vip in the city

Shake Shack attack

Since its highly hyped debut in July 2004, it seems that Shake Shack has been constantly in the news, making just about every best burger list in NYC (and a few around the country), so I don’t need to add anything more here about how tasty these burgers are, or how long the lines can be.

HH had just started a new gig near Madison Square Park, and since I hadn’t ventured it in a couple of seasons, this afternoon seemed as fine a time as any to attempt a visit back to the Shack. At peak times, I’ve known the line to stretch 40-50 deep, but this afternoon, we “only” had to delay our burger gratification — from arrival to eating — by about 40 minutes. It may have been just good luck, or perhaps after three years the Shack has become so crowded, nobody goes there anymore.

We were a day early for Shacktoberfest, so without the “special Shacktoberfest offerings” to distract, our choice was clear. We put in an order for a round of Shack burgers and fries and repaired to the picnic tables to wait. Last year, due to popular demand, the Shack installed a live ShackCam (rendering the ShackWatchers photo posting service obsolete) so that would-be visitors could monitor the order line and plan their food runs accordingly. This year, they introduced what has been dubbed the ShackWand, which buzzes to let you know when your order is ready for pick-up. Beats the old system of hovering by the window, straining to hear your number called out into the park.

Not everyone is a fan: earlier this year, The Post’s Steve Cuozzo snarkily deemed Shake Shack’s “the most overrated burger in New York.” Maybe, but as I sat with my friends in the warm Autumn sunshine, burger juice and special Shack sauce dribbling down my chin, I had no complaints.

The big cheese

Lucerne-based dairy group Emmi took over the World Financial Center’s Winter Garden this afternoon as part of a Swiss celebration, co-sponsored by Le Gruyère AOC, Swiss Tourism, Swiss International Airlines and Gondrand. Highlights included yodelers and Alpine horn players, but the highlight of the event was the 1,300 kilo cheese fondue — the would-be record holder for the “World’s Largest Fondue… outside of Switzerland.” (Again, there is such a record?)

Why the biggest outside Switzerland, you ask? Well, because the unqualified world record for largest fondue was set in 1998 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and out of deference to fondue’s status as the Swiss national dish, this new American-made fondue was made to be just short of the quantity required to overtake that record.

The giant “caquelon”, or traditional style Swiss fondue pot, measured 1.5 meters in diameter; in it was melted 700 kilos of approximately three dozen gruyère cheese varieties specially brought in from Switzerland, plus another 600 kilos of white wine, Kirschwasser and herbs. The mix was presided over by several hairnetted men, wielding giant paddles.

Approximately 3,000 people shared in the highly aromatic fondue, which was doled out into smaller plastic buckets, and ladled into freshly baked, hollowed out buns. Mmm, melted cheese on bread — a centuries-old, but winning combination.

Preview: Check out my photos from CultureFest 2007 on flickr.

To die dreaming

Perhaps it’s the impending arrival of cooler weather, but I’ve been tempted the past few Tuesdays after my weekly CSA vegetable pick-up at the McBurney Y to stop in at Sucelt Coffee Shop, located just off the subway entrance at the southwest corner of 14th Street and Seventh Avenue.

Back when SC and I were living in the West Village, this divey luncheonette was our regular source for good and cheap Latin comfort food. Solid steam table fare with a rotating menu of daily specials, at times trending towards the overly salty: ropa vieja, chuletas, pollo guisado, plantains, arepas, rice and beans… all culled from a multitude Latin American countries. SC loves the warmly satisfying tripe soup; I’m partial to their empanadas and cubanos.

The Village Voice named Sucelt one of New York’s “100 Best & Cheapest Latin Restaurants” in 2003.

When I’m not in the mood to be caffeinated through the night on the coffee shop’s top-notch café con leche, I opt for a batida, which Sucelt translates as a “tropical milkshake,” though the made-to-order drinks can be ordered sin leche. In addition to the more familiar passion fruit, mango, and banana varieties, they also offer tropical fruit blends of mamey and soursop, and an intriguingly named “morir soñando,” which literally translates into “to die dreaming.”

The drink, popular in the Dominican Republic, is usually made of oranges, condensed or evaporated milk, sugar, chopped ice and vanilla.