The Pigs

I’m sure you’re wondering how, exactly, people originally realized the healing powers of Bath’s waters, and the answer is simple: why, pigs of course!  Legend has it that back in 863 BC Bladud contracted leprosy from a stay in Athens (oh, those Greeks!).  Upon returning home, he was embarrassed, realizing an imperfect prince could never rule the kingdom.  He left the palace in disguise to take a job as a swineherd.

Bladud’s poor piggies also contracted his disease, but were miraculously cured upon rolling around in the hot mud in Bath’s natural springs!  Bladud instantly jumped in with them, bathing in the murky mess, and, you guessed it!  He, too, was cured!

Returning home, he went on to become King, and founded the City of Bath that we know and love today!  The hot springs you will find in Bath are the only natural hot springs in Britain.  Pretty powerful, indeed.

The natural springs of Bath (Photo Credit: Lauren Welch)

Boarded Up Windows

Making your way around Bath, you will see many homes with bricked or stoned-in windows.  This is because of a little something known back in the day (we’re talking 1700’s) known as “window tax”.  If you had more than six windows in your home (implying that you were wealthy), you were charged extra taxes.  In order to avoid this, people chose to simply replace the glass with brick or stone, and voila!  Windows, be gone!

Windows, be gone! (Photo Credit: Lauren Welch)

The Tea Key

During the 18th Century, tea was considered the upmost luxury.  It was imported and thus very expensive.  Rather than keeping it out and available (as one would think, given how much the English love their tea) it was kept under lock and key in a special caddy.  The mistress of the house would wear the key around her neck so she could dole it out when needed, rather than giving the entire household, servants included, free access.

The tea caddy (Photo Credit: Lauren Welch)

Shops Meet Bridge

The gorgeous Pulteney Bridge is unique in that it, along with the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy, are the only historic 18th century bridges in the world with shops built into the original design.  Not that I’m partial to Bath or anything, but I’d definitely say Pulteney trumps Ponte any day, rain or shine, and is well worth the visit to see for yourself.

Pulteney Bridge (Photo Credit: Lauren Welch)

The Bath Diet

Visiting the Number One Royal Crescent was one of my favorite parts of the trip, mostly due to the knowledgable (not to mention funny!) guides in full period-attire that were there to answer questions and tell stories of the 18th Century.  One such guide shared with us the secret of the elite’s diet during this period: sugar, meat, and alcohol.  I loved that the residents paid no mind to the pesky little food triangle we have today, living in pure pleasure…well, minus the gout.

Enjoying a tall glass of alcohol...maybe times haven't changed so much after all?! (Photo Credit: Lauren Welch)

By: Jessica Tiare Bowen

A very special thank you to the wonderful folks at Visit Bath!

Lauren Ruotolo supports The GlamourGals Foundation.

Alicia Keys says that, “The most important thing to remember is that you can wear all the greatest clothes and all the greatest shoes, but you’ve got to have a good spirit on the inside.  That’s what’s really going to make you look like you’re ready to rock the world.”  GlamourGals Foundation truly embraces that quote and held its fundraiser, Illuminate 2012 on February 2^nd, at The Kitchen.

GlamourGals Foundation is a non-profit whose mission it is to inspire and organize teens to provide ongoing complimentary beauty makeovers and companionship to help elderly women living in senior homes.  These experiences are set up to boost the spirit and self-esteem for both the teen and the elderly woman.  It’s this mutual exchange of spirit and support that  help both the teen and the elderly woman rock each other’s world.

Speaking to Lauren Ruotolo, co-chair of this event and a member of the advisory board of GlamourGals, was a wonderful experience.  Lauren explained that GlamourGals found her.  She’s the director of entertainment promotion for Hearst Magazines and there was an article written about her life in Marie Claire (Lauren is the author of Unstoppable in Stilettos).  It was a result of a board member reading that article that  GlamourGals contacted Lauren and awarded her with their Glammy of The Year Award.

In addition, guest Campbell Hyers shared that his wife was on the board of GlamourGals and that he strongly supported her efforts on behalf of transgenerational glamour.  Campbell believes in the value that GlamourGals brings to both teens and to the elderly which serve to grow and secure that much needed intergenerational support.

If you believe as Lauren and Campbell do that teen support to the elderly will also help teens gain wisdom from the elderly and you have it in your heart to help make a difference, then visit the GlamousGals website and become part of that support.

By: Sora Vernikoff

The bar at Kori (Photo Credit: Mijon Zulu)

While Kori is not located in K-town, they are doing their best to bring K-town and Korea to you.  The staff is Korean; the walls hold Korean panel paintings, traditional string instruments, Soju is the vodka of choice, and they still serve Ramyeon (Korean ramen), Bibimbap (number 40 on World’s 50 most delicious foods readers’ poll compiled by CNN Go in 2011), and, my favorite – Kimchi Jjigae.

