April 14, 2007
Lots of random gluttonous bits from the past few weeks in NYC
You probably noticed that I dragged out my entries about my week-long vacation in Paris over a three week period (counting the entries I made in Paris), meaning that there are a few lost weeks of NYC fooding tucked away in my toxic subcutaneous later of fat (in addition to my flickr archives). In this entry I'll try to recount the best and worst of what I've eaten, hopefully succinctly enough so that you don't fall asleep reading it and that I don't stay up for the next few hours writing it. (Post-editing note: I wrote this over the course of a few days. Yes, I am just that slow.)
So. Let's go back...to March 19th.
- way too much food
I spent my Monday after I got back from Paris eating lunch with Tina. We capped off our meal at NY Kom Tang Soot Bul Kal Bi with dessert at Bouchon Bakery because French pastries are a natural progression from hot stone bibimbap. In my world.
- looks can be deceiving
I knew Bouchon's macarons wouldn't be like what I had in Paris, but I got them anyway. And...commence the weeping. I knew there was trouble afoot (yes, I said afoot) when inserting a plastic knife into the belly of the macaron for bisecting purposes gave the sensation of cutting into a piece of gum. Ish. It looked much better than it actually tasted, as it tasted like a macaron that was too dry, too sweet, and not flavorful enough with whatever flavor it was supposed to have aside from sucrose. And with something like a 1:4 ratio of filling to cookie, it was dangerously anemic in the filling department.
Most of the other stuff at Bouchon are pretty great (their "whenever we feel like making them, which is almost never" sliders, for instance), so maybe it's not a big deal that the taste of the macarons doesn't match their price ($2.75). But still. What's the point of making perfectly shaped macarons with what I'm sure are great ingredients if they don't explode with awesomeness? Tsk tsk.
March 21st
- so fresh, it glows!
Since I was in the neighborhood, I swung by The Donut Pub for a chocolate chip cookie. (Random non-fact: I am roughly 250% more likely to be in a cookie mood than a donut mood at any given moment.) The first time I had their cookie about two years ago was oddly blissful. I felt the great force of sweet chocolatey chunk-o-dough flow through my veins. In my skin. It gave me a nice rosy blush on my cheeks. Or maybe that was due to the increase stress on my vital organs. Whatevs.
- cookie!
How did the second experience match up? Pretty well! I'd say this cookie is above average. It's the soft, fat, moist type of cookie, not the flat, chewy, somewhat crispy kind that I really like (primarily obtained at City Bakery), but it has some depth to it. Brown sugar? Tasty fats? Not too much chocolate, but enough to satisfy me? I don't really remember. This isn't something you should go out of your way to eat, but if you're near the Donut Pub you should check it out just for fun. It's the PUB of DONUTS for god's sake. That's like the best kind of pub you could possibly have (says the girl who dislikes all alcohol).
- every week is tastebud appreciation week!
A few hours later I met up with John to eat at Swich. I had been meaning to check out this sandwicherie for months (because all I want is just one sammich), but I could never drag myself to...8th Avenue and 15th Street. Because I'm so lazy.
- I got sammich!
My un-laziness was rewarded with a sandwich and a bag of sweet potato chips presented more thoughtfully than most places. The design of the restaurant automatically hits you as something different. It's very neat. And green. And white. And sans-serif. Go to DesignNotes to read Michael's great interview with John Gargiulo about the development of the company and design of the sandwich space—that way I won't feel like I have to properly describe it all to you. Wee! (I am still lazy.)
- buffalo hot pants
My buffalo hot pants (most of the items have cute names) consisted of "chicken breast fried and smothered in buffalo sauce with crumbled blue cheese on a French bread roll." The menu notes that it's seriously spicy; it ain't lying. If you can't handle spice, skip this. If you like that burning sensation, dig in! I do. The sandwich felt a little small for the price, but I think that's because it's flattened. Actually, it is probably pricier than most other sandwiches, but one sandwich is just the right amount of food to satisfy your stomach (assuming your stomach is as elastic as mine is) and I have no complaints about the taste. The bread passed my "is it tasty?" test; yes, it is crispy and chewy, a perfect edible container for the meaty, slightly cheesy innards.
