Boardwalk at Seaside Heights: Gettin my Swell on Bro

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: I do not fist pump. Ever.

I grew up, went to school and college in New Jersey. I know what a jug handle is, someone else always pumps my gas and I love my pork roll. However as I child, I was deprived of vacations and trips down to the Jersey Shore. My Mom hates the beach and is a plays the Asian women stereotype of avoiding the sun. I joke with her that she would love to rock a burqa because covered head to toe, the sun is not going to come in contact with your skin and she laughs, but she is secretly entertaining the idea. Anyways, trips down to the Jersey Shore never really happened for me until High School, which was the first time I went down to the shore during prom weekend specifically Seaside Heights and Park. Granted, it was raining and dreary the whole weekend, but I realized what I was missing all these years and that the boardwalk and the beach is a quintessential summertime experience. 

Unfortunately, thanks to MTV the Jersey Shore, especially Seaside Heights has left a bad taste in Jerseyians mouths, the taste of Red Bull and vodka to be exact. It has in the past few years been invaded by overly tanned, Ed Hardy/Juicy wearing 20 something year olds fueled by HGH and Jello shots. Such shows as the Jersey Shore are not only an embarrassment to all residents of New Jersey, but the United States. I cannot tell you the second I mention I am from New Jersey when I am travelling anywhere; I am asked if such people as those seen on the Jersey Shore exist. They ask the question in the same intonation as if they were asking me if I had seen some lost tribe in New Guinea and if they really do eat people. Despite the negatives that surround the Jersey Shore, every summer, I have always been down to the Jersey Shore for day trips (I mean, during the night, it is like Guido central, it’s like I am Legend) and it is always a fun time and plus you cannot beat the fair and boardwalk like food. Sure I love eating bone marrow marmalades and sweetbreads but sometimes you cannot beat a soft served custard cone with the cool salty breeze coming in from the Atlantic. Couple Quick Reps and onto the food after the Jump!

Sprinkles Cupcakes: West Coast Cupcakes in NYC

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: I am over Red Velvet anything; it’s a red Cocoa cake people!

Wow, so uhh sprinkles huh?

Recently Papaya Dog opened its first outpost all the way out in Los Angeles. Interesting enough, Sprinkles Cupcakes, a West coast establishment, opened their first New York outpost at the same time. Coincidence? Yes, but interesting. Sprinkles Cupcakes originate from San Francisco and have been slowly opening locations all over California, DC, Chicago, Dallas and has finally made its way here. To say that cupcakes are popular in New York is an understatement. I was in a bodega and they had cupcakes. I never had the combination of Modelo and cupcakes but I guess it could work. Besides a Crumbs bakery located every 5 blocks, there are numerous other cupcake shops all around the city. So for a newcomer to come in and start solely doing cupcakes, it is going to be a challenge.

Sprinkles is located in a somewhat odd location by the Bloomingdales on the Upper East Side. The food options in that area is bare and upon walking in, it seemed like their target clientele was those that shop at Bloomingdales. It was filled with adolescent teens with their parents credit cards dressed vicariously making me feel creepy, 30-something women that most likely had sugar daddies and weird trendy dressed people with thick black glasses. Sprinkle in (haha get it?) the cheery, colors and poppy music I felt very out of place.  

 The place is small and only seems bigger because it is high but cupcakes is pretty much a grab and go kind of deal so I guess it works out for them. I was suspicious of Sprinkles because the place looks too clean and sterile. Most of the cupcake places that I enjoy such as Sugar Sweet, Sweet Revenge, Babycakes there is a transparency in which there is evidence that baking does go on there. Not necessarily a pre-requisite for having good cupcakes, but I Sprinkles goes for the very sterile look here. It does not seem like a bakery, it feels more like I am at a Sharper Image or an Apple Store. The Cupcakes are lined up in neat uniform rows, each with its own little holder. Sprinkles has worked out an efficient system in which one of their overly happy counterperson take your order and your name and while they get it ready for you, announces your name and rings you up so by the time you are done paying, your cupcake order is good to go. Oh and just a for your information, nothing makes you look like a bigger tough guy than a person shouting, “Cupcakes for Joe!” 

