Obama hearts Sammy's.

Obama's recent visit to an Edison, New Jersey sandwich shop only confirms, locally made sandwiches are what'a for lunch. See more on the visit here.

Eat well,

Tiny's

LES Weekend Guide.

Here are some ways to celebrate the last weekend in July, in the LES and a stones throw beyond.


Eat (& play) well!


Tiny's

Critical Mass: This monthly gathering for biker's rights in Manhattan, hosted by Times Up, is tonight at 7pm. Meet on the north side of Union Square (it will be hard to miss the masses of bikers and revelers).

 

Catch the last weekend of Lush Life, this weekend. Different chapters of Richard Price's 2008 novel of the same title can be experienced at nine different Lower East Side Galleries, now through Sunday. Take a look at a full directory and further information here.

Watch The Main Squeeze Orchestra at the Living Room located at 154 Ludlow Street this Saturday. This all girl accordion troupe puts on an incredible and irreverent show, combining merited music smithing with tongue in cheep burlesque undertones, and joined by a host of friends. Saturday, July 31st from 9pm-12am. Tickets cost $12.

Maryam Nassir Zadeh's summer sale continues, now with discounts of up to 50% off. Stop in to their beautiful space, just around the corner from the restaurant, and snatch up the deals while they still last!

Menu Spotlight.

Sometimes, the simplest flavors bring us the greatest joy. Little combos that come from home, fewer but better ingredients that marry together to form a time and place as well as a taste.

We always like to remind people at the restaurant that when you order a sandwich, you can pick any combination of breads and fillings that your little heart desires, like this one below, created and photographed by the Gothamist. Just ham, lettuce and tomato on a brioche roll, but no less delicious for its simplicity.

An infinite number of choices await. Hungry yet?

Eat well,

Tiny's

image via them

A tune for Tuesday.

We are right in the thick of summer, and almost no other song is as iconic a summertime anthem as "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry - plus we love this vintage film!

Eat well,

Tiny's

Lunch at Sixpoint.

Fats are a magnificent vehicle for flavor (our Chipotle Mayo being an excellent example of said phenomenon...). In the case of both mayonnaise and butter as bases for an herb or spice infusion, they are the perfect counterpart, offering a creamy base to whatever compliment you lend it. Lunch at Sixpoint (one of our absolute FAVORITE new food blogs - Guest Speaker feature soon!) put up a drool inducing post on how to make your own herbed butter earlier this month that we still can't get out of our mind, so we thought we ought to pass it on. With so many incredible flavors in bloom right now, this is the perfect time to try your hand at it:

Via Lunch at Sixpoint:

How to Make Herbed Butter

Before we get into the “how,” let’s talk about “why” you should make herbed butter. Herbs grow, a lot. It seems a shame not to enjoy their zingy, full flavors while they’re at their prime these hot months, and not to utilize all those fresh leaves. Yes, you can dry them out and use them all year, but this usually weakens or alters their flavor. Chopping it up and storing it in fat — butter — instead preserves the flavor, and stretches it, as it’ll permeate the whole glob. Sure, you can make tub after tub of pesto with your herbs, but maybe your freezer is full of those already. You could make a tincture, or try your hand at homemade perfume. But if you like to make bread, or serve it at dinner, then it’s fun to have a host of flavored butters on hand.

To start off, you should also be growing your own herbs now, so that you’ll be stuck with this predicament of having too much. Fresh herbs snipped right off the stem before using are much better-tasting, and it’s more cost-efficient than buying packs of pre-cut herbs that will go bad in your fridge within days, if it isn’t already. You don’t even need to have a backyard, or a planter. Poke holes in the bottom of a plum tomato can, or an empty mayonnaise jar. Set it on a windowsill that gets good sun.

English thyme

lavender

Now for the “how” part, which is actually stupidly easy. Pick much any herb you really like, or the most prolific ones you’ve got. I chose to make two butters: with English thyme and lavender. You can always mix and match and come up with blends. Spend an agonizing few minutes getting all the tiny leaves off the stems of your thyme (and by the way, if you’re cooking with me, never ask me to separate the thyme — been there too many times). Relax and enjoy separating bigger leaves and spindles like those of the lovely lavender plant off the stem. Finely chop your herbs next, and try placing both hands on the top of your knife and guiding it up and down with the hand that’s on the handle like a seesaw. A fan-like pattern should appear on your cutting board. (Lifting the knife off the cutting board and hacking straight down seems to make these denser herbs fly across the counter.) Go back and forth until you’ve got nicely chopped, very fine bits. Do we say “minced” for herbs? I would use the word only it seems like “mince” usually involves moisture. I’m not sure.

