March 24, 2012

Featured City Post: Local Food in Seattle

I hadn’t been to Seattle since visiting my cousins more than a decade ago, as just 10% of the foodie I am today. This week, I was fortunate enough to have a reason to return for business, so naturally, I scheduled a dinner with my friend Anna, who is a born and raised Washingtonian. She did major research before selecting Spur in Belltown, currently on Conde Naste’s “Hot List” and the widely known “best new restaurant” in the area. After reviewing the menu closely just a day before meeting her, I knew this place would deliver.

I asked for something quintessentially Seattle, and this gastropub was just that – small, warm, low key, wooden, chalk board menus, friendly hipster style waitstaff – the type of thing you would more commonly see in Brooklyn than ritzy Manhattan. The menu was straightforward and filled with unique and local food, but despite the casual vibe, each dish was prepared and plated with incredible care. The sockeye salmon crostini with marscopone, caper, and pickled shallot was amazing and hit me with freshness – the salmon was easy to bite into, a bright, healthy color and melted in my mouth with the garlicky toast and cheese. The artichokes, poached in oil and served with a creamy cheese and microgreens, tasted like it came straight from the farm. Such simple ingredients combined to make complex, interesting flavors. We then shared the goat cheese gnudi served with mixed baby vegetables – these were like little pillows of subtle cheese heaven with a delicate saffron broth. The halibut croquettes with merguez sausage were little bites of perfectly fried, fresh chunks of fish – delicious balls of heaven. Even the brioche, served warm and sliced, was impressive. At an average of $10 per plate, I felt like I was the King of the Castle visiting a far out place.

salmon crostini

artichokes

artichokes

beautiful gnudi

Because our meal was so extraordinary, we were too curious about the dessert menu to pass it up. We decided on the “Parsnip. Banana. Coconut” which arrived as a beautiful, fluffy sponge cake made with parsnip with sliced bananas and coconut ice cream. It was a perfect pairing with our deliciously sweet sauterne wine. I also popped in a Seattle’s very own Fran’s chocolate covered sea salt caramel, courtesy of Anna.

dessert!

Fran's Chocolates

Food just tastes fresher on the West Coast, and my experience at Spur was a case in point. The food, while composed of simple ingredients, surprised me with combos of flavors I had never before imagined. I can’t wait to go back to explore more of what this city has to offer!

Anna at Seattle's famous gum wall

Grade: A
Location: 113 Blanchard Street, Seattle, Washington
Website: www.spurseattle.com/menu.html

2 Comments

Filed under Featured City Posts

Tagged as ,

March 14, 2012

Torrisi Italian Specialties

Due to pure fullness, it’s a struggle to recount my meals so soon after eating them, but I have too much to catch up on to afford another missed write-up. Tonight, I FINALLY sat down for the 7 course meal at Torrisi Italian’s Specialties, an experience highly praised by Sam Sifton, Frank Bruni, and the dozens of critically acclaimed food writers in the city. Torrisi now takes reservations, so about a month back I booked a table for 2 at the only time (ever) available: 5:45pm. I was lucky to get anything later than 5:30.

In anticipation of my early bird special meal, I monitored my lunch carefully and stopped all snacking by 2pm ET. As a result, I arrived hungry and ready for a glass of wine with my fellow food-lover friend (ok, any friend of mine is a food lover, admittedly or not) and a feast. Unfortunately, Torrisi only has two white wines by the glass – one very sweet, and one incredibly dry, but my waiter was kind enough to open a vintage bottle of chardonnay at my request for something a little bolder. Service remained attentive throughout the night.

As you may know, guests are served whatever the chef has decided to prepare for the night, with a main course choice of meat or fish. I of course chose fish. The start of the meal was my favorite – homemade mozzarella with Da Vero olive oil, salt, and tomato-garlic bread. Then came a mediocre fennel salad drenched in rich olive oil with amaretti cookie crumble. The grilled octopus with black olive wasn’t remarkable either, but was well seasoned and seared to a crisp. Meat lovers would have raved over the liver and onions course, a small scoop of liver mousse with homemade pretzel bread, but I was more concerned with finishing the warm, milky cheese.

bread & mozz

The gemelli pasta with dirty duck ragu was delicious. I rarely gravitate toward duck, but this was subtly rich and flavorful, and the noodles had just enough bite to stand up to the intensity of the tomato-less ragu sauce.

