SPAGHETTI AL CARAMELIZED HONEY-GLAZED SPICED EGGS

LIMONE APPLE CAKE MISO RIBS WITH TZATZIKI

P. 2 6 P. 16 P. 103 P. 72

THE

HOT
TEN

2 019
A M E R I C AS

•
BEST E
U
ISS

RESTAURANTS
 O c to b er
A M E R I C A ’S B E S T N E W R E S T A U R A N T S

L E T ’S P R E T E N D
W E ’ R E I N PA R I S —
IN BALTIMORE.
P. 9 2

THE
H OT T E N
by JULIA KRAMER with AMIEL STANEK
2 0 19

Introducing the L.A. –based best new restaurant of 2019, where the croissants are perfect and the hype is
real. p.58 In Dallas , a Laotian-American chef tells his life story with boat noodles. p.64 An incredible tasting
menu where you’d least expect it (Richmond !). p.68 Try the Danish at this humble Detroit bakery. And the
bread. And the cookies. And the coffee. p.70 We’d like to spend our lazy afternoons at this New Orleans
PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX LAU

church turned bar, thanks. p.76 This Malaysian café in NYC is reviving Baba-Nyonya cuisine, one nasi
lemak at a time. p. 80 The Nashville restaurant where dinner feels like a dinner party. p. 84 Welcome to
Baltimore ’s natty-wine-loving, pig’s-head-butchering, good-vibes-only wine bar. p.92 The year’s best
Texas-style BBQ is in...Portland , OR . p.96 The obsessive chef giving fusion a good name in Denver . p.98

2 – O C T O B E R 2 019
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own culinary reinterpretations.

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 Oc to b e r
VOLUME 6 4 NUMBER 8

HOME

11
The Buy
Meet Campari’s
American cousins.
BY ALEX DELANY

12
We’re Into It
Scene-setting
candles and more of
Christina Chaey’s
current infatuations.

14
Picky Eaters’ Club
WHO NEEDS A An Instant Pot red
B A BYS I T T E R W H E N
bean soup for when
you’re down to the
YOU’VE GOT
wire at dinnertime.
A STOCKPOT?
BY DEB PERELMAN
P. 70
16
From the
Test Kitchen
A nutty spiced apple
cake from pastry
wizard Claire Saffitz.

20
Family Meal
It’s pasta night!

A WAY

31
The Road to
the Hot 10
The drinks, utensils,
and chocolate chip
cookies we’re
still thinking about.

B AS I C A L LY

105
The Nut Case
How to buy, store,
and cook the pantry
staple/controversial
brownie add-in.
BY SARAH JAMPEL
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL GRAYDON + NIKOLE HERRIOTT

ETIQUET TE

112
Can you give the
kid an iPad? And
other questions
about behaving your
best at restaurants.
BY ALEX BEGGS

I N EV E RY ISSUE
O N T HE COVE R 8 editor’s letter
Pork Katsu Sandwich (for recipe, 110 recipe index
see p.63). Photograph by Alex Lau. 110 sourcebook

4 – O C T O B E R 2 019
home.liebherr.com
 Editor in Chief
ADAM RAPOPORT
Creative Director MICHELE OUTLAND
Deputy Editor JULIA KRAMER
Food Director CARLA LALLI MUSIC
Director of Editorial Operations CRISTINA MARTINEZ
Digital Director CAREY POLIS

Editorial Design Food

Features Editor MERYL ROTHSTEIN
Bonappetit.com Editor SASHA LEVINE
Healthyish Editor AMANDA SHAPIRO
Basically Editor SARAH JAMPEL
Senior Staff Writer ALEX BEGGS
Digital Restaurant Editor ELYSE INAMINE
Associate Editors HILARY CADIGAN, CHRISTINA CHAEY,
ALEX DELANY
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Editorial Assistant JESSE SPARKS
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Associate Production Manager KATE FENOGLIO
Contributing Editors
Editor at Large ANDREW KNOWLTON
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Wine Editor MARISSA A. ROSS
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6 – O C T O B E R 2 019
 5:09 PM - KATE S., BROOKLYN, NY

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 Editor ’s Letter
The Woman Behind the List
A F E W W E E KS AG O I was wandering around the Bon App offices,
swinging a 9-iron—my version of a fidget spinner. As is often the
case, the last thing I wanted to be doing was sitting in one of those
meshy Aeron chairs, staring at my laptop.
So I dipped my head into Julia Kramer’s office. Julia, of course, was
doing just that—glued to her computer, cup of Pret A Manger lentil
soup in hand, a stack of article printouts nearby, and next to them,
a teetering pile of cookbook galleys that she would “totally get to”
one of these weeks.
If you think the life of a restaurant critic is glamorous, you should
drop in on Julia. At a time when we are all being asked to do more
and more (that’s not just a publishing-industry thing, right?), Kramer
is the one at BA who I’m always urging to do less.
8 – O C T O B E R 2 019
Where’s Waldo…
I mean Kramer?
As the brain (and belly) behind this year’s
Hot 10—our annual list of America’s Best New
Restaurants, beginning on p. 57—Kramer is
Bon App’s chief restaurant critic.
But she’s also our deputy editor. Which means
she edits every word of every issue and lays eyes
on nearly every piece of content that goes up on
bonappetit.com. And because that’s not enough,
she also writes copy for our new online store,
shop.bonappetit.com. (On the tie-dye shirts:
“Which is the safest bet: taking that ayahuasca
trip, going to a Dead & Co. concert, or buying
this T-shirt? We’re gonna go with that last
option.”) And when there is a going-away party,
she’s our Bob Dylan, drafting sing-along lyrics
for departing colleagues.
It’s this all-you-can-eat work ethic that Julia
relies on while traveling to more than 200
restaurants in 30 cities during her search for
her 10 favorite restaurants of 2019. It’s a multi-
month grind where the phrase “third dinner” is
not uncommon, and a satellite membership to
CorePower Yoga is invaluable.
This is the first year with Julia running point
on the Hot 10 after five years of riding shotgun
with Andrew Knowlton. By now she knows
enough not to think of this as a solo show.
Amiel Stanek selected and wrote up two
of the 10 restaurants. Photographer Alex Lau
and creative director Michele Outland barn-
stormed the country to shoot nearly all the
award winners. And then there is the entire
team back in New York, who assembles the
issue, builds the digital experience, and plans
the Hot 10 party, a massive come-one-come-all
bash in Brooklyn on October 19.
Oh, and one more thing. As I’m writing this,
Julia is 36 weeks pregnant—which marks the
second time in her hunt for the Hot 10 that she
has crisscrossed the country eating for two.
“Just think of how much money I saved BA,” she
likes to point out, “by not sampling all those
cocktail and wine lists.”
Well, that’s one way of looking at it. Another
PHOTOGRAPH BY EMMA FISHMAN
way is that for the next four months, we won’t
have Julia to lean on to do pretty much every-
thing. We’ll just have to pick up the slack—if
not the lentil soup.
A DA M R A P O P O R T
edi tor in ch ief
@rapoport on instagram
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 APPLE CAKE T H E PA S TA S W E ’ R E
REINVENTED C R AV I N G N O W
p . 16 R e c i p e s , E s s e n t i a l G o o d s , a n d Te s t K i t c he n K n o w - H o w p. 20

All-
American
In the aperitivo Hall of
Fame, Campari is number
one. But recently I’ve
been stoked on all of the
American-made liqueurs
I’m seeing everywhere,
which sport more intense
bitterness and unique
fruity and vegetal notes.
I use these aperitivi in
the same way I use the
Italian stuff. For a nuanced
spritz I go for Don Ciccio
& Figli Ambrosia ($35).
Made with gentian
root and Seville orange,
St. George Spirits’
Bruto Americano ($30)
makes a pleasingly bitter
ILLUSTRATIONS BY LAUREN TAMAKI

Negroni. For a sipper

that’s perfect with just an
ice cube? That’s Forthave
Spirits’ Red Aperitivo
($36). I recommend
starting with whatever’s
available in your region.
You know, how the Italians
do it. — A L E X D E L A N Y

P H OTO G R A P H BY C H E L S I E C R A I G O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 – 11
 H o m e – We ’re I n t o I t

Kimchi Crocks and Neon Socks

Chic cycling gear (it’s a thing) and more goods that
associate editor Christina Chaey is loving this month

Fueled by Dates Lights, Drama

These are the world’s best dates I love lit tapered candles ($48–$52
($18 for 2 lb.; ranchomeladuco.com). for eight; food52.com) for intimate
They’re plump and have a natural dinner parties. Beehive Alchemy’s
caramelized flavor. I split them in come in elegant hues and cast a vibe-y
half and fill them with almond butter glow that looks way more special
for a preworkout snack. than what you’d get from a tealight.

Fermentation Meets Fashion For My Inner Skin-Care Geek

Every few months I invite friends I’m obsessed with my cult-y Japanese
over to make kimchi. This crock Kamenoko brush, which I use
($175; sarahkersten.com), specially for scrubbing veg and washing dishes.
designed to yield the crunchiest ’chi, When I discovered they also make a
is so attractive it sits on my kitchen body exfoliating brush ($16; eastfork
counter even when I’m not using it. .com), obviously I had to get it.

Watch me
make my
favorite recipe
for kimchi
noodles at
youtube.com
/bonappetit
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHELSIE CRAIG

Actually Cute Cycling Gear If You Like Tahini…

Editor at large Andrew Knowlton …you need this incredibly aromatic
turned me onto Team Dream , sesame paste by Wadaman
whose spunky biking sock designs ($28 for 8.8 oz.; toirokitchen.com),
pop with color! (Heather Supreme made from seeds that are expertly
socks in orange, $20; Tonal Dip roasted by Osakan Jedi masters. It’s
socks in cardinal and sunshine, $15; insane when spread on toast and
teamdreambicyclingteam.com). topped with honey and flaky sea salt.

12 – O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 I L LU ST R AT I O N BY DA M I E N C U Y P E R S
 Cheesecak
THE REASON EVERYONE SAVES
ROOM FOR DESSERT

(incl. refrigerating)

W HAT YO U N E ED
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 cups (12 oz.) raspberries, divided
1 Tbsp. each zest and juice from 1 lemon

4 eggs

M AKE IT
HEAT oven to 325°F.

of prepared pan. Bake 10 min.

pour over crust.

PERFECT
Cheesecak IS MADE WITH

©2019 Kraft Foods

 Home – Picky Eaters’ Club

Instant Pot Red Bean and

Quinoa Soup with Taco Fixins
It’s key to use dried Central
4–6 S E RV I NG S
American red beans here to achieve
the right consistency. The good news is
that they are easy to find: Look for the
Goya brand at your local supermarket.

SOUP
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 16-oz. package dried Central
American red beans
½ cup red quinoa, rinsed
1 Tbsp. sauce from a can of chipotles
in adobo
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
½ lime

ASS E M B LY
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. sugar
Pressure’s On Lime wedges, sliced avocado, sour
cream, chopped cilantro, crumbled
When 5:15 p.m. hits and there’s still no dinner plan, Deb Perelman queso fresco or shredded cheddar
harnesses the power of her beloved Instant Pot or Monterey Jack, hot sauce,
and/or tortilla strips (for serving)

shatter any domestic-diva-type

L O O K , I H O P E T H I S D O E S N ’T SOUP Heat oil in an Instant Pot or other
expectations you have of the people writing for your favorite food electric pressure cooker on the Sauté
magazine, but the number of nights that dinnertime approaches and setting. Add onion and cook, stirring
I have absolutely no idea what we’re going to eat and have done no occasionally, until beginning to turn
grocery shopping is: a lot of them. golden brown around the edges, 6–8
minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook,
In the interest of avoiding the inevitable meltdown that would ensue stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add beans,
when my ravenous kids stumble in only to find dinner isn’t ready yet, quinoa, adobo sauce, 2 tsp. salt, and
I often rely on a few types of dried grains and beans in the pantry and 7 cups water. Lock lid and cook soup on
the electric pressure cooker magic known as an Instant Pot. It can turn high pressure 45 minutes, then release
a staple like a bag of inexpensive red beans into a hearty flavorful pressure manually. Squeeze in juice from
FOOD STYLING BY MICHELLE GATTON. ILLUSTRATIONS BY SUPER FREAK.

soup in about 45 minutes—with absolutely no presoaking. A quick lime half; mix well. Taste and season
sauté of onion, garlic, and spices makes an aromatic base that seasons soup with more salt if needed.
D O A H E A D : Soup can be made 2 days
the whole pot, while quinoa adds bulk and texture. ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill.
What do I do while dinner is off cooking itself? In a dream world I’d Soup will thicken; add up to 1 cup water
probably do as little as possible, relishing it, ideally with a glass of before reheating over medium-low.
wine. In reality I’m helping with homework, managing some other
last-minute chaos, or making the kinds of toppings that get the kids ASS E M B LY While the soup is cooking,
(and the adults) much more excited about a bowl of beans and quinoa. toss onion, vinegar, salt, sugar, and
We call these taco fixins: corn tortilla strips baked into crispy chips, 4 tsp. water in a small bowl to combine.
quick-pickled red onion, sliced avocado, cilantro, crumbled cheese, Chill until ready to use.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls
limes, and some hot sauce for the grown-ups. Everyone heaps their and top with pickled onions and other
bowls with whatever they like. Nothing delights me more than when toppings of your choice.
the reward for having no dinner plan is a delicious meal that came D O A H E A D : Onion can be pickled
together without a minute of planning. 5 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

14 – O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 P H OTO G R A P H BY C H E L S I E C R A I G
 H o m e – F r o m t h e Te s t K i t c h e n

Apple Cake Hot Take

Tender, nutty, and studded with caramel-
glazed apple halves, Claire Saffitz’s apple cake
is the best apple cake. (There, we said it.)
Go Halfsies
Rather than mix in chunks
of fruit, Saffitz opts for
peeled apple halves so that
every serving has a big
portion of spoonable fruit
cupped by moist cake.

Mixed Nuts
Ground nuts not only give
this cake a toasty, deep
flavor, they also tenderize
the crumb by adding
FOOD STYLING BY REBECCA JURKEVICH

fat and countering flour’s

glutenous toughness.

Core Power
Step away from the apple
corer! The neatest way to
remove a core is to use that
melon baller that’s been
idle since August (or 1999).
A sturdy teaspoon measure
will also do the trick.

16 – O C T O B E R 2 019 P H OTO G R A P H BY C H E L S I E C R A I G
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Apple-
Walnut
Upside-
Down Cake
Using a cast-iron
8 S E RV I N G S
skillet means you can
caramelize the apples and
bake the cake all in one
vessel. Plus, the remaining
apple juices form the
base for the caramel sauce.
It’s a win all the way.
1 cup raw walnuts or
pecans
10 Tbsp. unsalted butter,
room temperature,
divided
4 small or 3 large baking
apples (such as
Pink Lady), peeled,
halved, cored
½ cup (packed) light
brown sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. freshly grated
nutmeg
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon,
plus more for serving
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room
temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup plain whole-milk
Greek yogurt,
room temperature
Lightly sweetened,
softly whipped cream
(for serving)
18 – O C T O B E R 2 019
H o m e – F r o m t h e Te s t K i t c h e n
Place a rack in middle of oven
and preheat to 350°. Spread
out walnuts on a rimmed
baking sheet and toast, tossing
once, until golden brown,
10–12 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, heat a 10"
ovenproof skillet, preferably
cast iron, over medium. Add
2 Tbsp. butter and swirl to
coat; arrange apple halves
cut sides down in a single
layer in skillet. Cook apples,
undisturbed, rotating skillet
on burner as needed for even
browning, until cut sides are
golden brown, 5–10 minutes
(the timing depends on the
juiciness of the apples; juicier
apples will take longer). Turn
apples over [1] and cook on
rounded sides just until they
start to release their juices and
the tip of a knife slides through Peeling the apples ensures that they’ll nestle right into the cake batter.
with slight resistance, about
5 minutes. Transfer apples to and nuts are finely ground. Arrange apple halves
a plate, arrange cut sides up, Transfer walnut mixture to a cut sides down over cooled
and let cool. medium bowl. caramel in skillet, spacing
Add ¼ cup brown sugar Combine granulated sugar, evenly. Fold batter a few times
and 1 Tbsp. water to skillet remaining ¼ cup brown sugar, with spatula, scraping sides
and set over medium heat. and remaining 8 Tbsp. butter to make sure everything is well
Stir with a wooden spoon or in food processor (no need to mixed. Scrape batter over
heatproof rubber spatula until wash it) and process in long apples and work into spaces
sugar is dissolved, then cook, pulses until mixture is light and around apples [2]. Smooth
swirling skillet occasionally smooth. Add eggs and vanilla surface (it’s okay if there’s only
(do not stir at this point), and process in long pulses, a thin layer of batter in places;
until thick and bubbling in a scraping down sides of it will rise in the oven).
thin layer, about 1 minute. processor once, until mixture Bake cake until it is browned
Let caramel cool in skillet. is smooth. Add half of walnut across the entire surface and
Meanwhile, pulse toasted mixture and pulse to combine, the center springs back when
walnuts, flour, salt, baking then add yogurt and pulse gently pressed, 30–40
soda, baking powder, nutmeg, just until incorporated. Add minutes. Let cake cool in skillet
and 1½ tsp. cinnamon in a remaining walnut mixture 10 minutes, then run an offset
food processor until combined and pulse just to combine. spatula or a small knife around
the sides of the pan to loosen.
1 2
Set a wire rack upside down
on skillet and flip over to
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALEX LAU. ILLUSTRATION BY SUPER FREAK.
release cake; carefully remove
skillet. If any apples or cake
stick to skillet, scrape them off
and press back onto the top
of the cake.
Serve cake warm or room
temperature. Slice into
wedges and top with dollops
of whipped cream and a
dusting of cinnamon.
D O A H E A D : Cake can be
Precooking the apples lets them Nudge the batter over the apples: baked 2 days ahead. Let cool
take on color, begin to cook through, It might seem sparse, but it will completely. Store tightly
and release any excess moisture. spread out and rise up in the oven. wrapped at room temperature.
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 Home – Family Meal

It’s Pasta
Night! Stainless-steel tongs
are nonnegotiable for
tossing long strands
If you’re in the habit
of spaghetti in creamy
of cooking pasta recipes
sauce (p. 26).
from the pages of this
magazine, you’ve by
now memorized certain
rules: Boil your noodles
in well-salted water,
save that pasta liquid
to make the glossiest
pan sauce, and always
pass extra grated parm
at the table. But when
was the last time you
thought to add a can of
creamy chickpeas to
orecchiette swimming in
a zippy garlic-tomato
broth, or blitz fresh chiles
into a spicy red (yes,
red!) pesto? The recipes
on the following pages
prove that even when it
comes to the most
familiar dinner of all,
there’s always a new
trick or two to learn.

