My nephew culinary visit: day 2 / part 2 - John's pizzeria in Times Square, NYC, New York

That time, we wanted Valentin to try a good pizza. Not that where he lives there is none. In fact there is a large Italian community and lots of pizzerias. So, we decided to bring him to John's Pizzeria in Times Square. For the pizza, but mainly for the decor as this place, that opened in 1997, used to be the Gospel Tabernacle Church. 

The decor is fantastic, especially the ceiling that was kept untouched. It is also a huge place, supposed to be the largest pizzeria in the US.

The place was packed (it was Saturday night around 8:30pm) and they sat us in one of the dark adjacent rooms. We decided to start with some chicken wings:

They were served with blue cheese sauce, full of blue cheese chunks, and celery. They were delicious, but I would have liked a little bit of kick to it. 

Then, we ordered two pizzas, small size that is six slices:

The top one was the pizza bianca, made with ricotta and mozzarella cheese (no tomato sauce).

And the bottom one was the traditional, simply mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce:

The crust was good, crispy and not floppy, with a nice char. My favorite was the pizza bianca that fortunately did not have garlic. I also appreciated that both pizza had lots of cheese.

We had a great time at John's Pizzeria. However, I would go there for the decor rather than the pizza where I would go to Luzzo's or Motorino. Last, I have to mention that the service was not that great; but I guess it is the price to pay when dining in Times Square...

Enjoy (I did)!

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Product review: Sexypop, popcorn for snack and...skincare!

I rarely do product reviews: it happened in the past that I received products, but declined to review because I did not like them. So, when I was contacted to try Sexypop, a new line of popcorn from the founders of Pirates Booty, I was thrilled to try, but a bit skeptical. You are probably wondering why. Well, Sexypop is a line of popcorn that not only does not contain any GMOs, Gluten, trans fat, cholesterol or rbGH (bovine growth hormone), but it contains ingredients that are used for skincare, promising a...clearer skin! Yes, imagine: snacking on something healthy! You wonder how this is possible? Me too! But as the founder of Sexy Pop, Robert Ehrlich, says: "Sexypop contains nourishing ingredients such as Avocado & Seaweed, a combination poised to become the world's first edible skincare regimen."

They in fact enhanced the nutrients with vitamins, such as A, C and E.

Of course, my main goal was to check how healthy this popcorn was... I tried the following flavors they sent me:  Bangin' Cheddar, Black Pepper, Brazilian Coconut and Lightly Salted. 

If I had to rank them, I would say that my favorites were:

1 - Black pepper (photo below),

2 - Bangin'cheddar,

3 - Lightly salted,

4 - Brazilian coconut (not that much taste although when opening the bag, there was a nice coconut smell).

Popcorn is often associated with movie theaters and...tons of butter, but it is a great snack that we enjoy from time to time. So, I guess we can now do it while taking care of our skin!

Enjoy (I did)!

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My nephew culinary visit: day 2 / part 1 - Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, NY

We could not miss the occasion of my nephew's visit to go to Smorgasburg, the food festival that takes place every year in Brooklyn. We kept thinking that we should go so many times, but we had this image that it would be a pain, because far. We were wrong. In fact, recently, I ended up quite few times there and really enjoyed it, drooling in front of so many cool restaurants...

So here we are, at Smorgasburg in Williamsburg (it was a Saturday), located few minutes from the subway stop! Big place with a beautiful view of the New York skyline:

Despite what you may think looking at the photo, it was packed. 

We were very excited and decided to look around before hitting the first food joint, but it did not take us too long to start our food experience. First stop was Milk Truck Grilled Cheese:

We do not have grilled cheese in France, just croque monsieur, but a simpler version than the one you see in restaurants: no béchamel, just butter and a slice of cheese that will be cooked in a toaster. So it is pretty similar.

We decided to try the Ham and cheese:

It was made of Niman's ranch applewood smoked ham, Vermont aged cheddar and Colman's mustard on Blue Ribbon Bakery rosemary Pullman bread. It was very good, hot, perfect for a cold day. It had lots of cheese and a thick slice of ham, and the bread was deliciously crispy. 

We also tried the Milk Truck classic, made with aged Wisconsin gruyere, cultured butter on a Balthazar levain Pullman bread. 

It was delicious, with tons of cheese and, again, this delicious crispiness of the bread.

Next stop was Brooklyn Piggies for pigs in a blanket:

Another dish you will not find in France: sausage wrapped in a dough, whether croissant, biscuit or , like here, a puff pastry.

We decided to eat them with mustard and a BBQ sauce. They were delicious: the puff pastry was light and flacky, perfectly paired with the sausage that had a bit of smokiness.

Then we ended up at an interesting stand: Cheese Pops.

They serve cheese of course, but like lollipops or skewered, and propose a raclette one:

A bit of France there, but also Switzerland as they melt the cheese the way they do in that country for raclette, under a heated source:

So, the raclette pop is a skewer with pickles and roasted vegetables:

They will melt on top the cheese:

Et voila!

It was good, but there was definitely not enough cheese and the $9 we paid were not worth it...

Our next stop was at the BeeHive Oven:

There, they serve biscuit, that I love! They were cooking them on premisses, so they were fresh and hot.

We decided to order the simplest one: with butter and honey for $2 a piece.

That was so good! These biscuits were one of the best I tried so far, and so comforting. 

Next to it was Inglorius Yakitorius:

Where they propose yakitori of all sort: beef or chicken, but more intriguing, heart, liver or cartilage, cooked on their grill.

We decided to try the chicken heart and the chicken liver.

We decided to have them salted rather than with a sauce, so we could really taste the meat. It was very good, tender, but I was missing the char I love on grilled meat. Not to mention that Jodi was horrified, especially when she saw a valve on the pice of heart I was going to eat.

The last savory stop was Brooklyn Bayou for alligator chili:

It was made with alligator, andouille sausage, pork shoulder, tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic. We could see the pots of chili behind the counter:

They served the chili with some rice (overcooked) and some sour cream to counteract the spiciness.

