Blogs : Manhattan Digest
Manhattan Digest Weekly highlights from the most interesting Chowhound posts on the Manhattan board, including restaurant and bar reviews, best-of lists, and hidden local spots for eating and drinking.
Italian Surf-Turf Bliss at Marea
Sea urchin comes in a unique and irresistible guise at Marea. It’s laid over toast, draped with a translucent layer of lardo and sprinkled with sea salt. “The fatty pork aftertaste melds perfectly with the oceanic breeze of the urchin,” sighs uni connoisseur guttergourmet.
Talk about a killer dish—this one has guttergourmet pondering the hereafter: “In lieu of a casket, I want to be buried on a six-foot-long piece of toast with a mattress of uni tucked snugly under a salted see-through comforter of lardo.”
Adding turf to surf also pays off in richly flavorful fusilli with wine-braised octopus beefed up by bone marrow, tastyeating says. Other pastas worth trying include garganelli with sausage ragu, veal ravioli with sweetbreads and funghi, and rigatoni with cuttlefish, shrimp, and chickpeas.
For dessert, consider the affogato, a floatlike concoction of zabaglione gelato with espresso and the Italian liqueur amaro that’s “insane,” raves guttergourmet.
Marea [Midtown West]
240 Central Park South (near Broadway), Manhattan
212-582-5100
Board Links: Unique Uni Experience at Marea
What to eat at Marea?
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Overheard on the New York Boards
“Then disconcertingly, I noticed a piece of my old steak underneath it. I’m not sure why, but this creeped me out.”
-diablofoodie
“Pig parts, pastas and wines hit all the right notes with me.”
-steve h.
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Upmarket Tacos at Cascabel
Not far from East Harlem and its hole-in-the-wall taquerias is a slightly upscale newcomer, Cascabel. thew has room in his rotation for both high and low.
At $7.50 a pair these tacos are pricier than the competition downmarket and uptown, but they’re also “a cut above in concept.” thew loves the carne asada (achiote hanger steak with oyster mushroom) and roasted shrimp (with chile oil, black beans, garlic, and oregano), among other fillings. Yellowtail (with olive, onion, and heart of palm) is tasty if a touch underseasoned, but you can crank it up with an array of fresh table salsas—tomatillo, roasted tomato, and a couple of hotter choices.
Beyond tacos, check out pork belly gorditas (with chipotle-honey glaze), quinoa and black beans with queso fresco, or a jalapeño-spiked salad of Bibb lettuce and fingerling potatoes called the Luchador (yes, they’ve got a Mexican wrestling thing going on here). Little Cupcake would pass on the smallish, round churros, which brought to mind Dunkin’ Donuts Munchkins, but would go back for the upbeat vibe and the amazing hot chocolate.
Cascabel [Yorkville]
1542 Second Avenue (between E. 80th and 81st streets), Manhattan
212-717-7800
Board Link: Cascabel Taqueria–UES
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For a Fall Feast, Matsutake Five Ways
For lovers of Japanese food, autumn means matsutake, the prized (and pricey) pine mushroom. Takesushi, whose simmered dishes and skewered bites have gotten hounds’ attention, is offering matsutake in five preparations in a kaiseki (traditional Japanese multicourse) meal, quite reasonably priced at $35, E Eto reports.
After a modest sashimi plate highlighted by tai (snapper), the matsutake arrived in a dobinmushi (soup brewed in a teapot), in chawan mushi (savory steamed custard), then grilled, in seasoned rice, and finally in a suimono (clear soup). A simple fruit dessert concludes the meal. It’s all “really enjoyable,” E Eto says, and a great bargain, too.
This fall feast isn’t on the regular menu but appears only on an insert in the Japanese menu, so you might have to ask for it. Ask soon; the matsutake season is short.
Takesushi [Midtown East]
1026 Second Avenue (between E. 54th and 55th streets), Manhattan
212-355-3557
Board Link: Takesushi, Midtown East
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A Singapore Surprise at Noodletown
There’s a sleeper on the well-thumbed menus at Great New York Noodletown. The previously unsung Singapore-style chow fun happens to be the best in town, swears FrankieLymon. “The Cantonese artists in the kitchen produce a truly memorable rendition of this comfort food classic,” he says.
stuartlafonda is sold. He describes a delicious dish of rice noodles with a nice char from the wok, kicking curry heat, and a heap of shrimp, chicken, roasted pork, green pepper, scallions, and other stuff. “I have been going to GNYNT for twenty years,” stuart writes, “and as much as I love the roast meat (particularly the baby pig) and salt baked items, this dish was a revelation.”
Great New York Noodletown [Chinatown]
28 Bowery (at Bayard Street), Manhattan
212-349-0923
Board Link: The Finest Singapore Chow Fun in NYC
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