dish buzz: restaurant week round 1 at rocking horse cafe

Posted in Food by Lara
July 30, 2010 1 comment

Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City

Public service announcement as many restaurants in NYC have extended Summer Restaurant Week, Rocking Horse Cafe might to date be the best buy I’ve seen… Here’s the scoop…

Frozen Watermelon Margaritas – Rocking Horse Cafe

Last week, I went for my first of three Summer Restaurant Week dinners at Rocking Horse Cafe in Chelsea. Both of us had been meaning to try the restaurant for some time and had never seemed to make it there for dinner. I’d already spoken a couple of times with the restaurant to set up the reservation and unlike most calls to restaurants, they had so much personality. I felt like it had to be a good sign.

Once we were seated, we were greeted by a basket of chips and salsa. The chips have to be the largest chips I’ve yet to encounter in a Mexican restaurant (no, I’m not complaining) and they were very fresh. The salsa was somewhat smokey and most importantly, dining in Manhattan has led me to greatly appreciate Mexican restaurants which do not charge you for chips and salsa, so (D) all of the above means this is a big plus for Rocking Horse. And unlike any other restaurant I’ve yet to encounter in my many restaurant weeks, they actually include a drink in the prix fixe special – and it’s good. You get one of their frozen watermelon margaritas, made with Herradura Silver tequila, triple sec and lime. When you consider their drinks on the dinner menu all start at $10, that’s a huge bonus to Restaurant Week-ing here.

Budín Azteca – Rocking Horse Cafe

For our appetizer, we both elected to go with the Budín Azteca, which consisted of corn tortillas layered with free range chicken breast, Chihuahua cheese and salsa verde. My friend felt the dish was too heavy on cheese, which may be why I thought it was so perfect as is. It is definitely plentiful on the Chihuahua cheese, although I thought the remaining ingredients weren’t stifled by it. The tortillas were also thick enough that the dish wasn’t too soggy. It was sort of an enchilada spin on a quesadilla. I highly recommend – this could have easily been my main dish and I would have been content to call it a night. I was also intrigued by the Quesadilla de Hongos, which included organic spelt tortillas, roasted mushrooms, caramelized leeks, manchego & fontina cheeses with white truffle oil & apple-jicama slaw. However, being allergic to mushrooms, it seemed it wasn’t meant to be (but manchego plus fontina… wow).

Atún en Corteza de Chiltepe – Rocking Horse Cafe

For our main course we elected to go with a couple and share. First, we tried the Camarones con Papaya, which included Mexican white shrimp, caramelized onions, papaya and rajas poblanas in chipotle tomato purée. It felt like a Mexican spin on stir fry (minus the rice). I was a little disappointed by the rajas poblanas affter having been so impressed by them previously at Cabrito. They were slightly spicy but definitely weren’t as powerful, partly I guess due to the sweeter flavor of the papaya. Overall though, nice mix and the fish were very juicy and flavorful.

Our second choice was the Atún en Corteza de Chiltepe, which was chiltepe chile crusted tuna with chorizo-poblano studded wild rice and a sweet corn emulsion. I was a bit intrigued as I cannot say I’ve ever come across tuna on the menu for a Mexican restaurant. The tuna was perfectly prepared - lightly seared on the exterior and fully pink on the inside.  The chiltepe chile coating on the outside was a perfect balance to the soft flavor of the tuna. The pairing with the chorizo-poblano rice and a sweet corn emulsion was interesting – the chorizo bring a bit of salty flavor balanced by the sweet yet salty flavor of the corn. The interesting mix of flavors made me prefer the dish slightly to the shrimp, although both were excellent.

Tortita de Chocolate – Rocking Horse Cafe

For dessert, we chose two to split. The Tortita de Chocolate was a given, which was their spiced flourless Valrhona chocolate cake paired with cinnamon ice cream. The chocolate cake was not too dense and the cinnamon ice cream added a lot more to the dish than the typical vanilla option. Well played. I was pleased that even after finishing off half of it, I didn’t feel maxed out on chocolate as flourless chocolate cake (well, of that portion size) can often lead you to be. Out other option, the Flan de Coco, was a nice change of pace. The dessert was a coconut crème caramel with coconut tuile & candied pistachios. Sometimes I find crème caramel to be devoid of any distinct flavor. Kind of as if you were eating flavorless Jell-o but the milky flan-ish version. However here since they prepared it with coconut, it had a lot of flavor. We were pleasantly surprised. I don’t know that I would have thought to pair pistachios with coconut, but it actually worked nicely.

