photos/eatingintranslation/506734464
In variety and quantity of food, a rival to Manhattan's Ninth Avenue International Food Festival
Free admission

Bronx Food and Arts Festival
Sunday, May 19, noon-6:00
Mosholu Pkwy. North near Bainbridge Ave., Bronx
www.ILoveTheBronx.com/images/stories/media/2013%20bw%20calendar%20of%20events%20a.pdf
Previously: www.EatingInTranslation.com/2008/06/bronx-food-and.html
Free admission

Porgy Day
Sunday, May 19, 1:00-3:00
Jimmy's No. 43, 43 East 7th St. (Second-Third Aves.), Manhattan
www.JimmysNo43.com/events/sustainable-seafood-week-porgy-demo-and-lunch
Admission: $20; proceeds benefit the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and community supported fisheries
Part of Sustainable Seafood Week

Where the Wild Beers Are
Sunday, May 19, 1:00-5:00
The Gutter, 200 North 14th St. (Berry-Wythe Aves.), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
www.WhereTheWildBeersAre.com
Admission: bring a commercially made sour/wild beer to share, and $15 ($12 online); advance registration required; ages 21 and over only

Momo Crawl
Sunday, May 19, 1:30-4:30
Meet in Jackson Heights Plaza, 37th Rd. between 74th St. and Broadway, Jackson Heights, Queens
www.Facebook.com/events/371564282950274
Admission: "two bills of any denomination"

Dining + Design with Andrew Carmellini
Monday, May 20, 6:00-???
The New School, Eugene Lang Building, 66 West 12th St. (Fifth-Sixth Aves. 5th floor), Manhattan
www.NewSchool.edu/eventDetail.aspx?id=93340
Tickets: general admission, $10; New School alumni, faculty, and staff, full-time students from any school, and James Beard Association members, free

New York a la Cart
Tuesday, May 21, 7:00-8:00
Word, 126 Franklin St. (Milton-Noble Sts.), Greenpoint, Brooklyn
www.Facebook.com/events/148221822019095
Free admission

International Cuisine, Local Ingredients
Wednesday, May 22, 6:00-8:00
International Culinary Center, 462 Broadway (Broome-Grand Sts.), Manhattan
www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/382423
Suggested donation: $10

Spicy Sauces and Piquant Powders
Wednesday, May 22, 6:30-???
The Horticultural Society of New York, 148 West 37th St. (Sixth-Seventh Aves., 13th floor), Manhattan
www.TheHort.org/programs_workshops_talks_tours.html#spicysauces
Workshop fee: $50; Hort members, $35

Cook It Raw
Wednesday, May 22, 7:00-???
New York Public Library, Fifth Ave. at 42nd St., Manhattan
www.NYPL.org/events/programs/2013/05/22/david-chang-friends
Tickets: general admission, $25; seniors, students, NYPL staff and friends, $15

Gluttony: Deconstructing Dinner
Thursday, May 23, 7:00-8:30
The New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center (250 Greenwich St., 40th floor), Manhattan
www.NYAS.org/Events/Detail.aspx?cid=81961083-76dd-49b7-94c9-c595f363e946
Tickets: general admission, $25; students, $20; NYAS members, $15

Ongoing: Hester Nights, Thursdays; Chelsea Triangle French Market, Fridays and Saturdays; Hester Street Fair, Saturdays; Red Hook food vendors, Saturdays and Sundays; Brooklyn Flea, Saturdays and Sundays; Smorgasburg, Saturdays and Sundays; Fulton Stall Market, Saturdays and Sundays; Mad. Sq. Eats, daily; High Line food vendors, daily; Chelsea Market, daily; New York Greenmarkets, various days; Community Markets, various days; Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture, daily; Sylvester Manor: Land, Food, and Power on a New York Plantation, Monday through Saturday; Shop Life, daily

Classes: See the schedules of the Astor Center, The Brooklyn Kitchen, Camaje Bistro & Lounge, the Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center, Haven's Kitchen, the Institute of Culinary Education, the International Culinary Center, Murray's Cheese, the 92nd St. Y, La Scuola di Eataly, Vimbly, and the Whole Foods Bowery Culinary Center, and the roundup of classes on CourseHorse

Walking tours: Tag along with Big Onion, the Institute of Culinary Education, Jeffrey Tastes, Joe DiStefano, NoshWalks, Urban Oyster, and "Wildman" Steve Brill

Tickets on sale: Eat the City, May 28; Brooklyn Uncorked, May 29; New Taste of the Upper West Side, May 29-June 1; FoodFight Benefit, May 30; Cheers to Science!, May 30; Katz's Deli 125th Anniversary Celebration, May 31; Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest, May 31-June 2; Uncorked!, June 1; Taste of LIC, June 4; Lobster Roll Rumble, June 6; Summer Spit BBQ, June 8; Big Apple BBQ Block Party, June 8-9; Chefs' Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels, June 10; Edible Academy Family Garden Picnic, June 10; Dining + Design with David Chang, June 10; Savor Craft Beer, June 14-15; Pass the Paella, June 26; NYC Vendy Awards, September 7

Aunt Ooi's Kitchen

2013-05-15T17:30:00-04:00

The pyramidal rice dumplings that answer to zongzi often seem leaden and gummy. But, as prepared by Ipoh, Malaysia-born Aunt Ooi, who called this by its Hokkien name, bak chang, the rice was moist and abundantly laden with chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, pork, black-eyed peas, and dried shrimp. I've never tasted a better one in New York.

For delivery a minimum order of ten, at $3.50 each, is usually required to secure a taste of Aunt Ooi's bak chang. My single dumpling was procured at the May 4 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Festival in Flushing; as good fortune would have it, the festival has a second go-round on Saturday, May 18, in Manhattan. (Details on this, and more than a dozen other weekend food-friendly events that aren't called GoogaMooga, will be published on EIT tomorrow.)

Previously: Nasi lemak is named for rice steamed with coconut milk, which delivers a caloric kick-start to a meal. The rice in the platter below ($7.50) at first seemed very mild-mannered; the contrast with sambal ikan bilis, or chili-sauced baby anchovies, teased out more coconut flavor. The thick-crusted deep-fried chicken was notably moist within; even the peanuts were nicely roasted. Also shown: kuih dadar ($1). The pale green color, and the flavor, of the rolled crepe comes from pandan leaves; the dark brown of the grated coconut indicates a heavy dose of palm sugar.

Aunt Ooi's Kitchen
Flushing, Queens; pickup available there and in midtown Manhattan
718-808-3087
www.Facebook.com/AuntOoi
Various weekdays

Apani Georgian Cuisine

2013-05-15T11:00:00-04:00

Though the name literally means "cheese bread," not every khachapuri contains cheese. Tear into a hot kubdari khachapuri ($5), for example, and you'll expose a thin layer of onion-laced pork. A minor disadvantage of such dairy-free fillings is slippage: Once you've taken a few bites, the pork tends to shimmy this way and that, and threatens to fall free.

At this tiny if well-stocked bakery and prepared-food counter, all orders are takeout orders, and yours will be carefully seated inside a pizza box that also serves as a catch basin for stray fillings. Best practice is to eat directly over the box, especially if you favor the red-bean-filled lobiani style. For the time being, Brooklyn's Georgian bakeries must make do with Italian-themed packaging, but can the day be far behind when khachapuri gets a takeout container of its own?

Apani Georgian Cuisine
1520 Sheepshead Bay Rd. (East 15th-East 16th Sts.), Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
347-462-4733
www.Facebook.com/ApaniBrooklyn

Papa's Kitchen

2013-05-14T16:30:00-04:00

Pancit is the name for Chinese noodles that long ago were assimilated into Filipino culture. Many varieties, such as pancit palabok, rely heavily on the flavors of the Philippines. Pancit Canton ($6.95), by contrast, still evokes its namesake. Essentially this is a pork lo mein with cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms, although the noodles are chopped into short segments and lemon wedges are provided on the side. The dish as a whole also carries a gentle undercurrent, via the Manila-raised chef, of Datu Puti soy sauce.

Also shown, from a previous visit: a jackfruit turron (on the house).

Papa's Kitchen
65-40 Woodside Ave. (65th-Burrough Pls.), Woodside, Queens
347-724-9586

Iavarone Brothers

2013-05-14T09:00:00-04:00

The forebear of this small chain of Italian markets opened in 1919; most current locations are on Long Island, in service of a newer generation of Italian-Americans.

Iavarone Brothers
Surviving signage above Eva Deli Grocery, 165 Wilson Ave. (Hart St.-Dekalb Ave.), Bushwick, Brooklyn

Falansai

2013-05-13T18:45:00-04:00

Deep-fried appetizers took the honors at a small group dinner.

