Grits's Profile
Catania Cafe on Atlantic Ave
Thanks for the heads-up on this place. I have been twice, once for breakfast and once for dinner (take-out). The food has all been really tasty and the offerings are interesting. It trends towards the bready/fried, but they have veggies and salads too -- I had a tasty caponata. Also very good spinach arancini; musroom and beef are also available. Baked goods look delicious. I resisted but did take some to a friend as a host gift. They also have very good coffee which even pleased my picky husband.
Given what was in the space before and the relatively unassuming facade, I worry that people will underestimate it. The proprietors seem very nice and eager to make the place successful. I very much recommend it.
Tamale ingredients near Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill?
Thanks to you both for the recommendations. The Met Food had the corn husks and the tomatillos, though not the masa flour. That I bought from the bodega on the same block, northern corner. I subsequently realized that the Key Food on Atlantic had masa flour as well. The lard I got from the butcher shop a few blocks north of the Met on Smith St. And the tamales were delicious. :)
Tamale ingredients near Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill?
In my attempt to make tamales this weekend, I am looking to buy corn husks, masa harina, tomatillos, and (ideally) freshly-rendered lard. Any ideas for stores that carry these in the Heights/Cobble Hill area?
fermented vegetables?
A friend is on a sort of odd diet that encourages the ingestion of fermented (but not pickled) vegetables. I'd like to buy some for him, but I'm not sure what falls into that category. Is kimchee fermented? Any other types that you all particularly enjoy?
Thanks for your help.
student in a dinner rut on bedford and downing!
I second the rec for Murray's sandwiches - they are outstanding. Also PressToast on Macdougal and Jamaican flavors on Sullivan.
What does my dip need?
Wow, thanks everyone! I think I'll follow the advice to experiment with different combos on some small batches. I'll report back.
What does my dip need?
So I made a large batch of dip last night for a party this weekend. I used 1 lb of cream cheese, about 3/4 lb of danish blue cheese, 1 c. of pecans and two bosc pears caramelized in unsalted butter. This was what the recipe called for, but the result is unimpressive - nice blue cheese flavor but pretty bland.
What can I do to doctor it up? I'm thinking lemon juice or maybe chili powder? Thanks in advance for saving my dip from the garbage!
real food market is getting bigger
Just a PSA here - the real food markets have consolidated, so tomorrow there will be twice as many booths on 6th Ave around W. 3rd. I know some hounds had complained that the set-up was a little paltry before but they have some really interesting stuff that you can't get at the greenmarket - icelandic yogurt, gourmet chocolates and the like.
I'd recommend checking it out if you're in the neighborhood. Afterwards you can go to my favorite place in the city (maybe the world?)...Murray's Cheese Shop.
Any good breakfasts near Washington sq. park (Greenwich village)?
Grey Dog's Coffee has good breakfast offerings and great lunch as well.
Papatzul?
Has anyone been to this relatively new Mexican place in Soho? I'm thinking about going tonight but am a little suspicious of the lack of postings. Thoughts?
Thanks!
How to impress a southern woman? Help me chowhounds!
Maroons is a southern/Jamaican place in Chelsea with some of the best southern specialties I've had in NY but enough Jamaican items featured to be a diverse dining experience.
Need fabulous seafood restaurant not Le Bernardin!
Try Esca, 43rd and 10th. Sounds like just what you are looking for.
Caramel apple idea - will it work?
Thanks Funwithfood - what would be the purpose of making it cooler? Will that help it to adhere quickly to the apples?
Caramel apple idea - will it work?
I'm having some folks over for a casual party in a few weeks. Serving finger food and I thought a fun idea would be to fill a fondue pot with caramel and skewer mini apples, then let the guests dip and decorate with their choice of topping.
Great in theory, but I'm concerned about the caramel. Can I keep it the right temp in the fondue pot? Does it matter temp-wise whether I melt caramels or make it from scratch? Also, will the guests need to let the apples sit before eating them?
Thoughts?? Thanks for your help!
Small dinner party | Southern style menu | Need app & sert & drink ideas???
For appetizer: mini ham biscuits, cheese straws (or cheese biscuits with a pecan half in the middle), pickled shrimp, deviled eggs, pimento cheese, or the cream cheese and hot pepper jelly idea. Or how about fried okra with garlic aioli?
