EATING HABITS AREN’T REALLY SO HARD TO CHANGE

Resolutions are an easy way to absolve yourself of the sins of December. Too much eggnog? You’re going to find the diet that really works. Black out at the company Christmas party? No more than one drink a week for you from now on! Suck wind at that Turkey Trot your cousin bullied you into? This is the year you run the marathon, somehow. That’s about the level of thought that most people put into their resolutions, which translates almost directly to the ease with which those resolutions fall by the wayside. Easy come, easy go.

But we are fans of using the New Year as an opportunity for taking stock. This exercise should be about behaviors and habits, breaking bad ones and making new good ones. It’s not about punishment and low self-esteem; most importantly, it’s not quantitative—you don’t get a gold star and permission to quit once you’ve lost those 12 pounds; make a fundamental shift and stick with it.
So. Now that you’ve awakened early to go for a jog exactly twice, only to discover that it’s still dark out at 6 a.m. and your bed is somehow exponentially more comfortable after that first snooze button, you’re ready to try on a different kind of resolution. Here are the ones we’re committing to this year.

Leave the borough. The amount of time we spend seeking out new restaurants is enough to have learned a new language. But the minute we see the address on that interesting new place is in Williamsburg, our defenses clamp down. “It’s so far! It’s full of hipsters!” Well, yes. But so is the Lower East Side, and we were first in line at the Bowery Diner.

To start, get yourself to Gwynnett Street (312 Graham Ave., Williamsburg; gwynnettst.com ) ASAP; it’s been the talk of the town all year and turned up on all the “Best of 2012” lists that matter. Whiskey bread to start and a seasonally driven menu full of surprising, comfortable combinations, exquisitely presented without toppling over into the precious, will be more than enough to outweigh that moustache-packed L train ride in.

Just say no to bacon. Yes, we know, bacon is delicious. It is concentrated fat and salt, two of the things our brains are chemically wired to seek out at all costs, so saying you love bacon is as unnecessary as expounding your love of oxygen. Unfortunately, chefs have started relying heavily on this meaty crutch to prop up otherwise unlovable dishes. This year, vow to read the menu in full, and don’t fall for the shiny object dangling in front of you. At brunch at Print (653 11th Ave.; printrestaurant.com), resist the maple bacon sticky buns, an overload of sweet topped with an obscene shower of chopped bacon, and go for a properly flaky croissant or semolina raisin bread French toast, a hearty foil to as much maple syrup as you can pour on.

Try things you think you don’t like. Obviously this does not apply to serious allergies. But if you’ve always hated mushrooms because they’re too slimy or avoided cabbage because you had an over-boiled boiled dinner as a kid, now’s the time to banish that old sense memory. Ninety-five percent of the time, the fault is with the chef, not the ingredient, so find someone you trust and put yourself in their hands.

If vegetables are the enemy, go kamikaze at Dirt Candy (430 E. 9th St.; dirtcandynyc.com), whose menu is entirely vegetarian, much of it vegan, and the restaurant nonetheless remains one of the New York Times’ favorite spots. Mushrooms don’t stand a chance against a portobello mousse served with truffled toast—chances are whatever your aversion might be, it will meet its match here as well. Unless you’re one of those people genetically programmed to hate cilantro. If so, we’re sorry.

Vai's Iberico ham with Brussels sprouts and piave cheese, courtesy of Vai Restaurant.

Vai stands out from the crowd on Amsterdam Avenue

The restaurant row of Amsterdam Avenue is dominated by the sort of Japanese fusion restaurant whose menu is dominated by eight pages of maki that feature mango, cream cheese, and tempura-fried everything. Their outdoor seating is a sea of blond ponytails and pink-and-purple-topped plates, and waves of clinking chopsticks and high-pitched laughter come rolling off like it’s high tide.

Between two of these sits a restaurant that looks from the outside like their plain older cousin. Vai’s (429 Amsterdam Ave., betw. 80th & 81st St., vairestaurant.com) awning is a neutral taupe, rather than striking black. Inside, the decor is limited to some spare arrangements in vases, rather than pebble-paved walls and lacquered cabinetry. Lighting comes from a wrought-iron chandelier and tabletop candles, not recessed neon. Despite (or perhaps, because of) this, it’s Vai that draws the diner, much as white space on a busy page draws the weary eye looking for a rest.

A rest can be found here. It’s an interesting room, designed in equal parts for drinking and dining in secret. It’s split down the middle by a low wall that backs a row of banquette seating; on one side is an enormously tall, curved bar flanked by a few convivial tables—the bartender can be seen handing drinks like the Pomegranate Gimlet over the top to those seated nearby. On the other are the tables shielded by that wall and a row of candlelit four-tops that hug the room’s brick wall. On that side, it’s as if the party were happening in a distant apartment as gracious staff pour wine and, in the case of one table recently, offer to cut unwieldy food for broken-armed patrons.
There are seats outside, of course, and right now they are the most popular seats in the house, so to speak. Large groups do well out there, where, unconfined by the two-party system that rules inside, they can be boisterous and merry directly next to a quiet table for two and neither will feel as if they’ve come to the wrong place.

