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FoodMayhem
Written from New York City (mostly), FoodMayhem.com is all about... food! We love food: talking about food, writing about food, looking at food, taking pictures of food, making a blog about food, and, of course, eating food.
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Mama Zuma's Revenge - Habanero Potato Chips
2007-09-01 23:15:00
Route 11 makes potato chips called Mama Zuma's Revenge. The habanero potato chips are well named since the heat lasts for quite some time after eating them and that makes for some good revenge, but flavor wise, they lack potential. This ones not going in my pantry.However, a few weeks ago we tried some of Trader Joe's own line of potato chips and they were quite good. A blogger from San Francisco has a tasty suggestion for the Sesame & Ginger Potato Chips. ...
Chips
Potato
Revenge
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It's a Dominican Thing?
2007-08-31 02:31:00
With a name like, It's a Dominican ThingIt's a Dominican Thing, you really expect the restaurant to represent authentic Dominican food. Since I'm not Dominican, I can't make any claims that I'm sure of what Dominican food should taste like but I sure hope tonight's dinner is not. I've had Dominican food before and enjoyed it very much but tonight's dinner was a big disappointment.We split the Un "Chin" de todo, a sampler platter of all the appetizers, highly recommended by our waiter. The croquetas de platano (sweet plantain and beef croquette) was the only one we actually liked and there was only one on the plate when everything else came in pairs. The wings and the Kipes (ground beef and wheat balls) were ok. The bollitos (cassava stuffed with beef) was tasteless. The cod fish fritters tasted like fried dough. Where was the cod? The fried Dominican cheese shouldn't have been fried. It just made the exterior taste like it was covered in a layer of plastic. The empanadas were tiny and ...
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Addicted to this Bird
2007-08-29 21:27:00
Lon and I recently tried a new cereal by Barbara's Bakery called Puffins, named after a black and white bird called the Puffin. We tried the Puffins Peanut Butter and now we're totally hooked. It comes in 3 more flavors and they're 100% natural, low fat, wheat free, dairy free, and Kosher. I think that means pretty much anyone can try it (except those allergic to corn and/or nuts) and we recommend that you do! It's available online here, if you can't find it in your local grocery store. ...
Bird
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A Versatile Sauce for Fish
2007-08-27 03:17:00
We went to Chatham Square Restaurant Chatham Square Restaurantfor Dim Sum today. It was average for Chinatown Dim Sum, which has declined in the last few years. Dim Sum in Flushing is better. The good thing about any meal in Chinatown is that you get to do some great shopping afterwards. We picked up a 1 1/2 pound swordfish steak, along with lots of other goodies.We grilled the swordfish steak (6 min on one side, 3-4 min on the other, here is a close-up) and I made a sauce that really impressed Lon. If you don't like Swordfish, the sauce could easily be served on salmon, a fried fish (like Skate, Tilapia, Catfish, any...), or even Sea Scallops. It's easy too! Just mix all of these ingredients together and spoon on top of fish.This makes enough for 4 servings:1/2 lemon, zest and juice1 clove garlic, minced2 teaspoons capers1 teaspoon cumin2 tablespoons mayonnaise1 teaspoon whole grain mustard1 teaspoon olive oil ...
Fish
Sauce
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How do you take it? Espresso!
2007-08-26 23:02:00
Lokesh Dhakar has done a wonderful job illustrating the ratios and componentry of various common, espresso-based drinks. So, from Americano to Macchiato, check out what's in your drink. ...
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A New Favorite - Maurizio
2007-08-25 21:01:00
With a party of 14, I always get nervous. Even restaurants that are usually pretty good start to falter when they have to plate for 8 or more at a time. We've been to Maurizio Trattoria Maurizio Trattoriabefore and praised there food so we were hoping they could hold up under the pressure. I watched in amazement as all the appetizers were served at the same time and then all the entrees. Even more impressive for a large party is having all the meats and seafoods cooked to the correct temperatures. Nothing over-done, nothing under, perfect seared tuna, quail, steak, chilean sea bass, fish stew, etc. They make their own fresh pasta which is delicious and have a long list of specials that really changes. It's a place you could really go to often and feel like your eating somewhere new. They also make their own desserts which are very good (except for the creme brulee) and the coffee is good too! The service was good and the prices suit the quality you get, and the portions are a little bi ...