While you’re doing this, let your butter sit out. Actually, let it sit at room temperature for a good fifteen minutes, if you’re using a one-pound block of butter. Use the best butter in your estimation; this could be organic, or from your favorite dairy farm. Here, I’ve used a block of Plugra European-style butter, because it’s so creamy (I don’t have any connection with Plugra, just saying). Also, I liked not having to unwrap four individual sticks. Be sure not to skip the sitting-out step and do something crazy like put the butter in the microwave, because any melting will break the emulsion and change the butter’s texture forever. Just wait it out, and don’t wait too too long, especially if you’re doing this in a hottter-than-room-temperature kitchen, which you probably are. The butter should be somewhat firm when you start to blend in the herbs, and definitely still opaque.

For roughly one quarter of a pound of butter, the size of one stick, I used roughly two tablespoons of finely chopped herbs. But you can adjust the amount of herbs as to your own liking. Plop the butter in a bowl and sprinkle the chopped herbs right on. Now start cutting up the butter and letting the herbs fall into the crevices. I like to use an (appropriately named) butter knife for this because it doesn’t encourage as much smearing as a spatula, and hence possible melting. I also don’t prefer a fork or pastry cutter because it really doesn’t need to be cut up that finely, and they’re a pain to clean. It should take all of a minute to somewhat “evenly” distribute the herbs around the entire quarter-pound. It doesn’t have to be that even, and of course, it never will be perfectly so.

Store it in an airtight container and enjoy as long as you want. You can be reminded of your garden in full summer bloom all year ’round now. And, you’ve also found a much better vessel for your butter — in a tightly sealed, airtight container in the fridge! Each time you open it, it should smell like newly clipped herbs. Not like all the other stuff that’s hanging out in the refrigerator. Who knows why butter is always wrapped in paper, which lets it absorb the smells and flavors of your leftover lasagna, or half-empty can of clam juice? I suppose that’s another way of “flavoring” butter altogether.

 

Hint: drop a glob of this in the center of a hot bowl of soup.

Sunday's favorites.

Our featured blog this Sunday is the wonderful crew at Serious Eats, and more specifically, Serious Eats New York. Another institution of the foodie blog world, their site is the most up to date journal of dining out, food news, and reviews imaginable. One of our favorite segments is the "A Sandwich a Day" column (and not just because we have been featured in it here, here, and below).

Their photography and writing is always on point, not to mention completely crave worthy, and with multiple updates a day, they are completely reader worthy too. Keep up the good work guys!

Eat & read well,

Tiny's

Macaron Parlour

We are so excited to introduce our good friends and newest sweet suppliers, Macaron Parlour. 

Comprised of Christina Ha and Simon Tung, both bakers had dreamed about opening their own operation before creating Macaron Parlour this year. What makes their little treats so special is their commitment to thinking outside of the pastry box, creating savory sweets and unprecedented flavor combinations like their ridiculously popular candied bacon with maple cream cheese frosting or their sesame with cookies and cream ice cream.

Candied Bacon

Sesame Cookies & Cream

Their treats are the ultimate in eye candy, too! They will look so cute in our pastry case. Simon & Christine also got a great shout our in Daily Candy last Thursday, take a look below.

Eat well, 

Tiny's

Recent Press:

Round the Way Roundup.

The weekend is calling, and with it lots of free art! Take a look at some of these events in the hood this weekend in our weekly Round the Way Roundup.

Eat well, 

Tiny's 

Tonight, for one night only, an art crawl hosted by the New Museum and 29 other Galleries begins at 6:30. Check in at the New Museum (235 Bowery at Prince) or at Woodward Gallery (133 Eldridge St. b/t Delancey and Broome) for tickets and a map of participating galleries. 

