Pizza at Dusal's Italian Restaurant in Freehold, NJ

Recently we were in Freehold, NJ and needed a quick bite. We ended up at Dusal's, an Italian restaurant and Pizzeria.

The restaurant has two rooms: in the front is for the pizzeria and in the back, the restaurant. We decided to try three of their slices:

The plain slice:

It was good, although pretty standard. The crust was thin and crispy with a nice char in the bottom.

The Sicilian pie:

Good, with lots of cheese and a nice pizza sauce. However, the crust was a bit hard on the corner.

The white pie:

This was a great pie because they put a lot of ricotta all along and not only some patches of it! Also, they did not load it with garlic that overpowers the cheese. A hit!

So, Dusal's is definitely a great pizza place!

Enjoy (I did)!

Patron, Mexican Grill in NYC, New York

After watching the last James Bonds (Skyfall) in a movie theater in Times Square, we decided to find a restaurant on 9th avenue. Several times we noticed Patron and we thought it would be a good idea to go there as it has been a long time we ate Mexican food and we were kind of craving it. So we thought that joint would satisfy that crave...

The place is divided into two parts: the bar with its communal tables and the dining room. We got seated in the bar area.

The menu offers classic Mexican cuisine, from tacos to burritos and fajitas. We decided to share some appetizers and sides.

We started off with the Queso Fundido.

It was served with some homemade tortilla:

At first, it is fine and I would say even good, especially if you like cheese! But then it starts to be too much grease...At least the tortilla were good. Not sure it was a good choice!

We also ordered some guacamole.

That we ate with tortilla chips. 

This guacamole was the worst I ever ate! You had the impression that they just put chunks of avocado in a bowl! It was lacking lime and seasoning. Horrible!

And it was not the rice and beans that made me not regret to be in that place! It was bland and they were not that generous on the portions!

At least, there were the maduros!

These fried plantains with cream were delicious! The sweetness of the plantains was counter balanced by the cream (crema), making it a great dish.

Fortunately we got the plantains, but trust me: this is a forgettable experience! The food was really forgettable for me!

Enjoy (the post)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat !

Press Dinner at Thalassa in Tribeca - NYC, New York

I have been invited to a press dinner at Thalassa, a modern Greek restaurant located in Tribeca that is celebrating its 10 years of existence. Remember when reading this post that it is a press dinner: food is complementary and the staff knows who we are. 

Interestingly, I went to this restaurant 10 years ago. I was asked why I never went back and the answer was simple: New York City has so many restaurants that I was just trying different ones. Do not ask me if I remember the food: it was too long ago. However, I remember that the lights were less dimmed (I always notice the light for my photos)...So, I was really excited to go back and try their food! 

The restaurant's specialty is seafood as the name Thalassa (Sea in Greek) suggests. This also comes through with the decor as you can see in the photo of the bar below (you can see sails on top).

I like the modern and sophisticated decor of this three levels restaurant. The 30 foot long bar made with ivory marble looks fantastic as well as the main dining room with its white leather chairs and huge columns. It is also nice to see that they left space between tables so you do not have the impression to eat with people you do not know...

They also have an impressive wine list and you can have a glimpse to their wine cellar if you go downstairs. Their cocktail list is also interesting and showcases Thalassa's creations. I went for a Greek pear martini (that I asked in a regular glass because I hate martini glasses: I always end up with some of the cocktail on my shoes!!!). It was fantastic! The taste of the pear really came through and it was not strong at all.

So, as I mentioned, this is a seafood restaurant; they have an amazing display where you have a fresh selection of fish and shellfish. It was beautiful!

Apparently, you can select what you want to eat directly from there. I saw these huge king shrimp called Garides: I bet that grilled, they are fantastic! Looking at this display can only make you hungrier than you were before. At least, it worked for me! We had the opportunity to meet the Chef, Raphael Abrahante. We learnt that he is a native of New York of Puerto Rican origin who never set foot in Greece! During his culinary study, he discovered seafood and got passionate about it. He then worked in a Greek restaurant in Hell's Kitchen, before becoming the Chef at Thalassa.

After we sat at our table, they served us some olives and hummus.

The hummus seemed to be freshly made and had a strong chickpea taste. It was served with some homemade bread that was very good. In fact, they brought us later on some pita that was also homemade and delicious!

Then, they brought us some meze. Meze are small dishes served in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Balkans. It is great for tasting and also sharing!

The first one was a cod fritter.

It was an amuse bouche. Very good and not greasy that is always appreciated with fritters!

The second meze was zucchini and eggplant chips.

I really liked it, although I would have preferred it hot. The chips were crispy and not greasy with the veggies perfectly cooked. They were served with tzatziki sauce that was a perfect pairing!

The last meze was Pikilia Mediterranean dips:

They were served with some homemade pita. I have to admit that I do not recall all the dips, but for sure I noticed the first on the left that was an eggplant caviar that was fabulous. The tzatziki sauce was also delicious. It is clearly a perfect dish for sharing and start a meal!

Then came the first course: Grilled Octopadi from Portugal.

It is a grilled octopus served with micro organic greens, olive oil and a red wine vinaigrette. This was my favorite! The octopus was perfectly cooked, not chewy and had a nice char. I loved the fact that you could really taste that it was grilled. I would not have minded a bit less vinaigrette though.

The second course was veal dolmas (grape leaves).

The grape leaves were stuffed with veal and rice, and drizzled with Avgolemono sauce (sauce made with egg and lemon). This dish did not work for me: although the stuffing was good, there was too much grape leaves, making it tough and bitter. The sauce other wise was good with a nice subtle lemon taste.

The third course was the Maine Diver Scallop wrapped in Kataifi filo, served with a sheep's milk butter and kalamata olive reduction.

I was excited to try this as it seems it is one of their signature dishes. Unfortunately, I did not like it. I think the main issue is that the dough was too greasy and there was too much of it, so you could not taste the scallop. I then tried to eat the scallop alone but it tasted bland. For sure, I acknowledge the fact that it is difficult to make a complicated dish that would not overpower the delicate taste of scallop.

