Biscuits, gravy, and honky-tonk at The Strand Smokehouse

The Strand Smokehouse (25-27 Broadway, Astoria)
Open weekdays 5PM to 1AM; Sat & Sun 11AM to 1AM

I've been eagerly anticipating the opening of The Strand Smokehouse for about a year now, since owner Tommy Vasilis took over the former Blockbuster space on Broadway a few blocks west of the N/Q train station--a stretch of Astoria I already love because of Sanford's, Sac's Place, Pao de Queijo, and Linn.  It's also a strip formerly known as The Strand, the moniker stemming from the name of an old cinema that closed during the 80s.  After catching this post on WhyLeaveAstoria last weekend, I threw on my ball cap and hoodie and headed straight there to try 'em out with my favorite meal, Sunday brunch--taking along with me one of my closest friends, an NYC transplant originally from Hill Country in Texas, to verify its authenticity as a southern smokehouse.

With no wait for a table (they only opened a week ago), we were given our own communal table made of reclaimed wood, and loaded with  homemade sauces and table water all served in emptied whiskey bottles.  The spacious, industrial dining room is augmented by both backyard and street front patios, which promise to make The Strand a hot new beer garden in Astoria's growing collection.

Our server explained that in a space of almost the same size directly below the dining room, local musicians have been using "forty or fifty" studios for rehearsals, "building great relationships with the owner over the past year."  Nightly music on the upstairs stage then features several of those bands playing sets in The Strand, mostly country, bluegrass, and rock.  A few of those artists now double as The Strand's staff, making it almost like a musician's commune with a giant smokehouse and whiskey hall over a subterranean rehearsal and recording lair.

While brunch features table service by an impressively large (and uber friendly waitstaff), dinner service is offered via a meat counter near the back, where guests order brown-paper-lined trays of various smoked meats.  A rotating selection changes daily, served by the pound (or half) along with sides.  Here's a sample of  recent evening's offerings:

All smoked meats and side dishes are prepared next door at Bakeway NYC.   Whiskey is served from a long row of wooden bourbon barrels with taps, alongside a draught selection featuring, among others, several beers from Barrier Brewing Co. on Long Island.

A list of six brunch cocktails included both pictured above, which warmed us like liquid flannel: the Shelter (Whitetail caramel whiskey, hot spiced cider, and star anise) and the Bloody Steve (a Jim Beam Blacky bloody mary with smoked broccoli and sea salt).  Ginger Beer and Spiced Plum soda from Brooklyn Soda Works were refreshing spirit-free options.

Although most of the smoked meats are not available during brunch service--replaced by a pretty fantastic array of breakfast comfort dishes--we were able to order the pork belly as a side.  Here, it was rendered exquisitely tender, almost like smoked, candied, thick bacon.

Buttermilk biscuits (available as a side, as well) are wonderfully moist and buttery, sitting on a mound of warm southern grits, everything blanketed with thick, peppery, sausage gravy and topped with fried eggs and diced green onions.  My friend and I regularly search out biscuits and gravy and have been known to travel for a good version.  These biscuits and gravy are undoubtedly some of the most delicious in the city.

And would ya look at that?  The Strand is no jokes when it comes to brunch.  This duck leg confit was simply phenomenal, over braised greens, smoked tomato, and potato hash, crowned with an easy egg.

I can only imagine that as word spreads, each night this place is going to slowly get busier and busier.  I'd highly recommend jumping on board during these cold months, when snagging a table is still a possibility.  If the early weeks of service are indication of what we can expect long term, The Strand will inevitably prove to be a substantial force in the food and entertainment scene in Astoria.  Welcome to the neighborhood, folks!

Butcher Bar now serving lunch

(The 50/50--smoked brisket & pulled pork--topped with the house blend of sharp & mild cheddar and muenster) 

Butcher Bar (37-08 30th Ave, Astoria)

The very first week it opened, Butcher Bar was such an overwhelming hit that lunch service had to be suspended simply to accommodate the massive catering orders that came soaring in.  One visit to the pristine space that promises to outshine even some of the best smokehouses in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and it doesn’t take a cowboy to realize that something extraordinary is going on here. Luckily for patrons, lunch service resumed last week.

The decor is part museum, part general store, part library--all homage to great butchers who served as inspiration.

