Travel | Notes on Food

Smallish bites uptown

December 24, 2011 § 2 Comments

After breakfast at Alice’s Tea Cup, Laura and I continued to buy small bites of food from uptown shops to bring home as a pre-Christmas snack for the family. We stopped by Salumeria Rosi for spicy coppa piccante, where the people working the counter were very generous with their samples. At some point in the future, I think it’d be really nice to settle into the restaurant area with a giant board of cheese, cured meats, and a glass of red wine. I’d also really love to get my hands on some of that porchetta.

We also visited nearby Levain Bakery, known for their enormous, bajillion-caloried cookies. Although we only got their chocolate chip walnut cookie (so buttery and delicious and only about 2/3 baked through so the center was basically cookie dough), next time I’d really like to try their brioche with cinnamon butter.

And finally, we took a nice walk across Central Park from west side to east to pick up some macarons from Laduree, which had changed some flavors since I was there last, adding a citrus passionfruit, black forest, and chestnut pear flavor. We got two gorgeous gift boxes of six to bring home for my parents, who’d never tried them before and absolutely loved nibbling on them with cups of hot tea.

And with that, I wish all of you a happy and delicious holiday!

Salumeria Rosi
283 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY
212.877.4801
http://www.salumeriarosi.com/en_ny/home/

Levain Bakery
167 West 74th Street
New York, NY 10023
212.874.6080
http://www.levainbakery.com/

Laduree
864 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
646.558.3157
Laduree Shops

Alice’s Tea Cup

December 22, 2011 § 3 Comments

Christmas is the time for kitsch. Laura and I celebrated the end of her first round of college finals by embracing everything cute and corny at Alice’s Tea Cup, where the food and ambiance come together to create a really enjoyable and relaxing experience. The restaurant/tea shop itself is excessively decorated and eye-poppingly colorful, especially in the storefront area, but the actual dining room is more toned down, with old wooden spinning tables (machines removed of course) and mismatched tea settings which add to the place’s charm.

Alice's Tea Cup

We started with a pot of Alice’s Tea, their custom blend of Indian black Vanilla with Japanese green tea and rose petals, which was “smooth and subtle.”

Alice's Tea

Laura indulged in some of their Scones Benedict, with two poached eggs over a split savory scone healthily smothered in rich rosemary hollandaise sauce and served with a side of crispy potato hash. As soon as she broke into that first gooey, golden yolk, we knew we were in the right place for breakfast.

Our breakfast spread

Scones Benedict

But nothing, not even potatoes and yolky eggs, could deter me from the enormous lemon poppyseed glazed scone served with raspberry preserves and clotted cream. It was one of those moments where something so seemingly simple turns out to be so frikkin’ amazing. I spent most of breakfast just focusing on the scone (which is big enough to be breakfast in itself) and pretty much ignored my very good cornmeal and blueberry pancakes with maple syrup.

Lemon poppyseed scone with raspberry preserves and clotted cream

Cornmeal pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup

So buttery and flaky, the tart lemon tasted so delicious against the thick, dreamy cream and sweet, fruity preserves, and it was a perfect accompaniment to the hot, only slightly bitter tea. It was hard to walk pass the pastry counter on the way out without getting some more scones to go, and I was still dreaming about them this morning. Next time, I think I might just get their small pot of tea and 2 scones for $10 and spend all morning eating crumbly bite after crumbly bite.

Pastries and scones

Alice’s Tea Cup
102 West 73rd Street
New York, NY
212.799.3006
http://alicesteacup.com/

Stops at old favorites

December 18, 2011 § 2 Comments

Whew! It’s been a while. I’m finally on winter break (until forever it seems) and spending most of my days on the couch in front of the television with my laptop. Yesterday I did finally manage to leave the house to reunite with high school friends in New York City and we managed to get a lot of things done.

Jiawen and Cathy with Mario, the apartment bear

First, an obligatory trip to Shake Shack, Madison Square Park with Jiawen and Cathy because I needed to get my burger fix. Between Cathy and me, we ordered our individual single Shack burgers and then split some fries (which seemed to have crispier exteriors and creamier interiors than I remembered) and a Shack-ago dog. Cathy said she still preferred a classic hot dog with ketchup and mustard, but I actually quite like all the vegetables and celery salt, even though structurally, the hot dog becomes a very hard thing to eat with all those toppings.

