By Elian Zach

Just when I was about to formally change New York’s title from “The City That Never Sleeps” to “Sleepytown,” I found hope in the form of a delicious cardiac arrest.

At 2:30 a.m. on a Thursday night, I was walking with my man around the cold streets of SoHo, looking for a place to eat. Our three-hour long disco nap, from which we woke at 11 p.m., left us both wired and starving, and after two shots of overpriced tequila at a club full of douchebags, all we wanted was to have an amazing meal and gaze into each other’s candlelit eyes. Not too much to ask for in the greatest city in the world, right?

Wrong.

Apparently, “open late” is an incredibly subjective term. We were turned away from four different self-proclaimed “open late” joints, and my sexy strut was becoming increasingly painful to watch, as my cheap, yet beautiful, high-heeled booties started to betray me.

My man, a resourceful and devoted foodie and chef, knew all too well that our night couldn’t possibly end with a grilled cheese and a side of misery at some dingy diner. He was so eager to fulfill my insatiable craving for something of the “best I’ve ever had” variety, that I couldn’t decide whether his determination was more adorable or exhausting. I was about to accept my cereal in almond milk fate, when he suddenly gave me a knowing smile, squeezed my hand lightly, and said, “Oh, I know. I know.”

We walked a few blocks over to Sullivan between Spring and Prince, and entered Blue Ribbon Brasserie. I hadn’t been there in years and forgot it even existed. We ordered a bunch of delicious dishes from their classic and extensive menu, which they serve in full until 4 a.m. seven nights a week. After scarfing down grilled sardines with anchovy spread, steak tartare, matzo ball soup, and a great deal of bread and butter, we realized that one of the dishes had yet to arrive. When it finally did, we were far from hungry, which only proved how amazing it really was, because we finished the whole thing.

Beef Marrow & Oxtail Marmalade

Where do I begin? The marrow was smooth and buttery, and each bone had a generous amount of it hidden inside. The braised oxtail marmalade was subtly sweet and had the caressing texture that only a good long braising process can accomplish. The fried parsley garnish added a fresh and crispy twist, while the sel-gris (grey salt) brought it home, uniting the different elements on a beautifully toasted brioche, crunchy and slightly burnt on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside. In short, a delicate collage of flavors that equaled a truly perfect bite.

Price: $16.75

Blue Ribbon Brasserie

97 Sullivan Street

Hours: Every day between 4 p.m.- 4 a.m.

Phone: (212) 274-0404

Reservations available for parties of 5-8

By Elian Zach

When a perfect meal knocks at your door wearing nothing but a plastic bag and a smile, you can’t help but be seduced, let it in and have your way with it.

I’m not a winter person. I was born and raised in Israel, where it’s sunny and snow-free almost year-round, and where people’s idea of “bad weather” is 55 degrees with an hour of rain a week. I am, however, a big soup enthusiast. Though somewhat inappropriate at 104 degrees and 100 percent humidity, we have a lot of soup in the Holy Land. When the first rain hits the ground, my mom/personal chef concocts a selection of surprising and eclectic soups; hearty mushroom, creamy sweet potato, and spicy bean soups are scarfed down by the Zach clan, as rich aromas of spices and family fill my childhood home.

My sister and co-foodie, Elinor, who moved to New York four years before I did, introduced me to the magic of Ramen, the climax of soupism. Together we scouted for the most exciting variations of the Japanese noodle dish around the city.

One chilly winter night, Elinor Skyped me from her apartment, two blocks away from mine, her eyes twinkling with the kind of passion reserved for a woman in love. “I have found the perfect Ramen,” she declared with joy. “Tt’s amazing, amazing, amazing!” Elinor is the only person whose food critique I never question. If she says something is dreamy – it must be true.

A year later, my BSF (best sister forever) made a life-altering decision to give the motherland another shot. She moved back to Tel-Aviv, and left me all alone in the concrete jungle, scared, longing, and a little hungry.

When power and Wi-Fi were restored post-Sandy, all I wanted was to stay home, take a long, hot bath, and turn the lights on and off, just for kicks. Cold and in a solitary mood, I browsed SeamlessWeb for something comforting to eat during the latest episode of Homeland, when I stumbled upon Rai Rai Ken, the ramen joint Elinor was raving about. Homesick and sentimental, I placed my order. Neither my New York winter experience, nor culinary existence, has been the same since.

Elinor’s pick:

Mabo Ramen

With soft, diced tofu, ground pork, garlic, and soy-based broth, this unconventional twist for the classic is a “bowl fulla comfort.” The supple Chinese-style wheat noodles blend beautifully with the tender pieces of pork and cubes of silky tofu. Top that hot mess with Sriracha sauce (to be purchased at your local grocery store) for an added flare, and you got yourself a truly perfect winter meal, and a great excuse to stay in.

Price: $9.50

My additions:

Menma

This combination of marinated bamboo shoots, seaweed, scallion and red peppers in soy sauce, is the ultimate accompaniment for the scorching soup. This dish serves as a pause of freshness, to be eaten as either an appetizer, or a palate cleanser, in-between slurps.

