Kitchen and Cocktails

When my co-worker Winette and I learned my birthday was the same day as her anniversary, we realized we had more than just sangria-lovin' in common.

Since my birthday was on a Tuesday and I had it off, we made plans to go to one of her favorite places Kitchen and Cocktails to celebrate my birthday eve and her anniversary eve together. I was excited to catch up (she had just returned from a wedding in Russia), and even more excited when my roommate FoxyLady wanted to join us. Those rare souls willing to go out with you on a school night are true pals. Not only that, but Winette brought in 2-dozen cupcakes for me and our co-workers!! They were from Buttercup Bakery, the spin-off of the famous Magnolia Bakery, and they were out of this world!! I especially loved the red velvet ones! What a treat. It feels as if I've celebrated a birthWEEK and not just a birthDAY this year. I am one lucky girl...

K&C has two very wide open doorways and not a single windowpane was anywhere in sight. What a find for the beautiful fall weather we are finally starting to enjoy. There were several open tables but we decided to sit at the bar on the big comfy leather stools. The closer we were to the server the better. It was soothing to sit on the bar, with our backs to the pouring rain outside. Minus the honking taxis, I felt I was in a tropical storm.

The inside was dark and subtly lit by dangling colorful lanterns, candles, and golden chandeliers. There were some tables and a couple wooden booths with curtains neatly draping the outer edge of the tabletop. Perhaps you could eat in them with the curtains closed. Very intriguing...I felt like I was in Morocco and a genie was going to come out of my champagne can.

Champagne can? Yes, that's right. Winette told us about these adorable pink mini-cans of champagne and we all thought, what better way to start off the evening! They aren't even as tall as the Red Bull cans. And attached to the side of the can is a small expandable straw. We had so much fun drinking this new discovery in Niebaum-Coppola's wine selection. I plan on buying a small case for my friend's recent engagement.

Menu memorables: The "adorable" dinner continued with goat cheese fondue. The goat cheese sat in a ramakin atop a mini-fondue set. A candle was its source of heat, and surrounded with slivers of grilled sourdough bread and thinly-sliced green apples. The goat cheese was warm and creamy, and on the lighter side. It wasn't as potent as other goat cheeses I've tried, which was a good thing. And there was a perfect amount of bread and apples for all of us to enjoy. K&C was already off to a great start. FoxyLady and I decided to try the tuna poke (Winette is a vegetarian and we respect her choice but wanted to try one of the meat dishes). The dish was served with fried wonton chips and a globular portion of poke. Poke is similar to tartare with lightly marinated and lightly seared tuna, minced and mixed with cucumbers, seaweed, and ginger. The poke was chilled and soft and tasted smooth slathered on the wonton chips, like butter on toast. A perfect end of summer dish (and I wish I had started coming here sooner). For the main course we tried the oven-baked macaroni and cheese (as you know one of my weaknesses). I died and went to macaroni heaven. Without a doubt, even better than the Kraft mac and cheese, even better than Grandma's, even better than Auntie's, this macaroni and cheese was THE BEST macaroni I'd ever eaten in my whole life (pasta used wasn't actually macaroni but shells). It was served in a sort of narrow casserole dish (the kind you'd get a huge banana split in). It was topped with fresh bread crumbs and a perfect layer of light cheese. The icing on the macaroni was the pieces of broccoli, equally mixed in. There were even a few shells with crispy edges -my favorite part. I wish I could eat this on a weekly basis and still hope I can convince them to start free UWS delivery, though not likely. Birthdays and anniversaries only come once a year, right? Hence, the decision to order dessert. Just when we thought this meal couldn't get any better, we chose caramel apples. Similar to the goat cheese fondue, warm caramel sat atop a mini-fondue set. Around the caramel, there were 8 apple balls (a la melon balls, scooped out the same way) with toothpicks, the better to dip them with. Pick up the apple, dip in the caramel, then dip in the chopped nuts on the side. Carnival delicious. Our server was extremely friendly, and when she noticed we ran out of apples she sliced us some more, as not to waste any of the dippings.

I haven't even mentioned the delicious cocktails we had all night. After the cans o' champagne, Winette and I went for the house sangria. The sangria was excellent-not too sweet and just the right boldness of flavor. I need to taste the wine in my sangria. FoxyLady tried the Hangar One Raspberry Lime Ricky, (what a mouthful) which had raspberry-infused vodka, lime, mashed raspberries and soda. This was delicious, a cross between a raspberry blended margarita and a raspberry margarita on the rocks (minus the tequila of course). It wasn't blended but had very small smashed ice cubes and pieces of raspberry...mmmm delicious. When our server realized it was my birthday eve, she bought us a whole round of drinks.

I didn't want the evening to end, nor did I want the eye-catching and yummy dishes to stop coming. But alas, the clock was ticking and Mona-rella had to get to bed. I can't wait to share this bar & restaurant with other friends...

*we came on a weekday and were easily seated. HOWEVER, i was warned not to even TRY getting a table without an annoying wait on the weekends*





199 Orchard St, between Houston & Stanton St.
212-420-1112

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"The good ol' song of Wahoowa...."