The menu is divided into three times as many categories as needed, as is the norm nowadays, but each contains only two or three items, so the risk of option paralysis is low. In fact, the division makes it easier to build exactly the meal you want, rather than second-guessing yourself over and over again. Want to keep it light? Zero in on the Crudo, Vegetable and Sea sections. So hungry you could eat a horse? Head for the Pasta and Land sections, maybe with a stop in Warm Appetizers.

Nominally Mediterranean, Vai draws flavor profiles from around the world, with pickled ginger surrounding a tuna and hamachi crudo, jalapeno pesto supporting charred octopus and Spanish Iberico ham teaming up with piave cheese to surround roasted Brussels sprouts. The prevalence of cheese is decidedly Italian—every one of the vegetable dishes featured it, and then there was the burrata ravioli with parmigiano—and the antipasti that come to every table before ordering is an introduction to the lengthy, laid-back meals of Southern Europe.

If you take the tour of the menu, a number of similarly sculptural dishes will make their way to your table. In the smaller dishes, elements are piled semi-neatly in a corner of the plate, a swipe of this sauce, a swoop of another and a sprinkling of microgreens covering the rest of the territory, and until you dig through, it may be hard to tell whether you’ve got the Brussels sprouts or the pear and speck salad in front of you. Meat and fish mains are more easily identifiable, primarily because they are all presented in all their carnivorous glory, an enormous, bone-in pork chop or whole branzino splayed across the plate.

Unexpectedly, these repetitions never feel cloying. In stark contrast to the overwhelming aesthetics next door, Vai has found a formula that presents food well without dwelling on the details, saving the effort for the flavor profiles and seasonal variations that make the menu unique. In a sea of false fusion, its eclecticism feels like a comfortable lifeboat.

Movie watchers will remember Stand By Me, which, set in the ’50s, had an infamous scene of a town pie-eating contest (blueberry, natch) gone horribly wrong. At that point, the practice was a well-established trope, shorthand for mom and baseball and small-town values, which allowed it to be subverted to explosive (sorry) effect in the movie.

Of course there’s the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest, 97 years strong (well, sort of—more on that in a moment) and the premier competition in the MLE season. While it now attracts the all-stars of the competitive eating circuit, names even non-eaters may know like Joey Chestnut, Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas and that wildcard Takeru Kobayashi, it was once a homely little event open to all comers—like if the All-Star game had started out on your local Little League diamond.

Though the official Nathan’s story says their contest started in 1916, held between four Irish immigrants on the Fourth of July to settle an argument over which was the most patriotic, that’s all a little too convenient. Hot dogs were the most patriotic food they could find? That works out well for Nathan’s, the biggest purveyors of the tubular treat around. Really, the contest began in 1972 and was won by a Brooklyn college student, whose prize was a certificate for more hot dogs.

These days the Nathan’s contest is still going strong, but for a more down-home summertime competition, there are a number of eating contests in and around the city that lean more county fair than corporate blowout.

This weekend, July 7-8, Cook Out NYC is taking over Governors Island for a second year of grilling, beers and kimchi—an all-American party to follow the Fourth in style. Kimchi? Damn right—this is New York, after all. As part of the event’s Kimchipalooza, which will offer the spicy pickle all weekend long in tacos and other dishes, Kheedim Oh, owner of Mama O’s Premium Kimchi, convinced the event’s organizers to hold a eating contest featuring his super-spicy variety, which uses the notorious ghost pepper in its chili paste base. Last year, the winner ate 12 jars of the stuff—think you can do more? Email orders@kimchirules.com to enter the contest. Otherwise, just show up this weekend (get tickets at cookoutnyc.com) to watch others suffer.

Looking for something a little less incendiary? Try Astor Bake Shop’s (12-23 Astoria Blvd., Astoria, astor-bakeshop.com) pie-eating contest to celebrate its first anniversary. Owner George McKirdy opened the Queens bakery after years as a pastry chef in Manhattan, working at such haute restaurants as Nobu, Café Boulud and Tribeca Grill. Now, his shop sells one of the neighborhood’s best burgers and has a small-town feel that belies its technically impeccable sweets.

On Sunday, July 15 at 3 p.m., they will provide five male contestants, five women and five “juniors” with a pie to be eaten in the traditional, hands-behind-the-back fashion as quickly as possible. According to the rules, in the event of a tie, the contestant with the “biggest pie smile” will be declared the winner. Grab yourself a mirror and get to practicing, then show up dressed to impress in your best red, white and blue.

And if you really want to go back to basics, the Saratoga County Fair (July 17-22, saratogacountyfair.org) will be holding both a pie- and a donut-eating contest during its five-day extravaganza. One of the oldest county fairs in the country, the contests will be bookended by 4-H exhibitions and tractor pulls unlike anything to be found in these five boroughs. Sure, it’s a long train ride, but it’s worlds away from the Nathan’s contest—just as the Founding Fathers would have wanted.

Bareburger Hamburger.