The uncommon cha tom Trieu Chau ("Dad's" Chaozhou shrimp rolls, $10) are akin to those served at Bo Ky; in addition to diced shrimp and a tofu paper wrap, the Falansai rendition employs mushrooms and jicama. The more familiar cha gio (imperial rolls, $9) rely on rice paper, which is wrapped around ground pork, carrots, glass vermicelli, and mushrooms.

Also shown: goi cuon (fresh spring rolls, $8); goi du du (green papaya salad, $8); shaking beef (bo luc lac, $22); ca tim xao (sauteed eggplant, $11); ca kho to (clay pot catfish, $15). Our party paid a call not long after the opening of this Vietnamese restaurant, and some dishes were not at their sprightliest. Others, like the catfish, may be subject to tweaking; though the filets were firm and fresh, the well-flavored braising liquid was very thin to my taste. But in this instance thick or thin is a matter of style; there are many ways to make ca kho to. As for the choice of fish, I understand that snakehead suits this dish very well, too.

Falansai
112 Harrison Pl. (at Porter Ave.), Bushwick, Brooklyn
347-599-1100
www.Falansai.com

The Brothers Deli Store

2013-05-13T09:30:00-04:00

Filipino loosie (50 cents). See also this boneless chicken dinner.

The Brothers Deli Store
39-16 65th St. (Roosevelt-Woodside Aves.), Woodside, Queens
718-507-5546

What's Eating In Translation?

2013-05-13T09:00:00-04:00

This website began as a collection of field notes on interesting food I'd tried, or planned to try, in and around New York. Since its launch, in January 2005, I've visited thousands of venues, from white-linen restaurants to elbows-on-the-table eateries, as well as street vendors, fairs, festivals, grocers, and greenmarkets — and my "to eat" list is longer than ever.

The only way to trim it is to hit the road. Four or five times a week I track down, or happen upon, food from all over the world. Much of this food is foreign to me (that's where the "translation" comes in), but I always have an appetite for something new. If you feel the same, Eating In Translation can help point the way.

To follow along on my future travels, you might like to sign up for a free subscription, by email or by RSS. For up-to-the-minute reports (when I have them, which won't be always) on the weekend food festivals that are worth a visit, as well as the ones that aren't, you'll want to follow me on Twitter, too. To dig into my archives, many readers use the categories in the right-hand column (underneath the blue "live activity" box). Most categories cover some part of New York, but others reflect day trips (Jersey City, or perhaps Port Chester) or more-elaborate road trips (Cape Cod, Luang Prabang); a few reflect other themes (say, Fairs and Festivals).

Some readers also enjoy browsing through my Flickr photo sets, where you'll find all the photos that appear on Eating In Translation and many others that don't make it onto the site. Another avenue of approach is to click on any Eating In Translation photo; you'll be taken to a page where you can look at a larger version, or see other photos taken on the same day.

Though I can't possibly visit every venue on my "to eat" list, I always appreciate tips on where to go, as well what to order and how not to look like an absolute beginner when my food arrives at the table. Add your comments to any post, or drop an email to DaveCook [at] EatingInTranslation [dot] com.

New Bo Ky Restaurant

2013-05-12T09:30:00-04:00

As at the now-departed New Chao Chow Restaurant, Vietnamese items crowd the menu. The dishes at Bo Ky that most deserve your attention, however, hail from the southern Chinese city of Chaozhou, also rendered Chao Chow, Chiu Chow, and Teo Chew.

Served "dry" — that is, with soup on the side — Teo Chew sate flat egg noodles ($5.50, a number of years ago) are layered with sprouts and thin-sliced beef, then doused with a sour meat sauce; a squeeze of lemon juice adds a fresh touch. Also shown: the house special shrimp roll ($6.75), wrapped in tofu skin, sliced, and deep-fried, and soy-sauce-braised "country style" duck (half, $9.75).

The décor at Bo Ky, such as it is, is functional but reasonably well-kept; the service can seem gruff, but only in the quintessential "what'll ya have" New York manner. It's a bargain worth exploring.

New Bo Ky Restaurant
78-80 Bayard St. (Mulberry-Mott Sts.), Manhattan
212-406-2292
Also, as Grand Bo Ky Restaurant, at 216 Grand St. (Mott-Elizabeth Sts.)
212-219-9228

I. Rubin Clothier & Tailor

2013-05-12T09:15:00-04:00

Surviving signage above the Sol de Quisqueya produce market, 554 Wilson Ave. (at Eldert St.), Bushwick, Brooklyn

Las Alcapurrias

2013-05-11T11:00:00-04:00

True, "alcapurrias dos veces frito" doesn't have the ring of "twice-fried fries." But you get the idea: First they're deep-fried at a relatively low temperature to cook them through, then on higher heat to create that crisp shell. (French fries, whose preparation is often the subject of exhaustive analysis, may be a slightly different story, since they're all-potato and much thinner.)

As at the yearly Festival Cultural de la Calle 152, the two operations are performed simultaneously, side by side, to satisfy a continual demand for the ground-beef-filled frituras. The bright color of this alcapurria (ahl-cah-Poor-ree-ah, $1.50 each) comes from an unusually generous ration of annatto.

Also shown: a sandwich de pernil ($6); the cut edges of the loaf seemed to have been wiped with garlic. Ensalada de pulpo, pinchos de pollo, bacalaitos, pastellitos, pasteles en hoja, and morcilla were also on offer; a rotisserie was not in action this day.

Las Alcapurrias
Outdoor stall in the used-car and auto-repair lot at the corner of Cooper and Wyckoff Aves., Ridgewood, Queens
Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00-8:00
(Via a tip from an EIT reader and devoted bicycle rider; thanks, Mark!)

Pajunia

2013-05-10T10:00:00-04:00

The bulgolgi ($7.99) is well and good; it was the smell and sizzle of grilled beef that first lured me to tiny Pajunia's window. (Though generally open to the sidewalk, it's not a service window, it's a come-see-what's-cooking window.) Even more enticing are the hotteok (four for $5), "nut cakes" that are flattened on the griddle with a handheld press that resembles an air-hockey mallet.

The filling, brown sugar and a crushed mix of peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds, suggest brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tarts, both for the flavor and for the ability to burn your mouth if you take your first bite too soon. The hotteok, as you can see, have a pancake-like texture and a viscous, drippy filling, so burned fingers are a hazard, too. Give 'em a minute.

The nut cakes, alas, are not always available. Late afternoon seems to be the most promising time, though a reliable neighborhood informant tells me that she's had Pajunia's hotteok for breakfast.

Pajunia
75-24 Broadway (75th-76th Sts.), Elmhurst, Queens
718-651-2879

Food-Friendly Events, May 9-16

2013-05-09T10:45:00-04:00

"Beer Balls" Meatball and Craft Beer Festival
Saturday, May 11, two sessions: noon-3:00, 4:00-7:00
The Alewife, 5-14 51st Ave. (5th St.-Vernon Blvd.), Long Island City, Queens
www.BeerBalls13.eventbrite.com
Tickets: $40 per session

Bay Fest
Saturday, May 11, 1:00-5:00, rain or shine
Great South Bay Brewery, 25 Drexel Dr., Bay Shore, New York
www.GreatSouthBayBrewery.com/bayfest
Tickets: $40 advance/$50 door, if available; ages 21 and over only
Part of Long Island Craft Beer Week

Japan Day @ Central Park
Sunday, May 12; activity tents open 10:30, food tents, 11:30-2:30 or while supplies last; rain or shine
Vicinity of Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park (enter at Fifth Ave. and 69th St.), Manhattan
www.JapanDayNYC.org
Free admission

Small Plates, Big Hearts
Monday, May 13, 7:00-???
Chelsea Market, 75 Ninth Ave. (at 15th St.), Manhattan
www.FoodEducationFund.org/exclusive-event
Tickets: $250, or $500 for hour-earlier VIP admission; proceeds benefit The Food and Finance High School

Grand Bazaar to Grand Central
Tuesday, May 14, all day
Grand Central Terminal, Vanderbilt Hall, 87 East 42nd St. (at Park Ave.), Manhattan
www.TADF.org/images/banners/grand-central-poster.jpg
Free admission

Daniel Vaughn In Conversation with Anthony Bourdain
Tuesday, May 14, 7:00-???
Barnes & Noble, 33 East 17th St. (Broadway-Park Avenue South), Manhattan
http://store-locator.BarnesAndNoble.com/event/78856
Free admission

Queens Taste 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 6:00-9:00
Citi Field's Caesars Club, 123-01 Roosevelt Ave., Queens
www.QueensTaste2013.eventbrite.com
Mexican, Cajun, French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Argentine, Peruvian from more than 40 food and beverage vendors
Tickets: $125; discounted when you buy two or more

