Adam Riff™

Previously on Adam Riff™:

• Eater's Digest: New York City 4
• Eater's Digest: New York City 3
• Eater's Digest: Summer 2013
• Eater's Digest: September/October
• We gotta eat this city, eat this city

November 2018
xi'an famous foods / comfortland / olmsted / ample hills creamery / milk bar / empellon / mah ze dahr bakery / atla / comfortland / sugar freak / mimi cheng's dumplings / otto's tacos / ice and vice / supermoon bakehouse / ho foods / earl's beer and cheese / b&b restaurant / arepa lady / chez ma tante / brooklyn cupcake / bunker @ dekalb market hall / arepa lady @ dekalb market hall / steve's authentic key lime pies @ dekalb market hall / cuzin's duzin @ dekalb market hall / a&a bake, doubles, and roti shop / peppa's / supermoon bakehouse / uncle boons / levain bakery / breads bakery / num pang / pearl's / xi'an famous foods

I visited (Olmsted) the last time I was in New York City, but it was closed for a holiday party.

Well, the wait was worth it. A stellar meal beginning to end.

Lamb Chakna (Olmsted)
red lentil naan, pear chutney

^ The best thing I ate in New York City this trip. Make your own pouches.

Carrot Crepe (Olmsted)
little neck clams, sunflower

^ Like an open-faced raviolo.

Long Island Duck Roasted and Confit (Olmsted)
radicchio, sunchokes, pecans

^ I hate when people say that meat was cooked perfectly, but the roasted duck breast [left] was cooked perfectly.

Dan Dan Späzle (Olmsted)
szechuan chile oil, bok choy

^ The best play on dan dan noodles I have tried this year.

(Chez Ma Tante) is another Brooklyn standout.

Kedgeree (Chez Ma Tante)
curried rice, poached cod, celery salad

^ The second best thing I ate in New York City this trip.

Alas, I can't seem to find kedgeree in the San Francisco Bay Area, home to only a zillion Indian people.

Tortilla Española (Chez Ma Tante)

^ Eating this feels like dying by orgasm.

Pancakes (Chez Ma Tante)

^ Co-chef Jake Leiber was inspired by ones he had at a Mexican diner in Oceanside, California that he says came out of the kitchen looking almost burnt.

Hm.

Mr. Leiber should visit (Du-par's) in Los Angeles, California.

I like (Empellón)'s ideas, but find many of its finished products lacking. Also, its prices… Alex Stupak think he Mario Carbone.

Crab Nachos (Empellón)
with sea urchin "queso"

Sticky Rice Tamal (Empellón)
with red chile duck

^ $17.

Smoked Black Cod (Empellón)
with potato-chorizo vinaigrette

Hash Brown Tacos (Empellón)
with tomatillo ketchup

^ $16.

Corn Ice Cream Taco (Empellón)
masa shell, corn ice cream, masa crema, freeze-dried corn streusel

^ $8 each.

Avocado (Empellón)
with lime, olive oil, and eucalyptus yogurt

^ A parfait in disguise, blended with the namesake fruit for richness, and spray painted with an edible black exterior. The flesh is as soft as a ripe avocado, but the flavour is closer to key lime pie. The salt turns out to be a tart, citrus-y ice.

Apples for the Table (Empellón)

^ Apple Turmeric Cider
Lemongrass Ice
Apple Sorbet Capsule
Quince with Rose and Saffron
Apple Hoja Santa Gusher
Seckel Pear with Black Currant
Apple Confit
Star Fruit with Red Chile

This should come with a key. I had little idea what I was eating.

I was craving jollof and, in searching for it, discovered ( B&B Restaurant), a bustling 24-hour African/Caribbean cafeteria. I had little idea what I was filling my take-out container with, but it all tasted good.

Bake and Saltfish (A&A Bake, Doubles, and Roti Shop)
—They were out of shark. [sigh]

Festival (Peppa's)

Huu Muu Sawan ["Heavenly Pig Ears"] (Uncle Boons)
whiskey and chili-glazed with sawtooth herb and scallion
—Decent crispy pig ears.