Have I finally found my go-to basic Mexican place? No. Did I find a spot for creative Mex I highly enjoyed? Yes.

Rocking Horse Cafe -182 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street) – 212.463.9511
Reservations Recommended

A little bee told me… about CAPUCINE: FILMMAKING MONKEYS AND OTHER RENEGADES presented by Rooftop Films TONIGHT!

Posted in Brooklyn, Events, Film by Admin
July 29, 2010 No comments yet

Cake-addicted cranks!

 Crazy characters who make their own rules, as cake-addicted cranks, Rambo-revering detectives, and an actual filmmaking monkey. Plus mad scientist and fabulist filmmaker Luis Nieto will attempt to reanimate a dead chicken live on stage! in this program of short films, as Sean Sharpstone says, “rules to take a backseat to justice, and justice rides shotgun, ‘cuz that bitch is blind.” With these movies, morals are tossed out the window like a hot gun, ethics are blown away like eyelashes, and basic ideas of decency are disregarded in favor of obscure passions, wild fun, and misguided ideas of genius.

For more info CLICK HERE

Where:
On the roof of Brooklyn Technical High School 29 Fort Greene Place (Fort Greene, Brooklyn)
G to Fulton, C to Lafayette, 2,3,4,5 to Nevins or B,M,Q, R to Dekalb

When:
Thursday, July 29th
8:00 Doors open
8:30 Live music by Family Portrait
9:00 Films begin

Bee Social to beat the heat wave

If you are like me and wishing you were traveling instead of being stuck in your over air conditioned office how about some foreign flavor?  Singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche, who is an international superstar from Norway will be performing at Mercury Lounge tomorrow night at 9pm. I’ve seen him in concert before and he is a charming and talented musician. You might recognize his music from the film “Dan in Real Life” if not, at least you can say you saw a real Norwegian superstar.

Also on Friday, July 30th, Celebrate Brooklyn! presents The Swell Season and The Low Anthem at the Prospect Park Bandshell. The Swell Season consists of the duo Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from the film Once, which they also won an Oscar for the song Falling Slowly. According to Rolling Stone Magazine their sophomore album Strict Joy delivers “hot Irish soul…energetic folk rock and dream-pop-touched balladry.” If you haven’t been to Prospect Park for one of the free shows, it is something that every New Yorker should do at least once. Bring blankets and a picnic for a fun filled evening under the stars. After the show, make sure you also check out the bevy of bars that Park slope boasts.

Show starts at 7:30 p.m. and gates open at 6:30 p.m. $3 suggested donation

NewBee Daddy – A day at the museum

Posted in Kids/Family, NewBee Daddy by anthony
3 comments

T Rex!

My wife and I had a great Saturday this past weekend.  We met up with some old friends and their daughter Layla, who is about 21 months old and adorable. As new parents-to-be, Melissa and I were very excited to not only see our friends, but also spend some quality time with their daughter and continue to gain as much “on the job” parenting experience as we can before our little one arrives.

Our original plan was to spend the day in Central Park and visit the Central Park Zoo. But since the summer has been one big heat wave, we changed our plans to incorporate indoor activities and plenty of air conditioning – and what better place to achieve both of these than in a nice cool museum! The Museum of Natural History was the perfect place.

So today I thought I’d review our day and share some ideas for what to do on a hot summer day with your kids.

1pm – Brunch at Henry’s restaurant

We kicked off the day with brunch at Henry’s Restaurant on 105th and Broadway.  John and Gayle wanted to get started around 1:00 since that’s when Layla typically eats.  As we saw and appreciated first hand, you ALWAYS want to plan your day around your child’s routine.  The food was delicious and the restaurant itself is pretty large, so we didn’t feel cramped.  It also happened to be a “Jazz Brunch,” so there was live music which added to the atmosphere, and also kept Layla entertained – a double bonus!  There were other families there with young children, but not overwhelming where you couldn’t conduct “adult” conversations. Overall, a very family-friendly restaurant.

We chose Henry’s because it was well north of the Museum, away from all the crowded restaurants in that area. Our friends had driven in from New Jersey and had no problem parking close to the restaurant.  I mention this because parking in the city can be hectic and adding a young child into the mix can turn stressful real quick.  Melissa and I live in the neighborhood and know Henry’s well….our strategy of eating away from the tourist laden area of the Museum was a success.

2:30pm – Museum of Natural History

Around 2:00 we all piled into their car and headed down to the Museum, which is on 81st and Central Park West.  We were debating on whether we should park uptown and take a cab to the museum, but we remembered they have a parking garage (81st between Columbus and Central Park West).  Although it cost $30, the convenience of not having to walk too far was worth the money.

