Not Noma and not IKEA but someplace in the middle. Scandinavian food is tricky. Albeit a bit of a sleeper food trend right now, the cuisine is definitely not for the main stream type BUT then again, when have we ever been mainstream. We plunged right in identifying the game meats immediately. The above rare and tender saddle of venison medallions sat in a rich and smooth sauce that had both a sweet and earthy taste simultaneously. The slow roasted cipollini onions contrasted well with the meat and the sauce making for a nice full bite. It’s always a good sign when you are looking for a piece of bread to smear across the plate once you finish the big stuff.

A small identity crisis gave the ambiance a weird feel as this restaurant is in the back of a boutique hotel that is decorated both in the modern, urban, industrial feel and the 80′s white table cloth motif. More of a topic of conversation than a draw back. The end of the night came with one small disappointment. Traditional Swedish coffee, a more strong and burnt taste, was removed from the menu because American palettes couldn’t handle it. A shame because if you’re going to try something different, and Nordic cuisine definitely is, go all the way. Hopefully Plaj brings it back for those of us looking for the full scano-experience.

Easter was the perfect opportunity to try a long awaited meat dish. For some reason I’ve been looking for the time to make braised lamb shanks for about a year. After doing my recipe research I settled on a braising liquid of red wine and beef stock. I started the pot with the standard carrots, celery and onion but added in some lemon zest and marjoram for a little freshness. Before I sent the shanks to braise I seared them off with some salt, pepper and spanish paprika hoping that smoked flavor would come through just a touch in the meat once done. Three hours later I had fall off the bone (Almost. You don’t actually want the meat to fall off the bone for aesthetics and portioning.) shanks ready to be devoured. The final step was the orzo and sauce. I split the braising liquid in half. The first half was reduced down to make up the sauce. The other half was used to hydrate the orzo. The result was an epic-ly awesome, rich like Helú, tender like Elvis, lamb shank mixed with a flavorful and soft orzo. Thank you easter bunny. Bock. Bock.

As many of you know, I live in New York City and to say the least this town turns into a green t-shirt, stumble walking, puke corner, train rowdy, loud voice hell on earth by 11am on St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve never been quite sure when this holiday got so ridiculously out of control. How it turned into an excuse to get hammered before noon on a weekday I can’t seem to understand. I guess I’ll chalk that up to the overzealous, freedom fancying, American spirit. Give us a centimeter and we’ll take a yard. The fact it falls on a Sunday this year will only make matters worse. So, to combat this foolishness, we thought we’d bring some food options into the mix.

We’re not saying don’t go get drunk. By all means start the day with two Irish car bombs and a Guiness, vomit on yourself before the work day ends and blackout on the late train home waking up in Ronkonkoma at 3am. Good luck in your Monday morning meeting. You all know, having a little something in your stomach while you imbibe copious amounts of alcohol buffers the spinning room by at least a few hours. We think there’s no reason why that food shouldn’t be better than most of your weeknight dinners. Hell it’s a holiday after all, treat yourself. With the rise in popularity of the Gastropub we didn’t have a hard time finding some watering holes that also gave your tastebuds a workout. Below you’ll find our top 10 picks for our favorite gastropubs in America. We’ll first drop our fav 5 in NYC and then complete the list with 5 out of state gems that are always on our hit list when traveling. Enjoy the list and this year practice some chewing instead of practicing how to keep that flap in your throat open while pouring beer down it.

10. Resto and The Cannibal

This pair of restaurants are connected. The latter of the two is a beer forward space that focuses on sandwiches and small plates. After you pass through a 15 foot hallway of beer coolers you arrive at the small bar that is usually full up. Resto on the other hand is larger but less a pub feel. That said, the same beer is available but the food choices are more abundant. When I last visited I was with five of my buddies and we were man handling a whole goat done 8 different ways. Their whole animal format is an incredible experience that I highly recommend. The above image, goat leg, is half of our fourth course. The other half was the shoulder.

9. Allswell 

In the heart of Williamsburg, smack on the pre-park part of Bedford Ave., you’ll find this neighborhood spot usually with the door open. With a hefty beer list and an equally crafty menu (See what I did there?) you’ll be able to snack yourself straight into tomorrow. Start with the ricotta and bread and a few deviled eggs. Don’t miss the duck angolotti. Share it at the table. Finish up with a pear and ginger pie to go with your Buckin’ Branca, one of their signature cocktails.

