Whew...OK...now back to the new kid on the block Rubirosa. A brand new old school styled space with a nice long wood bar (with a very good selection of beers) . The menu is a mix of Pizza's (you can get by the slice w/toppings on weekdays) Pasta's, Salads & Sandwiches. So far I've had the pizza...very good thin crust style (need to try the Vodka Sauce), a great sausage & broccoli rabe sandwich, grilled chicken w/fresh mozz & broccoli rabe & their great side salad. I met the owner, his son, & chef when the owner Joe (owns Joe & Pat's in SI) came up to me & asked what I thought while he showed me around the place( there are 2 back rooms...one for a large group & one for grabbing & ordering a pie while having a slice while you wait). They were all great guys & I think they have a winning formula here. The place looks like & is priced for Brooklyn but in Soho with great food. As much as this recession has been less then awesome...it has produced places like this & many of the others named above (did we really need a recession to go back to quality mid-priced food vs. over-priced sea-urchin foamed sea-bream liver?!?). To both find these places & check out their menu's go to http://www.menupages.com/ Manga Bene!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Roman Empire Strikes Back/Rubirosa
For many years Chinatown kept expanding while Little Italy kept contracting...yet it seems the tide has been turning somewhat. Over the last few years a load of great old school Italian restaurants/pizza places/speciality shops have been popping up. I think it really started when Lombardi's reopened on Mott & Spring some years ago, but has really picked up recently. L'Asso (maybe the best lunch deal in town, great staff...great food) opened up a few years back on Kenmare & Mott & now Epistrophy is on the other side of Old School Bakery & sandwich shop Parisi (I only recently discovered this place which is over 100yrs old & makes the biggest & best hot & cold hero's) across the street Fiat Cafe opened up. Further west on the street you now have Emporio & Michael White just opened up Osteria Morini on Lafayette. On Bowery you have Keith McNally joining the fray with Pulino. On Mulberry between Prince & Spring you have Torrisi which only uses locally sourced goods & now Rubirosa which just opened up. Before I get to a quick review on Rubirosa lets not forget the Meatball Shoppe on Stanton & further east on Stanton Stuffed Cannoli(amazing multi-flavored mini cannoli's...3 for only $5!...you can get them at the Union Square Holiday market & I believe Whole Foods carries some of their basic flavors). On wait I almost forgot...Il Laboratorio del Gelato just opened a new cafe on East Houston...of course lets not forget Caio Bella Gelato on Mott.
Whew...OK...now back to the new kid on the block Rubirosa. A brand new old school styled space with a nice long wood bar (with a very good selection of beers) . The menu is a mix of Pizza's (you can get by the slice w/toppings on weekdays) Pasta's, Salads & Sandwiches. So far I've had the pizza...very good thin crust style (need to try the Vodka Sauce), a great sausage & broccoli rabe sandwich, grilled chicken w/fresh mozz & broccoli rabe & their great side salad. I met the owner, his son, & chef when the owner Joe (owns Joe & Pat's in SI) came up to me & asked what I thought while he showed me around the place( there are 2 back rooms...one for a large group & one for grabbing & ordering a pie while having a slice while you wait). They were all great guys & I think they have a winning formula here. The place looks like & is priced for Brooklyn but in Soho with great food. As much as this recession has been less then awesome...it has produced places like this & many of the others named above (did we really need a recession to go back to quality mid-priced food vs. over-priced sea-urchin foamed sea-bream liver?!?). To both find these places & check out their menu's go to http://www.menupages.com/ Manga Bene!
Whew...OK...now back to the new kid on the block Rubirosa. A brand new old school styled space with a nice long wood bar (with a very good selection of beers) . The menu is a mix of Pizza's (you can get by the slice w/toppings on weekdays) Pasta's, Salads & Sandwiches. So far I've had the pizza...very good thin crust style (need to try the Vodka Sauce), a great sausage & broccoli rabe sandwich, grilled chicken w/fresh mozz & broccoli rabe & their great side salad. I met the owner, his son, & chef when the owner Joe (owns Joe & Pat's in SI) came up to me & asked what I thought while he showed me around the place( there are 2 back rooms...one for a large group & one for grabbing & ordering a pie while having a slice while you wait). They were all great guys & I think they have a winning formula here. The place looks like & is priced for Brooklyn but in Soho with great food. As much as this recession has been less then awesome...it has produced places like this & many of the others named above (did we really need a recession to go back to quality mid-priced food vs. over-priced sea-urchin foamed sea-bream liver?!?). To both find these places & check out their menu's go to http://www.menupages.com/ Manga Bene!
The Deadly Naga Viper!
You don't have to worry about being bitten & struck down while out hiking or camping by the deadly Naga Viper. If the Naga Viper gets you it will be at a riot or in the kitchen. The Viper in question is the new reigning champ of super hot peppers. It has usurped the Bhut Jolokia..aka The ghost chili by more the 300,000 scoville* units! To put this in perspective for those of you who think jalapenos are hot...they clock in at 2,500-5,000 scoville units. The Naga Viper 1,359,000!!! In other words jalapenos are the mint-cucumber of the hot pepper world...
Now at this point the only application being looked at is to weaponize this pepper for tear-gas, which happened to be who Bhut was being looked at at first as well. Wish I was joking here but not. However, I have hope that the same maniacs that found ways to use the Bhut Jolokia in the kitchen will be insane enough to find ways for the Naga. Make no mistake the Bhut is hot as hell. I've had it in Chocolate Cupcakes at Pinisi Bakery, in a Sea Salt mix at the Filling Station (awesome flavored oils & vinegars & now sea salts) in Chelsea Market & I have heard about a place in Billyburgh Brooklyn that uses them in their Buffalo wings! I can only hope someone throws some of this stuff into a Vindaloo, Salsa or chocolate cake. It would be a real shame to waste this pepper on tear-gassing Soccer Hooligans & political protesters when we could be eating it with tears of joy running down our cheeks while trying to get some beer or milk down our throats to ready for the next mouthful!
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale
Now at this point the only application being looked at is to weaponize this pepper for tear-gas, which happened to be who Bhut was being looked at at first as well. Wish I was joking here but not. However, I have hope that the same maniacs that found ways to use the Bhut Jolokia in the kitchen will be insane enough to find ways for the Naga. Make no mistake the Bhut is hot as hell. I've had it in Chocolate Cupcakes at Pinisi Bakery, in a Sea Salt mix at the Filling Station (awesome flavored oils & vinegars & now sea salts) in Chelsea Market & I have heard about a place in Billyburgh Brooklyn that uses them in their Buffalo wings! I can only hope someone throws some of this stuff into a Vindaloo, Salsa or chocolate cake. It would be a real shame to waste this pepper on tear-gassing Soccer Hooligans & political protesters when we could be eating it with tears of joy running down our cheeks while trying to get some beer or milk down our throats to ready for the next mouthful!
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)