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Guys American Kitchen and Bar

2013-01-04T18:20:00.003-08:00

Went to Guy's American Kitchen and Bar...read all about it at my new and improved blog.

http://thegramercygirl.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/guys-americian-kitchen-bar/

While there, don't forget to sign up for email updates. I will not be reminding you forever.

I've moved

2013-01-03T18:23:00.001-08:00

Looking for Gramercy Girl? I've moved to word press. Please find me there as http://thegramercygirl.wordpress.com/

Find my latest post about my birthday dinner at Osteria Morini there.

Once there, don't forget to follow me for updated posts.

The Big Island of Hawai'i

2012-12-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

I know, I know it's been a LONG time since my last post, and for that I'm truly sorry. Every time I go to write a new post I get sidetracked. Well, having just returned from 10 glorious days of vacation, I'm refreshed and ready to share a post with you and in the cold dark days of December in NYC, what topic could be better than Hawaii?

10 days is a lot of stuff to talk about in 1 post so I'm going to break it down to the highlights and low lights (yes, things could go wrong in paradise)

Highlights first, in no particular order:

Mauna Kea
There is a reason that so many countries have spent millions of dollars to put observatories on the top of this summit. The view from the top is breathtaking for two reasons, being 14,000 ft above sea level and the views are amazing. We went with a tour rather than driving the steep rocky slope ourselves. Mauna Kea Summit Adventures was fantastic. Our tour guide,Chris, was super knowledgeable about the creation of Hawaii, the animal life, conservation, and of course astronomy. After watching sunset at the peak, we went down the mountain to wait for total darkness where you get a star show. Different constellations are pointed out, explained, and then you get to take a look with their high powered telescopes. It's an all day trip (from about 1:45pm-10pm) but totally worth it. Heavy parkas and gloves are also provided. When we went it was about 80 degrees on the ground and 30 at the top.

Mauna Kea at sunset

Volcanoes National Park
On the day we went to the park, it was chilly and rainy but that's ok, after all it is a rain forest. There is much to do and see at Volcanoes National Park. Price of admission is good for 10 days, which is a good indication of how long it would take to do all the hikes and see all the sites. We drove a good deal of it because we only had 1 day. We went to the steam vents, drove Crater Rim Drive to the Sea Arch, hiked the Puu Huluhulu trail and went the Jagger Museum to wait for sunset when you can really see the glow from Kilauea volcano (during the day you can only see plumes of smoke). It's amazing how beautiful and majestic the glow of hot magma can be. It also brings your 4th grade science class to life. My niece happened to have a test on volcanoes the day we were there. To see the lava fields, you can can do it on foot, but again, due to time constraints we took a helicopter tour. We used Blue Hawaiian out of Hilo.

Glow of Kilauea after sunset


Fresh Hot Lava

Sea Arch

Kenichi Pacific

crab cake

We ate many good things on this trip, but Kenichi was the best complete meal we had on the island. The food was excellent, the service was on par and the prices were very reasonable. We found Kenichi 1/2 by accident and 1/2 by recommendation. Our waiter, Michael, was personable, helped guide us through the menu and pointed out some dishes to try. He also didn't push us to over order or pad the bill by suggesting a super expensive bottle of sake, in fact it was the opposite, he showed us one of the cheaper options. The whole meal was really delicious. If Kenichi NYC opened, I'd be the first in line for a reservation. The must order is the crab cake.

pork bun

yellow tail sashimi with ponzu and truffle oil

Rancho Aloha

Ripe coffee cherry on the vine

Going to a famous coffee region, we thought it would be great to get a tour of a coffee farm, sort of like a reconnaissance mission for our daily morning beverage. Lucky for us, we had a friend of a friend who's parents own a coffee farm, Rancho Aloha. We met Bruce Corker, who told us about his life long dream to grow coffee, showed us around his farm, and taught us the basics and economics of growing coffee. No tour would be complete without sampling the goods, and this coffee was so delicious that I didn't even need milk. The highlight of the tour was when Bruce instructed Gramercy Guy on the hows of roasting your own coffee, who knew all you need is a good skillet and a spoon. We took home the fruits of his labor and have enjoyed a few cups. If I close my eyes, I can imagine the warm breeze and the sun on my skin. I am worried that the coffee we ordered won't come before we finish our stash of beans.

roasting coffee, careful of the smoke

Green Sand Beach & Black Sand Beach
There is no shortage of beaches on the Big Island. There are many white sand and gold sand beaches, but those you can find everywhere. Papakolea, or, Green Sand Beach is a two of a kind (the other is in the Galapagos). The sand is green from the mineral olivine which was in the cinder cone of the volcano that created it. You can hike to it, which is about 2 miles out or you can get a ride with the industriousness group of locals offering rides on their 4x4 trucks. We opted for the hike, where you walk and walk with the wind whipping in your face. On one side, you have amazing ocean views, on the other there are cattle grazing on the hill. As you walk you keep thinking, is this right? look back and forward and keep going, then you come upon it, about 100 feet below (give or take) you see this cool green sand beach (an olive green) carved out of the middle of a cinder cone. After we followed some locals, we climbed down (there is a ladder and then sort of rock stairs) finally, you can feel the green sand between your toes. For those who have never felt it, green sand feels just like white sand.

Hawaii has many black sand beaches thanks to its formation from volcanoes. Punaluu or Black Sand Beach on the Big Island is lined with palm trees in the back and has wide black sand getting hit by beautiful blue water with white breaks. The first thing we saw when we approached was a lot of sea turtles. You can only get so close because they are endangered. We didn't stay long, but just long enough for Gramercy Guy to take a dip (the water was too cold for me) where he was swimming a long and felt someone bang into him. When he came up from the water, it was a turtle. Not to many people get to swim with the turtles.

Low lights
I have to say our two biggest disappointments on the whole trip were food related, so really that's not so bad.

