Queens Taste 2013

It was a celebration for all things Queens at Citifield last week.  The annual Taste event was held inside the ballpark Cesar's Club and was filled to the brim with all the wonderful and diverse food that makes up the borough of Queens.  I began with an old favorite of mine Mama's of Corona (Leo's Latticini) who put on an incredible spread of their hefty Italian sandwiches and delectable biscotti.  

They also had fresh mozzarella with tomatoes and olive oil that was absolutely heavenly.  I could have spent the whole night eating at Mama's but there was so much more to try out- like Shepard's pie from Irish Circle Tavern out in the Rockaways.

Filet Mignon with bacon, mushroom and Bearnaise from Christos Steakhouse in Astoria.

A trio of Italian food from Sac's Place including a vibrant Red Pepper Ravioli and creamy Proscuitto Alfredo shells.

Brooklyn Brewery was on hand promoting their line of canned summer beer...

...which happened to be the perfect complement to the Bacon Cheeseburger from Ottomanelli & Sons...

..and the duck meatball from The Dog and Duck out in Sunnyside.

Scallop Ceviche from Riverside was probably my favorite item of the night.  The flavors were bright and clean, perfect for a warm summer day.

And also perfect for a little bit of wine from the folks at Square Wine in Long Island City.

I was so full I almost couldn't fit in dessert but somehow saved room for some cupcakes from my favorite place in Bayside Cupcakes on Heels and some mini cupcakes from Rudy's bakery in Ridgewood.

It's impossible not to smile when your enjoying good food and Mr. Met is bopping around the room.  What a great way to showcase all that Queens has to offer.   

Mama's of Corona

Christos Steakhouse

Sac's Place

The Dog and Duck

Ottomanelli and Sons

Maison du Chocolat

It's the middle of the week and a serious chocolate craving hits.  Usually there are two options when this occurs- run to the corner bodega and pick up a Lindt truffle or hop on a train to one of my favorite places Maison du Chocolat.

There are a lot of chocolate shops in the city but Maison is special...you'll notice by simply walking inside.  The Parisenne shop feels more like fine art gallery than a sweets destination.

The chocolates sit on display behind a glass case and the well dressed salesperson will patiently wait as you gaze at the gorgeous truffles and macarons.  I try something new each time but two of my personal favorites are the Liselotte and Caracas. 

The first is filled with crushed praline and Gianduja, the second an intense and robust ganache.  They both have incredibly smooth creamy texture where the quality and finesse of the ingredients shine through.  So when your feeling a bit fancy for some sweets this is a perfect destination.

La Maison Du Chocolat

Manhattan Cocktail Classic- Day Three

No you're not seeing things...I had to miss day two of the Classic but that's okay because Day three is always my favorite- Brooklyn Day!!  There are always delicious doughnuts from Dough in the morning.

The fluffy Toasted Coconut with creamy vanilla glaze is the things dreams are made of...obviously a morning cocktail is the only thing that makes sense at the Classic.

The Scarlet Letter with Sorel Hibiscus, prosecco and bitters was the perfect fizzy start to the day.  Sorel was the official sponsor for the day with Jack from Brooklyn shaking up the drinks.  There were some lovely warm weather choices like the Summer Madness with Sorel, Ginger Beer and honey lemon oil...

...as well as the Ronin with smoky mezcal, Sorel, sake and grapefruit juice.

Then it was time for lunch with Lobster Rolls from Red Hook Lobster Pound!

I love how the toasted buttery bun holds in all the creamy lobster goodness. These little sandwiches are amazing.  I didn't think lunch could get any better until I tried the Limencello Sorel sandwich cookies...

Everybody was raving about these and for good reason.  The inside was filled with a tart lemon raspberry cream and the crisp outer shell was dusted with some fine sugar.  I will be trying to recreate these at home this weekend:)   Then it was off to a seminar on Bacardi Rum Blending Art & Science.  

Followed by drinks outside at the penthouse suite with the guys from Palm Craft Spirits.

My favorite suite is always the High West Haus guys.  Last year they had everyone take goofy pictures with cowboy accessories.   This year I arrived and everyone was drinking Shiner Bock!  I'll admit it's not my favorite beer but it was incredibly refreshing to have a nice, cold beer in between all the fruity cocktails.  Then it was back downstairs for some meat and cheese from Stinky Brooklyn.