If you can't make it to the New Museum on Friday night for the art crawl, stop by on Saturday for their block party, from noon - 5pm. Offering a full range of artist and educator led lectures, plus free admission to the New Museum for the day, you definitely don't want to pass this one up. The party is being held at the Sara D. Roosevelt park on Chrystie Street at Broome. 

 

In honor of the much anticipated Mad Men Season four premiere this Sunday at 10pm, drop in for a trim and a shave  at the Freeman's Sporting Club Barbershop. We want to see some dapper Don's strolling down Rivington Sunday evening. 

To the farm.

We recently visited the beautiful Hawthorne Valley Farm in Upstate New York. The farm is located in the hills of the Columbia Mountain Range is a center for not only agriculture, but arts and education too. We sampled some really delicious cheeses, breads, and vegetables, all made and/or grown on the premises, and met some very happy cows, like this lady right here:

They sell raw milk at their farm store so a lot of folks came to stock up their supply for their cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese making endeavors. They also sell whey which can be used for Lacto Fermentation, a process responsible for some of the most delicious sauerkraut that we have ever tasted. 

They have a stand at the Green Market at Union Square every Wednesday and Saturday, so you must check them out! If you go, be sure to get their early because their baked goods always sell out and their Sourdough Rye Bread is off the charts, so you really don't want to miss it. 

We'll leave you with some more pictures that we snapped as we wandered around their idyllic, breathtaking farm.

Eat well, 

Tiny's

happy tomatoes

pasture land

sheep or goat?

Menu Spotlight.

Why is it that even though it has been 90+ almost everyday we still find ourselves craving our Classic Grilled Cheese like nobody's business? Maybe it's because ours is made just like mom used to, with the good cheese  (cheddar, provolone and mozzarella) and juicy tomatoes (because you need your vitamin C!) on white bread (what you want) or 7-grain (what you know you should get). 

Add bacon (yum!), sauteed onions, roasted red peppers, portobello mushrooms, or tofu bacon to make a sandwich of truly epic proportions. Served with a side of potato chips that we dare you to stuff inside for some extra salty crisp on the cheap. For only $4.25, this sandwich will warm your heart, your soul, your belly, and your wallet. And if there is any truth to the logic behind cooling down with a hot beverage on a hot day, maybe the same is true of delicious, hot, melty cheese.

Eat well, 

Tiny's

image courtesy of Serious Eats

Moonshiner.

With the prohibition aesthetic that has run rampant in NYC (where did we first spot this? At Moto in Brooklyn maybe? Hard to pinpoint now...) it is not surprising that other Prohibition habits are cropping back up again. According to a recent article by the BBC, Moonshine production is on the rise in the US, though it seems to be undergoing a rebranding of sorts. Though it is still illegal, Moonshine's (typically Whiskey though it can refer to almost any illegally produced alcohol) stigma has been replaced for the most part with street cred, and why not? With the foodie movement on the rise and rooftops being reclaimed as farms (we recently saw a bumper sticker with the anthem "Farms Not Lawns" for the suburbs) it seems that it was only a matter of time before our relationship to drinking would be reevaluated too. And apparently it's never been easier; for a bit of money you can order your own copper still and set it up in your apartment. But it's still against the law, so don't turn to bootlegging too quickly. We'd love to hear from you if you or any of your friends are a part of this movement (and we won't narc you out, promise).

Drink well,

Tiny's

image via them

image via them

Guest speaker.

Every Sunday we want to share with you new favorites and old standby's from our bank of must read blogs. This week being our first, we thought we would share what we consider to be the mother of all must follow foodie blogs: Epicurious.com

Their tag line, "for people who love to eat", pretty much says it all. From recipes and menus, restaurant news and reviews, guides of every variety, video tutorials,  and community forums -- whether you enjoy cooking or have every takeout joint in your neighborhood on speed dial, chances are they have something for your appetite. This site is an institution and they really do keep their finger on the pulse of the food world (when we re-opened, for example, they were on it like that).

Here is some food porn from their site, to see more, click here.

 

smores sammies with banana

candied bacon

 

 cheesy rice balls

What makes the prospect of sharing our favorite blogs with you so exciting is that never before has the conversation on food been so rich and diverse. These days you can read the point of view of just about every imaginable aspect of the food industry, from the doers & the makers to the consumers & the critics: the restaurant-philes; the eat at home revolutionaries; urban rooftop gardeners; pastry chefs pushing the boundaries of the medium; restaurateurs documenting their process and journey; and the list goes on, because, let's face it, we all love food and most of us like talking about it, too.

