NYC Tastes

I was kind of obsessed with Cafe El Presidente when it first opened.  I found myself thinking about their tacos morning, noon and night. Being that it's so close to my apartment this became a very dangerous little habit and I had to cut myself off completely.  After a very successful 3 month break I finally allowed myself to return and things just seemed better than ever. The Taco Al Pastor filled with delicious spit roasted Heritage pork and sliced pineapple was perfect and probably one of the most delicious things you can order for only $1.95. The Baja Fish Taco was amazing...how they get that outer shell so crisp and light is beyond me. Plus they now give everyone chips and chicharrons in addition to the pickled veggies.  Things are even better than I remember! Cafe El Presidente 30 West 24th Street New York, NY 10010

Today is the final day of the amazing pop up inside Blue Hill- WastED.   Which means only one more night to taste the phenomenal Dumpster Dive Salad.    I truly didn't believe leftover fruits and veggies could be this good but there's something  incredible about the combination of apple, carrot, pistachio and creamy whipped chickpea water . I'm just sad I missed this salad on my first visit.  Luckily Mr. T was by my side this time around so we were able to try out more of the menu. My only repeat dish was the Pasta Trimmings.  I really wanted Mr. T to try that briny, rich smoked fish head sauce.  He was on the fence when we ordered but after just one bite he was hooked.  Apparently we both love monkfish tripe and fish head- who knew?  Philippe Bertineau and Alain Ducasse were the Guest Chefs that night.  They put together an insane platter of Head Cheese, Pig Trotters, Tongue and Offal Stew. ...

There's only two more days left in March which means only two more chances to try out the special Chicken Parmigiana dumplings at Mimi Cheng's. Mimi's dumplings are big...much bigger than normal dumplings from Chinatown and filled with crazy ingredients that are all organic and super fresh.   The special Chicken Parmigiana dumplings come stuffed with mozzarella cheese, basil and a big bowl of tomato sauce just perfect for dipping.  Although the Mimi special sauce was so delicious I ended up using a little bit of both. The steamed dumplings are good but the pan fried are even better with that crispy bottom shell and absolutely no grease at all!  These are some seriously incredible dumplings. Mimi Cheng's 179 2nd Avenue between 11th & 12th New York, NY 10003

Our final meal of the Philadelphia weekend was brunch at Russet, a gorgeous Rittenhouse Square restaurant helmed by Chef-Owners Kristin and Adam Wood.  Located inside an 1877 year old townhouse, Russet has a simple, elegant atmosphere that feels almost like being at an upscale dinner party. The small, well curated menu changes daily but I highly suggest the Woodlawn Jewel Mushroom Omelet if it's available.  The mushrooms are roasted just enough to bring out that deep earthy flavor then scattered atop a creamy ricotta cheese omelet drizzled with garlic confit. The omelet would have been more than sufficient on it's own but I never say no to Double Smoked Bacon. Not to mention Russet was another BYOB place and we had brought along  another Funky Buddha Beer; the delicious Maple Bacon Coffee Porter.  It only seemed right to have some bacon with said "bacon beer". It's also worth noting Russet has some incredible fresh squeezed orange juice.  Even in the...

My absolute favorite place in Philadelphia is Matyson, a cute little restaurant right in Center City that consistently churns out some of the most creative and delicious food I've ever tasted.  The menu changes all the time but it's always focused on what's fresh and in season. Plus it's BYOB which means Mr. T and I can get creative with the food and drink pairings.  Since our dining companions had just gotten engaged the night before a bottle of Veuve seemed like the appropriate way to kick things off and actually paired wonderfully with my Goat Cheese Gnocchi. Soft little pillows of cloud like cheese studded with crunchy pine nuts and brussels sprout in a duck ragu.  I've had a LOT of gnocchi in my day (thank you my Italian college roommate) but this was one of the most satisfying versions I've ever tasted.  There was just something incredible about that rich duck ragu with those earthy vegetables.  I basically had to fend off my dining companions from fi...

I love a quick weekend trip to Philadelphia.  We usually shoot down on the train Saturday morning, eat drink and explore as much as humanly possible for the next 36 hours and then return home by Sunday night.  It's such a quick and easy escape. Unfortunately we completely timed this one wrong...tickets for the last Grateful Dead show in Chicago went on sale just as we were exiting our cab.  We stood on a corner in the freezing cold for about 20 minutes before finally shuffling into Khyber Pass to continue the frustrating cycle of refresh and deny. Khyber is billed as a gastropub but if visions of the Spotted Pig come to mind erase them.  This is gastro grunge rock style with a super dark bar up front and wooden rickety tables in the back.  It's everything I love about a dive bar but with an incredible beer list and fantastic food. The brunch menu had all the usual suspects plus a few New Orleans treats like big, fluffy beignets...

I'm so back logged with posts from our trip to Philadelphia, Florida and even the hot new Javelina but I'm pushing them all back because the one place you must go now  is WastED, the pop up inside Blue Hill.  This is a collaboration with local farmers, fishermen, plant breeders, restaurants and retailers all about food waste and reuse.  The idea is to create something delicious from ignored or uncoveted food items.   A perfect example is this wondrous nutty bread baked with leftover grain mash (spent grain)  from Kelso Brewing.  It arrived in a simple scrap of burlap with whipped lardo and pork cracklings on the side.  I was instructed to enjoy it on its own or add a dash of beef tallow from the very candle I had just used to peruse the menu.  It turns out beef fat has incredible use both as a light source and garnish. WastED hosts a different guest chef each night and I was lucky enough to have the great Alex Stupak when I dined. His...