It’s funny to me how there are celebrities in every field that nobody else really cares about. For instance, I’m sure there’s the top dog real estate guru that all realtors would know by name, but I would treat like anybody else on the street. So, of course the same holds true for the food world. And more specifically, the pizza world.

Any pizza fanatic or serious food writer would know the name Antonio Starita, the owner of the oldest pizzeria in Naples. And if they didn’t, they most certainly do know that he’s opened a New York branch of his Naples pizzeria with his well-established protege Roberto Caporuscio. Roberto, of course, is the pizzaiolo and co-owner of one of my favorite pizza restaurants in the city, Kesté.

I was all too eager to check out this new place and was even more excited when I saw Roberto working behind the open kitchen. The sleek restaurant is much bigger than the West Village digs, but the tables are similarly close together and I was excited to spot a version of my favorite Pizza del Papa on the menu.

But we didn’t order that, as tempted as I was because the menu was huge. So many pizza choices in lots of different categories, like Speciale, Bianche, Rosse, and even Fritte (that’s right, fried pizza).

Fried pizza has begun to gain popularity in NY thanks to Forcella and their montanara pizza. As of this writing, I’m ashamed to admit I have not yet tried it, although I will soon because it is on Time Out’s 100 Best list. So stay tuned. But I did order the Montanara here for my first taste of this speciality.

Now this is different than the battered and deep fried pizza I tried at Chip Shop years ago. This is much more refined and surprisingly greaseless. The dough is indeed deep fried to the consistency (but not sweetness) of a funnel cake. Then it’s topped and baked.

I’m not sure I felt like the fried dough added a whole lot to the pizza experience. It certainly made it crisper and more filling, but I’m on the fence about whether the eating sensation was greater than the calorie intake. The toppings, however were phenomenal here. The tomato sauce had a sweet orange note which was balanced with the smokiness from the smoked mozzarella.

My friend picked the Vesuvio, which was one of the most expensive pies at $23. It was topped with just about everything in the world and then stuffed with whatever was missing. I kind of found this overwhelmed with ingredients – mushrooms, ham, basil, artichokes on top and then salami, ricotta, and mozzarella stuffed inside. It was incredibly filling (I couldn’t even finish an entire slice). And with all the salty rich ingredients, I found it difficult to appreciate the crispy crust.

The best pizza we tried was the Pistacchio E Salsiccia (which was my choice, thank you very much!) This was a perfect example of everything I love at Kesté – masterful dough that’s both thin and pillowy, surprising combination of flavors that worked, and the right amount of cheese ratio. It was topped with a pistachio pesto (which was slightly sweeter than the pine nut variety), crumbled sausage, buttery homemade mozzarella, sharp pecorino, and bright fresh basil leaves. It worked wonders!

I will be returning to Don Antonio rather soon since there is a whole world of pizzas (not to mention appetizers and paninis) still left for me to try. I sort of glazed over the menu after a while and couldn’t read the entire thing since there were so many options. Or I might have been too busy gawking at the celebrities manning the wood burning pizza oven. Most normal people wouldn’t have had that problem.

Is Don Antonio the best pizza in NY? It’s hard for me to fully say after trying just three pies, which ranged from amazing to not my thing. For now, they get a 7 out of 10 but I’ll be returning for a re-evaluation.

I never get to eat out on Monday nights because I have to work at the restaurant. See, many restaurants have figured out how to capitalize on what is usually a slow night. Monday nights are not the prime dining out nights, but now thanks to all these special dinners and promotions, places can get very crowded. And since Apiary does a “No Corkage” fee on Monday nights, I’m always scheduled.

I finally got a Monday night off. And I immediately made plans to try the lamb burger at James. As you might have guessed, it’s only available on Monday nights.

I’ve always wanted to try James since first reading about it in Time Out many years ago. It has the same farm to table, neighborhood vibe that can get rather tiresome these days. I’m pleased to stay the food and service kept things fresh.

In addition to the lamb burger (which is part of their Monday Burger Night menu), we checked out some of their other menu items. The cauliflower soup with smoked trout had the right amount of creaminess and managed to hold a lot of flavor (even though cauliflower usually doesn’t). The skate was browned beautifully and sat atop a solid sunchoke puree, which was slightly too similar to the cauliflower soup. But the dish had a nice brightness and richness.

