203370 Wed Aug 27 13:58:04 -0700 2003 9 18 Manhattan 0 1084323 It was a slow day, so I decided to go out and try Daisy May’s. Of course, as we know, we shouldn’t judge a restaurant when it is newly opened and has just been written up in the NY Times. That being said, let me judge it. The place is supposed to open at 11am. But when I got there a little after, the lights were off. So, after reading for a bit on the benches by the Intrepid, I came back at noon. It was full, but not crazy: no lines out the door. They obviously were a little overwhelmed by the Times crowd, though. There is one long counter and some space in front of it. After placing your order on a short line, you squeeze to the side and wait for your number to be called. One lady, who had placed an order for eight from her office, spent an hour waiting. I got my order in twenty minutes. Orders seemed to get juggled in the system depending on size and entrees. There was the expected crowd of NY Times readers blabbing loudly on their cel phones and trying to get the counter-folks to process their order before others. There also were folks who work in the neighborhood. Behind the counter are two register-people, friendly and efficient, and three manager/owner types trying to keep things moving with a smile. Then there are two guys dishing-out the sides, and one lone man to pack-up every order. Needless to say, in an establishment with no seats, and only take-out orders, it’s imprudent to have one man at the bottleneck. The dishing-out guys and the packing-up guy don’t speak English that well, which led to a lot of Abbot&Costello banter between them and the disgruntled customers. When I got my order with substitutions (by this time, an hour open, they had run out of corn bread, water and their featured iced tea in mason jars) and it was handed to me, I asked the guy if there were utensils, knife and fork, in the bag. He said, yes. Then I checked. No utensils. After asking, explaining, and finally pantomiming to the pack-up guy, I got what I needed. The counter people and manager-types were stepping-in to personally correct messed-up orders. Everybody there was friendly and meant well--I’m sure this will get ironed out. On to the food. The menu features a number of entrees, all $8, and many sides, all $3. They have a Plate Special, where for $10 you get an entree, two sides, and a soda. I think a BBQ place should be judged first and last by ribs (which Daisy May has three varieties of, wet and dry). Nevertheless, I got the Plate Special with the pulled-pork sandwich. (The prospect of picking-over bones with sticky fingers on the benches by the Intrepid, pigeons looking-on, was too much for a summer day). The bun was good, not doughy, chewy or hard--a sedate backdrop for the meat. The meat had a full spectrum of texture, from crunchy to tender, showcasing the character of the pork--instead of the anonymous shredded protein you get at some places. The sauce had a mustard tang, not noticeable every bite, but coming to the foreground occasionally to round out the taste. On top was a dollop of creamy cole slaw, which I liked. Eight dollars if purchased solo, I think the sandwich is right up there with other great fast food sandwiches, like the steak sandwich at the little place on Bleeker. My two sides were baked beans and (because they were out of corn bread) creamed spinach. The beans were smoky with bits of meat. They were better than average, but too sweet for my taste--some people might like it precisely for that reason. The creamed spinach, surprisingly, was excellent. Very understated, not over-rich, and not over-chopped up to a puree--heads above that cream-heavy mess they serve in most expensive steak houses. Overall, I liked the place a lot. The menu has many things that look interesting--making it a good choice for a large group, so everybody can try something. I can’t see myself going often, though, because of the out-of-the-way location and lack of a seating area. Wed Aug 27 13:58:04 -0700 2003 0 Midtown Jimmy 1 1084328 Is this the place in the Times today on 11th Ave and 40something? I've misplaced my paper so I don't remember the name. Thanks for the great review! Wed Aug 27 14:34:48 -0700 2003 1084323 0 Faren 2 1084332 http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/27/dining/27STUF.html Wed Aug 27 15:02:55 -0700 2003 1084328 0 daniel 1 1084329 Thanks for that very thoughtful review. As soon as I saw the write-up in the Times I got very curious. Now about that pork. Did you like it? It sounds like you did but that it wasn't something you'd really go out of your way for. Wed Aug 27 14:55:53 -0700 2003 1084323 0 Abbylovi 2 1084346 I liked the pork, but, you know, I've never had pulled-pork that was extraordinary. Ribs, yes...pulled-pork, no. I personally believe, by its nature, pulled-pork (shredded, in sauce) disguises some of the sublime subtleties that the BBQ process can bring out in meat. Daisy May's was about as good as I've had. Being confined to NYC most of the time, I'd be curious to see where