neighborbee - New York City

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Dish Buzz - Nolita House

January 29, 2010 East Village by neighborbee

If I had not been planning on hitting Nolita House, I might have walked clear by the entrance. It's almost lost amidst some serious scaffolding. While not so attractive at the moment from the exterior, lurking inside is a cozy brunch spot you should not miss.

However, I will warn it was definitely one of the noisier brunch locales I have tried so if you have a pounding headache, need to have a deep conversation, or are bringing perhaps more audibly sensitive guests with you, I might recommend you hold off on this one.

All entrees come with a complimentary mimosa, glass of sangria, soda, or juice. Their sandwiches that passed by looked quite good, and the fries can't help but look good when opting for a 2pm brunch. Their salad portions were also quite generous.

Mac 'n Cheese, Nolita House Being so late, I even skipped my typical sweet faves (waffles, pancakes, or french toast) in favor of trying Nolita House's much-appropriately-hyped macaroni and cheese. It was made using gemelli pasta and came with a large helping of panko bread crumbs crowning the dish. And I can vouch, this one reheats nicely.

My sister's vanilla bourbon french toast (seriously?!?) was amazing. The summary on the menu on their website really says it all... "brioche soaked in vanilla bourbon custard, rolled in French crepes with nutella maple syrup". I was intriuged seeing as it was rolled in crepes. Would it be soggy? I've had cornflake crusted french toast, but never something as potentially soggy as crepes. Verdict? Definitely a keeper (albeit a bit on the sweeter side for those of you who are more savory brunch-goers).

Only thing I was not quite sold on was their biscuit. It was a very flat thing, quite wide in circumference. When I split into it with the knife to add in the butter and orange marmalade, it crumbled like crazy. I've still yet to find some amazing biscuits in the city, with Clinton Street Baking Company being the best I've had to date.

Nolita House Brunch runs both on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm. They claim it's a bluegrass brunch. However seeing as they were blaring Red Hot Chili Peppers while we were there, I am unsure if we just caught them on an off weekend or if that's more of a nod to their cuisine. Regardless, service is good and it's defintely one to try. It was quite crowded when we were there, so I would recommend reservations.

Nolita House - 47 East Houston Street (between Mott and Mulberry) - 212.625.1712

Tags: Dish Buzz, food, neighborbee, East Village, Nolita, Retaurants

Hive Cooking: How to Please a Health Nut (And You Too)

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Hive Cooking: How to Please a Health Nut (And You Too)

January 27, 2010 Manhattan by neighborbee

: As tasty and colorful a breast as you'll find on Melrose. (With sides. Minus "enhancement.")

To focus on one ingredient and one New York purveyor of said ingredient in each posting was what I intended for this blog. Well, three postings in and I’m already going to renege on that promise. Instead, I’m writing about how to make a meal to please the health-obsessed but not totally palate-challenged, in this case my dad and stepmom.

My excuse for this bit of divergence is that for the past week I was back where I grew up in Los Angeles, California. Yes, while you were here in New York suffering through the coldest weather in two years, I was out in a record high 87 degrees under a sunny sky, perusing farmer’s markets (in contradiction of my earlier advice, but hey- I was on vacay!) filled with some of the best citrus I’ve ever had (mandarin oranges, blood oranges, Satsuma tangerines, Oro Blanco grapefruit, pink navel oranges, to name a few). Now, if you’re me, faced with superlative perfect fruit, you don’t do anything with these. You enjoy them as unadorned as possible.

So instead I made a meal as a thank-you to my dad and stepmom. Being the health-nut Angelenos they are, my task was to find a tasty way to cook that bland staple-- boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

The deal with these is: You don’t want to overcook the breasts, making them dry and flavorless, but to get good flavor you’ll want a bit of brown on the outside. Traditionally, the response to this conundrum is to drench in breadcrumbs and pan-fry. But there’s another way: broiling. After merely a couple of minutes per side, the high heat browns but does not dry.

You can make the chicken on its own, or follow the full recipe that uses eggplant in an asian-inspired way. Pair as I did with roasted root vegetables (an upcoming post) and quinoa for a colorful and surprisingly good match. I like to think of it as a Cal-Asian fusion meal done right.

Here’s the recipe, with a couple small changes, from Mark Bittman. In the last step I topped a couple breasts with a touch of cumin and honey, as added insurance against blandness. Either way, it’s likely to wow a picky eater without much effort.

Honey-Cumin Chicken Breast With Eggplant, Shallots and Ginger

(Chicken a la L.A.)

