A Dinosaur From the Past

This is from a visit in March of '07 to Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem.  I've since had better BBQ but never in a sit down place.  The only place I've had better BBQ in NY has been at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party.  Sadly, I haven't made it back to Dinosaur since.  Being a 2 hour train ride away makes it a bit of a pain in the ass.  But I'm thinking a return engagement may be necessary.  That's kind of the benefit of going through some of these old reviews...it's making me want to revisit some places.  I have heard a rumor that Dinosaur is opening a location on Union Street in Park Slope in the near future.  That would be fantastic.

When Good Carnivores Die, Heaven is Dinosaur BBQ

For the first restaurant review of ’07 do we ever have a doozy. I think it might be the best place overall that we’ve been to. I’ll have to remember to ask my other companions for their opinion. Get a lil best of list going. Maybe get some comments on what places anyone else thinks we should hit that might make our list. We’re always up for some good food. Well, off we go to the first review of the year.

To think at the beginning of this little adventure Adrienne thought it might not be worth it to take such a long trip uptown. Silly, silly girl. As we now know any trip to Dinosaur BBQ will be well-rewarded. The train ride to 131^st street was so worth it I just don’t have the words to tell you how worth it, it was. I met Doreen, Adrienne and newcomer Phil for a railroad journey into Harlem to eat what turned out to be the best damned BBQ I’ve ever had pass through my lips. Before I get to the food, lemme tell you this place was PACKED! The amount of people just standing around waiting for a table was insane. Don’t even waste your time going there without a reservation. You ain’t getting’ a table any other way. But once you do get a table there is all kinds of cool stuff to look at. Everything inside is worn brick and weathered wood. The food comes on blue plastic plates with little separation-y things kind of like upper class TV dinner trays. So not only do you get this amazing food but it’s kind of like eating it in someone’s backyard. When it’s warm out it seems that they just open all the windows and that must really add to the atmosphere. Even the music was good…a lot of bluesy jazz type staff. Now, on to the grub.

There was nothing that our waitress Sheena brought to our table that disappointed. We’ll start with the fried green tomatoes because that’s what we started with. The sauce they came with was really the tastiest bit of that. The breading was good and a lil tangy but there really was no taste of tomato. I don’t know if that’s how it always tastes because I’ve never had fried green tomatoes before. They were good but nothing exciting. The ribs were what sex would taste like if it came on a bone (no pun intended). They were so tender that I have no doubt that if Age wanted she could’ve stuck the whole rib in her mouth and sucked all the meat off in one shot just like in a cartoon. After the 3 ribs I had I was already getting close to full. And I still have pulled pork, potato salad, baked beans and a piece of cornbread to get through. The pulled pork was awesome. The brisket, which I snagged from Doreen, was fantastic. I had a side of potato salad that was just a touch spicy, just to remind you that it said Creole on the menu, sooooooo good. The macaroni and cheese, that I didn’t have the foresight to order but I also snagged from Doreen (she’s good for sharing food…usually) was the reason we breathe. God put us on this earth to eat food that tasted this good. The worst thing we got was the BBQ beans and they were excellent. If you could’ve seen the looks on Doreen’s and Age’s faces when we were finished eating it would’ve told the whole story. There was total satisfaction and the desire to keep eating despite the risk of exploding. The prices weren’t really bad at all. I think it came to about $23 a person. You can’t go wrong being that kind of full for less than $25. Next time I’m definitely trying the drunken shrimp boil though. I’d say it’s certainly safe to say we’re going to make a repeat visit…and I can’t wait for it.

Dinosaur BBQ NYC

700 West 125th Street

NY, NY, 10027

212-694-1777

That's A Pretty Plate...Sort Of

 Whipped up some tasty grub tonight.  Bowtie pasta with spinach/garlic chicken sausage, grape tomatoes and oyster mushrooms tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.  I like all the purty colors.

GOOOOOOOD STUFF!

Oh Yeah, Grilled Sammies Rock!

Grilled ham and provolone on jalapeno/cheddar sourdough bread.  Grilled in honey/chipotle butter.  Oh hell yes!

Burger Bistro Makes My Tummy Smile

Last night I met my friend Jessica for dinner at Burger Bistro. It had been a little while since I'd been there and I was reminded why I like the place so much. It's always comfortable and relaxed. The back patio is an excellent place to sit outside with a burger and a beer. The staff are always very friendly and very helpful. And it's always fun to mark up a menu with a grease pencil. Interactivity rocks.

