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Showing posts from March, 2014

A Sundae for Monday

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Is there anything worse than a cold and rainy Monday...ugh!  Days like this make me want to curl up at home and close the shades.  Unfortunately I have to work but I'm definitely treating myself to something wonderful this evening like this Malted Praline Sundae from BLT Prime. This thing is enormous...three huge scoops of fresh vanilla ice cream surrounded by squares of crisped rice and hunks of praline all then drizzled with a salted caramel sauce and a fluffy mound of whipped cream.  It's everything decadent and wonderful in this world and just what's needed for curing those Monday blues. BLT Prime

Otto's Tacos

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I was so psyched when I heard Otto's Tacos was doing a special Buffalo Chicken taco last week.  I had been dying to check out this Mexican joint and here was the perfect opportunity.  I showed up late afternoon, happy to see it was quite empty so I could order the off-menu Gorgon.  It only took about 10 minutes for my order which I asked to have wrapped to go so I could share with Mr. T.  I raced home,  excited to try the wonderful tacos but when we opened up the first box I saw total disappointment. I had asked specifically for no cilantro on any of the tacos because of his allergy but as you can see the Gorgon was covered in the green stuff.  It was unfortunate too because I really thought the fried shell was  tasty and I loved the guac and serrano-chili crema on top. Oh well now I had two gorgons for myself so we moved onto the Buffalo Chicken taco. The chicken here tasted like it had been fried hours before and then re-fried causing hard edges and dry innards with v

Brunch at The Marrow

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It's been over a year since Harold Dieterle opened his German Italian restaurant in the West Village. I had planned on going opening week but as life gets busy things just fall of my plate and it wasn't until last week that I finally had a chance to check it out. The cozy bistro was relatively quiet at brunch; a nice change from the craziness some restaurants exude on Saturday afternoon.  I began with one of their brunch cocktails the Cheetah Juice, a flirty pink drink made with champagne, aperol and grand marnier... ...before moving onto the menu which had a wide variety of  options from classic Baked Eggs and Spiced Waffles to Ricotta Cavatelli and a hearty Duck Meatloaf Sandwich.  Everything sounded wonderful but in the end I was feeling like some healthy greens so the Scarlett Butter Lettuce Salad seemed like a perfect choice. Mango, marcona almonds and black truffle pecorino combined with a light almond vinaigrette to make such a delightful salad that I

Tuesday Treat

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I was picking up the usual groceries at Eataly when I noticed something different as I walked by the pastry case.  A brand new dessert the Mandorla Tostata. On the outside swirls of toasted almond mousse wrap around a pillowy sponge cake with shards of dark chocolate and whole almonds on top...  ...inside a rich, chocolate center that slowly trickles out into a creamy pool at the bottom just begging to be scooped up with each bite of fluffy mousse.   It's light and airy with a wonderful toasted aroma and flavor.  An excellent new addition to the fabulous dolci at Patisserie Eataly. Eataly

Bar Bites at Gato

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Bobby Flay's newest restaurant opened last week right off the busy corner of Lafayette and Houston.  With a focus on Mediterranean food and drink, this restaurant is meant to revive the spirit of Bolo, a place Flay and Kretchmer ran together years ago right in my neighborhood.  I remember walking by Bolo, longing to go inside, until one day it suddenly closed and my opportunity to dine there vanished forever.  Well this was one opportunity I wasn't missing out on again. I arrived at Gato right around 5:45 and the restaurant was already filled with a lively mix of business professionals and solo diners.  The big square bar up front served as the focal point for the restaurant and perhaps the reason for so many solo diners was the comfort this space provided.  To my left the big picture windows overlooking Lafayette were perfect for people watching and right in front of me was a great view of the open kitchen where I could see Chef Flay himself working the line. I deci

Stella 34

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I really can't think of anything worse than spending a day at Macy's in Herald Square.  It's just way too big, way too crowded and honestly I just really hate shopping.  So when I realized I absolutely needed to stop in one day after work I decided to make the most of it and check out the brand new restaurant inside Stella 34. Located on the 6th floor, Stella is quite large with stunning views of midtown Manhattan and a really bright airy feel.  It was an odd time of day so I didn't even think about a reservation and to my surprise they were all booked.   I was offered a seat at the bar which proved a bit challenging.  The strange shape of the counter made it literally impossible to find a comfy way to sit. I finally settled on a somewhat doable seating position and ordered a glass of wine as I looked through the menu.  Stella boasts a variety of Italian fare like house made pastas and Neapolitan pizzas from their wood burning oven.  My server was fantastic in

Tanoshi Sushi

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Mr. T and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary so of course we went as romantic and over the top as possible...BYOB sushi!  That might sound like we completely blew off  this anniversary but we actually went to one of the best new sushi places in the city- Tanoshi. Tucked away inside a tiny storefront on the Upper East Side Tanoshi is easy to miss.  The only telling sign used to be a line of people each day at 2:00 PM hoping for a same day reservation (even Eric Ripert  would wait in line).  Luckily they changed their strict reservation policy so they can now be booked online, making it slightly easier to get in and even easier to walk past without knowing. There are only 10 seats inside Tanoshi all of which surround the sushi bar.   The brick walls are adorned with the selections for the day and the colored pieces of paper are about the extent of the decor in the room.  We were lucky enough to sit right in front of Chef  Oguma the night we dined and before the omakas

A Little Bit of Tampa

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Mr. T and I just returned from a quick weekend trip down in Tampa so sorry if posts have been a bit more sporadic than usual.  I'll be honest we didn't do very much except sit in the sun and drink beer.  We started out at Cigar City  for a few drinks like their Lactobacillus Guava Grove. I absolute love the big citrus funk and crazy melon flavors in this beer.  It's something I could drink all summer long in the hot sun. Cigar City's Hunahphu's Day was supposed to be the highlight of the trip but it was 7venth Sun Brewery that won our hearts.  Their Strawberry Guava Berliner Weisse was absolutely amazing and the brewery itself was just a welcome and inviting place to chill. We had a couple good meals out but I would say the best was our stop at Eddie V's.  Yes I know it's a chain restaurant but there's not a ton in Tampa that's not a chain and when the menu lists Lobster and Steak Tartare as an appetizer I really have no choice but to go.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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I really use this day as an excuse to drink beer and eat cookies...so kind of like any other day in my life I guess:)  This Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip cookie is a brand new offering from Magnolia Bakery in the West Village . From the top it looks kind of boring.  Just a smattering of caramel in the middle and a few sprinkles of salt... ...but inside it was amazing.  Thick squares of chocolate layered side by side in the dough, ensuring a delicious mouthful of melted chocolate in each crisp buttery bite.  Happy St. Patty's Day to me! Magnolia Bakery

Toro NYC

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Located over on the far West Side sits Toro, one of last years biggest openings in the Meatpacking District.  Of course this is a  bit of a scene but actually not as over the top as I thought it would be.  The inside is actually gorgeous; long threads of ivy line the walls, big windows overlook the Hudson River.  It's definitely big and brash but it's also kind of fun. The three of us got a table right up front and just started ordering as plates zipped on and off our table all night. We began with a variety of Pinchos like these Medjool dates filled with marcona almonds, blue cheese and wrapped in jamon serrano. Unfortunately these weren't that good.  The ham and cheese was incredibly thin, not providing the balance required for the sweet date.   Add the drizzle of honey on top and it was sugar overload. This being our first dish I was a little bit worried Toro was going to be a total bust but then the Deviled Eggs arrived. The yolk was super creamy with