We recently had a bite at the Fat Radish in the Lower East Side. The menu was creative and fresh (within the world of fresh, seasonal, well sourced food), we had the celery root pie, mini grilled cheese sandwiches and a burger. All pretty good – but really the decor is what gets the a++. We loved the interiors: perfectly mixed salvaged woods, grain-sack upholstered bench cushions, exposed brick, concrete countertops….and a pretty little radish-olive tapenade starter at your table. And they definitely have great taste because they carry the Tourne line plus other goodies at the front entrance from our dear pals. Worth checking out, we are going to try their brunch next time.
Radish- a lovely new general store has opened in our hood and I stopped by to check it out. I couldn’t resist taking a few photos and telling you all about it. It’s really well designed and super cute.
But beyond the standard general store offereings – radish offers an array of prepared foods that they sell by the pound. An Orzo Salad, a token Radish Salad (but of course), and I tried the fruit salad which was an Apricot and Blackberry Salad with pistachios and mint (it was d-lish). They also have warm foods like mac and cheese and Beef chili (in those gorgeous grey staub pots). The little shop was full of handy little picnic gear too – like mexican blankets, enamel plates and tiffen stackable lunchboxes. Seems like the perfect picnic go-to spot. The shop stocks a bunch of local pickings, including our friends from Whimsy and Spice, Brooklyn Honey and My Friend’s Mustard (made with six-point ale). Oh did I mention they make home-made sodas too ? I could go on and on….but it’s definitely worth a trip to see for yourself. Radish is located at 158 Bedford Ave (between 9th St & 8th St) (718) 782-2744.
Ah, Cafe 202. Inside the Nicole Farhi boutique, inside the Chelsea Market. The cafe within the boutique within the market is like a breath of calm. With mismatched vintage chairs + tables, the neutral palate of pottery and clothing sat piled perfectly around us while we studied the menu. One thing for certain is that service here gets an A++. While our adorable server’s name has escaped us, his sweet smile and personality have not. We got a kick out of his humor and wanted to tuck him in our back pocket to take home and hang out. The meal we both couldn’t say no to was eggs on toast. What sounds simple and boring was luscious and unique. The egg whites were lighter than a feather and seemingly endless. The toast, a wheat sourdough of sorts was lightly toasted to perfection, and the sauteed mushrooms on top were earthy and good. A side of granola, honey and yogurt ? Why not. Oh and the beautiful bloody ? Not ours, we were on the job !
Marlow + Daughters is to Sunday Suppers as the corner bodega is to your apartment. We make pit stops here (our closest market), for missing ingredients in midday meals and our own lunches. Marlow offers an interesting selections of meats (cut by the butcher 10 steps away) such as a whole skinned rabbit, or a big pigs head, to the most perfect array of market produce. Why is their range of brining spices, candied beets, cheeses and breads so inspiring ? We’re not sure we can totally put our finger on it. Marlow + their little Brooklyn empire is pretty darn close to perfect, from the black globe in the window, the shrunken sweater on the shop girl to the large wooden pull instead of a door knob. Check them out for yourselves at 95 Broadway. We think you’ll agree.
If we didn’t tell you to, you would never know to stop here from the outside. Kaluystan’s is not boastful, but this Mecca of spices and more is a must know for all cooks in New York. With more spices, beans, rices, syrups, honeys, salts, nuts, we could keep going, than you could ever imagine under one roof, you’ll never be able to buy only what’s on your list. Thanks to Kalystan’s you won’t shy away from recipes with unknown ingredients. And even more exciting is that they now offer thousands of their ingredients online for cooks everywhere. We promise, they have it.
We even like saying the word more knowing there is an I on the end. New to the scene, this unassuming shop, Bakeri, sits nestled on Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg. Bikes and dogs sat parked out front and the window welcomed us with a fall still-life. Inside, the artistic touches continue—each more beautiful than the last. A vintage display case, bowls, rolling pins, robust loaves of bread all perfectly placed. The garden out back has an espresso drinker today, cozy in chilly fall air with her book and mug. Each element is so perfectly done, words will ruin its sweetness and perfect charm. Instead, we encourage you to stop in for a lunch of soup and hearty sandwich, or for one of their delicious sweets—which they’ll wrap in brown wax paper with perfect twists at each end. We left with Lavender shortbread and a brownie—sweetest way to end a long work day.
Also in the Ace hotel is a great midtown pit stop or hang out for a hot drink: Stumptown. Stop for a gourmet cup of coffee, or as with The Breslin, your dose of all things hipster. This light filled storefront has busy bee workers in bow ties and glasses filling espresso shots and steaming milk. We love the white, cream and brown palette and the grandness of the coffee bar. Grab a latte on your walk by or stop and enjoy it in their awesome lobby with their mismatched furniture, board games, library desks with hard-at-work apple laptops, and the best finishing touch : a gargantuan American Flag as the backdrop. Oh, and another bonus, Stumptown is camera friendly.