The fourth course was the Mediterranean Lavraki (Branzino or Loup de Mer in French).

The fish was served with a New Zealand Langoustine, a garlic almond mousse and okra. I liked the langoustine that was conveniently separated from the shell.  It was perfectly cooked and fresh. However, I did not like the fish that was slightly overcooked, maybe because it sat before being brought to the table immediately. The garlic almond mousse was good, but too cold compared to the rest of the dish.

Then came an assortment of dessert. In fact I think we were lucky to try all of them! I do not remember all of them, but clearly remember the panna cotta that was topped with some delicious caramelized pear, the valrhona molten chocolate cake and the Greek yoghurt that was served with toasted walnuts. All of the desserts looked phenomenal and were delicious. This was a nice surprise to finish the meal! 

Although I did not like all the dishes and we had to wait a long time between each of them, I had a good time at Thalassa with my fellow bloggers. When we were there, there was even a guitar player who played quietly in a corner of the restaurant, contributing to the relaxed atmosphere of the place (there is live music every Wednesday). I like the concept of modern and elevated Greek food, although sometimes less is better and one of the particularity of Greek food, especially for seafood, is to cook simply the main ingredient so it remains the star of the dish.

Enjoy (I always do)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Stage Deli in NYC, New York - CLOSED!

If there is one thing we do not have in France, it is Delicatessen or Deli. Each time I have family or friends visiting, I strongly suggest them to go to a deli and try a sandwich. But not a regular salami or turkey: rather pastrami or corned beef. In fact, the way I knew corned beef when I was a kid was totally different: my mom used to buy these cans that contained some fatty ground meat that in France we call corned beef. She was adding it to a tomato salad. It was delicious, but I am wondering if it was really made of corned beef! Well, sometimes it is better not knowing what you eat...

So, my friend Benny and I decided to go to Stage Deli, a deli that has been opened for more than 70 years. I guess we could say that they compete with the usual suspects: Katz, Junior's, 2nd Avenue Deli or Carnegie Deli, not far away.

The place looks like any deli that has been at the same location for years: old fashioned with old photos, most of the time tilted...
This always gives a certain charm and authenticity to the place.
Of course, at the entrance, there is the usual cake display:

To be honest, none of these cakes look appetizing...

The menu has the traditional deli items like matzoh ball soup, knishes or chopped liver. It also has some sandwiches with Celebrities names such as the Adam Sandler, Kathy Couric or Aretha Franklin. It all started in 1937 when the founder of the deli, Max Asnas, invited his famous patrons to the carving board to create their own sandwiches.

We decided with Benny to share an appetizer and a sandwich as, based on the prices, most of the sandwiches were big....

We started off with chopped liver.

It was served with pickles, a sliced onion and some rye bread. I really enjoyed it! The chopped liver was dense and very tasty and the bread delicious. 

We then went for the pastrami and corned beef reuben!

It was huge! So huge that they made it open face. They were nice enough to allow us to have two types of meat in it, the pastrami in the bottom and the corned beef on top.

The way they do it is put the bread in the bottom, then the meat, then some sauerkraut for some crunch and then some swiss cheese. For sure, they were generous with the portions! There is no way a single person can eat this alone (don't challenge me!)! Unfortunately, it was just ok for me: the corned beef was good, but the pastrami was not as fatty and tasty as it should. Also, I prefer a regular sandwich as it allows you to have all the flavors at once: bread, meat, sauerkraut and cheese. This was definitely not a reuben I would dream about; not like Junior's or Friedman's lunch in Chelsea Market!

So it was an ok lunch finally and I was not wowed by the food. Instead of going to Stage Deli, I would rather go to Junior's or Carnegie Deli close by. 

The last thing I would add about this place is that you also get the experience of the rude service! Similar to Katz. Except that I do not think it adds any charm to the whole experience!!!

Update: This post has been prepared few weeks ago and I just learnt today that Stage Deli closed due to a rent increase! So sad to see businesses opened for that long face such issues with rent!

Enjoy !

Benares, Indian Restaurant in NYC, New York

I am a big fan of Baluchi's, an Indian restaurant that serves fantastic and delightfully tasty Indian cuisine. So I was a bit disappointed when I saw that their Midtown location was replaced by Benares, although another Indian restaurant! Baluchi's had this great lunch deal (50% off) and an amazing crab curry that I could have eaten all day (ok, I exaggerate a bit). I heard from a former Baluchi's employee that they simply sold the place, maybe because it was not profitable enough. So, I decided to go to Benares, with an open mind...I went twice in fact!

The decor is totally different: although Balucci's has a more traditional decor, Benares looks more modern. 

There is no more lunch deal, but a buffet instead for close to $13. 

The buffet proposes approx. 9 different dishes, some vegetarian and some not. 

This is what I ate:

Gobi Masala - Cauliflower Curry

Matar Mushroom

Saag Paneer -  a very common dish, I found it a bit overcooked.

Shrimp Moilee - Pretty good with thick sauce that had a nice flavor.

Chicken Tikka Masala - This is the dish I always try in an Indian restaurant. It was just ok for me.

Lamb curry - I'll pass on that one! The curry had a weird taste and the lamb was tough! Not the best part used for sure!

Tandoori Chicken - I liked it! The chicken was well cooked, still moist and not spicy with nice flavors. It is not on the buffet table: they will bring it to your table.

Veggie Pakora - good and crispy, this is a nice appetizer.

Yellow Daal (lentils) - very good: I liked the thickness of it and it was flavorful. Great vegetarian dish.

Gulab Jamun - Gulab Jamun is my favorite dessert! It is a deep fried milk dough that is then immersed in a sugar syrup. At Benares, the consistency was perfect, but it was way too sweet!

Ras Malai - It means literally Juicy Cream. It is a sweet dessert made of cheese balls (to simplify the explanation...) simmered in milk and cream. It was quite good and not too sweet.

