The Official Foodies In NYC Blog

Great Expectations

2012-01-11T12:14:00.010-05:00

While we don’t blog about our day jobs, this foodie crew pays our restaurant bills by working in PR. And, while we often trust, discover and sometimes agree with reviews from the likes of Sam Sifton (New York Times), Adam Platt (NY Magazine) and fellow foodies on Yelp and Twitter, sometimes the hype can lead to disappointment.

The Dutch, a new Soho restaurant, “inspired by local cafés, country inns, corner taverns, neighborhood bistros, seaside shacks, roadside joints, old school dining halls and the same mix of cultural influences that make New York City great,” was getting glowing reviews from all the usual suspects but mediocre reviews from ‘civilians.’ We ventured to the venue wondering who was right.

The interior, predictably, looks like every other new spot in NYC with a ‘bistro-like” flair (see my bitching about this in my Goat Town post) but the food was very eclectic and DELISH.

First, try the Asian White Boy Ribs under the snack section. This hearty slab of ribs in a mouth-watering sweet Asian sauce was finger licking good (disclaimer Anne thought they were chewy but I adamantly disagree). If I only ate this, I would have walked away a happy camper.

For our main courses, we had a lamb tagine, my personal favorite. The lamb was served in a clay pot and was falling off the bone, and the pork chop (both Anne and Christa’s fav) was perfectly cooked. We weren’t keen on the quinoa salad, as it lacked its namesake quinoa and the flavors didn’t come together, but do order the brussel sprouts with pancetta, served in a cast iron dish that it was obviously prepared in.

Now, I am not a dessert person but the special banana crème pie thrilled my taste buds. The fresh bananas and cream whipped so light it was floating slighting above the dish were paired perfectly with a salty, sweet crust was the just the right way to end the meal.

So Sam Sifton and Adam Platt, you got it right on this one!

PS - The Dutch was named in the Platt 101 and was one of Sifton's Top Ten New Restaurants of 2011

The Dutch
131 Sullivan St(At Prince St)
(212) 677-6200
http://thedutchnyc.com/

In a Land Far, Far Away…The Foodies Explore Chinatown

2011-11-16T10:52:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time,three successful NYC women in their Bloomingdale’s best trekked through thefish juice glazed streets of Chinatown to explore the highly buzzed about 456Restaurant. Sam Sifton of The NewYork Times (and foodie celeb!) had us at the phrase "dumplingheaven" in his review of 456, so we decided it would be a fun adventure for The Foodies…

While somerestaurants pride themselves on the overall dining experience – the peacefulambiance, delivering the specials in poetic prose, the milieu of soothingorchestra music and a cellar full of exotic red wines – we don't alwaysconsider that the main attraction (as discussed previously). That said, ordering at 456 was not a three-ring circus. The menu was fairly straightforward (fish headcasserole; chicken with cashews; Peking duck) and our experience with the staffwas equally laconic:

Foodies in NYC: Doyou have a wine list?

Waiter: Whiteor red?

Foodies in NYC: Um...red.

Waiter: Bottle orglass?

Foodies (in unison): Bottle

Waiter: Ok. Do you want rice?

Foodies: Yes.

Waiter: Ok. Howmany?
Foodies: Uhh...two?

Waiter: Ok.

End conversation,cue the food. We decided on a little bit of this (steamed juicy pork bunsand steamed house veggie dumplings) and a little bit of that (cold noodles insesame sauce). The dumplings were moist and flavorful but the noodlesfell a little flat – the sauce was too buttery and meagerly covered the dish,which made it difficult to get past the gummy texture. On our two maindishes, General Tso's Chicken and Moo Shu Pork, we indulged in the simplicityof the sauces and quality of the meats. The big, white chunks of chickenand fluffy pancakes made both dishes good to the last rice grain.

While fairlyawkward in presence, the large, inexpensive plates of quality food at 456 tookus all to our happy places, where we laugh, chat and munch (never at the sametime, right mom?!) and always end the night with the phrase, "we neededthat!"

To ensure a happilyever after, we navigated back through the eel-streaked windows of Chinatown toend our night at Rice to Riches, a specialty, rice pudding Mecca. “Strange”might be the first thought that pops into your head, but ours is, "why the#$%& didn't we think of that!?" Served in Solo, Epic, Sumo, and Mobysizes, in flavors like Cheesecake, Cookies n' Cream, Banana, Rum Raisin andCoconut (among many others), Rice to Riches is a dessert dream come true.

The Takeaway:
Get out of your comfort zone with typical Chinese food. Next time, leave the take out boxes at home and go out for the real deal! And, in the words of Anne, "if you don't like rice pudding, seek professional help."

456 Restaurant

69 Mott Street (Canal Street), Chinatown

(212) 964-0003

Rice To Riches

37 Spring St

New York, NY 10012

(212) 274-0008

The Pie in the Sky

2011-10-23T14:33:00.002-04:00

Having some "early evening" pizza at Basile's in Hoboken!

On a valiant quest to secure the coveted “Pizzaiolo” badgeon Foursquare (check-in to 20 different pizza places), I broke the half-waypoint this past weekend and decided to reminisce about some of the best and“just OK” so far, because honestly, I’ve never met a pizza I really trulydisliked…

- Dozzino(Hoboken, N.J; http://www.dozzino.com/) –When restaurants pride themselves on “fresh and local” ingredients it can oftenmean a limited and boring menu – but fortunately Dozzino’s delivers. The small pies – with several toppings fromred pepper and calabrese salami to pecorino romano, fontina and basil – cookedby a wood fire, make this one of the hottest new pizza places in town. And they have a bocce court too!

- Carmine’sPizzeria (Brooklyn, N.Y.; http://www.carminespizzeria.com/)– This may look and feel like your typical Italian restaurant, but Carmine’soffers so much more. Not to be confusedwith the tourist trap in the city, this Carmine’s is a local legend that keeps patronscoming back – from the Chicken Parm to the Yankees Pie, this place is asBrooklyn as you can get.

- Rosario’s(Hoboken, N.J.; http://www.allmenus.com/nj/hoboken/17083-rosarios-at-willow/menu/)– The debate between thin/crispy versus thick/doughy pizza has been around for ages(or at least since 1889, according to Wikipedia). If you’re of the doughy camp, Rosario’s isthe place for you. It’s a friendly, neighborhoodjoint with five tables and a small TV that will always be playing some local sportsteam’s game. The food is reliable, butnothing to write home about, especially if you live around the corner!(Full disclosure: I do…)

- Gennaro’s(Hamilton, N.J.; http://www.gennarospizzeria.com/)– Run by an Italian family in Hamilton that your “mother’s sister’s cousinprobably went to middle school with,” Gennaro’s is the place you go when youwant home cooking but don’t feel like doing the dishes. The Italiano Pie – topped with fig,prosciutto, arugula, red onion and goat cheese – is famous in Hamilton and oneof the best topping combinations I’ve ever had.

- 7 Stars(Hoboken, N.J.; http://www.7starspizza.com/)– Following a friendly discussion on the characteristics that make a good pie,the term “late night pizza” (© BA) surfaced. 7 Stars may hit the spot after a long day or night spent at the bar, butit’s not the type of place you’d go without your beer goggles securely on first.

- Napoli’s(Hoboken, N.J.; http://www.allmenus.com/nj/hoboken/243834-napolis/menu/)– Unexpectedly one of the best pizza places in Hoboken - and with more than 20to choose from, that’s saying a lot. TheMargarita Pie was not too doughy or too crispy and the combination of the sweetmarinara sauce and salty fresh mozzarella made it the Goldilocks of pizza!

With only eight check-ins to go, I’m at a crucial turningpoint where I have to choose whether to continue stumbling into whicheverpizza “joint” I come across in my ‘hoods or be a tad pickier and rightfully earn the badge that rewards only the “true pizza connoisseur.”

This badge has been my most recent foodie adventure – I’m soclose I can taste it. I just need toponder where my finals check-ins should be, taking me one step closer tothis lifetime achievement. What are yourmost/least favorite pizza shops? Howwould you spend your 20 check-ins?

Butter….eh – I’ve had better

2011-10-03T16:35:00.003-04:00

I still get excited about restaurant week. It’s a great excuse to connect with friends (one Scott A. Berwitz) that I haven’t seen in a while and a wonderful way to afford some of the great restaurants in the city.

That. Said.

My trip to Butter…was…well…not bad. But I’ve had better…

The dream child of Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, Butter opened in 2003 to much fanfare in the East Village and became a bit of a “celeb” hot spot. So while it’s not “new” it’s always been on my list to try - so off we went. (Note – no celebs :(

The cocktails were great– I had a champagne cocktail called The Veranda with sparkling cava and St. Germain and Scott had The Butter Martini. The service was great and the décor was super cool. It’s all wood paneled and almost feels like you’re stepping into a high end spa. Very warm and serene.

But the food was…just OK and not what I was expecting. The appetizer of fried green tomatoes was three greasy tomatoes on a plate – no garnish, no dollop of creme fraiche or goat cheese or even a drizzle of olive oil. It looked like it had been tossed on a plate with all the care a fry cook at McDonald’s stuffing French fries into a happy meal (no offense to fry cooks!! We heart you in our own special way!). The goat cheese pizza consisted of a thick paste of strong goat cheese slathered on a very thin (what would normally be a very enjoyable crust) and then doused with onions. The best dish was the braised short rib. No knife was required and it was a perfectly rich, hearty dish that is always a favorite of mine.

The Takeaway
Go there if you are in the mood for a fun cocktail – but you can get better food elsewhere.

Butter
415 Lafayette St.
New York, NY 10003
212-253-2828
http://www.butterrestaurant.com

WTFoodie Friday Schweddy Balls – Good Times!

2011-09-30T09:30:00.002-04:00

We could hardly let THIS piece of news fly by without making it a WTFoodie post!

Ben & Jerry’s has a new flavor – Schweddy Balls! Who can forget the SNL sketch with Alec Baldwin – as Pete Schweddy – touting his balls (popcorn balls, cheese balls, rum balls and of course – his famous Schweddy balls!) to Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer who play very wholesome - quirky-as-hell radio show hosts.

Who doesn’t love a good bowl (or…ahem…a pint) of Ben and Jerry’s! My personal favorite is Half Baked and I also enjoy me some Pfish Food. Danielle loves Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Christa is partial to Strawberry Cheesecake.

But I think I speak for us all when I say – we may have a new favorite. Schweddy is Balls Vanilla Ice Cream with a Hint of Rum & Loaded with Fudge Covered Rum & Malt Balls. We can’t wait to try it!

What’s your favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor?

Try the Goat!

2011-08-29T17:01:00.005-04:00

It’s hard to keep up with all the foodie news in NYC. All too often, just when you hear about a new gem, The New York Times or some other dining bible will write a fantastic review making it impossible to score a reservation or even worse… it will become so crowded with tourists that what made it special suddenly seems sadly overdone.

