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Fall Flavor Finale

Regan Hofmann — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:20:10 +0000

THIS WEEKEND DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THE END OF THE LINE FOR THESE AUTUMN DELIGHTS

Thanksgiving is the last hurrah for the multitude of flavors that come together to spell “autumn” in our little lizard brains. Herbs like sage and rosemary, Brussels sprouts and squash, apples and ginger—soon we’ll say goodbye to all that and it’ll be all Christmas, all the time. Chocolate and peppermint will flavor absolutely everything—hell, they’ve already snuck their way into the Pringles can, once a bastion of salt. Orange and cinnamon will somehow find their way into the very air around you, like surplus oxygen pumped onto the casino floors in Vegas.

Some of this has to do with geographical seasonality—there’s only so much you can grow when there’s been 2 feet of snow on the ground for a month. But much more of it is due to the manufactured seasonality of holidays as consumer events. How are people supposed to go wild shopping for Christmas gifts on Black Friday if they still feel like it’s Thanksgiving, a time for being grateful for what you already have? How can you keep latte consumption running high without introducing a new limited-time-only flavor every three weeks?

Turns out seasonality means less and less these days, both from a meteorologic and a material perspective. Starbucks rolled out its holiday-branded cups weeks ago, along with all the eggnog/gingerbread/peppermint coffee-type beverages that go in them. And with a hurricane, massive snowstorm and mid-60s temperatures all within a week of each other, climate and season have only a passing acquaintance. So check out some of these autumnal flavors after Thanksgiving and assert your independence from the whole charade.

If you think you don’t like Brussels sprouts, you’re not alone. If all you’ve ever had are Aunt Gertie’s boiled-while-the-turkey’s-in rendition, there’s really not much to love. Cooked plainly, the little guys’ crucifer heritage comes out loud and clear, packing all the stench of boiled cabbage into a tiny, bite-sized parcel. But roasting opens them up to a world of caramelized sweetness, a slight bitter edge and the delightful contrast of tender interior and crisp exterior. Eat these anywhere, but especially at Mile End Sandwich (53 Bond St., mileenddeli.com), where they’re halved and tossed with shredded radicchio and a bacon vinaigrette that nestles in all the right crevices. It’s just the right thing to cut the richness of their signature Ruth Wilensky sandwich (that’s fried salami for us non- Montréalers).

Sure, there’ll be apple cider till Easter, but that over-spiced, over-sweetened hooch doesn’t do the apple justice. Over the years, New York has been home to some of the most brilliant apple breeders, who created a multitude of varieties that coax bright tartness, honeyed sweetness, floral undertones and more from the fruit. Go straight to the source at the Union Square farmers’ market, which is open all year round (apples keep for months in the right cold storage!), or try some of the seasonal sandwiches at Num Pang (21 E. 12th St. or 140 E. 41st St., numpangnyc.com), the Cambodian sandwich shop whose creations defy borders. Roasted, spiced chicken comes with slices of pickled apple, turkey breast is topped with a very Thanksgiving cranberry-apple chutney, and glazed pork belly is accompanied by Asian pear (OK, not an apple, but just as autumnal!).

For a full-on one-two punch of fall, try Crispo (240 W. 14th St., crisporestaurant.com) and their butternut squash tortelloni with chestnuts and sage. The below-the-radar Northern Italian spot (no mean feat for a restaurant that sits right on 14th Street) serves a variety of soul-warming pastas in a romantically low-lit, brick-lined room, along with plenty of their signature ingredients: prosecco, prosciutto and parmigiano. But the handmade pockets of rich, dense squash sweetened by the street vendor favorite, roasted chestnuts, and made savory with browned butter and fried sage, take the seasonal prize.

Black Friday Deals for Downtown

NY Press — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:31:33 +0000

If you’re prepared to brave the shopping throngs the day after Thanksgiving, reward yourself with some cool finds and steals in the neighborhood.

By John Friia

Best place to shop with bros
Brooks Brothers Flatiron Shop, 901 Broadway at 20th Street, 212-228-3580
If you’ve got your boyfriend, brother or any male-type person in tow, bring them to this specialty Brooks Brothers locale, where they’ve got a “man cave” with a photo booth and a foosball table. They can keep themselves occupied and also give suggestions for the men on your shopping list. For Black Friday and Saturday, any purchases made between 9 a.m. and noon are 20 percent off with a MasterCard, 15 percent off with any other payment method.

Best place to find gifts for your eclectic relatives
Kisan Concept Store, 125 Greene St. near Prince Street, kisanstore.com
Kisan offers high-end women’s apparel, children’s clothing, toys and more with a chic and feminine urban twist. Owners Thorunn Anspach and Olivier Bremond have traveled the world to bring their Parisian sensibility to New York through the products they feature. This Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., items including shoes and accessories for women, children and men will be discounted up to 90 percent, so you can find a quirky European hat for Aunt Mindy without breaking the bank.