It was good, but a bit overpriced ($10), although I do not know the price of a pound of alligator...If you ask me what it tasted like, I would be unable to answer, because they were so many ingredients smothered in the sauce, that it was not possible to identify it. I guess the only components we clearly identified was the sausage.

The last stop was S'more bakery:

We could not let Valentin leave without trying a S'more! 

We went for the S'morgasm, a sandwich made of two cinnamon sugar and clover honey graham crackers, a layer of Callebaut semisweet chocolate ganache and a bourbon-Madagascar vanilla bean marshmallow that is torched:

And here is the little sandwich:

Not only it looked good, but it tasted heavenly good! The marshmallow was so gooey and sticky, with a nice char taste. Definitely a great way to finish this culinary experience!

That was fantastic and I am happy that my nephew (and I) could try some food that you cannot find where he lives. My only regret is that we did not go earlier to Smorgasburg!

Enjoy (I did)!

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My nephew culinary visit: day 1 - steaks at Dino & Harry's in Hoboken, NJ

My brother and sister-in-law sent us for a week my nephew Valentin who turned 16 years old this year. We were all very excited to have him here and made it a culinary experience for two reasons: Valentin loves and appreciates food, and also because, where he lives, there is not as much diversity as in New York. So we skipped French restaurants and went for typical American as well as ethnic cuisine. First stop was at Dino & Harry's in Hoboken: you cannot come to this country without trying a steak!

I love this steakhouse that I consider one of the best: good quality of meat and they definitely know how to cook perfectly a steak.

So, while we were waiting for our steaks, we ate some delicious focaccia bread and breadsticks with some olive oil, catching up on the news from the family. 

Of course, Jodi ordered her favorite: petite filet mignon, perfectly cooked medium and served with mushrooms.

Delicious as usual, the meat was very tender and juicy.

Valentin and I shared the porterhouse for two:

It was a big piece of meat, where the strip loin (right) was separated by a T-shape bone from the tenderloin (left). We ordered it medium-rare and it was, again, perfectly cooked. The meat was tender, juicy, with a nice char on the outside. 

We ate it with some delicious béarnaise sauce:

For sides, we went for Mac & Cheese:

I was so happy to see that on the menu: it goes so well with a steak! It was nice and creamy.

We also shared the creamed spinach:

When I think that when I was a kid, I did not really like spinach! These were fantastic, probably because of the cream though...At least I could say that I had my share of greens that day...

Of course we could not leave without any dessert...Valentin tried the Snowboken, made of vanilla ice cream, chocolate fudge, marshmallow, crumbled Oreo cookies and shaved coconut.

On my side, I ordered the pear and almond tart:

It was served with a cinnamon ice cream that complemented well the tart. However, I was a bit disappointed by the almond part of it: not enough!

It was a good start for this visit, Dino & Harry's being a great place, and Valentin was amazed by the steak he just ate! It would for sure only be the beginning...

Enjoy (I did)!

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Two Little Red Hens in NYC, New York

Two Little Red Hens was recommended by Malini from The Restaurant Fairy when we met her and her husband, Yozo, at the blogger event organized by Tabélog at SakaMai. 

Two Little Red Hens is a tiny place located in the Upper East Side. There are just few tables inside to eat and, the problem with a place like this is that there are so many yummy things, people get stuck in front of the counter for a long time, not knowing what to order!

Jodi was very excited when she saw that they had a coconut cream pie!

It was made with coconut cream filling, coconut whipped cream and coconut shavings. It was pretty good, although I am not the biggest fan of coconut in shaving form (I know: weird!). It was light and not too sweet, very creamy.

On my side, I ordered two small cupcakes (they offer the regular and small size), that they wrapped together so they stay tight when transporting them in a bag. The first one was the red velvet with cream cheese frosting (right):

It was good, with a nice proportion cake / frosting. However, it was not the best I had so far (Sweet in Hoboken, NJ is the best!).

I also tried the Brooklyn Blackout cupcake, recommended by Malini:

It was fantastic! Not too sweet, made with chocolate cake, chocolate pudding and fudge frosting. My only regret was that I did not order a regular size one! It was so good! Moist, not too sweet and full of flavors, it is the perfect chocolate cupcake for chocolate lovers!

Trust me: it is not the last time I will be there! And, if you go, do not miss the Brooklyn Blackout!

Enjoy (I did)! 

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Maison, French Brasserie located Midtown, NYC, New York

Maison is a brasserie located Midtown that is opened 24/7. Its decor is really impressive, between the high ceilings and the giant old ads. The place is of medium size, benefiting from the outside area that is perfect on a warm day.

It has ben a while I did not go there: at least since I started this blog! The last time was with our friends Diana and Peter, for brunch, and I had a succulent duck confit crepe that is not anymore on the menu.

We went for brunch and did not start that well as they kind of forgot us...The manager came and apologized, offering us some drinks; I just went for coffee (sorry, no bellini)! But we thought the service would be better once they realized we were there, unfortunately, it was not the case: it was the poorest service we had in a long time! And it was so unusual for that place.

Concerning the menu, you will find lots of basic dishes you would find in brasseries, although the restaurant features mainly specialties from Brittany, such as crepes, as well as standard brunch dishes such as eggs Benedict.

Jodi decided to try their Croque Monsieur, made with ham and beer marinated Swiss cheese:

When ordering, they ask you if you want fries or the mixed salad. She picked the salad. The presentation was wonderfully rustic and appetizing! And the croque monsieur was delicious! The bread was soft and there was a lot of cheese.

On my side, I ordered the smoked ham and gruyere cheese crepe with a fried egg on top:

Similar to Jodi, I had choice between fries or salad: I picked salad. The crepe itself was just ok: too thin, you could barely taste it! However, there were a lot of ham and cheese and I loved the fact that the fried egg was cooked over easy, so I could dip the crepe in the runny yolk!

And it is only few seconds before our dishes came that they asked us if we wanted some bread with some sort of pepper butter and olive oil!!!