“There are so many important issues sourcing meats,” explains co-owner Matthew Katakis, “we decided doing it ourselves is the best way to ensure the highest quality.”  A tour of the entire facility reveals not a single freezer.  “I won’t even get a freezer for ice cream for the apple pie,” laughs Katakis.  The always-fresh rotating boutique selection of meats changes daily.  The unused portions are cooked off and donated to City Harvest.

The setup is part boutique butcher, part restaurant.  At the meat counter, stocked daily with a selection of fresh meats and homemade sausages, customers can choose cuts and patties to take home, or opt to dine in at one of the tables in the front restaurant portion.  Takeout and dine-in customers may also choose to order from the carver by the 1/4 pound from a selection of 12-hour slow smoked brisket, pulled pork, house-roasted turkey, pork belly, and daily sausage specials.

Regardless your decision, it would be a sin not to order at least 1/4 pound of their double-smoked burnt ends--the delicacy of excellent barbecue. The crispy smokey coating gives way to cubes of brisket rendered unbelievably tender and sweet.

Bob's burger is a 1/2-lb patty blended with brisket and smoked bacon, offering a saltiness and moisture that I found to be an absolutely superior combination, drizzled with BBQ (we added mild cheddar--though it would be fantastic without).  All sandwiches are served with classic cole slaw and a pickle.

Perfectly rectangular racks of St. Louis -style ribs are like a culinary BBQ playground--excessively sticky, sweet, and ridiculously tender, with a lot of meat on the bone... some of the most superior ribs I have ever enjoyed.

The food is refreshingly straightforward, with no gimmicks.  An extremely enthusiastic staff eagerly answers questions, and provides exceptional service (a complimentary slice of apple pie arrives at the end of the meal on some evenings).  Ask to see the backyard area (where summer barbecues will commence in the warm season) or to take a peak at the Combi oven--a combination cooker that allows the control of humidity with dry or steam cooking--ideal for meats, as well as baking.

Sides are served picnic style in cardboard boats, offering a country touch.  Mac & cheese is creamy and delicious (the imported organic noodles are available for sale).  Green beans have a kiss of smoked bacon.  Baked beans are sweet and tangy.  Potato wedges arrive golden or sweet.  Mini corn cakes are served with warm honey butter.

Everything sold both at the counter and in the dining room is aimed to be local, fresh, and organic.  “Our number one priority, however, is on really knowing the farms where we purchase,” explains Katakis.  The products are all free of any growth hormones or prophylactic antibiotics, and strictly avoid all contained animal feedlot operations.  The dining room décor, part museum, part general store, part library pays homage to other great butchers who served as inspiration.  But it probably won’t be long at all before patrons start heralding Butcher Bar as one of those greats.

Click the menu to enlarge

The menu also offers catering options that include 3-ft. and 6-ft. natural heroes, as well as catered BBQ parties with whole spit-roasted lamb or pig.

Weighing in on the original Fatty 'Cue

(The 'Cue Coriander Bacon is like a deconstructed bacon & egg sandwich)

Fatty 'Cue (91 South 6th St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

"If you are unable or unwilling to enjoy master fat, well, then, this probably isn't really the right place for you," laughs the waitress at Fatty 'Cue in Williamsburg, the headquarters of the Fatty Empire (which also includes a new Fatty 'Cue location in the West Village, as well as three Fatty Crab outposts--one in the U.S. Virgin Islands).  The waitress is referring to the Dragon Pullman Toast and Master Fat.  No, it's not a rap duo, but rather a $4 "snack" item listed on the menu.

Proof the Fatty Crew lets nothing valuable go to waist waste, these salty toast points are served with a demitasse of Master Fat, the wuzzled drippings of each of the various meats prepared on premises (lamb, pork, beef, duck...)  In reality, it's probably no worse for you than bread and butter (or an artificial spread), and it quite simply tastes absolutely incredible... like clarified bacon butter.  Although my conscience only allowed me to enjoy two slices, I don't regret one bite.  (Sidenote: the staff swears they eat here multiple times a week, and yet they look fit enough to run the NY Marathon tomorrow.)

Word has it that dinner service is a bustling funky scene in this joint's labyrinth of rooms, so I have limited my visits to lunchtime, where you can choose two of their famous dishes for $18, and even add two of their unique cocktails for an additional $10 (including a mimosa with fresh watermelon juice).  Non-alcoholic specialties include fresh watermelon juice with kaffir lime (above), thai iced coffee, and ginger beer.

