How does the bar chef at a hip new downtown cocktail lounge stand apart from the competition? Spending over two years traveling the world to research the finest liquors, fruits, herbs and botanicals certainly can't hurt. That's exactly what Apotheke bar chef Albert Trummer did before starting work on his soon to open cocktail laboratory in Chinatown. We met up with Trummer a little while back while he was in LA consulting at Fraiche and working on research for Apothéke. Watch our short video of Trummer as he talks about his background and his menu of "liquid cuisine." Apothéke is scheduled to open at 9 Doyers Street at Pell in mid September.
Also on Savory Tidbits this week:
- A moment of Zen with master sushi chef Naomichi Yasuda of Sushi Yasuda
// This Week's Restaurant Reviews //
- NY Times: Frank Bruni gives East Village Italian Perbacco 2 of 4 stars, "Not every dish at Perbacco succeeds. But something is indeed happening here, and apparently has been for four months, since the restaurant welcomed Simone Bonelli, a 26-year-old chef brimming with ideas and ambition...It's experimental, Lupa meets WD-50. Across much of the menu, Mr. Bonelli plays games."
- Dining Briefs: Frank Bruni is the latest to file a mixed review for Forge citing "inconsistent" food coming out of the kitchen and "ridiculously long" wait for food to arrive the table.
- New York Magazine: Platt reviews Matsugen giving it 1 star "Matsugen isn't really Jean-Georges' restaurant. The kitchen is run by the Matsushita brothers, three noodle maestros who also operate restaurants in Tokyo and Honolulu. Their specialty is the Japanese buckwheat noodle called soba, which they make fresh here every day. But soba is a casual dish, and to provide the necessary big-restaurant heft (and cash flow), the Matsushitas have added a hodgepodge of options, including workmanlike tempura, pricey, uninspired sushi, even a ridiculously effete version of shabu-shabu."
- The New York Sun: Oy veh, another review that compares X restaurant to Momofuku empire... Paul Adams reviews Kafana "There is a breed of trendy restaurant where one gets the sense that the chef thinks he or she was the first to discover meat. The group of Momofuku establishments, which serve dozens of pork-exalting dishes to a young clientele that seems unendingly starry-eyed about them, is a prime example. I see Kafana as a response to this breed of restaurant. Is Kafana newly opened? Check. In a hip neighborhood? Check. Glorifying meat? Deliciously. But there's nothing sassy about the little rustic bistro, no assumption that carnivory is a misunderstood art, or one ripe for reinvention."
// Blogs, Newsletters...etc. //
- Forked, Alan Richman reviews Soccarat Paella Bar.
"In general, the paella is better than the tapas, and it's also, as paella tends to be, colorful and appealing. Of course it has the standard downside of any one-pot dish, too many items overcooked. (In the case of our Paella Valenciana, it was the rabbit and the asparagus that suffered most.) A few fava beans added at the end had a vibrancy that was lacking in the other vegetables."Richman also reports on Veritas, saying that the restaurant has finally found an attentive and able chef in Gregory Pugin. - Jean-Georges uses his blog to file a whiny response to Adam Platt's lackluster review of Vongerichten's new project, Matsugen. We plan to visit soon, especially after hearing from Thomas Keller last week that he had an enjoyable meal there.
- Grub Street reports on Minca Ramen Factory's forthcoming ramen house (cue Momofuku reference).
// Related News //
- Frank Bruni revisits Sushi Yasuda and reports that it still holds the same standard of excellence as when William Grimes reviewed it in 2000.
- Mildly humorous article from Steve Cuozzo about the worst week to dine in NYC (that would be this past week) and the little things that get under his skin.
// Events Around Town //
- Autumn Harvest Feast at the James Beard House with guest chef Mary Dumont of Harvest restaurant in Cambridge, MA.
- Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard demos a "signature recipe" from the show and you get to be the judge. Astor Center, Sept 8th and 11th, $195
- Plan ahead for this popular food tour of Arthur Avenue in the Bronx with Mike Colameco. Friday, Oct 17th 11am-4pm, $150.
// This Week in Jennifer's "Want to Try" List //
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