Once seated, we each sipped on Soju martinis and decided to each try one of the three aforementioned dishes.  Upon arrival, we held conversation until we each processed the flavors that shocked our taste buds out of their alcoholic buzz. My Kimchi stew – pickled cabbage, organic firm tofu, sliced pork belly, in a spicy stew – still makes salivate as I remember each spoonful.

The Kori scene (Photo Credit: Mijon Zulu)

Kimchi Jjigae is best when the stew and Kimchi are indistinguishable; otherwise you are just eating pickled cabbage and sipping spicy water. This Jjigae was good because the bitter and spicy taste of Kimchi was sweetened by the fatty juices of the pork belly and appropriately simmered to make sure that stew was thick.  Try as I might to conduct some attempt at portion control, I all but licked my bowl clean.

When I rose from finishing my stew, I noticed that my friends were equally occupied with finishing their meals.  The Bimbimbap was declared too good to share, but I did try some of the Ramyeon and was treated to a saltier stew with equally satisfying spice. With that, we three declared that Kori was worth the hype and the bill.

Highlights:

$75 for three people, including the three cocktails!

Please pick your jaws up off the floor and make a reservation immediately.

P.S.  If you are a kinder soul, let your friend taste the Bibimbap!

The 7 Train, i.e. the International Express

Once you’ve taken it all in and resisted the urge to run over to the first (of many) bubble tea joints that catches your eye, you’ll want to punch the directions to Hunan House into your mental GPS. North from the 7 stop to Northern Boulevard a few blocks, East a couple more. The Michelin guys have already figured this one out, having awarded Hunan House the Bib Gourmand award (interpret as: “fit for foodie” vs. a 1-3 star designation which instead generally translates to “fit for Frenchie,” and usually complete with a commensurate attitude and requirement for a fully-feathered wallet, unlike the true gourmet value finds signalled by the Bib designation), which may catch your eye on the long window out front…that is, of course, because it won’t be the throngs of people inside which catch your attention. Because there usually aren’t too many. Admittedly, the lack of a crowd at Hunan House remains incredibly curious to me as New Yorkers seem to have this knack of figuring out all the great haunts which offer some semblance of “value” at a reasonable price point – think Ippudo, Shake Shack, Ramen Totto, Artichoke, Momofuku Noodle Bar, among many others. I don’t even think the lack of popularity can be justified with the “middle of nowhere” argument either, because SriPraPhai is in bumble * too (not my term – just the Manhattanite reference for “not in Manhattan”), two thirds of the way to Flushing, and there is an obnoxiously long wait for a table there as well. At SriPraPhai the food isn’t half as good and the neighborhood isn’t a quarter as cool. So, I continue to struggle with my recommendation of Hunan House. Not because I doubt that it’s good and not because we need the validation of a crowd, but rather because I dread the inevitable day that I’ll be waiting around the block for my favorite Chinese food the same way that you do for your Shack burger in Madison Square Park. It’s ok though, because these guys deserve it, and here’s why.

Treasured Tables columnist Adam Gross in Flushing

I guess I should warn you before we pick up our chopsticks and dig in (don’t even think of asking for a fork – you’ll feel like enough of an outsider just being the only non-Chinese person in the place) that the food is spicy. Like serious spicy. Like not-for-beginners spicy. Not like “someone put a dash too much Tabasco or horseradish in your Bloody Mary at brunch” or “mistakenly ate a whole slice of Jalapeno” spicy. If you’ve never had the pleasure of coming into contact with Sichuan flower peppers, it sort of feels like your whole mouth went numb. Like at the dentist’s office. Actually, scratch that, comparing anything to the dentist’s office is not going to help my case here – but you get the point that this is interesting food, in a pain equals pleasure kind of way. Knowing this, you can still navigate the menu and still have a good time if you’re not into spicy food, but just make it clear to the friendly wait staff when ordering. They will be more than happy to adjust accordingly. (David Chang, that comment was for you: they are accommodating to their customers…imagine that, they actually like their customers, so NOT New York) I told you it was going to be like a little trip…

Ok, so you’re pretty hungry now after that subway ride to the edge of the earth. And then the behemoth arrives at the table. The Menu. Where to begin? With some critical advice: and don’t screw this one up…Don’t forget the foreplay. Most people when they go for Chinese food can’t wait to dive into the searing just-left-the-wok [insert American Chinese food dish name here], though maybe a little hot and sour or won-ton soup to start. If you did that at a proper Chinese restaurant though, you’d be missing out big-time. Oftentimes, one of the most interesting parts of the menu is the section with the cold dishes, which customarily are served at the beginning of a Chinese banquet.  They are quick to come out of the kitchen, helping to take the edge off, as well as a great way to start the meal and warm up your taste buds (quite literally, “amuse bouche”). You really can’t go wrong by making a few choices to share from the cold dishes at Hunan House, but some favorites from recent visits have been Cold Tofu Hunan Style, Spicy Pickled Cucumbers, Cold Ginger Leeks and Spicy Husband-Wife Special ($4-7 each); the brilliance here being the interplay of simple but unique flavors as you alternate between bites of each.