- sweet tato!
Also awesome are the homemade sweet potato chips. Many places make sweet potato fries, which I've honestly never been satisfied with (yet I keep ordering them anyway thinking one day I will discover tootin' tasty sweet potato fries). I'm much happier with sweet potato chips and Swich makes the best ones I've ever tried. These chips are very thin, crispy, light, and burst with the flavors of...sweet, salt, and fat. Man, that's the golden combination.
- John's sammich
John's veggie goodness, "grilled zucchini, red pepper and eggplant with herbed goat cheese on impossible wheat" was also freakin' awesome. "Impossible wheat" sounds kind of dumb until you eat it and then...it makes sense. For it is IMPOSSIBLY TASTY. It's thick, it's soft, it has body. Wheaty body. Whatever that is. If you've eaten it, maybe you know what I'm talking about. And don't forget about the nice crusting action from the toast-age.
...That paragraph was weird.
In conclusion, Swich makes some very tasty sammiches. This kitty could use one.
March 22nd
Before heading to Irving Plaza (now called The Fillmore, complete with a butt-ugly sign) to see Mew, I brought CD and JD to Stand. I thought Stand would be like a quick order-at-the-counter type of burger place, but it's a bit more formal than that. I mean, you sit down and they take your order. Like...um, many places. Nothing wrong with that, of course. It's certainly better than standing, which is what CJ thought we might have to do the whole time (and then I zapped him with my laser bean of groaning-ness because PUNS ARE BAD, BAD BAD).
- cheeseburger
I ordered a rare cheeseburger. Yes, I like pink, barely cooked meat. Until I die of gastro-intestinal disease, I will still like it. Especially since I'll be dead afterwards and won't be able to vocalize my discomfort.
The burger is small in circumference, but is taller than the average burger, which could propose an eating problem if your mouth isn't abnormally huge. It's more like a sphere of burger-ness with its domed top bun. Burgerrr spheeere...
- innards
While the top bun tasted substantial and a little chewier than most buns, the bottom bun started to disintegrate at the wet hands of the beef patty's meat juices. I don't think it was supposed to be a meat sponge. Then again, I did order a rare burger, so maybe the sponge-ness should've been expected. Hm.
Other than the drippy moistness, the burger was exceptionally tasty. Tasty with meat and sodium and melted cheese. If the little burger didn't cost about $10, I'd feel more inclined to go back.
- no.
Also, they'd have to get rid of the ricotta pistachio shake. I thought it would be pistachio flavored, but instead it was flavored with crushed pistachio shards of death. In case you were wondering, shards of death do not mix well in a beverage. And...okay, they weren't shards of death, but I do not welcome little pebbles of nuttiness in my too-thin milkshake that could've used at least 2 more scoops of ice cream. When drinks have something solid in them, I think the substance should be softer than a nut. For instance, jello-y bits are okay—if you swallow them whole, they kind of just squish along and won't cause much discomfort to your esophagus. Nut bits, on the other hand, will make your throat tube go, "WTF, mate?" (if it's Australian) if not chewed to mush.
So obviously, you chew. You suck up some of the liquidy milkshake and let it slosh around in your mouth with some wayward pistachio bits. Chewing something hard with a mouthful of liquid and no softer solids to act as buffers is kind of awkward. If you don't believe me, just try it. And if you disagree with me, well...then perhaps whatever part of my brain that controls chewing is undeveloped.
My nutty milkshake experience cost me a not so pleasurable $6.
- CJ gives it one thumb up!
On the upside, their melted brownie with ice cream wasn't disappointing. Made sure to let it cool first or you might burn yourself. And then you can proceed to dig into the warm, fudgey chocolate block without killing your skin cells.
March 23rd
- hot dog
F&B gudt food's main dish is the hot dog. As someone who eats hot dogs twice a year (maybe), I really have no idea what a great hot dog is supposed to taste like. I assume I'll figure it out when a hot dog bursts with heavenly meaty deliciousness in my mouth, which hasn't really happened yet. F&B's hot dogs are...okay?
- haricot verts!
