Restaurant Week: Abboccato
Taking advantage of Restaurant Week, I went for lunch at Abboccato, an all Italian restaurant located Midtown West, behind the Ziegfeld Theater. Abboccato meaning palatable in Italian, my expectations were high.
The place is fairly big with three distinctive areas. The bar:
The main dining room and a smaller dining room next to the entrance.
For restaurant week, they proposed a menu for $25 comprising an appetizer, an entree and a dessert.
As we were choosing our dishes, they brought us some Italian breads: focaccia and sticks.
They then poured some olive oil that I really like as a replacement to butter. The bread was decent.
For the appetizer, I picked the fried polenta crusted calamari. It was served with a San Marzano tomato sauce that was supposed to be spicy (it was definitely not).
I really liked it: it was crispy and the calamari not chewy. You could sometimes feel some polenta grains when biting into it.
Then I got the sweet potato ravioli.
The ravioli was perfectly made, thin and delicate, filled with a mix of sweet potato and ricotta, served with a brown butter sauce and hazelnuts. The filling was a bit too sweet and I would have liked a little less as it was overpowering the ravioli. However, the combination with brown butter was fantastic and I just wished at that point that they put more sauce.
One thing I should mention is that the lunch menu had tagliatelle instead of the ravioli printed on it as a choice for entrees, the ravioli being proposed in the price-fixe dinner. They apparently made a change that they communicated to me, but did not update their lunch prix-fixe or their computer. So, when my dish came, it was...the tagliatelle. As I was set for the ravioli, I sent it back and they were really apologetic about it, bringing my dish not too long after.
For dessert, I chose a tiramisu.
The serving in a glass hinted for a creamy one. And it was. The lady fingers were heavenly soaked in coffee and the cream quite light, but a bit bland. It was an ok tiramisu.
My lunch at Abboccato was decent; it did not wow me to the point that I would like to go back on another occasion, like I would for Tamarind or Remi. If I really wanted to eat Italian in this area, I would probably go to Circo that is located on the same block.
Enjoy (...)!
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| * Restaurant Name | |
|---|---|
| Abboccato | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★☆☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Midtown West / Italian | |
| * Street Address | |
| 136 West 55th St., New York, NY 10019 | |
| * Phone | |
| (212) 265-4000 |
Johnny Pepperoni in Hoboken, NJ
The night of the Super Bowl, we decided to go to Johnny Pepperoni to try their pizza as a friend of Jodi recommended that place. Needless to say that this was the perfect night as the place was empty!
I discovered there that the owner, local restaurateur John Avoletta, also owns City Bistro, a popular bar Uptown Hoboken; so I figured at that point that it was not just some random pizza joint. It is a place of a good size that serves Italian food only, from pasta to pizza, and even more. Too bad as I was craving wings...
The restaurant had a nice feel, with its red and white checkered tablecloth and the black and white photos of Italy on the walls.
On the right of the entrance is the open kitchen and on the left the dining room.
We decided to start our dinner with Arancini Di Riso, that are fried rice balls with cheese and prosciutto.
They were served in a thick tomato sauce that had a bold taste. The balls themselves were delicious: crunchy on the outside and cheesy on the inside. I simply loved it and they were probably some of the best I ever tried.
Then, we shared the square pie:
Made with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, it was cooked in a pan with extra virgin olive oil.
It was a slightly thinner version of a Sicilian. The crust was crispy and the sauce deliciously thick. There was also a lot of cheese. The pizza was quite big and I am glad Jodi stopped me when I proposed to order a second one!
For dessert, we ordered the homemade tiramisu.
It was good and light, but I would have preferred more cream, i.e a better proportion cream vs lady fingers.
The food at Johnny Pepperoni was very good and I definitely recommend the Arancini. I am sure it is not the last time I will be there!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Lunch at Tamarind, Indian cuisine, in Tribeca, NYC, New York
Continuing our discovery of restaurant through Restaurant Week offers, I picked Tamarind, an Indian restaurant located in Tribeca. I saw that they offer an Executive Lunch for $25, so there was little risk for us to go there for Restaurant Week.
Sadly, the scaffoldings on the art deco building this place is located in are masking the restaurant, but, as soon as you enter, you cannot miss the fantastic decor and the space.
So we sat at a table close to the kitchen that opened into the dining room.
Before we ordered our food, they brought us some rice with mint sauce as an amuse-bouche.
This was a nice way to start, the dish being flavorful, with a bit of spiciness.
As a beverage, I ordered a mango lassi that was not too sweet and perfect to fight any heat that the dishes had:
Then, we ordered our appetizers. Jodi went for the spinach and watermelon salad:
It was composed, besides the watermelon and spinach, of grilled paneer (cheese), and drizzled with a tamarind-balsamic dressing. I really liked it as it was refreshing and the cheese and watermelon paired very well together, the cheese being chewy and the watermelon crunchy, giving a nice texture to each bite.
On my side, I ordered the crab nazakat:
It was made of lump crab meat, mustard seeds, curry leaves, lemon zest, honey and coconut, and was served with a papadum. I liked it although a bit watery: it was refreshing and had a nice balance of flavor, the sweetness of the honey balancing the acidity of the lemon zest. However, if it was not for the place and the papadum, I would not have associated this dish with Indian cuisine.
Then, we had to pick two entrees. Jodi ordered the Potli Baingan:
It was eggplant smothered in a sauce made with potatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, cumin and coriander seeds. That was very good! I truly appreciated the fact that the eggplant was not overpowered by the sauce that was creamy and mild.
Her second choice was mehti paneer:
It was paneer (cheese) bathed in a thick sauce made with fenugreek leaves, coriander, yogurt, onion and garam masala. This was delicious too, the sauce being smooth and very tasty.
On my side, I ordered Murg Kali Mirch and Taar Korma.
Murg Kali Mirch were some pieces of chicken that were seasoned and grilled with a sauce that had white and black pepper.
This was delicious: the chicken was perfectly cooked and moist, with a nice char and the sauce thick and a bit spicy. Definitely a dish I recommend.
The second dish, Taar Korma, was lamb smothered in a tomato and yogurt sauce that had ginger juice and saffron.
