So my last two weeks in New York were spent fulfilling several "Bucket List" items that are my favorite things to do in the city. Here's a quick rundown of what I did. Probably the only true "Bucket List" item — something that I've never done that I've always wanted to do — was to…
Category: Food and Drink
Rik’s Absolutely Brooklyn-Biased “Best of New York” List
As the final days in New York City for me wind down, I'm thinking about all of my favorite things that I've enjoyed in my 15 years here. I think I've learned a few things about how to live life to its fullest in gotham city. So here's my very subjective "Best of New York"…
Hand-pulled Chinese noodles from Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House in Queens
As one of my New York City "bucket list" items, my friends Dana and Arthur took me out for hand-pulled Chinese noodles from the highly regarded Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House in Elmhurst, Queens. Check out the noodle maker doing his thing above! The very definition of a hole-in-the-wall, this super tiny noodle joint…
Voon Makes Me Creme Brule at Frim Fram (video)
Here's some grainy video of my buddy Voon making me a homemade creme brulé at my Frim Fram dance last night. As one of the last Fram's that I'll be at for a long time, it was a lovely and delicious parting gift. In retrospect though, perhaps using a blowtorch on the bar near…
My NYC Bucket List
I've been working on my list of things I want to be sure and do before I leave New York at the end of January. Since I've lived here for so long, there aren't a lot of things I want to do that I haven't done. But there are a few that I'm itching to…
Awesome recipe for “Preserving Children” in the Powell House Cookbook
I love this recipe for "preserving children" that you can find in the Powell House cookbook (now out of print). Tom Rothchild brought this gem to my attention. The recipe is as follows: Take one large grassy field, half a dozen children, three small dogs, and walk along a narrow strip of brook, pebbly if…
Kitty Litter Cake is Tasty and Gross at the Same Time
I know this is an old and juvenile joke, but a bunch of us at the Brooklyn Meeting retreat this weekend up at Powell House got a kick out of this "Kitty Litter Cake" made the resident chef Kris. It's basically a chocolate pudding cake, with crumbled up cookies on top to look like the…
Montreal Bagel Tasting at Global Kids Today
I am admittedly not always the easiest person to work with — short-tempered, critical and stubborn on my worst days. But I think I made up to my co-workers today in a small way by bringing in a batch of fresh bagels all the way from Montreal for all of us to enjoy. As NYC…
Burdock root tea… or extraterrestrial brainstem?
My colleague Dominique brought in this kind of scary looking jar with a big root floating in the middle of it. Apparently he was steeping a herbal tea using a burdock root that he had just unearthed from a city park. Watching him take a big swig from it make me realize what a hardcore…
I love my Chemex coffee maker
After getting two of the best cups of coffee ever from both my friend Paul and from Sightglass Coffee in San Francisco made from a Chemex coffee maker, I resolved to get one for myself for my birthday. Going against the increasing technification of the coffee process,the Chemex boils down coffee brewing to its essence:…