dinner is served: chelsea neighborhood favorite tbsp is now open for dinner!

March 7th, 2013

At long last Melissa Chmelar, founder of tbsp restaurant and spoon catering, will finally ring the dinner bell. tbsp will expand to include dinner service starting this week after killing it at her already successful breakfast and lunch business. With solidly good, casual dining and new sure-fire vintage cocktails, this friendly, local neighborhood joint will soon become part of the family.

Dishing out comforting starters and family-style dishes like Market Table Toast (grilled Balthazar bread smothered with fresh local ricotta and favorite seasonal ingredients), Beer Braised Pork Shoulder (with avocado tomatillo salsa, arroz verde & simmered black beans), Mushroom Papardelle (crisp roasted shitake mushrooms, Tuscan kale, fresh ricotta & chili flakes), Skillet Mac & Four Cheese goodness, the classic tbsp burger and more, accompanied with a sure-to-please kids menu. House-made desserts like gooey skillet cookies served with ice cream end the meal with a sweet moment. Dinner service will also boast full wine and specialty cocktail offerings, slung from behind a beautifully redesigned bar. Cocktail standouts on the new menu include the Corpse Reviver #2 (Gin, lillet, triple sec, absinthe & lemon), and the Garden Greyhound (Vodka, fresh grapefruit, thyme sprig & black peppercorn). Start calling yourself a regular now… tbsp tends to churn ‘em out.

After stopping in ourselves during last week’s Friends & Family service, we cannot wait to make tbsp a weekly staple. Some of our favorites were the skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, the chicken pot pie (pictured) and a brownie dessert topped with melting vanilla ice cream and a sprinkling of caramel popcorn, making for one genius bite. My handsome 19-month old dinner companion dug deep into his bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, grinning ear to ear. He is also very good at sharing and made sure his entire body got in on some of that delicious sauce action. The drink of the night had to be the Corpse Reviver, and boy did I need it (just kidding! But hah, wow, kids are a lot of work!).

With the stormy weather New York is having this week, tonight is the perfect night to stop by and try tbsp’s dinner. Warm up with a bowl of hearty soup (varies daily, made from scratch) and let tbsp feed your cravings. We can’t wait to hear what you think!

~jamie

ABOUT TBSP AND SPOON:

Family-owned and operated since 1999, spoon started in a five story walk-up with belief in using hand picked, seasonal organic produce grown in upstate New York sourced by Mountain Dell Farms, From Farm to Chef, and other local purveyors. Fresh and local is the cornerstone upon which spoon and tbsp is built. Delivered daily, all of spoon’s produce, meats and fish are fresh. Desserts, muffins and sweet and savory treats are hot out of the oven. spoon also produces a full line of frozen entrees, baking mixes and home canned sauces, condiments, relishes, rubs and jams. spoon specializes in providing innovative culinary options for photo shoots, corporate meetings and private events. Melissa continues to bring creativity and integrity to the table.

A picturesque, Chelsea neighborhood favorite, tbsp joined the spoon family in 2008 and was founded on the idea that local ingredients and quality recipes make for culinary success. First launching with daily lunch service, eventually launching an ever-popular brunch service, tbsp is now very excited to announce, it’s time for dinner.

tbsp Dinner

Wednesday through Saturday – 5 pm to 10 pm

Sunday – 4pm to 8pm

17 West 20th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)

New York, NY 10011

646.230.7000

www.spoonnyc.com

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Chai Praise: Oma & Bella, The Movie and The Cookbook

December 6th, 2012

image courtesy of omabella.com

 

Oma, Momma, Bubby. No matter what you call her, and if you’re lucky enough to know one you’ll agree, Jewish grandmothers are something special.

My own version is a highly lovable Lenore Kirschenbaum shaped wisp, a prime player in many of my stories and a snowbird currently waiting out winter’s harshest months in a jam-packed condo on the outskirts of, where else, Boca Raton.

Oma & Bella is an intimate glimpse into the world of Regina and Bella, two octogenarian friends who live together in Berlin. A delightful documentary by Regina’s granddaughter (Oma, is German for Grandma), Alexa Karolinski, the women’s memories of the Holocaust are never distant as together they lovingly prepare the same fortifying meals they ate as children (and taught themselves to recreate later after each lost their family in the war, by taste alone), and kibbitz over questions of heritage, memory and identity. As the film follows them through their daily lives, a portrait emerges of two elegant women with a touching bond, a spirited sense of humor, vivid stories, a deep fondness for Eastern European cooking… and German soap operas. Wunderbar.

