Perilla’s Duck Burger
by Harold Dieterle (Serves four) Ingredients 3 teaspoons olive oil 1 onion, very finely chopped 5 cloves garlic, very finely chopped 1 pound ground duck 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped basil 2 tablespoons chile sauce, such as sriracha or sambal 1/4 cup panko 2 large eggs, lightly beaten Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and 3 cloves garlic. Cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes; remove from heat and let cool. Add onion and garlic mixture to a large bowl, along with, ground duck, basil, chile sauce, panko, and eggs. Knead mixture until well combined; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to refrigerator and let chill for 30 minutes. Remove duck mixture from refrigerator. Divide meat into four equal...
Read MoreQ & A With Mike Price
Chef and co-owner Mike Price is so attached to Market Table that even he got married in this 40-seat market-cum-restaurant. Who better to cook for the occasion than chef Joey Campanaro (The Little Owl)? Regulars who pack into this Greenwich Village eatery even came by to watch the ceremony through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Dinner highlights included Market Table’s signature gnocchi with braised short ribs and crab cakes. Before launching Market Table, he trained at the CIA and then went on to work for restaurateurs Jimmy Bradley and Danny Abrams at the Mermaid Inn and The Harrison. Now Price plays the part of butcher, baker as well as chef. His seasonal American spring menu will feature a salad of fava beans, pecorino and mint and an English pea risotto. Status: Single/Married/Divorced Recently married March 2, 2008 to my amazing wife...
Read MoreCommerce
Nostalgic for an old New York. 50 Commerce St., between Bedford and Barrow Sts. (212) 524-2301 Dinner: Mon.-Sat., 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m.-11 p.m. CUISINE: New American VIBE: Charming tavern OCCASION: Neighborhood dining; group dinner DON’T-MISS DISH: Marinated fluke sashimi; red snapper with Thai-inspired herb broth PRICE: Appetizers, $11-19; entrees, $23-44; desserts, $9-16 RESERVATIONS: Recommended Cue the historical relevance of 50 Commerce St.: Nestled on a cobblestone-paved corner in Greenwich Village, this address has seen a Depression-era speakeasy, the 50-year-long run of the Blue Mill Tavern and a quintessential neighborhood haunt, Grange Hall. Did I mention a short-lived restaurant that resurrected the name of the Blue Mill Tavern? If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to dine in the Village in the 1940s, step into Commerce. It’s the newest incarnation of this landmark building. Co-owners Tony Zazula...
Read MoreMia Dona’s Roasted Pork Chop with frisee, lardoons & farm egg
By Michael Psilakis (Serves 6) Ingredients: 6-bone rack of pork chops, chined, untrimmed of fat, tied with butchers twine between each rib 6 farm eggs Fennel Pollen Salt & pepper 4 cloves of garlic 2 shallots ½ Cup of red wine vinegar 1 tsp dry oregano 1 Tb. Dijon mustard 1 Cup mountain gorgonzola cheese or Roquefort Extra-virgin olive oil 4 slices of double-smoked bacon cut into lardoons, rendered, fat reserved 2 bunches of frisee 2 Tb. pickled mustard seeds 20 pickled red pearl onions Method: Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Season rack with salt, pepper, fennel pollen and sear in a hot pan so it’s brown on all sides. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast in the oven for about an hour, until rare. To make the dressing for the frisee, combine garlic,...
Read MoreQ & A with Oceana’s Ben Pollinger
Chef Ben Pollinger is not another seasonal American chef boasting organic ingredients from local farmers: he’s doing his own part to provide the ingredients himself. With a 500 square foot organic garden, Ben is as enthusiastic about his spring plants as the spring dishes on the menu at Oceana, a well-respected seafood restaurant in midtown. His mantra: “It’s all about relationships: the relationship between the farmer and the soil, the relationship between the fresh ingredients and preparing techniques; most importantly, the relationship between the dining experience and those enjoying it.” At Oceana, Ben creates a global cuisine melding international flavors and techniques to create an eclectic menu of seafood dishes. Signature dishes include the steamed grouper with lotus root, yu choy, young coconut, wood ear mushrooms & black bean sauce, and seared Hawaiian opah with hearts of palm, Oakwood...
Read MoreSapori D’Ischia
A fettuccine worth traveling for. ADDRESS: 55-15 37th Ave., near 56th St., Woodside. PHONE: (718) 446-1500 DINNER: Tues.-Sat., 5:30-11 p.m.; Sun., 3-10:30 p.m. Closed Mondays. CUISINE Regional Italian VIBE Charming market-restaurant OCCASION Destination dining; authentic Italian supper DON’T-MISS DISH Fettuccine al’Antonio; polenta-crusted tilapia PRICE Appetizers, $9.50-$14; entrees, $17-$26; desserts, $7 RESERVATIONS Accepted No ice. No tap water. No cheese on seafood dishes. No lemon peel in espresso. These are just four of the “Ten Commandments” patrons must abide by at Sapori d’Ischia, an Italian specialty market-restaurant in an industrial section of Woodside, Queens. Try requesting butter for the bread; your server may return with a framed set of rules to review before attempting an order. It seems presumptuous for a wholesale store that peddles imported goods by day to enforce such vigilant decrees of dining by night. Especially when...