*Before I continue with this post-cast :) I would like to give my great friend K-fo a shout-out. She is celebrating her 27th birthday today! K-fo , Happy Happy Birthday!*

I'm so far behind and I don't even know where to start. Do you ever get that feeling? Too much has been going on over the last week. I've been gone from work (where I do most of my blogging action) and have so many restaurants to write about I can't figure out where to begin.

On top of this I'm 2 games of tag behind. I'm sorry to whoever tagged me! The memes will come soon!! Is there some unwritten rule about ONLY writing one post a day? Well, to avoid figuring out what to start with, I'll just go in order.

This brings me to last weekend. This week is my birthday week. I celebrated the big 2-6 on Tuesday, the 27th, and was lucky enough to get a weekend off to celebrate with friends at my alma mater, given away by the picture here. Tailgates and football and good friends promised a fun weekend, (but a really tired week of recuperation).

When my friend K-fo and I were driving out of Charlottesville on Sunday afternoon, exhausted and beaten by the weekend's festivities (and debauchery), I said our weekend kind of reminded me of a Vegas ad I keep seeing on TV. "What happens in Vegas...stays in Vegas." That works really well for college reunions too. "What happens in Charlottesville, stays in Charlottesville."
There's something about going back to the school you went to for 4 years, and wanting to hit all your favorite watering and eating holes. But with only a short 48-hour trip, how can this be possible?

Well, we tried and managed to do a VERY good job. Friday night we got into town and headed straight to the Biltmore, once home of the Tuesday $2-dollar pitcher nights (I think inflation has driven these bad boys up to a whopping $3 or $4-dollar rate) and excellent salads with pizza crust bread on the side. It hadn't been 2 years since we had graduated that we went back for the salads, and they didn't seem to taste as good as they did back then. Salads aside, they do still have one of the best appetizers "Thumbs and Toes," a boneless chicken wing dish that never ceases to please. The chicken is coated in an orange spicy barbecue sauce and soothes any salty food craving.

After the Biltmore, we made our way to Michael's Bistro, a bar and restaurant none of us discovered until our upperclassmen days at UVa. It's right off the corner and has some of the best patio seating (off their 2nd story dining room) and excellent beers. I used to go on jogs with friends and stop in at the end for a snakebite (half cider half lager of choice). There were no snakebites Friday night, but we enjoyed a fun dinner and 2 bottles of wine (not a good mix after the beer at Biltmore), nonetheless. My friend Malibu met us and insisted on buying us tequila shots to get the evening going. I will get revenge Malibu:)

Saturday morning getting bagels at the famous procrastinator Bodo's was a must (the owner of this million-dollar bagel mecca had a storefront with a sign "Opening Soon" for at least 10 years before the restaurant actually opened). I've been living in NYC for a year now and still there's something remarkable about the Bodo's bagel. Never toasted but somehow always fresh and delicious. K-fo and Greek Goddess and I woke up and each treated ourselves to bagels to start the day. I was hurting so bad from the night before I never even made it inside....

The rest of the day we spent at a family barbecue out in the country, enjoying cheeseburgers and hotdogs and lots of homemade salads and desserts. It was a fun-filled afternoon reminiscing about the days of Wahoo S'women (what we dubbed our swim team), told through the eyes of the beautiful class of '00 (I was the reunion party crasher being of the class of '01).

I didn't want to be in Charlottesville and miss tailgating all together so I headed out with the Redheaded Diva to crash some post-gaming tailgates. Luckily we found several and I was relieved I got the best of both worlds. Tailgating is an art at UVa and became one of my favorite pastimes.

After tailgates, Redheaded Diva and I met up with Fashionista and some other Wahoo alumni and headed to the corner yet again. This time we were hungry for some Buddhist Biker Bar food. We were slightly disappointed with the kitchen being closed so early. There was a time where we would eat dinner at Buddhist (excellent brie and apples and egg rolls) at 9pm and continue the evening barhopping. I guess their focus now is bar and not restaurant to draw the bigger crowds. Sad. This led us to Littlejohn's, home of the subway sandwich and late-night post-bar eating. Their sandwiches go by names such as "Wild Turkey," "Ranch Hand," and the "Nuclear Sub," among many others. My ranch hand, filled with roast beef and tuna fish, tasted just as good this weekend as it did 4 1/2 years ago. Littlejohn's is to UVa students as Subway is to Jared.

So, there you have it. The only place I wish I could have gotten to was the sandwich place Take it Away, and our yogurt place, Arch's (a locally owned yogurt version of Coldstone). All in all, good friends and good food made for an awesome weekend and a good belly.

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Tag-I'm it!!

Well, I've been tagged for the first time as a blogger.
This is an exciting day!
I just got back from a crazy weekend at my alma mater, the University of Virginia, and had a blast (post to come), so sorry Sweetnicks for my slightly delayed response.

Here are the instructions/reference for whoever I tag next :

It's the 23/5 meme. The blogger tagged has to go to their 23rd post, find the 5th sentence, and then write something interesting about it on their blog.
So,
Delve into your blog archive.
Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas...Tag five people to do the same.

