A Second Cup of Coffee
A rundown of what got me through last week
Hi friends,
Welcome to This Needs Hot Sauce. It’s almost the end of August (how?) and I’m feeling excited for my birthday next Sunday, Labor Day Weekend and the secret best month in New York: September. Let’s dive in!
Real quick: I’m hosting a Happy Hour on Wednesday from 6:30 - 8 at the Topaz in East Williamsburg. We’ll have fancy yet affordable cocktails ($6 Old Fashioneds) and a private room to ourselves. RSVP here and feel free to bring friends. This month, I’ll be raising money for the Brooklyn Public Library, an institution I use all the time and want to support in honor of the start of the school year.
We hosted a little wine and dessert event for Cojolya and I contributed this peach pecan crumble. People loved it and the recipe is so easy. Make sure you bring your butter to room temperature before you start. I didn’t peel the peaches but I did toast the pecans before mixing them into the topping. My baking companion: this Rewatchables Podcast all about The Titanic. I’ll never let go.
Besides the crumble and bowls of oatmeal piled with peaches, I barely cooked this week. I did make a number of egg and kale based lunches and definitely recommend this taco variation. Char your tortillas over the burner, always.
Something to Order:
My dear cousin Lizzi is now working at Dig Inn and I visited her for lunch last week. The sweet potatoes and eggplant were my favorite items and the Williamsburg location is very spacious and even has wifi.
I knew about Free Movie Mondays at Bryant Park but I didn’t know they included snacks! I walked by on Monday night and got free Peoples Pops thanks to Bravo. They also had manousheh and okonomi stands through a partnership with the Hester Street Fair. The Okonomi was really good and there were no lines on a semi rainy evening. Check it out tonight if you’re in the area.
Pahal Zan may be the best restaurant in Forest Hills. We got takeout for dinner on Wednesday night and guests from 3 countries were obsessed. The falafel is so crisp but they really shine on the salads. I love the beets, the carrots, the hummus, the cabbage, everything but the potato salad. Their tahini and hot sauces are excellent and it’s my #1 recommendation for lunch or dinner if you’re going to Forest Hills Stadium. Get a drink at Station House after.
3 Guys Gyro was out of falafel when I went at 6:30 so word of their $4.50 falafel has spread. They made me a nice salad with grape leaves instead.
Sarah turned 25! We got lunch at 12 Chairs to celebrate (can you tell I was on a mediterranean kick?). In a move more restaurants should copy, they offer a half hummus, half babaganoush plate. I had the eggs siniya again, sunnyside up with tahini sauce – and yes, we all got wine. It’s a birthday!
I continued my vegetarian Pho exploration at Little Mo in Bushwick with Lizzi. The spot is cute but I think the broth at Lucy’s is more flavorful. Both places deliver!
My cousin Dan was in town and we caught up at the Crown Inn. It’s one of my favorite Crown Heights bars with lots of room and a big menu. There’s wine on tap, poured generously.
Trophy Bar, on Broadway under the subway, is a local gem. There’s a huge backyard and happy hour goes till 10 on Thursdays. This includes $6 margaritas that might have orange juice in them (do not endorse) but we can’t complain too much because they’re $6.
A late summer suggestion: Take yourself to the Met. Pay $1 to get in, take in the Heavenly Bodies Exhibit and then spend $10.50 on a beer on the rooftop. The views are worth it and it’s open till October 28th.
Dale and I went to Connecticut for the weekend so we have some Constitution State recs (this is the official nickname sine 1959…)
For lunch or late night, Side Street Bar & Grill has wings and character. There are vintage signs everywhere and the menu is full of silly jokes (they don’t offer directions because you’re already sitting there reading this). The nachos are huge and I had a really good mushroom sandwich.
We had a really lovely dinner in New Haven at Harvest. Splitting a bunch of small plates is the way to go. Definitely order the risotto tater tots, the zucchini blossom fritters and a salad. The meat eaters really liked the meatballs.
Cocktails are so much cheaper outside of New York. Elm City Social was so good. I had a mezcal drink and the Rubber Ducky (which comes with a souvenir) with hop aged gin was also popular. There’s a rooftop with a separate tiki menu but order downstairs to have the most options.
Ending the weekend with a breakfast sandwich on an extremely green college campus (hi, Quinnipiac, I was very not used to any of it)
Coffeeshop Dispatch (oops, I was very caffeinated last week):
My next coffee is free at Hungry Ghost and I hope punchcards never die in our digital world.
19 Cafe is a darling of a space. They recently remodeled so there’s even more seating and there’s a full menu of Korean food and sandwiches from the very friendly owner. Punch cards and wifi too, of course.
Cafe Beit is a lowkey spot off the Bedford Stop with strong wifi and lots of space. They old have beer and cider if you’re feeling that kind of workday.
A fun fact: I got my laptop cover in 2011.
Black Brick is an old favorite on South 1st and Bedford. It can be packed but is very cozy. Their tumeric ginger tea is really good but they’re usually out of cookies by the afternoon.
I got a free oat latte at the very crowded and kind of touristy Toby’s Estate in Williamsburg and it made my morning. Someone had misheard an order so there was an unwanted latte I was happy to to take off their hands.
Sorry about the straw
Something to read:
I loved every word of this oral history of Four Loko, a mainstay of my senior year of high school. Lemonade was my favorite flavor and I don’t think I ever finished an entire can. Do you have any Four Loko stories? Please reply and share!
Why is there so much bad rose? Marketing, among other things.
"If I was a cisgender, heterosexual-looking, gay-appealing naked white man with a chiseled body who was cooking, I’d be the darling of gay media." Meet Michael Twitty.
Loved this piece on Sambal and how it’s passed down through generations.
A very cute cat hanging with some peaches (h/t Delia)
Hanging out and eating tapas in Spain sounds very fun
Come for the chocolate photos, stay for the story: Inside Melissa Coppel’s Chocolate Classes
Why are budinos such a popular restaurant dessert? That margin! Also Barbuzzo’s budino is soo overrated.
This photo essay of the 2003 Northeast blackout has a lot of food stories. I remember walking to our favorite restaurant and getting free ice cream since it was all melting. We also made all of our meals on the barbecue for a few days.
Extremely relevant to my interests/life: Are Brooklyn’s restaurants ready for the L Train shutdown?
Last week I asked about sick foods…the comfort foods that get us through.
Julianne relies on matzoh ball soup, the Jewish penicillin, usually homemade and stored in the freezer for emergencies.
Maryse relies on: Porridge. The holy grail of "i'm so sick i'm spending the day fetal position on the couch". I almost always have a bag of whole rolled oats in the pantry, so if i'm on death's door and cannot leave the house - I will survive the day. With a full stomach.
Ditto for add ons - nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla essence, raisins, honey, maybe a banana, frozen berries - all of which can be counted on to be in your house at all times. Add milk if you've got it. It's warm, comforting, and filling. It's basically a hug in a mug. Or a bowl. Or straight from the saucepan if you're that sick.
This week, I want to hear about your ideal breakfast! Reply to this with your favorite way to start the day.
Have a great week and I’ll see you Wednesday for happy hour (RSVP here).
Happy eating and thanks for reading.
xo, Abigail
P.S. I’m going Down the Shore for the first time for Labor Day weekend and would love suggestions! Share your seaside favorites.