Out and About

I like to cook (a lot) and honestly, often prefer to stay in and make dinner for friends then head out to NYC’s fantastic (but expensive! and rushed!) restaurant world. But here are a few thing I loved recently.

Xi’an Famous Foods Hot Oil Noodles

First I saw them in NYmag. Then Sam Sifton got in on the game. Serious Eats, Time Out New York, everyone was heading downtown for true spicy noodles. By the time Lorne and I made it down to Chinatown in February (the part hidden away from tourist-tracked Canal street), the wall of Xi’an Famous Foods was covered in framed accolades. Smart PR, those folks.

We actually enjoyed the wait while our noodles were freshly prepared (a retreat from the col outside!), and Lorne and the manager swapped stories about eating in China. Then our box of hallowed noodles braved the cold with us (there’s no seating inside) and we found a set of stairs on which to eat. Note: it was 15 degrees. And windy. I was not so into the noodles anymore.

So were the noodles spicy hot? Yes? I think? They were soft and slick, but I think the cold mellowed out some of their heat. Lorne finished them all up though, so I think that means they were good. I just wanted to get moving!

Then there was another brunch at Prune, in the East Village. There was about an hour wait for a tiny table, but incredibly worth-it brunch food (and I rarely think brunch food is worth the cost… it always seems like something I could make easily at home. This, however, was different).

Official description from Prune: Spicy Stewed Chickpeas butter-crumbed eggs with spicy stewed chickpeas, preserved lemons and warm flatbread. 

Official description from me: This was the clear winner in the “Who can order a better dish?” Lorne-Rachel face-off. These frizzled eggs were just the coolest texture—crispy and buttery on the outside, gooey on the inside. And the chickpeas were all spicy and did one of my favorite food magic tricks—made me think of exotic, warm locales in the middle of winter. I think the eggs in this recipe might mimic Prune’s—they’re on my to-try list.

Official description from Prune: Dutch Style Pancake one large individual pancake, cooked in the oven, with blueberries, served with canadian bacon, sour cream and powdered sugar.

Official description from me: Pretty darn good pancakes. I’m inspired to try this one too. Plus, behold the power of powdered sugar (powder power!) to make anything look pretty!