Photo by helmutlangjournal.com

With the date nearly upon us for Googa Mooga 2013, as much as we have learned, New York still seems to have a great way of keeping secret the best things it has to offer and then letting the world know it happened afterwards via friends twitter and Facebook accounts.

You may have missed it last year but a free mini festival that celebrated craft beer, fashionable food and the service industry artisans started to come on the radar with what seemed to be a few tickets left or released the week of. It’s destination was tasteful, in the epicurean epicenter of Brooklyn’s prospect park.

Well it’s on again and we can only barely remember what was so essential to the one day we made it.

As the event drew closer there seemed to be a lot of chatter and demand on social media for tickets. Some luckier than others. Demand was not without reason with names like Anthony bourdain, the roots, April Bloomfield and hall and Oates topping the entertainment. Hipster heaven dare I say.

The weather set the stage and gave no reason for the inaugural outing not to be a success with weather high in the 80s and feeling even hotter with the cloudless sky.

By all accounts Saturday was reminiscent of bread lines in communist Russia. Between all the teething problems of saturday and the searing heat it made life very easy on Sunday, deterring crowds early on and freeing up some of the stands for early risers.

On sunday , confusion still reined.  The location of the entrance, masked in secrecy, and with a location apple maps would be proud of. People followed sound to the fence that surrounded the event and eventually led to said nondescript  entrance.

Once the sea parted we entered and took our shoes off and roamed the green pastures. Thankfully we were early, aline to receive an id bracelet is required. Any good festival needs it and its only the ones with money and smarts arrive early to get approved of receiving alcohol. The Puerile always arrive late and in masses only making every line more congested than a Colombian overlords mirror.

Taking eyefulls and mouthfuls in equal doses. We ventured forth, Stop one: beer tent. After reading and hearing of so many beers that captured the palate and made beer geeks of all the skinny jean wearing pbr hugging participants, it was a major disappointment to see so many sold out before one, almost half. The cracks in the system were starting to show early.

Any seasoned or non seasoned service industry worker would see all the dry beer taps and wonder why these taps aren’t accommodating other beers. This was a recurring theme with stalls closing by three and four o clock.

The layout was well designed with just about every stand(and line) in full view of the main stage. One of the best features was a ‘grazing’ area with old police barricades turned into stand up tables that accommodated upward of 20 people with no space used, ingenious, no doubt able to double as crowd control if required.

The downside of the grazing area was the lines from every stall was uncontrolled. Like a toddler in a bar on Sunday afternoon patrons fell through the masses trying to get to the front of the line only to find that the lines were non existent as were the stands.

One by one they fell with their efficiency to serve and restock, closing all stores, mainly manhattan based ventures and then Brooklyn, with few like south Brooklyn pizza serving to the last beat of the drum. In fact south Brooklyn pizza served hall and Oates their after dinner meal.

Every stall served their food with the qualities of the best in show. The limited menus seemed to be hand picked by the gods. Although the gods couldn’t stop the troff from running dry.  We could talk in length about the exemplary food we had, but 80% of that was amazing because it was good we had. Comparison is slim in examples for the Sunday menu with tired, spent, underprepared  staff.

As stalls wrapped up, many hungry, tired and thirsty youngsters went in search of more. The young urban outfitters filled park slopes streets again this time in search of fulfillment, the final slice that golden Jameson, that vital kiss- everything that escaped them earlier in prospect park earlier.

The organizers at the end of the weekend wrapped with an air of success but with a realization that there was more to be done.

Word has it that every system has been tested and worked through and the only thing stopping googa mooga this year: rain.

http://brooklyn.googamooga.com/

Prospect Park – Brooklyn

The place is simply charming.  Like Tiny’s Tribeca, the restoration is impeccable and the details are super cool.  The bar mirrors are wooden molds for steel ship windows, which is the coolest touch.  And good thing for the charm, as this place makes Tiny’s seem cavernous.

The restroom here deserves a big mention.  It is so cool and along with the rest of the joint it’s small.  The sink neatly folds into the wall after use.  Also like the rest of the place it is pitch black inside, but I was able to pull off an Instagram.

