Savory Tidbits: Restaurant News and Views for NYC, San Francisco, Chicago and LA

L20 Restaurant: First Pics & Reactions

Photo credit: npinto on flickr

Chicago's newest seafood restaurant, L20, has enjoyed a quiet buzz in the restaurant world over the past few months, largely due to the in depth blog written by executive chef and partner Laurent Gras, GM Serge Krieger, Chef de Cuisine Francis Brennan and Dining Room Manager Anthony Cournia. Written primarily by Gras, the blog has provided a fun and informative way to learn about the many facets involved in opening a highly anticipated fine dining restaurant, from menu planning to taste testing to equipment sourcing.

Early word from the friends and family preview indicates that L2O's food tastes as good as it looks. See early photos on the L20 flickr pool, where the first sets of guest pics were just posted. Hungry Magazine has also weighed in with the first blog review, which has more photos and a link to the opening night menu.

Savory New York One Sheet: May 10th - May 16th

// This Week on Savory New York //

This week Elizabeth S. Bennett visits Bar Masa to round out her 'Best Chicken Wings' Destination Dish series. Find out whether or not master sushi chef Masa Takayama has the chops to turn out some of NYC's best wings.

The 2008 James Beard Foundation Awards are coming up in three weeks and will be hosted by none other than Sex and The City star Kim Cattrall. The awards ceremony will be held at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center on Sunday, June 8th. See the full list of award nominees here and watch Savory Cities videos of nominated chefs. Tickets are $450 for the general public and $400 for James Beard Foundation members.

Through a special arrangement with the James Beard Foundation we have a pair of tickets to give away to the awards. To be entered into a random drawing to win,  sign up for a Savory Cities account between now and May 31st. The winner will be announced on June 1st.

// Recently Opened //

• Scarpetta - Scott Conant, former executive chef and co-owner of Alto and L'Impero, has opened this sleek new Italian restaurant in the Meatpacking District.
• Hundred Acres - If at first you don't succeed, try try again. That's the motto of Cookshop and Five Points owners Vicki Freeman and Mark Meyers. They closed their recently revived Provence and reinvented it in a much more familiar format--homey seasonal American.
  

//This Week's Restaurant Reviews //

• NY Times: Frank Bruni gives 2 of 4 stars to Upper West Sider, Eighty-One. "Call it ego food — that may speak less to the satisfaction of customers than to the self-regard of proprietors, who want you to marvel at the effort-per-bite ratio and the variety of techniques at play." Peter Meehan visits East Village low ambiance all-stars Punjab and Polish G. I Delicatessen for the delicious curries and homemade soups, respectively.
• New York Magazine: Adam Platt visits Olana and Mia Dona and gives both restaurants 2 of 5 stars. About Olana, "The location might be a killer, and the décor is slightly overwrought. But we’ll give one star for the ambitious cooking and another for the desserts." About Mia Dona, "One star for the hearty Italian food, executed with flair. Another for the reasonable prices."
• The New York Sun: Paul Adams dines at Duane Park and notes some Southern touches that the chef brings to the cuisine as well as some unevenness in the execution.
• Bloomberg: Ryan Sutton visits Bar Q and I Sodi for cheap post-shopping eats.
• The New York Daily News: RG gives 1 of 5 stars to Ago. "But the pasta dishes - a bellwether of any worthwhile Italian restaurant - charted a much bumpier course. The veal-stuffed spinach cappelletti arrived in a greasy puddle of butter-sage sauce; the gnocchi tossed in a lamb ragu tasted like Play-Doh pelted with gravel; a bowl of spaghetti with clams and broccoli rabe was horribly oversalted."

// Blogs and Newsletters //

• NY Journal checks out the new BBQ joint, Wildwood Barbecue
• The Girl Who Ate Everything throws her opinion into the ring on Momofuku Ko (great pictures included).
• Midtown Lunch looks into the free McDonald's Chicken sandwich.