The fish was described as a roasted skate with fulton chowder, but arrived as a small, simply seared filet with mussels and squid in a bath of light tomato sauce poured by our waiter. It was, like all the food, simple and tasty, but nothing extraordinary.

I happened to love the dessert course – a plate of small cookies ranging from ricotta cannoli to an never before seen “beet strudel.” They were all, in typical italian fashion, not too sweet nor rich. After taking little bites of the little cookies, Emily threatened to punch me in the face if I didn’t eat the whole thing, so I was forced to consume my entire half of the cookie plate while she left two untouched.

I’m not sure if I am more satisfied with the meal at Torrisi or the fact that I finally accomplished my goal of completing its highly acclaimed dining experience. Either way, this place became viral not necessarily for the inspiring food (which it is, don’t get me wrong), but more so for the creative, no-choice menu concept and frankly, the homemade mozzarella. I don’t think I’ll be rushing back there when there are far better italian restaurants without a three hour wait in my neighborhood

Grade: B
Location: 250 Mulberry Street @ Spring Street
Website: www.piginahat.com

1 Comment

Filed under Italian, Soho

Tagged as , ,

March 13, 2012

Kitchen Adventures: First Class Feast a la Chef Nicole Gonzalez

I love restaurants, but nothing can replace a feast with friends in a beautiful home. This weekend, my family’s long time friend Nicole was in town from Miami and invited a few people over to share the plethora of incredible food items she had been collecting since Friday. Nicole isn’t just any food lover – she’s a trained and experienced chef who, like me, can make a weekend out of researching quality food spots and navigating the city to find them. She definitely showed me up last night.

Image

When my sister and I arrived to Nicole’s New York home-away-from-home last night, I was stunned by the overwhelming sight of plate after plate of my favorite foods. I was there to meet her children, but my priority soon shifted to eating the bright white globe of fresh buratta surrounded by basil, and a salad of golden yellow and deep red heirloom cherry tomatoes marinated in fragrant extra virgin olive oil. A stack of Amy’s nut bread and the softest, freshest Frech baguette from Fairway Market lay next to a plate of Murray’s cheeses – one of which was a deliciously creamy, mild blue called “Caveman” and was instantly added to my brain’s subconscious list of “favorite cheeses”. An inch to the left, there lie a platter of beautifully transparent slices of fresh Scottish Salmon placed on crispy bialys. Delicately sliced italian meats, a bowl of sheep’s milk ricotta with truffle honey, a refreshing cucumber orange avocado salad, and a thinly sliced apple salad with blue cheese and crushed candied almonds covered the rest of the little available space on the table. I arrived full from brunch, but all bets were off the second I saw this array.

ImageImageImage

My jaw dropped in disbelief when Nicole alerted me to the three pastas she planned to prepare after I had stuffed my face with buratta – a raviolini with Hen of the Woods mushrooms, a butternut squash ravioli simply prepared with butter and freshly grated parmesan, and a long pasta with rock shrimp, crab, and a simple sauce made of onion, garlic, tomato paste, cream, and thyme. I knew that I couldn’t let my stomach stop me from tasting her creations made with the freshest noodles (stuffed pasta from Eataly, noodles from Murray’s) and ingredients (rock shrimp and crab from The Lobster Place). They were all astoundingly good – professional quality in a layman’s kitchen – and demonstrated her preferred method of cooking, which is my preferred type of eating: a few high quality ingredients that result in a masterpiece of simple and heartwarming food.

