60 Greenpoint Avenue Brooklyn, NY

Even though I have heartily enjoyed the pizzas at Paulie Gee’s before, it’s taken me a while to bring this post to you about the most welcome neighborhood addition because i kept forgetting to take photos. You would too with such alluring daily specials to choose from as well as a mouth watering every day menu. We recently shared several pies including the Marianna (large chunks of garlic, almost no cheese), the Delboy (the most high end pepperoni pizza you’ll find), the tasty Spectacle (with speck and red onions) and two of the chalk board specials: The Moby Grape (which is a salty, grape tomato crowd favorite and should be added to the permanent menu) and the off the wall but surprisingly balanced Cherry Jones ( that indeed features dried bing cherries with cheeses and prosciutto).

New Jersey pizza master Paulie Gee set up, to great foodie excitement, in the old Paloma space which you’ll find barely recognizable. Where once was skylights and pale colors and airiness, now stands cozy, almost farm like woods, copper, faded tin, and dim lighting. Also noticeably different, a huge wood stove for making all those delicious pies, which Paulie overlooks himself every night I’ve been there. He takes so much care with his pizzas he even personally brought over the Moby Grape that was slightly charred to make sure we were OK with it and offered a new one if we weren’t.

On previous visits we got the decadent and gooey pear and nutella dessert pie which is worth saving room for if you can forgo gorging on the savories pies (not an easy task).

For now, they are awaiting a licence to serve wine and beer (which only makes the bill shockingly reasonable currently – since i can;t drink now anyways, this arrangement is fine with me) and doesn’t open lunches or deliver (these arrangements leave me less happy). But i expect that might change as they get settle into their role as the neighborhood’s premier spot for pizza.

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Posted on May 2, 2010

87 South Elliott Place

Airy, friendly and nestled in a cute triangle in Fort Greene, The Smoke Joint is an appealing spot to enjoy smoked meats and that’s exactly what I was craving last weekend when we stumbled upon the place. We shared the plate of pulled pork and a half rack of baby back ribs. Both were tasty, the ribs perhaps winning out for flavor, but extra kick, flavor and moistness can be added with the sweet or spicy sauces that come to the table. The sides: a creamy, bring-to-a-picnic-worthy potato salad and a cakey, sweet cornbread were perfect companions as well as the refreshing “Tiger Woods” – an Arnold Palmer for a new generation.

In that area near BAM, where it might be hard to find a spot before or after a show, I highly recommend Smoke Joint. Adjacent there is also the Pig Bar, a bourbon lover’s paradise that I’d like to visit once I can throw one back again. Ben Grossman and Craig Samuel serve what they call “real New York barbecue” so BBQ snobs can’t make too many crying comparisons. I’m not sure where they land for me in the grand scheme of local BBQ because I don’t always order the same thing, but my guess is someplace in the high middle.

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Posted on April 18, 2010

45 Richardson Street, Williamsburg

Beco may be hidden behind McCarren Park but, judging by the full house at brunch last Sunday, the secret is definitely out. Featuring Brazilian specialties and more traditional favorites, the food here is pretty excellent and I can’t stress enough how filling and satisfying the Feijoada was: rice, veggies, and a bean and meat stew with toasted flour for thickening. All meals come with a coffee drink (they have yummy lattes served in glasses – which I always find pleasant) and boozy or juice beverage. My friends can also attest to the steak and eggs and the benedict.

The dinner menu looks just as enticing with Linguiça, banana, hearts of palm and chorizo peppered throughout the unfamiliar (to me) dishes, and I’ll be back to try more soon. The staff is courteous and very agile given the limited space they’re working in; the kitchen is barely bigger than a small mini apartment one, but the chef’s astound. From time to time they have live music too.

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Posted on March 28, 2010

6602 Melrose Avenue

At about ten to noon (on weekends) the line starts forming outside the Mario Batali pizzeria, Mozza; this is exactly where you should hope to find yourself if you haven’t booked ahead as all the reservable tables will be booked. Ideally it’s where you should find yourself with a small party since the limited stool seats offer an amazing up close and personal view of the pizza-making which runs like a well oiled machine from the dough forming, to the topping adding, to the baking and slicing.

The menu was extensive and we decided to split the famous squash blossom with tomatoes and burrata, the classic Margherita and the Stracchino which had artichokes, lemons and olives and was – by a slim margin in a tough contest – my favorite of the bunch.

Of course, I couldn’t resist starting off the pizza feast with the brussel sprouts. I just can’t get enough of those little greens lately, especially now that restaurants are frequently serving them in so many delicious ways (locally, try Anella’s lemony delights). At Mozza they’re coated in prosciutto breadcrumbs… yum!

We also managed, due to the surprising lightness of the dough (or just because we’re gluttons), to enjoy a dessert of butterscotch pudding with salt and a pinenut cookie. Batali has done good again, this time in sunny California.

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Posted on March 14, 2010

4655 Hollywood Blvd

It was a couple days into my LA trip before I had a truly notable meal. After a long and impossible wait among underage drinkers at Alegria, we left in defeat and moseyed on over to Umami Burger, the home of burgers with a unique flavor that’s a little hard to describe but wildly yummy and memorable. Not surprisingly, I’ve learned that flavor is called “umami”.

Umami is the fifth basic taste that was discovered by the premiere chef in France of the late 1800’s Auguste Escoffier. Here is an NPR story all about it.

But back to the burger joint in Los Feliz: it’s delicious. My Socal was perfect with its lettuce, oven dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, “spread” and cheese and my tempura onion rings were crispy and addictive. The meal was filling and the spot boasts an excellent beer menu and a heated outdoor dining area. The only problem? the hostess was a complete eye-rolling witch. Really weird and uncalled for, right? Good thing there was great food to make up for it.

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Posted on February 28, 2010