ON BROOKLYN
You lived in Manhattan for 10 years before moving to Brooklyn. Do you really think the Brooklyn food scene competes?
The answer to that question is complicated. Ten years ago, I didn’t think the Brooklyn food scene could hold a candle to Manhattan. But a lot has changed in the last decade. The high cost of rent in Manhattan priced out creative, young chefs and restaurateurs as well as the types of diners who may have frequented their restaurants. The low overhead was originally the allure of a Brooklyn-based food venture. Now, Brooklyn has come into its own, and for many entrepreneurs Brooklyn is the only place to be—not something they’re settling for. Still, for fine dining, Manhattan has some world-class chefs, and I would never swear-off their restaurants.
In addition to real estate, what else helped to develop the Brooklyn food scene?
I give a lot of credit to the Brooklyn Flea, which spawned a whole generation of young food makers and gave them an opportunity to try out their businesses and be rewarded with a growing following without as much risk.
How is Brooklyn’s food scene different from Manhattan’s?
The most notable difference to me is how casual Brooklyn is—always. Even at restaurants with entrees that cost more than $30, you can always wear jeans. I love that about Brooklyn.
ON THE BOOK ITSELF:
What is your favorite restaurant in Brooklyn?
You know, I wish I had a simple answer to this one. I fell in love with restaurants in every neighborhood as I traveled around Brooklyn, and I find it nearly impossible to choose just one. That said, there is a “Best of” list in the front of the book that contains my favorite restaurants and shops in over a dozen categories.
Did you eat everything in the book?
Yes! That was the toughest part of the project. Each night for a little more than six months, I ate at a different restaurant. If I had to leave town for a couple days (as I did once for work) I would double up when I returned. Every weekend, I visited 20 to 30 places, which included food stores as well as restaurants.
How did you get to that many places?
For example, one day in July, I hit every taco shop on Fifth Avenue’s stretch of Mexican restaurants. Another day, I sampled dozens of dumplings and noodle soups in Eighth Avenue’s Chinatown. My “eating tours” took place every Saturday and Sunday, usually from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.—then I took a break and wrote for a few hours before heading out for dinner. It was exhausting at times, but also a lot of fun. I had a day job at the time as an editor at Condé Nast, so eating lunch in Brooklyn during the week wasn’t possible Condé Nast is in midtown Manhattan
Did you do all of this alone?
Thankfully no! My husband was my most frequent partner in crime—he is the most omnivorous, fearless eater I have ever met. (Unfortunately, he is not as good at pacing as I am, but that is another story.) On weekends, we would often bring friends along for the ride—instructing them to not eat beforehand and bring a bottle of water, comfortable shoes, and napkins! I’ve thanked all of these folks in the “Acknowledgement” section of the book, and I don’t think I could have done it without them. I still had to sample everything, but they made it all easier, and brought a fresh enthusiasm when mine threatened to wane.
Did the restaurants recognize you?
No, I paid cash everywhere I went, and I never alerted a restaurant in advance that I was coming. In fact, since I have been an international travel writer for most of my career, there would have been no reason for local chefs or restaurateurs to recognize either my name or my face. When I finished a neighborhood, then I would call the restaurant or shop with any questions, and my research assistants would follow up to factcheck the details.
So you didn’t take any freebies?
No, never. I knew it would be expensive to pay for all of the food myself, but I decided it was the only way to be certain that I was having an authentic man-on-the-street experience. And I got what I paid for—of the almost 600 places that I went to for the book, I experienced every level of food quality and service on the spectrum. Then I edited it down to the 300-or-so best places, and those are the ones I wrote about.
And..now?
My husband and I talked a lot about never eating out again when the book was done, and going on a health-food diet for a few months. But we didn’t. The truth is, we love so many of the places that we discovered along the way, and (since we weren’t able to return anywhere until the initial reporting was done) there were a lot of restaurants we couldn’t wait to get back to when we were actually hungry. Now, we also source most of our cooking ingredients locally and, while it does take more time, we enjoy the results.
ON FOOD
What are your favorite things to eat, outside of Brooklyn?
Favorite Flavors: Hatch green chiles, melted cheese, chimichurri, toro, foie
Least Favorite Flavors: asparagus, beets, bitter melon, cinnamon, cardamom
Favorite Fruit: jackfruit
Favorite Breakfast: almond croissant
Favorite Juice: kalamansi
Favorite Vegetable: spinach, roasted brussels sprouts
Favorite Sandwiches: hoagies, lobster rolls
Favorite Beers: Hitichino Espresso Stout, raspberry lambics
Favorite Bar Food: Buffalo chicken wings
Cravable Fast Food: In-n-Out Burger and Chik-fil-A
Favorite Desserts: Caramel millefeuille, Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas; almond granitas, Sicily; Salted caramel macaroons, Ladurée, Paris
Favorite Chefs: David Chang, Momofuku Ko, Manhattan; Martin Picard, Au Pied de Cochon, Montreal
Biggest Cooking High: perfect cannolis