Goat Town was right on the cusp. With a great review in New York Magazine touting its farm-to-table concept (my favorite) coupled with its Alphabet City location, I figured us Foodies should give it a whirl before ‘Best Thing I Ever Ate’ exposed it to the flyover states.

Now, before we get into the food, which was very good, a few things must be said:

1- We went during the July heat wave. It was easily 90 degrees at 7 PM and the restaurant’s A/C system could not keep up. This naturally sweaty Foodie was quite uncomfortable throughout her whole meal, and chugging 2 bottles of cold wine wasn’t helping. I mean, who wants to sweat in their roast chicken???
2- The restaurant’s ambiance is great. French bistro meets East Village meets down home style, BUT the last 2-3 new restaurants I’ve popped into (i.e. The Dutch and 100 Acres) look remarkably similar…. Is NYC running out of creativity?
3- The service was slow. We like slow dining, but the waitress was so aloof I almost felt compelled to use the ‘I have a food blog and will be reviewing your flipping restaurant so speed it up sista’ card.

Ok, enough about mediocrity - now it’s on to where Goat Town shines. Despite the slow service, hot dining room and pricey wine list, the food at Goat Town is actually pretty good!

We started with the ice box tomato and watermelon salad, which was divine. The balsamic vinaigrette perfectly complemented the salad. It was more than just refreshing given the heat (both inside and out), it was really satisfying. The goat neck French dip (made with actual goat) was also really fun. I am not one to order goat, but it actually melted in your mouth. The au jus was so good, I would have been happy eating it by itself as a soup, and sour cherries really balanced the dish. Another star was the cast iron chicken. You didn’t even need a knife, the chicken was so juicy and tender. We also did the burger with bone marrow butter. This fell a little short for all of us and the bone marrow added nothing to the dish except for extra calories (and definitely does not measure up to the Spotted Pig burger which I had again the week before).

Perhaps Goat Town deserves a second chance. However, for this Foodie, it will go to the back of her list as she sets out on a quest to try new things in the ever-evolving city.

Goat Town
511 Fifth Street (between First and A)
http://goattownnyc.com/212-687-3641

Cocktail Alert: Hundred Acres

2011-08-21T13:48:00.000-04:00

Hot? In need of a refreshing cocktail to quench your thirst and provide a great buzz? Go to Hundred Acres immediately and try the Spicy Watermelon Lemonade. This refreshing sweet yet spicy cocktail will blow you away.

Homemade jalapeño infused vodka with fresh watermelon juice and lemonade is to die for. My only regrets were (A)that I didn’t find this amazing drink at the beginning of the summer and (B) that I didn’t have a second!

Hundred Acres
38 MacDougal Street
212-475-7500
http://hundredacresnyc.com/

Foodies' First! Guest Blogger: Some Things are Worth Waiting Fore

2011-07-26T21:36:00.009-04:00

By FoodiesInNYC Guest Blogger – Mitch Wexler

As an avid home cook and outspoken foodie, certain things about a restaurant can really catch my attention –a menu printed daily featuring great ingredients, a functional open kitchen with an efficient system at work and a wood burning oven that serves as the cooking method for a third of the menu. Throw in owning a bakery underneath the restaurant that provides for an amazing bread basket – and I’m one happy guy. Fore Street in Portland, Maine got off to a great start for me before I even perused the daily menu. I’ve long wanted to visit, and on a recent trip to Ogunquit, we headed up to the big city to give it a shot.

Fore Street splits its focus three ways – veggie based items, locally sourced meats and seafood, and things that turn out awesome when you cook them in a wood-fired oven for a few minutes. My four dining companions and I had a diverse set of tastes that allowed us to embrace all areas of the menu, while finding common areas in wonderful places like a bowl of mussels and a plate of foie gras. The appetizers were highlighted by a tangy and unique mushroom salad – finished perfectly by a delightful vinaigrette. The seafood sampler was a creative array of raw seafood items, highlighted by an eye- opening flounder tartare. From the wood-fired oven, we had the mussels, which were plump and delicious, but did suffer from the unintended consequence of the inferno – cracked shells galore.

The main course is where the gem of Fore Street, and possibly all of the land-based meals in Maine, occurred. The rack of pork, a simple, thick, spit-roasted pork chop, served with sauerkraut, elicited an immediate ‘wow’ from me, along with a giggle. The strong but complex flavor, highlighted by the delightful aroma of fennel pollen, made this the second best pork chop I ever had. The first, for those scoring at home, resides at Centro Vinoteca in the West Village – try it if you haven’t, nod in agreement if you have.

Other dishes included a flaky, if plain, whole black bass, and a duo of duck that featured a nicely under cooked duck breast and some delicious duck confit. We were able to order a reasonably priced Cali Cab to complement the cocktails that we started the night with, and overall, the drink menu and wine list were well created and fairly priced.

Not one to do much with dessert, I was ready to call it a night, but the ladies at the table called for the closer, and out came two unbelievable desserts, a perfectly executed bread pudding and a chocolate dish so rich and divine they might have named it Oprah.

The Takeaway:
For anyone visiting Maine, your first stop has to be a lobster shack (or Barnacle Billy’s) for the best lobster in the world. But if you are near Portland, and love to eat, make Fore Street your second.

Fore Street
http://www.forestreet.biz/288 Fore Street
Portland, Maine
207.775.2717

Mitch Wexler is an advertising exec, part-time sous chef and full-time foodie based in Hoboken, NJ.

WTFood Friday!?

2011-07-21T15:01:00.007-04:00

Ok. It’s a known fact that I am not a seafood fan. That said,I’ve tried a lot – almost everything put in front of me (back me up girls!).

But I DRAW THE LINE HERE! This is why I like meat! A burger would not do this! A lamb kabob would not do this! Not even the rarest steak would do this!

W.T.F?

This is much more my speed. http://meatopia.org/rollover-photos/

Home Sweet Hoboken

2011-07-08T12:23:00.002-04:00

Growing up eating your mother’s, grandmother’s or great grandmother’s traditional cooking can make almost anyone a food critic of their native country’s cuisine. Italian cuisine in particular has been so altered and modernized that few restaurants can capture the simplicity and boldness of flavors in Italy's signature dishes. So to get back to our roots (officially and unofficially), Foodies in NYC took a trip to the birthplace of Frank Sinatra and hard-crusted bread - Hoboken, New Jersey.

A little less than ten years old, Café Michelina sits off of the main strip, located on Bloomfield between 4th and 5th. With several other highly palatable Italian restaurant options in the area – such as Augustino’s, Trattoria Soporito, Leos, and Piccolo Roma – Café Michellina holds its own against the competition.

So after grabbing a few bottles of red wine from a nearby deli (Café Michelina is BYOB), we experienced a little bit of a wait - typical for a Friday night in Hoboken. Once seated outside on a beautiful June night, we quickly came up with four dishes we had to try – the Antipasto Michelina, Cavatelli e Broccoli, a special ravioli dish with smoked mozzarella and chicken in vodka sauce, and the Pollo alla Michelina.

Antipasto!

Even though prosciutto, salami and provolone don’t seem like a light summer nosh, the components of the antipasto were refreshingly delicious when lightly drizzled with olive oil and topped with fresh basil. The roasted peppers and homemade sundried tomatoes on the side completed the perfect bite!

For the main course, all three dishes stood out for their boldness and individual flavors. The cavatelli and broccoli gave a soft and crunchy bite with the perfect amount of garlic-to-oil ratio. The ravioli were a little thicker in texture than we’d like but the vodka sauce was very tasty with the smoky, rich flavor of the mozzarella packing the punch. The chicken dish also received six thumbs up for the “zesty lemon sauce” and tender chicken and mushrooms over al dente penne.

We'd swim in that pool of vodka sauce!

To top off the meal, our awesome server TJ recommended we split a cannolo (Italian lesson of the day: that’s the singular of cannoli). We proceeded to lick our spoons clean and (like good little foodies) did not leave one crumb behind!

Comparable to Frank in NYC, this Italian restaurant offers authentic, bold flavors and hearty portions so you can carb-load for your next marathon or catch up with paesans over a delicious meal.

The Take Away:

Don’t be turned off by the old-school décor and non-flashy dining area; the food is very reasonably priced and the taste makes up for it tenfold. Just grab a bottle of wine and be ready to mangi! Boun appétito!

That WAS our dessert...

Café Michelina

423 Bloomfield St
Hoboken, NJ 07030

www.cafemichelina.com

We have Georgia On Our Minds….

2011-06-15T14:16:00.011-04:00

Cue Ray Charles!

With the start of summer, who doesn’t get in the mood for some barbeque?! And believe it or not – NYC is a BBQ town! Scoff if you will Southern friends, but some of our NYC favorites include Blue Smoke, Virgil’s and Brother Jimmy’s. However, this time, we found ourselves with our good foodie friend Rob at the quaint (read: 5 tables), rustic (read: we teetered on our wooden chairs hoping they would hold us!) Georgia’s Eastside Grill.

Quick side note: Danielle is our captain of ordering – regardless of cuisine. She has this uncanny ability to corral all of our many opinions and cravings and order accordingly so that everyone leaves the table fat n’ happy. Seriously people – if they gave out a Nobel Prize for ordering, Danielle would win it!

So for appetizers –we started out with a full rack of dry rub baby back ribs and the potato skinz (with a “z”) special. The ribs were in no need of a pesky knife – the meat literally fell off the bone before our eyes.

We then went on to the fried chicken sandwich, two pulled pork platters and a fried catfish sandwich, sides of cole slaw, French fries, roasted beet salad and corn bread (don’t judge…we came hungry!). The BBQ pulled pork was rich and smoky and the fried fish and chicken were the perfect mixture of salty crispiness on the outside and juicy meatiness on the inside.

But we had one strange little star of the show – the homemade applesauce! It was on the special menu – so not sure they make it all the time – but if they do – ORDER IMMEDIATELY. It was a hearty mixture of smoothed apple puree with lots of warm cinnamon. Its sweetness perfectly complimented the savory dishes. Other hits were the coleslaw – which was not the goopy stuff you get at a deli – but rather, a lean, crisp slaw that went with the pulled pork like peanut butter goes with jelly! Like Oreos go with milk! Like fries go with ketchup…you get the idea ….

The Take Away:
This was a great BBQ experience and one we highly recommend. We do have 2 parting tips though: Go early (this place packs up) and don’t wear white.

Georgia’s Eastside BBQ
192 Orchard Street
B/W Houston and Stanton
212.253.6280
http://www.georgiaseastsidebbq.com/

FC Nibble: Cookshop

2011-05-23T08:14:00.004-04:00

Need a good brunch spot? How about lunch or dinner? Cookshop fits the bill for all your foodie needs. With all of the restaurant choices Manhattan has to offer, it is rare that I visit the same place within a six month period, let alone in one month. However, I did just that with Cookshop.

The ambiance is great – fresh and modern. The service is fantastic and the food is really really good and won’t break the bank.