They have seasonal cupcakes and rotate flavors throughout the week. I decided to go with four cupcakes; I went with the strawberry, the key lime, the black and white and just for giggles, red velvet. First thing I notice about the cupcakes in that they are insanely uniform and each have this weird, sugary, fondant token button on top. Here is a tip, do not eat it. It tastes like stale Grandma Candy left out to dry and taste like…well a button. The cupcakes look like play food, the plastic food that you give to ages 5 and up to play within their Playtime Kitchen. Cupcakes after the jump!

Black and White- thankfully no weird token on top

Aside appearance the cupcakes are good. The ratio of frosting to cake is perfect. The frosting is an American buttercream which is sweeter than and not as smooth as meringue or French buttercreams. Since the ratio between cake and frosting is perfect, the buttercream balanced and works well with the cake. The first one I tried was the black and white cupcake, which was thankfully lacking the colorful token looking thing. The cake was moist and springy and was the right amount of sweetness. The next ones were the fruity cupcakes, the key lime and the strawberry. Of the two, the key lime had a nice tartness to it and balanced the sweetness of the cupcake. 

Strawberry- sadly does not taste like Snozberry

Key Lime

The Strawberry was fine, but was heavy on that artificial strawberry flavor which is a bit of a turn off for me. Lastly, I had the red velvet cupcake, which I used as a guess a control, attempting to use it as an assessment and comparison to other cupcake shops. The cake was fine and they used a regular vanilla buttercream topping. Red velvet cake, at least I feel needs to come with a cream cheese frosting or it is just a stained Cocoa cake. Wait…that is what red velvet is actually. 

Red Velvet

Sprinkles sets itself apart in which that they are eerily consistent. The cakes are moist and the frosting is slathered on uniformly. The cupcakes in the shop are lined up and stacked neater than a Prussian Army. Regardless of the stamped out likeness of the cupcakes they are good cupcakes and worth stopping by and getting a cupcake that rivals other cupcake shops in New York…hell it is better than Crumbs. 

Sprinkles NYC
780 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10065
http://www.sprinkles.com/

Overnight Yeasted Waffles and Buttered Maple Syrup

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: I want a Mickey Mouse Waffle Iron

The week is hectic and with working out, writing, working and gorging myself on food by the time Sunday rolls around, I am done. My Sunday morning routine is usual, I go for a light jog and workout and I get on going making a simple breakfast. One of my favorites is Waffles is that is designed with wells that hold and soak in awesome syrup. I went through a lot of waffle recipes, ranging from the basic buttermilk waffles to the failed recipes such as a cornmeal waffle. However, the one waffle recipe that has always stood out and that I consistently make time and time again, is from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything. First off, bold statement and second, the recipe stands out to me because of its lightness and for the fact is it also a yeasted waffle. The yeasted batter has that hint of tanginess to it that you find in a buttermilk waffle but the texture of Bittman’s overnight waffle is outstanding. Light, crisp and moist makes you appreciate and give a slight nod to the Belgians for making such a tasty treat. Although prior planning the night before is required, it is a simple recipe and is finished off quickly the next morning. Waffles are designed to be topped and sure you can go just butter or powdered sugar, but you might as well indulge yourself and either slather it with Speculoos (Gingerbread-like spread, think of it as peanut butter’s hot cousin that is nut free) spread, a nice compote or go for the quick extra step and create the Clinton Street Bakery inspired maple butter syrup. I am unsure how they make it, so I took a SWAG (Scientific Wild Ass Guess) a quick tweek and this is what I came up with. Although it is not fat-free by any means, it is Sunday, enjoy yourself before going back to work on Monday half asleep. At least it is…uhh nitrate free?

 Recipes After the Jump!

Amorino Gelato: wait...they are French?

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: Puttis freak me out

I have a feeling this is going to be a hot summer, given the rate that new ice cream and gelato places have been opening up in New York. One of the newest places to open up is Amorino gelato on University. Amorino is an French (yes this threw me off) gelato chain making their first United States debut in New York. I guess if the United States can export Mickey Ds and the Colonel’s chicken, Italy has to fight back and export gelato chains. Gelato places are sprouting up like Baskin Robbins and actually…there are probably more gelato places in the city than Baskin Robbins, someone should research that, not me of course, because I am too busy eating frozen confections. Amorino sets itself apart in which they allow you to have as many flavors as you want. No matter what size cone, cup you get you can get as many flavors as you please so for those indecisive people and abuse the ice cream sampling, this is going to be your downfall. 

