Doctor Octopus

Greg sent us a news story about a crafty cephalopod named Otto who lives at an aquarium in Germany. A particularly blinding light bothered Otto so much that he squirted a jet of water up at the light to shut it off. Clever bugger! Otto also is a fan of redecorating the pad/tank even though his roommates aren’t. And he juggles hermit crabs.  Otto’s destructive tendencies coming out when he tosses rocks at the glass.

Octopuses are neato creatures, like jacks-of-all-trades. Or MacGuyvers I assume even though I didn’t watch MacGuyver. Their skin can change color, they shoot out ink, they’re squishy/boneless, they can lose limbs and regrow them, they possess strong beaks and poisonous saliva, they have sharp eyes and a sensitive sense of touch. Oddly enough, octopuses don’t live very long, only up to two years.

Continuing on this train of thought, octopuses are keen sea creatures with big brains, so to speak. Their heads only have a third of their brain, as the other two-thirds is contained in the legs. Their short lifespan is their downfall, otherwise they might have taken over the earth by now and be our masters.

Oh yeah, when I was young, “octopi” was the popular plural, but now it’s “octopuses.”

Octopuses: intelligent and yummy!

References

• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/common-octopus.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus

Pour some white sugar on me

As much as I love sucrose, aka sugar (but not sugar substitutes), I honestly do not know much about sugar, its 411 if you will. Wayne asked me what makes white sugar white, and I didn’t have the answer. For starters, I had no clue that sugar is sourced from a root called the sugar beet, as well as the more commonly known sugar cane. Beets are essentially sliced up and sugar cane slashed, and then they are juiced and the juice is purified. Molasses is the byproduct liquid you get during the crystallization process which follows purification.

White sugar isn’t bleached as one might expect. Crystals just look white because they are colorless. Brown sugar has molasses added: light brown sugar with less molasses and dark brown sugar with more molasses. If you are wondering about where raw sugar (turbinado sugar, those brown packets you sometimes see in the sugar box at restaurants) falls in this spectrum, this form of sugar has been partially processed so that the top layer of molasses has been washed away.

And there you have it. Sweet!

References

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_beet
• http://www.sugar.org/faqs/
• http://www.sugar.org/consumers/sweet_by_nature.asp?id=275

The obvious soundtrack for this post:

Bust out the blades of glory: it’s “ice” ice baby

Via office chatter, I learned that the American Museum of Natural History is planning to debut a futuristic sci-fi ice rink this fall/winter adjacent to the museum on the Upper West Side. Get this, the ice will not melt and does not need to be kept chilled nor needs to be Zambonied. How wicked is that? I want to try out this alien substance for sure, never mind the fact that I’m a klutzy skater. At this moment, there doesn’t appear to be much information on what exactly this stuff is. I guess there will be more scoop once the rink is about to actually open. Now they need to invent ice that prevents me from wobbling around and falling down.

While speaking of UWS-goings on, praised burger purveyor Shake Shack has opened up an outpost on the UWS this week. Still haven’t gone to the one in Madison Square Park. The line is just always there and a turn-off. It might be wishful thinking that this new Shake Shake won’t have a long line.  I need to try this burger!

Restaurant experiment: Tia Pol

Tia Pol

205 Tenth Avenue between 22nd and 23rd Streets

New York, NY 10011

212-675-8805

tiapol.com

Occasionally I get these mild desires for tapas. Because who doesn’t? The Spanish small plates are delectable, and you can sample lots of items. But after the bill arrives, I remind myself of how tapas are practically a scam: so little food for so much money. If your stomach’s the size of a grasshopper, you’re fine, but ravenous me needs more more more. So much for sticking to my budget.

On a crispy fall Saturday, Leslie and I made our way over to Tia Pol which is petite and unassuming across the street from boisterous big eateries with patios across the street. The place is small but we were on the early side so it wasn’t crowded, though it filled up by the time we left. Our duo sat at one of the tall black tables by the kitchen. I’m not sure why tall tables are in right now; I don’t like them. The staff are hipsters but are friendly and helpful.

