NYC FOODIE CASTING OF THE WEEK: NBC'S "AMERICA'S NEXT GREAT RESTAURANT"

Hey Everyone!

If you have an idea for a new restaurant check out this casting notice from Magical Elves and NBC! Open casting call is this Friday in NYC!

Do you have an idea for America’s next great restaurant? Are you sitting on a billion dollar concept? If you think your restaurant idea has what it takes to go national and bring in millions of hungry Americans, read on...

From NBC and Magical Elves, the Emmy Award-nominated producers of "Project Runway" and "Top Chef," comes a big-event competition that will award one contestant the opportunity to see their idea turned into reality with a new restaurant chain opened in three cities across America! The contestants' fate will be decided by a panel of some of the most important names in both the dining and business worlds that will invest their own money in the final restaurant chain and have a huge stake in the ongoing success of the game's winner.

There are TWO options for you to apply:

1. Attend an OPEN CALL, at one of the cities below
2. Follow the directions on our website for SUBMIT BY MAIL instructions.

(Hint: pitching in person is fun.)

Please go to http://www.nbc.com/casting/ for all information, to download an application and pre-register for an open casting call at one of the eight stops on the nationwide casting bus tour. Along with a filled out and signed application and a photo-ID, we want you to bring anything you feel would help pitch your restaurant concept. Elements could be visual, edible, audible (jingle anyone?) or even wearable. . . Keep in mind you will have a limited time to pitch your idea, so make it count. 

You can also can follow the bus tour on Twitter @magicalelves, with photos and video available on nbc.com/america ’s-next-great-restaurant.

Good luck and have fun with it,

The Magical Elves Casting Team

OPEN CASTING CALLS FOR UNITED PLATES OF AMERICA:
NEW YORK
Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20
NBC Experience Store
30 Rockefeller Plaza

10am - 2pm

NYC FOODIE UPCOMING EVENT OF THE WEEK: FÊTE DE CAMPAGNE

Hey all you late night Foodies!

Check out the press release for this upcoming event:

Landmarc’s Chef Marc Murphy Invites You To
Fête de Campagne
A Midnight Feast
Presented by Time Warner Center’s Culinary Club, Circle of Taste

WHAT: Savor the rustic flavors and classic tradition of the Fête de Campagne, a French country feast that has long been a favorite of Chef Marc Murphy.

Join Chef Murphy as he hosts his take on this convivial celebration, transporting guests to rural France through a midnight sampling of assorted house made sausages and charcuterie, goose fat fries with aioli, a variety of French cheeses, mussels in white wine, smoky bacon tarte flambé, a selection of sweet crêpes, French desserts and much more.

Guests will toast to the fête with ample amounts of wine and beer, as well as enjoy the French Pearl, a special cocktail honoring this lively and festive occasion.

WHERE: Landmarc
10 Columbus Circle, 3rd floor
NY, NY 10019
Columbus Circle and 59th Street
Subways: 1, A,B,C,D

WHEN: Friday, March 12, 2010 at Midnight

PRICE: $75 per ticket (includes food, beverages taxes & gratuity) Go towww.circleoftaste.com to purchase tickets

NYC FOODIE UPCOMING COOL EVENT: CIRCLE OF TASTE'S "THE BEST OF BEEF AND THE BEAUTY OF BAROLO AT PORTER HOUSE NEW YORK

For all you foodies who love beef and wine, check out this cool event in February:

Circle of Taste
Porter House New York
The Best of Beef & The Beauty of Barolo
February 9, 2010; Dinner begins at 7pm
$175 pp; all inclusive

Circle of Taste Member - You are invited to reserve your seat for an exclusive dinner of Beef & Barolo at Porter House New York with Chef Michael Lomonaco and Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn. Experience a one-of-a kind menu of the best of American beef and Italian Barolo wines. Indulge in robust, hand-crafted Barolo wines paired with a bold steakhouse-inspired menu celebrating exceptional cuts of beef in modern preparations.

The expertly selected chef’s menu will offer the best of American beef including poached filet mignon, succulent short ribs and dry aged prime rib among other flavorful Barolo-inspired presentations.

All the wines will be a selection of highly sought after and difficult to acquire Barolo wines produced in limited quantities. The selection of rich, deeply concentrated full-bodied wines of Italy’s Barolo region will be curated and presented by Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn from Porter House New York.

Guests will experience this remarkable evening within Porter House New York’s intimate Wine Cellar.

Surprise your Valentine early with this delicious and delightful evening for two.