Tracking down the best burger and fries in the neighborhood

By Paul Bisceglio, Megan Bungeroth, Rebecca Harris, Regan Hofmann, Helen Matsumoto, Amy Smith and Amanda Woods
New Yorkers have been searching for the best burger in the city since the dawn of time. But Our Town wanted to find out where Upper East Siders can get the best burger without having to leave the neighborhood. We scouted out 10 popular burger joints, from the highbrow to the dive, and rated their signature sandwiches. Check out our reviews, then tell us what you think at nypress.com/best-burger-ues, The winner of our readers’ poll will be featured in our Best of Manhattan issue this fall. In the meantime, we encourage you to embark on a taste test.

Jones Wood Foundry
401 E. 76th St., 212-249-2700, joneswoodfoundry.com
Burger: JWF Burger, DeBragga Dry Aged Blend; $18.50
Juiciness: 5
Flavor: 5
Inventiveness: 3
Bun: 3
Value: 3
Preparation: 5
Side: Fries, 2
Presentation: 5

If you get the burger at this crowded gem of a British pub, get it with Stilton (as opposed to Swiss) and get it with bacon. Both complement the dry-aged patty in a way that, while making the whole meal a touch salty, pushes the flavors into a sharp, savory combination that makes the burger excellent instead of just great. The accompanying fries (or more authentically, chips) aren’t crispy enough and don’t properly absorb the malt vinegar they are served with, but the housemade pickle and roasted plum tomatoes make up for that. The burger itself doesn’t need ketchup, lettuce or anything aside from those roasted tomatoes. Wash it all down with a Boddington’s ale and you’ll quickly forget that you’ve spent nearly $20 on a cheeseburger that’s actually well worth it.

Joy Burger Bar
1567 Lexington Ave., 212-289-6222,
joyburgerbar.com
Burger: Midi (5 oz.) burger with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, sautéed onions, spicy mayo; $5.60
Juiciness: 3
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness/Creativity: 4
Bun quality: 3
Value: 5
Preparation: 5
Side: Fries (extra), 5
Presentation: 4

This burger bar kicks customization up a notch by letting you decide what size burger you want—3, 5 or 8 ounces—and charging accordingly. Cheese and some upscale toppings like avocado and olive tapenade cost extra, but the regulars are free and unlimited, as are sauces like garlic mayo and spicy mango chutney. The patty itself, which you can get cooked medium rare to order, unlike Joy Burger’s competitors in the mid-priced upscale burger joint category, is decent, if unremarkable. Their slogan, “The sauces make the difference,” is definitely true. Plus, a midi burger with cheese, a side of almost perfect crunchy-on-the-outside shoestring fries and a beer will only set you back $13, and the restaurant’s cozy diner feel makes it a great spot for kids or a kitschy but fun cheap date.

Joy Burger

Shake Shack
154 E. 86th St., 646-237-5035,
shakeshack.com
Burger: ShackBurger (Single); $4.55
Juiciness: 5
Flavor: 5
Inventiveness: 3
Bun: 3
Value: 5
Preparation: 4
Side: Crinkle-cut fries, 4
Presentation: 2

This oh-so-popular fast food chain does not pretend to be anything more than what it is: a cheap, guilty-pleasure burger joint with greasy, delicious classics. Don’t be put off by the long lines, because this place is quick. For $5 at Shake Shack, you can get a cheeseburger with a juicy, flavorful patty and the standard fixings, dripping with the restaurant’s mysterious, sinfully scrumptious Shack Sauce (you can forgo additional condiments). The burgers are rather small, but if you add a side of their too-salty-in-a-good-way crinkle-cut fries and a creamy, hand-spun milkshake—which you absolutely should—you’ll be full to the gills by the end of the meal. This is not the place to go if you’re looking for the highest quality beef or an exciting blend of toppings, but if a quick, cheap, tasty burger, fries and shake is what you’re after, Shake Shack’s old-school simplicity will be right up your alley.

Genesis Burger

Genesis Bar & Restaurant
1708 2nd Ave., 212-348-5500,
genesisbar.com
Burger: Gaelic Burger (cheddar cheese, Irish bacon, sautéed onions, lettuce, tomato and ketchup on a toasted sesame seed bun); $12
Juiciness: 3
Flavor: 3
Inventiveness: 5
Bun: 5
Value: 4
Preparation: 4
Side: Fries, 5
Presentation: 4

If you’re looking to enjoy a good burger with a creative twist, you may want to consider the variety of options on the menu of this classic pub. Monday nights are burger night, with eight special burgers added to the menu! The patty itself did not have a lot of flavor, which was disappointing, but the combination of toppings—try it with sautéed onions—a perfectly toasted bun and a delicious side of crispy bar fries tied the meal together to make this cheeseburger well worth its reasonable price. Chase it down with a Sierra Nevada pale ale or another of the pub’s many beer options, and Genesis is a great place to enjoy a quality, affordable burger. Plus, one of the pub’s main attraction is its atmosphere (and good music selection); you can watch the big game inside at the bar or dine outdoors with friends on a warm summer’s eve.

