New York

May 13, 2015 3 Michelin Stars

Le Bernardin, New York

It’s been a busy week in New York, but the one place I really wanted to eat was Le Bernardin in Midtown. Holding three Michelin Stars, the Executive Chef and co-owner is Eric Ripert, best buddy of Anthony Bourdain, and host of a variety of TV shows. My favourite quote of Bourdain’s referencing Eric is this: “There are certain people in your life who call you up at 4 o’clock in the morning and say meet me on the corner of Avenue D and 4th Street, and bring a hand gun, and a stolen car, a tarpaulin and duct tape – you don’t ask why – you just go!”

Eric is classically trained, and has

I bought my first Eric Ripert book in 2006, and have been a huge fan ever since – both in print and via the various tv shows on which he appears. I even have a little video on my Journal page demonstrating his caviar Croque Monsieur... {Yes, you read that right}

But Le Bernardin prompts such funny reactions amongst my peers – everything from ‘over-priced’, to just a ‘little dull’…

What’s wrong with people? I found it absolutely perfect – I love that the menu concentrates on fish, and does it flawlessly! I love that the menu is broken down into Almost Raw, Barely Touched, and Lightly Cooked…

The front of house team are charming, professional, courteous, and well-informed. The room is wood-panelled, large and airy, and on my visit frequented by the likes of Tobey Maguire {with a very bushy beard, actually…}. The food is absolutely divine – the mussel broth served with my king fish was one of the most delicious things I’ve had – and you leave feeling as light as a feather, but completely satisfied. Also, given that this week we’ve eaten at Per Se and 11 Madison Park {again}, I think Le Bernardin is stonking value.

If you can’t get into the main restaurant, the lovely chaps will let you eat the main menu in the lounge, which serves customers on a first-come-first-served basis. If you like your fish, just trust me, go down and try it for yourself. If you’re a Londoner, again, trust me – this is as good as any fish I’ve eaten in London, being almost the perfect combination of Japanese and French sensibilities. I’ll ensure it’s on my list every single time I return to New York.

Salmon Rillette, with toast

Warm King Fish “Sashimi”; Osetra Caviar, Light Marinière Broth

Pan Roasted Monkfish; Sautéed Cepes, Pearl Onions à la Crème Paprika Sauce

Pan Roasted Lobster; Baby Leeks, Sunchoke Purée, Red Wine “Sauce Américaine”

Flourless Hazelnut Cake, Gianduja Mousse, Orange Curd, Praline Ice Cream

Financiers

June 14, 2012 Market

Manhattan’s Union Square Greenmarket

In one of Manhattan’s few green and open spaces lies the world-famous Union Square Market. Established 36 years ago, the farmer’s market runs four times a week and is a must for local shoppers and foodies. Open on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, there’s ample time for a visit in even the briefest of schedules. It’s also open all day, but jet-lagged Europeans can head there early to see the stallholders setting up – it’s the perfect way to start your day. It’s also just one of dozens of markets run in the city by the non-profit New York Greenmarket initiative.

When the market opened in 1976 there were just seven suppliers, and the market was sold out of everything by noon. Now, during the peak season, it serves over 250,000 customers a week, and has over 140 traders and artisanal food makers of all kinds. From the smallest stalls offering homemade preserves, to huge stalls offering the best vegetables straight from the farm, suppliers aim to provide over a thousand varieties of fruit and vegetables during the height of the season. Even better, much of the unsold produce is donated to local soup kitchens and charities like City Harvest for redistribution among the hungry and homeless. On the day that I visited the market there were sixty-one producers listed on the market’s website. Updated for each market day, the list lets you know who will be selling that day, and gives you an idea of their range. It also details the many food demonstrations that will be taking part within the market. That day the range included everything from herbal tinctures, to hydroponic tomatoes – there was even a stallholder selling emu and ostrich eggs.

I spoke to the chaps at Bread Alone Bakers – they make their bread by hand, and in a wood-fired oven. Established in 1983 in the Catskill Mountains, they were one of the first supplies to send goods to the market when it was formed. They stock a large range of bread made with organic grains, as well as pastries, muffins and cakes. All of their grains are sourced locally and many are grown specifically for them. As a result they are able to minimize their food miles to produce sustainable and ethically sound bread.

