Hummus Bowl at the Hummus Bar in Hoboken, NJ

How many hummus joints will open in Hoboken??? Well, after I guess a tough competition, two of them already closed: Ibby's falafel and Maoz. I have been a big fan of Mamoun's falafel and was eager to try his competitor, The Hummus Bar, located not far from it! I was more eager when one of my colleagues, Sonnali, mentioned that she went there and had some Indian flavored dish that was apparently delicious. So I was wondering what the menu would be as I imagined before, that a Hummus Bar would simply serve the traditional Middle Eatsern dishes: hummus, falafel, shawarma...Looking at the menu, I realized that it was not the case and that they showcased some interesting combination: Italian, Indian, Greek...

So we decided to try it. We picked two different Hummus bowls. A Hummus bowl is a the equivalent of a plate rather than a sandwich where the bottom of the plate is spread with hummus (classic, black olive and herbs...). You can even decide to replace the hummus by guacamole (not sure I would try that there) or babaganouj. 

Jodi ordered the Hoboken Hummus Bowl with classic hummus.

 It was made of avocado, chickpeas, fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, olives, cucumber and pineapple. This was delicious and very fresh. But they could have put a bit more salad in the bowl. The pineapple added a nice sweetness to the dish that matched the acidity of the tomatoes. Delish!

On my side, I ordered the Lamb Tikka Hummus Bowl.

It was lamb marinated overnite and grilled with onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices. It was good and flavorful but they did not use a great part of the lamb. Tasty though. I noticed that it is off the online menu and that they now serve the chicken tikka: it might be better.

Concerning the star of the bowl, the hummus, I have to say that I loved it: it was creamy and delicious, as good as the one at Mamoun's...

I would probably try something else next time as their menu offers plenty of interesting choices and combinations!

Enjoy (I did)!

Lombardi, the oldest pizzeria in the US - NYC, New York

It has been a while since I wanted to go to Lombardi's Pizza, the oldest pizzeria in the US, located in New York City. We went last Saturday and the place was not packed, until 12:30pm where patrons started to come and even had to wait outside! I guess this place is in all the guides, explaining the sudden rush!

We saw two dining rooms there: the one at the entrance, with its bar, and the one in the back. We got seated in the first one. It definitely had a rustic and traditional feel with its brick walls and the white and red table clothes. The service was quick and courteous that is sometimes missing in popular restaurants!

I started off with an Italian Soda that is seltzer with vanilla flavored syrup and whipped cream.

This was the first time I tried this! It was interesting: the color of the drink itself was like crystal and had of course a strong vanilla taste thanks to the syrup. But the best was when mixing the whipped cream with the drink. It added more sweetness to it. Delicious, but not a drink I would crave!

Then we ordered a pizza: small size (6 slices) with wild mushrooms and homemade meatballs (beef and pork).

The pizza, cooked in a coal oven, smelled amazingly good! The crust was thin and crispy with a nice char in the bottom and the sides.

Each topping was $3 and they put a lot of it! The meatballs, although small, were moist and tasty.

They also did not cheat us on the wild mushrooms. Another thing I appreciated was the amount of basil they put on the pizza: usually, you get few leafs. At Lombardi's, they put a lot. This gave additional flavors to this great pie!

I definitely liked Lombardi's pizza! It is definitely a place to visit, with or without the title of oldest pizzeria in the US!

Be careful though: it is cash only, like when they opened...

Enjoy (I did)!

Pulino's pizza in NYC, New York

One of my favorite pizza is the four cheese pizza, but one with real cheeses, not some kind of processed cheeses! So we decided to try Pulino's in Nolita as they had a four cheese pizza on their menu.

The place was very nice with its high ceilings, wood oven and walls covered in bottles.

There was even part covered with magazines that the patrons could borrow, adding a casual atmosphere to the place..

We went for brunch where the menu offers a wide variety of either standard brunch items such as eggs or pancakes, as well as true Italian dishes such as spaghetti or pizza. For pizza, you can add some toppings such as olives, pancetta, anchovies...making the pizza a bit pricey.

So we decided to start with an appetizer. The choice was easy: burrata.

They served it with roasted tomatoes on the vine, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. All of this was rested on a piece of bread, fettunta style, meaning like a bruschetta. 

This was fantastic! The burrata tasted very fresh and was very creamy. It was a perfect combination of flavors, mixed with the tomatoes, a hint of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. 

Then we got our four cheese pizza!

The pizza looked beautiful with all the cheeses, the caramelized onions and the crust, burnt in some areas.

The crust was very thin and crispy. What I liked was also the fact that they had, on the table, some olive oil with chili peppers inside: you drizzle some oil on the pizza and it gives a delicious kick to it!

The cheeses on the pizza were: mozzarella, grana, fontina and gorgonzola. It also had some caramelized onions on top. I loved that pizza! There was a lot of cheese and the idea of putting caramelized onions on it was fabulous! It added some sweetness to the pizza that was perfect to counterbalance the sharpness of the cheese. It was definitely a great pizza that I recommend!

We skipped the desserts as we wanted to go grab something at Francois Payard, but it is another story...

