Brooklyn Glutton

Great GoogaMooga! Eatin' and Rockin' in Prospect Park!

Mon, 21 May 2012 18:02:25 -0400

Prospect Park was the setting for a festival of gluttony this weekend calling itself THE GREAT GOOGAMOOGA — An Amusement Park of Food & Drink. In this spirit of everything we stand for, there was a musical component to this festival in addition to the cornucopia of food and drink, with THE ROOTS headlining the main stage on Saturday, and DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES closing out the weekend on Sunday evening.

We missed the first day of the festival, which seems to have worked to our advantage, based on a barrage of reports of enormous lines, failed beverage purchasing systems, and vendors running out of food and drink long before the end of the day. Without having experienced any of this firsthand, we will credit the festival organizers with having responded diligently to correct the flaws in the system, as Sunday ran smoothly with plenty of opportunities to move about the festival and sample plenty of food and drink with minimal waiting time. Considering the fact that the crowd was estimated to be upward of 40,000 people, THE GREAT GOOGAMOOGA turned out to be quite a crowd pleaser on a beautiful weekend in Brooklyn, and a successful outing for a first time festival with extremely high ambition.

Revelers were greeted by an enormous flaming steel trojan pig with an actual whole pig roasting on a spit in its center, marking the realm of “Hamageddon.” In the vicinity of this colossus are food vendors from all over NYC with pork oriented food on offer.

It is tempting to report that we spotted Neil Young in Bacon Land, but if we did we would be lying, as the swine lover in the straw hat is merely a doppelganger for Mr. Young (we think). LANDHAUS BLT’s and Bacon ‘flights’, DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE pulled pork and Tuscan PORCHETTA sandwiches all had people lining up in droves.

While enjoying fine preparations of the pig, we also got to experience the song stylings and high energy stage antics of LEZ ZEPPELIN, an all female Led Zeppelin tribute band.

There was a huge world beyond the bacon, with over 70 restaurants represented, some clustered with like purveyors in areas designated as “Burger Experience,” (BURGER JOINT, DUMONT, SPOTTED PIG and BRINDLE ROOM) “Pizza Experience” (JOE’S, ROBERTA’S, SOUTH BROOKLYN PIZZA and CO.), or “Sweet Circus” featuring too many to list from Red Hook’s BAKED to the Christina Tosi’s MOMOFUKU MILK BAR, to BIG GAY ICE CREAM. “The Marketplace” featured an eclectic variety of vendors raging from PEOPLE’S POPS to SAXELBY CHEESEMONGERS, and one of our all-time favorites, RUSS & DAUGHTERS, who we couldn’t pass without grabbing a bagel with smoked salmon and scallion cream cheese and a slice of chocolate babka.

Many other restaurants had stands that encircled Prospect Park’s Nethermead creating a ring around the main stage. We had a fantastic pastrami on rye from KUTSHER’S TRIBECA, which filled us up to the point that we could not make room for our single favorite hot dog from CRIF DOGS, “The Chihuahua,” which is wrapped in bacon and served with avocado and sour cream, but we are flattered that out of all the hot dog creations on their menu, they selected this one for the event. We failed to endeavor into two of the quirkiest and most intriguing offerings, the foie gras donuts from DO OR DINE of Crown Heights, and most notably, the fifteen dollar horse bologna grilled cheese from nomadic chef Hugue Dufour’s M. WELLS. That’s right…we did say HORSE bologna. Our craving for a lobster roll from LUKE’S LOBSTER was deterred by the long lines.

The coffee tent provided shade, comfortable seating, and phone charging stations to go with delicious STUMPTOWN espresso and pour over coffee from THIRD RAIL.

The EXTRA MOOGA VIP area was a festival within the festival, where press, invited guests, and those willing to pay $250 for an Extra Mooga ticket had access to unlimited beer, wine and featured cocktails, as well as special food events and talks and presentations from some major players in the food world. There were also some additional food options that were not available to the masses on the Nethermead, including lamb skewers and paella from TERTULIA, mortadella hot dogs from Philadelphia chef, MARC VETRI under the COLICCHIO & FRIENDS banner, brisket and burgers from PAT LAFRIEDA, and COUNTER CULTURE COFFEE.

PAT LAFRIEDA BEEF was a focal point of the EXTRA MOOGA area, with an enormous grill atop which sat heaping piles of brisket, along with the head of the cow. LaFrieda also stepped in to pinch hit on Sunday with perfectly cooked cheeseburgers, after two days worth of Umami Burgers were wiped out by Saturday afternoon.

The Boathouse had rotating events on both days, featuring food and cocktails, as well as music throughout the weekend. On both days, April Bloomfield’s JOHN DORY OYSTER BAR hosted “SHELL SHUCKED,” in which local restaurants competed in an oyster shucking competition for the most oysters shucked in one minute. Sunday’s winner was from Chelsea’s CATCH, shucking TEN oysters in a minute flat. Other competitors hailed from dining establishments such as LURE FISHBAR, THE DUTCH, LOCANDA VERDE, and more.

Once the oysters were shucked, THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND played on the patio, and guests were treated to a tasting of the oysters, featuring HAMA HAMA and NAKED COWBOYS (see our 12/02/11 post on Naked Cowboy Oysters), with lemon and horseradish, along with samples of a delicious Spanish Albarino white wine, which was perfectly refreshing in the hot sun. Inside the boathouse, the John Dory folks were mixing Celery Tom Collins cocktails, also serving as a great accompaniment to the freshly shucked bivalves.

There has been a great deal of controversy over the EXTRA MOOGA steep ticket prices, and many who paid the price were surprised to find that their VIP wristbands did not entitle them to free food from the main vendors on The Nethermead, but without bearing witness to Saturday’s debacle, we were quite satisfied with the unlimited libations and tasty plates, and especially the exciting seminars led by today’s food icons. We didn’t have a chance to sit in on any of the wine tastings or cocktail demonstrations in the Speigeltent, nor did we catch APRIL BLOOMFIELD: A GIRL AND HER PIG on Saturday or the BLUE RIBBON FRIED CHICKEN PARTY (which occurs daily at BROOKLYN BOWL). We were also too busy eating to catch THE WHOLE FISH BREAKDOWN with Iron Chef MASAHARU MORIMOTO, but we did enjoy some of the other fine demonstrations and seminars on Sunday afternoon.

TOM MYLAN and BRENT YOUNG of Brooklyn’s beloved butcher shop, THE MEAT HOOK, butchered an entire side of beef before an audience, drinking tequila and engaging in off color banter throughout. We learned a great deal about the many cuts of beef and where they exist on the cow. We learned about grass fed vs. grain fed, and the pros and cons of dry aging. We also learned that THE MEAT HOOK is the greatest butcher shop on earth (as if we didn’t already know)! As if that wasn’t enough, plates were passed with little tastes of various cuts of beef, although I’m sure that we weren’t the only ones who had no idea what we were eating.

TV food icon, ANTHONY BOURDAIN entertained the EXTRA MOOGA crowd on both days, asking that audience members spin the wheel for a category from which they should formulate their questions. Relaxed and foul mouthed as ever, culinary bad boy Bourdain engaged the audience with a personal approach, but we found him to be short on substance. When you consider the fact that this celebrity chef hasn’t stepped foot in the kitchen in ages, and no one really cares about his relatively tired bistro/steakhouse, LES HALLES, it isn’t particularly enlightening to learn that he spends most nights ordering in pizza or sushi. If nothing else, this event confirmed for us that we are pretty much sick and tired of Anthony Bourdain, and while we loved his book, KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL, when it came out, and we may be able to credit him with spawning the foodie movement and bringing out the rock and roll elements in the discourse of food, for our money, these days, we’d rather be reading THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON!

Finally, the legendary 1980’s pop icons, DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES closed out the festival with a set of their classics on the main stage on The Nethermead Sunday evening. Hall, who has re-entered the mainstream with his very amusing monthly webcast series, LIVE FROM DARYL’S HOUSE, where he jams out with musical guests in his Connecticut home, and then breaks bread with them at his dinner table for a meal created by a different local chef each month. Recently, Hall has been taking this show on tour, having made local stops last month at The Beacon Theater and The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey, with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and Philly Cheese Steak guru, Tony Luke. Say what you want about HALL & OATES, but we that we found ourselves singing along to every song, and we appreciate that DARYL HALL sees the value of combining his rock and roll with a great meal in the true spirit of THE GREAT GOOGAMOOGA…and THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON!

"‎Levon was the glue, not just in The Band, but in all of what people think of when they think of..."

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:53:25 -0400

“‎Levon was the glue, not just in The Band, but in all of what people think of when they think of North American music. He was a great unifier; a great glue. He unified blues and country, rural and city, and even North and South. Luckily he showed us all the way to keep it together and let it swing.”

- Jeff Tweedy

R.I.P. Levon Helm, who passed away today at the age of 71 after...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:17:00 -0400

R.I.P. Levon Helm, who passed away today at the age of 71 after a long battle with throat cancer. You were a kind, generous spirit who gave us wonderful music for four decades. You invited us into your home for the memorable Midnight Rambles and treated us like part of your family. Your incredible body of work will live on forever, but your shining presence on earth will be missed. We captured this great video at the Wilco Solid Sound Festival last summer. Levon…your beat will live on forever!

BEST LEFTOVERS EVER!!!

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 01:39:00 -0400

Perhaps the best leftovers ever…fried calamari and shrimp in medium sauce from DESY’S CLAM BAR on Grand Street in Williamsburg. They do this one thing very well. Made by the same folks you might remember from LITTLE CHARLIE’S on Kenmare. If you want to enjoy delicious seafood Brooklyn Italian style during daylight hours, head out to Sheepshead Bay to RANDAZZO’S CLAM BAR on Emmons Avenue, or try ROCCO’S CALAMARI in Bay Ridge.

GET THEE TO BELLWETHER...

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:50:00 -0500

On the corner of Union Avenue and Richardson Street in Williamsburg, local heroes, Josh Cohen and Blair Papagni, partners in the creation of three beautiful children and four other eclectic Brooklyn restaurant and bar establishments (Anella, Calyer, Jimmy’s Diner, and Saint Vitus), have now transformed the space that used to house hipster booze mecca, Royal Oak, into the much more appealing eatery, BELLWETHER. Once again, we must turn to Wikipedia to understand a term from the new Brooklyn culinary vernacular, to find that BELLWETHER “refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) leading his flock of sheep. The movements of the flock could be noted by hearing the bell before the flock was in sight.” In today’s usage, a bellwether is something that influences trends or foreshadows the future. For those of us on the north end of Williamsburg, we can only hope that the arrival of BELLWETHER signals the impending demise of annoying venues like Royal Oak in favor of exciting new eateries like this establishment and the excellent Brasilian spot at the other end of the block, BECO (see 04/02/11 post, “Best Steak for Two for Under $20”).

Despite it’s name, BELLWETHER does not specialize in Rocky Mountain Oysters, but instead, the emphasis is on delicately prepared seafood. The offerings at the raw bar are simple, exceptionally fresh, and reasonably priced. On a recent visit, three varieties of oysters were available, all local, and available for the very reasonable price of $10 for a half dozen in any combination. The Taylor Bay Scallops (pictured above), dressed with a green apple puree were a heavenly treat, also quite reasonable at $12 for a half dozen.

