The original Brother Jimmy's BBQ on the Upper East Side

After burgers, the second specialty I always recommend friends and family coming from Europe to try is BBQ. as I mentioned in prior posts, what we call BBQ in France is grilling. Little I know that in Denmark, they are familiar with the BBQ as we know it here. I knew about smoked fish, but not meat, and Our friends Anne and Klaus even have a smoker at home. 

Anyway, our place of choice was Brother Jimmy's BBQ, but not the location near Madison Square Garden I reviewed, but the one on the Upper East Side, that is in fact the original restaurant. As we went on a weekday, the place was empty. Not that it helped with the noise level, considering that the music was literally blasting. 

It is a fairly big place with four distinct sections :

The main dining room:

The back dining room:

The second dining room with the kitchen in the back:

The bar with its games:

With its wood everywhere, it had a very rustic and country feel, with, on the wall, artifacts to remind you you should have worn your stretch pants. 

To start, we decided to order fried pickles (served with ranch dressing), a dish definitely unknown in Denmark. It was a good way to show that anything can be fried, and when it is fried, it is good!

We wanted to order fried green tomatoes, but unfortunately, they were out of it.

Then, we went for Jimmy's Pig Pick, a sampler dish where we got Northern ribs and BBQ chicken (you have a choice between this or pulled chicken, brisket, pulled pork or other types of ribs). 

I admit that I thought it would be bigger as we ordered the one for two people. I am not sure if this was the result of a confusion when we ordered. Anyway, it was enough food considering we were planning on having dessert later on. 

The chicken was very good: moist, I loved the sweetness if the BBQ sauce with it. The ribs were also delicious, tender, falling off the bone. I should mention that, with the Pig's Pick, came a salad. Needless to say that I did not care about it...

As sides, we got some cole slaw, as well as hush puppies:

Jodi decided to order a bunch of sides:

Fried Brussels sprouts:

Corn bread:

Mac & cheese:

Tater tots:

All of them were quite good, my preference going to the tater tots and corn bread. 

The lunch at Brother Jimmy's BBQ was succulent and comforting. It is definitely a great place to eat some authentic American BBQ. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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Brother Jimmy's BBQ

5 Napkin burger in Union Square, NYC

Our friends from Denmark, Anne and Klaus came recently to visit New York with their kids Signe, Emile and Jonas. We spent some time with them and had to live up to our reputation of foodies (I hate that word). So we picked few places, some of them really representative of Americana. So, of course, we went for burgers. We had to take into account few things: first, there needed to be vegetarian options, Jonas being vegetarian. Second, there should be, a least, a classic cheeseburger. So we de facto eliminated Burger Joint and Umami Burger (although I still salivate like a Pavlov's dog when thinking about the truffle burger there). 

So, we picked 5 Napkin Burger. I went already to the original one in Hell's Kitchen, but never to the one in Union Square. No surprise there: the decor is similar, representing a slaughterhouse, the cleanliness indicating that it represents it after the slaughter. One cannot miss the hooks hanging

Or the multiple scales displayed all over the restaurant. 

If you have never been to 5 Napkin Burger, let me explain to you how it was born. It all started at Nice Matin, a French restaurant located on the Upper West Side. One of their most successful dish was a burger where the meat was so juicy that you needed five napkins for your hands. The owners of the restaurant Simon Oren and Andy D'Amico then got the idea to open a restaurant where their signature burger would be the star. Since then, it has been a success story, with few restaurants in the city, as well as in other cities. 

But do not imagine that the menu offers only burgers, as it's name could lead you to: they serve other dishes, including salads and...sushi! Interesting! Not sure I would think about ordering sushi there. 

The Kroners got their burgers, but, of course, we did too...Jodi ordered the classic cheese, an 8 oz. beef patty served with American cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles, on a sesame brioche bread. 

It was very good, the meat being juicy and very tasty, topped by a nice amount of cheese. 

But it did not measure up with the 5 Napkin burger that I ordered. 

The beef patty was literally smothered with Gruyere, caramelized onions and rosemary aioli. 

A bit messy for sure, but who cares? Certainly not me who needed more than 5 napkins to clean my hands, the juiciness of the meat adding to the delightful mess.

To go with the burger, I of course ordered a milk shake. Usually, I order a vanilla one, but I got tempted by a cookies and cream that had little pieces of oreo cookie in it.

Everything was fantastic there and it was the perfect introduction to the next few meals we planed for our friends! I certainly did not regret the choice of 5 Napkin Burger: this is definitely one of the best in the City!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Waffle and Wolf in Brooklyn

Waffle & Wolf, located in Williamsburg, has an interesting statement: it is a “refined fast food” restaurant serving gourmet waffle sandwiches. Yes, you read properly: waffle sandwiches! It all started in 2011, when Chef Daniel Richardson and its co-owner Arman Sen decided to serve a refined version of American recipes, wrapped in waffles. 

This is a tiny place for sure and we were surprised that it was not bigger, probably mistaken by the establishment next door that has the same exterior. So, you order at the counter and they will call you once your sandwich is ready. The menu proposes both savory and sweet recipes and you can chose which type of waffle you want, between buckwheat, cornbread or regular. 