Despite the service, it was a good brunch and we will probably go back. This time, hopefully, it will be a more enjoyable experience!

Enjoy (I did)!

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The burger at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

I could not resist to go to DB Bistro Modern to try their burger, The Original DB Burger! Yes, you can skip the menu and bring it to me! You are probably wondering what this burger is; it is a sirloin burger filled with short ribs, foie gras and black truffle! Of course, it is pricey and some may say that they would never pay $32 for a burger, but they would for a steak frites though and, considering the ingredients, the price might just be right. 

DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

So, here we are, at DB Bistro Modern! The place is...modern, with a nice balance between the dark wood and red leather that is also present on the walls. It definitely gives a warmth and elegance to the place. I loved the black and white photos that were covering one of the walls: simply beautiful!

coffee at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

It took a while for somebody to take care of us, whether it was to bring us the menus or just water. I guess there were under staffed and our waiter was clearly overwhelmed, apologetic each time he was checking on us. Would that be a repeat of what happened at DBGB? Looked like it! 

sugar at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

Fortunately my coffee did not take too long!

bread at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

As well as some fresh bread, similar to pain de campagne.

bread and butter at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

Our food took a bit if time to come...and it even came earlier than the table next to us that ordered 5 minutes before! Jodi got her Croque Monsieur, served with a salad.

croque monsieur at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

It was made with Swiss cheese and there was a lot of ham. Unfortunately, the bread in the bottom was very hard to cut through because overcooked. Too bad, because otherwise it would have been a great one!

Then was my burger! It looked fantastic! The meat patty was huge (a bit difficult to eat...), and was resting on a Parmesan bun, with a tomato confit in the bottom and some red onions on top for a bit of crunch. 

burger at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

It was conveniently cut in half, revealing a piece if foie gras. I ordered it medium cooked and it was perfect: flavorful and juicy, the taste of the short rib definitely went through. In fact, you could see the short rib meat in the patty. 

burger at DB Bistro Modern in NYC, New York

The first bite was divine: you could definitely taste the sirloin, then the short rib and finally the foie gras (when biting in the center). However, I did not smell or taste any black truffle, making me wonder if there was really some in it. 

Let's not forget the fries that were very good and served with mustard, ketchup and a delicious homemade mayonnaise. 

It was good, but for me, if I want to go eat a fancier burger, I will pick the one in the tap room at Colicchio & Son's!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Zafra's in Hoboken, NJ

The last time I went to Zafra's was in March this year. We went there few times before, but that time, it was to drink their hot chocolate with machica that was ranked number 15 of the best hot chocolate in the US! We tried it and it was delicious, however, we were out of luck because their fryer was not working and they could not prepare some of the dishes we wanted to order. 

So we decided to go back for a Sunday brunch! The place was crowded: normal, considering it is a very popular restaurant in Hoboken!

I love this colorful tiny place, that serves some delicious Cuban and Latin food crafted by Chef Maricel Presilla!

Of course, we started off with the hot chocolate:

It was fantastic! Not too sweet, it had this fantastic flavor that emanated from the cinnamon.

Then, we decided to start with arepitas con queso, small arepas with cheese:

We got three of them, served with creme fraiche and salsa. It was very good: I love the taste and texture of the corn flower. The cheese was probably queso blanco. It was a great, inexpensive appetizer, perfect for sharing.

Then, Jodi ordered the Carimañolas con Huevos or Yuca Cheese Croquettes with two fried eggs:

It was served with pressed buttered Cuban bread that was delicious. It was an ok dish: the croquettes were a bit dough-y.

On my side, I ordered the Tortilla de Huevos y Maduros  or egg and ripe plantain omelet:

It was served with the same Cuban bread. I liked it, but would have liked a bit of cheese or cream to jazz up the dish a bit. However, the omelet was perfectly made.

We were hesitating to get dessert, when they brought us their tres leches, complimentary, because we accepted to switch tables to accommodate a large party.

It was a nice gesture that we could not refuse! And trust me: we would have been crazy to refuse! It was delicious!

It had this thick layer of meringue on top that was flambéed, and then, in the bottom, was the sponge cake that was drowned in the milk mix. This was fantastic: tasty and not sweet at all! Needless to say we finished it!

I will definitely go back there to try some other dishes. If you do go to Zafra's, I suggest the hot chocolate and the tres leches cake!

Enjoy (I did)!    

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Umami Shoppu in the West Village, NYC, New York

How could I miss a place like Umami Shoppu located few blocks from Union Square? Cheap and good food is always something I appreciate: you do not need to pay big bucks to eat well and this is another good example of that. I know: I usually finish my blog post with what I think about a place and starts rarely with my opinion. But sometimes, I just feel like it!

It is not a big place, but it can accommodate a nice number of customers. In the back is the sushi bar, where you can observe the Chef preparing sushi and rolls.

We went few times and here are some of the dishes we tried:

Umami pork buns:

There are two of them and I wished they were four! They were heavenly good: the delicious pork was smothered in hoisin sauce, giving some nice sweetness, while the cucumber added some crispiness.

We also tried the Roti pancake:

I love that dish: yes it can be greasy, but it is so good in that curry sauce, that is more Indian / Thai - adopted - than Japanese.

I also tried the fried squid, served with a chili sauce:

It was not greasy, crunchy and the squid was not rubbery. I loved the mix between the saltiness of the fried squid and the sweetness of the chili sauce that was not spicy at all.

Another dish I tried was the yakitory, those Japanese skewers that I discovered at Bambootori.

I decided to try three of them: chicken, beef and pork belly. All of them were fantastic: delicious, with a nice char taste, they were tender and smothered in a sauce made with hoisin, molasses, mirin (sake rice), sake and sesame.

Then, we tried the ramen! They propose four soup bases:

• Tonkotsu (pork bone)
• Miso (soy bean paste)
• Shoyu (soy sauce)
• curry (curry pork bone)

All ramen are made with bamboo shoot, bean sprout, scallions, flavored egg and nori (seaweed).