// In Other News //

May 14th was a big day in Chicago - Laurent Gras' much anticipated restaurant, L2O opened in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and the ban on foie gras was lifted. Champion of civil disobedience, Doug Sohn of Hot Doug's can resume sale of his foie gras dog without fear of $500 penalty (related: Sohn pays fine).

Over here at Savory, we're big fans of The Paupered Chef. While it's not a blog that covers restaurants, per se, we like to give them a shout out whenever they post something that tickles or fascinates us. This week, Blake takes us through curing his own guanciale. It's not something we're likely to do at home but it's definitely worth a quick read.

// Upcoming Events //

Prune is hosting a special dinner Thursday May 22nd honoring and celebrating wine importer Neal Rosenthal on his recently published book, "Reflections of a Wine Merchant." There will be two seatings; 6:30 and 9:30pm. Enjoy "delicious dinner, lots of excellent wine, a signed copy of the book, and conversation with Neal." Cost: $150. Call 212-677-6221 for reservations.

The lineup for this year's Big Apple BBQ Block Party was just announced and it looks like it'll be another great year. The event will be held, as always, in Madison Square Park and will run from noon to 6pm on Saturday, June 7th and Sunday, June 8. Get more details and watch our video interviews from last year featuring several of this year's pitmasters, including crowd favorites Mike Mills and Ed Mitchell.

Big Apple BBQ Block Party: Get to Know Your Pitmasters

The line up for this year's Big Apple BBQ Block Party was recently announced and it looks like it will be another great year of choice barbecue offered up by some of the barbecue world's finest pitmasters.

The event will be held, as always, in Madison Square Park. It will run from noon to 6pm on Saturday, June 7th and Sunday, June 8. Crowd surfing is free, but sampling the goods will cost $8 a shot.

Hardcore 'cue fans will want to pick up a FastPass soon. They're $100 each and are available to American Express cardholders. FastPass in hand, you'll be able to jump on the express lines and spare yourself the sometimes hour long waits to get fed. Get full details at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party web site.

Watch our short video interviews from the 2007 BABBP to get a flavor of what will be served up this year.

Mike Mills of 17th St Bar & Grill from Murphysboro, Illinois

Ed Mitchell of Mitchell's BBQ from Wilson, North Carolina

Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson's from Decatur, Alabama

Garry Roark of Ubon's BBQ from Yazoo City, Mississippi

Michael Rodriguez of Salt Lick from Driftwood, Texas

Jimmy Haygood of Black Jack from Charleston, South Carolina

Kenny Callaghan of Blue Smoke in New York City

Dinosaur BBQ, Hill Country and Rack & Soul of NYC will also be serving great BBQ this year.

Destination Dishes: Spicy Chicken Wings at Bar Masa

By Elizabeth S. Bennett

If munching on bar food isn’t your bent, perhaps you’ll reconsider in the sanctuary of Bar Masa in the Time Warner Center.

It may seem like folly to plunk down $15 for a few ounces of grilled chicken, but when you consider that Bar Masa’s wings are packed with at least three times the juiciness and flavor of your average hibachi wings, the dish starts to look like a bargain.

Each of the five little wings is cooked over a charcoal flame and painted with a light marinade of soy sauce, sake and ichimi chili peppers. They are grilled to a modest crisp and served with a lemon wedge and moist towel. Finger licking is discouraged at this understated and elegant locale.

If the wings look a little different than usual, it’s because the chef splits the arm in two—the part connected to the little drumstick—to create more surface area for the flame to catch. It’s a clever method that results in a wing that is cooked thoroughly but not for a minute longer than necessary. And because the drumsticks are relatively small, they don’t require much more heat than the arms.

Until recently, diners knew precious little about the provenance of their meals. These days, however, restaurants love to dazzle us with vivid verbiage about the lives—and deaths—of the animals we consume. They’re grass fed, grain fed, free range, line caught and—this just in—freshly killed. My server-bar tender at Bar Masa cheerfully announced that the bird from whence my chicken wings came was killed earlier that day. It’s difficult to know how to respond to such news, but the information goes a long way in explaining how chicken meat could be so impossibly tender. The less time it sits around, the more juice it retains and the better it tastes.

