Menu Innovation With Meatless Sandwiches

August 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

There is no doubt that there is an abundance of sandwich options in New York. It is common to find meatball subs or great deli meat combos, however the vegetarian options are definitely less popular. There are many grilled cheese options and quite a few vegan sprout/tofu/hummus combinations but it is rare to find a meatless option that is truly enticing and interesting. Some establishments, however, have incorporated great satisfying meatless sandwich options into their menus and are watching as even meat lovers opt for the vegetarian counterparts. Here are a few sandwiches around Manhattan that are creating a buzz:

  • PARM: 248 Mulberry St., New York
    •  The eggplant parm sandwich at Parm is served with thin slices of fried eggplant, marinara sauce, and melted mozzarella. It is available either on a roll or hero and is delicious.
  • TAÏM FALAFEL AND SMOOTHIE BAR: 22 Waverly Place, New York
    • Taïm is known for their amazing falafel, however their sabich, an Iraqi and Israeli breakfast sandwich, is also a star product. The sabich has sweet fried eggplant, slices of hardboiled egg, hummus, cucumber, tomato salad, cabbage slaw and a pickled mango sauce all stuffed into a delicious warm pita.
  • NUM PANG SANDWICH SHOP: 75 9th Ave, New York
    • The cauliflower sandwich at Num Pang Sandwich Shop has roasted cauliflower, spicy eggplant spread,cucumber, pickled carrots, cilantro and a chili mayo sauce. It is a great meatless alternative to the traditional bang mi.
  •  MEAT HOOK SANDWICH: 495 Lorimer St., Brooklyn
    • The vegetarian sandwich at Meat Hook Sandwich in Brooklyn airs on the heavier side as it incorporates all the vegetarian toppings including cheese, fried onions, hash browns and caponata amongst others…
  • SHAKE SHACK: 11 Madison Avenue, New York
    • Shake Shack cleverly offers a vegetarian option that is not limited to a veggie burger made of beans or other vegetables made into a patty. The Shroom Burger is a portobello mushroom that is stuffed with cheese and then deep fried, topped with lettuce, tomato and the delicious Shack sauce.

These sandwiches stand up to their meaty counterparts delivering great flavor and texture. To read more about meatless sandwiches and to find one near you, click here

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Trending Now Tagged With: , ,

New Competition for Shake Shack from Beijing

August 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Uncle Sam Fast Food, a Bejing-based hamburger chain has signed a lease to open its first U.S. restaurant location. The fast food hamburger joint is set to open in a 5,600 square-foot space on Fifth Avenue in the NoMad neighborhood which just so happens to be located in between McDonald’s and Shake Shack and in the near vicinity of a Wendy’s and Smashburger. Uncle Sam Fast Food’s goal is to prepare the best Chinese-American burger and is meant to compete at the same level as Shake Shack.

The American-Chinese burger chain is owned by Bai Zhiming, a Beijing entrepreneur whose company registered US trademarks for the names Uncle Sam’s Famous American Burger and Uncle Sam’s earlier in the year. The reason the chain landed on a location between 31st and 32nd streets as opposed to Times Square or the West Village (where they also considered opening) was due to a high traffic volume from tourists and office workers.

The previous occupant of the space was deli Café Feastro which opened in 2009 and has been closed since November. Whilst challenging the likes of Shake Shack or McDonald’s may seem tricky and difficult, Uncle Sam Fast Food may still prove to operate better than the previous tenant in the space. Dennir Karr, a Newmark Grubb Knight Frank broker who represented the Beijing-based hamburger chain in the deal along with NGKF’s Jonathan Krivine and Jessica Tu of CJ Net Inc. states that, “they have additional restaurants in China and they’re using this somewhat as a laboratory for reaching customers.”

To read more about the opening of Uncle Sam fast Food in NoMad, click here

Filed Under: Openings Tagged With: ,

New Starbucks in Williamsburg

July 24, 2014 by 1 Comment

A new Starbucks coffee shop opened July 21st in Williamsburg next to the Lorimer/Metropolitan subway stop. The Williamsburg residents appear to be on the fence about the coffee shop’s new location. There is a strong concern that the Starbucks will hinder local coffee shops’ business. Although the opening was well advertised weeks in advance, few people chose to stop into Starbucks for their morning coffee or later for their afternoon frappucino. The adjacent deli, however, continued doing business as usual by serving the breakfast crowd their coffee.

It could be difficult to open a large coffee chain outpost in a neighborhood surrounded by independent roasters and where the vibrant coffee culture is already very established. The Starbucks staff seem confident that the residents will eventually warm up to the coffee shop as the location is very convenient; aside from being across from the Metropolitan Avenue subway, where the shop will serve many commuters on the L and G trains, it is also surrounded by building complexes and condos.