Ottomanelli Burger

Ottomanelli New York Grill
1424 Lexington Ave., 212-426-6886,
nycotto.com
Burger: VIP Burger (mushrooms, grilled onions and provolone); $9.75
Juiciness: 3
Flavor: 3
Inventiveness: 4
Bun quality: 3
Value: 3
Preparation: 4
Side: Waffle fries, 5
Presentation: 4

At Ottomanelli New York Grill, the rustic Italian atmosphere and the menu’s vast selection of steak burgers unite the best of two worlds. The VIP Burger is a tasty option; the burger’s toppings—mushrooms, grilled onions and provolone—offer a satisfying mix of textures and flavors. The provolone coats the top of the patty, and every mouthful will satisfy a cheese lover’s craving. The mushrooms and onions are hidden below the cheese, not on top, an unexpected but welcome treat. The meat itself, although fresh, was less juicy than expected, and the bun was thin and didn’t contribute much flavor. A bit of ketchup plus a few of the pickles provided on the side gave the burger the kick it needed. The waffle fries on the side, though, were delicious and crunchy—a perfect complement for the burger.

Café D’Alsace
1695 2nd Ave., 212-722-5133,
cafedalsace.com
Burger: Burger d’Alsace (10 oz. sirloin with sautéed onions and cheese); $17
Juiciness: 3
Inventiveness: 4
Bun Quality: 5
Value: 3
Preparation: 5
Side: Fries or salad, 5
Presentation: 4

The description of the Café D’Alsace burger sounds delicious on the menu—caramelized onion and melted Gruyère cheese with a garlic aioli. But for a whopping $17, the burger itself was somewhat average—good, but definitely not worth the price. The flavors of the burger were quite tasty, but the meat was a bit dry and not of great quality. It came on a nice heated plate with warm, crispy fries, and the mesclun salad with vinaigrette is an excellent lighter alternative. But the restaurant’s extensive artisanal beer selection and other great Alsatian dishes are more worth checking out than the burger.

Bareburger Hamburger

Bareburger
1370 1st Ave., 212-510-8559,
bareburger.com
Burger: California Burger (sharp cheddar, hass avocado, romaine lettuce, tomato, raw red onion and cilantro lime dressing); $11.95
Juiciness: 5
Flavor: 5
Inventiveness: 5
Bun: 5
Value: 3
Preparation: 5
Side: N/A
Presentation: 3

Bareburger is a must-try spot. The burger is juicy and fresh, and every bite is bursting with flavor. The cilantro lime dressing is the highlight of the burger—it added some zest to the meat and vegetables and blended well with the avocado. The multigrain roll has a distinctive oaty taste as well. This burger isn’t the only unique concoction at Bareburger—the Maui Wowie is topped with smoked mozzarella, pineapple, Canadian bacon, fried onions, roasted red peppers and ranch dressing and the Western Burger is served with pepper jack cheese, blackened maple bacon, fried onions, house-made coleslaw and peppercorn steak sauce. All of the burgers are made with grass-fed meats, natural cheeses and organic vegetables. The only drawback to Bareburger is the price: our California Burger cost $11.95, and that’s without fries. But if you have the money, this is the place to go for a burger that few can replicate.

Jackson Hole
232 E. 64th St., 212-371-7187,
jacksonholeburgers.com
Burger: Cheeseburger platter; $10.90
Juiciness: 4
Flavor: 4
Inventiveness: 3
Bun: 3
Value: 3
Preparation: 4
Side: Fries, 3
Presentation: 3

Jackson Hole serves a good burger—not a change-your-life burger that would convert you to devout meatatarianism, but a simple, delicious one. With hearty but forgettable fries, a dry bun and a token clump of lettuce alongside a single thin slice of tomato (negative points for that one), the burger was all about the quality patty, which was tender, juicy and large enough for me to feel like, by Manhattan standards, I got what I paid for. The restaurant itself was cramped, but the servers were friendly and the place gets extra points for having an open kitchen—watching your burger be hand-scooped and steam-grilled under a stainless steel cup definitely makes it all the more savory.

JG Melon Hamburger

J.G. Melon
1291 3rd Ave., 212-744-0585
Burger: Cheeseburger; $10.25
Juiciness: 5
Flavor: 2
Inventiveness: 1
Bun: 4
Value: 2
Preparation: 5
Side: Cottage fries (extra), 3
Presentation: 1
The people who claim dirty-water dogs with those angry red onions are the best kind of hot dogs or oversized, floppy cheese slices are the best pizza are the ones who list J.G. Melon’s as one of the best burgers in the city. The bar, which was designed in the early ’70s to look like a ’30s saloon, is perennially packed, bar and tables crowded with people ordering burgers (add bacon, cheese or both, for a surprisingly reasonable additional charge) and cottage fries on the side for an extra charge. The burger is slapped together with the carelessness of experience—it’s cooked perfectly and the American cheese slice is melted evenly, but it would be nice not to have to place it squarely on the bun oneself—and presented with scattered rounds of red onion and wrinkled pickle slices. It’s juicy, alright, but that fat is covering for a lack of meaty flavor. After a few (reasonably priced) beers it’d be welcome at just about any table—but then, so would a dirty-water dog.

