Two sets of red panda cubs, nature's most heartwarming product yet, today make their debut at the Bronx Zoo and Prospect Park Zoo, increasing the "Awww" capital of both locations by roughly 700 percent. [ more › ]
On Tuesday, Jim Power unveiled his latest mosaic... on the southwest corner of St. Mark's Place and Avenue A. The folks at Crif Dogs put up $600 for Jim to repair the hole that was in the sidewalk ... and to prevent anyone from being injured.
Photo: Ray Tang/ REX USA.
Just look at this face, would you? Sweet, fluffy, loyal, yappy, and — oh, those adorably stubby legs. Now, picture this precious pooch going the way of the polar bear, black rhino, and mountain gorilla. Unless you're, say, renowned corgi nemesis Helen Mirren, you probably need a tissue. We sure do.
It's with heavy hearts that we must report the beloved Pembroke Welsh Corgi is in peril of being an endangered breed, according to Britain's Kennel Club breeders' association. Yes, it's true. Despite being ridiculously cute, despite having achieved full-blown Internet popularity, and despite — hello! — being the dog of choice for Queen Elizabeth, this breed is in danger of becoming extinct. Wouldn't you think the queen have enough pull to do something about this?
Her Royal Highness seems to have these wee pups nipping at her heels, 24/7. She's owned more than 30 since becoming a monarch, though she's now down to just two, Holly and Willow. But, it seems her royal subjects aren't quite as keen. This year, just 241 Pembroke Welsh Corgis were registered, falling short (ha!) of the 300-dog minimum required to stay off the endangered watch-list. Come January, the poor pooches will be classified as a "vulnerable native breed."
Consider this an open letter on behalf of corgi-lovers everywhere: Get it together, people! There's no way your designer lap dog is cuter than a corgi. No way. So, start buying. Start breeding. Start appreciating. Otherwise, we're sure a certain royal would be plenty happy to get all Henry VIII on your arses for the sake of her favorite breed.
It's time for another round of The Food Lab. Got a suggestion for an upcoming topic? Email Kenji here, and he'll do his best to answer your queries in a future post. Become a fan of The Food Lab on Facebook or follow it on Twitter for play-by-plays on future kitchen tests and recipe experiments.
[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, unless otherwise noted]
It's cliché to talk about how much people hate brussels sprouts ("the much maligned brassica!" or "those baby cabbages that everyone hates!"), and these days it's not particularly accurate, considering that they (and their cousin kale) have been the hot vegetable of the moment for the last several years. Our brussels sprouts recipes continue to be among our most popular, and they're all over menus everywhere.
I blame it all on the fact that people have finally started learning how to cook 'em properly. They don't need to be the sulfurous, mushy, repulsive cabbages that you might have grown up eating. Charred, sweet, and nutty, when cooked properly, brussels sprouts are the star of the Thanksgiving spread. Here are my three favorite ways to get 'em there.
Method 1: Roast 'em Hot
The goal here—and with most brussels sprouts recipes, in fact—is to cook them fast, and cook them hard so they char and caramelize, their leaves turning crispy, brown, and nutty, and their natural sugars breaking down into sweeter simple sugars. Not only does this add sweetness and bring out their characteristic nuttiness, it also suppresses their less desirable sulfurous compounds.
This means you want to use the highest heat possible when cooking your sprouts. This can be accomplished easily in a skillet, but if you want to free up some stove-top space this Thanksgiving, you can just as easily do it in a pan in the oven. The key is to preheat the pan in the oven before you add the sprouts to it so that they begin to sizzle as soon as they land.
Folks are understandably but unnecessarily afraid of deep frying at home. Understandably because deep frying involves a potful of really, really hot oil. Unnecessarily because given the proper precautions, danger can be minimized, and with the correct equipment (like a wok) it doesn't really make a mess. These are good things to keep in mind when considering deep-frying your brussels sprouts.
Another good thing to consider: deep fried brussels sprouts are awesome. Normally I'd strongly suggest or heartily endorse a recipe. In this case, however, the results are incredible enough that not only do I think you should try it, I actually insist that you do. I take full responsibility if you aren't completely blown away by how tasty the results are. When you fry them, brussels sprouts become everything you love about brussels sprouts with none of their downside. The nutty aroma. The mildly sweet flavor. The just-tender-but-still-crisp interior. Couple that with the crisply frizzled edges and tiny pockets perfect for coating in a sweet-tart sauce, and you've got the perfect recipe for a Thanksgiving flavor-bomb.
Hot and fast is a theme with sprouts, and the same goes for this method. The only difference here is that rather than relying on olive oil or butter, we're pairing sprouts with pork fat. Like tomatoes and mozzarella, hamburgers and ketchup, or chocolate and bare human flesh, this is one of the great culinary combinations.
When picking the appropriate pork product for your sprouts, anything fatty and cured will do, really. It's just a matter of personal taste. Slab bacon cut into large chunks that you can call lardon if you're fancy or French or both. Crispy chunks of ham. Dry-cured Spanish chorizo, which may well be my favorite. Like I said, any sort of salty cured pork product.
The key is to render out that pork first, then use that fat to cook your sprouts, whether it's in a ripping hot oven, in a skillet, or on the grill (check out the links for recipes!).
hehehe. "livability index" sounds like something outta the book i just read. here we come future!
Photo: Cultura/REX USA.
New York City is famous for many, many, many things: Broadway, the Met, a little patch of land called Central Park, and some of the smallest apartments known to man. It's a town of bright lights and even bigger rents. New York's cost of living, in case you weren't aware, is astronomical, even when you're a salaried employee in your twenties and early thirties. Luckily, there are always other cities like Portland, OR, where the average monthly rent of a 2-bedroom apartment is similar to the cost of a shoebox-sized studio in Manhattan.
If you're not into birds on everything and that irritating über-hipster stigma of the Pacific Northwest's largest city, why not try Seattle? The town is notable for its abundance of coffee shops, cheap electricity, and even cheaper marijuana. Score! Vocativ, the newly launched global news channel, released its first Livability Index, which ranks the 35 best cities for people under 35 to live in. Portland, OR came in on top, with Austin, TX, and San Francisco, CA rounding out the top three. (Seattle came in at number four.)
