My wife has a tradition of eating out Mexican for her birthday. Nothing too upscale and nothing too downscale. We did Papatzul a couple years ago and really liked it, but want to branch out. Some criteria . . .

-Looking for some place pretty laid back -- nothing cavernous and loud.
-Must take reservations and be able to handle a table for 10-15.
-West side of Manhattan, on the 2/3 or A/C/E preferred (which eliminates a lot of things in East Village, LES, Nolita, I realize).
-Could also do Brownstone Brooklyn: Boerum, Dumbo, CG, PS, PH, etc., but need easy connections for Manhattanites.
-Ideally ~$20 entrees and reasonable pitchers of sangria.

Any thoughts on the ones mentioned aboe? Any other inspired ideas?

Bring em on rapido!

Muchas gracias,

FM

Glad you found this place. Very underrated, IMO. I'm not in that area often, and when I am, it's difficult to resist the siren call of that pastrami. Definitely among the best in the city, at least for kosher (the only kind I can vouch for, I'm afraid). Not cheap, to be sure, but as an occasional splurge, I think it's worth it.

bklynative, I'm curious about the onigiri. I've seen them but for some reason never had them. Can you ask the host where s/he got them? If the price is anything like sushi (as broadly defined), I'm guessing the budget for a party this size isn't there, but you never know. I'd certainly file it away for a smaller gathering.

bobkbkln, hero is an intriguing idea. I love those, but haven't had one in years, since going (mostly) meet- (and esp portk-) free. Will keep in mind for future daytime events, but don't think it works with cocktails.

Jungmann, do you have an Australian place in mind? That's an intriguing idea! Will check out Butcher Block.

Didactic, you definitely live up to your name. I haven't been to that masjid but have been wanting to go for a while. Hmmm. Wonder when the next one is. I always find out after-the-fact, alas! Look, I like room-temp samosas and eggrolls and some things okay, the way I like cold pizza and Chinese food, but I wouldn't go out of my way to serve it. Lukewarm is almost never ideal, but some things work better than others. That being said, if there were something really delicious and interesting and unique, I might make an exception. For instance, I'm considering the kibbe at Alfanoose, in Lower Manhattan, and the empanaditas at Blend, in L.I.C. and recommend both of them highly. Hustle over to both places, people, and give them a try, and let me know what you think!

Our DIY office party brings in 40-60 people, crammed into an apartment, mostly standing. Over the years, we've done tamales, spanakopita, and pita with Middle Eastern spreads. Need some new ideas. Should be a) hand-held, b) not too messy (disqualifies tacos and tostadas, I'm afraid), c) can be eaten luke-warm or room temp (disqualifies deep fried things), and d) have a vegetarian version. This could be the year of the Jamaican patty or baked empanada, if I could find a good one. Or moderately-sized burritos, if anyone makes these other than Taco Bell or your local supermarket freezer section. Any suggestions? Brooklyn would be preferable. Queens (not too far east) or Manhattan (not too far north) are doable.

Good idea! Been meaning to try Prune, but it's a bit out of the way for those of us on the clock with babysitters. That's why we're keeping it more west, despite all kinds of goodies in the E. Village.

This Sat. Party of four. Early. The list is based partly on places that currently still have openings -- but might not for long! Any thoughts?? Also in this class of restaurants (more or less) are Perilla, August and Snack Taverna, all of which we've enjoyed -- but we're looking for something new.

Thanks!

Looking for something a little fun and different, but not trendy, loud or pricey (entrees in the $20s) and need to take a rez. Should be pescatarian-friendly. We're somewhat geographically flexible, but the Village and points north and south work best as a middle ground for for our Brooklyn-UWS meetup. So far, I've found availability at:

Cafe Cluny
Commerce
Berimbau
Bread Tribeca

Any thoughts? Any alternatives?

Please weigh in!