Read MoreChic Easter Brunch Eats
Abboccato 136 W 55th St., btwn 6th & 7th Aves. New York 10019 (212) 265-4000 www.abboccato.com This elegant midtown Italian offers a $65, 5-course Easter menu with Tuscan bread soup, followed by ricotta dumplings in a licorice herb sauce. For the main course, lamb chops come encrusted with porcini mushrooms and served with bone marrow flan. For $95, a wine pairing for each course is also made available for the occasion. Little Dishes 434 7th Ave., btwn 14th & 15th Sts. Brooklyn 11215 (718) 369-3144 www.littled-eatery.com If the weather cooperates, you can celebrate Easter in the back garden of this quaint Brooklyn restaurant. Brunch features biscuits with rose jamm, pork butt served with cheddar grits and scrambled eggs, or the English Ploughman’s plate. A Bellini or Bloody Mary should pair nicely with this hearty menu. Aureole 34 East 61st...
Read MoreOceana's Sauteed Nantucket Bay Scallops With Citrus Salad and Mamey
By Executive Chef Ben Pollinger(Serves 4 as an appetizer) Ingredients: 1/2 pound Natucket Bay Scallops 1 Cup mamey pulp 1 Tbs fresh lime juice Segments from the following citrus fruits: pomelo, cara cara orange, sweet lime, ponderosa lemon, Satsuma mandarin. Reserved zest of all fruits except the pomelo. 1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbs ginger, minced 1 Tbs chilis, sliced 8 leaves Thai basil chiffonade 8 leaves mint chiffonade 8 leaves cilantro chiffonade Salt, fresh ground pepper 1/2 Cup toasted charoli nuts Pith from 1 pomelo 1 1/2 pounds sugar 1 Cup water Preparation for the citrus salad:(Citrus substitutions – Navel oranges, ruby red grapefruit, tangerines and regular lemons or limes will also do when pomelo is not available. Avocado may substitute for mamey.) Puree the mamey pulp in a blender with the lime juice. Season...
Read MoreGizmo Girl’s Turtle Cupcake Mold
Because St. Patrick’s Day is coming up next Monday, we’ve decided to share a festive green gizmo this week. Never mind purchasing a cake, the “Turtle Pull A Part Cupcake Mold” will make you look like an artful baker. It’s easier than making a turtle-shaped cake, and to top it off, the mold is silicone, making for an easy release of the baked cake for icing. Ice it green, and it’ll accompany your frosted mug of green-tinted beer perfectly. Turtle Pull A Part Cupcake Mold Care to share your favorite kitchen gizmo? Email Us. Until we eat again, Restaurant Girl **Don’t forget to subscribe for Restaurant Girl’s Weekly...
Read MoreHamptons Restaurant Week
Taking a cue from New York’s longstanding restaurant week, the Hamptons are offering a tempting version of their own, showcasing a burgeoning restaurant scene. Nearly 70 restaurants will participate in this year’s Sixth Annual Hampton’s Restaurant Week including venerable stalwarts such as Della Femina, 1770 House, and Nick & Toni’s, as well as newcomers, such as Matto (pictured right), Muse, and Wei Fun. Along with a surprisingly affordable three-course prix-fixe menu for $21.95, the Hampton’s Restaurant Week also boasts specially priced vintages from Long Island’s North Fork wine country, which is gaining a national reputation for premium wine production. The Hampton’s Restaurant Week begins Sunday, March 30 – a bit too early for a frolic on the beach, but perfect for an early spring preview of this luxurious seaside retreat. For more information, visit www.hamptonsrestaurantweek.com Until we eat again,...
Read MoreSouth Gate
We have some reservations. ADDRESS:154 Central Park South PHONE: (212) 484-5120 DINNER: Sun.-Thur., 5.30 p.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. CUISINE Seasonal American. VIBE Sleek hotel eatery. OCCASION Hotel dining; dessert destination. DON’T-MISS DISH Buttercup flan; flash-seared calamari. PRICE Appetizers, $10-$21; entrees, $24-$39; desserts, $9-$12. RESERVATIONS Recommended. How fitting that South Gate premiered just on the heels of the highly anticipated unveiling of Alain Ducasse‘s Adour. After all, South Gate, and its chef, Kerry Heffernan, were installed to fill the void left when Ducasse vacated the Essex House. While Alain Ducasse’s former restaurant was buried in the rear of the building, South Gate has its own street entrance on Central Park South. With its glitzy glass façade overlooking the park, it’s a radically hip departure from Ducasse’s classically French production. Designed by Tony Chi, the sleek space is embellished...
