A Voce with Quans 2 and 3
April 3, 2011 § Leave a comment
Katie, Laura, and I capped off our spring break weekend with a splurge at A Voce at Columbus Circle. The view, the quiet ambiance, and the refined but delicious food were everything I needed to conclude a great week of relaxation before coming back to law school. We started off with the homemade foccacia and ricotta spread, which unlike the bread basket in other restaurants, was most definitely not an afterthought.
Menu at A Voce
focaccia with ricotta
As an appetizer, we got the cassoncini with prosciutto. The cassoncini were absolute heaven, essentially crispy fried Italian wontons filled with Swiss chard and creamy cheese and then dusted with Parmesan, and the fat on the accompanying prosciutto di Parma melted between your fingers as you tore it into bite-sized shreds. We could’ve ordered 3 servings as a meal and still be just as happy.
cassoncini and prosciutto
For our entrees, Katie got the fried egg, pecorino, and pickled fennel on grilled country bread, Laura ordered squid ink orecchiette with lobster, chickpeas and chilies, and I ordered the pappardelle with veal shank, fennel sofrito, and bone marrow. My pasta tasted just as good as the last dish I ordered at A Voce (loved the addition of bone marrow that richened the rest of the sauce), and Laura’s orecchiette, though very new to me, definitely had a unique taste imparted from the squid ink in the pasta that could only be described as “ocean-y.” Katie seemed to have a difficult time eating her dish just because of the crustiness of the grilled bread, but I noticed that there wasn’t a single crumb left on her plate at the end of the meal.
Laura's orecchiette
Katie's nduja
My pappardelle
The original plan was to order the famous bombolonis (Tuscan doughnuts) for dessert, but we were pressed for time and had to leave to catch our train back to Jersey, meaning we’d simply have to go back another time.
This weekend was probably the most fun I’ve had in a while, and it was so relaxing to just walk around in NYC, shopping and eating, with my two sisters. As it turns out, both of them will be in NYC next year (Katie will be a sophomore at Columbia and Laura will be attending Cooper Union), and though I’m a bit jealous that they will be hanging out sans yours truly, at least it means I have not one, but two, free places to stay when I visit!
A Voce Columbus
10 Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor
New York City, NY
212.823.2523
http://www.avocerestaurant.com/index.html
A stop at Bouchon Bakery
March 30, 2011 § 1 Comment
The Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle is home to some pretty big names in fine-dining. You’ve got Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin, Masa, and of course, Thomas Keller’s Per Se. What isn’t as well known is Bouchon Bakery, Keller’s small bakery and pastry shop on the third floor, decked out in all its pastries and baguettes. In truth, it’s more of a stand than anything else, where you order and wait for your food before sitting down in an open area in the mall, but I think there’s also a separate area where you can sit down for a longer period of time and order your food via waiter.
Although Laura and I just split the chocolate almond croissant this time (we had a reservation at A Voce soon after), some of my favorite items in the past have been the TKO – Thomas Keller Oreo, the Linzer cookie, and the sticky buns, but I would advise against getting any of the macarons, which can’t compare to those at La Maison du Chocolat.
Flaky, buttery, and not too sweet, the croissant (and coffee) was a perfect pick-me-up in the morning considering how tired Laura and I were still feeling from the previous day. Although I would’ve liked a little more chocolate spread throughout, the almond paste wasn’t artificial tasting and I would definitely get it again.
Bouchon Bakery
Time Warner Center (third floor)
10 Columbus Circle
New York City, NY 10119
212.823.9366
http://bouchonbakery.com/
Pies ‘n’ Thighs and Williamsburg
March 29, 2011 § 1 Comment
After our trip to the Brooklyn Museum and Red Hook, Laura and I met up with Quan #2, aka Katie, in Williamsburg for some shopping and southern food. As a sucker for quirky shops and gourmet food stores, Williamsburg was absolute heaven. There were thrift and vintage stores on every corner and cute restaurants in between.
One of my favorite new finds was a clothing store called Malin Lindaeus, which had a great collection of lace up boots and brogues and some very stylish felt fedoras. Plus, Malin, the owner, was so friendly that it felt like we were just looking through her closet for dresses to borrow!