Thanks,

Fred

I'm surprised no one mentioned Esca. I'm a fish guy, and I really, really wanted to adore Esca, because on paper it seems like the sweet spot between simple/super-fresh and creative/casually elegant, with a good unpretentious guy at the helm. It's been a while, and I don't remember what we ordered, but I recall it all being good, just not great -- a solid A-, but not the A/A+ I was looking for for my birthday dinner. Would give it another try at some point, but haven't gotten around to it. Feel free to tell me what I missed and need to hurry back and order.

On an unrelated non-Manhattan note, I'd also nominate DiFara's pizza, which to me is the quintessence of emperor-has-no-clothes overratedness. I only bring it up on this board to spare y'all who might consider squandering a Saturday for a pilgrimage deep into the heart of Brooklyn. Odds are, you'll be disappointed.

There's an old Tres Leches thread or two on the Manhattan CH board, but I don't see anything here in los boroughs. Sunset Park seems a good bet, for obvious ethnic reasons, and there's a good few bakeries, of course. Yelpers argue fiercely for and against different ones -- Lopez, La Gran Via, Angel, etc -- but there doesn't seem to be any consensus pick (or totally persuasive partisan).

Most of the CH coverage on Sunset Park is savory, not sweet, so maybe it's time for a baked good smackdown -- esp one about my target dessert, tres leches cake. (and, btw, I need to buy a whole one, so I'm NOT looking for a restaurant or cafe that will only sell it by the slice).

On the one hand, it's not a hard thing to make pretty well -- I've done it and would do again, if I had the time -- but it's easy to go overboard and make it a little (or a lot) too rich and sweet. And it really needs to be very fresh, for the whipped cream to shine.

I could go beyond Sunset Park, if necessary, but I don't have too much time to go deep into the heart of Brooklyn, so would prefer to keep within a mile or two of Prospect Park in any direction.

I'd even consider a respectable Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex place, if there is such a thing. I'm not a purist. Just want it rich and fresh and not too treacly.

Gracias!

Old recipe and maybe covered elsewhere on this board, but do we think beef ribs would sub in well for the pork spare ribs for this Bitman recipe? And, if not, any other options? I recently smoked some lamb ribs, and they'd probably sub in really nicely, but they're difficult to find.

For a Smoky Taste in Oven Ribs
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/din...

As the OP, let me just say that the idea of mixing oysters into this, even if I DID eat oysters (and I used to, about 25 years ago), is yuck. Just doesn't appeal to me at all. And while I love ceviche, that's no more appealing to me, either, though I appreciate the creativity, halachic issues notwithstanding. The magazine write-up characterizes the oyster 'mix-in' as optional, anyway, not a sine qua non, so doesn't seem like much of a loss.

But any thread on this board worth its salt (so to speak) has to have at least SOME dust-up over halacha, so I'm glad we got it out of the way ;-)

It's more than a month later, and thought I'd close the loop here. I ordered some EcoGlatt lamb and beef, and it was fantastic. For better or worse, EcoGlatt is a relatively small operation, which meant a) I got very personal attention to my order, which, miraculously, arrived at a remote guest house in rural Texas slightly before we did, with a shockingly reasonable price for shipping, but b) because they're so small, it was a bit catch-as-catch-can for what they had available in stock. I couldn't get a large brisket on short notice, though I could have with some more lead time.

The beef and lamb I did get both seemed outstanding, but, to be fair, I was experimenting with a huge barrel smoker for the first time, and I don't think I did the meat any favors. Simpler grilling or roasting would have showcased it better and allowed me to assess it more thoroughly. The one time I had Grow & Behold chicken, it really was a good few notches above average; can't necessarily say that about EcoGlatt's beef and lamb, but, again, it wasn't a fair trial.

Unfortunately, though I like meat, I don't cook it often (our kitchen at home is dairy-only), so I can't give you any followup experiments any time soon. Going to Texas, kashering a grill and feasting pretty much only happens once every year or two.

Those of you not put off by the hekhsher situation should give EcoGlatt a try, see how it stacks up against KOL and G&B, and report back!

This recipe in today's NYT looks amazing -- and amazingly easy. What do you think: can we make something reasonably close, and kosher?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/magazine/recipe-momofuku-bo-ssam.html?ref=magazine
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/mag...