Oh, how I've missed you

Madison Square Park

FOOD

A beautiful Shack burger

The fat squirrels of Madison Square Park

On our way back to Jiawen’s apartment, we also stopped by nearby Eataly, which was completely packed with tourists and people doing their holiday shopping. Is the place ever not super busy? Every time I go and want to take my time and look at all the jams and spreads, cured meats, and cheeses, I lose my patience because people are constantly shuffling along and end up giving up within 10-15 minutes. I can’t even imagine waiting for a table at one of the restaurants.

Mushroom varieties at Eataly

Citrus!

We also dropped by Doughnut Plant, right by Jiawen’s apartment, to pick up a couple donuts: tres leches cake and pear yeast (a holiday flavor). The tres leches was indulgent as ever and still one of my favorite flavors (aside from carrot cake and peanut butter and jelly yeast, which were both gone by the time we got there), and even though the pear was quite good, the glaze was a bit too sweet for my taste.

Doughnut Plant

Pear

Tres Leches

Finally, we found our way back to Jiawen’s couch and had some time to relax before an evening of Korean food, drinking, and intense karoake. Cathy and I did, however, manage to slip out for a bit in the middle of watching The Adjustment Bureau to visit Whiskers in Wonderland at the Metropolitan Pavilion at 18th Street and 6th Avenue, where there were tons of cats (and not many dogs) looking for a new home. As expected, there was a lot of cooing and “awing” going on, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take home any cute critters this year.

Whiskers in Wonderland

Siblings

Huge, huge thanks to Jiawen who arranged everything and happy holidays to everyone!

Ithaca Farmer’s Market

November 18, 2011 § Leave a comment

Shots from Ithaca Farmer’s Market. So happy to have my Macro Mama’s again. I may have gotten two extra cartons of peanut lime noodles.

Brunch at Riverpark

July 24, 2011 § 1 Comment

Last weekend, Katie and I ventured all the way to the east side of Manhattan for a beautiful brunch at Riverpark by Tom Colicchio, located in Murray Hill, where we met up with friends who are getting married in October! Although the restaurant is literally plopped in the middle of nowhere, it does boast some great views of the East River from its two outdoor dining sections: the Terrace (communal seating with long picnic tables) and the Patio (a more formal setting).

Outside

As a starter, we ordered simple grilled bread topped with a generous amount of creamy avocado, something that seems easy enough to make at home but never tastes the same as in a restaurant, possibly due to the fact that this version was drizzled with a fruity olive oil and sprinkled with fat shards of coarse sea salt. I could eat this alone as a meal and be perfectly content.

Grilled bread and avocado with olive oil and sea salt

Normally, I’m not a huge fan of brunch because many restaurants just go with the old standbys – eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, some kind of omelette with everything thrown into the mix – without applying their own interpretation or a little twist. But when I was looking at the menu for Riverpark beforehand, I knew this would be a real treat, not just because of its affiliation with great chef Tom Colicchio but also because it actually had a brunch menu that piqued my interest.

This was actually the first time I’d ever had shrimp grits, so even though I had no base for comparison, I thought this dish was very well executed. The shrimp were fat and tender, and my favorite part was sucking the brain juice out of the heads. And to all the people who squeal at this, let me just say I feel sorry for you because you’re clearly missing out on the best part of this tasty crustacean. The grits, very similar to polenta, were very creamy and luxurious for such a simple grain and tasted even better when mixed with that reduction of shrimp stock, butter, and whatever else.

Shrimp and grits with pulled pork, charred tomatoes, scallions

Other dishes included biscuits and gravy with Berkshire sausage and sage, Katie’s pork belly sandwich with a fried egg (can you say decadent?) and fries, and fried chicken sliders with honey and pickled vegetables. Everyone raved about the food, as well as the excellent coffee.

Biscuits and gravy with Berkshire pork sausage and sage

Pork belly sandwich with fried egg, cheddar, and frisee and fries

Fried chicken biscuit sliders with honey, cheddar, and pickles

It was one of those perfect, leisurely meals. Great company and conversation, excellent and comforting food, beautiful weather and a great view. Even our waiter was extremely cute. So although this restaurant was somewhat hard to find (we took the 4, 6 subways to 28th and walked from there), I’d definitely go back again, no question.