These days, 36% of people between the ages of 18 and 31 are living at home (the highest its been in 40 years). So, Vocativ decided to crunch numbers and figure out the best places for those twenty- and thirtysomethings to shack up and make a home. Its Livability Index factors in the boring stuff like average-rent costs, employment rates, and gas prices, alongside the things it believes the majority of Millennials need and want. Which city has the most coffee shops per capita? Where's the cheapest take-out? (Finally a win for New York!) Where can one toke up without burning through their wallet?
So, NYC might be 23rd on the list, but at least it made it, right? And, hey, if we ever have a fall off completely, well, we have 34 more amazing cities to choose from. (PR Newswire)
Ellis Island will be open to visitors again on Monday, which is the 127th anniversary of the dedication of recently reopened Statue of Liberty, and almost exactly a year since the building's boilers and electrical systems were flooded by Hurricane Sandy. Before the storm, the museum's artifacts were put into ... More »
This video, uploaded just last week, was shot from East 11th Street at Avenue C one year ago tonight ... and it shows the Sandy storm surge headed down the Avenue ...
A series of images from that night and the next morning starts at the 3:30 mark.
Larb doesn't need to blow your face off. [Photograph: Max Falkowitz]
Editor's note: Please welcome friend of Serious Eats (and former contributor) Joe DiStefano, a.k.a. "The Man Who Ate Queens." These days Joe is the chief writer of Chopsticks and Marrow, where he explores food all over Queens and beyond. Today he's dropping by to dispel some myths about ordering spicy food in New York restaurants. — M.F.
I don't remember the first time I ordered food "Thai spicy," but I certainly remember the last. Rego Park's very own barbecue legend Robbie Richter and chef of the forthcoming Roadhouse L.A. and I were having a late dinner at Zabb Elee in Jackson Heights. We ordered pla som, a fermented and fried fish served with chilies on the side, a delicate catfish soup with greens, and a papaya salad. The last I insisted be prepared "Thai spicy." Richter was especially keen to try the soup having developed an affinity for Thai flavors from his work with Zak Pelaccio on Southeast Asian barbecue joint Fatty Cue.
The fish and the papaya salad came out first, the latter shot through with bird's eye chilies and fresh garlic. There was plenty of fishy funk too and I relished balling up sticky rice and dredging it through the piquant pool at the bottom of the plate. Richter looked like he was at about his spice tolerance. And then the soup came out.
"Joey, does this taste too salty?" Richter asked, "because I can't fucking tell, my palate's blown out. Why do you have to order things Thai spicy!?" Why indeed? I'd been doing it at Thai restaurants throughout Queens for the better part of a decade, whether out of a sense of machismo—the mighty white food explorer is here, bring on the chilies—or as part of a misguided, but well-intentioned quest for authenticity, if I don't ask for my grub Thai spicy they'll shower it in sweet sauce and peanuts, or even worse—pineapples.
[Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
It usually went down something like this: "I'll have the papaya salad with raw crab, make it Thai spicy." "You, sure?" the waitress would ask. "Yeah, I'm sure," I'd respond. Soon would come the som tum, a haystack of shredded papaya surmounted by hacked up blue crabs, pitch-perfect in terms of funkiness and with a sharply mounting spiciness thanks to fresh chilies. Within the first few bites I'd be reaching for the ice water, my tongue starting feel as if it were pierced by tiny hot needles and soon the telltale sign of spice overload: the outer edges of my lips would start to burn.
"Is it too spicy?" the waitress would ask as she refilled my glass of water. "No this is perfect," I'd say, nose running and eyes tearing, but I'd usually be thinking, "Yep, I am A-OK fine, I always look this when I eat." And I would always finish the entire order; I wasn't gonna lose face over Thai spicy. After all, I'm representing an entire race here. If I don't torture myself like this, these guys will be serving Polynesian food to whitey in a heartbeat.
Once I even brought Bret Thorn, a Thai-speaking NRN blogger, to Elmhurst's Ploy Thai because I had been served a som tum with barely a hint of spice. The waiter's explanation: "We don't make it spicy unless you ask." When I returned with Thorn, he ordered in Thai, saying to the waiter, "Ta mai pet, mai arroy," or "If it's not spicy, it doesn't taste good."
[Photograph: Max Falkowitz]
A while back I asked Thai food maven Andy Ricker why whenever I ordered food Thai spicy it's always just too damn hot, almost as if the kitchen has something to prove. His response: "Au contraire, that's because they often simply chuck in a shitload of crushed dry chilies to satisfy the farang's need to prove something to themselves or their friends. Thai cooks aren't out to prove anything to you, they know how the food is supposed to taste, according to their upbringing. They're just being accommodating." (You can see more of Ricker debunking Thai food myths here.)
A few weeks ago I popped into Thailand's Center Point, a homespun little spot that I prefer to the Thai juggernaut Sripraphai. "Do you want it spicy?" the waitress asked of my order of tom zap ka dook moo, spare ribs in spicy soup ($9.95) . "No, not Thai spicy," I started to explain. "So you want it mild?" the waitress asked.
Now I was in a panic. Surely I'd been pegged as a white man who'd soon receive a dumbed-down version of the dish. "No, no, no," I exclaimed, "Make it like you would back home." And then I remembered a phrase Ricker taught me, "Tham Thai Thai noi khrap"—"Make it as you would for a Thai person."
The resulting "Thai homestyle dish" consisted of several meaty ribs cooked to spoon-tender softness in a galangal and makrud lime leaf-scented broth. Dried chilies and a few fresh ones gave it just the right amount of heat. Ricker, who vociferously debunked the notion of Thai spicy, would be proud.
[Photograph: Paul Yee]
These days I'm quicker to ask for the khruang phrung, or "stuff to adjust flavors," as Ricker says it's called in Thai, than I am to utter the words "Thai spicy." The caddy of four seasoning agents—sugar, ground dry chilies, mild green chilies in vinegar, and Thai chilies in fish sauce—can be found on the tables of New York City's better Thai restaurants. And to think we farang are stuck with just salt and pepper.
Hot as they can be, "Thai spicy" larbs and som tum are not the most fiery things I've ever eaten. That honor goes to a ceviche de pescado I once had at Rinconcito Peruano, a bygone restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. I'd requested that it be made bien picante, for you see, I was battling a raging hangover that day and placed much store in the restorative properties of a bracing serving of spicy lime-cooked fish.When it came to the table, there was just a little bit of finely minced orange chilies strewn on top. I dug in and it didn't even trip the spice meter.
