Colicchio and Sons in NYC, New York

This post is about one of the best culinary experience I ever had! Yes I know: this is a bold statement, but when you will read this, I am sure you will want to go there! Hopefully...

So, everybody who loves shows about food knows who Tom Colicchio is. If you do not know, let me tell you: he is the mean judge on Top Chef! Tom, please be nicer! 

So I went to Colicchio and Sons thinking that if I had a bad food experience, it would be Karma!

The restaurant is located next to two great places in NYC: Morimoto (Chef Morimoto) and Del Posto (Chef Mario Batali). When you enter, you arrive in the Tap room with its wood-burning oven. You can in fact either eat in the Tap room or in the dining room. While we were waiting for our table, there was this guy who ordered a burger. When the burger came, I started to drool! The bun looked like a brioche bread and the patty seemed juicy. It was served with homemade potato chips. Based on the discussion the patron had with the barman, I understood that it was delicious! I really need to go try this at some point!

Anyway, we had a reservation at the dining room. The two rooms are separated by an impressive wine cellar wall, going from the bottom to the top of the very high ceilings. As we went there for my wife Jodi's birthday, they personalized the menu (as you can see on the photo above). The menu was mouth watering; they offer two tasting menu but it has to be for the entire table. We picked our dishes. What was amazing is the way the waitress described each dish. Usually, they will just tell you what the ingredients are. At Colicchio and Sons, it was not the case: she described the dishes with adjectives so well picked that it made me drool a second time! There was also a nice synchronization of the placement or removal of the plates from the table, given some elegance to the experience.

They started first with bringing us a small cup of white asparagus consomme that contained also lemon and chives. It was served cold. I love when restaurants do that, not because it is free, but because it prefigures a nice experience and usually prepares your palate. It was very good, with clean flavors.

Then, they brought the bread: it was a freshly made brioche bread with salt on top. The smell of it was great and the taste divine, with or without butter! I could have eaten the entire loaf! I bet this is the same brioche recipe they serve with the burger...

For the appetizer, I decided to try the roasted sweetbreads. 

Sweetbreads are the thymus glands or pancreas of calves, lambs, and piglets. Gross, no? Look, I saw so many shows where people were enjoying it that I thought there would not be a better place than this one to try!

At Colicchio and Sons, they serve it roasted, with honey onions (delish) and bacon-sherry vinegar. I enjoyed it: it was crispy on the outside and very tender inside, close to melting in my mouth. But I did not enjoy it to the point where I would die for it! It is not like foie gras or snails!

Then, I shared the ribeye for two with my friend Peter who is always ready to share a porterhouse with me when in a steakhouse: each time there is a gigantic piece of meat for two, we team up.

We ordered it medium rare. They told us ahead of time that it would take a bit to cook, but in fact, with the appetizers, we did not notice. They first brought the piece of meat on a large piece of wood and then cut it for us (it was cut, split and plated in the kitchen, not in front of us).

They served it with a hen of the woods (mushroom), roasted potatoes and cream of spinach. The meat was terrific: tender, juicy and perfectly cooked. However, I did not really like the spinach. I prefer them creamier and less bitter. They also brought the bone that our friends enjoyed playfully.

I could also try the halibut.

It was served with truffled celeriac (variety of celery) agnolotti and verjus glazed rutabaga (root). The fish was awesome: silky and moist. The agnolotti were also very good and you could taste hints of truffle. This was a succulent dish.

Then was time to order dessert. As it was Jodi's birthday, they brought her a cupcake with a candle (no singing, thank God!). They also brought some hazelnut shortbread that were fantastic.

Of course, it was not enough for us: we had to finish this incredible meal with desserts!

So we picked the banana cream donuts. 

The donuts were divine! I just would have liked more! They added a nice touch to the plate by writing "Happy Birthday Jodi" in chocolate.

We also shared a brown sugar pie. It was served warm, with some homemade vanilla ice cream and a  jelly that contained alcohol (weird texture I have to say). I think it was the last drool of the evening! It was so good. I was scared at first that it would be too sweet, but it was not the case. However, it had this incredible buttery flavor...yummy!

So I hope you understand now why I was enthusiastic about Colicchio and Sons! This was an amazing dinner, with a great service that almost gave the impression we were dining at a friend! At least until they brought the check. Yes, it is not cheap, but it is fine dining and worth it!

Enjoy (I did)!

Molyvos, Greek Restaurant - NYC, New York

I always loved Greek food, but, when living in Paris, I hated when people where proposing to go Rue de la Huchette to eat there. Each restaurant had a guy outside calling people and trying to persuade them that their restaurant was the best. Most of the time, it was not!

In New York, I have two references: 

• Ithaca on the Upper Eat side (308 East 86th Street  New York, NY 10028).
• Molyvos.

I have been to Molyvos many times and have never been disappointed. In fact, one of my colleagues if from Greek descent and once told me that Molyvos is the best Greek in New York. Considering my experience there, I would agree!

Last Friday was the first time I went since their renovation: the restaurant is way nicer! It looks brighter and more modern than before. I love the blue color as well as the walls of shelves with plates: it give a soothing and homy atmosphere, reminding the Greek Islands. In fact, Molyvos is the name of a village on the Greek Island of Lesvos.

