Steve R's Profile
Catania - Ca-put?
As with many small places, "ownership" is a collection of folks who put $ in. Some involved, some just "partners". I really have no idea what happened here or to the young couple that ran it, but I'd bet that the person who'd know would be the friendly guy who is somehow affiliated with Savoia & their owners & who seemed to be involved here. The ex-Enotecca pizza maker who seemed to be a 3rd partner here left awhile ago.
Moving to O'ahu, Looking for Specialty Grocery
Just an off-hand suggestion: go to the KCC Farmer's Market on any Sat. morning & ask some of the vendors.
Honolulu Report - 3 Night Visit
Exactly where is Alicia's? We're here for a month (with a car) & have been playing tennis at the Diamond Head courts on Paki. I think its close by & would save us some trips all the way down King to Tamishiro's for poke & other non supermarket stuff. Dinner's at Irafuni tonite so maybe we'll spot it on the way? Thanks (as always).
eta: nevermind.... I think i just discovered that its out on Nimitz almost to the airport. Correct?
Best sushi/sashimi in Honolulu
So, as it turns out, I misunderstood my "source" (remember KathyYLChan from this board?). At any rate, its Nanzan Giro Giro that she was telling me about over lunch last week (in NYC) and, yes, it's omakase kaiseki, not sushi... oops. I'm still planning to go. Thanks all.
Best sushi/sashimi in Honolulu
Tangential question -- what's the name of the newish sushi place across from Side St. (glass exterior)? Someone reputable told me its quite good for the price & we'll be there starting next week as well. Thanks (and sorry for the tangent).
Soft shell crab sightings?
Petite Crevette on Hicks just off Union (on the Columbia St side of the BQE) is owned by Neil Ganic, same owner as the old P.C. and Boullabaise on Atlantic. We haven't been there in awhile now but everyone tells us that he still turns out great fish and seafood there.
Thinking of moving from Brooklyn, NY to Austin--what would I be in for, foodwise?
When we were at Franklin BBQ, the woman in front of us on line told the counterman that she is from Austin but goes to school at Pratt & lives in Bed-Stuy. The waiter who came over to our table to see how we were enjoying the brisket, ribs and pulled pork (all were unbelievably good, by the way) started talking about just moving to Austin from "East Williamsburg", etc etc etc. This went on the entire time we were there. I think Brooklyn is Austin's "sister city".
Dish recommendations at Tanoreen!!
Although it was a lot easier at the original location, I still recommend making your way back to the salad/app. case display, where you can look over what's available and maybe talk to someone about anything that looks interesting. It's all fancified Americanized service at the new location but I find that, if you break the ice, the old world approach of talking about the food as a prelude to ordering still exists. That being said, I still love getting the eggplant napoleon & a mixed mezze platter for the table, then getting entrees. As others have said, adjust the entree orders accordingly since, if you get the apps, you won't need an entree per person (or you can take home food). Personally, I do not think the entrees are the star of the show there.
Thinking of moving from Brooklyn, NY to Austin--what would I be in for, foodwise?
There is an ex-NYC CH poster who now lives in Austin &, when we visited him at work while there, he told us that there's a Szechuan place in the Austin area which is good and who's owner is close friends with the owner of Little Pepper here in Flushing's C'town. Just saying'.
White Bear – My Favorite Dumplings in NY
The one virtually next door to Fu Run has been there for several years now. I always assumed that is the one written about here even though its not on Roosevelt Ave.
A report from Brooklyn: 3 days in Austin
Random notes from 3 days spent in Austin last month (just after the SSW Festival ended):
Franklin's is worth the wait! We got there at 10am on a weekday, meeting 2 food board (not CH) friends who live in Austin who we hadn't seen in awhile (& who hadn't ever met each other) so there was much to talk about and the line wait went quickly. By 11am, it was halfway down the parking lot (long). Once in, we ordered brisket, ribs and pulled pork (you order by the pound), with sides of potato salad and cole slaw. The sides are forgettable, the pulled pork was good enough but the brisket/ribs were unforgettable and the best I've ever had (& I've had me some ribs and brisket over the years, including those from the Lockhart area). Wow. I'd be on line once a week if I lived anywhere near there.
A very good meal was had at Parkside (on 6th St)... we sat at the bar and all was very nice. They seem to be the place to go for oysters but that wasn't what we had. All was good. Recommended if there for a week or so, but probably not one of the top 3-5 choices in the area.
We went to Foreign and Domestic for another very nice dinner, albeit not perfect. We sat at the kitchen counter (the chef was out of town, but it was left in obviously capable hands). Some of the dishes were inspired and not to be missed (heart tartare app!) and others suffered from the "one too many main ingredient" syndrome that I believe many upcoming inventive chefs suffer from. It also became apparent that the chef loves to use egg as a part of most dishes, something we actually like but which can detract from the overall if used so often. In addition, the gnocchi were waaay too big (each could have been cut in 4 pieces), leaving them too doughy and overwhelming the chicken in the dish. But, even given the weaknesses, this is a place that's worth trying and I think it'll get better with time.
