Heavy History and Red Sauce Minus the Shills

The East Village is probably my favorite neighborhood in the City for many reasons. First, the bars: there are over 200. Each one has its own theme and feel. There are trendy bars, quiet bars, discount bars, clandestine bars, tiki bars, country western bars, communist bars, Polish bars, German bars, dive bars, a dive bar that has frequently been featured on television shows and in movies (I could go on forever).  Certainly, there is no dearth of choices when deciding where to enjoy a spirit.    

The East Village also offers a wide variety of food choices. One can purchase a $1 slice of pizza— before a long night of imbibing at the various bars noted above—or a more sophisticated plate of polenta with rabbit.  

In addition to the many food and drink options, the East Village is full of history.  There is history of immigrants, mobsters, churches, and artists.  

John's on 12th Street is a rare old school red sauce joint in an area replete with mob history.  On August 22, 1922, directly in front of the restaurant, Lucky Luciano murdered mobster Umberto "Rocco" Valenti.  While a Bronx man described the event as the coolest thing he had ever seen, an eight year girl from New Haven visiting family in the East Village was fatally wounded,  Just around the corner two blocks south of John’s at 265 East 10th Street is Lucky Luciano’s childhood home.  There is also De Robertis Pasticerria on First Avenue where affiliates of the the Gambino Family crime once conducted business. 

Former Home of Lucky Luciano.

De Robertis Pasticceria on First Avenue

On to the food, I found the food at John’s not good, but not bad either.  It’s the typical red sauce fare: chicken parmesan, veal parmesan, marsala, meatballs, lasagna.  This type of restaurant is a staple on Mulberry Street in Little Italy, Manhattan.  However, two salient differences between John’s and the Mulberry Street restaurants: there are no shills and no throngs of tourists. 

Entrance to John's

Sausage Parmesan?  Yikes!  I see why some of our Jewish friends refrain from eating meat with dairy.

What John’s lacks in food quality, it makes up for it with its ambiance.  The place sports old tile floors, a small service bar, old time bathrooms (I looked into the bathroom stall to see if there was an old wooden box with a string to flush and hide a gun just like in The Godfather), and those “old time small fancy” cocktail glasses that I would drink from at my grandmother’s house.

Interior of John's.  Has some resemblance to The Godfather scene mentioned above (watch scene below)?

I don’t believe I will ever return to John’s on my own volition, but if I had friends in town with a craving for old red sauce fare, John’s would fit the bill. 

Escargot and Foie Gras

I recognize that my infatuation of all things French harrows my friends. From French idiosyncrasies to the eccentric French view of colonization in the 20th Century, I’m simply in awe and want to learn more. 

It is well-known and accepted—minus that ignorant and/or overly nervous family on Family Feud—that French cuisine is delicious. Expensive normally accompanies that classification of delicious. 

There's a plethora of high end French places in NYC where one can spend $300 in a one hour dining experience—and some are worth every penny.  Of course, NYC has mid-level French restaurants. Of those that I have tried, my biggest gripe is the exorbitant amount of butter with the escargot.  Does not the escargot offer enough fat without the pool of butter?

Les Halles, a French bistro and former home of the world's most famous foodie, Anthony Bourdain, offers reasonably priced French bistro food. The escargot is not drowning in butter and melts in one's mouth. Truly a delightful, cholesterol filled treat. 

Another French favorite, the foie gras appetizer, served in just the right amount of butter and apples can be had as a meal if eaten with French fries or a soup. The texture is accurately described as filet mignon baked for a few hours. 

The mussels in white wine sauce and the Moroccan lamb sausage are also highlights of the menu.  

Exterior shot of Les Halles; located on Park Avenue between 28th and 29th.

Escargot with just the right amount of butter.  Not chewy at all.  Heaven!

Foie Gras (Heaven Part II)!  A small piece, but isn't foie gras too rich to eat in  large quantities?

Mussels in a white wine sauce.  Ideal for dipping pommes frites.    

A Reason to Go to Midtown, Manhattan?

I'm not a fan of midtown Manhattan. To the west, Times Square loaded with droves of tourists. To the east, Grand Central Station filled with more camera touting visitors, in addition to commuters hopping on the Metro North heading back to Westchester County and various stops in the first part of New England. If it isn't work related, I avoid Midtown. 

 In Gotham, with a myriad of food and drink options, it's the uniqueness of a bar or restaurant that (generally) lures New Yorkers to the establishment.

"Hey, let's get some of that Avenitus on 1st Ave and talk to the German owner that has the degree in economics."

