Quick Bites: Caravan of Dreams

The Basics: You won’t find portabello mousse at Caravan of Dreams. This is a real, hippydippy vegetarian restaurant. The kind that might scare away a carnivorous skeptic. Half the menu is raw or “live”, while everything is organic, vegan and kosher. Anyone with an open mind willl appreciate the worldly possibilities on the menu. I for one, had my head spinning between spelt pancakes, seitan taquitos, peanut noodles and carrot polenta. Seasonal and local, it is not. There’s plenty of coconut where it doesn’t need to be. You can’t be everything to everyone I guess. Our waitress seemed to have her head in some yonder hemp clouds, but when she finally brought our food it was flavorful and satisfying. Not everything is a success, but you’ll leave Caravan with plenty of new information about some rather wild ingredients.
Cuisine: Vegan, Kosher
Best Dish: Classic nachos with black bean chili, guacamole and salsa.
Food: Good
Service: Poor
Value: Good
Average App/Entree Price: $8/$15
Location: 405 E 6th Street
You Gonna Finish That? Meh, you can taste the side.
Word to the Wise: They serve a $15 prixe-fixe brunch

Balade (Promising in Time)

They  say it’s not fair to review a restaurant a few weeks after it opens. Which is true. But after arriving at Northern Spy Food Company at 9:30 and informed of the 1 hour, 30 minute wait, my friend and I had to think fast.  Luckily, Lebanese newcomer Balade was a stone’s throw away. We were hungry, and eating at 11 wasn’t gonna work. The fact that there were so many people waiting at Northern Spy that the wait time could even get up that high is amazing to me. There are too many options in this city to wait that long anywhere! But, I digress.

Balade was a warm, well-seasoned hug on that cold Friday night. Everyone there was smiling and it smelled wonderful. The small space is intricately designed for this stretch of the East Village. They make good use of the square-footage with a long eating bar (yes I made up that phrase) in the back. We cozied up here and perused the menu of specialties like shawarma, various mezze and the signature pita pizza.

We started with the crisp, Greek Pitza with feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes and kalamata olives, generously dusted with Lebanese za’atar. The crust was paper-thin and they loaded on the fresh toppings. I had the hummus shawarma for my entree which is their signature shawarma (a blend of lamb and chicken I think) on a bed of creamy hummus topped with diced tomatoes, scallions and parsley. The shawarma was tender and sweetly spiced. I loved cloaking the meat in hummus and topping it with the crunch of zesty vegetables. This dish was a real winner for a hummus freak like me. My friend had the chicken shawarma sandweechet with lebanese garlic aioli topped with vegetables. At only 8 bucks, the sandwich was really overshadowed by my platter, not just in size but in flavor. My friend said it was “just OK”, and the meat looked pretty dried out to me.  The sandwich had a couple of lone french fries in the middle which didn’t contribute much.

The successful pitza and my shawarma platter showed great promise for the future of the kitchen, but the service needs a lot of work. Our meal was punctuated by dishes brought too early and a forgotten side salad that never made it to the table, even after a reminder.

Unfortunately they were out of the Lebanese beer that night so I had a Stella followed by a glass of the house Lebanese red. I asked the waitress as she was pouring, if the wine was made from Lebanese grapes. I was excited to try something indigenous. She replied “Yes,” But I cocked my head and glanced at the bottle which listed that it was a blend of Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Lebanese grapes? Not so much. Balade is a casual spot and I don’t expect the waitress to be well-versed in wine, but a simple “I don’t know, let me find out” is better than a complete fabrication.

My service gripes at Balade should be taken with a grain of salt, since we visited only weeks after they opened. Hopefully with better training things will improve because I do like what they’re doing here.

Location: 201 1st Avenue
Cuisine: Lebanese
Food: Good
Service: Good
Average App/Entree Price: $6/$14
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Meh, you can taste the side.

Carrot-Sweet Potato Soup

This delicately sweet and hearty soup is perfect on a snow-filled day like today. With just a few ingredients, the flavors come together. You can get creative here with your favorite greens and spices. I used cumin but feel free to swap for anything else. You can make this soup in advance for weekday lunches or use it to start off a healthy meal.

3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2-inch piece of ginger, chopped
1 1/2 pounds of carrots
1 large sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp cumin

1. Put the oil in a large, deep saucepaun over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the carrots, sweet potato, onion and ginger. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the carrots soften a bit. Add the stock and cook until the vegetables are very tender, 15-20 minutes. Add the cumin.

2. Let cool a bit and pour the soup into a food processor, or use an immersion blender if you have  one (I don’t) to puree the soup. Puree until smooth. At this point you can cover and refrigerate it if you’re making it in advance.

