Animals @ The Wayland

I was trying to think of an angle for this post but sometimes a place just speaks for itself. On the SE corner of 9th Street and Avenue C is The Wayland, probably my favorite bar in NYC right now. The Wayland manages that perfect balance of great drinks and a great time. No pretension, no reservation policy and no seats only policy. The music is top notch and the bartenders can sling you a beer and a shot or make you a fantastic Manhattan.

The Wayland also has great bar food. Sausage Bread and Ricotta, BLTs and Chicken Liver with Bacon are just some of drinks worthy offerings. When you walk in the place smells like bacon. Good times.

A few months back The Wayland expanded by taking over the pizza place next door. In addition to more room and a bigger kitchen the the folks at The Wayland decided to do a lunch spot. The result is Animals.

Sandwiches and beer doesn't quite do it justice. The sandwiches are some of the best in the city. Each one is well crafted and unique. A nice beer selection is available as well as cocktails and a great house made root beer and other non-alcoholic drinks. Every sandwich is a winner and the few sides available are excellent. Animals is a gem.

The Sandwiches:


The Beast -

Beef braised in red wine, aromatics & stone fruits with pickled onions and horseradish cream.



Pernil Romero -

Pork shoulder slow cooked in garlic, fennel & rosemary.


 Pulled Bacon (on the right) - 

Torta style, tomato, avocado, lettuce, pickled jalapenos, red slaw, refried baked beans and chili mayo.

(That is The Beast on the left)


Smoked Trout -

Applewood bacon, pickled onions, frisee lettuce & tomato


Other sandwiches include Chicken, Mortadella and Cauliflower. I do not have a favorite. They are all killer.



Sides:

Brussels Salad -

 Shredded Brussels sprouts with green apple and lemon honey vinagrette.


Cucumbers -

Sliced cucumbers with pickled onions and spicy dressing.



Root Beer -

Animals takes the art of making a sandwich seriously, a boon to a neighborhood being overrun with Subway franchises. When your favorite bar becomes your favorite lunch spot you know things are going your way. 

Animals @ The Wayland - 700 East 9th Street - http://thewaylandnyc.com/

FUNK for the PEOPLE

I ran into one of my neighbors the other day. We have known each other from a distance for a longtime. He used to be in the music industry with me back in the day. In typical fashion we have gotten to know each other better not through the business but on the playground with our kids.

In our conversation he dropped that he has blog on tumblr. I asked what it is about. It turns out he has a 10,000+ strong vinyl Funk & Soul collection and he posts a rare track everyday. My interest was piqued.

The tumblr blog is called FUNK for the PEOPLE. It is fantastic. If you are a fan of Funk, and really, who isn't, you need check it out. Here is the link:

http://funksoul.tumblr.com/

Click it. Bookmark it. It is a tremendous collection of great, great music. Good luck finding any of this on Pandora or Spotify. Get Funky.

Memorial Day Weekend tip - Mad. Sq. Eats.

Memorial Day Weekend is finally here. Ehh. Normally this is the starting gun for summer in NYC. Unfortunately, the gun can't shoot because it is only 45 degrees and soaked from the rain. For those of you staying the city instead of running out to the beach or the mountains, I have a suggestion, assuming the sun comes out of course.

May means Mad. Sq. Eats., the month long food market that pops up on the pedestrian triangle formed by Broadway, 5th Avenue and 25th Street.

Just across the street from Madison Square Park, Mad. Sq. Eats. packs a lot of great food in a small area. Local restaurants like ilili and The Cannibal have stalls as well as NYC restaurants like Roberta's and Calexico. Food market favorites include Mayhem & Stout, La Sonrisa Empanadas, Asiadog and Red Hook Lobster Pound. Deserts and well represented with People's Pops, Stuffed Artisan Cannolis and Melt Bakery (ice cream sandwiches). A bonus at Mad. Sq. Eats. is that a number of the stalls are licensed to sell beer and other adult beverages.

On my last visit I hit one of my favorite vendors, Hong Kong Street Cart. They have a special right now that should not be missed. Fried Oysters.

Five fresh, plump oysters are coated in panko and quick fried. They are served with a fantastic honey-sriracha dipping sauce. The oyster are hot, crispy on the outside, light and briny on the inside. This dish takes fried clams to the woodshed. Get them while you can.

I also had their cold noodles with peanut sauce.

Really, really good dish, especially on a hot day. Spinach noodles, similar to fettuccine, are cooked to just al dente so they are nice and chewy and stand up well to the delicious peanut sauce.  If you like this dish, this will be one of your favorite versions.

Mad. Sq. Eats is popular and can get packed, but don't let the lines fool you. Because of the compact area they seem longer than they are. If you aren't convinced, take a look at the line at Shake Shack in Madison Square Park or just try to walk into Eataly.

If the tables are all taken, pop across the street to one of the two other pedestrain areas with seating or, better yet, go find a bench or table in Madison Square park and enjoy a real al fresco dining experience. You can check out Orly Genger's momumental rope sculptures while eating your lobster roll.

