by Ahu Shahrabani
on November 2, 2011
I ventured out to dinner this past Saturday during the great ‘Snowtober’ storm. It was windy, cold and snowy, but as a result the city was blissfully calm! I got to the restaurant 30 minutes before my friend (I gave myself way more time than necessary to get to Chelsea. Oops), so decided to sit at the bar and order a negroni.
Negroni has been my favorite cocktail for the last few years – it’s traditionally an aperitif but I drink it before, after and even (gasp) sometimes with my food. It’s the perfect drink for me – gin is my alcohol of choice, and I love the bitter taste mixed with the tang of Campari. There’s nothing quite like a really well-made negroni – and luckily living in NYC and having access to the best ‘mixologists’ makes getting a fantastic negroni not too difficult (Brandy Library, Ward III and Weather Up being notably excellent). I’ve come to expect a really great cocktail now – especially at $15 across the board anywhere in Manhattan, you start to expect the quality to be comparable as well. Unfortunately not.
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| It sure did look pretty! |
Here is what I do expect in my negroni (I won’t elaborate on my weekend’s version except to say that it missed the mark significantly):
– It should be shaken over ice until it’s very cold, then poured into a tumbler that has also been chilled
– I prefer an old-fashioned or collins tumbler, but have seen them served in champagne coupes as well
– The essence of an orange peel should be squeezed onto the top of the drink and then rubbed around the rim (there must be a name for this)
– Orange peel garnish
I feel snobby listing my cocktail requirements in such detail, but getting the ratios of gin-vermouth-campari should not be difficult, it’s the things above that turn a $10 negroni into a $15 negroni.
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by Ahu Shahrabani
on October 27, 2011
5/10 stars.
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The skewers are so-so but it’s the rest of the menu items that make it worth coming! Nestled in the atrium of Citigroup Center, it is easy to overlook Kushi Q among all the other shockingly mediocre options. The carrot-ginger dressing is so good – I love to drizzle it on their rice and green salad. Better yet are the awesome Japanese snacks they stock. From the classic Shrimp Chips …
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| (Image from Amazon) Don’t eat these before a date! |
To rice candy…
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| (Image from asianfoodgrocer.com) Did you eat the wrapper separate or with the candy in one shot? |
Perennial favorite Japanese gummy bears…
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| (Image from seriouseats.com) |
But the best is the mochi candy!!!!
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| Red Bean – Green Tea – Taro |
This stuff is addictive.
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| Mmmm. |
The mochi came in a pack of 4 – the 3 pictured above plus a sesame mochi which was immediately devoured. There was no label of any sort on the package, which makes me wonder if they make the mochi themselves? Wherever it’s produced, it’s damn good.
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It’s really nice to be able to get something aside from the usual chips, pretzels, stale fruit cup or muffin during the afternoon slump at work! Great option for an interesting snack in midtown.
Kushi Q
Citigroup Center – 601 Lexington Avenue at 53rd, Atrium Level
New York, NY
www.kushi-q.com
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by Ahu Shahrabani
on October 25, 2011
8/10 stars.
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I’m a pretty healthy eater during the workweek. So healthy that the salad guy at the deli across from my office often makes my salad while I’m still crossing the street. But since Melt Shop opened up in my office building several months back, I’ve been really excited to try it as a break from the same ole’ dreary soup-salad-soup-salad routine. After some initial logistical hiccups, I think the folks at this subterranean sandwich shop have figured it out (although curious to see how the crowds will do come winter).
They have all the ingredients of a trendy food establishment – cute packaging, a clear food ‘niche’, high-quality food in a casual setting, and an overall carefully-curated but not overly-styled brand. Basically, they picked one thing and are doing it very well – grilled cheese. They have a great selection of grilled cheese sandwiches – so much so that I had a tough time deciding what to order the first time I visited. I ended up trying the Smoked Turkey Ruben – which was delicious. It comes in a handy cardboard package which conveniently soaks up all the fat dripping off the sandwich.
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| Sometimes food is not glam. It’s just good. |
I’ll be a broken record and say I’m a sucker for simpler food that really showcases the ingredients and their quality.
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| Look at all those delicious cumin seeds in the rye bread. |
I won’t go into gory detail about the sandwich, but I will say that it was excellent and that it contained one of my favorite things inside – coleslaw.
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| Mmmm. Just greasy enough. |
The next time I came back I split the Fried Chicken with a friend (yes, unless you’re a sumo wrestler you’ll probably want to share a sandwich) – also as great as it sounds. These guys clearly do grilled cheese right. But what about those tots?
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| There’s a Nancy Grace – Casey Anthony joke in here somewhere. |
Who doesn’t like tater tots!?! A bit on the crispy side, but so conveniently shaped that you really can’t help but eat them. Now let’s talk about Melt Shop’s crowning glory: the coleslaw.
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| Thank you for being you. |
It’s not your traditional coleslaw, but that made it all the better. Made with red cabbage, carrots and celery, it’s super crunchy and peppery. It has just a hint of dressing and is probably the healthiest dish on the menu. My only complaint – wish the side order of slaw was larger! Yum.
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Melt Shop is a great addition to the culinary desert of midtown. They serve Stumptown coffee for all you fanatics, and I’ve heard raves about the homemade ice cream sandwiches. Go!
Melt Shop
601 Lexington Avenue (in the plaza, down the stairs)
New York, NY
http://www.meltshopnyc.com/
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