I decided to order #29:

It was made of smoked salmon, lemon-dill-caper cream cheese, spinach and red onion. This was fantastic, the waffle pairing perfectly with the ingredients, as well as a bagel would. In fact, know that the batter of the waffle is made with less sugar so it goes well with the savory recipes. There was also a lot of salmon there and, at the beginning, I though that I would be hungry and would need to order another one, the waffle being thinner than usual.

Jodi decided to order the #18:

It was made with olives (not inside, but baked in), hummus, cucumber and arugula. This was also really good, although it became a bit soggy after a while.

I really liked the food at Waffle and Wolf: it is not only original, but delicious. I will definitely go back to try their sweet waffles next time!

Enjoy (I did)!


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Chikalicious Dessert Club in the East Village

ChikaLicious Dessert Club is an offshoot of ChikaLicious Dessert Bar, located across the street from one another. I wanted to go there after people at work mentioned it to me. I also wanted to try the Dough'Ssant, their response to the Cronut from Chef Dominique Ansel. We decided to show up early on a Saturday afternoon, thinking that there would be a large crowd. I admit that our target was the dessert bar and not the club that we did not know exist. So when we arrived and saw the doors closed until 3pm, we were a bit disappointed. Then we turned our back and saw the dessert club, empty! 

We rushed inside of this tiny place that was empty. I like when there are not too many people, so we have enough time to make up our mind about the pastries. There are not that many in fact, but enough to make us think...

We decided to first try the chocolate chip cookie:

We immediately picked it because of the large quantity of chocolate that it seemed to have and we were not disappointed. Not the best chocolate chip cookie, but a decent one.

Then, we picked the TiMo or Tiramisu Mochi:

That was fantastic: inside the mochi shell was a delicious tiramisu. I am not sure how they are making it, but it is surely successful.

Jodi could not resist ordering the coconut lychee marshmallow:

If you like coconut, this is definitely for you!

Last, was the Dough'Ssant:

As I mentioned, it is the equivalent to the Cronut, but know that it is not fried, but baked, making it, suposedly healthier...Unlike the cronut, besides the demand, they offer different flavors: plain, nutella, Meyer lemon, caramel...We decided to go for crème brûlée.

It was sublime, light, it did not have all the layers of a croissant, but was still airy. Similar to the cronut, there is some custard inside (all Dough'Ssant have a vanilla creme inside) that adds to the decadence of this pastry. I liked it, but would not put it at the same level of the cronut. I just consider it different.

Price wise, it was reasonable as we ended up paying $20 for all of these plus a double espresso and a tea. I liked it and already have my sight on what I will order on my next visit...

Enjoy (I did)!



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Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ

There is a new burger place in town! Yes, Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries opened a week ago, replacing Bombay West an Indian restaurant that closed. At first, I thought it was another place to celebrate the Jersey Shore, like the now defunct WindMill tried to. But in fact, it refers to the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, where the owners, brothers Dave and Fran DiFerdinando use to go to get fresh hand cut fries that gave them the idea to open their first establishment, serving mainly French fries, cooked at different temperatures in peanut oil, giving them a nice taste and slight crunch, keeping the inside soft. But customers were asking for more and they decided to add burgers to the menu. Today, this franchise has locations in Georgia, California, Maryland, Texas...

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ

And now a brand new location in Hoboken that, despite the Art and Craft Festival, attracted the crowd.

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ

The way it works is that you order at the counter: you can either pick one of their signature burgers or build your own. They will then give you a number and bring your order at your table.

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ

It came fairly quickly. First was my vanilla milkshake that I could not resist to order.

milkshake at Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ

I admit that I hesitated between this one and the cookies and cream. I should have had the latter because the vanilla one missed some taste, probably because there was not enough vanilla syrup.

Then, Jodi ordered a patty (you pick between one and two), cheddar cheese, sautéed mushrooms and avocado.

burger at Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ

On my side, I ordered a double patty with American cheese, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, ketchup and mayo.

burger at Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ

burger at Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ

We ordered one order of those delicious fries that were cooked skin on and delivered their promises. I wondered why the patties did not look perfect; it is because they are made with fresh ground meat (not frozen) and shaped every morning by hand. 

burger at Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ

And these burgers delivered too! The buns that were like brioche were fantastic, the meat perfectly cooked medium, juicy, with a nice char on the outside, and with cheese oozing from between the patties. Definitely great burgers and I cannot wait to try some other combinations as well as their cheesesteaks! So, you guess: I'll be back!

Enjoy (I did)!

 

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The Gotham West Market - part 5/5: Court Street Grocers

The last restaurant we visited at The Gotham West Market was Court Street Grocers, an outpost of the Brooklyn food shop. Smaller than the other places there, they offer a menu composed of mouth watering sandwiches, mainly for carnivores, the vegetarian options being limited, although I have no doubt that they would accommodate. 

So we sat at the counter, overlooking the small kitchen. 

Jodi decided to order their grilled cheese sandwich. 

