A Food Lover's Exploration of the Lower East Side
Mar 06 '02
The Bottom Line If you like the idea of a progressive meal, try taking this epicurean journey through the Lower East Side. Just make sure you go on an empty stomach.
As much as I love sitting down to a good meal, sometimes nothing quite compares to the pleasure of strolling and snacking as I go. The enjoyment that I derive from exploring a neighborhood increases exponentially with each new food discovery. And of course, I find I have a much healthier appetite if I am burning calories by walking while I eat. Last weekend, Mr. Epicure and I decided to hang out in a neighborhood which we’ve always found intriguing but do not visit often due to laziness (subway transfer! - shudder) - Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
The Lower East Side (“LES”) is probably one of the most eclectic yet least visited areas of the city. There’s simply no reason for a tourist to venture down to the Lower East Side because there are no major sights, no acclaimed restaurants (except 71 Clinton Fresh Food, which most tourists haven’t heard of anyway), no notable shopping or cultural shrines. There are some great bars and clubs where I meet up with friends, but in general, you have to know where you are going in order to have fun. It’s not altogether pleasant just to wander around the LES. Much of the neighborhood is grungy and a bit ragged around the edges. Some streets consist of nothing more than cheap appliance stores, greasy take-out operations, laundromats and dusty vacant space, but there has been a lot of recent development in the area. Everytime I visit I see more new restaurants and funky boutiques. The LES is exactly the type of neighborhood in which I love to meander because I never know what I will find. Here are four good reasons why you might feel the same.
The Name Says It All
Each of the four places that I am about to introduce to you specializes in one item or dish, which is reflected in its name. Their single-minded dedication to that one dish has garnered them fame, fortune and reverence among Manhattan’s foodies - okay, maybe not fortune, but certainly deep-seeded respect. They are living proof that you can make it by doing one thing better than anyone else, even if that one thing is as simple as making grilled cheese sandwiches.
Bulgin’ Waffles (49 ½ First Avenue, 212-477-6555)
A psychedelic, mismatched little place that’s really more of a café than a restaurant, Bulgin’ Waffles made a name for itself by offering more varieties of freshly made, crunchy waffles than any other breakfast joint in town. Step up to their bright mint green counter and order a hazelnut Bulgin’ waffle and you will understand their appeal. Finely chopped hazelnut bits are incorporated into the batter, so their refined, distinctive flavor is present in every bite of the thick waffle squares with their deeply indented honeycomb surface perfect for storing syrup. You can also order waffles of the thinner variety (think Eggo waffles) called Wafflettes.
I love having choices, yet I can be so indecisive when it comes to food. Bulgin’ Waffles features not only two waffle sizes (Bulgin’ and Wafflettes), but also more than eight waffle flavors. My favorites include all of the nutty waffles - hazelnut, walnut and pecan, and the fruit waffles - pumpkin and banana. Prices range from $1.95 to $4.95, depending on what size and what flavor you choose. And that’s not all.
After you select your waffle, there is still the matter of toppings. Log Cabin syrup, butter and powdered sugar are free with each order, but I would strongly advise you to try Bulgin’ Waffles’ fresh raspberry or strawberry sauce ($0.85). Imagine gloriously rich pools of chunky sweet berry puree. You can almost eat it with a fork. I do eat it by itself with a spoon. I often forego the syrup for these fruit sauces although you can purchase a side of pure maple syrup ($0.85), which is much better than the watery Log Cabin. If you really want to indulge yourself, add some fresh whipped cream ($0.85), strawberry slices ($1.50) and Nutella ($1.50). Bulgin’ Waffles has even teamed up with Uncle Louie G to create the Dream Machine - a scoop of Uncle Louie G’s ice cream (there are over 70 flavors from which to choose) sandwiched between two waffles.