Moving beyond the raw bar, the menu is comprised mostly of small plates, all packed with exciting flavor and adventurous spirit. Taking seafood to new heights, the Seared Oysters with Mushroom Fricasee and Poblano Chilies, is a preparation unlike any that we’ve ever tried, completely eye opening and satisfying in every way. The Olive Oil Soup is a creamy concoction using semolina wheat as its base, but floating in it are two cubes of Taleggio cheese wrapped in Speck. Pop one of these babies in your mouth for a savory explosion, not for the faint of heart, that sets the stage for the cheesy, salty assault on your senses to marry perfectly with the many spoonfuls of delicious soup to follow. The Baby Artichokes are accompanied by sliced Picholine Olives and luxurious Chanterelle Mushrooms under a sprinkling of Bottarga for another unexpected but overwhelmingly pleasant flavor combination. Even the seemingly simplistic House Salad, atop slices of Manchego Cheese and dressed in Xerez vinegar is thoughtfully composed of the freshest ingredients and atypically exciting.

The only two larger sized entrees currently available on the menu are a “Blackened” Half Chicken sitting atop Parmesan Creme with Arugula, Fingerling Potatoes, which was perfectly seasoned and utterly delicious, and a Grilled Hanger Steak with Tomato Jam, Carmelized Onion, and Crisp Potato Confit, which we look forward to trying on our next visit. For fans of Cohen and Papagni’s flagship venture, Anella, in Greenpoint, these hearty entrees will be the most familiar, as both dishes could easily be at home on the menu of either restaurant. For big league food adventurers, Bellwether also offers a menu item featuring Tripe Mole with Coriander, Chipotle and Crunchy Hominy. THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON never wants to let you down, but we saved that one for you to sample and tell us about.

The cocktails are also well thought out and nicely prepared. We enjoyed the “Omar Bradley,” a Rye based concoction with Marmalade and Lemon Juice, and like the food, other cocktails on offer venture into an adventurous realm, such as the “Firebird,” composed of Tequila, Grapefruit Soda and Hot Sauce! BELLWETHER re-designed the space, making it cleaner and brighter with plenty of room to move and lovely banquettes opposite the bar as well as a large dining room in the rear. They offer a late night menu until 2am, and a rotation of DJ’s spinning live music in the late hours, perhaps resulting in some of the confused former Royal Oak revelers stopping in and staying for a while rather than doing an about face and heading over to Hotel Delmano. We expect that the current menu at BELLWETHER is merely a prelude to more and more exciting offerings from the kitchen once it gets fully up and running. In the meantime, it has enough interesting stuff going on already to warrant a visit to get a glimpse of how the north end of Williamsburg is on its way to making a change for the better.

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK -- 'DA CONCH SHACK' - Providenciales, Turks & Caicos

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:38:00 -0500

Every once in a while, THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON has been known to escape the cold and report on the food and beverages found in tropical locales. A recent weekend jaunt out of the cold sent us to the glorious TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS, specifically PROVIDENCIALES, known as “Provo” to the ‘Belongers,’ or residents of the Islands. It’s been quite a few years since we visited Provo, and a great deal has changed and grown, but much has remained the same. We knew that even if we had only 48 hours on the island, we had to return to DA CONCH SHACK, which sits on Blue Hills Beach, west of Grace Bay.

Since our last visit, DA CONCH SHACK has expanded from a literal shack with a few outdoor tables to a bonafide tourist destination with an extremely hospitable Rum Bar and a large outdoor seating area that spills onto the beach, where the fishermen pull the conch from the water and extract them from their shells only steps away from where they are being consumed en masse. There are also a few vendors selling jewelry and conch shell souvenirs, which were probably cleaned and lacquered after their meat was extracted a few feet away from where they are now being sold for $10 each (about a third of what they sell for in the upscale shops).

If you find yourself waiting to be seated during peak hours, DA CONCH SHACK Rum Bar is a great place to hang out for while. The Rum Bar serves up some irresistible Rum Punch in a plastic cup to get things going…quickly. We advise that you go ahead and order the pitcher, because this fruity concoction has a way of evaporating almost instantly. Unless of course, you would prefer to suck down a glass of Rum Punch and then move on to the RUM TASTING!

If you opt for the Rum Tasting, $25 gets you three glasses of fine sipping Rum, served up neat. The first is always the local Turks & Caicos BAMBARRA 8yr Reserva, and two others can be chosen from extensive Rum list. We selected the PYRAT XO Reserva, which was traditionally made in Anguilla (pictured above, left), but is now produced in Guyana and distributed by the people who bring us Patron Tequila. Our third selection was the very dark Guatemalan RON ZACAPA 23yr (center), which the menu purports to be considered the ‘finest in the world.’ You can say we drank the Kool Aid, but we especially enjoyed the local Bambarra rum! It was the sweetest and smoothest of the lot, and the easiest drinking, which is not surprising given that it originates from this simple, beautiful, relaxing place.

Once you are good and loaded from an abundance of rum, it’s time to get down and eat some CONCH! This native mollusk is ubiquitous in Turks and Caicos, but no one does it better than DA CONCH SHACK. First of all, it is pronounced ‘conK’, not “con-CH.” Where we come from in Brooklyn, it is known in the old neighborhood as “Scungilli,” commonly pronounced “Skoon-jeel,” particularly by those who call Calamari “Gah-lah-mah” and Mozzarella “Mooz-ah-rell.” The Brooklyn version is all too often grey, rubbery and frozen, and therefore usually drowned in red tomato sauce. But fresh conch from local Caribbean waters is light and crunchy when raw, and dense and satisfying with deep flavor when it is cooked, and we cannot get enough of it!

DA CONCH SHACK prepares it every which way, and it is tough not to throw caution to the wind and try them all. Definitely, kick the meal off with a Conch Salad, made up of diced raw conch, fresh from the sea, tossed with lime juice, chopped tomatoes, chilis and onion. This is one of the cleanest, most refreshing salads on earth. It didn’t travel far to get from the beach to the bowl either, and you can follow it’s journey while chillin’ with a beverage, barefoot in the sand.

The conch are literally pulled from the sea only a stones throw away from the Rum Bar. The same fisherman who removes the shell from the water, then prepares the conch for the kitchen back on land.

While the shell is quite beautiful, the wriggly meat is kind of gnarly looking before it is trimmed and cleaned. However, by the time it arrives on your plate it is pristine and beautiful…and often deep fried.

Our favorite is the “Cracked Conch,” which is basically pounded, dredged in seasoned flour and deep fried. The rich flavor of the conch is so delicious and addictive, we cannot stop eating it. While we prefer the Cracked Conch over the Conch Fritters, which are basically deep fried hush puppies with bits of conch distributed throughout the piping hot salty fried dough, we couldn’t resist having a taste, so we went with the “Conch Combo!”

The Conch Combo features Conch Fritters alongside Cracked Conch, for the indecisive and the gluttonous, with a creamy dipping sauce, rice and peas, and a choice of one side, for which we selected fried plantains. While ‘health food’ would certainly be a misnomer, the meal is the epitome of local and sustainable, and DA CONCH SHACK has grown to be a great tourist business that enables visitors to experience the great food and local libations that Turks & Caicos has to offer while simultaneously basking in its natural beauty. While it has increased in size over the years to accommodate demand, the restaurant has maintained its high quality food and friendly atmosphere, and the addition of the Rum Bar and live music on Thursdays only adds to the seaside party vibe.

While we seriously enjoyed sipping away at the fine array of aged Caribbean Rum while we awaited the arrival of our food, once we started stuffing our faces with conch, a refreshing Turk’s Head Island Draught became the perfect accompaniment to the fried goodness that graced our plate. If you are wise enough to travel to DA CONCH SHACK by taxi as we did, you can hang around on the beach for as long as you like, eating local conch, drinking local beer, sipping fine rum, and basking in the sun. It is paradise…and only a 3 hour flight from NYC!

BROKELANDIA — Brooklyn’s answer to the hit TV show...

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:12:51 -0500

BROKELANDIA — Brooklyn’s answer to the hit TV show PORTLANDIA, in which Fred Armisen (of Saturday Night Live) and Carrie Brownstein (of Sleater Kinney) deconstruct Portland, Oregon’s ubiquitous hipster culture. We don’t usually like to reblog other people’s genius, but this is just too hilarious and relevant not to share. Admittedly, quite a few of the local places mentioned in this parody have been covered by us in earnest. Is this really what we sound like? Did you eat it? Did you eat it?

Warm Weekend Snow Relief: COFFEE COMMON Startup Store Cupping Event Hits Chelsea

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:59:00 -0500

The Glutton may not always be the first reporter on the scene, but our faithful followers sometimes get the news just in time…as this four-day event is going on for ONE MORE DAY (through Sunday January 22) if you want to get out of the snow and taste some great coffee. COFFEE COMMON, a collective of coffee brands is hosting a startup store/Google+ hangout event in which roasters and baristas come together to spread awareness about the joy and accessibility of responsibly sourced and properly prepared coffee. Five dollars gets you admission to the event, a bottle of Poland Spring Water, and the ability to taste coffee from five of America’s best producers.

Perennial BROOKLYN GLUTTON favorites were the mainstay of the event. Chicago based INTELLIGENTSIA, along with COUNTER CULTURE from Durham, North Carolina and hometown hero, Ithaca, NY based GIMME! COFFEE, each had a featured roast for tasting. This event also introduced us to a couple of coffee roasters that we had never tried before. RITUAL from San Francisco has been around since 2005, but HEART from Portland, OR is new on the scene, having started up only three years ago. Each roaster presents a coffee sourced from a different place of origin, covering Bolivia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Colombia, and Guatemala, respectively. Comparative pour over methods are used at multiple brew bars, one of which features a demonstration designed to illustrate how our tendency to improve the taste of commodity grade coffee by adding milk and sugar is not always necessary when the coffee is made from higher quality beans.

The featured coffees are also for sale, with the best value being COUNTER CULTURE’S Ethiopian Haru from Yirgacheffe at $13 for a 12oz bag, one of our favorite coffees of the day. Also for sale are various pour over systems, water kettles, electric boilers, scales, grinders, and a Breville double boiler espresso machine. Conspicuously absent from the collective is BLUE BOTTLE, the roaster we love to hate. While no one really wants to say it out loud, the sense we get is that there is very little love for the San Francisco and Brooklyn based roasters among their peers, and it is certainly no secret that we have always found them to be pretentious and their coffee inferior. Blue Bottle was definitely not missed at this event, and their absence only reaffirmed our opinion of them.

The curators of this event, who are theoretically competitors in the coffee marketplace really did an excellent job of presenting a diverse array of high quality coffee products, and they were also available to discuss anything and everything related to coffee in a straightforward, friendly, and unpretentious way. Their entire point is that people who are discerning about food, and particularly wine and spirits, should approach coffee in the same way. Relative to alcoholic beverages, the cost of an exceptionally good cup of coffee is very low, and unlike wine, good coffee does not cost much more than bad coffee or mediocre coffee. COFFEE COMMON also aims to raise awareness about coffee’s uniqueness in that one who prepares a cup of coffee has a great deal of control over how it tastes by the choices that are made in its preparation. The coarseness of the grind and the selected brewing method dictates the speed at which the water passes through the coffee and how much surface area it comes in contact with, resulting in the ability to control the flavor by manipulating these variables. Once the coffee is made, milk and sugar can then be added to adjust the flavor even further. The versatility and control that we have over the preparation of the beverage combined with its relatively low cost and the frequency with which most of us consume it make it something we should try to find the best quality version of that we can obtain, if we generally care about such things…which you undoubtedly do if you are reading this.

This event, which began on Thursday, will continue through Sunday, January 22nd from 11am until 6pm. We could not help ourselves, and purchased four bags of coffee, eager to continue the comparative tasting at home. As much as we love GIMME! COFFEE, the varietal that they had on offer at this event, “El Sauce” from Honduras, is not our favorite, as it has a lingering spice that does not particularly appeal to us. Having said that, we have been drinking their featured “Miralvalle” from El Salvador religiously and happily brewing it at home while it lasts, even at a pricey $20 for a 12oz bag. It just so happens that we just brewed our last pot of it today, making room in the grinder basket for these guys…

THE PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND of New Orleans, Louisiana,...

