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EPISODE 001: PIZZA DAY

In order to gain credibility for the web series, Brian invites his work friend Anthony (an authentic Italian) along to find the best pizza in NYC.

Eat This NY: PIZZA DAY from Eat This NY on Vimeo.

EPISODE 002: KOSHER MEAT MARKET

Brian is forced to choose between the affections of two girls during his search for the best corned beef/pastrami in NYC.

Eat This NY: KOSHER MEAT MARKET from Eat This NY on Vimeo.

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But I was constantly disappointed when the only sweets on offer (aside from an orange wedge and a fortune cookie) were the icy, very sweet fluorescent green pistachio ice cream. Where pistachio and American Chinese food made that marriage, I don’t know. But I still relate one with the other.

The offerings at the Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (the “original” was added when a string of impostors opened in Soho and Flushing) are a far cry from that generic, grainy dessert of yesteryear. They do offer pistachio (and it’s slightly less glow-in-the-dark) but they also create unique, real Chinese-inspired flavors such as lychee, black sesame, and almond cookie. The flavors change from season to season so in the past I’ve seen wasabi, avocado, and even durian.

At this stage in the culinary melting pot (especially in New York), green tea and red bean aren’t as exotic as they once were. The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (not to be confused with the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory) offers those traditional Chinese flavors but also have built their own concoctions, such as Zen Butter (peanut butter ice cream with toasted sesame seeds) and Pandan (a citrusy Malaysian leaf that turns everything bright green)

And that’s really what all the fuss is about this tiny little place. There’s no atmosphere to speak of – just newspaper clippings and some tchotchkes on the wall. There’s not even room for a table. So you have to get your ice cream and go. They also offer ice cream cakes (in their usual unusual flavors – lychee/ mango/green tea, anyone?)

When it comes to Chinese desserts in general, sweetness is often a last priority but they still work as a foil to any savory meal. That’s true here too. Most of the ice creams are not incredibly sweet. But they still have that rich, creaminess that cools you down.

So since there were so many unusual options, I wanted to try as many as possible. However, I was quickly cut off after two samples – that’s their limit, it seems. I remember my best ice cream experience (Jeni’s in Columbus) where they were just as excited as I was to let me sample as many of their original flavors as possible. The Chinese kids working here were not nearly as passionate about their ice cream as the kids in the Mid-West. That’s New York for you.

Unlike at other spots in Chinatown, there’s not much of a language barrier here (just a flavor barrier). All the employees speak perfect English (without any detection of an accent), so if you can’t sample the flavors, maybe they can talk to you about it.

The two I picked to sample were the aformentioned Zen Butter (which had a sweet flavor but a bit of an icy texture) and one of my favorite exotic fruits: lychee. They offer both a lychee ice cream and a lychee sorbet. I was worried the sorbet would be too cloying (you have to add sugar to make up for the lack of cream), but the ice cream was refreshing and much creamier in texture than I had expected. It also wasn’t too sweet, which was a nice change.

So in order to taste as much as possible, I put two scoops on a cone. My favorite here has always been the black sesame. I compare it to an American Cookies n Cream. It has that same deep slate color but instead of cookie chunks there’s a mixture of black sesame pieces. But again, it’s not as sweet as we’re used to which is a nice change. I did find it a bit grainy – sesame seeds are not the smoothest of textures. I also had a scoop of the Almond Cookie. Almond is not my favorite flavor, so I’m not sure why I chose this. And while I liked the crunchy cookie pieces that balanced the smooth ice cream, I was not a fan of the extract flavor. I mean, this is what almond cookies tastes like so they’ve succeeded I suppose. But it’s just not my thing.

This ice cream is different than what we’re used to in this country and it’s mostly a pleasant surprise. And the Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory has been around and original since 1978 (still owned by the Seid family). Now if only they’d start supplying the dessert options for the Cantonese restaurants across the country, American kids wouldn’t have to grow up with that scary green stuff.

