Summer Round-Up: Part II

Here it is (finally!) I'm a little late, but I made it before the Fall equinox, which was my self-assigned deadline.  A round-up of all my favorite gastronomic discoveries I made in NYC this summer.

Places to go and things to eat:

Frozen treat (high brow): Grom gelato (Bleeker Street nr Carmine)

Gelato is pretty much neck and neck with ice cream in my book; and fortunately, unlike ice cream, gelato is relatively easy to come by in Manhattan. There are fair amount of gelaterias - Ciao Bella, Il Laboratorio del Gelato, and L'arte del Gelato, to name a few - plus many Italian bakeries downtown usually carry the standard flavors.  And all of them are quite good. But probably nothing tops the authenticity (or seriousness) of Grom. 

Grom is an artisan gelateria from Turin (Torino), Italy - which we now know is where many outstanding ideas are born.  Its young, attractive founders spent a year scouring the globe for "the best that agriculture has to offer," and they use only the finest ingredients:

only fresh seasonal fruit, coming from the best consortia in Italy and from our farm Mura Mura, no colorings or artificial additives, Lurisia mountain water for the sorbets and high-quality whole milk for the creams, organic eggs and a selection of the best cocoas and coffees from central America.*

A Grom manager even told that Times that “The strawberries for our granita are grown only on 12 hectares in the entire earth."

Kodak moment: Grom's founders, Federico Grom and Guido Martinetti (from the NYTimes.com)

Amazingly, despite expanding to Paris, Japan, New York, and other parts of Italy, Grom sources all of its stores from a central location in Italy (like Eataly, it was born out of the Slow Food movement):

The liquid mixtures produced in the laboratory, are checked by a team of experts and then distributed 3 times a week, just like fresh milk, to each store, where they are blended daily reaching their full flavor excellence.*

Unaware of these high standard that would have helped to justify its absurd price points, Gus and I stumbled upon Grom gelato one summer night in the West Village, and, without so much as a tacit glance, immediately joined the line of people.  Though we couldn't necessarily see the gelato, we could sense from the excited murmuring and craning heads of the crowd that we came upon something special.  Before I even glanced at the menu we had to make our cup or cone and size decisions, doling out nearly $12 for two small cones.  I didn't have enough time to realize how preposterous this was because I had only a few minutes to pick out two flavors - no easy task (and not just because I'm incredibly indecisive).  While most gelato is displayed in alluring mounds behind a well-lit counter, Grom keeps its flavors hidden beneath shiny metal lids.  The menu did little to dispel the mystique, the descriptions - written in English - almost as obscure as the Italian flavors they were meant to translate.

Photo from La Bella Citta

 I settled on dark chocolate and Crema di Grom, described as "with Battifollo biscuits and Columbian 'teyuna' chocolate chips."  Gus ordered vanilla and (regular) chocolate.  We sat near a fountain at the intersection of Carmine and Bleeker to savor our cones, and savor we did.  The dark chocolate was intense, like eating a chocolate bar that's 75% cocoa but cold and whipped to a deliciously dense, creamy consistency.  The Crema di Grom was incredible in a different way, the pieces of cookie and chocolate attracting all the attention in base of a buttery vanilla.  Gus's flavors were a little easier to wrap my head around: pure yet developed; the origins of which were clear and not disguised by sugar.

(I didn't have my camera!) Photo from The Peche

Despite its outstanding price tag - the Times said it just may be may be America’s most expensive ice cream cone - it is a summer must.  Grom is not a place where habits are to be made, but it is a rare find where you can quite literally transport your taste buds to Italy.

*excerpts from Grom's website

Frozen treat (classic): Pop's chocolate milkshake (N 8th st. off Bedford Ave, Brooklyn)

Photo from NYMag.com

This summer Gus and I made a few trips to Williamsburg; and on one such visit we came across Pop's, a cute old-timey little joint right off the main drag serving inexpensive bar fare - wings, cheese steaks, burgers and, it being Williamsburg - PBR.  Though I can't speak for these items (NY Mag claims there are higher-quality deals in the neighborhood) I can extol their milkshakes: $3.50 buys you at least three scoops of creamy, rich homemade-tasting ice cream so thick you'll have a hard time sucking it through the straw.  This is actually perfect for me because I love when ice cream sits out a little bit and gets to the soft melt-y phase.  A Pop's milkshake more closely resemble a true "soft serve" than a milkshake, now that I think about it.  The chocolate is not just a summer must - it's a staple. And very much worth the trip.

