The Food Thought Of The Day!

I do not know if you are like me: some restaurants are so good that they spoil any dining experience you may have! Each time I go to a Steak House, I compare with Ruth's Chris; for tacos, with the Taco Truck in Hoboken; for cupcakes, with Sweet in Hoboken; for cheesecakes, with Junior's in New York.

However, for omelets, pancakes or soups, I never compare! That will not prevent me from trying food in new joints and I have plenty of new experiences during my trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to share with you! Stay tuned!

Chocolate Time!

Who does not like chocolate? I know, some don't and I never understood how it is possible!

I LOVE chocolate and could have an entire dinner with just chocolate (in fact I did when I was younger...). What is interesting about chocolate is that chocolate bars can be different from one country to another. You don't believe me? Here are two examples:

- Lindt pear chocolate / Poire Belle Helene: if you buy it in France, you will be amazed by the taste of the pear cream that is inside the chocolate. In the USA, the equivalent is the Excellence Pear Dark chocolate bar: not nearly as good. No cream and they added almonds.

- Cadbury chocolate bar: buy one in England and one here and compare the ingredients. They are totally different ! Cadbury says that it is because the recipe has to follow local laws and it could affect ingredients.

The purest the chocolate is, the better it is. Unfortunately, the chocolate makers are replacing cocoa butter with vegetable fat, because it is cheaper!

You can still find some good chocolate out there: La maison du Chocolat, Max Brenner the bald guy, Ghirardelli, Godiva...There are also plenty of small chocolate makers who keep the tradition intact! So support them!

Enjoy (I will)!

Restaurant Review: The Dining Room at Anthony David's (Hoboken, NJ)

The Dining Room at Anthony David's is the first restaurant Chef Pino opened in Hoboken. He is also the owner of Bin 14, that is one of my favorites!

The Dining Room at Anthony David's in Hoboken, NJ

The Dining Room at Anthony David's in Hoboken, NJ

I love the feel of the restaurant with its rustic decoration. The menu is inspired by Northern italian food, but it is mainly apparent when you go for dinner! Their Truffle Risotto is delicious and they had it for some time at Bin 14, before removing it from the menu (please come back!).

For Brunch, they serve traditional brunch dishes: eggs benedict (11 different kinds!), French toast (small size that is great if you want it to share or have a small appetite!), salads (the goat cheese one is refreshing with a lot of cheese, roasted peppers, roasted tomatoes and toasted crostini), omelets... Finish your Brunch with a bourbon glazed donut and you are ready for a good nap!

Goat cheese salad at The Dining Room at Anthony David's in Hoboken, NJ

Tuna salad at The Dining Room at Anthony David's in Hoboken, NJ

The food is good there, although I have been disappointed by some of the eggs benedict: the ricotta and truffle has nothing extraordinary (you cannot taste really the truffle part and the ricotta is overshadowed by the yolk); However, the potato pancake, tomato and sour cream benedict is quite interesting and the crab cakes benedict is pretty good.

French toast and crispy bacon benedict at The Dining Room at Anthony David's in Hoboken, NJ

Potato pancake benedict at The Dining Room at Anthony David's in Hoboken, NJ

Their menu is original and many dishes are very good. I will probably try the other eggs benedict: maybe the lobster roll benedict or the guacamole and spicy chorizo one...

Enjoy (I did)!

Restaurant Review: Benny Tudino's Pizza (Hoboken, NJ)

The New York area has great pizza! From the regular slice, to the sicilian, to the white pie! One of my favorite pizza restaurant is Benny Tudino's in Hoboken. This restaurant opened in 1968 and is known for its large $3 slice: a crispy thin crust with a tasty tomato sauce and lots of cheese! I just regret that they do not serve other types such as sicilian or white pie by the slice. 

I usually prefer eating pizza at the restaurant because, when delivered, the pizza has a tendency to steam in the box, and the crust becomes soggy or loses its crispiness. Having an oven pizza stone might do the trick!

Concerning the other type of food this restaurant serves, I heard mixed reviews: some say that the food is good, some say that it is terrible! I so love their slice that I never think about eating something else!