The lamb burger was served on a semolina bun with smoked paprika fries (in addition to sweet potato and herbed, one of three different french fry options on offer here). A generous spread of goat cheese really played up the gamey flavor of the meat and perhaps overwhelmed it. On its own, I didn’t find the patty to have a very strong lamb flavor. It was advertised as being dusted with cumin (which I think would have helped with those flavors), but I was not able to sense any of those spices. The burger was juicy and seared properly, but was actually slightly under seasoned. I also found that true of the tepid and soft fries.

It was still a nice burger, but not anywhere as delicious as some other ones I’ve had around town. And certainly not worth taking off Monday nights.

Would James’ Lamb Burger make my Top 100 of the year? It lacked much lamb flavor and could have used more seasoning, but it was juicy and filling so it gets a 7 out of 10.

As an addendum to this review, it turns out the beer I reviewed was mislabeled and in fact not Long Ireland’s Celtic Ale. Greg, one of the owners at Long Ireland Beer Company, wrote to inform me that this must have been their Pale Ale and something got lost in translation from when their distributor delivered it and Beer Authority served it to me. My guess is the bar screwed this up and is not in fact living up to its name. That being said, I still found the beer a little out of balance and too hoppy. But I will be sure to re-visit the actual Celtic Ale for a proper review.

I first heard about Long Ireland Beer Company a few months ago (right around St. Patrick’s Day). The name is pretty clever and I assumed they focus on Irish style beers (much like what Ommegang Brewery does for Belgian styles). It would have been a perfect pint for those thirsty days in March. But the beer was tough to find in the city back then.

It’s become a little more common – the name sure is catchy – and I found it on tap at the brand spankin’ new Beer Authority. It sounds as if this bar is meant to imply that this is the final word on craft beer bars and that they could answer any of your questions about brews. The more likely reference for this name is the fact that they are down the street from the Port Authority (and seemingly just as massive). Although the outside looks like a jewelry market.

Upstairs, the block-long bar filled up pretty quickly with business-types getting a drink before heading home to Jersey or Connecticut. I was here for a meeting and to finally drink that Long Ireland Celtic Ale. The beer selection was large, but not as unique as I had hoped from the authorities on beer.

The Celtic Ale is similar to an Irish red ale with an amber, unfiltered appearance. The white foamy head was healthy and tinted the glass. Scents of pine and grapefruit overwhelmed on the first few whiffs, but then it died out and I couldn’t smell anything at all, so I decided to taste it. The mouthfeel was harsh and the bitter hop quality outshone any possible malt or yeast. It mellows out a little bit after a few sips, but I found the beer incredibly unbalanced. I love hops as much as the next guy, but this made me feel like I was eating a piney carpet. Not fun.

Needless to say, I didn’t finish the beer. I contemplated ordering something else, but the crowds started taking over and the waitress didn’t have time to be any sort of beer authority.

Would Long Ireland Beer Company’s Celtic Ale Pale Ale make my Top 100 of the year? I found it too harsh and unbalanced to be enjoyable, so unfortunately have to give it a 5 out of 10.

Brian begins training to give beer tours with David Naczycz from Urban Oyster, but  he gets distracted by a new scheme that could win him lots of ladies.

Chinatown is not normally the neighborhood I would suggest for grabbing a sandwich. Unless you’re looking specifically for a Vietnamese banh mi (in that case, check out Saigon Banh Mi) or a sesame pancake sandwich (definitely hit up Vanessa’s). Except now there’s a wonderful little café on the outskirts of Chinatown that is serving fresh and affordable sandwiches with ingredients that American tourists might be a little more familiar with than pickled daikon.

Bluebird Sky feels like it belongs somewhere in Brooklyn (the room has a classic old-time feel to it, the servers all have tattoos up the wazoo, and they serve cold brewed coffee!) but it’s nestled on Baxter Street just steps away from both Chinatown and Little Italy. It’s a warm and welcoming spot and we stopped in late on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

The Flank Steak sandwich is what Time Out chose as one of the best dishes of the year, but the menu items (which all hover right around $10) all sounded appetizing from Southern influenced appetizers (shrimp and grits) to salads and hearty sandwiches. The dinner menu is just slightly more expensive with a selection of promising small plates.

