NYC Tastes

Years ago I used to work out in Sheepshead Bay about once a month and I absolutely hated it.  The morning commute was long, things of convenience like banks and Duane Reade's were strangely situated avenues apart instead of every street corner and even my excitement of the nearby beach quickly diminished when I found the peaceful spot filled with large Russian men fueled on weekday vodka shots. But then I found Di Fara's just subway stops away and the perfection of their incredible pies and the love that went into each and every one made me look forward to these trips on the Q train. Everything about the surrounding neighborhood seemed to get brighter.  I started finding cute little bodegas that had much cooler stuff than the boring Duane Reade and even those large Russian men were really quite a friendly bunch (and very open to sharing their vodka).  I stopped working out there about 5 years ago so when the opportunity arose for a random weekday meeting I jumped at th...

Leyenda is my go-to spot in Brooklyn for just about any occasion.  They have an incredible cocktail program from the great Julie Reiner of the Clover Club and just recently her protege Ivy Mix won Best American Bartender at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. I usually start with the Tia Mia a blend of mezcal, Jamaican rum, orange curaco, lime and orgeat.  It's got a spicy tropical little kick that always makes me feel like I'm on a beach somewhere far away. Of course the food at Leyenda is just as strong as their drink program.  I love their Chicken Mole Enchiladas at dinner but for brunch I usually stick with the Huevos Divorciados; two poached eggs topped with salsa verde & roja served with a bright champagne vinaigrette salad (subbed in for homefries).  It's pretty much the perfect way to start off the weekend. Leyenda 221 Smith Street Brooklyn, NY 11201

I was having a serious craving for mussels last week so we walked over to Petite Abeille, a Belgium bar and restaurant in Stuyvesant Town.  Petite offers three different kinds of mussels; Mussels Marinieres with white wine & garlic, Mussels Basque with roasted peppers & chorizo and Mussel Grand Mere with cream & bacon.   Both Mr. T and I ordered our usual Marinieres but when our food arrived it was quite obvious they had brought us the Grand Mere instead. I figured this would be an easy thing to fix so I grabbed our waiter and proceeded to have this conversation: Me- "I think we received the wrong dish we ordered the Mussels Marinieres." Waiter- "Yes that's the Mussels Marinieres" Me- "Ummm...But this has bacon inside" Waiter- "All of the mussels have bacon or chorizo." Me-  "But we ordered the white wine mussels" Waiter- "All of the mussels have white wine" Me- "But this one has...

For today's New Brew Friday we're checking out Three's Day of the Dead- an American IPA brewed as their first can release. Day of the Dead pours a muddy orange color with almost no head and an interesting nose of pine, tropical fruits and a touch of mint.  Mango, biscuit and pine flavors balance each other nicely making this just a really enjoyable beer and at only 6.9%.  What a welcome change from all of the big IPA's and DIPA's on the market right now.  This completely hits the mark. Cheers to the weekend! Threes Brewing 333 Douglass Street at 4th Avenue New York, NY 11217

I love living so close to all of Danny Meyers restaurants.  It's so easy to pop into Gramercy Tavern for a bite at the bar, Blue Smoke for some ribs or over to Maialino for a glass of wine and a delicious dessert. The seasonal Strawberry Rhubarb Sundae was catching my eye on my last visit but the Hazelnut Chocolate Bread Pudding won out in the end (as chocolate usually does). Rich eggy cake sitting atop a swirl of hazelnut cream and topped with a dollop of Vanilla Bean Marscapone and Praline crunchies.  Bread Pudding perfection. Maialino 2 Lexington Avenue at 21st Street New York, NY 10010

It's now officially summer which means time for corn on the cob, burgers on the grill and sun kissed pitchers of Iced Tea.  It also means that instead of just the usual Fried Pickles at Masha and The Bear in Brooklyn they now have Fried Watermelon. The watermelon is chopped into square cubes then deep fried with a spicy outer coating that starts to burn the edges of your lips after just a few bites. Inside the nugget literally bursts with watermelon juice and provides a cooling component for the spicy crust. Of course there's regular Fried Pickles on the menu as well for purists but the watermelon are a great new summer twist on an old favorite. I suggest pairing the watermelon with one of their potent house-made vodkas or a delicious craft beer (with proper glassware) for a spicy summer snack. Masha and The Bear 771 Grand Street Brooklyn, NY 11211

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...