Daily Archives: May 26, 2014
CULINARY SPOTLIGHT on WOODY ALLEN’S NEW YORK: The Not-to-be-missed New York Deli!
Speaking of walking in Woody Allen’s footsteps! Our last meal in NYC was at the Carnegie Deli in the theatre district where we aptly selected what the menu bills as
THE SANDWICH THAT MADE
“BROADWAY DANNY ROSE” FAMOUS…
“THE WOODY ALLEN”
For the dedicated fresser only! Lotsa corned beef plus lotsa pastrami.
Woody filmed “Broadway Danny Rose in 1984 in black & white with the iconic opening scene depicting a group of comedians having lunch at the Carnegie Deli – a place which has photos on the walls of everybody who’s anybody and which has barely changed over the past 30 years.
So what is a “fresser” you may ask? … “one who devours food, eating fast and hungrily” … perhaps borderline “gluttony”?
Wisely, Denis and I decided to share this humongous sandwich, piled 7-8” high with – to be completely honest — the best corned beef and pastrami we have ever had.
Enjoyed with well-done kosher pickles and sides of coleslaw and potato salad, and with the equally delicious rye bread generously slathered with Deli mustard, we had more than a huge meal each! Huge in size, huge in satisfaction, and not really so difficult to consume. I didn’t manage to match Denis’ heroic effort at completion, but I came close. This is a NYC treat not to be missed, but come Hungry with plenty of time to walk off the meal!
CULINARY SPOTLIGHT on Woody Allen’s New York: where to dine in NYC instead of flying to LA to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globes
When given a choice of restaurant, Denis will almost always choose Italian cuisine, and it looks like Woody Allen may have the same preference. This past January, he opted out of attending the Golden Globes and instead took his family to a Broadway show and then on to Sistina Ristorante on the Upper East Side for dinner.
I don’t know what the Allens ate, but I can tell you that as Denis and I savored our 3-course Italian lunch, we had the poignant sensation of being back in Italy.
Host/owner/chef Giuseppe Bruno was most attentive, and helped us make our selections. By Day 3 of our visit to NY, following an intensive day of food-hopping, you can understand we did not have a large appetite, but we were after quality, not quantity.
Zucchini flowers stuffed with sheep’s milk ricotta on a bed of hot tomato coulis
I began with utterly delicious zucchini flowers stuffed with sheep’s milk ricotta on a bed of hot tomato coulis, followed by a deep fried soft shelled crab flavored most refreshingly with blood-orange segments and braised fennel.
Insalata Caprese
Denis had Chef Bruno’s own take on an Insalata Caprese, with chunks of Heirloom Tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella, paper thin slices of cucumber and finely chopped red pepper with fresh basil, followed by a extraordinarily flavorful Bucatini all’Amatriciana.
Bucatini All’Amatriciana
Our meal was very appropriately accompanied by a light, fruity Rosso di Montalcino, and it was absolutely no problem at all for the 2 of us to finish off the bottle in the middle of the day.
Soft shelled crab with blood-orange segments and braised fennel
For dessert, we shared the Italian pastry chef’s Torta della Nonna, intensely flavored with lemon and pinoli .
Torta della Nonna
After I repeatedly begged Chef Bruno for the recipe, the pastry chef — an Italian woman in her early 30’s appeared at the bar wearing her hat and apron, and proceeded to write down her recipe from memory – in Italian no less as she doesn’t speak English.
Speaking of authentic! We departed Sistina with every intention of returning to the restaurant where we found the service to be excellent and layers of flavor seem to characterize every dish.
CULINARY SPOTLIGHT on Woody Allen’s New York: Afternoon Tea or the perfect Pre-Theater dinner
Founded in 1927 by members of the Russian Imperial Ballet, the Russian Tea Room has long been a haven for members of the entertainment industry and has hosted scenes not only from Woody Allen’s movie, Manhattan, but also from Nora Ephron’s film, When Harry Met Sally, as well as Dustin Hoffman’s unforgettable Tootsie.
It has been frequented by the likes of Ayn Rand and Madonna as well as by many members of the NY entertainment industry. Relatively recent renovations have resulted in a rich, elegant updated version of Old World Russian ambiance, but the food is as much continental as it is Russian.
While the Russian Tea Room serves 4 types of Afternoon Tea (Classic, Gluten-free, Vegetarian and Children’s), we went there for their 3-course pre-theater menu.
Denis and I both ordered a flight of Vodka and began with blini topped with sour cream and fish roe.
Blini topped with sour cream and trout, salmon and white fish roes
Denis continued with Boeuf Stroganoff and a Chocolate Pyramid (bittersweet chocolate with a raspberry filling) while I selected 2 more appetizers for our 3-course meal, Borscht and a goat cheese and wild mushroom Blinchik (Russian crepe).
Boeuf a la Stroganoff
I enjoyed all 3 of the Vodkas – Jewel of Russia, Stolichnaya, and Jewel of Russia Wild Berry – while Denis left the unflavored Jewel of Russia for me to finish … not a problem!
Red Borscht with Pierogi
He preferred the Stroganoff he ate last summer in St. Petersburg to that of the Russian Tea Room, and I found the borscht there lacking a bit in flavor but I very much enjoyed the crepe, which paired perfectly with the somewhat sweet Jewel of Russia Wild Berry vodka.
Crepe filled with wild mushrooms, goat cheese, onions and lingonberries
Visit the Russian Tea Room more for a memorable than a gourmet experience.