Watching Oma & Bella and subsequently pouring over the film-inspired cookbook, feels like home to me. Recreating these dishes is to make tangible memories of the people I love most in this world. Even just in reading the recipes’ Yiddish titles on each beautifully illustrated page (the talented stylings of Joana Avillez), I remember my childhood; high-holidays at my grandparents’ house, setting the table a thinly veiled excuse to be within reaching proximity of the hors d’oeuvres, to sneak bites of chopped liver and half-sour pickles before the other guests arrived. I mean, how many times have I heard Lenore kvelling over kneidlach?

I long ago lost count.

Through my tears, I fell head over heels for these strong, beautiful, Jewish grandmothers. OK, fine, so I bawled my eyes out and then I made their German Sugar Cookies. I laughed out loud with them at the beauty parlor then tapped off a text to my mom to say I was making their Cheese Blintzes for Hanukkah. I smiled ear to ear when their New Year’s party went off without a hitch and then, for lunch the next day, ate enough chicken noodle soup to just about plotz.

The movie ended and I called Lenore in Florida. She’s up ‘till 1am, you know.

Now, do yourself two favors: Watch the movie & buy the cookbook. They are as inseparable as Oma & Bella themselves.

~Jamie

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Mexican Mezcal Threatens Tequila’s Popularity says BBC News: Authentic Mezcal from Los Amantes

November 13th, 2012

image courtesy of BBC News

The first drop of Mezcal was created when a lightning bolt struck a maguey plant—roasting the heart and releasing a clear liquor.  When one particularly brave individual drank the liquor it opened a pathway to the gods.  We feel the same way about our Mezcal, and now Los Amantes brings the most authentic Mezcal ever produced to the United States.

Visitors and locals in the bars of Mexico have been knocking back Tequila shots for years but now that seems to be changing. Will Grant, of the BBC’s Fast Track programme, went to try out another potent drink distilled from roughly the same unlikely source., agave. In the process he savors Mezcal from the Los Amantes mezcaleria and learns why mezcal is Mexico’s next big thing.

Ten years ago Ignacio Carballido and his business partner the famed Mexican painter Guillermo Olguin were lost in the mountains of Oaxaca. The two friends were looking for a Mezcal producer who lived well off the beaten path and was known for producing a liquor that was the most authentic Mezcal in the world. After travelling for days the two friends were ready to give up when they stumbled accidentally on their goal. What they found was a network of closely guarded small batch distillers, families really, who had been creating Mezcal for generations.  Many of the indigenous producers didn’t speak English or Spanish for that matter, so communicating was a challenge and the two men quickly realized that they had uncovered the El Dorado of Mezcal.

It took several years to gain the locals’ trust, but Igancio and Guillermo were able to provide the farmers and distillers with the assistance they needed to get their product on shelves and earn a living. They helped the farmers organize, translating documents necessary to acquire certification since the rural farmers could not read or write, let alone afford certification which came with a hefty tag. Ignacio and Guillermo raised the necessary funds and provided support throughout and now, the two partners have combined their knowledge with recipes and techniques of 3rd generation Mezcal farmers to produce Los Amantes.  By combining traditional secrets with contemporary production, Los Amantes is the most genuine and sophisticated Mezcal ever to reach the outside world.

www.losamantes.com

Available online at Astor Wines.

Watch the BBC story here.

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Don’t Be a Monkey, Vote!

October 26th, 2012
With the election right around the corner, U.S. of Awesome has launched their “Don’t Be A Monkey, Vote!” campaign. U.S. of Awesome, founded in 2011, has created a line of All-American soft cotton and blended t-shirts that celebrate Americana and our shared experiences as Americans. “Don’t Be A Monkey, Vote!” is a cheeky and pretty darned adorable video featuring a toddler in a monkey costume wrecking a voting booth. The video, produced by Gotta Kid To Feed Productions, is meant as a non-preachy reminder that one of our most awesome and hard fought rights is our right to vote. As one of our greatest Americans, Abraham Lincoln once said, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today”.

Don’t Be a Monkey, Vote! Video:
http://www.usofawesome.com/blog/2012/10/19/dont-be-a-monkey-vote/

U.S. of Awesome also features some really cool (and oh so comfortable) t-shirts meant to rile everyone up for the elections.


Speaking of Mr. Lincoln, U.S. of Awesome has a whole line dedicated to the president. With two new movies coming out this fall portraying Lincoln as both a leader determined to end slavery and a principled vampire slayer, we are reminded how Abraham Lincoln is still very vital in our cultural and political consciousness. The shirts feature original designs and inspiring quotes by the man who on top of being one of our greatest Presidents was also one of our most inspiring writers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now remember, Left wing, right wing, chicken wing… it doesn’t matter how you vote – just exercise your right!

- jennifer

 

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