A visit to Easy Tiger on 6th St. for coffee and to visit a Chowhound friend from NYC now working there as a baker was nice. The baked goods look uniformly excellent.
Hanging out, sitting outdoors, for mid afternoon beers and chips at Guerros on S. Congress was great. The beers are $2, the chips are free and they are all friendly. We also tried lunch there another day... nice enough but not a stand out by any stretch. Serviceable Tex-Mex, which makes it fine for us New Yawkers who can't get any here.
A non-food note: the Eastside of Austin has come alive and we stayed at a new hotel called the Heywood on Chevez. Stylish, reasonable, only 7 rooms, free parking and with very friendly owners/staff & personal service. Worth a look when compared with the large downtown places and to stay off the main drags. Considering that one of our friends is opening a pizza/wine place down the block "soon" (we walked thru the space being renovated) and that a good Williamsburg, Bklyn cocktail bar (Weather Up) is also opening a block away "soon", this location may well be even hotter in the not too distant future.
And, to make our trip complete, the owner of Heywood went out of her way to get our feedback when we returned from pigging out at Franklin. She said that she was especially interested because, a couple of weeks earlier, a guy had stayed at The Heywood and raved about the food at Franklin, while stating that he knows good food, having created a food board back when. She got a kick out of us confirming that we both agreed with the assessment and Leff's "credentials". She denied that he was wearing a dog mask during his stay there. So, what else did you eat while there Jim?
Thinking of moving from Brooklyn, NY to Austin--what would I be in for, foodwise?
We were there for several days (just after the festival) and had some pretty good food. Austin reminds me a lot of Brooklyn, in a good way. At any rate, East Austin seems to be coming up strong and we had a great stay at the Heywood (on Chavez). A friend will be opening a pizza/wine place one block away pretty soon and that might even get us back. There's also a rumored opening of a branch of a solid Williamsburg cocktail bar (Weather Up) within a couple of blocks from there as well.
At any rate, the highlight of our eating was definitely Franklin BBQ, well worth the 90 minute wait. The brisket was even better than expected and the ribs were as good. Another interesting dinner was had at Foreign and Domestic, where we sat at the kitchen counter and ate some pretty good stuff. There was a heart tartare app. that stood out, as did several other dishes, but there were also dishes that I thought missed due to the "one too many ingredient" syndrome that plagues a lot of upcoming chefs. I'm sure it'll work out. We also really liked Parkside, right on 6th St (we didn't have high expectations due to the location, but we were wrong). A good time, including sitting outdoors at Guerro's on the south side, just taking advantage of their $2 beers w/free chips and watching the parade.
By the way, if you ever return to Bklyn, you'll find that the restaurant explosion has continued and that many more places dot the landscape. Have fun in Austin.
Steve R. (outer borough board - NY)
Some thoughts on a culinary exploration of Brooklyn
Nice report... thanks (& welcome back). Just thought I'd add a little info. you might/might not know about a couple of the places you visited:
1- Bklyn Social reminded you of an Italian American club because that is exactly what it was prior to the owners of B.S. buying it (including many of the pictures).
2- Jakewalk's featuring Stinky Cheese products is not a coincidence since there's overlap in ownership. They also have interest in Smith & Vine and Brooklyn Wine Exchange, two very nice liquor stores on Smith and Court, respectively.
Again, thanks for the report. And, keep going... you have a lot more to sample & report on.
Dine In Brooklyn
And to beat all odds, Queen was great tonite. We had friends we hadn't seen in awhile and one of them suggested going there. We completely forgot about tonite still being Dine In Bklyn and agreed. We had had a terrible experience at Queen, a place we usually like, during a holiday once before and swore to never go back during any event. They had doubled the # of tables, rushed folks in/out, served nothing like their usual quality and I really got pissed off. Well, tonite was the extreme opposite. They served excellent apps, entrees and desserts for $25pp, had decent wine at low prices and were attentive and friendly. One of the best meals I've had there in years and all 6 of us ordered different items and loved it all. I'm still in shock.
Underground Restaurants in Oahu?
Why, thank you Joebob. I look forward to hearing some news about these places, since I've never been to one in Hawaii. And, by the way, although my "fine dining" advice might have been my most recent, I gotta tell you that I most look forward to getting back to Helena's and buying lots of poke from Tamashiro's and fresh shrimp on the North Shore. A month's a lot of eating time.... and I plan to make good use of it.
Underground Restaurants in Oahu?
