Comestiblog

The Beef in Bensonhurst and Bay Ridge

"It is what it is."  Nowhere is that sentiment more apropos, perhaps, than at John's Famous Deli in Brooklyn.  And no other place epitomizes Bensonhurst more than does the self-proclaimed "hero king," who rules within the shadow of the elevated BMT West End line.  Since 1967, John Cicero and his family have satisfied local appetites with their Italian-American eats.

Brooklyn is home to the roast beef hero.  Though there are many practitioners, few produce a hot beef hero as good as John's ($7.25; available daily except Mondays and Fridays).

Thinly sliced roast beef is piled onto a crusty hero roll, upon which mozzarella is layered.  (They used to offer a choice between mozzarella and American cheese, but the latter gave way to the superiority of the former.)  Order your sandwich with everything for the special dark-brown gravy (some have called it "black gold") and sautéed onions.  Find a table indoors or outdoors and be sure to have plenty of napkins handy.

John's also offers a number of other heros (including the Godfather), as well as hot plates, daily specials, and rice balls.  They even serve breakfast.  (Please click here to see the menu.)

This is a good stop before a Brooklyn Cyclones game (baseball the way it oughta be) at KeySpan Park, Coney Island.

And now there’s a branch in Bay Ridge.   Opened a month ago, the new John's transports the same menu westward to a more contemporary setting, replete with garden dining and table service.  Whereas the original offers parking, the newcomer, alas, does not.

Regardless of which location you visit, you'll hear the familiar refrain, "Thank you Subway!" to acknowledge a gratuity, or subway money, for the deli man.  (Speaking of subways, a Subway sandwich shop happens to share the block with the original John's.  It's almost analogous to having Domino's selling its "Brooklyn-style" pizza across the street from Di Fara's.)

 

John's Famous Deli

Bensonhurst:

2033 Stillwell Avenue (between 86^th St & Av T), Brooklyn

(718) 372-7481

By train: D to 25^th Avenue
By bus: B1

 

Bay Ridge:

8905 Third Avenue (near 89^th St), Brooklyn

(718) 238-8004

By train: R to 86^th Street
By bus: B37

http://www.johnsfamousdeli.com/

Loire What You Drink

The folks at the Loire Valley Wine Bureau knew what they were doing when they scheduled their road show and tastings for this month.  As the weather becomes warmer, thoughts turn to birds, bees, and booze, er, springtime quaffs.  What could be more refreshing on a warm afternoon or evening (or even morning) than a glass of Muscadet?  While The Loire Valley is known best for its whites, its rosés and reds should not be overlooked.

If you're unfamiliar with the "Garden of France" and its wines, perhaps a little background here would not be amiss.  Were you aware that the Loire is France's longest river?  It flows approximately 630 miles from Central France to the coast of Brittany and has served as the traditional boundary between the north and south.  It also represents one of the northernmost wine-producing regions in Europe.

Please click on the map above for a larger view

Delicious and refreshing, Loire Valley wines are the most popular ones served in the restaurants of France.  Don't expect to taste wood because wines from this region spend little or no time in oak.  Instead, they are aged in stainless steel which allows the fruit to come forward and adds to their minerality.

Terroir and climate divide the Loire Valley into three subregions.  Though its name might suggest otherwise, the hilly and cool Centre-Loire marks the eastern end of the Valley.  To the west, hills give way to the undulating plains of the central and largest part of the region known as Anjou-Saumur-Touraine.  The westernmost section, where the river disembogues into the Atlantic, is called Pays Nantais (after the city of Nantes).  The soil and climate of each the foregoing subregions contribute to their distinctive wines.

The Centre-Loire is home to the Sauvignon Blanc grape.  Wines from this area tend to be dry and reveal hints of flint and mineral.  (Chèvre, or goat cheese, makes an ideal food pairing.)  Situated across the Loire from each other, the towns of Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire lend their names to the district's principal wines.  Sancerre, on the western bank, with its hilly terrain, produces a wine that's lighter and drier than that of its cousin east of the river.  Pouilly Fumé comes from an area that is flatter and moister than Sancerre's.  Also called Fumé Blanc, this wine is often described as having hints of gunflint, which is reflected in its smoky name fumé.  Other appellations from the Centre-Loire include Pouilly-sur-Loire, Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly, Coteaux du Giennois, and Châteaumeillant.