Yum Kai Hua Pu (Uncle Boons)
spicy rotisserie chicken and banana blossom salad with cashew, crispy shallot, and roasted chili dressing

^ A very hot cold salad.

Is banana blossom digestible? Because I seemingly shat out a bunch of it the following day.

Herb Guacamole (Atla)

^ Make your own chips.

Fish Milanese, Cucumber (Atla)

^ Make you own fish stick tacos. The ceviche verde makes this dish.

Cashew Cheese, Plum Sesame Tostada (Atla)

^ Make sure you don't order this.

Cacao Tamal, Sesame Sorbet, Nuts (Atla)

^ Make the tamal chocolate-ier!

Deep-Fried Banana Pudding (Sugar Freak)

^ I don't think my balls were fried long enough. Banana pudding needs a crunchy element. As is, it was unpalatably soft on soft.

Banana Split Twice-Baked Croissant (Supermoon Bakehouse)
whole caramelized sous-vide banana, chocolate almond creme, banana caramel sauce, vanilla creme patissiere, chocolate fudge, banana caramel sauce, dehydrated banana, whipped cream bulbs, gold leaf

Super Blood Moon Donut (Supermoon Bakehouse)
red brioche, raspberry jelly, raspberry glaze, dehydrated strawberry, pink meringue, red and white chocolate shards, raspberry dust

Sausage Roll (Supermoon Bakehouse)
pork shoulder minced meat inside a flaky, buttery pastry

Croissant Butter Soft Serve (Supermoon Bakehouse)
crunchy dehydrated croissant crumb, sliced croissant shard
—Like salted vanilla.

Hennessy-Glazed Mini Donuts for Grownups (Cuzin's Duzin)
—Also available in Purple Haze Beer and Pineapple Ciroc flavours.

The La Victoria Swingle (Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies)
four-inch key lime tart, frozen on a stick, dipped in belgian chocolate, with chipotle purée

^ This ain't it, Steve.

(Ice and Vice)'s current seasonal flavours play on cookies and cream.

Galleta n' C.R.E.A.M. Ice Cream (Ice and Vice)
tomatillo, mint, blue corn cookie
—Fascinating. Tomatillo-and-mint-flavoured ice cream works!

Nankhatai n' C.R.E.A.M. Ice Cream (Ice and Vice)
kashmiri chai, pistachio cardamom cookie

Kukki n' C.R.E.A.M. Ice Cream (Ice and Vice)
okinawa sweet potato, sesame rice crisp

Rainbow Cookie Crumb Cake (Comfortland)
apricot and raspberry jam

The Dirty Bird (Comfortland)
turkey sausage, stuffing, gravy, cranberry jam, herb aioli, on a biscuit

Thanksgiving Dinner Dumplings (Mimi Cheng's Dumplings)
cranberry sage stuffing, house-made gravy, and a side of house-made cranberry sauce
—No thanks.

MISSED CONNECTIONS

Thanksgiving Pie (Supermoon Bakehouse)
house-made graham cracker crust, cheesecake bottom layer, gooey pumpkin caramel middle layer, spiced pumpkin mousse top layer, garnishes: whipped white chocolate cream bulbs, pumpkin seed nougatine, confit lemon, gold leaf, pumpkin caramel sauce, torched meringue, chocolate shards

WTF Waffles (Clinton Hall)

Baked Potato Monkey Bread (Quality Eats)

Mataba (Uncle Boons Sister)
curried lamb pastry with sweet chili sauce

Iced Sichuan Water Pickles (Mission Chinese Food)
fermented cabbage, smoked habanero, caraway, hibiscus

^ Yes, it's literally just $8 frozen water. No, this is not a joke.