Is the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory the best ice cream in NY? It’s totally different than the other options out there – both in texture and flavor. Some people won’t like their less sweet, slightly icy options, but I give it a 7 out of 10 because I think it’s a unique and exotic alternative.

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As far as I know, that’s not the case with Minar. Both locations in midtown (one is just off Times Square and the other is a few blocks away from the Empire State Building) seem rather dirty and run-down. But once I got the approval from a trusted authority (ie, Time Out), I was more than willing to take the plunge.

We chose the 31st Street location for an early dinner. There were a few lingering customers, but the place was rather empty. It felt like we were in a small town in the middle of nowhere (and I do admit West 31st Street often feels like that). They also seemed to have a lot of serving areas, but only a few items on offer. I bet the atmosphere is much livelier at lunch.

Since we’re carnivores, we chose the Non-Vegetarian Platter. We got to pick two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and an order of rice. Not a bad deal for just under $10. The chicken masala was slightly spicy and had a great flavorful sauce. The lamb curry was also really well-spiced and tender. For the vegetable, we chose the stewed lentils (are those really considered vegetables?) and it was all complemented with some fragrant basmati rice.

The list item was the Mysore Masala Dosa and it was made to order in the kitchen so it took a bit longer than the platter (considering the counterwoman just scooped up the platter items from the steam table). They called me up when it was ready and I soon became intimidated by the awkwardness of the dosa.

I don’t have much experience with dosas and I’m sure I still eat them like a stupid American. But I’ve never seen one quite like this. A dosa is basically an Indian crepe, made from rice and lentils. The few times I’ve ordered them. they come wrapped up in a long circular tube shape. This one was a huge triangular pocket. I didn’t know how to break into this thing. So I pulled a bit of the pancake off from the edges and then just cut into the center with a plastic knife and fork.

Inside was a warm filling of potatoes, peas, onions, and lots of spices. It had a strong heat which was calmed by the earthiness of the crunchy and soft pancake. The filling was only about a third of the dosa, so when the mashed vegetable mixture got too hot for me, I’d give my tongue a break by tearing apart the crepe itself.

It was served with a spicy red Indian vegetable soup and a cooling white coconut chutney (which I found a bit too watery). One was useful in complementing the heat while the other was helpful in balancing it all out and preventing my belly from spontaneously combusting.

We had to surrender about 3/4 of the way in. Much like Ethiopian injera bread, the dosa was sneakily filling. While this was not the best Indian meal I’ve ever had, it was fresh and flavorful and makes me want to gain more experience in the world of dosas. And thanks to Time Out, I now have another no-frills midtown option whose food I feel safe to indulge in.

Would Minar’s Mysore Masala Dosa make my Top 100 of the year? The ingredients were fresh, the spices were hot, and the dosa was filling so it gets a 6 out of 10 although I’m not sure I need to order this again here.

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And, in the case of a brilliant ice cream truck downtown, we might have to use both definitions of the word gay. Now, of course, enjoying treats from The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck doesn’t necessarily make you gay, but for straight boys like me, it makes me feel like I’m missing out on all the fun.

Doug Quint is a classically trained bassoonist who invested in a soft serve ice cream truck and since he couldn’t decide on a name, he referred to it as his “Big Gay Ice Cream Truck.” And the name stuck. Why wouldn’t it? He dressed it up with rainbow colors but decided to swap out the rainbow sprinkles for something a little more unique. And while he does still offer the usual toppings, the main draw here is the surprising, low maintenance, high concept toppings. They turn the generic soft serve ice cream into a fabulous cone.

I’m not a huge fan of this sort of soft serve. I know I’m in the minority, considering how many soft serve trucks do so well across the country. I bet that annoying truck jingle is up there with Happy Birthday as the most recognizable songs. In fact, Big Gay now has their own theme song courtesy of Jane Wiedlin from the Go-Go’s (it’s available for download on Itunes). Sure the ice cream is creamy and rich, but I find that it lacks much natural flavor unless you count plastic as being natural. In my opinion, this stuff is only good when you cover it up with stuff. And Doug’s method of “covering up the ice cream” is culinary ingenuity at its best.