Anjou-Saumur-Touraine not only represents the Loire Valley's largest subregion, but also its greatest wine diversity.  Here one can find red, white, rosé, sweet, and sparkling wines.  The best-known variety in this area is Chenin Blanc.  Though vinified in other parts of the world, this grape reaches its pinnacle here.  While Vouvray is the largest and most famous Chenin Blanc appellation, smaller ones like Savennières and Montlouis sur Loire (just across the river from Vouvray) produce estimable wines as well.  In addition, Chenin Blanc is the only grape used in the Loire's sweet wines (Moelleux and Liquoreux), whose honeyed tones offer an affordable alternative to Sauternes.

Though often blended with other red varieties, Cabernet Franc ("Breton") dominates Anjou-Saumur-Touraine wines such as Chinon, Bourgueil, Saumur, Saumur-Champigny, Touraine Rouge, and Anjou rouge.  The light, food-friendly wines are low in tannins and may be consumed young.  They're best when served slightly chilled.  Interestingly, Anjou produces more red wines than it does whites and also produces sweet wines.  Should you prefer aromatic rosés on the sweeter side, the ripe-berry tones of Rosé d'Anjou and Cabernet d'Anjou will satisfy.

The chalky, soft, and porous tuffeau limestone is reflected in the wines of Saumur and Touraine.  A verdant garden within the Garden of France, Touraine is, architecturally, the site of many of France's great châteaux.  Viticulturally, it is home to the Loire Valley's most prestigious red, a wine about which Rabelais wrote:  Chinon.

The Loire Valley is France's second-largest source of sparkling wines, with the greatest production coming from Saumur.  Once again, Chenin Blanc figures prominently.  Loire sparklers can specify an appellation (e.g., Vouvray Mousseux, Saumur Brut, etc.) or assume the overarching appellation of Crémant de Loire.  These wines may be white or rosé and are made using the méthode traditionnelle of Champagne.  In 2002, the Fines Bulles® (fine bubbles) designation was established for sparkling wines from Anjou-Saumur-Touraine.

The Pays Nantais is situated at the mouth of the Loire.  It represents France's largest white wine appellation and is renowned for a single wine, Muscadet—considered to be among the lightest and driest anywhere.  The melon de Bourgogne (also known as "Muscadet") is the only grape allowed.  As its name suggests, the grape can be traced to Burgundy, though, ironically, it is now grown exclusively in the Loire.  This wine can benefit from aging, though it seldom receives much.  Some of the best wines from this area come from the subappellation Muscadet Sèvre et Maine.

The term sur lie on a Muscadet's label refers to a wine that was aged on its lees (fermentation yeasts) before being bottled.  It denotes a labor-intensive process that adds complexity and the slightest effervescence, or les perles de la jeunesse ("the pearls of youth") to the wine.

Our formal tasting comprised the following:

Crémant de Loire Brut Langlois Château NV.  (60% Chenin Blanc; 20% Chardonnay; 20% Cabernet Franc.)  I found this sparkler to have yeastiness, with aromas of bread dough, prominent acidity, and round texture.

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie Domaine de La Quilla 2006.  (100% Melon de Bourgogne.)  This one was bone dry, minerally, citric, with hints of green apple.  Sur lie contributes to its liveliness.

Quincy Domaine Philippe Portier 2006. (100% Sauvignon Blanc.)  I sensed hints of grapefruit.                 

Savennières Domaine Laffourcade 2006.  (100% Chenin Blanc.)  This wine is very fierce when young.  It opens up after five to eight years.  "Decant it violently," we were told.  It has also been described as "a red wine masquerading as a white."  Soil is a factor here.

Chinon Clos des Marronniers Domaine du Roncée 2006.  (100% Cabernet Franc.)  This was the star, in my humble opinion.  It’s delicious, exhibiting notes of raspberry, tobacco, and mineral.  It's not bold and is very food-friendly.  Remarkably, few people know this wine and thus are reluctant to order it.

Coteaux de l'Aubance Domaine Richou La Sélection 2005.  (100% Chenin Blanc.)  This is a sweet, earthy wine with flavors of honey and citrus.  There’s a sense of botrytis in the nose.