"I ordered this spicy," I said to the waiter, "Do you have any aji verde?" I asked, referring to the green Peruvian hot sauce commonly found at Peruvian roast chicken houses. "No," he countered, "but I will take it back to the chef and he'll fix it for you."
A few minutes later the waiter emerged from the kitchen bearing my "fixed" ceviche. It was now covered in finely minced ribbons of orange and red chilies. I'll never know whether Rinconcito's chef was screwing with the crazy gringo or not, but I suspect he was. Within minutes my entire mouth was ablaze my lips burning fiercely. When a bottle of Cusqueña Pilsener didn't quench the fire, I ducked into the restroom and swished cold water around my mouth. Macho man that I am, or rather was, I finished the entire portion.
[Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
One of my earliest memories of spicy food is the time my old man tried to make his own Chinese-style chili oil. My mother and I were upstairs and my father was in the kitchen frying peppers in oil in a cast iron pan. All of a sudden we started coughing and gagging as the weaponized capsaicin fumes wafted throughout the house. "Take that outside, Vito!" my mother screamed. That was the last time he tried to make chili oil.
Every now and then we'd make a trip to Vincent's Clam Bar in Westbury where we'd order scungilli in medium red sauce, with a little gravy boat of the hot sauce on the side. Chili head that he was, even my father was willing to admit that the highest level of the spicy marinara sauce was too much for him. I wonder what he would have made of the whole Thai spicy thing.
Even though my chili head masochism/machismo has mellowed over the years, I still sometimes overdo it. Tortas Neza makes a wonderful pickled onion and habañero condiment that's a great foil to his fatty, cartilaginous carnitas. It is also spicy as hell, and the burn doesn't let up until after the last bite of torta or taco. On more than one occasion I've I asked for a bit of quesillo cheese to tame the heat. Chewing on the cool, salty cheese takes care of the fire in minutes.
My friend Anne Noyes Saini, whose husband is North Indian, says she often has problems getting waiters in ethnic restaurants to serve her food that's is up to native spice levels. So as a public service she's compiling a list of the appropriate phrases in several languages, including Thai, Indonesian, and Korean. You might want to keep a piece of cheese with you when you try the respective phrases out. Don't say I didn't warn you.
About the author: Joe DiStefano is a Queens-based food writer and culinary tour guide, or as he likes to say, an enabler of gluttons. In between food tours and blogging at Chopsticks and Marrow, he is writing a book on the history of culinary culture along the 7 line.
It's time for another round of The Food Lab. Got a suggestion for an upcoming topic? Email Kenji here, and he'll do his best to answer your queries in a future post. Become a fan of The Food Lab on Facebook or follow it on Twitter for play-by-plays on future kitchen tests and recipe experiments.
[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
Do you enjoy being lied to? I certainly don't. Yet nearly every time I eat roasted potatoes, I feel like I've been betrayed. They come to the table all nicely browned and craggy, but they inevitably have soft, papery skins that don't offer any real contrast with the creamy flesh below. It's like, hey potatoes! What'd I ever do to you? Why do you gotta lie to me like that?
What's even worse are the recipes that promise crispness, but produce potatoes that are crisp for all of 8 seconds after they come out of the oven, only to soften on their way to the table.
When I say crispy potatoes, I want potatoes crunchier than the best of french fries; a thick, craggy, crunchy crust that stays crunchy even after it's made its way through a couple circuits around the table.
Luckily, the process isn't as hard as it sounds. I outlined it once a couple years ago using chunky russet potatoes. This year, we're going with creamy new potatoes and adding a lemon and herb blend to the mix.
New potatoes offer some challenges that russet potatoes don't. Namely, they're less starchy, which makes it even harder to build up a significant crust.
There are two ways in which crusts can go badly wrong. Papery crusts that soften quickly occur when the crusty layer isn't thick enough. Tossing raw potatoes in oil and throwing them in the oven is a surefire way to get yourself papery crusts.
Leathery or tough crusts, on the other hand, are caused when the crust layer becomes too dry. As moisture leaves the potatoes, cell walls get packed closer and closer together, turning the crust dense and tough.
So how do you avoid these two problems? Let's take a look.
Problem: Papery Crust
Solution: Par-boil the potatoes in acidic water.
Papery crusts occur when the layer of gelatinized starches that crisp up on the exterior of the potato isn't thick enough. As the potato comes out of the oven and sits, steam from its core penetrates the crust, softening it from the inside out.
Par-boiling the potatoes will help build up this layer of starch, while adding just a touch of vinegar to the water will allow the starch to gelatinize while keeping the potatoes relatively firm and intact.* This gives you potatoes that are crisp on the outside, but still hold their shape with a creamy, not gluey, core.
*Pectin, the glue that holds vegetable cells together, doesn't break down very readily in acidic environments. It's a trick I learned while researching french fries a few years ago.
Want to get those potatoes even crispier? After par-boiling them, I toss the potatoes in the pot with oil, bashing them around a bit until their exteriors are coated in a film of bashed up potato bits. With new potatoes, this step is particularly important—it allows you to crisp up not just the cut surfaces, but the skins as well.
Problem 2: Leathery Crust
Solution: Use plenty of fat.
You may have heard in the past that frying foods at high temperatures will limit the amount of fat they absorb. This is a long-perpetuated myth with little basis in reality. In fact, the opposite is actually the case. The reason why food fried at high temperatures tastes so good is because those high temperatures drive out more moisture, which gets replaced by oil. That oil not only adds flavor to the food, but it also keeps the crust from collapsing on itself and becoming dense.
So, as a general rule of thumb, the crispier your food, the more oil it's absorbed. Hey, I never said these potatoes were healthy per se.
While we aren't deep frying these potatoes, we still want them to have plenty of access to oil as they cook so that as moisture leaves the crust, there's something there to take its place. Not only do I toss the potatoes with oil before roasting, but I make sure that the sheet pans I roast them on are well-oiled as well.
Starting the potatoes cut-side-down and blasting them with high heat helps ensure even browning all around.
You can keep things simple and go with just salt and pepper if you'd like, but for some added flavor, I like to toss some shallots in with the potatoes just before they're done. They brown and crisp in the oven rapidly, so make sure to keep an eye on them.
The goal is "artfully charred," not burnt.
Finally, I toss the cooked potatoes with some extra-virgin olive oil, chopped herbs, lemon zest, and garlic as soon as they come out of the oven.