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Taste of the Subway (trains)
2007-08-25 13:17:00
Tammy emailed Jessica and I with a great link-- Taste of The New York Subway System by the guys at IdleWords.com. Tammy says, "This is a map of restaurants located near a subway station. Just click on the subway line of choice."What she didn't say was how much fun it is! Both Jessica and I spent so much time just clicking around. Our list of restaurants (that we want to eat at) just got longer!Enjoy. ...
Subway
Trains
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Sweet Potato Fries
2007-08-23 20:33:00
I just had lunch at Burger Heaven Burger Heaven where the salad was average and so was the service. Nothing about the place seems memorable except their Sweet Potato Fries. I know, I know. I didn't even try a burger, but I had read some unimpressive reviews about their burgers and I wasn't in the mood to regret my lunch. Things like a bad burger, pizza, or french fries will bother me all day!!As we walked towards our seats, I spotted their sweet potato fries. What caught me eye was that they were thin cut fries, not the steak fries size you usually see for sweet potato fries. I had to try it! While it wasn't mind blowing, they were really good, something I'd like to eat again. Why haven't other places caught on? Cut the sweet potato into thinner slices!! Otherwise they get soggy and gross. They also had a light coating kinda like Burger King fries, again helping with maintaining the crispiness. Go Sweet Potato Fries! ...
Fries
Potato
Sweet Potato
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D'Artagnan Duck Breast
2007-08-23 03:51:00
Last Friday, we enjoyed a great chicken from D'Artagnan; and yesterday we tried their marinated duck breast. It is a great product for those who have no idea how to cook and want duck for dinner.The duck breast arrives de-boned, already marinated in a Mediterranean sauce, ready to be cooked. Of the three cooking options, I chose the broiler method, which is easiest: broil for 20 minutes and serve.The cooked product looks really nice. It came out a perfect medium rare. We served it along with parsley rice and steamed veggies. The duck meat is tougher than we expected, so it's not a product Lon or I would buy. But again, it's certainly good for non-cooks.For more images of the duck and of dinner, check out the Flickr set. ...
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Italian Wedding Soup
2007-08-20 04:09:00
A week ago my mom picked up four pounds of lamb for me at a butcher in Long Island. Because he butchered an 8-pound piece for me, I ended up with two beautiful shanks. After attending my cousin Riva's wedding last night, and because our brunch plans fell apart, AND (for the real reason) because Jessica wasn't feeling well, I decided to make some lamb stock, which would end up in homemade (the best kind) Italian Wedding Soup.First I sauteed the shanks with salt and pepper in extra virgin olive oil in a large stock pot. I let them go for a good 15 minutes, during which time I added 1.5 roughly chopped onions and 3 cloves of garlic. I then caramelized half a can of tomato paste before deglazing with low sodium College Inn chicken broth. I filled the pot with water and added two roughly chopped carrots; two bay leaves (broken in halves), a tablespoon of peppercorns, and a large handful of fresh dill.After bringing it to a boil, I let the stock reduce for about three hours. Towards the ...
Soup
Wedding
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D'Artagnan Organic Chicken-- Baked
2007-08-18 15:42:00
Last night I ate one of the best pieces of chicken of my life, if not the best.When I came home from work, Jessica was standing over a freshly butchered chicken from D'Artagnan (as in ducks, not Dumas). We had never tried one of their items before, and we were eager to see if the organic aspect (no antibiotics, no growth hormones, no arsenicals and no artificial light) made a difference in the taste. I joked about deep frying the bird, but Jessica had a better idea.Using the Crispy Baked Chicken recipe from Karen Wingate on AllRecipes as inspiration, Jessica coated the chicken in one beaten egg (rather than milk) and baked the chicken, also excluding the melted butter from the recipe. It's a good thing too, this was one of the juiciest chickens either of us have eaten. To give credit where it's due, Jessica did a perfect job cooking it, and the recipe was a great recipe; but this bird played a big role.The meat had a wonderful texture and for once, the saying, "it tastes like chicken ...
Baked
Chicken
Organic
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Goodbye Once Again....
2007-08-17 23:15:00
About a year ago, I was very excited to announce that my secret Korean Grandma shop had re-opened. Well, I tried ordering for delivery and the number was disconnected. I had to walk by and see if it was true and yes, it's closed!!! What sadness =( ...
