My Favorite Italian Restaurant in NYC

Posted on May 5, 2013 by mg

Sure, I’m happy to blow a few hundred jacks on a stellar meal at Marea, A Voce, or Mialino, but when I want the real thing… real and authentic, I head out to Queens to my favorite Italian restaurant you’ve probably never heard of: Manducatis.

Manducatis is old country Italian and old school New York at its best. Hidden away behind an unassuming façade in Long Island City, passing by, it can be easy to overlook. But there’s a reason this place has been in business for more than 35 years. That it is a something of a secret after all these years is part of its charm, but when it comes down to it, like most things Italian, the draw here is simple: food and family.

Owners Vincenzo and Ida Cerbone

Manducatis is as family-run as it gets: husband and wife Vincenzo and Ida Cerbone opened the restaurant in 1977, and still run the show – with Ida (a certified Italian grandmother) in the kitchen, and Vincenzo on the floor, tending to a devoted extended family of regulars and newcomers. Their son, Anthony acts as head waiter and sommelier (I’ll get to the wine list in a moment!), with other members of the family pitching in.

As for the food, Manducatis is straight up red sauce Italian. You’ll receive a menu, but don’t expect to spend much time looking at it – chances are Ida will join you at the table to make her personal recommendations, and her choices are always spot-on. From the homemade pastas to amazing fresh fish (the branzino is a favorite) served on dishes featuring a childhood photo of Ida, this is Italian comfort food done right.

Headwaiter and sommelier, Anthony Cerbone

Now, the wine list! The wine program created by Vincenzo and overseen with care by Anthony is truly unique in the city. It’s extensive, with about 400 bottles to choose from, but this alone does not set it apart. What does, is the availability of great wines, decades old, at prices that you might have expected to pay when the wines were first released. And once again, if you’re having trouble making a selection, the family is ready to come to the rescue: Anthony is a fantastic sommelier and is eager to offer some brilliant suggestions.

I realize it may sound formulaic at this point to say that “when you’re here, you’re part of the family.” This claim has been made about nearly every Italian restaurant in existence – heck, The Olive Garden even made some variation of it their slogan. But if the phrase is going to be applied anywhere, it should be reserved for Manducatis. A single evening here is all it takes to feel right at home, and chances are, like me you’ll be coming home again soon.

Pain Perdu Perfection

Posted on April 2, 2013 by mg

My Favorite Breakfast Dish: bread, eggs, brandy and heavy cream? Yes! That is the core of one of my favorite breakfast dishes in NYC. Thank you Chef Marc Murphy for creating such an awesome take on Pain Perdu. In my days at Gourmet we used to call a picture like this “food porn.” Thankfully this is a momentary thrill that I can enjoy again and again. And I will! To taste, go to Landmarc Time Warner or Tribeca. If you want to make this dish at home, here’s the recipe…

PAIN PERDU (serves 4)

Ingredients

4 1-inch thick slices country bread  
1 quart heavy cream
 9 eggs 
1 cup vanilla sugar (split vanilla bean and bury in 1 cup sugar. Let sit room temperature two days.) 
1/2 cup brandy
 2 teaspoons kosher salt
 1/4 cup unsalted butter

Place bread in a large bowl and set aside.  

Mix cream, eggs, sugar, brandy and salt in a blender.. Pour over bread slices.

  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, turning once to ensure proper absorption.   

Preheat oven to 350º F. Heat large oven proof saute pan over medium-high heat and add butter. When foam subsides, put soaked bread in pan and cook on one side, 5 minutes. Turn and place in oven, 10 to 15 minutes, until cooked through and custardy in the middle.

