butterchicken2nan's Profile
Looking for music-free/quiet pubs in Manhattan
A couple of my office mates are looking to have a work-related brainstorming session next week after work and were looking for a pub near Penn Station that does not double as a disco - not asking much eh? Maybe this would be a good place to just list any such places you can think of in Manhattan.
Indian in Bermuda
Thanks for both answers - I will definitely be back to Bermuda soon and I will definitely be going to House of india at least once - first time to check it out on behalf of my colleagues who should be over a month or so later. I have heard it is not very large - If I had a group of 9-12 people would they fit comfortably there?
Need lunch recommendations in Murray Hill
Heard this week from some colleagues who went down to EataPita to find a huge CLOSED notice on the door - not sure if it is a vacation break or something more permanent - somehow I fear it is the latter- if that s the case its a shame because I loved their hummus and falafel.
Need lunch recommendations in Murray Hill
Best kebabs I ever tasted anywhere. Some of the best rice too - especially the one with cherries. Their babaganouh is awesome and they have a really weird frozen noodle/cream/rose water and cherry dessert which is one of the most unique dishes I have ever tasted.
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Ravagh
11 E 30th St, New York, NY 10016
Indian in Bermuda
Just got back from a very short trip to Bermuda- didn't get to some places I had planned due to a delayed flight. I asked some staff at the hotel if there was a good Indian restaurant there - they mentioned a place called the House of India - Anyone got an opinion of this restaurant - I get the feeling it might be the only Indian place on the island so calling it the best might not be such a compliment.
Need lunch recommendations in Murray Hill
Now that we have been in the area for about 9 months, just thought i would give an update on where we find ourselves eating.
Immediate faves were Tina's, Haandi, Little Basil and EataPita (is there better falafel in NY? Doubt it.). Later we added Vezzo, Thai NY, Taan, the Murray Hill Diner and the spectacular Persian Grill Ravagh. Of course we still frequent the likes of Guy & Gallard, Europa Cafe (which has an entrance inside our building), Bread & Butter and Silo but usually for take-out or in the case of G&G - a burger with their great curly fries.
I don't work for a bank so its unlikely even with a bonus if I will ever get to Artisanal, Wolfgang's or any of the old French places which still dot the neighbourhood, but I am quite happy with the area.
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Tina's Restaurant
179 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Vezzo
178 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016
Murray Hill Diner
222 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016
Ravagh
11 E 30th St, New York, NY 10016
ThaiNY
394 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016
Taan Thai
17 E 31st St, New York, NY 10016
Eata Pita
441 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10016
Guy & Gallard
475 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10016
Europa Cafe
2 Park Ave, New York, NY 10016
Little Basil
153 E 26th St, New York, NY 10010
Haandi
113 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016
Why isn't Rouge Et Blanc getting more attention? It's great!
They might get a bit more traffic soon - they were just featured on Mike Colameco's show on Channel 13 today.
Clip here: http://www.vimeo.com/26922636
Need lunch recommendations in Murray Hill
Just moved jobs from Jackson Heights to Park Ave - Murray Hill area. So far I love the area and am a bit overwhelmed for choice. I already developed an addiction to the cuban roast pork sandwiches at Tina's Restaurant over on Madison and after balking at the prices at Curry in a Hurry i got some delicious Haleem in Lahori Kabab across the street. So here are my questions.
Which are the best Thai, Mexican, Desi, Chinese and Italian (pizza) places - there seem to be a lot to choose from.
I also miss my South American stuff from Queens and have not seen any here - is there anything close by for rice and beans - other than the aforementioned Tina's - and lastly - as if that was not enough - is there any Afghan place nearby?
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Tina's Restaurant
179 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Curry in a Hurry
119 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016
Lahori Kabab
124 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016
Lichee - where to buy in queens
I just bought some from the Asian Supermarket across the street from Donovan's in Woodside - I think they were $4.99 per pound. I do know they were super sweet and juicy.
