celebrating 2 years with seafood at marea

I did not know where I was going for dinner to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. I did know I was meeting T at Columbus Circle. And I was to be dressed up. So I pulled out my to-be-worn Roberto Rodriguez dress, heels, and made my way there from work, curious to see where we were headed. While Marea had been a long lingerer on our “to try” list, it hadn’t really crossed my mind Marea could be the spot. Especially since I thought (incorrectly, as it turns out) that Marea was in the Upper West Side.

As we perused the menu and Bible-like wine list, we were greeted by this light refreshing amuse-bouche. I was very impressed by the sommelier, who was able to quickly go off of a couple I found interesting paired with my description (what wine works well for this guy over here who doesn’t like white wines but can no longer drink red) to guide me to a selection buried in the pages. Verdict? Quite good and at a reasonable price point to boot.

We both went with the four course prix fixe. Priced at $97, it included a selection from Crudo, Ostriche or Antipasto, a  Pasta, a choice of fish or meat, and dessert. There were so many intriguing options on the list that narrowing it down, especially for the first course, was quite hard. I made it down to two options, and asked the server for his opinion. I went with his suggestion, which was the Dentice from the “Crudo” section of the menu. It was sliced raw Pacific snapper, mandarin orange, pistachio, and a carrot vinaigrette.

For the pasta course, my choice was a no-brainer. I clicked around online and everyone was raving about their fusilli, incorporated a red-wine braised octopus with bone marrow. The flavors were quite good. Just a tad spicy and I liked that the pasta was subtle and in thin corkscrew ribbons. The portion size was absolutely perfect. Highly recommend.

For my main course, I had to go with the Spigola Nera, which was local black sea bass, fregola sarda, cipollini, broccoli rabe, roasted carrots, and a balsamic glaze. The fish was amazing – light, flaky, and flavorful. The fregola was a wonderful addition, something I haven’t come across in probably years in NYC. The perfect caramelization on the cipollini made it impossible for me not to eat every last bit.

For dessert, I went with the Crostata di Mirtilli, which was huckleberries, ricotta crema, candied squash, sicilian pistachio, and a lemon sorbet. It felt very guilt-free for a dessert. There were lots of things going on with the listed ingredients here so I was not sure if it would all work … but oh, it did. I can’t say I’ve ever had candied squash in a dessert, but it worked. This is one of the best desserts I’ve had in a while. T had the Budino di Mandorla, which was also quite good. It was white chocolate almond crema with orange blossom, lemon curd, and blood orange sorbetto. The white chocolate almond crema was quite sweet and the blood orange sorbetto tart. The rest helped it to even out a bit, with the overall flavor on the sweet side. Both wonderful ways to end a great meal to celebrate such a wonderful occasion!

Marea – 240 Central Park South – 212.582.5100
Reservations Required

 

tea cocktails with google local, david’s tea, and eflirt expert

Last week, I went to an event with Google Local at David’s Tea. The event was with Laurie Davis of EflirtExpert.com, and author of the recently released Love at First Click: The Ultimate Guide to Online Dating. The evening was simple – cocktails using David’s Tea, the location of which was where Laurie wrote the majority of her book. The sips were paired with a lovely spread from Murray’s Cheese.

I’d yet to try David’s Tea, and was completely overwhelmed by the options (in a good way). I fell in love with rooibos when I was in South Africa, and this spot? Has some 21 varieties of rooibos! Their tea of the month was red velvet cake, which tasted like it’s namesake. Red velvet cake has never been so ultimately and totally guilt-free. I walked out with 3 kinds of tea and these fabulous disposable tea filters (for someone like yours truly who wasn’t ready to commit to the fancy mug for loose tea).

They had one of their most popular flavors brewed up for sampling – forever nuts. Look at this. It looks more like granola, right? Turns out it’s amazing tea too! It’s a combo of almonds, apple bits, cinnamon, and beetroot. Not only was it really good, but you can also take the post-steep loose tea and put it to use. They said lots of people put it in their oatmeal, and I totally see why.