Inside Malin Lindaeus
Another great store was the adorable Bedford Cheese Shop, with its vast jams and jellies and hipster cheese experts. The lovely stink of fermenting milk hit us as soon as we opened the door, and we were able to sample a number of bries, camemberts, blue cheeses, and gruyeres. In the end, we took home a Buttercup brie, some excellente Comte, and a truly amazing Bleu d’Auvergne, the first blue cheese that I’ve not only tolerated but loved.
Inside the Bedford Cheese Shop
Finally, at around 8 PM or so, we managed to find our way to Pies ‘n’ Thighs, a cute lil joint known for its amazing fried chicken. After a short wait, we each got our individual boxes, which came with either fried chicken, pulled pork sandwich, or brisket sandwich and a side, and drinks, including a classic sweet tea, a renegade made of honey, lemon and ginger, and a lemonade.
And although I hate to use hyperbole…best fried chicken I’ve had. My first bite sounded in a loud crunch, and the meat was unbelievably tender and juicy. I also appreciated that they hadn’t skimped on the seasoning, which tends to be a pet peeve of mine, especially for fried foods and meat. The biscuit and baked beans that came with the chicken were tasty as well, but I was all about the chicken. I had a couple bites of Laura’s and Katie’s food and while their dishes were certainly very good, I have to say that from a totally impartial perspective, mine was no doubt the best.
Menu
Pulled pork sandwich with mac and cheese
Fried chicken box with baked beans
And though we were pretty full from our entrees, we figured we couldn’t come to a place called Pies ‘n’ Thighs without sampling some dessert, so we split a slice of their Key Lime. Super tart and creamy without being cloyingly sweet (another pet peeve of mine), the pie wasn’t too heavy and a lovely way to end a great day in Brooklyn.
Key lime pie
Malin Lindaeus
155 North 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY
http://malinlandaeus.com/
Bedford Cheese Shop
229 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
718.599.7588
http://www.bedfordcheeseshop.com/
Pies ‘n’ Thighs (cash only)
166 South 4th Street
Brooklyn, NY
http://piesnthighs.com/
Red Hook Lobster Pound
March 27, 2011 § Leave a comment
Welcome to Red Hook
Brooklyn doesn’t really evoke images of Maine lobster, but the Red Hook Lobster Pound is a little jewel that delivers it in spades. The pound is a little hard to find (we took the subway to Smith and 9th and then the 61 bus) and you’re probably better off sampling their food at the Brooklyn Flea Market on Saturdays, but Laura and I were already headed to Van Brunt Street for some goodies at Baked and decided it wouldn’t hurt to just walk down the street for a very late lunch.
Psychedelic lobster
There wasn’t an official restaurant or anything at the Lobster Pound so we ordered our food at the counter and then migrated to the indoor seating area next door. Laura ordered the Maine roll, a classic with mayonnaise, celery and some spices, and I ordered the Connecticut roll, which came with butter instead of mayo. We also shared a mandarin orange soda and a gigantic homemade chocolate whoopie pie, another original Maine treat. Since we had the entire seating area to ourselves and we’d spent most of the morning running after subways and buses, to finally sit down somewhere nice and quiet and dig into a hunk of succulent lobster was such a great moment of relaxed bliss.
The Maine and the Connecticut
Connecticut close up
The lobster meat was lightly dressed, tender and unbelievably sweet, and I liked that they toasted the soft JJ Nissen buns to add a little bit of crunch. The rolls also came with chips and a pickle, but honestly, I was more than happy just eating the lobster and drinking the fizzy orange soda, which was surprisingly not as saccharine as I thought it’d be. Considering the fact that I’ve seen smaller lobster rolls in the city for almost $30, the $15 price tag made these sandwiches one of the best food deals I’ve seen and although I don’t know that I’d necessarily trek all the way to Red Hook again for a bite, I’m definitely keeping my eyes open for these babies when I go to Brooklyn Flea or the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.
Nomnomnom
Red Hook Lobster Pound
284 Van Brunt Street
Brooklyn, NY
646.326.7650
http://redhooklobsterpound.com/
Coming home
March 26, 2011 § Leave a comment
Living in Edison has spoiled me when it comes to sushi. In fact, there are so many Japanese restaurants in the Edison area offering good quality, low-priced nigiri, sashimi, and maki rolls that I refuse to eat sushi elsewhere. Case in point: Tonia and I recently went to U-Yee Sushi in nearby Iselin where I went a little insane and ordered four different rolls – Dragon (eel and avocado with avocado and sauce on top), Volcano (fried calamari and cucumber with roe and spicy mayo), Dynamite (crunchy spicy yellow tail and avocado with fish roe) and Mexican (crunchy spicy salmon) – without batting an eyelash.
