Alton Brown and New York

Last Thursday, Rachel and I went into Manhattan with the main purpose of meeting Alton Brown at the book signing for Feasting on Asphalt - The River Run, which we very happily accomplished. Not that I had any doubt in my mind at the cordiality of our favorite foodie, but in the few seconds we were allotted to talk with him, he was very, very nice. He also seemed to thoroughly enjoy meeting best friends named Rachel and signed our books accordingly. (See photo). Frankly, it just made me wish we had enough food blog cred. (or food cred. of any kind) to actually sit down and talk to him about how on earth to break into what has become one of the must lucrative of emergent industries in the past twenty years. Oh well, I am personally more inspired than ever to persevere and press on through the trail to professional foodie-dom.


After our swift jaunt in midtown, Rachel and I made our usual pilgrimage to Chelsea Market, this time eating at the Thai restaurant there, which was particularly tasty having the slightest tinge of post-meeting AB euphoria. After that, we went on to Rocco's bakery on Bleecker, and had some of the best desserts this side of the Hudson, baba au rhum and sfogliatelle. The baba was light and fluffy on the inside, soaked thoroughly with a delightful rum syrup, sliced right down the center and filled to the brim with smooth, cool French custard. The sfogilatelle had an outer crust - layer upon layer of thinly rolled dough, so delicate in appearance, yet a substantially sturdy and crunchy contrast to the orange-flavored ricotta it was filled with. Since you cannot feast, feast your eyes:


In the immortal words of Ina Garten, "how bad can that be?"

Many people living in the tristate area go to New York City to catch a matinee, then they eat at any of several loathsome restaurants in Times Square, stop at Bloomingdale's, and finally call it a day. I go to New York to eat. It's a tradition my mom and I began years ago. Bypass midtown and head directly to Bleecker. Pop into Murray's cheese shop and behold the wonders. Rocco's and Amy's for baked goods that I haven't dared to conquer quite yet, dinner can be anything from pizza in little Italy to dim sum in Chinatown. Then there's the Polish owned Peter Pan Bakery in Greepoint, Brooklyn with the best donuts I've ever tasted. Try a crumb creme - your taste buds will never be the same. I could go on, but suffice it to say, you haven't really eaten until you've eaten New York. Oh and don't forget to go to Gus's on the lower east side for the finest pickles money can buy.

- Rachel B.