One of the things I judge every brunch place by is the quality of their bloody mary, and let me tell you this was spicy, tangy and delicious. Spying on dinners around me, everything looked great and made choosing entrees very difficult. As I insisted on having a bite of everyone’s dish (in our party), I can confirm everything tasted good too. The burger rocked, the scramble was amazing, the fried chicken was crispy and surprising light, and the poached egg and house made sausage over grits will make any egg fan’s day.

For dinner – you would be remiss not try to the butcher block. It’s a big portion and great for sharing. I did the NY State Rabbit Milanese. It was fantastic. My fellow diners did everything from the duck to Lemon Poached Merluza. The simple, delicious flavors left you feeling like you were eating a meal just as the famer who raised the food intended. Who says you can’t have farm fresh food in the city.

Cookshop
www.cookshopny.com
156 10th Ave, New York NY10011 (At 20th St)
(212) 924-4440

WTFoodie Bite of the Day!

2011-05-13T13:22:00.003-04:00

Happy Friday Foodies!

Ok so this shouldn’t really count as a WTFoodie…it’s more like TGIFoodie! Urban Daddy, one of our e-newsletter bibles, has alerted us to TEQUILA SNOWCONES. I haven’t been this excited since I got my Snoopy Sno Cone Machine when I was a kid!!

What’s even better is that they offer it in a to go cup. Nothin’ screams “the summer is here” like some frozen tequila on the hot blistering streets of New York.

This is totally on our list to try!

(AND it’s conveniently located in my ‘hood – so expect to see a happy, slightly- tipsy, strawberry blonde when you go!)

Takeout Tequila Snow Cones
available at Cascabel Taqueria
1538 2nd Ave
(at 80th St)
New York, NY 10075
212-717-8226
http://www.nyctacos.com/

2nd Avenue Deli: Our Bubbies Would be Jealous

2011-04-28T14:15:00.010-04:00

Coming out of a terrible, miserable, cold winter, most of the Foodies were under the weather. We needed a low key dinner that would give us the strength to get over our ailments… some Jewish Penicillin (matzoh ball soup) and all the fixings were in order.

Oy vey (oh no), where does one get great Jewish deli in the city these days, you may ask? Well, the question is not as easy to answer as it used to be. You see, Jewish delis have gone through a period of consolidation and disappearance. Where once there were hundreds there are now only a dozen or so worthy of your bubby’s (grandmother) stamp of approval.

2nd Ave Deli is a New York institution. While no longer located on Second Ave (it is now just off Third on 33rd St.), the deli returned with a force from a several year hiatus. While the deli meats are good, they aren’t as good as Katz’s, the king of all NY delis.

The foodies opted for a smorgasbord of Jewish delicacies. They included: matzoh ball soup, latkes (potatoes pancakes) with homemade applesauce, stuffed to the brim deli sandwiches (corned beef, turkey, brisket and pastrami) with coleslaw and Russian dressing (of course), and kasha varnishkes (bowtie pasta with barley)… OY GAVALT (on my gosh)! With a round of Dr. Browns’ sodas (cream and black cherry), we feasted until we were too full to kibbitz (make small talk / joke) and turned to kvetsching (complaining).

While the meal hit the spot, it was very salty. The corned beef was a little too lean, but the pastrami and brisket melted in your mouth! If you are going to make the schlep (the trip) to the 2nd Ave Deli, the matzoh ball soup is a must, and make sure you stay hydrated throughout your Jewish delicacy delight!

2nd Ave Deli
http://www.2ndavedeli.com/
212-689-9000
162 E 33rd St (at Third Ave)

Flight of the Foodies: Oregon Wine Tasting at City Winery

2011-04-15T09:18:00.005-04:00

Since it’s been a while since our last post, we thought we’d mix it up with a little tutorial on the Oregon wine region after having attended a special wine tasting at City Winery for an unofficial food club gathering. There’s no pop quiz at the end, just a few bullet points to wow your guests at a dinner party:

Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are the top two grapes grown in the region
The main wine regions in Oregon are the Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon, Umpqua Valley and Rogue Valley
Cuvée means blend in French (a popular type of wine for the region)
Oregon Wines are very similar to French wines because the regions fall on the same latitude line and therefore are affected by similar growing temperatures and elements
2008 was a “textbook” year for the Oregon region so most pinot noirs from that year will be delicious
Some of the highlights of the evening: 2008 Beau Freres Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2008 Benton-Lane Winery 1st Class Pinot Noir, 2008 Boedecker Cellars Stewart Pinot Noir, 2009 Coleman Vineyard Estate Pinot Gris, 2007 Daedalus Labyrinth Pinot Noir, 2009 Eyrie Vineyards Original Vines Reserve Chardonnay, 2008 Iota Cellars Pelos Sandberg Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2005 Left Coast Cellars Cali’s Cuvée Pinot Noir, 2008 Rex Hill Pinot Noir (see below for the full list of participating wineries)
Some Pinot Noirs can last up to 20 years on the shelf
(Warning: not a wine tip) – City Winery had fabulous finger foods that night including lamb skewers with a cherry chutney dip, mini egg quiches with red pepper mayo on top, truffle crab melt on brioche (the tuna melt’s ivy league cousin) and pulled pork sliders – all great compliments to the wines being served

All in all, a good evening for the Foodies because honestly, what goes better with a fantastic meal than a great bottle of wine? Maybe we’ll take our show on the road, Foodies in Oregon anyone?

City Winery
155 Varick St.
New York, NY
(212) 608-0555
www.citywinery.com

Adios Taco Tuesday

2011-03-04T08:40:00.001-05:00

Taco Tuesdays are for the birds! After trying Dos Toros in Union Square, Foodies in NYC is taking a stand to invoke Taco Wednesday, Taco Thursday, Taco Friday and…well, you get the idea! Anyone who’s been to Cali knows that tacos are their “thing” and are very hard to imitate on the East Coast. It’s like how bagels and pizza are here – why can’t Cali make good pizza? So instead of travelling 3000 miles across the US of A, we decided to try Dos Toros in Union Square owned by two San Franciscans (or is it San Franciscoans) Leo and Oliver Kremer – yes, they’re brothers too!

Don't mind if we do!

So on a blistery cold and blizzard-y January night, Foodies in NYC ventured out in the ice storm to Union Square (ok, it wasn’t that dramatic – we just had to take the 4/5 downtown) to warm up with a pre-dinner bevy at Vintage with a fellow Foodie and Union Square local Rob, followed by some hot new Mexican food. The line was practically out the door and we had to throw some ‘bows to get a table, but we did it! And it was worth it!

mmmm...tacos....

Anne’s pork quesadilla won, hands down! It was warm flavorful pork wrapped conveniently in a soft and grilled tortilla. But our order envy didn’t go too far after we bit into our chicken plato (a burrito without the tortilla) and chicken and pork tacos. The meat actually had (gasp!) flavor and wasn’t loaded with condiments and hidden behind walls of sour cream so we were actually able to taste it! Hint, hint, Chipotle. To wash the meal down, we sipped on some Red Stripes and then somehow wandered into Chocolate by the Bald Man for some espressos and a peanut butter chunky chocolate crepe.

So for a taste of Cali right in your hood, Dos Toros is as close as it gets to the quaint but delicious taquerias of the west. Proving, yet again, NYC is the mecca for ALL types of cuisines!

Dos Toros Taqueria
137 4th Avenue
New York, NY, 10003
(212) 677-7300
http://dostoros.com/

Vintage Irving
120 East 15th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 677-6300
www.vintageirving.com

Max Brenner
841 Broadway (14th street/Union Square)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 388-0030
www.maxbrenner.com

Use Your Noodle - Try Ippudo

2011-02-23T13:23:00.010-05:00

To celebrate the start of winter, with the snow piled on the streets of New York six-feet high, the foodies headed out for the kind of meal that not only warms you up physically, it warms you from the inside out…We passed on the traditional comforts - mac & cheese, meatloaf and mash potatoes and opted for comfort food Japanese style, ramen. We choose Ippudo located on the UES.

Some very important facts before we share our “feelings” on the evening:

1) Ramen noodles are way more complex that that instant noodles that you got through freshman year of college. Good ramen noodles are hand-pulled. )What does that mean? Check out this video from the New York Times and their awesome Dining reporter Julia Moskin). Ramen is the official food of Japan (although it is believed to have been conceived in China) and is considered a staple in Asia—today most Asian cultures have there own form of the dish.

2) With NY-based chefs like David Chang and his Momofuku empire, ramen has grown significantly in popularity (see my Oct 28, 2009 post on Momofuku)

3) Ippudo, our pick for the evening, has 40 locations in Japan and has been around in more than 25 years. The NY location is its first forray outside of Asia.

4) The restaurant does not take reservations and even on a Tuesday there is a wait… a long one. Even with several feet of snow on the ground and on a “school night” we waited for more than hour….

At the bar, we partook in some excellent cocktails while we waited… and waited… Once we were admitted into the dining room, there was a certain bustling in the air. The wait staff shouts at each other in Japanese (including the Americans). We sat at a big round communal table. We were hungry.

Cutting to the chase… the pork buns were out of control… literally the best I’ve ever had… It was like eating perfectly cooked, not too fatty piece of pork belly on little clouds. The buns were so light they melted in your mouth. I wanted to order more for dessert, but was turned down! We also got a short rib and fried chicken appetizers, both were great, but if you remember one thing from this post – GET THE PORK BUNS!

We then shared two ramen dishes a Tori Ramen a classic ramen dish with a light, clear broth, pork, soft boiled eggs and other goodness. We also shared a special, darker ramen on the menu for the winter season.

If you like noodle soup, pork products and salt, Ippudo could easily become your favorite.

Ippudo
65 4th Avenue (between 9th and 10th)
212-388-0088
http://www.ippudony.com/

FC Nibble: Commerce - It’s not JUST about the Birthday Cake…..

2011-02-11T13:48:00.012-05:00

So, my cousins, The Altenaus (Michael and Maureen), were coming to the city. They wanted to take in a day at The Whitney and then (very generously!) take me out to an NYC dinner. Because of our blog, they asked ME where to go for dinner. Oh the pressure! So I went to my go-to human Zagat and fellow Foodie in NYC, Danielle, who did not disappoint!

She had gone to Commerce (not a “new” place but one with a great reputation) for dinner on New Year’s Day and she was pissed. She was pissed because her boyfriend and fellow friend of the Foodies, Mitchell, talked her OUT of having the birthday cake at Commerce for dessert. The nerve! So Danielle, after having a fabulous meal at Commerce, she went home dessertLESS with birthday cake on her mind!.

Needless to say, Danielle had Commerce on the mind. So when I went to her with my dilemma, she immediately recommended I take my beloved Altenaus there immediately.

So I made a reservation (which is a must)! Right away Michael was drawn to the cocktail menu, specifically the Sazerac, which is an old-fashioned type cocktail with rye and absinthe - a la Mad Men. He was skeptical, but gave big kudos to the bartender (by ordering a second)!

What then followed was a wonderful dinner of gnocchi with Italian sausage, papardelle with lamb and finally, broiled skate. Did I mention the homemade bread?! I have to say, for someone who doesn’t like seafood, the skate was….good! I don’t know that I would order it, but I was pleasantly surprised (and Mo almost licked her plate).