The Chuck (Boys Don't Cry)
bk hot dog wrapped in scallion pancake

Shank JB Melt (Little Tong Noodle Shop)
tender spiced beef shank, beecher's cheese curds, spicy mayo, flaky pancake; served with marinated cabbage and signature chicken broth

Grilled Cheese (Henry)
jamaican bread, tallegio

Oxtail Egg Roll (Henry)
sweet chili peanut sauce

Everything Bagel Roti (Henry)
jerk cured salmon, za'atar yogurt, shaved red onion

Mexican Döner (Lalito)
pide bread, white sauce, hot sauce, lamb, chicken, pineapple, red cabbage

Chopped Sandwich (Farmer in the Deli)

^ Go to the deli counter and order a sandwich, including luncheon meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, and various condiments and dressings of your choice. The sandwich guy will then take these fillings and vigorously chop them till they're the consistency of tuna salad, then pile them on bun or bread.

Previously on Adam Riff™:

• Eater's Digest: Philadelphia 4
• Eater's Digest: Philadelphia 3
• Eater's Digest: Philadelphia 2
• Eater's Digest: Philadelphia

October/November 2018
weckerly's / suraya / nunu / r&d / sancho pistola's // the fireplace / heavenly cakes @ brio's pizzeria / peekamoose / phoenicia diner // palizzi social club / american sardine bar / south philly barbacoa / beiler's doughnuts / la divisa meats / goldie / big gay ice cream

Gritty Puckster (Big Gay Ice Cream)
doritos-flavoured ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate cookies and then rolled in crushed doritos

^ The ice cream tasted watered down. Diluted Doritos-flavoured soft serve.

Apple Cheddar Ice Cream (Weckerly's)

(Weckerly's) is as if Chris Ware made ice cream.

Speckle and Scrap Ice Cream (Weckerly's)
chocolate ice cream, raspberry sorbet, vanilla ice cream on chocolate cookies
—Chunks of ice cream sandwich scattered through complementary ice cream. Combinations change.

Turkish Coffee Tehina Shake (Goldie)
turkish coffee syrup steeped in cardamom, raw tehina, pieces of house hazelnut halva candy

^ Instead of milk, ground sesame seeds. I wish its topping was mixed in like a Blizzard.

Fries with Shwarma Spice (Goldie)

Dan Dan Squash Salad (Nunu)
cabbage, mint, peanuts
—I don't think (Nunu)'s chefs have ever eaten dan dan noodles.

// Paramus, NJ

Ginger Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwich (The Fireplace)
—This dive-y restaurant we impulsively stopped at for lunch has an elevated chicken sandwich?

Pickles (The Fireplace)
—It also has delectable pickles. So fresh and so clean.

// Big Indian, NY

Beer-Battered Onion Rings (Peekamoose)
red curry aioli
—Large and light.

Our server sets out lanky grissini in wooden vases on the bar. Not sure if they are decorative or for snacking.

// Philadelphia al fine

Oaxacan Milk Punch (R&D)
mezcal, reposado tequila, passion fruit, falernum, red chilli, cacao, lime, and clarified coconut milk

The D'Amo [Espresso Martini] (Palizzi Social Club)
brown butter-washed amari, espresso, sea salt
—Damn good cocktail.

(Palizzi Social Club) is a members only Italian restaurant located in a quiet residential neighbourhood.

Raviolo Vasto (Palizzi Social Club)
spinach, ricotta, egg yolk

Swordfish Spiedini (Palizzi Social Club)

Spumoni (Palizzi Social Club)
pistachio, vanilla, strawberry

^ The texture of the ice cream was oddly like that of moist cake.

