Category Archives: Events

Los Perros Locos: Every drunk college kid’s dream come true

When I initially got the invite to attend a food bloggers’ tasting event at Los Perros Locos, I accepted with no hesitation - I rarely turn down free food, or a chance to socialize with fellow food-crazed New Yorkers. All I knew about the place was that they serve tempting hot dog creations. Being well-versed in New York’s somewhat recent boom in specialty hot dogs (see Crif Dogs, Asia Dog), I thought I knew what to expect. Surely nothing could beat the deep-fried, cheese sauce-topped, and bahn mi-style dogs that I’ve already tried, I thought. But evidently, it gets even crazier.

Located on the Lower East Side - a mecca for dirty bars and overzealous youth - Los Perros Locos channels Colombian street food, specializing in decked out hot dogs and ‘salchipapas’ (the Colombian answer to poutine). The decor of the place, which is equally as fun, pays homage to the owner’s Miami upbringing, with pink neon lights, and steel and wood paneling.

Los Perros Locos NYC

Now, you know those crazy nights when in the midst of your crawl home from the bar, you suddenly get a relentless craving to munch on something cheesy, meaty, crunchy and cheap? Well, the owner took that very concept and turned it into a an actual eatery. The hot dogs we got to sample at the event were otherworldly. The all-beef dogs were topped with everything from cheese sauces, to house-made slaws, chimi churri, crushed potato chips and everything in between. They were the perfect messy food that every drunk college kid dreams of; and fun to eat, too.

Los Perros Locos NYC

We also got to try the salchipapas - a deliciously gluttonous dish of waffle fries topped with spicy mayo, deep-fried bacon, chicharones, salsa verde and quail eggs. I think that’s about all I have to say about that… *drools*

Los Perros Locos NYC

What happens when food bloggers see food.

Hanging out in that environment, drinking beers with awesome people, and devouring this unbelievable food, it eventually did feel like a college party in there. It was honestly one of the funnest blogger events I’ve been to. Many thanks to Sherry for organizing it!

Los Perros Locos NYC

Be sure to stop by next time you’re crawling home from the LES. You won’t regret it - I promise.

Los Perros Locos NYC

Drunk college kids take note: Los Perros Locos is open til 4am.

…Is anybody out there?

I know I’ve been MIA for two weeks but I hope there are people still out there reading this. I am so glad to be back and I hope to never have to be absent for such a long time again. I won’t bore you by recounting the hellish past two weeks of schoolwork but I will tell you about two cool events that I recently attended.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to hear a talk featuring Kim Severson and Julia Moskin - both New York Times food reporters. (You may recall me extending the invite to you in this post?) The two women, who affectionately refer to each other as ‘work-wives’, just wrote a book called Cook Fight. Cook Fight is not your average cookbook - it chronicles the two writers’ contrasting approaches to challenges like the Thanksgiving challenge and the Comfort challenge, just to name a few. With each challenge, the women had to feed six people for $50. Since the women come from distinctly different backgrounds - Severson learned to cook instinctively by way of her large Italian family, while Moskin learned together with her parents using cookbooks - the book has a fresh and interesting take on recipe development and menu planning. Follow this link to purchase your copy.

I also got to see, and even chat with a little bit, one of my favorite women of the food world - Rachael Ray! And on the evening before my birthday, at that. Rachael will always hold a special place in my heart and here’s why: when I was 12, I discovered the Food Network by accident and began to watch 30 Minute Meals religiously. Soon after the great discovery, I felt confident enough to tackle the kitchen by myself - I wanted to surprise my mom with dinner so that she wouldn’t have to cook after work. Rachael made cooking dinner look so easy and her recipes were so accessible, that I just couldn’t help myself. And I haven’t stopped cooking since that day. On December 6th, Rachael was a part of iBookstore’s Meet-the-Author series at the SoHo Apple Store. She was there to talk about her latest (the 21st, to be exact!) cookbook, My Year in Meals.

