Soup Burg - 77th St & Lexington Ave

Soup Burg
$$
**
1095 Lexington Ave
212.744.1233

For years, my dad’s been telling me that the best burger in New York is at Soup Burg on Lexington Ave. Like most things your parents repeat over the years, it kind of goes in one ear and out the other, but every once in a while something sticks. And so when I got hungry after spending a lazy Saturday wandering around the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I remembered that Soup Burg was just around the corner.

Now I can’t say it’s the absolute best in New York, but the cheeseburger here is pretty great. It’s a thick, juicy patty prepared with minimal seasonings so all you taste is that great beefy flavor, and the whole thing is topped with crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, and a slice of cheese (American, cheddar, or Swiss). It’s cooked perfectly medium-rare with a nicely charred exterior, so the burger’s juices get locked inside and the bottom bun doesn’t get soggy.

Served with a side of hot, crispy fries and a pickle, the only thing you’ll want to add to this burger is a little bit of ketchup.

Roberta’s and Sixpoint Craft Ales: a night of highs and unbelievable lows

Roberta’s
$$
**
261 Moore St., Brooklyn
718.417.1118
http://www.robertaspizza.com/

Last week, Sixpoint Craft Ales celebrated their fifth anniversary with a week-long series of events throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, one of which was a Fifth Anniversary Celebration at Roberta’s in Brooklyn. When word reached Little Scarlet of an all-you-can-eat three hour event with “unlimited beers and unlimited pizza and organic salad plus assorted dessert offerings baked with Sixpoint beer”, for only $32 - it was a no-brainer!

Unfortunately, this event truly failed to live up to its promise and became a complete disaster.

I met up with some friends from my dinner club a few minutes before the event was scheduled to begin, since tickets were expected to sell out and attendees were advised to arrive early - “so you are not disappointed”, they said. The atmosphere upon arrival was great - long tables of dark, rustic wood lined Roberta’s industrial interior and the staff were weaving in and out of guests, serving pizzas and salads family-style. Growlers of Sixpoint beer were brought to the tables just like the pizza, and the outside bar on the backyard deck was charming, with a bonfire nearby and a light flurry of snow just starting to come down.

So far, so good, right? That’s what we thought. Just wait.

The pizza was good - great, even. Roberta’s pizza belongs to the school of thick, doughy crust, slightly charred in places from their wood-fired oven and with a generous one-inch rim of crust on each 12-inch pie. Their Margherita pizza is satisfyingly saucy, cheesy, and chewy, with the great flavor that only fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil can deliver.

Margherita pizza

Roberta’s topping combinations are creative yet impressively simple, as in their “Madd Martigan” pizza, with mozzarella, mushrooms, pesto, and artichoke, and a special pie for the Fifth Anniversary Celebration, consisting of mozzarella, crispy prosciutto cotto, red onions, and mushrooms.

Madd Martigan pizza

Sixpoint Craft Ales Fifth Anniversary Celebration “special” pizza

Their bibb lettuce salad, full of toasted walnuts and gorgonzola, is brightened by a splash of sweet-tart dried cherry vinaigrette, and Sixpoint’s beers are on point, as always - full of great flavor and exactly what you wanted to go with Roberta’s straight-from-the-oven pizzas.

Again - so far, so good, right? This sounds awesome, what could possibly have gone wrong? Get ready, because here it comes.

Apparently, it turns out that “3 hours of unlimited beers and unlimited pizza” was more of an advertising gimmick than an actual guarantee. After enjoying some pizza and beer for a little over 1 hour, we were asked to leave to make way for people who had shown up late and were waiting to sit down. We were surprised to hear that the event had been oversold and that we were “hogging” the table - being savvy New Yorkers, we had shown up early and expected to get what we paid for. But while being asked to leave early didn’t seem right, we were sympathetic to the latecomers’ plight, so we asked for one more pizza and promised to leave right after. One of our friends had been outside refilling our growler of beer during this exchange and upon his return, our harried waiter had “had enough.”

