My icy forecast for Hell's Kitchen: lychee, lemon, or licorice, with a chance of hazelnut chip, apricot-ginger, or pistachio sherbert. Then again, anytime I'm in the neighborhood, there's a strong possibility of mango, with intermittent basil (small; $2.50).
NYC Icy
628 Tenth Avenue (44-45th Sts.)
Also at 905 Church Ave., Kensington, Brooklyn
Squeeze past the deli-grocery in front, and you'll find even fresher treats in back.
Sometimes the fixings upstage the falafel.
This is much easier to manage when you have a place to sit.
While I waited for the eatery to open, near the roofline I noticed raised letters that read "9th. Ave. Flat." (Click on this or any other photo for a better look.) Many of these inscriptions were intended as advertisements directed at passengers on the Columbus Ave. elevated train. Also known as the Ninth Ave. El, it reportedly stood, at least in part, until the 1950s.
Surviving signage for a "9th. Ave. Flat."
744 Ninth Ave. (50th-51st Sts.), rooftop level
An odd couple of delivery vans making their rounds.
Red Bull and Pat La Frieda delivery vans
Ninth Ave. between 50th and 51st Sts.
Update, May 7: "We are going to be open tomorrow from 11:30; we just have inspection," I was told by telephone. Thursday, May 8, it is. Previously:
"Do you know when they're opening?" asked the fellow in the sheriff's hat. The two of us were taking the noontime breeze on Ninth Ave.; I'd just emerged from a look at the new Hallo Berlin Express. The workman behind the counter wouldn't say, I told the "sheriff," but moments later a moustached stranger made an appearance. "May 1," said the stranger (who identified himself only as a partner) before he moseyed inside, perhaps to attend to the tap lines; unlike the famous food cart near Fifth Ave., Hallo Berlin Express will be serving beer with its brats. See you 'round these parts again soon, stranger.
Update: Opening day has been pushed back from May 1 to May 7, as you can see from the sign below. Despite the signmaker's uncertain hand and lack of ease with ordinal numbers, another stranger (unshaven, but moustache-free) confirmed the new, later date.
Hallo Berlin Express
744 Ninth Ave. (50th-51st Sts.)
212-333-2372
They were out of breast meat.
The first and only time I encountered the French fries pie at Strokos, I wasn't carrying a camera, but you might imagine a much flatter, even cheesier version of poutine. Since then I've tried a doughy spinach roll and a mediocre Sicilian, but this white pizza (slice; $3), liberally wetted with olive oil, is also worth a return visit, all fries aside.
Strokos
888 Tenth Ave. (at 58th St.)
212-581-6262
Also 1090 Amsterdam Ave. (at 114th St.)
212-666-2121
This tiny Middle Eastern eatery is named for the chef, who was reportedly born in Syria, not for the small town in northern Libya, and it serves "Israeli Druse" specialties. (Indeed, if you call in a takeout order, it helps to speak Hebrew.)
Don't fuss over all that. Snag a special, like this bagel-sized boreka ($5), sprinkled with sesame and nigella seeds and stuffed with goat cheese and a little sundried tomato; it's like a big warm phyllo donut.
Gazala Place
709 Ninth Ave. (48th-49th Sts.)
212-245-0709
www.gazalaplace.com (for "flavor" only; as elsewhere, prices have risen)
Table Talk pies (4 oz.; 69 cents) are a guilty pleasure of mine, except I don't have them that often and don't feel that guilty.
Previously at I&S: The "Main Street Combo," ($5.99), a roast beef hero with sweet peppers, grilled onions, and fresh mozzarella, wasn't bad.
I&S Deli
853 Ninth Ave. (55th-56th Sts.)
212-957-2133
Won Dee's appetizers are always a fun time.
At this austere Clinton eatery, the food is just as matter-of-fact as the décor.
The humble seating area in the back of Amy's is just the place for a slice of the best yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting ($4.25) since the last time you blew out birthday candles.
Two and a half years ago, when this eatery opened as an outpost of the Philly chain Tony Luke's, the interior was stark, white, and strictly a standup operation. No seats, just a narrow counter along each side wall and a window at the back. Only the handwritten "We Are Open" sign, and reports of one particular sandwich, encouraged me to step inside.
