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Showing posts from October, 2011

Happy Halloween!

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I love this time of year and luckily the snow in the city is all gone (that was crazy btw) and the crisp fall air is back. Time for some Halloween goods! I treated myself to a wonderful treat the signature Burdick at L.A. Burdick yesterday. Alternating layers of almond mousse and rum ganache made for a delicious dessert. The different textures were so satisfying, chewy here, smooth there. The slice was tiny but after a few bites of the rich almond paste I knew it was sized perfectly. Add on a double macchiato and I had a perfect little Halloween treat. Enjoy!

Das Oktoberfest- Year Two

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Saturday we returned to the annual Das Oktoberfest event at the La Venue space. They had 150 kinds of beer, schnapps and wine to choose from over the 5 hour period and food to buy on the side. I was psyched when I saw Schnitzel and Things had a table. I would finally get to try out their food! I know I probably should have gone for a schnitzel but the brat smelled so delicious I had to go for that. I don’t know how delicious the schnitzels are but my heart was pretty sold on the brat. It had a great deep smoky flavor and came with some seriously sour pickled slaw and a nice squishy bun. The fries were excellent as well with a just the right amount of salt and crunch. I started out with some Goose Island and Spatan, two of my favs, and then noticed something called the Bronx Brewery set up in the front. I tried a sample and was really blown away by the rich amber tone and bold but smooth flavors of caramel and toasted nuts. I also loved their sign and slogan. So muc...

Fabulous Fridays

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Truth be told Sunday is my favorite day of the week but who doesn’t love a Friday as well? Fridays are great for me since I usually get out of work early and have some city time alone before the rush of the weekend crowd sets in. Last Friday I walked home across the Brooklyn Bridge, through Chinatown and into the East Village where my first stop was Abarco for a warm macchiato. Then I hopped on over to Good Beer where I enjoyed a delicious Joan of Arc cider while I perused the shelves of beer for weekend imbibing. After getting fully stocked I lugged my haul over to Momofuku Milk Bar and picked up some more weekend treats- birthday cake truffles. And finally I ended up near home at the Madison Square Eats for their final night. Mr. T joined me and we enjoyed a hearty Imperial Black Ale from Southern Tier Brewing Company. Then shared an awesome, creamy Brussels Sprout pizza that seriously rivaled Motorino’s version. Then we retired home for a nice scary mov...

Toast to the East Coast

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Last week I was invited to a special press event hosted by Bread and Butter PR and The Kitchen Table. When Mr. T and I escaped from the horrible rain and wind outside to the calm, serene downstairs space we were greeted warmly and handed a glass of wine. We walked into the main room with the food and our first stop was at Early Bird Food & Co. This little shop in Brooklyn Specializes in small batch organic granola and here it was showcased on top an open-faced peanut butter sandwich. What is it about a peanut butter sandwiches that makes you feel so good? Every time I have one I question why I don't eat them more often. The granola was delicious on top with nice clean pieces of nuts and oats. Next it was over to another Brooklyn specialty- some delicious cured meats and pate from Brooklyn Larder. Then onto more Brooklyn delights with Whole Cow's Milk Ricotta cheese from Salvatore Bklyn. I've been eating a lot of ricotta from Eataly lately but this st...

New Changes at Tacombi

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It had been months since I last enjoyed tacos from my favorite little VW bus in Nolita. I stopped by the other day and there were certainly some changes afloat. First change- alcohol! Tacombi now serves beer, wine and sangria. The watermelon and lime sangria sounded delicious so I had to try one of those. It was tasty but I was hoping for a stronger flavor. It was a little on the watery side. Next time I’ll be getting the Spiked Horchata instead. They still make amazing Crispy Fish Tacos with spicy mayo and slaw. And a damn fine breakfast taco of tomato, pepper, onion and avocado. But now they have two kinds of shrimp tacos, ceviche, tamales and a beef short rib taco that sounds amazing! They also switched up the stations so there is only one place to order and one to pick you. No more tickets! This made the line seem a bit long but everything really worked much more efficiently. Sometimes change is good and it certainly is at Tacombi.