I was a little star stuck when she took her seat less than ten feet away from me but Rachael was as sweet, nice and approachable as I’d expected. This book is very special because it documents what Rachael actually cooked for herself, and for friends and family in the course of one whole year. The book also features cocktail recipes from her husband, and all the photography in the book is done by the pair as well. Follow this link to purchase your copy. And follow this link to watch a free podcast of the talk (note: at the 25 minute mark, I ask the first question of the Q&A portion).

Rachael Ray

Stay tuned for more posts this week, including a recipe for one of my oldest and best pasta dishes, and a recap of my birthday dinner!

Black Wednesday

Yet again the time has come for me to make excuses as to why I haven’t prepared a proper post for today: I’ve been a bit preoccupied with school, trying to plan Thanksgiving dinner, as well as a potentially very exciting trip in January… bla, bla, bla… the dog ate my homework. But there are a few things I’d like to share with you today.

Here is a guest post that I wrote for Sarah of Curious Cuisiniere for a Thanksgiving recipe swap we did a few weeks ago. It’s a recipe for goat cheese and caramelized onion crostini, something I’ve made for turkey day for the past few years. Check it out by clicking on the photo below.

And here is a guest post that I wrote for Ruthie of the tasty tRuth. We decided to swap recipe posts using a currently seasonal ingredient - pears. Check out my recipe for roasted pork loin with a pear sauce by clicking on the photo below.

I’d also like to tell you about an upcoming event that I’m very excited about attending. The event is called “Cook Fight” and it’s going to be a discussion by co-authors (and NY Times food reporters!), Julia Moskin and Kim Severson, of their cookbook of the same name. This one-of-a-kind cookbook pits the authors “against each other as they debate strategies and recipes for today’s home cook-both in and out of the kitchen.” The evening also promises to feature “a tasty culinary surprise”! The event will take place one week from today at 7:30pm and costs $10-15. Click the photo below to learn more and purchase a ticket.

Agozar! Cuban Bistro on the Bowery, NYC

As hard as it may be to believe, finding a cool little restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere, good service, and moderately priced, delicious food and drinks in New York is a challenge. At lunch it’s okay - people are still in ‘go’ mode and things are more or less chilled out. But come nighttime, the music is blasting, people are yelling, and restaurants tend to take on a hoity-toity vibe that was nowhere to be found just a few hours ago. I’m not totally sure why this is, or even if I am right; maybe I just don’t get out enough. But whichever way you slice it, Agozar! (Spanish for “to enjoy oneself”) Bistro doesn’t have this problem. Last week, the NYC Food Bloggers and I were invited there to sample a wide array of dinner tapas and everything was just perfect. I can’t wait to take my girlfriends on a date there.

Here are some of the things we had:

Plantain chips instead of the usual tortillas w/ black bean hummus and guacamole.

Empanaditas

Flautas

Milanesa: Fried eggplant w/ goat cheese

Chicharron de Pollo: Fried chicken w/ chimichurri sauce

Alambre: Grilled shrimp w/ spicy mole sauce

My favorites were: black bean hummus, beef empanaditas, Milanesa and mushroom quesadillas (not photographed). Besides drinks and tapas, Agozar! also serves a full dinner menu, as well as lunch and brunch. For more info, check out their website.

To join the NYC Food Bloggers and I for our next event, click here.

Cool Foodie Happenings This Fall in NYC

We all know how much it sucks when you hear about an event that you would have totally gone to had you only heard about it in advance, so I decided to do some research and compile this list. All these fall events sound like fun and the best part is that they haven’t happened yet!

Oktoberfest Pig Roast @ Beer Authority: All-you-can-eat pig roast (assorted sides included) accompanied by all-you-can-drink German and domestic beers on tap for three whole hours. Happening on Sept. 22rd and 23rd, as well as Oct. 6th and 7th. Tkts are $55, plus tip and tax. 21+. Don’t forget to wear your stretchy pants. Click HERE for more info.