The Alliance française in New York is conducting a Loire Valley wine class Monday, 21 April in Le Skyroom, 22 E. 60^th Street.  For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com or call (212) 307-4100.

What a Day for an Orange Daydream

Though Spring is still playing peekaboo with the Northeast, a recent warm day seemed like a splendid occasion to try Reben Luncheonette's Morir Soñando.

After all, last year Saveur listed it as one of only two Gotham food highlights.  Furthermore, this little Williamsburg shop has been making its famous concoction over four-and-a-half decades.  The $3 drink even comes with a satisfaction guarantee!  It just has to be good, doesn't it?

The Morir Soñando (literally, "to die dreaming") is a Dominican beverage made with fresh-squeezed orange juice and milk, sweetened with sugar and vanilla syrup.

The flavors are reminiscent of an Orange Julius or, perhaps, a creamsicle.  Is it good?  Of course.  But …

While Reben's is widely considered to be the best, I find this Morir Soñando a little too sweet.  (The far less famous version served at El Gran Castillo de Jagua in Prospect Heights is more refreshing owing to judicious restraint of sucrose.)  In the end, I wasn't dreaming and I guess I'm still somewhat alive.

 

Reben Luncheonette

229 Havemeyer Street (near Broadway, next to McDonald's), Williamsburg, Brooklyn

(718) 338-7696

By train: J,M,Z to Marcy Avenue
By bus (from Manhattan): B39 to Washington Plaza

Greece is the Way We are Feeling

The Hermes Expo held a Greek food and wine tasting at the Park Lane this past Thursday to kick off this weekend's Greek-and-American Business Exhibition at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.

 

Here are some of the highlights from Thursday.

Tantalizing Greek treats abounded.

 

A wide selection of Greek wines including these from Nestor Imports.

 

And others.

 

Olive for this stuff.

 

Goodies from mastihashop.

 

Oh honey!  Some great stuff from Demeter’s Pantry.

 

I didn’t save room for it, but had dessert anyway.  Excellent sweets from Artópolis in Astoria, Queens.

 

The high-tech coffee maker produced rather muddy output.

The Little Bistro Marchés on

The recent Dine In Brooklyn week afforded me the perfect occasion to try Le Petit Marché, a relative newcomer to North Brooklyn Heights—an area where only the strong survive.  Nearly a year-and-a half old, this little Gallic bistro is the sort of place that allows me to boast that, for the money, Brooklyn offers better dining than does Manhattan.

Chef Mick Pirnick produces sumptuous dishes with flavors that harmonize on the palate.

My starter of escargot broiled with garlic herb butter was garlicky, nicely seasoned (though a little salty), fresh, and quintessentially French.  Call me a traditionalist, but this classic preparation, served with a slice of toast, is preferable to more recent en croûte variations I've had.

As a main course, I chose the seared wild striped bass with Provençal dressing and spring vegetables.  The flavors of the fish and vegetables blended well.  Again, the ingredients were very fresh and well seasoned, except for some slight over-salting.  (Mind you, I'm not shy about salt—I typically add it to everything.)

Last, I was torn between the Tahitian vanilla crème brûlée and the warm strawberry rhubarb crisp à la mode—I chose the latter.  (All right, I’m not always a traditionalist.)  Unlike most desserts of this sort, this one was not overly sweet and, equally important, served as a much-needed reminder of spring's arrival.

Le Petit Marché is a pleasant addition to this end of Henry Street.  The tastefully decorated dining room with its exposed brick walls and tin ceiling befits the neighborhood.  The welcoming husband-and-wife team of Daniella Silone and Igor Tsan offer their essential personal touch; the service is professional and courteous.  One can really sense that they strive to please.  This one’s a keeper.

 

Le Petit Marché

46 Henry Street (bet. Cranberry & Middagh Sts), Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn

(718) 858-9605

http://bkbistro.com/

By train: A,C to High Street or 2,3 to Clark Street

By bus: B25 to Cranberry Street;
From Manhattan: B51 to Cadman Plaza

View Larger Map

 

Water that Rose to the Occasion

My first visit to Rose Water came several years ago, shortly after it opened.  Union Street had been torn up, and thus encumbered both vehicular and pedestrian traffic.  Dust, noise, and other unpleasant side effects of construction seemed to foster an inauspicious start.  Nevertheless, this Park Slope "Seasonal American" eatery overcame the early obstacles and went on to flourish.  I went back recently during Dine In Brooklyn week.

