NYC Tastes

Restaurant Week at Maze- Gordon Ramsey

2012-01-29T12:21:00.003-05:00

It seems kind of odd to me that I’ve never eaten at a Gordon Ramsey restaurant. I see him shouting all over television constantly you would think it would remind me to eat at one of his places. When I saw the Maze participating in RW I decided it was finally time to try one out. I had the day off of work for some playoff football recovery time so I decided it would be the perfect excuse for lunch.

They started me off with a warm basket of bread and some butter which was incredibly unsatisfying for some reason. The bread had no flavor. Even a little salty butter on top didn’t help- it was just incredibly bland. Luckily that wouldn’t be the theme of the meal. My appetizer the Roasted Spanish Mackerel, grilled romaine lettuce, tomato marmalade, parmesan and basil.

Mackerel is a funny fish- sometimes I hate it other times I love it. Here it was definitely towards the love side. The tomato marmalade was delicious and the bitter greens and parmesan just completely worked with the mackerel. Onto entrees Roasted Amish chicken breast with red cabbage, gaufrette potato, fig and red wine jus.

The waiter poured my red wine jus tableside which is something I consider to be classic Ramsey style. I hardly ever order chicken in a restaurant and I don’t know why since this chicken was cooked absolutely perfect. I loved the red wine jus and gaufrette potato. It gave the dish a nice salty kick and some crunchy texture. The only thing I didn’t care for was the red cabbage which was entirely too sour for my tastes. Unfortunately dessert didn’t fare as well as my first two courses.

The Buttermilk panna cotta, concord grape, oat sable and maple ice cream was disappointing. Nothing was wrong with it per se, it just was incredibly boring and pedestrian. I’ve had yogurt parfaits from the corner sandwich shop that were more exciting. So the end of the meal was kind of a let down but most of the food was great. However I’m not sure I’ll make a return trip.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was kind of strange. I was prepared for it to be fancy but it felt somewhat sterile and detached. The bar had these big, fluffy bar stools but not one person ever sat down for a drink. No one ever offered to take my coat although I saw multiple coat check tags and I sat for a good 5 minutes at my table with no menu. None of these things are terrible they just put me off a bit. However a stop in the ladies room on my way out did score a few more points in their favor. The bathrooms were almost sparkling they were so clean and pristine. I’m not sure how I feel on the whole experience. I may leave this one at undecided.

Maze- Gordon Ramsey

Whole Foods Has a Bar

2012-01-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

Yes that’s right. The Whole Foods Columbus Circle now has a bar in the basement called On Tap with 10 local beers on tap, 8 local wines and some local eats.

Local like this enormous pretzel which came with a local cheese spread of sundried tomatoes the day we visited.

And how about a bag of fluffy popcorn sprinkled with a healthy dose of sea salt.

But don’t forget about the beer. In addition to all the drafts they have a ton of bottles including one of my favorites Allagash Black. I’m not sure this place is destination worthy but it sure makes grocery shopping a whole lot more fun.

On Tap- Whole Foods

The Best Tzatziki Sauce Ever at Avli

2012-01-26T16:15:00.000-05:00

I’m so glad I have to travel around the city for work. Living in Manhattan it’s easy to get stuck in this borough for everything but there’s so much good food in all of them! Case in point- Avli in Bayside Queens. I met up with friends after work and we decided to share a ton of food starting with some pita and that ridiculously delicious tzatziki sauce.

Wow this has it all- rich and thick with a little bit of tang and seasoning. I dare you to find better in the city. I put it on everything we ordered- the Lamb Meatballs…

…my Chicken Souvlaki

Okay I stopped short of putting it on the Greek Fries but I seriously could have.

These guys were delicious all on their own with crumbly warm feta cheese and tomatoes drizzled over the top. Avli is Greek food done right. So order a carafe of the house wine and get ready for some serious delicious sauce.

Restaurant Week at Café Boulud

2012-01-24T18:02:00.001-05:00

My dinner at Daniel last year still remains as one of the best meals of my life. So naturally I was more than excited to try Café Boulud and it just happened to coincide with restaurant week and a visit from my parents.

We were greeted with a piping hot arancini amuse bouche whose salty, melty components were a perfect start to the meal. After a choice of three different breads from the basket my appetizer arrived- Fluke Carpaccio winter squash, fennel, jalapeño ponzu vinaigrette.

All of the flavors in this dish were so clean- the cooling fish, spicy jalapeño and citrusy ponzu sauce. I truly cannot remember the last time I enjoyed Fluke this much. Onto my entrée the Braised Veal Breast celery root purée, wild mushrooms, rosemary jus.

I absolutely loved the celery root puree and rosemary jus on this dish. Unfortunately my veal was cooked just a tad too much and could have been a bit juicier. My parents ordered the other two entrees Winter Squash Ravioli and Blackened Grouper. Both of which had a ton of flavor- the Ravioli on the sweet side and the Grouper on the salty side. For dessert Meyer Lemon Curd crème fraîche biscuit, crispy meringue and vanilla ice cream.

I almost always go for chocolate but I was in a citrus mood and this dessert matched that perfectly. The tart spots of lemon curd and playful sticks of meringue were a delightful end to an already delightful meal. But wait! There’s more!

They brought over a basket of Daniel’s famous fresh baked madelines. Still warm from the oven with a little lemony twist these were truly the prefect end to the meal. All in all I absolutely loved Café Boulud. The service was wonderful and I loved the elegant comfort of the room. It all felt so very civilized. My Mom and I finished off our bottle of wine and we were ready to go. Next stop- Laduree for Macarons!

Cafe Boulud

Dominique Ansel Bakery

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad this bakery isn’t in my neighborhood because if it was I would probably gain about 20 pounds. Everything inside this place looks amazing! But please start with a cannele- it’s hands down the best one I’ve ever had.

The bottom is so dark and crunchy it almost looks burnt but instead it’s sweet and caramelized.

Once you bite through the chewy outside the inside is incredibly fluffy and moist.

Look at the eggy light interior! It’s truly a work of art and a delicious one at that. I dare you to try and find a more perfect cannele in this city. There’s nothing that even comes close.

I also picked up one of their Tart Tatine’s the other day. This thing is no joke either. It’s made with a whole apple and has really strong flavors of nutmeg and cinnamon. There are so many things I still need to try here. I look forward to happily eating my way though their entire line of pastries.

Dominique Ansel

Some Tasty Brews at Birreria

2012-01-22T14:52:00.004-05:00

Victory did some crazy over the summer. They took their Storm King Stout and put it inside some bourbon barrels from Jim Beam and Heaven Hill Distilleries. The result is what they’ve called Dark Intrigue and I was lucky enough to try a bottle of this at Birreria this past weekend.

This beer is exactly what you would expect a bourbon aged beer to taste like. It’s strong up front with a boozy smell of bourbon and a little chocolate. However the beer itself is really malty and thick. It ended a little strong but I think with time it will age to be quite smooth on the finish. This is the second time Vicory has made this beer but they say this is going to be the last batch- get it while you can. This is one delicious Imperial Stout.

Another beer we tried out was a collaboration between Ommegnag and Liefman the Seduction. This brew had big notes of chocolate with a hint of cherry on the end that I found quite pleasant. The beer seemed a little bit more carbonated than most dark ales which helped make it seem a bit light. I really enjoyed this beer but Mr. T absolutely hated it. We hardly ever disagree on beer but this one was a total split. Oh well- more for me to enjoy!

Restaurant Week at the Strip House

2012-01-19T20:33:00.000-05:00

Day one of Restaurant Week this year and I started out witha brand new participant- the Strip House. This place has been around forever but they never participate becausethey never do lunch. Well looks like wewere going to be one of their first customers trying out both!

When we got to the restaurant I was a little upset to see aslight change in the desserts from their website menu. Their Chocolate Layer Cake had been taken offand replaced with a Warm Fudge Brownie. This may not be a big deal to you but their Layer Cake is legendary forbeing absolutely enormous and amazing. Iwas a little sad about that but didn’t dwell on it. After all- it was a Monday afternoon and Iwas having lunch out with my husband- can’t complain about that! They started us off with some perfectlyacceptable but ordinary rolls and then it was onto appetizers where I orderedthe Iceberg Lettuce.

I’m not really sure why they didn’t just call this a WedgeSalad but that’s exactly what it was. Nice crisp lettuce, thick cubes of bacon and some funky Stilton cheesemade this a perfect steakhouse starter. I just love the simplicity of a wedge salad but one bite of Mr. T’s soupalmost had me wishing for an order change.

His Lobster Bisque Cappuccino was just wonderful. The soup was super creamy with huge chunks ofMaine Lobster and a healthy flurry of chives on top. They didn’t skimp on this soup one bit!

Now between courses I have to tell you a little about the atmosphere in here. My first thought was 80's Vegas Steakhouse. Honestly. The red banquettes, naked pictures of women covering the walls and bad 80's music was prominent. I have to say it kind of made me laugh. I could see why this would be fun if it was a late weekend night rather than 1:30 on a Monday. Anyway- onto entrees. We actually went the same route hereand both ordered the Rib Eye Steak Frites.

This sizzling steak came out topped with a dollop ofbéarnaise butter and some crispy French fries on the side. Since the Ribeye was only a 7 oz portion itseemed a little fattier than usual because it wasn’t cut very thick. However that fat really sealed in the juicesand made it extremely tender. Thebéarnaise butter was just as rich and fattening as can be and although thefries could have been a bit more uniform they were all delicious. Now for dessert- I settled for the ChocolateBrownie with Pistachio Ice Cream.

I only settled because the Layer Cake wasn’t there but Ihave to admit this was pretty darn good. The brownie had a crisp top and fudgy warm center while the PistachioIce cream might possibly be the strongest ice cream I’ve ever had. This was literally bursting with pistachioflavor and little pieces of slivered nuts were along the bottom of theplate. Onto Mr. T’s dessert the StripHouse Cheesecake.

Wow I thought my dessert was massive this was almost Titanicsized! The cheesecake looked heavy butit was actually quite light and had a great graham cracker crust and superfresh sliced strawberries on top. Obviously this was much more food than two people can eat atonce so we took home some leftovers for later. Overall we were both more than pleased with our first RW meal. The total for all of this food and a glass of wine was you under $70. That's quite a fantastic bargain and a great way to start off the RW winter season.

The Striphouse

The New Acme NYC

2012-01-17T21:19:00.002-05:00

When Acme, the laid back New Orleans style restaurant in NOHO closedlast year, both Mr. T and I were upset. It’s not that they served the best food in NY but the atmosphere wasfun, the waiters were awesome and the food was exactly what you would expectfrom a southern style place. So when Iheard that Acme was reopening I was incredibly excited. However this new Acme is different. So different it may as well be the oppositeof “exactly what you would expect”.

We walked in about 7:30 on Friday night and the entire frontarea was packed with people. Luckily wehad made a reservation and got a nice table along the side wall. The first thing you can’t help but notice isthe complete change in décor. Thekitschy restaurant had been transformed into a dark, sultryplace with exposed brick and candlelight. I started with the Smokin Thyme cocktail made with vodka,mezcal, raspberries and thyme. I reallyenjoyed the thyme flavor of my drink but it was nothing compared to theloveliness of Mr. T’s Graffeti green.

Made from gin, green bell pepper, lime and agave this drinkwas absolutely perfect. It was a greatrefreshing start to the meal but smooth enough to pair with each dish aswell. After we ordered a nice basket offluffy sour bread and butter arrived immediately to our table.

Then it was time for the start of our courses with the Pearl barley and clams.

Now I’ll be honest- I’m not a barley lover in the slightestbut this little dish completely blew my mind. The creamy roasted sunflower broth, sweet fish and earthy grains justblended perfectly into an incredibly homey and savory dish. I mean look at this close up.

It was amazing! There were some artichoke hearts in there as well which were a bit tocrunchy for me with the broth, but Mr. T ate all of those. I was just in love with my bowl of barley andbroth. I would never expect so muchflavor to come out of these ingredients. This was my little bowl of happiness. Our next course was the Sweet shrimp and bison with bitter lettuce and white walnuts.

I saw Mr. T make a very strange face when this course wasplaced in front of him but I was too busy enjoying my bowl of happiness tocare. When I had a chance to try it I loved the zesty and bitter flavors combined on the plate. It wasn’t until I got home to look at mypictures that I realized uncanny resemblance to something else. We shall move on…Our main course the Black cod with pickled green tomatoes, cardamom, vanilla and dandelion.

The Black cod was cooked absolutely perfect. The middle was nice and moist with a saltytop and a nice brine from the pickled green tomatoes. It wasn’t the best black cod I’ve ever hadbut it was certainly done well. For sides we enjoyed some Hay roasted sunchokes and Creamy potatoes.

The sunchokes came topped with a New England gruyere and winter truffles which brought this veggie dishto such taste elevations it can only be described as umami. I would have been happy with eating just thisand the barley dish on its own and calling it a day. But then I tired theCreamy Potatoes and had to cave into those as well.

Topped with bacon vinaigrette and baby onion rings these maybe the most unhealthy potatoes in the city but my they were quite darntasty.

You wouldn’t think we would have room for dessert after thisbut somehow we did. Unfortunately theBeer & bread porridge was a complete let down. I guess both of us were expecting somethingmore along the lines of a bread pudding but this really was more like asoup. I guess we should have taken the“porridge” aspect more literal but it just didn’t have the texture or flavorsto satisfy a dessert craving.

On the other hand my Chocolate crisps with ganache andcoffee ice cream was delicious. I lovedshattering the flakes of crispy dark chocolate and mixing in the coffee andcaramel. It was a perfect size and justthe right salty and sweet end to my meal. The total damage for all of this- let’s take a look.

Not bad at all considering the inventive, high quality food,delicious drinks and amazing atmosphere. I think I enjoyed the new Acme most because it was so different. I knowall about the executive chef Mads Refslund (one of the founding partners fromNoma in Copenhagenconsidered one of world’s top restaurants) and his take on New Nordiccooking. I don’t think what he’s doinghere is exactly “New Nordic” but I do know his blend of textures and flavors is extremely unique. I was truly excited and interested in each dish that was brought out andit was fun to try and guess the elements of each one without looking at themenu.