Of course, I got busy talking and forgot to snag a photo with Laurie, but so happy for her on the publication of her book. Check it out – I know it’s been on the shelves at Barnes & Noble here in NYC!

David’s Tea – Multiple locations throughout the city

 

restaurant week dining at lure in the midst of nemo

Nemo! Snow! Crazy things are coming, so everyone stay inside. Cancel plans!

Um, no. Not only was I had fun plans on Friday night. After a very scientific poll of two coworkers on late Thursday afternoon, I decided there was no reason my car-free Friday evening itinerary could not continue as planned (only change being my stylish Ugg snow boots).

When I walked into Lure Fishbar, well more like slowly walked down the stairs as to avoid a snow-induced slip, I was surprised to find it relatively busy. The humor of going to a place serving primarily seafood in the midst of a storm titled Nemo was not lost on me. I learned they have a nice bar-only Happy Hour from 5-7pm including $5 beer, $7 wine and $8 cocktails including a subset of their usual cocktail menu (champagne bellini, dark & stormy, ginger apple martini, and grapefruit margarita). I recommend the ginger apple martini – all fresh and flavorful, and none of that sweet syrupy Pucker-style taste here.

I’d read a lot about the different food options at Lure and the freshest fish options seemed to be the way to go, so that’s what I ended up doing. To start, I had the salmon tartare, which was served with a dill puree, salmon roe, and a creamy horseradish. When it arrived, I was surprised to find it looked more like a savory mousse. Whatever it looked like though, it was quite good. It was very refreshing and was a totally different take on salmon from anything I’d had before.

For the main course, I was originally tempted by the seared branzino, which was served with a pumpkin risotto and a pumpkin seed pesto, but I ultimatley stuck with the fresh fish plan, instead selecting the sushi. The sushi option was a sushi combo, which included 6 pieces of sushi and one maki roll. For the roll, you could choose one among three different rolls. I almost went with the yellowtail scallion but went with my staple fave, spicy tuna.

For dessert, I had to go with the apple walnut crumble based on our server’s recommendation. It was a nice balance to the sushi – a bit heavier but not too sweet. And their homemade ice cream was a basic yet refreshing accompaniment. I’d love to go back and check out their full menu at some point! (I’m sure I’m not the only person who goes straight to the Restaurant Week selections during those magical weeks out of the year…)

Oh and as for the rest of the evening, have to say the Passion Pit show at Madison Square Garden was a fabulous way to spend a snowy Friday. Big thanks to my friend M for taking me (and including me on yet another Restaurant Week dinner). Here’s a taste at the end, where the Garden became instantly filled with confetti. Fabulous ending!

Lure Fishbar – 142 Mercer St (b/w Houston & Prince St) – 212.431.7676
Reservations Recommended

 

restaurant week dinner at spice market

This year, Restaurant Week snuck up on me. I’m usually poring over the list, trying to identify spots to visit. This year, I wasn’t quite my normal self. Thankfully my friend M did her usual – selecting a good 4-5 restaurants, booking each for 4 people, and asking us all if we are interested in joining her. Spice Market had been on my “to try” list for a long time – a spot I usually forget since I’d say the Meatpacking District is one of the areas of town you’re least likely to find me.

When I walked in, I was intantly intrugued by the set-up. The upstairs bar area truly does look like a spice market and all of the workers are wearing uniforms in keeping with the theme. I can’t say I’ve been to another space with such a pronounced theme that didn’t feel awkwardly overdone or gimmicky. Nicely done. I suggest grabbing a drink at the bar before sitting down for dinner since it’s such a fun space. From their cocktail menu, I suggest their Whiskey Passion Fizz – which is George Dickel No.12, passion fruit, chili, and ginger ale. It has just a bit of heat to it and the passion fruit was such an unexpected yet amazing addition. And to boot, it’s only $10!