Without sounding snooty, we think it’s fair to say that any side street lining Broadway from about 25th to 34th is somewhat of a taste wasteland. Bordered top and bottom by Madison Square Park and the Garment district, there isn’t much here except perfume and Hanes T-shirt shops—a sort of final frontier for Manhattan. Enter stage West (20 W 29th Street) : The Breslin in The Ace Hotel. We walked through the label-less door, hidden behind endless pumpkins and cabbage plants, and found ourselves in a pretty cool bar. Black painted wood, mirrors and taxidermy made us feel like we’d walked out of the wasteland and into…well…Hipster Brooklyn. How this demographic finds themselves in this oasis everyday we’re not sure. But we like it—a refreshing view of hipsters when we’re used to them in their usual haunts. What wasn’t so refreshing was their photography policy. Just a few snaps and we were reprimanded for taking out a camera. We tried reason, but got nowhere. So where these pictures could have continued into a beautiful lunch, we were cut off. We had to go about our way, grumbling tummies and all, since we were there to review. It’s a tough job keeping up the too cool for school attitude, but somebody’s got to do it !
It’s bitter outside. We’ve been working on a few big features (coming soon!). Between running in and out of stores for styling props, holiday gifts, and cooking supplies we got a bit hungry. Market table was a beacon of cozy on Carmine Street in freezing Manhattan. We sat down to a warm lunch of delicious garlic and olive oil charred broccoli and White Bean Escarole soup. These and crusty French bread filled our bellies and thawed our limbs. The tender beans and greens were just what we needed— And our neighbors vegetarian chili? It gave us food envy and had us drooling over their shoulders. We’ll be back for more.
Work has been pretty hectic around here, so we’ve decided to treat ourselves to more midweek lunches. We’ll be posting our faves with a review and some photos once or twice a week, so let us know what you think. This week we tried Five Leaves, one of our neighborhood spots. Five Leaves sits on Bedford and Lorimer, caddy corner to McCarren Park in Greenpoint. The corner location allows for lots of sidewalk seats and lots of natural light. Vintage light fixtures hang out of a wood plank ceiling, and the bar feels Art Deco and Parisian. The bartender poured Campari and soda, and we poured over our menus.
We had a tough time choosing between, well, everything. After much deliberation we decide to split a radicchio and watercress salad with roasted acorn squash, feta and onion and a warm roast chicken sandwich—on toasted baguette with roasted tomato, chipotle mayonnaise, shaved parmesan and anchovies. And wait; let’s not forget one of the most important parts here—truffled french fries. French fries in all their glory, carefully rolled in truffle oil, so infused you’d think the potatoes were grown in it. The salt of the feta was the perfect complement to the honeyed squash—sweetened. Pungent raw onions gave a crisp kick, and the tangy greens dressed in vinaigrette married the whole bowl together. Our roast chicken was indulgent in its toppings and strong in flavor. Chipotle mayo oozed out the side, and anchovies broke the simplicity.
Our waitress, in her shrunken Fair Isle cardigan was sweet as can be, and the experience was so pleasant we’ll definitely be back. Clearly a neighborhood staple, they even had a takeout coffee window for those too busy to linger—no one should have to miss out.
Five Leaves: 18 Bedford Ave Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY 11222 (646) 510-6467
We recently had a bite at the Fat Radish in the Lower East Side. The menu was creative and fresh (within the world of fresh, seasonal, well sourced food), we had the celery root pie, mini grilled cheese sandwiches and a burger. All pretty good – but really the decor is what gets the a++. [...]
Radish- a lovely new general store has opened in our hood and I stopped by to check it out. I couldn’t resist taking a few photos and telling you all about it. It’s really well designed and super cute.
But beyond the standard general store offereings – radish offers an array of prepared foods that they [...]
photography + styling by karen mordechai
Ah, Cafe 202. Inside the Nicole Farhi boutique, inside the Chelsea Market. The cafe within the boutique within the market is like a breath of calm. With mismatched vintage chairs + tables, the neutral palate of pottery and clothing sat piled perfectly around us while we studied the menu. One [...]
Marlow + Daughters is to Sunday Suppers as the corner bodega is to your apartment. We make pit stops here (our closest market), for missing ingredients in midday meals and our own lunches. Marlow offers an interesting selections of meats (cut by the butcher 10 steps away) such as a whole skinned [...]
If we didn’t tell you to, you would never know to stop here from the outside. Kaluystan’s is not boastful, but this Mecca of spices and more is a must know for all cooks in New York. With more spices, beans, rices, syrups, honeys, salts, nuts, we could keep going, than you could ever imagine [...]
We even like saying the word more knowing there is an I on the end. New to the scene, this unassuming shop, Bakeri, sits nestled on Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg. Bikes and dogs sat parked out front and the window welcomed us with a fall still-life. Inside, the artistic touches continue—each more beautiful than the [...]
Also in the Ace hotel is a great midtown pit stop or hang out for a hot drink: Stumptown. Stop for a gourmet cup of coffee, or as with The Breslin, your dose of all things hipster. This light filled storefront has busy bee workers in bow ties and glasses filling espresso shots and steaming [...]
Without sounding snooty, we think it’s fair to say that any side street lining Broadway from about 25th to 34th is somewhat of a taste wasteland. Bordered top and bottom by Madison Square Park and the Garment district, there isn’t much here except perfume and Hanes T-shirt shops—a sort of final frontier for Manhattan. Enter [...]
It’s bitter outside. We’ve been working on a few big features (coming soon!). Between running in and out of stores for styling props, holiday gifts, and cooking supplies we got a bit hungry. Market table was a beacon of cozy on Carmine Street in freezing Manhattan. We sat down to a warm lunch of delicious [...]
Photography by Karen Mordechai
Work has been pretty hectic around here, so we’ve decided to treat ourselves to more midweek lunches. We’ll be posting our faves with a review and some photos once or twice a week, so let us know what you think. This week we tried Five Leaves, one of our neighborhood spots. [...]