It’s also exciting to have such agreat international chef amongst our midst in the middle of little NOHO. Acme is a welcome addition to theneighborhood.

Acme NYC

A Western NY Favorite at Daddy O's

2012-01-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a Garbage Plate before? If you answered yes to that question than I already know two more things about you. You’ve probably been to Rochester, NY and you’ve definitely had way too many beers one night. And I say “probably” been to Rochester because this WNY dish is actually being served up right here in NYC at Daddy O’s in the West Village. This is a garbage plate.

Actually at Daddy O’s it’s just called The "Plate" and it’s a huge platter of two cheeseburgers covered with norm's beef hot sauce, mustard and onions on top of home fries and macaroni salad. I have to say it’s pretty authentic to the Nick Tahou’s ones I’ve had back in the day except spicier. Yes- it’s a whole mess of food that doesn’t look so good but trust me. It’s some of the best drunk food you’ll ever have. This plate can also come with hot dogs instead of burgers.

I was so conflicted on the choice we decided to get a couple Zweigles hot dogs on the side- another WNY favorite. We got both a red hot and a white hot dog and then decided to top it off with an order of Daddy O’s tater tots.

Holy Cow these are hand’s down the BEST tater tots I’ve had in the city. I have no idea how they are so crunchy and grease less but they defy the rules somehow. Absolutely awesome! Watch out because the dipping sauce is filled with jalapenos so its spice on spice with the garbage plate. Another awesome thing about Daddy O’s are the cocktails.

My Mojito was just delicious and quite a nice refreshing break from the meat fest that was in front of us.

But if you really want to go WNY all the way don’t worry- they have cans of Genny for your refreshment as well. Man I think I just had some serious college flashbacks.

Daddy O's

Blue Ribbon Bakery

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

I’m continuing my obsession with Steak Tartare into 2012 and my most recent attack was at Blue Ribbon Bakery in the West Village. But first let’s talk about the bread.

This is a bakery after all and here we started out with a nice fluffy loaf and some delicious vermont creamery butter. Onto appetizers I went simple with the Cesar Salad.

My salad was a little disappointing to be honest with you. There wasn’t anything bad about it but for $12.75 I was expecting something a little more. There was a lot more yellow leaves than I would have liked and the dressing was only so so. Not the best Cesar I’ve ever had that’s for sure. But we’re here for the meat right?

This steak tarter came finely minced with onions, capers and fresh ground pepper on top. There was an aioli and spicy mustard on the side but the meat was so nicely spiced on its own no accompaniments were necessary. I absolutely loved the house made potato chips in lieu of toast points. They were the perfect salty vessel for ultimate meat delivery. This dish totally delivered.

First Steak Tartare of 2012.

Blue Ribbon Bakery and Kitchen

Le Relais De Venise L'Entrecote- NYC

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Remember how Mr. T insisted we go to L’Entrecote in Paris for Steak Frites and I resisted knowing that one had just opened in NYC. Then remember how it was one of the most delicious steak frites we’ve ever experienced. Well I was wrong to doubt him and we loved it so much we decided we had to try out the NYC version as well. Once again we started out with their walnut salad which was okay but it had a LOT more dressing and walnuts on top then the original.

Then came the steak- a perfect rare with that addictive pesto cream sauce. I’m not sure if it was as good as in Paris. The meat seemed slightly chewier but with that delicious sauce I didn’t care so much.

The French fries were also as addictive as ever. They came around with another portion as in Paris and we gobbled them right down.

We stuck with the house wine as we did in Paris and once again it was completely acceptable and went well with the meat. Unfortunately the service at this outpost was bordering on terrible. The waitresses seemed completely swamped and we had to wait for quite a long time before we received our steaks. There were also about 20 people waiting at the door for a seat when we left so it was obviously prime time but still the service could have been much better.

Overall I enjoyed L’Entercote again but not as much as I did in Paris. It’s hard to beat the original but it’s nice to have one nearby when I get that sauce and meat craving again.

Le Relais De Venise

Forcella

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Forcella has been compared to Motorino on many occasions and since Motorino is pretty much amazing in my book pizza wise, of course I had to check out the competition. Mr. T and I arrived with reservations on a Friday night at the new Bowery location. The place was absolutely packed but luckily our waiter was great and our service was quick and efficient.

Like Motorino they have Gragnano, considered pizza wine, which is delicious but incredibly marked up here at $44 a bottle. I mean really- that’s a ridiculous amount for this wine. Anyhow our first pizza was the one everyone has raved about the Montanara- a fried Margherita pizza.

Yes you read correctly. They fry the pizza dough first resulting in a crust that is amazingly delicate and airy. I was absolutely in love with this crust and it deserved all of the hype it gets however the rest of the pizza was lacking. The sauce and cheese were delicious but the dough itself was very uneven. The middle of the pie was thin and undercooked. The mid section was thick for some reason- too thick and then you got to the crispy edges. I’m not sure if it was rolled out wrong but it didn’t work for either of us.

The special pizza of the night was Arugula, Burrata and Cherry Tomatoes. The dough on this pie wasn’t fried but it was much more uniform. It stayed the same thickness throughout and still had some nice crispy edges on the crust. My only problem with this pie was the toppings. Unfortunately the burrata had gotten too hot and completed melted away leaving only a watery mess on the dough and the arugula. It wasn’t horrible just a disappointment.

So unfortunately we had some issues with the pizza. It was an insanely busy night and they’re still brand new so another chance is warranted, but the steep prices ($80 w/o tip for 2 small pies and wine) and incessantly loud music, may keep me away. My Motorino is still number one for now.

Forcella

Congee Village- Delancy

2012-01-06T08:05:00.000-05:00

It seems like forever since we’ve had a good sit down Chinese meal so last weekend we went over to Congee Village for some serious grub. It was about 9:00 pm and there was a bit of a wait but one Mai Tai later and we had our spread. First dish Sliced Beef Chow Fun Noodle.

Sesame Chicken and Fried Rice.

Scallion Pancake and a quartet of Pan Fried Pork Dumplings.

Everything was fantastic but the Sliced Beef Chow Fun was the crowd favorite for sure. Obviously we ordered some pretty “safe” dishes but sometimes that’s okay to do. All of this food and about three drinks each and the bill came out to under $100 easily.

Although Mr. T and I frequent Congee Bowery constantly, last weekend was my first time at the original location on Delancey. I really liked this location better. The layout is more decorative and the food honestly tasted a little better. This is seriously a great place to bring a group and keep it on the cheap.

Congee Village

Restaurant Week Guide

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Restaurant week can be a crazy time of year. Some people love going around and finding great three course deals; other people hate it and think it’s a waste of time. I fall into the first category. I absolutely love the idea behind it and love the excuse to go out for a lot of great meals. However I have had some great and not so great RW experiences so I thought I would share a few tips I’ve learned over the years so hopefully your experience can be tasty and wonderful.

1. Research the menus BEFORE booking. Just because you’ve always wanted to go to a certain restaurant doesn’t mean RW is the time to do it. One of my first RW experiences I showed up at a place I had been dying to try out and there were only two entrée choices- Salmon and Mushroom Risotto. I’m allergic to salmon and at the time I was in a serious risotto funk. Obviously I did not enjoy my meal very much. The menus are there for a reason- check them out before booking.

2. Lunch is the best way to go. Most RW places have the same menu for both lunch and dinner or simply add a different appetizer choice at night with a higher price point. Paying $24 for three courses anywhere is a pretty good deal in my book. However when the cost rises to $35 I start to scrutinize if it’s truly worth it or not. I better not get a measly salad, pasta and sorbet when I could have a delicious Fontina Meatball and spectacular Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake from Gramercy Tavern at a lesser cost.

3. Speaking of Gramercy Tavern- Danny Meyer places are ALWAYS a good choice. Danny Meyer is a great restaurateur and he knows how to attract customers. He does RW right with great choices, spectacular service and usually a little something extra (ie. a gift certificate to come back again). His reservations always go fast so book early if you can.

4. Bring a friend. I tend to do a lot of solo lunches but during RW it’s much better with a companion. Each person can order a different option so more of the menu can be explored and many restaurants offer $24 bottles of wine as part of the deal too. This makes it a huge bargain! I’ve been solo and thought about getting a bottle myself since it's such a deal. But that would make me a restaurant week lush not a restaurant week lady.

5. Treat it like a regular fancy meal- TWDW- tip well and dress well. If your going to a four star restaurant don’t show up in tattered jeans and a baseball hat. The guests in a restaurant become a part of the atmosphere- don’t ruin that for others. The same goes for service. If you have four star service don’t skimp on the tip. These waiters and waitresses are giving the same service they usually do for a lot less. Make sure they know you appreciate that.

So those are my tips. As I said every year is different so try some new places out. As for this years list I can tell you I’ve had fantastic experiences in the past at many of the places. You can see my entire list of past hits or misses by clicking on the link below. Hope your Restaurant Week experience is a great one!

Restaurant Week Meals

Complete Bliss at Ciano

2012-01-04T17:41:00.000-05:00

I woke up after New Years Day and had an insane craving for pasta. There was no rhyme or reason behind it- that’s just the way my body works. Sometimes I crave something so much I literally can’t stop thinking about it until said craving item has been ingested fully. So when the pasta craving hit I knew it should be taken care of immediately and it was a perfect excuse to try out Ciano.

Ciano is located in the old Beppe space and although the name has changed the cozy warm, low lit atmosphere still remains. It was early evening, a day after a holiday so the place was virtually empty. I took a seat at the bar and started out with a Crostino of Pesto and Spicy Burrata.

The Burrata was as creamy as ever with just a little kick of spice and a super garlicky pesto bottom. Talk about a nice start to the meal. I thought about ordering a few more when my bread basket arrived.

Not actually a basket but a plate of grilled garlic bread and salty focaccia with some truffle butter and chili oil for dipping. Thanks goodness I didn’t order more crostini. After munching away on the focaccia I would never had room left for my Pappardelle with Duck Bolognese, Oregano and Pecorino di Noce.

I had been worried this dish would be too rich for me but I was amazed at the perfect balance of flavors. I loved all the different textures in the dish and I ended up eating every last bite. Even using some of the bread to make sure I got it all. There’s nothing better than when a craving gets satisfied and here it was more than satisfied. I was beyond content and just perfectly full.

Some other notes about Ciano- I loved the music. It made the whole place very relaxing and inviting however the pacing of the food was a bit off. My assaggini came before the bread and my entrée arrived before I had even finished my single crostini. So that could use a little work and although the wine list was lovely it definitely is on the pricy side. However I will be checking back into Ciano. I loved Chef Gallante while he was at Cru so I’m more than happy to see him cooking in my neighborhood. Next time I need a guest however so I can try out those veal meatballs as well.

Ciano

It's Almost That Time Again- NYC Resturant Week!

2012-01-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

Yes folks the list of participating restaurants should be released sometime this week so get ready to make your reservations! The last few years I have been lucky enough to hit about 3-4 lunches and this year I'm hoping to do the same. I have no idea which Danny Meyer places will participate this year. Maialino and the Modern Bar Room for sure...but Gramercy Tavern, Union Square ~~maybe even Eleven Madison again?~~ Correction: Eleven Madison is no longer owned by Danny Meyer since he sold it to executive chef and general manager Daniel Humm and Will Guidara.

This dish was from years ago when they actually participated. Who knows?

UPDATE: NYC Restaurant week reservations and list did come out this morning. It was interesting to say the least. The usual suspects such as The Modern Bar Room and River Cafe were no where to be seen. However my favorites from other years Maialino, Quality Meats and Park Avenue Winter all made an appearance. I made reservations for Red Rooster Harlem, The Maze by Gordon Ramsey, Cafe Boulud and Strip House. Of course I'll try to throw a few more in there as well. Oh and since this is the 20th year of Restaurant Week it's going to last for 20 days! I better buy that gym membership right now...

http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek

My Little Pizzeria

2012-01-03T07:34:00.000-05:00

I’ve probably walked by this little pizza joint over 100 times in my life working in Brooklyn. I always look at the large banner out front claiming its greatness and the steady stream of people going in and out. When one day last week I realized I should probably check it out and see what its all about.

If you notice some seasoning on top of my slice you would be correct. One of the first things I liked about My Little Pizzeria was the large variety of spices you can add to your slice at no charge. They even had a little bowl of fresh basil leaves.

After trying a bite sans seasoning I definitely appreciated them even more. While I enjoyed the tangy sweet sauce and melty cheese the pizza was lacking a little flavor. Once I hit the part I had seasoned it was much better and I could completely understand why this place is always so packed. I happily enjoyed my slice until the end where the soft crusts let me down just a notch. However for only $2.25 a slice this is definitely a affordable and damn good slice joint to have around.

My Little Pizzeria

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

We rang in the New Year last night at the Blind Tiger again and enjoyed plenty of delicious vintage beers. As always I look toward the new year with some hopeful dining experiences in mind. Last year I had 13 places on my list and only accomplished 5. That's pretty terrible although I did have a wedding and honeymoon to plan and enormous changes in my job as well so I guess I have some good excuses. Well here it goes- some of these places are new and some have been around forever but I just haven't gotten around to trying them.

L’Artusi
Torrisi/Parm
Red Rooster Harlem
Cafe Boulud
Ciano
Forcella
The Dutch
Big Gay Ice Cream Shop
Redfarm
The John Dory
Paulie Gee’s

Brought over from Last Year
Il Trulli
Loconda Verde

I already have reservations at two of the above places for January so I'm hoping to start this out right!

My Best of 2011 List

2011-12-29T06:30:00.000-05:00

What a crazy year 2011 has been! There has been so much good food, wine and fun going on it’s been a little out of control. Here’s a look back on the year and some of my favorite food and drink highlights.

Best New Opening- Maison Laduree
There are no better macarons in the city than these little guys. Thank goodness they opened up otherwise I would be ordering boxes from Paris.

Maison Laduree Review

Best Burger- Gramercy Tavern

I really can’t get over how delicious this burger was. The dry aged beef was perfect and that Clothbound Cheddar Cheese just sealed the deal.