“The Menu. Where to begin? With some critical advice: and don’t screw this one up…Don’t forget the foreplay.”

Start with the knock-out punch delivered by Husband-Wife Special, strips of ox tongue and tripe (if you don’t know what it is then don’t Google it until after you’ve tasted it) tossed in a spicy oil laced with Sichuan flower peppers. The addictively searing sensation will begin to numb your lips and tongue after a couple of bites, at which point you will begin to relish the slightly chewy texture which is usually quite foreign to the Western palate. When you can’t take any more heat or need to change it up to avoid biting your tongue (magic trick: where did it disappear? Bet you can’t feel it anymore!), reach in for a sliver of cold tofu in a sweet ginger-garlic vinegar sauce to cool you down. Ready for more heat? Persian-style cucumbers marinated in a spicy sesame sauce will do the trick, introducing you to a very different spice profile, featuring a more piquant sensation vs. the characteristic numbing sensation from flower peppers. The leeks would round out the first course well with a light and fresh bite. I know that you’ll still be eyeing the Husband-Wife though, as there’s no going back from the first time you taste those flower peppers, but before you can reach into the dish for thirds, you are barraged by the arrival of the main courses…Here are some notable examples:

Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger and Scallions (MP, between $16-20). If you’ve ever been to Hong Kong, you’ll really appreciate this one. It’s a perfect example of why great Chinese food needs not be heavy or sticky – you can’t eat much more healthily, or deliciously than this: I’d call it Mediterranean – Chinese fusion, except that it’s characteristically and quite authentically Chinese. The description is pretty simple: start with a very fresh whole fish (usually sea bass or snapper), steam until perfectly cooked and sear skin with a few table spoons of blazing hot sesame oil before garnishing with light soy, ginger and scallions. The result is wonderfully complex: light and moist flesh heightened by the smoky aroma of the sesame oil, enlivened by the freshness of ginger and scallion. It’s worth the trip for this alone. (Folks, this one is G-rated on the spice meter, no peppers at all – if you’re still craving heat, though there are also delicious options for whole fish cooked in different styles with a variety of peppers).

Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger and Scallions

Then there’s the pork belly, a signature dish. Oh, the pork belly. After my tirade on pork fat in my discussion with Used York City last week, it would be nothing less than hypocritical to order the Steamed Pork in Rice Powder ($15). So to preserve my integrity with you, the reader, I promise that I did not order it. And I did not taste it. But my dining buddy, Ray the Man (whom he shall be dubbed for evermore in Treasured Tables – how apt, as it is short for Ray Deng Man which was his Chinese name adopted in the first year Chinese class we took together) swears by it. He says the pork is soft and succulent as presented in the ideal vehicle of rice powder, which perfectly captures the richness of the pork and essence of the lotus leaf. Pickled peppers add a briny and welcome kick. Naturally, I’m still lifting an eyebrow. Skip the pork fat – anything properly steamed and wrapped in a lotus leaf at a good Chinese restaurant is going to be delicious. Trust me on this one.

Steamed Pork in Rice Powder (Photo Credit: www.yelp.com)

Other notable dishes are Chicken with Hot Red Pepper, Beef with Cumin Flavor, Sauteed Water Spinach and Spicy Blue Crab ($6-18). Almost everything is truly delicious, but the strengths generally lie in the vegetable and fish preparations, while the weakest links are likely the lamb and noodle dishes. As in the vast majority of Chinese restaurants, though, dessert is let down. Plain and simple, quite literally. Except for the fried buns with milk custard – a favorite of UYC Editor Jessica Tiare, and also excellent for a mid-meal cooldown. Skip dessert though, and go wandering in Flushing instead. If you have a sweet tooth, stop in at Tai Pan for the light-as-air Hong Kong Style pancake which looks like a round disc of bubble wrap and tears apart into little puffs of goodness; or Macanese egg custard tarts (Ray likes to buy a dozen to last him a couple of weeks but inevitably finishes the lot on the train ride back). The last stop you need to make before heading to the city though, is JMart. If I could open up a franchise, I would – it’s the Chinese version of Fairway, and it’s pretty awesome. Mr. Fish head sends his regards…

JMart's very own Mr. Fish Head!