Riverpark by Tom Colicchio
450 E. 29th Street
New York, NY 10006
http://www.riverparknyc.com/

Restaurant Week: Dinner at David Burke Kitchen

July 20, 2011 § Leave a comment

Restaurant Week kicked off last week so Katie and I took advantage of the prix fixe dinner ($35, not including beverages, tax, and tip) at David Burke Kitchen in the mod and fancy shmancy James Hotel downtown. I’ve actually always wanted to try Burke’s dishes – usually characterized as whimsical takes on the classics – and this “urban farmhouse” approach to a restaurant was intriguing. The interior reminded me a bit of Lure Fishbar, basically because we were underground and able to see people walking by above us, but there was a great deal of light thanks to the skylight. I liked that despite the industrial decor, the restaurant actually did have that country barn feel, possibly due to the large butcher’s block table, overflowing with loaves of bread and cheeses and pots of soup broths, in the middle of dining room and the large portraits of the restaurant’s suppliers in their element.

Restaurant Week menu

As usual, we planned our meal to maximize the number of different dishes we’d be able to try. For starters, I ordered the lobster dumpling soup and Katie got the asparagus with crisped prosciutto. I loved the rich, shellfish flavor in the broth, which the waiter poured at the table, and the two lobster dumplings, filled with a coconut fennel cream, were heavenly. I only regretted that there were two of them and Katie and I could only have one each. I have to say, however, that I’m not a fan of cold asparagus, especially if it’s been boiled as opposed to roasted or grilled. The burrata, something that I’ve been wanting to try for a while, was lovely though. Insanely creamy and rich and topped with olive oil and coarse shards of sea salt, it would’ve tasted great with anything.

Lobster soup - lobster dumplings, coconut fennel cream, red watercress

Asparagus and burrata - honeydew, prosciutto, basil

Although one of our starters was somewhat underwhelming, our entrees wowed. The short ribs and cavatelli (kind of a smaller gnocchi), with wild mushrooms and truffle cream, was probably one of the best dishes I’ve had in a long time. The beef was fork tender, the mushrooms added a great earthiness to the dish, and the cavatelli, with its little ridges, did an excellent job of sopping up the savory sauce resulting from the mingled beef juices, mushroom “stock,” and truffle cream.

Short ribs and cavatelli with wild mushrooms and truffle cream

Equally impressive was the enormous pork chop and parsley onion ring dish. At first, I had difficulty cutting into the chop, which made me worry that the meat had been overcooked, but when I took a bite, it was as tender as could be. I didn’t care too much for the mango chutney (I have a hard time understanding pairings of fruit and meat), but the onion rings were well seasoned and incredibly crunchy, and the two little slabs of cumin bacon added a smoky element.

Pork chop, parsley onion rings with mango chutney and cumin bacon

We also managed to get suckered into ordering a side of smoked beef fat and jalapeno French fries for the table. I should’ve regretted it, but they were just too good.

Smoked beef fat and jalapeno French fries

Desserts were solid versions of RW standards: an apple tart and chocolate caramel fudge cake. Nothing eye-opening but nothing sub-standard either.

Apple tart with caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, and fennel chip

Chocolate caramel fudge cake with salted caramel, goat's milk cajeta ice cream

Oh, and just another note. The red wine that we drank with our meal, Lai Lai Pinot Noir 2008, has since become a favorite, and I usually don’t even like red wine! Even more surprising, instead of coming from Burgundy (which is Pinot Noir’s original home) or California, this wine hails from the Bio Bio district in Chile. Anyway, I just thought it went very well with the food – great flavor and very smooth.

David Burke Kitchen
23 Grand Street
Soho, NY 10013
212.201.9119
http://davidburkekitchen.com

Eating across the boroughs

July 12, 2011 § Leave a comment

Yet another day of traipsing around New York City, this time in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Brooklyn Flea Market in Fort Greene (where I got the first nasty sunburn of the summer).

Asia Dogs: the Vinh (aioli, pate, cucumbers, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, and jalapeno) and the Wangding (Chinese BBQ pork belly, onions, and cucumber). The Vinh was the better of the two, since the pickled vegetables balanced out the meatiness of the dog. Plus I love anything with cilantro. On the other hand, the pork belly and accompanying that topped the Wangding was a bit too salty and syrupy for my taste.

Asia Dog

Salvatore Bklyn, makers of the best ricotta (insanely creamy and rich) and olive oil I have ever had. Literally went cross-eyed when I had my first bite. With just-sliced prosciutto and arugula on fresh bread…absolute heaven on earth. I could eat five, no six, of them and consider it a perfect meal.

Salvatore BKLYN

Chelsea Market for more gelato from L’ Arte del Gelato…this time pear and grape sorbet. No, sadly, these cups weren’t all mine.