Best Dessert- Gramercy Tavern

Sweet corn ice cream, fresh blueberry preserves, toffee popcorn and a pepper whipped cream. This seasonal Blueberry Corn Sundae is amazing. Mark your calendars for autumn to see if it makes a return.

Gramercy Tavern Review

Best Croissant- Bien Cuit

Remember this thing? I compared it to crack (If I knew what crack was like) It was that freaking good.

Bien Cuit Review

Best Happy Hour- Lani Kai

Hawaiian Iced Teas and Bermuda Triangle cocktails in a tiki lounge. What could be better? Oh right- $3 BBQ Short Rib sliders. Bam!

Lani Kai Review

Mr. T’s New Favorite- Cocoron Soba
Mr. T literally sits at home and makes hand gestures like he’s eating this bowl of noodles with chopsticks constantly. It’s driving me insane but their Stamina Dip Soba is pretty amazing.

Cocoron Soba Review

Best Lunch- ABC Kitchen

ABC Kitchen has really hit its stride and the fresh organic ingredients and inventive flavors make each meal an experience. The 3 course $28 lunch deal is a steal especially with the decadent ice cream sundae at the end.

ABC Kitchen Review

Best Restaurant Week Meal- Union Square Café

It definitely had some ups and downs but if I combined Sean’s appetizer and dessert with my main course it would have been unbeatable.

Union Square Cafe RW Review

Runner Up- Quality Meats

This pretty much started my obsession with Steak Tartare. Everything about the place was awesome and it ended with coffee and doughnut ice cream. I mean really-how good is that!

Quality Meats RW Review

Best Surprise Meal- Millers Tavern

This little place in Williamsburg completely shocked us with fabulous Oysters, a great Smoked Gouda Burger and a decadent Rabbit Ragu.

Millers Tavern Review

Best Meals Overall- La Bigarrade (Paris)

What can I say- it was three hours of pure bliss. Each course was exciting, inventive and wonderful. The service and atmosphere were simply perfect.

La Bigarrade Review

Runner Up- The Bull and Last (London)

From the cozy atmosphere and comforting Sunday Roast to the utterly amazing Chacuterie Plate. If I ever move to London I will be sure to have this place in my neighborhood.

Bull and Last Review

Best of the Rest 2011

Cesar Salad at Milliseme

Grande Piatto Misto di Salumi & Formaggi at Eataly

Washugyu Tataki with Potato Salad at Ippudo

Scallion Pancake with Beef at Nan Xiang

Bronx Brewery Bronx Ale

Gianduja Budino at Osteria Morini

Cheers!

Is it Friday Yet?

2011-12-28T11:52:00.001-05:00

No it's not. It's only Wednesday but it seems like the longest week in the world for some reason because it's holiday time and your working. If that's the case (as it is for me) you need a break. A delicious frothy winter beer kind of break.

Lucky for you Rattle N Hum still has all its kegs of beer left from last night's Winter Fest event. I enjoyed a smooth chocolaty old ale the Haandbryggeriet Nissefar (don't pronounce- just point).

Look at all these great beers- you have your excuse to go out and enjoy one. And if your not working then you should be enjoying them even more!

Look out for my Best of 2011 Eats and Drinks list that comes out tomorrow. Cheers!

Rattle N Hum

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-25T12:10:00.001-05:00

Christmas cake and message provided by my father. Enjoy!

Primehouse Brunch

2011-12-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

I love going to brunch but getting Mr. T out of the house before nightfall is a challenge. That being the case we usually do a brunch near our apartment and lately it’s been at Primehouse.

The Wild Mushroom Omelette gets a nice salty kick from melted leeks and a creamy goat cheese.

While the “Plain Old Breakfast Sandwich” is absolutely enormous and much better than any old breakfast sandwich from the corner deli that’s for sure.

The only thing that I didn’t enjoy were the Truffle Asiagao Fries.

The fries were crispy enough but the truffle oil gave them a fake, chemical taste. Next time I’m skipping the fries and trying out the Duck Fat Hash Browns instead. Mmmmmm duck fat…

Primehouse NYC

Edi and The Wolf

2011-12-22T18:56:00.000-05:00

I’ve been meaning to try out this place since it opened a year ago and finally got a chance this past weekend. This little restaurant is tucked away on Avenue C right across from the raucous and rowdy Zum Schneider. Inside it’s warm and cozy with long wooden tables and lots of rustic charm. They also are one of the few places that have Landjager.

This cured Austrian Sausage is delicious on its own or dipped into a little bit of sweet mustard. We started with an order of that and an order of Pork Belly.

I was surprised to see the belly cut up like bacon instead of in fat chunks. I actually didn’t love the pork belly. The thin cut made it seem extra fatty and I couldn’t really get that deep porky flavor I usually do. However I did love their Spatzle.

This was so incredibly creamy and had a nice earthy flavor from the addition of mushrooms and brussels sprouts. And let’s talk about brussels sprouts.

We got a big old bowl and they were absolutely fabulous. I could have had this entire bowl as my main course they were that good. However I decided to be nice and let everyone have some while I enjoyed my Veal Schnitzel.

I’m not a huge Schnitzel fan but this was really well done. The breading was just light enough and the ligonberry sauce was perfect addition to the meat.

Overall I really liked the food at Edi and the Wolf. Everything seemed made with care and the Austrian beers made it that much better. However the service was a little slow and the prices aren’t cheap so be prepared to spend a little. But the atmosphere really can’t be beat. Check out their bathroom- it’s simply beautiful!

Edi and the Wolf

A Feast at Cannibal

2011-12-20T17:30:00.000-05:00

You may remember me talking about Cannibal a while back, the new offshoot of Resto that specializes in good beer and tartares. I’ve been a few times now and although I continue to have a love/hate feeling towards Resto (currently in the hate side) I have a total love side for Cannibal- here’s why. Number one- bar snacks.

Whole nuts still inside the shell sit on the bar with a cracker just waiting to be used. This bowl immediately brought me back to my youth when we would visit my great Aunt during the holidays. She always had a big bowl of almonds just like this and it was so satisfying to crack each one open. Number two- the Tartares.

This is the Lamb Tartare and they blend the meat with shallots, capers and a little harissa aioli which made it utterly freaking delicious. Number three- the extensive beer list.

Okay so I went for an extra dry cider to begin with but finished up with one of my favorite bottles of Allagash Black. The variety of beers here is amazing and I love that it’s so close to home I can just swing by and pick up a couple bottles whenever I want to. Although I don’t need more than three reasons let’s just end it with some jerky.

Some deliciously smoky beef jerky. Does it get much better than this? Oh yeah and I got to watch football on their big TV the entire time I was eating. Now it can’t get any better than that.

The Cannibal

Holiday Drinks!

2011-12-19T14:20:00.000-05:00

We’ve done the Rockefeller Center guide but what about some good old fashioned holiday cocktails! First up the classic Egg Nog at Maialino.

This delicious frothy drink is a little lighter than most versions and gets a nice dose of nutmeg and cinnamon. Truth be told this picture is from me enjoying last years- hopefully they’ll put it back on the menu soon! Looking for something a little lighter on the waistline? Try Northern Spy in the East Village.

This cozy little place specializes in aperitif-driven cocktails- which basically means tasty drinks with a little less alcohol than most cocktails. Usually made from a sherry base or Lillet blanc, Chris Ronis’s creations allow you to enjoy the festive flavors of the year without waking up with that holiday hangover! How about their Salvadoran Fence made from Jalapeño infused Lillet blanc, Punt e Mes, watermelon, basil, lime and Asgoatura bitters.

However a little something stronger may be needed when dealing with all the family and their cute little quirks and Haru has you covered in that department. Yes- Haru the sushi place that makes my beloved Komodo Dagon is also doing holiday drinks this year! Pictured above is their Emperor's Delight made with sake, cranberry juice and triple sec and below is a recipe for their Pumpkin Pie Martini.

Or you could just join the other hundreds of people crowded into Rolf’s tiny bar to stare at their amazing ornament and light decorations while drinking ridiculously overpriced $14 beers…(sigh) yes I’ll be there at some point as well.

The Pumpkin Pie

1.5 oz Absolut Pear Vodka
1.0 oz Fresh Pumpkin Puree
0.3 oz Cointreau
0.2 oz Simple Syrup
0.1 oz Bitters

Combine all contents over ice and shake thoroughly. Pour into a Cosmos glass and serve straight up. Garnish glass with Nutmeg and Cinnamon.

http://maialinonyc.com/

http://www.northernspyfoodco.com/

http://www.harusushi.com/

My Day of Holiday Fun

2011-12-15T07:24:00.000-05:00

I took the day off on Monday to do my annual Christmas day with myself. It’s always too crowded after work and on weekends to get near the tree and windows so a weekday off is necessary. But first I needed some food and once again a delicious tartare was calling my name. Since I was already planning to do a little holiday shopping in Columbus Circle, Porter House seemed like the perfect place.

My Filet Mignon Tartare arrived and the first thing I noticed was the absence of an egg on top. Surprisingly I didn’t miss it. The meat held together just fine with some mustard and oil. There was some chopped onion inside and some capers and condiments on the side for mixing.

When it first arrived the meat looked almost cooked on top but as you can see it’s a luscious red inside. This was absolutely wonderful-probably in my top three of all time. It was a classic preparation done well. A smidge less olive oil and it could have been perfection. My lovely glass of Pinot Noir was a perfect match and I was completely content with my delicious lunch.

On a side note Porter House did many things very well including room temperature butter, wonderful service and great views. However the clientele was very strange. If you could slice the restaurant down the middle I think it would be 50% business men and 50% families with children. I literally saw a business deal being made with a baby howling in the background. Maybe it’s the holiday season?

After my meal I spent about 2-3 hours perusing the holiday windows, the tree and shopping until finally a little pick me up called. Luckily I stumbled upon Michel Cluizel. I ordered a macchiato and was a little shocked at the $5.00 price tag but luckily it came with a piece of his famous chocolate on the side.

However next time the Parisian breakfast would be the way to go.

I capped off my holiday tour back near home with a glass of wine at Union Square Café’s beautiful bar. It was decorated for the holidays and they had some great jazz music playing in the background.

A warm bowl of their famous rosemary dusted bar nuts was a perfect end to a perfect day. I may have to make USC a part of my annual tradition.

Porter House NY

Union Square Cafe

Chocolat Michel Cluizel

Another Mexican Brunch at Dos Caminos

2011-12-13T19:46:00.004-05:00

I absolutely love Mexican style breakfasts. When I think back on my wedding in Mexico the delicious food each morning is almost always the first thing that pops into my mind (oh and my husband:) So having Dos Caminos right by my apartment is pretty awesome for weekend brunch.

A complementary cocktail is included but skip the usual Bloody Mary or Mimosa and try out their Prickly Pear Margarita instead. It’s seriously delicious and quite eye catching as well. I’m a creature of habit and always order the same thing here- the Machacado Breakfast tacos.

Steak, eggs, cheese and salsa all inside a crispy tortilla shell. It’s a little spicy and has a ton of flavor. If this can’t help you after a few too many beers the night before I don’t know what will.

My friend ordered the breakfast quesadilla which didn’t fare quite as well. The tortilla was really disproportionate with lots of cheese in one segment and bacon in another. It was still a decent breakfast but not as delicious as my tacos for sure.

If you remember I’ve written about Dos Caminos for brunch before and almost swore it off because of serious service issues. I’ve learned that by sitting at the bar my food comes immediately and I haven’t had to deal with any problems ever since. So if you want to swing by I highly recommend that route to ensure a good meal.

Dos Caminos

Chikalicious Dessert Club

2011-12-12T11:31:00.004-05:00

Chikalicious is one of these awesome spots that somehow always falls under my radar. I was literally walking right past the other day and almost missed it! Luckily the smell of hot chocolate and baked goods lured me inside.

I almost always get one of their amazing cupcakes but this time I wanted something different. Some Petits Fours perhaps? I decided upon the Strawberry Shortcake and Caramel Profiterole Tart.

The Strawberry Shortcake was okay- maybe a little on the dry side but the Caramel Profiterole was awesome. The top had bites of crackly sugar like a cream brulee top and the caramel creme was just right. However at $2 each these are pretty expensive for what you get. Although I really enjoyed the Profiterole I would save my money next time for the Cupcakes.

Or possibly the cookies. They had one called The Situation that has salty pretzel bits, toffee popcorn and peanut butter chips. That's some kind of situation I could handle!

Dessert Club Chikalicious

Flights a Fancy

2011-12-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

My good friend was visiting last weekend and we decided to check out a many different beers as we could on a mini beer crawl. The best way to do that is with some beer flights! We started out at one of my favorite places The Gingerman for our first.

From left to right we had the Kona Wheat, Rouge Rastafari Rye, Dogfish Head Hellhound Ale and Captain Lawrence Pumpkin Ale. It was my first time having this Captain Lawrence and I really enjoyed the clean pumpkin flavors and toasty bread aroma. Price for this flight- $12.00.

Onto Rattle and Hum for our next flight of beer we had the Founders Breakfast Stout, Mikkeller Jackie Brown, Kissmeyer Saison Du Fleur, Anderson Valley Bootlinger Weisse. Price for this flight- $10.00.

Last but certainly not least onto Good Beer for one final flight. Here we have a Sierra Nevada Harvest, Clipper City Heavy Seas Marzen, Harpoon Pale Ale and Sly Fox Royal Weisse. Price for this flight- $8.00. Quite a good deal and made even better by the purchase of a Dogfish Head 120 minute to take home!

This came from the most recent batch and comes in between 18%-21% percent ABV. That is one hoppy and big IPA! I haven’t had it yet but I’m hoping to soon. Good Beer all the way!

Mini Holiday Food Guide- Rockefeller Center

2011-12-08T21:00:00.006-05:00

NYC is a wonderful and magical place to visit around the holiday season. The Rockefeller Center tree is gorgeous, all the hotels are decked out in red and gold, holiday pop-up shops fill the parks- what could be better?

Unfortunately you have to be prepared for what I can only describe as controlled chaos. You will be wrangled like cattle to see the tree, stand in line at a Starbucks for 30 minutes, not for a caffeine fix but to use the single smelly bathroom and you’ll probably be so pooped out from all of your shopping and touring that you’ll see a TGI Friday’s or Olive Garden and think it’s an oasis in the storm. Two hours later (because you’ll have to wait for a table like all of the other tourists who thought the line at McDonald’s and Subway were too long) you’ll wonder why the food and service were so crappy and suddenly your wallet is empty as well.