The Future of Food Blogs
Wednesday, May 15, 7:00-???
92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St. (Vestry-Desbrosses Sts.), Manhattan
www.92Y.org/Tribeca/Event/The-Future-of-Food-Blogging.aspx
Tickets: $15

Urban Agriculture Conference
Wednesday, May 15 through Friday, May 17, various times
Main program at New York University, Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Sq. South (LaGuardia Pl.-Thompson St.), Manhattan; field tours to sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens
www.TheHort.org/uac/index.html
General admission: $175; reduced for nonprofits, Horticultural Society of New York members, and students; field tours, $45 additional

Ginjo-shu: Its Significance and History
Thursday, May 16, 6:30-???
Japan Society, 333 East 47th St. (First-Second Aves.), Manhattan
www.JapanSociety.org/event/annual-sake-tasting-lecture
Tickets: general admission, $39; Japan Society members, $34

Japanese Sake: Behind the Scenes at Hakkaisan Sake Brewery
Thursday, May 16, 6:30-???
American Museum of Natural History, Linder Theater (enter on 77th St., between Columbus Ave. and Central Park West), Manhattan
www.AMNH.org/calendar/japanese-sake-behind-the-scenes-at-hakkaisan-sake-brewery
Tickets: $35; ages 21 and over only

From Farm to Tray
Thursday, May 16, 7:00-9:00
Church of the Holy Apostles, 296 Ninth Ave. (at West 28th St.), Manhattan
www.FarmToTray.org
Tickets: $150, or $250 and up for hour-earlier VIP admission; proceeds benefit Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen

St. Demetrios Cathedral Greek Festival
Thursday and Friday, May 16 and 17, 5:00-11:00; Saturday and Sunday, 1:00-11:00
30-11 30th Dr. (at 30th St.), Astoria, Queens
www.SaintDemetriosAstoria.com/cathedral/images/festival_2013.jpg
Free admission

Sold out: Lone Star Chili Cookoff, May 11; Frites and Fries with Leonard Lopate, May 15

Cancelled: Romania Day Festival, May 12

Ongoing: Hester Nights, Thursdays; Hester Street Fair, Saturdays; Red Hook food vendors, Saturdays and Sundays; Brooklyn Flea, Saturdays and Sundays; Smorgasburg, Saturdays and Sundays; Fulton Stall Market, Saturdays and Sundays; Mad. Sq. Eats, daily; High Line food vendors, daily; Chelsea Market, daily; New York Greenmarkets, various days; Community Markets, various days; Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture, daily; Sylvester Manor: Land, Food, and Power on a New York Plantation, Monday through Saturday; Shop Life, daily

Walking tours: Tag along with Big Onion, the Institute of Culinary Education, Jeffrey Tastes, Joe DiStefano, NoshWalks, Urban Oyster, and "Wildman" Steve Brill

Tickets on sale: The Great GoogaMooga, May 17-19; Bohemian Festival, May 17-19; The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, May 17-21; Taste of Tribeca, May 18; Gluttony: Deconstructing Dinner, May 23; Brooklyn Uncorked, May 29; New Taste of the Upper West Side, May 29-June 1; FoodFight Benefit, May 30; Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest, May 31-June 2; Uncorked!, June 1; Taste of LIC, June 4; Lobster Roll Rumble, June 6; Summer Spit BBQ, June 8; Big Apple BBQ Block Party, June 8-9; Chefs' Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels, June 10; Savor Craft Beer, June 14-15

Georgian Food

2013-05-08T12:30:00-04:00

Looking north from Brighton Beach Ave., the green awning of Georgian Food and the little pocket of shops that surround it are barely within eyeshot. They've always seemed less enticing than the markets on the main drag; only because I was headed for the avenue, and walking south from Sheepshead Bay, did I find myself here one afternoon.

I was too late for fresh khachapuri, it seemed. Though the counterwoman's English was little better than my poor Russian (as for Georgian, fuhgeddaboudit), she managed to convey that this salad from the small display case featured beans, potato, and other tidbits, all stained by beet. She also called it a vinaigrette ($3.75, at $4.99 per pound), which perplexed me, since I could detect no such aroma. (Later I learned that in Russian-speaking communities vinaigrette is an umbrella name for chilled salads of this sort, though they contain not a drop of vinegar; etymology unclear.) And, in lieu of Georgian cheesebread, the counterwoman provided a lagniappe: half a shoti to fill out my meal.

Georgian Food (also known as Brick Oven Bread)
109 Brighton 11th St. (Oceanview-Brighton Beach Aves.), Brighton Beach, Brooklyn
718-676-0332

Green Boy Fruit & Vegetable

2013-05-08T10:30:00-04:00

When ripe, doudous mangos ($1.50 each) are golden without, cantaloupe-colored within. The creamy, very moist flesh suggests cantaloupe in sweetness and lack of acidity, too, though this pair also lacked any particular depth or nuance of flavor. In Washington Heights and other neighborhoods with large Dominican populations, these are commonly labeled as gole mangos.

Green Boy Fruit & Vegetable
123-16 Liberty Ave. (at 124th St.), Richmond Hill, Queens

Ippudo

2013-05-07T11:45:00-04:00

When New York's weather turns warmer, barbecue begins to land in the most unlikely places. This BBQ tonkotsu ramen (special for May and June, $17) retains the Japanese soup's familiar noodles, scallions, and boiled egg but tops them with spicy pulled pork, vinegar slaw, and pickled chilies. In the face of a rich pork-bone broth (in this instance actually a tonkotsu shoyu, employing a soy-sauce-base), the slaw and the chilies stand up better than the pulled pork, which too quickly becomes suffused with unaccustomed flavors. Ippudo offers many great ramens topped with chashu pork loin, of course; can BBQ pork loin be too much of a stretch?

Also shown: a slightly spicy preparation of mentaiko, or cod roe, over rice. The lunch set ($3 extra) adds this, or one of several other starters, and a mini salad.

Ippudo
65 Fourth Ave. (9-10th Sts.), Manhattan
212-388-0088
www.IppudoNY.com

New Great Bakery

2013-05-07T09:30:00-04:00

Turnip and water chestnut cakes (50 cents each). The first, which didn't have many add-ins (compare the superior version at Fong Inn Too), I bought mainly as a savory counterpoint to the second, which had the appearance, consistency, and sweetness of a Jell-O salad. Here and there in various Chinatowns I've come across similar items other flavors, almost always on weekend mornings. Sleep in and you'll miss them.

New Great Bakery
303 Grand St. (Eldridge-Allen Sts.), Manhattan
212-966-3318

North Dumpling

2013-05-06T22:30:00-04:00

The dumpling-makers were hard at work behind the counter, but on a Saturday morning the most popular breakfast items were warm, oily chive pancakes (two for $1.50) also filled with glass noodles and, perhaps, a very few bits of egg. For one couple dining in, the full breakfast set included a half-pint each of warm soy milk, drunk directly from a plastic takeout container.

North Dumpling
27 Essex St. (Hester-Grand Sts.), Manhattan
212-529-2700

Root Hill Cafe

2013-05-06T21:00:00-04:00

Occasion: a late afternoon coffee stop between a big lunch and an unexpected engagement for dinner. I was wondering aloud about the wildlife on the expansive mural (only a small section is shown here) on the sunny, south-facing wall outside Root Hill. My barista explained that the mural, designed by the artist Katherine Gressel and executed with the collaboration of neighborhood children, depicts animals that once might have lived in the marshy habitat nearby before the waters became too polluted. Most of those animals must be long gone, my barista added — and even if they return to the canal, I'm not sure I'm ready to sample Gowanus crayfish.

Root Hill Cafe
256 Fourth Ave. (at Carroll St.), Gowanus, Brooklyn
347-689-9040
www.RootHillCafe.com

The Cellar Bar

2013-05-05T09:30:00-04:00

False-flag operation? As trains on Metro-North's New Haven Line pass the Larchmont station, the most colorful sight to the east is The Cellar Bar. Like many drinking establishments in this part of the country, it displays the flag of the United States and several associated with Ireland. But why, I've wondered on many train rides in both directions, are they accompanied by the banner of the tiny Caribbean island of Dominica?

From the manager's quick smile, it was clear he'd heard the question before. Every so often, he noted, one or more befuddled folks who conceivably hail from the Lesser Antilles will wander in to ask, why do you have the flag of my country? (Likely the hope is for some home cooking, my thought as well.) He explained that the owner (not present during my visit) is a big fan of the singer Jimmy Buffett, whose fans have long been known as "Parrot Heads." To little surprise, only one national flag features a parrot; the owner displays it, as well as assorted parrot-phernalia inside the bar, solely out of devotion to Buffett. Alas, no chow is involved.

