BEST OF FANCY FOOD SHOW 2016

Okay, this is very subjective an non-comprehensive.  This massive show is so vast you could never sift your way through all the misos and matchas, salts and sausages, chocolates and challahs to even make a dent in assessing all those on display.   But here are some highlights from what I experienced, in no order.

1.  In addition to the charmingly clever name of the company ("We eat" in Italianglish, but also it sticks that little "ti amo" onto the end), these mild, sundried chilies are addictively good.  They are so light and crisp they basically dissolve on the tongue, snacky as a potato chip but virtuous without frying or salt, plus a font of vegetable goodness.  Strangely enough, however, I couldn't find them for purchase on their website, so maybe they're a good thing yet to come.  In the meantime, you could partake in one of their lovingly curated Italian food boxes delivered straight to your door.  You can go low-risk with just a one month box  ($59), or commit to six months at $54 per box).  So yeah, they're not cheap, but they're filled with premium goodies like an artisanal hazelnut cake, numerous varieties of Torrone Piemontese, and precious olive oils varietals.  And who knows?  Maybe in due time, those dried peppers will arrive in your subscription box.  www.Eattiamo.com

2.  Perfect Pie.  Need I say more?  Made from The Crustmaster Bill Yosses (dubbed so by POTUS Obama himself when he was the pastry chef at the White House), these pies, both sweet and savory, are everything you have ever desired in pie.  Savory truffled chicken pot pie balances humility and decadence all baked in a buttery latticework crust.  Piefruit pie (otherwise known as rhubarb) is my absolute favorite, but I could nor would shake no stick at the homey apple, the fruit sweetened just to amplify it.  Presidential, indeed.  www.perfectpie.com 



2.  arteasan White Tea is flavored with mango, holy basil and chamomile, but it is the passion flower that comes through along with the smooth, mellowness of the tea.  Whether it actually reduces stress and anxiety medicinally is probably scientifically unproven, but a few sips of the tea itself had me lapsing into such a pleasant, comfortable ease that I wouldn't argue against the point.  Clean, pure and refreshing practically non-caloric beverage (just ten calories for the entire bottle).  www.arteasan.com

3.  Off the Cob Chips are off-the-charts corny!!  Seriously amplified corn taste in a crunchy chip, because they use non-GMO sweet corn with just a sprinkle of sea salt, these would be excellent vehicle for just about any chip-friendly salsa or dip, but I can't imagine a better one for eating brand-shucked naked.  I mean the chip, naked.  I mean the chip without any adornment... it's up to you whether you want to wear clothes or not when you eat them.   www.OffTheCobChips.com


3.  Somebody's Mother's Chocolate Sauce's caramel sauce is gonna make you wish that somebody was you.  This stuff is so good you could eat it like pudding.  Rich and caramelly, I could see dipping apple slices or pretzel sticks, or getting way fancier by layering it in a millefeuille or some sort of trifle.  Added bonus that the website mashes up the letters of the name so "smothers" comes into the conversation.  Smother pretty much anything in this and mothers all over world will be proud.  "Naturally rich.  Velvety.  Perfect as a topping.  Cold. Or hot.  Especially good in the middle of the night."  Precisely.   www.somebodysmothers.com

"Pop!" goes the Boba.

4.  Bossen Bursting Boba are delightfully buoyant little pearls of juice, encapsulated in a seaweed-extract bubble that keeps them afloat in juicy fruit syrup.  Like the tapioca beads in bubble tea, but much lighter and not at all chewy, they burst fruitiness into your mouth or whatever they're festooned upon.  Each "boba" has just a single calorie, the individual portion-sized cups are only 30 calories, so they're as guilt-free as they are fun to eat.  The kiwi and blueberry were my favorite flavors.  www.BossenStore.com

5.  Admittedly partial to all things Oregon, this Honey Mustard Dressing from Pure Wild Oregon is profoundly good (as well as ANYTHING they do with marionberries).  Sweet and tangy with a kick of mustardy heat, it'd make fetching bedfellows with anything from crudites to a char-grilled frank.  Beaver Brand might be more famous for their horseradish mustards, but this one I find far superior.  Pure Wild Oregon




6.  Super yum for this flavor of Graeter's Ice Cream.  Personally, I like my ice cream with "stuff" in it... chunks and swirls and gobs- anything to contrast with the luscious creaminess of a good, custardy ice cream (as is Graeter's).  All their other flavors never wowed me.  The chips of chocolate too brittle, the others good, but plain.  But then in swoops Cheese Crown, a thick cheesecake ice cream tumbled with cinnamon-sugar hunks of danish and melting flakes of fondant icing.  Ben & Jerry, watch yer back.   Graeter's Ice Cream

