Ed Levine's Profile
The Ten Most Recent Posts By Ed Levine
From Eating Out
Posted by Ed Levine, May 15, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Photographs of Mozza taken by Kathryn Yu
Patric Kuh is the restaurant critic for Los Angeles Magazine and the author of The Last Days of Haute Cuisine: The Coming of Age of American Restaurants
. He's also one of the most thoughtful food writers I know, so I knew we would get a unique perspective on dining experiences in Los Angeles when I caught up with him a couple of days ago on the phone.
"What I look for when I eat in Los Angeles is an authentic LA experience, not a New York experience, not a Las Vegas experience. There's a certain kind of laid-back luxury that LA has perfected, that would seem forced and out of place in New York or some other place."
"I know it sounds kind of weird, but the fantastic produce grown in California year-round plays a significant role in the restaurant-going experience in Los Angeles. Because we have such great produce, I'm particularly interested in what a chef is trying to express or say through the produce he or she uses. Every chef knows the farmers and the farmers' markets inside and out, so really it's what they do with that produce that counts."
"As far as whole notion of restaurants as theater is concerned, the restaurant world in Los Angeles is one big theatrical experience, but it's not about star-spotting. The real Angeleno would not deign to notice a star, we're not going to craning our neck at the stars."
"Contrary to what many people might think, we're not health obsessed weenies. We eat lots of cheese and beef and ice cream when we go out to eat, so I would say the flavors derived from fat figure heavily into our restaurant experience. Finally, amateurishness and pretension bother Los Angelenos. This really is a company town (the company is Hollywood), so we don't like amateurish productions masquerading as restaurants"
"If the sommelier is a stuffed shirt with a windsor knot it's not going to work here because the guy ordering the 61 La Tour is wearing a t-shirt and jeans."
After the jump, some of Kuh's quintessential Los Angeles dining experiences.
Continue reading »
From Ed Levine Eats
Posted by Ed Levine, May 14, 2008 at 4:45 PM
Having been to Eighty-One a few times, I basically concur with Frank Bruni's take. Ed Brown is a superb cook, and I have eaten very well at his restaurant. But his food is sometimes overwrought (what Bruni referred to as the "numerous trios"), and the room, with its vivid red-velvet curtains, feels oddly dated and lacks energy. I will say it's a very civilized place to dine. The tables are well-spaced, and the noise level is low. Must-haves on the menu include the lamb three ways (overwrought but delicious) and the exceptional New Bedford sea scallop and foie gras ravioli with straw wine sauce and chervil (Bruni and I disagree on this dish, but scallops and foie gras turn out to be a most felicitous combination as a ravioli filling). Eighty-One is a perfect restaurant to take your in-laws to, especially if they're paying (it ain't cheap). 45 West 81st Street, New York NY 10024 (map)
From Ed Levine Eats
Posted by Ed Levine, May 13, 2008 at 11:00 PM
The gentleman exiting the building is not Ed Levine. (Photographs: Robyn Lee)
With barbecue joints seemingly sprouting up on every corner these days in New York, it's easy to forget what a barbecue wilderness Gotham was for so many years.
When I arrived in New York in 1973, there was precious little real barbecue, slow-smoked meat cooked with indirect heat. Even by the late '80s our barbecue options here were limited to Smokey's on Ninth Avenue (for North Carolina barbecue), Stick to Your Ribs in Queens, and Tennessee Mountain Home in SoHo.
Wildwood BBQ
225 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10003 (at 18th Street; map)
212-533-2500
Website
Must-Haves: Brisket, short ribs, beans, cornbread, salt and vinegar potato chips
What You'll Spend: $30 and up (not including alcohol) for dinner
Grade: B
The barbecue game-changers in our town were Virgil's in Times Square and Blue Smoke in the Flatiron District, both opened by respected restaurateurs (the late Artie Cutler, and Danny Meyer, respectively). Following those in short order were Daisy May's, the first chef-driven barbecue joint in New York (Daniel and Le Cirque veteran Adam Perry Lang), R.U.B. (Paul Kirk), with its Kansas City–influenced style; and Hill Country, which harkened to Smokey's with its dedication to a single regional barbecue style (in its case, central Texas's German butcher–derived 'cue). Hill Country (Robbie Richter and Big Lou Elrose) and Daisy May's were also the first barbecue joints manned by competition pit masters who honed their barbecue skills on the national 'cue competition circuit.
