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RICE PUDDING AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IT

Fat Guy

By Fat Guy
in Restaurant Life

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Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
Posted

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

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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.

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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                       

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Jinmyo

Jinmyo

Posted
Posted

Uh...

Sure. Why not?

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

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.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

fifi

fifi

Posted
Posted

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

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Holly Moore

Holly Moore

Posted
Posted (edited)

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 by Holly Moore (log)

Holly Moore

"I eat, therefore I am."

HollyEats.Com

Twitter

indiagirl

indiagirl

Posted
Posted
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

tan319

Posted
Posted

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.

2317/5000

Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
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.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted

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

Michael aka "Pan"

 

Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

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 . . .

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

beewilson

beewilson

Posted
Posted

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. :rolleyes:

vengroff

vengroff

Posted
Posted

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.

Chief Scientist / Amateur Cook

MadVal, Seattle, WA

Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code

Suzanne F

Suzanne F

Posted
Posted
. . .

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. :rolleyes:

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? :wink: )

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.

Joy

Joy

Posted
Posted

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

No no, its panini these days.

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

Joy

Joy

Posted
Posted

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. :wacko:

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 :biggrin:

**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.

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