It was made of four different cheeses (Swiss, Pecorino, mozzarella and cheddar) and tomato mayo, squeezed between two slices of brioche bread. So, if you are a cheese lover, this is definitely good stuff! I was scared at first that it was too burnt on the outside, but in fact, it was fine. As they were generous with the quantity of cheese, it was deliciously gooey, oozing from the sandwich, like a call to be eaten. 

With the grilled cheese came a side of pickles:

On my side, I ordered the Italian combo:

It was prepared with mortadella, salami, hot copa, mozzarella, Swiss, Pecorino, arugula, red mayo, a hoagie sauce and vinaigrette. As they were out of hero bread, we went for a ciabatta. 

Not only it looked appetizing, but it was scrumptious, packed in flavors, each layer contributing to a great taste that made us regret it was not bigger. 

With our sandwiches, we simply ordered a coke and chips. 

This was very good: my favorite was the Italian combo that is definitely recommended. On top of that, the service was courteous and efficient. Definitely a good sandwich place to know. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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The Gotham West Market - part 4/5: The Cannibal

When I saw that Le Cannibal was at The Gotham West Market, I was definitely intrigued. I heard few times the name of the restaurant, but never went. I was wondering how this name was found, what type of food they serve, and if I had to eat my dishes Walking Dead style. So, this is an offshoot of the main restaurant located on the East side, that defines itself as meat, beer...and cycling, the name coming from a famous Belgian cyclist, Eddie Merckx, who had a prestigious career in the 60's and 70's and was nicknamed "Le Cannibal", because of his insatiable appetite for victories.

I felt reassured that I could follow the good manners my parents taught me and that we would not eat out of a large pot, simmering on an open fire. 

Similar to the different restaurants I have tried at the GWM, you can either sit at the counter or in the common area. We decided to sit at the bar, in front of the kitchen, to see how dishes were prepared. I admit that it was a good place for this, but not for the smoke coming out from their oven, sometimes profusely...

The menu is all about meat, with very few options for the vegetarians or for people who cannot find anything to order. I mention the later because it is not your regular meat there: no steaks or roasted chicken.

At best you can have some salumi, but otherwise, it is more on the creepy side or let's say unusual. They have few seafood options like the octopus terrine or the rock shrimp. Otherwise, it is pates, sausages, tartares, as well as more elaborated dishes. The most popular that we saw going out of the kitchen was the bone marrow.

It looked amazing to the point that I regretted not having ordered it. They first bake it in the oven (probably using the broiler), then put scrambled eggs and then mushrooms.

So, here is what we had:



First we ordered the pretzel (homemade):

It came with a sauce made with beer and cheddar.

The pretzel was delicious, served warm, perfect with the sauce that definitely had beer in it, from the hint of it that came through.

Then, I ordered the pig's head terrine or fromage de tête:

Yes, as its name indicates, it is made with the head of a pig, the flesh after removing the brain, eyes and ears to be precise. Eating this definitely matches the name of the place...

It you wonder what it taste like, I would say that it had a gelatinuous texture with a lighter taste than ham, a bit salty, especially with the capers that were added. It was served with a lemon butter that I did not like at all.

Then, I got the lamb and gruyere sausage:

It was served with an arugula pistou, an hibiscus-date puree, and a bulgur salad. I really liked it: the sausage was similar to a merguez sausage that I love and it had a sort of Mediterranean flair, although a bit elevated with the sweet hibiscus and date puree.

I guess you are wondering what Jodi ate there. Well, she first ordered the brussels sprouts:

They were served with some mint and ham gremolata (mix of herbs with a bit of ham). It was good, although I prefer brussels sprout a bit more cooked.

We also shared a cheese plate:

The cheeses were:

A cheddar from Indiana (Milton creamery):

A blue di buffala from Italy:

And a goat cheese from Vermont:

Fortunately, this cheese plate was on the menu so Jodi could eat! It was a nice selection that was served with bread and I admit that I used the pretzel bread also.

It was overall a nice discovery, but they definitely have a challenging menu if, as mentioned before, you prefer more common dishes. Anyway, if you really want to try with people, do not forget that it is a food court and that, while you satisfy your palate with such dishes, they can order some other delicious food in the other restaurants.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	The Cannibal
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Flatiron / American New
	* Street Address
	113 East 29th St. (bet. Park & Lexington Ave.), New York, NY 10016
	* Phone
	(212) 686-5480

The Gotham West Market - part 3/5: Genuine Roadside

At Gotham West Market, away from the hustle and bustle of the main food court is Genuine Roadside, a casual sandwich shop with its own dining area, from AvroKo Hospitality Group, who also owns Saxon+Parole and Public. Well I guess it is it's own dining area, though I witnessed a group of people sitting at one of their tables and getting some food from another restaurant (I have names!). 

The seating area is definitely comfortable, especially if you want to avoid sitting at a counter of a restaurant or hate communal tables. 

Decor wise, it is suppose to reflect a certain nostalgia, from the old photos on the walls, to the old radio and cassettes. 

They also provide games, so you can play while waiting for your order. 

Food wise, it is more for the carnivore than vegetarian, the later having very limited choices. But if you like burgers, pork, chicken or seafood, this might be your spot. 