Sam Choy's Kai Lanai
The news that Sam Choy is a James Beard award winner and that he had a restaurant 2 miles from our hotel was a bonus. That's what we thought, until we ate there. I can not image that Chef Choy has eaten at this place in a long time. Not only was the food barely mediocre, the prices were on the high side, and the service was terrible. After our food arrived, no one came to ask us how it was. I suspect they are worried about what they might hear. I can only image that Sam Choy's Kai Lanai's business model is to prey on unsuspecting, eager tourists, who think they are getting an awarding winning meal. Take my advice, save your time and your money. In hind sight, I should have gone to Bubba Gump, at least there they are not pretending to be anything they aren't.

Fish Hopper
I can't tell you how the food is, because we didn't stay. Our waitress was completely incompetent, and after her 2nd trip to 'ask the kitchen' what fish was in the fish tacos, we got up an left.

I don't want to leave you on a low note, so I will also say that a highlight was our daily sunsets. You can not believe how vibrant the colors become and how the whole world stops moving for a few minutes when you take in the amazing display of the sun going down.

Aloha!

American Cut, Atlantic City

2012-07-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

Gramercy Guy's birthday is in the summer and I know a few things will happen on his birthday. We will go to Brigantine, NJ that weekend, we will have a couples massage (I'm not complaining at all) and we'll go to a steakhouse for dinner. If you're not familiar, Brigantine, is a barrier island off the cost of NJ, just north of Atlantic City. The beaches are really wide and quiet compared to many others in NJ.

This year, the plan was to check out the new Revel hotel. After seeing it being built for years, it was nice to be able to go inside. This is not your typical casino without windows so you don't know if it's day or night, it's bright and airy with lots of outdoor nooks, pools and bars and views of the Atlantic. The gaming area, downstairs is typical casino, except it lacks proper signage so the employees spend a lot of time escorting lost guest...I know because we were some of those guests.

Massages were at Bask Spa which is really a special spa. They have 30 or so treatment rooms, a helpful and talented staff and some coed space so Gramercy Guy and I were able to relax and unwind together even more after our massages.There was a salt grotto which is exactly what it sounds like, a room of salt bricks that are supposed to be curative; they help detox, open nasal passages and provide a calming effect, or so they say. I'm not sure we stayed in the room long enough to be healed, but I found the yellows and oranges in the room to be very relaxing. The hot tub was nice until too many other guest joined and it got over crowded. The mineral pool felt great, but could have been been a few degrees warmer for me, I'm sure it's that cool for a reason.

After a steam and a shower, it was off to win some money at black jack and win we did. The pit bosses were friendly and talkative and the dealers were also very personable. We took the money and ran to dinner.

American Cut is a modern steakhouse by Marc Forgione. The bar area has great views of the beach. The rest of the dining room is very steakhouse with the big tables and leather chairs. The Senator was in town and was able to join use too. He started his meal with a bloody Mary which was great, with lots of mustard seed. Gramercy Guy and I shared a bottle of Curvature (which is a partnership with one of our favs, Pride Mountain).

Dinner was really good. Our waiter helped us navigate the fairly large appetizer menu and the specials. We shared apps for the table and went with the Wood Fired Octopus

And the Hiramasa Tartare (yellow tail). What's cool about this is it's designed for your first bite to be a sechuan button which creates a tingling in your mouth, followed by some fish in this order, you're pallet is supposed to be more sensitive and the fish will take on a pop-rock-like effect. Not sure I had the fish flavored pop-rocks but it was certainly tasty.

The Senator is a vegetarian so he had the Sea Scallops

And Gramercy Guy and I split the Porterhouse for 2, which could have easily been for 3 or 4. I think we had 2 sandwiches with the left overs

For sides, we all shared the Rosemary Garlic Cottage Fries and White Asparagus that was a special that night.

And no birthday dinner would be complete without dessert. We got the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and salted caramel ice cream. They were warm and gooey and delicious.

The service was great and the food was really good. We even wanted to bring our bone home for Studley, but porterhouse bones splinter so our waiter got us a bone from a rib eye. I would certainly go back to American Cut, but will try some of the other restaurants first. I've heard great things about Amada.

Back Forty, NYC

2012-07-11T12:52:00.001-07:00

Going to college in Maryland was a great experience for me; I learned a lot, met amazing people, and developed a deep love for Maryland crabs. Anyone who has been with me while eating crabs, they know I can sit at a table and pick through shells and claws getting every last ounce of meat for hours. So when the Senator alerted me to the Back Forty crab boil I didn't hesitate.

It turns out that every Tuesday in the summer the entire place becomes a giant crab feast. Reservations are made online and prepaid the Wednesday prior. The prime outdoor seating doesn't open until Friday. I was having some trouble with the system and Donnie called me back to alert me that he was opening the outdoor seating and I should try then, it worked like a charm and I snagged seats for Gramercy Guy, the Senator, and me.

How the crab boil works...

You have your seat at a communal table for up to 2 hours.

First up was a hearty piece of corn bread that came with some pickled veg on the side and a nice jalapeno butter. The bread was good, but the plate only came with one knife so it was odd sharing the same utensils with total strangers.

Then comes buckets of hot seasoned crabs thrown on the middle of the table

along with some potatoes and corn.

While the crabs are not all you can eat per se, they sort of are. Seasoned in Back Forty's take on old bay (it wasn't as spicy as old bay and had a hint of cumin), the crabs were large, meaty, and delicious. I ate until my neck hurt from looking down for so long and the cuts on my finger from the claws were in need of attention, which by the way has always been my signal that I've had enough crab.

I can't really talk about the corn or the potatoes, (2nds, and 3rds are also available for these, you just have to ask) other than they looked nice because I don't like to fill up on other things when there are tasty crabs to be had.

For dessert, the newspaper is rolled up and all remnants of shells and mallets are gone. You're given a hot towel to clean up and brought a piece of cobbler.

