Banh Mi 172

With banh mi shops opening up all over Manhattan, it was only a matter of time before the craze hit Brooklyn. While a handful of places have opened, none have quite gathered the cult like following of Manhattan’s Nicky’s or Banh Mi Saigon. Curious, I decided to investigate my neighborhoods offerings of my favorite sandwich, starting with Bedford Ave’s Banh Mi 172.

Exhausted in the midst of finals, I decided to abandon my kitchen in search of a quick hunger fix. I settled upon Banh Mi 172 partially because of it’s close proximity, but mainly out of my love of all food Vietnamese. Despite the fact that it appeared to be mere steps away from the Bedford Ave L stop on googlemaps, I found myself wandering aimlessly about trying to locate it for ten minutes before I came across a mysterious unlabeled red awning. After some outside inspection, I realized that this was in fact Banh Mi 172 and eagerly went inside.

The restaurant itself is small, and really only suited for takeout because of the absence of any seating. Now, I know that there is only so much variation from the typical banh mi sandwich that one can expect, but their menu written on the blackboard above seemed to only offer five options: the combo roll, the classic pork roll, the grilled lemongrass chicken, the Vietnamese meatball, and the vegetable sandwich. With no mention of the soups or appetizers that I had seen online, I asked to see the printed menu only to be told, “they were out, and just to order what was on the board.” The cashier told me they were connected to the neighboring An Nhau, and that I could order off their menu instead if I liked. I decided just to order their lemongrass chicken sandwich, which was ready almost instantly!

After a short trek home, I eagerly pulled out my sandwich, which was slightly smaller in size than those I have had in Chinatown.

After taking my first bite, my first impression was that the bread was stale; a big no no for banh mi style sandwiches. My second impression was that the chicken was undercooked; rather than being a nice white color most pieces were closer to pink. On top of that, there was almost no mayonnaise to be found and the vegetables were limp and flavorless. Talk about disappointing! Even though Banh Mi 172 is right around the corner from me, I definitely wont be going back there any time soon. Alas, the search continues…

Address: 172 Bedford Ave Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone:(718) 384-0028
Average Price:$5
Grade: D

Review appeared originally on Eating Brooklyn.com

Twice Baked Potatoes

A heavy workload= no time to go out to eat, which means I have been doing a lot of home cooking! This simple recipe is great for potlucks, and is incredibly easy to make ahead and freeze. Plus, it's super tasty if I do say so myself! Here it goes:

Ingredients

• 4 russet baking potatoes
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 tbs butter
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
• 8 slices bacon
  
• salt+pepper to taste
• 6 green onions
  

Directions

• Bake potatoes in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 1 hour
  
• While potatoes are baking, cook bacon and crumble. Set aside.
• Allow potatoes to cool for 15 minutes, then slice potatoes in half and scoop the insides into a large bowl. Leave the skins intact.
• Add milk, butter, 1/2 cup cheese, and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy
• Spoon mixture back into the skins. Top with bacon and remaining cheese and bake for 10 more minutes.
  
• Garnish with chopped green onions

Enjoy!

Spicy Fried Chicken

Growing up in the south, you have no choice but to love fried chicken. It's served everywhere, from school lunches, to church events, to block parties,-anywhere you can possibly imagine. While I still love basic buttermilk fried chicken, I wanted a version that had a little more pep and spice to it. After some careful searching, I came across a recipe from The Neely's, who have a show on food network that I just love. Here it goes:

Spicy Chicken Seasoning Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper
• 12 whole chicken wings, cut in 1/2 at the joint (I used 1 pound chicken breast instead)
  

Spicy Chicken Batter:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil, to fry
• Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

In a small bowl whisk together seasoning salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, cayenne pepper, poultry seasoning, and lemon pepper. Reserve 2 tablespoons in a separate bowl.

Rinse chicken wings in cold water and place into a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the wings evenly with the seasoning, and let them marinate, covered and chilled, for 1 hour.

Whisk eggs, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into a medium size mixing bowl. Reserve. Put the flour into a shallow dish or pie plate.

In a large deep-fryer or large Dutch oven heat oil to 350 degrees F on a deep-fat thermometer.