That was another fantastic dish: the lamb was very good, and the sauce delicious. In fact, I could have eaten it with or without the lamb, simply with some naan bread, or with the five spice rice that was served with our dishes.
They also brought us the vegetable side of the day that was made with spinach and potatoes:
That was a nice addition to our meal, although I wish there was more potato (we got only one small piece).
They also brought us some naan that was fluffy, with some nice char.
Last was dessert. Jodi ordered the Mango Shrikand that was like a mango yogurt with pieces of mango on top.
On my side, I ordered Khubani Halwa:
It was made with apricot, almond and honey.
I really liked the texture and taste of it and it was not too sweet. It was perfect with the double espresso I drank with it.
I really liked my lunch at Tamarind: I think this restaurant is really embracing the concept of restaurant week by making people discover their cuisine, proposing them not one but two entrees as well as an amuse-bouche and an additional side. Needless to say that at the end of the meal I was full, content to have a good deal, and looking forward to going back for dinner to discover other dishes.
Enjoy (I did)!
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| * Restaurant Name | |
|---|---|
| Tamarind Tribeca | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| TriBeCa / Indian | |
| * Street Address | |
| 99 Hudson St., New York, NY 10013 | |
| * Phone | |
| (212) 775-9000 |
Celebrating Restaurant Week at Remi, in Midtown West, NYC, New York
It is no secret that I am not a big fan of Restaurant Week, because a lot of restaurants are using this event more to make money than making people discover their cuisine. In the past, I had bad experiences at steakhouses (check out my try out at Dino & Harry in Hoboken), as well as all american restaurants like Beacon (closed since) where we ended up with a hefty bill because of all the supplements they were asking for dishes whether it was appetizers or entrees. So it has been a while since I took the opportunity to go to a restaurant offering a menu for Restaurant Week, but this time, I had a strategy: I picked restaurants that usually have a lunch prix-fixe.
That is how I ended up at Remi, an Italian restaurant located Midtown Manhattan that was not unknown to me.
Remi is an upscale Italian restaurant with a clientele that is more business than tourists. In terms of decor, it has this impressive mural representing Venice and its canals.
The $25 menu for restaurant week includes an appetizer, an entree and a dessert with a choice for vegetarians. After we ordered, they bought us some bread (there was focaccia) that was delicious dipped in olive oil.
For the appetizer, I ordered the Melanzane e Mozzarella alla Parmigiana similar to an eggplant parmesan:
It was in fact a baked eggplant and mozzarella gratinee with a tomato sauce. If you look at the photo, you can see that there was a lot of cheese, and I mean a lot! I loved that dish: this is a more decadent version of an eggplant parmesan. The sauce was not as light as they advertise and had a bold flavor and the eggplant was perfectly cooked. This was a fantastic dish and I am surprised that they are proposing it as an appetizer only.
For the entree, I picked the Fegato alla Veneziana or “Venetian Style” Calf Liver:
The liver was sautéed with onions and served with a creamy polenta. Although the liver was gamey, I really enjoyed the dish, the sauce having a bit of acidity to offset the sweetness of the onions. The polenta was also perfect, creamy and not dry, it was an excellent choice of garnish.
Last was dessert. I went for the Crema Catalana or crème brûlée:
That was very good: not too sweet, the custard was well set, with a nice torched sugar crust on top. This dessert was perfect with a double espresso.
This was a delicious meal at Remi and I am glad I picked this place for Restaurant Week. So in case you are not sure where to go, I suggest you check out this place! And do not forget that they have a prix-fixe all year long.
Enjoy (I did)!
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| * Restaurant Name | |
|---|---|
| Remi Restaurant | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Times Square / Italian | |
| * Street Address | |
| 145 West 53rd St., New York, NY 10019 | |
| * Phone | |
| (212) 581-4242 |
French dinner at Sel et Poivre on the Upper East Side, NYC, New York
When I received an invite for a press dinner at Sel et Poivre, a French bistro on the Upper East Side, I was very excited...and curious. Yes, curious because there are so many restaurants claiming to serve French cuisine in the City, when in fact their menu is at most inspired. Not that it is bad, but there are not that many places that serve classic French dishes besides the usual steak frites or the quiche Lorraine.
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Sel et Poivre (salt and pepper in English) has been opened since 1989 and is currently owned by husband and wife, Pamela and Christian Schienle. I got to meet with Christian and really enjoyed talking to him. I did not get a chance to meet Pamela as they try to work separately, a good way to keep the peace in their marriage!
Know that Christian, who is the Executive Chef and wine director is not French. So was I again in a bad copycat restaurant? I would know soon enough!
The place first: I was curious to know if there was any story behind the name of the restaurant.
Christian said that there was no particular meaning, but it was a way to pair the white and the black of the salt and pepper with the back and white photos that are all over the walls. I liked these photos, the lack of color giving a nice atmosphere to the place. They represent different places in the world, Paris of course, as well as personal photos such as Pamela and Christian's wedding.
As soon as you enter, you feel like you are transported in a French restaurant in France. Normally, they have couple of tables outside, but, with this weather, needless to say that it was not setup! Near the entrance, are few tables, surrounding the bar; further, is the main dining room with its leather and fabric-upholstered banquettes, antique sconces, wood floors and classic mirrors that give a dimension to the room.
As we were waiting for other guests to arrive, they offered me a glass of wine. Looking at the extensive wine list, I noticed that they serve wines from many countries, not only France. But hey, I had to stay true to what I was looking to experience and ordered a fantastic glass of Brouilly 2005 - Domaine Du Moulin-Favre (Beaujolais).
Then, as guests arrived, we sat at our table where the tasting menu was printed. Not that their menu was completely unknown to me: before going to any restaurant, I check the menu. So did I for Sel et Poivre, the day before, drooling over the escargots, frog legs, liver and kidneys. And I smiled when reading what would be served to us...Let's see why.
The first dish was a celery remoulade with red beets.
This was, as for the other dishes, a tasting portion.
It was perfect with a piece of baguette, that is an essential element of a French meal: you cannot serve a meal in France without some bread.
The second dish was not a dish I would have associated to French cuisine: red pepper bisque.
It had a bright red color and a nice smell that definitely made me want to try it. It was not a thick bisque as not made with cream, but with a potato broth, making it a lighter and healthier version. I loved the taste of red pepper it had, keeping it the star of the dish as not being diluted in the broth.
