The Skinny Pig

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all. Thanks for reading and please see below for what my New Years Eve will consist of.

 

Yes. It's cheesecake.

Amen.

Prix Fixe Lunch at Asia de Cuba

I picked up New York magazine to check out Adam Platt's "Where to Eat 2010", and I was reading about all the delicious food at various restaurants and I felt really inspired to try one out for a lunch I had yesterday with friends. There was a plethora of palate-tempting options like Marea, A Voce Columbus, Bill's Bar & Burger, Sorella, The Standard Grill...so what did I choose? Asia de Cuba. Ok, that is a) not on the list (and hasn't been for a while), and b) I didn't pick it. That's right, I am blaming my friend. All her fault for not believing in Adam Platt. Truth be told, it was 17 degrees outside yesterday, and Asia de Cuba required the least amount of travel time outdoors and had a prix fixe lunch menu. Sue me. No offense to Adam - I plan on dining at many of the aforementioned restaurants in the near future.

Anyway, I haven't been to Asia de Cuba in about a year or so, and it is basically (or exactly) the same as I remembered it. Flowy white curtains, long white communal table, and oversized white banquettes that make you feel vertically challenged when seated. Whatever. I came for a mid-day drink and some funky fusion food, not to pan the uni-color decor.

The prix fixe lunch was actually a decent deal - $29 per person gets you 2 apps, 2 entrees and 2 desserts, "portioned accordingly". For a 3-person lunch, that's a significant amount of food; especially if it's "portioned accordingly" to fit my appetite. No complaints on my end so far. We decided on the Lemongrass Skewered Chicken and Calamari Salad Asia de Cuba (my fave here) for appetizers, and then the Crispy Marinated Tofu and BBQ Chicken for entrees. The calamari salad sounds a bit off kilter when you read it on the menu, but it's actually really tasty, and to this day, I still don't really know why. It's lightly battered and fried calamari with chayote, radicchio, hearts of palm, bananas (yes, bananas), cashews, chicory, and sesame orange dressing. Not many people can imagine eating bananas with calamari, but somehow it works in this refreshing appetizer. I think that all the flavors are somewhat understated, so one doesn't overpower the other, surprisingly. It's a very creative, well-executed dish, and it's mountainous size is perfect for sharing. The "skewered" chicken was not exactly what I was picturing, but that could be because they messed up the order and we got the Beef Dumplings Two Ways (fried and steamed). No, we didn't send it back - we kept it because it looked so pretty and anything fried is a-ok in my book. I certainly liked the fried version with plum sauce better, but again, who wouldn't??

Calamari Salad Asia de Cuba - trust.  

Beef Dumplings Two Ways 

Off topic - but chopsticks are a dangerous utensil. Whenever I use them, I take relatively small bites, so I feel like I'm not eating that much, therefore I keep picking and picking at the food that's left on the table. The salad was such a large portion, all of us had a good amount of it (not to mention dumplings), yet I couldn't stop picking. One sliver of calamari here, a banana there, two cashews and a few pieces of hearts of palm there - pick pick pick. After that, by the time the entrees came we were all semi-full, but as always, we managed to make some room. The tofu was...tofu. I don't know, I have eaten my share of tofu in the past, and I find it sponge-like both in texture and in purpose; it just soaks up whatever flavor it's cooked with. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and this particular tofu was fine, but I wouldn't go running back to Asia de Cuba for their tofu, let's just say that. I much preferred the bbq chicken; it was juicy, had a nice smoky-sweet sauce with avocado mango salsa and it's served atop coconut sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf. Nums.

BBQ Chicken - and mango/avocado deliciousness

Crispy Marinated Tofu 

Either I have been coincidentally dining at places that LOVE to use coconut, or coconut is the new pork belly. We had two desserts, coconut cake and a trio of sorbets where one of the flavors was, you guessed it, coconut. I thought the coconut cake was really good; it was a mildly sweet yellow cake with shredded coconut and chocolate drizzled on top. It was an orgy of textures but I think that's what made it so good. The sorbet was good - nothing to write home about. I much prefer a chocolate confection over flavored ice any day. But that's just me and my inner fatty talking.

Coconut Cake - mmm. 