Now comes Wildwood BBQ, which brings together the talents of an interesting trio: megasuccessful, commercially oriented restaurateur Steve Hanson, the aforementioned pit master Elrose, and uber restaurant designer David Rockwell. Hanson has made it clear that he hopes to roll out Wildwood nationally in the next year, bringing his pan-regional, urbane-but-not-fancy-pants barbecue concept to a city near you. But barbecue is tricky business, serious eaters, and does not easily translate to multiple locations, so I was curious as to what I would find at Wildwood.
Continue reading »
From Ed Levine Eats
Posted by Ed Levine, May 13, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Or, 'Pig Out to Feed Hungry People'
Hunger relief organization Share Our Strength's annual Taste of the Nation New York City benefit is this Wednesday, May 14, at the Roseland Ballroom.
SOS is a terrific organization that supports hunger-relief efforts all over the country. Plus, it's an organization that knows how to throw a helluva party. This year, more than 50 restaurants will be cooking at and for the event, including Gramercy Tavern, Blue Hill, Esca, and Hill Country. So if you pony up the money ($375 for a ticket that, among other things, gets you in an hour early to avoid long lines, or $275 for general admission), you end up eating great food and drinking to your heart's content for a really good cause.
Tickets available at newyorktaste.org or by calling 1-877-268-2783.
From Ed Levine Eats
Posted by Ed Levine, May 12, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Edible Brooklyn is having its second-annual Brooklyn Uncorked tasting party this Wednesday, May 14, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the BAMCafé (30 Lafayette Avenue; Fort Greene, Brooklyn). Tickets are a reasonable $50.
Offering tastes will be 30 Long Island wineries, a half dozen local craft brewers, and a line-up of delectables from favorite Brooklyn restaurants, sorbeteers, cheesemongers, and more. Among the participants: Blue Point Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery, Heartland Brewery, Sixpoint Craft Ales, and Southampton Publick House. Cheese from Stinky Bklyn and Whole Foods Market, Long Island potato chips, palate-coolers from Wine Cellar Sorbets, freshly pressed coffees from Bodum, and natural sodas from Grown-up Soda (GuS). Restaurants attending: Bonita, Flatbush Farm, iCi, La Maison du Couscous, Little D Eatery, Palo Santo, Smoke Joint, and Stonehome Wine Bar
Tickets are available via Brown Paper Tickets, and if you enter the code SERIOUS, you get $10 off the $50 face value.
Win Tickets to Brooklyn Uncorked
But that's not all. Thanks to the generosity of the Edible Brooklyn folks, we're giving away three pairs of tickets. Enter to win by telling us what your favorite Brooklyn foodstuff is in the comments.
Three winners will be chosen at random from among eligible commenters. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply. Comments will close at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, May 13.
From Recipes
Posted by Ed Levine, May 11, 2008 at 12:00 PM
This week's Cartoon Kitchen features Serious Eats' cartoonist in residence Larry Gonick's spin on asparagus. —Ed Levine
Continue reading »
From Required Eating
Posted by Ed Levine, May 11, 2008 at 8:00 AM
I asked Mario for any recommendations on what to cook for Mother's Day this year and whether we could get a recipe for whatever it was. He shot back with a meat-centric menu that featured spit-roasted prime rib, focaccina with provolone and scallions, and asparagus wrapped in pancetta with citronette. Mario called this "a perfect meal." The asparagus recipe is easy and would make a great Mother's Day brunch dish served with some crusty bread or some breadsticks.
"Spit-Roasted Prime Rib and Asparagus Wrapped in Pancetta with Citronette, and Focaccina with Provolone and Scallions. A perfect meal."
From Eating Out
Posted by Ed Levine, May 10, 2008 at 11:00 AM
I asked some of my food critic friends and some of the correspondents from around Serious Eats where they would recommend taking your mom on Mother's Day. Intel poured in from around the country. And I added my own picks, too.