Then came a wild striped sea bass with artichoke hearts, fennel and black olive, drizzled in some lemon oil.
This was a very nice dish, presentation wise and taste wise. The fish was perfectly cooked, flakey and moist, with a slightly crispy skin on top. I liked that they served it with tomatoes, olives, arugula, fennel and artichokes, the last two bringing their own particular flavors, allowing each bite to be unique.
Then, we got a canard a l'orange or duck a l'orange.
It was served with wild rice and spinach. This is also a classic French dish. However, whenever I had it, it was with a magret de canard rather than the way it was served that was close to a confit, although less (over) cooked and less salty. It was good though, but I wish there was more sauce.
After that was the steak (sirloin) with sauce au Roquefort and sauce au Poivre.
Served with fries, this is definitely a classic, although not that many people tried steak with a Roquefort sauce.
Whenever I have some steak leftover, I cook it in sour cream and blue cheese. It is rich...but delicious.
The pepper sauce was also very good, not being too peppery, although I admit that the cracked pepper on top tickled my throat at some point!
Whenever I have some steak leftover, I cook it in sour cream and blue cheese. It is rich...but delicious.
The pepper sauce was also very good, not being too peppery, although I admit that the cracked pepper on top tickled my throat at some point!
I really liked the steak (cooked medium and tender with a nice char) and the sauces that were also perfect with the fries, or a piece of bread.
Then was the long awaited veal kidneys!
I was so happy to see it coming. I know that some people consider this a creepy meat, but for me it is a delicacy. I admit that I could not resist going for a second....It was served with a fantastic mustard sauce, boiled potatoes and spinach.
The main difficulty with kidneys is to clean them and these were perfect.
But it did not stop there! When Christian realized that the table was ready for this type of dish, he decided to add to the tasting the calf liver. It was served with a traditional Lyonnaise sauce that was scrumptious.
The dish was composed of onions, mashed potatoes and broccoli. Although the liver was a bit gamey, it was delicious, the dish not being too heavy and the onions adding a nice sweetness.
After this feast, believe it or not but we still had some space for dessert. The first one was the chocolate lava cake, served with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.
Homemade, it was perfectly cooked, the center being runny. I also appreciated the fact that it was not too sweet, although the cream and ice cream were perfect to neutralize any sweetness that persisted.
The second dessert was a vanilla creme brûlée.
Pretty classic, it was well set, with a nice torched sugar layer on top.
I really liked my dinner at Sel et Poivre: the food was delicious and, although a bit elevated, stayed true to traditional French cuisine, bringing me back to France for the evening. Whether or not you are adventurous, this is definitely the place to go to! Chapeau!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
| * Restaurant Name | |
|---|---|
| Sel & Poivre | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Upper East Side / Mediterranean / French | |
| * Street Address | |
| 853 Lexington Ave. (Between 64th St. & 65th St.), New York, NY 10065 | |
| * Phone | |
| (212) 517-5780 |
Ramen Setagaya in the East Village, NYC, New York
It has been a while since I wanted to try Ramen Setagaya, not just because I love ramen and hope to try all the ramen places in the City, but also because it is always packed and I was thinking that there is probably a reason for it.
So we decided to go on a Sunday at the opening time, to make sure we would be the first there. We showed up at 12pm and, as planned, were there first. I should mention that it was the day of the Superbowl and so there were not that many people roaming in the street of New York.
Chef Maejima opened Ramen Setagaya in 2000 in Tokyo and few years ago in New York and Fort Lee (NJ). The restaurant in NYC is not a big place, probably sitting 25 people. with a communal table in the middle. According to them, they serve 300 ramen daily.
Their menu offers ramen with meat or vegetarian, as well as cold noodles called Tsukemen. If you are hungry, they also propose appetizers and side dishes. But if you are a fan of pork buns like me, you will be disappointed because they do not have them on the menu. Not that it is a deal breaker though!
Jodi ordered the vegetarian miso ramen:
It was made with soft tofu, a half salt tasted egg, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, cabbage, scallion and onion. When it came, it had this incredible smell that was very appetizing. The broth was good, but had a tad too much garlic.
Also, the tofu was just pieces put on top: fried, it would have given more flavor and some texture.
Also, the tofu was just pieces put on top: fried, it would have given more flavor and some texture.
I went for the Shio Chasumen that is Shio ramen with extra pork:
It was composed of BBQ pork, salt tasted egg, bamboo shoot, seaweed, scallion and scallop powder. The broth is made of chicken, pork and vegetables, as well as Khanh Hoa Salt, which is a natural mineral-rich sea salt from Vietnam. I really liked it: not too salty, light and tasty. The photo below shows you how much I liked it...
The noodles between the two ramen were different (they have three different kinds). The one on the left was in the vegetarian ramen and the one on the right the Shio ramen. In the latter, the noodles were of a lighter color, thinner and a bit more al dente.
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Enjoy (I did)!
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| * Restaurant Name | |
|---|---|
| Ramen Setagaya | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| East Village / Japanese / Ramen | |
| * Street Address | |
| 34 1/2 Saint Marks Pl., New York, NY 10003 | |
| * Phone | |
| 212-387-7959 |
Brunch at Maialino in NYC, New York
I had Maialino on my list of restaurants to visit for a while, the restaurant being suggested by one of my colleagues Dan. We decided to move it up the list when we saw their olive oil cake and chocolate croissant bread pudding on the show Unique Sweets. We chose to go to brunch, on a Saturday. The restaurant, located in the Grammercy Park Hotel is beautiful.
It has three distinctive areas: the bar area with a few tables and communal tables, the cafe where you can order your espresso and some viennoiseries and then the dining room that had a very warm feel, casual but elegant at the same time. In the back, a wall full of Italian wines:
Because Maialino is an Italian restaurant, another creation from Danny Meyer who already spoiled us with Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park and Shake Shack.
Opened in 2009, this modern trattoria proposes Roman dishes. Maialino means piggy in Italian, so no wonder why this animal is drawn on the menu as well as well represented in the dining menu crafted by Executive Chef Nick Anderer.
