Parked Food Festival Governor's Island 9/5/10

Of course, this was MY idea. I've never been to Governor's Island and I'm into the DIY spirit of those who put their hopes and dreams on wheels and start a unique food truck. I'm also a cooking and reality show addict and am rooting for the demise of the Nom Nom truck in Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race. Plus, The Week magazine had just named Red Hook Lobster Pound as the best Lobster Roll in New York but as mayonnaise is the one food that Joe absolutely detests, I thought it a long shot to get him down to van Brunt street for a lobster roll. So Parked seemed the optimal outing for me to get my New England standard while Joe the ice cream expert would get to sample some of Van Leeuwen's gourmet Artisan ice cream, plus I thought it would be a great way to get some great photos and reviews for this blog.

So Joe and I got ourselves motivated and the crack of 2 PM to head to the Parked Food Festival.

The line for the ferry probably should have indicated the crowds we'd find on the island, but there were other events on the island today and the organizers had promised a plethora of food trucks, "Jamaican Dutchy Truck, Rickshaw Dumpling, Green Pirate juice, Joyride Truck, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Van Leeuwan Artisan Ice Cream, Halo Berlin, The Cinnamon Snail, Kelvin Natural Slush Co, Hermelinda Mexicana and more!"

They did attract thousands of attendees but there was no And More. There were those few trucks each with a line of hundreds and hundreds of people long. The lines snaked through and around the event, and so many of us New Yorkers who foolishly arrived at a food festival ready to eat found ourselves hours away from any kind of sustenance and starving. I had thought we'd arrive, have a snack, walk around some, eat some more, and come home. There was no chance of getting food from any of the vendors. The organizers were handing out over 21 bracelets and I saw a few people with glasses of Sangria, so I guess someone was selling booze, but we didn't get near anyone selling anything and we ended up eating at the Water Taxi beach, which was also completely overwhelmed with the runoff from the completely underserviced mob scene.

Governor's Island was lovely, and after Joe and I got one of the last few orders of food left at the Water Taxi Beach cafe we made orange soda and vodka from my purse cocktails and explored the Island's leafy avenues lined with beautiful and empty mansions, plotting how we would live on the Island as squatters if we ever came to financial ruin.

But the event was so crowded and poorly managed that it left us with a sour taste in our mouths for the whole Food Truck concept. The organizers would do better by the attendees if they would charge the trucks less and attract more of them so that people can actually buy something. From now on we'll check the Twitter feed of the trucks we want to go to and find them on our own.

Jelly Bean Mona Lisa and Sipping Chocolate, Day One of the Fancy Food Show

Day One of the Fancy Food Show
The first day of the Fancy Food Show is completely overwhelming. There are so many things to see and taste that it is hard to keep track of it all. I see people writing orders on the first day and I wonder how they can be so decisive. And then there are distractions like the giant Mona Lisa made entirely of Jelly Belly jelly beans. But certain vendors stand out, and the ones that manage to stay top of mind after tasting so many other delicious goodies are items that deserve a place in Stone and bone Trading Company’s Gift Baskets this holiday season.

I always knew that if it came down to it, I was Augustus Gloop. Gloop, you will remember, was the hapless fat kid sucked up and through the chocolate extraction pipe system after drinking from the chocolate river in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In the same situation, I knew I too would be unable to resist an endless flow of rich, smooth, creamy molten chocolate. If you also are impressed with your own self control for not trading your fruit kebobs for a water glass when faced with a chocolate fountain at weddings, Caffe D’Amore’s Bellagio Sipping Chocolate is sure to win your heart. Made with 100% pure cocoa powder and chocolate liqueur, all it takes is hot water or milk to create a luscious liquid indulgence. Bellagio also makes Old World-style gourmet hot cocoa that features dark and light chocolate blended together in luxurious flavors like orange pecan and caramel praline.
In my life covering restaurant trends, there are some key sources who really help me to understand the state of the industry. Last year, some of these VIPs received holiday gift bags that included Kaffe Magnum Opus coffee, which was great for most but not everyone has a coffeemaker. But everyone can make hot water, so I’m planning to create at least one gift bag featuring Bellagio’s delicious products.
Shelf-stable is our watchword as we don’t have freezer capability, but Dorot chopped herbs are carried at most supermarkets and frozen into small cubes, perfect for adding to and recipe. Plus they are all-natural, as chopped fresh herbs should be, and non-gmo.

