Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Food and Wine Festival on Union Square a great success
Looking Ahead
The Ninth Annual Harvest In the Square Festival in Union Square Park on Thursday, September 23, 2004, brought a lot of local and outside visitors to the tent city in our Park, to taste the diversity of food and drink offered by some 45 of our unique local restaurants and an equal number of wineyards. Eugene McGrath of ConEd, Chairman of the sponsoring Union Square Partnership, calls us "Manhattan's best-tasting community." It is true, as evidenced by the quality of the delicacies offered to the dues-paying visitors, whose contributions will help support the maintenance and improvements to our neighborhood, particularly the Park.
Jumping right into Topic One, the food, herewith my Poll of Favorites, the delicacies most frequently mentioned ( in no particular order): The Coffee Shop's Seafood Moqueca Stew with Salsa Over Rice, Tacos de Barbacoa from Lucy's Mexican Barbeque, Union Square Café's Olive Oil Poached Tuna Salad with Fennel, and the Devil's Eggs, both Chipote and Black Truffle/Chicken Liver varieties, from Strata (former Metronome). Tamarind's new chef Gary Walia's Chicken Tikka Masala came in for multiple mentions (winners of a "Best Fish Dish with Chablis" contest in France, they also had a display of a dozen Indian spices). Steak Frites shone with a savory Yellow Tail Tuna Tartlet, as did City Crab, serving Baked Blue Point Oysters with Lump Crabmeat. Blue Water Grill served Jumbo Maryland Crab stuffed Profiterolles (had a chat with Steve Hansen's Corporate Chef Chris Giarraputo). Café Spice, treated us to Assorted Stuffed Breads, and Todd English's Olives had an amazing Jumbo Stuffed Chicken Wings dish, with Sorbet to cool the mouth (the master himself was away, serving a banquet for Donald Trump's Apprentices). Angelo & Maxie's Sliced Filet Mignon on Crostini and Gramercy Tavern's Braised Veal Breast with Bean Salad earned bravos, as usually. In the world appetizers, Knickerbocker Bar & Grill's Salmon Sashimi and grilled T-Bone Steak bites, Metro Café's Mini-Meatloaf Sandwiches and Havana Central's Cuban Sandwiches, served at the entrance, with sparkling Ameri Prosecco Brut in champagne flutes, elicited much praise.
In deserts, Sushi Samba's Buttercup Squash Mousse and Eleven Madison's Dark Chocolate Dome with Caramel Crème and in the vegetarian department, Gotham Bar & Grill's Warm Summer Corn Custard with Roasted Chanterelles, and Republic's Noodle Salad with Fried Wontons shone. National Arts Club's well-liked Samuel Tilden Chili attracted lots of the hungry.
All the entrants in the Ninth Annual Harvest in the Square Festival were good, with community credits, several of them my personal choices. Going by category, all three Hors D'Oeuvres entries made it to the Most Mentioned group. In the loosely labeled Veggies, Arezzo had an excellent Yellow and Red Beet entry, with Blue Cheese companrion. Beppe offered a savory Tuscan Bean Salad, and Casa Mono and Bar Jamon featured Pequillo Peppers with Oxtails. Never got to meet celeb chef Mario Batali, who was rumored to roaming around, unmistakable in his beachcomber shorts. Moving right along, Candela had Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese, City Bakery offered Skewered Falafel Salad, Dos Caminos featured New York State Butternut Squash Tomatoes, Galaxy Global Eatery served up Rosemary Skewered Tofu with Grilled Papaya and Chili Hemp Oil. L'Express, eight years a neighbor, had Goat Cheese Fondue with Olive Cake and Tomato Confit, and Patria, formerly Douglas Rodriguez' and now Philip Suares's treasure, had Humitas - Cheese Tamales on a fresh corn platform. Tocqueville Restaurant and Wine Bar offered Cheddar Cheese Salad with Roasted Pear & Fennel, an immediate attraction, and Union Square Ballroom, the upstairs venue we still have to visit, presented Spiced Market Vegetable Roti, from our local pride, Union Square Farmers Market.
