Today's Lunch: Grand Central Oyster Bar

Today I had lunch with my boss Rob at the Grand Central Oyster Bar, which is in Grand Central Station, perhaps my favorite building in the city. We sat at one of the rickety U-shaped counters and were each immediately greeted with a plate of everything-flavored flatbread as well as a crumbly sweet biscuit-like roll. These flatbreads are so good. There's just the right amount of each seasoning portioned out, unlike everything bagels which taste like salt licks half the time.

Having ingested a large quantity of fried food (chicken hands, mozzarella sticks, wings, etc...) yesterday at an off-site work outing, I tried to steer away from anything cooked in hot oil. I only sort of succeeded by ordering the crab cake sandwich - pan fried is different, right? The sandwich was served with a side of marinara sauce but I also ordered a dish of cole slaw to top the cake with. Rob got the tuna burger, rare of course, which everyone else at our counter seemed to order, and we also shared a half dozen oysters. Although Rob asked for medium to small sized oysters, we wound up with two Belon-whatsitorother from the West Coast on our plate whose shells were the size of a City Bakery Cookie. There were also two each of Tomahawk (MA) and Kumamto (OR). Oysters are so fucking delicious. Why did I have to be a moron and never eat these before the age of 20 or 21? I lost out on a lot of oysters in my life. My father would come home with a big bag of fresh clams and oysters which he would shuck with speed and precision in our backyard for family gatherings. A dash of Tabasco sauce was the only adornment. I'm sure I was whining about how I wanted cheeseburgers or Callahan's. Haha.

Last Night's Dinner

Yesterday after work Youthlarge and I met up for pedicures in the East Village. Originally, our plan was to go to Dashing Diva on Smith and Dean (has anyone ever been to one of these?) and then hop on the B65 to Taro to finally check out the omakase situation, which came highly recommended to us by a PSG reader several months ago. Sadly, we had to abandon our perfect plan because Dashing Diva was completely booked. I usually only go to Rescue Beauty Lounge on Centre Market, but its location just wasn’t that convenient for us in terms of what we wanted to eat, so after much deliberation and kvetching, we decided to go to Spa Belles in the East Village. In addition to not being at all thorough, the pedicures there were not even that inexpensive (approx. $40 w/ tax and tip). Also, Youthlarge’s pedicurist was being really mean to her… Don’t worry - this is not becoming a beauty services blog. I just wanted to describe how fully down in the dumps we were after our Spa Belles experience in order to emphasize how much Kenka really saved the day.

Most readers probably know that Kenka is a favorite here at the PSG. Like my co-blogger said in a previous post, Kenka is not great, but it is really solidly good and never disappoints. Everything there is super tasty, absurdly inexpensive (a Sapporo or Kirin draft is a jaw dropping $1.50) and the little tapasy size dishes allow you to sample lots of different goodies instead of having to commit to just one.

Per usual, I got the kaki fry teishoku (fried oyster combination served with a refreshing little salad with deliciously creamy sesame dressing and miso soup). I also got the miso grilled pork and eggplant off of the specials menu. I’ve had this before and loved it. This time was no exception. Youthlarge got the saba (mackerel) combination and the grilled squid (the squid sort of tasted like lobster last night). We also shared an order of fried tofu sprinkled with bonito flakes, which was a surprise favorite of the meal. Toward the end of the meal, we were still feeling a little hungry, so we ordered some french fries (I love how they come here, with cute little lines of mayo and ketchup crisscrossing over the crispy goldeny mound of lightly seasoned fries). Youthlarge did not want to partake, but I also got an order of grilled chicken skin. I know that sounds disgusting, but I had been wanting to order it ever since I spied it at another table a few times ago. The couple who ordered it looked like they were on a second date, so it went almost completely untouched! YL offered to reach across and grab a skewer for me, but we both chickened out. So this time, especially since I was feeling disappointed by my pedicure, I finally pulled the trigger on the chicken skin. It was ok, but could have been grilled for longer. I don’t think I will order it again, but now at least I don’t have to wonder.

Anyway, thanks to Kenka to for coming through for us yet again!

Introducing for the first time: DeCoursy's Sidecar

Before delving into the monumental caloric intake from the trip down South, a little post to tip our hat to DeCoursy's Sidecar (560 5th Ave between 15th and 16th).

We've been waiting for this bar/restaurant to open for a while now and it's finally time! Run by our friend Bart (ex-O'Connor's) and his brother Johnny (who I believe used to man the raw bar at Blue Ribbon Brooklyn), Sidecar is making us regret our move to Clinton Hill. Ok, not really, but it'd be great to still live within a 10 minute walk of this place.

Over the weekend the DeCoursy brothers opened the doors to friends and family for a little soft pre-launch. There may not be a classier joint around.

Exterior shot with their fantastic hanging signage.

I started with a few malpeques, which were served with this delicious cucumber mignonette that I wanted to slurp down like a shot of vinegary gazpacho. Don't mind the large ice cubes - I heard the ice crusher was down.

