The Amateur Gourmet

I read the Donut Factory entry on your site. My two cents, whether or not you want it, is that everything is really high quality there (did you ever see him make them on Martha Stewart?), but I think the overall donut is too much, too big, too greasy, too nasty. I classify NYC donuts in three categories: a) cake b) confection and c) Polish.

The Polish ones are usually found on 2nd Avenue and are sometimes jelly-filled. There's one place (I forget which) which is known for making them with gold-leaf, which is a Polish specialty. All Polish donuts, though, are greasy because the dense dough sops up the fry oil, and they tend to have a leathery paper tear-texture to the skin. The Donut Factory are Polish donuts. I understand why everybody loves them -- big donuts, lots of sweet. I love the glazes, myself. But the donuts themselves are artery cloggers and aesthetically a mess, I think.

The confection donuts are the type that are very light and sweet: Dunkin Donuts being the low end of the commercial ones, and Krispy Kreme being the high end of the commercial type (by the way if you want a weird treat, ask the KK folks to give you a "shell" freshly baked if they are ever making the "blanks" for the jelly donuts).

The cake donuts are what are sometimes known as "old-fashioneds" and are sold at a lot of places. Usually they are...eh. But, if you have a freshly made one, nothing can beat it. The pinnacle of them are the Dreesen's donuts. When I was a kid, you'd go to Dreesen's Market in East Hampton and a little machine in the window would make them while you watched. They've gotten a big following over the years. When I worked at Marvel they would set up the machine on the Penn Station tracks on Fridays so the long Island commuters could get their faves. I used to give money to my assistant (who lived on the Island) to bring in donuts for the office. Here's more info on them:
http://www.dreesens.com/index.cfm?pageSRC=Home

There's a place called the Donut Pub on West 23rd that makes confection and cake donuts. People love the place. I find it pretty average.

Anyway, that's my two cents on that. Donut Factory = too much of a good thing.

As to Kossar's, I love that place. Back in the sepia-toned days of the Twentieth Century, I would have Sunday breakfast with my dad at a dim sum joint at 8am, then get bialys at Kossar's and pickles at the now defunct Gus the Pickle Man on Delancy.

I love bagels, but bialys are the real soul of that world. If bagels are Ella Fitzgerald, bialys are Billie Holliday.

Dopey Benny’s appears to have been set-up for serviceable after-boozing eats. I’ve been there twice. The first time it was a little better than serviceable. The second time it was a little less than serviceable. So it averages out to be what it aims to be.

This clean & cozy chrome hole in the wall is nestled right next the Sunshine Theatre on East Houston. The gimmick is mini-Philly cheesesteaks. An idea I welcome, as I’m always bloated after a full cheesesteak. If this is what you’re after, Dopey does the job; though I might also suggest 99 Miles to Philly on Third Avenue and 12th, which tackles the problem with a little more finesse and authenticity with their 3/4-sized cheesesteaks.

Benny’s has a special for those who wander in seeking refuge from the noise and liquor of the weekend: eight bucks for three mini-cheesesteaks, a soda, and fries. It’s a good deal. It’ll fill a thin man, and sate a fat man until the next beer.

Two options apply to each sandwich: toppings and cheese. The toppings are ethnic-themed (Korean with scallions and Hoisin, Mexican with Guac and salsa, etc...) and the cheeses are the standard assortments of Provolone, Whiz and so forth. The counterman is wonderfully obliging to you as you mix and match each of your three cheesesteaks.

Surprisingly the novelty toppings are good, while the classic cheesesteak is bland and worth avoiding. The first time I ate there the bread struck me as wonderfully complex: soft, tender, gummy, crisp all at once -- a real treat. The second visit it just struck me as gummy, while my companions raved about it; so it might be a novelty thing, like how dumplings always taste better the first time you order them at a Chinese restaurant.

Don’t order any of the cheesesteaks with chicken. Bland. If you must have chicken, go to Bereket Turkish Kebab House on the corner nearby and get it done right.

The sodas, proudly no-name generic, do feature a fountain RC cola though, for those of us with a sweet spot in our hearts for that.

The fries come with dry rub potato chip variety seasonings: sour cream & onion, BBQ, etc.... It does the job of putting hot starch in your belly. But if you want a special side order with a cheesesteak, hit Philly Slim’s on 9th Avenue and 55nd for the Romano-dusted fries. Benny could take a lesson from that.

Let me say outright, Mara’s has the best BBQ combo in the city. There might be specific BBQ places that have individual pieces that rival Mara’s ribs or brisket, but none that can rival the whole package. I had the ribs and brisket combo. A big tin Arbita Beer tray comes loaded with food. The two types of rib, baby back and St. Louis, were meaty and delicious. The brisket was cut thick, had a beautiful smoke ring, and was tasty throughout...unlike the uber-bland brisket at the much-beloved (not by me) R.U.B.. You get a choice of two sides. I had fried okra, that was not greasy and okay. And I had a great side of collards that Mara recommended I douse with a bottle of vinegar with peppers soaking in it; nice and tangy. There’s also a molasses-glazed cornbread which was good, but not a favorite of mine. I suspect Southerners might like it, though, as the Southern taste tends to run to a more austere cornbread.

Mara’s is run by Mara and David Levi, a very cordial couple. This is not an anonymous waiter experience like in a regular restaurant. David runs the bar. Mara usually waits the tables. They’re training up their son to run the smoker. They clearly keep an eye on the kitchen throughout the evening and are curious to know what you like and don’t like in the final result. The restaurant specializes in New Orleans cuisine, even though my friends and I couldn’t resist the BBQ. We’ll be back for a specific New Orleans visit soon.

It’s a great spot for summer dining. David offers up fresh iced tea, mint iced tea, and lemonade which is sweet and delicious, unlike that sour, unsweetened stuff they serve up in “sophisticated” places in the city. We started our meal with fried gator. The cornmeal batter was lightly fried, not greasy at all, even though the flavor of the gator was somewhat lost in the crust. There’s a mouthwatering selection of homemade deserts, including red velvet cake, a favorite of mine. We were so full after the combos that we shared an order of beignets. This was the only dud of the evening -- thick and bland compared to the Cafe Dumond standard. But my friend said it was an over-cooked anomaly, as he had had it another visit and it was much lighter.