A Trip to Milwaukee - Part 7: A modern Italian

As we wanted a quick bite for lunch, we walked around our hotel and found this italian place called Zarletti, a bright restaurant with a modern feel. Believe it or not, that day I was not really in the mood for pasta. So I went for a cheese panini (asiago, parmesan, and provolone cheese). It was good but nothing extraordinary and I was expecting to taste the sharpness of the cheese, especially parmesan, but I did not. However, we shared as an appetizer a trio of spreads that was delicious! It was composed of:  Pomodoro sauce, tapenade, and herbed goat cheese. That was very nice to mix the different spreads together and the pomodoro sauce with the goat cheese was awesome and refreshing.

Zarletti offers different types of salads and we decided to go for the caprese (mozzarella and tomatoes). It was good and fresh, similar to the one we make at home...

If I had the chance, I would have probably gone back for dinner to try their pasta (hopefully homemade!) as what we got for lunch was pretty basic and did not really showcase italian food. What we had was good but nothing worth waking up in the middle of the night! 

A Trip to Milwaukee - Part 6: ...and I followed the steps of Man vs. Food...

Man vs. Food is one of my favorite shows! I am not talking about the challenges, but rather about the concept that is to find these neighborhood gems that you would probably not know about without word of mouth. Each time we go to a city, I try to see where they went. A week before leaving for Milwaukee, there was a repeat on TV! Isn't that great?

The first place we tried is Benji's, an old american deli located in the Shorewood area. We walked to go there taking the path along the lake Michigan. Ok, it took us 3 hours but it was worth it! Look, 3 hours to have some good food is not only worth it but it makes you hungry! And for the sandwich I ordered, I needed to be! That sandwich is the Hear O Israel: Pastrami, salami, corned beef, pepper beef, swiss cheese and cole slaw served with 1000 Island dressing. For the bread, they give you the choice between Challah, Rye, etc...I picked Challah. 

That sandwich was delicious! The meat was so good and the first bite was divine: you get the crunchiness of the slaw and then the different tastes of the meat! I have to say that I finished it but did not even touch the chips served with it....

I also tried the matzo ball soup (very good; the chicken broth is made daily) and the potato pancake with apple sauce (delicious, not greasy at all). 

If you like deli food, Benji's is definitely a place to try! Just bring your sneakers...and stretch pants! 

To complete the story on Benji's, we walked back to our hotel after that fantastic dinner. That time it only took us 1h30! On the way, we saw this little place selling mini donuts called sil's drive-thru. How can you resist? We got the combo: cinnamon and powdered sugar (6 for $1.5). They were the perfect dessert: fresh and hot! I really think it was destiny that put Sil's on my way!

The second place is Sobelman's: I wanted to try their signature burger showcased in the show. What is surprising is that, despite the area where it is (close to Marquette university but quite industrial), it was packed with working people on their lunch break and people did not stop coming during the entire time we were there.  The story of the owners is really nice: Dave is eating in a restaurant and falls in love with the waitress, Melanie. They get married and start a family. Later on, the owner of the restaurant proposes to sell a tavern he owns. They buy it and although they do not have any culinary experience, create Sobleman's Pub and Grill where they serve mainly burgers. Their signature one, the Sobelman's burger (3 slices of cheese, bacon, onions and jalapenos), is one of the best burgers I had: the meat was cooked perfectly and was juicy; if you like cheese, with its 3 slices, you will be more than happy! The jalapeno was the little plus: at first I did not notice it. Then, little by little, I started to feel some heat on my lips, but not enough to make this experience painful! The only regret I have is that I did not follow the advice of my friend Jeremy: double the patty to respect a certain proportion between the meat and the bread. Probably next time, because I will be back! Last, let me mention the onion rings that were very good: crunchy and not too greasy! Perfect pairing with a burger!

Enjoy (I did)!

A Trip to Milwaukee - Part 5: Bad, Bad, Bad!!!

Ok, sometimes I get great meals, sometimes, I don't! This post is about the bad, bad, bad choices we made in Milwaukee! Close to our Hotel (The Pfister - great by the way), were two promising restaurants: Cubanitas (Cuban) and Ouzo Cafe (Greek).