Another huge and founding stall-holder, the S&SO Produce Farms, come from Goshen, sixty miles to the North of Manhattan. Goshen is in the “black dirt” region formed at the end of the ice age, when glaciers melted to form a shallow lake. The resulting soil is peaty, rich and perfect for growing vegetables. Their stall is packed high with spring onions, radishes, red and golden beetroot, turnips carrots, and herbs of every kind. On display were at least six varieties of tomato, and several of spring-onion. They also sell their own pickles and sauces.

Wandering down the stalls I come across the Bullich Mushroom Farm. A third-generation farm, they specialize in a variety of exotic and regular mushrooms. The only cultivated mushroom farm in New York, they grow their fungi in 700 acres of temperature-controlled barns. Founded by a Yugoslavian immigrant, the family-run Bullich Farm is the last remaining mushroom farmer in the Hudson Valley, from a peak of around forty in the 1950’s. This success is due party to their early adoption of the Union Square Greenmarket, where they can sell mushrooms picked within the last twenty-four hours directly to the public. Mushrooms are delicately placed in paper bags, and handed with over with care. Nearly three months of intense work has gone into these fungi, and they want you to have them in perfect condition.

The boys from McEnroe Organic Farm laugh at my accent, but happily pointed me in the direction of the farm’s website and Facebook page. Farmers in the market are happy to engage with their customers on all manner of levels, and the McEnroe Farm has over a thousand followers on Facebook. It also regularly tweets pictures of its produce to its followers. Fresh tomatoes were carefully laid out on the stall to avoid bruising, and they had little tasting samples to allow the public to taste their wares.

I also met Heather Graves of Berkshire Berries. Based out in Massachusetts Heather sells her family’s jellies, jams and maple syrup at the Union Square market twice a week. Her parents established Berkshire Berries in the late seventies, and they still make their produce from fruit grown either on their land, or locally. Heather also sells her father’s famous New York City Honey from hives based in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx. With hundreds of thousands of bees producing around 350lbs of heavily scented honey a year, David Graves is looking to increase the number of hives he has dotting the skyscrapers and roof-gardens of New York.

Throughout the market there is a real sense of dedication and pride in the produce. From the tiniest to the largest, vendors were answering questions about the provenance of their goods. The Union Street market is a testament to consumer’s engagement with the food they eat, and the producers who deliver it. Even this early in the season there were the first of the peaches, young cherries, a huge abundance of root vegetables and salads. The Square also provides the backdrop for a vibrant café scene, and the garden within the Square saw people happily eating lunch bought moments before in the market.

Walking around the stalls I buy a sourdough roll, lambs lettuce, a young peach, a fine sliver of raw-milk baby Swiss cheese, and head into the small but verdant park. From farm to lunch in around twenty-four hours, sitting in one of the busiest cities in the world, you can’t help thinking New Yorker’s are onto something.

For a list of the Greenmarkets in New York City, and a breakdown of the day’s supplies, go to http://www.grownyc.org/.

Who’s IN today at NYC’s Union Square Greenmarket?

To better serve you, we plan to provide attendance information every market day.

*New Pickin's: Peaches, Red Currants, Cherries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Scapes, Purslane, Heirloom Carrots, Shishito Peppers, Fresh Pesto, Herb Butter, and Tinctures.







 




 

 















Wednesday, 06.13.12
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ANDREW'S LOCAL HONEY  
Raw Honey Varieties, NYC Rooftop Honey & Bee Products.

ARCADIAN PASTURES  
Pork, Beef, Lamb, Chicken & Eggs.

BAKER'S BOUNTY   
Breads & Baked Goods. Gluten-free options.    

BERKSHIRE BERRIES  
Raw Honey, NYC Rooftop Honey, Maple Syrup & Jams.

BETH'S FARM KITCHEN  
Pickled Goods, Jams & Chutneys.

BLUE MOON FISH  
Shellfish, Smoked & Fresh Saltwater Fish.

BODHITREE FARM   
Vegetables, Strawberries & Herbs.

BODY & SOUL BAKERY 
Vegan Baked Goods. Gluten-free options. 

BREAD ALONE BAKERY  
Baked Goods. Cert/Organic Breads.   

