When it comes to beer I’m not that picky. There’s beer and then there’s good beer, and I drink the good kind. Good beer can be almost anything: a sour lambic, a chocolate stout, even the odd IPA. Something from a local or craft brewery that looks new or different is always worth a try. Just as long as it’s not a watery lager, which is what you’ll find trickling from the taps of most of the bars in America. Read more…

The puppies paraded through Tompkins Square Park in their Halloween finest this past Sunday, and once again I joined the camera clicking hordes eager to record the event. It seems I’m not alone in being unable to resist the spectacle of dozens of dogs dressed up as devils and bumblebees, and to those who claim to pity the creatures I say this: oh please. Your average dog in Manhattan probably lives better than people in some parts of the world, so trotting them through the park dressed as a big fat pumpkin one day out of the year is a small price to pay. And look how much joy it provides to people like me!

This was my fifth year photographing the event and I enjoyed spotting some perennial favorites, rocking always-awesome costumes. But if I had to narrow down the best costumes I’d go with these:

Woof with the Wind (up top and above)
Gracie the pug took top honors this year with this Scarlett O’Hara themed-ensemble (and when I say she looked like Scarlett O’Hara I mean it). As soon as I saw this I knew it was a winner: her tongue-out, bug-eyed expression was sheer perfection, and her owner actually wheeled her into the ring so it looked like she was walking in her little hoop skirt. If you had any doubt that Gracie is a diva, check out her Marie Antoinette costume from 2008. Clearly she is a force to be reckoned with come costume day.

Tron
Wow. Just–wow. Are you kidding me? The diaroama, the jumpsuit, the little plastic helmet… and timely too. Will everyone shut up about Daft Punk and Tron already? I knew it was going to be tough to beat this.

Antoine Dodson
Best internet meme costume ever, and this was the right dog for it because he looked really pissed off while everyone was taking his picture. Bonus points for creating something this good out of a simple wig and bandanna. Good thing they brought the sign though or I would not have figured it out.

Lobster Pot
Another simple and effective costume. Plus this pup seemed thrilled to sit in his pot while his owner carried him around. I think he was Oscar the Grouch one year. Clearly they are sticking with what works–dye the dog, stick him in some receptical, voila.

Bedbugs
Out of the bunch, this was really the only frightening costume, so kudos for that. These pups always seem to sleep their way through the parade. I think last year they were Snoopy and Woodtsock fighting the Red Baron with their powers of slumber. I would not be surprised if their owners were professional set designers from the quality of their costumes.

Dracula
The right dog for the right costume. Wickedly simple, but great attitude. Loved it.

Butter
Food-themed costumes are always big, but usually you see hot dogs and tacos. This costume cuts straight to the heart of the matter–butter really does make everything better. The little pat on the head was the perfect touch.

Kit-Kat
I friggin loved getting those fun-sized Kit-Kats in my bag of Halloween candy. These two looked a little nervous but were the perfect pair.

Many, many more photos on my Flickr.

Usually I’m not too eager to try vegetarian restaurants, so my excitement leading up to dinner at Dirt Candy was pretty much unprecedented. By “vegetarian restaurants,” I’m not talking about ethnic fare that happens to be meatless, like you’d find at a falafel place or certain curry houses. I mean the kind of restaurant that claims vegetarianism as its raison d’etre. The kind of place that throws tofu or seitan in your $20 entree as if that were a worthy substitute for meat. The kind of place where you watch your lovely and adorable vegetarian companion happily tucking into soy byproducts and visualize a pulled pork sandwich over their face in silent retaliation for what you are about to consume. Dirt Candy, on the other hand, sounds like the kind of restaurant I could really enjoy. Instead of trying to replicate meat dishes, chef Amanda Cohen elevates vegetables as the main ingredient using an innovative menu and bold flavors. After trying to stop in a couple of times, I realized that it’s near-impossible to simply walk in and get a table. Instead I had to make a reservation a week ahead on Open Table, plenty of time for my anticipation to build.