The way it works is that you order at the counter, and they will give you a buzzer that will vibrate and light up when your food is ready. 

Our food came after a reasonable wait. 

Jodi ordered the sole vegetarian sandwich from the menu: The High Five Mushroom burger.

It is made of a marinated portobello mushroom that is grilled, topped with dill, tomato, Swiss cheese and their house sauce. It is a very good sandwich, flavorful, and you do not need to be vegetarian to appreciate it.

On my side, I ordered the buttermilk battered chicken sandwich:

I think I inhaled it: it was delicious! The chicken was perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and moist inside, it was paired with sambal mayo (sambal is a spicy Southeast Asian condiment made with chili pepper and salt) and a celery and apple slaw, giving a sweet and spicy taste. This is definitely recommended.

To counteract the spices and stay hydrated (???), I ordered a vanilla milk shake.

It was quite a good one, thick, but not to the point that when you will try to get it through the straw  it will be too hard, and not too milky, having a nice vanilla taste (they probably use vanilla syrup).

We enjoyed the food at Genuine Roadside. It is a bit on the pricy side considering the food they serve (for instance, the fries are extra, that is crazy: they could throw few fries with the sandwiches), but it might be justified by the quality if the ingredients. I would definitely go back to try some other sandwiches.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Dinner at Left Bank in the West Village, NYC, New York

Last week, I had a fantastic dinner with my friends from Tabélog, Sachiko, Kenta and Shouhei. If you read this blog, you probably remember my encounter with Tabélog, a year ago. Tabélog is a restaurant review site with over 40 million users in Japan, expanding now in the US. Their reviews are not anonymous, leveraging bloggers and putting an emphasis on photos, that is great considering that a photo is worth a thousand words. But, what I like also is that the team loves food as much as the bloggers they meet and it is always fun to exchange experiences and good addresses.

This time, we had dinner at Left Bank, a restaurant that defined itself as "an American tavern, inspired by Greenwich Village itself, and influenced by European sensibilities". At first, I thought it referred to the rive gauche (literally left bank) in Paris, that is, beyond a location, a movement of writers, artists and philosophers like Pablo Picasso, Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, Henri Matisse, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and many others. You many not know the term rive gauche, but, if you went to Paris, you probably heard about Boulevard Saint-Germain or the Boulevard Saint-Michel.

I arrived a bit early (I hate to be late) and toured the restaurant to take some photos. What I like is that there is a bit of space between tables and they did not try to maximize the space.

When I looked around, I could definitely sense a European feel, reminding me a bit restaurants in Paris, especially La Butte Aux Cailles, where I use to live.

The menu, crafted by Chef and owner Laurence Edelman, is of a good size, offering small plates as well as just few choices per section (raw bar, appetizers, pasta, meat / poultry /fish, vegetables), made with ingredients provided by local farmers.

We decided to start with drinks. On my side, I ordered a thyme and ginger cocktail:

We then shared few appetizers / small plates. First was the chicken liver pate:

The presentation was appetizing and rustic. You may wonder what the layer around the chicken liver pate was. Well, it was butter! And I admit that it went well together. This is definitely a dish I recommend.

Then, we had the Mongolian fish dumplings:

It had a nice acidity from the lemon and were perfect for me as I do not like when the shell is too thick.

Then, we shared the lobster puffs with champagne cream:

This is definitely an elegant dish, the champagne cream pairing perfectly with the fresh cream puff, but keeping the lobster the star of the dish.

For the entrees, we started first with the homemade parpadelle, served with sunchokes and fava beans:

That was one of my favorite entrees, the pasta being succulent and the dish being hearty.

Next was the suckling pig porchetta:

It was served with English peas, thumbelina carrots, ramps. This was a very good dish: the pork was very good, with a nice amount of fat, paired with a bold sauce that did not overpower the meat.

Last entree was the iron roasted split chicken:

It was prepared with roasted shitakes, escarole and puffed wild rice. I was not a big fan of the escarole, but certainly was of the chicken that had a crispy skin, heavenly salty, and moist inside.

To stay healthy (of course), we also ordered roasted cauliflower:

I admit that I just had a bite to try, preferring to focus on the meat...

Last was dessert. We went for the olive oil cake with candied hazelnuts:

This was sublime: not the lighter dessert, but a perfect one to end a wonderful and fun evening.

Thank you to the Tabélog's team for the invite and great evening at Left Bank, a place that is now on my list of restaurants to go back to! 

Enjoy (I did)!

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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Left Bank
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	West Village / American New
	* Street Address
	117 Perry St. (corner of Greenwich St.), New York, NY 10014
	* Phone
	212-727-1170

Umami Burger in NYC, New York

Ah, burgers! One of the most American dish ever, known all around the world, but unfortunately not always with a good representation (I am talking about the fast food chain). Well, I mentioned few times in this blog how teenagers and young adults love Mac Donald's in France, and I recently read that people are thrilled to hear that Burger King is going to make a come back in the country, planning to open 40 new restaurants. Seriously, if your benchmark for burgers are these fast food chains, then you got it all wrong. When I came in this country, I got it all wrong, craving a quarter pounder and eating some on a weekly basis, if not several times a week. Until I tried the Burger Joint, Corner Bistro, BLT burger and others. Now, I only go to Mac Donald's for the milkshakes and the fries that are some of the best.