Honorable mentions on the authentic Chinese food theme:

By: Adam Gross

Photo Credit: newconstructionmanhattan.com

The City of New York overflows with a spectacle of people, objects, and facades.  It is truly an outdoor museum.   So it should come as no surprise to learn that there is an indoor museum appropriately titled the “Museum of the City of New York” located on “Museum Mile,” upper Fifth Avenue, directly across from Central Park.

This large, elegant, colonial revival mansion looks like a private home from the Gilded Age and represents the ultimate essence of New York style — classical on the outside, but modern and ready on the inside — for a diverse series of exhibits.  This is a museum whose holdings are fluid, where new exhibitions continuously enter and exit, appropriately mirroring the important city outside while honoring NYC’s diversity, continuous transformation, and fast paced mode of living.

There are, of course, permanent holdings at the Museum of the City of New York, such as the six furnished rooms on the second floor representing an early 1600s Dutch kitchen up to a 19^th Century Victorian parlor from the Gilded Age.  A most unique display off the first floor is the 1935 “Stettheimen Doll House” consisting of two floors and 12 rooms lovingly furnished with precious tiny pieces of furniture and household items, accurately scaled.  But the delight in this petite home consists of 15 miniature 2” x 3” paintings by the likes of modern artists such as Marcel Duchamps and Gaston Lachaise.

“Absorb it all. Relish this city.  No two places are alike and change is a constant in NYC.  There is always something to see, admire, and contemplate.  Continuous surprises are around every corner.”

Yet the strength of this Museum consists of its intriguing, ever changing displays appropriate to NYC.  Currently on display is “The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811- 2011.”   Our great Gotham built up from lower Manhattan, i.e. the Battery, and the diagonal, crisscross maze of streets and place names downtown, even today, are confusing.  Thus a daring master plan of straight lines, right angles, consecutively numbered streets and avenues was proposed in 1811 and took some 200 years to enact.  This fascinating exhibition details — via maps, photos, portraits, topographical maps, and videos — NYC’s visionary urban plan which literally paved the way for our present Big Apple.  Especially captivating are the old photos of NYC landmarks, then and now.

Enjoy the absorbing visual display “Stories the City Tells Itself/The Video Art and Photography of Neil Goldberg.”  Our daily activities and habits are elevated to a well deserved level of importance and become art through the eye of Neil Goldberg.  He honors the small but significant actions unique to urban life.  They form a necessary whole, and so each and every detail, no matter how mundane and miniscule, contributes to the texture of this great city.

Stories the City Tells Itself Still from Wind Tunnel, 2012 (Photo Credit: Neil Goldberg)

“Police Work/Photographs by Leonard Freed 1972-1979” are a series of black and white prints taken “on the beat,” which realistically detail a day in the life of NYC police officers and the raw world they face. These sharp photos capture the grit, danger, and ugly but truthful underbelly of our not always fair city.

Each day, when you leave your now familiar community, remember that the blocks you travel en route to another destination hold something new and unexpected.  Absorb it all. Relish this city.  No two places are alike and change is a constant in NYC.  There is always something to see, admire, and contemplate.  Continuous surprises are around every corner.

A city as rich and varied as ours deserves a shiny museum full of celebratory, exciting and realistic stories to tell.  The displays inside The Museum of the City of New York are both permanent and transient, like NYC itself.  Well worth a visit, but allow more then a NY minute!  There is an affordable downstairs café and a gift shop.  If you are a NYC employee, prove as such and you can enter for next to nothing!

By: Joanne Theodorou

Speaking of exceptionally special, a familiar face is returning to The St. Agnes Library for a new Spring Exhibition, the talented artist Bobbi Beck. Drawings that were never shown before will be included in the exhibit. She has had a good number of New York Public Library exhibitions, encouraging people to be more interested in the arts at public libraries.

Bobbi always thought of libraries as being great sourcse of inspiration. Her autobiographical drawings reflect her everyday experiences and expresses her emotional and visual renderings of humor, love, gender, conflicts, marriage, family, health, joy, sorrow, anguish and global issues. Most of her drawings contain a symbolic triangle. Women, nature and technology are usually the core elements.

Her human images morph into plants, decorative elements, household objects, symbols, animals and whatever peaks her interest at the time. The drawings also may contain strange symbols and icons, some are understandable and others are secretly expressed. Once the drawing is finished she goes to the next page in her art journal.

The exhibit is free, and is ongoing until May 31, 2012. Stop by, grab a book, and marvel in the art of Bobbi Beck.  I sure am.

 

St. Agnes Library (Photo Credit: www.yelp.com)

Adam Gross, foodie extraordinaire!