To start, I had to try their Soy Cured Salmon, which was served with a cilantro crème fraîche paired with Asian pear. The soy gave the salmon an almost smokey flavor to it. I can’t say I have ever had fruit mixed with salmon, but it worked well here. The pear added a crisp light layer to the dish.

When the server noted my choice for a main, the pork vindaloo, was spicy, I knew I was going to be pleased. It was prepared with crispy herbs and leeks. The dish in which it was served was deceptively small. At first, I was worried they hadn’t given us enough but I quickly realized just how much pork it really was. The flavor was great – nicely spicy but stopping well short of the threshold of losing true flavor in favor of heat. I could eat this dish every day. So good.

One friend ordered the wok fried rice noodles, which were quite good and served with mixed vegetables and a soy yuzu broth. The dish was great but it’s this unique broth that still stands out in my mind.

The degree of preference our server showed towards the Thai tea sundae over the other Restaurant Week dessert options made this choice super easy. The sundae was served with an Orange Blossom Whipped Cream, which added a slightly creamy layer that wasn’t too heavy and had the subtle orange blossom flavor. I understood instantly why this was the servers favorite. A must have!

Spice Market – 403 West 13th Street – 212.675.2322
Reservations Required / Bar Seating Available

 

new year’s at the third man

Figuring out what to do for New Year’s is always involved. Of course, the most intriguing of things always hit the wallet the hardest. There’s always some great options for staying in, but since we stayed in last New Year’s Eve, I was sort of set on heading out for the evening. One option which caught our eye was highlighted in Zagat’s NYE picks on their blog – The Third Man, a new spot that just opened on Avenue C by the team behind Edi and the Wolf. $85 – food, drinks, and an actual seat (something which definitely comes at a premium in NYC). While at home in Alabama for the holidays, I made it my mission to finally connect to book this – as their phone went straight to voicemail and the page the article linked to was not live. After a few days of Facebook stalking, emailing, and the like we were booked.

When we got there, we weren’t sure what to expect. None of us had ever been there – which made sense, as we learned due to delays from Sandy, they’d only been open for about a week beforehand! When we got there, it looked really empty so we thought we might be having an accidental personal party. It ended up being that one large group had booked for the evening, so it would become quite full later in the evening.

They had made a cocktail list just for the evening – one called the past, one the present, and one called bijou (we never figured out why). They were quite good and we were impressed that even though it got busier throughout the evening, the service was still amazing.

We were expecting some light bites, but what we had ended up being so much more. I haven’t seen their usual menu, but I sincerely hope that some of the things from NYE are a part of their regular menu. The first thing we had was a flatbread pizza, which was seemingly simple but the flavor combinations were just amazing. Dates, onion jam, and gruyere… so good.

There was a plate of farmer’s cheese served with a paprika spread as well as a pumpkin seed oil (something we understand to be a bit of a signature offering here). The spreads were so different from each other – the paprika much bolder and the pumpkin subtle yet a wonderful addition to the bread. The dish above – the house cured speck – was a wonderful meat course. It was light, and only slightly salty. The mustard with a touch of spice was a nice addition to the pork, as well as the pickled vegetables.

There was also an autumn salad with roasted pears, hazelnuts, arugula, turnips, camembert cheese, with a cider/sherry vinaigrette. And finally we were each treated with a full-sized dinner plates for us with wiener schnitzel (pictured above), accompanied  by housemade potato salad.

It ended up being a perfect way to ring in the New Year with friends! I think I speak for us all when I say we can’t wait to go back for another visit.

Where’d you ring in 2013?

The Third Man – 116 Avenue C (at East 7th) - 212.598.1040

 

top 10 restaurant faves of 2012

As 2012 comes to a close, I wanted to call out some of my favorite restaurants of the year – some are old faves, some are fancy spots I’ve only (yet) visited once.