Amorino spacious with a good amount of seats and has a coffee house vibe going on. For those “writers” out there that work on their “novels” in coffee shops, this could be a summer “office” space change for you. The only downside I personally see to Amorino is the décor which has the Romanticized Tuscany/Roma décor to it and a step above the Olive Garden. It has the aged looking marble and puttis everywhere. Puttis are those naked little baby cupid looking “things” prominent in Renaissance/Baroque art. Every time I see them, I cringle and shudder, I know they are suppose to be like little angel dudes, but they creep me out. However, I ignored my weird fear of puttis and forged through. 

After paying, you give your receipt to one of the…wait is there a name for the gelato people scoopers? I feel there is a cool name for them, if anyone knows let me know. Anyways, I opted for a medium cup and I decided to only go for 4 flavors. Sure by theory I could have gone with a scoop of each but I was not in a mean mood and there is a point of diminishing returns if you load up on too many flavors. I think the 4 range was a good balance for the medium and if you go larger, 6 flavors should be where you limit yourself.  Amorino has a vast array of flavors and had the most selections of chocolate gelatos. I went for the salted caramel, the pistachios, amoretto and speculoos which are one of the most awesome flavors/treats that people need to be made aware of. Speculoos is a gingerbread-like spiced shortbread cookie originating from the Netherlands and are a delectable treat. Amorino is also known for; according to their website is making petals with your ice cream so that your cone or cup looks like a budding rose. As you can see from the picture, although the gelato is a bit neater in presentation, it does not look like a budding flower of any sort maybe I needed to get it in a cone or I got a gelato scooper person that was still learning? However, I was more interested in how the gelato tasted rather than if it looked like a flower. 

Does not look like a flower...but it is tasty

Overall, the gelato at Amorino was the creamiest gelato I have ate by far. Although it was creamy, the flavors were still distinct and clean. The salted caramel had right sugary depth, but I did not really have the saltiness I was looking for. The pistachio flavors were subtle and I would have liked a bit more of the nuttiness to come through. The Amoretto was packed with almond goodness but I personally thought it was a bit too sweet. The Speculoos though lived up to the expectations and tasted like speculoos spread (love peanut butter but speculoos spread is in another league). Sprinkled with bits of speculoos cookie, the gelato had a hint of ginger to it and the warm speculoos spices and tasted exactly like speculoos. Despite the décor and the lack of flowering gelato, Amorino is a solid competitor with its multiple gelato flavors. I heard that their ice cream sandwich with brioche is quiet good and served warm, bread and gelato, two of my favorite things together? Of course I will be back!

Amorino
 60 University Pl.
New York, NY 10003
http://www.amorino.com/en/

El Globo Restaurante: Wtf is a corn smut?

Om Nomz Hero note to Self: Sometimes, things lost in translation turn out perfectly fine.

In my recent taco adventure into Queens, after getting my Al pastor fix from Tortilleria Nixtamal, I will still craving tacos. Sure 2 tacos maybe enough for some people, but I am not like most people. I remember back in day when I went to summer camp, we had a stay late and the dinner the one time was tacos. I remember at the tender (fat) age of 13 I devoured 10 tacos. So two tacos were not going to hold me over and right around the corner from the Tortilleria was El Globo Restaurante. 

El Globo does not look like a place that you would think would have great tacos, based solely on appearance; it looks more like a place that I can pick up a dime bag and a case of Hep B. I went there around noon and the inside was dark, dank and industrial cans of Goya beans lined the one wall. Walking in, I was given the stare down by the other clientele, all of Latin descent. It was not a hostile look, it was more like, “you look lost, Flushing is at least 5 more stops down” kind of look. Most that walk in here would immediately turn around and walks away but that would be a mistake on their part. Those that do turn and walk out must have missed the delicious cauldron, a holding tank of miscellaneous cuts and bits of meat. 