The first thing that caught my eye after Adam warmly greeted me into his perfectly apportioned Manhattan studio were four immense collages of restaurant cards from around the world – the greatest restaurants; the who’s who of hard-to-get reservations; the military decorations of a globetrotting gastronome – all packed artistically into floating glass frames, sandwiched for all time in his memory. And that’s just the amuse-bouche…This is New York after all – I’ve seen signed Yankees and Rangers and Knicks jerseys; even Mets jerseys on neighbors’ walls, but never a chef’s jacket – one from Alain Ducasse in his kitchen, and one from Ferran Adrià with a message on creativity personally penned across the chest. Then there’s the books – I recognized the name Thomas Keller so I plucked the black tome off the shelf: “if memory serves me right” the first page read, “To Adam, Remember that it’s all about family.” signed, dated, and a first edition at that – like the nearly hundred others in his collection, all of which have a message to him from the greatest chefs around the world.

It’s with great pleasure that Used York City introduces a new guest column showcasing NYC’s most treasured tables: “coups de coeur” as they might say where Adam was born in Montreal – focusing on hidden gems, each of which are reminiscent of another place – a country, a time, a memory… and which promise to transport you from the hustle and bustle of big apple.

(UYC) Let’s cut to the chase, what’s the best restaurant in New York?

(AG) What’s the best? Or, what’s my favorite?

(UYC) What do you mean? Tell us about both!

(AG) Technically speaking, the best restaurant in New York has got to be Le Bernardin.

At Le Bernardin, the food is exciting, thoughtful and perfectly executed. The best plate of food I ate in 2011 was there – Octopus a la Plancha. The sauce was absolutely brilliant. It is said that creativity is not copying: here Eric Ripert’s team used Chinese black beans in a light-as-air vinegar based sauce vierge to add a whole new dimension to grilled octopus, which would have been delicious in its own right. We’ve all tasted [you name it] in black bean sauce, which is almost always characteristically sticky, oily, and overpowering. Surely fermented black beans can be a clever addition to day-old stir-fried [you name it], which partly explains the provenance of strong and greasy foods from places that are far inland from food sources, typically needing to make up where freshness lacks by masking flavor with spice. Think for example of the difference in cooking styles you’d find surrounding the Mediterranean in Barcelona or the Greek Islands (i.e., pull fish out of water, drop on hot metal, sprinkle delicately with olive oil and salt) vs. places that are best known for spicy food such as Southern India or Sichuan (ever try Sichuan hot pot with lip-numbing flower peppers?) which are quite far inland. Anyway, back to the food porn: the point is, Ripert singularly realized that the flavor of fermented black beans could add something incremental to perfectly grilled octopus, and that the existence of black beans did not need imply a heavy or overpowering result. Octopus + black beans, and black bean flavor – heaviness, both = revelations. The room itself is also highly relevant in time and place, especially since the renovation last year: modern without losing its classic appeal; chic without seeming cold, a space that is characteristically New York, but which makes you forget for an ephemeral moment that you’re in the center of it all. Oh, and I should also mention that they get service, which is expertly tailored from caring guidance and lengthy explanations for the foodie making his or her pilgrimage to this temple of seafood, to attentive and un-disturbing for the business meeting or romantic date – all based their Jedi ability to read the mood of their guests. To sum it up, nobody is surprised when tickets to the Met Opera, Cirque du Soleil or that hot Broadway show go for hundreds of dollars a head – they are each in their own right, unique artistic interpretations…Well, so is this.

That said, Le Bernardin is not my favorite restaurant. By the time I’ve clocked in 80 hours of work, I probably don’t want to wear a sport jacket or suit to dinner on Friday night. And I probably don’t want to fork over nearly $300 (…that would be per person), short of a very, very special occasion. Moreover, it’s a serious meal, and I’ve spent enough time being serious at the office…I want to feel comfortable. I may want to slouch, I may want to linger, I may want to go heavy on the appetizers and light on the main courses, I may want to share, and I may even want to go from a cocktail to rosé (gasp!) and back again not feeling guilty about the “correctness” of it all, as it must be at a restaurant of such loftiness in reputation. So what’s my favorite? I’d have to say Aldea, Peasant or any of the Totto’s – I’ll save the why for a later column!

Le Bernardin's Octopus a la Plancha (Photo Credit: http://tummydiary.wordpress.com)

(UYC)  So then, what’s your favorite restaurant in the world?