Asia de Cuba may not be the trendiest place to be anymore, but it was a overall a good lunch spot. And despite the red wine-stained spoon in our white sangria, the one thing I will certainly give them is points for presentation. Everything looked so artfully presented; which I guess is one good way to get people to eat bananas with calamari or soy- lime tofu.

 
Sangria Fail.  

Asia de Cuba

237 Madison Ave

212-726-7755

Dessert at Stuffed Artisan Cannolis

Merry belated Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Festivus to all. My apologies for not writing during the holiday, but time off from work = time to eat, drink, sleep...and nothing else.  

Now that I'm back, I wanted to discuss my dessert last week at Stuffed Artisan Cannolis after my dinner at The Norry. This was my first experience with a cannoli that I actually liked. Original cannoli's don't appeal to me, I find the cream too pasty and chalky. These cannolis were different though; there is an assortment of fun flavors like Mudslide, Peanut Butter Cup, French Toast, and Birthday Cake. I can't resist anything that says "Peanut Butter Cup" because peanut butter and chocolate is probably the best duo in the whole world. Ebony and Ivory? Captain and Tenille?? No, Peanut Butter and Chocolate.

Holy Cannolis! 

We got an assortment of flavors, with Peanut Butter Cup being the most dominant (meaning we got two of these). The deal is 3 for $5, or 6 for $10 - we chose 6 for $10, obviously. Two PB Cup, one Egg Nog (seasonal), one Cappucino, one Pecan Pie, and one Mudslide. The best by far was the PB Cup: the cannoli shell is dipped in chocolate and it's literally "stuffed" with peanut butter filling that tastes like creamy peanut butter frosting. Divine. My second favorite was the Cappucino: an original cannoli shell "stuffed" with cappucino/coffee-flavored filling and drizzled with chocolate. Perfect for all of you coffee lovers out there.  My least favorite was the Pecan Pie - it was too pecan-y. If that makes sense. It was just too sweet for my taste. I plan on going back for the French Toast though, simply because it has Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal on it.

Peanut Butter Cup nums

Lastly, the greatest thing about this place is their large, novelty-sized cannoli for catering/events. The cannoli shell is the size of a newborn child, and probably weighs as such when it's finished. They stuff the inside with the regular-sized cannolis, cover it up with your choice of filling, then they give you extra empty cannoli shells to dip! That sounds like an amazing substitute for a birthday cake, AND you can get the Birthday Cake flavor as your filling! Coincidence? I think not.

Stuffed Artisan Cannolis

76 Stanton St (nr. Clinton)

212-995-2266

Coconut on my Corn? Dinner at The Norry

Rarely would you hear me say, "you know what? I could really go for some Cambodian." In fact, I wonder how many people actually say that to begin with. But if the meal in question is coming from The Norry at Kampuchea, I can see myself saying it more often..

Right next door to Kampuchea is The Norry, a more casual, Cambodian dining experience. Wooden high top tables and a white-tiled ceiling suggest low-key style with a modern twist. I'd love to say "evokes thoughts of an old Cambodian sandwich shop," but I have no clue what a Cambodian sandwich shop would look like. The menu is small, but it's got the main staples from Kampuchea, including grilled corn (fantastic) and some of their popular sandwiches. 

Me and my friend Hal decided to share a couple small plates and each get a sandwich. Figured that would be enough food, and according to the waitress, the glazed ribs ($16) and the grilled corn ($6) were the largest of the "small plates", so...that's what we got. For the sandwiches, I ordered the catfish sandwich (catfish, cracked pepper, honey and soy sauce, $11) and Hal got the shrimp sandwich (shrimp, coconut milk, toasted coconut flakes, $12). 

The corn was by far my favorite of the meal; it's 4 pieces of grilled corn with chili mayo, chili powder and coconut flakes. This place really loves their coconut - but for good reason in this case. The corn itself was nice and sweet, but the spicy chili mayo mixed with the coconut flakes was an awesome combination I definitely wasn't expecting. Neither flavor was overpowering, you get a little spicy, a little sweet in every bite. Kudos for coconut corn. 

Mmmm..coconut-chili-corn

The ribs were really tender - I pulled the bone right out of it and it came off clean. They weren't really saucy ribs though, despite the "tamarind-glazed" description, and they came with a cilantro-lime sauce to dip in. Now, here's my one gripe: cilantro. I pretty much despise cilantro in anything other than guacamole (I love guacamole so much that for the sake of it, I have learned to tolerate the cilantro), so this sauce was just OK to me. It was very mild, didn't have a lot of flavor and it was very "milky." Even though we both agreed that the sauce wasn't anything spectacular, we still kept eating it with the ribs. Maybe it complimented the ribs better than we thought..or it was there, so we ate it.