I loved the wait staff who got our sarcasm, I just hope none of them went home to look for crab carcass jewelry on etsy.com. My only issue (and it's minor but I believe in full disclosure) our reservation was at 6:30 and we weren't seated until about 6:45 and still asked to wrap it up by 8:30. In hind sight, I didn't need the extra time for crabs, but did feel like we couldn't bask in the sweetness of the cobbler and stretch our aching necks and I might have. Is is a deal breaker for next time, absolutely not.

I must admit, I was skeptical, how would a cool NY joint do an authentic crab boil, but having been, I can tell you they can do it well. It's worth it ($59.99 including tip and tax). And I can't wait to do it again.

A gorgeous night, a cold beer, crabs, and great friends, besides a manicure, what else can a girl ask for?

Pete's Tavern, NYC

2012-07-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Pete's Tavern is a New York institution that has evolved from bar to speak easy and back. It's slogan,"the bar O'Henry made famous," as the story goes, he wrote the Gift of the Magi in one of the front booths. In the 15 or so years that I've been going to Pete's, nothing has changed and that's the way I like it. Their menu is fairly simple, Italian and American and very reasonably priced. I have never had a bad meal there, but often times, their delivery is sub-par (they have found themselves on my do not order delivery list--lucky from me, I'm only a few blocks away.)

This was a two time Pete's week for me so I've consolidated both experiences.

As you may know, Gramercy Guy and I recently adopted a rescue dog, Studley McGoo (if you see him being walked near the park, be nice to him, he's still getting used to his new life). So when my mother, the queen yenta came from Yenta-ville to spend the day with me, I thought Pete's would be a good brunch choice as they are dog friendly in their outside seating, you can see Studley is enjoying the shade and was given a bowl of water.

Pete's is across the street from Friend of the Farmer, which always has a long line for brunch. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy Friend, who doesn't like their eggs served in a skillet, but I don't need to wait in line for them. Pete's is just as good, even if my eggs come on a regular plate.

For brunch, I had the eggs Benedict Florentine (hold the hollandaise). It was excellent. The yolks were perfectly runny when I sliced into the egg.

Gramercy Guy had one of his favorites, the mushroom and artichoke frittata

And the queen yenta had the cobb salad with chicken (she says the salad didn't need the chicken because it was chock full of other stuff like bacon and eggs and blue cheese).

This was a great outing, and Studley was well behaved. This may have been his first time at Pete's but it certainly won't be his last.

A few days later, the Girls of Burger Club (TV Doc and Georgia Peach and me) had girls night planned. No boys allowed. They came over to meet Studley and then off to Pete's Tavern we went. Once again, the food was as good as the company. We started off with a mesclun salad (need some greens).

For dinner, there was spaghetti with veal meatballs all around. Pete's meatballs are big but not heavy and very flavorful. A nice touch that not too many places do, it's served in a meat sauce. I'm not sure which is older, the place or the recipe, either way, I hope they both never change. And the portion is so large, that I barely touch my pasta.

Have you been to Pete's and what your favorite dish there? Who's going to say burger and a Pete's Ale?

MNPC: Nicoletta

2012-06-20T19:42:00.001-07:00

There are lots of restaurants in New York that open to much fan fair that I am often left wondering why. Being a huge fan of Chef Michael White, I got nervous with all the hoopla around his opening of a pizza place. Early reports were nothing short of amazing, so it was with excitement and a little trepidation that I went to Nicoletta with MNPC tonight.

Having just opened last week, I wondered, have all the kinks been worked out? I've also read a lot about the dough still being perfected. That being said, it's Michael White after all, what could be bad?

The menu of pizzas is short (10) but you can also get a classic and add your own toppings. The hardest part was deciding only four. Taking the advise of our waitress, we narrowed down our choices and ordered.

I have to say that for being open less than a full week, all the kinks seem to have been worked out from my perspective. Our waitress was knowledgeable and friendly. She helped steer us toward some great choices and our pizzas were timed perfectly. (We ask for them to be staggered so they don't get cold as we eat.) I also liked that we weren't rushed when it looked like we might have been finished. For 'just a pizza joint' the service is on par with his high end restos like Marea or Ai Fiori.

For pizza, we got the Tartufata

mozzarella, crema di tartufo prosciutto cotto, roasted wild mushrooms

Calabrese

thick-cut pepperoni, homemade fennel sausage red onions, pomodoro, mozzarella

Brocolo

broccoli rabe pesto, smoked scamorza cheese cherry peppers, spicy bread crumbs

Classica

pomodoro, mozzarella, basil

In the words of LGFEO, the first bite was "god damn delicious," as was every subsequent bite. No law of diminishing returns here. The dough is a little dense so definitely order less than you think you need (or not and take home the leftovers), but it's really tasty, chewy and crispy and not too sweet, the perfect vehicle for toppings.

Everything seems to be taken into account here too. We all noticed sliver press able dots on either end of the table. What are they we asked our waitress. They are the spots where the pizza trays go in to. No metal tray holders taking up valuable table space here.

If you're looking for classic New York or Neapolitan style pizza, this isn't your place. If you're looking for really good pizza that's different, make this a must.

HIghlands, NYC

2012-06-19T20:03:00.001-07:00

It seems like there's been a recent boom of British gastropubs in New York lately. I've been lucky enough to try most of them with Georgia Peach and Copy Gal. Tonight, we went to Highlands. We got there early, even for a Tuesday, so it was pretty quiet, I think the place would feel really cozy as it fills up.

The menu is small but so inviting, even Copy Gal had plenty of choices (she's picky). Outside of the haggis, I would eat everything on the menu.

We started with a scotch egg, good spot on that on GP, I would have missed it. This egg in the rank of the 3 I've had is 2. The sausage had a nice spiciness to it and I liked the seasoning in breadcrumbs. It was served with a side of a tangy barbeque sauce, but really, who needs it with the creamy yolk goodness. I think the scotch egg might have to be on the table at my last supper.