They have a nice menu, proposing not only appetizers, but also tasting plates (mezedes). So, this time, we went for some new dishes as well as usual ones. Let's see what we got:

The first one is the Saganaki. If you are not lactose intolerant, you have to try it! It is Haloumi cheese (cheese made of goat or sheep's milk that originated from Cyprus) that is flambe with Ouzo and then drizzled with a lemon sauce. See the process on the video below!

What is interesting about this dish is the texture of the cheese that is rubbery but not chewy! And it tastes so good!

Then, we got the Keftedes.

These are meatballs that were served with some tzatziki, that is a spread made with yoghurt, mint, cucumber, garlic and dill. The meatball by themselves were very good and tasty. I could taste some spices in it, that I believe are cumin. The fact that it was served with yoghurt gave some freshness to the dish. I could it it with or without in fact.

Then I was surprised to see crab cakes on the menu and decided to try.

It was served with an artichoke salad and an eggplant spread. 

It was a nice presentation and you could easily see that they cooked the crab cake with a ring, giving to it this perfect shape. The top was crispy and you could really taste the crab. The artichoke salad and eggplant spread was original and was well associated with the crab. You could from time to time get a hint of lemon that I guess was drizzled on the plate first, before putting all the components together.

For the main dish, we ordered the mousaka. Each time I went there, I had to have it. It is one of their specialty dishes and according to the waiter, one of the most ordered. The plate came extremely hot and it was still sizzling from the toasting of the cheese on top.

It is made in several layers: potatoes, eggplants, grounded lamb, bechamel and tomato sauces between layers and cheese. I love it! It was the first time that I tried a lamb moussaka and it is delicious! I do not know if it is the strong taste of the lamb that gives more flavor to the dish or the bechamel sauce, but the flavors are simply amazing.

Of course, we had to finish with dessert...

We ordered the baklava (rolled layers of phyllo stuffed with walnuts and pistachio with a spiced honey syrup. On the side, they give you some candied walnuts. Usually, restaurants will serve you pieces of baklava rather than this chunk of it. Fortunately, they give you a knife so you can easily cut it through and share! It is one of the best baklava I had: tasty and very moist. My wife who does not like nuts usually loves it too! So it tells something.

I once again had a great dinner at Molyvos: I have never been disappointed and recommend it! The diversity of the menu will satisfy all palates and the variety of small plates and appetizers is a good opportunity for groups to try some delicious Greek food!

Enjoy (I did)!

Taste of Times Square Food & Music Festival - June 11th 2012

This Monday will take place the Taste of Times Square Food and Music Festival! Will be participating in this event several well known restaurants who will serve different types of cuisine: American, French, Argentinian, Russian, Turkish...

Among the participating restaurants: Junior's, Ruth's Chris, Blue Fin, Virgil's Real Barbecue, Le Rivage...

Times Square is always crowded so I wonder how it is going to be!

Information:

http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/taste-of-times-square/index.aspx

June 11th from 9am to 5pm

46th Street between Broadway and 9th Avenue including historic Restaurant Row

Enjoy !

Love and Yoghurt in Hoboken, New Jersey

I am not sure how many Frozen Yoghurt stores Hoboken needs! There was already Mon Cheri Yoghurt Bar (pretty good) and Koa Koa (I do not like it). Then, Red Mango announced that it will be coming soon, replacing the Homemade Pizza Company that closed earlier in the year. You would think that it is enough! No! Love & Yogurt is a new one that opened on May 25th 2012. The location is in fact perfect as, although not located on Washington street, there is quite a lot of foot traffic in front of it. 

The place looks pretty neat and is a self serving yoghurt bar. So you can taste whatever flavor they offer: there is no limitation! 

The flavors are: Original Tart (pretty standard), Local Mango, Peach Tart (delicious), Thin Mint, Alpine Vanilla, Red Velvet Cake, Cake Batter, Local Coffee, New York Cheesecake (good but I would not have a full cup), Cookies N’ Cream (Love N' The good Stuff) and Local Chocolate. Items marked "local" are made with Ronnybrook farm ingredients, a third generation family farm in New York's Hudson Valley.

After my tasting, I decided to go for the cookies and cream. Once I filled up the cup, I went to the topping bar. 

They have quite a lot of toppings: Pineapple, Cherries, Mango Bubbles, Strawberry Bubbles, Oreos, Sugar Cookie Dough, Brownie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Doug, M&M, Reeses Piece Mini, Twix, Snickers, Peanut Butter Cups, Gummi Bears, Butterfinger, Sour worms... They also have Chocolate Syrup, Marshmallow Sauce, Caramel Topping and Whipped Cream. 

 So, for the toppings, I picked: 

twix, mochi and non-pareils chocolate. I added some marshmallow sauce...too much in fact...This was delicious! I love the cookies N' Cream yoghurt! 

I also got some of the peach with toasted coconut, strawberries and mango bubbles.

I really liked the peach yogurt that I tried for the first time! I also enjoyed the mango bubbles that exploded in my mouth when biting on them, liberating a delicious flavor.

Love & Yogurt is definitely worth to try. I love the variety of flavors and the large selection of toppings. But of course, frozen yoghurt is as healthy as the toppings that you put on it! 