We weren’t the only ones that chose the Museum as an escape from the heat that day….it was definitely packed with tourists and families with young children. Even so, it was a great destination.  So much eye candy for kids….and parents! Between the giant whale, dinosaurs and ocean life exhibits, there was a lot to see. It was a little challenging to navigate through the busy crowds with a stroller, and getting into an elevator was like being in a mosh pit at times, but that’s expected.  I did get some good practice with the stroller. I was expecting to run over my wife’s feet (or someone’s else’s) since I usually do when I’m pushing a shopping cart at Costco, but I seemed to be in control.

At the end of the day we spent about 2 ½ hours there and had a blast. Layla loved all of the exhibits. But by the end of the day we were all exhausted…and ready for naps! My hat goes off to every parent because it’s not easy keeping up with kids, but seeing the look on their faces when they see something new and exciting makes it well worth it.

Buzzin’ Around NYC w/ Adam: A Tour Of NYC’s Public Pools

Posted in Buzzin' Around NYC, Manhattan by Adam
July 26, 2010 4 comments

The Asser Levy Public Pool

Where can you swim, tan, and have an older woman force you to remove your underwear? Not just the Jersey Shore. This weekend, I discovered splashing, sun and a whole lot more are all here in our own concrete backyard–and it’s all totally FREE.

My friend Matt, my girlfriend and I wanted to go to the beach this Saturday. But the closest swim-able beach was 55 minutes away. The time, money and effort required were a buzzkill. We looked up hotel pools, but the prices were high and the best outdoor ones were only reserved for guests. That’s when I had an idea. “Why don’t we check out one of the public pools?”

Matt, a native New Yorker, laughed. “Those things are nasty,” he said. “They’re dirty and gross.” He lowered his voice. “You know, they attract some weird people.”

But I pressed on. Why spend the money and the time to go to a beach so far away, when we could swim and lay out right in Manhattan? The city pools were free, and one, the Asser Levy Pool, was only blocks away.

So we put on our bathing suits, grabbed our towels, and headed out to brave the wilds of the NYC public pool system.

Before going inside, we peeked through the gate and asked the lifeguard if there was anything we needed to know. Yes, it turns out. We needed a lock for the lockers, because nothing but towels and bottles of water are allowed in the pool area. So we bought two combination locks from the nearby CVS. At the front, the guard informed us key locks are preferred, because they’re harder to break into. But they let us in anyway.

Matt and I hit up the locker room to change. I braced myself for piles of feces and heroin junkies in the bathroom stalls. Instead, we got a clean place smelling of chlorine and a jolly, singing locker room attendant. “Lock up your valuables… put everything away… cause if you don’t… you’ll have a bad day…” Welcome to Bloomberg’s New York!

My girlfriend found a spot for us to lay our towels down, behind the lifeguard station, in the sun. We didn’t lay out long though. We sunk into the cool water, which didn’t give us strange rashes on first contact. The pool was small, but not overcrowded. Plenty of room to float, tread, and dunk my girlfriend. A smaller kiddie pool next to it kept the probably-not-potty-trained kids out.

Any weirdos around? No. Just families. A bunch of little kids. Some fat people. But to my surprise, not one homeless guy with his hands down his pants.

Matt and I raced from one end of the pool to the other. He won, but totally cheated by walking as I dodged little kids left and right. Also, I’m out of shape.

Drying off, I mentioned another pool I had seen on one of my random walks through the Lower East Side: The Hamilton Fish Pool. “Should we head there too?” my girlfriend asked. Yes, we should. If only to provide me with great Neighborbee Blog material.

So off we went. We shared a cab and got out near the corner of Houston and Pitt St.

Hamilton Fish Pool

We could see immediately that Hamilton Fish was a serious pool. The website says it was used by the U.S. Olympic team, and it was easy to imagine. The main pool was huge, and a smaller wading pool also dwarfed the ones at Asser Levy.

The lockers, however, were tiny. Matt and I discovered our things didn’t all fit, and like the other pool, only towels and water was allowed in. No problem– we found a spot just on the other side of the fence where we could leave our things but still be able to grab them if needed.

Then we entered the pool area. Or at least my girlfriend and I did. Matt reached the guard, and she asked him to flip his waistband. Was she checking for weapons? Matt does look like one bad dude.

“Can’t wear underwear in here,” the guard said.

“Wha… What?”

“You gotta take that off.”

I tried a Google search to see if there was an explanation for this rule. But… lets just say that typing “underwear” and “public pools” into Google gives you some disturbing results.

