NYC Tastes

This was a crazy and amazing year filled with lots of great food, friends and travel.  It began in January with a fantastic trip to San Diego with my parents.  They learned more about beer on that trip than they probably ever cared to know hitting up spots like Alpine, Ballast Point  and Societe Brewing .  Then Mr. T and I spent a few days in Florida  before embarking on an absolutely incredible trip to Copenhagen  and Brussels  with our close friends and certainly the best beer festival of my life the  Copenhagen Beer Celebration .  Add in a few trips to Buffalo,   Vermont  and Nashville  and I would say we've been pretty busy.  But in the end it's always NYC that holds the biggest spot in my heart.  This year the food was better than ever and with new breweries like  Third Rail  and  Other Half  joining the leagues of Peekskill, Kane and Barrier there's never been a better tim...

I always say my favorite thing about living in New York City is the ability to escape without ever really leaving at all.  Case in point...Bouley.  One step inside and it's like you've been transported to a gorgeous countryside restaurant in the south of France.  A wall of fresh apples greet you at the door and the arched ceilings provide a cozy, sophisticated feel to the room just perfect for a long romantic meal.   Bouley offers a 5 course tasting menu at lunch for just $55...still one the the best deals in the city.  To begin an amuse bouche of Strawberry Soup with tomato gelee and cucumber... ...and a decadent crisp topped with whipped potato and black truffle. I chose the Big Eye Tuna as my appetizer nestled inside a green apple and bergamot foam with Osetra Caviar... ...and Mr. T ordered a thick Sweet Corn soup with organic farm egg. Second course was an easy decision for us both.  The Porcini Flan w...

Bouley was one of the first fine dining establishments I ate at in New York my first year here. I remember loving everything about it- the food, wine and atmosphere. Fast forward to last week when ten years later I finally had a chance to return for a lovely lunch with friends. The whole experience actually started out pretty shaky. At first we somehow walked right past the restaurant without even noticing. Then once we backtracked the door wouldn’t open. Seriously! We pushed, pulled, pounded- nothing. I was beginning to freak out a little- did they close down and not inform of this? Another older couple walked up as well and had no luck. Finally someone exited the restaurant and we ran in before the door shut. Apparently their door was locked by accident. Well that’s certainly not a way to bring customers inside! Anyway- once inside the door we were greeted by the amazing smell of apples lining the inner corridor. I felt like some one had slapped me in the face with some autumn lo...