For entrees, I had the Atlantic cod with bubbles and squeak (veggies in potatoes) and a rocket (arugula) salad. Everything was light and easy, perfect for a hot summer night.

Copy Gal had the Wild Mushroom Shepard's Pie.

Georgia Peach had the Fresh Blue Crab on Toast and seared scallops. She has a new thing for cauliflower puree.

Which British gastropubs in the city have you been to, and which is your favorite?

Happy Father's Day

2012-06-18T04:41:00.000-07:00

This was the prefect weekend, the weather was amazing in New York and I got to spend some time with friends on Saturday and family Sunday. Gramercy Guy and I hosted a BBQ for the fathers in honor of Father's Day.

We started with grilled pizza for appetizers. The dough is the same I've made before, you can get the recipe here. For toppings, we went with caramelized onions and mushrooms with goat cheese.

The other had ricotta cheese, arugula, lemon zest, prosciutto and shaved Parmesan cheese.

The pizzas were great (my favorite dish of the day), they had a delicious char from the grill and the crust was really chewy. If you have a grill and have tried making your own pizza, I highly recommend cooking it on the grill.

For entrees, we used the June issue of Food & Wine for inspiration and cooked the balsamic marinated flank steak.

Shrimp (hold the scallops) with lemon soy.

For sides, we grilled some eggplant, zucchini, broccoli, and jalapenos.

And Napa cabbage salad.

Dessert was easy but was gone before I could get a pic, assorted flavors of Ralph's Italian Ices and my first watermelon of the season. Everything came out really great. I can't waiting until I can make these again. I just hope the fathers (and mothers and siblings) enjoyed it as much as Gramercy Guy and I did.

Risotteria, NYC

2012-06-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

To my loyal readers, I am sorry for the long delay in posts. In the past month, I have been in DC, Paris, Boston and Atlanta. I do have to say that the mini Beta Phi reunion was a great time. I'm now back in NYC and up to my old tricks. I will fill you in about my trips (there are some great highlights) as my schedule gets back to normal, but for now I will tell you about my dinner with the Georgia Peach.

As you know, I see the Georgia Peach on a regular basis, but haven't seen her in ages due to my schedule. We were supposed to go to Little Owl, but it seems they are closed for renovations until later this week, thanks for the alert via twitter, so we went to plan B, Risotteria. This place is exactly what you'd imagine it would be, a restaurant that specializes in risotto. I had been there a long time ago, when they first opened, but I think after 10+ years, I can consider this my first time. For those with food issues, everything here is rice based so it's gluten free, and the menu is coded for dairy and vegetarian options as well. They don't take reservations and seating for only about 20, but if there is a wait, there is no shortage of places to grab a drink while you wait, it's on Bleecker Street.

We started with a romaine lettuce salad with beets, shiitake mushrooms, onions, and truffle oil with a Chianti dressing. The salad was clean tasting and very refreshing. A perfect start knowing that next up was risotto.

For dinner, the Georgia Peach got the parsley and truffle oil risotto. Which was creamy goodness with truffle oil and the freshness of the parsley. When I tasted hers, I was a little jealous.

I had the asparagus and safron. This was creamy and satisfying without being too heavy. It's a great alternative to a bowl of pasta.

I enjoy a good risotto and order it out because I know risotto can be time consuming to cook, now that I've been back to Risotteria, I know how easy it is to head to the West Village and order up any type I want. And of course, spending an evening with the Georgia Peach is worth the trip to any part of the city (and maybe NJ).

Bonjour from Paris!

2012-05-23T14:27:00.001-07:00

I am in Paris for work, and between work I am managing to see some sights. I will share some photos when I can, but have hit a snag with wireless internet only in the hotel lobby, making it difficult to upload photos. I did manage to get some from tonight’s dinner. My coworker who is like our office’s cruise director got in a day before everyone else and did some restaurant recon for us. He picked a really good one. We went to Ratatouille on rue Montmarte. This is this type of place that can be called a hidden gem. The prices were so reasonable and the food was really good. I went with the 29€, 3 course prix fix, and it was topped off with a nice bottle of Pouilly Fume.

For stater, I had a tomato and goat cheese tart. A puff pastry with warm cheese, a tart tomato, with a balsamic drizzle.

I got the dorade for my entree which was simply prepared with some oil and nicely cooked veggies

And I'm in France, so I had to go with the cheese plate for dessert. Thank goodness my coworkers helped me finish it cause if I might have eaten the whole thing.

Stay tuned for some other great meals and some sights. Until then, bonsoir

Date Night

2012-05-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

This date night was a fancy one. We went to The National for a drink and a quick bite before we went to the Chamber Magic Show.

The National is the newest NYC offering from Chef Geoffry Zakarian, and the place looks really cool and retro. We sat at the light gray metal bar which had a lot of activity. The bartenders are a flurry of activity. The National has an interesting cocktail menu, and a small herb garden at the far end of the bar that I noticed the bartenders used for the drinks. Can't get fresher than that. I went with a boring glass of wine and Gramercy Guy had this refreshing drink, which I have to admit, I forget the name, but it had gin, herbs and lime.

For dinner, Gramercy Guy had the ugly burger. He said it was great with lots of nice elements. The only ugly thing about this burger was the mess it made. Word of advice: don't cut it, and when you pick it up, don't put it down until there is nothing left. That's one of the reasons, I wasn't able to get a taste. The fries had a great spice to them, smoked paprika, I think.

I had the rock shrimp pasta. It was good with a very light cream sauce. The best part, it didn't feel a heavy lump in my stomach all night like some heavy pasta dishes might.

Then we were off to Chamber Magic, an intimate magic show in the Waldorf Towers. The tickets say cocktail attire, and, Steve Cohen, the Millionaire Magician says he tries to evoke the salons of yesteryear, when people dressed to go to their friend's homes where there was often entertainment, like a magician. Definitely take the time to get dressed, it makes the night feel special. Also, the few people not dressed stood out.

