I Just Want To Eat! 7/31/19 I Just Want To Eat! 7/31/19

Nizza in Hell's Kitchen

Named after Nice (Nizza in Italian), a city in the French Riviera, Nizza is an Italian restaurant located in Hell’s Kitchen. It’s been a while we talked about going there for dinner, Jodi having gone there few times with her friends and me just trying the brunch few years back. That day, the place was crowded and loud, especially before 7:30pm, as filled with lots of theater goers, but also the table of four behind us loud enough to have been heard all the way on Mars. Fortunately they quickly left and we were able to have a nice dinner, more quiet. The space is a bit cramped but nice, with an impressive bar that proposed that day a frozen Spritz, a take on the popular Italian drink. Quite good but too frozen so I had to let it sit for a bit.

Frozen Spritz at Nizza in Hell's Kitchen

The food was quite delicious, with classic pasta and pizza that they cook in their brick oven. I first ordered the linguine alle vongole, these pasta with clams in a white wine sauce that I adore, but as soon as I tasted it, something was off and they took it back without any problem, bringing me the menu so I could pick another dish. I then went for the chicken Milanese, a thin chicken cutlet that is lightly breaded and pan fried, accompanied by a tomato and mozzarella salad. Originally, I was a bit disappointed because I was set to get pasta, but I finally did not regret it, this dish being very good: the chicken, crispy on the outside, was perfectly cooked and not dry. It was great with the salad that had few melted pieces of mozzarella, the chicken melting it.

Linguine alle vongole at Nizza in Hell's Kitchen

Chicken Milanese at Nizza in Hell's Kitchen

We also shared the eggplant rollatini that were cooked in the brick oven. Quite comforting, the sauce was bold and the eggplant filled with lots of ricotta.

Eggplant rollatini at Nizza in Hell's Kitchen

For her main, Jodi ordered the cypress salad: simple, but good.

Caprese salad at Nizza in Hell's Kitchen

And I should mention the focaccia with ricotta and olive oil that they served at the beginning of the meal, that was very good (I would have eaten a whole focaccia).

Last was dessert: we could not not try their tiramisu that was delicious: light and creamy.

Overall, we had a great meal at Nizza, the food was delicious and reasonably priced for this area. I would again mention the service that was impeccable and made us feel welcome and taken care of. I definitely recommend this place if you want Italian cuisine in that area.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Nizza -630 9th Avenue, Midtown West, NY10036

I Just Want To Eat! 7/29/19 I Just Want To Eat! 7/29/19

Inakaya in Times Square

There are few restaurants in Times Square that are little gem and Inakaya is surely one of them and there is one thing I always recommend that is to eat at the counter. There, you not only observe what is going on in the kitchen, watching the staff grilling meat, seafood or vegetables, you get the little show which is how they bring some of the dishes to your table, by simply putting them on a long paddle and handing over the dish to you from afar.

But it is not just the show: the food there is superb, with a nice selection for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, dishes that will come as they are ready.

Here is what we had:

As a special, they had a sakepirinha, their take on Brazil’s national cocktail, the caipirinha but instead of cachaça, they use sake.

Grilled mushrooms in foil: these are three different kinds of mushroom cooked with soy sauce in a foil that you just need to rip open. Simple, but delicious, especially if you love mushrooms.

Grilled mushrooms in foil at Inakaya in Times Square

Vegetable tempura: always a crowd pleaser, they were crunchy and not greasy, with veggies like broccoli, eggplant, mushroom or asparagus. I just wished there was more.

Vegetable tempura at Inakaya in Times Square

Roasted duck slices served with mustard and Japanese dashi. These thin slices were really good, with or without the mustard. Maybe slightly less cooked would have been even better, but even like that, it was succulent.

Grilled squid with soy sauce: this was a fantastic dish, not just because of the beautiful presentation. No, they surely know how to cook squid, this one not being rubbery at all.

Grilled squid at Inakaya in Times Square

Roasted rice balls with plum sauce: a good dish if it was not for the sauce that was too tangy.

Roasted rice balls at Inakaya in Times Square

Dessert was the taiyaki ice cream, a fish shaped waffle stuffed with red bean paste accompanied by vanilla ice cream. The waffle, homemade, was served a bit hot, melting the ice cream. It was very good, with different textures between the waffle, red bean paste and melting ice cream. A must have!

