The newest location of MQ at 75 Greenwich Ave. is practically across the street from us, so we decided to give it a try when we needed a late dinner last week. We have walked past the East Village location many times on the way to other restaurants, but we are not barbeque afficionados, and as the clientele looked to us like a lot of doofuses, we never gave it a thought. We normally think of dining out as a leisurely meal with table service, so this sort of casual fast food format wasn’t something we could see going out of our way for.

Well, now that we have one closer to home, we could find out what we were missing. The food is exceptional, and cheap to boot! If there is a wait for a table, we could just take the food home, so this will be a great option when we just want something quick and delicious.

I had the smoked sausage, which was excellent, but the brisket that Stanley had was to die for. I can see why it gets so much praise. The barbeque sauce was a nice enhancement. The pickled cucumbers and the cole slaw were also just right, and I liked the sweet potato casserole even though I am usually not a fan of sweet potatoes, or potatoes in general for that matter. We liked the selection of beers on tap. The Founders Dirty Bastard Ale was a great choice.

Website: http://mightyquinnsbbq.com/

Here is a perfect recipe for a Summer lunch.  It is made in 3 parts, a tomato, herb and vegetable mixture, a yogurt and mayonnaise sauce with shrimp, and the pasta, all being combined just before serving.  It is wonderfully light and refreshing, with a complex blend of flavors.  This came from an old Martha Stewart recipe, which I have adapted.  In the 25 or so years I have been making this dish, it has always been a hit.

Keep in mind that the measurements listed are approximate.  I don’t measure the ingredients exactly.

To serve 6 people:

For the vegetable mixture:

2 cups celery, sliced thin

1 cup scallions, sliced thin

1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup chopped basil leaves

6 cloves garlic, minced

grated zest of 2 lemons

juice of 2 lemons

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 to 6 tomatoes, preferably heirloom or home-grown, cut into chunks

Put the cut-up tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt, mix and let sit while preparing the other ingredients.  Combine ingredients in a large serving bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Drain excess liquid from the tomatoes and add them to the mixture.

For the shrimp sauce:

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3/4 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade (see my recipe below for green peppercorn/caper aioli)

grated zest of 2 oranges

juice of 2 oranges

3 or 4 dashes of  Tabasco or similar hot pepper sauce

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add the shrimp.  Cook for 2 minutes, turn off heat and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.  Drain and rinse several times with cold water until cooled.   Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, orange and Tabasco in a bowl.  Add the shrimp and stir.

For the pasta:

1 lb. angel hair (I prefer DeCecco)

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add the pasta.  Reduce to simmer and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook.  Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the vegetable mixture.  The hot pasta will “cook” the mixture slightly.  Stir until well-mixed and add the shrimp sauce.  Stir again and serve.

Recipe for green peppercorn/caper aioli:

1 large egg

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. capers, drained

1 tbsp. green peppercorns in brine, drained

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 1/4 cups oil (I use 3/4 cup corn oil and 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil)

Combine all ingredients except lemon juice and oil in a food processor, and process until smooth.  Add the lemon juice and pulse to blend. With the food processor running, gradually add the oil.  The mayonnaise should be fairly thick.  Test with your finger.  If it drips off easily it is too thin, so add a bit more corn oil and pulse, then test again.

Bon appetit!

The second quarter of 2014 was defined by a continuing reduction of inventory in the Manhattan and Brooklyn housing markets, with the resulting strong increase in sale prices. Sustained low interest rates contributed to buyers’ ability and willingness to pay whatever was necessary to get the properties they desired. In this quarter, we saw the highest number of listings selling at or above their asking prices compared to any quarter in the past several years.

Here are the major trends I am seeing in the marketplace:

• Price appreciation has averaged about 10% above the end of 2013, with the most desirable listings and those in the best condition seeing increases of 15% and more, meeting and exceeding our predictions. Prices have now surpassed those of the peak years of 2007 and 2008, often by as much as 15-25%.
• The market in the under $2,000,000 range is extremely strong, often leading to multiple bids, particularly for units with two or more bedrooms. Bidding on studios and one-bedrooms was less intense but still active.
• Properties in the $3,000,000 to $7,000,000 range usually receive activity within weeks if they were priced correctly from the beginning.
• Properties above $10,000,000 often remain on the market for months or longer, due to the smaller pool of buyers in this price category.
• The Brooklyn market is still very hot, with just about any property bringing multiple offers, particularly in the areas from the Heights South and East to Bedford-Stuyvesant and beyond. There is not enough supply to meet the demand, and prices are up almost tenfold from 4 years ago.
• New development condominiums continue to have very strong sales, often to foreign buyers, who developers are targeting by offering hotel-type services. For existing units, we are seeing more interest in coops rather than condos due to their greater affordability. We are still seeing sellers with unrealistic expectations that the soaring prices of new development will carry over to existing condos and coops.
• Coop buyers are committed New Yorkers establishing roots and staying for the duration.
• Condition, location and proper pricing remain the major criteria in achieving a speedy sale.