Bacon Cheeseburger Rice Ball

Every weekend there's usually something creative on the menu. Last night we had bacon cheeseburger rice balls which were really good.  I had a shrimp burger that came with sriracha mayo...everything sriracha is good. The shrimp burger came with a french green bean salad, which was good. But I needed tater tots too. Gotta have my tots.

I've had everything from a normal beef cheeseburger to a kangaroo burger at Burger Bistro. I've had elk, lamb, turkey, roo. Hell, I've even had the veggie burgers and they're quite excellent. Every weekend I wait for the specials to be put on Facebook. They're always interesting. From the aforementioned kangaroo burger to the Elvis to the osso buco burger. These are just the ones that jump to the top of my head as I write this. Don't let me forget that they have great ice cream sandwiches for dessert. How can you go wrong with an ice cream sandwich? The answer to that question is “You can't”.

Bottom line is if you find yourself craving comfort and creative vittles check out Burger Bistro. You might find me there on the patio eating one of the specialty burgers and washing it down with a Sam Adams Summer Ale.

I'm Slightly Disturbed

This is just twisted.

A mashed potato vending machine...really?

Keens Steakhouse Is a Carnivore's Nirvana

I was lucky enough to make a return visit to Keens Steakhouse last night. It's one of the most fantastic places I've ever had the pleasure of dining in. I get a little giddy whenever I know I'm going there. It turns out that I'm kind of an old-fashioned fellow. Great company, great whiskey and great meat makes me a happy camper. Keens always provides great meat and whiskey and I'm lucky enough to be able to provide great company. So in honor of my latest visit to Keens I figured I'd post what I had to say about my very first experience back in '09.

Keens famous 26oz Mutton Chop

Let’s make one thing perfectly clear. When I die I don’t want to go to heaven. I want no part of sitting at the lord’s side singing praises or whatever other crap goes on up there. When I die I want to go to Keens Steakhouse. This place has stormed its way into the pantheon of restaurants where I would never ever decline an invitation. And if I couldn’t afford to go that particular time I’d hock a kidney to pay for it.

As I’m jotting down notes for this blog on the little notepad they leave on the table, seemingly as though the wait staff knew I was coming, I’m listening to Blake contentedly sigh like a lion just after a kill. Blake, Paula, Doreen and I are sitting here in post-carnivorous ecstasy after devouring some of the best food ever served to us. While sitting here blissfully satisfied it was decided that it was necessary for me to write an ode to this wonder of culinary satisfaction.

Keens has been in business for about 123 years. The history of the place is all over the walls and even the ceilings. There are autographed pipes covering the ceiling of every room in the place. The waiter we had was amazingly helpful…he told me how to have my mutton cooked and picked out the desert for both myself and Paula. The lil water guy filled those glasses every 20 minutes or so. And the atmosphere in the restaurant was classy without being pretentious or stuck up. In essence, by the time the meal was over, we were in love.

Okay, let’s start with appetizers. We had a shrimp cocktail with some seriously monstrous shrimp and an awesome horseradishy cocktail sauce. We had an excellent crab cocktail that I really want to eat again. We had the best oysters Rockefeller I’ve ever eaten and lobster bisque (which was the only thing I didn’t get to sample. Blake inhaled it as thought it was water and he’d just come back from a 40 day trek through the Sahara.)

The brontosaurus sized
28oz Prime Rib

For a main course Dor demolished most of an amazing prime rib. There was no reason to even chew it as it just melted in your mouth. It was like meat flavored butter. Just outstanding! I had the “legendary” mutton chop. Apparently Keens is famous for their mutton chop and there’s a very good reason for that…it is ridiculous. I didn’t know what mutton even was until 2 days ago when Blake told me it was an older lamb. I’ll never eat regular lamb again and be quite as satisfied. This beastly chop of mature lamb meat was so tender that I wanted to weep with every bite. The scattered greens they put on the plate at first seemed pointless until I discovered something world shattering. The best salad dressing in the world is mutton juice. Blake and Paula shared the porterhouse for 2. That is a wonderful monument to meaty goodness. Even the sides we got were outstanding. The creamed spinach was perfect and the sautéed mushrooms were great. The hash brown was pretty damn good too.