Sausage Pizza – Franny’s, Brooklyn

These are mostly NYC, except for San Francisco’s Alembic because I just couldn’t leave them out. Amazing. People frequently ask me what my favorites at the moment have to be, and well, as of the moment, these places hit the spot! In no particular order…

1. Seersucker
2. 606 R&D
3. Jean Georges
4. Alembic
5. Colonie
6. Battersby
7. City Grit Culinary Salon
8. The Meatball Shop
9. Maysville
10. Franny’s

Looks like lots of love for Brooklyn. Curious to see what tasty things 2013 has in store!

 

psa re: lucali (+ gratuitous photos of naked pizza’s handiwork)

Last night, I was so excited about trip number two to Lucali. I’d planned out exactly what time to be there to wait in line. I’d grabbed my gloves. Wore my thicker coat. I was ready. My parents are in town from Alabama and I was looking forward to introducing them to one of my favorites.

When we got there, I learned the downside of these low-key spots without a web presence, no Twitter, etc. Closed. Not just for the day. Until early December (or maybe more … I missed this post up from before). No sign even on the outside. The only reason I knew was there was a guy outside taking a phone call (perhaps a neighbor?) who explained what was up – which lined up with the interior, which was a mishmash of paint buckets and random stuff strewn about. If you were planning on heading over yourself, take note – because you won’t find any official notice from them, well, anywhere.

So today when I had to run over to Buttercup Bakeshop for some cupcakes for a photo shoot tonight, I made a slight detour to check out Naked Pizza, a new-ish pizza spot on the east side I’d heard good thing about. For $8, you can get a 2 topping small pizza with a drink. I had the fire roasted peppers and spinach on mine, along with the part skim mozzarella. Not too bad. Not bad at all. Pizza craving? Satisfied!

 

city grit’s tour of the 5 boroughs

When T asked if I wanted to catch one of the two “Tour of the Five Boroughs” dinners City Grit was putting on, it was a quick yes from me. I knew after my first experience for their PDX Comes to NYC dinner that I wanted to come back – it was just a question of when. Last night’s dinner was the second of two dinners to benefit the Tunnel to Towers Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund to help fund the rebuilding of Staten Island (with 50% of profits for both nights going to the cause). Sarah Simmons explained that the menu had been used previously during the year, but that she thought it was appropriate to use again as they were just reoccupying the kitchen post-storm and because it highlighted the various elements of the city.

Our starter represented the Bronx and was a spicy sausage fondue served with pretzel roll crostini. When I saw pretzel roll crostini, I knew I was going to love this one. I’m a sucker for pretzel bread and this variation was a great start to the meal. It was a play on the various elements so prominent at baseball games – melted cheese (as in nachos), sausage, pretzels (slight variation from the big, soft form), and beer. The fondue was just a touch spicy. Having just come in from the chilly outside air, it was a nice way to settle into the meal.

Next, we had a spicy curry soup with soba noodles, representing Queens. It was topped with a kale salad and pickled vegetables. The curry soup was more of a nod to a recipe Sarah mentioned she’d learned to make in Africa, but the noodles were a nice nod to areas such as Flushing and to the diversity that one thinks of when thinking of Queens.

Then we were treated to a family style course – pesto lasagna with a shaved fennel salad, representing Staten Island. I’d never had a pesto lasagna -  but really enjoyed this version. It was on the lighter side for a lasagna (a compliement) with a very rich pesto flavor. The pasta was nicely balanced by the shaved fennel salad, which was very fresh and also light.

  

For our main course, we had Brooklyn Brewery chocolate stout short ribs with parmesean cream grits and braised collards. This dish was neither subtle or lacking in depth of flavors. The short ribs had a very smoky taste and the chocolate stout flavor was very prominent. The meat itself was fall of the bone tender and was flavorful throughout each bite. The grits were very different from any kind I have had before. I’m still doing a bit of research to try to figure out if it was perhaps a different type as it was slightly granier than any other grits I’ve ever had. They were definitely creamy and were a perfect contrast to the strong, bitter braised collards (so good).

