small h

How is this even a review? It's a fan letter. If this is the way the NYT is moving, they may as well hire Scott Lynch. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/dining/hellbender-nyc-restaurant-review.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7E4.IfGu.1T6cXtbIE802&smid=url-share

Mushroom gravy on an over-easy egg on a mini-biscuit. Life as it should be.

I don't order milkshakes too often, but when I do, fries are an essential co-order.

So innovative. Except... https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/product/malted-milkshake-fries/

Will you settle for a green plate and a white bowl?

I thought so, but some trends take a while to die.

Probably on weekend afternoons. I’ve been shot down at night, even early.

I could not stop dashi-ing after the oden omakase, so the night before last I steamed some clams in dashi I made myself, along with a new-to-me Japanese green, komatsuma. And I also torchon-ed a nice piece of monkfish liver I got from PE & DD seafood (they also sold me the clams) and served it with ponzu and grated black radish.

$85.

A report from the oden omakase at Dashi Okume. I wasn’t as blown away as I expected to be - this was, in my opinion, a missed opportunity to showcase several different formulations of dashi, and perhaps some more exotic ingredients - but it was a lovely meal nonetheless. My favorites were the flatfish, the onigiri, the shrimp satsumaage and the daikon. The nori deserves a special shout-out, as it was excellent. Pix are in the order listed on the menu (except the bonus red bowl of mochi and I think grated yam). We shared some sake carafes but did not get the paring (I wasn’t feeling THAT splurge-y.) Although we were a party of four, seated at two-tops pushed together, the staff somewhat hilariously treated us as if we were two separate couples and served us at slightly different times. I wonder what they thought when we all piled into the same Lyft.

https://www.cbssports.com/boxing/news/george-foreman-dies-at-76-heavyweight-boxing-legend-famous-entrepreneur-leaves-big-legacy/ Gonna drag out the grill tomorrow and cook on it in his honor.

Going to Costco tomorrow! Very excited. Yes, I am very basic. Also, @MitchW, Vin Vero has both green and yellow Chartreuse, likely for more than you want to pay. I think they said $90 and $84, but I was very tired and could be wrong. Definitely more than $75, though.

Flounder with ginger scallion sauce, miso tofu vegetable soup.

I had hand surgery scheduled for 10am this morning. At 7am, the hospital called and asked whether I could come in at 9am instead, as the surgeon had had a cancellation. Sure. When I got there, I was sent all over the damn place (twice to the same two floors), so I didn't end up in a curtained area 'til 9:22. By which time the surgeon had decided to operate on someone else. That surgery went long, cleaning the OR took forever, and I finally got sliced at 12:38. Fuck these people. Also, my hand hurts.

Was it adjacent to the Hester Street Fair, by any chance?

I think the drinks sound like they might be pretty good. If someone else is buying.

👀

We ate at 7pm, and they were pretty serious about kicking us out at 9pm when the kitchen closed. So it's not a good place for a late dinner, but there's a fair amount of hot food on the menu. We just didn't order it.

Dinner for six last night, with beaucoup Scandinavian goodness. But the dishes started to feel redundant (shrimp, egg, herring, beet, potato, repeat as needed) and seemed more suited to lunch than dinner (salad, sandwich, appetizer plate). Still, I like all these ingredients (except the brisket, which I did not try). And the dill/caraway/fennel-infused aquavit was awesome. The aquavit, like most of the drinks menu, is low ABV, but that meant 25%, instead of, I dunno, 96%?

That's a pretty great legacy.

Silken tofu, (possibly too many) scallions, sauce.

This town is really so small.

Um, hi ex-neighbor. I lived at 301 E 22nd from around 1995 - 2003.

He's got a new album coming out soonish.

I keep up with Tom Meltzer and (especially) Paul Foglino.