NYC Tastes

2017 was a very strange year in the world of food.  It started out incredibly boring, with fast casual restaurants and big Japanese chains taking over the city.  And has ended unsteady and downright disturbing, with allegations of sexual harassment exploding in what seems to be every facet of the food industry and country as a whole.  I honestly feel more uncertain as a person than I ever have before.  Which is probably why I've leaned towards comfort food this year with big bowls of ramen, spicy chili oil wontons and other hearty, homey dishes dominating much of my time dining out. Union Square Cafe reopened at the end of 2016 and has been my go-to place for spicy, carrot studded Candele Pasta while their sister cafe Daily Provisions actually took the spot for best new restaurant of 2017. This may seem like an odd choice but it had everything I needed this year; incredible crullers for breakfast, inventive sandwiches for lunch and a quiet, relaxing environment...

Rainy days like today call for some serious lunch time comfort eats; which in Downtown Brooklyn means a bee-line to Yasa Tangbao and their incredible Shanghai Street food.  The specialty of the house are dumplings, handmade and filled with plump crab meat, veggies, pork and broth. But recently they added a new dish, the Chili Oil Wontons that I absolutely dream about. Tight little purses of pasta stuffed with ground pork and drizzled in a sweet and savory sauce of vinegar, chili oil and garlic. There's no filler or grease here- just spicy, Sichuan style wontons light as air and deeply satisfying. In addition to dumplings a variety of rice and noodles dishes are served with the famous Shanghai lion-head; a large meatball made from pork and cabbage in a rich, dark brown sauce.  It's the perfect place to warm up on a rainy Monday! Yaso Tangbao 148 Lawrence Street Brooklyn, NY 11201