Somehow after all that dinner-like carnage we found the will to get dessert. I should say the waiter subtly coerced us into dessert by placing menus in front of us. Dor seemed pretty thrilled with her dark chocolate mousse. Blake attacked his bananas foster with the fervor of a wolverine. Paula and I were guided into some kind of sundae with awesome butterscotch sauce. Even the friggin’ coffee was really good.

Basically what I’m saying is I can’t wait to go back there. And next time I go I won’t be dehydrated from drinking craft beers the night before this way I can try some of the hundreds of whiskeys they have to offer. You couldn’t have asked for a better Sunday dinner than great fucking meat and good people to share a meal with.

The before picture

Keens Steakhouse

72 West 36th Street

NY, NY, 10018

212-947-3636

http://www.keens.com/

As a postscript to this I did have a couple of excellent Manhattans last night, so I indeed did get to sample some good booze.  On another occasion I had the good fortune to try a 21-year-old Scotch that may have been the most amazing thing ever to pass my lips.  Just thought I should share that.

The after picture

The Most Iconic Dishes In NY?

The good folks at Eater.com compiled a list of what they consider the 20 most iconic dishes to be had in NY.  I've tried 4 so far.  Another mission that needs to be undertaken.  16 more to go.

NY's 20 Most Iconic Dishes

Skimming Through Some Old Stuff (Blue Ribbon '06)

I was going through some of the old posts I've made about food here and there over the last handful of years.  I've done A LOT of eating.  Reading this one from '06 is made me really want to make another trip to Blue Ribbon.  That's got to happen sometime in the near future.  On to the show...

Lucky me, the weekend dinners have begun again. And the return of Adrienne to the eating ranks made me happy. This week was a Brooklyn joint called Blue Ribbon in Park Slope. Before I even get started here let me say this...I loved this place. My favorite place we've tried so far. The decor was kind of subdued and it was loud enough in the dining room so you knew it was casual but not so loud that you had to scream at each other. When Adrienne asked the waiter if they had mojitos, the waiter's answer was that they didn't make specialty drinks because blenders and such make too much noise. From there on, I knew this was the place for me. Then he recommended a different drink to go with her meal. She didn't really like the drink, I did, but she didn't. So the waiter took it back and performed a lil surgery on it and brought back an improved version for her. The waiter was very attentive and not annoying while he did it, I was very appreciative.

Of course, no matter how good the ambiance and the service are, the true measure of a restaurant is the food. No disappointment there at all. I can't wait to go back and eat more of the menu. First we had appetizers because we're slobs and have to do it. Doreen had fried oysters that were yummy. Age had a chilled half lobster that she seemed to enjoy as she ripped it meat from shell like a savage...it was great to watch. I had grilled shrimp remoulade which was tasty and came with a bunch of fried zucchini laces...I love me some zucchini. For dinner we were all pretty damned impressed, at least I was, and I ate a lil bit of everything that was on the table. I had some of Doreen's grilled waboo (some kind of fish) that was seriously good. I had some of Age's paella (one of 3 different one's they had to offer) which was really excellent. And there was a ton of it. Usually when I get paella everything is OK but the chicken. That's just annoying, overcooked and in the way. I just want to get to the good stuff like the shrimp, mussels and clams. I tried the chicken in this...it was GOOD! I had a spicy grilled flank steak that was absolutely perfect. It came with mashed potatoes, fried onions, and apples and cabbage that were seared in something sweet and yummy. We even managed to get to dessert where we split 2 orders of chocolate bruno (a flourless chocolate mousse on graham crackers with ice cream on the sides). Age and Dor split one and I almost got through one on my own. This thing was just sooooo rich. It was really, really, really, really good but a bit too much for me. Next time I get the banana split or the root beer float...and oh yes, there will be a next time. Just writing all this stuff is making me hungry...I can't wait to go back.

Blue Ribbon Brooklyn

280 5^th Avenue

Brooklyn, NY, 11215

718-840-0404

Blue Ribbon Brooklyn

Ask and Ye Shall Receive.

Chef Moi

I couldn't remember which recipes I was asked for.  So I'm giving you these 3 hoping at least one of them was the one that was requested.

Honey Chipotle Compound Butter
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 chipotle pepper, and just a little bit of the adobo sauce the chipotle is packed in
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt

Combine everything in a food processor until it's nice and smooth.  This butter is fantastic for everything you'd normally use butter for.  I cook eggs in it.  Cook grilled cheese in it, that was amazing.  Especially if the cheese you use is the pimento cheese below.

