So today we slept in, had a few bites of cheesecake to make a soft landing for the vitamins, and headed over to Hell’s Kitchen for a look at the new Gotham West Market on the corner of 11th Ave and 44th St. This is a food hall for foodies, with restaurants like Little Kitchen, The Cannibal, El Comado, Genuine Roadside and Court St Market Sandwich Shop. You can browse the offerings and decide what you want to eat, and then get a beverage from The Cannibal and take it to the communal tables. We were really looking for the quintessential NY sandwich so we chose Court St and each ordered a Rueben. While Steve waited for the sandwiches I grabbed beers from The Cannibal, after Willmer, the barkeep/waiter/greeter allowed me to taste what was on tap before making my final decision. I went with the Single Cut Beersmith’s John Michael (rum barrel aged) from Astoria, Queens. Steve had an Avery IPA from Boulder, CO. While my choice was dark like a Guinness it had none of the bitterness and was delightfully smooth. It accompanied the best Rueben I think I’ve ever had. Not so stuffed that you couldn’t get your mouth around it, this sandwich was made with house-corned short ribs, swiss, sauerkraut and their special “come back” sauce, then grilled on Orwasher’s NY Rye bread. The sauce was not the usual mustard or thousand island, but a smooth yet spicy mayo based sauce with a hint of mustard and just enough kick but without any tomato. On the first bite my eyes got really wide, I looked at Steve and said “Oh my God this is so good.” And it was the perfect accompaniment to the great beer.

We liked the vibe of the place, the music and the people watching, so we moved over to the bar at The Cannibal and Willmer and Andrew (one of the cooks working as the bar back today) entertained us by asking us our opinions on Christmas presents for the new girlfriend’s parents and with stories of their exploits while we sipped a nice Booker’s bourbon. Kim, the executive chef came over and we joined in the discussion of how to clarify fruit and sugar syrups with charcoaled animal bones (really) or egg whites. Kim and I discussed the making of pates, terrines, and sausages, and the various casings for such endeavors. She then instructed the lads to let us try their house made beef jerky, using top round, soy, sririacha, sambal, and chili flakes. This ain’t your wierd uncle’s Slim Jim. Seriously tasty. Then Willmer poured us just a taste of Pig ‘N Whistle’s 12 3/4 year old bourbon from Shoreham VT (which we plan to visit over Christmas) and we all toasted the day, the Gotham West Market and each other.

If you get into NYC and want a really interesting lunch experience I highly recommend Gotham West Market.

More later!
D