But now onto the pièce de résistance – the birthday cake. Out came a four-layered vanilla cake with rich chocolate icing, sprinkles and a candle! We ordered the banana pudding as a side dish for the dessert and it was delicious! So Danielle, thanks for the recommendation – and Mitch, take her back to Commerce for the birthday cake!

Commerce
50 Commerce Street
New York, NY 10014
212.524.2301
www.commercerestaurant.com

WTFood Bite of the Day

2011-02-07T11:56:00.004-05:00

The McNuggetini: A Chocolate Milkshake With Vanilla Vodka, Rimmed With BBQ Sauce And A Chicken McNugget

While we, the Foodies In NYC, pride ourselves on being adventurous foodies (and drinkies!) we're not sure there is EVER enough alcohol to make THIS sound good!

FC Nibble: Date Night Never Tasted So Good

2011-01-29T13:37:00.009-05:00

I’ve been to a lot of good restaurants lately, but it’s been a while since I walked away feeling that I just experienced true greatness. Feeling full, but wanting more…plotting my next visit, counting the menu items I must try. Joseph Leonard was that experience for me.

It’s a 35 seat joint (including bar seating) just off of 7th Avenue on Waverly. Its homey, like a hipster grandma’s living room (is there such thing?). It’s got a village charm and coolness, and doesn’t feel like its trying too hard. When we got there, we learned that restaurant just reopened – that week – with an updated menu and wine list, as it was closed for two months due to a basement fire.

The menu was exciting… not exotic… but had the type of items that just made your mouth water: a warm octopus salad, crispy braised pork hock, roasted brussel sprouts with siracha, YUM! And, the little open kitchen filled the small room with a perfume of goodness that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

We sat down to a jar of homemade sour gherkins – my date who has an aversion to sweet pickles was thrilled. For an “amuse-bouche” we were served homemade potato chips with sour cream an onion dip… Could there be anything better? For appetizers, we then opted to share deconstructed clam casino and the warm octopus salad – a definite highlight. For a main course, we split the New York strip which was perfectly medium rare, and the roasted cauliflower and roasted brussel sprouts with siracha – they were extremely hot and addictive.

Joseph Leonard is not for the faint of seasoning… each dish has big, bold flavors. The destructed clams casino was too salty, but everything else was perfect for my palate. I am counting the days until I can return. Next on my list to try – the crispy braised pork hock.

Joseph Leonard

170 Waverly Place (at Grove St)

646-429-8383

WTFood Bite of the Day

2011-01-19T16:13:00.003-05:00

One of our favorite gossip bloggers Perez Hilton posted the following article on his site today:

Man Shoots Friend For Eating His Cake Without Asking

Our initial reaction...but what kind of cake was it?!?! C'mon, you know you thought the same thing!

p.s. - The cake in the photo looks pretty amazing, right?! Time for our afternoon snack!

Thanks Perez!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-10T22:19:00.009-05:00

Happy New Year Foodies!

Ok ok we’re 10 days late – but that doesn’t mean we can’t have resolutions!! (I mean – we are making this all up as we go!) So here goes. Um…we’d like to continue to eat great food! And write MORE about it! So…nothing surprising there…but here are a few specifics we’d like to do in 2011:

- We need to hit some more boroughs! Queens and the Bronx – I’m talking to you! Staten Island…we’ll keep you on our list for 2012 – m’kay? ;)
- We’d love some guest bloggers! We love it when friends join us for dinner! So if you’re interested in joining us and/or writing about a great food experience – by all means let us know!
- Be more international! There are a ton of cuisines that we’ve not yet tried! Any suggestions?

So the first post of 2011 is actually from the December Foodies In NYC Monthly Dinner. And we went to a place that is definitely different – check it out below!

Cheers and here is to a delicious 2011!

Anne, Christa and Danielle - - a.k.a. – Foodies In NYC

"Nothing Wrong with That!"

So as members of Foodies In NYC, we pride ourselves on trying everything! We love all types of food - from the diners to the five stars of the city - we love it all (errr...or most of it!) So December's choice came to us via a FINYC fan Ann Subveri - who also does some PR work for the casual dining chain Uno's (formerly Pizzeria Uno's and now called simply Uno Chicago Grill). Ann called us up and asked if we'd peruse the new menu for the blog. We were beyond flattered and got to work.....that is, to eat!

The night started out with a cozy little wine bar in South Street Seaport called Bin No: 220 (http://www.binno220.com). It was a celebration of Danielle's birthday (Happy Bday D!!!) - so to help the celebration along - we started the evening off with a few glasses of 2002 Montepulchiano Zaccaginini. It was earthy, warm and a perfect way to start the night.

Then - on to Uno's in South Street Seaport. We aren't gonna lie - we were skeptical (some would say snobby) about going here but we forged ahead! It's perched on the second floor of the Pier with a breathtaking view of the lighted Brooklyn Bridge and majestic old ships keeping watch in the harbor. We settled into a booth and began perusing the PAGES of options! We needed a glass of wine to sort this all out - so we ordered (from our very cheery and attentive waitress) a bottle of Gnarly Head Pinot Noir. Good wine at a great price!

So while the menu boasts some healthy options - it's actually listed as America's Healthiest Chain Restaurant by Health Magazine - we did not opt for those (did you really think we would?). We started out with the Chi Town Tasting plate (typical fare with wings, cheese dippers, and chicken fingers) but the stand out of the NIGHT was a little dish called Pizza Skins. That's right kids - it's a deep dish crust filled with red bliss mashed potatoes topped with bacon, cheddar and sour cream. This was creamy carb heaven on a plate! "Nothing Wrong With That" was Danielle's comment as she dove into her second slice.

For dinner, we sampled some of the other “Chef's Signature Dishes” - which included a Meat Deep dish pizza w/ BBQ chicken and sweet peppers, the Wowza Chicken thin crust with peppered chicken, spicy banana peppers, bell peppers an array of cheeses and Uno's Wowza sauce infused with Sam Adams. We also tried the Chicken Spinoccoli which was a rolled chicken breast filled with mozzarella, feta, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, garlic and basil with penne in creamy pesto and chunky tomato. It was good - but I think the fan favorite for the entrees was the deep dish.
Not surprisingly...the foodies were too full (can you believe it?) for dessert! Next time Uno's - we promise!

While this is a bit off the beaten path for the foodies - we still had ourselves a good time. Good talks, laughs and lots of overeating. In fact, as we ordered - we all talked about our guilty pleasure restaurants. Mine (Anne) was Ruby Tuesday (LOVE their salad bar!), Danielle loves herself some TGI Friday’s, and Christa's a fan of Red Lobster (hello cheddar biscuits!). While we can't eat like this every night - we think that Uno’s is definitely on our list for some good ole guilty fun! What are your guilty pleasures?

FC Nibble: Skip Mermaid Inn

2010-12-20T09:21:00.003-05:00

If you have lived in NYC for any period of time, enjoy good food and have friends who also like food, Mermaid Inn will undoubtedly come up in conversation. This ‘oldie but goodie,’ with two locations (UWS and East Village), known for its fun atmosphere and reasonably priced seafood fare, is a standby for many.

Unfortunately, my first experience didn’t match those of my fellow foodies. Not in the mood for (and not impressed with) the entrée selection, we ordered several appetizers – an array of seafood delights - or so we thought. The PEI mussels were so disappointing (more than half a dozen were served closed shut) the waiter kindly removed them from my bill. The scallop ceviche was so acidic, I felt like I was biting into a soggy lemon.

While I did not try the Inn’s lobster roll, recommended by many, what I did try was not impressive and not the quality or caliber of the food I’ve come to expect in Manhattan.

If you want good seafood try Aquagrill (the raw bar is amazing and entrees showcase seafood at its finest).

96 Second Ave (between Fifth and Sixth)
212-674-5870

Dear West Village...

2010-11-22T17:11:00.006-05:00

Dear West Village,

It is with complete and utter lament that I’m writing this post because well…I’m sorry. I’m sorry I called you gross and overrated. I’m sorry I thought you smelled and were filled with drunk college kids. I’m sorry I thought you had nothing to offer my spoiled taste buds. But alas, all of my previous experiences at crappy diners and hole-in-the-wall pubs have left a foul taste in my mouth. And FINALLY you’ve started to unfold in front of me….

Home – (sigh) Home sweet Home! Comfort food at its best. A great menu with wines from the Finger Lakes, melt-in-your-mouth short ribs, juicy pork chops and mac n’ cheese that defines logic (how do you get crispy and creamy in every bite??). www.homerestaurantnyc.com/

Choptank – With the salty shores of the Chesapeake Bay nearly 200 miles away, Choptank has captured the essence of Baltimore right here in NYC. Crab dip that makes your toes curl and sweet and salty crab chips are staples! But the whole fish was a treat and the burger was juicy and delicious. To top it off, Choptank had the friendliest staff I’ve ever experienced. www.choptanknyc.com/

Fat Cat Billiards – This isn’t the Ritz, but what I didn’t expect from this underground bar was the SPACE! There’s nothing I hate more than being shoulder-to-shoulder with 100 complete strangers trying to enjoy a beer while screaming over the unrecognizable music. Fat Cat offers tables, couches and (gasp!) room to walk around! And with a $3 cover to listen to live jazz music, play whatever games you want (from Scrabble to pool to shuffleboard), Fat Cat has it all. www.fatcatmusic.org/

These are just a few of several places that friends and colleagues have recommended in the last few months including Perilla, WallSe, Automatic Slims and Westville topping off that list. Haven’t gotten to all these places yet but it’s in the works!

So West Vill (it’s cool if I call you that, right?), I promise to never judge you again! You’ve won this round. I will be back.

Love,
Christa
Founding Member of Foodies in NYC

P.S. – Don’t tell the LES but you’re now in competition for the top food spot in NYC!

A Special Foodies In NYC Round Up!

2010-09-29T21:07:00.016-04:00

This was a special Foodies in NYC. We decided to do TAKE OUT and take a trip down memory lane of food clubs past (and pre-Foodies In NYC blog!).

So we ordered in some Turkish food from Marmara on the Upper East side. While snacking on some Manit (steamed dumplings with lamb and herbs...think the Turkish form of gnocchi), hummus, artichokes and Turkish meatballs, we came up with a a VERY random list of what we suggest to EAT or NOT TO EAT! We also decided to start a rating system! Five forks - MUST GO; One fork - Take a permanent RAIN CHECK!

Here goes!

TO EAT
Frank - Our food club inaugural dinner back in 2007! This is one of our favorite Italian spots! It's hidden in the East Village (you won't even see a sign) but worth the search! The food is fresh and authentically Italian. We have each been there several times since and highly recommend the borata appetizer - it's pure creamy-cheesy heaven! We give it 4.5 forks

Barbes - None of us had tried Moroccan food before so this was a little adventurous to us at the time - but it was great! Nothing scary on the menu and the dishes were very sharable. Plus - the authentic Moroccan white wine was great! We give it 3 forks!