The residual heat of the potatoes will volatilize the aromatics in the herbs and lemon zest. If your nose doesn't thank you at that point, then you need to sit it down and have a serious talk with it about its manners, or lack thereof.
Dope Mobius bridge, pretty pizza packaging, Lake Erie's carp problem, Price Is Right contestant joy, and more midday links. Don't forget to follow Gothamist on Twitter and like us on Facebook. You can also get the top stories mailed to you—sign up here. [ more › ]
The Empire State has long been known for apples and Jay-Z, and New York's wine production is getting quite a bit of buzz. But the beer industry is looking better and better; New York is home to a few great craft breweries, both well-established and brand new. Want to get into that Empire state of mind? Here are 8 great beers you should definitely seek out.
Peekskill Brewery
[Photo: Stef Ferrari]
At this brewpub in Peekskill, NY, the mission is to "simply put the best, freshest stuff that we possibly can in front of you," says head brewer and craft beer all-star Jeff O'Neil, formerly of Ithaca Beer Company. A dedication to quality ingredients is the hallmark of Peekskill's beer, and while we chose three particularly awesome Peekskill brews for this piece, the full roster is worth drinking.
Hop Common
Don't be fooled by the name; Hop Common is anything but ordinary. This beer was inspired by a Steam Beer (or California Common), but the intensely hop forward aroma may fool your senses into thinking it's an IPA or hoppy American Pale. There's a toasty malt character and a dry finish that allows those Nugget and Cascade hops to pop.
Eastern Standard
While the West Coast has long claimed the best IPAs in the country, Peekskill is helping New York into the ring as a serious contender. The hops in question for Eastern Standard are Simcoe and Citra, and their contributions are highly aromatic: ruby red grapefruit, bright lemon, orange and earthy, woodsy characters that present themselves on the palate as well. The hops may be from Washington, but this New York brewery put them to tremendous use.
Simple Sour
Some say that it's the simple things that bring us the most pleasure in life, and Simple Sour lives up to that mantra. The beer is funky and full of character for such an easy-drinker. O'Neil tells us that it's a "Brett beer, loosely based on a Berliner Weisse with a multi-grain mash character and substantial tartness." The sourness he references is lemony and bright, and this beer is hard to put down. Luckily, at 4% ABV, you don't really have to.
KelSo Beer Company
[Photo: KelSo Beer Company]
KelSo Pilsner
KelSo Beer Company launched in 2006, but it wasn't until this fall that they began canning their crisp, satisfying pilsner. According to owner/brewer Kelly Taylor, KelSo Pilsner is the "first canned beer made in Brooklyn since Rheingold left in the 70s." It is a welcome addition to the borough and beyond.
The beer is true to the style in the best sense, closely honoring traditional pilsners, with a requisite floral hop character in both aroma and flavor. It offers a malt-forward sweetness that captures the essence of the grain bill, and the finish is dry, leaving you looking forward to the next sip.
Radiant Pig Craft Beers
[Photo: Radiant Pig Craft Beers]
Junior IPA
The New York City based operation began making commercial sales in February of 2013, brewing the beer in Connecticut and then trucking it back to NYC area bars and restaurants. And while Junior is an appropriate name for a brewery in its infancy, this flagship offering demonstrates mature brewing skills. At 5% ABV, Junior is a sessionable IPA that Head Beer Chick and Founder Laurisa Milici tells us was "inspired by our love of hoppy beers and our hatred of hangovers." I think we can all drink to that.
"We use a financially irresponsible amount of whirlpool and dry hops so there's a huge piney, citrusy hop flavor and aroma without harsh bitterness," says Milici, and the aroma and hop flavor reflect this philosophy. Pink grapefruit, Meyer lemon, and resiny pine flavors burst through; we're eager to pair it with a bright spinach salad and summer berries. The body is on the lighter side, as might be expected, but the beer still manages to deliver on the flavor, no doubt thanks to those whirlpool additions. Junior is a solid introduction to the Radiant Pig family of beers, and I look forward to sampling more of their brainchildren.
Brewery Ommegang
[Photo: Stef Ferrari]
Scythe & Sickle
The craft beer veterans from Cooperstown claim that by "using barley, oats, wheat, and rye, we've brought the mood of fall to life." After sampling Scythe & Sickle, I would agree. This beer is truly a celebration of the grain that is often taken for granted when appreciating American craft beer.
The aroma reminds me of spiced apples and an autumn drive through upstate New York's foliage. There is a peppery character that could be attributed to the Belgian yeast or the inclusion of flaked rye—or a little of both—and it is the balance needed to all that even out the sweet grain and toasty malt. The oats contribute a creamy texture and there is just enough hop character to round the beer out. This beer feels like it belongs to a comforting dish of roast duck or even warm apple pie.
Take the Black Stout
Hollywood is taking an increasing interest in the craft beer world, and Take the Black Stout, a collaboration between Ommegang and HBO for Game of Thrones, is the latest example of this creative intersection. Allison Capozza of Ommegang tells us that the beer was "inspired by the men of the Night's Watch. Take the Black Stout was made to be deep, dark, and complex like those who have sworn to defend the Westeros against the threats from the north." Now, if you're a fan of the show, that description might make some sense to you. Personally, I could have used a translator, but luckily the beer itself was speaking my language.
This beer is big and black, and remarkably robust for its modest 7% ABV. Dark chocolate covered espresso beans immediately come to mind thanks to the aroma, and the flavor follows with subtle, roasty coffee, cocoa powder, and caramel. Though the bottle tells me that the beer is brewed with star anise and licorice root, their flavors are manifested more as a bitterness rather than actual licorice, which in addition to the hop character makes me want to reach for a creamy, pungent blue cheese or a coffee-chocolate cheesecake. I'm not sure how these warriors prepare to take on their enemies, but it seems that Take the Black Stout would be a fortifying drink indeed.
Singlecut Beersmiths
[Photo: Singlecut Beersmiths]
Billy 18 Watt IPA
This Queens-based brewery has been making big noise with its musically themed offerings since their opening in 2012. One particularly vibrant selection is their riff on an American IPA, Billy 18 Watt. Like fellow NYC-newbies Radiant Pig, they've put out a sessionable yet full flavored IPA. Also at 5% ABV, Billy brings a similar American hop profile, with tropical notes of passion fruit and guava in addition to the usual citrusy suspects. The mouthfeel is creamy; it drinks like a pale, but satisfies the hop craving usually reserved for a bigger beer. Hopefully Singlecut is setting the stage for a long career of performances like this one.