There’s a brunch menu, but we opted for tapas which range in price from about $3 to $16. Leslie and I gobbled up:

• Croquetas de jamón ($4.50)–two small, verging-on-miniature deep fried balls of softness/cheese and ham bits. Not bad. Fresh out of the fryer, sizzling hot.
• Pinchos morunos ($6)–lamb skewers poked into a piece of bread, too salty, but at least the meat was tender.
• Paquetitos de jamón con alcachofa ($9)–Serrano ham enveloping artichokes and manchego cheese in neat little triangles. Hammy!
• Piquillos rellenos de ensaladilla rusa ($6)–”sweet peppers filled with Spanish potato salad topped with imported white tuna,” not a party in the mouth, but solid. The description reads like a picnic.
• Montadito de crema de habitas con beyos ($4)–beaten fava beans with a green hue and beyos cheese on toasted bread. Good one.
• Plato de queso combinado ($7.50)–cheese plate. I zoned out while the guy was describing the cheeses and accompaniments. One was manchego and one was a blue. There were also candied almonds, drunken cherries, and another sweet item that came in cube form. You can’t go wrong with a cheese plate.

As is the case with most New York restaurants, the food is appetizing but the tab is unappetizing. Darn you, tapas! How can I resist you?

Restaurant experiment: Craftbar

Craftbar

900 Broadway at 20th Street

New York, NY 10079

212-461-4300

craftrestaurant.com/craftbar.html

Even though ‘wichcraft didn’t particularly wow me, I gave Tom Colicchio another chance by dining at Craftbar with AmyL, who actually suggested we eat here. Craftbar and Perry St are very ying yang, with Perry St all white and airy and Craftbar dark and woody though spacious with a catwalk wine storage above and a private room downstairs. I still find it amusing when you’re asked if you have a reservation in restaurants that aren’t even packed. I don’t know if it was because it was Columbus Day, but lunch was pretty dead. Our waitress looked like she was sixteen which slightly distracted me. The complimentary herb breadsticks were crispy and yummy.

For my first course, I selected the white bean garlic crostini, capers, anchovies ($8). I should try making this for a party since all the components complement each other nicely; not only flavor-wise but texturally (whipped white bean, crunchy crostini). The main, I picked out the bucatini, manila clams, and red mustard greens ($18) despite not knowing what bucatini was/is. AmyL helpfully enlightened me, telling me that bucatini is pasta that is like spaghetti but with a hollow center. And there you have it. The dish was garlicky (luckily I was dining with AmyL and not a vampire) and pleasant. AmyL and I went the frozen route for desserts: she with spiced pear sorbet and me with coffee crunch ice cream. CCIC? It’s funny since I actually don’t drink much coffee but do love coffee-flavored treats. It didn’t disappoint, reminding me of an ice cream version of my beloved Trader Joe’s Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans. I was sold on Craftbar with the first and the dessert.

I’m taking baby steps. Maybe someday I can eat the granddaddy of them all, Craft itself. There’s also uncle Craftsteak, but after Peter Luger, I just don’t know.

Restaurant experiment: Westville East

Westville East

173 Avenue A at 11th Street

New York, NY 10009

212-677-2033

westvillenyc.com

Eating at the original Westville in the West Village has always been on my radar/at the back of my mind. Our trio accidentally stumbled upon Westville East in the East Village or what I like to call Eastville, and we decided to check it out. Unfortunately we couldn’t do so right away as there was a long waiting list. Why can’t these small restaurants be bigger?

The setup of Wesville East, aside from being cramped inside, is pleasant, almost like a country house with its white paint exterior and mossy trim. Lily, AmyL, and I were seated at a tall table. For a small restaurant, there seemed to be a ton of employees buzzing around. I was not daring and uncreatively ordered a burger with blue cheese and fries as a side. The cheeseburger is worthy, let me just say. Plus it comes on a Portuguese muffin which is a little different. These muffins closely resemble pancakes visually but might be more like denser English muffins.  Mmm mmm mmm.