I think when I told Gramercy Guy that we were going to a magic show, he was skeptical, but not after we left. This was a truly "how'd he do that" show. You'd might think that 1 1/2 hours of magic would be too much, but he switches up his tricks and has a great banter with the audience. You can sort of surmise how he does some of the card tricks, but there are others like Think a Drink that you leave you thinking about how he did it for days.

There is little advertising for Chamber Magic, and he travels across the world doing this, so get your tickets now, you won't be sorry. They would also make a great gift alternative to a Broadway show.

Have you been to Chamber Magic? What was your favorite part?

MNPC: San Marzano

2012-04-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

It's tough to call tonight a true MNPC, with only 3 members attending dinner, plus it's a place that we've been before. But tonight was MNPC and we went to San Marzano on the Lower East Side, and only 3 member for good reason which I'll get to.

We had been to San Marzano before with pizza club and it was really good so when LGFEO's band, Leslie Paris Viking, was playing at Arlene's Grocery, it was a great fit and only a few blocks away. The pictures on San Marzano's site look amazing and and I have to say that the food does come out looking just as good in person.

The pizza has a great crust, the right amount of char, and great toppings. If you're on the LES, and looking for pizza, definitely give this one a try. Tonight we had the:

Pesto Chicken Calzone

fresh mozzarella, pesto chicken breast

Rapini

sausage, broccoli rabe, garlic, chili flakes, pecorino,
fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce

Caprino

fontina, goat cheese, caramelized onions, shitake and
button mushrooms, roasted garlic, thyme, white truffle
oil

After a delicious dinner, it was off to Arlene's Grocery. I have seen several bands play here and it's the perfect venue for new and up and coming bands. I was lucky that tonight, it was one of my friends. The place wasn't crowded and the band was great. If you get the chance, I highly recommend them, Leslie Paris Viking. They are worth a listen.

Sunday Brunch, Alison Eighteen

2012-04-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

Brunch is my favorite meal of the week, you can get breakfast or lunch and you get to drink. I've been reading lots of good things about Alison Eighteen and so we made a reservation for brunch. Brunch started off really great. They had a fantastic drink menu. I had a drink with cucumber vodka and rosemary, it was really refreshing. Gramercy Guy had a pineapple caipirinha.

After ordering, they brought us really good crusty, chewy bread. To accompany the bread, we were given a little dish with spices that the waiter poured very rich tasting olive oil. It was heaven, and you know I liked it because I hardly ever eat the bread before my meal.

I had the spit roasted chicken with root vegetables. It was one of the best restaurant chickens I've ever had. It was juicy and well seasoned and the veggies were great. It was like my last taste of winter.

Gramercy Guy got the fried artichoke eggs Benedict. He liked it, but I think we were expecting something different. This was your regular eggs Benedict, with some fried artichoke sprinkled on top. It was really good, just not totally what we expected.

Dessert on the other hand, phenomenal, we got the beignets. The menu said with lemon cream and chocolate sauce. I thought they were going to come with two dipping sauces. What came out was much better, the dough was filled with the lemon cream. This was my kind of dessert, not greasy and not overly sweet.

This was the perfect end to the meal, a true high note. I look forward to going back to Alison Eighteen for dinner.

Have you been to Alison Eighteen? What was your meal like?

Po' Boys on a Rainy Sunday

2012-04-24T20:10:00.003-07:00

Sunday was a cold rainy day in New York City. It was the perfect excuse to stay in and do very little. Our friend, the Senator, was better than me to brave the elements and come hang out. The boys went to Good Beer, for a drink and to pick up some beers, our growler is now full! While the boys were out, I went to brave the Sunday afternoon crowds at Eataly. I’m lucky enough to live close by and am able to use it as my local market, but sometimes, the crowds are just too much. After I fought my way to the fish counter, I ordered my red snapper and a dozen shrimp. Gramercy Guy requested Po' Boys for dinner. I also had to fight my way to the bread counter to get a nice French baguette, at least I could use it as a weapon to get to checkout.

Appetizers were simple, Doritos Nachos. I’m not sure why it took Taco Bell to create a Doritos taco shell for me to think of marrying Doritos and nachos. This was my first attempt and we were not disappointed. I layered chips on the bottom, and then shredded jack cheese on top, some reduced fat sour cream, refried beans, and jalapenos, then created another layer of the same then topped with extra cheese. I baked it at 250 until all the cheese was melty and gooey. I forgot the salsa, but they were great none-the-less.

For dinner, I made the Po' Boys. I cut 1lb of snapper and cleaned the shrimp. Then I dredged them in an egg wash that I seasoned with sriracha. Then into panko that was seasoned with salt, pepper, chili powder, ancho chili powder, and some red chili flakes. I’m not going to give measurements, do it all to taste. I went spicy, knowing my audience. I then cooked the fish and shrimp in a few tablespoons of oil, until the fish was cooked and crispy on all sides. The pieces were small and the pan was hot so it only took about 5-8 minutes to cook.

The garnish for a Po' Boy is a good aioli, I put together a fast one of mayo, ketchup, lots of sriracha, and a few shakes of garlic Tabasco. Again, make this as spicy and you like. If you don’t like spicy, then just go straight mayo or use coleslaw. I also had some heirloom tomatoes and Napa cabbage. I served with some coleslaw and macaroni salad on the side.

Dinner must have been good because the Senator told me he was still thinking about the next day.

Broccoli Sausage and Garlic Pasta

2012-04-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Gramercy Guy and I had a busy day spring cleaning our apartment and running errands that at the end of the day, we just wanted to stay in and cook dinner. So we opened a bottle of rose from Unti and got to work cooking. We found Unti literally by accident, during a trip to California Wine Country. Talking with the sommelier at a winery, we asked her what was her favorite winery that we wouldn’t know about, she sent us to Unti and were fell in love. I highly recommend a stop there if you're in Healdsburg.

