NYC Tastes

There are so many reasons to love Huertas; the tasty bites of  tapas , the crispy churros and their fantastic happy hour that includes cocktails, wine and the incredible Basque Dog. This sausage link stuffed with chorizo comes loaded with creamy aioli and piquillo mostarda.  It's spicy, sweet and easily one of the best things one can buy for $5.00 in NYC.  Paired with a bubbling glass of Cava and the window seat it's just about perfection. Huertas 107 1st Avenue at 6th St. New York, NY 10003

It was another crazy and amazing year that seemed to go by way too quickly as always.  Things got off to a great start with the return of  Founders CBS  one of my favorite beers of all time.  I really didn't think this would ever be brewed again so I spent the first two months drinking it as much as humanly possible.  Fried Chicken Sandwiches became all the rage; Fuku , Delaney BBQ and the Brooklyn Shake Shack continue to have epic lines for these crispy creations.  The Blue Hill pop up WastED  was also a huge highlight of the year.  It was amazing to see the community of chefs, farmers and retailers come together to shine light on the extreme waste of food in the industry and celebrate these "leftovers" by incorporating them into incredible new dishes.  And as a personal success it only took me two full years but I finally got a  Cronut !   Of course as time passes the culinary landscape must change and...

We were celebrating the birthday of a fabulous friend and it just so happened to coincide with the unveiling of a new Basque menu at Huertas.  We ordered so much food it's honestly a little ridiculous but here's a quick run down: Chicken Liver Toast Egg with ramps Duck Croquette An array of Spanish meats... ...to complement an array of Spanish cheese. Mackerel in Olive Oil Rojo with potato strands, poached egg and chorizo Salt Baked Trout with Swiss Chard, romenesco, aioli verde and salpicon Lamb Saddle with piquillo peppers Saffron Fried Rice with ramps, English snap peas, egg and aioli And finally an order of Papas in spicy bravas sauce.  The meal was just like a parade of unending dishes.  Everything was great but the standouts were definitely the crisp salty Duck Croquettes, the rich Mackerel in olive oil and the Salt Baked Trout with that incredible romenesco sauce. And of course the desserts...this is where I fell in love with those suga...

After our Brooklyn crawl we landed in the East Village hungry for some fresh seafood at one of our favorite places Upstate Oyster Bar.  As usual with such a popular and tiny space we had to wait about an hour for a table.  Luckily they take your name and send a text when it's ready so it's really just a little extra free time to walk around or grab a drink or two nearby.   The menu changes daily but I highly suggest starting out with a big round of fresh oysters and one of the specials of the day.  On my visit the Scallops with Mushroom Risotto were absolute perfection. Big and crispy outside with that hearty rich pasta...yum. Mr. T ordered his usual seafood go-to the Bouillabaisse chock full of fresh lobster, fish, shrimp and crab meat.  The meal at Upsate always ends with a free slice of lemon pound cake which is just delightful but I had bigger plans for my dessert :) We recently celebrated my friends birthday at nearby Spanish restaurant Huert...