Enjoy (I did)!

Love & Yogurt

54 Newark Street Hoboken, NJ  07030

Big Apple BBQ Block Party - June 9th & 10th 2012

The annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party is back and will take place tomorrow and Sunday at Madison Square Park. The party will feature some of the top pitmasters of the country who will cook their specialties such as:

• Baker’s Ribs (Dallas, TX): St. Louis Style Ribs, The Original Fried Pies
• Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q (Decatur, AL): Pulled Pork Shoulder
• BlackJack Barbecue (Charleston, SC): Pulled Pork Shoulder
• Blue Smoke (New York City): Salt & Pepper Beef Ribs
• Checkered Pig (Danville, VA): St. Louis Style Ribs
• Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (New York City): Pulled Pork Shoulder
• Ed Mitchell (Raleigh, NC): Whole Hog
• Hill Country (New York City): Beef Brisket
• Jack’s Old South (Unadilla, GA): Beef Brisket
• Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q (Birmingham, AL): Smoked Sausage
• Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint (Nashville, TN): Western Tennessee-Style Whole Hog
• Memphis Championship Barbecue (Las Vegas, NV): Baby Back Ribs
• Pappy’s Smokehouse (St. Louis, MO): Baby Back Ribs
• Rack & Soul (New York City): Baby Back Ribs
• The Salt Lick BBQ (Driftwood, TX): Beef Brisket, Sausage
• Scott’s Bar-B-Que (Hemingway, SC): Whole Hog
• 17th Street Bar & Grill (Murphysboro, IL): Baby Back Ribs
• Ubon’s Barbeque (Yazoo City, MS): Pulled Pork Shoulder

Besides food, there will be music as well as some free seminars (limited seats).

Information:
Madison Square Park
June 9th and 10th 2012
From 11am to 6pm
Music and seminars are free!

Enjoy!

Mamoun's falafel in Hoboken, NJ

Did you notice that there are more and more restaurants proposing falafel as the main specialty? There is Maoz, Taim and Mamoun's falafel, Moishe's falafels. Yes, falafels are definitely good when well done, meaning for me: good chickpea taste (not too many breadcrumbs please), cooked all the way through, crunchy and not oily. People debate about the benefits of falafels. The pros:

• it is only chickpeas, no meat.
• low calories: 50 to 60 per ball.
• High in protein, iron and fiber.

The cons:

• it is deep fried.
• a falafel pita can contain up to 550 calories and 32 grams of fat.

Anyway, I love Middle Eastern food, falafel of course, but also Shawarma. So we tried few times Mamoun's falafel. They have several restaurants in the City and opened several months ago one in Hoboken. The flagship restaurant is in Greenwich Village: it was opened in 1971 and was the first falafel place in New York City, as well as one of the first Middle Easter restaurants in the US. I like their menu that offers dishes not only to meat lovers, but also vegetarian.

On the vegetarian side, I love their hummus (chickpea spread) and baba ganouj (eggplant spread). We tried the tabouleh, but I do not know if it is because they make it with bulgur, but I did not like it.

The falafel are good, but I had better. They are sometimes overcooked.

On the meat side, I love their shawarma and meat combo!

The lamb shawarma is delicious! The meat is usually tender and has this great grilled tasted combined with the strong taste of the lamb meat. You can have it in a plate or a pita. With salad and olives, it was perfect.

Last time, I chose the meat combo: I picked a sandwich with chicken kebob, falafel and olives. I loved it! The crunchiness of the falafel worked really well with the chicken that was quite moist.

Another thing to try there is the mint lemonade: it is so refreshing!

I like Mamoun's falafel. Their falafels are good, but I would not name them the best though!

Enjoy (I did)!

Yogo Frozen Yoghurt Truck in NYC, New York

Within the madness of the food trucks, I found this Frozen Yoghurt truck called Yogo (I guess Yoghurt on the Go). 

You can often see this pink truck at Union Square. If you do, get some: it is delicious and refreshing.

I really like the idea of frozen yoghurt: a good healthy treat. It is more and more popular in fact in the City, with chains like Red Mango or  Pinkberry opening everywhere. 

According to Yogo, here are some of the benefits of frozen yoghurt:

• Low cholesterol, low sodium and low carbs.
• Live and active probiotic cultures.
• Boots the immune system.

There are two flavors: tart (80 calories - my favorite) and vanilla. Of course, the healthy aspect can be eliminated depending on the toppings you will pick! 

My favorite is original tart with M&M's.

The small size is a good quantity.

They also have sprinkles.

And for a healthier treat, strawberries!

Of course they have other toppings that I am sure will suit anybody!

Enjoy (I did)!

Farmers Rotisseria A La Brasa in NYC, New York

I think a lot of people are missing when eating in Times Square instead of exploring the little gems that are on 9th Avenue! We like to walk around and randomly pick a restaurant we have never tried (I admit that we avoid the Grad Pending ones...). That is how we picked Farmers Rotisseria A La Brasa.

I love rotisserie chicken. Each time I pass in front of a rotisserie,  I cannot not smell that particular scent of cooked chicken: so irresistible! 