DMR and I then tackled a BLT soup - greens, tomato and bacon in a chicken based stock topped with crouton with a dollop of aioli. Incredibly, Johnny said he had only one order for it the previous night! WTF? I wish we had each ordered one!

DMR went with a burger and I was about to order the Vietnamese pork sandwich, but then my mouth opened and "fried chicken" came out. The meat was tender and juicy and the crust nicely seasoned and crunchy. I was a big fan of the "succotash" served on the side, and not just because of the pieces of bacon that were sauteed along with the vegetables. That's root mash as the other side.

I obviously liked my chicken. It was a hearty portion of drumstick, thigh and breast and I ate it all (with a little help from DMR on the thigh which I had saved for last).
The diet starts tomorrow!!!

Dessert was peach cobbler and despite my allergy to stone fruit, I dug in. I had to stop once my mouth started getting super itchy, but those few bites were totally worth it! I imagine desserts will be changed up regularly.

Although they are still awaiting their liquor license (very soon is the word), Sidecar is officially opening its doors tomorrow. Their house cocktails, which we'll write about once the bar starts rolling, will include old-timey standards like the Moscow Mule, Pimm's Cup and of course the Sidecar, as well as some new ones concocted by Bart. Until then, it's still certainly worth it to stop by for the food and to plug some quarters into one of the finest jukeboxes around (or an original Spy Hunter arcade game if that's your speed). The DeCoursys have poured a lot of love and soul into the place and the thoughtful little touches mean a lot to a nitpicker like me! I knew it was a good sign when we sat down at "Johnny's Bar" (aka the bar in front of the kitchen) to eat and there was a hook for my bag. Oh, and the bathrooms boast the XLERATOR, the greatest hand dryer ever known to man.

DeCoursy's Sidecar
560 5th Ave between 15th and 16th
Brooklyn, USA

Jake and Lindsay’s Wedding: the final installment

A Brief Note on the Afterparty

I was just going to post some pictures, but none of the ones I had seemed really fit for mass consumption… Most of them featured generally responsible and productive humans, who will remain nameless and faceless, chugging Smirnoff straight from the bottle. So in addition to the aforementioned, the afterparty featured some amazing crazy dancing and a DIY hoagie bar. In honor of the bride’s native Pennsylvania, there were also a lot of Utz potato chips and Tastykakes on hand. Many of which were beautifully displayed in the bathroom. I was seriously craving the crab variety of the Utz, but I couldn’t find any. The next morning I was shocked and appalled to find an open, barely eaten bag of them. What a waste! I bet the person who did it also hated the caper berries at dinner…

Last Dinner on the Island

Most of the wedding guests left the day after the wedding, but Rabbi Paul, Sus and I stayed on the island for a couple more days of rest and relaxation. On the last night we went over to the Lief’s to cook dinner together. Earlier that day, RP, S and I picked mussels on the beach (can you believe that?) and bought some lobsters on the dock. Matt, who is a self-professed lobster anti-traditionalist gave us a brief consultation and decided that he should cook our lobsters with some rice and super tasty lobster stock another Matt had prepared a few days earlier. Since I am a lobster traditionalist, I was sort of looking forward to just eating them steamed and with drawn butter, but Matt’s lobster stylings were definitely delicious. I can’t deny it. We also ate the mussels foraged with our very own hands (cooked in butter and beer), salad (I think there was asparagus in it, which was a really nice touch one does not often see) and STEAK. The steak was delicious. It was procured from a butcher shop in Boston named Kenealy’s, Keneely’s, Kinelly’s or Kennelly’s. Believe it or not, this place is not at all googleable! I tried googleing it several different ways and NO DICE! Anyway, here’s some photographic evidence:

Unkosher Rabbi


Steak


Lobster


Cynthia baked 800 or 1,000 of these yummy ginger snappery cookies!


This picture is not of food we ate for dinner that night. But I think it is one of the loveliest pictures from THE WEEK and a nice way to say thanks and goodbye to the wedding.

Jake and Lindsay’s Wedding: Part III

The big day!

The ceremony was held outdoors at the Asticou Inn, overlooking the harbor. Again, I am definitely prone to hyperbole, but I really do think this may have been the most beautiful wedding ceremony I have ever attended. It was extremely intimate and personal, yet completely inclusive at the same time. You really could sense how loving and loved Jake and Lindsay felt. I really attribute that energy to the couple’s generous nature and overwhelming spirit of ubuntu. The idyllic setting didn’t hurt either.

