COMFORT FOOD
There’s only one word you can use to describe the weather in New York City—HOT! The heat is enough to drive a seemingly sane person to do unnatural things. The price of air conditioners and energy bills will certainly go up but don’t let this heat allow you to loose your cool. Fight off your stress with summertime comfort food: ice cream. And we’re not just talking plain vanilla or chocolate, let the heat sway you to try some crazy, innovative flavors.
You may not be exactly sure why Brittany Murphy giggled and cried uncontrollably over her bowl of noodle soup in “Ramen Girl.” You may be hungry and a bit chilly as the Fall weather hits and can't decide what to do about it. You may be saving up for a seat or two at the Yankee's next game. You may even be an unfortunate combination of all three.
Menchanko Tei is the solution. Just a quick subway trip to one of two midtown locations—one on 45th between Lex and 3rd, the other on 53rd between 5th and 6th—will solve all three dilemmas at once. These two cozy, bustling noodle houses provide diners with a variety of soul-warming, affordable soup options sumptuous enough to make anyone smile (if giggling isn't your style).
Calories aside, who can say no to the smooth and refreshing temptation of beer? Hmmm, beer such a great companion with friends or after a long day and now-lucky you- in your favorite foods. So in honor of National Beer Day today, prepare yourself, as I knock you off your barstool with some of the greatest recipes, all of course including our dear friend, beer. And no, everything is not fried, although the majority is, but with flavors this good it would be sin not to try. So drink up to the best feast you will ever cook and invite your friends to a getty where beer is not only the life of the party it’s also the main course.
Leave your calorie counter at home and dig into some good old-fashioned comfort food at Dowling's Palace in North Philly. Their menu includes chicken, fish, smothered turkey wings and porkchops. Meals include two hearty portions picked from a dozen popular soul food sides including mac and cheese, collard greens, potato salad, and black eyed peas. On top of that, all meals are under $10.
Dowling's has a long history of supporting local talent with their weekly showcases. On Sunday nights, Lucky Thompson and Napoleon Black featuring the Budesa Bros host Jus' Jazz jam session from 8-11pm. On Thursday's the place fills up with poets, songwriters, rappers, and comedians for Jus' Words, hosted by Shyster and Ms. Wise. The $5 open mic night every Thursday at 9pm starts with a community discussion and includes features from all over the country.
1310 North Broad St. Philadelphia, PA 19121, 215.236.9888 or dowlingspalace@aol.com
The General Store - Silver Springs, MD
Fried chicken that not even Bobby Flay can beat.
If you want comfort food, the General Store is the place to go. Even Bobby Flay caught word of co-owner and chef Gillian Clark's cooking and challenged her on his show "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" on Food Network; Clark won. It seems that this fried chicken is one to beat, but if you're not the chef-type, then it's just the one to eat.
The Low Down:
Cuisine: American - Traditional
Closed Mondays
Price Range:$4-$15
Contact: 6 Post Office Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Call (301) 562-8787
Ben's Chili Bowl - Washington, DC
If it's good enough for President Obama, it's good enough for me.
It doesn't matter if it's breakfast, lunch or dinner, when you want chili, Ben's Chili Bowl is the place to go and has been since 1958. Just ask Chirs Tucker, Bono, Bill Cosby, and President Obama, who are just a few of the famous customers Ben's has had over the years.
The Low Down:
Cuisine: American - Chili
Hours: Open early and closes late, everyday
Price Range: $3-$10
Contact: 1213 U Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009. Call (202) 667-0909
Breadline - Washington, DC
A baguette that will make you swear you're in France. Bread undeniably belongs on any list of comfort foods, so what kind of list would this be without Breadline? At Breadline, you can get comforting sandwiches with a bit of an exotic flair; such as eggplant, zucchini, and roasted red peppers, with an olive tepenade on a baguette, or prosciutto di parma, marscarpone, gorgonzola and fig jam on walnut bread.
The Low Down:
Cuisine: Deli/Quick Bites
Hours: Open Monday-Friday for breakfast and lunch
Price Range: $5-$10
Contact: 1751 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Call (202) 822-8900
With temperatures dipping, most of us are craving comfort food. The delicately sweet flavor of squash provides a satisfying addition to any autumn meal. Butternut, acorn, banana, ambercup. The varieties are endless. Although squash is categorized as either "summer" or "winter", both types are usually available year round. For the largest selection of winter squash October and November are prime months.
Here's a great recipe from Williams-Sonoma that marries the sweetness of butternut squash to the tart flavors of Granny Smith apples. Stop by the Greenmarket at Union Square to stock up on ingredients.
Dimly lit, covered in large-scale paintings of adorably cantankerous bull dogs, The Fat Dog has an immediate charm. The fact that it's tucked away in sleepy Montrose, which is composed of only about four blocks of businesses, makes the whole speakeasy-like atmosphere all the more enjoyable.
After you inevitably sidle up to the bar to examine the chalkboards full of beer, wine, and cocktail selections, pay special attention to the California Craft Brews. I particularly recommend the Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale, but also check out what the Rotating Craftsman Brew of the moment is.The Fat Dog also has an impressive array of house-designed specialties (Bloody Mary's are my favorite).
When I first heard about someone opening a “gastropub,” I thought it was something out of Aribert Heim’s medical handbook. But, good news, it’s a new restaurant from Kefi owners Donatella Arpaia and the chef Michael Psilakis. Gus and Gabriel’s Gastropub, named after Psilakis’ father and a his 3-year old son respectively, intends to appeal to the hungry child within every adult.
Arpaia and Psilakis already own Kefi on the Upper West Side, which serves Greek food, the Italian spot Mia Dona on the East Side, and the “haute Greek” Anthos, in Midtown.
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