Each of the
recipes in
this section:

Takes under
1 hour
—
Has 10
ingredients
or fewer
(not including
salt, pepper,
and extra-virgin
olive oil)
—
Requires no
special gadgets
or appliances

2 0 – O C T O B E R 2 019 P H OTO G R A P H BY M A R C U S N I L SS O N
The Toyota Prius with impressive cargo space
 Home – Family Meal

8 S E RV I N G S
Baked Shells With
Sausage and Greens
Crisp nuggets of Italian sausage
and tender broccoli rabe swathed
in a blanket of cozy cheese sauce—
this is the definition of cold-weather
comfort food
R E C I P E BY C L A I R E S A F F I T Z
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin
olive oil
1 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausage,
casings removed
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. finely chopped sage, plus
10 leaves for serving
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups half-and-half
12 oz. Fontina and/or aged cheddar,
coarsely grated, divided
Kosher salt
1 lb. ridged medium pasta shells
(such as lumaconi) or large
tube pasta (such as rigatoni)
1 bunch broccoli rabe, stems cut into
2" pieces, leafy ends left long

1. Place racks in middle and

upper third of oven; preheat to
325°. Heat a large, deep ovenproof
skillet over medium-high. Pour
in ¼ cup oil; add sausage and
break up into small pieces.
Cook, undisturbed, until browned
underneath, about 4 minutes. Stir a
few times; cook, undisturbed, until
cooked through, about 3 minutes.
2. Add garlic, chopped sage, and
red pepper flakes to sausage and
cook, stirring, until garlic is golden,
about 2 minutes. Mix in half-and-
half and simmer until thickened
slightly, about 2 minutes. Reduce
heat to low. Stirring constantly,
gradually add two-thirds of the
cheese a little at a time, letting
it melt before adding more. Cook,
stirring, until sauce is smooth
and thick, about 3 minutes; season
with salt. Remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a
pot of boiling salted water, stirring
occasionally and adding broccoli
rabe during the last 2 minutes, until
very al dente, about 2 minutes less
than package directions. Drain
in a colander, shaking well. Return
pasta and broccoli rabe to pot.
4. Add sausage mixture to pasta
and toss to coat; transfer to skillet.
Cover with foil and bake on middle
rack until pasta is al dente and
sauce is bubbling, 30–40 minutes.
Remove from oven. Heat broiler.
5. Top pasta with remaining cheese.
Shells are the
Toss sage leaves and remaining ideal shape for
1 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl; arrange trapping all the
over pasta. Broil on upper rack bits of sausage
until cheese is browned in spots, and veg studded
throughout.
about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly
before serving.

2 2 – O C T O B E R 2 019 P H OTO G R A P H S BY C H E L S I E C R A I G
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 Home – Family Meal

4 S E RV I N G S
Red Pesto Rigatoni 2 red Fresno chiles, halved
6 oil-packed anchovy fillets lengthwise, seeds removed
Just like a classic green pesto,
4 garlic cloves, smashed 3 oz. Parmesan, finely grated
this shiny sauce gets richness from
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
nuts, cheese, and olive oil. The
½ cup raw walnuts ½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more
anchovies and chiles may not be
3 Tbsp. double concentrated 1 lb. rigatoni
traditional, but we’re here for them tomato paste 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter,
R E C I P E BY M O L LY B A Z
cut into pieces

Grab an apron before

you start dressing
1. Cook anchovies, garlic, oil, t he pasta — when we
and walnuts in a small saucepan say “toss vigorously,”
over medium heat, stirring often, we mean it!

until nuts are deep golden and

garlic is just turning golden, about
5 minutes. Add tomato paste and
cook, stirring often, until it turns
a shade darker, about 2 minutes.
Let cool 5 minutes.
2. Scrape walnut mixture, including
the oil, into a food processor
and add chiles, Parmesan, lemon
juice, and ½ tsp. salt; pulse until
a thick paste forms. Scrape pesto
into a large bowl.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in
a large pot of boiling salted
water, stirring occasionally, until
al dente. Drain pasta, reserving
1½ cups pasta cooking liquid.
4. Add butter, then pasta and
½ cup pasta cooking liquid to
pesto. Using tongs, toss vigorously,
adding more pasta cooking
liquid as needed, until pasta is
glossy and well coated with
sauce. Taste and season with
more salt if needed.
D O A H E A D : Pesto can be made
5 days ahead. Cover and chill.

2 4 – O C T O B E R 2 019
 we care about how it’s made
because you care about what you eat.

OUD
PR

LY
•
INTR

NG •
OD I
UC

Every jar of NEW FarmToFork™ pasta sauce is made using

non-GMO tomatoes from multi-generational family farms that
are picked at their peak of ripeness for a delicious taste that’s
simply scan using your TM
smartphone camera to discover
where to buy. (no app needed!) rooted in goodness
© 2019 Stockton Kitchens, LLC.
 Home – Family Meal

4 S E RV I N G S
Spaghetti al Limone Kosher salt
1 lemon 3 oz. Parmesan, finely grated
A combination of lemon zest
¾ cup heavy cream (about ¾ cup)
and juice gives this dish tons of
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter Freshly ground black pepper
citrus flavor. The strips of thinly
12 oz. spaghetti or other long pasta
sliced zest add a welcome bright
contrast to the rich sauce
R E C I P E BY M O L LY B A Z

1. Using a vegetable peeler, Keep the sauce

a bit looser than you
remove two 2"-long strips of
think it should be —
lemon zest. Thinly slice each strip it’ll start to tighten up
lengthwise into strands; set aside right after you plate
for serving. Finely grate remaining the noodles.
zest into a large Dutch oven or
other heavy pot. Cut lemon in half
and squeeze juice into a small
bowl to yield 2 Tbsp.; set aside.
2. Add cream to pot and cook
over medium heat, whisking often,
until liquid is just beginning to
simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce
heat to medium-low. Whisk in
butter 1 Tbsp. at a time until melted
and sauce is creamy. Remove
from heat; cover to keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in
another large pot of boiling salted
water, stirring occasionally, until
very al dente, about 2 minutes less
than package directions.
4. Scoop out ¾ cup pasta
cooking liquid and add to cream
sauce. Return sauce to medium
heat. Using tongs, transfer pasta
to sauce and cook, tossing often
and adding Parmesan a little at
a time, until sauce is creamy,
about 3 minutes. If sauce looks
tight, add 1–2 Tbsp. more pasta
cooking liquid. (Cream sauces
tighten as they cool, so lean on
the saucy side.) Stir in reserved
lemon juice; season with salt.
5. Divide pasta among bowls.
Season with pepper and top with
reserved lemon zest strands.

2 6 – O C T O B E R 2 019
 Home – Family Meal

4 S E RV I N G S
Brothy Pasta
With Chickpeas
Take the time to really cook the
onion and garlic until they’re
completely soft—this encourages
them to give up all their goodness
to the velvety-rich tomato broth
R E C I P E BY A N DY B A R AG H A N I
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil,
plus more for drizzling
1 small onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 sprig rosemary
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 15-oz. can chickpeas,
drained, rinsed
1 cup whole peeled tomatoes,
crushed by hand
6 oz. orecchiette or other short pasta
2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan,
plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large

saucepan over medium. Add
onion and season with salt. Cook,
stirring occasionally, until onion These noodles
is beginning to soften, about cook all the way
through in the
5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, sauce, thickening the
stirring occasionally, until onion broth as they go.
and garlic are very tender and
just beginning to brown around
the edges, about 5 minutes. Add
rosemary and red pepper flakes
and cook, stirring, until fragrant,
about 30 seconds. Add chickpeas
and tomatoes and cook, stirring
occasionally, until tomatoes are
slightly thickened, 6–8 minutes.
2. Add pasta and 4 cups water
to saucepan. Increase heat to
medium-high, bring to a simmer,
and cook, stirring occasionally to
prevent pasta from sticking, until
pasta is al dente, 13–16 minutes,
depending on shape. Stir in
parsley and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan;
season with salt. Pluck out and
discard rosemary sprig.
3. Ladle pasta and broth into
bowls. Drizzle with more oil,
season with lots of black pepper,
and top with more Parmesan.
FOOD STYLING BY REBECCA JURKEVICH

2 8 – O C T O B E R 2 019
 Eat
+ Drink
With the Best

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Restaurants
in AMERICA at
The Hot 10
PARTY
Must be 21+ to attend.

10.19.19/NEW YORK
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 MOVE ASIDE, THE TEMPORARY
STEAK KNIVES RESTAUR ANT
p . 37 Go here. Eat this. Drink that. Right this minute. p . 52

The Road
to the
Hot 10
PICTURED: CUSTOMERS LILY DO (LEFT) AND MAY NGUYEN.

As Julia Kramer
crisscrossed the
country on the hunt
for this year’s best
ILLUSTRATIONS BY LAUREN TAMAKI.

new restaurants
(p. 57), these were
the dishes, drinks,
and, um, blankets
What’s she that made dining
so excited about? out every night so
Our No. 2 Best much fun
New Restaurant is
in our City of the
Year (p . 64).

P H OTO G R A P H BY A L E X L AU O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 – 31

1
NO.
I Want to Move to
L.A. and Only Eat Birria
I’m not really sure why
everyone else wants to relocate
to Southern California (something
about the weather?), but I’m
in it for the birria. On my most
recent visit, I started at the new
Venice location of Teddy’s Red
Tacos, where I quickly learned
the distinction between the
Tijuana-style birria blowing up in
L.A.—typically spicy slow-cooked
beef—and the Jalisco-style birria
I knew from my Chicago days,
which was usually goat. As good
as owner Teddy Vasquez’s
3 2 – O C T O B E R 2 019
A w a y – T h e R o a d t o t h e H o t 10
I DiDN’T
2
STEAL THiS
NO.
3
Don’t Call
’Em Trash Fish
Our love for salmon and
FORK other overfished species
is—sorry—ruining the
(But I Thought ocean. Portland, Oregon’s
About It) Erizo got us amped about
A fork is a fork these alternatives.
is a fork, unless — ALEX BEGGS
it’s one of Italian
company Mepra’s
retro resin-handled
Fantasia forks. At
Renee Erickson’s
Willmott’s Ghost
in Seattle, you’ll
find them mixed
and matched in the
prettiest shades of WOLF EEL
pale rose, sage, Rich, fatty, and flaky like
and forest. $51 for fish—because it IS a fish. The
six at mepra-store eel thing is a misnomer.
.com. —J.K.
BUTTER CLAM
A big, tender Oregon boy
as creamy as his name
suggests and sweeter than
any scallop.
SHIELD LIMPET
Scraped off a rock
just for you, this tiny, briny
PHOTOGRAPHS: ALEX LAU (BIRRIA); CHELSIE CRAIG (FORK)
orange-jus-stained tacos,
tostadas, and quesadillas are, abalone is firm
it was the Styrofoam cup of and perfect for grilling.
deeply flavorful sinus-clearing
beef consommé that got me. All I
need is a little Eastside bungalow,
and I could spend every day
hitting up the list of birria spots
I’ve been making since that visit:
Burritos La Palma in El Monte, GOOSENECK
Tacos y Birria La Unica in BARNACLES
Boyle Heights, Charlie’s Tacos These guys are ugly as
(weekends only) in Highland sin but taste like LOBSTER
Park, etc. Now if only I could and melt in your mouth.
remember how to drive.... —J.K.
I L LU S T R AT I O N S BY DAV I D B I S KU P
 Trademarks owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.

®
 Healthy cooking starts with

Available at select stores and online

Find more collections and colors at bedbathandbeyond.com/epicurious

Epicurious is a registered trademark of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. Copyright © 2019
 A w a y – Th e R o a d t o t h e H o t 10

NO.

6
The Tasting
Menu Is
Set your table
à la Kāwi with No Longer
these Sunland
scissors. $11; Trying

4
amazon.com
to Kill Me
Part of what’s so
enjoyable about a tasting
NO. menu is abdicating
responsibility for making
decisions and submitting
entirely to someone else’s
vision. But why is someone
else’s vision to feed me so
SCiSSORS > KNiVES
5
much food that I feel sick by
At Kāwi in New the end? The excessive egos
behind a few excessive
York City, the tasting menus started to
restaurant’s name Chicken Liver: make me dismissive of the
is actually a play It’s What’s for Appetizer whole genre. I don’t think I’m
alone. In fact, I know I’m not
on the Korean It didn’t seem like anything could become because this year I saw so
word for scissors. as ubiquitous on menus as steak tartare (with many restaurants designing
“ You use them to potato chips! or mustard seeds!), and yet tasting menus with diners’
it’s happening: Chicken-liver mousse has taken various appetites in mind.
cut barbecue and over. I loved this Vietnamese -ish riff with At Kumiko and Kikkō
fried food,” chef
PHOTOGRAPHS: CHELSIE CRAIG (SCISSORS); LAURA MURRAY (LIVER)

in Chicago, the bar’s creative

Eunjo Park says. director, Julia Momose,
customizes her cocktail
“They’re integral pairings to every diner’s
to Korean cooking.” desires, and the few
She pays tribute extraordinary bites of food on
the omakase ($130), offered
to her heritage with
downstairs, are truly meant
gold-plated shears, as sidecars to the beverages.
which arrive with I similarly appreciated
Savage in St. Louis, where
the chopsticks and
I could sample chef Logan
spoons. We’ll spare Ely’s vision in a six-course
you the Edward tasting ($55) rather than
Scissorhands joke commit to the full 12-course
version. If I’m hungry
and just say: We’re afterward, I can eat a hot
into it. — E L Y S E I N A M I N E dog—that’s my choice. —J.K.

O C T O B E R 2 019 – 3 7
 A w a y – T h e R o a d t o t h e H o t 10

7
Finally, You Can
NO.
Take It With You
(the Wine, That Is)
A bar where you can discover a beautiful wine?
Fine. A bar where you can discover a beautiful wine,
turn around, and buy a bottle to take home? That’s
more like it. We’re making these new drink-in/take -out
spots, like All Together Now in Chicago, our new
one -stop shops. — A L E X D E L A N Y

H AV E A D R I N K , B U Y A B O T T L E

Graf t Wine Shop Verjus

CHARLESTON, SC SAN FRANCISCO

Fadensønnen Ligh t Years

BALTIMORE HOUSTON

Bloomsday Shor t Walk

Café Wines
PHILADELPHIA RALEIGH, NC

3 8 – O C T O B E R 2 019 P H O T O G R A P H BY L A U R A M U R R AY
 A w a y – T h e R o a d t o t h e H o t 10

NO.

A MOCKTAIL B y
AN y OTHER NAME 1
Merely whispering the word mocktail once
elicited sneers. But now bartenders have
rebranded boozeless beverages into a
thing we can order with pride. Here’s what
they’re dubbing these drinks on cocktail
menus from coast to coast. — J E S S E S P A R KS

“Sof t” “Spirit frees”

2
The Wolves Kumiko
LOS ANGELES CHICAGO

“Sans” “Zero Proof ”

Morin Alameda
DENVER Supper Club
LOS ANGELES
“Friendly
Beverages” “Clear -
Molly ’s Rise Headed”
and Shine Eem
NEW ORLEANS PORTLAND, OR 3

9
One Old-Fashioned
Cookie, Please!
Skip the kelp extract. In 2019 we
just want our chocolate chip cookies

10
to taste like what we grew up with—
but better. Luckily, the fine folks at
Penny’s in Minneapolis, Westman’s

NO.
PHOTOGRAPHS: LAURA MURRAY (PIDE); ALEX LAU (COOKIE)

You Must Know About Pide

Three words: melty cheese canoe. If that didn’t grab
your attention, the beef pide (pronounced “pea-day”) at
Balkan Treat Box in St. Louis will. Here’s what’s on
their version of this classic Turkish flatbread. — A L I Z A A B A R B A N E L
1. A J V A R 2. CHEESE 3. B E E F 4 . K AYM A K
This creamy The usual sheep’s- A short rib If yogurt, fresh
spread is made milk cheese and chuck blend cheese, and
with roasted is mixed with seasoned with butter had a
red peppers and mozzarella for an garlic and Aleppo- baby, it would
eggplant. oozy ef fect. st yle pepper. taste like this.
Makes
broccoli less
broccoli-ey.

