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Showing posts from February, 2016

Back to Upstate

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I've been eating oysters nonstop since our return from Boston and the incredible  Row 34 .  One of my first stops back in NYC was Upstate where the fabulous oysters went so quickly I couldn't even get a picture.  But we were with friends which was a great excuse to also share some new dishes like the Crab Cakes.  Crispy outside, grease free and accompanied by an arugula salad dressed with habanero honey.  OMG...my spicy sweet addiction has found another love. I highly recommend the trout if it's on the special board; dressed with a light citrus sauce glaze that gave just the perfect amount of acidity to the fish. Of course the Seared Scallops with mushroom risotto is always worth an order.  This restaurant is so spot on and guess what...they just opened up a new place right around the block with more seating, more seafood and online reservations.  Welcome Edwin & Neals to the hood! Upstate NY 95 1st Avenue New York...

New Brew Friday- A Flight of Grimm

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It's been a fantastic NYC Beer Week; possibly the best one yet with incredible events all over town like the Grimm tap takeover at St. Gambrinus this past Monday.   Maple Bourbon Barrel Double Negative, Lambo Door, Subliminal Message, Lumen and Super Spruce were all on tap creating a rainbow of incredible flavors and colors.  There's still a whole weekend of awesome beer events left so get out there and check out the incredible NYC beer scene- Cheers! NYC Beer Week

The Best of Italy

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Winter is an amazing time for Italian wine in NYC.  January always kicks off with incredible Benvenuto Brunello event at Gotham Hall.  This year marked the 50th anniversary of the famous Brunello di Montalcino DOC and the 2011 vintage was unveiled from over 40 different wineries along with the 2010 Riserva, Rosso and Moscadello. Of course coming after arguably the greatest vintage of Brunello ever the 2011 falls a little short. It doesn't have that rich powerful complexity of 2010; rather a softer, fruitier wine that actually makes it accessible for just about any palate. On the heels of Benvenuto came Italian Wine week with Vinitaly International and Tre Biccieri events. I was really surprised by the intensity of the Mirabella Saten made from 100% Chardonnay and the Demetra which had a strange yeasty aroma that I've never had in a Prosecco before... ...and the gorgeous Severus (no affiliation with Harry Potter) from Podere Marcampo made from 100% Sangiovese aged ...

Lunch at Hatsuhana

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Hatsuhana is one of NYC's longest running sushi restaurants.  It opened in 1976 and over the past four decades their mission has remained the same; creating the perfect sushi rice and obtaining the freshest fish from around the globe.  My last meal was at the Park Avenue  location about four years ago so this visit was way overdue.  I stopped in at right around noon and the space was already filled with a mix of business men and women from the surrounding area.  Luckily I was able to get the last seat at the upstairs sushi bar and ordered the Sushi Lunch which comes with 5 pieces of sushi, choice of two rolls and miso soup or salad. I ordered a Spicy Tuna and Yellowtail Scallion roll, then requested no salmon due to my allergy which was happily accommodated with another piece of luscious tuna. The fish was served on a long Hawaiian Ti Leaf, expertly cut by the chef's behind the bar and so incredibly tender certain pieces seemed...

The Truffle Burger at Umami

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The first time I ate at Umami Burger the glorious truffle aroma from my neighbor's burger almost caused me to fall off my bar stool. I had already ordered the standard  Umami Burger  (which was excellent) but oh I wanted that truffle burger so badly.  I can't believe it's been so long but Mr. T and I finally stopped in last week so I could have my truffle moment. The burger arrived on their standard Portuguese Roll, toasted with just a touch of butter and of course the Umami stamp on top.  All their burgers are cooked medium rare (more towards rare then medium) but the truffle burger also has truffle aioli, truffle cheese and a truffle glaze on top bringing this into supreme truffle burger status. The combination of juicy burger, sauce and melted cheese made this such a messy burger I was thankful to only be eating with Mr. T.  Deep down I didn't care though; a messy face would be completely worth it for this magnificent truffle bomb.  Mr. T tried ...

