Kudos to You, Asiadog

I've never been a fan of hot dogs. Actually, my father wouldnt let us eat them because they were such a questionable meat. And then you hear the rumors that they are made out of horse hooves and unicorn horns and so I wasn't particularly interested. But then I tried them and much to my surprise...I didn't like them anyway. Strange texture. Like a tube of Spam (or what I think Spam would taste like).

                                                                   

Asiadog

That is my long introduction into going to Asiadog today. It's a small little place, a cute sign outside of chopsticks holding a hot dog, a few tiny tables and an open kitchen. They are an Asian influenced shop with "flavors found in China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan." They can be found at Brooklyn Flea, Central Park Summerstage, and now in their first shop on Kenmare, between Mott and Mulberry. I had seen the menu before and even though hot dogs and I have never been the best of friends, I wanted to try it out.

The man at the counter was very helpful when he saw my furrowed brow trying to navigate the menu and he talked me through my options. You can choose between beef, chicken, veggie or organic beef "dogs". The organic is $1 more but they are still between $4.50 and $5.50 so not too bad at all. You are also given an option of whole wheat or white bun. I went with chicken and whole wheat for mine. 



Menu of Goodies

You are then given the option of which topping you would like on your "dog". Since I am not a huge spicy food fan, he suggested the Sidney, which came with a Thai mango relish. I have a hard time not ordering mango when it's on a menu as it is, since it tastes amazing on everything, so it was a perfect suggestion for me. They also have kimchi, sesame slaw, japanese curry...lots of choices!
 And...mine was great!!! Not spicy at all, sweet and really good! I was full after one so I didnt venture to the optional sides of wasabi potato salad, korean yam fries or a mixed green salad (each for a mere $3) but I have heard food things from my co-workers. They also have a kimchi corndog, bbq bulgogi burgers and a pull pork sammy.  I'd say if you're looking for something inexpensive, delicious and you're in the neighborhood, then stop into Asiadog. Something for everyone who wants something a little different!

The Sidney Chicken Dog..Mmmm!

Not your Eminem's 8 Mile

After the rain settled down a bit, I joined some friends for dinner and drinks at Eight Mile Creek, an Aussie Bar/Restaurant at 240 Mulberry (between Spring and Prince). There is a large bar downstairs that was can be rented for private events and other times shows rubgy matches and such. There is also a garden area in the back that I was unable to enjoy due to the floodgates of rain that opened onto NYC.

Restaurant Bar Area

The restaurant upstairs was warmly lit and playing a good mix of music, including one of my faves, Nouvelle Vague (if you don't know them, you should. They do awesome jazzy renditions of oldschool punk songs. In a good way. http://youtu.be/UwStijuJmZ0). The bar and tables were pretty packed so we squeezed in at the bar for a couple of drinks. The drinks were pretty standard fare, no frills but a full bar with wine/liquor and beer on tap.We moved to a table in front after a while to order some food. We decided to be adventurous and order some of their more typically Australian dishes, starting with Kangaroo! The Grilled Kangaroo skewers were served cold and with an Australian Pepperberry Ketchup, a bit sweeter than the standard condiment. The kangaroo was good and tasted like most meats, most similarly to lamb I'd say.  

Dining Area

We then shared a massive burger with "The Lot" which means it's topped with grilled pineapple, bacon, a fried egg and a beet. Not to be eaten at every meal but a treat to be tried! The side of sweet potato fries was probably the most delicious side of fries I've ever had. They give you a heaping pile and drizzle it with a thai sweet chili sauce and creme fraiche. Super good and we probably ate more then we needed to!

Left to Right: Burger with "The Lot", Sweet Potato Fries, Kangaroo Skewers

I was stuffed to the limit so I did not partake in the dessert festivities but my friends did and thoroughly enjoyed the typical Aussie sweets of a Pavlova (described as a meringue with passion fruits) and a Lamington (a sponge cake filled with strawberry jam and topped with a chocolate ganache with coconut shavings).

Dessert!

All in all this was a great casual and somewhat different place to hang out. The music, drinks, food and atmosphere were all enjoyable. My experience with Aussies is that they have a great energy about them and this definitely showed through at Eight Mile Creek.

Quick, paraphrased interview with the staff:

What is your name? Ravi

Profession at Eight Mile Creek?  Bartender

How long have you worked here? 8 years

Are you Australian? No, Malaysian

In your opinion, what has changed in Nolita in the past 8 years? The area has definately gentrified and it's less edgy than it used to be.

What do you like about it? All of the bars and restaurants that have opened up in the area 

What do you dislike about it? The tourists, the annoying ones, not all of them.

Where do you like to eat around here? Emporio (Italian restaurant at 231 Mott)

Drink? Spring Lounge (48 Spring Street) on Weekdays and Sundays, otherwise it's a bit too Frat House for me. And Peasant downstairs (194 Elizabeth), more locals go there then the restaurant upstairs.

