Scenes from Chelsea Market and Todd English Food Hall

I couldn’t visit New York without stopping by both of these food court meccas, could I? So as I mentioned in my last New York recap post where I basically draw little hearts all over Russ & Daughters, I had one day off from the conference. After eating the best bagel and lox sandwich in my entire life, I needed a little walk… so I walked to Chelsea Market. Chelsea Market became my progressive lunch stop. Later that evening, I would visit Todd English Food Hall for dinner. Here is my photo recap of the scenes from Chelsea Market and Todd English Food Hall. Warning, this is a very photo heavy post!

Chelsea Market

I browsed the Chelsea Market looking at all the shops, even bringing back some snacks from The Nut Box and learning about spices at Spices and Tease. If you haven’t heard of Chelsea Market before, it’s a giant building- a whole city block long- which hosts an indoor food hall that includes shop vendors like I just mentioned as well as cheese vendors, bakeries, and imported Italian specialty food.
Chelsea Market, New York

It also is the home to many small booths just like you might expect in any food court mall, but here the vendors include big names like Buddakan, Morimoto, Sarabeth’s or an outpost of the highly ranked sandwich New York chain Num Pang. You can get fine Maine lobsters (Lobster Place) and escargot, Australian meat pies (Tuck Shop), made fresh daily pastas (Rana), conversation cookies (Eleni’s) or crepes (Bar Suzette) and more.
Chelsea Market, New York Chelsea Market, New York

I walked around a long time, wanting to eat everything but settling for just feasting with my eyes. There was a lot to look at just in terms of the building itself with its stripped down architecture including safe deposit boxes that surround one elevator shaft, glistening starry strings of lights that sparkle as curtains in a hallway with a large clock, a fountain gushing water echoing the richness of the food bounty surrounding its location, and various art, old and new, adoring its halls.
Chelsea Market, New York Chelsea Market, New York Chelsea Market, New York Chelsea Market, New York Chelsea Market, New York Chelsea Market, New York Chelsea Market, New York Chelsea Market, New York

I ogled all the food in the shops and food booths and on people’s tables also like it was another form of art all around me.

Chelsea Market, New York Chelsea Market, New York Chelsea Market, New York
Lobster Place in Chelsea Market, New York Lobster Place in Chelsea Market, New York Lobster Place in Chelsea Market, New York Lobster Place in Chelsea Market, New York Lobster Place in Chelsea Market, New York

For lunch, I followed a recommendation to Dickson’s Farmstand, where I had the rotisserie chicken with brussels sprouts and potatoes. The poultry at Dickson’s is brought into the city every morning from Amish farms in Lancaster Pennsylvania or live poultry market in Queens. Dickson’s calls in their order for their chickens fresh each day. The chickens are cage-free barn raised without hormones or antibiotics and have a vegetarian diet. I couldn’t help but want to support this old fashioned way of sourcing.
Dickson's Farmstand Meats, Chelsea Market, New York Dickson's Farmstand Meats, Chelsea Market, New York Dickson's Farmstand Meats, Chelsea Market, New York Dickson's Farmstand Meats, Chelsea Market, New York Dickson's Farmstand Meats, Chelsea Market, New York

Oh, did I also mention that this building is also the office of Food Network, and they film Iron Chef America and used to film Emeril Live here? During my visit I was still in the midst of reading From Scratch: Inside the Food Network, which I already reviewed in another blog post so I was also letting my imagination fill in the blanks of the tales from the book on how Food Network was formed and grew up as I also people watched during my visit.

