‘Wich Hunting: Episode 3

Primanti Brothers – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Double stuffed, mile high sandwiches made with love for the last 79 years. Get there.

About ‘Wich Hunting: Anthony and I have travelled the world eating everything from Balut in the Philippines to blood sausage in Argentina. In every destination there has always been a sandwich shop. Some were good and some were bad but they all had their unique take on this ubiquitous meal. The origin of the sandwich is highly debated and we’ll dive into that on our journey as we discover, taste and debate the best sandwiches in the world.

Bizarro Brooklyn in Portlandia

That’s how they like it too. I recently took my first real vacation in over a year since starting Manifold. I was ready for the break and excited about where my wife and I decided to spend it. When asked by Portlanders why I chose their sleepy town as the destination for seemingly such a needed break, my answer was simple. I came to eat.

My last brush with the city of Roses was more than a decade ago. Although it was a 24 hour visit, the vibe and food made a lasting impression. In the years separating that visit and this one, the food culture grew and began to make national noise. Hipsters making artisanal food stuffs in tiny Hawthorne back rooms and new Pearl District restaurants seemed to pop up in publications everywhere I turned. Pictures of these mustache wearing, food tattoo ridden, 1920’s dress sporting, 20 somethings accompanied many of the articles. At the time, I didn’t see the parallels but I was about to discover the Bizarro Brooklyn…

Precious Meat

This is the biggest ribeye steak in the house. How do I know this? Before this was charred to perfection and placed in front of me, it was shown to me raw like a rare jewel. I have never witnessed this custom before. I thought it was a bit odd at first but 20 seconds in, as my big brown’s gazed deep into the meat, I began to see the full value. It was mid week, and I journeyed to Carroll Gardens with 2 of my oldest and dearest friends. We had made a pact, as many friends of a few decades do, that each year we would share a meal together to check up on our lives or lives’ progress as it were. This year we came together at…

TABLE FULL-REEL TASTY: Austin Powers

Get on our list for upcoming dinners. Jump on.

TABLE FULL
Saturday, September 18th at 7:00pm
Come join us for some shagadelic tasty! Here’s the skinny on the fat.

Starts: 7:00pm (cocktails and appetizers)
Ends: 11pm (really, when the film is over)
Donation: $60 (make a reservation below)
Movie: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

This month we bring some British to the deck. 1960′s free love Britain that is. Don’t worry, all the spinning beds and naughty mood lights have been put away. We will take that kitsch and put it into the menu instead of the decor. It’s just safer that way. Aimee and I have reinvented some of our favorite British dishes and we hope you’ll come by to try them out. Of course, Austin gets naughty and goofy on the big wall during the later half of the evening. I can’t wait to see what Lily from Dandelion Wines digs up for this one.

Menu

Appetizers
Mini fish & chips
Welsh rarebit
Sausage rolls with fried quail egg

Entree
Short Rib Shepards pie
Walnut stilton apple salad
Curry chips
Unmushy peas with mint pesto

Dessert
Home made tea and scones ice cream
Plus, a surprise. Think custard or pudding goodness.

Reservations

Reservations are required. Space is limited to 16 people. When booking please make sure to change the quantity field to the number of people in your party. In the note section let us know if there are any food restrictions anyone in your party has.

More on Reel Tasty:

Jason and Aimee pair a 5 course gourmet meal for 16 friends, some new and some old on a HUGE deck in Brooklyn. As the name implies, we will be screening a movie during the meal. Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of time pre-entree to mingle, catchup and meet some new friends. Once the sun goes down we will role the film in all its two story high glory. This is an experiment, so we are not sure how much silence or chatting will go on. That’s for you to decide. We hope you will come out and enjoy yourselves with us this summer. See you on the deck.

You can check out pics from our last dinner here.

If you can’t make this dinner but want us to send you an invite to the next one, fill out the below and you’ll be in the know. Yes, that rhymes on purpose. Or join the facebook fan page and get announcement updates that way.

A Bracciole in Kielbasa Land

We all know Greenpoint is home to many Polish families. Maybe you don’t, but if you have ever walked down Manhattan Ave. north of Greenpoint Ave it takes but a block to realize. Three butcher shops and 2 bakeries in the first block all with too many consonants in their name is a good tip off. I’ve lived on this stretch of Manhattan Ave. for three years now. There are weekend mornings I wake up and on the walk for coffee I hear not a word of english. It’s a bit eerie and a a bit comfortable at the same time. The comfortable far out weights the eerie, at least for me. Not only does it make me feel like I am traveling, which I love, but it excites my sense of discovery. The effect is intensified once you step into one of the shops. Be it a stop for Kielbasa or bobka the first words spoken to you are usually not those you understand. This may make these places intimidating. It may even make them a hassle to shop in.

