Trendspotting: Shishito Peppers

Not since jalapeno poppers have peppers figured so prominently amongst restaurants pre-entrée eating options.  Blistered shishitos are inevitably listed under “bar snacks” or “small bites” nowadays, nestled between the salted edamame, southern-style devilled eggs, and sriracha-sauced chicken wings.

So what’s with the love affair over these mild, thin-skinned little capsicums?  As easy and cost-effective to prepare as they are enjoyable to eat, they’re a deeply flavorful but unfussy accompaniment to a glass of wine or beer, and make for a spirited late-night game of edible Russian roulette (as with most chiles, you never know when you might come across a particularly incendiary one).  They’re also the perfect cross-cultural marriage of another current trend — shareable tapas and Japanese izakaya — a cultivated Pacific Rim pepper masquerading in a classic Spanish dish, Pimentos de Padron.

Top Chelsea tapas spot Tia Pol was one of the first restaurants to consistently serve these char-grilled treasures — Pimientos Estilo Gernika — drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt, and served in a tidy mound with their stems still attached.  And although their earliest Asian incarceration was originally at Matsaharu Morimoto’s Nobu, they’re more of a reliable menu fixture at the Japanese grill-house Robataya, which flames the tiny, addictive vegetables on an open hearth before laking them in a pitch-black puddle of soy.  The globally inspired brasserie, Co-op Food and Drink, ups the Asian ante by coating their smoky shishitos in a yuzu-citrus glaze, and chef Floyd Cardoz blazes his over charcoal at Danny Meyer’s acclaimed North End Grill.

Elegant oyster house The Mermaid Inn might not be an obvious choice for shishitos, but showered with sea salt and lemon juice, they make a welcome (and budget-friendly) addition to their happy hour snack bar.  And at Mario Batali’s Roman Osteria, Lupa, the zesty peppers find their way into an unusual antipasti, paired with succulent veal sweetbreads.  They’re also a go-to item at wine bars and gussied up gastropubs all over Brooklyn; be sure to try The Vanderbilt’s version (half price during late- night!) dusted with pimenton salt.

Whatever way you favor your shishitos — pan-fried, broiled or grilled, seasoned with sea salt, soy, or piquant pimenton — there’s no question they’ve carved a significant, long-lasting niche among New York City’s favorite finger foods.

Tia Pol – Pimientos Estilo Gernika
Address: 205 10th Ave.
Phone: (212) 675-8805
Website: http://www.tiapol.com/

Robataya – Japanese Green Peppers with Soy
Address: 231 E 9th St.
Phone: (212) 979-9674
Website: http://www.robataya-ny.com

Co-op Food and Drink- Blistered Peppers with Yuzu Citrus Glaze
Address: 107 Rivington St
Phone: (212) 796-8040
Website: http://co-oprestaurant.com/

Lupa- Veal Sweetbreads with Shishito Peppers
Address: 170 Thompson St.
Phone: (212) 982-5089
Website: http://www.luparestaurant.com

North End Grill- Char-grilled Shishito
Address: 104 N End Ave.
Phone: (646) 747-1600
Website: http://northendgrillnyc.com/

The Mermaid Inn- Shishito Peppers with Sea Salt and Lemon
Address: 96 2nd Ave. (multiple locations)
Phone: (212) 674-5870
Website: http://themermaidnyc.com

The Vanderbilt- Blistered Peppers with Pimenton Salt
Address: 570 Vanderbilt Ave.
Phone: (718) 623-0570
Website: http://www.thevanderbiltnyc.com