Hopefully the sun will come out and we can get summer started. If you are in the city this weekend, check out Mad. Sq. Eats. It ends on Friday, May 31st, so this may be your best shot. My guess is the crowds will be lighter. Even if they aren't, it is worth the small wait.

Mad. Sq. Eats. - 5th Avenue at 25th Street - Through May 31st

For more info and vendor info check http://urbanspacenyc.com/mad-sq-eats/

The Chinatown Project - Day 9 & 10, the finale!

A quick finale to the Chinatown Project. As the last two days of jury duty wound down we hit two final restaurants. So far the batting average had been pretty high so I hoped to finish strong. We did OK. On day 9 we were in a snow storm so we went to a restaurant that was really close to the courthouse. On day 10 we went to a restaurant based on a fellow juror's recommendation. This is how we fared.

China Village is a small restaurant on Baxter Street right behind the court houses. It is seafood focused and solid. The scallion pancakes were decent, and the Seafood Fried Rice was enjoyable. There were two standouts.

Shrimp Dumplings (Hong Kong Style) -

Fresh, plum and delightful. A nice change of pace from pork.


Salt and Pepper Shrimp - 

Excellent dish. Savory fried shrimp, salt and pepper batter heightened with fresh herbs, onions, peppers and scallions. A highlight.


China Village will do nicely in pinch.

China Village - 94 Baxter Street between White & Walker



456 Shanghai Cuisine came with decent reviews and a recommendation. It is a bustling restaurant with white tablecloths and attentive waiters in buttondowns and bowties. First the bad. The Scallion Pancakes were doughy and soggy. We ordered Pork Shoulder in Honey sauce. It was, in theory, the same dish as Dong Po Pork at Shanghai Heping but it wasn't in the same league as that wonderful dish. The pork was drenched in a sauce that was sickly sweet and unbearable. The same was true with Baby Shrimp in Chili Sauce. Sweet, sloppy and unappetizing, I longed for Shanghai Heping's version.

Diced Chicken with peanuts was good and saved the main courses from total failure. There were two standouts at 456.



Juicy Pork Buns -

 Really top notch buns. Worth going for.



Fried Tiny Pork Dumplings -

The name of this dish is counter to what it is. These are anything but tiny. They are massive. And they are not really pork dumplings.  This was a unique dish that I didn't see anywhere else. They are cased in the pillowy dough of a pork bun. The filling is the pork of a soup dumpling. The buns are deep fried which makes the outside of the bun crispy and the inside juicy and filled with broth, like a soup dumpling. Outstanding.


I wish 456 Shanghai Cuisine was a stronger restaurant. It is a boisterous restaurant with good service and some standout dishes. My guess it is the kind of place that takes a few visits to figure out it's strengths and weaknesses, but once you do it is a solid place to eat.

456 Shanghai Cuisine - 69 Mott Street between Canal & Bayard.



Ten days, ten different restaurants. I finished my two weeks in Chinatown with a renewed appreciation for the area and a list of great restaurants. The best part is that I barely scratched the surface. All the places I went were west of Bowery. I did not get to explore the East Side of Chinatown, which is rich with great restaurants, at all. Just imagine the gems hidden there. I promise to share them when I dig them up.

The Chinatown Project - Days 8 - Shanghai Cuisine

On day 8 we decided to roll the dice and try a restaurant we had walked by several times, Shanghai Cuisine. Check out the reviews on line for this restaurant and you will see a 50/50 split of people who love the place and those who think it is one of the worst experiences they have ever had. What brought us in were all the posted reviews from local papers and praises from various chefs like Ming Tsai and Eddie Haung. Any place as polarizing as this one was was worth checking out.

Shanghai Cuisine bills itself as a throwback. Eating there is supposed to evoke Shanghai in the 1930s. I can't attest to how authentic it is, but I can attest that it is a throwback. Shanghai Cuisine fully embodies what it was like to go out for Chinese in New York City in the 70s and 80s. The waiters wear black pants, white button downs and black bow ties. The restaurant is decorated with red lanterns, fake strings of firecrackers and other festive decorations. The nod to 1930s Shanghai are the portraits of women is 1930s garb. The tables are covered in red checkered cloths. There is a full bar in back. The menu has all the "Chinese Food" classics as well as more "authentic" dishes. I could imagine myself here in high school, getting dinner and ordering a Sloe Gin Fizz, knowing the waiters never carded.

 Here is what we had:


Sticky Rice with Pork in Bamboo Leaf -

A little sweet and savory and very tasty.


Shanghai Pork Soup Dumpling -

At this point I was an expert on soup dumplings. Shanghai Cuisine's are great.



Fried Pork with Salt, Pepper and Garlic -

I was not sure what to expect from this dish. It was listed under "Traditional Shanghai Cuisine in 1930s." When it arrived I was a bit disappointed. It looked like strips of pork with the life fried out of it. One bite changed my tune. It was delicious. The pork was tender and moist. The breading was light with no hint of grease. The seasoning was excellent. A perfect balance of salt and pepper with a wonderful, savory tang from the garlic. I would return for this dish.



