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11/08/2004 Archived Entry: "My Book Hits Stores, Plus New Park Slope Restaurants"

I’ve been practicing making Steak Diane, the old warhorse that was served in supper clubs and other glamorous watering holes from the 1930s through the ‘60s. ‘21’ still serves it, prepared tableside and flambéed, but the reason I have been cooking it is because it is one of my demonstration dishes for upcoming book promotion appearances. The recipe is in “Arthur Schwartz’s New York City Food,” and now that the book is being shelved in stores (and available on Amazon.com) I begin talking about it, cooking from it, and signing it this Friday at Macy’s Herald Square – 1 p.m. Come see me if you can. I’ll give you a taste of the famous Steak Diane. If you can’t make it on Friday, on Saturday I will be at Broadway Panhandler, 477 Broome St., between Greene and Wooster, also at 1 p.m., also flambéing pans of Steak Diane.

Don’t forget: My appearance schedule is on this site, under Food Maven Appearances. A few more are being added as we speak.

On Sunday, I will also be appearing at Stew Leonard’s in Yonkers, from noon to about 3 p.m. The store is reopening its wine department and wine will be poured for tasting while I meet, greet and sign.

Meanwhile, I have been catching up on the

Park Slope Restaurant Boom
It’s unbelievable what’s going around here. New restaurants are opening up faster than I can eat at them.

Tempo has taken the place of the old Cucina at 256 Fifth Ave., between Carroll St. and Garfield Pl. (718- 636-2020) which was a pioneer on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. Tempo is slick and professional and delicious. My full review will appear in the winter issue of BKLYN magazine. Meantime, try the bucatini with crushed pistachios, a Sicilian dish, and don’t miss the porchetta, slices of boned pig stuffed with gorgeously seasoned ground meat and seasonings – like a pate framed with meat. It comes as either an appetizer plate with a dandelion green salad, or as a panino, a grilled sandwich. You might also try the great pulled lamb sandwich. The menu is part Italian. The other part is creative food with Moroccan-style seasoning. Plus there’s a fantastic steak that comes with smothered onions and mushrooms. I like the wine list, as well, and service could not be more professional – the three Manhattan weary owners -- two in the dining room, one in the kitchen – are alumni of Mario Batali’s Babbo, not to mention some other famous restaurants.

Applewood, 501 11th St, near Seventh Ave. (718-768-2044), has country-style décor. There’s even a portrait of chickens over the mantel. Oh yes, it has a working wood-burning fireplace to complete the cozy picture. The decorative theme is supposed to reflect the kitchen’s concern with agricultural purity – organic, free-range, farm-raised, or other better-than-commercial ingredients prevail. It’s all very Park Slope (did you know we have the country’s largest and longest-running food co-op?), including the friendly atmosphere. As a restaurant critic I should probably feel compelled to criticize the menu for having too many braised dishes, but they are all so delicious that I won’t. Among them, don’t miss the braised short ribs, which are actually crusted over under the broiler before they appear before you, falling into succulent shards as you poke your fork in. It takes nerve to serve grilled pork fat as an appetizer – as any course for that matter. Given my girth, I thought it took nerve to order it, too – so I did. It melts in your mouth, although it has a crisp finish on the meaty side, and the acidity of a little side salad to cut through it. I need to eat more to report more – okay, the spiced hot chocolate is a winning dessert, and we loved the little meringues and cookies that came unexpectedly with the bill -- but I thought I should give the heads-up on this one – it is already impossible to get in, the neighbors love it so much. Call way ahead for a reservation.

Scottaditto means “burn finger” in Italian and usually refers to tiny rib lamb chops that one eats by holding them by their long bones. The lamb chops here are way too large to eat them that way, but I shouldn’t quibble about that. I can, however, be annoyed by the Tuscan pose that this place takes when it’s food and décor have nothing at all to do with Tuscany. This space used to be a Japanese gift shop and restaurant (yes, combined) and it’s interesting to see how, with just decorations, it can be transformed into something Italian looking, if not Tuscan. It’s another fake rustic atmosphere in the neighborhood (Convivium does it better and Applewood does it less obviously), but we can certainly use an Italian restaurant. What I’ve eaten so far was a bit clunky, but I have high hopes. The staff is very, very nice, if a little over-familiar. Again, I need to eat more to make a really fair assessment.

Red Café, 78 Fifth Ave., between St. Marks Ave. and Prospect Pl.; (718-789 1100) is not so new, but I only caught up with it recently. It’s a sliver of a place, but very smartly decorated with glossy red walls and dark wood. I can’t give you all the details here because my complete review will appear with that of Tempo in the winter issue of BKLYN. For now, suffice to say it is my favorite neighborhood bistro. When I just want “a bite” I go for the pork burger with Romesco sauce (a Spanish mayonnaise-like emulsion of nuts, peppers, and garlic) or one of chef-owner Mark Shenk’s open sandwiches, like the scrambled eggs with pancetta and a salad on sour dough toast. With a bigger appetite, I order the chicory and lardon salad with a poached egg (well, that’s a light meal unto itself, too), then the salmon crusted with horseradish in a bowl of mustard broth with roasted vegetables.