No self-respecting southern party would serve a drink called a 'Manhattan.' Mint juleps are southern but not widely liked. I'd try lynchburg lemonade - just google it for the recipe.
I second the sweet potato or pecan pie ideas for dessert. Or you could make a cobbler.
Nigella Feasts coming to Food Network in Oct.
I agree about her first episode - I loved Nigella Bites and was really looking forward to the new series, but I thought she acted very forced and the camera spent more time close-up on her face than the food. Plus the recipes were a bit blah - though I pondered the fact that Ina Garten makes similar dishes and I adore her show.
I'll keep watching but I'm not quite as excited anymore.
Long-Distance Girlfriend in town
I was in your situation longer than I care to remember, so I know that you all could be eating at McDonald's and it would still be a wonderful time together. That said, I have a few ideas for affordable places with good food and romantic ambience:
Oriental Grill (EV)
Camaje Bistro (McDougal)
good (WV)
The Place (WV)
Gascogne (Chelsea)
Also, my #1 recommendation if I could remember the darn name of it is a pan-mediterranean tapas place around W. 10th and 6th Ave, which is in an old carriage house. It is SO romantic and I think you could keep it to around $100 if you don't go all out. Can anyone help with the name?
Sophie's Cuban Madison Avenue
Sophie's does not put potato sticks on their cuban sandwiches but does put them on their chicken sandwiches, which they serve on the same (not cuban but pretty good) bread.
The green sauce is not mojo at all. It seems to be watered-down mayonaise with cilantro and hot sauce. It's not traditional but very tasty.
Sophie's also has delicious black beans and yellow rice, which is harder to do well than most people realize.
Those of you who've been eating cuban sandwiches in Miami need to do your research and make a trip to Tampa, home not only to the first Cuban-American community but birthplace of the 'cuban sandwich.'
best mussels and fries in Manhattan
I add my vote to Bruxelles - moules are delicious, you can choose from about a dozen sauces, and the frites and beer are great as well.
I also tried the mussel appetizer with a side of old bay fries at Mermaid Inn the other day. The fries were off the hook - they tasted like they'd been fried at least twice, and were just addictively crispy and well-seasoned with the old bay. The mussels were tasty as well.
Azul Bistro, am I crazy or this is really wrong? [moved from Manhattan board]
I agree that this was very rude. As a server I saw situations in which the staff was desperate for a table due to their own errors, but worst case scenario the manager explained the situation to the table and offered them a free dessert in the bar area.
For a party of 6, an hour and half should have been expected at a minimum, and longer for a table that had ordered so many courses.
How is the food at Poetessa?
I've been to Poetessa twice - the food was decent, I think I had an okay bowl of pasta, but it doesn't have that togetherness that comes from a thoughtful person running a restaurant. I think there are much better options for italian in the village - Cacio e Pepe, Perbacco and Lavagna, to name a few.
Need a good Jewish/NY style Bakery in DC area
I remember! It's Krupins. You should check it out.
Need a good Jewish/NY style Bakery in DC area
What about the place on Wisconsin Ave up in Tenleytown? The name is excaping me but I've had some great chicken matzoh ball soup there, plus they have a wide assortment of pastries.
If I remember correctly, they even give you pickles as an appetizer like the places in NY.
Ideas for cape gooseberries?
I just bought some at a farmer's market - they're delicious but I don't really know what to do with them. Any recipe ideas?
Thanks!
Barbetta or Firebird
I've been to Barbetta for lunch a couple of times - it's very old school, but delicious.
Cafe Fuego - St. Mark's anyone been?
I've been - it's homestyle cuban food with extremely reasonable price points. We really liked what we ordered (particularly the corn on the cob appetizer with chili powder and cheese). There seemed to be some service issues but they had just opened a week earlier so I am willing to cut them some slack. The interior was sharp-looking but still cozy.
IMO, a nice addition to the neighborhood!
Wine situation in NC
If you happen to be in Chapel Hill, A Southern Season has really excellent wines. Somewhat high end but excellent selection and a few things I've never even seen retailed outside of Napa.
Help me replace my Mom's Dr. Pepper... she's sad! :-(
I forgot to mention that the boiling takes out all the carbonation - perhaps that was obvious.