Smith and Mills features a raw bar, appetizers and 5 simple entrees.  Watching the chef prep meals standing in a 4 foot square space is an amazing thing to watch.  The pot of meatballs is neatly tucked into a burner below the bar.  Both dishes we ordered were really tasty, but served only as teasers for our appetites.  We shared each app 3 ways with our friend Lee and moved on to Macao Trading Company for more cocktails and food.

SMOKEY RICOTTA    11
Truffle Honey, Pink Peppercorn Oil, Sea Salt, Micro Red Beet GreensMEATBALLS    14
Tomato, Parmesan, Tuscan Kale Chip

We just love this little spot and now we’ve discovered a quiet time early evening on weekends.  I wouldn’t mind grabbing an outside table in warm weather and hanging out into the night.

Macao is a gambling city in China ala Las Vegas which was formerly a Portugese colony.  The food in this region is a fusion of Portugese and Chinese.  Macao originally attempted to present a menu mirroring the two cuisines.  Not so sure people got it so it has morphed over the years.  But the concept was not lost on me!  Having been to Macao I will say the Portugese food there is more than a bit scary with its bizarro Chinese twist.  Macao had the right idea.

4/9/2011  First Review

Macao Trading Co. has a fantastic atmosphere which feels like a hidden cocktail den in Asia, maybe Macao.  But its just a cool looking cocktail bar/club atmosphere.  It is so very dark with openwork metal, glass, wood, lofts, flowers, wooden booths and Chinese screens in the hip basement.  Photos are nearly impossible with a phone.

Macao does an interesting menu twist, serving the same items in two ways – Chinese and Portuguese. This is not a fusion, rather the menu is split.  For example:

MANILA CLAMS
Chinese Style with black beans & chilies
OR
Portuguese Style with choriço

Everything we’ve had there is delicious, but we do have favorites. Namely, the Portugese style meatballs and the Chinese style jade dumplings.  The 5 spice lamb chops are really spicy and compliment the sweeter cocktails.  We also love the mushroom and truffle croquettes.  These are all considered small plates.  We have not had a sit down dinner at Macao.

SMALL PLATES
5 Spice Dry Rub Lamb Chops & Chinese Vegetable Salad
Meatballs Portuguese Style – lamb balls filled with cheese and served with Marinara sauce
Jade dumplings with crab, shrimp & cilantro dip

Mushroom & Truffle Croquettes  11

The cocktails are very special – the bartenders are true ‘mixologists’ who wear chef’s coats and show off their skills. They are part of the Employees Only group, which is known for being at the center of the cocktail bar scene in NYC.  I totally recommend sitting at the bar, tasting the drinks and keeping yourself sober with a flow of small plates.  Many of the drinks pack a hidden punch.  They’ll also make you anything you’d like if you describe your desired flavors or liquor.

Mai Tai ala Vincent

We have found that every bartender there has been amazingly friendly.  It is always nice to be treated like a local at a hotspot. And they are very consistent.  To digress a bit, a story about drinking at Macao comes to mind every time we go.

On Oscar night 2010 we met Vincent.  He generally works at Employees Only and at the time Macao on Sunday nights. We were with our friend Derek and had been doing the rounds all day.  Vincent was speaking highly of his ability to chug a beer and bragged of how he could beat anyone.  Ha.  Vincent, meet Derek.  Derek accepted this as a challenge and asked if they had Guiness on tap?  No?  Derek walked down the street to South’s, where his friend poured him two, which he brought back to Macao.  On three, here we go…One…Two…Three.  And it begins one…two…three.  It’s over.  Derek can chug a pint in 3 seconds.  The rest of the night was a blur…shots.  Drinks.  And later Jeff Bridges won best Actor and then came the white Russians at South’s.  The dude abides.  We saw Vincent again once at Employees Only.  He remembered us and made sure we got annihilated.  Our friend Anne Marie was with us that time.

