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Ed Levine

Ed Levine

Founder

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.

  • Website
  • Location: NYC
  • 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

We Raise Our Glass to Managing Editor Carey Jones!

Our beloved and invaluable managing editor Carey Jones, who started here as our first intern in the summer of 2006—before there even was a Serious Eats—is leaving us today to pursue her writing career full-time. We're happy for her but will miss her greatly at SEHQ. More

Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone Talk Italian American Fine Dining at Carbone

As someone who has over the last three years spent hours talking about food and the creative process with Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone, I thought it would be interesting to talk to them one on one (or should I say one on two) about Carbone, their latest restaurant that focuses on Italian American fine dining. Their answers were always thoughtful, often surprising, and showed just how intellectually curious they are. So here goes. More

Center Bar in the Time Warner Center: Michael Lomonaco Does Small Plates

Center Bar, a small plates cocktail lounge—complete with a piano player—on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center screams, "Don't go there. It's meant for exhausted shoppers and tourists, not serious eaters."

But that assumption would be wrong. Way wrong. In fact, Center Bar turns out to serve a limited menu of some of the finest small plates I've had in a long time. They're certainly not cheap, the menu is certainly not consistent, and the overpriced cocktails don't help. But the kitchen, under the watchful eye of Porter House New York's Michael Lomonaco, is turning out food that at its best (about half the time) could easily be served at the front room at Gramercy Tavern. It's not Le Bernardin Lounge good, but it's also not Le Bernardin Lounge expensive. And if you skip the decent but mostly overpriced cocktails you can have three excellent courses (if you choose wisely) for about $40 before tax and tip.

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Juliana's: Patsy Grimaldi's New Pizzeria in Search of a Legacy

I have been eating Patsy Grimaldi's pizza for a long, long time. How long? Long enough to have thoroughly enjoyed his pizza before the added emotional spice of pizza lawsuits. Long enough to have eaten the pies that he himself made in the original incarnation of Grimaldi's, back in 1990 when it was still called Patsy's. Long enough to have engaged in lengthy conversations with Patsy and his wife Carol at the Corona Heights Pork Store, where they used to buy their mozzarella and sausage from Frankie Capezza in the '90s. Long enough to know that Patsy started to learn his craft in 1941 at his uncle's East Harlem pizzeria, the truly original Patsy's. So you can imagine how excited I was when I heard that Patsy and Carol were coming out of retirement and embarking on yet another comeback, returning to run the show at his original location under yet another name: Juliana's, after his late mother. More

Introducing the New Slice Editor, Niki Achitoff-Gray, or 'Lady Slice'

In Slice's nearly ten year history, it has been edited by only three super-talented people: its founding editor, Adam Kuban; Maggie Hoffman, now killing it as our Drinks editor; and the current editor, Boston's own Meredith Smith. With these three esteemed editors in mind, we started searching for Meredith's successor (don't worry, Slice'rs, both Adam and Meredith are going to stay involved). And we found her in our own proverbial back yard. More

Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers: Who Wins the Super Bowl of Food?

Ahh, yes, it's Super Bowl time, and for serious eaters that means that the first contest between the 49ers and Ravens is of course a food tussle. Which city's food is better? San Francisco is a clear favorite, but Baltimore has enough hidden gems to make it interesting at the very least. We divided the game into four quarters: pizza, sandwiches, shellfish, and ice cream. Let's see who wins our Super Bowl of Food. More

Mighty Quinn's: Has NYC Barbecue Come of Age?

Until Mighty Quinn's opened its doors, here are the words I would use to describe the better barbecue joints in town: sincere, well-meaning, tasty, digitally derived from copious sampling across the country, deferential, and stylistically derivative. Most people would come out any one of a half-dozen cue joints in town and say, "Hey, that was good barbecue, for New York." It'd be the culinary equivalent of damning with faint praise.

But the the arrival of pitmaster Hugh Mangum's East Village restaurant creates a new standard for barbecue in New York City. Smoked meat that is good—not just for New York—but for barbecue fans everywhere.

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Happy New Year, Serious Eaters!

Happy New Year, serious eaters. May your 2013 be filled with lots of seriously delicious food with people whose company you enjoy. That's in fact what we strive to do every day on Serious Eats, and to the extent that we succeed, it's largely because of the warm embrace we receive from the ever-growing community of serious eaters all over the world. Here's to a happy, healthy new year! And if you're throwing a party tonight, here are 60+ easy, tasty nibbles to prepare in a jiffy and tips for affordable bubbly to pop. More

Serious Eats Is Looking for One Great Chicago-Based Sales Rep

That's right. We're looking for a Chicago-based Serious Eats sales rep. We need someone who loves Serious Eats and is passionate about selling a product he or she really believes in. So if you live in the Windy City, are an experienced online media salesperson (a minimum of 3 years experience), and have strong connections in the great city of Chicago and the Midwest, send us a resume and cover letter telling us why you're the one to jobs@seriouseats.com. More

Soutine Bakery is Closed (Say It Ain't So, Madge)

When I heard the news that Soutine, my favorite postage stamp-size bakery in the whole world, had closed its doors late last week, the news hit me like a pound of frozen French butter. From the day owner Madge Rosenberg and her late husband Barry opened the doors more than thirty years ago, I have been an all-too-steady-for-my-waistline's-good customer. Let me count the ways and the things that I will miss about my beloved Soutine. More

Breakfast at Maison Kayser: For Best Results, Stay Close to the Bread

I first fell in love with Eric Kayser's breads and pastries in Paris more than twenty years ago, when I believe he had only a single jewel box of a shop. Kayser at the time was the boy wonder combination bread baker and pastry maker, an unusual double even to this day. My most vivid taste memories from my daily visits that week were the staggeringly good baguettes and the moist, light, and vividly flavored financiers.