The atmosphere of Bulgin’ Waffles is very casual. Most of the patrons appear to be students or artists from the area. It brings back memories of the cafes that I use to frequent in Berkeley. The mint green counter clashes brazenly with the rust colored ceiling and the orange colored walls where the restaurant’s offerings are written in colored chalk. Modern jazz instrumentals play in the background. A reproduction of a Chinese vintage poster advertising insect spray hangs on the wall alongside reproductions of Italian vintage posters advertising coffee and espresso. Makes you wonder how much thought had been put into decorating the restaurant, but then again, maybe the randomness of it all is the whole point. No, actually, I think waffles are the whole point.
Pomme-Pomme (191 East Houston Street, 646-602-8140)
A frites craze overtook Manhattan a few years ago, so now it’s rather common to find frites places all over the city. One of the best, and perhaps most modest, of the frites places is Pomme-Pomme. Pay no heed to the fact that Pomme-Pomme now serves fried chicken. It is not your typical fast-food joint. In my humble opinion, authentic Belgian fries is still its raison d’etre. Above the industrial-size fryer is a large metal basket filled with thick, fresh-cut potato strips. Each batch is made to order, so the customer always receives a plate of sizzling hot fries. The fries are golden and crisp and addictively good. Though they were bathed in oil in the fryer, you can hardly see a trace of it on the parchment paper.
Pomme-Pomme’s fries are so tasty that I prefer eating them plain, without any sauces though an extensive selection of sauces is available. With petite ($3.00) and regular ($4.00) size fries, you can choose one sauce. With grande ($5.00), you have your choice of two sauces, and with a box of fries ($8.00), you have your choice of three sauces. “Original sauces” (free) include ketchup, tartar, vinegar, malt, honey dijon, and curry gurwiz. We tried the curry gurwiz, which was a total disappointment. It had none of the aromatic spiciness of curry. All we tasted was a gingery sweetness that clashed with the salty fries.
The “gourmet sauces” ($0.65) include some interesting choices like calamata olive, sundried tomato, parmesan peppercorn, peanut satay, and pesto mayo. In total, Pomme-Pomme probably has over 25 different dipping sauces. For me, I’m not too crazy about the new-fangled, fusion sauces. I still like ketchup.
Pomme-Pomme has four tables although the atmosphere is not too pleasant. Here’s where it does resemble your typical fast-food joint. The cheesy marbled peach walls and dark green tables have certainly seen better days. The upward facing lighting fixtures are draped with a white billowy fabric. In the folds of the fabric, dust gathers mercilessly. Boy, does this place need a face lift.
Grilled Cheese (168 Ludlow Street, 212-982-6600)
Ever since I was little, I have loved grilled cheese sandwiches. The fact that my mom considered them banned food only strengthened my determination to have them. Grilled cheese made with medium Tillemook cheddar was my favorite, but now I think Tillemook has been supplanted by Grafton Vermont cheddar. My favorite grilled cheese sandwich combination - created by Mr. Epicure, of course -is Grafton cheddar and smoked Mozzarella with roma tomatoes and black olive tapenade. I didn’t think I would ever encounter a restaurant with my kind of zealous dedication to this seemingly simplistic dish until I found Grilled Cheese.
Housed in a cozy, little space with exposed brick walls and café tables, Grilled Cheese embodies much of the hip, laid-back attitude and haphazard charm that characterize the Lower East Side. Though it is a serious food establishment(it got a 23 rating in Zagat), you would never guess it from the casual warmth of its servers and the James Brown playing in the background. Grilled Cheese makes its sandwiches using hot iron grills cured 18 months with olive oil. I love the indentations that the grill leaves on the bread. It was here that I came up with this tasty creation - swiss and provolone cheese with spinach, tomato and black olive pesto on 7-grain bread. Mr. Epicure had cheddar and swiss with roasted garlic and sun-dried tomato on 7-grain bread.
