NYC: Book Expo, Molyvos, Spain, Babbo, Stage Deli

I just spent the latter half of the week in NYC for the annual BookExpo America, the convention for booksellers, and of course ate quite well while I was there. Fewer cookbooks given out or promoted than previous events (no cooking demo spot, as there's been in past years). We did snag Mario Battali's latest book, Molto Italiano, designed for home cooking, America's Test Kitchen's latest book from the TV show, and a galley of Julie & Julia, how one woman found life through conquering Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," which sounds like a fun read.

Here's where we ate:
Molyvos, 871 7th Ave
Greek restaurant, right across from our hotel. Tired and hungry from the drive from Newark, this seemed an ideal choice. Moderately expensive, but very good. Had a few mezze:
1) Shrimp Saganaki - No relation to Chicago's flaming cheese, this was bits of cheese with shrimp in lemony broth. Tasty, but not too satisfying.
2) Cheese fritters - Closer in flavor to Chicago saganaki, but light fluffy fried cheese balls. Mmm.
3) Keftedes - in a tomato sauce, these were very good.
Main course split: Lamb Ravioli. This was like an umami infusion. Shredded braised lamb shanks filled the pasta with a greek-spiced red sauce. Absolutely perfect, the power of lamb meat shone here.

Spain, 113 13th St
We met our friends who flew out the same weekend for a reunion, and this is a place he hadn't been to for years. A little neighborhood kind of place, won't win any 'circuses' points (cheesy old paintings and needlepoint on the aging white walls), but great food. Before we'd even picked up our menus, they dropped on the table salads with a spicy french dressing, and three appetizers: lamb ribs with a BBQ-like sauce, very tasty; slices of chorizo, excellent; and cold mussels with chopped onions or shallots and a vinagrette, superb. Then, they gave us an extra, shrimp al mojo de ajo (I think) -- very garlicky, perfectly cooked. Entrees we ordered included a shrimp in wine sauce which was very tasty, a veal with potatoes in a brown sauce very strong in sherry flavor that was outstanding, and paella valenciana which could have fed two of us. I'd go back again. Bring cash, no credit cards accepted.

Babbo 110 W Waverly near Washington Sq. -- I know there are some Mario detractors here, but I'm a fan, because he's serious about the food in ways that the other FoodTV chefs aren't. We'd tried to get reservations four weeks in advance with no luck, but got a table at opening. (Note: Although he was in town for the signing, he was not in residence that evening). We got the Traditional Tasting Menu, and this was one of the best meals of my life.

• Waiting for the table: Excellent iced tea, and a 'quartino' of wine is served in an decanter, about two normal pours (listed as 250ml). Spicy, salty, cheesy breadsticks and micro-olives are available at the bar.
• Amuse: Bruschetta with garbanzo beans. Smoothest-textured chickpeas I've ever had. Flavored nicely with balsamico, I believe.
• Antipasto: "Cool Pecorino Flan" with favas and la mozza oil. Almost a creamcheese-like spread, with mint, favas, high-quality olive oil and big shavings of pecorino. Nice thing to wake up the palette.
• Pasta 1: Pappardelle with Morels and Thyme. Nice-sized serving for a tasting menu, lots of wide noodles, butter and thyme. I'm not normally a fan of the spongy texture of morels, but these were sliced in such a way as to remind Mrs. F of minute steaks.
• Pasta 2: Duck Tortelli with "Sugo Finto." I asked what "Finto" is and was told it means 'fake' -- still doesn't make any sense, but it's a light tomato and pancetta sauce coating the duck and ricotta packets. Probably the weakest coarse, but still excellent.
• Secondi: Guinea Hen with Ligurian Vegetables and Black Truffles. Awesome. The veggies were grilled scallions, cippoline onions, arugula, and an oyster-like mushroom. Glazed with apricot, thigh meat from the hen definitely didn't just 'taste like chicken' yet wasn't the heavy, greasy chicken thighs I sometimes loathe. This was an awesome dish.
• Cheese: Coach Farm's Finest with Pink Peppercorn Honey. This was a goat cheese with green peppercorns, and the pink peppercorn honey almost overpowered it. Nice mix of flavors, though.
• Pre-Dessert: Gelato di Bergamatto con Brioche. An almost cookie-like brioche disc topped with bitter orange bergamot and dark chocolate chip gelato. Man, a big scoop of this in a waffle cone, and I could die happy. Almost a a palette-cleansing sorbet effect to this if it weren't for the chocolate.
• Dessert: One was a flourless chocolate hazelnut cake with hazelnut gelato, with great chocolate and vanilla sauces. I had a hard time trading halfway with Mrs. F -- she wouldn't give it up. The other I nicknamed deconstructed cobbler: A cinnamon-brown sugar budino, with buttermilk gelato, crushed pecans and a rhubarb sauce. Very tasty, but not as satisfying as the chocolate.

Tasting menu was $65, and requires the whole table to get it. I had a great time. Service was friendly and not overbearing, and they had the same enthusiasm for describing the food that Mario Battali has himself, and made me want to come in. The 6 walk-in tables (two for four, four for two) are in the foyer, and are a nice way to get into the place if you're up for an early dinner or a wait at the bar. If there weren't thousands of other restos in NYC, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Stage Deli: We grabbed a single sandwich to split while waiting for the plane. $14 with tax, it had better be good, and it was. Perfect lean corned beef, that practically shatters at the touch. Accompanied by thousand island and spicy mustard in small tubs to condimentalize (sic) as you desire, and two new pickles which Mrs. F didn't care for I but I found to be perfect.

a galley of Julie & Julia, how one woman found life through conquering Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," which sounds like a fun read.

For those of us not privy to the galley, you can read Julie's Blog.

I read it on and off for most of the time she was in-situ. What amazed me was how often dinner was after 11 PM on a weeknight. I was also surprised by the efforts it took to buy food in New York City. It made take-out look like a very reasonable option.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:I was also surprised by the efforts it took to buy food in New York City. It made take-out look like a very reasonable option.

That's surprising -- ingredients don't seem that hard to come by. In midtown, even just off Times Square, bodegas carry lots of produce. There are gourmet shops and bakeries everywhere so fine bread, imported foodstuffs, etc. seem easy. Heck, even the pushcarts on broadway carry veggies as well as fruit. Meat, on the other hand, could be tricky, unless it's encased, smoked, cured, etc.

Hi,

If you have no car and have shop via foot, subways and buses, then you have carry everything. If you are looking for obscure ingredients or cuts of meat, then you traveled far and paid through the nose.

She described a grocery store with really narrow aisles. When you bent over to obtain something you blocked the aisle for everyone.

Hammer, who posts on this board from NYC, has told me it is easier to get take out than to go food shopping.

Often it is a different experience being a visitor and a resident.

Once you've read her book, I'll be curious if your impressions from her accounts are the same as mine.

Sounds like you had a nice trip. Thanks for kindly sharing the experience.

Regards,

NYC's famous Stage Deli closes, owner cites rent

The famous Stage Deli in Manhattan has closed. Visitors on Friday were greeted with a hand-written sign on the door that said "Thanks for 75 years!"

The deli, on Seventh Avenue near 54th Street, got its start 75 years ago. It was known for overstuffed sandwiches named for celebrities.