These are some of our favorite cocktails…

DR. FUNK  14
Mekhong Thai Rum served tall with Homemade Grenadine, Ginger Beer, dressed with Fresh Fruits and Mint & topped off with a drizzle of Absinthe

WESTSIDE  14
Vodka w/fresh Meyer Lemon & mint

KAFFIR JIMLET  14
Kaffir Lime-infused Fords Gin mixed with Lime Juice &Agave Nectar, served straight up

DRUNKEN DRAGON’S MILK  15
Charbay Green Tea Vodka shaken with Young Coconut Puree,Thai Basil & Macao Five-Spice Bitters, served tall

4/21/2013  Follow Up

Two years later, we still frequent Macao.  And still tell the story of the Guinness.  And still order the croquettes, but that is all that remains.  The dumplings have changed to chicken and pork.  Why?  And no more presentation in the bamboo steamer?!  We like the new grilled bacon buns, which is essentially a pork belly bun.

We did bring Steve’s Aunt and Cousins to Macao one night for dinner.  We ordered a variety of dishes and were quite pleased with everything.  It was a really fun shared plate experience with top notch cocktails.  We felt everyone loved not only the food and fun, but the atmosphere there as well.  This is an excellent choice to take a group for dinner. We had just about everything on the menu but the steak and it was all great.

We also had to evacuate our apartment for Hurricane Irene, during which time we stayed across the street at the Tribeca Grand.  As soon as they were open for business, we planted ourselves there.  Our friend Paula took a cab for $10 from way uptown and the result was a day off Monday!

Most recently, we dropped in on a Sunday evening with our friend Lee.  Daniel, the bartender, told us about the new Sunday BBQ program.  The chef does a different BBQ preparation every Sunday for the locals.  We ordered that right up along with the dumplings and the croquettes.  On this particular week it was fried boneless chicken with spicy sauce and the grilled bacon buns on the side.

Until we meet again…

http://www.macaonyc.com/

311 Church Street – TriBeCa

10/19/2011

Tiny’s is a new bi-level restaurant/bar in Tribeca. The building was built in 1810 and restored to perfection. While they were at it they made it super hip. It was absolutely gorgeous. So were the people. Certainly, the crowd was not hipster in any way, but quite chic and young. The place is billed as Tiny’s and ‘The Bar Upstairs’, so we went right for the second level. The bar has no stools save for a couple along the staircase. That makes it either a place where you need to get a reservation and eat with your cocktails or a spot to stop for only one drink. It is kind of a shame and I hope they modify that, as the cocktails are nicely done. They are planning a ‘private dining area’ on the third floor, which is as yet incomplete.

It is a supposedly a soup and sandwich place, but we need to sample the menu. The smells in there were very complex, which leads me to believe they either make a hell of a soup or the sandwiches are far from average. At this point it is difficult to fully asses the joint. I can tell you we are interested enough to check it out again. As I understand it is quite the hot spot, so we thought about really trying the FOOD for lunch. Our plan is to hit it this weekend, so I will update this post soon.

Tiny’s is owned by the Matt Abramcyk and his siblings. I have no clue who this guy is, but his sister states in a New York Magazine interview that ‘this restaurant will be less exclusive’ than some of her brother’s past and present projects. He also owns the Beatrice Inn and the Bunker. Having no idea what either was, I looked up the first. Apparently it closed because they opened it as a ‘private club’. So that’s bullshit. The Bunker is in meatpacking and is another restoration project, apparently also rather ‘exclusive’. This isn’t giving me a good vibe. But judgement remains neutral until trying the food!

We followed with a second visit for a late lunch.  We were between the bar menu and full dinner menu time by 1/2 an hour.  We decided to order a snack and take a look at the dinner menu.  We were so uninspired we opted to order burgers from the bar menu.  We began with burata, one of our favorites.  It was rather disappointing.  Our portion had more mozzarella shell and a small amount of creamy center.  It was served with arugula and tomatoes in a bowl.  Eh.  Mediocre. The burgers were  quite good.  Like everyone else, they’ve created a ‘special sauce.’  We enjoyed them, but seriously everybody has a good burger these days.