Chocolate Budino (R&D)
laphroaig butterscotch, crumble

MISSED CONNECTIONS

Get Gritty Wit It Sandwich (Joe's Steaks and Soda Shop)
whiz, french fries, raw onions, cheetos

Berry Guacamole (Sancho Pistola's)

Longanisa Dog (LALO)
house-made sweet garlic pork sausage on a toasted monay roll, sauce mariosep, atchara, and purple potato chips

Non-Dairy Chocolate CBD Ice Cream (Little Baby's Ice Cream)

Previously on Adam Riff™:

• Eater's Digest: Washington, D.C. (Oct 2015)
• I am not permanent (Jun 2013)
• Steady Diet of Nothing (Mar 2013)

October 2018
balô kitchen @ the block / munch @ the block / broccoli bar / himitsu / ice cream jubilee / call your mother / national geographic cafeteria

The Block is a youthful Asian food hall located in a nondescript Annandale strip mall dominated by a defunct Kmart.

(Munch) is a tenant of The Block.

Blueberry Earl Grey Ice Cream (Munch)
earl grey, blueberry jam, shortbread

^ You can't go wrong with tea-flavoured ice creams.

Cranberry Orange Sorbet (Munch)

Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream (Ice Cream Jubilee)
swirls of apple butter in a cinnamon ice cream, with oatmeal cookies

(Broccoli Bar) is a collaboration between the chain (&pizza) and urban events company Broccoli City.

Mad Cheddar Pizza (Broccoli Bar)
shredded cheddar, shredded mozzarella, cheddar beer sauce, broccoli, pickled red onions, croutons

^ A play on broccoli cheddar soup.

Street Carrot (Himitsu)
roasted carrot, burnt chili garlic, crema, cotija, chili flake

^ I tire of plays on elote.

Hamachi Crudo (Himitsu)
japanese yellowtail, orange segments, fish sauce vinaigrette, yuzu-tobiko
—Jono dreams of this.

Shrimp Toast (Himitsu)
brioche, sesame, kewpie, tare, bonito, scallions

^ Scrumptious.

(Call Your Mother) is a "Jew-ish" deli decorated with framed photos of Drake.

The Amar'e Bagel Sandwich (Call Your Mother)
candied salmon cream cheese, cucumber, crispy shallots, micro radish, on za'atar bagel

The Craig D Bagel Sandwich (Call Your Mother)
peach jam, cream cheese, bacon, jalapeño, chips, on plain bagel

I wish its bagel sandwiches were better.

Chocolate Babka (Call Your Mother)
—Like a better version of the chocolate babka from (Wise Sons) in San Francisco.

Crispy Pastrami Rice (Call Your Mother)
—It's just fried rice, disappointingly.

Deconstructed Paella? (National Geographic Cafeteria)
—I forgot to note its official description, but rice is served separately.

MISSED CONNECTIONS

(Spoken English) is a standing-only communal restaurant.

Fermented Durian Curry (Spoken English)
spaghetti squash

Chicken Skin Dumpling (Spoken English)
dried shrimp, salted cod, chinese sausage

Poutine (Balô Kitchen)
fries, fried cheese curds, shiitake-miso gravy, scallions, bonito flakes

Ethiopian Hot Chicken Sandwich (Kith and Kin)
crispy thigh, ginger slaw, bibb lettuce, waffle fries

Crab Jollof Rice (Kith and Kin)
with dry-aged ribeye

Bay Leaf Ice Cream (Kith and Kin)
pumpkin seeds

Chocolate de Los Muertos Ice Cream (Ice Cream Jubilee)
chocolate coconut ice cream with charcoal and cayenne

Double Stout Caramel Ice Cream (Ice Cream Jubilee)
goose island bourbon county brand stout and caramel sauce

October 2018
brewery bhavana / biscuitville / sunrise biscuit kitchen / saltbox seafood joint / clouds brewing / rose's noodles, dumplings, and sweets / saint james seafood / viceroy / rise / jack-tar and the colonel's daughter / m kokko / pizzeria toro / neomonde mediterranean / pincho loco / rose's noodles, dumplings, and sweets / sitar indian cuisine / saladelia cafe / goorsha / waffle house / cook out / guasaca

// Raleigh, NC

(Brewery Bhavana) is a combination taproom, flower shop, bookstore, and dim sum restaurant.

