Mmmmm meat
Eating in New York is dangerous. There are tourist traps everywhere - good food that is really expensive, pretty food that is no good, or food that is just plain bad. My latest trip to New York (pics) was foodgasmic.
We went to Katz, 2nd Ave Deli, Blue Smoke, La Famigilia, and some awesome restaurant - all places I would recommend trying. Employees Only was fantastic for drinks* (that was the December trip).
I feel like a NY sandwich could eat me. When we went to Katz, I ordered a turkey sandwich since I figured it would be lighter than the red meat ones. It was two slices of bread with a mound of giant chunks of real turkey pieces. No lettuce, tomato, onions, sprouts, arugula or anything I would expect in a California sandwich. Just meat and bread. The sandwich was decent, but I liked Dennis’ Ruben much better. I’d never had a Ruben before so I don’t have anything to compare it with, but it tasted really good. There is absolutely no way a person could/should eat an entire sandwich in one sitting from this deli.
Blue Smoke was mouth watering bbq goodness. Authentic bbq was also a first (what we Californians do in our backyards & parks is what bbq snobs call ‘grilling’). The ribs were tangy, sweet, saucy, and tender. I also experienced the best mac & cheese ever.
With so much animal consumed, I needed meat decompression when I returned. I can’t imagine eating meat every day.
Thoughts on vegetarianism & ginger smash drink recipe
“Are you vegetarian?” A question my friends often ask me. I’m not vegetarian anymore, but I rarely eat meat. I didn’t want to miss opportunities for new experiences so most of my meat consumption happens in restaurants. I tried vegetarianism on a whim a few years ago. I was only going to do it for a month. The experience was so interesting and educational, I did it for about 2 years. Then I went back to meat for a few months. Then I went back to no-meat for a few months. I went back and forth for a while, which explains why it’s a common question.
I found that cutting animals out of my diet made me hyper-conscious of what I consumed. I learned about hydrogenated oils, and HFCS. I obsessively read books on health, nutrition, and sustainability. My rommie was veg too so we had nerdy conversations about B vitamins, soy products and the like.
I’m a much healthier and more conscientious eater after having scrutinized my diet and habits, though I’m still working on moderation with Kettle salt & vinegar chips and desserts. Anyway, try vegetarianism, try new things, and try Blue Smoke.
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*Recipe for the deeelish drink I had at EO.
GINGER SMASH
The Chef
Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric of Employees Only
Servings
One Drink
Ingredients
12 whole cranberries
2 thin slices of ginger root
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 oz. wet gin
1 1/2 oz. Berentzen apple liqueur
Instructions
Muddle cranberries, ginger and sugar together. Add the remaining ingredients. Shake with ice. Pour into an old-fashioned glass.
mirrored from Karenism