Our service wasn’t great either.  Two different people waited our table, as one kept noticing we weren’t getting attention.

And finally, in the light of day the decor was less impressive than we originally thought.  Further, the table and chair sets are mis-matched antique pieces.  The chairs are the metal artist/kitchen stools as shown in the photos and they are not only uncomfortable, but also too high for the tables, which are oddly low.

4/15/2013

We actually did return for a third visit with a friend for cocktails.  Stools had been added to the bar area, which helped a great deal.  We had a fun time and the cocktails are very nicelyn done.  The small space is challenging for sure at the bar, but we did notice groups with reservations at the tables for drinks and snacks.

We’ve since visited their other ‘tiny’ location called Smith & Mills, which we rather enjoy.  Since they are similar, I’d say we might not have been fair to Tiny’s and we’ll probably go back yet a fourth time.  It has been quite some time since opening!

http://www.tinysnyc.com/
135 West Broadway – Tribeca

9/7/2011  First Visit

There has been quite a bit of press surrounding Kin Shop since Chef Harold Dieterle was a Top Chef winner and he already owns Perilla around the corner. Perilla has done well over the years, but this new spot is Contemporary Thai which is a change for him. The reviews have been pretty amazing and Sam Sifton of the New York Times awarded him two stars. So off we went to check it out.

The atmosphere surprised me a bit. It was very casual with Thai influence. The theme is a soft sea green with banquettes and Asian chairs. We lucked out and got the only cool booth featuring a pair of Asian two-seater benches placed right in the window. There is a long granite bar and a chef’s counter where you can be seated to watch the cooking.

Apparently “kin,” is the Thai word for “to eat” and that we did! We checked out all the recommended dishes. The menu is meant to be shared, so we took a friend and ordered up a pile of food. Complementing kin shop‘s menu are Thai-influenced specialty cocktails, which are deliciously fresh and clean. Each one has a fantastic balance of flavors to compliment the spiciness of our dishes.

ALL of the cocktails are highly recommended! My favorite dishes were the VERY spicy duck, the pork belly and oysters, as well as the noodle dish. Everything was cooked to perfection and the flavors were big. Even on the noodle dish. It may have beat Ippudo, which was the winner of our Noodle smackdown last year! This is a place I’d like to visit again and again. I’d even stop in on a summer day for one of the cocktails.

Some of my favorite cocktails are the Kin & Tonic with Hendrick’s gin, St Germain, cucumber, cilantro and tonic, the Phuket Fill with vodka, pineapple and thai basil and the ALM made with gin and thai pickle brine.  Yummm!

Spicy Duck Laab Salad 13

toasted rice, ground chili & romaine hearts

Fried Pork Belly & Crispy Oyster Salad13

celery, peanuts, mint & chili-lime vinaigrette

Photo by Kinshop

Massaman: Braised Goat 22

fried shallots, purple yams, mustard greens & toasted coconut

Photo by Kinshop

4/4/2013  Update

Kinshop is now close to my new employer and has become a bit of a regular spot.  I LOVE the Steamed Pork Meatball Soup and pretty regularly get the Stir Fry of Aquatic Vegetables as a side.  I went this weekend with a friend and we had the Miang of Smoked Trout, which was a little mouthful of amazing flavor and the Steamed Chicken Meatballs, which I liked for chicken.  The green sauce was great.  It is quite unfortunate I forgot a few photos, which seems to happen almost every time I go!

Steamed Pork Meatball Soup 12

crispy garlic, bok choy shoots & black soy sauce

Miang of Smoked Trout 15

apricot, choy sum, chili jam & fish sauce caramel

My goal is to continue to go to Kinshop and replace the photos with my own!  These old posts get me down when I go back in time.  Harold Dieterle has opened a 3rd restaurant since my original posting called The Marrow.  Naturally we checked it out almost immediately and loved it.  The concept is Austrian/Italian.  Click through to our review for an explanation!

http://kinshopnyc.com/

469 Sixth Ave. – West Village