NYC Tastes

It's no secret that I love Eataly....the wine, the cheese, the espresso that wakes me up every weekend.  So when I had the chance to get an up close and personal look at what Caffe Vergano is all about I was more than excited.  Damian was our barista that day and he explained the golden rule to making the perfect espresso involves the four M's: Miscela (Mixture), Macinacaffe (Milling Process), Macchina (Machine espresso extraction process) and Mano (Manual skills of the barista). Eataly has all of the four M's down in my book.  They use a state of the art espresso machine which ensures the water is heated at the perfect temperature and delivered at a stable pressure for the best possible extraction.  Plus they spend a ton of time training their staff so they have the skills necessary to pour a perfect drink. Damian was amazing.  He did a bunch of cool coffee art including an awesome Hello Kitty for one lucky person. Then he walked us through the different b...

Mr. T and I were on a search for food Saturday afternoon and after getting told the wait at Gramercy Tavern would be about an hour we took a chance next door at Trattori Il Mulino.  I've never been a huge fan of the regular Il Mulino.  The pasta is amazing but the prices are just absurd.  I could get pasta just as amazing at Babbo or Eataly for about half the cost. The prices are a bit  more reasonable here and the setting is much more casual.  They started us off with some complimentary appetizers.  A roasted eggplant dish that Mr. T surprisingly loved... ...a plate of sliced salami... ...and a buttery sweet onion focaccia that was damn near perfect.  For entrees I went straight for the Uova Ricotta. The eggs were scrambled soft with a creamy dollop of ricotta cheese in the middle and some sliced peppers on top.  It was simple and delicious.  Onto Mr. T's entree Fritatta Di Capellini. Both of us were pretty surprised when this...

It was a fabulous day for a wine tasting during the Benventuo Brunello World Experience at Gotham Hall. Over 30 wineries from Montalcino  came out to present their 2009 vintage for the first time in the United States. First it was off to a guided tasting of Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG hosted by Wine Spectator Director Gloria Marcoti Frazee. Il Poggione, Ridolfi and Talenti were a few of the wineries on the line up.  Each one had its own unique characteristics but I enjoyed the Brunello from Solaria best for its floral aromatics and dry, fruity finish. After the seminar it was onto the main ballroom for the walk around tasting where an array of 2009 Brunello di Montalcino were joined by the Riserva 2008, Rosso di Montalcino 2012, Sant Antimo and Moscadello di Montalcino. As usual I found myself hanging out at the Banfi table.  Oh to be back in Tuscany looking out at the gorgeous hillside inside the ladies room of their winery.  Bes...

When Mr. T and I first moved to NYC 12 long years ago he used to take me to John's Pizza on Bleeker Street for a classic NYC pie.  Unfortunately after about four or five visits I firmly decided I did NOT like this pizza.  It was kind of dry, skimpy on sauce and cheese and just lacking in flavor.  I finally told Mr. T my thoughts and obviously he stopped taking me there.  Fast forward to last Sunday.  I woke up and had this crazy wave of nostalgia wash over me for John's.  Maybe I was wrong, maybe I had no clue about NYC pizza all those years ago...and just like that we zipped down to John's for a visit. We ordered a standard pie with half pepperoni and as it arrived I remembered my biggest pet peeve at John's was the uneven cooking job.  Half of the pie had a bubbly, charred crust while the other half was white and fluffy.  The upskirt shot was good on the bubbly side with a slightly charred bottom... ...and the pie had more sauce and chees...

Mr. T and I took the trek over to Jersey City last Saturday to visit one of our old favorites Thirty Acres. The restaurant was packed when we arrived right around 1:30 but luckily we only had to wait 15 minutes for a table.  We got a spot right near the window, perfect for watching the snow fall and started off with a few drinks...mimosa for me and a Head High IPA from New Jersey's own Kane Brewing for Mr. T. Perusing the brunch menu I remembered why I love Thirty Acres so much- I wanted everything!  I couldn't decide...go savory with a Spanish Tortilla covered in ancho almond sauce or sweet with a big floppy Dutch Baby covered in lemon and powdered sugar.  As usual I went back and forth until the waitress arrived when I heard myself say "I'll have the grits please".   Mr. T looked at me like I was crazy...damn order anxiety. Luckily my choice turned out to be great because this dish was fantastic.  A big bowl of buttery grits, two fried eggs, scallions and...

Cronut knock offs are a dime a dozen in this town, none of which are any good, except one...the Dough'ssant from Chikalicious. The outside is crunchy, dusted in sugar with a swirl of vanilla icing on top while inside sits layers of soft, fluffy dough filled with a fresh vanilla bean creme. It's light and airy, much more of a croissant than a doughnut with a fantastic eggy custard that wasn't overly sweet.  This is a fantastic alternative if you don't feel like waiting in line and a delicious way to start your morning. Dessert Club Chikalicious

Friday morning I got one last Baileys tart for breakfast, put in a full hour in the sun and made a final walk around the beach.  I said goodbye to my parents at the airport and walked inside feeling a bit sad.  I hate when vacation ends, especially when it was so much fun. I checked my gate and decided to walk around for an hour until boarding when I stumbled across this... Stone Brewing in the airport!  What a perfect excuse to do one last round of vacation beers.  Stone Ruination, Smoked Porter and Pale Ale before getting on the plane...now I'm officially ready to say good-bye to the West Coast.