Season 1, Week 1
Bad Roman & Twin Tails, plus why mussels are easy to cook at home
🗽 What I’m Ordering
I turned 32 last weekend, so Becky and I dined out at Bad Roman, the two-year-old “maximalist” Italian restaurant in the Time Warner Center (this New Yorker still refuses to call it the Deutsche Bank Center…). A few days later we ate with my dad at Bad Roman’s six-month-old sister restaurant Twin Tails.
🔪 What I’m Cooking
I’m a big fan of easy cooking that seems fancy. Mussels are one of the best examples. Sweat off some onion or garlic, add cleaned mussels and cover to steam for 6-8 minutes, and throw in some white wine or cream, and you have a bowl of protein and delicious broth for sopping up with a baguette.
✔️ Tip of the Week
For that baguette I just mentioned, you’re going to want some European butter (ideally French). Butter = fat + water, and the American brands really water it down. Blame shrinkflation.
👇 More Secrets Below
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My order at Bad Roman & Twin Tails
My full mussels recipe, Becky-approved
My top 3 European butters that are generally available in the US
Bad Roman
I’m a sucker for this no-holds-barred Italian restaurant that is the rare mix of trendy and not overbooked. Skip the Instagrammable pepperoni cups and ranch because you’re better than that.
Instead, head straight for the Spicy Gem Caesar. We were fans of how well the little gem lettuce here stands up to the rich dressing and maintains its crunch. We also shared some delish Filet Mignon Meatballs.
For mains, forget the also-Instagrammable cacio e pepe raviolo-topped filet mignon, which even a hostess there has admitted to us is more or less a gimmick. I really love their pastas. Would highly recommend the Cappelletti Bistecca (think butter and really elegant aged balsamic), Rock Shrimp Chitarra (sungold tomatoes, shrimp, and Calabrian chili), and Penne Luongo (“long penne,” the right way to do cacio e pepe there).
I also really enjoyed the Roman Cocktail, and in the past we’ve done their famous Lemon Cheesecake, which is as fun to eat as it is to look at.
Twin Tails
This Thai and Vietnamese restaurant on the other side of the same floor as Bad Roman is a really good time. Don’t pass up the tower of Cho Lon Duck, which is basically a deluxe Peking duck. I’m an unapologetic fan of Chicken Satay, the most basic of Southeast Asian dishes, and theirs is perfect. Other favorites include the Peekytoe Crab Fried Rice and Mushroom Bánh Cuôn Rice Rolls. Perhaps most importantly, don’t skip the Soufflés, which they’re famous for. Pistachio-pandan is my fave.
Moules Marinières with Chorizo
Way less intimidating to make than they look, here is my recipe, inspired by Mark Bittman’s.
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. mussels, rinsed and cleaned
1 link, pork chorizo sausage, without the casing
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Serves 2
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until they start to soften (2 mins.), then add the chorizo in clumps and cook until it is cooked through (5 more mins.).
Add the mussels, cover the pot, and cook until mussels open (6-8 mins.), shaking the pot occasionally.
Add wine and cook, uncovered, for 5 mins.
Add cream, stir, and serve in bowls, garnished with parsley.
Notes:
This is best served with baguette or crusty bread. The broth is the best part.
When you clean the mussels, be careful not to use any mussels that are open and don’t close when you tap them. Likewise, don’t serve any that don’t open when cooked.
Better Butter
The Europeans really know how to do butter, and once you try it, I promise it’s hard to go back to American butter. I use salted when I’m spreading it on a baguette and unsalted when I’m cooking so I can control the salt level. Without further ado, here are my three favorite brands that are commonly available in NY:
Président
Isigny Ste Mère
Kerrygold