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:55:00 -0500

THE PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND of New Orleans, Louisiana, celebrated its 50th Anniversary on Saturday night at CARNEGIE HALL in NYC with many of their close friends and fellow artists such as JIM JAMES and MY MORNING JACKET, ALAN TOUSSAINT, YASIIN BEY (formerly MOS DEF), TROMBONE SHORTY, STEVE EARLE, THE DEL MCCOURY BAND, THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA, and many more… Given that this was our first show of the year, it will be a tough act to follow. In this video, straight from THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON VIDEO TUBE, Jim James and Trombone Shorty join the band for a slow and soulful rendition of ST. JAMES INFIRMARY BLUES, turning the standard into a dirge, with James howling and stomping in his inimitable manner all the while. The rest of the boys from MY MORNING JACKET join in midway, as James turns the microphone over to PRESERVATION HALL saxophonist, CLINT MAEDGEN, who picks up the tempo and sets the stage for the TREY McINTYRE PROJECT dance company.

From Preservation Hall to Carnegie Hall, the grandeur of the venue was certainly not lost on these gentlemen, for whom the music is in their bloodlines, as is evidenced by the way it pours effortlessly from their souls. While the array of musical guests was diverse, the tone was universally reverent, as the 50 year old New Orleans institution has maintained its tradition through the generations, and remains completely relevant today.

This week, we will be attending our second show of 2012, shifting gears entirely, as we venture over to THE KNITTING FACTORY on Wednesday night, January 11th, to see EVAN DANDO and THE LEMONHEADS perform their 1992 hit album, IT’S A SHAME ABOUT RAY. While it may not be as majestic and inspired as Saturday night’s show at Carnegie Hall, it is sure to resonate among those of us who entered adulthood two decades ago in the shadow of Generation X. It will be our first time checking out the not-so-new Brooklyn home of The Knitting Factory. Somehow, it seems unlikely that we will be seeing THE LEMONHEADS grace the stage at Carnegie Hall 30 years from now, although THE PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND will probably be back to celebrate 80 years by then.

LIVE MUSIC JOURNAL 2011

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:41:00 -0500

If you are familiar at all with THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON, you know that we make it our business to catch some live music between meals whenever possible. In the past year, more than ever before, we managed to shoot some video at many of the shows we attended, most of which can be found on THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON VIDEO TUBE. Click on the photos below to link to relevant live videos, when available. All concert photos and videos are BROOKLYN GLUTTON originals. We shoot using available light on highly portable consumer grade equipment. While the images (and sound in the case of the videos) may be less than perfect, we try first and foremost to capture the energy of the performance and the connection between the artists, their material and their audience. These are not the only shows we made it to in 2011, but they are certainly some of the highlights and a wide enough array of music to keep things interesting. Enjoy the photos and the performances, and support live music in NYC!

LEROY JUSTICE played a late night set at ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL early last year on a cold night in January. They were joined by Cody Dickinson of The North Mississippi Allstars, who sat in for part of the set. Cody had opened for Robert Plant’s Band of Joy at the Beacon Theater earlier in the evening with his duo, in which he plays with his brother, fellow Allstar, Luther Dickinson. A fun time was had by all in a great little room with one of the better New York based rock bands that you may not have heard yet.

VIDEO LINK : “All My Life” with Cody Dickinson

MIDDLE BROTHER at MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG was a much anticipated show featuring this low key supergroup led by three singers who front other bands we love. Pictured above, from left to right, Matt Vasquez is the lead singer of DELTA SPIRIT from San Diego, CA; Taylor Goldsmith is the lead singer of Los Angeles based rock outfit, DAWES, and John McCauley fronts the genre defying DEER TICK, from Providence, RI. Together, these guys create music that is driven by folk harmony, but it rocks…and each member brings to the table the high energy and intensity that defines each of their other bands. On this great night of music last March, DEER TICK opened the show, followed by a set by DAWES, both of which have since released great new albums during the year. We’re not sure what MIDDLE BROTHER has in store for us in the year ahead, but we’ll be watching all of these projects as they continue to define a new frontier in rock music.

LO FABER and AARON MAXWELL are the opposite but equal voices and guitars of GOD STREET WINE, a unique jazz infused jam rock combo that played constantly around New York area clubs in the late ‘80’s and throughout the ‘90’s, building a devout following at The Nightingale Bar on 2nd Avenue and The Wetlands Preserve, as well as on the Northeast college circuit, until they ultimately broke up in 1999. More than ten years later, after a couple of sold out reunion benefit shows last year at Gramercy Theater and Irving Plaza, Lo and Aaron, clearly feeling the return of the magic, began playing some smaller gigs as a duo. The photo above, taken from an awkwardly close seating position at JOE’S PUB earlier this year, features the duo (Maxwell on left, Faber on right), along with Jason Crosby (center). We were not equipped with a wide enough lens to capture original GSW members, Dan Pifer on Bass and Jon Bevo on Piano, who also joined the duo for this intimate show, making it a four-fifths reunion, all but drummer Tom Osander (aka Tomo), who moved to Ireland after the band broke up and has played consistently over the years with Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan. Learn more about GSW now and then in one of our earliest posts from October, 2010. Also, JON BEVO’S LOVE ORCHESTRA, another GSW spin off, will be playing Mexicali Live, in Teaneck, NJ on Saturday, January 28th, 2012. Three-fifths GSW will be present (Bevo, Faber and Maxell), along with Jason Crosby and others.

VIDEO LINK: “Edgar’s Back in Town” from Joe’s Pub

Jazz/Funk jam trio, SOULIVE, returned to BROOKLYN BOWL in March, 2011 for their 2nd annual 10-night residency, known as BOWLIVE (Bowlive II, in this case). Featuring special guests each night, ERIC KRASNO (far right) and the brothers Evans performed three sets nightly, always with the original Soulive trio in the middle, preceded by affiliates, such as NIGEL HALL or ALICIEA CHAKOUR, usually with Krasno in the mix, and closing with a full out LETTUCE backed jam, led by the featured guest or guests of the night. This years standout performers were vocalist, COREY GLOVER of LIVING COLOUR, ROBERT RANDOLPH, and KARL DENSON. MATISYAHU, who was scheduled to close out Bowlive on the final night, was a no-show. The festivities kicked off on opening night, with 600 free shots of tequila courtesy of Brooklyn Bowl owner, PETER SHAPIRO, to get things going, and over the course of two weeks, there were many great moments of music to be remembered. Of all the possible shows in the coming year, the prospect of BOWLIVE III is the one we look forward to the most.

VIDEO LINK: “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin” with Corey Glover, Robert Randolph, and Nigel Hall

On the night of the Super Moon, Brooklyn Bowl was visited by ANDERS OSBORNE, not looking completely unlike the Werewolf, himself. The New Orleans songwriter plays a mean, hard driving blues guitar and sings with his heart and soul. Osborne’s intense delivery makes for an exciting live music experience that should not be missed next time around. He will be touring the South and Midwest with Keb Mo in January. The video link features a powerful cover of Neil Young’s “Ohio.”

VIDEO LINK: “Ohio” live at Brooklyn Bowl

NEIL YOUNG’s solo concert at AVERY FISHER HALL at LINCOLN CENTER in April was one of the greatest shows of the year by one of Rock’s greatest living legends, whom we had never before had the opportunity to see perform live. Unlike many touring artists with catalogs as deep as his, Young pretty much performs the same songs every night of his tour, rather than switching up the set list regularly. Nevertheless, he feigns indecisiveness as he meanders around the stage to select a guitar or approach one of his three keyed instruments (a harpsichord, a pump organ, and a grand piano). It is doubtful that many people are following NEIL YOUNG these days from city to city, given the consistency of the show and the steep ticket prices, but when he does come to your town, you are treated to a legendary rock performance of the highest order. Amidst the grandeur of one of New York City’s finest concert halls, Young sounded better than ever at age 66, starting out on the acoustic guitar and gradually building to a distorted frenzy, drawing upon classics as well as songs from his latest recording, the similarly diverse, Le Noise, produced by (and sort of named after) the prolific Daniel Lanois. This is no tired nostalgia act. NEIL YOUNG’s voice is as good as it ever was, and he remains relevant, as proven by fresh renditions of some of his most beloved songs, like After The Gold Rush on the pump organ, and a solo electric version of Cortez The Killer. Sadly, Scottish Folk Singer, BERT JANSCH, who opened for Young on this tour, passed away this October after a long battle with cancer.

JERRY JOSEPH, since moving back to Portland, Oregon last year, has made it his business to return to NYC, particularly his old stomping grounds in Harlem, on several occasions in 2011, and with various projects and collaborations. At 50 years old, Joseph is at the top of his game musically, and he is as prolific as ever. In addition to intimate solo acoustic shows at Harlem’s SHRINE (pictured above) and CAFE ADDIS, as well as THE LIVING ROOM on the Lower East Side, Joseph returned for duo shows with genius percussionist, Wally Ingram in the Springtime, and again in Summer, when they were joined by guitar virtuoso, Steve Kimock at MEXICALI LIVE in Teaneck, NJ, and superb bassist, Marc Friedman, from Boston jazz/rock outfit, The Slip, on the ROCKS OFF BOAT CRUISE. As if he had not sufficiently displayed his versatility and quality musicianship through his various solo, duo, and trio endeavors, August also brought the the powerful jam rock super group, STOCKHOLM SYNDROME to BROOKLYN BOWL, in which Joseph is the frontman on vocals and guitar, along with Widespread Panic bassist, Dave Schools, former P-Funk guitarist, Eric McFadden, Danny Louis of Govt Mule on keyboard and organ, and the illustrious Wally Ingram on drums. While largely unknown to the commercial masses, this great singer/songwriter and guitarist is constantly touring, and the New Yorkers in the know had many opportunities to catch his awesome live shows throughout the year. So far, it looks like 2012 will be bringing him to Cambodia, Vietnam, Maui, and Tulum, Mexico within the first several months of the year. We can only hope for a NYC detour along the way.

VIDEO LINK: “We Will Go Down/Good Sunday” w/ Wally Ingram at Shrine

Two of our favorites, WILCO and THE LEVON HELM BAND performed together at the 2011 SOLID SOUND FESTIVAL, curated by WILCO, at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA. The two bands joined forces on “I Shall Be Released,” and “The Weight” to close out the weekend after full Wilco sets on each of the previous two nights. This was an historic moment as icons of two generations came together in a rare performance that was fun and relaxed, with the many musicians on stage seeming to have as much fun playing together as the elated crowd had witnessing it. Sadly, LEVON HELM’S voice is virtually gone, but no one in music has more heart and soul, not to mention class, and he showed it as he plowed through his turn at the microphone, trading verses with WILCO frontman, JEFF TWEEDY, guitarist and band leader, Larry Campbell, his wife, Theresa Williams, and Levon’s daughter, Amy Helm of Olabelle, who graced the stage in the late months of pregnancy and poured her heart out during her verse. If you are going to take the time to sit through only one video that is linked to this page, this ought to be the one to watch.

VIDEO LINK: “The Weight” live at the WILCO Solid Sound Festival 2011

We made the trek to Philadelphia to see MY MORNING JACKET at THE MANN CENTER. Jim James (a.k.a. Yim Yames) and the boys from Louisville, KY made only one stop in the New York area on this year’s tour, and it was a few weeks ago at the extraordinarily enormous Madison Square Garden. This fall show on a gorgeous night at his indoor/outdoor amphitheater in Philly, only two hours from home, was totally worth the trip to catch this incredible band on a slightly more intimate level, with the same great light show and the same awesome high energy rock and roll music. While MADISON SQUARE GARDEN may be the ideal forum in which to appreciate the band’s phenomenal light show, it is our least favorite place to see a concert in town, particularly since the re-design. Regardless, MMJ has become a big time rock and roll powerhouse, and fans are treated to an inspired performance with incredible production value time and time again.

