Vendy Awards Creates Sustainable Meat Event

Sustainable jerk chicken, greens and rice from Veronica's Kitchen

Here's an NYC edible experiment worth cheering about.

What happens when you pair local street carts with sustainable local farms, and one outstanding food market? The Vendy Awards + New Amsterdam Market's "International Meats Local."  The concept was launched at this past Sunday's outdoor market.

Former Vendy winner Solber Pupusas drew a crowd

Vendy Awards managing director Helena Tubis hatched tha plan with New Amsterdam Market director Robert LaValva. Tubis sees it as a "really important project [to be] studying the economics of local sourcing for street vendors; seeing how it could make sense for them to use a better quality of meat; and how this would impact the pricing of their food."

Tickets ($20-$35) were exchanged for hefty tastings of five international dishes: meaty pot stickers, spicy jerk chicken, chorizo breakfast burritos, gooey pupusas and fresh tamales.

Taiwanese chicken and beef potstickers from A-Pou's Taste

Former Vendy Award winners - A-Pou's Taste, Veronica's Kitchen and Solber Pupusas - joined  nominees Eggstravaganza, and Guadalupe's Tamales as the vendors paired with sustainable purveyors Bobo Poultry, Marlow & Daughters, Dickson's Farmstand, Saxelby Cheesemongers, Shushan Farm, S&SO Produce Farms, and Rogowski Farm.

And now the Vendys have plans in the works to help vendors source sustainably in general. Can you hear me cheering?

Mile End Jewish Deli Hits Manhattan

Smoked meat sandwich is smokin'

Visiting Mile End on Bond St. on Day One of opening week is really too early to tell much other than the meaty menu will lure me back. Specifically, smoked meat is the star by far. Whether it's the classic smoked brisket (aka smoked meat sandwich), smoked lamb, or smoked mackerel, the process is all done in-house. Ditto for bread baking and veggie pickling.

The Bond Street sandwich shop is the first Manhattan offshoot of the original Montreal-style Jewish deli in Boerum Hill. Husband and wife team Noah Bernamoff and Rae Cohen created an enticing menu of old and new. Jewish classics such as whitefish salad ($10) and chicken and matzo ball soup ($8) sit side-by-side with fried eggplant, ramps and haloumi on pita, smoked lamb sausage with harissa slaw on a zatar roll, and pickled veal tongue with onion raisin marmalade on pumpernickel. Sides include golden beets ($10) and dandelion greens ($10).

Deluxe platter with poutine ($21) was uneven

I stuck with the deluxe ($18) with poutine ($3), a platter that includes the smoked beef brisket on house-made rye, with a side of coleslaw, pickles and poutine, the classic dish of gravy and cheese curd-smothered fries from Montreal. The soft sandwich slices were small but piled high with thickish slices of spice-crusted meat. The infusion of smoky flavor means that nothing more than a schmear of mustard is necessary. It's very, very good.

Unfortunately, other than the hefty sour pickles, it was the only item on the platter that was polished off. The red cabbage slaw was bland, but the real disappointment was the poutine which came out with warm fries coated in cold gravy and cheese curds. I know that wasn't the intention.

The interiors are shiny and bright, with white tiled walls and a giant blond wood high top table in the center. The table is designed for standing only, but has boomerang shaped grooves, to keep parties clustered together.

Mile End adds to the haute deli sandwich concept which is alive and well in the area, from Joe Dough, to This Little Piggy and even legendary Katz's a few blocks away. It's good to have options.

53 Bond St near the Bowery
212 529 2990
8am - midnight daily

Cooper's Craft & Kitchen Elevates Pub Grub

Signature fish 'n' chips shines

One of the most misused food buzz words these days is gastropub.

A mostly American craft selection

The term was born in the UK in the early 90s when quirky London pub The Eagle started serving high quality food with its craft brews. Nothing pretentious, just decently priced, well sourced fare; dishes detailed on blackboards instead of menus. The trend flourished and naturally found its way to our shores. Unfortunately, the concept frequently got lost in the translation as any ol' restaurant was suddenly claiming the title.