But burgers are not reserved only to fast food restaurants or diners: more and more restaurants, sometimes high end, propose a burger, most of them trying to make it unique. For instance, DBGB from acclaimed Chef Daniel Boulud proposes one with pork belly confit and morbier cheese. Another of his restaurants, DB Bistro Modern, with foie gras. 

So, what would make Umami Burger unique, with lots of people saying that they have the best burgers in the City? That is what I was going to figure out. To learn a bit of history about this chain, know that it started in 2009 in Los Angeles, when Adam Fleischman, the owner, passionate about wine and cuisine decided to bring to the masses his twist on burgers. The logo is pretty amusing as it looks like lips made with a bun, hence their motto: get your lips around our buns.

We tried to go on a Saturday night, a little before 7pm, thinking that the crowd would come later. Big mistake! The place was packed with people waiting for tables. So we decided to go somewhere else and try this place the next day, for lunch. As we were not sure how crowded it would be, we showed up a little before 12pm.

The place was empty. As the time passed, we saw families coming, some of them with strollers, this time of the day being more kids friendly, and the only time when parents craving a burger would be able to come, skipping the expense of a nanny to satisfy and sudden urge for a burger.

It is a big place, with a slight industrial look thanks to the air conditioning system. Unlike lots of the burger places today, you do not order at the counter, but rather sit at the table where they will give you a menu; nothing fancy, just the delivery menu.

Umami is what is called the fifth taste, after sweet, sour, bitter and salty. At Umami Burger, they created some combinations that bring together sweet and salty. Because of this, they do not allow for any substitution. You will not find also a classic cheeseburger. There, everything is their own creation.

As we were waiting for our burgers, they brought us some sauces for our sides:

From left to right: jalapeño ranch (spicy with really a taste of jalapeño), aioli, spicy diablo (very spicy, it is their version of siracha sauce) and umami ketchup.

Then came the burgers. Jodi decided to try the Umami burger.

As you can see, the burgers are branded with a big U. The Umami burger is made of shiitake mushroom, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, parmesan crisp and umami ketchup. The bread is a Portuguese bun that has a bit of honey, giving to it a nice sweetness.

It was just ok for me, the taste being too sweet, masking the flavors of the meat.

On my side, I ordered the truffle burger.

Also on a Portuguese bun, it was composed of house-made truffle cheese and truffle glaze that were dripping. The beef patty was perfectly cooked medium, juicy and very flavorful, not overpowered by the hints of truffle that emanated from the burger. I split it with Jodi and we literally inhaled it.

With it, we decided to order their jumbo onion rings.

They were impressive and very good, although a bit greasy, delicious with the sauces they brought to the table. I admit that my favorite sauces were the jalapeño ranch and the spicy diablo, even if they were spicy.

I loved the truffle burger at Umami Burger: it is probably one of the best I had so far. They propose other combinations with truffle that I definitely will have to try!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Umami Burger
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	West Village / American New / Burgers
	* Street Address
	432 6th Ave. (Between 9th St. & 10th St.), New York, NY 10011
	* Phone
	(212) 677-8626

Doughnuts from Dough in Brooklyn

One of my colleagues, Jason, brought some doughnuts one day for breakfast. They were from Dough, a doughnuttery located in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. With all the doughnut places in New York, I was curious to see what would set Dough apart. On top of that, I am a huge fan of the Doughnut Plant, so my expectation was very high. 

At first, you cannot miss the size of these doughnut that are fairly big, the size of a bagel. They are yeast doughnuts, as opposed to cake doughnuts. 

Although large, they were soft, chewy, airy and fluffy, not too heavy. And yes, I tried all of them...

Here is what we had:

Hibiscus doughnut:

Coconut doughnuts:

Glazed doughnuts:

Chocolate doughnuts:

Cafe au lait doughnuts:

I was curious what the hibiscus doughnut would taste like, not that I never tried hibiscus before (I had a hibiscus lemonade once at Angelica Kitchen). Do not imagine a flowery taste: it had a nice sweetness and I would not have known it was hibiscus, I would probably think it was food coloring...

The chocolate doughnut was delicious too and would satisfy any chocolate lover, the icing being very chocolate-y. But my favorite was the cafe au lair one that had some crumble as well as nuts, adding some nice texture to it.

I liked the doughnuts at Dough, not only because they taste good, but also because of their originality. However, they would had some filling, it would make them seriously compete with the doughnut plant.

Enjoy (I did)!



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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Dough
	* Overall
	★★☆☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Bedford-Stuyvesant / American Traditional / Desserts
	* Street Address
	305 Franklin Ave. (At Lafayette Ave.), Brooklyn, NY 11205
	* Phone
	(347) 533-7544

Brunch at Distilled in Tribeca, NYC, New York

I noticed Distilled, located in the upscale Tribeca, when walking to the New York Academy of Art where Jodi is taking painting classes. Yes, I noticed it for one thing: the country fried duck and waffle in their brunch menu. I love fried chicken and waffles, so why not doing a pairing with any type of bird?

