Blogs : Restaurants and Bars

Winter Warmup in the South Slope

As winter creeps nearer, the goulash at Korzo is sounding mighty fine. Served with pan-seared spätzle, it’s “first rate, spicy and soul-satisfying,” promises Deb Van D. Other winners on the wide-ranging Mitteleuropean menu include latkes, Czech-style slow-roasted pork fier, and a white bean soup that Deb found “really good, really zippy.”

Korzo, which opened a year and a half ago under the name Eurotrip, has settled into a groove that’s unexpected and welcome, Bob Martinez suggests. “Central European food in New York is usually formulaic. It can be good but it’s stuff you’ve had before,” he writes. “Korzo is trying to break that mold. The chef isn’t afraid to branch out a bit and the flavors are distinctive.”

Korzo [Park Slope]
667 Fifth Avenue (between 19th and 20th streets), Brooklyn
718-285-9425

Board Link: Korzo (f.k.a. Eurotrip), 5th Ave.

Posted by Mark Hokoda | 0 comments

Upmarket Tacos at Cascabel

Not far from East Harlem and its hole-in-the-wall taquerias is a slightly upscale newcomer, Cascabel. thew has room in his rotation for both high and low.

At $7.50 a pair these tacos are pricier than the competition downmarket and uptown, but they’re also “a cut above in concept.” thew loves the carne asada (achiote hanger steak with oyster mushroom) and roasted shrimp (with chile oil, black beans, garlic, and oregano), among other fillings. Yellowtail (with olive, onion, and heart of palm) is tasty if a touch underseasoned, but you can crank it up with an array of fresh table salsas—tomatillo, roasted tomato, and a couple of hotter choices.

Beyond tacos, check out pork belly gorditas (with chipotle-honey glaze), quinoa and black beans with queso fresco, or a jalapeño-spiked salad of Bibb lettuce and fingerling potatoes called the Luchador (yes, they’ve got a Mexican wrestling thing going on here). Little Cupcake would pass on the smallish, round churros, which brought to mind Dunkin’ Donuts Munchkins, but would go back for the upbeat vibe and the amazing hot chocolate.

Cascabel [Yorkville]
1542 Second Avenue (between E. 80th and 81st streets), Manhattan
212-717-7800

Board Link: Cascabel Taqueria–UES

Posted by Mark Hokoda | 0 comments

A Saloon Turns Back the Clock

Hounds are settling comfortably into Henry Public, a brand-new/old-school watering hole in Cobble Hill. jmh loves the hamburger, made from grass-fed beef ground in-house. EJC (who prefers Waterfront Ale House for burgers) thinks snackish small plates—marrow bone, radishes with salted butter, house-made juniper pickles—are the way to go. There’s also been tantalizing talk of aebleskivers, the Danish pancakes that are an occasional hound obsession, known here as Wilkinsons.

But Henry Public, like its sister bar Brooklyn Social, sounds as if it’s less about food and more about drinks, including cocktails like the Eagle’s Dream (gin, lemon, egg white, sugar, crème de violette). The owners turned back the clock, transforming a former TV repair shop into a 19th-century saloon, and it works. “You would think it had always been a pub,” says jmh.

Henry Public [Cobble Hill]
329 Henry Street (between Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street), Brooklyn
718-852-8630

Board Link: Henry Public

Posted by Mark Hokoda | 0 comments

Overheard on the San Francisco Bay Area Boards

“The turnover is like the best croissant ever, buttery, flakey, and crunchy.”
-rworange

“Pizza doesn’t get any simpler but more satisfying than this.”
-TNT Adventures

“This place puts the Burmese restaurants in SF to shame.”
- outrig8

Posted by Cicely Wedgeworth | 0 comments

Perfect Porchetta

“Funny how just a few years ago we were whining on this board about our unmet cravings for porchetta. Now it’s everywhere,” comments Melanie Wong.

So where should a lover of Italian roasted pork start?

Robert Lauriston says one of the best he’s had locally is at Sea Salt. It doesn’t seem to be a regular menu item, though. Great roasted pork can also be found at Oliveto, Camino, and Corso, he says.

jillyju reports enjoying “a quick but transcendant dinner” at Il Cane Rosso in the San Francisco Ferry Building, where the porchetta dinner is a way better deal than the $9 sandwich.

“For only $12.95 I was given a generous pile of the meat, with lots of crispy pieces of skin scattered on top and a juicy quality that I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced in a piece of pork. I don’t know that I have ever had such delicious pork, anywhere. It was incredibly well-seasoned, every bite was tender, and the skin was a decadent, crispy, fatty delight.” It comes with a small salad of microgreens in a lemony dressing and roasted Mariquita Farm potatoes with whole cloves of roasted garlic.

Several hounds recommend the porchetta at Napa’s Fatted Calf, and Robert Lauriston says, “I’ve had his roast pig at events, he’s a master.” But Melanie Wong disagrees: “I liked the flavor, but the piece of meat was quite dry and lean on the cut we tasted.” She also dings the tough skin, but thinks maybe a slice from a different part might’ve been better.

Melanie’s favorite is RoliRoti, the rotisserie truck that can be found at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (they also have a storefront, Rotisario, at the Oxbow Market in Napa).

“I love Kitchenette’s porchetta sandwich,” says carfeng.

Sea Salt [East Bay]
2512 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley
510-883-1720

Oliveto [East Bay]
5655 College Avenue, Oakland
510-547-5356

Camino [East Bay]
3917 Grand Avenue, Oakland
510-547-5035

Corso [East Bay]
1788 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
510-704-8004

Il Cane Rosso [Embarcadero]
1 Ferry Plaza, San Francisco
415-391-7599

Fatted Calf [Napa County]
644-C First Street, Napa
707-256-3684

RoliRoti [Embarcadero]
1 Ferry Plaza, San Francisco
510-780-0300

Rotisario [Napa County]
610 First Street, Napa
510-780-0300

Kitchenette [Dogpatch/Potrero Hill]
958 Illinois Street, San Francisco
No phone available

Board Links: Where’s your fave porchetta?
Il Canne Rosso at the Ferry Building, SF

Posted by Cicely Wedgeworth | 0 comments