Best place to go with a gaggle of ladies
Haute Hippie, 9 Prince St. near Bowery,
212-431-0101
Bring your posse of gals to peruse clothing that’s been described as “a little bit bohemian and a lot of rock and roll” while sipping on complimentary mimosas and chomping down cupcakes all day on Friday. The shop runs the gamut from luxe gowns to their more low-key Haute Hoodie collection, so it’s a great one-stop shop for gifts. Plus, in keeping with the shop’s cheeky nature, everything black will be 25 percent off on Black Friday.

Best place to chill the heck out
eBay and Bliss Spas, 568 Broadway at Prince Street
Everyone knows that shopping on Black Friday can be a stressful experience, what with all the energy expended to grab the last faux fur vest on sale. This year, eBay has collaborated with Bliss Spas to offer free mini-manicures, pedicures and foot massages on Black Friday. While relaxing, you can browse eBay on their mobile app and take advantage of their Holiday Collective. The online company has teamed up with big-name designers to offer holiday gifts all under $100; some of the participating designers include Jonathan Adler, Fallon and Tibi.

Best place to shop for gadget lovers
AC Gears, 69 E. Eighth St. near Broadway, acgears.com
AC Gears is basically a toy store for adults, running the gamut from serious technology (did someone say 3-D printer?) to delightful gizmos you didn’t know you needed. They’ve got functionally brilliant iPhone cases, camera equipment, a plethora of timepieces and tons of options under $50. On Black Friday, they will be offering up to 50 percent off on never-discounted electronics, headphones, watches, toys and more.

Best place to buy your way into the hearts of children–and their parents
Dinosaur Hill, 306 E. Ninth St. near
First Avenue, dinosaurhill.com
This independently owned East Village shop stocks unique, intellectually stimulating (but still cool!) games and toys for kids. We’re not in Toys ‘R’ Us anymore, Toto. They also sell handmade children’s clothing, limited-edition stuffed animals, musical instruments, and newborn and toddler clothing. The best part is that on Black Friday, customers who sing “Row Row Row Your Boat” get a 15 percent discount. Warm up those pipes.

START A TREND OF THE MOST NEEDED KIND

admin — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:22:58 +0000

“Dewing Things Better” is the name of this column, in case you don’t remember or notice (the font is pretty small, dear editor). Anyway, we all need reminding, “even more than being informed,” advised wise man Dr. Samuel Johnson. Both are essential, “but to be more informed, read more than one newspaper,” I was told when granted this column by then publisher Ed Kayatt and then editor, Arlene Kayatt. Too much? Then alternate sometimes, change channels and stations, too—except every policy maker/pundit must regularly watch the role-model series, The Waltons, airing 8 to 10 a.m. on Hallmark.
Things went better, more democratically, when newspapers were the big read. The computer-un-savvy presidential candidate should have made reviving them a strong campaign promise. And Big Apple legislators would warrant another term if they agreed, and also decreed, that cheery-looking street news boxes (in moderation and in reasonably good condition) are a city blessing, not a blight. If you agree, please call 311.
Call 311 about a lot of things. But the term limits that most concern me are the ones Supreme Court appointees do not have—not ever.
“This could be a very Black Friday on Wall Street,” the radio just warned, which should speed us even faster back to a time when the American dream didn’t mean everyone’s having their own little (or big) pad; back to a time when housing was shared, and by the multi-generational, biological family too—a big “no-no” of the post-Great Depression’s social engineers. Communication and relationship skills, of course, must at long last be learned.
I once voted for Walter Mondale, not because of our Norwegian/Minnesotan background, but because he rued the “urban renewal craze” that destroyed self-sustaining neighborhoods, with their small businesses that met everyday needs, perhaps a school, a place of worship and, above all, extended family/friend/neighbor natural support systems. My Mondale campaign button has Carter at the top, but Carter shared similar values.
So I’ll wear it to the East Side Candidates Forum and again submit a written concern for candidates to address. This year’s is to save small businesses, with the cause celebre being the family-run, 38-year-old 79th Street Café diner, on the corner of 79th and First. And, yes, besides agreeable/affordable food and courteous service, it even boasts comfortable booths, large windows and is not over-lit or harshly lit. Save the humane mood-and-ambience that only incandescent bulbs provide!
I remember how the Channel One newscaster and forum moderator twice ignored protests against the articulated buses’ excessively noisy/drafty climate control system, scofflaw biking and drivers’ failure to yield on turns. But we keep on keeping on, trying to make every type of forum, including the social kind, more democratic so that everyone’s voice is heard—and the best change (often no change) can be found.
My handouts at the forum this year urge the saving of small businesses, especially this diner that has served the community for so long and so well. Call 311, the flyer suggests, to reach “electeds” and city agencies. Join a civic group. Tell the restaurant’s landlord (212-792-2630), “You could be a great hero if you gave the diner a new lease with an affordable rent—you could start a trend of the most needed kind!”
Every nabe in every borough can be saved from these “death of neighborhood changes” if enough of us “do not go gently” and, indeed, get non-violently mad as all get out (gentle the language, too) and refuse to take it anymore!

dewingbetter@aol.com