Wine and Food at the Movies

Posted on February 21, 2013 by mg

I think we can all agree that, as a nation, we’ve gone a bit overboard with taking pictures of what we eat and drink. I mean, I love that people are so moved by their plates as to record what’s in front of them for posterity, but when I’m stuck at home eating leftovers, do I really have to open up my Facebook and be subjected to taunting Instagrams to remind of what I’m not eating right now? And watching diners pull out their iPhones at a nice restaurant to document every bite tends to, well, leave a bad taste in my mouth…

But I also think there’s a good reason for our obsession with putting food and drink behind the lens. The best wine and food imagery, particulary when set to the right story in film, can be downright inspiring. So, while I’m quite sure fuzzy, poorly lit pictures of peoples’ epicurean feasts will not cease to appear on social media anytime soon, perhaps we can at least learn a little something from the pros…

As someone in the business of enjoying wine, I often get asked if Sideways is my favorite wine film. The 2004 picture, based on a book by Rex Pickett, created quite a shockwave, not only among the ‘wine elite’ but in the purchasing habits of the entire nation – to answer the obvious question, yes I still drink Merlot! It’s a fantastic film, and does a remarkable job of balancing wine-geek humor with a compelling story that has great appeal for any viewer.

But honors for my favorite film related to wine and food have to go to 1987’s Babette’s Feast. This Danish film not only won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film but, like Sideways, affected the wine and foodscapes of the nation and indeed the world. Almost immediately after its release, and throughout its life as something of a cult classic, chefs and home cooks, inspired by Babbette’s banquet, began trying to replicate one of the greatest meals ever created on film. Be on the lookout: more than 25 years after its release, theaters and restaurants still offer Babette’s Feast dinner-and-a-movie events from time to time – it’s well worth the experience!

There are plenty of great food and wine movies to go around. To narrow things down a bit, let’s focus on wine, which seems to take a starring role less often than food, but to no less inspiring effect. So get your wine and popcorn properly paired, and get ready for some of my all-time favorites:

Fiction:

Bottle Shock

The Earth Is Mine

Casblanca

French Kiss

Dr. No

Documentaries:

Mondovino

Corked (a mockumentary, but full of truth none the less!)

From Ground to Glass

Somm (this fantastic doc about four men working to pass the exam to earn the title of Master Sommelier is still playing at festivals and should show up on movie screens later this year)

Revisiting the Classic Wine and Food Don’ts

Posted on February 17, 2013 by mg

Some Cabernet with Your Eggs?

Are Americans becoming libation liberals when it comes to wine pairings? Are we finally taking a more relaxed approach to wine and food? Many of us have thrown out the rulebook and have loosened our grip on the classic rules of wine and food. No longer are we stuck with the typical pairing of red wine with meat and white wine with fish. We have a more casual relationship with wine and food as we bring to the table a newfound understanding of the personal pleasure associated with the wine and food experience. Lest we forget, the ultimate goal is pleasure. One thing is certain. When you pair wine and food together they change. Hopefully the whole is more satisfying the sum of its parts. How can you go wrong if you drink the wine that you like with the food that you like? The rest is nuance. This gloriously simple and laissez faire approach to pairings serves us well and gives you the opportunity to sit back and play with your food…and wine.

That been said, historically there have been certain pairings — Wine and chocolate, wine and eggs, wine and artichokes, and wine and salad that must be avoided at all cost. These twosomes are a recipe for disaster. Akin to taking nails to a chalkboard, they can make a sommelier shriek in horror and run for a light beer. I say take ‘em on! Wine can work with anything. Let’s toss these out theories quicker than a dull corkscrew…

Pairings: Wine with Salad
The common theory: Salad can be problematic with wine, especially if the dressing has a large amount of vinegar. It will make the perception of a wine’s acidity diminish creating a flabby, course and alcoholic taste in the mouth.

Reality: While vinegar can alter the taste of a wine in a negative way, wine can indeed work with salad. Simply go easy on the vinegar and consider working in an additional protein such as nuts, meat or cheese.

Taste test: Try a wine with good acidity to stand up to the acids in the salad and if there are sweet elements in the salad such as beets on fruits consider a wine with a touch of residual sugar. Chill up a bottle of Beaujolais or German Riesling and you will be amazed!

