According to WebMD, an apple a day indeed keeps the doctor away. All the more reason to visit Fauchon right now: the Park Avenue location is featuring a celebration of the fine fruit. Interspersed among the various goodies in the display are bits of apple-related trivia; for example, did you know that there are over 15,000 varieties of apples?
If you are an apple aficionado, here are some of the delights that Fauchon (Note: NYC store closed) has in store for you: Normandy cider vinegar, Pippin apple juice, green apple tea, apple bonbons, Golden Delicious apple preserves, apple compote, and sparkling apple quince juice.
If apples are not your cup of green apple tea, then make sure to try the macarons in chocolate, chocolate raspberry and pistachio. There are also pastries of all sorts, sandwiches, chocolates, pâtés de fruits, marzipans, and one of the most creative arrays of condiments that I have ever seen. The condiments include an entire shelf devoted to mustards in exotic flavors like cocoa, Roquefort, and violet. And don't miss the milk jams.
Fauchon: 442 Park Ave. (212) 308-5919.
Tuesday, September 17, 2002
Sunday, September 15, 2002
Chocolate Overload
Yesterday, my internal compass pointed straight towards "chocolate". I was first led to Park Slope's Beso (CLOSED as of Dec. 2007), which served a sublime chocolate crema catalana. This huge bowl of dense cocoa mousse was accompanied by a hot, eggy cinnamon churro (fried donut). Powdered sugar drifted from the churro into the cool chocolate cream, and I swooned with pleasure between each bite.
A couple hours later, of course, this blissful memory had faded, and the next leg of my journey began. The aforementioned compass led me to the Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland store at Rockefeller Center, where chocolates are prepared in Zürich and flown to New York every week. I admired the various truffles in flavors of orange, cocoa, almond, walnut, kirsch, and nougat. There were also dainty chocolates shaped like animals. My admiration soon surpassed the visual as I bit into a large chunk of dark chocolate marzipan.
Continuing northward towards the Upper East Side, I couldn't pass by Neuhaus without walking in. This Belgian chocolatier has been delighting patrons since 1857. I entered the shop under the pretext of buying a gift, but I found additional reasons to be there once inside! Among them, dark chocolate-covered orange peels: sunbursts of citrus flavor enrobed with some of the deepest, richest chocolate I have ever tasted, and crunchy cacao nib-studded dark chocolate squares. The truffle selection included a cognac buttercream covered with thin almond slices and a classic chocolate buttercream sprinkled with cocoa powder.
My compass does not lead me astray, wouldn't you agree?
Beso: 210 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn. (718) 622-9894. Teuscher: 620 5th Ave., Rockefeller Center. (212) 246-4416. Neuhaus: 922 Madison Ave. (212) 861-2800.
A couple hours later, of course, this blissful memory had faded, and the next leg of my journey began. The aforementioned compass led me to the Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland store at Rockefeller Center, where chocolates are prepared in Zürich and flown to New York every week. I admired the various truffles in flavors of orange, cocoa, almond, walnut, kirsch, and nougat. There were also dainty chocolates shaped like animals. My admiration soon surpassed the visual as I bit into a large chunk of dark chocolate marzipan.
Continuing northward towards the Upper East Side, I couldn't pass by Neuhaus without walking in. This Belgian chocolatier has been delighting patrons since 1857. I entered the shop under the pretext of buying a gift, but I found additional reasons to be there once inside! Among them, dark chocolate-covered orange peels: sunbursts of citrus flavor enrobed with some of the deepest, richest chocolate I have ever tasted, and crunchy cacao nib-studded dark chocolate squares. The truffle selection included a cognac buttercream covered with thin almond slices and a classic chocolate buttercream sprinkled with cocoa powder.
My compass does not lead me astray, wouldn't you agree?
Beso: 210 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn. (718) 622-9894. Teuscher: 620 5th Ave., Rockefeller Center. (212) 246-4416. Neuhaus: 922 Madison Ave. (212) 861-2800.
Monday, September 09, 2002
Brunch at Max Court (Closed)
You may wonder, “Is it still possible to get a satisfying brunch in Brooklyn for $4.95?” I must inform you that the answer is a resounding yes!
Yesterday, a friend and I were hungry and hot, walking around Carroll Gardens. We weren’t having any luck finding brunch; Panino’teca 275 was inexplicably closed, and Copper was being renovated. But I knew that an oasis of yumminess was right around the corner, so I smiled knowingly when my friend wondered if our final destination would be worth the journey.
Enter Max Court, the charming restaurant that seems as though it were your Italian best friend’s apartment. Our host showed us to a lovely garden festooned with Danesi parasols. Although the temperature was in the 90s, several fans cooled things off in the garden.
My friend gasped at the low prices on the menu. A frittata of potato and white onion went for $5.95, while our choice, the mozzarella in carozza, cost only $4.95. The rich egg toast, oozing with melted mozzarella, was accompanied by a large portion of rosemary-roasted potatoes and a big mesclun salad with plum tomatoes. Other items on the brunch menu included eggs scrambled with pancetta, mozzarella and parmigiano, and uova ripiene, hard-boiled eggs stuffed with sardines, olives, capers and mustard.
We lingered enjoyably over our cappuccino and tiramisú, as no one rushed us.
(My friend remarked that Rosewater charged twice as much for brunch while delivering half the amount of food. And recently, I have found the service at Rosewater particularly inhospitable, especially when I am dining alone. So for a tranquil, equally tasty Sunday brunch, I recommend going the extra mile to Max Court!)