Cauldron of various meats

After taking a seat at the end at one of their 3 long communal tables I immediately started ordering. I cannot stress enough how bad my Spanish is. It is survivable Spanish that I learned in High School which in real world application, means jack shit. However, as bad as my Spanish is, I do know some useful Spanish, specifically food and animal anatomy, concentration on pig anatomy. After much bantering between me and the waitress, which only spoke Spanish, I did not even attempt any English; I ended up with two tacos and a quesadilla. 

Tacos and Corn Smut after jump!

Blue Bottle Coffee: No Venti Soy Latte here

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: I do not care if you roll your eyes at me, it is hot outside and I want an iced coffee!

Artisan and haute coffee culture has been steadily growing. Pretty soon there will be no way just to get a regular coffee. It seems like you cannot go into any coffee shop in New York without knowing where your coffee came from and the ph levels in the soil it was grown. Baristas have reached bartender status and are like Tom Cruise in Cocktail, except replace the flair and the Hawaiian shirts with aero presses and white v-neck tee shirts. I am by no means a coffee purist or even remotely a snob.  I am a daily coffee drinker. I generally drink my coffee like I drink scotch: neat. No sugar, no cream. The weekends since I have a bit more leisure time, I will at half and half or cream and I am not opposed to added sugar in it either. College I was fueled by Dunkin Donuts coffee, hazelnut, light and sweet. It was basically drinking a Monster in coffee form. I do on occasion and always trips back to Taiwan drink Mr. Brown Coffee. I mean, a jolly looking dude, how could you say no? 

Come on! Yeah it comes in a can, but look at the dude!

 Coffee Stuff after jump!

Tortilleria Nixtamal, Fresh Tortillas, Cannolis and Alfajores in Corona

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: If Burritos are bean blankets then what are tacos?

For the past couple of months, I have been craving tacos like a 7 month pregnant woman. The thing is, every time the opportunity came that I could get a taco, I have already eaten or I foolishly did not save any room. Most normal people, if they were craving a taco would give in and just go to a Taco Bell, a Chipotle or even a Baja Fresh. I put emphasis on normal people. I am not normal. I did not want to spoil my taco craving on just subpar tacos or wanted a chicken or steak taco. I was craving stuff like barbacoa, al pastor and other offal bits. So while most would give into the crunch wrap supreme, I patiently waited a free weekend to travel up to Queens to get myself tacos and fresh tortillas.

This is how I ended up at Tortilleria Nixtamal in Corona, Queens on a Saturday morning. I love New York in which I can jump on the no. 7 train and go down a couple of stops and I can be transported to another country. Go down further and I can be in a totally different country. Getting off at the Junction Blvd. stop and taking a leisurely walk down Roosevelt Avenue brought back memories of traveling in Peru, of the sudden immersion of rapid Spanish being spoken and being the minority.  After an abrupt brain switch to Spanish (bad Spanish) mode, I made my way to Tortilleria Nixtamal.  I was there bright and early, so bright and early that they were not even open yet.   So I stopped by for a cup of coffee and a chocolate cannoli at Leo's Latticini Mama's the Italian bakery and deli one of the few places that is still evidence of a once thriving Italian neighborhood. Although they are known for their sandwiches and cheeses, I had to fight the fatty urges and focus on my taco craving mission. Like cake, a cannoli, especially a chocolate cannoli is good anytime of the day. The cannoli was rich and had a delicate fresh mascarpone filling and had the satisfying crunch that a good cannoli should have. After the pastry amuse bouche I went to Tortilleria Nixtamal to get my fresh tortillas and finally, get some good tacos. 

Onward to Mexican Food! 

Buvette: Francophiles and Italianos in Harmony

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: I still hate communal dining tables

The vintage looking bike is the only indications that you really have that you are at Buvette. That was all I knew about the place when I went to seek it out Saturday night, look for the quirk, vintage looking bike filled with corkscrews. Thankfully, I did not make myself look like a complete idiot stopping in from of every bike on Grove Street, seeing if there was a restaurant around there. Buvette is a fairly new place opened up by Jody Williams and it is best described as a Franco-Italian Tapas bar. 