For Bar Masa customers who like to enjoy their meat in blissful ignorance, don’t ask and they hopefully won’t tell.

Atmosphere: Sophisticated and dimly lit

Notes: Reservations recommended but there is often room at the bar for small groups.

Elizabeth S. Bennett is a freelance writer living in New York City.

Bar Masa
10 Columbus Circle, 4th Floor
West 60th St. and Broadway
New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212-823-9800

Find out about other great restaurants on Savory New York.

Cool USC Beer Event: Beer Lore with Brooklyn Brewery's Garrett Oliver

Photo credit: mtkr on flickr

If you're a big time beer lover and are looking for a good excuse to play hooky on what will likely be a beautiful summer day you won't want to miss this one.

Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery, author of The Brewmaster's Table, and seriously passionate beer advocate, will talk about the history and lore of beer  at this June's Union Square Cafe Morning Market Meeting.

I had the pleasure of hearing to Garrett speak at this year's Good Experience Live conference at the Times Center. He is a thoroughly engaging speaker and all around fun guy.

The event will be held at Union Square Cafe and runs from 8 to 10:15am on Wednesday, June 25th. Tickets are $60pp and will get you a nice sampling of beers, coffee, muffins and some face time with USHG honcho Danny Meyer and NYC's biggest beer advocate. As of this afternoon tickets are still available but they'll go fast so call 646-747-0581 to reserve today.

Savory New York One-sheet: May 3rd - May 9th

// New on Savory New York //

New York Magazine declared Resto's burger to be, "the greatest thing to happen to ground meat since the Kraft Single." See the burger and more in our new Resto video featuring owner Christian Pappanicholas.

Thinking of taking a cooking class this summer? Check out our list of classes at ICE and DeGustibus taught by some of NYC's top chefs.

Curious to know what the major critics think of the food at Momofuku Ko? Compare quotes side by side in our handy Momofuku Ko Superlative Matrix.

// Recently Opened //

• Abigail Cafe and Wine Bar - Abigail Hitchcock, the chef and owner of Camaje in Greenwich Village will open this new Prospect Heights spot with "a cozy, relaxed atmosphere with serious food and drink" this weekend.
• Cabrito - The old BarFry space at 50 Carmine has been converted to a Mexican restaurant featuring the cooking of David Schuttenberg, formerly of the Meatpacking District Malaysian joint Fatty Crab.
• South Brooklyn Pizza - Carroll Gardens gets another pizza joint featuring the handy work of a self-taught pizzaiolo. Opening hours are Wed-Sun from 5-10pm.

// This Week's Restaurant Reviews //

• NY Times: Frank Bruni gives three of four stars to Momofuku Ko. "Ko pares down stuffy atmospherics in a particularly thorough way. It wagers that for a younger generation more focused on food than on frippery, a scruffy setting, small discomforts and little tyrannies are acceptable — preferable, even — if they’re reflected in the price."
• Dining Briefs checks in on two Brooklyn neighborhood spots; Turqua Grill and The JakeWalk.
• New York Magazine: Adam Platt is off this week (again). The Underground Gourmet checks out The New French in his absence.
• The New York Sun: Paul Adams dines at I Sodi
• Bloomberg: Ryan Sutton visits Ko
• The New York Daily News: RG bestows a perfect rating to Eleven Madison Park. "The menu's bursting with sensational dishes: a peerless suckling pig confit capped off with a crackly strip of skin; a tuna tartare paved with a scene-stealing avocado cream, and a roasted loin of lamb with crispy wisps of artichoke."

// Blogs and Newsletters //

• NY Journal checks out Bar Q.
• Insatiable Critic visits Ko.
• Salli Vates goes to hidden East Village gem, Kyo Ya.
• NYCNosh visits a Savory favorite, Al di La.

// In Other News //

Half of the team behind Baskin-Robbins, and their 31 flavors, Irvine Robbins died this past week at the age of 90. Read about Robbins' legacy at The New York Times.