Tried any new beers from NY lately? What are your favorite local breweries?
About the Author: Stef Ferrari is a Brooklyn-based Certified Cicerone, food writer/photographer, and author of a forthcoming beer industry guidebook with Wiley & Sons Publishing. In addition to her passion for craft beer, cocktails, and fine food, she considers ice cream to be life's greatest pleasure and spends most spare moments in pursuit of the Mr. Softee truck. Find her on the web and on Twitter at @stef_ferrari.
For some, running 26.2 miles that nobody is forcing you to run is enough of a feat. You could be doing literally anything else in the world — including sitting, sleeping, or standing in place — and you've chosen to run until you've reached the precipice of death. That's impressive. But for ... More »
"Our first objective has been to peel off the fluff and commercial layers that complicate entertaining. Next we have tried to put the social reasons for inviting friends into our homes - the relationships, traditions, community and conversations- in the foreground and let the superficial details like fancy recipes and table decorations recede into the background...this book represents an effort to take the same communal neighborhood approach by welcoming you into the homes of our Kinfolk team, along with a diverse group of friends, family, contributing writers, artists and other makers." - Nathan Williams, Kinfolk
I think this book is special because it is not your modern day cookbook. The pages do not go between recipe and food photo with an expected rhythm. There are people and stories and a number of super simple or clearly personal recipes, but I like it because it is different. Hugh and I are flattered to be included. We contributed a pancake, as well as a scrambled leek & egg recipe to the book. While they are not mind-blowing by way of ingredients or preparation, they are foods that go through our kitchen routinely, not recipes written for the sake of writing recipes. The breakfast we make together often, and that is where the book hits the mark on its thesis. You'd have to read the entire introduction to put all the pieces together, but it was refreshing to see such a collection of personal, everyday food in a cookbook. Think 50/50 coffee table book to cookbook for a realistic expectation. Kinfolk catches a lot of flack for the curated niche they snuggle into, but the book is different and inspired and gorgeous. I'm not just saying that because there is a full page picture of my babe of a husband.
I made this recipe even though it wasn't paired with a photo, so that's big. Love me a visual. The only swap I made was a bit of spelt flour for some of the bread flour. The recipe in the book is printed with a maple pecan glaze option. I am going to include it here for more a monkey bread/sweet roll-esque deal, which totally has it's time and place. The bread has a decent amount of sugar in it, so I will scale that back to maybe 1/2 or 2/3 a cup if I do the glaze. I will make it for the next loaf, wouldn't mind the extra moisture here. We wanted a sweet bread, but the sort to lightly toast in the morning, so we forfeited the glaze this loaf.
I used a natural cane sugar as called for, but next time I will swap in some dark muscavado to lend a little of that caramely goodness that pairs well with pumpkin. The one cup of sugar that gets layered in the bread makes it on the sweeter side, scale back if you prefer it less so. Note this is not a slicing bread, it breaks in chunks for a free form breakfast treat.
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups natural cane sugar, divided
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp. sea salt
1 1/3 cup unbleached bread flour or all purpose
1 cup spelt flour
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook 2 Tbsp. of the butter, without stirring, until brown bits form, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the milk and get the mixture to 110' (too hot and it'll kill the yeast). Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, stir in the yeast and 1/4 cup sugar. Let it stand for 10 minutes.
Stir in the pumpkin puree, salt and 1 cup of the bread/all purpose flour. When combined, add the rest of the flour in several additions, kneading between additions. Knead the dough until it is elastic and slightly sticky, 6-8 minutes.
Brush a large bowl with olive oil, place the dough ball inside and turn it over several times until it is well greased. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and stir well. After the dough has doubled in size, knead it for two minutes. Roll it out into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Sprinkle the sugar mixture on top, gently pressing it into the dough. Slice the dough lengthwise into six strips, and stack them on top of the other. Cut the strips into 6 squares and stack them into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Cover with a clean dishtowel and allow it to rise for 30 minutes to an hour, until it doubles in size again.
Preheat the oven to 350'. Line a loaf pan with parchment for an easy exit. Bake the loaf on the middle rack for 30 minutes until edges are golden. Set the pan on a rack to cool.
Optional glaze:
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. real maple syrup
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1-2 Tbsp. milk
3/4 cup roasted and salted pecans, chopped
In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar, syrup, butter and 1 Tbsp. of the milk. Whisk in more milk for a thinner consistency if desired. Drizzle the glaze over the bread and sprinke with pecans. Serve warm.
I was just reading about this somewhere else. Creepy.
A Cornell computer scientist and a Facebook engineer have developed an algorithm (pdf) they claim “can identify one’s spouse or romantic partner — and even if a relationship is likely to break up”:
Their key finding was that the total number of mutual friends two people share — embeddedness, in social networking terms — is actually a fairly weak indicator of romantic relationships. Far better, they found, was a network measure that they call dispersion. This yardstick measures mutual friends, but also friends from the further-flung reaches of a person’s network neighborhood. High dispersion occurs when a couple’s mutual friends are not well connected to one another.
The researchers were able to identify who was dating whom with 60 percent accuracy, much better than the 2 percent accuracy they’d get from random guessing. High dispersion also seems to be correlated with longer relationships. The study found that couples were 50 percent more likely to break up in the next two months if the dispersion algorithm failed to guess that they were dating.
The scientists also looked at metrics such as how many times a user viewed another’s profile, attendance at the same events, and messages sent. Dispersion turned out to be the most overall accurate metric for determining romantic relationships. The researchers used multiple sets of anonymous data, including a large data set from 1.3 million Facebook users.
Photo: Courtesy of Delta.
Big news air travelers: The FAA says it's a-okay to listen to your daily dose of Rihanna (or whatever you so choose) for the duration of the entire flight. Yes, the entire flight, as in gate to gate! Consider one of the biggest #firstworldfrustrations solved, y'all. Rejoice, throw your iPods and iPads in the air, and book a flight, because you're not barred from using them anymore.
Obviously this news comes with a catch. "Electronic items, books, and magazines, must be held or put in the seat back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing roll," the FAA said in an official statement. Oh, and you still can't listen to the radio, Skype, or make a phone call because a.) that's rude and b.) the signals screw with the airplane's communication systems, and ain't nobody got time for that.