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Tillman's
2007-08-15 20:40:00
My friend Sheryl gathered a small group of us for a few drinks in honor of Wymen's birthday. She chose this chill place in Chelsea called Tillman's Tillman's, styled after an old school Harlem speakeasy. They play a good selection of music and start to remove some seating as the back gets crowded later in the night. The service is there to please and the oddly mixed crowd (60% black, 25% white, 10% Asian, 5% other) is well dressed. Lon and I had eaten dinner already but were sad we did. The menu, with a Grilled Cheese Theme in several gourmet variations, sounded so good, now we'll have to go back! ...
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Honeydew Nectarine?
2007-08-14 23:22:00
Wow, just saw this new hybrid fruit, the honeydew nectarine. I haven't tried it yet but can't wait....anyone try it yet? ...
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Soup Man
2007-08-13 15:48:00
I wanted soup on Fri since it was pretty cold and rainy. I decided to try the Soup Man Soup Man, 1 block from my office, and as soon as I noticed the prices, I wished it wasn't raining so I could motivate myself to walk further for lunch. I resorted to a cup size vegetarian soup, the cheapest thing they have. It came out to $5.36 for 8 oz of soup, bread, and a choice of banana or a tiny apple. The Lentil Soup was good but not good enough for those prices. I tasted the Tomato Wild Rice and it was way too sweet. The meat and seafood flavors go into the $7-10 range for a 16 oz, the size I normally get from anywhere else. I just had 16 oz of Seafood Gumbo from Food Exchange (on Broadway, can't find a link or address for them) for under $5 a few days before. I will never go to Soup Man again! Total rip-off! ...
Soup
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Good Concept, Failed
2007-08-10 19:35:00
I had lunch with my friend Jill, founder and owner of The Dish's Dishes, a cool twist on private cheffing. The 2 foodies met at Borough Food & Drink Borough Food & Drinkfor what seemed like a cool concept. They collect all the best stuff from the different boroughs and create a menu around it. They source from places like Russ & Daughters, Sullivan Street Bakery, and more. I had high hopes but my Jerk Chicken was dry, sitting on top of even drier rice and beans, with a spicy but flavorless scotch bonnet sauce. We shared the Tobacco Onion Rings which were good but excessivley salty. I didn't finish my dish or the onion rings which is not a good sign and to top it off, it was an expensive lunch. At around $21 per person, I can think of plenty of other places I'd rather be. ...
Concept
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Yoshi Japanese Restaurant and Mary's Vermont Dairy
2007-08-07 03:32:00
I saw some good reviews on Yoshi Japanese Restaurant Yoshi Japanese Restaurantso I was excited to go. Lon, Andy, and I were all disappointed. The quality was a bit below average and the cuts were terribly ugly. The salmon pieces had a whole layer of fat left on and the yellowtail was an awful cut that made it unrecognizable. The salad that comes with each dinner is also really sad. The wilted greens and watered down dressing set the stage for the coming meal.While we were walking home, we spotted a Mary's DairyMary's Dairy. Lon bought a chocolate and cheesecake fudge that looked much better than it tasted. I asked the employee if the ice cream had food coloring in it and he said he didn't know. To play it safe, I only tried the cookies and cream and the Yin-Yang (milk chocolate with dark chocolate pieces), flavors I could reasonably assume were not colored. The cookies and cream was super sweet with cream over-powering the cookie part. Andy and I both got the Yin-Yang, surprisingly ...
Restaurant
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Sunburnt Cow is Over-Cooked
2007-08-05 15:42:00
For Edgar's birthday, Friday night, we joined him, Qiang, and eight other friends for dinner at Australian-styled The Sunburnt Cow The Sunburnt Cow. Two friends were there early, at about 6:30, having come straight from work; we got there at 7:45, and everyone was there in time for the 8pm reservation-- a rare occurence in NYC. We were promptly seated just past the bar. The front of the restaurant is a standard bar, with two projectors displaying random movies askew -- that night "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" was playing. That's where the good part of the night ended.Ordering at Sunburnt is similar to that of something like a cheap theme restaurant. You sit down to a paper menu with a pencil handy. You check off what you want to eat and hand in the menu. While the kitsch is what it is, we were unimpressed, particularly when it turns out that one item was unavailable and they ran out of a second item-- both which we learned AFTER turning in our orders. This point highlighted another flaw in t ...