© 2019 Kraft Foods

 A w a y – T h e R o a d t o t h e H o t 10

CITY OF
THE YEAR
The Joule hotel’s
subterranean bar,
Midnight Rambler.

FROM NOON
TiLL Ni g HT
You’ll need a Lyft
to get to Bishop
Arts District, but
once there, it’s
smooth strolling.
Ceviche
Oyster Bar
Start with boiled,
fried, or lime-
cured shellfish
chased by frozen
margaritas
on bright red
picnic tables.

Macellaio GO HERE FOR

Settle in for salumi,
wine, and cheese HAND ROLLS
toast with fluffy Lunch is the move at
soft-scrambled Nori Handroll Bar ’s
eggs at the new Blade Runner-esque sushi
sister restaurant to
nearby Italian
counter. Mark your picks
mainstay Lucia. on the dry-erase menu
(yes, that creamy-spicy
baked crab is worth the
Revelers Hall extra $2), watch the
Dance it all off, rainbow-haired staff roll
Sazerac in hand, out perfect cones of
to live brass and
temaki to a hip-hop beat,
killer vinyl at this
cozy 1920s New and shove ’em in your
Orleans–inspired mouth in 30 seconds or less
bar and venue. for maximum freshness.

NO.

11
Dallas Is Finally Cool
b y H I L A RY C A D I GA N

“ W E ’V E been looking over our shoulders at

A LWAYS
Houston,” says the first guy I meet in Dallas, his tone dra-
matic. “But not anymore!” And it’s true: The once flyover city
(I’m allowed to say this; I was born there) is now officially A
Very Good Place to Eat, thanks in large part to the strength
of its many immigrant communities. No, it’s still not walk-
able, but how would you happen upon those perfect gas
station momos if it were? (Momostop, y’all—it’s tucked
inside a Texaco on the way to the airport.) Here, some of the
newest spots worth touching down for. Prepare to get messy at Ceviche Oyster Bar.

4 2 – O C T O B E R 2 019 P H OTO G R A P H S BY A L E X L AU
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 A w a y – Th e R o a d t o t h e H o t 10

Turn right at the

giant eyeball
(a 30-foot-tall STRE TCH YOUR
art installation BOUNDARIES
Richardson, just north of
by Tony Tasset) g ET the city limits, is a bit of a
for Dallas’s y OUR trek, but the international
eating options are worth it,
sexiest hotel: A g AVE from the pan-Asian delights
The Joule, FiX of DFW China Town to the
poufy Iraqi bread at Bilad
located inside Three newish Bakery to the stretchy (!)
bars make Dallas Arabic ice cream and
a 1920s neo- an excellent
kunafa at Syrian dessert
place to drink
Gothic tower. mezcal. emporium BigDash.

Nightcaps are Las Almas

Rotas
mandatory Overwhelmed by
Metro Dallas
the 20-page
at Midnight menu? Consult an
has one of the
all-knowing
Rambler , a bartender, or just Named for co- MEET THE largest Lao
glowy basement opt for the spicy MAD SCIENTIST
house-made owner Miriam OF MEAT
communities in
bar inspired by strawberry sotol.
Jimenez, whose the U.S., but
Step into the wonderland
the one where Ruins
Come for the face looms of dried flowers, jars of
Khao Noodle
fermenting shiso leaves,
Jack Torrance rare magueys,
larger than life and animal skulls that Shop and its
stay for the
drinks Jack live music and
over the bar, is Petra and the Beast,
artful-yet-
late-night
Daniels in The tlayudas and
Miriam Cocina
and dig into whatever’s on
Meatums, chef Misti affordable small
Shining. You cactus fries.
Latina serves
Norris’s daily charcuterie
plates stand
La Viuda Negra board. Milk-and-mustard-
can up the ante Push through an
modern Mexican bathed chicken hearts? A apart—
unmarked door
with an ever- beside El Come with Dominican
pig’s-blood-and-chocolate
see p. 64.
terrine? Just say yes.
Taco and behold!
changing array A neon-lit grotto touches in a big,
of excellent pulsing with
EDM, creamy bright space.
gin-based pulque, and
Don’t skip the
cocktails that look
cocktails. more like art.
crispy tostones
de pollo.

W H A T ’S
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY BRIAN REINHART. FOR DETAILS, SEE SOURCEBOOK.

BETTER THAN
BANH MI ON
A PA T I O ?
Not much, as tiny-but-
mighty Sandwich Hag
proves. Imagine the best
hot dog you ever ate,
flattened into a glazy
patty, layered with pickled
veg and garlic aioli, and
plopped onto a crispy
baguette. This is the
Vietnamese pork sausage
banh mi, and you need it.
Chef-owner Reyna Duong
opened the restaurant for
her brother, Sang, who has
Down syndrome, and today
makes a point to hire
Another strollable Dallas neighborhood. people of all abilities.

O C T O B E R 2 019 – 4 5
 A w a y – T h e R o a d t o t h e H o t 10

12
What Place Isn’t Milling
Its Own Grains?
Kitchens across the country are sacrificing counter space to make fresh-
ground grains and putting them to use in more than just bread
Root Baking Co.
AT L A N TA
This palm-size morning
roll dusted with cinnamon
sugar is made from Georgia-
grown small-batch Catawba
wheat processed in a
custom 26-inch stone mill.

The Wolf ’s Tailor

Seylou
in Denver actually
WAS H I N G TO N , D . C .
has multiple mills,
The baker y’s 1,600-pound
including this
mill crushes local grains for
KoMo model with
baked goods and einkorn-
extremely precise
based pizza dough.
ceramic-metal
grinding burrs.

PHOTOGRAPHS: ALEX LAU (MILL AND BROWNIE); EMMA FISHMAN (MORNING BUN); SCOTT SUCHMAN (PIZZA)
Lucinda Grain Bar
SEAT TLE
A small (but powerful!) mill
breaks down sorghum and
buckwheat for a fudgy gluten-
free brownie. — A.A.

13
NO.

FOOD IS THE ONL y Trudging off the plane at SFO after a six-hour
flight from JFK, then seeing before me, like a
THiN g THAT’S ray of neon sunshine, the most unimaginable word,
sticky buns but also chilaquiles from an outpost
of Gabriela Cámara’s Tacos Cala and Pim
Techamuanvivit’s Thai fried chicken at Kamin. Yes,

g ETTiN g BETTER
TARTINE, I had to wonder: Did I die? I was, most of my flights while traveling for the Hot 10
thankfully, alive, and had deplaned at the new departed from a gate at LGA serviced solely by an

ABOUT AiRPORTS
Manufactory Food Hall in the international Auntie Anne’s (no disrespect!), but at least there are
terminal, which sells not only Tartine’s legendary airports proving we don’t have to live like this. —J.K.

4 6 – O C T O B E R 2 019
 W E ’ R E G O I N G TO
C O LO M B I A
a n d yo u s h o u l d j o i n u s !

DECEMBER 7 -15

C A R TAG E N A + M E D E L L Í N
9 - DAY I T I N E R A R Y
Photograph / Simone Anne

B O O K YO U R S P O T N O W
a t e l c a m i n o .t r av e l /w o m e n - w h o - t r av e l
 A w a y – Th e R o a d t o t h e H o t 10

In 2012 the violent conflict following

the civilian uprising against President
Bashar al-Assad spilled over into the lives
of everyday Syrians, including Akhtarini.
A year later he, his wife, Reem, and their
six children fled Syria for Turkey. After
three years, they sought asylum in the
U.S., eventually landing in Providence.

IN HIS NEW hometown, Akhtarini’s first

instinct was to find the local mosque. His
second was to make baklava. So he took
out his rolling pin—one of the few things
he brought from Turkey—and started to
layer phyllo, cook down a lemon-kissed
syrup, and chop walnuts. He invited peo-
ple he had met at the mosque and volun-
teers at the Dorcas International Institute,
the nonprofit that helped resettle the

14 Akhtarini family in Rhode Island, and he

and Reem fed them buttery sweets.
With no credit history and not enough
money saved up, he knew he couldn’t
Youssef Akhtarini Fled afford to open a restaurant. So he rented
Syria. His Baklava Recipe a commissary space in a local pizza shop,
where he’d come at either 5 a.m. or after
Came With Him midnight to make baklava and pistachio
fingers to take to a nearby farmers’ mar-
ket. They almost always sold out.
b y P R I YA K R I S H N A
In 2018 a friend stepped in. Sandy Mar-

y
tin, a Dorcas International volunteer, and
O U S S E F A K H T A R I N I C A N ’T S I T S T I L L .
During our her husband, Victor Pereira, a real estate
interview at Aleppo Sweets, his new Syrian restaurant agent, bought a building on a quiet tree-
and bakery in Providence, he gets up every 15 minutes. WHAT MAKES lined block and offered the ground floor
ALEPPO
To rearrange baklava in the pastry case. To drizzle SWEE TS FEEL
to Akhtarini. With local interior designer
syrup over mabrooma, haystack-like mounds of shred- LIKE HOME Kyla Coburn, they helped Akhtarini make
ded phyllo. To sip one of the 20 (yes, you read that right) cups the space look like a Syrian home: intri-
of tea he averages a day. cately patterned windows, a small foun-
It’s an energy born of necessity: The shop is perpetually tain, copper teapots, and a handmade
packed, serving not just those incredible pastries but a full Syrian backgammon board (a lot of it is
Backgammon,
menu of savory Syrian dishes—tightly stuffed grape leaves, from Etsy, Martin says with a laugh).
Akhtarini’s favorite
chicken kebabs blackened on the grill, herb-flecked spheres childhood game
Akhtarini set about sourcing ingredients
of falafel. But it’s also the result of what Akhtarini has been and hiring other Syrian refugees.
through to get here. A refugee from Aleppo, he once ducked for “It was a lot of pressure,” Akhtarini
cover each time he went outside. Now he’s making baklava that says, speaking through a translator, his
crackles like a potato chip. friend Abdullah Kanaan. “Food is the
His bakery—one of 50 nominees for our list of America’s best identity of Syrian people. I wanted to give
new restaurants (bonappetit.com/50nominees)—already has the best face to everybody here—not just
a steady slate of regulars, including many Syrian Americans. A stone fountain me but the people working in the back.”
At times you can hear Arabic spoken more frequently than to symbolize serenity Akhtarini still has relatives in Aleppo,
English. “I used to think you can’t get baklava like this outside though he has no desire to move back. He
of Aleppo,” says Nora Barre, a customer who moved to the U.S. has started anew, both with the restau-
from Aleppo as a child. For Akhtarini, life without this kind of rant and in Providence. He and Reem
baklava would have been unimaginable. have a new group of friends. The children
Born and raised in Aleppo—known as the food capital of have settled into school.
Syria and home to every cook’s favorite chile flake—Akhtarini Mosaic windows, Making sweets is one of the few activities
landed a job as a trainee at the famous bakery Diab by age 15. common in that reminds him of being home in Aleppo.
With his brothers he opened a few successful bakeries, where the Middle East “I take videos and send them to my family
he was known for pistachio fingers—rich nut-coated rolls of on WhatsApp,” Akhtarini says. “It makes
phyllo—and lady’s bracelets (similar idea, different shape). me feel that everything is okay.”

4 8 – O C T O B E R 2 019 P H OTO G R A P H BY E L I Z A B E T H C E C I L
 A w a y – Th e R o a d t o t h e H o t 10

15. Fill In the Blankie

We keep seeing plush, soft blankets at restaurants for chilly customers. It hints at where hospitality
is going: to a place so comfortable and cozy we might soon expect a bedtime story — A.B.

Angler Clark’s The Wolf ’s Tailor

SAN FRANCISCO ASPEN DENVER
This 100% brushed cotton Sferra Celine Famed parka designer Woolrich Each bench in the backyard garden has
throw is draped over ever y chair. custom-makes this preppy wool blanket. a handmade Trek Light Gear blanket.

Hello, Sailor Launderet te Lazy Bet t y

CORNELIUS, NC AUSTIN AT L A N TA
Recycled cotton is woven together The pastel-hued throw is supersoft—and
on a loom for this vibrant blanket. affordable ($25; hm.com)!

PHOTOGRAPHS: CHELSIE CRAIG (BLANKETS); ALEX LAU (TART)

Pastry of the Year: The Brioche Tart

Enough with the flaky baked goods that shatter all over our clothes.
This year has been all about brioche tarts , rounds of the butteriest
bread pocketed with lush filling (pastry cream, lemon curd) and
toppings like sliced peaches and strawberry jam. Add some streusel
or make it savory—just don’t call it a Danish. — S A R A H J A M P E L

Hewn Bread The Lit tle Tar t The Essential

CHICAGO Bakeshop BIRMINGHAM, AL
Sun-dried tomato AT L A N TA Blueberr y
and parm Cara Cara orange and brown butter
and pastr y cream streusel
 ADVERTISEMENT

COOK9O
The Cookbook
From the Editors of

FIND NEW RECIPES, LEARN NEW TRICKS,

BECOME A BET TER COOK.
ORDER NOW AT EPICURIOUS.COM/COOK90BOOK
 A w a y – T h e R o a d t o t h e H o t 10
W H A T W O U L D Y O U do if you had only
two years to live? That was the lease limit the
17
owner of Dear John’s in Culver City gave
longtime L.A. chef Hans Röckenwagner and his
wife and business partner, Patti, before he
planned to demolish the building. Their answer:
Let’s drink martinis and eat steak every night!
NO.
“When we announced the restaurant’s
opening, we also announced the closing, and
that was intentional,” Patti says. “We felt like
we had nothing to lose. But we had everything
to lose by not doing it.” And so they revived
The Transient the place—a famed 1960s celebrity haunt
nestled beside the studio lots—with fresh velvet
Delights of curtains and new kitchen equipment. But above
all, art. The walls are covered with vintage
Dear John’s paintings from gallerist Robert Berman. A nude
female matador reigns above the fireplace. A
poodle poses in front of a fountain. The paintings
warm up the dark 1,500-square-foot cavern,
by ALEX BEGGS where it might be 5 p.m. or 2 a.m., depending
on how many martinis you’ve had. “It’s in a
time zone of its own,” Patti says.
The menu, a collaboration between Hans
and Josiah Citrin (whose Santa Monica
spot Mélisse temporarily closed in March for
Head maître d’
Hank Kelly watches
over a dining
room full of
paintings from the
’60s and ’70s.
5 2 – O C T O B E R 2 019
renovations), is so quintessential American
steak house it could be a movie prop. The
laminated all-caps list includes: Oysters
Rockefeller. Prime New York strip. Creamed
spinach. Lobster thermidor. Frank Sinatra’s
spaghetti and clams (it’s rumored the crooner
performed at the restaurant back in its
heyday). The martini, if you’re wondering,
is only spritzed with vermouth.
And then there’s Hank, the spotless-tuxedo-
wearing head maître d’, who fluffs tableside
Caesars as if he’s been doing it all his life—
which he very nearly has. He raises the
olive oil and allows it to aerate and emulsify.
He cranks the pepper grinder like a trained
percussionist. “We didn’t have to teach
Hank how to make a Caesar,” Patti says.
“He embodies it.”
When the lease expires in April 2021,
Dear John’s will be bulldozed for a big new
development. But don’t mourn it. Patti says the
immediacy is part of the allure: “This is the new
business model—people don’t want anything
for 100 years. It’s a two-year pop-up party!”
So order the steak, say yes to that side of garlic
bread, and get swept up while you can.
P H OTO G R A P H BY DY L A N + J E N I
 .
INTRODUCING CBD FROM
MANITOBA HARVEST.

From Manitoba Harvest, the leader in hemp foods.

BonAp50 to get 50% off your first
18
Have You Ever
Truly Loved
Until You’ve
Loved a Bean?
For me, this year was about the little
things. Like, one really little thing in
particular: beans. Glorious beans! The
humble legume has gone from staff

19
meal staple to fastidiously sourced,
lovingly cooked, proudly plated scene-
stealer. I relished dense, boiled peanut–
NO.
esque ayocotes ladled over sticky rice
with greens at Larder in Baltimore.
Big, beautiful, brothy butter beans,
creamy and rich under a shower of
crispy breadcrumbs at Brooklyn’s POUR SOME
reimagined Marlow & Sons. And my
favorite of all, a generous bowl of
AMARO ON ME
tender, delicate crowder peas lolling An affogato has
about in their own aromatic potlikker, two intrinsic flaws:
served alongside a toasty wedge of (1) Hot espresso
proper Southern cornbread at Benne on
Eagle in Asheville, NC: the Appalachian melts ice cream,
answer to Alice Waters’s infamous and (2) You can’t
fruit bowl, perfect in its simplicity. catch a true buzz
Sometimes a hill of beans isn’t nothing—
it’s everything. — A M I E L S T A N E K off the dessert. The
solution to both?
Do like Pizzeria
Beddia in Philly
and swap the
espresso for amaro.
House -made sweet

PHOTOGRAPHS: GENTL & HYERS (BEANS); JILLIAN GUYETTE (AMARO). FOR DETAILS, SEE SOURCEBOOK.
cream soft-serve
and a cola-like
Italian digestivo
such as Averna
is pure nostalgia,
whether you’re
thinking of Mister
Softee or Nonna’s
liquor cabinet. — A.D.