The manager shared one other observation as I ascended back into daylight. That's supposed to be a branch that the parrot is perched on, but it looks like nothing other than a kazoo.

The Cellar Bar
8 Railroad Way (near Chatsworth Ave.), Larchmont, New York
914-834-8723

J.P.'s Deli

2013-05-05T09:00:00-04:00

The counterman and the grill man still call it "The Paulie." But even if the sandwich that the menu board now dubs the "Blast from the Past" (roll, $5.95) has slipped into the oldies rotation, at J.P.'s it still seems to get heavy play.

In concert with turkey, mozzarella, and brown gravy, the most notable ingredient — the slightly darker layer, when seen in cross-section — is a wad of hash browns. As with the croquette in one particularly good Cuban sandwich, a little crispiness can be a very good thing. I'm sure the grill man will be happy to oblige.

J.P.'s Deli
2325 Boston Post Rd. (near Lorenzen St.), Larchmont, New York
914-833-0827

Cosmo & Alex Pisano Brothers

2013-05-04T20:00:00-04:00

This cannoli cookie ($2) has the ricotta-based filling you'd expect, and chocolate chips, too. When everything is baked together, however, it will never be as creamy as its namesake.

I bought my cookie from this market's countertop display before realizing that it had been made at the sister bakery next door, where more cannoli cookies kept company with a much wider assortment of pastries.

Cosmo & Alex Pisano Brothers
252 Mamaroneck Ave. (Prospect-Palmer Aves.), Mamaroneck, New York
914-381-4402

LDBA Thingyan festival

2013-05-04T09:30:00-04:00

Mont lone yei baw (loosely, "rice balls floating in water") seldom surface except during Thingyan, the water festival that marks the Burmese New Year.

They're labor-intensive to prepare, except for special occasions, though preparing them as a group is part of the communal fun. At the station where this bowlful was prepared, one woman employed a nutcracker to break up large nuggets of jaggery, unrefined brown palm sugar, into pea-sized tidbits. A second woman pressed them into small wads of glutinous rice-flour dough, folded them shut, and rolled them between her palms into their final shape. A fellow set them into a cauldron of boiling water and then, once they floated to the top, shocked them in a small pot of cold water so the cooked dumplings wouldn't stick together. Another woman, who dressed the filled bowls with grated coconut, filled in along the assembly line as needed.

There's a tradition, a Burmese friend warned me with a smile, of jokesters who replace the jaggery with bird's eye chilies. Luckily, neither I nor my dining buddies, who brought their own toothpicks to this tiny bowl, got pranked.

This event was the first to be held by the Light of Dhamma Buddhist Association (LDBA) for the benefit of Visoddaryon Dhamma Ramsi Vihara, a local Burmese Buddhist monastery. Also prepared by the laypeople of LDBA: chicken curry, in the pot and as served with torn parata and a crunchy slaw; fried samosas; laphet, or fermented tea leaves, also in salad form as laphet thoke; a soup of some sort; rice-noodle salad with pork meatballs; "chickenbone soup" with samosas; purple sticky rice with crushed peanut; coconut-taro cakes.

LDBA Thingyan festival
P.S. 12 (The James B. Colgate School), 42-00 72nd St., Woodside, Queens
www.Facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=613848031976648&set=oa.510468095678117&type=1&theater
(the 2013 festival was held on April 28)

Mable's Smokehouse

2013-05-03T23:45:00-04:00

Like single-serving breakfast cereals that can be eaten out of the box, a package of Fritos can become the platter for Frito pie ($5.75). By incorporating the sour cream, and often other add-ins, with the basic corn chips, chili, and cheese, one can create a "walking taco," I'm told.

Mable's Smokehouse
44 Berry St. (entrance on North 11th St.), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718-218-6655
www.MablesSmokehouse.com

Le Petit Bakery

2013-05-03T15:00:00-04:00

The peanut shape is part of the charm of brand-name Nutter Butter cookies. Le Petit's namesake rendition ($3; also as a mini, $1.25) lacks those hourglass curves, but it compensates with a smoother, slightly sweeter, and much more generous filling.

Le Petit Bakery
354 Myrtle Ave. (Clinton Ave.-Adelphi St.), Fort Greene, Brooklyn
718-875-6500
www.LePetitBakery.com

Food-Friendly Events, May 2-9

2013-05-02T10:45:00-04:00

Hester Nights opening night
Thursday, May 2, 5:00-10:00; continues Thursdays through September 26
Eventi Open Air Plaza, 851 Sixth Ave. (entrances on 29th and 30th Sts.), Manhattan
www.HesterStreetFair.com/#!hester-nights/c7h0
Free admission

Grand Gourmet: The Flavor of Midtown
Thursday, May 2, 7:00-9:30
Grand Central Terminal, Vanderbilt Hall, 87 East 42nd St. (at Park Ave.), Manhattan
www.GrandCentralPartnership.org/things-to-do/grand-gourmet
Tickets: $125, or $350 for 6:15 VIP entry

Spring for a Cure
Thursday, May 2, 7:00-11:00
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th St. (Sixth-Seventh Aves.), Manhattan
www.JDRF-NYC.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/SpringforaCure2013/tabid/415314/Default.aspx
Tickets: $150, or $250 for two; proceeds benefit efforts to cure type 1 diabetes

Taste of Hope
Thursday, May 2, 7:30-???
82 Mercer, 82 Mercer St. (Broome-Spring Sts.), Manhattan
www.main.ACSevents.org/site/TR/Gala/GalaFY10Eastern?pg=entry&fr_id=34842
Tickets: $175, or $300 for two; proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society

LuckyRice Festival
Continues Thursday, May 2, through Sunday, May 5, various times
Various locations
www.LuckyRice.com
See website for details on available tickets

Food Book Fair
Thursday, May 2, through Sunday, May 5, various times
Various locations in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
www.FoodBookFair.com
See website for details on available tickets

Mad. Sq. Eats opening day
Friday, May 3, 11:00-9:00; daily through May 31
Worth Sq., near Fifth Ave. and 24th St., Manhattan
www.MadisonSquarePark.org/things-to-do/calendar/2013-eats
Free admission

3B's: Beer, Bowling & Burger Festival
Friday, May 3, 6:00-9:00
Bowlmor Times Square, 222 West 44th St. (Seventh-Eighth Aves.), Manhattan
www.3Bs-es2005.eventbrite.com
Tickets: $18 to $38; ages 21 and over only
Part of Burger Week

Mark Bittman: VB6
Friday, May 3, 7:00-???
Barnes & Noble, 33 East 17th St. (Broadway-Park Avenue South), Manhattan
http://store-locator.BarnesAndNoble.com/event/79387
Free admission

How to Become an Urban Farmer
Saturday, May 4, 10:00-2:30
Brooklyn Local, 61 Bergen St. (Boerum Pl.-Smith St.), Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
www.SkillShare.com/1-Week-Boot-Camp-Course-How-to-Become-an-Urban-Farmer/215622189/1587680024
Class fee: $250

Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry
Saturday, May 4, 10:00-5:00
Inside Brooklyn Flea, 176 Lafayette Ave. (Clermont-Vanderbilt Aves.), Fort Greene, Brooklyn
www.BakeSaleNYC.tumblr.com
Free admission; proceeds benefit No Kid Hungry/Share Our Strength

Festival of Ideas for the New City StreetFest
Saturday, May 4, 11:00-6:00
Near the New Museum, 235 Bowery (at Prince St.), and in Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Manhattan
www.Ideas-City.org/index/type:streetFest
Free admission

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Festival
Saturday, May 4, 11:00-6:00; repeats May 18 in Manhattan
Flushing Mall, 133-31 39th Ave. (Prince St.-College Point Blvd.), Flushing, Queens
www.CAPAOnline.org
Previously: www.EatingInTranslation.com/2009/05/asian-pacific-a.html
Free admission

Downtown Manhattan Food History Tour
Saturday, May 4, 3:00-4:30
Begins on the front steps of the U.S. Customs House, 1 Bowling Green, Manhattan
http://www.mas.org/walk/downtown-manhattan-food-history-tour/
Free admission
Part of Jane's Walks

Dearie
Saturday, May 4, 4:00-5:00
Powerhouse on Eighth, 1111 Eighth Ave. (11th-12th Sts.), Park Slope, Brooklyn
www.PowerhouseArena.com/events/book-party-tasting-dearie-by-bob-spitz
Free admission; RSVP appreciated by emailing RSVP@PowerhouseArena.com

