Guest Music Editor Mario Batali reveals his fave NYC munchies

Wednesday, April 15, is a red-letter day in Time Out history. (Really a black-and-white-letter day, in light of our logo, but you get the point.) Not only is Time Out New York going free; we're also giving away tons of hot prizes in a scavenger hunt and welcoming five notable New Yorkers as guest-editors. We're thrilled to have none other than Mario Batali taking charge of our Music content for the week. In honor of the occasion—and of Monday's stoner-friendly holiday, 4/20, celebrated at NYC gigs by standout local MCs Heems and Joey Bada$$—Chef Batali has agreed to complement our own guide to munchies and stoner snacks with a list of his favorite NYC munchies options. Take it away, Mario!

 

*****

 

"I am a chef and entrepreneur with a driving interest in music of almost every form and pop culture in every format—from fine arts to graffiti, cerebral performance art to street music and paint-can drumming. I was asked to guest edit the Music section of this first free issue of Time Out New York, and as it turns out, this is the week of 4/20—wheeeeee!

 

With the full support of the men and women in the editorial and art departments, I helped choose and edit the whole section, which is kind of like letting loose a bull in a china shop, or a monkey on a banana plantation, or an axe murderer in a sorority. The infinite joy of editing the zillion-planet galaxy that is NYC music in all five boroughs is a massive task that the regular team here at Time Out New York is completely up for, and the decisions to not feature something were even harder than choosing the gigs and performances that are featured in this week's pages. In honor of 4/20, I have chosen a few of my fave places to explore your personal yum irrespective of the state of mind that carried you to such yum. Here are my top five places and the dish that scratches my itch. 

 

Artichoke Basile’s Pizza
I recommend the meatball-parm slice. No, the Sicilian slice. Hey, did you notice that they use these vintage seasoned pizza pans they bought in some secondhand shop, and it makes the crust particularly crusty and crunchy? And they even claim it's burnt, but it's not; it's perfect and slightly charr-y, and that little blackened piece on the edge makes the bite a little bitter, and then the sweetness of their sauce becomes more inevitable than Ted Cruz heading to church and, well… Yeah, you'd better get both slices.

 

Porchetta
On E 7th St walk west from Tompkins Square on the south side of the street and follow your nose to the smell of sweet swine silliness and prepare to swallow the porchetta sammie and the crispy potatoes and burnt ends. It is so swell and supremely succulent that you will never walk down 6th St again.

 

How could you not order the Salty Pimp? And get their book and read it later.

 

Order the pastrami on rye, tip the carver five bucks and then ask for a Reuben to go. Then sit down with a Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda and a Dr. Brown's Black Cherry soda, and drink the Cel-Ray soda with the pastrami. Then open the Reuben and eat it with the Black Cherry soda, and if you are still hungry, walk across the street to…

 

…and have them make you a creamsicle with the last of the tangerine sorbetto 50/50 with their sublime and supreme Greek-yogurt gelato and dance at the feet of our lord. All is bliss; all is bliss."