The restaurant is squeezed into a narrow, studio-apartment sized space that’s intimate for two people but probably claustrophobia-inducing for a group larger than three or four. I had to perform a careful balancing act on my chair, which threatened to dump me onto the floor, for much of the night. There were really no other chairs to trade with though, since every table was full. Our server asked straight away if we were vegan, since Dirt Candy uses dairy but each dish can be made vegan on request (we said we were not). Throughout dinner this server, who was nice enough, kept re-stocking wine glasses on the wall behind my head–a fairly irritating setup, but one I was able to ignore once the food arrived.

First course was a plate of jalapeno hush puppies served with maple butter ($6). They were easily the best damn hush puppies I’ve ever had. Deep fried yet light corn batter with a subtle jalapeno heat is tasty enough, but when lavished with sweet, creamy maple butter, it’s a knockout. I actually had to restrain myself from eating more of that wonderful butter straight from the dish. Fortunately the next round of appetizers arrived before I could so debase myself. A plate of three steamed carrot buns ($11) was a bit of a letdown due to the fact that the buns were way too bready, detracting from the intriguing sweet filling. After several guesses on our part (“beets?” “figs?”) our server told us the filling consisted of water chestnuts, sesame, carrots, and barbecue sauce. The buns were served with a small side salad of jullienned cucumber and ginger, with crumbles of sweet, crunchy sesame halvah. All the ingredients really sang in the side salad, and the halvah won me over much the same way the maple butter did. A second appetizer, and probably the highlight of the evening was the mushroom plate ($13). This was a deconstructed dish, featuring a square of portobello mousse, a pile of roasted portobello mushrooms, a peach and fennel compote, toasted bread with truffle oil, and a drizzle of reduction sauce running along the plate. Now, I have a complicated relationship with mushrooms. I’ve found them both delicious and off-putting at times, and I typically don’t eat them by themselves. But I enjoyed this dish. The earthy, complex flavor of mushrooms infused in a silky mousse reminded me of one of those disorienting taste sensations I get while eating Japanese food. Is it delicious? Not quite, but it is unforgettable.

For my entree, although I was intrigued by the corn dish which featured a “tempura poached egg,” I went with the tomato plate, because while I’m conflicted about mushrooms there are few things I love more than tomatoes. This dish was three perfectly battered and fried green tomato slices atop yellow tomato sauce with toasted coconut and jicama, flecked with little doughy balls of spaetzle. This was satisfying, well-rounded dish, but it didn’t wow me like the hush puppies or mushroom mousse. However, I appreciated it more after tasting the zucchini entree, with mint and terragon pasta, squash blossom relish, and yogurt & saffron sauce. The pasta seemed sodden with bland, tahini-like sauce, and I didn’t catch any mint or tarragon, although little falafel balls at the edges of the plate provided some needed textural contrast.

By the time we got to dessert my stomach was at capacity and my friend doesn’t do chocolate, so we split the only non-chocolate option on the menu, popcorn pudding. As promised, the pudding was infused with popcorn flavor and came with a side of hazlenut caramel popcorn for dipping. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: many restaurants do a lousy job with dessert. Compared to the rest of the menu, the pudding was pretty basic, but executed well enough that I’d have gladly given any one of the other desserts a try if I could have possibly eaten more.

In total we spent $107 on two entrees, two appetizers, one dessert, hush puppies, and two glasses of wine, not including tip. This isn’t outrageous, but I left feeling perhaps my expectations had been too high. Had the zucchini entree and carrot buns been better, I’d probably feel it was money well-spent. As it was, I was glad I tried Dirt Candy, but felt one visit was enough. If you’re looking for a place where dietary restrictions are no obstacle to inventive cuisine, or if you have a lovely and adorable vegetarian or vegan on your hands and are looking for someplace where you can both eat well, this is a good place to check out. I can tell you honestly, I didn’t visualize pulled pork once the entire night.

