New_York_Magazine_-_March_16_2020

52 new york | march 16–29, 2020

TANOREEN’S

Baked Mediterranean

Eggplant

MAMA LEE’S

Beef Noodle Soup

Meze maven Rawia Bishara is famous

for many things, chief among them “Tanoreen

spices,” eggplant, and lamb. She employs them

all in this Levantine casserole bolstered with

tomatoes and potatoes, studded with almonds,

and paired with buttery rice pilaf.

The truth about the finest sushi is that you

generally have to pay for it. But if you want to pay

slightly less and avoid the usual bromakase

hysteria, this seven-seat atelier is the place to be.

ASH ROOM AT SUSHI NOZ’S

Sushi Omakase

A good pepperoni slice should be like marked

bills, leaving your hands, face, and clothes stained

with a telltale fluorescent-orange oil. Little in

New York is as filling or fulfilling as this triumph

of meat, cheese, and crust.

MAMA’S TOO!’S

Pepperoni Square

MAPO BBQ’S

Kalbi

Marinated with restraint and cooked until smoky

and crisp over charcoal (a relative rarity in New

York), Mapo’s fat-streaked, salty-sweet short rib is

the single most satisfying bite of Korean barbecue

in town. The banchan is tops too.

ANTON’S

Angel-Hair Francese

The inspiration for this culinary brainstorm—hand-

cut pasta in a lemony, buttery sauce that doesn’t stint

on the garlicky bread crumbs—was an order of

chicken francese at Village hangout Gene’s. It’s so

good you won’t even miss the cutlet that started it all.

188 CUCHIFRITOS’

Alcapurrias

Texture is what distinguishes these egg-shaped

fritters from the Latin-Caribbean lunch-counter

competition: The golden-brown yuca crust is

bouncy but crisp, the picadillo filling of

seasoned ground beef both sweet and savory,

fragrant, and notably juicy.

The roast pork that Angel Jimenez serves

every weekend from a ramshackle truck in the

South Bronx draws devotees from as far afield

as Pennsylvania with its intoxicating aroma

and crackly, chewy skin.

Missy Robbins’s Italianized super-gougères: airy

puffs of choux pastry pumped up with Asiago,

Pecorino Romano, and black pepper, fried to

order, then coated with more cheese and pepper

the way Cheetos are blasted with orange dust.

Almost better than the pasta version.

LILIA’S

Cacio e Pepe

Frittelle

The broth derives its flavor from beef knees

and shanks boiled for eight hours with ginger

and onions. But Mama Lee—a.k.a. Mei Lee—

has another explanation for her soup’s success:

“The fat has a nice fragrance,” she says.

“It tastes like butter.”

when to get it BREAKFAST BRUNCH LUNCH SNACK DINNER LATE-NIGHT DESSERT GROCERY

BEST of NEW YORK

LECHONERA LA PIRAÑA’S

Lechón

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52 newyork| march16–29, 2020

TANOREEN’S

BakedMediterranean

Eggplant

MAMALEE’S

BeefNoodleSoup

MezemavenRawiaBishara is famous

formanythings,chief amongthem“Tanoreen

spices,”eggplant,andlamb.Sheemploysthem

allinth asserolebolsteredwith

tomatoe studdedwithalmonds,

a buttery ricepilaf.

Thetruthaboutthefinestsushiis that you

generallyhavetopay forit.Butif youwanttopay

slightlylessandavoidtheusualbromakase

hysteria,thisseven-seatatelieris theplacetobe.

ASHROOMATSUSHINOZ’S

SushiOmakase

A goodpepperonisliceshouldbelike marked

bills,leavingyourhands,face,andclothesstained

witha telltalefluorescent-orangeoil.Littlein

New Yorkis asfillingorfulfillingasthistriumph

ofmeat,cheese,andcrust.

MAMA’STOO!’S

PepperoniSquare

MAPOBBQ’S

Kalbi

M atedwithre ra untilsmoky

ispovercharco verarityinN

York),Mapo’sfat-streaked,salty-sweetshort rib is

thesinglemostsatisfyingbiteofKoreanbarbecue

intown.Thebanchanis topstoo.

ANTON’S

Angel-HairFrancese

Theinspirationforth y brainstorm—hand-

cutpastaina lemony, butterysaucethat doesn’t stint

ont

chick

goody

188 CUCHIFRITOS’

Alcapurrias

Textureis what distinguishesth shaped

frittersfromtheLatin-Caribbeanl nh-counter

competition:Thegolden-brownyucacrust is

bouncybutcrisp,thepicadillofillingof

seasonedgroundbeefbothsweet andsavory,

fragrant,andnotablyjuicy.

Theroast porkthat AngelJimenezserves

every weekendfroma ramshackletruckinthe

SouthBronxdrawsdevoteesfromasfarafield

asPennsylvaniawithitsintoxicatingaroma

andcrackly, chewyskin.

thewayCheetosareblasted ithorangedust.

Almostbetterthanthepastaversion.

LILIA’S

CacioePepe

Frittelle

Thebrothderivesitsflavorfrombeef knees

andshanksboiledforeighthourswithginger

andonions.ButMamaLee—a.k.a.MeiLee—

hasanotherexplanationforhersoup’s success:

“Thefat hasa nicefragrance,”shesays.

“Ittasteslike butter.”

whentogetit BREAKFAST BRUNCH LUNCH SNACK DINNER LATE-NIGHT DESSERT GROCERY

BEST of NEW YORK

LECHONERA LA PIRAÑA’S

Lechón