Now, twenty years later, Kayser has built a bread and pastry empire, with twenty locations in Paris and 80 around the world. After a false start in Los Angeles a few years ago (the wrong partners Kayser says—it's always the wrong partners, isn't it?), he has come to America with a vengeance. His new large, bright, and cheery initial location on the Upper East Side is open morning, noon and night, and two more locations are set to open next year in the Flatiron District and midtown. We've decided to eat our way systematically through the breakfast, lunch/dinner, and pastry menus. Up today: breakfast.

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Julia Child's 100th Anniversary: What Did She Mean to You?

The late, seriously great Julia Child, who would have been 100 today (she died eight years ago, in 2004), must be considered a hero to serious eaters everywhere. I say that not as someone who has cooked his way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking, as Julie Powell did. In fact, I've probably cooked less than half a dozen of Child's recipes. Rather, I say it as someone who admired her from near and far, as someone who followed her passion and fearlessly blazed her own path in the world of food. More

Best time to visit nyc??

I would come in early September, when it's less likely to be insanely hot, and make sure you go to Smorgasburg on either Saturday or Sunday in Brooklyn at 11:30 a.m., before it gets too crowded. I'd also try to hit the Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan on Saturday morning.

Will Gordon

One more time for those who missed it: Will Gordon and Serious Eats came to a parting of the ways for reasons I am not comfortable going into here. We all love Will's writing and regret that his voice is no longer represented on the site. That said, I think there is still lots of great stuff (and distinctive voices) to read and look at on Drinks and every other Serious Eats site for that matter. I for one think Maggie Hoffman is doing a truly extraordinary job on Drinks, as are all the other editors here who work tirelessly to put out what I think is the best food and drink content on the web.

Sunday Brunch: Thomas Keller's Quiche

Thanks to all the commenters who have called the errors in this recipe to our attention. Kenji went into the post today and made all the necessary changes.

Sunday Brunch: Goat Cheese Soufflé

I made all the fixes in the recipe, based on all the comments above. Everything should be right now. Please let me know otherwise.

Sunday Brunch: Goat Cheese Soufflé

6 tablespoons of flour. Sorry about that. I will fix this recipe now.

Where (oh where) has my fake BFF Will Gordon gone?

Everyone at Serious Eats loves Will Gordon's writing, and we are genuinely sad that we jointly could not figure out a way for him to continue working for us. His contributions will certainly be missed. He will always be a serious eater and drinker in our eyes, and we wish him all the success in the world as he continues on his journey as a writer and editor.

Seeking Ad Sales Summer Intern, Summer 2013

We do in fact fulfill all five criteria in the Department of Labor guidelines, but even more to the point we also provide our interns with a truly educational and we hope invaluable experience. Our editorial interns work closely with our managing editors to develop writing, editing, reporting, and photography skills over the course of their time here. Our advertising interns learn how to fill out RFPs and work closely with our ad sales director and her team. Many of our interns have gone on to write columns for us, and some have circled back to work here full-time. Finally, we are always referring our interns to other media entities for jobs, and I personally have served as a reference for many of them as well. In short, we love our interns, and I think they love the time they spend here.

Chocolate Bouchon Recipe

Done! Thanks, Marcella, for staying on me (us) about this recipe. This recipe was posted a long, long, time ago, before even there was a Serious Eats. I posted it on my personal blog, Ed Levine Eats, where a recipe was rarely posted, and even more importantly before I had even met Kenji Lopez-Alt, who goes to great lengths to make sure our recipes are correct.

Chocolate Bouchon Recipe

My apologies. We will correct the recipe.

My Thoughts On Grub Street's '101 Awesome American Pies'

Oops, thanks, RobC, for the heads up. We could just as easily substitute Modern in our list of places left off the list.

Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers: Who Wins the Super Bowl of Food?

Good call, Brit Bea. Illegal Procedure against me, the Serious Eats Overlord. We will correct the score.

Open Thread: What Do You Eat on Your Day Off in NYC?

If I want to stay close to home and it's on a Saturday, I bike up to Absolut Bagels, have a slice at Sal and Carmines, a tamale at the little Mexican grocery a few blocks down from Sal and Carmines, have a frozen yogurt at Zabar's, and go to the greenmarket at Lincoln Square. If it's a Sunday, I go to the greenmarket at the Flea Market at 77th and Columbus, have a cup of custard at Shake Shack (Thank God for the B line), go swimming, and reward myself by going to the really good hot dog stand at 46th and Broadway. They sell great natural casing Hoffman's dogs. If I decide to make a day of it, I could end up anywhere from Smorgasburg to the New Amsterdam Market.