In Seafood, Aleo had an intriguingly named Lifeguards Stew, and Bambou served Mussels, another favorite. Chango (new chef Lou Zias) treated us to Spicy Shrimp Ceviche that had me entranced, and Pipa featured Seafood Salpicon (French filling for canapes) , In Meats we saw some unusual varieties - the new (16 months) Amuse had North Carolina style Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Duke's served Slo-Smoked St. Louis BBQ Ribs, Fleur de Sel, a lite Breton-French, market-driven venue four years in the neighborhood, upped the bid with a Terrine of Roasted Quail and Foie Gras. More BBQ short ribs, with Aged Cheddar Grits & Butternut Squash came from Heartland Brewery accompanied by their Root Beer, Pumpkin Ale and Oktoberfest beer. Kitchen 22 surprised us with Foie Gras Mousse and Strawberry Compote, and Mandler's Sausage Company (10 months in the neighborhood) trumped it all with Bratwurst on homemade Breads, and Spicy Chorizo (Spanish sausages) with Corn and Zucchini Fries. Park Avalon's Long Island Duck with Wild Cherries and Arugula, and Strip House's Confit Beef Brisket prepared us for the desserts, where 71 Irving Place shone with its Chocolate Hazelnut and Apricot Walnut Rugelachs (they also gifted us with sample packages of their own Irving House Blend Coffee). Blue Smoke sliced some Apple Crumb Pies with Vanilla Ice Cream, Chat 'n' Chew served French Bread Pudding, The City Bakery chopped a hunk of Square Pear Peg Tart, and the Greenmarket Farmers Market sprung for some New York State Apple Trio. Ah, the poetry and music of rural America!
Wines from Long Island were prominent, led by Dr. Konstantin Frank's award-winning Vinifera Dry Riesling. Three burly senior executives from P.C. Richards & Son (" 95 years in business, mention our sale") who would look perfect in an ad lifting a few foamy ones, could not stop praising the exquisite charms of Bedell Cellars red wine. Some more good names from the Island: Corey Creek, Galluccio Family , Leib Family. Lamoreux Landing, Old Field, Paumanok, Peconic Bay, Sherwood House, Shinn Estate, Standing Stone, Ternhaven and Lenz Vinery. And some other friends: Ameri Prosecco Brut, which greeted the early arrivals, Anthony Road from Upstate, many of them Italian and a few French (Bertani Due Uve, Bottega Lagrein, Rocca della Macie and Viticio Chianti Classicos, Feudi di San Gregorio, Galluci Cru George Allaire Chardonnay, Marchesa di Barolo Barbera Maraia, Sella & Mosca Vermintino, Bertani Valpolicella, Col de Orcia Rosso, Remy Pannier Vouvray ). From California came Old Field, Clay Station, MacMurray Ranch, Ironstone Symphony (a Muscat and Grenache varietal) and Out Of The Blue Pinotage And a snappy South African wine I cannot identify.
Among the beverage dispensers, outstanding were also TSalon's Japanese berry Champagne and Harvest Teas, a variety of the new GUS sodas, Dallis Coffee, and the old reliable Brooklyn Brewery, and Fiji water (I once spent two weeks enjoying it, in the South Pacific). The local wine power, Union Square Wines and Spirits, had a table of red and white varieties, to spend an afternoon with, particularly a Rubrato de San Gregorio.
Kudos to the usual suspects, veteran event chairpeople Danny Meyers, Eric Petterson, Todd English, Victor LaPlace, Andrew DiCataldo, Gary Tornberg and the producer, Martha Bear Dallis. Although the reviewer sacrificed the first two acts of Verdi's sad Otello at the Met to attend this Union Square Partnership event, it was well worth it, particularly for the cheerful uplift, in this depressing era of barbaric murders by terrorists who abuse the sacred name of freedom. The sponsor, USP, formerly the 14th Street/Union Square LDC/BID, will use the income from this fundraiser to benefit its initiative to beautify and improve Union Square Park, particularly the its Northern Gateway, some of whose design features are still disputed by local activists. It will not interfere with our treasure, the Farmers Market, I'm told. A Well-Done to USP's Executive Director Karen Shaw and Christine Brown, Joe Tango, Henry Choi and staff. Salud!
If you want to read last year's review, open www.dobelis.net or search google for Wally Dobelis Looking Ahead, and follow instructions to the blog, to access October 2003 columns.