Wine Board

DIY Bar Snacks of Walnuts

Walking into Buvette, it is cramping, tight and cozy. You will be getting to know your neighbors pretty well so discussing top government state secrets is out when coming here. The décor of the place can easily carry a conversation with its clutter walls of decorative plates, a blackboard mapping out their wine origins and in the backroom where we sat, a quirky chandler that looked like it is composed of Christmas lights, pitchers, and silverware. It is the kind of place that I can imagine a real life Pippy Longstockings would run and was into Dada art. However, I have concluded like Hello Kitty merchandise, it will make any girl coo and constantly remind you how “cute” everything is. We were seated in the back on a communal dining table which fits into the overall feel of the place but I unfortunately do not really like. My issue with communal tables is the privacy issue and like it or not, you are going to get cozy with strangers and hear their conversations and hear the lady next to you complain about how the majority of dishes have cheese and wrongfully tell her nonchalant husband erroneous facts about pasteurized cheeses in the US. (Lady, you are in a French and Italian restaurant, of course there is going to be cheese!)

Dada art or ambient lighting?

 Food, onward!!

Salted Dulce de Leche Apple Pie

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: My apple pies are better than Mom’s.

Given that my Mom grew up in Taiwan and has never made an apple pie in her life, this is a fair statement and something that I can easily accomplish. Apple pie is not just pie, it is iconoclastic. So when you are doing a variation on an apple pie, you best do it right and it is better be good. Enter one of my favorite pie places, 4 & 20 Blackbirds. Being a pie shop they of course are doing a apple pie, it is just something that needs to be on the menu. It is like opening up a Chinese restaurant and not having the option of white rice, it just is not done. But 4 & 20 Blackbirds did not get to were they are doing the Mad Men era pie, they are doing a Salted Caramel Pie and it is damn good. The salt and the sweet interplay wonderfully and it is a pie you can just sit there and just eat. One bite becomes a slice, a slice becomes a half, half a pie becomes a whole, and a whole pie equals self loathing and a nap on the couch promising that tomorrow you will go to the gym.

I like baking and cooking base on what I buy implusively and what I see that is on sale or looking mighty good in the market. I happened to come across some apples that were on sale and Jersey orchard pick so I bought a bag full, just to see what I could do with them and ended up making what I call a Salted Dulce de Leche Apple Pie. The fine folks of the internet had a recipe for the Salted Caramel Apple pie and I took some liberties in making some changes to it due to resources. Instead of a lattice crust which I was to lazy to cut and lay out strips, I just did cover the pie completely and instead of making caramel, I actually had some leftover dulce de leche in the fridge and substituted about 1 ½ cups worth and sprinkled 1 ½ teaspoons of flaky sea salt. The result was a creamy and a bit more subtle salty sweetness which I enjoyed and I think is perfectly acceptable. I also did not have said bitters and left that out completely and added in 1/8^th teaspoon of ground cloves which I thought worked. Like all pies, this pie is fine to eat anytime.

Here is the recipe for the Dulce de Leche Apple Pie I created and adapted it from this recipe for Salted Caramel Apple Pie.

Recipe After the Jump!

Sullivan Street Tea & Spice Co.

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: You can never have enough peppercorns

Sullivan Street Tea & Spice Company has an interesting history. It is not because of the stuff they are selling but it is actually the space they are occupying. Before it was transformed into a gourmet tea and spice shop, it was originally the Triangle Social Club, a stronghold for the mafia back in the knee-capping and cement shoes days. Showing how much New York has changed, what was once a spot for illegal activity is now a place where you can pick up a couple of ounces of a nice proprietary blend of an English breakfast tea. Plus Starbucks is apparently the new place for illegal activity and espionage because caramel frappes are the perfect drink to have while committing high treason.

Not only do I like eating, I do like cooking and stuff because it is fun, tasty, a required life skill and an easy way to impress girls. I am always on the lookout for spices and although I am not a avid hardcore tea drinker, I do like tea and I am also on the look out for new teas. Walking into the Sullivan Street Tea & Spice I am reminded of an apothecary and I have the sudden urge to make a potion of some sort. The walls and shelves are just lined with jars of spices and teas. The space is open and the walls are white making it comfortable as you browse through the jars. The store is basically split down the middle and half the store is teas and the half the store is spices. They have a good range of spices that range on the basics and a surprising amount of whole peppercorns. Not only do they have spices but they have spice blends such as jerk seasons or Herb de Provence which I picked up an ounce of. Their Herb de Provence blend is fragrant and robust and would be a great addition to a rub or as i used it on foccaccia. They have a good selection of salts which is something I did not really get a good look at but when I need a salt refill I will most definitely come here in restocking salt.