Last, you do not go to that restaurant for the service! A little smile would be welcome!

If you'd like a good slice, come to Benny Tudino's in Hoboken: you will not regret it!

Enjoy (I did)!

After burgers, onion rings and chocolate mousse, let's have a healthy meal! Couscous is a healthy grain that can be eaten in many ways: with meat and veggies, in salads such as a taboule, or buttered as I will show you (I know: it is supposed to be healthy and I add butter!). To make it, I am using a couscousier, but you can use a steamer. Some cook it by simply adding boiling water on it, but the taste is totally different and the grains are not going to be as light and fluffy as with a steamer. For 4 servings: 2 cups of couscous 1 teaspoon of salt 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil 2 tablespoons of butter 1 cup or 2 cups of edamame (based on your taste) in a bowl, mix the couscous, the salt and the oil with a cup of water. Put in the steamer, add the edamame and cook for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time to avoid packets of semolina. Add the butter and stir until fully melted. Et voilà! You can then serve it hot with a boiled egg, raisins or green olives. It can also be eaten with buttermilk in it (try and adjust the quantities)! Bon appétit!

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Food Truck Festival at South Street Seaport (NYC) on August 20th!

So we went to the Food Truck Festival at South Street Seaport yesterday! It was pretty good and very exciting to look around for the type of food we wanted, look at what people were getting and their reaction after the first bite! But, Oh Boy!, was it crowded! If you are not patient, this is not for you or you better take the VIP pass that gives you priority access to the trucks and tickets for small bites in 10 different trucks. We went without the VIP pass this time, not next time...
It was interesting to see all the people eating at the restaurants while there was this mass  moving around or waiting to get their meal at the trucks.

The following trucks were there: Big D's Grub, Coolhaus Ice Cream, the Cinnamon Snail, Cupcake Crew, Feed Your Hole, Frites 'n' Meats, Gorilla Cheese Truck, Go Burger, JoyRide, Kelvin Natural Slush Co., Kimchi Taco, La Belle Torte, La Cense Burger, Mexicue Food Truck, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Taim Falafel, the Treats Truck, Valduccis Pizza Truck, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Wafels & Dinges, Green Pirate Juice, Schnitzel and Things, Desi Food Truck, Two Pitas, Wooly's Ice, and Anne Apparu Soup Caravan.

There were also local vendors.


We decided to try different trucks and vendors. In order:

• Grillo's pickles (local vendor): 2 very good pickle spears for $1.
• Macaron Parlor (local vendor): a caramel and salt macaron for $2. It was perfect and not sugary at all.
• Mimi & Coco (local vendor): they serve japanese street food. We got 6 delicious teriyaki balls for $6, some made with organic potatoes and the others with shrimp: It was light and melted in the mouth.
• Valducci's pizza (truck): they serve a square slice for $3, that has little cheese but a tomato sauce to die for! The pizza had a nice crisp to it! Definitely a favorite!
• Mighty balls (local vendor): forget that one. They did not have anything left and proposed a vegetarian meatball: disgusting and expensive ($4).
• Red Hook Lobster Pound (truck): for the lobster roll, they give you a choice between the Maine roll with mayo or the Connecticut style that is to serve the lobster poached in butter. I went for that one and did not regret it! All the elements of the dish were delicious: from the lobster that was perfectly cooked and buttery to the roll! I just think that $16 was slightly overpriced.
• Waffles and Dinges (truck): they propose 2 types of waffles. The Brussels waffle is supposed to be light and crispy and the Liege waffle, soft and chewy. You can eat them with just sugar or with some toppings that go from banana, nutella, spekoulos, etc...The basic one costs $5. The waffles were slightly undercooked and the Brussels one was not crispy at all. It was a little disappointing. It might be because they were overwhelmed by the line in front of them. So I would definitely try another time!

This was definitely a festival of food! But, as I said before, if you plan to go to one of those, bring your patience with your fork!

Enjoy (I did)!