We tried their classic Egg Sandwich, which was basically a giant gruyere omelet with avocado and smoky bacon, nestled between a crusty baguette. It was rich, creamy, and a great start to the weekend.

The Flank Steak sandwich was served with their awesome homemade potato chips and a dipping sauce that reminded me of a sour cream and onion dip (I think they were for the chips). The beautiful pink flank steak was perfectly cooked – you could see the color change from the dark exterior char to the red medium rare center. The meat was also bursting with juicy flavor and tenderness, which was helped by the addition of tangy pickled shallots and melted gruyere cheese. I don’t know where else you can get this much quality steak on a sandwich for $10.

My only complaint was that it was a bit difficult to keep the steak in the sandwich. The tender bread had a chew which caused the meat to often fall on the plate. As long as I didn’t lose any of that meat completely, there wasn’t too much trouble.

So now I have another spot to send people when they want a delicious, affordable sandwich in a comfortable atmosphere. But will they believe me when I tell them it’s in Chinatown?

Would Bluebird Sky’s Grilled Flank Steak Sandwich make my Top 100 of the year? 9 out of 10 since it’s a surprisingly affordable and delicious steak sandwich that I am so happy to have discovered, even if it is in the most unexpected part of town.

Special Thanks:

unclegussys.com
ultrateg.com

I can officially say 61 Local is my new hang out. We’ll be hosting the premiere of the beer episode tonight at 7pm at this wonderful new public house in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn because their community ideals are very similar to what I try to do in finding iconic local food and their upstairs private event space is pretty awesome. I had peeked my head into the bar on a very busy Saturday night once, but never spent much time here. Thankfully, that’s all about to change.

As of this writing, I’ve been there 4 times in one week. First was to check out the place and taste some beer. I’ll get to those in a minute. The next was to interview Dave, the owner, and Kris, the event manager in anticipation of the Neighborhood Eats Tour, the latest tour I’m giving with Urban Oyster. Then I brought a group by on my inaugural tour. And yesterday I visited in the morning to do a sound check for the big night. If you come by tonight, you’ll understand why this is the kind of place you’ll want to visit again and again.

It’s open practically all day – weekday mornings at 7am when they serve pastries, coffee, and bites. Then the local craft beer comes out as they host events and meetings throughout the day and into the night. It’s a wide open space that’s warm, comfortable, and full of great local brews. Definitely my kind of place.

I had a difficult choice in choosing which two beers I wanted to try. They offer sampler sizes, fortunately, so it made my decision slightly easier. Usually Barrier Brewery is represented heavily on the menu (the owner used to work at Sixpoint with the owners of Barrier), but the Long Island Brewery is in the process of moving and has paused their production.

So I started with Kelso’s Spring Saison, which is appropriate because it’s spring and Kelso is represented in the upcoming beer video. It’s a fresh seasonal beer that had a hazy unfiltered appearance to its golden peach colored hue. Grassy and bready notes made up the nose. It had a light body with wheat-like banana and yeast flavors at first strengthening to a spicy citrusy hop finish. The buzzy carbonation made it a thirst quenching and delicious seasonal.

Greenport Harbor is not featured in the video (the Long Island based brewery is a bit of a commute), but I’ve liked most of their beers in the past. Their Hoppy Stout sounded so interesting and got my hopes up for something along the lines of a black IPA. It was quite a bit more unique than that.

The dark brown chocolate color and tight tan head was quite appealing. A hoppy beer didn’t come to mind when I took a whiff and got smoky, sausage hints on the nose. Umami flavors continued upon the first sip with a subtle grassy hop character finishing with usual stout characteristics like coffee and chocolate. It’s not as smooth or sweet as a typical stout, but instead balanced a little more strongly in the bitter corner. That’s what made this stout so unique.

Needless to say, I’ve fallen in love with this place – and coincidentally, with the two beers I tasted here. I invite you all to join me tonight (May 9) at 7pm to celebrate local craft beer and find out just how cool this place really is. Below is a trailer for the episode (which is going to be awesome), just to give you an extra incentive to come out to this free event. Hope to see you there!