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We had very good service there and the waitress asked us first if we wanted to start with a beverage, mentioning that they have a nice "coffee program". Being a coffee drinker, I got interested and ended up ordering a cortado that is between a cappuccino and a macchiato.
I could have eaten them with or without the tomato sauce served with it.
Then, Jodi ordered the Frittata Bianca:
At first, it found it deliciously herbaceous, but unfortunately, some parts of the frittata had too much herbs to the point that it completely overpowered the whole dish.
On my side, I ordered the Contadino:
These are poached eggs served with herb roasted fingerling potatoes and caramelized onions.
The dish looked fantastic and I understood fairly quickly why they brought me a spoon to eat it: the eggs were very soft and the yolks runny, playing the role of some kind of sauce when eaten with the delicious potatoes that were served skin on, adding some texture to the dish. This was so good that I wished there were more, despite the fact that there was not enough caramelized onions! This is a fantastic brunch dish that I definitely recommend.
Then came the moment of dessert! Yes, we went for that and were ready to eat that bread pudding!
Unfortunately, they only serve it for dinner. Bummer! But don't worry, we found some replacements...First was the olive oil cake called Torta di Olio d’Oliva that we wanted anyway to try:
It was served with a cream made of vanilla beans and mascarpone. I admit that I did not really care about the cream: just having the cake was sufficient. You do not taste the olive oil, but it gives a nice constancy to the cake, probably replacing some, if not all, of the butter. Needless to say that we finished it.
We also shared a toffee glazed brioche bun:
It was small, too small unfortunately, because also very good!
The brioche was probably cooked on a bed of sugar that had a nice caramelization on the bottom and sides, and the toffee was sublime. I truly appreciated that it was not too sweet.
I really liked my meal at Maialino and it is definitely on my list of places to go for brunch. I will probably go back to try their dinner, but it will not just be for their bread pudding: their menu looks fantastic!
Enjoy (I did)!
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German cuisine at Helmer's in Hoboken, NJ
Helmer's is a restaurant located on the Uptown part of Hoboken. Serving authentic German cuisine, it opened in 1936 by the Helmer family who immigrated from Germany. It was then sold in 1940 to the Lueders from Bremerhaven, Germany.
There is definitely a particular atmosphere there, rendered by the decor: high wooden booths, wooden tables and beer steins on top of the bar.
If you are a beer fan, they have a mice selection of Belgian and German beers, served in big beer glasses also used to serve...water.
As I mentioned above, their menu proposes authentic German food, like wurst, Sauerbraten (pot roast) or schnitzel. But they also serve American dishes such as cheeseburgers or NY Sirloin steaks.
After we ordered, they brought us some bread:
There was a pretzel bread as well as one that I guess was pumpernickel bread. This bread was perfect to open our appetite.
They were stuffed with some meat and herbs.
The stuffing was light and tasty, letting the mushrooms be the star.
Then, Jodi ordered the grilled ham and muenster sandwich:
It was like and open face sandwich, composed of Black Forest Ham, melted Meunster Cheese, sliced Jersey Tomatoes, served with French Fries.
I liked it: simple, very comforting, there was a lot of ham and cheese.
On my side, I ordered the Wienershnitzel ala Holstein or veal schnitzel with a fried egg:
I had a choice of sides: sauerkraut, mash potatoes, fries or spaetzle. Spaetzle are egg noodles eaten in Germany, Austria, Alsace - France-, or Switzerland. I found it incredible that they charge you $3 if you order them! I picked sauerkraut and mash potatoes.
Schnitzel is a thin piece of meat that is coated with flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs, and then fried. This dish can be found in many countries, sometimes with their own twist. In Italy, it is called Veal Milanese (if made with veal of course), escalope Viennoise in France or apanados in Colombia.
The Wiener (Veal) Schnitzel was cooked a cheval, meaning with a fried egg on top that had a perfectly runny yolk, giving a breakfast feel to the dish. The meat was tender, with a nice crispiness from the coating. I definitely enjoyed it. However, the sides were just ok: the sauerkraut was very sour and the mash potatoes had too much garlic.
This was a very good lunch that brought us back to our last trip in Germany two years ago and I am sure I will go there for dinner to try some other dishes!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Nipponista event at Maison O in Soho, NYC, New York
Last Wednesday, I was invited to Nipponista, an event organized by Tabélog US, the largest Japanese restaurant review website and hosted by Isetan, the largest department store in Japan at Maison O in Soho. The purpose is to showcase Japanese fashion, art, food, lifestyle and craftsmanship.
The dinner, prepared for the occasion by Chef Tadashi Ono, the former executive chef of Matsuri (above) was paired with Mizubasho sake presented by Mr Shoichi Nagai (below), the chairman of Nagai Sake Inc. who made each sake presentation interesting.
He greeted us with a glass of Mizubasho Sparkling Sake:
I never had sparkling sake before and did not even know it existed!
The evening continued with a presentation by Kanso groceries of dashi and an explanation about umami, the fifth taste sensation after sweet, sour, bitter and salty. To show us how dashi enhances flavors, they made us taste some miso with water (left) and some miso with dashi (right).
We could definitely taste the difference, the first one being tasteless and the second one being flavorful. They proceeded to explain to us how to make it, using dried bonito:
and Hana-Kombu (kelp):
You let both elements infuse like you would make tea, et voila!
Then, we had some amuse bouche. The first one was Dashikarikori-kan with black truffle:
And the second one Kumamoto Oysters:
They were served with ponzu ice:
Then, we go a black cod:
It was steamed with sake and served with a dash-kanten gravy. In the bottom was some daikon. This was a great dish: the fish was perfectly cooked, flaky with a delicate taste.
It was paired with a Mizubashojunmaidai-ginjo premiere sake:
They served it in a silver cup that is suppose to give a smoother taste to the sake.
In fact, we event tried in a regular sake glass and definitely tasted the difference.
They came a dish that I really wanted to try as soon as I read the menu: a ribeye steak with caramelized onions and a grilled rice ball:
The presentation was beautiful and this dish delicious. First of all, the ribeye was perfectly cooked medium. Then, there was this rice ball that was crunchy on the outside and not dry at all on the inside, pairing perfectly with the steak and even with the caramelized onions that added a nice sweetness to the dish.