Yield 4 servings

Time 30 minutes

Summary

Ingredients

8 ounces shallots (about 6 large)
1/4 cup neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
1 to 1 1/4 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger or 2 teaspoons dried ginger
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (4 half breasts)
1/4 cup or more minced fresh cilantro
Ground cumin to taste
Honey to taste

Method

- 1. Peel shallots. If they are small, leave them whole. Otherwise, cut them in half the long way. (Most large shallots have two lobes and will naturally divide in half as you peel them.) Heat the broiler or a gas or charcoal grill.
- 2. Place oil in a large nonstick skillet, and turn heat to medium high. Add shallots, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown. Add eggplant, salt and pepper, and lower heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant softens, about 15 minutes.
- 3. When eggplant begins to brown, add half the ginger, and cook 3 minutes or so more, until eggplant is very tender and the mixture fragrant.
- 4. Meanwhile, rub chicken breasts with salt, pepper and remaining ginger. Grill about 4 inches from the heat source for 3 minutes a side or until done. Top with cumin and honey and return to broil briefly.
- 5. Stir half the cilantro into eggplant mixture. Serve chicken breasts on a bed of eggplant. Garnish with remaining cilantro.

Tags: Hive Cooking, Chicken, Manhattan, Healthy Cooking, food, upper east side, upper west side, neighborbee

A Little Bee Told Me . . . about an Urban Hike on The Upper West Side

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A Little Bee Told Me . . . about an Urban Hike on The Upper West Side

December 03, 2009 Upper West Side by neighborbee

This article is from David Tacheny, founder of Performance Athletics, which is located on the Upper West Side.

When I began riding and racing bicycles I quickly discovered that, being a skinny little thing, I was going to have to learn to accelerate going up hills and find shelter in the slipstreams of my larger cohorts on the windswept flats of southern Minnesota.

These days, as people find their wallets lean and time precious, discovering new ways to engage with your immediate surroundings is not only a great way to rediscover your own neighborhood, but it can present some great new prospects for exercise activities.

Getting away from the city, even on a short trip, can be costly and take lots of time. Try taking an urban hike around the steel and glass canyons instead! These are mind/body-engaging adventures to scenic destinations right around the corner and New York especially provides many varying terrains and opportunities to test yourself. Besides the parks (Central park and Fort Tryon park are my favorites for undulating and wooded landscapes), there are subway stations with long twisting tunnels, ramps and stairways to navigate (Times Square is a particularly complicated station with many murals and elaborate mosaics to see during your hike). There are walkway overpasses, uneven cobbled streets and pathways, and steady sections of up hill walking (such as 5th Avenue from 110th street south for about 15 blocks, and Amsterdam Avenue from 135 street south to Columbia University). There are also some wonderful vistas to take in, such as those from the Cloisters museum (also in Fort Tryon park) and the Brooklyn and George Washington bridges.

Urban hikes even take less equipment and preparation than those in the mountains. With a good pair of walking shoes, a couple of helpful maps (see the links below), the cost of a 1-day unlimited subway card and your imagination, you can be off on a wonderful walking adventure in no time! Here’s one of my favorite “urban hikes” around the northern portion of Manhattan. It takes in some fantastic panoramic views of both the Hudson and Harlem Rivers as well as the George Washington Bridge, the Heather Garden and much more.

Fort Tryon / Highbridge Parks Hike

-Start out taking the A train to 181st Street. Sit at the front of the train and take the elevator up to Fort Washington Avenue.

-As you exit the station, walk directly across the street to Bennett Park or turn left and proceed N along Fort Washington Avenue for approximately 7 blocks to the entrance of Fort Tryon Park. For the best views of the palisades, the GW Bridge, and the Hudson River, enter through the large stone gates to the heather garden. Enjoy the flowers and the amazing scenery as you continue N, through the park, to the Cloisters Museum.

-From the museum make your way N, down the long hill on the northern most edge of the park, behind the museum, to the Anne Loftus Playground and the N exit of the park at the corner of Broadway and Arden St.

-Take a left and walk N on Broadway along the playground to Dyckman St.

-Take a right and cross Broadway. Continue E along the south side of Dyckman for approximately 4 long blocks to Nagle Avenue.

-At Nagle Avenue you can either get on the 1 train and head home, or bear to your right (crossing under the train tracks) and continue along the south side of Dyckman street, skirting the North edge of Highbridge Park.

-As you approach the entrance to Harlem River Drive, bear to your right and enter Highbridge Park.

-As you begin the long climb through the park, take in the views of Harlem River on your left.

-At the first fork in the pathway, bear right, and continue uphill.

-At the second fork, bear hard right again to the top of the hill and exit the park at the corner of 190th street and Amsterdam Avenue.

-As you exit the park, walk west on 190th street to Wadsworthe Avenue and enter Gorman Memorial Park. Descend through the park to Broadway.

-As you exit the park, take a right, and either enter the 1 train through the long tunnel, or continue north along Broadway to the large intersection where Broadway meets Bennett, Nagle, and Hillside Avenues.

-Take a left and cross the street, heading west, and enter the A train (just around the uphill bend) through the long tunnel.

Depending on how long you take to look at the scenery and smell the flowers in Heather Garden, this hike should take you about 1.5 – 2 hours to complete. There are plenty of opportunities to stop for a quick lunch along the way. Try the New Leaf Café in Fort Tryon Park, or the Park Diner, on the NW corner of Dyckman Street and Broadway.

Here’s a link to a great mapping tool for planning your NYC Urban Hike!

Tags: Fitness, highbridge Parks Hikes, Ft Tryon, Performance Athletics, upper west side, neighborbee