Let start with Cubanitas: promising because the manager is also the owner of Indulge Wine Bar that is a great place, and because Cuban food is delicious! We went for lunch; they asked us to order at the bar and then to pick a seat. Nothing terrible so far. But then they brought the food: the maduros were very dry, as was the rice. The beans were good for beans (I get the same from a can) and the empanada, beef and cheese, was just ok. How complicated is it to cook that? If you go to La caridad in NYC or La Isla in Hoboken, you will get some great cuban food (La Caridad is cuban and chinese). On top of the bad food, the people working there were not nice: it is as if we offended them when we asked for plates!

Then the second bad choice is Ouzo Cafe. As the name suggests, it is a greek restaurant. I saw a review saying: "The best greek food in Milwaukee". Is there only one greek restaurant there??? 

We went for lunch. Although the restaurant was not crowded, the service was very, very slow. Then comes the food.  They brought us some homemade pita: very good. We then went with the saganaki (greek cheese flambe): it was good but a little too salty. Then comes the greek salad: in term of appearance, it looked good and fresh, with very nice colors. But it was overdressed and the dressing tasted funny. There was definitely some ouzo in it but I found the taste definitely weird. Then the best: I decided to try the greek feast: a combination of lamb gyro, dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with ground beef, rice and herbs, with a lemon sauce on it), pastitso (baked pasta, ground beef, cheese and bechamel sauce), spanakopita (spinach and feta in a phyllo) and moussaka. The appearance of the dish was horrible and it was a mess: I was wondering if somebody barfed on the plate! It was not appetizing at all. The gyro was salty and most of the dish did not taste good at all. That was a big disappointment!

I would definitely avoid these two restaurants, although I may have given a second chance to Cubanitas as some other customers commented positively on the sandwiches....

A Trip to Milwaukee - Part 4: Charro, A Touch Of Central and South American Cuisine!!

We went to Charro for a rehearsal dinner and it was so good that we went back! They have a large menu that gives you the choice between sharing small plates or having your own. For entrees, they propose dishes from different countries: Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Peru, etc...

In this restaurant, I got an amazing butternut squash soup! The first one I got had carrots and ginger. The second one had onions and Caribbean spices.  This was so good that I could have licked the plate! The spices gave a nice twist to what could have just been a butternut squash soup and were not overpowering.

They also make their guacamole to your taste (mild or spicy) and serve it with either plantains or tortilla chips. You could really see that it was fresh!

They have great dishes:

• The presentation of the Ecuadorian style ceviche, made of marinated grouper, roasted red pepper, coconut, honey and shallots was beautiful (served in a coconut)!
• The Ropa Vieja (Cuban style braised beef and pork, sweet plantains, salsa verde and four types of cheeses) was incredibly moist with so many different flavors. They put the different components in layers, so you get the plantains in the bottom with the rice, then the meat and then the cheese. It is like going for a treasure hunt!
• The vegetarian enchiladas were the best of this kind I tried: you could really taste the veggies and they were evenly cooked!
• For dessert, their cheesecake with cashew brittle was amazing!

In fact, the only thing I did not like is the beef empanada. The rest was very good! I forgot to mention the bread they give you at the beginning: bad idea! It is so good that you are going to stuff yourself before the meal!

Charro is definitely a good restaurant to go to if you like this type of cuisine!

Enjoy (I did)!

A Trip to Milwaukee - Part 3: Coquette, A Touch Of French Food!

I have to admit that we ended up in Coquette randomly as we were looking for a BBQ place that we never found...We finally did not regret and went twice for lunch and then dinner.

The main room of the restaurant has a French restaurant feel, but know that nor the owner, neither the Chef are French! The Chef graduated from the Cordon Bleu school and has been classically trained in French cuisine. Besides the restaurant, they give cooking classes every Tuesday evenings for $59 per class.

They serve typical French dishes such as the Escargots de Bourgogne (snails), duck confit, Coq au vin (chicken instead of rooster) or Flammekueche (I would call it Alsatian Pizza!).

The escargots were perfect! You would think that just adding butter, parsley and garlic is not complicated? Well, I can tell you that I had surprises in the past! Cafe D'Alsace in NYC, on the Upper East Side, used to propose them and it was terrible! Apparently they removed them from the menu: Thank God! Even Whole food has better ones! The beauty of that dish is that if you do not like snails, you can enjoy the sauce...That's why they serve them with bread!

Their leg of Duck confit was delicious! Usually, it tends to be salty, but this was fine. It was served with a very refreshing salad, made of frisee salad, brandied blackberries, honey clove pistachios, drizzled with a grapefruit vinaigrette. To serve it with a salad made the dish light and the colors of the plate made the dish very appetizing! I would go back to Coquette just for this...and the snails!