The Ninth Annual Harvest In the Square Festival in Union Square Park on Thursday, September 23, 2004, brought a lot of local and outside visitors to the tent city in our Park, to taste the diversity of food and drink offered by some 45 of our unique local restaurants and an equal number of wineyards. Eugene McGrath of ConEd, Chairman of the sponsoring Union Square Partnership, calls us "Manhattan's best-tasting community." It is true, as evidenced by the quality of the delicacies offered to the dues-paying visitors, whose contributions will help support the maintenance and improvements to our neighborhood, particularly the Park.
Jumping right into Topic One, the food, herewith my Poll of Favorites, the delicacies most frequently mentioned ( in no particular order): The Coffee Shop's Seafood Moqueca Stew with Salsa Over Rice, Tacos de Barbacoa from Lucy's Mexican Barbeque, Union Square Café's Olive Oil Poached Tuna Salad with Fennel, and the Devil's Eggs, both Chipote and Black Truffle/Chicken Liver varieties, from Strata (former Metronome). Tamarind's new chef Gary Walia's Chicken Tikka Masala came in for multiple mentions (winners of a "Best Fish Dish with Chablis" contest in France, they also had a display of a dozen Indian spices). Steak Frites shone with a savory Yellow Tail Tuna Tartlet, as did City Crab, serving Baked Blue Point Oysters with Lump Crabmeat. Blue Water Grill served Jumbo Maryland Crab stuffed Profiterolles (had a chat with Steve Hansen's Corporate Chef Chris Giarraputo). Café Spice, treated us to Assorted Stuffed Breads, and Todd English's Olives had an amazing Jumbo Stuffed Chicken Wings dish, with Sorbet to cool the mouth (the master himself was away, serving a banquet for Donald Trump's Apprentices). Angelo & Maxie's Sliced Filet Mignon on Crostini and Gramercy Tavern's Braised Veal Breast with Bean Salad earned bravos, as usually. In the world appetizers, Knickerbocker Bar & Grill's Salmon Sashimi and grilled T-Bone Steak bites, Metro Café's Mini-Meatloaf Sandwiches and Havana Central's Cuban Sandwiches, served at the entrance, with sparkling Ameri Prosecco Brut in champagne flutes, elicited much praise.
In deserts, Sushi Samba's Buttercup Squash Mousse and Eleven Madison's Dark Chocolate Dome with Caramel Crème and in the vegetarian department, Gotham Bar & Grill's Warm Summer Corn Custard with Roasted Chanterelles, and Republic's Noodle Salad with Fried Wontons shone. National Arts Club's well-liked Samuel Tilden Chili attracted lots of the hungry.
All the entrants in the Ninth Annual Harvest in the Square Festival were good, with community credits, several of them my personal choices. Going by category, all three Hors D'Oeuvres entries made it to the Most Mentioned group. In the loosely labeled Veggies, Arezzo had an excellent Yellow and Red Beet entry, with Blue Cheese companrion. Beppe offered a savory Tuscan Bean Salad, and Casa Mono and Bar Jamon featured Pequillo Peppers with Oxtails. Never got to meet celeb chef Mario Batali, who was rumored to roaming around, unmistakable in his beachcomber shorts. Moving right along, Candela had Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese, City Bakery offered Skewered Falafel Salad, Dos Caminos featured New York State Butternut Squash Tomatoes, Galaxy Global Eatery served up Rosemary Skewered Tofu with Grilled Papaya and Chili Hemp Oil. L'Express, eight years a neighbor, had Goat Cheese Fondue with Olive Cake and Tomato Confit, and Patria, formerly Douglas Rodriguez' and now Philip Suares's treasure, had Humitas - Cheese Tamales on a fresh corn platform. Tocqueville Restaurant and Wine Bar offered Cheddar Cheese Salad with Roasted Pear & Fennel, an immediate attraction, and Union Square Ballroom, the upstairs venue we still have to visit, presented Spiced Market Vegetable Roti, from our local pride, Union Square Farmers Market.