If you’re in the East, go West young man, to Westville East!

Restaurant experiment: Perry St

Perry St

172 Perry Street at West Street

New York, NY 10014

212-352-1900

jean-georges.com

Are you drooling yet? Let’s start with the best part of any meal, dessert! Or we can be like one of those movies which tells a story in reverse. And now I present Perry St, another eatery in the Jean-Georges restaurant empire. The chef himself has a blog which is worth taking a peek at.

Perry St offers up a $24 lunch prix fixe every day of the week. Bargain indeed! It’s Michelin starred and everything too. The $24 includes two plates and dessert. You have a choice of either ricotta cheesecake or molten chocolate cake. Logical thought led AmyL and I to select the chocolate cake. Mmm, volcanic chocolate. Pretty to boot too, with the light minty-colored pistachio ice cream floating on pistachio crumbles. The photograph speaks for itself.

For plates, I wanted the shrimp and beef tartare, but the waiter broke the sad news that they were all out of beef tartare. Personally I’m in the group that believes waiters should tell you what’s not available as you receive your menu. Then I had to scramble to pick an alternate. It ended up being the Arctic char sashimi. I wasn’t sure what Arctic char was, but it looked and tasted just like salmon.

Fish note: Arctic char is related to both salmon and trout. It’s an eco-friendly fishy, farm raised, something you can feel green about eating.

The sashimi was jazzed up with lemon, olive oil, and crispy skin. Fabulous. If only the portion was bigger since fish isn’t all that heavy. The sauteed shrimp features baby artichokes and lemon fennel vinaigrette. The generous dash of herbs sprinkled on top enhanced the experience. Can’t go wrong with the seafood here at Perry St, and AmyL heartily liked her beets and slow cooked salmon.

AmyL kept ordering dishes that contained more food that me. But I ate the free bread and was decently satisfied.

As for non-edible aspects of Perry St, the spacious restaurant is practically all windows, meaning light galore. And the place sure likes white, though the white leather seat I was sitting on was losing the battle with dirt. The crowd was more business-power-lunch/meet-the-parents. Our waiter looked like a stereotypical geek right out of central casting with the curly fro and huge eyeglasses. He was keeping it real.

Restaurant experiment: Peter Luger

Peter Luger

178 Broadway at Driggs

Brooklyn, NY 11211

718-387-7400

peterluger.com

AmyL had been the champion of us eating at Peter Luger, the Michelin-starred, established-in-1887 steakhouse institution. She got us a 10:45pm reservation; if you’re planning on coming here, be sure to book about a month in advance for normal times. Peter Luger is not far from the subway, but the surrounding area is almost spooky dead. We met up with the Geneticist and his friends T and the Engineer and prepared ourselves to gouge on steak.

The waiter asked if we needed menus. The menu as you could imagine, is pretty bare bones. I copied AmyL and ordered the small single steak [medium] with French fried potatoes (approximately $32). I was not ravenous due to the big lunch, but I was hungry enough, opting not to fill up on bread which wasn’t receiving rave reviews from the table anyway. What also didn’t receive rave reviews was the world famous Peter Luger’s old fashioned steak sauce which was basically cocktail sauce. A1′s still #1 in my book. The other three decided to order steak for three, rare. I tried a bite of that. Very tuna tartare-like.

As you can see from my photo above, the steak was astronomically amazing. It didn’t even need sauce. So buttery and flavorful and meaty. A vegetarian’s nightmare! Just rented Tommy Boy so now I have that quotation about butchers and steaks in my head. It’s not exactly appropriate to repeat here.

Even though our stomachs were full of steak, we indulged in desserts. The rest of us hacked into a fat slice of cheesecake with homemade “schlag” (whipped cream), and T generously let us try her mango sorbet. Mmm.