The thought of dessert was frightening, but when I saw the stacks of pastry boxes adorning the labels of the city’s best bakeries, my will-power dissolved in thin air. As Nicole unveiled each box, I grew more and more impressed by the fact that not only did she have the heart to share this all with her friends, but that she also managed to gather these things from all corners of Manhattan in two days while lugging around grocery bags and her two kids! The amount of dessert was endless, but I was in pure bliss: my favorite Jacques Torres chocolate chip, peanut butter chocolate chip, and chocolate chocolate cookies; a coconut cream pie, an award-winning Brooklyn Blackout cupcake, a peanut butter chocolate cupcake, a key lime angel food cupcake, and a moist square of gingerbread from Two Little Red Hens; a custardy, light mille crepes cake from Lady M; banana cake, pineapple upside down cake, and a pistachio cupcake from Billy’s Bakery; italian rainbow cookies and ricotta cheesecake from Veniero’s Bakery; and my new favorite discovery – banana pudding and coffee pudding from the new East Village spot Puddin’. I surprised myself with what I gravitated toward – instead of my usual chocolate frenzy, I was in bliss over the creamy concoctions: coconut cream pie, mille crepes, and the banana pudding. After a bite of almost everything that lay before me, I had no other choice but to force myself to stop in fear of spontaneously combusting.

the crime scene

No, this is not a series of lies. Nicole truly purchased and prepared all of these things, and we really ate all of these things. The cab ride home and the remainder of the night was a painful one of belly rubbing and swearing off dessert for the rest of the week. Sadly, after my peanut butter bar snack today after lunch I’ve already failed at my own game, but the feeling of gluttony was 100% worth all of the amazing food I was able to try. Nicole, you’re welcome back to New York anytime – but warn me in advance so I can work up the stomach space.

1 Comment

Filed under Kitchen Adventures

Tagged as , , , ,

March 11, 2012

Alta

People assume that because I write a “food blog,” selecting restaurants comes easily to me. In actuality, it’s that much more difficult because my brain becomes overwhelmed by the possibilities and it’s so crucial to me that my visitors have a memorable time. After agonizing for weeks about where to bring my two friends from DC and making literally 7 reservations, I finally settled on Alta. I’ve been to Alta before, and though the food didn’t wow me, the idea of shared plates and great sangria motivated me to try it once more. I’m so glad I did, because after last night I have a totally renewed love for this place.

Where do I begin? The menu consists of what seems like hundreds of different options, all of which sound delicious – and “the whole shebang” can be purchased for a decent $480. Sadly, our group of four couldn’t handle the idea, but that didn’t stop us from ordering our hearts out.

Everything was delicious – the spinach and mascarpone bruschetta topped with turkish figs and balsamic was the first and my favorite thing to come out. After that, it was an outpour of mouth watering food: grilled shrimp and chorizo, eggplant dip and hummus, seared sea scallops with black truffles, pulled pork empanadas, striped bass, skirt steak with chimichurri, pizza with porcini cream and fontina cheese, fried goat cheese with lavendar honey, wild mushroom risotto, crispy brussels sprouts with fuji apple, and finally peanut baklava with caramel ice cream. The plates are sized for a table of four to have a good bite or two of each – any more than 5 people and I’d suggest doubling orders. After a few photos I had to put the camera down to keep up with the pace of the meal.

best bruschetta combo ever

risotto

deliciously creamy risotto

skirt steak

amazing brussels

empanadas

mushroom pizza

The food is not the only great thing about Alta – their drinks are strong, their sangria is not too sweet, and they allow you to order progressively,  as opposed to requiring that the full order be placed at once to rush you out as quickly as possible. I’m ecstatic that I have a new go-to place for a girls’ night out – but I recommend Alta for all occasions.

Grade: A+
Location: 64 West 10th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue
Website:  www.altarestaurant.com

1 Comment

Filed under Erin's Favorites, Fun Group Dinner, Mediterranean, Spanish

Tagged as , ,

March 9, 2012

Bathtub Gin

I looooooooooove a good cocktail, but not as much as I love a good speakeasy. While some people despise the trend of these dimly lit spots with over-priced, overly-complicated cocktails and often snooty waiters, I tend to gravitate to them purely for the lure of enjoying a well crafted drink behind secret doors. Yes, I admit it, as the nosy person I am, I fall for the marketing technique of emphasizing exclusivity and mysteriousness to tempt the curious passerby.

But for all the gimmicks, moustached bartenders, and ridiculous rules (no speaking at high volumes) you must suffer through to sit undisturbed at these places, I am continuously wowed by the ice cold, perfectly shaken drinks. The speakeasy treats its cocktails like an intricate art-form, and Bathtub Gin is no exception to the rule.

