RICE PUDDING AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IT

[Fat Guy]

The folks at Bullfrog & Baum public relations distributed this press release today. I thought it was well worth reprinting (with permission from and credit to Jennifer Baum, of course):

Rice to Riches

37 Spring Street

New York City 10012

212-274-0008

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are no silver spoons at this highly designed dessert emporium dedicated entirely to rice pudding, once considered the humblest of treats.   

The brainchild of owner Pete Moceo, Rice to Riches was borne of his appreciation for the gelaterias that dot the streets throughout Italy.  “Why not do this with rice pudding?” Moceo asked himself.  Why not, indeed.

Tucked away on a quiet Soho street, the visual impact of Rice to Riches is as bold as the idea itself.  Here the array of flavors takes center stage at a Jetsons meets-Woody Allen’s Sleeper design with a cool dose of Italian-Mod tossed in.  Bright whites and striking oranges set the scene for 19 grown-up rice pudding flavors and their dyed-to-match custom created serving bowls (with color-coordinated spoons and napkins!).  A specially produced rice pudding “movie” airs continuously, and bold bursts of fruit murals adorn the walls, hinting to the use of all natural ingredients in these soon-to-be-cult-favorite confections.

Award-winning Pastry Chef Jemal Edwards (most recently of The Four Seasons, San Francisco) worked on the original concept and has returned to oversee the production and development of new flavors.  A far cry from traditional pastry and plated desserts, Edwards’ extreme passion for the concept has opened his eyes to a new world of flavor, texture and complexity.  His creative energies are now focused on how to make a better vanilla (maybe add a little lemon?) or a traditional chocolate (for a twist add cherries?).  Each pudding is based on a basic recipe with fresh fruit or herbs added to perfect each selection.  With flavors such as Pineapple Payoff with Basil; Pistachio Protest with Sage; Bottomless Pear with Anise and Coffee Collapse with Cardamom, you’ll quickly see how this is not the rice pudding you remember from your childhood.

Keep walking past that ice cream parlor. Rice to Riches is “pudding” its best foot forward.

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

SOME FACTS:

HOURS                                                            Seven Days a Week: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

RICE PUDDING  PRICES

Solo (8 oz)                                        $4.50                                     

Sumo (40 oz)                                $16.50                               

RIDE PUDDING FLAVORS

Understanding Vanilla                                             

Sesame Survivor

Endangered Maple with Sundried Blueberries

Strawberry Floozy

Forbidden Apple (just like Grandma’s apple pie)               

Raspberry Statement with Vanilla

Melon-Choly with Lemon                                                             

Surrender to Mango with Lime

Bottomless Pear with Anise

Qualified Lemon

Pineapple Payoff with Basil                                                             

Stubborn Banana with Coconut

Chocolate Carnivore with Dark Raisins                                       

Chocolate Cherry Crime Scene

Cinnamon Sling with Brown Sugar and Dark Raisins

Pistachio Protest with Sage

Obscene Orange with Carrot

Coffee Collapse with Cardamom                       

[Jinmyo]

Uh...

Sure. Why not?

[scamhi]

I love rice pudding.

That sounds great.

[Schielke]

The pudding names seem to be like the ones that Ben and Jerry's uses...

Either way, I love rice pudding and would go check it out if it were not 3000 miles away.

[Fat Guy]

I like it because it's such a brilliant example of clever press-release writing and timing -- that's why I put it on the media board.

[Jason Perlow]

I give it six months, tops.

[Schielke]

Actually, mapped from my home address, it is only 2865.33 miles away and would take just 46 hours, 28 minutes to get there.

Rice Pudding here I come!

Ben

[fifi]

Something doesn't "smell" right here... The quote looks funny and not much like a press release... no fooling.

[SobaAddict70]

I give it six months, tops.

No salads? He'll have salads on the menu soon enough.

heheh

Soba

[Holly Moore]

Sounds like a winning concept to me. I know a similar venture, Tap-Tap-Tapioca, has gotten a lot of press here in Philly.

Edited April 1, 2003 by Holly Moore (log)

[guajolote]

2 with raisins? They're doomed.

[indiagirl]

I like it because it's such a brilliant example of clever press-release writing and timing -- that's why I put it on the media board.