BREEZY HILL ORCHARDS  
Orchard Fruit, Hard Cider & Baked Goods.

BULICH MUSHROOMS
Cultivated Mushrooms.

CARADONNA FARMS   
Orchard Fruit.

CATO CORNER FARM  
Cow's Milk Cheeses.

CHATEAU RENAISSANCE WINERY  
Wine & Sparkling Wine.

CHERRY LANE FARMS
Vegetables & Berries.

DIPAOLA TURKEYS   
Whole, Parts, Ground & Sausage.

DUTCHMILL GARDENS
Cut Flowers.

DUVA FARM
Cut Flowers.

ECKERTON HILL FARMS
Vegetables & Smoked Peppers.

FANTASTIC GARDENS  
Potted Plants & Herbs.

GARDEN OF SPICES
Chicken & Duck Parts (including Eggs) & Pork.

GREENER PASTURES
Wheatgrass Plants & Juice. Micro green Shoots.

HAWTHORNE VALLEY  
Cert/Organic. Cow Dairy Products, Beef, Pork, Ferments & Baked Goods.

HODGSON FARMS   
Potted Plants & Herbs.

HOEFFNER FARMS   
Potted Plants & Vegetables.

HOT BREAD KITCHEN  
Non-Profit. Breads & Baked Goods.

HUDSON VALLEY DUCK  
Whole, Parts & Cured Products.

KEITH'S FARM
Cert/Organic. Vegetables &  Herbs.

KNOLL KREST FARM  
Eggs, Fresh Pasta & Frozen Soups.

LOCUST GROVE FARMS
Orchard Fruit & Berries.

LYNNHAVEN GOAT FARM  
Goat Milk & Meat Products. Eggs: Chicken & Duck.

MADURA FARM  
Vegetables, Eggs & Cultivated Mushrooms.

MARTIN'S PRETZELS  
Hand-rolled Hard Pretzels.

MAX CREEK HATCHERY  
Fresh & Smoked Farmed Trout. Vegetables.

MIGLIORELLI FARM  
Vegetables & Orchard Fruit.    

MILLPORT DAIRY
Cow's Milk Cheeses, Eggs & Meat Products.

MOUNTAIN SWEET BERRY  
Vegetables, Strawberries & Potato Chips.

NATURE'S HEALING FARM
Potted Plants & Herbs.

OAK GROVE PLANTATION
Potted Herbs, Beef, Pork, Cornmeal & Whole Wheat Flour.

OUR DAILY BREAD
Breads & Baked Goods. Gluten-free Options.

PET-AL PLANTS
Potted Plants & Herbs.

PHILLIPS FARMS   
Berries, Plants & Value Added Products.
 
RED JACKET ORCHARDS 
Juices & Orchard Fruit Products. 

ROAMING ACRES OSTRICH  
Emu & Ostrich Eggs. Ostrich Products & Meat.

ROGOWSKI FARM   
Cert/Naturally Grown. Vegetables & Value Added products.

RONNYBROOK DAIRY FARM
Cow's Milk & Cow Dairy Products.

ROSE MEADOW FARM
Roses & other cut flowers.

S&SO PRODUCE FARMS
Vegetables & Value Added Products.

SHUSHAN HYDROPONIC  
Tomatoes, Herbs & Vegetables.

SILVA ORCHIDS   
Orchid varieties.   

SILVER HEIGHTS FARM
Cert/Organic. Potted Plants & Herbs.

STOKES FARM
Herb bunches, Vegetables & Strawberries.

STONY MOUNTAIN RANCH
100% Grassfed Beef.

SYCAMORE FARMS
Vegetables, Strawberries & Greenhouse Tomatoes.

TAMARACK HOLLOW   
Vegetables, Livestock Meats & Chicken Eggs.

TELLO'S GREEN FARM
Chicken Eggs.

TERHUNE ORCHARDS  
Orchard Fruit, Berries & Baked Goods. 

TWEEFONTEIN HERB FARM
Herbal Tinctures, Salves (etc), and Pesto.

TWO GUYS FROM WOODBRIDGE 
Hydroponic Greens & Herbs. Cultivated Mushrooms.

VALLEY SHEPHERD CREAMERY
Pasture-raised, Cow & Sheep's Milk Cheeses. 