Cow
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How to eat: Sushi
2007-08-05 02:46:00
Here's an extensive, and well-written guide on how to eat sushi. I don't agree with everything he says, but it's generally good. ...
Sushi
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La Mela has a Lunch Special
2007-08-03 20:57:00
My friends at Signature Bank told me about the $8 lunch special at La Mela La Mela . They don't have the lunch special on the menu so I don't know how people would know about it. Everyone else in the restaurant seemed to be eating off the regular menu. It's a choice of Eggplant Parmigian, Chicken Parmigian, Veal Pamigian, or Spaghetti and Meatball (notice the lack of the s since it's only 1 meatball). It comes with bread and an oily salad. It's pretty decent except for the 1 meatball pasta but I don't like it enough to go again. ...
Lunch
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Herr's Whole Grain Pretzel Sticks
2007-08-01 20:19:00
I snack on pretzels pretty often but I'm not generally loyal to any brand. There are slight differences in quality but not much, so I'll usually just buy whichever one is on sale. That's how I came across Herr's Whole Grain Pretzel Sticks. I was a bit reluctant since I'm not a fan of Herr's potato chips but I'm glad I gave them a shot. These "multigrain pretzels with flax and honey" are actually unique in the world of pretzels. For some reason, I taste pumpernickel but the ingredients include everything but.....tons of different grains and poppy, sesame, and caraway seeds. Lon and I also noted that they use a good salt on the outside. If you're not worried about your sodium intake, try this healthy snack. ...
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Sushi in Chelsea
2007-07-31 21:05:00
Lon's new office at Linkstorm is in Chelsea so we were planning on trying Monster Sushi Monster Sushi for lunch but they're closed for renovations until September 4th. We walked around the corner and spotted Hana Sushi Hana Sushi . It was pretty crowded so we gave it a shot. We both got the Sashimi Bento Box lunch special which is pretty cheap for $8.50. The box includes salad, seaweed salad, rice, miso soup, shrimp shumai, and the sashimi. It's all pretty average and the knife skills on the fish are extra sloppy but I didn't expect much with those prices anyway. ...
Chelsea
Sushi
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Clemente's Maryland Crabhouse
2007-07-29 23:04:00
This Maryland style waterfront crabhouse is actually in Brooklyn. It is a bit tough to find but well worth the effort. My friend Anthony told me about Clemente's Maryland Crabhouse Clemente's Maryland Crabhouse a few days ago and when I shared the info with Lon and my parents, we didn't hesitate to check it out ourselves.For $29.95, it's All-You-Can-Eat crab. They prepare it in 2 ways, the traditional Old Bay or garlic and oil. Both ways taste great and the crab is cooked perfectly!! It comes with not so good corn and decent french fries, and a roll of paper towels, shell crackers, and bibs. There's also a whole menu of other items like soup, salads, and other seafood dishes. The service is good and the waitresses are always eager to bring you more crabs.It took me almost 3 hours to eat 12 crabs and a plate of french fries (that's refillable too) and I'm dying to do it again. This is going on my list of favorite things to do on the weekends! ...
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Tap Water is Good Water
2007-07-28 05:31:00
No wonder we like Aquafina... PepsiCo announced that Aquafina is, in fact, just tap water. I have no problem with that-- I love tap water. However, I still prefer Poland Spring. ...
Water
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Cafe Fiorello
2007-07-27 16:59:00
You'd think that Cafe Fiorello Cafe Fiorello would be a tourist trap since it's across from Lincoln Center, but it's actually got great food. After attending the last night of Midsummer Night Swing, we headed over for dinner.The table of 5 shared 2 appetizers. The prosciutto with melon was delicious. Fresh melon, expertly sliced meat, and a surprise dab of marscapone. What a nice touch! The salad of poached pears, sugared pecans, and fried goat cheese was fantastic. The blackberry dressing was unique and wonderful. Sadly, this item is a special and not available on their regular menu.Most of us ordered pizzas, which are super thin with quality ingredients. Lon had their signature lasagna. It looks like a lasagna pastry with 3 meatballs on top. It's yummy! My only regret is not coordinating to order a wider variety of foods. They have an amazing display of antipastos in front. I stared on my way out wishing I could have some.I went to Cafe Fiorello years ago with my family and it wa ...
Cafe
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Happy Birthday to... me. At Del Posto!
