Two chefs of popular seafood restaurants have settled a lawsuit out of court, denying foodies the chance to hear how restaurant plagiarism would be argued. The NY Times reports, "Both sides in the case agreed to keep the terms of the settlement confidential."
A welcoming red and white striped awning dawns the name of the Cornelia Street Cafe, a longtime West Village fixture with artist roots that recently celebrated its 30th birthday. Located on a "mini restaurant row" including the teeny Le Gigot, Home, and Pearl Oyster Bar, the cafe is much more spacious than its neighbors with four separate rooms on two floors, each dotted with the work of local artists. Though the West Village today is not the Village of 1977, artists still come and go from the Cornelia St. Cafe with fervor-- for the food, for the performance, or for both. The cafe continues to host nightly events and over the years has acted as stage to poet and senator Eugene McCarthy, members of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Songwriters Exchange, and during the next week Eve Packer, a duo of Sondheim-singing sisters, and Cassorla are scheduled to perform.
Got a tidbit for us? Send it to the feedbag.
Frank Bruni, in the Diner's Journal, waxes poetic about the oysters at Wild Salmon and Aquagrill, and discusses the reasons why he often disobeys the "rule" that one is not supposed to eat oysters in months that don’t have an ‘r’ in them. We're with Frank on this one. We love oysters in the summer. The platter above was from a recent oyster happy our at P.J. Clarke's downtown. They were cheap, but didn't hold a candle to ones we've had at Aquagrill, Blue Ribbon or Pearl Oyster Bar.
The folks at Lobstergram sent us one to try a while back. And what is a Lobstergram, you might ask? It's a package containing two live lobsters and all the basic acoutrements you'll need to cook and eat them -- you supply the pot (there's even an option to get the pot sent along as well). The box arrived one night when we got home from work, and we recruited a friend to help us with the process.
In case you missed it, earlier this week, Rebecca Charles, owner of Pearl Oyster Bar, filed an intellectual property suit against former sous-chef Ed McFarland, alleging that he had stolen recipes and design ideas when he opened his new restaurant, Ed's Lobster Bar. Here's what has gone down since then. Ed held a press conference. Grub Street describes Ed's response: “I am deeply saddened to learn that Rebecca Charles has brought an action against me,” McFarland announced. “I believe her action has no merit. I harbor no ill will and wish her safely to port.”
Rebecca Charles, NYC lobster roll pioneer and owner of Pearl Oyster Bar will do whatever it takes to protect the formula she has created to make Pearl such a success. She has brought suit in Federal court against Ed McFarland, her former sous chef and owner of Ed's Lobster Bar, claiming that he copied “'each and every element' of Pearl Oyster Bar, including the white marble bar, the gray paint on the wainscoting, the chairs and bar stools with their wheat-straw backs, the packets of oyster crackers placed at each table setting and the dressing on the Caesar salad," amounting to a theft of Charles' intellectual property.
The story: a man walks into a clam bar and orders a plate of fried clams, and the confusion begins. “Fried clams” can refer either to squiggly strips a la HoJo’s (RIP), or clam bellies. Otherwise known as Ipswich clams, bellies refer to the shucked ball-and-chain shaped whole bivalve, minus the clam’s soft shell. In its fried form, Ipswich clams are harder to find. Regardless, there are few restaurants that serve fried clams in either form; those that do include the array of boutique oyster bars in Manhattan, and Brooklyn Fish Camp. Also in Brooklyn is the passable but nonetheless iconic Randazzo’s of Sheepshead Bay. For summer, in season clams are starting to appear on special menus: this week, Country is doing an upscale take on clam shack food, serving fried Ipswich bellies with local flounder, sauce gribiche, and frisee salad. And starting July 6th, Savoy will once again offer its special fixed-price summer clambake menu ($60, with clams on the half shell). Meanwhile, up north, the blenders and kitchens at Johnny’s Famous Reef and the rest of City Island’s fish houses are about to go into deep fried overtime. Summer is your best chance to get some real fried clams.
If you've ever been to Pearl Oyster Bar, you might recognize Ed McFarland, who was the sous-chef there for six years. Ed has now struck out on his own with Ed's Lobster Bar, a spot for "New York seafood cuisine inspired by New England's long tradition."
Ever open a bottle of champagne, only to have the contents bubble up and spill over, leaving you with a significant amount less than you started with? Gothamist recently learned a new trick to deal with this problem. Hold the bottle of champagne at a 45 degree angle when you pop the cork (which should be done very very gently, with as little noise as possible). Any bubbles that ensue will go straight up, but as the bottle is at an angle, they'll hit the glass side of the bottle and subside, instead of spilling out. Cheers!
Just wait until you see how many calories are in your dinner. The New York City Board of Public health is considering requiring the city's restaurants to list calories on their menus. Our initial thought was panic -- do we really want to know how many calories are in that delectable lobster roll from Pearl Oyster Bar or the addictive fried chickpeas at Tia Pol? Not really. But then we read the proposed regulation a bit more closely: "such a requirement can only be implemented for food items that are standardized with regard to portion size, formulation, and ingredients. Therefore, it is expected that the proposal would apply only to the approximately 10% of New York City food service establishments that serve food menu items in portions that are standardized for size and content." Whew.