Here is my 5th sentence of my 23rd post. Very amusing when taken out of context. Kinda like the fortunes you read out of Fortune Cookies and add "in bed" to the end of it :

If you're brunching it with a big group, calling ahead to reserve the "G-spot" is the only way you'll all fit, otherwise think about going elsewhere.

First I'll give you a moment to let those minds wander...

Good, now that you have an image in your head....to those unfamiliar, I was writing of the trendy East Village eatery called Prune. And to my amazement, they actually have a room you can reserve called the "G-spot." This was one of the first restaurants I ate at last year when I moved to the city. Nothing like the G-spot to welcome you to the neighborhood, eh? In a nutshell, the space at Prune is fine for a date, but a little bit on the tiny side for a bigger brunch crew. Now, back to my article for Cosmo magazine about the other G-spot.

Just kidding...

Have fun! I'm tagging NYC Nosh, Phoenix Feast, California Eating, IndyFoodie , and Backyard Chef.

Hope none of you have been tagged yet... hop to it!

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NY Times Dining

I enjoy the NYT dining guide, more so for its recipes (check out this week's article and yummy recipes on garlic) than for its restaurant reviews. Why, you might be asking. Who am I to attack the Einsteins of food critics? And before I put my foot in my mouth, I will even admit to thinking of taking a class taught by the esteemed Alan Richman at the French Culinary Institute in the city. This aside, an article this week caught my eye, written by Frank Bruni, and I forced myself to get through it so I could write about it...

I often find myself struggling to finish NYT restaurant reviews and I'm a literate college graduate who loves to read! But seriously, do these authors get paid by the word? I understand there's art behind the madness, and their writing can be whimsical and beautiful, but should the prose to a restaurant piece outweigh and overshadow the restaurant itself and its food?

"But the presentation winds up seeming less theatrical than practical, less like an aquarium of incipient deliciousness than an unadorned aquatic larder, even a floating gallows."

This was one clip from an article on two Chinese restaurants. I understand the practical bit versus the theatrical bit, but is the rest really necessary? Please dear food critic, tell me about the atmosphere, tell me about the food, and tell me about the service, the good the bad the ugly, in plain English, and without a plethora of SAT words. I realize the Times caters to its audience of those who live in intellectual-ville (I'm still in hooville), but is it necessary to describe a restaurant while making the reader feel lingually-challenged at the same time? I read these reviews and constantly feel like I'm being talked down to.

"Chinese has been trading up, ditching its often matter-of-fact trappings ...."

I will end my rant here. Please share your thoughts.

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Friend of a Farmer

I have a list of restaurants that I went to 4 years ago when I made my first attempt at being a city girl. I say first attempt because it was short-lived. After six months, the New York life was too much for a small-town Virginia college grad to handle and I packed my bags and shipped out to Aspen, Colorado.

Writing about restaurants you ate at that long ago isn't worth it. Besides my short-term memory, so many factors play into the running of a restaurant and things change drastically over the span of several months, let alone 4 years. Fortunately, when I went to Friend of a Farmer for the second time this past weekend, I was happy to see nothing had changed at this quaint country refuge right in the middle of downtown. Walking in and seeing the same wooded tavern feel of Friend, with its cornucopias and farm props, it felt like not even a day had gone by since I walked in 4 years ago with Carebear and friends...

Swimster and I were getting closer to the restaurant when we noticed people milling around outside. This did not bode well for me, as I had to hightail it to work in little under an hour. Lucky for us, the hostess grabbed us menus and took us right upstairs, to our very own dining room. It seemed the people milling around in front of the entrance were waiting for the outside tables, which made sense but I didn't have the luxury of time.

Glancing over the menu we had choices of several egg dishes or pancakes and waffles. Our server was friendly, though a little on the austere side. I don't think he cracked a smile the entire morning, which put me off a little bit. He needed a shot of "lighten up" juice or something. At least we had some warm corn bread and apple sauce chutney to make us smile.

Anyhow, I tried guessing at what Swimster would get and I chose poorly. He went with the backcountry eggs: crabcakes, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. I went with the salmon scrambler : smoked salmon, tomatoes, cream cheese, and scallions. If you haven't noticed yet, I tend to like dishes with the most stuff in it (that goes for ice cream as well). I got a small bite of Swimster's backcountry dish and it was excellent. I'm picky when it comes to crabcakes and these ones were the perfect salty and crispy. The eggs in my scramble were cooked just right, and they were generous with the salmon. The only problem was the eggs were a little on the watery side. They might want to drain the tomatoes, which I'm sure is the root of the problem, before throwing them in the mix. Both dishes were served in a heavy black skillet, a nice touch, that made us feel even more like we were eating breakfast on the farm. The potatoes needed a lot of salt. They looked a lot tastier than they were. But they were hot and we gobbled them down nonetheless.

Its proximity to Swimster's apartment, the lickitysplit service and the atmosphere are enough to make us go back to Friend of a Farmer, and maybe next time we'll get Mr. Serious Server to crack a smile.

Menu






77 Irving Pl., between 18th and 19th Sts.
212-477-2188

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Dok Suni

Swimster warned me on Wednesday that he had a surprise planned for Thursday night. I didn't know what it involved but I was told not to eat anything the whole day because we were going to load up on something yummy. When I asked where he was taking me for dinner he said it wasn't actually a dinner, but rather a "big snack."