It’s the holidays in NYC folks and one must be prepared to weather the season. If you’re from the city you should know this and already be prepared but for you out of towners here’s a few holiday food recommendations to make your stay a little more jolly.

Rockefeller Center/ Times Square

Family Meal - Bills Bar and Burger
The location only a block from the tree can’t be beat and the laid back friendly service, reasonable prices and awesome burgers pretty much seal the deal. They have a separate kids menu with tater tots and chicken fingers as well as vegetarian friendly options like fish taco’s and one of the city’s best veggie burgers. They also have cocktails, wine and an extensive beer list. Believe you’ll need a drink after braving the tree crowds with the family. Oh and they take reservations- Bam!

Bills Burger Bar Review

Cheap Adventurous Meal- Sake Bar Hagi
Hidden down some stairs right outside the madness of Rockefeller Center and Times Square is this cute little Izakaya. Don’t expect a quiet relaxed meal however- it’s loud, noisy and fun. Order some skewers of meat, yellowtail collar and a couple Sapporo’s and enjoy the experience. It’s good for groups as well but the space is tiny so if you have more than 2 people go right when they open or expect a long wait. However they will take your phone number and call when a table is available. Walk over to Jimmy’s Corner and have a couple drinks while you wait.

Sake Bar Hagi Review

Upscale Fancy Meal- The Modern
Located inside the Modern Museum of Art this restaurant exudes both the arts and fine dining. Expect flawless French cuisine, an extensive wine and cocktail list and the impeccable service expected of all of Danny Meyers restaurants. Don’t skip the desserts which are just as delicious as they are beautiful.

The Modern Bar Room Review

Classic Steakhouse with a Twist- Quality Meats
Right around the corner from the Plaza Hotel this steakhouse creates the most delicious Steak Tartare I’ve had to date. Not that you need to have tartare, all the classic cuts of meat are there as well with delicious sides and whimsical desserts. The Twist? Although it’s certainly a steakhouse the ambiance is much softer and more refined than the old school guys. Imagine powering through a Porterhouse and still feeling elegant as you’re doing so- that’s Quality Meats for sure.

Quality Meats review

Chocolate Treats- Cause you're Gonna Need Something Sweet

Good- Lindt Chocolate
Lindt Chocolate is sold everywhere now and it’s for good reason. The smooth, creamy truffles are wonderful and at the shop on 5th Avenue you can always find a new flavor and usually score a free sample at the door.

Better- Teuscher Chocolate
Right in Rockefeller Center this little shop explodes with bright colors and little figurines all about Switzerland, but don’t forget about the chocolates. The truffles and pralines have the same creaminess as the Lindt but with a richer, more authentic flavor.

Best- La Maison du Chocolat
Just walking into La Maison you will know at once that it’s a different level of chocolate shop. The well suited staff and trays of perfectly shaped ganaches and pralines almost make me feel like I’ve been transported to a fancy Parisian boutique. The Figaro is one of my favorite but don’t leave without trying out a pastry as well. The Romeo, a Coffee Chocolate Macaron, is the perfect pick me up after a long day of shopping.

La Maison du Chocolat

Teuscher Fifth Avenue

Michael's New York

2011-12-07T06:30:00.002-05:00

I’ve long heard of Michael’s Restaurant in midtown- highly known for its power lunch scene of all people who should see and be seen in media. In my field of work a power lunch is almost non-existent but the idea behind this restaurant always intrigued me. So I when I was invited to check out their new cocktail program and fall menu I was thrilled. It wasn’t a power lunch but at least I could experience the food and ambiance. We began by checking out the new cocktail list from mixologist Michael Flannery.

I ordered the Happy Hacienda and my friend had the Solera Sazarac.

Both of these drinks were really strong with big, bold flavors up front- almost manly. However the addition of a little lemon twist and a candied orange peel brought a delicate balance to the drinks that gave a sweeter softer side. Next up some delicious bar snacks. There were bright zesty scallop shooters, deliciously fatty glazed pork belly sliders and rich caramelized onion burgers. However my favorites of the night were the Korean Chicken Lollipops and The Crispy Oysters.

The lollipops were enormous with a wonderful sweet and spicy paste while the fried oysters were simply addictive with a little grapefruit, lemon and butter on top. I was only sad the bar area was a little too dark so the pictures didn't come out so great. Oh well- I know it tasted awesome. Then it was time to head into the main dining room for dinner where the sommelier started us out with a delicious 2009 Domaine La Porte Sancerre. I love a good Sancerre and this one was rich with incredible minerals perfect for our amuse bouche- Fried Polenta with a Bacon Marmalade.

Hmm… salty, smoky, sweet…what’s not to love about this start? Onto my appetizer the Stone Crab Claws.

The delicate, sweet crab meat was perfect with the tangy mustard sauce. However I couldn’t even finish all three claws since I was busy sampling the other appetizers of the night.

The Squash-Pumpkin Soup with crispy Fried Brussels Sprout and Farmers Market Beet Salad with yogurt were seasonal and delicious. Unfortunately the Veal Sweetbreads and Porcini Risotto weren’t as wonderful. The texture of the mushrooms and rice really clashed for me and the sweetbreads were laden down by creamed spinach and au jus. Sweetbreads are so rich on their own I found the combination overwhelming. Luckily I had a bit of room saved left for my entrée Ellensburg Rack of Lamb, Potato Gratin, Cipollini Onion, Broccoli and Lamb Jus.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve had lamb and this dish reminded why it used to be my favorite. The meat had such an intense flavor and the roasted cipollini on the side was perfect. My friend had the Seared Maine Dayboat Scallops with Orzo, Pancetta, Celery Root Remoulade and Spaghetti Squash.

I was getting so full at this point I could only try a little bite but I really think that Spaghetti Squash is a highly underrated vegetable- it’s delicious. Well I was about to burst at this point but then they brought out a sampling of the dessert menu for the table to share along with a delicious ice wine.

Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Mousse and Pistachio Cranberry Ice Cream.

Three Milk Cake with Citrus Icing, Dulce de Leche Ice Cream.

Cranberry Pecan Pie with Cranberry Compote and Vanilla Ice Cream.

And my personal favorite of the night a Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Candied Pumpkin Seeds and Cinnamon Ice Cream.

Overall I was really impressed with our meal. The food, wine, pastries and service were all exceptional. Michael McCarty, the owner, was there and really made sure everyone was having a good time and enjoying themselves. The entire place was decorated for Christmas with wreaths and ribbons that really gave the restaurant a cozy elegant feel. It wasn’t the power lunch I had always heard about but it was a pretty powerful and delicious dinner.

Michael's New York

Carnivore Fest at Peter Luger

2011-12-05T14:11:00.010-05:00

It isn’t every day that one starts a meal with an appetizer of bacon and follows up with an entrée of straight meat. That is reserved solely for Peter Lugers.

Well to be completely truthful our latest meal started out with their delicious bread basket and some beers. It’s hard to resist the wonderful smell of garlic and onion coming from the rolls but I never fill up on the carbs here. That would be sacrilegious since my bacon appetizer was on the way.

If you’ve never been to Peter Lugers you might not understand the draw of the bacon here but you should. It’s a thick, salty slab with crunchy edges and an awesome smoky flavor. I never cared for the Luger Steak sauce until I tried it on the bacon. Somehow that cocktail sauce flavor works wonders on this piece of pork. And speaking of the steak- here’s the porterhouse for three.

Good lord have you ever seen such a beautiful plate of meat in your entire life? No really here’s a close up.

The meat is so moist and supple it cuts more like a tuna sashimi than a piece of steak. That’s preciously why Luger’s is so famous. It’s really hard to find a steak that will compare to what they shell out here.

The meal ends with some complimentary golden chocolate coins to much away on while you try to figure out the bill amid your meat filled foggy head. Thank goodness you’ll be foggy since the bill isn’t cheap. With three rounds of beers and two sides it came out to over $300. Expensive yes but not too overpriced considering the amazing amount of food and level of pure meat happiness you’re left with.

And really it’s the holidays after all. We could all use a little Luger’s in our lives right now.

A Lazy Satuday at the Tiger

2011-12-02T06:30:00.001-05:00

Is there anything better than whiling away a Saturday drinking delicious beers next to a warm fire? It’s probably one of our favorite things to do. Blind Tiger is our go to spot for this and last Saturday before diving into the brews we ordered their BLT sandwich.

I’m not a huge sandwich person honestly but the slow roasted slab bacon and herb mayo on this thing was so delicious! Plus it was on sourdough, my personal favorite bread.

I washed that down with a robust Brooklyn Intensified Coffee Stout. What a perfect little Saturday treat.

Blind Tiger Ale House

Robecelli's Cupcakes are Everywhere!

2011-11-30T16:03:00.003-05:00

Over in Brooklyn Heights sits Tazza, a mainly coffee and bakery type place that also morphs into a wine and panini bar as the day goes on. I’ve walked by a million times, looking at their sweets but never really stopping. Until one day last week when the cupcakes inside looked so delicious I just had to have one.

I asked the woman behind the counter what the flavors were and I was surprised she didn’t know. After a few moments she consulted a menu and was able to list off the names but looked pretty unsure of her descriptions so I just picked one and hoped for the best.

Opening up the wrapper I was hit with such an intense smell of fresh apples and a hint of cider. Peeling away the wrapper an insanely moist cake was reveled with little flecks of real apple throughout. The edges of the cupcake top were perfectly chewy and the ultra silky vanilla cream was extra buttery with just a drizzle of maple syrup and oat crisp on top! I ate every last bite of this cupcake including a thorough scraping of the bottom wrapper to ensure I had gotten every last morsel.

I was so excited about this cupcake I went back to the office to try and Google the actual name. That’s when I realized this was no ordinary cupcake- it was a Robicelli’s. This was one of their fall specials the Apple Maple Crisp. The description said it contained Roasted Apple Butter which explains the amazing frosting on top. I couldn’t believe I didn’t recognize the Robicelli trademarks earlier! How awesome to know these delicious cupcakes are only blocks away from my office. But it gets even better! Below is their Hot Buttered Rum Cupcake.

I went from Fall flavors to Winter all in one week. The trademark buttercream frosting was there and the butter rum soaked cake still had the crispy edges as usual.

Except this was even closer to home. An outpost at the Union Square Holiday shops! I think I’ve died and gone to cupcake heaven.

Quick Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

2011-11-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! I enjoyed mine in Florida once again with Mr. T’s family. His sister-in-law made the most amazing risotto our first night there.

It was absolutely perfect- rich, creamy and topped off with a fresh shave of white truffle.

We also got spoiled by a ton of yummy wines and I even found a Cigar City beer I had never had before- the Cubano Style Espresso Brown Ale.

I loved the nutty toffee and roasted coffee bean flavor. I might have to ask the guys at Good Beer if they can get some in stock. All in all it was a fabulous Thanksgiving and I’m already in full holiday mode! Bring on the trees and lights!

Tasting the Wines of Lombardia at La Scuola

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Man November has been busy! We attended this tasting a few weeks ago but it was so wonderful I just have to tell you about it. Now I’ve been to La Scuola before for some promotional tastings but this was one we bought so I was excited to see how it compared.

The wine line up looked great and when I saw the first food course I was really excited!

Two wonderful pieces of Montauk Striped Bass Crudo with a little slice of blood orange on top. Talk about a great start to the tasting! We enjoyed this with our Cuvee Rose Brut and it was a match made in heaven. Next up some Salumi E Fromaggi Misti.

I love trying different meats and cheese with wine. It’s probably one of my favorite things in the world. Here the gorgonzola was surprisingly smooth and I loved tasting the two different types of pecorino- one called the poor mans and one regular. After this start I was getting pretty stuffed between all the bread and wine but more was to come. Actually it was straight up dinner!

Vitello Alla Milanese Con Finocchio E Rucola. I’m not usually a fan of Veal Milanese but this one was amazing. The breading was light and had a little bit of spice that complemented the meat nicly. They even gave us the recipes for this dish to recreate at home.

Did you forget this all at a wine tasting? I almost did. We finished with a wonderful full bodied red and I was incredibly full and happy. Mr. T and I agreed this was the best tasting we have ever been too. The speaker was great and the food and wine were absolutely amazing. I'm thinking this may be may holiday gift for people.

Buffalo Bites- Rue Franklin and Swirl

2011-11-25T19:55:00.000-05:00

I was feeling a little home sick pre-Thanksgiving last week and just needed a break from the city. So I took a quick weekend trip up to Buffalo and relaxed with a wonderful dinner at Rue Franklin with two of my favorite friends! Being that it was girls night we had to begin with some cocktails!

We stopped at Cabaret first for a few martini’s before moving over to Rue for our meal. I loved the old French vibe inside of the restaurant. All the men were in tuxedo’s and the white linen table cloths and shiny silver serving trays just seemed to fit. To begin a bottle of Chardonnay and some Malpeque Oysters.

I always love Malpeque Oysters- they have the perfect balance of sweetness and brine and these were no different.

They gave us a tart vignette on the side but I find the oysters have enough flavor that nothing else is needed. My friend and I happily slurped away on these while the non-oyster lover of the bunch went for soup- a Parsnip and Pear with Bacon.

This had all of the makings of a great sophisticated soup but somehow nothing melded together quite right. One bite tasted like pear, next one bacon. All of the components were there but nothing seemed to gel. Onto our entrees I ordered the Venison Loin with Cassis sauce, Currants and Corn Pudding.

I’m not going to lie to you I was in love with this dish from the second I laid eyes on it. The venison was cooked to perfection and the rich flavors were only enhanced by the sweet currants and eggy corn pudding. This was one of the best venison dishes I have had in a very long time. Other entrees included a surprisingly exciting and delicious Red Snapper with ginger vinaigrette and pickled eggplant.

And a Filet Mignon with red wine sauce and macaroni gratin.

Unfortunately the Filet could have had a bit more flavor but overall we were happy with our entrees and ready to indulge in some delicious desserts! A trio of Pot De Crème.