Price: $4

Mango pudding

The only way to seal the meal is with this velvety dessert, which is just the right amount of sweet. The coconut milk moistens and refines, while the tapioca adds texture.  Seamless, indeed.

 Price: $4.50

Rai Rai Ken

218 East 10th Street

Hours: Sun-Thurs 12 p.m. -12 a.m.; Fri-Sat 12 p.m. -2 a.m.

Phone: (212) 477-7030

Lazy? Cold? Both? Enjoy it at home:

http://www.seamless.com/food-delivery/rai-rai-ken-new-york-city.23252.r

]]> http://nypress.com/the-best-seamless-delivery-ive-ever-had/feed/ 0 http://nypress.com/the-best-oysters-ive-ever-had/ http://nypress.com/the-best-oysters-ive-ever-had/#comments Wed, 19 Dec 2012 11:00:37 +0000 NY Press http://nypress.com/?p=59859 Our adventurous snacker finds a primo spot for sucking down the delectable seafood favorite

By Elian Zach

Oysters: sensual aphrodisiacs or slimy mollusk? I’ll accept both answers.

I absolutely adored oysters till I was 12 years old. I was considered weird among my friends for not having any food particularities. I’d eat anything from frog legs to snails and raw meat. Nothing was gross.

It all changed over one wretched lunch with my parents, when I felt a slight tickle coming from inside my oyster-stuffed mouth. I glanced down and was horrified to see one of the snotty suckers moving freely on my plate. Hysterical, I ran around the restaurant screaming and crying, my parents trying hard to keep from laughing and to comfort me. Betrayed by the species, my affair with oysters seemed to be over.

Years later I learned oysters were always served alive, and killed with lemon juice right before eaten. Still, I wouldn’t take any chances. I needed time to work through my PTSD. But when I moved to New York, my culinary curiosity took over. I didn’t want to have any red lines, so I decided to jump in and “take the dive.”

My first time after 10 years was good and smooth, just like riding a bike. However, practice made perfect. The more I tried, the more I enjoyed it. As I evolved from hater to connoisseur, I discovered that aside for the freshness and quality of the oyster, the seasoning played a decisive role in its flavor. In short, sometimes it’s all about the sauce.

The John Dory Oyster Bar in the Ace Hotel has managed to perfect it. Though the classic combo of horseradish, hot sauce and minced shallot in vinegar does the trick, the folks at Dory took it to the next level and proved again that innovation doesn’t take away from tradition—it builds on it.

East and West Coast oysters were topped with a delightfully zesty cilantro-jalapeño mignonette that blended perfectly with my excessive lemon juicing. If an ocean and a meadow had a son, he would be this sauce, and I’d sure have an affair with him.

Price: $3 per East/West Coast oyster

Daily oyster happy hour, 5 to 7 p.m., $15 for half-dozen oysters plus a glass of sparkling wine or a can of Snapperhead ale.

Overall Grade: 93

John Dory Oyster Bar, 1196 Broadway, noon-midnight daily, 212-792-9000 (no reservations), thejohndory.com

By Elian Zach

When I was a little girl, I’d run straight to the kitchen after school, make myself a huge bowl of whipped cream from scratch, and eat it with a spoon. Granted, discovering that I was lactose intolerant in my early twenties really cramped my foodie-style. Since then, I’ve been forced to make a lot of compromises. With no lattes, cheesecakes or creamed-stuff to call my own, the future didn’t seem so bright.

This propelled me to look elsewhere for culinary excitement, knowing that conventional kitchens wouldn’t make an effort to change their existing delicious recipes just because some people couldn’t stomach them.

Hu Kitchen is a new eatery in Greenwich Village, serving “Food for Humans,” as indicated on the large banner welcoming the customers. They specialize in organic, unprocessed ingredients, and also offer many vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options.

I was skeptical. I had given a lot of vegan restaurants a shot at impressing me, but alas, the food was mostly tasteless, had questionable textures, and was ridiculously overpriced. I often felt cheated after finishing a meal, and just couldn’t play the “it tastes just like bacon” game.

That was not the case at Hu. The friendly staff offered samples of everything I showed even a hint of interest in, and to my surprise I discovered an array of exciting new concoctions, made with simple, fresh ingredients.

My picks:

Almond Butter + Puffed Quinoa Chocolate Bar

Eating chocolate is an act of passion that should be relished, and never compromised over. It should never taste “just ok” or “good for what it is.” This bar is the real deal; with a solid, dark chocolate exterior, creamy almond butter filling, and naughty little pieces of puffed quinoa for a crunchy kick, this little treat is 100 percent vegan and 100 percent addictive. Seriously, I can’t stop.

Price: $7

Overall Grade: 97

Rotisserie Pineapple + House-made Cashew Cream

The vegan alternative for a Cinnabon, anyone? This thing is beyond compare; coated with cinnamon, sea salt and coconut sugar, and glazed with decadent cashew cream, the generous chunks of pineapple magically manage to maintain their natural juiciness and sweetness. It’s both tangy and comforting, and a true celebration of textures.

Price: $3.50

Overall Grade: 94

Hu Kitchen

78 5th Ave., btwn 13th & 14th St., 212-510-8919, hukitchen.com

Hours: M-F 7 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sat 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sun 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.