Tamarind-glazed ribs with cilantro-lime sauce

Grilled corn and rib on my plate

Now, what did I just say about cilantro? Yea - my sandwich was like a cilantro bomb, but fortunately, I was able to pick most of it off. It was literally like a cilantro patch on top of my catfish. Alright I'll stop (but know that I COULD go on about this). Other than that, I really liked the sandwich; the catfish was moist, the sauce was tangy (honey & soy sauce), and I thought the carrots and cucumbers rounded it out and gave it a cool, refreshing taste. Some would say cilantro gives a cool, refreshing taste too...but I don't listen to those people. The shrimp sandwich was decent, I personally liked mine better. It was milder than the catfish for sure, but here was my issue with it, though Hal did not encounter the same problem. I couldn't get a good "bite"; the shrimp were relatively large, and when I bit down, I just pulled the shrimp out of the sandwich rather than taking a bite out of it. What can I say? I'm a lady. I'm dainty. I take small bites.  Ok, not really - but I would have preferred the shrimp to be butterflied or at the very least, cut in half. For me the shrimp was good, but I would go back for the catfish a lot quicker.

Shrimp Sandwich

Catfish sandwich..mmm

Since there is no dessert at The Norry (fail), I will briefly discuss the alcohol. The cocktail list was by far the most intriguing; there were so many ingredients in some of them it was hard to get an idea of what it would taste like. Normally I can read a description and sort of taste it before I actually taste it. This tactic didn't work here. I got the Salty Lips Lemonade (vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, thai basil, club soda, and Himalayan pink salt rim, $12). I imagined it tasting like a sweet and tart lemonade with basil (something I've had before), instead I got kind of watery and tart with a hint of basil. To be honest the only thing I could really taste was the basil. One thing I will say though, it was one of those cleverly mixed drinks where you don't taste the alcohol, but later on, you feel it. And that's never a bad thing. As for the beer selection, I have no comment because I'm not a big fan of beer, but Hal said it was "a refreshing selection - not the same beer you would see at every restaurant, but nothing too crazy for the average beer drinker." And Hal is definitely your average (or not-so-average?) beer drinker. 

The Norry was a solid choice for dinner, and due to the sandwich/beer special (any sandwich & tap beer is $3), I would imagine it's great for lunch too. It's one of those places that has perfect "sharing" portions, because with two small plates, and a sandwich each, we left feeling satisfied but not too full. We had just enough room to pop over to Stuffed Artisan Cannoli's for dessert. Stay tuned for that one. As for The Norry, I now have new respect for the coconut and it's versatility.

The Norry at Kampuchea
76 Rivington St (btwn Allen and Orchard)
212-529-3901

Lactose/Gluten Free Holiday Dessert Recipes

Every year, we celebrate Christmas at my moms house with the fam, and there are a few members who never get to partake in any of the delicious desserts because they have food allergies. There's always some form of boxed-cookie or cake that tastes like hampster food and sits like a rock in your stomach. No fun. Fortunately, Deanna Segrave-Daly (registered dietitian) was kind enough to share some tips with me for those with gluten/lactose allergies. And the recipes below use Real Goodness milk, which tastes just like regular milk, but it's lactose-free, so it won't have any negative side effects on your stomach - bring on the Eggnog! 

Deanna's tips:

Gluten-Free: General rule of thumb: No wheat, barley, rye or oats.

• Going gluten-free can be tough to follow when it comes to traditional holiday desserts such as cookies, cakes and pies. Offer up some alternative yet delicious gluten-free options such as the Cinnamon Raisin Rice Pudding (below) or cookies made with almond paste.
• Offer a side dish featuring potatoes, rice or corn – all starches/grains that are naturally gluten-free.
• Serve vegetables and fruits raw or with simple ingredients (such as steamed green beans tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt.)

Lactose Intolerant: General rule of thumb: Lactose based foods (milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream) may cause unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.

                    o   Use Real Goodness™ to whip up your mashed potatoes for a rich and creamy result – without the lactose.
                    o  Eggnog, hot chocolate and flavored steamers can now be enjoyed by all your guests who before had to pass on milk based drinks. And just in case Santa is lactose intolerant, leave out a glass of Real Goodness™ with the cookies!
 

