A Dominique Ansel Bagel and Escargot Schmear Collab
Plus Michelin adds 10 New York City restaurants to its Guide
The Dominique Ansel x PopUp Bagel Collab
Dominique Ansel is the master of innovative pastry, behind such instant classics as the Cronut, the Cookie Shot (instead of milk, fill it with an espresso martini for a memorable party treat), and the DKA (Dominique's Kouign Amann).
With all these fanciful creations, it’s safe to say Ansel is the baking equivalent of fabled candy-maker Willy Wonka for his ability to come up with unique flavors and interesting sweet treats.
But, Ansel also has a savory side and his new, limited edition collab proves just that.
This weekend, Ansel will team up with his bakery’s SoHo neighbor, PopUp Bagels, for the ultimate baked salute to France — a garlic butter escargot schmear on a parmesan gruyère bagel.
Chef Ansel sautees escargot with brown butter and fresh herbs, then folds it into confit garlic cream cheese and crème fraîche, then topped with buttery parmesan panko breadcrumbs. It’s served warm and topped with a whole shell-on escargot filled with melted garlic butter.
It’s accompanied by a parmesan gruyère bagel, specially created for this pairing by PopUp Bagel. The bagel is designed to be torn and dipped into the warm cheese before devouring.
This bagel-and-escargot mashup costs $18.50 and will only be available at Dominique Ansel Bakery (189 Spring Street, NYC) this weekend from Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21 from 8 a.m. until sold out, daily.
Michelin Announces 10 Additions to New York Guide
The Michelin Guide announced the addition of 10 new restaurants to its New York guide, which includes more than 300 restaurants in New York City. The Michelin Guide announces new restaurants in advance of its ceremonies from time to time. These 10 restaurants currently do not have any Star or Bib Gourmand designations yet — but are eligible for them when Michelin holds its New York award ceremony in the fall. The exact date and location of the ceremony have not yet been announced.
The restaurants, along with Michelin inspector notes follow:
Bangkok Supper Club Cuisine: Thai
This spot with Chef Max Wittawat at the helm is very chic and on trend with a contemporary Thai menu pulling from family recipes while adding a touch of refinement. The product quality and execution are exacting, and even dishes that seem simple, as in the fiery scallop ceviche with watermelon chili granita, are impactful and play on dramatic contrasts. The deep-fried pork cheeks served sliced over savory garlic-baked rice are highly recommended. Loaded with flavor, each bite alternates between the sweet-tender pork and the savory-delicious rice. For dessert, cubes of a coconut chiffon cake topped with a pandan custard are nestled inside a young coconut. A creative cocktail menu showcases as much care as the food.
Bar Miller Cuisine: Sushi
From the team behind Rosella, this diminutive spot with a sprinkling of seats steers clear of the familiar minimalist design, favoring bold colors and eye-catching details (note the custom pottery displayed behind the counter). These confident chefs deliver an omakase that is a showpiece of local sourcing—even the rice is sourced from New York. Their personality is evident in dishes such as daikon vichyssoise with Wakame butter-braised greens and gently poached salmon. Dry-aged fluke topped with apple ice in a sweet soy sauce holds its own, while the duo of uni and the mellow, dry-aged mackerel with yuzu kosho are two standouts from the nigiri course. Desserts like the amazake, or fermented rice porridge, as well as corn gelato with caviar round out the singular experience.
Barrio Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Barrio may not be directly accessible by subway, but that doesn't stop the locals and those in the know from making their way over to this Puerto Rican hot spot. Inside, it's hip and colorful, with plush banquette seating, pendant lights and an ever-busy bar. Start with the hummus made from gandules and chickpeas. Chunky and a bit tart and sided by crisped plantain chips, it's a nice twist on the classic. Tuck in to a heaping plate of barbecue tamarind-glazed, slow-cooked pork ribs. Tender and well-spiced, they're slightly sweet and utterly delicious. Carne con papa plates a ribeye steak with garlic mashed potatoes and charred Brussels sprouts for a satisfying meal.
Cecily Cuisine: American
What happens when alums from Estela and The Four Horsemen come together under one roof? Only good things. This little restaurant in Greenpoint has all the makings of a neighborhood essential, thanks to its relaxed staff, an impressively lengthy and thoughtful wine list, and food that goes far beyond the usual meat-and-cheese offerings of a bar. Boldy seasoned and perfectly pitched, the no-nonsense cooking is at once hearty and satisfying. Fried rabbit with ramp agrodolce is a meal on its own, but you’ll also want to order some thick toast piled on with mussels and pancetta and served in a knockout Calabrian chili butter. Any lingering appetites can finish off with a very shareable and very satisfying pan-roasted Berkshire pork chop.
Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare Cuisine: Contemporary
This famed address hidden in the back corner of a Hell’s Kitchen grocery store now enters a new era under Chefs Max Natmessnig and Marco Prins. The room is a box of luxury and sparkles as bright as ever under the spotlights, with most guests seated at a glossy walnut counter that wraps around a brigade of cooks who have nowhere to hide. The team works quickly, sending out a volley of delicate tarts and bites that showcase a refined, Japanese-French style. Recent highlights include langoustine with yuzu and koshihikari rice, a large sea scallop in a lush brown butter sauce, and a slender block of turbot with firefly squid sauce and herb-oil swirled buttermilk. All the while, a faultless service team keeps close watch from all corners of the room.
L’abeille à Côté Cuisine: French
This jewel box of a restaurant is something of a rarity, as small dining rooms with even smaller menus are harder and harder to come by these days. To describe this as a bistro or remotely casual makes sense only in comparison to its next-door, tasting-menu-only sibling. Otherwise, this is a refined operation with handsome wood floors and tables, marble finishes, and a French-Japanese cooking style that makes the most of high-quality product. Think croquettes but filled with plump lobster meat or risotto finished with a runny Jidori egg and shaved white truffles. Nothing here is inexpensive or everyday, but for those who appreciate intimacy, privacy, and quality, it is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
Moono Cuisine: Korean
The front doesn’t look like much, but the latest opening from the talented Jua team on the edge of Koreatown captivates from the start. No need to rush: Start at the intimate bar, where Korean spirits are blended beautifully into sophisticated cocktails. Further in, find a two-story dining room washed over in warm, honeyed tones with stained glass windows and ceilings that reach for the sky. The Korean cooking is elegant without being fussy: Think twice-fried chicken and beef tartare alongside a brilliant, dry-aged branzino that’s grilled until the skin is as chip-crisp and served with soy mustard sauce. Bubbling hotpots, a picture-perfect bowl of Queen’s Gold rice topped with a mountain of uni, and noodles round out the selection.
Nōksu Cuisine: Contemporary
Eating underground in the subway system may not sound appealing, but that hasn't stopped Chef Dae Kim. In the heart of Koreatown at Herald Square behind a code-locked door, find a black marble counter that stretches the length of the room. Every chef is armed with tweezers to manage and primp gorgeous dishes that are largely contemporary in their design. Seafood is a serious focus with the likes of crab, fluke, clams, and mackerel. The restaurant’s signature is obvious once you spot the flock of pigeons dry-aging in a fridge. Against the backdrop of 80s hits playing overhead, a chef holds the bird up and repeatedly ladles hot oil over it in the style of Beijing duck. It’s a defining reminder that in New York City, anything can happen anywhere.
Shota Omakase Cuisine: Japanese
Far from the subway stop on a quiet street in Williamsburg, find this welcoming omakase counter hidden away near Domino Park. Chef Cheng Lin sets the tone as a friendly, relaxed guide for the night’s proceedings. And whereas some chefs practically take vows of silence with regards to sourcing and technique, he is quick to share where in Japan the fish is from, why he uses Inochi-no Ichi rice, and what it took to find his special aged soys and vinegars. His intentionality delivers in the form of excellent, seasonal product and a fine-tuned parade of nigiri, for which the rice is refreshed repeatedly. Prepared dishes like binchotan-seared sawara with citrus sauce, shiso, and nori or even a restorative cup of dashi with mushrooms also show distinction.
Untable Cuisine: Thai
This cozy, Thai newcomer in Cobble Hill lists a “What the Hell” fried rice on the menu with 12 chili symbols. True to its name, the entrée is ferociously spicy, but this restaurant is so much more than a fiery dare. Entrees are where chef Rachanon Kampimarn shines brightest as he takes core flavors and delivers them with a certain level of flair. The soupless khao soi with beef tossed in a Chiang Mai-style curry is arguably the most successful riff on the menu, followed closely by a very light yet bold green curry that comes paired with a strikingly tender grilled chicken thigh and a bowl of purple rice berry. Pay close attention to specials: Fried branzino with fried garlic and chili sauce was a bone-in affair worth all the fuss and more.