At Eater, our jobs leave us with some leftovers, both literal and figurative. Here’s a mix of recent dining observations, recommendations, and other fixations from across the Eater crew. |
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I ate New York City’s elusive new banh mi. I used to consider the bread in banh mi primarily a conduit for the filling: essential, but not really why I was there. This, of course, was naivete; the bread matters just as much, if not more, than what’s inside it. It’s for this reason that I’ve been so excited about Phê, the new cafe from the team behind Mắm, which currently serves banh mi on a weekend pop-up basis. Some weekends, the cafe serves the more deconstructed bánh mì chảo: sizzling platters of meat and eggs, with a side of bread for scooping and sopping, plus spreads and pickled vegetables. On others, like this past weekend, you’ll find more straightforward banh mi, filled with crispy pork belly or tofu, assembled on a metal cart that faces the sidewalk and prompts pedestrians to stop for a look. The constant is the bread: a perfectly golden torpedo with a web of tiny cracks running across its shiny surface. It’s visual proof of how light and delicately crispy this bread — made in-house — is. Instead of the denser chew and thicker crust of French baguette, this bread is pork-rind crackly, with an airy interior that pulls into cotton-like wisps. I’ll go to Phê for whichever way they’re serving it.
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Photo credit: Bettina Makalintal |
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Hilary Pollack was delighted by a fancy potato on a recent trip to NYC: “The recently opened Somssi in Greenwich Village has many charms, from the custom hand-stitched curtain decorating its door to its warm service to its selection of mini cocktails, but the most memorable thing from my cozy dinner there was the ‘potato, potato, potato, and caviar,’ a fluffy sort of hash brown wrapped in a quilt of shredded potatoes and topped with a heap of caviar. It’s a decadent creation that makes the humble potato feel downright luxurious.” (Somssi is on our list of the best new restaurants in Manhattan right now; download the Eater app to follow along and save the ones you’d like to try.)
Nadia Chaudhury finally experienced an important rite of passage: “We’ve been members of Costco for a few months, but my husband’s been the one to brave the crowds IRL. Recently, though, I decided to go with him. What I found was complete chaos — goods stocked without any rhyme or reason — but also, most importantly, we shared my very first Costco dog. I liked the snappy beef frank and the pillowy bun, and that the condiment bar had both regular mustard and deli mustard (I went with the latter). It was huge enough to share, and I would get it again!”
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Photo credit: Dianne de Guzman |
In the Bay Area, Dianne de Guzman has a new favorite honey walnut shrimp: “The execution of honey walnut shrimp can be all over the board, but it’s a dish I love all the same. And when it’s outstanding, it makes me sit up and take notice. The hot honey shrimp at Oakland pop-up Dai Pai Dai Lo is one such version. First off, the plate of tiger shrimp is just as generous as the picture makes it look — already an excellent start — with about 10 ounces of plump, juicy shrimp, as Vincent Yu (the chef behind the pop-up) recently told me in an interview. Impressively, each shrimp managed to maintain its crisp, fried exterior even after being tossed in mayo. The dish delivers serious flavor punches, namely in the habanero Kewpie mayo, the pickled and fresh radishes, and the grated horseradish on top. It’s a combination that comes together in unexpected ways, and it didn’t sit on the table for long. Every future honey walnut shrimp order will probably be compared to this one.”
Ben Mesirow is following a roving Los Angeles pop-up: “At this point, Angelenos have seen an expanse of global dishes tucked into a tortilla — Korean barbecue, chicken tikka masala, and more — but the concept at Camello, the pop-up from chef Ronnie Muñoz, feels intriguing for its novelty: fresh pita made from heirloom corn and wheat flours filled with elements inspired by the historical culinary exchange between Mexico and Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and the greater Levant. But Muñoz’s cooking is no gimmick; menu mainstays like chicken al pastor and mushroom adobada pita sandwiches are a delight, and no one should miss the koji-cured wings marinated in hoja santa. Lately, Muñoz has been running a branzino special that captured my imagination: Crispy skin on the filet crackles despite a healthy pour of bright, herbaceous hoja santa zhoug, all rounded out by a creamy, sharp green garlic toum. It is a massive and luxurious sandwich that holds together in a purplish pita — a masterpiece of structural engineering and a testament to the power of corn and wheat working together.”
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Photo credit: Missy Frederick |
Missy Frederick took advantage of soft-shell crab season in Virginia: “I always get excited when soft-shell season descends, but I’ve had a surprisingly tough time getting my hands on one this year. Places I would normally expect to stock the fleeting delicacy haven’t stocked them, so I keep striking out, but when my sister and I braved near-100-degree weather to bike to Arlington’s The Salt Line for lunch on July 4, we were rewarded for our efforts with a soft-shell crab special. The delicately fried crustacean got the Nashville hot treatment in a satisfying coating with just enough spice. A menu item that combines two iconic regional dishes? That’s my kind of ‘American’ food.”
Stephanie Wu went to a buzzy new bar in Washington, D.C.: “Despite the influx of coverage for Eebee’s Corner Bar (including our own Dining Report), a colleague and I got in pretty easily on a recent weekday, showing up about five minutes before the doors opened at 5 p.m. and snagging seats at the bar. We ordered the giant mozzarella sticks, as well as the McSorley’s-inspired fried saltine and cheddar plate, both of which made great bar snacks. Of course, we washed it all down with martinis — and I was thrilled to see Old Raj, a spirit I’ve been looking out for at bars everywhere, as a gin option.”
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Gourmega — from the same mind that brought you the acclaimed Ghetto Gastro collective — will bring its innovative culinary perspective to Eater World's Fare with a dedicated dining pop-up, powered by Square. This exciting collaboration will give attendees a free bite from one of New York's hottest new restaurants while celebrating New York's vibrant independent food culture that Square is dedicated to supporting. |
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