j. marie's Profile
Union Square Greenmarket - who sells spray-free produce?
The best way to find out is to ask directly about whether they spray, and if so, at what point in the growing cycle and what their overall philosophy is on spraying. While "certified organic" tells you that there is no spraying, there are farmers who aren't certified organic who follow the strictures of organic farming, as well as farmers who generally don't spray unless it's absolutely necessary. (Tomato disease a couple of years ago pretty much made it impossible to find a tomato that wasn't sprayed that summer, so there were virtually no "organic" tomatoes.) I don't know specifically the answer on the apples, but I recall having some interesting and educational conversations with farmers at the Union Square Greenmarket about blueberry spraying as to whether the fruit itself was sprayed or only the plants at the beginning of the season before the edible fruit started forming.
Where to buy delicata squash in Manhattan?
I saw some, but in very small quantity, on Saturday at the Union Square Greenmarket. Also, the ones I saw Saturday were rather small and not like the ones sold in greater quantity a few weeks back.
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Union Square Greenmarket
Broadway and E 17th St, New York, NY 10003
Il Vagabondo or John's on 12th?
If the OP is truly interested in real old-school I would discount some of the places mentioned above, some of which don't seem to fit the category of real old-school and also seem rather expensive. It's been years since I've been to Il Vagabondo and I wasn't impressed, but maybe it's gotten better? Haven't been to Rocco's but have heard some good things. I do get to John's every so often and enjoy the place and the food. There was a period of time when the food was not the best, but it seems that over the past couple of years they got their focus back and the food is as delicious as I remember when I first started going many years back.
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John's of 12th Street
302 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
wedding lunch on a sunday in december for 25-30 people, must be italian
I've been to a few private parties at John's of 12th Street. Menu is Italian and they have several party menus in different price ranges.
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John's of 12th Street
302 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Looking for amazing but cheap Italian place for casual birthday dinner
Lil' Frankie's would be a nice choice. Food is good, not too expensive, and you can get a decent glass of wine. They have an amazing chocolate torte for dessert.
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Lil' Frankie's
21 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
Vegan & Omnivore - Food Help Needed
The menu at Blue Ribbon doesn't seem to have a great variety of food for vegans, who eat no animal products whatsoever (including fish). The challenge for FoodFemme is to find a place that serves omnivore food but also has a variety of vegan main courses and is willing to understand and respect the rules of vegan cooking when preparing those dishes. The alternative is to find a vegan restaurant that serves such wonderfully done vegan food that an omnivore can also enjoy. Candle 79 falls into this category (wonderful place), and I'm sure Blossom would, too (haven't tried it myself yet). I'm omnivore but have dined with vegans on several occasions. It can be challenging for them to dine at non-vegan restaurants as they can't always trust that the kitchen understands that they cannot throw butter or chicken stock into a vegetable or grain dish.
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Candle 79
154 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10021
Vegan & Omnivore - Food Help Needed
John's of 12th Street has been offering a vegan menu alongside its regular Italian dishes. Sounds like that should accommodate both omnivore and vegan.
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John's of 12th Street
302 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Milkbar overrated
Agree on the Stollen. Amazing stuff and I'll look for it again next holiday season. But I was unimpressed by the red velvet soft serve I tried once, and some of the other things I've tried were way too sweet for my taste.
lobster
The lobsters at Centro Vasco are always done to perfection and they have a variety of sizes.
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Francisco's Centro Vasco
159 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
Looking for a restaurant in NYC making its own seitan good enough to write an article about it
The seitan scallopini at John's of 12th Street is amazing and is house-made.
Best So-Cal Mexican...Jalapeno!
Thanks for that suggestion. Years ago a SoCal native introduced me to his version of Mexican food, and I've never found a place in NYC that matched his cooking. (His father was from Mexico and had a successful restaurant in L.A. way back when.) It's a distinctive taste and style that I find to be a very clean and straightforward type of "tasty".
One of the yardsticks I use is the quality of the rice. It must be fluffy, and that generally comes from browning the rice beforehand. Not a lot of people know about that.
Looking for local MILK to use for cheese making?
Milk Thistle is my all time favorite milk, and if I were making cheese this is what I would use. This is where you can find:
http://www.milkthistlefarm.com/buy.php
Old-School Italian restaurant suggestions
John's of 12th Street is a good choice if you're looking for authentic old school. They've got the 100 year history and the Prohibition-era candle, plus I think the food is pretty good and not overly expensive.