EELS played a pair of shows at MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG this July, and boy are we glad that we finally got to check these guys out. Led by Mark Oliver Everett, EELS always keep it fresh, currently touting an energetic brand of power pop while sporting hipster beards that make them look like they belong in the neighborhood. This is pure fun with a touch of angst…a far cry from Everett’s subdued shows with a string orchestra that passed through TOWN HALL several years back, and were made into a concert DVD.

VIDEO LINK: “Losing Streak” live at The Music Hall of Williamsburg

VETIVER hit NYC on a couple of occasions this year. We caught them as headliners at THE BELL HOUSE, but had to make the choice to miss Los Lobos at Brooklyn Bowl that night because of it. This San Francisco band’s brand of mellow pop is soothing and appealing, and even if it isn’t always the most dynamic, it consistently carries the good vibrations of a lovely Spring day. Lead singer and guitarist, Andy Cabic, a long time friend and collaborator of Devendra Banhart, strolls through the band’s repertoire with a light, melodic hand, devoid of Banhart’s weirdness, but full of 1970’s inspired retro-magic.

VIDEO LINK - “More of This” live at The Bell House

FANG ISLAND, the young band formed in Providence, Rhode Island, and now based in Brooklyn, NY packed them into BROOKLYN BOWL for a high energy show in May. Featuring not one, not two, but three loud, distorted guitars, FANG ISLAND describes their own music as “the sound of everyone high-fiving everyone.” The name of the game is fun for all, and while we might be inclined to dismiss an act like this as one for the kiddies, their frenetic performance was undeniably appealing and their music admittedly infectious.

THE FELICE BROTHERS, bonafide hillbillies from Catskill, NY, passed through NYC a few times this year, brandishing their timeless brand of anthemic rock in the spirit of those who came before them, such as The Band, for the city folk. We caught them at THE BELL HOUSE in Gowanus for a pair of sold out shows, in which they played their hearts out in their usual fashion, spinning tales of drunken escapades, drug dealing and incarceration. The band cancelled a run of shows in Europe this month after lead singer and guitarist, Ian Felice, was hospitalized with Shingles, but they managed to return stateside for a New Years Eve show closer to home in Hudson, NY at Club Helsinki, before returning to the UK and Europe in March.

GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS played CENTRAL PARK SUMMERSTAGE at the tail end of the season in late September. The statuesque blonde rock goddess from Vermont has definitely re-defined her image from crunchy girl next door to glam rock superstar, but there is definitely more to Grace Potter than long legs in short skirts. Her power rock songwriting is solid, and her band is extremely tight. Potter comes to work with a seemingly bottomless supply of energy, and her strong musicianship is undeniable on both guitar and Hammond organ. Of course we love seeing her strut and prance around the stage in heels wielding a Gibson Flying-V. She’s got a serious set of pipes and she’s got the moves, but she’s also got great songs. As much as one might want to believe otherwise, when it comes to GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS, the eye candy and the ear candy are inseparable.

2011 also brought the long overdue reunion of THE SPIN DOCTORS, celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the release of their internationally ubiquitous LP, “Pocketful of Kryptonite,” with shows at THE BOWERY BALLROOM and BROOKLYN BOWL. We caught them in Brooklyn, as the club’s lineage traces back to the hippie rock mecca, WETLANDS PRESERVE in Tribeca, where we used to see them regularly the first time around. The band sounded as good as they ever have, and frontman, Chris Barron was relaxed and playful, as he and the other three original Doctors of Spin seemed to enjoy the experience, along with the crowd, none taking it much too seriously but rather basking in the luxury of re-living a moment that had its place in time. Perhaps we will have a similar experience next week, when Evan Dando and THE LEMONHEADS take us back two decades with a live performance of “It’s a Shame About Ray” at THE KNITTING FACTORY on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012.

CAT POWER (a.k.a. Chan Marshall) lit up the darkness at WEBSTER HALL. The emotive singer from Atlanta, GA, has built a reputation over the years for being unpredictable in front of an audience, particularly earlier in her career when she grappled with substance abuse and stagefright. While Marshall certainly lurks in the shadows on stage, under dim lighting, where she gravitates to the general vicinity of the soundboard console at stage left, she sings with heartfelt passion and connects with her audience in a way that is more direct and personal than any performer we’ve ever seen. The video link features her final song of the night, a slow bluesy interpretation of “I Don’t Blame You,” and while the low lighting makes it almost unwatchable, it is worth watching to completion to see the sort of awkward yet earnest connection that Marshall makes with her fans. At the outset of the song, she asks that the house lights be turned on while she continues to perform in the dark. When the song is over, she allows her entire band to exit the stage while she lingers behind, waving humbly and awkwardly to the adoring crowd, and struggling to separate from them. The CAT POWER show was unlike other shows this year. It was personal and emotional, a moment that would be impossible to duplicate.

VIDEO LINK: “I Don’t Blame You,” live at Webster Hall

DEER TICK packed the house at Williamsburg’s DEATH BY AUDIO for a last-minute, free show in the earliest days of Occupy Wall Street to rally against of acts of police brutality by the NYPD against peaceful protestors. While the political content was certainly kept to a minimum, save for a few words from John McCauley about how it’s not OK for cops to beat up demonstrators, it felt like an underground event in the NYC of old. Fans and revelers were specifically instructed not to line up or loiter outside the venue until doors officially opened at 8pm, at which point the house was packed to point of becoming a hot, sweaty, smoky sardine can. It was the first time in a long time that we had to throw our clothes in the laundry immediately upon returning from the show due to the persistent odor of cigarette smoke.

FISHBONE, in their 25th year, brought an unlikely mosh pit to BROOKLYN BOWL. Joined onstage by HR of Rasta Punk icons, THE BAD BRAINS, the energy was raw and unbridled in the way that makes forty-year olds jump up and down…literally. This was a real treat for the kids in all of us. For the actual kids of today, FISHBONE announced a last-minute 3pm acoustic set at Brooklyn Bowl on the Sunday afternoon preceding the show. Sadly, we missed this, but it sounded like a blast. As we all know, it’s never to early to start skankin!

VIDEO LINK: “Bonin’ In The Boneyard” - live at Brooklyn Bowl

ALABAMA SHAKES, led by soulful songstress, Brittany Howard, rocked a sold out audience at BROOKLYN BOWL, then went on to kill it again at MERCURY LOUNGE and add an unannounced free Sunday night show at LAKESIDE LOUNGE before skipping town. More on ALABAMA SHAKES in our recent post from last month.

VIDEO LINK: “On Your Way” - live at Brooklyn Bowl

GARY CLARK JR. was one of the many artists to join THE ROOTS on stage at the 2011 Okayplayer Holiday Jam at BROOKLYN BOWL last Thursday night. Much like Alabama Shakes, this young artist made a wave at this year’s CMJ festival, and with only a couple of songs recorded on an independently released EP, he too is taking the music world by storm. While much of the night focused on Dancehall Reggae brought by the likes of Shaggy and Lady Patra as well as old skool hip hop led by Big Daddy Kane, all backed by THE ROOTS, Clark’s soulful blues guitar fit right into the program, giving the crowd a taste of things to come. We were unable to get into MERCURY LOUNGE a couple of nights earlier to catch Clark and find out what the buzz was about, so this unexpected appearance by the young Texas axeman was well timed and more than welcome.

Finally, we have to take a moment to acknowledge ?UESTLOVE, of THE ROOTS, who has established an ongoing Thursday night residency as a DJ at BROOKLYN BOWL, bringing the funky good vibes to Brooklyn week after week. In addition to his work behind the decks, the man who defies alphabetization by starting his name with a question mark, has also been known to sit in behind the drum kit for many a jam at the bowl.

2011 brought a lot of great live music. Let’s hope 2012 brings even more!

HAPPY PORK BUTT!

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:28:00 -0500

What better way to follow up Hanukkah Latkes than New Years Eve Pork Butt? New Years Eve is is a time of indulgence and celebration. Next to Thanksgiving, it is probably the second most gluttonous night of the year. It is a time to ‘eat, drink, and be merry,’ often with the emphasis on the drink, which leads to the merry, but not for long unless you EAT! Hence, THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON will ring in the new year with the 2nd Biennial NEW YEAR’S EVE BO SSAM FEAST with the help of the MOMOFUKU COOKBOOK by David Chang and Peter Meehan.

This is truly an epic meal as it has been prepared for large groups with advance reservations at MOMOFUKU SSAM BAR for years, served with lettuce wraps and a dozen (or two) freshly shucked oysters. The preparation is intricate, as many of the ingredients in the recipes require the execution of other recipes. We also like to prepare the ROASTED RICE CAKES, one of our favorite dishes at MOMOFUKU NOODLE BAR, which are particularly appropriate as rice cakes are eaten for good luck on the New Year in many countries throughout Asia.

The centerpiece, of course is an 8-10 lb. bone-in Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder (same thing). We don’t mind spending a few extra bucks to get a high quality, professionally butchered pork butt from THE MEAT HOOK. Truthfully, we were a bit concerned that the 10 pounder we picked up might not quite feed our party of ten plus children, so we made the late inning decision to get another 5 lb. pork butt to increase the quantity by 50% and insure that nobody goes hungry as we ring in the new year.

Even though the pork butt is the focus, the rice cakes actually require the most forethought, mainly because we opt to make homemade Ramen Broth to use as the base for the sauce. We roasted our onions 48 hours before serving, and they waited peacefully in the fridge until serving time. This photo above shows what the onions looked like around the midway point. About thirty minutes later, they turned very soft and golden, and reduced in volume by almost half.

Making Ramen Broth is an all day affair, in which the ingredients are added and removed, one at a time, so that they are layered to build a rich, complex flavored broth. The first step is to steep Konbu in 6 quarts of simmering water for ten minutes.

This is followed by removing the Konbu and raising the heat on two cups of dried Shitake Mushrooms to a boil, and then reducing them to a simmer for about 30 minutes so that their rich, earthy flavor and color permeates the stock.

Once we’ve removed the mushrooms, we add four lbs of Chicken and let that simmer for an hour, until the chicken is cooked through, and almost falling off the bone.

Now is the time to put the 5 lbs of meaty Pork Bones in a 400 oven and roast them for an hour, flipping them once at the midway point. If you are fortunate enough to go to a professional butcher, like we do, you can execute this step properly. We called a day ahead, and the ladies and gentlemen at THE MEAT HOOK were happy to set aside very meaty bones for us at two-bucks a pound. These details make the difference. Only a small amount of this broth is actually needed in the recipe, so the good news is that you can have delicious ramen noodles in rich broth with shredded chicken and shitake mushrooms for lunch while preparing dinner on New Year’s Eve day!

Once the chicken is cooked through, and the Pork Bones are roasted, it’s time to remove the chicken and add the pork bones, along with a pound of smoky BENTON’S BACON. This simmers for about 45 minutes, after which the bacon is removed, and the bones are left to cook for the next 6 to 7 hours!

In the last hour, the vegetables are added. Two onion halves, two carrots and a bunch of scallions. Remember, we started this pig fest with seaweed and shitake mushrooms, then worked our way up to bacon and pork, so these nice vegetables get to simmer in the broth for 45 minutes at the end for that kick of freshness before all the solids are strained away.