A decadent Salted Chocolate Cake with Honey Ice Cream.

And the crowd favorite Sticky Toffee Pudding that was oh so sweet and oh so sticky!

We ordered a round of espresso with our dessert and I was completely baffled when they gave us all empty cups. We sat there for about 10 minutes until three waiters came out each with our own pot of espresso. I’ve never had this experience in a restaurant before…probably because I can’t handle it. I think I ended up having about 6 espressos out of my own little pot. Talk about an excessive caffeine buzz.

Overall I simply loved Rue Franklin. For all that food, a bottle of wine, three glasses of wine and three pots of espresso it came out to roughly $75 a person. Not to shabby for a fancy and delicious night out on the town! My only advice to Rue is a bathroom update. There’s nothing worse than enjoying a fabulous fancy meal only to see a shabby single stall in the ladies room. Well after Rue I was done eating for the night but the next morning I woke up cravings more sweets!

So I drove over to the newly opened Swirl Cupcake Shop.

My father stole half of my Vanilla one before I even got a picture.

But luckily the Red Velvet was all mine. I loved the frosting on this and the cake was surprisingly dense and moist. This is a seriously good Red Velvet cake and I plan to overdose myself on sugar with these when I return. Overall a fantastic food trip up North!

Rue Franklin

Swirls Cupcake

A Little Lunch at Manzo

2011-11-21T20:19:00.007-05:00

My last restaurant in Eataly to try out is also supposed to be the most expensive and the best. Somehow I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype and kept putting off a meal there. Finally one rainy day it seemed just perfect and I went over for a solo lunch.

I had made a reservation but the hostess said it would be a minute for my table when I arrived. I always see the bar when I’m there and was astonished to see so many tables behind it. How could I have missed that! I took a seat at the bar instead and a glass of Prosecco arrived to help the decision making process.

After ordering the bread basket arrived. At every other place in Eataly the bread basket is thick cut pieces of a soft brown bread that is a little sour. Only at Manzo did I receive the squares of Focaccia and a few eggy slices inside. As always a healthy dollop of olive oil was present for dipping until my appetizer arrived. Mozzarella with Almonds, Brown Butter and Guaniciale.

I’ve had the mozzarella in the Piazza countless times but this had so much more flavor. The brown butter gave it this rich, smokiness and I loved the crunch of the almonds and the crispy pieces of guaniciale. Unfortunately the bread had been slathered with too much olive oil so I relied on the bread basket for my carb fix but that was fine. After polishing off this and moving on to a glass of Pinto Nero it was entree time. The Carne Cruda al Cotello with Enoki Mushrooms and Black Truffle Bruschetta.

The presentation of this dish excited me because it was so simple. I cut into the perfectly poached quail egg and swirled the runny yolk into the tender meat and it was delightful. The black truffle gave it a deep earthy flavor and if it wasn’t for the extra olive oil beneath I probably would have polished off the entire dish. I understand the merits of a good olive oil but sometimes I wish Eataly wouldn’t have such a heavy hand with it on everything. However I did really enjoy the dish and I would happily return for a lovely glass of red and this any day. Finally all of the restaurants are completed!

Manzo

Flex Doughnuts is Back at Grand Central

2011-11-19T10:12:00.004-05:00

I was walking through Grand Central yesterday and was shocked to see the holiday markets up already. Then I walked downstairs and was shocked again to see Flex Doughnuts had returned at the Zocalo outpost. I would finally get a chance to try one- so many flavors. I'm pretty much obsessed with anything Salted Caramel these days.

Pumpkin and Cranberry- very seasonal.

Pecan Pie- on a Doughnut!

Apple-Cinnamon and Maple, Bacon, Bourbon stick.

And finally Zak's Birthday doughnut which was a Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter frosting, Dark Chocolate shavings and lots of glitter! Just like Zak used to use on Top Chef Just Desserts.

The lines are usually incredibly long and they sell out fast so get there while you can!

Yes I am at the Tavern Yet Again!

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

I swear I don’t work for the Gramercy Tavern or anything I just love to go there. I’ll keep this one short. I returned for yet another lunch and couldn’t stray from their delicious burger.

It was delicious as usual, although the cheese didn’t seem quite as pungent as before even though it was still the Cabot Cloth Bound Cheddar. Maybe I had the stanky end last time? The Heirloom Tomato was seasonally replaced this time by a side of creamy potato salad with some little chunks of bacon. Mmmmm bacon…

And for dessert another seasonal favorite Apple Pie. I loved how Gramercy didn’t try to fancy this up in any way. It was straight forward with a ton of crispy, warm cinnamon apples and buttery crust and a cooling scoop of ice cream on the side. Just like Mom used to make.

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao

2011-11-15T19:20:00.001-05:00

Doesn’t the name just say it all? What it should say it extra tasty dim sum! Mr. T and I traveled out to Flushing the other day (man we’ve been in Queens a lot lately) and enjoyed the day walking around the various malls and shops and finally landed at Nan Xiang for some lunch. This tiny little place was packed! We got a table up front and then the fod started to descend. First some Pan Fried Pork Dumplings.

These enormous dumplings were pillow like in texture and just the right amount of crispiness on the bottom. I was in heaven. But wait…here comes more. Soup Dumplings!

We went for the crab and pork and I have to say these the skin on these was the thinnest I’ve ever had. Nibble, slurp, nibble, slurp…Yummmmmm…soupy dumplings…. But Wait! The Best is yet to come!

Scallion Pancake with Beef! Where have you been all of my life! I’ve always loved the Scallion Pancake but sandwich some sticky beef inside and slather it with hoisin sauce and this took it to a whole new level! Easily the best pancake I have ever had. Thank goodness it’s out in Flushing or I’d become one plump little girl pretty quick. After lunch we stopped by the Flushing Mall for some treats at Deli Manjoo. It was really neat to watch them filling the little molds with batter, then injecting the custard until finally it comes out nicely wrapped in plastic and ready to go.

Each one comes out shaped like a little corn on the cob.

And it even comes in its own cute carrying case. Stylish and affordable! A wonderful afternoon in Flushing complete.

Cupcakes in Heels

2011-11-14T17:00:00.000-05:00

I was working in Bayside the other day and walking around the neighborhood in search of lunch. Somehow I spotted this little bakery across the street.

Cupcakes in Heels? It wasn’t a proper lunch but I was certainly checking it out.

As I walked into the miniscule bakery I was delighted to see each of the cupcakes named after a fashion designer. There was Valentino- a lemon cupcake with lemon curd and vanilla buttercream, a Burberry- strawberry cupcake filled with fresh strawberries and vanilla whipped cream...

and even a Passion Fruit Alexander McQueen! I was torn between all the flavors but finally settled on the Dolce- a caramel cupcake topped with caramel butter cream and a sprinkle of salt.

Which they put in this cute little take out container.

I’ll admit this looked a lot prettier when I bought it. Unfortunately I dropped it on my way back to work and it got a little banged up inside the box. Luckily this didn’t affect the flavor at all. The frosting was amazing. I’ve never had Buttercream that tasted so incredibly buttery! The cake was moist with crunchy edges up top like a muffin (which I love) and then came the surprise center.

A big ball of straight caramel! This cupcake was amazing! It deserved the Dolce label and I even contemplated going back to try out the Burberry immediately. Luckily I forced some will power on myself and vowed to return my next time in Queens. These are the kind of heels I like to buy.

Happy Sunday= Pig and Beer

2011-11-13T08:45:00.000-05:00

What goes best with some rocking music, cozy atmosphere and delicious Belgian beers? Why some fatty, rich pork belly of course. This is the Pork Belly with Butternut Squash entrée from Jimmy’s No. 43.

This plate was absolutely massive. There were about four huge hunks of belly with some creamy risotto underneath and squares of sweet roasted butternut squash. This was some seriously delicious comfort food only made better by the smoky, Belgian I was enjoying. What more do you need?

A Snowy Day at Tournesol

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mr. T and I trekked out to Long Island City two Saturday’s ago to have brunch with some friends when the steady rain turned into a full fledged snow storm. We both were absolutely covered in snow and ice walking from the train station. Luckily the inside of Tournesol was warm and cozy. We hung our wet coats at the front and joined our friends who were already at a table in the back.

After braving the crazy weather a nice bottle of Bordeaux was calling. We put in our order, sipped some wine and chatted. I loved the feel of Tournesol. I really felt like I was back in a French bistro with the French speaking waitresses and tiny little tables. So I ordered something from Paris I was craving- Steak Frites.

This dish was classic. A perfectly medium rare cut of beef, a zesty side salad and a mound of golden frites. The frites weren’t as crispy as I usually like them but for some reason they really hit the spot. I think I got through about half of the huge pile and Mr. T polished off the rest.

If it we didn’t have plans later that night (and my friend’s wife wasn’t 8 ½ months pregnant) I could have sat there all day. Just sipping on wine and watching the snow fall outside. It was such a relaxing, cute little place. Since then they’ve had a little baby boy so we just might have to go back again to celebrate!

Tournesol

Gramercy Tavern Desserts

2011-11-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

One of the best parts about living so close to Gramercy Tavern is the ability to just stop by on a random night for a drink, appetizer or just a snack. We stopped in last week just to indulge in some delicious sweets. Mr. T ordered the Ricotta Cheesecake with Fudge Brownie and Black Currant Sorbet.

The cheesecake was ultra smooth and creamy going perfect with the tart sorbet. I enjoyed Mr. T’s choice but preferred my Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake.

Each layer of this cake is like eating a decadent Roche. The Sweet Cream Ice Cream really helps cut the richness and the hazelnut foam gave it that extra special touch.
I topped my dessert off with a glass of Barbera while Mr. T went extra sweet with their house made hot chocolate. What a perfect little treat for a chilly autumn night.

Gramercy Tavern

Celebrating the Flavors of South Africa with Chef Wamu

2011-11-08T17:22:00.003-05:00

I was invited to a press lunch last week hosted by South Africa tourism, held in the DeGustibus Cooking School in Macy’s. I enjoy a decent amount of South African white wine but I honestly know very little about the food so I was incredibly excited to learn something new. After a little bit of wine and mingling we were invited to sit down for our three course lunch and cooking demonstration by Chef Wamu himself.

Our first course was Chicken Bunny Chow paired with Raats Chenin Blanc 2009.

The chicken was spicy with potatoes and carrots mixed in on top of a cake bread. This had a lot of nice big curry flavors going on. I really liked how the sweet cake bread worked with the spices on the poultry.

Our next course was Beef Bobtie paired with Rudi Schultz Syrah 2007.

I absolutely loved this dish. The top was like a custard with lots of saffron and turmeric mixed in and a base of milk soaked bread. Once I got past the smooth yellow top a fragrant broth of ground beef was stewing underneath.

There was something so satisfying and comforting about breaking through the soft eggy top and releasing the spicy warm beef beneath. There were some veggies on the side but I barely touched them I was all about the Praai (ground beef). I will definitely be trying out the recipe for this dish at home. I really enjoyed the Syrah as well. It had gorgeous dark cherry notes but remained light and vibrant up front. Really quite a nice pairing.

Our last course was Koeksister with amarula crème ala angalise candied fruit and toasted coconut paired with Amarula Cream Liquor.

The syrupy, citrus dough reminded me of a Greek dessert I used to enjoy at festivals growing up. The toasted coconut and fruit gave it a warm flavor and the Crème ala Anglasie cooled it all down. Not my favorite dessert ever but a nice end to an exquisite meal.

I really enjoyed the entire experience and felt incredibly lucky to have watched Chef Wamu work and have tasted his recipes. He was so charismatic and had such energy he really made me want to go to South Africa and just “chill” as he said. If any of this looks good to you let me know and I’ll send the recipes your way!

The Meatball Factory

2011-11-07T07:44:00.002-05:00

The little corner of 14th Street and 2nd Avenue has really been getting a makeover. First an IHOP opened up and now Top Chef alum Dave Martin has moved in next door with his brand new restaurant the Meatball Factory.

First off it’s pretty amazing what they did with the space. The grimy spot that was once an Arthur Treachers/Nathans has been transformed into a cozy, low lit space with brick walls and quite a nice beer list. Since the autumn is ending soon I figured I had to get at least one more seasonal beer so I had the Greenpoint Harbor Leafpile Pumpkin Ale and Mr. T had a Sarnac Root Beer.

The menu is divided into meatballs, sauces and fries- so there are a hundred different combinations you make depending on your mood. We began with an order of the Lambda, Lambda meatballs made from Elysian Farms Leg of Lamb & Shoulder, Oregeno & Pecorino Romano.

The meatball itself was really tasty with surprising hunks of meat throughout instead of being entirely ground down. I could have enjoyed this meatball all on it’s own but you have to get some sauce right? We couldn’t decide on just one so we got the trio of sauce sampler. From left to right we had the Meat House- their signature Bolognese sauce, Dragon’s Lair- a Green Curry Peanut sauce and the Truffle Time- a Black Truffle sauce.

Of the three I enjoyed the Dragon’s Lair the best. The creamy, peanut sauce had a nice little kick of spice from the Thai Basil and it went really well with the Lamb Meatball. Mr. T liked the Meat House sauce the best but I found it a little too thick. There were four different kinds of meat inside and it wasn’t balanced by the tomatoes. It was kind of like putting meat on top of meat instead of a sauce. The Truffle sauce was fabulous but any sauce with truffles, cream and fontina cheese is going to be extremely rich. I could only stomach a bite or two before it became too much.

The Nonna Lola’s Meatball Parm was an unfortunate disappointment. The Old School pork, steak and veal meatballs were good but the sandwich execution was terrible. There was about a teaspoon of sauce and a measly sprinkle of cheese on top of some extremely hard bread. The entire sandwich was a dry, tasteless mess. Luckily the side of Brussels Sprouts it came with made up for the sandwich a bit. They had a nice sweet and spicy flavor from the addition of Maple Syrup and Red Chili sauce.