On my walk home last night, dodging honking taxis and the Thursday night party set, I called and tried guessing where we were headed. Turns out one of my guesses was correct. We were going for French fries at Pommes Frites. Swimster was so disappointed I ruined the surprise he decided we couldn't go there anymore. Not to mention I was so hungry I didn't think a plate of fries would really do the trick, although I do have a SEVERE potato tooth...

Swimster is Korean and since we started dating over a year and a half ago, I have been introduced to and turned onto Korean cuisine. Kimchi, bulgogi, and bibimbap makes for a great evening and one full stomach. He had done his research and found a place he wanted to try outside of "Koreantown" in the 30s. Dok Suni was the place and a convenient 10 blocks away.

We walked in and were greeted by the friendly hostess and the nice air conditioner (it's September and we're still cutting the heat and humidity here). We were told it would be about a 10-minute wait. We were in no rush and I could afford a few minutes of down time to ring up Mom and Dad on their cross country trek.

Dok's small dining room and bar are dimly lit with Asian lanterns. Its walls are adorned in a sort of wallpaper of vintage Korean writings. The combination of lighting and decor (and garlic aroma) make for a very cozy and romantic setting. Dok was off to a good start.

We had been sitting for barely 10 minutes when we were asked to switch tables. We had been seated at a 4-top and a party of 6 walked in. This might have aggravated some people, but the fact we hadn't even started our dinner yet made it not a big deal. The table we ended up at was right next to the window so we could people watch. (One of the highlights of the evening was watching some imbecile in a Toyota 4-runner ram his way into a compact parallel parking spot. He kept trying to shove the surrounding cars to make room for his until finally he gave up and pulled away. Some people...)

Menu memorables: We started off with an order of fried dumplings. They were actually vegetarian-friendly stuffed with ground vegetables. One order had 6 small dumplings and I was tempted to order another. They were that good. Very light on the dumpling side, not thick like the Chinese version. For the main course Swimster ordered soft tofu stew, which kind of surprised me. Swimster's a meat and potato kind of guy, but when I noticed it came with squid, oysters, and clams it made more sense. I ordered bibimgooksu, which I had never noticed at a Korean restaurant before, because it had the vermicelli noodles I love. Lastly we ordered the dak galbi, marinated chicken, to share. My meal was excellent, served in a large black bowl with julienned cucumbers, beef and the cold spicy noodles I love. The sauce was a little on the watery side (because they add ice cubes to keep the noodles cold) but it still maintained its spiciness. The beef was salty and melted in my mouth and as I got closer to the bottom of the bowl, I wished there was more. The spiciness caught up with me after several bites and this was my red flag to slow down and drink some water. I finished the entire thing, which Swimster says is normal and expected. It's impolite to leave food behind by Korean standards. Thank goodness. Swimster's stew was right up his alley-lots of broth and lots of tofu and seafood. I'm not a huge fan of these brothy dishes, which Swimster says characterize Korean cuisine, but he seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. I tried a spoonful and was surprised with how spicy it was. Its bright red color and the amount of red chili pepper flakes should have given that away. The server must have gotten a good feel for how much Swimster eats because she brought him 2 bowls of rice, which he appreciated very much and finished without any trouble. The chicken we ordered was cut into bite-size pieces, perfect for my level of chopstick mastery. It was tender and marinated in a sweet barbecue sauce...a definite must.

The only disappointment the whole night was the lack of galbi-tang on the menu. Swimster gets this at every Korean restaurant, like I order the bibimbap.

I can't forget to mention the server who had moved us from table to table brought us a large bottle of OB, Korean beer, for switching tables without a fuss. This was such a nice and unnecessary gesture and we will be the first to volunteer to switch tables the next time...

Lastly, when our check was brought to the table it came with 2 tall shot glasses of a sweet cinnamon water. I guessed it right and when Swimster asked the waitress how they made it she replied, "Boil water, cinnamon, sugar and ginger." A perfect touch to the end of a great meal.

Swimster and I are both really excited to have made the discovery of Dok and when we get the next pang to go Korean, (which is often) we will hurry back.





*no reservations and CASH ONLY*
119 First Ave., between St. Marks Pl. and 7th St.
212-477-9506

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A special treat

I had dinner all by my lonesome the other night, and for some reason, I was craving a dish from my childhood days in Paris. No, not baguettes with nutella. But one of my mom's more popular quick kid-fixes. If I was down in the dumps over school, boys, or swimming, nothing cheered me up better than macaroni and cheese with some "chicken of the sea." Mom always used to make this for my brother and I and we loved it, and brutally fought over leftovers.
Since I mentioned my blog is a sort of "poor girl's guide" to eating in NY, I felt why not include this delicious dinner I had, and on little to no cash. Just make the tuna fish, per directions on the box, and add a can of tuna. You can decide how tuna-ey you want to make it. Seriously, it's great. I promise!
On the side I treated myself to a nice glass (actually 2) of shiraz from my local wine store- Red Dust '03 Shiraz. Was amazed with the owner's choice for me. I said I wanted cheap. I said I wanted shiraz on the more full-bodied side and he pulled just the right bottle! It's subtle on the oak and soft on the finish. Just what the poor girl ordered!
The label to the right is off their cab/shiraz blend (I couldn't find the shiraz one online) but figured just seeing its design would help lock it into your memory...

