Tag: culinary

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Business Dining Featured Restaurants Travel

The Flavor of Adapting in a Strange Age: The Original Hotdog Factory

Aaron Anderson chowing down on a Original Hotdog Factory hotdog.

Around the corner from the Liberty Bell, The Bourse Food Hall is adapting to COVID-19. The 130-year-old commodities-exchange-turned-food-hall, well known as a gathering for good food and good variety, has removed their chairs from indoor tables. If you want to sit and eat, there are tables set up outside. The lines are marked with social distancing diamonds that read “STAND ON THIS JAWN” (jawn is Philadelphian for “thingamajig”). 

Last week, The Bourse is welcomed a new vendor: The Original Hotdog Factory. Any other time, this might be routine. The Original Hotdog Factory franchise specializes in a wide variety of hotdogs alongside wings, fried Oreos, and other delicious goodies. During COVID, though, opening any new food location is an aberration. But for franchise owner Aaron Anderson this is nothing new.

Anderson is quiet and friendly. For a man with a dozen successful businesses, including 5 Original Hotdog Factory locations in Philadelphia, he carries himself like a mom and pop shop owner–a modest smile, quiet voice, and focused attention. But he dreams big, including owning a sports team (his first choice is the Philadelphia 76ers) and running for office in Philadelphia.

This is the second Original Hotdog Factory that he has opened since COVID hit Philly. 

Technically, it’s his third. 

Anderson opened his fourth location in February of 2020, right before COVID. The location focused on indoor seating, and the sudden desertion of foot traffic drove it to extinction in weeks. So Anderson turned around and reopened in a new location in March. This time, he focused on takeout. He reached out to first responders and offered meals and services with organizations like the Ronald McDonald House. And the store thrived.

If other companies want to survive, he says, they’ll have to adapt. “Pivot in everything that you know. You’ve just got to change it…Stay focused no matter what. Times are definitely tough, but if you stay strong and sustain (then) on the other side is success for sure.” It is also, he says, about who has your back, including yourself. “It’s just being self-motivated and having a strong support team that keeps you motivated, and that’s always got your back.”

The next time you’re in Philadelphia, you can stop by The Original Hotdog Factory in the Bourse Food Hall, now open for business. Top options to check out at the Bourse location include the Surf n Turf (beef hotdog with crab meat), Fire Dog (loaded with peppers), and a damn fine Coney Dog. You’ll have to leave the Hall to eat them, but it will be worth the extra steps when you order the deep-fried twinkie for dessert. 

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Dining Featured NYC

The Sexiest Menu in New York City: Jean-George’s The Fulton

THE SEXIEST MENU IN NEW YORK CITY: JEAN-GEORGES’S THE FULTON

A day at The Fulton (89 South Street) — chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s latest culinary marvel at the Seaport — begins at five in the morning, when fishing boats sail out to bring in the catch of the day.

The fresh haul –

is brought back to Pier 17 in time for lunch and dinner when it’s served up in myriad styles inspired by seafood traditions all over the world: sometimes sashimi, other times crispy.

Get a taste –

of this Lower Manhattan culinary gem in the Downtown Alliance’s new video on The Fulton:

The Fulton’s “the sexiest menu in New York City,”

Jean-Georges justifiably boasts — and with dishes like warm octopus and fresh mozzarella, salmon soaked in brown butter and yellowfin tuna tartare, he’s likely to receive little if any pushback on such a claim. (The New York Times, after all, has been fawning over The Fulton’s whole sea bass in a pastry crust.)

Plus, the operation’s attention to detail doesn’t stop at the tastes and appearances of its elegant, supple dishes. This dining experience is perfectly paired with a stunning view of Brooklyn Bridge out The Fulton’s windows.

By the Downtown Alliance 2/20/2020

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Dining Events Featured

Brooklyn Chop House Celebrated its 1st First Year in FiDi

Brooklyn Chop House Celebrated its 1st First Year in FiDi

Brooklyn Chop House (150 Nassau Street) had its first birthday in the Financial District with a showcase of their signature dishes in their private dining room. 

The special dinner coincided with a fundraiser for NYC Council Member Robert E. Cornegy Jr. who is currently running for Brooklyn Borough President. 

Spike Lee was in attendance and Jamie Foxx was spotted at the downtown hotspot the night before with restaurant co-owner Robert “Don Pooh” Cummins.

“There might not be a restaurant on earth that can serve a 4-pound salt and pepper lobster, alongside a 45-day prime dry-aged Porterhouse steak and a 7 pound slow-roasted Peking Duck, but that’s what sets our restaurant apart,” said Brooklyn Chop House managing partner Stratis Morfogen.  

The restaurant’s co-starring dishes also shine bright like their vast variety of the most uniquely delicious dumplings ranging from French Onion Soup and Pastrami, to Gyro and an Impossible Plant-Based Burger Dumpling.  The meal capped off with a spiked root beer whiskey milkshake and apple wontons. 

The restaurant is open 7 days a week and serves lunch, brunch and dinner.  

For more information about the Brooklyn Chop House go to: HOME | Brooklyn Chop House

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The Meatball Shop: Flavorful Dishes, Zero Waste

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Categories
Dining Featured Restaurants

The Meatball Shop: Flavorful Dishes, Zero Waste

The Meatball Shop: Flavorful Dishes, Zero Waste
The Meatball Shop, Westport CT. Photo: Liz Clayman

by Fernanda Mueller

At The Meatball Shop, you will definitely find delicious meat, chicken, pork, salmon and lobster balls. But what you would never think you could find in a restaurant that has meat in its name are a lot of vegetarian and vegan options – from salads to veggie balls. And for those who still prefer the traditional balls, but are more conscious about the consumption of meat, that’s a safe place to have a meal.