Back to Farmers Rotisseria A La Brasa: the restaurant is of a good size with a brighter dining room in the back. The service was just ok.

In term of food, it is affordable: I got half a chicken, plantains, a salad, rice and beans for just $12. The chicken and plantains are on the photo above. The plantains were of a good size and well made (I hate when they are not enough cooked). The chicken was very good: a nice piece quite moist. The skin had a nice taste, although it was not crispy.

For rice and beans, you can pick either black or red beans. We asked for black but they bought red. Finally, it was ok as we also ordered a small side of black bean!

The beans were delicious! I will not comment on the rice as it was plain! In fact, I preferred the red beans over the black beans.

We also ordered tostones.

Tostones are very popular in Latin American cuisine. They are made of green unripe plantain that are fried a first time, then pounded flat and refried until crisp and golden brown. I always add a bit of salt on it. The ones at the restaurant were very good and not greasy, that is always much appreciated!

The last dish we ordered was an arepa con queso. It was a nice side to share. They put some queso blanco (white cheese) on top of an arepa, some garlic and toasted it. It was pretty good and I was pleased that they did not put too much garlic on it!

So, it was a good little dinner at an affordable price. I would probably go back there if I am craving for chicken or Latin food as their menu is quite extensive.

Enjoy (I did)!

 

Tastes NYC Fifth Annual Culinary Extravaganza - June 2nd 2012

If you do not have any plans today and want to get some great food, You can go to Tastes NYC at Gansevoort Plaza. This culinary event will feature the following restaurants:

• 5 Ninth
• Abe & Arthur's
• Amy's Bread
• Bakehouse
• Baluchi's
• Bill's Bar and Burger
• Bistro de la Gare
• Buddakan
• Chelsea Thai
• Dos Caminos
• Fatty Crab
• Frankies 570
• Friedman's Lunch
• Macao Trading Company
• Macelleria
• The Meatball Shop
• Pastis
• RYU
• Serafina
• Smorgas Chef
• Spasso
• Spice Market
• Stella's Pizza
• Tía Pol
• Tipsy Parson

Proceeds will go to the Lab School, a non profit organization, to fund additional academic instruction and faculty training (Chess, Math, Stock Market and Robotics teams, Model UN, The Lab School newspaper, Design and Development Program,e tc...).

When: June 2nd 2012 from 11:30am to 3pm
where: Gansevoort Plaza
Info: http://www.tastesnyc.org/index.html

Enjoy!

Szechuan Gourmet - Chinese Restaurant in Midtown NYC, New York

Recently, I went to Szechuan Gourmet with my colleagues for lunch. Be aware that there are several Chinese restaurants called Szechuan Gourmet! This one is located on 56th avenue. They even refer on their website to Szechuan Gourmet 56.

So, the particularity of Szechuan cuisine is that it is spicy. Fortunately, they put a chili in front of the dishes on the menu so you are not surprised, but you can anyway asked for mild or spicier if your stomach can make it!

The restaurant has two floors and can accommodate large parties. The service was fast and they kept checking on us to make sure we had a nice experience.

In term of food, they have the traditional dishes you would find in a Chinese restaurant: General Tso Chicken, eggplants with garlic sauce, fried rice, chow fun...But they also have other delicacies not so usual: Jelly fish (I tried once...not a favorite of mine!), duck tongues, or ox tongue and tripes. This time I was going for a more usual lunch...

So, we decided to order lunch menus: items are going between $7.95 to $9.50. You pick a soup, rice and dish. On top of it, we ordered some scallion pancakes for the table.

They were very good: crispy and not oily. 

Then, I asked whether it was possible to have an egg drop soup instead of a wonton or Hot & Sour one.

They graciously accepted. The soup was awesome: a bit gelatinous like I like it.

For the main dishes, we decided to share.

We ordered sliced chicken with baby eggplant. The eggplant were perfect and well cooked; they kind of absorbed the sauce that came with it (I am wondering if it was not a garlic sauce). The chicken was good and there were plenty.

The General Tso Chicken was delcious: crispy, tasty and not too spicy. It is a classic dish and a good test if you try a Chinese restaurant!

Then came the spicy scallops with roasted chili peanuts. This was the revelation of the day! It was my favorite. The sauce was so good. There was definitely a kick to it, but not too much. For sure, as it was for the lunch menu, they did not put as many scallops as you would have chicken, but there was a nice portion of it. Definitely a dish to try!

I had a great meal at Szechuan Gourmet, at an affordable price. Another great Chinese restaurant outside of Chinatown!

Enjoy (I did)!

 

Pie Face Bakery Cafe in NYC, New York

I have discovered Pie Face Bakery Cafe thanks to a co worker whose wife, Jane, is Australian. We were talking about Australia that we would like to visit one day and, at some point, we inquired about the food. It all started when talking about dessert. Jane mentioned the Lamington, a cake made of sponge cake with strawberry jam and coated with chocolate and coconut. I then learnt that there is a bakery on the corner of Broadway and 53rd called Pie Face. As you can imagine, it was my next mission possible to go there. 

