Sometimes, I should just stick to the original plan...It all started with wanting to eat ramen at Jun-Men in Chelsea. But the weather was pretty good for November and, as we walked passed Stage Door Deli, we changed our mind, reserving ramen for a colder day. I was excited for sure, thinking about the Reuben I would inhale in few minutes.
Located on the 8th floor of Macy's, hidden like a priceless gem is the De Gustibus Cooking school. I mean, even some employees of the store did not know it was there and it took me a couple of inquiries to find my way to what would be a wonderful evening, where my friend Malini, The Restaurant Fairy, brought me along, generously sharing the experience with me and Cindy, from the food blog Chubby Chinese Girl.
We were walking on 9th Avenue when we stumbled upon Bombay Grill House and the photo of their thali, a plate containing various dishes making a full meal, from appetizer to dessert. I discover Thali many years ago in Mumbai and specifically remembered one that was vegetarian, that I loved, a weird thing to write considering my love for meat...Anyway, I kept Bombay Grill House in mind and few weeks later, we decided to try their cuisine. The place was not that full, although we could see traces of a large table that left probably before we arrived.
Being a blogger has its perks and one of them is that you get sometimes invited to previews of upcoming menus or collections such as the 2017 Valentine's and Easter Collections event organized last week at La Maison Du Chocolat on The Upper East Side. Well, I was not just excited about the chocolate, although I could easily imagine being locked inside this place all night...It was also because I got the opportunity to meet Geoffroy D' Anglejan-Chattilon, Managing Director of La Maison du Chocolat with whom I had a nice chat.
I love NY for the diversity of its food and was not disappointed after eating at Esperanto, a Latin restaurant located in Alphabet City that is celebrating its 17th Anniversary. This place has a neighborhood latin café feel that I always like to find, far from the famous places where there is no soul. It is not a big place, but it benefits from having space outside for a few tables, so patrons can enjoy the last bit of good weather before winter comes. Esperanto is not a big place; it is colorful and warm, with a rustic feel.
When temperatures start to go down, I am always looking forward for ramen. I was really looking forward to try Mentoku in Hell's Kitchen. I saw that place while walking down the street and noticed their spicy ramen with...whipped cream. Not that I was going to try it as it seems to be really spicy, but still, I was a bit curious. We went on a Saturday to this small cash only place that was not as crowded as Totto Ramen that we passed by few hours later.
The last time I went to Fogo de Chao was few months after this upscale steakhouse opened, back in December 2013. I even went to one of their locations in Sao Paolo that I found of lesser quality than their sister restaurant in the big apple. Well, the location itself is amazing with its three floors and I cannot imagine the rent they pay a month.
Meaning Sir Lala, Lala Sahab is the new venture of Executive Chef and owner Lala Sahab that I met few months ago at Surya, where he not only treated us with a sublime meal, but also made a demonstration of the use of the tandoor oven.
Roni-Sue's Chocolates is not unknown to me as I got to a try few times their amazing chocolates, even recently at the Great Big Bacon Picnic in Williamsburg where they presented a delicious bacon butter crunch toffee.
I heard about Haandi, a fast casual restaurant serving Pakistani and North Indian cuisine: it is apparently a favorite spot for taxi drivers and the line of taxis in front of this place when I arrived seemed to confirm this, although when I entered the joint, it was not that crowded and the customers who came later seem to be business people rather than cabbies.
I admit that at first, I did not intend to go have dinner at Georgia's Eastside BBQ with my friend Benny. No, we wanted to go get some fried chicken at Sweet Chick located a block away. Unfortunately, and despite the info I got on the Internet, the place was closed for "staff appreciation day". Nice thing in retrospect, but at that point, I was more thinking about "client appreciation day"! So, the other alternative was Russ and Daughters on Orchard and it is while walking towards it that I noticed Georgia's Eastside BBQ.
I passed so many times in front of Rice 'n' Beans in Hell's Kitchen, thinking it was a takeout place and not realizing that, first it is a Brazilian place (I could have by simply looking at the flag, but did not pay attention because, again, I thought it was a takeout place), and second, that it is serving a pretty good food, beyond the simple casual feel the place gives.
I will not surprise anybody by saying that Empanadas Café serves mainly...empanadas. If you want to eat something else, you are going to be very, very, very, limited. I was excited to go there, not only because I love empanadas, those little pockets of deliciousness that are either baked or fried, but also because they offer a wide variety of them, away from the classic beef or cheese ones.
People always talk about John's Pizza, Grimaldi's or XXX, but there is a little gem on Bleecker Street that I highly recommend: Kesté Pizza and Vino. Serving sublime Neapolitan pizza, one of their best credentials is that their owner, Roberto Capiruscio is the president of the US branch of the Association of Neapolitan Pizzaiuoli (APN - Association of Neapolitan Pizza Makers), that ensures that Neapolitan pizza are made following strict guidelines (water temperature, specific flour, etc. ).
That brownie was one of the best I ever had! Wait! Flashback: this is supposed to be a post about a healthy place: how did I end up talking about a brownie? Well, EXKI, from the French word "exquis" that means exquisite, is a healthy casual eatery with more than 75 locations in Europe, trying to appeal to the busy and health conscious New Yorker (no brownie so far). With two locations in New York, this one is not new, but they upgraded their space to make it brighter (thanks to the carrera marble, white walls and light colors) and simpler, letting the food shine.
Food wise, there is no duplicity, rather authenticity and Executive Chef Gian Pietro Ferro crafted a menu that would satisfy any palate eager to discover Italian food. There are of course the pizza with the thin crust, but their homemade pasta are also noticeable. I decided to start the meal with a cocktail and went for the Paolo Uccello, named after a Renaissance painter. It was made with tequila, blood orange liquor, fresh rosemary and lime.
I was recently invited to a dinner prepared by Italian Chef Walter Potenza for the launch of Pasta Lensi's line of legume pasta. Yes, you heard well: legume pasta. At first, I was not sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by this pasta, and not just because of the recipes cooked by Chef Potenza, his logic being to make the pasta the star of the dish (he only uses three ingredients to keep the recipe simple and the flavors clean) and not just a "carrier" for a sauce.