U-Yee Sushi
Tonia also ordered a large bowl of udon soup, and while I was perfectly happy with my maki rolls, I had to admit that the giant piece of shrimp tempura and golden yolk oozing into the broth looked mighty tempting.
Udon at U-Yee
So while our town isn’t necessarily known for its gorgeous scenery or quaint store-lined Main Street, Edison is really worth a visit simply for the vast number of its different ethnic restaurants, a cultural attraction in itself.
U-Yee Sushi
675 U.S. Hwy 1 South
Iselin, NJ 08830
732.283.7888
Favorite food rules
March 20, 2011 § Leave a comment
Michael Pollan’s Food Rules is a handy little book that lays out straightforward rules for eating well and wisely in an age of food industry and factory farming. My favorites:
“Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.”
“Eat animals that have themselves eaten well.”
“Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper.”
“Treat treats as treats.”
“Cook.”
“Break the rules once in a while.”
Raging heat and a golden moon
March 20, 2011 § Leave a comment
I first had drunken noodles (pad kee mao) at a place called Bangkok Bistro in Georgetown. The wide rice noodles reminded me of Chinese chow fun, especially when stir-fried with veggies and thinly sliced beef, but the flavors tasted so much brighter. I think it was the first time I understood that a dish was capable of being savory, sweet, and spicy all at the same time. The dish has become somewhat of a personal barometer for any new Thai restaurants that I try. When I still thought I was going to Washington University in St. Louis for law school and visited last spring, I was so disappointed with the local version of drunken noodles that I actually began to doubt my school of choice. Luckily, it worked out that I ended up somewhere with an excellent offering of Thai cuisine.
drunken noodles
Here in NJ, we’re blessed with a wide variety of Asian restaurants, and Four Seasons is probably one of my favorites. It’s small and sparsely decorated, with only a couple photos of Thai royalty here and there, but the owners are friendly, the service is snappy, and the food…oh the food. Granted I only ever get one dish, but it’s so damn good that you’d never need anything else. The noodles are coated in a spicy and sweet red ambrosia and the combination of chicken, barbecue pork, shrimp, and egg keeps each mouthful interesting. There’s a healthy amount of fresh Thai basil thrown in there, the strong anise flavor of which I’ve really learned to love over the years, and a sweet crunch from all the red peppers. Although I always get mild level, this dish is anything but. Throughout our meal, and despite the fact that we were sucking down Thai iced teas, Tonia, Jiawen and I were all crying from happiness and heat, a good place to be.
Thai iced tea
Also, on our way home, the moon was absolutely stunning! There’s apparently some scientific explanation for its appearance tonight (full moon phase coinciding with perigee), but it was so huge and golden that the effect was somewhat disconcerting – as if the world was about to end. The photo below really doesn’t do it justice. An hour later, though, it was normal-sized again and the moment was gone.
super-moon
Four Seasons (cash only)
1353 Stelton Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854
732.819.8787
http://www.pad-thai.com/
Food Matters and reflection
March 3, 2011 § Leave a comment
2011 has been a major fail on the cooking front. Last semester, despite all the stress of settling into school law, I still managed to have people over for small dinner parties and cook lunch for the week. What happened? A sprained ankle (that's still in the process of healing), a bitterly cold Ithaca winter, and general lack of inspiration. But NO MORE.
Last weekend, while cleaning my apartment for the first time in weeks, I stumbled on Mark Bittman's Food Matters which had been hiding under a pile of my Economist magazines and once again read about the truly disgusting practices of factory farms in America, the impact such practices have on the environment as well as our bodies, and Bittman's gradual shift to a lifestyle he liked to call, "vegan 'til six," where he'd eat a vegan diet for breakfast and lunch and then indulge in whatever he wanted for dinner each day. In the process, he got rid of his sleep apnea, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar and shed 35 pounds.
As a grad student with (very) limited funds, it's not realistic for me to suddenly buy grass-fed beef, only whole grains, and all organic fruits and vegetables. I am, however, very intrigued by the notion that, in a country where it's sometimes much cheaper to buy instant mac and cheese in bulk than locally grown fruit, it's nevertheless possible to eat healthily and responsibly without spending more money on groceries.
