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Molyvos Lenten Specials
On the Greek island of Crete, the last night before Lent culminates with "carnival pie"— a pastry crust packed with pork and chicken livers, rice, nuts, and seasonings. It makes a rare New York appearance on March 11, preceding this superb Greek restaurant's 40 days of meatless specials.
Molyvos
871 Seventh Avenue
Between 55th and 56th Streets
To reserve, call 212-582-7500
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 Kudo Beans
When New York became Starbucks Central, neighborhood
delis lost serious caffeinated ground to the
dark-roasted, fresh-brewed competition. A company
called Kudo Beans leapt into the breach,
marketing greengrocers a better grade of java from
Dallis Bros., the venerable Ozone Park roaster that
also supplies Babbo and Aquavit. Last week, Kudo
opened a spiffy East Village coffee shop of its own,
where a dizzying selection of 28 estate-grown blends
(including a super-dark roast called Burnt Ember,
catering to fans of that West Coast monolith, no
doubt) are fastidiously ground and French-pressed to
order. Wisely resisting the urge to put all its beans
in one filter basket, Kudo also serves loose-leaf tea,
gelato, hefty panini and wrap sandwiches, and—to
start ’em young, we presume—a kids’
menu.
49 1/2 First Avenue
212-353-1477
 Flaco's Taco & Tequila Co.
With a restaurant empire that extends from City Crab
to Chat ’n Chew, the indefatigable Andrew
Silverman always seems to have room for one more
culinary concept. Last spring, he opened the festive,
margarita-fueled Chango; this month, with partner Dean
Palin, he plans to advance the south-of-the-border
theme with Flaco’s Taco & Tequila Co., an
equally colorful cantina. In Spanish, flaco
means skinny, but don’t get any ideas: Mahimahi
tacos and whole grilled fish seem harmless enough, but
should the urge strike, you can always go the
gut-busting route with chorizo flautas, burgers and
fries, and pork mole poblano with barbecued yams.
470 Sixth Avenue
212-243-8226
Baldo Vino
With more budget trattorias and enotecas per square
inch than any other New York neighborhood, the East
Village has become New York’s real Little Italy:
You can’t cross the street without tripping over
a prosciutto panino. The theme at this atmospheric
newcomer is wine (isn’t it always?) and
wine-friendly morsels like bruschette, platters of
meat and cheese, and fried ricotta balls with
tomato-eggplant cream.
126 East 7th Street
212-979-0319
Sage
The Pan-Asian hot spot formerly known as TanDa has
lost the laksa and gone resolutely French-American,
with a new raw bar and an emphasis on bistro staples
like steak au poivre and roast chicken. The unabashed
presence of bacon cheeseburgers, sour-cream-stuffed
spuds, and creamed spinach is incontrovertible proof
the kitchen has succumbed to the comfort-food craze.
331 Park Avenue South, near 24th St.
212-253-8400
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| the underground gourmet |
 Made to Measure
Pie, a new East Village pizzeria, is as far
removed from a neighborhood slice joint as it can get.
First of all, there’s the décor: modern,
minimalist, more Nolita boutique than Do the Right
Thing. Second, the crisp, thin-crust pizza
isn’t round but oblong, resembling a
tasty-looking skateboard, and the 27 toppings run the
gamut from potato-ricotta-and-walnut to bacon-and-egg
(weekends only). But most distinctive is the ordering
procedure. You pick a pizza that looks good, and then,
as if you were in a cheese shop, you tell the fetching
counterperson how big a piece you want, or—like
a fisherman describing the one that got away—you
gauge the size with your hands. The counterperson
snips it off, weighs it, and charges you $5 to $9 per
pound depending on the topping. The brainchild of
Jeffrey Reiss, an admitted “pizza addict”
whose inspiration was “a little bit Rome, where
pizza is sold by the pound in some places,” but
mostly New York, where “I could never find a
clean, modern, friendly pizzeria.” For homebound
pizza addicts, Pie also delivers smaller oblong
pizzas—shoehorned into square boxes. — ROB PATRONITE
Pie
124 Fourth Avenue
212-475-4977
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 Green Day
It isn’t green like that beer preferred by so
many Saint Patrick’s Day quaffers, but
Beacon’s new Irish Sage cocktail is worth
celebrating. The influence of chef Waldy
Malouf—who apparently doesn’t spend all
his time in front of the fire pit—shows in the
julep-style mix of Jameson Irish whiskey, Irish Mist
liqueur, lemon and orange juices, and, especially,
fresh sage, an inspired, equally verdant substitute
for mint.
Beacon
25 West 56th Street
212-332-0500
 White Heat
Admittedly, it isn’t bursting at the seams, but
into our great-moments-in-white-chocolate-history file
(a list that includes Todd English’s bread
pudding, Maury Rubin’s double-chocolate cookies
with white-chocolate chunks, and Aldo’s
biscotti) goes a new discovery: Gotham Bar and
Grill’s hot white chocolate. Pastry chef
Deborah Racicot, formerly of Aquavit and Picholine,
subtly spikes this not-too-sweet concoction with
cardamom and lemongrass and enough other herbs and
spices to stock a shelf at Kalustyan’s. In a
playful twist, what looks like an accompanying plate
of truffles turns out to be milk-chocolate-flavored
marshmallows.
Gotham Bar and Grill
12 East 12th Street
212-620-4020
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In the Archives
March 3, 2003
Bill Devin Benefit at Fairway Steakhouse; OLA, The Green Table, Re Sette, and Maria's Mexican Bistro open; Gael visits Django.
February
24, 2003
Bobby Flay takes up tapas at Bolo; Rocco DiSpirito ditches the steaks
at Tuscan; and Orhan Yegen, formerly of Beyoglu, pops up at Efendi.
February
17, 2003
P.J. Clarke's finally reopens; rice ball mania hits the city; the
debut of 36-92 and Parish & Co.; Gael goes Ouest.
Photos: Tina Rupp (First & Last), Kenneth Chen (2nd & 4th), Ellie Miller (3rd & 5th).
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Whose Indian food really stands out?