Ramp Fest Hudson
Saturday, May 4, noon-4:00
Basilica Hudson, 110 South Front St., Hudson, New York
www.RampFestHudson.com
Tickets: adults, $30 advance/$35 door; kids under 12, $10

New Year Celebration of the Buddhist Missionary Society
Sunday, May 5, 10:00-2:00
Public School 92, 99-01 34th Ave. (99th-100th Sts.), Corona, Queens
www.Flickr.com/photos/eatingintranslation/8694844827
Previously: www.EatingInTranslation.com/2009/04/new-year-celebration-of-the-buddhist-missionary-society.html
All welcome; admission and food are free, but donations are gratefully accepted

Cinco de Mayo Festival
Sunday, May 5, 10:00-6:00
Flushing Meadows Corona Park (south of the Unisphere), Queens
www.NYCGovParks.org/parks/fmcp/events/2013/05/05/cinco-de-mayo-festival
Previously: www.EatingInTranslation.com/2008/05/cinco-de-mayo-f.html
Free admission

Cinco de Mayo Guadalupano
Sunday, May 5, 11:00-???
Parish gymnasium of St. Joseph Patron Church, 1080 Willoughby Ave. (Wilson-Central Aves.), Bushwick, Brooklyn
www.Flickr.com/photos/eatingintranslation/8702901257
Free admission

Food Truck Rally
Sunday, May 5, 11:00-5:00; repeats first and third Sundays, by and large, through October 20
Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn
www.ProspectPark.org/calendar/event/food-truck-rally
Free admission

Queens County Market
Sunday, May 5, 1:00-5:00
SingleCut Beersmiths, 19-33 37th St. (19th-20th Aves.), Astoria, Queens
www.QueensCountyMarket.com/meetthevendors
Free admission

Guactacular
Sunday, May 5, two sessions: 2:00-5:00, 6:00-9:00
The Bell House, 149 7th St. (Second-Third Aves.), Gowanus, Brooklyn
www.NachosNY.com/2013/04/guactacular-2013
Tickets: afternoon session, $15; nighttime session, $18; all-day pass, $28; ages 21 and over only

Hofstra Dutch Festival
Sunday, May 5, 11:00-5:00, rain or shine
Hofstra University, South Campus, Hempstead, New York
www.Hofstra.edu/Community/Fest/Fest_dutch.html
Admission: adults, $7; seniors, $5; children under 12 and Hofstra students, faculty, and staff, free

Hoboken Art and Music Festival
Sunday, May 5, 11:00-6:00, rain or shine
Washington St. between Observer Highway and 7th St., Hoboken, New Jersey
www.HobokenNJ.org/departments/human-services/cultural-affairs/arts-music-festival
Free admission

Chili Cook-Off
Sunday, May 5, noon-4:00
Grove St. PATH Plaza, Jersey City
www.4thStreetArts.com
Previously: www.EatingInTranslation.com/2010/02/4th-street-arts-chili-cookoff.html
Admission: $5

Why We Eat What We Eat
Monday, May 6, 6:00-8:00
American Museum of Natural History, enter on 79th St. between Amsterdam Ave. and Central Park West, Manhattan
www.AMNH.org/calendar/sackler-brain-bench-why-we-eat-what-we-eat-with-drew-ramsey-and-amy-bentley
Tickets: general admission, $40, museum members, $35; ages 21 and over only

The Meat Lover's Meatless Celebrations
Monday, May 6, 6:30-8:30
Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave. (at 40th St.), Manhattan
www.NYPL.org/events/programs/2013/05/06/meat-lover’s-meatless-celebrations-and-meat-lover’s-meatless-cookbook-kim
Free admission

Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms
Tuesday, May 7, 6:30-8:30
Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave. (at 40th St.), Manhattan
www.NYPL.org/events/programs/2013/05/07/mycophilia-revelations-weird-world-mushrooms-eugenia-bone-food-writer
Free admission

A Kimchi Conversation
Wednesday, May 8, 6:00-7:45
New York Public Library, Fifth Ave. at 42nd St., Manhattan
www.NYPL.org/locations/tid/36/node/200028
Free admission; RSVP required by emailing Food@NYPL.org

Gran Cocina Latina
Thursday, May 9, 6:30-8:30
Cucharamama Restaurant, 233 Clinton St. (at 3rd St.), Hoboken, New Jersey
www.LDNY.org/index_55_1245081273.pdf
General admission, $55; LDNY members, $45; advance purchase required; proceeds benefit the Les Dames d'Escoffier NY scholarship program

Sold out: Choice Streets, May 7

Ongoing: Hester Street Fair, Saturdays; Red Hook food vendors, Saturdays and Sundays; Brooklyn Flea, Saturdays and Sundays; Smorgasburg, Saturdays and Sundays; Fulton Stall Market, Saturdays and Sundays; High Line food vendors, daily; New York Greenmarkets, various days; Community Markets, various days; Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture, daily; Sylvester Manor: Land, Food, and Power on a New York Plantation, Monday through Saturday; Shop Life, daily

Walking tours: Tag along with Big Onion, the Institute of Culinary Education, Jeffrey Tastes, Joe DiStefano, NoshWalks, Urban Oyster, and "Wildman" Steve Brill

Tickets on sale: "Beer Balls" Meatball and Craft Beer Festival, May 11; Lone Star Chili Cookoff, May 11; Bay Fest, May 11; Small Plates, Big Hearts, May 13; Frites and Fries with Leonard Lopate, May 15; Urban Agriculture Conference, May 15-17; Ginjo-shu: Its Significance and History, May 16; From Farm to Tray, May 16; The Great GoogaMooga, May 17-19; The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, May 17-21; Taste of Tribeca, May 18; Gluttony: Deconstructing Dinner, May 23; Brooklyn Uncorked, May 29; New Taste of the Upper West Side, May 29-June 1; FoodFight Benefit, May 30; Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest, May 31-June 2; Uncorked!, June 1; Taste of LIC, June 4; Lobster Roll Rumble, June 6; Big Apple BBQ Block Party, June 8-9; Chefs' Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels, June 10

South Asian wild style?

2013-05-01T17:00:00-04:00

Perhaps. My dining buddy and I had just attended a food fair, a cafe, and a small restaurant, only one of which relied entirely on the Roman alphabet, and so maybe our eyes were primed to see something in that middle graffito. The strong horizontal line, in combination with the whorls below it, is strongly suggestive of a South Asian script. I can't say for sure, but the neighborhood demographic is a good fit.

South Asian wild style?
68th St. near Woodside Ave., Woodside, Queens

Mamak cart

2013-05-01T10:30:00-04:00

In most parts of the Malaysian peninsula, Singapore included, this dish would be called "Indian rojak." As served by Tamil street-food vendors, typically it includes a mixture ("rojak," in Malay) of vegetables, tofu, and various fried things as innocuous as fried dough and as adventurous as lung and spleen. A crucial component is a warm, tangy sweet-potato-based gravy.

The name "pasembur" ($8), however, provides a very broad hint that the proprietor's first home was in the north of the country — Penang, to be precise. Even in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, which has no shortage of good chow, Penang is considered a culinary touchstone. This street-cart pasembur contains no meat, let alone offal, but the gravy maintains a good balance between sweet and spicy, and the bowl is ample.

Also shown: a boneless short-rib beef rendang ($13), moderately sweet and sufficiently tender but not complex. Hence the fixings: sambal-tinged onions and hardboiled egg; the tart salad called achat, heavy on the pineapple; and jasmine rice scented with coconut and pandan. A ramshackle papadum canopy has been removed to give a better look at the other ingredients, but the second photo doesn't capture the size of the order. The rendang is as broad and deep as the pasembur, but heftier.

Mamak cart
Weekday lunchtime: Hanover Sq. near Water St., Manhattan
Most days, dinner through late night: North 5th St. near Bedford Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
www.Twitter.com/LoveMamak

A Night of Barbecue with Robbie Richter and Josh Ozersky

2013-04-30T21:45:00-04:00

For this one-off event my SLR stayed at home, so only this take-home gift made my photo album. Many cellphones were brought into play, however; with a little searching you should be able to take a look at tacos stuffed with BBQ bulgogi, jerk pork belly paired with Israeli salad, and mojo chicken buttressed by that favorite Syracuse starch, salt potatoes.

At evening's end, Richter — the original pitmaster at Hill Country and at Fatty 'Cue, who will soon be decamping for Los Angeles and a new "fusion barbecue" enterprise — presented me with a token of the most curious fusion of the event. This menu item employed a Tamarack Tunis ewe and a version of the Central Asian rice dish called plov, and may mark the first time that a Vermont-raised heritage sheep has ever taken on the flavors of a spice mix from Kyrgyzstan.