Mercat - Amamos Tapas (we love tapas!) The plates were little and we tried a lot (8 plates!) We topped the meal off with homemade churros and left very full and happy! We give it 4 forks!

Graffiti - This strange little eclectic restaurant/shack was a surprise. All of the food is pre-prepped and cooked on hotplates in a closet-sized kitchen (the whole place is maybe 5 tables). We ate things like tofu, pork buns and pepper ice cream! And it was all fabulous! 3.5 forks!

Yakitori Torys - Danielle and Christa LOVED it - Anne HATED it. Chicken neck and/or skin may be an acquired taste - but definitely try this place for traditional yakitori. NOTE - the rest of Manhattan apparently agrees with Anne ;) Yakitori Tory actually closed this summer - but many on Yelp offer up Yakitori Trotto as a great alternative. Overall - Danielle and Christa give this 3.5 forks!

Freemans - Great if you can get in and/or find it. It was so good - we wrote down everything we ate! Spinach artichoke dip (DD's favorite!), fried chicken and pork chops are a must and we dove into desserts with a brownie, cheery tumbler and a blueberry cobbler - oh my! 4.5 forks indeed!

The Spotted Pig - This was where the idea for our blog first percolated! We waited for over an hour to sit (on a weeknight) - but it was well worth it. We had a friendly waiter who seeded the idea for us to write about our experience. It's a British inspired bistro with some Italian influence. The burgers, deviled eggs, shoe string fries and chicken liver pate made it worth the wait. PLUS - we just found out that this is owned by none other than Shawn Carter - aka JAY-Z! We give it 4 forks!

So, when we select our restaurants, we do our research. We want good food, good drink and good atmosphere - so it really is rare that we have a "less than good" experience. But after 3 years, we accumulated a small list of "meh" places.

NOT TO EAT
Woo Chon - Korean BBQ. Christa and Anne overrode Danielle on this. It was a little too "authentic" for our taste. We had to grill our own food -- (um - that's why we go out - so we don't HAVE to cook our food - DUH)!
1 fork

Southern Hospitality - Don't be fooled by the "celebrity ownership" here (stick to singing, dancing and those SNL skits Justin Timberlake - please!) It wasn't terrible - but there is MUCH better BBQ in the city...2 forks

Great Jones Cafe - Some will be surprised to hear this - but it just wasn't up to par. Good bevvies but average food. 2 forks.

So there you have it! Some of our most memorable meals - here is to many more!

Making a Splash at the Waverly Inn

2010-09-22T08:55:00.003-04:00

Whoever said diamonds are a girl’s best friend, hasn’t had the truffle mac n’ cheese at Waverly Inn…

The scene at Waverly Inn felt like something out of a James Bond movie – old Russians with deep pockets and young models on their arms whispering in the corner…

JG spotted at Waverly Inn with SK in the back corner, sucking face over the grilled octopus salad and organic chicken breast….

It was very difficult to begin writing a review of our experience at Waverly Inn. Do we focus on the “scene” and the who/what/with who/when? Or the richness and interesting qualities of a meal that can only be described as gourmet, comfort food?

So, we went with D – all of the above. The night started at a nearby lesbian dive bar called the Cubby Hole, a very…colorful, place in the west village. The pinwheels floating on the ceiling characterize the people inside brightening the room and giving the bar a cool vibe (the tunes helped too!). Loosening up with some before-dinner drinks made our entrance into Waverly Inn seem surreal. Walking below street level in the dim lighting of the restaurant felt very 1920, speak easy-esque, like we were being transported onto the set of an old movie. Kudos to our guest Jeffrey for “getting us in” even though Anne and I still believe we could have done it on our own ;)

Now, on to the food. As three people with different personalities, we are also foodies with differing palettes. Appetizers were a hit all around (except for Anne, the seafood hater) – grilled baby octopus with fresh oregano, celery and cerignola olives; refreshing chickpea salad; tuna tartare with avocado, diced egg and a dijon emulsion. Entrees were another story. While mac n’ cheese, burgers, chicken and pork chops aren’t revolutionary menu items – the preparation was hit or miss. While the Waverly Burger was good – we’ve had better. The Amish Organic Free-Range Chicken with organic butternut squash and foraged maitake mushrooms was tasty but not spectacular. The Berkshire All Natural Pork Chop with Asian pear, mache and endive salad was flavorful but a tad too salty when topped with pork belly. The truffle mac n’cheese (not on the menu – you have to ask for it), in my opinion, was the only “stand out” dish - but at $60, I may have subconsciously forced myself to like it. The next day, when the girls reminded me that it was kind of liquidy and not really cheesy (in which we proceeded to discuss the many virtues of Velvetta) my opinion was swayed. While the food left us in limbo, there was one thing we could agree on, the wine! A 2009 Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina Cosecha from Spain was the perfect summer rosé, light but strong enough to accompany a heavy meal.


No photos are allowed at the Waverly Inn so this was our only souvenir!

For dessert, people watching with a side of piping hot bananas foster topped with creamy and cool vanilla ice cream. My (and Anne’s) favorite part of the meal!

All in all, Waverly Inn made us examine our foodiness. Is it really all about the food or the experience? Are the rich and sophisticated missing out on the diners, drive-ins and dives of the world because they feel that Waverly Inn is “it”? This experience made me happy to be a foodie who doesn’t judge a dish for the dollar signs attached to it but for the quality of food and the experience of enjoying a good meal with friends. But let’s just say the next time we want a great burger or creamy mac n’cheese, you’ll more than likely find us in a borough, and not the west village. :-)

The Waverly Inn
American (New)
16 Bank St , New York NY 10014 (At Waverly Pl)
(917) 828-1154

FC Nibble: Foodie in Cali

2010-09-01T10:46:00.005-04:00

Being foodies, we are required to try the food of not just our local eateries but to experience culinary genius all around our epi-curious nation. So, just a few weeks ago I embarked on a culinary adventure to the left coast to drink, eat and be merry (in no specific order). Here is a brief digest of some Cali tips for NYC-ers:

San Francisco Bay Area:

Pier Market Seafood Restaurant – Creamy and chunky clam chowder with warm sourdough bread, fresh tuna steaks and smooth local beers – how can you go wrong? Don’t forget to ask for a seat by the window so you can take in the views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the sea lions working on their tans!

Napa/Sonoma Region:

Mustard’s Grill – Proudly ate an entire roasted garlic clove in addition to the delicious Mongolian pork chop (their specialty) served with sweet and sour red cabbage surrounded by their housemade mustard sauce and complimented by a Napa Valley Michael Pozzan Cab Sav.
the girl and the fig – You cannot go here without trying the grilled fig and arugula salad topped with toasted pecans, chèvre (goat cheese!), mano formate pancetta, figs and port vinaigrette. I’d also suggest, if you’re taking a break between wine tastings, either the salami and brie baguette sandwich or the top sirloin burger.
The wineries worth the tasting fee (and in no particular order) – Grgich, Gundlach Bundschu (pronounced Gun-Lock Bun-Shoe), Buena Vista, Goosecross, Andretti, ConnCreek, Cakebread (a staple of most wine country excursions), Adastra, Peju Province.
To avoid: Sebastiani (too commercial); Hotel room service (with all the great food at your fingertips, take a nap after the vineyards close at 5 or 6 and venture out at night).

It’s going to sound strange but the best thing I ate the entire two days in Napa/Sonoma was a sunsugar tomato from Adastra Vineyards, which Owner Chris Thorpe laid out for us during our tour/tasting. It was the sweetest, juiciest, most decadent tomato I’ve ever laid taste buds on and immediately experienced the dedication, heart and pure satisfaction of being a farmer (both wine and crop) in the Napa/Sonoma valley.

San Diego Area:

South Beach Bar and Grille – FAB fish tacos (the mahi and baja were our personal favorites) and great views of the Cali sunsets; fried jalapenos dipped in ranch – what else can I say?
Trattoria Acqua (in La Jolla) – Gourmet Italian done right – from the al dente pasta with kicking pomodoro sauce to the fried brie in phyllo dough with golden delicious apple slices on toasted bread and melt-in-your-mouth prosciutto.
Solare – Deliciously fresh Italian food in a very feng shui'd atomosphere on the naval base where they filmed Top Gun!
In ‘N Out – Crunchy, toasted bun + fresh lettuce + tomato + flavorful moist patty = burger heaven - you can't go to the West Coast without trying it! (Avoid the fries - they are better at Fatburger!)
Baked – Best. Cinnamon. Buns. Ever.
To avoid: The shops/restaurants on the Mission Bay Walkway – when “they” tell you to try places off the beaten track and away from the tourist areas, they mean it!

Not to cross-contaminate our clubs but for all the foodie-bookies out there, I’d highly recommend Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, a foodies bible (according to Danielle) that was the perfect companion on my trip.

All in all, visiting California reminded this foodie that simple food done well can be a great flavor exploration. My souvenirs from the trip: a nice tan, a case of wine and five extra pounds!

Fastest Food Club EVER: Orsay

2010-08-24T14:10:00.012-04:00

While we pride ourselves on food adventures in the City, we Foodies in NYC, rarely take advantage of a New York tradition – Restaurant Week. This summer, we gave it a shot. Orsay was our choice, a “traditional,” pricey, UES French bistro. Now, you’d be naïve to expect perfection during Restaurant Week. It’s one of the four weeks each year that restaurants around Manhattan open their swanky doors to common folk, dumbing down their high-priced menus to serve a three-course dinner for $35 (a three-course lunch is $24.07). For dinners, it’s a great opportunity to try something you might not be able to afford otherwise, or to test drive a joint before spending serious cash. I have had some really wonderful Restaurant Week experiences over the years (Tribeca Grill and Mesa Grill to name a few)…. I must say this was my worst!

We walked into the old school dining room and immediately encountered its clichéd Parisian décor (small white floor tiles, dark wood trim and marble table tops). In the sweltering heat, we were “blessed” to be seated directly next to the door. Every time a patron walked in a gust of hot, muggy air hit our table. The only plus of our seating location was the people watching. If you want to check out some GREAT UES stereotypes go to Orsay! You’ve got Grandma in her Chanel suit (in 90 degree weather), the girl on a date who doesn’t eat (and is wearing Lilly Pulitzer with pearls – barf), and old stuffy men trying not to look like pigs with their high-end cufflinks and custom-made shirts. And us classy girls, mais oui!

Now, on to the food. We tried everything on the Restaurant Week menu. Here were some of the highlights and lowlights (mostly lowlights): our appetizers included Gazpacho (a waste of 100 calories with no taste or kick), a feta and watermelon salad (with not enough feta or watermelon) and blood sausage, which requires more detail. The dark brown, post-digested-like substance caused me to nearly “lose my lunch (dinner)” at the table…. all of the Foodies tried the “delicacy” and the consistency - combined with the flavor left much to be desired.

