Results tagged: East Village

By Laren Spirer

Don't let Brian McGrory's charm, Scottish lilt, and good looks fool you -- he's a man on a mission. His mission? To get you to love gin. As the Beverage Director at Double Crown and Madam Geneva, Brian has one of the city's most extensive gin list at his disposal, as well as several other tricks up his sleeve.

How did you get into the cocktail business?

I got into the business by default. I was in San Francisco during the whole dot com crash and I couldn't get any work whatsoever. I was unemployed and ended up bar backing at this great music club called Café Du Nord for about eight months. We had the most amazing old school bartender who was so into classic cocktails, his bitters, and little mixtures. He actually taught me everything - all the basics of bartending. It wasn't this huge luxury establishment, but it was an institution. He was very passionate about freshness and balance and drinks tasting how they should be - sugar/acid balance and presentation and all that.

Dirt Candy owner and chef Amanda Cohen has put time in at some of NYC's most acclaimed vegetarian restaurants, including Pure Food and Wine and the now shuttered Heirloom (one of our first videos - watch it below). "I like cooking with vegetables because they allow me to work with more subtle flavors and more complex, layered tastes," says Cohen. Dishes include portobello mousse with truffled pear and fennel compote and carrot risotto with carrot dumplings and parmesan curls (see the full menu below). Debbie Lee, formerly of P*Ong, in is charge of the eclectic dessert menu with options like popcorn pudding with hazelnut caramel corn. As you might expect, the 18-seat Dirt Candy is certified by the Green Restaurant Association and is made of recycled and sustainable materials.

Chef Pedigree:

• In 2005, opened Matthew Kenney's Heirloom on the LES as chef de cuisine.
• In 2004, helped Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngalis open Pure Food and Wine.
• In 2002, opened and ran the kitchen of Moby's Teany on the Lower East Side.
• Landed in NYC at Diner Bar in Harlem.
• Graduated from the Natural Gourmet Cookery School Chef's Training Program in NYC.

Location: 430 East 9th Street, between Avenue A and 1st Avenue. Public Transit options: 6 to Astor Place, F to 2nd Ave and the M8 bus.

Reservations: Call 212-228-7732 or visit OpenTable. 

View the Dirt Candy listing on Savory Cities.

Amanda Cohen talks about Heirloom where she was executive chef in 2005.

The Menu:

Snack
Jalapeno Hush Puppies
served with maple butter

// This Week on Savory New York //

Una Pizza Napoletana is the stage on which Anthony Mangieri presents his passion and obsession: authentic Neapolitan-style pizza. The end result of Mangieri's vision is a beautiful 12" pizza with a delicious slightly charred sourdough crust. Our favorite among the four pizzas offered is the Margherita, which is made from the highest quality San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella di bufala, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh basil and Sicilian sea salt. Its simplicity is its beauty and the taste is out of this world.

Stop by for a visit when Anthony returns from summer vacation next Thursday, September 12th, but before you do make sure to check out our new video of Una Pizza Napoletana featuring the affable Mr. Mangieri.

Also on Savory Tidbits this week:

• Writer Jennifer Silverman discovers the "Magical Belgian" cheese.

// Recently Opened //

• Black Iron Burger Shop - Citysearch has the evidence that this long delayed East Village burger joint owned in part by Jason Hennings of the E.U. is now open. In the pro column: the burger is $7 and they're open until 3am. Cons TBD.

// This Week's Restaurant Reviews //

• NY Times: Frank Bruni visits Elizabeth and gives it 1 of 4 stars "Elizabeth is inconsistent, probably because of dynamics that plague too many New York restaurants. At the start, it had a consulting chef who brainstormed ideas, helped write the menu and then moved on, leaving the execution to lesser mortals."
• $25 and Under visits 3 hamburger joints; 67 Burger in Fort Greene, 5 Napkin Burger in Midtown West and Joy Burger Bar on the Upper East Side.
• NY Post's Steve Cuozzo visits Convivio. "This is a restaurant that makes you glad to live in New York, a town where cultures mesh almost as merrily as the flavors in White's malloreddus - not a smelly pasta, but a winning marriage of toothsome Sardinian saffron gnocchi, crab and sea urchin, with unexpected crackle from discreetly hidden bread crumbs."