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Mayrose- Comfortable Food

Swimster and I had a rough night Friday. We stayed out way too late at a smoky bar in the East Village called Karma. When dancing started downstairs it was all over. Friends were in town and you just can't bail on visitors, work or no work the next day. I had to be at work at 11am and when the alarm went off at 9:15ish, we were groggy, had minor headaches and ravenous appetites. Neither of us felt it would be smart to continue the rest of the day without some serious nourishment.
Swimster and I had come across Mayrose on one of our morning walks and wanted to try it out. I mentioned Friend of a Farmer, but since I'd eaten there a while back, we decided to try some place new.
The restaurant has a prime corner spot, on 21st and Broadway. And its massive windows and high ceilings are extremely inviting. The day I walked by it on my way to work I couldn't help but look inside and wish I could be in there relaxing, sipping coffee and reading the paper.
I was happy the hostess sat us against the window facing Broadway. It's nice when the hostess knows what he/she's doing and they spread their patrons out, rather than pack them all in one area of the restaurant. Mayrose has the feel of a diner, with its countertop seating and bright yellow leather stools, but with subtle Manhattan flare.
Our friendly server brought us water immediately and handed us the large brunch menu. He was quite chatty and shared his adventures at ESPNzone the night before. Mayrose has a little of everything to offer: pancakes and muffins, hamburgers and omelettes, fries and waffles and sandwiches.
Swimster decided quickly on a hamburger. "Is that weird?" he asked. "No, definitely not," I said. When he sneakily tacked cheese fries with gravy on to his order, I took it back, well, maybe that is weird. I went with the more standard breakfast order: a goat cheese, mushroom and spinach omelette with wheat toast and potatoes. I was extremely impressed. Goat cheese in an omelette is hit or miss. A lot of times I feel the omelette-maker will put WAY too much goat cheese in, overpowering everything else. Not this case at Mayrose. The omelette was just the right size and served with some spiced potatoes which weren't nearly as crispy and cooked as I like. I tend to go for the burnt pieces in the potato batch. But still, so far so good.
Swimster's burger was large and in charge. I liked how the bun was buttery and grilled, always a nice touch and reminded me of my favorite childhood burgers at Fuddruckers. The cheese fries were a different story. At first glance we thought they forgot the gravy, until we started eating away at the top layer and realized the fries were swamped in a gravy stew below. Swimster said the gravy was a little too watery to work well with the fries, also noting that nobody does cheese fries like Outback. And what I noticed, and didn't particularly like, was they melted what seemed like Kraft slices of cheese over the fries, making it look like an orange rubbery substance. I prefer the fresh grated cheese myself.
I decided to order a scone, and was somewhat annoyed when they didn't have any. I opted for a blueberry crumb muffin instead and was pleased several hours later when I actually had room in my stomach to eat it. It was huge.
Mayrose does indeed serve "comfortable food" as it states in its full title and I am sure we will be getting back.





920 Broadway, on the corner of 21st,
212-533-FOOD

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To Go List :

As I've started sharing my blog with family, friends, and coworkers, restaurant recommendations are slowly starting to trickle in. And I'm realizing I need to have a place where I can keep track (what I need to do with movie rentals too). So here it goes...I'm going to constantly update this, and feel free to leave your comments/recs and it will be a permanent resource for you and me...on those many evenings where the question is not "What's for dinner?" but "Where should we eat?"

*Bellhop works with me. He's a beanstalk but eats like a 300-pound football player. He's a true NYC foodie and somewhat of a West Village snob, but he knows his restaurants and I would trust his picks:

Artisanal
French
2 Park Ave. at 32nd St.
212-725-8585
(if you can't eat here at least go and check out the cheese counter and bring some yummy fromage home with you)


The Harrison
American
355 Greenwich St. at Harrison St.
212-274-9310

Red Cat
American/Mediterranean
227 Tenth Ave., (between 23 and 24th St)
212-242-1122

*Foodie has written a couple comments on my blog, which I appreciate. Check out his recommendations for some UWS dining:

All State Cafe
(for "phenomenal" burgers)
250 West 72nd St., between Broadway and West End
212-874-1883

Cafe Luxembourg
American/French
200 W. 70th St., between Amsterdam and West End Aves.
212-873-7411

'Cesca
Italian
164 W. 75th St., between Amsterdam and Columbus Aves.
212-787-6300

Compass
American
208 W. 70th St., at Amsterdam Ave.
212-875-8600

Harriet's Kitchen
American/Southern Soul
502 Amsterdam Ave., between 84th and 85th Sts.
212-721-0045

Nice Matin
French
201 W. 79th St., at Amsterdam Ave.
212-873-6423

Indy Foodie likes :
Le Bateau Ivre
French
230 E. 51st St.,between Second and Third Aves.
212-583-0579

Nornabelle loves:

