01/08/15 10:36am
TDBSTEAK

The picanha, Texas de Brazil’signature cut.

At heart—and stomach—I am a glutton, but I’m no fan of all you can eat buffets. That’s because I often reach the point of diminishing returns and indiscriminate eating simultaneously. Over the years though there has been one AYCE concept I can get behind. That’s the Brazilian rodizio/churrascaria, a carnivorous carnival wherein one is served various delectable meats carved off skewers by roving waiters. Each diner is given a chip, green on one side to signal, “Bring on the meat,” and red on the other to signal, “No, thanks.”

When Texas de Brazil—a national chain of Brazilian churrascaria steakhouses—opened in New York City I was intrigued. I forgot all about it until a few weeks ago when someone from the company reached out to invite me and a guest to a meat fest. So I put on my fat pants and made the arduous trek to the Upper East Side. (more…)

11/19/14 10:04am
creole1

La Esquina Criolla’s sweetbread sandwich.

The draw at the half dozen or so Argentine parilladas scattered throughout Queens is meat, specifically beef in the form of steak, or mixed grills consisting of short ribs, sausage, blood sausage, and other goodies. Many of these casual steakhouses/butchers also offer sandwiches. I love La Fusta’s skirt steak sandwich. When I’m in the mood for something a little more adventurous though, I head over to La Esquina Criolla for a sandwich de molleja, or sweetbread sandwich ($9). (more…)

08/16/13 11:41am
COOLKIDS

Sandheko wai wai, cool kids only!

Thanks to Gary Stevens for turning me on to this great piece on Wai Wai, the Nepalese snack that’s become something of an obsession for me. In it the author describes how the noodles eaten raw were the province of the cool kids in his school. Nice to know I’m finally one of the cool kids.

Max Falkowitz waxes rhapsodic about his favorite steakhouse, and it’s not Peter Luger’s, but rather Argentinean steakhouse El Gauchito in Corona. “The crust is a rich, purple-tinged mahogany, heavily dosed with salt; it gives way to a buttery, resoundingly beefy interior without a trace of chewiness,” he writes of the skirt steak. Have a feeling I’ll be going there soon. (more…)