NYC Tastes

Wow 2016 is almost over and what crazy year it was.  If I was to look simply at the year in American culture I would have to use the word devastating.  So many incredible artists passed away, the political state of the nation was a non-stop roller coaster ride of shock, disgust, anger, frustration and for the first time in a while the future feels incredibly uncertain.  Of course the NYC dining scene took a huge hit this year with the closing of classic restaurants like The Four Seasons, Les Halles and most recently Blue Ribbon Bakery Kitchen.  I was saddened most by the closing of my two favorite cocktail bars; underground vodka great Pravda and the gorgeous Campbell Apartment in Grand Central Terminal.  We also lost the fabulous  Juni , my go-to spot for a fancy lunch from Shaun Hergatt.   But I'm always one to look on the positive side and 2016 was actually a good year on a personal level.  Mr. T and I had some great East Coast trips to B...

It's not every day that Mr. T gets excited about a brunch dish.  In fact our recent visit to the Llama Inn might be the very first time I've seen him actually happy at brunch and that's even with the loud bumping music playing overhead.   The Llama Inn is a new Peruvian restaurant located on the odd stretch of land below the Brooklyn Queens expressway in Williamsburg. We were just stopping by for a quick bite but ended up staying all afternoon after this dish completely blew us away- the Beef Tenderloin Stir Fry. Two perfectly fried eggs sat atop a mound of beef, french fries, tomato and slices of banana with a rich, slightly spicy sauce covering the base drizzled with rocoto pepper crema.  Everything about this dish was incredible- the meat was tender as a filet, the french fries somehow stayed crispy and the banana imparted a sweet tropical flavor that brought it all together. In addition to the incredible food the other big draw was obviously the Lla...