I don’t know if Doug has any formal culinary training, but he knows what tastes good and he’s figured out some awesome combinations. His most popular option is probably the Salty Pimp, which is a cone of vanilla soft serve, with dulce de leche, sea salt, and chocolate dip. He uses just the right ratio to make the very simple marriage of flavors work perfectly. Another truck speciality is the Bea Arthur – rich dulce de leche that is mellowed by crushed Nilla wafers. On the Cocone, yellow curried coconut flakes stick to the ice cream like wallpaper. The sweet, spiciness really improves on the blahness of the Mister Softee-type soft serve.

In addition to a rotating list of special combinations (which also at one time included an ice cream bacon sandwich), he has special ingredients he offers as toppings. Everything from wasabi peas to cardamom to pomegranate-infused balsamic syrup. He makes Pinkberry’s cereal toppings look like child’s play.

Doug himself is very personable and seems to really enjoy selling this stuff and putting smiles on people’s faces. Isn’t that what ice cream is all about – regardless of what you put on it? The only difficulty with this truck are its hours. Now that Doug has found his niche, I think he takes the day off whenever he wants to – a real perk of being your own employer. For example, the truck is hardly ever around on the weekends (unless it’s part of a big food event somewhere). Maybe that will change when he hires more employees. And I have a feeling come September or October, he will be taking a long vacation. And he certainly deserves it.

So because of the mobility and inconsistent hours, the best way to find The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck is to follow them on twitter. In addition to posting his times and locations (which are generally 17th Street and Broadway from 2-8), he also always has some witty banter to bestow about something. Recently, I felt his pain when young people were mispronouncing Bea Arthur.

Regardless of your sexuality (or size), you’ll have a blast choosing a sundae or cone and experiencing a new, fun way to enjoy that good old American standard. Big Gay Ice Cream Truck will make you feel like a little kid running after the ice cream truck. A very gay, happy little kid.

Is Big Gay Ice Cream Truck the best ice cream in NY? The ice cream itself is predictable and unexciting, but the brilliance here are all the extra goodies that make this 7 out of 10 something special.

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It’s a new retro soda shop that serves ice cream, soft serve, egg creams, sundaes, malts, seltzers, and so on. Except it’s not.

What’s strange and unusual here is not that the menu looks like it was created in the ’50′s, but that all their products are vegan. That means no cream, no milk, no dairy. The egg creams aren’t supposed to have eggs in them to begin with, but these really don’t.

So how is this stuff ice CREAM? Well technically, it’s not. Frozen desserts is more like it. Which is great. I have many friends who are either lactose intolerant or vegan and they certainly deserve to have some summer fun too. So Lula’s Sweet Apothecary should be everything a vegan could want in an ice cream parlor.

Most of the ice creams are made with cashew milk, but a few listed coconut or soy milk as a base. Now I’ve had vegan ice cream via soy or coconut milk and it tends to be icier than the real stuff and a little muted on the flavors. Soy especially adds a rich, sweetness that compromises the original flavor.

Lula’s Sweet Apothecary offers so many traditional toppings and syrups that even if it didn’t taste like the real stuff, you could cover it up enough to fool yourself. But I wasn’t fooling anybody, so I ignored the hot fudge and gluten free brownie pieces and decided to try this stuff naked to really get a sense of the ice cream itself – or ice soy milk or whatever it is.

The hipster counter girl was sort of blank, but totally patient as I asked to sample as many flavors as possible. Each sample was presented on an actual spoon, which added to that old pharmacy ice cream shop feel. It felt like I was being fed my medicine.

