Ten Ten Does Not WinAn Asian take-out joint with a Josh Eden menu lasts just a handful of months.
ByDaniel Maurer
Late-Night Bites
After MidnightJosh Eden is working on a late-night dim sum menu at Shorty’s.32.
ByDaniel Maurer
NewsFeed
Is STK Hamburglarizing the Big Mac?Does the steakhouse’s new $20 burger constitute copyright infringement, or does it fall under the category of satire?
Mediavore
Chef Counters on the Rise; Chefs Put in Their Time on the LineAs chefs and cooks take on more roles of service, they cut out more costs and create a more intimate dining experience, especially at restaurants with counters overlooking the food preparation. [NYT]
Related: Ringside Seats at the Chef’s Counter
Apparently, restaurants’ hanging of red velvet curtains in colder months signals metaphors of birth and womblike spaces for diners. Ew. [NYO]
Chefs like Akhtar Nawab of Elettaria and Josh Eden of Shorty’s.32 both spent years cooking on the line before being able to fly solo. [TONY]
NewsFeed
What Goes on Behind Momofuku Ko’s Closed DoorsWhile you wait with extremely bated breath for the Ko reservation Website to go live (don’t go thinking the general public is going to eat in there anytime before Wednesday), a snapshot of what was going on behind the heavily armored doors, at least for a brief moment last night: Occupying some of the fourteen precious seats were New York’s “sexiest chef” Johnny Iuzzini (and date), Shorty’s.32 star Josh Eden (and date), and former Bloomberg critic and current current GQ blogger Alan Richman with Time Out New York food editor Gabriella Gershenson (presumably not on a date). Every other minute, a curious passerby outside would stop and press his nose against the exterior’s ornate metalwork and just awkwardly peer inside for 30 seconds, trying his hardest to see something through the obscured windows. It was pure shamelessness, New Yorkers gawking like tourists, but who could blame them? The place looks like a dungeon from the outside. And all that attention no doubt made the lucky few on the inside feel all the more special, like prized little angelfish in Chang’s velvet aquarium. —Jessica Coen
Back of the House
Josh Eden: Dead HeadMetromix’s “Kitchen Radio” feature on Shorty’s.32 chef Josh Eden is a fine spin on a tired gimmick. The most believable bit? The Dead Head chef claims that the multicolored sea bass with beets and green oil is a psychedelic tribute to his favorite band. But forcing Jean-Georges to listen to bootlegs from 1968? Torture.
Kitchen Radio: Josh Eden [Metromix NY]
Related: Chefs Continue to Rock, and We Reach for the Earplugs
Mediavore
Eric Ripert Defends Escolar; Ed Koch: Bib WearerRadar ran a story on escolar’s tendency to cause leaky bowel movements and mentioned that the fish was served at Le Bernardin. This, in turn, prompted a response from Eric Ripert himself, which prompted the author of the article to respond, “I’m sure Eric Ripert serves his escolar in such a way that it doesn’t make people shit orange oil. He’s good like that.” [Fresh Intelligence/Radar]
Chef Craig Hopson says the ghost of Aaron Burr haunts the kitchen of One if by Land, Two if by Sea and has a tendency to steal batches of brioche. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Related: One if by Land Breaks Out a Bar Menu, and Not a Minute Too Soon
Katrina Markoff, founder of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, likes to pair her company’s bacon-laden chocolate bar with pieces of Gruyère and a glass of Shiraz. [WSJ]
Related: A Bacon Tribute Product We Can Get Behind
House Mix
Everybody Must Get Stoned at Shorty’s.32
Shorty’s.32, the new Soho spot named after chef-partner Josh “Shorty” Eden, who worked with Jean Georges for twelve years, may bill its cuisine as New American (word to the wise: They have an off-the-menu brunch sandwich called the McShorty, though it remains to be seen whether it will be available during lunch when that starts next week), but the small dining room’s playlist is classic American and Brit. In fact, one might even call it stoner music. Here are ten songs we heard during a recent visit.
VideoFeed
In Season: Josh Eden’s Pan-Roasted Chicken
What’s the best way to pan-roast a four-pound chicken? First you have cut it into four manageable pieces. If tearing through tendons makes you want to order in, we have the video for you. Chef Josh Eden of Shorty’s.32 demonstrates how you can make his roasted chicken and chilled green-bean salad at home. All you need is a frying pan, an oven, and a few sharp knives. Read the recipe in this week’s New York and then watch the video for a quick cooking lesson.
In Season: Pasture-Raised Chicken [NYM]
Video: Josh Eden’s Pan-Roasted Chicken
Food Video Archives
Neighborhood Watch
LES Crackdown; Yogurt Wars Expand UWS FrontChelsea: Patricia Yeo is out at Sapa. [Eater]
Lower East Side: Turns out La Esquina’s basement is illegal! [NYP]
Midtown West: Get your Charlie Murphy fix at El Centro; it’s his favorite Mexican restaurant. [Gridskipper]
Soho: Former 66 chef Josh Eden has taken over the kitchen at Goblin Market. [Strong Buzz]
Upper West Side: Yogurt Wars update: Pinkberry takes over Excel Fine Art’s space on Columbus Avenue. [Eat for Victory/VV]
West Village: Something’s fishy about the seafood sister restaurant to the Spotted Pig: Diners at the original heard staff chatting about the location opening soon as the 10 Spot. [Down by the Hipster]