Food Notes: 7/30
There are no second third acts for Mission Chinese
I only recently realized there had been a pop-up happening in Lower Manhattan for the last few months. It’s set to close, theoretically, at the end of July, and that might be a good thing. I love a good thrice-cooked bacon, but according Jason Diamond at The Melt, the whole experience was a bit mid: too much rice, not enough pastrami, and an all-too-high prix fixe price.
New Burgers In Town
Upstate, plant-based burger chain Moonburger has opened on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg. The whole project got started during the pandemic, and then blew up when it leaked out that Bon Appétit editor Amiel Stanek and YouTube celebrity Alison Roman were somehow involved. Okay, I’m sure I’ll try this place eventually, but for now I’m more excited for the Greenpoint branch of Blue Collar has opened.
Papaya and hot dogs are back on the menu
Hot dogs and papaya juice have been a New York staple for close to a century ever since the original Papaya King opened on the Upper West Side in 1932. Since then there have been literally dozens of imitators with a variety of different names, along with two rival empires Gray’s Papaya, started by a former employee, and Papaya Dog. Even Nathan’s Famous once tried to launch a hot dog war by opening across the street from the original Papaya King. All that history came to an end last year when the original store was pushed out by real estate developers. Earlier this month, Papaya King reopened across the street from the original location.
A birthday dinner party travels through time
My wife celebrated her [redacted] birthday by hosting a dinner party. She hired a chef who cooked up a historical journey inspired by the Silk Road. There was all sorts of interesting dishes, plus we had the chance to use our tablecloth collection.