One East Village newcomer that actually is a gastropub is Cooper's Craft & Kitchen. Craft beers galore? Check. Tasty comfort food? Check. Chilled, local vibe? Check.

Restaurateur Tom O'Byrne (Dempsey's, Slainte) transformed the out-of-place former Kurve into a welcoming neighborhood corner. Reclaimed wood interiors were once a Pittsburgh barn. Check out the original farm doors along the back wall while scanning the blackboard beer selection. The focus is on rotating American, even local, craft brews, with 24 on tap and 40 bottle options. 

Classic chargrilled steak

Beer also makes an appearance in dishes including the signature fish 'n' chips ($14). It's a stand out. Two meaty hunks of fresh Chatham, MA, cod burst through a crispy IPA-battered golden coating. The pulled pork sandwich ($13), satisfyingly sweet and spicy, is marinated in Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale.

Even the Cooper burger ($14) is topped with a beer tempura onion ring, but also comes with a half dozen other toppings which don't entirely mesh. I am hearing good things about the Drunken Drumsticks ($9), deep fried in breadcrumbs and coated in lemon and thyme.

Craft beer lovers take note: starting next week, Cooper's will offer 5 different brews for 5 bucks a pop, Monday-Friday, 4-7pm. Cheers.

87 2nd Ave at 5th St

646 606 2384

Bite into Sausage, Inc.

Lamb and pistachio sausage

Here's a great little Cheap Eat in honor of Tax Day.

Tucked under a Greenwich Village block of scaffolding is a little sausage shop with big flavor. Somehow six month old Sausage, Inc. fell under the media radar despite the customer raves. Time to change that.

A small variety of artisan sausages - including a meatless option - are ground fresh daily and served grilled on a pretzel bun and sauteed onions. A hefty mouthful for $5.51.



A tiny sandwich shop with big taste

The most popular is the classic pork and basil filled Blanco. The Farmer blends beef and bacon into meaty goodness. The Thanksgiving, packed with turkey, stuffing and cranberries, is basically a holiday on a bun. Watch out for daily specials including the juicy lamb and pistachio. It gets better. There's a row of homemade sauces for experimentation. Any place with homemade condiments gets high marks from me. Go crazy.

I wish the artisan sausage culture were bigger here. The humble food is often maligned in our country for mystery additives. Sausage, Inc. uses prime cuts of meat with no chemicals or MSG. My vote for additions to the menu: the English banger, Moroccan merguez and Spanish chorizo for starters.

106 University Place (between 12th + 13th Sts.)

212 414 4344

11 am - 2 am daily



IACP Inspires NYC Chefs to Reinvent Bagel + Lox

Chef Ryan Tate's gorgeous 'bagel + lox'

I'm involved with the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the world's largest culinary organization. This week, the 34th annual conference takes place in New York City. As part of the festivities, we challenged five top NYC chefs to welcome IACP members with a signature bagel + lox dish. The results were as inventive and playful as ever. 

The Contenders:

Russell Moss, Cafe 92YTribeca executive chef

Shanna Pacifico, Back Forty West chef

Matt Pomerantz, bagel expert and owner of Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish and Murray’s Bagels Chelsea

Mark Spangenthal, Kutsher’s Tribeca executive chef

Ryan Tate, former Savoy executive chef

The Results:

A classic from Zucker's

Most Authentic – Matt Pomerantz has been making bagels for more than 20 years, so it’s hard to mess with a classic. Fresh plain Zucker’s bagel, cream cheese, fine Scottish salmon, Lucky’s tomatoes, red onions and capers made for the perfect deli bite.

Most Inventive – Hands down, Moss’s warm potato pancake with house cured gravlax was the most unexpected culinary delight. The hearty pancake created the perfect bed for layers of caraway and coriander crusted salmon.  Topped with crispy capers and Swedish mustard dill sauce, the dish disappeared in seconds. 