Le Taste of France @ Pier 54 on the Hudson: A first ever event of its kind, this will be a tw0-day celebration of la cuisine francaise, featuring famous French food personalities. There will be a small flea market, live music, petanque and even French bulldogs. Available entrance tkts are $30 but the event will have its own currency (?) called Mariannes, which also have to be purchased online. The event is a tad overpriced for me and my college student budget, and the currency system is definitely trop compliqué. Sept. 29th-30th. Click HERE for more info.

“Serious Eats” Pie and Wine Social @ Brooklyn Winery: For about $50 you will get to feast on six slices of sweet and savory pies provided by famed New York piemakers, accompanied by six glasses of expertly paired wine. Oct. 7th. Click HERE for more info.

New Oktoberfest-themed menu @ Pier NYC on Roosevelt Island: For an overview of this lovely place, read this post that I wrote for Gothamist. Their seasonal menu features O-fest classics like potato pancakes, potato salad, pickles and several types of ‘wursts. Since the cafe is entirely outdoors, they are only open weather permitting - I recommend going ASAP while alfresco dining is still an option. Thru Oct. 31st. Click HERE for more info.

Hester Nights @ Hotel Eventi Courtyard: The popular Hester Street Fair happens every Saturday on the LES; there you will find lots of great food from a whole bunch of local artisinal vendors. “Hester Nights” is something that the Fair started doing over the summer and it happens, you guessed it, at night. Now you can nom on your mini tacos, lobster rolls and arepas beneath the stars… ah. Every Thursday, 4pm-10pm thru Oct. 25th. Click HERE for more info.

The 2nd NYC Food Bloggers event at Jimmy’s No. 43, East Village

For our second meet-up, we were invited to this popular underground beer bar/restaurant in the East Village. Jimmy’s No. 43 is best known for their ever-changing selection of draft beers, and their food menu is just as intriguing, with items like kale anchovie toast, shrimp and grits, and chocolate-covered bacon, just to name a few.

We were treated to some appetizers to go along with our beers and conversation.

Bahn mi-style hotdogs.

Oysters with a shallot vinaigrette.

Cheese!

And my favorite item of the evening, fried beer sausages.

This was my first time at this bar and I really enjoyed it. It’s a cozy, welcoming sort of place that’s perfect for a weeknight beer outing with friends, or even a relaxed date. I think what really makes Jimmy’s special is that they care just as much about their food as they do about their beer selection, which is rare since bar food is usually mediocre at best.

Visit the NYC Food Bloggers site if you’re interested in joining us for next time!

Bragging rights.

Every now and then, it’s okay to sit back and be proud of oneself, because, as I’ve come to understand, confidence is the key to success. I have always had a hard time doing this because I was raised with Christian values and pride is most definitely looked down upon. However, I got to do some really cool things this summer and I would like to share them with you.

As you may remember from this post, I had a really awesome internship this summer at Gothamist. Although I was mostly assisting the other writers, I did get to go to and write about some interesting events. For instance, I attended the first honey harvest at the legendary Waldorf-Astoria hotel, a press conference where Mayor Bloomberg discussed same-sex marriage on the first anniversary of its legalization, as well as a media event for the opening of Pier NYC on Roosevelt Island, where I got to eat and drink for free.

Yours truly @ The Waldorf-Astoria

I’m not gonna lie - I felt pretty cool going to these events and standing alongside actual journalists. I’m sad that the internship is over but I hope it means that there are bigger and better things yet to come.

Here is another cool thing I did:

A friend of mine works in the style department of Martha Stewart Living magazine - awesome gig, I know, and something I try not to be envious of her over (envy is also a sin, you know). Earlier this summer, she asked me to assist her for a few days because she was swamped with work and I of course said yes while jumping up and down and flailing my arms.