According to the spice packet's label, printed primarily in Russian, the first four ingredients are barberries, cumin, saffron, and Bulgarian pepper; numbers seven and eight are tomato and dill. Number five reads "Zhambyl," a place name from across the border in neighboring Kazakhstan. I don't know its culinary meaning, however. And about number six of these ingredients, from Robbie with plov, I haven't a clue.

A Night of Barbecue with Robbie Richter and Josh Ozersky
Alchemy, Texas
71-04 35th Ave. (Leverich-72nd Sts.), Jackson Heights, Queens
April 29, 2013

Krumville Bake Shop

2013-04-30T14:30:00-04:00

Propriety dictates that a tarte tatin (slice, $4) should be eaten with a fork, but if you don't care who knows how much you love peanut butter and banana, hands will do.

Krumville Bake Shop
917-406-7447
www.KrumvilleBakeShop.com
At Smorgasburg, 90 Kent Ave. (North 7th-North 8th Sts.), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Saturdays during the warmer months

Northeast Kingdom

2013-04-29T16:30:00-04:00

Fat, rich, and with plenty of juice: This grass-fed burger ($14) is stacked with mushroom duxelles, Vermont cheddar, and tobacco onions.

Northeast Kingdom
18 Wyckoff Ave. (at Troutman St.), Bushwick, Brooklyn
718-386-3864
www.North-EastKingdom.com

Tea Cup Cafe

2013-04-29T09:00:00-04:00

In some parts a spread like this ($4) would go by the handle "Texas toast," but not with Thai tea-flavored sweet cream on the side, pardner.

The menu board and the hodgepodge of hand-drawn signs offer the likes of mango with sticky rice; hot ginger soup with black sesame rice balls; durian, mangosteen, and jackfruit ice cream; and additional Thai toast flavors including pandan cream and a savory combo of dried pork with chili paste. On weekends, as noted in the post-Songkran coverage on Chopsticks and Marrow, there's an Isaan soup station, too.

Tea Cup Cafe
7619 Woodside Ave. (at 77th St.), Elmhurst, Queens
718-426-2222

Khao Man Gai NY

2013-04-28T22:15:00-04:00

Some of the most successful street vendors in Southeast Asia make their name from a single dish. That's literally true for this husband-and-wife startup, who serve the Thai chicken-and-rice combo called khao man gai (Cow mon Guy). As in the Sukhumvit district of Bangkok — and as with khao man gai's forebear, Hainanese chicken rice — at first the dish seems simplicity itself. Poach a whole chicken with ginger and garlic. Use the resulting broth to cook the rice, and as the foundation for a light soup to refresh the palate between bites; slice some cucumber as an additional palate freshener. Serve with tangy sauce on the side.

Here the execution was splendid: The chicken was tender, the rice was fluffy and fragrant. This khao man gai really hit the mark, however, with a pungent-sweet-spicy dipping sauce that combined fermented soybeans, garlic and ginger once again, simple syrup, vinegar, and Thai chilis. (Ultimately the dipping sauce became a pour-over-the-rice sauce.) In lieu of a basic order ($8), it's wise to ask for an order phi seht (Pea-Set, or "special"; $10), the upsized version that adds more chicken, more rice, and a second serving of the sauce.

Also shown: a modest addition to the one-vendor, one-dish formula for success, a homemade hibiscus drink ($3).

Khao Man Gai NY
At the Hester Street Fair, Essex St. at Hester St., Manhattan
Saturdays, late April through October
Also at the Hester Night Market, 851 Sixth Ave. (entrance at 29th St.)
Thursday evenings, May through September
www.Facebook.com/KhaoManGaiNY

Nordic Preserves, Fish and Wildlife Company

2013-04-28T09:00:00-04:00

Lingon kola ($4.50), Swedish for "lingonberry fudge."

Nordic Preserves, Fish and Wildlife Company
Inside the Essex Street Market, 120 Essex St. (Delancey-Rivington Sts.), Manhattan
646-450-4544
www.NordicPreserves.com

Indonesian food bazaar

2013-04-27T19:00:00-04:00

"Black soup," the fellow called it. At a recent Masjid Al-Hikmah bazaar, he and two friends were sharing a bowl of a Javanese favorite called nasi rawon, a beef soup bolstered with rice (nasi). Another rendition I spotted shortly thereafter was served with rice on the side. The ingredient that lends the dish its dark color and nutty richness is kluwak, or kluwek, the fermented nuts of the kepayang tree. These nuts, along with numerous seasonings, are sauteed to form a thick black gravy (the rawon), which becomes the base for the soup.

Kluwak, however, is difficult to source in New York, at least in commercial quantities. The chef of Masak (now closed) would have preferred to use buah keluak, the more common name in Singapore and Malaysia, to braise his pork shoulder, but he was disappointed in the quality available in local markets; he employed black garlic instead. K.F. Seetoh of Makansutra renown maintains that the best substitute is unsweetened baking chocolate, with 100 percent cacao. Perhaps the chef who prepared this nasi rawon has her own stash of kluwak. You can ask her yourself, if you can spot the soup at a future bazaar; look for an unmarked pot on the simmer at the back of a stall.

If there's one qualm I have about the bazaars behind Masjid Al-Hikmah, it's the heat. Not the spicy heat of chili peppers in a made-to-order gado-gado (three out of a possible five chilis is plenty) or the fire licking at skewers of satay, soon to be dressed with homemade peanut sauce. The bazaars are held during the warmer months on the small parking lot behind the mosque, and even a score of tented canopies can offer only just so much shade. A wise way to beat the heat is to arrive on the early side, say, around 11:00. As at most bazaars, this also enables you to enjoy the widest and freshest selection of food, some (but not all) of which you can see in my slideshow.

Indonesian food bazaar
Masjid Al-Hikmah, 48-01 31st Ave. (at 48th St.), Astoria, Queens
Periodically, on a weekend, during the warmer months

Note: The date of the next bazaar at Masjid Al-Hikmah has not yet been publicly announced. However, an unaffiliated fundraising event will be held on Saturday, May 18, inside the First Presbyterian Church of Forest Hills. This event, "coordinated by Indonesian foodies," will benefit Roslin Orphanage in Kupang, Indonesia.

Kopi Kopi

2013-04-26T21:30:00-04:00

The name "kopi" may be cryptic, and the sourcing from Sumatra (note the small print) may seem none too special for a coffee shop. The artwork, however — a rendering of the world's most expansive archipelago, albeit compressed and naively drawn — pegs this as an Indonesian-owned operation. Kopi Kopi (literally "coffee coffee") employs fair-trade beans from back home that are roasted here in New York, though this days-old business has yet to publish a menu of coffee varietals.

An Indonesian prepared-food menu has begun to shape up, however. It lists chicken soup, beef and chicken satay, the salad called rujak, and nasi uduk, a dish of coconutty rice served with marinated beef. Savory and sweet pastries include wingko Babat ($1.50), a Javanese cake made from glutinous rice and coconut. Mine was still warm.

Kopi Kopi
68 West 3rd St. (Thompson St.-LaGuardia Pl.), Manhattan
212-777-7285
www.KopiNYC.com

Food-Friendly Events, April 25-May 2

2013-04-25T10:00:00-04:00

Taste of the Lower East Side
Thursday, April 25, 7:00-10:00
82 Mercer, 82 Mercer St. (Broome-Spring Sts.), Manhattan
www.TasteofLES.org
Tickets: $200 at the door; proceeds benefit the Grand St. Settlement

Food Justice, Labor Rights, and the Environment
Thursday, April 25, 7:30-???
451 West St. (Bank-Bethune Sts.), Manhattan
www.BrechtForum.org/civicrm/event/info?id=12470
Admission: $6-to-$15 sliding scale

Dish West
Friday, April 26, 4:00-8:00
The Altman Building, 135 West 18th St. (Sixth-Seventh Aves.), Manhattan
www.DishWest.eventbrite.com
Tickets: $50

Hester Street Fair opening day
Saturday, April 27, 10:00-6:00; continues Saturdays through October 26
Hester St. at Essex St., Manhattan
www.HesterStreetFair.com
Free admission

New Jersey Folk Festival: A Celebration of Garifuna Traditions
Saturday, April 27, 10:00-6:00
Rutgers University, Douglass Campus (near George St. and Ryders Ln.), New Brunswick, New Jersey
www.NJFolkFest.org
The heritage area will showcase the preparation of a number of Garifuna foods, though the food vendors themselves seem to be the usual lot
Free admission

Brunchtacular
Saturday, April 27, noon-3:00
T.B.D., 224 Franklin St. (Green-Huron Sts.), Greenpoint, Brooklyn
www.RallyDowntown.org/#!brunchtacular/cqpc
Tickets: $30; proceeds benefit the Greenpoint Reform Church Pantry and the Learning About Multimedia Projects