Taiyaki ice cream at Inakaya in Times Square

So overall we had a great meal at Inakaya and I admit that I was surprised not to see that many people in the dining room for a Friday evening. Maybe the Times Square effect or the location on the side of 40th. But definitely, I recommend this place that has great food, good service and a nice atmosphere.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Inakaya -620 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018

I Just Want To Eat! 7/26/19 I Just Want To Eat! 7/26/19

Barbes, Moroccan-French restaurant in Hoboken, NJ

So we are back at Barbés, the Moroccan-French restaurant located uptown Hoboken. But this time, I wanted to try their French dishes, the past times having indulged in their couscous and tagines that are very good. After this visit, I remain convinced that this is the spot for moroccan cuisine, less for French. Take the confit de canard for instance: good, not salty, but the skin was charred. For sure, a crispy skin is a must have with a duck confit, but they pushed it a bit far. The steak au poivre, a nice piece of sirloin smothered in a nice peppercorn sauce was also decent, but I had to send it back twice as they did not cook it as ordered: medium-rare: the first one came medium, the second, that they then refired, rare. And what bothered me a bit was that the manager tried to argue that the meat was perfectly cooked. Where are we? In Paris?

Steak au poivre at Barbes in Hoboken, NJ

No, Moroccan dishes are much better like the Mediterranean salad, made with Zaalouk (an eggplant salad), shashouka and hummus.

Mediterranean salad at Barbes in Hoboken, NJ

They do serve cocktails but it took a while for my drink to come...I got the Road to Sahara that is their old fashioned. Well done.

We did not have dessert as a bit frustrated with the service and the issue with the steak. Anyway, they did not really ask us if we wanted any and just brought us the bill! So we paid and left, quite disappointed this time since our previous visits were enjoyable. Hopefully the next time we will go will be better...

Enjoy ()!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Barbés - 1300 Park, Hoboken, NJ 07030

I Just Want To Eat! 7/24/19 I Just Want To Eat! 7/24/19

Brunch at Mexicue in Chelsea

We were looking for a brunch place in Chelsea when we saw Mexicue, a Mexican BBQ place that started as a food truck many years ago and spawn into a popular restaurant with three locations in the city. I love this place but admit that dinner can be a bit overcrowded and noisy. But this was our first time in their spacious Chelsea location and I was glad it was on out path: the food there is really good and you may not elect to choose from their brunch menu that is limited and does not offer some of the succulent dishes they offer on their regular menu. For instance, I love the fact that they offer tacos by the piece, allowing you to try several of them and making your own combination. Lots of restaurants do not do it this way unfortunately and you end up with three of similar. And there, you cannot miss the concept of the restaurant as BBQ is the theme. For sure the crispy fish, served with corn salsa, creamy chipotle, pickled pepper and watermelon radish is what you would expect, a fish taco being a must have, but the Nashville hot chicken with slaw, corn salsa and creamy chipotle, or brisket with salsa verde represent what this restaurant is all about. I admit that after the Taco Truck closed in Hoboken, I was desperately looking for an amazing fish taco and I found it at Mexicue: crispy, the fish was perfectly cooked, flakey and moist, and the taco itself was full of flavor. My second favorite was the Nashville Hot Chicken that was not that hot at first, but you could feel the heat building up.

Nashville hot chicken taco at Mexicue in Chelsea

Fortunately and contrary to lots of BBQ restaurants that mainly offer sides for vegetarians, they have some good options there. Of course, you have the classic guacamole or the corn bread, homemade, that is grilled (great char and crispness) and served with chipotle butter.

Or the quesarrito minis that are flour tortillas with melted cheese, crispy tortilla crisps and brown rice that are grilled. The avocado, beans and cheese, made with black bean spread, slaw, corn salsa, guacamole and creamy chipotle was very good, not boring and flavorful.

Avocado, beans and cheese quesarrito at Mexicue in Chelsea

Needless to say that they offer a bunch of cocktails, but I just went for a fresh squeezed orange juice...

So overall we have a nice meal at Mexicue. I love this place that offers delicious food, bringing together two succulent cuisines that perfectly work in combination. Their menu is mouth watering and would satisfy many dinners. I definitely recommend it!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Mexicue - 160 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011

I Just Want To Eat! 7/22/19 I Just Want To Eat! 7/22/19

Korean Crispy Chicken in Hell's Kitchen

So I am back at Korean Crispy Chicken in Hell’s Kitchen. I love this place that serves great dishes, not just fried chicken and has this beer on tap that you pour yourself (at least you try, quickly understanding it is not that easy and all in the angle of the glass).