2007-07-27 03:42:00
For my birthday, Jessica treated me to a wonderful dinner at Del Posto Del Posto. For those of you who aren't in the know, Del Posto is Lidia and (her son) Joe Bastianich's and Mario Batali's largest (at least fiscally-speaking) venture. About two weeks ago, Jessica grabbed reservations on OpenTable and let them know it was my birthday, and asked if they could do anything special. And they did.In my oh so (not) humble opinion, they gave us the best table for two in the house. It was located in the upper level, to the right where there are only three tables and ours is in middle over-looking the entire restaurant. It's substantially quieter up there and you feel like you're in a private space. We were seated by the greeter/maitre'd and then visited by our waiter, who spoke with an accent and oddly forgot words like "herb" which I assume he uses regularly. But it's forgiveable because he was a great waiter with a wonderful personality. Same with the two busers who served us bread, ...
Birthday
Happy Birthday
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Korean Fried Chicken
2007-07-24 20:20:00
Over the years, I've lost interest in reading the generic food articles written up in most newspapers and magazines. The same subjects get re-used over and over again, while restaurant reviews are not honest (pumping up whoever is paying top advertising dollars), and the recipes are either old or untested.My friend Andy sent me this article about Korean Fried Chicken and it really caught my interest and it was a quick and easy read. Surprise, Surprise. Next time, I'm in Queens, I'll be trying some of their recommendations.Hey, if anyone has tried any of those places, let me know what you think! ...
Chicken
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Peking Duck Forest
2007-07-23 17:16:00
Peking Duck Forest Peking Duck Forest is surprisingly authentic. Located by the Austin Street shopping area in Forest Hills, you'd think it was one of those typical Chinese restaurants with the Lo Mein, General Tso's, and Chicken with Broccoli. While those dishes are also offered, you can also get the real stuff if you know what to order.The Peking Duck there is superb, from the flavor and texture of the duck skin to the house made wraps, to the friendly chef who carves your duck table side. Don't worry if you're a first timer, the chef also expertly makes each wrap for you with the right proportion of scallion, cucumber, duck and sauce. Just enjoy watching and then eating.I also recommend dishes like Dungeoness Crab, Imperial Stuffed Lettuce Leaves, and Shrimp Stuffed Tofu. The prices are good, the staff is friendly, and you can get real Chinese food without going to a whole in the wall joint in Chinatown. ...
Forest
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Oscar's at Waldorf Astoria
2007-07-21 21:33:00
My boss took me to lunch at Oscar's Oscar's for a break from the heat (our office had no air conditioning as a result of the steam pipe explosion on 43rd Street). They do a good job maintaining a cool temperature without being freezing like most air conditioned restaurants.Each table is given a basket of fresh breads, a raisin fennel, a cheese topped, and regular French. We split a crab cake appetizer which was good because it was mostly crab but had a weird choice of condiments. A spicy barbecue was smeared across the plate. A blob of a ketchup mayo mix sat on the side. A small clump of guacamole was on top. The guacamole worked for me and the other 2 sauces didn't.I ordered the Zuppa di Pesce and Roger had the Grilled Rare Yellow Fin Tuna Panini. The shellfish in my dish were cooked perfectly (especially the shrimp) but the sea bass was a bit over-cooked. The tomato-herb broth was very flavorful and great for dipping. The overall impression was a good one especially since it was ...
Astoria
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Bryggen Kaviar
2007-07-21 16:12:00
The incredibly poor quality image to the right is that of a tube of special caviar made cod fish. Normally, cod (and it's subsequent family members haddock, whiting, and pollock) are considered mild flavored (a.k.a. tasteless) fish. How so then is their roe so damn delicious!?It turns out that by curing the roe and adding just the right ingredients, and injecting the product into a blue cylinder, you can actually create a tube of heaven, and it would be called Bryggen Kaviar. The product is sold by Domstein Enghav, who in their parent company's business concept page says "Domstein shall be... the preferred supplier of marine value added products in selected markets." Well if the market is bacon toothpaste, then my god, they have succeeded!The products ingredients are 1/2 sugar salted and smoked roe (52%) from codfish caught in the North East Atlantic Ocean, rapeseed oil, sugar, water, salt, potato flakes, tomato puree, preservative, anti-oxidant, citric acid, and colour. The result ...
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