Dessert was representative of Manhattan and was appropriately a complex assortment of fancy elements. It was a brown butter financier accompanied by a mango curd and streusel. There was also a thin chocolate bridge, representing the Brooklyn Bridge, topped by a truffle. I liked the presentation on the plate. The chocolate bridge was really a nice note to end on visually, and I liked being able to mix and match the various elements on the plate to try out the various flavor combinations. And the mango curd? I could eat this every day.

It was another perfect night tucked into the cozy 70-seat dining room in an old school house in Nolita. Can’t wait to see what else passes through the doors and into this space in the comming months.

City Grit – 38 Prince Street
Reservations Required -  see website for future events

 

new york doughnut map launch party

Last night, All You Can Eat Press held a launch party for their latest publication – the New York Doughnut Map! The event took place in the Project No. 8 space at the Ace Hotel.

The line wrapped around the corner on 6th Avenue well before the 6pm start time. Inside, you could puchase a copy of the map itself for $10. It’s also available online.

Doughnuts represented included Van Leeuwen, Doughnut Plant, Peter Pan and Dun-Well Doughnuts. There was also someone onhand making cocktails as well as serving coffee. Fun idea for an event for a Thursday night and a lovely finished product with the map itself!

 

cheers to the dipsology launch event

Last night’s launch event for Dipsology was quite the event! What is Dipsology? The two founders describe it on their website as “your curated guide to New York City’s most noteworthy cocktail destinations”. Situated in the front of Real Proof Labs, the event space was perfect to accommodate the various stations, ranging from cocktails to cheese to cupcakes. With bartenders from the likes of Lantern’s Keep, The Beagle and Raines Law Room, it was hard to ever think that the beverage portion of the evening would be able to disappoint.

There was a generous spread from Beecher’s, featuring the cheddar/gruyere blend they produce in-house. They’d paired it nicely with nuts, crackers, and, my personal favorite, dried cherries. The samples reminded me I’m well overdue to finally pay them a visit! Salumè had quite an impressive set-up, including their machine to slice the meats right as the sandwiches were assembled. The meats were fresh and flavorful and were a perfect progression from the cheeses at Beecher’s.

Finally, there were cupcakes from Prohibition Bakery, a LES spot I’ve been reading much about but had yet to try. There were three cupcakes from which to choose – the Car Bomb (whiskey, Bailey’s, stout, chocolate), the Margarita (lime, tequila, triple sec, fleur de sel), and the Pretzels & Beer (pale ale, Nutella, pretzel, truffle). I dare say the Pretzels & Beer one was the winner. And yes, I never thought I’d see the day where beer in cupcakes could work.

The cocktail line-up was nicely varied and below is the summary of the offerings from the original Eventbrite invite for the event:

• McKittrick Old Fashioned from Theo Lieberman of Lantern’s Keep – A modern take on the classic inspired by Sleep No More, with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Lustau San Emilio Pedro Ximenez Sherry and Mole Bitters.
• Artist’s Special, from Dan Greenbaum of The Beagle – The Black Grouse Scotch, Lustau Don Nuño Oloroso Sherry, red currant syrup and lemon, served up.
• Andean Dusk from Meaghan Dorman of Raines Law Room – La Diablada Pisco, Rose Champagne, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup & Muddled Red Grape.
• Tonic & Gin from Tom Richter of The Beagle (as well as Tomr’s Tonic) - Tomr’s Tonic & New York Distilling Company Perry’s Tot gin
• Golden Ginger cocktails by Bored and Thirsty – Featuring Golden Ginger, a 100% organic sparkling ginger drink by Artisan Elixirs

I was quite surprised and excited to win the raffle for dinner for 2 to Salumè! Based off of the samples we tasted last night, I’m excited to check out and report back on a full meal there as we’ll be tasing several items off of their menu along with wine/beer pairings. What a treat!

If you haven’t checked it out yet, hop over to dipsology.com for a peek. Expecting more fun events and such to come!