I really don't know my beef cuts all that well. I get the same few, when I get meat at all. Anyone knowledgeable out there have any ideas for a substitution? Shoulder for shoulder -- or something else?

Thanks, ganeden! Great intel. I might just go for the so-called whole shoulder. Yes, indeed, way expensive! I just don't eat meat much. At home we have a dairy kitchen, partly out of laziness and partly out of distaste w the meat industry. But since we're going to be in Texas, seemed like the time was right to splurge! Would I be crazy to put a piece of meat that pricy into a smoker? And how long do you think an 11-lb shoulder clod would need to smoke?

Kind of band-wagoning the discussion here, because this seems like a lively thread among knowledgeable people...want to chime in here with question about meat selection. Seems in the spirit of this pretty open smoke chat.

I haven't smoked meat much, but while visiting Austin, Texas a couple years ago, I did a 13-lb packer brisket that was a stunning success. Now we're heading back, and I'm trying to import my own upscale free-range, grass-fed meat, for a mix of ethical and culinary reasons. (See http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/820086).

Questions:

-What do you think: will 8-10 hours of smoke pretty much obliterate any of the finer subtleties of the upscale meat? I'm guessing it probably will. If so, I might just abandon smoking and straight-up grill (though that involves a totally different meat selection process!).

-The upscale mail-order places (KOL and Grow & Behold) don't have >10 lb briskets, which I wanted for the large crowd and leftover potential (but don't want to do two 8-pounders). Anyone know anything about "whole shoulder"? KOL has an 11-pounder. Appears to be a very different cut than brisket -- in fact, may be a couple different cuts, all in one. Would it smoke? Could I pretty much use the same technique as for a packer brisket? How would it slice? Did a bit of google-searching, but didn't find anything.

Would love to hear people's thoughts!

Thanks!

Sounds promising! It's obviously from Texas, but it's not clear to me whether it retails there. They seem to do an online ordering business, but it's so low-key there's no prices and they just say, "Email us." Still, I'll give them a try. Thanks for the tip!

I think you're right about Wise being a bit analogous to Sam Adams, but since they're available by mail order and they're loosely in this category, I thought I'd include them.

I need the stuff shipped to Texas, where I'll be going for the Dec holidays, and where the local pickins are pretty slim. There's some kosher meat, but not the more specialized stuff I was considering splurging on.

Thanks for the input -- now, hopefully we'll get someone to weigh in on KOL!

There are now at least three online sources for 'organic' meats from small producers: KOL, Wise and Grow & Behold. Maybe there are more. They're all very expensive, especially with shipping, but we eat meat very rarely, and would consider an occasional splurge for a special occasion.

I'd be interested in hearing whether people have tried these (or other) brands -- especially if anyone tried more than one and can compare.

Which products have you tried? How were they? How did they compare to other kosher meats? How did they compare against each other? How was the service/delivery/consumer experience? Would you order again?

If I'm going to spend $15-20/lb on meat, it should be really amazing.

(NOTE: please do NOT weigh in, if you think the whole idea of small farms and free-range meats is nonsense; I don't want a debate on morality and kashruth. This is intended for people who already want or have some information about these products, so please don't try to convince us otherwise).

Boy the people on Yelp generally can't stand the place -- say it's very expensive for what it is, and what it is is average at best. Obviously, you disagree. Why?

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mcarthurs-ame...

A few old friends need a quiet (but not dead) place to catch up and steel ourselves before going to a 25th high school reunion. Looking for something casual and affordable, more than a diner but less than a trendy bistro -- not too big, not too small, not too sedate, but not too hopping. We're meeting at 5.30pm and have a couple hours to kill. The old Vinny's in Pleasantville would fit the bill, but it's long gone. In addition to towns mentioned above, we could venture a little farther afield -- Briarcliff, Ossining, Bedford Hills, Thornwood, Hawthorne -- but don't want to get too far away. (Speaking of which: would the Hawthorn Ale House, mentioned recently in the NYT, fit the bill? That Kittle House pub also sounds great, but probably a bit posh for this outing.)