Apparently, the airlines have no time either, because the changes could be implemented as soon as tomorrow. The Verge reports that Delta has already completed its testing and submitted a plan like all other airlines have to. Phew! Suddenly, holiday traveling doesn't seem so dreadful. Common sense for the win! (The Verge)
Not to sound old-fashioned, but in the digital age we live in, physical contact with our loved ones can be pretty rare. But, Bond is setting out to fix this problem, one vibrating bracelet at a time. And, yes, we know how weird that sounds.
The Bond bracelet is actually quite cool, as far as tech goes. The technology comes in pairs — one for you and one for a buddy — and allows the wearers to "touch" each other no matter what their location is on the globe. Missing your S.O. while they're away? Touch your cuff and zap him or her to let them know. Want to say hi to your BFF from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro? Send them a shock that says, "Wish you were here!" As the Bond crowd-funding video says, "We don't do Tweets — we do tickles." Ooookay. Additionally, with its corresponding smartphone app, the bracelet allows you to construct and access a map of emotions, perfect for gawking on a large, community-based scale (Which areas in town are the saddest? Which restaurants provide the most good vibes?).
Frankly, we're not all the touchy-feely types, and some of us may even prefer actual hand-holding to hand-vibrating time. So, watch the (somewhat puzzling) video below, and let us know if you're feeling the vibes the Bond bracelet is putting out.
I’ve been thinking for eons about making macaroni and cheese. Well, I suppose I could whittle that down to say that I’ve been thinking about making macaroni and cheese for at least for the last six years. Yet I’d not gotten around to it, even though I live in the land of les fromages exceptionnels. And because of that, there are always knobs and ends of cheese floating around that I’m always looking to use up.
So I was thrilled when I got a copy of Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese, a whole book dedicated to the cheesy, carby subject close to many of our hearts. And with gorgeous photos that’ll make you want to grab hold of your grater, knuckles be darned, if you’re anything like me, you’ll find it’s hard not to jump up, head to the kitchen, and start shredding away.
Bakers work notoriously long and irregular hours, with their days frequently beginning or ending in the wee hours of the morning. The question is, how to keep healthy? For Eric Kayser, globe-trotting founder of the Maison Kayser empire, and Yann Ledoux, overseer of his New York ovens, the answer is running. In honor of their favorite pastime, and in recognition of the upcoming New York City Marathon, they have developed three new energy bars ($3.25 each) that will make you forget those gummy concoctions from the health food store.
The purpose of these bars is to give you a dose of quick, easily digestible energy and, oh yes, to taste good. The glue that holds them together is rye flour mixed with sourdough starter and a little salt. My favorite is the Cereal Bar, which is thick with poppy, sesame, flax, and sunflower seeds, and has millet seeds sprinkled on top. Unlike most health breads, however, the seeds are ground, so the crumb is dense but not particularly grainy, with a good chew and a pleasant, nutty aroma.
The Fruit Bar is thick with high quality dried fruit, most obviously apricot but also figs, currants, and golden raisins, with thin crust of granola baked on top. The slight tartness of the apricot gives these bars a vibrant, mouth-watering flavor.
Chocolate freaks will obviously head straight for the Chocolate Bar, which is made from 25 percent chocolate bits and five percent whole almonds. There's no sugar added except for what's in the chocolate. Still, this bar is so good you might just wander off course and forget to finish the race.
Maison Kayser is also in the midst of an ambitious expansion in Manhattan. It has just opened a Flatiron store.) Like all Maison Kaysers, each outlet has its own kitchen and ovens where all the breads are mixed and baked. In honor of each opening, Eric Kayser has developed a special bread to mark the occasion.
At the 1800 Broadway store, the signature bread is a remarkable Blue Corn Boule that is perfect for the season. It's made from 30 percent blue corn flour, 70 percent white flour, a levain starter, and a little honey to activate the long ferment. In the oven, the honey causes the crust to caramelize ever so slightly, giving it a particular crunch. The medium soft crumb has distinctive, nutty blue corn flavor. All it needs is a smear of butter. To some versions of this loaf, the bakers add pumpkin seeds and rosemary, but at Columbus Circle it will be the blue corn in all its simple glory.
About the author:Andrew Coe is the only reporter covering the city's bread beat.
The woman behind the counter at the recently opened Nugget Spot is well rehearsed in explaining the ordering process to first time customers, "Choose between chicken and pork, then pick one of the four coatings. Each order ($7, eight nuggets )comes with your choice of sauce."
In short, the Nugget Spot fits the mold of a singleitemrestaurant that offers creative variations of an iconic dish. The playful theme of the menu at the Nugget Spot is reinforced by incorporating ingredients like Cheez-Its, Ritz crackers, pretzels, and rice crispies.
Nuggets!
The nuggets differ from a fast food product though in that they are not molds of forcemeat, stamped and fried in uniform oblique shapes; the use of my chunks of breast meat may cause the chicken nugget enthusiasts to proclaim they are actually mini tenders. Nevertheless, they are crisp, fatty, and salty with a juicy bite—exactly what you would look for in a nugget. The pork nuggets are also whole chunks, but are just slightly tougher than their chicken counterparts, and don't have a noticeably strong pork flavor.
Nugget dipped in blue cheese dressing.
Of the four options for coatings, the Southern Fried style closely recalls the craggly batter of a McNugget, though much more peppery; an order of the Southern Fried nuggets with their honey dijon or barbecue sauce is a safe bet for those who prefer not to tinker with a classic combination. But the boldest flavor comes from the Ritzy Ranch coating which is dusted with a powdered ranch dressing, rich in tangy buttermilk. The Cheez-it and Pretzel coating both fail to deliver any strong cheddar or pretzel flavor.
Ritzy ranch nuggets.
Many would consider the nugget merely a vehicle to deliver dipping sauce, so it's no surprise that the Nugget Spot offers eight varieties. If you're looking to stray from the aforementioned classic honey mustard or barbecue sauce, the wasabi mayonnaise offers a pleasant latent heat that's not at all aggressive to your sinuses. Their blue cheese dressing is also surprisingly funky, removing any doubts that it may be from a bottle. And if you're a fan of McDonalds green packets of sweet and sour sauce, the Mumbo sauce comes closest, only bringing much more sour to the party.
Mozzarella nugget.