3. To serve, pour the soup back into the pot and heat again for a few minutes. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with parsley if you’d like

This is from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters, with some personal touches.

5 Kosher Wines Your ‘Bubbie’ Never Had

Note: this is a re-post of a piece that I wrote for UnReserved last week

Each year around the Jewish holiday of Passover, we see pieces on kosher wine. “Kosher Wine–it’s not just Manischewitz anymore!” The headline usually reads. Last year I wrote a similar post (Ahem, Kosher Wines Demand Your Attention!) Wine Enthusiast Magazine has given many 90+ scores to kosher wines, increasingly so in the past few years. It’s true that kosher wine quality is improving by leaps and bounds.
I attended the Kosher Restaurant & Wine Experience last week, which blew me away. No less than 1,000 people attended, compared to a few hundred last year, signifying the growth of the market. My mission, besides sampling enough food to feed Israel (15 kosher restaurants brought entrée-sized portions to the event), was to do a little hunting for you. New kosher wine producers are springing up constantly while well-established wineries are experimenting with new grapes. I sought to dig through the familiar, and shine some light on the unknown. Rather than California Cabernet, you’ll find Carignan from Israel. These are exciting kosher wines, your Bubbie’s never had.

The problem is, these can be hard to find. Most wine shops carry a maximum of five kosher wines, often from the big producers. So I’ve provided links to find them online.

Whether kosher wine is relevant to you or not, these are worth seeking out:

Carmel 2006 Old Vines Carignan “Appellation Series”, Upper Galilee, Israel $28- Israel is becoming known for producing great Bordeaux varietals, but Carmel Winery is breaking the mold here with this cherry-laden Carignan from 40-year-old vines. Keep an eye out for more Carignan from Israel. Though Spain is more often associated with Carignan, it may emerge as Israel’s signature grape. Find it

Covenant 2008 Chardonnay “Lavan” Russian River, Sonoma, $37- Many of the kosher Chardonnays at the show were clunky on the oak but this new bottling from Jeff Morgan and Leslie Rudd is elegant and refined. It is creamy and lush, completely unfined/unfiltered. Lavan is a pedigreed vineyard in RRV. Find It.

Yatir 2005 Forest Bordeaux Blend $99- This Cabernet-based blend is ripe and decadent in dark fruits. From a unique microclimate: a forest on the edge of a dessert. Find It.

Domaine du Castel 2007 Blanc du Castel, $41- One of my favorite kosher wines is the Bordeeux blend, Domaine du Castel Grand Vin, and their 100% Chardonnay shows their dedication to quality, across the board. Find It

Chateau La Fleur Jonquet 2005- This was my favorite Bordeaux of the tasting. It has nice structure and supple black fruits. A kosher ’05 Bordeaux might come at a hefty price point though. Find It

Dirt Candy (Veggies with Va-Voom)

Anyone can cook a hamburger, But leave the vegetables to the professionals.

I may not fully agree with that statement from the Dirt Candy website, but if I were to leave my vegetables to anybody, it would be Chef Amanda Cohen, the mastermind behind this East Village crevice of a restaurant.

Dirt Candy is different than other great NYC vegetarian spots (Candle 79, Pure Food and Wine and Blossom)
1) the vegetables are the focus, rather than vegetable-meat transformations.

2) it is vegetarian, not vegan (though dishes can be prepared either way).

Each dish on the menu honors a particular vegetable, and then builds the accoutrements around it. There’s “parsnip” served with parsnip gnocchi, creamy root vegetable slaw and carrot crumbs. Or “radish” with kimchi doughnuts, grilled watermelon radishes, cilantro and wild arugula. It’s a good thing the menu is small.

Dirt Candy is so tiny that you’re practically sitting in the kitchen, regardless of your table. It’s a bit claustrophobic, but it creates some incredible aromas in the room. Our sweet waitress spoke about the dishes with a special kind of pride that’s hard to find these days. She knew the in’s and out’s of every dish. I felt like I’d been invited into someone’s chic living room.

Everyone who visits Dirt Candy must begin with the Jalapeno hush puppies with maple butter. You’ll learn right away that Cohen has no fear of the fryer when you bite into these hot, sweet nuggets of flavor. Follow that up with the luscious “mushroom” with portobello mousse, truffled toast, pear and fennel compote. I’ve heard people compare it to foie gras which might be a stretch, but the decadent texture and rich, earthy flavors make it understandable. Plus, building the layers of flavor on top of the crostini is just, fun.

My favorite dish of the evening was an unexpected hero, the “pumpkin” winter salad with four kinds of squash, toasted pepitas, pumpkin oil, blue cheese crouton. This salad is an awesome interplay of salty, sweet and smoky. The toasted pepitas seriously taste like bacon. The squash has a sweet glaze that makes each bite seriously transcendent.