8. The Breslin 

This is a great place to start your St. Patrick’s Day because they have the best Full English Breakfast in Manhattan on the menu. April Bloomfield knows her pig so she’ll set you up with some perfect pork lube for the rest of your booze-o-rific day. The Breslin is not a bad place to end your St. Patrick’s Day either being that the gastropub is located inside the ACE Hotel. If you had the wherewithall to book a room the day before or just after you finish eating that English breakfast you’ll be psyched when you find yourself face planted on the rear window of a cab heading towards Grand Central.

7. DBGB Kitchen and Bar

Daniel Boulud knows how to run a restaurant. That’s not the reason you are coming here. You are coming here for two bigger and very specific reasons. One, The Beaujolaise sausage. A pork, mushroom, onion, bacon and red wine link that is so juicy and tasty that you’ll want to line up 3 more before you get half way through the first. Reason two? It’s actually three. His Menage a Trois is a plate of all three signature burgers with the works. That’s right, a trifecta of juicy, meaty goodness for you to share or savor all your own. The Piggie is a 6 oz beef patty topped with house made bbq pulled pork, jalapeno mayonnaise and boston lettuce on a cheddar bun. The Frenchie is another 6 oz patty with confit pork belly, arugula, tomato-onion compote and morbier cheese on a peppered brioche bun. The third and final is the Yankee. A beef patty with iceberg lettuce, tomato and vidalia onion on a sesame bun. Vermont cheddar and crispy bacon may be added. Add both. Be happy.

6. The Liberty 

This spot is your midtown hit. Just above Herald Square, this large space is run by Australians. The menu has the usual pub feed but the standout secret is the Ten Dollar Dog. A reuben style-cornedbeef with Russian dressing, pickles and sauerkraut. Mix that with one of their New York crafted specialty cocktails and you’ll be off the the races.

5. Alla Spina (Philadelphia)

Mark Vestri is slowly taking over Philly. With this gastropub he mixes Italian roots with seemingly random ingredients that make surprising, perfect mashups. The pheasant ragu poutine is particularly interesting. Belly up to the bar for the best experience. Graze on snacks as you sample from the amazing beer selection on tap.

4. The Publican (Chicago) 

Paul Kahan knows what he is doing. Any of his restaurants are amazing from food to design to service. Avec and Blackbird were my favorites until I managed to squeeze in a late meal at The Publican, his first of the dynasty. Among other amazing dishes I had a beef heart that changed my life. Who would give beef heart much of a thought other than “It’s weird. Let’s try it”. Push that from your mind. I’m not sure how he does it but the y manage to make this heart taste like a slow braised piece of meat. Then they slice it nice and thin so it almost melts in your mouth. Next time you are in Chi-town get to The Publican. Over order and taste the magic they create.

3. Hog & Rocks (San Francisco) 

This is a brilliant concept and a high recommendation from Chef Ben Long. He finds himself here often enough to recommend it as the perfect Sunday afternoon. Test your sobriety with blind tastings between the serrano ham and the proscuitto. Rinse between bites with their 8+ plus oyster selection.

2. Joe Beef (Montreal)

You’ve heard about it. It sounds like a ton of hype. Stop thinking. Just go. Every good eater city has one. Portland has Beast. San Francisco has State Bird Provisions. New Orleans has Cochon. Joe Beef is Montreal’s. Read the menu and the wine wall and you’ll understand. Read their cookbook and you’ll be enlightened. Try and sit in the garden (Between May and October unless you are a masochist.) Ask for the tour of what’s growing. Make sure to order some beef but try some simpler things like the sautéd beans and the tomato salad. Everything is done with such love and knowledge that each bite feels like a Harvard education taught by Adriana Lima.

1. Irving St. Kitchen (Portland)

Not technically a gastropub but it’s hard to say what is and what’s not in Portland. The enormous four sided bar screams pub to me. A huge beer and signature cocktail list will keep you deciding for a solid 15 minutes. While you contemplate order the county ham with buttermilk biscuits and red pepper jelly . Also get Mary’s organic fried chicken with smashed potatoes, collard greens and country gravy. And, just for good measure throw on the bourbon glazed porchetta with braised red cabbage, green cabbage slaw and pepper oil. Pray they have the ribs pictures above on special and then place your drink order. I promise that will set up up perfectly.