More and more people are worried about sustainability and that is also an important topic at The Meatball Shop. All of the meat used by the restaurant is sourced from farms and facilities that practice what is known for “Never-Ever” – no hormones or antibiotics in the life of the animal. They also make sure to not waste any parts of it, as the CEO Adam Rosenbaum explains: “People talk a lot about this topic, but really sustainability is making sure you are not going to waste anything. Not just worrying about where it comes from, but that you are actually going to use the whole animal if you are going to eat it.” 

By grinding the meat, The Meatball Shop can use different parts of the animal that are less popular cuts than what people might want to get at a steakhouse, such as the shoulder. The muscles, that are the tougher parts of the animal, actually contain more flavor! That practice also helps to support family farmers, because they can sell the whole animal. In the end, the restaurant is not only being sustainable, but also making flavorful dishes, by not wasting any meat. 

Meatball shop
The Meatball Shop, Westport CT. Photo: Liz Clayman
Categories
Business Dining Featured

Downtown Q&A: Kristen Zeff

KRISTN ZEFF Formerly a management consultant for both Deloitte and Accenture serving Fortune 500 clients. Started BLACKBARN in 2015 with husband, Mark.

Kristen Zeff

1. Name three women that inspire you, and tell us why.

My mom is one of the hardest working, professional women I know and a great role model. She gives 100% for literally everything she does.

Cindy Allen, Editor in Chief of Interior Design, is not only a forward-thinking design icon, leader, and business woman, but she is also simply effervescent! Her energy is contagious.

What is more inspiring than activist & Nobel Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai’s dedication to bettering the lives of other girls and women? She is serious #goals.

2. What has been the secret to your success?

I think having a can-do, problem solving attitude is key. Essentially, the ability to work through challenges and issues gracefully.

3. If you were going to pass on one piece of advice to a young woman, what would it be?

Invest in relationships with other women around you; both with peers and as women who can serve as mentors.

4. In the fight for equality, what area do you think needs the most attention?

This might not be the popular answer, but, at least in the US, I think pay equality is a serious issue. It kills me to know that men often make more to do the same jobs!

5. What are you most proud of in your career?

Creating the BLACKBARN brand with my husband, Mark, is the culmination of our vision for a lifestyle brand.

6. Where do you get your confidence?

I think I’ve gained my confidence mostly from years of experience living and working in NYC. Sometimes NYC can feel like a tough environment, but at the end of the day, you gain a lot of confidence from successfully navigating the city. Like they say, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.”

7. What makes a woman beautiful?

Self-confidence and kindness are beautiful qualities.

8. What gives you joy?

Spending time with my family and traveling to different parts of the world. Our globe-trotting inspired the creation of BLACKBARN.

Categories
Culture Dining

‘Little Chefs’ Pop Up Restaurant with Léman

This Friday, July 14 at 1 p.m. the 4th-6th grade campers from Léman Manhattan Preparatory School will join Chefs Will Frischeisen and Ian Charles to host a pop-up restaurant at Morris Cafe. They are designing a creative menu inspired by the week-long program, which includes lessons in the kitchen along with adventures to green markets, specialty shops and other foodie places.

Downtown Manhattan has become a popular scene for restaurants, which is why Camp Léman’s Culinary Workshop gives potential chefs-in-the-making real world culinary experiences. Their goal is to expand children’s palates as well as increase their awareness regarding nutrition and what goes into food and its preparation.

Each session, the campers develop a menu based on what has inspired them that week. For example, one year during a heat wave, they created a cold menu of poached fish, chilled gazpacho, and homemade stone fruit popsicles.

For this week’s camp, the children have been to Eataly where they bought ingredients to make pasta from scratch, the Teaching Garden on Governors Island where they learned about edible plants and tasted flowers, and Union Square Greenmarket and the Garden of Eden market to purchase ingredients for their restaurant lunch on Friday.

Downtown spoke to a few of the campers about what they’ve enjoyed most so far.

“Making pasta dough by hand was really cool!” said Maia.

“I love that we’re able to create a meal for our parents. It feels like we are running our restaurant. So much fun! I’ve come for three years now and every year is better than the last,” said Eden.

“I liked making pasta and different sauces!” said Lex.

“I like coming in every day and seeing my friends. I look forward to it every day! And if we behave, Chef Will buys us ice cream while we brainstorm our menu,” said Ava.

Nandini, another student, said, “I like being with old friends and also making new friends.”

And Juliet especially liked learning new things, saying, “I’m always looking to cook something new each day.”

Lastly, we talked to Chef Will Frischeisen.

“It’s always a real treat for Chef Ian and me to spend time with these great kids and watch as they develop their culinary ideas and understanding of what goes in to real restaurant style cooking,” he said about the camp.

Léman’s culinary camp brings a lot to the table for these young campers and has the potential to create a positive future for children and the culinary industry. By ending it with a pop-up restaurant, it allows the students’ families to participate and support their journey at this incredible culinary camp.

The next culinary camp is scheduled for 9-13-year-olds and will take place the week of July 24, concluding with another pop-up restaurant on July 28. We can’t wait to see what they’re cooking up — this time and the next!

Photos courtesy of Léman Manhattan Preparatory School