Atlanta
John Kessler, food columnist and feature writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, says:
We're going to Watershed, which has a great, often overlooked brunch with cream biscuits, lard biscuits, toad in the hole, poached eggs with spinach and country ham, house-cured salmon, candied bacon. 406 West Ponce De Leon Avenue, Decatur GA 30030; 404-378-4900; watershedrestaurant.com
A nice new choice might be Parish, a very cool-looking New Orleans cooking spot in an old bleach factory in one of the suddenly new in-town nabes that was all crack houses and kudzu just a couple of years ago. It had a fine roast beef debris sandwich with mustard and pickles, but I think Mother's Day brunch is more. 240 North Highland Avenue, Atlanta GA 30307; 404-681-4434; parishatl.com
[After the jump, some serious recommendations from D.C., Dallas, Chicago, New York, and L.A. that are worthy of that special lady in your life.]
Continue reading »
From Ed Levine Eats
Posted by Ed Levine, May 10, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Ouest: Another great housemade bread basket (Tom Valenti was trained as a pastry chef) and let's face it, Valenti knows how to make homey, sophisticated food better than anyone. 2315 Broadway, New York NY 10024; 212-580-8700; ouestny.com
Eleven Madison Park: Elegant, delicious brunch served in a classy, quintessentially New York setting. 11 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10010; 212-889-0905; elevenmadisonpark.com
Egg: It will probably be nuts this Sunday, but George Weld makes my favorite breakfast-brunch food in the city. 135 North 5th Street, Brooklyn NY 11211; 718-302-5151; pigandegg.com
Franny's: Pizza, salad, pasta, and terrific vegetables for brunch? Sounds pretty swell to me. 295 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11217; 718-230-0211; frannysbrooklyn.com
Morandi: I don't know if it's been discovered yet, but Jody Williams is doing wondrous Italian things with eggs at breakfast and brunch at Morandi's. 211 Waverly Place, New York NY 10014; 212-627-7575; morandiny.com
Centro Vinoteca: Right down the street from Morandi Anne Burrell is cooking up some fine brunch food at Centro Vinoteca. 74 Seventh Avenue South, New York NY 10014; 212-367-7470; centrovinoteca.com
Momofuku Noodle Bar: David Chang and company don't really do brunch, but what mom wouldn't want to have some of Chang's noodles or pork buns for Mother's Day. 171 First Avenue, New York NY 10003; momofuku.com/noodle
Boqueria: Last time I went to brunch there it was empty. Don't know if that's still the case. I loved the suckling pig hash. 53 West 19th Street, New York NY 10011; 212-255-4160; boquerianyc.com
Telepan: Great bread basket, egg dishes, and burger. 72 West 69th Street, New York NY 10023; 212-580-4300; telepan-ny.com
Pig Heaven: Hey, Mother's Day is Sunday, and I have very fond memories of eating Chinese food on Sundays growing up. Moms like spare ribs and roast suckling pig, too. 1540 Second (b/n 80th and 81st), New York NY 10028; 212-744-4887; pigheaven.biz
From Recipes
Posted by Ed Levine, May 9, 2008 at 1:00 PM
The first serious chef I think of when I think about Mother's Day is Lidia Bastianich. Lidia is the proud mother of Joe Bastianich, restaurateur, vintner, and food businessman extraordinaire, and of Tanya Bastianich Manuali, her travelmate on the Lidia's Italy television series. She's also a grandmother of five and the devoted daughter of her mom, Erminia, who escaped from a refugee camp with Lidia 40 years ago. So I figured I'd ask Lidia how she's celebrating Mother's Day.
Usually she spends it at her restaurants, she told me, because it's such a restaurant-oriented holiday. But this year Joe's son is having his First Communion, so the whole Bastianich clan is congregating at Joe's house in Connecticut. Lidia is making a special octopus dish that she says all her grandchildren love; here's the recipe.
Continue reading »
The Ten Most Recent Comments By Ed Levine
Responses to Comments by Ed Levine
Website: http://www.edlevineeats.com
Location: NYC
About: I am the Serious Eats overlord. Launching the site has been the greatest experience of my life, and it continues to be that to this day.
Favorite foods: fried chicken, pizza, barbecue, pie, ice cream
Last bite on earth: Gus' World Famous Fried Chicken, some awesome fries, a few hush puppies, and some piping hot biscuits