2nd Quarter Statistics:

• The average price of a coop resale was $1,295,000.
• The average price of a condo resale was $1,985,000.
• The average price of a new development condo was $3,600,000.
• The average price of the overall luxury market was $7,260,000.
• The average sale price per square foot for a coop was $1,020.00.
• The average sale price per square foot for a condominium was $1,465.00.
• The average sale price per square foot for a new development (all of Manhattan) was $1,800.00.
• The average sale price per square foot for the luxury market was $2,614.00.
• The average sale price per townhouse overall was $7.255M; East Side $8.760M; West Side $5.835M;
Downtown $9.200M and Uptown $1.890M.
• The average sale price for the loft market was $2.627M or $1,436.00 per square foot.
• The average sale price for the luxury market (top 10%) was $7.255M or $2,735.00 per square foot.

Visit my web page:

http://www.wohlfarth.com/agent/robert-rems-29.html

Having really enjoyed our first visit to Szechuan Gourmet on 39th St., we were curious to find out how the new one at 98th and Broadway compares, so we tried it on Wednesday.

The space, which formerly housed Hunan Balcony, is huge, and tables are well spaced, much more comfortable than the 39th St. location, and with better service. Of course, since there were only about 6 tables occupied, the staff was not exactly overtaxed. We were surprised to find that they do not have a liquor license yet, but they served free glasses of wine, which was a nice touch.

The food was excellent. We started with ox tongue and tripe, sliced very thin and served cool in a chili soy vinaigrette (spicy and very delicious), and pork dumplings in a spicy chili sauce (far superior to the typical dumpling). For the main course, we had sauteed fish filets with leeks, and kung pao chicken, both nicely spiced and very flavorful.

I hope this place will be a success.

We  arrived mid-afternoon and got ourselves settled, then set off for a scenic drive to Orr’s and Bailey Islands, and back in time for cocktails and a dinner of mussels and lobsters.

The next morning we drove up the coast to Damariscotta, another picture-postcard town, where we had lunch at King Eider’s Pub, including the wonderful Pemaquid oysters, crab cakes, and lobster BLT’s.  Then we took a ride to Pemaquid Point, where we climbed to the top of the lighthouse (featured on the obverse of quarters representing the State of Maine), and to Boothbay Harbor.  Back in Cundy’s Harbor we prepared a delicious dinner with the oysters and halibut we had bought in Damariscotta.

Sunday morning, Rick took us for a ride on his boat, exploring the many islands of this gorgeous area. Then we packed up our stuff so we could leave directly from lunch, and headed over to the Dolphin Marina, where we had another superb lunch of lobster stew, fried clams, and their famous blueberry muffins, while basking in the stunning views all around us. Waiting for our table, we strolled on the lawn running down to the ocean.  A helicopter appeared and landed on the lawn.  The pilot jumped out and ran to the “modern convenience,” returned and took off again, proving that “when you gotta go, you gotta go”.

After lunch, it was time to get in the car and head home, having enjoyed a fabulous weekend in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

FYI, Rick’s house is available for weekly and monthly rentals:

http://www.wohlfarth.com/listing-details/rental-15115.html

Friday morning, we got up bright and early and took the train to Bronxville, where we were picked up by our friends Arthur and Al, and off we went to Maine, our destination being Rick Wohlfarth’s house in Cundy’s Harbor.  On the way, we stopped off in Portland for lunch and a quick tour of downtown and the old port.  This city has come a long way from what I remember in the 1970’s, when it was a rundown backwater.  It has turned into a trendy, vibrant place with lots of cutting-edge restaurants, and a surprising number of new and architecturally interesting hotels.  Since Al is a vegan and would be spending the rest of the weekend watching the rest of us gorge on lobsters, mussels, oysters, crabs, clams and halibut, we decided to treat him to lunch at the Green Elephant (photos above from their website), which I had found in my research to be a highly-regarded vegetarian restaurant with Asian-style dishes, many of which were vegan.  Though I would have preferred some meat or fish in my Thai ginger noodles, the tofu was not bad at all, and the rest of the flavors made it a multi-dimensional dish that I really enjoyed.  It did need some spicing up, so I asked for Sriracha sauce, and it did the trick very nicely.  They had a good beer selection, too.  I liked the Shipyard Old Thumper, a dark amber ale, very much.