Hitejinro Hite drags beer at Korean Crispy Chicken in Hell's Kitchen

Their fried chicken is delicious: crispy thanks to the double frying process and moist, perfectly cooked all the way through and smothered in a nice sauce that you pick between soy and garlic or sweet and spicy (not so spicy) that I had, or the more classic and less Korean Buffalo (hot or mild).

Fried chicken at Korean Crispy Chicken in Hell's Kitchen

If you are more into sandwiches and do not like the stickiness of the wings (they should at least give a wet towel), you can get their KCC burger that is made with fried chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, onion and aioli. There again, you get the crispness of the chicken that is superb.

KCC burger at Korean Crispy Chicken in Hell's Kitchen

But if you do not like chicken, there are other options, like the kimchi pancake that is quite comforting and not spicy at all, or more surprisingly the beef bulgogi empanadas that were little pockets of heaven: the marinated beef was very flavorful and the shell slightly crispy and deliciously flakey.

Kimchi pancake at Korean Crispy Chicken in Hell's Kitchen

Bulgogi beef empanada at Korean Crispy Chicken in Hell's Kitchen

So overall, if you are looking for fried chicken few steps from Times Square, Korean Crispy Chicken is a great place. I would go back again for sure!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Korean Crispy Chicken -528 9th Ave, New York, NY 10018

I Just Want To Eat! 7/17/19 I Just Want To Eat! 7/17/19

Brunch at Minnie's

Located on the Lower East Side, I admit that Minnie’s was not our first choice for brunch, but the place we wanted to try was packed, so we walked around and found this place that had a nice atmosphere, quite relaxed, bright, with a decor that probably shocks prude customers (check out the pillows in the photo below).

The food there is American but the Chef ventures in Mediterranean and Middle Easter ingredients, using Haloumi, tzatziki or harissa in comforting dishes. Their heirloom and haloumi salad, served with heirloom tomato, two poached eggs, avocado, arugula and grilled sourdough is a nice representation of that cuisine, well executed, the star being the cheese that is nicely charred.And at least, they know how to make poached eggs! Even better is the LES Croque Madame that is made with Katz’s pastrami, gruyere, béchamel squeezed between two slices of sourdough and topped with a fried egg. Very comforting and filling, I just wished that the bread was sliced a bit thinner. But for sure, it is one of the best croque-madame interpretation I had, appreciating the nod to the succulent pastrami of one of the Lower East side’s most popular restaurant that is Katz’s Delicatessen.

Heirloom and haloumi at Minnie’s in the Lower East Side

LES Croque Madame at Minnie’s in the Lower East Side

The brunch was good and their dinner looks even better, with a limited number of dishes on the menu, enough to satisfy a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian palate. That is the kind of place I would probably go back too.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Minnie’s - 29 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002

I Just Want To Eat! 7/15/19 I Just Want To Eat! 7/15/19

Fried pizza at Don Antonio

Our last stop on Jodi’s birthday was Don Antonio, a pizza joint located midtown from the owner of Kesté Pizza & Vino, Roberto Caporuscio, that serves fried pizza. Yes, you read it well: fried pizza. But do not imagine something gross: this is a bit crispy and delicious, while being very slightly greasy. Not that all their pizza is like that, but usually, when we go there or talk about this place, this is what we get:

We tried two fried pizza. The first one was their signature, the Montanara, that is a lightly fried pizza dough topped with tomato sauce, smoked buffalo mozzarella and basil.

Montanara pizza at Don Antonio in NYC, NY

The second was the Quattro formaggi, a white pie made with buffalo mozzarella, gran cru pecorino, caciocavallo ragusano, parmigiano reggiano, crescenza BelGioioso, basil and olive oil. Between the two pizzas, this was my favorite: like the other one, the sides were nicely puffed up and charred, crispy, with a thin center, and it had lots of cheese.

Quattro formaggi pizza at Don Antonio in NYC, NY

With it, we got some Italian soda.

So it was a great meal and Jodi as happy that we could get a table for her birthday, but with all the food we had that day, we skipped dessert…The pizza at Don Antonio is very good and definitely a treat. The fact that it is fried is however more obvious with their calzone that we got the last time we went there. It is for sure a good spot for a succulent meal in Midtown.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Don Antonio - 309 West 50th Street 10019

I Just Want To Eat! 7/12/19 I Just Want To Eat! 7/12/19

Sweets at Billy's Bakery in TriBeCa

After our lunch at Joe’s Ginger, Jodi wanted cake for her birthday. So, after checking few places like Harbs and Baked, we ended up at Billy’s Bakery in TriBeCa. I love this place: when you enter, you get that fantastic smell that makes you want to try everything they are making in the back kitchen.