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Woodside Cafe
60-06 Woodside Ave, Queens, NY 11377
Columbian Chorizo and Moroccan Merguez
Thanks Mr P - a bit out of my way but I'll ask around my office for anyone who lives near there.
Columbian Chorizo and Moroccan Merguez
I just had yet another in a long line of standout meals at Tu Casa in Kew Gardens. Once again one of the highlights was the Columbian Chorizo - I love the strong cumin flavour. Does anyone know where I can get this fresh in the Jackson Heights - Woodside area to cook/barbeque at home?
While I'm asking - anyone know where to get Moroccan Merguez sausages in Queens?
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Tu Casa
119-05 Metropolitan Ave, Queens, NY 11415
Near Williamsburg Music Hall, tonight?
Well I'm going there on a Thursday night for an 8p.m. show. There will be at least three of us and we are looking for dinner an d possibly a drink or two if we can do it all in one place - but I would put food ahead of booze on the priority list. the only cuisine I could confidently exclude would be sushi as at least one of the party definitely does not like it., and much as I love Indian food we all just went out a couple of days ago for Indian so that is probably out too. We will not be dressed up so casual is preferred and the price range should be around $30-35 per person.
Near Williamsburg Music Hall, tonight?
Judging by the lack of response to this post and the one other i found on Chowhound, it looks like there is nothing anywhere near the Williamsburg Music Hall - so am I best going to Manhattan for food and Brooklyn for the music only?
poutine?
According to this link, opening was yesterday 31 July - so anyone been yet?
http://www.boweryboogie.com/2009/07/t-poutine-to-open-today.html
Tim Horton's Doughnuts
All things come to those who wait......
http://midtownlunch.com/2009/07/09/blockbuster-tim-hortons-to-invade-new-york-city/
poutine?
...and if you can't wait until then for a fix of Canadiana - how about this
http://midtownlunch.com/2009/07/09/blockbuster-tim-hortons-to-invade-new-york-city/
BTW, I popped into T'Poutine after eating at Katz's Deli last week and spoke to Thierry and the guys who were busy doing up the new place. Unfortunately there will be no smoked meat - but they will have pastrami as a substitute. But bring on the poutine - i can't wait.
"Traditional" English Christmas dinner?
I don't know if Scottish is different from English Christmas dinner - and I never ate Chrismas dinner anywhere other than at my mother's dinner table so it may be more my family's tradition than Scotland's so here goes. Always always always turkey stuffed with sausage meat, sage and onions.
Sides were roast potatoes, mashed turnips with butter and black pepper, brussels sprouts - we boiled them I have since seen the light and now roast them.
Dessert was mincemeat pies - store bought - with really thick custard dollops on top.
Sherry trifle - home-made - the base was something called Bunty Sponges - a kind of sweet rusk which soaked up the sherry then it was layered with fruit in jello, custard and whipped cream.
No wonder nothing happens in Scotland between Christmas and New Year..
..and by the way nobody touches anything until the Queen's speech is over.
Seeds, Rinds and Peelings
We all know about tater skins, citrous rinds and pumpkin seeds, but does anyone have any hints on better uses for the other stuff we generally throw away?
p.s. This came to mind because I was cooking spaghetti squash the other day and noticed the similarity of the seeds to pumpkin seeds - as usual I threw them away - did I just throw out something delicious?