Once Matt was freeballin’, we all enjoyed the pool. Once again, clean, lots of space to swim, and not one male thong sighted.

At 3:00, whistles blew from every direction. Time to empty the pool for cleaning. Little kids climbed out, quickly spun, and cannonballed, flipped, and leaped back in, getting in some last dips.

Satisfied with our city swims, we walked along Stanton St. to Meatball Shop, where we snacked on some meatball sliders (choose your meatball and sauce!) and ice cream sandwiches (choose your cookie and ice cream!). They didn’t seem to care we were in bathing suits.

Meatball Shop... Mmm

All in all, a pretty cool way to spend a very hot Saturday in New York City. I’m happy to report that two days later, no odd rashes have developed. In fact, strangely, a burn on my arm seems to have completely healed. Could New York City pool water actually derive from some mystical, magical wellspring of renewal and eternal life?

Maybe that’s why they don’t let underwear in?

Also on Neighborbee, check out Bee Wheelin’s trip to a Brooklyn Public Pool.

dish buzz: more than just steak at blt prime

Posted in Food by Lara
July 23, 2010 No comments yet

Lara also is founder and editor of Grits in the City

Popovers – BLT Prime

One of my most overdue reviews has to be BLT Prime. I think I keep putting this one off because I feel like there are so many photos to cram into one post. May I do the food justice. I’d heard many great things about BLT Prime, only having previously been there for drinks and snacks at the bar. I will admit we were well taken care of this evening, having an inside connection. Rest assured though, what follows are my honest thoughts on both the food and the service. The chef sent out an amuse-bouche of tiny triangular brioche grilled cheese sandwiches, which were phenomenal, along with a charcuterie plate. The charcuterie had a nice selection of various meats – enough to provide you a taste and some variation, but not so much as to be overwhelming. And of course for carb-crazed me, I was enthralled by their magically poofy popovers. They were massive! Still piping hot when they arrived at the table, they quickly caused the butter to melt into a perfect outer coating. I sadly lost the recipe after I got home (perhaps it’s for the best).

I was very impressed with the wine list, which was quite extensive for a steak restaurant, spanning 21 pages including a relatively varied listing for options by the glass. They also have a nice listing of cocktails they vary based on the season, which is a nice touch. I know the stereotype dictates red wine is what you need along side a good steak, but that’s not the option for

Tuna Tartare – BLT Prime

For an appetizer, we went with the tuna tartare. Theirs was prepared with avocado and a soy-lime dressing. Tuna tartare isn’t typically on my list of must-try items coming into a restaurant, but I will say if you go to BLT Prime, along with indulging in those popovers you must try the tuna tartare. Amazing. Very flavorful. Loved the pairing as well with avocado, something I’ve yet to come across elsewhere. It was also served with thin waffle crisps which paired with the soft tuna were a perfect combo. In general, BLT’s sides are served family style and we elected to go with the baked potato skins, grilled asparagus, and braised leeks which was plenty to split amongst the three of us. The baked potato skins were rich, but not too heavy in comparison with what I typically see – managing to pack all of the ooomph of a loaded baked potato into a slice about 3/4? in width. Kudos. The veggies were an excellent option to balance out the richer potato skins. The grilled asparagus was especially good, slightly charred on the grill yet juicy and flavorful.

NY Strip – BLT Prime

For our main course, two of us elected to split the New York Strip, which was a perfect size for us to share in light of all of the other things we were trying. Actually, we even had leftovers. BLT Prime has an extensive listing of possible sauces with which you can enjoy your steak which you can mix & match to your choosing. Now I know the folks at Peter Luger might wince at the thought, but sometimes a good sauce does a steak good. I was particularly fond of the béarnaise, chimichurri, and red wine sauces. And, of course, it was a fine steak in all it’s plain glory (a la Luger). And one friend who doesn’t eat red meat went with the Branzini (Grenobloise Style), which she described as flavorful, light, and flaky (my favorite three fish-related adjectives).

Dessert Spread – BLT Prime

For desserts, we tried the black forest mousse, which was one of their seasonal offerings, as was the mango soufflé. The black forest was a nice balance between the sweet ice cream and an abundant supply of fresh cherries, all of course crowned off with a heaping portion of whipped cream. The mango soufflé was subtly sweet and light, allowing the mango to shine through. Of course my favorite had to be the peanut butter chocolate mousse, served with banana ice cream. If there is any perfect dessert combination in my book it is chocolate + banana + peanut butter, and this dessert has it just right. It’s a bit on the heavier side and definitely sweet. Perfect for sharing and the indulgence is more than justified.

