NYC Tastes

Today is the final day of the amazing pop up inside Blue Hill- WastED.   Which means only one more night to taste the phenomenal Dumpster Dive Salad.    I truly didn't believe leftover fruits and veggies could be this good but there's something  incredible about the combination of apple, carrot, pistachio and creamy whipped chickpea water . I'm just sad I missed this salad on my first visit.  Luckily Mr. T was by my side this time around so we were able to try out more of the menu. My only repeat dish was the Pasta Trimmings.  I really wanted Mr. T to try that briny, rich smoked fish head sauce.  He was on the fence when we ordered but after just one bite he was hooked.  Apparently we both love monkfish tripe and fish head- who knew?  Philippe Bertineau and Alain Ducasse were the Guest Chefs that night.  They put together an insane platter of Head Cheese, Pig Trotters, Tongue and Offal Stew.   Then we finished with Dog Food, a dish inspir

There's only two more days left in March which means only two more chances to try out the special Chicken Parmigiana dumplings at Mimi Cheng's. Mimi's dumplings are big...much bigger than normal dumplings from Chinatown and filled with crazy ingredients that are all organic and super fresh.   The special Chicken Parmigiana dumplings come stuffed with mozzarella cheese, basil and a big bowl of tomato sauce just perfect for dipping.  Although the Mimi special sauce was so delicious I ended up using a little bit of both. The steamed dumplings are good but the pan fried are even better with that crispy bottom shell and absolutely no grease at all!  These are some seriously incredible dumplings. Mimi Cheng's 179 2nd Avenue between 11th & 12th New York, NY 10003

Our final meal of the Philadelphia weekend was brunch at Russet, a gorgeous Rittenhouse Square restaurant helmed by Chef-Owners Kristin and Adam Wood.  Located inside an 1877 year old townhouse, Russet has a simple, elegant atmosphere that feels almost like being at an upscale dinner party. The small, well curated menu changes daily but I highly suggest the Woodlawn Jewel Mushroom Omelet if it's available.  The mushrooms are roasted just enough to bring out that deep earthy flavor then scattered atop a creamy ricotta cheese omelet drizzled with garlic confit. The omelet would have been more than sufficient on it's own but I never say no to Double Smoked Bacon. Not to mention Russet was another BYOB place and we had brought along  another Funky Buddha Beer; the delicious Maple Bacon Coffee Porter.  It only seemed right to have some bacon with said "bacon beer". It's also worth noting Russet has some incredible fresh squeezed orange juice.  Even in the d

My absolute favorite place in Philadelphia is Matyson, a cute little restaurant right in Center City that consistently churns out some of the most creative and delicious food I've ever tasted.  The menu changes all the time but it's always focused on what's fresh and in season. Plus it's BYOB which means Mr. T and I can get creative with the food and drink pairings.  Since our dining companions had just gotten engaged the night before a bottle of Veuve seemed like the appropriate way to kick things off and actually paired wonderfully with my Goat Cheese Gnocchi. Soft little pillows of cloud like cheese studded with crunchy pine nuts and brussels sprout in a duck ragu.  I've had a LOT of gnocchi in my day (thank you my Italian college roommate) but this was one of the most satisfying versions I've ever tasted.  There was just something incredible about that rich duck ragu with those earthy vegetables.  I basically had to fend off my dining companions from fi

I love a quick weekend trip to Philadelphia.  We usually shoot down on the train Saturday morning, eat drink and explore as much as humanly possible for the next 36 hours and then return home by Sunday night.  It's such a quick and easy escape. Unfortunately we completely timed this one wrong...tickets for the last Grateful Dead show in Chicago went on sale just as we were exiting our cab.  We stood on a corner in the freezing cold for about 20 minutes before finally shuffling into Khyber Pass to continue the frustrating cycle of refresh and deny. Khyber is billed as a gastropub but if visions of the Spotted Pig come to mind erase them.  This is gastro grunge rock style with a super dark bar up front and wooden rickety tables in the back.  It's everything I love about a dive bar but with an incredible beer list and fantastic food. The brunch menu had all the usual suspects plus a few New Orleans treats like big, fluffy beignets and Shrimp 'n Grits.  I finally decided o