One of the days I worked at the headquarters in Chelsea. The MSLO offices are sleek and clean, and conducive to the creative process. And another day, I assisted on an on-location shoot at the family home of the owners of Russ & Daughters - a store on the Lower East Side that specializes in smoked fish and bagels, which is actually more of a NYC institution dating back to 1914. The story we shot was about how the family prepares for Yom Kippur. It appears in the September 2012 issue, which is on newsstands now.

By ‘assisted’ I mean I washed dishes, prepped and packed things, but it was so cool to see how food beauty photos actually come to be. It’s amazing how much work goes into getting one perfect shot, and how many things have to align together.

After I saw how it’s really done, I became inspired to take better photos of my own food. I’ve even acquired two surface boards and lots of new props. Hopefully I’ll be able to get my hands on a SLR camera one of these days.

Now tell me, is there something you want to brag about?

The first NYC Food Bloggers event at Treat Petite, West Village

This past weekend I attended the first meet-up of NYC Food Bloggers - a group of, you guessed it, food bloggers, organized by a young woman named Kate who recently moved here from Boston. Kate wants to model this group after the Boston Brunchers, who have become so popular that they get complimentary meals in restaurants in return for promotional blog posts. How cool is that? I can’t believe there isn’t already a group like that in NYC…

Our very first event was kindly hosted by a cafe called Treat Petite in the West Village. We got to sample a variety of their frozen kefir (not yogurt!) treats - kefir is also a cultured dairy product but it is thinner and less sweet than yogurt, and it is most popular in Eastern European and Central Asian countries. My favorite was the Key Lime Pie concoction - plain frozen kefir, graham cracker crumbs, and a key lime/sweetened condensed milk sauce. We also got to taste their goat cheese and turkey whole wheat crepe (not photographed), as well as a round of lattes. For not being a cafe that specializes in crepes, I was surprised by how good it was. And no, I’m not just saying that ’cause it was free. The latte (made with Intelligentsia Coffee) was also really great.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and I’m glad I got to meet the other group members.

If you’re a food blogger who lives in New York City who’s interested in meeting like minded people and getting a free meal every now and then, please sign up through this link!

Dekalb Market in downtown Brooklyn

Dekalb Market, though on a much smaller scale than Smorgasburg, is yet another popular weekend destination for foodies. Each artisan purveyor occupies its own brightly colored shipping container (yes, shipping container) out of whose windows yummy foods are sold. I got the chance to stop by the market this Saturday - here’s what I sampled:

Mini beef pie from DUB Pies: Super flavorful stewed ground beef encased in a buttery, flaky pie crust that I got for free in honor of the Market’s first birthday, and the best thing I had all day.

Vanilla milkshake: I can’t recall from where (bad, blogger. Bad!) but it wasn’t really phenomenal or anything so let’s move on.

Pork sliders from Bklyn Sliders: I assumed these were going to be more of a roasted and sliced juicy pork situation, but silly me should have known these were going to be mini burgers. However, silly Bklyn Sliders should have known that pork isn’t exactly ideal burger material; unless it’s very well seasoned, which it wasn’t. When pork is prepared this way, it kind of turns out bland. The meat was topped with a basil and truffle aioli. The sauce was good but I would have never guessed that there were any truffles or basil in it. The little sesame buns were the best part, which bring the final verdict of these sliders to okay.

Mini doughnuts from Cuzin’s Duzin: These baby doughnuts (not doughnut holes) were fried-to-order, which was awesome, and tossed in cinnamon sugar. These were a yummy treat but not the chewy, yeasty kind that I yearned for. They tasted more like the Entenmann’s cake doughnuts. But… I did eat my entire share, so I can’t say they were bad.

Although my first excursion to Dekalb Market wasn’t superb, I am definitely willing to give in another chance.

Smorgasburg, NYC

via http://brooklynflea.com/smorgasburg

In the summertime, to make up for its stifling heat, humidity and tourists galore, NYC hosts numerous food festivals. Smorgasburg happens to be one of those festivals, held every Saturday on the bank of the East River in Williamsburg. There are 100+ vendors stationed there and they offer made-to-order, baked, and pre-packaged goodies. Surrounding the area are patches of grass and plenty of benches, so you don’t have to eat or bask in the view standing up.

