Hungarian Goulash
by Celia Cheng
April 2nd, 2005
SILVER SWAN
41 E 20th St
(Park Ave & B’way)
212-254-3611
I have never gone to the same restaurant to eat the same meal two consecutive meals in a row until now. I was at Silver Swan last night for dinner and went back for lunch today. A windy, rainy day made me crave something warm, stewy and meaty. Last night I ordered a bowl of Goulash as a starter to share with friends, but today I wanted the Goulash entrée with spaetzle and red cabbage.
First thing to note is that at Silver Swan you always want to stay at the bar. The menu is essentially the same as the back dining room, but the prices are at about half that of the dining room menu. A bowl of Goulash is only $6. The entrée is $12.
The spaetzle is homemade, irregularly shaped and slightly pan-fried which gives it a great crispy texture on the outside but a nice doughy texture on the inside. The slight tartness to the red cabbage pairs well with the richness of the goulash. I never think of potatoes, pastas and veggies as sides to the main dish. This is a good case where I think the spaetzle and red cabbage were equally as important for balance as the beef goulash.
Speaking of potatoes, I had the potato pancakes last night and those were just scrumptious! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are served with sour cream and applesauce. This is a starter that is not to be missed!
Posted in German , Gramercy Park , Meat
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Lunch Special: Small house salad + 1 slice
by Celia Cheng
March 19th, 2005
POSTO
310 2nd Ave
@ 18th St
212-716-1200
Posto is the sister restaurant of Pizza Grupp in Alphabet City, specializing in thin crust pizzas. The restaurant is small and cramped with diners at night and the thin crust pizzas are good.
The lunch specials are a very good deal, with options like small house salad + 1 slice, or soup and slice, or ravioli and slice, all ranging under $10, including a drink (soft drink, espresso or bottled water). The price does not include toppings, but even if you order three toppings on your slice, it should still come in under $10.
This is a good deal as the salad and the slice are fairly copious. Unfortunately, the problem with ordering a slice with toppings of choice, especially when it is a thin crust pizza, means that the pizza is reheated, so it doesn’t taste as good as a whole pizza coming fresh out of the oven. The toppings are fresh and plentiful, but the slice just doesn’t hold together as well as a freshly baked pizza would.
Ultimately, while the lunch special is a good option, I think it is still better to go to Posto and order a whole pie so you know that every part of the pizza is fresh.
Posted in Gramercy Park , Italian , Pizza
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Soup & Sandwich Lunch Special
by Celia Cheng
March 10th, 2005
BAO NOODLES
391 2nd Ave
(22nd & 23rd St)
212-725-7770
It’s as if Bao Noodles can read my mind. I always want more than one thing on the menu but even with my healthy appetite I can’t manage it. Now if you eat at the restaurant between 11:30am and 4:30pm, Bao Noodles offers lunch specials. You can get the Soup & Sandwich combo for $10, which gives you a half portion of noodles and half a sandwich. Even the half and half combo is extremely copious. In fact, I probably should have taken the sandwich to go.
I ordered my two favorites, the Pho Tai Gan (oxtail noodle soup with rare beef round and tendon) and chicken sandwich. The Vietnamese are known for their French influenced sandwiches, served on baguettes but with Vietnamese ingredients. The chicken sandwich comes with marinated carrots and daikon, cilantro and spicy mayonnaise. Nothing fancy but definitely a staple to crave!
Posted in Gramercy Park , Noodles , Vietnamese