I would also like to mention that Paul Newell performed the ceremony. As it turns out, Paul is not only a great friend, but he is a hell of a rabbi as well. In order to officiate and become eligible for powers being vested in him, he did one of those online thingies and is now a minister of the Universal Life Church! The card you get is really cool looking and I think I want to do it too. Anyway, he really could not have done a more amazing job. By the end of the ceremony, not only was everyone seriously schepping nachas, but they all wanted to convert to Paulieism (don't let me down Newell - I'm waiting for the pun) too! Here’s a picture of Rabbi Paul hugging the wedding couple in his tallis:


Here’s another pic of the happy couple and the rabbi:


OK, ready to talk about the food now. The first thing I noticed upon entering the cocktail hour tent was a huge table of raw oysters. This is precisely the sort of thing I am always hoping to run into. I think because I was having a hard time juggling my G&T and oysters, I ended up having only three. Usually I have anywhere from six to a dozen in a sitting. Then I noticed some people around me eating lamb chops, arguably the most coveted of all passed hors d'oeuvres (I have literally seen grown men sprint after unsuspecting servers carrying these succulent lollies), and I wanted in on the action. En route to lamb chop bliss I ate some delicious canapés (one was amazing tuna tartare with diced up avocado and the other was an incredible raw white tuna situation - very nice and buttery tasting). While eating the latter, I saw the lamb chops coming my way and wished I had a tail as both of my hands were otherwise engaged. Either Aaron or Matt gave me an assist and I finally got to experience the deliciousness that was the lamb chop. It was perfectly tender and had a nice hoisin glaze. To round out the roving hors d’oeuvre portion of the evening, I had some mini-crab cakes and some sort of savory meat pie. I think there is one more that I am forgetting. I really can’t remember WHAT it was, however I am certain it involved a balsamic reduction.

For dinner, we started with a salad of mostly frisee (this may not be true), possibly pignoli nuts and a wonderful, super soft, fresh mozzarella. Our second course was mussels (I’m always a big fan) and our third was a scrumptious lobster shepherd’s pie (the lobster tails rested atop a layer of spinach and mushrooms and were covered with tasty whipped potatoes). I’m sure there was dessert, but I didn’t see it because I was too busy admiring the dance stylings of this guy:



Next Installment: A brief note on the afterparty.

Jake and Lindsay’s Wedding: Part II

I call this the rehearsal dinner, but it may have just been dinner the night before the wedding. Regardless, it was probably my favorite of the many impressive meals affiliated with Jake and Lindsay’s wedding. It was hosted by the parents of the groom, Dan and Cynthia Lief, at their restaurant, the Islesford Dock. This is really a great place. The first time I ate there I remember remarking to the then chef, who is also my good friend, that the chowder was really noticeably much better than most or any I had ever had. He said it was because they do not use any potato starch. In a world full of mediocre chowders, I think about that often.

Upon arrival, my first order of business was to get a glass of Whooperman’s (sp?) rum punch (tasty, but slightly too acidic for me). En route to the bar I noticed some delicious looking ribs and got a little distracted. Not surprisingly, I decided to stop for one and I’m glad I did. To be honest, I am sort of prone to hyperbole, but truly, I think the ribs were the most succulent thing I ate all weekend. They were perfectly seasoned and cooked. Spicy, but not taste bud or lip numbingly so and crispy, yet so tender that they were FALLING off the bone. Dan actually told me about the preparation, but I do not feel comfortable divulging it here. However, in a more private setting, I do intend to try to duplicate it.

In addition to the amazing ribs, there was tons of lobster on hand. While the lobster was delicious, as it always is, that night its thunder was totally stolen by the r-i-b-s. Here’s a picture of me eating the first of roughly seventeen lobster tails:



I also ate a cup of clam chowder, which in addition to the usual suspects, included a healthy dose of BACON. And if you have ever met me, you know that I am a big proponent of adding bacon to nearly everything. While noshing on my chowder I noticed people eating some sort of baked clam situation. It took me a few laps around the restaurant before I finally found them, but I am extremely glad I put in the effort. I believe they turned out to be diced up quahogs and man, were they ever delicious! My sole regret is that I only got one, which, by the way, was entirely my own fault.

At that point, I decided to check things out on the dock, where they were grilling up some tasty smelling skewers. The first to come my way were of the shrimp variety. But one skewer was just not enough, so my fellow vultures and I went straight to the grill and ate a few more shrimp ones, along with some jerk chickeny ones.

Eventually, the eating turned into mostly drinking. I could not even begin to tell you how many Mount Gay and sodas I had. During speeches I snacked on a couple of lobster tails, which was amazing and totally appreciated by the way. Most times, when you’re feeling a bit peckish, you just grab a chip or something, but at this party, you could just grab a lobster tail, or nine! Thank you, Dan and Cynthia. You are geniuses and I am so glad you use your intellect for deliciousness and good instead of for evil.

After speeches and a beautiful musical item (let the record show, that despite having one of the most hauntingly gorgeous singing voices this side of the Mason-Dixon, your heroine WAS NOT asked to participate), everyone really let their hair down and the crazy dance portion of the evening got underway. Adam Levy did some of the best cabbage patching I’ve ever seen. And I have seen A LOT of cabbage patching in my day. Most of it incredibly good. Like any party worth its salt, soon people started dancing on the bar. Here’s a great picture of Jake and Lindsay in action:



So anyway, it was a great night. After the last drinks had been poured, a few of us went to a bonfire on Gilley Beach, which was all the way on the other side of the island. I have no idea how I made it. I fell in a bush and still have the scrapes and bruises to prove it.

Next Installment: The wedding!