Where Colin Ate: Gjelina, Sushi Sho, Naks, Una Pizza Napoletana
Plus: a perfect turkey sandwich and arguably the most exciting new spot in town
Colin Camac (aka @resyguynyc) is officially Blackbird’s “Strategic Sales Lead,” and unofficially is our resident insider’s insider. He is out, on the town seven nights a week, sniffing out the city’s best joints, skateboard in one hand, martini in the other.
No big themes or existential questions this week, friends, just a roundup of six meals that reminded me of why I’m so lucky to live here in NYC. Go check these places out if you haven’t already, or go back and start cementing yourself as a regular.
Colin
Sushi Sho
📍Midtown
🍽️ Sushi
How often do you get to see a master of their craft at the top of their game? The first time I ate from Chef Keiji Nakazawa was on my second trip to Japan in 2010. He came recommended by my favorite sushi chef and friend Masa (15 East, now Shushi Masato in Bangkok). By the time the day arrived, we came upon a nondescript restaurant that changed the way I understood sushi from that point on. I had never before understood how much the process of aging fish was integral to the sushi experience, had never seen differently seasoned rice for different fish. It was so much more than just a meal, it was a crash course that showed me how little I understood and how much better this experience was than anything that came before it. For years I said that it was my favorite meal I’d ever had. It still may be. It was definitely the most life-changing. After that trip, I didn’t know when I would have the chance to eat from Chef again. Soon after he decided to leave Tokyo and open up in Hawaii, using only local fish as a new challenge and showcase for his skill as a master. Was I going to go to Hawaii for the sole purpose of eating at Sushi Sho? Honestly, I thought about it. Luckily enough, about three years ago I heard the rumblings that Sushi Sho was planning a new location right here in NYC. I couldn’t have been more excited and as soon as reservations (last March) opened up I booked immediately. Last week was my second visit to the New York location and it blew me away all over again. I kept looking at my friends and saying “I am so happy to be here.” It was the only thing that kept going through my mind as the omakase portion of the meal had started. The other thing about this experience is that the composition and pacing of the meal is different from most of the other sushiya’s in town as it varies between otsumami-style (traditional bar snack) courses and nigiri. From the moment you sit down and settle in with a drink the fireworks start. It is truly magical watching them put together each bite for you, all working together in unison on separate parts of the meal. Chef slicing a piece of fish for nigiri, forming the perfect rice underneath, holding it in his hand to the right side for another chef to top with zest at the perfect moment before he places it in front of you. The pacing is perfect and every bite leaves you wanting more. After around 18 small bites you are presented with a menu showing the rest of the options for the meal and the prices for each additional bite ($20-$60). Chef Nakazawa then goes through each item one by one showing off each to the counter and explaining the preparation. At this point you’ve already gone too far and there is no turning back. My advice: go for broke and try everything that looks good. I went heavy on silverfish (as I do) having bites of saba and kohada added on as well as a very unique style of firefly squid, served chopped up as nigiri among many other bites we chose. The meal will definitely set you back and is one of the single most expensive meals I have ever had, but to me the experience of sitting with a master is worth every penny.
Una Pizza Napoletana x Semma “Una Night Only”
📍Lower East Side
🍽️ Pizza
As part of Una Pizza’s continuing rotating chef series “Una Night Only” the team there welcomed in Chef Vijay Kumar from Semma. These nights (and pretty much every night) tend to fill up quickly, so I was happy that my friend snagged a res and invited me to come along. Neapolitan-style pizza is not my favorite style of pizza in general, but every time I come here you can taste how much better this place is than every other pie of this style I have ever had. Chef Anthony Mangieri is at the top of his game and is an absolute pleasure to watch. I couldn’t have been more excited in having Chef Kumar, one of my other favorite chefs, collaborate with Chef Anthony (and with Naks being my lunch on this day, see below, it was unintentionally a full Unapologetic Hospitality day for me!). The way these collabs work is that it is the normal Una menu and one special pizza from the visiting chef. We started the meal with the daily starters: burrata, olives, roasted peppers with capers, pine nuts and raisins, and then it was on to the pizza. The first one we received was the classic margherita, which we added anchovies to. What you first notice as the pizza arrives is how fluffy the outer crust is as it hits the table — it’s quite a sight and so flavorful. The pizza is as close to perfection as you can get, with the bright acid of the sauce and the creaminess of the cheese as well as the perfect hits of flaky salt and brine from the anchovies. The special pizza of the night was Chef Vijay’s short rib sukka with curry leaf, mozzarella, and finished off with raw red onion. It was very much still a pizza but the Indian-style seasoning came out beautifully. I love the touch of onion as well which felt like it pulled it all together with a sharpness that kept it from tasting too rich. We finished off with mini portions of the lemon lime sorbet and the almond cremolata topped with whipped cream and candied orange peel. It was a really fun night that I was grateful for the chance to attend.