New York City Regional Chili Cookoff
Saturday, April 27, noon-4:00
Center St., Historic Richmond Town, 441 Clarke Ave. Staten Island
www.HistoricRichmondTown.org/events/details/965
Admission: adults, $10 online/$12 door; children ages 12 and under, $5

Sikh Day Parade and Festival
Saturday, April 27, 12:15-5:00
The parade, beginning at 1:00, proceeds from 39th St. south on Madison Ave. to the festival site, in the vicinity of Madison Square Park, Manhattan
www.NYCSikhDayParade.com/events/2013/03/01/2013-annual-sikh-day-parade
Previously: www.EatingInTranslation.com/2008/04/sikh-day-parade.html
Free admission

Pride of Brooklyn Homebrew Festival
Saturday, April 27, 1:00-5:00
Littlefield, 622 Degraw St. (Third-Fourth Aves.), Gowanus, Brooklyn
www.PrideOfBrooklyn.com
Tickets: $25; ages 21 and over only

Single Subject Food Books
Saturday, April 27, 2:00-5:00
The Roger Smith Hotel, 501 Lexington Ave. (at 47th St.), Manhattan
www.RogerSmithLife.com/events/single-subject-food-books-a-symposium-purchase-tickets-here
Tickets: $30; advance registration required

New York a la Cart
Saturday, April 27, 4:00-???
Book Court, 163 Court St. (Pacific-Dean Sts.), Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
www.Facebook.com/events/545873495435858
Free admission

Abbruzzese Style Italian BBQ
Saturday, April 27, 6:00-9:00
Heritage Radio Network Warehouse, 272 Seigel St. (Moore-Bogart Sts.), Bushwick, Brooklyn
www.ItalianBBQ.eventbrite.com
Tickets: $65
Via Brooklyn Based

Sowing Hope, Growing Communities
Saturday, April 27, 9:00-midnight
Brooklyn Brewery, 79 North 11th St. (Wythe Ave.-Berry St.), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
www.Rescue.org/us-program/us-new-york-ny/sowing-hope-growing-communities-benefit-refugees-new-york-city-1
Tickets: $50 online/$55 door; proceeds benefit the New Roots Initiative of the International Rescue Committee

Red Hook food vendors opening weekend
Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28, 9:00-9:00; continues weekends through October
Near the corner of Columbia and Bay Sts., Red Hook, Brooklyn
www.RedHookFoodVendors.com
Previously: www.EatingInTranslation.com/2011/04/red-hook-ball-fields.html
Free admission

Sakura Matsuri
Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28, 10:00-6:00, rain or shine
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Ave., Brooklyn
www.BBG.org/visit/event/sakura_matsuri_2013
"A menu of Japanese food is offered under the tent in Cherry Esplanade"
BBG admission: adults, $20; seniors and students, $15; children under 12 and BBG members, free

Lambertville Shad Fest
Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28, 12:30-5:30, rain or shine
Lambertville, New Jersey
www.Lambertville.org/ShadFestival.jsp
Free admission; $10 parking

TAP New York Craft Beer & Fine Food Festival
Saturday, April 27 and 28, 1:00-5:00, Sunday, noon-4:00
Hunter Mountain, New York
www.TAP-NY.com
Tickets: Saturday, $70; Sunday, $60; two-day admission, $105; designated drivers, $20 per day; ages 21 and over only

Hemingway in Havana and Paris
Saturday, April 27, 7:00-9:00 (Havana); Sunday, 7:00-9:00 (Paris)
The Dead Rabbit, 30 Water St. (near Broad St.), Manhattan
www.DeadRabbitNYC.com/shop/ticket-hemingway-in-havana
Tickets: $60 per evening
Via Fork in the Road

Myanmar New Year Celebration
Sunday, April 28, 10:30-5:00
P.S. 12 (The James B. Colgate School), 42-00 72nd St., Woodside, Queens
www.Facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=613848031976648&set=oa.510468095678117&type=1&theater
A Burmese reader of EIT observes that, according to the event flyer, the "food fair" portion of the festivities lasts from 10:30 to 1:30
Free admission

Queens Botanical Garden Arbor Fest
Sunday, April 28, 11:00-6:00, rain or shine
Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St. (Dahlia-Elder Aves.), Flushing, Queens
www.QueensBotanical.org/programs/arborfest
Garden admission: adults, $4; seniors, $3; students as well as children ages 3 and older, $2

Why We Eat What We Eat
Monday, April 29, 6:00-8:00 (a follow-up session will be held on May 6)
American Museum of Natural History, enter on 79th St. between Amsterdam Ave. and Central Park West, Manhattan
www.AMNH.org/calendar/sackler-brain-bench-why-we-eat-what-we-eat-w-stuart-firestein-and-priscilla-ferguson
Tickets: general admission, $40, museum members, $35; ages 21 and over only

LuckyRice Festival
Monday, April 29, through Sunday, May 5, various times
Various locations
www.LuckyRice.com
See website for details on available tickets

An Evening with Mark Bittman
Tuesday, April 30, 6:00-???
LIU Brooklyn, Arnold & Marie Schwartz Gymnasium, 1 University Plaza (Dekalb Ave. at Flatbush Ave.), Fort Greene, Brooklyn
www.NYCharities.org/events/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=6018
General admission: $21; students, $11; for the talk plus an autographed book, with dinner and wine to follow, $181

Captain Bligh's Bounty
Tuesday, April 30, 6:30-???
New York University, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South (LaGuardia Pl.-Washington Square East), Manhattan
www.NYU.edu/library/bobst/research/fales/eventstest.html
RSVP to RSVP.Bobst@NYU.edu

The Masters of Social Gastronomy Meet Their Sweet Tooth
Tuesday, April 30, 7:00-9:00
Public Assembly, 70 North 6th St. (Wythe-Kent Aves.), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
www.Facebook.com/events/364675813637790
Free admission; online RSVP recommended

Homemade Sweets: A Botanical Candies Workshop
Wednesday, May 1, 6:30-???
The Horticultural Society of New York, 148 West 37th St. (Sixth-Seventh Aves., 13th floor), Manhattan
www.TheHort.org/programs_workshops_talks_tours.html#homemadesweets
Workshop fee: $50; Hort members, $35

Top of the List Tasting
Wednesday, May 1, 6:30-8:30
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th St. (Sixth-Seventh Aves.), Manhattan
www.WineAndSpiritsMagazine.com/toplist
Tickets: $75

Benefit for Streets International
Wednesday, May 1, 7:00-9:30
Astor Center, 399 Lafayette St. (near East 4th St.), Manhattan
www.StreetsInternational.org/events-streets-international/126.html
Tickets: $100, or $250 for hour-earlier VIP admission

SciCafe Flavor Labs: Demystifying the Science of Taste
Wednesday, May 1, 7:00-???
American Museum of Natural History, enter on 79th St. between Amsterdam Ave. and Central Park West, Manhattan
www.AMNH.org/calendar/scicafe-flavor-labs-demystifying-the-science-of-taste
Free admission, cash bar; ages 21 and over only

Food Book Fair Tasting Event and Fundraiser
Thursday, May 2, 7:30-9:30
Brooklyn Winery, 213 North 8th St. (Roebling St.-Driggs Ave.), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
www.Kitchit.com/local_events/FBF/TASTINGEVENT
Tickets: $100, or $250 for hour-earlier VIP admission; proceeds benefit Veggie Island

Sold out: Brooklyn Beefsteak, April 28; Korean Temple Food, May 1

Call for entries: 4th Street Arts Chili Cook-Off, May 5

Ongoing: Brooklyn Flea, Saturdays and Sundays; Smorgasburg, Saturdays and Sundays; Fulton Stall Market, Saturdays and Sundays; High Line food vendors, daily; New York Greenmarkets, various days; Community Markets, various days; Food Physics, daily; Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture, daily; Sylvester Manor: Land, Food, and Power on a New York Plantation, Monday through Saturday; Shop Life, daily

Walking tours: Tag along with Big Onion, the Institute of Culinary Education, Jeffrey Tastes, Joe DiStefano, NoshWalks, Urban Oyster, and "Wildman" Steve Brill

Tickets on sale: Food Book Fair, May 3-5; How to Become an Urban Farmer, May 4; Ramp Fest Hudson, May 4; New York Culinary Experience, May 4-5; Guactacular, May 5; Choice Streets, May 7; Gran Cocina Latina, May 9; "Beer Balls" Meatball and Craft Beer Festival, May 11; Lone Star Chili Cookoff, May 11; Bay Fest, May 11; Frites and Fries with Leonard Lopate, May 15; Urban Agriculture Conference, May 15-17; Ginjo-shu: Its Significance and History, May 16; From Farm to Tray, May 16; The Great GoogaMooga, May 17-19; The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, May 17-21; Taste of Tribeca, May 18; Gluttony: Deconstructing Dinner, May 23; Brooklyn Uncorked, May 29; New Taste of the Upper West Side, May 29-June 1; Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest, May 31-June 2; Uncorked!, June 1; Lobster Roll Rumble, June 6; Big Apple BBQ Block Party, June 8-9; Chefs' Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels, June 10

Toki Underground

2013-04-24T16:15:00-04:00

Only a modest blue logo marks the door of Toki Underground, which despite the name sits above a bar, up a narrow, steep flight of stairs. Long waits and a full house are, reportedly, not uncommon at this tiny ramen-ya, and seating is snug. I was squeezed in at the slender counter along one side wall, and only on withdrawing, after my meal, did I see that the footrests underneath are a series of skateboard decks. Between the passing bodies of incoming diners I saw that other decks, brightly colored and split lengthwise, form the balustrade where the stairs rise to the second floor.