This is a fairly big place, the high ceilings contributing in giving this impression. On the right of the entrance is the bar.

On the left is the main dining room.

With a smaller section in the back, overlooking the kitchen.

So, we sat at out table and ordered our beverages.

Jodi ordered her tea and I wanted to have an espresso. Unfortunately, they do not have any espresso machine, that is surprising for a place like this. So, I ended up with some American coffee served in a mug:

At the same time they brought our beverages, they brought some delicious spicy popcorn that was made with various condiments such as pepper, chili flakes and cumin.

Jodi decided to order two sides as she could not find anything she wanted on the menu.

First was scrambled eggs that were very good: soft and moist like I love them.

And tater tots served with a Manhattan Island sauce, probably their interpretation of Thousand Island sauce.

I liked the tater tots, although some of them were a bit overcooked.

Then came the long awaited fried country duck and waffle:

It definitely looked good. So, I poured the smoked chili maple syrup over the French toast style waffle and had a first bite. 

Unfortunately, this was not good: the spices in the maple syrup were totally overpowering; I did not like the waffle that was very dense and did not taste at all like a waffle and the duck was not only very salty (even for a confit), but the crust tasted as if it sat there for hours, not being crispy at all.

This was such a disappointment for such a promising dish. Well, I guess I will have to find other spots to find some great bird and waffle dishes!

Enjoy (...)!



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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Distilled
	* Overall
	★★☆☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	TriBeCa / American New
	* Street Address
	211 West Broadway (Corner of Franklin St.), New York, NY 10013
	* Phone
	(212) 691-9514

Rosticeria Da Gigi in Hoboken, NJ

Rosticeria Da Gigi, located uptown Hoboken, is the kind of small joint where you would go to grab a quick bite: nothing fancy, but comforting.

It is a small place that probably sits 16 people.

So we sat at one of the tables and went through the menu. It consists of standard breakfast dishes like eggs, pancakes...as well as panini, sandwiches or items from their rotisserie.

Jodi decided to try their croque-monsieur:

When the plate arrived, we were a bit surprised as it did not look like a croque-monsieur, but more like a panini.

There was for sure a decent amount of ham and cheese, but the brioche bread was too thick and unbalanced the proportion of bread / ham / cheese. It was also a bit dry.

On my side, I went for half roasted chicken:

It was definitely a nice piece of chicken and I really liked it: the chicken was moist and the skin crispy.

With it, I could pick two sides and decided to go for the meatballs with tomato sauce and the rice balls with tomato sauce.

It came in one plate as the tomato sauce was the same for both sides. The meatballs were good, but I really did not like the rice balls that were missing flavors. Even with the tomato sauce, the only thing I could taste was some overcooked rice.

Besides the chicken, the meal was ok. I would probably go back to try some other dishes, their menu being so diverse. Although maybe it is the issue: too many things on the menu. I am still unsure about that place...

Enjoy (...)!



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Quick lunch at Faces and Names in Midtown NYC

My colleagues and I were looking for a quick spot to get lunch and ended up at Faces and Names, a bar and lounge located Midtown West. This place gets its name from the multiple caricatures from Dan Springer of famous people like Miles Davis and Jeanette Lee, the Black Widow:

Or the Three Stooges:

The restaurant has several areas: the bar, the dining room and the lounge with its fireplace (you can see a painting of the Rolling Stones on the left).

In term of menu, they offer the classics: mini-burgers (apparently they are known for), wings, mini chicken tacos, shrimp cocktails...A bunch of choices perfect to eat in this kind of setting.

We sat in the bar area and picked some dishes from the bar menu. As I was going for a press dinner in the evening, I chose something light...I picked the tomato and mozzarella salad:

I could not resist and added some fried prosciutto! It definitely added some crunch to the salad that was very good, but a bit overdressed.

For dessert, they gave us what looked like a clafoutis: it was deliciously buttery and not too sweet.

This was a nice and quick lunch in a place with an interesting decor. I would definitely go back!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Faces and Names
	* Overall
	☆☆☆☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Midtown West / American New / Burgers
	* Street Address
	159 West 54th St., New York, NY 10019
	* Phone
	212-586-9311

Brunch at City Bistro in Hoboken, NJ

If you come to Hoboken, there is one thing that you cannot miss: the number of bars in the mile square city. City Bistro, located uptown, is one the popular ones that has a big advantage over the others: its rooftop. Not that it is very useful in the winter, but in the summer, it is definitely the place to be and they sometimes even ask bands to come perform there. 

It was not our first time there, being there for drinks, but also a dinner few years ago, that I hated, not because of the food, but because of the noise level that very loud, not allowing me to understand a word of the conversation. So, this time, we decided to go for brunch, thinking that it was probably quieter. I am sure that there would be a game, it would have been a madhouse though...

It is a bar, so the decor is pretty standard: wooden floor, bricks, high and low tables. The first time we went, I noticed all the strollers at the entrance and a large number of families inside.