Naan bread - they will bring the naan bread to your table. Both times I was at Benares, the bread seemed to have been pre-made: it was a bit hard and dry. 

I was clearly not wowed by Benares and the feedback I received from my colleagues seem to confirm the opinion I have of it. If you want to eat for less than $20 with tax and tip, this is not a bad deal, but do not expect some incredible Indian food: it is just ok and seems to be inconsistent. I wish Baluchi's was still there! Come back!

Enjoy (I barely did)!

  

Brunch at Telepan in NYC, New York

Our friend booked a table at Telepan for a Sunday Brunch. This restaurant gets its name from its Chef and Owner Bill Telepan. It has been opened many years ago and seem to remain the place to go for a delicious meal. The space itself is interesting as it is made of 2 conjoint townhouses and one would think that it is setup like a labyrinth. The atmosphere is more stuffy than cool and I can imagine that at dinner it is worse than at lunch...

The restaurant proposes a brunch prix-fixe for $32 that includes a bread basket, an appetizer and an entree. 

From the bread basket, I especially appreciated the focaccia bread that was delicious!

For the appetizers, Jodi ordered the baby romaine salad.

It was served with dry monterey jack dressing and garlic & herb croutons. Nothing extraordinary about it.

On my side, I ordered the Semolina Cream Crepes.

They were served with sauteed butternut squash and brown sugar sauce. The cream was inside the crepe and this was a succulent dish! I wish I had more! The crepes were fantastic: great texture and perfectly made. What was the most incredible is the balance of flavors when the semolina cream and the butternut squash / brown sugar sauce met! This was a fantastic taste I will not forget! This appetizer is definitely a hit!

For the entree, Jodi went for the mushroom and herb omelet.

The omelet was perfect: no brown as Wolfgang Puck would make them (I watched the first episode of Top Chef where he explained how to make a perfect omelet), fluffy and moist. Very good omelet!

On my side, I chose the Kabocha Squash Tortelloni.

Tortelloni are stuffed pasta with a shape similar to tortellini (I did not know when I ordered...). There was not only squash, but also mushrooms and the dish was drizzled with a balsamic reduction (that was very good). I liked the dish although I found that the pasta was a bit hard in some parts and thick. Not sure if tortelloni are supposed to be this way, but it gave a doughy taste to it.

So, brunch was good and I bet they serve a killer dinner, but it is for sure pricey! At least for $32 they could include a drink!

Enjoy (I did)!

Quails at Market Cafe in Hell's Kitchen NYC, New York

On a Saturday night, we were walking in Hells Kitchen and noticed Market Cafe, a modern look restaurant that has an interesting menu. The place was pretty bright with its white tiles and great photos, mainly related to food, on the wall. It definitely had a modern vibe, although the white tiles reminded me of a bathroom or a slaughterhouse.

The location is clearly not ideal for a restaurant as there is not much people passing by, and at the same time, it is one of the rare restaurants in the middle of delis and takeouts. The place was empty for a Saturday night...Was it a sign?

After we ordered, they brought us some olive oil and bread.

I like dipping bread in olive oil instead of the traditional bread and butter. The bread was chewy, limit old.

They also brought some water with a slice of cucumber in it.

That was a good idea: very refreshing!

We decided to share an appetizer and picked the handmade gnocchi.

It was served with smoke ham, peas, ricotta and parmesan cheese in a thick tomato sauce. The gnocchi itself was not that geat: very pasty. But the sauce was delicious and made up for it! Have the peas in the sauce added some crunchiness to it and the ham was a nice addition. 

Jodi ordered the Market Caesar.

It was composed of romaine, radicchio, and supposedly freshly grilled croutons. The croutons were soggy and the salad was a bit overdressed.

On my side, I went for the quails.

It has been couple of years I did not eat some and was excited! I remember that I use to buy quails at Whole Foods or in Chinatown, in a small joint that sell them cooked so you just have to pop them in the microwave.

At Market Cafe, the quails were served with spinach and raisin, in a red wine reduction. When the plate came, I could immediately see that they were generous with the amount of quail: there were 6 legs, the thigh being deboned, helping in the eating process! The quail itself was good and tasty with a nice char taste. It was well cooked, meaning not overcooked as otherwise, it can be dry. The raisins and the spices in the sauce gave a Middle Eastern taste to the plate, but I would have served it with some couscous rather than spinach. The sauce was good, but there was too much on the place and I was wondering when I would get some on my pants! It was a bit soupy! 

Last was dessert! We went for the brown butter banana cake!

For sure, they give you a big slice of a very dense cake! It has 3 layers with vanilla cream cheese frosting in between (not enough!). The cake was good, but a vanilla bean sauce or more frosting would have definitely made it a hit. 

The dinner at Market Cafe was just ok: the food was just acceptable and the service, although courteous was very slow. I will not go back and will more go to the heart of Hell's kitchen to have lunch or dinner.

Enjoy (the post)!

Ribeye steak at Gallagher's Steakhouse in NYC, New York

It has been so long since I ate at Gallagher's. I used to go for their lamb chops and never tried their steaks. But it was many, many years ago...This place has been around since 1927, so you would think that they probably are making great steaks. So, let's see!

Going to Gallagher's you immediately notice their dry-aged room at the entrance. It surely makes you salivate to see all these pieces of meat!

Gallagher's serves meat dry-aged for 21 days. The dry aging process consists in keeping the meat for some days at a near freezing temperature to enhance the flavor and make the meat tender.

What is interesting is that the place does not look like a steakhouse: no dimmed light, no dark wood and no leather! It has an European feel; the kind of place where you would have an Oktoberfest...

Although their signature dish is the New York Strip, I decided to order the ribeye.

Ribeye is my favorite piece of beef: it has this nice and strong flavor, especially when you are closer to the bone. I ordered it medium that is pink in the center. When it arrived, I immediately noticed the nice char. The meat was perfectly cooked, flavorful and tender. However, it was not as good as the ribeye I ate at Dino & Harry in Hoboken or Ruth's Chris in New York.

For the sides, we had onion rings.