Dinner always takes me longer to cook than I plan so I like to do an appetizer to hold us over. I made a caprase salad with fresh, handmade mozzarella from Eataly, an heirloom tomato, then I drizzled just a little bit of really good balsamic vinegar over it. On the side, I put some hot sopresatta and some sweet sopressatta, also from Eataly, with mixed olives. It hit the spot and got me ready to cook.

I love to make fresh pasta, when you have the time; it tastes so much better than even the best boxed. When we got married, I registered for the Kitchen Aid pasta attachment thinking, if I never use it, I can return it. Well, I love it and use it often. I found a recipe in the New York Times for food processor pasta and I will never again make the well with flour and eggs again, and the best part, there is no mess on my counter.

While the dough is resting in the fridge, I get a pot of water boiling, and prepare the rest of my meal. Tonight is simple, sausage (I used chicken cause it’s what was in the house), broccoli, lots of garlic and a touch of wine.

After rolling the pasta into thin sheets, I cut them into strips; I wasn’t going to go fancy with shapes, put it into the boiling water to cook for 3 minutes. Drain, and save some of the water.

Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat oil and add garlic, I like this pasta to have lots of garlic so I use 3 or 4 cloves, cut thick. Add, and brown the sausage until it’s crispy. This sausage happened to be pre-cooked so cooking time wasn’t very long. Add ¼-1/2 cup of white wine (I used some of the rose we were drinking) and the broccoli and cook until green and tender. Add the cooked pasta and ½ cup of the pasta water and mix well so the pasta is coated with the oil and whatever sauce is in the pan. If you’d like, feel free to drizzle some more oil on top. I serve with a generous amount of fresh shaved Parmesan cheese, and some garlic bread.

For dessert, we only had to go to the freezer for the Ralph’s Italian Ices we had picked up earlier in the day.

Burger Club: The Toucan and the Lion

2012-04-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

It was once again Burger Club,and we were really excited to try The Toucan and The Lion. They have recently gotten some great press plus they have a scotch egg and an unusual burger.

We were lucky to get a reservation only a few weeks out, we are a group of 7, and the place is tiny, with only a handful of tables, seating probably 40 at most. I should preface this post by saying this is a new restaurant and perhaps they are still getting their footing and working out the kinks, at least, I hope that's what it is.

We ordered drinks and some apps, which all came at different times, some drinks took longer to arrive than others and the apps, I'm assuming came out as they were ready, or tapas style, which I think while not ideal isn't terrible either. Just wish we knew the process. For apps we had ribs which the waiter said would be life changing. Of the guys who had ribs, they liked them but weren't changed because of them.

We also had the Short Rib Tacos

And of course the Scotch Egg.

If you follow me, you know that I had my first scotch egg only a few weeks ago while at The Breslin Bar. Becuase this is only my second scotch egg, I have to do a side by side comparison. This one had lots of promise, with a duck sausage and a lime aioli. To me, it fell very flat, and wasn't that flavorful. I thought it was odd that an order of scotch eggs comes with 3 halves. Also, our 2 orders came out at least 5 minutes apart.

Entrees took an extremely long time to be served. While we kept ordering drinks and having a good time, we did think it was staggered strangely. Our waiter came over to apologize and brought us a Mango Salad. I hear it was pretty good, but I don't like mango, so I didn't try it. It also seemed like an odd offering for a table of 7 to share.

Being that this was burger club, we all got the burger. Theirs is an interesting take with applewood smoked bacon, a spicy cashew butter and fried pickles instead of fries. I will mention that the menu clearly states no substitutions, but when I asked to have mine without bacon, I was told no. The chef has designed an entree and will only serve it as he designed it. Fine, I get that, I can take off my own bacon, just seems wasteful to me.

The fried pickles were fantastic. I've had fried pickles before, but not like these. The outside was crispy and on the inside, the pickle still had a good crunch and snap. The burger I would give high marks for originality. All the elements worked really well, but I found the cashew butter to overwhelm the meat and I didn't pick up much beef flavor. Now, had I kept my bacon on, maybe that would have been different.

We ordered sides for the table, and those didn't come until we were close to finishing our burgers. At one point, we asked to cancel the sides and we were told the chef was already making them. Ok, I can accept that, but when our sides were finally served, they came out wrong. We ordered 2 patatas bravas and 1 brussells sprouts. It came the oppoistie, which was fine, by the time we got them, no one even wanted them.

All said, this was burger club and the burger was very original. I don't think we've had a burger like it, with cashew butter, and I'm sure we won't again. But with the inflexibility of the kitchen and the poor timing of the service, I don't think I'll be back for a long time.

Then off to dessert at the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop. I was too full for dessert, but far be it for me to stop anyone else.

MNPC: Roberta's

2012-04-18T19:12:00.001-07:00

We usually like to say at the end of every MNPC, “Well, group, we did it again.” But this week’s MNPC was such a success, that I feel like I need to state it in the beginning. I’m not sure if it was the weather, the restaurant or a combo of both. We went to Roberta’s in Brooklyn and it was excellent.

The vibe at Roberta's is so inviting, you walk into a rustic looking room with long tables and benches, a wood burning oven in the front, a great little bar in the back with a fantastic beer selection and a little garden seating area. I should also mention the great music. We were seated at a table in the in main dining room and got down to the business of picking pizzas. Looking around, everything looked good, it made my mouth water. We got:

Margherita (tomato, mozzarella, and basil)

Axl Rosenberg (tomato, mozzarella, sopressata, mushroom, double garlic, and jalapeno)

Animal Chin (ricotta, parmigiano, ramps, mitiake, and lemon zest)

In Volto (tomato, ricotta, mozzarella, parmigiano, sopressata, roasted red pepper, garlic, basil, and oregano)

This was a calzone type thing which is more like a pizza that they fold it on itself. I can't even begin to say how delicious it was.