As is the case with most fried foods, your nuggets are at their best when eaten immediately, which makes me wish that their space was more inviting to dine in. The narrow store that the Nugget Spot occupies is brightly lit, economically packed with seats, and generally feels like a fast food joint—not exactly the kind of place you want to linger around, even if they do offer affordable beer and a big screen TV.
Ultimately, that seems to be a common thread amongst the one item restaurants in New York City, they offer no more than what their name promises, not on the menu nor in their atmosphere, supposing that it's enough to be the definitive destination for one particular dish. For the Nugget Spot it just might work; if a friend of mine ever has a hard craving chicken nuggets, I know where to take them.
About the Author: Paul Yee is a brooklyn based filmmaker who loves cooking and eating. He also runs the Brooklyn Table supper club..
Lamb burger from Xi'an Famous Foods. [Photograph: Robyn Lee]
Restaurants on St. Marks Place come and go, but most share one thing in common: they're all about affordable eating. From Japanese hot dogs to chocolate pudding to great sliders, there's no shortage of cheap eats on this one street alone. To help you get the best bang for your buck, here's our guide to the best eating on (or just off) St. Marks between Cooper Square and Tompkins Square Park. Of course there's plenty more good food nearby—this is the East Village after all—but we're keeping tight on the geography for this post. You can find more East Village eating right this way.
Astute St. Marks-ers will notice some omissions from this guide: a certain popular falafel stand, ramen shop, and Chinese restaurant, for starters. That's because with such a wealth of good, cheap options on this one street, we think you can do better. Still feel we left something out? Let us know in the comments.
Quick Bites on the Go
Curry lamb banh mi at Xe May. [Photograph: Craig Cavallo]
Xe Máy Sandwich Shop: This small sandwich counter does unconventional banh mi right. Their baguettes are firm and crisp, great support for fillings like curry lamb.
Pommes Frites: Legendary late night hole-in-the-wall that sells thick-cut Belgian fries with dozens of dipping sauces ranging from simple ketchup and mayonnaise to stranger dips like wasabi mayo and "Irish Curry."
Papaya King: Classic, natural casing hot dogs cooked on a griddle—this is the New York hot dog experience done right.
Oroshi hot dog from Japadog. [Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
Japadog: For a less traditional hot dog, Japadog's Japanese-stylized dogs come with toppings like nori, tonkotsu sauce, and croquettes. The fries come spiced with ingredients like wasabi and shichimi.
Crif Dogs:More hot dogs, but these are wrapped in bacon and topped with everything from eggs and cheese to avocado.
Xi'an Famous Foods: You don't need to trek to Flushing to try Xi'an's famous lamb burger and hand-pulled noodles, this slim shop is here for you. Compared to the other Xi'an locations, we think this one is a little tame on the spice, but it's still a very good thing.
Casual Sit-Downs
Potato pancakes at Stage Restaurant. [Photograph: Max Falkowitz]
Stage Restaurant: Before choosing Veslka as your go-to spot to taste Eastern European fare, visit Stage Restaurant for old school no-frills potato pancakes and pierogi. Pastrami or open-face turkey sandwiches are also well worth an order if they're available that day.
B & H Dairy: Another Eastern European lunch counter with great vegetarian soups and a simple-but-satisfying egg and cheese on homemade challah.
Mark: The griddled sliders here—topped with American cheese and grilled onions and served in a steamed potato roll—are among our favorites in the city.
Natori: The sushi restaurant equivalent of a dive bar with affordable, tasty sushi and sashimi combos under $20. The rest of the menu is also worth a look, such as okonomi yaki served in a sizzling hot plate or wings.
Cafe Orlin: Middle Eastern restaurant especially popular for brunch. We're fans of the creamy hummus and thick, slightly doughy pumpkin pancakes.
Hanjoo: Korean barbecue is pricier than most of the restaurants listed here, but the house specialty of crystal-grilled pork—served with kimchi flavored by the pork's rendered fat—is worth the relative splurge. We don't love the rest of the menu as much, so stick to that pork barbecue and complimentary banchan for best results.
Desserts and Drinks
Golden Toast from Spot Dessert Bar. [Photograph: Robyn Lee]
Spot Dessert Bar: A more refined but approachable dessert spot with innovative sweets and a classic, simple condensed milk-topped Golden Toast that's slathered in butter and baked until golden brown.
TKettle: TKettle is best known for their bubble drinks; for the classic milk tea, stick with Saint's Alp nearby. Here, you should aim for the more fun drinks, like yogurt shakes, slushes, and milkshakes in flavors like avocado.
CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice: An international tea chain with a few outposts in New York. Things to try: Three Guys (milk tea with tapioca, grass jelly, and pudding), Jasmine Milk Tea, and Cream Black Tea (brewed ice tea with a thick layer of salted whipped cream). The dairy-free grapefruit green tea is a pleasantly tart, refreshing alternative to all the sweetness.
Macarons from Macaron Parlour. [Photograph: Max Falkowitz]
Macaron Parlour: We dig the offbeat macarons here, but we like other pastries like the kouign amann, cinnamon bun, and cookies even more.
Puddin' by Clio: The specialty is, surprise surprise, pudding—chocolate is our favorite. But moist cakes and pies like the key lime cheesecake are also good dessert options.
PDT: You can expect great drinks at this cocktail destination, but don't be surprised if there's a multi-hour wait when you go.
Decorating with frames seems obvious, I know. Successfully decorating with frames, however, is not so. It’s easy to pick up a couple of generic frames from IKEA, but it takes a keen eye and some old fashioned will power to thrift, collect and curate a selection of perfectly mismatched frames.
Yes, I like to mix and match; I find that it brings balance to a space, a certain subtle serenity. I have never been one for monotony. As much of a planner as I may indeed be, I whole-heartedly enjoy mixing it up, especially in my own personal style and in my own home. For us city dwellers, raw space is always limited. This means, we turn to a clean slate – bare walls! It is a no-brainer both in terms of style and storage. For example, take a look at these hats:
Do you know how to store yours? I most often find myself flinging hats here and there without very much intention. With the help of a few hooks, a hat rack gone artful arrangement is born just like that.
What happens when you go to Economy Candy and clear the store out of all their gummy candy animals? You let them have a little party. In this case it's an End of the World party, and the gummy bears, penguins, and lobsters are going out in style.
We began this project thinking this would just be a cute gummy version of Noah's ark. But when Robyn and I showed the finished project to Sweets editor Carrie, her response was as follows: "That's no ark. That's a party boat."