… A N D A F E W T H I N G S W E ’ D B E V E RY H A P PY T O N E V E R S E E A GA I N

Charred carrots The inside CBD Dying fig “Add caviar Parsnip ice Another text
with yogurt of a food hall (sorr y) leaf trees for $150” cream. Why? from the Resy bot

5 4 – O C T O B E R 2 019
 UST BE LOVE
A T F I R S T B I T E
 REACH
FOR THE
 THE
HOT AMERICA’S

NEW

RESTAURANTS
2 0 19

by JULIA KRAMER
WI
TH
AM
IE
L
ST
A
N

EK
 RESTAURANT
OF THE

YEAR
KO

ON.
N
BI
LO
S
AN
G
EL
ES

EVER THiN g
yOU SAW
WHAT IF
y
 The much-
photographed egg
salad sandwich
g
ON iNSTA RAM
WERE TRUE?
W E LC O M E T O

59
p ho tog rap hs by AL E X L AU
KONBi

� The take-out window; the chocolate croissant worth
planning your morning around
60
THiS STORy BEgiNS
WiTH HAND SOAP.
The brand: Kerzon. The scent: eucalyptus, but, like, real,
woodsy eucalyptus—not potpourri-esque. Nine months
ago I made a mental note of the tall teal bottle in a res-
taurant bathroom in Los Angeles. Then, because I was
confident that this soap would improve my life, I ordered
it on the flight home. (It’s not even on Amazon!) Every day
since then I have thought about Konbi.
I’ve thought about that first visit, when I watched in
awe, but also a certain amount of disbelief, as a bulked-
out guy in a short-sleeve white button-down meditatively
attended to the same two square-shaped pans of eggs
for my entire visit. He folded the beaten eggs methodically THE CULT
with chopsticks until they formed tidy little omelet pillows, OF THE
which he set between slices of cloud-soft milk bread CROISSANT
spread with spicy mustard and mayo that he then carefully The egg salad
trimmed two crusts off of, like some loving parent making sandwich isn’t Konbi’s
a PB&J for a five-year-old. only offering with
That guy was Nick Montgomery, who opened Konbi a fanatic following
with Akira Akuto; both are alums of David Chang’s
36
Momofuku restaurants in New York. American chefs talk
about opening “odes” to little spots they stumbled upon
in Tokyo, and while this 10-seat space is indeed Mont-
gomery and Akuto’s ode to Japan’s konbini (24-hour
convenience stores), there is a palpable intensity to their Croissants
level of study that makes Konbi entirely its own. made daily
7
I’ve thought about what it was that compelled me to go
back the next day, this time to the take-out window, for
another omelet sandwich, sliced in three segments and set
in a little white box of just the right size. And a crispy pork
katsu one. And the egg salad one made Instagram- The fastest
famous by its orange-yellow yolk half-moons. And also they’ve sold out,
the carrots with weirdly good dip that turned out to be in minutes
3
blitzed shishitos and pistachios.
I’ve thought about my next visit to L.A., when I vowed
not to leave without one of Konbi’s coveted croissants, of
which only 36 are made daily. I showed up at 11 a.m.:
sold out. I returned early the next morning: They weren’t
Days they’ve
out of the oven yet. I came back 90 minutes later: The last chosen not
two chocolate croissants were mine! to serve any
This experience should have made me resent Konbi, a at all due to
place that actually prompted me to describe the process imperfections
2
of buying a pastry as Kafkaesque. But I didn’t (obviously).
Because as I stood there, on an Echo Park sidewalk in
front of the shop next door that sells vegan cheesecakes
and crystals, and shamelessly covered myself in the deep-
golden crumbs of a croissant so fresh that the ample Max number
amount of chocolate inside hadn’t yet returned from its a customer
melted state, I knew: This was the best croissant I’d ever can order
1
had, and it was worth it.
This is the thing about Konbi, a tiny sandwich shop that
has received, since before it even opened, an inordinate
amount of attention. Its sheer popularity should make it a
maddening place (and a maddening choice for best new Ounces of
restaurant). If only everything about it, from the croissants chocolate in
to, yes, the hand soap, weren’t so perfect. —J.K. each one
 Konbi’s
500-square-
foot space
fills up fast.
Turnips With Spicy Meyer Lemon Dressing A crispy cutlet bound for the Pork Katsu Sandwich

The meditative omelet method Shishito Pepper–Pistachio Dip

C O O K T H E C OV E R
Pork Katsu Sandwich
MAKES 4 The koji brine deeply seasons
the pork and keeps it juicy. You can skip
this step, but we highly recommend it.
PORK
12 oz. boneless pork loin, fat trimmed
¼" thick
⅓ cup shio koji seasoning
2 tsp. kosher salt
ASS E M B LY
½ small head of green cabbage,
core removed, very thinly sliced
(about 3 cups)
2 Meyer lemons or regular lemons
Kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
3 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 cup all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil (for frying; about
6 cups)
Tonkatsu sauce, preferably
Bull-Dog, and Dijon mustard
(for serving)
8 ½"-thick slices milk bread, crusts
removed
INGREDIENT INFO: Shio koji, a fermented
seasoning made of rice koji, salt,
and water, can be found at Japanese
markets, in the Asian foods section
of some supermarkets, and online.
PORK Slice pork crosswise into
4 medallions. Place between 2 sheets
of plastic wrap; gently pound with
a meat mallet to 5"-wide pieces.
Whisk koji, salt, and 1 cup water in a
medium bowl until salt dissolves. Add
pork; cover and chill at least 8–24 hours.
ASS E M B LY Drain pork (no need to rinse
off koji if it sticks); set aside. Place
cabbage in a medium bowl. Finely grate
lemon zest over; slice lemons in half and
squeeze in the juice. Season cabbage
with salt. Using your hands, toss and
squeeze cabbage until slightly wilted,
about 5 minutes. Chill until ready to use.
Place eggs, panko, and flour in
3 separate shallow bowls. Whisk 2 Tbsp.
water into eggs. Line a rimmed baking
sheet with paper towels and set a wire
rack inside; place near stovetop. Working
with 1 piece of reserved pork at a time,
dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in
eggs, letting excess drip back into bowl,
then coat in panko, pressing to adhere
before shaking off excess. Transfer to
another rimmed baking sheet or a platter.
A D D I T I O N A L R E P O R T I N G BY A N DY B A R AG H A N I A N D J E SS E S PA R KS
Pour oil into a medium heavy pot to
come 2" up sides. Heat oil over medium-
high until an instant-read thermometer
registers 350°–365°. Carefully lower a
piece of pork vertically into skillet, letting
it slide away from you into oil until it
eventually lies flat. Cook, using tongs to
keep meat submerged in oil, until golden
brown underneath, about 1 minute.
Using tongs, carefully turn over and cook
until golden brown on the other side,
about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared
baking sheet; immediately season with salt.
Repeat with remaining pieces of pork.
Drizzle tonkatsu sauce over cutlets.
Spread mustard on 1 side of half of
bread slices; top with cabbage mixture,
then cutlet, sauce side up. Close
sandwiches and slice each into thirds.
Shishito Pepper–Pistachio Dip
4 S E RV I N G S
The chefs at Konbi serve
this creamy dip with crunchy vegetables,
but we found it’s also great with meat,
spread on sandwiches, or thinned out
and used as a dressing for salad.
⅔ cup raw pistachios
6 scallions, chopped
12 oz. shishito peppers (about
5 cups), seeds removed,
coarsely chopped
4 cups carrot tops or parsley
leaves with tender stems
1 toasted nori sheet, coarsely torn
2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. white soy sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
Crunchy vegetables (such as
carrots, radishes, celery, and/or
cucumbers; for serving)
INGREDIENT INFO: White soy sauce,
also known as white shoyu, is lighter
in color and flavor than standard soy
sauce. It can be found at Japanese
markets, in the Asian foods section of
some supermarkets, and online.
Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pistachios
on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing
halfway through, until golden brown,
about 5 minutes. Let cool; set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of
water to a boil. Boil scallions, peppers,
and carrot tops until peppers are tender,
about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon,
transfer to a bowl of ice water and let
cool. Drain and squeeze out as much
excess water with your hands as possible.
Transfer to a plate and chill in freezer 5
minutes (this will keep the dip bright green).
Finely grind nori in a blender; transfer
to a small bowl. Wipe out blender, then
blend vinegar, soy sauce, and reserved
nuts in blender until nuts are coarsely
chopped. Add chilled vegetable mixture
and blend, streaming in oil, until very
smooth (this may take up to 4 minutes,
depending on your blender). If mixture
seems thick, add 1 Tbsp. water to loosen.
Transfer dip to a bowl and sprinkle
with nori powder. Serve with vegetables
alongside for dipping.
Turnips With Spicy
Meyer Lemon Dressing
4 S E RV I N G S
Try the sweet, salty
togarashi-spiked dressing tossed with
cold noodles or spooned over fish.
2 cups bonito flakes
½ cup sugar
½ cup usukuchi (light) soy sauce
¼ cup mirin (sweet Japanese
rice wine)
1 Tbsp. ichimi togarashi
Zest and juice of 4 Meyer
lemons or regular lemons
(about ½ cup juice)
2 bunches hakurei turnips with tops
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Kosher salt
Toasted sesame seeds (for serving)
INGREDIENT INFO: Ichimi togarashi, a
red-pepper-forward seasoning mix, can
be found at Japanese markets, in the
Asian foods section of some supermarkets,
and online.
Preheat oven to 425°. Grind bonito
flakes in a spice mill or blender until finely
ground (you should have about 2 Tbsp.).
Bring ground bonito, sugar, soy sauce,
mirin, and togarashi to a boil in a medium
saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and
simmer, stirring often, until reduced by
a third, 12–15 minutes. Pour dressing into
a small bowl; cover and chill until cold,
at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
Stir in lemon zest and juice.
Meanwhile, separate tops from
turnips. Trim stems from leaves; discard.
Coarsely chop leaves. Cut turnips into
1" wedges. Toss turnips and leaves with
oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season
lightly with salt (the dressing is salty).
Roast, tossing halfway through, until
leaves are wilted and turnips have taken
on a touch of color, 12–15 minutes.
Transfer turnips and leaves to a platter;
spoon some of the dressing over (you’ll
have extra). Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
63
 LAOTiAN RESTAURANT,
I F YO U

LOVE
THIS

Donny Sirisavath’s
boat noodles
are already famous
in Dallas.

THANK
THE
CHEF’S MOM
pho to graphs by ALE X L AU
ON.2
SHOP
NOODLE
KHAO

DALLAS

Sirisavath says he learned everything he knows

about restaurants from his mom, Phaysane.

65
 THERE ARE
APPROXiMATELy
12 DiSHES
ON THE MENU
at Khao Noodle Shop, each only a few
bites or spoonfuls, and none costs more
than $8. So in my attempt to understand
what exactly the chef and owner Donny
Sirisavath was trying to do, it was easiest
just to order them all.
After one slurp of painstakingly hand-
made noodles in a savory, complex pork
blood broth, the restaurant’s roots came
through clearly: This is the cooking of Laos,
the country the chef’s mother fled after its
civil war before resettling in Texas in 1977.
Sirisavath, who was born in Amarillo,
grew up helping his mom in the kitchen of
her Thai restaurant, learning how to make
pad kee mao and wok-fried rice. Years
later, after his mom died, he began hosting
Lao pop-ups as a side project (he was a
Hewlett-Packard engineer by day), then
left his job to open Khao Noodle.
Now, in a strip mall in East Dallas—an
area once home to many Southeast Asian
refugees in the late ’70s and early ’80s—
Sirisavath serves a menu inspired not by
books or classes or other restaurants but by
his own singular vision, rooted in family and
place. This is a rare thing to find, and I felt
lucky just to be there.
But Khao Noodle Shop is not a restau-
rant that looks only to the past. From the
laid-back vibe inside—the high-top tables,
the stools spray-painted by friends, the
tight-knit staff, the sheer fun of the place—
I could feel Sirisavath’s excitement at doing
things his way. And once I tried the deep-
fried tripe chicharrones and the musubi-
like moutsayhang (a two-bite stack of crispy
pork patty, sticky rice, and a thin layer of
omelet), it was clear that Sirisavath was
telling a story all his own. —J.K.

66
 How I Got
Where I Am
By DONN y SiRiSAVATH

i
T WASNT until after my mom died that
I learned her real name. She escaped
Laos and changed it so the government
couldn’t find her. Vieng Sai became Phaysane.
When she got to Texas, she opened her own
restaurant. She cooked Thai food because
that’s what was familiar to Americans, but
added Laotian touches—a little more fish
sauce, a little more funk—to make it her own.
She put love into every dish. Now I do the
same. I spend time on foraging and fermen-
tation. My boat noodles took five years to
perfect, and I’m still adjusting. I make all my
curry pastes from scratch. It takes a lot of
labor and love, but as my mom always said,
without those things, food has no soul.
When I was working in the corporate world,
I lost myself. I was pushing to make more and
more money, but I was miserable. My mom
saw it long before I did. “You’re not that per-
son,” she told me. “Happiness isn’t tied to a
job title.” It wasn’t until she got cancer that
I realized she was right. I took a leave of
absence and cooked with her every day like
when I was young. I found what I’d been miss-
ing. Cooking is like meditation for me. I forget
C LO C K W I S E
F R OM T O P
about everything: stress, money, problems.
I think that’s what my mom had planned all
Small dishes help along. She never forced me to be a doctor or
create a Lao street a lawyer. She just wanted me to be happy.
food experience.
At her restaurant my mom used to work
Sirisavath and his back of house and front at the same time. No
friends designed
servers. No hosts. No line cooks. Just her. But
and built out the
space themselves. she always made time to have a little con-
versation with every guest. That’s why they
Moutsayhang is
a play on Hawaii’s
kept coming back. And that’s why, at Khao,
Spam musubi. I always greet everyone, no matter how busy
I am. At the end of the day, people just want
None of Khao’s
staff ever worked to be taken care of. My mom taught me that.
in kitchens before, —AS TOLD TO HILARY CADIGAN
but you can’t
tell from visiting.

67
 I WAS OVER TAS
JUST
WHEN I
THOUgHT
CO U R S E 1
SNACK
“They’re good little finger foods,” says co-chef
Andrew Manning in the understatement of the
year. He makes carrot mole for the pog-size
nasturtium-covered tart; fries squid (and its ink)
into a “churro”; and layers smoked mackerel
between nori crackers for the tiniest sandwich.
MAITAKE
That grated white stuff? It’s not parm; it’s scallops
that have been cured, cooked with mushroom
scraps and dashi, and then dehydrated and
shaved. Manning sprinkles the fishy snow
on charred maitake mushrooms for “a super
omega umami bomb.”
68
The staff loved the Meyer lemon kombucha at
family meal so much that Manning turned it
into the base of this refreshing crudo. It’s the
backdrop to yuzu-scented scallops, pickled
green strawberries, fermented radishes, and
LAMB
“It looks like something washed up ashore,”
co-chef Patrick Phelan says. But do not call it surf-
and-turf. Beneath the tangle of agretti (a chive-
like Italian vegetable), there’s roast lamb loin,
and next to it is a pool of blackened sunchoke
purée that tastes like a funky A.1. sauce.
A D D I T I O N A L R E P O R T I N G BY E LYS E I N A M I N E
“It’s kind of a play on a Caesar salad,”
Manning says—except the only thing Caesar-
ish about it is the romaine. The plate is streaked
with uni, clam-infused buttermilk dressing, and
the lettuce, which has been brushed with ramp
Some chefs finish dishes with olive oil; the
Longoven crew reaches for their house -made
fig leaf oil, which delivers a vanilla-like flavor.
For the first dessert, pastry chef Megan Fitzroy
Phelan turned the beloved condiment into a
sorbet paired with pickled blueberries.
 g
TiN MENUS…
LOBSTER
“I lived in Italy for 11 years, and in Liguria
everyone eats seafood with a fava bean and
mushroom salad,” Manning says. He riffed on
that by tossing beech mushrooms and favas in
ginger vinegar and cherry blossom shoyu from
PORCINI AND CHOCOLATE
“Super cute!” That’s how most guests respond
to Fitzroy Phelan’s whimsical dessert: an emoji-
approved mushroom-shaped chocolate cake
dusted with dried porcini and cocoa. Porcini
ice cream and bits of verdant parsley cake give
the ever-so-savory dessert a woodsy feel.
PIG EAR
In the South it’s all about pork and peas.
Manning turns pig ear into paper-thin sheets,
then tops them with peas and beans of all
types (green and black chickpeas, English
peas), fiery guajillo broth (a by-product
MIGNARDISES
“I tried to change the gold bar,” Fitzroy
Phelan confesses. But people kept asking for
the black-sesame -tahini-chocolate confection,
which comes alongside blueberry macarons,
pâte de fruit rolled in whiskey-smoked sugar,
and sage -caramel bonbons.
ON.3
RICHMOND
V EN
N GO
LO
tell the circuitous 15-year epic of the
three chefs behind it. (Let’s just say
it involves a stint in Alba, Italy, and
many arduous hours in the catering
world.) Eventually they reconnected
and decided to move to Richmond,
where they launched Longoven pop-
ups in 2014. I stumbled into one at Sub
Rosa Bakery in 2016. Given what they
were able to pull off with a wood-fired
oven and two camping burners,
I was very curious about how they’d
do in an actual kitchen.
Well, spoiler alert: The brick-and-
mortar Longoven, which finally
opened last year, is mind-bogglingly
good—each dish so technically
precise, so truly dedicated to
ingredients, not to mention so, so
pretty. This is very beautiful and very
serious food served in a very beautiful
and very serious space. Yet there is
none of the “staged-at-Noma-once”
ego trip that has mucked up many
similarly ambitious projects. Instead,
there’s a refreshing graciousness and
hospitality—a sense that everyone is
actually happy you’re here. Behind it
all is the earnestness and maturity of
three people who have worked harder
than I can imagine to get to this place
and who take none of their (unlikely)
success for granted. —J.K.
P H OTO G R A P H S BY E M M A F I S H M A N
 BREAKFAST
OCHRE
B A K E RY

ON.4
JUST TASTES BETTER DETROiT
IT
O
TR

IN
E
D

phot og rap hs by
M IC H A EL G R AY D ON +
NI KO LE H E R R IOT T
Seven-month-old
Yuka Hughes
scrutinizes the
offerings.