After lunch we pressed on to Cundy’s Harbor, a seaside village outside of Brunswick that oozes charm.  Continued in my next post.

Yes, this is an actual example of an apartment at The W, located at 123 Washington St. in the Financial District.  This room is part of an apartment being touted as a “bachelor pad”, one of the 10 units on the 55th and 56th floors that were staged by a total of 22 different decorators.  They could have all been done by one person for all the originality they showed.  How about  that neon “PULSE” sign over the bed.  Seriously?  Fake fur throws and flokati rugs showed up all over the place.  It was as though they had slaughtered a flokati elephant and scattered its hide throughout the showrooms.

Okay, I have to admit, the views are pretty spectacular.  They have to be to make up for the tiny rooms.  The very commendable purpose of the Showhouse is to raise money for Lenox Hill Hospital, but it was also a vehicle to promote the unsold sponsor units.  There are currently 25 or so units on the market for sale (not all sponsor units) and most of these are also for rent.  I’ve been to other promotional events where they plied us with Champagne and delicious hors d’oeuvres.  At this one, the “drinks and nibbles”  were screw-top wine, various salumi and a couple of cheeses, definitely a low-budget affair. 

The view from the roof, though, was unarguably sublime, especially as the sun broke through the clouds and illuminated the Brooklyn highlands.

Anyone thinking of buying one of these needs to have a highly skilled negotiator on their side (moi, for instance).  Many of the sold units went for as much as 25% below the asking price, and the current availabilities are sitting there unsold, in a market where properties that are priced correctly go within days.

On June 5, I attended a fund-raiser for COCOON Goutte d’Or, Paris, a public space sculpture by the artist Kate Browne. Cocoon is a crowd-and locally-sourced outdoor sculpture performance project that Kate has produced in Cragsmoor, New York, Mexico City and in  Greenwood and Jackson, Mississippi.  Another has begun in the South Bronx, and the Paris Cocoon is planned for October 2014. Kate organizes local residents to build the cocoons, with the idea of promoting the interaction of people of various races, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds within a neighborhood.  The Goutte d’Or is a working-class area in the 18th Arrondissement with a large North African and Sub-Saharan presence, along with Eastern Europeans and native Parisians.  It’s not the Paris most tourists would venture into, but if you have plans to be in Paris in the Fall, you might make it a destination.

The event was held at the home of Kate and her husband, photographer Eric Etheridge, in the West Village.  For more information about the Cocoon project, view this link:

http://brownebarnes.com/

The event also featured a talk by Bob Zellner, a civil rights activist and author of Wrong Side of Murder Creek, who shared his experiences of local organizing in the 1960s South and today with Moral Mondays.  Bob has been an inspiration to Kate in her efforts to organize communities to participate in the Cocoon projects.

 There were about 40 or 50 people in attendance, and it was a very lively and engaging crowd.

Dinner at Riverpark this past Thursday was a wow! We’ve been there a number of times, and the food just seems to get better and better.  Started with a pea flan with peekytoe crab salad, which was the essence of Spring, and crispy sweetbreads.  Stanley had brisket ravioli for the main course, and it was scrumptious, but the piece de resistance was my Southern style rabbit.  This was an assortment of various rabbit parts, each prepared in a different way.  The various flavors blended harmoniously while offering an interesting contrast.  We drank Sierra Nevada Porter, which was a perfect match for the food.  For dessert we shared a banana peanut sundae.   This was heavenly.

With its out-of-the-way location on the East River at 29th St., it’s not the easiest place to get to, but it is worth the trek.  The prices are not low, but for the quality of the food and the innovative combinations, it’s well worth the tariff.

Website: http://www.riverparknyc.com/

This is a simple recipe I developed that has been a big hit every time I’ve served it.   The tartness of the grapefruit contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of  the scallops to make a refreshing and light summer dish.

For 4 people:

1 lb. scallops, each scallop sliced into 3 thin rounds

2  red grapefruit, cut in half and sectioned

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste

Put the grapefruit sections in a small bowl.  Squeeze the remaining juice from the grapefruit into a larger bowl.  As the sections sit, occasionally drain juice from them into bowl.

For the vinaigrette, add the olive oil, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper to the juice, and whisk the mixture together .

Spread scallop slices on plates in a single layer. Mix grapefruit pieces into vinaigrette, and spoon over scallops. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Note: vinaigrette can be made in advance and refrigerated, but don’t add the cilantro until shortly before serving.