New York A Melting Pot Of Chefs

Manhattan has always been a melting pot.For the last four centuries people from around the world have come to it, seeking fame and fortune. It's no different in this century and the island is attracting many a foreign chef . This is good for foodies because now Manhattan has more culinary variety than ever.

This was the subject of an article in today's New York Times Dining section. The piece, written by Glenn Collins, tells of a few restaurateurs who left their countries to start a branch in New York.It should pay off. New York is one of the top destinations cities no matter what the season. Many feel this way including the Alexandrian family of Beirut. They left the Middle East to start an Armenian restaurant . Yes they can bring in the many Armenian -Americans in the tri state area, however they also want the tourist trade too.

This is the same philosophy for other chefs. Spanish chef , Miguel Sanchez Romera closed his place in the gastronomy capital of the world Barcelona to start a restaurant with his name at the trendy Dream Downtown Hotel.He'll probably receive a bigger following here than back in his native Spain. An English chef Niall Howard also will undoubtedly get more fans when he opens the New York branch of Hakkasan here later this fall. Other chefs are coming from such diverse places as Peru , Denmark,Italy, South Korea and Russia.

New York has always been an immigrant's dream. Nowadays it's a reality to chefs who open their restaurants here. it also means they've made it in one of the toughest restaurant towns in the world

Healing And Hydroponic

The New York Times Dining section had two very interesting and diverse articles yesterday. One was on the healing powers of certain foods while the other was on hydroponic farming. Actually the first is sort of dependent on the second one, because it's all the leafy green stuff that can help a body. Any green, whether it be spinach or even lettuce, if grown hydroponically , can have a few more benefits than ones coming from the land.

The first article written by Jeff Gordinier tells the story of chef Seamus Mullen who was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis in his late thirties. The disease literally crippled him, leaving him in agony most of the time. For anybody this is bad news but for a chef even worse. Luckily he improved his diet which led to his new cookbook. Entitled "Seamus Mullen's Hero Food : How Cooking Delicious Things Can Make Us Feel Better ", it shows how certain foods can help with inflammatory disease s and boost the body's immune system. Some of the best foods for a person are olive oil, almonds and leafy green vegetables. Mr. Mullen uses these already in his Spanish tapas restaurant Boqueria.

No doubt hydroponically grown greens are also good for you. That was the other article, written by Glenn Collins, another long time Dining contributor. Hydroponic lettuce has received a bad rap over the last few years. Not so anymore. It's actually become more flavorful. This is due to new techniques in this dirt free farming. There's more technological sophistication where there are even weather stations installed to help with the sun and temperature conditions . This helps crops thrive without the usual worries about drought or too much rain. The ambiance is perfect in creating flavorful and tender leaves.

Leafy greens can help us. Just ask Seamus Mullen who greatly benefited from them. Even better are the hydroponically grown ones. They're not only good for us but good tasting thanks to modern, soil free farming methods.

Discounted Dining

We all want to eat out at our favorite restaurants and bistros. The problem is we can;t due to rising food prices and a shrinking paycheck a good night out seems like a luxury . However there is a way out of it. Restaurant coupons.. They let us have one night of delicious food in a great atmosphere at lower prices. They may be a salvation to us ordinary diners . They're a pain and a drain to restaurant owners. This debate was the main article in today's New York Times Dining section. The article written by Dining regular Glenn Collins told of the restaurateurs' side. Most owners do not like the idea of discount dining. They don;t bring in the large amount of customers and some just feel the concept compromises their business' integrity.Some feel that regulars will come because they love the food and the atmosphere , no matter what the cost. They also feel that the ones who are paying full price for their meals are subsidising the ones with the coupons. This is the philosophy of famed Manhattan restaurateur Marc Murphy who owns the Landmarc. Are coupons that bad? No, Some owners feel they bring in more business. New customers come in after printing out coupons from sties like Groupon or VIllageVines. The owner of Manhattan's Piccolo Cafes, Michele Casadei Massari feel that they bring in customers who then come back a second times - sans any discounts. The practice doubles business and brings an otherwise unheard of eatery into the public eye. Also diners bring come with friends and family , thus enlarging the clientele and creating a new wave of loyal eaters. It really is a win situation. Are coupons really that bad? If they bring in business during these hard times, then restaurant owners should go for them. Coupons and discounted dining help fill up any restaurant and create more jobs for the community. Coupons also let those who are longing for a break take one at a great restaurant with top notch food. There's nothing wrong with that.

The New Wave Of Sports Bars

Sports bars bring to mind smoky atmospheres with loud TVs and louder fans. The food isn't particularly great, just filling and at times super spicy. However all that's changing. Gourmet and haute cuisine are coming to these now up scale hangouts. It's not only fun to go out and cheer your favorite team it's becoming chic.

This was explored in today's New York Time's Dining section, with a great article written by Glenn Collins. He visited several more upscale bars and tasted their fare. It turns out that it wasn't just your average plate of soggy nachos and oily wings. There was butternut squash bisque and roasted Brussels sprouts, two dishes normally not associated with this type of restaurant. There is also a meatloaf that has minced shrimp in it to give it more oomph. Some even offer brunches worthy of Village bistros

There are the traditional nachos and wings. After all that;'s what sports fan cry for. Yet these are a bit better, with more thought put into them. The nachos, are crisper and cheesier, made more like a layer gratin than just a pile of corn chips with cheese gooped on them. The chicken wings have ginger honey and Old Bay seasonings. Even the burgers and tacos are a veer off from the eh ordinary with the burgers being infused with anchovy and paprika and the tacos having tuna frown in from Hawaii.

Sports bars are not the hangouts they once were. You can now get gourmet food while watching your favorite team win or lose. It's not just about the game anymore.It's about the food.