T-day dinner scorecard
I finally took the plunge and brined my turkey. It was a little over 18lbs and I didn't fancy leaving it in salt for 18 hours - so I cut down the kosher salt - 1/2 to 3/4 cup and overcompensated the brown sugar - 1 1/2 cups, a head of garlic cut in half longways, a handful of pink, green and black peppercorns. The reason I never brined before was I don't have a huge fridge - but I used the sink in my laundry room which I filled with lots of ice and a little water and put the bird with brining liquid in an oven bag overnight. I didn't stuff it - just lathered it with a mix of butter, olive oil and oregano - sat it on a turkey lifter (the best $10.00 I ever spent at Bed Bath and Beyond) - loosely covered the breast with foil and put it in 325 degrees for 4 hours - basting hourly and taking the foil off for the last hour - the timer hadn't popped yet but, again using some online advice - I took it out to rest anyway and lo - it popped after about 10 minutes - the bird was juicy, crisp-skinned and not salty at all - the best I ever made and now I know what all the fuss is about when it comes to brining - can't wait to try tweaking the brine and using smaller birds in the fridge - hmmmm "Tweaking the Brine" sounds like a good blog name for a foodie.
Side dishes:
1. Mashed taters with butter
2. Mashed taters with plain yoghurt, cheddar, fried onions and mushrooms.
3. Mashed parsnips with butter and nutmeg.
4. Mashed turnips with butter and black pepper.
5. Stuffing 1 - corn bread, corn niblets, pineapple, TJs orange scented cranberries.
6. Stuffing 2 - pumpernickel bread (crusts cut off), fried onion, apple,celery and rosemary. Both stuffings were made in muffin pans - I should have added a little egg or egg white to the mix to make them hold together better.
7. Homemade cranberry compote - another 1st try - so easy and 1,000,000 times better than the canned stuff - making it is 1% harder than opening a can. Simmer cranberries in sugared water - add seedless tangerines - cool - eat. My wife grabbed some while it was still hot and had it as soup with a dollop of sour cream - very similar to Czech cherry soup.
8. Sweet potatoes - roasted peeled then mashed with cinnamon and maple syrup and - yes - topped with marshmallows and broiled to a crisp.
Moishe's Steak Oy
"Spending 50-60$ on steak is for american tourists..."
....if there are any of them left - I only once skipped my yearly Montreal September sojourn between 1988-2007 - and that was the year of 9/11. But this year the economy has finally got the better of me.
I used to go to Moishe's for a couple of reasons - the steaks were very good - okay not great but they were very good - and because $55CA steaks used to cost us $30US - today its $53US.
"English" Food [Split from U.K. thread]
I think the difference is Amercans don't add their tea to boiling water - just very hot water - I get funny looks in the office when I put my mug of "hot" water in the microwave to boil it before I add my tea bag (and cardomom pods - but that's another thread). And don't get me started on the tepid water restaurants typically bring with a floppy little orange pekoe teabag on the side. You're lucky if you end up with a cup of room-temperature red dye by the time you drink it.
X + Y = ?
You've done it a million times from powdered onion soup + mayo = Superbowl dip to canned orange + canned cranberry sauce = thanksgiving relish.
What two or more pre-made products do you combine to make a dish - or side dish.
Another mayo fave of mine is:
Mayo + Gold's Horseradish (the red one) = a bright pink hot creamy dressing for roast beef sandwiches.
Falafel mix-Give me ideas
I use one of those little falafel scoop things I bought on a Lebanese store in Montreal - it makes little discs rather than balls of falafel.
Here's an idea - how about a Scotch Egg made with falafel on the outside - just wrap some batter round a shelled hard-boiled egg and drop it in deep fat for a bit. When you cut that in half you will get a real nice looking appetizer or lunch.
Bangla bondhu?
Maybe not exactly what you are looking for but I got this from a bangladeshi friend
"Bangladeshi cuisine:
The staples of Bangladeshi cuisine are rice, atta (a special type of
whole
wheat flour), and at least five dozen varieties of pulses, the most
important of which are chana (bengal gram), toor (pigeon pea or red
gram),
urad (black gram), and mung (green gram). Pulses are used almost
exclusively in the form of dal, except chana, which is often cooked
whole
for breakfast and is processed into flour (besan).The most important
spices
in Bangladeshi cuisine are garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric
and
chilli. In sweet dishes, cardamom and cinnamon are amongst the natural
flavours.
