Review: Meatball Shop

The Meatball Shop in the on Stanton just off Allen in the LES.

Walnut meringue cookie & caramel ice cream sandwich:

Nose-to-Tail & Everything In Between

This Sunday at the Astor Center, Ryan Skeen will teach you how to use all the flavorful, cheap cuts of the pig at home. Unfortunately, at $135 the class itself is not cheap. But if you love pork and you cook a lot then it may be worth it! Mr. Skeen, of Irving Mill and Resto fame, will be preparing the following meal:

Hamachi w/ Pork Rind, Morcilla, Grapefruit & Uni 
Pork Toast w/ Deviled Eggs & Caviar 
Crispy Pigs Ear Salad 
Boudin Noir Souffle 
Salt & Pepper Pig Tails 
Zampone Cotechino w/ Lentils 
Trotter Sugo w/ Tuscan Kale, Garganelli & Burrata

The “erstwhile porkestra conductor” can now be found at Allen & Delancey which I have been dying to try simply for their bacon caramel french toast dessert... mmm.

Review: The General Greene

The General Greene on Dekalb & Clermont in Fort Greene.

Salted Caramel Pretzel:

Blueberry peach blossom:

Note: Tasty but the peach blossom leaves that kid’s cereal film on the roof of your mouth.

Review: Les Glaceurs

Bilboquet ice cream at Les Glaceurs on Saint-Sulpice in Old Montreal.

Caramel ice cream:

“Pork. Fat. Salt and Sugar.”

I can’t think of a better flavor combination. A lot of sugar, cream and butter—and bacon of course! I’ve not made candy before but might just have to try my hand at this bacon caramel recipe from not without salt. Although it would be even better if someone just made it for me...

The General Greene

The General Greene is a pork lover’s paradise—evident in the wait staff’s “Swinevore” t-shirts (I want one!). Pig is very prominent on this menu of mostly small plates made for sharing. I had an entirely bacon-filled 3 course meal starting with the bacon dates followed by the iceberg wedge with buttermilk blue cheese dressing and bacon. Candied bacon served as my main course as it was certainly substantial enough. Everything was tasty and satisfying. This meal could have been absolutely perfect if only they had their “Elvis" flavor ice cream—peanut butter and banana ice cream with bacon. Alas, it was not on the menu that day (I will continue to call and harass them until ?I find out when it is)... instead I tried the salted caramel ice cream which was divine. 

For a taste of Elvis, try the fantastic peanut butter banana ice cream at Blue Marble on Atlantic. Sadly there is no bacon in their version but it's still really amazing.