Notes on Food

Damn, just saw that these photos were taken on June 28…boy, am I behind.

Anyway, this was a meat-centric dinner with Laura and Katie at the amazing Fatty ‘Cue in West Village (just a couple blocks from my summertime apartment), one of Zak Pelaccio’s many awesome restaurants. By the way, I liked this a lot better than Fatty Crab, which was still pretty good in itself. Lament the lack of greens and fiber all you want, but at the time, we were in the mood for juicy, Asian-influenced barbecue and little else.

Ham, jam, butter and bread

Toasty pretzel rolls served with rosy, fatty ham, a condiment called cincalok made with itty bitty fermented shrimps, and dry-fish-dusted butter. So many funky elements in one starter…

1/2 pound deep-fried bacon with sweet and spicy salsa verde

Yes, you read that right, and it was bleeping delicious. Slightly charred pork belly with layers of fat and lean meat, paired with a picante, acidic sauce to balance everything out.

Heritage pork ribs with Indonesian long pepper, fish sauce, and palm sugar

Incredibly tender and running-down-your-arm juicy…Pelaccio emphasizes palm sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice as the holy trinity of Southeast Asian cooking and it comes across the most in this simple-looking dish. The best part was tearing meat off the rib with our sticky fingers and dragging it through that sweet, sweet jus.

Fermented sausage with asparagus, ginger, chili, toast and poached egg – more funk (in a totally good way)

Lamb shoulder with yogurt dip and grilled pita

For a primer on Southeast Asian cooking with Zak Pelaccio, Bon Appetit has a pretty cool feature which you can find here

Fatty ‘Cue
50 Carmine Street
New York, NY 10014
212.929.5050