WINDFALL FARMS   
Micro Greens, Shoots, Vegetables, Herbs & Eggs.
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June 12, 2012 Fish

Aqua Grill in Soho, New York…

I’m in New York – hurrah! City to some of the finest restaurants in the world, and a mecca for foodies everywhere. Every street corner boasts a diner or deli, and with produce coming in from all over the country and overseas, it’s no surprise that it also has restaurants like Aquagrill.

On the day that we visited, Aquagrill had no less than 27 kinds of oysters available on its huge ice-packed counter… And that’s just the oysters. There were also countless kinds of fish, produced in a myriad of different ways.

We were six for dinner, and in the time we sat there, tables emptied and refilled around us. Platters of fruits de mer seemed to be the most popular dish, and trays heaving with shellfish poured up and down the room. It’s obviously an extremely popular local restaurant, and the pace never lets up.

There’s just one tiny problem – I can’t actually eat oysters… Yup… So why come here? I chose Aquagrill precisely because I appreciate this kind of dedication – fish and shellfish of this standard should be applauded, and I just wish we had something comparable in London. Of course we have Scotts, Bentleys et al, but this is different – this isn’t a fine dining restaurant – this is just sheer and unadulterated homage to the produce, served in a continental style.

Given that there were six of us, it would have been impractical for me to photograph everyone’s food (not to say annoying in the extreme), so I have my dishes, and a couple of others…

The kitchen sent us some lobster tartare on a game chip to begin – really good tartare, some hint of horseradish in there that might have been a touch of wasabi.

Lobster tartare on a game chip

I began with the lobster salad… A good combination of tail and claw meat, well dressed salad, avocado, zingy ruby grapefruit and tiny beetroot dice for texture and sweetness. The lobster was succulent, and a lovely light way to begin the meal. Hubby had this too and thought it very good. The others had lobster cocktail (apparently good), and soft shelled crab (good, but a little salty). I’ll check the other dishes when I get a minute.

Maine Lobster salad with avocado,
ruby grapefruit, and a champagne vinaigrette

Crispy soft shelled crab, with sautéed spinach, jicama,
ortaniques, and micro greens in a spicy citrus vinaigrette

Hubby and I both followed this with a special of the day, porcini dusted loin of yellow fin tuna, porcini polenta, fiddlehead ferns, fresh porcini and arugula salad (that’s rocket to us Brits) in a truffle vinaigrette… What’s not to like? Rare tuna and an intense umami kick from all the mushroom elements. These didn’t overwhelm the tuna, and fiddleheads… Strangely enough I had a (twitter) conversation with Sat Bains and James Tanner recently about fiddleheads, and we were commenting on the fact that they’re eaten more in the US than the UK. I know some varieties are considered poisonous, but these were lovely… I can’t really describe the texture or the flavour, but they eat as you’d imagine they would. Here they completed that sense of the woodland when combined with the porcini, and added an extra forest-like dimension.

Porcini dusted loin of yellow fin tuna, porcini polenta,
fiddlehead ferns, fresh porcini and arugula salad dressed in a truffle vinaigrette

Seared diver scallops, with Peekytoe crabmeat risotto
and sugarsnap peas in a tomato shellfish emulsion

To finish I had the creme brûlée – not the best one I’ve ever eaten to be honest, and I couldn’t get a decent picture of it. The custard was a tiny bit granular – always a possibility with creme brûlée – though the sugar top was crisp and good.

Creme brûlée

Two of my chums had the panna cotta, which they thought was very good, and another two had the apple tarte which they also thought good.

Apple tarte

Overall we had a good meal – the quality of the ingredients were exceptional. Some of us did have a issue with heavy-handed seasoning. It’s difficult to assess – all the food I’ve eaten in NewYork to date has been pretty heavily seasoned, so perhaps this is fairly typical? Certainly this wouldn’t have been the case if we’d tucked into the fruits de mer, and judging by the sheer quantity zipping past our table this is by far the most popular fare! If you’re in Soho, go visit Aquagrill – I defy you to find a better selection of fish and shellfish in any restaurant in the city.

Aquagrill
210 Spring Street

Soho
New York

NY 10012

@AquagrillNYC