Any updated info. on this, please send me an e-mail.... my address is on my CH homepage. My wife and I will be there all of May and would love to go to a dinner or two. We have friends who do this in NYC. Thanks.
Best Fine Dining Option -- Oahu
Since I always troll this board before one of our trips to Oahu (we'll be there for the entire month of May this time), I figure I might as well put my 2cents in on this, having eaten at most of the listed places. Since we're New Yawkers (well, Brooklyn actually), I'll give some NYC reference points in case you're familiar:
La Mer: far and away, the best combination of food and ambience, leading to the biggest effect ("bang for the buck")... especially for a gift. It's the most impressive/beautiful place to eat, with the water right there, the island feel all around you, music outside (follow Hunt's advice about the table overlooking HWAK during show time) & excellently prepared classic food. I'd liken it to Le Bernadin (although maybe a notch below in actual cooking, makes up for it in room/ambience)
Alan Wong: our favorite place. Especially for folks who love the workings of a restaurant, from the well run open kitchen to the idea of a creative chef turning out top of the line food. However, although the room is classy, it's more like an inner city (Philly, NYC...) type place with a local menu. But, if your parents are into this, get them counter seats at the open kitchen and have them eat the tasting menu. I'd liken it to Hearth, although Wong's food is probably a notch better.
Mavro: the chef's the thing. It's his show and everything is geared to him presenting a very fine dining experience to his patrons. Reminds me more of upscale Michellin dining than anything else. Maybe compare to Daniel or Bouley?
Hau Tree Lanai: if what your parents want is atmosphere, this is on the water (get an outside table under the trees for them) with the lights of the city in the distance and it can be magical. The food is very good but its not anywhere near the above places (in NYC, they'd all get 3 or 4 stars and this place would be a very high 2 star that could make 3 if lucky). We go there every trip but its not our top line place. River Cafe/Water Club equivalent?
Michel's: mixed opinions on this classic French place. Well worth the money, but is a mid 3 star at most. Warning: can be uneven in execution. Some nights magical, one felt very much time worn with them going thru the motions.
Roy's: I'm not a fan.
Hope this is helpful. Certainly got me excited to be coming back.
Out of Towners coming to NYC want Indian or Vietnamese
It's funny, since my original reply had Tulsi as the first recommendation, with a note that it was more high end and not a totally traditional menu or room. But I removed that sentence and just went with Dhaba... it sounded like a better choice for the situation. Maybe you're right though... if the price is not a problem Hemant's food at Tulsi is certainly more inventive and interesting.
Out of Towners coming to NYC want Indian or Vietnamese
I always recommend (& take my guests to) Dhaba on Lex and E.27th. They're on open table.com, they have a very large, varied menu and it's a decent price point as well -- right in your range.
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Dhaba
108 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Best Dinner Under $30
Depends on where you are. If you're anywhere near Flushing, this is the best bang for the buck. Fu Run, Little Pepper, etc.... all excellent and impossible to spend more. If you're in Sunset Park, there are plenty of Mexican places on 5th Ave (Matamoros) where $30 is more than enough for a very good meal and Chinese/Vietnamese, etc on 8th Ave. abound. Yemen Cafe on Atlantic is a decent choice, as is Waterfront Ale House (pulled pork w/great beers).
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Yemen Cafe
176 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Fu Run
40-09 Prince St, Queens, NY 11354
Waterfront Ale House
155 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tacos Matamoros
4508 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Little Pepper
18-24 College Point Blvd, Queens, NY 11356
Top 5 restaurants to try in Brooklyn (or 10)
You're correct. Tanoreen moved about 2 years ago. There was a Chinese restaurant at this location (Mr. Tang's) and Tanoreen was across the avenue and about a block down. It was much smaller, didn't have a bar, and the display cases were in the back of the one square room, not in another room as they are now. It was a nicely decorated storefront but not the larger, nicer space it is now. Food's pretty much the same though.
Top 5 restaurants to try in Brooklyn (or 10)
I learned a long time ago not to try to defend a place, even when that place is my favorite place. But, since we just got back ourselves from Henry's End (we were the 4 at the table just inside the door, near the wines), I figure I might as well weigh in on this. No excuses for your experience, but this was a very unusual Monday night. They were unexpectedly slammed big time and we were joking about it at our table. None of the long time waiters/waitresses were there tonite, the owner wasn't there either and there was only one busboy. Definitely not the usual experience and we go very regularly. As for the food, my wife had the honey/ginger duck and I also noticed that the sauce was thicker than usual and seemed to just be added on at the end. However, the tuna w/soy and the fried chicken that the rest of us had were up to par. The turtle soup was as usual and the corn chowder w/bacon was excellent. The gnocchi w/wild boar was also quite good. I'm not sure what might have happened and, since both chefs in the kitchen were long timers who I know are strong, I can't even guess. I'm just sorry that another CH regular had a poor experience there and might not try again. Their loss. Of course, if you change your mind and need dinner companions....