As well as creamed spinach.

The sides were disappointing: the creamed spinach had an off taste; the cream was too thin and it was as if the spinach sat in the cream for too long, giving a green-ish color to it (should be green and white from the cream), but worse of all, eliminating any flavor from the cream. The onion rings, although not greasy, were overcooked.

For dessert, I was lucky to try three desserts:

The Key Lime Pie:

Good, not too sweet, but the Graham Cracker crust should have been more buttery.

The Cheesecake:

It was pretty good with a nice density and a bit of creaminess.

The Apple pie with vanilla ice cream:

It looked messy, was not good at all and had a weird taste! To be avoided!

The meal was just ok for me. There are so many great steakhouses in New York (The Old Homestead, Ruth's Chris), that I will pass next time...

Enjoy!

Press Dinner at Mint, an Indian restaurant in NYC, New York

Recently, I have been invited to a press dinner at Mint, an Indian restaurant from Chef Gary Sikka, located Midtown East. 

So, before you read this post, remember that it was a press dinner, meaning that the restaurant knew I was a blogger. 

I was really excited to go there as I love Indian food! I started to discover it while traveling to...Hong Kong. But, later, I was lucky to be able to go few times in India, in Mumbai and then later across Rajasthan. I know that a lot of people cannot stand the spices, but not me: it is so tasty and there are so many different dishes to discover with a wide range of flavors.

The restaurant is definitely modern with a nice decor from the bar to the dining room. It has a private room that can accommodate approximately 10 people.

Courtesy of Mint

The dining room is very colorful with its drum lamps and Indian paintings, that definitely confirm this place proposes fine dining and is not just casual food.

Courtesy of Mint

The service was very nice and we got taken care of by the "Wine Director" as they called him! He proposed to either choose some dishes from the menu or to let the restaurant pick for us. We chose the latter. I looked at the menu anyway and noticed that they offer a large selection of regional Indian food, with lots of options if you are vegetarian. In fact, if you are, Indian restaurants are great spots to get delicious and flavorful vegetarian dishes!

I started of course with my usual Sweet Lassi.

Lassi is a yogurt based drink, made by mixing yogurt with water and Indian spices. It is a great drink to counteract the fire of spicy food! I was a bit disappointed because the sweet lassi tasted like buttermilk with sugar. 

We started of with the Chilly Fish:

The fish (tilapia) was smothered in a thick sauce full of spices and bell peppers. They told us it was spicy but in fact there was just a nice kick. The fish was a bit crunchy and it kind of reminded me of a General Tso fish, in a way, without the sweetness. The Chilly fish was a fantastic dish and one of my favorites of the dinner!

Then, we got the Chicken Malai Kebab:

It was pieces of chicken marinated in herbs and spices and served with a mint sauce. There was also a nice kick to the dish! The chicken was perfectly cooked and moist. Definitely a great appetizer.

The next appetizer was Aloo Methi Tikki:

These are spicy potato (Aloo) and fenugreek cakes seasoned with herbs and spices. In fact it was not the cakes that were spicy, but the onions! I liked it as it was tasty, not heavy and not greasy.

Then came the entrees. First was the Chicken Tikka Masala (cubes of tandoori chicken cooked in a fenugreek tomato sauce).

It had a wonderful color and I just wanted to dive in it! This sauce was so good and creamy! I could have eaten the whole plate of it! Not spicy at all also! This is my test dish whenever I go to an Indian restaurant!

The second entree was Lamb Pasanda (lamb cooked in a cashew sauce):

I did not really like this specialty from Kashmir: the lamb was tough and the sauce was lacking flavors.

Then there was the Saag Paneer (homemade cheese with sauteed spinach):

I have never been a big fan of that dish and the only time I liked it was at India on the Hudson in Hoboken. This one did not change my mind...However, I liked the homemade cheese...

What I surely appreciated was the garlic naan bread!

It was freshly made, fluffy with a bit of butter and did not have too much garlic. Simple but delicious!

Of course, to finish, we had to try traditional Indian desserts. It is interesting to think that a lot of people ignore Indian dessert because they do not think they have some or do not know what they are. For sure, you need to like eating sweet! But there are several desserts that I love eating! On the top is the Gulab Jamun,  deep fried milk dough that is  immersed in a sugar syrup.

It was sweet, but not too much. It had a perfect consistency, not too firm, but not mushy, and was served warm. I inhaled it!

The second dessert is Ras Malai.

It means literally Juicy Cream. It is a sweet dessert made of cheese balls (to simplify the explanation...) simmered in milk and cream. I loved it too! Not too sweet and the cheese balls had a nice texture.

If I were to go back, my meal would be: Chilly fish, Chicken Tikka Masala, Gulab Jamun and garlic Naan. The question is: would I go back? I enjoyed most of the dishes, but expected more as the description of the restaurant was Indian dishes with a modern flair. I wish for instance that there were twists to traditional dishes that are Chicken Tikka Masala or Saag Paneer (a deconstructed version?). So, yes, I would go back, especially to try their weekday $12 buffet, as well as other dishes they are proposing that seem to be delicious (pricier though). And if you are vegetarian, you will surely enjoy the wide selection of vegetarian dishes. 

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just Want To Eat!

Delicious dinner at Matt & Meera in Hoboken, NJ - Closed

I guess that if you follow this blog, you realized how much I like Matt & Meera in Hoboken! That place is fantastic and serves an amazing food! So we went back for dinner...again...Yes, I would like to try everything on their menu!

We started off with the spiced meatballs:

Spiced meatballs at Matt and Meera in Hoboken, New Jersey NJ

They are lamb meatballs with a flavor profile similar to the meat samosa, lamb burger or lamb dosa. Don't get me wrong: the fact that there is the same flavor profile in many different dishes is not a problem: it shows the diversity in ways of serving this delicious spiced meat! The sauce, although a bit spicy was the star of the dish: thick, tasty with a hint of spice that builds up little by little in your mouth. They serve it with some naan bread (maybe not enough as I wanted to just get some sauce on the bread and it it, meatless). This was a nice twist on Italian meatballs. 