To close this list, I hope your St. Patrick’s day is a winner filled with just enough alcohol to keep the eternal buzz while your taste bids and stomach partake in this years festivities through a few of the above suggestions. If, somehow, you still wind up stranded at the end of the LIRR or Metro North train line, don’t call us for a ride.

Sometimes bread and water is all you need. Ok, perform the water-to-wine trick and now we’re set. The simple things are often the most rewarding. At a recent trip to Flour+Water (which I will post about in more detail later) I was reminded of this simple fact. It inspires my personal cooking style and satiates my craving for anything too complex. This fresh bread dipped simply into the accompanying olive oil was so fresh and pure I didn’t need to move through the 5 courses that awaited me. A crusty exterior and a light but soft interior gave me texture and oil absorption perfecting every delectable bite.

Forgive us. It’s been 18 days since we’ve posted anything. There are reasons we will later go into but for now, suffice it to say we are full, at least 5 lbs heavier and planning for the turn of the year (It’s Spanish themed. More on that soon too.) The above Christmas beast image represents 2 of a 7 bone roast. The frenzy lasted 4 days straight this year, an Anello record. We hope you have all overindulged as much as we have. Have an amazing New Years. We’ve got one last post brewing before 2013 and it’s destination focused.

It’s Canada Day where I am writing this from. I am watching Italy play Spain in the EuroCup final while snacking on my mother-in-laws amazing food. Above is my delicious tandoori chicken lunch. It doesn’t get much more multi-cultural-fantastic than this.

I just hope these guys lose

and these guys win

This past Sunday was NYC’s annual Puerto Rican day parade. Arguably the biggest and best parade of the summer in my opinion. Interestingly, all the flags and Boriquan pride reminded me it was a good time to eat some cupcakes. There has been a fantastic new comer to the overexposed, uber trendy cupcake market and this Sunday there was no better day to celebrate it. You see, this little shop doesn’t host a duo of pink checkered, puffy sleeved, laced fronted, A-line, above the knee, dress wearing hipsters. You won’t find the staff with thick framed colored glasses delicately icing and stacking their toy cakes like fresh baked jewels. On the contrary, behind the counter you’ll find a troop of hard working woman (and men) multiplying cupcakes faster than a wet mogwai. Every time I’ve visited the shop it’s been engulfed with fresh cakes in various states of completion. Boxes, trays and cake displays have pushed out of the kitchen hoping to find an empty front of house table to temporarily rest on before being escorted outside into the delivery truck. I’ve often wanted to ask if every little Brooklyn girl with a birthday placed an order simultaneously. Needless to say they are busy. They must be doing something right.

The power behind this miniature cake making madness are four amazing Puerto Rican and Italian woman. Besides turning out a moist and delicious cake they have brought some of their traditional flavors into the fold. Beyond their tasty and unique flavored cakes the shop has a noteworthy motive to give back to the community. Their philantropy and dedication to the neighborhood is awesome but let’s dig deeper into what makes these cupcakes such contenders. The flavors.

The no nonsense and highly functional packaging choice pictured above contains four of their most unique and latin of flavors. The Tres Leches (3 milk cake), Dulce de Leche (double condensed milk until it’s almost caramel), Flan(caramel custard) and Coquito (a rum, coconut eggnog) take on flavors you’ve never imagined in cupcake form. Popping in for an individual helping of some of these classic, flavorful latin specialties makes for an awesome mid-day pit stop. Pair it with a proper cafe con leche and you’ll become an instant regular.

Tres Leche

Dulce de Leche

Rounding out the above packaging are two flavors from their Italian side, a strawberry cheesecake and ingenious Rainbow Cookie cupcake. Bringing two goomba classics into personal cake form can only be great. The Rainbow cookie is worth a pause. This three layered cake of  almond-based sponge cake, apricot and raspberry jam topped with a chocolate coating is hard enough to perfect in a cookie, let alone a cupcake. They have succeeded with all the punch that a well made Italian nona’s cookie would have. Bright colored cake, distinctively tasting layers and a rich chocolate coating that works so well it could be stand alone makes this not only a taste bud pleaser but the winner for  the best looking internal cupcake you’ve ever seen.