Todd English Food Hall

Later that same day, I browsed the Todd English Food Hall, located in the basement of the Plaza Hotel. I walked there from my hotel, which gave me a little time to walk around Central Park at dusk by Columbus Circle as I walked there along W 59th and watch the moon rise.
Some shots from Central Park at dusk by Columbus Circle Some shots from Central Park at dusk

Keep in mind that the Todd English Food Hall is in the Plaza basement floor. So, rather then going up the steps past the doorman to enter the hotel, look for the sign and doorway, which will then lead you to escalators down.
Todd English Food Hall entrance Todd English Food Hall entrance Todd English Food Hall entrance

While Chelsea Market had been an upscale take on a food court, the Todd English Food Hall is a modern take on European specialty markets. There were lots of rows of beautiful goods, and in a few places there were some stools so you can sit at a bar and enjoy a bite to eat at some of the booths that offered food service rather than just food goods. There are nine such food booths, representing nine kinds of food stations (Burger Grill, a Seafood/Oyster Bar, Asian Noodles and Dumplings, Pasta Bar, Flatbread Pizza Bar, Sushi Bar, Taqueria, Cheese & Charcuterie, and a Wine Bar and Patisserie).
Todd English Food Hall, New York listing of occupants

As I was waiting for my friend and her friends to arrive, I browsed with my eyes and camera… Yes, that is S’more made to order. Why is this not a food cart here in Portland.
Todd English Food Hall, New York Todd English Food Hall, New York Todd English Food Hall, New York Todd English Food Hall, New York Todd English Food Hall, New York Todd English Food Hall, New York Todd English Food Hall, New York  Todd English Food Hall, New York Todd English Food Hall, New York

For our dinner we ate at the restaurant within this underground food hall. Here, the menu includes some selections from each of those food stations, but it is brought to you at the table instead of sitting at one of the individual food stations. You don’t get access to the whole menu of each station though – for instance you can’t order the lobster roll, but you can a whole grilled lobster, or you can only have 3 choices of tacos.

There was a lot of wine going on at this dinner, and also I wasn’t exactly starving for a lot of dishes given my visit to Russ & Daughters and Chelsea Market and Momofuku Milk Bar earlier in the day. So, my pictures here are a bit more limited. We started out with a side order of Brussels Sprouts with pancetta, roasted jalapeno, red wine vinegar, and butter. Although I won’t be adding pancetta to my regular roasted brussels sprouts standby recipe, I did like the addition of the roasted jalapenos for a little extra kick!

And we got two orders of those addictive and light Risotto Tater Tots with fontina and truffle aioli
Todd English Food Hall, New York - Brussels Sprouts with pancetta, roasted jalapeno, red wine vinegar, and butter Todd English Food Hall, New York - Risotto Tater Tots with fontina and truffle aioli

Also maybe some Fried Oysters with caviar creme fraiche, lemon, and micro cilantro
Todd English Food Hall, New York - Fried Oysters with caviar creme fraiche, lemon, and micro cilantro Todd English Food Hall, New York - Fried Oysters with caviar creme fraiche, lemon, and micro cilantro

When you dine here, do not miss out on the Rigatoni Bolognese. It uses Todd’s Old School bolognese, veal reduction, and pecorino – here we happened to switch out the rigatoni pasta with gluten free spaghettini for my gluten free friend (you can also substiute Whole wheat for any pasta dish of your choice). That sauce is incredible- I can just eat that sauce by itself with a spoon. 10/10. Would go there and order this pasta dish again, as well as more new things to try, but this is a dish worth repeating. The Veal Agnolotti with veal confit, truffle, and parmesan was good, but that bolognese was even better.
Todd English Food Hall, New York - Rigatoni Bolognese, It uses Todd’s old school bolognese, veal reduction, and pecorino - here we happened to switch out the rigatoni pasta with gluten free spaghettini for my gluten free friend Todd English Food Hall, New York - Veal Agnolotti with veal confit, truffle, parmesan

If you are meeting a group of friends in New York, definitely consider stopping by either Chelsea Market  or Todd English Food Hall for a meal together. By having a good group, you can try a lot of different things at these places, and the possibilities are just amazing that you will want to take advantage of numbers to try as much as you can! If you go to Todd English, make a reservation – otherwise if you are trying to eat at the food stations since it is a bar it is better to be a small party of 1-2. For Chelsea Market, there are some tables but if the weather is nice consider taking your food outside and walking to the High Line park.

I still have two more meals to cover from my time in New York (it sure seems like I ate a lot huh in the 6 days I was there…): Pearl Oyster Bar, and Ivan Ramen!