The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges
25 E. 77th St., 212-606-3030,
themarkhotel.com/restaurant-bar
Burger: THE MARK Cheeseburger (brie, black truffle dressing); $27
Juiciness: 5
Flavor: 5
Inventiveness: 4
Bun: 3
Value: 4
Preparation: 5
Side: Fries: 3
Presentation: 5

There’s nothing quite as saliva-inducing as sitting down for a meal at The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges. The celebrity chef extraordinaire has prepared a menu of home-cooked favorites with a gourmet twist. The sumptuous Mark Cheeseburger is every bit as juicy and succulent as one would expect, while the truffle oil drizzled on the surprisingly un-soggy bun gives the perfect tastebud kick, especially when paired with the smokey, melt-in-your-mouth taste of the grade-A beef patty. Topped with brie and a little dollop of ketchup (sorry, Jean-Georges), this burger is worth every penny.

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite at nypress.com/best-burger-ues!

The picky friend is the bane of the food-lover’s existence. It can be tough to accept that someone you like and respect could be so stubbornly opposed to something you love, like finding out your best friend thinks Prince is just a short weirdo with an unhealthy attachment to the color purple. More friendships have ended over dim sum meals gone south than loans gone unrepaid—at least in my circle.

But while the first instinct of any food evangelist is to apply reason (ie. argue, loudly), these poor lost souls are too far gone to be receptive to facts. Yes, dark-meat chicken is more flavorful than white meat, higher in tasty fats and therefore less prone to becoming dried-out, stringy sawdust, but white meat lovers are as entrenched as fourth-generation Chicago Cubs fans, still holding on after 103 years of disappointment.

No, the tactic to take with these people is a sneakier one: gateway dishes. Unless they’re allergic or one of those genetic mutants who can’t taste cilantro, no one hates a food wholecloth. They hate the idea of it or the way they’ve had it prepared in the past; for years, a friend hated asparagus because as a child his mother had only ever served the canned version—he thought those colorless, water-logged spears were the vegetable’s natural state.

Present your pal with an creative preparation or one that downplays the food’s more objectionable qualities and let him come to the realization on his own that it might not be so bad after all. If necessary, order out of earshot and let the offending food arrive at the table incognito—but don’t play coy if he asks what it is; these people are highly attuned to trickery and will run at the first sign of a trap. Given a light push by a caring friend and one of the following amazing dishes, any irrational food resistance will melt away faster than Otto’s olive oil gelato on an August afternoon.

Oysters
Though sushi hasn’t been a gross-out food since The Breakfast Club, for some reason raw oysters remain a bridge too far for some. Maybe it’s their soft, moist texture, which comes across slimy for those who need to poke and prod food before trying it. Or maybe it’s the technique for eating them, which can be intimidatingly Neanderthal—and, in the wrong hands, leaves you spitting flakes of shell. Ease into the experience at a sushi bar like Blue Ribbon Sushi (119 Sullivan St., blueribbonrestaurants.com), and get your friend drunk on high-quality toro before ordering a couple of West Coast oysters, traditionally more fully flavored and robust than East Coast versions. If he’s still reluctant, get them to add spicy masago on top to add a textural counterpoint and a hit of heat.

Off cuts
At Hakata Tonton (61 Grove St., tontonnyc.com), the base for every one of their rich, unctuous hot pot soups is pig trotters—or, as they so delicately put it, collagen. The connective tissue and fat that make up the majority of this indelicate cut melt away into the stock, leaving no tell-tale bits behind to tip off your companion. The restaurant itself is a temple to the trotter, with odes to the part’s healthfulness inscribed on the menus and walls to assuage any squeamishness—it’s great for the skin! Once you’ve made headway with the soups, push the boundaries by ordering the grilled pork tonsoku, the trotter itself brought out into the open. The (admittedly scanty) meat is tender and deeply flavored, like short rib taken to the extreme.

Brussels sprouts
Great-Aunt Louise has a lot to answer for. Almost every Brussels sprouts objector has the same childhood trauma driving their hatred of the unassuming crucifer: overboiled, sulfurous balls of mush forced upon them yearly at tense family Thanksgivings. Hell, even those who love the veg have had to overcome that to get to where they are today. Casa Mono’s (52 Irving Pl., casamononyc.com) Spanish-inflected Brussels sprouts are grilled a la plancha, keeping the leaves fresh and green while giving them a nutty, roasted flavor from the hard sear on the grill. If your pal has ever enjoyed the char on a street fair corncob, these sprouts will be the perfect therapy for her PTSD.

Summer has officially begun and, just in time, we have a renovated playground open for children who aren’t stuck in a hot classroom, an Asian kitchen featuring healthy food so we don’t balloon out during swimsuit season and a lovely French café with plenty of iced coffee options. As usual, if you see any new retailers or spot changes to a long-time establishment, please email me at tre@downtownny.com and I’ll check it out.

Yushi Asian Kitchen
100 Maiden Lane, betw. Gold & Pearl Sts., 212-742-2150, www.yushi.com
Yushi Executive Chef Danny Lachs took a trip to Thailand when he needed inspiration for his pad thai. It’s this passion and attention to detail that’s making Yushi a popular new dining destination in Lower Manhattan. The company operates one other branch in Midtown, which is grab-and-go, but for the new location, Lachs said he and owner Luke Fryer wanted to expand to include a build-your-own-meal bar. Customers can still get pre-packaged food made fresh daily, but they can choose from the bar, which includes protein options such as tofu, chicken, beef or pork, a base of rice or bok choy salad and vegetable options to complete the bowl. Choose a sauce such as orange-sesame vinaigrette to top it all off.