To give you some background: Pie Face is a true Australian chain that opened its first location in NYC in January 2012. They are in fact opening a new location soon. It is in 2003 that Wayne Homschek and Betty Fong opened the fist Pie Face in Sydney, Australia and since, they have more than 70 shops, serving more than 18,000 pies a day! They are planning on opening 50 bakeries in Manhattan: pretty ambitious! So, what do they serve: the main specialty there is meat pie or potpie as some are vegetarian. The pie itself is a delicious puff pastry. What is smart is that they serve the pies in two sizes: regular and small. So you can try several small as I did. They were even proposing a menu for $8: three small pies (any choice) and a bottle of water. For somebody with a regular appetite like me (!), three small pies and a dessert is sufficient.

They also serve quiches and sandwiches; they mention baguettes, but it did not really look like baguettes! 

So I tried the small pies.

Each of them have a different face so you can differentiate them. I had:

• The tandoori vegetables one (with a V as a mouth): it was very tasty and had a delicious Indian flavor. The veggies were like a puree, at the exception of chick pies. It was not too spicy.
• The Mexican (with a X as a mouth): it was composed of ground beef, black beans and jalapenos. It was good but did not really remind me of Mexican flavors. The Jalapeno taste was even inexistent.
• The Chicken and Mushrooms: this was my least favorite. It was like eating a cream of mushrooms in a pie. I really did not like the texture.

From the three pies, the vegetarian one was the best!

Then, of course, I needed to try the desserts! I ordered few of them:

The cherry pie (bottom right) is one of their best sellers: it was very good! In fact all their desserts were perfect: good and not too sweet! The lemon pie was also delicious with its thick lemon layer. The other best seller I tried is the Pear and Ricotta pie.

It was, in a puff pastry, a layer of poached pears, a layer of ricotta that was caramelized on top. The three layers gave a nice balanced flavor.

Last, was the Lamington: I had to try it! And remember: I am not a huge fan of coconut!

It was delicious! The sponge cake was extremely light and moist. I was conquered!

At the end of this experience, I liked Pie Face, but mainly for the desserts. It seems that their chocolate mousse cake is very popular. I guess I will have to try it...Just for the blog...

Enjoy (I did)!

 

Recipe: Almond cigars

Recipe: Almond cigars

I love Almond Cigars. When I was a kid, my mom and my grand mother use to make them: it was driving me crazy! Well, it still does...

It is a treat that comes from North Africa, but in fact, as cuisine traveled, you can easily compare it to the baklava found in Greece or Middle East. It is a delicious dessert, served with a hot tea (best is with mint tea in fact).

The recipe below is very easy to make. In France, we used to make it with Feuilles de brick (brick sheets or dough) that are closed to phyllo sheets, but a bit different. You can find Brick sheets in the US, but it is way overpriced. So I decided to try with Phyllo dough. I admit that it was a bit challenging as the phyllo sheets were very thin!

So, here is the recipe for 14 cigars:

Time: 1h

Servings: 14 cigars

Ingredients:

• Phyllo dough
• 8.8 Oz (250 g) of almond powder.
• 5.3 Oz (150 g) of powdered sugar.
• 3 eggs (o/w 1 egg white).

---

Step 1: prepare the marzipan

Put the almond flour, sugar and 2 eggs in a bowl. Mix well until obtaining a uniform paste.

Now, let me explain how to shape the cigars. Take a 6 x 12 inches phyllo sheet. Fold it into two.

---

Step 2: form the cigars

Now, let me explain how to shape the cigars. Take a 6 x 12 inches phyllo sheet. Fold it into two. On one of the extremities (smaller length), place two to three tablespoons of almond paste.

Fold the phyllo on each side of the almond paste.

Then roll tight! Put a bit of water at the end to stick the edge to the cigar and maintain the flap down on a plate.

---

Step 3: cook the cigars

In a pan, put some vegetable oil on medium to high heat. Do not put it too hot as you want the almond paste to cook a little. Turn the cigars so they are cooked on all sides and remove them once golden brown.

Put them in a tray and add honey on top of it. Eat them at room temperature.

Et Voila! Bon appétit!

Enjoy (I did)!

BLT Burger - The best burger in NYC, New York

Today is National Hamburger Day and clearly I needed to celebrate it! So we decided to go to my favorite burger place in NY: BLT Burger.

If you do not know, BLT stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel. Laurent Tourondel is a passionate and talented Chef, born and raised in Auvergne, France (great cheeses in Auvergne!). He told Food & Wine magazine that he ended up cooking because he was really bad at school. Today, his name is on several restaurants across the country: BLT Prime, BLT Steak, BLT Fish and...BLT Burger. 

Trust me: it is not because Laurent Tourondel is French that I like this place! I have tried many burgers here, but I can tell you: it is the best! The meat is always perfectly cooked, juicy and extremely tasty (yes: it tastes like real meat!), the bun is perfect (it is a sesame brioche bun).

So we decided to go today. We thought the place would be busy; first because it is most of the time, but also because they had a contest for the creation of the Dream burger: people could submit their creation and the one winning would get his/her burger on the menu. I submitted mine, but I guess it was too basic (some sort of burger reuben). So, there were not too many people. Good!

We started first with fried pickles, a Southern US specialty.