Dining room at Billy's Bakery in TriBeCa

Hesitating between the beautiful cupcakes they have and a slice of cake, Jodi finally went for the latter and chose the crowd pleaser with vanilla frosting that was a moist cake with chocolate in the center.

Crowd pleaser cake at Billy's Bakery in TriBeCa

On my side, I did not hesitate and picked the banana cream pie that is amazing: creamy with lots of slices of banana, a good way to get your daily serving of fruit.

Banana cream pie at Billy's Bakery in TriBeCa

If you do not know Billy’s Bakery, check it out: they have great cupcakes and cakes. I definitely recommend it.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Billy’s Bakery - 75 Franklin Street, New York 10013

I Just Want To Eat! 7/10/19 I Just Want To Eat! 7/10/19

Joe's Ginger in Chinatown

For her birthday, Jodi had two requests: pizza and Chinese food at Joe’s Ginger, the sister restaurant of Joe’s Shanghai, few doors away. Not that it has been a while since she went there as it is her go to restaurant when she craves Chinese cuisine, her last visit being in April when her friend Pam came to visit: she simply likes it and enjoys the vegetarian dishes they offer, with their classic scallion pancakes that are always a treat: hot, crispy and slightly greasy, they are very comforting.

Scallion pancakes at Joe's Ginger in Chinatown

Another dish she loves is the pan fried noodles that you can have crispy: not always easy to eat, you have to wait just a bit for some of the noodles to get softer, the center being smothered with a very tasty thick sauce and lots of veggies (my favorite is with chicken, but it was her birthday…).

Vegetables pan fried noodles at Joe's Ginger in Chinatown

I admit that I could not resist a getting a BBQ Peking Duck Spring roll that was delicious, the shell being not too thick and the roll having a nice quantity of duck. It is a small roll though and I wished I had more...

BBQ Peking duck Spring roll at Joe's Ginger in Chinatown

Joe’s Ginger never disappoints: this cash only joint is rarely crowded, not like Joe’s Shanghai, victim of its success, being in plenty of tourist guides for their crab and pork soup dumplings that are delicious. Know that the exact same dumplings are served at Joe’s Ginger! So skip the line and enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment.

Joe’s Ginger - 25 Pell Street, New York, NY 10038

I Just Want To Eat! 7/1/19 I Just Want To Eat! 7/1/19

Event: Mueloliva presents "Venta del Barón" olive oil

We often hear about the Mediterranean diet and its benefits on health, and one of the many common denominators of all the countries mentioned is olive oil. Olive oil is considered a healthy fat that has a vital role in your nutrition and health by helping in the following ways:

Absorb vitamins A, D, E and K,
Increase satiety,
Reduce the glycemic impact of a meal or snack so blood sugar level does not spike and then makes you crash when it falls.

So I was curious when I received an invite to an event organized for Mueloliva, a Spanish company founded in 1942 by Mateo Muela Velasco, an award-winning olive oil company located in the Subbética region of Córdoba. Most recently, they received first prize for the fourth year in a row for “Venta del Barón” as the premier extra virgin olive oil worldwide at the Mario Solinas Quality Award Competition presented byThe International Olive Council (IOC) in 2019. “Venta del Barón” is among the eight best EVOO in the world!

Venta del Barón is made using picual and hojiblanca olives. After pressing them, the oil is decanted for 15 days and poured blown-glass bottles that you would probably hesitate to open, looking so beautiful.

The event was at The Sousa House, where Chef Kristopher Edelen (also known as Chef KPE) from HOTPANnyc, crafted a delicious meal that we sampled for the short time we were there. There was:

Jamon Iberico:

Green tomato Gazpacho with olive oil whip:

Gazpacho made with "Venta del Barón" olive oil

Sliders with Beef, Manchego and a chipotle glaze:

Sliders made with "Venta del Barón" olive oil

Pintxos (Blackened chicken with olive oil aioli):

Tomatoes with olive oil:

What was also surprising is the signature cocktail they proposed: green apple cotton candy cava cocktail, with its beautiful green color and the amazing way the cotton candy dissolved in it.

It was a nice evening and I am glad I got to be part of it. Thanks to the organizers, Bienvenuti PR and Mueloliva for making it a great event.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!