Although the service was so so, we really enjoyed our brunch at Pulino's! I am sure I will go back there to try some of their specialties, such as the nutella pizette....

Enjoy (I did)!

 

Philippo's in Clark, NJ

Last time, we grab some sandwiches at Philippo's Pizza in Clark, NJ. I love Italian sandwiches: I find it a very comforting food. What is important for me in an Italian sandwich is a soft bread and lots of cheese!

It is the second time we tried food there. This time, we went with an all parmigiana menu: eggplant parmigiana and chicken parmigiana subs.

The subs are huge!

Imagine that what you are seeing on the photo is half a eggplant parmigiana sandwich on a regular plate! And it only costs $8.50!

I loved it: great taste and not greasy at all! They were very generous with the amount of eggplant.

The chicken parmigiana sub was also big and loaded with cheese. It was good, but the chicken was cut too thin so its taste did not always go through.

For this second try, this was again very good, at a very reasonable price. Definitely a good place to go to if you crave Italian subs, cold or hot!

Enjoy (I did)!

Delicious Gelato at Eataly in NYC, New York

With the hot days we got recently, indulging in gelato was necessary! So we ended up at Eataly, this amazing Italian Marketplace I love to go to!

So we decided to try their gelato. There is always a big line, but sometimes, you have to sacrifice yourself...

Jodi got the coconut gelato in a cone.

Coconut is Jodi's favorite flavor. I tried it and it was quite good: creamy with a nice coconut taste. The cone was crunchy and filled with ice cream.

On my side, I ordered two flavors in a cup: hazelnut and salted caramel.

They put a lot of ice cream! My favorite was definitely the hazelnut one. So tasty! The salted caramel was good too: so funny to see that salted caramel is now everywhere, from crepes to ice cream!

Then, another time, I decided to try something different: watermelon sorbet and banana gelato with chocolate chips.

The banana with chocolate chip gelato was just ok. It was not as creamy as I thought and I had better banana ice cream in the past. However, I did not like at all the watermelon sorbet: it had no taste! I should have one with the hazelnut gelato!!!

Although the last try was not that great, I love Eataly's gelato! It reminded me of the gelato we got when we went to Italy few years ago: we ate amazing gelato everyday! Whether it was chocolate, hazelnut or...nutella! I remember that the gelato were huge for as much as 2 Euros ($2.6)! So, going to Italy was like going back few years back!!!

Enjoy (I did)!

Salumeria, Amazing hoagie, in Philadelphia, PA

This year again, we went to the Reading Terminal Market and ended up at Salumeria, an Italian deli that serves cheeses and delicious sandwiches.

But we went back for the hoagies (or sub / Italian sandwich). We ordered the Italian Hoagie.

On the photo above, you see only half of this foot long sandwich, made with salad, provolone, ham, mortadella, capricola and salami.

That was a fantastic sandwich: delicious bread and divine meats! What else to ask? If you are in the Reading Terminal Market, stop there: you will not regret it!

Enjoy (I did)!

 

The Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, PA

You cannot go to Philadelphia without visiting the Reading Terminal Market! This place has some incredible food! Not all the food is good, but they have some little gems there!

I love going to this kind of places where there are so many different merchants that you do not know where to go and what to eat! They serve: meat, fish, vegetables, ice cream, pastries... And then, you can eat French (crepes!), Thai, Italian, Middle Eastern...

Each time we went to Philly, we stopped there!

The variety of food is so amazing that just walking around will make you discover some incredible vendors such as Wan's seafood!

Their stand look amazing and fresh!

I saw these huge Wild Shrimp! Trust me, these, simply grilled on a BBQ must be fantastic!

There is also an Amish owned traditional deli, called The Riehl Deli.

Not only do they have a wide variety of cheeses, they have tons of meats!

But what caught my eyes was clearly on the sweet side...

First were the Termini Brothers with their Italian cookies!

And decadent cakes!

Then, the custom made Chocolate by Mueller:

They seem to have some amazing creation like the chocolate brain....

Pretty funny!

There is also the phenomenal Flying Monkey!

Look at that! If I did not have to go to the Franklin Fountain later on, I would have had some of their cakes!

They looked incredible!

So definitely, the Reading Terminal Market is the place to go for some surprising and decadent food! I will stop there next time again for sure! By the way, it is there that we found Salumeria, an authentic Italian hoagies joint!

If you go, before leaving, do not forget to make a donation to Philbert, the pig in the center of the market! It goes to charity for children of the community!

Enjoy (I did)!

Delicious food at The Food Truck Festival in South Street Seaport - NYC, New York

Yesterday, Jodi and I went to The Food Truck Festival in South Street Seaport. This festival takes place couple of times a year, always at the same place, and features close to 30 food trucks from all over the city!

We decided to go in the morning, at around 11:30am as last year we went later and it was packed! This year, we picked the correct time! Not that many people, so limited wait! Our plan was to go to different trucks and try one of their dish on the menu.

We started with Chinese Mirch.

