Pio Maya (CLOSED as of 7/08)

I did something I'm not proud of tonight. I may have offended everyone around me. What did I do?

I... ate on the subway. (A while ago, the MTA was considering fines for this, but apparently, it's still legal. Still, some people equate such an action with eating in a public restroom.)

But I simply could not help myself. After picking up a to-go order at Pio Maya, I'd tightly closed the bag. But as I waited for an F train, my hand crept into the containers of thick, unsalted warm tortilla chips and the super-fresh, chunky green guacamole. The train arrived, I looked around for a two-seater in an unoccupied part of the car and hurriedly sat down. (The woman behind me glared at me; she'd obviously coveted the same seat. I don't know why, as she wasn't going to eat anything. However, she did stretch out her legs and put her feet on the seat in front of her.)

Casting a furtive glance around me, I took out the shrimp taco. Lots of grilled shrimp and spicy pico de gallo were nestled inside doubled corn tortillas, a nice touch. Still, the whole thing was a mess; lettuce and tomato and shrimp spilled out. I hoped no one was watching. It didn't take me very long to polish everything off.

The next time I go to Pio Maya, I intend to eat in. The place has been renovated; the prep kitchen is now hidden, and black leather banquettes have been installed. So, just in case you were on my F train tonight, what can I say - I'm sorry, it won't happen again.

Pio Maya: 40 West 8th St., (212) 254-2277.

The Sunburnt Cow

Here's something to sweeten the start of the workweek. On Mondays, cocktails are only $5 at The Sunburnt Cow, a four-year-old Aussie restaurant/bar. The whimsical, tropical drinks are enough to brighten the most severe Monday funk. (They are also strong enough to make you forget how much you are eating!)

A friend and I visited the Cow last night, and it was impossible not to fall in love with the straight-out-of-Cavemen decor, the jovial staff and the $16 three-course "counter menu."

We started with drinks (of course)...mango-infused vodka with pineapple and the signature Sunburnt - fresh strawberries blended with passionfruit tequila. The effects started to kick in after a salad of greens, red onions, cherry tomatoes and blackberries, and a bowl of calamari sprinkled with diced kiwi (yes, kiwi) and jalapeno dip. (The dip was rather mild; I like to be stung! but the calamari were nice and tender.)

My friend had initially decided upon the roo bangers and mash (yes, real kangaroo!) but changed her mind when Karen, our delightful server, recommmended the mutton stew. This hearty dish ended up being our favorite of the evening. It contained carrots so sweet and soft we thought they were yams, caramelized onions, cubed potatoes, a rich, meaty sauce enhanced with red wine, and mutton that melted in one's mouth like butter... the perfect comforting winter stew.

Unfortunately for me, I was getting rather sloshed -it doesn't take much. But I still enjoyed my fish burger - a white-fleshed barramundi filet, moist inside its thick coating of beer batter - and a pile of hand-cut fries. (There are other burgers too...chicken schnitzel, lamb, veggie, and a sky-high beef burger topped with bacon, cheese, egg, pineapple and beetroot.)

The dessert menu contained three items: pavlova, sticky date pudding and "Lamingtons" coconut chocolate sponge cake cubes. We ordered the latter two. The warm date pudding was like eating pure caramel, and it was great with the strong coffee. (The coffee! I wasn't expecting such good coffee. "Coffee is a big thing in Melbourne and Sydney," explained Karen.) We thought the other dessert was reminiscent of a Mounds bar. I had to take the remainder home for my companion, whose sweet tooth actually exceeds mine.

Although I am feeling the results of my Monday excess on this Tuesday morning, there's always Wednesday...

The Sunburnt Cow: 137 Avenue C, (212) 529-0005. Check the Website for upcoming events, including a wild, two-restaurant party with a bus shuttling between The Sunburnt Cow and sister establishment Bondi Road on November 29.