Why timing, FG? Do you mean the cadence of the writing or that this restaurant is somehow relevant in the times we live in. Please explain.

Also, are they experimenting with different kinds of rice?

I think I need to move to NYC :\

[tan319]

Jemal is good.

I hope it works for him.

There was a place solely devoted to peanut butter on Thompson st., I believe, around Bleeker st. a few years ago. I don't know if it's still there though.

Every kind of sandwich, PB only.

[nightscotsman]

I'm with Jason - 6 months. Just long enough for the novelty to wear off.

[Fat Guy]

I like it because it's such a brilliant example of clever press-release writing and timing -- that's why I put it on the media board.

Why timing, FG? Do you mean the cadence of the writing or that this restaurant is somehow relevant in the times we live in. Please explain.

I mean that responses like fifi's are inevitable, thus making it a discussable issue -- more than just a new-restaurant announcement.

[Pan]

I like rice pudding, but are the names of the flavors too clever by half?

[Fat Guy]

They're too clever by about 19 halves!

Seriously, fifi, this is totally legit (see the notice in this week's New York Magazine), but I do understand your reaction: a significant percentage of the people I showed the release to didn't know what to make of it. It's such an audacious, unexpected, original concept that it's bound to generate speculation if you announce it on the eve of April 1.

Another potential eGullet game/contest . . .

[beewilson]

I'm not too sure about ice cream flavours for rice pudding; but vanilla rice pudding flavoured ice cream can be wonderful - see River Cafe 'Green' cookbook for a recipe.

Are people in the US as obsessed with the 'skin' on baked rice pudding as we are in Britain? Some people are revolted by it, while for others it's the best bit. But if you make risotto-style rice puddings, with Arborio stirred in flavoured milk for 20 minutes, you can avoid it altogether.

[macrosan]

I'm with Fifi on this one

[vengroff]

The menu is clearly missing:

Trio (3oz each of 3 different flavors) $5

They need to give customers a chance to sample several of these flavors at once.

[Suzanne F]

. . .

Are people in the US as obsessed with the 'skin' on baked rice pudding as we are in Britain? Some people are revolted by it, while for others it's the best bit.  But if you make risotto-style rice puddings, with Arborio stirred in flavoured milk for 20 minutes, you can avoid it altogether.

Well, you're talking about two very different dishes. Baked, as I assume you mean it, is really just custard with pre-cooked rice in it. Nowhere near the creamy, full-flavored, outrageously rich stirred version. (Guess which one I prefer? )

I grew up on the baked custard kind. I wouldn't quite call the skin revolting, but it was not pleasant. Especially as the days wore on and it got more leathery. What bothered me more was the rice all sinking to the bottom.

[Fat Guy]

I wonder if the people at Kozy Shack are worried.

[Joy]

No salads?  He'll have salads on the menu soon enough. 

No no, its panini these days.

Those rice pudding names are so precious and sickly-sweet, makes me want to vomit...

[Joy]

gave it a try today. $4.50 for a small serving. i have no doubt that 25% of the cost goes to the high tech moss-like tupperware that they serve the pudding in.

for the inevitable what is moss question:

http://www.mossonline.com/home.html

the spoon looks like a mini slide.

i tried the chocolate cherry and the vanilla, with the vanilla being my choice. the chocolate was subjectively too chocolately

**explanation of my subjective taste: you see even though i love chocolate, for some reason i cannot stand chocolate ice cream or chocolate shakes. i do however love hot chocolate. **

the pudding itself is very rich and creamy. i would definitely get the vanilla again. i would venture to say that the other reason for their steep prices is that they're using quality ingredients. for example, i can see flecks of the vanilla bean in the pudding, which of course gives it an intensely vanilla taste.

my next visit, i would also like to try the maple/blueberry pudding.

[nerissa]

This was mentioned in NYT Dining's page...link to digest here

I have never been a fan of rice pudding and the concepts sounds too cutsey for me. I mean, my dog lives 700 miles away with my parents, and I would sooner buy a doggie biscuit from a dog bakery than go to this place.

Actually, that's not a fair comparison, because I might have the chance of petting some really cute dogs at a dog bakery.