7.  I try never to drink my calories: I'd much rather eat them.  So sugar-free sodas, unsweetened iced tea and coffee, flavored seltzer are my usually go-to (non-alcoholic) tipples of choice.  But I'll have to make an exception now for Cawston Press's Rhubarb soda.  It's ridiculously tangy and pert with 12% pure rhubarb juice, sweetened with fresh pressed apple juice and sugar.  I mean, since you can't drink pie, this the most refreshing and titillating rendition of rhubarb imaginable.  Cawston Press





8.  I'm not a big kombucha fan.  I usually find it either a little raw-alcohol tasting or too vinegary.  Revive Kombucha turns that on its head, though.  The Revive brand is almost annoyingly healthy: organic, vegan and raw to add to the the inherent healthfulness of kombucha to begin with.  The winner of their line, though, is Ascend, a Vitamin-C boosted white tea blend with added Lysine for its cleansing properties, probiotics to boost immunity and assist in digestion, and a sugar content that is ultra-low to boot.  It is remarkably
 smooth, less "zingy" than most kombuchas I've tried, and purely invigorating. They were serving it on tap a the Show, otherwise I would've shlepped home a case.  A case of their bottles, that is, which they reuse and recycle in a Bottle Exchange program that has salvaged 75% of their bottles distributed in the past five years.  Drink this and save the world.  Revive Kombucha




9.   Sue me for my passion for brussels sprouts, but these are the BOMB.  Spicy and pickly and downright addictive, Divina brand's Spicy Pickled Brussels Sprouts are a virtuous treat, perfect appetizer-type snacky vegs that would pair so well with a
 cheese or charcuterie board, and add a novel touch at the same time.  They are, unfortunately, only available wholesale by the case.  But maybe if word gets out, they start 'em up for retail.   Food Match/Divina



10.  Marco Canora isn't always there for you.  In case of an emergency (recipe- or cold-annihilating-wise), you're good with Nona Lim's Vietnamese Pho Bone Broth.  This stuff would make an excellent cooking base, but is delightfully nourishing and delicious on its own as a soup or beverage.  Like Marco's, there're no additives or preservatives- it's all made from homemade stocks of fresh and local produce and ingredients.  Nona Lim.


And as an honorable mention, I cannot leave out Big Fork Brands pork and uncured bacon sausages.  Problem is, I wasn't paying enough attention at the moment I sampled it, and I don't know which one I liked the best.... but I DEFinitely had a preference, and I kind of think it wasn't the Award Winning Hickory & Applewood smoked version (although it could've been), but the flavor profile made me think it might've been the Cracked Pepper one.  Regardless, I think I can pretty safely recommend any and all of these dogs.  Nitrate, nitrite, MSG, preservative, hormone and antibiotic free,  they leave out all the bad stuff and pack in as much porky goodness as absolutely possible.  Big Fork Brands




 

GILLIGAN'S

I rarely desire to eat outside.
  There are a handful of days in New York city where, weather-wise,  al fresco dining is even marginally attractive, and even fewer venues conducive to those days.  But then we find a place like Gilligan's, abutting the Soho Grand Hotel.  Frondy ferns and wooden fences protect from noisy traffic, gritty gusts of wind, slobbering foreign dogs and noxious fumes from exhaust pipes and sidewalk nicotine-fiends. Wide canvas umbrellas stretch above providing shade and that carefree, vacation resort feel, and string lights that make any venue feel festive.  It's actually quite transporting- might even feel a bit like that uncharted desert island.






The attractive staff is chipper and attentive, clad in nautical stripes and red canvas sneakers, all of which Gilligan himself would approve.  The menu is pretty brief: it's more snacks and drinking nibbles, but you could easily fashion a legitimate meal out of the offerings as well.  And a tasty meal it can be.

If you make it there while summer is still in full swing, don't miss the frozen watermelon margarita.  It'll definitely bring out the kid in you, for both it's juicy, fruity flavor and a tequila punch that could leave you acting like a third grader on summer break (nothing wrong with this).  They have almost as many cocktail options as menu items, and a short, but very sunshine-friendly wine list, plus organic juices.




For food, we just tried a couple of simple plates, but if I came back for a proper dinner I would head straight for the roasted prawns and the whole branzino.  They're not trying to do anything too fancy here: simple is best if you were stuck on a remote tropical island, and so reiterates Gilligan's philosophy.  We did enjoy some lovely little roasted beets, tumbled with nicely bitey arugula and a smear of very garlicky, salty horseradish creme fraiche.  In fact, saltiness seems to be a recurring theme, and garlic features prominently as well.  Tuna crudo is milder, swathed in a smooth avocado puree and a flurry of cilantro.  They spike it with just a couple of rings of chili which give the avocado even more purpose.  The pizza we tried, of
which there are three revolving seasonal flavors,  brought back the salt and garlic theme in full force, plus an additional punch of cheesiness from parmesan and ricotta.  Actually more of a flatbread than a pizza, the crust was still pliable with a nice chew, if little char, and long ribbons of translucent summer squash subbing in for sauce.  It definitely encourages a glass of wine, of which I might recommend the California Chardonnary ($16) or even a nice glass of Prosecco ($14).