Which is to say that there's little opportunity to check out the decor, or the crowd, or — unless you land one of the prized seats surrounding the open kitchen — even to see who's ordering what. I caught a look only at the dishes to my immediate left and right. Just as well: My own bowl arrived in very short order. The Toki classic ($11), which employs a tonkotsu, or "pork bone," broth, is dressed with red pickled ginger, sesame, scallions, and nori. More-substantive ingredients include straight, thin noodles, chasu pulled pork, a soft egg, and seasonal vegetables — this day, dark green bitter rolls of Chinese mustard greens.

Tonkotsu ramen is especially associated with the Hakata ward of Fukuoka, on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, and under the name "Hakata ramen" is regarded as a major regional variation. Toki's chef was born in Taiwan, and his dishes were "inspired" (says the menu) by his "experience at a Hakata ramen shop in Taipei," so his dishes have elsewhere been described as a fusion of Japanese and Taiwanese influences. This particular ramen has been dubbed "Hakata style," but I'm not enough of a ramen aficionado to point out the distinctions. I am enough of an aficionado to drain my bowl.

Toki Underground
1234 H St. N.E. (12th-13th Sts.), Washington, D.C.
443-857-0347
www.TokiUnderground.com
Closed Sunday
(From an Easter 2013 visit)

Little Serow

2013-04-23T22:00:00-04:00

The dark red dollop of nam prik narohk, literally "chili paste from hell," is one of a family of Thai condiments with various consistencies and temperaments. At Little Serow this particular nam prik was prepared from catfish, tamarind, and chilies; ultimately, it wasn't so hellish. Alongside is khaep muu, introduced by my server as housemade Thai "chicharrones."

Little Serow (rhymes with "arrow") serves only a single set menu of Northern Thai dishes, updated weekly. Since no substitutions are made on the fly, any accommodations of non-Thai palates and sensibilities must be made up front. A nam prik might not be prepared at its most fiery; a traditional Thai snack of deep-fried pork skin is assigned a more familiar Latin American name. On my visit, fermented funk was entirely absent, though seemingly it reared its pungent head when the set menu was revised for a later week.

And yet each of these dishes was so well-balanced — I don't recall a better laap gai — that my meal as a whole was a delight.

Also shown, in order of appearance on the set menu ($45): tom kha het, mushroom-galangal soup; bla chorn lom kwan, snakehead fish (a Potomac-caught specimen of this invasive species) with kaffir lime and rice powder; gai laap Chiang Mai, which incorporated dill, shallots, and chicken liver as well as chicken meat; naem khao tod, sour pork with peanuts and crispy rice; nam ngeow, pork with sour tomato and crispy garlic; si krong muu, pork ribs marinated in Mekong whiskey and dill. Not shown are an ample basket of fresh vegetables and herbs and a container of sticky rice, which served to mitigate stronger flavors, to scoop up or soak up the last little bits of favorite dishes, and to freshen the palate between courses.

Also not shown is a glass of sweet rice milk (compliments of the house, normally $3). By the time the final three, pork-based dishes began to arrive, so had my awareness of accumulated chili. The heat had arrived after all.

Little Serow
1511 17th St. N.W. (P-Church Sts.), Washington, D.C.
202-332-9200
www.LittleSerow.com
Closed Sunday and Monday
(From an Easter 2013 visit)

Ben's Chili Bowl

2013-04-22T09:15:00-04:00

Ben's rendition of the chili half-smoke ($5.70), featuring a coarsely ground quarter-pound sausage, equal parts beef and pork, is the most celebrated in the District. But what the hell is a half-smoke? There's no one firm definition.

Neither is there consensus on how to eat one without dribbling chili in all the wrong places. Some rely on knife and fork. Others may heed an instructional essay by George Washington University's Bernard Demczuk; "Bernie's Dog Bite Method" proceeds in five steps, from positioning, to grip, to lift, to entry, to bite. Dr. Demczuk kindly inscribed a copy for me, but my half-smoke was already at hand, and so I had to rely on my own years of training. If I was going to drip chili, I'd drip it onto those potato chips.

Ben's Chili Bowl
1213 U St. N.W. (12th-13th Sts.), Washington, D.C.
202-667-0909
www.BensChiliBowl.com
(From an Easter 2013 visit)

Busboys and Poets

2013-04-21T08:30:00-04:00

"Mekhleme" ($11), the menu tells us, is an "Iraqi 'corned beef' hash" that also includes tomato, onions, and potatoes, all topped by two poached eggs. The Middle East is no stranger to hash, but even when it's the meaty sort, generally hash has been the butt of a joke. (An older generation has similar feelings about creamed chipped beef on toast.)

All online citations that I've found, however, connect "mekhleme" only with Busboys and Poets, generally with favorable notices. (Add mine.) But as to the origin and significance of the name, and as to whether mekhleme is a traditional Iraqi dish or a more recent Iraqi-American invention, I still can't say. (Update: See the comments below.)

Busboys and Poets
1025 5th St. N.W. (K-L Sts.), Washington, D.C.
(one of several locations)
202-789-2227
www.BusboysAndPoets.com
(From an Easter 2013 visit)

O St. Market

2013-04-20T09:30:00-04:00

With the Eastern Market and the Georgetown Market, this 1881 Victorian structure is one of three 19th century public markets in the District. It joined the National Registry of Historic Places in 1995; by late 2013, apartments are expected to be available at a made-over City Market at O.

O St. Market
Surviving signage at 1400 7th St. N.W. (at O St.), Washington, D.C.
(From an Easter 2013 visit)

Sweet Mama's

2013-04-19T10:00:00-04:00

Jacob Restaurant, a soul food and salad bar of several years' standing, with two Harlem locations, this year spun off a full-service restaurant featuring the cuisine of the owner's native Senegal. Might newly opened Sweet Mama's follow a similar trajectory? This selection ($4.99 per pound) featured nothing more exotic than oxtail, in the company of collard greens, mac 'n' cheese, black-eyed peas, and candied yams. The owner held out hope, however, that if all goes well he might eventually serve some food like that back home, in Burkina Faso.

Sweet Mama's
689 Lenox Ave. (144th-145th Sts.), Manhattan
212-939-9383

Shiner Bock

2013-04-17T09:30:00-04:00

Mural in progress at 354 Metropolitan Ave. (near Havemeyer St., above the outdoor seats at Fette Sau), Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Mitsitam Cafe

2013-04-17T09:00:00-04:00

Named for an Algonquian word meaning "let's eat," this cafeteria features Native American-inspired cuisine at five stations representing the Northern Woodlands, Great Plains, Northwest Coast, Meso America, and South America. Shown are pickled acorn squash with sea beans, cherry braised red cabbage, and roasted sweet potatoes with birch bark syrup and pine nut dust ($3.25 each). I've decided I prefer my acorn squash unpickled, but also to keep my eyes peeled for local birch-syrup purveyors.

After the manner of all too many stereotyped TV Westerns, you can mingle several Native American traditions on your plate, willy-nilly. My trio hailed from the Northwest, though I couldn't resist a few forkfuls, off a neighboring plate, of chestnut whipped potatoes from the Woodlands, too.

Also shown, from a return visit to the Northern Woodlands: maple pudding ($5.50) fringed with a few crisp bits around its moist, dark heart.

Mitsitam Cafe
Inside the National Museum of the American Indian
4th St. and Independence Ave. S.W., Washington, D.C.
866-868-7774
www.NMAI.si.edu/visit/washington/mitsitam-cafe
Open from early lunchtime till late afternoon
(From visits during Easter weekend 2013, and earlier)