"You know, I got a real hankering for some lemon wasabi, let's go to that Japanese place....."

"We haven't been to the Upper East Side in a longtime, let's go and talk about the crime ridden NYC of the 1980's with that Bronx native that drinks Guinness at......."

For me, Midtown is bereft of special food and drink.  In steps The Perfect Pint II. 

Situated at 203 E. 45th Street (The original Perfect Pint is located on the West Side in the Theater District), The Perfect Pint II is firmly nested in my no-go zone. But with time to spare before meeting someone, I stepped into The Pint II for a drink. 

The bar has a wide selection of drafts such as: Heinken, Guinness, Brooklyn, Sam Adams, Stella, Magners ( a little more difficult to find on draft).  Simply put, all of the normal beers found in NYC bars. 

My initial thought was: go with the Stella in the sleek chalice. However, I then see it: the elusive Chimay on draft!

I had been looking for Chimay on tap in The Big Apple for a few months. I had been searching for this mystical drink as if I were Indiana Jones. Then finally, I inadvertently find it. 

The verdict: potent, fresh, and pricey; but totally worth it. The Perfect Pint II has given me a reason to slightly curb my loathing of Midtown Manhattan. 

Michael Francis Rizzi, Do You Renounce Satan? The Churches of Little Italy, Manhattan Part 1

One can easily devote a complete blog to Little Italy in Manhattan. The area is filled with filled with the history of immigrants (Irish, then Italian, now Chinese) and La Cosa Nostra.  The neighborhood also has beautiful churches and a strong cinematic heritage.

Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral (now a basilica), the predecessor of its more famous successor, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, located on Fifth Avenue, is intricate to the history of Roman Catholicism in New York City.  The church was at the center of violent disputes between Irish Catholics and Protestant Know-Nothing activists in the early part of the 19th Century.  In addition, freed Haitian slave Pierre Toussaint and his wife were buried in the graveyard there. 



The main entrance to the church. 



Notice there are no masses in Italian; but mass in Chinese is offered.

The gate to enter the courtyard of the old church.

The old church has also hosted famous scenes from mob movies.  In Mean Streets (1973), a young Martin Scorsese filmed a young David Proval (as Tony) who is struggling to rationalize his deep Catholic convictions with his mobster lifestyle (film is worth a look just to see a very young Robert DeNiro).



David Proval, as Tony, asking for forgiveness. 



However, the most memorable scene filmed in Old St. Patrick’s is the baptism scene from The Godfather.  Al Pacino, as Michael Corlene, stands as godfather for his nephew.  During the scene, director Francis Ford Copolla highlights antiquated Roman Catholic baptism rituals and the Sicilian Mafia ritual of vengeance by murder.  Copolla’s examination of this complex subject is worth seeing again (please see video below).   



This is the view of the church when the baptism scene begins. 



Which is More Rare? (Dim Sum Cantonese Style Part 2)

As noted on the previous post, Dim Sum in Chinatown, Manhattan can be both galling and frustrating.  Last weekend I went out again for dim sum with a group of friends.  This time I ate at the Red Egg. 

Located at 202 Centre Street., the Red Egg is outside of the traditional boundaries of Chinatown and sits in the area which was once Little Italy.  The food was fine.  The Peking duck sliders were unique.  

The most disappointing part of the experience was the staff.  They were affable and their English skills were impeccable.  Red Egg was a stark difference from my other experiences with dim sum downtown.  Going forward, I plan to stick below Canal Street for dim sum.  My experience at Red Egg was just too enjoyable and stress free.    

One must celebrate the Chinese New Year with a Tsingtao!

The Peking Duck Slider presentation was a highlight of the meal (thanks to our friend James Baussmann for ordering this).

Peking Duck Sliders ready to be served

The Red Egg's Puff had a sweet flavor to it.  I haven't seen this at other dim sum places, so I think it's worth a try. 

 The other dishes at Red Egg were the typical dim sum fare: assorted dumplings and chicken feet (Red Egg Menu).

While I was surprised that the Red Egg staff was so friendly and helpful, the real bombshell came from having five Laotians together at one time in Gotham.  That has to be rarer than friendly Cantonese speakers in Chinatown, Manhattan?      

   

For Dim Sum in Chinatown, Manhattan, It’s BYOCS (Dim Sum Cantonese Style Part 1)

First, I would like to wish a Happy Chinese (Lunar) New Year to all!  I hope that the year of the dragon is a great one for all of us (take a look at your 2012 dragonpredictions).

