• The Post Where You Get To Live Calvin Trillin’s “Come Hungry” Tour Vicariously

    The Post Where You Get To Live Calvin Trillin’s “Come Hungry” Tour Vicariously

    I’ve wrestled with the Calvin Trillin in my head for hours and I have come up with the following conclusion: (1) I can do this post because (a) Calvin Trillin’s “Come Hungry” tour isn’t about giving away secrets it’s about (i) spending time with Calvin Trillin, (ii) having food presented to you without having to…

  • ‘Tis The Season To Eat In Brooklyn, Fa La La La La La Al Di La

    ‘Tis The Season To Eat In Brooklyn, Fa La La La La La Al Di La

    Let’s write about Al Di La. (That’s what the voice in my head just said as I sat down to do work; I have various projects going, but the voice in my head cares about you, my reader, sitting at your desk desperate to see pictures of food. (How many of you just scroll through…

  • The Last Supper & The Big Move

    The Last Supper & The Big Move

    This is the last thing I cooked in my Chelsea apartment: The dish was Braised Chicken Thighs with Saffron, Olives and Mint from “Molto Italiano.” I made it a few days ago before I started packing up my kitchen. It’s a pretty terrific dish. It begins when you season chicken thighs, dredge them in flour…

  • Sorry From Sirio

    My mom got home today (to our house in Boca Raton, FL) and found a FedEx package at the door. She took it inside and opened it and inside was a copy of Sirio Maccioni’s autobiography and this letter (click the picture for a bigger version):I suppose Sirio (or his team) tracked down my family…

  • 57 Thoughts About Nobu 57

    57 Thoughts About Nobu 57

    1. Nobu is one of New York’s most recognizable restaurant names; 2. People associate Nobu with trendy sushi and Japanese food; 3. Nobu’s gotten so popular it’s constantly expanding; 4. A new Nobu opened up on 57th Street; 5. We went there, two weeks ago, when my parents were here; 6. This is what the…

  • Fat

    I was thinking today about the word “fat.” It’s easy to forget, once you’ve entered the world of food, how the rest of the world hears that three-letter word, a word that promises such ecstasy but which suffers such a severe stigma. Watching my usual Sunday helping of Tivoed cooking shows–Lydia’s Family Table, Barefoot Contessa,…

  • A Real New Yorker

    “Congratulations to the Amateur Gourmet. Now that he has been shat on by Sirio, he can consider himself a real New Yorker. Interesting that a mere blog has the scion of Le Cirque all shook up, though. When Ruth returned the dump, it rolled right off the prick’s best side. Business must be booming in…

  • The Amateur Gourmet’s Guide To His Second Year In New York

    The Amateur Gourmet’s Guide To His Second Year In New York

    Last year I made a list (which you can see by clicking here) of all the restaurants I visited in my first year as a New York resident. Well my second year here is more than over (the two year anniversary was in August) but I figure my loyal readers, and you know who you…

  • Out On The Scene with Ed Levine: Pizza at Adrienne’s & Pastries at Financier

    Out On The Scene with Ed Levine: Pizza at Adrienne’s & Pastries at Financier

    I became aware of Ed Levine in four stages. Stage One was reading about him in Ruth Reichl’s “Garlic & Sapphires”; he’s the subject of her chapter “The Missionary of the Delicious.” Stage Two was seeing his books in bookstores: “New York Eats” and “Pizza: A Slice of Heaven.” (The latter involved consuming 1,000 slices…

  • Cafe Sabarsky is a Gem

    Cafe Sabarsky is a Gem

    I love watching old movies that feature New York. This is lame but the first one that comes to mind is Bob Fosse’s semi-watchable film version of “Sweet Charity.” In this film you can see Shirley Maclaine get pushed into the Central Park lake from the famous footbridge. I like that scene because hey, it’s…