Tag Archives: 5 Chubbys
Pok Pok NY: finger lickin’ good wings in Brooklyn
Dear Food Diary:
You can’t seem to mention Pok Pok NY without bringing up their wings. So popular, in fact, Pok Pok Wing even made it to Manhattan for a short while. Unfortunately, that was cut short and the only way to taste these finger lickin’ good wings is crossing the bridge to Brooklyn. The wings recipe comes from Vietnam, but most of the menu is Thai, mainly North and Northeast of Thailand.
Red Hook Lobster Pound: Maine in Brooklyn (+recipes)
Dear Food Diary:
This summer I couldn’t make it to Maine for the ultimate crustacean feast, but Red Hook Lobster Pound brought it to me…well, sorta… in Brooklyn…
Live lobsters steamed to order. It’s summer eatin’ every season here, where the tables are wooden, the bibs are hanging and getting your hands dirty is a must.
ATERA: chef + forager + mad scientist + artist
Dear Food Diary:
For StalkerBoy’s birthday this year, I wanted to surprise him with a little more than just a “nice” meal. I was aiming for that ecstatic moment when you’re ripping the wrapping paper of a gift, only with every dish and each bite (which would save me on an actual gift! LOL). Atera’s concept of “foraged-food” (the first in NY) fit to a tee. I was only able to snatch a reservation on Friday the 13th (“lucky” us).
Foraging is a new movement adapted by many young chefs. At Atera, chef Matt Lightner brings nature to our plates through modern cooking techniques. Think man in the wild with the heart of a mad scientist, the sense of a creative artist, in an impeccable kitchen, serving up surprises, one after the other.
Nothing was what it seemed…
Per Se: Perfectly beautiful and exquisite
Dear Food Diary:
Per Se was just named #6 on the 2012 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list (moving up 4 spots).
A while back, our dear J was leaving NYC after her nuptials, so for her bachelorette party/day, we took her to Per Se for lunch to start the celebration. We wanted this to be a memorable time for all of us and surely we weren’t disappointed. And though I can’t say it was the best meal ever, it surely was one of them.
BOHEMIAN NYC: the no phone number “secret” joint behind the butcher shop
Dear Food Diary:
A couple years ago, I had my first taste of Japanese Premium Beef and it was unforgettable. This high end/high quality butcher sells Washu-gyu beef (a black angus/wagyu cross raised in Oregon, using strictly Japanese techniques), think kobe beef of America.
Behind the spotless shop you’ll find their adjacent restaurant Bohemian, which has been on my list since ’09, so I finally set a date with StalkerBoy. After all this time, it might not be as “secret” anymore, but I was still excited.
They have a strict reservation by phone only policy, the problem is, their number isn’t listed anywhere! (In order to keep it “secret” they’ve respectfully asked everyone not to publish it, though if you dug a little on the internet you should be able to figure it out).