MENU
Porter House New York
Chef /Partner Michael Lomonaco and Roger Dagorn MS
invite you to
Celebrate the Glory
of
BEEF & BAROLO
February 9, 2010
In A multi course tasting menu

Erpacrife Nebbiolo Metrodo Tradicionale

Bollito Misto
Tender poached filet mignon,
cotechino sausage & salsa verde

La Querciola Barolo Donna Bianca 2004 ‘cru Costa di Rose’

Brasato al Barolo
Homemade Pappardelle Pasta, Braised Beef Short Ribs
Scarzello Barolo 2004 ‘cru Sarmassa’

Arrosto di Costata
Roasted Dry Aged Prime Rib of Beef
Cascina Ebreo, Torbido VDT 2001 ‘Novello di Monforte’

DESSERT
Torta al cioccolato alle pere
Pears with mascarpone and chocolate
Ca’de’ Mandorli, Brachetto d’Acqui 2008

175. all inclusive
Michael Ammirati Chef de Cuisine

BON APPETIT!

NYC FOODIE CHINATOWN RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK: XI'AN FAMOUS FOODS

Friday afternoon I grabbed a quick lunch at Xi'an Famous foods in Chinatown, the third outpost (first in Manhattan) of the popular Flushing restaurant, that was visited by Anthony Bourdain on his show "No Reservations". I read a brief write up about this spot by Sam Sifton, restaurant reviewer of the New York Times, and it definitely seemed worthy of a trip.

The place is really just for take-out, it is extremely small. There is maybe enough space for three people to eat on a small metal counter, so don't come here expecting to sit comfortably. I will tell you that what I ordered was powerful, flavorful, and great!

I had the savory cumin lamb burger with jalapenos, onions, and scallions, and stuffed into a crispy warm bun. For $2.50, this not only one of the best bangs for my buck I have ever had, it was also one of the best "burgers" I have ever had. There was so much flavor packed into this bun I was completely satisfied.

I also ordered the spicy and tingly beef hand-pulled noodles for $5.00. This was spice-boiled slices of beef served with their house hot sauce and Chinese pepper powder with hand-pulled noodles. Again, this was a great dish with a lot of powerful flavor. This dish was not for the weak though, it was pretty spicy and did make me tingle with sweat, but it was great! The noodles were perfectly cooked too, made right in front of me, so I saw how fresh they were.

NYC FOODIE UPCOMING EVENT: TASTE OF AUSTRALIA

Hey all you foodies out there, check out this upcoming event next week:

What: ‘A Taste of Australia’ - truly interesting and unique Australian foods
Where: The Food Emporium locations around Manhattan
When: January 15-30, 2010
Why: G'DAY USA Australia Week
Who: Australian Made, Australian Grown in conjunction with G’DAY USA

www.australia-week.com

CHEERS MATES!

NYC FOODIE MEAL OF THE YEAR (ONE OF THE TOP OF MY LIFE) : MAREA

Last night I found out there is a God. And that God's name is Chef Michael White, chef/co-owner of Marea, the new Italian seafood restaurant on Central Park South. In what used to house San Domenico, is now a beautiful space with mind-blowing food. I had an amazing meal from Chef White at Alto last year, so I knew I was in for a treat. I told him to choose all the courses, putting my culinary fate in his hands. And by the end of the meal I was basically in Heaven. Here we go...

I love oysters. I've been eating them for around 28 out of my 29 years, (surprisingly, I wasn't that good at slurping from age 0-1) and I'm telling you the oysters ($3.50each) I had at Marea were the BEST I've ever had! 

Ricci ($14), sea urchin, lardo, and sea salt crostini gave me a nice orgasm, early in the meal, but much appreciated. Amazing.

A tasting of Marea's crudo was so perfect, calling it perfect would be an understatement. Each bite was whimsical. I almost-I did begin to tear.

Passera ($15), Long Island fluke, lemon thyme, ligurian olive oil, Capesante ($16), scallop, orange, wild fennel, arugula, and Tonno ($16), bigeye tuna, oyster crema, crispy artichokes.

A tasting of Marea's crudo was so perfect, calling it perfect would be an understatement. Each bite was whimsical. I almost-I did begin to tear.

Passera ($15), Long Island fluke, lemon thyme, ligurian olive oil, Capesante ($16), scallop, orange, wild fennel, arugula, and Tonno ($16), bigeye tuna, oyster crema, crispy artichokes.

Lancia ($18), blue marlin, sturgeon caviar, mussel vinaigrette, and Vongole ($17, geoduck clam, fresh chilies, lemon.

An amuse bouche of a puree with shrimp and a crispy parsnip tickled and teased my palate ever so simply and beautifully.

Then came the Astice ($24), nova scotia lobster, burrata, eggplant al funghetto, basil. This was my new friend, such a pleasure meeting, I wanted to hang out with him all night long. This dish I will never forget. Unbelievable! At this point of the meal I could almost see the light.