And the unfortunate thing is that most of these ice creams tasted more like medicine than dessert. The flavors change daily and are all made in the back. In fact, the mint cookies and cream had to be brought out from the back because it was freshly made. It had some cookie pieces but I couldn’t really taste much mint. I also sampled the mint chip, which the girl warned me was much mint-ier. It was overkill and tasted like toothpaste. I moved on to a sample of the watermelon ice cream. Something seemed off. It had an artificial flavor and if there was real watermelon in there it got overpowered by the strong flavors of the cashew milk. Why didn’t they just make watermelon sorbet? That would have been completely dairy free and much more enjoyable.

I settled on the mocha almond chip. The texture was pretty good (just slightly grainy), but there was a little too much going on. The ice cream was crowded with chocolate pieces and soft almond shreds (they should have toasted them). I found that most of the flavors (including the vanilla s’more) had too many mix-in’s. There’s a balance you have to maintain and I feel like Lula’s may have been covering up for the lack of dairy by putting in lots of sweet texture. It didn’t work for me. The mocha was tasty at first, but the finish brought out that artificial medicine flavor that lingered after I disposed of the cone.

Upon doing some more research online, I found only hugely positive reviews for this spot. I don’t know if it’s unfair of me to judge it against real ice cream or if I just expect more from frozen confections – regardless of what kind of milk they contain. Vegan ice cream is a really difficult product to make rich and creamy. While Lula’s is slightly grainy at times, they get closer than anybody else I’ve seen. But somewhere along the way, their flavors suffer. I feel like there ought to be a great vegan ice cream spot that truly duplicates the real stuff and makes everybody happy. Unfortunately, for me, Lula’s Sweet Apothecary isn’t that place. It felt more like I was visiting my real apothecary than my sweets dealer.

Is Lula’s Sweet Apothecary the best ice cream in NY? The texture is good considering the difficulty in making it that way, but the flavors are compromised and leave a strong medicine aftertaste. Only 6 out of 10 because there ought to be better vegan options out there.

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But I guess press no longer matters, because there was a decent crowd dining at A Voce this Saturday night. It would have been nice to have taken our time and experience an entire meal (like the rest of the crowd). But like usual, I had somewhere else to be and so we came in to sit at the bar and get the dish that everybody’s been talking about since they opened and the one that made Time Out’s list.

It is simply called Pancetta, but it’s so much more than that. It’s cured pork belly that is garnished with crushed pistachios, figs, and a drizzle of balsamic. The presentation might have been artful if the pancetta wasn’t so long. The length made me think of an eel and was almost laughable. Maybe because the photo in Time Out was only a piece of it, I expected this to be short and plumper rather than long and thin.

I’m also not a huge fan of pork belly because I don’t like to deal with that layer of fat. If it’s cooked right the fat becomes very crispy and soaks into the meat creating lots of tender, rich flavor. And basically that’s what happened here. The fat wasn’t crispy, but it was hard to tell where the fat ended and the meat began. Which in my mind is a good thing.

The bites were pretty perfect. They were luscious, earthy, salty, sweet, and very decadent.  I see why this dish is talked about so often.

We also tried to order the Calamari, but I guess we confused the bartender since we also asked about the Stracciatella. She sent us the latter dish by mistake. Which was fine because we were curious about it. It’s basically just a few spoonfuls of incredibly creamy, tender pugliese mozzarella with garnishes of artichokes and bresaola (dried beef). You could tell this came from the same chef since it was similarly composed. And it too had lots of complexity and rich deliciousness.

I really should return here for a full dinner. It’s not too expensive and the food that I tried was pretty spot-on. So I guess we should continue to talk about A Voce and Missy Robbins’ modern Italian dishes. At least until something else opens up in the Time Warner Building.

Would A Voce’s Pancetta make my Top 100 of the year? It gets an 8 out of 10 because through the richness, there was technique and balance that led to an enjoyable take on pork belly.

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But just because this stuff is made like gelato doesn’t mean it has to be from Italian hands. The owners of Cones are two brothers from Argentina. Not the first place you think of when you think ice cream. It turns out the South American country has a huge ice cream culture and a rich dairy history. The brothers brought their unique flavors and rich artisanal ice cream to the West Village in 1999.