Sake Bar Hagi

You've gotta love a sake bar that sells "chopstick helpers" and pre-bender hangover prevention supplements. I needed neither tonight, as I'm adept with chopsticks and was interested in eating instead of drinking. (Next time for sake and shochu!) But there were plenty of goodies for me to capture in my chopsticks, and non-alcoholic beverages like iced oolong tea.

I had no idea what to order. Spicy cod roe dumplings? Hokke (a Japanese fish)? Sea urchin sashimi? And those were just the specials. The main menu included lots of grilled items, appetizers and salads. First I decided on the Japanese eggplant... grilled till creamy and topped with a healthy portion of smoky shredded bonito flakes. I garnished each piece with a bit of soy sauce and minced ginger.

The special sea eel tempura came with the most addictive yuzu salt. I could eat this salt with anything, or even by itself. The citrus flavor went perfectly with the rich, lightly fried fish, of which there were a half dozen slabs.

Then... (when you can't decide, just order more!) a large pile of "mentaiko cream," or spicy cod roe spaghetti in cream sauce, arrived under a pile of shredded nori. This dish was the only one that I didn't completely adore, as there was a large amount of mayonnaise in the sauce.

Dessert was taiyaki, or a fried sweet pancake in the shape of a fish, stuffed with hot, sweet red beans ("Have you tried taiyaki?" asked the waiter, hesitantly. "Have I ever!" I replied). This version was accompanied by black sesame ice cream and whipped cream with sliced strawberries. Delicious!

I can't wait to return to Hagi.

(A tip... ever since Anthony Bourdain discovered this place, it's been mobbed almost every night. But if you come in on a Sunday, preferably before 7 p.m., you'll find ample room at the bar and several empty tables.)

Sake Bar Hagi: 152 West 49th St., (212) 764-8549.

Sweets News

• If you're a foodie, then you might find the West 30s around 7th Avenue rather desolate. But an unlikely little oasis opened today at 36th and 7th: MacarOn (no, that's not a typO). Tomorrow (Friday), owner Arnaud Cannone will serve up chocolate, strawberry and pistachio macarons for the first time. (Today, he was baking them.) (MacarOn: 485 7th Ave., 646-573-5048.)


• I'm not an Amex cardholder, but if you are, there's something SWEET in store for you tomorrow! American Express is holding a "SWEET" event from 9 pm–1 am at 269 11th Ave (btw 27th & 28th). More info at nycwineandfoodfestival.com.

Sushi Yasu

"We couldn't believe it when people started calling and asking for reservations," said Yuki as she poured our green tea. "We were just a fish market with three chairs!"

Now, Sushi Yasu has 12 or so chairs. And every day, native Okinawan Yasuji Hirashiki travels to Hunts Point to choose the perfect fish for the occupants of these chairs. Last night, there were sweet dayboat scallops in my sushi deluxe.

(There wasn't any natto (fermented soybeans). "Natto?!" exclaimed Yasuji. "That would clear the place out! Natto to most Americans is like blue cheese to many Japanese." "I like natto and blue cheese!" I replied.)

There were plenty of other goodies. Toro, sea urchin, salmon roe, and for those who eschew raw fish, the "Yellowstone Roll" (tempura fish in spicy sauce). My companion and I were thrilled to have happened upon such an excellent sushi dinner on an unexpected street.

So, for those Forest Hillsers who mourn the loss of Mickey's, and Astorians who miss Shima and are willing to travel, here's a great Queens sushi option for you. (Just don't take my chair!)

Sushi Yasu: 71-45 Yellowstone Blvd., Forest Hills, (718) 544-0942.

Sweets News: Cupcakes!

• So, you work on Wall Street. When you have a chocolate craving, you run to Christopher Norman or Leonidas. You frequent Financier Patisserie when you hanker for a madeleine. But up until now, you haven't been able to find a decent cupcake. Well, that will change on Tuesday, Nov. 13: Crumbs Bake Shop will open a new location at 87 Beaver Street! Even better, on Friday, Nov. 16, the bakery is treating the first 1,000 customers to a complimentary cupcake. (I wonder, would they recognize me if I came back in multiple disguises?)
  