// Upcoming Events //

Get your tickets for Edible Brooklyn's annual Long Island wine tasting event, Brooklyn Uncorked, before they sell out. The good times will take place at BAM on Wednesday, May 14th from 4-8pm. In addition to a wide array of local wines, several local craft brewers, including Blue Point Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery and Sixpoint Craft Ales, will be on hand to offer samples. Food will be provided by Stinky Bklyn, Whole Foods Market, Bonita, Flatbush Farm, iCi, La Maison du Couscous, Little D Eatery, Palo Santo, Smoke Joint, and Stonehome Wine Bar. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online from Brown Paper Tickets.

Upcoming NYC Cooking Classes with Notable Chefs

Flickr photo by DanMelinger

The Institute for Culinary Education catalog showed up at the office recently and a quick flip through its pages revealed a few fun sounding recreational class options for this summer. Here are a few of the choice options featuring well known NYC chefs and bartenders.

Progressive Cocktails with Eben Freeman
Tuesday, July 1, 7-9:30pm
Eben Freeman, who runs the cocktail program at Tailor in SoHo, will be teaching how to use atypical ingredients and innovative techniques to make "progressive" cocktails.

Mixology 101
Saturday, June 14, 6:30-9:30pm and Saturday, August 16, 6:30-9:30pm
Polish up on the basics before heading to Freeman's class with Savoy and Back Forty bar manager Michael Cecconi. He'll teach you how to perfect the martini, mojito, sidecar, strappy sandal and French 75.

Favorite Dishes from Hill Country
Friday, August 1, 6-11pm
Executive Chef Elizabeth Karmel will reveal the secrets of some of Hill Country's most popular dishes including their brisket, beer can game hen and, our personal favorite, Kreuz market sausages.

Favorite Dishes from Elettaria
Friday, August 15, 6-11pm
Akhtar Nawab, the former executive chef of Craftbar and The E.U. and current chef/co-owner of Elletaria, will demonstrate how he makes several of the signature dishes from his new Greenwich Village restaurant, including cured Tasmanian sea trout with heart of palm and beef sirloin with salsify, black trumpet mushrooms and bacon.

DeGustibus at Macy's Herald Square is also featuring a full calendar of demonstrations by top NYC chefs, including some great sounding options in June with Tabla chef Floyd Cardoz, John Schenk of Strip House, Josh Grinker of Brooklyn's Stone Park Cafe, Rebecca Charles of Pearl Oyster Bar, Alex Urena of Pamplona and Wylie Dufresne of wd-50.

For more information about DeGustibus classes at Macy's Herald Square visit the DeGustibus web site, call 212-439-1714 or email GRTCOOKS@AOL.COM.

For more information on ICE classes visit their web site or call 212-847-0770.

The Momofuku Superlative Matrix

While I was adding the latest critic reviews to our Momofuku Ko listing on Savory New York tonight I decided to take a few extra minutes to quickly catalogue all of the food-related quotations in one easy to scan page. Enjoy!

Savory New York One-sheet: April 25th - May 2nd

Earlier this week we launched Savory Seattle in "preview" with a collection of video profiles featuring a handful of Seattle's top restaurants. See what Seattle chefs are up to at Brasa, Cafe Juanita, Earth and Ocean, Flying Fish, Lark, Matt's in the Market, Palace Kitchen, Rover's and Serious Pie. More to come soon!
 

Earlier today we added new videos on Savory Los Angeles for Cuidad and Border Grill featuring co-chefs and owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, the "Too Hot Tamales."

We also squeezed in some time to write up a recent visit to Momofuku Ko. Read about the meal, see the Ko timeline to date and take in some pretty amazing Ko stats.

To get this update via email each week, sign up for the Savory New York One-sheet newsletter.

// Recently Opened //

• Campo - A new Italian trattoria on Broadway in Morningside Heights. 
• Fish Market - The Fulton Fish Market may be gone, but fresh seafood can now be had again at South Street Seaport.