Before we knew what was happening, this waiter-on-a-power-trip took away what was left of the pizza, our full glasses of beer, and told us to “Get the fuck out.” Stunned and confused, we stammered that we had been peaceably enjoying the evening and weren’t sure why we were being forcibly thrown out. Our waiter revealed that he was, in fact, the owner and threw our money ($160 in cash!) at us, telling us to never, ever come back.

Well, Roberta’s, point well taken. The food is good, good enough that I could have been convinced to make the long trek out to Bushwick a second time. But if that’s how the owners want to run their business, there’s more than enough great pizza in New York to keep me from returning.

Bottom line? If Bushwick’s not too far away and you want good pizza, go ahead - give Roberta’s a try. But if they throw any events in the future, I’d be sure to stay far away.

Unless, of course, you’re looking for a good story to tell.

BaoHaus - Rivington & Norfolk Sts

BaoHaus
$
**
137 Rivington St
646.684.3835
http://www.baohausnyc.com/

You’re roaming around the Lower East Side, you’re hungry, it’s late, and the last thing you want is another bad piece of pizza. Lucky for you, the gua bao at BaoHaus (open Fridays & Saturdays until 2 am) is just what you need!

Eddie Huang’s gua bao are steamed Taiwanese buns filled with skirt steak, pork belly, or pan-fried tofu, along with crushed peanuts, cilantro, pickled mustard greens, Taiwanese red sugar, and BaoHaus’s special Haus Relish.

The owner, Eddie (first name basis, please!), is working behind the counter and chatting up the customers as they come in, offering advice on which bao to try and whether you want fatty or lean meat. Definitely make sure you strike up a conversation with Eddie - he has great restaurant tips to pass along and loves talking about food.

Eddie lets *Little Scarlet* take a peek around the kitchen

Eddie’s Chinese heritage and Southern upbringing are both on display here from boiled peanuts (a staple snack of the South) to the pickled mustard greens that top all of BaoHaus’s bao to the cherry cola used to braise the Chairman Bao’s pork belly. Baos are priced two to an order, but a “Straight Frush” (any three baos, an order of bao fries, and a cup of boiled peanuts) is the way to go if you want to try everything - and you definitely should!

The bao fries are like Asian French toast sticks - slices of sweet, bao dough are lightly fried and drizzled with an addictive sesame sauce.

Bao fries and sweet, sesame sauce

Eddie’s Haus Bao is the same recipe he debuted on Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown (episode airing March 21, 2010). Angus skirt steak is red-cooked until it’s so tender it almost melts in your mouth, and is given a spicy-sweet flavor from reduced moutai (Chinese firewater). This Asian barbecue-flavored beef is then served on a folded, steamed bun.

Haus bao

The Chairman Bao is stuffed with Niman Ranch pork belly that has been braised low-and-slow, melting the ribbon of fat that tops each slice. All this is complemented nicely by that same refreshing combination of crushed peanut, pickled mustard greens, and cilantro.

Eddie gives a nod to his Southern roots by using cherry cola to tenderize Chairman Bao’s pork belly

Tofu has to be something pretty spectacular to capture the interest of Little Scarlet, and the pan-fried squares of the Uncle Jesse fit the bill. Coated in sweet potato starch before being fried, the tofu is firm and silken, and really holds the flavor of the Haus sauce well.

The Uncle Jesse is not named for the “Full House” character, but rather for Eddie’s vegetarian friend, musician Jesse Hofrichter.

If you’ve never had boiled peanuts before, they are not to be passed up. Boiled peanuts are soft and meaty, unlike the hard, crunchy, dry-roasted variety that fills serving dishes all over New York’s bars. This favorite Southern snack gets an Asian twist from being boiled in rice vinegar.

Don’t be surprised - these boiled peanuts are hot and delicious!

Whether you live on the Lower East Side or it’s your favorite late-night haunt, Eddie Huang and his bao are about to become your new best friends – so be sure to visit often!

