JoonBlog New York

Venue Review: Matsugen (NYC - New York City)

Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s first foray into Japanese, with Matsugen, is a hit according to the reviewers. And they want you to know, it’s not just noodles!

“…Misconception No. 2: Matsugen is a noodle bar.
Fact: Wrong, wrong, wrong… There are some truly amazing rough-grained soba noodles made in-house served at Matsugen, but most of the menu is not noodle-based.” (Serious Eats)

Ok, but what else might we find on the menu?

“…asparagus tips in sesame sauce, pillowy sea urchin in yuzu gelée, house-made tofu skin topped with fresh wasabi…tempura, featuring four delicately battered monster shrimp…Kurobuta pork belly… with seared shiitakes and broccoli florets” (TimeoutNY)

Is your mouth watering yet? Yea, mine too. But for a dinner like this, it must cost an arm and a leg. But fear not my friends…

“Misconception No. 3: Matsugen is ridiculously expensive and overpriced.
Fact: There are a few very expensive items at Matusgen (Japanese Wagyu beef, seared fatty bluefin tuna), but that's because the ingredients themselves are very expensive. If you order carefully, you can eat very well here for less than $60 a head.” (Serious Eats)

Well, from the sound of things, I’m going to making a reservation here for sometime today, like right now.

Here’s a bit more about Matsugen: NY Mag, NY Daily News, and NY Journal.

Joonbug Concert Picks for 8-20-2008

Cheap Trick with Journey & Heart (click to purchase)
8/21
PNC Bank Arts Center
Exit 116 Garden State Parkway
Holmdel, NJ 07733
“Classic-rock fans have a triple-play to look forward to this summer when Journey, Cheap Trick and Heart join forces for a massive tour.” [more from LiveDaily.com]

Human League, Belinda Carlisle, A Flock of Seagulls, ABC & Naked Eyes (click to purchase)
8/22
Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
Jones Beach
Wantagh, NY 11793
“Take a musical excursion back to the 80’s with The Regeneration Tour featuring the decade’s biggest hitmakers…” [more from MelodyTent]

Billy Idol (click to purchase)
8/26
Hammerstein Ballroom
311 West 34th Street
New York, NY
“Veteran pop-punk rocker Billy Idol will hit the pavement later this month to tackle a busy summer tour schedule that supports his soon-to-be-released hits compilation, "The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself." [more from LiveDaily.com]

Around Town: Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks.

Food & Nightlife News From Around The New York City Blogosphere:

• French Restaurant “26 Seasts” is closed. (Bottomless Dish)
• Recession proof wine drinking. (Serious Eats)
• You CAN teach an old dog new tricks. (Metromix)
• Matsugen. A restaurant review (TimeoutNY)

Joonbug Concert Picks for 8-5-2008

Bloc Party (click to purchase)
8/6 – 8/7
Webster Hall
125 E 11th St
New York, NY
“Indie rockers Bloc Party have lined up a brief run of US headlining dates surrounding their scheduled appearance at Chicago's Lollapalooza Festival in August.”[more from LiveDaily.com]

The Police (click to purchase)
8/7
Madison Square Garden
7th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets
New York, NY
“Thirty years after their first American tour, one of the biggest bands in rock history, The Police will play their final show at Madison Square Garden in New York City on August 7.” [more from MSN.com]

Jethro Tull (click to purchase)
8/9
Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
Jones Beach
Wantagh, NY 11793
“The 40th Anniversary of Jethro Tull is upon us in… The set-list will be chosen mainly from the first three … Songs and tunes which defined the early Jethro Tull from blues band to eclectic, pre-prog inventiveness.” [more from J-Tull.com]

Joonbug Concert Picks for 7-24-08

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (click to purchase)
7/27 -7/28 and 7/31
Giants Stadium – The Meadowlands
Stadium Rd & W. Peripheral Rd
East Rutherford, NJ 07073
“Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band return to Giants Stadium this July for 3 amazing shows. Relive the magic of 2003!”[more from Meadowlands.com]

Hieroglyphics w/ Souls of Mischief & Pep Love (click to purchase)
7/31
Highline Ballroom
431 W 16th St
New York, NY
“In celebration of its 10th anniversary as an independent label and hip-hop collective, Hiero Imperium announced details for a massive North American tour…” [more from The Hip Hop Fanatic]

O.A.R. (click to purchase)
8/2
Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
1000 Ocean Pkwy
Babylon, NY, 11793
“The "All Sides Tour" is set to launch June 15 at Manchester, TN's Bonnaroo Music Festival and visit a host of venues and other high-profile festivals across the US…” [more from LiveDaily.com]