A must-try dish for any first-timer is the 'Cue Coriander Bacon (pictured bite-size above and in full at the top of this post).  Described as a deconstructed bacon & egg sandwich, the build-it-yourself platter arrives with crispy toast points, juicy slabs of coriander and chili rubbed pork belly, pickled shallots, and a cup of curried custard.  The crispy toast, with the salty, almost herb-candied bacon, and creamy-cool-spiced custard, with crunchy and tangy halos of shallot is a savory culinary playground of texture, flavor, and temperature.

A secondary star of the lunch special is the "Bowl of Noodles," another seemingly simple, yet beautifully complex dish that exponentially transcends your standard bowl of ramen.  Soaked with the juices from resting meats, jeweled with scallions, chili, and a dusting of shrimp powder, and served with a ladle of sambal, the bowl disappears frighteningly quickly.  I challenge anyone to savor it longer--this stuff is addictive.

Descriptions on the menu serve as little more than a Cliff's Notes summary of each dish. Luckily, the servers are extremely knowledgeable, so take time to ask about various plates.  There seems to be a unique family atmosphere that bridges between the kitchen and front of the house, and the waitstaff talks about the cooks with an impressive amount of respect and enthusiasm.  The service you find at Fatty 'Cue is sadly very rare, and quite refreshing.

A prime example of an understated menu listing, the Tom Tuah (above) is described as a Thai-style pounded bean salad with market tomatoes and shrimp floss.  In reality, three different types of fresh green beans are pounded with mortar and pestle, tossed with thai basil and red chilies, palm sugar, drizzled with yuzu, and topped with shallots, fresh tomatoes, and a dusting of micro-shredded shrimp.

Look how finely the shrimp floss is shredded!  The best advice?  Take a few bites right away and enjoy the various components.  Then stir it all up, and let it blend together for a minute. Each bite tastes like a different salad, with hints of Asian citrus, seafood, and heat fighting for center stage.  Again, a simple and beautiful dish.

  

Now, are you ready for the sad news?  In case you wanted to try the sandwich named the best sandwich in New York City by New York Magazine, you're gonna have to wait for it to come out of retirement.  The former champion, now laid to rest (at least temporarily) featured smoked Brandt brisket on a crunchy Parisi baguette with smoked cabot cheddar, pickled red onions, aioli, chili jam, and cilantro sprigs.  It was worth every drool-worthy accolade it received.

The replacement features that same wonderful brisket on that same toasty loaf, but this time smeared with garlic butter, and house-made cow's milk ricotta studded with salted chilies, on a bed of mustard greens.  Now, I am extremely bummed the old version has gone into hiding (the chef hinted at the possibility of a seasonal return), but this bad boy was outstanding.  The creamy, smooth, mild cheese with crunchy bits of salty spiced chilis, with the tangy mustard greens on garlic toast was exceptional, and certainly worthy of appearing on any list.

Another fantastic new arrival on the menu is the Smoked Bobo Chicken sandwich.  Juicy shreds of poultry are sandwiched with crispy bacon and crunchy greens.  But the best part?  A dipping cup of paté with creme fraiche, almost like a creamy foie gras for dunking.

Another change on the menu is the replacement of the catfish nam prik (above) with a smoked eggplant nam prik.  The star ingredient is mixed with a fiery chili paste, and served with various crudité, as well as the crunchiest chicharrones this side of the Mason-Dixon line.

For dessert, gourmet candy bars are available from Tumbador, but I simply cannot resist the rotating pie selection by Allison Kave of First Prize Pies.  The Banoffee pie is ridiculous!  The crust is made entirely of British digestives (sweet, whole-wheat biscuits), filled with a layer of toffee caramel, sliced bananas, and topped with unsweetened whipped cream.

The S'Mores Pie is also maddeningly delicious and sinful.  The graham cracker crust is filled with a creamy, gooey, chocolate ganache, then topped with homemade marshmallow fluff that has been toasted to perfection.  It's a killer way to end a uniquely fantastic meal.

While the new West Village location looks promising, with what has been described as a more "grown-up menu" that is unique from the Williamsburg spot (buttermilk pappardelle with smoked goat ragu, or roasted whole turbot with sea urchin emulsion), something about the birthplace of Fatty 'Cue still feels special and almost historic.  It may not be the kind of chow you indulge on every day, but you'd be denying yourself a real treat not to at least pay a visit.