Bathtub Gin focuses most of its cocktails on its namesake, which the waiters will advocate is the most versatile alcohol there is. After drinking two Fernet Sides, a drink with gin, lime, and mint, I can’t disagree.   And even more impressive is the great list of appetizers to choose from – a breath of fresh air when most speakeasies either don’t serve food at all (San Fran’s Bourbon and Branch once reluctantly gave me an olive upon request during a bout of extreme hunger) or pay little attention to crafting a cocktail-complimentary menu. The food options here are hearty, too – I loved the crab stuffed mushrooms , and the camembert, while served with a measly portion of bread, was some of the richest, most addictive camembert I’ve had.

To fit the reputation of a speakeasy in the traditional New York sense, there are many essentials. To name a couple: 1) Rude hostess and 2) clever mode of entry. Bathtub Gin wins in both departments, and makes up for the hostess with incredibly friendly waitstaff. Entrance is at the side door of Stone Street Coffee on 9th Avenue, with no sign of the cocktail bar outside – they’re really relying on word of mouth and proactive scenesters for their customers.

Bathtub Gin is a great option for a variety of occasions: a date, drinks with friends, drinks with co-workers, light bites and drinks with girlfriends before a night on the town, or even a drink solo. Considering its convenient location just blocks from Chelsea Market and my apartment, I have added this to my list of go-to drink spots.

Grade: A
Location: 132 9th Avenue btwn 18th and 19th Streets
Website: www.bathtubginnyc.com

1 Comment

Filed under Chelsea, Romantic Date, Swanky

Tagged as , , , ,

March 8, 2012

Super Linda

Latin American cuisine is my top choice for dining out because of its versatility. You can eat fresh and order salads laden with hearts of palm or queso fresco, or go the heavier route and have something wrapped in a tortilla and doused with melted cheese. So when I heard about the new Argentinian / Uruguayan-inspired restaurant Super Linda opening in Tribeca, I wasted no time and made a reservation for my friend Sara and me to celebrate her finishing the bar exam (wahoo!).

From the first few articles anticipating its opening, I had no doubt it would be awesome. But with reviews flooding in just days after its launch, unforeseen angst arose in the days leading up to my reservation. People complained about service, horrible food, and tacky decor. Many pledged to never eat there again. The website was broken. The address was no where to be found. The salesperson at a nearby store rolled her eyes when she heard I was going there. But Sara and I committed and went for it, and after finally eating there tonight (though still somewhat suffering from my stomach bug), I can’t say that I’d go rushing back for the food, but my experience was actually not as bad as expected.

The reviews must have made a good impact on the owners because our server was, although Argentinian and a self-proclaimed poor English speaker, 100% attentive, friendly, and accommodating. Sara and I started off with a green apple and cucumber caipirinha, which definitely evoked fond memories of downing these puppies in Brazil last year.

Hearts of Palm Salad

Ordering was incredibly easy because there really wasn’t much that appealed to us on the menu. I expect quite a variety at Latin American restaurants, but this menu only had one thing remotely close to a taco, some ceviche options, a few salads, and an array of meat-heavy main courses. I was craving more tapas-style options like tacos, masa cakes, or something creative and never before seen. Still, the ensalada picada with queso fresco, pickled onions, avocado, and roasted tomato was crisp and delicious, and the hearts of palm with avocado and hazelnuts was, although straightforward and familiar, tasty as well.

chopped salad

For our main we ordered the Red and Green Snapper and our waiter was nice enough to substitute kale for fries. For $34, it was a sizable portion of fish, more than enough to fill the four tiny corn tortillas served on the side. It was simple, light and healthy, and a star in contrast to the soggy, bitter side of kale.

fish

With so many places to try and so many places I already love, I’ll say it: I won’t be back here. Though the decor is fun and unique (a la retro Mexican restaurant), the food is unexciting. If they completely change the menu, there’s a chance this place could really blow up, but my prediction is that it closes down before the apocalypse.

Grade: B-

Location: 109 West Broadway @ Reade Street

Website: www.superlinda.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

March 5, 2012

Featured City Post: NOLA

I have many New York restaurants to catch up on here, but considering the overwhelming food experiences I had this weekend in New Orleans, I can’t help but update non-chronologically. This time, I was in this food-lovers city for my sister’s bachelorette party, and while most of the festivities revolved around embracing her last days as a “free woman,” we devoted a good portion of the weekend to visiting some of its best food stops (as should only be expected).