Bengali cuisine:
The starting course is a bitter. The bitter changes with the season but
common ones are kôrolla (bitter gourd) which is available nearly
throughout
the year, or tender nim leaves in spring. Bitters are mostly deep fried
in
oil, or steamed with cubed potatoes. Portions are usually very small -
a
spoonful or so to be had with rice - and this course is considered to
be
both a palate-cleanser and of great medicinal value.
Another bittersweet preparation usually eaten in summer, especially in
West
Bengal, is a soupy mixture of vegetables in a ginger-mustard sauce,
called
shukto. This usually follows the dry bitters, but sometimes replaces
it,
and is eaten in much bigger portions. Shukto is a complex dish, a fine
balance of many different kinds of tastes and textures and is often a
critical measure of a Bengali housewife's abilities in the kitchen.
However, shukto is not popular in Bangladesh.
This is followed by shak (leafy vegetables) such as spinach, palong
chard,
methi fenugreek, or amaranth. The shak can be steamed or cooked in oil
with
other vegetables such as begun (eggplant). Steamed shak is sometimes
accompanied by a sharp paste of mustard and raw mango pulp called
Kasundi.
The dal course is usually the most substantial course, especially in
West
Bengal. It is eaten with a generous portion of rice and a number of
accompaniments. In Bangladesh, ðal is usually eaten with the fish and
meat
courses, while in West Bengal it is eaten somewhat beforehand.
A common accompaniment to ðal is bhaja (fritters). Bhaja literally
means
'deep-fried'; most vegetables are good candidates but begun
(aubergines),
kumra (pumpkins), or alu (potatoes) are common. Machh bhaja (fried
fish) is
also common, especially rui and ilish fishes. Bhaja is sometimes
coated in
a (chickpea flour) and posto batter. A close cousin of bhaja is bôra
or
deep-fried savoury balls usually made from posto aste or coconut mince.
Another variant is fried as potoler dorma with roe stuffing.
Another accompaniment is a vegetable preparation usually made of
multiple
vegetables stewed slowly together without any added water. Labra,
chorchori
, ghonto, or chanchra are all traditional cookign styles. There also
are a
host of other preparations that do not come under any of these
categories
and are simply called tôrkari - the word merely means 'vegetable' in
Bengali. Sometimes these preparations may have spare pieces of fish
such as
bits of the head or gills, or spare portions of meat. A charchari is a
vegetable dish that is cooked without stirring, just to the point of
charring.
Then comes the meat course. The divide among the Bengalis of Bangladesh
and
West Bengal is most evident when it comes to the meat course. Meat is
readily consumed in urban parts of Bangladesh and some consider it the
meal's main course. Khashi mutton or goat meat is traditionally the
meat of
choice, especially West Bengal, but murgi chicken and ðim eggs are also
commonly consumed. At the time of Partition, it was rare for caste
Hindus
to eat chicken or even eggs from hens, choosing rather, duck eggs if
eggs
were to be consumed. Although it is debatable as to whether chicken is
more
popular than khashi in West Bengal today, the proliferation of poulty
farms
and hatcheries makes chicken the cheaper alternative. Beef is popular
in
Bangladesh, but not in most parts of West Bengal."
Canelle Patisserie - Cakes?
Awesome - the little chesesecakes are amazingly good - creamy not crumbly. The banana walnut muffin is flat out the best I ever tasted. The carrot cake is light and tasty. Only my second visit and already I'm hooked.
Souvenir from Edinburgh?
You can get most whiskies in Canada - how about a bottle of Crabbies Green Ginger Wine - which you add to whisky to create the legendary whisky mac.
Leeks [Moved from Home Cooking board]
No this was not edited - he cut them - they were clean, and he popped them straight into the pot not even a quick rinse - I'm sure some European readers must be scratching their heads about this - all we ever did was a basic trim of both ends and the outer leaves. I'm pretty sure the leeks I used to eat back home were not grown hyroponically - I doubt they had even heard of that back then.