The Idaho Cut Fries done Poutine Style were decent. I had been excited to have actual Poutine, which I love, with gravy and cheese curds. But here “Poutine Style” means the addition of mozzarella curds and one of their signature sauces. We ended up with the Mushroom Sauce since it is the most similar to gravy but it just wasn’t the same. I actually ended up dipping my fries in the leftover gravy of the Lamb Meatballs and it was ten times better. Maybe they’ll start making a meatball gravy sauce instead for Poutine lovers like me.

We were too full for dessert so we’ll save that for another day. Unfortunately I was a little let down by the Meatball Factory overall. The Meatball Shop in the LES is so amazing I guess I compare everything to that and this is certainly not up to their level. But it’s still early, so with some menu tweaking I think the food could go up a few notches. The affordable wine list and cozy, people watching spot will bring me back for a return trip soon.

The Meatball Factory

An Upstate Brunch at Juniper

2011-11-03T07:53:00.000-04:00

Tucked away in the quiet little town of Hastings-on-Hudson is a tiny restaurant with some really big flavor- Juniper. Chef Alex Sze opened the place about two years ago and the place has been packed ever since.

The daily specials are written on the chalkboard to the side and the open kitchen is alive with excitement.

I stuck to the regular menu items that day and ordered the Brisket Burger with Gruyere Cheese, Roasted Tomato, Grilled Onion and Mustard Aioli. I have to tell you thing is all about that aioli. The brisket was delicious, don’t get me wrong, but it was a little overcooked. I requested a medium rare and it came out closer to well so it lost some of its flavor. Luckily the creamy, garlicky mustard was there to spice it up a bit and give it a little more moisture. The Gruyere and Grilled Onion completely worked as well. This was a delicious, albeit overcooked, gourmet burger.

The fries were no joke either. They were long and skinny with a satisfying crunch after each bite. The side salad was right up there with the fries. I’m a Bibb lettuce fan and this had a wonderfully light vinaigrette on top that really gave a nice acidity to the entire plate.

One of the best parts about our meal,other than the fabulous food, was watching the staff. Chef Alex has both his parents working in the restaurant. So while he was working with the cooks, his father was busing tables and his Mom was helping at the front. It was such a family orientated little business. The second best part, it’s BYOB! We brought a fabulous bottle of wine and happily paid a $6 corking fee. The total bill for two came to about $30. This place truly is a gem. Their dinner menu looks fabulous with Roast Pork Loin, Duck Breast and a somewhat consistent Sweetbread special. If you live in the neighborhood consider yourself lucky- this is a place to return to again and again.

Juniper Restaurant

The Porch at the Highline

2011-11-01T06:31:00.003-04:00

Looking for a serious taste of Autumn? Head on over to the Porch Cafe on the Highline. The newly opened space has a short list of snacks with beer, wine and for a limited time Local Apple Shandy.

How does one make this Shandy? Take an almost full glass of Captain Lawrence Kolsch and then fill it to the top with Apple Cider. It’s amazingly crisp and so deliciously seasonal.

The view is gorgeous and it’s the perfect spot for a nice break from the crowds on the Highline.

Bring a coat- the wind up there is nippy. If you get too cold you can partake in some warm apple cider as well!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:04:00.003-04:00

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

2011-10-28T06:33:00.000-04:00

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 much so that I went over and met the owner and brewer to talk about the beer.

Damian explained they had only been open since August and this was one of their first events. All of us in our group of ten absolutely loved his beer so be on the lookout for it in bars throughout the city.

Unfortunately that beer and my brat would be the highlight of the event. This year they promised 40% less people to make it more enjoyable…Unfortunately they took away 40% of the space as well. The line for the ladies and men’s rooms were so long we decided to leave early just to go somewhere to use the facilities. Not the best event planning by these guys. However it was fun- we made the most of the drinks and honestly I’ll probably be back again just because I love all the drink sampling.

The Bronx Brewery

Das Oktoberfest

Schnitzel and Things

Fabulous Fridays

2011-10-27T07:08:00.000-04:00

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 movie to get into the Halloween spirit. What a perfect Friday!

Toast to the East Coast

2011-10-25T07:07:00.002-04:00

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 stuff was completely different. It was much thicker and had a more robust and bold flavor. Seriously rich and seriously delicious.

And finally some three tier trays of goodness from Magnolia Bakery. They had mini cupcakes of all kinds, their amazingly creamy banana pudding and some surprisingly fudgey chocolate brownie.

Besides some delicious wine they were also pouring beer from the Bruery out of Orange Lake, CA. The Saison Rue was a malty yet citrusy Belgian style farmhouse ale that had a ton of flavor but remained remarkably drinkable. We chatted with the woman representing The Bruery for a bit and heard they have another tasting coming up at Bierkraft next month. We might just have to check that out.

The night ended with a fun goodie bag of tasty treats for each person. It was a nice relaxing event which really displayed some delicious food and drink. I think they were expecting a bigger turnout because a lot of goodie bags were still sitting when we left. Unfortunately the stormy weather outside must have deterred some people from showing up. Which is too bad because everyone was incredibly friendly and it really was a nice spread. The space was so warm and inviting I would definently think about this for another food event.

La Rondine Pizza

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Let's talk about some Queens Pizza for a moment. I was working out in Kew Gardens the other day and craving a slice and stumbled across this little pizza joint La Rondine.

This place is tiny but their pizza looked pretty good. Couple that with some serious friendly service from the guys behind the counter and I was sold- One slice of Pepperoni please.

My first thought when I got back with my slice was wow that's a lot of oil! I usually don't have pepperoni and the extra oil coming off of that reminded me why. I had to use napkins to take a bunch off but after that it was really quite great.

The pizza was nice, thin and foldable. The crust had a nice char on back and crispy edges. I checked out some of their other pizza's and the toppings look really fresh. Not a bad place to check out if your in the neighborhood.

New Changes at Tacombi

2011-10-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-20T07:00:00.001-04:00

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 continues to amaze me.

Lunch at Gramercy Tavern

2011-10-19T06:30:00.000-04:00

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 kept calling us back. Yeah we both finished our burgers- no need to be ladylike with an awesome burger like this.

It came with a variety of house made sauces including a spicy ketchup and a smoky mayonnaise. Usually I’m all over fancy sauces but this burger was so good there was no need to add anything else. I think this may be one of my favorite burgers of all time! Why it hasn’t gotten more press is beyond me.

And let’s not forget to talk about dessert! I was so excited to see the Blueberry Corn Sundae on the tavern menu- sweet corn ice cream, fresh blueberry preserves, toffee popcorn and a pepper whipped cream! This was absolutely amazing. I really can’t describe how good it was there were so many textures and flavors going on. It’s really something you must try out for yourself. Do it- you’ll thank me later.

Gramercy Tavern

Our Last Day in Paris

2011-10-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

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 drinks! So we hit up a couple bars in our neighborhood and ended up having dinner right by our hotel at Les Editeurs.

The downstairs was packed so we were lead upstairs where it was much more quite and serene. One bottle of red wine to start and one last Steak Frite for us both.

Although this wasn’t as delicious as our Steak from L’Entrecote, it was still very good. The meat had a nice char on the outside and the side of Béarnaise was incredible.

The pillowy soft frites were pretty good as well. I don't think Les Editeurs would be on my list if we return but both of us were happy with our only unplanned meal in Paris.

After dinner we went across the street to the Horse’s Tavern and sat outside enjoying some Leffe Brun’s. This is one of our favorite beers no longer exported to the USA so it was quite a treat! It had been a fabulous trip and tomorrow it would be back to reality in NYC. Until we return au revoir Paris!

Pierre Herme

Les Editeurs

Day Four- Cuisine de Bar and Les Fines Gueules

2011-10-13T17:23:00.003-04:00

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. T had the Smoked Salmon. Mine was just perfect with simple, straight forward ingredients of the highest quality on top of Poilane's delicious grilled bread and a little bit of spicy olive oil to finish it off.

A few espressos alongside Poilane's delicious shortbread spoon cookie (how cute is that!) and we were ready to begin our day. What a great lunch! Why there aren't more places like this in America I have no idea. By the time we left there was a line of about 10 people waiting outside so it looks like we sat down just in time. This was a great place to get a meal before our big afternoon.

I won't get into too many un-food related details but we did BOTH the Pere Lachaise Cemetery and the Louvre that day which is quite a feat. Jim Morrison's grave and the Mona Lisa were the highlights of course. We even threw in a quick drink in between at the Lizard Cafe (quite appropriate after visiting Jim). Then it was time for dinner at Les Fines Gueules.

We had a reservation for 8:00 and arrived just in time to get the last table outside. After a quick look at the daily chalkboard menu we put in our order and relaxed with a nice bottle of red wine.

We had been on our feet for almost eight hours of non-stop walking so sitting outside with the warm breeze and a little wine seemed like heaven. Our first dish was a little slice of heaven too- a Duo of Buffalo Mozzarella and Burrata Cheese with Prosciutto.

We love our meat and cheese and this Burrata was absolutely just oozing with beautiful cream. I loved the slivered almonds on top that gave each bite a satisfying little crunch. Can you believe I haven't had a Tartare yet on this trip? Neither can I- but finally it was time.

Just looking at Les Fines Gueules version you can see it's very different than what I've been eating at home. They kept the meat chunky with a strong dollop of sun dried tomato on top. I really, really enjoyed this version. I could taste the richness of the meat and it was stronger, almost manly, compared to what I've had in the past. The salty potatoes were a nice accompaniment but I was a little sad there weren't some frites instead.

Mr. T ordered the Pork Chop and to say this thing was big would be an understatement. It reminded me of something the Flintstones would eat and the flavor was just as huge with big notes of thyme and mushroom. See all that au jus at the bottom? This pork stayed incredibly moist the whole way through. Quite possibly the best pork chop I've ever had. Really amazing.

For dessert I immediately went for the Cafe Gourmand which is basically a plate of mini desserts. Here it included a creme brulee, chocolate pudding, pound cake and espresso. What girl wouldn't like this? Les Fines Gueules was absolutely delicious. We happily paid, had a quick drink near our hotel and went off for some much needed sleep. This was another great day of food. Tomorrow would be our last full day in Paris- how quick it seemed to go by!

Cuisine de Bar

Les Fines Gueules

Frenchie

2011-10-11T17:09:00.001-04:00

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 before. If you told me yesterday something would beat Bigarrade’s version I would have thought you were crazy. While this was a totally different take on the dish I thoroughly enjoyed the flavors and creaminess to a whole new level. This was the best foie gras of my life for sure! Eating this two days in a row is certainly unhealthy but if I lived in Paris I would be hard pressed to pass this up.

For our appetizers Mr T ordered the Parpadelle and I ordered the Trout. I laughed when we place our orders because this is exactly what each of us have at our neighbohood favorite Gramercy Tavern.

Mr. T’s Chestnut Parpadelle with Lamb Ragu was good- rich with a combination of flavors from the olives and seasoning on top. I enjoyed the sauce but thought Gramercy Tavern’s version is better.

My Smoked Trout with Pickled Onion Vingarette on the other hand, blew GT’s out of the water. It looked very similar but the trout itself had this depth of smokiness that was unparalleled. It was powerful in flavor but perfectly balanced.

For mains we both ordered the Veal with Mushrooms and Figs. Just looking back at this picture I feel like I can still taste the perfectly cooked, tender meat with a little bit of sweet from the fig with a lovely and intoxicating sauce that was thick, almost like a gravy.

For dessert Mr. T ordered the Panacotta with Avocado and Chocolate. A very odd array of flavors that didn’t exactly work for me but completely did for him.

I had the Lemon Tart with Passion Fruit and Salty Caramel Butter. Um yeah…what’s not to love about this dessert! The filling was so citrusy it gave my mouth a happy pucker and the buttery crust and awesome crackling top mellowed it all out. It was fabulous!

Overall Frenchie was wonderful. The food was great (especially the foie), the service was exceptional and I loved the space. I feel like if I lived in Paris Frenchie would be a place to return to often with out-of-town guests and friends. Which is exactly what Gramercy Tavern is for us here in the NYC.

I know I keep on bringing up Gramercy tavern but the two really had the same feel right from the get go. They were so similar...maybe a tad to similar. The whole meal the presentation of the appetizers had been nagging me. When we got home I looked back at my last pictures from Gramercy Tavern and compared.

Gramercy Parpadelle

Gramercy Trout

The components and presentation of both dishes are almost identical. I know Chef Gregory Marchand did a year and a half stint at Gramercy Tavern years ago before opening up Frenchie. Maybe the dishes were conceived there and shared between the two now? Mr. T claimed an international food conspiracy (he had also had a lot of wine). Who knows- certainly a little odd I thought. Whatever the case may be Frenchie truly is a gem of a restaurant and the night couldn't have ended better.

Frenchie

Day Three Sweets and Treats

2011-10-10T18:59:00.002-04:00

Thursday morning I woke up and had only one thing on the brain- croissants! I took a quick walk over to Poilane bakery and came home with breakfast for me and Mr. T.

This little bakery really churns out some fantastic wares. The croissant had prefect fluffy innards with just the right amount of chew and the apple tart was off the charts. The dough was so buttery and crisp I could have sat there all day eating flaky bite after flaky bite.

Of course I couldn’t help myself and stopped by Pierre Hermes on my morning walk as well!

Some more delicious macarons and a special pastry the Vanilla Infinite Emotions.

Seriously have you even seen a dessert that looks so beautiful and amazing? Three different types of vanilla were used for this dessert- Tahitian, Madagascar and Mexico- along with three different layers of frozen vanilla, baba with vanilla and mascarpone cream with vanilla. All the different layers and textures were pretty amazing to taste with each different kind of vanilla. And I had a nice little glass when we finished as a souvenir!

And of course the light, airy macarons were amazing as well. Just look at this creamy goodness. How have I lived without Pierre in my life until now?

After breakfast we were out for the day strolling through the Luxembourg Gardens and down to the Catacombs which Mr. T had been excited to visit. Unfortunately when we walked up to buy our tickets my heart started insanely racing and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I guess I had a mini panic attack which is ridiculous since I’ve done much crazier and scarier things in my life…but for some reason I just couldn’t do it. I was very disappointed in myself and felt horrible for Mr T. But luckily there was still a ton of other things we needed to do in Paris so we traveled over to the Louvre and walked around that area a while and then it was time for a drink!

So we made a pit stop at Harry’s New York Bar.