As luck would have it, I launched into the weekend with a horrible bout of what I thought to be food poisoning at the time, but am now diagnosing as a stomach virus. Whatever it was, it caused me to have an unthinkable urge to eat exclusively bread. But after the first major episode of violent illness, I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and ate every meal like a champ (though every time I thought I was in the clear I proved myself wrong – still, it was worth it).

Justyn and Witty at Jacques-Imos

Our weekend debuted with Jacques-imos, a common NOLA favorite, more-so for its upbeat, eclectic setting than the quality of its food. Its menu is filled with a huge variety of specialty items that come with salad and two choices of sides – I chose mashed potatoes and red beans and rice to go with our waiter’s recommendation of blackened red fish and shared Jessie’s fried chicken. But after eating starters of fried cheese grits, alligator cheesecake, jambalaya, and fried green tomatoes, I hardly had room for the main. Still, the fried chicken was as tender and flavorful as it comes, producing only smiles at all ends of the table.

buttery, garlicky, fried corn muffins

yup - real alligator sausage cheesecake appetizer

fried chicken with pickles

Our waiter was gracious enough to round out all of the food with free shots to honor the bachelorette, but the best part about the experience was the communal atmosphere. With its ridiculously strong and inexpensive drinks, it’s difficult to find a sober person in the house, and large groups tend to intermingle – so get ready for some random experiences if you plan to visit.

waiting at the bar at Brennan's

Our next major food excursion took place during brunch at Brennan’s in the French Quarter, the supposed founder of bananas foster. Though we waited over 40 minutes for our 12pm reservation, once we were seated we had a flawless experience thanks to our friendly waiter Troy. Surprisingly, the best deal on the menu is to order a three course prix fixe, which at $36, comes with a first course, a main, and dessert. Of course, a variety of the options tack on a few extra dollars here and there, but I ordered “simply” and stuck to the originals. For my starter, I went for the strawberries and cream, the eggs benedict for my main, and the chocolate pecan pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert. This was all after sharing a deliciously sweet Milk Punch - a concoction of brandy, half and half, vanilla, sugar, and nutmeg; what the bartender depicted as “Christmas morning in your mouth.”

bloody & milk punch

sweet, creamy strawberries

baked apple, just like grandpa used to make

eggs benedict

incredible pie

While the appetizer and dessert were definitely not necessary, they fit perfectly into the inescapable scene of gluttony in New Orleans. Strawberries and cream reminded me of my mother’s quick-fix dessert concoction growing up, and the pecan pie, with a drip-less vanilla ice cream, was one of the best I’ve ever had. Plus, the pure excitement of watching Troy flambe bananas in a pan table-side was definitely worth the order. Thankfully, he made enough for us all to taste, and honestly, it was indescribably good. Just imagine warm, brown-sugary, buttery bananas layered over ice cold vanilla ice cream. How on earth can that be bad?

Troy at work

frightening - but no one was actually harmed.

BAM!

After more snacking, ordering delivery for dinner that night, and getting Cafe Du Monde beignets and iced coffee to go this morning, we headed straight for Felix’s, a favorite of Justyn’s oyster-obsessed friend Mather. We waited in a short line and were seated at one of the many cafeteria style tables facing the oyster bar in the back. Don’t let the casual set-up and rushed service fool you – this place does not joke around about quality food. We sucked down 1.5 dozen oysters, fresh and charbroiled (so buttery and flavorful), as well as a crawfish po-boy, gumbo, and jambalaya. For $20 a piece, it was a steal, and just enough to satisfy my cajun-creole food needs for a good few months.

Jessie and Mather at Felix's - first round of oysters

buttery charbroiled oysters at Felix's

After being to New Orleans many times, I’ve nailed down the trend of my visits. Each time, I end up consuming something (whether it be food or drink) pretty much every hour of the day, and when I return, I feel like hell – no lie. Regardless, I never fail to take the feeling in stride and embrace the fact that the city is my backdrop for ultimate gluttony, and the painful bloat after consistent intake of fried, heavy food is completely worth the pure joy I get out of having these experiences. ‘Til the next time…

2 Comments

Filed under Cajun, Featured City Posts