So I tried their Chasiu ramen (sliced pork):

First of all, they are generous with the amount of pork and, for $9.50, it is a very good deal! The broth, pork bone based (Tonkotsu) was delicious, milky and not salty, with a subtle taste, letting the different components in the bowl shine.

The next two ramen we tried are interesting because they are unusual! The first one was the fried chicken ramen with soy sauce soup base (Shoyu). 

They bring you the soup on one side and the chicken in a separate dish.

You can then either eat them separately or together, as I did, dipping the crispy pieces of chicken in the broth where lettuce was added. It was surprisingly good, except maybe that there was a lot of garlic. 

The other unique ramen was the wonton ramen with shoyu soup base (soy sauce):

This was interesting because wonton are Chinese and not Japanese! In fact, we met with one of the owners who is Chinese and he is the one who got this fantastic idea! Again, they were very generous with the number of wonton!

And trust me: these wonton were very good! Needless to say that Jodi ordered this dish each time we went!!! Concerning the soup, it was delicious: milky and not salty although with soy sauce.

This is definitely a place I will keep in my address book: the food is very good, not expensive and the service courteous and efficient.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Surprising food at Toloache in NYC, New York

I am not sure what I was expecting when I went to Toloache with my colleagues; probably simply Mexican food...Well, let say that it went beyond my expectations as you will discover in this post!

This two floor restaurant is very colorful, with paintings representing the Toloache also called Datura Innoxia, a flower used to make love potions, but also in Mexican witchcraft for darker purposes...

On the first floor is the bar, with its impressive choice of tequila, but where they also make fresh guacamole!

The menu, crafted by Chef Julian Medina is not as standard as you may think. Yes, they have tacos and quesadillas, but he made them his own. And for sure, if there was something I was not expecting to see, it was grasshoppers! Yes, you read it correctly: grasshoppers, or chapulines. Apparently it is a common ingredient in some parts of Mexico. There, they serve it in a taco. 

I have never tried grasshopper or any type of insect, at least willingly I guess. And I did not want to order the tacos just for that, as, if I did not like it, it would have been a waste of money. So, I asked our waitress wether it was possible to try some and she came back with a small ramequin full of them.

They are dried grasshoppers that they pan sear. We ate them like we would eat peanuts, putting everything in our mouth. It was crunchy outside and creamy inside, with a strong taste that had some hint of lime. It was good, but not to the point I would replace peanuts with it...

Then, it was time to eat some more usual things! We started off with guacamole. They make it fresh and propose a sampler of the three different kinds they serve:

Traditional (mild):

Simply made with avocado, cilantro, tomatoes, onion and serrano pepper.

Frutas (medium):

This was an interesting one, made with avocado, tomato, onion, Thai basil, habanero, pomegranate, mango, apple and peach.

It was deliciously sweet and I loved the fact that the pomegranate was not smashed, adding a nice texture and tartness to the dish.

The last one was Rojo (spicy):

It was made with avocado, tomatoes, red onion, chipotle and queso fresco. It was a bit spicy, but delicious. In fact, all of the guacamole was very good, perfectly seasoned, made with ripe avocado.

Then I tried the Tacos de Lechon:

It was made of suckling pig carnitas, chicharron (fried pork rinds), cactus salad and salsa verde.

I also tried the Tacos Costilla & Tuetano:

It was composed of beef short ribs, bone marrow, roasted red onions, jalapeños and Thai basil.

Both tacos where served with rice and beans. It was pretty good, but I admit that my favorite one was the short ribs and bone marrow that had bolder flavors, although the one with the suckling pig was interesting, with a bit of crunch coming from the fried pork rinds.

I will definitely go back to Toloache: the food was good and prices were reasonable. But this time, I will probably not eat grasshoppers...Or maybe I will!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Brunch at The Smith in NYC, New York

We were looking for a place to have brunch before going to the Moma for the Magritte exhibit, and ended up at The Smith, on the Upper West Side. We reserved of course as each time we passed by the place, it was packed. Good move I would say! Yes, it was fairly crowded, outside and inside, and people kept coming in! 

I like the place: bright, it has an interesting decor, like a modern brasserie, but with some retro elements. This place is owned and operated by Jeffrey Lefcourt and Glenn Harris who also own and operate Jane on West Houston Street (always packed too!). 

As we sat, they brought us some bread (baguette), butter, as well as tap and sparkling water. I admit that it is the first time they brought free sparkling water in a restaurant!

So, we first ordered some beverages. Jodi got herself a tea from Steven...Smith (not sure if it was on purpose...). 

I ordered a double espresso. Good, but $7 was a bit pricey! Was there gold in it???

Then, our first appetizer came: hot potato chips with blue cheese fondue. 

We could not resist ordering it! Chips and blue cheese pair so well! But we did not foresee that it would be so big! For sure, they were not cheap on the blue cheese either and it was a fantastic start! It is definitely a dish I recommend!

Then, Jodi ordered the ranchero scramble, their take on Huevos rancheros.

It was served with chipotle salsa, black beans, cheddar and avocado, on top of tortilla. It was ok for me: I prefer when the yolk is runny, mixing up with the salsa and the black beans. Theirs was a bit dry for my taste. 

On my side, I ordered the vanilla bean French toast. 

Presentation wise, the bananas did not look that appetizing. I also found them cooked uneven. However, the bread itself was delicious! Well soaked in the batter, it was thick and the vanilla taste came through. I also appreciated the fact that they served it with good maple syrup, not too sweet. 

At the end, we were stuffed and, even if I did not like everything, I would certainly go back to try some other dishes of their mouth watering menu! Maybe the burger or the lobster roll next time!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Motorino pizza in the East Village, NYC, New York

With a name like Motorino, who would have thought it was a pizza place? One would have thought it was related to an automobile or motorbike! Yes, Motorino is indeed a pizza place that started in 2008 in Williamsburg and opened some outposts in the East Village and...Hong Kong!