I had hopes for the brunch, because a lot of time, bars are proposing great comforting dishes. Their menu offers the classic choices you get for brunch, as well as their own dishes. The first time, Jodi went for the salade Niçoise, a French specialty made of tomatoes, hard boiled eggs and tuna.

The tuna, in the original recipe, is canned. At City Bistro, they made the salad using fresh seared tuna that made the dish more elegant. The tuna had this nice grill taste on the outside and the flavor was enhanced with some coarse salt. What I liked also is that they added their own twist by putting on the very top some fried onions.

I ordered the short rib grilled cheese:

For the side, I had the choice between fries and a salad. I went with fries of course!

The grilled cheese sandwich was made of short ribs, gruyere, baby arugula, caramelized onion on a country white bread. I liked it although the short ribs were a bit dry. Fortunately there was the cheese (a bit more would have even be better and would have balanced the sandwich) and the caramelized onions that gave a nice sweetness to the dish. 

The second time we went, Jodi ordered the crunchy French toast:

What made this French toast different from any other is that it was battered in corn flakes, giving it a nice crunch. The bread was also properly soaked in the batter. If you like French toast, this is definitely one I would not miss.

On my side, I wanted to try the burger. I hesitated between the Bistro burger (10oz. ground sirloin, lettuce, tomato, vidalia onion, choice of cheddar, swiss, bleu cheese) and the Hoboken burger (ground beef, fried egg, seared ham). I decided to go for the Hoboken burger, with cheese (they charged me for it).

The meat had a nice char and was juicy (I asked for medium).

I liked the egg on top, the yolk being runny and making the use of ketchup or mayo useless. With the ham, this was definitely a heart attack on a plate!

I really enjoyed the brunch at City Bistro: the menu is classic, but they were able to put some interesting dishes on it that will satisfy all palates.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Masq: a taste of New Orleans in NYC, New York

I was recently invited for a press dinner at Masq, a New Orleans inspired restaurant located in Turtle Bay (Midtown East) that opened in March 2013. The owners, Nora and George Chaprastian, who are true New Yorkers, fell in love with New Orleans and decided to open a place to celebrate Louisiana cuisine in a setting that would feel like home, the restaurant being in the first floor of a townhouse.

Masq is short for Masquerade, and as soon as you enter in the restaurant, you can understand how the decor will be: you are greeted by a beautiful Mardi-Gras mask. There are in fact masks all over the place and they are incredible.

There is even a Mona Lisa represented there, adding a touch of humor!

The layout of the restaurant is interesting as the place has a sort of long shape, each room with a decor New Orleans inspired: first is the horseshoe shaped bar, made of white oak and decorated with multiple exposed-filament light bulbs:

There, I tried the Dark & Stormy cocktail, made with dark rum and ginger beer; this is the kind of cocktail that is dangerous because it does not have a strong alcohol taste and thus can be sipped like a soda...

Then the lounge, with its vintage fabric-upholstered chairs, antique oak and maple tables, a vintage velvet sofa and Persian rugs:

After walking through the lounge, is the dining room, decorated with an exotic New Orleans wall mural:

The last room in the back was the red room:

It is used for private parties (it can seat 45 people).

Before I talk about the menu at Mask, know that my experience of New Orleans cuisine dates from May 2006, when Jodi and I went there for a week vacation. I did not have the blog at the time, but, before going, we already made reservations or identified the places to go to: Emeril's Nola, John Besh's Luke, Mother's or Cafe Du Monde for the scrumptious beignets we ate everyday for breakfast. That is where I first tried jambalaya, crawfish étouffée and bread pudding.

It is in the lounge room that they setup our table.

At some point during the dinner, we got introduced to the Executive Chef Marc Getzelman and owner George Chaprastian (who is also the beverage director), who explained to us how the menu (New American inspired by New Orleans cuisine to be precise) was crafted, as well as gave us some interesting information about some of the dishes.

Executive Chef Marc Getzelman and owner George Chapastrian

So, here is what we ate:

The first dish was a Mac and Cheese croquette:

Like a lot of recipes, it started off by accident: there were some leftovers in the fridge and the Chef had this crazy idea to mold a croquette with it, using an ice cream scoop. He then added a roux, bacon and rolled it in panko bread crumbs before frying it. It was served with a spicy remoulade.

I really liked this dish: when you bite in it, you first experience the crunchiness of the croquette and then you hit the Mac and cheese that was gooey. They mentioned to us that the regular serving is three croquettes, that is perfect for sharing (we got smaller portions for all the dishes because it was a tasting).

I should mention that each dish was paired with a wine. For the mac and cheese croquette, it was a Franciscan Estate 2011 Chardonnay (Napa Valley):

The next dish was prosciutto and fig flatbread:

This is not what I would associate immediately with New Orleans. But you know what? This shows some diversity there! I liked it: the bread itself, homemade, was crispy, and there was a nice sweetness coming from the figs that counterbalanced well the tangy flavor of the arugula and the sharpness of the cheese.