Bluesmoke
116 E. 27th St., bt Park and Lexington Aves.
212-447-7733

Westville
210 W. 10th St., bt Bleecker and W. 4th Sts.
212-741-7971

or

Westville East
328 E. 14th St., bt First and Second Aves.
212-598-9998

Grey Dog's Coffee
33 Carmine St., bt Bedford and Bleecker Sts.
212-462-0041

CC recomienda:

El Cocotero
Venezuelan
228 W 18th St, bt 7th and 8th
212-206-8930

Pesce Pasta
Italian
59th and 1st

Il Vagabondo
Italian
62nd and 1st

Winette recommends:

Pair of 8's
568 Amsterdam
(212) 874-2742

Enoteca i trulli
121 E. 27th St (and Lexington)
212-725-6516

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Market Cafe

I was honored and excited when the authors of NYC Nosh asked me via email if I'd be interested in meeting up for a bite to eat. From reading each other's blogs for the past few weeks it was apparent we share pretty similar interests with regards to blogging and food.
I had suggested Grocery, in Brooklyn, because I had never been and heard great things about it. But when I learned both Nosher and Hungryman had eaten there previously, I said best try a new place. My method to choosing restaurants has now changed, to reflect how I treat picking out a movie at Blockbuster. If my friend's seen it, we won't rent it. If my friend's already eaten somewhere, we won't eat there. In New York, it's all about trying new places together.
When I mentioned this to Nosher, he mentioned he'd been meaning to review Market Cafe. Agreed. Little did I know until we arrived and placed our order that both friends had eaten previously at Market Cafe...I'd been duped, but happily so.
I should mention that Nosher makes a mean cocktail of Chambord, vodka, and some fruit juices. Maybe if we're nice and put lots of comments on his site he'll share this Nosher-tini recipe.
Now, I have yet to buy a camera to put to use with my food blog. To date I've been grabbing images from here and there...if you want to see the beautiful pictures of dinner check out Nosher and HungryMan's review of Market Cafe here.
When we walked into Market Cafe I felt I was walking into a sauna room. No, not because of the heat or anything, the dining room was the perfect temperature for me. But rather because of the white tiling, from floor to ceiling. Nosher said it reminded him of a fish market. Either way it was clean and went well with the sea green leather banquette and matching chairs.
Menu (you can click here to see an older version of their menu, but note it has since changed) memorables:
My pick for an appetizer was the wild mushroom salad, which was a unique blend of spinach and long wiry mushrooms (I am wild for wild mushrooms). It seemed to be a hit with everyone at the table. I enjoyed its blend of salty spinach and sweet balsamic dressing, which was not overpowering. I was still able to enjoy the flavor and texture of the mushrooms. Swimster chose a white potato flatbread (almost like a white pizza) as an appetizer and was startled by its enormity. It would have been too much food for a main course. If you have a large party with a large appetite going to MC and split it as an app. I loved the blend of white cheeses and spices. It was thick and hearty, and definitely one of my favorite dishes at dinner. Okay, I'll admit it, it was even better cold the next morning as a leftover.
HungryMan went for the salmon tartare, which was the perfect summer appetizer. Cool and crisp it came with 2 crostini and a sort of red berry jam/chutney. He was nice enough to make me a little taste of everything and it was perfect. The chutney was a nice touch and I surprisingly enjoyed the berry/fish combo.
Nosher chose the caesar salad and really enjoyed it. Apparently he orders caesars like I do calamari, he can't resist it when it's on the menu. I got a taste and thought the dressing (makes or breaks a caesar) was light and not too eggy. And the romaine was crisp and fresh and NOT soggy, a problem I seem to run into a lot with caesars.
My entree was the steak pizziola, which I found was similar to a steak milanese, with a lot of salad on the side and a cold tomato salad garnish on top. The steak was cooked perfect and was very tender. The salad on the side was a little bit on the salty side, and I wished there had been a little bit more dressing. But definitely a winner nonetheless. I cleaned my plate.
Swimster chose the sole meuniere which was lightly battered. I've had many soles and it was right up there with my favorite from La Playa's Terrace Grill in Carmel, Ca. I just looked up what meuniere means and found this useful information. Meuniere (muhn-YAIR) is French for "miller's wife" and refers to the cooking technique used. In this case, fish is seasoned with salt and pepper and then dredged with flour and sauteed in butter. I learn something new everyday!
Nosher advised the specials were always a good choice and he followed his own credo by choosing the pasta special cockle fettucine. I am not an expert in the field of cockles, and Nosher said they were a bit bigger than what he had previously been used to. I think he enjoyed this dish regardless, and he was nice enough to share some with me. I am not a huge fan of the seafood and pasta combo but I enjoyed the fettucine, light buttery sauce and cockle trio. If you like seafood pasta give this a try, that is if you're lucky enough to find this on their evening special list.
HungryMan chose the pork loin and I can honestly say this was my favorite entree of the evening. The pork seemed to be lightly fried and topped with cherries and cranberries and rosemary...OH MY! The pork sat on top of a mound of mashed potatoes which I didn't taste but eyed over HungryMan's shoulder. Having just met Nosher and HungryMan, I didn't feel I was at the steal-a-bite point yet in our relationship. Maybe that will come with our next dining adventure. I did get to try the pork and berries, however, and I want to go back for more.