“People can come in three days a week and get a totally different experience,” Lachs said.

The kitchen doesn’t stop at Thai influences—it also pulls in Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese flavors. Customers can order sushi, potstickers and, coming soon, several kinds of bahn mi sandwiches. The restaurant is what Lachs calls “fast-casual,” and though some establishments of this kind often serve foods high in fat and calories, Yushi features veggie-based, low-cal options for the health-minded.
But one of the most important aspects of the restaurant for Lachs is the way the food is prepared. “To me, what is crucial is the open kitchen. When chefs are behind closed doors, they can’t interact with the customer.”

Café French Gourmand
9 Maiden Lane, betw. Broadway & Nassau St., 646-756-4911
This quaint establishment features the best aspects of a French café much closer to home. The menu offers breakfast and lunch items with enough variety to please most everyone in the office. Hot sandwiches on ciabatta include a piadine of tomato, mozzarella and prosciutto and the classic croque monsieur. Cold sandwiches on offer include a French variety of roast beef, tomato and salad dijonnaise. The salad bar includes fennel, brie, goat cheese, chicken and radishes. Several soups are homemade every day.

Breakfast, my favorite meal of the day, includes one of my favorite meals, the ham and cheese croissant. They also offer bagels, oatmeal, muffins and flavored croissants. Top your breakfast off with a specialty coffee such as an iced macchiato.

Pearl Street Playground
Pearl Street betw. Fulton & Beekman Sts.
Throughout the winter, I watched renovations continue on this playground and wondered when it might reopen. The other week, I stopped by and discovered the playground was packed with children. The renovated space features new play equipment, a water fountain, spray shower and a safety fence. The playground is within sight of the South Street Seaport and nearby piers. Children could even do a playground crawl, stopping first at Imagination Playground on Burling Slip and continuing on to Pearl Street.

One of the great joys of city life is the neighborhood restaurant. They’re friendly, comfortable, conveniently located—usually on a quiet side street—and the food is good but not complicated, skillful but not demanding. They’re the kind of place you can return to several times in a week without feeling like a foie gras goose, overstuffed and greasy.

New Yorkers know these spots well. We tend to forget, though, in that special worldview that reduces much of the rest of the world to “OK to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live there,” that we’re not the only ones. In Barcelona, every few blocks has its own cafe for seafood a la plancha. Seattle has more retro-styled locavore comfort food than you can shake a stick at. And Paris has a bistro on every corner with a prix fixe menu that starts with pâté de campagne and ends with crême carame. Ex-pats can spend a lifetime bemoaning their loss, seeking out every Spanish restaurant in L.A. only to find not one of them can make pan con tomate properly.

For those French in New York performing that desperate search, there is light on East 92nd Street. On a quiet corner, with a barely existent awning and an unassuming entrance, is Table d’Hôte (44 E. 92nd St., betw. Park & Madison Aves., tabledhote.info), a neighborhood restaurant that manages to be both local spot and Parisian vacation. Stepping through the glass-fronted door is like taking a trip straight to the 13th Arrondissement, faster than the Concorde and not nearly as pricey.

There has been a restaurant in this location for some 30 years; when chef-owner William Knapp bought it from the original owners last year, he knew he had to keep much the same so as not to alienate those who had grown reliant on their own neighborhood spot. But while the chairs and chalkboards are the same, the approach is brand-new.

Knapp’s CIA training and years in the belly of New York’s fine dining beast, including time served under Tom Colicchio at Gramercy Tavern and then Craft, have given him a mastery of traditional techniques and preparations as well as an easy hand with seasonality and creative interpretation based on what’s available this minute. Impossibly crispy-skinned salmon with gently cooked, still red flesh comes with new green peas and their shoots today; in two months, it will almost certainly have a dog days of summer accompaniment.
The short menu is stacked with comfortable (not comfort food—an important distinction) dishes that would be at home on any residential rue—a substantial, meltingly tender leg of duck confit, steamed mussels with saffron and the aforementioned pâté de campagne. American touches like the crab cake with cucumber salad remind you not to break out your high school language skills with the waitress, but even that could be found in some of the cooler quartiers (have you heard Brooklyn is the next big trend in Paris?).

According to Knapp, he’s forbidden from swapping many of these off the menu in favor of new ideas; customers, as one does at one’s neighborhood spot, become set in their “usual” and have staged uprisings when a beloved Sunday night meal goes missing. So he makes the most of the daily specials, recently offering refreshingly light salmon rillettes as a counterpoint to the more autumnal pâté.
Desserts move up the sophistication ladder a rung or two—the chocolate tart is spiked with a smoky Earl Grey tea essence and the hazelnut brittle that accompanies the mocha semifreddo is shockingly blond, spiked with macadamia nuts that amplify the buttery toffee; the candy is somehow both lighter and more decadent than crunchier, more caramel-colored renditions. Acknowledging his own limitations, Knapp wisely recruited Elishia Richards, former executive pastry chef at Esca, to design a short but versatile dessert menu to mirror his approach to the mains. They end the meal on a high note that doesn’t overwhelm or leave you waddling out the door.

