Philly Cheese Steak Dumplings w/ sriracha ketchup
by Celia Cheng
June 30th, 2008
FIRESIDE
19 E 52nd St
@ Madison Ave
212-734-5011
Fireside, located in the Omni Berkshire Hotel in Midtown, is an unexpectedly good restaurant. You could easily mistake it for an unremarkable hotel restaurant, the kind that serves less than mediocre food but must be there for the hotel guests. That’s not the case here though. Chef Sam DeMarco is at the head of this kitchen, and his cuisine is outstanding and fun!
In his own words, he doesn’t really try to be innovative, but incorporates items in his menu that evoke nostalgia. Not innovative? I beg to differ. Philly cheese steak dumplings are innovative, but I understand what he means by nostalgic. He blends the best of both worlds.
Who doesn’t love a good Philly cheese steak? But he’s reconfigured it so that all the components — thinly sliced Rib eye, grilled onions, button mushrooms and American cheese — are wrapped in dumpling skins and then fried like pot stickers. There are five to an order, served with sriracha ketchup — what a great condiment for this masterpiece — to add a little spice. Hot pepperconi peppers as garnish also bring us back to the traditional Philly cheese steak toppings.
I agree with Chef DeMarco that he’s not trying to make fusion cuisine. He doesn’t force the elements together, but simply makes a whimsical change to the classic sandwich. Dumpling skin is a fine substitute for bread in this case. And these are much more elegant and manageable with Fireside’s playful cocktails.
I also tried the three specials currently on the couture menu: bling bling benny (crispy poached eggs with smoked sturgeon) for breakfast; OB’s Kobe burger at lunch, and luxe A-5 gold five-ounce Japanese Kobe sirloin for dinner.
The eggs benedict was nothing like what I expected. Though I love classics, I cringe when I see eggs benedict on a brunch menu. Give me something more interesting! Well, here’s new interpretation of an oldie-but-goody. The poached eggs, covered in panko and Parmesan cheese, are deep fried until crispy, and served over smoked sturgeon and a confetti of three different caviars: ginger, American paddlefish and salmon roe, embellished by asparagus and tomato. It’s a striking and delicious breakfast.
The Kobe burger won my heart instantly. A Kobe beef patty is served between two pieces of brioche tea toast with sautéed chanterelles, summer truffles, shallots and melted Brie. It’s a “tasting” portion and the perfect size for savoring the rich flavors of the high quality ingredients. Truffle fries accompany, and while a little on the greasy side, they were ideally crispy, and, besides, it’s hard to resist the scent of truffle oil.
The Kobe steak is sliced into four thin pieces that you grill at the table on a scorching Himalayan salt brick. This is a common practice in Japan known as ishiyaki (hot stone cooking). It’s fun to cook your own meat, especially when your steak starts sizzling right in front of your eyes. It only takes a few seconds for it to cook on each side, and the satisfaction thereafter is instantaneous.
Chef DeMarco is so endearing. There’s no pretense; he’s jolly and wants you to be jolly, too. I’m looking forward to trying more of his ingenious “cocktail” cuisine!
Posted in American , Appetizer , Dumpling , Midtown East , Steak
website • menu • reservation • map • tell-a-friend • print • comment
Mezze Sampling Plate
by Celia Cheng
January 31st, 2008
BODRUM
584 Amsterdam Ave
(88th & 89th St)
212-799-2806
It’s funny how sometimes the simplest things can trip you up. I have been trying to decide on a craving for Bodrum but have been at a loss for much too long. I was stumped not because there’s nothing on the menu for me to choose from, but, on the contrary, every dish I tried at Bodrum, from starter to dessert — even the homemade bread — was a contender for my favorite craving. It’s all so good! It took me a while, but then I realized the obvious craving choice at a restaurant that has so much to offer — the mezze sampling plate!
Bodrum is a new Turkish restaurant that opened last July on the UWS. It serves homestyle Turkish cooking as well as some contemporary Mediterranean and North African dishes. The eatery, which seats forty (with outdoor accommodations when weather permits), has a casual but elegant feel. Upon entering the restaurant, you are faced with a wood-burning brick oven that warms this intimate, comfortable space. Comfort is found both in the atmosphere as well as the downright good homestyle cooking. The menu is not extensive but the quality of the food is consistently high.
Eating out as often as I do, my favorite meals are homestyle. Homestyle cooking is not to be confused with sloppy comfort food. Bodrum’s cuisine, as well as service, is refined and professional. Like its Turkish sister restaurant, Pasha, Bodrum also offers a fine-dining experience but in a warmer, more relaxing setting.
The shepherd salad is a good example of how Bodrum pays attention to detail. This is a simple and traditional Turkish salad, but too often restaurants serve it with oversized chunks of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers. At Bodrum, the ingredients are finely diced, and carefully seasoned with the right balance of olive oil and lemon.
The mezze are all delicious and the mezze sampling plate for only $14 is the way to go. This includes a sigara borek (French feta and chopped parsley rolled like a cigar, as the name suggests, in crispy Turkish filo); a b’stila djej (Moroccan filo pastry stuffed with spiced chicken, almonds, chopped fresh herbs and cinnamon) — a true knock out!; hummus; babaghanoush; Turkish patlican (lightly spiced cubes of eggplant cooked with tomato, peppers, garlic and fresh herbs); and lebne (strained yogurt cheese mixed with walnuts, dill and purslane). And of course one of the best things about eating mezze is the accompanying bread. The homemade Turkish pide bread topped with sesame seeds is soft and fluffy, making it easier to soak up all the dips. I could just have pide with mezze for a meal, but there’s much more to enjoy at Bodrum, so don’t stop there.
