Savor & Snap is Asia bound..Thailand and South Korea where I plan to eat my face off. I'll report back of course but before I go I wanted to let you in on a secret...
My friend Christine tipped me off to Blue Bottle's yummo liege waffle! It's only $4...fancy taste with a not so fancy price tag...my kind of morning meal! Even better, it's on the concourse of 30 Rock...my new breakfast spot!
I can't even really explain why I thought it was so good but every bite had me giggling with joy! I mean it doesn't look like much...when the barista/waffle maker man handed it to me I gave him a puzzled look and asked where the powdered sugar was...his response, you don't need it! I was very suspect. But it's true! It is perfectly sweet and comforting...I would be happy eating them every morning. I almost went back the next morning for another waffle but I held back...mainly because there was free pizza for lunch, it's all about balance folks!
So the secret is out. You're welcome!
Note: They don't serve waffles on weekends :(
Cappuccino!
Me & Jen T Hong w/ our new favorite breakfast waffle!
Last night I had the most amazing catch up date with my former work wifey Megan! I miss her like a fat kid misses cake, you crave it until you have it and when you do, you just want more...this is Megan, she's just so fun!
After some confusion about where we should meet, we ended up at Casellula in Hells Kitchen. We walked in and got seated right away, when that happens in a super crowded restaurant you know it's going to be a great night. Casellula is charming, intimate and has an amazing wine list to boot, you won't want to leave. And actually we didn't but there was a couple waiting for our cozy corner and so alas...
Every time I visit SF I wonder why I don't just stay forever. Part of the problem is how expensive it is to live here! I mean the average cost per square foot for a new condo is over $1100, yowsers! So show me a deal in these parts and I'm hooked, especially when it comes to cocktails which can easily cost upwards of $20 or more.
I am quite satisfied with my new favorite happy hour spot...$5 cocktails with a killer view of the water and Bay Bridge: Epic Roasthouse.
Slanted Dooris one of my favorite SF restaurants! I was roaming the Ferry Building after an 8 mile morning run and while there are so many yummo options at every turn I was feeling a bit celebratory…it was my first time ever running 8 miles! So in sweaty running gear we found ourselves at Slanted Door. I don't recommend you come dressed as we did but that's why I love SF...you can wear pretty much whatever you want even at a classy establishment like this one!
When I think of Wisconsin, I think of cheese. So naturally as soon as I arrived, I ordered an artisanal cheese & sausage plate. When in Rome right? Or rather Madison. It turns out there's much more to this town than cheese and Badgers. Case in point, Graze, a farm-to-table restaurant inspired by the NY gastropub scene and the chef's love of comfort food. I'm in! I took great comfort in their fried cheese curds with ranch dressing. I LOVE ranch...with pizza...fries...and now cheese curds! YUMMO! The excitement continued when I saw deviled eggs on the menu...a tad sweet yet tangy...we're on a roll! For my entree, I ordered their famous Pub burger: Highland beef patty on an English muffin with bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, mustard, mayo (the works!) served with fries and aioli but I highly recommend asking for a side of their ranch, it's magical. I finished the entire burger and came away thinking all burgers should be served on English muffins.
Greetings from San Francisco! When I'm here I feel like the best version of myself. It probably has something to do with its close proximity to wine country (Napa & Sonoma) but more than that its just all my favorite things in one place...amazing food, nature and some of the best people I know.
This trip I surprised myself and ran 6 miles from Marina Green through Crissy field over the Golden Gate Bridge. The last time I ran 6 miles was 3 years ago when I signed up for a 10K after one too many margaritas. Now I'm training for a half marathon...which I think justifies my dessert downfall. 24 hours after my run, I found myself at The Plant (all organic, free range poultry, sustainable seafood)...I was thinking let's take this health kick full speed!
Flashback to Valentines Day...I was fortunate enough to find myself at the James Beard House for a special V Day dinner featuring Meadowood Estate Chef Alejandro Ayala. Think of the James Beard house as a "performing space" for visiting chefs...the best of the best. Each year it hosts the James Beard awards, the Oscars of Food. They just announced the 2015 Restaurant & Chef Award Semifinalists!