They served the flatbread with Danzante Pinot Grigio 2012 (Italy):

After that came the crawfish étouffée:

As an anecdote, they did not plan this for the tasting menu, until they heard that a French blogger was coming. So they swapped it against an Asian salmon. I admit that I was pleased to have the opportunity to try it, because it is definitely a dish associated with New Orleans. The difficulty there was to have enough crawfish, the supply not being abundant.  But here were we with a nice dish in front if us. It was pretty good, a nice kick and some heat building in the back of my throat.

The wine served with this dish was a Venezia Giulia 2012 Sauvignon Blanc from Italy:

Then we got the Po'Boy.

There were two kinds: shrimp.

And catfish.

I preferred the shrimp one for sure: nice piece of shrimp, crispy and tasty. The bread, homemade, was a sweet Hawaiian roll. It was served with some coleslaw that was very good, with a touch of fennel for an added crunch.

The wine paired with the Po'Boy was a 10 Span 2012 Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County.

The last entrée was the jambalaya.

I was also looking forward for this dish. It was composed of andouille sausage, Cajun spice chicken, shrimp and rice. As you can see on the photo, they have goat cheese on top; it is used to cut down the heat from the dish and I have to say that it worked perfectly, the taste of the cheese being quite discreet and not overshadowing at all the other ingredients. 

The jambalaya was served with an Alamos Malbec 2012 (Argentina):

Last was the long awaited dessert! It was a Sabayon:

Sabayon, also spelled Zabaione, is an Italian dessert made of egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine. It was served with berries.

And paired with Sambuca:

Again another dish that I did not associate with New Orleans, but let me tell you: I was glad they served it! It was so good that I could have eaten few of them. Not too sweet and light, it was a nice alternative to what could have been a boring fruit salad.

I liked my dinner at Masq: the food was good and comforting, transporting me miles away from New York for a moment. They have a large menu with some mouth watering dishes spanning between New Orleans and New American cuisine, that can satisfy any palate. And if you go there, do not forget: Il faut laisser le bon temps rouler as they say in New Orleans! 

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

S'mac in the East Village, NYC, New York

There are many recipes today with a wide variety of pasta used (check out for instance my recipe of Italian mac & cheese that uses orzo) or cheese (blue for instance), as well as other ingredients added to the mix, such as ham, or in a more elegant version, lobster or crab meat. I admit that I never had any good seafood mac and cheese, probably because the amount of seafood is not enough to let it shine. But, definitely, mac and cheese is my favorite side with a steak and I am surprised that  restaurants do not propose it more often on their menu. The best I had in a restaurant was at The Old Homestead in New York City (it was made with truffle, probably oil - sorry Anthony Bourdain) and at Dino & Harry's in Hoboken. The worst was at Nick and Steph's Steakhouse in the City: the cheese tasted like Velveeta...mac and cheese is a comfort food that is present in many countries, in different forms. In France, it is called gratin de pâtes. When I was a kid, we use to eat it as a main dish rather than as a side. The basic recipe is fairly simple: macaroni or rigatoni, cheese (my Mom used Gruyère), crème fraîche, salt and pepper. The secret being of course to put lots of cheese and crème! Everybody though has its own recipe; I remember that my cousin Sandrine was using an egg and it is not uncommon to prepare a béchamel sauce and smothered the pasta with it. The commonality of these recipes: the sublime burnt cheese crust created when broiling the cheese on top that gave the word gratiné. 

So, now, imagine a joint that only serves mac & cheese! This is what Sarita's Mac and Cheese aka S'Mac is all about. Opened in 2006 by Sarita & Caesar Ekya, S'Mac proposes a decadent menu: for sure, if you are on a diet, this is not for you, although they offer a mixed green salad as a side. Now, if you eat gluten free, are vegan or lactose intolerant, they also propose alternatives that I am sure is truly appreciated. 

The place is fun with a two tone color pattern: red and yellow, the latter being the color of the cheese.

You first order at the counter:

And then, they give you a number.

Once your order is ready, they bring it to your table.

They serve Mac and Cheese in different sizes, from small (nosh) to large (partay). But what is a fantastic idea is the sampler that we picked, allowing us to try 8 different recipes.

But, you do not pick: what is in the sampler is already defined. So we tried:

• All American, made with American cheese and cheddar.
• Cheese burger: American cheese and cheddar, with ground beef.
• 4 cheese: cheddar, munster, pecorino and gruyere.
• Cajun: cheddar, pepper jack, andouille sausage, green pepper, onions, celery and garlic.
• Alpine: gruyere and bacon.
• La Mancha: manchego cheese, fennel and onions.
• Parisienne: brie, figs, roasted shiitake mushrooms and rosemary.
• Napoletana: fresh mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic and fresh basil.

To help us know what was what, they gave us a sheet of paper:

Sampler content

4 cheese

Cajun

Cajun

Alpine

4 cheese

It was very good: the macaroni was perfectly cooked and there was a lot of cheese. My favorites were the classic All American, the 4 cheese, the Alpine and the Parisienne. My least favorites were the cajun (too much celery, although I loved the andouille sausage that was a bit spicy) and the Napoletana that had too much garlic.

S'Mac is definitely a great place: simple concept, good food at a reasonable price that would put a S'Mile on your face. If you go there, I definitely recommend the sampler.

Enjoy (I did)!

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