NYC Tastes

It was a cold, snowy Saturday filled with drunk Santas stumbling around the city.  The annual Santacon seems to bring the worst out of people and Mr. T and I wanted no part of it this year.  So instead we planned a fancy lunch with friends where it was quiet and serene...one of my favorite little rooms in the city Tocqueville.  I'm just going to begin by saying that this was easily the best dish of the afternoon- California Sea Urchin and Angel Hair Caronara. This dish was the definition of Umami.  It had these incredible buttery tones that are deeper and richer than I've ever tasted before with a salty, almost roasted flavor that stays right on the tongue for long satisfying seconds after taking a bite.  This is one of those dishes that you just want to savor with each and every bite. I had actually ordered this as a last minute addition for the table to share but I wished it could be all mine when it finally arrived:)  Oh well I wouldn't have room ...

To kick off my birthday week celebration we headed over to Tocqueville for a relaxing lunch with Mr. T’s family.  I love the serene open room with it’s large paintings and comfy chairs.  I also like that they extend their 3 course $29 prix lunch special into the weekend.  To begin an amuse bouche of mushroom pate.    Onto my appetizer a gorgeous Asparagus and Watercress soup. Thin slivers of asparagus and a dollop of creme fraiche arrived alone only to be covered by the velvety smooth broth table side.   Mr. T's Sweet Corn Ravioli was just as wonderful. This came from the Greenmarket menu which changes daily based on that mornings offerings from the Union Square Market.  I love that Tocqueville prepares an entire menu based on the freshest possible ingredients right outside their door.  The ravioli was packed with a creamy corn filling and complemented by a delicate corn foam. Onto entrees ...

I have my Mexico post all ready to go but I really want to use my photographers pics because they're awesome but I haven't gotten them all yet so I'll come back to that post. We flew back from Mexico Tuesday night and then spent Wednesday basically at home recovering. I thought I would be excited to get back into city mode but after an espresso at Eataly I just felt like coming home and doing nothing. I woke up on Thursday so incredibly tired and with some serious stomach pains so I called in sick. After going back to sleep for a few hours I woke up and surprisingly felt better. Maybe it was just the thought of work that was bringing me down. I had cancelled a fancy lunch the day before and decided to reschedule it. So right around 1:00 I walked down to Union Square for my reservation at Tocqueville. I’ve always heard great things about this restaurant and walking inside I was immediately struck by the room. The high ceilings and small bright room was extremely calm and c...