Once the broth is done, it needs to be seasoned with Tare. Plain old soy sauce will not suffice. We’ve worked too hard on this broth. Tare requires us to oven roast some chicken parts then de-glaze the pan with sake, add some soy sauce and mirin, then simmer it on top of the stove for about an hour, so that it reduces slightly. The end result of this two hour process is an alternative to salt or soy sauce that provides your homemade broth with the flavor enhancement that it deserves.

Okay…so that takes care of one 1/4 cup ingredient for the rice cakes! Next?

TIME TO RUB THAT BUTT! In our case, we’ve got two butts to rub, but in either case, combine a cup of kosher salt and a cup of sugar, and slather that sweet and salty rub all over that pork, making sure to get it inside every crack and crevice. Cover the pan, and stick that thing in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least six hours.

We made a Ponzu sauce, which marinated overnight with the optimistic hope of finding some fresh hamachi in the morning to slice up and serve sashimi style with some jalapenos and Ponzu. Luckily, we were able to talk the sushi chef at THE LOBSTER PLACE at Chelsea Market into selling us a half pound piece of sushi-grade hamachi for $44/lb. We sliced that beauty up, sprinkled some garlic, ginger, scallions, and jalapenos on top, then drizzled our homemade ponzu, some soy sauce and yuzu juice on top. Finally, we drizzled some hot olive oil on top to barely sear the fish and gave it a squirt of lemon. This was a beautiful appetizer and a real crowd pleaser!

Speaking of sauces…we made the Ginger Scallion Sauce, and the Ssam Sauce ahead, both of which spent the night in the fridge before showtime, as they are served with the main event. We made Red Dragon Sauce on the day, which was combined with the roasted onions and some other good stuff to make the sweet and spicy sauce for the Roasted Rice Cakes.

We quickly pickled some Asian Pears and served them in the brine with a few turns of black pepper to create a Mignonette for the freshly shucked oysters. We got some Barnstable Oysters from Cape Cod, MA via THE BROOKLYN KITCHEN, and a dozen Beausoleils from THE LOBSTER PLACE.

For the Bo Ssam, we also need to puree a cup of Kimchi. We’ve determined that the Kimchi is the one component that we would not be making from scratch. Truth be told, we aren’t exactly crazy about the stuff to begin with. Chang’s directive is to serve a cup of Kimchi with the Bo Ssam, and another cup pureed.

We bought two different types. One is the TOBAGI brand, from HAN AH REUM Supermarket on 32nd Street in Korea Town, and it cost $4.99, and the other is MAHK KIMCHI, from a company called ARIRANG, which we bought at THE BROOKLYN KITCHEN. It is all natural and it cost $6.99. The big difference is that unlike the TOBAGI, the ARIRANG has no M.S.G. We decided to puree the cheaper stuff and eat the better stuff as prepared.

After six hours in a 300 degree oven, our Bo Ssam was looking fantastic, with a beautiful golden brown crust and cracklings. At the end of the day, this is the reason we are here…

While it is perfect right out of the oven, David Chang has us take it one step further by letting it rest for an hour, and then rubbing the roasted pork all over with brown sugar and a touch of salt, and searing it in a 500 degree oven for 15 minutes just before serving.

From here, as we approached the dawning of a new year, with our bellies full of Caviar and Country Ham, and Sashimi, and Rice Cakes and Sake, New Year’s Eve revelers in the house of The Glutton eagerly assembled their lettuce wraps, piling each leaf with some sushi rice, a heap of pork pulled right off the bone, Ginger Scallion and Ssam sauce, Kimchi, and a raw Oyster belly! HAPPY NEW YEAR, GLUTTONS! It’s been a wild ride, but a worthwhile journey to say the least.

After many Bo Ssam lettuce wraps and a great deal of Champagne, followed by a few selections of fine rum and some expertly made El Salvadoran Miralvalle Coffee via our brand new TECHNIVORM MOCCAMASTER electric drip coffee maker (more on that some other time), we indulged in the results of an appropriately parallel dessert project. One of our guests took it upon himself to bake a batch of CHOCOLATE CHIP MARSHMALLOW CORN FLAKE COOKIES from the MOMOFUKU MILK BAR COOKBOOK to go with our homemade BO SSAM! These enormous cookies are spectacular and beautiful, and they make the perfect accompaniment to our epic feast.

After lots of drinking and a laborious clean up, we face a new day and a new year armed with some of the best looking leftovers we have ever seen! This is an extremely worthwhile project that is not for the faint of heart, which is why we have only managed to pull if off on New Year’s Eve twice, skipping a year in the middle. Truthfully, if we skipped the Rice Cakes, or even if we resigned ourselves to using Ramen Broth that wasn’t made from scratch, this would be a whole lot more manageable. But if you want to take on a satisfying cooking project that will blow your friends away, grab the MOMOFUKU COOKBOOK and a big ‘ol pork butt, and get comfortable in your kitchen for a couple of days. The best part is that when it is all over, you can enjoy it one last time for lunch on New Year’s Day.

Follow the New Year's Eve BO SSAM on FACEBOOK and TWITTER!

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:32:00 -0500

Follow the New Year's Eve BO SSAM on FACEBOOK and TWITTER!:

It’s time for THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON 2nd Biennial NEW YEAR’S EVE BO SSAM EXTRAVAGANZA! The indulgent Korean inspired family style feast as illustrated in THE MOMOFUKU COOKBOOK is quite an intimidating project at first glance. We are going back into the kitchen after having had two full years to recover, ready to re-construct the masterpiece, along with ROASTED RICE CAKES (for good luck!) just like the ones they serve at MOMOFUKU NOODLE BAR. We will document the process, and hopefully de-mystify it. Then you can tackle it next year…or next week!

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK by clicking the banner or this link.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER to follow THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON beyond the blog.

LATKES WITH A SIDE OF CONTROVERSY

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 04:14:00 -0500

In the spirit of Hanukkah 2011, Great Performances and Edible Brooklyn hosted the 3rd Annual Latke Festival and Cook-Off at Brooklyn Academy of Music on Monday night, just before the first night of Hanukkah is upon us. Traditionally, Latkes are fried potato pancakes made from shredded or grated potatoes, grated onion, matzoh meal and egg, and they are eaten with apple sauce and sour cream on Hanukkah by Jews throughout the world. In Brooklyn, today’s foodie capitol of the universe, and home to slews of Jews, 16 contestants, all but one of which were professional chefs and restaurateurs, put forth their best efforts to win the golden skillet for making the top latke. The sole amateur competitor was Dori Fern, winner of the Edible Brooklyn Latke Competition, whose recipe for Double Happiness Latkes with Five-Spice Duck Confit beat out over 60 other submissions. 600 hungry foodies showed up to ravage the fried delights, as the chefs and their apprentices slaved over the electric fryers, relentlessly churning out latkes for the masses.

Many concocted some very original versions, sometimes enhancing the mixture beyond the potato and often topping the pancake with a delicious couple of bites of highly orchestrated toppings and sauces. The most basic of the lot was located strategically upon entry, VESELKA BOWERY, the new offshoot of the East Village 24 Hour Ukrainian mainstay, offered the classic latke topped with applesauce and sour cream, setting the bar against which all the rest are to be compared.

Some of the most exciting entries came from some surprising sources. KUTSHER’S TRIBECA wowed us with Potato Latkes with Wild Mushrooms and Herbed Ricotta. This restaurant is owned by a fourth generation member of the family that opened the aging Catskills resort from which its name is borrowed, over 100 years ago. We spent some time at Kutsher’s Country Club in the 1980’s and the food was far from memorable, but these Latkes are creative and contemporary, made with quality ingredients and packed with loads of flavor. We ate these Latkes so quickly that we forgot to take photos.

Another favorite Latke came from an Upper West Side restaurant we were formerly unfamiliar with called TELEPAN, which offered Celery Root Potato Pancakes with Green Apple Sour Cream. Apparently, Chef Bill Telepan is a Greenmarket loyalist, and the great flavor of simple fresh ingredients really shines on this understated latke. Telepan uses mashed potatoes and combines them with grated celery root resulting in a latke with wonderful flavor that is fluffy like a croquette and crispy on the outside. The green apple sour cream was sweet and refreshing, and it made us smile and shamelessly request seconds, which Telepan kindly obliged.

GREAT PERFORMANCES, the gargantuan catering operation that ran the Latke Festival event presented latkes in an extravagant and flamboyant, yet rather clever manner. Centrally positioned in the room, GP ran a double station, offering a juxtaposition of latkes which played upon the social climate of the day. Latke lovers walked away with two Latkes and two shots, the first being the ‘99% Latke,’ wrapped around a mini-frankfurter as if it were a bun, then topped with relish and paired with a shot of Brooklyn Lager. In contrast, they offered the ‘1% Latke,’ topped with a Quail Egg and American Caviar and served with a shot of Grey Goose Vodka.

Our conclusion about GREAT PERFORMANCES is that the latkes themselves were not the strongest in the room, but their flavor combinations and irreverent nature made them fun and satisfying. The vodka and beer shots certainly didn’t hurt either. Being that GP is a large scale event caterer, their approach to this competition was true to form and ultimately successful. These guys must know how to throw one awesome Bar Mitzvah!

However, we were somewhat disappointed to learn after the fact, that GREAT PERFORMANCES was actually entered in the competition multiple times on behalf of different establishments that they own and operate. MAE MAE CAFE, which offered Corned Beef Reuben Latkes (pictured above), is a Soho restaurant that is owned and operated by GP. These were reasonably satisfying, if not a bit overwhelming, but they were nowhere near the top of our list. As it turns out, GREAT PERFORMANCES also owns DIZZY’S CLUB COCA COLA, the jazz club in the Time Warner Center, and runs the catering operation at THE PLAZA HOTEL, as well as EL CAFE at Museo del Barrio, all of which had entries in the competition. This brings the total number of GP latkes in competition to SIX, with five competing slots out of 16. Perhaps we are taking it all a bit too seriously, but something about one company, which also happens to be running the entire event, having multiple latkes in competition against everyone else’s single latke recipe, under the guise of entering as separate restaurants, does not seem entirely Kosher.

Perhaps as a festive gesture tinged with a small amount of guilt, immediately after the winners were announced, MAE MAE CAFE put out Chocolate Dipped Latkes for the taking. We have coined these “CHOCOLATKES,” and we cannot get enough of them. Since these dessert items were outside the competition, their distribution was not as heavily regulated, making it difficult to resist return trips to the table.

Apparently, however, GREAT PERFORMANCES may have been doing more to influence this competition than just stacking the deck. Given that amateur competitor, Dori Fern, does not have access to a commercial kitchen, she was apparently required to turn the Latke making duties over to the GP kitchen staff. While this alone may have stolen her thunder somewhat, she arrived to find that they failed to follow her recipe and completely botched her latkes. Refusing to put her name on an inferior potato pancake, Fern and her family scrambled in the final hours before the competition to whip up an enormous batch of latkes on the spot. As a result, she was only able to come up with about 400 latkes, leaving a third of the crowd left to wonder about what set Fern’s Duck Confit Latkes apart from the rest. Was this fumble an honest error on the part of GREAT PERFORMANCES, or could it have been an act of sabotage? In the spirit of the season and friendly competition, we would prefer to assume incompetence over foul play.

However, even after swimming with sharks and surviving, more awkwardness and difficulty awaited Ms. Fern. We found ourselves stopped alongside Fern’s barren table as we waited for Latke specimens from GOLD COAST DELICATESSEN of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, who also ran out of food by the time we got to the table. During our wait, we stared disappointment in the face while drooling over a single, solitary award winning Double Happiness Latke with Five-Spice Duck Confit, which remained behind the table in anticipation of the arrival of Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz. The look on Dori Fern’s face is worth a million words (see above) as the BP vehemently refuses to eat duck. Of course, this opened the door for us to shamelessly ask Marty if we could have his latke since he didn’t want it, which just made the awkward moment more awkward, so we decided to return to the line to wait in vain for rapidly vanishing latkes.

