5 Wonderful Things I've Eaten Around NYC Lately
A sandwich, a Caesar, an enchilada, and more
You won’t be surprised to learn that everything I eat doesn’t make it into a review, round-up, or trend piece. In fact, many of the best things occur in random meals in places I dashed into on a whim. Here are some recent dishes so good I couldn’t forget.
Cuban sandwich at Polanco
Polanco is a Dominican restaurant on the northern edge of Strivers Row in Harlem, as if it had migrated south from Washington Heights. There’s no seating, but the food is inexpensive and superb, most of it displayed on a steam table. The pork roast, in particular, is prodigal, and thick garlicky slices of it goes into the Cuban sandwich, which takes as long as 15 minutes to make. Notably, mustard is the condiment and more than the usual number of pickle slices are jammed in before the sandwich ($7) goes into the press. Go early, because sometimes sandwich components run out during the lunch rush. 2421 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, Harlem
Cauliflower Caesar at the Otter
At the recently opened Otter from Alex Stupak in the quizzically named Manner Hotel in Soho, the labyrinthine premises and walls lined with Constructivist art are enough to merit a visit, but the chopped cauliflower Caesar ($19) prevails. It’s really more of a casserole than a salad, a flattened souffle of cured egg yolk, chickpea noodles that would be at home in a Chinatown chow mein, and finely minced cauliflower. You’ll take one look at it, wonder what the hell it is, then happily dive in. 58 Thompson Street, at Broome Street, Soho
Tex-Mex enchiladas at Kellogg’s Diner
I lived in Dallas and Austin before I came to New York City, and I still get homesick for Tex-Mex. Not long ago Kellogg’s — which before the new owners, I declared the worst diner in Brooklyn — reopened under chef Jackie Carnesi, who is from Brownsville, Texas. Now the menu encompasses traditional diner food with lots of Tex-Mex thrown in. The Tex-Mex enchiladas ($20) are like something you might find in San Antonio, oozing cheese and smothered in red chili gravy, and for me every bite is a forkful of memories. 518 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg
Saupiquet d’agneau at Zimmi’s
This small but still playful spot makes you feel like you’re in a farmhouse in the Burgundy (though the menu’s emphasis is at least partly on Provence), and the food is really different from what you may encounter in the city’s innumerable bistros and brasseries. A case in point is this heartwarming lamb stew ($38), which comes parsed out on the plate so you can enjoy its components separately or in concert. And as if in answer to a prayer, what’s submerged under the gravy turns out to be whipped potatoes rather than parsnips or rutabagas you’d find on most upscale French menus. 72 Bedford Street, Greenwich Village
Sweet and sour noodles from For U
At For U, classic Sichuan street food is evoked in its most fundamental form. Laked with chile oil, with a handful of pickled red chiles in the center, it is fiery hot; the clear sweet potato noodles are delightfully slippery even for veteran chop stick users; and the combined crunch from toasted soybeans and peanuts are like a bumpy road through a cityscape of flavors. 155 Third Avenue, Union Square