Read MoreThe Smith’s Green Bean Salad
By Brian Ellis (Serves 4 as an appetizer) Ingredients For the Salad: ½ lb haricot verts (blanched and shocked) 1 bunch frisee lettuce (washed, large stems removed) 2 oz. slivered almonds (dry roasted) 1 pt cherry tomatoes (washed and split in ½) Preparation for the Salad: Blanche the haricot verts in boiling water for about three minutes then shock in ice water. Drain on paper towels and reserve. Wash frisee, remove any large stems, and chop into bite-size pieces. Wash cherry tomatories and slice each in half. Then, in hot dry pan, toast slivered almonds until aromatic, about two minutes. Ingredients for the dressing: 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 2 oz. red wine vinegar (something good) 1 lemon (juiced) 1 clove garlic (smashed and chopped fine) 6 oz. extra virgin olive oil Preparation for the dressing: Finely mince the garlic. ...
Read MoreGizmo Girl’s Cereal Bowl
No longer must you rush through your bowl of cereal to avoid corn flakes that quickly dissolve into a soggy mess. We stumbled upon the “Eatmecrunchy” bowl designed to separate the cereal from the milk by elevating the cereal on a shelf, while the milk sits below. After you’ve leisurely finished off your crunchy bowl of cereal, the shelf is removable for easy cleaning. New Yorkers rush enough; Here’s a little opportunity to actually enjoy getting up in the morning. Eatmecrunchy Bowl Care to share your favorite kitchen gizmo? Email Us. Until we eat again, Restaurant Girl **Don’t forget to subscribe for Restaurant Girl’s Weekly...
Read MoreQ & A With Todd Mitgang
Chef Todd Mitgang recently made his solo debut at Crave Ceviche Bar in midtown East. At the youthful age of 27, Mitgang saw instant success, long waits and already has plans to expand his eatery into a neighboring space. Before his popularity at Crave, Mitgang studied at FCI, then landed his first job out of school at Soho’s Kittichai, where he was positioned as Chef de Cuisine. At Crave, Mitgang devotes his undivided attention to ceviches, curing an impressive selection of raw fish in unusual marinades, far beyond the usual lime and lemon juices. He adds extra crunch with whimsical accessories, including charred popcorn. Intensely fruity sangrias and a playful wine list, categorizing the wines by inviting descriptions like “toasted brioche,” add to this chef’s restaurant’s lure. With an ever-changing menu that rigorously bows to the seasons, his winter...
Read MoreAdour
ADDRESS:2 E. 55th St., at Fifth Ave. (212) 710-2277 DINNER: Mon.-Sat., 5.30 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 5.30 p.m.-10 p.m. CUISINE: Contemporary French VIBE: Elegant affair OCCASION: Fine dining, special occasion DON’T-MISS DISH: Ricotta gnocchi; diver scallops with black truffles; beef tenderloin. PRICE: Appetizers, $17-29; entrees, $32-49; desserts, $14. RESERVATIONS: Required. In recent years, New York has been the thorn in Alain Ducasse‘s side. An exalted French chef, Ducasse has amassed an empire of Michelin-starred institutions, including Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo and his eponymous restaurant at Plaza Athénée in Paris. While Ducasse has conquered much of the globe, his first two Manhattan ventures resulted in defeat and subsequently closed (Alain Ducasse at the Essex House, Mix). Yet he seems more determined than ever to win our affections at Adour, his newest restaurant set in the landmark St. Regis Hotel....
Read MoreRaising the Bar on Organic Food – Free Foods NYC
You have to admire chef Matthew Kenney’s unbridled enthusiasm for opening restaurants. Though Heirloom and Blue/Green Organic Juice Cafe were both unsuccessful, Kenney seems to be making a comeback at Free Foods NYC. With business partner Peter Schatzberg, Kenney has launched this organic answer to fast food – a quickly burgeoning trend in NYC. Though this eatery is located in the heart of midtown, the space feels more like a Vermont country store. Shelves are lined with organic sodas and wicker barrels are stocked with organic chocolates and chips. While the container (pictured right) may look like plastic, it’s made entirely out of 100% sustainable, corn-based material. Thus, I was quite skeptical that the food would transcend any “tastes good for healthy food” expectations. Well, it does. In fact, the spice-rubbed filet mignon is excellent. Juicy slivers of filet get...
Read MoreChubo Closes Its Doors
A Lower East Side favorite, Chubo officially shut its doors this past Friday, February 29th. This LES eclectic Frenche We’ve been informed that chef/owner Claude Chassagne is already looking for a new location in the West Village. A Japanese cooking school plans to take over the space come summer. Until we eat again,Restaurant Girl**Don’t forget to subscribe for Restaurant Girl’s...
Read MoreCheck out My Book – Try This