The next dish was Vietnamese Spring Rolls.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls at Matt and Meera in Hoboken, New Jersey NJ

These are raw spring rolls. They contained tofu, vermicelli and peppers for a bit of crunch. The sauce was raita. It was delicious and fresh!

The last dish was Singapore noodles.

Singapore Noodles at Matt and Meera in Hoboken, New Jersey NJ

This was my least favorite dish so far: not tasty enough; a bit bland.

I have to say that the more I eat at Matt & Meera, the more I like it! Even if I do not like all the dishes!

Enjoy (I surely did)!

Kentucky Hot Brown at Bar Americain in New York, NY

In my prior post about Bar Americain, I mentioned this amazing dish called the Kentucky Hot Brown that I discovered on Throwdown with Bobby Flay on the Food Network. So imagine that when I went back to his restaurant, I could not miss the opportunity to eat that dish!

Before I tried it, I ordered an appetizer...to open my appetite...I went for the raw sea scallops.

They were served with a nice sour orange sauce and plantains. The dish looked amazing! And the combination of the raw scallops and sour orange sauce fantastic! I loved the fact that they put plantains as it gave some delightful crunchiness that elevated the dish a bit.

Then I tried the ricotta crepe, one of the vegetarian dishes on the menu. The crepe was perfect: thin and slightly chewy. The asparagus was crunchy and the cherry tomato sauce was to die for. It is definitely a dish I would recommend.

Then came the long awaited Kentucky Hot Brown!

As the name indicates it, this dish comes from Kentucky! It is an open face turkey sandwich dipped in cheese. And trust me: they put a lot of cheese, soften by a very good bechamel sauce. If you are a cheese lover, this dish is for you, but between the cheese and the turkey, you will need a coffee if you do not want to sleep after that! By the way, I could not care less for the tomato and bacon on top: all I wanted was the bread, turkey and bechamel! I always thought turkey is a bit tasteless compared to chicken, but with the cheese on top, it is divine. This dish is amazing!

For dessert (yes, I did have a little space for it), I first tried the pistachio creme brulee.

It was very good and creamy, served with a chocolate cherry biscotti that was pretty good.

I also ate a key lime tart. It was served with some almond brittle for some crunch and a coconut anglaise sauce.

I saw recently a Throwdown where Chef Flay made one that looked amazing. The crust, made probably with Graham crackers was delicious and buttery. Unfortunately, the key lime part of the tart was way too sweet! So disappointing!

So I had a nice and filling meal this time at Bar Americain. If you go there, try the Kentucky Hot Brown: it is worth the trip!

Enjoy (I did)!

Brunch at 44&X in NYC, New York

Few weeks ago, when my brother visited us for few days, we went to 44 1/2, a restaurant located on 44th street and 10th Avenue in Hell's Kitchen. On our way, we noticed this joint just one restaurant away called 44&X that was packed. So, we decided to go back to the area and try it.

In fact 44 1/2 and 44&X have the same owner, Bruce. The common element of the restaurant was both the modern decor, the impeccable service, and the little muffins they put on the table, muffins that are a bit addictive...

The menu offers classic brunch dishes, so we went straight for eggs!

Jodi ordered the scrambled eggs served with wild mushrooms, smokehouse bacon and herb toast.

On my side, I ordered herb scrambled eggs, Vermont cheddar cheese grits and sweet breakfast sausage.

Let me tell you the portion she got as well as my own dish were very generous and I could barely finish (probably also because of the muffins I ate...). The eggs were fluffy and well cooked, although I prefer mine a bit runny. I think the star of the brunch was the cheese grits: it was succulent! They did not cheat us on the amount of cheese and it was deliciously creamy! The sausages were as advertised: sweet and the bacon was fantastic and crunchy. The potatoes in Jodi's dish were just ok for me, but she loved it.

Like at 44 1/2, they put a bit of fruits on the plate, nice way to finish the meal and clean our palates. 

So, it was very good and I think that if you are looking for a nice brunch in New York, in a modern setting, 44 1/2 and 44&X are great places located steps away from the noisy Times Square!

Enjoy (I did)!

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)!

Steak Sandwich at Black Bear Bar in Hoboken, New Jersey

I went to Black Bear for their burger a long time ago and while discussing about it with a friend, he mentioned the steak sandwich that they serve. I did not need more information to be convinced that I had to try it!

So we went there for lunch. The place is a popular bar, located on Washington Street in Hoboken, with two stories and several rooms. What was interesting is the part of the wall that has all these hot sauces:

I did not know there are so many different one!

Anyway, I was there for the sandwich, not the decor or ambiance...I ordered the steak sandwich medium.

The steak sandwich is slice steak, caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms. This thing was huge and had an amazing smell that opened my appetite! Only problem was how to eat it as, as you can see on the photo, there was a lot of meat on the bread. I succeeded to close the sandwich and had a divine first bite! The bread was very soft and, as it had been toasted, a bit crispy, adding some texture to the dish. The steak was very good: tender and juicy. Unfortunately, there was too much garlic...This sandwich was definitely packed with flavors from the onions, mushroom and steak! If they lower the quantity or even eliminate the garlic, it will be a must have!

Jodi ordered a Hoboken Cobb salad.

She asked without meat and ended up paying the full price by the way...The salad was good though with lots of blue cheese...

Although too garlic-y, the steak sandwich was worth it! If I had to go again, I would probably ask them  one with no garlic as I am not planning to be victim of a vampire attack...

Enjoy (I did)!

Press dinner and follow up brunch at Jeanne et Gaston in NYC, New York

I was recently invited to a press dinner at Jeanne et Gaston, a French restaurant located in the West Village. I then decided to go back for brunch to see if the impression I got from the dinner would be right! So, this post is about the dinner and the brunch!