LEMON-
P I S TA C H I O
L OA F
P. 75
8:43 A.M.
I’M AT OCHRE
BAKERy, AND THE
FiRST THiNg
I’M EATiNg TODAy
IS A DANiSH,
the crumbly, deep-golden pastry
barely holding on to the squiggles of
still-juicy rhubarb in the center.
8 : 4 6 A . M . Watching the guy behind
the counter make a cortado, I realize
that this is as much a Serious Coffee
Shop as it is a bakery, which makes
sense given that it’s owned by
Jessica Hicks and Dai Hughes, the
same people behind Detroit’s much-
loved Astro Coffee. I’m getting lost
in the idea that I could live in Detroit
and this could be my coffee shop
and I could eat this Danish every
morning when…
8 : 57 A . M . My plate of scrambled eggs
shows up, but to call it a plate of
scrambled eggs is kind of rude given
that it’s eggs softly scrambled with
turmeric; tzatziki with slivers of
kohlrabi; a big pile of bitter greens;
a very generous serving of very good
butter; two holey slices of country
bread; and a tiny handmade ceramic
bowl of cumin seeds, Aleppo-style
pepper, and flaky salt that I can
sprinkle over whatever I like.
8 : 5 8 A . M . Can we talk about this
bread? I was so fixated on the
pastry case, I didn’t notice the room
behind the counter where cult local
baker Max Leonard babysits the
sourdoughs. So not only does this
place turn out pastries and coffee
and savory food at the highest level,
but there’s also a high-key bread
program?
9 : 18 A . M . I’m the person taking
pictures of the blue and ochre (duh)
tiles hand-painted by Hicks.
9 : 2 8 A . M . Yeah, I’m going to need
a slice of the lemon-pistachio loaf
cake, a piece of the chocolate
banana bread, and one of every
cookie (espresso shortbread,
chocolate-hazelnut, oaty Anzac) to
go. Or maybe I’ll just never leave.
—J.K.
Chocolate-Hazelnut Cookies
M A K E S A B O U T 2 ½ D OZ E N
The raw
sugar gives these cookies a subtle crunch
in every bite, but you can replace it
with an equal amount of white sugar if
needed. And trust us on the big pieces
of chocolate: The matchsticks are what
give these cookies their melty stripes.
¾ cup blanched hazelnuts
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground ginger
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter,
room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup raw sugar or granulated sugar
½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup honey
½ tsp. vanilla extract
4 2-oz. bittersweet chocolate bars,
cut lengthwise into ¼"-thick
sticks
Flaky sea salt
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of
oven; preheat to 300°. Toast hazelnuts
on a rimmed baking sheet on upper rack,
tossing halfway through, until golden
brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool slightly,
then chop very coarsely; set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 350°.
Whisk flour, kosher salt, baking
powder, baking soda, and ginger in a
large bowl to combine. Beat butter,
granulated sugar, raw sugar, and brown
sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer
fitted with the paddle attachment on high
speed, scraping down sides of bowl
occasionally, until pale and fluffy, 5–7
minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high
and add eggs, one at a time, increasing
speed to high after each addition to fully
incorporate and stopping periodically
to scrape down sides of bowl. Add honey
and vanilla and beat just to combine.
Reduce speed to low and add dry
ingredients; beat until combined. Add
chocolate and reserved nuts and beat
just until incorporated.
Scoop dough into 1½-oz. portions
(about 3 Tbsp.); roll into balls (if the batter
feels loose or sticky, chill 30 minutes).
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
Arrange chilled cookies on 2 fresh
parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing
2" apart; you should be able to fit about
12 cookies on each. Sprinkle cookies
with sea salt. Bake, rotating top to bottom
and front to back halfway through, until
bottoms and edges are golden brown,
12–15 minutes. Let cool on baking
sheets. Place a fresh sheet of parchment
on 1 baking sheet and repeat process
with remaining balls of dough.
D O A H E A D : Dough can be made
1 month ahead. Transfer chilled balls to
resealable freezer bags and freeze.
Bake from frozen.
Spiced Eggs With Tzatziki
4 S E RV I N G S
Preground curry powder
can go musty quickly. If your jar
isn’t fresh, replace it for the sake of
these buttery, fast-scrambled eggs.
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. flaky sea salt
2 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
½ cup finely chopped English
hothouse cucumber
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 Tbsp. finely chopped mint, plus
leaves for serving
1¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided
8 large eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. curry powder
Parsley leaves with tender stems
and dill sprigs (for serving)
Toast cumin in a dry small skillet over
medium heat, tossing, until slightly
darkened and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Transfer to a small bowl; let cool. Mix in sea
salt and Aleppo-style pepper; set aside.
Mix yogurt, cucumber, garlic,
chopped mint, and ¾ tsp. kosher salt in
a medium bowl; set tzatziki aside.
Whisk eggs, cream, and remaining
1 tsp. kosher salt in another medium
bowl until very well combined. Heat
butter in a medium nonstick skillet over
medium until starting to foam. Add
curry powder and cook, stirring, until
fragrant and darkened in color, about
10 seconds. Pour in egg mixture and let
eggs cook, undisturbed, until edges have
just set, then scramble, tilting pan and
turning eggs over onto themselves, until
just cooked through, about 2 minutes.
Transfer eggs to a plate. Spoon
reserved tzatziki alongside. Top with mint
leaves, parsley leaves, and dill sprigs;
sprinkle reserved spice mixture over.
D O A H E A D : Tzatziki (without mint and
cucumber) can be made 1 week ahead
(the garlic flavor will intensify as it sits).
Cover and chill.
 SPICED
EGGS WITH
T Z AT Z I K I

73
 T O P R O W : Smoky Carrot Dip is the star of the plate (find Ochre’s recipes for Beet and Hazelnut Dip and Hummus With Pistachio Dukkah at
bonappetit.com/ochre); server Solomon Gaut; Apple -Honey-Pecan Muffins. M I D D L E R O W : Server Destany Colagrossi; patio vibes; chef-owner
Jessica Hicks. B O T T OM R O W : Chocolate -Hazelnut Cookies (p. 72); pondering the options; muffins and Lemon-Pistachio Loaf in the pastry case.

74 A D D I T I O N A L R E P O R T I N G BY SA R A H J A M P E L
Apple-Honey-Pecan Muffins
MAKES ABOUT 1 DOZEN If you can’t
find spelt flour, increase the amount of
all-purpose flour to 1¼ cups.
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 medium Pink Lady or Jonagold
apples
⅔ cup pecans
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. honey
Flaky sea salt
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup spelt flour or all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin
olive oil
½ cup buttermilk
Raw sugar or granulated sugar
(for sprinkling)
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat
to 350°. Lightly coat flat top of a
standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick
spray (this will prevent muffins from
gluing themselves to the pan). Line cups
with double layers of muffin liners. Cut
apples into quarters; remove cores. Cut
each quarter into 4 wedges; set aside.
Pulse pecans in a food processor until
you have a fine meal with a bit of texture,
like coarse sand. Heat a large skillet over
medium-high, then add pecans and toast,
stirring, until darkened and very fragrant
(it’s okay if they’re even a tiny bit burnt in
spots), about 3 minutes. Transfer to a
large bowl and let cool slightly.
Wipe out skillet and return to medium-
high heat. Melt butter, swirling pan so
that it’s evenly coated, until foaming, then
add reserved apples. Drizzle with honey
and generously sprinkle with sea salt.
Cook, tossing often, until apples are
tender and deep golden brown and
glazed with honey, about 5 minutes.
Scrape into a medium bowl and let cool.
Add all-purpose flour, spelt flour, baking
powder, baking soda, and kosher salt to
nuts; whisk to combine. Beat eggs and
granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand
mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
on high speed until mixture is thick, pale,
and tripled in volume, 8–10 minutes.
Combine oil and buttermilk in a
measuring glass. With motor running,
gradually pour into egg mixture, stopping
as soon as incorporated to prevent eggs
from deflating. Scrape into bowl with dry
ingredients and fold until just combined
(be careful not to overmix). Scoop about
2 Tbsp. batter into each muffin cup and
place an apple slice on top. Divide
remaining batter among muffin cups, filling
until just below the top (you may have
a spoonful or two of batter left over).
Place 1 apple slice on top of each, then
spoon any glaze left in the bowl on top.
(You’ll have a few leftover apple slices;
eat them.) Sprinkle each muffin with
some raw sugar and a pinch of sea salt.
Bake muffins until golden brown
all over, rotating pan halfway through,
22–28 minutes. Let cool in pan
10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack
and let cool completely.
D O A H E A D : Batter can be made
2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
Lemon-Pistachio Loaf
M A K E S O N E 9 X 5 " LO A F
Don’t even
think about lifting this cake out of the
pan before it’s completely—and
we mean completely—cool. Because
it’s vegan, with no eggs for structure,
its delicate crumb needs time to set.
⅓ cup vegetable oil, plus more
for pan
¾ cup raw pistachios
Zest of 2 lemons
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. kosher salt
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
7 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
2 cups powdered sugar
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat
to 325°. Grease a 9x5" loaf pan with
vegetable oil, then line with parchment
paper, leaving overhang on long sides.
Oil parchment paper (for insurance and
an easy release).
Pulse pistachios in a food processor
until finely ground (it’s okay if some of
the pieces are a bit larger). Set aside
a heaping tablespoonful.
Whisk lemon zest, flour, granulated
sugar, baking powder, salt, and remaining
pistachios in a large bowl. Whisk olive
oil, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, remaining ⅓ cup
vegetable oil, and ½ cup water in a small
bowl to combine. Pour oil mixture into
dry ingredients and fold with a rubber
spatula to combine, being very careful
not to overmix (this batter contains a
high ratio of liquid, which means it can
get gummy if overworked). Pour into
prepared pan and tilt to distribute; batter
should come halfway up the sides.
Bake cake until golden brown all over,
it springs back when gently pressed, and
a tester inserted into the center comes out
clean, 50–60 minutes. Transfer pan to
a wire rack and let cake cool completely
in pan, at least 2 hours. Using parchment
overhang, lift cake out of pan and place
on rack. Peel away parchment.
Whisk powdered sugar and 3 Tbsp.
lemon juice in a medium bowl, drizzling
in remaining 2 Tbsp. lemon juice as
needed until you have a thick but
pourable glaze. Pour glaze over cake,
letting it drip down the sides. Immediately
top cake with reserved pistachios, then
let sit until glaze is set, at least 30 minutes.
D O A H E A D : Cake can be made 3 days
ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Smoky Carrot Dip
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS Making sure the
carrots are tender to their cores before
you pull them from the oven makes for
a smoother dip.
½ cup skin-on almonds
2 lb. carrots, trimmed, peeled
2 Tbsp. plus ½ cup extra-virgin olive
oil; plus more
2½ tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more
2 garlic cloves
½ cup canned chickpeas
3 Tbsp. (or more) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¾ tsp. hot smoked Spanish paprika
½ cup coarsely chopped parsley,
plus leaves for serving
Preheat oven to 350°. Toast almonds on
a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway
through, until slightly darkened and
fragrant, 8–10 minutes. Let cool; set aside.
Cut any thick carrots in half lengthwise,
then slice all carrots crosswise into
4 pieces. Toss on a parchment-lined
baking sheet with 2 Tbsp. oil and 1 tsp.
salt. Spread carrots out evenly on baking
sheet and roast, stirring once or twice,
until very tender and starting to shrivel
and brown (but not char), about 1 hour.
Transfer carrots to a food processor;
add garlic, chickpeas, lemon juice,
pepper, paprika, chopped parsley,
½ cup oil, 1½ tsp. salt, and reserved
almonds. Process, adding more oil
as needed, until mixture is almost
completely smooth. Taste dip and add
more lemon juice and/or salt if needed.
Transfer dip to a small bowl, drizzle
with more oil, and top with parsley leaves.
D O A H E A D : Dip can be made 1 week
ahead. Cover and chill.
 ON.5
THE STENCIL WORK
The aesthetics lean heavily on Gustavian
style, the Swedish interpretation of
neoclassicism. Confused? Here’s one
example: the chinoiserie-like stencils

NS
from artist Betsy Florin, similar to those

EA
seen in 18th-century Swedish castles.

RL
O
THE NE
W
E LY S I A N
BAR

H OW TO T U R N
A N 1860s

CHURCH
iNTO THE
DREAMiEST
COCKTAiL
BAR
p ho t og ra p hs by
A L EX L AU

76
 THE LIGHTING
All of the space’s
18th- and 19th-
century European
light fixtures
needed rewiring.
“ They bring in
a bit of grandeur
without feeling
stuffy,” says Will
Cooper, chief
creative officer
of the design
firm ASH NYC.

THE TABLE
Among the design team’s
auction house finds was
this sculptural pedestal
table. It’s likely Venetian
but was last at home
in a New Orleans estate.
77
 I HAD A
FEELiNg ABOUT
THE HOTEL
PETER & PAUL.
Not a good feeling. Something about
sleeping in a former convent gave me
the creeps. As much as I tried other-
wise, I kept picturing the World War
II–era schoolhouse in Au Revoir les
Enfants (a strangely seminal movie in
my childhood). Then I showed up to
meet a friend for a drink at the hotel’s
restaurant, the Elysian Bar, which
occupies the ground floor of a building
that used to be the rectory. And I real-
ized: Sometimes I am kind of an idiot.
Calling this a bar is an understate-
ment. First of all, it’s a full-on restau-
rant, from chef Alex Harrell and the
team behind the beloved NOLA hang-
out Bacchanal. You can make a meal
out of gulf shrimp showered in bot-
targa breadcrumbs or steamed mus-
sels in smoky tomato broth—this is not
a town that messes with dainty bar THE BAR
snacks. Second, this is less a defined Designed to resemble a cypress tree’s
space and more a multiroom wonder- trunk turned upside down, the rust-red
land, with a sunny patio, elegant par- back wall of the bar was crafted by
lor rooms, and a cozy bar that feels Kern Studios, a firm best known in New
straight out of a Hollywood movie set. Orleans for carving the giant Styrofoam
figures that decorate Mardi Gras floats.
The complex has been revived by
Nathalie Jordi, a former journalist, in
collaboration with the Brooklyn-based
developer ASH NYC (also behind
Providence’s The Dean hotel and The
C O U RT YA R D
Siren in Detroit) and NOLA’s Studio-
WTA. Together they transformed the
B R E A K FA S T
1860s Catholic church and school- ROOM
house into 71 hotel rooms unlike any
other—plus magical open-to-the-
public spaces like this very bar.
At a time when design trends come
and go so fast (ahem, pink neon), it’s
unusual to step into a space with such
a deep sense of character. There’s not K I TC H E N
much more I could have asked for in
ILLUSTRATION BY JASON LEE

this setting than a cool vermouth spritz,

BAR
a perch on one of the custom cherry-
leather stools, and a long, lazy after-
noon with nowhere else to be. Turns
out, you can have all that, with a flaw- PA R LO R 1
less caviar-topped omelet too. —J.K. PA R LO R 2

78
THE LOGO
Parisian artist Alizée
Freudenthal created the logo, 1 2
meant to evoke a French
line drawing of a woman in 3 4
a state of bliss. Seen on
napkins, postcards, and
menus, it’s a nod to pagan
history: The bar shares its
name with nearby Elysian
Fields Avenue, named for
the paradise of Greek myth.

1. THE GINGHAM
The custom fabric, produced
by Swiss textile maker Filtex,
acts as a visual calling card
for the hotel. You’ll find it on
windows and canopy beds
throughout the property too.

2. THE BARSTOOLS
ASH NYC modeled these
barstools after a midcentury
stool from Italian furniture
maker Bonacina.

3. THE GLASSWARE
The Kir Royale (right) comes
in a Nick & Nora glass with
subtle lace etching made by
British company Steelite.
5 6
4. THE BREAKFAST
ROOM
Monet’s Giverny dining room
inspired the checkered floors
and lemony color scheme.

5. THE BAR CART

This cart-slash-magazine
holder was bought from
a Parisian textile dealer
who used it as a display
until Cooper convinced her
to sell it to him.

6. THE DISHES
Hand-thrown custom plates
from ceramist Jono Pandolfi
are bordered by blue and
yellow lines like the dish set
Monet used in Giverny.
—CHELSEA BRASTED
ON.6
KO P I T I A M
RK
NEW YO

NASI
LEMAK
P. 8 2

ALL-DAy
COFFEE WITH
THE COMES

CAFÉ
WHERE A

pho to graphs by ALE X L AU

Kopitiam owners
Moonlynn Tsai (left)
and Kyo Pang make
teh tarik, a frothy
Malaysian pulled tea.

