[Save Our Bars (SOBs)]

Robert Simonson writes a blog called The Mix.

Here's his latest piece, Lost City - How the Soul of a City Vanished.

Quote

I began to learn that New York could do without anyone or anything in 2006, when the powers that be in the Theater District decided it could do without McHale’s. McHale’s was an old corner bar that had fed and watered generations of actors, stagehands, writers and PR flacks for decades. In 2006, with nary a tear, the landlord pulled the plug. McHale’s closed and a tall glass tombstone, masquerading as a high-rise, went up in its place.

 

[Roscioli NYC]

Last night, we attended the 2nd night of Roman Chef Sarah Cicolinii's Santa Palato collab with Roscioli NYC.  We first ate at Santa Palato some eight years ago; and even before that, at Roscioli in Rome - both standouts.  But we're not keen on collabs or visiting chefs, and generally avoid them like the plague. After all, it's not easy coming into someone else's kitchen (much less one in a different country), working with a mostly new staff, different ingredients, different water, different everything.

But...wow...she pulled it off, and most everything was delicious.  Of course, some props must go to Roscioli as well, and when Roscioli's owner got up to tell a little bit about the evening, he did mention he was working with the best second best restaurant in Rome.

We started with bread and two olive oils - now I think this bread may be Roscioli's standard bread service, but boy, did it ever remind of early day Lupa's great focaccia.

The oil on the left from Puglia, and on the right, from Sicilia. So dfferent, plenty good...Puglia's is nice and spicy, if that's your thing.

First course was two different plates; here's one of them:

Jerusalem artichokes, with sunflower seeds, bitter olives and steamed greens (interestingly, baby bok choy - Roscioli is fairly close to Chinatown). The other plate was grilled radicchio, over a goat cheese and lemon sauce.  Not a beauty to photograph, but tasty nonetheless.

Second course was a knockout, and I'm certain I had something similar at Sarah's original Santa Palato:

Trippa alla Cacciatora - honeycomb tripe, so tender it melts in the mouth.  Rich, and I mean rich, (not that @rich) sauce.

And then the pasta - this was classic. And from our seats, we could see her trying to show everyone cooking how to make this properly:

Carbonara.  No need to say anything more- it was a properly portioned (like from the old days - having a real Italian meal), pasta dish. One of the four classic Roman pasta dishes.

Next up, braised lamb shoulder over (once again, an interesting choice for a Roman restaurant) fregola. (Okay, fregola is a Sardinian toasted pasta, usually, but not always, served in soups, or with a saucy seafood thing). How I would have preferred scottadito, or roasted lamb shoulder as they might do in Rome, will remain my own opinion (I would have). But I understand the logistics of such a dish, served as the secondo to 75 or more diners.

A lovely chocolate (& miso) tart followed.

There was a a wine pairing offered, and it might have been the way to go, yet we (I) demurred) - we ordered a bottle to start, and followed with two glasses for the secondo.  Host/somm/maître were all so nice, they poured each of us the dessert wine (so I guess that's a COMP DISCLOSURE).

To recap - we had a really good time.

We may even head back to Roscioli NYC to enjoy an à la carte dinner sometime soon.  

P.S. That trippa at the OG Santo Palato (02/2018)

Might've even been better there!  

[Places to be Curious About]

3 hours ago, Evelyn said:

Hugo’s is on the “better ones”.

We've definitely had some good times there!

[Places to be Curious About]

You had to go off-strip (though not that far) for the Golden Steer.  On our past trips to Vegas, we liked to head up towards Fremont Street (pre-experience) and another great steak house, Hugo's Cellar. And - gambling up there was less expensive, though nothing beat a place we'd frequent on the east side of town, on Boulder Highway.

[Supper]

Coq Au Vin.  A rather involved dish, with multiple steps, multiple pots and pans.  Served over buttered Pennsylvania Dutch egg noodles, which were some of @Sneakeater's favorites.  Simple salad to finish. Merry Edwards Pinot Noir (2018) to drink. 

[Supper]

Bratwurst, roasted root vegetables, sauerkraut - Cafe Katja. 

Duck confit, duck fat roasted potatoes + potato salad, sautéed Brussels sprouts - home kitchen cooked.

[Corner Bar]

At the very beginning, it was actually pretty good. However, that didn't last too long.

Looking at my "notes," that was June, 2022-ish.

[Reasons to be Cheerful]

21 hours ago, maison rustique said:

Yes--I lump the starlings, grackles and red-winged blackbirds into that category.

And they travel in packs!

[Reasons to be Cheerful]

On 2/26/2026 at 7:23 PM, maison rustique said:

Common Grackle (Grrrr)

Bullies!

[My Salt Problem]

I wonder if my new request to the kitchen is going to be: "Please don't add finishing salt to my plates?"

Actually, when the wait persons asks if there are any allergies, that's a great time to say: "yes, I'm allergic to finishing salt!"

[My Salt Problem]

2 hours ago, Orik said:

I think it's just how recipes are written these days - a series of precise steps meant to deliver consistent results, followed by "...then grab a fistful of finishing salt and, without thinking, drop it over the perfectly fine plate of food"

When I am able to see the kitchen or the line, I see this all the time!