Pairings: Wine with Eggs
The common theory: There is no theory. Maybe it’s our association with eggs as the breakfast ingredient, but a more logical explanation could be the fattiness of the eggs. Pair a wine with high alcohol and you may be on the road to a wine that tastes overly alcoholic and coarse.

Reality: Wine can work with eggs though the pleasure factor may be increased if you work in additional ingredients like cheese or meat. In fact, there are classic French egg dishes often call for a wine in the recipe – think of the classic Oeufs en Meurette which calls for eggs to be poached with Beaujolais.

Taste test: Open up a crisp white or red wine, preferably one with an alcohol level under at the top 12%, make the hollandandise and make someone happy!

Pairings: Wine with Artichokes:
The common theory: Cynarin. A chemical in artichokes that makes anything you taste after tasting an artichoke taste sweeter. That’s the culprit.

Reality: If you want your wine to taste sweeter, don’t do a thing! If you want to preserve a wine’s dryness, serve a wine with very high acid. Simple as that.

Taste test: Try a Chinon or a Savennieres from the Loire Valley, or a Dolcetto or Barbera from Italy’s Piedmont region.

Pairings: Wine with Chocolate:
The common theory: Chocolate is a strong ingredient that will overpower the nuances of many wines, rendering many sweet wines drier than an Alto Adage Pinot Grigio.

Reality: Chocolate can work with wine. Work in an acid ingredient like a berry coulis to tone done the sweetness factor and serve a straightforward not overly complex dessert wine that is high in alcohol to give the pairing added power. The complexity of an expensive dessert wine will get lost with most chocolate desserts.

Taste test: Try a PX Sherry, a non-vintage port or a Malmsey Madeira and get your just desserts.

Photo of food pairing courtesy Flickr Creative Commons. Photo credit: Joan Nova

Brilliant Pairing:
What’s the best wine for popcorn?

Posted on February 16, 2013 by dtavares

You might see me wax poetic about classic pairings like foie gras and Sauternes or oysters and Muscadet. (I’m not a snob, honest!) But today’s pairing is more comforting and somewhat out of the box. Let’s start with your favorite Netflix film. If you want something with a food and wine theme, think about Sideways, Bottle Shock, the Godfather or one of my all-time favorites — Babette’s Feast.

First, cook up some popcorn. Melt the butter and drizzle it on the glorious popped kernels of corn. Salt as needed. Now, what to pair with it? Okay, skip the soft drinks, please! Beer? Save it for schnitzel night. Water? This is popcorn, not the Mohave desert. What about something more celebratory?

Try this: Grab your favorite sparkler – Champagne (if your wallet allows), Prosecco (perfect with Godfather – either Part One or Two!) or Cava – the Sparkling wine from Spain. The crisp and refreshing flavor profile of the sparkler is a glorious contrast to the crisp of the popcorn mingled with the salt and greasy butter.

If you want something a bit sweeter, make a Bellini or a Kir Royale. Or just top it off with a few splashes of St. Germaine.

Or would you prefer to just pop and pour? Try a Moscato d’Asti — one of my favorite dessert wines on the planet — and costs less than seeing an IMAX film in 3D! Turn off your cell phone, pop the cork, and enjoy the film!

A Food Court Fit for The Plaza

Posted on January 27, 2013 by mg

For most of us, hearing the phrase “food court” brings to mind suburban shopping malls – junk fuel for the long walk to the Sunglass Hut. But at The Plaza Hotel’s new food court, I guarantee you there is a not a single Panda Express in sight! Technically speaking, it’s “The Plaza Food Hall,” but let’s not split hairs when we could be enjoying a bounty of the best New York has to offer in classic European style.

The Hall opened last spring and immediate set food lovers abuzz, with its collection of outposts from some of the City’s most beloved eateries.

For the sweet tooth, the legendary La Maison Du Chocolat offers unlimited temptation. From Paris with love comes a vast array of chocolate treats that will leave you melting. Be sure to try their variety of decadent ganache, and of course their famous chocolate éclair.