Pictured above is a papusa ($4), a Salvadoran cornmeal cake stuffed with shredded pork. It’s cooked on a griddle so it’s warm, slightly crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. A fan of polenta or any other cornmeal derived product is sure to enjoy a papusa. It’s topped with pickled cabbage, onions and jalapenos, as well as some sort of tomato sauce and sour cream.

Fried chicken and a cheddar waffle from popular Brooklyn restaurant, Buttermilk Channel ($10): I was looking forward to finding this kiosk more than any other because chicken-and-waffles is a dish I’ve been striving to sink my teeth into for some time now. Surprisingly, this dish isn’t very popular among New York restaurants. The chicken was pretty good but it could’ve used some more salt. And the waffle wasn’t crispy nor sweet, which was disappointing. The salad the dish was served with was comprised of tomatoes, watermelon, radishes and basil. I liked the combination of these items very much (though the watermelon was not sweet at all) and the salad worked well as a palate-cleanser. However, overall this dish was a disappointment.

Last but not least, this yeasty, chewy, salty and delicious, sausage and cheese roll from Commerce Bakery. This thing was unbelievable. Its $8 price tag is a bit hefty but since we arrived at the kiosk near closing time, all items were half off so we got lucky.

We also had some bubble tea and cookies but they’re nothing to write home about.

What I love about these food festivals - besides stuffing my face for several hours in a row - is that you can eat a variety of delicious, and filling, foods for under 20$ per person. Also, it’s not like just going out to eat at a restaurant, where you sit down, eat up, and leave; Here, you can stay for just half an hour or choose to make a whole day of it. Note: Ladies, if you decide to head out to Smorgasburg, DO NOT wear a short dress or skirt. The area tends to get pretty windy and you don’t want to find yourself worrying about any accidents.

The Great Googa Mooga

The Great Googa Mooga festival held this weekend in Brooklyn’s hipster-infested Prospect Park, was the first food festival of its kind. Its goal was to celebrate mostly small, New York City indie restaurants and food stores, among which were: Luke’s Lobster, Baohaus, Do or Dine, Momofuku Milk Bar, and Russ & Daughters, just to name a few. The festival boasted, among many others, my idol Anthony Bourdain, restaurateur and Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio, Baohaus owner Eddie Huang, writer and major food personality Ruth Reichl, as well as Momofuku owner and overall cool dude David Chang. The festival also featured numerous musical acts - none of which I cared for, though.

Left: Michelle, Right: Yours truly. via Googa Mooga iPhone app

General Admission tickets were free, to which I was at first incredulous, and “Extra Mooga” tickets were $250 each – that’s $250 I was not willing to spend. By the time I found out about the festival, the first round of GA tickets were gone. Luckily, I was able to register for two GA tickets during the second round, though those were gone in minutes, too. I was ecstatic to have had such luck and super excited to meet Tony (again) as well as the others. It wasn’t until a few days before the festival that I read the lineup and realized that the presentations I was dying to see from the people I admire most were only inclusive with the “Extra Mooga” ticket. This knowledge was a major disappointment, not to mention that I felt really cheated by the false advertising. But, I went anyway.

Before the mayhem

The festival occupied a vast area of the park. Countless food kiosks were set up around the periphery, with the main stage in the middle, and attendees sprawled out in the remaining grassy areas to stuff their faces and take in some sun. My friend Michelle and I arrived around noon – gates opened at 11am – excited and equipped with green cash, ready to be spent on yummy noms. This was before the major crowds and heat settled in so we were able to sample some things comfortably:

Longga Hot Dog from Maharlika (Filipino cuisine): a sweet and spicy pork sausage dog topped with a mayo sauce, shredded carrots and cilantro. This item was perfect. It was my favorite of the day.

