Kashkaval

Occasion: Last stop in the tapas crawl (after a visit to Tia Pol, an old favorite)
Location: Kashkaval on 9th Ave between 55th and 56th (kashkaval.com)
Edibles: cheddar and ale fondue; some cold salads; salmon wrapped in grape leaves, donated by friendly fellow diners

Musings: I've loved this place since the first time I came here, brought by a Hell's Kitchen resident in the know. From the street it looks like a Greek deli, but there are a number of tables in the back as well as a bar area. It's close quarters - most of the tables will seat a maximum of four. There is a long table with benches that will seat one party of six to eight, which you can reserve.

The dining area is dim and cozy and comes across as very European to me. Kashkaval is open late - until 12:30am Friday and Saturday, 11pm other days of the week - making it a great option for after theatre.

The cold salads (in the case at the front of the shop) are excellent. I like the eggplant, the elephant beans, the beets. The hummus is good, if somewhat more mundane choice. They usually have a few daily specials as well.

For the hot, I usually get fondue. The Kashkaval house blend is good, as is the cheddar and ale. It's a matter of personal taste of course, but I find Swiss fondue a bit plasticky and the gorgonzola, too strong.

Yining and I were eating at the bar. The couple next to us ordered these divine-smelling salmon dolmas. I asked them how they were, and they very kindly gave us one of them to taste. I'm happy to report that they're as yummy as they smelled. I'll definitely be getting some next time I come.

Terroir Murray Hill

Occasion: Spur-of-the-moment tapas crawl with my shenanigan buddy Yining
Location: Terroir on Third between 30th and 31st (wineisterroir.com)
Edibles: Breaded and deep-fried lamb sausage; beet salad

Musings: Hey! There's a Terroir three blocks from me! The original location is lovely, but too crowded on a regular basis and too far to be a regular hangout for me.

The new Murray Hill location has more seats and it's not too crazy yet - though it's only the opening weekend so who knows what it'll be like in a few months. (Since the meatheads found Hofbrau, it's been a complete madhouse.)

Food's good. Serving sizes aren't huge - they're really just to munch on while you drink. Be prepared to spend a lot if you're wanting the equivalent of a full dinner.

A note on the wine: They pour pretty generously on their tasting size. At half the price, Yining's tasting was just a splash less than my (supposedly) full pour. Happy hour prices are great - $6 for their wines by the glass ($3-4 less than regular prices) and free tastings of sherry. BUT... it's only until 6:00. I get out of work earlier than anyone else I know, and even I would be hard-pressed to make it there in time.

[Postscript 2/3/12: The friseé salad with duck confit, shallots and gorgonzola is AMAZING. They were warming up some duck and I literally smelled the delicious aroma from fifteen feet away. Of course, I had to have some.]

Marcus Samuelsson fundraiser brunch

Occasion: Fundraiser for his charity, Horn of Africa
Location: Marcus Samuelsson's apartment in Harlem
Edibles: some kind of spiced rice with bay; spicy stewed chicken legs; mashed lentils; lamb shank stew; collard greens; bread and crèpes and little corn muffins

Musings: I quite liked Swedish-Ethiopian chef Marcus Samuelsson from Top Chef Masters, so I signed up for this brunch.

Marcus' apartment is fairly normal, the most striking feature being the enormous outdoor patio space, perfect for entertaining. The people at the party were the New York-iest people I've ever seen. It looked the way New York parties do in the movies - lots of hipsters and models and artists, people dressed in clothes that are retro or futuristic or both.

Mark and I mostly tucked ourselves in a corner, chowing down and people-watching. Marcus eventually came over to shake our hands and thank us for coming. Really classy guy.

The food was really hearty and filling. My favorite was the lamb shanks, which were made by Maya Samuelsson. Who, by the way, is a gorgeous Amazon of a woman who towers over her husband when she's in heels. She's the one going to Africa to distribute the food and other supplies funded by the donations. Hope her trip goes smoothly!

Mmmm... Oktoberfest III: Tokyo Drift

OK, so I'm now the proud owner of - count 'em - four growlers. There's my two original ones from the first Oktoberfest, plus the two new ones that I just impulse-purchased.

I've named the one on the left Jeannie because it reminds me of the genie bottle from "I Dream of Jeannie" and the one on the right is Gunther, for no particular reason. Gunther was $15 at New Beer Distributors, beer included. A steal, I say, a steal!

I made pretty much the same salads I made last year. Ben sort of stole the show with his homemade pretzels so I'm posting his notes in case anyone out there's feeling ambitious. (Sorry - it's too close to baking for me to attempt.)

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Here's the source recipe: foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-soft-pretzels-recipe

Ben says: "It really wasn't all that hard (especially since I didn't sift the flour). It's probably more fun if you have an assembly line (one person rolls and shapes the dough, one person boils them, one person handles the egg wash and salt, etc.). And just so you know, they really don't last more than a day (the salt on the outside makes them gummy). The recipe for the mustard [sauce] was ridiculously easy and it lasts a while. I had so much extra that I found myself using it in most of my meals for the next month (cold meats, smoked fish, in a vinaigrette, etc.)"


And finally, for a laugh: theoatmeal.com/comics/beer

Queens meat truck

Occasion: Snack before the US Open (Roddick v. Sock)
Location: food truck at 39th and Prince in Flushing, Queens
Edibles: chicken skewers; chicken hearts; lamb ribs; quail; squid

Musings: This hardworking truck is open from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. All the meats are cooked over a little trench of charcoal. While chicken and beef skewers ($1 each) are undoubtedly this truck's bread and butter, I think what makes it great are exotic items.

Lamb ribs - I've never had these before but I loved them. I'm guessing the guy has a source where he gets them for free because there's not much meat on them, basically just the ribs after the tenderloin's been removed. They're not filling but the spice rub is delicious and the little shreds of meat are really flavorful (as meat near the bone tends to be). For $5 you get an entire rack. Good to share.

The whole quail was also excellent, if a bit cumbersome to eat with your hands while sitting on a park bench. The squid was good, though the sauce was a tad spicy for me.

I'd pass on the chicken hearts - they were fairly rubbery and I've definitely had better.

I recommend that you pick up a roll and a beverage on the way, as the salt tends to add up. There's a little bakery across the street that sells single man tou for the former, and numerous bubble tea places on Main Street for the latter. A cheap, fast and tasty meal.