Which is when Robyn pointed out that Noah's ark was the original party boat. Touché.
No matter what you call it, this is one darn cute way to use up your leftover gummy candy after Halloween. And if you, oh, wanted to use this photo as your desktop background, here's a high resolution version of the image for your viewing pleasure.
that's kinda cool. although they also kinda look like spiders.
Browsing one of our favorite local shops, Paxton Gate, for all things weird and wonderful, my fiancé and I stumbled upon a simple frame wired to contain a display of the airplants that they had for sale. "I'm going to make one of those." he proclaimed, something (unsurprisingly) much more likely to come out of my mouth than his. Here are the results...
Editor's note: Here to answer your questions is senior managing editor, former SENY editor, and frequent author of our NYC restaurant reviews Carey Jones. We'll take a few of your questions each week and give you the New York restaurant advice you're looking for. Email carey@seriouseats.com with the subject line Ask the Critic to submit your question!
Lunch Near Penn Station
Hi Carey,
I work in the Penn Station area, so I was wondering if you had any suggestions for good lunch takeout spots around here, preferably not chains, and within a 10 minute walk. I like trying food trucks, but not many come to this area. So far my favorite that I've found is Best Bagel & Coffee, but I'd like to try some new places so I'm not eating the same food all the time.
Oh, how we at Serious Eats sympathize! Our offices were, for years, located at 27th and 8th, among the more food-blighted corners of Manhattan. We worked at a food website and would routinely get Subway sandwiches for lunch. Those were dark times, my friend.
But the landscape has improved considerably since then, and there have always been diamonds in the rough. Salumeria Biellese is among them—one of the best salumi shops in the city, though you'd never know it from the outside. Get an Italian hero, or get one of their daily sandwich specials, or just pick up sliced cold cuts for an afternoon snack. (Salami is a normal afternoon snack, right?) Or there's Pizza Suprema, with excellent classic New York slices and an equally excellent "upside down pizza," a Sicilian slice that's crust, cheese, sauce instead of crust, sauce, cheese.
Depending on where in the Penn Station area you are, there's more to be found in a ten-minute walk. If you can get to 28th and Broadway, you've got several options: the oddball (but generally awesome) sandwiches at No. 7 Sub; the creative salads at Sweetgreen, which is so much better than your average chopped salad bar it feels unfair to compare them. There's the Kati Roll Company, serving Indian sandwich wraps (we like the vegetarian fillings the best here), and HIT Deli & Korean Food—serving Korean food and sandwiches from what looks like a bodega. (And if you're on the east side of Penn Station, you're really not far from Koreatown and all the edible riches therein.) Go Go Curry should also be a short walk; it specializes in thick, gloppy Japanese curry, pure comfort food and a great winter lunch. Get the pork katsu and load on the toppings.
And while we understand the desire to avoid the usual chain suspects, the Penn Station area has decent ones—a Pret a Manger and Chipotle among them, either of which I'd have killed for back in my day of Penn Station lunching.
Ask Us!
Email carey@seriouseats.com with the subject line Ask the Critic to submit your question. All questions will be read, though unfortunately not all can be answered.
About the author: Carey Jones is the former managing editor of Serious Eats. Follow her on Twitter (@careyjones).
The 23rd Annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade was held Saturday an the East Village's favorite dog run, and Serious Eats was there to take in all the puppy action. From corgi fries to hot dogs (pun definitely intended) to cheese doodles (pun again intended), here are our favorite, (mostly) food-based dogs.
About the author:Ben Jay is an editorial intern at Serious Eats, photographer, carnivore, beer and whisky drinker, and music nerd. Wow. Such doge. So joy. Amaze. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
Set in between several row houses, 301 East 10th Street was originally built in the late 19th Century by architect Joseph Trench in Italianate style as a single-family home. This property was later altered in a fine interpretation of Queen Anne style with raised ceiling heights, changed lintels, sills, and cornice into a multi-family home.
Currently configured as five, gracious floor-through units, four that can be delivered vacant. Ceiling heights range from 9’ to 13’ at Parlor level. Unobstructed, sunlit views overlooking Tompkins Square Park in front, 360 degree unobstructed Manhattan views from the roof including the Cooper Hotel, the Williamsburg Bridge, and the Freedom Tower to the South and the Empire State, Chrysler, and New York Life buildings to the North. Large, north-facing garden and terrace in rear abutting a historic carriage house on 11th street.
First public offering in over twenty-five years with endless opportunities to renovate and create a strong rent roll, create a 2,700 garden duplex or an upper duplex with fantastic roof deck. Property is currently under built by approximately 3,300 square feet.
Two sets of red panda cubs, nature's most heartwarming product yet, today make their debut at the Bronx Zoo and Prospect Park Zoo, increasing the "Awww" capital of both locations by roughly 700 percent. [ more › ]
Photo: Ray Tang/ REX USA.
Just look at this face, would you? Sweet, fluffy, loyal, yappy, and — oh, those adorably stubby legs. Now, picture this precious pooch going the way of the polar bear, black rhino, and mountain gorilla. Unless you're, say, renowned corgi nemesis Helen Mirren, you probably need a tissue. We sure do.
Photo: Cultura/REX USA.
New York City is famous for many, many, many things: Broadway, the Met, a little patch of land called Central Park, and some of the smallest apartments known to man. It's a town of bright lights and even bigger rents. New York's cost of living, in case you weren't aware, is astronomical, even when you're a salaried employee in your twenties and early thirties. Luckily, there are always other cities like Portland, OR, where the average monthly rent of a 2-bedroom apartment is similar to the cost of a shoebox-sized studio in Manhattan.
Dope Mobius bridge, pretty pizza packaging, Lake Erie's carp problem, Price Is Right contestant joy, and more midday links. Don't forget to follow Gothamist on Twitter and like us on Facebook. You can also get the top stories mailed to you—sign up here. [ more › ]
Photo: Courtesy of Delta.
Big news air travelers: The FAA says it's a-okay to listen to your daily dose of Rihanna (or whatever you so choose) for the duration of the entire flight. Yes, the entire flight, as in gate to gate! Consider one of the biggest #firstworldfrustrations solved, y'all. Rejoice, throw your iPods and iPads in the air, and book a flight, because you're not barred from using them anymore.
1.5 Bedroom in Carroll Gardens-adjacent featuring innovative green technology! Just $1950/month!! [ more › ]