Other highlights came from some unexpected places. Israeli dancer turned wedding cake guru, and host of Food Network’s pastry chef challenge, Sweet Genius, RON BEN-ISRAEL, had a remarkably simple yet unique latke on offer, a Potato and Parsnip Latke Brulee with Cranberry Sauce. It was subtly sweet and highly satisfying, kind of like a blintz combined with a glazed doughnut. Upscale Mexican restaurant, TOLOACHE, offered a minimalist take on the Latke featuring a very crispy thin pancake of shredded potatoes topped with a squirt of spicy jalapeno sauce. The result leaves us wanting more, which is a desire that can be attained, as the restaurant is serving a Mexican Hanukkah menu through December 28th, which looks like it might be rather interesting. Despite the imbalance in the playing field created by GP, we must admit that the Hanukkah Backyard BBQ Latke from DIZZY’S CLUB COCA COLA was one of our favorites for its creativity, its tasty combination of flavors, and for the potato pancake itself, made from Sweet Potatoes and Gouda cheese, resulting in a sturdy and pleasantly dense foundation.

Noah Bernamoff of Montreal-style Jewish Delicatessen, MILE END, in Boerum Hill certainly knows his way around a latke. Around this time last year, we did a post on MILE END and their trio of latkes (see 12/17/10 BG post on Mile End), which are available at the restaurant once again this year. For the festival, however, Bernamoff prepared a Potato Pancake with Tart Applesauce, Beef Breseola & Duck Skin Cracklings. He can be seen above drizzling schmaltz on his latkes as they fry (that’s ‘chicken fat’ for the newbies).

Sadly, we never had a chance to try the First Place Smoked Bluefish and Potato Latke from ALMOND. In the frenzy following our arrival, we were unanimously advised by every member of our group that tried them to skip the ALMOND latkes, because they did not enjoy them at all. As it turns out, this fishy latke won the contest, and we missed the boat. The opinions seem to be polarized on this entry, some loved it, some hated it, and as with Dori Fern’s award winning duck latkes, this glutton can only dream of the greatness that might have been. Of course, GREAT PERFORMANCES took second place for the hot dog and caviar gag, which was definitely fun, but in no way worthy, in our opinion, based on the inferiority of the latkes, themselves, which we believe ought to be the foundation of the contest. We concur with TELEPAN receiving the People’s Choice designation for their low key yet elegant offering. All in all, THE LATKE FESTIVAL was a great way to spend a Monday evening and a great start to the holiday, which will inevitably lead to making more latkes at home…which may have lost some of its appeal at this point.

ON THEIR WAY...ALABAMA SHAKES shake it up from 'Bama to Brooklyn

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:53:00 -0500

With nothing more on record than a 4-song self titled EP released three months ago and day jobs to which they have barely given notice of resignation, ALABAMA SHAKES look like they are shaking things up all over. Lord knows, they shook BROOKLYN BOWL on Thursday night, playing to a sold out house, which they repeated last night at the MERCURY LOUNGE, most likely a longstanding booking that, given the small size of the venue, either underestimated, or more likely pre-dated, the band’s rapidly increasing popularity. The Shakes, as they were known, or more accurately unknown, in their hometown of Athens, Alabama, lit up the CMJ festival with a blistering set at the Bowery Ballroom in October that left the industry with its collective jaw lying on the floor. PASTE MAGAZINE just named Alabama Shakes the ‘Best New Band of 2011,’ and they will be playing to sold out small rooms throughout their current tour that will take them across the country for the next few months, and then to England by late February, blowing minds and picking up traction along the way. We don’t expect to see this band return to a club as small as the Mercury Lounge next time around, that is if it the building is still standing after the sheer force of last night’s performance.

The best thing about ALABAMA SHAKES and their instantaneous rise is that it has nothing to do with glitz or glam or stupid gimmicks or anything trendy or fashionable or any manufactured music industry nonsense. BRITTANY HOWARD, the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist, heart and soul of this band, is a very unlikely rock star. Ms. Howard, an Alabama native, possesses the blues and the spirit of Rock ‘n Roll in such a way that is so visceral and true that it renders all else completely irrelevant. A soul singer in the truest sense of the word, Howard writes and performs music with a band that does not rely on self conscious virtuosity or showmanship. While she clearly has many, many influences in the realm of the music she creates, everything about what Brittany Howard does is completely her own. Of course, many comparisons are popping up in the midst of the buzz. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings might appear on your genius recommendations but the connection seems quite superficial. While both Howard and Jones are Black women making new music rooted in Rock and Soul, there is nothing stylized or retro about ALABAMA SHAKES. Brittany Howard sings and plays guitar like a woman possessed by the spirit of Janis Joplin, Duane Allman and Jimi Hendrix. She is fierce in her delivery, but so seemingly good natured and humble in spirit that it as if she is this sweet Southern lady who channels the monsters of rock. Come to think of it, we’d like to see Brittany Howard and Grace Potter get together for a North vs. South Nocturnal Shakes Girl Power, melt-your-face jam (just this week, they were both added to the upcoming SXSW lineup). We’ll leave you with that thought and this little taste on video from Thursday night’s Brooklyn Bowl show via THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON VIDEO TUBE. The song is called “On Your Way,” and it is one of the four tracks featured on ALABAMA SHAKES’ 4-song debut EP.

Like the band’s name, the hand held camera also has the shakes, probably because its operator was eagerly anticipating the delicious Hamburger awaiting him around the corner at ALLSWELL after the show. The food at Brooklyn Bowl is spectacular, and we think the fried chicken is the best in town, and we can’t get enough of it, AND we had to peel ourselves away from Questlove’s DJ set that immediately followed the ALABAMA SHAKES show, but we’ve been dying to try the seasonally inspired Merrywell whiskey cocktail and the perfectly simple but completely joyous burger available only between the hours of midnight and 3:30am at ALLSWELL. We sure have been talking about this place a lot lately, and we have not even delved into the full dinner menu yet, which truly looks like a carnivore’s paradise, but this cozy addition to the late night neighborhood landscape continually beckons us these days. The Merrywell Rye cocktail is a little taste of Christmas in a glass and the burger and fries are so simple and perfect that we would not change a thing. We found this midnight snack to be so enjoyable that we returned for a repeat the following night! Having been shut out of the inevitable sweatbox at the Mercury Lounge, we only wish we had us some more SHAKES to go with that burger and fries as we did the night before.

The MERRY WELL at ALLSWELL: Old Overholt, Amaro Averna, Dolin Vermouth, Peychaud’s Bitters, Allspice Dram

NAKED COWBOY...Oysters???

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:19:13 -0500

We happened upon this refrigerated delivery van on a recent stroll through the East Village, and we were a bit unnerved. NAKED COWBOY OYSTERS??? After repeating it a few times it began to sound vaguely familiar, like we had seen them on a restaurant menu in the past. Yet never had the notion of NAKED COWBOY OYSTERS evoked the image that is proudly plastered on three sides of this van. Even if you have only visited NYC once in your life as a tourist, you have probably seen the street performer known as The Naked Cowboy, strutting his stuff in the middle of Times Square. As depicted in silhouette in the logo, he wears nothing but his tighty-whities, cowboy boots and a western hat, slinging his guitar and posing for photos with hundreds of giggling tourists daily, and collecting cash tips in his boots.

Robert John Burck, 41, has been doing his act in the middle of the street since 1998, and has become quite the entrepreneur, licensing his name and image for the promotion of many products. Recently, Burck began selling franchises, authorizing others to perform as official ‘Naked Cowboys’ and ‘Naked Cowgirls,’ for a substantial fee, and word has it that ‘The Reverend Naked Cowboy’ is now ordained to perform weddings in the State of New York. Nevertheless, nothing about this guy really makes us want to eat oysters, nor does the association seem particularly appealing, but get ready for this…NAKED COWBOY OYSTERS are the number one selling oysters in Manhattan!

BLUE ISLAND SHELLFISH FARMS of Blue Point, Long Island, gave these mollusks their name, and they are enjoying great success as a result. These oyster divers, who supply many of the top restaurants in the city, chose the moniker for this wild harvested oyster retrieved from the bottom of the Long Island Sound, and made an endorsement deal with The Naked Cowboy, himself, for the right to use the name for their product. Now, the oysters are Burck’s big breadwinner, and the Naked Cowboy is Blue Island’s top selling oyster!

It just may be, however, that the logo on the side of the van is taking the marketing concept a bit too far. From the viewpoint of one who sells oysters, the name makes sense in that restaurant goers might have a laugh over ordering, slurping and savoring a dozen ‘Naked Cowboys’ after a martini or three. Restaurants can turn them over quickly, and there is no doubt that these are fresh, delicious, high quality oysters. However, it is hard to imagine that playing up the visual image of the golden maned, underwear clad busker is an asset to the bivalve’s appeal. These oysters are commonly found on the menus at many great NYC restaurants known for having the best seafood, such as LURE, CRAFT, MERMAID INN, and THE OYSTER BAR in Grand Central Terminal. Something tells us that some of these restaurants might agree that they, too, could do without the guitar pick visual. Unfortunately, now that the connection has been made for us, we are having some difficulty disassociating the oyster from the image, and the next time around we just might have to pass on THE NAKED COWBOYS and stick with the Beausoleils or the Malpeques.

THANKSGIVING OUT!

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:12:00 -0500

Let’s not get into all of the possible reasons why you might be spending Thanksgiving in a restaurant this year. Whatever the reason, if you find yourself dining out on Turkey Day, you owe it to yourself to eat well. After all, this is the glutton’s holiday. Here are a few restaurants with Thanksgiving menus that have the potential to be fantastic. Make your reservations soon to secure your place at the table, and revel in the fact that you do not have to spend this week shopping and cooking and cleaning up after anyone. As usual, the list is split between Brooklyn and Manhattan options, and just for kicks, it is in alphabetical order from A-D. You will have to explore the rest of the alphabet on your own. Happy Thanksgiving from THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON!

ALLSWELL - 124 Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn - Since it’s opening about two weeks ago, NATE SMITH’S late night gastropub is already proving to be a comfy, cozy, inviting neighborhood hangout for the hungry. This traditional $65/person Prix Fixe Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings is sure to be simple and delicious, not unlike spending Turkey Day at home with the family. Mulled wine is included, and if the Caramel Apple Tart is half as good as the Apple Pie we tried there last week, it is reason enough to dine here on Thanksgiving. You can see the full menu and reservation information here.

BURGER AND BARREL - 25 West Houston Street, Soho, Manhattan - One of our perennial favorite New York City chefs, JOSH CAPON, specializes in seafood at Soho’s LURE, but knows his way around a burger, and demonstrates his versatility throughout the menu at his upscale pub, BURGER AND BARREL. Capon eschews the Prix Fixe format and offers a special a la carte menu all day on Thanksgiving, providing diners with a limited number of choices, with nary a fish in sight. If Turkey isn’t what you crave, you can opt instead for Long Island Duck Breast or the vegetarian selection of Gnocchi with Butternut Squash, Maitake Mushrooms and Ricotta Salata. There are even more choices for starters, ranging from Butternut Squash soup, to Foie Gras, to Turkey Tacos. Or you can just have a salad, and run the risk of getting ribbed by the chef. Even if you select the highest priced option from each course on the menu, the whole meal will only run you $55 plus tax, gratuity, and of course, booze. You can also go the carnivorous route and make a reservation for Capon’s famous Prime Rib Dinner for four to ten people on Thanksgiving. See the full Thanksgiving menu and further info here.