Mirch means chili in Hindi. This truck is a fusion between chinese food and indian food. We decided to try the Tibetan Momos, that are hand-rolled pan fried dumplings. We picked the vegetarian ones, made with cabbage, potatoes, carrots and some "secret" spices. 

The dumplings are served with a hot or sweet sauce. We chose the sweet as it was hot outside. The dumplings were pretty good: the shell was light and well cooked (I was surprised to see it steamed as they advertised pan fried!). The stuffing was delicious and flavorful. The only negative was that there was not enough sauce. Besides that, I really enjoyed it! The 5 dumplings costed $4.

The second truck was The Kimchi Taco Truck.

I love Korean food and was eager to try a fusion taco! What was great is that they proposed a tasting of 3 tacos for $7. Our pick was (top to bottom on the photo):

• Tofu edamame falafel: tofu, edamame and chickpea blended with Asian spices with kimchi infused refried beans, cucumber kimchi, pickled daikon and pico de gallo.
• BBQ beef short ribs served with their signature marinade, topped with red cabbage, apple, pear kimchi slaw.
• Fried chicken, battered in sweet rice flour tossed in organic blue agave nectar and ginger, garlic Korean pepper sauce and served with pickled diakon, queso blanco and sesame seeds.

They put the tacos next to each other and the shells were too small for the quantity of stuffing, so it was a bit messy to eat! The tofu edamame falafel was a bit mushy: I did not like it. The BBQ short rib was pretty good: it was tender and not dry thanks to the marinade. The last one I tried was the chicken one: I would have never thought it was fried chicken! Last, the taco shell was a bit hard on some parts of the tacos.

I was a bit disappointed: I think they put too many things on the taco and you lose the main flavors.

The next truck was Nuchas truck that serves empanadas.

They offer different types of empanadas: meat, veggie or sweet. We ordered the Argentine empanada ($3): ground beef, onions, pepper, scallions, potatoes and olives.

When the empanada came, it looked like the cocas that my family cooks with sheshoukah! It really liked it although it was a bit greasy. It had nice flavors and was just a bit spicy, but not too much. 

Then was the long awaited Valducci's pizza truck!

We were looking forward to get a slice from that truck since we tried it last year! It was so good! So we reordered the same slice: thin crust, pizza sauce, just a bit of cheese and olive oil.

This pizza is the proof that less is more! The crust was incredibly crispy and the sauce amazing! I think it is one of my favorite pizza in New York! I would not have liked to try other trucks, I would have gone for another slice! The slice costed $5.

Next to Valducci's was the Gorilla Cheese truck, specialized in grilled cheese.

They have standard grilled cheese as well as more elaborated ones. I decided to try a standard one and picked the Cheddar grilled cheese with white bread.

For sure there was a lot of cheese.

But, for $6, you can expect a better cheese and a better bread! I can make a better grilled cheese home for cheaper! Disappointing!

Then, we were on our way to leave when we saw the Red Hook Lobster Pound! Last year, I ate a fantastic lobster roll there! With all the food we ate, I was not sure I could have one. But Jodi knew how to find the good words to convince me: "If you do not get one, you will regret and keep talking about it!". I did not need more to order the $16 Connecticut lobster roll:

It is pricey, but there is a lot of lobster in it (I got 2 claws for sure as you can see on the photo), making it a bit challenging to eat! I love the Connecticut one: it is poached in butter! Better than with tons of mayo that could overpower the lobster taste!
The bread was deliciously buttered and toasted. If you do not like butter, it is not for you! I love this place!

After that, I was full and could not even try any of the desserts trucks. This is a great festival and I am looking forward for the next one!
On a side note, it was funny to see people eating at the terrace of the restaurants next to the festival: why would you pay overpriced food when you have an incredible event like this next to you?

If you went to the Food Truck Festival, let me know what you think!

Enjoy (I did)!

Amazing dinner at Vetri in Philadelphia, PA

We went to the restaurant of Marc Vetri in Philadelphia, simply called Vetri, last year. Since then, I kept dreaming about it! It is a fantastic place! Although pricey, it is worth it considering the overall experience: not only the food, but also the plating and the service that were great! So, we decided to go back to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary.

Let start with the restaurant itself: it is a townhouse that has been transformed into a restaurant. So, it has some warmth in it that gives the impression you are dining at a friend (except when they bring the check). We only went there in the evening and each time, they dimmed the light, giving an intimate atmosphere to the experience. Unfortunately, it did not help for my photos that are quite dark as I refuse to use the flash (maybe I should revisit that one...). There are not that many tables, so make sure you reserve before going, especially around the Holidays! 

On the week end, they only serve the tasting menu (6 courses). It is composed of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. You either choose what you would like to eat or you let the Chef decide for you. Of course, you can mention anything you do not like at all from the menu or communicate any allergy you may have.

We decided to go with letting the Chef pick for us (except that we asked specifically for the sweet onion crepe and the almond tortellini)!

Before we ordered, they offered us some Prosecco (they did that last year) and brought us a tasting plate with some salumi and foie gras toasts that were delicious and perfect to open the appetite.

They also brought some veggies with a delicious balsamic vinegar reduction.