Alas, it was time for the pasta courses.

Ferratini ($28), with manila clams, calamari, and hot chilies was linguini with clams taken to another level. The most perfectly cooked pasta, with the freshest seafood, and a kick from the chilies, tugged on the strings of my heart. I was falling in love. I could have sworn that an Elton John song was about to start playing.

If I hadn't fallen in love after the Ferratini, then after this next dish, I was about to go down the block to Tiffanys and Harry Winston and get 4-carats.

Fusilli ($28), with red wine braised octopus, and bone marrow, was sweet, tasty, and like my dream girl. I wanted to take it home right then and there. This dish was phenomenal.

A Branzino ($36), wild striped bass, brocolli rabe, lentils, and carmelized onion, was pitch-perfect fantastic.

I believe in true love. I agree with the Beatles when they say "All you need is Love." But until I find that one true love, Marea is all I need. I suggest you go soon too, you might not fall in love, but you'll definitely have some culinary orgasms with some heavenly food.

Marea
240 Central Park South (bet. Broadway and 7th Ave)
New York, NY 10019
212-582-5100
www.marea-nyc.com

NYC FOODIE CHINATOWN RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK: TASTY HAND-PULLED NOODLES

I have written about Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles before, it even made my top 5 meals of 2009. I had an amazing experience there with Food Network stars Guy Fieri and Anne Burrell a few months ago, too. I feel compelled to write about this place once again, for I was there this past Saturday, and my mind was blown, again. These are the best noodles in NYC! 

For five or six dollars a dish, it is such an amazing bang for your buck, and the food is exceptional! On my latest visit, my foodie companion and I ordered knife cut noodles with chicken and shrimp, hand cut noodles with roast duck, and pork and vegetable dumplings (I love dumplings!).

Both noodles dishes were jaw-dropping amazing! The noodles are made-to-order, so it is the freshest noodles you can possibly get. The duck was juicy, tasty, and perfectly cooked. And after each bite I took of each dish, I was in noodle heaven. The dumplings were perfect too.

If you like noodles, you need to get to Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles as soon as possible. It will be a life altering experience, trust me.

Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles
1 Doyers St. (bet. Pell and Bowery)
New York, NY 10013
212-791-1817

NYC FOODIE CHINATOWN RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK: PHO BANG

Last night I grabbed a pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) at Pho Bang, a Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown that is supposed to have some of the best pho in town. My good friend, "the pho lover", swears by the pho at a spot called Cong Ly, a Chinatown restaurant I frequent with him often. It is a great little Vietnamese restaurant, with authentic and fabulous Vietnamese cuisine. I was excited to check out the pho ($5.50) at Pho Bang (which NY Magazine named one of its 50 best soups) and see if it could compare to Cong Ly's. The typical pho comes with rice noodles, beef soup, eye of round, brisket, tendon, and omosa (all different types of beef). This is the pho I always order, including here at Pho Bang.

After one spoonful I will tell you that this could be the best pho I had ever had. The soothing broth plus the fresh meat made this the perfect pho. I was in pho heaven! So for some of the best pho in town, Pho Bang is truly "bangin". Just "Pho!"

Pho Bang
157 Mott St. (bet. Grand and Brome)
New York, NY 10013
212-966-3797

NYC FOODIE DEMO OF THE WEEK: STUART AND WELCH AT MACY'S

The demo of the week actually took place last month, but I never got around to writing about it until now. I was invited to the Cellar of Macy's for a demonstration by Chef Kaegan Welch, one half of the catering company Stuart & Welch. (Michael Steifman is the other half, and managing partner.)

Chef Welch demonstrated a great recipe of braised short rib with cauliflower, brussel sprouts, grapes, and red wine miso jus. It was a delicious, tasty, and inspired dish.

www.stuartandwelch.com

NYC FOODIE CHINATOWN RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK: EXCELLENT PORK CHOP HOUSE

Every week I will be highlighting a new Chinatown restaurants, for there are so many great hidden treasures in Chinatown, which is a whole other world. 

This week's pick is Excellent Pork Chop House, a Chinese restaurant on my favorite NYC block, Doyers Street. I had walked by this spot many times, and it is also right next to one of my favorite restaurants in all of NYC, Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles.

Like most of the restaurants in Chinatown, the decor is nonexistent. The food is where it's at, and I definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone. It is also another "great bang for your buck"! 

My Chinatown partner and I had the wonton in spicy oil ($3.50), pork chop over rice ($5.25), and beef stew noodle soup ($5.75). All these dishes, as the restaurant's name hints, were "excellent"! And once again, the bill was less then $20!

Excellent Pork Chop House
3 Doyers St.
New York, NY 10013
212-791-7007
www.excellentporkchophouse.com