Now, don't be freaked out, they have more common dishes! For instance, they have a nice cheese platter served with toasts, walnuts, grapes and some kind of chutney. We got:

• Semi soft Gruyere
• Bucherolle (goat cheese aged 4 months)
• Ossau-Iraty (firm sheep milk cheese)
• Explorateur (triple cream...no comment!)
• Fourme d'Ambert (blue cheese)

All of these cheeses were delicious and pairing them with a chutney enhances the taste! If you do not like strong cheeses, you can put some butter on the bread: it will help making it taste less strong.

Cheese is still not your thing? They also have homemade caramelized onions and goat cheese ravioli served with toasted pine nuts, sweet peas, tomato concasse (basically peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes), oyster mushrooms, Grana padano cheese (popular italian cheese), and basil oil. That was a great dish! The ravioli were perfectly cooked (I hate when they are over cooked!) and when you bite on it, you can really taste the caramelized onions and the goat cheese that paired deliciously! 

We also tried:

• The Grilled shrimp with patty pan squash, sweet and sour swiss chard, basmati rice and...white truffle herb butter. My choice was driven by the latter. It was a mistake....Although the grilled shrimps were good, the swiss chard was really sour and there was not enough sauce. Too bad!
• The chilled mozzarella soup served with a tomato compote and a balsamic vinegar reduction. Pretty interesting...I liked it but only when eating all the elements together (otherwise, I found eating only the mozzarella bland). Perfect on a hot day!

Last, the most important part of the meal: dessert! They do have a nice dessert menu. Their key lime pie with meringue looked delicious according to the drunk old ladies that were sitting behind us... We tried the Oeufs a la neige / Ile Flottante (snow eggs or floating island) that are a very light meringue on vanilla custard, a classic French dessert. This was pretty good and light after a pretty complete meal!

I definitely enjoyed my meals at Coquette and would go back! If you are in Milwaukee, check it out: it is worth it!

Enjoy (I did)!

A Trip to Milwaukee - Part 2: Wine and Cheese at Indulge Wine Bar!

We passed by few times in front of Indulge, a Wine Bar located North Milwaukee street and decided to try it (it opens at 4:30pm). Started in 2008, they serve wine, cheese, charcuterie and chocolates! What a program! When we went there, there was a wine tasting and we tried some very good Parducci wine, especially the pinot noir...

The decor is modern, clean and classy, with a dark setting, and the service was good. They offer a nice menu where you can mix cheese and meat! Our pick was:

• Wisconsin artisan cheese plate: composed of Sartori Rosemary Asiago, Carr Valley 4-year cheddar, Sartori Sarvecchio parmesan and Carr Valley cocoa Cardona.
• Tripple cheddar cheese plate: Snow white goat cheddar, Carr valley 4-year cheddar (again???), applewood smoked cheddar (divine!).
• Truffle shuffle plate: started with a box of truffle popcorn (they should try that in movie theaters!), truffle tremor cheese (very strong), foie gras mousse pate and truffle mousse plate. 

All the cheeses were delicious, at the exception of the truffle tremor cheese that was very strong! We did not try the chocolates but they looked delich!

I think there is a misconception about cheddar cheese and it is probably because people only try the processed one! A good aged cheddar on a piece of bread or in Mac and Cheese is delicious! I think I am hungry just thinking about it!

Anyway, if you like the concept of Wine Bar, sharing plates, cheese and charcuterie, go to Indulge and...indulge!

Enjoy (I did)!

How We Walked Out Of Zen Palate (New York, NY)!

Zen Palate is the first vegetarian restaurant I tried after hearing my wife talking about it and I have to admit that, even if I am more a meat guy, I like it. I think it all comes to preconceived ideas once have about vegetarian food! 

They have several locations in the city: on 18th, 46th and 105th. The restaurant on 46th street was closed once by the Department of Health, but for sure with the grades now (they have an A), they will be careful or at least, it gives some indications to the customers if they should eat there or not! 

So, we went to their 46th location and right away noticed the makeover: we went from a small dark restaurant to a modern bright one with a simple decoration. My stomach was all happy to be sitting at a table for dinner, after a light lunch (I insist: light). 