From reviews on Yelp, I thought the waiters would be gruffer than they were. They were actually sort of friendly, but you got the feeling that they wouldn’t be bending over backwards to satisfy your every whim. However, they did toss silverware on the table, loud clatter. And they were trying to shoo us out so they could close; we were the last diners at the restaurant. Cash only is annoying. But you receive a shiny gold Peter Luger chocolate coin as a free dessert.

I got oily steak fat onto one of my favorite t-shirts. Oh well, if I had to stain a shirt, it might as well be from phenomenal cuts of cow.

Andy Samberg and Bill Hader from Saturday Night Live were at the next table. Sweet!

Restaurant experiment: Pacificana

Pacificana

813 55th Street at 8th Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11230

718-871-2880

www.sunset-park.com/mall/PACIFICANA/

I heart dim sum but don’t eat it all that much unfortunately. Plus I always feel as though I should go with someone who speaks the language, and I sure don’t. Alas. So when AmyL came to visit, we knew a dim sum experience was in order. I don’t know the names of the dishes and can only visually ID them. AmyL tried to teach me some names but I’m hopeless. I’ll use Wikipedia to try and name what I ate.

Even though we arrived at the Sunset Park restaurant past 2pm and the place itself occupies a massive second story space which was still bustling, we were seated promptly. It took a while for come carts to reach our table though. Luckily Pacificana rolls the carts until 4pm so we were safe. I tried one of Amy’s favorites, char siu sou which contains sweet meat enveloped in layers of shiny flaky pastry. I approved. There were my personal picks: rice noodle rolls with shrimp (the pork version just doesn’t compare) and shaomai (steamed pork dumplings).  Yummy.

The only letdown was the scallion pancake. I normally love scallion pancakes, but this one was lame: too chewy thick, cold. We only ate half.

Dessert of sorts was jin deui/matuan, those deep fried sesame balls with doughy centers and a core of sweet bean paste. Yum. Thumbs up for the jasmine tea too. The damage was reasonable (~$20 for the two of us), and we waddled out onto the street, in dire need of some strolling around to ease the stuffed feeling. Dim sum expert AmyL gave Pacificana her seal of approval.  Man, typing out this review makes me want dim sum for lunch right now!

Restaurant experiment: Burger Joint

Burger Joint

118 West 56th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, in the Le Parker Meridien

New York, NY 10019

212-708-7414

http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat4.php

“Head to the left, at the brown curtains.”

“Is there a sign?”

“No sign.  Brown box thing!”

So maybe I’m not the best person at instucting AmyL to make it into Burger Joint.  I should have just said, “Follow your nose” instead because once AmyC, Lily, and I stepped into the Le Parker Meridien’s gleaming and mirrored lobby, the phenomenal smell of burgers hit our olfactory systems right off the bat.

I know I claim to be not into all the popular eat stuff, but Burger Joint is the real deal.  It’s hidden away so that it’s not a place you would stumble upon by accident.  The line swells out the doorway quite often.  Celebrity autographs wallpaper the walls, and hand-decorated pieces of cardboard give you instructions on how to order and where to toss your trash.

Know what you want when you arrive at the counter.  Cash only.  Then if you manage to score a table, you wait until your name is called to devour your grilled goodness.  A bag of fries for $3.50 is a generous size to share with your pals.  Ah, the table situation.  WIth such a popular small establishment, you can imagine that table space is hard to score.  We literally pounced on one even as the previous diners were still getting into standing positions.  Later we had to endure two separate groups asking us when we would be leaving.  Really now, is that called for?  No.

Hamburger $7, cheeseburger $7.50.  If only they were a little bigger!  I could have eaten 1.5 cheeseburgers, glutton that I am.  I don’t know how to describe the cheeseburger to do it justice.  It just goes into your mouth and you savor the unadulterated patty and fixins.  

Annoying teenage boy to Amy and her burger: Are you going to eat that?

Lily (to us): I wish they would card here.

Burger Joint, why are you peddling $3 bottles of Evian?  I have to find that out the hard way.  Ugh, Evian.

Members of my party likened the burgers to In-N-Out.  High praise indeed.  ’nuff said.