NEW YORK EATS

Here are some iPhone snaps of recent meals here in the Big Apple.



"Colby" sandwich - Roast beef, cheddar, lettuce, tomato on rosemary-garlic bread at Urban Rustic (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Pork belly Korean barbecue (Koreatown)

Indian chicken at Chirag (Staten Island)

Affogato at La Bottega (Chelsea)

A feast at Pok Pok (Portland, OR)

Cocktails at Matsuri (Chelsea)

Egg salad sandwich at El Beit (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Iced latte, tea, prosciutto sandwiches at El Beit (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Italian bread, Chavrie cheese, salad and wine at home.

Chargrilled lamb burger with feta, cumin mayo & thrice cooked chips at The Breslin (Midtown West)

A MOMENTARY LAPSE INTO VEGETARIANISM

Savoy

2500 Southeast Clinton

Portland, OR 97202-1239

(503) 808-9999‎

So I mentioned Doug Fir is my most common late night spot in Portland. Well here is the other, Savoy.

On this particular night I was strangely impulsively compelled to try the veggie burger. I am a carnivore to the bone, but hey, if I can satisfy a burger urge with a healthier substitute once in a while, why not right?

Well, now I know why goddamn not. Because despite sharing the "burger" title, a veggie burger is not and can never be a substitute for good ol' red meat (or even turkey, which I like). The patty was mushy, leafy and the total opposite texture on the tongue from beef. Duh- I should have known. Sorry Savoy, it's not your fault. The veggie burger is flawed in it's very concept. Never again.

THE BRESLIN

Smoked Pork Belly

Doughnuts with cinnamon ice cream

Chocolate Pie

The Breslin

16 W 29th St

New York, NY 10001

(646) 214-5788

The Breslin is the latest venture from chef April Bloomfield, known to New York foodies as the force behind The Spotted Pig. It serves at the in-house restaurant/bar to the Ace Hotel, where you can find me pretty much every day. The Breslin capitalizes on a fetish for pork fat in this city, and should basically put up a "do not enter" sign for vegetarians.

I've eaten there a few times now, trying everything from the smoked pork belly, to the goat cheese and leek tart, to the grilled cheese sandwich and loved every morsel of it. While I could go on about the food, the design of the restaurant itself is what I feel like gushing over right now.

The Breslin has design firm Roman & Williams to thank for it's cinematic interior, who designed the entirety of the new Ace Hotel New York. From the dark reclaimed wood, to the cracked century old ceiling, the restaurant (like the Ace) evokes a true sense of history.

BEAST

Beast

5425 NE 30th Ave

Portland, Oregon 97211

(503) 841-6968

Beast has to be experienced to understand its culinary elegance, refinery, and simultaneous simplicity. The concept of the restaurant is basically this: Beast is open every Wednesday through Saturday, with 2 dinner seatings on each day. You make a reservation as early as possible, you come for your desired seating, and you are served a six course meal from the chef's imagination, which is different every week.

The restaurant is small, essentially a kitchen and a dining room the same size as the one in your house. The experience therefore, is that of dining over at a friend's beautiful apartment (a friend who can cook really, really well). It's intimate and lovely, and the communal seating encourages you to converse with your neighbors about the food. On the particular evening I went, I lucked out having an especially great dining parter in filmmaker Todd Haynes.

Since this wonderful meal occurred months ago I can't remember what each course was, but just trust me when I say that Beast is a unique and delicious experience.

ANOTHER NIGHT AT CLYDE COMMON

Monkfish, clams, shrimp, potatoes, fennel and onion broth.

Braised lamb, mint, orange oil, grilled bread.

My girlfriend was quite excited to have received the entire monkfish on her plate. Thankfully, she enjoys fish eyes.

POK POK

Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings

Pok Pok

3226 SE Division

Portland, OR 97202

(503) 232 1387

The best chicken wings ever.

Pok Pok is one of my all time favorite Portland restaurants. It's the vehicle that launched super chef Andy Ricker and was named Best Restaurant by the Oregonian in 2007.

What I love about Pok Pok is Ricker's commitment to presenting us Thai food that is probably more authentic than what is being served at the restaurant down the street actually run by Thai people. There is a sense of defiance at Pok Pok, against simply serving the Americanized palette of Southeast Asian food. Which basically means there is NO "Pad Thai", whiteboy.

Ricker recently opened the Whiskey Soda Lounge across the street too, as a place to hang out and grab a drink while you wait for your table at Pok Pok.

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN

28 Wings with 2 sauces: Spicy Peanut & Jamaican Jerk


Fried Oreos

Fire On The Mountain

1708 E Burnside St

Portland, OR 97214

(503) 230-9464

Fire On The Mountain seems to have a bit of a monopoly on Portland's buffalo wing cravings... and not without merit, they're pretty damn good. Fried Oreos are a delicious way to a heart attack too.

It would have been a glorious guilty pleasure evening, except two assholes at the table next to us dared us to eat some of the hottest sauce they serve ("El Jefe"). Needless to say, the pain was real.

AUGUST BBQ

Here are some photos from a delicious barbecue we had back in August. Menu included chicken and beef skewers made by my mom as well as bruschetta and a peach/blackberry cobbler made by our friend Laurie.