Hmmm . . . I would consider making them, notwithstanding my general dislike for 'piece work' . . . but there's just too many other things to make on Sunday. I'd brave Pomegranate or another kosher market deep in Brooklyn the Sun before yomtov at the crack of dawn, if I knew for SURE they have pre-made ones. I can always call and ask, but it's about 50-50 chance you get someone helpful on the phone.

I've been browsing R"H recipes and am craving kreplach. I'm not prepared to make them from scratch. Does anyone know a place that sells a vegetarian version, frozen or otherwise (but preferably made on premises, not in a factory), in Brooklyn or Manhattan? Pomegranate? Some place else?

Same question for veg. kubbeh...

Quick question/bump to an old thread . . .

I work near Raffetto's, so that's great news. I rarely buy pasta but am looking forward to trying it.

Any of their sauces any good? I can always just whip us something fresh and simple myself, but if the many Raffetto's fans here say there's some prepared sauce that's not too be missed, I'd give it a try.

-----
Raffetto's
144 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012

Didn't see it originally, but another poster linked to it. It has lots of gazpacho and yogurt soups, which, as I said, I like just fine, but wanted to branch out. There are several good ideas, but aren't recipes for them. When I have a sec, I'll go through and see if I can flush them out! Also, wanted to see what I could generate that also wasn't a) fruit-based, and b) too rich and decadent (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

Please share!

Hey, OP here, thanks for all the great ideas! Interested to hear more about making dairy-free vichysoisse featuring celery root or fennel instead of -- or is that in addition to? -- potatoes. I also aim for healthy, though not in a *totally* hard-core way, but it does mean going easy on the unadulterated starch (sorry, beets, corn and others) and the dairy, love them though I do. That other thread (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/789025) had some good ideas, several without recipes. Anyone got the deets on making roasted red pepper and tomato with pepitas, Sweet Mung Bean Soup or minted pea? Avocado soup sounds great, but a tad rich and decadent to make as a staple (and avocado prices have gone through the roof!). Fruit soups are great, but kind of like eating a smoothie in a bowl to my mind; even when they have some savory herbs mixed in, I just want to suck them up in a straw.

Keep those ideas coming!!

Don't get me wrong, I love gazpacho, I make it very often and very well, and, yes, I've tried variations on it and like them, too. Ditto for almost-as-ubiquitous cucumber-yogurt-dill/mint. I also do a lot of veggie puree soups (squash, broccoli, pea, fennel, etc), and serve them hot or cold, and that's also fine, but I need something new that could be a real staple.

Anyone got something a little new and different -that's simple, easy, infinitely variable and crowd-pleasing?

Trust me, you can't get easier and better than Bittmann's almond-citrus poundcake (assuming you like almonds and citrus). I skip the OJ and just use lemon. It's all about the 'pour' -- the dousing with lotsa lemon juice after it's baked. You just can't go wrong. Absurdly easy, too -- made in a food processor, no muss, no fuss. It comes from a bakery near my office, and I once plunked down $4 a slice to see if theirs is better than mine. It isn't! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/din...

So, here's another wrinkle/angle: anyone ever thought to tweak the classic flavoring, just a tad -- sort of doing for pecan, what a little orange, raspberry or chili/chipotle does for chocolate? Yes, I know, why mess with something simple and pure and good. And yet, I'm thinking there's room for a little more oomph. Maybe a hint (or more) of cardamom, or the aforementioned chili/chipotle, or maybe even something slightly radical and savory like rosemary (cooked and steeped a bit, but then removed).

Anyone want to weigh in, even to speculate -- besides simply declaring this heresy?

Hmmm. I continue to be concerned about it being a tad too casual, but hopefully it'll be okay. Perry St. is relatively close in the sense that we can get a car at the Ritz-Carlton and get up the West Side Hwy pretty quickly. Would've done Corton, but nada for a party our size, and SHO didn't have a time that worked. EMP's now full. Any other last ditch lobbying efforts to take our 70th Birthday elsewhere?