Other major hits of the day included amazing Serrano ham, pecan syrup and seriously ginger-y ginger ale that would probably be a big hit in my neighborhood. More to come!

I found the chef!

Incredibly, things are coming together. Phil Hartman gave me the name of the chef, Karen Haglof, and after conferring with his friend and former business partner Rich Krasberg has informed me that it had a chicken soup base, and was a “a riff on a recipe we found from Virginia (where it's kind of a staple).” My good friend Kit attached a traditional Virginia peanut soup link below, so I’m within striking distance of the soup that has haunted me. I could make an attempt on my own, using the tools at hand. But I want to Ur-soup, the true source of soup that has become my Madelines, my muse
According to Google, there are two Karen Haglofs in the United States. One is a doctor and one has a Facebook page. I decided to try that one and emailed her and yes it not only is the same one but she actually read this blog! Before, she was sort of a character in an Isabel Allende novel, having passionate affairs and cooking magical food but now she’s an actual person who read my blog! I just hope she doesn’t take offense to my public imaginings about her romantic life, albeit 15 years ago. I’m not sure she’s even in New York, but I hope she’s cooking somewhere. I will make a pilgrimage.

Peanut Soup is Getting Closer

I’ve picked up the trail of The Levee’s Peanut Soup. OK how cool is this, Phil Hartman (co-owner of The Levee, founder of the HOWL festival and currently king of the Two Boots Empire) actually emailed me back. Like right away. First of all, he and Rich Krasberg are still friends, which is just kind of awesome,. He gave me the name of the chef, Karen Haglof, and gave me one crucial key to the magic of that Peanut Soup. He said he would touch base with Rich and see if he has any insight into the true nature of the soup. Apparently, Rich and Karen were an item at the time of the soup’s creation, which explains the excitement and passion that was translated into the soup. It all seems crystal clear to me. The death of the soup was the end of the relationship. The sad bowl of thin, bland soup that served to me on my last visit did resemble peanut-scented tears. And the haughtiness of the New Chef, so eager to assert their place as First Chef, well it all makes sense if one adds an imaginary screen of sexual tension to the already hot and steamy Southern-style kitchen. I don’t know that any of this ever happened, but it was a Cajun restaurant in the East Village in the 1990’s and I’m quite sure that something sultry was going on!
Oh yeah OK so present day, as it turns out Phil Hartman is himself a major soup aficionado, preferring it to coffee in the morning, even. And he’s suggested several off-the-beaten-path destinations to pursue a Soup Fix. I’m so excited, now that’s an article with real promise I think, Phil Hartman is an amazing restaurateur and businessman, who doesn’t want to know where he goes for soup?