CLYDE COMMON

Roasted halibut, merguez sausage, mussels, fennel, red onion, tarragon.


Grilled poulet rouge, tomato, cucumber, and onion bread salad.


Chevre rice pudding with blackberries.

Clyde Common
1014 SW Stark Street
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 228-3333

ANDERSON RANCH LAMB BURGER

Anderson Ranch Lamb Burger: Feta, Dried Apricots, Pine Nuts, Roasted Red Onion, Spicy Mint Yogurt, Shoe String Fries.

Davis Street Tavern
500 NW Davis
Portland, OR 97209

Grown on the free range pastures and rolling foothills of the Willamette Valley, where high precipitation guarantees lush green Oregon grasses. Our lambs thrive in these open fields with fresh air and lots of room to graze. They are left free to roam, eat when they like, and grow at their own natural rhythm.

Anderson Ranch lambs have little impact on the environment. Our lambs eat only grasses, and are fed no bi-products. More importantly for the purity of the meat, the lambs are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. This whole process produces a protein-rich, premium natural meat that tastes delicious. The Anderson's have been raising Oregon lamb for 5 generations. We have been selectively breeding our sheep for the highest quality of meat-producers.

Our lambs are prepared for market by Mohawk Valley Meats, another local family-run business. It's only 30 minutes from the Anderson Ranch, so the lambs have minimal stress before processing. We take pride in our premium, high quality lamb.

Lamb has been increasing in popularity as the choice of red meats. Oregon Lamb is lean and tender, and an excellent source of nutrition. Almost all cuts of lamb are low in calories, fat, and cholesterol. Oregon Lamb is a good source of iron, zinc, and vitamin B-12. It can be broiled, grilled or roasted. As a general rule, lamb tastes best when cooked medium rare to medium. Familiar ingredients used for marinades or rubs make lamb easy to cook, and delicious.

GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLI

Goat Cheese Ravioli: Handmade ravioli stuffed with Fraga Farms goat cheese, hazelnuts, basil, pecorino, Parmigiano Reggiano and ricotta served with blistered cherry tomatoes.


Farm
10 SE 7th Ave
Portland, OR
(503) 736-FARM

Farm underwent some remodeling this summer, and is now an even more rewarding dining experience. With a new bar, and a new patio area seated under a beautiful large brick wall, stop by Farm for meals made from fresh, local and organic farm-to-table products from the Pacific Northwest.

PERFECTION

French bread, assorted cheeses, pâté, salami, grapes, olives.

Honestly, this is pretty much a perfect meal for me. Bread and cheese is all you need. As much of a carnivore as I am, I would give up meat before I gave up bread without a second thought. There's an actual diet that doesn't allow you to eat bread right? F that noise.

TARTUFO BIANCO

Tartufo Bianco: Mozzarella (whole milk & fresh), pecorino romano with Truffle Oil & sea salt.

Apizza Scholls
4741 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR
(503) 233-1286

Apizza Scholls is the best pizza in Portland, period. We are fortunate to have many great pizza options in this city for different occassions- Pizzicato and Hot Lips for un-fussy, gourmet, family owned pizza experiences, Pizza Schimizza for creative flavors and toppings on your work lunch break. And dozens of other hole in the wall spots for grabbing a quick slice.

Apizza Scholls operates on the mission of upholding the standards and values of the old Italian "Pizzaiolos". Pizzaiolos are craftsmen who have dedicated their lives to the perfection of pizza. Their dedication is very apparent.

The pizza I happened to try on this trip was the Tartufo Bianco, a really simple white pie made with mozzarella, drizzled with truffle oil and sprinkled with sea salt. I'm a huge fan of truffle oil, so I was a huge fan of this pie.

FRIED EGG SMOKED PORK

Fried egg and smoked pork loin sandwich
with fontal, whole grain mustard aioli, and twenty greens.

Blue Hour
250 NW 13th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
503 226 3394

Stopped into Blue Hour, a local favorite, for dinner tonight.

Decided to try the fried egg and smoked pork loin sandwich from the bar menu. Quite an interesting combination. Apologies for the terrible photo though.

CHIMAY CHIMAY CHEESE

Chimay Burger: House ground fillet, roasted onions, chimay cheese on a brioche bun.

Jo's Bar and Rotisserie
701 NW 23rd Ave
Portland, OR 97201

Chimay cheese comes from the Chimay brewery, a brewery in Belgium that has been around since 1863. Though they obviously specialize in beer, they began to also produce cheese in 1876. Currently, the brewery makes four different kinds of cheeses - Chimay with beer (whose rind is soaked in Chimay beer), Chimay Grand Classic (semi-hard pressed), Chimay Grand Cru (made from pasteurised milk and matured for six weeks) and Old Chimay (hard cheese matured for six months).

I'm not sure which of the four cheeses was used in the burger, but I don't remember tasting any hint of beer in it. Either way, it was pretty good. I always love brioche buns. It was served with a side of sweet potato chips, which I didn't even get around to since the burger filled me up.

I'd order it again. But it couldn't touch my favorite burger in Portland, Doug Fir's Fir Burger.