The menu just keeps going and going. More Puerto Rican and Italian flavors include Guava Con Queso (a unique guava paste and cheese mixture) Morir Sonando (Orange Creamsicle-Like), Pistachio and french toast. That last one comes out of no where but it’s still a really unique idea just without the ethnic link.

Think we’re done with flavors? Think again.

Bananas Foster (Weekends Only) and Key Lime (Seasonal) amongst some of their heritage flavors.

Oreo

Tiramisu (Weekends Only)

Completing the line up with more standard but equally delicious flavors are Strawberry Shortcake, Crazy Carrot, Brooklyn Red Velvet, Coconut, Chocolate Coconut, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Madagascar Vanilla and Chocolate Raspberry.

With all these choices it’s going to be tough to decided. My advice, bring some friends and get at least a six pack. Ohh yeah remember to leave your frilly cupcake ensemble at home. Instead brush up on your Luis Guzman knowledge endearingly referred to as Pachanga in my house.

It’s no surprise that today I am posting about a sandwich given my recent overactive Instagram stream. I dedicate this post to MY perfect sandwich. A perfect blend of nostalgia, haute cuisine and comfort food. How is that possible you ask? Well, let me break it down. Before I go any further it should be noted that this sandwich was served to a crowd of A-list chef’s during last years Michelin Guide party. Michael White, Jean Georges and  David Bouley all savored bites but the best quote came from Mr. Eric Ripert. After his taste he told me to let me mother know she’d done a good thing. I’m not sure if he was talking about her chicken cacciatore recipe or raising me to cook well. Either way, a nice compliment for both of us.

So, back to the sandwich. The nostalgia is, yes, my mother’s classic chicken cacciatore recipe. A mid-week staple in the Anello house while growing up. Better than the original meal were the “on-the-go” sandwiches we’d create the next day with whatever bread, roll, pita was laying around in the breadbox. Yes, we did have a breadbox. I loved it. The haute component is both the size, the slow braise on the chicken and the addition of two new components to my mom’s original recipe, caramelized shallots and a roasted cherry tomato. Maybe the most important part of this sandwich is my last explanatory adjective, comfort food. Everything about how I cook is comfortable (with that Italian-American slant). This sandwich is no exception defined first by the rich and silky sauce. Secondly, the sauce soaked focaccia the other ingredients live between. Even with the skewer you can’t eat this sandwich without getting a little sauce on your fingers. The way to clean that up is with your tongue not your napkin. A small, some may say maniacal, way for me to force eaters to connect with their food a little more. Evil or not, it works.

We will someday recreate these for the public but for now we are slowly working our way through HUGE sandwich research. You can follow the experiments here.

The long awaited artisinal, celebrity chef, food festival known as The Great Googa Mooga came and went this weekend. By all accounts it was hit and a miss. The weather, for one was, unarguably, perfect. Aside from that, the easiest reaction to sum of the event is “Great Googly Moogly“. The above depicts one of my ten different tastes which I managed to swallow inside a 3 hour window on the, apparently less crowded, Sunday. M.Wells provided a disjointed ingredient list that I just had to sample. Fois grois, horse bologna and cheese on some toasted 9 grain couldn’t be from more opposite ends of the pantry. As separate components many wouldn’t touch them. Together they certainly would turn away. That’s the beauty of the M.Wells. What you think would never taste good is amazing when put together. At $15 it was worth every cent. Some of the rest of my snacks?…not so much. Rather than complain or embrace I’ll let the links below elaborate. As a final word, I know how to make great food in mass with a makeshift kitchen. I also know a little something about what it takes to pull off an event this large and ambitious. Things could have been better but things could have been much, much worse.

Eater says…

Fork in the Road says…

Brooklyn Vegan says…

Grub Street says…

The Canadian is having a France fetish this year. She recently dug into David Lebowitz book “The Sweet Life in Paris”, which she loved. It inspired a test kitchen experiment that began with this chocolate delight pulled from the pages of his book. It ended with some mini cake experiments, molten chocolate and tickets to Paris held on Kayak. All in an evenings work. Look for it on a Forking Tasty Supper menu soon.