Onto the highlights - we ordered a delicious bottle of Prosecco, proving once again that when in doubt, go Italian and go BUBBLY! This effervescent delight made a great pairing to the meal. The one non-Restaurant Week item we ordered was escargot. This dish was everything that makes a French bistro worth coming back for. The snails were perfectly cooked and the butter, garlic and herb pool that they swam in almost led me to ask for a straw. Even Anne, who is not a fan of seafood, organ meat and other strange creatures, took a risk in our recommendation and tried some (note: she didn’t like it -- and we’ll spare you her reasons why) -- but we still give her credit for trying).

The rest of the meal was simply average and not worth rehashing - we consumed all three courses in under an hour, as it was clear our waiter needed our table for big spenders and regulars. With the record set for fastest food club ever, we felt the need to unwind from the race that just occurred and headed to one of Foodies in NYC’s old standbys– Uva. We finished the night with more Prosecco and a Torta Di Mandorle (almond tart served warm with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce). We stayed for approximately the same amount of time as it took to consume all three courses at Orsay and did what we do best, ate, drank and laughed (a lot). Overall, our Restaurant Week experiment ended up being an interesting experience, one made better with amazing friends…and plenty of booze!

Orsay
1057 Lexington Ave (At 75th St)
(212) 517-6400
http://www.orsayrestaurant.com/

Uva
1486 2nd Ave (btw 77th and 78th)
(212) 472-4552
http://www.uvawinebar.com/

FC Nibble: I'll Have The Gin Cocktail, But 86 The Lettuce

2010-08-18T17:47:00.007-04:00

This saucy little Italian place has been generating some buzz in Tribeca for its unusual décor and more even more unusual cocktail menu. So I went off with a bunch of friends to try it out. The huge booths sitting on platforms are said to rotate (but we didn’t see it) and the tables were covered in a white rubber mat with grenade-shaped salt and pepper shakers.

The drinks were...inventive. Check out the menu for yourself! Some of the combinations are incredible – and we were excited to try something new! I ordered the La Signoria which was: gin, lemon juice, sugar, lettuce, strawberry and balsamic reduction. No – that wasn’t me doing my impression of Rachel making a trifle on Friends (STILL cracks me up!). As much as I wanted to LOVE this drink…it tasted like lettuce water. I even made everyone at the table try it to confirm.

My friends ordered the Paco-Taibo white tequila, pink peppercorn, thyme, cherry tomatoes, honey rimmed with parmigiano (yes the cheese!). Shawn kept calling it “aggressive” – so I gave it a sip – the tequila and the parmigiano WERE aggressive – they fought the whole way down!

Note fellow Foodie in NYC member, Danielle, also recently dined Il Matto and tried the Bloody Frida and really enjoyed it.

So – the drinks were by FAR saved by the wine – a great, crisp, floral French white.

The food fared much better. For apps – go for the parmigiano-style zucchini with smoked mozzarella- it was savory and smoky – almost with the consistency of chutney. Yum!

I was conservative on the meal choice and (given my roll of the dice on the drinks didn’t go my way). I ordered the black olive triangle shaped ravioli, stuffed with buffalo mozzarella over tomato sauce topped with fried eggplant. The eggplant was more of a thin chip that garnished each creamy little ravioli.

My friend Krista got the pine nut crusted chicken over celery root puree and garlic chips. While they SAY it was pine nuts – we’re pretty sure they MEANT peanuts. And when they say crusted – they mean smothered within an inch of that poor chicken’s life! (read: we all were craving some jelly after trying Krista’s dish! )

The others opted for saffron pappardelle with osso buco ragout and bone marrow sabayon. It was very rich – but also very good.

I would recommend Il Matto…but just opt for the wine instead of the overly ambitious cocktails!

Mangia tutto!

Il Matto
21 Church Street (between White and Franklin)
212.226.1607
http://ilmattonyc.com/

FC Nibble: Barnacle Billy’s

2010-07-26T15:48:00.004-04:00

Maine is known as the Vacationland State and there is no better starting point for a true Maine vacation than Barnacle Billy’s in Ogunquit. Billy’s has become an annual pilgrimage for my boyfriend and me. This past Fourth of July, we went with 11 of our friends and enjoyed dinner on a private deck overlooking the bay.

You go to Billy’s for two things – the famous rum punch and a delicious, fresh-from-the-ocean, Maine lobster, at the size of your choosing (I’m a 1.5 lb girl, if you’re keeping score). The rum punch, a combination of fruit juices and rum (lots of rum) is the potent signature cocktail of Billy’s. They even have a two punch limit that is ‘strictly’ enforced, but if you are committed, you can generally score a third. We started with two great apps – Billy’s humongous shrimp (you order by the shrimp) that could be a meal all by themselves; and the bacon-wrapped scallops with a maple syrup dipping sauce – I mean, really, how can that be bad??

Then it was time for the feature presentation – a perfectly boiled crustacean, a bib, some drawn butter and the tools of the trade. The lobster meat was succulent, from the tentacles to the claws to the abundant tail meat. I made quick work of my lobster and sat back to enjoy the beautiful evening on the bay.

With good friends, good food and great bevies, Billy’s is a must-try if you are ever in Ogunquit!

PS - This post was co-authored by Mitchell Wexler :)

This is NOT your Friday Night Pizza...

2010-06-30T13:30:00.012-04:00

There are two types of pizza: that great neighborhood favorite we all rely on for Friday nights (didn’t everyone have “Pizza Fridays” growing up?) and then there is gourmet artisan Neapolitan pizza. There is a place for both types – but Monday night Foodies In NYC went to Keste Pizza and Vino in the West Village – a place made famous by magazines like The New Yorker, Time Out New York and even "The Today Show." Being the PR goddesses we are, we decided to check it out for ourselves!

The menu is big and a bit intimidating with ingredients you don’t expect to find on pizza (butternut squash and artichokes, for example). But we came hungry and ready to experiment! Once we talked Danielle out of a salad…which looked delicious (but Christa and I quickly convinced her that it would take up precious room in our bellies for PIZZA), we decided to try three different types of pizza.

We ordered the house favorite – the Keste pizza – with tomatoes, fresh (incredible) buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma, arugula, gran cru (a hard Italian pecorino cheese) and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, Pizza del Papa Pizza – butternut squash cream, imported smoked mozzarella, artichokes and red and yellow peppers and lastly, we ordered the special of the evening the Burrata Pizza with ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and a melt-in-your-mouth Burrata cheese (tastes like a buffalo mozzarella/ricotta combination).

Keste uses a thin, but flavorful, pizza crust as a foundation for some of the best, authentic, fresh Italian ingredients. The crust then bubbles and puffs up at the ends, which becomes a helpful tool when scooping up some of the fantastic toppings! Though, we did find the Pizza del Papa and the Burrata a tad bit soggy towards the end because of all of the ingredients it had to carry, but we won’t hold it against ‘em.

I think we all had different favorites. I loved the smoked buffalo mixed with the butternut squash cream, Danielle loved the crispy arugula with the prosciutto di Parma and Christa loved dipping the crust into the drippings of all three!

So we recommend checking it out! Go early though – because by the time we left (around 7:30 on a Monday night) there was a line out the door! Also – check out the website for a really interesting history of pizza.

For a very special ending to the meal – walk down the block to the corner of Carmine and Bleecker to Grom for a gelato that will take you from the busy streets of the West Village immediately to the gelaterias of Italy! Try the Dark Chocolate – or if you’re feeling saucy – try the EXTRA Dark Chocolate. OR try both, since Grom lets you have two flavors in one cup (in any size you want). It was the perfetto ending to our Italian culinary journey! Ciao!

Keste Pizzaria and Vino
271 Bleecker St
(between Morton St & Jones St)
New York, NY 10014
http://www.kestepizzeria.com/

Grom
233 Bleecker St (and Carmine)
New York, NY 10014
http://www.grom.it/eng/index.php

FC Nibble: Road Trip! Danielle Samples the Slow Food of Sacramento

2010-06-01T14:44:00.005-04:00

The slow food movement is something I, as a proud foodie, try to embrace (when I have the patience). What is it you ask? Well it’s a group of chefs and proprietors who are committed to cooking with local ingredients and changing their menu regularly to incorporate what’s fresh, in season, and, well… delicious. Supporting these restaurants and chefs who believe the best food is in your own backyard will always leave you satisfied on multiple levels.

When it comes to slow food, Grange in Sacramento doesn’t disappoint. Changing its menu daily with what is best and freshest in Northern California, Grange was a great treat during my short stay in California’s capital. The wine list was quite impressive and we sampled some great reds and whites from nearby Napa. The appetizers were delicious. I highly recommend the assorted marinated olives with goat cheese flatbreads.

Entrees were large portions and they really felt like they were created in a farmer's kitchen. While most of my dining companions opted for carnivorous fare, I went for tuna which was perfectly seared. Dessert, which I normally skip, was a smooth and silky chocolate mousse I highly recommend it – that is – if chocolate mouse is in season :).

Grange
926 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 492-4450
www.grangesacramento.com

Some like it Hot…Some like it Dilly, Sweet, Sour or Smoky…

2010-05-27T12:36:00.009-04:00

We’ve never been to Persia (aka Iran - does JFK fly direct to Tehran?) but it did seem fitting that our first Persian food club fell on the hottest night of the year (so far) - making the subtle Ravagh (http://www.yelp.com/biz/ravagh-persian-grill-new-york) on the Upper East Side feel like a mirage after a 15-block walk through a concrete desert.

Now, we did stop at a nearby cantina on the way, called Maya http://mayany.com/, (owned by Richard Sandoval) to quench our thirst. Happy hour specials included a strawberry lemonada with vodka and fresh mango margaritas that were perfect for a hot summer evening.

After leaving the watering hole, we crawled through the thick, sticky heat to Ravagh. Our initial reaction was a little PG-13 (well...Anne's was full on R-rated) when we noticed that the windows and doors were wide open. Did I mention it was 90 degrees outside? We opted for an inside, white-clothed table where there was an exposed brick wall, lovely pink napkins and air conditioning! Spoiler alert: our table was NOT large enough to house the army of plates we ordered. But that may be more a function of how we order food - and not speak directly to the size of their tables :)

Channeling Jake Gyllenhaal (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473075/), we ate like princesses. Starting out with warm pita bread that just popped out of the oven, we dove into two cool appetizers and a crisp Villaggio Pinot Grigio that hit the spot. The apps included a smoky yet smooth Babaganoush (one of the best we’ve ever had) and a traditional Salad Olvieh (translation: potato salad with chicken and peas). Both dishes were a nice treat to the start of the meal - but the standout was by FAR the Babaganoush!

For the main course, we shared three plates and several rice dishes. We highly recommend the kabobs – chicken and lamb (amazing) – with grilled veggies to round out the dishes. We also shared a Khoresh Fesenjan which is a traditional Persian stew with crushed walnuts and boneless chicken cooked in a pomegranate paste. The stew was a little too rich and sweet for our liking but definitely an interesting flavor combination – and maybe a dish that's better in the winter. The general consensus was that we were glad to have tried it - but can't imagine eating it as an entire meal.