Crispy Pan Fried Noodles with Chicken -

Had to do it. Never my favorite, but just had to order it. It was fine.


Shanghai Cuisine is more expensive than a lot of the other restaurants in Chinatown. I can't say I would make it one of my go to spots, but for a touch of nostalgia, and some good food, it is worth the occasional visit. It is the perfect place to take the family when they come to visit from Ohio and want to go to Chinatown for "real" Chinese food. You and I both know they want Sweet & Sour Pork and General Tso's Chicken. Shanghai Cuisine fits the bill. They will love it. And you can slip in some "real" Chinese food to boot.

Shanghai Cuisine - 89 Bayard between Mott & Mulberry

The Chinatown Project - Day 7 - New Bo Ky

Day 7 found us at New Bo Ky, a restaurant with a fairly singular focus. New Bo Ky specializes in noodle soups. A lot of people go to New Bo Ky thinking it is a Vietnamese restaurant because the sign out front says PHO in big letters and. I believe it has some Vietnamese writing as well (I confess my ignorance). It is not. New Bo Ky is a Chinese restaurant, but it's offerings do touch ground in Vietnam. That focus pays off.

New Bo Ky looks like your standard bare bones Chinatown restaurant. Chances are you will be seated at a large table with other customers. The clientele is heavily Chinese and most of the waiters have a minimum grasp of English. The service is brusque but very fast.

Bo Ky offers soups with beef, pork, chicken and various other animal parts. For those who like kidneys, intestines and feet, Bo Ky has you covered as well. But since they specifically tout their seafood noodle soups on their store sign, that is the way we went.

The best thing not soup related is their roast duck. Bo Ky calls it Country Duck.

A little sweet and sharp with a vinegar bite. We devoured it.



Fish Dumpling w/ Flat Noodle Soup:

A winner. Great fish dumplings, wonderful seafood broth and excellent noodles.



Jumbo Shrimp and Egg Noodle Soup:

Another fine seafood noodle soup. Can't go wrong with either.



Mustard Greens:

Simple greens with a little sesame oil. Nice.


One special note. In addition to all the usual condiments there are two containers of home made hot sauces on each table. One is a red sauce, similar to what you would find in a spicy wonton dish. The other is a green sauce, with green chilies that would not be out of place in a Mexican restaurant. Use them. They are amazing. In fact, when we paid the bill, the woman who gave us our check asked if we had tried them. We told her we had and loved them and she was very happy. It turns out, she makes them herself.


Quick, easy and delicious, New Bo Ky brings the goods for all noodle soup fans. Oh, and one more thing. It is insanely cheap. That big bowl of Fish Dumpling soup? $4.75.

New Bo Ky Restaurant - 80 Bayard Street, between Mulberry and Mott

The Chinatown Project Day 6 - Shanghai Asian Manor

Getting into week two of lunch in Chinatown I was starting to get a good feel for the restaurants. I had tried to hit a few different styles of Chinese cooking and felt I had done a fair job so I was ready to start comparing restaurants with similar styles and menus but mixing up the dishes as well. So on day 6 we hit Shanghai Asian Manor on the corner of Mott and Mosco.

Shanghai Asian Manor is a fairly small restaurant. Big booths run along the right side of the room, two and four tops fill the rest of the room. It is a comfortable place with a fairly modern look and well kept. Here is what we had.


Steamed Tiny Buns with Crabmeat and Pork:

More soup dumplings, but we mixed it up and went with the house specialty, crab and pork. Really nice soup dumplings and the crab/pork combo was a winner. The crab brought a little bit of the briny sea to the standard pork filling. A nice change of pace.


Wonton Szechuan Style:

This was my favorite dish at Shanghai Asian Manor. The noodles were fresh and delicious. The spicy Szechuan sauce was thick like a paste, not runny. The sauce was fiery and rich. No dumbing down here. An excellent version of this dish and worth returning for it.


Sliced Chicken with Mixed Vegetables:

Solid dish. Honestly not would I would usually order but the table wanted it and again, a really good version of the dish.



Sauteed Baby Shanghai Boi Choy:

Good, fresh, clean, simple and virtuous. 


Diced Chicken in Hot Pepper Sauce:

Also known as Diced Chicken with Hot Pepper and Peanuts. Another top notch version of a classic dish. Nice chunks of chicken. The two keys were the sauce, which was piquant and flavorful, and the peppers. Red and green, crisp and fresh. Perfectly cooked so they retained their snap and bite. This confirmed Shanghai Asian Manor as a solid go to in Chinatown.



Shanghai Asian Manor is a really good restaurant with consistently good cooking and good ingredients. If you want to dig deeper into the menu you will be rewarded. But if you are looking to order the same things you always get, they will have one of the best versions you have had. Definitely worth a visit the next time you are on Mott Street.

Shanghai Asian Manor - 21 Mott Street @ Mosco