Residents may be concerned that the new Starbucks in Williamsburg is another reminder of the accelerated rate gentrification in the neighborhood, but Starbucks is determined to continue providing a good customer experience and attract a local stable clientele. To read more about the views surrounding the new Starbucks opening, click here

 

 

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Openings Tagged With: ,

New Shake Shack Dumbo

July 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The new Shake Shack location in Dumbo opens today on the corner of Fulton St. and Water St directly across from the Brooklyn Bridge Park. This location’s décor has a nautical vibe with sailboat images hung on the cedar plank walls that were stripped from old New York rooftop water towers. The burger chain’s new Dumbo location is the first to offer their Frog’s Leap “Shack Red” and “Shack White” wines on tap and not just in bottles. There are also a few other features that are only specific to this location. For instance:

 

  • The “Caramel Carousel,” made with a vanilla frozen custard base with bananas, caramel sauce, sugar cone pieces, and sea salt was inspired by Jane’s Carousel; a nearby tourist attraction.
  • The “Brooklyn Pie Oh My” consists of vanilla frozen custard blended with a slice of Four & Twenty Blackirds pie. Currently the Brooklyn Pie Oh My features a slice of strawberry-balsamic pie; the pie flavors will rotate.
  • Although not convenient in the summer, the gas-burning fireplace in the front window will definitely be a bonus come winter!
  • 5% of proceeds from the location-specific beverages will benefit the nonprofit “Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue.”

 

To read more about the opening of Shake Shack’s new location, click here

 

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Openings Tagged With: ,

Rescue Plan for Crumbs Bakery

July 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Marcus Lemonis, star of the CNBC show and CEO of Camping World and Good Sam Enterpries, decided to take action when Crumbs Bakery closed their doors last week. Lemonis is devising a plan to attempt to rescue the bakery by partnering with owners of ice cream brand Dippin’ Dots to not only loan money but also to outline a new strategy which involves incorporating more products into a larger sweets shop beyond just cupcakes.

For the moment Lemonis is financing the chain to get their doors back open but is still working on a plan to really bring the company back to life. The owners of Dippin’ Dots are already investors in Crumbs whose ultimate goal is to buy the company. Lemonis is seeking to involve the founders of Crumbs, Mia and Jason Bauer, throughout the process even if it is only at an advising capacity.

Lemonis, who hosts a reality show based on helping troubled companies return to turning a profit, stated,  “I don’t believe a single (product) cupcake business is viable in the long term,” Lemonis said. “It was originally envisioned as a bake shop.” Hopefully Lemonis’ plan will be successful and enable Crumbs Bakeshop to recover, stay open and do a complete turnaround.

To read more about Lemonis’ involvement in resuscitating the bakeshop, click here

 

Filed Under: Closings, Local Market Buzz Tagged With: ,

Root & Bone: Southern Mecca in Alphabet City

July 11, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Root & Bone, a traditional Southern food restaurant, opened last week in Alphabet City. After having worked together in Miami at the popular southern food restaurant Yardbird, Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth, both previous Top Chef contestants, partnered together to open their own restaurant in New York City. The menu is focused on a revival of rural and coastal American cooking that uses seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients of only the highest quality.

This concept has been long in the works and is finally open and creating a lot of buzz. Menu items include a fried chicken brined in sweet tea and served with tabasco honey, the classic southern shrimp and grits, a blue crab Waldorf salad and of course fried chicken and waffles. In case you weren’t salivating yet, Crystal Cullison, pastry chef at Root & Bone, is also offering delicious southern sweets such as Mississippi mud pie, coconut layer cake and a kitchen sink sundae!

The antique/farmhouse looking restaurant also has a takeout counter (The Little Root Market) which offers many options such as buckets of chicken, pie, sandwiches and soft serve from lunch through to late night. To take a look at the menu and some photos of the space, click here

 

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Openings Tagged With:

Momofuko Milk Bar Baking Classes

July 8, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Momofuko Milk Bar is offering a baking class series so participants can learn to make their sugary staples such as the legendary crack pie, birthday cake  and truffles. The class will be taught using the recipes out of the momofuko milk bar cookbook and will also include some newer recipes. Each class will be provided with the tools and ingredients to make the magic happen. Classes are open to all ages and culinary levels of expertise. The baking will take place at the Williamsburg production kitchen at 383 Metropolitan Ave between Marcy Ave and Havemeyer. The best part about these classes may be that participants can take home everything they bake… Here are the class hours:

Birthday Cake & Truffles:

  • Saturday July 12th, 11AM-1PM
  • Saturday July 19th, 11AM-1PM
  • Saturday July 19th, 3PM-5PM
  • Saturday July 26th, 3PM-5PM

