MACELLAIO • 19
Pork Sausage, Guanciale, Sopressata, Mozzarella,
Grana Padano

I’m fairly new to NYC so I’m still getting to know local chefs and restaurant groups, but one guy I’m familiar with is Danny Meyer. I’ve been to two of his other restaurants, Union Square Café and Gramercy Tavern. Both are New York institutions. Only one of which I really enjoyed (hint: it wasn’t Gramercy Tavern).

But from the moment I saw a picture of a Marta pizza on Instagram, I was hooked. Or baked, since that makes more sense in the realm of pizza.

Either way, every minute I wasn’t shoving that pizza in my mouth hole was a wasted minute.

Seeing that I work only about 9 blocks away, I decided to sneak away for lunch. Having had made a reservation, of course. I’m not an idiot. The pretty and spacious dining room was definitely packed with hungry folks filing their face holes as well.

We started with the plate of prosciutto and the green risotto croquettes. I’m not a huge fan of prosciutto (unless it’s crispy) but the prosciutto I tried was tender and easy to chew (my biggest complaint) The price is high for an appetizer ($19) but if you’re flush with cash, go for this low carb option.

The risotto croquettes were NOT a low carb option but they were effing delicious! Packed with flavor. Sometimes risotto balls are on the bland side, but these were salty and cheesy.

Now, one of our party got the lamb/chicken/sausage platter with rapini (snobby broccoli), which made for a very tasty looking Atkins platter. I didn’t try it. I was all about the carbs today.

We tried both the Carbonara and the Macellaio (meat lovers) pies and both were just fantastic!

Here’s my usual complaint with ultra thin crust pizzas. Usually they’re one of two situations: dry as a bone, communion cracker crust, or a soggy ass center with burnt ass edges.

Our pizzas today were served on miraculous crusts. Every bite was crispy, but still had that pizza texture (not like eating a matzo cracker covered in sauce) and I especially loved the outer edges. Crispy and hollow, no need to worry about getting pizza belly later on.

The toppings were also ample without being overwhelming. A lot of posh pizzerias give you three artisan sausage pebbles, a lone porcini wedge and maybe two burnt basil leaves. They also begrudgingly give you a splash of sauce in the center (causing the sogginess).

I want toppings in every bite and sauce brought as far out as possible! If I were to kidnap someone, these would be my demands.

The Carbonara was potato heavy (which I liked), something to note if you have some sort of potato aversion or think carb on carb is a religious abomination. Let me tell you, it was not too heavy. I had zero leftovers.

Located inside the luxe Martha Washington Hotel on the south edge of Midtown (basically North Union Square), Marta is the perfect spot for an upscale but relaxing pizzacentric meal. Probably best for lunch since you most likely work nearby. Yes you. Oh, you don’t? Whatever. Get a job, loser.

29 E 29th St
New York, NY 10016
b/t Madison Ave & S Park Ave in Midtown East, Flatiron
(212) 689-1900
martamanhattan.com

ALL PHOTOS TAKEN WITH AN iPHONE

SUPPLI ALLA TERRAZZA • 7
Green Risotto Croquettes, Mozzarella, Mixed Herbs

PIATTO DI PROSCIUTTO • 19
La Quercia Rossa, Prosciutto San Daniele

SALSICCE MISTE• 27
Lamb, Chicken, & Pork Sausage,
Rapini, Mustard

MACELLAIO • 19
Pork Sausage, Guanciale, Sopressata, Mozzarella,
Grana Padano

PATATE ALLA CARBONARA • 18
Potatoes, Guanciale, Black Pepper, Pecorino, Egg

Cantaloupe Mimosas

Jack’s Wife Freda is a sophisticatedly casual Soho brunch spot that’s perfect for when you’re with a small group of people. Let me explain.

First of all, you’ll be waiting just a spell (hour average) for your table (no ressies taken for groups under 6) so, if you’re with a group, you’ll have someone to talk to.

Second, the portions of food are on the smaller side. Now, when I say “small”, I really mean “the perfect meal size” and just not the “Cheesecake Factory sized portions” we’ve become used to.

When I had remembered the size of the Green Shakshuka via the picture I had seen on Yelp, I decided I needed to order some kind of side dish.

The Matzo Ball soup was very tasty but it had an odd, brownish hue. Perhaps they used beef stock instead of chicken, but regardless, it still worked.

The Green Shakshuka was definitely on the smaller side, even when considering the average human stomach, so after consuming both dishes, I was perfectly full and not overly stuffed.

Shakshuka is a middle eastern baked egg dish, usually in a sauce consisting of tomatoes, onions, peppers and cumin. In this case, it was a very mild tomatillo sauce. Still quite nice, but not as much of a bite or kick to it as with a traditional ‘Shuka.

The skirt steak in Jack’s Breakfast was perfectly seasoned and cooked and altogether yummy. Definitely something to order if you’re on the hungrier side.

The Madame Freda was a delicate, subtle take on the Croque Madame (grilled ham and cheese with egg on top).