I writing to debunk that theory. To do that I went straight to the heart of this matter. I went to…

Brooklyn Bound Tacos

I have not gone out to dinner with many of my friends of family since coming back to New York ..… yet. However I did manage to head to Brooklyn and meet Jay for a bit and to catch up on things. I met Jay on the corner of Bedford and 7th and he rolled up on his bike with the fat white tires. If you know the bike I am talking about you know how Jay looks when he is riding it. Reminds me of PeeWee’s Big Adventure….

The Dirty South(side)

Last Thursday I met up with the boys from Immaculate Infatuation once again to sweat it out at the new Pies ‘n’ Thighs on Billyburg’s Southside. As always, I’ll leave the specifics of the meal to them. Our mutual taste preferences make it quite easy for me to leave the reviewing and wordsmithing to them. Above is the visual depiction of their eloquent description.

POSTPONED-REEL TASTY: Sideways

DUE TO A FEW UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES WE HAD TO POSTPONE THIS SATURDAYS DINNER. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE AND WE HOPE IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. PLEASE FORGIVE US FOR HAVING TO RESCHEDULE. WE PROMISE TO BRING BACK SIDEWAYS LATER IN THE SEASON. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT MOVIE ANNOUNCEMENT LATER IN JUNE. AND IF YOU HAVE NOT JUMPED ON THE MAILING LIST YET, YOU MAY DO SO BELOW.

Get on our list for upcoming dinners dinners@forkingtasty.com

Saturday, June 5th at 8pm
Bringing a bit of California to the BK. Here’s the skinny on the fat.

Starts: 8pm (cocktails and appetizers)
Ends: 11pm (really, when the film is over)
Donation: $99 (make a reservation below)
Movie: Sideways

Menu

Aimee and I are bringing a special twist to this months dinner. We partnered up with our good buddy Jack to bring you some of the spectacular and rare wines mentioned in the movie. In between scenes, as you eat and sip, Jack will impart some vino knowledge and pose some wine facts vs film fiction while pouring the next flight. In the meantime, Aimee and I will have some delicious food pairings that are inspired by these delightfully fermented grapes. We will also draw on the fresh and simple flavors from southern California to complete the menu. We are feeling some lamb, maybe some risotto and the dessert on this one…whoa, hold onto your forks! We have been planning this one for a long time. The idea that when Paul Giamatti drinks so will you was too good a daydream to not make reality. For those aficionados, the wines will include Sanford, Fiddlehead, Byron, and Hitching Post, heavy on the Pinot Noir.

Reservations

Reservations are required. Space is limited to 16 people. When booking please make sure to change the quantity field to the number of people in your party. In the note section let us know if there are any food restrictions anyone in your party has. Your movie ticket is your pay pal receipt, when you arrive please just let us know your name so we can keep track of you.

IF IT RAINS: If it rains dinner is off. All donations will be refunded at the time we make this decision.

More on Reel Tasty:

Jason and Aimee pair a 5 course gourmet meal for 16 friends, some new and some old on a HUGE deck in Brooklyn. As the name implies, we will be screening a movie during the meal. Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of time pre-entree to mingle, catchup and meet some new friends. Once the sun goes down we will role the film in all its two story high glory. This is an experiment, so we are not sure how much silence or chatting will go on. That’s for you to decide. We hope you will come out and enjoy yourselves with us this summer. See you on the deck.

You can check out pics from our last dinner here.

If you can’t make this dinner but want us to send you an invite to the next one send us an email at dinners@forkingtasty.com and we will put you on out special list. Or join the facebook fan page and get announcement updates that way.

Goomba Beef

You can’t beat some fresh beef sliced by Italians. At John’s Deli in Bensonhurst they have some of the finest. If you have not already heard about their famous roast beef, formerly only available on Tuesday’s, you have now. After peeking at this clip I don’t blame you to be checking hop-stop for the most direct route to this slow cooked sensation.

John’s Deli
2033 Stillwell Avenue
(between 85th St & 86th St)
Brooklyn, NY 11223

Truck to Table

Everyone loves a surprise. Well…most people do. At the root of surprise is discovery. Most of the time is boils down to a moment. Like the moment you sip your glass of soda only to realize you grabbed someone else glass of milk. But, sometimes, when we are really lucky, that discovery unfolds with multiple moments over time. I happened upon a bustling scene yesterday morning on a quiet strip of Franklin St. in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. For a Sunday morning there was a lot of activity in what appeared to be a vacant store front. I could not help but let the moment sweep me up as the discovery unfolded before my eyes and then straight into my stomach. The above explains it all.

NOTE: I left my camera at home so this whole video had to be shot on an iPhone. Not bad. I added the pro VO to hide the crappy video quality. I sort of like the juxtaposition.