With the steak, we had a glass of Mizubasho vintage 2004 sake:
I truly appreciated it with my steak and even ranked this sake my favorite of the evening. I admit that I never thought about drinking sake with a ribeye, going usually for a bold red wine like pinot noir.
Last was dessert.
It was a dish composed of a coconut panna cotta with a melon compote.
This was very light and refreshing and we could definitely taste that it was made with coconut milk.
The second dessert was a Green Tea tiramisu:
This was also very good: light, it was interesting to see how green tea and coffee pair well together.
As it was a sake tasting, it was served with a dessert sake:
The packaging was beautiful and looked a bit like a perfume bottle in a way.
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We had a wonderful time at Maison O, enjoying the evening with our friend Malini, The Restaurant Fairy, and talking with other bloggers, especially Chubby Chinese Girl Eats, Johnny Prime Steaks and The Cake Dealer as well as the organizers and hosts. It is always interesting to discover other cuisines, other flavors
Thanks to Tabélog, Isetan, Nagai Sake, Inc and Maison O for this great event that was covered by NHK TV:
Enjoy (I did)!
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Quick lunch at Faces and Names in Midtown NYC
My colleagues and I were looking for a quick spot to get lunch and ended up at Faces and Names, a bar and lounge located Midtown West. This place gets its name from the multiple caricatures from Dan Springer of famous people like Miles Davis and Jeanette Lee, the Black Widow:
Or the Three Stooges:
The restaurant has several areas: the bar, the dining room and the lounge with its fireplace (you can see a painting of the Rolling Stones on the left).
In term of menu, they offer the classics: mini-burgers (apparently they are known for), wings, mini chicken tacos, shrimp cocktails...A bunch of choices perfect to eat in this kind of setting.
We sat in the bar area and picked some dishes from the bar menu. As I was going for a press dinner in the evening, I chose something light...I picked the tomato and mozzarella salad:
I could not resist and added some fried prosciutto! It definitely added some crunch to the salad that was very good, but a bit overdressed.
For dessert, they gave us what looked like a clafoutis: it was deliciously buttery and not too sweet.
This was a nice and quick lunch in a place with an interesting decor. I would definitely go back!
Enjoy (I did)!
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|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Faces and Names | |
| * Overall | |
| ☆☆☆☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Midtown West / American New / Burgers | |
| * Street Address | |
| 159 West 54th St., New York, NY 10019 | |
| * Phone | |
| 212-586-9311 |
Breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien in Tribeca, NYC
Few weeks ago, Jodi wanted to attend the open house at The New York Academy of Art in Tribeca. As it was at 12pm, we needed to find a place close that opened early enough so we would have time to have a meal. I proposed to go to Le Pain Quotidien as it is one of my favorite places and I know that it is open early. That is how we ended up at Le Pain Quotidien on Chambers Street.
The decor there is no surprise as all the restaurants of this franchise are the same: artisanal look with wood all other, from the floor to the tables and shelves, as well as the large communal table in the middle.
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It was served with some jam and fresh cream. It was good, but not the best waffle I ever had, being more like a cake, on the heavier side and with no need for the jam that was a bit too sweet.
Then, we shared the assiette de fromages:
Aged Gruyère:
Local Camembert and Fourme d’Ambert (left):
Aged Vermont goat cheese:
There was also a fig compote and some of their artisanal breads made with raisins:
If you like cheese, this is a perfect spot for it: good price and good quality cheese, served with an assortment of organic breads:
We also ate the bread with some butter or better, some hazelnut chocolate spread that is similar to Nutella, but even better: you taste more the hazelnut and it is much less sweet.
With the meal, I got my double espresso (nice quantity):
And Jodi some tea:
Le Pain Quotidien is a great spot for breakfast or brunch, serving some delicious food in a rustic atmosphere. Their menu proposes a wide variety of dishes that would satisfy any palate, not just focussing on breakfast items. It is definitely a good franchise to remember.
Enjoy (I did)!
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Product review: Seven Spoons frozen dishes
I was recently contacted to try some products from Seven Spoons, a brand that is newly selling frozen meals at Fairway. I was curious to try as they propose dishes from different parts of the world, gluten free and with natural ingredients. I am always wary about prepared food so I gave it a try!
I received three different dishes, sent on dry ice: Quinoa Vegetable Biryani, Chicken Biryani and Thai Green Curry.
We decided to try first the Quinoa Vegetable Biryani. When I opened the bag, this is what I saw:
It contained vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, lima beans, carrots), cashews, as well as cubes that are in fact the sauce.
I cooked the quinoa in the microwave (same modus operandi for the rice):
While the vegetables and sauce (cubes) were cooking in a skillet:
After following the cooking instructions, it became this:
or this:
With it came some spices for a raita, to counteract the heat of the dish:
Then, I tried the Chicken Biryani:
There were big pieces of delicious chicken that were served with Basmati rice prepared with caramelized onions, mint, Indian style chicken base (chicken broth, sea salt, Indian spices, chicken fat, garlic and onion powder, turmeric).
The last dish was Thai Green Curry:
It was full of tofu, red pepper, green peas, bamboo shoots and baby corn, bathed in a curry sauce.
I liked these dishes for several reasons: easy to prepare, tasted natural and were flavorful, better than some of the prepared food I tried before. However, the Thai green curry and vegetarian biryani were a bit spicy; I wished they put some of the spices in a separate bag so people can decide how spicy they want the dish. The raita is definitely necessary if you do not like eating too spicy. I am now looking forward to see what other dishes they will propose, as they have several culinary experts working together.
Enjoy (I did)!
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Crumbs Gluten Free in Greenwich Village, NYC, New York
After hearing my cousin's Jessica friend Andrew talk about how he started to eat gluten free only and the health benefits that ensue, we thought it would be a good idea to try some gluten free (GF) places. The first strike was Tu-Lu's bakery that I posted two days ago, this one being also out of curiosity considering that they opened next to Veniero's Pasticceria, one of the oldest if not the oldest Italian bakery in town, as if they wanted to challenge them. Then, Jodi remembered that we passed by Crumbs Gluten Free, a store that got converted to a full GF bakery last year. Their goodies are baked at a completely gluten and peanut-free bakery and delivered fresh daily to the store and on top of the regular cupcakes and cookies, they propose breads and quiches.
