Food Can Be The Figurative Death of You

And from the previous post's topic of mixed religion wedding with a "Rabbi", here's this:

An Ashkenazi Accent in the East Village

JOEDOE, 45 East First Street (First Avenue), (212) 780-0262, chefjoedoe.com

In a city with so many of us of shtetl descent, why don’t more chefs employ Ashkenazi accents? Joseph Dobias does.

Latkes, haroseth and matzo brei are some of the Eastern European Jewish touches Mr. Dobias, formerly of Savoy, employs on the frequently changing menu at his tiny East Village restaurant, JoeDoe. They’re a tribute to the parents of his life and business partner, Jill Schulster, who — with Jewish staples like chicken liver and brisket — introduced Mr. Dobias, an Italian-American, to flavors he found new and inspiring.

His signature sandwich elevates folksy creamy chicken liver by pairing it with a food New Yorkers embrace: bacon. It’s called the Conflicted Jew ($10).

I craved more conflict from it. Bacon-wrapped chicken livers are an old party staple; the combo long ago lost its frisson. Here, the thick challah toast threatens to overwhelm its fillings.

But there are plenty of brawling matches in Mr. Dobias’s cooking, bold ideas and twists on established dishes. At brunch, duck stands in for corned beef in the hash ($17); fried pork jowl doubles for Canadian bacon on the Benedict ($12). The former is rich, gamey and satisfying topped with poached duck eggs (an extra $2). The latter goes too sparingly on the jowl, which is crispy outside, chewy inside, deliciously salty, but a tease.

Among Mr. Dobias’s influences, Asian appears as often as Ashkenazi. Bok choy’s sweet, crunchy nature popped when it was tempura-fried ($9). Too bad it sat atop a “kimchee soup” bereft of the namesake’s funk.

But hanger steak ($26) was a winner, with an Asian sauce and house-made Chinese noodles. A crisp potato latke added whimsy.

Mr. Dobias’s hefty cooking begs for Ms. Schulster’s inspired cocktails. The Maryland Crab Boil ($10) blends Old Bay seasoning with lime, honey and Siembra Azul tequila for a lip-smacking mid-Atlantic margarita. Even better are her “prepared beers” ($11): artisanal liquors and touches like preserved orange or peanut dust bring out beer’s chic.

It recalls this Paris eatery.