The make-your-own-sandwiches range from $3.50 to $5.00, depending on the type of bread you choose. You can add as many different cheeses and ingredients as you like. Among the cheeses, you can select from: Mild Cheddar, Jalapeno Jack, Dill Havarti, Provolone, Swiss and French Yogurt. Among the other ingredients, you can choose from: Tomato, Onion, Spinach, Roasted Red Peppers, Basil Pesto, Pickles, Black Olive Pesto, Hommos Sun-dried Tomato, Roasted Garlic, Sun-dried Tomato, and Grilled Onions and Veggies. Grilled Cheese has also come up with its own tried-and-true combinations like the Brazil (provolone cheese melted with sweet bananas and a pinch of oregano), the Grilled Motzy (fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, salad greens and a splash of vinaigrette) and Greensleeves (spinach and basil melted with French yogurt cheese and red peppers). Served in baskets lined with foil and parchment, the sandwiches look as delicious as they taste.
Grilled cheese is a feel-good sandwich, which contributes to the cheery ambiance of the entire restaurant. Most people can’t help but smile when their mouths are wrestling with stringy cheese. Pair any of the sandwiches with a Boylan soda or Grilled Cheese’s home brewed Lime Lemonade and you have a fantastic snack or light meal.
The Doughnut Plant (379 Grand Street, 212-505-3700)
What’s Krispy Kreme? That’s the question you’ll be asking after taking a bite of Doughnut Plant’s doughnuts. These are without a doubt the best doughnuts that I have ever had (except for Mitchell London’s French crullers, which constitute their own separate category, like beignets). Mark Israel, the founder of Doughnut Plant, has created over 35 varieties of doughnuts. Each day the store carries around five flavors. Usually that includes the staples of chocolate and vanilla and three other fruit or nut flavors.
So what’s so special about these doughnuts?. First of all, their texture is perfect. Each one is yeasty and bread-like, rather than cake-like, and extremely fluffy without a hint of grease. There is a touch of sweetness, but most of the sweet flavoring is provided by Isreal’s sublime glazes. Israel’s chocolate glaze is made with melted Valrhona chocolate. Israel’s vanilla glaze is made with Tahitian vanilla beans. Israel’s orange glaze contains slivers of orange zest, and Israel’s blackberry glaze contains tiny pieces of fresh blackberries. Need I say more? I have never before encountered doughnuts made with such high-quality, all-natural ingredients, and there is no question that you can taste the difference. My other favorite flavors include pistachio, hazelnut and toasted almond - all made with real chopped nuts, of course. As cliche as this may sound, Israel really does elevate doughnut-making to an art form.
I have been told that people line up at 7:00 in the morning for these doughnuts though I have never been there early enough to witness it myself. The Doughnut Plant closes whenever it runs out of its daily supply. There are no tables in the Doughnut Plant, which is essentially a take-out operation, but there is a small bench decorated with rows of ceramic doughnuts, made by Israel’s father. You can also purchase its doughnuts at a variety of stores around town, like Dean & Deluca and Ronnybrook Dairy, which advertises that Ronnybrook milk is used in making Doughnut Plant doughnuts - more evidence that Doughnut Plant uses only the finest organic ingredients.
It has always been my belief that people are willing to pay more for quality, and Doughnut Plant is the perfect example. Doughnut Plant charges $1.75 per doughnut, probably twice the price of Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts, yet it has a huge following despite its remote location. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that their doughnuts are 50% larger than your average doughnut. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to finish it.
NOTE: Unless you have a preference for the order in which you consume different foods, I would suggest that you visit the above restaurants in the order that I have written about them. That would be the most direct route with the least amount of back-tracking. Start your journey by taking the F train to Second Avenue. Bulgin’ Waffles, Pomme-Pomme and Grilled Cheese are each about 5 minutes from the subway station. Doughnut Plant is a little further afield - maybe 15 minutes.
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Epinions.com ID:
Epicure
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 100 members
About Me:
I generally avoid temptation....unless I can't resist it.
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