This quirky little piano bar is famous for creating multiple famous cocktails like the Bloody Mary, Sidecar and James Bond. Of course I had to go for a martini myself.

And spent some time enjoying the little bowl of snack mix. We lounged there for a few drinks and then it was time to go- dinner at Frenchie was only one hour away!

Poilane Bakery

Harry's New York Bar

Cafe de Flore

2011-10-08T12:16:00.002-04:00

I was so full after Bigarrade I swore I wouldn’t eat for days but after a two hour walk along the Champs-Elysees, another hour walk over to the Eiffel Tower and about 2 more hours back near our hotel, I was pretty sure I had worked off at least four of the eight courses we had eaten earlier. My feet were absolutely killing me (I did all that walking in heels….what was I thinking) so I needed a place nearby. Mr. T had one request- Duck Confit. I knew this was something Café de Flore would have so the decision was made.

It was packed outside but neither of us had any problem sitting inside. “Sitting” was the only thing we needed…and wine. A wonderful bottle of Saint Emilion later, my feet were finally beginning to feel like normal again and I was even ready for some food.

I ordered Le Jockey which is really just a Croque Monsieur. I had a lot of Croques on this trip and this one was quite delicious. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of Mr. T’s Duck Confit but he loved it. Talk about some juicy meat, it was practically falling apart when it arrived at the table. The bustling atmosphere inside the café and the knowledge that Jean-Paul Sartre might have sat and wrote in the same booth I was in made it a perfect ending to an already perfect day.

Cafe de Flore

La Bigarrade- Magnifique!

2011-10-06T18:30:00.004-04:00

I woke up day two in Paris and bolted out of bed. I couldn’t believe I had just run across Pierre Hermes yesterday no problem and today we were going to Bigarrade! It seemed like a dream! And if anything seems like a dream it’s walking into Bigarrade.

The tiny space was so inviting. White walls, yellow flowers on each table with corresponding colors at the bottom of each water glass…what’s not to love. We decided this was a special occasion so we each ordered a glass of fabulous champagne.

There are two menus for lunch an eight course tasting or twelve, all done by the chef with allergies as the only restriction. I thought twelve would be too much food for lunch so we went with eight and set off on our journey of food.

** Please note I did the best I possibly could with the descriptions but with no menu and a language barrier it was very difficult to translate this entire meal**

We began with an amuse bouche of salty Focaccia Bread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This was such a perfect and cleansing way to begin the meal. The bread was warm and buttery and the olive oil was nice and light. I also loved, loved, loved the small black slates for the food- so simple but perfect.

Our first course of the night was crispy head on shrimp with grilled lime. It was amazing how light and grease free it was and the lime really brought out a fantastic salty pop from the shrimp.

The next course Octopus with Kaffir Leaf. This small bite had a wonderful barbecue flavor and I’m pretty sure it’s the first time I’ve eaten a straight Kaffir Leaf. The combination was spot on.

Next up Foie Gras with Nori and Prune. I would never put these flavors together but my goodness it was perfect! This is the most I have ever enjoyed Foie Gras in my life (until the next night that is). So simple and subtle- yet so perfect. I was positive that was going to be my favorite course of the night until this next one came out.

Squid with Pea Puree and Anchovy. This dish just blew me away. I've never had anything with these textures and flavors put together. Mr. T and I did that silent eye lock, nod appreciatively across the table look upon first bite. Some things are just too good for words.

I have no idea what kind of fish this next dish was since I fazed out from listening when I saw the big mushroom. The dish that made me so sick on the start of the trip was fish with mushroom and my stomach started to churn just looking at this. Luckily Mr. T was a fan so I happily passed it our to him. Those two ingredients do not work together for me.

Luckily the next piece of fish I loved- John Dory with Pumpkin Seed. This fish was simply seared and the crunchy pumpkin seed added a surprisingly satisfying and earthy flavor. I cleaned the plate on this one.

A cheese plate signaled that our meal was starting to wind down. Both were absolutely fabulous but I enjoyed the hard cheese more as the flavor kept changing with each bite until finally reaching the rind where it was pungent and almost pine like in flavor.

A trio of desserts came out next and each one had a strange component whether it be cucumber or cheese. I couldn't tell you what each one was but we managed to eat all three without a problem.

More dessert was to come and this Coconut with Quince was amazing! It really woke up my palette with a combination of cool and tart.

Next up a delicious Poached Pear with Coffee.

Not enough dessert yet- how about some chocolate cake? This cake was so intense if the piece was any bigger I wouldn’t have been able to handle it. The buttery spot of caramel and sprinkle of salt on top were a perfect complement and even though I was about to burst I finished every last bite.

The final taste of this amazing meal was two perfectly fluffy and delicious vanilla macarons. What’s more Parisian than that?

After 3 ½ hours of amazing food and wine we were both just blown away. I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful flavor combinations, exemplary service and serene atmosphere. This is firmly in my top five meals of all time and definitely deserves its two Michelin stars, if not more.

One of the best parts was being able to watch Christophe Pele and his crew in the open kitchen. It was amazing to watch the care and creativity that went into each dish. At 45 Euro a piece this place is an absolute steal. I would have happily paid double that but don’t worry- remember those two glasses of champagne I showed to begin? Well…they were 27 euro and 30 euro respectively. Whoopsie Daisy! Now the bill’s about right. Oh well- it was fabulous champagne and we enjoyed every last drop. We had been in Paris less than 24 hours and already had two great meals…what else could top this over the next four days?

La Bigarrade

First Day in Paris

2011-10-05T07:00:00.003-04:00

Tuesday morning we awoke, checked out and took the tube over to the Eurostar station. Last time we were at this station, I had ridiculously heavy croissant that started out a really rough food day. So rough I ended up on the bathroom floor sick for about 8 hours in Brussels. That being said we went past the croissant place and instead stopped at the Betjeman Arms where I decided to order a proper English breakfast.

I had been wary of stomach woes all week and now I had a dish of runny green eggs, strange grotesque slab bacon, a fat sausage, stewed tomatoes and beans. WTF! This station had it out for me! I don’t know what I was thinking with my order but I’ll tell you I enjoyed the toast that’s about it.

Mr T loved his Bacon sandwich but I honestly think he was still a little drunk from the night before so you can’t believe him.

After our meal we leisurely strolled about, a little to leisurely since all of a sudden they called final boarding for our train and we had to make a run for it. Luckily we got on in the nik of time and 3 hours later we were pulling into Paris and maneuvering our way through their subway stations until we landed at our hotel. We unpacked and went out for a stroll of the neighborhood where the first stop was Pierre Herme for some macarons. They were absolutely perfect. The cookie was almost cloud like with an airy crisp shell and ultra smooth creamy inside. These could quite possibly be the best macarons I’ve ever had.

Unfortunately my French hadn’t been as refined as I wanted it to be (meaning I freaked out when I saw all the wonderful sweets I could buy and stammered a slew of words that couldn’t be deciphered as French OR English) and I decided maybe it was time to stop for a drink.

Luckily one the most famous cafes in Paris, Café Deux Magots, was only two blocks away. After a lovely bottle of Sancerre and some tasty little bar snacks I felt much better and we were only steps away from our planned dinner place Le Relais de l’Entrecote. I’ll be completely honest- when Mr. T said this was the one place he wanted to eat at in Paris I wasn’t exactly happy. They opened one of these in NYC last year for goodness sake! Luckily I reminded myself I had planned just about every other meal so I let him have this one…and once again he’s proven to pick a winner.

There is no menu here. You start with a salad and a basket of bread and then everyone gets Steak Frites. Everyone. Just state your preferred temperature and order some wine and boom that’s it. When the dishes started to come out the aroma was absolutely intoxicating.

This picture didn’t come out the best but I have to say this was an amazing Steak Frites. Amazing! They pour some sort of pesto sauce over everything and it has this garlicky, creamy flavor that’s tasty at first, but then down right additive towards the end.

The meat was so tender and well cooked, while the fries were skinny, salty and just like McDonalds- delicious! They give you one portion and then come around again to give you some more. It was such a delectable way to begin our Paris trip. I couldn’t have been happier. I will admit when I’m wrong and I was wrong to believe we shouldn’t go here…so wrong I’m actually going to the NYC this weekend (that sauce is addictive I tell you!)

After drinking some more wine with dinner my French language skills were finally beginning to shine! So we walked over to the Rue de l’Acienne Comedie where it was bustling with people and bars and had some more wine. It was wonderful to sit outside and relax…at least until the crowds started to thin out. Then came the rats. I’m serious- once it hit midnight like clockwork enormous rats came popping out of everywhere! I’m not scared by these guys but I was a little creeped out by how many there were and how big. So we decided it was time to go. We finished our wine and retired to bed. What a lovely first day in Paris.

Last Day in London

2011-10-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

Monday morning the rain had subsided finally so we walked across the Waterloo Bridge did some shopping at the Jubilee Market and walked around near the Royal Opera House. When hunger set in I had a huge craving for meat and cheese for some reason. Luckily the answer was just around the corner. Terriors Wine Bar is a cute little place focusing on natural French wines and small plates of food.

Just look at this gorgeous plate of Piero Montali Prosciutto Di Parma Riserva.

We had some delicious bread and butter alongside.

And did three cheese as well Fourme D’Ambert, Comté and unfortunately I don’t remember the third but they were all from France and all sublime.

A special Sweet Corn Chowder soup was being offered that day and the rich, bubbling bowl was a welcome and satisfying addition to our meal. We sat there for about two hours sipping wine, nibbling food and just completely taking a time out from the day. It was just lovely. I was in desperate need of dessert after meal and although I said I wouldn’t until Paris, Laduree was right there! I had to get something and not just Macarons I can now have in NYC.

Behold the Millefeuille Praline. Thin flaky sheets of caramelized pastry, fluffy praline cream and salty nuts. What an exceptional structure and sweet.
Well I wish I could tell you we did anything more exciting but we just relaxed and enjoyed our last day walking around. We stopped by one of the oldest pubs in London the Lamb and Flag then over to our favorite bar from last time- Gordon’s wine bar for some wine outside. We honestly had a bit too much because suddenly we were starving and it seemed like a good decision to stop and get sausages at Herman Ze German for dinner.

Talk about great drunk food… this was a good decision! My sausage was awesome and really hit the spot. We hit up one last pub for a Stella Artois Black, had some Tesco champagne by accident (don't ask) and then we rolled ourselves into bed. Great last day in London.

A Perfect London Day! The Bull and Last and Southampton Arms

2011-09-30T19:00:00.003-04:00

We woke up Sunday and did some touring around our area and then took the train out to Kentish Town. This isn’t a usual tourist stop. It seemed as it was mostly residential and reminded me a bit of some parts of Brooklyn. The reason for the trip was the restaurant and gastropub The Bull and Last.

This little place had quite a bustling bar downstairs and then a serene dining area upstairs where the sunshine filled the room and portraits of dogs and horses filled the walls.

As soon as we sat down we both knew this was exactly what we had been looking for. London had been so packed the last two days with people it had been hard to think straight. I was ready for a relaxing Sunday. Once again a Rose for me and for Mr. T a pint of Stiegel.

We began our meal with some Trotter Wontons with Sweet Chili.

Mr. T absolutely loved these. It’s was pig’s foot done Chinese take out style- what’s not to love. Sundays in London are reserved for a nice big roast and who are we to argue. We split the Roast Rib of Dedham Vale Beef.

When I look at this dish I feel the love. Eggy, warm Yorkshire Pudding almost taunts the eyes with its natural bowl of delicious gravy . Some plump roasted potatoes, charred carrots and beans sit below just perfect for soaking up all the juice from the roast. Some nasel clearing horseradish sat nearby as the perfect accompinent to such an honest, comforting dish. This is what Sundays are for!

We finished the roast and although we were full the menu begged us to have more. Everything sounded fabulous! Fried Duck Egg with Bacon Lardons, Crab Soup with Fontina Croquettes, Triple Cooked Chips for goodness sake! But in the end I think we made the right decision, probably what they’re known for most- homemade charcuterie.

This plate is a masterpiece for the senses. There are so many textures, colors, smells and we haven’t even begun to talk about the taste. Prosciutto, Liver Parfait, Ham Hock Terrine, Rillets, Pickles, Remoulade & Toast with some crunchy radishes and quail eggs to boot. This was absolutely phenomenal. Each thing I tried was better than the last and it even had me wonder why it took me so long to eat Pig’s Head.

Even though we were stuffed I just couldn’t resist one scoop of ice cream. Why? Because it’s Ferrero Rocher ice cream!

How does it get better than this? I don’t think it does. The Bull and Last was so worth the trip out to Kentish Town. I loved the food, the service was great and the atmosphere couldn’t be better (they allow dogs too).

We were both so happy with our leisurely Sunday meal. We stopped at the Southampton Arms on the way back to the Tube for a few pints. The good beers and neighborhood feel almost convinced me we should move to Kentish Town. What more do we need than these two places!! Then we took the long ride back into the city where we found a spots bar so I could watch my game. Yes even in London I need to see my football team play. Luckily we did find one and after a fabulous victory we decided to cap off the night with one more thing. The seafood plateau from J. Sheekey’s!

It was almost 11:00 PM at this point but they welcomed us with open arms and gave us the same great service and food as last time we went. It was such a wonderful day. We both went to bed that night bellies full and happy as can be.

The Bull and Last

Rainy Day Drinks & St. John's Restaurant

2011-09-28T17:00:00.007-04:00

Once the rain started we took the Tube over to Craft Beer Co. Unfortunately we miscalculated the walk and got completely soaked. It was bad- I mean head to toe soaked. Oh well it was made somewhat better by the fantastic selection of 16 cask beers, keg craft beer and about 300 bottled beers at the bar.

This place specializes in beer from all over the world and they just happened to be highlighting Southampton beers that day.

Of course who goes to London to get a beer they can have in NY? Instead I enjoyed an awesome red lager from the UK while Mr. T had an Espresso Porter . We stayed at Craft Beer until the rain let up and decided we could maybe do one more pub before our dinner at St. John’s.