COLICCHIO & SONS - 85 Tenth Avenue, Chelsea, Manhattan - Celebrity chef, Tom Colicchio, of Craft (and Top Chef) fame, is certainly a safe bet in lieu of a home cooked meal this Thanksgiving. Expect this to be a more elaborate option, and one that will set you back $115 per person for a four course meal, excluding beverages. In addition to the starter course, there is a pasta course offered before the main event, featuring four options, two of which contain truffles. If you want to avoid the surcharge for the Potato Gnocchi with White Truffles, you can opt instead to slum it with Celery Root and Black Truffle Agnolotti. We’ve always loved eating truffles on Thanksgiving, and apparently the Top Chef agrees. For the main course, a 30 Day Dry Aged Ribeye and a Loch Duart Salmon share the spotlight with the Organic Eberly Farms Turkey. We can’t even think about dessert at this point, but since you will have already paid for it, you should probably force yourself to choose between Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Custard and Apple Cider Doughnuts, each paired with a creative homemade ice cream or sorbet. Don’t forget to call for reservations, and you can view the full menu here.

DRESSLER - 149 Broadway, Williamsburg, Brooklyn - What better place to dine out on Thanksgiving than this beautifully appointed fine dining establishment in the the heart of Williamsburg? Michelin Star awarded chef, Polo Dobkin has created a bountiful three course menu for $85 per person that offers more choices than any of those featured on this list. Dressler also offers an optional wine pairing for an additional $40 per person. With six exciting starters to choose from, the mains on offer run the gamut from the obligatory Heritage Turkey with Cornbread Stuffing to the alternative selections featuring Pan Roasted Chatham Cod, Hanger Steak, Braised Lamb Shank, Venison, and Long Island Duck Breast. View the full menu here.

In a worst case scenario, if you get shut out of Dressler or have a sudden change of heart, you can always try running across the street to PETER LUGER, where there will be no special Thanksgiving Day menu, but the usual Porterhouse will be available for your Thanksgiving feast. That is, if you can get a table, and if you have a pocketful of cash. Wherever you go, eat well enjoy your family and friends, and revel in the one day of the year that is completely devoted to gluttony.

wilCOffee!

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:09:00 -0500

If you follow THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON, you have heard plenty of ranting and raving about coffee. We always give credit where credit is due, but we are also quick to call out those who take themselves way too seriously and ruin the fun for the rest of us. These days, we are enjoying the Ithaca, New York based GIMME! COFFEE, with their two Brooklyn outposts and one in Manhattan, as well as the fine roasted beans from North Carolina’s COUNTER CULTURE, mostly from EVERYMAN ESPRESSO, on 13th Street and 3rd Avenue in the East Village, while we continue to avoid the pretentious and overrated BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE like the plague. As usual, we still have a special place in our heart for the great beans from Chicago by INTELLIGENTSIA COFFEE, as sold by our favorite trio of Manhattan coffee shops, NINTH STREET ESPRESSO. We were blown away by their recent batch from Kenya, and the everyday proprietary Alphabet City Blend is still infinitely satisfying.

So, as if they were inspired by THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON, the Chicago coffee masters at INTELLIGENTSIA have teamed up with the Chicago rock music powerhouse, WILCO, to create a coffee selection especially for the band, which will go on sale for music lovers and coffee lovers alike, just in time for Christmas! If Wilco’s great new album, THE WHOLE LOVE, with its gorgeous modernist cover art and its groundbreaking innovative sound on CD or vinyl isn’t quite enough to put under the tree for the Wilco lover in your life, you can supplement the gift with a bag of WILCO COFFEE by INTELLIGENTSIA. Apparently, this partnership began this time last year when WILCO selected the Organic Ethiopia Sidama roast, and offered it as “A Wilco Selection,” along with a decaf option. This year, the band has selected a micro-lot of INTELLIGENTSIA’s Columbian Piendamo beans, along with a new label and mug design. The WILCO online store describes the coffee as boasting “an abundance of red fruit; cranberry, pomegranate, and cherry alongside a naval orange acidity…combined with honey and cane sugar for a sweet finish.” We’re guessing that the decaf did not generate much interest last year, because there is no indication that such an option is available this time around, which is fine with us. If a rock band is going to put its name on coffee, it certainly should not be decaffeinated. Something about that just seems completely wrong.

At WILCO’s online store, http://wilco.kungfustore.com, you have until November 30th to place an order for 12 oz. bags of WILCO beans for $19 per bag. INTELLIGENTSIA will roast the beans on December 1st and 2nd and they will ship them beginning around December 7th. You can also purchase a beautifully designed mug for $10 each or the “Coffee Lover’s Bundle,” which includes two bags of coffee and two WILCO mugs for $55. One of our favorite bands teaming up with one of our favorite coffee purveyors is kind of like Glutton nirvana. We’ve already ordered our bundle, and we suggest that you pre-order yours as well while supplies last.

(WILCO at Central Park Summerstage, 2011)

THAI REVIVAL

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 09:49:37 -0500

(The soup station at PURE THAI SHOPHOUSE)

Perhaps not all of us are old enough to remember when Thai Food first came on the NYC food scene over thirty years ago, but we have all certainly seen the number of Thai restaurants increase over the years to the point of sheer ubiquity. We must admit that in the last several years, we have largely lost our interest in Thai food. Sure it sometimes serves as a reasonably satisfying lunch at the office, but the truth of the matter is that Thai restaurants seem to have become a dime a dozen, without a whole lot of variation among them, and nothing particularly exciting to offer. As a result, we find that we almost never venture into any of the millions of Pad Thai purveyors that litter the NYC streetscape throughout the boroughs, and we seldom have a craving for the stuff. Event the universal favorite among foodies, SRIPRAPHAI, in Woodside, Queens, while certainly better than most, failed to ‘wow’ us enough to warrant much thought about a return visit since we ate there over a year ago. In fact, It could be argued that all of the hoopla over the place is just another testament to the rampant mediocrity among the rest.

However, after a substantial period of indifference, we’ve recently happened upon a couple of newer Thai spots that have re-awakened our interest in a big way. Perhaps there are more diamonds in the rough that we have not noticed (please share if you know of any), but these are the ones that beckoned us out of our catatonic state of apathy over the Southeast Asian fare and gave us something creative, exciting, and delicious to devour while maintaining the authentic simplicity that keeps the food true to its origins. If you are bored with the same old Thai food, or if like us, you’ve all but given up on it entirely, try these excellent Thai restaurants to wake up your interest in the beautiful, flavorful (and relatively healthy) food of Thailand as it can only be enjoyed when done properly. Try one of these fantastic restaurants when your next Thai craving comes along…and seriously…if you’re gonna roll with The Glutton, it’s time to move beyond the Pad Thai and live a little.

PURE THAI SHOPHOUSE - 766 Ninth Avenue (51/52nd Streets) - Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan - 212-581-0999

Good luck finding this sliver of a space on your own amidst the plethora of Thai restaurants that dominate the real estate along Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen. However, now that you have been advised, step inside this colorfully appointed room where walls are made of recycled wood, the ceiling is lined with corrugated aluminum and the sound of Thailand Radio wafts through the air along with the steamy aroma of broth and stews laden with chilis, garlic, mint, lime, coconut and curry. The eclectic vibe at PURE is matched by the food, which covers many regions of the country. The chalkboard in the rear deconstructs the map of Thailand and the various regions that are featured on the menu. There are ‘snacks’ on offer and ‘noodles’ which can be prepared either dry or in soup, as well as many ‘wok stir-fried dishes,’ all of which are served in smaller sized portions for lunch at reduced prices. Even the lunchtime snacks are more substantial in size than the prices would lead you to believe, but the reasonable cost only further enables our inclination to over-order. You will find no gratuitous spiciness here, as the heat only serves to enhance the explosive flavors found in the food here. Take note of the one or two blackboard specials, as they are almost always worthwhile.

The flavors are bold and everything is extremely fresh and delicious. Great snacks like the Spicy Beef Salad and the Shrimp and Calamari Herb Salad, or the tender and succulent Baby Back Rib (one for lunch, three for dinner) will pique your appetite and leaving you wanting more and more. The snack specials are usually stellar, and you’d be lucky to hit upon the same crispy dumplings or shrimp corn cakes that we enjoyed. The wok stir-fried dishes are great across the board, just pick the ingredients that speak to you and you can’t go wrong. Again, the specials are often where it’s at. We tried the Ratchaburi Crab and Pork Dry Noodles (pictured above), simply prepared with fresh clean flavors of roast pork and lump crab, yu choy greens and scallion atop a pile of egg noodles. It isn’t saucy or salty or overly anything. It is simple and wonderful, like all of our favorite things to eat. Go for the dessert special, whatever it may be, as it is likely to be something you’ve never tried before. Lastly, be sure to peruse the small selection of interesting Thai grocery items for sale at the front of the restaurant.

ZABB ELEE - 75 Second Ave (E. 4th/E. 5th Streets), East Village, Manhattan; 212-505-9533

Yum Koon Chieng - Sweet Chinese Sausage with Shallot, Celery, Tomato, Pickled Garlic, Fresh Chili and Lime Juice

ZABB ELEE, the Manhattan outpost of a Jackson Heights, Queens establishment, features the cuisine of the Northeast region of Isan, bordering Cambodia and Laos. You will not have to resist the urge to chicken out and order Pad Thai here, because, astoundingly, this is a Thai restaurant that does not offer Pad Thai noodles on the menu. There is one page at the back of the menu offering Bangkok Style noodle and rice dishes, but our server was quick to steer us away from that once he was clear that we weren’t afraid to delve into the specialties of the house. While there are some regional dishes here that are not easily found elsewhere, much of ZABB ELEE’S food will be somewhat familiar to Thai lovers, particularly the Larb, consisting of a choice of ground meat made into a mint, onion and lime concoction that could be considered a salad. Even if you’ve had this stuff before, chances are it was not as fresh, flavorful, and full of spiciness as the one at ZABB ELEEE.

Chicken Larb - Ground Chicken with Shallot, Fresh Mint, Scallion, Cilantro, Chili Powder, and Lime Dressing

The menu can seem a bit daunting, as there is little indication as to portion size, but two orders per person from anywhere on the menu ought to satisfy a band of gluttons, and one additional for the table would make it a feast to behold. Truthfully, the best way to enjoy ZABB ELEE would be to come with four people and order one dish from each category on the menu. Don’t miss the refreshing Som Tum (papaya salads). We opted for the one with a bit of everything, including rice noodles, which share the spotlight with the julienne papaya, comprising something not entirely unlike a bowl of spaghetti.

Som Tom Muazaur - Papaya, Shrimp, BBQ Pork, Rice Noodle, Tomato, Long Bean

Crispy pork imparted savory saltiness to the morning glory greens, along with soy sauce and chilis, which was our only selection from the long list of ‘Khao Toam,’ which are basically Thai ‘tapas,’ priced between $6 and $8 each. On this list, you will find pork, vegetables, eggs, duck, liver and gizzards, sweet sausage and fish. Not much of a commitment to try something new and probably fantastic.

Pook Boong Moo Korb - Sauteed Morning Glory with Crispy Pork

We were so distracted by the food and the encyclopedic menu that we almost failed to take a moment to fully appreciate the decor, which is thoughtful, tasteful, and subdued. ZABB ELEE brings Thai food to the level of seriousness and respect for culinary tradition that the food deserves in the presence of a New York audience. Astoundingly, the prices are no more, and possibly even lower, than the run of the mill takeout joint that delivers your Pad Thai noodles to the office.