(AG) It’s a secret. I’ll tell you about it though: it’s a magical place. I’ve spent a couple of weeks during the last few summers in Barcelona, which is without a doubt the. best. place. to. eat. in the world. You can take the equivalent of the LIRR north and once you’re five minutes outside the city, the train runs right along the edge of the ocean – all you can see out of the car window is the blue of the sea (New Yorkers will know this is the polar opposite of a rush-hour subway ride on the 4-5-6). Forty minutes later and you’re in a quiet little fishing village where there’s a tavern in front of the ocean that’s been in the family for generations. They make their own vermouth, they go up to Galicia every spring to buy the very best seafood at the source and bring it to a cannery to preserve it and make it even better. And let me tell you, there is nothing better, more relaxing or soothing than an afternoon in the sea and sun, spending several hours over several glasses of vermouth (drink half, dilute with freshly siphoned sparkling water, drink more, dilute more, order more, repeat) nibbling at the world’s very best seafood, uncooked, and virtually unseasoned.

Seem weird? So much about a restaurant is not what’s on the plate – it’s how it makes you feel. Danny Meyer, for one, gets that (if you’re at all interested in either business or restaurants, read his book Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business). Even so, I’m not always in the mood for Danny Meyer’s particularly perfect yet rather formulaic restaurant model…is it the ideal date place? Is it the right Sunday night comfort place? It can’t be all at once, so what are you in the mood for, or rather, what kind of place can suit and adapt to the greatest number of moods? That’s my favorite place…

(UYC) Used York City last counted nearly 25,000 restaurants in NY: How do you decide where you’re going for dinner; better yet how will you decide which restaurants to introduce to our readers?

(AG) First of all, I’m always scanning the blogs – Eater, Grubstreet, etc. and love to follow the thought leaders and their twitter feeds to find out what’s new and exciting: think Tony Bourdain (famous NY’er! – must read: Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw), José Andres, … for what’s new and exciting. That said, there are things that are universally of good taste, and I don’t mean truffles, caviar and foie gras. One of the most important developments of post-modern gastronomy (the same school of thought which some might associate with molecular gastronomy) was Ferran Adrià’s monumental realization that all products have the same gastronomic value regardless of their price (read: The Sorcerer’s Apprentices). Having a degree in economics, it makes sense to me that the price of truffles is no more than a function of their short supply, and having studied behavioral economics (read: Dan Ariely’s book Predictably Irrational) it even makes sense that the demand for them is therefore higher because they’re expensive. Importantly, notice this has nothing at all to do with how truffles taste. A long way of saying that I’m not going to show you the fanciest, most gilded lilies of the NYC restaurant scene. Le Bernardin, Daniel, EMP, Jean Georges and Per Se are all wonderful (we can have a debate in the below about the one you like best – you already know where I stand…). And not to put them down, but nobody is going to say that they didn’t enjoy their truffle-supplemented dish at Daniel (except for maybe me – I kid you not, but I digress). On the other hand, we should all be able to agree on the fact that it’s much more difficult, and speaks perhaps much more to the skill of a chef when you find the husband-and-wife special to be perfectly sublime at a nondescript Chinese restaurant. A) do you know what husband and wife is? …cold oxtail and tripe, and yes, it’s generally delicious. B) do you know what tripe is? If you don’t you should probably taste it first, before I ruin it for you!

(UYC) Tell us about a food trend that excites you.

(AG) I can’t think of too many positive externalities from the Great Recession other than what it did to the restaurant scene, especially in New York. One of the things that great doctors and great chefs unfortunately have in common is that they tend not to think about price: whatever tools, products or procedures necessary shall be procured in order to ensure optimal result. Period. Then, all of a sudden, there was a sense of doing less with more. Cost went from being the exogenous to becoming the endogenous variable, and smart chefs started to ask themselves the question: “Can we apply the same techniques and same exacting, unrelenting standards to cheaper cuts of meat to lower the price point but not the level of innovation or deliciousness?” (c.f., the Great Fergus Henderson, way before there was an economic imperative to think that way). This logic is at least partly behind the rise of gastropubs, yakitori bars and ramen shops, whereby nobody outside of NYC would think of paying $15+ for a bowl of soup noodles, but the thought of getting a top meal for about $20 with tax and tip is a novel concept for a New Yorker, regardless of the actual cost of the ingredients. We’re learning to prefer a perfect bowl of noodles vs. a lousily cooked stake (I forgot how to spell it because I don’t really like to eat it: hint – no visits to Peter Luger or STK in the cards…) for the same money, and that’s probably a good thing. More innocuously even, you’d see the fish option switch from halibut to skate to shave a few dollars off the cost of the dish, and because we now know that all ingredients have the same gastronomic value it was a win-win proposition with no necessary sacrifice on taste. Even tapas bars benefited from the trend where there is an obvious attraction to the fact that lots of different small plates can be had at lower absolute price points. It makes me happy to know in difficult times that people were content to trade down on quantity — portion sizes and frequency of restaurant visits — but reluctant to accept lower standards of quality. Perhaps the best example though of restaurateurs’ adaptation to tougher times was the rise of bar menus, or full-out bar areas – casual zones within notable restaurants offering more wallet-friendly options in a more relaxed setting, think: Nougatine at Jean Geogres, Bar Room at the Modern, Tap Room at Colicchio & Sons, the café at Aquavit, the lounge at the redesigned Le Bernardin – none of which are cheap by any means, but all of which are a relative steal, where you’re getting served by the same wait staff and the food is from the same kitchen, touched by the same (line) chef. Hopefully this notion of “value” endures even as the economy gets better.