The last thing they brought before the dishes started to arrive was an amazing bread with olives (focaccia and semolina).

Now that we were in appetite, we started the plat de resistance! We started off with the salads: Jodi got the artichoke salad.

It was served with parmigiano reggiano and mache salad. It was very light and well seasoned. The sauce was simply made with lime, that added some freshness to the dish.

Then, we had the Dungeness crab salad with peaches and mache.

To my surprise, I loved it. I tried Dungeness crab in San Francisco few years ago and did not really liked it. The crab was perfectly cooked and the dish was light and fresh (again with a lime dressing, but also the peaches).

The next dish was the roasted squab with eggplant and cocoa vinaigrette.

It was very tasty and I thought that the eggplant complimented very well the squab. I did not really taste the cocoa vinaigrette though.

Then came the Sweet onion crepe with truffle fondue.

If you like caramelized onions, this is for you! We had a quick chat about this dish with the server and he told us that it takes more than 10 hours to caramelized the onions! Not sure I will try this at home! But the best part of the conversation was when he described the dish as a deconstruction of a French onion soup (onions = onions, crepe = croutons). I thought it was a perfect description for this amazing dish!

The next round of dishes was pasta.

Jodi got the Spinach gnocchi with brown butter.

What you do not want is a heavy gnocchi! These were light and although I am not a huge fan of spinach, I really enjoyed the dish. It was light and very tasty. The brown butter sauce was to die for!

Then came my long awaited Almond tortellini.

They are served with a truffle sauce incredibly good! This is the second dish to try if you go there! Imagine that all the pasta they serve are homemade; I can tell you that you can taste the difference! The tortellini were light and were melting in my mouth. You could definitely taste the almonds and the truffle sauce had this fantastic subtle taste.

The next pasta dishes were the Black pepper lamb sausage parpaddelle with pecorino cheese and the Chanterelle and corn doppio ravioli with scallion.

This was also outstanding! The lamb sausage reminded me of merguez that I talk about often on this blog. The paparddelle, that are large tagliatelle / fettuccinni, were also amazing! These homemade pasta rock! It was again light and the pasta were perfectly cooked.

The chanterelle and corn ravioli were outstanding too! In fact, they put next to each other a chanterelle ravioli and a corn ravioli. You can either taste them separately or together, giving to the dish a different dimension each time. Making the ravioli with chanterelle was a good choice as these mushrooms are phenomenal.

The last set of dishes before dessert were Polenta and zucchini flower beignets, and Maialino with zolfini beans and pickled asparagus.

The polenta and zucchini flower beignets was my least favorite dish. I did not think that all the elements worked together and it was a bit bland.

Maialino is pork meat. It was very tender with a crispy skin. The beans were a bit crunchy and the pickled asparagus surprisingly delicious. The elements of the dish worked perfectly together.

So that was it for the entrees. Then came the time for dessert. Or should I say pre-dessert! Yes, you read correctly: before eating our desserts, they brought us some ice cream and cookies!

The ice cream was a cherry sorbetto made with goose berries. The way they make it is by crushing the cherries and then make a sorbet. It had a clean taste and was perfect to freshen our palates.

They had brownies, shortbread...Hard to resist before dessert, that came few minutes later:

Jodi got the Raspberry clafoutis (a baked French dessert of usually black cherries arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter). I liked it, although I would consider that it was more an interpretation of a clafoutis than a traditional one.

I got the pistachio flan with white chocolate gelato.

That was an amazing dessert! I loved it. A bit warm, it had this buttery taste that was to die for and was not too sweet! Loved it! Eating the flan with the gelato was divine!

That was a lot of food! When you see the quantities, you would think that you would be hungry, but trust me: the walk back to the hotel was necessary!

Vetri is a favorite and I would not be surprised that we will go back each time we go back to Philadelphia! It is the perfect example of Italian food brought to the next level! A must try!

Enjoy (I surely did)!

Angelo's Coal Oven Pizza in NYC, New York

I went to Angelo's pizza several times and always preferred going to the location on Broadway as it is much quieter and less crowded. It is in fact surprising considering that it is next to the Late Show with David Letterman studio!

Both restaurants are on two floors, but the one in Broadway is much spacious and can much easily welcome a large party.

Besides pizza and pasta, the restaurant serves soups and salads, like the Insalata Siciliana on the photo below.

They also serve panini; the one on the photo below is a chicken parm panini. 

Previously, I tried their pasta, specifically the Fettuccine Alfredo and the Rigatoni A La Vodka. It was good and they were generous with the sauce. But, know that the pasta are not homemade.

This time, we got pizza. When you order, you have to go through a simple selection process:

• First, pick the size of the pie: you can either order a small (6 slices) or a large pizza.
• Second, you decide if you want a white pie (made with ricotta or mozzarella - no tomato sauce) or a regular pie (tomato and mozzarella).
• Last, you pick your toppings. They propose several ones like mushroom, olives, pepperoni, anchovies, broccoli (seriously? Do you think it will make it healthier???), onions, prosciutto...

