Irving Mill

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving hasn't happened yet. With the number of Christmas commercials dominating the television and lights decorating the streets, it often feels like it's mid December. Although, I'm not really sure why each year I act surprised by the ridiculously early Christmas cheer. This has been going on for years - I just think we all get a kick out of making a big deal of the immediate post Halloween transition. This is the time of year when generic weather complaints in elevators can be replaced by commentary on how the holidays have crept up on us once again.


This is all fine by me - as long as Thanksgiving still has its prominent place on the calendar. No one can argue with the fact that Thanksgiving equals family, thanks, and American food at its best. And this year I'm feeling particularly thankful and ready to celebrate such an American holiday. After a recent trip to Irving Mill, it actually felt like the month of November. This seasonal American restaurant (named after one of the greatest American authors) could pay a tribute to the upcoming holiday both in the comfort of its setting and in the preparation of its cuisine. Whether in the main dining room or up front in the bar tap room, this is a great spot to enjoy with a large group. And, if your group is large enough, I recommend the large round stone table bringing together these two sections. It's a great way to appear VIP, but more importantly, it can actually hold more food in the center - ideal for sharing.


We started the meal sharing several small plates. These included charred wax bean bruschetta with ricotta as well as the salt and pepper pork ribs. Both were great, but the ribs were out of this world, falling right off the bone and seasoned with the perfect amount of heat. If that wasn't enough, there was an actual Sausage section on the menu - the finest of American cuisine! I should have known from the start that it was going to be a great night. We sampled the lamb-olive sausage and the rabbit-ratatouille sausage, both served with grilled country bread and mustard. I was really drawn to the preparation of the rabbit. The mains are either pastas, meat or fish. I recommend the eggplant agnolotti, mini ravioli stuffed with ricotta, tomato confit and chili flakes as well as the roasted red snapper with autumn vegetables - a great way to eat fish in the "off season." But, in all honesty, it was the good old American Irving Mill burger with cheddar and fries that truly won me over that evening. It was one of the more simple, yet juicy and full of flavor burgers I have had in awhile.

Irving Mill's menu at certain moments definitely hints towards French and Italian inspiration. But, that is really what New American cuisine is all about - and basically what America is all about. However, it was the ribs and the burger, dishes that over the years have come to define true American cuisine, that were in a league of their own at Irving Mill. Sometimes, it's the most basic and most comforting things that win us over - and that is what Thanksgiving is really all about. Have a happy one!!




Irving Mill
116 East 16th St.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 254-1600
website
FOOD RATING (Out of 5):

DBGB Kitchen & Bar

Before you get too comfortable, I suggest grabbing your phone. You may want to just go ahead and dial (212) 460-5777 so that your phone is ready to go immediately after reading this. I haven't been this excited about a new restaurant in awhile. And I'm not even sure what has excited me the most - the fact that Daniel Boulud just recently opened a gourmet sausage restaurant, that it is located downtown, or that the setting and food were close to perfect just four days after its opening. DBGB, located down the street from the 2006 shuttered music club CBGB, has already put this block back on the map. You may have already walked right by the unassuming #299 written in white chalk on the glass door. But, once you know what is on the inside beyond the glass walls that surprisingly enclose a new, hopping restaurant, I challenge you to pass by without grabbing a beer or a bite.


DBGB is doing it right. The space is excellent. The entire restaurant has a very comfortable, laid-back vibe, made up of a casual front room, offering tables and a large bar, and a more upscale back room, scattered with both booths and tables. No matter where you are sitting, the food will be excellent - and well priced. While sausages and burgers are definitely the signature dishes here, the menu offers much more. And, I encourage you to be bold and branch out, and, as usual, embrace the practice of sharing. We started the meal with a few appetizers - tuna crudo with harissa-sesame sauce, cucumbers, radishes and crispy rice and then asparagus, fried egg with duck proscuitto, cracklins, and mustard-egg dressing. Both were delicious, but the egg dish is a must. I have tried many versions of this dish recently and this one ranks with the best.

Those that know me best know that sausage is probably my biggest weakness (well, besides bacon). In all fairness, I should probably just admit my soft spot for pork products. So there was no question that the next stage of dinner would involve sharing several of their homemade "links, bangers, and saucisses." We devoured both the Beaujolaise - pork, mushrooms, onion, bacon and red wine link with lentils du puy, followed by the Tunisienne - spicy lamb and mint merguez with lemon braised spinach and chickpeas. These were excellent - especially the Beaujolaise. I could taste each and every ingredient that had been brought together to create this perfectly homemade link. There are several others that I am eager to return and try, although I know it will be extremely hard not to order this one again. We also did not get a chance to try any of the burgers, but each and every one that passed our table made our heads turn. They were the perfect size followed by the perfect aroma. I will be honest that after the time the second burger passed by our table I immediately regretted not ordering one. But, once I took my first bite of our final dish, the handmade strozzapreti pasta made with braised veal, spring peas, zucchini, and tomato, I was actually glad to have gone in another direction. This al dente pasta was extremely well prepared topped with another excellent testament to DBGB prepared meat. In the end, sticking to any kind of meat will do you just right.