What I did really like from F&B was the side of haricot frites, green beans sauteed in garlic herb butter. For some reason, I really like green beans. (I suppose the reason is that green bean flavor makes a little happy face pop up in the "taste" section of my brain, but I can't describe green beans in any poetic way. They green!) You know those cheap Chinese buffets, all which seem to follow the same grease-based menu? Which includes green beans? I always get a crapload of those. Pack those babies in. And then I get beef and broccoli or something.
Anyway, these green beans were nicely cooked—not too soft, a bit crispy. I could make a meal out of them. A few cups of them, I mean.
- potato frites!
Their fries (courtesy of Amy) were also really good—crispy, well salted, and apparently cut from a whole potato. I would have no problem just eating fries and green beans for a meal. You've got your starch, your vegetable, and your fat; what else do you need? SCREW THE FOOD PYRAMID. The food pyramid doesn't love you.
- the cupcake, it rotates
Ahh, I kid. You also need cake. In cup form. From a place with a monsterously huge $20,000 rotating cupcake on its awning. I think they should upgrade the cupcake to an animatronic version that goes, "HO HO HO, WELCOME TO MY LAIR OF MEATS AND SWEETS, HO HO HO, I WELCOME EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, DELICIOUS CHILDREN!" And that is just another reason why I have no future in the food business. Or entertainment business. Or anything related to kids.
- oo, cupcakes
In my head (which I'll admit is at least 5% disturbed), the cupcake spoke to me in a booming Santa-like voice. "Eat the lemon meringue cupcake! EAT IT! Ho ho ho!" I could not resist the fluffy, lightly scorched tops. Scorched like my bleeding heart. Of blood.
- fulfilling my duty as a cupcake destroyer
The lemon meringue cupcake's heart was thankfully made of lemon curd. Oh, deliciousness. The thick meringue plop had that nice, slightly burnt tasted and the cake was sufficiently moist. Altogether, quite an impeccable cupcake, indubitably...my dear chap...(I don't know what I'm talking about; somehow "impeccable" and "indubitably" sounded like they went together and I was unable to think of any other words to say out of the tens of thousands at my disposal).
I didn't get to try the burgers at B&C, which I heard are "meh", so stick with the cupcakes, pulsating with the blood of sweet, sweet sugar.
So...
This entry long enough for ya?
Edit sometime after midnight: Uh, so I just realized that this entry is pretty short compared to most. Which makes me wonder why it took so long to write. I think I spent too much time wondering what my food tasted like, information that has mostly escaped my memory since I ate this stuff weeks ago. The longer I wondered, the more I forgot. It's a great cycle of crap! Maybe I should convert this to a photo blog.
Right now I'm mainly wondering why MT is being such a slow bastard. I guess it has something to do with Dreamhost's servers hating me.
Another edit the next day: If the comments aren't working, it's because MT is being a slow bastard. At least, I'm having trouble submitting and approving comments. Sorries!
I put a new spam-blocking mechanism in the comments form. All you gotta do is answer WHAT'S 2+2! I don't know how well it'll work, but we'll see.
addresses
NY Kom Tang Soot Bul Kal Bi
32 W 32nd Street
Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor
Burgers & Cupcakes
265 W 23rd St
Posted by roboppy at 9:40 PM
Comments (22)
Ah, your entries always make me laugh out loud! Lemon meringue...haven't seen that around in my country; only vanilla and rose meringues, but those are not on cupcakes, just giant pieces (the size of my head, i think) to be carried about in a brown paper bag, and sprinkled with nuts on one end.
Lovely to see that you got joy out of this burger. Your entries are inspiring--inspire people to go forth and conquer food (yes, food pyramids be damned)! :)
Posted by: elizabeth at April 14, 2007 11:52 PM [#]
Hey Robyn,
That was a short post considering something that was back almost a month ago. But the food porn suffice the lack of words.
That kitten from I Can Has Cheezburger is insanely CUTE!! @.@ I either cried because of intense cuteness or the laughter induced from that photo.
Me wants that cupcake! Actually, I'll have the whole pan of 'em! ...Not like I need anymore fat.