So we decided to share two large pizza. The first one was a white pie.

This one was disappointing: it was very dry and there was not that much cheese!

The second one was a regular pie with mushrooms and prosciutto di Parma.

It was delicious! The pizza sauce was good and they put some good quality prosciutto on it. I also like the crust on both pizza: thin, crispy and slightly blackened, result of the cooking in the coal oven that you can see when you enter the restaurant.

Angelo's pizza is not that bad, but it is clearly not the best pizza in New York. I also find that it is a bit overpriced and the service was a bit slow. So if you decide to go, avoid the white pie...

Enjoy (I half did)!

Tony Di Napoli in NYC, New York

It had been a while since I ate at Tony Di Napoli and in the past, I use to go to their location on the Upper East Side, before they close there. So, when my cousins told me they would come to visit us from Europe and wanted to eat in a reasonably priced Italian restaurant, I thought that Toni Di Napoli in Times Square could be a good idea. I never went to that location and, to be honest, I was a bit apprehensive that the quality of the food would not be great considering the location and the flow of tourists. I was wrong!

It is for sure a big place. And noisy. Clearly, the noise level was pretty high service wise, it was perfect: diligent, fast, but they did not rush us at all, giving us the opportunity to take our time to enjoy each other company.

In term of food, it is family style, meaning that each plate if for sharing. It is perfect when you are more than three people.

We started with a salad (Photo above I was in minority, surrounded by women who wanted at least one healthy dish). It was red and yellow tomatoes with mozzarella. The salad had nothing exceptional: some tomatoes were a bit mushy and I would have liked some better mozzarella (it was similar to the one you would buy at the supermarket).

Then we had another special: chicken saltimbocca. Normally the dish is made with veal, but they decided to propose it with chicken. The way it was done is different from the traditional way for sure: chicken, topped with prosciutto and cheese in a sauce that I believe had Marsala and butter. The chicken was served on a bed of spinach. It was pretty good: the chicken was perfectly cooked and moist and the main ingredients paired well together. 

We then went for the traditional meatballs, served with linguine. These meatballs were not only huge, but divine! You could really taste the meat and herbs. The only thing negative was that there was not enough of the great and tasty tomato sauce it came with.

The next dish was also a traditional Italian dish: eggplant parmesan.

I loved it: the eggplant were sufficiently cooked, the sauce was amazing and it was topped with lots of cheese.

After that, we still had a bit of room for dessert. We decided to order the tiramisu.

It was a big piece, sufficient for four people. At first, I was wondering why there was coffee in the bottom of the plate: in fact, the lady fingers absorbed it fairly quickly (with the alcohol that was mixed in it by the way). I think it is one of the best tiramisu I ever had: it was creamy, light and decadent!

That was a great dinner and the food was very good for reasonable prices. This is definitely a place to have in mind. Reservation strongly suggested!

Enjoy (I did)!

Mediocre Italian food at Intermezzo in Chelsea!

Yesterday, we went for a Birthday Dinner (Happy Birthday Pete!), with a bunch of friends, at Intermezzo in Chelsea. I was really looking forward for great company and of course great food. It started well: nice restaurant with a very stylish and not overdone decor. I loved the nice black and white pictures picturing scenes of people eating pasta, some of them representing famous Italian actors like Marcello Mastroianni and Gina Lollobrigida. 

They also had nice chandeliers and a big mirror overseeing the entire dinning room. In term of atmosphere, it was quiet, but I heard that during brunch time, it can get crazy with music and all you can drink booze. 

The service was nice but a bit slow. It seems they went under new management in November 2011, so I am not sure if the slowness of service is because they are still tweaking the kitchen.

At the beginning, they left a bread basket with some olive oil on the table and kept bringing the bread throughout the evening, that is always nice. The focaccia was very good and the olive oil had some garlic and I guess some pepper because it had some kick. 

Then, for appetizer, I got the Polpo that is Portuguese octopus, potatoes, string beans, oregano, extra virgin olive oil and red vinegar. I love octopus, but was a bit disappointed: it was perfectly cooked but had a fishy taste (did they re-froze it???). The only think I really liked was the fried potatoes. I think I should have ordered the Mozzarella in Carozza (Crispy Mozzarella and bread, fried zucchini, tomato and basil) that is fried mozzarella. I tried it and it was pretty good! The zucchini were cut like pasta and I loved the crispiness and saltiness of it!

For the main dish, I chose the Linguine Alle Vongole that is Linguine pasta with Manilla Clams in a sauce with white wine and extra virgin olive oil. The pasta were well cooked but missing salt and the Manilla clams were...real! Not from a can (I got that one time in a restaurant!!!). The clams were a bit rubbery. Now, the sauce was tasteless. So disappointing! I did not finish my dish! Too bad because the Linguine Alle Vongole is my test dish: each time I go to a new Italian restaurant, this is what I try.

I also tried the Eggplant Parmigiana: tasteless too! Missing seasoning and cheese.

The Birthday boy ordered Chicken Parmigiana, his favorite there, but had to return the dish because it was stone cold. Also, our friend Jaimie ordered the lasagna, recommended by the waiter. It looked weird: was more a meatloaf than a lasagna! No sauce, no cheese. 