Other New York highlights from this trip that I have blogged about:

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Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe

I know this is totally not a Memorial Day recipe in any way. But, I’ve been seeing that mangos are starting to appear at some of the grocery stores, and a weekend or so ago, my friends and I decided to have an Asian themed potluck for our Game of Thrones night. The mains included Do It Yourself Vietnamese rolls (very easy- just prep the filling options and everyone else just will select, wrap, and eat, and it’s even pretty healthy!), and there was also an Asian Salad with optional steak. Now that the weather is heating up, this is a great idea for a potluck theme. The two wraps below use the rice paper, but you can also use lettuce wraps as well. It is easy to accommodate for vegetarians since it’s up to everyone whether to add the bbq pork (and alternately you can offer fresh tofu as an option).
Do It Yourself Vietnamese rolls Do It Yourself Vietnamese rolls Do It Yourself Vietnamese rolls

I contributed a dessert of sticky rice with mango, known in Thai as ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง.
Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe

The key to making sweet sticky rice is to make sure you use the right rice- specifically, glutinous rice. You can find these at an Asian grocery store. This is the same sticky rice that you often see served with satay/meat skewers – but in that preparation you don’t use coconut milk.
Glutinous Rice
Speaking of, while you are there at the Asian grocery store, pick up a can of coconut milk too.

When you buy your mangos, make sure they are slightly softer to the touch- similar to when you check avocados. If not, when you peel/cut the mango it will still be a little green and sour, which is fine for some other Thai dishes I know but not for a dessert dish like this.
Mangos

In order to help ripen your mango, you can try a few tricks such as putting it in a paper bag and leaving it on the counter at room temperature. I hear that putting an apple or banana might also help with the ripening process. If you want to slow the ripening because it is already ready but you’re making it fresh the next day, put it in the refrigerator. A ripe mango put in the fridge might last a handful of days, so don’t wait long.

Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe

Yields enough for 2, with usually each person getting 1/2 a mango.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of glutinous rice
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp of sugar (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp of salt
  • 1 sweet, ripe mango (preferably Thai honey mango)
  • 2 tsp of sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. Take 1/2 cup of the coconut milk and add it to 1/2 cup of water. Now add the 1/2 cup of glutinous rice and let the rice soak for about 30 minutes. The rice should get fatter as it absorbs the coconut water.
    Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe
  2. After the soaking, do not drain the water. Pour the rice into a pot and simmer on low heat on the stovetop until the rice is cooked and soft. You may need to add a cup or so of water if the rice gets too dry.
  3. In another pot, mix the 1/2 cup of coconut milk with the sugar and salt on simmer until it begins to bubble/is on the verge of boiling. At this point, add it to your cooked glutinous rice and stir to mix. Cover, and let sit on the simmering heat until the rice has absorbed all the coconut milk mixture, about 30 minutes. Taste and see if you’d like to add more sugar for sweetness, or a pinch of salt to balance the sweet.
    Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe
  4. Remove from heat and let the rice cool so it is still warm but no longer hot. This is usually the time I cut the mango to place on top, and garnish with sesame seeds.
    Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe

Sooo….

It turns out despite what I wrote before about making sure your mango is ripe, with everything that was going on that weekend I spaced on putting it in the paper bag when I got home, and I didn’t know F put it in the refrigerator. So when the cutting happened, the mango was still a little green. What to do?

I tried to recover my dessert by turning to the fact that green mangoes are often used in Thai cooking and in those cases, there is a spicier take on it. Particularly, Mango Salads are pretty popular. So I decided to make slightly spicy diced mango- I tried to dial back the spice as I knew I had guests who are not lovers of the spicy heat like F and I are.

Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe

Spicy Diced Mango

Ingredients:

  • 3 firm mangos, diced
  • 3 small chilies, minced. If you want to dial back the heat, deseed it. Alternately, as I did, since I didn’t have any chilies I used 3 teaspoons of chili powder, or to your taste.
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
  • 3 teaspoons honey
  • 3 teaspoons of soy sauce
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Toss together all the ingredients. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  2. Let the flavors marinate/mingle for about 30 minutes before serving – if you’d like, chill it in the refrigerator
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Best Bagel Sandwich in New York: Russ & Daughters

So I’ve fallen a bit behind on my mid-March trip recap of my time in New York. I’ve covered previously my stops at Momofuku Noodle and Momofuku Milk Bar, the grilled cheese and sweet treats at Bouchon Bakery Rockefeller, some of my Midtown Manhattan lunches from Xian Famous Foods, ‘wichCraft, Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish.

While I was there during the conference, there was 1 day where I was not attending a seminar. I thought about visiting museums, or walking in Central Park and reading a newspaper and absorbing the New York energy. Instead, I decided to eat all day – a progressive dining day. I suppose I really am a food lover in that exploring food to me is an equivalent option for an experience to what I listed on a trip.

I started out with Russ & Daughters for their famous smoked salmon bagel sandwich. I considered then visiting a few doors down Katz’s for the pastrami sandwich and pickles, but ultimately I was still too freshly full from that sandwich for “breakfast” and so instead I walked to Chelsea Market and that’s where I had a progressive lunch. This was then wrapped up with Momofuku Milk for dessert, even though I was kicking myself later as I should have walked the High Line that day instead of the next, when it would end up pouring rain. Finally, in the evening, I met up with a old co-worker/friend from Chicago and we had dinner at the Todd English food hall.

Since I didn’t actually go into Katz’s, all I did was look and ponder and eventually rationalize walking away, with only these photos to show for it. Have you been there, and did I miss out?
New York Katz's Deli, of the famous pastrami and pickles New York Katz's Deli, of the famous pastrami and pickles

I loved the Russ & Daughters experience so much though that I’m going to devote this entire post to them. This specialty family-owned (four generations!) shop has been offering high-end smoked fish, caviar & New York-style specialty foods (bagels and high end cream cheese flavors, bialys, sweets like babka, rugelach and halvah, and more!) for a long time. Their byline is that they have been “Appetizing Since 1914”. Just very recently, they expanded to besides this old fashioned shop also open a Russ & Daughters Cafe
Russ & Daughters Russ & Daughters Russ & Daughters

I arrived with a singular goal in mind: to order the “The Best Bagel and Lox in New York”, per New York Magazine. When New York Magazine interviewed Anthony Bourdain and asked What’s the best meal you’ve eaten in New York?, Bourdain answered, “Bagel, nova, cream cheese at Russ & Daughters. Not just the best, but ‘ours.'”

All righty then! Will it live up to this hype?
Russ & Daughters classic bagel  sandwich, a bagel with your choice of cream cheese and smoked salmon

I knew it would as soon as I walked in and saw what I am completely sure is angelic light over the beautiful selection of cream cheeses and roe. I looked so longingly at these cream cheeses- plain, scallion, vegetable, horseradish dill, caviar cream cheese, lox cream cheese, goat cream cheese, even a tofu cream cheese… wait, back up. Caviar Cream Cheese?

Also, you see the glow of the French Trout Roe, Whitefish Roe, Wild Alaskan Salmon Roe, and Wasabi infused Flying Fish Roe calling to you like those glowing power pellets of Pac Man?
Russ & Daughters, the angelic light over the beautiful selection of cream cheeses and roe. Plain, scallion, vegetable, horseradish dill, caviar cream cheese, lox spread, tofu spread, goat cream cheese

I was fortunate in that I came here on a Tuesday mid-morning, so there was no crowd at all, only a handful of people before me. I didn’t even need to take a number, though I have heard it can be a madhouse, crowded with people desperate for the treasures and packed into this small, narrow store. I was able to stand there with no on in my way save a handful of people before me, admiring each cream cheese and smoked fish and each box and tin individually in the little store, wishing I could take them all back with me but realizing that was being greedy.