Pimento Cheese
1/2 lb grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 lb grated pepper jack cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup lite mayo
1 jalapeno, diced
A squirt or two of Sriracha, if you're so inclined.  (I was)

Combine everything in a bowl and chill for an hour or so.

Hummus
15 oz can of chickpeas, drained reserve liquid
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup tahini
juice from 1 lemon
2 tbsp liquid from chickpeas can
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil

I generally put the chickpeas in the food processor with the olive oil first and pulse it a few times.  Then I start adding the other ingredients one at a time, pulsing until incorporated.  Throw a chipotle pepper in there for a nice kick.  A couple of kalamata olive are good.  Roasted red pepper.  Toasted pine nuts. A tbsp or Parmesan cheese might be kind of good too but that idea just popped into my head and I haven't tried it yet.

Good eating folks!!!

Laughter Before Libations

I went my friend Amy to see “Ted”, which was flat-out hysterical. I don't think I've laughed that hard at a movie since “The Hangover”. After the flick was over Amy and I went looking for a bar so we could catch up over a couple of libations. Amy's on the perennial search for free shit (you can check out her blog about her hunt free stuff at Free Is Not a Four Letter Word), so she knew of some deal from some website for a free drink at a place called Little Town NYC. 

The I Love NY Platter

 I liked the place. Lots of dark wood.  A very pleasant bartender.  Quick service.  Easy view of the TV's to watch the All-Star Game on.  All good things if you're going to get me to come back to your bar.  

Little Town has quite an extensive beer menu, which is always a plus. I'm not exactly a beer “connisseur” but it's nice to have options. I wound up going with the Brooklyn Brown Ale.  Amy drank something that came in a giant bottle.  I don't really know what it was.  They also have a pretty good food menu. There's something called the “garbage plate” that had both Amy and I quite intrigued. It consisted of a burger, sliced sausage, baked beans, macaroni and cheese and fried onions served over tater tots. I can't tell you how tempted I was. But I voted it down because Amy's a lil lady and I knew I'd wind up eating the majority of that behemoth myself. And there's no way that can be good for you. Instead we got some garlic fries that were tasty but I wish were of a thicker variety. We also got the “I Love NY” platter. Which was knishes, pigs in blankets and pretzel nuggets served with melted cheese and mustard. The knishes were just slightly oily in the corners, which are the best parts of knishes, but still very good.

In all, I liked Little Town. If I find myself near Union Square and I'm in need of grazing I'll definitely stop there for it. And if anyone beats me to trying that “garbage plate” let me know how it is. It's definitely on my agenda.

Little Town NYC

118 East 15^th Street

212-677-6300

http://unionsq.littletown.com/index.php

National Chocolate Day

Today's National Chocolate Day.  This is how I intend to celebrate.  I'm hoping I don't melt in this 100 degree heat before my ice does.

National Fried Chicken Day

Happy National Fried Chicken Day, Folks.  Go out and celebrate.

Top 38 Essential Places to Eat in NY

Eater.com's Top 38 Essential Places to Eat in NY

I would love to get a group of say 5 or 6 together and try all of these places.

A New Go-To Place for Me to Order Sushi From in Bay Ridge

Found a new sushi place in Bay Ridge recently.  Annie and I went to Shobu Sushi on 94th Street and 5th Avenue last week and were very surprised.  Everything was fresh and tasty.  I'm terrible at remembering which rolls are which so I couldn't tell you which were the best.  I can say that we tried 4 of the special rolls and really liked all 4.  We also really liked the Japanese pizza, the Dragon Ball (which is some lobster salad hidden in a cool little beehive looking thing made out of avocado) and I really liked the Crab Tartar.  The only bad thing I have to say about the place is that there are mosquitoes everywhere out on the patio, so don't sit outside.  If they have some candles going or something that might have helped.

I ordered from there tonight to see if the food held up for delivery.  OK, that's not really why I ordered from there.  It was because I'm absolutely wiped out and couldn't deal with the thought of a hot kitchen.  But seeing if the food held up was a happy bonus.    The tako su (octopus) was tasty as was the Ninja Roll.  They were here in about 30 minutes from when I placed the order on GrubHub.  So far I'm impressed.  I'll definitely be using Shobu Sushi on a regular basis.

Shobu Sushi
9427 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY, 11209
718-833-8345

http://www.shobusushiny.com/