For dessert, we tried the Tiramisu, thinking it would improve the poor experience we had so far. Unfortunately, it was not the case: it was flavorless! 

So it was really mediocre food. Too bad, because the presentation of the dishes made them appetizing. We realized after we left that the it was graded B! Of course, they put the sign on a side window, difficult to see! I would not go back there for sure! Now, I am craving a good Italian to erase that bad memory! Morandi remains the best for me! 

At the end of the day, we anyway had a great time with our friends and it was the most important part of the evening...although great food would have been awesome!!!

Forget it (I did)!

References:
Site: www.intermezzo-nyc.com

Bistro 1051: Japanese and Italian food...but no fusion!

Recently, I went to Bistro 1051, an Italian seafood bistro and sushi bar located near Clark, NJ. Ok, let's say it again: an Italian seafood bistro and sushi bar. When you read it, you think that it would be some kind of fusion food and that you would end up with a tortellini roll! In fact, it is not the case. Italian and Japanese are two different menus. 

They claim that their decor is an award winning. Let me tell you: if Gordon Ramsey were to come for Kitchen Nightmare, the first thing he would do it to change the decor! I do not know if it was the because of the dimmed light, but it looked old and cheap. The noise level is also bad, so do not go for a romantic dinner! However, the service was very good and attentive and the food quite decent! I went all Italian, sorry Mr Sushi! The menu looked delicious with plenty of mouth watering dishes: brick oven flatbread, pasta, chicken and veal, seafood, etc...

Spicy Maryland Crab style soup at Bistro 1051 in Clark, NJ

As an appetizer, I tried the Spicy Maryland Crab style soup: it was very creamy and tasty, with a nice kick. I suspect they microwaved it and let it sit few minutes because of the film of cream on top of the soup when they brought it to the table. They also had a nice Pear endive salad, that was very refreshing and well dressed. For the entree, the penne vodka was the perfect choice: creamy, a bit spicy, with well cooked pasta.

Penne vodka at Bistro 1051 in Clark, NJ

Penne vodka at Bistro 1051 in Clark, NJ

Of course, we finished with a Tiramisu, that was perfect: light and not too sweet, a perfect balance. It was a very good dessert.

Tiramisu at Bistro 1051 in Clark, NJ

This restaurant is definitely a little hole in the wall. I am not sure if I would go for the sushi, but certainly for the Italian cuisine, to try some other dishes they have on the menu!

Enjoy (I did)!

La Piazza at Eataly: I wish I was living there!

As you probably know from reading my other posts on Eataly located in New York City, I love this place! The only negative is that it is crazy other there with all the people who, like me, want to enjoy some great Italian delicacies! This time, we tried La Piazza, with its delicious cheeses and salumi. The setting is awkward: you either eat at the bar or on the marble high standing tables (no chairs), in the middle of the marketplace, with people passing by. Not the best place for a quiet meal! The service was great and I loved sitting at the bar, watching the preparation of the orders. 

The menu is mainly centered around wine, cheese and meat, but you can get some specialties from restaurants nearby such as Il Pesce (for seafood). They also make fresh mozzarella daily. We went for the Grande Piatto Misto Di Salumi & Formaggi that is a selection of meat and cheeses. The cheeses that day were (from left to right): ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, pecorino toscano, taleggio and gorgonzola. For meats, they served us prosciutto di Parma, prosciutto San Daniele, Mortadella, prosciutto Cotto, speck and Salami.

They also gave us, with the bread, some almonds in honey, candied orange peel and figs, to eat with the cheese (good call for people who do not like strong cheeses). 

The presentation on a wooden cutting board was awesome, with the different colors and texture of the meats and shapes of the cheeses! It gave a rustic feel to the entire dish. Although the quantity was not enormous, I really enjoyed it, alternating cheese and meat. 

I also got a crudo from Il Pesce, composed of pink snapper, fluke and Halibut. I like raw fish so the texture was not a problem for me. It was served with some olive oil and salt. Simple and delicious.

Definitely a good lunch that day!

Enjoy (I did)!

Other posts for Eataly:
A taste of Eataly in New York City!
Great Dinner at Home ! Thank you Mario Batali!
Great Bread and Cheeses from Eataly!
Cheese night!
Fresh Pasta and tomato with porcini mushrooms sauce

And remember: I just want to eat!

Fig & Olives in New York City

Olive oil has a fantastic reputation in Mediterranean countries: it is said that it contributes to the longevity of their inhabitants. In fact, the main type of fat found in the different kinds of olive oil is Monounsaturated Fatty Acids or MUFA, that is a monounsaturated fat, better than saturated or trans fat. These MUFA help lower the risk of heart disease, helping to lower, for instance, the level of cholesterol (the bad one!). It is also supposed to help blood clotting. Some research show that it may benefit blood sugar control and insulin levels, therefore benefiting people who have a type 2 diabetes (when did I get my PhD???). But, know that Olive oil is high in calories and all the beneficial nutrients it contains can be affected by heat, light and air. That is why it is better to keep it in a dark place and consume it between 6 months to a year maximum. Concerning the heat, that is true that I heard in the past that olive oil is not good for cooking: not sure what to think about it. A lot of chefs are using it instead of vegetable oil and it is true that the taste is better even in these circumstances.