Is Kelso of Brooklyn’s Spring Saison the best beer in NY? It has a wheat beer-like flavor that’s refreshing and light with a spicy hop flavor  making it a very drinkable 8 out of 10.

Is Greenport Harbor’s Hoppy Stout the best beer in NY? I found it even more unique and subtle than a black IPA so it gets a 9 out of 10 for having strong smoky umami notes balanced by a hoppy bitterness.

Sometimes conquering this list is all about convenience. I was attending a friend’s birthday part at Patsy’s Pizzeria up in East Harlem one night and I realized Taco Mix, a list item stop, was a few blocks away. Since I very rarely (if ever) find myself in this part of Harlem, I decided to make a pre-pizza taco run. Ah, the life of a food blogger!

Taco Mix is a hole in the wall with a single table in back and a standing room only counter. It’s what all good taco places should be. I was sort of surprised at the crowd inside, but I managed to order my Al Pastor Taco, scarf it down, and make it to the party just a few minutes late.

If it wasn’t for the impending pizza, I would have ordered a few other taco options – especially after I tasted the al pastor. Al pastor is one of my favorite taco fillings. It’s spit-grilled spiced pork spiced usually mixed with chopped pineapples.

I’ve had al pastor many times over before, but I truly think the version from Taco Mix was the best I’ve ever tasted. The meat was strikingly red and crispy, almost like Chinese BBQ pork. The flavors here were complex with smoke and spice – I added even more with one of their bottles of hot sauces. The raw onions, generous garnish of cilantro, and sweet chunks of pineapple made the insides of the soft tortilla an incredibly enjoyable and balanced experience.

I wish I could have lingered on this experience, but I had to run off to my next food excursion. Somebody please throw another party at Patsy’s soon (or at this tiny place) so I can find another excuse to get a taste of the best Mexican food I’ve had in a while.

Would Taco Mix’s Al Pastor Taco make my Top 100 of the year? Possibly. It was a surprising flavor bomb and gave me a new favorite Mexican spot earning it a 9 out of 10.

There was something not quite right about Caliu. Maybe that’s why Lady Gaga famously spent a New Year’s Eve here a while back. It felt a little sloppy, amateurish, and almost as if we had stumbled into some teenagers playing restaurant.

Walking down Hudson Street, we passed RedFarm and a few other restaurants that were surprisingly busy for a Wednesday night. When we arrived at Caliu, there was not a single person in the dining room. And this was at 7:30, which is closing in on prime dinner time in NY. For the record, three more groups showed up while we were dining.

This restaurant serves moderately priced Spanish tapas and wines to go along with them. I knew each time one of our dishes was ready because I literally heard the chef call across the dining room for the food runner to come pick up the food. Not even a bell?

The first two dishes were promising: Buñuelos de Calabaza (little donuts of butternut squash puree) were soft and tender with just the right amount of sweetness from a maple yogurt) and Montado de Lomo (nicely tender pork tenderloin) was held up on the toast by dollops of a tangy spiced goat cheese.

After that, we started to see the restaurant’s weaknesses. The calamari came out slightly undercooked and rubbery with a lingering metallic taste. There was no char or crispness and the pool of squid ink was uninspired. The brussels sprouts were fine but got weighed down a bit by the ham vinaigrette and could have also used more char.

The paella is probably what they’re most famous for (like any good Spanish restaurant oughta be) and it’s what Time Out included on their list. It ended up being a rather small plate, but was filling enough. There is a focus here on the crunchy layer of paella called soccarat (the menu even calls the dish Crujiente – which translates to crunchy). It was indeed crunchy. It actually reminded me of when I was younger and would put bologna in the microwave for an afternoon snack.

I enjoyed the crunchy texture and the smoky, salty, spicy flavor combinations, but I thought the ingredients were lacking a little. There was a nice tasty hunk of homemade chorizo, but the calmari was again lackluster while the cockles and mussels were all shell and no meat. If it wasn’t for the well-cooked rice and pork, I’d have written this off completely. And, where is the dramatic skillet this dish is often served with? That’s half the fun, isn’t it? Oh, these kids and their restaurant!

Would Caliu’s Paella make my Top 100 of the Year? 6 out of 10 since I’ve had much better versions and there was something about this restaurant that was a little dank and amateurish.