Luke’s Lobster - 7th St & 1st Ave

Luke’s Lobster
$$
**
212.387.8487
93 East 7th St
http://www.lukeslobster.com/

On a recent visit to Caracas, I noticed that the empty retail space in between Caracas-Take Out and Caracas-Dine In had been papered over and “Luke’s Lobster”, a new lobster joint, was moving in soon. I didn’t think much of it until Tasting Table and Thrillist began reporting on some fantastic lobster shack soon to open in the East Village, where the lobster rolls would be sold at a price about half that of New York’s other lobster rolls - already Luke’s was shaping up to be more than just your average hole-in-the-wall seafood dive. As if the price wasn’t attractive enough, Luke’s gives Red Hook Lobster Pound some competition for freshest seafood, as their lobster is brought in directly from Maine in a matter of hours and the meat can be traced back to the harbor where it was caught.

Luke’s is a walk-in establishment with only a few bar stools and a steady line out the door once the afternoon hits. Behind the counter, the walls are stacked high with top-split buns and Cape Cod potato chips, and a staff of three piles giant pieces of claw and tail meat into the toasted, buttery rolls.

“A Taste of Maine” platter: Lobster, crab, and shrimp rolls, a pair of Empress crab claws, chips, and drinks.

Luke’s lobster roll - sitting proud and pretty, with large, identifiable hunks of claw, knuckle, & tail meat!

These aren’t so much “lobster rolls” as piles of lobster loaded into a roll. The cool, sweet lobster meat sits on top of a warm roll with just a smear of mayonnaise - the lobster itself is seasoned only with a light sprinkling of oregano, celery salt, and thyme, in lieu of the traditional mayonnaise, diced celery, and lemon juice. With their late hours, and at $14/4-oz roll, this is a fantastic deal - perfect for those late night cravings where you need a little piece of Maine!

(open 11 am - midnight, Sunday-Wednesday; 11 am - 2 am, Thursday-Saturday)

Tahini/Edna's Falafel Shop - St. Mark’s Place & 3rd Ave

Tahini/Edna’s Falafel Shop
$
**
212.254.0300
23 3rd Ave

What’s the name of this place?  Is it “Tahini”? “Edna’s Falafel Shop”?

This East Village falafel place seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis, but it still serves a pretty good falafel sandwich. The halal cart near my office sells falafel sandwiches for $3, making Tahini’s (Edna’s?) $5 price tag seem a little steep, but Tahini’s does do it better. The pita is warm and the falafel is bright green when you bite into it. The vegetables taste fresh and crisp and come with an assorted choice of sauces, none of which are labeled, so I’ll just call them yellow, green, “spicy”, and white (tzatziki, I assume).

The chicken kabob pita sandwich is also quite good, although it’s a bit of a misnomer since the chicken does not come from a kabob, but is shaved off a tall, vertical spit, like the ones used for gyros. The chicken was tender and surprisingly flavorful, tasting almost Indian with spices like cardamom and turmeric. This is also served with chopped vegetables and in the same warm pita as the falafel.

St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenue is full of falafel joints - some boast $1 falafel, others look like a front for more illicit (and probably illegal) behavior, but Tahini stands out to me - it’s clean and fresh, with good, filling food.

Café St. Bart’s, 50th St & Park Ave

Café St. Bart’s
$$$
**
212.593.3333
109 E. 50th St
http://www.insideparknyc.com/

The first time I went to Café St. Bart’s, adjacent to St. Bartholomew’s Church, was almost four years ago. I felt so grown up, having lunch outside on Park Avenue with my father and one of his business colleagues for my first professional informational interview. The meeting went well, but years later what I remember most is that Café St. Bart’s served the most amazing steak au poivre, with perfect french fries.

This past weekend, Scott suggested Café St. Bart’s for lunch and I was so excited to go back a second time! I tried to find their phone number to see if we needed reservations (you don’t) or if there is a dress code (there isn’t), but it turns out “Café St. Bart’s” doesn’t technically exist anymore - it’s now “Inside Park at St. Bart’s”, with seating available on their outdoor terrace.