HONORABLE MENTION:
On the Brooklyn side, we have been enjoying takeout from CHAI HOME KITCHEN on N.6th and Berry Street in Williamsburg. They will happily deliver you quality Pad Thai and delicious, gooey, comforting Home Style Peanut Dumplings with either Chicken or Vegetables. We can’t get enough of the Mukrob Khana - Sauteed Crispy Squid with Chinese Broccoli. The lunch specials are really good too, and although we’ve never been inside the restaurant, it is probably lovely, as is its Manhattan counterpart in the Hell’s Kitchen Thai zone on 8th Avenue and 55th Street.

TURN OVER A NEW LEAF AT LUNCH TODAY

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:53:31 -0500

Every once in a while our gluttony can get a bit out of control, and we must make great efforts to control ourselves, rather than eat ourselves into a new, larger, wardrobe. As much as we love food, we cannot afford to gorge ourselves with reckless abandon all the time, and the real challenge is finding ways to still enjoy food and make it exciting while eating responsibly and healthfully. This is one of those necessary evils that we don’t normally like to talk about in our realm of gluttony. We know how difficult it can be. In an effort to help you transition from an uncontrollable eating machine to a consumer of reasonable portions of healthy and balanced, but still delicious food, here are a few sandwiches that will start you off on the right foot…

“THE CLEAN SLATE” @ SALTIE - 378 Metropolitan Avenue @ Havemeyer Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-387-4777

It took us a while to begin to understand SALTIE. We kept reading and hearing incredible things about about the wonderful food coming out of the kitchen at Marlow & Sons and Diner founder, Caroline Fidanza’s teeny little sandwich shop on Metropolitan Avenue. However, on more than one occasion, we walked in, perused the menu, found nothing that really appealed to us, and left without ordering. Perhaps the sandwiches seemed too precious in a way, featuring ingredients like sardines, eggs, hummus, or potato tortilla as the main element (of course, this turns out to be the same potato tortilla that became Fidanza’s signature at Diner). The only sandwich on the menu featuring any meat (unless you count curried rabbit) is one that combines Mortadella with Pecorino and green olive, and lists parsley as an ingredient, under the moniker of ‘Little Chef.’ We began to formulate a theory that SALTIE was a sandwich shop only for ‘girls.’ Of course, that theory is ridiculous, and while this is not the place to be if you are looking for an Italian Hero, the precariously assembled sandwiches are creatively conceived and well executed. In more recent, more healthful endeavors, we committed to delving into the menu and finally trying the food for ourselves.

We finally stepped inside the nautical themed distressed wood paneled shack that is tastefully designed to look old and artful, as things in Williamsburg so often are. The sandwiches have cute oceanic themed names such as ‘The Captain’s Daughter’ and ‘Ship’s Biscuit.’ Once we took the plunge, we quickly became enamored with a meatless knife and fork open sandwich known as ‘The Clean Slate.’ Hummus is the star of the show, but it is combined with oh-so-healthy superfood, quinoa, atop home baked naan, drizzled in yogurt and topped with pickled vegetables, sesame seeds, and parsley, which is not credited on the menu in this case as it is in the ‘Little Chef.’ As far as we are concerned, ‘The Clean Slate’ serves to function exactly as its name implies, and can be considered a perfect meal to kickoff a commitment to healthy eating. Truthfully, not a Monday has gone by since discovering ‘The Clean Slate,’ that we haven’t yearned for the sandwich around lunchtime after a weekend of gluttonous overindulgence, only to remember that SALTIE is closed on Mondays, giving us no choice other than to push that diet off for just one more day.

(Teenie tiny SALTIE is closed on Mondays)

“THE KENNEDY” @ LUNCHBOX BROOKLYN - 120 Norman Avenue @ Eckford Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn; 718-383-7417

Sometimes, there is nothing like a simple Turkey sandwich on good Whole Grain bread to let ourselves know that the party’s over. It helps if this sandwich is prepared with lots of healthy greens, and without cheese, just to be certain that we get the message across that we will be only eating food that is good for us until further notice. There is nothing fancy about LUNCHBOX BROOKLYN, but it is an inviting little sandwich shop on a quiet street in Greenpoint with a simple menu offering a variety of sandwiches on Balthazar bread. This is certainly more conventional fare than the boutique offerings at Saltie, and not everything is particularly healthy, but hiding somewhere between the pressed roast beef with cheddar and the buffalo chicken with blue cheese is ‘The Kennedy,’ a refreshing assemblage of Turkey, Avocado, Cucumber, Arugula and Mayo on sliced Multigrain Loaf. The creaminess of the avocado combined with the crunchiness of the cucumber and a heaping pile of peppery arugula on great nutty bread makes this turkey sandwich seem healthy and invigorating rather than simply boring. We didn’t fight the mayo so as not to disturb the feng shui of the sandwich, but mustard as an alternative probably wouldn’t ruin it.

Those who want to take it to the vegan level can opt for ‘The Taylor,’ which features Tofurkey and Vegan Cheese, but if you know anything about us, you know that we never condone soy products disguised as meat (or cheese for that matter), regardless of who is serving it and with what condiments. The good news is that LUNCHBOX BROOKLYN is open seven days a week, making ‘The Kennedy’ a perfectly good choice, in lieu of Saltie, for a Monday afternoon effort to reverse the damage done by the sins of our weekend. LUNCHBOX BROOKLYN also offers Balthazar pastries for breakfast and egg sandwiches all day, along with create-your-own salads, smoothies and juices.

THE “FALAFEL WRAPIDO” at WRAPIDO - 2 locations: 104 8th Avenue (between 15th & 16th Streets), 212-208-7800 / 171 West 23rd Street @ 7th Avenue, 212-929-9300; Chelsea, Manhattan

(Welcome to WRAPIDO 8th Avenue)

The best thing about being THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON is having the opportunity to pontificate about food across the spectrum, enabling a discussion that can include SALTIE and WRAPIDO in the same post! While we stand accused of wholeheartedly embracing the new wave of foodie madness that sweeps through the city, we also venture into the lowest of lowbrow dining at times. You still won’t catch us hanging around Mickey D’s, BK, or KFC, but credit is given when due, even in the case of fast food (for example, we recommend taste testing a burger from the highly reviewed BURGER JOINT in Le Parker Meridien against a GOODBURGER made the same way by the local chain)…but let’s get back to healthy food, shall we?

This almost redundantly located pair of bright orange and green aesthetically displeasing Chelsea wrap and salad shops are not doing anything that is going to amaze you with incredible flavor and nuance, but they do make a very good Falafel, and their gimmick is that they press a ball of dough with a machine to make the bread to order for your wrap right before your eyes faster than you can say “squish, sizzle, pop.” A huge Falafel sandwich on a whole wheat wrap stuffed with salad and doused with Tahini and hot sauce makes for a surprisingly tasty and satisfying meal on the run that comes with minimal guilt. True, the Falafel are fried, but you can’t have everything. This is fast food. They also make a nice looking wrap with lean Ribeye steak cooked to order if you prefer to go the carnivorous route. You also have the option of skipping the wrap and opting for a salad with all the same ingredients and many more. We particularly love that the fries here look totally unappealing so they don’t present any temptation. While we would normally be inclined to appreciate the homage, the “Abbey Road” inspired mural (see above) in which the fab four are toting Wrapido bags just seems odd and out of place, and we secretly wish that Paul McCartney would file a cease and desist order so that we don’t have to look at it anymore.

The best thing about WRAPIDO, is that if you suddenly decide to abandon the plan to eat healthy while dining at the 8th Avenue location, you are perfectly positioned to fall off the wagon within moments. Don’t bother with the Nutella Wrapido, but instead roll on down the block to LULU CAKE BOUTIQUE and satisfy your sweet tooth while restoring your aesthetic sensibility. This is a beautiful bakery with all sorts of gorgeous cakes, cookies and other baked treats to triple the caloric intake of your lunch. Plus, they have INTELLIGENTSIA COFFEE, which is always a good thing. If the Falafel doesn’t give you reason enough to make it over to this random block in Chelsea, then dessert and coffee next door should! Who would have ever guessed that we’d fall off the wagon before the end of this post?

THE GLUTTON'S HIT LIST: Epilogue

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 19:23:00 -0400

Not sure about you, but the past week’s hit list made us hungry and we wanted to get right down to business, without a moment to waste. Unfortunately, we targeted a couple of the ‘just opening’ establishments on the list, and they weren’t quite ready for us. Here’s what we learned…

We stopped by SAUCE on Rivington & Allen one afternoon this week, but apparently it was one afternoon too early. We entered the place about an hour before it opened for dinner, only to find that it was closed. Owner, Frank Prisinzano, greeted us personally amidst the chaos of a new establishment trying to find its rhythm, and kindly explained that they were only open for dinner during their first week, but that they were about a day away from unveiling lunch service and the retail butcher counter. Nevertheless, the glass case featured a cornucopia of carnivorous loveliness, and the best part is that the butchers can be observed through the plate glass window on Rivington Street as they manhandle massive cow and boar carcasses in preparation for public consumption, as exemplified in the beautiful vision below. Vegetarians might want to stick to the south side of the street when strolling down Rivington from hereon in. Sadly, we walked away from SAUCE empty handed this time, but we’ll be back, along with our appetite.

(The butchers at newly opened SAUCE in full view of Rivington Street passersby)

Last night, after jamming out at BROOKLYN BOWL with STEVE KIMOCK and special guests, WALLY INGRAM, BERNIE WORRELL and BOBBY VEGA, followed by the rock and roll antics of 30 piece circus punk marching band, MUCCA PAZZA, we strolled by the very new, ALLSWELL on Bedford and N. 10th Street to see what was happening in the highly anticipated gastropub. It was lively inside well after midnight, but unfortunately the place was closed for a private party. Rather than crash the party during opening week (and truthfully, more food and drink was not needed at that point of the night, even for THE GLUTTON), we just snapped a photo from outside, mainly with the intention of reading the specials on the blackboard. Here is what we found:

(Through the looking glass at ALLSWELL)

Seems like the kids are having a fun time, but what is that we see on the menu? If our eyes aren’t deceiving us, it says “Pork Faggot w/ Lentils - $22.” I don’t think we are naive, uninformed, or politically correct, but this would be our first encounter with a “Pork Faggot.” According to Wikipedia, “Faggots are a traditional dish in the UK, especially South and Mid Wales and the Midlands of England.It is made from meat off-cuts and offal, especially pork.A faggot is traditionally made from pig’s heart, liver and fatty belly meat or bacon minced together, with herbs added for flavouring and sometimes bread crumbs. The mixture is shaped in the hand into balls, wrapped round with caul fat (the omentum membrane from the pig’s abdomen), and baked.” Thank you, Nate Smith, for bringing your Faggots to the neighborhood. Things have certainly changed around here since Raymund’s occupied this space.

(Enlarged view of ALLSWELL’S Pork Faggot on the menu)

Here’s an epilogue to the Epilogue…we continued another block down Bedford Avenue in our state of bewilderment over the menu at Allswell, and we noticed that things were particularly calm and quiet for a Saturday night in the heart of the ‘Burg. It quickly became clear that this was at least partially due to the fact that the infamous corner dive, THE TURKEY’S NEST had been SHUTTERED! Gates down, no note, no eviction notice, no letter to loyal customers, no health department violation sticker (shockingly). No rowdy drunks, no stench of stale beer, nobody urinating on the sidewalk. We don’t know if the TURKEY’S NEST is closed permanently or if the Turkey has just flown the nest for a brief vacation, or dare we suggest…renovations, but we caught a group of distraught swill seekers in a devastated state of shock upon learning of the situation. We continued strolling along contemplating just how drastically the neighborhood really has changed.

(Has THE TURKEY’S NEST flown the coop for good?)