"Fast food" joint: Pies 'n Thighs (S 4th st. nr Driggs Ave, Brooklyn)

Despite all the home cooked meals, garden grown produce, and home canning I grew up with, my family broke all the rules for our yearly Easter meal: We got KFC.  This sounds stranger now than ever before because I never actually stopped to think about it.  I suppose the justification went something like "it's on the way to your Grandmother's."  But I never needed any justification or explanation as a kid; this was, of course, one of my favorite traditions. 

So every year I would make sure we ordered a bucket of extra crispy chicken, to which I methodically peeled off and consumed the deep-fried battered skin - never the actual meat.  Though I look back on this fondly, knowing how perfectly content and carefree I was while performing my disgusting ritual, I must have some subconscious scars from this phase of my life because I don't think I've ever had KFC - or fried chicken in general - since the age of 10, nor have I craved it.

But Pies 'n Thighs has made me embrace my inner child.  Started by three women (friends who met as cooks in a neighborhood restaurant), the little chicken joint is famous first and foremost for its fried chicken biscuit sandwich, pies, and doughnuts.  According to Gothamist, the original was shut down in January 2008 by the Health Department for such infractions as an improper pork smoker; and its two-year absence was much bemoaned by its fans.  But since March the new location has been written about by various papers and blogs and even featured on a segment of the Food Network.

Pies 'n Thighs interior; Photo from Gothamist

So Gus and I decided to make another trip to Brooklyn for a late dinner.  It was a steamy summer night and the modest little venue was humming with 60s music, skinny waiters (who apparently never eat the food they serve) ping ponging back and forth between tables, and much excitement from the diners.  I ordered the chicken biscuit ($5).  The chicken was meaty, tender, and fairly juicy, with a thinly battered, crispy skin, served in perhaps the best biscuit I've ever eaten, its crunchy exterior encasing the flaky, light, buttery layers inside.  A sauce of honey and Tabasco married the two foods together.  It was great, though by the end of the meal I gave up the chicken in favor of the biscuit (too much chicken!)

The chicken biscuit (too much chicken to biscuit if you ask me). Photo from AlwaysHungryNY

Gus had the chicken basket, which was similar but not as gluttonous.  The chicken was covered in a thicker, crunchier batter, which I preferred.  As his side he ordered mac 'n cheese drizzled in hot sauce: it was the epitome of great comfort food.  And of course, we had to get dessert! We shared a lemon blackberry pie, similar to lemon meringue but with berries instead of meringue.  It was sweet and tart, but sort of meager looking and nothing that couldn't be replicated with relative ease at home.

The chicken basket, with mac 'n cheese. From TheGirlWhoAteEverything

Thankfully, I don't think Pies 'n Thighs will rekindle my affinity for fried chicken skin, but I do think it triggered a new-found appreciation for soul food...and butter.  Regardless, it made for a really enjoyable, savory meal.  And another memory involving chicken I know I will hold dear.

Pizza: Rocky's II (2nd Ave btw 33rd and 34th)

Though I haven't yet revealed this on the blog, Gus and I share a deep, deep love for pizza (Gus more so than me); and since we moved to Manhattan we've been seeking out the best pizza we can find (future post on this TK).  Lately we've been hitting up all the artisan, Napolitano-style pizzerias that have taken the city by storm, but I still find myself craving the classic New York slice.  And lucky for us, we need only step a few blocks from our apartment to get it.  Despite living in Murray Hill for two years we only recently tried Rocky's, after my friend Danielle raved to me about all of the different types of pies they had.  So one night this summer we checked it out. 

The chicken Caesar slice

Rocky's II (the original is rumored to be in the meatpacking district, though I can't find it online) has many characteristics of your typical pizza joint: doors always open to the sidewalk, same guy with a ponytail (perhaps Rocky?) working the oven and register every day, etc.; but its unique in its creative toppings: from penne vodka to ravioli to buffalo chicken to chicken parm.  And while I typically scoff at such unauthentic Americanizations; at this place, it just works.  The chicken Caesar slice is one of my unexpected favorites: literally, pizza crust topped with a mound of crisp romaine, grilled thin pieces of chicken, grated Parmesan and an amazing Caesar dressing. It's sort of like a really great wrap on a crunchy crust.  But my go-to is the margarita, the best plain slice in the neighborhood, and perhaps all of Manhattan, even though I haven't tried them all yet ; )

Drinking hangout: The Frying Pan (W 26th and Hudson River Park)

There are a ton of great summer drinking spots in the city; but none perhaps quite as unique as The Frying Pan.  Built in 1929, Lightship #115 "Frying Pan" is one of the few lightships remaining and is listed on both the New York State and Federal Registers of Historic Places.  (In case you were wondering: The US Coast Guard used lightships as floating lighthouses to guard other ships from running aground on shoals, or submerged rocks, that were too far from land to be served by a lighthouse on shore.) After sinking to the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay, it was salvaged by its owners and brought to Chelsea Piers, now serving as the ultimate drinking hangout.  NY Mag describes it best: 

The boat, docked on a railroad car barge, boasts a musty, barnacle-encrusted interior (complete with catwalks and an exposed engine room) straight out of a Nine Inch Nails video. The far end of the barge often serves as a moody dj lounge and stage for live acts. On the pier, a tiki bar serves up booze and burgers, and a 16-foot observation plank offers a fantastic view of activities on the Hudson....

