There was still the smell of fresh paint when I walked into Glasserie last week. The room was quiet and beautiful, especially the natural light that fell onto my table as I sat there waiting for Howard. I didn’t go to Glasserie to try a new restaurant instead I was there to support and cheer on a friend.

I met Sara Kramer at Allswell and quickly found out we have few mutual friends. And here she was, 2 years later, running her own kitchen.

I knew our meal was going to be good but I wasn’t expecting Sara to blow our freakin minds away. We started off with a dish of lightly grilled radishes, warm and crunchy, served with feta, mint leaves and a sprinkle of za’atar. Both of us took a bite and both of our eyes widened with delight at the same time. I have never had radishes this good before. For my main course, I got the flatiron steak, cooked perfectly to medium rare. But trout roe and steak together? Yes, it works. Probably the most satisfying thing I have eaten so far this year were the three pieces of flaky bread. They were so good, I got a 2nd order. Warm and buttery, they were a perfect match for the cool and slightly tangy labneh. And for dessert, a delicious chocolate tart and a cup of strawberries with yogurt. Strawberries and yogurt may sound simple but Sara was able to make it something more.

Congrats again to Sara and the team at Glasserie. I am excited to see what else they’ll do/cook and I’ll definitely be back for more meals.

Check out what Howard thought over on his blog.

- Glasserie 95 Commercial St. Greenpoint. – map

Words and photos by Sandy Lee

The LA Street Food Fest will soon be upon us once more for the 4th consecutive year. Saturday, June 29th to be exact. The All You Can Eat & Drink event will have street foods from 85+ trucks and carts, a Beer Garden, cocktails, and an Ice Cream Social (desserts and sweets purveyors) and will be held once again at the Rose Bowl. Live music will also be a part of the festivities with bands to be announced in the coming weeks. Admission will be through pre-sale only tickets and will be capped at just 5,000.

Ticket Options:
VIP Early Admission 3-9p, $75
General Admission 5-9p, $50

Tickets and details – LAStreetFoodFest.com
Tickets – Eventbrite

I had the privilege and pleasure to attend the preview party on June 3, graciously hosted at the venerable Guelaguetza restaurant, getting a little sneak peak. Some comments/tips/highlights from the vendors of the night follows.

The Donut Snob
Best donut I’ve had. Can’t think of one that tastes better. Light and airy, with crisp, distinctive, clean flavors. Tastes of the quality ingredients that are being used to craft these beauties. On hand will be the raspberry coulis filled donut with lemon zest glaze, topped with a whole raspberry. Be sure to snap them up, lest you will be sad if you miss out, for they will be a definite hit at the fest.

D’elish Sandwich Shop by Tiara Cafe
Soft tender potato bun with a pastrami smoked short rib. Very tender meat with a subtle spice that kicks in at the end. Yep, I know it’s an obvious pun, but it was delish.

Dante’s Fried Chicken
Fried chicken with a unique blend of herbs and spices. So much flavor mixed into the crust. The flavor explosion scene with Remy from the movie Ratatouille came to mind. A nice crackle was provided with the poppy seeds that were unexpectedly mixed into it.

Casa Oaxaca
Photo above
Squash blossoms deep fried with string cheese inards and topped with a huitlecoche sauce. A touch greasy if you don’t catch it right off the fryer, but there’s a complexity of flavors that meld together well.

Greenbar Distillery
Was served a drink entitled the City of Angels. Made of IXA tequila and their Grand Poppy aperitive, with some lemon juice and simple syrup. It was perfect for a warm summer night. Immediately made a mental note to purchase some Grand Poppy and IXA tequila.

Yuca’s
The Cochinita pibil is slow roasted, and rich and juicy with a citrusy sweetness. I ate it with the pepper and carrot that’s served on the side, which adds a balance to the texture, and a cool and spicy crunch.

World Empanadas
Flaky crust with a juicy pork filling. Especially enjoyable with the chimichurri served on the side, which adds a sharp, bright tang and spice to the meat and buttery crust.

I can’t think of a better way to spend your summer than drinking and eating a plate of fried chicken. At The Commodore in Williamsburg, a divey bar with a little bit of retro-ness in it, you can get both and other delicious things.

The fried chicken, a plate of 3 perfectly fried and seasoned…juicy chicken thighs, served with 3 biscuits, honey butter and hot sauces, easily made it to my “awesome fried chicken” list. My friends called me crazy but I smeared some honey butter on the chicken and I recommend you do the same. Wow wow wow! We also shared the Hot Fish sandwich, which was waaaay to spicy for me but good thing I ordered a frozen pina colada (aka The Commodore) to cool my mouth down. While unlike other fried chicken places that serve thigh, drumstick, wing and a side combination, I definitely can go with The Commodore’s all thighs and nothing else version. Honestly, the thigh is the best part. (Can someone explain to me why people love white meat?)

So go to The Commodore, order plates and plates of fried chicken (from the bartender), sit yourself down in the backyard patio area and sip some rum punch or frozen pina colada.

- The Commodore 366 Metropolitan Ave (corner of Metropolitan and Havemeyer St)

Sugar snap peas are here! Judging from our twitter feed, many people are unsure whether or not you can eat the pods. The answer is yes — but there is a small bit of prep you have to do first. Pinch the top stem between your thumb and finger and pull forward sharply. This will pull off the stem as well as the tough, fibrous bit that sits in the seam of the pea pod (see below). After that, you can pop the whole thing in your mouth.