These days, chefs are treated like celebrities who also have superhuman powers. So who are these Croc-wearing food wizards? Where do they find their BITES ON A BUDGET? And where do they go to splurge? In "TOP CHEF, TOP EATS," we ask top NYC chefs where and what they eat.
The kitchen at Momofuku Milk Bar in Brooklyn is like something that Strawberry Shortcake and Jeff Spicoli would dream up if they hung out one weird night. There are human-size containers of sugar, pretzels, and potato chips ready to mix into the bakery's famous Compost Cookies. The walk-in freezers (filled with multicolor layer cakes) are differentiated with names like "Christopher Walk-in," "Walk-in Phoenix," and "Luke Skywalk-in." And the smaller of the kitchen's industrial-strength mixers is handily referred to as "Lil Kim."
All of this—the humor but also the deadly serious devotion to next-level baked goods—comes from chef Christina Tosi. Christina runs Milk Bar, the sweet to David Chang's savory Momofuku ventures, with a ferocious precision twinned with the glee and appetite of her childhood self. "All I would eat growing up were cookies, cereal, and cake. My poor mother let me do it because otherwise I would go on a hunger strike. Eventually I was like, 'Okay, I guess I have to learn how to bake so I can eat.'"
On a recent visit to the Milk Bar kitchen, Christina told us about her favorite places to eat in NYC; her soon-to-be-released second book, Milk Life, in which she will share her home recipes; and her holiday plans—all the while mixing up a batch of her Christmas cookies (special guest star: candy canes). Scroll through our images for a step-by-step guide to the best sugar high of your life.
Name: Christina Tosi
Astrological sign: Scorpio!
Hometown: Springfield, VA
Current neighborhood: "East" Williamsburg
Restaurant: Momofuku Milk Bar
Signature dishes at work: Cereal Milk, Crack Pie, and Compost Cookies
Signature dishes at home: Depends on who you ask but... corn bake, funny sandwiches, and any and every kind of baked good!
Favorite fruit, vegetable, or herb currently in season: Brussels sprouts
Best spot for dumplings: M.Shanghai (don't laugh—they're the BEST)
Best spot for a curry/spicy dish: Lahore Deli on Crosby Street
Best spot for pasta: Del Posto, baby!
Food trend you're over: Bacon. In. Dessert.
Hangover cure dish: A long run. Then Burger Joint for a burger, fries, and a big ol' soda.
Best food market in the New York area: I'm partial to the Union Square Greenmarket (that's where we get our out-of-this-world seasonal produce—it's important to support the farmers, they're the only ones who work harder than NYC cooks!). But I'm also maddened in the best way possible by Eataly.
Celebrity chef crush: No comment!
Favorite cooking show: Master Chef Junior. I swear. It is a MUST SEE. Those kids humble me as a chef. It is
The kitchen at Momofuku Milk Bar in Brooklyn is like something that Strawberry Shortcake and Jeff Spicoli would dream up if they hung out one weird night. There are human-size containers of sugar, pretzels, and potato chips ready to mix into the bakery's famous Compost Cookies. The walk-in freezers (filled with multicolor layer cakes) are differentiated with names like "Christopher Walk-in," "Walk-in Phoenix," and "Luke Skywalk-in." And the smaller of the kitchen's industrial-strength mixers is handily referred to as "Lil Kim."
All of this—the humor but also the deadly serious devotion to next-level baked goods—comes from chef Christina Tosi. Christina runs Milk Bar, the sweet to David Chang's savory Momofuku ventures, with a ferocious precision twinned with the glee and appetite of her childhood self. "All I would eat growing up were cookies, cereal, and cake. My poor mother let me do it because otherwise I would go on a hunger strike. Eventually I was like, 'Okay, I guess I have to learn how to bake so I can eat.'"
On a recent visit to the Milk Bar kitchen, Christina told us about her favorite places to eat in NYC; her soon-to-be-released second book, Milk Life, in which she will share her home recipes; and her holiday plans—all the while mixing up a batch of her Christmas cookies (special guest star: candy canes). Scroll through our images for a step-by-step guide to the best sugar high of your life.
Name: Christina Tosi
Astrological sign: Scorpio!
Hometown: Springfield, VA
Current neighborhood: "East" Williamsburg
Restaurant: Momofuku Milk Bar
Signature dishes at work: Cereal Milk, Crack Pie, and Compost Cookies
Signature dishes at home: Depends on who you ask but... corn bake, funny sandwiches, and any and every kind of baked good!
Favorite fruit, vegetable, or herb currently in season: Brussels sprouts
Best spot for dumplings: M.Shanghai (don't laugh—they're the BEST)
Best spot for a curry/spicy dish: Lahore Deli on Crosby Street
Best spot for pasta: Del Posto, baby!
Food trend you're over: Bacon. In. Dessert.
Hangover cure dish: A long run. Then Burger Joint for a burger, fries, and a big ol' soda.
Best food market in the New York area: I'm partial to the Union Square Greenmarket (that's where we get our out-of-this-world seasonal produce—it's important to support the farmers, they're the only ones who work harder than NYC cooks!). But I'm also maddened in the best way possible by Eataly.
Celebrity chef crush: No comment!
Favorite cooking show: Master Chef Junior. I swear. It is a MUST SEE. Those kids humble me as a chef. It is