Everything tasted really fresh and I know the menu changes often and they use seasonal ingredients like ramps. The dough was tops too, not too chewy and the right amount of char.

After dinner, we took off and had a nice walk looking for dessert, which was ices at Uncle Louis G's.

Have you been to Roberta's? What was your favorite thing?

Big Green Egg

2012-04-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

If anyone was in the city this weekend, you know how great the weather was. After a big dinner the night before, Gramercy Guy and I got up early to beat the crowds and went for a nice bike ride on the path along the Hudson River.

Later we headed to our friends' in Jersey City, BGE Master (Big Green Egg Master) and Shoe Girl's for an afternoon bbq. We were excited to get the invite which read, "The Big Green Egg Has Landed." If you don't know what the BGE is, it's a clay domed smoker that can cook almost anything and has a cult following.

Gramercy Guy would like to think that his smoked brisket was the inspiration for BGE Mater's quest to smoke everything. This time, BGE Master was only doing ribs. He had two different rubs and both sets were delicious (we even got a doggy bag of leftovers). The ribs were juicy and tender and came right off the bone.

Most importantly, they had that smoke ring that you look for in good smoked meats.

I can't forget about the appetizers. BGE Master's smoked stuffed jalapenos.
He sometimes wraps them in bacon, and I'm so glad this time he didn't.

It was the perfect meal to end a great weekend.

Il Giglio

2012-04-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

After NCAA basketball season and holidays, Gramercy Guy and I were long overdue for a date night.

We started with a drink at the Bubble Lounge. I had the Bubble Belini which had the perfect peach to champagne ratio. Gramercy Guy enjoyed his Lychee Martini, it was light and refreshing. I used to go to the Bubble Lounge on a very frequent basis when I first moved into the city. While it was early in the evening, and not yet crowded, it still had that great vibe of low lighting and great music. Too bad it took me too long to get dressed; I would have loved to stay for another drink.

We left Bubble Lounge and headed to Il Giglio, which years ago was semi related to Il Mulino (a favorite of Gramercy Girl & Guy). Talking with our waiter, Franklin, we learned they are no longer related, but the former head chef from Il Mulino now owns Il Giglio.

We had a 7:30 reservation and expected to have to wait a bit, but we were seated right away, as they had more open tables than taken. Looking around, it was set up very similar to Il Mulino, but they had a recent paint job where it looks like Il Mulino hasn’t had a makeover since the early 80’s (that’s one of its many charms). I don’t want this to be a side by side comparison of Il Giglio and Il Mulino, but it’s hard for it not to be.

First comes the offer of cocktails and water while servers are bringing fresh bruschetta, pieces of cheese, salami, fried marinated zucchini and a bread basket. Which were all good, the zucchini had a great spiciness to it, but was a bit oily. Then comes the menus and wine lists. We listened to the specials and ordered right from there, didn’t even open the menu.

Appetizer was a trio of pastas: parpadelle in pesto, shitake mushroom ravioli in a truffle cream sauce and spaghetti with a chunky tomato marina. They were delicious; I had to have bread to make sure there was no sauce left on my plate.

Langoustines with spinach in a garlic cognac sauce. I really liked the presentation of the 1/2 langoustine in the shell.

Rack of lamb in a Barolo sauce with potatoes and garlic string beans. These were tasty but really small.

Unfortunately, Gramercy Guy had a plastic piece in his. I think it was the ring from a water bottle. Franklin was very apologetic and provided free dessert. We went with the fresh berries and zabaglione and house made blueberry grappa. I don't like grappa of any flavor, I have learned as I try new flavors.

All in all, I thought Il Giglio just very ok. The service was exceptional but everything else wasn't life changing and in a city with so many high end Italian restaurants, I will be going elsewhere.

Have you been to Il Giglio recently, what did you think?

Melt Shop, NYC

2012-04-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their go to comfort food or the food they remember fondly from their childhood. Mine is grilled cheese which is why I was super excited when dinner with Copy Gal and Georgia Peach was at Melt Shop. The Melt Shop recently took top honors at Big Cheesy, and is not your average grilled cheese shop. This is where adults go for grilled cheese. The menu is small but looks so good; I had a hard time deciding. I sent a tweet out asking for suggestions and lucky for me, Melt Shop suggested everything, thanks for the help!

The Melt Shop for those looking for it is on 53^rd and Lex, just go down the stairs to the plaza. All the food is made to go but there are plenty of tables outside. It was a nice night so we dined al fresco.

For my sandwich, I went with the day’s special, buffalo chicken with blue cheese, red cabbage slaw on sourdough bread. It was delicious, the bread was well toasted and the spiciness of the chicken went well with the blue cheese and the sweetness of the cabbage. It left me full but wanting to try more.

The girls and I shared an order of the tater tots…which were yummy.

The only problem I can see with the Melt Shop is how soon is too soon to go back and try a different sandwich?

Chicken Scarpiello

2012-03-31T19:56:00.003-07:00

If you read my blog, you know that one of my favorite dishes is chicken scarpiello. I was recently in Vegas and was lucky enough to go to Rao's, where I think their scarpiello is the best. (Rao's, Las Vegas). Inspired by that trip, I added a chicken cut in 8ths to my weekend FreshDirect order and planned to make it. I looked up a bunch of recipes to compare. I knew the basics, white wine, sweet and hot pickled peppers, fresh peppers, etc., but wanted to see the specifics. Gramercy Guy suggested the obvious, which I totally over looked, check out Rao's site and see their recipe. I cannot take any credit for the this recipe and the only change I made was to go heavier on the hot peppers.

I don't think it was as good as Rao's but it was a great first attempt. I know what tweaks I want to make, for next time, to make it better. Pretty soon, mine will be as good as theirs. Move over Rao's...soon I'll take limited reservations and Gramercy Girl's place will become the hardest reservation in NYC. Who want as resy?