So, now imagine a restaurant specialized in olive oil: it is what Fig & olives is about. They have several locations in New York and in each of them, they have an entire wall of bottles of olive oil that they sell. When they bring bread, they replace the butter by an olive oil tasting. I think this is interesting: who would pay attention to the different tastes of olive oil? There are so many different, that I find it clever to offer a tasting.

Their menu is definitely Mediterranean, with cuisines from France (the owner and chef are French), Italy and Spain. We discovered this restaurant during Restaurant Week and it was a great experience: everything was fresh and delicious. They did not degrade the quality of their menu like other restaurants do, probably understanding that a happy customer is a customer who would come back and recommend this restaurant. One of the things I appreciate is that they offer, all year long, a tasting entree for $30 (time of posting), called the Mediterranean tasting. It includes:

• Grilled chicken breast, grilled provence vegetable, marinated red bell pepper - Nocellara Olive Oil
• Grilled steak on rosemary skewer, bell pepper, Greek yogurt & honey, couscous - Koroneiki Olive Oil (photo 4). Note that the couscous is in fact a taboule salad.
• Grilled shrimp on rosemary skewer, cherry tomato, saffron rice - Pimenton & Oregano Hojiblanca Olive Oil

This tasting platter is a feast not only for your stomach, but also your eyes. The presentation is perfect. Of course, some may say that the quantities are not enough. Well, it is reasonable and considering the quality, I do not see any problem. On top of this, it gives you an opportunity to try their desserts!

Besides this tasting dish, I also tried:

• Yellow fin tuna carpaccio: Tuna, balsamic vinegar, cilantro, arugula, tomato marcona almond - Toasted Sesame Oil (photo 2): although the tuna was good, it was a bit bland and was missing some acidity. 
• Penne Funghi Tartufo: Cremini mushroom, black trumpet, parmesan, parsley, scallion - White Truffle Olive Oil (photo 3). This was delicious! If you are a fan of mushrooms, you will be happy. The penne were perfectly cooked (al dente) and you could taste all these delicate flavors of mushrooms. Yum!

I am definitely a fan of this restaurant. The only negative is the noise level that is pretty high....

Enjoy (I did)!

Il Bastardo!

No, I am not insulting anybody in Italian! It is just the name of an Italian restaurant in New York City!

We went there on a Saturday night, early enough so there was not that many people at the bar or in their lounge. The restaurant was quite dark and noisy: I thought I was in a Steakhouse, and in fact...it is an Italian steakhouse! The decor is a mix between modern and rustic with its mahogany floor and brick walls. I like that feel: warm and cozy.

In term of food, you can't really tell that it is a steakhouse: looks more like a traditional Italian restaurant to me, with its antipasti (literally "before pasta"), salads, pasta and main dishes that include items from the grill. There, no filet mignon or porterhouse!

We tried:

• Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with citrus - mustard aioli: it was pretty decent! The mustard aioli had a nice kick.
• Salad with Anjou Pears, arugula, tallegio cheese and walnuts. The presentation was awesome: they sliced the pear thinly and laid out the slices at the bottom of the plate. Unfortunately, the pear was not ripe enough and they were cheap on the cheese...
• Linguine with manila clams, fresh parsley and white wine: the dish was ok. The clams were not tasty and the broth was too liquidy to give some taste to the dish. Too bad, because it is usually the dish I pick when trying an Italian restaurant for the first time!
• Rigatoni with tomato, eggplant, basil and ricotta salata. This was pretty good. 

So, overall, the food was just ok. For the same price, I would go to Morandi and have a fantastic Italian experience!

Enjoy (I did)!

Lisa's Italian deli in Hoboken, NJ

Lisa's Italian deli is a great Italian deli in Hoboken. I have tried both their sandwiches and their pasta and was never disappointed! 

For sandwiches, the selection of cold or hot sandwiches is quite big! After you pick what you want, you can choose the bread: ciabatta, French baguette, soft Italian bread, wrap, roll...All the ingredients taste very fresh. Their baguette or soft Italian bread are delicious!

If you are vegetarian, there is a large choice for you: swiss cheese hero, ricotta hero, fresh mozzarella cold sandwich...

My favorite sandwich is the "Lisa's American Hero Boy" combo that is made with with turkey, roasted beef, pepperoni, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, roasted peppers, mustard or mayo. The sandwich is huge, but tasting so good that I could eat it at once! All the layers work so well together!

When ordering pasta, you can choose between ziti, penne or spaghetti. There too, they have a large choice: alfredo, a la vodka, with meatballs, with eggplant parmigiana, etc...My favorite is the Pasta gorgonzola that contains capers. This dish is incredibly good! I have never tried to mix gorgonzola with capers: very tasty! 