Real Goodness™ Eggnog (Lactose Free)

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Chill Time: 2 hours

Makes: 7 (2/3-cup) Servings

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, yolks separated
• ½ cup sugar + 2 teaspoons
• 3 cups Real Goodness™, 2% Lactose Free Milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 ounces rum (optional)

Directions:

1.       Using a mixer or whisk BEAT the egg yolks. Slowly BEAT in the sugar and set aside.

2.       In a medium saucepan, COMBINE milk and cinnamon. HEAT on low-medium heat until milk is steaming, but NOT boiling.

3.       Slowly LADLE half of the steaming milk into the beaten eggs, WHISK continuously as you slowly ADD the milk.

4.       POUR the mixture back into the saucepan and RETURN to low-medium heat, constantly STIRRING with a wooden spoon until the mixture begins to thicken, about 6 to 7 minutes.  Do not boil or the mixture will separate.

5.       REMOVE from heat and let cool. WHISK in nutmeg, vanilla and rum. CHILL for 2 hours.

6.       BEAT egg whites with two teaspoons of sugar until soft peaks form.

7.       FOLD egg whites into chilled eggnog – combine well.

8.       SERVE chilled with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg on top.

Nutrition Facts:

158 Calories; 3 grams Fat; 1.5 grams Saturated Fat; 128mg Cholesterol; 26mg Sodium; 0 grams Dietary Fiber; 9 grams Protein

Cinnamon-Raisins Walnut Rice Pudding (Lactose Free and Gluten Free)

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Makes: about 8 (½ -cup) servings

Ingredients:

• 3 large egg whites
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup granulated no calorie sweetener (such as sucralose) or 9 packets sucralose no calorie sweetener
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 ½ cups cooked brown rice (1-cup dry), warm
• 8 ounces Real Goodness 0%, Lactose Free Milk
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1 slice lemon peel
• ¼ cup walnuts, crushed

Directions:

1.       In a small bowl, BEAT egg whites, egg, granulated no calorie sweetener, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract.

2.       In a medium saucepan, COMBINE brown rice, egg mixture, milk, raisins and lemon peel.

3.       COOK over medium-low heat, STIRRING constantly; 10 minutes or until thickened.

4.       REMOVE saucepan from heat and DISCARD lemon peel.

5.       ADD walnuts to a hot sauté pan and toast the walnuts until golden brown, shaking the pan regularly to color them evenly and accentuate their nutty flavor.

6.       STIR walnuts into rice pudding and serve warm or at room temperature.

Garnish: Top rice pudding with a cinnamon stick. 

Nutrition Facts:

171 Calories;  4 grams Fat; 0 grams Saturated Fat; 27mg Cholesterol; 36mg Sodium; 28 grams Carbohydrate; 2 grams Dietary Fiber; 7 grams Protein

For more lactose-free recipes, visit  Realgoodness.com 

Happy Holidays To All (even those with food allergies)!

Two Faced Plates at Giano

I have a certain love for Italian food, but sometimes I can't decide whether I want a traditional dish like lasagna in hearty marinara sauce, or something more contemporary like butternut squash risotto with gorgonzola fondue. So if you're indecisive like I am (or a Gemini perhaps?), Giano appeals to both sides of your appetite.

We were greeted by Paolo and Matteo, owners of Giano, and Paolo explained to us the concept of the restaurant/menu: "innovation and tradition are two sides of the same face." The face of Giano has two sides, one looking to the past and one looking forward to the future (I was looking forward to the future as well - the future of delicious food in my stomach), meaning that Giano references the past with traditional dishes like lasagna and mushroom polenta, but also nods towards the future of Italian cuisine with zucchini crepes and orecchiette with rabbit ragu. 

We decided to order two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts. Everything is just better in pairs, I think (just ask Noah), but I digress. This way, we were able to get a taste of something traditional, and something contemporary. For our traditional antipasti, we decided on the Insalata Invernale (warm potato, red beet and string beans salad with brie cheese in extra virgin olive oil dressing), and for our contemporary dish, the Quaglia con Datteri e Gamberi (quail stuffed with dates and shrimp, wrapped in bacon with port wine reduction and mashed potatoes). The salad was delicious; I loved the combination of flavors and textures, and it was surprisingly light despite the fact that potatoes were an essential part of the dish. The quail was definitely on another level. It's hard to compare a simple salad to tender quail stuffed with shrimp and wrapped in bacon, but I enjoyed both fairly equally.