I would have gone blindfolded, I would not have known it was a GF Crumbs as the cupcakes and other brownies looked the same (meaning giant cupcakes!).
We decided to try their milkshake cupcake:
Just reading the selection made me salivate:
Marble cake filled with vanilla cream cheese frosting mixed with chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs, topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting swirled with chocolate cream cheese frosting and edged with chocolate crunches.
It was good, but a bit on the dry side.
We also tried the chocolate hazelnut tart:
It was delicious! The chocolate taste was fantastic with a nice hint of hazelnut and the crust was crumbly. Definitely recommended for the chocolate lovers.
Crumbs Gluten Free was surprising: not only everything looked appetizing, but it tasted good too. I would not have known it was GF, I would have never guessed!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Tu-Lu's gluten free bakery in the East Village - NYC, New York
Tu-Lu's is the first Gluten free bakery I set foot in, finding it unexpectedly next to Veniero's, one of the oldest pastry shops in America. Yes, next to Veniero's, as if it was done as a sign of defiance! Gluten free, vegan...To the regular foodie, it does not sound good and probably does not taste good. But I heard so many people with gluten-intolerance, Celiac disease or just willing to cut on gluten saying that there are great places throughout the city where eating gluten free is not synonymous with eating cardboard. That is how we decided to go back to Tu-Lu's.
This place opened in 2010 by Tully Phillips, after she was diagnosed with gluten intolerance, joined by Jennifer Goodhue in 2011, who was diagnosed in 2009 with Celiac disease. Since then they opened locations in Dallas Texas, catering to the gluten free (GF) and vegan fans.
It is a tiny place with only few seats inside. They offer desserts and cookies such as cupcakes, brownies, donuts..., where the wheat flour has been replaced with rice or tapioca flour.
For the cupcakes, they propose regular and small size, so we decided to try few of their specialties.
It was a pretty good donut, even if not the best I ever tried, with a consistency cake like rather than yeast like if I were to compare with the two kinds the Doughnut Plant proposes. I would not have known it was GF, I would not have noticed.
A vanilla cupcake:
I liked it: the cake itself was moist and the frosting light, well proportioned with the amount of cake.
The red velvet cupcake:
I did not like it, whether it was the cake or the frosting.
A chocolate and hazelnut cake bite:
I liked it: it was very chocolaty, moist, but did not really taste the hazelnut. Despite that, I would re-order it!
Last was the vegan chocolate chip cookie:
They propose it vegan or simply GF. In a bold move, we decided to go for vegan. I liked it: it is not at the same level than City Bakery, but let me tell you that it is a pretty decent one!
As you can imagine, I was quite surprised by what we got at Tu-Lu's: it definitely changed my mind about GF desserts and I am really amused that such bakery is right next to one of the most popular bakeries in New York. Tu-Lu's is the living proof that eating GF does not mean that you cannot satisfy these cravings that we all have! This is a good address whether you or your friends are vegan, need or want to eat GF...or not!
Enjoy (I did)!
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| * Restaurant Name | |
|---|---|
| Tu-Lu's Gluten Free Bakery | |
| * Overall | |
| ☆☆☆☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| East Village / American New | |
| * Street Address | |
| 338 East 11th St., New York, NY 10003 | |
| * Phone | |
| (212) 777-2227 |
Veniero's Pasticceria in the East Village, NYC, New York
Veniero's is the oldest Italian pastry shop in the US, opened and owned since 1894 by the Veniero family. During its long life, this East Village place has earned multiple awards and is said to be the best place for dessert in New York. This put the bar pretty high considering the multiple options the City has to offer. So I was very excited to try it and we decided to go after our lunch at S'Mac and right before seeing the movie Dallas Buyers Club with Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto (great performance from both by the way). When we arrived, we noticed the café adjacent to the pastry shop and decided to come back after the movie, to have some time to taste several pastries. So, chose promise, chose due (promises are made to be kept): more than two hours later, we reenter the place that is packed! I was so glad that I took few photos earlier.
When you enter the place, you arrive in the pastry shop where I could probably spend an afternoon looking at these fantastic desserts in regular and small size, drooling on the ornate marble floor. I thought it was great to propose the smaller size, so one can try several kinds of Italian desserts, but I can ensure you that I would have had a hard time making up my mind!
It can be so crowded that you need to pick a number to be served before going back in line.
Passing the crowd, there is another display, for large cakes (you can admire the staff decorating cakes if you like):
And then, here is the café, in the back, with its incredible stained glass ceiling and an authentic atmosphere that transports you back in time in Italy.
Jodi decided to order a coconut cake:
Not a surprising choice as it is her favorite dessert. This one was just ok and she did not even finish it. The disappointing factor was the fact that the cream on top did not incorporate any coconut: it was just drizzled on top of the cake. So far, her favorite, and I would agree, is the coconut cake from Balthazar that you can even find at its sister restaurant, Minetta Tavern.
On my side, I chose the Baba au rhum:
They propose it with or without custard. I decided to go with. It was another disappointment: the cake seemed to be a bit stale, although imbibed with the rum and there was an off taste. I could not even eat half of it.
After these two miss, we had high hopes on the cannoli:
It looked good and appetizing. The shell was very good, fresh and crispy, however, the filling was a bit bland.
I guess the only thing I loved there was my double espresso...
I was very disappointed by Veniero's and it is after trying three of their desserts, two of them quite traditional. Maybe the Italian cookies are better, but clearly not what we picked. If I had to compare it to another Italian pastry and propose it as an alternative, it would be Villabate Alba in Brooklyn.
Enjoy (the post)!
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| * Restaurant Name | |
|---|---|
| Veniero's Pasticceria and Caffe | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★☆☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| East Village / Italian / Desserts | |
| * Street Address | |
| 342 East 11th St. (bet. 1st & 2nd Ave.), New York, NY 10003 | |
| * Phone | |
| (212) 674-7070 |
Brunch at City Bistro in Hoboken, NJ
If you come to Hoboken, there is one thing that you cannot miss: the number of bars in the mile square city. City Bistro, located uptown, is one the popular ones that has a big advantage over the others: its rooftop. Not that it is very useful in the winter, but in the summer, it is definitely the place to be and they sometimes even ask bands to come perform there.