My least favorite, though still successful dish was the “eggplant” with black olive fettuccine, eggplant jam, pickled eggplants, basil broth and ricotta. The flavor and complexity was there, like the other dishes but the fettuccine itself was clumpy.

The wine list is as short and thoughtful as the menu. Cohen calls it a “wine zoo for exotic animals”, and I’d agree. We selected the Thurnhoff Goldmuskateller ($35) from Northern Italy. It was all apples and honey on the nose and then on the palate, a completely different animal! It’s completely dry and piney on the palate but tightly woven with high acid that pulls it all together. An exotic animal, indeed. I love being surprised by a wine like this, and it complemented the meal perfectly.

After dining at Dirt Candy, it’s no surprise that this ambitious vegetarian restaurant was nearly booked a week in advance. Cohen is setting the bar high here with a tiny spot, bursting at the seams with flavor.

Location: 430 East 9th Street, Betw A and 1st
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Average App/Entree Price: $12/$18
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.
Word to the Wise: Dirt Candy also has a regularly updated blog on their site featuring menu changes and various inspiration.

Spaghetti with Pistachio Dressing, Kale and Pomegranate

This is the second, very colorful vegetarian dish that I prepared for Tu B’Shevat last week. Whole wheat pasta gets cloaked in a pistachio/garlic/salt blend and tossed with bright pomegranate seeds and hearty kale. It’s a great cross-section of salty sweetness and one nourishing bowl of pasta!

Save a couple large kale leaves to garnish your serving platter.
8 ounces whole grain linguine or spaghetti
2/3 cup pistachios, toasted
1 medium clove garlic, smashed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large bunch of kale, washed, de-stemmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 pomegranate, just the seeds*

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating, break the pasta into 1 1/2-inch segments and make the pistachio sauce by pureeing 1/3 cup pistachios, garlic, salt and olive oil in a food processor. Set aside.

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Ditch Plains (Excellent Mac from a Fish Shack)

Everything is pleasant at Ditch Plains, a laid-back West Village fish shack. The fuss-free menu features creature comforts like lobster rolls, fish and chips and chilli. The “fish shack” theme plays out in complimentary oyster crackers and a cup of taffy but the steely space feels far from a shack. You might not expect amazing mac and cheese at a seafood restaurant, but their version is one of the best I’ve had. It’s a perfect blend that tastes like cheddar and Gruyère with dense, creamy flavor and a browned crust. My friend and I shared it as an appetizer and were in cheesy heaven.

Go for the grilled fish of the day and you’ll get a huge, skin-on portion served simply with a side salad and lemon. On my visit it was meaty trout, so fresh that even my pescaphobe friend loved it. I skipped the wacky “Ditch Dog”, a  hot dog served with mac n’ cheese on top, though I’ve heard great things.

The drink list isn’t particularly memorable, but you’ll find a few friendly beers beyond the standard. I didn’t have wine on my visit, but they tout a “low markup” philosophy with good prices and the ability to buy any bottle of wine as a half. It’s a tradition that healms from the owners’ more grownup restaurant, Landmarc.

Ditch Plains is the sort of place you’ll be happy to know about on an agenda-free stroll downtown. You can stumble in and find exactly what you’re looking for.

Location: 29 Bedford Street @Downing
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Average App/Entrée Price: $12/$24
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

7 January Restaurant Openings (Colicchio and Sons, Recette, RBC Coffee)

For the first time since I’ve started these Restaurant Opening reports, we had a slow month. Rather than feverishly tracking Grub Street and Tasting Table reports, I was able to take a breather last month, and I don’t think I’ve missed anything. Despite fewer openings, many new quality spots opened their doors in January including an authentic Lebanese spot in the East Village, Tom Colicchio’s reincarnation of Craftsteak and an expansion of the raw food movement. It’s not quantity, it’s quality, right? Read on…

Choptank
A new casual seafood house by the guys who brought you Italian favorites Dell’anima and L’Artusi. They’re calling it Maryland-style seafood, where the owners grew up. The chef knows a thing or two about seafood, having worked at both Mermaid Inn and Le Bernardin. Expect crab cakes, old bay seasoning, po-boy’s and meatier fare too.
308 Bleecker Street, 212-675-2009 (Used to be Bar Q)
Why You Should Care: We could all use a little Southern hospitality.

Recette
Seasonal American fare is the order at Recette, which was formerly open for private dining only. The menu is divided amongst “plates” and “sides”, allowing flexibility for its patrons. While not the most creative thing in town, I must say that branzino with beluga lentils, roasted parsnip puree and meyer lemon sounds pretty awesome to me.
328 W 12th Street and Greenwich, 212-414-3000
Why You Should Care: I hear the pastry chef is from Per Se so if the food disappoints, there’s always dessert!

