The Lunch Break Chronicles

ABOVE: The grilled octopus with olive oil and red wine vinegar, $15.

EOS GREEK CUISINE: 490 SUMMER STREET, STAMFORD

2/8/2010

The octopus is tender – way more tender than you’d expect – salty and acidic with just the right amount of char. Just downright good.

I fell in love with grilled octopus at Taverna Kyclades in Astoria and their version, which at $11, is the single best dish on the menu.

But EOS Greek Cuisine, the lone real Greek restaurant in Fairfield County – and a fine one at that – serves up a very good version served classically with red wine vinegar and olive oil with capers over a bed of frisee greens. It’s a little pricey at $15, but it saves me a drive to Queens.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s the go-to item on the mezze menu. If you are afraid of tentacles, get over it.

–CP

2/7/2010

Stamford’s Shelter For the Homeless is hosting a “Chocolate, Dessert & Wine Lover’s Evening” Thursday at the Hilton.

Notable participants include Chocopologie, Godiva, L’Escale, Michele’s Pies, Napa & Co., etc. The list goes on and on.

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 11, 6-9 p.m

WHERE: The Hilton Stamford Hotel

HOW MUCH: $40 (call 203-406-0017 or click here)

MORE INFO: Here

–CP

ABOVE: Buttermilk pancakes.

2/5/2010

As far as holidays are concerned, the Brits do it right with their Pancake Day. Across the pond we have to settle for National Pancake Month, totally pointless and manufactured by marketing professionals. But I’ll take what I can get if it gives me an excuse to eat more pancakes.

So what are you doing for the holiday? Personally, I’m forgoing any IHOP-related promotion and heading straight for the cupboard.

For the record, my mom makes the best pancakes. Ever.

Her secret actually comes from a Sunset recipe and the only big difference here is that you separate the egg whites and fold them in at the end but it makes a huge difference. You end up with a pancake that is light and airy but not cakey. I hate cakey.

I don’t care how convenient those ridiculous bottles of pre-mixed batter look, this is embarrassingly easy. Plus, buttermilk lasts forever in the fridge, so not having that in stock isn’t really an excuse either (and you can always make it).

Unless you are feeding an army – literally – step away from the Bisquick.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 1/2 cups a.p. flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup melted butter

WHAT YOU DO:

1. Mix the dry ingredients.

2. Mix the wet ingredients, minus the egg whites (save those for later)

3. Mix the wet into the dry

4. Whip the whites to a soft peak and fold them into the batter.

5. Throw some blueberries or whatever on them if that’s your deal.

That’s about it.

–CP

2/4/2010

Gilt Group, a website that offers deep discounts of very limited quantities of luxury goods is offering Knipschildt truffles today.

Grab a box of chocolates from the renowned Norwalk chocolatier in time for Valentine’s Day, the stuff is legitimately one of the best things Fairfield County – if not Connecticut – offers the world.

It’s that good.

Or, you could just drive up there, but with with prices from $18, this is a pretty good deal.

CHECK OUT: The sale here.

–CP

ABOVE: A Venezuelan-syle pernil arepa from Valencia Luncheria.

172 MAIN STREET, NORWALK

2/1/2010

The pernil roast pork shoulder at Valencia Luncheria approaches perfection.

In an arepa, a corncake that is fried and split, it’s both crispy and tender in a sublimely ideal ratio.

It’s seasoned traditionally, yet delicately, so that the flavor of the pork is absolutely dominant.

Yeah, you can put sauce on it – Valencia provides both a chipotle sauce and a green salsa – but the unadulterated pernil is ridiculously good.

And it’s $3.75.

–CP

ABOVE: Breakfast at my sister’s house.

2/01/2010

While in D.C. visiting family this weekend, we stopped at the new A.M. Wine Shoppe in Adams Morgan for a couple of things. Their Italian speck and and air-cured bresaola, pork rillettes and a baguette from Lyon Bakery made for a pretty decent breakfast.

Then it was on to Eastern Market, which reopened in the original location last year after a fire shut it down in 2007. It’s pretty much the same and Market Lunch is still pretty darn good, though a little pricey considering we are talking Southern fried food.

Let’s not forget Bourbon on 18th Street NW, where they actually stock J.T.S. Brown.

BEST LINE FROM FAST EDDIE IN THE HUSTLER: “Preacher! Go on down and get me some bourbon. J.T.S. Brown. No ice. No glass.”

Click here for more photos…

ABOVE: The coffee options under Midtown.

1/28/2010

Just when you thought your office coffee is swill at best, consider the Sandhogs.

These guys out of Local 147 in New York City are hard at work boring new train tunnels into the bedrock deep below Midtown as part of the East Side Access Project which will connect parts of the LIRR system to Grand Central.

There aren’t many creature comforts down there, but at least they have options with urns of both Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. Being a member of the UAW Local 2110, I know us union guys take our coffee breaks seriously.

Reporter Martin Cassidy and I had the opportunity to take part in a media tour of the (very) active site, which was one of the most interesting assignments I’ve worked on in some time.

CHECK OUT THE SLIDESHOW:

–CP

ABOVE: The Black Shack Burger with bacon and cheese.

BLACK SHACK BURGER: 320 LEXINGTON AVE. (BETWEEN 37TH AND 38TH), NEW YORK

1/28/2010

I’m always looking for a decent lunch joint near Grand Central for quick trips to the city when I don’t have time to venture out of midtown.

Well, I stumbled on Black Shack Burger, which has only been open a couple of months in Murray Hill. The place was dead at 11:30, but business was picking up towards the lunch hour. This gave me the opportunity to chat with the owner for a couple of minutes, initially – of all things – about the pickles, which were kind of awesome.

The burger is similar to Shake Shack and with only a couple of options on the menu, it’s definitely a nod toward the west coast’s In-N-Out.  In fact, the signature Black Shack Burger is almost a cross between the two. This is a good thing.

The menu is pared down to just the essentials: a couple of burgers, two types of fries and shakes. But the owner is quick to point out he’s doing some things with homemade mozzarella and barbecue chicken sandwiches for those who don’t go for red meat. Furthermore, the milk shakes, which I don’t normally get excited about are the real deal.

You can grab a burger, fries and a soft drink for under $10, which is a deal in New York. (My trips to Burger Joint and Shake Shack run towards $20)

Oh yeah, and they have beer.

–CP