SIDEOF ANCHOViES
81
IS IT POSSiBLE
TO LOVE
someone without really knowing them?
What about a restaurant? I fell for
Kopitiam in its first iteration, a hole-in-
the-wall Malaysian coffee shop on
the border of Chinatown. I’d duck in
among the neighborhood regulars
for sesame noodles or nasi lemak:
a coconutty rice bowl topped with
crispy-crunchy crumbles of teeny
little fried anchovies dressed in a
sweet-spicy sambal.
And when Kopitiam’s chef, Kyo
Pang, partnered with Moonlynn
Tsai (formerly of the Taiwanese spot
Pine & Crane in L.A.) to relocate
and expand Kopitiam down the block,
I immediately loved this location
even more. The space is comparatively
sprawling, with lots of good light
coming in through the big windows
facing East Broadway and a whole
expanded menu of brothy, noodle-y,
rice-y dishes showered with those
shoestring-fry-like anchovies. There
was anchovy broth loaded with
rustic hand-cut noodles for pan mee;
fried belacan wings coated in
caramelized shrimp paste; squishy
squares of honeycomb cake.
But the more dishes I tried, the more
I realized I’d only scratched the
surface. On weekends there were
rounds of new specials: fragrant
assam (tamarind) curry; slow-cooked
beef rendang. As Lower East Siders
with white sneakers and AirPods
crammed into the space, Pang seemed
to only dig deeper. And finally I
learned her story: how her cooking
is influenced by her background
as Baba-Nyonya (sometimes called
Nyonya or Peranakan), the
descendants of Chinese settlers in
Malaysia. How she sought asylum in
the U.S. a decade ago as an openly
gay woman. How she hasn’t seen her
parents in 11 years. How her cooking
connects her back to her family.
There was so much more I wanted
to know about Pang, about Kopitiam.
That’s why, of course, I have to keep
coming back. —J.K.
82
Nasi Lemak
4 S E RV I N G S
Look for the smallest
dried anchovies (ikan bilis) you can find:
They’re known for their superior flavor
and texture. We’ve provided a few options
for dried chiles below, but any thumb-
size dried red chile you can find at an
Asian market will get the job done.
SAMBAL IKAN BILIS
3½ oz. dried paper lantern chiles,
dried bird chiles, or dried chiles
de árbol
2 cups vegetable oil
½ cup red-skin Spanish peanuts
2½ cups small dried anchovies
2 medium shallots, halved
3 garlic cloves
2 Holland chiles, stems removed,
halved lengthwise
4½ tsp. sugar
1½ tsp. tamarind concentrate
R I C E A N D ASS E M B LY
2 cups jasmine rice
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 pandan leaves (optional)
½ cup light unsweetened coconut milk
4 large eggs
½ English hothouse cucumber,
cut in half lengthwise,
thinly sliced crosswise
Soy sauce (for serving)
I N G R E D I E N T I N F O : Paper lantern
chiles can be found at Asian markets
and themalamarket.com. Tamarind
concentrate, often labeled “concentrate
cooking tamarind,” can be found at
Asian and Thai markets.
SAMBAL IKAN BILIS Chop paper lantern
chiles into ½" pieces, discarding most
of the seeds that fall out. Place in a small
bowl and pour in boiling water to cover.
Let sit 30 minutes to soften, then drain.
Meanwhile, bring oil and peanuts
to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan
over medium heat; cook, adjusting
heat as needed, until peanuts are golden
brown, 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted
spoon, transfer nuts to paper towels
to drain; set aside for serving.
Immediately add anchovies to oil and
cook until golden brown and crisp,
about 2 minutes. Transfer to fresh paper
towels; let cool. Set ¼ cup oil aside.
Pulse shallots, garlic, and ¼ cup fried
anchovies (save remaining anchovies
for serving) in a food processor until a
A D D I T I O N A L R E P O R T I N G BY M O L LY B A Z A N D C H R I S T I N A C H A E Y
smooth paste forms. Transfer to a medium
bowl. Add paper lantern and Holland
chiles to food processor (no need to
clean) and pulse until very smooth and
no visible pieces of dried chile remain.
Transfer chile purée to a small bowl.
Heat reserved oil in a medium skillet
over medium-high until shimmering. Add
shallot mixture and cook, stirring, until
slightly darkened in color and fragrant,
about 2 minutes. Mix in chile purée and
cook, stirring often, until it starts to stick
to bottom of skillet, about 3 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. Add sugar, tamarind
concentrate, and ¼ cup water and cook,
stirring often, until sambal is much darker
in color and thickened, 25–35 minutes.
D O A H E A D : Sambal ikan bilis can
be made 1 week ahead. Let cool; cover
and chill.
Place rice in a
R I C E A N D ASS E M B LY
medium saucepan and pour in cold water
to cover; swirl with your hands to rinse
away some of the starch. Drain and repeat
process 2 more times. Water should be just
slightly cloudy at this point. Place rinsed
rice back into saucepan and cover with
2½ cups cold water; stir in salt. Gather
pandan leaves (if using) together and tie
into a knot; add to pan. Bring rice to a
simmer over medium-high heat. Cover pan
and reduce heat to low; cook 18 minutes.
Remove lid and stir in coconut milk. Cover,
remove from heat, and let sit 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of
water to a boil. Carefully lower eggs into
water. Cook 10 minutes, then transfer to a
bowl of ice water and let cool. Peel eggs
and cut in half lengthwise.
Combine sambal ikan bilis, reserved
fried peanuts, and reserved fried
anchovies in a medium bowl and toss to
evenly coat. Scoop a generous ½ cup
sambal mixture into a 12-oz. bowl. Top
with 1½ cups rice and pack into bowl
with a rubber spatula to compress. The
bowl should be filled to the rim. Place a
slightly larger bowl upside down over
bowl of rice. Invert so larger bowl is now
on the bottom; lift off smaller bowl. You
should have a dome of rice and anchovy
mixture nestled in the center of the larger
bowl. Arrange 8 cucumber slices around
rice dome, overlapping slightly to make
a semicircle. Add 2 egg halves to side of
rice with no cucumber slices; season
yolks lightly with soy sauce. Repeat with
remaining rice, sambal mixture, cucumbers,
and eggs to make 3 more bowls.
 POWER BREAKFAST
We can’t think of a better way to start the
day than with chef Kyo Pang’s nasi lemak. Here’s
what goes into Kopitiam’s signature dish.

BOILED EGGS
Malaysians don’t really
do jammy eggs, Pang
explains. Kopitiam’s are hard-
cooked and seasoned
with mushroom soy sauce.

PEANUTS
Roasted skin-
on peanuts get
combined with
fried anchovies
for extra crunch.

CUCUMBER
Fanned-out cucumber
slices hug the rice
and anchovies in a
half-moon shape that IKAN BILIS
represents karma. Small dried anchovies,
“When you put out or ikan bilis, are fried
good energy, it all until crispy like bacon bits,
comes back to you,” then mixed with peanuts
Pang says. and tossed in sambal,
pictured left.

SAMBAL
The flavor base notes
of this dish come from
the chile sambal, a
mix of fresh and dried
chiles cooked down
with aromatics until it’s
deeply rich and spicy.
 I T ’S
NOT A

ON.7
IT’S
TAILOR
LE
IL

V
NASH
 y
A

PART .
pho to graphs by M A R C U S N I L SS O N

A RESTAURANT’S
generosity can take many
forms. A half-empty
wine glass topped off with
a wink. A gratis dessert
when service is slow.
But the particular brand
of radical generosity on
display at Tailor, the brick-
and-mortar evolution of
chef Vivek Surti’s beloved
Nashville pop-up, exists
on a higher plane. It’s
personal, direct, honest.
Because before each
course in the “dinner-party-
style” tasting menu—
eight to 10 dishes, two
seatings each night—
Surti stands in front
of the room and gives.
Born outside of
Nashville to parents who
emigrated from Gujarat
in western India, he gives
of his heritage when he
explains to 30-odd mostly
white diners that the
fragrant amber-tinged
diamond under a layer
of toasted coconut
and sesame seeds is
called dhokla, a common
breakfast halfway around
the world. He gives of
his craft when he goes into
how the tangy ranch-
esque dressing for a bowl
of young lettuces and
crisp radishes is inspired
by chaas, a fermented
dairy-based hot-weather
tonic (like yogurt
Gatorade, if you will).
And he gives of his own
history when he shares
that this drink is what
his mom gave him after
basketball practice.
Surti’s storytelling
suffuses the space and the
food served within it
with so much vulnerability
and personality and
love that you could not
possibly be anywhere but
“our home,” as he refers
to the restaurant. Which
is exactly where you want
to be. To dine at Tailor
is to be his guest, fully
and completely. And that’s
a rare kind of generosity
indeed. —A.S.
CO U R S E 1
YOU NEED A
DRINK…
IN THE “When I was growing
up here, restaurants had
CHEF’S
three drinks: water,
sweet tea, and fruit tea.
Our welcome cocktail
WORDS
(p.90) is an homage to
the latter, as well as to
punch’s Indian heritage.
Vivek Surti on (Punch comes from
the Hindi word paanch,
the inspiration
which means ‘five’ since
for his dinner
originally there were five
party menu, ingredients.) I love fruit
dish by dish tea and wanted to bring
it back—with bourbon.”
…AND
A SNACK
“I’ve always associated
boiled peanuts (p.89)
with road trips. I ate
Cajun-spiced ones from
gas stations in the South
and my grandma’s version
for the five-hour ride from
the airport to her home
in Gujarat. It’s a snack
that exists in America and
in India. Here I toss them
in chile and coriander,
which is very Indian,
but reminds me of those
Cajun peanuts.”
CO U R S E 2
NEXT,
SAL AD WITH
A STORY
“Chaas is much better
as a salad dressing
than a post–basketball � It’s Surti’s
party and he’ll
game drink. It’s
slice spiced
buttermilk seasoned
roast pork if he
with mustard seeds,
wants to.
cumin seeds, curry
leaves, and dried red
chiles (p.89). I drizzle
it over a mix of greens
and whatever I’m into—
tomatoes, beets, nuts.”
 S P I C E D R OA S T
PORK WITH FENNEL
AND APPLE SALAD
P. 9 0

CO U R S E 3 “In India you’ll find pork dishes—for example, sorpotel, a stew made with
a spice paste—in Roman Catholic areas, like Goa. When I think of pork in
THE ROAST America, my mind goes to barbecue: rubbed with spices, cooked low and
WITH slow, and served with slaw. I give this pork the Goa spice treatment,
roast it, and reinforce the flavors of the marinade (it’s got both fennel and
THE MOST coriander seeds) with our version of slaw, which has fennel and cilantro.”

87
 CO U R S E 4 “This is the most iconic dish Indians make at home. Not chicken tikka
masala or curry. In Gujarat the traditional meal is dal bhat with lentils, rice,
AND NOW bread, and chaat. The dal is a little sweet with jaggery, a little spicy with
THE MAIN EVENT: green chiles, and a little sour with the lime juice. My Indian friends are like,
‘This is dal bhat we get at home. You didn’t dumb it down?’ Nope, if you
DAL BHAT! walked into my mother’s house, this is the dal bhat you’d eat.”

SWEET-
AND-
SOUR DAL
B H AT
Boiled Peanuts With
Chile Salt
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS Fresh shell-on
peanuts are available only at harvest time
and are hard to find, but unroasted shell-
on peanuts work just as well and can be
found in many supermarkets and online.
4 cups fresh (green) or raw
(unroasted) shell-on
peanuts (about 11.5 oz.)
4 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds, divided
1 Tbsp. flaky sea salt
1½ tsp. red chile powder, preferably
Kashmiri
Combine peanuts, kosher salt, and
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds in a medium
saucepan. Pour in water to cover and
stir to combine. Let peanuts sit in brine,
stirring here and there, 3 hours.
Bring peanut mixture to a boil over
medium-high heat. Reduce heat, partially
cover pan, and simmer, adding more
water as needed to keep peanuts
covered, until peanuts are tender with
no crunch left at all, 2 hours if fresh,
4–4½ hours if raw. Drain; let cool.
Meanwhile, lightly crush remaining
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds with a mortar
and pestle (or gather on a cutting board
and crush with a skillet). Mix in a small
bowl with sea salt and chile powder.
Transfer peanuts to a bowl and toss
with about three-fourths of spice mixture.
Serve peanuts with remaining spice
mixture alongside for sprinkling over.
Little Gem Salad With
Buttermilk Chaas
8 S E RV I N G S Do not start to heat the
oil until all of the chaas seasonings
are measured out and close at hand;
blooming the spices goes quickly.
D R E SS I N G
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
5 dried chiles de árbol, lightly
crushed, seeds removed if desired
4 curry leaves
1 tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. brown mustard seeds
Kosher salt
S A L A D A N D ASS E M B LY
1 bunch red and/or French Breakfast
radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced
3 heads of Little Gem lettuce, torn
crosswise into 2"-wide strips
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh English peas, sugar snap
peas, and/or 1½"-long pieces
green and/or wax beans
1 sprig mint, leaves torn
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
Kosher salt (optional)
D R E S S I N G Pour buttermilk into a
measuring glass or small bowl. Heat
oil in a small saucepan or skillet over
medium-high until shimmering. Add
chiles, curry leaves, cumin seeds, and
brown mustard seeds one at a time,
pausing for a second between each
addition and swirling pan. Cook until
spices are toasted and curry leaves
sizzle and pop, about 10 seconds (take
care as oil will splatter!). Quickly pour
spice oil into buttermilk; stir to combine.
Taste chaas dressing and season with salt.
D O A H E A D : Dressing can be made
1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
S A L A D A N D ASS E M B LY Soak radishes in
a bowl of ice water until they curl, about
10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
Toss half of the radishes in a large
bowl with lettuce, cucumber, peas, mint,
and cilantro. Drizzle in dressing; toss to
coat. Taste salad and season with salt if
needed. Top with remaining radishes.
Sweet-and-Sour Dal Bhat
8 S E RV I N G S
This dish is triply aggressive,
with sweet, sour, and spicy tastes strung
together in an intense interplay. To make it
your own, experiment with the balance
of those three elements—you might make it
more sour, or very, very spicy, depending
on your palate and preferences.
DA L
1 plum tomato, coarsely chopped
1 cup toor dal (pigeon peas), rinsed,
picked over
5 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 3 Tbsp.
Morton kosher salt
3 serrano chiles, halved
6 oz. ginger, peeled, coarsely
chopped (about ½ cup)
1 cup (lightly packed) grated
jaggery
6 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. red chile powder, preferably
Kashmiri
1 tsp. ground turmeric
R I C E A N D ASS E M B LY
2cups basmati rice
9Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
6curry leaves
3dried Kashmiri, guajillo, or New
Mexico chiles, seeds removed
1 Tbsp. brown mustard seeds
1 tsp. asafetida
½ tsp. fenugreek
I N G R E D I E N T I N F O : Jaggery, also called
gur or palm sugar, can be found at
Asian or Indian markets. Asafetida can
be found at Indian markets. Both can
be found online at foodsofnations.com.
DA L Bring tomato, toor dal, salt, and
8 cups water to a boil in a medium
saucepan over medium-high heat,
skimming foam from surface and stirring
occasionally, 8–10 minutes. Reduce
heat and simmer, stirring and skimming
occasionally, until dal are very soft
but not disintegrated, 45–60 minutes.
Meanwhile, process chiles and ginger
in a food processor to a coarse purée,
about 1 minute. Transfer to a 2-cup
measuring glass or a medium bowl; stir
in jaggery, lime juice, chile powder, and
turmeric. Set seasoning mixture aside.
Once dal is done, mix in reserved
seasoning mixture and simmer until
flavors are melded, about 5 minutes.
Blend dal with an immersion blender or
in a blender until smooth; it should be
about the consistency of heavy cream.
D O A H E A D : Dal can be made 3–4
hours ahead. Cover and keep warm.
While the dal is
R I C E A N D A S S E M B LY
cooking, place rice in a medium bowl
and cover with cold water. Swish around
with your fingers to remove surface
starches, then drain through a sieve or
colander. Repeat process until water runs
clear, about 4 or 5 changes of water.
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium pot over
medium. Add rice and stir to coat grains
in oil. Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil
over high; reduce heat to low, cover pot,
and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Just before serving, heat remaining
7 Tbsp. oil in a small skillet over medium-
high. Add curry leaves, chiles, mustard
seeds, asafetida, and fenugreek one at
a time, pausing for a second between
each addition and swirling pan. Cook
until spices are toasted and curry leaves
sizzle and pop, about 20 seconds.
Spoon spices over dal; serve with rice.
89
Spiced Roast Pork With
Fennel and Apple Salad
8 S E RV I N G S
The chile paste for this pork
is added in two stages: Initially it acts
as a marinade and permeates the interior
of the roast. After a second addition
is applied, it’s roasted over high heat to
create a spicy, toasty bark.
PORK
15 dried Kashmiri, guajillo, or New
Mexico chiles, seeds removed
5 pieces star anise
3 Tbsp. fennel seeds
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
2 Tbsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. peppercorns, preferably
Tellicherry
2 tsp. whole cloves
6 garlic cloves, smashed
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup vegetable oil, divided
1 4–5-lb. boneless pork shoulder
(Boston butt), tied
4–5 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
Flaky sea salt
S A L A D A N D ASS E M B LY
1 fennel bulb, fronds reserved, bulb
cored, very thinly sliced
1 Honeycrisp or other crunchy
not-too-sour apple, very thinly
sliced
Zest and juice of 2 limes
2 serrano or red Thai chiles, thinly
sliced into rounds
Small handful of cilantro, finely
chopped
Kosher salt
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
S P E C I A L E Q U I PM E N T : A spice mill or
mortar and pestle
PORK Cook chiles, star anise, fennel
seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds,
peppercorns, and cloves in a dry small
skillet over medium heat, stirring often,
until slightly darkened and fragrant,
about 2 minutes. Let cool. Set one-fourth
of spice mixture aside.
Blend garlic, vinegar, ¼ cup oil, and
¼ cup water in a blender until smooth.
Add remaining toasted spices and blend,
adding splashes of water if needed to
help turn the blades, until chile paste is
mostly smooth; some texture is okay.
Season pork with 1 tsp. kosher salt per
pound (check the butcher’s sticker on the
package to see the weight of what you
90
purchased). Smear half of chile paste all
over pork; transfer to a wire rack set inside
a rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan
and let sit at room temperature at least
2 hours, or cover and chill up to 12 hours.
Finely grind reserved spice mixture in
a spice mill or with mortar and pestle.
Transfer to a small skillet; stir in remaining
¼ cup oil. Set over medium heat and
cook, stirring, until spices have darkened
slightly and are fragrant, about 1 minute.
Let spice oil cool, then transfer to an
airtight container. Cover and set aside.
Preheat oven to 275°. Roast pork
until paste is darkened and looks dried
out and an instant-read thermometer
inserted into the center registers 120°,
1½–2 hours, depending on the size.
Make sure to take the temperature in
more than one spot as there will be thick
and thin parts of the roast. Let rest 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 500°. Rub pork with
reserved chile paste and roast until
marinade has formed a fragrant crust and
an instant-read thermometer inserted into
the thickest part registers 130°, 8–12
minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board
and let rest 15 minutes. Thinly slice and
transfer to a platter. Spoon reserved
spice oil over pork; sprinkle with sea salt.
Toss fennel bulb
S A L A D A N D ASS E M B LY
and fronds, apple, lime zest and juice,
chiles, and cilantro in a large bowl;
season salad with salt. Drizzle oil over
and toss to coat. Serve pork with salad.
Rose and Yogurt Panna Cotta
8 S E RV I N G S
Including yogurt in the base
gives tang to this unconventional panna
cotta and helps offset the sweetness of
the rose syrup.
½ cup raw pistachios
1 envelope unflavored powdered
gelatin (about 2½ tsp.)
1½ cups plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. rose syrup
1¼ cups heavy cream, divided
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. basil seeds (tukmaria) or
chia seeds (optional)
½ cup golden raisins
Blackberries (for serving; optional)
Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pistachios
on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once,
until golden brown, 7–9 minutes. Let
cool, then coarsely chop. Set nuts aside.
A D D I T I O N A L R E P O R T I N G BY E LYS E I N A M I N E A N D C A R L A L A L L I M U S I C
Whisk gelatin with ¼ cup water in a
small bowl to combine. Let sit 15 minutes.
Mix yogurt, rose syrup, and ½ cup
cream in a medium bowl to combine.
Heat sugar and remaining ¾ cup cream
in a small saucepan over medium, stirring
often, until mixture is hot and sugar
is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Whisk in
gelatin mixture, then pour into yogurt
mixture and whisk to combine.
Divide panna cotta mixture among
eight 4-oz. ramekins, small bowls, coffee
cups, or any small vessel you’d like to use
for serving. Place on a rimmed baking
sheet and chill until set, at least 2 hours.
If using, scoop a spoonful of basil
seeds into a small bowl; pour in water
to cover. Let sit until gelatinized, about
10 minutes.
To serve, top panna cottas with
basil seeds, raisins, a few blackberries,
if desired, and reserved pistachios.
D O A H E A D : Panna cotta (without
toppings) can be made 2 days ahead.
Cover and keep chilled.
Bourbon Fruit Tea Punch
MAKES 8 Surti’s spiked fruit tea is
intentionally not too boozy, but you
can also just leave the bourbon out.
6 black tea bags or 3 Tbsp. loose
black tea
½ cup sugar
¾ cup fresh orange juice
¾ cup pineapple juice
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1½ cups bourbon (such as Buffalo
Trace)
Mint sprigs and lemon wheels
(for serving)
Brew tea in 2 cups boiling water in a
teapot or measuring glass 5 minutes.
Remove tea bags; discard. Add sugar to
tea; stir to dissolve. Let cool 10 minutes,
then transfer to a pitcher. Add orange,
pineapple, and lemon juices and 4 cups
cold water; stir well to combine. Chill
fruit tea until cold, at least 2 hours, or
cover and chill up to 2 days.
To make cocktails, pour 1½ oz. bourbon
into each of 8 ice-filled glasses. Add
6 oz. fruit tea to each and stir to combine
(you may have tea left over). Garnish
with mint sprigs and lemon wheels.
Alternatively, combine 6 cups fruit tea
and 1½ cups bourbon in a pitcher.
Pour among 8 ice-filled glasses; garnish.
 CO U R S E 5

