Delicious 'Lunch Hour NYC' Exhibition Opens



Automat, 977 Eighth Ave, Manhattan. Berenice Abbott, 1936
Courtesy NYPL The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art

I love the New York Public Library even more now after catching a preview of its newest exhibition Lunch Hour NYC. This free exhibition opens Friday and celebrates the modern history of the mid day meal that NY virtually invented. 

Power lunches, the rise of the Automat, cafeterias, the soda fountain, school lunches, the 10 cent meal, the first cooking school--it's all in here. Brought to life with dozens of fascinating displays and memorabilia. And it all reflects the evolving yet enduring relationship that work obsessed and time strapped New Yorkers have always had with food. The modern lunch had to be quick, filling and inexpensive.

  

Video preview of exhibition

A highlight is the Golden Age of the Automat, created by Horn & Hardart, and considered a wonder of the city. Its fancy flagship location opened in Times Square in 1912 and became an instant marvel. A nickel in a slot would get you a hot, fresh, delicious meal from a machine. H&H dishes included lobster Newberg and beef Burgundy from a Cordon Bleu chef. It was the most successful restaurant operation in the country. And the exhibition includes a restored wall of Automat machines, including the back end where all the magic happened.

Other items not to miss:

• The personal, annotated copy of Noah Webster's dictionary, noting the entry for "lunch."
• A 1932 menu listing sushi (debunking the thought that sushi first appeared in NYC restaurants in the 1960s.)
• Pages from the Horn & Hardart restaurant manager's book, instructing managers on preparing menu items and managing the shop
• Menus from Delmonico's, where the power lunch was born in 1837
• A "10 cent meal" display showing how tenement mothers fed their families on pennies a day
• A mid 1900s business map of Midtown Manhattan, noting all of the eateries around Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street

The exhibition continues through February 17, 2013. If you've ever eaten lunch in the city, don't miss it. Check here for related programs.

Free public tours Monday-Saturday at 12:30 and 2:30 pm and on Sundays at 3:30 pm.

The Best Hot Chocolate in Soho



Extra thick hot chocolate


It’s a good thing French confectionery MarieBelle in Soho sells edible treats and not priceless baubles. Otherwise, I’d be broke. Everything looks like an elegant gem, beautifully packaged and irresistible. One item worth every luxurious calorie is the prepared hot chocolate (you can purchase the cocoa mix too). Served in the tiny back room Cacoa Bar + Tea Salon, it’s a guilty pleasure to experience away from the maddening Soho crowd this holiday season.  Sit down and indulge. While they offer half a dozen tempting options including mocha and spicy blend, go straight for the dark 70% cacao. A small cup ($6.50) is more than enough, and so rich you eat it with a spoon. How’s that for pure indulgence?

484 Broome St., between Wooster and W. Broadway, 212 925 6999

Treats galore

8 Tasty Reasons to Love Union Square Holiday Market

Crepes galore

A big pleasure in visiting an outdoor Christmas market is finding ways to stave off hunger. Shop and eat. Eat and shop. Repeat. The Union Square Holiday Market is now in full swing through Christmas Eve. And if you go hungry, you'll have at least eight ways to snack well.

Bar Suzette - The perfect excuse to indulge in a freshly made Nutella crepe ($5). Or in the mood for savory? Try the hoisin duck ($12) or ham + Swiss ($8).

Sigmund Pretzel Shop - The popular East Village shop offers a selection of freshly baked sweet and savory soft pretzels ($3). And a giant sized one for $6. They are delicious.
 

Ultimate sweet-salty chocolates

Nunu Chocolates - Handmade in Brooklyn using chocolate from Columbia. The hand-dipped salt caramels have developed a loyal following. Box of 4 for $7. For the beer lover on your list, try the Nunu six pack ($12) made with real brew.  

NibMor - Vegan, gluten-free, all natural and organic chocolate for the ultimate purist.

Don't forget to sample the truffles

No Chewing Allowed - A secret family recipe prevents these French sellers from disclosing the cocoa content of these tasty chocolate truffles from the Loire Valley. But free sampling lets you try before you buy. Just make sure you don't chew the morsels. Just let them melt in your mouth. Box of 25 truffles for $10.99. They as
also sell thick hot chocolate ($4) to double the choco fix.