The tea selections is ample and not only do they blends and your basics, they have a selection of floral teas such as hibiscus and chrysanthemum tea. They are more than eager to help you out and answer any questions you might have. The spices and teas as sold by the ounce, which mean that you can buy as much or as little as you want and not be stuck with 10 ounces of dried parsley, I mean seriously McCormick, how much parsley does one person need?

Sullivan Street Tea & Spice Company

208 Sullivan St 

New York, NY 10012 

Smorgasburg: like Brooklyn Flea minus vintage stuff

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self:  Food markets are good because you can walk around while eating, feigning calorie burning.

Entrance to Smorgasburg- small children not included

Brooklyn flea has finally answered my prayers and opened up Smorgasburg. Smorgasburg is the newest market which is just focused on food. No more do I have to venture through weird aisles and booths of vintage old stuff just so I can try some food. The Smorgasbord is located in North Williamsburg right by an amazing view of the river which creates a great atmosphere on a nice Saturday afternoon. The majority of the food vendors that are at Brooklyn Flea are now setting up shop at the Smorgasburg as well as a few new comers. I am determined to eat from all the food vendors eventually but unfortunately I have only one stomach so I missed a few like Sunday Gravy and Landhaus but I will eat their tasty food offerings one way or another. 

Wiener

 

 

 Origin of Hot Dog and more Food after Jump

Imperial Woodpeck Snoballs and Love Gelato

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: Southern accents make shaved ice taste better

Love Gelato

I need to move to the West Village as soon as possible. Actually, scratch that, I need to stay away from the West Village because if I moved to the West Village, I would end up looking like Jabba the Hut or the first dude from Seven because of all the gelato and frozen confections shops there. The beginning of the summer means that it is time to trade in the hot chocolate for cones of ice cream and frosty treats and two new comers on the scene are Love Gelato and the branding new, Imperial Woodpecker Snoballs.

I was able to duck into Love Gelato which is one of the new comers to the gelato party. Love Gelato is a nicely spaced shop that is one of the more spacious gelatos places. Not only are they doing gelatos, they are churning out some sandwiches and even crepes. I decided to see how they do with the usual classic flavors, for control-like purposes. I do pretend to sometimes not be a bottomless pit and shove everything into my mouth and pretend to eat all serious and stuff. 

Pistachio and the Stracciatella

I went with the Pistachio and the Stracciatella (vanilla with chocolate pieces). The gelato although texturally it was smooth, it was light and lacked creaminess. I like the denseness and intense flavors of gelato which unfortunately was lacking. I still prefer L’arte del Gelato but like always, I am willing to give Love Gelato another shot in the future and having actual seating is a plus side. 

Imperial Woodpecker after the jump!

Gua Bao and BaoHaus: The OG of Pork Buns

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: Gua Bao is a prime example of Asian efficiency

When David Chang was on the rise and in the midst of building his Momofuku Empire, I remember eating at Ssam bar with my parents and we ordered the pork buns. My sister was raving about them, saying how they were the signature dish and I knew that this was the “it” thing to get. When they came my parents displayed great Asian apathy and indifference.

“What? This is just a Gua Bao. You had these before in Taiwan and other places. What’s so special about it?”

Although they said the pork buns were good, they did not see the hype and the craziness that people had for something that we had before and did not recognize that Chang did anything innovated, because Gua Baos have been around and in Taiwan. For those of you that have not realized it, the pork buns from Momofuku and now in multiple ciche and trendy Asian-influence restaurants are based on Gua Bao. Basically he took the bun and pork concept and put his own twist on it and the bao trend started. I say in the note to self that it is an example of Asian efficiency because they are a complete one handed snack and the design of the bao/bun is really like a taking one piece of bread and folding it over. So if you think about it, they are using half the amount of material and product to make a sandwich but charging the same price for a full one. Sneaky.

Gua Bao After Jump