I'm so back logged with posts from our trip to Philadelphia, Florida and even the hot new Javelina but I'm pushing them all back because the one place you must go now  is WastED, the pop up inside Blue Hill.  This is a collaboration with local farmers, fishermen, plant breeders, restaurants and retailers all about food waste and reuse.  The idea is to create something delicious from ignored or uncoveted food items.   A perfect example is this wondrous nutty bread baked with leftover grain mash (spent grain)  from Kelso Brewing.  It arrived in a simple scrap of burlap with whipped lardo and pork cracklings on the side.  I was instructed to enjoy it on its own or add a dash of beef tallow from the very candle I had just used to peruse the menu.  It turns out beef fat has incredible use both as a light source and garnish. WastED hosts a different guest chef each night and I was lucky enough to have the great Alex Stupak when I dined. His cured mackerel with tepache, cilant

In honor of our anniversary Mr. T and I decided to crack open one of our favorite beers of all time Armand'4 Herst from Brouwerji Drie Fonteinen.  We actually had the chance to visit this incredible place last year which you can check out  here ; then stumbled across this very bottle in the shop attached to Mikkeller and Friends where we drank the amazing summer version  Zomer . The aroma of this is a big crazy mix of bright lemon, oak, white wine and tons of that dusty barnyard funk that seemed to envelop our entire living room.  The flavor is just bursting with that acidic, nutty, toasted sesame goodness I absolutely adore. Good lord what I wouldn't give to drink this entire set on my own one day...Cheers! Drie Fonteinen

There are some things so beautiful they're almost too pretty to eat...like everything inside the pastry case at Maison Kayser. I usually go for something fancy like the beautiful Saint-Honore but when I'm feeling like a French classic that will be delicious in a pinch the incredible eclair is always a winner.  The airy Pate a Choux studded with vanilla beans and chocolate pearls...  ...then stuffed with that thick vanilla creme.  Does it get much better than this? Maison Kayser Multiple Locations in NYC

Mr. T and I celebrated our wedding anniversary last month at Il Buco Almenteri. This cute Italian restaurant had received so many accolades for its incredible food and rustic environment it seemed like the perfect choice for a cozy celebration dinner. Let's start with the good, like the salumi cured in house.   These ribbons of prosciutto were some of the most gorgeous velvet cuts I've ever seen.  Just look at that rich, deep pink color... My black truffle obsession was more than satisfied by these slabs of Truffle Tremor goat cheese.  It was cut with two sides rind, two sides creamy filling and served with a thick drizzle of fresh honey.  I devoured all three...silently pleased that Mr. T didn't want to partake in that wonderful funky flavor. Unfortunately our next course Ricotta Cheese was terrible.  It was served ice cold with slices of even colder kohlrabi mixed inside.  If it weren't for the pungent bitter greens on top there would be no fl

I always shy away from any sort of chicken "nugget".  The term usually denotes some sort of gross chicken by-product found at fast food restaurants around the country,  but that's not the case at Hanjan.   The "nuggets" at this Korean restaurant are actually big, thick pieces of all white meat chicken breast coated with just a tiny bit of cornstarch and egg white to form a light and crispy exterior. The nuggets are then stir-fried with pineapples, chili and carrots creating a nice balance of sweet and spice. It's perfect on its own but I always add a touch of soy garlic sauce on top for even more incredible flavor. Hanjan 36 West 26th Street New York, NY 10010

It's New Brew Friday and I'm actually enjoying it some place warm!!! Mr. T and I are in Flordia and starting off our weekend with The Foeder for Thought Beer Festival at Green Bench Brewing.  I've had some of the funky saisons from Green Bench before but this is an opportunity to try a whole lot more along with some other great breweries from all over the United States like Jester King, Crooked Stave, Prarie and one of our favorites via Williamsburg Evil Twin.  It's a great way to kick off a Tampa Bay beercation- Cheers to the weekend! Green Bench

Working in Times Square just got a whole lot better last week.  NYC's newest food hall City Kitchen finally opened its doors and unleashed a slew of great food options.  There's a couple East Village favorites like Whitman's flipping their incredible burgers... ...and Luke's Lobster churning out all three of their rolls Lobster, Crab and Shrimp. One of my neighborhood favorites Ilili Box has all sorts of Mediterranean delights like their rich Duck Sharma, Phonecian Fries and crispy Brussels Sprout topped with mint yogurt and fig puree. Ramen fans won't be disappointed with Kuro Obi.  The Kuro Moderne from this Ippudo offshoot is just as porky and rich as the original and the fat, delicious Hirata Pork Buns make an appearance as well. Azuki has a long sushi counter at the end of the hall with fresh sashami, house rolls and salads. Plus there's all sorts of tacos from Gabriela's Taqueria including Al Pastor, Cr