Locanda Verde

I’m not entirely sure what the occasion was (nor do I really need one), but a few months back myself & 2 friends got dressed up in suits & ties (unheard of for us slackers) & headed to Locanda Verde (377 Greenwich Street @N Moore Street).  Located in Tribeca, this Italian tavern has been getting a lot of great press since opening just over a year ago.  According to Urban Daddy;

brought to you by little-known thespian Robert De Niro and his crack team of vets: Ken Friedman (the Spotted Pig, John Dory), chef Andrew Carmellini (A Voce) and pastry chef Karen DeMasco (Craft)

Golden Unicorn

After my not-so-memorable experience at Dim Sum Go Go a while back, I decided to return to Golden Unicorn (18 East Broadway at Bowery/Catherine Slip) with some family for some midweek Dim Sum.  Nestled inside what looks like a nondescript office building, you really need to keep an eye out or you’ll miss the place.

To my father…

It being the day before Father’s Day & all that, I feel the need to thank the guy that got me really interested in food; My Dad, Andre-Pascal.  My fondest childhood memories were always either in the kitchen or at the dinner table where our family spent most of our time.  Growing up in NYC my brother & I always knew that we had to be home for dinner, no matter where we were.  That daily family meal defined us & in a way brought all 4 (my 2 older sisters had by then, flown the coop) of us together.  Even now, I rarely come across any people in New York that actually ate with their family every night.  At the time, I thought it was a chore, but looking back it was a blessing.

As a youngster, I remember listening to Cat Stevens or Roger Whitaker while trying to help my Dad in the kitchen; whisking eggs, kneading dough, or making a general nuisance out of myself, I was always there.  My favorite spice was paprika & I wanted to put it on everything!  My Mom cooked too, but Dad was the real Maestro (despite his lack of love for her excellent Lasagna & Chilli) & I love the fact that we were able to share so many meals together.

From my humble beginnings of boiling water for Pot Noodles in boarding school, to Stefan’s Beef Stroganoff (without the beef) and my eventual emergance as a half-decent cook through Thursday Club, I have my Dad to thank.

He turned 78 years young 2 weeks ago (see pic @ Barbounia) & I know that our time together will not last forever, but I love him for the magic he brought to the kitchen & the bonds we formed at the dinner table.  In short; I Love You Dad!

Clearance Sale @ Broadway Panhandler

Broadway Panhandler (65 East 8th Street between Broadway & University) is having a clearing sale starting today until Sunday June 13th.  You can get up to 70% off of brands like All Clad, Wusthoff, Le Creuset & more!

This is a really great store & a welcome alternative to the Bowery.  With deep discounts like these, you can afford to restock your kitchen!

Sushi Popper!

Let it be known that I love food in all shapes & forms but through the miracle of Twitter, I stumbled upon an abomination; Sushi Popper!  I’m all for food on a stick; Lollipops, Popsicles, Meat, etc. but Sushi, NO THANKS!  This is just a little bit too odd!  With four (*barf*) delicious flavors; California Roll, Chicken Teriyaki, Vegetable Roll & Spicy Shrimp you’re sure to find something you’ll like!  If the thought of eating Sushi-on-a-stick doesn’t gross you out enough, the fact that 30 bucks will get you 6 rolls shipped to you (Seafood in your mailbox!  Yay!) will certainly lead to some sort of food poisoning!  Added bonus; 2 six-pack minimum order!

Image via Food Marathon.  Found by @SkeeterNY.

Coffee Ice Cream

I finally decided to power up the 1.5 Quart Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker (available at Amazon) that I got a few months ago.  Instead of going for Bacon Maple ice cream as I had wanted to, I decided to go for something easy (& yummy) for my first run; Coffee Ice Cream.

I looked around online & managed to find this recipe;

Crawfish Boil @ The Readhead

The 3rd Annual Crawfish Boil starts tomorrow at noon at The Readhead (319 East 13th Street between 1st & 2nd Avenue).  The bar opens at 11am, the event lasts from noon till 10pm (or till they run out).  They don’t take reservations so get there early!

diners can indulge in $30 plates filled to the brim with crawfish, sausage, corn, potatoes, artichokes and roasted garlic. Not to mention the beer and drink specials.

Further coverage at ZagatBuzz. The Readhead’s event page is here.

Farmers Market Coming to Ave. D

Gentrification at Work?

Construction of the new home for the Lower Eastside Girls Club on Avenue D begins next week & it seems like we’ll be getting a Farmers Market, Café & more;

We are expanding our successful entrepreneurial social venture businesses, The Sweet Things Baking Company and Community Café, with the construction of a Culinary Education Center and commercial kitchen. These programs offer job training and opportunities for teenage girls and neighborhood women. The kitchen will also serve as a classroom for nutrition education and meet in-house food service needs. A courtyard filled with flowers, an outdoor fountain designed by artist Kiki Smith, and café tables will provide a unique oasis for dining and quiet events.

Our public market space will be a home for our Farmers Market Center, simultaneously supporting New York State farmers and our community’s health.

By the look of the plans, this is a pretty cool addition to the ‘hood & could offer some interesting shopping options, not to mention a great education/vocational opportunity for girls & women in the area.

Full coverage at EVGrieve

Croxley Ales

Two words; Dirty Fingers.  This is what you can expect when you go to Croxley Ales ( 28 Avenue B between 2nd & 3rd Street).  Mondays and Wednesdays are 10 cent wing nights & as the picture demonstrates things can get really messy (20 cent wings til 5 on Saturday & all day Sunday), I don’t know why they bother giving us forks anyhoo!

Rai Rai Ken

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time then you’ll know that I’m a sucker for good Ramen which is why I love Rai Rai Ken (214 East 10th Street between 1st & 2nd Avenue) so much!  The place is tiny & immediately reminds me of the noodle bar from Blade Runner.  It’s basically a long service bar with stools (really low & uncomfortable) running the length of the restaurant.