Insalata Invernale; Quaglia con Datteri e Gamberi

Quail stuffed with shrimp wrapped in bacon - hooray for protein!

For our first course, or Primi, we tried the (contemporary) butternut squash risotto with gorgonzola fondue topped with powdered amaretto cookies. Cookie? On my risotto?? I was hesitant at first, but I can eat cookies anytime, anywhere. Bring it on, Giano. And for our Secondi course, we tried the (contemporary) pork tenderloin with caponatina of raisins, eggplant, tomatoes, and pine nuts, drizzled with mustard sauce. I thought the risotto was done well; very creamy, and I loved the gorgonzola fondue swirled throughout - it was a really pretty presentation. The amaretto cookie was just a sprinkling, and it added a nice sweet finish after the tartness of the gorgonzola. The pork was good, not my favorite of the night, but good. I actually liked the caponatina best - the flavors went so well together, it made the pork tenderloin taste better in my opinion. The raisins, eggplant, tomatoes and pine nuts were like a happy little family on a plate. A happy Italian family, if you will. 

Lovely ribbons of gorgonzola..mmm

Little bit of everything - pork tenderloin with raisins, eggplant, tomatoes and pine nuts; risotto

Lastly, we are onto dessert, aka the culmination of the meal. There wasn't a traditional/contemporary dessert menu, so from Matteo's recommendation, we chose creme brulee and tiramisu. The tiramisu was very good and creamy, and I know you're thinking "it's Tiramisu, you can't screw that up"  ..but trust me you can. Just go to Little Italy. The creme brulee was good too, I have no complaints about anything with a hard layer of caramelized sugar on top. Obviously, the desserts aren't as imaginative as the rest of the menu, but hey, they were good and they were big. Can't complain about that. That said, for consistency reasons, I think they should have a traditional and contemporary dessert menu. I love trying new twists on dessert. There's only so many tiramisus a girl can eat.

Mmmm...it was tasty though..

A classic - can't go wrong

From simple string beans and potatoes to butternut squash risotto with gorgonzola fondue, Giano was a success. The service was great and the space is really nice; modern and sleek in the front, warm and classic in the back with exposed brick and dim lighting. I enjoyed the ambiance and the food, and the concept is clearly executed on the plates.

Giano
126 E 7th St (btwn 1st ave and ave A)
212-673-7200

Barros Luco Introduces New Menu Design and Two New Sandwiches!

You heard right. The underrated Chilean sandwich shop in Midtown has added a couple new players to their starting lineup: the Ave Palta and Ave Pimiento. What the hell is that? You might ask. Like most of Barros Luco's other sandwiches, it is deliciousness between two slices of homemade bread. In reality though, they are simply chicken salad sandwiches. Thats it?? Just chicken salad? Yes, but it's not soggy, mayo-laden chicken salad like your grandma used to make. This doesn't apply to all grandma's of course, just mine - she makes an awful chicken salad (sorry Yia Yia).  

This chicken salad is surprisingly simple in comparison to Barros Luco's other sandwiches: it's shredded chicken, a little bit of mayo (thank god), and salt. That's all folks. The Ave Palta is the traditional version, with sliced avocados on top, and the Ave Pimiento is the same chicken salad but with roasted red peppers blended into it. For a tasting, I felt it was only right to go with the traditional Ave Palta, even though they both sound good... 

The chicken salad was really piled on this sandwich (as you can see from the pics). My first thoughts were: that's either a) going to be dry or b) it's going to be too much and too heavy. Fortunately, it was neither. It was shockingly light for a chicken salad sandwich, probably due to the right amount of mayo - not too much, not too little. I was able to eat the whole thing without feeling too stuffed (though it takes a lot to make me stuffed), and the bread as always was great. The sliced avocado on top added a nice texture too, and I would never think to put avocado on a chicken salad sandwich. Give me a juice box and some carrot sticks and I'm right back in 3rd grade. Only difference is this time I'm enjoying the sandwich, instead of trading it with the kid who brings Twinkies and Snickers for lunch. 