We were definitely on a roll at this point and decided to prolong the meal with the comforts of an ice cream sundae. While tempted by the coffee combination, we went with the apricot-pistachio, a less classic option. Their homemade pistachio ice cream was topped with marshmallows, vanilla cookies, caramel sauce, apricot coulis, and whipped cream. I was in heaven. While I had gone in to the night with tunnel (sausage) vision, I was walking away with so much more. It's going to be a long time before I tire of this menu. And, if you haven't already done so, pull that phone back out. You can go ahead and push send now.



DBGB
299 Bowery
New York, NY 10003
(212) 460-5777
website
FOOD RATING (Out of 5):

Best Burgers

In fueling up for the NYC marathon, I felt it was my duty to treat myself to a burger more often than usual. While my favorite burger is typically the one made by mom on our own charcoal grill in the backyard, I will not deny that New York City can serve up some pretty great patties. Since there are so many to choose from, I am going to spotlight three burgers that I have most recently discovered - all very different in price, taste, and presentation. What they do have in common is they are well worth your time and consumption.

The Shake Shack has been around since 2004. Despite its appealing outdoor location in the middle of Madison Square Park, it has taken me four years to actually make it there. I will admit that the never ending line which seems to be present no matter the day or the hour that you walk by can definitely be intimidating. Since warm nights are starting to become numbered, I decided it was time to make a night out of a trip to this overly talked about burger joint - and see what all the hype has been about. While the line was its typical length when we arrived, it actually only took about fifteen minutes to get to the head of it. And, we had our food in front of us within thirty minutes of our arrival - the normal amount of time it would take if we were dining at a normal sit-down restaurant. I ordered the Shackburger which consists of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and shack sauce. While I normally prefer a burger to be medium-rare, all burgers here are prepared medium. This was not a problem for me since the flavors of the meat and the secret sauce were so good. I normally like to add ketchup and mustard to my burgers, but did not feel the need to for this one. The final element that I really liked about their burger is the size. It is not massive like so many of the burgers served these days. I actually felt nice and full after one shackburger and of course, more than a handful of fries. It was a treat to be able to actually bite into the burger without being overwhelmed while also paying under $6 for it.

My next stop was at the year and a half old Resto, located on 29th between Park and Lexington. While this is not an area that I often frequent, I will definitely be returning for their burger. This is actually my very favorite hamburger at the moment. While it is not the cheapest ($15), it is worth the splurge and the trek. I actually want to return to this Belgian beer bar to try out more menu items, but I will only focus on the burger right now. The burger is served with gruyere, red onion, pickles, mayo, and fries. I will be honest in saying that I was extremely skeptical of their burger from the moment I ordered until my first bite. They actually only prepare it one way- medium-well- a preparation I would never normally choose. And, when it arrived in front of me, the only thing that was actually visually pleasing was the small size - similar to that of the shackburger. It was on an untoasted, soft white bun - again, something I would not normally choose. However, the flavor and texture of the hamburger immediately wiped away all misconceptions. The combination of beef cheek, hanger steak, and fatback (the reason for the medium-well preparation) created delicious flavor. And while it was far from dry, my biggest fear of well-cooked burgers, there was actually a crispiness to the outside of the moist meat that was also full of flavor.

My final stop and reward was on the actual night of the marathon. Thankfully, going to Cafe Cluny is almost as close to home as I can get without actually being in my own kitchen. On nearly every trip I have made to my local favorite, I have always been tempted by the burger, but ended up ordering other dishes - trying to be as adventuresome as possible. After two years of frequenting Cafe Cluny, I finally discovered the Cluny burger. It is actually only available on the lunch, brunch, and supper (9 pm to close) menus. But, I was lucky enough to use my accomplishment from earlier in the day as leverage and they kindly served me one of their signature dishes. This was a burger where I was finally able to order it medium-rare. And, it was perfectly cooked. While this was (similar to Resto) on the pricier end, the predictability of this burger is worth it. Served on a grilled sesame bun with your choice of swiss, blue, or cheddar cheese with tomatoes and onions, this generously sized burger guarantees great flavors and reminded me immediately of a traditionally delicious, backyard patty. Based on location alone, Cafe Cluny is nearly my backyard!

While marathon training may have come to a close this year, I will admit that I still plan to treat myself to burgers as days and nights get colder. There is just something so comforting about red meat served on a bun. Although my burger intake may not (or rather, should not) be as often as in the past few months, there really is no denying how great consuming a hamburger can truly be. So, don't be shy - try out these three burgers and just try to tell me that you can live this winter without them!