Devour this

Why Corn was Born

I recently attended four bikram yoga classes in one week.  On the fourth day, I decided to treat myself.  After one and a half grueling, slippery hours, I headed to Shake Shack in Madison Square Park.  Having heard about the place for years, I mustered up the patience I'd just gleaned from my bendy practice and joined the massive Thursday evening line.  (Note: I apologize for the pictures -- camera phone.)

I wasn't kidding.  That line was crazy.  But people seemed plenty content to sip from plastic cups of beer and wine and socialize amongst themselves.  Me, I had focus.  I was there for one reason and one reason only.  Sweet corn frozen custard.  A dear friend shared this bit of information with me while we danced away at Farm Aid a couple of weeks ago.  I didn't forget her words.  "Thursday evening.  Sweet corn frozen custard."

After ordering (I also threw in a Shackburger for the heck of it), I took my clunky buzzer and loitered around the pick-up windows. I saw this guy dumping a plastic tub of gloopy cheese into a big metal vat.  The whole operation wasn't as glamorous as what I'd been expecting from Danny Meyer.

Then again, what do I know?  The employees seemed to know what they were doing in there and  it's pretty decent of Meyer to allow you to peer through the huge windows right into the heart of the action. What came out was quite stellar. I was expecting to see kernels of icy corn in my custard, but the texture was uniformly creamy with a hint of graininess.  There was no denying the unmistakable earthy, summery sweet corn flavor.  'Not sure how much longer this flavor will be around, but if I were you, I'd get there this Thursday just to be safe.

Richmond's Got Soul...

And by that, I mean "really good breakfast." 
No, the truth is that Richmond, VA is rife with rich history, culture, and hospitality.  But they also have amazing breakfast.  At least we found some at Cafe Gutenberg right on Main St., next to the outdoor farmers' and artists' market.  A book, coffee, and wine lounge (their photography book collection is to-die-for), Cafe Gutenberg had all the charm of a European hot spot with none of the pretension.   Young, happy hipster families were seated next to cheery, yuppie, gay couples next to older, white-haired lunching ladies and the vibe was vibrant and alive. 
And the food...Candied Ginger French Toast with marscarpone cheese, blackberry compote, and applewood-smoked bacon. 

Asparagus and scrambled egg panini with Vermont cheddar and yukon hash. 

Sweet ricotta and blueberry crepes with candied orange and blackberry compote.   

Served with Illy coffee, and you've got all you need to say you had a really good weekend trip from NYC.  (Minus the hours and hours of stop and go traffic around Washington, D.C.  'Better make it a long weekend. And take Route 301 - beautiful farmland scenery!)

But, wait!  There's more...Richmond has a sweet farmers' market (Saturday and Sunday).  And if you know anything about me, you know I am in love with farmers' markets.  This one was wonderfully rugged and complex.  Dozens of artists shared space with candle makers, antique dealers, spiritual healers, and growers (I learned that Thursdays are only for produce).  Gorgeous green watermelons, baskets of snappy green beans, crates of roly-poly tomatoes...

You just can't go wrong when buying locally grown fruits and veggies.  You can bet Cafe Gutenberg agrees.

The never-ending restaurant list

I have to start this entry by saying that it will my second attempt at writing it.  I'm sure this has happened to many bloggers -- I had an entry almost complete, then lost my internet signal and consequently, lost my writing.  It's just ironic that the reason I was compiling this restaurant list on this blog was so that I could have a place to store a record of all the places I want to try without having to dig through piles of notepads where I've scribbled countless restaurant names and addresses after hearing a rave review from a friend, or reading a review.  And if only I'd been using the old pen and paper, I'd still have what I just spent the better part of an hour writing.  C'est la vie.

I apologize for the dual intro, but I wanted to say this as well:  One of the greatest things about living in New York City is having the opportunity to eat fabulous meals every single day -- in places you've never been; in places which have become solid stand-bys; in places with famous chefs and those unknown; in places recommended by friends, or reviews, or blogs; in random places you walk into with no previous knowledge of the food or chef or cuisine; and on and on.  Here, I plan to keep a list of places to try.  I am going to be honest, and try not to feel embarressed that I have not yet patroned some of these well-known gems.

And without further ado....drumrolllll....let's begin in no particular order (I'll organize later, wait and see):

Kitchen Market (8th ave. btwn 21st and 22nd); Great Burrito (23rd St. and 6th ave.); El Maguey y La Tuna (Houston btwn Attorney and whatever's east of Attorney: try Tacos al Pastor); Tulcingo Del Valle (10th ave. btwn 46th and 47th) for burritos.  These recommendations came from seriouseats.com, under Talk, and Editors' Picks "Favorite Burrito in NYC"

Republic (Union Sq. btwn 16th and 17th Sts.)

Lassi (Greenwich Ave. and Charles St.)

John's Pizzeria (Bleecker btwn 6th and 7th aves.) for pizza

Blue Ribbon Brasserie (Sullivan and Spring Sts.)

Aki (W.4th between 6th and 7th aves.) for sushi

Fleur de Sel (20th between Broadway and 5th)

Tia Pol (10th ave. btwn 22nd and 23rd Sts.) I'm a little sheepish to admit where I obtained the previous 7 recommendations.  Before I tell you, please note that I've heard of all of these places before, from friends and my love of restaurant research, but the list came from an interview with Sam Talbot of Top Chef, published by New York magazine http://nymag.com/daily/food/2007/01/top_chefs_sam_talbot_loves_kim.html.  What can I say, I trust his palate.

Casa Mono (Irving Pl. btwn 17th and 18th Sts.)

City Bakery (18th St. btwn 5th and 6th aves.)

I'll stop for now.  Much more to come.

Recently went to these places, and here's a very undetailed review from trying them only once, which doesn't really mean much:

Friend of a Farmer (Irving Pl. btwn 18th and 19th Sts.) -- B for cozy atmosphere, friendly waitstaff, and mediocre food

Fish (Bleecker and Jones Sts.) -- B- for inattentive waitstaff, and too greasy fish and chips.  Love the Old Bay on the table, though, and the lunch specials are a good deal

Moustache (Bedford btwn Barrow and Grove) -- A for delicious, smoky baba ganoush and palate-rocking lentil and onion salad

Malatesta Trattoria (Washington and Christopher Sts.) -- B for good wine, nice setting and waitstaff, and unremarkable gnocchi