Market Cafe was a real treat and I feel lucky Swimster and I could share it with new friends. Our server was extremely friendly and the timing of everything was dead on. The prices at MC are unbeatable and its flavors reflect prices that elsewhere might break the bank. Entrees range from $12 to $16. I challenge you to find a deal like this anywhere in the city.

Thanks Nosher and HungryMan for a fun-filled evening and I hope we can do it again soon...






496 Ninth Ave., (between 37th and 38th Sts.)
212-967-3892

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Posto-thin crust pizza revisited

Trevor, AKA "Swimster"(newly dubbed by our friends HungryMan and Nosher of NYC Nosh), took me to Posto, right around the corner from his apartment for pizza. If you think you've had thin crust pizza, think again. Little did I know in this little pizza joint, and that's what really best describes it, I'd find the thinnest, best-tasting pizza I've had in the city. I guess that's not saying much seeing that I've had few thin crust pizzas here at all (usually it's the monster slices from the small no-name walk-in walk-out pizza stops) but Posto's version hit the spot. And that's all anyone's really calling for at 9pm when neither of us could put our finger on what the heck we wanted to eat.
Posto is small and there are a few benches outside hugging the restaurant's walls (Posto sits on the corner of 2nd and 18th). You walk in to a few booths right off the restaurant bar and a couple tables in the back close to the kitchen countertop. We scored a booth, fit with the wiry pizza tray holder, hot pepper flake shakers and all.
Swimster felt he wanted to have a beer but I coaxed him into having a bottle of white wine. We chose an Italian bottle whose name escapes me right now, which isn't a huge deal because it was too bitter for Swimster and we wouldn't have it again anyway.
The pizza we ordered was a little bit of everything, some sausage for Swimster the meat-lover, some sun-dried tomato bits for me, some basil for both our tastebuds, and some clouds of sliced mozzarella which had turned into marshmallowy looking gobs on top. Calling it pizza seems to be a disservice. It was too light and refreshing! I didn't feel sick after having a few slices and unlike most goes at pizza, I actually felt like trying a new pizza the very next day. (I think Swimster scored a couple of pieces of leftovers for the next day's lunch attack.) The crust was paper thin and just the right crunchiness. A pizza with no sogginess and no burnt pieces is a true accomplishment.
I decided to try some of their prosciutto and melon appetizer I would skip next time. Not enough prosciutto and too much melon for me.
The service was very friendly and we both left glad to have found a local joint that would please both of us, on those many a nights when neither of us wants to call the shots, or the restaurant.

Menu






310 Second Ave. (at 18th St.)
212-716-1200

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71 Irving Place

Swimster and I live on opposite ends of the city, unfortunate commuting-wise, but fortunate restaurant-exploring-wise.
I had to be at work this morning at 11am and we decided to take a little stroll since the unbearable heat of this summer has seemingly fled (knock on wood).
We walked to Gramercy Park, and found Irving Place just south of the park. If I had the funds I think I would want to live off of the cozy Gramercy Park. The quaint garden and greenery are enclosed by a gate that is locked to the public. I'm not sure what you need to do to get a key, perhaps just live off the square. I will find out.
We continued down Irving Place, past a restaurant I'd eaten breakfast in a long time ago, Friend of a Farmer, and walked into a cute coffee shop named for its address 71 Irving Place. People were hanging on the front stoop, going about their Saturday routines, making me extremely jealous I couldn't sit down for a couple hours myself, to peruse the latest publications or just read a book. There wasn't much seating outside but plenty inside.
The inside was spacious enough you could sit and not be on top of anybody but cozy at the same time. The counter was towards the back and filled with baked treats. It reminded me of the smaller coffee shop Via Quadronno of the UES, and certainly a relief from the cookie-cutter Starbucks. Swimster ordered a simple cafe au lait and I ordered a decaf. I've finally weened myself off caffeine. Some think I'm crazy but it gives me a sense of pride not guzzling down 10 diet cokes a day. The coffee was delicious, and later read on the take-out menu they roast the coffee upstate at their farm. That's why. The scone I ordered was a little disappointing, being a little bit on the hard side. Maybe I just caught the scone on a bad day. This certainly won't stop me from returning and ordering several of the other items off their menu: root beer floats, bagels, waffles, bruschetta, salads, sandwiches, paninis, and ice cream.
The tables needed to be cleaned more often but other than that, I 'm definitely going back to 71 Irving Place.