Da Throwdown Wafel - enough said

Wafels & Dinges - Experience Da Throwdown Wafel ($6), the heavenly house specialty that beat celebrity chef Bobby Flay at his own TV challenge. Served with spekuloos (moreish creamed gingerbread spread - they gladly offer samples) and whipped cream. And if you can't live without the spekuloos afterwards, the jar is for sale ($7). If you only eat one thing at the market, this is definitely it.

Stuffed Artisan Cannolis - Hard to resist the pretty little cream filled pastries from this Lower East Side pastry shop. The liqueur-filled Mud Slide is the best seller, but why try only one?

Cereal + Milk

Milk Bar - A few cult favorites from the Momofuku line are for sale including either a slice ($5.25) or a full crack pie ($44), assorted cookies (six for $10) and even the cereal milk mix ($5). For David Chang fanatics, aprons and his cookbook are also on sale.


Market open daily from 11am - 8pm through Dec 24th.

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Growlers and Good Times at Good Beer

The East Village block of E 9th St between A and First Aves. is hopping (no pun intended) these days with new foodie finds. Sandwiched between Whitmans, a favorite new burger joint, and Olivia Bistro, a pretty new Med eatery, sits two-week old craft beer shop aptly named Good Beer.

Affable owner David Cichowicz quit his job in publishing and opened the inviting retail shop-cum-gourmet hangout because he "loves beer." And it shows. Cichowicz aims to carry a selection of 900 ever-changing bottled beers. For now the store is brimming with 450 types including rare finds such as Tampa's Cigar City and McNeill's from Vermont. A dozen brews on tap ($6) rotate and currently include Hercules Double IPA, Hop Crisis IPA, and Dogfish Head Chicory Stout. Or taste a flight of 4 for $8.



Growlers and draught brews

Just as exciting is Good Beer's use of growlers. Thanks to Whole Foods and a few pioneering beer shops in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, 64-oz. growlers are slowly catching on in New York. Good Beer sells the eco-friendly glass jugs for $6.99. Or bring in your own to refill at no extra charge.

Cichowicz knows that beer tastes better with nibbles, so he's compiled a greatest hits menu of sweet and savory. All are organic, heritage and/or local. On the savory side, kielbasa - both spicy and cheddar filled, organic hot dogs, vegan sausage, various meat and cheese plates. There's even beef jerky to graze on. The sweet stuff at Good Beer comes with a twist - bacon buttercrunch toffee, hot rod pretzels dipped in chocolate and chili nuts, and beer corn - caramel popcorn studded with candied mustard seeds and pretzel bits. Nibbles and plates range from $3-$15. Good stuff.

Beer heaven

422 E 9th St, between Ave A and First Ave. Hours Mon-Sat, 11am-10pm; Sun, noon-7pm

The Hype on Lotus of Siam

Tasty Nam Kao Tod Crispy Rice at Lotus of Siam

New restaurant hype is such a double-edged sword. Expectations are built up so high and tolerance for error is so low. Take the debut of Vegas-based Lotus of Siam, billed as the "single best Thai restaurant in North America" in Gourmet magazine.Talk about setting the bar high. It opened last week, so, drum roll, please...

It’s a letdown in so many ways. Just knowing it came from Vegas, I expected at least some glamour and wow factor. On the contrary, the corner space on Fifth Ave. at 9th St. is so sedate, it looks leftover from former restaurant Cru. The walls are mostly bare, the Italian china is floral and the rice is served in traditional bamboo baskets. It just doesn’t really gel. Neither does the pared down menu.

The starters sounded really exciting on paper, but not on the plate. A som thum traditional green papaya salad ($9) lacked texture and layered flavors. Only heat and soggy papaya taste came through. The pik khai kra pao krob ($8), crispy fried chicken wings in chili garlic sauce, were bland. The only starter that delivered full ,complex flavor was the nam kao tod crispy rice ($9), with bits of Thai sausage mingling with hot chilies, crunchy rice, peanuts, and red onion, in a ginger lime dressing. Moving on to the main course, the kang dang with beef ($18), traditional red curry with chilies and bamboo shoots, tasted completely average. The fancy prices don’t fit the unmemorable fare or the lackluster service. Apparently, they still serve the 6-course $65 tasting menu promoted opening week, but you have to ask for it as it’s not on the menu. Probably for the best.

24 Fifth Ave. at 9th St. 212 529 1700