Savennieres. It’s not a wine that you hear about everyday. This little area in the Loire Valley produces some of the greatest wines from the Chenin Blanc grape. But likely due to its small size (both geographically and in terms of producers) and the lack of hype surrounding the Chenin Blanc grape, it easily falls under the radar for most wine enthusiasts. But those who happen across a Savennieres quickly champion the cause. Maybe it’s the complexity and concentration of the flavors or just a pleasant departure from the more common oakey and fruity wines, but once you get to know Savennieres you find yourself seeking them out with a persistence typically reserved for those long lines outside Shake Shack or a table at Pearl Oyster Bar (and yes, Savennieres goes great with the lobster roll).
Jordan’s Lobster Dock seemed like it would be right up my alley. It’s been open since Lou Gehrig was playing first base for the Yankees. There’s outdoor seating. It’s hidden on a side street in the old waterfront neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay. They proudly boast there is “No Tipping” necessary because of the cafeteria style setup. And they serve loads of seafood. Martin Scorsese even attached his name to a Danny Aiello movie about the place.
June 29: At the Table: Celebrating Women Chefs & Restaurateurs
With all this global climate chaos, it almost seemed weird that summer arrived perfectly on schedule this year. The first truly hot, sticky, muggy days of the year came over Memorial Day weekend the way the lord intended when He created barbeques, day games, and ice cream trucks. And while summer means boiling apartments and gushing fire hydrants in the more densely populated parts of New York, it means sun tan lotion, body surfing, and the 101 Deli in the best corner of Queens.
Thanks to the folks at New York Mag for bringing this one to our attention. Tia Pol's Chef Alex Raij is putting together a Valentine's day menu that contains loving tributes to her favorite dishes throughout the city. Some of Alex's favorites are ours too: Banh Mi So 1's amazing sandwiches, Pearl Oyster Bar's lobster rolls, 'ino's truffled egg toast, and Momofuku's pork buns. For each dish, she creates her own variation.
A Gothamist reader tipped us off and Florence Fabricant confirmed that Black Pearl, the New England style clam and lobster shack in the back of the East Village bar, Julep has closed. We will mourn quietly and head back to Pearl Oyster Bar.
The James Beard Foundation will be honoring Chef Michael Romano of Union Square Cafe for his contributions to the food industry at its annual Chefs & Champagne Benefit at the Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack, New York. Hang in the Hamptons and enjoy tastings by chefs including Florian Bellanger of Fauchon, Rebecca Charles of Pearl Oyster Bar, Josh DeChellis of Sumile, and Kerry Heffernan of Eleven Madison Park along with Champagne Charles Heidsieck and the Estate's own award-winning wines. Proceeds from the event will benefit the preservation of the historic James Beard House in Greenwich Village, as well as the new East End Long Island Culinary Scholarship and the programs of Spoons Across America: The Source for Children's Culinary Education. Tickets are $150 for members of The James Beard Foundation, and $200 for guests. 5-8 pm. For reservations, call 212-627-2308 or order online.
We adore Pearl Oyster Bar. The raw bar, the fried oysters, and of course, the lobster roll. Several weeks ago, when we first heard of Black Pearl, a clam-shack-style window tucked into the back of the East Village bar Julep, we were intrigued. When we read the New York Times review, we knew we had to go immediately, if not sooner. The review described the lobster rolls as "the real deal. Top-loading hot dog buns are slathered with butter, crisped on the grill and filled with the meat from a Maine hard-shell eighth (a lobster weighing a pound and one-eighth) bound with as little mayonnaise as possible. No celery, no celery salt, no lettuce, no nothing." Now, lobster rolls, like most things culinary, are a matter of personal preference. Our ideal lobster roll has no mayo to speak of, just a drizzle of drawn butter, so we knew we had hit the jackpot.
Between a trip out to Fire Island this weekend, and New York Metro's wrap-up of new fish shacks, Gothamist is ready for summer. While our all-time favorite is Pearl Oyster Bar, we're eager to try the newbies -- Black Pearl, in the East Village, and Bar Minnow in Park Slope. We've already had a sample of the fish shack at BLT Fish, and while we only got a tiny taste of the raw bar and a batch of fried oysters (pictured at left), we want to head back for another round soon.
Regina Schrambling, Food Writer
There's nothing like a hot summer night to bring on cravings for New England seafood. Visions of clam shacks on the coast and tearing into lobsters at picnic tables were enough to send us racing to Pearl Oyster Bar the other night.
Gothamist went to Compass the day her addition was announced in the Times. Many others had the same idea, and Katy Sparks was circulating in the room (we're pretty sure that's her in this picture, on the left), with many diners telling her how excited they were to see her. The low point of the meal was, in fact, the service: Our server freaked out at a busboy, yelling at him and demanding to know where the receipt from the table the busboy had just cleared gone; it turned out another server had taken the receipt to be rung up. Our server apologized with complimentary champagne, but it was still distressing. So, Gothamist can attest to the crappy time it seems Amanda Hesser had.
Everyone has left something behind at a restaurant: Doggie bag of leftovers, shopping bag, cell phone...but usually the forgetful remember and will retrieve their wares. The Daily News looks at some unclaimed and, frankly, bizarre items left behind at city restaurants. Lots of coats are forgetten, leading restaurants to donate them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. But the most interesting combination is at Shaffer City Oyster Bar & Grill: A worn full-length green negligee left with a furry, panda-shaped bag. Owner-chef Jay Shaffer says, "It's not incredibly sexy, but I wouldn't kick a girl out of bed for wearing it." He also feels the negligee-panda purse left together is "kind of kinky."
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
email this
tweet this
add to facebook