Barros Luco is also introducing their new delivery/take out menu tomorrow. Finally! I've been waiting for one of these to add to my collection. See below for menu images (click to make larger). 

 

Barros Luco

300 1/2 East 52nd St (btwn 1st and 2nd ave)

212-371-0100 

Celebrate Christmas the German Way at Loreley

Feel like brussel sprouts and beer this Christmas Eve?? Then grab your lederhosen and come on down to Loreley! For $38, you can enjoy such German specialties like Eisbein (pork shank), Sauerbraten (beef roast), or filet mignon with beer-braised brussell sprouts. Gotta love those sprouts. Their regular a la carte menu will be served as well. Menu below.

And if you're interested in New Year's festivities, Loreley has a good deal for that too: free admission, no cover, DJ spinning from 9 pm - 4 am, and complimentary champagne toast at midnight. Full menu is available all night as well. Stollen and champagne all around!!

Christmas Eve Menu

Three Courses $38

inclusive of 1/2 liter of beer

or a glass of mulled Glühwein

Choice of a cup of Potato, Tomato or Pea Soup

or

Mixed Salad

 ~

 

Eisbein

grilled pork shank, mashed potatoes, housemade sauerkraut

or

Kartoffelgratin

vegetarian casserole with potatoes, mushrooms, onions and spinach, topped with curry sauce

or

Sauerbraten

beef roast marinated in vinegar and spices, potato dumpling, braised red cabbage

or

Grilled Filet Mignon

beer braised brussels sprouts and potato croquettes

~

Housemade Apple Strudel with vanilla sauce

or

Traditional German Christmas Stollen Cake

Loreley

7 Rivington St

212-253-7077

Pinkberry Expands Toppings and May Open New Locations!

It's true! It's true! During my weekly visit to Pinkberry over the weekend, I noticed that their toppings station looked much more diverse. Is that Cinnamon Toast Crunch? And white chocolate shavings? And brownie cake crumbles?! First they give us Chocolate Pinkberry, now they give us a plethora of toppings including low fat cinnamon-apple granola, coconut shavings, mixed nuts, yogurt chips, and peppermint shavings. AND get this: there's no limit to the amount of toppings anymore! According to the friendly Pinkberry staffer, it's "as many as you can fit in the cup." Is that a challenge..?

So many toppings, so little time. What will the Pinkberry fairy bestow upon us next?? More locations? Hopefully! While I was there with my new mix (original/pomegranate swirl with bananas, cinnamon-apple granola and brownie crumbles), I was asked to fill out a survey because Pinkberry is considering opening up more locations. I hope they bring one right by where I work..there is a serious lack of Pinkberry in that area. I dropped a subtle hint about that on the survey. When asked to provide my work address, I wrote down next to it: "You NEED TO open a Pinkberry here!" Hopefully, they take the hint. Oh and FYI, the brownie crumbles were magical.

I wonder if I could have fit one more topping...

Dinner at Marfa - Guacamole and Ribs Anyone?

Walking into Marfa on the LES the other night, I can't say that I knew for sure what I was getting into. There was a big steer head cow skull above the bar, paper bags used as candle holders (fire hazard?), and Marfa happens to be a city in West Texas. Ok, so maybe the signs aren't THAT subtle, and the only real flaw I felt was the lack of heat. It was VERY cold in this space - when I wasn't using my hands to shovel food into my mouth, I was sitting on them to keep them warm.    

New chef Tony Cruz (formerly of Dos Caminos) has taken over at this West Texas BBQ spot, and when asked if I wanted to sample some of the menu items, I couldn't say no. That would be like an alcoholic turning down an open bar. The menu was pretty classic, expect for a few Mexican-inspired dishes like guacamole and fish tacos. Fish tacos? At a BBQ place? Not something you see every day, but West Texas is known for mixing in Mexican flavors, so I made it clear to our friendly waiter, JJ, that we would like to sample the Mexican-inspired food as well as the classics (ribs, mac and cheese, chicken fried steak, etc).

Chips and guacamole

First dishes out: guacamole and chips, fish tacos and pulled pork bbq nachos. Sounds like a Mexican dining experience, no? Well, fortunately for Marfa, they could put two scoops of guac in an ice cream cone and I would eat it, so I had no real issue with this. The guacamole was good; I liked the consistency and the lemony flavor. It was a perfect bite every time with the fresh tomatoes on top. I hate when the avocados aren't ripe enough and they don't mash up well - you break your chip every time you dip. No bueno.