Whenever I spy manti (ground lamb and fresh herb dumplings with garlic yogurt sauce) on a menu, I am wont to try it. The pieces of manti at Bodrum are unusually large, so they are more similar to ravioli than the normally petit dumplings. However, the size here does not compromise the taste. The manti is fresh and the garlic yogurt sauce a wonderful complement.
For the entrée, the special, lamb kebab with rice and steamed vegetables, was scrumptious. The copiously sized pieces of lamb on the skewer were juicy and tender, and the mixed vegetables were julienned, not large chunks that seem like an afterthought. The Moroccan fish tagine, with spiced red snapper and preserved lemon, olives and vegetables, was also a well balanced mix of flavors that was saucy and zesty.
The most interesting dessert on the menu is the ginger and Turkish fig ice cream, and it was delightful! Fig is one of those fruits that seems neutral in flavor but exquisite when fresh. It balances out the zingy ginger without harnessing its distinctive flavor. It’s an original and refreshing way to wind down dinner.
Bodrum was such a wonderful surprise! It’s my new favorite Turkish restaurant in the City because of its sensational homestyle cooking. Though I may have to travel ninety blocks uptown to get there, it’s worth the distance!
Posted in Appetizer , Turkish , UWS
Stuzzichini Misti (selection of five appetizers)
by Celia Cheng
August 30th, 2007
It doesn’t seem to matter whether it’s blazing hot or abnormally cold; the weather this month has not affected my appetite in the least bit. It’s been another full month of non-stop eating. I’ve had the chance to try a dozen restaurants, old and new, that have been on my list. Here are three more quick highlights for August:
Bar Stuzzichini
928 Broadway
(21st & 22nd St)
212-780-5100
The stuzzichini (small plate appetizers) at this new Flat Iron district Italian restaurant are actually quite good, but the size of the restaurant can be distracting and the service consistently sloppy. It feels more like a dining hall than a nice restaurant. Sitting at the marble-topped dining bar could’ve been just as delightful as the dining bar at Bellavitae, but, unfortunately, Bar Stuzzichini lacks the intimacy and comfort, and the large restaurant atmosphere sadly detracts from the otherwise perfectly good stuzzichinis. The pastas are descent but not exceptional and desserts not too interesting. My recommendation is to sit at the bar and have the stuzzichini misti — one of each from the five categories: fritti (fried), verdure (vegetables), pesce (seafood), formaggi (cheeses), and salumi (cured meats). Ordered individually, each appetizer ranges from $5 to $10, but the misti is a bargain at $22. The arancini (fried rice balls) are wonderfully crunchy on the outside and gooey inside, and the scamorza alla brace (grilled scamorza cheese — a type of dried and cured mozzarella) is scrumptious. It seems to me that happy hour at Bar Stuzzichini for some snacks may be the way to go.
Rose Water
787 Union St
(5th & 6th Ave)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-783-3800
website
Rose Water is a foodie haven in Park Slope. The seasonal menu focuses on quality ingredients, the service is always pleasant, and the prices are fair. At a recent dinner, the sweet corn risotto with oyster mushrooms, zucchini, pickled onions and herbs stood out as an extremely savory combination. The weekend prix-fixe brunch at $13 is also very worthwhile and includes an entrée and a drink. It’s an unbeatable deal. This past weekend, I was happy as a clam after having the poached eggs on flat grilled corn cakes, served with plum sauce and accompanied by a feta, spinach and grilled cherry tomato salad — a special so it was $15 instead of $13 — and a glass of fresh watermelon peach juice. Rose Water is yet another great Park Slope neighborhood restaurant.
Sfoglia
1402 Lexington Ave
@ 92nd St
212-831-1402
website
Trying to get a dinner reservation at Sfoglia is a real challenge, as they seem to be booked six-weeks in advance. It’s no wonder, since Sfoglia is small, with only ten tables and a bar, and the food is simple and good. If your schedule is flexible, though, there is the option of lunch, which is rather quiet. Several of the regulars eating alone at the bar treat Sfolgia like a neighborhood café, bringing reading or writing material and leisurely enjoying their meals. The homemade bread is served fresh and warm! It’s like country bread with a dash of sea salt seasoning; the outer crust is crunchy but not too hard or thick, and the bread inside is white and fluffy. The frittata of the day (fennel, cipollini onions and parmesan on the day of my lunch) seemed a popular choice amongst the bar diners, so I tried it and decided that on my next visit that would be all I’d need for lunch. Naturally I couldn’t pass up the scialatelli (a thicker version of spaghetti), roasted cherry tomatoes, bottarga di muggine (dried grey mullet fish roe), parsley and garlic. The scialatelli is a meatier pasta and worked well with the sweet roasted cherry tomatoes and bottarga. The pappardelle alla Bolognese sounded great with ground pork, veal and chicken liver and fresh hand-cut sheets of papparadelle, but alas the dish was over-salted and thus disappointing. Nevertheless, Sfoglia is a rustic gem, a sliver of a restaurant on the UES that I will happily return to for lunch. It’s a place where you can relax and find peace of mind, if you can take the time.
Posted in American , Appetizer , Brunch , Flat Iron District , Italian , Park Slope , Small Plates , UES
menu • reservation • map • tell-a-friend • print • comment