It was not our first time there, being there for drinks, but also a dinner few years ago, that I hated, not because of the food, but because of the noise level that very loud, not allowing me to understand a word of the conversation. So, this time, we decided to go for brunch, thinking that it was probably quieter. I am sure that there would be a game, it would have been a madhouse though...
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It is a bar, so the decor is pretty standard: wooden floor, bricks, high and low tables. The first time we went, I noticed all the strollers at the entrance and a large number of families inside.
I had hopes for the brunch, because a lot of time, bars are proposing great comforting dishes. Their menu offers the classic choices you get for brunch, as well as their own dishes. The first time, Jodi went for the salade Niçoise, a French specialty made of tomatoes, hard boiled eggs and tuna.
The tuna, in the original recipe, is canned. At City Bistro, they made the salad using fresh seared tuna that made the dish more elegant. The tuna had this nice grill taste on the outside and the flavor was enhanced with some coarse salt. What I liked also is that they added their own twist by putting on the very top some fried onions.
I ordered the short rib grilled cheese:
For the side, I had the choice between fries and a salad. I went with fries of course!
The grilled cheese sandwich was made of short ribs, gruyere, baby arugula, caramelized onion on a country white bread. I liked it although the short ribs were a bit dry. Fortunately there was the cheese (a bit more would have even be better and would have balanced the sandwich) and the caramelized onions that gave a nice sweetness to the dish.
The second time we went, Jodi ordered the crunchy French toast:
What made this French toast different from any other is that it was battered in corn flakes, giving it a nice crunch. The bread was also properly soaked in the batter. If you like French toast, this is definitely one I would not miss.
On my side, I wanted to try the burger. I hesitated between the Bistro burger (10oz. ground sirloin, lettuce, tomato, vidalia onion, choice of cheddar, swiss, bleu cheese) and the Hoboken burger (ground beef, fried egg, seared ham). I decided to go for the Hoboken burger, with cheese (they charged me for it).
The meat had a nice char and was juicy (I asked for medium).
I liked the egg on top, the yolk being runny and making the use of ketchup or mayo useless. With the ham, this was definitely a heart attack on a plate!
I really enjoyed the brunch at City Bistro: the menu is classic, but they were able to put some interesting dishes on it that will satisfy all palates.
Enjoy (I did)!
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Masq: a taste of New Orleans in NYC, New York
I was recently invited for a press dinner at Masq, a New Orleans inspired restaurant located in Turtle Bay (Midtown East) that opened in March 2013. The owners, Nora and George Chaprastian, who are true New Yorkers, fell in love with New Orleans and decided to open a place to celebrate Louisiana cuisine in a setting that would feel like home, the restaurant being in the first floor of a townhouse.
Masq is short for Masquerade, and as soon as you enter in the restaurant, you can understand how the decor will be: you are greeted by a beautiful Mardi-Gras mask. There are in fact masks all over the place and they are incredible.
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There is even a Mona Lisa represented there, adding a touch of humor!
The layout of the restaurant is interesting as the place has a sort of long shape, each room with a decor New Orleans inspired: first is the horseshoe shaped bar, made of white oak and decorated with multiple exposed-filament light bulbs:
There, I tried the Dark & Stormy cocktail, made with dark rum and ginger beer; this is the kind of cocktail that is dangerous because it does not have a strong alcohol taste and thus can be sipped like a soda...
Then the lounge, with its vintage fabric-upholstered chairs, antique oak and maple tables, a vintage velvet sofa and Persian rugs:
After walking through the lounge, is the dining room, decorated with an exotic New Orleans wall mural:
The last room in the back was the red room:
It is used for private parties (it can seat 45 people).
Before I talk about the menu at Mask, know that my experience of New Orleans cuisine dates from May 2006, when Jodi and I went there for a week vacation. I did not have the blog at the time, but, before going, we already made reservations or identified the places to go to: Emeril's Nola, John Besh's Luke, Mother's or Cafe Du Monde for the scrumptious beignets we ate everyday for breakfast. That is where I first tried jambalaya, crawfish étouffée and bread pudding.
It is in the lounge room that they setup our table.
At some point during the dinner, we got introduced to the Executive Chef Marc Getzelman and owner George Chaprastian (who is also the beverage director), who explained to us how the menu (New American inspired by New Orleans cuisine to be precise) was crafted, as well as gave us some interesting information about some of the dishes.
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| Executive Chef Marc Getzelman and owner George Chapastrian |
So, here is what we ate:
Like a lot of recipes, it started off by accident: there were some leftovers in the fridge and the Chef had this crazy idea to mold a croquette with it, using an ice cream scoop. He then added a roux, bacon and rolled it in panko bread crumbs before frying it. It was served with a spicy remoulade.
I really liked this dish: when you bite in it, you first experience the crunchiness of the croquette and then you hit the Mac and cheese that was gooey. They mentioned to us that the regular serving is three croquettes, that is perfect for sharing (we got smaller portions for all the dishes because it was a tasting).
I should mention that each dish was paired with a wine. For the mac and cheese croquette, it was a Franciscan Estate 2011 Chardonnay (Napa Valley):
The next dish was prosciutto and fig flatbread:
This is not what I would associate immediately with New Orleans. But you know what? This shows some diversity there! I liked it: the bread itself, homemade, was crispy, and there was a nice sweetness coming from the figs that counterbalanced well the tangy flavor of the arugula and the sharpness of the cheese.
They served the flatbread with Danzante Pinot Grigio 2012 (Italy):
After that came the crawfish étouffée:
As an anecdote, they did not plan this for the tasting menu, until they heard that a French blogger was coming. So they swapped it against an Asian salmon. I admit that I was pleased to have the opportunity to try it, because it is definitely a dish associated with New Orleans. The difficulty there was to have enough crawfish, the supply not being abundant. But here were we with a nice dish in front if us. It was pretty good, a nice kick and some heat building in the back of my throat.
The wine served with this dish was a Venezia Giulia 2012 Sauvignon Blanc from Italy:
Then we got the Po'Boy.
There were two kinds: shrimp.
And catfish.