I am definitely a fan!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Dinner at The Meatball Factory, New York City

Yesterday we went to The Meatball Factory, the new restaurant from Chef Dave Martin. You may recognize him from Top Chef season 1. I had the chance of talking a class at the French Culinary Institute with him (Sunday Brunch with Dave Martin - Recommended!!!) that was great and could talk to him a bit. It is nice to see chefs passionate about what they are doing and not just looking for celebrity.

So he opened The Meatball Factory in New York recently. I think it is a great idea! Who does not like meatballs? They can be made in many ways and can also be eaten in many forms.

The restaurant is nice, with a warm feeling. There is enough space between the bar and the tables so you do not feel crammed in. Although we went on a Sunday, I could have thought it was a Saturday: it was packed! The service was nice and efficient. I like the fact that they did not rush us to eat, despite how crowded it was.

Now, let's talk about food!

Meatballs!
They have 8 types of them, one of them being vegan. One order corresponds to 5 meatballs. You can either eat the meatballs like that, or in a sandwich (Challah roll). We decided to eat them only with sauces and we chose two meatballs:

• Meatzza, Meatzza- Braised Certified Angus Beef Brand Short Ribs, Hanger Steak and Filet, Buffalo, Potato & Parmesan.
• Vegan’s Dream- Roasted Sweet Onion, Carrot, Mushroom, Asparagus, Broccoli, Squash, Red Bell Pepper ,Chickpeas, Green Lentils, Tofu & Roasted Garlic (Dairy and Gluten Free).

The Meatzza, Meatzza was delicious: very tasty and not dry. The vegan meatballs were awesome! As you know, I am more of a meat guy, but believe me: it was excellent and it did not even need any sauce on it! It was a little tough to eat because it does not stay together like meat meatballs, but definitely to try!

We also picked a sauce sampler composed of 3 sauces:

• Shroom Central- Roasted Medley of Wild Mushrooms blended with Veggie Stock, Thyme and a touch of cream. I loved the fact that it contained mushrooms in it and that it was not just a cream of mushrooms! 
• Fire Roasted Marinara- Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic & Sweet Onion, Fresh Basil & Sherry. A classic, but always delicious!
• Truffle Time- The Black Truffle Sauce from Dave’s World Famous Black, Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese- Slow Cooked Cream, Shallots, Brandy, Sherry, Truffles, Fontina, Thyme & Oregano.

That is a lot of mushrooms there! The sauces were delicious and paired well with the meatballs.

We also got a pizza: the ‘Thai This’- Green Curry Peanut Sauce, Turducken Meatballs, Thai Chiles and Grana Padano. It was very spicy but so good! Even if you mouth is on fire, you cannot stop eating it! The crust was crispy and the presentation on a wood board was very nice and rustic.

We also tried the Truffle Mac'n Cheese, specialty of the Chef that was a nice side for the meatballs.

Of course, we finished the meal with dessert:

• Hot Tin Roof Sundae: Homemade malted Hot Fudge & Sea Salt Caramel along with Candied Nutmeg Walnuts over Marshmallow Gelato. The candied walnut were unfortunately nowhere to be found, the only mishap of the kitchen. However, the ice cream was so good and not too sweet. I could have eaten another gallon of it.
• Patsy’s Magic Cookie Bar: Callebaut Dark Chocolate Chips, Dried Cherries & Sweetened Coconut baked on a Graham Cracker Crust: this was the best! Like the sundae, it was not too sweet, that is always appreciated when you eat several desserts...

It is a great restaurant with a wonderful concept, but one thing I would suggest is that the layout of the menu be changed as it is kind of confusing about the way you can eat meatballs. I would do like in burger restaurants:
1 - pick your meatball
2 - pick your sauce
3 - decide how you would like to eat it: alone, with bread,...
4 - etc...

Also, I would suggest a meatball sampler so people can taste the different flavors they are proposing. I always thought a sampler gives a playful dimension to a meal!

The Meatball Factory is definitely a restaurant to try and to go back to!

Enjoy (I did)!

Filippo's on First in Hoboken, NJ: another pizza place!

There are three things I do not like when ordering pizza:

1. When you ask for a topping and they are really cheap. The best example is fresh basil.
2. How the pizza will end up delivered: either crushed or not carried straight so the cheese and sauce finish on the cardboard and not the pizza.
3. The pizza have a tendency to steam and the crust loses its crunchiness (for that, you just need to pass it in the oven).

I found out that Filippo's on First was doing a great job! Their pizza is delicious and tasty and they are generous on the toppings. The crust is thin and crunchy.

Definitely another great pizza in Hoboken!

Enjoy (I did)!

Fresh Pasta and tomato with porcini mushrooms sauce

In our last trip to Eataly in New York City, we bought some delicious fresh pasta and a nice tomato and porcini mushrooms sauce. Simple and delicious!

I remember back then in France, going to an Italian restaurant was primarily to eat pizza as we considered that we could make pasta at home and it was considered cheap. I truly discovered great Italian food in the US and there is nothing better than fresh pasta! If you go to Eataly, try them and visit their amazing pasta section with so many different sauces!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!