Warm Weather (Finally) = Outdoor Beer & BBQ at Fette Sau and Spuyten Duyvil

Oh my lord, during my years in LA I forgot the pure bliss of those first really warm, sunny spring days. All things considered, this past winter in New York has been mild, but I spent most of February and much of March cursing the day I left southern California. But last Friday, oh last Friday--her 75 degrees of delicious sunshine made up for all of the gray, damp days earlier this year.

What better way to celebrate such weather than an evening al fresco? J and I joined our friend Geoff for a night in Brooklyn, first at the car repair shop turned BBQ joint that is Fette Sau. Belly up to the counter and order your meat by the pound, then swing by the bar to pick up a beer in a mason jar. Prices are reasonable and the meat is tenderly terrific. I recommend a hearty squirt of the spicy mustard, and a seat at the outdoor picnic tables.

Beware the beer taps at Fette Sau.

J & G at Spuyten Duyvil as we waited for a patio seat.

After stuffing ourselves silly as we soaked in the last of the sun, we headed across the street to Spuyten Duyvil, a beer bar I've written about previously. We bided our time at a table in the front window until a spot opened in the garden patio. Here you feel as though you're in a friend's back yard, but with much better beer than any of your friend's would provide. We headed home early, and Saturday morning I was back in the florescent-lit computer lab, crunching stats data. But last Friday was just a preview--summer's around the corner and I'll be damned if I set foot in a computer lab between May 13 and August 31.

Fette Sau
354 Metropolitan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
nr. Havemeyer St.
718-963-3404

Spuyten Duyvil
359 Metroplitcan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Across the street from Fette Sau
718-963-4140

Good Things to Eat: Dosas, Dumplings and Triple Chocolate "Muffins"

You know how fancy hotel brunches have a Belgian Waffle guy that makes them to order? Well, the Jackson Diner in Queens makes dosas to order during the $10 buffet lunch.

Broke, but have a monthly subway pass? Take the train to 99 Allen Street on the Lower East Side and get five porky fried dumplings for $1. Look for the neon sign that says...wait for it...Fried Dumpling.

David Bouley would like you to believe that this is a Three Chocolate "Muffin." So you're free to eat one for breakfast the next time you're in Tribeca at 8 am. Take an extra minute to sit outside and appreciate the ridiculously delightful spring flowers outside the Bouley Bakery.

Swiss Chard Tart with the World's Most Expensive Puff Pastry

Can you feel the quality radiating from the puff pastry in the above photo? Does it have an otherworldly, heavenly glow? Does it look like it costs $10 for one sheet? I hope so, because I certainly couldn't detect much of a taste difference than my usual Pepperidge Farms puff pastry. I know, I know, this stuff is locally made with "the finest churned sweet butter", not wacky transfats, but still. I bought it despite the price--it was all Whole Foods had, and I wasn't about to ruin my Sunday with a stop at Fairway. Plus, this tart is just too damn good to abandon because of puff pastry prices.

Tart before baking.

This tart is my favorite recipes from Suzanne Goin's cookbook, Sunday Supper's at Lucques. Of all of her complex recipes, this has the lowest work to deliciousness ratio. The puff pastry crust is smeared with a ricotta and creme fraiche mix, topped with swiss chard that's already been sauteed with shallots, and a generous handful of crumbled goat cheese. You bake it in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, then serve it with a currant pinenut relish (recipe here).

Serve the tart with this lovely farro salad on the side, and you have an excellent meal when your vegetarian friends come over for dinner. For a version of this tart with spring greens, click here.

Antics at Antik, East Village (or why I'm an old lady)

Here's a shocker: I'm not a clubbing, crazy nightlife kind of girl. Sure, I like my chichi cocktails and fancy restaurants, but bottle service, velvet ropes and oonce-oonce-oonce through the speakers? Um, no.

After seeing a play tonight, J and I wanted to grab a drink and discuss. I'd read the following in Time Out about a new place on the Bowery, Antik:

There’s no bar at this burgundy-draped lounge from owners Larry Kramer and Craig Koenig ...Instead, cocktail servers transport drinks—like the Hi Ho (gin, white port and bitters)—from the back of the house to marble-topped tables. The goal is prohibition-era formality, a surprising endgame for a pair of nightlife impresarios whose previous projects adhered to the B&T-friendly Meatpacking and West Chelsea mold.

My reaction? A new place with aspirations to be the next PDT or Little Branch--and damn, the Hi Ho sounds good. Steps from our theater, a cozy spot for a well-crafted cocktail. Yeah, not so much. At 11 pm it was empty, yet the bouncer asked us if we were there for the private party. Um, no--just want a drink. Okay--he lets us in. The music is thumping, and the waitress looks at me blankly when I request a Hi Ho. J and I settle for $14, very weak Manhattans and attempt to discuss the show. The music volume continues to rise, and we are treated to a (admittedly delightful if random) breakdancing show from a staff member. By the time we leave 1/2 hour later, the place is still empty--I assume the cool kids don't arrive until well past midnight. At which time, I'll be tucked into bed.