Naks
📍East Village
🍽️ Filipino
Naks is one of the more underrated restaurants in town. It’s one of those places that I don’t get to nearly enough, but every time I do I’m really impressed. I have been stalking the menu randomly for weeks now online and when a friend and I decided to get brunch but wanted something a bit more outside the box than standard fare it seemed to fit the bill. When we arrived I was surprised to see the Chef/Partner of Unapologetic Hospitality Chintan standing at the bar greeting us as we walked in. As it turned out, Chef Eric Valdez and team were launching their brand new brunch menu that day and we happened to be some of the first guests. Along with the new menu, they also launched “brunchy” mini cocktails that go perfectly with the Filipino meal. The standout for us was the “Ooh Bae!” which was basically a rum fizz with ube and coconut. It was outstanding and the perfect first sip to get through the hangover. For brunch we ordered the classic pancit batil patong, which is a noodle dish with ground beef, pork chicharron, and an egg on top. When delivered to the table they add onions and vinegar (I believe) to the top of the dish before stirring it up at the table for you. It is a really tasty blend of meaty and vinegary to cut through the fat, but also has the egg to coat it all and keep it from being dry. It was exactly what we needed to get the ball rolling. The next dish was a longganisa pork sausage sandwich on a brioche bun with really cheesy eggs and a side of vinegar fries that were as addictive as they sound. The last thing we ate was an open faced crab omelet served with garlic toast that wrapped up the decadent brunch. Apparently they have switched dinner to an a la carte menu as well. I couldn’t be more excited to come back to check it out.
Gjelina
📍Noho
🍽️ American
I finally made it back to Gjelina for a work lunch this week, my first visit since the reopening. The story of Gjelina NYC has so far been a protracted one, but happy to see and experience is now firing on all cylinders! For those that don’t know, the space was available forever and rumors had it changing hands a few times over the years until news finally came out that the West Coast favorite was making its way to town. The buildout was filled with red tape and delays and lasted for years. Finally, with much deserved fanfare, it finally opened. I was lucky enough to get there in the early days as our office is just up the block, allowing for a quick snack during those crazy first few weeks. Then, the unthinkable happened and a fire in the hood system shut them down—for what everyone suspected would be indefinitely—after only three months in operation. Pop-ups and house account fundraisers ensued and finally, after about a year of being closed, Gjelina reopened, first for breakfast and lunch only and eventually with dinner as well. A friend recently reached out, who I hadn’t seen for almost ten years, and wanted to meet for lunch. I figured it would be the perfect time to get back to Gjelina. The room felt just as great as it did before and the food was also top notch. The highlight of our lunch had to be the puntarelle pizza topped with garlic, anchovy, and cured lemon. It hit all the right notes of bitterness, salt, and acidity and tasted just as good as it sounds. The other dish we ordered was an absolutely perfect smoked turkey sandwich with pickled tomato, mustard greens, onion, and a nice garlicky mustard aioli. A great turkey sandwich truly is a wonderful thing. I couldn’t be happier to have Gjelina back up and running in the neighborhood.
New openings and quick hits …
Kabawa
📍East Village
🍽️ Caribbean
I was lucky enough to be invited in for friends & fam for the restaurant side (as opposed to the bar) of Kabawa, the new opening from the Momofuku team and Chef Paul Carmichael. I was very impressed a few weeks back when I went to their new bar and couldn’t have been more excited to check out an early sneak peek of the restaurant. The format is a three-course prix fixe where each guest gets to pick a starter, main, and dessert. The menu was really exciting and the flavors were incredible. Standouts of the early meal include the plantain dish with perfectly soft scrambled eggs, salt cod, and caviar. The sweetness of the plantain was offset by the salty earthy flavors of the caviar and salt cod and played really nicely with the creaminess of the egg. The goat main was also a standout with spicy scallop creole, having the requisite gaminess that I love in goat. Each course also came with a few sides, the starter course coming with freshly baked roti, butter, a sort of pepper jelly (I think), and what tasted like curried chickpeas. The main course came with amazing beans, fresh herb salad, and what tasted like a potato that had been flavored with pineapple. Cannot wait to watch how this evolves as I think it could be one of the most exciting new openings in a while.
Via Carota
📍West Village
🍽️ Italian
I have already gone through the rundown of my favorite dishes here so I wont get too deep with this one, but Via Carota is one of the most consistently delicious meals in the city. The menu is filled with hits and the seasonal specials are always great. This time, early season asparagus topped with shallots and a bright cheese were a highlight along with a perfectly roasted chicken and what I honestly believe is one of the best salads in the city (Castelfranco). Sometimes your favorite places are your favorites for how they make you feel and sometimes a perfect meal is all you need. The best places are a little bit of both.
I’ve eaten at I Sodi and it’s currently my favorite upscale italian restaurant in the city; how does Via Carota compare?