We found it while going to Luzzo's that is so far my favorite for Neapolitan pizza. So my expectations were high!!!

The place seems small from outside, but it can cater to a reasonable number of customers. The decor is simple and you cannot miss the beautiful pressed-metal ceiling. 

In the back is the kitchen, with the wood fire oven where they cook their pizza. 

The menu is small and you will not find there twenty different types of pizza. They also have a short list of appetizers, but know that their meatballs are apparently only available after 2pm (we went there for brunch and wanted to try them...They should mention that on the menu!). 

So, the pizza are small size pies, 4 slices, similar in size, if not slightly smaller from the pizza that you would get in France for one person. 

We decided to try the Margherita pizza:

It is a simple pie, made with tomato sauce (probably raw when preparing the pizza considering the color and taste), mozzarella di bufala (my favorite), basil and olive oil. There, they also add pecorino cheese. 

Pizza might be the only dish when burnt is welcome and the outside of the pizza had a fantastic char and bubbles that made it extremely appetizing! I loved it: the ingredients tasted fresh and the crust, with (again) its char, although floppy, was deliciously crispy.

The second pizza we tried was their brunch pizza! Pizza Al'Uovo or pizza with an egg!

I think it is a great idea to marry the pizza with one of the favorite meal of many people: brunch! It was made of fior di latte (mozzarella from cow milk), an egg, basil, smoked pancetta, pecorino, basil (nice amount) and chili oil.

There again, fantastic char and bubbles, floppy but crispy crust. The egg was perfectly cooked, the yolk being a bit runny (I dipped the pizza in it). This was full of flavors, from the smokiness of the pancetta to the kick the chili oil gave to the dish, as well as the fresh basil. This was a great pizza!

I loved the pizza there and will definitely go back to try some other one. Maybe for dinner so I can have the meatballs! Motorino is definitely on the top of my list, after Luzzo's, for Neapolitan pizza!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Magnum ice cream in Bryant Park, NYC!

I was recently invited to try the "Make your own" Ice cream bars from Magnum at Bryant Park. I love the make your own concept, that I experienced mainly with frozen yogurt.

So, first you pick your toppings. The place being small, it is limited. They have things like peanut butter cookie crumbs, salted pretzel, toasted coconut or rice krispies. You can pick up to three toppings.

Then, they will take an ice cream bar and dip it in either dark or milk chocolate.

Then, they will put the toppings you picked on top of you ice cream, drizzle some chocolate and add a chocolate chip with a M written on it, for Magnum.

I decided to go with milk chocolate, salted pretzels and rice Krispies.

Jodi went for milk chocolate, toasted coconut and rice krispies:

This was fantastic: the ice cream was very creamy and personally, I love the sweet and salty flavor. Serving it on a little tray was smart as otherwise it would be too messy to eat.

It is definitely something I would try again and so you know, each ice cream is $6, that is a pretty reasonable price! 

Located W40th and 6th avenue!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Ice cream at Il Laboratorio Del Gelato in NYC, New York

Gelato always reminds me of our trip to Italy few years ago where we had gelato on a daily basis! Coconut for Jodi and Hazelnut or nutella for me! I remember that, at the time, it costed 2 Euros and we had a huge amount of it!

So, here we are at Il Laboratorio Del Gelato or the Ice Cream Laboratory. 

They did a good job making it look like a laboratory where they experiment and create incredible ice cream such as olive oil or tarragon! I tried the olive oil ice cream and it was fairly good, with sufficient taste of olive oil.

Jodi decided to order coconut and marshmallow:

I went for cookies and cream, and chocolate and hazelnut:

I liked the marshmallow and cookies and cream ice cream: they were creamy and tasty, the cookies and cream having some decent chunks of oreo cookie. But I was extremely disappointed by the chocolate and hazelnut one: you could barely taste the hazelnut and the chocolate was a bit bitter. When I ordered it, I thought it would be similar to nutella: not at all! 

Then, for the first time, I saw Jodi not eat her coconut ice cream! I tried it and it is true that it was lacking coconut taste.

At the end, I am on the fence for Il Laboratorio Del Gelato and may go back to try other flavors. At this point, I still think that Eataly or Grom are better.

Enjoy (...)!

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BBQ at Hill Country in NYC, New York

Recently, we went back to Hill Country with Jodi's cousins Jessica and Michael and their two kids, Alex and Brian. I was excited for many reasons, besides sharing a meal with them: the main one being that I love BBQ. It was also an opportunity to revisit it as my last visit was last year.

The place, that serves Texas BBQ, is similar to most of the BBQ places I went to: wood, wood and again wood.

But then, the experience is different: they sit you at a table where you will order beverages, but when it comes to the good, you need to order at the counter. So, they give each person of the party a ticket that will be stamped with the cost if the items you order.

Do not lose that ticket, otherwise, similar to Katz's, you will be in trouble and pay a high price!

They have three counters: the meat, where they will carve the meat.

You just need to ask them what you want, type and quantity, as they sell by the pound. They also propose some samplers for a fixed price.

Then, the sides:

I should probably mentioned that the guy serving us at the meat station was very courteous, not like the one at the sides station!!!

The last one is for desserts, that you can also order at the table.

We were ready for a feast! A good sign was the paper towel roll that they put on each table, that prefigure some finger licking!

So, Jodi decided to order a salad, but we also shared some deviled eggs.

I liked them, probably because I love mayo and there was a lot if it!

We also shared some Mac & Cheese, that were good, but I would have liked them creamier.

We also tried the corn pudding that was deliciously sweet.

Then, I created my own sampler! They put it in brown paper

That I delicately unwrapped, as I would if it was a gift!

There, I had:

Beef shoulder:

Moist brisket:

Beef rib (huge):

Pork rib:

I was a bit disappointed by the meat... The brisket was extremely fatty, the pork rib dry and salty and the beef rib a bit dry and tough. The only piece of meat I enjoyed was the beef shoulder that was tender and moist.

