Monthly Archives: April 2011

At 5:30 pm, in the pattering drizzle of the approaching month of April, a crowd emerges from the subway at West 4^th Street rumbling like a train onto Avenue of the Americas. Among them are residents of the area, those who have come for the films at IFC, and the happy-hour-day drinkers that gather around downtown for “thirsty Thursday”. A group of 30 people linger on the sidewalk, spread out between Golden Swan Garden’s short black fence and “the Cage.” Some are standing alone, checking BBM’s or playing on their Nintendo DS 3Ds, while others are paired off, but there is something uniting this diverse mix of adults. On March 31^st, a food truck would bring in food from Pentos, a fictional land from the “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series by George R.R. Martin, and these fans are hoping to be the first to get a taste.

If the books don’t sound familiar, “A Game of Thrones,” might. It is the name of the first book of the series, but moreover, the newest show in the HBO lineup set to premiere on April 17^th. Since the announcement of the show, Martin’s book sales are approaching triple digit growth in year-to-year sales, according to “Thrones Tomes Selling Big” in Variety. In the United States alone the books have reportedly sold 4.5 million copies, according to the publisher, Bantam books, in the article.

The promotional food trucks were, in the tradition of an Easter, set up as a scavenger hunt. The rules were simple: check the “Game of Thrones” Facebook or Twitter page between March 28^th and April 1^st, show up to the destination by 6:00pm, find the cart, and be among the first 300 in line. The location of the trucks and the food varied daily from Astor Place on Tuesday, where “The Riverlands” green goodness came to life, to Lincoln Center on Wednesday, where food from “The Wall” could be sampled.

By 6:30 pm on Thursday, the Pentos truck had yet to arrive at West 4^th. The HBO crew, identifiable only by their “Game of Thrones” t-shirts, had already ushered the masses, now numbering in the hundreds, into a four-person-wide line that wrapped around the corner of the garden.  The grumbling was almost audible by the time the truck arrived, and talk of the week’s meals started simultaneously among the crowd.

“Of the three that I’ve tried, my favorite dish has to be the squab,” said Kat Baek, a sophomore at Baruch College, now on her third hunt for the cart. “The lemon cakes were served every day [but] the taste never got old,” she added, taking refuge underneath a Burberry patterned umbrella.

When the black truck was parked, the day’s menu was handed out. The more hardcore fans on the line attempted to decode the puzzle embedded in it. “Apples to oranges,” announced a crew member.

“It means you have to fold the apples to oranges in the menu to find the hidden message,” said Joseph DeSimone, an avid fan of the series and Senior at Baruch College. “I’m not even going to try,” DeSimone added, worn from the hour long wait in the rain.

The first dish was the spice roasted duck with dates, buttered turnips, cabbage and juniper. The second option was the Lamb Flatbread with chickpeas and purple olives. As usual, the dishes were to be accompanied by the “famous” lemon cakes. The books themselves are refered to as “tomes” for good reason, as they are detailed accounts of this fictional world, even when describing the meals.

“In the book they talk about this buttered cabbage and turnip dish,” said the meals architect Tom Colicchio (Top Chef)in an interview for the ‘Thrones’ Facebook page. “Pentos is an area more east, sort of a lot of spices are there, and so I want to use a lot of spices,” added Colicchio. This was evident in the duck, which mixed coriander, fennel seed, red/white/black pepper, and cardamom in its spice sauce to awaken the taste buds. The lamb flatbread was just as full of flavor. The thin piece of flatbread was surprisingly not brittle but more suprising was how well cooked the shredded lamb was in a food truck. The combination of its spices mixed the coolness of the chickpeas and the tartness of the olives gave the dish a perfect balance.

“I wish there was a permanent one,” commented Baek, referring to the food truck as she enjoyed her free lemon cake in the shelter of the subway.

Fresh mozzarella cheese over a rich, bittersweet and hearty tomato sauce on a crispy but soft, smoky crust are the reasons why the pizza at Grimaldi’s Pizzeria are insanely delicious and always satisfying. Fortunately for loyal pizza-lovers, the famous restaurant has finally set up a shop at a closer, new location in the recently renovated Limelight Marketplace on Sixth Avenue.

 Despite numerous delays, the restaurant’s staff finalized the preparations and quickly conducted their official grand opening in February. With years of family-owned tradition, service, and dining, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria has become recognized for making “the pizza that made the Brooklyn Bridge famous,” and has since expanded throughout the United States. The renowned menu offers several types of pizza with an assortment of savory toppings, hearty calzones, and a few house salads. Drinks vary from an assortment of non-alcoholic beverages and a list of select beers and wine.

Grimaldi’s Sixth Avenue location has a casual, family-style setting with an undeniably welcoming atmosphere that accents the brimming Limelight Marketplace that is full of colorful and enticing shops. After just three weeks at the new location, the line of customers has grown consistently. The wait time for dining-in varies from 20 minutes to over an hour, but customers can save time by opting to order a pie to-go instead. Taking the meal to go doesn’t take away from the experience at all. It’s still great pizza no matter where you eat it.

Grimaldi’s has sustained their customary tradition of serving pizza by the pie, no exception. So, for those interested in a single slice, you’re out of luck. You’ll have to place an order for their small original pizza, a serving size of three. The small pie is cut in six large portion slices that can satisfy most hungry pizza contenders.

Filled with a layer of fresh mozzarella and tomato sauce, then topped with basil and olive oil, one bite is enough to convince a single patron to happily devour the rest of the cheese pizza. The counter attendant was quick to provide me with suggestions, recommending this pie, he says “It’ a popular item on the menu and it’s the best. No toppings are needed”. I took is word for it and came back 15 minutes later for my take-out order.   

The thin crust is crisp with a nice, dough-like middle. With a combination of fresh, salty mozzarella and Grimaldi’s addictive rich sauce, this might be the best pizza a patron could ever have. Each bite is savory and sweet, made complete by the undeniable, smoky flavor from the oven, which places this pizza over the top. Truly, you haven’t experienced a grand, well-made slice of pizza until you visited Grimaldi’s Pizzeria.

Initially, loyal customers may have sought out this place for the hype surrounding it as a result form the oncoming press streaming from exposure on food network and in print publications. However, they became satisfied and amazed by their well-made original pies and consistently keep coming back. “It’s a great place to come with a group of friends, the pie here is one of my favorites in the city,” said nearby patron.        

Furthermore, now that the traveling time from Brooklyn is cut in half, there are abundant chances for Baruch students and pizza fans to stop by to indulge in a pan of Grimaldi’s famous pies. With their signature coal-brick oven style, inviting atmosphere and swift service, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria is a great family-run restaurant that gets your fix of mouth-watering pizza.