We like to keep up with the community that we are so proud to be a part of, so if you know of any interesting blogs you think we would like (about the foodie world and beyond) please pass them along! Even if (or especially if) it is your own!

Eat well,

Tiny's

Friday Fun Report!

It's that time again, the weekend beckons and so do these fun events.

Play well, 

Tiny's

The biggest news in our neck of the woods would have to be the Tastes of the Lower East Side festival, going on this Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are already sold out, so if you didn't get them in time maybe you can host your own guerrilla expedition, following alongside the delicious map of flavors that the festival will include. Take a look at the official site for all of the details!

The Siren Music Festival is obviously not technically in the neighborhood, but it is off of the F train and with so many bands who are LES regulars, it feels like a natural extension of  the hood. This summertime institution is an event every New Yorker, from lifer to loaner, must attend at least once. Check out the official site, here. Saturday, July 17th from noon-9pm, all ages, rain or shine.

Lush Life, a multi gallery collaboration, is an incredible effort by curators Franklin Evans and Omar Lopez-Chahoud, the ambitious pair have "... managed to take apart Richard Price’s 2008 novel, Lush Life, piece by piece, page by page, to create—with the help of a slew of New York artists—a colorful reinterpretation of Price’s riveting tale of a murder investigation on the Lower East Side. Different chapters can be experienced in nine downtown galleries, which include Collette Blanchard Gallery, Eleven Rivington, Invisible-Exports, Lehmann Maupin, On Stellar Rays, Salon 94, Scaramouche, and Y Gallery. Start your viewing with Chapter 1: Whistle at Sue Scott Gallery, which features artist David Kramer’s piece (Bar) Unfinished Business, a fully stocked plywood bar that Kramer told our own Leslie Minora represents the typical Lower East Side watering hole, where there are “endless possibilities, but, really, it’s always the same.” - By Araceli Cruz for the Village Voice

Every Thursday, Friday & Saturday from now until August 1st.

Put on your dancing shoes! Self Edge, our neighbors at 157 Orchard at the corner of Rivington, are hosting a Rockabilly Hob Nob bash with their friends at Wild Records. On Sunday, July 18th, from 3-8pm join them in celebrating with Omar and the String Poppers (who have traveled all the way from LA just for occasion).  

Foodspotting

We are officially obsessed with foodspotting.com, a site where you can snap and upload pictures of your favorite beverage or dish at a restaurant or food stand. Scrolling through their site is a mouth watering experience, and if you are in search of some dining inspiration, you can narrow your parameters down to find tasty treats in your neighborhood. You can also vote on the dishes and images themselves as you scan the site. Take a look at our little gem, the Spicy Rizzak, by following the link below and give us some props!

The Spicy Rizzak @ Tinys Giant Sandwich Shop on Foodspotting

Eat well,

Tiny's

"Foodspotting is a visual local guide that lets you find dishes instead of just restaurants. It's powered by Foodspotters, who can share their food photos and expertise while building a rich collection of foods and where to find them."

A tune for Tuesday.

A sweet animation and an ode to our beloved neighborhood.

Eat well,

Tiny's

Viva Espana!

The game yesterday was almost unbearable, between the record 14 yellow cards (and one red card), the deadlock 0-0 score punctuated with brutality, and calls so close it took moments to realize that, still, no score had been made, the overtime goal by Spain made for one of the most beautiful World Cup resolutions we have seen in a long time (and so much better than penalty kicks). What an incredible game and an even more incredible tournament.

Eat well,

Tiny's

P.S.

In case anyone was wondering what Andrés Iniesta's undershirt read, it says: Dani "Jarque siempre con nosotros" or, in English, "Dani Jarque always with us". Jarque was a player with some of the team members on youth international teams who died recently of a heart attack.

images via them

FINALS!!!

NETHERLANDS VS. SPAIN

Today at 2:30

We've got you covered for all of the game day fun. Call us and we'll deliver some sustenance to you and your crew for what is sure to be an epic match, 212 228 4919.

Eat well,

Tiny's