First, know that the owner and French Chef Claude Godard is a third generation Chef who has the title of Maitre Cuisinier de France. It is an envied title, obtained in a competition and given to a Chef who will follow the motto “to preserve and spread the French culinary arts, encourage training in cuisine, and assist professional development.” This is a big deal and a guaranty to eat some authentic French food! 

The restaurant, named after the Chef's Grand Mother Jeanne and his Grand Father Gaston, is of medium size, with a warm ambiance thanks to its bricks and wooden tables.

One of the main feature that will be great during warm weather is the garden.

Courtesy of Jeanne et Gaston

Round 1 - Press Dinner:

So here I am for this press dinner in a French restaurant. I am asked if I will be pickier because the chef is a fellow Frenchman: I do not think so, especially knowing that most of the Chefs try give a modern flair or elevate traditional dishes. 

They first brought us some bread and butter:

The bread was a cute little baguette that was warm and delightfully crispy. I would eat that bread at each meal!

Then, we started off with some Charcuterie:

It was a wooden plank with different meats and some duck liver mousse. The meats were: rosette de Lyon (cured saucisson or French pork sausage), garlic sausage and prosciutto. For sure, I paid more attention to the duck liver mousse as it was the only part of the dish that was made by the Chef! The mousse was very light and tasty. I think I noticed a hint of alcohol in it...I could have eaten a whole plate of it!

The second appetizer was sea scallops with a creamy polenta and carrot and cardamon sauce.

The presentation was beautiful! The scallops were well cooked with a nice sear and were not rubbery. The polenta was delicious: very creamy and not grainy. It paired well with the carrot sauce. Problem is that I do not really like cardamon and it sometimes overpowered the dish. Without the cardamon, this dish would have been a total hit for me!!!

Then came the first entree: a quenelle in a nantua sauce.

Think about quenelle as a dumpling. This one was a traditional one, made with pike. When I was a kid, the only version of quenelle I knew was the one in a can. In France, you can find a wide variety of quenelle made with pike or chicken and many different sauces. It is only later that I tried a fresh one: much lighter and tastier than the canned one! I think I saw some at Whole Foods even!!!
Anyway, this one was very light and not fishy at all. However, there was at some point some fishy taste in the Nantua sauce (consists of bechamel, cream and crayfish). This was my least favorite dish although I loved the quenelle itself.

The second entree was a roasted duck filet served with red cabbage and grape reduction.

I loved it! The duck was slightly pink and moist. The grape reduction was delicious and not sweet! It was a perfect dish and I would surely order that again! Having red cabbage and a grape reduction was a great idea, far from the traditional sides you would eat with duck.

For dessert, we got a brioche pudding diplomat and a raspberry souffle.

The desserts rocked! I am still drooling thinking about the pudding! It was dense, buttery and served slightly warm, with chocolate valrona ice cream to die for and a vanilla sauce.
The rasperry souffle was a nice change to the regular chocolate souffle. A bit sweet, it had a nice fruity taste.

I almost forgot to mention their nice French wine selection, from Bordeaux to Bourgogne. We were able to taste the following:

• Bourgogne Chardonnay Kimmerigien 2010, Domaine Brocard
• Jurancon sec 2010, Chateau Jolys
• Fronton classic 2009, Chateau Brouissel

So it was a great tasting and so I decided to go back for Brunch before writing this post, to see if going as any customer would change my mind on this restaurant.

Round 2 - Brunch:

For brunch, Jeanne et Gaston offers mainly French dishes, as well as (very) few classic american brunch dishes, such as the French toast or the burger. They offer a brunch prix fixe for $18 (at the time this post is written) that includes an appetizer and an entree.

Jodi picked the prix fixe and ordered the crispy goat cheese with a tomato sauce for the appetizer and the scrambled eggs with a potato cake, bacon and sausages.

The crispy goat cheese was in fact goat cheese and veggies in a phyllo that is fried and served with a salad with a julienne made of at least carrots and zucchini. It was very good and the phyllo added a nice crispiness to a dish that had a lot of freshness. The tomato sauce was excellent and reminded me of a russian dressing.

The scrambled eggs were fantastic: exactly how I like them! Not overcooked, moist and fluffy! There were herbs in it and I think I guessed some scallion. The potato cake was a nice pairing and was similar to hash brown, but shaped into a cake. Serving the dish with meat was generous, but considering the quantity of food, if they would not have put any, it would not have been a problem!!!

On my side, I decided to order the Jeanne et Gaston burger as I heard it was real good:

First of all, it was well presented and very appetizing. The cheese on top of the burger was camembert that hopefully will not offend cheese lovers...I think brie or camembert are a great way of serving a cheese burger! And they were really generous with the quantity of cheese! 

The meat, that sat on a soft bun with a bit of crispiness on the bottom, was perfectly cooked (I asked for medium), moist and very tasty. I noticed the same tomato sauce that was served with the crispy goat cheese appetizer. Delish! I would definitely recommend their burger that is far better than the one at The Spotted Pig and was worth the $18!

Last, the fries were nice and crispy, not greasy. I just wish they had mayonnaise to eat with it...

Conclusion:

I think it was great to go back to Jeanne et Gaston to try their brunch after this fantastic tasting I was invited to. It gives me more reasons to think that this is a place to know. And note that this is one of the best brunch deals in the city! 

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Vegetarian dinner at Gobo in NYC, New York

"In the Kingdom of the Vegetarian, the Carnivore is King"

Jean-Philippe - October 2012

I started this blog post with this sentence because I realize that it is easier to be a carnivore in New York than being a vegetarian and forget it if you are vegan! Yes, there are options in the city, but they are still limited and it is easier for a carnivore to eat in a vegetarian restaurant than the contrary. I love meat, from beef, lamb, mutton...But I do not mind trying a meatless dish sometimes, especially if it is different from the usual salads and has some flavors...The first time I tried a vegetarian dish was at Zen Palate, many years ago, at the time they were located at Union Square. Their fake sweet and sour chicken was fantastic! Then I tried Gobo on the Upper East Side. These restaurants show that you can make great vegetarian food! So, I promised Jodi to go back to Gobo for dinner.