I focused. I went with the Classic, your choice of bagel with your choice of cream cheese and your choice of smoked salmon. The patient, friendly, sweet gentleman behind the counter and I talked for a while, comparing the textures and flavors of the various available smoked salmons. I have never before had the fortune to get to select from amongst Gaspe Nova, Scottish, or Irish Smoked Salmon; Norwegian Smoked Salmon; Belly Lox, GravLox or Pastrami cured salmon; loin cut smoked salmon; Wild Western Nova or New Zealand King Salmon.
Russ & Daughters The patient, friendly, sweet gentleman behind the counter and I talked for a while, comparing the textures and flavors of the various available smoked salmons as I have never before had the fortune to get to select from amongst Gaspe Nova, Scottish, or Irish Smoked Salmon; Norwegian Smoked Salmon; Belly Lox, GravLox or Pastrami cured salmon; loin cut smoked salmon; Wild Western Nova or New Zealand King Salmon.

It’s just a little deli shop, so I had to go outside and walk down towards the subway station where I had seen a little park in order to find a place to eat. There, I was in heaven as I bit into the doughy but firm bagel, the richness of the cream cheese and flavors of the smoked salmon were exquisite. I understood why running out for bagels and lox in New York is such a singular experience.
Russ & Daughters classic bagel  sandwich, a bagel with your choice of cream cheese and smoked salmon Russ & Daughters classic bagel  sandwich, a bagel with your choice of cream cheese and smoked salmon

It’s also possible to get this sandwich on a bialy instead of a bagel. They also have tomato, capers, and onions optionally, but you know it’s not really an option right, it’s a must have?
Russ & Daughters classic bagel  sandwich, a bagel with your choice of cream cheese and smoked salmon

I carefully wiped the wax paper it was wrapped in (ok, after licking all the cream cheese left behind) with napkins and folded it away to put in my scrapbook later because I already knew it was a food memory that I would always remember years later.

In fact just writing this post I am craving this sandwich pretty desperately. I considered for a while that they even ship nationally. If I’m ever in New York, this will be a must revisit for me.

They have other possible combinations you can try- I was torn between for instance the other sandwich of Daughter’s Delight, with Gaspe Nova and Wild Alaskan Salmon Roe with cream cheese on a bagel or bialy. Or the Super Heebster with Whitefish and Baked Salmon Salad with horseradish dill cream cheese and wasabi flying fish roe on a bagel or bialy… among several other options.

If you go to New York, would you visit Russ & Daughters? Have you been there before, and what did you have? Do you have a real craving for a bagel sandwich now, because I do and that’s one of my goals for this long weekend… a fancy bagel sandwich. Where do you get what you think are the best bagels in Portland?

Other New York highlights from this trip that I have blogged about:

Coming Next Week: photos from Chelsea Market and Todd English Food Hall!

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Raven & Rose Cocktail Paper Crane

Until the end of this month, consider visiting the Rookery at Raven & Rose. First of all, if you haven’t been before, it is a gorgeous, classy space. When you enter Raven & Rose, turn right past the hostess desk to go to the stairway up to what used to be the hayloft of this former carriage house.

  

Second of all, until the end of this month, they have this fantastic cocktail called the Paper Crane. 50% of the sales of Paper Crane drink sales go to White Bird Dance Company, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing Portland-based, regional, national, and international dance companies to Portland, Oregon. Raven & Rose is one of 6 locations which have created a special drink for White Bird Cocktail Month (May 2014)- the other locations include Silk, Southpark Seafood, Higgins, Nel Centro, and Ringside Fish House.
White Bird Cocktail Month May 2014

But back to the drink I’ve had so far, the Paper Crane. It’s made with New Deal Hot Monkey pepper vodka, Benedictine, peach cordial, lemon juice, honey, egg white, and Angostura bitters to present a well balanced mix of spicy and sweet and sour and lightness. So, it’s a drink that’s both good for you in deliciousness, and good for the world in helping to support the arts via White Bird Dance Company.
Raven & Rose special drink for May 2014, the Paper Crane. It's made with New Deal Hot Monkey pepper vodka, Benedictine, peach cordial, lemon juice, honey, egg white, and Angostura bitters to present a well balanced mix of spicy and sweet and sour and lightness. Raven & Rose special drink for May 2014, the Paper Crane. It's made with New Deal Hot Monkey pepper vodka, Benedictine, peach cordial, lemon juice, honey, egg white, and Angostura bitters to present a well balanced mix of spicy and sweet and sour and lightness.