Apertivo with the Winemaker- Gavi Wines at Eataly

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I just happened to be checking out the Eataly website the other day and noticed a special wine class for only $20. It was scheduled for a Friday evening and I figured that would be the perfect way to start my weekend. I go to Eataly almost every day and I’ve never noticed the little wine room in the back. It only has enough room for about 20 people and I loved how small and intimate it was. They had it set up really nice with some information about the wines and a free bag to take home as a gift. The tasting itself was all Gavi wines and it was interesting to try four side by side. They even gave a nice meat and cheese plate with some of Eataly’s best from the dairy. This was such a great and affordable tasting I jumped on their website the next day and noticed a free Spirit tasting! This one was amazing as well with various Grappas and cocktails. They gave out a bunch of free stuff and even concluded with some free gelato. How can you beat Eataly! This place ...

Lunch at Gramercy Tavern

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You would think we would relax a bit after our eating and drinking madness of a vacation in Europe but it was right back to craziness as soon as we got home. We both took Monday off to rest but then a concert Tuesday night, another one on Thursday and a weekend visit from Mr. T’s sister put us right back in the thick of things. Luckily she loves Gramercy Tavern just as much, if not more than I do so it was an easy choice for a Monday lunch. We took two seats at the bar and ordered something we’ve never tried before- their special burger. They use dry aged beef for this burger and you can really taste the difference in the meat. It had so much flavor and was incredibly moist. But the meat wasn’t even the best part honestly- it was the cheese. This Clothbound Cabot Cheddar Cheese was downright addictive. It had a thick, slightly salty tang that was just wonderful. Kate and I both keep putting the burger down about halfway through since we were getting full but that cheese...

Our Last Day in Paris

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I woke up Saturday morning and had one thing on my mind- more treats! It was our last full day in Paris and I knew one last stop to Pierre Herme was in order. This time I went for the 2000 Feuilles which is a masterpiece in and of itself. Look at the flaky layers of pastry alternating between different kinds of creamy praline mousse with a crispy caramelized praline top. And of course I had to go back for some more macarons. My favorite of this bunch was easily the Olive Oil & Vanilla. The flavor was so smooth and light. I was honestly sad I didn’t buy a whole box of just this flavor alone. Luckily I enjoyed the Café, Mogador and Pistachio as well. The only one I didn’t really care for was the chocolate which was too bitter and intense for my tastes. After my breakfast treats we walked over to Notre Dame and around that area. Then we decided we’d had enough of touring. After 10 days of constant walking and eating we decided to cut out the walking and have some...

Day Four- Cuisine de Bar and Les Fines Gueules

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First off I'd like to thank Kathy over at A Passion For Food and Serious Eats Sugar Rushed once again for sending me her recommendations. Between her list and blog we had a lot of great food we might not have found otherwise. So much so that almost our entire Friday was due to her recommendations. So here's to our Kathy day! Instead of regular croissants this morning I thought we'd try out Poilane's restaurant Cuisine de Bar. Right next door to the bakery, this tiny spot has a 13€ lunch special which includes a glass of wine or bottle of water, salad, tartine and espresso to finish. I continued my Rose kick while Mr. T went the water route which was perfect since the bottle was so big we ended up sharing it. The salad to begin was tasty. It came with a strong mustard dressing which was a little overwhelming but honestly after two days of Foie Gras a little bowl of greens was much appreciated. I ordered the Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Tartine while Mr...

Frenchie

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Even if you don’t know much about the new French dining scene you’ve probably heard of Frenchie. This tiny little restaurant has gotten quite the press and following for its fabulous food and reasonable prices. So much press that it’s a two month in advance reservation. Luckily I planned it to the date and got a reservation for the first seating. The tiny little restaurant is very cozy and inviting. We got a fabulous seat right at the window and started with a nice crisp bottle of Sancerre. Frenchie just opened up a little wine bar across the way a few months ago and we had the perfect view of the lively crowd. We each decided to order the 38 € menu option and added the Foie Gras to share. This was probably the best decision of the night. The presentation of the foie gras was just lovely but the flavor was down right amazing. Pickled rhubarb and strawberries cut right through the fat of the foie gras and brought out a lighter, earthy flavor I’ve never experienced bef...