[My Salt Problem]

1 hour ago, maison rustique said:

And I know a lot of chefs and a lot of them smoke--not sure when that started happening, but I don't recall that many chefs smoking back in the old days.

I don't know how old the days are, but Bourdain smoked like a fiend.  Jean-Louis Palladin was a pretty heavy smoker - who died of lung cancer.  Marcella smoked incessantly. My guess is there were a lot of French and Italian guys chefs who cooked way back when and smoked like fiends.

[My Salt Problem]

Smoking, yes.  I believe age and training too - none of the chefs I worked for would allow some of this stuff to be sent out so salty.

I think location, too.

[My Salt Problem]

Yes, I've been privately ranting about this for a while, but I feel as if it has gotten out of hand.

Why so much goddamn salt?  Is anyone teaching cooks how to salt properly any more?

The other night, I watched as a cook salted my app before it got served to me - I wanted to scream, yo - enough!  And there's already salt in the food for sure, so putting another teaspoon atop doesn't really make it better.

But we have had two meals since the beginning of the year that I feel are worth mentioning, because the salt levels were proper. At both Ci Siamo and Via Carota, we had lovely food, and I wasn't up all night drinking water.  Interestingly, both are places where the chef is a woman or women, and let's just say, of a certain age. 

[New York closings]

1 hour ago, MitchW said:

Every month I get an email from this company that imports Bordier, and allows me to preorder it (which I don't, because...the prices)...https://definegourmet.com/

When they were reasonably priced, I'd get a bunch of friends together, order a few pounds, and drive up there to pick it up...I think they were in Larchmont, or Scarsdale, but I don't remember.

Strangely, I just got the email this afternoon.  Here's what they are charging:

Add on shipping, which is like $30.

[New York closings]

1 hour ago, SethG said:

. But sometime last year it was restocked and the bars (8oz) had gone up to $21! That was a hard no.

Whoa - I think when they first opened, it was $7 for plain - though I think that was for a 4 oz. bar.

Every month I get an email from this company that imports Bordier, and allows me to preorder it (which I don't, because...the prices)...https://definegourmet.com/

When they were reasonably priced, I'd get a bunch of friends together, order a few pounds, and drive up there to pick it up...I think they were in Larchmont, or Scarsdale, but I don't remember.

Maybe Tin Building used the same marketing team that worked on the Market Line?

(FWIW, Formaggio usually has some nice butters).

[Supper]

A few nights ago:

Chicken curry with new crop (2025) rice from the Rice Factory.  Onions, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, soy, honey, ketchup (!), chicken stock, chicken and homemade curry roux.

Last night:

[New York closings]

3 hours ago, SethG said:

Last time I was there I *tried* to spend money but couldn’t. Someone stationed behind the meat counter told me I’d have to come back in half an hour for a chuck roast that was already sitting there, the size I wanted, needing no additional work. The butcher was on break. They tried to get some help for me from the fishmonger but apparently they were incapable of weighing and tagging mammalian meat. 

Now that's funny!  I like the fact that, in the early days at least, they carried Bordier butter at a very reasonable price, and also the roast chicken was quite good.  But I really only bought that once or twice.

From a friend...

Quote

 

Wylie Dufrense was supposed to be involved in that early as well but he bailed. I saw some original concept designs for his place. It’s a whole bunch of financebros  and VC people with nothing better to do with their money.

The project was spearheaded on the operational side by Saul Scherl, president of the New York tri-state region for Howard Hughes Corp., who worked closely with Vongerichten to develop the “culinary theater” concept. The two traveled to Spain, Italy, and London to research market halls before settling on their vision for the space.

 

 

 

[New York closings]

I wonder who sunk the money into renovating, restoring and opening that place.

[Eater]

Eater - still wrong, most of the time...

Quote

The star of Beto’s menu is the carnitas ($5), slow-cooked pork in house-made flour tortillas made with masa

Aren't corn tortillas made with masa, and flour tortillas made with, ummmmmm, flour?

[Robert Duvall]

At 95.  RIP - a true giant of the profession.

[Supper]

A lovely, 1.5" thick heritage pork chop. Pan-roasted, served over and with a sauce made from the fond, mushroom, onion, stock, mustard, butter, s & p. (Chef gets the bone).

Boiled and sautéed new potatoes with pimentón and chives. Salad on the side.

[Andrew Ranken]

Drummer for the band The Pogues.  

Here's what Cáit O'Riordan had to say on social:

Quote

Fare thee well, slán leat to the mighty Clobberer An awful sad day, let's light a candle and sing a song for the man who held steady and true through all the chaos. I love this Paul Rider photo, putting Andrew right up front - ní bheidh a leitheid arís ann

 

[The Rest of Us (cont.)]

Last night brought a pair of Austrian wine makers to Cafe Katja, to pour and discuss their wines:

A good time was had by all.

[Supper]

Back to making pizza, the easier way for me:

Comes out really good! Crust is crispy, yet tender.

This is an overnight, 70% hydration dough - only flour, water, yeast, salt.