(UYC) How about a trend you’re fed up of?

(AG) I think Anthony Bourdain is a force for good in the world – and before we even get going, I’m not going to knock Tony one bit. He’s teaching us about good taste in a broad sense, and we’re all learning to eat better as a result. And I don’t necessarily think it’s his fault, but he’s a trendsetter and people are taking his professed love of all things porky and fatty a little too far. In the same way that we think truffles = good, pork fat tends to press the same happy buttons in our brain. And it’s cheap. Restaurants are about delivering pleasure, right? If we can deliver more pleasure by adding the cheap thrill of pork fat, then why not? Chefs have become very successful working off this theme – think David Chang’s infamous pork buns (think pork fat + mayo + carb-loaded bun = yummy). Heck, if he opens up a couple more Momofuku’s he’ll probably be considered a chain and be forced by law to like McDonalds disclose the calorie count on his menus! Public, Resto and the once insanely popular M. Wells (for the food and the fact GQ food writer Alan Richman allegedly nipped one of the waitresses in the butt there…) are all flagrantly guilty of this terrible trend. Frankly, there should be a disclosure on servings of bone marrow greater than 1oz, not dissimilar to what tobacco manufacturers have been forced to put on cigarette packs these days. Unnecessary pork fat is like MSG, actually it’s probably worse for you. We don’t take Chinese restaurants seriously at a gourmet level that use MSG, so there shouldn’t be any more empathy for Western restaurants loading up on pork fat either. There’s a happy medium. Forcible health food isn’t fun – I like egg yolks just as much as Bourdain, but lay off the pork fat so I don’t need to retaliate by ordering an egg white omelette.

(UYC) Where did you get the idea for your column?

(AG) I love that Used York City added to the site an area with great ideas for quick trips to take a break from New York. But really, in this culturally diverse live-to-work city, the best many of us can do is take a little gastronomic journey to a special place and feel transported…I’d love to help you find those places!

(UYC) Can you give us a taste of what’s to come?

(AG) Chefs love surprises! Just kidding – I’ll tell you what I have in mind for my first column: I’ve studied in Beijing and spent a lot of time in China so I really love great Chinese food, but I was so disappointed for the first few years I lived in NY that the authentic, light and tasty stuff was so hard to find. Until I discovered Flushing! So get ready for a little journey to China, coming next week…

Adam's collection of restaurant cards

 By: Adam Gross

This pure adoration of tea instantly peaked my interest.  A lover of all things dainty (not to mention caffeinated), I was intrigued with a country that still celebrates afternoons of tea and other such sweet delights.  When we New Yorkers “meet for tea”, this can be more appropriately translated to “let’s grab a hot beverage from Starbucks and chug as we’re speed-walking to our next destination”.

Needless to say, when we showed up for traditional English afternoon tea at The Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath, I was pleased as punch to be trading in the usual paper cups for polished silver, and walk-and-talks for a true, focused conversation.  (How often does that ever happen in New York?!)  We quickly found out that the art of tea time isn’t just about noshing, but rather celebrating the arts of presentation, conversation, and timeless tradition.

The Tea

Afternoon tea is traditionally served daily between 3 to 5pm. The menu offered a vast selection of teas, but we stayed strictly traditional and went with the tried and true English Breakfast Tea.  When in England, eh?

Light and Sweet (Photo Credit: Lauren Welch)

The Treats 

Smack in the middle between lunch and dinner, tea time is the perfect way to get your afternoon nosh on.  A three-tier serving plate was brought out, featuring a gorgeous display of lemon meringue cupcakes on the top, dark chocolate and raspberry filled cakes in the middle, and crustless little cucumber sandwich delights on the bottom.  Let’s not forget my favorite: the basket of fresh-from-the-oven scones and buns, the perfect complement to the delectable English masterpiece known as clotted cream.  In true American style, we finished every last morsel, from savory to sweet.  Not exactly dainty of us, but a compliment to the chef, nonetheless.

Three Tiers of Scrumptious! (Photo Credit: Lauren Welch)

Cakes Galore (Photo Credit: Lauren Welch)

Clotted Cream...a little piece of heaven! (Photo Credit: Lauren Welch)

The Tenue

Now for the tea time etiquette, or, as the French say, la tenue.  Some important tips that I picked up (after royally screwing them up) are:

-Milk gets stirred in after the tea is poured.  Coffee drinkers love the ritual of first milk, then coffee, and last sugar that mixes it all together…but it’s just not done like that at tea time.  Make a note, java lovers!