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John's of 12th Street
302 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Farmstead/ Artisinal Cheese on UWS?
Ardith Mae sells their goat cheese at both the Columbia and the 77th St & Columbus Greenmarkets on Sundays. I find their chevre to be the best around, but I'm fond of their aged cheeses as well. Nice people, too.
Burgers at the Brindle Room?
I rarely order burgers these days because I'm fussy about them and I hate to be disappointed. Stopped into Brindle Room for lunch just about a month ago (my first visit) and enjoyed one of the best burgers around. I'd say it's definitely worth a visit.
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Brindle Room
277 E 10th St, New York, NY 10009
Yuba (tofu skin): Where can i get it in NYC?
I'm a huge fan of the yuba rolls served in broth at Mana on Amsterdam near 92nd St. I usually take an extra order home with me.
Recommendations for East Village
Don't see a mention for red sauce Italian, but an inexpensive option is John's of 12th Street. Prices are reasonable and portions are large and it's one of the few places that still has tablecloths. They serve a great chicken parm. Lobster meatballs are good, too.
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John's of 12th Street
302 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Per se
I've been to Per Se three times, and for me, the experience was memorable and worth it. By "experience" I define it as a combination of out-of-this-world food, impeccable service, and sharing the meal with others who were in on experiencing the magic. Without all three of those components it becomes a very expensive, albeit wonderful, meal. Depends on what your mindset is about your expectations as to whether it's worth the money.
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Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019
Vegetarian Restraunts on the Upper West Side?
Mana is not 100% vegetarian as they have a few fish dishes on the menu. However, if you ignore the fish dishes everything else is vegan. I've been going there for years and always find the food fresh and delicious. Highly recommend going on weekends for delicious pancakes.
Mercer Kitchen- What to order?
It's been a couple of years since I've been, but the one thing I remember is having an excellent black truffle pizza with fontina cheese. Would be good as an appetizer.
Best Chocolate-Covered Strawberries?
You might want to check out Something Sweet in the East Village. It's been a while since I've been there, but I recall getting wonderful chocolate covered strawberries on several occasions. The strawberries themselves were always delicious, but they were plainly dipped in chocolate. Since they also do wedding cakes and know about decorating, you could probably get them to do a batch with a design added.
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Something Sweet
177 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
ISO: Helpful wine shop with decent prices
It sounds like the original poster is not looking for either a comprehensive selection of wines nor an education; he just wants to be assured that he will be able to buy some wonderful choices that will be appreciated and whose quality is in line with his price range. Most wine stores are pretty intimidating to those who don't know wine. I suggested Nancy's because they are focused on making wine choices accessible to those who are not knowledgeable. I love the fact that each selection has been tried and the description is written by them, not copied from the vintner or a magazine. Their selection may be not be extensive, but it's all good stuff and he should be able to find what he's looking for.
ISO: Helpful wine shop with decent prices
My favorite wine store in Manhattan is Nancy's Wines for Food on the Upper West Side. The staff is knowledgeable and approachable. Even if you choose not to consult with a staff member, each selection has a handwritten description of the wine and what food it pairs up with.
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Nancy's Wines for Food
313 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10023
Change in plans...staying in the Upper WEST Side now!
Barney Greengrass and Russ and Daughters are both great for smoked fish but really overpriced. Better off picking up smoked fish at Zabar's.
Cafe Sabarsky is very nice.
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Barney Greengrass
541 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024
Cafe Sabarsky
1048 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
Change in plans...staying in the Upper WEST Side now!
Candle Cafe is very good. Your sister-in-law might want to check out vegan friendly Mana Organic Cafe at 92nd and Amsterdam. They have a great macro plate and yuba rolls in broth. Everything is very fresh and tasty.
east village steak recommendations?
Johns of 12th Street has been tweeting about having a Pat LaFrieda shell steak that sounds pretty good.
Coconut Cream pIe?
Good luck in your quest for a local coconut cream pie! I'd guess that Two Little Red Hens has a fabulous one, albeit expensive.
I realize that Long Branch, NJ is a little farther than the Outer Boroughs, but Long Branch Poultry Farm has the best coconut custard pie I have ever, ever had (straightforward, old fashion, not overly sweet) and the coconut cream pie looks great as well.
Best butter available? Raw milk butter?
Organic Valley Pasture Butter is produced seasonally but I can usually find it year round. It tastes great and is healthy, too, because of the high level of omega-3's etc. from the milk from pasture-grazing cows.
