New York in 5 dishes
Food editor at large Marjan Ippel eats her way through New York. From Greenpoint in Brooklyn to Soho in Manhattan. And from pizza to kale salad. But what are the five dishes she, now back home, still dreams about?
1. Mario’s meatballs at red sauce restaurant Carbone in The Village, Manhattan. $$$$
Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick had already run several Italian-American restaurants when, not so long ago, they opened the so-called red sauce restaurant Carbone. A themed restaurant that transports you back to the 1950s, in terms of atmosphere and décor, music and food. In other words, classic Italian-American with lots of red sauce (think: the film Big Night). And of these, Mario’s meatballs, veal meatballs in red sauce, are the most memorable (and affordable).
Coincidentally, Lucky Peach has just published the recipe.
2. Radishes, seaweed butter, salt and lemon at Roberta’s pizza in Bushwick, Brooklyn. $$
If there was one pizza place that had a buzz around it from the start, it was Roberta’s in Brooklyn’s newest hip neighborhood, Bushwick. It looks like a squat. And the ‘alto’ staff also make you feel as if you’ve landed at a squatters’ party. But make no mistake: what comes out of the kitchen is definitely not squatters’ fare. Absolutely memorable pizzas (such as white and greens: mozzarella, Parmesan, market vegetables and lemon). But the biggest surprise was this starter.
3. ‘Cacio e pepe’ (AKA butter noodles) at Momofuku Nishi in Chelsea, Manhattan. $$$
Perhaps the most Instagrammed dish of the moment, these al dente noodles floating in butter, topped with a load of black pepper and Parmesan. And rightly so. The flavor of culinary mastermind David Chang’s take on Roman cacio e pepe is nothing like what you could imagine. And at the same time, everything.
4. Spicy cumin lamb handripped noodles at Xi’an Famous Foods in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. $
This authentically grimy Chinese ‘snackbar’ pays tribute to the little-known cuisine of the northwestern city of Xi’an. Once the beginning of the Silk Road, it is therefore a fusion of Chinese and Middle Eastern cuisines. That means: lots of cumin and chili and Sichuan peppers. The hand-torn ‘biang biang’ noodles in hot oil are a local specialty. And they make you long for an XFF location in the Netherlands.
5. Finely chopped black kale with spicy anchovy dressing, aged Gouda and hazelnuts at Five Leaves in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. $$
Kale has been a hipster hit in New York for years, and despite various reports to the contrary, that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. You can eat it in the most bizarre forms. But I won’t rest until I’ve mastered this simple yet ridiculously delicious salad.
Text & images: Marjan Ippel