A Search For Soup Begins

I have embarked upon a Search for Soup. The search began when I was at Fairway Market yesterday and, it being a hot June day I was looking for my favorite White Gazpacho, White Gazpacho is a lesser-known version of the classic cold Spanish soup. Typically thickened with ground almonds and including grapes but no tomatoes, the Fairway version was uniquely refreshing and my personal favorite. But when I couldn’t find it I was told that alas, that Upper West Side temple to gastronomy is no longer providing that particular refreshment. Horrors!
The loss of my favorite soup got me thinking about what has been for me the Holy Grail of Vanished Soups, the Peanut Soup that was served at the Lower East Side’s The Levee restaurant in the mid-1990s. The Levee was the offshoot of Great Jones Café, itself the brainchild of Phil Hartman, of Two Boots fame, and Rich Krasberg, the man who put Bobby Flay in the executive chef’s seat at Miracle Grill way back in 1988, when Bobby was just a Boy meeting a Grill.
The Levee was high Southern Gothic, kitschy in décor but rock-solid in its down-home, delicious food. While the whole menu was full of soul, the Peanut Soup was spectacular. That soup was a landmark, a jewel trotted out for visitors from Uptown or points beyond, in the days when the East Village was somewhat seedy. “Yes, we do have a homeless encampment in a public park, but we also have this soup,” I would say. It was thick and clung to the spoon with creamy peanutty goodness. It had chunks of vegetables and possibly chicken in it. When I was in college and quite poor, The Levee’s early bird special of Peanut Soup and BBQ chicken, served with crusty sourdough bread for what I remember as $9, was a most favorite payday night dinner.
One night, I arrived expecting my usual treat, only to be served a bowl of thin, barely flavored broth. Shocked, I asked to speak to the chef. I don’t recall if it was a man or a woman, but I do remember hearing words that fell with iron thuds to the table, as the New Chef explained that the Old Chef had departed and as the New Chef, Improvements Had Been Made. Including but not limited to the mutilation of my beloved soup.
I never went back, and will confess to a mean feeling of Schadenfraude when, maybe a year afterwards the restaurant closed. I was hurt, and felt betrayed by the Powers that Be that allowed the chef to leave and take her soup with her.
I lost my Peanut Soup, and now my White Gazpacho was gone. Enough is enough. I decided to track down these great Vanished Soups of New York. I was able to find a mention of The Levee in an archived New York Magazine article from 1989. While Rich Krasberg does not apparently have a Facebook page, this Phil Hartman (the restaurateur and art patron, not the late comic) was easily found from the Two Boots main page. He’s got his own contact me link. I’ve emailed Mr. Hartman, and we’ll see what happens. The results will be compiled in an article for publication but I’ll keep this blog updated as the search progresses.

AJ Maxwell's: A great Value with $50 Coupon

AJ Maxwell’s Steakhouse
57 West 48th Street
New York, NY 10020
212-262-6200
Number of diners in party: 2
Food bill before coupon: $115
Coupon Value: $50

A J Maxwell’s is a very good steakhouse that offers a $50 restaurant.com coupon and that is a great value. Its location in the heart of Rockefeller Center makes it a great pre-theater selection. The restaurant itself is a faithful rendition of the classic meat temple, with large mirrors and dark wood on the walls and brass and frosted glass chandeliers hanging from the cream-colored ceiling. The décor speaks a comfortable, if somewhat boilerplate language of power, with one notable deviation. From 1957 to 1975, 57 West 48th Street was home to the Forum of the 12 Caesars, New York’s first theme restaurant. Waiters in Roman-style tunics served wine from Centurion helmets and dishes with impossible names like “Pheasant of the Golden House on a Silver Shield of Gilded Plumage Roasted with an Exquisite Sauce.” The Forum featured a Roman mosaic that was hidden by successive restaurateurs for thirty years, until renovations for the restaurant, which opened in 2006, uncovered this relic from an ancient dining culture. The mosaic, which depicts a group of ancient Romans around a fountain, ties this relative newcomer to New York’s restaurant tradition and lends some authenticity to this relative newcomer.
The menu is comprised of steakhouse standards that are expertly executed. The Classic Caesar salad is exactly as expected, crisp and fresh with a creamy dressing that is sure to please even those certain picky eaters that don’t want anything “weird.” If you are taking one of these eaters into consideration you know exactly what I mean, and I promise you can bring them here. The filet mignon is tender and the dry-aged sirloin has the complex flavor that tells you there is an expert hand working the meat. Creamed spinach was rich and satisfying. I dined at AJ Maxwell’s twice, and both times the service was attentive and allowed the meal to unfold at the desired pace; on the first visit my friend and I were going to the theater and they got us out the door in time while on the second vidit my father and I were allowed a leisurely meal. I brought my dad here in an effort to get him excited about restaurant.com coupons. He’s still not likely to buy them himself but he is open to trying new places that take coupons. The wine list has a good selection of decent wines by the glass as well as a large collection of bottles at reasonable prices.