It is a slice of pickled dipped in a batter and fried, similar to the onion rings, but with pickles! I liked it! The taste was surprising as I could get the sour taste of the pickle mixed with the fried batter and the ranch chili-paprika dipping sauce that gave some kick to it.

Then, we got our burgers. We decided to order two different ones. The first one was the Maytag blue burger.

It is made with Maytag blue cheese, balsamic caramelized onions and mushrooms. At first, I was scared that the blue cheese would be too overpowering. Fortunately, there was just enough to give a taste that would not overshadow the taste of the meat. The onions and mushrooms were divine and a great addition, giving some texture to the burger.

The second burger was the classic one, with Vermont Cheddar cheese ($1 additional for the cheese).

It is simple and delicious. The meat on both burger was perfectly cooked (medium) and very juicy. It really tasted like meat, not like these burgers that you would get in fast food (I know: not the same price).

For the sides, we went for the onion rings.

The onion rings were good, a bit crispy and not too greasy. I just would have liked some ranch dressing with it.

We also got fries.

We chose the classic; otherwise, they propose waffle fries, sweet potato fries...These were like I like them: golden brown, crispy and regular cut.

The last thing we got was a vanilla milk shake.

Look: one of us had to sacrificed himself to get a combo price. I did. For $17, you can get a burger, fries and a milk shake. The later was very good. Not too thick, with the necessary amount of vanilla syrup. They gave the old fashion feel by serving it in an ice cream glass, adding whipped cream and top it with sprinkles. Delish! For You information, they also serve milk shakes with alcohol...

So, again, I was not disappointed by BLT Burger, that remains my top burger place in NYC. However, prices are a bit on the high range as for this meal we ended up with a bill of $52. Worth it though!

Enjoy (I did)!

Momofuku Noodle Bar in NYC, New York

If you recall, several months ago, I went to Momofuku Milk Bar for a snack. The experience was just ok.

As a reminder, Momofuku is a group of restaurants (Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssiam...) owned by Chef David Chang. In Japanese, it could be translated to "Lucky peach", but Chef David Chang once mentioned that it was in honor of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of the instant ramen. So, this time, we were thinking about having lunch at Momofuku Noodle Bar  located in the East Village to see what all the buzz was about.

We went there yesterday and arrived at around 11:45am. The restaurant was not yet opened (it opens at 12pm) and besides us, there were only two Canadian tourists waiting. So we decided to go for a walk in the nearby market. We came back after 10 minutes and surprisingly, there was already a line in front of the restaurant! Probably 20 people! The restaurant is quite bright, with light wood all over. You can either sit at the bar, the kitchen bar or the communal tables. We got seated at the bar, in front of the opened kitchen. It was perfect to see them cooked, but a bit hot...

They brought us the daily menu: Momofuku Noodle Bar is known for the buns as well as the ramen. We asked the waiter what he recommended for two and told us that typically, two people would share a bun, a noodle bowl and a side. So we went for that!

We started with the Shitake mushroom buns.

They bring you two buns that are very light and fluffly. They are opened and stuffed with mushrooms, cucumbers, scallions and hoisin sauce. I loved it: there were so many layers of flavors between the bun itself and the different components! I especially liked that they added cucumber for some crunch and to add some texture.

We also ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen, one of the most popular dishes, with the Momofuku ramen.

The bowl was pretty big and the food looked beautiful! It was composed of smoked chicken, Swiss chard, sesame seeds, a poached egg and noodles. I mixed the egg that was lightly poached and it  decomposed immediately. The broth alone was very good and tasty, but with all the ingredients mixed, it was succulent: each spoon was kind of a different flavor depending of which ingredient was on it. The noodles were delicious: perfectly cooked and very good. The dish was a bit spicy but not too much. 

For sure, do not go there on a first date as it is not that sexy when you eat ramen...

Last, we shared a side: the mushrooms with spinach, black garlic and thai chili.

There were different types of mushrooms and the sauce was brown butter. It was a hit! Very flavorful and the brown butter was to die for!

The fact that Momofuku Noodle Bar does not have desserts (they propose few items from the Milk Bar) was not a problem: the three dishes we ordered were delicious and we finished the meal satisfied! Momofuku Noodle Bar is definitely a place to try!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

European Vacation - Part 15 - Lebanese Food in Berlin, Germany

Towards the end of our vacations, in Berlin, we tried different types of cuisines. If you read my other blog posts, you probably seen two things:

1- German cuisine was not my forte. I admit that maybe it was because we did not find the good restaurants where maybe I would have had an epiphany!

2 - There were tons of ethnic cuisines...and I love it!

So let's start with Duniya, a Lebanese restaurant located in the Derag Living Hotel. The restaurant itself was nice with an outdoor patio, a cafe and the dining room. The server was a bit overwhelm and the service suffered from it. Imagine that the poor guy was the only one to take care of all the customers, going inside and outside intermittently. He clearly did not have time to take a break!

I love Lebanese food so it was a great occasion to have some. Not that we are missing Lebanese cuisine in NYC!

The menu offered several specialties that are pretty common: falafel, couscous, kebab...

So we had the falafel platter.

