DAILY-BITES
If you've never been introduced to Nice Matin's croque madame, you probably won't understand her.
'Fifteen dollars for a ham-and-cheese sandwich? Those French snobs are trying to rip me off,' you might think.
But put down your freedom fries and hold your judgments, because the only response to your doubts is non. Pas du tout.
Madame is a little miffed that you called her a sandwich. If you want to get all technical about it, fine—it's true. A croque madame has two pieces of bread with ham and cheese in the middle. But that's where the similarities end.
The controversy over genetically-modified foods came to a head this weekend, as protesters in 52 countries rallied against the St. Louis-based GMO giant Monsanto.
Demonstrators in the “March Against Monsanto” have called for legislation making labeling mandatory for all foods containing GMOs. Many also demand further scientific research about the risks of GMOs, or a general ban on genetically-modified foods.
Trendy sandwich shop, ‘wichcraft, celebrates a flourishing decade of sandwiches. First opening its doors in 2003, ‘wichcraft and its beloved fans have much to rejoice on this ten year anniversary.
To toast the special occasion, co-founder and chef Tom Colicchio created a new mouthwatering sandwich. This specialty surprise is prepared on a ciabatta roll with robiola (a soft Italian cheese made from goat and sheep milk), mortadella, arugula, salsa verde, pickled red onions, and roasted garlic puree—sandwich perfection at its finest! The counterpart to the mortadella sandwich is a tasty cocktail created by Bombay Sapphire gin. Bombay Sapphire gin, Sapphire ‘Tin Shandy, Belgian-style wheat ale, and freshly squeezed lemon juice combine to make up this divine blend. This drink will be offered at three of ‘wichcraft’s New York City locations (the Southwest Porch at Bryant Park, David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center and in the Starrett-Lehigh Building at 601 W 26th Street). ‘wichcraft will also be busy preparing the “anniversary sandwich” at each of its sixteen locations in San Francisco and the Big Apple. Try this delectable delight while it’s available through July.
Bringing a unique and vivacious style to SoHo, Spring Street Natural is one of New York’s trendiest hot spots. From its fashionable interior to its healthy and delectable menu, this chic venue quickly became a notorious celebrity in the neighborhood. First opening their doors in 1973, Spring Street Natural continues to follow their core philosophy: “to serve whole natural foods that are minimally processed.” Mouthwatering homemade breads, healthy pastas, free range poultry, and organic whole wheat flour pie crusts contribute to this restaurant’s blank palate, and the chefs creatively take it from there to compose a divine menu for every customer to indulge in.
Okay so we know Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg is swarming with good food and lots of people. Not to mention Smorgasburg on Saturdays, which is one of our favorite places to go; but there is also so much to try beyond where the huge crowds are. We decided to route a foodie adventure for you and we recommend renting some bicycles for some light biking in between so you can burn a few calories and really enjoy the day. You can rent bikes for $35 per day, including the helmet, at Bike Peddler near the Lorimer stop on the L train.
Rick Bayless is a highly acclaimed chef of Mexican cuisine, especially in the Chicago area. He has over five restaurants and catering companies in Illinois, and he is widely known for his television show, Mexico One Plate At a Time on PBS. Bayless has made multiple appearances on the Food Network, so it is not surprising that the channel has praised many of his restaurants, including Topolobampo. Located on North Clark Street in downtown Chicago, the restaurant is right in the middle of all the action. “Topolo,” as the frequent visitors call the restaurant, is known for being the quieter, possibly classier version of its sister site Frontera Grill, also owned by Bayless. Rick’s goal is to enhance the typical reputation that Mexican cuisine has by putting an upscale twist on the food, while maintaining the authentic flavors and techniques.
The city can be an unforgiving and unfriendly place to work and live. Since we all have our own agendas and jam packed calendars, our manners oftentimes fall by the wayside. We’re all guilty of it. You’ve held the close door button in the elevator to skip over floors and you’ve hopped in a cab someone else hailed. We’ve all done things that aren’t so sweet to our fellow New Yorkers. Austin-based Sweet Leaf Tea has set up an interactive campaign on the High Line under the Chelsea Market Passage (16th Street and Tenth Avenue) to help change that. Sweet Leaf Tea is on a mission to encourage Big Apple residents to spread kindness throughout our community.
Enter a world of lavish parties, glamorous women, and the most powerful and influential men in existence. The fictional life lived by Jay Gatsby is the thing of literary legend. With the success of the recent reboot of The Great Gatsby, which premiered with an opening box office earnings of $50.1 million, has been one of the most talked about films of the summer. From the flapper fashion to the unnecessary 3-D effects and the fabulous soundtrack, The Great Gatsby has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue since the film encountered some issues prerelease. Thanks to the success of the film, and the fact that everyone was assigned the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel at one time or another, people get enough to Jay Gatsby and the grand parties thrown at his West Egg, Long Island home, and restaurants around NYC have stepped up to the plate, literally, to other diner’s the a glimpse into the luxurious libations and meals savored by the socialites of the Gold Coast in the 1920s.
Looking for the perfect restaurant to WOW your date? Son Cubano in Edgewater is the perfect place! Located right on Riverwalk Place, the view of the New York skyline will definitely impress your date along with the elegant decor that transports you back to opulent Havana in the 1950s.
Son Cubano, meaning the sound of Cuba, has the most exquisite Cuban cuisine menu in North Jersey. They are open Monday through Sunday, serving brunch, lunch, and dinner. Brunch is only served on Sunday and their hours vary. A must-have on the menu is their guacamole for those guac lovers. Dinner menu highlights include Pulpo Octopus with thinly sliced Spanish octupus with spicy tomamto sauce, the Sole del Alma entree of steamed sole wrapped in banana leaf, cilantro pesto with steamed vegetables, and Son Cubano's Famous Pernil prepared with Berkshire pork shank slow roasted with corn chorizo stew. A must-have dessert for flan fans is Son Cubano's Trio de Flan, a sampling of three different flans with flavors including creamy vanilla, tangy pineapple, and coconut flan. Also, Son Cubano offers a wide variety of wines and cocktails and be sure to try their red sangria, it is AMAZING!
Call me a snob if you must, but when you can buy a dish at your local gas station, it kind of loses its luster in my eyes. There is probably no better example of this than sushi. Once deemed something exotic and only for the adventurous eater, now it seems like sushi has become as exciting as a ham and cheese sandwich. Now, just like there are some pretty orgasmic ham and cheese sandwiches out there, there continue to be otherworldly sushi experiences in the world, and even some in Miami. Nevertheless, the majority of sushi experiences can be likened to getting a media noche at a cafeteria. Give it whatever value you’d like. There doesn’t seem to be much in terms of innovation when it comes to sushi. The best sushi chefs stick to tradition and minimalism, and the midrange guys (and gals) can only pile so much onto a roll before it starts to resemble a Colombian hot dog. Sushi, it seems, has become old news...or so I thought. It turns out that the maki, temaki, and nigiri that we’re used to are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to presentations of seasoned rice and seafood. With all that being said, it is high time that we are introduced to the temari.
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