BEST HANDHELD CHEAP EATS IN NYC

Papaya King
Upper East - 86th and Lex.
The single best hot dog in the world. There is nothing better. Get it with onion's, which is actually a classic chopped onions in a tomato relish. Get a Tropical BREEZE (not drink) or a Mango juice and your life will change for ever. 2 dogs and a drink is approx. 6 bucks.

Yonah Schimmel's
Lower East -137 Houston
The best Knish's ever made. Anywhere, Ever! Get a Spinach or a Roasted Garlic, buy a Dr. Brown's Cream soda (Cel-ray if your over 50 yrs of age)…and take a seat at the park next door. Life is simple and pure. Knish and Soda approx. 3 dollars

Mamoun's
Washington Square 119 MacDougal St
Mamoun's is a classic NYU area cheap eat. This joint has a line out the door at all hours. The hungry patrons waiting for their Falafel with Hummus or Shwarma. I recommend getting one of each! Grab a seat in Washington Sq. and eat until you’ve got tahini dripping from between you fingers. Falafel w. Hummus and Soda approx 4 bucks

Ming Tsai

The chef/owner of Blue Ginger in Wellesley, MA, Ming Tsai is a talented and versatile character. He was the host of now-defunct FoodTV show East meets West, and now has a PBS show called Simply Ming. His weekly guest stars showcase their skills, but Ming usually ends up cooking circles around each and every one. For all of you that are scared of learning Asian cookery, Check out Ming's Techniques on his show or in any of his cookbooks- He makes it simple and delicious.
This Month's Boston Magazine has a feature on celebrity chef's (Ming Tsai gets the cover) and their favorite places in Beantown. Ming Tsai is truly a local cuisine hero, and here he offers some fantastic tips for out of the way dining. To get the full article you will have to subscribe, but here are some great tips from Mr. Blue Ginger himself:
Where to Shop
Chin Enterprises “This is where serious Chinese cooks shop for Chinese gadgets. You'll find traditional iron woks, giant Chinese cleavers, tongs, spoons, strainers, and steamers, all at half the price they cost elsewhere.” [33 Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-423-1725]
Where to Eat
Sapporo Ramen “Order the miso butter noodles. The bowl is twice the size of my head.” [1815 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-876-4805]
Noodle Alcove “It's unbelievable to watch the noodle guy roll, twist, fold, and pull noodles into long strands. The best way to eat the noodles is in soup, because you want to savor the texture. Chinese noodles are not al dente. They have jing jier , or bounciness. They're not mushy, not hard, not soft, but still tender.” [10 Tyler St., Boston, 617-542-5857]
Chinatown Café “I always stop on the way home from Logan to get a whole red roast duck, pork belly, or the stir-fry noodles for dinner.” [262 Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-695-9888]
Silvertone Bar & Grill “This is not a place to ‘be seen.' But on a cold night there's nothing better than a cocktail and a bowl of their phenomenal mac and cheese.” [69 Bromfield St., Boston, 617-338-7887]

Eulogy for a Noodle Shop - Sam's Noodles

Sam's Noodles
Formerly of 29th Street and 3rd Ave - Home of the "Little Bit of Everything" bowl of soup.

When we lose a family member- we mourn, we grieve. When we lose a dining establishment that we have known and loved, we do not know how to mourn, or how to move on. I have never been taught how this process works.
Ok, maybe I am going overboard but a place we choose to eat over and over again is a place we love. Sam's Noodles was a Noodle Shop among many in New York, and even on it's block. It did not stand out for any specific reason, but on a cold March day nearly 10 years ago, My friend and I happened upon what must have been one of the greatest food bargains in NYC history. The venerable bowl of soup known as the "Little Bit of Everything" was truly that. It's spicy full bodied broth was full of all the flavor that your mouth could handle, or more. The ingredients varied slightly, most likely due to what was left around, but that never bothered me. There was always a broad noodle, but not always the same kind. There was always some seafood, meat and vegetable. The bowl was many quarts, certainly enough to feed a plump 16 year old with enough leftover to fill a quart-sized plastic container 'doggie bag'. There was so much soup in that helmet sized bowl that we occasionally competed to see who could take care of that mass of noodles and soup first. On the night of this great discovery, my friend and I were so entranced with this soup that we attempted to save our leftovers through a 50 block walk uptown to the Beacon Theater, 4 hours of rock concert (Black Crowes!), and a Metro North Train home. I don't remember if the soup made it the whole way, and that doesn't matter. What matters is we tried!
The phone call I received just a few days ago from that same friend, who now lives just a few blocks from the site of our humble noodle sanctuary, was a sad event. "It's gone", he said with equal parts sadness, melancholy and hunger. "There is nothing left"
I wish that quart sized plastic container, full of its mystery, was here with me today. I would rush it over to the bio-engineering lab at MIT or some local biotech and have them do the complete work up, or maybe I would give it to those CSI folks who can figure out everything about everything. Better yet, I would probably take the Orange line to Downtown Crossing, walk to Chinatown, and find a chef who would re-create my "Little Bit of Everything". It would never be the same, but he could try, right?
No, I must face the harsh reality - it is gone. I must move on, and find new soups to tickle my palate at reasonable prices. They are out there I am sure. And now I must journey out to find a worthy successor.