It was served with Tahini sauce, Lebaneh (cheese spread made with feta and sometimes cream cheese or mozzarella), hummus (chick pea spread) and some sort of ratatouille. The Falafel were just ok. A bit dry. However the hummus and Lebaneh were perfect on the pita bread that came with it!

We also had the lamb kebab.

It was supposed to be served with grilled vegetables. Unfortunately, they mainly served it with onions. Lots of onions. I also did not care about the pita they served with it: there was some tomato sauce on it and...onions...Too bad, because I really enjoyed the kebab itself: it had a delicious lamb taste and was very moist. 

We finished the dinner with a baklava and traditional mint tea.

The tea was good but I would have liked it stronger. It is the perfect drink with a baklava! The baklava was a bit dry, missing some honey.

So, at the end of the dinner, I was a bit disappointed. The food was just ok. I am sure there are better Lebanese restaurants in Berlin! So no need to go there!

Enjoy (the post)!

Duniya

Neue Roßstraße 11-12,

10179 Berlin 

Monday May 28th is National Burger Day: don't go to Sonic!!!

I tried Sonic because I was told that they have good burgers. I have no preconceive idea, so why not: you may end up with a big surprise!

Sonic is an old fast food chain founded in the 50's in Oklahoma. The one where I went was a drive-thru: as you can see on the photo, drivers park and will order from their car, through an inter-phone. Problem is that they had difficulties understanding my accent...but I ended up with the correct order! If you do not want to eat in your car, the only solution is to eat outside, on the patio, as there is no dining room. 

On the patio, it is the same principle: you order on the inter-phone.

Once your order is ready, a person on rollers will come to bring your order, napkins and sauces.

In term of menu, they had the classic: cheeseburger (with one or two patties), chicken sandwich, hot dog...So I went for the cheeseburger, one patty.

First, there was more lettuce than meat! And the meat looked grey! Not very appetizing.

Clearly not the best quality! And tasteless! Fortunately, I had the taste of the mayo and ketchup to give some flavor.

So, the cheeseburger was a miss. I was hopeful that the sides would be better. They had this great idea to propose small portions of sides for $1. It gives you the opportunity to try several. So we picked: onion rings, tater tots and fries.

The onion rings are supposed to be hand made. They were crispy, but had this weird sweet taste. I thought first that it was because of the onions they used, but there was definitely something in the batter that was throwing off the taste!

The fries were uneven: some were good and crispy, other were not. Fortunately, out of the three sides, the tater tots were good! A bit of crispiness, tasty and not greasy!

Last, I tried the milk shake. If was supposed to be hand dipped (meaning they use ice cream rather than a mix).

I chose a vanilla one. They definitely try to give a diner feel by adding whipped cream and a maraschino cherry on top. The milk shake was thick, but a bit tasteless. They probably did not put enough vanilla syrup in it. So again: a miss.

At the end of the day, I did not like what Sonic was proposing. I would go there only if there is no other option!

So, Monday May 28th being National Burger day, do not go to Sonic! Try more BLT Burger or Five Guys!

Enjoy (the post)!

European Vacation - Part 14 - Vino Caffe in Munich, Germany

If you read my post, you probably realized that my experience of German food was not that great. As I mentioned before, it might have been my cold or just the fact that I did not prepare enough the trip to make sure I would eat in the best places to try German cuisine. So I admit that from time to time, we had non German food, whether in Munich or Berlin. Interestingly enough, I noticed plenty of Asian restaurants (Thai, Indian...) as well as Doner cafe. And of course, Italian restaurants.

In fact, the best dinner I had in Germany, was at Vino Caffe, an Italian wine bar very close to our hotel. Clearly, the location was not ideal as not on a main street, but it seemed to be popular with mostly German customers (meaning, coming back because the food is good?).

I really liked the decor with this big shelf full of wine bottles that was separating the bar from the dining room.

The service was perfect and they were kind enough to describe the dishes for us as they did not have any menu in English.

We started with a Cream of white asparagus.

It was a large plate! The asparagus were mostly white but there were few slices of green ones. The soup was delicious: very creamy and tasty.

Then, we had homemade Taleggio cheese gnocchi. 

This was awesome! The gnocchi were very light and succulent; not only were they generous with the taleggio, but on top, they added parmesan and bacon for some slight smokiness! If you are at the same time a pasta and a cheese lover, this dish is for you! 

The last dish was seared scallops with a carpaccio of beets.

The presentation was beautiful with the nice contrast of colors. The scallops were perfectly seared and not rubbery at all. The beets were cooked and then very thinly sliced. Delicious!

I loved Vino Caffe: we had great cuisine for a good price! I would definitely recommend it!

VINO CAFFÉ

Hochbrückenstr. 14 / Ecke Herrnstr.

80331 München

www.vino-caffe.de

Enjoy (I did)!

Zylo Tuscan Steakhouse in Hoboken, New Jersey

It has been a while since I wanted to try Zylo in the W Hotel in Hoboken (it opened in 2009). They call themselves a Tuscan Steakhouse. Knowing that we like Steaks and Italian food, there was no more hesitation!

The restaurant was interesting: it looked more like a lounge than a restaurant with the low leather chairs and couches. We went on a Tuesday night and it was packed!

The service was perfect: efficient and extremely courteous.

Now, the most interesting thing about Zylo is the menu.