Moss's house cured gravlax

The Work of Art – Tate’s deconstructed plate was almost too beautiful to eat, but my fellow judges and I devoured it nonetheless. A canvas of red cabbage gastrique artfully held a tender cube of milk poached lox, grilled cucumber, an everything bagel ‘cannoli,’ and fromage blanc.  Creative genius.

The Decadent Gut Buster – Spangenthal’s “Rascal” took the cake for pure indulgence. Fresh poppy seed bagel layered high with baked salmon salad, Nova Scotia salmon, tomatoes, onions, chive schmear, and crowned with a dollop of salmon roe. Served with fries! An outrageous Borscht Belt classic.

Spangenthal's guilty pleasure

Pacifico's classic bistro fare

The Classy Bistro – Pacifico’s dish oozed class. Smoked salmon, tossed with fresh greens, capers and preserved Meyer lemons, accompanied a toasted bagel topped with house made cottage cheese and one perfect, crispy poached egg. Clean flavors and elegant simplicity.

The Locations:

Back Forty West, 70 Prince St.

Café 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St.

Kutsher’s Tribeca, 186 Franklin St.

Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish, 146 Chambers St.

The conference is hosting a variety of foodie events open to the public, including the largest ever Book + Blog Festival, to meet your favorite culinary authors, on Sunday, April,1. Check the website for details and tickets.

Gimme Shelter

Neighborhood nostalgia: East Village, circa 1979, Fruit Exchange corner of 1st Ave + E 7th St.
Courtesy Michael Sean Edwards.

I've been lax on posting.

To be honest, my obsessive pursuit of great neighborhood eats recently took a back seat to the worst activity known to New Yorkers: the apartment search. It's all consuming and soul destroying. Especially today when the rental inventory is next to nil and the prices are sky high. I came this close to leaving my beloved East Village, where "value for money" and "apartments" don't appear in the same sentence. Even though it's always been my home while living in New York for the past 5 years.

But after a month of brokers, tears, lack of appetite, and sleepless nights, on the day I literally put in an application on a Gramercy apartment, wondering how in the world can I continue an EV food blog when I don't even live here, my phone rang. Management office. Brand new listing. Not on the market yet. There it was. In the heart of the hood. Near the police station. Around the corner from Empellon Cocina and The Toucan and the Lion, coincidentally top of my list of hottest must trys.

In the end, my stomach won out. It's time to feast again. The old neighborhood is waiting.

Sao Mai Comforting East Village Vietnamese

Perfect for sharing: Sao Mai Khai Vi platter

While unassuming from the outside, Sao Mai, which translates into 'early morning star,' is top of mind now for an East Village Vietnamese fix. Just a block from my favorite Vietnamese carry out BaoBQ, Sao Mai offers traditional fare in a warm dine in setting.

Sao Mai means 'early morning star'

Softly lit interiors have been upgraded from the former drab but popular vegetarian restaurant Quantum Leap. Consistency, freshness and service keep me coming back. Did I mention great value? Packed on a recent Saturday night, the reputation has caught on since its December opening.

Start with the delicious house appetizer ($16.00), a sharing platter of make your own lettuce wraps. Fill them with a selection of grilled meats, pickled veggies and freshly plucked mint leaves. For something more substantial, the bun Sao Mai ($9), rice vermicelli noodles scattered with grilled shrimp, pork and spring rolls, is especially good.

Lunch special: grilled pork banh mi

Other tasty basics range from a steaming bowl of pho (traditional noodle soup) to soft shell crabs ($16) and salt and pepper lobster ($24). At lunch only, the selection of banh mi is also worth trying. And Sao Mai just started a weekday $10 lunch special including a choice of appetizer, main and drink.  There's no liquor license, so instead opt for a creamy avocado smoothie.

203 1st Ave
Between 12th+ 13th Sts.
212 358 8880
Mon - Sun 11am - 11pm
Delivery available