Arrive Magazine - March/April, 2009

Even if you’re just visiting, as I was at J’s.

“It’s smart for people who are coming in from out of town to experience that as well as the four-star, bells-and-whistles type restaurants,” he says. “The measure and flavor of a restaurant city isn’t in the places that are in the global guidebooks. You wouldn’t want to go to New York and do nothing but visit Times Square and Ground Zero and see nothing but other tourists.”

He’s right, because the tourists aren’t going to make friends with you at the table next to yours. They won’t steer you toward their favorite appetizer or tell you that they’ve met the beermaker responsible for your draft. The tourists won’t make you feel warm and welcome.

“The feeling of going and eating in a restaurant with the people who live in that neighborhood is a way of traveling and visiting that’s more genuine and meaningful than just paying your money and eating at a rich person’s restaurant,” says Ozersky.

He thinks neighborhood restaurants should have a real personality—“not like an airport bar”—and serve “simple food, very well executed, at a price that can get people to come in on a Tuesday night.”

Right. A Tuesday night.

Surely you already have your own local favorite—your J’s or OVI or Peniche. But how do you find these gems in a neighborhood other than your own?

You could start with newspapers and magazines, but more often than not, the print press is covering the big fancy opening of the season. A better place to investigate is online. Check out chowhound.com, where you can often find forum discussions of not-so-known places. Roadfood.com, a guide to the restaurants on the blue roads by Gourmet writers Jane and Michael Stern, is also helpful.

Or browse the blogs. In New York, eater.com, New York magazine’s Grub Street and Ozersky’s The Feedbag are reliable ones; in Boston, check out eatanddestroy.com and The Food Monkey. Philadelphia has hollyeats.com and philafoodie.blogspot.com. I’m also a fan of Baltimore Sun writer Elizabeth Large’s Top Ten Tuesdays on her blog Dining@ Large. She compiles Top 10 lists along with readers, and you can find anything

from cheap eats to wine bars to restaurants that are off the beaten path. Even Frank Bruni, the restaurant critic for The New York Times, listed his favorite locals for a Times Topics Web page— search Google for “Frank Bruni’s Casual Favorites” and it’ll pop right up.

And Rockwell—the guy with the list— loves the “big, luscious, fall-apart short rib” at Evening Star Café in Alexandria, Va.; the “unusually good food” at Cork on 14th Street N. W.; and “the immensely talented bartender” at Bar Pilar across the street.

And on a typical Tuesday night, you’ll likely find Ozersky at Barbone in the East Village or at Employees Only or Da Andrea in the West Village.

But the best thing to do is ask the locals. Ask the person in front of you in the coffee line. Ask the guy at the reception desk before your meeting. Or just ask your friends, especially if they love food.

My friends were very obliging:

My friend Ted loves food. And he loves Mercato in Philadelphia. “Awesome BYO with outstanding cheese plate, Italian comfort food, etc.,” he e-mailed.

My friend Karen says her local is La Riviera Trattoria in Clifton, N.J. “We affectionately call it La Riv,” she says. “Portions are well sized, food is fairly priced and it’s really tasty.” Also in Clifton, her new favorite is Toros—a tucked-away Turkish enclave on Hazel Street with “the best, freshest shepherd’s salad I’ve ever eaten.”

My friend Kara is a big fan of The Smith on Third Avenue and 11th Street in Manhattan. “It’s a stone’s throw from N YU, so it’s reasonably priced and open until the wee hours,” she told me. “Cozy bistro-style comfort food—I love their Alsatian pizza. Amazing bar with creative and classic drinks and a great selection of beers and wine by the glass. They do a kick-ass Aviation.”

Me? Well, on Tuesdays it’s probably Peniche.

Mondays, the OVI. Wednesdays? The Freelance Café in Piermont, N. Y. Thursdays? Momofuku Ssäm Bar in the East Village. Fridays? I like Malatesta in the West Village. But Saturdays?

On Saturdays you’ll find me at home. After all, there’s a reason I’m so familiar with the restaurants in my neighborhood. It’s where I live.

AS K LE N N Y

AJ Maxwell’s proprietor Lenny Passerelli was told when he was a young boy to not go into the family business of restaurant ownership. His father wanted him to be a doctor, a lawyer or an accountant. Lenny feels he knows more than any established professional when it comes to life’s important facets, so he decided to steer clear of his dad’s advice and become a restaurateur. Visit him at AJ Maxwell’s Steakhouse, where the proprietor is happily solving guest’s problems while spewing his daily sermon on the little things in life that matter most.

Question: How will the Mets and Yankees will fare in 2009?

Sal, Philadelphia, PA

Lenny: Sal - the Yankees should be tough to beat when you take into consideration their recent big-name signings. In light of that, I see a 97-100 win season for the Bombers and 1st place in the division. The Mets however, will continue to be inconsistent and will win between 81-86 games. The Yankees will play in the series, and the Mets will play golf in October.

Q: I live near a gourmet market and the cuts of beef are much better there than in the supermarket. They are also more expensive. Do the gourmet meats make for better taste and quality?

Diane, Baltimore MD

L: Diane- yes, the cuts in most gourmet markets are much better than what you will find in a supermarket. The better choices are Angus and American Kobe. The key to getting the best steak is building a relationship with your butcher. He won’t “steer” you wrong. I have a video of what to look for when purchasing high-quality cuts of beef, lamb and veal which you can see at Turn-turn-turn.com under AJ Maxwells.

Q: Len, Spring will soon be here. What are your hobbies?

Greg, New York City

L: Greg - I am a NASCAR junkie, which may surprise you because most people don’t think of New York as a NASCAR town. I love to go down south whenever I can to see the races.

Have a question for Lenny?
Send them to toniann@ajmaxwells.com
The best question will receive a
100 dollar gift certificate.
AJ Maxwell’s is now opened for breakfast.