There are no desserts on hand at Gilligan's (must be continuing the theme of desert-island hardship), so if you didn't take advantage of the slushy watermelon margarita pre-prandially, here's your chance.  I would love to see Odd Fellows swoop into fill that void, because this place has everything else going for it for this time of year.... still waiting on word of what happens once summer draws to a close and they find their way off that island.

 
310 West Broadway (keep walking south past the entrance of the SoHo Grand Hotel)
No Reservations
212.965.3271

MIMI

Don't let the fact that the female chef behind MIMI, Liz Johnson, who named her restaurant after her grandma, or that she's just twenty-five years old, or the quaint, diminutive location on Sullivan street deceive you into thinking that this is some dainty, effeminate eatery with salads and friandises.   Quite the contrary, MIMI is one powerful little juggernaut.  In terms of flavor and finesse per square foot, her impact would be hard to rival.  Ms. Johnson trained through some of the big names, from which Noma and Ma Peche might have imparted the greatest influence.  She brings a rustic, gutsy appeal to sophisticated, high-brow ingredients.  Sometimes, I had to ask our server what things were, which is pretty rare, but he fielded each inquiry with a noticeably relaxed, confident ease.  He was just as adept at offering suggestions, only with genuine pride and not at all pushy.

The menu divides into cold starters and warm ones, and then progresses onto larger plates.  A succinct but thoughtful list of French wine accompanies, if not guides, the whole affair.  A bonito appetizer, cut into thick, rough hunks, wallowed in an herby oil under a fragrant sludge of dried herbs.  The menu mentioned shishito pepper, but unless they were dried and pulverized into a rub, they went missing from the final product.  Similary absent are any tweezers involved in MIMI's plating: she is concentrating more on the flavors than frivolities, but the food is still very attractive.  Most, if not all, dishes are heavily sauced, though the overall effect
 is decadently balanced rather than overwhelming.  The focus is not necessarily always on the first ingredient listed on the menu, either, which can be a little confusing: a dish of porcini mushrooms camouflage among salty, oceanic medallions of ankimo, a smooth monkfish pate who's brackish
kick might overpower the fungus if not meted out discerningly.  This dish is more about the anikimo than the porcinis, even if the proportions of the ingredients are inverse.  Asparagus, that
harbinger of spring, are almost lost beneath a
 deliciously creamy scallop blanquette, studded with bright green peas.  Even the tips of the asparagus are trimmed off (unfortunate, as they are always the most flavorful bit), but this again illustrates that the point of the dish might be the sauce more than the stalks, emphasized by cured slips of briny scallop lolling over the creamy melange.




Main courses are  nicely sized, a rich yet delicate turbot filet more manageable than an impressive chunk of thick-cut cod, but the latter was so perfect of flake and its gentle honey lacquer that I almost wanted two.  It was topped in a generous pile of blistered shishitos, this time as I expected them; the Russian Roulette of vegetables, only the after-burn of which reveals the level of Scoville.  Two more of the peppers, selected for their size, come along for the ride, stuffed with a snowy brandade and delicately shrouded in a crisp golden-battered crust.  The best part may have been the taupe-colored sauce smeared across the white porcelain plate... I can't figure out its composition, but it tasted vaguely mushroomy, sweetened with the honey and rife with umami.  Two roasted clams smiled alongside, as they did with the turbot- a much more appetizing 
garnish than generic parsley.  Coated in a light, subtle cream, the Mediterranean turbot, an oily, fragile fish was somehow richer a lighter at the same time.  Thick discs of trumpet mushroom and a verdant saute of mature spinach round out the plate.


Desserts perpetuate the menu's precedent of substance:  there is a chocolate tart and a rum-soaked baba, both of which seemed a little heavy.  Pistachio souffle is on offer as well, but it not only requires the requisite twenty-minute prep period, but is also portioned for two, whereas a single portion of any of those substantial sweets would have been adequate after such an impactful meal.  If there is anything MIMI could add into the mix, it might be throwing a little freshness and light in with all that boldness.  It would only serve to reinforce her her talent....and grandma might approve.