Madiba Restaurant Makes Brooklyn Look Smart

Madiba Restaurant

195 Dekalb Avenue

Brooklyn, New York 11205

718 855 9190

www.madibarestaurant.com

Number of Diners in Party: 4

Size of Coupon: $50

Entrée cost: $16.50-$24

Highly Recommended

For a quick safari to a fantasy South Africa that is friendly, welcoming, hip, funky, earnest and sophisticated, dine at Madiba South African restaurant in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. This restaurant shows off the smart, urbane yet utterly non-Manhattan scene that thrives in the Brooklyn Academy of Music area and acts as a perfect complement to that institution’s highbrow but offbeat fare.

In warm weather, the patio scene is lively. Inside, the bar has a handful of seats and a few low tables attracting its own crowd of friendly regulars for knockout mojitos. It doubles as a purveyor of South African staples such as Crosse and Blackwell Custard Powder as well as Brooklyn’s own Crop to Cup coffee. The two-story-high dining room is painted in vivid primary colors. A large portrait of Nelson Mandela gazes approvingly at the multicultural crowd of diners feasting on elegant, delicious and responsible cooking. Appetizers include Durban Samosas, flaky triangles filled with vegetables. Soup of the day is charmingly called Soup of the Moment. All seafood is sea-harvested and the restaurant offers a daily line-caught fish special. The Lorenzo Marcos Prawns Peri-peri ($22), described as pan-fried Mozambique-style prawns, were spicy and succulent whole split prawns served atop flavorful yellow rice and with excellent greens. Meat at the restaurant is cooked on the “Backyard Braai,” Braai being the South African version of BBQ and a popular South African pastime. T-bone steak ($24) arrives moist and tender with a good, flavorful char and a choice of sauces: mushroom, garlic butter and Monkey Gland. Thankfully, Monkey Gland sauce is not made from monkeys at all but is the traditional South African BBQ sauce made with red wine, apricots, tomato, onion and chutney. For vegetarians there is a daily vegetable platter special that changes according to the season and market availability. The restaurant also servs several curries which include Durban Bunny Chow, hollowed-out bread served with a choice of vegetable, lamb, organic chicken or seafood curry.

Madiba offers a $25 and a $50 coupon. Entrees are priced at $16.50-$24, making the $25 coupon is best for two diners and the $50 coupon is best for parties of four or more.

What are these Coupons and Groupons?

In this blog, I will frequently refer to Restaurant.com coupons and Groupons. This blog is not a promotion for either of these companies. I'm just a fan of these discount programs and think I might be able to provide a service by reviewing restaurants and service providers that participate in them.

Here's how Restaurant.com works -- technically, you buy a $10 restaurant-specific coupon that will give you $25 off a $35 purchase at that restaurant. But there are almost always discounts that range from 60% off to, occasionally, 90% off. Once you sign up you'll receive emails giving you the discount code for the current offer. When I see that coupons are 90% off that's when I pick up a whole bunch. They are good for one year from the date of purchase. Sometimes I overbuy and have coupons that expire unused, but certainly the savings outweigh the cost of unused certificates. In some sad cases, restaurants go out of business or stop participating in the program before the coupons expire, and in that case customer service promptly provides a refund. Some restaurants have $50, $75 or $100 coupons, requiring a larger minimum purchase and which are better for a larger crowd.

Groupon.com is a daily discount email that offers discounts on a variety of local products and experiences. These range from restaurants to adult education classes to professionally published photo books. For example, yesterday after the Dance Parade in New York's East Village, my two friends and I used Groupons to get $7 worth of Asian-Italian fusion dumplings for $3 and last weekend my boyfriend and I went to a $25 class on homemade pizza making and wine pairings for $12.50 per person. A whole group of us enjoyed a sunset harbor sail on a classic wooden boat, that included an open bar, for half price last year.

