Dogwood in Season, In My Apartment
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
April 30th, 2008
Union Square Greenmarket
14th St & B’way
Florist carrying dogwood: Fri and Sat 8am onward
The dogwood in bloom really captured my attention at the farmer’s market this past weekend. Now, they are happily adorning my apartment.
A Champagne Meal at Savoy
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
April 30th, 2008
Savoy
70 Prince St
@ Crosby St
212-219-8570
What happens when a sparkling winemaker and I get together? Well, recently, Rollin Soles of Argyle Winery was visiting from Oregon, and we had the most memorable four-hour champagne lunch at Savoy. I’m happy to report that Rollin and I, together with his lovely wife, Corby, tried our first bottle of José Dhondt ($78) that day. This blanc de blancs from the Grand Cru village of Oger impressed us both. Minerally and fresh as spring, it was the perfect meal opener. Rollin was ready to take home a case. Next, we opted for the 1999 Chartogne-Taillet from Merfy (You’ve got to love the names of villages in Champagne!) ($100). This Pinot-and-Chard blend from the Coteaux de Vesle (outside the main top Champagne regions) didn’t quite live up to the standard set by our first wine. In comparison, it was rather flat in personality and structure. But my plate of handmade garganelli with house-smoked ham, English peas, dried chilli and Parmesan ($14) more than made up for the minor wine disappointment. This dish has been a constant craving since I first tasted it a month ago. And what’s more, our finale of a half bottle of 1994 Château d’Yquem ($125) certainly uplifted the leisurely, lazy lunch that would otherwise have been clouded by the torrential rain outside. Inside the magically cozy upstairs dining room at Savoy, life was beyond sunny.
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Macadamia Nut Salad
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
April 29th, 2008
Clara Confections
Neiman Marcus
Ala Moana Center
1450 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, Hawaii
808-951-8887
Dean & Deluca
560 B’way
@ Prince St
212-226-6800
Union Square Greenmarket
14th St & B’way
Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat: 8 am to 6 pm (hours vary seasonally)
While Celia brought back an ample supply of Portuguese sausage from Hawaii last week, I brought back just a box of plump macadamia nuts from Clara Confections for my cocktail-hour snack. But yesterday, while looking for walnut oil at Dean & Deluca, I found some macadamia nut oil (Brookfarm; $13) from Australia instead. This inspired me to whip up a fresh salad from the superb mesclun greens I had picked up at Union Square that morning. I dressed my simple salad with the nut oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice, seasoned with a dash of salt and pepper. Then I crushed some macadamia nuts and tossed them with the salad. The nuts have a sweetness to them that I can only express in Hawaiian terms, onolicious!
P.S. I did end up getting some of Celia’s Portuguese sausage, and it inspired my own interpretation of a fried rice with broccoli rabe and P. sausage — equally satisfying my nostalgia for the foods we grew up on in Hawaii.
Postal Cards
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
April 28th, 2008
Clio
92 Thompson St
(Prince & Spring St)
212-966-8991
I’m always sourcing good cards to have handy when an occasion calls for them. In Paris, I stock up on tasteful colorful blank cards from Marie Papier. In Manhattan, I recently discovered some one-of-a-kind handmade cards using thread and recycled mail ($6 per card), with a witty collection title: Gone Postal! Card designer, Liz Welchman, is the design director of domino magazine, and this collection is a pet project she started in 2004. Nothing feels better than to write that thank-you note on a handsome card. I just sent out a bunch the other day.
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Jamais dit jamais
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
April 28th, 2008
Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club
24 E 81st St
(5th & Madison Ave)
212-396-3444
Recently, Celia and I went to check out a restaurant/club (it turns into a disco later at night) located on the ground floor of a townhouse close to the Met on the Upper East Side: Bruno Jamais. This was too good to pass up. Who could imagine a restaurant-slash-club on a completely quiet residential block!
Well, “jamais dit jamais,” never say never, my aunt Nancy often reminds me. Cel and I were greeted at a dark reception area in a long wine-cellared hallway leading to the restaurant. Once inside this space, we found ourselves so out of place, it was like we were in a surreal dream. There were pop art paintings for sale on the walls and the vibe was totally club-like. We were the only diners when we were seated at nine o’clock. Later, a few trickled in here and there. It was a very interesting mix of crowds. Without going into too much detail, let’s just say we saw some odd couples — older men dining with much younger dates. This club was apparently a place for secret meetings. By eleven o’clock the place was transformed with the lights dimmed, crowds of party-goers and couples alike dancing and just starting their night.
Unlike the clientele, the starters were very forgettable, including the signature lobster brûlée ($25). But then we decided to get the veal Milanese ($30) to share. Wow! I wish this dish could be transported to any resto in my neighborhood. It was really an excellent Milanese. Especially in comparison to the last one I had at Lever House, which was shockingly tasteless with the breading falling apart left and right. So bad that one of my accompanying lunchmates wrote a letter of complaint afterwards.
The Jamais Milanese, on the other hand, was crisp, tender, flavorful, juicy. Thin, too. It was an immediate craving. But Bruno Jamais doesn’t seem to be the type of restaurant I can just pop into for a single craving. Maybe if I could convince a fun group of friends, we could make a night of it!
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