Working with a kitchen barely big enough for two and the practical concerns of taking over an established restaurant (“I was going to put in banquettes, make it look a little more modern,” he said, “but the chairs that were here are perfectly good—why waste the money?”), Knapp has made his Table d’Hôte the sort of instant classic Parisians demand and New Yorkers didn’t know they could have.

The Americano is so delightful you may not want to leave

The words West Chelsea and Beautiful People are enough to strike fear into the hearts of most of us mere mortals—not just those of average self-esteem, but also the pretension averse, the perfume allergic and the food lovers.

These are not places you go to eat. They are for cold marble edges and low black leather banquettes on which to perch while nibbling on tiny empanadas that taste enough of sawdust to discourage second helpings. They are for an overlong champagne list and vodka cocktails. They are for reflective surfaces and spotting Jon Bon Jovi. They are the places for which the term “scene” was coined.

This could be used to describe the Americano (518 W. 27th St., betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), and in fact the place does fit the description—to a point. The break comes when you realize it is a place that is not just beautiful, it is one you actively want to spend time in. In fact, a first visit will likely find you planning your next before the meal’s end.

If it’s raining and you eat indoors, you’ll want to come back to have a drink at the rooftop bar. If you’re at the rooftop bar for drinks, you’ll want to come downstairs for a full meal once you pass the plates on your way out. You can do a full, multicourse dinner or a proliferation of small plates—both are a good idea.

One might be inclined to call the Americano’s multiple personalities an identity crisis, and it would be hard to disagree. That rooftop bar is called La Piscine (and there is, indeed, a tiny pool up there, though it should be foregone for the seats at the other end, which have a view of the High Line and the Hudson River), but the grill up there serves Greek hummus and babaganoush, branzino and kasseri cheese.

The dining room menu proffers “French food with a Latin flair,” which means there is a segregated section for things like carnitas with plantains, while the “Salades” include one of “Pulpo y Calamares” and the entrecôte comes with chimichurri. There is plenty of marble and black leather inside, but the entire rear wall of the dining room is a window looking out on the ivy-covered wall that supports the rear outdoor garden, a beautifully chaotic natural counterpoint to all the shiny edges indoors.

However, this all-things-to-all-people striving is more and more a common pitfall for the kind of hotel that wants to lure in local business while giving overnight guests whatever they might need. And in this regard, the Americano does much better than its counterparts.

Navigating the NoMad Hotel, whose restaurant, the much-anticipated second home of the team from 11 Madison Park, is its over-hyped crown jewel, is a logistical nightmare. Eating there, you pity the poor souls who paid money to wander at blank lobby in search of their room; eating at the Americano, you wonder whether it wouldn’t be a better idea to get a room for the night rather than go home.

Yes, your neighbors might be impossibly tall, vodka-drinking Beautiful People, but chances are you’ll both have just eaten the same tuna tostadas, tiny rounds of hard-fried tortilla topped with rare tuna, chipotle mayonnaise and a shower of slivered hearts of palm, and will want to commiserate about how good they were. If you’re lucky, they might even share a sip of their cocktail, a grapefruit-and-blood-orange concoction so refreshing you’ll kick yourself for overlooking it the first time.

They probably won’t have ordered the lamb saddle, but you should recommend it to them; it’s a delicate, perfectly cooked portion with a bracingly sharp mustard jus and sweetly salted pistachios and the hard-to-find panisse, a French Mediterranean cake of chickpea flour that’s somewhere between polenta and bread but twice as tasty.

And when they rave about the crudités, don’t roll your eyes and dismiss it. An assortment of the world’s most precious spring vegetables come, tops attached, in shallow bowl of “dirt,” olive crumbs over a layer of crème fraiche. It’s amusing and pretty to look at, but there’s more to it than simple appearances and it’s ultimately a deeply satisfying, inarguably enjoyable experience—a perfect synecdoche for the Americano itself.

By Samuel Chamberlain

Now in its third year, the “New Taste of the Upper West Side” festival has grown, adding several events to its weekend-long celebration of the neighborhood’s burgeoning culinary scene.

Foodies can get started early Friday morning with a panel discussion about healthy eating, school lunch programs and buying local, hosted by the American Museum of Natural History. The panel is slated to include Ellie Krieger of the Food Network and Steve Cuozzo of the New York Post, as well as restaurateurs Bill Telepan and John Fraser and nutritional expert Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Proceeds will go toward Wellness in Schools, an organization that promotes healthy eating and fitness among students.

“We’ve sold 700 tickets, which we’re astounded by,” said Don Evans, event chairman for New Taste of the Upper West Side, which West Side Spirit sponsors.

Wellness in Schools was founded in 2005 by Nancy Easton. At the time, Easton was teaching at a school on the Lower East Side, where the effects of kids’ poor eating habits shocked her.

Bill Telepan

“There was lack of physical activity, inability to focus, behavioral issues,” Easton said. “Then I’d watch them after school, and they’d go to the convenience store to get a bottle of Coke and a bag of Doritos.”