Tony Luke's is famous for cheese steaks, as well as chicken steaks and cutlets, but I had already settled on a triple feature called the roast pork Italian (top photo; $7.95), which partnered the juicy meat with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe. Although my server wrapped it to go, I caught enough of a whiff that I just had to tear open the wrapper and grab a bite at the counter. The bite of the provolone and the tang of the broccoli were fantastic; the pork was just fatty enough; the bread, sufficiently crusty to cope with the juice. Just a winner, through and through.
On another occasion, I tried a green sandwich with sharp provolone ($6.10) — a standard menu item that loosely translates as roast pork Italian without the pork — which was nearly as good, and every bit as messy, once the butter (and perhaps garlic) used to sauté the broccoli rabe had soaked into the bread. (Nearly as good. I don't recall what prompted me that day to go meatless; my server was a little worried, too.)
Since then the New York owners have broken ties with the Philly chain, and Shorty's has added seats, flat-panel TVs, and a liquor license that allows a fine lineup of tap beers including Victory and Captain Lawrence. However, what's now called the roast pork special (bottom photo; half; $5.50) wasn't quite the sandwich I remember, at least on my one recent visit. The broccoli rabe and sharp provolone seemed underrepresented, and they lacked bite; the spicy au jus soaked in so thoroughly that even my half-sandwich was falling apart by the time I finished. Be that as it may, I made sure to corral the stray fillings. Worth another go.
Shorty's
576 Ninth Ave. (41st-42nd. Sts.)
212-967-3055
If your Ghanaian entrée is simmering on the stovetop but you don't have time to ferment and steam your own corn "sourdough," here's the place to pick up kenkey at the checkout counter (salted or unsalted; $1). Though Asian-run, this market does indeed devote most of its shelf space to African imports, such as "shitor," a chili-pepper condiment that seems very similar to the Malaysian sambal belacan. (It's also available in at least one ruder spelling.)
West African Grocery
535 Ninth Ave. (39th-40th Sts.)
You'll get a better feel for chilaquiles, a word derived from the Nahuatl for "herbs or greens in a salsa of chiles," from its colloquial meaning, "a broken-up, old sombrero." This Mexican breakfast standard (and reputed hangover cure) gives new life to broken-up tortillas in any number of regional variations — here, simply with a spicy red sauce, refried beans, grated cheese, and two over easy ($7.95).
Bright, diner-like setting; very accommodating of non-Spanish speakers.
Tulcingo Del Valle
665 Tenth Ave. (46th-47th Sts.)
212-262-5510
Though it sounds like a harvesttime special, in May I was pleasantly surprised to find the Little Pie Co's signature offering, sour cream apple walnut pie (slice; $2), after wedging my way through the scrum at the Ninth Ave. Food Festival.
How good is it? Once, for an in-office luncheon, I paired it off against a pale yellow key lime pie (10 inches; $18). The key lime was almost puddinglike in texture — even when chilled — with a subdued yet decisive citrus tang. In other company, a winner, but that afternoon the clear favorite was the sour cream apple walnut (10 inches; $25). In cross-section, it bared numerous thin slices of apple topped with a knobby crust that readily shed crumbs during slicing. From across the room, it was very telling to watch a fellow editor resolutely corral those crumbs with his fingers; none was spared.
Little Pie Co.
424 West 43rd St. (Ninth-Tenth Aves.)
(one of several locations)
212-736-4780
A frogera (fro-Yeah-ruh; top photo, minus a bite; $3.50) was a fat phyllo roll filled with milk custard, crushed nuts, and a little honey; thankfully, not overly sweet.
On previous occasions:
A "menina mash" (bottom photo; $4) was a hefty phyllo triangle encasing spinach, potatoes, carrots, and (too subtle for my palate) chicory.
A tiropita (tee-Row-pih-tuh; $2.75) blended feta with ricotta, and just a little mint, in a very flaky phyllo triangle. Grainier than I expected; needed just a hint more mint.
Poseidon Greek Bakery
629 Ninth Ave. (44th-45th Sts.)
212-757-6173
A "roast pig" sandwich ($6) was good, but no better, when wetted down with plenty of mustard.