Gelatoooo

Company Pizza (again) in Chelsea for a relaxed dinner, complete with a whole growler of Allagash White (props to Maria’s boyfriend, Dave, for introducing me to a new favorite beer), veal meatballs, bread and butter, and three different pizzas.

Growler of Allagash

Veal meatballs, homemade sauce, parmesan, and basil with truccio sare bread and butter

Flambe: bechamel, parmesan, mozzarella, caramelized onions, bacon lardons

Boscaiola: tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, red onion, chili

Special of the day: English peas, pea shoots, prosciutto, bechamel (my favorite of the three)

Brooklyn Flea Market
176 Lafayette Avenue (between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenue)
Saturdays, 10 am – 5 pm
http://www.brooklynflea.com/

Asia Dog

Salvatore BKLYN

Pizza at Co.

June 22, 2011 § Leave a comment

Somehow, even after our trip to Doughnut Plant, Laura and I still had room for more carbs, so we walked our way over to Jim Lahey’s place, Co., for some thin-crust pizza.

Menu at Company

Although the weather was amazing that day, we opted to stay inside, where it was surprisingly quiet for 1 PM on a Saturday. The interior set up and decor was pretty minimalist, with one large table for communal dining going down the midde.

Interior

To ensure we had a “balanced” meal, we ordered one “Boscaiola” pie, with tomato, mozzarella, pork sausage, mushrooms, onions, and chili flakes, and a green-laden “Popeye,” with Pecorino cheese, gruyere, mozzarella, spinach, black pepper, and garlic.

Popeye

Because I’m a sucker for any pizza with meat and mushrooms, the Boscaiola was my favorite. The sausage tasted very fresh and I liked the not-so-subtle, spicy kick from the generous sprinkling of chili, which was well balanced against the sweetness of the tomato.

Boscaiola

I was actually surprised by how much I liked the Popeye. They really don’t hold back with the spinach, and some of the green leaves became wonderfully crisp from cooking at such high heat, almost like garlicky, salty spinach chips. And though I tend to stay away from too much cheese on my pizza, I really loved the combination of the nutty Gruyere and the sharpness of the Pecorino.

Because the pizza was so delicious, Laura and I actually managed to finish two whole pies, even though our stomachs were to the point of exploding by the end. Luckily, we had an afternoon of exploring the Chelsea art galleries to work it all off.

Co.
230 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
212.243.1105
http://www.co-pane.com/

Doughnut Plant

June 18, 2011 § 1 Comment

Ugh, I’ve been so bad about posting lately due to work and general craziness. Definitely going to try and be better about that as I slip into a summer routine.

So, in continuation of our most recent NYC trip, after our time at the Met with McQueen, Laura and I went to Chelsea to take a look at some of the art galleries – the beautiful, the ugly, and the wtf? – and also FINALLY stopped at the Doughnut Plant by the Hotel Chelsea since we discovered they had opened a relatively new location in the area. In the past, difficulty in getting to the Lower East Side had always prevented us from visiting.

Options at Doughnut Plant

I loved the look of the place. First, the smell that hits you when you enter the shop is absolutely insane. All that sugar and dough makes for an incredibly heady combination. There were also cute doughnut plushies on the walls and donut patterns on the seats, and everyone appeared to be happily enjoying their orders with some iced coffee.

Wall decor

We chose a yeast based donut, the peanut butter and blackberry jelly, and a cake donut, the rich tres leches. Laura and I were split on favorites; I preferred the cakiness and creaminess of the tres leches whereas Laura went gaga for the PB&J, a terrific balance between crunchy, peanut-y saltiness and tart fruit from the filling, but we both agreed that these were the best ring-shaped desserts we’d ever had.

PB&J

Innards

Tres Leches

Innards

We debated ordering another one, perhaps the blackout donut, but we had lunch plans at Company (post to come later) and decided to wait until another time.

So the next time you find yourself in Chelsea craving something sweet, definitely consider heading to the Hotel Chelsea to indulge in some serious donut fare.

The Doughnut Plant
220 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011
212.675.9100
www.doughnutplant.com

Snapshots from the Met

June 7, 2011 § Leave a comment

Aside from the amazing McQueen exhibit (photos, especially haphazard ones taken to best avoid yelling from the guards, don’t do the displays justice) and the somewhat underwhelming Antony Caro exhibit, it was nice to spend time exploring some of the newly-renovated Greek and Roman and Colombian wings. The perfect weather, sunny but not too humid, was a definite plus as well.