NYC Tastes

We've been eating a lot of pizza this summer here at NYC Tastes, I mean A LOT.  More than just our usual Joe's Pizza order, we've been consuming great new pies all over the city and one of our favorites has been at Sottocasa. This tiny little spot in Harlem specializes in Neapolitan pizza, but not that limp, soupy pie. This pizza is thicker, with a pillow soft exterior, studded with bubbles of char from their wood burning oven, then topped with the freshest of ingredients.  Like the Valdostana with tomato, prosciutto and sage finished with melted mozzarella and fontina cheese. Or the Tartufata, a white pie layered with homemade truffle spread and topped with mushroom, basil and prosciutto di parma.  Mr. T loved the Tartufata while I fell head over heels for the saucy Valdostana. There were so many textures and flavors going on, from the crispy bites of sage to the salty ribbons of prosciutto.  In addition to the wonderful pies Sottocasa had a long...

Friday night was spent diving into comfort food up at Row House, a lively new spot on Harlem's restaurant row boasting an outdoor patio up front and a large, spacious interior filled with people celebrating the start of the weekend. It was such a cool, chilly night it seemed like the perfect excuse for a hearty bowl of Macaroni & Cheese. This sizzling cast iron skillet arrived loaded with plump shells of pasta, dressed in a five cheese mornay sauce with panko bread crumbs on top.  I loved the different textures of the cheese throughout the skillet; thick and crispy on top with a rich, creamy interior similar to the classic Velveeta Shells & Cheese of my childhood. We balanced the hearty pasta with a classic Brick Chicken served with roasted potatoes, broccoli rabe and a light lemon jus that really brighten the entire dish.  I highly suggest splitting both of these for a fantastic meal.   Row House is open for brunch, lunch and dinner and even hou...

There are some things in life totally worth waiting for- like Amy Ruth's fried chicken.  This place almost always has a line outside but it moves quickly and once inside your immediately given a basket of buttery cornbread to snack on until the real food arrives... ...some of the best fried chicken in the entire city.  Crisp and golden brown on the outside with crunchy nubs around the sweet spots, a seriously juicy middle that releases a puff of steam with the first knife slice jam packed with white meat then drizzled in a sweet layer of honey. Most people swear by the Chicken and Waffles but the regular honey dipped is where it's at for me. I almost want to bring my Mike's Hot Honey along next time to give the dish a little heat but for now the hot sauce on the table works just as well.  With a side of collard greens, mac and cheese and a frosty Sugar Hill Ale brewed right in Harlem- it just doesn't get any better than this. Amy Ruth's 113 West 116th St...

I've been a big fan of Marcus Samuelsson since his early days at Aquavit.  I can still remember the first time I had brunch there with Mr. T's family about 12 years ago.  It was a smorgasbord of pickled veggies, cold seafood salads and just about every single kind of herring imaginable.  All of us kids were expecting a brunch more heavy on bacon and eggs than herring but we dove right in and made the best of it.  I remember having one shrimp salad that was almost florescent pink in color.  It was an enlightening experience to say the least... Obviously my tastes towards Nordic cuisine have since changed but that wouldn't even matter at Samuelsson's newest place. The Red Rooster celebrates American cuisine and the culinary traditions of the neighborhood of Harlem.  Actually the only Swedish thing I saw all afternoon was a special holiday Glogg everyone was drinking Red Rooster offers two lunch menus; a special 3 course prix fix for $25 ...