IN CLOSING,
DESSERT

“I first tried falooda at an

ice cream parlor near
my grandparents’ sewing
machine shop in India.
I never had anything
like it in the States: a
milkshake with rose
syrup, pistachios,
raisins, and crunchy
noodles. I loved it.
For the restaurant, I
wanted to put all those
flavors into a dessert.”

ROSE AND
YO G U R T
PA N N A C OT TA
ON.8 COULD FiND MORE CHAR
A

LE
COMPTOIR
YOU
DU VIN
BA
LT

IM
OR
E

92
 g
MiN WiNE BAR? phot og rap hs
by
A LE X L AU

We’ve had actual

dreams about this
colatura-tossed steak
tartare with crispy,
salty potatoes.
 THiS IS NOT
THE FiRST
RESTAURANT
TO SERVE
French classics in a cozy, warmly lit, slightly ramshackle
bistro setting. But if there’s any place in the country that’s
making this quintessential genre feel fresh and new and fun
and youthful, it’s Baltimore’s Le Comptoir du Vin.
It all starts with the delightful couple who opened it:
Rosemary Liss, an artist whose residency at the Nordic Food
Lab in Copenhagen involved making a quilt out of dehy-
drated kombucha mothers, and Will Mester, who was chef
de cuisine at the restaurant that used to be in this same
space, Bottega. The pair built Le Comptoir as an homage
to a neighborhood restaurant in Lyon of the same name,
which Mester liked so much that he convinced the chef to let
him spend a night in the kitchen.
Like the Lyonnaise original, the scrappiness of the Le
Comptoir operation is its charm. Mester didn’t want to be the
type of chef who oversees lots of stations; the kitchen is just
he and his sous-chef, Kelsey Martin, who runs point on the
bread and baked goods.
And yet: They turn out the silkiest chicken liver pâté. They
hand-cut a tartare that practically glistens, the steak tossed in
colatura (anchovy sauce) and served with roughed-up
golden hunks of potato that made
me question how I ever could’ve C LO C K W I S E
enjoyed steak tartare any other way. F R OM T O P L E F T
For dessert they make crazy things
like Grandpa toast, in which foie Paris-Brest with
gras is shaved onto a piece of well- pistachio cream
crisped bread, and it’s exactly what
Owners Will
you think a frozen waffle smothered
Mester and
in butter and maple syrup is going to Rosemary Liss
taste like but never does.
For as satisfying and timeless Pig’s head terrine
and rustic as these dishes are, the with pickled fennel
food is not even really what Le
Roast chicken
Comptoir is about. It’s about having
with fried
a place where you feel immediately potatoes and
welcomed. A place where you can mojo rojo
settle into a worn wood chair under
a wall-mounted marlin and drink The restaurant’s
glass after glass of delicious natu- ever-changing
chalkboard menu
ral wine from the scribbled list. A
place where you just wanna hang Egg yolk ravioli
out, as golden hour fades, hoping with ham, peas,
the night never ends. —J.K. and brown butter

94
 YOU HAVE TO GO TO

ON.9

PORTLAND, OR
TEXAS FOR
’S S
A T T ACO
M Q T
BBQ TACOS
BB
y
THE SAy y
THE ’RE WRONg
Jalapeño-
Cheddar Sausage

Migas

Smoked
Mushroom

Seared
Pork
Belly
Pulled
Pork
THERE ARE TWO THINGS IN THIS ISSUE that are going to upset a lot of people in Texas.
One: naming Dallas our restaurant city of the year (see p. 42), which I have a feeling a lot of
people in Houston and Austin are, uh, not gonna like. Two: what I’m about to say about a
breakfast-taco joint…that’s also a barbecue joint…that’s in the most un-Texas location imagin-
able—Portland, Oregon. Please don’t hate me.
The person to blame for this is Matt Vicedomini. He’s an unsuspecting character for a barbecue
icon: from Long Island, learned how to smoke meat at a cowboy-themed restaurant in Australia,
has never lived in the Lone Star State, though he has made many, many brisket-oriented pilgrim-
ages there. He eventually settled in Portland and opened a trailer—Matt’s BBQ—in the parking
lot of a pawnshop. Sure, there wasn’t a lot of competition for Texas-style ’cue, but nevertheless
Matt’s immediately became known as the best in the city.
p hot og raph by L AU RA M U RRAY
Sliced
Brisket
This winter Vicedomini followed that up with not one but two new spots, both of which show off
his legendary brisket, simply seasoned but expertly smoked, low and slow, over oak for 10 to 12
hours. The first is Eem, a Thai barbecue collab with the folks from Portland’s celebrated Langbaan
and pop-up cocktail bar Shipwreck. The second is Matt’s BBQ Tacos, which opens at 8 a.m., with
that brisket and pork belly burnt ends and more smoked meats. They all come piled with scrambled
eggs and potatoes and salsa onto unbelievably puffy flour tortillas made with rendered lard.
The pleasure of Matt’s BBQ Tacos is pure and simple: When I think about where I was the
happiest on the road this year, my mind immediately goes to sitting in the sunshine (yes, in the
Pacific Northwest!) at one of the picnic tables next to the trailer, folding up the most irrefutably
delicious tacos one after the next, pausing only to dip a fresh-fried tortilla chip into creamy
queso. What’s to hate about that? —J.K.
 IF THiS IS FUSiON,
LET’S TAKE
BACK
y
EVER THiN g
WE EVER
SAiD ABOUT
98
FUSiON
pho to graphs by A L E X L AU
 ON.10

DENVER
THE
W O L F ’S
TAILOR

The egg yolk dipping

sauce served with
chicken meatball
skewers is topped
with a zesty house-
made yuzu kosho.
 I THiNK WE CAN ALL
AgREE THAT
the Wolf’s Tailor really needs to chill out. Don’t get me wrong, I am
extremely into the fact that I can start my meal with a hot puffy disk
of chef Kelly Whitaker’s heirloom-grain piada bread straight from
the restaurant’s wood-fired oven. But don’t you think that the
binchotan-fueled Japanese robata grill, the one they use to sizzle
skewers—a juicy chicken meatball, or crispy-edged mortadella—
to succulent perfection is kind of gilding the lily? Just a little?
Another great example of way-too-muchness: the pasta program.
The toothy mafaldine I had one night—made from local grains milled
in-house and tangled up with morsels of grassy whey-braised Colo-
rado lamb and tender little peas—was the single most exciting plate
of pasta I ate this year. But did Whitaker really have to take the leftover
bran from milling that flour and use it to ferment all sorts of electric,
eyebrow-raising pickled vegetables? Again: I love those pickles. But
you have to admit it’s a little…extra, right?
And how is it even fair that Whitaker nabbed chefs Kodi Simkins
and Sean May, of Frasca Food & Wine fame, to make his whole
freaky vision come alive? Or that he brought on the Michelin-starred
pastry chef Jeb Breakell to whip up as-fascinating-as-they-are-lovable
desserts? (That red miso panna cotta!) THE GRILL
And the generous big-meat family-style entrées. And the tight, well-
curated natural wine list. And the Japanese highballs made with ice A Japanese
so crazy-clear I could see through the cubes halfway across the room robata grill turns
(and nearly spilled half my drink trying to do so). And, and, and. out an ever-
Enough is enough! Is it too much to ask that they save some of the changing array of
skewers, from juicy
fun for everyone else? —A.S.
tsukune-inspired
chicken meatballs
slicked with tare, a
Japanese basting
sauce, to delicately
crosshatched oyster
mushrooms. The grill
is currently fueled
by clean-burning
binchotan charcoal,
but Whitaker is on
the hunt for a kiln to
turn leftover animal
bones into charcoal
for roasting meats.
Once the bones
turn to ash, they
can then be used
as compost. Call it
the circle of life.
FOR DETAILS, SEE SOURCEBOOK

The airy light-

filled dining room at
the Wolf’s Tailor

10 0
 THE
HEARTH
The focal point
of the kitchen at the
Wolf’s Tailor is Piada with farmer’s
the dramatic wood- cheese, edamame
fired oven, which purée, and benne
Whitaker installed
specifically to bake
the restaurant’s
signature piada
bread. The recipe for
the fluffy, pita-like
rounds—which he
also serves at his
Boulder spot, Basta—
changes throughout
the seasons THE
depending on the PICKLES
grains available at
the time. Piada that’s
served in the fall Like any serious
and winter months restaurant in 2019,
is often made by the Wolf’s Tailor
incorporating more has an extensive in-
earthy, nutty-tasting house fermentation
winter wheats, such program for making
as red fife, while everything from
summertime breads miso to a rainbow
are made with lighter of seasonal pickles.
spring white wheat. But Whitaker takes
pickling even further
by incorporating
the bran left over
Piada dough gets from milling his own
stretched before it goes flours. He mixes the
into the oven. bran with water and
various seasonings
to create a mash
that’s inoculated
with kombucha,
then uses this to bury
vegetables for
making nukazuke,
a Japanese bran
pickle. For the dish
pictured at left,
Whitaker buries
whole Napa
cabbages in bran
mash mixed with
Calabrian chiles and
dried anchovies.
Twelve to 24 hours
later: pickles!

101
 THE
GARDEN
During peak
growing season the
restaurant grows
about 65 percent
of its produce.
Things like herbs,
lemongrass, and
edible flowers
thrive in the on-site
garden, while Stone
Barns Center alum
Krisan Christensen
grows veg on a
private off-site farm.
They source anything
they can’t grow Sake-Braised
themselves from Mustard Greens
local farms, and With Sesame
any food waste
from the restaurant
gets turned into
compost (obviously). THE
Whitaker’s goal
is to produce so L ARGE-
little compostable FORMAT
waste that he’ll
eventually need to MAINS
purchase compost.
In addition to the
The vegetable à la carte options, Miso Pork Ribs With
garden surrounds the Wolf’s Tailor Chile-Honey Glaze
the scenic outdoor offers a signature
dining area. $55 nightly tasting
menu that’s served
family-style and
features dishes that
represent what
Whitaker describes
as “the best version
of ourselves that
day.” There’s always
a large-format
protein for sharing,
such as a whole fish
for the table, or
the Miso Pork Ribs
With Chile-Honey
Glaze (above).
Butchering whole
hogs and bigger cuts
of meat, poultry, and
seafood in-house
allows the kitchen to
use up every bit of
the animals, which
helps keep the tasting
menu affordable.

10 2
 Miso Pork Ribs With Transfer mixture to a blender and
Chile-Honey Glaze purée until smooth and slightly glossy.
8 S E RV I N G S
The glaze for these Pour glaze into a small bowl or airtight
ribs combines Korean gochujang and container and let cool.
Italian Calabrian chiles—a perfect Heat broiler. Line a clean rimmed
example of Whitaker’s fearless fusion. baking sheet with foil and lightly coat
with nonstick spray. Cut each rack in
4 racks St. Louis–style pork spareribs half (this will allow you to puzzle all the
(8–10 lb. total) ribs onto the sheet) and arrange, meaty
2 dried shiitake mushrooms, finely side up, in a single layer on prepared
ground in a spice mill, or baking sheet; brush with glaze. Broil ribs
2 Tbsp. shiitake mushroom powder until glaze is set and slightly darkened
½ cup red miso in color (watch them closely so that the
¼ cup sunflower oil or other glaze doesn’t burn), about 4 minutes.
neutral oil Transfer ribs to a platter and top with
THE
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped oil-packed scallions and fried shallots (if using).
GRAINS Calabrian chiles or 2 tsp. D O A H E A D : Sauce can be made
crushed red pepper flakes 5 days ahead; cover and chill. Ribs can
Whitaker has long ½ medium onion, finely chopped be baked 2 days ahead; let cool,
championed the use
of heritage grains
½ tsp. kosher salt then wrap tightly in plastic and place in
over commodity 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped an airtight container. Cover and chill.
wheat, so it’s no 1 2" piece ginger, peeled, finely
surprise that his cooks grated
use only regionally ⅓ cup gochujang (Korean hot Sake-Braised Mustard
grown grains and pepper paste) Greens With Sesame
freshly mill them each 8 S E RV I N G S
¼ cup tamari or low-sodium Use less-spicy kale instead
morning. Everything
from the cracked- soy sauce of mustard greens if you prefer a milder
grain porridges to ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar side dish—or try a mixture of both.
the extruded pastas ⅓ cup honey
to flour-based sauces Nonstick vegetable oil spray or ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
like béchamel is vegetable oil (for foil) 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
made using regional
6 scallions, thinly sliced 4 large bunches mustard greens or
products, though
Whitaker’s long-
Fried shallots (optional; kale, ribs and stems removed,
term dream is for for topping) leaves torn into large pieces
the restaurant to ½ cup sake or dry white wine
be able to grow all Place racks in upper and lower thirds of 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
of its own supply. oven; preheat to 300°. Pat ribs dry with Kosher salt
paper towels. Sprinkle evenly on all sides Toasted sesame seeds (for serving)
with mushroom powder, patting to adhere,
then rub miso all over to lightly and evenly Pour oil into a large high-sided skillet,
coat. Wrap each rack in a double layer add garlic, and set over medium heat.
of foil, crimping edges to seal. Divide foil Cook, stirring often, until garlic is barely
packets between 2 rimmed baking sheets golden, about 2 minutes.
(2 packets per sheet) and bake until Add a third of the greens to skillet and
meat is fork-tender at the thickest part but toss to coat with oil and garlic. Cover
not falling off the bones, 2–2½ hours. skillet with a lid and cook until greens
Let cool slightly, then unwrap. are slightly wilted, about 2 minutes.
While the ribs are baking, heat oil Uncover skillet; add sake and another
and chiles in a medium saucepan over third of greens and toss to combine.
medium-low, stirring often, until chiles Cover and cook until greens are slightly
darken in color a few shades and are wilted, about 2 minutes, then add
fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add onion remaining greens. Cover and cook until
and salt and continue to cook, stirring slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove
occasionally, until onion is softened and lid from skillet, add lemon zest to greens,
translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring often, until
and ginger and cook, stirring, until greens are completely wilted and tender
fragrant, about 1 minute. Add gochujang, and most of the liquid has evaporated,
tamari, and vinegar and cook until about 2 minutes. Season with salt.
thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer greens to a serving bowl and
Remove pan from heat and stir in honey. top with sesame seeds.