• In other cupcake news, you can now order Kyotofu's award-winning Valrhona chocolate souffle cupcakes online; the bakery has launched an online retail product store. Buy two dozen cupcakes and get two free!

The 10th Annual Chocolate Show

The Chocolate Show is somewhat scaled back from last year, but there's still plenty to see and sample. The chocolates' origins range from the outer boroughs to the farthest reaches of the globe.

Among the local offerings are Rhinebeck's Oliver Kita chocolates and our beloved Jacques Torres. I regret to inform you that Jacques Torres is not serving the famous hot chocolate this year. You will have to console yourself with a chocolate-chip cookie. The cookie boasts a dark chocolate chunk in every bite, but I do hope the hot chocolate will be reinstated in the future.

Sweetbliss is selling strike-proof NYC cabs made of chocolate, and Chocolat Moderne, which is located on West 20th St., is offering unique Greek (kalamata olive, walnut baklava) and Japanese-inspired (shiso, soy-miso) chocolates. The West Village's Peanut Butter & Co. is selling brand-new dark chocolate peanut butter cups for the first time... they're not even available in the store yet! The newest local chocolate company has to be Brooklyn Fudge, which just incorporated on October 31. Their fudge comes in exotic flavors like dark wasabi pecan. And you can't get much more local than Mad Mac NYC. This company will deliver chocolate-orange macarons to your door!

Now to some of the foreign highlights. Coppeneur of Germany (now available at your local Food Emporium) is featuring chili pepper cocoa beans and chocolate bars in such exotic flavors as mango lassi. Mary's Chocolate of Japan has introduced a new line of chocolates with Japanese ingredients: purple sweet potato, soybean flour, Japanese plum, azuki bean, green tea, and black sesame ganache. Comptoir du Cacao is here from France with delicate praline feuillete. (The Comptoir du Cacao stand is cash-only! Make sure to visit the ATM before you arrive at the Chocolate Show... not only do many vendors not accept credit cards, but the admission is payable only in cash.)

In the unlikely event that you have dragged a health nut to the Chocolate Show, take her to Dina's Organic Chocolate on the way out. Dina's Chocolate is 100% organic, dairy-free, and almost devoid of sugar. But if neither of you are health nuts, go over to Luv's Brownies for a hot heart-shaped brownie with loads of little chocolate chips.

(Finally, if you're a thirsty bird, bring a bottle of water with you, as it'll cost you more after you enter the show - just like at the airport).

Happy chocolate-eating!

The 10th Annual Chocolate Show, Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th St., November 9-11.

Amai Tea & Bake House (CLOSED AS OF 4/19/09)

I have a free-floating scone obsession. It first attached itself to the oat scones at Balthazar Bakery. Then, it was transferred to the buttered walnut scone at Cheeks. (That scone is lovely with an apple slice and a bit of cheddar.) After that, there was the sugarless fruit scone at Joe Coffee. My obsession briefly morphed into a muffin obsession, which was satisfied only by the diminutive maple muffins at Kyotofu. But today, in full force, it returned to its original manifestation when I entered the new Amai Tea & Bake House.

I had been watching the space for ages, ever since I first caught sight of the owner's popular Lovescool blog, which announced the impending opening of the cafe. Finally I went in tonight, and became starry-eyed with scones! Earl Grey currant? Greenmarket cheddar with pepper? Vanilla bean? I thought I would go insane. And then there was the lavender butter...

(... and dark chocolate brownies, and quince chocolate brownies, and green tea cupcakes with nice big swirls of green buttercream on top, and butternut squash tarts adorned with pumpkin seeds, and chocolate espresso tarts...)

Did I mention they serve tea?

Amai Tea & Bake House: 171 3rd Ave., (212) 863-9630.

Taste of New York 2007

"What do you mean, there's another room?"