Crack Pie & B’Day Truffles:

  • Saturday July 12th, 3PM-5PM
  • Saturday July 26th, 11AM-1PM

Classes cost $95 per participant and enrollment is open at any time. To read more about the bake the book series, click here

Filed Under: Events, Local Market Buzz Tagged With:

Bar at The Ludlow Soft Opening

July 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

A new French restaurant is set to open in the brand new Ludlow hotel on Ludlow Street in the Lower East Side. Rich Torrisi, Jeff Zalaznick and Mario Carbone, known as the Torrisi Team of Major Food Group, are working together to put the last touches on the restaurant, Dirty French. In the meantime, so as not to keep us waiting too long, the Ludlow Lobby Bar will have a soft opening tonight!

The bar space is still having some minor work done, however the bar and outside seating area will be open tonight for anyone who wants to check it out and get a drink. David Waugh from Major Food Group’s ZZ Clam bar has been working with infamous drink-maker Dan Nicolaescu to create an exciting cocktail list. To check out the original cocktail menu and read more about the soft opening click here

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Openings Tagged With:

New Dining Hall in Grand Central Terminal

June 26, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central terminal has hosted many pop up shops, private events and temporary displays in the past. Now it is on its way to installing a permanent dining hall. It would also become home to a fine-dining restaurant headed up by Claus Meyer, founder of Noma in Copenhagen.  The Metropolitan Transportation Authority revealed the food hall plans last Friday which has been endorsed by a committee in charge of managing the proposals for the space. The Metro-North Railroad committee will hold a preliminary vote with the committees financial advisors and then the board will meet to make a final decision.

This project would add more casual dining choices in addition to the food court at the terminal’s lower level as well as other retail shops and cafes. There will also be  large 100-person Nordic Brasserie and a grab-and-go in the space that is currently a Hot & Crusty stand. The idea of the project is to generate more traffic for existing tenants and to have enough new variety and choices to engage all price points. The project is set to be completed in the next two years.

To read more about the future plans for Vanderbilt Hall click here

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Openings Tagged With: ,

Ô Merveilleux: RETAIL BAKERY ENTERPRISE

June 17, 2014 by 1 Comment

1509 Second Ave (Upper East Side) •    646.681.8688

Their Success…Ô Merveilleux on the Upper East Side is not your typical French patisserie; it is Belgian! Although they offer an assortment of French goods such as croissants, choux and macaroons, what truly sets this place apart from the rest is their uniquely Belgian pastry selection. Their trademark merveilleux is composed of a light layer of meringue, filled with sweetened whipped cream and coated in delicious Belgian chocolate shavings or Speculoos, a typically Belgian spiced shortcrust biscuit usually prepared in the holiday season. The recipe for the merveilleux is deceivingly simple but the flavor is anything but; as a customer it is refreshing to see such a simple pastry that doesn’t try to be overly sophisticated which usually ends up being just plain confusing.

When you think of Belgium, the first thing that usually comes to mind is their beer or mussels and frites, but now we can add the merveilleux to that list. Other Belgian specialties Ô Merveilleux offers are the raisin cramique, sugar craquelin, and of course the Belgian Liege waffle. The Belgian variants on the popular French baked goods and pastry selection make Ô Merveilleux stand out among other New York patisseries.

From the moment you walk up to the store you are enticed by the macaroons and pastries displayed on large trays in the window. Once you enter the patisserie it feels as though you have been transported to an enchanting Belgian country home. The warm yellow and grey color scheme combined with the cottage-like décor creates a very soothing sense of comfort. There are cute accents hung on the walls such as a corkboard pinned with business cards for the customer to pick up, or another corkboard where they hang individually packaged chocolate truffles.

You can enjoy a delicious cup of Counter Culture coffee in what feels like your own living room. A large communal dining table is centered in the room across from a long bench with tables and upholstered ottomans, providing ample seating space. Two tall wooden bookshelves filled with pictures frames and glassware sit on either side of a large wooden console table with three-tiered cake stands and a thoughtful welcome banner. Beyond the communal farm-style dining table is a glass window separating the dining area from the kitchen, truly making you feel as though you have been invited over to someone’s home for a breakfast date (except for of course the pastry chefs busy in the kitchen).

 Take Aways… Ô Merveilleux patisserie highlights their simple, delicious, bite-size namesake treat amongst other uniquely Belgian confections. The product mix is appropriate and not overwhelming. The European vibe and atmosphere created by the darling décor combined with the tasty pastries all make for a relaxing and enjoyable experience. The calming color scheme, homey decor and charming little extras throughout the store make the customer want to sit down and stay for a long breakfast.

Filed Under: Retail Spotlight Tagged With:
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