We went on a Saturday night. The restaurant was at first not packed, but started to fill up as the evening went by. I like the setting of the restaurant, with its large table at the entrance that gives the impression you eat in someones' kitchen.

Or its communal table...

The menu offers a large choice of dishes in three formats: quick bite, small or large plates. The smaller sizes are ideal for sharing or to try different specialties. So we decided to order few of them.

We started off with the avocado tartare served with a wasabi lime sauce.

The green color of the avocado and the sauce was vibrant and the dish looked appetizing. They were served with some sort of homemade chips to give some crunchiness to an heavenly good and creamy dish. The wasabi lime sauce perfectly enhanced the flavors and was not spicy at all.

The second dish was the crispy spinach and soy cheese wontons.

This was pretty good: the phyllo dough added some crispiness to a very soft filling. The soy cheese did not have that much flavor alone, but was well complemented by the sauce and the spinach.

The third dish was the roti canai.

Roti canai is a specialty inspired by Indian cuisine, found in Malaysia and Indonesia. The first time I tried it was a Wild Ginger in Maplewood, a Thai restaurant that is fantastic. The bread (the roti) was served with a Malaysian curry. In fact, we kind of made a mistake by also ordering a slow cook Malaysian curry....

They were both similar and we did not expect it! The protein served with the curry was seitan that is made with soy. It was just ok for me. You could recognize the flavors of a curry and the curry sauce was delicious, but the seitan was not my favorite...

The last dish ordered was the scallion pancakes.

They were served with a homemade mango salsa. I devoured it! Although a bit greasy, it was crispy and delicious with the mango salsa that added some freshness to the dish and was original. This was a hit.

With the meal, I drunk some soy milk, that I love when eating vegetarian...

They served a lot of it for $3!

Although I did not like the curry, the rest of the dishes were very good, especially the avocado tartare and the scallion pancakes. The service was so so: they did not check if everything was ok with the food, if we needed anything and brought us the bill straight away without even proposing a dessert!

Gobo is definitely one of my favorite spot for vegetarian. What about you?

Enjoy (I did)!

Vegetarian food at Angelica kitchen in New York, NY

In search for the best vegetarian place, we ended up at Angelica Kitchen in the East Village, after having heard about it by my wife's cousin, Jessica. As mentioned in prior posts, I am more a carnivore, but I am always interested in trying different types of cuisines.

We went to that place on a Saturday, for lunch. I thought it would be more crowded, but it was not the case. 

As the weather was still nice, we needed a nice drink to rehydrate. Jodi ordered a lemonade and I ordered an hibiscus cooler. The lemonade was really good and not too sweet. The cooler was surprisingly good considering that the only hibiscus I ever saw was in a pot at my Mom's place...

We decided to skip the appetizers and ordered Angelica's cornbread.

Forget any reference to cornbread as it does not at all taste like it! The wheat is replaced by rice that make it very dense. It was good, but a bit dry. They give you a big piece of it and we could not finish.

For the main dish, Jodi ordered the wee dragon, half a portion of a dragon bowl.

This dish used to be served in a Chinese bowl (hence the name) and came in a plate. I was not sure how to take the photo as no angle made it look good...The bowl was made of rice, beans, tofu, sea vegetables & steamed vegetables. You just need to pick a dressing to go with it. Jodi picked the balsamic vinaigrette. None of us liked the dish unfortunately: it was mushy and bland. Definitely disappointing.

On my side, I ordered one of the special of the day: Ancho Autumn Equinox, a gluten free dish.

This dish had a nice presentation at least! It was a coconut-vegetable curry served with red bell peppers,  tomatoes, yukon gold potatoes, sweet peas, carrots, celery, lemongrass and basil. It was accompanied with tofu, broccoli and roasted yellow squash. This dish had definitely more flavors than the dragon bowl, but it was not as tasty as a curry (even vegetarian) you would find in a Thai restaurant. I at least enjoyed the rice that was a bit sticky, as well as I enjoyed the tofu and squash. 

The way the food was, we of course decided to skip dessert and have something sweet somewhere else...

So I was a bit disappointed with Angelica Kitchen. For vegetarian, I prefer Gobo or Zen Palate, or even vegetarian dishes you would find in a Thai or Indian restaurant. It was a miss for me!

Enjoy (the post)! 

Lunch menu at T Thai in Hoboken, NJ

T Thai is one of my favorite Thai restaurant in Hoboken, with Sri Thai. Not to mention Casual Thai that should probably be less casual on the cooking...I tried T Thai few times and have never been disappointed! Especially with their marinated half chicken with chili sauce that I really enjoy (so does the cat)!

This time, we decided to try their lunch menu. Not surprisingly, they offer a menu for less than $8 that features a veggie roll, a salad and an entree. To go with it, I had my usual Thai Iced Tea that is delicious at T Thai.

The salad and the roll came pretty quickly.

It was a straight forward salad with iceberg lettuce and tomatoes, served with a peanut sauce. Pretty standard. I was a bit disappointed with the roll: there was no sauce with it and too much wrap around it so I missed a bit the taste of the veggies.

The choice of entrees is pretty standard for a Thai restaurant: noodles, curry or fried rice.

Jodi decided to order the glass noodles with Tofu.

It was a nice presentation with vivid colors between the noodles and the vegetables. The glass noodles were delicious, perfectly cooked. However, the tofu was bland...

On my side, I ordered one of my favorite Thai dish: Chicken Curry Massaman.

It is a curry made with coconut milk, potatoes and peanuts. For $0.50, I got coconut rice. The Curry was pretty good. A bit thicker than usual but very tasty with a little spice building up in the back of my throat! The rice however was disappointing as I could not taste at all the coconut.

We enjoyed the lunch that was at a very reasonable price. Maybe for the service, they could be a bit more gracious though...

Enjoy (I did)!