Restaurant Review: Schnipper's (New York, NY)

Schnipper's is located in Time Square right across the street from The Port Authority of New York. This restaurant was founded by two brothers Jon and Andrew Schnipper who also founded and owned until 2006 Hale and Hearty Soups. They decided at some point to travel across the USA to learn some old fashioned dishes: burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese...

I like Schnipper's and I went few times. I would call it a quality fast food with affordable prices. They cook the food a la minute and the service is usually quick (you order at the cashier, they give you a number and then they bring the food to the table). I tried several dishes: some I liked, some I did not! For instance, the founders claim that they learn how to make tasty burgers. If it is true, why don't you make them tasty??? Clearly, the burgers are not good! Same for the Mac and Cheese. However, their grilled four cheese and their fresh veggie & goat cheese sandwich are delicious! They also make very good fresh potato chips. On the dessert side, I have tried their milk shakes: they are thick and tasty (vanilla milk shakes can be tasteless; not there). I had an oreo milk shake once: that was something! Unfortunately, it was a special.

So, if you want a quick bite and some good old fashioned food, go to Schnipper's ! But avoid the burgers....

Enjoy (I did)!

Restaurant Review: Pacific Grill (New York, NY)

Yes, I know: a lot of restaurants in South Street Seaport are not good and for tourists who do not know better. This time, I was one of them...We wanted to go to South Street Seaport to have a taste of Soul Daddy, the winner of The Next Great American Restaurant. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed after a little over a month. So we looked around and, as I was in the mood for seafood, we ended up at Pacific Grill. This restaurant opened in 2004. Let first see how they explain their opening on their website:

"[...] Pacific Grill swept into town like a tsunami wave from the Asian Pacific and put a spin on seafood classics".

Let me tell you: the tsunami and the spin must have been so strong that it messed up the kitchen! Their lobster bisque was passable and I had better with Freshdirect! The crab cakes were disgusting! The tomato and mozzarella sandwich was bland! It was not a good experience and I will not even give them a second chance!

Enjoy...but somewhere else!!!

Restaurant Review: Topaz (New York, NY)

There are plenty of good Thai restaurants in the city. One of them is Topaz, located Midtown on 56th street between 6th and 7th. The restaurant is split into two rooms separated by a store, that only communicate through the kitchen. So, don't be surprised to be asked to step out and go next door to be seated! What is interesting is that, because of the way the restaurant is setup, it is considered by the city as two different establishments: one is the official restaurant (it has the kitchen) and the other one is a bar. You are probably wondering if it is important. In fact it is, as each room receives its own restaurant grade. When I went, the bar was graded "A" and the restaurant was "Grade pending"... Even with this, we ate there. For lunch, there have a pretty good choice of dishes for very good price.

So far, I have tried drunken noodles (stir fried wide noodles) with shrimp (photo), drunken noodles with chicken, chicken massaman, Panang curry chicken! Each time delicious and tasty, though they have a tendency to over salt (slightly). I also noticed that quantities vary... Despite this and the grade, I would go back!

Enjoy (I did)!

Recipe: Onion rings with beer batter

Here is a quick recipe to make delicious onion rings. I tried to find out their origin, but it seems that there is no clear answer; some claims the first deep fried onions recipe came out in the 20's, others in the 50's. 

With a large vidalia onion, you make approximately 30 rings.

The ingredients are:

• 1 1/3 cup of white flour
• 1 tps salt
• 1/4 tps pepper (I also use Cayenne pepper)
• 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup of dark beer

Mix the ingredients all together in a bowl. Slice the onions into rings and dip them in the batter. Fry them in hot vegetable oil (in a pan or a fryer). Be careful with the temperature of the oil: if too hot, the batter will cook too quickly and the onion will not. 

Remove the onion rings once golden brown (flip them from time to time to cook them on both sides) and put them on a paper towel so it absorbs the oil. 

Bon Appétit!

Recipe: very easy Chocolate Mousse

This is a very easy recipe for chocolate mousse that will take 15 minutes of your time!

For 4 people:

• 150 g (5.3 onces) of semi sweet milk chocolate
• 3 eggs

Separate the yolks from the eggs.

In a saucing pan, melt the chocolate with a little bit of water on low heat. Once melted, incorporate the yolks. Whisk the egg whites until firm and delicately incorporate them with the chocolate.