// This Weeks Restaurant Reviews //

• NY Times: Frank Bruni gives one of four stars to Commerce. "Commerce in one sense evokes the Waverly Inn and in another emulates Balthazar. But in the end it isn’t like either of them, which becomes clear when the menu arrives and, in its wake, the food."
• Peter Meehan eats ramen at Ippudo NYC. "As for the ramen itself, every noodle in every bowl of soup I slurped — particularly the spaghettini-size strands in the shiomaru and akamaru — was cooked perfectly al dente."
• New York Magazine: Adam Platt also visits Commerce giving it two of five stars. "More often than not, however, the food at Commerce is improbably good. The pasta list includes a deliciously effete version of spaghetti carbonara (with a barely cooked coddled-egg yolk, set in a white Parmesan foam with slivers of smoked bacon) and folds of handmade orecchiette smothered in a richly savory “odd things” (tripe, oxtails, pig’s trotter) ragù."
• The New York Sun: Paul Adams dines at Terroir.
• The Wall Street Journal dispatches their critic to Momofuku Ko, who was not blown away.
• Bloomberg: Ryan Sutton visits week old Benoit and newcomer Brasserie Cognac de Monsieur Ballon.
• The New York Daily News: RG is in Brooklyn this week at African spot, Korhogo 126 giving it 2 of 5 stars. "Some restaurants lack soul. Not Korhogo 126. You can taste the soul of its owners on nearly every plate."
• The Village Voice: Robert Sietsema visits Indian vegetarian restaurant, TamilNadu Bhavan

// Blogs and Newsletters //

• Grub Street entered into a blog post skirmish with Eater on the hot topic of longtime New York Magazine critic Gael Greene's shady rendezvous with a Craigslist date at Ko.
• Diner's Journal has is that the space formerly known as BarFry will quickly be remade into a Mexican restaurant opening next week. Per Nick Fox, via Florence Fabricant, Rick Camac and Zak Pelaccio are behind the project.
• The Wandering Eater has turned us on to BBQ Chicken & Beer at 232 7th Avenue between 23rd and 24th Streets.
• NYCNosh visits Craftbar.

// In Other News //

Andrew Carmellini is allegedly leaving A Voce despite recently announced news that the restaurant will open a Time Warner Center location.

The New York Times has an interesting article about endangered foods with cool map.

Food Tours: the newest food tour to hit the NYC hungry is from Scott Weiner who operates Scott's Pizza Tour. He'll take you to places like John's of Bleeker, Lombardi's and Luzzo's. Other notable food tours to consider:

Broolyn Pizza tour led by 92ndStY
NYC cabbie Famous Fat Dave will drive you around to his favorite spots
Savory Sojurns will take you on a classic tour of Little Italy

// Events Around Town //

Meet the Farmers dinner at Felidia dinner Wednesday, May 7th at 7pm. Join chef Fortunato Nicotra of Felidia and Upstate Farm's Michael Kokas for a seven-course spring menu featuring products from local farms. Local farmers will be present to help educate and discuss the difference between organic, certified organic, pastured, free range and more.

On Tuesday, May 13th Savoy will host its eighth annual Calçotada dinner, a traditional Catalan onion festival that marks the start of spring. Savoy's version of the event will include heaping platters of freshly unearthed grilled leeks, or calçots, which guests dip in romesco sauce and eat with their hands, as well as bountiful quantities of grilled lamb chops and housemade botifarra sausage. For dessert, crema Catalana will be served. As part of the festivities, attendees will sit at communal tables and partake in a never ending stream of rosé from porrons, (glass vessels with long spouts), while live flamenco music wafts through both floors of the restaurant.

On Wednesday, May 14th, the festivities will be repeated at Back Forty in the East Village. Weather permitting, dinner will be served on the backyard patio (if the weather misbehaves, in the dining room). The cost is $75 at Savoy and $60 at Back Forty. Call 212-219-8570 for reservations at Savory and 212-388-1990 at Back Forty.