NYC Beer Week 2016

Today marks the kickoff for the 8th annual NYC Beer Week!  It's absolutely amazing to think of all that's happened over these last eight years.  When this began there were only a handful of NYC breweries like Kelso, Brooklyn Brewery and Sixpoint.  Now the city is absolutely booming with local beers from the likes of Finback, Other Half, Threes and Third Rail; and the list just keeps getting bigger each day.  There are so many incredible events scheduled. Here's a few of my picks for the week: Saturday February 20th A Taste of Hill Farmstead at  Fool's Gold - S o the very first event I'm really excited about just happens to be with beers from our neighbor to the northeast.  Although these may not be local, the beer community is all about supporting each other so that's okay in my book.  Fools Gold will have 15 taps dedicated to this amazing Vermont brewery including rarities like Madness & Solitude, Ephraim and Shirley Mae. Barrier/Other Half/...

Boston- Jm Curley

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Our last day in Boston was spent at the Seaport World Trade Center for Session II of Extreme Beer Fest.  It was our first time at this festival and while it didn't quite reach the greatness of  Copenhagen Beer Celebration  or the insanity of  Hunahpu Day ; it was a fun, well run event with lots of great beers and great people.  The session ended right around 4:00 so we hopped in a cab and went straight to Jm Curleys, hoping to find a burger that would actually satisfy our craving from the day before. We both ordered the 5 oz Griddled Burger dressed with grilled onions, cheddar cheese, pop's Russian dressing and pickles.  There's nothing fancy going on here just simple goodness; an insanely juicy patty with big beefy flavor, great toppings and a soft toasted bun perfect for keeping everything together.  We absolutely demolished these. The Mac & Cheese was also delicious; cooked in a cast iron skillet giving the edges a crisp bubbly...

Boston- The Townsman

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Friday afternoon Mr. T and I headed to the Townsman for lunch.  Their burger had made it onto quite a few "Best Burger" lists and the sprawling windows of the brasserie seemed like the perfect place to watch the continuing snow storm. We split a few appetizers to begin, a tasty Little Gem Wedge with country ham, blue cheese, tomato and vinegar... ...and a rich velvety Squash Soup studded with toasted pecans and pumpkin seeds.  We had high hopes for the burger after such a great start but unfortunately we found it to be just strange. The bun was hard.  It was listed on the menu as a potato roll but it had absolutely no fluffy texture and no subtle sweetness. The meat looked to be cooked a perfect medium rare yet it lacked any juiciness, any real flavor.  The only thing I tasted was the strange pepper-jack cheese schmeared on top and the odd coating of paprika and star anise on the fries.  It was a disjointed medley of...

Boston- Flour Bakery

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As I trekked my way through the snowstorm towards Trillium I realized the brewery didn't open for 15 more minutes.  Just enough time to stop into nearby Flour Bakery to warm up with a coffee. Of course caffeine was just an excuse to check out the baked goods at Flour like Sour Cream Coffee Cake with brown sugar cinnamon swirl, fluffy Brioche filled with pastry cream, Mint Chocolate Oreo Cookies.  Everything looked incredible but it was the famous Sticky Buns that stole my heart. Chef Joanne Chang beat Bobby Flay in a throw-down challenge with these buns and it's easy to see why. The dough was sweet and buttery studded with cinnamon sugar, honey and toasted pecans then covered with a thick dark caramel sauce on top and even more nuts.  It was ridiculously big, insanely sticky and quite frankly delicious.  A big winner in every way. Flour Bakery 12 Farnsworth Street Boston, MA 02210

New Brew Friday- Trillium Congress Street

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My first stop in Boston Friday morning was a treacherous 20 minute walk from our hotel to Trillium Brewery. Huge flakes of thick heavy snow were falling at an alarming rate. By the time I crossed the Fort Point Channel my face was streaming with tears from the wind and I was covered in fresh white powder.  I looked like a walking snowman.  All this to pick up 12 bottles of Trillium's flagship beer Congress Street.  This American IPA pours a hazy orange with a thick frothy white head that clings to the glass creating a beautiful lacing.  Big tropical fruits dominate the aroma; orange, pineapple, peach and mango with an incredible balance of fruit and pine flavors.  Super juicy up front with a clean bitter finish and a crazy bubbly yet creamy mouthfeel.  I'm a huge  fan of Galaxy hops and this beer is pretty close to perfection.  I would gladly walk through another blizzard to have these bottles in my fridge.  Cheers!  Trillium Bre...