And since then it’s been a very popular ice cream destination. Despite the strange, retro 70′s feel of the store, many celebrities have been sighted here (based on the photos on the door) and local families pop in throughout the day. It doesn’t seem to be much of a tourist destination, which adds to that neighborhood vibe.

All the ice cream is made on premises in the back and once in a while, you can witness the funny sight of a big South American guy in his pretty little apron appear from the back with a tub full of freshly made ice cream. They add nothing to their product but the usual suspects: milk, cream, sugar, and flavor.

And you can really tell when you taste the ice cream. It tastes like it’s supposed to – not like artificial syrup or sweeteners. It sort of justifies the hefty price tag. And once upon a time, I would think it was ludicrous to pay five bucks for a small cone. But times have changed and as is evidenced by almost all the shops I’ve visited, ice cream these days ain’t cheap.

But Cones takes the cake (or the cone, if you will) with their high end special. It’s both double the price (that’s almost 10 bucks for a small!) and costs a dollar to sample. That special flavor changes with the season, but I was lucky enough to sample (for a dollar fee, of course) the Kumquat with Johnnie Walker Black. A Scotch kumquat ice cream? This is my kind of place.

I don’t know if it was worth the buck for a spoonful, but it was really intense with a balanced sweet tartness and the extra flavor of the alcohol. I could definitely eat a whole order of this – although my wallet and wasteline wouldn’t approve.

Instead, I did some more sampling – for free this time! The corn tasted just like sweet corn and the server added a sprinkle of cinnamon to bring out the flavors. This was for the sample alone. They really take their tastings seriously.

I also tried the maté (strong South American tea) which had a sweet and spicy flavor that was a bit reminiscent of matcha. And the banana which didn’t have that artificial medicine flavor that often comes with using flavor extracts. This was the real thing.

I could have spent the entire night sampling their ice creams, but for the sake of their business and my social life, I finally settled on a cup of white chocolate. This one is a challenge because I know how difficult it can be to get that subtle white chocolate flavor into a creamy, smooth ice cream.

It felt a little grainy at first, but I realized that was because they used melted white chocolate pieces. I enjoyed the contrast of the chocolate bits to the creamy base. It also really gave it that feeling of being homemade. It wasn’t so far off from the ice cream I used to make – except this was better. It was a little sweet (it’s white chocolate after all!) but not cloying or overwhelming. And like a great gelato, it didn’t leave that regretful film sensation in my mouth. It’s a long way from Italy to Argentina, but somehow they’re closer than you think.

Is Cones the best ice cream in NY? The price tag is a bit hefty, but the ingredients are fresh and real, the mouthfeel is satisfying, and with both unusual and classic flavor options, there’s something for everybody, so they get a 9 out of 10.

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Tudor City is exactly that. I came to Convivio last year (when I was attempting to consume all of TONY’s 2008 list items) and was amazed to discover this three block stretch of beautiful residental apartments and hidden gardens. It’s truly an enclave in the sky and as far as I can gather, Convivio is the only restaurant in the neighborhood.

Michael White is the chef, who has received many accolades earlier this year for Marea. Like that seafood palace, this is high-end modern Italian cuisine with expensive pasta and meat dishes. And since we didn’t have the time or money to spend on one of their prix-fixe options (plus I felt a little underdressed in shorts and a T-shirt), we made ourselves comfortable at their secluded bar. It feels almost like a hotel bar but with dark red lights and bizarre photos on the wall harking back to the Old Country.

Our bartender was very nice (if a bit stiff) and even asked me about my Troëgs (a PA craft brewery) T-shirt. Not only was I not underdressed, but I was a conversation starter!