Dredge chicken wings into the egg mixture then into the flour. Place wings 3 at a time into the hot oil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through and golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined sheet tray. Make sure oil returns to temperature before adding the next batch. Sprinkle the wings with the reserved seasoning for extra hot wings.

Serve with dipping sauce.

Now the Neely's recommend using a horseradish and sour cream based dipping sauce, but I decided to go with one of my personal favorites: lime-jalapeno mayonnaise. This stuff is so good that every time I make it I have to stop myself from practically eating it alone. Don't judge! It's really that amazing.

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• zest of 1 lime
• juice from 1/2 a lime
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 tbs chopped jalapeno (seeds included)
  

Directions: Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

The sauce adds a light tang and zest to the chicken, and really lightens the dish up. It also works well in as a dressing for chicken tacos, or even as a salsa. Happy eating!

Republic (Union Square)

Even though I lived only minutes away from Republic last year, I never ventured in because I thought it looked too generic and hip to possibly have good food. Man was I wrong! As their website states, Republic boasts a menu that "combines various ingredients, spices, and cooking methods from Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Thailand, and Japan." The menu is divided into small plates,vegetarian dishes, broth noodles,noodles,rice dishes, and Vietnamese sandwiches. In each category there was a visible range in the flavors used and the country where the dish originated, which I really like seeing. Dishes that particularly stood out to me were the Seared Marinated Salmon with lemongrass,curried rice with raisin, pickled carrots, daikon, and cucumber and the Grilled Japanese Eggplant with lime juice, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and scallions. Both of these dishes looked a little too hearty for me to enjoy for lunch, so I decided to go with one of the Vietnamese sandwiches. The sandwich menu has both the classic Vietnamese style sandwich, as well some more unusual versions like the Asian Sausage (served with black bean sauce, pickled papaya and carrots, cucumber, cilantro, fried shallots, and jalapenos) and the Grilled Beef (marinated in peanut sauce with the same toppings as the sausage). During lunch hours, the sandwiches are $10 and come with a choice of soup or salad. I decided to order the Beef Vegetable soup and the Grilled Beef sandwich, which were ready in under 5 minutes.

I started with the Grilled Beef, and from the first bite was hooked. The vegetables were crispy, and the meat was super juicy and smothered in one of the sweetest tangy peanut sauces I have ever had. The bread wasn't the freshest, but the powerful flavors from the sauce made it so I barely noticed. I finished the whole thing before I even really looked at the soup; it was that good! After that, the Beef Vegetable soup was a pretty big disappointment. The beef tasted a little old, the vegetables were clearly canned, and the flavors in the broth were bland and not any different from your normal American vegetable broth. Next time I would try the Green Papaya Salad (papaya, mango, mint, bean sprouts, shallots, carrots, peanuts, and tamarind dressing) instead.
Address:37 Union Square West
Phone: 212 627 7172
Average Price: $11
Grade: B+

Num Pang

Admittedly, I have a minor obsession with any asian dish that takes classic flavors and adds a unique and modern twist. When I heard a Cambodian sandwich shop had opened in the West Village last spring, I got over there in record time! Num Pang features banh mi style sandwiches with a Cambodian take.

(photo courtesy of NY Eater)

All are served on semolina bread from Parisi Bakery, and layered with sliced cucumber, cilantro, pickled carrots, and chili mayo. The first time I visited, I ordered the Grilled Skirt Steak Sandwich, which was a little pricey at $8.50. The second I took my first bite though- I knew the steep price was worth it. The bread was garlicky, fresh, and super crispy, while the steak was perfectly crusted with coriander and peppercorn. The crispiness of the veg tables stopped the generously portion of meat from being too overpowering, while the chili mayo packed the perfect spicy punch. I might even go so far as to say that it was the best sandwich I have ever had. Unfortunately, Num Pang and I had to part ways when I left New York City for the summer, but I stopped in almost immediately after I got back this fall. I ordered the same sandwich, only to be hugely disappointed. The bread was soggy and stale, and the meat was so undercooked it was bleeding onto the bread. The side of corn that I ordered was amazing though- if not a bit messy. Rolled in spicy mayonnaise and covered in roasted coconut flakes, this corn was the perfect combination of tangy and sweet and was definitely the bright spot of the meal.