// Blogs, Newsletters...etc. //

• In a "compare and contrast" article, Alan Richman reviews Matsugen. The chuckle inducing review compares Platt's (1 star) to Bruni's (3 star) review and then Richman imparts his opinion on the reader,  siding with Bruni over Platt. "For the most part, I agree with Bruni. I don't know if Matsugen is brave, but it is excellent and even more than that, it's an important restaurant, offering high-level, classic Japanese dining unavailable anywhere else in Manhattan. The uni, from Japan, is richer, more full-flavored than the usual Santa Barbara uni commonly found in New York."
• Where in the world is Andrew Carmellini? Eater reports that he's making a play for the old Tasting Room Space on Elizabeth for a "small rustic Italian spot."
• Grub Street slims down after Cutlets' departure.

// In Other News //

• Florence Fabricant has an exhaustive list of restaurants we can look forward to visiting this fall.
• Gordon Ramsay is planning to open up a new restaurant "in the style of a cafe/bistro." [NY Post]
• Picking up where Sex and the City left off, Gossip Girl is the new vehicle for star-struck 20 something obsessives to trace the footsteps of their fictional idols at restaurants like Gilt and Geisha. [Bloomberg]

// Events Around Town //

• Tickets are on sale now for LIVE at the New York Public Library events featuring Ferran Adria (10/10) and Grant Achatz (10/29). Tickets are $15 for the public and $10 for Friends of the NYPL. These tix will go fast so get 'em before they're all gone.
• The New School Writing Program and Food Studies department present 'Food Writing Forum: Gastronomica Magazine' a reading and discussion with Darra Goldstein, founding editor of Gastronomica, with magazine contributors Sarah A. Odisheo and Arlo Crawford. Luis Jaramillo, Associate Chair of the New School Writing Program will moderate. Tuesday, September 9, 6:30pm, admission $5. Call 212 229-5488 for tickets or email boxoffice@newschool.edu for additional info.

Opening night jitters were non-existent for Paul Grieco and Marco Canora as they opened the door to their new East Village wine bar, Terroir. This lovely, small yet big windowed spot is located about six doors down from Hearth, the duo's first restaurant. Chris and I were lucky enough to grab two seats at the bar and were handed a red binder with "I Hate" written in white-out on the front cover. "It's nothing personal" said our bar friend with a smile ("I Love" was written on the back). There are several of these high-school-style three ringed binders, scrawled with indelible ink doodles, distressed to look like they were pulled from an 11th graders locker. The pages it contains, aren't innumerable, nor is there a wine tome, and it was devoid of a manifesto. The binders contain just a few printed sheets laying out the thoughtful wine and food options.

In typical Paul Grieco fashion, the wine list is truly unique. It is adventurous, but at the same time accessible. Paul Grieco is a master when it comes to choosing wines and what he's done with Terroir shows off his talents (similarly displayed at Hearth and Insieme). The difference with Terroir is that at their two other restaurants, you arrive expecting a big list. You might even expect a big list at Terroir given the name, but instead you're given a concise list that still has a respectable breadth of choice.  I spoke with Paul briefly a few months before the opening and he told me that he strongly believes in the seasonality of wine. From what I could tell from tonight, it seems like the format for wine at Terroir will follow this philosophy. Only time will tell.

Terroir works because not only do you get to drink fantastic wine, but you can do so while eating Marco Canora's food. I believe, "off the hook" would be an appropriate term to use here. We've eaten at both Hearth and Insieme and had great meals each time. But what Marco's doing at Terroir is really exciting because you get to sit down in a casual environment and eat expertly crafted food without the commitment of a bigger meal.

We ordered a few of the smaller plates on the menu and each one was A+. A trio of beet risotto balls delivered the perfect balance of a crispy fried exterior, delicate earthiness from the beet and a slight punch from a touch of Gorgonzola. A turkey wing was deboned, cut in half, deep fried and lightly dressed with a mild tomato-based sauce. Baccala mantecato was served warm on a piece of rustic country bread. The smooth texture and rich flavor of the fish made for a very comforting bruschetta. With a large chunk of the menu still left to explore, we look forward to returning soon.