Brisket Taco from Hill Country (American/BBQ): succulent pulled brisket lightly dressed in a barbecue sauce, served with corn salad (corn and roasted red peppers in a light vinaigrette). This was delicious but not worth $6.

Sloppy Joe Sandwiches from Dickson’s Farmstand Meats (local purveyor of artisanal meat products): ground beef cooked in a tomato sauce with a nice kick that I believe came from chili peppers, served on an airy brioche bun. Simple and delicious. $9 for two.

Classic Ice Cream Sandwich from Melt Bakery: vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate chip and walnut cookies. Kind of mediocre for $4…

…but I ate it anyway.

By about two o’clock, it was literally impossible to navigate through the park. People were packed in there like Tetris. Almost all the kiosks had at least an hour-long line attached to them; everyone was dehydrated and sunburnt – it was ridiculous. We were going to wait it out until The Roots went on stage around 7pm but we were too exhausted and kinda pissed off. I did enjoy myself for most of the festival and all the food I sampled was dope, but I do think that way, way too many general admission tickets were released. It just shouldn’t be that hard to get to some tacos and a beer, dammit!

I was also bothered by the hipster-ness of it all – there were more thick framed sunglasses, vintage floral sundresses, Hawaiian shirts, and park slope moms hydrating their toddlers from biodegradable water containers than I cared to be surrounded by. It bothered me that these people were in my airspace not because they love food and care about the restaurant industry, but because it was the cool thing to do.

(And did I mention the garbage disposal areas included separate bins for: compostable items, recyclable plastic items, food remains, and the despicable general trash?)

But maybe I’m being too harsh. Maybe it’s a good thing that not only foodies attend these types of events. Maybe it’s just a sign of how large a part the restaurant scene plays in NYC culture. What do you think?

Did you attend this festival? I went on Saturday - did you go on Sunday? Did you splurge on the “Extra Mooga” ticket? What was your experience like?

Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Medium Raw’-signing!!!

As some of you may know from this previous post, I have a huge crush on Anthony Bourdain, about which I’m clearly very vocal. A few days ago I was informed that he will be in the Union Square Barnes & Noble on May 24th (which was yesterday) to commemorate the release of his newest book, Medium Raw, in paperback. You can imagine my delight…no, my ecstasy, upon hearing this news! Thank God I only had a few days to wait - living in that kind of anticipation for any time longer would have been miserable. For those of you nearly as crazy about him as I am, I will try to recreate some highlights the event.

We arrived early and waited several hours for Tony to grace us with his presence and it was so worth it! I was smiling so hard the whole time, my face started to hurt!

With a bottle of Brooklyn Lager in his hand, he began by announcing that he will not “read from the damn book,” that he has run out of d**k jokes, and Sandra Lee jokes, and that he is ready to take questions from the audience. In true Bourdain style, the questions elicited some honest, crude and absolutely hilarious answers. Some of these were:

Question: “What’s the best hangover cure?”

Tony: “Ideally, a joint. That really helps with the self-loathing and projectile vomiting. Then a cold Coke and some spicy, greasy food. Kung Pow Chicken?”

Question: “I know you’re a big music fan, so what would you say is the best thing to listen to while consuming a whole roasted pig?”

Tony: *absolutely loving this question* “Well, I’m not a big fan but Lynyrd Skynyrd? Or maybe ZZ Top. I don’t know… Hick music is what I’m trying to say.”

Question: “Screw, marry, kill: Tyler Florence, Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay.”

Tony: “I gotta admit, that Tyler is cute. I’d put a wig on him.” *audience roars in delight* “Marry? Guy Fieri. He can bring home the bacon. That guy works hard! How many shows does he have, like four? And I’d kill Bobby Flay. I just don’t trust him.”

Of course, I was totally starstruck when my turn came to face him, though I did manage to blurt out something like, “I love your show, you inspire me, and you’re the sexiest man alive.” To which he responded, “You are much too kind…”

^That’s a happy Sasha : D

The only downside to the event was that he talked for only about 40 minutes. But then again, I could probably listen to him for days.