Most Aussie drink you have at Eight Mile Creek? (Georgia, the Australian waitress piped in) The beer we have on tap, Coopers, is very typical of Australia

What is your favorite dish here? The lamb ("Rack of Aussie Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic Mash and Shiraz au jus")
The most popular? The Meat Pie ("Classic Aussie Meat Pie")
The most authentically Australian dish? Kangaroo! And the desserts, the Pavlova and Lamington
Do you take reservations? Yes

http://www.eightmilecreek.com/

ellabess..Oh Yes, Oh Yes!

Last night, after work, the skies decided to open and rid themselves of bucket loads of rain in a dramatic fashion, so I headed to the new restaurant ellabess (conveniently located in the same building I work in..ahh, it's a hard life!) to sit at the bar and have a drink. The menu highlights old fashioned cocktails such as Harvey Wallbangers (not sure what it is, but it sounds amusing) and Sloe Gin Fizzes. Being a Gin girl myself, I asked the bartender Daniel to recommend something for me. He easily coerced me with a Gin Gimlet mixed with pomegranate juice. Delish. The large marble counter and modern black stools added a nice touch of atmosphere and the giant windows gave us a great view of the poor fools caught in the downpour.

Gallery Nine (So Divine)

Over the past couple of weeks I have walked past Gallery Nine5 often. The artwork showing through their large glass store front always sparks my interest. They are bright interesting silkscreens and intricate scultptures hanging from the ceiling. Usually it is during my lunch break that I walk by the gallery and I usualky have a sandwich or open drink (non-alcoholic of course) which is not really an ideal gallery perusing look. Today I was hands free and so I decided to go in. The large open space has a variety of different pieces with various mediums, from wire sculptures, anime figurines, oil paintings and just some really awesome work!


Clair Obscur by Alben

The exhibit right now called FEATURED ends August 31st. It has artwork by Jessica Lichtenstein, Mike Murphy, and Agnes Pezeu. All of the artists really blew me away (and I grew up in museums!- thanks dad!) Next month Mike Murphy (whose sculptures show incredibly detailed skill) will have a solo exhibition that I will definately check out.



Obama Art Creation by Mike Murphy

  It's free to get in, unpretentious and a nice little break from reality.
Spring Street, between Elizabeth and Mott.
http://www.gallerynine5.com/

Oro Boyo!

Ever a friend of the happy hour tradition, when my friend mentioned 2-for-1 drinks around the corner from where we work, I was in! Oro (meaning gold in Italian...doesn't seem to be too much correlation but I used to live in Italy so I'm showing off) is a small, cozy and dimly lit (and dimmer lit as the night progressed... unless that was the Sangria talking) wine bar at 375 Broome street between Mott and Mulberry. It offers Red and White Sangria, and better yet a Rose Sangria!

Yum!

It also boasts a tempting list consisting of organic wine, beers and sake (which I did not partake in). They offer their drink special Monday thru Friday, from 4-8pm. The bar and small tables in front were occupied, so we sat at a table with bench seating in the back. By 7pm, all of the seats were filled. Tyler, our statuesque bartender who must be a dancer (I like to think interpretive) was engaging and friendly. Not wanting to fill up on drinks alone, we shared a charcuterie plate with mixed cheeses and meats as well as a honeycomb to sweeten the deal. The smaller portion was enough for the two of us and we happily munched away while listening to a soundtrack of blues, folk and rock music. The crowd filtered out a bit when happy hour was over, which allowed for a more intimate atmosphere.

While I haven't been there in the morning myself, from what I can tell they do an equally successful and busy morning as well, when it is known more as a bakery. They serve pastries and croissants and everyone at work drinks their coffee (organic as well) and speak highly of it. I had an iced soy latte from there this afternoon and it was delicious. All in all a very Oro day!

http://orobakerybar.com

An Introduction

Hello all! This blog is going to be a discovery of all things Nolita. For those of you who don't know (because the term was only invented a few years ago!) Nolita stands for NOrth Of Little ITAly. An up-and-coming area in Manhattan that lies just East of Soho, the borders being Lafayette on the West, Bowery on the East, Houston on the North and Grand on the South. See below:

Nolita

It's a small area, but one of the best for shopping, restaurants and bars (in my humble opinion). What makes it great is that there are no chain restaurants, no major department stores and no giant condos. The streets are smaller (some cobble-stoned), the people more relaxed and it just seems more neighborhoody than most parts of NYC. The shops here tend to be independent labels which allows for individuality and uniqueness. The restaurants are quaint and very popular, but because of the food's reputation, not for the high-profile celebrity chef attached to it.

It is my goal to explore every nook and cranny of this area so that not only am I an expert, but you will be too.

Here's something I saw graffitiied on the wall on the corner of Spring and Bowery:

Kate Moss Graffiti =cool (in my book)

 More about this awesome building another time....