Put the mousse in little ramequins and let them sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours minimum.

I told you that was easy!

Bon appétit!

Recipe: Homemade Burgers

Here is a quick recipe to make a burger from A to Z!

Let's start with making some amazing buns:

For 6 buns:

• 3/4 cup of lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 onces of yeast

Mix all the ingredients together until you reach a very smooth and soft dough. Add flour until the dough is not sticky anymore. Let the dough rise for 1 hour. To prepare this, I use a bread machine that is awesome and makes the bread very fluffy!

Divide the dough into 6 pieces and put them on a baking sheet with flour in the bottom so the buns do not stick to it. Let rise for another 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (I use a convection oven).

Brush the buns with egg wash (1 egg beaten - some add a little bit of water) and then cook them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the buns are golden.

For the meat, for 5 people:

I use 2 lb organic grass fed ground beef with a ratio of 80/20 fat so the burgers are juicy. I put the meat in a bowl and mix it with half a bottle of dark beer. The beer will help keeping the meat together and it will add some juiciness. No need to season the meat, not even salt.

Now here is the secret weapon: in the middle of each patty, I put a large slice of sharp cheddar! The cheese will explode in your mouth at the first bite and will keep the temperature of the meat hot for a little longer. To do it, I use a small springform pan: put a first layer of meat, then the cheese and then add a second layer of meat. Make sure you close it well so the cheese does not leak while cooking.

I then cook the meat for 15 minutes on a skillet, with no oil, flipping regularly so each side cooks. I finish by putting one large slice of cheddar on top of each patty and cover with a lid so the cheese melts evenly. Once the meat is cooked, it is time for plating!

I always toast the bread so it will give a bit of crunchiness to the burgers. You can then put any topping or sauces you like (I love to mix mayonnaise and ketchup). Et voila!

Bon Appétit!

Restaurant Review: Red Rooster (New York, NY)

Yesterday, we went to Red Rooster, not to be confused with...Red Lobster...

Red Rooster, name inspired by a Harlem speakeasy, is one of the restaurant of Marcus Samuelsson, a talented Swedish raised-Ethiopian born Chef who won the title of Top Chef Master season 2. Chef Samuelsson who is living in Harlem decided to open a restaurant in that area, after realizing that there were no fine dining restaurants around. Despite a difficult beginning (it was graded C couple of months after its opening), the restaurant gain some steam and is now a success story! To get a reservation, it is crazy (I guess if you are Barrack Obama, Bill Clinton or Tyra Banks, it is easier...). The place is real nice, decorated with local art and even the bathroom with these old black and white photos is intriguing (I have to say that the photo on the door of one of the bathroom was like these old photos you see in haunting movies)! There is an outside dining area and when you enter in the restaurant, you end up in a room with a circular bar that is very vibrant. A DJ was there with good music to keep a lively atmosphere.

Now let's talk about the food! The cuisine is inspired by the Swedish origin of the Chef and some american food, especially soul food. The presentation of the dishes is extremely appetizing and the menu changes with the seasons. We tried several of their specialties:

• Crab cakes with spicy mayo: quite good with a nice pairing of the crab cakes with fruits (fresh and dry) that gave a refreshing taste to the dish. What is interesting is that at first you do not notice the spiciness of the crab cake and then you feel it in the back of your mouth.
• Mac & Greens: prepared with collar greens with a mix of three cheeses (gouda, comte and NY cheddar). The sharpness of the comte and cheddar gave another dimension to the dish and the next time you will eat regular Mac & Cheese, you will probably cry...
• Helga's meatballs with mash potatoes, pickled cucumber and Lingonberries: When I think that I only knew the Swedish meatballs they serve at IKEA!!! These were light and tasty, but I did not care about the foam!
• Steak frites served with bone marrow and broiled crab: although the presentation was well done, I did not really like that dish for several reasons. The first one is that the bone marrow & crab, presented on a bone, and the steak, looked like separate elements and I did not know if they were aimed to be eaten together or not (I tried the different combinations). Second, the bone marrow was overpowering the crab. I think I preferred the way bone marrow was served at La Silhouette, e.g. crusted.
• Roasted pork shoulder: it is usually proposed for three people and when you see all the food they bring, you understand why (we had to extend the table to be able to fit all of it)! It comes with corn bread, beans, sweet potatoes puree and pickled cabbage. The whole dish was delicious! 