 

I didn't check out the interior, but I did spend one hot summer afternoon with friends on the pier overlooking the water.  The space was packed with groups of people chatting and drinking pitchers of beer and sangria.  Having had a late night, we weren't up for drinks, but we did order some tasty bar fare which was surprisingly fairly inexpensive considering the $10 plates were big enough to share.  For some quality day time drinking, or for a special outing, this spot can't be beat when the weather's nice.

Beer Garden: Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden (29-19 24th Ave nr 29th Ave., Queens)
(OK so this qualifies as another "drinking hangout" but I needed to make another category because I simply wanted to write about both.)

When people share their feelings about the Bohemian Beer Garden (as it's typically called), it's always conveyed in a fond, nostalgic sort of way; as if talking about their favorite pet or childhood buddy.  I know this may sound like an odd way to put it, but I almost always get the sense that it holds a special place in people's hearts.  It's never "oh yeah it's really cool!" It's more like "Aw, I just love that place...*sigh*"

So I was very excited to finally check it out last month for Gus's birthday. And I have to say, even with all the talk I heard leading up to my visit, my expectations were exceeded.  The outdoor area is just enormous.  You aren't even aware of the tall wooden fencing surrounding the perimeter because it feels like a big park...with lots of long wooden picnic tables.  The bar has a nice selection of Czech, Belgium, and German beers on tap, and the pitchers are only $15.  The best part about all of this? Despite the hundreds of patrons, there was hardly ever a wait to order drinks.  And you're free to hang out, play card games, and act like a buffoon without glaring eyes from the staff, who only intervene to swipe away your empties - and even then, so deftly you barely even notice.  The beirgarten also serves a great selection of sausages from the grill - which I didn't sample - but hearsay tells me they're damn good.

I didn't explore the interior, but NY Mag describes it as "a city unto itself" with "all manner of side rooms and antechambers branching off from the main bar."  And while Studio Square is beautiful and sleek, nothing beats the unpretentious, authenticity of this place, which used to be a Czech and Slovak social club and is one of the last of the nearly 800 biergartens that once dotted the pre-Prohibition city.  So now I fully understand the appeal of its old school charm. And I want to go back. *sigh*

Sightseeing involving food: Brooklyn bridge/Broolyn ice cream factory (Old Fulton St. and Water St., Brooklyn)

Though I've only been an NYC resident for two years, I've quickly developed the obligatory distaste for tourists and all things associated with them: Times Square, I <3 NYC paraphernalia, slow walking, etc.  But every now and again I enjoy going to a part of the city I've never explored and doing the typical tourist thing (even though secretly I'm hoping no one will mistake me for one.)  I know this is all very silly but it's the truth.

Anyway, Gus and I decided to have a very touristy outing on Labor Day weekend: We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge! And it was amazing. Walking on such a massive structure, gripping its thick steel wire cables, watching speeding cars underfoot - all above the East River - allows you appreciate the architectural feat in a way you simply couldn't from the ground.  Completed in 1883 after 13 years of construction, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the U.S.; and it has the most fascinating history. I urge you to check out the well-cited Wikipedia entry because a few excerpts won't do the story justice.

After walking the length (6,016 feet), we made a right turn and walked back near the water to Brooklyn Bridge Park - a grassy knoll right on the water with man-made ponds, benches, a wine bar, a Red Hook Lobster Pound outpost, and of course, the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.  Quite like Grom, it prides itself on producing small batches and using only pure ingredients.  The company has two locations in Brooklyn - the original one we visited is housed in an adorable landmark fireboat house.  

The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

And like Grom, their prices are pretty eye-popping: $5.50 for two scoops, though you get a little more in the way of quantity here.  But it's not every day you treat yourself to the creme de la creme of frozen treats (or, in our case, it's not every day you wait in a 30-minute line for food).  The ice cream is everything it promises to be: simple, pure and delicious.  I naturally ordered the chocolate in a waffle cone, and I don't think I spoke for 15 minutes until it disappeared.

Gus's cone

That's pretty much my summer in a nutshell - or at least the best food-related parts. I'm already starting to miss these wonderful places and my first memories I'll always associate with them.  But writing this post did bring some closure, and hopefully it did for you as well.  Now, let's say hello to fall.