Saving the best for last were the rice dishes: Albaloo Polo which is sweet and sour cherries mixed with basmati rice and Green Rice which was dilled rice with fava beans. A perfect sweet and salty mix, the cherry rice was a stand-out while the dill was a little too “dilly” for our palettes. Unfortunately, we were too stuffed for desserts – the plates were HUGE and left very little room on our cute round table. But a glance around the room revealed some interesting and luscious-looking dessert choices. We can't forget to mention that Ravagh was kind to the wallet as well. The wine was $26 and no plate cost us more than $16.

So overall Ravagh Persian Grill was a sizzling, smoking hot success! Similar to most Middle Eastern cuisines, we can definitely say that the flavors in Persian cuisine are like fireworks in your mouth – salty, sweet, sour, smoky…take your pick.

Ravagh Persian Grill
1237 1st Ave
New York, NY 10065
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
(212) 861-7900

Is it bad that I licked my knife?

2010-04-21T10:21:00.007-04:00

So, here’s the truth…We are ladies who LOVE to eat, but we are not necessarily ladies who love to cook. So when a restaurant quality meal is offered to us in the comfort of a cozy Manhattan apartment, we don’t need to be invited twice. We collectively jumped at the opportunity to experience culinary paradise in the home of Personal Chef Jason Ungar of Jason’s Kitchen.

Jason, 32, has been doing catering jobs and personal chef gigs for a number of years. As a self-taught chef, most of Jason’s inspiration comes from his travels, the culture of New York and, of course, the Food Network.

We picked the protein, lamb, and everything else was up to Jason’s creative palate!*

Let’s dig in to the first course: Anson Mills cheddar grit cake, quail egg, crispy chorizo, roasted poblano emulsion.

The presentation was lovely. The grit cake was coated with panko bread crumbs and lightly fried – so they were a very different consistency from typical “southern style grits” and made for a good sturdy platform for the goodness that Jason piled on top! And let’s face it – when is crispy chorizo ever a BAD thing?? The dish was savory and smooth and with a subtle hint of cheddar – really yummy!

SIDE NOTE. Our dear readers should know about how us Foodies In NYC members feel about egg and yolk. Danielle and Christa can slurp yolk through a straw they love it so much! Anne, on the other hand, usually sneers at the sheer mention of yolk. However, this quail egg was the star of the dish -- even for Anne. (“It was like a rich, creamy, buttery sauce that pulled the entire dish together – not at all how I think of yolk!”) (Check out the evidence ). The lesson here -- every once in a while, try food you don’t think you like -- you may end up surprised!

And for our entree: Za'atar crusted loin of Australian baby lamb, kalamata-kissed 'cassoulet' w/ white beans, fennel, and hen of woods mushrooms, with a roasted garlic-lemon-feta cream sauce.

Huge kudos to Jason for cooking the lamb to perfection! From what we are told (from those who cook), lamb is a tricky meat….very easy to overcook. NOT the problem here. Perfectly medium rare medallions of tender lamb sat atop a delish cassoulet (or bean “stew” with fennel and “hen of woods” shrooms). This dish was topped with the bliss that was the roasted garlic-lemon-feta cream. The sauce was so amazing – that we all took a last lick of the spoon before Jason sent the remainder of it sadly down the sink. Sigh………………..

Last was a very special treat from Marcy’s Morsels, a brand new boutique chocolatier based in Manhattan. (Note, we at Foodies in NYC firmly believe that no matter how full you are, there is always room for a little dessert, after all, it’s a totally different compartment.) Marcy’s signature chocolate is the Crispy Cluster -- a ball of dark chocolate, peanut butter, marshmallow and rice cereal. The Clusters are little tiny confectionary contradictions: they are sweet, but not too sweet and crispy – but also creamy thanks to the peanut butter! The Clusters came individually packaged so it was like opening a sweet, delicious little present!

Marcy’s Morsels are made to order and make a great treat for any gathering!

So in sum: we came; we ate; we loved. Thanks Jason (and his fabulous wife Randi) for an incredible evening!

*Note: FINYC subsidized the cost of all food!

To have Jason Ungar come cook for you – contact him @:
(917) 656-0456
jasonskitchen@hotmail.com
www.jasonskitchen.com

To order from Marcy’s Morsels – contact Marcy @:
646-355-8258
orders@marcysmorsels.com
http://www.marcysmorsels.com/

FC Nibble: A Must Read at The Library Hotel Bar

2010-04-07T12:04:00.002-04:00

What it lacks in actual literary novels, The Library Hotel’s Bookmarks Lounge makes up for in its atmosphere, “bevies” and noshes which speak a thousand words. Sitting atop The Library Hotel on 41st and Madison is a quaint hotel bar on the 14th floor surrounded by the enormous art-deco and brick facades of New York’s concrete jungle. On one of the nicest days of the year so far, our small party (you can’t really bring a large group if you want to sit outside) sat in the garden area towards the front of the bar. Bookmarks is accommodating for larger groups as well with a large atrium in the back and an enclosed area with large plush leather chairs and a décor that helps give the venue its name.

Now, IMO*, the menu should be a New York Times bestseller. With drinks like their signature Bookmarker and The Aviator (with sloe gin, lavender and a lemon peel served up in a martini glass) and several other options, you won’t want to put it down! And the noshes were like the last 50 pages of a suspense novel (somewhat predictable but you keep going back for more). I would definitely recommend the calamari – very lightly fried and salted with that melt in your mouth consistency, three bites are enough – and also the cheese platter – the variety of cheeses with fruity chutney on a slice of toasted bread is like spring in your mouth.

Overall a great read from beginning to end - I would definitely recommend Bookmarks Lounge for any of my foodie (or book club) friends to add to their summer reading, I mean eating, lists!

(*IMO = In My Opinion, for our more seasoned food club members)

The Library Hotel
299 Madison Avenue & E 41st St
New York, NY 10017
(212) 983-4500
www.libraryhotel.com

FC Nibble: The Coffee that Never Gets Cold

2010-03-29T22:45:00.015-04:00

I live for that first sip of coffee in the morning. Nothing tastes as good as that first, perfect sip. And then I get on with my day (or my day gets on with me). While I try to read the paper, check my emails and slowly slip peacefully into my day, around 9:05 – it all goes to hell. Stick with me here – I’m getting to the coffee. So as I go from meetings, to conference calls, to whatever it is that fills my day, my sad, large cup of coffee sits there, half-full and stone cold.

It’s usually about 11 AM that I actually finish it. Ick!

So when my friends Shawn and Holly told me about their idea to build a “new” coffee shop nearly a year ago – I was so excited! They researched, traveled - visiting over 100 roasters, wholesalers and cafes from San Francisco to Vancouver - and worked their butts off to understand what made a REALLY GREAT cup of coffee. And they pulled it off by opening Rook Coffee Roasters!

Rook scours the world for the best beans and roasts all of its own coffee on premise. With exotic beans like Kenya Kirimara Peaberry, Costa Rica La Amistad – and my personal favorite – Ethiopia Harrar – it is unlike any other cup of coffee you’ve every had! Just give Shawn or Holly your preference in coffee (bold, light, nutty, etc) and they will happily help you navigate the beans to find your perfect roast!

There is only one problem with Rook - - they are not in Manhattan. YET! Rook Coffee Roasters is nestled in a cozy little shop off of Monmouth Road in Oakhurst, NJ (careful not to blink – you may miss it!). No fancy lattes, cappuccinos or caramel-drenched-whipped-cream-smothered “specialty coffees.” Just an amazing cup of made-to-order coffee that is so good – it never ever has the chance to get cold!

Rook Coffee Roasters
60r Monmouth Road.
Oakhurst, NJ 07755
Check them out on Facebook and Twitter: @rookroasters

A Food Club Favorite: The Italian Wine Bar that keeps on giving…

2010-02-22T18:15:00.005-05:00

Uva Wine Bar was an unexpected surprise. We were sort of flailing on a cuisine one month…and picked a safe bet for everyone – Italian (prego!) We rocked out on the appetizers - a tried and true FC strategy so we can try as much as possible! Their appetizer list is extensive and they have great cheese and meat (affettati – which means cured meats) plates that you can customize. So we decided to get only 2 entrees HOWEVER – the meal was so delicious – we ordered another entrée! What little piggies we were! What stands out for us was the antipasti - with these delicious meaty green olives, the gnocchi di ricotta with creamy black truffle and chive sauce (they smallest gnocchi we’ve ever seen!) and the AMAZING bruschette with sheep’s ricotta cheese and black truffle honey.

I personally liked it so much – I brought my aunt and uncle there when they made their annual pilgrimage into the city (they were kind enough to treat us! thanks again Uncle Ken and Aunt Linda!). I ALSO recently took my mother there as a “thanks” for helping me with some apartment decorating. We had parppardelle alle ragu di vitello (home made pasta ribbons sautéed with ragu of veal and montasio cheese!) and the chicken filled with caciocavallo cheese, with plum tomatoes and artichokes. Tip on the pasta – eat it quickly – it’s so fine and thin that it cools fast! We went with a simple Sangiovese that pulled the whole meal together. It was just what we needed after a hard day’s work!

The net here is that Uva is consistently great yet unique – meaning it’s not the typical Italian-American heavy sauce/gooey cheese meal. The service is always great – and they always fit you in.

Now go – Manga!

Uva Wine Bar
1486 Second Ave (at East 77th Street)
New York, NY 10075
212.472.4552
www.uvawinebar.com

Dumont: The Comfort Food Cure

2010-02-01T08:43:00.003-05:00

So its cold out there, I mean FREEZING. We are facing the kind of days that make me want to curl up in bed and hibernate. The days that you just want some comfort food to keep you warm. Perhaps a perfectly cooked burger….maybe some mac & cheese…Whatever your poison is to get you through the winter months, Dumont has it.

For the first time EVER, Food Club made its way to Brooklyn. Now, it has been quite some time since I made it to the Borough and I’ll admit, I was a little hesitant, but the commute was quite easy (the restaurant is located right across the street from an L stop), and I was really surprised at how cute the restaurant was. Even in the freezing temperatures, we were able to eat in the garden, which was tented and filled w/ heat lamps (warning, even though you stay warm w/ the lamps, you may want to wear extra warm shoes)…

First, the cocktails were delish and fairly complex. We highly recommend the
Garden Champagne Cocktail (St. Germain, Crème de Violette and fresh lemon). I had a gin and rosemary drink that gave me quite a buzz and set the mood for evening. Once we were seated, our very aloof waiter (probably my biggest complaint about the whole experience) took our appetizer order. For me, appetizers are always my favorite part of the meal and these were delightful – the crispy artichokes with baby arugula and parmesan is a must try and the fried poached egg over a salad with pancetta (a special that night) was pretty awesome. However, I may be biased because I love anything with a runny yolk.

For a main course we ordered a few burgers (with gruyere), a half roast chicken and some mac & cheese. I tried the burger and the mac. The burger was very good and each one was cooked exactly as we asked, but the standout was the mac, by far. The combination of cheddar, gruyere, parmesan and bacon is just divine. I would go back just for this dish many times over!

