Take Your Dessert With a Grain of SaltForget savory desserts: Even traditional sweet ones are better with a little salt, as this slideshow demonstrates.
Mediavore
Dovetail’s Food Editor–Hostess Tells Her Tale; Dessert Truck vs. TreatsThe Food & Wine editor–cum–hostess at Dovetail had a hard time learning the ropes of the job at first, but by the end she learned that star ratings from critics matter, and there’s more to being a hostess than checking coats. [TONY]
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has filed a suit against Tonic East for “a pattern or practice of denying African-Americans from admittance into its club.” [Down by the Hipster]
Unbeknownst to us, rapper Coolio has a cooking show on the Web called, succinctly, Cookin’ With Coolio, but he might not be the most adventurous kitchen personality we’ve ever seen: “I don’t like pork, I don’t eat pork, and I don’t cook pork.” [Serious Eats]
User’s Guide
The Food-Truck Revolution Rolls On — Here’s WhereGrub Street was excited for Fashion Week for lots of reasons, but one of the best parts was supposed to be stalking the L.A.-launched Heartschallenger-sweets truck. So we were disappointed to learn that instead of doling out Japanese candies (or, more likely, mix tapes) to models, the rosy-pink hip-mobile is currently being boxed up for shipment to Europe. No matter. In addition to learning that the artist-musician couple who owns the brand plan to return in May (in a season-long deal with the Parks Department!), there are plenty of other trucks in this town to satisfy our food-on-wheels fancy. Here’s our rundown of the best. —Alexandra Vallis
In the Magazine
Plenty of Edible Reasons to Love New York
This week, in what has become an annual tradition, the magazine identifies more reasons to love New York. The city’s edibles are justification enough, and this year Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld present two: our enthusiasm for frying and the Dessert Truck. The Robs continue to indulge by listing some of the city’s richest dishes, like WD-50’s eggs Benedict or foie gras meat loaf from Café Gray, as well as suggesting some places for New Year’s Eve dinner. Gael Greene does not speak of Crave on 42nd with such reckless abandon, but there’s nascent hope for this week’s openings: a wine bar, a vegetarian burger joint, and an eclectic East Village bistro. Finally, Rob and Robin give us one last at-home indulgence: baked Vacherin Mont d’Or. And after twelve months of tsuris, we’ve all got it coming.
The New York Diet
Comedian Aziz Ansari Won’t Stand for Gourmet Chicken and Waffles
Since being named Rolling Stone’s “hot stand-up,” Aziz Ansari has risen to still more prominence as — quite memorably — the racist fruit vendor on Flight of the Conchords and a star of MTV’s Human Giant (now filming its second season). One of the latter show’s memorable skits has Aziz taking a blood oath with his co-stars Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel to visit the fictional BBQ joint KC Rib Tickler’s (having grown up in South Carolina, Aziz is indeed a barbecue fan). Though they have yet to actually shed blood over it in reality, Aziz and his co-stars are passionate about checking out newly opened spots (using Adam Platt’s reviews as a pointer, we’re happy to hear!). We asked him where he’s been this week.
Mediavore
Gordo Envisions Demise of Bruni; David Burke Scores Cabaret LicenseGordo scoffs at Frank Bruni for panning his restaurant after the Times critic called to “schmarm” him and ask about a dish since “if you don’t know what you’re criticising, then don’t write about it.” But the snappy chef still feels generous toward food critics: He’ll “do all the canapés at their funerals free of charge.” [Daily Star]
David Burke just acquired a cabaret license for Hawaiian Tropic Zone, though thankfully it won’t be Burke himself doing the dancing but rather professionals copying the Pussycat Dolls. [NYP]
Smart small businesses like Little Cupcake Bake Shop in Bay Ridge are leading the green front because they can “benefit from conservation efforts in two ways — by saving money on their monthly utility bills and by raising their profile in the community for much less money than they might spend on local advertising.” [NYT]