In Seafood, Aleo had an intriguingly named Lifeguards Stew, and Bambou served Mussels, another favorite. Chango (new chef Lou Zias) treated us to Spicy Shrimp Ceviche that had me entranced, and Pipa featured Seafood Salpicon (French filling for canapes) , In Meats we saw some unusual varieties - the new (16 months) Amuse had North Carolina style Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Duke's served Slo-Smoked St. Louis BBQ Ribs, Fleur de Sel, a lite Breton-French, market-driven venue four years in the neighborhood, upped the bid with a Terrine of Roasted Quail and Foie Gras. More BBQ short ribs, with Aged Cheddar Grits & Butternut Squash came from Heartland Brewery accompanied by their Root Beer, Pumpkin Ale and Oktoberfest beer. Kitchen 22 surprised us with Foie Gras Mousse and Strawberry Compote, and Mandler's Sausage Company (10 months in the neighborhood) trumped it all with Bratwurst on homemade Breads, and Spicy Chorizo (Spanish sausages) with Corn and Zucchini Fries. Park Avalon's Long Island Duck with Wild Cherries and Arugula, and Strip House's Confit Beef Brisket prepared us for the desserts, where 71 Irving Place shone with its Chocolate Hazelnut and Apricot Walnut Rugelachs (they also gifted us with sample packages of their own Irving House Blend Coffee). Blue Smoke sliced some Apple Crumb Pies with Vanilla Ice Cream, Chat 'n' Chew served French Bread Pudding, The City Bakery chopped a hunk of Square Pear Peg Tart, and the Greenmarket Farmers Market sprung for some New York State Apple Trio. Ah, the poetry and music of rural America!
Wines from Long Island were prominent, led by Dr. Konstantin Frank's award-winning Vinifera Dry Riesling. Three burly senior executives from P.C. Richards & Son (" 95 years in business, mention our sale") who would look perfect in an ad lifting a few foamy ones, could not stop praising the exquisite charms of Bedell Cellars red wine. Some more good names from the Island: Corey Creek, Galluccio Family , Leib Family. Lamoreux Landing, Old Field, Paumanok, Peconic Bay, Sherwood House, Shinn Estate, Standing Stone, Ternhaven and Lenz Vinery. And some other friends: Ameri Prosecco Brut, which greeted the early arrivals, Anthony Road from Upstate, many of them Italian and a few French (Bertani Due Uve, Bottega Lagrein, Rocca della Macie and Viticio Chianti Classicos, Feudi di San Gregorio, Galluci Cru George Allaire Chardonnay, Marchesa di Barolo Barbera Maraia, Sella & Mosca Vermintino, Bertani Valpolicella, Col de Orcia Rosso, Remy Pannier Vouvray ). From California came Old Field, Clay Station, MacMurray Ranch, Ironstone Symphony (a Muscat and Grenache varietal) and Out Of The Blue Pinotage And a snappy South African wine I cannot identify.
Among the beverage dispensers, outstanding were also TSalon's Japanese berry Champagne and Harvest Teas, a variety of the new GUS sodas, Dallis Coffee, and the old reliable Brooklyn Brewery, and Fiji water (I once spent two weeks enjoying it, in the South Pacific). The local wine power, Union Square Wines and Spirits, had a table of red and white varieties, to spend an afternoon with, particularly a Rubrato de San Gregorio.
Kudos to the usual suspects, veteran event chairpeople Danny Meyers, Eric Petterson, Todd English, Victor LaPlace, Andrew DiCataldo, Gary Tornberg and the producer, Martha Bear Dallis. Although the reviewer sacrificed the first two acts of Verdi's sad Otello at the Met to attend this Union Square Partnership event, it was well worth it, particularly for the cheerful uplift, in this depressing era of barbaric murders by terrorists who abuse the sacred name of freedom. The sponsor, USP, formerly the 14th Street/Union Square LDC/BID, will use the income from this fundraiser to benefit its initiative to beautify and improve Union Square Park, particularly the its Northern Gateway, some of whose design features are still disputed by local activists. It will not interfere with our treasure, the Farmers Market, I'm told. A Well-Done to USP's Executive Director Karen Shaw and Christine Brown, Joe Tango, Henry Choi and staff. Salud!
If you want to read last year's review, open www.dobelis.net or search google for Wally Dobelis Looking Ahead, and follow instructions to the blog, to access October 2003 columns.
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 2:30 PM 