Jeanne: "Untasty" is a word now. Siiigh. Hopefully we won't have to use it often.
Yay, macro lens! Good for food blogging? :)
Elizabeth: Ahh, I don't like those kinds of meringues very much. The crispy, baked ones I suppose? Taste like SUGAR! And I do like sugar. But...mixed with more than whipped egg whites. Nuts sound pretty good, at least.
Tina: Haha, you're right! I didn't really notice the shortness of this entry until I gave it another look through. I'm too lazy to write...spending hours writing a paper that is coming out rather horribly makes me sleepy. (It doesn't make sense to take a nap at nearly 1AM, eh?) And the point of the photos is to prevent me from having to write much anyway, right? RIIGHT! "Look, above these words: juicy burger! This burger was juicy. Moving on."
I love I Can Has Cheezburger. It fills me with joy. All those kitties amuse me. Especially the fat ones.
when you said 'rare', you wern't kidding! that's the brightest pink i've seen in a long time!
I'm starting to think that there isn't anything the donut pub does bad, it's such a friendly looking place and plus 24 hours too!
LESS THAN ONE MONTH AND WE ARE DONEDONEDONE! summer plans? ...like coming to hawaii maybe? :)
Hi, I don't know how I ended up on your food blog but I've been reading it for the past few weeks and it's probably one of the best I've ever come across. It has great mouth-watering pictures, good descriptions, and humor :) The paragraph on the ricotta pistachio shake made me laugh, and those meringue cupcakes look so good! I've heard of Burgers and Cupcakes before (and I'm from Canada) so it must be pretty good. I must check it out now if I visit New York.
Posted by: RS at April 15, 2007 11:18 PM [#]
I want everything you ate that week! DAMN GIRL - you get around.
Posted by: susannah at April 15, 2007 11:21 PM [#]
Robyn I honestly can't say how much I love your writing and photos, thoughts in general, appetite, just your "way." I left NYC for grad school, and sit here at a non-NYC location in the library, giggling and dreaming over your latest posts. Thanks!
Posted by: Samerton at April 15, 2007 11:24 PM [#]
Hi Robyn,
I don't remember if I have ever commented on your blog before, but I can't help but tell you I am astounded by your enthusiasm at the wee hours (seemingly your favorite posting time, or the most readily available time...I do the same) now as much as I have been reading your blog, following your culinary journey through paris and then new york, I must admit---
I am fascinated by macarons...something I had never heard of until I read about it in your blog, and for the first few posts after that where they kept popping up I had them horrifically confused with macaroons.
In my previous location, I had lived near downtown Vancouver, BC. A place littered with vietnamese, chinese, and parisian style bakeries all of which I remember something looking like those mini-burger esque cookies. I am returning there in the fall, and my hunt will start for a macaron but I have to ask what do I look for that makes it? What is a good macaron, what is a bad one. In fact what exactly makes a macaron a macaron?
I noticed that every food blog I've seen that has mentioned macaron's has you nearby, so I figured you would be the first person to ask.
Hope to hear from you,
Jay
ooohh how your posts make my mouth water! bibimbap! chocolate chip cookie! sandwich! GREEN BEAN FRIES!! LEMON MERINGUE CUPCAKE?! now i understand what relative deprivation is.
(on another note, good luck with your paper. i was supposed to hand in a 10-15 page research paper last week and i.. started working on it 3 hours before class and handed in a very incomplete 4-page essay.)
jay i'm from vancouver and started passively looking for macarons after reading robyn's posts but haven't seen any (well i wasn't looking very hard). let me know if you find something!
Posted by: jodie at April 16, 2007 12:51 AM [#]
i want the green beans and lemon meringue cupcakes!
oh, and i should thank you for linking to i can has cheezburger. it has filled my life with LOLs. but now my friends have left me because i keep sending them links to the funniest photos.
Posted by: shukumei at April 16, 2007 2:11 AM [#]
Stephen: Thanks! Insanity and love = GREAT COMBINATION! I think it leads to restraining orders.
Kathy: Oo, I've never taken advantage of the Donut Pub's 24-ness. Perhaps I should go at 3 in the morning..