The menu looks amazing, full of sandwiches, pizettes, and main courses that make the most of seasonal ingredients. My second visit was good, but didn’t quite live up to the first. Scott and I shared an order of Black Lentil and Bacon Soup, which reminded me of being 7 years old and watching Robin Hood on a rainy day, eating Campbell’s soup - nice for a trip down memory lane, but disappointing from such a lauded restaurant. My Cuban sandwich was almost fantastic - capers and shaved carrots nestled between layers of roasted pork, ham, and Swiss cheese... notice anything missing? The Cuban sandwich had no pickle! Just a pickle spear on the side, the same as you’d get with a grilled cheese. I enjoyed my pork-on-pork sandwich, but a Cuban really needs the briny, sourness of a pickle to counteract the fatty sweetness of the pork and ham. Needless to say, I was disappointed.

Scott’s tempura-fried brook trout sandwich, though, looked beautiful and tasted fantastic. A brioche bun holds two, big trout fillets dipped in tempura batter and lightly fried, with arugula, caramelized onions, and chili mayonnaise. It came with a lovely heirloom tomato salad - Cherokee purples, red cherry, and yellow grape tomatoes are mixed with basil, radishes, and chives for a salad that smells like it came straight from the farm.

I’d still go back, but Café St. Bart’s Inside Park at St. Bart’s doesn’t hold that same place in my little-girl version of being a “grown up”.

Brooklyn: Bedford Cheese Shop, Fabiane’s, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream

Bedford Cheese Shop: $$, ***
Fabiane’s: $, **
Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream: $, **
(website links provided where possible)

This post was originally supposed to be about barbecue. As I mentioned in my last post, my friends and I can’t seem to get enough, so we ventured into Brooklyn last weekend to visit Fette Sau for lunch. Scott didn’t check the hours, though, and they don’t open until 5 pm, so this is now a post about “food in Brooklyn”.

After being denied barbecue, we wandered down Williamsburg’s Bedford Ave looking for other options. Bedford Cheese Shop seemed like a good place to get a snack while thinking of our next move, so we popped in. What a great idea! Bedford Cheese Shop is worth going to for the cheese descriptions alone:

“It will cause a sensation in your mouth similar to that of licking the bottom of a freshly emptied butter churn (which, we’re sure, many of you out there are familiar with).”

Witty writing aside, the cheese here is flat-out amazing. We sampled slivers of different washed-rind cheeses before finally settling on one called “Reblochon Kuntener”. It’s a cow’s milk cheese from Switzerland, and is incredibly pungent - and just as delicious. It demands to be slathered on top of a thick piece of bread, so that’s exactly what we did.

Happily enjoying our purchase, we saw a café called Fabiane’s. Well-populated but not too crowded, we ordered our food at the counter and took a seat at one of its sidewalk tables. Fabiane’s serves breakfast and beautiful-looking desserts, but we wanted more substance and ordered sandwiches (roast duck with fig, and warm roast beef with blue cheese) and a terrific chicken pot pie. The crust on the chicken pot pie is delicious - it’s flaky and buttery, but is sadly absent from the pie’s bottom, appearing only as a top layer. Large pieces of roast chicken and a generous amount (and variety!) of vegetables more than make up for it, though.

We decided to walk around Williamsburg for a while before heading back to Manhattan. Maneuvering past the used book sales, thrift stores, hipsters, and taco carts, I spotted one of Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream’s trucks! I’d heard nothing but good things, so I insisted we stop and have some. They were out of the red currant flavor, but were still serving their other nine, which include the standard vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, as well as newly popular staples like ginger and Early Grey. We sampled coffee, ginger, and pistachio - all good flavors, but they just don’t compare to the way my favorite ice cream place, The Bent Spoon, makes them. I was feeling slightly disheartened until I tried the hazelnut - jackpot! Creamy and tasting almost of coffee, it was studded with hundreds of small hazelnut bits and served in a sugar cone - a great finishing note to a sunny day walking around Brooklyn.

In a way, I’m almost glad Fette Sau was closed. I love barbecue, but I also love exploring new places, and Brooklyn has a lot to offer - I’m excited for my next visit.