If you go on Wednesday, like I did, that is their Whiskey Wedsnesday, where they have additional special whiskey items and live music in the evenings.

Finally, if you didn’t know… The Rookery has a food menu that includes fried cheese curds & fried pickles served with a smoked chili aioli. You need this.
"The The Rookery at Raven & Rose has a food menu that includes fried cheese curds & fried pickles served with a smoked chili aioli.

Hurry, this cocktail is only available only until the end of May! However, visit the Rookery anytime to order those fried cheese curds and pickles with any drink you’d like…

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Honey Walnut Baked Brie Recipe

There is never a wrong time for some warm, melty cheese that you scoop and put on top of bread. Especially when your freezer stops being frozen, so the Fressen half loaf of bread needs to be immediately used. Specifically, what you see below is their Vollkornbrot bread, made with Dark Rye and Whole Wheat flour with cracked rye, Sunflower, Flax and Sesame Seeds, and Salt which I picked up at one of the various Farmers Markets they have a booth at, though they are also available at a few stores

Honey Walnut Brie Recipe Honey Walnut Brie Recipe.

This serves 4… or 2 if you really just want a lot of cheese. I don’t mind eating the rind (you want to get a young, fresh brie. Older brie may have a tougher rind). If the rind bothers you, try wrapping it with crescent or puff pastry dough so you don’t see it. Ha ha.

Or if you’d really really like (though there is cheese loss this way!), you can cut the very top off, slice very thinly so you don’t lose too much cheese. Leave the rest of the rind at the bottom and sides so it can act sorta like a bowl.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Even though I didn’t chop mine, so you don’t necessarily have to if you really like walnuts
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons of honey plus 1/4 cup honey – I used Bee Local Honey.
  • 1 wheel of brie (8-9 ounce package)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix your 1/4 cup of walnuts with the 2 tablespoons of honey, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and pinch of salt. Stir well to coat. Alternately, instead of honey and cinnamon you could use maple syrup. I used 1 1/2 cups walnuts with 1/4 cup maple syrup, which is why you see so many nuts. Between the two, I like the cinnamon honey version better… though at that time I also increased the recipe because I eat these walnuts by themselves like candy.
  2. Arrange walnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer- you want them all to be flat so they all get fully toasted on the side. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, checking frequently to watch them brown and they should smell toasted. Be careful in watching them as they can very easily burn. Alternatively, you can do the same in a large dry pan on the stovetop at medium high heat, but make sure you watch them constantly and stir them. After removing them from the stovetop, lay them flat in a single layer to cool.
    Honey Walnut Brie Recipe. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix your 1/4 cup of walnuts with the 2 tablespoons of honey,1 /4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and pinch of salt. Stir well to coat. Toast in a large dry pan on the stovetop at medium high heat, but make sure you watch them constantly and stir them.
  3. Unwrap your brie cheese and place your cheese in a baking dish. I recommend putting some sort of parchment paper underneath because it’s about to get sticky messy. Drizzle the honey over the top. Alternately, rather then drizzling your cheese goodness with honey goodness, there are so many kinds of fruit compotes and preserves you could use as well! YUM!
    Honey Walnut Brie Recipe
  4. Place in the oven at 350 degrees F and bake for 10-15 minutes.
  5. Top with the toasted walnuts and serve with sliced bread. Other options would be to include sliced apples, grapes or other fruit, toasted crostini or crackers, roasted garlic…!
    Honey Walnut Brie Recipe Honey Walnut Brie Recipe.

Super simple, but so worth it. Perfect for a rainy day when watching a movie or doing a TV show marathon with a few glasses of wine! Indulgent rich warm cheese on good bread with good honey. There is no way to go wrong with this.

Honey Walnut Brie Recipe

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