If your sweet tooth is looking beyond chocolate, Billy’s Bakery puts the icing on the cake! The cupcake craze in this city shows no sign of stopping, and one of the reasons for that is places like Billy’s that are constantly perfecting the art of the tiny frosted cake.

And if the freezing cold outside is getting to you, do as New Englanders do and warm up with a delicious lobster roll from Luke’s Lobster. From a tiny storefront in the East Village, the guys behind Luke’s have recently expanded to other neighborhoods via restaurants, food trucks, and now The Plaza Food Hall. Their rolls are packed with top quality Maine lobster – so get your lobster fix the easy way, without cracking shells… you’ll probably still need the bib, though!

For even the the most jaded New Yorker, accustomed to the offerings at venues like Chelsea Market and Eataly, The Plaza Food Hall is welcome and unique addition to the city’s foodscape.

Lazy Lunches
at Jean-Georges

Posted on September 22, 2012 by dtavares

It’s not every day that you have an excuse to spend an afternoon and next month’s rent at a restaurant. But it was a friend’s birthday and she’d never been to Jean-Georges. She works near his Spice Market in Chelsea and was gushing about it, so I decided to surprise her with his flagship.

(Full disclosure: Lunch does not need to set you back 3 months rent unless you order several bottle of DRC or Lafite! Savor 3 courses of food and a glass of wine for under $50!)

A three-hour surprise. We ended up spending the whole afternoon savoring a five course menu including artisanal cheeses, trying different wines (the afternoon’s favorite was a German Riesling from the Mosel), and finishing off the chocolate cake adorned with a gorgeously crafted chocolate bow topped with gold flakes. A substantial plate of mignardises and home made marshmallows brought the afternoon to a stunning close.

When it comes to birthday gifts (or any gift for that matter), I prefer to give experiences.
Material possessions can fade. Memories are forever. If I can’t be with the recipient of a gift I’m giving so we can cherish our time together, I’ll typically give the gift of a wine or liquor. With the hopes it will fuel anything from a wonderful evening at home with friends to a relaxing night soaking in a bubble bath. Anything that ignites pleasure and memories in the moment.

Full disclosure: Jean Georges is my go to lunch place for business meetings or just for an afternoon treat. Tip: Make your reservation for 2:30pm. The restaurant is quieter and you can bask in epicurean and vino delights until dinner service begins!

My Best Meal This Summer? Taco Truck!

Posted on September 22, 2012 by dtavares

This summer I spent about 10 days in California for a wonderful mini-vacation between stops on the Buick Discovery Tour. Our first California stop was at the Monarch Beach Resort and Spa in Orange County outside San Diego, and our second was a week later at the SLS in Beverly Hills.

Between the events, I took a detour to Sonoma to visit some old friends and do some tasting… and of course eating!

Now, let it be known that I’m an experience-seeker. I like to try new things and feel alive. Sometimes that means skipping the typical and riding off the rails. My first morning in Healdsberg, I was doing my usual odds and ends shopping. I travel light and pick up what I need along the way… you meet interesting locals and discover more!

And that’s exactly how it happened. While grabbing shaving cream at the local Rite Aid, I spotted a little Mexican bodega down the street and decided to take a walk. What a wonderful surprise. Walking into the store felt like walking into a Mexican border town mercado. Fresh tropical fruits and veggies, spices everywhere, bananas hanging. And a cute little deli counter behind which was all these wonderful Mexican delights… homemade salsa and chips, tamales, tacos, carne asada, menudo. Of course I stopped for a bite!

Later, while on my way to Hanna Winery I drove past a food truck. It didn’t take me half a mile to decide to turn around and not let this experience pass me by. So glad I did. The menu was a joy to behold. Chalupas, a variety of tacos, frijoles and arroz, tamales, carnitas, barbacoa. Jackpot!

I ended up sipping and nibbling at plenty of great restaurants in Sonoma… all the way up to Auberge du Soleil at sunset. (One of my favorite sunset spots in the world!) But I gotta tell you… that taco truck was the yummiest experience of the whole trip.

New rule: Don’t pass up the taco truck!