-The silver tea strainer is the new tea bag: place it over your cup before you pour.  (You guessed it, I totally skipped this step round one, ending up with lovely little leaves floating about in my cup.  Silly American.)

-Avoid denim like the plague.  After a full day of sightseeing, we went straight to tea rather than taking time to go back to the hotel to doll up.  Save yourself the “omg, I feel so underdressed” moment and slip a skirt, silk scarf, and your favorite tube of lipstick into your bag.  The Brits invented the saying “dress to impress”, and tea time is certainly no time to slack.

Cheers! (Photo Credit: Lauren Welch)

If You Go

While there are certainly no shortage of places to sit for a proper afternoon tea in Bath, we were epically impressed with The Royal Crescent Hotel.  From the impeccable white glove service, to the lush royal garden, to the general feeling of grandeur you get from the second you walk through the doors, you honestly do feel like you are experiencing afternoon tea as the elite society members did back in the 1800’s.

This was truly one of our best memories from our visit to Bath, and we whole-heartedly agree with Prime Minister Gladstone: a well-done afternoon tea can cure just about any woe.  Splurge on the experience, because it will quickly become one of your fondest travel memories.

The Royal Crescent Hotel is right in the middle of the crescent, covered with ivy! (Photo Credit: Lauren Welch)

By: Jessica Tiare Bowen

A very special thank you to the wonderful folks at Bath Boutique Stays!

However, Operation Smile is an international children’s medical charity committed to saving lives and healing the smiles of these children.  To that cause, The Smile Event 2012 will be held on May 3, 2012 to celebrate Operation Smile’s 10^th anniversary in New York City.  The event will celebrate the more than 200,000 surgeries performed on children with cleft lips or cleft palates so they can lead a normal, happy life.

This important event will be held at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall Street, New York, NY.  The event will begin at 6:30 and it includes cocktails, dinner and dancing!

If you know the power of your smile and want to return that gift to those who were not born with the choice of that power, then why not click HERE and purchase a ticket to this special evening!

Photo Credit: www.takepart.com

By: Sora Vernikoff

Photo Credit: BHFF

This Thursday, May 3, 2012, marks the kick-off of the 9th Annual Bosnian-Herzegovinian FIlm Festival (BHFF) held at Tribeca Cinemas.  This three day festival will premier films that showcase the diversity of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian experience and culture.

Spokesperson for BHFF, Amra Turalic, states, “It’s been 20 years since the aggression in Bosnia and Herzegovina disrupted so many innocent lives.  More than 100,000 children, women, men and older people died and more than 2 million people were forced to leave their homes.  Two decades later, the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival in New York continues to tell the story of Bosnia and Herzegovina and celebrate the achievements of its emerging and award-winning filmmakers.  It is a rich and powerful body of work and we are extremely honored to showcase it.”

I had the opportunity to see one of the films being shown, Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut, “In the Land of Blood and Honey”.  It tells the story of Ajla, a Bosnian Muslim woman, and Danijel, a Serbian police officer, who meet in Sarajevo, Bosnia, just before the siege starts.  Through these characters, the story examines the bigger picture, looking at the conflict that was responsible for killing over 100,000 innocent people.

It was without a doubt the hardest film I’d ever sat through in my life, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off the emotionally wrenching drama that was playing on the screen.  The film portrayed a graphic and shocking exposure of the ethnic cleansing, leaving the audience to marvel that these horrible things only happened two decades ago.  Heartbreaking as it is, I think it’s important for people to see…it’s a piece of our history that isn’t talked about enough.

In an interview with ABC News, Jolie talked about her inspiration for writing and directing the film, saying, “I’d traveled for years and I’d seen so many people post-conflict and I wanted to understand what happened to them and how human beings are just pushed to their limits and how they’re changed and effected by war.  And then I started to look in into this particular conflict because I’d been there and I visited and I was just so taken by it.  The truth is, (the film is) a love story that would have been.  It shows the love between mother and child, between man and woman, between brothers, fathers and sons, and it’s what war does to those relationships.”

“In the Land of Blood and Honey” will be showing alongside many other fabulous Bosnian-Herzegovinian films at the festival.  Three prestigious awards will be given to the most outstanding films screened, which will be selected by the BHFF 2012 Jury.  There will also be a filmmaker Q&A after select screenings to provide viewers with more context.

For a schedule of films to be shown and to purchase tickets, please visit the BHFF’s website.

Angelina Jolie on the set of "In the Land of Blood and Honey" (Photo Credit: www.studio360.org)

By: Jessica Tiare Bowen