Of course, there is no complete meal without dessert...We finished with a blueberry pie served with a lemon meringue and lemon ice cream. That was a good way to end a delicious dinner in good company!

Despite the fact that the steak was not good (I should have follow my rule that is to avoid steak if I am not in a steakhouse), we had a good meal. I would probably go back to try some other specialties and have another Mac and Greens that was outstanding!

Enjoy (I did)!

Restaurant Review: India On The Hudson (Hoboken, NJ)

I love Indian food: it is so diverse and tasteful! I was lucky to be able to travel to India few years back and being exposed to some great cuisine. I have retrieved these delicious flavors in the New York / New Jersey area and I always enjoy a good indian meal. 

There are many places around here for a great indian experience (avoid The Dosa Hut in Jersey City though!!!). One of my favorite is India on the Hudson, located in Hoboken. I prefer it when they serve their buffet rather than a regular dish because they have a tendency to make dishes spicy (of course you can ask, but when you forgot...). They serve their buffet for lunch (for $10) and for dinner on Tuesday and Thursday ($13). They always propose a large choice in their buffet: fruits, chicken salad, pakora (veggie fritters), three vegetarian appetizers, tandori chicken, chicken tikka masala (one of my favorite) and two specialties that vary. Of course, they give you rice and some naan bread that is delicious! You will finish, if you still have some room, with a dessert that changes regularly (my only regret is that they propose only one dessert!).

This is a good example of a buffet where quality and quantity are present! Their food is outstanding and you end up with a festival of spices and flavors in your palate, but in a good way!

In Hoboken, only two out of the three indian restaurants offer a buffet: Karma Cafe and India on the Hudson. The latter is definitely the best!

Enjoy (I did)!

All You Can Eat Mussels And Fries At BIN 14

After my post on the All You Can Eat concept, let me tell you about my last AYCE experience at Bin 14.

Every Tuesday night, Bin 14, located in Hoboken, NJ, is proposing all you can eat mussels and fries (with pecorino cheese, yum!) for $17.50. They offer four different sauces: spicy tomato, sweet tomato, garlic & white wine and Pernod and cream. My favorite is the garlic and white wine. My least favorite is sweet tomato because it is missing some texture and is a little bland. The mussels were perfectly cooked and I could not resist dipping the fries in the sauce...We were pressed by the time so I stopped after three servings, but trust me, I could have easily gone for a fourth one! The record is apparently eight!!!

Be aware that Tuesdays can be crazy there and if you do not have a reservation, they usually give you one hour to eat (we went over and they did not come to remind us that we had to go...). Also, they do not announce it on the menu, but on flyers, so if you are not sure, do not hesitate to ask: it is worth it!

Enjoy (I did)!

My take on the All You Can Eat Concept

All You Can Eat (AYCE) concept is interesting: most of the people will be attracted by the quantity of the food rather than the quality (when restaurants marry quality and quantity, it is awesome!). 

For the restaurateur, it is a risk based on the assumption that for most of the customers, they will still make a profit, because these same customers will not eat more than a certain quantity of the most expensive items. Look around and you will see that they always serve something that will stuff you! You need examples? Here you go:

- Churrascaria Plataforma: Brazilian BBQ. They have a salad bar, are generous on sides and always start serving cheaper meats such as...chicken...So my advice: pass on the salad bar, don't eat too much of the sides and ask for the filet mignon and ribs!

- Bin 14: all you eat mussels every Tuesdays. They serve them with French Fries that are yummy and addictive! By the way on the Upper East Side, the restaurant La Tour used to do the same: they are close now (and I am not responsible!). 

Other restaurants will serve you rice, starch or bread for example. Isn't that smart? 

So that does not mean you should avoid AYCE meals; always keep in mind that restaurateurs are not philanthropists...