Followed by more dessert from Emeche; spicy cupcake pops in Red Velvet and creamy coconut Caribbean Dream.

I ended the day tasting a crazy Shochu cocktail from the Mizu table.

I never had a drink with truffle honey and the sweet savory flavor was somewhat of a revelation.  It's not something I would drink every day but it certainly made an impression.

I capped off the event with a spicy homemade Ginger Beer upstairs on the deck and called it a day.  Once again the Manhattan Cocktail Classic proved to be a fun and successful weekend of drinks and food.  It's such a great time to get together and celebrate all the wonderful things going on in the spirit community.  Cheers!

Manhattan Cocktail Classic

Jack From Brooklyn

Edible Brooklyn

Manhattan Cocktail Classic

Saturday was Day One of the Industry Invitational and the rainy weather couldn't put a damper on the festivities in the Andaz Hotel.  The day began with a wonderful breakfast spread.

Creamy orange bitter yogurt with fresh berries and bitter honey glazed ham.

Of course we need a cocktail to accompany breakfast:)  Some Light Guard punch made with Cognac, Sherry, Sauternes, champagne and bitters.

There was a lot of bitters to be had Saturday because Angostura was the official bar of the Classic that day!

Bitter is the most complex taste sensory we have as humans with 25 different taste sensors.  The smell and taste of bitters always intensify the flavor of cocktails which is why I love using a dash here and there in a drink.  And they were mixing up some seriously wonderful drinks like the bubbly Secret Garden made with raspberry preserves and gin...

...and the smoky, smooth Broadside made with Navy Gin and Tea Syrup.

Later in the day the Tiki Bar came out and they blended up some seriously frothy, rich drinks like the Hala Kahiki made with coconut and passion fruit.

Who said anything about rain right?  Out in the front area there were more delicious creations like this enormous bowl of Brandy punch from the Truvia folks...

...and a whimsical Fennel Flower Martini made with William Chase Gin and a ridiculously long fennel stalk.

There was even a Bloody Mary bar for those of us who just love a little spice in the morning.

It was a fabulous day of tippling and just the beginning of the five day event!  So many good cocktails so little time. Here's the recipe for one of my favorites that day the Secret Garden- Cheers!

1 oz Gin

½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

1 Barspoon Raspberry Preserves

1 Dash Angostura® aromatic bitters

2 oz Champagne

Rosewater Spritz

Manhattan Cocktail Classic

Angostura Bitters

1000th Post!

I just realized this day was coming  last week and it just about floored me.  I never thought I would write so much when I first began.  I started this blog after reading countless others and felt the need to give back.  As a transplant to NYC I remember how daunting this city can be at first and the many blogs that helped me along the way.  Now I truly consider NYC my home and I can't imagine living anywhere else. I thought I would share a few things I love to do the most in this city to celebrate...

I love strolling past Gramercy Tavern early morning and looking into the calm, empty restaurant.  I usually close my eyes and picture the people who will be dining there later in the day.  I imagine the first timers and feel excited and a bit jealous for the experience they're about to have.  I almost wish I could have a first time experience there all over again. 

I love walking home from work each day.When I first moved to the city I had a mission to walk Broadway from start to finish and experience the culture change in each neighborhood.  Now 12 years later I've done so much more than that...whether it's over the Brooklyn Bridge from DUMBO or across the Ed Koch from Queens, I can always find a different path to explore each unique area of this city.

I love spending the day hopping around the amazing craft beer bars and stores in the city.  I've been a regular at Blind Tiger for years and now I feel right at home at some of the new guys like Good Beer and Top Hops.  It's an amazing time to be a craft beer fan and I can't wait to see how it continues to grow.

I love Eataly:)

I love every new moment with Mr. T (nicknames excluded), even the ones that may seem daunting and scary.  If you never try something new you never know what you can become and it's great to have someone at your side when doing so.

Thanks for reading and I hope I helped you out at least once in these 1000 posts...let's get back to the amazing weekend of food ahead.  Cheers!