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Showing posts from April, 2018

The Studio at the Freehand Hotel

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The Freehand Hotel opened it doors to the public in February, taking over the old George Washington building directly across the street from our apartment. Having this hotel so close by has really changed our culinary world with the addition of two new restaurants, a cocktail bar and soon to be rooftop opening of the famous Broken Shaker Bar from Miami. Let's check out the Studio today... The Studio is Freehand's all day cafe and restaurant; a bright, airy spot located on the 2nd floor overlooking the bustling 23rd Street.  This is a great spot for a morning meeting when the restaurant is at a low hum with guests munching away at egg platters and delightful baked goods like the Simit Everything Bagel served with butter or a creamy herb labneh. At 11:30 (on the weekdays) the all day menu kicks in with specialties like the Freehand Burger stacked high with caramelized onions, smoked american cheese, pickles and a spicy harissa sauce.  The 23 Lex Chicken Club sandwich;

Purdy's Farmer and the Fish

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I love going out to eat in Upstate New York, everything just feels more cozy and comfortable than city restaurants.  The Farmer and the Fish in Prudy's is a great example of this.  While I enjoy the sleek look of the Gramercy outpost the one in Purdy's has so much more character.  It's located in an old house built back in 1775 with worn wooden floors, a roaring fireplace and fresh grown vegetables dotting the garden out back.  Its a beautiful spot and their brunch menu is pretty wonderful as well. Roasted Scallops served on a bed of frisee lettuce with crispy chunks of bacon, fingerling potatoes and a sunny side up egg with lemon aioli. I was a little worried about having scallops for the first meal of the day but this dish was fantastic.  The bacon gave a rich smokey depth to the salad and the egg was cooked to be a little bit runny, which is just the way I like it. The salad was more than enough for a brunch entree but we decided to add on an order of the Pol

New Brew Friday- Hill Farmstead

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Ahhhh Hill Farmstead Brewery...one of my many "happy places" in life.  This brewery makes some of the best beers in the world and our last visit was filled with new bottles. Works of Love 2013, a collaboration beer brewed with Sante Adairius.  This was my favorite beer of the day, so crisp and clean with soft notes of white wine and lemon. I don't know what Shaun Hill does to make his saison's so perfect but he is the absolute saison master. Flora Cherry, another saison, this one aged in wine barrels with fresh, hand picked Montmorency cherries. Genealogy of Morals a thick, delicious bourbon barrel aged stout brewed with Kieni coffee beans roasted by the amazing Coffee Collective in Denmark.  And all of these enjoyed with this beautiful view that always takes my breath away.  Hill Farmstead 403 Hill Road Greensboro Bend, VT 05842

Vermonting Again

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Mr. T and I were up in Vermont last weekend, checking in on some of our favorite places.  First stop Blackback Pub for the most amazing Pub Nachos of all time; crispy round tortilla chips layered with cheddar and blue cheese, nuggets of thick cut smoked bacon, green scallions and drizzled with Vermont maple chipotle syrup.   These nachos are AMAZING! Sweet, salty, smokey; every single thing my taste buds ever crave and more.  To make things even better it started snowing when we sat down which is always the perfect way to kick off a Vermont weekend. On Saturday after an incredible Hill Farmstead visit, we stopped into Parker Pie to celebrate the  Talk Beer  5th Anniversary Party.   This place always rocks some incredible pizza's (devoured too quickly to take a pic) and just take a look at that beer list. Sunday morning we drove back to Burlington for one more delicious stop; brunch at the Farmhouse Tap & Grill.  Mr. T went with the classic Chicken &

Jordan's Lobster Dock

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I love New York so much.  Just when I think I've seen everything, I find something completely new and different like the fantastic Jordan's Lobster Dock.   Located on the very tip of Sheepshead Bay this family owned fish market and clam bar has been serving up delicious seafood since 1938. I knew I was about to have a great experience when this giant yellow  fisherman greeted me from down the road. The restaurant itself is quite mall with about 10 tables inside along with a bar, an outdoor patio and a fish market in the very back (plus a huge TGI Fridays behind that seemed terribly out of place). I had been planning to dive into some big, briny oysters but the spring weather had suddenly turned back into winter on my walk and I realized a soup would be a much better option.  Jordan's Lobster Bisque was the perfect choice; thick and buttery with chunks of fresh lobster dotting each delicious bite. This soup was just one of the many items listed

Spring Brunch at Zum Schneider

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We had a brief glimpse of Spring this weekend.  Saturday temperatures stretched all the way to 78 degrees with bright rays of sun bringing some life to this cold, dreary April.  Mr. T and I used it as an excuse to sit outside at one of our old favorites Zum Schneider. White Asparagus was on the specials menu that afternoon.  We both fell in love with this veggie on our first trip to Munich years ago.  It has a much milder flavor than green, with a thick, crisp exterior that's wrapped in ham and served alongside boiled potatoes and a thick, creamy hollandaise sauce. Paired with some Helles Lagers and that bright beautiful sunshine; this was the perfect way to welcome in Spring (if only for a few hours).   Zum Schneider 107 Avenue C at 7th Street New York, NY 10009

Happy Hour at Covina

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Checking back in on my favorite new restaurant of last year Covina, which now has my favorite new happy hour! On the list wine, beer and cocktails that you actually  want at happy hour like Tito's Vodka Tonic, Fernet & Coke and my current favorite the classic Negroni. Plump, juicy Island Creek Oysters from Duxbury, Massachusetts served with a homemade spicy dressing and lemon.... ...with heartier fare like their signature Wagyu Burger in four oz size and the cutest Little Lobster Rolls in the city served two to an order with a side of pickles for just $15. Covina 127 East 27th Street New York, NY 10016

Pizza Loves Emily- West Village

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Remember when I hiked all the way out to Brooklyn Sunday morning to dine on a limited edition burger from  Pizza Loves Emily ?  Well now I just have to stroll down to Downing Street for that delicious burger and more fantastic pizzas at their newest outpost in the former Blue Ribbon Bakery space.  This visit I ordered the namesake Emily Pizza; a round pie topped with truffle Sottocenere cheese, pistachio and honey.   I loved the strong, earthy flavor of the cheese paired with the sweet honey.  But the best part was definitely the dough; crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside with big fluffy pockets of char around the edges. I also loved the house cocktails like this pretty pink drink made with gin, basil and raspberry. It's all about love at Pizza Loves Emily. Pizza Loves Emily 35 Downing Street New York, NY 10014

Snow Day Lunch at Fusco

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I absolutely love when it snows, it makes everything look magical with big flakes dotting the tops of yellow cabs and street lamps, turning the city into one big snow globe.  Last storm I headed to Fusco and found the perfect spot in their front windows for watching the snow fall while indulging in their brand new two course Espresso lunch.   Guests have a choice of appetizer and pasta finished with espresso and biscotti for just $28. There were so many great appetizers to choose from; Hamachi Crudo tossed with chili and ginger, Kale Parmigiana Salad with almonds and a hefty Short Rib Spatzle served with bone marrow custard. I had an incredibly tough time choosing what to order but it was the beautiful Burrata that won in the end, thick and creamy, studded with radicchio, fresh basil and pignoli vinaigrette. Onto entrees Fusco's Tajarin; a thin yellow pasta tossed with garlic, bonita flakes and clams that had all the freshness of the ocean in one beautiful bo