I preferred the shrimp one for sure: nice piece of shrimp, crispy and tasty. The bread, homemade, was a sweet Hawaiian roll. It was served with some coleslaw that was very good, with a touch of fennel for an added crunch.
The wine paired with the Po'Boy was a 10 Span 2012 Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County.
The last entrée was the jambalaya.
I was also looking forward for this dish. It was composed of andouille sausage, Cajun spice chicken, shrimp and rice. As you can see on the photo, they have goat cheese on top; it is used to cut down the heat from the dish and I have to say that it worked perfectly, the taste of the cheese being quite discreet and not overshadowing at all the other ingredients.
The jambalaya was served with an Alamos Malbec 2012 (Argentina):
Last was the long awaited dessert! It was a Sabayon:
Sabayon, also spelled Zabaione, is an Italian dessert made of egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine. It was served with berries.
And paired with Sambuca:
Again another dish that I did not associate with New Orleans, but let me tell you: I was glad they served it! It was so good that I could have eaten few of them. Not too sweet and light, it was a nice alternative to what could have been a boring fruit salad.
I liked my dinner at Masq: the food was good and comforting, transporting me miles away from New York for a moment. They have a large menu with some mouth watering dishes spanning between New Orleans and New American cuisine, that can satisfy any palate. And if you go there, do not forget: Il faut laisser le bon temps rouler as they say in New Orleans!
Enjoy (I did)!
And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
Famous Ben's pizza in Soho, NYC, New York
Walking in Soho, we were looking for a quick bite before going home. Pizza is always a good choice in that case, because the wait time would amount to the time to order and then to heat the slices. As we were walking, we saw Famous Ben's Pizza, a small pizza joint. We were wondering what Ben was famous for and then saw the sign indicating that it was for his Sicilian Pizza rated best by...somebody.
This is you typical pizza joint: you would go there for the food, not the decor that was simplistic, if it was not for the quotes on the wall.
There we ordered the following slices:
This was a surprising slice: think about the vodka sauce that you typically find on penne pasta and put it on pizza instead of the classic tomato sauce. Et voila the vodka slice. Genius, original and very good!
The second slice was the Palermo pizza:
Last was of course the Sicilian pizza. Remember: "Rated Best Sicilian Pizza".
Well, it was just ok. For a better slice of this kind, I prefer Stromboli that is not too far from there.
I was a bit disappointed, not that I had high expectations, but sometimes, you find these little hidden gems. Famous Ben's Pizza is not one of them, although their vodka slice is delicious and I would just go back for that one!
Enjoy (...)!
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Ramen Misoya in the East Village, NYC, New York
I will always be amazed by the number of ramen places in New York, serving different types of this delicious soup where slurping is not impolite. I were a kid, I would definitely listen to my Mom if she wanted me to eat this kind of soup, over a vegetable one I had in my childhood.
It has probably 20 seats and, contrary to a lot of restaurants of that sort, the kitchen is in the back, separate from the dining room, so you cannot sit at the counter and observe the Chef do his magic.
We went there on a Saturday night, at 6pm, and it was packed from the moment we arrived to the moment we left.
The restaurant serves three types of miso:
- Kome miso ramen, that they describe as: "made of rice, the standard miso. Intense flavor with rich aroma".
- Mame miso ramen: "made of beans, dark-colored miso. Among the three miso, it has the sweetest and richest texture".
- Shiro miso ramen: "Compared to Kome Miso, Shiro Miso is less intense in flavor and sweeter. A light-colored miso".
If you look at the menu, there is no vegetarian option, all the soups being made with at least ground beef. In fact, they have a separate vegetarian menu that they will bring if you ask them. I am not sure though why they do not include the vegetarian options in the regular menu!
Jodi went for the vegetarian Shiro miso ramen:
Mine was the Mame Miso Cha-Shu:
The presentation was very appetizing. It was made of pork cha-shu, a fried shrimp, an egg, ground beef, bean sprouts, cabbage, bamboo shoot and noodles.
Both ramen were delicious, but I admit that I preferred the Shiso miso one, although it was vegetarian. It was simply because the broth was delicious, sweet, soft and light, very milky. The fact that the tofu was fried was a good idea as it gave a bit of texture and crispiness to the dish.
But, the shrimp and pork were definitely good, the pork having this braised taste that was heaven. Let's not forget the egg: it was so soft that my chopsticks cut through without any effort and the yolk was perfectly runny. And the noodles: they seem to be the same in both bowls. However, mine were more al dente and the color darker, probably because of the dark-colored broth.
Both ramen were delicious and I can't wait to go back to Ramen Misoya. The food was good and the service efficient and courteous. I think Ramen Misoya is another alternative to the priciest and overrated Ippudo!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Revisit: Republic in Union Square, NYC, New York
Republic is one these little gem that Union Square has to offer: great food and reasonable prices. We go from time to time and have never been disappointed. We ended up there again. I admit that I forgot how loud this place is...and the fact that the seating is communal means that you will probably hear whatever people around you are talking about...
What I love about the decor is all these beautiful black and white photos where noodles will be present (their motto is "Think noodles"), with people most of the time. And, as it was close to Christmas, they saddled them with Santa's hat.
I love the diversity of their menu, that spawns from Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and China, sourcing quality ingredients. What I like is that they offer small dishes, perfect for sharing, as well as large ones if you want to go solo.
Made with minced pork, they are small; but they serve plenty of them, mixing them with cabbage, ginger, cilantro, scallions, and dressed with an oyster sauce.
Then, Jodi ordered the curry vegetable noodle soup:
This sole choice of soup for vegetarians was composed of rice noodles, coconut milk, tofu, snow peas, carrots, fried shallots, cabbage and broccoli.
On my side, I ordered the curry chicken noodle soup.
It was composed of rice vermicelli, shredded chicken, curry, coconut milk, bean sprouts and cilantro.
The soups were overall good and tasty, my favorite being the chicken one. Definitely, picking a broth with coconut milk is rarely disappointing, the milk adding some smoothness to it. However, I prefer when the noodles are thicker as they have more texture. But overall, it was good.
So I can tell you that it was not the last time at Republic! And if you go there, do not miss the dumplings!
Enjoy (I did)!
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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!