Dirt Candy
430 E. 9th St. between First Ave and Ave. A
Tue-Sat 5:30pm-11pm
reservation recommended

It’s the wee hours on a Saturday, and in just a little while farmers will be driving in from upstate and tents and tables will be set up and piled with fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, breads, meats, jams and cheese. Everyone, from professional chefs to budding cooks, shops at the Greenmarket year-round, but if you ask me, August is the best time to go.

Why? Well I’m all for supporting local farms and eating fresh, organic produce, but to be honest, I enjoy the little dose of sensory overload I get here. The variety of produce at this time of year is stunning: exquisitely sweet yellow peaches (watch for bees), a couple dozen strains of heirloom tomatoes (check NYmag for suggestions), sweet corn, watermelon, sunflowers, bunches of fragrant basil, plump blackberries, as well as perennial staples (garlic, shallots, kale).

The prices aren’t always cheap, but the quality is usually great–one of the aforementioned heirloom tomatoes will make that vine-ripened Jersey-grown cluster from Whole Foods taste like a shadow of a tomato.

While looking for one thing, I usually spot it in a form that I’ve never tried before. While looking for salad greens, I picked up some purslane; while shopping for mushrooms, I decided to try oyster mushrooms. I once asked a man selling jam what the difference was between the raspberry and black raspberry jam and he was flummoxed. “That’s like asking the difference between steak and lobster,” he said. I went with the lobster.

The reason for all this Greenmarket love is that I’ve been cooking at home for the first time in forever. Yes, I’m a rarefied beast who largely subsists on takeout, leftovers, supermarket buffets, and beer. That is, until lately. Stay tuned for more on this story.

Greenmarket
Union Square West, between 14th St. and 17th St.
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat 8am-6pm
A guide to what’s in season

If you drink good beer, Drop Off Service is worth your time. If you happen to be a reasonably-attractive lady who drinks good beer, there’s probably somebody here who wants to talk to you. I’m not promising unicorns and rainbows, but it may not be a particularly off-putting experience either. Someone may try to sell you a glow-in-the-dark toy, invite you to his Bushwick-tastic gallery, ask you about the finer points of hobbit fashion, perform feats like clicking his heels together in mid-air (harder than it looks, if you’re not a leprechaun), or apologize for his overly-sniffy French Bulldog. A dog is an ideal entrée if you enjoy random conversations, but don’t relish starting them, and at this bar canine wing-men are welcome, as long as they’re well-behaved. Another rare sighting in Manhattan watering holes–a solitary reader squinting at a book–is also a regular here. In fact if it weren’t for the variety of its patrons, Drop Off Service would feel friendly enough to exist a river removed from Manhattan. The fact that it has an impressive beer list, and a generous happy hour, lasting from 3pm-8pm (1pm-8pm on weekends), is the basis of its appeal. Many of the draft beers are $3 during the popular 3-8 shift, including Yuengling, Magic Hat, Fuller’s London Pride, and Six Point’s Sweet Action Ale. A pint of Stone Brewing Company’s Arrogant Bastard Ale is a steal at $4, there’s usually a cask ale for $5, and Delerium Tremens–a Belgian ale that hovers at about 9% ABV–will run you a reasonable $7.

If you get hungry, not to worry. Tuck Shop meat pies are available, or even better, run next door to Zaragoza for some tacos ($2.50-$3.00), and bring them back to the bar to fuel another round. These are not gourmet foodstuffs–Zaragoza is a hole-in-the-wall Mexican grocery with a microwave and few hot trays, and it can be hit or miss depending on what’s available that day. The other night, the amount of hot sauce on my spicy pork taco hurt my face, while a tamale ($2.00) was rather enjoyable. But $6 for a taco and a pint of Sweet Action, plus some free entertainment? Sure, I’ll be right over.

Drop Off Service
211 Ave. A between 13th St. and 14th St.
Mon-Fri 3pm-4am, Sat-Sun 1pm-4am

Zaragoza
215 Avenue A between 13th St. and 14th St.
Mon-Thu 9:30am-12am, Fri-Sat 9:30am-4am, Sun 10:30pm-12am