NYC Restaurants Grade for dummies

If, like me, you did not know what the ABC grades that NYC restaurants must displayed are, I hope this post will help you understand. The ABC grades started in July 2010 at the initiative of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (inspired by the experiment in Los Angeles). It is a way for consumers to make a conscious choice when eating in a restaurant and force restaurant owners to maintain a certain standard. By restaurant, the Health Department, means fixed location restaurants (excluding mobile food vending units), coffee shops, night clubs for instance. Restaurants in Hospitals, primary or secondary schools, correctional facilities are for example not concerned by the program.

Grades are the results of inspections: each violation is given a number of sanitary points. The lesser, the better!

• A - 0 to 13 points (next inspection: after a year).
• B - 14 to 27 (next inspection: 5 to 7 months after re-inspection).
• C - 28 or more (next inspection: every 30 days until the restaurant improves his grade or is closed. Then, 3 to 5 months after the cycle of inspections ends).

If a restaurant gets a B or C, the restaurant owner has the opportunity to defend himself before the Health Department's Administrative Tribunal. Until then, he can chose to show the given grade or to display a "grade pending" card.

To search for the number of violation points of a restaurant, click here. Note that all restaurants should be graded by the Fall of 2011.

I don't know about you, but personally, I will only go where I see an "A" at the window!

A trip to Chelsea Market!

The last episode of the Next Food Network Star took place at Chelsea Market in New York City, where the contestants not only tasted, but had to described the food they ate there, as if it was the best thing they ever ate (inspired by another show from the Food Network). After seeing some mouth watering food, we decided to go check it out. We started with Friedman's, a restaurant that serves comfort food at reasonable prices. We tried two of their sandwiches: the pastrami reuben and the Heirloom tomato sandwich.

Let's start with the best first and probably one of the best sandwiches I ever had: the pastrami reuben. It was served with sauerkraut, swiss cheese and russian dressing on a rye bread. It was simply delicious from the first to the last bite (you need a solid appetite though!)! The rye bread was grilled and gave a nice crunchiness to the overall experience. The pastrami was moist and melted in my mouth. The second sandwich, the heirloom tomato sandwich, was made with burrata, fresh basil and drizzled with a balsamic reduction, between two pieces of ciabatta bread. It was a good sandwich: not as good as the pastrami one, but very good too and refreshing.

To help digest the reuben, we decided to have a sweet crepe at Bar Suzette. We picked the beurre et sucre (butter and sugar): it was so good that I think we inhale the crepe. It is nice to find crepes that good that far from my country of origin (I am not talking about the nasty ones they serve at the street fairs!). They first prepare the crepes on a crepe maker. Once it is ready, they fold it, put a stick of butter on it and let it melt few seconds. They then spread the butter on the crepe and add the sugar. The buttery and sugary taste is to die for! 

This was definitely an awesome experience and we will go back to these restaurants to try more of their specialties (Chelsea Market has anyway so many different choices).

Enjoy (I did)!

Cannoli time from Giorgio's bakery in Hoboken, NJ

The first time I saw a cannoli (I should probably say cannolo!) was in New York. I have to say that I did not like it at all. I guess it was not the best bakery because when I tried the ones from Giogio's in Hoboken few years after, I became addicted to it! Cannoli are sicilian pastries made of fried dough, shaped like a tube, filled with a cream that contains mainly ricotta, with a hint of cinnamon. 

Now look at the photo and imagine that you are bitting in this cannoli: the crunchiness of the shell married with the sweetness of the cream will make you want to bite again and again and again. That's why I usually get two of them!!!

But it is not only for the cannoli we go there! They have great cookies and pastries. For instance, I love the St Joseph Zeppole, that is like a chou pastry filled either with ricotta, similar to a cannoli, or with custard.

They also always have delicious cookies.

The chocolate blob cookies is always there, waiting for you and me. They also have plenty of Italian cookies made with almonds. Last time, for the first time, they had a coconut macaroon that was awesome!

If you have a sweet tooth like me, go to Giorgio's in Hoboken: he is the boss!

Enjoy (I do)!