*a coffee shop that takes credit cards and stays open late-BONUS!*
71 Irving Place
212-995-5252

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Citrus

I moved to the UWS a couple months ago, and rather than ditch my 'hood every night when dinnertime rolls around, I'm trying to find some cool places where I don't need to hop on a subway or in a cab to get to.
After a few web searches, and juggling some "critic's picks" on New York Metro, Swimster and I decided on Citrus. Now, I know I've mentioned in previous posts (SushiSamba) that I'm not totally sold on the Asian/Latin American fusion thing but Citrus sounded worth a try anyway.
Swimster met me there. I had advised him to get there a little bit earlier than our reservation ( I couldn't because I was coming directly from work) to try at getting us a seat in the "garden." Well, the "garden" was actually simply sidewalk seating. Which was fine, but it was a relatively toasty evening so we opted to stay inside, on a window, in the air conditioned dining room.
Swimster lived in Miami for a while and his first words were, "This is straight out of South Beach." I've only been once, but that description seemed accurate.
The ceilings were skyhigh and the bright orange and yellow lights made me feel I might turn into a citrus popsicle. The farthest wall to the left had a large slab of stone with water trickling down. The only thing this soothing fountain was missing was a Buddha statue and a rock garden.
Menu memorables: We decided to try the chile lime shrimp, corn and queso fundido quesadilla, basically a fancy title for a shrimp and too-much-cheese quesadilla. It came out with the spinach tortilla on the bottom and a sun-dried tomato tortilla on top. This made for a pretty picture, but not such a pretty flavor. There were some small rock shrimp inside but they were drowning in cheese, and the cheese didn't even taste that good. Could they have used American cheese in the quesadilla??? For the main course we decided to share two things: the ultimate roll combination, which was a great deal for only $19 (one yellowtail roll with mango and avocado, one spicy tuna roll with banana, and one salmon roll with cucumber), and the paella de valencia. The sushi was alright, but none of it knocked our socks off. I have to admit it sounded much more exciting on the menu (kind of like clothes that look better on the hanger). The paella was probably the highlight of the dinner with chorizo, saffron rice, shellfish, and chicken. This Mexican jambalaya was meshed together in a light sticky sauce, a little on the salty side, but very good. Swimster and I were fighting over the last bites of chorizo.
Our server was very friendly, and the busboys were very attentive. Plates were cleared with haste and our water glasses were always filled.
I tried both their sangria and their margaritas and if I had to choose which one to get again, it'd be the margarita. Both were served in tall elegant glasses. The sangria was just too sweet and not meaty (red-wine heavy) enough for me.

Perhaps Citrus should just do away with its sushi efforts and go full-blown with its South American fare which it seems to do well with. Until it makes up its mind which it's going to master, I probably won't be hurrying back...






320 Amsterdam Ave., (Upper West Side)
212-595-0500

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Help those hit by Hurricane Katrina

The cat's out of the bag, I'm in TV. I 'll just leave it at that...
The past week of work has revolved entirely around Katrina, its anticipation last weekend to its devastation this week.
I've seen many pictures and images most will not see and most cannot comprehend. Our reporters are down there living through it, and it's astounding.
I have a very good friend K-fo whose family is from New Orleans, and while many of us are so far away, we can help.
Inspired by a fellow food blog "New Orleans Cuisine" I'm including a chance for you to help out, in any way you can, through these websites:

American Red Cross Contribution Form

Other links to help contribute

Seeing these people without the luxuries we take for granted (clean running water, food, and shelter) makes me realize how lucky I am...

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Magnolia Cupcake

I was home in CT on my days off this week and decided to make the most of having a full kitchen to bake with. My kitchen in NYC is decent-sized, but I seem to be lacking a lot of the baking tools I am guaranteed to find at home.
My mom had previously bought the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook and on a rainy day, nothing sounded better than attempting some comfort creations.
If you don't live in NY and have heard about the West Village sweetshop, and are wondering what all the fuss is about, take a peek and a bite at these recipes.
If you live in NY and haven't been to Magnolia, or you have and are wondering what the secret is, read and eat on for instant pleasure.
I made the famous vanilla cupcakes and the corn bread muffins. Both a huge success with myself AND Dad (who can by a harsh critic).

Vanilla buttercream cake/cupcake
(preheat oven to 350 degrees)
*makes 1 3-layer cake or 24 cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

You will want to cream the butter first at medium speed with your blender. Then add-in 4 parts- the dry stuff (both flours and sugars). With each part of dry stuff add a portion of the milk, vanilla, and egg (one at a time).
When batter is smooth and creamy, either make your cake or spoon the batter into cupcake tin.
Bake in the oven for about 23 minutes, or until you can place your finger on the top and have it bounce up (not sink into the cake). Let cool before you add the frosting, and quite honestly, I don't even think they need frosting.

Vanilla frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
8 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
food coloring for desired frosting color (no, this frosting will not come out magically pink like the pictures)

You will cream the butter, like above, then add sugar 1 cup at a time, followed by the milk and vanilla. Blend to desired thickness.
*This frosting is WAY TOO SWEET. I suggest attempting a cream cheese frosting instead. I couldn't slather it on like I like to because it was just too sugary.*

Corn bread/muffins
(preheat oven to 350 degrees)
1 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks butter) unsalted

Mix the dry stuff first in a bowl. Add the wet stuff to the middle of the dry (book said form a "well" in the middle to pour the wet stuff into). Make sure you MELT the butter before adding to the recipe. Stir it all together and if you see clumps, that's ok. Leave them and don't over-stir.
Bake in the oven for about 18-20 minutes and get ready for a moist bite of cornbread!

Enjoy, and let me know how it goes!!
Happy baking!!



Magnolia Bakery, 401 Bleecker St, (at 11th Street)

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