I had a buddy from Vancouver, British Columbia in town last weekend.  His parents are from the Canton province of China.  He’s a fluent Cantonese speaker and was up for some dim sum on a cold, snowy Saturday morning in Gotham.

My understanding is that dim sum is “Chinese brunch.”  You order many of the small dishes so that every member of the group may have a sample.  Drinking tea is also essential to the experience.  Dim sum is typically enjoyed with a large group of friends or family.  

One can easily find dim sum in three neighborhoods in NYC: Flushing, Queens, Bayridge, Brooklyn, or Chinatown, Manhattan.  The first two are in Mandarin speaking neighborhoods.  While I have had dim sum in Flushing, I am a real crank for dim sum with the Cantonese in Manhattan.  The Mandarin speakers are just too polite.  They will even explain to you in English what the dishes are if need be.   

Cantonese dim sum is more than just tasty steamed buns and dumplings.  The Cantonese version is an experience.  The Cantonese in Chinatown are not congenial, do not provide good service; in fact, they are just downright rude.  

Normally, when I have dim sum in Chinatown, I am accompanied by a large group of Asians.  There are usually Laotians, throw in a random Japanese-Hawaiian, a Chinese-Singaporean, a Filipino (A Bisaya speaker to be exact), and a Taiwanese Brazilian.  Add this up and what do you have?  Enough Asian faces that don’t speak a word of Cantonese and guarantees that you’ll be seating at dim sum waiting for a glass of water for a half an hour.

The key to avoiding all of this is to: BYOCS: bring your own Cantonese speaker.  With a Cantonese speaker, you are in the club.  You receive your food quickly.  The servers smile and tell jokes—of course, in Cantonese.  You can even tell the staff that the food isn’t fresh enough and you want your dishes freshly prepared!  All of this while the non-Cantonese speakers seated across from you are still struggling to get the attention of the lady pushing the dim sum cart.  

My favorite dim sum place in Chinatown, Manhattan is Oriental Gardens located right in the heart of traditional Chinatown—not the Chinatown that has encroached upon Little Italy or the Lower East Side.  With women pushing carts of dim sum and yelling out the dishes available on the cart, the place retains its Hong Kong like feel.  Couple all of this with an extremely rude staff that is ready to shun your order in English and you have a great Cantonese dim sum experience.  Suggestion: BYOCS.  

Cart filled with dim sum. 

Many thanks to Phil Lim, my Cantonese speaker for the day!  

One of my favorites: baked cha siu bao.  The roasted pork inside is deliciously. 

The baked bun must be accompanied by the steamed one. 

Lo mai gai (the lotus leaf wrap) is typically wrapped in a banana leaf when served in North America.

Unwrap the leaves and look what you have: sticky rice loaded with pork, shrimp, and chicken!

Turnip cake with shrimp and soy sauce.  Hot mustard as seen on the right can be added (I'll abstain).

Bolay tea is a must.

There are so many more dishes to enjoy at dim sim such as chicken feet or the Shanghai bun.  Take a look at the menu for more.  

Some History with That Cappuccino?

New York City is full of coffee houses.  There are the national chains: Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts.  And, of course, there are a plethora of small neighborhood coffee houses that serve cups of Joe.

I am not a regular drinker of this energy filled beverage.  Yet, the rich culinary and cinematic history of Café Reggio, coupled with its interior and ambience that can easily make one feel that he is in the first half of the 20th century has lured me to this café on a few occasions.

The exterior shot of Cafe Reggio located on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village.  

I relish in the fact that whenever I am sipping on a cappuccino at Café Reggio, I am sitting in the very café that introduced the drink to America.  For that reason, I always try to sit as close as possible to the first cappuccino machine in America on display.  

I wonder if the original machine was still in use when then presidential candidate John F. Kennedy gave a campaign speech in front of the cafe in 1959. 

     

While the original machine is no longer in service, Cafe Reggio's cappuccino is still quite pleasing.  

 

Cafe Reggio also boasts a strong cinematic tradition.  The café’s entrance appears in the movie poster of Next Stop, Greenwich Village (with a young Christopher Walken).

The entrance to Cafe Reggio is located to the left. 

Shaft stopped by in 1971. 

Issac Hayes recorded a song named after this small cafe. 

Francis Ford Copolla filmed inside of Cafe Reggio for The Godfather Part II (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffe_Reggio) for scenes between Young Vito Corlene and Young Peter Clemenza.

Interior shots show the early 20th century feel featured in The Godfather II.