I’m a fan of a mimosa on occasion, but they’re often a case of acid reflux central. First, you’re provided with the cheapest sparkling malt beverage known to man. Calling it “Sparkling Wine” makes it seem too elegant for what you’re usually given. Top it off with some orange juice from concentrate and you’ve got yourself a Zantac commercial.

But these cantaloupe mimosas were absolutely delicious. They didn’t burn going down, they were served in classy, old-fashioned cocktail glasses and the cantaloupe nicely balanced the acid of whatever sparkling booze we were given. A creative and much needed twist on a heartburn inducing favorite.

Jack’s Wife Freda also has a location in the West Village, so depending on what part of town you happen to be in, I think either choice is a worthy brunch option. Regardless of which one you choose, you’ll probably have enough time to wait for your table to walk to the other location and still have some time to kill with that small group of friends I told you to bring.

224 Lafayette St
New York, NY 10012
b/t Kenmare St & Cleveland Pl in SoHo
(212) 510-8550
jackswifefreda.com

There is a hefty wait for tables on weekends.

FREDA’S MATZO BALL SOUP $7

Green Shakshuka 12 —
2 baked eggs in a green shakshuka served with challah toast

Madame Freda 14 —
Pressed sandwich with duck prosciutto, cheddar béchamel,
gruyere & a sunny side up egg

Jack’s Breakfast 19 —
2 eggs (any style), grilled skirt steak, grilled tomato, pickled red onions
and sourdough toast

OLD BROADWAY WINGS
$9.00
A Platter With All The Fixins, Tossed in Our Wing Sauce, with Radish, Daikon, Celery, Blue Cheese Yogurt.

In the words of SNL’s Stefon, “The hottest restaurant in NYC right now is Streetbird! This place has everything. Drum set light fixtures, mango pickle cocktails, cassette tape lamps, rotisserie chicken, fun 90’s hip hop, flying midgets.”

With the exception of the flying midgets, all of what Stefon says is true! This place really is on fire right now in every possible way.

We arrived on a Saturday night (the day after it officially opened) around 7:30 pm and the place was jam packed and jelly tight! And with good reason. It was like walking into a house party. Not a lame one, where you don’t know anyone and there’s no where to sit, except some gross couch and there’s one plastic bottle of bottom shelf vodka at the “bar”.

More like a fictional house party that you would throw if you lived inside of a movie, had a mysterious and unlimited source of income and not even one dull friend.

And like any fictional house party this fun, there’s a 1.5 hour wait to get in.

Fine. Let’s go find somewhere to booze in the meantime.

After about an hour boozing, we headed back to the restaurant and hung out in the small waiting area (didn’t realize there was actually a sizeable bar in the back) until we excitedly received our “Your Table is Ready!” text.

We sat at a counter facing the bar, which was perfect for ample people watching. That’s the best part of any house party, right? Besides peeking in medicine cabinets and hoping the pills you just took haven’t excessively expired.

We ordered a round of drinks, because besides a killer bee attack, being sober at a house party is my worst nightmare.

Now, the Juicy Fruit cocktail (rum, mango, pickle) was very unusual. Definitely an acquired taste. But there’s no way I’m not finishing it and my second beverage, their take on a Manhattan, was much more to my liking.

We ordered an array of every major item on the menu and it arrived fairly quickly and all at once. Time to pig out!

The highlights were the mac and cheese (simple but effective) the Collard Greens (very tasty, not too soggy) and the star of the show was the Rotisserie chicken.

The chicken (we ordered the half, for a very reasonable $9) and it was blanketed in spices and we chose the optional spicy “Streetbird Hot Sauce” for a dipping sauce.

ORDER THIS. DO WHAT WE DID. YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY.

The hot wings had a nice flavor but were a bit on the cold side (I blame that on new opening jitters) and the crispy chicken sandwich was not crispy at all, I’m not even sure it was breaded. It was very tasty, regardless. but definitely more baked than fried.

We spied celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson running around like a rotisserie chicken with it’s head cut off, making sure everything was in order.

Our server was really friendly and efficient, the prices were really affordable and the décor was out of control fun and creative. If you ever wanted to see where old boom boxes go to die and all your Another Bad Creation cassette singles disappeared to, look no further.

Combine an pumping 90’s Hip Hop/R&B soundtrack with all the above and you have the best house party you’ll ever be lucky enough to attend. Cuz, this one actually has tasty food and not just a sad bowl of dollar store tortilla chips.

2149 Frederick Douglas Blvd
New York, NY 10026
Harlem
(212) 206-2557
streetbirdnyc.com

ALL PHOTOS TAKEN WITH AN iPHONE

Chef Marcus Samuelsson pictured to the far right in the red scarf.

Juicy Fruit – White Rum, Mango, Pickle

COLLARD GREENS $4.00

RETURN OF THE MAC
$8.00
Cheddar, Parmesan, Rigatoni, Crispy Shallots

CRISPY BIRD
$8.50
Crispy Chicken, Cheddar, Potato Roll, Smokey Q,
\Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles

ROTISSERIE
(Half &9.00)