There is a wide variety of dishes that can satisfy every palate: pizza, pasta, fish and steaks. This time, we were there for the steaks! All steaks are prime meat, dry aged and finished with Tuscan olive oil and sea salt. They are all served with a watercress salad (nice, but I do not really care about the salad!).

So we tried the filet mignon.

We asked for the meat to be cooked medium and it came at the correct temperature. 

We also tried the bone-in ribeye.

We asked for medium rare. Both steaks were perfectly cooked, juicy and you could definitely taste a hint of olive oil and sea salt that made it delicious. The ribeye was 20 Oz and there was only the bone (and the salad) remaining at the end of the dinner on my plate! There was a bit of fat, but I love that, especially around the bone as it gives to the meat and the fat a stronger taste (in fact, when ordering a bone in filet mignon, the taste of the meat close to the bone will be between a filet mignon and a ribeye). It was so good that I think I devoured it!

Then we picked some sides. At the beginning, we thought about going for an appetizer (the tuna tartare) and a side. But then I saw that they were offering the pasta in small portions!

So we had the ricotta gnocchi.

The gnocchi were pretty good. Not the lightest I ever had, but good. The sauce was an heirloom pomodoro sauce (tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil) that had a nice thickness. All of this was topped with some parmigiano reggiano.

The other side was French fries. 

They were just ok for me. I like them more crunchy and would have loved truffled fries!

Last, was dessert. Yes, I know: you are surprised that after that we were still able to eat dessert. Well, as we were in a tuscan steakhouse, we went for the tiramisu.

It came with some white chocolate decoration and an expresso ice cream that were very good. But the most surprising thing was the tiramisu itself: it was immersed in a chocolate fudge. This was simply delicious! Not a traditional tiramisu, but a very interesting and amazing twist on it! Definitely something to try!

We really had a great dinner at Zylo and will definitely have to try their lunch and brunch menu that are mouth watering. It is great to discover another great restaurant in Hoboken!

Enjoy (I did)!

European Vacation - Part 13 - The Viktualienmarkt in Munich, Germany

If you like food, the Viktualienmarkt behing Marienplatz in Munich is the place to go. It used to be a farmers'market and is now a place where gourmets and Chefs shop for victuals. It is a huge market that is comprise of more than 140 stalls and shops. 

This is definitely a tourist place as it is one of many attractions that you can find in guides, but people from Munich also go there to get their food and lunch. There is definitely a relaxed atmosphere and you will see many people taking their time to eat or enjoy a delicious beer from Munich!

The market is kind of split by specialties. On one side, you will have a succession of stores that sell meat and sausages.

Shops were next to each other and tourists (like me) were trying to take photos...

Then, the seafood section was on the opposite side.

There, you could enjoy lobsters, shrimp, oysters; you name it.

Other stalls were selling cheeses from all over the world, as well as fruits and vegetables. Interestingly, as it was from season, we saw plenty of white asparagus and Germans seems to be fond of them!

There was even a vendor who was selling exotic fruits. For instance, I saw a durian, a fruit that I tasted once in Singapore, known for its smell (it is forbidden to carry it in public transportation and they are forbidden in hotel).

On top of this, there are plenty of vendors who offer lunches: you can eat sausages, pork meat in bread... We went for a veggie and cheese sandwich.

Yes, I admit that we were not very adventurous there. It is because we ended up in the market after having tried Ratskeller self-service with its awful potato pancake! Of course, after the sandwich, we ended up at Cafe Hag that I mentioned in a prior post...

If you are in Munich, the Viktualienmarkt is definitely a site to visit, even if you do not eat any food there.

Enjoy (I did)!

European Vacation - Part 12 - Bagel Company in Berlin, Germany

We were walking in Berlin, looking around when we ended up in front of the Bagel Company. Bagels did not originate in Germany, but the different stories I found confirm an Easter Europe origin directly or indirectly linked to Poland (some say it is coming from there, others that it was a viennese bread to celebrate the Polish King Jan III Sobieski for saving the people of Austria from Turkish invaders). What is sure is that they existed for Centuries before coming to the United States at the end of the 19th Century, brought by Jewish immigrants. 

I never had a bagel before going to London many years ago: bagels are not known in France. But the best bagels I ever ate were in the United States.

My favorite bagels are H&H bagels (in NYC) and Bagels on the Hudson (in Hoboken, New Jersey).

So, back to the Bagel Company: they have a large selection of sandwiches and spreads (curry/chicken, tuna, feta/tomato, or dried tomato and basil spread, lettuce and vegetables), as well as several types of bagels (plain, whole wheat...). The size of the bagels is probably 80% less than the one we find here.

So, first we tried the whole wheat with cream cheese.

It was good. Simple and good.

Then, we picked the Salami bagel.

It was served with cream cheese, salami, lettuce and tomato. It was good, but there was only one slice of salami, so you could barely taste it. I also preferred the whole wheat bagel. 

In term of price, it was a bit higher than what one would be paying here, but it is a safe choice!

Bagel Company‎
Rosenthaler Str. 69
10119 Berlin
030 40690001
www.bagel-company.com
Note: they have several locations in Berlin.

Enjoy (I did)!