Jimmy's No 43- since 1903?

NYC has quite a few historical pubs. Chumley's was one that closed. Jimmy's No. 43 is in a basement space with original vaulted brick ceilings that date back to 1903. No one knows for sure but rumor has it that speakeasies and Ukrainian men's clubs celebrated many holidays here. Read this recent article about NYC pubs on nycgo.com.

Chowder Slam!

We had a lot of fun Saturday. There is a serious movement of young, amateur cooks who are taking these cookoffs VERY seriously! Ted Smith, Katie Goldberg, Dan Cooperman, and their friends were the perfect hosts and we raised some money for the New Amsterdam Market.

CHOWDER SLAM WINNERS:
Judges awards:
1. Best of Land - Theodore Peck's curried lamb belly chowder
2. Best of Sea- Rachel Graville's scallop and crema chowder
Popular votes:
Favorite Chowder- Nick Suarez's Pig's Can Swim Chowder, w/bacon and lobster

In attendance, some name dropping: Lucinda Scala Quinn from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food was one of the judges. Robert Sietsema went undercover for Fork in the Road Blog and Cathy Erway, food blogger and voice of the cooks was there as well.

New Amsterdam Market Benefit Chowder Cook Off Featuring New England Craft Beers

There will be wine too!

This Saturday, March 21 from 12:00-5:00 PM at Jimmy's No. 43 support the New Amsterdam Market at the Chowder Slam.

How many cooks can make one dish? Expect at least 12 different chowders - ranging from bacon to corn to New England clam. Aspiring foodies like Zoe Feigenbaum, Nick Suarez, Robert LaValva, and Katie Goldberg will offer their best. Will Martha Stewart herself be the judge? At least expect a lot of her staffers. I'm looking forward to the selection of New England craft beers at $4/pint! With names like: Fisherman's Navigator and Cisco's Whale's Tale, they are sure to pair well with the chowders. $20 at the door will be donated to the New Amsterdam Market and will get you tastes of all the chowders.

COME EARLY, EAT OFTEN.

Came for Cassoulet, Stayed for Choucroute Garni

Our chef does make a classic cassoulet with flageolet beans and duck confit, but only from time to time. I would order the Choucroute Garni, that features two sausages, a slice of roast pork (all local, farm raised meat), with accoutrements. Then wash it down with a nice pint of Sixpoint Mason's Black Wheat

Love cassoulet? So does this fellow at The Kitchen Files.

Bars Without TVs

Pubs and good beer bars have been getting a lot of attention in the press lately, and why not? Everyone loves a pint of craft beer, a good hang, and some tasty grub. You gotta love this recent New York Times article about bars without tvs. FYI- Jimmy's No. 43 does not have a tv...

My New Favorite Chef

In restaurants, chef's typically come and go. I would trade my first born for a good meal by Sarah Jenkins but she will never stay in one place; bred from a journalist father, she has the travel bug real bad. One of NYC's greatest features is that there are dozens of unheralded, working chefs who have good training and experience. One of them (the secret chef?) is cooking at Jimmy's No 43 right now and he is blowing people away with his simple preparations of dishes like:

Braised pork belly, brussel sprouts and pecans
Shrimp and grits, hickory bacon, scallions
Seared wild striped bass, cider braised cabbage and carrots

Smoked Beer for Lent

Jimmy's No. 43 has a special beer on draft this week, called "Fasten' or "Lent" beer. I was intrigued by the name, then figured it out pretty fast when I tasted the beer. Catholics, please tell me: in the old days, was bacon/pork forbidden during Lent? If so, the German brewers at Aecht Schlenkerla made this smoky beer taste like bacon.

Thanks Thom!

What a nice fellow! Thom is trying to drink, what, 1,000 beers, and write about them? Well, he drank quite a few at Jimmy' s No. 43, and even liked the food. Check out Thom's Beer Blog and read more.