We ordered a fantastic cocktail called the Diplomat, which was a perfect combination of sweet Four Roses bourbon, spicy Antica Formula, bitter Cynar, and tart orange bitters. We also decided to splurge on one of their more interesting pasta options – Malloreddus (saffron gnochetti, crab meat, sea urchin). That wasn’t a great idea. It was not worth the $25 price tag. There was barely any crab meat and the sea urchin must have been mixed into the sauce for some richness because I couldn’t find any pieces. The flavors were also rich and not as complex as I’d expect from a place like this. Eh.

But the side order of Pecorino Potate that made Time Out’s list were a lot more successful. They come in at Number Eight on their Top Ten (so we’ve now completed their ten best) and while I don’t think they were quite that good, they were still rather addicting. These were slices of potatoes that were so crispy and seasoned that I couldn’t help but fill up on carbs.

Time Out claims they are twice roasted, but if these puppies are not fried, I’m amazed. They had a perfect crust that gave way to a warm, starchy potato slice. I think the only seasoning was salt, pepper, and some parsley. They could have used maybe a squeeze of lemon or a dipping sauce. But these were a delicious snack that was a gourmet combination of french fries, chips, and potato skins.

If only I could afford to live in Tudor City, I’d sit at the bar at Convivio every day. I guess then I could also afford more than just a beer T-shirt and shorts.

Would Convivio’s Pecorino Potatoes make my Top 100 of the year? I had a hard time not shoving them all in my mouth, but they could have used one more component to brighten them to perfection. Either way, they get an 8 out of 10.

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Quality Meats has never played by the rules of the typical steakhouse. Since it opened in 2006, it caters to both big and brawny expense accounts (the 64 oz. Double Ribeye) and the epicurean (sides like corn creme brulee and buttered edamame). And now for the summer, they’ve tried something no other steakhouse in the city would even dare contemplate.

They’ve turned their charcuterie bar into a brilliant Willy Wonka-esque candy counter. Pork carcasses and cleavers have been replaced by gigantic gummy bears and ice cream scoopers. They sound like they’d be out of place in the middle of a high end steakhouse, but they somehow work perfectly. It’s every businessmanchild’s fantasy!

We were told we could also eat savory food at the cake bar so we decided to try the steak tartare. It was fresh and tasty, but nothing special and I couldn’t stop thinking about the desserts to come. Especially since there was mixing and cake decorating happening right in front of us.

It was like a brain freeze trying to decide between the personal ice cream cakes they offer. And even though he was hard at work, executive pastry chef Cory Colton, was nice enough to engage us and talk to us about the three options. It was either the Pie Smash (blueberry cake with lemon meringue ice cream and raspberry frosting), the Cherry Monkey (banana cake with cherry-pistachio ice cream and vanilla frosting), or the Monster Mash (peanut butter cake with chocolate cookie monster ice cream and caramel frosting). You understand now why this decision needed some professional help.

My only concern with the Cherry Monkey was the pistachio ice cream. I tend to find (even at the best ice cream shops) pistachio ice cream to taste more like an extract than the actual nut. Cory assured us this was not the case and even gave us a sample to seal the deal. A sample at a steak house? That must be another first.

So the Cherry Monkey arrived and it was beautiful: cute, artistic, and good enough to eat. And while I felt bad breaking into that gorgeous presentation, I didn’t feel that bad!

It sounds bizarre but pistachio, cherry, and banana are an amazing threesome. None of them are too sweet but together they make a satisfying ice cream combination. And the textures of cold, creamy, and cakey are heavenly together. It’s been years since I’ve had an ice cream cake and maybe never since I’ve had one this delicious.

The only problem is that it’s a little too much for one person. It’s definitely a mini-ice cream cake, but I can’t in good conscience call it a single serving. But like that 12 year old birthday boy, I kept pushing on until my mouth was satisfied and my tummy felt betrayed. So I guess in that sense, Quality Meats is like every other steakhouse.

Is Quality Meats’ the best ice cream in NY? They have brilliant ice cream cakes that are worth trying, but until the offer single scoops and customizable toppings, I don’t think it’s fair to grade them in this journey. But in their own journey, they’re absolutely amazing!

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