Welcome to Where to Eat, the restaurant newsletter that likes its steaks medium but prefers its burgers medium well. Here’s what we’ve got for you today:
FOODIE-IN-CHIEF Meet the chef behind the Obama Presidential Center’s restaurants“I don’t want fancy, I want good.” Such direct feedback from any guest would inspire a chef to think twice about a dish. But coming from former President Barack Obama, regarding a menu item at his own presidential center, it was an imperative. The dish in question? A cheeseburger. The chef Cliff Rome said President Obama — once called “Foodie-in-Chief” by People Magazine — told him that the burger that would end up on the menu at the Obama Presidential Center was missing a few essential ingredients. Namely, it needed a smear of yellow mustard and the bite of a sharp Cheddar. “He had a lot of opinions on what makes a good cheeseburger,” said Mr. Rome, who was tapped by the Obamas to conceptualize and run two restaurants, Tafari’s Kitchen and a casual cafe, on the center’s campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. Read the story →
THE BRIEF REVIEW BaohausSatisfactory
The fans at Eddie Huang’s Baohaus erupt when the Knicks hit their first three against San Antonio in Game 1. It’s two deep at the bar, with two televisions and a projector in the back. Speakers blast Fat Joe and DMX. A guy in a graphic tee sips a Gatorade cocktail the hue of blue Hi-Chew, while his companion flips off Victor Wembanyama onscreen. And Huang — the executive chef, owner and ringleader — greets patrons in his Anunoby jersey. He’s in his element. Back in the 2010s, Huang was the force behind the original Baohaus, a cool, casual spot that helped pave the way for the city’s modern crop of ambitious Taiwanese restaurants. Eventually, it closed, as did Xiao Ye, his ill-fated den of Four Loko and what Mr. Huang called at the time “American-born Chinese diner food.” But Huang has rocketed into the poly-hyphenate stratosphere — with a memoir, a sitcom, a basketball feature film, video podcasts and a new novel about a man-child who “treats his romantic partners as courses on a tasting menu.” Then, in March, he resurrected Baohaus on St. Marks as a freewheeling Chinese, Taiwanese and American spot with sports bar vibes. It’s a lively spot to watch the game and sip a bright German riesling with spicy cold tripe. Baohaus executes some of its bao quite well, including juicy fried chicken and tender pork belly with tart mustard greens. Assembling a full meal, alas, is a gamble. Could Italian-ish Iberico mapo be a good cross-cultural mashup? Maybe, if the gnocchi weren’t dense and mealy. Could surf clams deliciously fill up steamed bao? Sure, if the mollusk weren’t fried to the texture of a zip tie. And why do Madagascar prawns, bland and overcooked, leave behind all trace of oceanic flavor? New York loves to root for Huang — he’s a singular downtown personality — but he’s gotta hit more of his shots. Address: 97 Saint Marks Place (First Avenue); no phone; baohaus.nyc Recommended Dishes: Cold tripe, pork bao, fried chicken bao. Price: $15 to $21 for bao; $10 to $29 for small and medium-sized plates; $25 to $40 for larger mains including lamb shoulder and halibut with soy bean crisp. Wheelchair Access: Baohaus provides a ramp at the front entrance to navigate the steps down to the dining room. At least one restroom is wheelchair accessible
AS SEEN ON TV Matty Matheson is fame-agnosticKim Severson traveled to Ontario to interview the chef and TV personality Matty Matheson ahead of the final season of “The Bear,” which premieres on Thursday. Matheson discusses how he went from consultant to actor and why he would love to shed his punk rock image as “the screaming face.” Read the interview →
RESTAURANT AT HOME Bywater Bakery’s Chantilly cake with berriesBack in October 2024, when Whole Foods customers were crashing out over the grocery chain’s decision to change the recipe for this beloved cake, it was not berry season. But now it is, which means it’s the perfect time to make this deliciously decadent five-star recipe from Chaya Conrad, the former Whole Foods baker who created the original recipe and now sells it at her own Bywater Bakery in New Orleans. See the recipe → Need to know where to eat across the United States? Check out our guides to Atlanta, Austin Boston, Chicago, D.C., Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., San Francisco and Seattle. Follow NYT Food on TikTok and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.
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