The rain had stopped but there were huge puddles and slick streets left over. We were walking down one road decorated with some shiny stones and well those stones were like stepping on a banana peel because Mr. T took one step and went down hard. I have no idea how his iPhone didn’t get smashed to bits but his hand, knee and arm were all pretty banged up. We ended up searching for bandaids for what seemed like hours. Finally we found a pharmacy and stopped in a little Irish pub so he could fix himself up. Day one- stomach problems, day two- multiple fall wounds…we weren't exactly doing so well on this trip. But a good meal was ahead so we trudged on!

We had eaten at the smaller St. John’s Bread and Wine the last visit and loved every second so we were excited to finally try out the original. We started out with a bottle of the house red and our first appetizer, which was probably the highlight of the night for me, the Braised Octopus with Chickpea and Red Onion.

Everything in this dish just worked. The Octopus was incredibly tender, probably the most tender I’ve ever had and the bright pickled onions and creamy chickpeas made this a vibrant and refreshing dish. Our second appetizer was also awesome-Crispy Pigs Skin with Radishes & Watercess.

I absolutely loved the creamy dressing on the salad and the salty skin was fabulous when you got a perfectly cooked piece. Unfortunately it was a little uneven. Some pieces were great and some were so crisped up they didn’t taste like anything but crackling fat. However I would definitely order this dish again.

Unfortunately my Crumbled Veal with Chicory and Anchovy was a disappointment. It was basically a wiener schnitzel. It was a good wiener schnitzel- don’t get me wrong. But it was dull and unexciting. Nothing like the euphoria I experienced last year with the Ox Heart.

Mr. T’s Braised Hare & Swede fared better. This was certainly a gamey piece of meat but it was tender and the sour swede really went well with it although he also said he was expecting a little bit more.

The new potatoes looked good but lacked any flavor.

For dessert we ordered the Trecale Tart & Vanilla Ice Cream which was good but insanely sweet. Thank goodness we split this dish because I would have been in sugar overload eating one alone. It kind of reminded me a Chess Pie or the filling of a Pecan Pie.

So overall we didn’t love St. John’s anywhere as much as we loved Bread & Wine. By the time we finished up the place was packed and it was obvious they were trying to turn our table over without much regard to whether we were finished or not. Both of us left a little disappointed and yearning for our dinner at the other one.

We tried to end the day on a positive note with a cocktail near our hotel at the Albannach but by that time we were both tired and a little down. Mr. T’s wounds were killing him, our clothes were messy from being poured upon earlier and I had hit a wall from the jetlag and drinks. We retired to the room and went to bed hoping for a more successful day tomorrow.

Craft Beer Co.

St. John Bar and Restaurant

Albannach

The Woseley and Fortnum and Mason

2011-09-27T17:21:00.000-04:00

We woke up Saturday morning excited and feeling much more refreshed and rested than the previous day. We leisurely got ready and took a nice stroll over to the Woseley in hopes of some good feed. Unfortunately I didn’t have a reservation for the main area but only had to wait about 20 minutes for a seat in the café. That just gave us some time to have some morning drinks!

The space at the Woseley is awesome with beautiful tall ceilings, gorgeous antique clocks and just a wonderful buzz from all the well dressed guests milling about. My stomach was feeling much better but I knew we had reservations at St. John’s for dinner and again I wanted to play it safe. So I ordered one of my favorite sandwiches of all time the Croque Madame.

We had this at the Woseley last time and again the cheesy center and crunchy, butter crust was just delicious. Mr. T said he wanted to try something new so he ordered the Buck Rarebit.

This actually looks similar to my Croque and the components are the same- bread, cheese and egg- but they are much, much different in taste. The cheese tasted like it had been blended with Worchester sauce and maybe some mustard. It was such a strong and pungent taste it was overwhelming. Mr. T somehow managed to eat most of the dish but we both agreed it would not be something ordered again.

After lunch we strolled over to Fortnum and Mason which is pretty much like Disney World for me being that it’s a gourmet grocery store. It’s just floors upon floors of fabulous cheese, wine, tea and caviar all for sale. Of course I immediately went to the sweets section where they were celebrating Halloween.

Just look at this awesome chocolate gremlin.

And Bloody Chocolate Fingers!

I picked up a few mini cupcakes for our lunch dessert (because on vacation it’s proper to have one with each meal). Unfortunately they all were a little dry. The butter cream frosting had potential but it seemed as if they had been frozen and thawed leaving a dry cake and dense top. Quite disappointing.

We had worked up quite a thirst after our shopping so we headed downstairs to the Fortnum and Masons 1707 Wine Bar. This place had some fabulous looking flights of wine but since it was relatively early in the day we figured one would be enough. Unfortunately a flight might have been the way to go since as soon as we walked out of door it started to pour! We ran to a nearby coffee bar to sit but after looking at the radar it was obvious that this storm wasn’t going anywhere for awhile. Most of our plans involved a lot of walking around and neither of us had an umbrella or proper shoes so we decided to abandon all plans and hit up the pubs!

The Wolseley

Fortnum and Mason

The Start of our Honeymoon- Day 1 London!

2011-09-26T15:20:00.012-04:00

Well to tell you the trip started off a little bit rough is an understatement. In the three days prior to leaving we spent a full day at the bar for the start of football, did some serious celebrating for my birthday and attended the Big Four concert at Yankee Stadium.

I have to admit I actually loved the concert. The music isn’t exactly my forte but every single band rocked it out and standing on the field at Yankee Stadium was awesome. However the next morning both of us were absolutely exhausted and the trip hadn’t even begun! We decided to have a proper lunch at Eataly before heading to the airport for stamina. Unfortunately Eataly would not be my friend that day.

We went to Il Pesce and got fish…I’m not sure what was wrong with it but within hours my stomach was killing me. Mr. T wasn’t doing so hot either with serious stabbing pain in his stomach as well. I couldn’t eat a thing else until we arrived in London for fear of shaking the boat and getting sick on the plane. Luckily we checked right in and were able to give our bodies a little rest before walking over to the National Gallery for some art browsing and lunch.

We took a table in the National Dining Room overlooking Trafalgar Square. We each ordered a drink- rose for me and a proper English beer for Mr. T and split the Ploughman's platter. My stomach was still incredibly shaky so I wanted to keep it simple with bread, cheese and meat- nothing too crazy.

While there was nothing exciting about this dish it was perfect. The sweet chutney was fabulous with the cheese and although the bread could have been better the cracker was perfect. The space and view are just spectacular. It reminded me of a cross between Cafe Sabarsky and the Modern Bar Room. Our seat by the window was just perfect for some people watching below.

After lunch we did some walking around and then decided to hit up a couple of pubs. We made a mini tour of the Samuel Smith bars starting at the Princess Louise for some Hefeweizens and over to the incredibly packed Citte of York for some Bitters. After some imbibing we needed more food but my stomach was still hurting (not that the beer was helping). We had reservations at J Sheekey’s but just the thought of a big seafood platter was making my stomach churn. We cancelled- and instead walked back to a pizza joint I had noticed on the walk in.

While Pepe’s Italian Street food might not have been on my radar for our first meal in London it certainly hit the spot. The crispy crust and delicious sauce were just what the doctor ordered. We pretty much devoured our slices and after a quick drink at the Ship and Shovel we hit the hay. It had already been quite a long day and we had to rest up for all the wonderful things to follow!

National Gallery Dining

Cafe Centro

2011-09-23T09:10:00.000-04:00

As Patina restaurant members we get a $50 coupon every birthday to one of their restaurants. We almost always go to Café Centro. I don’t really know why- there’s just something calming about the place. Both Mr. T and I had horrible days at work and sitting outside with the warm breeze and great people watching just made life seem a little better.

They started us off with a nice French baguette with two types of butter and olives.

Then onto appetizers- mine their delicious Crab Cake. This thing is awesome- it has almost no breading at all and the spicy mustard dressing is awesome.

Mr. T’s Jumbo Lump Crab Cocktail was absolutely enormous! I’ve never seen so much in one cocktail before.

For mains I went will a big old bucket of Mussels. I’m really into Mussels lately and these were delicious. Much like the crab cocktail these things were huge! Not only the mussels themselves but the pot as well. I told Mr. T we should just share one next time (he didn’t agree but I stand by my statement)

The frites were delicious as well. Long, skinny and perfectly salted just like a frite should be.

Mr. T ordered the Lobster Risotto and as you can see this restaurant continued it’s trend with size. Large chunks of lobster meat studded the creamy risotto. It was a tad on the watery side but acceptable in taste and flavor.

We were both too full for dessert so we declined and instead went over to the Campbell Apartment and had a drink upstairs. This was my first time there (tried four times before- always a private party) and I LOVED it! May be my new favorite bar in NYC. Too bad I can only afford a cocktail or two. The vibe, music and ambiance were amazing. So although the day started out pretty bad, it ended on a lovely note. With our $50 coupon we ended up paying around $60 total for the meal. That's a pretty awesome bargain in this pricey town.

Cafe Centro

Brunch at Cafe Mogador

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

I’ve walked past this tiny café a billion times and am always amazed by the lines of people waiting and packed tables out front. I was meeting a friend for brunch the other day and decided it was finally time to try it out. We got there right around 1:45 and waited about 15 minutes for a table. The place seemed a pretty chaotic with waitresses and servers running this way and that. It took a little while to actually get our order placed but once we did the service for the meal was on point.

The regular brunch specials here comes with orange juice and a cappuccino. We decided to add on one more drink a delicious Blood Orange Martini. This was a fabulous choice, the juice taste fresh squeezed and had a wonderful tart snap which completely woke me up and fit the meal.

Mogador is a Moroccan Restaurant so what better dish to get than the Moroccan Eggs.

Two poached eggs with a spicy tomato sauce, homefries and pita bread. This dish was just about as fabulous as you can get. The eggs were perfectly poached with a nice runny center and soft whites. I’m kind of obsessed with tomato sauce on my eggs- I think it’s about the best thing ever and here it had just the perfect amount of spice. The potatoes were pretty average but good and the warm pita bread was delicious for sopping up the leftover sauce.

Café Mogador is certainly a solid spot. The food was delicious and easy on the wallet for sure. If you find yourself in the hood this is definitely worth the wait.

Cafe Mogador

An Afternoon in Maspeth

2011-09-19T07:00:00.002-04:00

I was out in Maspeth the other day and decided to take a little time after work and see what food delicacies I could find. I had only walked a block when this awesome looking old school Italian market basically jumped out at me.

Iavarone Bros. looked like to had all the makings for a rocking deli and I was right.

Right inside is the display case with a huge selection of classic Italian prepared foods- rice balls, chicken parmigina, lasagna- you name they had it.

Over in the side case were sausage rolls, shepherds pie, and bread pudding. Not to be out done by the awesome looking penne with vodka sauce and some mussels in white wine.

It was a hard decision but I ended up trying out three things- chicken parm, pasta carbonara and the chicken special of the day.

The Chicken Parmigina was amazing!! Nice crispy oregano breading with a slightly sweet and tangy tomato sauce and some ridiculously fresh mozzarella. This was everything Chicken Parmigina should be but so often isn’t.

The Pasta Carbonara was good as well with peas and pancetta inside. Although the neon orange sauce did throw me a bit.

Last but not least the chicken of the day- General Tso’s! I had to get this just because I thought it was funny. Chinese food in an Italian deli?? It was just some fried chicken chunks in sauce but honestly it was really tasty. Much less greasy than from Chinese take out and with some nice pieces of white meat.

I didn’t even get to delve into their amazing meat and cheese department filled with gorgeous cuts of porterhouse and fresh balls of smoked mozzarella. I’ll have to come back for that another day

After my food tour of Iavarone Bros I wandered past Rosa’s Pizza and look at glace at their Grandma slice. However my stomach was couldn’t handle another savory bite- I needed sweet. So over I went to Isabella’s across the street.

How can you not be lured in by signs of whoopee pies and sidewalk chalk! Much like Iavarone Bros it has a homey, old school feel inside and offered so many different flavors of ice cream and icees I felt a little overwhelmed.

Finally I settled on a Child’s size scoop of Butter Pecan for $1.00.

Why can’t there be scoops of ice cream in Manhattan for a dollar? This was the perfect amount of buttery rich ice cream with just a tad too many pecans (but whose complaining about that).

I was stuffed after that and finally wobbled my way over to the bus and hitched a ride home. I really had a nice little tour of Maspeth and vow to write about Queens more often. There’s so much to been seen in this borough and I really haven’t highlighted it enough.

And We're Off!

2011-09-16T06:00:00.001-04:00

Watch out London and Paris here we come. Mr. T and I are heading out for our honeymoon and I have high hopes it will be filled with delicious food and drink. I did some research and planning (although not nearly as much as I wanted too damn work gets I the way) so hopefully we can see and do everything we can. So far our food/drink itinerary is as follows:

London
Dinners (confirmed w/ Reservations)- J. Sheekeys, St. John, The Bull and Last
Hopeful Food Stops
The Wolsey and National Arts Club for breakfast, lunch at the Corner Room, fish and chips at the Golden Hind, cupcakes and wine at Fortnum Mason, beers at Southampton Arms and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub.

Paris(Confirmed w/ Reservation) Dinner at Frenchie, Lunch at La Bigarrade
Hopeful Food Stops
Dinner at Les Fines Gueules, Steak Frites at L’Entrecote, Bread from Poilane, Crepes at Breizh Café, all sorts of fabulous sweet treats from Pierre Herme, Laduree, Hugo & Victor, Sadaharu Aoki. Croissants, Steak Tartare, funky cheeses and fabulous wine…That pretty much sums it up for me!

Of course we’ll fit in some culture between all the eating but isn’t that part of culture as well? If anyone has ideas on something we “Must” do that I didn’t mention please let me know. Kathy over at A Passion For Food emailed me a fabulous list which is going to help tremendously and The Sweet Life by David Lebowitz is also going to serve as quite a guide in Paris as well. Thank goodness London and Paris are walking cities. We’re going to need it to balance out all the eating we will be doing.

I actually have a back log of posts that I'll be releasing throughout the week so hopefully once I get back I'll be all caught up and can start fresh with food pictures of the trip. However I will be tweeting over the vacation so if you want to see what we're up to in Europe feel free to follow me @tastytrekker. Au Revior!