Looking for a quick simple option here? Order the tuna tartare, sit at the bar, and finish it all off with the peanut butter chocolate mousse. I think you’ll be more than satisfied. This is all leaving me wondering why I haven’t been back already…

BLT Prime – 111 East 22nd Street (between Park Ave S and Lexington Ave) – 212.995.8500?
Reservations Recommended

Bee Wheelin’ to the Pool

Sol Goldman Recreation Center

Hello again my Bee Wheelin buddies! I’m two for two.  So where did I head out this time?  Well, where does one go on a scorching hot day?  Wherever there’s a refreshing body of water, that’s where.  So, I thought I’d check out one of Brooklyn’s public pools. Some friends told me about the pool at the Sol Goldman Recreation Center . My bud and I headed out from my place on Cortelyou Road and took East 19^th Street to Tennis Court. Since it’s a dead end, we had to cut over to 18^th. We obeyed the direction of traffic, but in this instance we had to go against traffic for just one block.

The Peristyle

We continued onto Church Ave and then took Parade Place to Parkside Ave. I passed The Peristyle - that beautiful pillared limestone structure at the bottom of Prospect Park and wondered how great it would be to have a party there. We also passed the newly renovated Prospect Park Tennis Courts and the entrance building and saw how much nicer they are since I lived on Parade Place. We turned onto Prospect Park Southwest and prepared for the hill. A huffin and a puffin I went, but made it without fallin out. The reward was this smooth and rider friendly class 1 path along Prospect Park West. It was completely separated from traffic by parked cars with a green surface and yellow demarcation line. It was a full fledged street for bikes! We stopped at the Marquis de Lafayette statue for a

Me and the Marquis

couple pictures and then headed down 9^th Avenue. Just remember whenever you’re biking up a hill rest assured that at some point you’ll enjoy the speed and freedom of the descension. So we stayed on 9^th all the down to Gowanus crossed under the BQE and made it to Court St. It was just a hop, skip and a jump from Court Street to Bay Street until we reached our destination. Read more »

A little bee told me.. About Horse Trade Theater Group presenting GiGi La Femme & Doc Wasabassco Production: REVEALED BURLESQUE TONIGHT!

Posted in Art, Events, Theater by Admin
July 21, 2010 No comments yet

Revealed Burlesque

SPECIAL THREE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW!

WEDNESDAY JULY 21, 10PM @ THE KRAINE THEATER $25

A little bee told me… about Burning Spear playing a free concert in Rockefeller Park TONIGHT!

Posted in Events, Music by Admin
No comments yet

Burning Spear (a.k.a. Winston Rodney)

WHAT:   At the River To River Festival, a sunset concert in Rockefeller Park featuring reggae legend Burning Spear

WHEN: Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 7:00 pm

COST: FREE

WHERE: River To River Festival at Rockefeller Park (entrance at River Terrace and Warren Streets)

LAST CHANCE: Fighting the Droop with St. Mark’s Bookshop

Posted in Books, Manhattan by Rose
No comments yet

If you leave readers scratching their heads hard enough, will that help ease the pain of your indefinite absence in the months to come? Let’s hope so.

The St. Mark’s Bookshop Reading Series features a lineup of work that reflects the range of art on the bookstore’s shelves, bursting through the East Village twice a month. However, word on the street is that after Thursday’s reading at Bar 82, St. Mark’s will end its reading series until further notice.

For now, we’ll just enjoy this Thursday in a dream state/denial of reality presented to us by St. Mark’s, as this state of mind will be pushed by each of Thursday’s readers, in their odd collections of short and long fiction.

For you speculative fiction junkies, Adam Golaski will be on hand to read from Worse Than Myself (2008). Unfortunately, you might be a little disappointed: There are sure to be way too many lights on. Everyone knows that stories like “In the Cellar” and “Weird Furka” are best enjoyed alone, by candlelight, on a dark and stormy night. Julia Holmes will also be on hand reading excerpts from her unnamed Darwinian dystopia in Meeks (2010), and Kira Henehan weaves stories throughout the lives of her motley crew of detectives in Orion You Came and You Took All My Marbles (2010).

What’s truly great about this group is that they’ll individually twist your reality in their own special ways, make you question what you’ve heard and what you know to be true in the world. Dipping in and out of the worlds of these three should prove a nice distraction from the  reading series’ indefinite haitus. And everyone could use a little mind screw, no?

LAST CHANCE: St. Mark’s Bookshop Reading Series at Bar 82 (136 2nd Ave.), featuring Julia Holmes, Kira Henehan and Adam Golaski on Thursday, July 22nd at 7:30 p.m.