Although chicken is not usually my first choice when I dine out, it's my favorite dish here.  The roasted bird is one of the most popular items on the menu with good reason.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The Dine In Brooklyn menu consisted of three courses for $23.  There was also an option to pair each course with a small glass of wine for an additional $14.  Though I usually rely on my instincts, it's not bad to pull my head out of the sand occasionally to try wine pairings I'd not have chosen myself.

I began my meal with a delicious, creamy cauliflower soup.  Nicely seasoned, though perhaps a bit too subtly, this rich potage seemed worthy of the calories.  A South Fork Chardonnay accompanied this course.  Perhaps I'm not quite ready for ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) club membership yet, since the pairing wasn't all that bad in my opinion.

A restaurant always receives extra credit for good bread, and more points yet for serving it with olive oil, as they do here.  The bread is rather good, with a firm, spongy texture.  The oil is also well-chosen.  Had the bread been a bit crustier, however, it could have received a few more Brownie points.

On to the main course.  Did I mention that I like Rose Water's roasted chicken?  It's tender and succulent.  Unaggressive seasoning allows the bird's natural flavors to come forward.

The food-friendly Dolcetto d'Alba was a well-chosen accompaniment to this dish.  Should you be unfamiliar with this wine, don't allow the name Dolcetto to suggest sweetness.  In fact, it's rather light and dry, having low acidity but some pronounced tannins.  I've always found its pairing with roasted chicken to be harmonious.

For dessert, I chose the caramelized brioche.  It was just a bit too sweet for my taste, but then, my threshold for sugary confection is lower than most people's.  A misnamed "PX Sherry" was paired with the final course.  If you're fond of sherries, you’ll recall that PX (Pedro Ximénez) is often used to sweeten dry ones.  By itself, however, it's dark brown, syrupy, and very sweet.  What I was served looked more like a White Zinfandel (fortunately the similarity ended there) and tasted like a sweetened sherry.  It's not something I'd have chosen—a real PX or Cream sherry would have been better—but it was interesting all the same.  But please don't call it PX.

Beyond Dine In Brooklyn week, Rose Water offers several prix fixe options: a three-course market menu Monday through Thursday for $28; a five-course Chef's tasting menu daily for $54; and a weekend brunch for $12.50.

Rose Water

787 Union Street (near 6^th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn

(718) 783-3800

http://rosewaterrestaurant.com/

By train:  to Union Street
By bus: B71 to 6^th Avenue

 

Getting Your Fixe

The recently concluded Dine In Brooklyn event reminded me just how much I enjoy "Restaurant Weeks."  Fortunately, by featuring affordable prix fixe menus, eateries can extend the idea year-round.  This allows restaurants to showcase certain dishes at a bargain price (though sometimes, alas, to unload food they’ve ordered too much of).  A little comparison and quick arithmetic involving the regular menu tend to bear this out.  Even if fixed-price menus include dishes not listed à la carte, they typically represent a good value.  Portions may be smaller than those ordered individually, but that only strengthens the case for having dessert.

Many restaurants cloak their prix fixe offerings as "pre-theatre" for those who require (or who don't mind) an early supper.  To me, dining out is to be enjoyed without a concern for time and should not be rushed before an evening performance.  I typically order pre-theatre specials in name only—that is, on nights I do not attend the theatre.  (On the occasion of an actual show, when time is short, I do tend to order à la carte—from Gray's Papaya.)

Upcoming posts will highlight some of my recent prix fixe adventures.

There’s not a problem that I can’t fixe, ‘cause I can do it in the prix.

Eating, drinking, and (dubious) taste

I’ve been consuming comestibles for some time now, but have seldom written about it—a longtime eater, first-time blogger, you might say.  The prospect of sharing my ruminations worldwide undoubtedly exceeds the boundaries of good taste and common decency and is probably more than should be tolerated.  But then, who can argue with the overwhelming success so far?  To wit, since its inception, this blog has attracted as many as one-and-a-half subscribers.  The goal is to eventually double or possibly triple that number.  As if the gastronomic bloviation contained herein weren’t enough, I shall occasionally post entries tangential to the topic of food that you may find uninteresting nonetheless.