No, I don't plan on becoming a total whole food zealot anytime soon; there will still be bacon cheeseburgers and Cajun fries for this occasional glutton, but it'll be interesting to see how well I can exercise my restraint for baked goods, diet soda, and junk food, whether vegetarian food can ever really compare to food that includes meat, whether this kind of "flexitarian" lifestyle is feasible for someone on a low budget, and how much of an effect such a lifestyle can really have on one's health. And to set some parameters for myself, my approach to flexitarianism, at least initially, is going to entail two vegetarian meals (well, technically, they'd be ovo-lacto-vegetarian meals since I'm allowing myself eggs and dairy products at first) and then one meal that's completely unrestricted, with no specific distribution as to which meal is veg or nonveg.
Here's to a new year (two months late) with high goals for health and perhaps a permanent change for the better.
Moosewood for Matt’s Birthday
February 3, 2011 § Leave a comment
Last Friday, a bunch of us finally got to try Ithaca’s famous Moosewood Restaurant for Matt’s 25th birthday. Normally vegetarian/vegan restaurants don’t really appeal to me but given the restaurant’s excellent reputation and the huge number of cookbooks it’s published over the years, I thought it’d be a shame not to go.
Moosewood is pretty unique in that it changes all of its dishes, both lunch and dinner, daily. Usually I like to scope out a restaurant’s menu items and decide what I’m going to eat beforehand, but in this case, I had to be a little more patient.
That night three of us ordered the hearty and cheesy grilled fennel and portobello lasagna. The portion was huge, but somehow I managed to shove it all down my throat. Youjin’s Morrocan dish was a beautiful array of winter vegetables over couscous, and Matt’s salmon en papillote, though somewhat lacking in color and excitement that usually comes with this kind of a dish (where you tear open the package to let out all the wine-and-herb-infused steam), was nevertheless well-seasoned and cooked perfectly.
We ended the dinner with a chocolate vegan birthday cake, which I had a hard time liking. The top layer, which I think was a sad attempt at frosting made without butter, tasted more like that chocolate freeze-dried ice cream that astronauts typically eat. The rest of the cake was extremely dry and crumbly. I only took a couple forkfuls before completely giving up.
So while I don’t think I’d ever get dessert at Moosewood ever again, they actually do a great job of cooking up satisfying and delicious vegetarian dishes without coming across as overly-hippie-ish. Plus they seem to have a lot of deals and promotions during the week which would make a visit even more worth it.
Moosewood Restaurant
215 N. Cayuga Street, Dewitt Building
Ithaca, NY 14850
607.273.9610
http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/
Stuff yer face and Clydz
January 11, 2011 § Leave a comment
I’ve been hanging out in the New Brunswick area a lot the past couple of days. First was a trip to Stuff Yer Face with Tonia, Cathy, Murphy (who got the fishbowl), and Jiawen, and even though I ended up not going one of their famous strombolis, I was perfectly happy with their chipotle pork sandwich which had a nice kick to it.
Then today, a group of us enjoyed happy hour at Clydz, a restaurant/bar hidden on a side just street off Route 27. The inside was very cozy, complete with an actual fireplace, and we all ordered “girly” drinks with names like “Girl Scout Cookie” and “Watermelon,” which tasted exactly like a Jolly Rancher. One of the major favorites was a concoction called “The Destroyer” and contrary to what its name might imply about its nature, it was one of the sweetest, smoothest drinks of the bunch, made with sweet tea vodka, elderflower, and lemonade.
We also ordered some appetizers: roasted garlic hummus, pierogies, and fried calamari, but I didn’t really think of any of our dishes as really impressive. I’m still in love with the pierogies at Veselka in New York, which have your choice of filling (including sweet potato, cheeses, etc) and then fried, compared to the Clydz’s boiled version. My fried calamari were all right, but the accompanying marinara sauce was watery and I would’ve preferred something with a little more heat.
All in all, I think Clydz is probably worth it only for happy hour. Drinks are half-off and come to around $5 or $6 each and select appetizers are $5 and most of them are decently-sized portions.
Stuff Yer Face
49 Easton Ave.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732.247.1727
http://www.stuffyerface.com/
Clydz
55 Paterson St.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732.846.6521
http://clydz.com/index.php
Notes on Food 