Dalton 's Bar & Grill
611 Ninth Ave. (43rd-44th Sts.)
212-245-5511
At the Ninth Ave. Food Festival
The newer location of this Hell's Kitchen duo is sleeker and shinier than the tourist-postered original; both offer Thai chow that's satisfying if sometimes overly sweet. Prime example: fried curry puffs (top photo; $5.95), stuffed with diced onion and potato, flavored with cumin, and paired with an overmatched cucumber-onion-vinegar dip. Even so, I order 'em every time.
On my most recent visit, the sweet chili sauce was the best thing about hae karn ($4.95), a deep-fried, sliced-up roll of ground crabmeat that tasted too much of the bean curd wrapper. Fried fish cakes ($7.95), blended with diced string beans and shredded lime leaf, with a chili-peanut sauce, were pointedly flavored but rubbery. Beef larb (bottom photo; $5.95), with lime, chili powder, onion, scallion, and mint leaves, can be wearyingly sour if you're not sharing.
On other occasions:
Squid yum ($6.50) was a substantial salad dressed with lime, tomato, onion, and scallions, with a final touch of chili and cilantro on top. Good al dente texture to the squid; enough spice that you'll want switch off with other dishes.
Broad nua sub noodles ($6.50) topped with chopped meat, onion, and tomato, plus a sprinkle of scallions, cilantro, and chili, is presented in a deep, oval platter, swimming in a yellow curry. A little on the soupy side, but more than filling.
Warm durian with rice pudding ($2.50), in a little coconut milk. Durian has a texture not unlike melted brie, and then there's that aroma. Many of my friends have said they'd take a permanent pass; I wouldn't want to pass it up.
Fried calamari with sweet chili sauce ($5.95) was a good rendition of this appetizer.
Crispy pork with basil ($7) was double-cooked and a little dry; crispy, though.
Pad key mao with pork ($6.50), stir-fried flat rice noodles with basil, onion, and chili, is a good choice if you just want one quick filling dish.
Pam Real Thai Food
404 West 47th St. (Ninth-Tenth Aves.)
(one of two locations)
212-315-4441
Cheek-by-jowl with the Penthouse Executive Club (though the entrances are a block apart), last year Daisy May got a back room of its own, and picnic benches to fill it. My kind of featured performers hail from Kansas City, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and the Carolinas, but I have a thing for Memphis and its dry rub pork ribs, like the little number silhouetted here against thoroughly creamed cream spinach. Waiting their turn in back: a sweet-tangy-salty combo of baked beans with burnt ends.
On another visit, the "bowl o' red" (12 oz.; $6) — also available from Daisy May's midtown street cart — was a great meal in itself, though I'm not crazy about the yellow cheese. Sweet potatoes with brown sugar (8 oz.; $4.50) were sweet enough for dessert.
Daisy May's BBQ USA
623 11th Ave. (46th St.)
212-977-1500
Named for a cheese common throughout the Balkans, Kashkaval sports an enticing deli counter and a rustic back room that's quiet by day but often hopping at night. Sadly, the few items I've sampled for takeout were unexciting: ajvar ($6.99 per pound), a spread of roasted red pepper, olive oil, and garlic that was not only mild, but tame; a spicy walnut pepper spread with oil, garlic, and parsley ($6.99 per pound) that, believe it or not, had too much walnutty crunch; and a beef borek ($3.95) surrounded by gummy phyllo.
Kashkaval
856 Ninth Ave. (55th-56th Sts.)
212-581-8282
Not for dessert only, though the sweets (and even the sakes) far outnumber the savories. "Original sweet tofu" ($7), with black sugar sauce and dried apricot, was creamy but too dense for my taste; I prefer the looser formation of tofu-fa.
Kyotofu
705 Ninth Ave. (48th-49th Sts.)
212-974-6012
Enjoy cheese, cured meat, or tapas with your tipple in the small seating area, or take your tidbits to go. Here: hot, sweet, or in my case black-pepper-rolled salami ($12.80 per pound). Very, very peppery.
Vintner Wine Market
671 Ninth Ave. (46th-47th Sts.)
212-957-7500