Talde
Looks like Dale Talde has now made a deal to take the old Aunt Suzie's space for another place. Might want to get to this one before he leaves the kitchen to others.
LITTLE PEPPER College Point is OPEN!!
I'm not sure whether or not they were authentic, but I gotta say that they were some of the best I've had in recent memory. Excellent (very tasty) meat to noodle ratio and the noodles were well made and held their own in the oil. I've never been a fan of Little Pepper in their old location, but this dinner in the new location puts them on my short list of "go to" places. However, it is really out of the way for those without a car.... I wondered why they moved all the way up there into College Point. And an almost empty room made me wonder all the more.
DC Chow coming to Brooklyn to celebrate retirement--where to go?
Okay, so folks around here already know from other threads that I'm a regular at Henry's End and think the world of it. And I went for my own retirement only 3 weeks ago, so I practice what I preach. Congrats... we're probably close to the same age &, from your other post on this board, we probably even grew up in the same neighborhood (Midwood Field, Ave J., etc). So go to Henry's End. The gnocchi w/boar on the current game menu is great, the turtle soup excellent and the menu is deep enough that everyone will be fine (very nice salmon, tuna, blackened steak, chicken dishes.....). And its lively. With a good wine and beer list. Enough said?
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Henry's End
44 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Where to find Hawaiian papayas?
I don't know if any place sells them in NYC (Fairway?) but you can mail order them easily enough: http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/blogs/hawaii_today/2009/4/21/Where_to_buy_Hawaii_papayas
Need Brooklyn Heights Restaurant with Valet Parking for 9 ppl
Although H.End is my favorite place, 9 might be impossible and it's almost as loud inside as Noodle Pudding. Bevacco, on the corner there, might be a better bet. The food's good, the place is large and you can either park on the street or in the lot across the street.
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Bevacco
60 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Really Disappointing Pizza
I'm sorry to hear of your experience. When Michael Ayoub opened this "branch" of Fornino's, taking over his old Cucina space, he decided to do grilled pizzas and not replicate his Wmsburg pizza oven pizzas. At any rate, Michael's been gone from Fornino's for awhile now and the new owners have tried to revamp the menu, shedding a lot of the small plates in favor of a more traditional appetizer, entree, dessert format. We went once when they took over and had a nice fixed price dinner. Then my wife went with some friends and had another good meal several months ago, but said that it wasn't quite as good nor was it filled with patrons. Then came some of the CH reports and now this. Too bad, as I love the space & would have liked it to succeed. The pizzas, however, were never my favorite and, although I happily eat the grilled ones at Otto in Manhattan, I prefer any of the pizza oven varieties (gas, coal, wood fired) to this type.
Littleneck (Gowanus)
We went tonite. Walked in, took seats at the kitchen end of the bar and wound up talking to Alan Harding about his new gig there. Since I'm one of those that have always appreciated the role he's played in the development of decent restaurants in Bklyn (from his brief partnership at Petit Crevette to his opening of Patois to his "Cookin' in Bklyn" show), I'm happy he's back. Then, the bartender/owner (the "clean cut" one with the Grateful Dead jones (That's all that was being played... Pigpen vintage material) came over and took our order. A nice glass of red for Ginny and a very nice stout ("Mother's Milk Stout") for me. A nice sized bowl of steamers with slivers of garlic and a lot of very flavorful but not extremely hot red chile slices infusing the clams was very good, as was the peppery clam chowder with chunks of potato and a not too thick or creamy base (we liked it this way). For her main, Ginny got the lobster roll ($18) & got the skate ($17). I'm not a lobster roll person but Ginny seemed to like hers just fine and it seemed full of lobster and not overly dressed. The skate, a huge wing (maybe they sized up my appetite?), was incredibly meaty and very well prepared on a bed of parsnip puree. some greens around the plate and a little brown sugar "sauce". This was outstanding.
All in all, this is a very informal, friendly place that we'll return to. The during dinner Dead conversation with the owner (ranging from the early stuff's similarity to garage band music to Relix mag., which was right in the immediate area of this place) made for a nice change from the "music" kids listen to today ;-) . For a Monday night (they're closed Tuesdays), it was 90% full at tables and at the bar. Cash only, it cost us $90 + tip and I think that it was well worth it. As we left, Chef Harding came out and said "thanks for coming.... don't keep it a secret". I don't intend to.
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Littleneck
288 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Sue Perette -- Why did I wait so long?
Thanks. Guess we'll have to try that as well. Lots of free dinner time available now that Jose closed La Mancha and our hangout is gone.