185 Sullivan Street
tel.  (212)418-1260

BAR BOLONAT

Chef Einat Admony has a nice little empire going on here, although Bar Bolonat is the first and only I've tried thus far.  I've heard great things about Balaboosta, Taim, and most recently Combina, but Bolonat seemed most suited to my tastes.  And suited it is, were it not for slightly precious price points, this would be a perfect neighborhood nook.  Instead, the prices vault it into a slightly more "special occasion" category, but special the restaurant is.  Admony is from Tel Aviv, and she brings those bold lusty spices to fruition at Bolonat.  The room is simple and attractive, shades of soothing blue and ivory rounding out exposed grey stone walls and linear furniture.

Our server was more than amenable, guiding us through the menu, which is pretty straight-forward, although his suggestions weren't redundant.  The menu has three sections: small, medium, and large, of which was recommended one person of the first two, and then a shared entree for the two of us.  He steered us toward the Japanese eggplant over the attractive  beets with white grapefruit that a table aside had ordered... and subsequently demolished.  But the eggplant is a menu stalwart, and memorably great.  Two fat, roasted halves lie in in a slurry of spicy tahini and crowned in a shower of crunchy
shallots. I wish I would've been as thrilled about the Everyday Cauliflower, while which I didn't mind trying it once, I certainly wouldn't want it everyday.  The florets are deep fried, which isn't indicated on the menu, and take on a particular sturdiness which, when combined with the bamba (a crunchy peanutty puff) and peanut tahini, verges on overload.  A better combination would've been the vegetable, roasted, with said accoutrements, or if you're going to keep it "tempura-ed", lighten up its counterparts. 
Chickpea gnocchi displayed a fetching nuttiness, both from the legumes themselves and a lashing of brown butter that enriched its punchy za'tar spiced sauce, studded with toothsome fresh spring peas and a snowy crumble of milky goat feta.










Bigger plates didn't palliate flavors as their size increased.  Branzino had its skin-side-up nicely crisped atop a bed of onion stewed kale and more of those vibrant peas, a nice squiggle of zippy green harissa keeping the energy up.  A wild mushroom
 pasta was decidedly less Israeli but inarguably delicious, with wide, floppy pappardelle noodles cradling an abundance of woodsy mushrooms sauteed with nigella and onion.

Although only four desserts are in rotation,  it was hard to choose  between a milky chocolate pudding or a creme brulee made from the super-trending halva, complete with whatever Persian cotton candy might turn out to be.  We opted for a gorgeously seasonal compote of rhubarb, a delicately spindly  raft of crisp kataif cradling a luscious, milky scoop of Greek yogurt ice cream.  Nothing to complain about there, but I left curious still about that Persian cotton candy.  Lucky for me, it's on the menu at Balaboosta as well, there paired with a Middle Eastern cheesecake.  As solid as Admony's cuisine is at Bolonat, I'm even more interested in trying her original.... so it looks like I can experience that confection and explore her talents further without even a revisit: Win-win.

    611 HUDSON STREET

    tel. 1. 212.390.1545

BEAUTIQUE, revisited

A mirrored stairway descends into the windowless dining room of Beautique, the first indication of the clubbiness of this subterranean midtown boite.  But while  "beauty" is more prominent than "boutique", with its handsomely presented food and see-and-be-seen diners, renowned culinary director Alain Allegretti has not compromised his talent for the sake of the

Fluke crudo

 party.  In a sort of Choose-Your-Own-Adventure phenomenon, dining and disco successfully coexist: it's up to you to curate your own experience.



Diners evolve from business-casual to New York-fabulous as the evening progresses, the low lighting ebbs sophisticated to swank. A mural of glittering lips provides a fantastic selfie-backdrop, if one can hold still long enough to snap one once the live music starts around 9pm.  But don't let this distract you from Allegretti's artistry in his French-inflected New American menu.  The caliber of

Beet Salad

Tuna Tartare

ingredients shine through in the freshness of fluke crudo and luscious tuna tartare, and cooked proteins are as masterfuly prepared.  Octopus and monkfish often turn rubbery, but both are flawlessly executed.

Octopus Appetizer

 The lustily spiced octopus appetizer, big enough for an entree, achieves toasty flavor even in the absence of visible char,with burst tomatoes and dense potatos. Monkfish is springier, a tajine of seasonal beans and bouncy Israeli couscous underneath.

Cod with eggplant

Monkfish with spring bean tajine

Strawberry Souffle with Key Lime Creme

The kitchen doesn't seem to fear the city's heightened salt admonitions: some dishes are notably saline.  But the scene encourages a free flow of libations, and even water glasses never sit long half-empty.  If you're a little bloated the morning after, it was well worth the dinner and a show.  And if dinner morphs into disco, still do not bypass dessert.  Strawberry souffle, delicately marshmallowy and drizzled in key lime creme, is well worth the twenty minute prep time.  If it's a concern, take that time to boogie away the calories in anticipation.