Fortunately there was dessert! We ordered the banana pudding that was spectacular: light and not too sweet, I could have eaten several of them.

We had a good time all together and it was a fun dinner, despite the fact that the meat was not that great. I still think that Southern Hospitality or Brother Jimmy serve a better BBQ at a better price.

Enjoy (I did)!

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The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop in the East Village, NYC, New York

It's been a while since we wanted to try the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop: we heard about it so much and saw it few times on some of the TV shows we follow. It all started with a truck in 2009 and two years later, they opened this location in the East Village.

And trust me: it was crowded! To a point that the person you see on the photo, who made us laugh a lot, was directing traffic into the store.

It is a very small place with a passion from unicorns apparently...

Yes, unicorns everywhere!

There, you will not find your regular ice cream: it is not Mr Softee! They use ingredients like sea salt, dulce de leche, vanilla wafers, key lime curd...

On my side, I decided to order the Monday Sundae:

It was made of twist ice cream, dulce de leche, sea salt and whipped cream. The best part was the cone that was lined with Nutella! Yes, Nutella, one of my favorite spreads! And they put a nice quantity of it! It was a bit sweet, but I loved the sweet and salty taste.

Jodi went for the Salty Pimp:

It was made of vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, sea salt and dipped in milk chocolate, that created a delicious coating.

These ice cream were decadent and fantastic! I also liked the ice cream holder that allowed not to have ice cream dripping on our hands. I will definitely go back!!!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Hunter's in Brooklyn, New York

We were recently invited to Hunter's, a restaurant located on the thriving Smith street in Brooklyn. It is a young restaurant considering that it opened in November 2012. Its name and different drawings on the menu and their website screams hunting, and the association of hunting and restaurant made me think, besides meat and animals like boar or deer, of natural / organic products. Well, Hunter is the name of the dog of the Chef, Angelo Schifilliti, who co-owns the place. I can tell you that when talking about his dog, we could see a light in his eyes: he loves him so much that he gave his name to the restaurant!!!

The place has a nice decor, with exposed bricks, tin ceiling, wooden floors and wooden furniture. We went for dinner and the light was dimmed and warm, giving an intimate feel to the place. The restaurant was unusually packed for a Tuesday and they were slightly understaffed; however, it did not affect the service that was extremely courteous and efficient, and not only to our table. I mentioned to Jodi at some point during dinner, that it reminded me a little bit the restaurants at La Butte Aux Cailles, a popular area in Paris, full of bars and unpretentious restaurants similar to this one. 

When I learnt that they were participating in the Shaken and Stirred best of Brooklyn cocktail contest that day, I inquired about the cocktail list. It is made of two categories: signature and seasonal. I decided to go for the Handsome Hound (guess to whom it refers to?) that is one of their signature cocktails. 

It was made of Breuckelen corn & rye whiskey (the bottle is used for tap water!), orange & barrel bitters, sweet vermouth and brandied cherries. I can tell you that this cocktail delivers and is perfect if you like whiskey!

Then, we had a tough time deciding what to order. The seasonal menu is small, but here were so many things I wanted to try. So we asked our waiter what their popular dishes are and followed some of his suggestions. I ordered the chicken liver & bacon mousse, one of heir signature dishes. 

It was served with a deliciously sweet shallot marmalade, pickles (carrots, onions and haricots verts - string beans) and some bread. They present it in a rustic way, on a piece of wood, stacking the different components next to each other. The mousse was fantastic: smooth and a bit smokey (not too much), thanks to the bacon. I ate it with and without the shallot marmalade that added a nice sweetness to the dish, counteracting the sour taste of the pickles. 

Jodi ordered their butternut squash agnolotti (home made!):

They were served with sage brown butter, spiced pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and Brussels sprouts. This was spectacular! The agnolotti were thin, so there was a nice proportion butternut squash / pasta. The brown butter was perfect with it and I loved that they put the pumpkin seeds that added some crunch. It was my favorite dish. Also,t they serve in two sizes: appetizer or entree. 

For entree, Jodi ordered the Mac&Cheese, made with fusili pasta, smothered in Parmesan, cheddar and gruyere. 

It was very creamy and they were generous with the amount of cheese! It was topped with breadcrumbs that added a nice crunch (again?). It is an entree and it might be a good idea to serve it as a side!

On my side, I decided to go for the chicken. I admit that I hesitated with their burger, but the burger is not seasonal. 

It was a roasted organic chicken (good serving), butterflied, laying on sweet potato mash and roasted Brussels sprouts. The chicken was perfectly cooked and moist. I loved the garnish: the Brussels sprouts were delicious and the mash had this nice sweetness hat made me want to have more. 

Then, it was time for my favorite part of the meal: dessert. Ok, I lied: my favorite part is The meal!!!

Jodi ordered the ricotta fritters with dulce de leche:

They were made to order and came hot. I think this is the kind of dessert that can be addictive! I ate them with or without the dulce de leche that was a bit dense. 

I decided to order the nutella bread pudding. 

It was a nice piece, served with whipped cream. In term of consistency, it was perfect. I really do not like dry bread pudding and this one was soft and moist. It was good, but I admit that I expected the Nutella taste to come through. 

This was a great experience: delicious food and great atmosphere. I really like their menu that is not big and it shows hat it is better to have a small menu executed well rather ham a big menu poorly executed. In fact we asked the Chef how he creates his menu and he said: "I serve what I would eat". Of course, he goes through quality control: his wife, who is the only person who tells him the truth about his food, bluntly, a sentiment familiar to Jodi when she asks me my opinion about her painting...

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

Ippudo West Side in NYC, New York

Who doesn't know Ippudo, considered the best ramen place in NYC? Their location in the East Village was our first immersion to the ramen craze that has been shaking the City in the past couple of years. But one Ippudo was not enough! So, they opened a new one Midtown, on 51st between 8th and 9th, bringing some concurrence to Totto Ramen. We decided to go on a Saturday, at the opening, fearing that the place would be packed. It was not the case, but rapidly, a crowd craving for noodles stormed the restaurant. 

