at the sign of The Pink Pig

Discreet élan From The Waltucks

[Pigging  by Wilfrid:  July 29, 2014]

Discreet élan is, of course, an oxymoron. Élan is fireworks and fanfares. It's roast swan, stuffed with a goose. It's ten-foot photographs of Chuck Close's face, filling a wall in a narrow corridor behind a bar.

 It's not--decidedly not--David Waltuck's cooking or Karen Waltuck's service. Once you're past big Chuck, this restaurant might be called Discrète. But is that a bad thing?

Big Apple BBQ & Other Classy Snacking: Ten Years Ago

[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid:  July 29, 2014]

The Big Apple Barbecue block party really has become something of an institution, hasn't it?  Over ten years now, and although I quickly got turned off by the crowds and costly VIP passes, I paid attention in the early days.

Apart from cooking up some soft shell crab at home, this week ten years ago I was out and about and snacking.

Sierra Nevada's Summer Beer Camp

[Pigging by Wilfrid:  July 24, 2014]

To the tap room at Whole Foods Columbus Circle, for a complimentary tasting of the twelve brews which represent Sierra Nevada's "Beer Camp Across America." These are limited edition beers, so the mixed 12-pack (very modestly priced at $24.99) will go fast. It was released this week.

The beer camp itself is a series of festivals celebrating local brewers and their micro-suds. It kicked off on Saturday at Sierra Nevada's home hop field in Chico, California. You can find the full schedule here (and it's selling out fast).

The guys at Real Cheap Eats have a brand new web site. Since they're kind enough to publish contributions from the Pink Pig from time to time I'll pass them the conch:

 

"We're celebrating three years of hunting down New York's affordable, adventurous food by giving our entire dining guide a face lift and introducing a map-based way to explore the city's best dishes for $10 or less.

 

And of course, we've got lots of new eats (over 40 dishes highlighted in our new summer guide) for New Yorkers to seek out while the weather is fine. It may be restaurant week, but you won't find these gems on NYC's fine dining radar. Keep Real Cheap Eats in your pocket to complement those prix-fixe menus.

 

What's new: more map, more eats, and more on the way!

• Our new "explore" feature puts every one of our hand-picked dish recommendations on the map. Our food writers have done all the quality filtering in advance, so you won't waste any time finding something great and affordable to eat near you.

• We've added 44 new dishes in the form of our new summer guide, bringing the total # of dishes in our budget dining guide to over 250.

• This is part of our public beta launch, and we have more features on the way to connect our users directly to our food writers' brain trust. We'll make your meals more memorable without breaking the bank."

Real expensive eats (Blue Hill Stone Barns).

Double Bouley: Ten Years Ago

[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid:  July 21, 2014]

These were days when I, and most enthusiastic diners I knew, had Bouley as their number one fine dining choice in the city.  In 2002, it had re-established itself in the arched window, two dining room space which had been Bouley Bakery, and is now a Citibank,

And there was some serious talent passing through the kitchen in those years: César Ramirez (Brooklyn Fare), Shea Gallante (Cru, Giano), Dave Santos (Louro). What's more, some of us were going often enough that the kitchen knew us, and would devise lengthy, impromptu tasting menus.

Hungy, brunch-time in Red Hook, I was happy with a kind of eggs Benedict at Hope & Anchor, although they didn't call it that. Written as a special on the blackboard, it featured eggs, pico de gallo, cilantro Hollandaise, potatoes, and "greens." Nine bucks well spent.

Quick Bites: Black Ant's Creepy Crawlies

[Pigging by Wilfrid:  July 14, 2014]

Sometimes you just have to give up on taking photographs. Hormiga negra by name, restaurante oscuro by nature.  Couldn't even see what I was pointing the camera at.

From the website gallery.

Candelit, dark wood, black and white tiles, a black ant cartoon overseeing proceedings. Mexican gothic: as is the menu--which on brief inspection, is well-executed.

La Côte Basque's Slight Return: 10 Years Ago

[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid: July 14, 2014]

Bastille Day seems a good day to deal with this history of a little bit of France in New York.

La Côte Basque opened on West 55th Street before I was born (1958--some sources say 1959).  It was created by legendary restaurateur Henri Soulé in the space which had housed New York's first great French restaurant, Le Pavillon (he moved Le Pavillon to 57th Street).

The Cheese: Toma Walser

[Pigging by Wilfrid:  July 9, 2014]

Ever heard of the Walser folk? I honestly hadn't, but apparently the name of this cheese celebrates them. And who wouldn't want to be commemorated by a cheese this good?

That's about a pound of it right there, by the way--about a quarter of a wheel; cow's milk, pasteurised.

Tourondel Returns: Ten Years Ago

[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid:  July 9, 2014]

On July 4, ten years ago, we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge in the sunshine, watched some of the East River fireworks, and had supper at L'Amman, the modest Vietnamese on 3rd Avenue. Summer rolls, dumplings, skewers of vegetables and tofu, some meat dishes.

Speaking of meat, the same week saw Laurent Tourondel's return to the New York restaurant scene with BLT Steak.