The cornerstone of Wellness in Schools’ program is its Cook for Kids program, which is designed to introduce healthier school lunch foods. The program is currently in eight schools, and the organization is planning to expand it into another 12 schools this fall.

Telepan, who now directs the Cook for Kids program—in addition to his duties as master chef at his eponymous restaurant—began working with Wellness in the Schools in 2008. He has made school lunch improvement a priority since he first began volunteering at P.S. 87, where his daughter, Leah, attends elementary school.

“It’s great to be able to use my skills for good,” Telepan said. “It’s great to help kids whose school meal is the most important meal of the day.”

The program is concentrated in high-poverty areas, including the South Bronx, Central Brooklyn and East Harlem.

“Those are places where, unfortunately, poverty and obesity are inextricably linked,” Easton said.

However, the program is also coming to schools in Washington Heights and the Lower East Side, and Easton hopes the panel at the New Taste festival will help spread these ideas.

“We’re trying to appeal to parents,” Easton said. “We have a very nice group of chefs and people who work in these areas and know a lot about healthy eating, so we’re really trying to appeal to parents.”

Telepan also hopes to get the word out to new groups.

“Hopefully we can help each other out and exchange ideas, rather than just raising issues,” he said.

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“A Conversation With…,” May 21, American Museum of Natural History, LeFrak Theater, West 77th Street entrance (betw. Central Park West and Columbus avenue), www.newtasteuws.com; 9:30 p.m., $25 to $35.

Ozu (566 Amsterdam Ave., near 88th St., 212-787-8316): This Japanese restaurant focuses on vegan dishes that eschew refined sugars and showcase fresh produce and whole grains. The pocket-sized eatery has only 26 seats, but dishes out huge portions. Kabocha, a Hokkaido squash similar to butternut, appears throughout the extensive menu. In an appetizer, the steamed pieces are smothered in a seitan sauce so delicious it ought to come with a spoon. Steamed kabocha, carrots and sweet potatoes, or a generous romaine salad with a tangy beet dressing, accompany the entrées. Try the broiled Ozu croquettes, five palm-sized patties of couscous, millet, kasha, lentils and diced vegetables. Even better is the Ozu roll, a Japanese-style burrito. Kabocha, beans, mushrooms, tofu and eggplant fill a whole-wheat tortilla, griddled until crispy.

Ozu croquettes. Photo by Marcella Veneziale

EJ’s Luncheonette (447 Amsterdam Ave., near 81st St., 212-873-3444): EJ’s is known for diner classics like mac-and-cheese, but the ’50s-throwback restaurant has always had healthy offerings, like seven grain bread and plenty of salads. Also consider the fluffy multigrain flapjacks, which have the smooth texture of traditional pancakes, but are pumped up with ground whole grains. Skip maple syrup and butter for toppings like fresh strawberries or cinnamon and raisins. If pancakes don’t tempt you, try the low fat cinnamon honey granola, health kick omelet (egg whites, mushrooms, tomato and basil) or the “minute man,” two poached or soft-boiled eggs with lettuce and tomato. Lunchtime crowds slurp up the homemade chicken noodle soup and salmon niçoise salad, a twist on the traditional French dish made with tuna. Wash down the grub with the aptly named Health Kick Carrot Juice: straight-up carrot with a pleasantly sweet taste. That’s one grease-free spoon.

Café Viva (2578 Broadway, near 98th St., 212-663-8482): Café Viva seems like any small pizza joint: a smattering of Formica tables, glass case of pizza by the slice and the aroma of oregano and basil in the air. But besides plain dough, the restaurant offers whole wheat, corn and spelt crusts, and tops them with everything from dairy-free pesto to soy sausage. The Zen pizza holds a bevy of antioxidant-rich ingredients: pesto, crumbled tofu, sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized red onions, shitake and maitake mushrooms and whole roasted garlic cloves top a crunchy, cornmeal-
dusted spelt crust. The paper plate proves these slices are greaseless.

Josie’s West (300 Amsterdam Ave., near 75th St., 212-769-1212): Josie’s cozy, modern dining room bustles with patrons, especially during the $20.75 prix fixe brunch. Vegan options abound, including a warming butternut squash soup swirled with pesto and an all-veggie meatloaf. Josie’s meat and cheese are always natural and organic, including the white cheddar that tops the three-grain veggie burger. The charred and smoky patty bulges with quinoa, bulgur and couscous. It’s served on a fluffy whole wheat bun, and comes with a choice of fries (skip), potato or fruit (better choices) on the side.

Edgar’s Café (255 W. 84th St., near Broadway, 212-496-6126): Edgar’s offers a whopping 22 palate-pleasing salads to choose from, including Mediterranean bean and smoked tuna carpaccio. The herbaceous shrimp and arugula salad features a generous serving of perfectly steamed shrimp, peppery greens and sliced artichoke hearts. An oil, lemon and herb dressing comes on the side. Even the pressed red pepper and mozzarella sandwich does little diet damage. The portion is reasonable, the peppers plentiful and the mozzarella sufficient to lend a pleasant melt. A large, crispy romaine and radicchio salad accompanies the sandwich. Diners enjoy these dishes in a romantically lit space decorated with Edgar Allen Poe memorabilia, celebrating the café’s namesake.