Disappointed as I was with the sanwich, I decided to give Num Pang another try a few weeks later. I ordered the Five Spice Glazed Pork Belly, and was pretty satisfied with everything about it except for the excessive fattiness of the meat. Since, then I have also tried the Pulled Durac Pork, which is my current favorite.


(Pulled Duroc Pork without top bun pictured)
The pork is sweet and tender, and lays flat enough on the bread for the flavors of the spicy mayo and vegetables to really shine through. While Num Pang may not be consistent, the occasions when they produce that perfect sandwich make you forgive every past blunder.
Address: 21 E 12th St, New York 10003
Phone:(212) 255-3271
Average Price: $8 per sandwich
Grade: B

Mozzarellis

This weekend my roommate and I had a delightful guest in town, who happened to be gluten free. This posed a somewhat interesting eating challenge for us, as not many affordable restaurants in New York city have gotten on the gluten free bandwagon yet. After some heavy menupages perusing, we turned up Mozzarelli's, which claimed to have the best gluten free pizza in the city. The interior wasn't anything fancy, it looked just like any other quick cafeteria style pizza place. However, they had just as much gluten free pizza as regular pizza which is definitely unusual. Our gluten free friend Sarah ordered a slice of the gluten free cheese ($4), and a slice of the gluten free veggie($4), which had mushrooms and spinach on it.

I ordered the regular pizza with pumpernickle dough, spinach,mozzarella and ricotta on it($2.50). My slice was delicious, even though it was a bit underheated. It was absolutely loaded with mozarella, and heaped with ricotta and spinach, which I love! The dough was sweet and soft, definitely a welcomed change from typical pizza dough!

Now I usually hate gluten free bread, but I must admit that Mozarelli's gluten free pizza was almost as good as the real thing! The dough was slightly chewier, but the heavy toppings definitely eliminate any strange taste it may have had. If you're gluten free, or even if you're not, Mozarelli's is definitely a good go to for pizza!
Address: 38 E 23rd St, New York 10010
Phone: (212) 475-6777
Average Price: $2.50-$4

Patois

In another addition of my brunch quest, I decided to try out Patios in Little Italy. Patois is a French cafe with a 12.95 brunch special that comes with unlimited coffee,soda, mimosas, and virgin bloody mary's. In short, it's an absolute steal! We arrived at 2:00pm, and were seated immediately in a table in the corner.

Our waiter brought us our water pretty quickly, but after we ordered our food and drinks it took well over 15 minutes for the drinks to come, which I'm sure is a not so sneaky tactic to limit how much people take advantage of the unlimited deal. I ordered the Grilled Hanger Steak sandwich, which came with a side salad and onion rings. One of my friends ordered the Gruyere Mac n' Cheese, while the other ordered the Potatoe Pancake with chive scrambled egg and smoked salmon. In the additional 30 minutes it took for our food to come, we were not approached once by our waiter. We actually had to wave him down (which I feel SO rude doing) to get water and drink refills. Our food finally came at the same time as the bread, and everything looked absolutely delicious.

My Grilled Hanger Steak sandwich was pretty good, but the meat was a little bit tough, and there wasn't enough of the steak sauce on the bread. I ended up adding some of my mixed greens, and the dressing on that made the sandwich taste tons better. The onion rings were good, but not as greasy as I like them (ha!).


The Gruyere Mac n' Cheese was awesome! The cheese was thick and super gooey, which I love.


The real star of the meal were the potato pancakes though. The pancake was savory and crisp, the salmon was fresh and smokey, and the eggs had the perfect amount of chives in them. A totally perfect meal!


We finished our meal, but were still not approached by our waiter. After about 15 minutes, I got up and found our waiter so that we could get our check, to find that there was an automatic 20% tip included, which was irritating because the service was so awful. We paid immediately though, and waited another 15 minutes before I got up again to find our waiter to ask about our change. His reply? " Oh it was only a couple of dollars." Only a couple of dollars? We had already given him a 20% tip for some of the worst service I have had yet in New York, and he thought it was ok to keep the $4 from our change? The meal was awesome, but bad service like this makes me not want to go back. And the search continues!
Address:177 Mulberry St, New York 10013
Phone: (212) 925-8157 Average Price: 12.95 for brunch
Grade: A for food, F for service.