mashups | Chopsticks and Marrow

03/11/15 10:11am

Little Tibet Introduces Momo Burger

Behold the momo burger, a Tibetan-American mashup

Momo—juicy beef dumplings seasoned with ginger,onion, and special momo masala—are the national dish of Tibet. A Tibetan loves his momo as much an American loves his hamburger perhaps even more so. In no place in NewYork City is this more true than Jackson Heights. Momo are ubiquitous at the hood’s many Tibetan and Nepalese eateries. There are three food carts and a truck selling the dumplings and even an annual Momo Crawl founded by local tour guide Jeff Orlick. So it was only a matter of time before someone invented a momo burger. That time is now, and that someone is Lobsang Choephel, the chef of Little Tibet. (more…)

dumplings, hamburgers, Jackson Heights, Jeff Orlick, Little Tibet, Lobsang Choephel, mashups, momo, Tibetan

Sandwich Wednesday

by Joe DiStefano

01/21/15 9:09am

Behold Flushing’s Japanese-Chinese Mashup: Crispy Pancake

by Joe DiStefano

No Comments

PLEASE NOTE THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED

Even though at first glance it looks like a cookie cutter clone of New World Mall, there are many good things to be had at Flushing’s newest food hall, New York Food Court. On a recent multistop tour of Queens’ Chinatown I turned a posse of avid foodies on to the awesome Sichuan cold noodles and the offal extravaganza that is fu qi fei pian. And they, in turn, turned me on to the crispy pancake, or as the sign renders it, “Th Crispy Pancake,” one of the craziest Chinese sandwiches I have ever had. (more…)

Chinatown, Chinese, closed, Flushing, Japanese, mashups, New York Food Court, pork

News

by Joe DiStefano

12/31/14 4:41pm

C+M’s Fourteen for 2014

by Joe DiStefano

1 Comment

As 2014 draws to a close rather than offer up a roster of resolutions—less chips more gym, save money, etc.—C+M presents a list of 14 of our favorite things, a highlight reel of the year that was. Let the mostly Queens-focused cavalcade of offal, mashups, secret eats, and overall deliciousness begin.

The rugelssaint at Andre’s Hungarian.

1. Sweetest mashup
Part pain au chocolat, part rugelach, all decadence the chocolate croissant—aka rugelssaint—at Andre’s Hungarian Bakery was my go-to guilty breakfast this year.

Ban Ga Ne’s got your large format goat feast needs covered.

2. Best goat meat bonanza
Not only was the three-course black goat meat feast at Ban Ga Ne one of the best Korean meals I’ve had in a long time, it was some of the best goat I’ve ever had. Plus as the proprietor pointed out, it’s um, invigorating.

Zuppardi’s glorious fresh shucked Little Neck clam pie.

3. Best pizza
Some friends and I made a pizza pilgrimage to New Haven this fall. Everything we tried was good, but the real revelation came when we dug into the fresh clam pie at Zuppardi’s Apizza. Fragrant with Little Necks and oregano atop a crackling thin crust, it was simply astounding. (more…)

Dish O' The Day

by Joe DiStefano

10/30/14 12:11am

Behold Flushing’s Top Secret Taiwanese Chicken Parm Slice

by Joe DiStefano

3 Comments

Two great tastes in one via Taipei and New York City.

Until very recently I was a pizza purist. Then I ate the falafel slice at Benjy’s Kosher Pizza Dairy Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Flushing. This surprisingly delicious mashup of Israeli and New York City street foods can be found on Main Street in Flushing , not the Chinese portion but the Jewish neighborhood sometimes called Kew Garden Hills. Yesterday I created a decidedly non-kosher mashup in the heart of Flushing’s Chinatown. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the Taiwanese chicken parm slice. (more…)

Chinatown, Flushing, fried chicken, Italian, Lucia Pizza, mashups, pizza, street food, Taipei Hong, Taiwanese

Taste Drive

by Joe DiStefano

07/29/14 10:09am

Oreo Crème Filled Chips Ahoy Are a Disappointment

by Joe DiStefano

No Comments

Sometimes more is less when it comes to cookies.

The Oreo has been one of my favorite cookies since I was a kid. Dunked in milk or even deep-fried, it’s a taste of simpler times. A few years ago Nabisco began rolling out a whole range of new flavors, some good—notably chocolate and peanut better—and some bad, like watermelon and banana split. In fact there are some many flavors that I like to joke about new Brand Expansion Oreos. Now Nabisco has jumped on the mashup bandwagon with Oreo Crème Filled Chips Ahoy. (more…)

Chips Ahoy, cookies, mashups, Nabisco, Nutter Butter, Oreos

Twofer Tuesday

by Joe DiStefano

07/01/14 10:11am

This Week in New York City Novelty Pizza

by Joe DiStefano

No Comments

Fiamma 41 has taken the breakfast sandwich and turned it into a pizza.

La vera pizza Napoletana. Four words that conjure up my ancestral homeland, and authenticity. Not every blistered pie that’s emerging from wood burning ovens in New York City hews to the classic aesthetic these days. Today, a look at two brick oven mashups, for better or worse.

First up, the breakfast pizza at Fiamma 41 in Bayside. The ingredients of a New York City breakfast sandwich—bacon, eggs, and American cheese—have been put on a pizza along with mozzarella. It’s a novelty that seems tailor-made to satiate the late-night munchies. When it comes to breakfast mashups, I prefer my invention, the breakfast dumpling.

(more…)

Bayside, breakfast, mashups, pizza, Union Square, World Cup

Twofer Tuesday

by Joe DiStefano

12/17/13 12:08pm

The Falafel Slice at Benjy’s is a Marvelous Mashup

by Joe DiStefano

16 Comments

It might look meatballs and marinara but it’s not.

When it comes to pizza, I am a hidebound traditionalist who hews to the classic New York City slice as served at Lucia. Glistening with orange grease and dusted with garlic powder and crushed red pepper there’s nothing better. Sure I’ve been known to enjoy blistered noveau Neapolitan pies from places like Co. and Motorino, but there’s one type of amalgam of cheese and dough for which there is little room in my pizza loving heart: the novelty slice. Buffalo chicken, barbecue, and ziti are all legitimate food groups unto themselves and have no business topping pizza. Neither, for that matter, does falafel. Yes, falafel. The falafel slice, as served at Benjy’s Kosher Pizza Dairy Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Queens is the best and only novelty slice I have eaten to date. (more…)

Co., falafel, Flushing, kosher, mashups, Motorino, pizza, street food

Get the Chopsticks + Marrow Newsletter

<div><input type="submit" value="View" /></div>