I am fresh off a west coast trip (SF & LA) and there are lots of foodie adventures to share…I’ll start with sunny Santa Monica where I had the privilege of staying at the Casa Del Mar, I would go back in a heartbeat! If I had my way I would move in…I am really over this whole ice skate to work in the snow phase of NYC Winter…
Back to memories of sunshine and oysters…once I touched down in LA from SF, my friend Bigad took me to dinner at Blue Plate Oysterette. Ocean breeze + Fresh Seafood = Me > Happy as a Clam! The entire time I was in San Francisco I had been craving oysters but I was so busy eating everything else in sight that I never got to it so I was excited!!!
Jason is here on business so I've been able to take full advantage of his hotel stays. And by full advantage I mean ordering off the kids menu for breakfast. I love pancakes! I love getting a deal. And quite honestly getting a deal and ordering room service don't usually go hand in hand but when you order off the kids menu they sure do!
We're at Le Parker Meridien in NYC this week. Why spend $24 on Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes from their regular menu when you can order Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Whipped Cream and Bananas from the kids menu for $15! And these aren't baby sized pancakes folks! It's my favorite thing to order here (he's been here for business quite a few times) but skip the Orange Juice. They charge $10. Which made the bill come to $40 something. Highway Robbery. Also, later in the day I asked if I could heat up food in the microwave. They said sure...but for $10. Seriously? What's more sad is that people actually pay $10 to microwave their food.
I've got the winter blues. We're expecting the worst storm ever and while I should be in sunny LA, I am stuck at home in soon to be snowpocalypse NYC. In my attempt to make the most of it, I went in search of something to make me smile.
In the calm before the storm, I had spent most of the weekend inside my apartment and really needed to get over my cabin fever. I wanted something sweet but I didn't want to walk that far. So I traveled all of one block to Noisette Pastries in Astoria. I've lived on Steinway street for 5 years and I've always driven or walked by but never ventured inside..it was finally time!
Harlem is where it's at especially on a Tuesday, who knew?! I was fortunate enough to be part of a small group previewing HarlemEatUp!, a brand new festival May 14-17 that celebrates everything Harlem from the food to the culture. If this night is any indication of what's to come...I have only one word of advice. GO!!!!
I joined the group, not knowing anyone but by the end of the night I felt like we were all friends. Gotta love that spirit of Harlem :)
In an alcove studio on the Upper West Side, I had my favorite home cooked meal of 2015. Yes, I realize it's still January but the meal I savored in Rossano's kitchen was deliziozo! Rossano is my friend Chieu's Italian boyfriend with a sexy accent and all the right moves in the kitchen, nice work Chieu! To start we nibbled on crostinis with shrimp and avocado. For the first course, he served risotto with rosemary, fennel, onion, and a splash of Pinot Grigio. Rossano likes his risotto al dente, the key is to toast the rice until it's clear on the outside but still white in the center. The flavors blended beautifully and I was thrilled with our first course but the second course was even better...cod alla barcarola. It was served on a bed of thinly sliced red potatoes and topped with caramelized red onions. The red onions were caramelized in sugar and apple cider vinegar. YUMMO! It melted in my mouth. It was light enough that I had room for my favorite part of every meal, dessert! That was gone in a matter of seconds, Maison Keyser Bakery'sdecadent chocolate "Adagio" dessert with a passion fruit filling.
Tonight I had plans to catch up with one of my favorites, my friend Chieu. Together with a bottle of Complicated Pinot Noir, we headed straight to neighborhood favorite & BYOB, Queens Comfort. On weekends the brunch line is out the door, for good reason. My tip, go for dinner, it's just as delicious and tonight we were seated right away
For brunch we decided on the Fremont Diner despite the 40 minute wait. We were there with our friends Amelia and Dalia Ceja of Ceja Vineyards. Dalia had raved about this place and we couldn't wait to try it. I could tell she felt bad about the wait but we were determined! The meal was totally worth it...I'm glad we didn't venture anywhere else out of desperation. This farm to table experience was so amazingly satisfying...we enjoyed the deviled eggs with pickled mustard seeds (my friends make fun of me for ordering deviled eggs...I LOVE deviled eggs...we ordered 2 plates), the chili con carne, brussels sprouts (a table favorite) and our entrees.
Fresh off a 5 day meditation retreat through Art of Living where I followed a vegetarian diet & refrained from alcohol I knew that this trip was going to be less rager, more relaxation. I feel so grown up after typing that sentence!