One Lucky Duck
The Chelsea Market kiosk of the beloved raw food restaurant, Pure Food and Wine is now fully open, serving fresh juices, falafel, salads and more. Go for the blend of mango, cucumber and cilantro but watch out for crazily priced items like a $25 nut ice cream shake.
75 9th Avenue (between 15th and 16th in Chelsea Market)
Why You Should Care: Though your dollar might be stretched a little thin, raw food is packed with nutrition, and you’ll feel great after eating it.

Colicchio and Sons
Do-it-yourself is out and composed is back in, at Colicchio and Sons. Last Fall, Colicchio launched a special restaurant-in-a-restaurant concept at Craftsteak called Tom: Tuesday.  Every other week he prepared everything on the hyper-seasonal menu for Tom: Tuesdays, and people loved it. So much so, that he’s closed Craftsteak and reopened with a self-focused new theme, as  Colicchio and Sons. Mouthwatering dishes including gnocchi with bone marrow, chestnuts and black truffle plus lamb loin with merguez sausage.
85 10th Avenue (in the old Craftsteak space)
Why You Should Care: Tom is actually doing the cooking himself!

Balade
Two friends open this Lebanese East Village nook serving the usual suspects like tabouleh and shawarma plus more exotic offerings like fresh-baked pita pizza and soujouk (hot Lebanese sausage).  If you don’t know your balade from zaa’tar, consult the menu’s handy legend.  You can wash it all down with Almaza, Lebanese beer
208 1st Ave, (between 12th and 13th), 212-529-6868
Why You Should Care:  Aside from the more upscale Ilili, Manhattan is lacking in the Lebanese department.

La Lucha
Thus far in 2010 we are seeing a number spots doing great things with Mexican food in New York (Dos Toros, Cascabel), and La Lucha is the latest to jump into the fray. Named and themed after Mexican wrestling, the owners decided to give New Yorkers a taste of real Mexican street food. Don’t expect the typical guacamole and burritos, come for tacos in all flavors and the pot of Oaxacan cheese.
147 Avenue A, 212-260-0235
Why You Should Care: Are there any other Mexican wresting/taco themed joints in this city?

RBC NYC
New York has been behind on the thoughtful coffee front, but that’s recently been changing with the opening of Stumptown in the Ace Hotel and now, RBC Coffee. They boast the only $18,000 “Slayer” espresso machine, whose merit is its exceptionally manual process.
71 Worth Street
Why You Should Care: Since Joe switched their espresso roaster, the city has been in need of a place to pick up the slack (according to E).

Barley with Walnut Pesto and Kalamata Olives

For my Tu B’Shevat feast on Saturday, I decided to go beyond the plethora of fruit and go-green with a vegetarian dinner. I find myself constantly excited by the recipes on 101 Cookbooks, and I had plenty of creative vegetarian recipes saved to make a full meal. I’ve modified Heidi’s Arugula Pesto Wheat Berries recipe and made it my own here. I had a tough time finding wheat berries and substitued for barley since it comes from Israel, making it one of those special foods to eat on the holiday. Its super starchy character yields a risotto-like quality when blended with cheesy pesto. Barley needs a better PR department. You rarely find it as the shining star in a dish. But this recipe was mine and E’s favorite of the meal.

Let’s give barley its moment in the sun!

Serves 6

3 cups barley
3 garlic cloves
2/3 cup walnuts
1 bunch or 3 cups arugula leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan
2 big pinches salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
10 black Kalamata olives

Simmer the barley in 6 cups of water for about an hour, until plump and soft. While the barley cooks, place the walnuts in a small pan and toast on the stove for 2-3 minutes. Place the walnuts aside.

Make the arugula pesto by combining the garlic, lemon juice, Parmesan, salt and most of the arugula and walnuts (leave some out for garnish) in a food processor. Pulse a few times and then slowly drizzle the olive oil into the food processor as the mixture blends. Stop it a few times along the way and add extra salt or lemon juice as needed. When it is smooth and the barley is done, empty the barley into a serving bowl and pour the pesto over the barley. Mix together so that the pesto evenly coats the barley.

Top the pesto-barley with the remaining arugula leaves, olives, and walnuts. Enjoy!

Tu B’Shevat (Celebrating Trees, Fruit and Wine)

OK folks, it’s time for a little culture. No matter what faith you are, we can all learn something from the beautiful holiday of Tu B’Shevat, which begins tonight. It is a holiday fit for foodies (as most Jewish holidays are) because we consume a plethora of fruit and wine. Tu B’Shevat honors trees. The history of the tradition is that Tu B’Shevat was created so that we could measure the age of trees. It has a whole new meaning now though, as the need to protect our environment is increasingly urgent.

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