I have to pay special attention to the fish tacos because I thought they were excellent. The crispy tilapia was tender inside, with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cool sour cream and guacamole; and it came with a serrano pepper salsa on the side in case you want that extra bit of heat (like I did). My brother joined me for this meal, and he wasn't thrilled about getting fish tacos, but he had a total change of heart (and stomach) with the very first bite. If they sold these out of a truck in midtown somewhere they would probably make a killing (hint hint Marfa).

Mmmm..nums.

The pulled pork nachos were good, but I had one major problem with them: not enough pulled pork. Look, nachos in my opinion, are good with almost anything on them: traditional ground beef, pulled pork, chicken, bacon, whatever - the more meat the better (insert a "thats what she said" here). But you can't call something "Pulled Pork Nachos" and then skimp on the pulled pork. Me and my brother were literally digging through the mountains of chips for the pulled pork and would blurt out "found some!" and get all excited about unearthing a 2-inch sliver of pulled pork from the rubble of tortilla chips. Why no mas?! I was a bit disappointed by that. Especially considering the pulled pork itself tasted good. I would have enjoyed more..

Pulled pork bbq nachos

At this point in the meal, we had left Mexico apparently and stepped into Mama's down home cookin' in Texas with some ribs, beans, chicken fried steak, mac and cheese, and jalapeno cornbread with chipotle honey butter. Drool. My favorites were the ribs and the mac and cheese. The ribs were sweet and saucy, and I was literally just picking the meat off the bone with my fingers - no need to even bite into it. They also make two homemade BBQ sauces: Mango BBQ and Serrano Pepper. The Mango BBQ is perfect for someone who likes sweetness with just a bit of heat (like my brother), and the Serrano Pepper has a slow heat that sneaks up on you, but it's still not overly spicy...it could be a touch hotter. Now the mac and cheese had the words "world famous" tacked onto it. Any food item that has the words "world famous" preceding it, is something that you should try, regardless of it being a false claim or not. Well, I don't know if this mac and cheese is really "world famous," but it could be. Elbow macaroni gets a cheesy bath and is left with a gooey, creamy texture with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs on top. What more could you ask for at a BBQ place?

Ribs and Marfa's "world famous mac and cheese." Can't you almost taste that??

I was underwhelmed by the chicken fried steak, but this is not a dish I usually get anywhere - it makes the steak tough I think. I like my steak seared on both sides and cooked medium to medium-rare, not pounded thin, battered and deep fried - leave that to the chickens. However, it was served on top of some buttery mashed potatoes that had a nice kick to them. Silver lining: everything here was seasoned well. The jalapeno cornbread had a good sweet and spicy flavor too, but it was a tad crumbly for my taste. Maybe some people like it that way, but I like cornbread a little more moist. Fortunately, the honey-chipotle butter made that possible for me. Dry bread? No biggie - just soak it in some butter.

chicken fried steak and jalapeno cornbread with chipotle honey butter

After all that, we finally made it to dessert: chocolate souffle and cheesecake. This was an unfair fight for two reasons: 1 - I have never met a chocolate souffle I didn't like, and 2 - I have never met a cheesecake that beats my moms. Sorry Marfa (and everyone else who makes cheesecake). So in my opinion, the chocolate souffle was the perfect ending to my Mexican/BBQ meal. If you dislike a moist chocolate cake with melted chocolate inside dipped in vanilla ice cream, then I don't want to know you.

Cheesecake in the background..and chocolate deliciousness in the foreground

My overall experience with Marfa was a good one. Chef Cruz really knows his Mexican food, and has proven his skills as a BBQ chef too, clearly. However, I felt like the meal was more of a transition from Mexican to BBQ, and considering his talent with Mexican food (hello fish tacos), I think a mild fusion would be even better. What's wrong with a little guacaroni and cheese?? Or at the very least have more Mexican items on the menu to even the score. It just doesn't seem fair. Still, I'd definitely come back to Marfa, my only request would be to turn up the heat a bit - both in the BBQ sauce and the dining area.  

Marfa
101 East 2nd St (near 1st ave)
212-673-8908