Based on the way the restaurant is run, here are some basic rules:

• First, if you manage a restaurant, be organized: nobody seemed to be taking care of us. In fact, it seems that everybody thought that the other person was taking care of us! Note that the restaurant was not that crowded on top of that.
• Second: if you have a bad memory, write the order! Two minutes after I showed my choice to the manager on the menu, she asked me again if it was what I wanted!
• Third: based on second, you have a bad memory; so, enter the order right away on the computer! Tell the old man that he needs to wait 5 minutes before talking to you! When I saw her taking to the man, I was sure it would not be good....

After a fair amount of minutes and seeing people who arrived after us getting their food, they saw that we were inquiring for it and realized that they forgot our order! They started to freak out and even proposed to give us a 50% discount. But, we just wanted to eat and my stomach was telling me to leave as I may have appreciated the food, but would not have been... Zen in that environment (if you are in a mood for some food, you have to be in the correct mindset to appreciate it, otherwise, you will notice any flaw - at least, this is the way I am)!  

So we ate that night, vegetarian, but at Two Boots Pizza!

A Trip to Milwaukee - Part 1: The Public Market

We went to Milwaukee to attend the wedding of Dear Friends and as any trip, we made the most of it (I should say EAT)! I will publish different parts for Milwaukee as with all the food we ate, one post would be too big!

I am going to start with the Public Market, located in the 3rd Ward, downtown Milwaukee. The Market showcases artisans and ethnic food; most of the vendors are supposed to be local producers. There are in fact two buildings: the main one (Public Market) and the Annex located across the street where Benelux Market is.

I like this type of market because you can try different types of food or find interesting produces in the shops (The Green Kitchen offers different types of corn).

Here is a summary of the different things I have tried:

Treats:

• The Meltaways at Kehr's candies - Kehr's Candies was founded in 1931 by a couple who wanted to sell caramel corn and potato chips. They became candy makers and are making 70% of what they sell, the rest being purchased from other manufacturers. When you see their stock, you really do not know what to eat! They sell chocolate covered graham, peanut bars, red hot pepper truffles, peanut brittel, peppermint patties, etc... I have tried the meltaways (chocolate bar similar to fudge) and they were delicious!
• Cookies and cake bites at C Adams Bakery - This is a really nice bakery who makes some good bread and offers a wide range of treats! Their chocolate chip cookies are delicious and they are not cheap in chocolate chips! My favorite are the cake bites: some cake and frosting dipped in chocolate. The red velvet is good, but the best is the dark chocolate layer one: moist, dense and addictive!
• Baklava at Aladdin - They propose two kinds of baklava: pistachio or walnut. Unfortunately, I did not really like them. The dough was undercooked for both of them and tasted... weird! I would not try again!

Food:

• St Paul Fish Company: they serve fresh seafood that goes from oysters to lobster and even offer a lobster dinner for $12.95. Their New England clam chowder was good (could have been a little creamier) and you can take as many crackers as you want! Their crab cakes are decent although the one I got at Cafe Benelux was far better! They have different types of oysters that you order by the piece (prices range from $1.50 to $2 a piece). The service was efficient and courteous. 

• Margarita Paradise: Mexican place, spin off of a larger restaurant on Water street. They have a large selection of tacos or burritos. For tacos, you pick the shell (hard or soft), the filling and sauce. Besides the refried beans, I did not like it: their chicken taco was soggy and the fish taco tasteless (once you try the Taco Truck in Hoboken, no fish taco is good enough)! On top of that, they did not have avocados anymore! Who has tacos without guac???

• Cafe Benelux: located across the street from the Public Market, it is an Annex that features a restaurant and a small market. They have a huge beer list and their menu features various dishes, some more comfort food and some european specialties (the name comes from Belgium, Nederland, Luxembourg). One of their specialties is the Pannenkoeken, a large thick crepe. I should say a huge thick crepe! We tried the Roubaix, served with Ham, cheddar and belgian beer cheese sauce. That was delicious! I cannot imagine the desert one with banana, chocolate sauce, nutella, hazelnuts and bourbon cream! I also tried the jumbo lump crab cake: it was a good one! I was ticked of by the breading at first, but you could really taste the crab and see the lump! The spicy red bell pepper aioli sauce was a perfect pairing and the sweet slaw refreshing. Last, I tried the mussels with fondue sauce (ham, leeks, asiago, beer and cream). They give you some bread with it: thank God! I could dip the bread in this delicious fondue sauce!!! Definitely one of my favorite restaurants! 

If you go to Milwaukee, stop by the Public Market: it is nice to try all these different foods! When I go back, I will definitely enjoy again some cake bites, St Paul Fish Company and Cafe Benelux!

Enjoy (I did)!

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!