Antik
356 Bowery between Great Jones and 4th Sts
212-388-1655

West Village Bakeries: Batch & Birdbath

Huckleberry chevre pudding at Batch, West Village

New York is littered with specialized dessert shops--from cupcakes to hard candy, rice pudding to frozen yogurt--long lines often form for these one hit wonders. And really, what's not to like? A long, leisurely walk around the Lower East Side is greatly improved with a quick stop for a pistachio cupcake at Sugar Sweet Sunshine. Similarly, after a long day at school I admit sneaking into Pinkberry for a late afternoon snack, and I appreciate that only three choices (green tea, original or coffee) present themselves.

Cupcakes and puddings at Batch

Sometimes, however, a one-item shop just won't cut it. Your vegan friend craves something sweet, but you want a buttery cookie. Or your little sister only eats pink-frosted cupcakes, while you're sick to death of buttercream. Two different bakeries in the West Village help solve these dessert dilemmas.

Cookie stacks behind the counter at Birdbath. Fake, I believe.

To accommodate the vegans and environmentalists in your life, visit Birdbath Bakery, an eco-conscious offshoot of City Bakery. Don't worry-- you--the dairy-loving, Hummer-driving friend, won't have to eat birdseed. You can try the mighty fine gingerbread cookie-it's perfectly chewy and studded with real, fresh ginger. The cookies are about the size of a saucer and come in double chocolate chip, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and other traditional flavors. I can't speak for the tastiness of the vegan items, but New York magazine recently termed the banana sesame agave cakes the best "vegan treat" in the city.

For the cupcake-loving little sister (and her jaded, worldly older sibling) try the new Pichet Ong venture, Batch. Right next to his schmancy spot P*Ong, Batch is a bright little bakery stacked Willy Wonka style with puddings, cookies, cupcakes and more. J and I loved the huckleberry chevre pudding--creamy cheesecake in a cup. My friend Jess tried both the lemonlemonlemon cupcake (she pronounced it dry) and a caramel chocolate cupcake with a dose of sticky caramel on the inside (she liked it). The aspirations and the prices at Batch are higher than many other bakeries in town, so choose wisely (cupcakes were approximately $3, while the pudding was $5). If you're the kind of person who swaddles your doggie in sweaters as soon as temperatures hit 45 degrees, you'll also appreciate the foie gras doggie biscuits Batch offers.

Birdbath Bakery
corner of 7th Ave South and Charles Street
(646) 722-6570

Batch (currently cash only)
150B W. 10th St. at Waverly Pl.
(212)-929-0250

Get Up, Get on Up: Wine, French Fries and James Brown at Bar Boulud

Bar Boulud, the newish, casual venture of chichi chef Daniel Boulud on the Upper West Side, has won plaudits for its wide array of pâtés--Frank Bruni termed the restaurant a "terrine machine." Yet when J and I stopped in for a late glass of wine after a jazz show, gelatinous meat wasn't on our agenda. Really, we were there just for the wine. Then--one dish went by, another and another, and the smell had us practically stealing the plate out of the waiter's hands. Instead of causing a scene by filching someone else's dinner, we ordered our own. The dish that caused such fervor? A bucket of french fries. These slim, crisp beauties had sprightly salt in every bite, and I alternated dips in mayo and ketchup. When we told our waiter of our love for these perfectly fried potatoes, he said he hoped there'd be a big batch waiting when he clocked out in a few hours.

Directly across from Lincoln Center, Bar Boulud was crazy crowded on a Saturday night at 11 pm. We squeezed around a table in the front window (no stools) and enjoyed our wine and fries, not looking at the food menu (for real reviews, look here and here). We finished our last sips of wine to the sound of James Brown's Sex Machine--I looked to see if the Upper West Side matrons had noticed. Nope--too busy with their french fries.

Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway (at 64th)
New York, NY 10023
(212) 595-0303

Go to Gottino (Unless I'm Going)

The prep area at Gottino--Love those blood oranges and heirloom apples

A slip of an Italian wine bar in the West Village, Gottino serves up some delish seasonal snacks to nibble on while you sip your Barbera d'Alba. When J and I stopped by around 9 last Thursday, we wedged ourselves against the slim marble counter opposite the bar. By the time we'd finished our first bruschetta (my favorite featured preserved tomatoes--how I long for summer!), a couple seats at the bar opened up and we squeezed in.

The bartender gave us a warm welcome--after J had ordered another glass of wine and mentioned his love of Italian whites, the bartender poured him a taste of an additional wine he thought J would like. We rounded out our late dinner with a smoked trout panzanella, blood orange salad and some apples roasted and stuffed with sausage. So, yeah, though I long for summer--winter dishes aren't so bad. The apple-sausage combo was especially satisfying--I'm a sucker for sweet and savory, especially on a cold, windy night. Though the menu features your typical wine bar staples--cheese, cured meats, olives--that's just the beginning of chef Jody Williams (she runs the kitchen at Morandi just around the corner) creation. I would tell you more, but when I asked for a copy of the (paper, flimsy) menu I hit the only sour note of the night--"we don't give that away." What I remember is lots of pork, some interesting veggie dishes, and various sardine concoctions.

The place stayed packed all night, and I think we lucked out with a spot. There are few tables in the front and back, but you'll get hungry waiting for the bartenders/waiters to part the crowds and come take your order. With patience and good timing you're better off at the bar itself--and save me a seat!

Gottino
52 Greenwich Ave
New York, NY 10011
212-546-7892