Scallion Pancakes (Brewery Bhavana)
bone marrow, coconut and oxtail jam

^ The jam is stupendous.

Crispy Pig Ears (Brewery Bhavana)
spicy nuoc cham fish sauce

// Durham, NC

Chatham Co. Crispy Pigs' Ears (Pizzeria Toro)
nc apple mostarda

^ Both crispy pig ear dishes are good. I preferred the apple mostarda to the nuoc cham, though.

// Chapel Hill, NC
Chicken Breast Biscuit (Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen)
—(Sunrise)'s biscuits are abnormally bread-y.

// Raleigh, NC

Spicy Chickaboom Chicken Biscuit (Rise)
with boom boom sauce, pickled jalapeños, and crispy onions

^ Not like this…

"Hashpuppies" (Rise)
grated idaho potatoes, cheddar cheese
—Oversized tater tots studded with pockets of melted cheese.

// Durham, NC al fine

Slaw Salad and Crispy Seasoned Potatoes (Saltbox Seafood Joint)
—Come for the seafood, stay for the remarkably refreshing side slaw and almost-chip potatoes.

Hush-Honeys (Saltbox Seafood Joint)
—I don't care for hush puppies or honey, but I enjoyed these.

Fried Lasagna (Clouds Brewing)
beer, bratwurst, marinara sauce, romano cheese, sides of salsa verde and sour cream
—Lame lasagna fingers.

Risotto Cakes (Clouds Brewing)
flash-fried arborio rice, romano cheese, country ham gravy, green onion
—Surprisingly delicious.

Chocolate Galette (Rose's Noodles, Dumplings, and Sweets)

Passion Fruit Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich (Rose's Noodles, Dumplings, and Sweets)
ginger snaps

Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Ice Cream (Pincho Loco)
—Why isn't "honey roasted peanut" a more prevalent ice cream flavour?

Banana Pudding Ice Cream (Pincho Loco)
—The banana flavour tasted artificial.

Cook Out Tray: Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Onion Rings, Cajun Fries, Banana Pudding Shake (Cook Out)
—First time eating at (Cook Out). Its trays are an outrageous value, and its Banana Pudding Shake is outstanding.

Turducken Sausage (Jack-Tar and the Colonel’s Daughter)
—Patties.

Gray's Mom's Lamb Spaghetti (Jack-Tar and the Colonel’s Daughter)
buffalo ricotta, pecorino

Szechuan Peppercorn Hot Chicken (Jack-Tar and the Colonel’s Daughter)
hawaiian rolls, pickles
—Nummy.

Vegan Biang Biang Noodles (M Kokko)
soy-braised shiitake mushrooms, smoked tofu, yu choi, cilantro, crispy shallots, pickled mustard root, black vinaigrette, chilli oil
—No lamb, no problem.

"Chowder Fries" (Saint James Seafood)
old bay fries, clam chowder, aged white cheddar, benton's bacon
—Light on chowder.

Bollywood Poutine (Viceroy)
house-made rosemary white truffle fries topped with mumbai-spiced chicken keema and fresh peas, garnished with parmesan
—My fries were half-raw and topped with a cheese that doesn't melt.

(Viceroy)'s Indian food is the worst Indian food I have ever tried.

When ordering, my server asked me how spicy I wanted my food to be on a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 being the spiciest.

"A scale of 1 to 6?," I thought. "Okay…"

"4," I replied.

None of my food was spicy whatsoever.

Thai Chili Naan (Viceroy)

Bhaji + Chaat (Viceroy)
mixed vegetable fritters with cilantro, chickpea masala, tomato, onion, yogurt, chutney

^ "Indian nachos."

Kitfo Goorsha (Goorsha)
minced beef tartare seasoned with mitmita, cardamom, ayeb, and goorsha’s spiced butter; served on a bed of spinach wrapped in injera

^ Ethiopian tacos. Injera doesn't really work as tortillas.

Guasaca Sauce (Guasaca)
—Venezuelan guacamole.