The layout is nice: first is the bar, that serves sake as well as draft Japanese beer (look at the handles that look like swords!). 

Then, the main room, in a U shape, that overlooks the kitchen. 

Then the dining room. 

Similar to the flagship restaurant, when you arrive, they will shout in Japanese the number of people in the party and ask everybody to welcome them, followed by cheers. When a dish comes out of the kitchen, they will also shout the name before bringing it to the table. All of this adding a bit of folklore to the restaurant. 

In term of food, Ippudo serves other things than ramen, but it was what we wanted to get. But before, we wanted to try their pork buns:

I discovered them at Momofuku Noodle Bar and I admit that I never miss an occasion to order them! These were really good! The pork was perfectly cooked, moist with the right balance between fat and meat. The bun themselves were soft and a bit sticky, perfect! A nice addition was the lettuce that have some crunch to the dish. Delicious!

Then, came the ramen! I went for the Shiromaru Hakata Classic with nitamago (soft boiled egg) and kakuni (braised pork belly): 

It was made with “Tonkotsu” (pork) broth with Ippudo Westside’s signature Dashi; thin noodles topped with pork loin chashu, sesame kikurage mushrooms, menma ( lactate-fermented bamboo shoots), red pickled ginger, and scallions.

I have to say that the soft boiled egg at Ippudo is fantastic! It was literally melting in my mouth! I definitely recommend it!

I added the braised pork belly, but it was very disappointed. Overcooked for sure. 

In fact, even the pork loin chashu was a bit overcooked and dry, but, thanks to the broth that was delicious, it was passable...By the way, did I mention that Jodi gave me her portion of pork chashu?

Jodi got the Akamaru Modern:

It was made of pork broth; thin noodles topped with Ippudo’s secret “Umami Dama” miso paste, pork chashu, cabbage, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions and garlic oil. 

The broth was delicious, not salty, with a great miso taste, thanks to the miso paste. She also added the fantastic soft boiled egg in her dish.

I admit that I was a bit disappointed by the new location from Ippudo. Maybe because I discovered less pricey and hype ramen places in the city, such as Umami Shoppu, Ramen Takumi or the delicious Hide-Chan Ramen!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Blogger event at Pie Face in Chelsea, New York

Last week, I was invited to a blogger event at Pie Face in Chelsea, the 6th location of this Australian bakery, location that opened couple of weeks ago. Last year, I blogged about Pie Face, after discovering these delicious little pies at their first location on 52nd and Broadway (check out the post here). 

Similar to the other locations, the place is small and you cannot miss the delicious smell when entering, smell coming from the open kitchen where they bake the goods!

The pies are the same in each location and, after they are cooked in the oven, they will be placed in the display that will keep them warm.

For this event, they organized the back of the restaurant as a VIP section.

There, we were treated with savory, but also sweet food, paired with some prosecco.

The savory pies were:

Tandoori vegetable pies:

And minced beef pies:

I was also able to try the chicken and mushrooms one!

The crust is made of a butter dough that is very flakey and...buttery. Inside, the filling is not solid, maybe to ensure that it will not be dry when it cooks or as they keep the pies warm. My favorite was the minced beef one that was very tasty. Then, the tandoori vegetable pie that was packed with flavors and spices. I admit that my least favorite was the chicken and mushrooms.

For dessert, we had some new additions for the Holiday season:

Pumpkin spice drop cookies:

It was dry and the kind of cookie perfect with a tea or coffee:

And in fact, I tried their coffee! They propose decaf, medium and strong. I picked strong and it was surprisingly very good! 

Then, there was coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate:

They were big and looked spectacular. They were very good too! Dense for sure!

Then, they served us pecan pies!

That was my favorite dessert of all! Fantastic buttery crust, not too sweet, it was perfect.

But it was not the last dessert I tried...They had a wheel of fortune and I won a Lamington!

This is a great cake: a very light sponge cake with strawberry jam, smothered in chocolate and coconut flakes.

I loved it and Jodi was in heaven! This is definitely a cake I recommend. 

What I love at Pie Face is the various pies, sold in two sizes, my preference going for the small size so I can try several of them. But do not miss the desserts they propose: they are fantastic! My favorites? Lamington, pecan pie, lemon pie and cherry pie; and I still have more to try!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

An Italian Culinary Experience with Casa Vinicola Zonin and Osteria Del Circo!

An Italian Culinary Experience with Casa Vinicola Zonin and Osteria Del Circo!

I was recently invited by Casa Vinicola Zonin for an Italian Culinary Experience. This is my second event of that sort and I admit that I love it, because it is not only about the wine, but also about the marriage of wine and food. This time, the wine was paired with the food from Osteria Del Circo, one of the many restaurants from the Maccioni family. If you are a foodie, this name cannot be totally unknown! They own few restaurants, the iconic one being Le Cirque! And we got the privilege to meet with one of the Maccioni brothers: Marco. We even spoke with him after the event, for couple of minutes and he was very nice! During the evening, organized at The International Culinary Center, he entertained us with great stories from his family, and making me realizing how big Le Cirque is, considering how many renown Chefs worked there, from Francois Payard, Jacques Torres, Daniel Boulud or Geoffrey Zakarian. The way Marco told these stories, you could feel that he was proud and it was not pretentious at all, making us forget that we were at a marketing event, and giving us the impression that we were invited at some friends' gathering and Marco was one of the guests. 

Osteria Del Circo

Interesting enough, he presented Osteria Del Circo as the anti-Le Cirque, giving as an example the fact that you have to wear a tie at Le Cirque and not at Osteria Del Circo. We saw few years ago a documentary called

A Table in Heaven

, where the brothers tried to persuade their father not to impose such a formal attire. We mentioned it to Marco whose reaction was "Oh God!"...  

Also present was the Casa Vinicola Zonin crew, Jelena, Paolo and Francesco, as well as Chef Alfio Longo who is the executive chef of the kitchen at Osteria Del Circo.