Max Court: 395 Court St., Brooklyn. (718) 596-9797. Delicious brunch available Sat.-Sun. 11-4.
Yesterday, a friend and I were hungry and hot, walking around Carroll Gardens. We weren’t having any luck finding brunch; Panino’teca 275 was inexplicably closed, and Copper was being renovated. But I knew that an oasis of yumminess was right around the corner, so I smiled knowingly when my friend wondered if our final destination would be worth the journey.
Enter Max Court, the charming restaurant that seems as though it were your Italian best friend’s apartment. Our host showed us to a lovely garden festooned with Danesi parasols. Although the temperature was in the 90s, several fans cooled things off in the garden.
My friend gasped at the low prices on the menu. A frittata of potato and white onion went for $5.95, while our choice, the mozzarella in carozza, cost only $4.95. The rich egg toast, oozing with melted mozzarella, was accompanied by a large portion of rosemary-roasted potatoes and a big mesclun salad with plum tomatoes. Other items on the brunch menu included eggs scrambled with pancetta, mozzarella and parmigiano, and uova ripiene, hard-boiled eggs stuffed with sardines, olives, capers and mustard.
We lingered enjoyably over our cappuccino and tiramisú, as no one rushed us.
(My friend remarked that Rosewater charged twice as much for brunch while delivering half the amount of food. And recently, I have found the service at Rosewater particularly inhospitable, especially when I am dining alone. So for a tranquil, equally tasty Sunday brunch, I recommend going the extra mile to Max Court!)
Max Court: 395 Court St., Brooklyn. (718) 596-9797. Delicious brunch available Sat.-Sun. 11-4.
Wednesday, September 04, 2002
Pessimists Eat Pickles
An intriguing article just made me aware of the perfectionism of Doritos eaters and the joie de vivre of those who prefer vanilla ice cream. What is your food personality?
Sunday, September 01, 2002
Brunch at the Palace Hotel (and Japanese Treats)
My mother remarked that in New York City, some of the finest meals can be enjoyed at hotel restaurants. So, we decided to brunch at Istana in the Palace Hotel. (Le Cirque 2000 can also be found at this location.)
Although not cheap, the prix fixe breakfast includes an all-you-can-eat dessert bar. I greatly enjoyed my plate of smoked salmon, decorated with a "blossom" of brioche toast points. The "pistil" of the flower was a dollop of red pepper crème fraîche topped with a small portion of osetra caviar. Also satisfying was a tomato scallion omelette served with a watercress salad and fried oysters. The star of the show, however, was the dessert buffet. All desserts are baked on the premises; today the array of sweets included a butterscotch pudding, two types of chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, fig tart, lemon-lime meringue pie, black bottom crème brûlée, fruits in Grand Marnier with whipped cream, and petits fours. Many desserts were adorned with summer fruits; strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
I decided that I needed a little exercise after this indulgence, so I strolled over to Minamoto Kitchoan, the excellent Japanese bakery. (A few days ago, I was surprised to see a branch of this delightful shop on Piccadilly in London.) Many sweets are seasonal; right now, I can recommend the imo kintsuba, sweet potato fudge. There is also a hakuto jelly, which is like the freshest essence of a summer peach. I rounded out my purchase with a couple tsuya, pancakes filled with sweet red bean paste. In London's Kitchoan, you can sit down and enjoy afternoon green tea with your treat; I hope that the New York store eventually offers a table for this activity, although I am not optimistic (we just don't know how to relax in this town).
I was so full after all of this that I had no room left to sample some acarajé (bean fritters) or cachaça (Brazilian sugar cane liquor) at the 18th Annual Brazilian Day Festival on 6th Avenue. I guess I'll have to wait until next year.
Palace Hotel: 455 Madison Ave. (800) NY-PALACE. Minamoto Kitchoan: 608 Fifth Ave. (212) 489-3747.
Although not cheap, the prix fixe breakfast includes an all-you-can-eat dessert bar. I greatly enjoyed my plate of smoked salmon, decorated with a "blossom" of brioche toast points. The "pistil" of the flower was a dollop of red pepper crème fraîche topped with a small portion of osetra caviar. Also satisfying was a tomato scallion omelette served with a watercress salad and fried oysters. The star of the show, however, was the dessert buffet. All desserts are baked on the premises; today the array of sweets included a butterscotch pudding, two types of chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, fig tart, lemon-lime meringue pie, black bottom crème brûlée, fruits in Grand Marnier with whipped cream, and petits fours. Many desserts were adorned with summer fruits; strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
I decided that I needed a little exercise after this indulgence, so I strolled over to Minamoto Kitchoan, the excellent Japanese bakery. (A few days ago, I was surprised to see a branch of this delightful shop on Piccadilly in London.) Many sweets are seasonal; right now, I can recommend the imo kintsuba, sweet potato fudge. There is also a hakuto jelly, which is like the freshest essence of a summer peach. I rounded out my purchase with a couple tsuya, pancakes filled with sweet red bean paste. In London's Kitchoan, you can sit down and enjoy afternoon green tea with your treat; I hope that the New York store eventually offers a table for this activity, although I am not optimistic (we just don't know how to relax in this town).
I was so full after all of this that I had no room left to sample some acarajé (bean fritters) or cachaça (Brazilian sugar cane liquor) at the 18th Annual Brazilian Day Festival on 6th Avenue. I guess I'll have to wait until next year.
Palace Hotel: 455 Madison Ave. (800) NY-PALACE. Minamoto Kitchoan: 608 Fifth Ave. (212) 489-3747.
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