Around Town: Restaurant Week Has Begun

Food & Nightlife News From Around The New  York City Blogosphere:

• The third time’s a charm for Country (Eater)
• Restaurant week started YESTERDAY (Bottomless Dish)
• Some humble neighborhood hangouts, which have thrived (Metromix)
• No one goes to the theater to eat, until now (Grub Street)

Joonbug Concert Picks for 7-14-08

Ricky Gervais (click to purchase)
7/14-7/16
Wamu Theater at Madison Square Garden
7th Ave & 32nd Street
NY, NY
“Ricky Gervais brings his acclaimed stand up show back to theWaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden,after selling out his two previous shows!” [more from TheGarden.com]

Spoon (click to purchase)
7/15
Prospect Park Bandshell
Ninth St. and Prospect Park West
Brooklyn NY 11215
” Spoon have broken through to the American mainstream, having landed in the Top 10…The band has recently announced their final tour dates for 2008.”
[more from RockandRollGhost.com]

Billy Joel (click to purchase)
7/16 & 7/18
Shea Stadium
126th and Roosevelt Ave.
Flushing, NY
“Native New Yorker Billy Joel will make history on his home turf this summer by being the last musical artist to hold a concert at Shea Stadium…which will close its doors following the 2008 baseball season.”
[more from LiveDaily.com]

Around Town: Waiting on line for an Iphone? Don’t Starve!

Food & Nightlife News From Around The New York City Blogosphere:

• Inside SideBar – The “upscale sports lounge” (Bottomless Dish)
• Hot Plates: Bite sized dish on new restaurants (Metromix)
• Waiting on line for an Iphone? Hungry? Here’s where to eat. (Serious Eats)
• What restaurant employees eat (City Magazine)

Joonbug Concert Picks for 7-8-08

John Mayer (click to purchase)
7/9
Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
Jones Beach
Wantagh, NY 11793
“John Mayer has nailed down the particulars for his Continuum Summer Tour… Ben Folds will be the special guest on the entire outing, and buzz artists Rocco Deluca & the Burden, Brett Dennen and James Morrison with take turns opening...” [more from Livedaily.com]

Steve Miller Band w/ Joe Cocker (click to purchase)
7/10
Radio City Music Hall
6th Avenue between 50th street and 51st street
New York, NY
” The Steve Miller Band will return to the road in late May for its 2008 North American summer tour, and fellow rock veteran Joe Cocker will come along for the ride…”
[more from Livedaily.com]

Brian Wilson (click to purchase)
7/11
Hammerstein Ballroom
311 W. 34th Street
New York, NY
“Sunshine-pop godhead Brian Wilson will be touring this spring and summer on what's apparently being promoted as a "hits tour” that, in the words of Wilson's camp, "will please everyone in the room." [more from Prefixmag.com]

Venue Review – The Pump Energy Food – NYC

Simple Ingredients. Simply Prepared. Simply Good.

It seems as though The Pump Energy Food has gone through a phase of remodeling and is set to open at their new location today. With the popularity of the chain sky-rocketing across the other 5 locations, it was only natural to open up a 6th to help ease the burden. I guess New Yorkers actually DO care about eating healthy.
(from the press release)

…The lines are out the door nearly every day and they (the existing restaurants) are so small we just couldn’t do anything to make them more efficient or to cook more food.” said CEO Adam Eskin. The company is hoping the larger new location, sandwiched between its five other midtown stores, will help meet the growing demand from its customers.

With the mission of "Making It Easy for People to Eat Well", The Pump is definitely on the right track, but what about that rather detailed and sometimes confusing menu?

Eskin has dramatically simplified The Pump’s elaborate menu…”It was way too big and impossible to execute well. It was so overwhelming, customers didn’t know what to order. So we’ve reduced it down to only our best dishes…”

For over ten years now, “The Pump Energy Food” has been serving their very loyal and health conscious customers. With the addition of the new location, updated aesthetic, and their new simplified menu, The Pump Energy Food should be able to keep “people who lead very busy lives but care about what they eat” happy, healthy and full for a decade more to come.

CONTEST TIME! The first reader to email craig@joonbug.com will receive a lunch card redeemable for The Pump's signature New York Sandwich: chicken, mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes and hummus in a whole wheat twist. Sounds delicious! Good luck.

The Pump Energy Food
New Location – 275 Madison Ave. @ 40th Street
www.thepumpenergyfood.com