Southerners come down on the whole pulled-pork issue; as, I assume, they have access to much finer examples of the genre. Wed Aug 27 16:28:31 -0700 2003 1084329 0 Midtown Jimmy 1 1084365 I went the other night and got the sticky ribs with creamed spinach and baked beans. I also got the corn bread, which costs $3 extra. I don't claim to be any sort of bbq expert, but I was weaned on Flint's growing up in Oakland. This place is a far cry from that, but I was still reasonably impressed. The ribs were quite meaty and substantial and the sauce was pleasantly tangy and sweet without being sickly. I also really liked my side dishes, and definitely plan to try the others, which look good, too. My main complaint was that the ribs didn't have that smoky taste I've come to expect from good bbq. I also wasn't wild that they reheated my ribs in a microwave. Still, the food is pretty damned decent (definitely better than, say, Virgil's) and I live in the neighborhood. So I will almost certainly be going back. PS: The menus apparently misstate their hours. From what I can gather, they are open M-Sa until 9pm. Wed Aug 27 17:21:39 -0700 2003 1084323 0 awilmar 2 1084438 That was my experience as well, no smoke flavor nor any visible smoke ring. I had the memphis dry rub ribs. The service was so poor yesterday, it was infuriating, but I'll def. give them another try. I'm leery though since they seem to offer the full gamut of bbq options, brisket, beef ribs, "kansas city" (wet) and "memphis style" (dry) pork ribs, & pulled pork. Most decent bbq places tend to concentrate on one particular style. Thu Aug 28 10:21:42 -0700 2003 1084365 0 alwayshungry 1 1084532 Went there yesterday at about 6:30, and the bouncer at the door made me wait behind a velvet rope even though there were only a half dozen people in the joint and I was the lone idiot standing outside. When I was allowed in, I learned that they were out of everything except chicken and a few worn-looking sides. I passed. There were some fine smells in the place, though, so I'll try again today at lunchtime and report back. Boy, if there's an even halfway decent place to get pulled pork in this city . . . well, I might decide to stay awhile. Fri Aug 29 09:57:00 -0700 2003 1084323 0 Liana 1 1084804 Yeah, this place definitely has not yet gotten their s**t together -- lots of shortages of dishes, long waits, etc. But I thought the bbq was excellent -- best I've had in NYC since Pearson's moved from LIC to Jackson Heights. Beef short ribs (Flinstones-sized!) and pulled pork sandwich were both great. Cheesy corn and mashed taters both also good. D Tue Sep 02 15:24:25 -0700 2003 1084323 0 Dan 1 1084901 Last night I picked up some Memphis dry rub ribs, a Carolina pulled pork sandwich, the baked beans, creamed spinach, and cheesy corn; the apples I'd ordered didn't make it into the carryout bag. Thought I'd give a little report here. First the ribs: they had so much brown-sugary, chile-spicy, raw-tasting rub mixture on them that they were almost inedible (my dining companion and I managed to eat around it okay, scraping and picking). The meat itself was quite nice, plenty of smoke, good toothy texture, so maybe the eighth-inch crust of spices was a fluke--I'll give those ribs another try in a couple months. The pulled pork was fine. Utterly characterless, sure, when compared to the best of the Carolinas, but fine. Sigh. The coleslaw, I suspect, is store-bought; it's best to consider it a condiment on the pork sandwich, a role it performs well, though I think the creamy-coleslaw-topped sandwich concept is better in execution when the pork is more vinegary--you know . . . contrast. The bun was way too heavy and overwhelming for the delicately sauced meat (though a softer, smaller bun might not travel as well, I suppose). I'd like to see the place offer plain pulled pork--not on a sandwich--so that the stuff can really be tasted and appreciated. Are they man enough to give it to us straight? We'll see. I'd asked for bun and pork separated, but the idea didn't seem to sink in. Maybe next time. The sides were really good, especially the beans. Sweet, but loaded with burnt end meat--slop that on a hard roll and you'd be set. Creamed spinach was surprisingly spinach-y: smooth and firm, like a mousse, and not too runny with cream. The cheese corn, the likes of which I'd never had before, was interesting. It's not like creamed corn, and it's not like mac 'n' cheese; it's corn and bits of other vegetables suspended in a very yellow, gooey cheese (processed, most likely) sauce. It sounds awful, and it's none too pretty, but I'll admit I liked the stuff. I live in the neighborhood, so I'll be able to try and retry everything, and if those ribs get better I'll let you know. Overall, it's worth checking out. Good food that's likely to get better with practice. By the way, I gather they're now open until 8 (not 9, and not 5) Monday-Saturday. I was there at 7 last night and they still had most of their menu items available. Wed Sep 03 10:26:30 -0700 2003 1084323 0 Liana