Kitchen Dish
TRUCK STOP PASTRIES
New York University students and other Union Square- and East Village-area denizens have taken a shine to the Dessert Truck, parked at 8th Street and University Place, which for $5 is handing out treats such as molten chocolate cake with sea salt, roasted pistachios, and "a hint of olive oil"; apples and cinnamon with cranberries in a crisp, puff pastry with streusel and whipped cream, and a caramelized banana toasted sandwich with Nutella and sea salt. Top any of these items off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for $1.
The truck is run by self-proclaimed "foodie" Chris Chen and a former pastry chef at Le Cirque, Jerome Chang.
"One night, we randomly made the caramelized banana sandwich with sea salt — no recipe," Mr. Chen said. "It turned out to be amazing, and both of us thought that this was something we could sell on the street."
The partners plan on changing the menu weekly, based on what is in season and available, "and what inspiration we get," Mr. Chen said.
TIME FOR SERAFINA
The space that was very briefly Square at the Time Hotel (224 W. 49th St., between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, 212-757-9719) is scheduled to be another unit of Serafina starting tomorrow. Serafina also will be handling room service operations at the hotel.
CHANGES AT BARAONDA
Christian Fantoni, who briefly was executive chef of Fiamma during the interregnum between Michael White and Fabbio Trabocchi, is the new chef at Baraonda, which has moved 10 blocks uptown to 1640 Second Ave. at 85th Street. The phone number, 212-288-8555, remains the same.
KOSHER FARE
Tintol, a Portuguese-oriented tapas bar known for its flaming chorizo and other pork dishes, is scheduled to reopen Sunday as a kosher restaurant called Clubhouse Café (155 W. 46th St., between Broadway and Sixth Avenue, 212-354-3838).
The food at the restaurant, across from owner Jose de Meirelles's other kosher restaurant, Le Marais, will feature hamburgers, steak, chili, and other classic American dishes. Tapas such as duck empanadas, shish kebabs, and what the restaurant is calling "dogs en croûte" (which presumably are beef hot dogs rather than "pigs in a blanket," as dog meat is no more kosher than pork) will still be served at the bar.
Mr. de Meirelles plans to reopen Tintol, but a location has not yet been named.
NEW SOMMELIER
Danny Meyer's restaurants at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (11 W. 53rd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues), the Modern (212-333-1220), Cafe 2 and Terrace 5, have a new sommelier. Belinda Chang, most recently corporate director of wine and spirits for Cenitare restaurants in Chicago, will start in mid-November.
SPICY TONGUE AND SAKE
Bún (143 Grand St., between Lafayette and Crosby streets, 212-431-7900), the latest restaurant of Michael Bao Huynh, also of Bao 111 and Mai House, is open and serving mostly Asian small plates, including seven-spice duck hearts and tongue with basil, chili, lime, and salt, and wild boar blood sausage with pickled green papaya and spicy ginger sauce. Bún is named for a type of Vietnamese rice noodle, and an entire section of the menu is named for dishes made with it. An eclectic sake, wine, and beer list is available.
Mr. Thorn is food editor of Nation's Restaurant News. He maintains nrnfoodwriter.blogspot.com.