A D D I T I O N A L R E P O R T I N G BY C H R I ST I N A C H A E Y A N D A N N A STO C K W E L L
 advertisement

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 S T E P-BY- TIPS &
STEPS TRICKS

Almost everything you need to know (and nothing you don ’t)

The
Nut
Case
From buying to
storing to cooking,
let’s talk about the
nuts and bolts of this
versatile, valuable
pantry staple

by SA R A H
JA M P E L
ILLUSTRATIONS BY TIM LAHAN

P H OTO G R A P H S BY C H E L S I E C R A I G O C T O B E R 2 019 – 10 5
1
Whole Raw
Nuts Are
Your Best Bet
Versatility, dependability,
longevity. No, that’s not
our campaign slogan—
it’s the reason we buy
whole unroasted nuts.
(The exception to our rule?
Slivered and sliced
almonds. No one has time
for that.) First, they’re yours
to chop, flavor, candy,
“mylk,” and roast to your
liking (preroasted nuts are
never as well-toasted as
we’d like). Second, they’re
easier to quality-control:
You can do a visual check
3
to make sure they’re not
broken, wrinkled, or TOAST FOR THE MOST... H E R E ’S H O W
TO TOAST
misshapen. For the best- THEM RIGHT
tasting, freshest, highest-
Eating a nut without toasting it is like eating a
Spread out nuts
quality nuts, shop from potato without salting it—wholly unsatisfying in a single layer
stores with high turnover, on a rimmed
not the kind of place and kind of upsetting. During a stint in the oven, baking sheet—
that’s had those pistachios one type at a
on the shelf for a decade.
their flavors intensify and nuts go from spongy time since they
and bland to complex, crunchy, and rich. Toast cook at dif ferent
rates. Roast at
nuts whenever you’re not going to be cooking 350°, tossing
2 them later (so definitely for a salad topping but
half way through,
8 –12 minutes.
When Good Transfer to a
Nuts Go Bad
not necessarily for granola). You might be bowl or plate
tempted to dry-toast on the stove, but resist: The immediately
so the nuts
Nuts are pricey, which
oven provides an even heat that will envelop stop cooking .

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHELSEA KYLE (CAST-IRON PAN). FOOD STYLING BY PEARL JONES.

means you might be tempted
to go overboard when you
see a sale, but be honest
with yourself: You’ll never
get through eight pounds of
macadamia nuts. Instead,
shop the bulk bin for what
you’ll eat in the near future,
and store your stash in an
airtight container in the
freezer. Protected from the
light and heat that would
make them go rancid faster,
they’ll stay good for at
least a year, maybe longer.
If you’re not sure what rancid
means exactly, you’ll know
it when you taste it: Bad
nuts have an off, chemically
flavor you definitely don’t
want in your cookie dough
or grain salad.
They’re best
the entire sheet, so there’s no stirring required. within 3 days.
4
...Or Grab the Butter
and Turn on the Stove
For something even more flavorful, cook nuts
on the stovetop in butter (the fat helps distribute
heat for even cooking). Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted
butter in a medium heavy skillet over medium
heat. Add 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts and
a generous sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring
often, until nuts are golden brown, 5–7 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels
and let cool, then eat by the handful or sprinkle
over seared fish or salads.

10 6 – O C T O B E R 2 019
 Basically

6
5 Yes, You Do Want
Nuts Here, Nuts There, Nuts Everywhere to Be the Person Who
Makes Nut Butter
When a dish is missing something, 90 percent of the time
it’s acid or salt. For that other 10 percent, it’s nuts.* If there’s one kitchen staple
you should make instead of buy,
Whether you’re tweaking a dip or fixing a salad, they’ll it’s...salad dressing. But if you’re
ready to DIY two food items, try
give you the added fattiness and texture you’re after. your hand at nut butter, which is
* N O T S C I E N T I F I C A L LY P R O V E N D A T A leaps and bounds more delicious
than the store-bought alternative
and infinitely tweakable. Making
a batch is as simple as hauling
Get the recipe out your food processor.
at bonappetit.com
/jammy -pasta

1
Star t with 2 cups of fully
cooled toasted nuts—any type!
Throw them into a food processor
and grind until finely chopped.

2
Scrape down the sides of the
bowl, then continue to process
until the mixture is as creamy
or chunky as you’d like it.

3
ADD THEM TO... If you’re aiming for a silky-
smooth spread, add a splash of
neutral oil, which will help
Dressing Fruit Salads Crisps and chopped walnuts in achieve that texture . Season with
Why scatter nuts Toasted salted nuts Crumbles sage butter and salt and sweeteners or spices of
on top of a salad are amazing Add a handful of spooning that over your choice, such as honey, cocoa
when you could sprinkled over thinly coarsely chopped warm tortellini. powder, cinnamon, or cayenne .
mix toasted finely sliced fruit for that pecans into the
chopped nuts right magical balance topping for extra Green Sauce
FOOD STYLING BY KAT BOYTSOVA

into the vinaigrette of salty, sweet, texture on your Any green sauce
to coat every leaf? crunchy, and juicy. fall fruit desserts. you’re throwing
together will gain
Smoothies Dips Pasta richness and body
and Shakes Shower chopped A logical addition to from 1/4 cup of nuts.
Tossing cashews into butter-toasted nuts room-temp pasta Try cilantro with 4
the blender provides over hummus, white salads, nuts can also peanuts, parsley Store in the fridge for three
rich silkiness without bean dip, whipped be the base of a with almonds, or weeks, during which you’ll make
the dose of dairy. ricotta, and more. sauce: Try browning mint with hazelnuts. the best NB&Js of your life .

10 8 – O C T O B E R 2 019
 Pe a k To ma to
E P. 18 0

On Salt E P. 15 9

E P. 174
It ’s A l l I n t he V ib e
L i q uid G ol d
E P. 151

E P. 172
The I c e C re a m Ma n
Pu t an Egg o n It
E P. 10 7

Ac id Tr ip E P. 13 0

P iz za , P i z za !
E P. 173

Rice 2 .0 E P. 161

. . . P L U S 2 30 + O T H E R E P I S O D E S A N D C O U N T I N G .

Down l o ad i t w he rever you g et yo u r pod c a st s.

recipe index sourcebook
COOK THE COVER PASTA TRAVEL PLANNER ROOT BAKING CO. 675 Ponce de Leon Ave.
Pork Katsu Sandwich Baked Shells With NE, Atlanta; 470-639-8046; rootbaking.com
p. 63 Sausage and Greens AWAY: THE ROAD TO THE HOT 10 SAVAGE RESTAURANT 2655 Ann Ave.,
p. 22 pp. 31–54
APPETIZER ALAMEDA SUPPER CLUB 757 Alameda St.,
St. Louis; 314-354-8488; savagestl.com
Brothy Pasta With SEYLOU 926 N St. NW, Washington, D.C.;
Boiled Peanuts With Chickpeas p. 28 Los Angeles; 213-375-3315;
Chile Salt p. 89 alamedasupperclub.com 202-842-1122; seylou.com
Red Pesto Rigatoni SHORT WALK WINES 123 E. Martin St., Raleigh,
BEVERAGE p. 24 ALEPPO SWEETS 107 Ives St., Providence;
401-533-9019; alepposweets.com NC; 919-916-1774; shortwalkwines.com
Bourbon Fruit Tea Spaghetti al Limone SIMON & THE WHALE Freehand Hotel, 23
Punch p. 90 p. 26 ALL TOGETHER NOW 2119 W. Chicago Ave.,
Chicago; 773-661-1599; alltogethernow.fun Lexington Ave., NYC; 212-475-1924; satw.nyc
BREAKFAST VEGE TARIAN TACOS Y BIRRIA LA UNICA 2840 E. Olympic
Brothy Pasta With ANGLER 132 The Embarcadero, San Francisco;
Apple-Honey-Pecan 415-872-9442; anglerrestaurants.com Blvd., Los Angeles; 323-715-4025
Muffins p. 75 Chickpeas p. 28 TEDDY’S RED TACOS 46 Windward Ave.,
Instant Pot Red Bean BALKAN TREAT BOX 8103 Big Bend Blvd.,
Lemon-Pistachio Loaf Webster Groves, MO; 314-733-5700; Venice, CA
and Quinoa Soup With
p. 75 balkantreatbox.com VERJUS 528 Washington St., San Francisco;
Taco Fixins p. 14
Spiced Eggs With BENNE ON EAGLE 35 Eagle St., Asheville, NC; 415-944-4600; verjuscave.com
Tzatziki p. 72 Spaghetti al Limone
p. 26 828-552-8833; benneoneagle.com WESTMAN’S BAGEL AND COFFEE 1509 E.
SALAD BLOOMSDAY CAFÉ 414 S. Second St., Madison St., Seattle; westmansbagel.com
Sweet-and-Sour Dal
Little Gem Salad With Bhat p. 89 Philadelphia; 267-319-8018; bloomsdaycafe.com WILLMOTT’S GHOST 2100 Sixth Ave., Seattle;
Buttermilk Chaas p. 89 BURRITOS LA PALMA For locations, 206-900-9650; willmottsghost.com
VEGETABLES, THE WOLVES 519 S. Spring St., Los Angeles;
SOUPS go to burritoslapalma.net
SIDE DISHES 213-265-7952; thewolvesdtla.com
Instant Pot Red Bean CHARLIE’S TACOS 4944 York Blvd.,
Sake-Braised Mustard
and Quinoa Soup Greens With Sesame
Los Angeles; 323-545-0033 CITY OF THE YEAR: DALLAS pp. 42–45
With Taco Fixins p. 14 CLARK’S 517 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen; BIGDASH 717 Lingco Dr.; Richardson, TX;
p. 103
Sweet-and-Sour Dal 970-710-2546; clarksaspen.com 972-979-4098; bigdash.com
Turnips With Spicy
Bhat p. 89 Meyer Lemon Dressing DEAR JOHN’S 11208 Culver Blvd., Culver City, BILAD BAKERY & RESTAURANT 850 S.
MAIN COURSES p. 63 CA; dearjohnsbar.com Greenville Ave.; Richardson, TX; 972-744-9599
EEM 3808 N. Williams Ave., Portland, OR; CEVICHE OYSTER BAR 451 W. Davis St.;
SEAFOOD DIPS 971-295-1645; eempdx.com 469-291-7180; cevichedallas.com
Nasi Lemak p.82 Shishito Pepper– ERIZO 215 SE Ninth Ave., Portland, OR; DFW CHINA TOWN 400 N. Greenville Ave.;
MEAT Pistachio Dip p. 63 503-206-8619; erizopdx.com Richardson, TX; dfwchinatown.com
Baked Shells With Smoky Carrot Dip p. 75 THE ESSENTIAL 2018 Morris Ave., Birmingham, LA VIUDA NEGRA 2513 N. Fitzhugh Ave.;
Sausage and Greens
p. 22 DESSERTS AL; 205-703-3012; essentialbham.com 214-821-3738
Apple-Walnut Upside- FADENSØNNEN 3 W. 23rd St., Baltimore; LAS ALMAS ROTAS 3615 Parry Ave.;
Miso Pork Ribs With 972-685-5666; lasalmasrotas.com
Chile-Honey Glaze Down Cake p. 18 fadensonnen.com
p. 103 Chocolate-Hazelnut GRAFT WINE SHOP 700 King St., Charleston, MACELLAIO 287 N. Bishop Ave.;
Pork Katsu Sandwich Cookies p. 72 SC; 843-718-3359; graftchs.com 972-685-9150; macellaiodallas.com
p. 63 Lemon-Pistachio Loaf HELLO, SAILOR 20210 Henderson Rd., MIDNIGHT RAMBLER The Joule, 1530 Main St.;
Spiced Roast Pork p. 75 Cornelius, NC; hellosailornc.com 214-261-4500; www.thejouledallas.com
With Fennel and Apple Rose and Yogurt Panna HEWN BREAD 810 Dempster St., Evanston, IL; MIRIAM COCINA LATINA 2015 Woodall Rogers
Salad p. 90 Cotta p. 90 847-869-4396; hewnbread.com Fwy.; 214-855-5275; miriamcocina.com
HOT L COFFEE The Hotel Carpenter, MOMOSTOP Texaco Gas Station, 3635 N. Belt
400 Josephine St., Austin; 512-682-5300; Line Rd.; Irving, TX; momostop.com
bon appétit is a registered trademark of advance carpenterhotel.com NORI HANDROLL BAR 2814 Elm St.;
magazine publishers inc. copyright © 2019 condé nast. KĀWI 20 Hudson Yards, NYC; 469-436-6674; norihandrollbar.com
all rights reserved. printed in the u.s.a. volume 64,
no. 8. Bon Appétit ( ISSN 0006-6990) is published ten times a year
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by Condé Nast, which is a division of Advance Magazine Publishers KIKKŌ 630 W. Lake St., Chicago; 318-935-0906; petraandthebeast.com
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11 0 – O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9
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 Questionable Etiquette

Is It Ever Okay...to Ask the

Restaurant to Turn Down the Music?
Solicited advice from Alex Beggs for your next dinner out

When getting up out of your

seat in a restaurant where
the tables are tightly packed,
is it better to face your
neighbor or to have your
butt toward their table?
—MICHAEL’S ON THE MOVE
Let’s be real: This depends on
the distance between your butt Can I take home the
and the wine glasses on their basket of complimentary
table. You can do that math. bread or what?
—CARBO-LOADING CAMERON
Definitely! Just leave the basket
behind, please and thanks.

I want to pour my own

wine at a fancy restaurant.
Is that so wrong?
How can you suggest —CONTROLLING CL ARA
Fine, spill little trails of red wine
that the restaurant lower the on the white tablecloth. Pour
volume on the stereo If I don’t like a dish, can I just
more for yourself than for Steven.
I see how it is. If serving your
without being That Person? send it back? own vino is such a priority for
—NOT-INTO-IT IVAN
you, try this: When the server
—JAMMING JOSIE sets down the bottle, say, “Thank
No—that’s how dining out (or
you so much; we’ll pour it from
going to the movies, or picking
Script: “This is soooo embarrassing a college major) works. You’re
here! Some of us are going
to drink less than others tonight.”
to ask and I feel like such a loooooser, paying for something that is
hopefully good but might not be.
but would it be possible to turn the These are the ONLY situations in
music down a SMIDGE?” You which you can send back a dish:

MUST say the word SMIDGE in this
scenario or it will never work.
Can I refuse the first table
offered to me by a host
or hostess? I’m talking 6 p.m.
on a Wednesday when
there are plenty of free
tables available.
—ILL -SEATED STEPH
It’s not what you say but how
you say it. Do you sneer and
insult the manager, who is also
Is it ever okay to order a celebrated local artist, when
•The pork chop is rare.
•There’s a piece of plastic in
the ravioli.
•There are cashews in the
salad, and you noted earlier
that you are allergic.
•A black crow flies out of the
pot pie.
•You’re Gordon Ramsay.
Often a waiter will ask if
you want anchovies on your
Caesar salad, but recently
a restaurant charged me for
them without warning. In
this scenario, is it appropriate
to ask for that charge to be
taken off the bill?
—NEGOTIABLE NADEEN
Informing the server all innocently
ILLUSTRATIONS BY IGOR BASTIDAS

something off the menu,
like a banana?
—POTASSIUM-DEFICIENT PAT TI
Is banana the code word that
gets you in to the restaurant’s
cool new produce-and-
bondage–themed underground
freakeasy (freaky-speakeasy)?
If so: Yes. If not: No way.
you ask for “something farther
away from the hideous portrait
of nude George Costanza”?
Have a fantastic time, jerk! Or
do you ask so kindly, so warmly,
you sound like you’re inviting
the host over for dinner yourself?
I think you can see the pattern
here: BE NICE TO PEOPLE.
Should kids be allowed to
watch an iPad at the table?
—JUDGY JANE
As long as the kid has headphones
on and isn’t flinging peas in my
general direction, he can watch
The Wire for all I care.
that you had no idea the
anchovies on a Caesar salad
would be extra is fine. Come on,
the salad is SUPPOSED to have
anchovies. They’d better be free!
And if the server stands by the
surcharge? Well, I hope the
$2 doesn’t keep you up at night.
Global warming should!

112 – O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 Do you have bad manners? Find out by emailing your etiquette questions to staff.bonappetit@gmail.com.
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It’s time appliances had a personality. Yours.