Boston- Row 34

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It's so wonderful to find a restaurant while traveling that just feels like a place to call home. In Copenhagen it was Manfred's and Vin, London J. Sheekey, Philadelphia the sadly departed Matyson and now Row 34 in Boston.  As soon as I saw their mantra I knew I was in love "If we could eat oysters and drink beer for every meal period, we probably would."  Well of course! Let's talk about these oysters; so plump and fresh with a gorgeous vinaigrette.  I must have sucked down at least two dozen of these beauties while we were visiting. And oysters are just a tiny part of their incredible raw bar, there's also Scallop Crudo with black sesame and chili oil... An entire section of Smoked & Cured Fish including this incredible smoked Uni Toast... ...and one insanely delicious Lobster Roll chock full of meat served warm with butter.  We loved this place so much we had dinner and drinks Thursday night around 9:00 and w...

Gotham Bar and Grill

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I don't know what there is to say about Gotham that I haven't said already.  It's easily one of my favorite places in the city to relax over a long leisurely lunch.  I'm absolutely in love with their Mushroom Salad; a blend of kale, arugula and frisée dotted with toasted hazelnuts, parmigiana cheese and a sweet white balsamic vinaigrette. The crispy Chicken Breast is right up there among the city's best with a perfectly seasoned crust, ultra tender inside all dressed in a whole grain mustard sauce with roasted winter vegetables. And of course every meal at Gotham needs to end with their signature Chocolate Cake served warm and decadent with a dollop of salted almond ice cream and chocolate crunchies. Gotham Bar and Grill 12 East 12th Street at University New York, NY 10003

Happy Hour at Naples 45

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One of the biggest gripes I have about working in midtown are the insane prices for an average lunch.  I've walked out of numerous different delis with a $13 sandwich in hand wondering what in the world just happened.  It's hard to find any deals in this area but when I hold off just a little bit longer for lunch I head to Naples 45. Every day at 2:00 Naples drops the price of slices to-go to just $1.75.  This means ALL slices; pepperoni, mushroom and broccoli rabe, red pepper and sausage; whatever is leftover from the lunch rush gets the special price tag. The pizza isn't life changing but it's damn good.  Super thin crust with a slightly charred bottom and fresh ingredients.  They do struggle a bit with consistency. I've had pieces so cheesy I could barely see the dough while others have had almost no toppings at all. However simply pointing to the exact slice I want from the display has worked beautifully and it's been easy street ever sin...

Momofuku Nishi

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Dinner Saturday night was at Momofuku Nishi; the brand new Korean Italian spot from Chef David Chang.  Obviously getting a table was no easy task.   At 6:00 pm the restaurant was already at full capacity and a line had formed around the block just for a chance on the waiting list.  We hung out at nearby Bar Veloce and about two hours (and two bottles of wine) later we finally got the "table ready" text. The space at Nishi is similar to the original Momofuku with simple wooden tables in front and a long bar along the back end.  This isn't a place to marvel at decor; it's all about the food coming out of the kitchen helmed by Chef Josh Pinsky and Carey Hynes.  The meal began with a flashback to our dinner at Ko years ago with a bowl of Fried Whole Shrimp, meant to be eaten with both the head and shell intact, seasoned with salt and sancho pepper.   Next up Black Bass Crudo in tiger's milk and shio kombu.  I love  a well ...

Tastes of Doughnut Plant Japan

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The tastes of Japan are currently taking over the menu at Doughnut Plants around the city in all kinds of wonderful creations. There are five different flavors: Black Sesame, Green Tea, Shiso, Azuki & Kinako and Yuzu all available as the big fluffy yeast doughnuts, the more compact cake doughnuts or the stuffed doughseeds.  We checked out the Black Sesame and Yuzu doughseed in addition to our regular Creme Brulee order.  All three were covered in a thick delicious glaze then stuffed full with sour yuzu cream, rich black sesame and creamy custard. All three were delicious but the yuzu stole my heart.  Ahhhh...Mornings that begin with Doughnut Plant can never be bad.  Doughnut Plant Various locations throughout NYC