You’ve already met Moira, Jamie, and Alyssa, so you know that the R&B blog and tours are the go-to place to find the scoop on great eats. Now it’s time to hear from Hell’s Kitchen tour guide Erin Merrill, who is garunteed to crack you up should you be lucky enough to snag a tour with her.  Read what Erin’s dishing up in this Q+A:

Q: Although you grew up in Maine, you’re a Brooklyn girl now. Where is your favorite place to eat in your neighborhood, Clinton Hill? 

I love this Mediterranean restaurant, Olea. It’s a quick bike ride away from my apartment, and they have really wonderful coffee, great brunch menu and a delightfully cozy ambiance.  Also they have a fantastic happy hour with half priced drinks and three dollar tapas-yes, please!

 Q: One food you couldn’t live without:

I have to say pretzels. They are something that I like to incorporate in all things. Sometimes I put them in sandwiches, sometimes I dip them in mustard for a midnight snack, and sometimes I eat them with peanut butter & sliced pickles.

Q: Best thing you’ve ever eaten?

This is going to sound like I’ve been paid to say so, but on my last trip to Caselulla, I had a piece of caramelized cheese with peanut butter brittle and it was possibly the most divine combination of foods I have ever put in my mouth. It was all highlighted by a glass of Rioja, because yes, mama likes the sauce.

Here at Rum & Blackbird, lunch is the most important meal of the day. The best way to do lunch? Make it a smorgasbord. Today we had a takeout adventure, visiting two completely different parts of Asia, from the comfort of the R&B headquarters in Hell’s Kitchen. We sampled Afghani cuisine from Ariana, and Japanese fusion from Ajisai. Our kitchen counter morphed into a colorful buffet, with everything from teriyaki and sushi to hand-pulled Afghani noodles and pumpkin curry. What did we like best? Read on:

 Alyssa’s Take: My top picks from our lunch adventure were the Spinach Samusa from Ariana and the Vietnamese Spring Rolls from Ajisai. For the Spinach Samusa I was expecting a crispy, Indian-style samosa, but was pleasantly surprised to receive a spinach dumpling more reminiscent of a mini-empanada. They were simple, and thankfully, not too greasy. The Vietnamese Spring rolls showcase the pan-Asian quality of Ajisai, where there is not only sushi on the menu, put pad thai and Indian pancakes as well. The spring rolls were the perfect summer appetizer. They were lightly fried and chock-full of rice vermicelli and funky black mushrooms. My favorite part of the lunch battle royal? Cross-cultural condiment pairings, like dipping the Afghan bread in the spicy spring roll sauce.

 Jamie’s Take: At first glance, the menu at Ariana looks like a million other falafel and kebab joints across the city. But if you dig a little deeper, there are seriously delicious Afghani specialties to be found. I was way into the Aushe Burida from Ariana—hand-sliced noodles, topped with yogurt sauce, garlic, mint, and ground beef curry. It was hidden away on the menu under the more standard-looking kebabs and sandwiches, so I’m glad we spotted it. The noodles were thick and springy, and the spicy ground beef was nicely tempered by the mint and yogurt sauce. It wasn’t the prettiest dish, but it sure was tasty. I also really liked the tender pumpkin curry from Ariana, even if it’s more of a hearty winter dish. With all the falafel and kebab joints in Hell’s Kitchen, I’d like to put in a word for the slightly more unusual offerings at Ariana—you just have to know where to look.

Ariana: 787 9th Ave.; (212) 262-2323

Ajisai: 615 9th Ave.; (212) 757-2688

Now that you’ve met owner/founder Moira Campbell, it’s time to say hello to the rest of the R&B gang. We’re a small lot, but we’ve got a lot of personality! Today we’re chatting with Jamie Feldmar, editor/outer boroughs tour guide/ pork-lover extraordinare. Stay tuned for interviews soon with the rest of our team, but for now, here’s Jamie:

Q: Jamie Feldmar.  Jamers, Jamoooo, Jamster.  Where are you from?

A: Chicago.

Q: How long have you lived in New York and what neighborhood do you currently reside in?

A: Five years on the dot. I’ve spent the past three years in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, surrounded by old Italian men and kids in bands.

Q: What is your favorite neighborhood spot for eating out?

A: Fette Sau for BBQ and whiskey. Oh my god, it’s so good—you walk out of there and your hair smells like smoked meat for days. And Bahia for cheap Salvadoran tamales.  I also really enjoy going on ethnic eating adventures across the outer boroughs, to neighborhoods like Flushing, Jackson Heights and Sunset Park.

Q: One food you want, need, can’t live without?

A: Dumplings! Of all kinds. Chinese potstickers, Polish peirogi, Japanese shumai…I love them all. I’m a sucker for pretty much any kind of meat wrapped in dough.

Welcome to the Rum & Blackbird blog!

Here you’ll find all sorts of fun stuff: food news, interesting eats, Q & A’s with our tasters, travel tips and fun food creations. What better way to get the ball rolling than by meeting our illustrious founder, Moira Campbell? Sure, you can get the basic stuff on our “About” page, but for the real scoop, read on:

moiracancook

Q: Be honest: where’s your favorite place to eat in Hell’s Kitchen?
Obviously I love all the stops on my tour, but one other place I adore is Daisy May BBQ. I just love barbecue. Their macaroni and cheese is off the hook. Adam Perry Lang took his classic French training with Daniel Boulud and applied it to a low-concept cuisine that is the very basis of American food. Meat + fire = delicious.
Q: One food you couldn’t live without:
Peanut butter. To be truthful—I eat it by the jarload.
Q: What trends are you noticing in the NYC dining scene that you’re psyched about?
I love seeing really talented, classically trained chefs taking on more simplified concepts—like pizza, or sandwiches, or hotdogs, but done up with exceptional ingredients. Angelo Sosa at Xie Xie is a good example, and that’s why I wanted to include him on the tour.

Have another question for Moira or want to know more? Drop us a line at info@rumandblackbird.com, and check back here for more good stuff soon!