An Italian Culinary Experience with Casa Vinicola Zonin and Osteria Del Circo!

A student from the ICC, Chef Alfio Longo, Marco Maccioni, Francesco Rabellino and Jelena  Meisel

(Paolo, where were you???)

Chef Longo has an interesting story: born in Germany to an Italian family, he was raised in a small town close to Florence called Pistoia. After developing a culinary passion and studying at the F. Martini Culinary & Hotel Management & Tourism Institute in Montecatini where he graduated in 1998, he worked in famous restaurants in Italy. In 2003, as a sous Chef at Uno Piu Restorante in Montecatini, he impressed Sirio Maccioni and his family so much, who were spending the summer there as it was their hometown, that they proposed him a job! After many tribulations and travels around the world, he was appointed Executive Chef at Osteria Del Circo in New York City.

An Italian Culinary Experience with Casa Vinicola Zonin and Osteria Del Circo!

So, with such a cast, we were ready for this long awaited Italian Culinary Experience! 

An Italian Culinary Experience with Casa Vinicola Zonin and Osteria Del Circo!

We started off with canapés, one bite food. The first one was tomatoes and mozzarella:

tomato and mozzarella at Osteria Del Circo in NYC, New York

Then, my favorite: prosciutto wrapped figs!

prosciutto wrapped figs at Osteria Del Circo in NYC, New York

This was simple, but heavenly good, with the saltiness of the prosciutto and the sweetness of the fig complementing each other.

After, smoked salmon canapés:

smoked salmon canape at Osteria Del Circo in NYC, New York

This was a fantastic way of preparing our palates for what would be an incredible experience! These canapés were served with Zonin Prosecco, which was also the welcome drink.

Prosecco from Casa Vinicola Zonin

Then came the first dish: Vitello Tonnato, salasa verde and capperi or veal tenderloin, tuna sauce, salsa verde and capers:

veal tenderloin, tuna sauce, salsa verde and capers at Osteria Del Circo in NYC, New York

The way the Chef prepared it was by cooking the veal in boiling water for one hour, making it moist and tender, then cutting it carpaccio style. He will then roll it around the marinated canned tuna mixed with aioli (to simplify, mayonnaise with garlic) and capers. The salsa verde was made with parsley, mint and avocado.

This was a surprising dish in the sense that I never had meat and tuna together. Canned tuna and mayo does not scream elegance, but I think the Chef succeeded in elevating the dish and make it elegant. I really liked the different flavors and wanted more of the salsa verde that was not too overpowering, added some freshness and let the other components of the dish shine.

Vermentino Calasole Rocca Di Montemassi 2011 from Casa Vinicola Zonin

It was paired with a glass of Vermentino Calasole Rocca Di Montemassi 2011, a dry white wine, tangy and crisp.

The second dish was Pasta Paccheri All Anatra, Zucca and Funghi or Del verde paccheri pasta, with braised duck, butternut squash and mushrooms:

Del verde paccheri pasta, with braised duck, butternut squash and mushrooms at Osteria Del Circo in NYC, New York

It was a very hearty dish, made with pasta that I never tried before! Chef Longo picked this pasta, not only because they are not common, but also because he wanted thick pasta to go with the duck ragout which had robust flavors. Chef Longo cooked the duck in red wine and vegetables (celery, carrots and onion) for three hours. That is true that the pairing with the thick pasta, as well as the butternut squash was perfect to add a bit of texture and the latter added a nice sweetness, subtle, but nice.

The wine served with it was my favorite of the night and will be in store in approximately a month: Berengario Zonin.

Berengario Zonin from Casa Vinicola Zonin

This wonderful wine from Northern Italy is made of grapes from merlot and cabernet sauvignon, named after the first king of Italy.

Dry and soft, it was perfect with the bold flavor of the ragout.

The next dish was Trippa classic con crostone ai carciofi or Italian-style tripe with a gratiné artichoke bruschetta:

Italian-style tripe with a gratiné artichoke bruschetta at Osteria Del Circo in NYC, New York

It has been so long I did not have tripe and I was very excited to try that dish! It is a traditional dish where the tripe is cooked for four hours in tomato sauce. It smelled very good and the first bite was divine. The tripe was not chewy and perfectly cooked and the sauce had a robust flavor,  counterbalanced by the bruschetta (first eat the tripe, then the bruschetta); another hearty dish for sure.

It was served with a glass of Chianti: Classico Le Ellere Castello D'Albola 2009.

Classico Le Ellere Castello D'Albola 2009 from Casa Vinicola Zonin

This was another great red wine (yes, the bottle is empty, but it is not my fault!). The way they describe it is: 

"Offers a medium red ruby color and a perfumed light cherry nose with touches of toast. The wine finishes soft with round tannins and dry sweet fruit flavors".

That was perfect for this dish that was rich and had strong flavors.

Last was the dessert: tiramisu!

tiramisu at Osteria Del Circo in NYC, New York

If there is one thing that an Italian restaurant must make perfectly is tiramisu and Chef Longo made one that I will remember for a while!!! It was amazingly delicious: creamy, with the right balance of ingredients, with the perfect amount of coffee and not too sweet. In fact, they paired it with a glass of Rosato Castello Del Poggio that we tried the last time, which was a great choice for this dessert.

Rosato Castello Del Poggio from Casa Vinicola Zonin

This wine is made with a blend of moscato bianco and pinot noir grapes. I love the way their describe the bouquet and flavor:

"Fruity and floral, with delicate rose and exotic fruit scents.Fresh and pleasantly sweet with a taste that reveals its varietal characteristic".

An Italian Culinary Experience with Casa Vinicola Zonin and Osteria Del Circo!

Thank you to the Casa Vinicola Zonin, Osteria Del Circo, Delverde pasta USA and the International Culinary Center for hosting us: this was a great evening that not only allowed us to discover some great wine and food, but also to learn more about one of the iconic families of the culinary world in this country.

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Please note that, in accordance with the FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!