The Breslin, NYC

2012-03-31T19:17:00.001-07:00

Last night was supposed to be our monthly meeting of Burger Club but we failed to get a quorum so it ended up being another dinner with the Georgia Peach and Thyroid Storm. Not being Burger Club also meant that all entrees on the menu were available. That being said, 3 of the 4 of us ordered the burger, sometimes we lack creativity.

The Breslin does not take reservations, unless you’re staying at the hotel. When we arrived, the joint was jumping but luckily, we only had to wait about 45 minutes. Not too bad plus you can have a drink at the bar while you wait. You can also order food in the bar area, if you can snag as seat. We were seated in a great booth decorated with elks and a hawk chasing a rodent. Sure made me hungry, or maybe in the mood to hunt, if only I knew how.

I eat a lot of things that I love, but few things that I think of as life changing. The scotch egg at The Breslin was my first scotch egg and my life has been changed. A scotch egg is a soft boiled egg wrapped in sausage then covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried. My only regret is I shared mine with Gramercy Guy, I could have eaten about 3 of these. If I start a quest to find the best scotch egg, The Breslin will forever be the gold standard. The Tuscan Kale (kale is the new spinach) was like a Caesar but gamier.

Scotch Egg

Scotch Egg from the inside

The lamb burgers were really good. They were juicy and served with a slice of feta which added a nice saltiness. The thrice cooked chips were thick fries that were well done, delicious, and not very greasy. Gramercy Guy had the dorade with cockles and beans. He really enjoyed it, but I found it to a be a little fishy for my taste.

The Dark Chocolate Tarte for dessert had no chance against the four of us. I couldn't even get a photo before it was gone. This was all I can get.

If that's not a rave review, I'm not sure what is.
The cookie plate was just eh. If I was going to suggest two desserts, get two chocolate tartes.

I've said the scotch egg was life changing. What food have you had that changed your life?

MNPC: Don Antonio, NYC

2012-03-31T19:13:00.001-07:00

Went to Don Antonio Wednesday night with the MNPC (Monday Night Pizza Club). We were very excited to try Don Antonio, it is owned by the folks behind Keste (a fav of the MNPC) and the owner of one of the oldest pizza places in Naples. Don Antonio also brings pizza to the pizza wasteland of Midtown West. This was our first trip to the neighborhood in the 3+ years of the MNPC. How could it be bad?

We got there on the early side, fearing a crowd and long wait. We were wrong, other than the crying baby, there were only a few tables. When we were shown to a table next to the men’s room, LGFEO asked for a different table (there were at least four other 4 tops available) and were told gruffly that we should take the table we were shown to. Thank goodness there was a 2^nd door to the men’s room providing us with a buffer. But what was the big deal about another table? However, after that, everything was much better. Our waiter was great, walked us through the menu, spurted off a nice list of beers available off the top of his head and paced our meal perfectly. We always like to order all our pizzas and then ask to be served one or two at a time, ensuring that the others won’t get cold while we eat.

The pizzas were really good, but not amazing. We all found the hot sopressata to have a strange taste. But maybe that’s just what good sopressata should taste like. All said, I would go back, if I was in the area, but given the choice between Keste and Don Antonio, I would pick Keste.

Buratta Roberto, topped with house-made buratta

Diavola, with hot sopressata

Antonio Starita's Specialty, fried then topped and baked

Vesuvio, stuffed Pizza) inside: fresh ricotta, homemade mozzarella, salami. on top: tomato sauce, italian ham, mushrooms, basil

The Stuffing

Ironically, we ordered a pie what we believe is named after Mt. Vesuvius, and were seated next to this painting

Have you had good pizza in the New York area? What's you're favorite?

The Mussel Pot, NYC

2012-03-25T14:24:00.002-07:00

I love mussels. I cook them at home and I order them out. When NYC started a slight mussel boom, I was excited. I have been to The MusselPot a few times and enjoyed it, so when Travel Zoo had a special I didn’t hesitate to buy it. The Georgia Peach bought it also, and we went the other night. I booked our reservation through OpenTable and noted that we had 2 Travel Zoo vouchers. I didn’t hear anything back from the restaurant, not even the usual phone confirmation. When we arrived, we were told in order to use the vouchers, I couldn’t get the OpenTable points. Fine. Then when we were seated, our waiter told us we couldn’t use 2 vouchers at one table, he spoke to the hostess. We were told it was the Mussel Pot’s policy of only 1 voucher per table. We asked about separate checks, that wasn’t an option. So to solve this problem, we were asked to move to two separate tables (which we pushed together), and got a new waiter (our drinks were already served). Problem solved.

This wasn’t our first attempt to use the voucher either. In February Georgia Peach made a brunch reservation via OpenTable and called to ask if the voucher could be used at brunch. The voucher covers 2 soups or salads, 2 mussels, 2 sides…perfect for brunch. However, she was told they stopped serving brunch, although they hadn’t updated Open Table or their own website. Moving on.

After the voucher debacle, dinner was just very ok. Gramercy Guy had the Cream of Broccoli Soup which he said was salty but not to the point where he didn’t stop eating it. I had the Spinach Salad which was huge, but I wasn’t a fan of the dressing which seemed very gritty so I picked out the undressed spinach leaves and some pine nuts.

For mussels, I went simple with the Provencal which was good, but I had many empty shells and no extra sinkers at the bottom of the pot. Gramercy Guy had the Louisiana which is like a gumbo with mussels. He thought it was good. Georgia Peach also had the Louisiana and Thyroid Storm had the Lobster Bisque, he found the Louisiana a bit too spicy for him. I got Broccoli for my side, which was good and garlicky and Gramercy Guy had fries.

Provencal

Louisiana

We opted to go to Cones for dessert.

Bottom line, after this experience and just ok food, I will not be back. The hostess made us feel like she was doing us the favor by accommodating us and there are better mussels all over the city. There are two Flex Mussels which in my experience is far superior in service and food. The Mussel Pot should try Flex and work on emulating them.