A great Spanish food market wants you to go on a pintxo crawl around Manhattan, Momofuku has debuted a new kimbap menu, and there’s a new drinkable version of a black and white cookie. Plus, this week is New York City’s inaugural RARE Steak Championship.
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The 411
Go on a pintxo crawl through New York, drink an espresso at the newly re-opened Salumeria Rosi, and cry in your wine glass for a couple of restaurant closures.
Pintxo Paradise
The Spanish food market in SoHo/Nolita, Despaña, wants to send you on pintxo crawl. Stop by the shop and pick up a “Pinxto Passport” and between now and Sunday, September 13, you can visit all 15 participating Spanish restaurants to order their special pintxo, designed just for this occasion. If you get your passport stamped by all 15 restaurants, you’ll be eligible for a raffle to win one of 15 $100 gift cards—one from each of the participating Spanish spots. A few of the participating restaurants include Bartolo, Tomiño, La Nacional, Mercado Little Spain, and Bar Oliver, among others. Get more information here.
Salumeria Rosi Is Back
Extreme weather and flooding caused the East Village’s Salumeria Rosi to shut down last July. We are happy to report that the Italian eatery will be back open, pulling shots of espresso, slicing prosciutto, and boiling pasta, starting on Tuesday, September 8 with the cafe and on Friday, September 11 with the full restaurant.
L’EVÈNTO della Settimana
The Italian hospitality and culinary brand, EVÈNTO has opened its first New York City flagship location in Tribeca. Housed in an historic three-story building, EVÈNTO consists of event spaces for cooking classes and pasta parties, private dining rooms, and a forthcoming restaurant called Anna that will focus on the cuisine of the regions of La Marche and Sicily.
It’s Going to Be Extra Fine
Coming into the world on Tuesday, October 6 is Booth’s Extra Fine, a sleek steakhouse with a vintage mid-century vibe in Williamsburg. The chef is Nick Pfannerstill (late of Cafe Boulud and Dovetail). Expect ice-cold martinis, perfectly broiled steaks, and old-school desserts.
Pop-Up at 68 Charlton
From now until Wednesday, September 30, 68 Charlton in west SoHo is going to be home to an omakase pop-up from private chef Tasuku Murakami. The in-house chef at the Dassai Brewery upstate, Murukami has also logged time in the kitchens around Japan and the United States, some of which were awarded a Michelin star. The omakase costs $295 and the pop-up is primarily open for business from Monday to Wednesday. Make a reservation on Tock.
This Week’s Closures
This week we are sad to say goodbye, farewell, so long to Food, the revitalized downtown Manhattan restaurant run by artist Lucien Smith. Also, we say arrivederci to Double Zero, the 12-year-old vegan pizzeria in the East Village from chef Matthew Kenney.
On the Menu
Have you ever wished the iconic New York City black-and-white cookies came in drinkable form, preferably laced with booze? This is your lucky week. Plus, there are some new and exciting menu items at Momofuku in Columbus Circle.
The Drinkable Black & White Cookie
The black and white cookie, that edible New York City institution beloved by New York-born denizens and associated with Zabar’s, has morphed into a cocktail. That’s right: head up to the View, the gently rotating restaurant 48 floors above Times Square, to sip a blend of Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey, SUYO Pisco, almond liqueur, cacao, vanilla, egg white, and cream. Each drink is topped halfway with black sesame to mimic the iconic cookie design. The libation costs $23 and is available only at the View’s bar and lounge from 4 p.m. to midnight. Make a reservation here.
Momofuku Goes Kimbap
Chef David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar has just launched a new kimbap menu with four different varieties: Philly Cheesesteak loaded with ribeye, cherry peppers, and fried shallots and then sprinkled with cheese sauce; fried chicken with barbecue sauce; tuna avocado that has a nice tempura crunch; and shiitake mushroom. The one rub is that the kimbap menu is only available at Momofuku Noodle Bar Uptown, the outlet at Columbus Circle.
A “Garden” Brunch
Le Jardin is a sleek, comfortable French-accented restaurant on the Lower East Side, and this weekend, it’s debuting brunch. The menu for the daytime Saturday and Sunday meal service includes a dozen different riffs on Eggs Benedict, Steak Frites, Croque Monsieur, and Pancakes. As a tribute to the culinary history of the Lower East Side, the brunch menu also includes the LES Pastrami Benedict, slow-smoked pastrami piled onto toasted rye and doused with hollandaise sauce.
Martini Mondays at Kees
Literally underground and speakeasy-ish West Village cocktail bar, Kees, has recently begun offering Martini Mondays. Every Monday until the end of October, stop into Kees where you can order a martini that is made via a four-foot-tall ice sculpture called a “martini luge.” It’s guaranteed to be ice cold.
Don’t Miss This Week
Need some dining out recommendations? Try these three hot spots, and make sure to check out the week’s events.
Thursday, September 10: The day has finally arrived: Thursday, September 10 at Brooklyn’s Industry City. It’s the RARE Steak Championship and I’ll be a judge. Come and feast on all-you-can-eat steak and slurp down classic cocktails and wine to pair with it all.
Friday, September 11: One thing New York City does right is blending good food and excellently crafted cocktails. There’s a new kid in town and I’ll be heading there this week. Meet Bar Etienne, located in the West Village. More of a bar with food, Etienne serves up Gallic-accented fare with worldly flair, plus very nicely shaken and stirred cocktails.
Saturday, September 12: Jazz wasn’t invented for brunch, nor was brunch invented to be eaten while listening to jazz. But yet they go together very well. Find out at the new live jazz brunch at the Wall Street Hotel. The new Jazz Brunch, taking place at the Lounge on Pearl, features a breakfast martini, various egg dishes, and lots of pancakes. The brunch is offered on Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Make a reservation here.