UH, DUDE I WOULD LOVE TO GO TO HAWAII. It would be just to visit you though. Which is a perfectly good reason for me. I dunno what my parents would think though. ;)
RS: I'm glad the shake made you laugh; it made me cry! On the inside. And I love pistachio...normally.
Burgers and Cupcakes is just such a good concept. If I ever open a restaurant it can be DUMPLINGS AND GELATO, which I don't think will catch on very well.
Susannah: Well you know, all these squishy layers of Robyn-fat don't develop all by themselves!
Samerton: Thanks! :D I FEED ON YOUR LOVE.
Oh noes, you have to come back. And eat stuff. Cos that's the only reason to visit NYC.
Jay: Yup, the wee hours = postin' time. Like right now, repling to comments at 2-something AM! Oh god, I want sleep! Hehe!
I hope that you will never be confused by macarons and macaroons again. :) What makes a macaron a macaron? The cute, burger-esque-ness is one sign. Smooth, domed tops. Splodgey filling. Non-radioactive colors.
As for what makes a good macaron...tastiness! I guess it's personal preference, but I like ones that aren't too chewy, aren't too sweet, and have craploads of filling. You probably have to eat a few to have enough macaron-ness to use as comparison though.
So...start eating? :)
Marvo: Yeah, anything that loves you wouldn't be all like, "DON'T EAT FATS AND SUGARS!" Sure, it wants you to live, but that's not the same as love.
I think.
Jodie: Oh no, I hope you're not too deprived. You just need a care package of bibimbap/chocolate chip cookie/sammich/green beans/cupcake! Which is a really weird combination.
shukumei: Green beans and cupcakes = balanced diet, uh huh.
Wait, why would your friends leave you for showing them the best website ever? They should be thanking you and showering you with gold! Nuggets! NUGGETS OF GOLD!
don't convert this to a photo blog!! I love your narratives! I'm sure your readers can forgive you for not remembering every little detail (who DOES!?) keep writing...it's what makes this blog my favorite one out there!
Posted by: Evan at April 16, 2007 2:27 AM [#]
hi robyn!
do me a favour and try memphis and the banana lemonade from swich, will ya
yep, i love everything and anything banana :-D ooh, cept dried whole bananas, eeyuk
Posted by: Tian at April 16, 2007 2:30 AM [#]
Ahh, I messed up some of the comments after...messing up my database. In case anyone has noticed.
Evan: Can they forgive me? Can they?
I'm glad you do. YAY!
Tian: That's a lot of banana action going on, but ok! But you don't like dried bananas? I love em! Aw.
Once again, another lovely post! I have never been to that Korean restaurant and am now tempted to go there. That bento box looks quite tantalizing AND they serve you additional panchan (side dishes)! Also I could not get over that paragraph where you write about that $20,000 cupcake and what the awning should be saying. So funny!
Posted by: Patty at April 16, 2007 2:32 PM [#]
Oh man, I had to re-delurk after reading about the evil cupcake man who likes to eat children. Hilarious. Does that make me weird?
And that's a tasty looking burger.
Posted by: Cathy at April 16, 2007 2:32 PM [#]
@Jodie
Hey, I walked all up and down that city and there was a large collective of bakeries in a couple of areas. I never seemed to be short on one for something to eat. I think looking for macaroons is like looking for people, unless you know what you are looking for they can be right in front of ya. The kits side of main and hastings past nanaimo have a good chunk of bakers. Also all through chinatown and the northside of robson (k-town) there's a variety of obscure asian bakers. They did have some interesting goods. I got an awesome melon cake somewhere...I lived near commercial, which ironically was the only place I never stopped for baked goods.
Post a comment
I'll probably reply to your comment on this page. If you have something to ask me that's unrelated to this entry, please email me instead.
: This is the 
That burger innards shot makes me so envious. I'm sorry those Bouchon macaroons were untasty (is that a word?). I think your lemon meringue cupcake is making me want to experiment...oh, and thanks to a friend, I have my first macro lens now. MY FOOD PICTURES WILL BE GLORIOUS!
Posted by: Jeanne at April 14, 2007 10:36 PM [#]