Believe it or not, we saved room for dessert…and I am glad we did. We ordered an apple crisp and a brownie with hazelnut ice cream (okay, we ordered two brownies J). Both desserts were fabulous. At one point, when my pants reached a tightness of great proportions, I wanted to stop, but I just couldn’t! I liked the apple crisp more than brownie, but I don’t think that was the consensus at the table. The apples were al dente and the crispy crumble was the perfect compliment. We were happy to agree to disagree.

My recommendation, check it out. Make the trip and please, please, PLEASE order the mac & cheese.

Managing Expectations for the Peep Show (aka Peep Soho)

2009-12-11T13:36:00.004-05:00

Remember the first time you went to a strip club (ok...we're girls - but we've all gone ONCE), you had these somewhat glamorous preconceived notions and images in your mind of what your experience would be like …but then you walk inside the “joint” and come to find out that its nothing like you imagined – kinda greasy, a little dirty, with some highlights (read: alcohol), but all around awkward. That’s kind of how I felt at Food Club’s first Thai restaurant, Peep…

This subtly lit, Lady Gaga-Gothic style restaurant is tucked away in the Village on Prince Street. After you walk past the rubber-band bar stools (that Anne swore her ass would get stuck in) you get a feel for a trendy nightclubish VIP scene before you hit the restaurant area. "Subtly lit" being the key words, some of us wished we had our Owl Lites to read the 12 menus that were on our table (one for specials, one for drinks, one massive one for all the food stuffs). I’m not complaining about the selection but c’mon, if you’re going to use size 4 font with Pantone color PMS-1485 (aka light peach), then turn the lights up a tad!

But I digress, the “highlights” of the evening were the fact that it was DD’s bday and we had some delicious cocktails! With names like Split, Faint, and Flirt they were the perfect after-work de-stress mixtures and went down a little too fast! After the drinks we were feeling saucy and asked our waiter if he could wipe down our table which was really sticky…he proceeded to bring us a dry napkin – guess you have to work for it at Peep ;)

On the main event, the food - we opted for curry chicken puffs, a teriyaki-like crispy duck salad, delectable beef rolls in a super thin outer shell and an old-time fav, Thai spring rolls. For our second plate, we put Peep’s Thai-ness to the test and went with a traditional Pad Thai with chicken, shrimp, peanut and egg. It was the piece de resistance – spicy, sweet, sour, delish!

I should probably just stop my review there because the main plates were nothing to write home about and honestly, pretty disappointing – a braised half duck that was too gamey for our taste and a five-spice pork chop that was super fatty and a little bland (we think they only used about two spices!). Surprisingly, we were too full for dessert so just downed the rest of our Pinot Noir (which was V. average) and called it a night. But before we end this adventure, one interesting characteristic about the restaurant to call out was the bathrooms that we found out you can kind of see into. When you are inside (we had to try them out!) you can see everything that is going on outside, but from the outside you can see in a little (again, this fact was tested) contributing some awkwardness to the evening. Overall, it was a good experience, but similar to how I felt after my first strip club, I do NOT have the desire to ever go back...

FC Nibble Part 2 – Martha’s Vineyard Field Trip

2009-12-01T15:43:00.004-05:00

Ok – now to part 2 of my Martha’s Vineyard culinary extravaganza. We had 2 great meals at restaurants that came highly recommended. But just because you expect greatness doesn’t mean you enjoy it any less!

Our first night – a cold rainy one in October – we went to the nearly empty Restaurant Détente. It’s a very cozy (read: maybe 11 tables) restaurant tucked back off Water Street in Nevin Square.

To celebrate our vacation, we kicked off the meal off with a bottle of 2003 Gramona, Gran Cuvee Cava – a sparkling rose wine from Spain. It was the perfect start to the meal. The bubbles seemed to sparkle away the stress of the nearly 6 hour ride to the Vineyard! We then shared an appetizer of creamy croquettes and savory olive tapenade.

My dinner of braised short rib (no knife necessary) was nothing short of fabulous – but by far the star of the show was the wine. We decided to splurge - and on the recommendation of our (kinda snotty) waiter – we ordered the 2007 Emeritus Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. It was by far one of the best bottles of wine I’ve had in a long time - - and it was liked by everyone at the table – always a bonus!

The only place that Détente fell short was dessert. We shared the Nutella Pot de Crème with hazelnut cookies. And – look – as many of you know – I am a dessert whore - - -errr…I mean maven. So pretty much anything with Nutella is OK in my book - - but it was a strange cold, crumbly, chunky consistency – like it should have been warmed and creamy. But I think that the meal itself was so outstanding that perhaps we were just “wow”ed out at that point.

The next dinner that’s worth blogging about is our experience at Alchemy. An island staple that usually has a wait over an hour long and a line out the door – was perfectly empty. This was the night where my brother Kevin and his girlfriend Pam went to Atria (which is totally on the list for my next MV adventure) – and my mother and I had a girls night at Alchemy.

Our waiter – Matt was too cute for words and he took great care of us! We shared a great bottle of Cabernet - - but nothing compared to the wine at Détente! I had the special of beef tenderloin with chorizo puree, peas, mushroom and balsamic reduction. Soooo - I tried to be good and write down what I was eating into my blackberry - and I must have been a little tipsy because I wrote that my dish came with “a side of potato au gratin thingy”… clearly the food coma was kicking in…..

‘Till next time - - Chow down!

FC Nibble Part 1 – Field trip to the Martha’s Vineyard Annual Food and Wine Festival

2009-11-02T11:08:00.007-05:00

So – this food clubber went on a wonderful epicurious excursion to the lovely Martha’s Vineyard for their annual Food and Wine Festival! We (my family and I) had tickets for the Grand Tasting and started off with a yummy cocktail made with St. Germain liqueur – a love-er-ly French bevvy made from Elderflower. They served it over ice and mixed with sparkling wine, sparkling water and a twist of lemon (NOTE: we found out later – it tastes better sans the sparkling water – just double the sparkling white wine or champagne and it’s delish!). It was heavenly…the perfect palette primer!

We then moved on to pork belly sliders with freshly popped popcorn. This was made by Levon Wallace the chef from our hotel – the Harborview Inn. His secret was popping it in DUCK FAT (I know!!!) with sugar, honey powder (we didn’t know that existed either) and vanilla salt! Pam (my brother’s girlfriend and trusted foodie friend) absolutely LOVED the filet mignon au poivre sammy – but they were a little too peppery for my taste. Then – to satisfy the sweet tooth – we moved on to the mini-pumpkin whoopie-pies – little bites of moist-autumn-creamy goodness (my brother Kevin had like 12 of them…).

Now – the wine. We tried a bunch – and I would be lying if I said I remembered them (all) – ha or any of them by name. But I will say that I tried a really interesting white Châteauneuf-du-Pape (I had never even heard of the white version!). It was something I would like to explore beyond the nominal “sip” we tried… There was also some very yummy Oregon wines (I am in love with Willamette pinot noir ever since a trip to Oregon in 2007).

I also walked up to a table (this is well into the tasting - after a quite a few “sips” of wine) and said – “I want to try this wine because I like the label” and he was like – “great – that’s a photo rendering of my grandmother!” Now I don’t know if this guy was BSing me or not – but he said he produced a limited quantity from some Napa Valley grapes. Either way – I loved the label - - the wine…not so much.... But I was happy he didn’t slap me for being so shallow!

All in all – fun way to spend a rainy afternoon in the Vineyard! More on the rest of the trip (and food of course) later!

FC Nibble: Momofuku, I think I love u

2009-10-28T12:16:00.007-04:00

Took my second trip to Momofuku this past weekend and it was just as good as I remembered it to be when I ate there more than a year ago. Even at 9:30 in the evening there was a wait, however, the hostess was surprisingly friendly and even allowed us to order drinks on line.

My cousin and I sat at the counter w/ a front row view of the ramen chef doing his thing, making delicious noodle soupy goodness, and sautéing pork to order....Our meal was simply delicious - comprised of fabulous pork buns, Momofuku ramen, sautéed cabbage and potatoes with a soft egg. Nothing was left on the plate when we were through. The simple good ingredients used, make each dish something special (the restaurant lists all the farms where they buy their ingredients on boards around space).

Momofuku is not a place for big crowds (unless you make a reservation for the fried chicken dinner (which I hear is fabulous)) during off hours and is not a place if you like dessert – they only offer frozen yogurt. However, Momofuku is an homage to salt and pork... If you need dessert and aren’t a salty fan than you may want to skip this one, but if you are, go immediately!

The Best Paella in New York City....

2009-10-08T09:19:00.004-04:00

...is at Socarrat Paella Bar on 19th St (b/w 18-19th). http://socarratpaellabar.com/

This VERY cute two-table (one long communal table and 1 4-top in the front window) paella bar was amazing. We got the 4-top in the front and it was totally worth the wait (they actually took Danielle's cell phone number and said they'd call her when our table was ready!!).

Not only did they call us back on time – but they said that our table would be ready in 10 minutes – but to come back in 5 so that we could pre-order our paella. We got there – and after Danielle vigorously defended our table (go D!), we sat and ordered a nice Tempranillo and some tapas - which were fantastic (though I have yet to meet a patatas bravas I didn't like…).

And then came the paella. We got 2 dishes – one with seafood and one with meat. The hardest part was when the waitress told us to let it sit for 2-3 minutes to let the flavors fully soak into the rice (why bring it out to the table then?! We were like a pack of vultures….)

And the meat paella was INCREDIBLE (I don’t eat seafood – so I’ll let the others weigh in there). It was made with chorizo, pork, chicken and duck. It was this smoky, crusty delicious heaven! And then the waitress (from the Basque region – cue the crickets… I don’t know why…) came and scraped the bottom – the socarrat – which was THE BEST PART. I said to her that this was better than the paella I had in Spain and she said that’s because of 2 things: 1) the ovens in restaurants in Spain usually don’t have flames or really hot brick ovens – which is key in the crispy deliciousness; 2) People in Spain don’t go “out” for paella – they make it at home in brick ovens or over outdoor grill pits. Sounds like our version of a BBQ!

We topped off the dinner with this cheese “cake” (more like a mousse) – I didn’t think I would like it – but it too was heavenly. The perfect ending to a fabulous meal!

So THAT’S the story of the best paella I ever had!

Food Club of NYC: The Beginning

2009-08-13T11:16:00.012-04:00

It's been a little more than two years since that fateful night when four girls with very different backgrounds, but one common bond, sat down at Frank and shared an amazing NYC meal. Last night, while sharing yet another amazing meal at The Spotted Pig (review to come!), they had a revelation (in the form of a curly haired waiter with lots of rings) that they were enjoying all of this great food and not sharing their experiences with friends, family and the world. Zagat is for the elite; Yelp is for the kids; we are Foodies in NYC and know a good dish when we see -- or more importantly -- eat one!

So we hope you enjoy our restaurant reviews - and can share your experiences as part of our foodie family!