Les Sans Culottes

Les Sans Culottes

1085 Second Avenue (at 57^th Street)

New York, NY 10022

Coupon value: $25

Number of People in Party: 2

Final bill: $55

Highly Recommended

Lovers of charcuterie and artfully presented crudités must make a visit to this charming classic French restaurant. It bills itself as “the revolutionary French restaurant” -- the name, which literally means "without knee-breeches" and was a term used to refer to French revolutionaries. Inside, it feels like you've stepped into a roadside tavern in 1788. I have a fetish for vintage textiles, and coveted the wall covering, a vintage fabric printed with 18^th Century ladies and gentlemen.

The restaurant offers three prix fixe menus priced at $25, $32 and $35, all with several selections and including dessert. The meal begins with an enormous basket of whole raw vegetable and a massively impressive array of classic French smoked sausages, along with a ceramic pot of homemade pate, cornichons, bread and cold butter. Additional appetizers such as Coquille saint Jacques are available for those ambitious diners, our party was sufficiently challenged by this display. Chicken Cordon Blue was tender, with an oozing center. The Tilapia Almandine was moist and flavorful and pleased a diner with a restricted diet. The Roasted Chicken with Garlic Sauce was earthy and satisfying. There is excellent Cotes due Rhone by the glass and for dessert there is a choice of chocolate mousse or caramel flan included in the prix fixes, and a few other selections such as tarte tatin or crème brulee are also offered.

The service is excellent, and those who anticipate snobby French waiters will be disappointed.

Les Sans Culottes is a great value without the coupon but is a fantastic deal with the coupon, especially if there are two people in your party. Portions are large and we all brought home doggy bags that heated up most deliciously the next day. Les Sans Culottes only offers the $25 coupon, which is most understandable given the already low prices and generous portions. Reservations accepted.

Texas Pepper Works Candy Crisp Deli Toppers

The beauty of a truly transformative condiment is that with one twist of the lid or bottle top an everyday burger or humble turkey sandwich is elevated to new and exotic heights. Condiments, so wonderfully shelf-stable, sit patiently in the back of our pantries and refrigerators waiting for the moment when we need a splash of inspiration. Every culture has its defining condiment, in America we are hopelessly linked with ketchup in the eyes of the world, despite the word’s possible Chinese origins. Sweet-piquant banana peppers as jarred by Texas Pepper Works in their Candy Crisp Deli Toppers are an entirely unique and absolutely addictive addition to the condiment category that. like the tricycle on the label, turns an average sandwich into a thrillingly novel experience. I tried them at the Fancy Food Show in New York and have found a wide range of uses for them. I love sliders but now see them as incomplete without a few palate-popping rings piled on top. The peppers wake up turkey or cheese sandwiches and revitalize the hors d’oeuvre standby of cream cheese topped with pepper jelly. The banana peppers have a nice, mellow heat that complements deli meats without really reaching spicy hot levels.

Texas Pepper Works uses family recipes and the spirit of fun to celebrate the lesser-known German, Scotch, Irish and Creole roots of Texas culture.

Cream Cheese and Candy Crisp Deli Toppers Dip

Ingredients:

1 8 oz block Cream Cheese, left at room temperature 1 hor or until softened

6 oz Texas Pepper Works Deli Toppers

Club crackers or Bugles

Directions:

Unwrap cream cheese, place on serving plate. Top with Deli Toppers and the glaze from the jar. Surround with crackers or Bugles. Serve. Seriously it will get eaten and fast.

Welcome to my Blog!

I like things that are yummy and I like saving money. this blog is dedicated to passing along my reviews of restaurants that offer coupons on Restaurant.com, Groupons from Groupon.com and Atlantic city buffets. I'll also review the odd restaurant where I pay full price, often these are pizza places. I'm hoping boyfriend Joe will drop in from time to time as he is the real pizza and ice cream expert in this household, which contains the two of us and four emerald Toucanets. They just eat fruit and have their own Twitter page at twitter.com/littlegbirdies for those of you out there interested in what small green birds have to say about the world. Please leave comments so I know you were here!

Thanks,

Elizabeth