A.G. Newsletter #40: Pizza Roma, A Little Bird, Murray's Bagels & Radegast

May 17, 2011

Hey Readers,

There's so much to catch you up on!

First of all, I've written two pieces for The Huffington Post since we last spoke. Check out: "Let Them Eat Cake" & "Reasons To Roast A Chicken."

Second of all, I just announced a new weekly livestreaming web show called "Someone's In The Kitchen With...." that I'm debuting tomorrow with special guest James Beard award winner Rachel Wharton who's going to teach me how to make her famous pimento cheese. Click here for all the info and don't forget to check back tomorrow at 3 PM EST to join the fun.

Finally, I had an epiphany about salsa verde: it's way better when you make it with a mortar and pestle. Click here to read all about it. And here's the dinner I served it with: Spicy Spatchcocked Chicken with Cous Cous Salad.

Now for newsletter stuff...

After returning from Boca last week, I was in the West Village famished. So I wandered into this pizza place that opened up on Bleecker that I was semi-curious about called Pizza Roma:

I wandered in and I was pleased to see that they serve and cut the pizza like they really do in Rome; they keep big squares of it out and cut it with scissors:

Sadly, the Margherita that I tried....

...was really unremarkable. Really, it tasted like any piece of conventional American pizza you can get anywhere; the sauce was too sweet, the cheese was too gloppy.

With John's and Joe's--two of the city's best pizza spots--just steps away, that's a problem. But maybe I just tried the wrong pizza. I'll have to give their potato pizza a try next.

Now for something cute....

Before I left Boca, my mom was showing me teapots she kept in a cabinet and in there she found a little bird that my great-grandmother used to use for serving saccharine. She said I could have it and now it adorns my table:

Those little tongs actually stick to the inside of the top of the bird with a magnet. Isn't that neat? Now the question is: what do I keep in there? I'm thinking maybe coarse salt?

Of course, upon returning from Boca, I had to have some New York comfort food. Though, funny enough, the bagels in Boca are just as good (something that Shuna Lydon, pastry chef from Peels, confirmed when she Tweeted to me that I should bring her a bagel back from Boca!) Anyway, I love Murray's Bagels (almost as much as Bagelworks in Boca) and I ordered this bagel special that came with Scottish salmon, cream cheese, onion, tomato, and capers:

It was fantastic, if only slightly overstuffed. The only problem with Murray's (the one on 13th street and 6th avenue) is that it's SOOO crowded it's always impossible to get a table. They need a bigger space.

Finally, last week I met Patty, Lauren & Diana at Williamsburg's Radegast, a big beer hall that has great sausages.

Here's Patty with her kielbasa:

Here's Lauren with her split pea soup and steak (she ordered off the regular menu):

Here's the beer that we drank:

Mine had a lemon in it, which I enjoyed.

OH and here's my bratwurst which came in a pretzel roll (for a little more money):

Great summer food!

And they opened up the roof, so it's like you're outdoors. Radegast is definitely worth visiting in this weather.

Ok, folks, don't forget to visit my blog tomorrow at 3 PM EST to watch me cook with Rachel Wharton live!

Until then....

Your friend,
Adam (The Amateur Gourmet)

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A.G. Newsletter #40: Pizza Roma, A Little Bird, Murray's Bagels & Radegast

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