TV REVIEW - Anthony Bourdain's 'No Reservations'

Preserving his sense of humor, sense of adventure and sense of style; the Travel Channel does a great job with 'No Reservations'. Bourdain is a strange food 'celebrity' to be sure, but I think he handles himself as though he were any other adventurous traveler. I feel like so many of the Food TV travel/cooking shows are so contrived, and that Travel is really giving free reign to our chef. When those celeb chefs go film I feel like they are barging into a kitchen and taking over. Bourdain allows the situation to occur and he views, reviews, and makes side comments all at once!

So far I have enjoyed his trips to Malaysia and Vietnam the best, but his musings on France and on his native New Jersey reveal so much of his character, and his quest for the origins of his love of food.

It is tough not to enjoy these adventures vicariously…I whole heartedly recommend Anthony Bourdain's 'No Reservations'.

ALERT - BOSTON RESTAURANT WEEK

RESTAURANT WEEK

This is your chance to sample some of the BEST PLACES TO EAT IN BOSTON for 30 bucks a meal... Don't miss this opportunity!

from BostonUSA.com:
"Start Date: 08/22/2005
End Date: 08/26/2005

The 5th Annual, RESTAURANT WEEK ! August 22-26, 2005, is a culinary festival bound to whet your appetite each day as some of the finest restaurants in Boston & Cambridge and beyond offer a special three-course prix-fixe Lunch Menu for just $ 20.05! AND once again, many of the restaurants are offering a special Dinner Menu for $30.05! Over 100 restaurants participate in Restaurant Week - so select your favorites to re-visit or try Boston's NEWEST eateries. American Express cardholders have an exclusive reservation period prior to July 15 to book your table. So, use your card, call, and book your table today."

TEST KITCHEN - Beer Can Chicken

About 6 months ago I started hearing about the phenomenon of Beer Can Chicken AKA BeerBUTT Chicken. I originally wrote this off as something that was below my culinary standards, forgetting myself for a moment. You see nearly everyone of my favorite foods is a simple comfort food. When did I get so stuck up that the concept of sticking a can of beer in a chicken and putting it on the grill for 2 hours was unexciting. Well, I apologize for being a naysayer! I was wrong and I will repent. I will preach the BeerButt scriptures high and low, because its damn yummy!
The concept is simple and the execution is as well. There are some racks on the market that range in size and ease of use. Mine was a gift purchased for me at CVS by one of the devout Beer Butt fans (Thank you Lolo) but my mother purchased a Vertical Chicken Roaster from William Sonoma for $25 bucks retail (yet my mom found a bargain at a Brick and Mortar for 1/2 price! Go Mom!) Either will work, just be prepared for a bit of run off from the can. I hear you can do it without a rack but I do not know how you would keep the bird standing on end...let me know if you figure it out!
We took an organic Whole Foods market chicken, and a 1/2 full can of Bud, and a combination of spices (Adobo seasoning and some Spicy Steak rub) for the skin. We put some smashed garlic and large diced red onion in the beer and in the bird. The whole thing sat in a grill pan with some potato and onion for about 2 hours.
In the end we had a tender, moist and flavorful bird. It was the same sensation as when you sit down to a Turkey dinner at someone's house you’ve never eaten at before. When that bird comes out of the kitchen, you always wonder if it will moist, or if you will need to choke down every bight with a mouth full of water (or depending on the company a stiff drink). The skin just fell off but of course that didn't keep me from shoving it in my mouth like a caveman. The meat fell of the bones and the whole bird was full cooked and fully flavored.
Do not be a snob -
Be converted and you shall see the light!

Flour Bakery on 7/23

Flour Bakery+Cafe