 

Fantastic Burger at Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien - NYC, New York

As I mentioned in previous posts about burger places, I love burgers. Interestingly, in France, you will only associate burgers with Mc Donald's or other fast food chains like Quick as this dish is mainly served there (there are few exceptions, like Chez Papa in Paris, but putting a burger on the menu is more a novelty). So when I came here, it remained my reference until my wife convinced me to try non fast food burgers! It did not take her that much effort to convince me and since then, I cannot understand how I came to like Burger King or Mc Donald's!!! What is interesting is to see all these burger chains opening across the country and all these Chefs trying to elevate that dish to something close to fine dining, like Hubert Keller and his $5000 burger at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco! 

The first time I went to Burger Joint was in 2002. I stayed at Le Parker Meridien for a while and they started to know me. One night, I was going for Pizza and one of the managers who knew me proposed to try a burger. I noticed that the location was where the bar used to be. The place was empty, at the exception of the head of the hotel who sat with me while I was tasting the delicious sandwich! It was the time when Burger Joint was unknown and very quickly, people and the press started to talk about it, making it a madhouse! Imagine that we were there on Saturday at 5:30pm thinking it would be ok and it was crazy! According to one of the wait staff, they make between 1500 to 1700 burgers a day! So, be ready to wait, although, people just come to eat a burger, so it should not take too long!

The restaurant is interesting: few wooden tables and walls and lights covered with graffitis. Dim lights with no windows and posters on the walls. It definitely gives a very casual feel to the place.

The menu is simple: burger or cheeseburger with usual toppings: lettuce, tomato or pickles. On my side, I only have my burger with cheese, mayonnaise and ketchup. Cooked medium. The cheeseburger at Burger Joint was delicious: perfectly cooked, moist and tasting like meat (no filler)! I literally inhaled it!

As a side, we ordered French fries that were like I like them: regular cut with a delightful crispiness! Not greasy at all. Last, I tried a vanilla milkshake: a bit disappointing...The milkshake was already prepared and they served it from a container. It was not dense enough and I doubt that they use real ice cream, rather a milkshake preparation.

Burger Joint is definitely in my top 5  burger places in New York! Their burger is divine, but be ready to be in line before enjoying it...

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Ramen at Ippudo-NY in NYC, New York

Last Sunday, Jodi and I decided to go eat ramen at Ippudo a Japanese restaurant in New York City I heard about. It is interesting to note that ramen were not that known in France when I was living there: you could find them in the International food section of some supermarkets or in a few Japanese restaurants, but it was not that known. I understand that in the US, students use to eat them when broke; in France, it was more spaghetti... I really discovered ramen bowls when I tried it at Noodles 32 in Korea Town: it was incredibly good! I was sold later on when going to Momofuku Noodle Bar...

So we decided to go early to Ippudo as I knew that it was popular. Know that the original Ippudo opened in Fukukoa in Japan in 1985 and the New York location opened in 2008. Go figure why I waited that long to go there...We showed up at 11:40am and the restaurant was already full. We had to wait for a table for approximately 20 minutes, in the entrance, admiring a wall full of ramen bowls.

While waiting, we could hear people yelling something in Japanese and then people cheering back. We later understood that it was their way to introduce new patrons to the main room. They said in a nutshell: "these are our new guests, please say welcome to them".

They sat us in the first room, in a large table shared with other customers. The room was overlooked by a huge tree made of bamboo and there was bamboo everywhere. I was very excited to try as people around us seemed delighted to eat their noodles. Of course, do not be shy to slurp: it is mandatory! Interesting how when I grew up, we were taught how to eat soup and pasta a certain way, without making any noise. Sorry Mom and Dad...I have to slurp too! 

So, I started with Tako Wasabi or raw baby octopus as an appetizer.

Yes, I know, some of you think it is creepy. I wanted to give it a try as I love octopus but never had it raw. I thought it would be a nice training for the day I will eat live octopus (soon)!

It was served with fresh wasabi. So, with the chopsticks, I mixed the octopus and wasabi. Eating with chopstick was a bit challenging as it was small and slimy. But the taste was wonderful with a delightful crunch. I am used to having octopus that was fried, sauteed or grilled, giving a totally different taste. You can retrieve some of the taste but raw has some freshness you will not find when cooked.

For the ramen, I asked the waitress which one was the most popular and she mentioned the Akamaru Modern.

It is a "Tonkotsu" (pork) soup noodles topped with Ippudo's secret "Umami Dama" miso paste, pork chashu, cabbage, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions, and garlic oil (not too much!). I loved it to the point where I finished my bowl!

It was very tasty: the soup was very flavorful (I would eat this over and over) with hints of miso and several bites were different because of the variation of ingredients you could get in your spoon! The pork was delicious and tender. The noodles, that I should not forget, were al dente as they continue to cook in the hot soup. You can notice on the upper right side of the photo that there is an egg: you can add some ramen toppings like bamboo shoot, pork belly...I went for a poached egg that disintegrated when mixed with the rest of the dish.

Jodi ordered the Wasabi Shoyu Ramen that is their vegetarian alternative.

It is a soy sauce and vegetable based noodle soup, topped with bean curd, wasabi, menma (bamboo shoots), nori (seaweed), scallions, and wasabi infused oil. She added a hard boiled egg to it that had a brown-ish color probably because cooked in soy. The colors were spectacular and appetizing.  The soup had the smell and the taste of miso. The noodles were thicker than the ones in my soup and cooked the same way, although, because of their thickness, they were still al dente when I tasted them. It was overall a very good dish.
As Jodi was not sure how spicy it would be, so she asked for the wasabi on the side.

It was the first time I saw fresh wasabi and did not find it as spicy as the wasabi paste.

Now, know that the quantity they serve is big and that there is a lot of soup. You can ask for extra noodles for $2 (Kaedama), but I have to say that I was full, especially after having eaten some of Jodi's dish...

At the end of the meal, they brought us some green tea: it was a nice way to end this meal and clean our palates!

I really enjoyed (yes I did!) Ippudo! They serve great food full of flavor and I can't stop thinking about that soup...because as you know: I Just Want To Eat!

Enjoy (I did)!