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Photo courtesy of Fette Sau
Oh Brooklyn…what is it about you and barbecue that perplexes me so? First it was The Smoke Joint in Fort Greene, and now Williamsburg‘s Fette Sau has me staring at my computer screen and wishing it was slathered in tangy sauces…
This week I was fortunate enough to dine at Fette Sau, often heralded as the best barbecue in New York City (which, I’m not sure is saying much, but a superlative is a superlative). I’m not an expert on the South, but I have fallen madly in love with it (politics aside) and I had yet to find a place in NYC that reminded me of good Southern barbecue, until last night. Patrons line up at this unassuming eatery, which looks more like a warehouse from the outside than a restaurant (but that’s the beauty of Williamsburg, no?). Once you make your way to the top of the line, you order your meats by the pound. We opted for the beef brisket, the pulled pork and the pork belly, along with sides of pickles and baked beans with burnt ends.
After the butcher carves the barky, drippy, browned-and-perfect meat right before your eyes, turn around to face the wall, yes WALL, of bourbons. I’m not much of a bourbon connoisseur but there are at least 50 different kinds, so I’m sure you will be able to find one that pleases. There are also several craft beers on tap. I opted for the Liquid Gold Beer, a Belgian ale which was the perfect complement to the smoky, spicy, fall-off-the-bone goodness. Did you hear that? Yeah, that was my stomach.
If you are a lover of the South and all things coming out of its kitchens, I highly suggest a trip to Fette Sau. It’s worth the walk and the wait.
Photo courtesy of Jezebel
I’m going to let you in on a dirty little secret of mine. (Perhaps it’s best to send the kiddies out of the room.) I have always had the fantasy of eating sushi off the naked body of a lover. I know! It’s f*cking weird! Food and sex. I can’t say this fantasy to many people without getting the standard “OH like George Costanza!” comment. NO! Not like freaking George Costanza. I don’t want to eat a sandwich while in the act. That’s just gross. I just want to cover a very attractive man with sushi and eat it off of him. Is that so wrong?
Turns out…it’s really not. In fact, it’s actually a thing! Be still my beating heart. My lovely friend Jenna found this article on Jezebel about the art of Nyotaimori, the practice of serving sashimi or sushi on naked bodies. Wow. That’s awesome. The article on Jezebel was nothing short of pure mockery on the subject (are you surprised?) but it turns out this restaurant in Miami, Kung Fu Kitchen & Sushi is offering a nyotaimori special through September 30. I’m going to Miami tomorrow. For real. Just saying.
I probably won’t partake, seeing as the special is $500 and you need about 15 people to actually do it…and it would look a little weird if I showed up to a restaurant for naked sushi by myself (although I’m really not above that).
Anyway, oh culture! Turns out if you have a desire, there’s probably a country that will allow you to fulfill it without judgment. God Bless Japan.
And Name that Skyline! continues. New to the game? Here’s how it works:
Take a peek at the skyline shot below. You have until 4 p.m. EST to make your guesses. (Remember to comment ONLY on the blog. Do not post your guesses on Facebook.) I won’t publish your comments until the contest is over, so feel free to guess as many times as you like. The first person to correctly name the skyline will win that coveted $25 AmEx gift card.
There is nothing a New Yorker values more than New York than the ability to get away from it for a little while. (We are a complicated breed.)
This past weekend a group of friends and I were looking for a little daytrip out of the city and we stumbled upon North Fork Bike Tours, a biking/wine tasting tour out in Long Island’s wine country.
For $125, travelers are taken on a four-hour bike tour around the vineyards, which includes wine tasting, lunch and 13 miles of very manageable biking. Note: Two in our party are the least avid cyclists you could ever hope to meet and we did just fine. Yes, I was one of the two. I cannot stand biking, so if the fine North Fork folks could make me a believer, there is hope for anyone.
The tour’s start point begins just an hour and a half from New York City, depending on traffic. If you get there early like we did be sure to stop by Four Doors, a restaurant and bar that caters to a down-home local crowd. (Wines start at $3 a glass. We aren’t in New York City, anymore.) It’s the perfect spot to pregame a four-hour wine tour.