I looked at my friends HungryMan and Nosher in amazement. I could barely get my mind around all that was going on in the room we were standing in. Wylie Dufresne of WD-50 was dishing out popcorn soup, the 9-week-old Los Dados Restaurant was frying up churros and dipping them in dulce de leche and chocolate, Morimoto was passing out yellowtail pastrami, Buddakan was offering miniature red-pepper-spiced bigeye tuna spring rolls with scallions and chives. The folks at Allen & Delancey had just explained to us that a "puree soubise" was made of sweet white onions (it tasted lovely with the salmon-roe and pickled lemon-topped onion knishes). We'd also eaten oxtail croquettes, grape leaves, buttery pumpkin tortelli with sage and amaretti, goat cheese custard, leg of lamb smothered with Romesco sauce, watercress dumplings from Chinatown Brasserie, a "Manhattan" cocktail of shrimp, squid and vermouth... and there was another room? (This wasn't counting the vast amount of alcohol being served. I was trying to abstain in order to use my calories for food instead of drink.)

"Oh no," I said. "I don't know how much more I'm going to be able to eat." HungryMan and Nosher didn't seem at all perturbed. They swept me into a much larger room which was filled with even more food and much more alcohol. I relented and accepted a bottle of Champagne Nicholas Feuillate.

"How are we going to do this?" I asked. There were four giant rows of food. We decided to walk around counterclockwise. At this point, my appetite was really falling off, but I managed to down spicy shrimp bruschetta from Devi, a milk chocolate with salted caramel treat from Payard (how could you skip that), and some pumpkin spice gelato from Ciao Bella. HungryMan was savoring a braised lamb sandwich on brioche. "OK, I think I"m finished," I said.

But then we walked over to the Blue Hill stand, where Dan Barber's offering was an amazing homemade V-8 and buttermilk panna cotta concoction topped with a cracker and baby greens... it was sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy, custardy and vinegary. "One of the best tastes of the evening," we agreed. And then there was Jacques Torres with his seasonal pumpkin, candy cane and gingerbread truffles (I hid them in my bag, there was no way I could eat them at this point), and smoked sirloin with truffled fingerlings from Craftsteak, and... and...

"OK, just one of these little corn avocado things from Zarela and some fluke with crispy garlic from Anthos and Tocqueville's coddled egg truffled grits with cured veal strip. That's enough. Enough!" I was serious this time.

But then I saw Pichet Ong, master of the sweet-and-savory dessert. Chevre cheesecake with huckleberries and small green pools of basil oil... I was a goner.

For the rest of the night, I tried to maintain some kind of coherent conversation with HungryMan, Nosher, a gentleman from Zagat and the famed Amateur Gourmet. But I don't think I did a very good job, as I was pretty delirious by then. Nosher remarked that he was wondering how he was going to be able to go to work the next day.

For anyone who hasn't been to this annual event, I implore you to go next year... you will come away with two months' worth of dining experiences in just one night.

New York Magazine's Taste of New York, Puck Building (293 Lafayette).

A Delicious Week!

Could this week get any more exciting? First we have the annual Taste of New York tonight at the Puck Building (293 Lafayette). If you attend, you'll be in good company - chefs Tom Colicchio, Zak Pelaccio, Dan Barber, Wylie Dufresne and Masaharu Morimoto will be there. (Incidentally, I have Morimoto's amazing new cookbook right in front of me... it features his signature Angry Chicken and inventive dishes like Crab Naan with Bagna Cauda, mozzarella sushi, a bouillabaise made with Korean chili paste and red miso, grilled scallop-stuffed sweet onions, crispy duck with port wine reduction and red miso sauce... are you hungry yet?) Esteemed chocolatier Jacques Torres will also be there, which leads me to....

(drumroll please)

THE 10TH ANNUAL CHOCOLATE SHOW! (Even the Website is excited about this, as it plays happy music when you click on the page.) Apparently, for the first time, an entire week has been dubbed "Chocolate Week," although the show is being held for just three days: November 9-11. See you there!