Posted by Robyn Lee, May 9, 2008 at 4:00 PM
The somewhat non-existent sign outside the restaurant, and the interior.
Do you have any idea how many times I wished I could eat a dinner in which i could alternate mouthfuls of fried chicken with bites of spicy, kimchi-laden tofu? More than you can imagine.
So thank god for Forte Baden Baden. While this restaurant in Korea Town is meant to resembles a German beer hall (it takes its name from the German town Baden-Baden), the food is just about all Korean. Either that, or fried. Don't be put off by the dirty hallway and odd smelling stairway that leads to this easy-to-miss second story restaurant. It's a small hurdle to get over in order to reach the feast of chicken within.
Fried chicken + fried potato = glorious.
A large order of the fried chicken—which is actually a whole deep-fried rotisserie chicken, putting the chicken's flavor somewhere between "rotisserie" and "deep fried"—was enough to feed my party of five. (Don't worry; it also comes in a smaller size, although a smaller size that's probably still hefty.) Granted, it was accompanied/smothered by a carbohydrate bomb in the form of a mountain of fries. Not just any fries though; these crisp babies, perhaps just a bit thicker than the McDonald's variety, had a slightly rough texture on the outer crust that gave it extra "oomph" in the crunchiness department, making them dangerously irresistible. The chicken wasn't to die for, but the meat was moist enough and blanketed by a crispy, fatty layer of skin. Beneath the chicken were a few slices of vegetables that seemed out of place, and some puddingly-soft, whole roasted cloves of garlic.
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Posted by Lucy Baker, May 9, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Last night, Brooklyn Community Board members voted 6 to 2 in favor of a motion to deny Union Hall a liquor license renewal. The bar, opened in 2006, is one of the most popular watering holes in the entire borough. The epitome of hipster-chic (dusty bookshelves, ironic taxidermy, my-grandma-had-that furniture), it is packed most nights from happy hour to the wee hours. I should know: I lived directly across the street for two years.
Opponents of the bar complained mostly about the noise, claiming that drunks, smokers, and loud curbside cell phone conversations were disrupting their sleep. In the summer, they argued, the side garden is open and the racket is even worse, making a good night's rest nearly impossible.
Unless the owners of Union Hall take harsh and drastic steps to cut back on the din—including halting the sale of alcohol at midnight—they will likely have to shutter, which I think would be a shame.
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Posted by Zach Brooks, May 8, 2008 at 8:00 PM
Earlier today, three of New York's finest chefs gathered at a New Yorker Conference panel moderated by Bill Buford, where Momofuku chef David Chang confessed that even he's surprised how popular his pork buns have become. He admitted that they were "an eleventh-hour addition to the menu." He went on to add, "who knew steamed bread and pork fat would be so popular." At which point thousands of pork-obsessed New Yorkers came to realize that their reason for being almost never existed. I shudder to even think about it.
Posted by Ed Levine, May 8, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Every spring I check in at Sullivan Street Bakery and Grandaisy waiting for them to start making their incomparable artichoke pizza. Last week I went and hit paydirt—or should I say, artichoke dirt. Take a look at this slice of artichoke-topped beauty. Exhausted after a long day at work? A slice of artichoke pizza picked up on your way home would be a perfect salve for any work or boss-inflicted wound.
Sullivan Street Bakery
Address: 533 West 47th St., New York, NY 10036 (b/n 10th and 11th)
Phone: 212-565-5580
Website: sullivanstreetbakery.com
Grandaisy Bakery
Address: 73 Sullivan St., New York NY 10012 (b/n Spring and Broome); 176 West 72nd St. New York, NY 10023 (near Broadway)
Phone: 212-334-9435, 646-274-1607
Website: grandaisybakery.com
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 8, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Advertising blogger Copyranter points out some urban visual noise in the form of really narsty-lookin' gyro poster ads:
In a reversal of the usual menu photo vs. the real thing food dynamic, these poster gyros look exponentially worse than the real items...
Related: How food photogs fool you [Consumerist]
Posted by Robyn Lee, May 7, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Editor's note: Robyn Lee, is also known as the Girl Who Ate Everything, and that's not far from the truth. She's out and about so much around the city that I asked her to write about some of favorite New York spots for this site. This is the first of them. —Ed Levine
The outside and inside of Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop, along with some sandwich innards
The Lower East Side's Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop is my most oft-visited sandwich shop in the city. They may not make the best sandwiches in the city, but the quality is much better than what you'd expect for the price, and the location and setting make it a convenient, relaxing place for me to eat dinner with friends.
What's Good?
My favorite sandwiches involve melted cheese, from standards like the seemingly butter-laden grilled cheese and tuna melt, to more interesting ones like Silly Philly Portobello (portobello mushrooms, sautéed onions, and provolone cheese) and Southwestern Chicken (breaded chicken cutlet, melted cheddar, bacon, onion, and barbecue sauce). If you're not into gooey cheese, you can create your own sandwich from their wide selection of breads, ingredients, and spreads.
Many sandwiches can be made vegetarian, I assume by way of replacing the meat with a soy-based substitute. I've never tried these sandwiches, but I heard they're very good. And if you don't want a sandwich (which would be crazy, but hey, whatever floats your boat), there are plenty of salads to choose from.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, May 7, 2008 at 1:00 PM
New York City's famed Tavern on the Green is opening an outpost in San Francisco, the Business Times there reports. The tourist-mobbed spot has leased the top floor of the struggling Metreon complex and with that one pen stroke becomes the City by the Bay's largest restaurant. The West Coast location will feature the same floral riffs and over-the-top crystal chandeliers as the original, but:
A heavy emphasis will be placed on local, fresh California ingredients and wines. "San Francisco is famous for its food and fresh ingredients—we have every intention of embracing the local spirit," [Tavern COO Michael] Desiderio said. An executive chef has not been named.
Tavern bigwigs are hinting at other locations, as well. No word on whether the exterior of the Metreon will be bedecked in miles of string lighting. [via Eater S.F.]