Mighty Quinn's: Has NYC Barbecue Come of Age?

@kindofabigdeal Because I can't think of barbecue joint anywhere in the country that is a) renowned for making a definitive smoked beef short rib, and/or b) makes a beef short rib as good as this one,

Pete Wells vs. Guy Fieri vs. The World

There's more than a little irony in what Guy Fieri is doing with this restaurant. Let's say we can all agree that one of the good things that Guy's show does is shine a light on places and people that serve/make personalized, mom-and-pop-type, authentic, honest food. Doesn't his Times Square restaurant with its carelessly prepared, brash, and loud food denigrate and do a disservice to the places/food featured on his show? I think it does.

Brunch in Hell's Kitchen

I bet Marseilles, 44th and 9th, does a good brunch, but I don't think it's all you can eat or drink. It's big enough to get a table for 8 if you call to reserve.

Help On An Anniversary Road Trip In Louisiana

Yes, welcome, noanoa! I would add Casamento's as a quintessential New Orleans fried seafood experience. Their oyster loaves are sublime. I would get something to eat at The Butcher Shop, a wine bar located right next to Cochon (both are owned by the inimitable Donald Link). The muffaletta there is as good as a muffaletta gets. He makes all the ingredients right there. Get fried chicken at Willie Mae's Scotch House and a roast beef po boy at Parkway. Have some raw oysters at Pascal Manale's, and if you want something cooked there order a plate of the incomparable barbecued shrimp. Breakfast at Stella is hard to beat. Hope this helps.

NY Times PB/Pickle Sandwich Article w/ Ed Levine and Lee Zalben

If you think of the bread and butter pickles as an almost-as-sweet substitute for jam, PB&Ps are easy to like. Just don't try to use a sour or dill pickle instead.

Staff Picks: The Best Things We Ate in September

Great pizza can be found in the unlikeliest places. If I had heeded Erin's call for the best thing I ate in September I would have written about the insanely delicious Margherita pizza I happened upon in downtown New Bedford, Massachusetts, at a place called Brick Pizzeria Napoletana, 163 Union Street, New Bedford, MA, ph: 508-999-4943. Terrific, just chewy and puffy enough sourdough crust, fresh mozzarella, leaves of fresh basil, and San Marzano tomatoes, made in a wood-fired brick oven that cooks the pizzas in under five minutes. All these great ingredients wouldn't mean a thing if the pizzaiolo owner didn't know what he was going. If you're on your way to Cape Cod on route 195 it's a five minute detour that's definitely worth it.

Nicoletta: What Michael White is Really After

What an interesting, thought-provoking discussion, one I think people could only find on a site like Slice. Kenji and I talked about Nicoletta for weeks, and went there separately and together. When Michael White came over to our table we, as Kenji pointed out, were just finishing our meal, and I am quite certain we had been recognized up to that point. He sat down and asked us for our honest opinion, as pizza lovers whose opinions he respected. What ensued was fascinating, informative, and revealing in a way that few conversations with chefs rarely if ever are. Our piece was a result of a lot of time spent eating Nicoletta pizza, talking about it in the office for a long time, and, yes, talking to Michael White about what exactly he set out to do with his pizzeria. In the end, I hope we managed to place Nicoletta within the context of where it lies in the broader pizza culture. Thanks, Slicers, for keeping your comments on in incredibly high plane. I think it's fair to say you'd only find this kind of discussion on Slice in general and Serious Eats in general.

The Scoop: On How To Eat A Pint

The ice cream and the procedure. She cares not a whit about the Yankees.

NYC Cake Delivery

I think Balthazar delivers, and their coconut cake is very serious, indeed. Serious Eater Ben (see above) swears by the pistachio mocha cake. Certainly sounds seriously yummy.

Troubling Pizza Trends in NYC

I should add that the title of the post is misleading, and that may be a big part of how people are responding.

Troubling Pizza Trends in NYC

I am not simply grousing about the state of NYC pizza.I hope I didn't come off as a nattering nabob of pizza negativity. I really like many slices you can get in New York, including the photographed ones we put in the post, and in general I think that NY has the best, most varied pizza culture in the world. I was merely trying to make a point about some troubling signs I see in that culture.

Troubling Pizza Trends in NYC

I actually didn't mean to sound so pessimistic about the state of NYC pizza, and pizza in general. There's clearly more good pizza around the city and the country for that matter than ever before. I've just been struck recently by how much bad pizza in all its forms there is to be had in NYC. That said, overall I think there is more good pizza in America than ever before. I guess all of us pizza lovers just have to learn to accept the good with the bad.

Smorgasburg: Some Serious Food That Somehow Has Gone Unnoticed (Until Now)

And a shout-out to Tim Nguyen's succinct description of Smorgasburg, which I like better than mine.

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